Chorong was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a desolate land, surrounded by the greens of grass and the whites of daisies underneath the bluest sky. From a distance, she could hear the melodious songs of the birds that decorate the air. She inhaled the sweet fragrances of the flowers, and smiled as she admired the beauty all around her. She did not even question where she was until she felt a pair of hands blocking her sight.

“Guess who,” the voice told her.

Her smile grew wider. She didn’t need to think hard to guess who it was. It was a voice she could distinguish from a thousand others within seconds; the voice that she recognized more than her own. She placed her hands on top of his and felt the warmth from his skin seeping into her blood before turning around to face him. “Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk grinned and pinched the tip of her nose. “Correct.” He plucked a small stalk of daisy and tucked it behind her ear. Then, he took her hand in his and squeezed it firmly.

“Where is this place?”

“Somewhere I planned to take you that day.”

“It’s pretty.”

“You’re prettier,” he told her, his grin reaching his eyes, sending butterflies to her stomach. With that tender smile still gracing his lips, he took her hand. “Come walk with me.”

She stared at him long and hard, the corners of her lips falling. “Where are we?”

This time, he didn’t reply right away. He lifted his gaze away and let his eyes roamed around their surrounding before returning it back at her. “You know the answer,” he said softly.

A lump was forming in . She halted her steps and looked down, refusing to let him see her soggy eyes. “Don’t let me go this time. Don’t let me wake up.”

“Chorong ah,” he called. “Promise me you’ll go back here someday.”

“I will. With you.”

“And promise me that you’ll live well. That you won’t let yourself to get stuck in the hours.”

She hesitated at first, but when she felt another squeeze on her hand, she nodded.

“Chorong ah,” he called again. “Can you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Wake up.”

: :

“Wake up.”

She opened her eyes slowly. The greens, the whites and the blues were replaced by artificial stars on the ceiling that had lost its glow. The melodic songs of the birds were replaced by the deafening silence of the empty house. The sweet scent of the flowers was substituted by the suffocating traces of his smell which was still lingering in the room.

Her pillow was soaked. She wondered how long had she been crying in her sleep.

: :

Woohyun was there in the train again when she stepped into the coach. His face cracked into a huge grin the moment he saw her. He quickly called her over and stood up. “You can sit here,” he offered.

She gave him a look, then shook her head. “Thank you,” she said.  “But no thanks.”

Watching another lady occupying the seat soon after she turned him down, he laughed. “You sure are the tough one.”

“If this is one of your ways to win me over, let me tell you something. It’s not going to work.”

“Then what will?”

Chorong shrugged. “Nothing, most probably.”

“Hmm,” he nodded slightly. “Interesting.”

More passengers came in, causing the train to be gradually crowded and people to be squashed together. They were quiet for the rest of the ride, though their shoulders would brush each other’s once every few seconds. Eventually, they reached their stop. Chorong almost tripped when she was about to alight from the vehicle due to all the pushings, but Woohyun managed to grab her wrist before she could fall.

“Thank you,” she murmured once they exited the station.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled his signature smile that reveals his two dimples. “You know, these days I’ve been for some spaghetti. Do you know any good restaurant?”

She chuckled. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

“Of course not,” he returned, smirking.

There was a pause where the various blaring noises from their surroundings filled the gap between them while she just studied his face, trying to read what lies behind the twinkles in his eyes. Then, she gave in and let out a sigh. “Alright.”

He raised a quizzical brow. “Alright?”

She fished out a pen from her bag and took his hand. “Meet me here at one,” she told him while scribbling the name of a restaurant on his palm. “If you can’t find the place, it’s not my fault,” she added.

“Don’t worry. I’m pretty good at finding places.”

“Really?” she asked, to which he replied with a nod. “In that case, if I ever need a human navigator, I’ll be sure to contact you.”

Hearing that, Woohyun laughed again. “You really are interesting,” he mused, before they both turned away and headed to their respective destination.