Hello! I made this chapter long because I felt guilty for making you wait :( I put a lot of thought into this chapter so please read it throughly to fully appreciate it. :) I really really really hope you like it! As always enjoy!

Chapter 17

Hwang Tae-Kyung's Point of View

Mi Nyu bumped against me before carefully adjusting herself. I glared at her to show my distaste.

"Go Mi Nyu, why are you sitting here?"

Mi Nam with his eyes on the road wore a wide grin. "Sang-Hee wants to see something beautiful for a change," he smugly answered for Mi Nyu.

"Yah! Go Mi Nam! What's that suppose to mean?" I barked.

His grin pulled up and briefly made eye-contact with me through the front mirror. "I am just saying that people get sick of that stupid scowl you always wear."

All eyes were trained on me, anticipating my reaction. "Aren't you a little too bold, Mi Nam?"

Mi Nam's grin grew. "I guess you can say that."

The intense atmosphere formed and as it grew, the passengers perceived a keen sense of danger that was starting to boil. "Yah. Go Mi Nam. You apologize right now," Jeremy fearfully whispered.

Mi Nam smirked and glanced at the side mirrors before switching to a different lane. "Why?"

Jeremy glanced at me. "Are you an idiot? Quit messing with Tae-Kyung Hyung. Apologize or we'll all die," he urged.

"It's okay, Jeremy. I am not taking his opinions to heart," I said without emotions.

"Oppa. Say you're sorry right now," Mi Nyu commanded.

Mi Nam's egotistical smile retracted. "Don't wanna."

"Do it. Now," she firmly ordered.

There was a long pause before Mi Nam let out a hiss through his lips. "Sorry," he said curtly.

"For what?" Mi Nyu asked.

Hmm? What's this?

"For being rude," Mi Nam sarcastically said.

"To who?" pressed Mi Nyu.

"Aish. Seriously?"

"I am a hundred percent serious," Mi Nyu said with determined eyes.

"Sorry Hwang Tae-Kyung for being rude to you. Please forgive me," sighing as he rushed through the sentence.

I smirked, amused by how much Mi Nyu can influence him. "I'll think about it."

Mi Nam turned around and glared at me. "What the hell? You're response should have been 'Since you admitted you're wrong, I will forgive you.'"

"Dude! Watch the road!" Jeremy warned.

Mi Nam's eyes focused on the road once again. "I should have said that. But then again, I am rebellious," I gave him a fake grin.

Go Mi Nam let out an exaggerated sigh. "Screw it. I don't care anymore."

The rest of the drive was long and quiet. I dozed off after awhile only to be awakened by the crumble of plastic. "Hey! The hell do you think you doing, Jeremy?" Mi Nam angrily asked him.

"Refilling my sugar bank," Jeremy grinned as he tossed a gummy worm in his mouth.

"Well, withdraw from that right now or you'll be depositing it onto the ground when I kill you," Mi Nam threatened.

Jeremy dumped the rest of the bag in his mouth and chewed it with his mouth open. "I nuff scared of chu."

Mi Nam shrank away from him. "Uh! That's just gross!" Mi Nam's phone rang. He reached tentatively to the bluetooth device. Jeremy ducked down to intimidate him. "Quit it!" Mi Nam cried.

Jeremy pulled back and laughed, careful not to choke.

Mi Nam pressed the answer device once it was in his ear. "What?" he asked, still frustrated. "I know. Okay. Bye."

"Who was it?" Sang-Hee yawned, awakening from her nap.

"You're brother. We're almost here," he gently answered.

Sang-Hee stretched her arms, forcing Mi Nyu to lean towards me. "Yah, can you keep those to yourself?"

She pouted and dropped her arms.

"She can stretch wherever and however she wants to!" defended Mi Nam.

"Why are you guys always arguing?" Mi Nyu softly asked.

Jeremy pushed his face against the window. "Wow! Is this where we're going to stay at?"

"Hey! Get your oily face off my window!" Mi Nam instructed.

Shin-Woo's car appeared at the end of the road. Mi Nam stopped the car and took the keys out. "You," he pointed a menacing finger at Jeremy, "Get out of my car. Right. Now."

Jeremy stuck his tongue out before unbuckling his seat belt. "Shin-Woo Hyung!" he cried.

Mi Nam banged his head on the car wheel when Jeremy left. "Why? Why me? Why do I have to deal with this..this stupid child?"

"You're one yourself," I remarked and opened the car door. It was cloudy unlike this morning. "Put on a jacket. It's kind of chilly," I said to Mi Nyu as she stepped out.

She nodded obediently and reached for her jacket in the car. "Here is your jacket, Hyung-nim."

I took it and shrugged it on. "Wow! Look at this place!" Sang-Hee cried in awe.

The scenery was breathtaking. A little dash of green here and there with yellow to compliment it. Trees ranged from pitifully small to respected giants.

"Grab some equipment so we can set up camp before it gets dark," Shin-Woo ordered.

Little by little tents, food, blankets, and other supplies were unloaded from the car and taken to a small open field surrounded by trees. Jeremy clutched his backbone. "Ah! My back aches," complained Jeremy, hunching over.

"I'll help you, buddy!" offered Mi Nam. He slapped Jeremy's back. "That was payback for that one day when we went to get fitted for tuxedos!"

"Start running," Jeremy warned, his mouth pulling up to a sneer.

"Why? I am fast. Faster than you," stated Mi Nam.

"I wouldn't be so sure right now, Mi Nam!" Jeremy shouted as he charged at him.

I sighed.

How can he be related to Mi Nyu?

Go Mi Nam's Point of View

I ran as fast as I could with Jeremy trailing behind me. The wind flowed effortlessly through my hair. I could feel my teeth getting cold from smiling as I ran. "Forget it, Go Mi Nam! I am not wasting my energy on you!" I heard him shout from behind.

I abruptly stopped and turned around to see him walking back to the campsite. "That means I win!" I yelled back, laughing victoriously.

He refused to look back and kicked the dirt in front of him.

Ah. Since I am near my car, might as well get my Ipod.

I unlocked my car from the front passenger side and opened the glove box where I kept it. As I retrieved it, a pile of candy caught my eye.

Stupid Jeremy.

I was about to lock my car and return to the group when an ingenious idea came to mind. I laughed to myself as I grabbed a small, clear bag from the glove department and filled it with Jeremy's treasures. I walked back to the camp with the bag in my jacket. "Shin-Woo, do you have some rope?"

He stared at me with questioning eyes. "It's for the uh...my tent. I am afraid it'll be blown away if I don't tie it to a tree," I lied.

Shin-Woo glanced at the sky. "You're right. We should tie our tents to trees. It looks like it might be windy. Ropes are over there," he pointed.

I smiled. "Thanks."

For helping me with my revenge.

I grabbed some of the sturdy fiber and whistled as I walked to the nearest tree. I tied one end of the rope to the bag containing the treats and wrapped the other end around a medium sized rock. I then flung the bag around a high branch of the yellow-leafed tree where it hung a little off the branch. I threw the rock up and hit it continuously so that it ties itself tightly to the branch. The end result was dazzling. The bag of goods hanged high above my head with the rock securing it in place.

"Go Mi Nam!" Jeremy shouted.

I whipped around. "What?"

He stuck his palm out. "Give me your car keys. I left my candy in your car."

I grinned hugely. "No need."

He tilted his head. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Smiling wickedly, I pointed up. His eyes followed my finger and he gasped. "I-i-s that what I think it is?" he asked, shocked. He slowly lowered his head to see me nod with his wide eyes.

"Y-you!" he pointed his finger at me, shaking with rage. "W-why?"

I innocently cocked my head sideways. "I was afraid bears were going to find it and eat it. You don't have to say 'thank-you'. We're buddies, right? And what do buddies do? Help each other!"

"G-Go Mi Nam! This is Africa! There are no bears!" he cried.

I scratched me head. "Oh really? I didn't know..." I could feel that he's about to pounce on me. So started to run.

"Yah! Where are you going! You're bringing my babies down now!" he screamed.

I ran and almost collided with Shin-Woo. "Whoa! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry!" I apologized.

He looked at me and then stared past me at the oncoming Jeremy and sighed. "Why do you always pick on him?"

I smirked. "It's fun."

He shook his head and handed me a heavy bag. "What's this?" I asked.

"Yours and Jeremy's tent. Go set it up before it gets dark or you'll have no where to sleep."

"Oh...Wait! What? Mine and Jeremy's tent?" I shouted at him. "Why do I have to share a tent with him?"

He nodded slowly, deep in thought. Jeremy caught up and stuck his finger out. "You," he narrowed his eyes, "Go bring my candy down this instant!" he hollered.

"Shut up, Jeremy! I am having an argument with someone else right now!"

Shin-Woo opened his eyes. "You can share your tent with Jeremy-"

"No way!" Jeremy objected.

"Or you can share it with Tae-Kyung," finished Shin-Woo.

I gulped. "And those are my only options?"

Shin-Woo nodded.

Tae-Kyung...or Jeremy...I don't want to share a tent with either of them...I can always swap Jeremy for Shin-Woo...but then again I don't want to sleep near Shin-Woo.

"I want to live so I choose," I pointed at Jeremy, "I'll go along with the original sleep placements."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Jeremy cried.

" it up. You have to listen to your elders," I stuck my tongue out at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Sleep with your eyes open tonight Mi Nam."

I shook my hands. "Ooooh I am sooo scared!" I mocked. "Shut up and let's go make the tent."

Jeremy fold his arms and pouted.

"I'll go get it for you, Jeremy" Shin-Woo offered.

Jeremy's eyes lit up. "Really Shin-Woo Hyung?"

Shin-Woo nodded. "Where is it?"

"It's that far tree over there!" Jeremy pointed.

He squinted. "Okay. I can see it. I'll go get it."

Jeremy flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Shin-Woo Hyung!" He turned around and dropped his smile. "Go."

"Yah, I saved your precious treasure and I don't get a smile?"

"Save it from what?" he shouted.

Shin-Woo's Point of View

I smiled as I walked away from the two constantly fighting children.

For some reason I find them amusing.

I spotted the bag hanging from the tree.

Mi Nam sure knows how to tie it up there. How should I approach this?

"Shin-Woo Hyung, what are you doing?" Mi Nyu asked.

I turned around and faced her. I gently smiled. "You're brother created a problem and I am just here trying to solve it."

Her eyes grew worried. "What problem?"

I pointed up. "He threw Jeremy's candy up there."

She sighed. "That's just like Oppa. Are you going to get it?"

I nodded. "But I don't know how."

She stepped in front of me and jumped in the air, flinging her arms at it. "It's too high for me!"

"Wait, Mi Nyu. Get on my back," I ordered.

She stood there, shocked. "W-what?"

"If you get on my back, we'll definitely reach the bag," I reasoned.

"Ah, yeah. You're right," she agreed.

I bent down and motioned her to get on.

"What are you guys doing?" Tae-Kyung voice interrupted us with Sang-Hee besides him.

"Ah, Hyung-nim. We..We were just trying to get that" she indicated upwards.

He glanced up and glared at her. "No. You can't do it."

"What?" Mi Nyu asked, confused.

"I am saying you, a little weak pig-rabbit, can't get it," he clarified.

"I bet I can!" she objected.

"Fine! If you think you can then get on my shoulders and we'll see if you can!" he shouted back.

Before I could say anything Mi Nyu got onto Tae-Kyung's back.

Hwang Tae-Kyung's Point of View

Pft! Ha! I'll prove you wrong, stupid pig-rabbit.

I lifted her up with a grunt. "Ah! Ah! Hyung-nim! Stop moving! Wait!"

"Yah! Stop wiggling!" I shouted. I tried my hardest to regain stability. "Okay. Okay. Let go of my hand and grab it quick," I ordered.

"Wait a minute! I am scared!" she cried.

"Tae-Kyung Oppa! Omo! Oppa! Don't let go of her!" Sang-Hee screamed.

"Aish! Let go of my hand! Just let go of one. Just one," I told her. I tried to free one of my hands from her grip.

"You can do it, Go Mi Nyu," Shin-Woo encouraged and almost instantly her hands released mine.

One phrase from him was all it took to give her courage.

"I got it!" she screamed with joy.

"Get off of me now," I grumbled.

She abruptly hopped off before I was fully prepared to let her go; a fall was inevitable. I spun around to catch her but Shin-Woo reacted quicker than I and caught her in his arms. She flushed and turned dark red. "S-sorry."

Shin-Woo smiled at her. "It's fine. Are you okay?"

She fidgeted in his arms and struggled to get back onto her feet. Shin-Woo let goof her except for her hand. She blushed again. "Ah, y-yeah. I am not hurt."

Sang-Hee clutched my arm. "Oppa! Are you okay?" she asked.

"I am fine," I said, brushing dirt off my clothes. Sang-Hee tried to help me get the wrinkles out of shirt. I grabbed her hand. "Really. I am fine. I don't need your help."

Shin-Woo dropped Mi Nyu's hand. "Tae-Kyung, let's help the girls set their tents up before ours."

"They can't do it themselves?" I asked sarcastically.

We laid the flattened tent onto the ground. "Tae-Kyung, set up that side," commanded Shin-Woo.

"Oppa! Thank-you for helping us make the tent!" Sang-Hee called out from the sidelines.

She kept shouting praise and encouragements after every maneuver we made. "Yah! Go do something else instead of just standing here and screaming in my ear!" I yelled.

Sang-Hee stopped and smiled. She motioned her fingers over as if zipping her lips together. I rolled my eyes. "Ah! Jeremy! No! You're not suppose to tie this here! If you do it'll collapse!" A sound of heavy cloth slamming the ground erupted shortly afterward. "See!"

"Well sorry! I never done this before! Maybe instead of yelling you can be a little bit more caring and nicely guide me!" Jeremy countered.

Mi Nam pulled at his hair. "One hour wasted! See how Shin-Woo did it? Do it like he did and maybe we'll be able to sleep in this tonight!"

Tch. Was he blind to me?

"Shin-Woo Hyung!" Jeremy cried, "Can you help us?" Jeremy sniffled on the verge of tears.

"Mi Nam! Stop yelling at baby Jeremy!" Sang-Hee chided. "Aw! Jeremy, come here!" She embraced Jeremy and his blonde hair. "It's okay. Mi Nam is being a bad boy," she comforted him.

Jeremy eagerly nodded his head in agreement. "He's always bullies me."

"It's okay. I'll protect you from now on," she promised.

Mi Nam stood in the middle of his misshapen tent with his jaw dropped down. Jeremy stuck his tongue out and pulled his right eyelid down with his free hand.

I smirked.

Jeremy knows how to fight back now using his ultimate weapon. Cuteness.

Shin-Woo checked the time on his watch and squinted up at the sky. "It's 5 in the afternoon right now and it doesn't look like it's going to rain but it also seems like it's going to be a cold night. Very cold. Tae-Kyung," he faced me, "I'll take care of Mi Nam's tent and ours. Can you go gather firewood for tonight's campfire?"

I grunted in response. "I'll go with you!" said Sang-Hee.

"No! Don't leave me! Scary, mean Mi Nam might attack me!" wailed Jeremy.

"Okay. Okay. I won't go," Sang-Hee assured. She patted his back gently while Mi Nam shot him a vicious glare.

"Go Mi Nyu, let's go," I ordered.

She jolted and looked around to see that everyone was staring at her. "M-me?" she asked, pointing her finger at herself.

"Go," I said.

I started walking to away from the clearing and into the trees. I heard her footsteps fall on the dirt and the crunch of the twigs.

When the rustling stopped, I glanced back. "Don't pick up the small ones. They won't last long when they're thrown into the fire."

"Ah, yeah, Hyung-nim," she nodded and dropped a small pile of tiny branches. She ran ahead of me and stuck a thin, red string onto a tree in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her curiously.

"Hyung-nim has a bad sense of direction. This," she held up the thread, "is going to help us find our way back," she smiled.

"Tch," I snickered. "Bad sense of direction? Me? Ha!"

I know where I am going! I just get confused when the lighting changes.

We walked deeper into the forest where there were denser trees. "Yah, stay close to me or you'll get lost," I warned. I didn't feel her presence. "Mi Nyu?" I turned around.

She must be falling behind on tracking our path.

"Go Mi Nyu, hurry up," I said.

She appeared from behind a large tree. "Hyung-nim! Look! It's a hollow tree!"

The tree had a large hole in the middle; nothing special. "So? What's so significant about it?" I said as I trudged back to her.

"When I was little, Mother Superior would often take me to small villages. I remember this one village I visited. There was a grandma there that liked to share stories especially folktale," Mi Nyu's eyes stared back into the past. It seemed like it was a thousand miles away.

"She told me a story when the Earth was young, wood nymphs roamed freely in the forests. The forest had many trees so there were many wood nymphs. They were able to live and play as long as their tree is kept alive because they share their energy with it. If a tree dies, a nymph dies. They were under strict orders to adhere to their trees and to only interact with the same species of themselves. One day, a human entered the enchanted forest. All of the wood nymphs hid in their trees except for one. She was fascinated to see a different form of life other than herself and other wood creatures. She talked to him and everyday he came back with various types food or stories to tell. Day after day, they gradually fell in love. The Queen was informed of her appointments with this strange man by other jealous wood nymphs and demanded that the wood nymph should stop. The warning was too late for the wood nymph because it wanted to become human. She asked The Queen if she knew a method on how to turn her into a human. The Queen was shocked by her atrocious wish and banned her from ever seeing the man again. The Queen tied the love-stricken wood nymph to her tree for her own good. The wood nymph lamented at her post because she was no longer able to see the man she loved. Decades after decades, the grieving wood nymph began to fade away until finally, she disappeared. Oddly enough, her tree remained but in that tree contained a space; an unfulfilled cavity. People say that the tree's heart was missing because the wood nymph died broken-hearted." Mi Nyu's eyes came back to the present. She wiped the tears that were gathering at the corner of her eyes.

"The heart of the tree?" I softly asked.

She nodded. "Grandma told me that the nymph didn't completely disappear yet. Since her tree is still alive. She's just waiting for the void to be filled."

"Filled? How?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

I bent down and looked into it. The hole was big and wide. It stretched up to a good height of the giant tree . It stood alone from the other trees and had no live leaves; it was desolate.

"Hyung-nim, let's go. We haven't picked up many branches," she urged.

We walked a little further. "So, you're getting married in what? Eleven days?" I asked as I grabbed a handful of good sized sticks.

She froze as she was about to select one. I felt her eyes on me but I ignored her and continued gathering wood. "Hyung-nim, I am sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize," I interrupted her.

"Hyung-nim.."

"I am fine with it. You do whatever you want with your life. I have no say in what you want to do with it. I'll just be that close friend of yours advising you even though you might not to accept it."

It hurts to say it. Go Mi Nyu. I will be your best friend and only your friend.

"Friend?" she slowly asked.

I nodded my head. "Friends," I simply said.

"Hyung-nim, it doesn't have to be like that. I can-"

"No Mi Nyu. It's exactly how it is and precisely how it should be. You're getting married soon. Congrats," I said sincerely. I exhaled sharply. "Shall we go back to camp now? It looks like we have enough."

"Hyung-nim..." she whispered.

I inhaled and pressed my lips together to form a small smile. "Let's go."

"Hyung-nim! Wait for me! AH!" she cried.

I swirled around and saw her on the ground with branches around her. "Mi Nyu!" I ran back and crouched beside her. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Where does it hurt?"

"I..am...fine," she managed to say.

I touched her ankle.

She whimpered in pain.

"Mi Nyu, it's not the right time to be brave."

I slowly and delicately pulled her sneaker off and removed her socks. Her ankle was red and slightly swollen. I lightly pressed around her ankle. She winced at every pressure I applied to the site. I sighed in relief. "Nothing is broken and I don't think you sprained it either. You'll probably just get a bruise. A big one."

I felt something wet on my forehead. I wiped it away but more dripped on me. I glanced upwards and felt more raindrops falling. Water started to come down on us faster. "Quick, get on my back!" I ordered. I carefully lifted her up. "Grab on tight," I said.

The rain was now pouring. I cursed silently to myself.

We won't make it back to camp before it gets dark. What should I do?

I heard Mi Nyu cough on my shoulder and felt her shivering.

"Aish."

I have to get her out of the rain and somewhere dry. But where? There's no shelter in the middle of no where! Wait! The hollow tree!

I spotted a red ribbon dangling pitifully on a small sapling. I raced in that direction and came upon another and another until I recognized the colossal tree.I gently lowered Mi Nyu into the wooden cave before entering myself. As expected, it was dry and large enough to fit us both in it. "Here." I quickly took off my jacket and wrapped it around her.

She tried to hand my jacket back. "No, it's okay. I am fine," she argued.

I touched her hands. "You're hands are freezing. You need it more than I do and plus men don't get cold."

She pulled her hands away and hid them in the jacket. "How's your ankle?" I whispered.

"Fine," she said, trying to hide it from my view as well.

"Go Mi Nyu," I said sternly.

"W-what?"

"Give me your leg. Now."

The clattering of raindrops echoed in the tree. It seemed to be angry at Mi Nyu for resisting.

"Mi Nyu, now."

She seemed to be deciding on what to do.

Too bad I don't have the patience like Shin-Woo to wait for you to decide.

I caught her foot as she tried to move it farther away from me. I cautiously laid it on my knee and began to massage it gingerly. "Stop squirming," I scolded.

"Hyung-nim..you don't have to do this! Really! I am fine."

"This helps stop the swelling."

She stopped fighting me and put in some effort to relax. I smiled. "Go Mi Nyu, do I make you uncomfortable?"

She shook her head. "No."

I snickered. "You don't have to lie. I know you're not enjoying this."

"No. I mean it. I am...at ease around you. I don't feel tense and I don't have to keep my guard up," she denied.

"Keep your guard up? Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know why. It's just an automatic thing for me." She laughed. "I guess I am still paranoid of being discovered."

"Tch. What's left for people to discover about you? Everyone already knows that you're a worthless, clumsy pig-rabbit," I teased.

She pouted. "You don't know everything about me!"

"Oh really now? Fine then, Miss. Go Mi Nyu, why don't you tell me something I don't know about you?" I challenged.

"I can't tell you," she replied.

"And why not?"

"Because then you'll know," she said.

I leaned in close to her face. "Why? Is there something you don't want me to find out?" I interrogated.

Her eyes grew big. She quickly pushed her head back until it bumped on the tree's hard bark. "Oww!" she moved her head forward and for one very brief second; our lips touched.

I hope I kept the characters' personalities the same in this chapter. I try to keep the story relatively realistic but please excuse the landscape and weather in this chapter. I know Africa isn't like this. >___<. And the folktale, I made that up too. XD

I've neglected to Thank every reviewer. I am sorry.

HUGE THANK-YOUS TO: SharShar, YunhoRulz, Breeannuhh, mecheko, SUJU4LIFEE, enuj454, Leiarn, Mary517, starberry, and others! I am really happy to be supported by all of you and I really hope that my story makes your day. :D

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