“Teuk hyung! Did you hear where they’re sending us to?”

“Minkook, didn’t I tell you to call me Jungsoo?” Teuk chuckles, fumbling for a towel to finish drying off his face.

“Oh, right. Mianhae T- Jungsoo hyung,” the younger man says with a sheepish smile. “But did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“We’re going to Jirisan National Park for a survival exercise! That’s near my hometown!”

Teuk chuckles at his enthusiasm. “You’re happy you’ll be that close to home and not get to see your family?”

“Well, not that part, but I know those mountains like the back of my hand,” Minkook proudly states. “This time I’m going to dominate for sure!”

“I’m sure you will. Just don’t forget anything this time.”

“Right. I better go start packing now.”

    Teuk laughs again as Minkook runs out of the bathroom again, shaking his head and running a hand over his short hair. Looking at his make-up free face in the mirror, he smiles a little. After he’d gotten a part in ‘The Promise,’ the media had started hounding on how celebrities were being given special treatment, but that was the thing. Teuk didn’t want special treatment; he just wanted to quietly and quickly carry out his service so he could get back to s. A survival exercise. That’s what normal soldiers do and for that reason, Teuk found himself looking forward to this normalcy.
 

“It’s beautiful,” Teuk says, looking around as he jumps out of the back of the truck.

“Isn’t it?” Minkook replies with quiet pride, joining him to take in the vista.

    Tall mountains, their uneven heights stretching beyond eyesight, rise above them. The sloping sides are painted blue and green by mid-afternoon shadows and leaves playing amongst the forest.

“Assemble!” comes the commanding voice of the regiment’s colonel, making Teuk and Minkook scramble to find their places in the orderly formation.

The colonel strides to the front, carefully examining the ranks for any disorder. Finding none, he stops and begins addressing them. “I know you were expecting to complete a survival exercise, but there’s been a change of plans. The park rangers have requested our assistance in finding a hiker who was reported missing earlier today. Her name is Nikki and she is a Caucasian female in her late teens, early twenties, last seen wearing jeans, a red sweatshirt, and a blue backpack. She did not reach the second lodge last night and did not return to starting point lodge. Report to your squadron leader to receive the coordinates of the ground you will cover and handheld transceiver. Report in to me if you find her. Dismissed.”

“This isn’t good,” Minkook whispers to Teuk as they join the line of their squad.

“Why?” he whispers back.

“There are some nasty gorges and ravines around in these mountains and it’s freezing at night. With how wet it’s been this season, some of the trails are bound to be less than stable too. You’ll have to watch your step, okay, hyung?”

Teuk nods, grateful for Minkook’s shared wisdom. “Do you think she’s all right?”

His shrug is less than reassuring. “I hope so.”

“Nikki-ssi!

    Teuk’s voice eerily bounces off the trees as he tramps down the path, eyes and ears alert. Glancing at his watch, he calculates that there’s an hour of sunlight left. His feeling of urgency to find the girl rises as he quickens his pace.

“Private Park, report,” his transceiver crackles.

“Nothing yet, sir. Over,” he replies.

“Noted. Over.” With a click, the radio goes silent again.

Teuk continues his search, slipping every once in a while on the soft earth. As he rounds a bend, a flash of unusual color just off the path catches Teuk’s eye.

“What’s that?” he mutters, quickly striding over to it.

    Squatting down, he pulls the bright red hoodie from the ground, brushing away the leaves. FT Island’s logo splashes across the front, inappropriately cheery against the brown. Teuk stands again, eyes scanning the surrounding area.

“Nikki-ssi!” he calls out, hoping for an answer. “Nikki-ssi!”

A few minutes later, he hears a faint sound from somewhere nearby.

    Teuk takes a few steps forward, continuing to call the girl’s name and straining his ears for the sound again. Suddenly, the earth beneath him crumbles, sweeping him off his feet. His hands scrabble for purchase to slow himself down as he falls, but the few roots he gets snap off instantly. With a loud thump, he slams into the ground, his pack taking most of the brunt.

Teuk groans, his head still spinning from the impact.

“Are you all right?”

He turns his head towards the light voice speaking Korean.

A pale young woman with light brown hair sits a little distance away, leaning against the rock of the narrow ravine wall.

Coughing as he regains his breath and sits up, he manages, “I- I’m fine. Are you Nikki?”

She nods, squinting her grey-green eyes a little as she looks at him. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Private Park Jungsoo of the South Korean Army. My unit was doing a survival exercise when you were reported missing so they asked us to join the search. Are you all right?”

“Not really,” Nikki replies. “My glasses are gone and my leg...”

Teuk’s eyes immediately go to her leg, widening in concern as he sees the blood soaked fabric.

“I tried putting my jacket on it and elevated it to stop the bleeding, but I get sick every time I try to actually wrap it,” she tells him, carefully avoiding looking at the leg as he scrambles over to examine it.

“I’ve got some things in my pack.” He hurriedly opens it, keeping a calm face as he digs through it for the mandatory medical supplies. When he finds them, he looks at her again. “It’s going to hurt.”

Nikki nods.

    Looking back to her leg, Teuk takes out his knife and carefully cuts away the material, trying not to gag when it falls away to reveal bits of the broken bone poking through the skin.

“How bad is it?” Nikki asks through gritted teeth.

“Not as bad as probably feels,” he answers sympathetically, taking out his canteen to wash away some of the blood. “It looks like there’s only two places where the bone actually broke through. I’m going to bind it now, okay?”

She nods again, gulping and squeezing her eyes shut.

    He tries to be as gentle as he can while wrapping the bandage around her leg, but his heart still hurts when he hears Nikki muffle a scream. From where his leg is lying against hers, he can feel her tremble with effort not to thrash in pain. Teuk’s admiration for her strength grows and when he sees her clenched hand digging into the ground, he wants nothing more than to hold it. Instead, he makes himself finish and secure the bandage.

“There we go.” Teuk looks back to find that she’s slumped against the rock, passed out, probably for the better. Noticing that her coat has fallen open, leaving only her thin T-shirt to protect her against the cold, he carefully slips her hoodie on underneath and zips the coat up for her before taking out his transceiver.

“Base, this is Private Park. Over.”

No crackle of acknowledgement comes.

Teuk tries again. “Base, this Private Park. Over.”

    Again nothing, making him curse under his breath in frustration. The high ravine is probably blocking the radio signal. Looking down the ravine both ways, he considers trying to find the end, but that would mean leaving Nikki on her own. He could stay with her and hope one of the others would come. After considering both options, Teuk decides to wait until she wakes up to try to find a way out.

“Might as well get comfortable,” he says to himself, moving to sit beside her.

    Pulling out a heat trapping blanket, he covers her with it and carefully lifts her head so it can rest on his shoulder. As his fingers skim her skin, he frowns at the abnormal heat. Teuk takes out the canteen again and dabs some of the water on her face, hoping it will help the fever.

“That’s cold,” Nikki murmurs with a frown, turning her head away. “I’ll get up in a minute.”

“You can go back to sleep if you want. I’m just trying to bring your fever down,” he explains quietly, keeping his cool hand on her forehead.

Blinking her eyes open, she glances at her leg and back to him. “Thanks, Teuk-ssi.”

“You’re- Wait, you know who I am?” Teuk asks in surprise.

She nods and gives a half laugh. “Never dreamed I’d meet you this way though.”

He remembers her FT Island hoodie, making the connection. “Never thought I’d meet a K-pop fan this way either.”

“Funny, right?” Nikki winces as she lifts her head and readjusts her torso. “In case you’re wondering, I swear this wasn’t some crazy attempt to see you. It’s been a dream of mine to come to Korea just to experience it and then...this happened.”

“I wasn’t. We didn’t even know we were coming until a few days ago.”

“Okay.” She gives a relieved smile before wincing again. “Since you’re here does that mean we can get out of here soon?”

Teuk gestures to his radio. “I’d say yes, but this isn’t working so it might be awhile....We could move to see if I can get a signal, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’d be fine by myself or I can try to walk.”

“Nikki, you’re sitting there and you’re already in pain,” he points out, gesturing to the sweat that’s broken out on her forehead. “Walking would just make it worse.”

“I can still try,” she says stubbornly.

Teuk examines her, thinking aloud. “I can’t leave you alone to try to find the end of this thing. I could try carrying you, but I don’t think that’d be good for your leg. There’s nothing I can use to climb up the wall to get a signal either. I guess we just have to wait here until they find us, but I promise I’ll get you out of here, okay?”

    Nikki nods and gives him a small smile when he extends his hand, linking her pinkie with his and pressing their thumbs together. Silently, she pulls the blanket so it covers him as well. Touched, Teuk smiles again and brings her head back to his shoulder.

Determined to distract her from the pain, he asks, “So, are you liking your visit to Korea?”

“You mean besides being stupid and breaking my leg?” she answers with a sarcastic laugh. “I am. It’s beautiful and it’s amazing to see a place I know so much about and have dreamed about for ages for real. I mean, at first it started out as a love for the music, but then I kept learning more and more...and I just fell in love with it all.”

“It’s good to hear our fans appreciate our culture as well.” Teuk stops himself and smiles sheepishly before slowly asking, “Mianhae, I didn’t mean to assume you were-”

“Don’t worry, Teuk-ssi. I’m an E.L.F forever.”

“You can just call me ‘oppa,’ if you want to make things more comfortable.”

“Oppa,” Nikki giggles sleepily. Yawning, she asks, “Is it okay for me to sleep? I’ll wake up, right, oppa?”

Teuk wraps an arm around her, both to keep her warm and to comfort her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you...Do you want me to sing you to sleep?”

She nods against his jacket and sighs, letting her eyes close again.

His voice barely above a whisper, Teuk sings to her, watching the stars slowly begin to shine against the darkness.

Shining star, like a little diamond makes me love.
Looking at me with the sweet smile that’s like a dream to me,
whisper to me
We’ll always be together ‘til the end of time.
Oh day by day,
Stay by my side, always.
Stay in my heart, dazzling.
Shining my love, always hoping
that you’ll be smiling at that place.
Even when you’re suffering
because of misunderstandings and reasonless hate,
look at a further place.
It’s the start now.
When you want to cry, lean on me.
Even though I’m lacking, I’ll protect you
Love flies to the deepest part of the heart from the start and makes me warm.
The never-changing trembling,
You are
Shining star, like a little diamond makes me love.
Looking at me with the sweet smile that’s like a dream to me,
whisper to me
We’ll always be together ‘til the end of time...
 

“Jungsoo hyung! Nikki-ssi! Jungsoo hyung!”

Teuk jerks awake, blinking in sleepy confusion. He frowns at the sky that seems to have suddenly shifted from black to the dull red of dawn.

“Nikki-ssi! Jungsoo hyung!” the voice calls again.

Glancing down at the still sleeping Nikki, he yells, “Minkook! We’re down here! Help!”

“Hyung!”

“Be careful! The ground’s not safe!”

A few seconds later, Minkook’s face appears high above them. “Hyung! Are you all right? Did you find her?”

“I’m fine, but she’s broken her leg,” Teuk shouts back. “We’ll need to lift her out of here. My radio’s not working.”

“It’s okay; mine is. I’ll be right back, I promise.”

He listens as Minkook’s running footsteps fade before looking down at Nikki. Gently, he rubs her shoulder. “Nikki. Wake up. They’re coming for us.”

She doesn’t respond, her head lolling on his shoulder.

“Nikki? Nikki!” Teuk says again, shaking her shoulder frantically. “Come on, wake up!”

    Again, nothing. He checks her pulse, slightly relieved when he feels it beating faintly under her clammy skin.

Cursing himself for falling asleep, Teuk cups her face. “I promised I’d take care of you and there is no way I’m letting you slip away. Come back, Nikki. Wake up. Wake up for me.”

Slowly, her eyelids flutter, barely opening to reveal bleary eyes.

“Nikki,” he sighs, smiling down at her. “See, you woke up. Hang on; help’s coming.”

“I didn’t wake up,” she says breathily, smiling back and reaching up a hand to his cheek. “But that’s okay. An angel’s holding me.”

“No, Nikki. This is real. It’s really me. We’re almost out of here, but I need you to stay with me, arasso?”

“I’m too tired,” Nikki complains, frowning as her hand slips away. “Bye, angel. Thanks for trying to save me.”

“Nikki!”

    It’s too late though; she doesn’t hear him. She’s already slipped back into the fever, back into the dark.

---------------------

“W-where am I?” Nikki groans as she tries to sit up, stopping when she feels the tug of an unfamiliar weight on her leg.

    Glancing around the strange white room in confusion, she lifts the sheets to find a large cast on her right leg. Slowly, she realizes where she is and falls back to the pillows.

“My mother’s never going to let me hear the end of this,” she moans. As she wipes at her face to rub away the rest of the sleep, the rest of her memories gradually return. Frowning, she freezes. “No way. That part had to be dream. There’s absolutely no way-”

“Nikki! You’re awake!”

Her eyes go wide as saucers as Teuk hurries into the room, hiding something behind his back.

“Are you feeling better?” he asks, reaching out to feel her forehead. “Thank goodness the fever’s gone. They said it was delayed hypothermia, but me keeping you warm helped it from getting worse.”

“So...spending the night with you...and you singing to me...wasn’t a dream?” she asks cautiously, still unsure if she’s asleep or even dead.

Chuckling, Teuk shakes his head. “No, it was all real. Oh, and I got these for you. To help you get better.”

Carefully, Nikki takes the small bouquet of daffodils he holds out. “Thank you, but...why are you still here? Don’t you have something more important to do?”

“You’re what’s important right now,” he smiles, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I got permission to stay until they were sure you were all right.”

“So that means you have to go now?”

“I can stay a little longer,” Teuk answers, glancing at the clock and sitting down in the chair beside her bed.

“Teuk-ssi, I don’t mean to be rude,” she says, hesitating. “But why are you being so nice to me? I’m no one special.”

He frowns and takes one of her hands. “Of course you’re special. I don’t know many people who’re as brave as you. Coming to a new country by yourself and opening yourself to it and then on top of that, being so strong and calm back in the ravine. Believe me, Nikki, you are special.”

She freezes when Teuk leans forward to softly kiss her on the forehead.

“You’re very cute when you blush,” he chuckles, poking her cheek as he leans back.

“You shouldn’t tease an invalid,” Nikki scolds, picking at the daffodil leaves as she tries not to look at him.

“Mianhae. I was being serious about that first part though.”

“Really?” She spares a shy, smiling glance at him.

Her grin grows when he nods.

“Wow. Getting called special by an angel, that’s something,” Nikki giggles softly.

“I’m not an angel,” Teuk replies, smiling at the sound of her laughter.

“You are though. You rescued me, didn’t you?”

“Me and a whole bunch of other people.”

She shakes her head and quietly says, “There were a lot of times before that too, ones that you don’t know about.”

“Oh.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Nikki says sincerely, squeezing his hand.

Smiling back with slightly wet eyes, Teuk returns the gentle pressure. “Any time.”