Surrendering control was not at all unfamiliar to me. I’ve been doing that since I was young. Even if there were moments I was uneager to do so, I still gave up in the end because it was simply a self-defense mechanism for me. Naïve enough, I simply thought that not being the one in control made you the obedient one, whom everyone prefers and likes the most. Children have so little power anyway, so why not just shut up and do what grownups asked. Then, everything will be easier. But, as time passed, I realized myself doing that ended up being slave that willing to do anything. I was only to please those people in control instead of the obedient one I’ve always thought I was all along. Since succumbing into people’s wills have not even given me the most basic safety. Hence, I started to act on my own, gaining control with anything I have right to do so. Yes, critics and nasty judgments were all around, but they were merely verbal abuses that caused no harm. At least gaining in control gave me a sense of reassurance and confidence.

            You can imagine how hard is it actually for me to surrender this domination that served as my very own shield. If I let down my guard, the raw and defenseless side of mine, I wanted no one to see or even know about. But in this midst of greens that was still, calming and quiet in the early morning where the sun had yet to make its presence, the feeling of security smothered me like the warm air in the mornings of the summer season. Even better when the wind began to whisper lullaby, it was as if the Mother Nature itself cradled me in its safe arms, eventually I loosened up the guards I have put up for so long. Letting the stiff muscles of my body to relax, leaning more into the uneven ground matted with dried leaves, taking in the earthy smell with hints of moisture, I gave into the comfort of the woods and my consciousness slipped away.

 Gradually, it occurred to me I was no longer asleep, traversing the misty terrain between slumber and awakening, I stayed still feeling the warm sensation from the sun ray that moved slowly across the land. Moments passed and my relaxed mind was becoming clearer, as well as my senses that caught the faint fragrance of the woods. It reminded me of pine needle tea, light and shadow danced across my face and just like myself, the woods were awakening too. At first, there was only one, like a shrill call, the seemingly conductor, after a short opening solo, the orchestra immediately began the birdsong symphony, occasionally with the accompaniment humming sounds of insects.

            My deep, rhythmic breathing pattern broke as a certain face flashed through my mind. My eyes snapped open and closing again as the sunlight was suddenly too bright for my freshly awakened pupils. Sitting up as I felt the slight friction of the dried leaves that covered me like a blanket. My relaxed and refreshed mood was able to put my rising annoyance on hold as I remembered why I was here at first place. Finally standing up and stretching my body, I glanced around trying to recall which direction I came from. How can a forest looks so different in dark and daylight.. Just randomly picking a direction, I walked towards it, hoping it will bring me back to the house and also at the same time, bumping into him.

 Even if I began the morning with such great mood, it was still able to be dragged down when the summer heat was starting to act up, leaving my body in a sweaty mess, not to mention I was in fact lost while the person I wanted to see the most was yet to appear. “As much as I was glad and thanks to him I was able to discover such heaven, I swear, if he doesn’t show himself sooner, I will never let him take a step near-.” I stopped my mumbling as I heard rustling of bushes nearby, only to have a squirrel poking its head out before sprinting away, leaving me annoyed for letting my hope died down in expecting him. I sighed and swept the hair away from my sticky neck for the countless time. “KYUNGSOO!” My voice echoed in the forest, with obvious annoyance in it.

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            The fair skinned, lean and sturdy body, plump lips, roundish nose, raven hair, thick eyebrows and the brown topaz eyes; rounding those features up became the person that listened to the name I’ve given, Kyungsoo. He looked very innocent clueless with his immense stare from the big round eyes, but that was his exterior while on the inside I knew very well he was intelligent and not as clueless as he seemed. Why? He always managed to annoy me while looking as if he did not mean it or it was just pure nature of him too easily riling me up. Anyhow, the word intelligent surely described him well, because he was able to adjust to almost everything very fast and well too.

            No longer standing on four, eating ruthlessly and having all those weird behaviours that creep people out. He was now a normal boy in his late teen (maybe a little good looking boy). Aside from still not adjusted with chopsticks, what bothered me the most was he had not uttered a word yet. He was already doing quite well in recognizing and writing Hangul merely from roughly a week he started to learn. Undeniable I wondered how he would sound like when he talks properly instead of the howling sound he still make. Not only so, I was itching to ask him anything about his past or what happened to him, which would make everything easier if he only started to talk now. Even if he was already making a fast progress in writing, it will still be slower to get my questions answered if he uses writing to satisfy my question marks.

            Why is he not talking yet? He’s not mute- My thought was disturbed as something tackled me and I ended up falling onto the ground with the air in my lungs forced out, not able to make a sound. I can pretty much predict the anger would come within seconds, but the pain had delayed it much later. I was concentrating on breathing slow and steady to lessen the pain that was spreading throughout my body. UGH, YOU- I winced when the heavy weight on me was shifting and then the brown eyes, I was thinking of earlier was now looking at me in crescent moon shapes for the owner was beaming.

            I don’t think I have a problem projecting my emotions so why can’t he notice I was in pain and get up or help me up already instead of still lying on top of me with his now confused face. That was why I said he just have the gene inside him that solely carries out the function of ‘Annoying the hell out of Ji Eun’.

            “Off, me, now..” I did not want to admit that, but deep down I knew he was different. Only for a few times, I have seen him with inhuman speed or strength but it seemed too surreal. Eventually, I just learned to not to say anything or just pretended it was nothing. With his weight gone from my body, I stood up clumsily,  just like how a turned over tortoise trying to get back on its legs. Before I could react, I lost my balance once again. In an instant, I felt a pull and found myself practically burying my face into his bare chest. Bare chest? Why is he half ? I would have screamed my head off, but the pain has yet to subside so I can only weakly push him off me and tried my best to glare at him when the pain strike me again as I moved my body a little too fast.

            “Where’s the shirt? I don’t have many clothes for you, okay?” I mumbled as I tried to continue my way which I guessed it was towards the house, but I was stopped when a familiar warm hand wrapped itself onto my wrist. To be honest, I was not angry at him at all, even after the horrible fall from just now and also the annoyance from before disappearing like it was never there when I saw his beaming face I supposed that him still , it’s normal for him wanting to roam the woods, which then I agreed to bring him today after all he has been good with all the new and strange things I forced him to learn throughout the week. As much as I wanted to deny, the pain on my back seemed to fade away too when I saw his boyish grin so I frowned when he was looking at me now with a grim expression.

            So only now you noticed I’m not in a great state? Teasing him too on my mind (a habit which I have grown to have since the past week) I turned around only to have him tugging on my hand again and harder, and in one swift moment I was already on his back with him hesitantly arranging my limbs at the supposed place while I was still trying to decipher what has happened. What.. where did he learn to give a back ride? I found myself staring openly at the back of his head while he was already walking towards the opposite direction I was heading. So not only I was all alone walking in the wrong direction, I also owed him for carrying me all the way back to the house with me being not light weighted and the heat that was too strong for me to complain and let it be. During the ride on his back, I noticed how he walked with such grace, yet not too slow nor fast in a wild woods, as if he was walking in a straight and smooth path when in reality it was an uneven path with roots sticking out of the ground.

            I think the heat was damaging my brain when I accidently bumped my chin to the nape of his neck and caught a whiff of his sweaty scent, instead of feeling odious like I usually do when I smelled sweet, I actually found his scent captivating, with the unsurprisingly earthly scent but also the musky scent I did not miss. After taking in his scent, I began to observe him unlike just now, which I have been looking at the surrounding wood. Seeing how his sweat trickled down along the line of his body, the way his back muscles shifted from contracting and relaxing, his steady and quiet breathing, I even found myself itching to run my fingers in his raven hair that was only a breath away. There’s one mole below his left ear, tracing down to his Sternocleidomastoid muscle, another three males were founded and another one on the left, resting just above his clavicle, Just like a mirrored ‘L’ shape. Unconsciously, my fingers traced along the moles and he shivered before coming to a stop, making me realize what I had done. At first, I thought he stopped to question me why did I do so, but after a few seconds only then I noticed we were already at the back door and him waiting for me to climb down or whatsoever. Clearing my throat and felt that my ears were burning, I climbed down clumsily only to have myself jolted with pain with my sudden pressure on both legs that travelled to the back.

            “No, it’s okay.” I had one hand resting on my waist, another one blocking Kyungsoo’s hand from grabbing mine. “Thanks.” I felt the corners of my mouth lifted and I went in, not before I patted on his cheeks, another habit I picked up since I met him as a gesture to comfort or praise him. “Miss?” I froze as I heard a voice obviously calling for me at the front door, immediately I whipped my head to look at Kyungsoo with my eyes widened, on par with his.

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            I have completely forgotten about the maid until she was here, right in front of the house with me at the back with Kyungsoo, whom cannot be seen by the maid, I think Red will be furious if she was told by the maid apparently I brought a male, living with me under the same roof. “I was at the back. Place the groceries in the kitchen and come here.” I tried to say my words as calm and toneless as I always do and once I heard the maid’s footsteps into the house, I quickly went back outside, pulling along Kyungsoo with me and making a round to the front door. I sighed in relief as I poked my head into the front door, just in time to see the maid finished putting down the groceries on the kitchen counter and made way towards the back. As soon as the back of the maid disappeared into the corner, I dashed upwards the stairs and went into Kyungsoo’s room.

            “Kyungsoo, go into the bathroom and wait for me. Don’t do anything else.” I said to him before pushing towards the bathroom while I was busily picking up clothes in his room. Then, I shoved them into the laundry basket (The maid does not do laundry.) and also hastily made his bed, trying to make it not noticeable that someone slept in the guest room. If the maid was observant, she might have found it weird because apparently my bedroom was in a mess too, making it seem like as if I slept in two rooms when in reality two different people living in this house using two different bedrooms.

            I was on my way to the bathroom when the maid called me again. “Sorry, I thought I needed your help just now. Just continue your work.” I said back and quickly went in the bathroom to find Kyungsoo staring at me with a slightly uneasy look. Right, I forget to tell Kyungsoo about the maid. Knowing he was uncomfortable with a stranger’s presence in the house, I began to explain to him in the simplest way while at the same time coaxing him by washing his hair for him (though he learned how to bath by himself, he still enjoys having me to wash his hair and always used his ‘wolf’ eyes to make me surrender despite there were times I strongly denied in doing so) just in case he went panic and his existence will be found out.

            “There, all done. Now, take a shower.” I ruffled his wet hair, which he nodded enthusiastically before I stood up and pulled the curtain. I really don’t have much clothes for him to wear.. I frowned as I looked at the clean clothes I brought in and thought of how he ripped some of the shirts apart when he was changing. Adding today’s shirt, it’s already the fourth shirt he tore. I counted as I remembered seeing the shreds of the shirt he wore this morning on his shorts. Where can I buy him clothes..? I brightened up as I thought of the maid, she told me before she lived in this area, having residences here meaning there will also be stores or anything to buy things from, and there were exactly the places I can get what I needed for Kyungsoo. Hearing the water has cut off, I handed him the clothes and waited for him to dress up.

            “Kyungsoo, we are going out later.” I looked up at him while helping him to dry his hair with a towel and he showed me the bright smile I have taken a liking to, causing myself to smile as well.

-A/N-

Hit here, been updating quite slow.. T,T I wanted to update everyday but it's bit hard...anyway I got accepted into a foundation I've been waiting for so long and I'm starting next Monday! So I'm quite busy at the moment, preparing all sorts of things but I will still update when I have time :) Seriously love it when there are new subscribers and comments! Thank you! <3 

Anyway, gotta speed up the storyline now, since I said this story will be a short one.. :D Happy Reading!

Sorry...I just love her so much... sigh

And this was just too cute >< hehe