~AUTHOR’S POV~

 

“It’s this way, you moron!” CL insisted.

 

“No” Seungri asnwer4ed. “I can feel it. It’s this way”

 

“Well, you haven’t really won any game even if you cheated, have you?” CL mocked, crossing her arm across her chest. “So we can’t trust your so-called instincts”

 

“Why do you always oppose me?” he questioned.

 

“It’s because you’re a jerk”

 

“Huh!” Seungri snorted. “It’s not that. I just noticed, you became grumpier right after I announced my interest with Sandara Park. Don’t tell me, you’re jealous?”

 

“What?!?”

 

“That’s it, isn’t it?” he confidently asked. “Okay, I understand how you feel CL but I’m sorry, I just don’t feel the same way-“

 

PUNCH!!!

 

“Moron!”

 

“Aww!” he moaned. “That effing hurts!”

 

Meanwhile. . .

 

“Whoa!” Dara exclaimed as she flashed her camera here and there.

 

“We’re in a game Dara, not in a tour” Jiyong sternly reminded her.

 

“Spoilsport!” she mumbled. “It’s- oops!” she exclaimed as her right foot sli[[ed. She was on the process of stumbling backwards when she felt arms around her waist, her back leaning on something firm and warm.

 

“Watch where you walk, will you?” he hissed in her ear.

 

“You’re being rude a-“ she stopped as she turned around and realized that their faces were too close. Despite her control, her eyes darted to his lips. The memory of how his lips felt against hers flashed in her mind. Her lips started to dry so she ran her little tongue along it, unaware of the effect it brought to Jiyong. She slowly moved her eyes back to his, a small frown creasing her forehead as she saw that his lips seemed closer than before.

 

“Hey, you two!” a voice called, making the two of them jump away from each other. “have you seen Seungri?” CL asked.

 

“Err, no” Dara answered. “Why? Did you lost-?”

 

“That jerk!” CL hissed. “I thought he followed me after. . . oh never mind. I’ll go ahead”

 

“Err, goodluck!” Dara called as CL walked away.

 

“Let’s get going” Jiyong said.

 

“How many times did you win during the past games?”

 

“I never did” he smirked.

 

“WHAT?!?” she burst out.

 

“Youngbae always win. The second place is either Bom or CL – they interchange. I’m third because Seungri always cheat, so he’s always put to the bottom”

 

“I should have paired with Youngbae then” she said. “Aish! And I told Bom I’m not going to lose because I’m paired with you. Aish! How come you never won?”

 

“I don’t participate” he said. “I usually stay at the starting point and wait for them to come back and finish the game”

 

“Why, you lazy guy”

 

“I’m not lazy. I just don’t have the patience to do stuffs like this”

 

“How come you’re participating now?”

 

“For a change” he shrugged.

 

“Nah, I don’t think so. You’re just inspired to participate right now because you’re paired with me”

 

He suddenly burst laughing. “Being paired with you isn’t that bad after all”

 

“I know, right?” I smugly said. “I’m simply fun to be with so you should be thankful”

 

He shook his head. “I’d be more grateful if you help me in finding the necklace so we can finish this already”

 

“Oh, so you mean we could finish this game in less than three days?” she brightly asked.

 

A naughty spark lit Jiyong’s eyes. “That’s just the MINIMUM days, Dara. If on the third day the necklace hasn’t found yet, the game continues. It could last a week or two and even longer than that. It depends”

 

Dara’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me!!!”

 

“That’s the rule”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Aish! I still got classes, you know! What if Jae suddenly calls or arrives or worse, what if my parents decided to visit me?! Aish!”

 

Jiyong smirked, enjoying Dara’s reaction. “Spoof” he murmured.

 

“Dara’s eyes suddenly flew to his direction. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Involving me in a game you NEVER played before” she said, eyes narrowed. “And you’re totally enjoying it. Tch, let me read that clue so we could finish this game already”

 

“Sure” Jiyong smirked and gave her the paper.

 

“ ‘The eagle flies eternally’ “ Dara read out loud. “Oh, this is quite easy. We just have to look for an eagle that never stops from flying. But how-?”

 

“You don’t have to take literally, stupid”

 

“Ya!” who are you calling stupid?!”

 

“You” he answered. “Clues aren’t always taken literally”

 

“I know that. I was just JOKING, you know” she said, rolling her eyes. “So, err. What does this clue means anyway?”

 

“That could mean a landmark”

 

“You sound like you don’t know where it is” she said.

 

“No, I don’t know where it is. The game varies in places. This is my first time here”

 

“So how in the world are we going to look for the landmark if we don’t even know where to start?”

 

“That’s exactly the reason why I haven’t participated in any of the past games”

 

 

On a different side, CL was starting to get really, really irritated as she searched for Seungri. She thought he was following her when she started heading for the way she thought was the right way. But when she turned around, there was no sign og him.

 

“That guy!” she hissed. “He is so dead!”

 

She stopped in her tracks as she saw Seungri’s back. With balled fistys, she marched towards him and kicked his .

 

“Aww!”

 

“What the hell do you think are you doing?!”

 

“I thought you followed me” he said.

 

“Jerk!” she snapped. “We’ll do this my way whether you like it or not! Got that?”

 

“You-“

 

“Shut up!” she hissed.

 

“Always the bossy one, aren’t you?”

 

CL turned around and started walking. She stopped as she heard a thud and a grunt. She faced him again but there was no Seungri in sight. And then, she noticed the traphole she didn’t see a while ago.

 

“Ghaad!” she growled in irritation as she walked over the edge. “Are you really a shadow? How come you fell into a trap?”

 

“I was preoccupied!” he answered.

 

“Blah blah. Get up already. We wasted too much time for our own good”

 

“I think I sprained my foot”

 

“Then why don’t you just turn-?”

 

“We can’t use our powers, rememeber?”

 

“Ugh!” she groaned. “You are such a burden!”

 

“Just pull me up, will you?” he called.

 

CL growled again and knelt to the ground, reaching an arm for Seungri to hold. When Seungri was able to grasp her wrist, he suddenly pulled her down. He fell on his back while CL landed on top of him.

 

“Gotcha” he chuckled. “And I thought you’re so smart to see my trick”

 

 

On another side, Bom was walking ahead of Youngbae. They were the first one who got to the landmark and was able to get the second clue. Bom, not wanting to waste any time, kept on walking up ahead of her partner.

 

“Bom” Youngbae called. “We need to rest once in a while”

 

“We can’t lose, Youngbae. We can’t waste time. They might be right behind us already”

 

“Bom, this is just a game. You don’t have to-“

 

“I already lost Jiyong to her. I’m not going to let her win in this one, too!” she gritted.

 

Youngbae sighed and just silently followed her.

 

 

~DARA’S POV~

 

“Why don’t you make yourself useful by looking for the landmark too instead of taking pictures of me?”

 

I blushed. I thought he didn’t notice that I changed my subject from nature to him. “I’m looking for it, too!” I defensively answered.

 

“Then why are you being defensive?” he fired back. “I thought you want to finish this early?”

 

“I do”

 

“Then do your part” he snapped.

 

“Still as grumpy as ever” I said, rolling my eyes.

 

“I’m only grumpy when I’m with you”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. I don’t- wait” I paused, my heart beating fast against my chest.

 

“What?” he snapped.

 

“Don’t move” I whispered and looked at the screen of my camera then back up to the tree again.

 

“What are you-?”

 

“I think I found it” I answered as I stared at the tree with an eagle carved into it. Its wings were spread out and with the rays of the sun blinking in and out everytime the branches sway, the eagle looked like it’s moving, that it’s flying.

 

“What-?”

 

“It’s over there” I said, pointing to the tree.

 

He sharply turned around. “I can’t believe this” he chuckled after a while, shaking his head. “You actually found it. You’re not that useless after all”

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment” I said.

 

“Good job” he said and patted my head.

 

“Did you just praise me? Ah, I’ll give you a massage later, free of charge!” I grinned. He smiled then took hold of my hand. I was taken by surprise but I wasn’t able to react since he started pulling me towards the large tree.

 

There, we saw a crow at the root of the tree. I gave a squeak as it suddenly turned into an adult male. Jiyong casually wrapped his arm on me, slightly squeezing my arm.

 

“In order for you to locate the second clue, you have to see every first in the first clue”

 

“Eh?” I mumbled blankly. “Is that supposed to be a question?”

 

I glanced at Jiyong and saw him took out the first clue. He looked down at it and reread it again.

 

“. . . every first. . .” he mumbled.

 

“What does that mean? First word? First letter? First-?” I asked loudly.

 

“First letter!” he suddenly said. “The first letters of every word are T, E, F and E. TEFE. Tefe? What does-? Oh, if I jumble it, it would form the word. . . feet!”

 

“Whoa!” I exclaimed while looking at Jiyong in amazement. “Amazing!” I said, clapping my hands. “But of course I knew that, too. I just wanted you to solve it by yourself so I didn’t tell you at once”

 

“Good job” he said, patting my head again as Jiyong went to get the clue from under the shadow’s feet.

 

“Huh!” I arrogantly snorted. “I’m so good at this, aren’t I? So what does the second clue says?”

 

“ ‘A lady that bleeds at night, turns holy in the morning light’ “

 

“Not another riddle!” I groaned.

 

“The clue’s pretty easy. The proble would be the searching” he said.

 

“What are we looking for?”

 

“A flower that turns red at sunset and then turns white at sunrise. It’s usually called the red lady”

 

“Wow! You really are amazing!” I’ve never heard of that flower before”

 

“Well, you don’t really know anything do you?”

 

“You’re really mean”