After setting the rocket stove onto the ground Luhan spun the stove around. Upon glancing into the gaping mouth curiously, he couldn’t find a soluble reason to why it was there. Curious about what could be inside he took a big breath and blew into it. A second later his eyes clamped shut when a massive amount of what seemed like dust breezed out at him.

A loud laugh erupted from Namjoo. Wiping his face with his hand he discovered leftover charcoal ashes tainting his hand. She immediately backed up and stood to her feet when he turned to look at her way as if he’d threatened her.

“Stop laughing,” he insisted.

A muffled laugh seeped out as she looked at him, “You look like a savage!”

He snorted before stepping forward to intimidate her, “Say that again.”

“Savage!” Namjoo shouted before screaming and started running as he darted after her.

He chased her around in circles in the yard before quickly pivoting to attack her in the opposite direction. Her high pitched shrieks plummeted into the air when he caught her and ran his hand over her face, streaking her cheeks with the ashes. Namjoo indefinitely twisted and turned her face away from him before grabbing his hands. Her screams died down, but she was still laughing even though she was out of breath. All else fell quiet when he suddenly realized their fingers were entwined.

The distant sounds of the sun sparkling through the leaves roared above them. The soft of his fingers pressed into the space between her knuckles before he released his hold and grasped onto her hand again. Naturally peering into her face stilled his eyes for a moment of mesmerization. The beauty of laughter had sketched itself all over every part of her face allowing for an eruption of absolute bliss.

Luhan swore that even when she looked at Kai he’d never seen perfect joy alluding from her. One eye closed as his face switched to the side upon the smear of her hand. Another moment of laughter befell her and he smiled, now that they were even.

They were sitting together on the porch with a wet rag each to clean themselves. The sun was still high and wavering in the sky. The very sight of it offered a majestic feel as its rays shot out like bright stars. It almost felt as if it was blessing, watching over them.

“How much longer do you plan to stay here?” He asked.

“Don’t know,” Namjoo replied; rubbing the rag between her hands. “I didn’t think about that.”

“This isn’t considered running away, is it?”

“No.”

Namjoo’s gaze flopped toward the dirt yard somewhat blankly, yet peacefully. A strand of hair stood out from amongst her straight hair and he spotted a black smudge hidden on the side of her forehead.

“Miss a spot,” he told pointing to a particular area on his forehead.

When Namjoo missed the area he raised his hand to wipe it off.

“How did you get here?” She asked.

“Met your aunt,” Luhan explained then pressed his lips together. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Namjoo sat without word, her gaze aloof.

“You’ve cooled off by now, haven’t you?” Luhan asked. “So lets go home together.”

At first she didn’t react and it didn’t seem like she was going to say anything. The longer they sat in silence, the more Luhan felt uncertain.

“Alright,” Namjoo answered.

Luhan turned to look at her, but never caught the expression on her face because she’d stood up to walk into the yard. He watched her pick up a few pieces of sticks laying around before shuffling them into the mouth of the rocket stove before burning them up with a lighter. Once the smog started growing he got up to join her.

The rest of the evening they experimented with melting the sugar, creating tiny snacks from it. Luhan only recalled making noises in awe and laughing together before the day came to an end. Again, he wasn’t able to sleep that night. Succumbing to his wake he stood up to walk around before curiously walking out of his room. The very door to Namjoo’s father’s old room was shut closed. His eyes sat on it for a mere second before he slowly slid it open. Namjoo was deep asleep under the blanket, unaware of the surrounding darkness the world provided. Sliding the door shut again he returned to his room. When morning arrived they finally left the tiny village.

Namjoo spoke no word during the ride. Her eyes stared out the window at the passing valleys and rolling hills of mountainous green colors. Once in a while they’d pass grasslands cows were lazily grazing on. They’d see horses slowly walking around and once in a while on the barren road cars or buses would drive by.

When a rest stop appeared in sight he finally pulled in so they could stretch and get something to eat. Business was just brewing and customers were starting to line up for their morning feed. The quiet row of chatter from all around the building bustled around them as they quietly walked in.

“What do you want to eat?” Namjoo asked.

“Not sure,” he answered. “Lets look around.”

They paced back and forth a few times before finally deciding on some soup.

“I’ll treat,” Namjoo offered.

“It’s fine.”

“You just owe me a meal next time,” Namjoo shot him a smile before stepping up to order.

As she opened her wallet Luhan caught sight of a picture of her and Kai in the picture slot. He swayed his eyes away when Namjoo handed a few dollar bills to the woman behind the counter. When their food arrived they sat down and ate without a trade of word and left the rest stop just as quietly.

Again, Namjoo didn’t speak much to him. The few words she’d talked to him were to turn the radio on. As soon as the music floated throughout the space in his car their minds drifted off. He’d think about Chae Yoon and how he’d been utterly devoted before she betrayed him.

Love wasn’t supposed to be a one-sided affair.

Then he thought about Namjoo and Kai. Was that guy as important to her as Chae Yoon was to him, or were their feelings on different levels?

Once the sun started its climb down the sky to offer its throne to its lover the moon they finally arrived back in Seoul. Suddenly Luhan felt as if half the day’s trip had gone by faster than he’d imagined it to. Before he realized it they’d driven up to Namjoo’s apartment. He listened to her step out and collect her bag before thanking him. When her image started to pass by he opened the compartment to grab what he’d long tucked inside and stepped out.

“Namjoo,” he called walking toward her.

Halting unexpectedly in her steps she twisted around to look at him. Without hesitance he grabbed her hand and placed the box of sweets into her hand.

Kai would give her one every time she was upset, he recalled her telling him. And how sad she was now that she would never be able to experience such sweetness from her lover again.   

“Have one whenever you’re having a hard time,” Luhan told.

“Chill pills?” She asked before their smiles broadened and lightly laughed.

Her big eyes sat on the box before looking at him again.

“I might get upset a lot,” she told with a reasonable, yet glad smile glued to her lips. “What if I finish it all by the end of this week?”

“Then I guess I’ll just get you some more.” He smiled in return.

“Thanks,” Namjoo sincerely said. “Really.”

He watched her turn around to head for the front doors, but as she became further from him he couldn’t feel like he’d missed something.

“Namjoo,” he called out to have her turn around again. “Want to have a picnic this weekend?”

“Sure.” Firmly smiling again she waved to him before disappearing into the building.

“=====”

There were a lot of missed calls. Namjoo wasn’t sure if she’d expected to see the long list or not.

Setting her backpack down she sat down on her bed and skimmed through the long list of missed calls before putting her phone aside. Flopping onto her back she stared up at the ceiling.

Actually returning to her apartment still felt the same as every other time she came back from a long day of work. Nothing had changed. She still felt the silence gently gnawing at her.

Well…what had she expected anyway?

Turning onto her side she played with the strap of her backpack, the back of her mind recalling how Kai had come and went that night.

How would she fill up the emptiness inside her chest now?

Chae Yoon was first to call in the morning when she woke up. Since Namjoo didn’t feel like having ordinary soup for breakfast she stepped out to meet Chae Yoon at a nearby café they frequented when she wasn’t busy. The young friend of her was dolled up as usual.

Such a beauty, many had commented when they saw fashionist Chae Yoon. How could a man ever reject a lady like her?

The atmosphere of the café was quite peaceful when Namjoo bought her cup of coffee and a bagel. Everyone had their own space in the shop. Sometimes Namjoo would look over the couples enviously. Back then she’d always pictured her and Kai sitting together talking over a cup of warm tea or coffee. They hadn’t been able to enjoy such moments.

“Where’ve you been?” Chae Yoon’s curls bounced on her shoulder when she turned to watch Namjoo sit down. “I called you how many times the past three days?”

“Sorry,” Namjoo apologized. “I didn’t have my phone on me.”

“Where were you? Who goes without their phone nowadays?”

“Me?” Namjoo tried with a faint smile.

“This girl,” Chae Yoon commented, taking a sip of her Americano. “Where did you go anyway? You’re not supposed to take a trip without me.”

“I went to see my father.”

“Your father?” Chae Yoon’s eyes drooped wide open. “You found him?!”

“Well…” Namjoo’s eyes ran around the room as if there was something about the topic she wanted to avoid. “He already passed away two years ago.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

Namjoo shook her head, “It’s ok. I just wanted to see him anyway.” She felt a hopelessness overcome her before she told, “Kai also left too,” then a small bitter smile as if for self-pity, “so I wanted to have some time away, just for a while.”

“If I knew, I would’ve come to keep you company,” Chae Yoon sounded sympathetic.

Suddenly perking up Namjoo shrugged her shoulders up as she tracked the tip of her coffee cup with a delicate finger.

“It’s ok; turns out I wasn’t alone anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Chae Yoon raised an eyebrow.

A sort of embarrassed, but glad smile erupted onto Namjoo’s face as she thought about how Luhan had dove into the water after her so clumsily; how he’d woken her up in the field freaking out that some animal might have attacked her; the way he’d helped clean her father’s place up and how they struggled to understand the rocket stove.

“I thought I was alone, but Luhan showed up,” Namjoo finished.

“L…uhan?” Chae Yoon repeated as if to make sure she was hearing right.

In reply Namjoo nodded, “Yea, Luhan.”

“Why?” Chae Yoon tilted her head toward Namjoo with eyes narrowed, but she didn’t notice because her eyes were glued to the coffee cup.

Namjoo shrugged, “He said he ran into Aunt Jin and heard from her. He was probably worried.”

“So…” Chae Yoon begun, “you two stayed together this whole time?”

Namjoo nodded innocently again and once more missed the baffled look on Chae Yoon’s face.

Biting her lower lip Chae Yoon said, “Do you like him?”

“What?” Namjoo looked up shocked and quickly shook her head. “Of course not.”

“Of course not,” Chae Yoon repeated almost bitterly, but kept her expression clean. “So then what’s your relationship that he’d go all the way there to find you; even take to spending a few days alone with you?”

Namjoo narrowed a brow at her and shrunk her head back, “It’s not like that. We’re just friends. You ever heard of friends worrying about each other?”

Chae Yoon snorted, “Namjoo, do you really believe a man and a woman can be just friends?”

Namjoo processed her friend’s question for a moment and nodded, “Why not?”

Chae Yoon threw her head back, her eyes slightly widening in sarcasm. Looking back at Namjoo she went on, “They can’t.”

Namjoo narrowed her eyes in wait for her explanation.

“Man and woman,” Chae Yoon held her hand out at each word, “will fall for each other at some point in time. There will always be feelings between them. It always happens.”

Namjoo found herself laughing, “Maybe in your world Chae Yoon.”

“Namjoo, I’m serious,” Chae Yoon deepened her tone for seriousness. “Think about it. Why would he go all the way out there, to where your father’s buried just for you? Does that make sense; that he thinks of you just as a friend? Don’t you think there’s something more? Maybe he’s hiding his feelings for you? Hell, maybe he even wanted to sleep with you there.”

“Why are you talking about him like that?” Namjoo accused, a little angry that Chae Yoon was making assumptions about Luhan. “He’s not like that.”

“How would you know? Have you spent your whole life with him?” Chae Yoon sounded suddenly irritated, angry.

Namjoo was taken aback by her friend’s outburst.

Why had such a conversation turned so serious? Namjoo was confused.

“No,” Namjoo told, “but I know so. His girlfriend left him, he was in the hospital for being suicidal; do you think someone who’s been hurt like that is looking for a thing like… with me?”

Chae Yoon’s lids fluttered, but she still persisted, “Still…how can you trust him?”

“Why can’t you trust that his intentions were good?” Namjoo wondered. “If you get to know him, I guarantee you’ll like him.”

Chae Yoon looked like she was gritting her teeth before twisting her wrist to look at her watch, “You know what? It’s late. I have to return to work. Lets talk next time.”

Before Namjoo could give her farewell, Chae Yoon grabbed her coffee and stepped away from the table. Namjoo was left feeling a sense of loss and confusion.

After finishing her coffee she stepped outside of the shop and almost decided to turn in for work, but instead stopped to stare a cloth store. The frame covering the edges of the glass protecting the display from inside was layered in a shiny gold color. It wasn’t what caught Namjoo’s eyes though.

Inside, she spotted various assortments of colorful cloths and instruments for sewing. Curious she stepped inside to walk around the wooden floored aisles, staring at the patterns and tags on each assortment. She lowered her head when she caught sight of ribbons varying from lace to transparent ones sorted on a shelf with labels.

At the back of her head she recalled how Luhan still stuck to long sleeves because he felt shameful of the cut on his wrist. Picking up a dark velvelt ribbon she turned it around and felt a small smile climb onto her face.

“=====”

Luhan really wasn’t expecting to see Namjoo till the weekend, but she was there in front of his door when he climbed up the stairs. Surprised from the uncalled visit he stopped in his steps to look at her missing sight of the bag in her hands.

“What are you doing here?” He wondered walking over.

“Dinner? Fresh ingredients,” she held up the bag for him to see the grocery inside.

“You’re still wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer?” Namjoo started as she walked inside.

“My work uniform, besides, it’s cold there,” he excused.

“Sure,” Namjoo set the bag down onto the kitchen table and invited herself to sit down as if completely accommodated to his place. “Sit down a second.”

Pulling the chair across from her out he asked, “What’s up?”

She gestured for his arm before he set it on the table. Luhan watched her dig around in the bag before pulling something out.

“What’s that?” He asked, staring at the strand.

“A ribbon,” Namjoo replied ing his cuff before rolling his sleeve up. “You stopped wearing the bandage.”

“Of course, you told me I could,” Luhan reminded.

He watched her lace the ribbon around his wrist two times before tying it into a neat bow on the underside of his wrist.

“What’s this supposed to be?” He asked.

“The new bandage,” Namjoo replied as she looked at him. 

***At this rate Chae Yoon might just end up jinxing them into a relationship xDD

***Sorry for the long sudden, uncalled for non-updates. But here's a chapter to enjoy! 

***A/N: Also, by the way; I'll be heading out of state for a wedding so I probably won't be updating for the rest of the week.