Jimin pinched the girl’s nose, making her whine. A light chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head. “Be patient, princess. I promise you’ll like it.”

The nickname made Chaekyung blush and she decided to turn towards the uninteresting view out the subway window once more. Jimin stuffed the fallen earbud in his ear and flipped through his playlist. Chaekyung stared at their reflection in the mirror, sighing. She took a check on her appearance. Her brown hair was in a half up crown braid which she spent almost all early morning dealing with and following Jimin’s clear instructions to wear something fun and easy going. Her red Converse tapped against the subway floor to an inaudible beat as she started away, lost in her own world of boredom.

Suddenly, Justin Timberlake sang into her left ear. She snapped around and felt for the earbud, the wire connected to Jimin’s phone. The boy’s eyes were closed but his lips moved with the lyrics. Alluring, makes me want to reach out and… Chaekyung shook her head a little too hard, snapping out of her silly Jimin-kissing fantasies. She curled into herself, knees raised up to her chest to hide her rapidly beating heart. Ever since Halloween and that almost kiss between her and Jimin, she kept finding herself wondering what it’d be like to really kiss him. Her mind would drift to how his plump lips would feel pressing against hers, then trailing across her jaw and finding her ticklish spot around her neck and going down… down…

WHAM!  Her head slammed against the glass window, the loud bump making everyone turn back to see who had caused the loud noise. Chaekyung dipped her head low and whimpered, partly in pain and embarrassment. Jimin held his laughter and pulled off the earbud from Chaekyung’s ear and helping the girl up.

“Someone fell asleep in such a short ride.” He teased, wanting to reach out and rub the forming bump on Chaekyung’s temple.

Chaekyung’s cheeks flared and she practically ran out of the subway. She could hear Jimin laughing behind her as she blindly walked ahead. The girl cursed in English under her breathe and tried running a few steps away from Jimin who only saw it as a game and tried to catch up.

At the restaurant. Help yourself to breakfast and just dig around the cabinet for anything else if you’re hungry. Drop by the store if you want around the afternoon for lunch. – Mrs. Park

Saera was already grouchy at the kitchen table as she peeled off the memo on the covered breakfast Jimin’s mother had made for them. She woke up to an empty spot on the floor and she knew the two older ones had left for their ‘adventure’. The air in the room smelled of Victoria Secret’s Secret Charm which made Saera sourer. She knew that Jimin liked that scent as she had heard him compliment it on Chaekyung before when they had touched down in Busan. She grumbled as she opened the containers before her. The sight of well-made pancakes and sandwiches made her smile despite her foul mood. Koreans usually had rice for breakfast but seeing how Mrs. Park made bread with blueberry and marmalade jam made Saera felt almost happy to have stayed back.

“I bet oppa and unnie are just eating cold sandwiches somewhere lame and maybe wherever they’re going would even be closed considering―,”

“Beomeosa Temple is open almost all the time, just so you know.”

Saera screamed, dropping the sandwich back onto the plate before she could even get a bite of it. Jaehyung smelt really nice after his shower and that wet hair fell into his eyes made him look much more like Jimin. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed them back with a swift movement of his arm. Saera rolled her eyes at the attempt of his brother imitating the older’s habit. The chair screeched as the girl dragged it to make room for the male, gobbling her second take on the sandwich. Jaehyung pulled the stool across and sat next to her and they fought over the same piece of bread which was even more ridiculous come to think of it.

“What do you mean Beomeosa Temple? Where is that?” Saera interrogated after she had won the piece that they were earlier quarrelling over.

Jaehyung tossed her a nasty look before replying, “It’s somewhere at Geumjeongsan. Coordinates 35°17′2″N 129°4′5″E.” Saera threaten to fling a tomato piece from the sandwich at him. He stuck his tongue out at the small girl, sipping on his coffee. “Anyways, you said you had a plan to get at them. Care for further elaboration?”

Saera set her cup down gracefully and tossed her perfect curls over one shoulder, making Jaehyung fake a barf, and crossed her arms on the table initiating her business talk mode. “First, do you have cash?”

“We can stop by the restaurant and ask from my mom or Uncle Lee. Why?”

“Second, do you know where we can buy some whip cream and hair dye? Possibly in red? Or pink?”

Jaehyung nodded, but the look in his eyes were a little wary at the female’s weird requests. What made him even more curious of her plan was that mischievous glint her eyes as she hopped off the stool, grabbed him by the collar and barked at him to get them to the family restaurant.

“Oh. My God.” Chaekyung took in a 360 degree view of her surroundings. “This place looks like something from a historical drama!”

The pine forest around Eosan Bridge at the entrance of the temple made the air had a tinge of sweetness. The fresh resinous scent could boost and lift anyone’s spirits like how they did to Chaekyung at this moment. There were trees of different shades of red and yellow around the temple,  giving off the autumn vibes. It somehow matched Chaekyung pale red flowy top and Converse. She hopped, skipped and jumped along to Jogyemun, The One Pillar Gate. It was the first door that lead to the temple and represents the boundary between the secular world and the spiritual world where a visitor has to leave their complicated ideas and sufferings. The girl struck a pose as Jimin clicked his camera away, getting her pretty smile in the frame and showing it to her for her approval. Then, an excited Chaekyung practically dragged Jimin along to entire way and pointed out various spots in the temple to her Busan tour guide.

“The mountain where Beomeosa is found is said to have huge rock at the summit where there is a golden well which never, ever dries up. The water of this well is believed to have very special magical properties as one day a golden fish came from heaven and has lived there ever since…” Jimin said in his storyteller tone. The Busan accent was starting to come to light as he went on to explaining how a monk named Ui Sang had constructed it about 1000 years ago.

They walked through the second gate, Beomeosa Cheonwangmun, The Gate of the Four Heavenly Kinds, with Chaekyung enthusiastically posing for countless of pictures and pushing Jimin to posing for some since it too was his first time to Beomeosa despite being Busan-born. He then showed her the Three Story Stone Pagoda, stating that “… This one was built between years during the Silla era.” And further down they saw the recent addition, The Seven Story Stone Pagoda, and went to Beomeosa’s museum set behind the pagoda. Jimin got around to bringing Chaekyung to see the Buddhist altar, Sumidan.

“This altar is place in a notch higher stage to enshrine Buddha.” He said, taking a glance at Chaekyung who was engross in listening to him that she didn’t notice a leaf fallen atop her head. He reached out to pick it, intentionally leaning a little too close to her face just to get her to react. She blinked, flushed a light pink before clearing . “And…?” She mumbled, kicking the leaf he had let fall onto the ground with her shoe. Jimin grinned, “It has the shape of Mount Sumi that’s located in the centre of the universe. That’s why the name was referred to as Sumidan.”

Finally, the two settled to just strolling around the temple grounds. Chaekyung took in the tranquil scenery, clicking on her camera and updating her friends in Seoul. Jimin would always either fall into step with her or be a step behind her. He watched her trip on her own two feet, making him burst in laughter instead of immediately offering her a hand. He also noticed how her eyes would sparkle with interest when she overhears tour guides talking about the history of the temples. She listened to them like they were stories, which they were actually, and tapped them into her phone as she walked along. The fairytale-like atmosphere made Chaekyung turn to face Jimin who raised his eyebrows at her when she did a little twirl.

“Jimin-ah, have you ever thought of what it’d be like if you were transported to the past?” She sighed dreamily, her palms clutched tightly against her chest as she twirled again. This time she slightly lost her footing and fumbled to find her balance again. Jimin shook his head, stepping up to take her hand in his as they walked on hand-in-hand. “You seriously need to get your head out of those period dramas you’ve been watching, Chaekyung-ssi.”

The said girl frowned, elbowing him hard. Jimin poked her forehead in return, making a funny face at her. “But seriously, have you ever thought that maybe we lived in the Goryeo era or Joseon or… Silla?” Chaekyung gestured at the temple around them. The tone of her voice was meant to be serious but Jimin just couldn’t look pass it and consider it properly. “Moon Chaekyung, I’m so going to stop you from watching Scarlet Heart next.” He warned, walking on with his eyes straight on the path before them. They now passed through the late autumn foliage by Geumgangam Hermitage. Chaekyung clucked her tongue at her bodyguard and tore off her hand from his. With a huff, she marched away angrily. She could have left a trail of steam that puffed out of her ears behind her if she were in an animated world.

“Okay, okay! I’m kidding.” Jimin caught her by the arm after jogging up to her. Chaekyung glared up at him, ignoring his cheeky smile and whacked him across the stomach. She felt his rock-hard abs from under his green sweater and instantly thought of running her fingers against them. Geez, Moon Chaekyung. Get a grip of yourself. “So…” Jimin chimed. “If we had indeed lived or were transported back to the past…” Chaekyung brighten slightly when he chose to play along with her.

“What would you have been?” He asked, blocking the rays of sun that got to her face with his hand.

Chaekyung tapped on her chin, genuinely considering this question before grinning back. “I’d probably want to be a Court Lady, living in the palace and attending to the princes and princesses and king and queen.”

Jimin wrinkled his nose, imagining Chaekyung attending to the king’s bath and prince’s meals. He shuddered. An heiress like her to serve people? She should better be a princess. “And you?” Chaekyung nudged him lightly on the arm. They had arrived at a Tunnel of Lanterns. The girl lost total interest for a bit at her question and ran through the tunnel like a child. Good thing there was no one but them at that moment or Jimin would have facepalmed at Chaekyung’s childishness. Chaekyung tried hopping and touching the tips of the lanterns, however failing miserably and she slumped onto the floor panting. Jimin approached her and leaned forward to match her eye level. “Need a lift, Shortie?”

Chaekyung would have love to slap reality into his face by stating that he wasn’t that tall himself but remembered what she asked a while ago. “Hey, you haven’t answered my question. What would you be in a different era? Wait… you’d rather be a musician huh? Play music and entertain people on your journey.” She pointed at him, standing up to dust her pants.

“No.”

“No?” Chaekyung blinked once, confused.

“Let’s see… With my awesome skills and good looks, the palace would hire me.”

Chaekyung scoffed. “Oh please, there’s no opening for princes just so you know.”

Jimin tossed his head back and laughed. “Who said anything about being prince? I meant being the Palace guard. Like a Personal Guard for the prince of princess.”

“Really? But I thought―”

“When you are the princess in such eras, it’d only be right for me to be by your side and serve you. Protect you. It’s an even scarier world back then, with the power struggle between families for the throne. Who knows, you might find yourself caught in between. So, best for me to be your bodyguard and protect you.” Jimin wore his puppy-like smile, unaware that Chaekyung’s heart had momentarily stopped its beating.

“In any lifetime, I’d love to be by your side. Whether to protect you as a bodyguard or as a friend. As long as you know there’s someone to look after you and be there for you. That’s all I’ll ask for.” Jimin couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and curl the loss hair from her braid to the back of her ear. Chaekyung froze at the intensity in his gaze. She felt her lips dry and the wind blowing at them suddenly had the sounds of violins.

With the colourful lanterns above their heads and the spectacular view of the temple before them, in the historical romance drama Chaekyung had pictured in her head, she might have found herself liking Park Jimin a little more than she should be.

“Whip cream?”

“Check!”

“Hair dye?”

“Red. Crimson.”

“I thought we agreed on pink?!”

Saera rolled her eyes (Jaehyung swore if she rolled her eyes one more time, they’d get stuck at the back of her head). “What can I do if the store you took us to only had red! Just check it off the list already.” Saera tossed the box of dye back into the cart and wheeled it to the counter. They even had in the cart some plastic wrap and rubber insects. Jaehyung caught up to the girl and tossed in a Neapolitan ice cream bucket. Saera poked at the bucket, tilting her head in confusion. “I don’t recall this being part of the plan.”

“Impromptu. We need it for when we watch our masterplan gets unfold.”

Saera shrugged, getting on boat with his plan and handing the bills to the cashier, collecting their goods and heading out. “So, are we going to get started straight away when we get back?” Jaehyung peeled off the wrapper of the lollipop he had purchased on the way out and shoved it into his mouth.

Saera flicked her wrist and read the time on her watch. “I think we still have some time to spare. What say you we go grab something proper to eat.” She pulled the lollipop out of the older boy’s mouth and tossed it into the trash nearby. “Hey! I was eating that! Hey, you!”

So basically the Beomeosa trip was taken from Google and some travel blogs to credits to them!! I hope it was not lame and draggy. And not too cheesy XD Oh and next chapter I plan on focusing on Saera and Jaehyung's plans to take a short break on researching for the Busan Adventures. Okay??