-Home is wherever I'm with you-

kontrol

            Another day gone by wistfully, the skies were dyed a warm orange as the sun began to set and the chimes hanging off the tarp jingled when a cool breeze rolled by. The lone girl shivered slightly as she pulled the blanket around her bare shoulders tighter, she glanced down to her bare feet and at the floral print of her skirt gliding off her legs as it fluttered with the wind. She hummed a light tune to herself as she fiddled with the glow-stick band on her wrist that had long lost it’s light, she let out a quiet sigh and tapped against the soft carpet of the van.

            It was tranquil times such as these that she could truly feel calm, the air was fresh and it was quiet here out past the woods; she was far from anything and anyone, and there was nothing that could disturb her.

            Only a third of the sun was left peeking from the edge of the horizon where the sky met the ocean, a small smile appeared on her lips when she heard Sunggyu’s voice in the distance followed by the sound of a car. Mina slipped into her sandals and hopped off the van, it was just getting dark and she was glad that he got back before it got completely dark; they have been staying in the city’s outskirts for a few days in a secluded bay near a famous beach campsite but she never felt she was safe after dark if Sunggyu wasn’t with her. This was why she slept during the day and worked at night when Sunggyu was with her.

            “Mina~!” she heard him call from behind the van and she immediately gripped the blanket tight as she ran around to greet him. “I’m back!”

            “Welcome back!” she ran into his open arms and she heard him laugh melodically, he picked her small frame up slightly in a tight embrace. “How was it today?”

            “Not bad, the usual. I got you some dinner, hope nothing spilled,” he smiled as he held up a small plastic bag and passed it to her. She looked inside and saw the logo of the small restaurant they liked to go to, the old couple at the restaurant made the best jajangmyeon and they had been kind enough to feed her and Sunggyu when they were at their lowest time to time.

            “This is perfect,” she pecked him by his mouth and reached for one of his hands, they walked back together to the van and she ducked in first as Sunggyu sat on the edge and unlaced his worn out sneakers. She heard him yawn and she glanced over at his broad back. “Tired?”

            “Kind of,” he slipped in after taking off his shoes and he immediately collapsed on the large double mattress they had at the back of the van. Mina watched him groggily strip himself down as she pulled out the retractable table to set up her dinner, after he was down to just his undershirt and boxers shorts he then slipped under the sheets.

            She smiled at the sight and she knew that it wouldn’t be long before he would fall asleep, he’s been working all day and she couldn’t blame him for going right to sleep after returning. She lit a few long lasting candles and set them on the table and by the small stove, gas was more expensive than candles and since the electricity in the van ran on gas they chose the latter. Their circumstances weren’t great per se (they lived in a camper van after all) and they may be a lot of things from homeless, hardworking to beggars… but unhappy was not one of them.

            The van was scattered with knickknacks that Sunggyu finds, mostly forgotten lost toys, a lot of colourful hanging ornaments he’s picked up from small corner shops, even a tattered lamp they had no use for and there was a goldfish bowl he received from an old man almost a year ago; Mina and Sunggyu kept their important items in it, a photograph of Sunggyu with his family, a ring Mina’s mother had given her, the key to their old apartment… everything that held precious memories to them.

            The walls were plastered with clippings that they had spent an afternoon cutting out from magazines and newspapers, most were of models wearing the latest trends (clothing that normal people their age could afford and would be seen in) and also pictures from real estate catalogues of houses and apartments that had caught their eye. From where Mina was sitting the picture on her left was one that she had cut out from a travel magazine, she was sure it was somewhere in Europe but she couldn’t even remember the name of the city; the street in the picture just looked so serene and Mina thought it would be such a lovely place to visit with Sunggyu if they ever got the chance. Mina had chosen a lot of places actually, many from Europe and Africa where the places in the pictures looked like the perfect place to escape to; she was always talking to Sunggyu about this and while they knew their chances of actually going weren’t too favourable, Sunggyu always smiled encouragingly and helped plan her dream trip along with her.

            The light surrounding her flickered and her thoughts were brought back to the van, she noticed the flame from the candle in front of her quivering and she realised that the wind was picking up again. She finished her noodles quickly and put away the trash in a bag outside the van for Sunggyu to bring to the garbage tomorrow morning. Mina shut the double doors of the van and was prepared to get to work when she heard the bed sheets rustling.

            “Done, Mina?”

            “Mm…” she nodded as she eyed Sunggyu, she thought he had gone to sleep for the night but he was getting up slowly and rubbing the back of his neck. “Are you alright?”

            “Yeah, I almost forgot I had something for you,” he slowly pointed at his backpack that he had left by the door and she picked it up and walked to him. She sat on the edge of the mattress as she watched him dig through and soon he pulled out a cardboard tube. “These were going cheap after the holidays.”

            Min