Yeong turns right.

“Okay, let’s see where we’ll go,” thought Dowoon aloud with the smallest of smiles.

Most astonishingly, they come across a lake soon enough. It looks clear and still, with some fish visible beneath the shimmering surface. The sun is steadily rising over the horizon.

“Yeong, watch this,” says the drummer, picking up some pebbles to skip them across the water.

The Shiba Inu barks in excitement regarding the skipping stones, finding them to be interesting. How could they do that? Yeong, he leans dangerously close, as though he is about to fall into the water when he doesn’t. Because someone else does.

Yoon Dowoon is drenched. At the sight of that, the Shiba Inu jumps in without hesitation to bring him out. The dog misunderstands, thinking that the boy is drowning due to his non-movement.

“It’s okay, Yeong,” he mumbles at last, making feeble attempts at swimming. “I was just wondering what it would be like if I couldn’t swim. I saved you from falling in but here you are anyway…”

They get out and quickly make their way back to the apartment unit. He opens the door, accidentally waking the boy who is sleeping on the sofa.

“Ugh, can’t I just get some sleep – Dowoon?” begins Brian angrily before his voice melts into a startled tone. “You’re soaked…”

The drummer offers no explanation but a sheepish smile. Brian quickly gets up and returns with towels for both the boy and the dog.

“Take care of yourself,” muses the older, drying the younger one’s hair with the towel. “No one else but Yeong goes for sunrise walks with you. What would you have done if I didn’t wake up?”

“Destroy the floor with my drenched self,” replies Dowoon with a weak laugh, earning a flick on the forehead.

[click here to continue]