[this chapter was inspired by the song Take Our Time by The Ridleys, you could listen to it while reading hehe]

VI. 

Joohyun never wanted this weekend to end.It wasn’t new, it’s not like she’s the only person in the world who wished for such a thing. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but to her, it was. Weekends were really nothing special to her, especially during her first few months in college. It only meant sleeping in, doing some school work and basically being alone. Weekends always only presented the opportunity of overthinking and that isn’t necessarily good; it was unhealthy and very self-destructive. So, she knew nothing but to wish that weekends would be over so she had at least her classes to take her mind off the things that made her overthink.

The water touching her feet made her smile; like it was washing away her worries, taking it somewhere that it can’t bother her or make her feel powerless. All the things surrounding her made her wish that she had a box that could magically save all of this. She wanted this memory to last. She never thought that there’ll be a good memory to keep ever since she left her hometown. All she ever expected was that her graduation or at least getting a pass to actually graduate university is the only good memory she’ll ever take from this place. She had expected that sleepless nights and stressful weeks were all the memories she would have of this place.

She was wrong. She wasn’t particularly comfortable with that idea; she was very competitive and for all she knows being wrong isn’t one of the things she’s happy with. But right now it was the least of her concerns. Being wrong didn’t even cross her mind as bad at this point. She never expected to be this happy being wrong.

As she turns to her right, she saw the person responsible for all this. Seulgi was standing right where she was earlier when she had realized that she had seen the one thing that made her feel better after all those months of overthinking and those weeks of sulking. How she wished that she really had that magical box now because out of everything and every memory she wanted to keep in this place, she knew that the most precious one among all them is that bright smile.

“Seulgi, you’re back!”

Seulgi was startled. She could definitely tell because her signature warm smile wasn’t on display. Rather she looked more like she was thinking about something. But Joohyun didn’t put much attention to it because Seulgi starts walking towards her.

“Like what you’re seeing?” the girl asks, her eyes focused on the sun that was almost close to setting.

Joohyun lifts her head up a little to see the taller girl’s face. She definitely likes what she’s seeing, she likes every single thing about it, “Of course Seul, everything’s beautiful,” she says, smiling widely hoping that she would finally get Seulgi to look at her direction.

She only gets a small laugh in return and it made her kind of confused why she wanted a different reply other than that. She expected a more dramatic, artsy, poetic answer rather than just a small laugh. Frankly, she was even expecting a speech.

The wind howls and though there was still sunlight it feels a little bit chilly. But the chills that are caused by the wind isn’t the one responsible for the uneasiness Joohyun was feeling, rather the silence that had overtaken them was much more worrying. Maybe Seulgi felt that too because she just had cleared and she finally sat down beside Joohyun.

“The lunch was great by the way, though I’m not sure I could call it lunch since we ate at three pm, still thanks Hyun,” Seulgi was the one to break the silence. Joohyun really thinks that it wasn’t a big deal. She had wanted to cook for Seulgi as a thank you so she wasn’t quite sure why Seulgi was thanking her. For all she knows, she should be the one thanking Seulgi.

But before she could open and rebut what Seulgi just said, she had realized that she never really told Seulgi that it was her way of saying thanks, “It’s nothing really. It’s my thank you to you for taking care of me for the past two days.”

“I’m not sure about the taking care of you part, I mean, if anything, it was more of getting you into a lot of trouble,” Seulgi replies, she was even laughing a bit because it seemed like Joohyun’s expression of thanks was more on the absurd side of things.

Joohyun could only look at Seulgi with disbelief. She knows that the girl doesn’t realize how much she’s actually done for her. Seulgi always sells herself short and it sometimes pisses her off. It was true, about all the trouble and all the embarrassing stuff but more than anything, she had fun and for the first time in weeks, she had felt that she was happy.

“You’re great Seul, don’t worry about it that much,” Joohyun reassures, taking a look at the girl beside her whose eyes were only fixated on the water touching her feet. There wasn’t much of a reaction on Seulgi’s face, it was plain and almost close to being stoic. So Joohyun tries to follow it up with a smile. Joohyun knows by now how Seulgi’s smiles were her source of assurance, she just hopes that somehow her own smiles could bring the same kind of assurance.

Seulgi finally meets her gaze. She had something close to a shy smile on her face, far from those warm smiles that made her eyes form into tiny little crescents, “Hyun, I…”

There was that pause. The tone had a sense of familiarity and she knows exactly what it was. Joohyun didn’t know why suddenly Seulgi was back at phase one. That meaning, the awkward stage between them when they just first started being roommates. Seulgi never continued where she trailed off, she had only turned her eyes back at the water touching their feet.

The past few days were filled with Seulgi always having enough courage to say things to her, even convince her to do stuff. But now, it’s like they were back at being two people who barely talk to each other. Something must be wrong and Joohyun was quite worried.

She flashes a worried look at the girl beside her. She was chewing on her lip and that only proves Joohyun’s suspicions all the more. Something’s definitely wrong or there must be something bothering her.

When Joohyun comes to a conclusion, it was already close to sunset. The silence never left them and all she could think of is how Seulgi never even smiled that widely again. Maybe she knows why now, “Seul is there something wrong?” she asks, trying to mask the worry that was evident in her voice. She wouldn’t want to make Seulgi think about it too much, she just wanted an honest answer.

“Ahh…I’m fine,” though it was a lie and Joohyun could definitely tell. She never looked nor turned to Joohyun’s direction and she was still chewing on her lip. She wouldn’t want to pry but she wouldn’t want Seulgi to be like that all through the night.

“Is this…” Joohyun stutters, it was very unlike her but she wasn’t sure if it was the right question, “Is this about yesterday?” Seulgi only turns to her with a questioning look. The question was vague and she knows it. There were a lot of things that happened yesterday, “at the bar, the things that Sooyoung and Wendy sai-”

“NO,” Seulgi cuts her off, making her cover to stop any more words from coming out. But Seulgi only does the same, and waves her hands afterwards to signal that she didn’t actually mean to raise her voice like that, “it’s not like that, I’m sorry I yelled.”

Joohyun noticed the apologetic look plastered on Seulgi’s face and she felt a little guilty upon seeing it. Maybe it was really the wrong question or maybe it was something that she should not have brought up because it was well forgotten, “its ok Seul,” she starts. She had noticed how Seulgi had exhaled, “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to pry. If anything, I don’t really mind that.”

The only reply she gets from Seulgi, then again, is the same shy smile from earlier. There wasn’t really enough sounds to mask the silence that once again draped over them. The rustling of the leaves from time to time and the minimal sounds coming from the lake were the only sounds that had filled the gap between them. Joohuyn wishes that the lake was actually a sea so the crashing waves could overpower the thick bubble of silence around them. But at the very least, the water touching her feet provided her with some sort of distraction. Seulgi seems to have found the same thing. They both started playing with the water using their feet to touch it or sometimes even avoid it.

Then Joohyun discovers that she could actually draw patterns on the ground they were sitting on. So, she starts to draw tiny little patterns and marks using her hand. It provided her with something else to do since Seulgi showed no intention of speaking nor is she doing something to break the wall of silence that’s getting stronger by the second. Joohyun was halfway through drawing a very intricate pattern of spirals when she had noticed how her earlier “works of art” were getting smudged. It was weird since the water doesn’t go that far, and it would be weirder if the hand that kept on messing up her markings on the ground wasn’t Seulgi’s.

She looks up with disbelief. It was playful though like she just wanted to let Seulgi know that she isn’t very much pleased with the act at the same time, she was stifling a chuckle because she knows it was Seulgi’s way of easing the sudden tension.

“You ruined my beautiful creations Kang Seulgi! I can’t believe you, this is unacceptable!” Seulgi only grins at her, and finally, she got a glimpse of those warm smiles again. Maybe they weren’t necessarily back at phase one, maybe she just had miscalculated the situation.

Seulgi was kind enough to redraw the spirals that she had smudged. It was better actually and it made Joohyun’s drawings look subpar, almost close to an artwork of a seven-year-old. That’s when she had proved that Seulgi was quite skilled with drawing. It made her wonder why she never pursued it or majored in it at the least. How can an artist as talented as Seulgi be stuck behind tons of books?

Joohyun never wanted to ruin something so bad, not because it was horrifying, she just admitted it was gorgeous, but rather to have some revenge. Or mostly to tease the other girl and have some laughs. It was best to actually remove the tension.

While Seulgi was so immersed in redrawing the marks she had “messed up” Joohyun sneakily stood so she’ll be unnoticed. She quietly inched towards the very intricate set of patterns laid out on the ground. The water was very much far from ruining Seulgi’s marks but it would be of use if Joohyun had some intervention.

So, when the water was close enough Joohyun was quick to act on a plan to wipe out every last trace of Seulgi’s drawings. Given any other situation, she would not have the heart to do it. Those patterns were as beautiful as museum paintings but she didn’t have much of a choice to get Seulgi laughing along with her. That, or she really just likes the way Seulgi reacts to the teasing, like a little kid who got her candy stolen.

Joohyun uses her feet to splash water on to Seulgi’s direction to completely ruin her drawing. Though it’s either her poor trajectory or the force of her attack that made the water not only splash on to the ground and wash away Seulgi’s drawings but it also reached Seulgi’s face and half of her body. Actually, most of it went to the girl more than the drawings. The drawings were still pretty much intact and Seulgi was almost drenched.

Seulgi only wipes her face with a smirk intact that says nothing but surprised, “What was that for?”

“Revenge?” Joohyun shrugs and she could see how Seulgi nods her head. Probably it was a way of saying challenge accepted.

“Hey, I taught you that!” Seulgi snickers, propping herself up using her hands and slowly pacing towards Joohyun.

Joohyun almost bursts a laugh. The image of them running down numerous flights of stairs after the chicken gut incident flashes in her head and she can’t help but smile. Of course, Seulgi was the one who’s all about revenge yesterday, “Well how does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine?” Joohyun taunts, putting her tongue out afterwards to prove her point further.

The taller girl was getting closer and closer, she only showed a face that says she was challenged, “Oh so that’s how it goes huh?”

This time, Joohyun really did bit off more than she could chew because she had planned this so poorly. She was ready for all of this to backfire, Seulgi was ready to chase her and drag her into the lake, possibly letting the waves carry her away to someplace she would never be seen again. She shakes her head, she had the craziest thoughts but Seulgi’s face really painted a picture that greatly resembles someone who would commit the things she’s thinking.

Seulgi had longer legs, is much more athletic than her, has greater stamina and she knows the place more than Joohyun. There’s no way that she’s getting away, she’s probably going to be shipped off to another country for all she knows.

When Seulgi got up, Joohyun did nothing but to run for her life. All of her assumptions were definitely right. If she hadn’t had a head start she would be half-way to another country now. But Seulgi was catching up really fast and that isn’t really a good sign. Though the situation looks bad and it would pass a horror thriller chase scene especially when the darkness of the night starts to blend with the bright yellow sky which only added to the horrors that is the current cat and mouse chase they’re having, it was way lighter than it actually is.

“You have to be a little faster than that Hyun!”

There were only smiles and laughs, along with running that didn’t seem enough for someone who claims to be scared. Joohyun doesn’t seem to be running for her life nor does she mind being shipped off to another country.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do if you ever catch me you slowpoke?”

Adrenaline was definitely to blame for the sudden surge of confidence despite the low probability of winning. Joohyun was still aware that Seulgi would catch her at any moment now but she taunts her even further, but the girl seemed unfazed and just kept the same determined smile.

“Guess you’re going to find that out soon!”

Seulgi runs faster. Faster than whatever pace Joohyun was taking. She must’ve really underestimated Seulgi’s competitiveness. The whole time she had thought that Seulgi would just let her off like any other time. So, despite all the advantages she had the mindset of still getting away with splashing water all over her roommate.

But Joohyun is running out of energy and also, of places to go to. She was closing in on the big tree towering the cabin and she had no other idea where to turn. Seulgi was only a few steps away and she knows that she’s now defeated.

She was about to raise her hands in the air to signal her loss but she was surprised when a hand grabs her wrist. She looks back and sees a panting Seulgi with her still determined smile, “Gotcha.’”

Joohyun knows she shouldn’t be smiling. If anything, catching her breath and the beads of sweat trailing down her face should be her first concerns but she only smiles and looks at Seulgi, “I guess you did,” her smiles grew wider, “What are you going to do now?”

Still, Seulgi’s determination never faltered. It was evident on the way she had grabbed Joohyun’s wrist and it was painted on her face. So, Joohyun was surprised whe