I was panting heavily after 1 hour of the hike. Min Hyuk watched me amusingly and offered his hand. The two of us were alone in the jungle. We decided that it would be more fun without a guide and refused to follow the trail.

“Come on, we’re almost there!”

“We’re almost where?” I whined, feeling pangs of exhaustion.

“You’ll see,” he beamed and grabbed my hand.

“You always say that,” I muttered under my breath.

Grey clouds suddenly started rolling in, preparing to rain upon us. The good news was that it would be much cooler since the sun was not as intense as before. Unfortunately, it would be harder to come back down afterwards since the ground will most likely be wet and slippery, making it more dangerous. We hiked through the dense jungle, covered in perspiration, and overcame the obstacles together, one at a time. The think undergrowth made my legs itch and sometimes, made me afraid. I wasn’t a fan of creepy crawlies but I was willing to overcome my fear of them. It was almost noon when we finally reached the top.

Suddenly, all the exhaustion I felt just dissolved into oblivion. The view of the island and the sea was spectacular from up there. It literally took my breath away. There was even a meadow hidden behind the trees at the bottom. It was filled with pretty flowers. It looked like paradise. The hike up here was worth it.

“Oppa, was this what you wanted to show me? It’s beautiful.”

“Neh, do you like it?”

“I love it,” I took Min Hyuk’s hand in mine and pulled him closer to me. He hugged me from behind and kissed my head.

After a long moment of silence, “Oppa, I think we should go back now. The weather doesn’t look so good.”

He frowned at the clouds. “There goes our plan.”

“That’s okay. We can still do other stuff at the cabana. A movie, perhaps?”

He bobbed his head up and down and smiled.

***

It started pouring when we were halfway down. It was really a challenge to see our way out since the rain was heavy. Once in a while, the both of us slipped on the slippery ground but luckily, we didn’t fall. We managed to make our way out of the jungle in about an hour and a half. We immediately ran back to the cabana after that.

Once we got back, we were shivering. I grabbed a towel and dried Min Hyuk’s hair. I forced him to get out of his soaked clothes and wrapped the towel tightly around Min Hyuk. He demanded me to take a warm bath first. So, I did.

The warm water felt so good against my goose-pimply skin. I didn’t stay long in the bathroom as I knew Min Hyuk was more prone to fevers and colds than me. I immediately dressed myself in warm clothes, hoping that the heat wouldn’t escape as quickly. I was shocked to find Min Hyuk on the bed, lying down and looking very pale. I rushed to him and tried to wake him.

“Oppa! Oppa! Are you okay?” I said as I touched him. My hand almost immediately retracted. Min Hyuk was burning with a fever.

 I went back to the bathroom and turn on the tap for the bathtub. I made the water hot, so Min Hyuk would feel warmer. When the bathtub was filled, I dragged Min Hyuk and put him in the tub, with his boxers on of course. I grabbed a small towel from the rack above and wet it with the water in the tub. I brushed the towel against his neck and face, repeatedly. After a while, his colour returned. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can you dress yourself, oppa?” I asked worriedly. He nodded. While he got dressed, I made him chicken soup. I closed all the doors and windows of the cabana and the heater.

Min Hyuk dressed himself in warm clothes as well and got out, looking slightly better. I gave him a big hug.

“Are you feeling better, oppa? I made you some chicken soup.”

“Neh, I feel better. Gomawo.”

He followed me to the living room. I got him on the sofa and tucked him in under the thick covers. I played a random movie on the TV and fed him chicken soup. I gave him water once in a while. When I was done feeding him the soup, he switched places and laid his head on my lap. He looked up at me and I bent down, giving him a peck on the lips. He smiled shyly and cuddled up to me. I his soft hair gently, making him fall asleep. A few minutes later, I dozed off as well.

***

When I awakened, it was already 6pm. To my surprise, I was in a different position. I was in Min Hyuk’s arms under the covers. I looked up at him and found him soundly sleeping. I tried to carefully sneak out of his arms but he held on to me tighter.

“Where are you going?” he said with his eyes closed when I did a failed second attempt of escaping.

“I was about to make dinner.”

“We can make dinner together later. Just lie with me for now.”

I obeyed him and laid comfortably on him, listening to his heart beat quicken. It made me beam with pride. It was nice to say someone was yours, that they belonged to you and only you.

I put my arms around him and sighed.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I was just thinking how nice it is that we’re together now. And that you’re mine,” I raised my upper body a bit so I could see his face.

“Oh, am I now?”

“Are you what?”

“Am I yours?”

Suddenly, those three words popped in my mind. I LOVE YOU. That’s all I had to say for him to be mine. I was feeling an adrenaline rush. Am I in love? If I’m not, would I be in love after I’ve said those three words?

“Of course, I love you with all my heart,” I sputtered out.

Min Hyuk’s eyes widened. “So, you love me?”

“Huh?”

“You said you love me,” he teased.

Damn it, I can’t escape this situation even if I wanted to. No use crying over spilt milk.

“Yes, I love you. You got a problem with that?” I crossed my arms and acted childishly. 

A smirk started to appear on his face. He pulled me towards him and pressed his lips to mine.

***

We made steak, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. I was glad that Min Hyuk was feeling better now. He was actively helping me in the kitchen although I told him a couple of times to rest. Dinner was delish, as usual. We cleared up after dinner and started to pack our bags. We were leaving on the first ferry in the morning at 10. I felt sad that we were leaving. Time flew.

“Don’t look so glum,” Min Hyuk said as he cupped my cheek.

I nodded.

When we were pretty much done with the packing, we took a few last pictures in our PJs. Then, we headed to sleep.

The 8 hours we slept sped by and when I woke up, Min Hyuk was already awake.

We took turns to shower and got ready. By 9, we were prepared to check out.