The train soared through the country without a care in the world, unaware of the two adventurers hidden in plain sight at the very back of all the wagons. When the workers peered over to check, the two rascals cloaked themselves in the advantageous density of the darkness casted by the sun and the Wagon’s very blindspots. They exploited, expertly, every trick in the book and now, there they were. Feet dangled a bit above earth, dirty sport shoes telling a story way before you could even see the two adventurers. Donning all black, Kang Seulgi and Bae Joohyun had the best date in the world.

Well, their world.

They were three countries away from home and no passport anywhere in their bags, instead there was a sleeping bag, food and supplies, money and a lot of bravado. Their phones rested in their zipped pocket but shut off from the world while they looked at it passing by right before their eyes. The lush green pastures and the backdrop of the mountains right behind it made the entire trip worthwhile, the houses and cabins nearby only able to look at the two adventurers from a distance with no possibility to catch up to them or catch them. They were a blur in the eye that dashed past, never to be seen again.

Perhaps it was the prospect of illegality, or the thrill of a possible chase leading them to seek shelter in undiscovered spots of this foreign country with nothing but their wits alone. Or maybe it was the idea that they were together, exploring the world together through peculiar means. Means that they weren’t allowed. Hopping on trains unseen, walking through town as foreigners to see the face of so many people looking at them peculiarly. Leaving a trace of confusion everywhere they walked, but enjoying foreign lands all the same.

Now, they bumped shoulders and smiled at each other, looking at the beautiful scenery together. The train kept on roaring forward, unaware of the passengers in the back enjoying the views and the speed.

“If we’re lucky and this train keeps moving along, we’ll cross the border in three hours,” Joohyun said against the wind and cacophony of the moving train. “By then, we can go closer to the mountain and get your cake.”

“When do we get to lay low in an abandoned factory?” Seulgi asked with a big toothy grin on her face. “I’ve got a few paint cans in the bag with your name on it.”

Joohyun playfully pushed Seulgi. “Idiot, it’s your birthday, not mine.”

“But you’re here with me,” Seulgi replied. “You’re the only one that was crazy enough to do this with me.”

Joohyun smiled, laying her head on Seulgi’s shoulder. Then, no more words were exchanged, but they knew what the other was thinking. The tunnel engulfed them in darkness and changed the scenery in a split second, the town nearby merely a blip in the distance as they inched closer and closer to the border. All around them was the beautiful foreign landscape of a country they barely knew the history of, yet enjoyed its green trees and colors of the morning sky so soothing and subtle. Unknown to Seulgi, Bae Joohyun patted a little concealed pocket near her and felt around. There it was, a little circular object, sturdy and simple. An accessory that held a bigger meaning, an accessory that made the adrenaline junkie Joohyun feel a bit nervous.

But when Seulgi smiled at her and pointed up at the mountains with such enthusiasm, Joohyun looked at the misty mountains and forgot about her nervousness. After all, this was a once in a lifetime trip filled with danger, a memory she wants to keep undiluted and intact, regardless of the outcome later. The camera rested nicely inside her backpack, and her eyes worked perfectly fine in capturing a moment and its essence that was so prone to slipping away between her fingers, sliding through like sand. To bother to capture this moment, would be to gamble losing it forever.

And unknown to Joohyun, Seulgi’s spray cans in those bags had colorful purposes that went far beyond her own imagination. Well, not too far, she knew that this little rapscallion had something up her skin tight sleeves. The abandoned factory would be subjected to a bizarre piece of artistry, but in the fine print there was going to be a bigger message that no one would understand but Joohyun. But the pale doll of Daegu didn’t know exactly what that message was, and she couldn’t imagine what it was. The ring rested on Seulgi’s bag and she was so nervous about it that she opted to not even touch it, as the prospect of proposing to her long-time girlfriend made her nervous and jittery. It fuzzied her mind when she needed to be clearer on her objective and her lists of things to do before they reached the factory. 

Certainly, there was an empty pit of anxiety within Seulgi. But to see that almost child-like excitement to see different landscapes, that excited smile Joohyun had, the way she pointed at things like she was back at Disneyland... 

Made Seulgi feel that excitement, the nerves fading easily.

Yeah, Seulgi didn’t feel so nervous anymore, Joohyun didn’t feel nervous anymore. And it was ironic how it all happened in the back of a wagon of a train, in a foreign land where they weren’t meant to be.

They felt safe dashing past the foreign wildlife, admiring from afar the beauty the world had to offer to them. The coming danger of getting caught made this moment all the more precious.

The future and the possibilities that laid ahead made the moment all the more vibrant. Only like this, these two adrenaline junkies felt fully alive, holding hands and close to one another.