Awkward, Namjoo looked elsewhere. Giving him view of her jawline and then the wet shirt. “I…I’m going to go change,” she spoke as fast as a pro rapper then dashed off.

Pushing himself up he blinked, dazed. Wondering what just happened. Klairs stared straight at him from a yard away.

“What are you looking at?” Sehun snarled.

He returned to work. Wasn’t even halfway there when Namjoo’s father called him in for lunch. Namjoo was already at the table throwing bits of food onto the floor for Sambok.

“What are you doing in here?” her father scolded the rooster. Shooing him with his foot, “Out, out!”

The rooster clucked before racing out of the house. Namjoo clicked her tongue. “You’re so mean to him.”

“He shouldn’t be in here.” Her father said sitting down.

Namjoo poked at her plate. He noticed that she had changed her shirt and that her arm was red from the coffee spill. Ignoring him she hurriedly stuffed herself at three times the speed they were eating. Grabbing her phone, she scooted her chair back.

“Where are you going?” her father asked.

“Duty calls.” Grabbing her dish, she ran to put it into the sink. “Wash my dish, dad.”

The old man sighed. He left the table early, too. Determined to finish organizing the haystacks. A hot brush of wind passed when he stepped out. Seeing in the distance a group standing with Namjoo in the field as she introduced their mother cow.

That night he fell asleep right away. Jerking awake in the wee hours when Sambok started crowing outside his window. Pulling the blanket over his head he groaned.

“Damn bird.”

ϞϞϞϞϞ

Yawning, Namjoo sipped from her mug. Gasping as the coffee slid down . Yesterday she had slept like a baby that she slept halfway through Sambok’s crowing. Confused when she woke up and the sun had already streaked the sky.

Gnawing on her piece of toast she stared drowsily at the wall. Spacing out.

“Where’s your friend?” her father asked walking in.

“Friend?” Namjoo spun around confused.

“I’m talking about Sehun.” The old man opened the fridge, rummaged for something to cook for breakfast.

Crookedly smiling, Namjoo clarified, “We’re not friends dad.”

“Oh?” He leaned his head back to look at her. “Why not?”

Namjoo waved him off. “I’m hungry. What are we having?”

“If you were up you should have made something,” he chided. “Go wake him up. He’s probably deadbeat after all that work you made him do.”

“Your wish is my command, Sire,” Namjoo playfully mocked dumping the rest of her coffee out.

“This girl…” her father mumbled underneath his breath when she walked out.

Sehun was probably dead asleep. His back must be aching like never before. Fine, she decided, today she would go easy on him. Pausing in front of his door Namjoo knocked. Waited.

“Wake up,” she called out. Knocked again and waited. “Wake up. City boy, are you still asleep?”

Pressing her ear to the door she listened for movement. If he was purposely ignoring her, he would get his pay. Namjoo frowned when she heard nothing.

She knocked again. “Fine, I’m opening the door. You know I have a master key.”

She didn’t, but a lie would do anything. Twisting the knob Namjoo burst into the room to find the bed empty. First wondering if he may have run away, but then spotted his suitcase sitting in the corner. So, he wasn’t really here.

Namjoo scratched her head, lost. Turning around she searched the bathroom then went down the hall. Poking her head into the kitchen to see her father alone at the stove cooking a pot of soup. Figuring it best to look for the lost city person, Namjoo headed outside, her only other option.

Indeed, the sky was a splash of blue. The cows were grazing freely early morning. Sambok dashed toward her. Circling around her feet excitedly. Namjoo smiled down at him then turned to see that the yard that had been cluttered with the haystacks was now empty. Her brows popped up surprised. Stepping away from the house she stared at the faded red barn. The wide brimmed doors that always remained wide open were a clearer sight today. Inside, each stack of hay was neatly aligned atop each other. Her eyes grazed the bottom foundation of the pyramid. Then up and up and up some more toward the top where Sehun was sitting. Proudly smiling.

She was awestruck. The chore usually took her and her dad at most three days. Sehun had completed it at an astonishing pace. A day? A night? A day and a night? She frowned. Confident she had seen him go to sleep last night. So, when had he gotten up to finish it?

Namjoo watched him climb down the stairs of the haystack and walk toward her. His gait so proud, the pride even more relevant in his eyes. There was sweat along his hairline, but shockingly that didn’t seem to be bothering him today. Stopping in front of her Namjoo stared up at him.

“What?” Namjoo asked.

“That’s it?” he asked baffled.

Shrugging, Namjoo asked, “Good job?”

Turning to the side he rolled his eyes. Bewildered. “I worked the entire day and half the night and nothing?!”

Namjoo narrowed an eye at him. “I never gave you a time limit.”

Sehun bit his lower lip as his expression constricted. Scoffing even louder. Speechless.

Namjoo grinned never minding him. “Instead, lets go into town today.”

“Why?”

Reaching around him she gave his back a loud pat. He screeched from pain. Immediately bending over, pressing a hand to his back, looking up at her haggardly. “I’ll buy you something for your back.”

ϞϞϞϞϞ

After breakfast, Namjoo led him across the pasture. Sehun pinched his nose again. The cow lying in the grass by them was flinging his tail up and down. Creating a sort of wind that spread its animal scent.

“I can’t stand this,” he nasally spoke.

“You're so sensitive,” Namjoo coldly remarked.

He rolled his eyes. “Go into town alone. Why am I coming?”

“This is a very special experience for you,” Namjoo kind of winked. He frowned then watched her put her thumb and forefinger into . Whistling loudly. Stupefying and amazing him. He stared at his hand, wondered if he might be able to do the same trick. He ended up blowing air out and lifted his head up in time to see the tan horse galloping toward them.

Sehun fell back a step shocked.

“She won’t trample on you.” Namjoo told.

“You wouldn’t know.”

“Well, unless you surprise her, then you’re welcomed to be trampled.” Namjoo devilishly smiled.

He cursed her under his breath.

“That’s a good girl,” Namjoo crooned gently. the horse’s face. “She’s Dari. She’s an Arabian type. Pet her.”

“No.” he refused.

“Come on.”

“I don’t want to.” he hid his hand behind him.

Namjoo rolled her eye. “Dari is an ex-racehorse. They drugged her to run when she was injured and then kept her isolated in a stall. When she retired, they were going to ship her overseas to be slaughtered for meat.”

A genuine smile crossed Namjoo’s lips as she tilted her head to peer into Dari’s eyes. The way a mother would when she adored her daughter.

Turning to him, “You really won’t touch her?”

“No.” he glanced to the horse then to her stubbornly.

Namjoo sighed. “Come on, Dari.”

“Why are we going back to the house when you made me come all the way out to this smelly area?” He whined.

“Dari will need her saddle.”

He stopped in his tracks with his jaw reaching the ground. “I am not riding a horse!”  

Namjoo wiggled her brows knowingly aware he would have no choice. Turning her back to him she led the horse toward the barn. There, Sehun watched Namjoo saddle the horse up, gently Dari’s neck to tell her it was ok, and hoist herself onto the mare’s back. Extending her arm out she said, “Come up.”

Again, Sehun scoffed disbelieving. “I don’t want to.”

“Then you want to ride in the front?” Namjoo asked, as if that was what he wanted.

“No. I said I don’t want to.”

“Why?” she asked. “You scared?”

Gritting his teeth, he spat, “Am not!”

“Then come up,” Namjoo urged.

Sehun bit his lip wondering why she just couldn’t leave him be. “Fine,” he bargained, “but I want a day off.”

Wiggling her fingers tentatively, she beamed, “Ok.”

His brows pulled down unable to believe that she would give in so easily. Cornered, he reached out for her hand. Throwing his legs over the horse’s muscled body and freaking out when he nearly slipped off.

“My goodness!” Namjoo shouted catching onto his arm.

“I told you, I didn’t want to do this,” he huffed through gritted teeth.

“It’s an experience you need to have once in your life.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can hardly believe that.”

His chin bumped into her shoulder when she took the reins and without warning, steered the horse around. Sehun screamed clinging onto her. Namjoo’s elbows stabbed his arms. She twisted and turned murmuring, “Would you let go?”

“Then what am I supposed to hold onto?” he cried eyeing the ground far below them. Imagining breaking an arm or maybe his neck if he fell.

“We won’t!” she gritted her teeth. She twisted back and forth some more to make him release her, but he ended up holding onto her tighter. More out of fear than because he wanted to stir up some romance.

“So, let me down.”

“Too bad.” Namjoo stuck her head up. Dari’s hooves noisily clicked against the dirt path leaving the farm behind. Walking calmly, slowly. Sehun felt nauseous from his anxiety. His back ached and the way the horse’s gait rocked his body added on to it.

“How far?” Sehun groaned burying his face into her shoulder.

Namjoo rolled her shoulder to move him off. Irritated, “Stop it!”

They struggled with each other the rest of the way into town. A total of 10 awful minutes.

“Namjoo!” People called out to her. “What are you doing?”

“Hey, get off me,” Namjoo whispered. Sehun groaned, feeling weak and depleted of energy. From now on, he decided he hated heights. And he would never go to an amusement park again.

Shrugging him off Namjoo called out to the people, “I’m just here for some medicated pads.”

“Why? Is your father hurt?” they asked, as if they didn’t see how he was suffering behind her.

“Of course not. He’s very healthy,” Namjoo replied shrugging him off again when he buried his head into her shoulder.

“Oh? Who is he?” one of the elders wondered trying to get a good view of him.

“The new volunteer,” Namjoo awkwardly laughed shrugging him off again and managed her way down to ask for medicated pads.

Sehun’s head was spinning, no longer able to register their conversation. Could only think of getting down from the horse’s back and how dare Namjoo abandon him. Drowsily sliding off the horse he landed on wobbly feet. Felt the entire world open up underneath him as he dashed to the side to throw up.

There was an outcry. A cat hissed and jumped away as acid burned his throat.

It turned out the small town was very densely populated. A lot of elders. Open markets were plenty. Buildings had been erected here since the early ages. Renovated when the city first boomed but slowly forgotten as the mass moved to bigger cities to make a better living. Only the traditionalists stayed, unable to abandon their roots.

A kind elderly lady invited him to sit on her front porch and offered him freshly cut watermelon. Hydrate yourself she had said. Get something into your stomach. A man needs to be strong. He ended up unintentionally listening to her lecture about youth and health. Wherever Namjoo had ditched him and Dari she probably wasn’t planning to return anytime soon. Stuck, he sat there nodding his head as the watermelon juice oozed over his hands.

He just really, really wanted to lay down now. He felt overly fatigued. Excitement churned through him when he recognized Namjoo’s shoes from the top of his eyes. Desperately scampering to his feet, he rushed toward her.

“Where have you been?” he hissed.

The tiny black bag rustled around her arm. She made a face at him then immediately did a turnaround as she greeted the grandma joyfully. Sehun’s brow twitched.

“Come on, lets go,” Namjoo coldly said after bidding farewell.

He automatically turned to follow then turned back to put the half-eaten piece of watermelon on the old lady’s porch. Smiling awkwardly before dashing after Namjoo. When he reached her she was back on the horse.

“Serious?!” Sehun groaned.

“Goodbye then,” Namjoo grabbed the reins.

He hated her!

Turning his face away, so he wouldn’t have to look at the victory on her face he his arm out toward her. Namjoo actually laughed before grabbing his hand to help him up. When he recovered, he would definitely fight back he promised himself.

He listened to Namjoo sigh annoyed when he wrapped his arms around her and buried his head into her back. If he compared their situations, he was more irritated he believed. Suffering for another 10 minutes until they made it back. He just had to last that long.

“Where have you been?!” Namjoo’s father scolded when they arrived back. “Why are you riding Dari?”

“We went for a trip, dad.”

The old man frowned at her, leaning to the side to get a glimpse of him. “Why is he like that?”

Namjoo shrugged. Bringing Dari to a halt Namjoo shrugged him off her back. “Get off.” She ordered.

Groaning for the nth time, Sehun lifted his head that suddenly weighed a ton. He was going to puke again. Namjoo half pushed him off and climbed down after him.

“He overexerted himself,” Namjoo said, “so I went to get some medicated pads for him.” Holding them out to her dad, “Can you help him put them on?”

“You do it. You’re the one that made him like that. You should be more responsible. He just got here and he’s already sick.” Namjoo’s father scolded her.

Sehun wickedly grinned and wiped it off when Namjoo looked at him.

“Take him inside.” Moving past her he took Dari’s reins and led her away.

His turn to give her a knowing look as he turned toward the house. Kicking off his shoes as he thanked the Lord for an air-conditioned home. No longer under the sun and sweating like a pig. Sehun already felt healed. Exhaling, inhaling the cool air. Breathing it deeply into his lungs. No scent of smelly domesticated animals here.

Plopping down onto the bed he sighed content. Relaxed, so happy, finally. Then he opened his eyes and found Namjoo flatly staring at him from the doorway. Spotting the bag still dangling off her arm. Right, he still needed to make her his slave.

Sehun purposely moaned in pain as he pushed himself up. Touching his back and wincing from the strain. Namjoo’s pinched eyes observantly sat on him. Watching each movement, as if she knew he was exaggerating.

“Ow, it hurts.” He forced out a cry.

Rolling her eyes, she walked over and sat by him. “Turn around and pull your shirt up.”

“What?!” he spat surprised.

“Do you want the pads on your shirt?” she viciously asked.

“You’re so crude.” He mumbled.

Shifting his back to her he pulled up his shirt. Silence. When he heard no movement, he turned around to look at her. “Are you going to do it or not?”

“I will!” she raised her voice. Yanking out a box she pulled out the pads that smelled strongly of oriental medicine.

Turning around with a sigh he waited. Wondering if the pads would sting. His attention perked up when he felt her fingers touch his back. The warmth like a needle prickling his brain awake.

“Here?” she asked.

“Oh…yea…”

The pad was cooling. Soothing and felt nice. He blinked as her fingers graced his back again. Thinking about the way she had laughed when chasing him yesterday.

“Here?” she asked.

“A little higher.”

“Here?”

“Yea…”

Then he listened to her tear up another pad. As she touched his back again, he whirled around impulsively. The earlier bemusement vanished when their eyes locked and the tension seethed.