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The days breezed by. Same thing every day. Sometimes they were constantly busy he got no breather. Other times the farm was so quiet it was like no one existed and he was on a zombie farm about to fight for his life. But every day, Sambok crowed outside his window. Still, he jerked awake surprised.

Damn rooster.

Almost a month had gone by and still he hadn’t found a thing he liked about the farm. He only liked tagging along to the orange farm for the fresh air. Eating some tangerines when no one was looking. Most of the time he didn’t even go but told Namjoo to bring some fruits back for him. She hardly ever did. Telling him, “You should have just gone and stuffed yourself.” She was still irritating to no end.

Saturday morning after shredding some hay apart for Klairs to have for breakfast he heard a voice. “You must be the new volunteer.”

The sun blinded him the moment he turned around. Sehun flinched clamping his eyes shut, raising an arm to shield his eyes. The tall shadow hovered in front of him.

“You are?” he asked blinking dark orbs out of his eyes.

“Ah…right, we’ve never met,” the guest said. Extending his arm, “I’m Shin Jun. I own the orange farm.”

The tacky boyfriend.

“Right,” Sehun said disinterested.

“Excuse me?” Jun asked confused. Blinking at his extending hand he lowered it when Sehun didn’t take it. “That’s right. I brought over some oranges for Namjoo and her father. Of course, you have some, too.”

Without warning the heavy bag landed in his arms with a grunt. Sehun shot the man a sniping glare.

“Jun!” Namjoo called out walking toward them from the gate where she was picking up their next visitors. Some special needs people, was what Sehun caught at the breakfast table.

There was a small child. A teen in a wheelchair and their parents. Something furry wriggled catching Sehun’s attention. Namjoo too concentrated on her man didn’t notice.

“I brought some tangerines,” Jun explained. The lanky man jutted a thumb toward the questionable bag in Sehun’s arms.

“You didn’t have to,” Namjoo shyly said.

Sehun could have rolled his eyes at the couple to be, but his eyes were hard on the white thing wriggling in the child’s arms. Not a stuffed animal at this point.

It was alive.

Sambok clucked urgently. Pacing erratically but Namjoo still absorbed in flirting didn’t take notice.

“Is that…” Sehun started. The high-pitched screech of the cat cut him off as it jumped from his owner’s arms. Scampering after Sambok. The bird jumped alarmed. Fluttering his beautiful green-blue, brown, and red wings as it sprinted away in fear. Clucking crazily as he dashed into the distance toward the high trees.

First to react, Namjoo screamed running after her best friend, “Bokbok!”

Sehun hesitated between the crying child over his runaway pet, the oranges in his arms, or Namjoo and the damn rooster. Groaning, he shoved the tangerines back into Jun’s arms and ran after Namjoo. Entering the thick woods kicking at the leaves on the ground. Nearly tripping over tiny branches that had fallen off long ago. Spotting Namjoo in the distance screaming for her friend.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she muttered to herself spinning around in all directions before panting. Leaning down with hands on her knees to calm herself. “I lost him. I lost him.” Then straightening and screaming, “Bokbok!”

Panic laced her wide eyes when she looked at him. Slowly approaching he tried, “We’ll find him.”

Ignoring him she jogged off calling, “Bokbok!”

Sighing, he followed. Joining her, “Bokbok!”

The shade covered them chasing away most of the heat, but they were trapped in the woods. Where birds and who knows what other animals lurked. They were trespassing on their land. The heat had gotten stronger meaning it was high afternoon. Sehun had at least started reading the time better with the temperature, but he didn’t know directions around here. Where they were heading and if there was civilization ahead.

Making their way around the brush. Pushing low branches out of the way. Shuffling through the green foliage that seemed to get thicker and thicker the further they went. It suddenly got cooler making him nervous.

“We should head back,” he suggested. “We don’t know where we’re going.”

“Then you go,” Namjoo turned around to spit at him. Her eyes were dark and angry.

“Hey, I’m worried, too,” Sehun argued. “If you were paying attention earlier when you went to pick them up, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Then go back!” she yelled at him. “I don’t need you! I didn’t ask you to come look for him! Go!”

He frowned at her. Frustrated. Upset. To hell with it he thought. He didn’t care about the stupid rooster. Spinning on his heels he strut back the way he came. The tall barks loomed in front of him like a crazy maze. Kicking the dead leaves up under his feet. Listening to the chirp of wild birds around him. Things he couldn’t see.

Behind him Namjoo’s distant voice ricocheted throughout the forest. Crying desperately for her dear friend. He halted. Curled his fingers up into his palm. Heaving a sigh, he swiveled around to go after her. Even as much as he hated Sambok and Namjoo irritated the hell out of him, he wasn’t that much of an .

Catching up to Namjoo, he yelled, “Sambok!”

“He’ll come. When he hears my voice he’ll come,” Namjoo convinced herself. “He’s smart.”

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But she wasn’t so sure.

The sky turned dark really quickly. Namjoo didn’t know how far they had gone. How much time she had spent calling for Sambok. The air turned colder by the hour. As soon as the moon made its appearance in the light sky, Namjoo started gathering branches to make a shelter. Recalling from memory a survival book she had curiously read.

“Are you sure about this?” Sehun nervously rubbed his arms watching her.

“You should’ve gone when I told you to.” Namjoo murmured using shorter branches to support the main branch in three places. He took the branch from her when she struggled to break it into smaller pieces.

“How the heck do you know how to do this?”

“I’m smart.”

He scoffed bringing a smile to her face just for a moment. The woods had turned eerily gloomy at this point. Kind of scary. In a few minutes she would be unable to see anything through the darkness. She had no tools on her to start a fire to stay warm. If she made it through the night, she could start searching in the morning again. She just had to hang on. She would find Sambok. She would find him and bring him home with her.

Truth was, she was more frightened because of the unknown. The uncertainty about where Sambok had disappeared to. If he was still alive at this point.

“Are you sure it will fit us both?” Sehun worried when she finished.

“We’ll just sit sideways,” Namjoo said. “I go in first.”

“You’re telling me to shield you from the wind?” he complained.

“Who told you to be so big,” Namjoo retorted. Crouching down to crawl inside. She listened to him groan then follow her into the makeshift shelter.

The darkness invaded at once. Blanketing them into its cold arms and holding them tight. Holding her knees up to her chest Namjoo hugged herself. Feeling their arms brush but unable to think about the warmth of Sehun. Too worried about Sambok.

The fear welled up. She missed her father, who would assure her everything would be all right. His strong arms would hug her and she could lean into him for comfort. Dad who was always there, but tonight she was lost and outside by herself. She had lost Sambok.

She didn’t want to cry. That would be affirming the worst had happened, but a tear dripped down anyway.

The dread grew deeper. The same way she knew she had lost her sister forever.

“This is the first time spending the night outside,” Sehun spoke breaking the silence. Completely unaware of her wiping her tears beside him. “I never went camping before. It just never appealed to me to spend the night outside when you have a bed and a roof over your head.” Tilting his head, “I can see the stars from here.”

Namjoo cupped her hands over to keep herself from crying.

“Are you sleeping already?” Sehun asked. Then again, “You’re really sleeping? Wow, you’re just amazing.” He jumped bumping into her, “Are you sure there aren’t spiders around here? I hate bugs.”

Sehun jumped again. This time whamming his head into hers. Namjoo cried out annoyed. She pushed him, “Stop it!”

“I think there are bugs here! I feel something moving!” he cried out.

“You’re hitting me! Stop!” she shouted. “You’re going to break the shelter!”

Luckily, the shelter didn’t break. And luckily, Sehun fell asleep after making a fuss. Leaving her wide awake as his heavy head weighed down her shoulder.

At the first strike of sunlight, Namjoo woke. Hungry but determined to continue the search for Sambok. If Sehun wanted to leave he could. She wasn’t afraid of venturing by herself.

Reaching up to dismantle the shelter Namjoo removed a stick. Letting it tumble apart. Sehun winced when a stick hit his head.

“Get off.” Namjoo pushed him away.

Groaning, he flinched. Blinking when the blue sky lit up above them. Brushing her pants, she stood.

“You should go back. I’m going to keep looking.” Namjoo told.

With one eye still closed, Sehun looked up at her. Mumbling sleepily, “I don’t even know the way back.”

“Then forget it,” she said turning away to walk off. Listening to him sigh as he followed her.

Continuing the trek, she blindly led them through the forest. Brushing a fallen leaf off her shoulder. Listening to the cicada cry, the birds chirp as the sun peaked. Feeling her stomach flip and turn in hunger.

Thinking suddenly, she missed her father’s cooking. Wondering if he’d have the breakfast table waiting for her. And then, she spotted it. Sambok’s feather. Just yards away. The pure red and brown piece visible against the dull dirt path with grass sprouting in patches around it. As if Sambok had dropped it just for her.

“Bokbok!” she shouted running toward it. The sound of a water source tickled her ears when she bent down to pick up the feather. Sambok wouldn’t have gone toward it?

Straightening, Namjoo peered around. Struggling to decipher where the sound was coming from. After half a mile walk, she spotted a lazy river. Perhaps the water source for a farm nearby. And maybe where Sambok had gone for shelter.

Heading toward the water Namjoo’s eyes searched the open area. Yelping out of surprise when she slipped on a mossy rock hidden by the winding grass. Landing hard on her . Crying when her shoe went flying into the water.

Just her freaking luck.

Namjoo cursed when fire shot up from her ankle when she tried standing. Falling flat on her again.

“God, just stay there,” Sehun pushed her back down and splashed into the water to retrieve her shoe. Namjoo clutched onto her ankle seething with unfathomable pain. Tilting her head back to look at Sehun when he returned. With shoe in hand.

Watching him crouch onto a knee in front of her. Reach for her injured leg. Namjoo flinched when he touched her ankle.

“I just have to see it,” he told her.

in a breath she let him examine her injury. His focused eyes observing her ankle.

“You might have pulled a muscle,” he said. A warm flush of feelings swarmed inside her chest when he looked at her. Being nice with her was kind of weird. Namjoo didn’t know what to say.

Then her heart kind of raced when he touched her heel to put her shoe on. Leaning forward she touched his shoulder to push him back. Unexplainable, but it felt intimate. For him to be putting her shoe on for her. Even in this situation, his gesture made her anxious.

“Just let me put your shoe on.” He said unaware. Namjoo pulled her hand back. Her heart thud when he slipped her shoe on and stood. She spotted a mud stain on his knee. Feeling bad about it.

“Come on.” He offered her his hand.

Another heart thud. Namjoo stared at the outstretched hand. Not certain if she was more touched or surprised. Taking his hand anyhow she let him pull her up.

“Can you walk?”

“I can…” Namjoo’s eyes trailed toward the water, “walk.”

She limped as he kept pace with her. Listening more to her racing heartbeat and stealing a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye. Feeling very warm and like butterflies were beating her ribs.

Weird.

“I see him.” Sehun’s voice brought her out of her daze. He pointed ahead to a colored bundle lying on the forest floor.

Adrenaline rushed through her. Forgetting her pulled muscle Namjoo surged forward falling onto her knees. Shielding her tiny friend. Sobbing when she spotted Sambok’s crooked legs. His long neck stretched out tiredly. Opening his weak eyes to look up at her.

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Namjoo cried all the way home. Limping. Cradling Sambok in her arms. By the time they made it back he wasn’t confident the bird would make it. Sambok’s eyes were closed. Nesting peacefully in Namjoo’s arms without movement.

A tiny group was waiting for them. Namjoo’s father. Other people he had gathered for a search party. Namjoo burst into more tears crying out for her dad when she saw him. Finally stopping, because she couldn’t move anymore. The shock and the fear washed over her all at once. Her father came running toward her.

“Take him,” her father urged him.

Carefully transferring Sambok into his arms her father turned around for Namjoo to get on his back, and then they hurried toward the house leaving him behind.

Sambok moved just barely.

“Come inside,” one of the men approached him. “I’m Namjoo’s father’s friend. I’m a vet, too. I’ll look at him.”

In the living room Sehun watched the doctor lay out his handy suitcase. Pulling out bandages to tape up Sambok’s legs. The vet’s hands moved agilely but with grace and caution. Sambok barely moved but he managed to weakly make noise. A signal he was in pain but hanging in there. Sehun fetched a towel as asked. After creating a splint for Sambok the doctor wrapped him up on the couch.

“Thankfully, no bone is sticking out. He has hope,” the vet explained. “The bandage should be changed daily to avoid the buildup of germs. He shouldn’t move too much on his legs, but should be doing a lot better in four weeks. Sambok, here, will have a lump in his legs for the rest of his life however.”

Namjoo would be heartbroken when she heard that.

“Yes, thank you.”

They turned when Namjoo’s father walked in. Hurrying over to his friend to grab his hands and thank him. Another man followed him in. A doctor Sehun realized when he spotted the first aid kit he was carrying.

They chatted quietly amongst themselves as he stood by awkwardly. Finally, Namjoo’s father walked the men out and absolute silence sunk in. Sambok, totally out of it, lay there quietly.

Uncle Kim touched his arm when he returned. “Thank you. For staying with her. I am so grateful. Thank you.”

The old man smiled so warmly Sehun also thought he was battling tears. Patting his arm quietly the old man pressed his lips together, nodding his head in complete solace.

“Rest now,” he said before walking away.

Sehun glanced at Sambok, “Look at the trouble you caused.”

He hesitated before touching the back of the bird’s head. Sambok blinked but didn’t look his direction. Leaving the room Sehun washed up. Discovering the house in total silence when he walked out of his room. Lingering around after checking to see Sambok sleeping.

Staring up the stairs and wondering if it was ok to go up. Namjoo’s father had disappeared. The afternoon sun was beating in through the windows. Despite showering, he knew it was hot outside and the animals needed tending to. Fine, he would check on the animals but after he looked in on the crybaby.

Ascending the stairs slowly he saw that the door in front of him was left open. Fully inviting him into Namjoo’s room. It was clean and smelled better than he expected. Each and everything she owned had its own place. Lacking the boy posters on her walls and the girly setup. Noting the pictures sprawled around her desk and the stack of books she kept on it. Beside that was her bed where she was asleep with her ankle bandaged. Drowning in the blankets surrounding her. Maybe that was her father’s doing.

Touching the blanket, he adjusted it over her. Namjoo didn’t move the slightest bit or open her eyes or spite him. Then he walked out and closed the door behind him.