The bus rolled to a stop in front of the entrance to the building of the cavern tours. Once again, Chaewon was nervous, she had been going on about reading some online articles that said rocks had fallen onto some of the visitor’s heads and killed them. “I also saw a picture someone took of a big spider that landed on one of the visitors.” Chaewon continued, shuddering at the thought of any type of cave bug landing on her. 

“The guides said there's a section where they make everyone turn off their hard hat lights and you stand in the darkness for a bit.” Hyejoo said, teasing the shorter girl. Chaewon pouted at Hyejoo but all that did was make the latter chuckle. She reached over and pat Chaewon on the head, uttering words of reassurance. “Don't worry Chae, if a rock falls I’ll pull you out of the way.” At this, Chaewon couldn't help but smile, making Hyejoo feel proud of being able to calm her down at least a little. 

One by one, each person stepped up to the main counter to get their respective entry tickets and hard hats. Hyejoo playfully knocked on Chaewon’s helmet and the latter flashed her hat’s light to shine it directly at Hyejoo. “The perks of being short.” Chaewon stated with a triumphant smile, as Hyejoo laughed and complained, as she rubbed her eyes trying to regain her vision.  

Chaewon was grateful for Hyejoo, she realized after a while that her nervousness had settled down, since she was too distracted with the taller girl’s antics. There was something else, though. Chaewon noticed that Hyejoo was hovering closer to her that day. As they made their descent down the concrete walkway, Hyejoo would act as a barrier between Chaewon and the other people. Almost as if she was making sure that Chaewon had bigger space so she could walk and enjoy the sights freely. 

As the group trekked deeper into the huge caverns, the tour guides pointed out that the place was made up of more than 200 caves, some of them big enough to fit a skyscraper. A river made its ins and outs through the caverns, bringing life to various plants and bodies of water inside, giving the caverns a humid and cool temperature. Hyejoo pointed out various little plants to Chaewon, asking if she knew anything about them, and while Chaewon couldn't answer all her questions, it made her heart flutter to see Hyejoo interested in the things she liked. 

The further they walked into the caverns, the more It made them feel  like they were walking through an enchanted land. A place where their lives felt so far away, where open cavern spaces above spilled heavenly sun rays breaking through the darkness of the massive caves. The sounds of water trickling down the walls and the quiet footsteps of those walking somehow blended into a peaceful melody. 

Chaewon looked mesmerized, now that they were halfway into the cave system, the stalagmites and stalactites carved and formed by the waters of the river were coming into view. Some small, some towering over them, and yet, even standing in the middle of all the splendor of the cavern, Hyejoo’s eyes always found their way back to Chaewon. The way she sometimes stood on her tippy toes to try and see deeper into the inaccessible areas of the caverns, how she occasionally pouted at the thought that she wasn't allowed to use her camera, and totally noticing that Chaewon kept stealing glances at her. 

Hyejoo felt at peace, like in that moment nothing else truly mattered, not her life back at the office, not all those feelings of doubt and nervousness directed towards the other girl, like any action would stay hidden between the rocky walls of the caves. A sudden burst of courage had her moving her hand towards Chaewon’s, and just as she was about to take hold, the shorter girl moved, unaware of the other’s intentions, causing their fingers to brush awkwardly. 

What Hyejoo didn't know was that at the touch, Chaewon felt electricity shoot up her arm, making her hairs stand on end. She was so painfully aware that her hand had brushed against Hyejoo’s that she was thankful for the darkness of the cave, which was doing wonders to hide her probably burning red face. Was it an accident? Chaewon couldn't help but think, but her thoughts were forced to a halt when the tour guide announced they were stepping into a smaller side-cave and everyone should turn their hard hat lights on. 

Slowly the group filed in, as Hyejoo and Chaewon entered the cave they realized it was angled in a way the outside light didn't reach it. The guide told everyone to find a safe place to stand around the opening and get ready, because everyone was to turn off their lights at the same time and listen to the sounds of the caverns. Chaewon instinctively stood closer to Hyejoo, feeling that she would turn off her light and somehow lose her in the darkness. Hyejoo gave her a reassuring smile as the guide counted down from three, and suddenly, Everyone was engulfed in darkness. 

Their eyes tried to adjust to the dark in vain, and they started taking notice of the far away sounds of the cave system. The water from the river could be heard running from deep within the caverns, and the occasional flaps of bats would resonate through the quiet. For Chaewon, the silence was excruciating. All she could think about was reaching out to find Hyejoo, even though she knew the girl was right beside her, she couldn't help but feel alone in the vast cave. It was then she felt it again, the familiar f