It was the first week of summer and the sun was scorching. Sehun made his way to the farthest seat at the back of the bus. He purposely threw his stuff on the space next to him so no one could occupy it and he could sleep peacefully for the entire duration of his journey to Hampyeong. He had intended to stay in the said town for the entire summer if everything goes smoothly.

The loud honking awakened him. After approximately three hours, he at last reached his destination. Sehun stepped off the bus, scanning the local map at hand. It was nearing lunch. With how his stomach grumbled, he figured he needed to stuff his belly with good food before strolling around. Searching for a restaurant was fairly easy. There were food chains near the bus station and all he had to do was to pick a spot for himself. He ended up getting a bowl of Dak Gomtang in one of the shops.

Fully satisfied with the meal, Sehun ventured into the heart of the town and snapped pictures of the sceneries along the way. Hampyeong county had several parks for tourists to visit. It was also famous for its landscapes and the annual butterfly festival, Sehun had known. Strolling around, he got acquainted with the place. The people looked friendly. Some even threw a smile his way.

After hours of spending outdoor, Sehun began to feel uncomfortable. He was sweating mad from walking around. A cold shower was very tempting.

Sehun found a three-story inn to stay at. When he inquired inside, he was greeted by four giggling ladies.

“Welcome to our family inn!” they chorused. It wasn’t really the squealing and the unwanted touch that forced him to step back, ready to escape, although those were legit reasons to run away. The girls were bombarding him with questions—some personal, others just random—making Sehun very uncomfortable. They were complimenting his hairstyle and his outfit. One of them said he looked like a model; another added that he must be an idol because he was so handsome.

“Uh—I’m not an idol. Please stop touching me,” he asked politely although his patience was waning. Yet the girls were unstoppable. In an attempt to escape, he staggered to reach the door until he was outside in the middle of the narrow road; the girls still fawning all over him. He spotted another inn called Apollo at Dawn with crooked letters just across the street. Although the place looked old and the windows were smudged with dust (in other words, untidy), Sehun chose to go there, running. When he stepped inside, the girls stopped following him, looking so surprised. They whispered to each other and with rather disbelieving eyes, leaving Sehun more confused than ever.

“Hello? Anybody here?” he called. When no one answered, he took the liberty to check further, knocking on the doors, hoping someone would notice his presence. Peering in one of the rooms, he saw a figure slumped on the bed. Sehun knocked on the door lightly. It wasn’t even that loud but the person thought otherwise and immediately rolled off the mattress, consequently falling on the wooden floor with a thud.

“Uh…are you…okay?”

“S-sorry! I thought no one’s gonna come here!” the person shrieked, brushing his blonde hair off his face. Sehun would be lying if he said he was not caught-off guard. Nope. It was not the pretty face or the pair of doe-eyes that were staring back at him. The boy, he figured out quickly when he glanced down, had no pants on, exposing his thighs to a complete stranger. Sehun mentally sighed in relief because the boy’s t-shirt was long enough to cover his intimate part.

“Can you perhaps…wear something?”

The boy frowned, still disoriented from being awaken.

Sehun rubbed the back of his head, “Like pants?”

“Oh.”

The boy remained standing, staring at Sehun with curious eyes. “Are you renting a room? How long are you going to stay? I can’t believe it! It’s been a while since someone came and chose to stay in this place! I can give you a discount!”

“I would appreciate it if you dress properly first,” Sehun suggested impatiently. He did not mean to sound rude but the clock was ticking and he, for the love of God, needed to take a freaking shower already. Having to deal with a boy who looked twelve, babbling like there was no tomorrow, with no pants on was the last thing he wanted to do.

The boy nodded and quickly grabbed his pants on the floor. “Sorry,” he said, a little less giddy. “I’m just surprised someone actually wants to stay here. I mean, look around you. Unpleasant, huh?”

Sehun nodded without hesitation. If not for the crazy girls, he would not even think of going in there.

The boy put a sad smile, “Do you change your mind?”

Sehun caught himself a little too late, “No! What I mean is, with little cleaning, this place will look better. Surely. He-he.”

The boy met his gaze and brushed it off, “It’s alright. Everyone says so. I’m Luhan by the way. What’s your name?”

“Sehun. Oh Sehun”

Luhan reached for a handshake, which Sehun quickly accepted. He took out a dusty logbook under the desk and handed it to Sehun. “Write your name there while I go prepare your room. Can you wait for a little while? I can get you a drink if you want to.”

“You don’t have bedroom service to do that for you?” Sehun asked, scribbling his name.

“I am the only one here if you haven’t noticed. No one comes here. I don’t think hiring more people is necessary.”

That was the truth. Apart from their voices, there was nothing but dead silence.

“So, what do you want to drink? Maybe you’re hungry? Do you want me to prepare something for you?”

Sehun shook his head, “No, thanks. I’m good.”

Luhan apologized once more, explaining that he would do everything for Sehun as his special guest. They agreed on the payment, which was inexpensive to Sehun’s delight, and after that, he left him to wait in the living room. “Don’t worry I’ll make it quick!” Luhan assured, looking all geared up to do the cleaning.

Sehun watched his retreating figure and decided to close his eyes for a while to rest.

​​When Luhan returned, he looked like a complete mess. He had cobwebs on his hair. His shirt had stains and he was practically covered in sweat. But he was all smiles. “You can check your room now,” he offered.

Sehun noticed the eagerness in his voice. He grabbed his belongings but Luhan took it from him. “I’ll carry this for you.”

“You don’t have to.”

Luhan shook his head, leading Sehun to the staircase, “Go on. Oh and be careful with the steps. They need to be repaired. I’ll take care of it as soon as possible to make sure you are safe. You don’t have to worry, ‘kay?”

Sehun examined the old wooden staircase. He turned to Luhan who was having a hard time with the stuff he was carrying but was still able to grin at him, coolly he attempts, as if he wasn’t about to lose balance. He ignored the urge to reach out, take his stuff and just save the boy from trouble because Sehun realized that the boy wasn’t the type to give up, despite his fragile appearance. Besides, he didn’t want to make a fuss anymore. He needed some down time to just lie in bed and nap.

The room wasn’t the most appealing as Sehun predicted. It was small. The furniture looked horribly placed. There was no air-condition to beat the heat of the summer. The bed was slightly lopsided and the bright yellow curtains hurt his eyes. Whatever the case though, Sehun was fine with it. He couldn’t really expect much from an almost rundown inn posing a very cheap price. It’s far better than having to deal with hysterical innkeepers.

After he took a shower, he changed to a more comfortable clothes and settled on the bed. He only planned to take a nap but he failed horribly because the moment he opened his eyes, it was already late in the afternoon. He was starving. While stretching, he heard a commotion outside. He peered through the window and saw Luhan being pulled by a woman. He was struggling to get away but the woman was pulling his hair like there’s no tomorrow. A few onlookers attempted to stop them but the female was tenacious. The boy wasn’t the one to back out either. He seized the woman’s ponytail and pulled it down, as hard as he could.

Sehun wondered if he should just watch because it was definitely none of his business. Whatever the cause of the fight was has nothing to do with him. Or so he thought.

“He was supposed to stay with us! You flirt bag!” the girl exclaimed, hitting Luhan’s head.

“It’s not my fault your ugly face scared him off!” The boy shoved her chin in retaliation.

That was when Sehun saw her face clearly. He then realized that the commotion has DEFINITELY something to do with him. Rushing out, he halted upon reaching the staircase, remembering Luhan’s words.

Sehun hated playing the her because truth of the matter is, he wasn’t. In contrary, he was the villain there. He was the reason why two people were hurting each other in the middle of the road. It’s not like he wanted a catfight to happen but he somehow felt responsible for it. He was pissed for being involved in such trouble. What irked him even more was that people looked at the scene like it was some kind of a show.

He had to stop it.

But someone had it done for him the moment he stepped out of the inn.

The girl was ceased by two older women while Luhan, looking all flustered and messy, was being dragged away by a man to the side of the road. When the boy saw Sehun, he ran towards him waving like nothing happened.

“Hey, Sehun! Did you see that? Minjie was mad at me because you’ve chosen to stay in my inn,” he chuckled, clapping his hands in amusement. There was nothing amusing about the violent scene in Sehun’s opinion. He saw the scratch marks on Luhan’s face. They weren’t bleeding but certainly it hurt just as much.

Sehun contemplated if he had to apologize. He was feeling kinda sorry for the other. Luhan seemed to figure him out. “It’s not your fault they’re ugly and obnoxious. You’ll soon realize that staying here is a better option,” he stated in a jokingly manner. He glanced at Minjie, who was still fuming, pointing a finger at him, and stuck out his tongue.

“You have to treat that,” Sehun said, referring to the injury Luhan got from the fight. The latter just shrugged, “It doesn’t hurt. But thank you for your concern.” Luhan looked up to him with his big doe eyes, smirking. Suddenly, he had that flirtatious expression that Sehun wanted to ignore badly. He’s not particularly concerned about Luhan. He was just being a decent human being. He got no time for misinterpretation.

Sehun soon learned that Luhan was a good cook. While he was taking a nap, his innkeeper went to buy ingredients to cook a hefty meal.

“Do you really have to buy so much meat?” Sehun asked, eyes feasting on the fresh cuts of beef and pork on the table. Luhan was seated in front of him, eating his own serving of dinner.

“They’re on sale. Can’t help it,” Luhan replied defensively while munching. His feet were moving unsteadily under the table, Sehun noted. By the looks of it, he was really happy. They ate quietly after that. Sehun would occasionally catch Luhan stare, as if studying him, but he would hastily avoid meeting his eyes.

After dinner, Sehun decided to take a stroll outside. Luhan asked him if he wanted company. He declined, giving an excuse that he needed to talk to someone over the phone. Luhan eyed him curiously but didn’t insist.

It was a lie. Sehun just wanted to kill time by himself. He needed a breath of fresh air. He had no one to talk to over the phone—well at least no one he’s very interested in. He could call Jongdae and tell him about his first day in Hampyeong but Sehun dropped the idea rather quickly. If he wanted some peace and quiet, Jongdae’s way wasn’t the best way.

He settled on a riverbank not far from the inn. There, his thoughts got the best of him. He remembered Baekhyun. Even if he wanted to forget him, his image kept popping in Sehun’s mind. His guilt of ruining their friendship added to his burden.

He ended up throwing a big rock on the river to release his frustration.

Sehun intended to stay at the inn for a week. After he visited most of the spots listed in his itinerary (mostly parks, temples and butterfly gardens), he thought of travelling south of Jeolla province to continue his escapade. However, the innkeeper invited himself to be Sehun’s tour guide and insisted that he should stay longer because he hadn’t discovered the best places in Hampyeong yet. In Luhan’s words: the “real” best places.

Sehun was skeptical. “This means I have to pay extra, right?”

Luhan raised a brow, “Of course!”

“Then my answer is no.”

“JUST KIDDING!” Luhan immediately took back his words. “I’ll give a tour for free!”

“Why?” Sehun probed. He could only think of one reason why Luhan would willingly go with him.

“Because I got nothing better to do.”

And his hunch was right. Sehun only huffed, finally agreeing to Luhan’s proposal. He didn’t have much of a choice. Arguing with his innkeeper was the last thing he’d want.

When Sehun found himself standing on what looks like an underground tunnel, he began to question his decision to let Luhan lead him. It was dusk and the air was humid, making him sticky from sweat. It was supposed to cool down in the afternoon but the summer wave kept surging.

“Hey Luhan. Are we seriously going to do this now?”

The other male in baggy shirt and yellow beanie nodded.

Sehun wanted to run away then and there. He never should’ve agreed to this.

“You’re not backing out now, scaredy-cat,” Luhan warned, pointing at the taller male accusingly.

S-scaredy cat?! “Who said I was backing out?” Sehun responded with a high-pitched voice. He hissed at Luhan before clearing his throat. He then walked straight ahead to the dim entrance. Bloody hell! I can’t see anything!

Luhan gasped and smacked his arm, “Where do you think you’re going?!”

Sehun stopped midway. Then he felt the boy tugging him to the opposite direction. “Not there, silly. We’re going through here.” Luhan pointed at a small gate, hidden by the bushes. Sehun was relieved because at least, he wouldn’t have to go through some strange place with his blabbering innkeeper by his side to accuse him of being a “scaredy cat”.

“Here. Hold this.” Luhan handed him a flashlight. “We have to walk for ten minutes to reach our destination.”

“Ten minutes?! Is this some kind of a treasure hunt?” Sehun murmured with a deep frown. Luhan shot him a look that was so intimidating he found himself dead silent.

“That was a joke! Look at you! You’re terrified of me!” The boy laughed hysterically. Sehun had to stop himself from whacking the flashlight on his head.

Consumed with thoughts on how to make sure Luhan pays for what he’s been doing to him, Sehun hadn’t notice that the annoying innkeeper was holding his hand. It was only when Luhan’s grip tightened for a brief moment that he realized.

In his years of existence, Sehun had not experienced such intimacy with the same . He had no first date, first kiss nor first hug. He dreamed about doing those things with Baekhyun. He was reeling thinking about it before. But now, those were distant dreams that would never ever happen. A sigh escaped his lips. Luhan heard him.

“Are you still skeptic about this? We’re getting close. I swear you’ll be amazed when you see it.”

“What if I get disappointed? What do you propose I do to you for wasting my time?” Sehun grumbled.

Luhan’s response was a gentle rub of his thumb against Sehun’s. There’s no way the latter would be upset. In fact, he was certain the special place would bring a smile on Sehun’s lips.

It did.

“Fireflies,” Sehun muttered, looking around him, lights flickering in the air. He turned to Luhan who was already staring at him. His lips had form into a subtle but symbolic curve. “See?”

“Fine. This is beautiful,” Sehun admitted, turning around to enjoy the view. It was a futile attempt to hide the smile on his lips. The place reminded him of magical gardens in movies.

“Hampyeong is best known for the butterflies and the flowers…but what’s hidden at night is far more breathtaking,” Luhan said. He found a place to sit under the biggest tree, situated in the heart of the garden. He watched in silence as Sehun went on to admire the place. “If I had known, I would’ve brought my camera.”

Luhan just hummed.

Sehun joined him not long. “This place is pretty hidden. Are you sure people are allowed to be here?”

“Outsiders are not allowed.”

“What?!”

“This place is privately owned.”

Now that Luhan mentioned it, Sehun had spotted CCTVs along the way, hidden on branches of trees. The garden was secluded but it looked well-kept. There has to be people taking care of it. He sighed, “Are we in trouble?”

Luhan nodded, inching closer to him. He had that mischievous look. Sehun swallowed the lump on his throat.

Oh crap.

“Let’s run,” Luhan whispered before grabbing Sehun’s hand, running off as fast as they could.

“I can’t see!” Sehun complained when he tripped multiple times. He forgot the flashlight Luhan handed him on the bench. The latter urged him to keep up. “Just follow me!”

They heard voices calling out. Sehun assumed they were the guards in charge to stand-in during the night. He was grateful when they finally reached the main road, breathless but at least far from getting caught. Luhan leaned over the railing where the sea was on full view. “That was fun,” he simply said.

“Running away from trouble was your idea of fun?” Sehun questioned, catching his breath. He then remembered the flashlight. “Uhm…Your flashlight. I kinda left it there. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Luhan answered rather quickly. “There are things you will definitely leave on places.” Before Sehun could open his mouth, he spun around and began to head back home, waving at Sehun to speed up.