This had to be the longest week of her life. Not only did she have to deal with her parent’s antics at home, but she also had to deal with them at the gym. While they were a cohesive unit for a good portion of it, Wheein couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel a majority of the time. Her mother would relentlessly mom and all her mom did was playfully glare and act like she didn’t like the attention. Honestly, what a weird kink.

“Kink?” Her mother asked as she passed by with an armful of empty paint cans. Why does her mother have the best timing? 

Ah, it looks like she has picked up Hyejin’s habit of speaking out her thoughts. Hopefully she also picked up Hyejin’s ability to go with the flow.

“N-nothing.”

Ok, so no. Wheein made a mental note to ask how Hyejin was just able to go with the flow when she gets caught saying her own thoughts out loud. It seems like an art form. An art form with many uses. 

“No, I’m sure I heard you saying something about a weird kink?” Her mother questioned. 

“I--”

“Weird kink? Why are you two talking about kinks??” Her mom popped up with stray paint markings on her face.

“We weren’t talking about kinks!” Wheein wished she could skip this scene. She was so close to seeing Hyejin again. She just needed to survive this embarrassment.

“Wheein said something about a weird kink?” Her mother still sounded confused. 

“Why are you thinking about weird kinks, Wheein-ah?” Her mom joined in on the questioning fray. 

“I--”

“I know you’re excited to see Hyejin but--”

“IT’S NOT LIKE THAT MOM!!” Wheein felt her face heat up and she wanted nothing more than to bury herself in a pile of blankets and never face her parents ever again. 

“Then wha---” Her mother started but it was the final straw. 

“YOU TWO. YOU TWO HAVE THE WEIRD KINK,” Wheein blurted out and in her outburst pointed an accusatory finger at her parents. As soon as the last syllable left , she immediately shut and hid her hand behind her back.  

Her mother looked at her with a mild expression of shock and tilted her head. A clear indication that to her mother, she wasn’t in trouble. However, her mom on the other hand…

“Ah, what did you say? I didn’t hear you,” Her mom may have been smiling but it was that strained smile that hides an inferno underneath. The dragon wasn’t pleased with such an allegation. 

With a heavy sigh, Wheein accepted her fate. She just wanted to be back with Hyejin and get done with her first semester. But alas, she must pay for her tomfoolery. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyejin became a tornado. She made sure her little campsite for the past week was nice and neat, and she made sure that the trailer was spotless inside and out. Usually she wasn’t too thrilled when it came to cleaning up her uncle’s land. Afterall, it’s 20 acres with a river, no, a creek, running through it. 

While her uncle was alive, he would hire people to maintain the upkeep, but now that he is gone, it’s a whole family affair. While at first Hyejin groaned in pain at the news, she immediately came around. Pained at having to spend the rest of the week away from Wheein but feeling rejuvenated at having a brilliant idea. There was one piece of land that held a special place in her heart and she’ll be damned if she lets anyone else touch it.

So here she was. By herself, armed only with a hunter’s knife, machete, a lever action rifle, for the coyotes and other wild animals that roam here, a simple camper with the bare necessities, and a full size van. Truly the dream of a hippie. 

Her mother was against the idea but her father was supportive. It’s not like she was going to go travel days away and camp in a random forest, no, she was camping in a familiar area that holds a special place in her heart. Also, he knew that Hyejin would find a way to get what she wants no matter what they tell her, so why stop her? Plus it would save them the trouble of fighting with Hyejin when it came to that area.

“Bye mom!!”

At the sound of Wheein’s voice, Hyejin immediately jumped to attention and headed straight to the door. But she stopped just before she opened the door. She realised a small error.

She forgot to tell Wheein something very important. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyejin told her that she’s been camping at this spot for the rest week but she never figured Hyejin to be such an expert camper. The campsite was spotless. It was clear that while Hyejin spent the rest of the week here she made sure to not leave a deep impact on the environment that surrounded the grounds. 

When Hyejin told her about cleaning the land, Wheein had to admit, she was confused. Why do you need to clear the land that wasn’t being used? But once she saw how the land looked, she realised why. She can’t explain it with words but the land felt more alive. It wasn’t as crowded, like each blade of grass, leaf of the plants, and branches of the tree had room to breathe. It was strange. She always thought nature was just nature. It does what it wants no matter what so why bother? But after spending time with Hyejin, even Ms. Manju, did she realise the importance of having a symbiotic relationship with nature. Not taking too much nor taking too little. Nature can flourish without human intervention but if there are humans around then it’s best to have that kind of relationship. The relationship where both take and give without being overbearing. 

Humming to herself, she mused about doing a background painting one day. Or just a scenic painting. She’s still not used to painting so it would be great practice, or is it best to wait until her painting skills are up to par to what she wants to create? Looking at all the calm leaves of the trees that encompassed the campsite in the afternoon sun, Wheein could see the various hues of green. And the bark! Maybe she should use nature as painting studies and better her eye.

“Wheeinie!!”

Hyejin’s voice easily brought her back to reality.

“Hyej--Holy …” Wheein quickly turned around in glee and started to run towards Hyejin but stopped the moment she saw the drastic change. 

“I, uh, kinda forgot to tell you??” Hyejin became sheepish when she saw Wheein looking at her with a tilt of her head. Truly the epitome of a curious puppy. 

“When did it happen?” Wheein stared a bit more. Trying to get used to the jarring change since she had no forewarning. 

“Uhm…..uh….A-a couple days ago??” Hyejin pathetically shrugged as she sadly went down the trailer steps to join Wheein on the ground. 

“A couple days ago?! How could you forget something this major?!” Wheein finally got over her initial surprise and began to walk towards Hyejin. 

“I don’t know! I just did!” Hyejin whined and pouted. 

They finally met each other in the middle. Wheein’s focus was still elsewhere and Hyejin just let out a sad little whimper, begging for Wheein’s attention. Wheein finally met Hyejin’s eyes for a brief moment and Hyejin’s heart fluttered. The afternoon sun bathed Wheein in it’s orange glow. It’s rays highlighted the hidden hues in Wheein’s hair and made a halo around Wheein’s head. A halo the color of amber.  

Hyejin was distracted enough by Wheein’s beauty that she failed to notice the large and mischievous  smile on her face. She also failed to see Wheein’s hands reached out to her. Well, specifically---

“Ack! Wheein-ah!!” Hyejin jerked away from Wheein’s reach. She expected their reunion to be sweet. She never expected Wheein to ruffle her hair.

“There! Now you look like a real lion,” Wheein beamed. Clearly proud of her work. 

“First, you get on me for not telling you. Then you just ruffle my now short mane?” Hyejin grumbled while trying to calm down her hair. 

“I mean, I figured you were going to do this eventually,” Wheein giggled as she saw Hyejin fight her hair. No matter how hard Hyejin tries, the hair refuses to de-floof. 

“What?!”

“Yea? I always had the brief thought of coming back to the apartment and find you there with short hair or maybe coloured hair. Sometimes both,” Wheein shrugged and gave a small kiss on Hyejin’s cheek as a proper greeting. 

“Wait, then why were you surprised now??” 

“This wasn’t the sort of situation I thought about when I thought about you cutting your hair short, ya know?” 

“I---You're not wrong…” Hyejin trailed off as she made one last attempt to calm her hair. 

It didn’t work. But it did make Wheein giggle so Hyejin still technically won. 

Hearing Wheein giggle made Hyejin’s heart soar and she felt herself smile as she basked in Wheein’s laughter. The first couple days alone was refreshing,but  it faded real fast. She wasn’t used to going to and waking up in an empty bed. She wasn’t used to that coldness anymore. The only good thing about being alone these past couple of days was that it gave her time to reflect. Reflect on what she really wanted. What she wanted for her future, her career, her life. There were a few times where it all became overwhelming. The thought of having such an uncertain future, the thought of failing at doing what she wants, the thought of having a change of heart, the thought of the unknown, left her motionless at times. Luckily her goodnight calls with Wheein eased her worries but it wasn’t enough. But it was. The isolation was a harsh teacher. 

Without a word, Hyejin pulled Wheein into a desperate embrace. Desperate to catch up on the lack of physical contact with each other. But not desperate enough to cause Wheein to worry. 

Wheein hummed in delight at the physical contact and gave back a hug of her own. A hug of comfort. While she wasn’t in isolation like Hyejin, there were some similarities. She also reflected on her own future. She reflected on what her grandmother hinted at. She reflected on what she really wanted. Yes, it was good being away from Hyejin for a couple of days, it really made her realise how much she depends on Hyejin. It did make her feel pathetic. In highschool she gained new friends thanks to Hyejin. The same somewhat applied so far in college, the acquaintances she has now is thanks to Hyejin. Hyejin’s influence was everywhere. So, what can she do by herself? Can she do anything by herself? Isn’t she just being a burden to Hyejin under the guise of love?

“Wheein-ah…” Hyejin’s soft voice brought Wheein out of her spiral. 

Leaning back just enough to see what Hyejin wanted, Wheein’s breath hitched. The sunlight really did favour Hyejin. It’s rays illuminated Hyejin’s natural beauty and Wheein briefly wondered if she was in a dream. The light, the soft wind that swirled around them, the sound of a singing bird in the distance, was this not something out of a film? The rays also brought out the colours of Hyejin’s hair. The brown tones were expected, but she was surprised to see hints of red. A fiery halo.

Before she could fall deeper into the pit called getting lost in Hyejin’s ethereal beauty, Hyejin’s lips met hers. Wheein couldn’t help but melt into it. The kiss was warm and full of love. 

A welcome home kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They held their embrace for as long as possible. Only breaking once their stomachs started to grumble.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Wheein asked as she nestled her head underneath Hyejin’s chin. Enjoying every little detail and memorizing it. 

“Well, Ms. Manju stopped by earlier to check up on me and she gave me this mix thing?” Hyejin replied. The rumbles in her chest made Wheein sigh in contentment. 

“A mix?”

“Yea, for a soup called Sinigang? I never tried it before but Ms. Manju swears by it so I believe her.”

“Huh. Well, what does it need?” 

“I looked and all we need to do is boil the water, pour in the mix, add some veggies, and meat. I caught some decent sized perch earlier and I already cleaned them so we can use that. Oh!  Ms.Manju also gave me some shrimp for it too.”

Wheein stepped back to look at Hyejin in amazement. 

“Wh-what?”

“You really are self-sustaining, aren't’ you?” Wheein said in awe. Despite all their years together, despite knowing practically everything about each other, Hyejin still finds a way to amaze her. 

“It’s only been a couple of days, it’s not that big of a deal,” Hyejin felt herself blush as she tried to play it off. 

“If the world ever goes to then it’s good to know that we won’t die immediately.”

“Wheein-ah, what the ….” 

“You already have a decent amount of survival skills so that’s a big advantage….”

“Wh-Wheein-ah, you’re going on a tangent again. Come back to me--”

“But I know nothing, thus I’m a huge liability….”

“Oh my god, I love you but please not now. I'm hungry.”

“There’s still enough time to learn new skills. I always wanted to know how to make a fire outta sticks.”

“Ok, that’s enough. You need some food,” Hyejin said as she grabbed Wheein’s hand and dragged her back to the trailer. 

The trailer was basic to its core. Small kitchen, fridge, bed, and restroom. Nothing too exciting.

“Here. I have some veggies in the fridge so go ahead and make a veggie mix while I boil the water,” Hyejin said as she went to fetch the mix and the bowl and began to fill it with water.

“Any veggie?” Wheein asked as she took stock of what kind of vegetables there was.

“Yup! I’mma boil the water over the campfire and we can eat outside?” Hyejin paused by the door. 

“Sounds good. A nice change of scenery,” Wheein said as she gathered the vegetables. There wasn’t much selection but that didn’t stop her. She chose a nice selection of okra, spring onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and some peppers. 

After gathering them up, she took them to the small counter with the cutting board. Taking a moment to find a small bowl to mix them together, she went to work.

Sort of. 

Hyejin was outside to keep an eye on the water. Once it started to boil, she poured in the packet and mixed it in with a wooden spoon. Her inner child felt like a stereotypical witch with a cauldron. A small chuckle escaped her lips as that thought came to mind. Once the mix was dissolved, she went back to the trailer to fetch Wheein and to get the fish and shrimp. 

As she approached the screendoor of the trailer, she heard Wheein talking. Wheein’s voice was low enough that she couldn’t tell what Wheein was saying. Switching into stealth mode, Hyejin slowly opened the door and peered inside. And what she saw brought a soft smile onto her face. 

Wheein was getting the vegetables ready in a particular way. The only vegetables that were selected were the victors of this vegetable versus vegetable tournament. Hyejin watched as Wheein spontaneously created a tournament arc with vegetables. Going as far as even voicing each of the vegetables as they fought to the death. She even made up names for their attacks as she moved the vegetables to mimic fighting. 

Hyejin only lasted a minute before she finally snickered. 

The sudden noise made Wheein yelp and jump. 

“H-Hyejin-ah!?” Wheein’s face flushed with embarrassment as she quickly hid the vegetables in her hand behind her back. 

“God I love you,” Hyejin confessed as she leaned against the doorframe. Her soft smile never leaving her face and her eyes looked at Wheein as if she was the most precious thing in the world. 

“I love you too,” Wheein softly replied. Still embarrassed at being caught. 

“So, who won?” Hyejin asked as she made her way to the fridge to get the perch.

“This okra,” Wheein finally felt her embarrassment dissipate as she held up the okra. 

“Nice, a fine champion,” Hyejin wisely nodded as she saw the okra. 

“A champion doomed to sacrifice in order to sustain greater beings,” Wheein said as she placed the okra in the vegetable bowl. She grabbed the bowl and waited to follow Hyejin out. 

“It’s sacrifice will not be in vain.”

As the two waited for the soup, they spent that time catching up. There was only so much you could say in a goodnight phone call. As they talked, they never let go of each other’s hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soup was better than they thought. Not a drop remained as they both consumed an equal portion of it. Both even agreed to thank Ms. Manju later. Maybe even get her to tell them recipes for them to try. 

Dishes were simple enough so they sat by the campfire well into the night. The coldness of the night reached their bones despite the fire, but it wasn’t so bad. All it meant was that they had to cuddle with a blanket wrapped around themselves. They became two peas in a pod. Though there was a stick that was poking out so Hyejin to nudge the logs around. 

They didn’t say much. Afterall, why should they? They can communicate without words and right now all they wanted was the others presence. Wheein leaned against Hyejin and stared into the fire to watch it dance and tell a story. Hyejin kissed the top of Wheein’s head as she looked up at the night sky. She barely saw the crescent moon over the trees but she did see the stars. Perks of being in a small town, the light and noise pollution isn’t bad so it won't reach where they were at. It truly felt like they were the last two people on earth. 

And they were happy with it. It’s all they wanted.

Time held no meaning out here. But, once they started to hear the coyotes, they finally went back into the camper.  Hyejin whispered into Wheein’s ear to get ready first while she put out the fire. Even with the low fire light, Hyejin saw the flush on Wheein’s cheeks. 

Despite her eagerness to return to Wheein and show her how much she has missed her, she had a task to accomplish. She had to make sure that the area around the fire was clean before finally making her way inside. Unconsciously, she quickly made her way back. Eager to find out what surprise Wheein has for her. 

And what a surprise it was.

“Why are you in the covers?” Hyejin stood before the bed and tried her best to hide her disappointment but some of it seeped into her tone. 

“Cuz it’s cold,” Wheein was engulfed by the covers and only her eyes were left uncovered. 

“Co--”

Hyejin didn’t even say a syllable before Wheein took off the blanket with a flourish. Hyejin smiled at the sight before her and let out a dreamy sigh. 

“I wasn’t going to wait in the cold for you,” Wheein stated as she outstretched her arms to Hyejin. 

“Aww, but I would’ve warmed you up,” Hyejin said as she made her way into Wheein’s arms. 

As she did, her hands roamed the flesh before her. She was hungry, but her touch was hungrier. As much as she wanted to give in, she had to hold back. This was a moment that must be savored. 

The moment Hyejin’s touch made contact with her skin, the reaction was immediate. Her breath hitched, and she felt her nerves ignite with sensitivity. Hyejin was right. She would’ve warmed her up. 

“I-I know,” Wheein’s voice sounded strained. She had to fight the urge to demand Hyejin to just get it over with. She’s been desperate for Hyejin all week and for the euphoric rush that only Hyejin can give her. But she can last a little bit longer. This was a moment that must be savored. 

“Wheein-ah, I love you,” Hyejin nuzzled into Wheein’s neck and planted multiple kisses on the sensitive skin and made her way down before lifting her head to look at Wheein fully. One hand keeping her up as she’s over Wheein, while the other roams the rest of Wheein’s body. Teasing Wheein more and more to the point where Wheein let out a whimper. 

Taking her eyes away from Hyejin’s roaming hand, she looked at Hyejin. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the look in Hyejin’s eyes. Pure, unfiltered love. Sweet as honey. 

Under Hyejin’s gaze, Wheein felt beautiful.

Under Hyejin's gaze, Wheein felt love.

Under Hyejin's gaze, Wheein felt at peace as she finally knows what she wants for her future.