The haze of fall tinted the sun to a more bearable strength. Wheein stretched under the warm rays on top of the blanket that Hyejin spread out earlier. As she stretched, Hyejin prepared their scenic picnic.

Hyejin didn’t tell her where the picnic was going to be. Even when she asked, Hyejin avoided answering the question with a childish grin on her face. One of those grins of a child who is excited to show you the work they did. That type of childish grin. Wheein couldn’t help but smile at how cute Hyejin was with that type of grin. Even if there was a little bit of her that was annoyed at not knowing the answer, but that was soon erased once it was obvious.

The second that Hyejin drove out of town and to a dirt path that emerged from years of constant wear, it was clear where the picnic spot was. A place that is etched onto their very souls. A sacred place. The place where they first confessed to each other with the shooting stars as their witness. 

Now, with different lighting, it seemed like a far away oasis of isolation. It wasn’t too far out of town, but being deep within the hills and it’s secretive forest, it felt like town was a million miles away. At night the trees looked like they were in mourning, but with the chiper sun, it was obvious that the trees were just comfortable and minding their own business. It was also clear that there was a creek nearby. A creek she almost fell into if Hyejin hadn’t warned her about it while she explored the area a bit.

“Since when was there a creek?? Also, you never explained to me how this is a park?” Wheein asked as she tried to jog her memory of the local geography, but nothing popped up. As far as she knew, this was all supposed to be forested. She also needed clarification on how this little oasis is a park. Under the watchful sun, it looked like very few people actually come here, let alone upkeep it. The only signs of human life that she could see was the trail that led here and the spot where cars parked, which looked to be the same spot every time. Everything else still had that touch of unbothered wilderness. As if the forest just saw them as a guest that did not RSVP but were still welcomed anyway. 

“Hm? That creek has always been there. It’s the one that goes through the state park,” Hyejin pulled out the picnic blanket from the trunk and placed it under the comforting shade of the tree leaves.

“It goes out this far? Wow.” Wheein circled the area once again as she mentally gathered pictures for references before lying down on the blanket and stretching. She needs to work on her nature pieces. Her abstract pieces have always gathered enough attention and came to her easy enough but she felt that nature was out of her grasp. There was just something about it that she couldn’t fathom. Something she couldn’t grasp. But, with the way Hyejin and Ms. Manju talk about flowers, and by extension nature itself, her comprehension has increased tenfold. However, just because you have a sudden epiphany, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t apply it. 

“Yea,” Hyejin brought out the food and carefully placed them within reach but also just out of range so if they get silly then the food won’t get damaged. At least, that’s the idea.

“So, how is this a park?” Wheein asked again. It could be a park, but something in the air told her that this wasn’t a park. That it was something else. That there is something else just beyond the trees that surround this little clearing. 

Hyejin looked at Wheein after she placed the final plate of food down. The moment she saw Wheein her world froze for a bit in order to take in all the details in front of her. While the big sweater and baggy pants Wheein wore made her look smaller and more child-like, laying down like that and looking Hyejin with curious eyes, well, it made her seem more woman like. No longer did it seem like Wheein was just a teenager anymore. It was a weird clash but Wheein somehow made it work. Another detail that Hyejin tried to memorize was the effect of the light through the tree leaves. It wasn’t as noticeable on Wheein’s body, but on her face it was clear as day. The way the shading of the leaves fell on her face combined with the few rays of sunlight that escaped made for a memorizing combination. Especially when the wind blew softly, carrying with it the scent of fall flowers, and made the leaves wave lazily and made the shading and light dance on Wheein’s face. Her face and the scene around her seemed perfect for a French post-impressionist painting.

“Hyejin-ah?” Wheein gently cupped Hyejin’s face in order to bring back the other from her daze. 

The moment Wheein’s soft hand touched her face, Hyejin leaned into it as she continued looking at Wheein. Savoring every second of the touch, she finally answered Wheein’s question.

“It used to be a park until my uncle bought the land 15 years ago.”  Came the honest answer.

Wheein only hummed. As much as she wanted to know more about the area, she still didn’t know how to talk about Hyejin’s uncle. She wanted to know more but she also didn’t want to see Hyejin sad again by bringing up memories of her uncle. Especially if this is an area full of happy memories. Wheein has caught Hyejin looking sad and absent enough, even nowadays, that she would rather save the topic for another day. 

Hyejin took Wheein’s humming as a sign to finally start eating.

“What do you want to eat first?” Hyejin’s tone turned brighter as she passed a plate to Wheein.

“I’ll go in order, unlike some heathen I know.” Wheein replied as she grabbed a simple starter. A starter that caught her eye. It was hummus and pita with olive oil and feta cheese. Simple enough.

Hyejin gasped in an offended manner while she started to gather a portion of cheese and house cut fries on her plate, “I ate dessert first, one time, and yo--”

“It was not one time and you know it.” Wheein stated before taking a bite.

Hyejin could only glare as she could not refute the claim. 

And so they ate under the kind shade of the trees that lent their limbs for the two young girls’ comfort. Each taking a piece as their own, and each sharing their pieces as they looked over the bank of the creek and watched the lazy water flow. One minute they would calmly eat and the next they would be trying to throw pieces of food into each other’s mouth. One minute they would easily eat their own food that is on their own place, and the next minute they would be reaching over each other in order to get a piece of the other’s food. Even in those mock fight scenarios of defending their food from the other, a smile never left their faces. Neither did the twinkle of love leave their eyes.

Somehow, amidst all of their childish shenanigans, all of the food was eaten. Not a speck of leftovers. As Hyejin was getting up to clean up after themselves, Wheein beat her to the punch. opened in protest but a glare that spoke Wheein’s mind was all that she needed to see in order to sit back down and let Wheein pick up instead.

While Wheein picked up, Hyejin splayed out across the blanket and basked in the filtered sun. Within a couple of seconds, her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. But the usual void wasn’t there to catch her. Instead, multiple surreal dreams met her. The sort of dreams that make you question if you are actually awake or not. The hyper realistic dreams that seem more like glimpses into the future than anything else. The images that flashed into her mind varied greatly. Varying from the mundane to the emotionally taxing. All of the dream sequences involved Wheein somehow. There were times where she was smiling, times were she was focused, times where she was crying, and times where she looked decimated. All those times had one thing in common. All of them were caused by her. All of those emotions that she saw on Wheein’s face were caused by her. It was as if she was witnessing multiple outcomes to one choice. And even though these were dreams, they were realistic enough to jab her heart. Tears began to build but before they could dare make their escape, a familiar weight laid upon her.

Seeing Hyejin’s sprawled form, Wheein couldn’t help but take this moment to observe. She observed everything about Hyejin. The soft breathing, the small twitches when the breeze caressed her skin, and the way she seemed to be a goddess in her domain. Against the greenery, Hyejin’s bronze skin popped in a way that Wheein couldn’t describe. Against Hyejin’s skin, the greenery looks greener while Hyejin’s own skin seemed to absorb the darker tone that is hidden within the greenery. It was a beautiful contrast that made Hyejin seem like she was birthed from Mother Earth herself.  Despite the beauty in front of her, Wheein couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness and confusion. Sometimes she forgets that there are just some people who choose to remain ignorant in order to cry ignorance against others. Sometimes she forgets that there are just some people who think that being contrary makes them unique and superior in some way. Sometimes she forgets that there are people who are subpar enough to let skin color dictate how they treat others. 

Seeing the tough act that Hyejin puts out front, Wheein forgets the vile things that still exist today. Hyejin has told her about it before, and she knows about it, but has never seen it in action in front of her before. Well, until last week. But that’s something to think about another time. This weekend is their anniversary, no need to taint it with someone else’s stupidity. 

So she continued to observe. She walked all around Hyejin to see how the lighting worked combined with the shade from the leaves. She walked all around and saw no flaw. Everything about Hyejin was natural. Sure, Hyejin makes herself up, but it’s the way she carried herself. The way her actions spoke her true intentions without the need for useless garble. Something that has been happening more so lately. 

Wheein knew Hyejin was charismatic. She also knew that people would be drawn to Hyejin’s presence. What she didn’t know was just how many people would be drawn in like the moths they are. Oh, that was mean. But it’s true. Despite their mismatched schedules, there were still times during the day in which they could meet, either for lunch or just for a quick hangout, a quick recharge.  Everytime Wheein would wait outside of Hyejin’s class, or even arrive at their meeting spot, she would always find a small pool of people surrounding Hyejin. Most of the time the people were just classmates as they were talking about class, but sometimes, there was a new face in the crowd. A new face that was invited to bask in Hyejin’s presence. Or that’s what Wheein assumes. 

At first she didn’t like the crowd. It was obvious what some people's main goals were. It was like the beach vacation all over again. But then she began to hear Hyejin’s words. Hyejin made it very clear that she was taken and that there was no way that was going to change anytime soon. Hyejin’s words combined with Hyejin’s expression when talking about Wheein or just seeing Wheein, brought butterflies to Wheein’s stomach and a soft blush to her face. Hyejin’s love and loyalty to her knew no bounds, and it’s something that she loved but also feared.

She still wonders at what Hyejin sees in her. Even with all of Hyejin’s affirmations, the seed of self doubt had already been planted. She’s just an art student who could easily live off her family’s money while Hyejin is the business student from a lower income family who already went through one child going through college while the other went to a trade school. Hyejin was ambitious, but can Wheein keep up with it? She knows Hyejin’s drive will give her many opportunities, but can she keep up while Hyejin drives forward? She fears that the love for her will chain Hyejin down and prevent Hyejin from growing to her full potential.

As Wheein’s mind went down the rabbit hole of contemplation of her worth, she didn’t notice that she stopped and stared, but if she didn’t then she wouldn’ have noticed the small tear that escaped from Hyejin’s eye. A small tear and a pained expression on Hyejin’s face. There was only one thing she could do. One comfort she could offer the sleeping Hyejin. A comfort that Wheein discovered after the nights of Hyejin going through her loss again. A simple comfort that Wheein will gladly offer till the end of her days. 

A cuddle.

Wheein laid on top of Hyejin and s her arms under Hyejin’s shirt for an embrace. The moment she was fully on top of Hyejin, she felt the familiar strength of a pair of arms wrapping around her. Humming with contentment, Wheein nuzzled into Hyejin’s neck and planted soft kisses on the exposed skin. She’s done that action so many times it should be mundane, but it’s one of her favorite things to do.  Especially since it made Hyejin practically purr underneath her touch.

“Wheein-ah,” Hyejin squeezed just a little bit, “I love you.”

“Mmm. I love you too, Hyejin-ah.” Wheein said before kissing Hyejin right underneath the chin. It was the only part she could reach.

“Can we take a nap like this?” Hyejin asked in the tiniest voice. 

“Yea, but only for a couple of hours though. We still have to see our parents, remember?” Wheein answered as she removed an arm out of Hyejin’s shirt in order to boop Hyejin’s nose in order to emphasise the point.

“We can always see them tomorrow.” Hyejin was turning whiny. She wanted to prolong this moment as long as she could. It wasn’t everyday that they could be like this out in the open and away from others. 

“Tomorrow? Then where are we going to stay tonight then?” Wheein asked. Even if she wanted to stay like this now, she would rather be like this all day tomorrow in the comfort of their apartment.

Hyejin giggled before giving her answer, “The Love Sha--”

“No.”

“When can we ever stay at the Love Sha--”

“I would rather not have our cuddle sessions be interrupted by questionable activities.”

“Wheein-ah, they have separate cabins though.”

“Exactly my point! The perfect place to get murdered.”

“Oh my god. Wheein-ah, there has never been a murder--”

“Summer, 1984. Two bodies were found behind one of the cabins.”

“Wait, seriously??”

“Yup. I have a file about it at home.”

“Oh that’s right, you had that crime phase.”

“Yes, so I would rather we take a short nap here, not get murdered, visit our parents, then go home.” Wheein ended her sentence with a huff.

She felt the soft rumble of Hyejin’s laughter and couldn’t help but smile too.

“Fair enough,” Hyejin took out her phone to look at the time and to set an alarm, “It’s about 2 right now so wake up about 4-ish?”

“Sounds good,” Wheein got into a more comfortable position, “Remember, we can’t get murdered.”

“Don’t worry,” Hyejin planted a kiss on top of Wheein’s head, “I would never let anyone hurt you. Let alone murder you.”

Another content hum that faded near the end as sleep beckoned Wheein, “Mmmm, I know. I love you, Hyejin-ah.”

“I love you too, Wheein-ah” Giving Wheein one last kiss, Hyejin gave into the darkness. But not total darkness. Afterall, she has to keep her guard up and keep Wheein safe from whatever monsters lie in wait.