Chapter 3 

The Car Ride 

Mino arrived back home trembling with exhaustion. That boat ride had been a bad idea from the moment the idea had manifested in his mind and yet he’d gone out. The forecast hadn’t been that bad, but he should have know, should have turned around sooner. 

The fact that he was still alive was much thanks to Seungyoon, this skinny slightly nerdy looking fellow who suddenly lived on the same coastline as he did. Seungyoon was charming though, there was no denying that and kind. He definitely found him attractive which felt odd because frankly was it years since that last happened. Maybe he was lacking human contact so badly he’d become a bit delusional about how humans should act, but there was something special about Seungyoon and not just because he had saved him. 

Mino brought the bike into the narrow hallway with him. It was his ticket back there, his excuse to return to Seungyoon. It wouldn’t look good if the wind stole it away from him like so many other things. Like his boat, and his latests art piece. 

    «Never mind that» he grumbled and made himself some coffee. The black fluid looked lifeless and not tempting at all after having had Seungyoon’s coffee that morning. The weather was sunny but now quite windy and he knew that when the wind came in like that the sun wouldn’t be left alone for long. 

While biking back to his house had tiny ideas started popping up in his mind. Art ideas, about the sea, then water in general. The contrast between the ocean attempting to swallowing him up and the hot bathwater finally removing the last of his chills. The idea of water both healing and killing people. He stopped mid-movement coffee sloshing around in his mug.

There was something powerful about the contrast of water and with that thought in mind had he abandoned his coffee to get to work right away. 

Already forgetting about his exhaustion he peeled off the clothes Seungyoon had lent him and folded them neatly into a small pile which he left to clean later in the day so that he could hand them back tomorrow. 

Because yes, he was going back tomorrow. He felt obligated to return the bike because Seungyoon needed it for his work, but more than anything else did he feel a pull in the depth of his mind telling him he needed to go back. 

With the vision of Seungyoon and the sea clearly in his mind he went to work and it was only in the early hours of the morning he realized he’d worked away most of the night. Admiring his painting he sighed, he’d found back to it his inspiration and this piece in front of him was far from bad. The blue and the light and the kind eyes. He wanted to attempt another one, but needed sleep too. 

As he started the washer and dryer in one, an amazing thing gifted to him by his mother back when he’d moved out there to the sea he tried to plan the rest of his day. It was five in the morning, he needed to sleep, probably eat and the he would go.

Not bothering to go to bed he grabbed one of his heavy blankets from the chunky chair by the window and dropped down on the heavy couch beside it. He set an alarm just in case and before he knew it was he fast asleep. 

It was early morning the next day and Seungyoon watched the grey clouds move across the sky at a rapid speed. They only got one sunny day that week and so it had been lucky that he’d been able to spend it with some company. He was hoping that Mino would show up that morning with his bike, but the realist in him told him it would probably be a couple of days until Mino recovered enough to return to him. 

    «Return it to me» he corrected himself. Because Mino weren’t coming back for him, he was coming back with the bike he’d borrowed. If he came back at all. 

Cleaning up after his breakfast he began dreading the long walk across the cliffs to check on the birds. He would dress warmly and bring proper food this time as he knew without his bike it would take him much longer to get around. 

Packing his lunch he heard the familiar pitter patter on the roof telling him that it had started raining. When he was staying indoors he welcomed that sound, it made everything cozier, but knowing he would be spending hours outside in it changed everything.

He sighed, stuffed everything into his backpack and checked the weather forecast one last time. Rain rain and more rain. No point in waiting to see if it would clear up then. He got properly dressed and walked out being careful not to get smacked in the face by the door as had happened a few times before because of how the wind hit the front of the cottage on days with weather like this. 

Following the wooden path along the tree line he walked towards the lighthouse going over everything that had happened with Mino once again. One part of him feared that Mino was suicidal, because one had to have a death wish to go out in a boat in stormy weather like that. Mino had fought his way back to shore though, had he backed out or was there some other explanation? Maybe he was just a daredevil who found his will to live through adrenaline kicks? Adrenaline junkies was a well known thing and it would explain a lot. 

He’d reached the lighthouse now and he stopped for a moment staring down the path leading to the long climb of steep stone steps. It looked scary up there on the cliff, but he was grateful to it too since it had sheltered Mino. Although pretty much a stranger to him still he was already oddly fond of him. 

    «Must be the isolation» he said almost choking on his words as the wind pushed so hard against his face it made it hard to breathe. 

It took him more than double the usual time to check on all the birds. There had been a fox attack too on one of the most distant nesting grounds and it made his heart sink. A dead bird and lots of loose feathers laid scattered around on the ground in the tall grass. He’d seen several of these scenes already, but each time it made his heart sink and his mood with it. He felt like some sort of custodian of these birds now, yet there was nothing he could do to protect them. 

With a heavy heart he begun on the long way back to the cottage. His only comfort was that it had stopped raining now and the wind had settled a little. The view of the ocean was quite something as the sun had begun bursting through the thick carpet of grey clouds in a few places. You’d think an angle was descending out there somewhere with all the light and marvel only a creature like that could demand. 

Never taking his eyes off the horizon he was almost a little startled when the lighthouse came to view as he walked around the corner of the woodland edge. It too was bathed in a couple of soft afternoon rays and his mind went to Mino straight away, wishing he could see it. 

Feeling his stomach rumble he quickened his pace hoping to get back before he started feeling nauseated by the hunger. Seconds later and he’d forgotten all about the hunger however. 

Because down at the cottage he could see a black car and a person leaning on the banister on the small cottage decking. 

Mino had returned. 

Trying to walk casually, but fast, without getting out of breath he imagined he probably seemed a bit weird rushing to meet a stranger. He felt weird too, unexplainably happy. A nice kind of weird.

    «Hello there» he said trying to sound calm and unbothered. He was about to 'say you look well' out of habit, but Mino didn’t really look well. He looked tired, there was something sticky in his hair and his overall appearance just screamed bothered. Was he unhappy to be back there? Seungyoon wondered as he tried to decide what to say next. 

    «Hi, I figured you needed your bike back as soon as possible so you wouldn’t have to spend even more time out in this bad weather» Mino said while nodding towards his bike nestled between the cottage wall and the tall shrubbery to its side. 

    «Thanks, I was about to go inside to eat. Care to join me?» He asked anxiously awaiting Mino’s response as soon as he’d stopped talking. 

    «Sure, I didn’t eat before leaving so that’d be nice» Mino said stepping away from the banister, taking one step closer to show he was ready to follow him. 

Inside he got out of his rain gear and Mino offered to get the fire going as it was quite cold in the drafty cottage. Accepting his offer he went ahead and started on dinner deciding to use the chicken which was pretty much the only meat he’d bought for that week. 

    «Curry or grilled chicken?» He asked and Mino who was looking at his books turned in his direction in lightning speed before replying that either one of them would be amazing. The fact that Mino seemed excited about his cooking blew him away as that was a definite first, but he silently swore to do his best and not burn anything this time.

Deciding grilled chicken with vegetables and rice would be easier and faster he went ahead working on their meal. 

    «Anything I can do to help?» Mino asked approaching the tiny kitchen counter. He got it all under control, but decided to put Mino on veggie duty as he had a feeling Mino might just be the kind of person who failed the rice. 

Looking at the oddly shaped vegetables on his plate a while later he chuckled. 

    «I gave it my best» Mino murmured quite possibly amused by his reaction instead of offended which would have been understandable too. 

    «Tastes the sa