Mari was headed for the door when the floor creaked. She paused, craning her head and stepping on the tile again. It groaned under her weight and she crouched down, her fists rapping against it when she saw a flash of white. She lifted the tile, a gasp on her lips when a folded paper brushed her skin. Unfolding it and placing the tile back flatly, her eyes ran over the digits scrawled messily, reading numbers and two letters.

It was a coordinate.

Her eyes lit up as she remembered how she’d stayed up so late to look for tourist destinations. Japan was filled to the brim with nature reserves and shopping centers frequented by most tourists, but what caught her attention the most was the camping grounds. She’d never gone camping, much less even hiked up to a mountain. Shopping wasn’t entirely her thing; the idea of shifting through racks of clothes and losing money didn’t entice her, but the adventure of being one with nature? Now that was worth it.

Mari snatched the map on her bedside table and ran out the door, following the scent of toast and eggs. The kitchen had already been lit and back to life again, Baekhyun’s back turned to her as he carefully watched the food. closed when she stared at him in shock. She’d seen this image before, but in a dream. It looked exactly the same—with Baekhyun cooking and sunlight filtering through the gaps of the windows—only this time Mari was no longer dreaming.

She grinned, slapping the map down the counter. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” He asked without looking back at her one bit, not even surprised by her presence as if he’d felt her coming from a mile away.

“Camping,” she pointed to the red circle she marked last night. “Shiretoko National Park. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Baekhyun lowered the heat on the stove, leaning close to squint at the map. He smelled fresh of shampoo mixed with coffee, something that soothed Mari’s senses. “That’s farther than Sapporo. If we take the train, the ride could be… fifteen to seventeen hours at most.”

“Who said we had to take the train?” She turned off the stove completely and dragged him to one of the hidden emergency exits that lead into the back garage. The silver gates opened automatically when they sensed her heat, showing three cars aligned perfectly with one another and polished to perfection. “It turns out they left some cars here. They were mostly for the drivers’ use when they were going grocery shopping for me, but these should be fine.”

“These are your driver’s cars?” Baekhyun wrinkled his nose as he approached them one by one. He pointed to a sleek red car with a black and silver front lining. “These aren’t regular cars, Mari. This particular one has a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine with a 360 degree around view monitor. This is almost like an Audi. Why would you need such fast cars for groceries?”

“In case someone trails us, of course,” she tipped her head to the side. “I’ve been thinking about it; what my Father said. He said I was in danger and I think he meant some competitors. It’s normal to have blood in this industry, but I didn’t think it would go this far.”

“Are you okay with me driving this to the mountains?”

“Shiretoko National Park is a remote area. Bus services would stop halfway, and I don’t really want us to keep walking on foot. Question is, are you okay driving that far? It’s going to be a five hour ride at most.”

Baekhyun shrugged, eyeing the car one more time. “Chanyeol and I’ve travelled further. A five hour ride is nothing.”

“Have you ever gone camping?”

“Uhm, no. We don’t really get breaks from work, so no.”

“Then this is good,” she clasped her hands in front of her chest, trying to contain the excitement that electrified her. “Maybe this can be both our break from our lives. You know, let’s forget about things like you said. No such thing as heiress and bodyguard—just two friends hanging out.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m still your bodyguard. Nothing will stop me from protecting you.”

Mari rolled her eyes at Baekhyun’s teasing smirk. She almost forgot that when he wasn’t being broody and serious, he could actually be a dork around her. Not that she minded, of course, she loved their lighthearted banter because it made her feel that not everything in her life was turning into one big chaos. “Okay then, Hercules, go pack your things. We can drop off at some shops to get what we need. I reckon we’ll be staying there for far longer than just a day,” she shook her head defiantly at his raised brow. “There’s no way you can drag me back just like that.”

Baekhyun scratched the back of his head. “We can stay as long as you like, but I didn’t bring enough money to uh, cover for your expenses.”

“I never asked you to pay for me. Now come on, we’ve got a trip to go to!”

Breakfast was consumed in five minutes, the dishes done in half time with both of them equally eager to live. Next thing she knew, Baekhyun was trying to calm her down and shouting at her to be careful when she ran to the car with her suitcase in her arms. They left the house not long after, Baekhyun stopped every now and then from a few shops to get what they needed. She insisted on coming with him but he matched her stubbornness and assured he’d be quick, and that she should lock the doors at all times.

Two bags of chips emptied and a soda fully drunk later, Mari dozed off in the front seat, a cute, romantic Japanese song playing in the background. Baekhyun must’ve placed a blanket on top of her at some point because she no longer shivered in her sleep, but she couldn’t be sure. The excitement she felt wore her out just as fast, and Mari was soon lost in dreamland.

Only when her head nearly dropped to her shoulder did she feel someone shake her gently, coaxing her out of her dreams. “Mari, we’re here. Wake up.”

Mari stretched with a yawn, eyes half lidded as she stared at the commotion outside. “Where are we?”

“There’s a little street market here. I figured we could rest up first before heading to the campsite. Besides, look—” he pointed to a faraway red tent with a grin. “—There’s a ramen stall out there.”

Baekhyun didn’t need to say more. Mari left the car with Baekhyun hurriedly trailing after her as she took in everything. People milled in and out of shops, golden powder and oriental jewelries shining and dusted all over the place. Several lanterns were illuminated above them from a number of strings that held them up. The sun was setting in a few hours, but Mari felt like the day had just barely started.

“A street market,” she gushed, pushing past the people when she was entranced by a quaint little shop at the far left of the market. A young man crouched in front of a wooden table, a brush in his hands as he dusted off the bangle in his hands. He spared Mari one glance before Mari bent down to look at the jewelries, picking up a certain string bracelet with jade chains. “Look at the intricate details on those bracelets,” she whispered to Baekhyun, turning to the young man afterwards with a bright smile. “Did you make this?”

“Yes. My sister and I do the stitching,” he nodded to the bracelet in her hands, eyes travelling to the bodacious ring she wore. “It was supposed to be five thousand yen, but no one would buy it at that price. You can have it for three thousand. It’s good luck for you and your husband—it’ll help bless fertility and give you healthy children.”

“We-we’re not married.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the young man dropped his bangle, standing up in a flash to bow at Baekhyun’s flustered state. “We meant no offense at all.”

“None taken. I’ll buy it!”

His eyes widened at the wad of cash Mari his way. “Miss, this is ten thousand yen, we can’t—”

“I think your pieces are a hundred times lovelier than those we get at the auction market,” she slipped the bracelet through her wrist before raising it at eye-level, a glint in her eyes as she stared at it. It really was lovely, with the small illustrations on each jade beaded chain. There were hearts and drawings of trees in white paint, standing out greatly from the beads. It complimented well with her skin tone too, but most of all, something about it just seemed to be speaking from her heart, as if it was meant to be hers. Mari’s eyes softened. “I’m sure my husband will love it.”

“Thank you so much. Safe travels and welcome to Shiretoko Peninsula!”

She waved at the young man who kept bowing to her. It was then Mari learned how money could mean so much to people like them, yet there she was, with too much of it and too little for the world. It disgusted her that it couldn’t be fair and people couldn’t have equal amounts. People like them worked hard day and night to have meals, while others mooched off of others just to buy luxurious things that weren’t even necessary, like the ring on her finger. She wanted to take it off, she really did, but the ring was stuck to her hand like a suffocating reminder of her life.

“Chanyeol doesn’t exactly like bracelets.”

“I know. I bought this for myself,” she gazed at it with another dreamy look. “Besides, it’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It suits you.”

Mari jumped a little in her spot. “Oh, before I forget,” She reached for her bag, the bracelet weighing heavily for a long time now. She pulled the white box and took Baekhyun’s hand, gesturing him to open up his palm before placing it on his hand. “I’ve been wanting to give this to you for a long time now.”

Baekhyun opened the box, his shoulders stiffening when he recognized the object inside. “Isn’t this…”

“It’s the matching bracelet I got at the jewelry shop. You know, when we bought my ring and stuff…”

He pursed his lips. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

“Wear it, wear it!” She raised his wrist and slipped it through his arm. Mari took the other bracelet and placed it on top of the jade bracelet, shaking them in front of Baekhyun’s eyes. “See? Now we match! These friendship bracelets look cool, don’t they?”

Baekhyun didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. Mari understood the message his eyes conveyed. With a newfound sense of bravery, she slipped her hand through his and led him through the crowded market, their bracelets occasionally rubbing against one another. She meant to give it to him for a long time now, but there didn’t seem to be a right time.

Not that it mattered anymore. Baekhyun squeezed her hand when they jumped from one stall to another, their taste buds both cursed and blessed with glazed apples and fried exotic insects. The look on Baekhyun’s face when he swallowed a scorpion was worth it, even better that she pulled her phone out at the right time and snapped a picture of him. Baekhyun reached for it and threatened he’d kept tickling her if she didn’t delete it, but she only swiped her glazed apple over his cheek before running away.

Baekhyun froze at the stickiness of the syrup on his face. He ran after Mari, but nothing but laughter left their lips afterwards. The night passed by in a blur of carnival games that ended up in Baekhyun winning her one stuffed bear which Mari held proudly, refusing to let him touch it. She placed it on top of a rock one time and took several photos of it, with Baekhyun posing in the background despite his complaints. The smile on his face said otherwise, though, and they didn’t stop from throwing hoops on bottles or buying weirdly flavored lollipops unti