Jongkook led Jihyo out through the passage in her garden, and helped her carry the items she lunged around with her. “Is this really necessary?” he said, heaving from all the things he was carrying.

“We’re staking out in winter, Jongkook. Of course, blankets and some rations would be necessary,” Jihyo deadpanned. 

He chuckled, and was just thankful that he was able to convince her that he would find them some wood to use for a bonfire when they got to their destination. Otherwise, they would probably have to steal a cart just so Jihyo would feel prepared. When they got outside the palace, he held out his hand to show her the black stallion that had been waiting for them. She looked at him curiously, “Donghoon said your horse ran away in battle. How did you get him back?”

He grinned, “I didn’t.” Then, as if it would explain everything fully, he just said, “Taehyun.”

Jihyo understood immediately, and simply nodded in response. She helped Jongkook fasten their rucksack onto the horse, and affectionately petted the horse’s mane. The horse neighed in delight, but Jihyo quickly soothed it, looking around in case the sound caught anyone’s attention. She felt that they needed to leave immediately, so she asked, “Where are we going Jongkook?”

He winked at her, and she felt like drowning in his intense gaze. “You’ll see,” he nonchalantly said, before grabbing her by the waist and lifting her up onto the stallion, to sit side-saddle. Jongkook then climbed up the horse, putting his arms around her before holding on to the reins. “Just lean on me Jihyo-yah. I’ll make sure you don’t fall,” he teased. 

“Too late. You already made me fall,” she answered back, throwing him a side glance coupled with a slight smirk on her face. 

“Well, we’re even then, because you did the same thing to me, and you did it first,” he said before giving her a kiss on her temple. Jihyo let her head lean on Jongkook’s chest, as her back rested on his right arm that was holding onto the horse’s reins. “Ready to go?” he asked her with a grin on his face. He was just elated to be with her once again. 

“As I’ll ever be,” she looked up at him with a smile, and Jongkook kicked the stallion as they set off into the night. 

From the passage to Jihyo’s garden, a pair of eyes witnessed everything, with a heavy heart.

Jongkook and Jihyo rode through the forest, with him skillfully maneuvering around the trees and rocks that stood in their way. The night was cold, and if not for Jongkook’s durumagi that she wore over her dress and the warmth coming off his body, she would have been in need of heat. The chirping of crickets could be heard in the air, and the horses’ heavy steps resounded against the forest floor, but the one sound she found herself getting drawn to was the sound of Jongkook’s rhythmic heartbeat, as her head continued to be tucked beneath his chin and against his chest. Jihyo decided it was the most relaxing sound in the world, mostly because it indicated that he was, indeed, alive and well. 

Despite the rough movements during their travel, Jihyo found herself being lulled into sleep, and, as much as she fought to keep her eyes open, her eyelids became too heavy. She could not fight the drowsiness any more, and the calm state that Jongkook seemed to elicit in her took over. After months of restlessness, Jihyo found the perfect space and moment to relax and sleep.

The stallion’s gallops started moving Jihyo around, and it was getting a bit more difficult to balance both their weights on the horse, so Jongkook decided to slow down, prompting the horse to go for a walk instead of a run. Jongkook saw that Jihyo’s eyes had drifted off, slightly agape, and he felt a light chuckle go through him. He was immensely amused by the fact that she had managed to sleep despite the situation. Despite her age, she still managed to look adorable, and it made Jongkook want to take care of her even more. He wouldn’t know what made Jihyo so restless to be able to sleep at this moment, but he was just glad to offer her respite.

Soon enough, they reached their destination. He nudged her to wake her up, and, while she was startled at first, she began to look around the area they were in. “We didn’t travel far, did we? How did we get here so fast?” Jihyo asked, disbelieving the sight before them.

Jongkook guessed that she would think this way; even he couldn’t believe it when he found this place. He shook his head, “We aren’t near the temple. I found this place when I was traveling back from Seongsan Gaya.”

It was only then that Jihyo realized the differences. She climbed down the horse and examined the area. It was also a forest clearing on a cliff that overlooked the village, but the sea was further away compared to the place Jihyo knew. Instead, in the dead of night, Jihyo could see the palace complex, lit up by candles and torches. The capital was dark and quiet, save for the few men strolling in the evening with their own lamps and torches. Further back, the seawater didn’t beat rocks like she had seen. Instead, here, the water kissed the shore before it had to be taken away.

Despite the differences, she loved this place equally, mostly for the serenity it gave. She walked closer to the edge of the cliff, and breathed in deeply, not minding the harsh bite of the cold wind. She looked up at the sky, and remembered the birds she saw last summer, wondering briefly where they had managed to escape towards. Winter meant that the lands were barren, and animals were hidden away in slumber. But here she was about to make the biggest decision of her life, and unlike nature who merely had to follow its natural course, she was at a crossroad with no definitive path to take.

“Jihyo-yah, stop thinking too much,” Jongkook called her out. She turned around, feeling sheepish that he caught her, and saw that Jongkook had managed to set-up the things they brought. There was a blanket spread on the floor, flanked by the rucksack which contained their food and the other blanket they brought with them. He was near the forest, holding onto pieces of wood he likely picked up, and was walking back to their area. He used a flint and steel to jumpstart the bonfire he placed beside their blanket.

Jihyo walked back towards their spot, sitting down on the blanket and rummaging through their rations, pulling out an apple for herself. Jongkook dusted off his hands after seeing the bonfire light up, and plopped down beside her, lying down with his hands beneath his head. He stared up at the starry sky, as she munched on the apple she brought out. 

They were silent for quite a while, enjoying the peace of the evening, until Jongkook spoke first, “So, Jihyo-yah, what did I miss in my absence?” He turned sideways, his head being propped up by his right arm, as he looked at Jihyo’s direction. She looked down at him nonchalantly, and kept eating. For a moment, Jongkook felt distracted by the way Jihyo’s lips brushed against the surface of the fruit she had been eating, but he immediately shrugged it off, opting to probe further, “Come on, tell me! News of political marriage in the palace. How did your brother react and who’s getting married to whom?”

Upon remembering her last conversation with Insung, Jihyo choked on her snack, and Jongkook sat up immediately patting her back and handing her a flask of water. He took the apple away from her, and let her take a drink until her coughing stopped. When she was through, Jihyo tried to snatch her apple back, but Jongkook didn’t hand it over. Instead, he took a bite from the apple, and teasingly grinned at her as he happily munched on it. 

“That was my apple,” Jihyo sulked. Jongkook just chuckled, and put down the fruit on the blanket, much to Jihyo’s irritation. “If you weren’t going to finish it, you could’ve just let me eat it, you know. What a waste. It’s now on the floor.”

Jongkook pulled out his handkerchief, and said, “It’s not going to waste. I’m keeping this safe and sound.”

Jihyo scoffed, “You’re keeping a fruit?”

Jongkook looked at her, as if she was the one being incredulous, “Don’t you know Jihyo-yah? Whatever happens, I have to keep this apple. This apple holds our first kiss.” Jihyo turned red upon hearing his words, and he pushed his shoulder, making him land on his back as he lost his balance. He chuckled and sat up, “What? It’s true.”

“We never kissed Jongkook! What are you saying?” Jihyo felt scandalized.

Jongkook was still laughing, as he tried to explain with the apple wrapped in his handkerchief, “Well, a kiss is when two lips meet right? Your lips touched this apple, and so did mine. Then that means this apple holds our first kiss!” 

Jihyo tried to retort, but nothing came out of as a response to his ridiculous logic. But,