Yunjin's eyes fluttered open as the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the window, gently rousing her from her slumber. Stretching languidly, she felt the lingering warmth of the bed, and all of the soreness in her muscles completely disappeared, surely because of the restful night she had just experienced.

 

As she sat up, Yunjin's gaze swept over the room, expecting to find Eunchae still nestled in the bed. However, to her surprise, the spot next to her was empty, the sheets looked as if they were neatly arranged before she moved, Eunchae might have woken up before her.

 

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Yunjin pushed herself off the bed and made her way towards the door, the soft padding of her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the room. Just as she reached for the handle, the door opposite hers swung open, and Chaewon emerged, her expression inscrutable as she regarded Yunjin with a curious gaze adorning her feline eyes. The more Yunjin thought about it, the more Chaewon looked more like an angry cub than anything else. 

 

"What?" Chaewon's voice was terse, a hint of irritation lacing her words as she brushed past Yunjin without waiting for a response. Yunjin blinked in surprise, caught off guard by Chaewon's abruptness, but she quickly shook off her confusion and followed the other woman out into the living area.

 

Yunjin glanced around at the familiar surroundings,  Sakura was already bustling about, preparing breakfast with practiced efficiency, while Kazuha sat by the fire, her attention focused on sharpening the edges of her arrows with meticulous precision. Yunjin started to think that Kazuha didn't really do anything else than work, and the lack of words coming from her was also something that intrigued her. 

 

Yunjin's attention was suddenly drawn by Eunchae's cheerful voice, pulling her focus away from the tension that lingered in the room. She realized that Eunchae was standing beside Sakura, her hands deftly assisting the older woman with the morning meal. 

 

"Hey, Yunjin!" Eunchae's tone was full of enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she proudly announced, "Sakura taught me how to make an omelet!" 

 

A warm smile spread across Yunjin's face as she watched Eunchae, her heart lifting at the younger girl's infectious energy. It was a small moment of brightness amidst the heaviness that hung in the air, and Yunjin couldn't help but catch Eunchae's contagious happiness. 

 

“That's pretty great. Make one for me too ?” 

 

“On it !” Eunchae giggled and went back to the stoves. 

 

Yunjin moved to the table, where Chaewon was already arranging plates and ustensils, her movements felt unnatural. Sensing her struggle, Yunjin approached her cautiously. (Even with the cub features, she still was low-key scary.)

 

"Hey, Chaewon. Do you need any help with that?" Yunjin offered, her tone as soft as possible. 

 

Chaewon seemed to hesitate for a moment, her gaze flickering briefly towards Yunjin before returning to the table a few times. She shook her head, a hint of frustration evident in her expression as she continued to wrestle with the plates.

 

"I'm fine," Chaewon muttered, her tone clipped.

 

Yunjin respected her response but remained nearby, ready to lend a hand if Chaewon changed her mind. She somewhat felt like something was bothering Chaewon, but she didn't press further, choosing instead to offer her silent support. 

 

As they gathered around the table, Eunchae eagerly presented her omelets to Yunjin with a proud grin. Yunjin couldn't help but chuckle at the slightly irregular shape of some of them but graciously accepted a portion. “Don't mock my creations !” Eunchae had whined. To her surprise, the taste was surprisingly delicious, and she made sure to compliment the youngest on her cooking skills. Sakura joined and thanked her once again for her help back there. 

 

While Sakura was telling stories to Eunchae, Yunjin zoned out for a bit. Her gaze caught the backpacks sitting next to the sofas in the living room area. A slight nervousness rose inside her at the thought of their upcoming journey. 

 

No, no need to worry. 

 

Everything will be alrig—

 

“Yunjin !” 

 

“Mh ?”

 

“Guess what, Sakura just told me….”

 

—

 

As they gathered outside, dressed warmly for the journey ahead, each member of the group carried a small backpack, except for Eunchae, whose curiosity piqued as she observed Kazuha and Sakura preparing the horses and securing the bags on their backs. Chaewon leaned against the doorframe, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding before her.

 

Yunjin glanced at Chaewon before turning her attention back to Sakura. "Isn't she coming?" she asked. 

 

Sakura paused in her tasks to address Yunjin's question. "She said sitting this one out," she replied calmly.

 

Yunjin furrowed her brow, a hint of worry flickering across her features. "She's fine with staying alone?" she inquired, a light concern in her tone. 

 

Sakura chuckled softly, offering a reassuring smile. "She's sturdier than she seems," she reassured Yunjin, her tone confident. “It's safe here, don't worry.”  

 

As they prepared to depart, Yunjin caught Chaewon's eye, this time, the short haired girl didn’t look away. Yunjin stepped closer to Chaewon, her voice soft but sincere. “Hey, uhm, thanks for being understanding…”

 

“Why are you telling me that ?”

 

“Well, we won’t see eachother anymore so..” Chaewon silently dismissed Yunjin by looking somewhere else, Yunjin got the memo. At least, Chaewon didn’t look angry or anything. Just a bit thoughtful.

 

With Kazuha's guiding hand, Eunchae gracefully ascended onto Bibimbap's back, her movements reflecting a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Kazuha followed suit, her fluid movements indicating pure agility. Eunchae's eyes widened with wonder as she settled into the saddle, her fingers gently tracing the horse's sleek white coat.

 

Meanwhile, Yunjin approached the chestnut horse named Kimchi, feeling a surge of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness as she prepared to mount. As she lifted herself onto the horse's back, she couldn't help but marvel at the sensation of being so high off the ground, the rhythmic breathing of the horse beneath her a comforting reassurance.

 

Once settled into place, Yunjin took a deep breath, attempting to quell the fluttering butterflies in her stomach. She glanced around at the others, noting the determined expression on Sakura's face as she mounted in front of her. With a slight smile, Sakura turned around to check on Yunjin, her eyes reflecting genuine concern.

 

"Everything okay back there?" Sakura asked, her voice soft yet comforting amidst the anticipation of the journey ahead.

 

Yunjin took a moment to gather herself before responding to Sakura's inquiry. "Yeah, I'm good," she replied with a reassuring smile, though inwardly she still felt a twinge of nervousness. 

 

Glancing over her shoulder, Yunjin noticed Chaewon had already retreated back inside and closed the door behind her. She couldn't help but feel concern for the girl, wondering if she truly was okay with staying behind alone, and why did she decide not to come. 

 

As Sakura began to lead the way with her horse, Yunjin instinctively reached out to steady herself, her hand finding its place on Sakura's waist. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if Sakura would be comfortable with the contact, but the older woman offered no resistance.

 

"Are you okay with this?" Yunjin asked tentatively, her grip light yet firm as she held onto Sakura's waist for stability.

 

Sakura glanced back at her with a reassuring smile. "Of course," she replied warmly. "Just hold on tight, and we'll be fine." With that, she urged her horse forward, setting the pace for their journey ahead.

 

Perched behind Sakura, Yunjin marveled at the wintry beauty of the forest that surrounded them. The trees stood tall and proud, their bran