“So is everything set? We'll meet you there?" the Hatter confirmed once again, slinging her sack of arrows over her shoulder.

 

The Empress nodded impatiently and waved her off with her hands. "Yes, I've told you twelve times already, I'll be at the White Queen's with everything once you get there. I reckon it'll only take me a few days."

 

“And your servants - " Squirrel squeaked.

 

“Will protect me on my way over, yes."

 

“Can't blame us for looking out for you, Empress," the March Hare winked honestly.

 

“I'll be fine," she stressed. "But you all need to head out soon if you want to get any reasonable distance before nightfall.”

 

Minjeong yawned and squinted. She placed one hand over her forehead, shielding the sun from her eyes, and turned away from the group. Despite the many comforts of her room, she had found it extremely difficult falling asleep last night. With her new insight on the Hatter (courtesy of the Empress), she felt uneasy and couldn't stop herself from constantly shifting in bed. It lead her to reassess everything that had happened so far, and not just between her and the Hatter, but everything in general. If the Hatter was actually a knight, what was next? Was the March Hare really a hare? Minjeong sighed, folding her face in her hands. This place was making her crazy.

 

“Hey, Minjeong?" March Hare called from the group. "You ready to leave?"

 

Turning around, she nodded quickly and shuffled back towards them. She pushed her way towards the Empress, gave her a tight hug, and wished her farewell. More goodbyes and thank yous continued to be exchanged when finally, the group was prepared, and the Empress waved them off proudly. "Good luck and be careful!" she called out to them, and as they began their trek back into the woods, she disappeared out of sight.

 

Minjeong found, once again, that weather seemed to be irrelevant in Kwangya. She felt the sun on her face, but the heat was neither agitating or alarming. It was just there, soaking up her skin, basking her in the warm glow like an angel. The March Hare had been rambling about something pointless, something to do with eggs and sling shots, but Minjeong would be lying if she had said she was paying any attention at all. She glanced over at her every once in a while, where she caught her grinning goofily at her, and she smiled back; however, she couldn't shake that little voice in her head that insisted underneath all her clothes, she was a hare.

 

This place was all just getting so disturbing.

 

"... and all you have to do is pull back at a good enough angle and watch it fly," March Hare concluded happily.”

 

“One of the girls from The Force told me that once," Hatter grinned, tilting her head back and recalling the memory.

 

Minjeong furrowed her brows as Squirrel turned red. "You're disgusting."

 

“Want to see how much?" She slapped her hands together and laughed cockily. The March Hare joined in, though the confusion on her face showed she wasn't quite sure what she was laughing at. Minjeong rolled her eyes as the Hatter flashed her signature smug grin.

 

“Get away from me now," she forced a fake smile and walked past her.

 

They continued on their journey, the trees becoming skyscrapers as they made their way deeper into the forest. They brushed against the the top of the clouds, striking the air like the end of a fountain pen. Minjeong gazed up occasionally and admired their majestic aura. Bits of sunlight poked through some of the leaves, creating glorious little spots on the ground. She held out her hand, watched the sun reflect on her skin, and smiled to herself. Squirrel took that moment to prop herself onto Minjeong’s shoulder, and the two continued on their way, closely trailing Hatter and March Hare in front of them.

 

Minjeong figured it was close to noon, but realizing that Kwangya seemed to run at a later time, she wouldn't have been surprised if she was terribly wrong. "Do you think it's 12 o'clock yet?" she called out to the others.

 

The March Hare glanced back at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

 

“Or is it 11 o'clock?"

 

“Why do you put an 'O' in front of clock?"

 

“What?" Minjeong shook her head. "I just want to know what time it is."

 

“Oh, why didn't you just ask!" The March Hare grinned. "Between morning and noon, from the looks of it.”

 

Minjeong slapped her forehead with her palm. "I'm going to take a shot in the dark here... you guys don't count time with numbers, do you?"

 

“Why would we?" The March Hare tilted her head. "You're so silly, Minjeong!" She turned back to the Hatter, regaining her previous pace. "She always says the silliest things!"

 

The Hatter turned her head and smirked at her, and Minjeong stuck out her tongue as she turned back around.

 

They already thought her silly. Childish was just one more step before insane.

 

As they trekked further through the forest, Minjeong didn't know why she expected things to be more normal. Usually, forests remind her of Bambi or something cutesy like that. At its worst, it could have been like National Geographic with a bunch of bears and maybe a crazy gunman. But as they dipped further and deeper into the trees, she didn't find it at all adorable or suspenseful. This place was just freaking weird.

 

Yellow flowers with the faces of lions lined the edges of several bushes. They yawned occasionally, releasing frightening roars, but only to coo right afterward as the petals danced around their faces. Minjeong didn't dare to go near them at first, but with some prodding of the others, she mustered up the courage to approach and pet one. She found that they were extremely friendly, and their whiskers rubbed against her arm as they roared with giggles.

 

Minjeong wasn't so sure how much she liked them still after that.

 

Butterflies zoomed through the air, but instead of wings, they had buttered toast flapping violently to keep themselves afloat. A dog-like creature had also passed them by once or twice, but his tail and head were shaped like a broom, and it paid no attention to them as it was busy brushing fallen leaves out of the trail. And then there were just some creatures Minjeong could not simply describe, roaming the land and appearing in ways that defied the laws of science and logic. Squirrel told her kindly that as long as Minjeong didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother her, and for the most part, she was completely fine with that logic.

 

The group wandered for another hour or so. Minjeong had yet to inquire where exactly they were going, or more importantly, who they were going to meet next. Though, after a stay at the Empress’s lavish home, she was a little too hopeful that their next recruit would be just as luxurious and wealthy.

 

They continued walking through a small archway of trees, and as they climbed over some stacks of bushes, they were confronted with a quaint little area with a small stream running through the ground. "Let's stop here," the Hatter commanded, and the rest of the group obliged without dispute. As Minjeong sat down, she felt her body ache and her hands flew to tenderly massage the cuts on her leg. The March Hare smiled her sympathies and then disappeared into the bushes, promising to come back with more food for them. Squirrel offered to accompany her, for she was so wonderfully skilled at directions and the March Hare was so not.

 

Minjeong waved them goodbye and leaned back towards her leg. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, bending her knee and stretching it out repeatedly.

 

“It still hurts?" the Hatter asked. She was standing opposite her near the stream, refilling the contents of her water bottle as she watched her examine her leg.

 

“Only a little," Minjeong brushed off.

 

“Let me take a look at it."

 

“No!" She instantly retracted her leg and tried putting her dress over it.

 

“Why not? Maybe it’s infected or something," she reasoned and walked towards her. "You were really clumsy around those bushes earlier."

 

“You know, you shouldn't be so charming all the time," Minjeong bit sarcastically.

 

Hatter sat next to her on the log, causing her to scoot further from her. She smiled a bit and raised a suggestive eyebrow. "What? I can't sit next to you either?”

 

“Have you ever thought that maybe I just don't like you?" she sighed. "You could be contagious."

 

She barked a laugh. "You weren't so hesitant a couple of nights ago."

 

Minjeong’s eyes widened. "You kissed me!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

 

“You let me." Minjeong smacked her shoulder. "What? It was a welcoming gift!"

 

“I thought it was your reward," Minjeong snapped bitterly.

 

“Oh, right. Well, then I should give you my welcoming gift..." Minjeong grabbed Hatter’s face before she could finish and shoved it away. Hatter her fingers and laughed as she squealed, yanking her hand away immediately.

 

“You're so annoying!”

 

“That’s unfair. You need to stop making all these assumptions before you see it firsthand." Hatter formed somewhat of a pout and rubbed the side of her face. "I think you bruised my cheek."

 

Minjeong groaned and threw her hands in the air. “You're so weird!"

 

“I think you kind of like it."

 

She scoffed. "Hah!"

 

“It's okay, I get it. You're gonna be a challenge," Hatter shrugged. "It's kind of cute."

 

“I'm sorry, is this you trying to flirt with me?"

 

“I’m just saying, you're going to feel really stupid when you realize you've been into me this whole time.”

 

“Look, I don't know what you expect from this - " she motioned between the two of them, "but all I'm trying to do is go home. Unfortunately, that means having to be within breathing space with you, but if it means that's my on