The boys found the perfect spot to fish. It was a dock that stretched almost ten meters from the river bank to the water. Not too many boats move close enough on that area, making the water around us crystal clear. Big and small fished swim nearby. We can see them swim freely, swarm around bread Sungmin was throwing at them and swim away when Leeteuk and Eunhyuk throw rocks.

Donghae, who went somewhere, came with a small red bucket in his hands, swinging it on his every step. When he saw me looking at him, he pranced and turned and ‘cha-cha’ed hi way towards us. I blurted out a laugh

“Here’s the bait,” he said, handing the bucket to Eunhyuk.

Eunhyuk let out a sigh of disgust. “Are we going to touch this?” he said, eyeing the inside of the bucket.

“No, where going to cook it and eat it,” Sungmin said over Eunhyuk’s shoulder after seeing what he’s looking at. A sarcastic smile formed in his lips. He smacked Eunhyuk’s back and said, “How else will we get the fish if you don’t TOUCH THAT and put it in the fish hook so that we will have food for later?”

“Fine…”

Leeteuk was busy setting up the big umbrella that we brought with us. Sungmin, after tormenting Eunhyuk, turned his attention at one of the bags lying on the dock, searching for something. Eunhyuk sat beside me, sitting on the dock floor. I kept on smiling secretly at Eunhyuk’s amusing amazement and disgust at the worms on the bucket he is holding. Donghae is busy with the fishing poles, three to be exact. I can feel he’s been looking at me so I purposely hid my face under my hair.

Eunhyuk spoke. “Can you touch this…things?” pointing at the worms.

I, with no warning, put my hand inside the bucket and pull out a worm, long enough to pass as pasta. Eunhyuk quickly ran away from me and laughed nervously, his hand over his chest. If only I can stand and run, you’ll go way~ far from here, Eunhyuk.

“That’s not funny!” he yelled, smiling.

“Oh, trust me, it is!” Leeteuk yelled back. The other guys were laughing at him. I did the same. I put the worm back on the bucket and gave Eunhyuk a huge grin. Again, Eunhyuk’s face is a red, ripe, cherry tomato. He’s so cute!

“I promise I won’t do it again,” I assured him, holding my hand up, swearing I won’t do it again. I don’t want his face to explode.

“Eunhyuk-ah, you’re so cute.” I was surprised Sungmin said that.

Donghae, Eunhyuk and Leeteuk are not silently fishing. Thought it had only been half an hour, we, I mean they had caught 5 medium sized fish.

As the three boys concentrated on fishing, Sungmin and I were silently waiting for another catch. Its clear that Sungmin is getting bored, lying under the umbrella and sighing from time to time. I, too, also am bored, not doing anything but sit and count rocks on the surface of the river. I sighed.

IF ONLY THEY WOULD LET US TRY!

I felt a tap on my unwounded foot. Sungmin was now sitting and looking at me with his eyes wide open. I answered with a smile, channeling “What is it?” with my gaze.

Sungmin was pointing over the river bank. I looked and…YES! Watermelons! There was an elderly woman selling fruits nearby. What caught my attention were the watermelons, cut in half so that we can see how red the inside is.

Sungmin slowly stood up and held my hand in his. He put a finger over his lips, telling me too keep silent. Good thing that the others are preoccupied at the moment, so they didn’t notice us going. But we still walked in stealth. THAT’S FOR FISHING ON YOUR OWN!

Because of my injured and bandaged foot, we walked slowly, benefiting me a lot.

A couple of minutes later, we were in front of the fruit stand.

“AH! Free at last!” Sungmin withheld, throwing one hand up high and one still holding on to me. “What do you like you eat?” he asked his eyes all wide.

“Umm…watermelons…”  I said shyly.

He turned his gaze at the elderly woman before us and said, “We would like a water melon, please. And apples and oranges and bananas.” He enumerated each fruit with cuteness in his voice. I saw the old woman smiled and cooed and the cute bunny beside me.

While the grandmother was preparing the things we asked, Sungmin kindly led me to a big rock beside the stand and helped me sit on it. Sungmin paid for the fruits.

“Can you please cut the watermelon for us, please?” Sungmin asked the old lady, again showing his aegyo. I sighed. THAT will never get old, his aegyo.

I turned my attention to the three boys sitting at the dock we just left. From here, it looks like they didn’t move an inch. They we so absorbed with fishing they didn’t even notice that we are away from them. Leeteuk was literally waving the fishing pole around, like waving the Korean flag, but in a more shabby way. Eunhyuk, sitting beside Leeteuk, was confused on what to do: if he’s going to wind the line towards him or avoid Leeteuk’s elbows. Donghae, on the other hand, looked like a pro. The pulled and wind the line perfectly. The funny thing is he only caught ONE fish. The two unprofessional beside him, however they fool around with the fishing pole, gets a bite!

I got distracted with a red moving thing in front of me. I have to prevent myself from drooling. The watermelon looks great!

Mister Aegyo Bunny handed me the juicy looking watermelon and sat beside me. We eat quietly, not saying a single word until we finally finished each of our slices.

“They look funny, don’t they?” Sungmin finally spoke, looking at s.   

I replied a smile.

“It’s the first time we had a fishing trip. The other members will whine us up if we tell them,” he said with a smile. “Too bad the other members have so much to do.”

“Schedules, huh?”

“Yeah. But even though we keep on whining how tired we are, or how stressing this work is, Elfs keep us on track, and our family and friends of course.”

“I know. Donghae always say that,” I said turning my head towards the three musketeers. They STILL are preoccupied.

“If only all of us can go on this trip…” he said with blank face.

“You’ll get your well deserved vacation in time. You’ll see.”

Silence went after my last word.

Sungmin sighed and cut the short silence.

“Anyway,” he said, “you and Donghae had been friends since…?”

“Oh, since I can walk, I guess? We entered the same school. Besides, our parents had been friends way back then. Back then, I and Donghae had been inseparable. We would play ball, climb trees, get yelled at…together.”

“You’re that close?”

“Yup, until…”

“Until, what?”

“Jessica.” I hate to admit it but…I hated her.

“Oh…” Sungmin replied. “You…don’t…like her?” he carefully asked.

“With all honesty, I really don’t like her, until this very day. I didn’t like it when all of Donghae’s attention is on Jessica. Jessica this, Jessica that. It’s annoying! He always go ‘Jessica likes this’ and his eyes will go diamond sparkly. It’s ridiculous.”

“You’re jealous then? Of Jessica?”

“What’s not to be jealous of? She’s practically perfect. Funny thing is, I haven’t seen her in person.” I pouted and sighed. “When they were together, she’s all he sees. I was thin air back then.”

“Then when did you two became close again?” he asked.

“Since his father’s death.”

Silence, again, wandered between us. He patted my back and wrapped his arm to my shoulder, comforting me in every way.   

“YAH! WHEN DID YOU GUYS GET THERE?”

It was Donghae yelling, looking at us. We both laughed. All those time we’ve been sitting on this rock, hey had JUST noticed us. Ridiculous! Does fishing hypnotize people?

Sungmin helped me stood up and gave me support, but I got off balanced that I have to press my injured foot to the ground. It stung a bit but the pain was irritating.

“Are you okay?” Sungmin asked, looking at my foot to my face.

“Umm…yeah, I guess so,” I said but smirked in pain.

“Let me carry you.”

Sungmin quickly got on his knees and told me to get on his back. I refused of course but of no use since Sungmin pulled me gently towards his back. I gave in and put my arms around his neck. He stood up and carried me to the dock. I can feel his warm breath on my arm with his every step. His arms and back that carried me also feels the same. It made me comfortable. As I rested my chin on his shoulder, I heard him sigh. I couldn’t tell how he felt, but me, I’m in bliss.

I saw Donghae approaching with concern on his face.

“Is she alright?” he asked Sungmin. “Are you alright?” he asked me.

“I’m fine.”

“She’s okay. Just got off balance back there. Here,” he said, handing Donghae the fruits we bought, me still in his back.

“I can get off now,” I insisted.

“No, not until you’re in the chair.”

“Then I’ll take her from here,” Donghae butted in.

“I can handle it,” Sungmin insisted, continuing his pace to the dock.

The place is getting dark and the boys set up a campfire in the river bank. All boats are now docked on their respective places. Six fishes are now slowly getting cooked over the fire and the five of us, sitting around the fire, are happily singing Super Junior songs.

I was beside Sungmin who is brilliantly strumming his guitar. Eunhyuk and Leeteuk, sat opposite us,  are doing a duet of [Miracle]. Donghae, just a few steps from me, is happily beating the bottom of a bucket, beating along the with the song’s lyrics.

“Yeah! This is the life!” Eunhyuk withheld, throwing his hands up in the air.

“I know. We should do this more often. We should drag, and I mean DRAG, Heechul along,” Leetuek said, lying on Eunhyuk’s out stretched legs.

“The fishes are ready. Let’s eat!” Donghae said, after checking one of the fishes.

We all ate happily. Sungmin was offering me bits of fish with his chopsticks and I would continuously decline. Leeteuk would secretly throw glances at us and smile to himself. He would nudge Eunhyuk on his elbow and point at us. Upon noticing this, I purposely diverted my sight to Donghae, just to get the two nosy monkey’s speculations wrong. NO! WE ARE NOT A COUPLE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

Donghae went on munching his own fish.

“This is the fish that I caught,” he said out of nowhere, looking at the head of the fish in his plate, astonished.

“Why of course. Families know each other. You’re Fishy, right?”

COLD~

URGH. Why did I have to say that…?

But then, their awkward smiles turned to bursting laughter. Nice rescue

____________________________________________________________________________

Is this long or is it just me?

~Crina