Chapter 3

Ryu Sarang was a close second to meeting her demise. Upon seeing the scattered trees and the flowing river below, her heart roared like a coming earthquake. Above her, she could make out Baekhyun's figure. Baekhyun, crouched down and hand extended, shouted, “Take my hand!” Without a second thought, she grasped his hand. Baekhyun scurried towards the edge of the mound on his feet, but gravitation did not do him justice. His feet glided downwards. She prepared for the worst.

Sarang watched him as he staggered back and forth. When he caught himself, her hand almost slipped away from his grip. Baekhyun held her hand firmly, slightly squeezing it. "I'm not gonna let go of you," he assured. "Trust me,” She looked into his penetrating eyes and made a small, quick gesture. Acknowledging her signal, he used the muscles in his arms to pull her up from the edge of the hill. They were flung on to the ground. Baekhyun lay motionless on his back.

“Baekhyun-ah!” Her hand trembled as it touched his pale, cold cheek. She called his name over and over with each plea gradually becoming hopeless. I’m such an idiot. Because of me, he got hurt. Tears prickled from the corners of her eyes. Baekhyun awoke to the shower of hot tears thumping against his cheeks. He gave a moment’s thought. “How long was I out?” He inquired.  His eyes brushed over to Sarang, awaiting her response. He watched as she dragged her hands away from her remorseful face. “Not too long,” She managed to say in the midst of her sobs. But his eyes were fixed on something else. A deep, narrow gash was visible on her left hand. He reached his hand out to touch hers.

“Hey, it’s over now… so, don’t cry.”

“I can’t stop,” she whimpered under her breath.

Baekhyun threw his arms around her fragile, thin body and pulled her close. It didn’t take a second before she buried her face in his chest and wept. Her emotions poured uncontrollably as they were too much to fit inside her petite frame.

At a situation like this, Baekhyun could care less of the fact that she was drenching his shirt with her waterworks. He went with what seemed best for the mood and to start, he her hair tenderly. “It’s alright now.” He soothed as if he merely talked to a baby.

From behind a tree, Chanyeol witnessed the scene. He had an urge to speak out, but was restrained by fellow member Sehun.

“Pretend it never happened,” Sehun said, keeping his voice low and the conversation to a minimum. Chanyeol cocked his head to the side, and an eerie smile escaped his mouth. “Fine, let’s play pretend.” His response was almost sarcastic.

Their distorted voices echoed through the forest, eventually reaching to the other side. Baekhyun looked up, startled by the muddle of rustling bushes and the hissing wind.

“Sarang-ah, we need to go back and treat your hand.” Within seconds, she breaks away from the embrace, her face flustered and her eyes red.

Baekhyun fixes his eyes on the bushes. From where he stood, two heads were visible. He wasn’t amused when he saw Chanyeol and Sehun’s faces peeking from behind the shrubs.

Baekhyun sighed tediously, “Oh, it’s just you guys.” He ran his fingers through his bangs which fell naturally over his forehead. “Were you guys watching the whole time?” He queried. A tint of red was obvious on his milky white skin.

“No,” Sehun said casually.

Chanyeol scrabbled his way out of the bushes. His face didn’t look too content.

 “Are you two alright?” Chanyeol asked in a serious voice rather than his usual jovial tone. .

Baekhyun shook his head gravely. His eyes flicked over to the wound on Sarang’s hand. Warm blood oozed from the cut.

“I’ll be more careful next time,” She promised as her hands hovered above the gash. Chanyeol was well aware of the wound. “Let me treat it.” He said, taking her hand in his. He ripped a section of his shirt and poured the remnants of water from his flask over it. Gently, he dabbed on the wound. She winced at the unpleasant sensation. Chanyeol is mysteriously kind, she thought. The Chanyeol that towered over her exposed an affectionate demeanor she hasn’t seen. It was a different kindness, one that was sincere.

After a minute, the blood had soaked through the cloth. Chanyeol took off his thin jacket and wrapped it around her hand. He secured a knot at the end. “I’m sorry, it’s all I can do,” He looked at her, only to see a nuance of pink on her cheeks. She shook her head briskly. “Thank you, Chanyeol.”

“Anytime,” he said, running his hands through his fluffy hair. “If it gets worse, we should let the nurse have a look at it.”

Baekhyun stepped in. “I just got a call. Suho and Kyungsoo are waiting for us at the auditorium.”

Chanyeol glanced at her. “Let’s hurry back,” he said beaming. Sarang blew out a sigh. The Chanyeol that looked seriously cool just now returned to his usual, vibrant façade.

Baekhyun followed him silently. An uncomfortable atmosphere garnered amongst the two of them and Sarang was anxious to find out what it was.

For some reason, Sehun stayed behind, waiting for Sarang. “Is something wrong?” He asked.

She looked up after she’s been immersed in her thoughts.

I have to be honest. At this point, there’s no turning back.

She took a deep breath. “Sehun, let’s assume you’ve been keeping a secret from all of your friends. You chose to keep quiet because revealing the truth would deteriorate the friendship. How would you resolve that situation?”

He smiled as if he’d been expecting this kind of thing from her. “Well, you can’t always run from reality. I would tell them the truth despite the odds of losing the friendship. The damage that it inflicts to your friends may not be as bad as you think.”

“I see,” she said, nodding her head slowly. She tapped her finger against her chin, a simple gesture that made him aware she was overthinking it.

I have to tell them tonight.

As they made their way back, Sehun took the initiative to hold her hand. His abrupt actions took her by surprise. Since when did he become so bold?

Upon their return, Kyungsoo and Suho were waiting outside for them, their expression restless. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were nowhere to be found.

I’m worried, she thought. Are they having a quarrel?

Kyungsoo approached her. His compassionate, round eyes met hers. “Sarang-ah, are you alright?” He asked, observing her hand, which had been secured by Chanyeol’s jacket. “N-Ne.” She replied, her voice a tad bit shaky.

Suho bobbed his head up and down. “We were concerned about you. Anyway, the two haven’t made their way back?” By two, he was referring to Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

“Ah, those two couldn’t get any closer.”  Kyungsoo said, implying heavily on his words. He glanced at her. “Don’t worry, Sarang-ah. It’s not your fault. They’ll be back soon.”