creating love.

“Just close your eyes and go to sleep,” Miyoon ordered herself as she clamped her eyelids down tightly. She yanked her sleeping bag over her head and shifted to rest on her side. Her heart was beating slightly faster than it normally did while sweat began to gather at the temple of her forehead.

She could feel a few pebbles squished underneath the tarp Hoya had laid out and her body. “This is so uncomfortable,” she grunted when a sudden rustling sound echoed from outside her tent.

At the sound, Miyoon’s body went numb as she held her breath. It’s nothing. It’s just the wind and some bushes. She mentally persuaded herself. Then she heard the crunching of branches and as she slowly lowered the cover hindering her view, she saw the shadow of a man standing right outside of her tent.

The fire the coach had started earlier at dusk was giving off light which was how she was able to catch a clear glimpse of what was waiting just outside her sleeping area. Miyoon gulped hard as she watched the man stand there for a few prolonged seconds before he raised his arms straight up in the air.

She was on the brink of screaming for her dear life when his arms lowered back to his side and he walked away. Her chest deflated with the greatest relief as she breathed in and out. “It was only one of the players, dummy. There are no axe killers out here; you’ve seen way too many horror films.”

Next, Miyoon sat up, reassured with herself that she was certainly safe.

Miyoon wasn’t normally easily frightened.

She was pretty much fearless with the exception of large bodies of water of course. But because this was her first real camping experience she didn’t really know what to expect. She couldn’t control her imaginations from running wild for they had a mind of their own. Also the fact that she had to sleep alone because she was a woman while everyone else had partners only made her feel more vulnerable to an attack.

“Count sheep, Xiazi. Maybe then I can fall asleep.” She nodded in agreement with the idea and as she laid back down, she stared up at the roof of her tent which was composed of thin fabrics any knife could slice through without a problem.

Miyoon started counting the white and fluffed up creatures in her mind when the hooting of owls and more rustling resonated through the place. She cringed and felt an army of chills streaming down her spine. And at the moment, Miyoon knew she couldn’t stay by herself any longer because if she was getting goosebumps during a hot summer night like this, something wasn’t right.

Without thinking if there could be someone seriously waiting outside to slaughter her, Miyoon ped the door to her tent, poked her head out and looked over to where Hoya’s tent was stationed.

It was just a mere few yards away from her.

Miyoon then bit down on her bottom lip, not sure if running into his tent and disrupting his sleep would be such a grand gesture. But what resembled the howling of a wolf rung through the trees and her eyes widened and before she could stop herself, her legs bolted to Hoya’s tent.

She hastily ped the contraption and tripped inside.

Luckily for Miyoon, she hadn’t landed on anyone. When another howling reached her ears, she whipped around still standing on her knees and hastily closed the entryway to the confined space.

Once the deed was completed, Miyoon heaved out a sigh and pressed her hand over her chest. “You’re okay now,” she whispered.

It was silent until some indistinct groaning skipped around in the tent, causing her to peer over her shoulder where she found Hoya and Minhyun sleeping with their backs faced to each other. Her heart which she had managed to calm down seconds ago, thumped like it had done earlier as she tried to quiet it.

Carefully, she crawled over to where Hoya was and sat there as dead as a rock. She altered her position so now her was connected with the ground while she pulled her knees into her chest. Her chin plopped on top of her knees as she eyed the place. There wasn’t much of a difference from her own tent yet Miyoon felt much more secure.

She knew there were no steel walls warding of anything dangerous but it seemed like there was to her.

After, her eyes found their way to Hoya’s sleeping figure and Miyoon could sense the blush flooding her cheeks. As she sat there without making a single sound, she found herself to be restless. It was random but her body and mind felt replenished and refused to sleep.

A smile graced her lips as she traced every detail of Hoya’s handsome face into her mind. Then he shifted a little and gradually his eyes fluttered open.

At first, his vision was blurry and fuzzy. He wasn’t able to see much but the outline of a person. When his eyes readjusted, he was surprised to discover Miyoon sitting there and looking at him. His brows kissed at the center as he blinked constantly. Is this a dream?

He stared longer at her waiting for her to disappear but when she blinked back at him, he realized this was reality. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and scratched his head. He glanced at Minhyun who was still sleeping before he returned his attention to Miyoon. “Wh-what are you doing in here?” he muttered.

Miyoon stretched her legs out and looked at her feet. “I couldn’t sleep,” she replied.

He put on a questioning expression before he scooted in closer to her. “Still, you’re a woman. How can you enter a tent full of only men? Go back to your own tent and try to go to bed.”

Miyoon shook her head, “I couldn’t sleep even if I were to take a whole bottle of sleeping pills.” She confessed as she rubbed her forearm, embarrassed. “I’m not accustomed to sleeping in the woods especially without my geges by my side. No wonder my parents only let us camp in the yard.”

Hoya softened as he yawned and stood up. He reached out a hand and Miyoon accepted. He hauled her to her feet and they both dusted their shorts. “I’m sorry for making you come then. I should have asked about how you felt about sleeping out in the woods.”

“Ani. It’s not your fault. I wanted to come and try,” Miyoon differed.

They both exited the tent, not wanting to wake up Minhyun. “What’s keeping you up then?” he asked.

Miyoon kicked the grass which swayed with the force she exerted before her shoulders slumped in shame. “Everything.”

“Everything?” Hoya repeated. “What do you mean?”

“All the rustling and the hooting and the howling. I can’t sleep without images of a serial killer on the loose ready to attack me popping into my head every second,” she explained sadly.

“Oh, I see.” Hoya mumbled trying his best not to sound tired. “Hold on,” He his heels and was about to reenter his tent when she tugged back on his arm.

“Where are you going?” she nearly shrieked as her eyes darted around the campsite. The fire flickered behind her, illuminating her presence as he smiled at her.

“It’ll only be a second,” he told her before removing her hand and going back inside. A few seconds later, he kept his word and came back outside but this time with his Zune in hand. “If you listen to this, you won’t be able to hear anything.” He placed the headphone around her neck, handed her the music player and walked her back to her tent.

He was waiting for her to enter but she just stood outside, looking at the Zune player in her possession.

“Can’t you stay with me until I fall asleep then?” she murmured quietly.

Hoya didn’t hear her that well, “What was that?”

She lifted her head up to lock eyes with him, “Nothing. Komawo, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.” Miyoon bowed to him and slipped inside her tent. She zipped it up and climbed into her sleeping bag. Throwing the headphones over her ears, she hit the shuffle button and as music consumed her ears, she peered up to see Hoya’s shadow from outside.

She exha