Chapter 2
Enemy Lines
As soon as the plane boarded and we were allowed to get off, I directly went to the closest bathroom. I splashed my face with ice cold water and shook my head, trying to forget what happened on the plane. I'm just tired that's all, once I get a good nights sleep I'll be better. I thought as I dried my face with a paper towel. I walked out with my head down as I thought on where I was going to stay, since I forgot to book the hotel room when I felt myself run into someone.
-oof!-
A purse fell to the ground with all the contents inside scattering all over the place. I kneeled and helped the girl pick up her stuff.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry. I should've been looking where I was going. Here" I handed her the last thing as I got up and dusted off my pants.
"Oh no haha it's ok I was also my fault. Thank you." She sounded so familiar... I looked up and looked at her straight on and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"So-So-So-Soohee ah?! AHHH!"
"AH BAOWWIE!!"
We hugged each other tightly, while jumping in circles and screaming like we were at a concert, gathering stares. I was about to burst into tears, it had been quite a while since I last saw my best friend.
"Aw, no hug for handsome ole Hyunnie?" I pulled out of our hug and looked behind her, seeing a tall male walk towards us. I flipped out.
"Hyunnie!!" I ran towards him when Soohee let me go. He caught me in a big hug, twirling me around like a child.
"Haha I missed you Baobao!" He let me go and Soohee came next to me, grabbing my arm.
"Bao! How's everything been! It's been awhile! Too much time apart, I can't believe I couldn't stay in touch with you guys. Our parents said we would be back but then something happened making us stay. I feel so bad for not being able to stay in touch." She pouted.
"It's ok, I was going to wait for you guys or like call you parents or something. But I missed you two so much! I hope your family is doing well now though right? And everythings great with me, just came from Seoul after visiting family in China. How bout you guys? Where'd you come from? How long are you staying?"
"Yes everyone's great, especially after Goochan's recovery. He can walk and run now but we still have to keep an eye on him. I'm so proud of that little kid's strength..." she smiled and wiped a tear before continuing. "We came from a small vacation we were on with them in Japan before coming here, to our real vacation. And we plan on staying here a little more than half a year, how about you?"
"Same!" I clapped my hands hearing that we would stay the same amount of time. I wondered, though, where they were going to stay for such a long period of time. "So where exactly are you guys going to stay?"
"Oh in a apartment. They let us rent until we leave. And what a great deal! It's huge and close by the beach. It's so calming...But Bao where you staying?" She turned to me as we walk to get our bags.
"Oh, well I'm not so sure right now...but I'll figure it out soon!" I flashed her a smile
"Oh! Noona can we go get coffee at a cafe? I'm in the mood for some right. Ah especially after such a long flight." He yawned and stretched his arms. He was still the little kid I used to know haha.
"Uh sure. Baowwie you want to join us?" She grabbed her bag and I nodded. Coffee sounded good right now.
"Yay!!" Hyun jumped and hugged me. I laughed and grabbed my bag.
We headed out of the airport and waited for a taxi to pass by. Hyun kept on complaining, wondering when a taxi would pass by. We giggled as the grown man continued to act like a child. We sat on a bench and just watched him talk to himself, kicking the ground. People who walked by laughed or looked at him weird making us laugh even more. Then he started to sing to himself softly. Then he broke into dance leaving us speechless.
"You better run run run run run! Deoneun mot bwa geodeocha jullae..." He danced and sang SNSD's Run Devil Run leaving my mouth wide open. He really hadn't changed a bit...
"Bao, let's leave him and see if he notices us leave." She whispered as she smiled mischievously and I can see that she hadn't changed either.
"Yah! Taxi! Let's go guys!" Hyun said, he ran to the bags and loaded them on. I laughed and followed Soohee who sulked a little.
We got in and left to the closest cafe, it was getting lighter out now, since we got here at dawn, so the smell of the coffee as we entered woke me up instantly as it calmed my body. It filled my lungs, leaving me relaxed. We got the biggest table so we can put our stuff in the extra seats. Once we ordered our drinks, I ate the little doughnut I got before.
I looked around and saw what a difference it was compared to Korea and China but I saw the some similarities. I suppose I won't get homesick...Across from me, Soo and Hyun were fighting about who would get to chose their food budget and stuff like that when finally our drinks came. Thinking of them talk about an apartment left me a little appalled. We were still teens and I was actually younger. I kept on thinking about that as I toke a sip of the coffee when Hyun noticed my silence.
"So Baowwie, do you remember the old times? Like the elementary adventures?"
"Oh yeah! I remember them like it was yesterday!"
"I remember the one when we skipped lunch just to go to the big old tree in the middle of the forest behind the school." Soohee said. Then that day flooded right to my head.
Flashback
"Hyunnie, where's Soo? We told her to meet us after class before lunch started. Aish she better have not ditched again. The old tree will never forgive us." I said as I pouted, this was the second time Soo pulled a trick on us. She didn't believe the tree had feelings like me and Hyunnie did. She was into the scientific side of things. I just wanted to believe and Hyun was with me on that.
"I don't know Baobao, I hope we can go see it before it thinks we bailed...It seemed angry last time." He dropped in disappointment his older sister caused him.
I rubbed his arm to comfort him, he looked up at me "Don't worry! If she doesn't come soon, we'll go by ourselves. We know the way back by now!" I smiled as I saw his mood shift but luckily Soohee came running towards us.
"Aigoo...sorry guys! -huff- My teacher held me over to ask if I would be in the talent show. Let's go!" She grabbed my arm and I grabbed Hyun's as we ran out the back towards the forest.
"Hmm, pass the mossy rock in the shape of a half moon...go right after the baby tree...forty paces to the north...AH! Here we are!" She talked to herself , surprising us when she announced our arrival. I jumped high and almost fell but the Hyun caught me.
-Oof!-
"Caught you! Haha"
"Oh! Thank you Hyunnie!" I gave him a hug, Soohee did a gagging action. I looked at her with a confused face and back to Hyun who had his long hair blocking his face. His cheeks were pink.
"Well here is the tree! Are we going to talk to it or not?!" I sensed a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"No! You have to wait for it to wake up and talk to us. Let's play cards till it does. It always wakes when lunch starts so it must not be long till it does." I sat down on the soft grass that surrounded the humongous tree. The long branches that nearly touched the ground made it look like a fountain of leaves. It was beautiful and provide a bunch of shade and made the perfect resting/ picnic area.
"Ugh fine! But we better not be late to class!" Soo sulked as she slumped onto the ground, arms crossed across her chest.
"Don't worry unnie! It always sends me and Hyun back to class before lunch gets out." I toke the cards out and got the game set-up. Then Hyun's stomach growled so loud making us laugh hard.
"Wah~ I haven't had anything to eat yet! I should've brought my lunch ah!" He whined and pouted as he rubbed his stomach.
"Here you can have the lunch I packed. I'm not so hungry." I gave him my lunch that I had in my bag. I toke out the snacks I had for after school and ate that. I guess I won't have anything to munch on when I walk home. Luckily I don't live far.
"Omo! Thank you Bowwie!" He grabbed it and sat next to me. He watched me and Soo play war until I saw the tree slowly start to shake it's branches with the breeze. I stopped and listened carefully.
"Guys, it's just the-"
"SHH!" We shushed her and listened again.
The breeze made the leaves dance happily while it also made the different sized holes in the bark whistle a beautiful and calming song. I closed my eyes and smiled.
"I'm going, this is boring. You guys know how to go back.." I opened my eyes had saw Soo's back to us. I sat back down on the grass and felt bad that she didn't see the beauty we saw.
"What's wrong Bao?" Hyun sat next to me wearing a concerned look on his face.
-sigh- "It's just I'm kinda sad that Soo doesn't see what we see in this tree...It's just so pretty and she's the one that found it so she should be proud but all she shows is boredom when she's here." I pouted and I felt his hand pull the strand of hair that was flying and put it behind my ear.
"Don't worry. This can be our friendship tree. As long as we're friends, it'll stay alive; like our friendship!" He grinned at me making me feel happy like I was before.
"Promise?"
"Promise!" He opened his arms wide and I gave him a hug. The warm feeling of our friendship made me feel safe.
The tree began to dance crazed with excitement and happiness. I looked up with awe but then I heard branches break and someone get angry. Me and Hyun turned towards the exit and the heard Soo.
"Ow. Ow. Ow, ow , ow , ow, OW!~ Ah! Help anyone?!"
"We're coming Unnie!"
"Haha nice going noona!" Hyun laughed as I ran to aid her. When I got to her I saw her braid get stuck in a high branch. Her arms were crossed and she wore an angry face.
"Soo how'd you do that!?"
"Takes a true genius to get their hair stuck in a tree's branch keke." Hyun snickered. I went to her and tried to get it out but it was snared in leaves and other small branches twined into it. And me being short didn't help me much.
"Ah, I'm to short...hmmm" I looked for a rock to climb but then I felt myself be lifted off the ground. Underneath I saw Hyun smiling at me.
"You better hurry before the birds come and peck her eyes out for being so sour."
"Yah! Dongseng shut up! Nothing's poking my eyes out!" She said but sounded a little scared while looking up.
"Got it!" I cheered as saw her pull away from the branch. Hyun put me down and gave me a high five then I felt something tickle my back and I went crazy.
"AH! Snake!" I ran screaming at the top of my lungs. I heard the two behind me laugh.
"Oh Baooo."
"Hey don't talk, you're the one that looks like Frankienstein's bride on one side!" Hyun snickered and then I turned and saw Soo stomp away. He was still laughing when all the sudden.
"AHH! KILLER MOTH!!"
We looked at Hyun struggle to run away from the butterfly. He ran and screamed, sounding like a girl. We laughed and laughed then he finally managaed to make it to where we were. He was hunched over in front of us, breathless.
"Not..funny..guys.."
"No, it was PRICELESS!" We both laughed
"Aish..." He walked ahead of us and then we finally left the forest to head to the lunch room. The bell hadn't rung to dimiss us to class so I got some food to save for after. I thought of how the tree danced and how happy the song sounded which put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
Present
"Haha you face was priceless Bao, you screamed so hard." He snickered
"Hey you screamed like a girl though! It was just a butterfly too!"
"No! A KILLER Moth!"
"Nope! Butterfly!"
"Well you're the one that look crazy with your hair!" I said laughing. We soon all started laughing at the things that happened to us then. The memory of the tree popped in my head every now and then which always managed to put a smile on my face still.
"Well Baowwie ah where are you staying?" Soo suddenly asked.
"Oh...haha ahh well.. I'm not sure still..haha. Maybe a hotel?" I rubbed the back of my neck. I felt so stupid for not looking for a place.
"How bout you stay with us! We have a extra room! Come on it'll be awesome! And we can catch up and hang out!" Soohee said trying to convince me to stay but I felt like I would be a burden..
"Ah but I don't want to intrude into your temporary home..." She shook her head and then grabbed my hand.
"Mhmm no, you're staying with us. Hotels will cost too much for that much time and we got a great deal, it would be a waste." I couldn't help but smile and nod.
"Yay! We're roommates now!" Hyun said happily me and Soohee clapped. I felt the same warmth that I felt that one day infront of the tree with Hyun. I smiled and finished my coffee and then we set off to the apartment. The happiness made me feel like I was young again.
Comments