“Okay... Jiyong, what kind of surprise is this?” Dara couldn’t help but laugh as she stared at a bike that Jiyong brought to school today. No black motorcycle, no helmets, just an old-fashioned bike.

“You once said you haven’t ride a bike for a long time, that’s why I bring this today.”

“But I don’t even remember about me saying that! How could you...ah, Jiyong, you’re so full of surprises.”

“Now come, sit here,” he commanded, as he tapped the backseat of his bike. Dara awkwardly sat with her legs hanging down on the right side.

“This is different than motorcycle...I never ride a bike at the backseat, by the way,” she chuckled nervously, “Can you make sure that I won’t fall down?”

“You just need to hold on to me tightly.”

She tugged the hem of his shirt.

“I said, hold on tight like this,” Jiyong suddenly grabbed both of Dara’s arm and intertwined them over his torso. She failed to notice the warmth that suffocating her face slowly.

“Ready?”

Dara was about to shook her head, but before she could answer him, he stepped on the pedal immediately. As the bike slided off, she shrieked in fear.

“What? Me, dancing with you?” Dara’s voice already became normal after riding the bike for ten minutes, but then it turned out loud again after Jiyong asked her to be his dance partner for school’s annual party. “No, no, no. You can’t expect me to do so. I can’t.”

“Why? You already have a partner?” Jiyong asked while riding the bike.

“No, no, it’s because...I’m just-“

“Don’t tell me that you can’t dance.”

She let out a heavy sigh.

“I should’ve known before,” he lightly smirked. “Relax. All you have to do is just moving your feet left, right, forward, and backward. That’s all.”

“Ji, I’m not stupid. Dancing is not as easy as you said,” Dara poked his back. “It’s not a good idea to embarrass myself in front of everyone. You, too. Aren’t you afraid if your reputation may be broken down to the lowest level after dancing with me?”

“You’re worrying too much,” he chuckled, “besides, why should I be afraid if you’re my partner? I don’t care how horrible your dance is. I just want you to accompany me dancing, because I don’t wanna look stupid if I do it alone.”

“There are many girls out there hoping for you to become their partner.”

“Are you jealous because of my popularity?”

She scoffed.

He added, “Don’t worry, I just want you.”

Dara, somehow, couldn’t suppress the red burst on her cheeks because of Jiyong’s simple answer. She secretly thanked because he wasn’t able to see her face. “But you’ll be looking more stupid if you dance with me.”

“I said I don’t care. So? Yes or yes?”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, if you keep insisting...”

“Does that mean yes?”

“You give me no other choices.”

Jiyong grinned, “Don’t worry, no one from us will get embarrased.”

“By the way, where are we going? This is not the way towards home.”

“I’ll show you.”

“Wow! This is just...wow!”

Dara exclaimed as she sprinted toward the green grasses and ran around like a little girl. Her feet then stopped and she threw her sight to the view that was extended beyond the hill—a great scenery of the bright blue sky meeting the deep blue sea—as she sighed, admiring the beauty that God has created for the world. She closed her eyes to feel the spring breeze caressing all over her body.

Jiyong stood not far from her place, observing her reaction from top to toe. Her relaxed face was very stunning in his very eyes, and somehow, the way she smiled to feel and enjoy the breeze was like recovering back his energy after riding the bicycle for approximately one hour.

“Jiyong, this is beautiful,” Dara breathed.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she turned her face towards him, and the moment when the wind blew her hair softly, from behind her back, was also  the moment when Jiyong realized something.

It looked really obvious on his face, made Dara asked him in bewilderment.

“What is it?”

He tried to put up a smile, “Nothing.”

Both of them were laying on the green grass and they shared a moment together to look up to the blue sky above them. Sometimes they talked about the clouds that had weird shapes, or how nice the weather was, or the other things. Most of the time were spent in silence. Both of them were like drowned in their own thoughts. Or maybe flew away to the blue sky, between the clouds, and tried to find something unknown.

“Ji?” Dara called out.

“Hmm?”

“I can’t make into words how much I feel happy today,” she softly said, “Thank you.”

“I don’t do something great, I just want to bring you here because I think you’ll like it.”

“Knowing that you have some efforts to make me happy is such a...you know what? Like, you’ve made me as an important person,” she chuckled, “I’m sorry, does it sound weird?”

“No, don’t apologize, please,” he added, “because I really intended to make you like that.”

“What can I say? You make me fluttered.”

“Does that mean I’m successful at planting my charms inside you?”

“Kind of,” she sticked out her tongue.

Jiyong curved a smile on his lips, then he caressed her hair carefully. “Your hair stinks.”

“Really? I washed it last night...”

“Kidding. I never knew you have a very smooth hair.”

Then they went back to their own thoughts, until Jiyong spoke up again, “Why are you so mysterious?”

“You want to know why?”

“Tell me.”

Dara shifted her position to face Jiyong, then she leaned closer towards his ear, and somehow her soft whispers gave a tingling sensation inside his ear.

“I’m an alien.”

He bursted into a laugh. “Yeah, right.”

“Believe me. I’m an alien and I’m carrying a mission from my planet out there.” she continued as she pointed up to the sky.

He decided to play along with her game. “Okay, so, what kind of mission is that?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s an unspeakable secret.”

“It’s an unspeakable secret,” he imitated her. “You always say that.”

“Once if I already finish the mission, I’ll tell you.”

“When is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“And if it’s finished, will you go back to your planet?”

“Maybe.”

“Does that mean...” he paused, “you’re going to leave me?”

Dara gave a look at him before shrugging, “I don’t know.”

“Hey,” Jiyong called out, “you’re not going to leave me, right?”

She was puzzled. She had no idea whether or not this was still a ‘game’.

But she knew, no matter if it was still a game or not, she would answer, “Never.”

Both of them were laying on the green grass for no one knows how long, until Dara fell asleep in Jiyong’s arm.

“Yah, wake up,” he poked her cheek.

She remained closing her eyes.

“Wake up, little rabbit. Time to go home.”

He decided to give up because there were no response from the sleeping girl. He turned his face, to have a better look at her face. He gazed at the features on it—her shutted-eyes, her nose, her cheeks, and her lips. Something urged him to her earlobe, and then he tightened his embrace, forced her body to keep close to him.

Being close to her like this, with a girl that he just knew for a short time, miraculously could convince him to stay forever. Clarity, peace, and serenity—that was all he could describe. For the first time of his life, he never felt so sure that someone can give him a safe, trustworthy, and pacifying place.

He closed his eyes and whispers, “Don’t ever leave, okay?”