Haneul shaded her eyes as she peered out the car window. It seemed brighter in the countryside, compared to the city life she was used to. She didn't like it. The heat, the emptiness, the lack of civilization, it all made her hate herself for agreeing to take this road trip. Of course, she wasn't really the one to blame for getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Her mom had basically forced her to go on this trip. She had said that Haneul needed the fresh air and a break from the computer screen she was so used to staring at. But this was just torture. No tv, no cell phone service, no wifi, no laptop, nothing. She was stranded in the wilderness.

She sighed heavily. She had already been on the trip for a couple weeks and only one more week remained. Then she'd be back to her beloved computer. "Wait for me, I'll come back to you soon baby," she thought as she pictured her laptop sitting unused on the coffee table of her mother's house.

Haneul focused her attention back on the road. She would be arriving at the last stop on her long journey any minute now. She peered closely as the signs flew past. And then she saw it. A small sign signalling that the next turn would take her to the village she had decided to visit. The place wasn't anything special, and Haneul knew that, but it fit the requirements her mother had laid down for her: small, quiet, quaint, surrounded by nature, and far away from any large city.

She drove a few miles down the road before she found herself in the center of the town. If it could even be called a town. There was almost nothing there. A small cluster of shops and stores surrounded by a few country style houses and dirt roads leading off into the large expanse of woods that completely engulfed the village. She sighed. This wasn't how she had been hoping to spend her summer.

Haneul looked around for a moment, taking in her surroundings. There was a small supermarket, a post office, a general store, a gas station, a store with fishing gear, and a small run-down looking motel. Haneul thanked the lord that she wouldn't have to stay there. Another reason she had picked to visit this town was because of the easy accommodations. Her aunt lived somewhere in the outskirts in a small house with a view of nothing but endless trees. The only problem now was finding which dirt road led to that house.

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask someone..." Haneul whispered to herself. She didn't see anyone out and about, so she parked her car on the side of the road and took a deep breath before marching into the general store.

Inside, the little shop looked like a perfect reflection of the atmosphere the town had. It was small and quaint, but organized and clean. It made the store look almost cute despite the lack of color. But what really bothered Haneul was the silence. It was deafening. The only noise that could be heard was the muffled chirp of birds. She hated that. Having grown up with the noises of the city constantly echoing in her mind, they had become a comfort blanket that was wrapped securely around her at all times. It was homey. But now this silence made Haneul feel empty inside, like the ground she stood on had been taken out from beneath her. She wanted to shout, to fill the void, but her conscience got the best of her.

She stood there for a moment, frozen. Then someone spoke. The voice came from behind the counter and Haneul turned to face the source, having been slightly relaxed by the sound of another person's voice.

"Hi there," Haneul said, barely recognizing her own voice. "Um, I was wondering if you could give me some directions."

The boy behind the counter smiled. He was young, probably about Haneul's age, and not so bad looking. As a matter of fact, he was gorgeous. Haneul caught herself staring, and quickly diverted her eyes, pretending to read a sign on the wall.

"Where do you need directions too? I should be able to help." The boys voice made it sound almost like he was singing.

"To, uh, Choi Jinmi's house."

The boy looked confused for a second, and then his face brightened and a big smile spread across his face. "Oh! You must be Jinmi-ssi's niece! I heard you were coming, but the way she described you I was expecting a little girl to come in asking for her." He laughed quietly, enjoying a private joke and Haneul shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. She had never been the best at making conversation, that was another reason she preferred the city life. There she was simply able to disappear into a crowd. Here she was exposed, and there was no one for her to hide behind.

"Well," Haneul tried to continue the conversation, "the last time I saw her was nine years ago, so I was 14 at the time."

The boy furrowed his brow, and looked at her suspiciously. "But that would make you 23 now." Haneul nodded. The boy looked surprised. "Really? you look so much younger!"

Haneul crossed her arms and frowned, "I do not!"

"I didn't mean it like that," he tried to recover from his slipup, "I just meant that you're cute." He stopped for a second and realized what he had said, his eyes growing wider as Haneul looked at him. "But not like that! I mean cute like a little kid cute! Like I could pinch your cheeks cute! But I won't cause that's weird... But I didn't mean you're cute as in attractive. Not that you're not attractive! But not that I think you are, it's just-"

Haneul cut him off with a laugh. The entire time he'd been ranting, his face had been getting redder and redder and by now it was as bright as the tomatoes on the counter. He huffed and looked away, obviously embarassed.

"I'm sorry," Haneul managed between laughs, "that just seems exactly like something I would say."

The boy looked surprised for a second and laughed slightly to himself. "You're weird. But funny at the same time. I'm Lee Minhyuk by the way, my family owns this store."

Haneul smiled as she gained control of herself again. "I'm Haneul, Jinmi-ssi's niece. I'm here on vacation for a week. It's nice to meet you." Haneul flashed one of the smiles she was told could melt anybody's heart.

Minhyuk smiled just as brightly. "Well if you're going to her house, I can show you the way. I have a delivery to give her anyway."

"That'd be great!" Haneul was glad she'd have someone to show her the way. She often got lost when she was on her own.

Minhyuk led her out of the store and headed straight for a small path off to the side.

Haneul was torn between whether she should follow or hop in her car. "Um, are you gonna drive?" she asked.

Minhyuk shook his head. "Cars can't go on this path. Jinmi-ssi hates them. You can leave your car there, no one will steal it I promise." With those words, Haneul felt like she had been stripped . Finally the last piece of modern technology she owned had been taken away from her. First the laptop, then the phone, now the car. The last tie she had to home had just been cut.

Without fully realizing what she was doing, she grabbed her luggage, locked the car, and followed Minhyuk on foot down the path. Roots were sticking out of the ground and weeds sprinkled the small path that wound through the trees. Haneul tripped and stumbled on multiple occasions and Minhyuk chuckled. "You're not very used to walking in the woods, are you?" he asked.

Haneul shook her head. "I'm from the city... I've honestly never been a big fan of this whole nature thing."

Minhyuk's face dropped a little. "But it's so gorgeous! The trees, the animals, the lakes... it's all so peaceful." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. "And the air is so fresh." Haneul rolled her eyes.

They continued along, making small talk as they went. They talked about simple things, like why Haneul was there, how long she'd be staying, things about the town. It was nothing special and Haneul couldn't stop thinking about the car she had left at the side of the general store.

When they reached Jinmi's house, Haneul barely had a moment to take it in before she found herself engulfed in a big bear hug.

"I've been expecting you! Oh my Haneul, you really have grown up since the last time I saw you! But it's so good to see you again! Come inside, I have your room all set up and lunch is just waiting. And I see you've met Minhyuk, he's such a sweetheart, isn't he? He helps me out so much. You're welcome to eat with us too! Come inside both of you!" Jinmi continued to babble on in what seemed to be one huge sentence. Haneul couldn't even get a word in as her aunt talked seemingly without end.

She glanced over at Minhyuk as they climbed the porch stairs to the house and he shrugged. He leaned slightly closer and whispered, "She's usually like this, but you get used to it." Haneul sighed. At least she knew she wouldn't have to deal with the deafening silence while staying with her aunt.

The next few days were reasonably normal: Haneul and Jinmi talked and exchanged stories as well as news of the family, they went to the small town to shop a couple times, and Jinmi insistently tried to get Haneul out of the house so she could enjoy the nature, though the offers were always refused. But the best part of each of Haneul's days was when Minhyuk would stop by. He came by the house once or twice a day to drop off deliveries or to simply enjoy the company of the two girls. Haneul quickly learned that Minhyuk and Jinmi were close friends. Being two out of the mere eighteen people that lived in the town, they had grown reasonably close despite their differences. And it was obvious Minhyuk was overjoyed to finally have someone his age around.

He had told Haneul a little about his childhood, how he had grown up without a single kid his age within a 20 mile radius. Haneul had asked if he was often lonely, but Minhyuk told her that the trees kept him company. He was a true outdoors lover. He loved everything that had to do with nature and would often sit for hours under a tree simply enjoying his surroundings. Haneul couldn't understand what it was about nature that was so interesting to him. Until the day he finally convinced her to go on a walk with him.

It was the fourth day she was there and she already considered Minhyuk a good friend, having spent a good portion of her time with him. She sat on the porch of Jinmi's house, rocking back and forth in ther antique rocking chair when she saw the tall figure coming down the path. A smile immediately spread on her face and she waved to the man as she stood up, running down the stairs to meet him. He waved back and picked up his pace to try and beat Haneul to the bottom of the porch stairs. It was a game they had unintentionally created over the past few days. Like usual, Haneul won. Of course, she had a shorter run and Minhyuk was always sure to let the lady win. He had been taught from a young age how to treat a girl properly and he lived by it like law.

Haneul giggled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I win again!" She grinned.

Minhyuk reached the stairs a few seconds later, panting slightly and scratching the back of his neck sheepishly as he smiled. "I guess you're just too fast for me." Haneul's smile widened at seeing his grin. She liked his smile.

She motioned for him to come in the house, but he didn't budge. Instead he just smiled wider and shook his head.

Haneul tilted her head to the side. "Something wrong?"

Minhyuk shook his head again. "Nothing's wrong. But you're finally going to come on a nature walk with me."

Haneul chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

She started to walk back up the porch stairs, but Minhyuk caught her arm. She turned back to see him looking at her seriously. "Come on Haneul. Please? Just this once."

Haneul sighed. She had, after all, been sent here to enjoy the fresh air and natural environment. But that just wasn't her thing. She much preferred the technologies of the twenty first century. But for some reason she couldn't seem to resist the boy's plea. "Fine," was all she said as she walked back down the stair and stood in from of the now beaming Minhyuk.

He wasted no time and immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her down one of the many paths leading off into the woods from Jinmi's house. Haneul wondered for a second is she should let her aunt know she was going out, but brushed away the concern. Jinmi was the opposite of strict and she trusted her niece to take care of herself.

Haneul paid little attention to her surroundings as the boy pulled her along by the wrist. They walked for a good ten minutes, neither talking: Minhyuk because he was enjoying the nature and Haneul because she was thinking about when she'd get back to the house and how no one could bug her about getting some "fresh air" anymore.

It wasn't till Minhyuk came to an abrupt stop that Haneul awoke from her fantasies. He halted so suddenly that she almost ran into him. He put out a hand to signal for her to be quiet and pointed to a spot in the bushes next to the trail they were on.

Not 10 feet away, two deer sat munching on the shrubs. In between the two was a fawn, most likely not over a week or two old. It's tiny body and white spots made Haneul want to run up and cuddle it. But she knew better than to scare it away.

The two stood frozen, admiring the three deer that seemed close enough to touch. Out of no where, something moved in the brush and the deer started, taking off through the trees at a full run. Haneul let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. Minhyuk sighed too, straightening back to his normal stance.

"See how wonderful nature can be?" Minhyuk asked over his shoulder. Haneul nodded. She hadn't expected to see wildlife that close. Or for it to be so... beautiful. She was astounded and not entirely sure why.

Before she could figure it out, Minhyuk was off, grasping her arm once again. This time Haneul's mind didn't wander. Instead she looked around, searching for wildlife and admiring the lush greens of the forest around her. She picked up her pace so that she was walking side by side with Minhyuk. "It's so beautiful..." Haneul was surprised when her voice came out in a whisper. She hadn't intended to whisper, but something about the silence seemed alive and made her instinctively lower her voice.

The boy smiled knowingly and triumphantly. He replied in the same whispered tone. "I told you it would be. But the best is yet to come."

Haneul couldn't imagine what he could be talking about, but didn't bother to inquire. Her speaking seemed almost disrespectful to the silence of the woods around her.

They walked along without making a sound for another ten minutes, before Minhyuk came to a stop once again. "Here we are," he said as he glanced over to Haneul. He motioned over the slight hill that was in front of them and she climbed it with ease.

When she reached the top, her jaw dropped. A wide lake spread out over the scenery, glistening in the late afternoon sun. The water was so clear that even at a distance Haneul could make out the sandy floor. In the center was a small island, just big enough for the three trees that sat on top of it. In the middle of the trees was a space, just big enough for a blanket to be laid out on the dirt.

Minhyuk climbed the hill behind her and couldn't contain his smile at her shocked expression. "You like it?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Haneul simply nodded, unable to form words. It was more beautiful than she could've imagined. She had seen pictures of scenes like this, and she had thought that that was just as good as seeing the real thing. She had never known how wrong she had been until that moment. Between the glistening water, the chirp of birds, the smell of the crisp air, and the feel of the breeze blowing her hair back from her shoulders, she felt like this was heaven on earth.

Minhyuk stood there, letting her soak in the incredible scene before them. After a good couple minutes, he grabbed her hand to nudge her along, down the hills and to the shore of dirt around the lake. Haneul followed, still taking it all in, admiring every last bit.

When they reached the edge of the water, Minhyuk took his shoes off and Haneul followed his example. The soft dirt between her toes felt good and soothing. He disappeared behind a tree for a second and came back dragging a small wooden canoe. He walked it out a little ways into the water and motioned to Haneul. "After you." She nodded and waded into the water, hopping into the boat. He gave it a little push before getting in behind her, picking an oar out of the bottom.

Haneul oohed and ahhed at the place, asking Minhyuk dozens of questions about it as they he paddled slowly toward the island in the center. When they finally reached it, he pulled off the backpack he had been wearing. Inside was a picnic blanket and two bento boxes, one pink and the other blue. He laid the blanket in between the three trees and helped her out of the boat.

As the two ate, Haneul couldn't help but feel the situation slightly... romantic. She found herself staring at him, admiring him, and when he caught her she would look away blushing slightly. He always just laughed it off. But Haneul couldn't help herself. Trying her best to make it seem accidental, she shifted so that her hand was touching his. He jumped a little at the touch, but then relaxed, holding her hand fully. She looked away, unsure of how to interpret his action.

In one swift motion, Minhyuk pulled Haneul closer to him, enveloping her in his arms. Her eyes widened in shock. What was he doing? His lips rested in her hair as he held her to his chest. She could hear his heart beat. It was beating almost as fast as her own. She didn't know what to say, but the silence was unbearable. "Minhyuk..." Suddenly the sound of his name on her tongue sounded foreign, somehow different.

He released her, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry."

She cocked her head. "For what?"

"I didn't mean to startle you... It's just, I guess I couldn't control myself. I'm sorry."

Haneul giggled a little. He was always so respectful. "I-I kinda liked it..." She said boldly, feeling her face heat again.

He looked up suddenly, grinning. "Really?"

She nodded. "I guess... I've gotten to like you over these past few days... a lot..."

Minhyuk looked surprised, but incredibly happy. "I've... 'gotten to like you' too" he mimicked her.

She looked up into his eyes. He wasn't joking. She could tell and it make her heart beat even faster.

He looked away and scratched the back of his neck like he often did when he was embarrassed. "I know this is a selfish thing to ask but..." he trailed off. Haneul waited, looking at him with curiosity but remaining silent. "I was wondering if maybe you would consider staying out here... at least for a while longer. I'd miss you a lot if you left."

Haneul tackled him in a hug, knocking him backwards and nearly sending both of them tumbling into the water. Luckily he caught their fall in time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close in a tight embrace. "Of course I'll stay! After this... I don't think I'd be able to go back in just another three days. I have a whole forest to explore after all." She grinned and he returned the expression.

"Well I hope you don't mind if I tag along with your explorations."

She kissed his cheek. "Of course not! You're welcome any time."

He smiled. Laying there, hugging him, surrounded by beauty, hearing the soft breeze rustle the leaves, Haneul thought she was the happiest person alive. Not to mention the luckiest. She mentally thanked her mother, her aunt, and everything that had helped her reach her destination with effortless luck.