THE PAST

"Why isn't that Jerkface back yet?" Minjung paced in front of the tent worriedly.

Sooyeon was just doing her makeup and enjoying the shade in the tent, totally not bothered by Kibum's late arrival. Jaejoong on the other hand, had already come back from the hunt at least 2 hours ago.

Minjung's brows furrowed worriedly as she clenched her heart.

It was beating so hard. She had this gut feeling that something wasn't right. She was scared. DAMN SCARED.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Kibum's just too engrossed in hunting today that he..." Jaejoong faltered as he stared ahead.

Minjung raised her brows and turned her head in the direction Jaejoong was looking at.

Minjung's heart stopped.

There was a horse galloping towards the tent. A full black stallion. Kibum's horse.

"KIM KIBUM!" Minjung ran towards the horse, tears starting to fall continuously down her cheeks. She stopped the horse and patted him. "Tell me! Where is Kim Kibum! WHERE IS JERKFACE!"

Jaejoong pulled Minjung away. "Calm down Minjung ah." Jaejoong persuaded, his face pale in shock. His brother was stuck in the forest without his horse. Something must have happened.

"How can I calm down?" Minjung sobbed. "Kibum must have met with something wrong! He might be even dying right now as we speak! How can I calm down!"

"Minjung ah..." Jaejoong cried.

He turned to the guards. "Go out now! Search as far as possible!" he commanded. "You must find the Crown Prince!"

"Minjung ah don't be-" Jaejoong turned around and stopped.

He saw a full black stallion galloping into the distance with a female maid on it. "YAH MINJUNG! DON'T GO! IT'S DANGEROUS!" Jaejoong yelled anxiously, but Minjung just went further and further.

"Damn!" Jaejoong hopped on his stallion and galloped after them.

"KIM KIBUM!" Minjung yelled, trying not to muffle her screams with her tears. "JERKFACE WHERE ARE YOU!"

She looked around her at the inhabited forest, where no one was in sight. She had initially thought this horse would know where to go. To go back to where Kibum was.

But she thought wrong.

There was no one around except her. Except the green trees. Except the full expanse of the wild.

"KIM KIBUM!!!" She screamed.

She panted and looked around. Nothing. Her head dropped in disappointment.

"Han Minjung?"

Minjung's head snapped up. "Kibum?"

"HAN MINJUNG!" she heard her screaming. "Han Minjung I'm here!"

Minjung got off the horse and ran around frantically. "Where?" she asked anxiously. "Where are yo-"

WIth that, she fell down the exact same hunter's hole. And landed on Kibum. "OOFFF!!!" Kibum grunted as her weight knocked all the air out of his lungs.

"KIM KIBUM!" Minjung's eyes grew wide as they began to tear. "Kim Kibum!" she cried as she hugged his neck. "You're alive Jerkface!"

Kibum could not believe his eyes. This maid, this woman, this girl just rode his horse and found him even before his guards did. Was it really her in front of his eyes?

"Han Minjung..." Kibum wrapped his arms round her tightly, afraid that she would just disappear, that she was just a figment of his imagination from being to desperate to escape.

"Han Minjung you're really here." Kibum wiped a tear away from her cheek as both of them sat up.

Minjung sniffed. "You idiot. You really scared the wits out of me. I thought you died."

Kibum softened. *And I was afraid I couldn't see you again.*

"And you!" Kibum said all of a sudden. "You're not even trained to ride a horse and you rode my black stallion? Do you know he's a fierce one? And do you know how dangerous it is for a girl to come this far into the forest? Do you want to die?" he roared.

Minjung frowned. "Yah! I came to save you and you're scolding me all of a sudden! What's wrong with you!"

Kibum stopped. *Yeah what's wrong with me. I should be thanking her but instead I'm worrieed about her safety...*

Kibum blinked. It clicked.

"I love her." he muttered.

Minjung frowned. "What did you say?" she asked. "Talk louder jerkface."

Kibum looked up at her and his hand reached out to caress her face unknowingly. *I love her. I really do.*

"Kibum?" Minjung asked.

"Han Minjung." Kibum whispered softly. "I was so afraid before you arrived. I was so scared. Even more scared than I've ever been in my whole life."

Minjung softened. "Ki-"

"Because I was afraid I couldn't see you again." Kibum continued, smiling softly.

Minjung blinked, surprised.

"I'm such a fool, I couldn't even see it when it's right there screaming in my face." Kibum chuckled. "When I felt angry all of a sudden when I see you and Jaejoong hyung together. When I want to see you every second of the day. When I felt the need to protect you."

"I love you, Han Minjung." Kibum caressed her cheek softly and brought the back of her neck nearer towards him. Their lips met in a soft kiss, making sparks exploding all round in their hearts.

Kibum smiled into the kiss, his whole being exploding with happiness. *This is it. This is how it's supposed to be.*