Midnight Walks 

You closed your eyes and sighed happily as you breathed in the fresh night air. Opening your eyes, you glanced down at your little, furry companion. “Isn't it so beautiful Mandu-yah? It's the perfect night for a walk.” Your furry friend sniffed as if agreeing and picked up her pace as she pranced excited along the pathway that followed the river. You laughed at her cute eagerness feeling just as happy. You lived for moments like this when you could just enjoy the night with your best friend at your side. It was even better at this late hours when most people were at home in their beds. This way you were alone with your thoughts and free from the stress of dealing with others.

You walked along aimlessly as you gazed out across the water at all the shining lights. Lost in your thoughts, you were caught off guard when Mandu suddenly yanked on the leash and took off at the speed of light, nearly taking your arm off in the process. You were unprepared for the sudden force and dropped the leash in shock. You watched with wide eyes as your usually well-behaved pup dashed off, up the hill and around the corner. It took you a minute to come to your senses before you ran after her, feet slapping heavily against the pavement as you called after her. You rounded the corner and came skidding to a stop as you almost tripped over two balls of fur that were rolling around on the ground. A tall figure in a hoodie and sweatpants stood over them, desperately trying to untangle the leash wrapped around both the dogs and his legs.

“Yah! Monggu-yah! Would you stay still for one second?!” He swore as a sudden tug of the leash knocked him off balance and caused him to go crashing to the ground, landing ungracefully on his behind. You stood there staring at the strange sight before you before laughter slowly bubbled up inside you until you were laughing so hard you could barely stand up straight. The boy looked up at you from the ground with a stunned expression that only made you want to laugh harder. Still, you tried to control your laughter as you covered your mouth to muffle the sound, feeling guilty for laughing at the poor boy.

“Are you okay?” You asked breathlessly, half from the running and half from your laughing fit. He let out a chuckle as he glanced down from his tangled legs to the two dogs who were playing happily next to him. “Yeah, I'm good. I guess it would have been smarter to let go of the leash, but I didn't quite think this far ahead,” he ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed. You giggled as you thought about how cute he looked in that moment.

“Here, let me help you up,” you held your hand out to him and smiled brightly. He bit his lip, smiling shyly as he placed his hand in yours and used it to help himself up. Your heart skipped a beat as you looked up into his dark eyes which you swore sparkled in the moonlight. He was taller than you had initially thought, quite a few inches taller than you, with a surprisingly muscular build and perfectly messy hair that made you want to reach out and run your fingers through it. He was gazing back at