21st☀

It was a stormy night and even if any of us had other plans—like going to the beach, for example or even the supermarket—we couldn't. 

Earlier in the morning, the six of us were gathered in front of the TV together with Mrs. Boo and Seungkwan to watch the local weather report. It was mentioned that a ferocious storm will arrive at noon and that people are advised to stay at home just to be safe. 

It will feel like a typhoon, the weather man had said, it would be better if everyone stays at home and waits for the weather to be cleared. 

Which was why the six of us were stuck in our pension, trying to find different sources of fun to kill time. The storm hadn't calmed down and it was getting more terrifying by the seconds. A clap of thunder with the clashing of lightening. It wasn't looking good. 

"Do you think it'll get any better?" Mijoo asked, sitting cross legged on her bed whilst she stared out of the window. 

Lightening stroke first before the clap of thunders rumbled the skies. 

Mijoo was startled, so was I. She ended up crawling under her blanket comfortably and safely while I deliberately placed my phone on the table, far away from me because I was convinced the electronic currents coming from the lightening might somehow intercept with my phone and give me an electric shock. I didn't want that, so as much as possible, I should stay away from it tonight. 

"I'm convinced I might die from a heart attack," Mijoo honestly said, sinking deeper into her blankets. 

"Me too," I answered in a whisper, pulling the hooded park of my jacket lower down my face. "I want to sleep this through but I think lightening will just look scarier with the lights off."

"I couldn't agree more," Mijoo said, closing her eyes and covering her ears when lightening stroke off first. 

I followed her actions and hid under my pillow. The thunder was light tonight. Not the usual thunder that were loud enough to scare you but that feeling surpasses after a few seconds. 

"I'm so scared right now," Mijoo voiced out from under her safe blankets. 

"The curtains are already closed, but it doesn't help. We can still see the lightening anyway!" I complained, looking elsewhere in the room. But the lightening was bright, so it made sure we could see it. 

"Can we go check on how the boys are doing? At least with them, I will feel protected," Mijoo said, finally crawling out of her blanket, but her eyes were still closed. 

"Okay, if you say so." I got up from my bed, still attempting to pull the hoodie lower so I could hide in it. It was too bad it was still very short. 

Mijoo was dragging her blanket with her but she was careful for it not to reach the floor. She had it over her head like it was a hoodie and I only trailed behind her, trying hard not to giggle at Mijoo's adorable sight. 

At the exact same time, the boys opened the door of their own room. The first one who walked out first from their room was Wonwoo, who then noticed Mijoo walking around with her blanket. 

He let out a chuckle before he leaned down to reach Mijoo's eye level. "What are you doing? Playing ghosts with Sarang?"

Mijoo held her blanket tightly with one hand before she smacked his arm. "No! Don't talk about such things at this very time of night, especially since the weather is so scary!"

"Why are you guys out at this time of night?" I asked, peeking from behind Mijoo to look at the other three guys. 

"How about you girls?" Myeong asked, looking at his phone before his eyebrows furrowed. 

"Mijoo needed some type of protection from this scary weather," I answered, which earned myself a smack from Mijoo. 

You see, my best friend has this very bad habit of smacking people. 

"Is that so?" Wonwoo was teasing her, but the flash of lightning and a clap of thunder came and Mijoo let out a light scream before she covered herself entirely inside her big blanket. 

"That's odd..." Myeong whispered, still concentrating on her phone. 

"What's wrong, oppa?" I asked, noticing his troubled face. 

"The connection is slowly going down..." he answered, holding his phone higher. 

"Maybe it's just lag—"

Another set of lightning and thunder. 

"Oh, gosh!" Mijoo quickly shouted, sounding like she was close to swearing. 

Before we knew it, the entire house went black. 

No one said a thing for the very few seconds. The only thing heard was the loud wind blowing from outside. Swoosh, swoosh. It was loud. The rain pelted against the rooftop non-stop, showing no sound of calming down and the thunder and lightening continued to play with each other. 

"Did the house just..."

"Yes, it's a blackout."

It was too dark to see anyone at this very moment. All I knew was that the six of us were standing around the double doors of the veranda in the darkness, all frozen from the event that had just taken place. 

"Wait, I have my phone..."

In a few seconds, there was finally a source of light. It was coming from Hansol's phone. Another source of light was phone, too. It was coming from Yejun. 

"Two lights should be enough for now," Yejun said. He shone his flashlight on his phone around to check the weather and the lower part of the pension. "Should we go downstairs?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mijoo shouted loudly, sounding like she was near crying. 

"Mijoo!" I went to her side and grabbed her shoulder, hoping she'd calm down. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared..." her voice trailed off slowly. 

"I am too," I answered, "but we can't just stand around here."

"Here, I'll help her." Wonwoo put a protective hand over Mijoo and signaled Yejun. "Hyung, you go down first, since you have the flashlight. Help me get Mijoo to a couch in the living room."

"Oh, okay." Yejun quickly walked down the stairs, acting as their guide. 

"Myeong oppa, you go next," I told him, nodding my head towards the direction of the stairs. 

"What about you two?" Myeong asked, stopping by the first step down the stairs. 

"Hansol has a flashlight app on his phone. We'll be okay," I assured him. 

Myeong nodded in return before he walked downstairs. 

My eyes traveled to Hansol before I gave him a nod. 

Before I could step down the stairs to join the others, Hansol pulled me back with the free hand. "Wait, let's go down together. It's safer."

The fact that he was holding on to me right at this very moment made my heart jump and beat. Trying to act natural, I replied, "Okay."

Hansol took my hand and held it tightly before we walked down the stairs carefully together with darkness surrounding us. 

We joined with the others shortly. Mijoo was sitting on the couch with her blanket as her fort; Wonwoo was comforting her with soft pats on the back; Yejun was trying to find something that could help them inform someone that there was a power out; and Myeong sat down comfortably, like nothing was wrong. 

Hansol didn't let go of my hand just yet. He looked around—probably to check on the others—before he let one last squeeze and let go of my hand. 

"We need to tell someone about this," Yejun concluded, coming back to the living room. 

"Who can we tell?" Myeong asked, playing with a cushion by throwing it up and down. "It's not like we have a signal or Wi-Fi right now."

"We have to find something then. A landline phone. Mijoo is there anything—"

"Hyung, not now," Wonwoo cut him off. He gave him a disapproving head shake before he nodded his mouth at Mijoo, who was completely cut off from this world. 

"Oh, sorry," Yejun said apologetically. "I guess we'll have to sit around and wait until something happens. I'm hoping the weather will calm down first. It's getting really scary with what's happening outside."

I also looked out of the double doors they had in the living room, a few meters behind the TV. They led to another veranda that was on this floor. Yes, this pension was crawling with verandas but I didn't mind because each veranda had its own specialty. 

"Are you feeling cold?" Hansol asked, catching me off-guard. He had been so quiet I had almost forgot he was standing next to me. 

I looked at him before I shook my head and smiled. "No, I'm fine. Although, I feel bad for Mijoo right now. She's not usually scared of thunder nor lightning. Tonight's one must be very strong for her to be feeling this way."

"You should probably go and comfort her," Hansol advised. 

"No, no." I looked at Mijoo, a grin easing up on my lips. "I think they're having a moment over there."

Right on the couch, I saw Wonwoo sit next to her and gently pushed her head so that it could rest on his shoulder. With his hand protectively wrapped around her, he began singing softly for her to hear. 

When can I have a beautiful moment like that too? I need one, like seriously. 

"They're so cute," Hansol whispered, practically breathing into my ear. 

Caught off-guard, I jumped a little. 

"Woah, did I startle you?" Hansol asked, sounding like he was trying not to laugh. 

"Hey, you have no right to laugh." I turned around and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"Why? Because your reaction was funny?" Hansol playfully grinned. 

"No!" I stuttered, noticing that the rain was banging against the double glass doors outside. "It's getting more intense out there..."

"Here, let's sit down with the others." Hansol held my hand again, carefully bringing me over to the others. We sat down nearby them, since the main couch that was located in front of the TV was already full. 

"Maybe it's one of those nights," Myeong said out of nowhere. 

"What do you mean?" Yejun asked, placing his phone on the coffee table. 

"Those nights where we have a deep, intense talk about each others's fee—"

"No," the rest of us—with the exception of Mijoo—answered, deadpan. 

Myeong held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine. No one wants to talk about what's on their mind tonight, I get it."

Yejun was chuckling, his cheekbones showing. "Come on, Myeong. Let's go check the kitchen and see if there are any candles."

"Why? So you can summon a goblin? Are you the goblin's wife?" Myeong let out a dramatic gasp. 

"And if I was?" Yejun stood up from the couch, grabbing his phone from the coffee table. 

"You are? Woah, Seo Yejun, tell your husband to grant me a wish!" Myeong stood up afterwards. 

Yejun kicked him, but he missed by a few inches. Probably purposely, since he was still smiling. "I am not a girl, so how can I be the goblin's wife? You watch too many dramas, Kim Myeong."

"Yes, but that is because I want Kim Goeun for myself..." And before I knew it, the two were out of earshot. 

"Are you sure you're still not cold?" Hansol asked, eyeing me every now and then.

"No, I'm sure." Also because your attention on me makes me feel all warm. Is that supposed to be normal? It should be, yes?

"Tell me if you are." Hansol smiled before he began lifting his legs up and down, as if he was stretching. 

"Of course." I smiled back before I copied his action. 

Hansol noticed this and began swinging his legs up and down a lot more. 

I only did the same thing. 

Once our eyes made eye contact, we smiled before we let out a chuckle. 

The moments of youth are beautiful. Especially when you're in love and when you slowly think that the person you like also feels the same way. But right before the complications of what love brings, all these little moments like this was like a cute scene in a melodrama. 

This is my favourite part of the story. Him with me. Me with him. Together, despite the darkness that surrounded us. 

Wonwoo

Wonwoo was sincerely concerned about Mijoo. Most of the times, it came out as more as a friendly concern, but as the days slowly go by, he realized that his feelings were nowhere near gone. 

Why does it feel so wrong to be in love with my best friend? he asked himself, honestly frustrated. 

Wonwoo continued singing softly to her, hoping that it would calm her down a little. Mijoo was actually quietly shedding tears while her head rested on his shoulder. It wasn't obvious to the others because of the darkness. You'd need to be staring at her face from up close to realize it. 

"Lean on me, on me, on me
Lean on me, on me, on me
Lean on me, on me, on me, lean on me
You can lean on me, out your head on my shoulder
I'll become your resting place even if just for a moment
You made me forget all the tough things
So I'll empty my happiness here anytime
Who made you cry again? Who was mean to you?" Wonwoo continued to sing and rap softly to her while he patted her arm gently.

"Wonwoo?" Mijoo called after a while. 

"Yes?" Wonwoo asked back, feeling his heart beat heavily just by her calling his name. 

"Your voice is beautiful," Mijoo said after another while of thinking. 

"Is it? Thank you," Wonwoo shyly responded. "Are you feeling better now? Do you want to get something to drink?"

"No." Mijoo lightly shook her head. Since her head was on Wonwoo's shoulder, it was slightly hard to move it around. "I'd rather stay here."

Wonwoo was getting confused. He wasn't sure whether to let his feelings play on or end them, just in case he was risking the friendship of theirs. 

"Stay as long as you want." As much as Wonwoo tried to stop himself, there were times where he still got lost in the very few words of hers. Where he lost himself too. "I'll be here for you to protect."

"Thank you, Wonwoo. You're the best." Mijoo moved closer in and pulled her blanket higher up. 

Wonwoo titled his head a little more just to check if Mijoo was falling asleep and he was right. Her eyes were closed and she was at peace. Although Wonwoo tried his best to reprimand himself from disturbing her in her sleeping state, he still reached out just to wipe the dried tears off from her check. 

"Sleep well," he whispered, resting his head on top of hers before he also closed his eyes. 

Sarang

I woke up all of a sudden, some time in the early morning when the sun wasn't up yet. I tried to make known my surroundings and noticed that I was resting on Hansol's shoulder. I was startled, but I realized how I seem to fit there naturally, like it was meant for me. 

Smiling to myself, I got comfortable in my position as I looked around the dimly lit living room. There was a lamp near the staircases that was on and that was it. Outside the double glass doors, there were a few lights that were on too. 

My phone was placed nearby so I reached out for it to check the time. It was around three in the morning, twenty-three minutes before four. I looked back at Hansol and smiled before I discreetly got up from the couch we fell asleep on. 

I did a few stretches and tried to see where the others were on. Mijoo and Wonwoo fell asleep on the same couch they were on last night with Mijoo resting on Wonwoo's chest and a blanket mostly covering up her. 

Myeong and Yejun were sleeping on two different places. Yejun probably grabbed a sleeping bag from upstairs, which was why he was sleeping in one on the floor. Myeong took the last couch in the living room with a blanket covering him up warmly. 

Yawning, I fixed the hoodie of mine before I walked out of the pension and into the veranda. I placed my phone carefully into my pocket of my hoodie jacket before I walked down the route to get to the beach. It was barely three minutes when I reached the dark beach.

Since it was dark, I turned my flashlight on and looked around. It was so peaceful, so quiet. 

I was probably wandering around the beach for an hour or more. It was just so nice to walk back and forth in the dark with only my phone illuminating what was in front of me and listening to the crashing of waves near me. 

Looking at the dark, murky waters, I suddenly felt as if I was in a movie. You know those dramatic and cliche love stories? Where the guy and girl goes running across the beach just to hug or kiss each other? It was something like that.

Not long after, I heard someone calling out for my name, "Sarang! Cheon Sarang!"

I paused, wondering who could it be. I was wandering alone early in the morning and I heard someone calling my name. Who wouldn't be freaked out? 

Recollecting myself, I kept on walking whilst ignoring the voice that was calling out for me. But it kept growing louder and louder that I had to come to a stop just to calm myself again. 

I got scared and eventually dropped my phone, the back side of my phone dropping onto the sand so now I didn't have a source of light. My heart started beating quickly due to fear. 

I won't die, won't I? I don't know about the legends here on Jeju but there might be one. Something that might go along the lines of, "Legend has it that if you wander around alone early in the morning, the sea witch of the beach will call your name and drown you in sea."

That couldn't be it, could it?

"Cheon Sarang!"

There it was again. Oh, just let me close my eyes and expect myself to get eaten alive by a sea monster or something. 

But I didn't feel my face get ripped off by a sea monster, or hear anything like an octopus walking around the sandy beach. Instead, I felt arms wrap around me while they breathed breathlessly into my ear. 

"I... was..." They took a second to catch their breath. "I thought you disappeared or got kidnapped! Don't worry me like that..."

It took me five long seconds to realize who the voice belonged to. At first, when I realized it, I was convinced I was still dreaming. But after feeling my heart beat so quickly, I could only conclude that it was not a dream. 

"Were you here the entire time?" Hansol finally pulled away, but he still had hands placed on my shoulder as he tried to look into my eyes. Although, it was nothing but dark around us so we couldn't do that properly. 

"Yes, I was. Just wanted to talk a walk," I answered, trying not to sound like I was stuttering. 

"For that long?"

"Yes."

Hansol sighed and pulled me into another hug, making me close my eyes because of how overwhelming this was. "If you wanted to disappear for more than an hour, you should have left a note first. I was so shocked to find out you weren't anywhere in the pension."

I let out a light giggle. "I didn't think it was necessary. After all, you were all asleep. I figured none of you would wake up and notice."

"Well, I did and I was worried when I found out you weren't there by my side."

His words... I don't understand them. I wanted to trust in my heart and believe that he meant those words in a sense that he felt the same way, but I didn't want to end up getting lied to by believing in the wrong facts. 

"Sorry," I said in response after giving up on finding the perfect words. It was all I could say. "How long have you guys been searching for me?"

"For a long time now," he answered, finally pulling away from the hug. He crouched down all of a sudden and picked something up from the sandy ground—my phone. He handed it to me. "You dropped this."

"Oh, thanks," I stuttered once again, feeling my cheeks start to turn all warm. "Should we go back now?"

"We should, before the others run to the police station and file you as a missing person," Hansol joked, grabbing a hold of my hand. 

I was surprised and was still wondering if this was all still a dream. It felt so vague, yet the feelings were sure. 

Hansol smiled as he led us back to the right path. "How's the trip so far for you?"

"It's the best," I answered. Especially this very moment right now. This will be forever cherished  by me. Us holding hands as we walked down the beach in darkness. 

"Me too. I can't believe I came on this trip. You know, at first, I was really nervous because it felt like I was tagging along like a burden but I managed to make good friends on this trip," Hansol said as we neared the wooden stairs. 

"I'm glad you came," I blurted out stupidly. Mentally, I gave myself a slap. That was so embarrassing of me to say. 

"I'm glad too." Hansol didn't seem to notice my slip-up, so it was fine. "There are the others."

As we neared the veranda of the lowest floor, I could see Mijoo with Wonwoo looking around worriedly with flashlights—courtesy of their phones—while Yejun and Myeong kept searching around. 

"Guys!" I called, hoping it would lessen their worry. Seriously, I saw a glint of something shiny on Myeong's hair. If that ain't a white hair, I don't know what it was. 

"Sarang?" Mijoo was the first to notice us walking closer to where they were. Once she finally registered, she came running towards us. "Sarang!"

In the next few seconds, I was found in the center of a hug fest that was going on. Everyone was tightly squeezing me and I felt like I would die from lack of oxygen. 

"Can't breathe!" I managed to squeak before I would get squeezed to death. 

"Oops," Mijoo said, stepping back. 

Finally, I can breathe. 

"Yah! Where did you disappear so early in the morning, huh?" Mijoo asked me, lightly flicking my forehead. 

"Sorry, I wanted to go on a walk alone on the beach," I told her, smiling. Pulling her into a hug, I teased, "Did you worry a lot for me?"

"Of course! I thought you were kidnapped all of a sudden," Mijoo replied, returning the big squeeze

I laughed. "No, funny you would think that. But I'm back now. Did I worry you all? Especially early in the morning?"

"Yes! Of course!" There Mijoo was being her loud-self. Okay, she wasn't loud all the times but when she was around her good friends, she would be loud. Then, she let out a yawn. "All of this searching had made me sleepy."

"Aww, you're sleepy already?" I teased, holding her properly by wrapping my arms around her. "Let's go back inside and sleep. I'm also tired after all that walking."

"What were you doing alone anyway?" Mijoo asked as the entire group reentered the living room. 

"Mmm, checking for mermaids," I skeptically answered while breaking into a grin. 

"Well, tell me if you see one." Mijoo winked before she yawned once again and sat down on the couch. "I'm beat. Goodnight, everyone. Either you guys sleep or you don't, it isn't really my problem."

"Don't you want to sleep in your bed?" Yejun asked, noticing that Mijoo had snuggled up on the couch in the living room. 

Mijoo had on eye open just to look at Yejun before she closed it once again and answered, "Do I look like I want to climb all the way up just to get back to my bed? Nope. I'm too tired to, so I'll be sleeping here."

"Hey, give me some space! I slept on that couch too!" Wonwoo said, trying to push her away just to make space.

My feels. 

"Do you want to sleep on this couch, Sarang?" Hansol asked, pointing at the couch we slept on yesterday—or today. Two days?

I wanted to ask a stupid question such as asking if he was going to sit there with me too but I decided not to and just smiled at him. "Yeah, I will. What about you?"

"I'll probably get a sleeping bag from upstairs and sleep on the floor," Hansol answered. His eyes scanned the floor, probably to check where was a good space to sleep on. "Have a good night's sleep, Sarang. I'm going to get a sleeping bag now."

I was slightly disappointed, but I didn't show it as much. Smiling back, I said, "Goodnight, Hansol."

Hansol smiled before he disappeared upstairs to find a sleeping bag with Myeong. 

Settling down on the couch, I pulled the covers up and faced the other side of the couch, which had the backrest. As I stared at it while the darkness danced around all of us, I smiled as I rethought of the most treasured memory of mine today—holding hands with Choi Hansol. 

I don't know the real reason to why I keep getting captivated by you everyday. It must be something special you feel only when you're in love. The first trap, I had already fallen into. The other traps weren't as visible, but as I keep going, I found myself falling for him more and more. 

If my heart had dots, and if Hansol would connect them, then it'd show a heart flashing for him to see. 

~Author's Notes~

I drank medicine and it's making me sleepy so I don't really know what I'm writing but hopefully it's good enough and you understand wooo okay my head's spinning and I'm getting dizzy and I feel drunk so I better go and sleep before I say something stupid kay bye don't get sick like authornim here 

Updated author's notes: okay, I have no idea when I wrote that but I'm guessing it was during the earlier months like January or February, damn! Anyway, thank you guys so much for being patient and waiting for an update from this story! Here's an update, finally! Hope you enjoyed it and see you in the next chapter <3