Jung Hoseok's POV

I'd told Soo Ah to be ready by 7:00. Yet by 7:30, she was still nowhere to be found. I knocked and stepped into Soo Ah's room to find her patting her wet hair with a towel. The smell of coffee hit me.

She smelled like a coffee bean that had just stepped out of a field.

"Why do you reek like coffee?" I said, sneering as I held my nose.

"Don't ask?" she said, sniffing herself. "The smell is not that strong. Stop being dramatic."

"Whatever! It's getting late. Can we go?"

"Should I come with you? Why don't you show yourself around?" she said, stealing glances at Yoongi's room.

"Just come on," I said, halfway to the door. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Give me a minute. I'll join you."

When I'm older, I want to live like this. Free from worries about my firm, courtrooms, or clients demanding my time. Just mornings like these, quiet and peaceful. We both leaned against the rocky wall outside, enjoying the view of the countryside while waiting for Yoongi.

When I saw Yoongi, I rushed toward him. "We both will give you a tour around the county! How's my surprise?" I said, slinging my arm around his shoulder.

"This was the surprise you were talking about?"

"We'll be your free tour guides," I said, grinning.

"Let's go," Soo Ah said, heading toward the car.

We all hopped into the car. I settled into the driver's seat, next to me, Soo Ah. In the rearview mirror, I saw Yoongi making himself comfortable in the back. Soo Ah was already pulling up maps on her phone as we both discussed the best routes to take.

Along the way, we stumbled upon a field and decided to take a look. I wore a padded jacket to keep myself warm. The cool breeze brushed against my face.

Soo Ah twirled around. "It's so good to be here," she shouted.

I've always kept an eye on Soo Ah, since we were kids, whenever I'm with her. Just to make sure she doesn't break a bone. When she was eight, we were walking on the pavement, savoring vibrant green-colored matcha-flavored ice cream in a cone. She tripped and fell, smudging the ice cream all over her face.

She stood up, bawling as she stared at me. Her face was covered in green ice cream. I wondered. If we added a few colorful sprinkles, would she look like a Christmas tree?

It was not entirely her fault. My untied shoelace tripped her. She still doesn't know. Knowing how clumsy she is, I always watch her when we're together.

"Don't trip on the mud, Soo Ah," I said.

"I'll be careful."

Yoongi, wearing a hat and with one hand tucked in his pocket, followed a few steps behind us. "Soo Ah! You forgot your scarf," Yoongi said, handing it to her. "Don't let your cold worsen."

"Thank you!" Soo Ah said. She toyed with the hem of her sweater, looking away quickly.

Something was off, like crackling fireworks. They both act awkward around each other, and Soo Ah quickly glances away whenever she sees Yoongi.

Lost in thought, I gazed at the field. Despite the chill Chinese winter, the field was soothing to watch, though it lacked the typical summer vibrancy of the season's full, lush growth. During summer, we could find tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn, along with unseen insects chirping like it was the breath of the summer.

The soybean tender sprigs broke through the muddy, frost-lined soil and lined up in neat rows.

Then we decided to go to Longxing Temple. "Hoseok, just cut right along the road that runs near Zhang Jiao restaurant," Soo Ah said.

"Zhang Jiao restaurant, right? Got it," I said, tapping the steering wheel.

I turned right. As we passed the restaurant, the roasted, umami smell of Peking duck and garlicky, toasted fried sauce noodles made my stomach rumble. "Hoseok!" She said, but my hunger and the sound of sizzling oil hit me, which blurred her words. "Whoa!" I mumbled to myself.

"Did you make a cut on the left side?" Soo Ah asked, with her eyes wide open.

"Left?" In a minute, we stopped in front of a gnarled, wire mesh fence.

"We got lost," I said, drawing a glare from Soo Ah.

"Soo Ah, I agree it was my mistake. But what were you doing? You should have kept an eye on where we were going."

She scoffed, "I was checking the maps on my phone," she showed the flickering screen. "Don't try to blame me."

"You two, stop bickering. It's not like we ended up on a deserted island, with coconuts and crabs," Yoongi grumbled, making our squabbling stop.

"We are clearly on someone's farm, with cows and goats."

The cow lumbered across the grass, and the sound of cowbells clinking and its moo were the only sounds that could be heard in this chilly early afternoon. The white goats scrambled across the field like white clouds moving around, grazing the grass.

A little billy goat looked at us. Yoongi rolled down the window and patted its head. We'd gotten lost but were happy to see these little animals.

"How about we get out and take some pictures?" I asked.

"I'd love to. It's so cute!" Soo Ah! exclaimed, hopping out of the car.

We all crouched down and took a picture with that billy goat. Suddenly, the goat licked Soo Ah's little bag. She screamed and scrambled back to the car.

I burst out laughing and found Yoongi trying to suppress his laughter.

"Soo Ah, it's just a cute goat. Why did you scream?" I asked, still chuckling.

"Be happy that she did not push us to the ground," Yoongi mocked her, climbing halfway into the car.

"Hoseok, stop laughing, and Yoongi... Just turn back," she said, sneering.

Finally, we all reached the Longxing Temple after all the chaos we had caused. It's a traditional Chinese temple, with a central axis and symmetrical layout. Painted with red on the walls and green tiles on the roof. The lingering smoke of incense filled with sandalwood and herbs was calming.

It was so good to be here. Everyone needs a break. Yoongi and I definitely needed one. Trying to ask Yoongi out feels like fighting a legal battle. It was a tough one to win.

He always has a notorious excuse, stacked up like classified case files disguised as delicious pastries. It's hard to resist. Each one has a convincing reason to avoid socializing. Unless it's truly something important enough that he thinks he needs to attend. So, in the end, I usually go alone.

I asked him once to tag along with me to a party, hoping we could network along with other lawyers. But his reply pissed me off.

"Sure, why not?"

"Seriously!" I asked.

He glanced up from his papers. "You've saved my contact as your emergency number. So I'll come there to drag you out."

"What exactly are you getting at?"

"You'll get a few drinks and completely forget why you went there. Instead of networking with lawyers and finding new clients...you'll be curled up like a ball."

"Just stare at those papers then," I said, throwing my hands up and walking away.

"Find me a party where there is no alcohol," he said, not even looking up from his work.

"The only party I can get you into is a kid's birthday," I mumbled.

I shook my head with a soft smile, watching Yoongi. He was having a good time here, observing the temple. I'm glad he agreed to come here. It's nice to see him relax and not worry about the firm for a while.

"What are you smiling about?" Soo Ah asked, with a weird look.

"Nothing," I said, walking toward the tree filled with countless red ribbons, each one written with a wish.

"Hoseok, let's buy the red ribbons and tie them, too," Soo Ah exclaimed, already running to the nearby shop.

I called Yoongi, and he followed us.

"Stop peeking," Yoongi said, nudging me away as he tied a ribbon onto a branch.

"I won't," I said, laughing. Yoongi stared at the tree, watching the ribbons sway in the wind, zoning out for a while. Soo Ah and I glanced at him and decided to leave him alone.

"I hope my wishes come true," Soo Ah said, clapping her hands excitedly. When her eyes landed on Yoongi, her hands gradually stilled.

"I'm tired," Yoongi said, massaging his shoulders, turning toward us.

"Oh! Come on, Yoongi," I said, pushing him.

"We have been walking for hours. I can't anymore," he said.

"Have this." Soo Ah handed him a candy.

"What's this?"

"Dabaitu Naitang. It's a chewy milk candy that's wrapped in rice paper. It'll give you quick energy," she said, popping the candy into her mouth.

"Thank you for showing me around and for this one!" he said, grabbing it from her. "Hoseok, did you see my phone?" he asked, reaching into his pants and patting himself down.

"No. I gave you back after we took pictures," I said.

"Where could it be?" he muttered.

"Let's search," Soo Ah said, putting back the remaining candies into her bag.

We split up and searched for the phone. Seriously, where did he toss his phone? I grumbled. When I was about to give up, a buzz tickled my palm. I scrambled my hand into prickly dried grass, dotted with little wildflowers, and there it was. The screen flickered, with the name Soo Ah.

"Wait, what?" I bellowed, holding up the phone. "You guys exchanged your numbers?" I asked, blinking at them in disbelief.

How was the chapter? I apologize if there are any mistakes. I did my best to edit it.

Love you all. Thanks to everyone who's still reading, even with the slow updates!

-Shin Haari