EPHEMERAL || BBH

The Meadow under the Stars ❁

*.☽.*

-

It was almost six in the evening when we got back to the entrance of the hiking place. I told him that I needed to go home because if I didn't, my aunt would be worried, not to mention suspicious of my actions. She knew that I didn't know anyone else in the town so it was hard to convince her that it was okay for me to go home late because I was with someone. And if that happened to be the case, she would for sure interrogate me with that person's identity. That would be a complicated scenario so it would be better for me to go home early.

However, I knew that Baekhyun didn't like the idea of us parting this early.

"Can't we stay together a little longer?" He asked with a wistful look on his face.

I turned to him and couldn't help but sigh. I might have changed my mind a little too fast when he pulled me into a gentle hug. And I had to admit the fact that I was such a weak person when it came to him.

"I don't want to go too." I blurted out unconsciously.

"Then can we not leave just yet?" His voice sounded raspy all of a sudden as he tilted and buried his face on my shoulder.

"But you'll have to drive back to Seoul." I reminded him while I basked in the warmth of his embrace.

"Seoul can wait." He said in a muffled voice.

I automatically smiled. His words were making me feel so soft and this side of him was impossible to resist. We stayed that way for a few seconds while I listened to the rustling of the leaves of the trees around us as the night fell right above us.

***

It was about thirty minutes after when we both finally agreed to leave since the wind began to blow colder. Unlike our ride going to the hiking place a while ago, which was filled with secret glances, we talked comfortably on our way back.

He asked me to tell him something about myself. And of all the things that I could reveal, I told him about the difficulty I had with following and remembering directions. I also disclosed to him that I got lost when I was ten years old and that was when it all started.

"How about now?" He asked as he glanced at me from the road.

"Well it's not that bad anymore but it mostly happens when I'm new to a particular place. Just like how I got lost a couple of times when I was finding my way up there in the mountain."

"Well, congratulations!" He said, his eyes on the road.

"Huh?"

"You found your way to me." He added ending his remarks with a laugh.

"You're crazy," I told him as I laughed too.

I told him to drop me off at the same place. He knew that I would nag about the risks of him being seen so he immediately agreed. I got out and directly went to the compartment of his car for my bike. I was trying to exert as much effort to carry the weight of the bike when a pair of strong hands took it from me. I didn't even have time to protest because, in just a matter of seconds, my bike was already right next to him.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked and stared at him unbelievably. "You should have stayed inside."

"It's dark and no one's around. And this bike is heavy." He explained, emphasizing his last word.

He was right. The bike was heavy and this part of the road was still pretty isolated. And given the time right now, it's quite unlikely to have other people around here. However, I was about to open my mouth to argue when the wind blew. I shuddered.