Fly High | Dreamcatcher

Chapter 2

"To a good life!" SuA crowed with an excited giggle and raised her glass of pop up high before taking a victorious sip.

Siyeon chinked her glass against SuA's, who still had it to her lips. The girl cried out as it her teeth and spilled liquid down her chin. Casting an angry glare in her direction, she hit Siyeon's arm before tapping her teeth experimentally.

JiU indulged in a smile as the other girls all laughed at the twins. "Are you okay, SuA?"

"Great. Just great." SuA nodded before brightening again and taking a cautious sip of her glass while leaning away from Siyeon.

The pastel blue sky above them watched over and the sun beamed through the sparse clouds to shine light on them.

The seven girls were gathered together for a picnic in one of the mansion's many gardens scattered around the estate.

At the edge of their circle, Handong quietly fed her budgie through the slender bars of its cage and smiled as it chirped at her.

"Handong." He chirped. Clearly the girl had taught him.

Siyeon moved closer to Handong so that she could see the yellow and green bird better. "Can I stroke him?" She asked politely with a charming smile.

She agreed with a shy nod. "Slowly."

"Slowly." He parrotted.

Handong continued to nod reassuringly as Siyeon slid her hand in and carefully stroked the budgie with her fingertips.

Her eyes crinkled as the bird continued to chirp happily and she beamed at Handong, who smiled back.

"C'mon, smile bigger!" Siyeon made a spreading motion with her fingers before drawing her hand out of the cage to poke her in the cheek.

The girl laughed awkwardly in reply and looked for support in her budgie, who cocked his head to the side and watched her with intelligent eyes.

"Has everyone finished eating?" JiU asked with a clap of her hands, eyes gleaming cheerfully.

Gahyeon shook her head as she took three successive bites of her bread roll and gave a garbled answer, while the other girls simply finished their drinks and brushed their laps free of crumbs.

"What games will we play?" She continued once Gahyeon had finished.

"Blind Man's Bluff is a must." Dami called out.

"Only if you promise not to tickle the blindfolded person." Yoohyeon agreed with a pointed look at Siyeon.

"Anything else?"

"The Flower Has Bloomed." SuA suggested. "We could've played a ball game, but of course Siyeon went and lost my ball."

Siyeon's face briefly held a guilty look but she shrugged it off. "Guilty as charged."

***

As a group they walked along the wooden-slatted path together, walking parallel to the thick line of trees. The sun continued to shine, though more weakly as the afternoon drew on.

Siyeon and SuA sprinted ahead of the others, who stayed back with fixed smiles of happiness.

JiU encouraged them to stop and look out across the greenery covering the hill below them. She leaned against the wooden barrier. "You should all saviour it."

"Why?" Gahyeon frowned. "It's just the sun, green stuff and a blue sky."

"I agree." JiU smiled. "That's exactly what you're seeing and isn't it beautiful?"

Dami snorted and looked away from the two girls as she sat on the fence.

"You don't exactly see this type of thing back home in the city." JiU reasoned. "Don't you agree?"

Gahyeon huffed but smiled at the girl's eager smile. "You have a point." She also sat on the fence, looking out across the hill. "Looks boring still, but I'm not saying I don't appreciate it."

SuA looked back at their stationary group with raised eyebrows and a wide grin. "What are you soppy girls doing?" She shouted and ran back towards them, dragging Siyeon with her. They approached Gahyeon, JiU and Dami with cheerful, cheeky smiles.

JiU turned to them. "Isn't it pretty?" She evaluated their grins. "Hang on, what are you two planning?"

With twin gleeful yells, they pushed Dami and Gahyeon off the fence so that they tumbled onto the soft green grass with yelps and squeals.

"That's just a bit mean." JiU scrunched her brows with worry until the two girls got their feet with annoyed smiles.

"You're lucky the grass is soft." Dami couldn't maintain her glare as she broke into a smile." You are both so going to pay."

"We can play hide and seek down there, can't we?" Yoohyeon pointed down the hill where the grass was longer and bordered on the woods. "You could get them back when we play, Dami."

And so they did, climbing the fence together and sprinting down the long-grass hill with bursting laughs.

The girls passed the afternoon playing games in the fading sunlight until it was time to return and head in to get washed up for high tea.