Yuna opens the car door and smiles at the driver. “Good afternoon, Unnie.”
Chaeryeong says nothing. She waits until Yuna has taken a seat and begins to drive. “I can’t believe that you don’t drive,” are the first words she says after minutes of silence.
“It’s scary for me somehow. Even after all these years.”
“But you know how to drive, right?”
“Yes. Ryujin unnie taught me.”
“Does she drive?”
“She loves driving. And cars too.”
“I see.”
Yuna starts to hum a random tune a moment later, feeling excited to get a break from the city even if it’s just for a little bit. She has decided during her meditation and contemplation time last night to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible around Chaeryeong. She wants to set the woman at ease, to let her know that she’s approachable. Hopefully, she can persuade her to open up to her that way.
“How was your date?” she asks when she happens to see a couple walking hand in hand.
“…”
Yuna turns her head when Yoona didn’t answer. “I’m not being nosy,” she says. “I’m just trying to have a friendly conversation with you.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, exactly, but let’s not make this harder than it is, shall we?” says Chaeryeong. “I’m only doing this because you insisted on it.”
“So you don’t think I’m friend material?”
“I don’t need you to be my friend. I need you to help fulfill my request.”
“Not until you consider me a friend.”
Chaeryeong sighs. “Why are you doing this?” she mumbles through gritted teeth.
Yuna looks out the window again, observing the Sunday traffic before she asks, “Can I turn on the radio?”
“Sure. Whatever.”
Yuna turns on the radio and starts browsing through to find a station she sometimes listens to.
Once the song has ended, the DJ starts talking about what’s known in Korea as the ‘Monday disease’ since tomorrow’s Monday. It’s basically what almost everyone in the world goes through: being lethargic on that first day of the week. Monday is a day that most people hate and this ‘disease’ will be much worse for those who have partied hard during the weekend before, says the DJ.
“Good thing I’m taking tomorrow off,” Yuna says. “No Monday disease for me this week.”
“Every day is the same for me,” states Chaeryeong emotionlessly.
Yuna silently sighs but refuses to let Chaeryeong’s attitude and lack of response affect her.
When they arrive at the base of the hiking trail, Chaeryeong doesn’t immediately turn off the engine. She looks at the woman beside her and says, “One last chance to turn around and go home.”
Yuna shakes her head. “We’ve come this far, Unnie. Let’s do this. It’s going to be fun!” She gets out of the car and waits for Chaeryeong to open the trunk so she can take her backpack out.
Soon they’re hiking along the trail, barely saying a word to each other because they are too preoccupied with trying to regulate their breathing.
“I’m so out of shape,” says Yuna when they stop to rest. She takes a big gulp from her water and wipes her sweat.
Chaeryeong is also panting but she remains silent. Much to her surprise, she’s actually beginning to like this outdoor activity. The fresh air and scenery are doing wonders for her mood and so does the exercise.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all although it’s still pointless. One last hike, one last time seeing mother nature in all her glory.
She almost sighs when she remembers the last time she did an outdoor activity and with whom.
Will I see you again, Oppa? Are you waiting for me like you once said you would?
Instantly, the memory of that day flashes through her mind. It was the last time she saw him.
“Let’s get a move on, Unnie. It’s getting dark really fast,” Yuna says, stopping Chaeryeong right before more memories of him come flooding in.
For once, she’s grateful for having Yuna there. The numbness almost started to recede, making way for the familiar pain.
This is why I prefer working.
Chaeryeong stores her bottle of water away and continues up the trail, right behind Yuna.
They stop once more along the way and Yuna laments the fact that they can’t see the sunset.
Chaeryeong quietly takes out her flashlight which is much bigger than Yuna’s and overtakes her to lead the way, walking in front of the other woman. The last thing she wants is for Yuna to fall or hurt herself. Though she won’t die, she would need time to recover from her injuries and that would only delay everything.
Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself to rationalize what she just did.
“I think… we’re almost there,” says Yuna through her short breaths. “I can see… light.”
She’s right. A short hike later and they finally reach the camping ground.
“Thank goodness!” exclaims Yuna. She quickens her steps, getting a new burst of energy just by seeing the bright campsite and people going about. “I smell meat! Oh my… I’m so hungry. Let’s hurry, Unnie!”
Chaeryeong turns off her flashlight and follows Yuna calmly. She’s just as grateful although she won’t admit it out loud. She’s tired and the smell of barbecued meat that’s filling the air is making her empty stomach growl.
She watches as Yuna goes inside the only wooden lodge and waits for her outside, observing the other campers.
Contrary to her expectation, the camping ground looks more like a small community. The tents are very big and well lit, forming rows resembling a suburban housing area. On the base of the tents are large, sturdy wooden platforms that extend to form porches. There sit some campers, talking, having a meal with their family
Some have seen her coming but no one seems to recognize her. There’s no picture taking or whispers or fingers pointed at her. Everyone’s busy doing their own thing.
“Unnie!”
She hears Yuna’s voice and turns her head to see her already a distance ahead, gesturing at her to follow her.
“Our tent’s this way!”
Chaeryeong calmly follows the excited woman who goes to one of the tents near the edge of the site.
“Mattresses!” exclaims Yuna as she walks inside the tent. “And furniture! Check it out, Unnie!”
“Now I know why you told me to leave my sleeping bag behind,” Chaeryeong says, recalling their brief text conversation earlier that day.
“Not bad, right? I found this place online. It’s one of the less fancy glamping sites.” Yuna takes out her phone and starts snapping away, taking pictures of the tent to send to Ryujin.
“Glamping?” Chaeryeong sets her backpack near one of the mattresses laid out neatly on the ground. “What is that?”
“Glamor camping. It’s becoming a trend for city slickers who want to enjoy the outdoors without the inconvenience,” explains Yuna, sitting down on her mattress. “I figured it would be better for us since we’re both inexperienced campers.” She sets her phone aside, opens her bag and starts taking out the food she’s brought with her. “I have instant rice, instant ddeokbokki, seasoned seaweed laver, kimchi and meat.”
“You do realize that we’ll only be staying here for one night, right?” asks Chaeryeong, eyeing the stack of food.
“Yeah but we need to eat dinner, breakfast and have a snack too,” says Yuna. “The meat needs to be grilled. I’ll borrow the grill from the Ahjussi at the lodge. You can start on the rice.” She stands up and hands over the instant rice to Chaeryeong. “It’s supposed to be microwaved but I think cooking it in the pot would also do the trick.”
Chaeryeong takes the rice and starts on her task without argument. She’s hungry and the sooner they can start eating, the better.
A good two hours have passed and both are sitting out on the porch with the grill in between them and empty bowls on the table that they dragged out of the tent.
It was a simple dinner of rice, kimchi, seaweed laver and meat but Chaeryeong has to admit that it was one of the best meals she’s had in a long time.
Maybe it’s because she’s exhausted and hungry, or maybe it’s because they’re outdoors. Either way, she’s secretly quite happy tonight.
“I heard someone mentioning a parking lot,” she says, breaking the silence.
When she was waiting for Yuna to return with the borrowed grill, one of their ‘neighbors’ was talking to his wife in a very loud voice as he walked past their tent.
Yuna’s quietly staring out at the night sky, loving the view. “What parking lot?” she replies.
“The parking lot for visitors’ cars. There’s a road leading up here. We could’ve just taken my car.”
“We’d still need to hike a bit.”
“It’s not that far. That man in the tent next to us told his wife that he left his portable charger in the car and went to fetch it. He came back less than fifteen minutes later.”
“I think the exercise did us good.”
Chaeryeong observes Yuna for a moment then takes a deep breath. She leans back and also looks up at the night sky filled with sparkling stars. It’s a beautiful sight and she can’t help but feel better.
Unknown to her, Yuna has stolen a glance, smiling when she sees her relax.
They talk sporadically with Yuna being the more active one. She tells fun and light stories about her and Ryujin, things that they had gone through.
Chaeryeong mostly listens, only reacting every now and then with short replies or a hum but to Yuna, it’s progress.
“Let’s go wash up,” suggests Yuna, yawning. “I’m so sleepy.”
They take their toiletries and valuable belongings with them to the shared bathroom facility not far from their tent.
Once they’re done and have zipped up their tent to go to sleep, Chaeryeong waits until Yuna has turned off the lights and settled on her bed before she asks, “Why are you doing this? This is useless and you have nothing to gain despite your efforts.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Unnie. It’s not useless and I do have something to gain.”
Chaeryeong turns her head, looking at the other person. “What? What do you gain from this?”
Yuna has closed her eyes but she smiles when she answers, “A friend.”
The reply surprises Chaeryeong and she finds herself observing the sleeping Yuna.
Doing all this just to gain a friend? Me? Why would you want to be friends with me? Is it because I’m a celebrity? But fame means nothing to our kind. In fact it’s something most would avoid. I’m doing this because I don’t give a damn anymore. You still have a lot to live for. Why don’t you just focus on that instead of wasting so much time and energy trying to change my mind?
Her eyes grow heavy and although there’s still a lot going through her mind, Chaeryeong soon falls asleep.
———————
Back in the city, Ryujin has just finished washing her hands in the bathroom when she hears the incoming message notification.
She wasn’t planning on staying for too long but Yeji’s father insisted that she join them for dinner so she had no choice but to agree. The last thing she wanted is creating another cause for argument between Yeji and her father. It’s bad enough to see her being quiet around him, punishing him for what he’d done by giving him the silent treatment.
He tried his best to show how sorry he was and even took over the task of washing the dishes and wiping the table after dinner, refusing Ryujin’s offer to help.
After wiping her hands dry, she takes her phone out of her pocket and smiles when she sees the pictures.
“That’s not camping. You’re practically in a hotel room,” she types her reply and sends it.
Then she walks out to see Mr. Hwang sitting on the couch, watching TV.
“Yuna and Chaeryeong have arrived safely at the camping ground,” she tells him. “Although their tent looks more like a hotel room.”
“Oh?” He turns his head. “Why is that?”
“It’s very fancy.” Ryujin shows him the pictures. “Apparently it’s called glamor camping.”
“Even the simple concept of camping has turned into this,” he says, shaking his head. “Just when I thought that I’ve seen it all…” He returns the phone back to its owner and resumes watching TV.
Ryujin pockets her phone and hesitates for a second before asking, “Are you really okay with me and Yeji? Please be honest, Sir.” Since Yeji’s in her room, she thought that it was a good opportunity to get his honest opinion without risking another argument.
He turns his head again. “Does it matter what I think?”
“Of course,” says Ryujin. “I’m not saying that I’d do as you told me but your opinion matters. You’re her father, after all. Family is important.”
“Your father would be proud of you,” he says after taking his time observing the woman standing in front of him.
“I haven’t done much, sadly. Not even after three hundred years.”
“You’re a good person. That’s more than enough for a parent to be proud of. Trust me. I know.”
“So does that mean that you’re okay with this?”
He slowly nods. “I’ve thought about what you two had said and I know that you’re better than all her exes combined. I trust that you won’t hurt her. She’s your sunrise.”
Ryujin blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Do you know why Yuna’s taking Chaeryeong camping?”
“Um… not really. I mean, she said she wanted a change of scenery and to get Chaeryeong to befriend her…”
He smiles a fatherly smile and says, “Ask her the real reason after she’s come home and you’ll understand.” His expression then turns serious again. “There will be a time when you have to let her go, Ryujin. Not permanently, I hope, but you’ve been there. You know what I’m talking about. How many times have you and Yuna lived apart?”
“At least three times,” Ryujin says after making a quick count in her head. “I know that it could happen but we will remain friends. I will still be her friend.”
“I know you will. I’m not even surprised if the three of you decide to live together one day, considering Jisu’s…” He trails off and clears his throat. “It’s good to have friends,” he concludes. “Just take good care of yourself. Know your limit and hers. Try not to get hurt, okay?”
“I will, Sir. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Oh and please tell her that she can stop sulking now. I still love her and care about her more than I do anyone in this world. It’s just that I know her so well and your father’s request-…”
“I understand, Sir,” interjects Ryujin. “I’ll talk to her.”
He nods and turns his attention back to the TV, ending the conversation.
Ryujin goes inside Yeji’s room to see the woman standing on the bed, holding a large frame.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Trying to find the best place to put your painting,” says Yeji.
Ryujin looks at the wall and sees her small painting hanging above Yeji’s bed. “You took down the puzzle?” she asks.
The huge Disney princess puzzle is the proud result of Yeji and Jisu’s hard work. They framed it and Yeji hung it on her wall because it was mostly pink.
Yeji nods. “It looks weird though. I mean, it kinda looks tiny, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. You don’t have to hang it. You can just put it on your desk or something. There’s a foldable stand on the back. I deliberately picked that frame out because I know it’s gonna be tiny if you try to display it on the wall.”
“Good thinking.” Yeji takes down the small frame, replaces it with the framed puzzle she’s been holding in her hands and climbs down the bed to place the painting on her desk. “It does look better,” she remarks after taking a step back to observe the result.
“It does.” Ryujin takes a seat on the bed. “And I think you’ll see it more if it’s on the desk like that. Anyway, I should get going soon.”
Yeji turns around and sits down next to Ryujin. “Why? It’s not even that late yet.”
“I’ve spent nearly all day here. You should rest. You have work tomorrow.”
“But I probably wouldn’t be able to see you much next week. Can’t you stay for a few more hours? Or better yet, stay over and drive me to work tomorrow morning.”
“Stay over? Your father’s here.”
“So? We’re not gonna do anything.”
“Still doesn’t make it less awkward.”
“Oh come on. It’s no big deal. I can even sleep in Jisu’s room if that makes you feel better.”
“How can I feel better when I’m driving you out of the comforts of your own room?”
“I’ve slept in Jisu’s room a lot so trust me, it’s just as comfortable as my own.”
“Are you saying that you often sleep with her?”
“Yes.”
Ryujin frowns. “Do you cuddle?”
“What? Ew! Of course not!” exclaims Yeji, cringing at the thought of cuddling with her best friend. “We just share a bed! Sometimes I don’t like sleeping alone so I’d sleep in her room. Or we’d fall asleep after talking.” She leans closer to Ryujin and pecks her lips. “I only like cuddling with you,” she says, smiling. “So stay?”
“Only under the condition that you stop giving your father the silent treatment and that scary glare.”
“I didn’t glare at him!”
“You were sulking all night.”
“He deserves it.”
“Yeji…”
Yeji rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll stop ignoring him.”
“Good. Now give me one more kiss. I need to summon all my courage before I go out there and tell your father that I’d be sharing a bed with his daughter tonight.”
Yeji grins, throws her arms around Ryujin and kisses her.
———————
The sound of the alarm startles Chaeryeong, waking her up.
She groans and turns away from the source of the noise, covering her head with the pillow.
“Unnie…” Yuna shakes Chaeryeong’s shoulder to wake her up. “Let’s go see the sunrise.”
“Go away…”
“Come on, Unnie. It’ll only take a few minutes. You can go back to sleep after that.”
Chaeryeong stays still, hoping that Yuna would go away and let her sleep but the younger woman is relentless.
She keeps shaking her, getting rougher by each shake.
“Fine!” Chaeryeong finally gives up when her pillow and blanket are taken away. She shivers a bit and stretches lazily. It’s still summer but the temperature there is much cooler than in the city even though they don’t have air conditioners in their luxury tent.
“Hurry! I don’t want to miss it!” Yuna pulls Chaeryeong by the hand, dragging the stumbling sleepy woman out of the tent to sit on the porch. She barely waited for her to slip her feet into her flipflops.
Chaeryeong rubs her eyes and sits down. “God, it’s still so dark out,” she complains, lifting her knees to hug them.
“It won’t be dark for long,” replies Yuna, readying her phone to take a picture.
She has specifically requested to get a tent facing east near the edge of the campsite where they can see the view without obstruction. They may not be at the top of the mountain but they can see the sunrise perfectly from where they are. She’s done enough research to know this and it’s one of the reasons why she has chosen this particular campsite.
Soon the sky starts to change color and both stare in awe at the beauty that is the rising sun, illuminating the world as it ascends over the horizon.
It wasn’t the first sunrise they’ve witnessed but that doesn’t change the impact of the experience of witnessing the wonder of one of nature’s most beautiful illusions.
Yuna takes a deep breath. “Wow,” she mumbles.
None of them moves from their seats even after the sky has turned permanently light blue, marking the start of yet another day.
“Why did you take me here?” asks Chaeryeong in a small voice. It’s taking everything in her to remain composed. The breathtaking view has stirred something in her, something that’s been dormant for a long time, something she has forgotten.
“When you’re immortal, you need to be reminded of beauty,” answers Yuna calmly. “It’s easy to turn numb or bitter, jaded by everything we’ve seen and gone through. I’ve felt it. Ryujin unnie’s felt it. Beauty reminds us that there is still something good, that there is still hope and there is still a future worth living for, even for us.”
Chaeryeong clenches her jaws. She doesn’t know how or why but tears are surging up and she’s struggling to hold them in.
Yuna doesn’t seem to notice, luckily. Her eyes are still glued to the beautiful morning view of the mountainside.
“Sometimes we see it in nature, other times we see it in people. Either way, it’s good to be reminded of it every once in a while. It keeps our hearts alive,” she continues, as if talking to herself.
“I need to go to the toilet,” mumbles Chaeryeong all of a sudden as she stands up abruptly from her seat, keeping her head down to hide her eyes, and walks away.
She waits until she’s a safe distance away from Yuna before she wipes the tears that are now streaming down her cheeks. She then locks herself in one of the toilet stalls, unsure why she’s reacting this way.
It’s just a stupid sunrise. I’ve seen plenty of sunrises in my lifetime, she tells herself. Some even more beautiful than what I’ve just witnessed.
Then what is this? Why am I like this?