I can't seem to stop my leg from bouncing up and down. This has been going on all day today. Today is exactly a week after I met Yeona on that hill. Today I'm going to try to meet her again, just like Chan had told me to. I'm planning on going to that willow tree at the exact same time. This way the day, time and place will be the same. If she'd want to meet me again, she'd think of this too right?
I glance at the time in the top corner of my phone once more. The minutes are passing annoyingly slow and I feel myself getting more and more nervous. What if she won't be there? I promised Chan I'd get her out of my head, but I don't know if I'll be able to. The last few days she has been on my mind almost nonstop. It got so bad that I tried to write my feelings down by making a song. I can't seem to find the words for this feeling that I have, but the melody is all laid out. The melody has a slow paste to recreate the feeling of time standing still. A mix of soft tones with some high pitched ones to mimic the peaceful feeling between us as we sat there with the stars shining bright above us.
Tonight feels the same as a week ago, the sky clear and showing every single star. The moon is shining bright, maybe even brighter than that night. I'm staring out of the window, still waiting for the minutes to pass so that I can hopefully meet her.
"Are you going to try to meet her today?" Chan asks me.
When did he get here? I thought he was in his room and I didn't hear him coming out of it. Guess I must have been deep in thought again. I nod at him. "How did you know?"
Chan chuckles as he sits down next to me. "You've been acting all excited and nervous today. The others might not have noticed but I have. And as far as I know there is only one reason for your behaviour." He is silent for a bit, letting his words sink in. Was I that obvious? "And her name is Yeona."
I slam my hand over his mouth as soon as I hear her name. "Ssht. Someone might hear you." I sis at him. He just cocks his eyebrow at me as response. "If I won't see her again, they won't need to know." With that I remove my hand, turning to the window once more.
- - -
Nerves are racking through my body. No matter how many deep breaths I take, the feeling stays. Giving up on trying to get rid of it I continue walking, just a bit longer and then I'll be able to see the hill with the willow tree on it. The moonlight is shining through the leaves of the trees around me, just barely lighting up the path enough for me not to trip.
The trees finally give way for the grass fields to come into view. The bright light of the moon shining onto the small flowers that are scattered along the hill. My eyes slowly move towards the large willow tree, hoping to see someone, yet expecting it to be empty. The ground around the tree is only filled with grass, no person is to be found. Even though I saw this coming, it still hurt.
The nerves that were rushing through my body all day, have now suddenly disappeared. Leaving an empty feeling in their place. The smile that I didn't even realise was on my face, slowly disappears as I'm walking closer to the tree. I can't get myself to leave already, even though I've nothing to do here anymore.
What if she'll come later?
I try to shake the thought away. She isn't here and she's not coming, not now and not in an hour. Even though I try to convince myself the thought keeps coming back. She might come. Last week I was here before her... Yeah, she might come later.
I look up at the stars, enjoying the view while slowly walking the final couple feet towards the tree. Feeling the roots of the tree below my feet I quickly glance down, not wanting to trip over them again. Turning around so that my back hits the tree I slide down slowly until I'm sitting on the grass. The moon shines through some of the leaves, creating beautiful patterns on the ground.
"It's you!"
I look up confused. Where did that come from? Checking my surrounding to see if anyone is here, leaves me even more confused. The whole field is still empty. That voice... It sounded a lot like... Yeona? I quickly stand up, walking a circle around the tree to make sure she isn't hiding behind it. Did I imagine it? I keep glancing around confused until I hear it. Soft giggling.
Focusing on the sound I finally figure out where it's coming from. Looking up into the tree I see her. Yeona is sitting on a branch about eight feet high. Her hands are covering her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. The second that we lock eyes she removes her hands, bursting out in laughter fully this time. I feel a smile spreading onto my face. I can't believe she's actually here.
"You looked so stupid, walking in a circle around the tree, searching for me." She says still laughing at me.
I can't help but join in on her laughter, I can't imagine how funny it must have looked. I had almost convinced myself that I made it up, which makes me feel even dumber. "How did you get up there?" I ask, wanting to join her but not seeing a branch low enough for me to grab.
"You can't fly?" She asks looking at me confused.
What? My eyes widen in shock. Fly? I scan her face for signs of it being a joke, but she looks genuinely confused.
She suddenly snickers. "There is a broken branch on the other side, place your foot on it and pull yourself up using one of the higher branches."
Still trying to wrap my head around what just happened I walk towards the other side of the tree. Following her instructions I find a small broken branch, just big enough for one foot to step on. Pushing off from the ground I grab one of the higher branches, using it to lift myself high enough for my left leg to wrap around a branch. One final push is all it takes for me to be sitting on the branch.
"You looked really confused just now. Did you really think I was serious?" Yeona asks, a hint of humour evident in her voice. I look towards her to find her sitting on the same branch as before, both her legs dangling on one side. She seems completely at ease, not even a slight bit worried about falling.
"I knew you were joking..." I say, not sounding convincing at all. "You just looked so... serious?" I slowly stand up before carefully stepping from branch to branch until I reach her. Making sure to hold a sturdy branch each time I lift one of my feet. Finally reaching the same branch she was sitting on, I slowly sit down, my hands wrapped securely around a thinner branch to my right.
Sitting still, I realise how fast my heart is beating. My hands are sweaty from the nerves, not because of the height, no because of her. I look away from the ground, my eyes falling on her only to see that she was already looking at me. "Why are we sitting in this tree?" I ask, wondering why she didn't just sit on the ground, like last time.
"I actually have no idea. I've always liked climbing in this tree. It makes me feel... Free?" She pauses for a bit, thinking about her answer. "Does that make sense?"
"Weirdly enough, yes." I smile at her. My feet that are just dangling on either side of this branch, not touching the ground. The wind blowing through my hair. The rustling of the leaves beside me. All these things combined do indeed make me feel free.
Yeona swings one of her legs over the branch, mirroring my pose. Only for her to lean backwards until her back meets the branch. She's laying down, looking completely at ease with the fact that her legs on either side are the only thing stopping her from falling.
I should ask her for her number, I'm not going to make the same mistake again. But what if she'll get the wrong impression? I'm not trying to hit on her. "Yeona?" I say softly, to which she responds by humming. I take a deep breath in. You can do this. "I'm glad that you're here today."
She suddenly sits back up, looking at me in shock, only for it to be replaced by a big smile. "Really?" I nod softly, causing her smile to grow even more. She slowly lays down again while saying: "Well, I'm glad that you are here too." I'm about to ask her for her number when she says: "It may sound weird, but I was kind of hoping that you'd come here today."
I can't help but smile at her. Does she feel the same as me? Does she also want to meet more often? To hang out like this? "I don't think that it's weird, it was the same for me." I scratch my neck, the nerves coursing through my veins while I push myself to continue. "Could I have your number?" I ask her, pausing for a split second before hurriedly rushing the following behind it: "Just to meet again. I'm not trying to hit on you. I just- I- You're a nice person. I'd like to hangout more?" I press my lips closed to stop myself from rambling, closing my eyes from embarrassment.
Hearing her chuckling I open my eyes again. She is sitting up right looking at me with a soft smile. Instead of answering she moves her hand to her back pocket, reaching for her phone. Just as she pulls her phone out of her pocket it starts vibrating, which causes it to slip from her hands, falling down and hitting the floor hard. "Shit!" Yeona says looking at her phone on the ground. My eyes land on her phone as well, watching the screen light up once more. "Thank goodness, it didn't break." She sighs relieved. "Wait? Why didn't it break?"
Her sudden switch from relieved to confused causes me to snicker. I quickly cover my mouth, scanning her face to see her reaction. She just starts smiling at me, before pushing herself up so she's standing on the branch. "I'm getting out to get my phone, you coming? You know to get my number." She says sending me a joking wink before hopping onto the next branch.