Danger. A Closed Forest | Stray Kids

25. BEAUTIFUL

/~*~\\ 25 //~*~\

/~*~\\ BEAUTIFUL //~*~\

Jisung was clutching Seungmin's warm hand, his chest against his shoulder, and he squinted his eyes, which he tried to shield with his other hand anyway, but that was not enough. Snow was attacking them from all sides, not even allowing them to catch one full breath, and the frost and the intensifying wind pinched their cheeks, simultaneously turning the ends of the hair sticking out from under the hats into thin icicles, prickling just above the eyelids.

Seungmin felt perfectly how shaky Jisung was and how icy his fingers were, so he did not even think about moving away from him, even an inch, just to give him as much of his warmth as possible. He had to find a shelter and wait out the gale before Han would freeze to death. They lived in mountainous terrain, so there was no way that there was no cave or even a small grotto in the vicinity of the next few kilometres. Over time, the chocolate-hair boy's steps became heavier and clumsy. He slipped or put his feet weakly several times, and Seungmin only watched with concern if he would be able to stay on them any longer. Kim knew going out into the woods was a terrible idea, but he didn't expect it to be caused by the changing weather. Zeus must have really liked to watch them suffer so that he would suddenly send hellish low temperatures on them, enriched with a damn thick and gusty blizzard. The worst part was that Jisung barely had contact with reality from all the cold.

They spent a good two hours, maybe more, trying to find something that would protect them from the wind and allow them to wait, but out of spite they only passed trees and a small stream, which was useless in this situation. Suddenly, Kim felt a sharp jerk downward and doubled over. His frightened pupils rested on Han, shaking like jelly, kneeling in the snow with a red nose and narrowed eyes.

- Come on, 'Sung, a little more - Seungmin grabbed his shoulders and, slipping his arm over his neck, helped him to his feet. The eighteen-year-old's jaw was flying up and down, and his teeth were hitting each other, producing an unpleasant grinding noise every time. - We'll find something soon.

- C-col-ld... - Jisung stammered out, closing and opening his fists to stimulate his circulation at least a little, and Seungmin pulled him by his waist, hoping it would help, and then he saw a dark outline in the distance. His eyes flashed red in an instant as hope returned, and determination pushed his tired legs. It had to be it. The closer they got, the surer he was.

They stumbled upon a hole in the side of the mountain and Seungmin immediately took a run, grabbing Jisung by the knees and back to pick him up bridal style and reach his destination faster. He leaned him against the wall, to which Jisung groaned gently, but he felt a little better when the snow did not sting his eyes and the frost in the wind did not pinch his skin so much. Though the body was still shivering with cold, unlike Kim, who bit his lip as he contemplated what he should do now.

Jisung watched his friend, who, with an anxious expression on his face and that strange red gleam in his eyes, turned his head frantically to the side and stared deeper into the cave as if he saw a ghost there.

- W-what are y-you d-doing? - Han's eyes widened as Kim unzipped his jacket with his eyes fixed on the darkness of the small cave, then slowly pulled it off and briefly returned to his friend before whom he knelt.

- I'm trying to make sure you don't freeze - Kim replied, giving him a gentle smile, then he covered him with the warm material and carefully pressed its ends between the wall and his back so that there was no hole left to let the cold in.

- What about you? - Jisung watched, sniffling, as the taller one rose and took a few steps towards the back of the grotto, taking his steps carefully. Han let out a good gulp of air as his hands regained their functionality. - S-Seungmin?

- Show yourself! - Kim growled throatily, the growl echoing off the damp rocks, making a loud reverb spreading fainter and fainter until it finally gave way to silence. Jisung shuddered at the power with which he uttered those two words. His heart suddenly sped up in fear at the thought that they had found an animal, or worse, its lair, and would now be eaten for violating its privacy. - I said, show. Yourself.

A soft whimper reached Jisung's ears, and after a while a large ball of fair fur slowly emerged from behind the rock, its head held low and its tail tucked between its hind, bent legs, as if he was paralysed by the fear of Seungmin's frightening tone. As if he towered over the wolf. There was an intense silence for a moment as Kim bored his cold pupils into an apparently terrified animal that Jisung could have sworn he had seen before.

- Seungmin - Jisung's soft voice snapped him out of his trance, and in a split second Kim was at his side with worry written on his face. - He won't hurt us.

- Jisung –

- H-he is scared, Seungmin - Han frowned, stating with great firmness intertwining between the words - He was here f-first, and he's h-hiding from the snow too, l-leave him alone and come here or y-you'll freeze yourself - Han lifted his jacket, encouraging him with a gentle smile to sit next to him and let them share a garment to keep them both warm. Seungmin snarled in warning at the smaller than the (familiar to Jisung) black, beige wolf, who huddled in a ball against the wall away from the boys, and then took a seat next to the chocolate-haired, touching his side to be as close as possible and giving him as much heat as possible. Jisung looked at the frightened pile of fur and smiled apologetically at him, at which a gleam of joyful golden gleam, blending perfectly with his unnatural colour of fur, showed in his eyes, which reminded Han of spring mornings. Beautiful mornings.