dive into you | lee jeno

five

look around

jeno was impressed of ulsan's immensity. he thought 7 days were considerately adequate to tour the province, he was wrong. a day could hardly accommodate a visit in one attraction because aside from having to drive, jeno was immersed on the new information and knowledge he was gaining about the province.

like when he visited ulsan's daegok museum, half of the building took him almost the rest of the day studying the significance of every artifact found on the island. or was it because he hungered for more knowledge that caused him to exert an extra effort learning something new.

completing three tourist attractions in a week was an achievement for jeno, although it left him exhausted in his sleep. his body was shocked of how big the mountainous countryside was.

laying back on his couch that faced the window which he opened for some fresh air, he paid attention to the rising moon in the sky. it was a spontaneous fetching sight of nature. believing what his father imparted before he went on vacation, jeno wore his striped polo sweater in green and white to protect him from the cool air outside, took his essential belongings, then went out his hotel room.

he wanted to directly witness nature's marvel.

jeno's first tour week was full of excitement, on the other hand, the girl, whom he first interacted with in ulsan, had a frustrating run of day and night.

nari locked herself for a week to reflect. or to grieve for her devastating life.

she was blessed to have a cousin like haechan, who was sufficiently compassionate to leave food on her door. she was thankful for him, nevertheless, eating was like consuming stress directly to her stomach. nari was aware of her unhealthy routine but for some reason, she was unnaturally comforted.

on a monday evening, a clandestine meeting was done between nari and her source of repose, the sea.

the night was falling into slumber and people were soon departing the shore as it was getting darker. while nari fought the dusk, her cold arms guarded her shivering body from the chilly wind. there she was appearing like a spirit amidst the visitors exiting the beach.

free from the suffocating household, nari breathed in the inviting air of distant freedom. she deserved a few hours with something that kept her sane.

and the grazing voice of salty waves slapping against the coast solely tended her sound mind.

it was tonight when rocks of different shapes, a round and an angular, was rippled along the seashore of ilsan. on both ends of the shore, they surfaced.

nari was bathing her feet in the water as she strode the beach from the station where cafes and restaurants erected. countering her, jeno walked from the side where mountaineers finished their trail down to catch the waves of ilsan.

upon walking, he noticed he was not alone. a figure alike the girl from a week ago glimmered under the coastal lights.

a fire of hope surrounded the beach as if it was screaming what the stars echoed under the eyes of the moon, one word he heard aloud from the sky, now. each of jeno's step marking the sand was a silent prayer attached hoping that the girl before the vast sea is his ladybird.

voicing out loud in his head, he could not hold it in, ladybird.

i couldn't be possibly mistaken, it was really her!

both had stopped their courses when their feet paralleled one another as the waves tossed around it. time was in no rush of ending the meet up quickly. hence, the gentle raise of their heads to meet eye to eye tugged the two beating hearts afloat the evening.

fate arranged a sublime encounter ilsan itself was proud to behold.

standing at the very center of the coast, in this perfectly timed chance of encounter, the hearts dancing in unison signaled a the beginning of a connection nobody understood better than them.

for when their eyes locked in a moment, security gushed all over nari and jeno.

they saw an abyss of endless solace.

breaking away from the fantasy, reality pulled them back inside the pitch-black night swamped by the sea.

the wind ceased its drag causing the waves to stay still. all of a sudden, everything went silent.

jeno bravely accepted the dare of fate to grab a hold onto the fleeting odds.

"hey."

if only he knew how his voice wiped off the loneliness camping in nari's heart.

"hi," she responded.

they waited long enough for this moment to come, to know the kind local and the lost driver.

"you were that lady i talked to, right?"

"and you were that man i thought was a lost puppy, no?"

her comical aspect was the reason why his eyes smiled, "to be fair, it was my first day."

"it's a relief you finally know your way here," nari shrugged. "is your gps still a bug?"

"no, not really. it's been working perfectly fine since that encounter."

the ladybird was shameless in her turf, "if i were an insecure woman, i'd think you got lost on purpose so you'd have a reason to talk to somebody pretty like me."

he blushed on embarrassment. 

"just kidding," she added. "you might be scared of me now. anyway, it's nice seeing you again."

when he was getting a hang of a resolute identity, nari prepared a goodbye because her prominent conviction reoccurred. it was like losing contact with his deep captivating orbs rescued her from drowning in the abyss.

the stillness of the night prompted her of the uncertain tomorrow with unknown people.

yet jeno was determined to continue what he had begun.

he called back the retreating figure, who was gradually increasing her pace. nari halted to hear what she thought would be his words of farewell, but her expectations failed her.

"wait!"

he found his way back in front of her small figure and offered his hand as he introduced himself. "i'm jeno. if you'd allow me, i'd love to know you more."