Insanity

< getaway >

"W-what?" I ask.

"It's not all that bad here," Sunwoo says truthfully. "Just because something is new to you doesn't mean you can just give up on it."

I swallow and he gets out of the car and holds out his hand.

"I'll prove it to you." He says. I hesitantly take his hand and he leads me to the soft warm sand. We walk closer to the shore where Hyunjae, Juyeon, and Changmin are already leaping into the dark ocean.

Sunwoo lays a blanket down on the sand, the area just ahead of where the water reaches, and sits down. He pats the spot next to him.

Honestly, I'm surprised at how nice it is here. There seemed to be permanent cold weather back in the city, but here there's warmth despite the gray clouds above. The water looks dark and menacing, but there's also a peacefulness to it.

"You like it." Sunwoo says, who has been staring at me. "I can tell by your eyes."

"I-i'm just surprised that's all," I glance away from him.

"Why's that? You thought everywhere in the dark world was awful?" he asks.

"I mean sort of. That's what we're told," I say. "I watched the Twilight movies and got nightmares for a week."

"Ugh those movies are honestly so offense," Sunwoo shakes his head.

"They're pretty scary."

After a moment of silence he says, "What was it like? In your world, I mean."

".... It was home." I say softly. "I think the biggest difference from my world to yours is not the weather or the fashion. It's that, in the light universe there's a sense of community. Like if you had fallen on the side walk anyone near you would help you up and take care of you."

Sunwoo pauses and says, "But that happened here as well, didn't it?"

I remember the first night I had fallen here. Sunwoo literally helped me off the street.

"Yeah," I let out a small laugh. "It did."

"See? We're not so different, you and me." Sunwoo nudges my elbow. "But what else about your world? Is there any part of you that's glad you got out?"

I have never considered this before. And hearing that out loud makes me think.

"Sometimes, it was suffocating."I admit. "It's such a perfect world over there filled with perfect people.... you can't help but be pressured to be perfect too."

"now that sounds like hell." Sunwoo scoffs. "I can't imagine everyone having to be nice to everyone all the time"

I laugh, "It wasn't that bad."

Sunwoo just shudders at the thought. "Also..." he trails off.

"Also...?" I look at him.

He clears his throat, "I'm sorry." He says, as if it took all of his energy. "Changmin was completely out of line, but I shouldn't have let him trap you like that."

I'm taken aback at his statement. Sunwoo seems like he would never apologize for anything, because that would mean proving that he was wrong.

"I'm not upset with you." I say and Sunwoo looks at me.

"Really?"

"I'm mad at him," I smile, pointing into the distance at the long necked boy who throws his shirt onto the sand and dives into the water.

Sunwoo allows himself to laugh. "Well you won't get an apology out of that one. But I'll make sure that you guys aren't alone together, if that helps."