After Somin finally gets into a prestigious Art university, everything in her life turns upside down. What was once a secure plan to get closer to her boyfriend is now a mess. Her future is unknown, though already stained with heartache.
Will she p...
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Somin and Junu
Warm fingers gripped her hand in the dark of the woods. The arm was attached to none other than Junu. "Somin-ah, you shouldn't be so deep in the forest alone," he helped her to get out. Then he took off his winter-padded jacket and placed it around the shoulders of a trembling girl with chattering teeth.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, perplexed.
"I was working. Then the mist came so I decided it was about time to go back. I heard you screaming and got worried," he explained, "I wanted to stay away from others too so I guessed you would probably be doing the same thing."
She nodded, putting her hands into the sleeves in a futile attempt to heat herself up.
"You know the way back?" Somin asked, weary from all this stress.
He pointed at his cell phone where a map app was running with a marked red route and a blue dot shivered as Junu moved. He took away her folder and let Somin fully get clothed in his jacket.
She is as lost in her life as I am. Cold sneakingly got to their spines and Somin got afraid in the darkness, her imagination making her see a monster hiding in a bush every five minutes.
"Whoa." Somin almost lost her balance in panic.
"What?" Junu asked when she tightened her grip on his hand.
"I thought I saw something moving," she confessed.
"It's probably the shadowplay or animal," he calmly stated.
"Animal? Like a deer?" she asked.
"Probably, yeah. Don't worry they fear us more than we fear them."
"You have no idea how big my levels of fear are," she joked.
"I'll protect you. Don't worry," the small boy promised.
"Against a fucking deer?" she said in disbelief.
"Yes," he said calmly.
"How?" Her voice was doubtful.
"Just trust me," Junu tried.
"Alright." Somin finished with fake belief, so her legs would move on.
Junu held her hand and confidently navigated them through the unpredictable terrain. There was nothing sexual about their touch, only safety and trust.
Trees were too close and their dense branches were impeding their way. Bushes with thorns were ready to tear apart their clothes, nature was a dark enemy making their movement harder and slower.
"You know the forest is still the same after dark, maybe more comforting?" Junu tried to soothe her nerves.
"Well I prefer to see." Somin gripped his hand firmly.
