In the dark

35

Hobi took the driver's seat as the rest of the small group loaded up in Hobi's car. Namjoon took the passenger seat since he needed the legroom, and Jimin and Peri sat in the back. Hobi rolled down the windows, and pop music played loudly in the car. The boys sang and rapped to the different tunes as Peri kept her eyes glued to the world blurring by her as the car moved down the road.

Jimin would occasionally nudge her to get Peri to join in on the fun. She would do a little shimmy before slipping her attention back to what she was looking at. Her view changed from tall, glass buildings that blocked everything in front of her to lush greenery and rolling hills. The smell in the air changed. In the city, you could smell gasoline from the car driving, the trash baking out in the sun- waiting for the garbage truck to scoop them away, and the smell of food being cooked in restaurants would creep out onto the streets. In the countryside, however, the smells of the city slowly disappeared and were replaced by a fresh, clean scent.

Hobi parked the car when they arrived at the base of the hiking trail. Everyone stepped out of the vehicle, but Peri popped out. She was ready to start her adventure. She took a big breath, taking in the scent of the flowers and trees around her. The sweet smell of flora and fauna filled her lungs. Peri tried to look around but couldn't clearly see anything with her eyes squinting so hard.

"Sweet mother! When did it get so bright?" she asked, trying to block the sun with her hands.

"That's what happens when you get away from the skyscrapers that block the light from coming in," Hobi told her. "Here, put these on. They will help." Hobi pulled his sunglasses off his face and gently placed them over Peri's eyes. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the shade of his glasses.

"How do I look? Can I pull these off?" Peri asked, giving them little poses. The guys laughed at her easygoing spirit. Jimin pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. His laughter stopped when he didn't capture what he wanted.

"You look beautiful as always," Hobi told her, then turned to Jimin and filled him in on why she wasn't in the photo. Peri gave him a sympathetic smile. Namjoon kissed the top of her head to turn her mood back around. Peri scrunched up her face the gave Namjoon a beaming smile. He shook his head, then gave her head a little shake with his hands.

At the base of the trail, large arrows pointed to different places the group could travel on their walk. "There's a library here?! Oh! And a cable car! Wait, you can go to Seoul Tower from here?" Peri peppered the questions to the boys.

"Take a breath, Peri! I know you are excited, me too. We can get to all of that today. The whole trail takes about two and a half hours to complete," Namjoon pleaded with her. Peri was so excited that it was hard for her to stand still.

"Let's start here. We can work our way up to the top and take the cable car down," Peri suggested looking at the arrows before her. She tried to take a step, but Jimin caught her arm.

His eyes looked around for a sign of Peri's little haze first. Then he looked at Peri. "Slow down. This may be a beginner's trail, but there are still some rough spots that could get you hurt if you step wrong." Peri took a deep breath and resolved herself to do as she was told. "Good girl. As Joon-ah said, we have plenty of time," Jimin said

The entire hiking trail was paved so pedestrians, bicyclists, and dog walkers could enjoy the forest's splendor. Giant rock walls were formed on the side, giving the hiking trail tranquil isolation. Visitors were meant to be secluded in their walk, take time away from the city, and enjoy it.

The first challenge for the group came in no time. The boys traveled upwards onto a set of stairs that was so high up Peri could not see she would end up once she reached the top. At the bottom, Peri counted silently to herself, using her index finger to follow along with her count. There were five flights of stairs in total. Namjoon, Jimin, and Hobi were already halfway up when Peri started climbing.