134340 |JJK FF|

Chapter 40

"Hey, wake up!"

Jeongguk snapped his eyes open. Then shut them again once the bright light of Proxima blinded them.

He found his arms in the air, and his head felt disoriented. He was sure he was drowning, why did the land feel so warm under him?

Land?

He opened his eyes again. Nightmare. Dream. He was perfectly fine.

"What?" He pushed himself off the ground as the female voice rang in his ears, "You were mumbling in your sleep,"

"... was I?" Jeongguk felt embarrassed. He hoped his dream wasn't that obvious.

"Mhm." Yumi dropped some things on the ground. Jeongguk let out a small yawn before recognizing them to be fruits.

"I've been awake for some time, so I brought these,"

"Do you know what the time is now?" Jeongguk asked and faced the sky. It looked like late morning.

"Eleven," Yumi sighed, "No, I haven't seen any signs of the others," She continued before he asked.

They ate in silence. Jeongguk's stomach growled happily as he munched down one apple, then another. He hadn't realised just how hungry he was. The peaches from the previous day seemed weeks before.

"We will... ah, set more smoke signals," He said at one point, then shut up once he realised how useless he sounded.

"Sure." Yumi shrugged, "Besides the fire, I found a stream. We can drink there, it's a few paces away."

Jeongguk's mind lost focus at the thought of fresh drinking water. Not canned or bottled stored ones they had been using for months, but actual water, fresh from the stream. "Lead the way." He immediately said, abandoning the fruit he was holding.

"Now?" Yumi asked, before hoisting herself up, "Fine. It is that way-- you better not ask me to carry you all the way there,"

"Carry me all the way there," with that, Jeongguk changed forms and jumped, landing on her shoulder.

"Honestly!"

Jeongguk let out a sound that might have been a laugh, Yumi couldn't tell. She complied, making sure to walk as roughly and irregularly as possible, jump at odd places, take the bushy road so he was pelted in the face with the leaves, do stupid twirls to disorient him, etcetera. But it seemed even he had discover a pattern in her, balancing like a professional and avoiding every one of her antiques.

Soon, the sound of water slapping rocks was heard and Jeongguk's face picked up at the sight of the beautiful stream, the clear and fresh water bouncing off the light. Light droplets collected in the humid air, moistening their faces. He took off his companion's shoulder and dashed to the stream, changing forms. Yumi sniffed irritably.

"You asked me to carry you like some toy only to abandon me behind?" She called, sprinting to catch up, "Hey! Wait--"

He abruptly stopped, causing her to run into his back, which in turn made him jump and gasp.

"Hey, what--"

"Nothing." That moment of stillness was gone as quickly as it came. Still, Yumi did notice him keeping a wary eye on the stream as he cupped some water in his hands, taking a few mighty steps back before gulping it down.

Of course.

"The water is too shallow to cause any trouble," She piped up awkwardly.

"No, it's not like..."

He trailed off, then squared up his shoulders before reaching forward and plunging his hands into the stream again. His throat felt like a drought-ridden area, and he needed the water. This fear was irrational.