Winter Hearts

Eye

Siana joined Min at the circular vantage point at the eastern end of the Acropolis. There, a low parapet encircled the dais, in the centre of which was the huge flagpole that bore the national flag. Standing under it, she could gauge the speed of the wind by the sound the flag made flapping against itself, and with the weight of its fabric, it seemed heavier and thicker than the impression of lightness it first gave her.

They joined the small gathering of tourists who were taking pictures of the city as it sprawled away from the foot of the promontory. She and Siana stood close to the pole, letting others take the forward view, which was blinding, as the sun had yet to reach its apex in the sky and was in their eyes. They had seen this sight together a few times already, Siana with her parents and she on her own a few times as well. For them, it wasn't so much the view they were taking in, as the atmosphere, the magnitude of its history.

They stood in amicable silence for a few minutes, til Min looked around to see where the boys were.

"Looks like they went round the south side. Shall we go look?"

Siana nodded, turning to follow Min. They approached the Parthenon from the back, moving towards their left to see if they would find the boys coming through the path between the city's bounds and the long side of the Parthenon.

She could see they were halted near where she had pointed out the Amphitheatre below to Leo earlier.

They had peered down over the ledge, leaning affectionately against each other. She had told him about how they held yearly traditional dance exhibits at the theatre, and he had asked her if she knew many dances.

"I know more Greek traditional dances than I do Korean," she had said, looking up at him searchingly. He had smiled down at her and shrugged.

"I only know the Korean Drunken CEO dance," he had murmured, alternately pointing each of his index fingers up and down and making her laugh.

Then he had run off to join the boys back at the entrance.

Now she saw him walking in the back with Hyuk by his side, who was recording him on his personal phone. Min Seok was trailing Ravi and Hongbin, whilst Kkomae took footage of N and Ken who were walking ahead. Min stopped at the eastern end of the Parthenon, the back end, waiting a few metres from the corner, as it seemed like the boys were going to round it and look back to see the view of its columns.

The wind was picking up, and Siana could hear N speaking up to make sure he was heard. Every now and then Ken would interject with some cute gestures and try to derail N's steady delivery, but then N just clamped a hand around the back of Ken's neck. For a moment, Ken acquiesced, but then after a while he began cursing and berating N, who let him go with a laugh. Ken smiled to camera brightly before turning to look at N with a scowl.

"That's the cutest little firecracker angry face," Min laughed.

Siana snorted. Min seemed to have let go of any reservations she had of the boys and was letting herself fall into their charms like melting butter sliding off a plate onto the floor.

They watched as the boys rounded the corner, stood as close as they could to the base of the columns of the back end of the Parthenon, and with the sun in their eyes, talked about the view and their appreciation of the monument. Min Seok panned upwards to capture the frieze that adorned the top of the columns, the edge of the roof. Eventually they reached a natural pause and Kkomae and Min Seok moved to the east end by the flagpole to take footage of the view.

The boys had some time to themselves while that happened, and Siana saw Leo immediately turn to walk towards her. She sensed Min leave her side and walk in the boys' general direction as he did so.