Melodies

25

Woozi's POV
"Tell me why I agreed to go on this hike again?" Seungkwan growls as he stomps up the steep mountain.
"Aelia said we're fat." Seokmin blurts out.
"I did not call you fat!... I just said you need more exercise!" She argues.
"So you're calling us fat..." Hansol gives her a look.
"Aelia hates us!" Chan whines.
"No! I don't! I just- Ugh! Jihoon help me!" She pleads me.
"They already hate me though." I raise an eyebrow.

My eyes look over at the others and they turn their gazes everywhere but me. Aelia covers her mouth, trying her best not to laugh. I glare at her and she laughs even louder.
"Look who's talking! You're the one who's getting complaints about the hike."
She rolls her eyes and continues up the hill. Something runs past me and I almost pee my pants by how scared I get. A pile of golden brown fur with a bushy tail dashes further up the hill. Bao stops and looks down at us with his tongue sticking out and his tail wagging with excitement.
"Bao! Don't go too far!" Aelia yells up to him.
He barks happily before spinning in a circle and continuing down the path.
"Why did you bring Bao again?" Mingyu hurriedly walks in between the two of us, his voice kind of squeaky.
"Yeah, Aelia! He doesn't like us!" Seokmin frowns.
"He was glaring at me in the car... Dogs don't glare!" Seungcheol emphasizes.
"Bao isn't that bad guys." My eyes roll into the back of my head at their childishness.
"Only because he likes you for some reason!" Minghao complains.
"For some reason." Jun laughs, patting his shoulder.
I glare at the two and growl but they don't even notice.
"I brought Bao because he loves going outside and I barely get to take him out anymore. This was an opportunity for him to get some exercise in. Dogs need exercise too, you know." Aelia informs.
"Well, I think you should have him on a leash or something so he doesn't attack us." Wonwoo stares at the shiba inu.
"Bao would never attack someone that he knows is associated with me. Sure, he loves barking at you guys, but he'd never bite you."
"He's still scary, whether you see it or not." Jeonghan shakes his head.
"So how much longer till we get to the top, Aelia?" Jisoo asks.
"Maybe an hour?" She purses her lips thinking.
"An hour?!" We all look at her as if she's crazy.
"We've already been walking for a long time though!" Chan whines.
"ChanChan, it's been seven minutes." She pats his cheek, "And it's only gonna take an hour because I know you guys are gonna keep stopping along the way. Also, we'd take a lunch break. Otherwise, this path would only take us half an hour."
"Is it too late to turn around?" Minghao groans.
"I would think so. Aelia is the only one who knows the way back down and there were certain turns she took." Soonyoung says.
"But I'm tired already!" Mingyu pouts.
"Stop being a little baby and climb this mountain like a man."
"Well, maybe I don't want to be a man!"
Minghao starts cracking up and I look over at him.
"Oh boy! That's a good one! As if you were one already!"
"Hey!" He starts to chase him up the slope.
"That's one way to get there faster." I watch them run further and further away.
"Guys, the path gets narrower around the next turn. Be careful when we get there." Aelia warns us.
"Thanks, Aelia!" Seokmin smiles.
"Have we seriously been walking for only seven minutes?" I walk next to her.
"Yup. That's what my phone says. Why? Are you complaining too?" She speaks in a tone as if saying to test her patience.
"No! I just thought you were lying to them to make them feel bad."
"Like that would make them feel bad. I can hear them complaining all the way in the back of the group." She sighs.
Bao runs up to us and starts walking next to us at the same pace. Aelia smiles down at him and takes off her backpack. She digs in her backpack for something and pulls out a treat. Bao starts jumping around excitedly, his barking happy and satisfied. She giggles before feeding it to him. He happily finishes it in a matter of seconds before trotting around the corner.
"Does Bao know where we're going?" Soonyoung asks, walking behind me because of the narrowing path.
"Yeah. I've taken him here multiple times. He's learned the way. Sometimes he even runs ahead and just meets me there." She shrugs.
"Smart doggie." Jeonghan nods in approval.
We continue walking for another fifteen minutes before she tells us to stop. Luckily, there was a couple of benches there so we all plop down, squishing each other to be able to sit on one.
"Dang! This hike got me sweaty!" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice says.
"AH! What the-?! When did you get here?!" Jisoo screams at the boy in horror.
The taller handsome boy of the two chuckles and smiles at him. Jisoo blinks at the two in confusion.
"You guys didn't notice they were here the whole time?" Aelia laughs.
"No! The boys were too busy complaining to let me notice my surroundings." I try to excuse myself.
"He's not wrong." Seungcheol points out.
"Well, Aelia invited us to come along because she wanted us to get some 'exercise' too. But I'm pretty sure she just wanted me to tag along because I'm her favorite." Seungwoo smiles at her cheekily.
"That is false. I'm her favorite." Soonyoung stands up and points an accusing finger at her.
"Actually, you are wrong. Diva Boo is her favorite, of course!" Seungkwan flips his imaginary long hair.
All of the boys stand up and start fighting over who takes the title, Aelia face palming majorly.
"We all know none of them are your favorite, Aelia." Minhyun stands on the other side of Aelia, smiling down at her.
"Who do you think her favorite is?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You, of course." He chuckles, "Do you realize how highly she talked of you before you decided to kiss her and get together? I knew her personally for only, what, a week? I'm pretty sure she's told you many times, but you're her inspiration."
I look over at Aelia with a shocked expression. She talked about me a lot before we started dating? I mean I talked about her a lot too but I didn't realize how much of an inspiration I was to her. I knew she always said it, but enough for her to talk about me to two new friends?
My face turns a bright red and Minhyun laughs.
"Aww, you're both blushing!"
"Shut up!" We both yell at him.
He laughs even harder, making me groan in annoyance. Seungwoo screams randomly and runs to hide behind Aelia. She looks at him with a raised eyebrow and licks her lips, frustration already showing in her face.
"What happened?" She asks.
"Your younger friends are quite scary." He laughs nervously.
Turning in the direction he came from, Mingyu and Minghao high five each other while laughing with a devilish smile on their faces. Looking back at Seongwoo, I notice how close he is to her. I clear my throat and the two look at me. I motion for him to separate from her and his eyes widen.
"S-sorry, Jihoon." He bows apologetically multiple times.
"Jihoon." Aelia sighs.
"What?" I blink at her innocently.
"It's alright, Aelia." Minhyun pats her head as if she's a child.
Loud barking comes out of nowhere and the fluffball jumps onto Minhyun. The boys scream and jump onto the bench to get away, making me face palm.
"Bao! Stop!" Minhyun laughs as Bao licks his cheek.
"What the... Bao likes you?!" Jeonghan's eyes widen the size of golf balls.
"Yeah! Bao loves Woojin more though." Seongwoo pouts.
"Wait, Bao likes you too?!" Chan exclaims.
"Does your dog not like them or something?" Minhyun asks as he gets up and dusts himself off.
"Yeah." Aelia giggles, "Everyone but Jihoon. I don't know why he likes you guys to be honest. He usually hates everyone except me."
"I feel special now." Seongwoo smiles with confidence.
"Don't push it." Mingyu shakes his head.
"Let's go another few minutes then we'll take a lunch break." Aelia says.
The whole time, something happens: the boys (especially the youngest) keep complaining, Minhyun or Seongwoo stay close to Aelia and act cute with her, which makes me angry, then Mingyu falls and scraps his knees.
When Mingyu falls, some of the boys laugh but Aelia yells at them to shut up, a scary facial expression appearing. They gulp and back away as Aelia rushes over to him. She reaches into her backpack and pulls out a first aid kit.
"LiLi, it stings~ I don't want to cry or curse in front of so many people, but it hurts like a bitch." He whines.
"Mingie, you need to watch your mouth." She smacks his lips lightly before opening the case.
The other boys hover over her and watch her take out a spray, some wipes, and bandages. She looks up at the others and motions for them to give a little of breathing space. They take a few steps back but still watch her actions. She rolls her eyes and sighs, taking out the wipes then looking back at the wounded boy.
"I'm gonna clean it first then use this spray. It's gonna sting even more, but it's going to make the cuts better, okay?" She informs him.
"Will I cry?" He asks.
"Maybe." She starts cleaning it first.
"I'd like to see that." Minghao chuckles.
"Dang... How hard did you fall? Your knees are bleeding pretty bad." Seungcheol asks, bending down next to the two.
"I don't know... I think I tripped over a root that was sticking up. I was looking at the sky because Seokmin and I were pointing out the shapes in the clouds and now- OW!" Mingyu makes a squeaking noise.
"Aww. Does it hurt?" I bend down, smirking at him.
"You need to shut- AH!" He jumps a bit.
"I told you it was going to hurt." She looks at him with a disappointed face.
"Yeah but I didn't think it was going to be this much!" He pouts.
"You're such a child, Mingyu. You always have been." She smirks before standing up and holding her hand out to him.
Seungcheol also stands up and looks down at him. His eyes widen and he points to Mingyu's hands.
"His hands are bleeding too! Seriously, how hard did you fall?!" He blinks in surprise.
"Aww man!" He stomps his foot on the ground.
"At least you can stand up for this one." She wipes his hands then sprays them quickly.
He winces in pain while Aelia wraps them in bandages.
"Aww, he didn't cry this time." Vernon pouts.
"Quiet!" He starts chasing him.
"When he falls again, I'm not bringing this first aid kit back out." She says, putting it back in her bag, "Let's go! We're behind schedule now!"
I walk to her side and she looks over at me. She smiles and grabs my hand.
"Sorry, Jihoon. I've barely talked to you this whole hike. These boys really are a handful."
"I know." I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss it, "That's why I'm not mad."
She mouths a thank you and I smile. She turns to look at Minhyun, who easily strikes up a conversation with her. Okay, but that makes me mad. I squeeze her hand tightly but she doesn't move an inch. What the heck.
"Baby~" I sing.
This makes her tense and look at me right away. I blink innocently at her and her eyes widen in surprise, her face a little red.
"You never call me baby... What do you want?" She raises an eyebrow.
"You." I blurt out.
"Oh. You're jealous." She concludes.
"Am not!"
"Jihoon, I say this every time and every time I'm right, right Minhyun?" She smirks at him.
"Definitely." He agrees.
"JUNHUI! YOU'RE ABOUT TO FALL OFF THE CLIFF AGAIN!" Jisoo shouts.
"Geez. Can't I get a break? I just wanted this day to go right..." she mutters.
Why is this so important to her? She lets go of my hand and runs over the boys who start screaming at the top of their lungs. Aelia yells at them, waving her arms all over the place.
"Your girlfriend is a very interesting person." Minhyun speaks up.
"Of course she is. She's Choi Aelia."
"I hope you do know I wasn't lying when I said how much she used to talk about you before you two started dating. I hope you guys stay together. I can see your children already: music prodigies!" He chuckles.
"Fine. Get to the top on your own then!" Aelia screams before running away, Bao rushing after her.
"Wait! Aelia!" Jeonghan calls after her, running a bit.
"Why isn't she in track? She's really fast!" Seongwoo's eyes widen as he points at her.
I clear my throat and they all tense up, slowly turning to look at me. They gulp as their eyes pop out of their sockets.
"Who upset Aelia?" I cross my arms at them.
"Wonwoo." They all point at him.
"Dang. I knew I can count on you guys." He sighs, "Yeah, I upset her. But anyone would've told her eventually!"
"What the hell did you tell her?!" My fists now balled up.
"I-I told her that we didn't want to be here and that there's no point." He hangs his head.
"You idiot! Aelia brought you guys on this trip for a reason! She didn't want to tell you till you reached the top. It's a surprise." Minhyun glares at them.
"Really?" I look at him in shock.
He looks over at me, his expression softening. His lips press together and he nods. She wants to show us something? I smile at the thought. She just told everyone we need exercise to make us come on the trip instead of telling us the truth. Of course she would. Typical Choi Aelia.
"We need to find her." Minghao says.
"Alright, but we should stick together just in case we get lost, we get lost together." Seungcheol announces.
"Okay then you lead the way, Cheol." Soonyoung pushes him up the path.
"Ugh... Make me do everything..." he mutters.
An hour later, we're still hiking. We took the lunch break we never got to do because Aelia left us. We need to find her quick because we're all getting antsy without her around. We're not used to being without her.
"Do you think Aelia is okay?" Chan asks.
"Of course she is. She's probably laughing at us struggling right now." Jun says.
"Guys! There's a clearing up ahead! And I think I see her!" Seokmin exclaims.
I push past all of the boys into the clearing and I sigh in relief. There she is: standing there with Bao right by her feet. I look back at the boys and motion for them to stay calm. I slowly walk right next to her, watching her.
She never peels her eyes away to look at me nor does she open her mouth to speak.
"Aelia-" I get cut off.
"Aelia!"
"We were so worried about you!"
"Don't ever leave us again!"
"Do you realize how scared we were by ourselves?! I saw a snake and almost died!"
The boys continue with their loud chatter but my eyes lock onto Aelia. What is she staring at? My gaze follows hers and my eyes widen. I hit the person next to me and they raise a fist as if to punch me.
"Don't you dare-" Minghao starts.
I hold my hand up to stop him, still staring in the direction. I point towards the view and he has the same reaction. Soon everyone stares at the view of the city in wonder. Finally, a smile spreads across Aelia's face.
She sits on the ground and I sit next to her. Bao climbs into her lap and looks at the view too. She smiles down at him then leans her head on my shoulder and starts petting him.
"Lia, is this what you were trying to show us?" Wonwoo cautiously asks, bending down next to her.
Her eyes lock with his and she nods.
"Yeah. It's the place my mom took me after I got the letter."
She doesn't say which letter but by the looks of it, we can all tell which one she's talking about: the rejection letter from Juilliard.
Wonwoo smiles lightly and squeezes her hand.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know this place was so important to you. You should've told us instead of pressuring us into coming, dork." He chuckles, "But that's just how you are."
"Hehe~ sorry." She laughs nervously.
"Thank you. We needed this." Seungcheol smiles, coming between us and wrapping his arms around mine and Aelia's shoulder.
"I know... That's why I brought you here. I heard you all have tests coming up so I wanted you to have some fun before it becomes stressful." She admits.
"Aww! Saengseon is so sweet!" Soonyoung hugs her from the side.
"Group hug!" Seongwoo announces and we get squished together, falling on top of each other.
Next thing I know, I'm breathing in dirt.