◦•●◉✿ The Days We Have ✿◉●•◦

✩five

✩five

August was going by faster than June wanted it to. She was running out of time to go to the mountain. It was September first, and it officially felt like the summer was over. June spent more time than she wanted to in order to get ready for a school she wanted to avoid as much as possible. The only thing she could think of was the next chance she would get to see Chen. He was her best friend and she couldn't lose him. Not after all the days they had spent together. Today would be the last day she would be able to freely visit him, and she hated that. She hated schedules and order. She hated how everyone prioritized making a living rather than actually living and enjoying the life they had. Meeting Chen made her realize that she couldn't take anything or anyone for granted because time was a precious thing that didn't allow anything to last forever. June scoffed. When did she turn into such a pessimist? Lately, she didn't quite know what she was thinking. Everything was going by so quickly that it all seemed like the same blur to her. The only thing she remembered from the whole month was Chen. She remembered multiple visits to his grandmother and the many bowls of soup that she had prepared for them. There were the ladies selling produce and souvenirs and the man who kept the shrine in the forest intact. Then there was Chen. Chen, who finally showed her the railway and led her to a hidden cave. He showed her beautiful fields and brought her to the top of the mountain to witness a sea of clouds. Their time together was almost magical; June had never met someone as true as Chen. He never put up a show for her or pretended to be someone he was not. There were many times where he got annoyed with her for being slow or for asking too many questions. But there were many more times when they laughed so hard, tears came rolling out of their eyes and they could barely breathe. They teased each other, made jokes, and shared embarrassing stories. They knew each other's deepest fears and darkest secrets. Well, maybe they weren't so dark, but to teenagers, they were.

June felt her eyes begin to water as she thought about how much she would miss Chen, but she quickly wiped them away as she stepped down from the bus. She couldn't afford for Chen to see her almost cry: she would never hear the end of it. Instead, she walked through the main street, as they never had a set meeting spot. It just became customary for June to wander around until Chen found her. It probably wasn't the most efficient plan, but it seemed to work every time. June walked by slowly, taking her time to memorize every brick and stone slab. She had no idea when she would come back again. But suddenly, before she knew it, a pair of hands came from behind her and covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" a voice said. June tried to turn around out of his grasp, but his arms held her firmly.

"Chen!" she cried. "Let go of me this instant." The boy chuckled, which made June even grumpier. She crossed her arms in a pout.

"Be quiet and start walking. I have something to show you," he said eagerly.

"Hmph," June grunted. "How will I be able to see?"

"Don't worry, I'll guide you around." Chen nudged her forward to indicate they should start walking, but June didn't budge. "Come on, I promise I won't let you fall."

Chen hovered above her right shoulder and gave her a slight peck on the cheek. Color rose in June's face.

"I promise you'll like it," he whispered. "If you don't, you can punish me however you like."

June sighed but Chen knew her too well. And with that they, awkwardly shuffled forward in the direction the Chen led her in. They had barely made it a few yards before Chen stopped walking.

"Can you promise to keep your eyes closed if I let my hands go? I'll think it will be easier and we will move faster if I lead you by the hand," he said.