The next day morning, the teachers and all the students were at the entrance of Gotjawal forest. All the students from the three majors were mixed up but Jinyoung, Jaebum and Jackson were together.
"Everyone," one of the male teachers called all the students' attention, "Remember, this is a field trip and a group activity. So, don't wander off on your own. We're going to lead you and you just need to follow us. Make new friends and stick to each other. We'll stop somewhere for lunch and we'll get back to the hotel before dinner. All clear?"
"Yes!" The students' voice boomed out.
"Then let's start our journey."
They set off from the entrance of the forest, and just some steps in and they already got that feeling of being cut out from the outside world. There was no definite way to take in the forest and the teachers were leading them by the paper map, to the places where there were a lot of things to see and observe.
The whole forest gave the vibes of an absolute wilderness. There was nothing that seemed to be the touch or creation of human beings. Some Fairy Pittas were seen resting on the branches and looking at the large group of people, who were invading their forest.
There were so many plants, whose names the students had no idea of, except some Botany students, there. Some students were taking photos of them and some talking with their friends about them.
"At this rate, I'm going to get hungry before lunch," Jackson said, after drinking the water from his water-bottle. The students had already been given a lunchbox each, and they had kept them inside their backpacks. Aside from the lunchboxes, some students had also brought snacks in their backpacks.
Jaebum was silently walking on his own, staring at the numerous plants as they passed them, and probably getting lost in his own thoughts.
Jackson was talking and complaining, alternatively, until he found a girl who was from the Botany class and walking ahead of him, to have a chat with. Pretty soon, he forgot his friends and was having very much fun, talking with and pleasing the girl.
As they got into the deeper parts of the forest, Jinyoung walked quite more slowly as his legs were starting to sore, due to the uneven ground, and felt drained. He wished they would stop for a while.
"Hello there." A voice came out near Jinyoung and he turned to look at a student who was now walking beside him.
"Hi." Jinyoung greeted the student back. The student was in a t-shirt and a jacket over it. He had an amiable smile and enthusiastic eyes. His steps were light and at ease, opposite to Jinyoung's.
"Is it your first time here?" The student asked Jinyoung.
"Yes. You?"
The student gave a nod. "There're lots of plants we don't know about here. By the way, I'm from Botany."
"Then I guess you know more about them than me. I'm from Environmental Science."
"It's a great subject, I like it," the student commented. "Are you alone though? For me, I'm. I thought it'd be great to have a chat with someone."
"I'm with my friends," Jinyoung pointed at his two friends, "I think they're occupied with their own things. They're often like that."
"They seem not interested in you at the moment."
They walked a bit further without talking, and then the student started again, "Do you know byrophytes? Have you seen them?"
The name did not strike Jinyoung but he seemed to have a vague memory of it, "I think I've heard the name before. But for sure, I've never seen them. What're they like?"
