For hours and hours, they waited, and even some sounds of leaves brushed against each other by the wind or some small animals passing through bushes, made them give a start as they were pricking up their ears for the sound of the group.
At noon, they took out their lunchboxes and had lunch in solemn silence. After lunch as well, all they could do was wait. Jinyoung paced about, being all restless, and then sat down again. Yumi was sitting quietly under a tree, staring at the way they had come from. Mark was also in silence, seemingly in his own pensive thoughts.
Jinyoung's heart sank when the evening came and yet there was no one coming to them. They had to have the snacks they had brought to fill their stomaches. And that was when Yumi started weeping and blaming Mark, between her sobs.
"I could've been spared this trouble if you hadn't made yourself look like you knew where they'd gone. It was all because of you! I don't think they'd ever come and find us here," she said, sobbing.
"Then why did you follow me? You could've stayed there if you wanted to," Mark flared up.
"Because I didn't want to be alone there," she argued.
"Please stop. It's no use blaming each other. We're in this together. But like Yumi said, if they don't search for us thoroughly in this whole forest, I don't think they'll find us here," Jinyoung said, disheartenedly.
"It might take days but they won't leave us here if they know we're missing. They'll search for us anyhow," Mark reassured.
It grew dark and they had to pass the night, with nothing significant happening. They could not stay up long, however, as they had been too exhausted both physically and mentally, and they fell asleep, using their own backpacks as pillows.
The next morning, they woke up, finding only themselves and no sign of the other people. Here, the problem of food started to arise, as they had nothing more to eat now, except Mark's two pieces of bread, which he had left out the previous day, just in case.
"Here, Yumi," he handed the bread to her, "You have them. Jinyoung and I will go around in search of food, maybe some fruits. I don't know how long it'll take. You just wait here, and maybe take a bath before we're back."
"I've to be here alone?" she asked, terrified, "I can't! What if there are harmful animals? I've heard there're a lot of moose here. Don't leave me here alone. I'll come along."
"Aren't you a Zoology student? And moose aren't dangerous unless you provoke their anger. Besides we were here the whole day yesterday and no dangerous animal appeared here. You'll be alright."
It took a lot of reassuring words before she at last gave in. Jinyoung and Mark brought along their backpacks as they set out in an indefinite direction.
"Is your phone still on?" Mark asked.
Only then Jinyoung remembered his phone and took it out of his backpack. He had fully charged it before he had left the hotel.
"Still 60% battery left. We need it?"
"Yes. I think the only way to remember our way back to our place is take photos along as we go. Hopefully, it'll work."
This was what they did as they roamed around to search for any edible fruits. It was harder then Jinyoung had thought.
"Do you feel frightened by this situation?" Mark asked.
"Quite. But it's more of helplessness. I don't know for how long we'll have to be here. It's really a depressing state."
"I'm sorry that I've caused this," Mark said, quietly.
