Distant Sky

19

You Are My Escape

Saturday. The day Joohyun looked forward to the most. It was when she and Taehyung had the whole day to themselves. Ever since she started school here, except for the first weekend, she had spent every Saturday with him.

It first started out as Taehyung wanting to show her around Seoul. They sat together one day and made a list of all the popular must-visit places in Seoul. In a month, they crossed every place on the list and moved on to lesser-known spots. Every week, one of them would come up with a place they thought was interesting or one they wanted to check out.

These weekly excursions on Saturdays, had become a way for them to escape the stress and worries of everyday life. As days went by, they started looking for more and more offbeat and obscure places. Places that most people didn't know existed. Places where they could be hidden away from the rest of world. Saturdays were like their own little paradise, an escape from reality.

Fridays were a close second, when it came to Joohyun favorite days. Friday was now officially the 'gaming day'. It was when they'd visit the retro gaming center and play video games till late, only leaving the place when it was time to close.

Sundays on the other hand, were for relaxing and just enjoying some alone time at home. They also reserved Sundays for whatever personal errands they had or any appointments they had with others. It was the only day in the week when they weren't together. They never really discussed this but it was like an unspoken agreement between them. After a busy week and constantly being together they both needed some personal space and time to unwind. Joohyun's Sundays were mostly spent in her garden, tending to the plants or with her aunt in the studio. On rare occasions, she'd meet up with with Seulgi and Wendy if they happened to be free.

While Joohyun and Taehyung became somewhat distant from other people in their lives, they grew closer to each other and more comfortable over time. They understood each other better now and told each other things they couldn't tell anyone else. Aside from their routine nightly calls, they texted each other all the time now. Whenever they were away from each other and one of them was bored or feeling down, they'd just text the other and soon they would find themselves chatting for hours on end. Just talking to one another, even if it was over text, immediately lifted their spirits, no matter what mood they were in before.

-•-

One Saturday, Joohyun found herself standing in front of a haunted house, hesitating to enter. Taehyung had been teasing her and had called her a scaredy-cat when she had first refused to enter. She wasn't scared and she definitely wasn't a 'scaredy-cat', she just hated sudden loud noises and jumpscares.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Taehyung says, standing at the entrance. "Or are you getting cold feet already? You don't have to go in if you don't want to..." He says with a smug smile on his face. Yeah right, Joohyun thinks with a scoff. She knew he'd make fun of her and tease her relentlessly if she gave up now.

Making up her resolve, she takes a deep breath and walks up to him. Taehyung gives her a smirk, turns around and enters first. Joohyun follows close behind. She regrets her decision as soon as she steps inside. She hears creepy laughter coming from well hidden speakers. It was too dark to see the way and she sticks close to Taehyung, not wanting to be left behind here alone.

Soon the scares start. Creepy dolls and animatronics suddenly move as Joohyun and Taehyung pass by, emitting loud shrill laughs and screams. Joohyun has her hand firmly pressed against Taehyung's back now as she tries her best not to scream. She doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her afraid. Despite that, she can't help but jump a little and let out a small yelp everytime something moves. She can feel Taehyung's laughter through her hand everytime she does that.