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The first of what he heard was the gentle melody of the songbirds, in harmony with the rhythm of the stream. The blades of grass brushed against his ankles ever so slightly, barely noticeable through the heat. His eyes welcomed the sight of the light blue sky, although the sudden blinding sunlight was quite the nuisance. His gaze flickered across the scenery, taking in the familiar comfort it brought.
“Cheol-ah?”
The disembodied voice lacked its usual rasp and was instead replaced with a slight velvety tone. He followed the sound to his right and met eyes with her.
“Hwang Miae,” muttered Cheol, to no one but himself. Miae was lying on her side. She furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. “we’re together. In the countryside,” he continued. The corners of her lips quirked up.
“You’re so strange, Cheol! Where else would we be?” She teased. He broke the eye contact, caught off guard by the change of behaviour Miae was displaying in contrast to her usual obstinate expressions. Was he ungrateful to say he actually missed her regular self? This unfamiliar territory wasn’t even close to how strange Miae acted the day they watched the film.
She giggled with that same voice, “You know, we’ve sat in this same spot before. Together. You’re acting just like you did back then, even when it’s been so many years since. At least we’re lying down this time!” Cheol recalled that just barely.
“How would you like me to act, then?” He shot back, raising an arm to shield his eyes from the sunlight.
“Look at me, at least? Stop acting so reserved!” She urged. He turned his body to the right, once again staring at her.
“Have your demands been met, Hwang Miae?” He spoke with a voice dripping of sarcasm. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
“It’s good enough, Kim Cheol.” She emphasised on his name. Cheol kept his scowl plastered over his face, forbidding himself to laugh at her attempt to mimic his own behaviour.
Yes, she wanted him to call her by her first name. He felt inclined to, but if doing this meant Miae would continue acting the same way as she did back in the city then he was all up for acting a little oblivious.
When he left his thoughts and returned his focus to Miae, he caught her staring into him with a look of pure curiosity. He’d seen her like this before. “What’s bothering you?” She asked.
“What? Nothing!”
“Liar. Even if this wasn’t a dream, I could still tell when you were annoyed. Is it because of what happened tonight?” She was so blunt, even in his… his dream? He was dreaming.
“And, what if it is? You’re going on a date with Mo Jinseop of all people!” He blurted out before he could realise what he did. Miae seemed taken aback by the sudden confession.
“Does that really bother you? Haven’t you thought about how you’ve treated me the past few days? It’s not fair. We’re supposed to be…” her words trailed off. Miae glanced back up with eyes of uncertainty. “This is a dream. You probably won’t even remember it… right? Because, it’s a dream,” she paused, pursing her lips into a thin line, “that’s why I feel like this.” She whispered.
Miae sat up and got on all fours, keeping her neutral yet unsettling expression. Cheol sat up as well, as if to follow her lead.
She crawled closer to him, and then inched even nearer. The scent of green apples— the ones grown in the countryside, greeted him like an old friend. Her hand slid across his forearm until it reached his palm, and their fingers slowly intertwined.
His breath hitched. Perhaps the dream was causing him to mix his feelings as well. Miae looked to be unfazed, however.
If it really was going to be forgotten, then he wouldn’t mind this.
His other free hand let go of its grip on the grass and brushed through her tangled hair. She smiled again, radiating more warmth than the irritable sun poking into his eyes.
“I needed a better view of your eyes.” She took the plight of breaking the silence. He shared the same soft gaze as her, a wordless exchange.
Her eyes were green. Not like the grass beneath them but that of the stream ahead of them. So beautiful that he got lost in them all the time. Neither seemed to notice the space between their faces decreasing. His hand broke free of its grip on her hair and slid to her cheek, cupping it gently.
“If only I could stay like this with you, Miae-ya…” He whispered, closing his eyes. Once the words left his mouth, she backed away from him. He opened his eyes again, giving her a confused look.
Her gaze averted to the side.
“If only you meant that, Cheol-ah.”
🍏
When his eyelids fluttered back open, the only familiar sight left was the sun’s rays still disturbing his peace. He sat up in his squeaky bed, feeling even more disappointed with the same room he’d woken up to for the past year. His curious eyes creeped over to his own window, only to see that her curtains were closed. He sighed.
As he walked into his kitchen to greet his sister, she examined him silently for a few seconds… and then slowly set down her cup of coffee.
“Your face is red. Are you really overheating in that t-shirt?” She pointed out. Cheol touched his face and felt an unusual warmth. Weird. “Maybe you had an embarrassing dream. What was it?”
“My dream? I… don’t remember.” Cheol pursed his lips and tried to recall, but could only make out the countryside and nothing more. It was probably the warmth of the sun from the dream seeping into his mind and increasing blood flow to his face. She didn’t pry any further, because her attention was driven into her magazine.
Right, Cheol had to find Miae before she went on that date. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and left the apartment without another word. If he was fast enough, he could catch up with her before she got to school.