The whistle blew and we all took off, each team with their own strategy.
As we began the trek, the excitement was palpable.
It was refreshing to see all of them get excited about such a trivial thing when their usual tension and conversation were so different.
I laughed and joined my team and halfway through, we split up in pairs as we had planned.
The groups dispersed, each team heading in different directions. Yeonjun and I take the left trail, which winds through a dense thicket of trees. As per the map, it was the fastest way up to the area we covered.
The earthy scent of pine and moss fills the air, and the dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a picturesque setting. It was beautiful.
Even though we were on a timer, I took my time to savor the scenery beacuse I was not sure I would ever be able to come to a place like this again.
"Alright, let's focus on finding those flags," Yeonjun said, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
We walk in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of birds. There was definitely some tension around Yeonjun and I wasn't sure whether it was because of the conversation he overheard in the bus, or what happened yesterday, or perhaps a mix of both.
He was walking a few steps ahead of me and I was following his direction because he had the map. I was on phone chat duty to update our status and inform him about any updates from the others. Suddenly, Yeonjun stopped and pointed. "Look, there's a flag hidden in that bush!"
We carefully retrieve the flag, the bright blue color standing out against the green foliage. "One down, let's see how many more we can find," I say, feeling a rush of satisfaction.
As we continue, we hear voices nearby. It's Kai and his team.
Yeonjun yanks me towards my right and I stumble onto him but his grip is strong on my waist as he presses himself taut against a large tree.
I try not to think about how our bodies are pressed together, his shallow breaths hitting my face as he angles his face to check whether their team has passed.
Once he is satisfied that they are far enough that they will not see us, he turns to look at me and instantly realizes how close our faces are.
He abruptly lets me go but a familiar heat creeps on both of our cheeks.
"I didn't want them to find us here," he says, as if explaining his action.
"We are not playing hide and seek. It is okay if they saw us" I shrug.
"If they saw us, they could tail us and get an upper hand. I don't want that. I want to win" he says, his competitive side showing.
"You have a lot of experience in this game, I see" I joke to ease the tension that was forming around us.
"No, but every game is about strategy, right? And I like to win" he says arrogantly, the Yeonjun I am so used to peeking through.
It makes me smile even though it grates my nerves. It all seems familiar somehow.
"Why are you smiling?" he asks, confused by my random smile. I would be too if I was in his place.
"Nothing, you never change" I chuckle and start walking on the path but he holds my hand.
"We should take this path, Kai's team went that way, if we go this way we'll cover more ground and maybe find more flags," Yeonjun says, pointing to a narrow trail that branches off from the main one.
"Are you sure? This trail is not marked on the map" I look at the steep narrow trail to our right. It is encased in thick trees to such an extent that it looks never-ending.
"It is a trail. Maybe the map does not show this trail because it is narrow. But it is going upwards and We'll have to reach the top on time as well" he suggests and I contemplate the possibilities.
"Let's go," I finally agree, Yeonjun leading the way.
We moved cautiously up the narrow trail, the dense canopy overhead casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The path was steep and rugged, and I had to focus on my footing to avoid tripping over the gnarled roots and rocks that littered the ground.
"Keep an eye out for any more flags, this trail is perfect for hiding the flags," Yeonjun said, glancing back at me.
"Got it," I replied, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the bright fabric.
As we continued, the air grew cooler, the scent of pine more pronounced. The trees loomed closer together, creating an almost tunnel-like effect that felt both exhilarating and slightly claustrophobic.
The forest was eerily silent and the tension of silence was weighing down on to the point that it was difficult to take one step after the other.
"So, why are you so determined to win this treasure hunt? It seems more than just wanting bragging rights" I began, breaking the silence that had settled between us.
Yeonjun paused for a moment as if considering how much to reveal.
"It's not just about winning, It's about proving something" he admitted, his voice quieter than usual.
Something cracked inside me a little. Just when I was thinking this was a normal treasure hunt.
"Proving what?" I asked, pressing for a little more. I knew the gist of what he would have said but I still wanted to continue our conversation.
He hesitated, then sighed.
"That I can lead, I guess. Everyone always sees me as a Royal, but when it came to actual responsibilities, I am always deemed unfit because of inexperience but I want to show them I can actually strategize and make things happen."
I nodded, understanding more than I expected to.
"It makes sense. Sometimes people have expectations of you based on your family or past, and it's hard to break out of those molds."
"Exactly," Yeonjun agreed, his eyes meeting mine briefly.
"It's like...I want to be seen for who I am, not just where I come from," he stated, an invisible weight weighing him down.
"I think you're doing a pretty good job of that right now" I smiled, feeling a newfound respect for him.
"I just hope you are proving it to yourself and not to Soobin," I say and I see his shoulders tense at his name.
"You're siding with him now?" he asked over his shoulder and spared me a glance.
"Although you two did seem cozy last night. You definitely are warming up to him" he snorted and I wanted to hit his head with a branch.
"I am not siding with anyone but you were a few hours ago" I countered.
We would never evolve. We'd always fall back into our spiral of bickering. We just brought out our feral side.
"I was not defending him" he turned around to face and I rolled my eyes. He gritted his teeth in response.
"It sure seemed that way on the bus" I shrug and challenge him to say otherwise.
Even with all the highs and lows with Soobin he has faced, he has defended him and that was proof of the genuine and nice person he was inside but I was not sure why didn't want that side to be known to others.
"I hate gossip. I have been the subject of so many that I don't want others to be the center of it. I know how vile it feels" he said quietly.
"It is a good thing you defended Soobin, Yeonjun. You did the right thing" I don't know what propels me to reach out for his hand but I do.
The action catches both of us by surprise.
"I am not defending Soobin when I say this, just putting the disclaimer first - but have you ever wondered that he might be in the same boat as you? Maybe he is struggling with all the transitions the same way as you are. At last, he wasn't sure he had a brother two years ago either, right? Same as you. And with what I hear today - you heard today - you entered his life at a very tumultuous stage" I take a breath, waiting for him to dismiss me or yank his hand out of my grip or just turn away and pretend that I didn't say these sentences at all but he does none of that.
It encourages me to continue.
"I don't know the details of your relationship with Soobin except that it is strained and from what I have heard till now is whispers and gossip, it all somehow revolves around the Choi Group. Have you ever considered if you take that constant out of the equation, would you still hate him as much as you hate him now?"Â I leave the pregnant question in the air, letting him sort through it in his head.
Maybe it was because Soobin had opened up to me more recently, maybe it was because of what I heard today, or maybe it was because I deep down cared for Yeonjun and wanted him to heal from his emotional wounds these were the lashes that no one noticed but affected you the most.
He stands there in silence for a while staring at our joined hand and I don't say anything else, afraid I'll cross a line if I haven't already.
"By the way, where are we exactly?" I ask after a while, looking around ourselves. There was no definite trail in front or behind us.
We had walked off-trail amid our heated argument.
"I- I don't know" he looked around and then to his map and then up again. There was an uncertainty in his eyes that confirmed my fear.
"Please tell me we are not lost!" I pleaded.
A/N: Hello lovely people. It took me a little longer to update because this was actually supposed to be two different chapter but I felt I like I added too many unnecessary details and my main motive for this treasure hunt was to get some alone Yeonri time so I scrapped it and rewrote to combine the both.
I hope you like this chapter. I usually tend to take a little longer with these conversational chapters. Let me know what you think of it and what do you think will happen next?
Also, what is up in your life? What is going on? What did I miss?