Chapter eighteen:THE TREK

Next day early morning

Jong soo and Alex are in their room

Alex looks at Jong soo

"I have never seen you waking up so early for work"

Jong soo has woke up early and got ready soon

Jong soo:"Because that is for work" and laughs

Alex is annoyed

Alex and jong soo starts packing their bags

Someone knocks the door

Alex opens the door

staff:" sir these are some stuff you should carry while trekking "

Alex:"Thank you"

Shin Min in her room

smiles..

"the staff has made our job so easy, we actually don't have to pack anything"

looks at Sun Ri

Sun Ri:"make sure you carry a mini water bottle as you will not be able to carry heavier ones,you will need some medicines incase you feel nauseous"

Shin Min:"Have you been to such trekking activites before"

Sun Ri gets the glimpses of her past

climbing the mountains with a bag on her back

at the top of the cliff

happy to look ahead

Sun Ri screaming :" we are almost there"!!!!

Looks at someone and teases

"ah you are such a weak person to be with"

The person approaches her

"no no i don't mean it"

laughs "dont come close"

Shin Min looks at her being lost in thoughts

"madam, madam"

Sun Ri comes back, senses she was being lost(with a serious tone):"no, i have nevee been"

Shin Min:"oh"

Joo won gets ready with an orange color jacket and blue color bag on his back

Shin Min, Sun Ri climbs down the stairs

Shin Min says:'he looks so colorful today" and laughs

Sun Ri looks at him

Kim suddenly joins her from behind

"what is so funny?"

Shin Min gets startled:"ah you scared me"

Kim:"why were you laughing? "

Shin Min:" I was looking at Mr Joo won, he looks so colorful, I mean he looks good " laughs again

Sun Ri looks at him and smiles

Alex and jong soo joins them

Alex:"it already looks like a happy day, everyone is smiling"(looking at Sun Ri smiling )

it feels good"

Joo won looks at them

"you guys are ready?"

Jong Soo, Alex:"yes sir"

Joo won looks at Sun Ri

feels she looks pretty good in this outfit

"shall we move"

Shin Min, Kim:"yes sir"

They all start moving away from the farmhouse towards the open ground and feel ready to embrace nature

As it is early in the morning,the breeze is very cold

Shin Min shivers, Kim tries to cover her with scarf and smile

Alex shivers but manages to put up a brave face

Jong soo:"Are you ok?"

Alex:"Haa..young man i have seen freezing temperatures,this is nothing to me"

Jong soo:"Really?"

Alex nods(inner thoughts):"Why do I have to agree to come to this trek in the first place?"

Sun Ri moves at a fast pace

Joo won:"Ms.Sun Ri"

Sun Ri looks behind:"Yeah"

Joo won:"I have been trekking all my life,do you know I never get tired and be always ahead of everyone"

Sun Ri senses that he is feeling embarassed to be behind her

:'oh really?"

Joo won:"a real trekker is one who knows the optimum speed not too fast,not too slow..save your energy"

Sun Ri gets the point and slows down

Joo won stops and looks at everyone behind him

"This is a treasure hunt trek"

Jong soo:"Treasure hunt trek?!"

Joo won:"Yeah"

We will form teams of two and search for the hints placed by my staff to ultimately find the treasure

Shin Min slowly whispers:"What will be that treasure?"

Joo won:"Don't worry you will not be disappointed"

Jong soo:"Your staff arranged the treasure hunt?"

Joo won:"Right!"

Jong soo doesn't utter a word but looks little suspicious

Joo won:"you need not worry I have no idea about where is the treasure and also don't have any idea regarding the hints...we are at the same level"

Alex:"You little,how could you ask such stupid stuff..our CEO is an honest man..say sorry "

Jong soo :"Sorry"

Joo won:"You need not be"

Kim:"Let's form the teams,takes out a piece of paper and writes down 01,02,03 each in two papers ,folds them"

Joo won:"We will form a team of two members"

Kim:"You have to pick up a paper and the one who matches with your number will be your partner"

Everyone picks up their respective piece of paper

Kim:"I got number 3"

Shin Min(smiles):"me too"

Kim blushes and bows his head down

Joo won(thinks):"May be he is disappointed,he is not paired with Jong soo!"

Joo won picks up his number:"It's number one"

Alex opens his slip and begins to say his number

Joo won looks at him curiously

Alex says:"Its number two"

Joo won looks at sun ri

Sun Ri:"It's..

Joo won(thinks):"Why does my hear beats so fast!is it because of trekking.I'm not expecting her to be my teammate.am i?..no no"

Sun Ri:"Number one"

Joo won:"Yes"

Everyone looks at him

Joo won clears his throat:"I mean yes,we have cleared the first step,we are good to go now"

Jong soo looks at Alex feeling pathetic

Joo won looks at jong soo's expression and smiles

Joo won hands over walkie talkie to them ,keep in touch with eachother through this

All of them collect it

They all keep moving ahead

Alex to jong soo:"We have to win it at any cost"

Jong soo:"I would be happy if you survive this,forget about the treasure" laughs

Alex pats on his back:"Let's see who doesn't survive"

Shin Min to Kim:"We have to win the treasure,from the look Mr.Joo won gave it looks huge"

Kim stops her,pulls her closer to him and say:"I have already found my treasure"

Shin Min:"Really?.how cheesy"

Shin Min:"Just leave, we have to hurry up"

Kim keeps hugging her ,refusing to let go

Shin Min:"Kim..leave..we have to win "pulls him away

Kim reluctantly gets away

They start moving ahead

Shin Min races ahead,Kim struggles to catch up with her

Kim:"This lady is determined to get the treasure"

Joo won and Sun Ri starts moving together

Joo won:"Ms.Ri,we have to work in coordination to win the treasure"

Sun Ri:"Yes sir"

Joo won:"As we are not employee and boss over here,you can call me Joo won in this game"

Sun Ri:'Pardon"

Joo won:"I mean to feel close as a team we should call eachother by their names,is it ok Sun Ri"

Sun Ri looks little surprised:"Ok sir"

Joo won stares at her

Sun Ri:'Ok Joo ..won.."

Joo won looks happy after listening to it

Shin Min finds the first clue and she is elated

"oh! I found the first clue"

Kim looks at her as she celebrates through dance

Kim frowns;"Baby,it's jsut the first clue,we have a long way to go to win the treasure"

Shin Min:"Yeah,yeah..let's go"

Alex:'jong soo,make it fast you are worse than an old man like me"

Jong soo pants

"yeh..yeh...I'm coming"

Alex:"We have not found atleast one clue yet"

Sun Ri discovers two clues

Joo won is amazed by her skills

Joo won:"at this rate Sun Ri i think we are going to win"

Sun Ri smiles

They keep on moving ahead

Alex finds few clues while jong soo lags behind him

Jong soo:"I think we should have break before moving ahead"

Alex;'Ah..that's the only thing expected of you"

Shin Min doesn't let Kim relax even for a while

Kim:"Lady are you going to kill me"

Shin Min:"focus,focus..we have to win the race"

Joo won feels little tired

Sun Ri observes it

"joo won i think we should relax for a while"

Joo won pretends:'Iam not tired but I think you are tired,we should relax"

Joo won sits down seemingly relaxed

Sun Ri smiles and sits beside him

Sun Ri:"Do you like to have anything"

Joo won:"Sure"

They share the eatables and enjoy the nature landscape sitting there

Joo won:"people feel that best part of the trek is when you reach your destination but i feel the journey all along with the passion to reach your destination is the best. I think the journey should be cherished more than the destination"

Sun Ri:"But people are more attached with results,destinations that they hardly care for the journey

Joo won:"True"

Joo won :"If we start cherishing and enjoying the journey don't you think reaching the destination would be more exciting"

Sun Ri:'may be"

Joo won:"May be?"

Sun Ri:"As with life,for one to cherish the journey you have to have the atmosphere and people of your choice with you who makes it more relevant"

Joo won:"So is Sun Ri happy that joo won is that"people" she is on in this journey"?

Sun ri smiles:"Actually yes,it's a kind of liberation!"

Joo won looks perplexed

Sun Ri:"Had it been any of Jong soo,Mr.Alex,Shin Min,i would have been heavily burdened by the obligation to reach upto their expectations"

Joo won nods

Sun Ri:"With us,we are unbound,unobligated,just trying to make it happen..isn't it liberating?"

Joo won :"that makes sense"

Joo won:"i think we should make a move now,we have to reach the treasure before sunset"

They resume their journey again