9- Everything I Want to Do (Part 3)

The silence of early morning was shattered by the sound of the alarm. She woke up with a racing heart. Today was the day—they were finally hitting the road, and she was excited. After loading the bags into the trunk and opening the GPS, they were finally ready to go.

The past two days had been full of disappointments. Every plan she made somehow fell apart. If it weren't for Jackie, it could've been much worse. But this time, she had promised herself—nothing and no one would ruin it. Not again. Never again.

Just as she was about to start the car, Jackie stopped her.

"Did we forget something?" she asked, a little surprised. She was sure she'd double-checked everything.

"Did you check the gas?"

She sighed. She hadn't. Sneaking a glance at the fuel gauge, she flashed him a small smile.

"Yeah, we're good."

"Alright then, let's go."

The road was quiet. Way too quiet. She was too tired to talk after waking up so early. And without breakfast, her energy was quickly draining. When she spotted a newly opened bakery on the roadside, she smiled and pulled over.

She came back with a box of pastries and placed it between them.

"They look weird," Jackie muttered, eyeing them suspiciously.

She gave them a quick glance. Nothing looked strange to her.

"Maybe they're just overbaked. They're fresh out of the oven. I'm starving. I could eat them even if they were green."

She eagerly bit into one, but Jackie lightly slapped her hand.

"I don't trust them. That place looked shady—tucked away in some random alley. Are you sure it's clean?"

"I've eaten in worse places, trust me. I'll be fine."

He shot her a look that screamed hopeless, then added, "At least eat slowly. They're hot."

After finishing two, she tossed the box into the backseat. Jackie's constant worrying had already killed her appetite. She drove in silence.

But soon her stomach began to growl—loudly. This was bad. They'd already left the city, and there wasn't a gas station in sight. She tried to stay calm, took slow breaths, and hoped it would pass.

It didn't.

She needed a bathroom. Urgently. But if Jackie found out, he'd never stop blaming the food. Determined not to show weakness, she clenched her fists. After five agonizing minutes, a sign for a gas station appeared.

"YES!" she yelled.

She parked quickly and ran to the restroom without saying a word. She barely made it.

After a short break, she grabbed some drinks and filled the tank. Jackie was waiting by the car.

"You flew out of the car like your life depended on it. If you're not feeling well, we can wait."

"No, I'm fine. We're almost there anyway."

Half an hour later, they arrived at the campsite. Wooden pergolas provided shade, and each spot required a reservation. Thankfully, they had one.

She chose a tent spot far from the others. Most of the area was empty, which gave them some privacy. After parking and unloading their things, she took out the tent and stared at the manual like it was written in ancient Greek.

Meanwhile, Jackie had set up his chair and was sunbathing.

"Seriously? I'm over here fighting this thing and you're just soaking up the sun? Help me!"

"I told you I'm bad at camping. This was your idea. I believe in you. You've got this."

She groaned and stomped her foot. Assembling the poles turned out to be incredibly frustrating.

"Damn it," she muttered.

After half an hour of struggle, she finally managed to set up the frame. It didn't look stable, but whatever. Just as she began to pull the tent cover over it, the whole thing collapsed.

She screamed and kicked the pile of poles. Jackie didn't even flinch.

"HELP ME!"

"I told you I suck at this."

"You don't know that unless you try!"

"I still believe in you. You're almost there."

Fuming, she dropped to the corner of the pergola and looked over the manual again. That's when she noticed a huge camper van pulling up.

"I thought we'd be alone," she mumbled.

Jackie looked up. "That van looks familiar."

It parked right next to their spot. Groaning, she stood and went back to the tent.

As she reattached the poles, someone stepped behind her. Thinking it was Jackie, she spoke without turning around.

"If you're not helping, don't distract me."

"What are you doing here?"

Wait—that voice!

"Chuwon Sunbaenim?! I told you I was going camping."

"When? Oh, right… that random mall encounter. Must've slipped my mind. My brain doesn't store irrelevant details. Did you come here with a guy? That wouldn't look good for the company."

"He's not my boyfriend! What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I camp a lot. It's a hobby. And be honest—you're clearly not alone."

He nodded toward the two camp chairs. Jackie stood up and walked over with a dark look.

"Get rid of him," Jackie muttered.

"I didn't invite him!"

"Can't set up the tent? I could help, but I'm busy. Just wanted to say hi."

Before she could reply, someone came running.

"Chuwon! What is this camping nonsense? You hate nature! You canceled all your meetings—our sponsors are furious!"

"Director Jang, that's not true. Everyone knows I love camping."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. And Director Jang here is a tent expert. Let him help."

"I don't know anything about tents!"

"Then maybe you want to lose your job?"

Grumbling, Director Jang snatched the manual.

"Fine. I'll help."

Jackie crossed his arms. "He doesn't like people interfering with his work. Right, Director Jang?"

"T-totally."

Half an hour later, the tent was up. After thanking them, she started organizing the supplies inside.

"Chuwon wants me fired," she muttered.

"What makes you think that?"

"He interrogates me, shows up out of nowhere…"

"He has other… motives. Keep it short when talking to him."

"But he doesn't let me talk! What does he even want?!"

Jackie ignored her.

She unpacked and started preparing food. After the morning disaster, she chose something light.

As she approached the car, a scream rang out from the camper van. She froze. Chuwon came running out.

"Kill it!"

"What?!"

"There's a mistake! Grab it!"

"No! Let me go! AAAH!"

She hated bugs too, but the man pushed her toward the van. Jackie misread the situation and lunged at Chuwon.

"Wow. You're stronger than you look," Chuwon said with a raspy voice.

Before Jackie could move again, Director Jang burst in.

"There's a mutated bat in the van! Maybe!"

"A bat? In daylight?"

"Or something like it. I wouldn't scream over a tiny bug."

Director Jang opened the door. A butterfly flew out.

Seriously? All that for a butterfly?

They returned to their tent. She resumed cooking while Jackie scowled.

"Why'd you run to him? I thought he hurt you."

"I thought he was in danger."

"Next time let him die. Don't go near him."

She stared at him in shock. Jackie had never spoken so harshly.

"You're overreacting."

"I don't like him being around you."

He was acting strange, and she didn't know why.

Later, they sat together watching the sun go down.

"Wanna go for a walk?"

"Are you going to ditch me like last time?"

He reached out his hand. "Come on."

They walked hand in hand. The crunch of leaves and the scent of earth soothed their minds.

"Look," he pointed. "The stars are amazing here."

She was already looking at the brightest one—him.

He leaned in. A shooting star streaked across the sky.

"Look, a drive-by shooting—"

Before she could finish, Jackie kissed her.

Just as Jackie kissed her, she suddenly found herself in a completely different place. Two people stood in the distance, and as she walked toward them to ask what was happening, she nearly fainted from shock. Where was she? And who—or what—were these people?

They looked like Jackie and herself, but their hair and clothes belonged to a much older era. She called out to them, but they didn't hear her. Even stranger, the girl who resembled her had a cloth covering her eyes. While the two figures conversed, a loud voice from behind made her jump.

"Catch them! Now!"

In an instant, she was back in the middle of the forest with Jackie. Had she just hallucinated? When she looked at him, his face seemed equally unsettled.

"Did you see something too?" she asked.

"I saw us," he replied.

This was bizarre. Jackie suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

"Just… let's stay like this for a while."

They stayed silent, wrapped in each other's arms. When she started yawning, he finally let go.

"Let's go back."

They returned to the campsite without another word about what had happened. She was exhausted and already making plans to sleep. But near the tent, Chuwon was sitting in Jackie's chair, clearly waiting for her.

"Why won't this guy leave you alone?" Jackie muttered, holding her hand.

"Calm down. I'll try to get rid of him."

"Chuwon sunbae, did you need something?" she asked politely.

"I came to check on you, but you weren't around. Where were you at this hour?"

She wanted to say None of your business, but instead, she forced a smile. "I went for a walk. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very tired and need some rest."

"Oh, I see. Well then, good night."

As he walked back to his trailer, she entered her tent. She was too tired, yet she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the forest. What had those visions meant? And Jackie had kissed her. A smile crept onto her lips. That moment replayed in her head over and over until she finally fell asleep.

…

She woke to sunlight pouring into the tent. Jackie wasn't beside her. When she stepped outside, she found him lying on the veranda, staring up at the sky. She immediately sat down next to him.

"Good morning. What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to remember what sunlight feels like. It's been so long."

"Don't worry. Once you return to your body, everything will be fine. Trust me, I'll do whatever I can to help you."

She left his side to wash her face and brush her teeth. As she walked further, she noticed the trailer was gone. Just then, a message from an unknown number popped up on her phone.

"An urgent issue came up, so I had to leave without saying goodbye. Take care, rookie."

She frowned. How did he even get her number? She marked the message as read and ignored it.

After finishing up, she returned to the campsite. Jackie kept dodging any mention of the previous night and focused only on sharing techniques he thought would help her during the internship. It was starting to annoy her.

"It's going to rain," he said suddenly.

"It was sunny this morning. No sign of rain."

"Look," Jackie motioned.

Clouds were now gathering in the sky.

"But today's our last day. It can't rain! It wasn't even in the forecast!" she said, pouting as she stared upward.

"You don't like the rain?"

"I used to love it—especially the smell of soil it brought. But ever since I started seeing spirits whenever the sky turns gray, I can't enjoy it anymore."

"Well, you've got me with you now. So just enjoy it." He patted the spot beside him.

She sat down, and soon the rain began to fall. Thanks to the shelter, the mud didn't reach them. She closed her eyes, breathing in the earthy scent. Would she ever have another moment like this?

Her phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. Cho Hee was calling. Excitement and anxiety twisted in her chest as she answered.

"I hope you've got good news," she said.

"You both need to get here as soon as possible. I think my aunt found something."

The moment the call ended, she looked at Jackie.

"My aunt is waiting for us. She found something."

They started preparing to return to Syameon Village. They had to leave as soon as possible.