Silence ○ Lee Haechan

○ 46

"Okay everyone, listen up. While we're on this hike, no one shall walk off. We stay in groups and we stay close. One of us teachers should be able to see you at all time," Mr Choi proclaimed as he stood at the head of the bus.
"When we get back we shall all be going to have lunch, okay? Now, single files off the bus."

At the sound of his dismissal the bus became rowdy, people standing up and the bus grew loud with chatter.

Mari and her friends had occupied the back of the bus surprisingly, so their wait to leave the bus would take awhile.

Mari sighed, slumping up against Jeno who sat next to her. Her head resting on his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"Tired Ma?" Jeno said and she looked up to see his eyes staring into hers. At her hum and nod the boys eyes pulled up into little crescents, the feeling of his shoulders rising as he let out a small laugh could be felt on the girls back and she sat up, smiling at the boys cuteness.

"Just had a weird dream is all," she said before looking back up to the boy, "how'd you sleep?"

"Honestly, pretty well. Renjun and Jaemin were passed out by 11 so it was nice," he mentioned and she could only wished she could sleep that easily.

As more people left the bus, their group started to leave. Feet touching the dirt ground as they stepped out and they looked around.

Eyes wide as she took in the forest she was stood in front. They were on the opposite side of the island and despite living on the island most her life she had never once gone to this forest.

"Have you ever been here?" Daeun leant closer to Mari as their teacher began to speak and she shook her head.
"What bout you haechan?" She leant backwards to where the boy was so he could hear.
"Yeah, came here with mum, Haewon and the twins ages ago," whispering back and she just nodded her head slowly, standing back up straight as she focused in on the teacher.

The group of students listen intently, but the words drowned out as Mari let her gaze travel around the forest.

Large trees of green covering the expanse, shrubs lining the floor with a single trail carved into the side- the trail that her teachers were now walking into.

Sticks crunched underfoot as her peers made their way into the forest.

"Wow," Karina said as she looked around, head lifted up as she took in her surroundings and the rest followed suit.

The canopy of trees stood miles above them, covering them from the direct sunlight but it was still bright enough for the floor of the forest to glow.

It felt like everyone was afraid to speak. Not one person in her class muttered a word as they followed after their teachers.

Maybe it was too early in the morning, maybe they weren't particularly fond of walking around in the bush for a few hours only to stare at a waterfall and call it a day.

Or maybe they were taking in all their surroundings that they've been foreign too when growing up in a jungle of concrete.

The fresh air stinging their nostrils from the chilled autumn morning, but it felt so much different from the air polluted city.

They weren't worried about the fine dust as there wasn't any where they were, that was one of the things Mari hated about Seoul- she couldn't breathe without the worry of filling her lungs with dust she couldn't see.

To be quite frank, Mari had thought this hike would take her hours. Their feet hurting from the constant walking on uneven surfaces, backs sore from the backpacks they were carrying around and only wanting to get back to the bus.