✓Pivot || MCND Bic

CHAPTER 6 - 🌳

Seungmin's POV

We finally made into a stop after running around what felt like the entire village. I didn't know why we kept going even after we turned a couple of corners away from the outlet and realized nobody was actually chasing after us.

We stood there, panting and laughing simultaneously. It wasn't until Hyebin pulled her hand from mine that I realized we were holding hands the entire time. I turned away as I feel myself blush and I was immediately thankful for the exhaustion from running to cover for it.

"Woah," she said and I turned to see what she was referring to. "I didn't know it's still here."

"Me neither." I said as I take in the large tree with three little houses safely in place on different thick branches with two hanging bridge connecting all of them. "I don't think I've been around here for years."

Hyebin looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "Do you think it's still safe to go in there?"

I smiled, happy she'd asked. "There's only one way to find out."

We walked towards it. The tree is in the middle of a large, almost vacant lot. We called it 'the playtree' when we were little and it's a town property. A lot of kids used to go here to play but as time goes by, only few or possibly none comes anymore. Maybe it's because the world had been modernized and parents don't want to take their children in unique playgrounds like this especially when it's made up of wood and there's plenty of chances for the kids to get hurt. Or, maybe it's the fact that the hanging playground is made of wood and it just deteriorated overtime that it isn't safe to set foot on anymore.

When we reached the foot of the wooden stairs on one side of the tree, we stopped. We couldn't clearly see the condition of the steps with only the street lights a few feet away.

"Do you have your phone?" I asked and she took it out and switched on the flashlight.

The wood that consist the stairs are already in the early stages of decaying. Even though I think it's still usable, I couldn't erase the idea of it crashing under my feet on every step.

"Go on." Hyebin said, nodding forward. I took a deep breath as I gather up my courage. I can hear the slight mockery on her voice when she asked, "Are you scared?"

"N-No!" I said unconvincingly. She giggled. "What if it falls down?"

She smiled mischievously, "Only one way to find out."

And we found out that it doesn't fall down despite the creaking sounds from some of the steps that made me question my life decisions. But Hyebin kept pushing me forward as if it didn't bother her at all. It did, though, because once we reached the first house, she let out a breath and plumped down onto the floor.

"I'm glad that's over." She said.

"I take that we wouldn't test our lucks on the hanging bridge?" I asked, hoping she isn't brave enough to do that.

"Heck, no! Let's just stay here."

I went to a corner where the light switch used to be and found that it's still there. "I hope this still works." I said and when I pushed on it, a dim orange light flashed on top of the small room.

"Wow." Hyebin said. "I didn't expect that."

"At least you're going to save your phone battery."

I looked around and it was almost the same as I remember it, minus the white molds and a few cracks here and there. The walls of the house is full of different colored scribbles and drawings that accumulated through the years of kids playing in here. There are also a few shapes and letters carved in, maybe from the more artistic children.

Hyebin had been looking at the drawings too because she laughed and pointed on one corner. "I think you drew this."

I laughed with her when I saw it. It was a creepy smiley face with wide bulging eyes. "I still draw it sometimes on my notebooks during class."

She snorted. "Why?"

"I don't know." I said, still studying the picture. "I can't believe I was already drawing it back then. And it looks better, too." I laughed. "When was this, around ten years ago?"

"Probably," she answered and we scanned the walls again, looking for something memorable.

I noticed a drawing of two dragonflies on the top corner of one of the walls. I smiled. "You drew these, didn't you?" I told her.

When she looked at it, she smiled with recognition as if remembering the very moment she was drawing it. "Yeah."

"You used to love dragonflies." I said. "I once dived into a mud puddle catching you one."

She laughed. "I remember that. I made you catch a blue one because it's pretty but it's really hard to find."

"The moment we saw one, you made me follow it around until I catch it."

"But you didn't." She laughed again. "And you ended up on a mud puddle."

"Why do you like them so much, anyways?" I asked. "Most of the girls like butterflies more."

"I don't know." She said but she's thinking now. "I don't really think it's important to know the reasons why we like things. If you like them, you just do."

When she turned to face me, my heart skipped a beat. She's right. I guess we really can't control what and who we're interested in. If we like them, we just do.

I looked past her, avoiding her eyes. But when I focused on the wall behind her, I saw it. There, nearly incomprehensible now, written in fading black ink, was the familiar 'Seungmin ♡ Hyebin' that we wrote years ago.

I was stunned and just stared at it. It was the last time we went here together. The memory of that day came rushing back to my mind as if it was just yesterday. I remember what I felt and what she said she felt on that very moment. It is so vivid that I felt myself tearing up because I know it isn't like that anymore; she no longer feels the same way. And here we are now, on the same spot, as nothing more than friends or even less.

"What are you looking at?" She asked as she started to turn around.

I pulled her back and I wasn't even sure myself why. It's not like she doesn't know. She wrote it with me.

"Are...are you okay?" She must've noticed my watery eyes because I was having a hard time keeping it in anymore. She looked genuinely worried and I can tell she's utterly confused too. "What's wrong?"

I stared deep into her eyes, my hand still heavy on her shoulder, and, suddenly, it's as if we're back five years ago here on the same tree when we were confessing our love for each other. It was a pretty memory. We were both sure of ourselves and we were happy. I'd give anything to go back to that time, to have her back with me.

Right there, I noticed her cheeks turned pink and her eyes sparkled and I couldn't resist anymore. My heart was going crazy and I didn't even hesitate as I leaned in slowly. I felt her trying to move but my hand on her shoulder put her in place. I kissed her lips and, at that moment, nothing else mattered.