Guardian | YUTA

Chapter 5

Miyeon stepped outside with the help of Taeil. Apparently, Yuta had called a meeting to brief them.

Miyeon looked around and saw that they were on the edge of a forest. The forest was dark and filled with smoke, giving Miyeon a haunted feeling.

"Miyeon?" Yuta's voice snapped her back to reality and she turned to see the others staring at her.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Miyeon asked.

"These are the Whispering Woods. Evil spirit are located inside, scaring wanders away. It was put in place to protect Arlea's castle, but it proved to be a difficult test, even for the strongest." Taeil informed them.

"Spirits are known to give off illusions and sounds that aren't real to throw you off." Yuta warned. "We should travel in pairs."

They decided to go in together, but Miyeon would ride on Yuta's horse with the male, Mark and Haechan side by side, and Jungwoo's house was attached to the carriage while he sat with Taeil.

"You can hold on here." Yuta said, guiding Miyeon's hands on the reigns. He held onto them as well, his arms around her.

Miyeon had to admit, it was awkward for her to be so close to the male, feeling his chest against her back and his breath hot against her neck. But Yuta seemed more focused on the task at hand instead.

Miyeon stole a glance behind her and saw that the smoke had already covered up any trace of the others, leaving her alone with Yuta.

Yuta told them that all they had to do was follow the path and they would head straight out, but the hardest part was not falling into the temptation of the spirits.

Miyeon began to hear whispering in the forest and gulped. Is someone there?

"Nervous?" Yuta asked. Miyeon was surprised at how calm his voice was.

"Yeah." Miyeon replied. Her eyes widened as a bunny ran across the ground and wondered if Yuta saw it.

"It's not real, Miyeon." Yuta told her and Miyeon watched as the bunny turned to smoke. "There are no animals in these woods, it's just us."

Miyeon kept Yuta's words in mind as the continued trekking through. She was beginning to feel tired and sleepy, letting out a yawn.

"You can sleep if you want. We still have quite a bit to go." Yuta told her.

"Are you sure?" Miyeon asked. Yuta nodded.

"I've been in these woods many times, they don't scare me." Yuta reassured her.

Miyeon nodded and before she knew it, she was sleeping, leaning on Yuta's chest.

...

Yuta tried not to laugh as the girl fell asleep in mere seconds. Her hands were laced in her lap, head resting on his chest as she sat sideways on the saddle. Yuta's arms were on either side of her as he held onto the reins of the horse, but he would have to occasionally let go to make sure that the princess wouldn't fall off.

A part of Yuta was worried about the others. He himself had already seen the woods play many tricks on him, imitating Taeyong and Johnny's voices. They sounded so real, and if Yuta didn't know better, he would have easily fallen into their trap.

Yuta let out a yawn himself, shifting ever so slightly. There's just something about these woods that makes you sleepy.