Day Seven

“How’d you even find this guy?”

“Isn’t he pretty cute? I've become rather invested in his love life these days,” Yunjin giggles as she watches you set up an arrangement of candles. “I wouldn’t mind a turn with him…”

“He’s kinda stupid, I see that part,” Eunchae floats over to the little raft, landing softly into the sand. “Surely he realizes it’s going to be impossible to light candles here, right? The wind is going to keep blowing them out.”

Yunjin floats over as well and the two of them watch your frustration grow. “I can respect the spirit,” Yunjin shrugs. “Shame we can’t help him out a little bit.”

“The rules are strictly against interference,” Eunchae turns towards Yunjin. “We observe, only. No exceptions.”

“But he’s so hopeless…” Yunjin sighs, pouting her lips in your direction. “Look, his hands are literally trembling.”

“Probably because it’s cold.”

“I think he’s nervous.”

“He probably is.”

“We should help him.”

“We can’t help him.”

“But he’s just so stupid,” Yunjin lifts her arms and lets them drop against her sides.

“He is, but we’d never break the rules,” Eunchae starts to smirk. “Right, Yunjin?”

Yunjin giggles under her breath. “Of course, we’d never do such a thing.”

Eunchae raises her hand and snaps.

Suddenly, a rush of wind knocks the box of matches out of your hands and right into the water.

“Shit! No!” you shout, diving forward in an attempt to save them.

It’s too late. The matches are completely waterlogged, they’ll be completely useless now.

You pick up the box and stare at it for a few seconds, as if you can magically will them to dry.

“Just my fucking luck,” you grumble under your breath, placing the soaked box of matches into your bag. “Fuck, now what?”

Yunjin and Eunchae watch intently as you start scrambling around, collecting sticks from the beach.

“Please don’t tell me this idiot is going to try starting a fire from scratch,” Eunchae rolls her eyes. “That was not my plan, I just wanted him to give up on the fire.”

“Poor guy’s breaking into a sweat,” Yunjin adds softly. “He needs to calm down before he ruins his fit.”

You run around the beach some more, trying your best to collect every piece of lumber washed ashore, making sure to check over your shoulder every few seconds to see if she’s coming.

Then, as you’re carrying a stack in your arms and not looking where you’re going, you trip over a small rock and land right on your face, sending all the sticks scattering around the sand.

“Did he just… break his nose?” Yunjin turns to Eunchae. “One more snap?”

“Last one,” Eunchae sighs, lifting up her hand. “But I’m leaving the pain, he deserves it.”

They watch you for a few seconds as you lay in the sand.

“Did he give up? Why isn’t he moving?” Yunjin floats a bit closer. “Is he dead?”

You’re still laying there, face down. Your eyes are full of tears – either from all the sand in them or from the fact that you’re completely botching the anniversary surprise.

“I fucked it up,” you spit the sand out of your mouth, defeated and desolate, laying there flat on your stomach. “I really fucked it up.”

That’s when it hits you, as you stare at the pile of sticks in the sand.

“Now what?” Eunchae joins Yunjin’s side and the two girls start craning their necks. “M… o…”

“Oh that’s cute!” Yunjin covers her mouth.

“He’s calling for his mommy?”

“No,” Yunjin laughs. “It’s her name.”

Eunchae takes a seat in the sand right in front of you. She watches the way your tongue sticks out of the side of your mouth, and the way your eyebrows furrow as you focus.

Yunjin takes a seat as well. “He might be an idiot, but he’s so sweet.”

“He’s literally shivering from the cold,” Eunchae notes. “Snapping him a blanket is probably too much, right?”

“Yeah, probably shouldn’t do stuff that’ll make him suspicious, and surely a random blanket would be enough for even this idiot to question,” Yunjin agrees. “But that night wind is going to be brutal on the raft.”

“We really can’t let him take her to freeze to death,” Eunchae watches as you finally finish spelling out the name, adjusting the sticks more times than necessary. “We could snap the temperature down, just a little bit?”

“That’s…”

“Yunjin, look at him,” Eunchae waves her hands in your direction. “He’s a complete idiot, but come on. We can’t let this end in tragedy. I thought you liked watching him?”

“You like him, too, don’t you?” Yunjin chuckles.

“I just think he’s hopeless and needs a bit of help,” Eunchae shakes her head. “He’s your entertainment to follow around, not mine.”

Yunjin floats back to her feet and looks around the beach. “No one else is out here this late, I guess we can make a small area of warmth around him.”

“Great,” Eunchae floats up as well and snaps her fingers.

“Hey,” Yunjin nudges Eunchae. “She’s here.”