I woke up to the sound of knocking, coming from downstairs.
Once again, I got out of bed in an almost euphoric mood—the house and the atmosphere still enchanted me.
Still in yesterday's clothes, I padded down the stairs wearing a pair of bright red slippers I'd found here. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair a few times and rubbed my eyes to shake off the sleep before opening the door.
"Good morning, Jungkook," I said, stepping aside so he could come in, holding a large plastic container.
"Morning to you too! I brought some pastries," he said, heading into the kitchen.
"You made these?" I asked in surprise.
"I'm an early riser, so I had time to look around the house and found plenty of ingredients for baking. I made cinnamon muffins with chunks of chocolate and sour cherries. Hope you like them," he said, opening the lid. The heavenly aroma hit me instantly.
"I don't care if I get fat… they even look delicious. Thank you," I said, sitting down at the table.
"It's nothing. By the way, Juno's still sleeping. I went to his place too, but since he didn't answer the door, I went inside and didn't have the heart to wake him. He probably needs the rest after yesterday," Jungkook said, sitting across from me. I bit into one of the muffins before replying.
"This is divine. How do you make something this good?" I asked, amazed.
"It's in my blood," he chuckled.
"Anyway… maybe I shouldn't have brought up that 'getting to know each other' topic in front of Juno yesterday…" I said, frowning slightly.
"Oh, come on," he waved it off. "You couldn't have known what happened to him. Honestly, it's better you did bring it up—maybe it'll help him process the trauma."
"Well… maybe you're right. We'll see. Anyway, how did you get a change of clothes?" I asked, eyeing his brown sweatpants and red-and-black checkered sweater. Very Christmassy.
"I found tons of Christmas-themed clothes in the bedroom wardrobe. All in my size, strangely enough," he shrugged.
"So that means I probably have clean clothes too. I'll check later."
"Oh, and I found a calendar in the living room. According to it, it's not even Christmas yet—we're still well before it. At least, that's what I gathered."
"No exact date written?"
"Just said it's early December. I have no idea what that really means."
"Weird, but good to know. Okay, the muffin was amazing, but I'm going to take a shower—I didn't bathe yesterday either. If Juno wakes up, tell him to come here so we can discuss what to do next, okay?" I said, getting up.
"Sure, I'll tell him," Kook nodded.
"Alright, I'm off."
The shower was incredibly relaxing. The body wash and shampoo smelled like gingerbread.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of this.
Honestly, I didn't really regret ending up in such a mysterious, secret-filled place during the Christmas season. I loved this little valley—it was like being inside a fairy tale. Everything felt so magical and otherworldly.
Eighteen degrees and snow… things like that only exist in stories.
I just hoped nothing scary was hiding here.
After drying myself and my hair, I slipped into a cute yellow-and-gray fabric-like pair of pants and a white sweater, tucking the front into the waistband.
The clothes in my wardrobe were all beautiful—and all in my size. If I had a wardrobe like this at home, I wouldn't have to spend time every morning wondering what acceptable outfit to wear.
Feeling fresh and smelling nice, I stepped out of the spacious upstairs bathroom and immediately heard Juno's voice.
So everyone was already here.
I went downstairs and into the kitchen, where Juno was praising Kook's muffins.
"Morning," I said, sitting down next to Juno.
"Morning, Jimin. That outfit really suits you," he said, giving me a once-over.
"Thanks," I smiled.
"Alright, people. Let's get started. I already told Juno about my calendar discovery," Jungkook said.
"Yes," Juno nodded.
"Wait… Juno, you're feeling better now, right?" I asked.
"Of course. Much better. Don't worry," he smiled reassuringly.
"Good," I said, relaxing. "So, Jungkook and I already explored most of the area yesterday, but we didn't find anything special."
"Well, I did," Juno cut in. "Last night, after you'd probably gone to bed, I woke up and went for a walk. Partly to clear my head, partly because I was curious about the place."
"And? What did you find?" Kook asked.
"A little path leading into the forest. I didn't check where it went—it was way too dark. But I was thinking of going today to see for myself," Juno said.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? We have no idea what might be at the end of that trail," I said worriedly.
"I don't think there's anything scary here. I'll check it out in the morning and be back by noon," he said casually.
"Alright… but be careful, okay? We really don't know what secrets might be out there," I bit my lip, which seemed to catch both of their attention.
"You don't have to worry. I know what I'm doing," he said, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat.
"Alright. I'll make us lunch in the meantime," I offered.
"Good. I'll take another look around here—maybe I'll find something," Kook added.
"You be careful too, Kook," I said, earning a small smirk from him.
"My survival instincts are excellent," he chuckled.
"Sorry for worrying so much… I just know that if I were out there, I'd freak out and start imagining things. There's nothing to be afraid of here in the village—we already walked through it and found nothing scary—but the forest… that's outside the safe zone."
"You're sweet, Jimin. No one's worried about me like this before. But there's nothing to fear," Juno said, and I felt my cheeks heat at his words.
"O-Okay then."
"I'll see you at lunch. Hope you're cooking something delicious, Jiminie. Bye," Juno said, getting up and leaving the house. I sighed deeply and leaned back.
"What do you think about Juno?" Jungkook suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"Like, do you think he's handsome or something?" he asked, leaning against the counter.
"Yeah, he's very handsome," I smiled.
"So you like him?"
"Maybe a little. But that could change," I shrugged.
"You might fall in love with him?"
"Or I might be totally disappointed. Besides, I doubt he's into guys. And after his wife's death, I wouldn't have the nerve to even try," I laughed awkwardly.
"Fair point. So… is a gay relationship any different from a straight one?"
"Not really. Just… the bedroom part," I said, blushing again.
"What, how does that work between guys?" he asked, curious.
"D-Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah. I might as well learn something. I've never had a chance to talk to a gay man before," he chuckled.
"Oh… alright. Well, with guys, there's only one… uh… opening. And that's… where it happens," I said awkwardly.
"And that doesn't hurt?"
"Of course it does. The first time is awful, because we're not born for it, but the second time can be like heaven, if it's with someone you really love," I nodded firmly.
"Have you… ever done it with someone you loved?"