Heejung looked up expectantly at me when I returned to the home we made in the treetops. It wasn't much but we were safe, sheltered and fairly warm with the blankets we made. I could only shake my head and her face fell.
"Oh," she murmured softly before smiling a little bit "Maybe next time."
I don't know my name, I don't know my origins and I don't know where we are. Heejung and I woke up in the clearing of these woods, no memory of how we got there. She could recall her memories up to when she was about to end her penultimate year from graduation at her university. I feel envious, I couldn't even recall my own name. Heejung wanted something to call me and I became known as Jinju. She's sweet, always smiling, albeit with pain at times, and never complains. She is wonderful, creative and beautiful. She makes the most wonderful faces.
I'm not sure which face is my favourite. The look of surprise she held as I managed to make somewhat of a canvas with reeds and crushed some berries and other fruits to make paint. The brush was trickier, I somehow managed to salvage bristles from a squirrel's tail for the bristles and used tree sap to stick them to a stick. How she laughed at my work and yet she thanked me with all her heart. She had mentioned that she enjoyed sketching and painting and for some reason, I wanted to make her happy by giving her something that would help her pass the time.
Then there's her face when she is painting. She looks serene and happy when she's painting her pictures. Despite her limits, her works were from the heart and simply wonderful to look at. She has a wonderful talent, again it makes me envious but happy to look at her pictures. She was anxious at first to show them but eventually she let me. Her face when she's nervous is cute, the way her eyes would cast downwards towards her bare feet and how she shifted uneasily, as if she was being judged.
I slip my shoes off, examining the recent tear from my walk and placing them by the doorway before sitting on the makeshift bed and rubbing the sores on my feet. We'd been trying to find other people but so far I haven't found any signs of civilisation. It was like we were shipwrecked and we're stuck on a deserted island. I haven't come across any coast but maybe I'll follow the river and see where I will end up. It is difficult to travel far, I feel anxious to be away from Heejung and it takes a while to navigate these woods. There aren't a lot of dangerous threats thankfully.
"There's some duck leftover," Heejung murmured as she handed over a leaf of cool meat.
"Thank you," I murmured back sleepily and eat to satisfy my growling stomach.
We made eye contact briefly before averting our gazes. Sometimes it was awkward between us but I can't help it. Heejung is very…very beautiful. It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to just stare at her beautiful, beautiful face…
"Jinju?"
I'm staring at her again. I look away quickly and felt my cheeks warm up. I cough and shifted on my bed.
"Heejung…"
"Hm?"
I pluck up the courage to look up at her to make eye contact. My heart is swelling, she always has this effect on me.
"On the off chance that we might not find anyone else," I managed to not stutter with my words "Do you think we could…?"
It has been three months more or less and it was a long shot.
"Perhaps we could…?"
She looked confused and it made my lips twitch a bit. She was a little slow.
"Do you think we could build a life together?"
There, it was out there and my heart is beating against my ribcage. Heejung's eyes were wide in surprise and I glanced away.
"It's not perilous per se out here," I continued "And when the weather gets better with the changing seasons we could travel a bit further and find another place with shelter so we can look in new places for others."
Heejung was quiet and I looked away.
"Never mind."
Heejung bowed her head a little and I moved over. I gingerly kissed her nose and smiled to myself at her look of bewilderment. It was a new face and I enjoyed every moment of it.
"Goodnight."
I retreated to my bed and lay down, ready to sleep.
"Jinju?"
"Hm?"
"It might work."
I turned to look at her to see her back as she lay down to go to sleep. I smiled softly before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.
