Chapter 24
The next day Dave and Peng sat together in the evening on the stairs in front of a small sea in the garden of dreams both drinking from a plastic bottle different flavored milk.
"I feel like buttermilk tastes the same to me" The child told the adult, which drank strawberry-flavored buttermilk.
"I think it's harder to figure it out, because of the fruit flavor. It would be easier, if we would be drinking the natural one to recognize it," Dave mentioned followed by taking a sip from the drink along with Peng and together they watched on the other side citizens stroll around the park passing by a pavilion where a trio of students sat studying with the help of books.
"Miss Burnish hasn't said anything yet about Jin?" Peng asked looking at the adult, which scratched himself on the beard.
"Not yet" The man answered. "I bet in an hour or two we know it"
"That would be great" Peng admitted watching the trio of two girls and a boy studying together. "You're wondering, how I remembered to ask that?"
"Per coincidence…..has it to do something with the students under the pavilion?" Dave asked earning a nod from the boy. "What are Jin and Yi learning at their school?"
"Jin is studying medicine and Yi something with technic. I don't really know, what exactly she's learning,"
"Okay and how long are they going to be learning their courses?" Dave asked. "Any idea?" Dave asked seeing Peng shrug his shoulders. "Oh, alright"
"They have just started last year. That's the only thing I know" Peng mentioned. "Hey what could we give Yi and Jin, when they first get here?"
"What do you mean?" Dave asked. "Like food?"
"Maybe. I don't know. A welcome gift or something,"
"We could check the next store, but I think the first thing they want is to rest their mind and body. Mostly, if we're planning to go up to the Himalayas,"
"I think you're right Dave" Peng confessed. "They have been looking for us non-stop. They stopped to overnight, wherever it was possible, but during the day they have never stopped to look for us. They really need that break,"
"We've got time. We can even go when both are resting and surprise them after it" Dave suggested.
"I think that's a better idea" Peng agreed.
The Haas family sat all inside the family SUV along with Yi and Jin, which sat on the back of the car together with Sonja and Ben sat behind them on a separate car seat, which was open for him. Jin lied with his head against the window with closed eyes, behind him on the shoulder Yi had her head leaned on him, also resting along the ride.
"I wonder how anyone can get a well bit of sleep when sleeping in the car" Sonja mentioned glancing at the Chinese students next to her. "Mostly when lying on the window"
"They must still be tired from yesterday," Mrs. Haas said making Sonja nod.
"I believe yesterday both have come really closer together...at least they seemed more affectionate about being closer to the other"
"I've noticed on their arrival down at the track" The mother mentioned. "They don't need anything more to realize they like each other" The mother admitted glancing back at the pair, hearing the soft snoring of one of the two students. Sonja saw on Yi's pocket on her pants her smartphone and took it out carefully and Yi opened up her eyes and noticed Sonja taking his smartphone out.
"What are you doing?" Yi asked and Sonja gave her the smartphone back.
"I was doing you a favor" Sonja mentioned and Yi noticed, she had been lying on Jin's shoulder, then smiled a little amatory and looked at Sonja.
"We've grown really tight the past few days" Yi mentioned. "And I've noticed days ago, that he's trying to figure out how to make the next step. He surely knows I'm in love with him too"
"We have noted his attraction on you too" The blonde teenager added. "You will see soon or later he will ask you out and you will be glad you waited so long for it"
"You know….he doesn't know that, but I've caught him a few days ago practicing with a dog how to ask me out….I….it's funny….I never noticed Jin had such a soft side….I feel like I've got on this trip more attracted to him as I already was"
"Aww" Sonja commented looking along with Yi at the sleeping med student.
"Random information ladies and gentlemen. We will arrive in the next five minutes the Kathmandu airport. Please make sure you're still sitting until we come to a full stop," The father joked making Yi chuckle. "This sounded like in an airplane didn't it?" Mr. Haas questioned the raven-haired girl, which shrugged her shoulders.
"Nearly it did" Yi commented, then Sonja tapped the girl on the shoulder and pointed at Jin.
"Someone should wake him up" Sonja decreed the friend, which looked at Jin lying with his face against the window. Yi nudged Jin on the shoulder slowly watching him still sleeping, then she shove him more firmly seeing him shut his eyes open and sat up caressing his cheek, where he had lied on the car window.
"Where am I?" Jin asked looking at Yi and Sonja sitting beside him.
"We're here sleepy head" Sonja commented watching Jin yawn and stretch his arms.
"We're at the airport of Kathmandu" Yi stated and Jin looked out of the window to see their car enter into the arrivals in front of the airport.
"This is where we agreed with Miss Burnish to meet Peng" Jin mentioned.
"And Dave" Yi mentioned. "And how does he look like again?"
"I don't remember exactly. I think he has a mustache," Jin mentioned.
"The one who borrowed you the jacket?"
"Yeah also I think he was the same guy, you hit him on the nose causing him a nosebleed"
"Oh right, that Dave" Yi stated remembering back in the Himalayas how she had hit him with her hand to escape to help yeti Everest.
"You hit someone in the nose?" Ben asked looking at Yi.
"That was a bad reflex" Yi mentioned a little embarrassed. "But we're good"
"Jin, Yi, do you two want to leave here?" Mr. Haas offered. "There's no free park here at the moment"
"Sure we can, you don't need to keep looking" Yi answered and the SUV stopped on the road close to the parallel parking spots in front of the exit of the airport.
"Let them out honey" Mrs. Haas pleaded the daughter, which opened the door and stepped out of the car, waiting until Jin and Yi had left.
"Thank you so much for everything you and your family did to us" Yi thanked.
"And thanks for washing our clothes" Jin added. "The scent is now gone, but I enjoyed the smell of ocean" Jin complimented earning a smile from Sonja's mother.
"I'm glad you were happy with the shirt. Sorry I couldn't iron it" Mrs. Haas apologized seeing Jin shake his head and lift his hands up.
"It's no big deal, I'm fine with it" Jin mentioned.
"Has anyone of you Facestargram or anything, where we could chat once in a while?" Sonja asked earning a nod from the duo.
"I can write my username down on your notes" Yi suggested watching Sonja hand her out the smartphone to type down her username. "You will find Jin under my followers or vice versa. He's very…..known" Yi commented making Jin snicker.
"15k followers" Jin mentioned making Sonja wide her eyes in shock.
"What did you do to have that many followers?" Sonja asked watching Jin shrug his shoulders.
"Nothing, the popular friends I used to hang out with had suggested my account to other people until one day I had that many followers" Jin mentioned. "I used to have more than that thought"
"I will look for you two, when I catch WIFI somewhere, don't worry"
"We see that when we catch WIFI too" Yi added chuckling along with the blonde.
"Stay together you two and be careful, don't do the same thing you did last time back there in the streets" Mr. Haas warned earning a nod from the two Chinese students.
"We will be more careful this time. Pinky promise" Yi pledged earning a smile from the adults.
"Goodbye and have a good time" Mrs. Haas wished.
"And call us, if you need something. We'll be in Kathmandu for the next two days" Mr. Haas mentioned earning a nod from the duo, which watched the family leave and follow the road to the exit of the airport space.
"I can't believe it we made it" Jin announced throwing his arms up in the air excited. "We're in Nepal!"
"I know, it's amazing?" Yi admitted with a fabulous smile, then was embraced by the tall boy, which lifted the girl in the air and placed her on the ground again laughing along with her. "We made a pretty good team…...without counting the last 24 hours I mean" Yi mentioned earning a nod from Jin.
"We still are" Jin added placing his hand on Yi's shoulder, then Yi embraced the tall boy, which smiled gently at the girl and caressed her back. Both gazed at each other after their hug, then they heard someone shout and they looked together across the sidewalk to see Peng ran towards them making them smile as they recognized the child.
"Peng!" Jin cried seeing his younger cousin approaching the two and Peng joined the two teenagers into a group hug.
"You're here Jin!" Peng exclaimed hugging both friends tightly.
"Great to see you're alright," Yi said feeling the boy's hug get harder around her and Jin. "Woah Peng, take it easy"
"I'm so sorry Jin," Peng complained starting to tear up in front of the two students. "I'm sorry, that I made you two cross China just because of my nonsense,"
"Shhh everything will be fine, little cuz," Jin tried to comfort his cousin passing his thumb under his left eye cleaning his tear off. "You know I would have done that the one or the other way"
"Really?" Peng asked earning a nod from Jin.
"Even if you went to Europe or Africa. I would not give up until I find you" Jin added exchanging looks with Yi.
"And you know he's being serious" Yi added making Peng chuckle a little, additionally Yi helped Peng clean his tears off the face.
"Where's Dave?" Jin asked, then saw him approach the trio a little quietly and stopped in front of the medical student.
"I just knew it a little later, that you two were looking for him. But I made sure he would be out of danger" The man explained earning a short nod from the raven-haired teen.
"Thanks for taking care of Peng during this space of time," Jin said holding his hand out to shake.
"We have checked in at a hotel in the near. I managed to get a room with at least three beds. You and your cousin can share the couple bed while I and your friend have our own bed" Dave explained the teenager, which nodded.
"Thanks, Dave" Jin said then glanced down at the younger cousin, which was looking at Yi, which was soothing him down followed by Jin placing his hand behind the cousin's back to assist the reassurance.