Summer Night's Dream
Episode 16 - On The Road

The weather of the day looked perfect, very bright, decorated with blue skies and rare white clouds, and sunlight that penetrated between them. The temperature outside is also very perfect, not so hot. Warm with wind blowing. The road looked perfect, without any traffic jams and the car drove smoothly. Everything seemed perfect except the situation in the car was very quiet almost gripping. Inside there is only the sound of a car speeding along with the sound of Ji-Ho's fingers tapping on the steering wheel, trying to find the conversation material. It could be that he died in style like today, even though he is a public figure who has often met various people.

The trip would take about 2 hours to travel, so it would certainly be a failed date if this kind of silence lasted for up to 2 hours. But Ji-Ho's brain is completely paralyzed, he can't think of anything else. He is too nervous about his first date with Nara. Moreover, he had been quite wrong with the contents of his mind that suddenly burst out. He was afraid he would speak wrong again.

After a while, he finally shook his head, giving up on thinking. Then his eyes glanced at Park Kyung who was sitting behind him through the front rearview mirror, trying to send S.O.S. Unfortunately, Park Kyung is busy looking down, looking for something in her bag. At first glance Ji-Ho can see Park Kyung taking out an object that looks like a glasses box. After that Park Kyung advances her body and rests her elbow on the shoulder of Nara and Ji-Ho's chair. Ji-Ho frowned confusedly at Park Kyung's behavior.

"Nara-ssi." call Park Kyung slowly.

Simultaneously, Ji-Ho and Nara turn to look at Park Kyung who is now among them. Ji-Ho raises her eyebrows, like asking why Park Kyung called Nara.

Park Kyung also raises her eyebrows after seeing Ji-Ho, then she pushes her best friend's cheeks to pay attention to the road again. "I didn't call you, your name wasn't Nara. Go back and watch the road" Park Kyung says, making Ji-Ho snort.

Park Kyung returns her attention to Nara. "Here.." he put a pair of sunglasses on Nara's face. Ji-Ho's eyes widen at the sight of the moment, after which she again snorts quite loudly, but Park Kyung and Nara do not notice.

"Yes.thank you..." Nara lowered her head politely then changed her position facing the front back. He moved his hand to fix the position of the sunglasses earlier to fit on his face. In his heart he was pounding as well, though not as great as he felt when he was with Ji-Ho before leaving earlier.

"You have to protect your beautiful eyes from ultraviolet light" Park Kyung romps with a sweetened voice, a voice she always uses when teasing women. Ji-Ho groans in disgust.

"You mind?" he tried to hold back the laughter at Ji-Ho's reaction

"Yes, objection!" Ji-Ho straightens out her right arm and puts the palm on the shoulder of Nara's chair, making her arm a barrier between Park Kyung and Nara.

Park Kyung rolled her eyeballs. Ji-Ho is easily jealous. Even if just a small conversation can make Ji-Ho jealous.

"Nara, just ignore him. She and her sweet treatment are unbelievable," Nara chuckles when she hears Ji-Ho say that.

"Thank you back!" Park Kyung muttered as she rewinded her body and leaned back on the car seat. Ji-Ho's brows frowned trying to digest Park Kyung's intention of saying 'Thank you back'. A few seconds later, he understood. His mouth now forms the letter 'o' without a sound. He understood now, Park Kyung was trying to help him kill the silence between them. So after capturing Park Kyung's intent, he turned around and hurriedly thanked her without a sound, with just a lip gesture.

"Whatever," Park Kyung replies in a voice loud enough to make Ji-Ho protest, but still without a sound. "What if we listen to a song? We need some fun here" Park Kyung added.

Ji-Ho heaves a sigh of relief then nods in agreement. So he turns on his car's music player and hands the connection cavalry to Nara. "You want to turn something around?"

Nara looked hesitant for a while, but she still picked up the cable. After that he connected the cable to his phone and rolled the screen to see a list of songs he had. He chose one song and raised the volume of his phone to sound louder on the car's loudspeaker. Just as the intro of the song started playing, Park Kyung who was sitting in the back seat started screaming.

"Woahh Nara!!! The right choice!!" park Kyung yelled when she heard the song, Walking in The Rain. Indeed besides Ji-Ho, one of the producers and composers at 7Seasons is Park Kyung. Even so, the song he made is not as much as Ji-Ho made. Park Kyung also plays her song happily while patting Ji-Ho's chair to the beat.

Ji-Ho clucking. "Really's? You chose the song over my song? You're really my fan, aren't you?" he continued with a shrill voice like the sound of a pinched cat.

"I'm a fan of 7Seasons as well, overall," replied Nara innocently, trying to justify herself. Yes, even though he affects Ji-Ho, he also likes one group as a whole. It's just that his interest in Ji-Ho is indeed greater than that of the other members. But, he could not deny the song made by Park Kyung lately is indeed very good. His cheerful music and lyrics were very pleasant to hear, making him very often listen to the song over and over again. "I want to play a song that has cheerful music, which is why I chose this song,"

Park Kyung is still busy singing her own song while swinging her head. Then he advances his body closer to Ji-Ho while singing the hook's last verse, "I'm walking in the rain!!" he taunts Ji-Ho and it makes Nara laugh.

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Meanwhile. Home program participants.

Chul Goo swung her fist at the door of Nara's room, trying to wake up the room owner. But quiet, no response. He tried to re-tap, and this time while calling a name. But still no response. So slowly he turned the doorknob and opened the room door.

"Nara?" he turned his head to look at the situation in the room, but there was no one there. The room was empty and the bed was fixed. “Where is he?” inner Chul Goo with frown full of questions. Slowly pull the door to close again.

Just then, Juno stepped down the stairs from the top floor, looking fresh after taking a bath, with a towel draped over her wet hair. "Where's the name?" chul Goo asked in a loud voice as Juno was almost at the last rung of the stairs.

"He's gone. It was early this morning. He said he was going to go with his friend out of town" Juno explained.

"Friends? Who?" Chul Goo stroked his chin, thinking who the person who went with Nara was. Does Nara have other friends besides the committee and the program participants in Korea? Chul Goo could not think of a single name that might go with Nara that early besides her. Other program participants, including Juno, too often go out for drinks in the evenings before the weekend, so the next morning they will definitely still be drunk. Exception this morning, surprised also he saw the coriander Juno this morning was fresh. While the other committee is also not that close to Nara. So who is Nara referring to?

Juno sniffed her shoulders to answer Chul Goo's question, which meant that she didn't know either.

"Where's he?" chul Goo asked again, being overprotective.

Juno again relaxed his shoulders. He knew Nara was leaving just because last night the girl told him. But Nara just said that she would go early in the morning with her friend. And when Juno asked who and where, Nara just made a mouth lock motion and ran into the room and locked it.

Chul Goo let out a heavy sigh. He did not know why but the memory of Nara crying in the middle of the crowd flashed through his mind. Half of him just doesn't want the same thing to happen to Nara anymore, which is why he has to take care of her. He knew he could not stay 7x24 hours around Nara to help prevent his panic disorder from re-emerging and he knew that Naea could take care of herself by avoiding the crowds before getting caught up in it. But still, he could not feel calm. The shadow of Nara who was somehow trapped inside the crowd and experiencing panic disorder continuously appeared in his mind. Sometimes he hates himself so much for being too protective and paranoid. But how else, it has become his nature.

Chul Goo stopped walking back and forth until he finally chose to take his phone and immediately called Nara. He has to make sure that whoever Nara's friend is, that person can be trusted and can protect Nara.

"Why did you call him?" Juno peeked at Chul Goo's phone and could see who the person was calling.

"I'm committee. I have to worry and take care of the participants of this program, "foolish excuse. But he has to give a slightly plausible reason and connect or else he has to tell Juno Nara's secret.

"Yeah right," Juno rolled her eyeballs. Somewhat confused by the reason of Chul Goo. "Then you should worry about Lisa. She hasn't been home since last night" Juno said before leaning her back on the sofa.

"What?" Chul Goo turns off his call to Nara. He turned to look at Chul Goo with a shocked expression mixed with coaxes. Not the first time Lisa's been acting like that. He often came home late, even coming home early in the morning when he went to the club. "Seriously? He's not here? Any more?" he repeated what he had just heard. Juno nodded, confirming.

"Haish, that girl really is!!" Chul Goo scratched his head in frustration. He forgot his intention to call Nara and then switched to calling Lisa. Many times he took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. At least Nara was with her friend. And though his heart tried hard to doubt, but his brain tried hard to think that Nara's friend could take care of Nara. So now he has to deal with Lisa, the troublemaker.

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