"The moon was silent,
But it always yearned for love."

+++

"Where are you going?"

Gaeul was frantically looking through her closet and pulling out clothes, throwing them onto the bed. Jisoo didn't understand why she was such in a rush either.

"I have a school trip," she answers, going through her checklist, crossing out things she already put inside the bag "the science club is taking a trip to the nearest hill for us to camp out. We're doing a group study on stars."

"I thought you were in the astronomy club?"

"I was the only member, so that's that." Gaeul sighs, remembering the non existent club "the science club seniors were kind enough to let me join. They were happy that I volunteered."

Jisoo nods. There were thoughts inside his head that went 'did she make some friends?' and 'did I miss something?'. He's sure he's never seen Gaeul with anyone at school before. She'd usually spend her time in the library during recess or eat alone.

"Will you be okay alone?" He asks.

Gaeul had her back facing him, so when she froze, Jisoo couldn't make out the expression on her face. It made him guilty, but he wanted to make sure.

"I'm sure I will," Gaeul answers, a faint smile on her lips "it won't be that long. Besides, it'll be easier to talk to you. Even though we're still far away, I could see you a little more up close."

Jisoo blushed. This girl sure knows how to make him flustered.

"Be sure not to forget anything," Jisoo tells her, making Gaeul nod.

"I won't forget you!" Gaeul grins, and Jisoo's cheeks felt like they were melting. He took thr initiative to disappear from sight as Gaeul laughed at his reaction.

+++

"Alright everyone, make sure you have everything ready. Keep all your phones, electronic devices in your bag, it's gonna be a long journey." The teacher stood in front of the students with maps in their hand. They were already standing in front of the pathway up the hill. Gaeul was excited. Not.

Out of all people, why did she have to be teamed up with Mingyu?

Each team had three people in it, Gaeul, Mingyu, and a foreign senior named Teresa. Gaeul never knew her school had foreign students before.

She could actually feel Mingyu side eyeing her, and it was extremely uncomfortable, considering what happened between the two of them.

"Hi! I'm Teresa. You guys can drop the 'eonni' and 'noona', I'm not really that comfortable with honorifics." Teresa, a tall girl with chestnut brown hair smiles and exchanged looks between her other two members.

"But I like noonas," Mingyu says "I like you."

Teresa beamed, "Hey, thanks! That's the first time someone told me they liked me here. I like you too! Wow you're tall."

Despite Teresa's answer, Mingyu mentally facepalmed, knowing that she didn't get his point.

"Ooh, the teacher's calling for the team leader. Be right back guys!" As Teresa ran off, Gaeul had to turn around and try to stifle her laughter as hard as she can since the look on Mingyu's face was extremely priceless.

"You think that was funny? I've never been rejected. Ever. Someday you'll come to like me too." Mingyu brags, making Gaeul roll her eyes.

"At least fix your damn attitude, or else nobody'll like you, snob." Gaeul shot back, fixing the arms of her backpack. While Mingyu was blabbering, Gaeul tried to remember if all her stuff were packed.

The hiking trip started. After a few steps up the hill some were already trying so hard to catch their breath. Teresa didn't stop. Well, she was a rock climber anyway. Much stamina. Very energy.

Mingyu started to pant soon enough, and Gaeul felt like she should tell him to stop and rest, but Mingyu, as if knowing what she meant by the look she gave him and raised his hand, a sign that he was still okay.

After a few more meters they stopped to take a short break. They needed to get there soon, or the sky's gonna get dark..

They seemed to arrive quicker than they expected, since everyone was fuelled by the short break.

Their camping site was a typical caping site you would see ; places to set up camps around a big, big fireplace. There was already some firewood (magic) and all that was left to do was set up the tents and cook dinner.

They had canned soup with some bread for dinner. Gaeul sat by the farthest seat she could ever find, away from the other members. Teresa was having fun talking to her friends despite her last year here.

"Hey, your drink."

Gaeul felt a slight burn on her right shoulder, and looked up to see Mingyu shoving a mug of hot chocolate into her face, thankful enough not to hit her nose. It was steaming hot.

Her hand reached for the mug and she just ignored Mingyu who was still standing there.

"Really? You're not going to say anything? Even a thank you?"

"You don't deserve one. Now go away."

Mingyu sighs and sits down beside her, uninvited, "See, this is why you have no friends."

"I didn't ask for one, did I?"

"Look, why are you so annoyed? Was it because of what happened the other day?" Mingyu scratches his head in frustration "oh come on, it was just a dare. Get over it already. Or are you still angry because you really wanted me to like you?"

Gaeul ignored him.

"Answer me!"

"Of course I was angry! I'm sorry for being a sensitive shit, but don't ever play with a girl's feelings again," Gaeul says rapidly, half furious when remembering the joke Mingyu pulled on her.

"That was my first real life confession, thanks for ruining it." She mumbles.

"You're such a baby." Mingyu says, annoyed

"You're a spoiled brat, you know that?"

The teacher rang the bell in his hand, "Students! Get some rest before we start the Stargazing activity. You're advised to take a nap. Set your alarms at 2 in the morning to wake up. Please be punctual!"

Mingyu told her that he was going to take a nap, and left Gaeul.

Gaeul couldn't sit still. She wouldn't want to waste her trip for a nap. She wanted to explore. She gets up amd changes into her hiking shoes, a torch light in one hand and her camera in the other.

Her journey began. A gentle breeze was stroking her skin, the sound of crickets calming her. Each step she took made a crackling sound, the sound of crushed dried leaves and twigs.

Nothing was scary about walking in tbe woods alone, in her opinion. It was a calm walk. This is where she wanted to escape. The best place to escape from the frowns, the voices and the screeches of the city.

She was finally calm.

Gaeul looked up at the sky. Jisoo was nowhere to be seen. There was a faint light behind those thick clouds, but Gaeul could barely see him.

It wasn't even two in the morning yet, but the constellations were already calling for her, shining as if trying to show off their beauty at her. Gaeul was definitely pleased.

She walked further, carefully stepping down slopes and slippery stones. Finally, she found her ideal spot for stargazing.

The ground was slightly higher than the others, and she lay down on the grass to take a good look. Snapping lots and lots of pictures.

"Too bad Jisoo can't see this." Gaeul said to herself.

She dozed off for a little while, when her eyes snapped open when droplets of water hit her face.

More droplets of rain came pouring down, it was drizzling. Gaeul walked quickly yet carefully, at the same time inhaling the scent of earth the rain gave prominence to.

But it wasn't the calm drizzle she was expecting it to be. Thunder boomed and lightning blinded her vision. She better get back to the campsite fast.

There was something growling behind her. Rustling from the bushes. All the sounds made her feel frightened, not wanting to know what on earth was behind her.

Gaeul ran. Despite the danger of slipping from the wet soil, she just thought of going back.

She felt a sharp pain on her knee. No, her leg. Gaeul was on the ground, her clothes now stained by dirt and mud. She grimaced at the pain as she tried to get up.

Gaeul realized she fell into a hole.

A hole too deep to get out from. She didn't know what to do. The other members would probably realize her gone missing, which is probably only a 0.09% chance, because Gaeul was, most of the time, invisible to everyone.

In the cold rain, the only thing she wished for was Jisoo to appear. To flash her his soothing smile and his words that would tell her everything would be alright, that the pain in her leg could be cured and there would be someone to find her soon.

But he wasn't there for her.

It was Gaeul all alone.

She couldn't really blame him, she couldn't see him in the first place because of the clouds.

Gaeul closed her eyes and waited.

+++

"Gaeul?"

"Gaeul! Oh my god we found her!"

"Thank god, go and inform the teachers."

There was a lot of fussing going on, and Gaeul opened her eyes. It was too dark to see who were the figures looking down at her, but she felt a tinge of relief seeing that people found her.

"Hey, get up."

She couldn't see but the voice convinced her it was someone she knew. Mingyu clicked his tongue at the not responding girl.

"Get up already, everyone's worried about you." Mingyu put out his arm to pull her out.

"I hurt my leg." Gaeul tells him.

Mingyu rolls his eyes, "Just bear with the pain already, alright. There's no other way to pull you out. Now hurry up, you're wasting our time."

She had no choice but to follow. Gaeul clenched her teeth when the sharp pain on her knee appeared when she stood. It really hurt, but Gaeul realized she was out of the hole in no time.

"You could have gotten out on your own." Complains Mingyu, putting her arm around him and supporting her, walking back to the campsite.

"The soil was too muddy to grab on. And I hurt my foot." Gaeun explains.

"Whatever, you wasted our time. How could you even fall asleep when anything could devour you alive? Seriously, I can't believe you. You're such a nuisamce, making us worry like that."

"I'm sorry."

"Goddamn it, we can't even see the stars now. It's too late."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing already," Mingyu huffs, taking a deep breath and silently complaining why the girl was so heavy "it's really annoying."

Gaeul did feel guilty about the incident, because of her carelessness nobody got to see the stars or the planets. But she remained silent and lets Mingyu nag, shoving her imaginary earplugs into her ears.

"We'll treat your leg." Mingyu says as they neared the campsite.

Once they got there, one of the teachers walked up to Gaeul, expected to give her a good scolding. So Gaeul bows and apologizes as deeply as she can before her teacher could say anythig.

Her teacher had a serious look on her face. Maybe a much worser scolding?

"Gaeul," she calls "there's a phone call for you."

"From where?"

"The hospital."

"What about?"

Her teacher didn't answer, but handed the phone to her. Gaeul's hands were half shaking, but she had to remain calm.

"Hello?"

"Lee Gaeul? This is a call from x hospital."

"Sure, what about?"

"Your mom collasped from a sudden heart attack this evening. Your neighbor found her unconscious on the kitchen floor. We advise you to come here quickly. Your mother is in critical condition."

Gaeul was silent. Her expression changed, and Mingyu noticed that. It was a look he's never seen her wear on her face before.

An expression of fear.

"H-how's my mother?"

"As I mentioned, she's in a really critical condition. Please come here immediately. Th doctors are desperately trying to save her."

"In her condition, how high is the possibility for her to survive?"

The question Gaeul feared most. An answer even scarier than nightmares or ghosts. A suspenseful silence, the palpitations of her heart getting louder in her ears.

"I'm sorry."

Gaeul bit her lip.

"….But it looks like there is none."

The phone slipped away from her hands.

Then she felt like her heart stopped.

And everything was dark.

------------------------------------------------

I feel so sorry for my daughter gaeul :(

I finally got a good grip on man in the moon's finalized storyline, and i finally wrote a few chapters for this story :3

And after a long, long long period of coffee, headaches, tears and evil laughter, i finally decided on this story's ending ;)

I have a feeling this story wouldn't last really long?? Idk im aiming for 30 chapters if possible

And no sequels :^)

I'll decide whether or not I'll make a spinoff story abt peter hosh or lost boy chan

Anyway, comeback :------)

I have risen from the ded after the mv

Much bless

Very boom boom

Anyway lol i bet the ending of the story is something y'all arent expecting?? Well its not amazing duh but its just kinda sudden i guess

Oh cmon people do u rly expect cee to end stories wih happy endings?? I don't do fairytale happy endings, so please prepare tissues

Or maybe i just suck at making happy endings lmao

Did u guys even read the description of this book omf i did point out this: "there was no forever for the both of them."

Ohoho

;)

I'm sorry for talking too much lol i just have so many shit to say okay im like ded half the time so let me talk while im alive

Anyway, eat your meals properly :)

-Cee