Jin didn't think so, but he hoped it would be true.Night began to settle in, bathing the forest in darkness. Yet, nature's beauty still shone through the glowing insects drifting through the air.
"It's getting late, we should probably get going," he said nervously, standing up. She agreed and rose to her feet. They both dusted themselves off and began walking side by side.
"But Koff, do you support my relationship?" he asked firmly. She halted in her tracks. Jin felt a wave of uneasiness after his question, but he forced himself to maintain a neutral expression.
"What's all this anxiousness for, huh?" she joked. "I don't even know him, so I can't just assume the worst," she added, patting his back reassuringly.Hearing her answer, Jin realized she had a point.
They resumed their walk, and after several minutes of silence, they reached a wide, stone-paved path that led them toward the village.A few houses started to appear in sight. The area was profoundly quiet, a sign that most families had already gone to sleep for the night.
The local bars were beginning to close up, and the lit street lamps were growing fewer and farther between."Didn't we just walk for a few minutes? How has time passed this fast?" she wondered aloud.
"Well, you're not wrong to wonder. Time inside that forest passes very slowly," he replied softly.
"Like, how slow?" she asked.
"I'm not entirely accurate yet, but if I had to calculate it, I'd say ten minutes inside are equal to about thirty minutes outside the forest," he said.
"That's good to know," she remarked.
"Uhm... it's late and we've reached your home. Take care now."
Koff was caught off guard by his sudden haste. "What? What do you mean? Come inside and let's have a meal," she suggested.
"I'm sorry, Koff, but I can't. What if Alex is worried about me? It's almost midnight, so I really should get going, okay?" he said, his worry bleeding into his voice.
"This is the first time you've ever refused to have a meal with me after walking me home," she noted, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back against the wall.
Jin offered a polite bow and started walking away, but her voice called out to him again. "Hey Jin! Let me meet that guy tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure. At the restaurant?" he asked, turning back.
"Yeah, maybe around noon," she said, giving him a wave. He waved back, wished her a good night, and finally headed for home.Koff watched him disappear into the dark, tall shadows of the lanes.
Excitement bubbled inside her, but she tucked it away for tomorrow and stepped inside her house.When Jin arrived at his own house, he noticed the door was locked from the outside,exactly how he had left it when he departed after Alex this morning.
"Huh, that's strange. Has Alex really not come home yet?" he wondered.
He turned and scanned the surroundings without moving from his spot, but the streets were entirely deserted.
Maybe he went out to look for me? he thought anxiously. He considered going back to search for him, but ultimately aborted the plan.Instead, he decided to just wait for him inside.
Hours ticked by. Nearly three hours passed in agonizing stillness. Jin found himself dozing off right there on the carpet, while the fourth candle he had lit guttered, on the verge of burning out.
He splashed some cold water on his face to wake himself up, then checked where the shadow of the candle stance had moved. Judging by its position, it was already two in the morning.
Jin was stunned, his worry souring into annoyance. Alex's habits were becoming a real problem. "How can Alex be out at this hour and completely forget to even come home? "he asked himself.
Jin stood up slowly. Because he had been sleeping in an awkward position on the floor, sharp cramps seized his legs for a few long minutes.
His back ached intensely, but he pressed through the discomfort and headed towards his bedroom.He stopped right in front of his door, freezing in his tracks.
From the front entrance, a fast, continuous knocking began to rattle the wooden door.