《Sunshine》 Marshmallows in Mind Almost until morning. The night is in quiet anticipation, filled only with the occasional chirping of hidden insects and the sound of the crackling fire. The sky above is a beautiful shade of navy blue packed with bright shining stars of various tones, wrapping around the colourful landscape. Everywhere within sight is filled with different species and colours of trees, creating a gorgeous pattern of green, red, orange, yellow, and purple. At the end of the horizon, a little semi-circle of white has already crept into sight. The gentle breeze carrying the smell of rain, mixed with the fresh scent of dirt and toasted marshmallows, flows by Ivan and Shawn. The boys have been waiting all night to see the sunrise that people call ¡°legendary¡±. It was described to be so amazing and exciting it could be almost considered magical. Obviously, Ivan didn¡¯t believe any of that, but Shawn, always adventurous and trying new things, was hyped by the description. Both university graduates, Ivan and Shawn have been friends since high school. After completing university, they, mainly Shawn, decided to travel to a few places, wherever their budget would allow, and experience life from a different perspective,in hope of trying new things and making a few friends. As their fifth stop, Shawn has dragged Ivan to the top of a random mountain to wait all night for a ¡°magical¡± break of dawn. To be fair, it is only normal that Ivan has some complaints. He is not the most talented athlete you can find; in fact, Ivan has never been interested in sports. Being introverted and authentic, he usually prefers to sit down and enjoy the gorgeous weather accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee or entertain himself by reading books. Although he works out regularly with Shawn and only with Shawn to keep his body in shape, Ivan sticks to his principle of ¡°never move when you don¡¯t need to¡±. Shawn, on the other hand, is a bundle of energy and joy. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A ray of sunshine, Shawn is fun to be with and always coming up with new ideas. Although because of his black-rim glasses he is always perceived as nerdy, Shawn is actually a daredevil. Unlike his friend and roommate Ivan, Shawn is exceptionally well at all kinds of sports, including soccer, badminton, and football, and always open-minded to accepting new things. It was also his idea to go wait for the sunrise. Shawn immediately fell in love with this idea after he saw an advertisement recommending this suspicious place as the perfect vacation destination. He was skeptical of making the place his and Ivan¡¯s fifth and final travel destination until he saw a video of the sun slowly rising from the horizon, climbing to the mountain top, and gradually elevating to the sky. Ivan would look cool in this lighting, Shawn thought. But there is another reason why Shawn chose this place. Of course, Ivan did not know any of this. All he understood from Shawn¡¯s passionate and disoriented speech was they are going to stay up all night at a cold mountain top to wait for the sun to rise, like how it does every day. Ivan did not see what was so interesting about sunrise, but he did not try to question his friend¡¯s sanity; although he wanted to slap Shawn in the face and shake him until he decomposes into a pile of dust, Ivan knew Shawn too well to recognize that a decision is a decision: Shawn is not easily moved. Even though he can easily refuse Shawn¡¯s insistence, Ivan still decided to go along with Shawn, mainly because he did not want to leave his friend alone on an unsafe mountain top, and maybe even help Shawn fix or add some details to his plan. The s¡¯mores are definitely going to be included. The Mission ¡°Ivan? Ivan? Are you still with me?¡± Ivan pulled himself back to reality, where Shawn is sitting right opposite him, with the campfire and the marshmallows between them. The orange light from the fire wraps around Shawn, making him look extra bright and even more welcoming than his usual appearance, luring Ivan to scooch over and embrace him. Meanwhile, Shawn is a little nervous. Ivan has stared at him for a consistent time now. He is still in his usual poker face, but Shawn always has this feeling that Ivan is smiling at him. Maybe it¡¯s because of the shape of his eyes. Lit by the light, Ivan¡¯s warm brown eyes seem to be as crystal clear as water, exposing some things that are not usually noticed: Shawn can tell that there are emotions churning in Ivan, lingering in his mind. As Shawn starts to turn his focus on the marshmallows, Ivan suddenly said, ¡°What were you looking at?¡± Shawn immediately shifted his attention back to the person in front of him. ¡°Nothing, just wondering what you¡¯re looking at.¡± Although feeling a little tense, he still inevitably notices and acknowledges for the one thousand and one times his friend is good-looking. Sure, he might not seem attractive when you first meet him, but the more you interact with Ivan, the more heart-warming details you notice; not only his well-proportioned facial features but also his patience and helpfulness, his silent caring, and his subtly. For example, ¡°cool guy¡± was Shawn¡¯s first impression of Ivan. Yet as time went on, Shawn began to appreciate his friend¡¯s trustworthiness and started to develop a different feeling toward his roommate. As if to prove that he is brave enough, Shawn added, ¡°also looking at you. Why?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Nothing.¡± Ivan sounds amused. In fact, he is delighted. ¡°Am I that good-looking?¡± Leaning towards Shawn, Ivan had a mischievous little smile on his face, barely showing through his lips but more through the twinkle in his eyes. He is pleased by Shawn¡¯s courageous confession and decided to proceed with the conversation, maybe even building the atmosphere a little. ¡°I admire your confidence,¡± answers his friend, eradicating any possibility of romance. Ivan smiles in a polite fashion, resisting the urge to educate his friend about something called ¡°don¡¯t talk when you have low romantic intelligence¡±. He pulls back and decides to enjoy one of the marshmallows. Taking a marshmallow as well, Shawn sighs in relief. He was not sure whether Ivan was just teasing him as usual, or seriously flirting. He had hoped Ivan is showing signs of romantic attraction but made the decision to reply with the usual playful tone, just in case. Maybe just let this affection die, Shawn thought, trying to convince himself to give up. The marshmallow is good though, thanks to Ivan. The sky is slowly brightening up, with the navy blue descending from the stage and more of a pinkish purple covering the sky, reminding Shawn of a strawberry cream Souffl¨¦. The air is sweet with the scent of roasted marshmallows, blended with the smoke from the campfire. The wind gently passes by, making the trees rustle as if they are whispering and reminding Shawn of his mission. Shawn¡¯s gut begins to twist again. He grabs another marshmallow. Sunrise Finale Ivan notices Shawn¡¯s uneasiness immediately. He wonders what is passing through his friend¡¯s mind to make him look half troubled and half anxious. Then he notices the purple in the sky fading away to a reddish glow. ¡°Almost sunrise, Shawn.¡± You are running out of time, Shawn. Urging himself to speak, Shawn takes a deep breath. ¡°Have you ever met a person that reminds you of lemon flavoured pop in the summer, gentle breeze from the distant mountains, and fragments of stars that accidentally fell into your arms?¡± Ivan looked confused, but Shawn could be almost certain that behind his poker face mask, he must be smiling. ¡°You know that he is and will be the most breathtaking view that you ever encounter, you know that he is the best person you meet in your life. He is God¡¯s most prided work of art and a ray of sunlight in your life. You know that you must grab on to him, or it¡¯ll become your life¡¯s greatest regret. So Ivan I¡­¡± Shawn stops. Behind Shawn, the stars fade away and the moon hides her face behind the curtain of night. Some soft light starts to trickle out from behind the horizon, but not yet, almost. Barely noticeable, all noises stop, waiting quietly in anticipation. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Shawn mustered up his courage and strength. The last gamble, he thought. Ivan smiles. ¡°I like you.¡± Everything came to life again. The sky brightened up of a sudden, the sun peeking from behind the horizon line. Light radiated from the sun outwards and expanded beyond. It was like God¡¯s golden paint was accidentally spilled on earth, covering everything with a layer of glowing light. It is already the break of dawn, but Shawn can still see stars and pieces of moonlight in Ivan¡¯s eyes, asking him if he understands Ivan¡¯s heart. Dawn slowly turns to day, birds begin to chirp, and the fire slowly extinguishes, leaving a pile of black coal and some over-cooked marshmallows. Shawn is still dazzled by Ivan¡¯s tiny smile when Ivan asked him if he still wanted the marshmallows. Baffled, Shawn takes one and puts it in his mouth. As sweet as ever. ¡°So, do you mind being my boyfriend?¡± Ivan looks at him, puzzled. ¡°I already have a boyfriend, didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°Wait what? When? Didn¡¯t you just say you like me?¡± Ivan smiled again, almost pulling off a grin. ¡°You, sunshine.¡± You are more than a ray of sunlight in my life.