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Mingyu’s eyes dart restlessly around his room, scanning every corner as if the walls could whisper the answer he’s looking for by themselves. Soft morning light filters through the curtains, casting golden streaks across the homework-cluttered desk and carpet. Shadows lengthen from the book shelves but something just isn’t right, something is actually missing from his to-do list.
He can feel it gnawing at his mind like a word on the tip of his tongue, that item, whatever it is, escaping him and making him feel like he’s forgotten it even after a thousand mental reminders and lists he’d written in the notes on his phone.
His right hand is already gripping the handle of his suitcase while his left performs a frantic inventory of his jacket pockets for the fourth time in five minutes. Wallet, phone, charger, AirPods.
Everything is there but is that really all ? He curses under his breath, trying to calm the rising tide of doubt.
Has he packed enough clothes ? He remembers the jeans and the shirts but what about the shorts for sleeping ? Did he throw in a swim trunk in case they end up swimming in the lake ? And what about the camping gear in his backpack ? The stakes, the tarp, the flashlight. Did he double-check those ? Mingyu runs a hand through his hair, scratching at his scalp but just as he’s about to unzip his bag for another panicked inspection, a sharp double honk slices through the air pulling his attention away from the mental chaos.
“Mingyu, move your fucking ass! We are behind schedule!” a voice bellows from the parking lot below, carried up to the dorm window with all the subtlety of a thunderclap.
Mingyu shifts the curtain aside and peers out. There he is, Choi Seungcheol, leaning halfway out the driver’s seat of his battered black jeep, sunglasses catching the light, his hiking cream jacket already on. He looks every bit the appointed leader of their chaos, impatience already etched into the way he taps the steering wheel.
Another honk, louder and much less forgiving, jolts Mingyu into motion. He exhales sharply through his nose, a sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, and straightens up. Whatever it is forgotten, he guesses it will have to stay forgotten.
There’s no more time to second-guess because the journey is about to begin.
It all started a few weeks ago between sips of hot coffee in the crowded cafeteria and whispered conversations shared across lecture hall benches. The idea wasn’t planned, not really. It slipped out into the air like a joke but that somehow, it lingered.
"Let’s all do something together for the 100 days. Before everyone goes their separate ways.”
Oh yes, the 100-day trip. A name that doesn’t quite capture its weight but everyone knows what it means. It’s a silent rite of passage from class to class through stories shared by students who smile at the memory and faded polaroids taped into the corners of old photo albums. It’s not written in any university handbook actually but it might as well be carved into the very stones of campus.
Exactly one hundred days before graduation, students pack their bags and leave behind the late-night study sessions and the creeping dread of what comes next in the adult world to indulge in a little getaway all together. It’s an unofficial tradition but no less sacred. A chance to make one last beautiful memory before the job interviews and the scattering of friendships across cities and continents happen.
There are no big speeches and cries during those days, just bonfires crackling under open skies, beer cans clinking together in cheers, bug spray that barely works and playlists with titles like Summer Before the End or Goodbye, Idiots. It’s something messy and chaotic, sometimes a little reckless but it’s their last experience in college. A memory that will glow quietly beneath the surface long after the caps have been thrown and the gowns folded away.
While others booked cabins by the sea and splurged on mountaintop lodges, Mingyu’s group settled for a camping trip on Seoul Grand Natural Park, a sprawling expanse not far from the city but just enough to feel like they were crossing into another reality. The planning had taken over the whole campus in the best way possible and different departments, dorms and friend groups all joined their idea as well.
The tents have been borrowed, supplies divided, a group chat on KakaoTalk buzzed non-stop.
Who’s bringing the grill, who’s in charge of snack and alcohol, who has the aux cable ? Someone even created a shared playlist to listen during the car ride. Now, everything is in motion and the anticipation of those days crackles in the air.
Mingyu is excited for this new beginning wrapped in the disguise of an ending. He lifts the suitcase, slings the backpack over his shoulder and takes one final look at his room. His gaze lingers on the bed a little rumpled, on the pictures hanged on the edge of the mirror and he lets out a sigh, not quite of awareness but something sweeter. Then he turns and steps out, closing the door behind him.
The wheels of the suitcase make a damn noises against the uneven asphalt, clattering annoyingly as Mingyu drags it over scattered cobblestones and shallow cracks in the pavement. It’s a beautiful day, the air carries that electric almost-summer heat and under the lazy glow of the sun, Mingyu’s heart beats a little too fast. Maybe it’s the strides of his legs that accelerate the pace, maybe it’s the anticipation of the tip or just the feeling that everything in a few months is about to change.
“Finally, fuck!” Seungcheol explodes as he throws open the car door in dramatic style, arms outstretched as if he’s about to wrestle Mingyu into the trunk himself. His words say I’m so annoyed that you’re late, but the giant smile on his face says I missed you, idiot. “I thought you fell into a closet and ended up in Narnia”
“Sorry, man” Mingyu mutters, “I felt like I was forgetting something”
“Let me guess. Toothbrush ? Underwear ? Your brain and basic sense of responsibility ?” Seungcheol deadpans while grabbing his suitcase and wedging it into a trunk already overstuffed with backpacks, a suspiciously large cooler and a guitar case that’s seen better decades.
“I was thorough, this time. I made a packing list, twice”
“Good job, my little boy scout. But let’s check anyway” Seungcheol starts counting on his fingers. “Tent ?”
“Packed”
“Sleeping bag ?”
“Packed”
“Power bank ? Swim trunk ? Good will and emotional resilience ?”
“All in there” Mingyu nods, “Even threw in extra emotional resilience just in case you forget yours”
Seungcheol lets out a loud laugh and pats his shoulder, slamming the trunk shut and wiping his hands on his jeans. “Alright, it’s three hours of driving ahead. I’m taking the wheel now but you’re on return duty. So don’t go full party goblin on the last night or I will make you drive hungover anyway”
“Threat accepted” Mingyu replies, opening the back door. “Hi guys!” he calls as he slides in and he is immediately met with a chaotic chorus of greetings made by Seungkwan and Soonyoung.
“Hi big guy!” Seungkwan welcomes him.
Jeonghan is lounging in the front seat, legs elegantly crossed and sunglasses perched on his nose like he’s an off-duty celebrity. He glances at Mingyu from the rearview mirror with an arched brow and a lazy smirk. “Well, look who decided to finally bless us with his presence”
“You can just say you’re happy to see me”
“Too much sentimentality for my tastes, I pass” he smiles, “I’m happy to see you”
Next to him, Soonyoung is vibrating in place sitting in the middle like a hyperactive jack-in-the-box. His knees bounce nonstop, his energy barely contained. “It’s happening guys! It’s actually happening! Four days in the wilderness, no rules, no civilization! Just us and raw chaos!”
“You’re the raw chaos” Seungkwan mutters, eyes glued to his phone as he scrolls through the group’s camping playlist titled ‘Help We’re Lost (And Seungcheol’s the Map)’.
“I am a well-balanced, nature-ready adult” Soonyoung insists just as he nearly elbows Mingyu in the ribs while excitedly flailing.
“I give it one hour before he cries about a bug” Jeonghan says calmly from the front.
“Bold of you to assume it’ll take an hour” Seungkwan adds.
Mingyu chuckles as he buckles up, already feeling like the trip has started and it hasn’t even left the parking lot yet.
Seungcheol hops back into the driver’s seat and slams the door shut. “Okay seatbelts on, kids. Snacks are in the glove box, gas tank’s full and I’m running on caffeine like a madman”
“Not to mention the slight panic over not knowing how to set up a tent yet” Mingyu jokes.
“You’re the one with an degree in engineering, Gyu” Seungcheol says, starting the car and putting it in reverse, maneuvering with one hand. “You’re in this group for this specific reason”
“He has a point, though” Seungkwan chuckles.
The seat belts click into place one by one like a chain reaction. The engine growls, tires crunch on gravel as the jeep slowly moves forward, leaving the familiar campus streets behind. Laughter spills through the windows intertwined with the music and small bickering of excitement.
It’s not just a ride, it’s not even just a ride. It’s the start of something they’ll talk about for years.
Even though none of them have any idea what’s about to happen.
Mingyu rests his head against the window, the gentle vibration of the glass buzzing faintly against his temple as the car speeds along the open road. Outside, the scenery flows by in a mix of wide fields, scattered road signs and the occasional lonely gas station. The highway curves ahead in long, lazy lines, stretching toward whatever destination lies at the edge of the horizon. There’s movement everywhere but inside the car, a sort of easy quiet has settled.
Next to him, Soonyoung is fully absorbed in the old-school rock music playing from the speakers.
He nods his head, sways his shoulders from side to side bumping into Mingyu first, then Seungkwan, who snorts but doesn’t budge, neither of them actually bother to complain anymore.
It’s just part of the rhythm now and from time to time his hands disappear into a bag of chips strategically placed between his knees, emerging with generous large handful that he shovels into his mouth with absolutely zero concern for grace. The crunching somehow keeps time with the music like he’s adding a personal percussion section to the song.
Up front Jeonghan relaxes with one leg tucked under the other, casually drumming his fingers against the dashboard in sync with the beat. He glances over his shoulder every now and then to check on them, just observing the chaos in the backseat with a small smirk without making too much of a fuss.
Seungkwan on the other side sings but more than singing he complains about the lyrics, the volume, as if he were performing under contract. Despite everything, he knows every word of that song by heart.
Mingyu shifts slightly when Soonyoung jabs him again with his elbow but doesn’t bother to comment. He turns back toward the window and scans the steady rhythm of passing trees. The sky is so cloudless and bright, the kind of blue that looks fake from inside the car while everything outside feels like it’s gliding past them just a little too fast, like the day’s moving ahead of them on purpose.
On a whim, he pulls out his phone and snaps a quick picture of the landscape. He types out a short message and sends it to his mom: “Off to the road!”
A reply pings back almost immediately. A heart emoji and a smiley with sunglasses, “Have a lot of fun! And be careful!”
Mingyu smiles at the screen, pockets the phone again and leans back into his seat, letting the music, the chatter, and Soonyoung's not-so-gentle swaying fill the space around him.
Time passes with miles melting away under the tires, the highway stretching endlessly ahead and the music from the speaker shifting from guilty pleasures to nostalgic singalongs. Snack wrappers rustle and half-full bottles roll back and forth on the floor every time the car hits a bump. At some point, Jeonghan lazily checks his phone, thumb swiping through notifications with the air of someone skimming gossip. He pauses then leans over slightly toward Seungcheol at the wheel.
“Joshua just texted me” he says, raising his voice over the music, “They’re almost there”
Seungcheol doesn’t take his eyes off the road, “Who’s with him ?”
“Hao, Jun and Hansol” Jeonghan replies, “Look at this” he flips his phone around to the boys, showing a picture sent by Minghao in which Jun is passed out in the back seat, head tilted awkwardly against the window while Hansol is laughing as he pretends to shove a finger into Jun’s mouth wide open.
The entire car bursts into laughter, “Send it to me immediately” Seungkwan says through a wheeze, “I need to archive some embarrassing stuff to post on his birthday”
“We should make a t-shirt with that picture” Soonyoung cackles, scrolling on his phone before freezing reading a notification from the group chat. “Oh my god, the girls from literature class are already there too!”
Seungcheol doesn’t miss a beat, “You packed condoms, right ?”
“Excuse you! I’m a man of culture, I came for the poetry and the lakeside sunsets!”
“Sure” Seungkwan deadpans, “Just make sure you don’t confuse the campfire with your romantic opportunities”
Then Seungcheol glances at the rearview mirror with a smirk. “What about you, Mingyu-yah ?”
Caught mid-sip from a bottle of water, Mingyu blinks. “What ?”
“You brought condoms ?”
He groans, rolling his eyes and dropping his head back against the seat. “Seriously ?”
“Hey man, just checking!” Seungcheol shrugs dramatically, “It’s basic safety essentials! But don’t worry, I got you. I’ll slide you a couple later. Brotherhood has its perks”
That’s when Jeonghan slowly turns around in his seat, twisting just enough to face Mingyu fully. There’s a gleam in his eye and a devilish smile playing on his lips. It’s not a good sign.
“Actually he might need them” he says casually, stretching the word, “Jeon Wonwoo will be there, you know. Maybe this is your chance to finally talk to him and stop staring at him like a fish in a tank”
“I do not stare at him like that!” Mingyu squeaks, his voice cracking slightly at the end just enough to betray his panic.
“You absolutely do, sweetheart” Seungkwan chimes in with a tone that drips with faux sympathy, “You freeze like a statue every time he’s around. Do you remember the last volleyball practice ? When you got smacked in the face by the ball just because he walked into the gym and sat down on the benches with his friends ? You didn’t even move to block the hit, Mingyu, you just stood there with your mouth half open, blinking in slow motion like a deer in headlights”
“I was distracted by… strategy!” Mingyu protests weakly.
“Yeah” Soonyoung nods, “The strategy of his ass”
Seungcheol furrows his brow, “Wait, isn’t Jeon Wonwoo the guy from the psych department ? Tall one, with glasses ?”
“That’s the one” Jeonghan confirms, “Our Mingyu has had a thing for him since the first year”
“Oh my god I just… think he’s pretty! Objectively, like… anyone would say that. Scientifically speaking!”
“He’s weird” Seungcheol says, eyes still on the road, “Always off doing his own thing. He hangs out with that group of artsy girls and Lee Chan, you know, that mini-ninja from the second year who moves like he’s permanently auditioning for a dance battle”
“He’s not weird” Mingyu mutters, staring at the passing trees outside. “He’s just quiet and reserved” and the moment the words leave his mouth he realizes what he has done.
His eyes go wide like he wants to reel them back in with a fishing rod and the car falls silent for two dramatic seconds. Jeonghan presses his lips tight to stifle a grin, slowly turning his face forward with exaggerated calm.
“Look how you defend him…” Soonyoung giggles amused, “I love the campus romance drama. Just imagine… Mingyu the lovestruck jock, Wonwoo the brooding intellectual, a confession scene in the rain then —”
“I’m not defending anyone” Mingyu tries to make a shield, face now hidden in the folds of his hoodie as he slinks down in his seat. “I barely even know him. I never spoke to him not even once, maybe he’s also a shit of a person, who knows!”
Seungkwan leans in like he’s narrating a documentary, “Observe the classic denial phase but note the subtle blushing, the dodging eye contact”
“I swear I will jump out of this moving car” Mingyu sighs in exasperation.
“We’ll slow down first” Jeonghan says sweetly. “Can’t have you breaking your legs before your inevitable lakeside love confession”
Mingyu rolls his eyes and shakes his head but a smile slips out anyway, the kind that curls at the corners of his lips before he can stop it. His friends are just like this, chaos magnets and human noise machines, and he knows that kind of teasing only hits home when it’s wrapped in real affection.
The truth is, however, that they were all too right.
He likes Jeon Wonwoo, a lot.
It all had started a morning like any other nearly two and half years ago.
Mingyu had wandered in the campus library with the vague intention of borrowing a manual or maybe just pretending to study for his physics exam until someone texted him lunch plans. But instead of shelves and silence, he found him, Wonwoo, sitting alone at a table by the big windows, hoodie slightly oversized, black horn-rimmed glasses slipping halfway down his nose, completely immersed in a neuropsychology book like the world around him didn’t exist.
His head was slightly tilted, his fingers carefully turning the page and every now and then he also pursed his lips in a confused grimace, as if he were trying to unravel a concept too convoluted even for him. But that expression suited him, there was something quiet and gentle in how he concentrated, something that didn’t try to perform for anyone. And Mingyu, standing there like an idiot halfway behind the section, had felt something warm twist low in his stomach.
He had found him incredibly cute.
It was ridiculous, really. But from that moment on, Mingyu had started noticing him everywhere.
Noticing also his attitude, his smiles, his sweet gentle behavior to converse with the others.
Wonwoo didn’t smile often, indeed, but when he did — at a friend whispering him something funny, at something he was reading on his phone — it was like a light crossed his face. It wasn’t striking but very genuine and soft, almost a shy subtle curve of the lips. Mingyu used to watch him from afar, catching a glimpse of that smile from across the room just to keep that vision with him for the rest of the day like a secret, to feel something inside him slowly melting.
There were times when Mingyu also delude himself. Maybe by suggestion, maybe for real, but it seemed to him that Wonwoo was looking at him too. Nothing dramatic, never openly, just an occasional glance that lasted a second longer than it should have in the hallways during the class change. He even thought once Wonwoo hinted him a smile, a nod of acknowledgement paired with the ghost of lips curling for him only. So small that it seemed like a dream but too precise to forget.
Mingyu might’ve invented everything in his head but then again, it had felt real.
He had never considered himself a shy boy. He was the type of guy who made friends easily, who knew how to insert himself into conversations and always knew how to fill a silence with charm or a joke. Mingyu had an easy naturalness, a self-assured charm, except in front of Wonwoo all that confidence crumpled.
Because Wonwoo wasn’t just attractive. He was… different.
It was hard to explain.
Silent but present, reserved but never cold. Wonwoo owned such delicacy in his movements and soft eyes, that felt untouchable and Mingyu — towering, loud, energetic Mingyu — had no idea how to exist in that thin space of half-hearted glances and unspoken expectations, how to exist around his quiet world without breaking it.
So over the years, he had never quite found the courage to step out of his bubble and actually ask Wonwoo out, try to talk to him first at least. He’d always stood at a distance, watching and fantasizing, making up stories in his head about what it would be like to actually know him, to sit next to him in the library and whisper stupid things during study sessions, to hear him laugh just a little louder, maybe even say his name out loud just once.
The context now, though, is a little different. Mingyu is going to see Wonwoo but not in the usual flashes and passing glances. This time, it’s for four full days. Same place, same campfire and no distant desks or classroom doors ready to save him from the embarrassment. Just the open woods and way too much time to pretend he wasn’t hoping for something to happen.
As much as he tried to play it cool, his heart was already racing like it knew something he didn’t. And maybe, just maybe, this trip wasn’t only about goodbyes and beers under the stars. Maybe it was also the perfect excuse to stop imagining stuff and finally, finally grow some balls and talk to his crush like a normal person would do.
After a few hours of driving full of bad karaoke and chip crumbs clinging to everyone’s shirts, indeed, Seungcheol’s voice cuts through the resin-scented breeze blowing in from the windows.
“Alright, kids. Here we are!” he announces with a big smile slowing the jeep to ease into a wide curve.
Tires crunch over gravel and loose dirt, the paved road gives way to a narrow path flanked by towering trees. The campground of Seoul Grand Natural Park welcomes them with the woods that seem to open them their arms.
Soonyoung launches himself off the seat, “Yes! Finally!” he shouts, slapping his knees like he’s about to explode with joy. “Let’s our adventure begin!”
Mingyu stays quiet, looking at the lush trees flow by beside him. He takes a deep breath as he enjoys the serenity of the place, as the car drives a little further until the lake come into view.
A field scatters with parked cars, half-assembled tents are on the ground already and groups of people greet each other with loud cheers and warm hugs. Someone already has a speaker blasting retro hits and a couple of girls dance barefoot on the grass holding cans of soda.
Seungcheol parks in a shaded spot, his tires kicking up a puff of dust. Jeonghan is the first out the door, stretching with a dramatic groan, his back arched, his arms over his head.
“Ugh, I feel like I aged ten years in that backseat”
Seungkwan chuckles behind him while Mingyu opens the trunk to start unloading first his own suitcase and backpack, then Jeonghan's suspiciously heavy one. Soonyoung meanwhile takes down the equipment for the tents and drags a huge duffel bag across the grass.
“What the hell is in here ? A dead body, by any chance ?” he complains.
“Just essentials” Jeonghan replies coolly, “Alcohol doesn’t pack itself, darling”
Mingyu turns his head at the sound of familiar laughter cutting through the low hum of chatter across the campsite. Two figures approach them through the maze of tents and backpacks, Joshua, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and his hair already a bit tousled from the breeze, and Hansol, tailing beside him with that laid-back swagger and a shirt clinging to his chest from the heat.
“Look who survived the ride” Joshua raises his hand for a high five. “Nice to see you, brother”
“Hi man” Mingyu grins, meeting his palm with a satisfying slap. “Barely, but we made it”
Hansol gives him a firm clap on the shoulder. “We thought you stopped for snacks and fell into a convenience store coma. Did you hit traffic or what ?”
“Not even a bit” Seungcheol answers this time as he swings the driver’s side door shut behind him,“We just took it easy, it’s a beautiful day and so perfect to enjoy a good ride”
“Yeah meanwhile we hit every green light like the universe owed us” Hansol says shooting a sideways look at Joshua, “It helps when your driver thinks he’s auditioning for Fast & Furious”
Joshua rolls his eyes but he’s smiling. “I got us here safe, didn’t I ? That’s what matters”
“I feared for my life twice” Hansol mutters, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I call shotgun on the way back” Soonyoung pops out from behind the jeep carrying a cooler with both hands, “I want the thrill of cheating death”
“You have that bravery ?” Joshua chuckles, “Fine by me”
With everyone reunited, they quickly fall into the rhythm of unloading the car. Backpacks are tossed onto the grass, tents unrolled in mismatched piles and someone opens a bag of snacks that instantly draws hands like moths to a flame. As Jeonghan starts dragging a duffel bag toward their spot near the trees, Hansol slings his own smaller pack over one shoulder and looks toward the woods.
“We’re about to go grab some wood for the bonfire” he says casually, nodding toward the nearby trail that leads into a patch of trees. “You guys want to come ?”
“Give us like twenty” Seungcheol says, hoisting a rolled tent off the ground. “We need to get these up before we start pretending we’re wilderness experts”
“Yeah” Mingyu adds, adjusting the strap of his bag. “We’ll catch up as soon as we finish here”
Hansol nods with a crooked smile, “Fair enough, just don’t miss tonight, the whole camp’s gonna show up when it gets dark. Should be a vibe”
At that, Mingyu’s head lifts slightly, his eyes catching Hansol’s for a brief second. “Everyone ?”
“Yeah, pretty much” he nods, “The music kids, the literature group, psych majors… I saw the girls from the art class as well. Some of them brought their instruments and guitars, it would be kinda cool”
Mingyu freezes for half a second as if his brain has short-circuited at the mention of that everyone, his eyes dropping to the bag he’s fiddling with, suddenly forgetting what he was doing. “Okay, yeah…” he shakes his head, “We’ll be there. We’ll definitely be there…”
“Great” Joshua smiles, “See you guys there then”
“But don’t be late!” Hansol shouts over his shoulder. “The bonfire waits for no one”
As they disappear toward the trail, the rest of the group returns to the chaos of setting up their tents as the sun above them paints long golden streaks across the grass making the air kinda hot but the smell of pine and warm earth so prominent.
Seungcheol claps his hands stepping into full responsible-leader mode, “Alright, squad. Time to setup the tents and make the arrangements” he announces, “If we don’t do it now, we’re sleeping under the stars tonight which is very romantic, not gonna lie, but comfortable ? Not even close”
Mingyu raises a hand immediately, not wasting time. “I’m calling dibs on the single tent”
“What ?! No way!” Seungkwan turns around, “We said I’d take it!”
Soonyoung gasps at him, “You don’t want to sleep with me ?!”
“I’m the size of a refrigerator, guys” Mingyu says, already defensive. “If I don’t get that tent for myself at last, I’ll be folded in half like origami and probably wake up with a backache tomorrow!”
“You’re ungrateful” Soonyoung huffs, “We cuddle once during a movie night and suddenly I’m not good enough for you”
Jeonghan raises an eyebrow as he pulls out a collapsible chair from a bag, “You snore like you’re summoning a demon. He’s making a tactical decision”
“I do not snore that much!” Soonyoung protests, hands on hips.
“You do, Soon” Jeonghan adds casually, plopping into his chair, “Trust me, you do”
The bickering goes on as they unpack, half mock indignation, half banter between them. It’s the usual chaos of group dynamics and Mingyu can’t help but chuckle to himself as he listens to them, opening the tent to unfurl it on the grass. The sky above is growing clearer and the shadows of the trees lengthening across the ground. In the distance a thin line of smoke rises from a fire pit, the faint scent of grilled meat drifting through the air, sign that the campsite is slowly coming alive.
Mingyu moves between the ropes and poles with quiet focus. He works methodically, looking at the measures and calculates every angle with his engineer-eyes as by his side Seungcheol passes him the tent slats one by one that fit into place with ease after every knot is tied without hesitation. He doesn’t rush himself, simply understands what needed to be done and step by step, one after one, their tents slowly took shapes.
When everything is done, he claps his hand and steps back to look at the result. The structure of the boys’ main tent stands clean and sturdy, it’s solid and symmetrical, enough to call it home for the next few days.
He then crouches inside his one and starts organizing his space, laying out the air mattresses in a corner, unrolling the sleeping bag and placing his backpack neatly at the foot. On one side, he pulls out a small travel pillow, a portable charger and a headlamp. It wasn’t much but it makes the tent feel settled and comfortable.
Outside, instead, the voices of his friends mix with a familiar cheerfulness. Seungkwan and Jeonghan have managed to set up a small folding table, unsteady and crooked but miraculously upright, and they are arranging sandwiches and soda bottles on top to impromptu a quick but simple dining area.
Mingyu steps out into the sunlight, running a hand through his hair as he takes in the scene with a soft smile tugging at his lips. They’ve only been there a short while but the atmosphere already feels timeless, like something they will remember for so long after it’s over. Time at camp doesn’t move in straight lines but it expands and contracts like a breath. Hours that seem like minutes and moments that become eternal. Laughter comes in waves, plates are smeared with mustard and crumbs and the simple act of eating together feels oddly celebratory.
They gather all together around the makeshift table, sitting cross-legged on the grass and leaning against tree trunks with paper plates balanced on their knees. The sandwiches are uneven and overstuffed, drinks are warm and slightly flat, but no one actually minds. Sweets are passed around with half-hearted complaints and the energy buzzing in the air is so chaotic and joyful.
It’s a cheerful kind of disorder, a small happy anarchy and Mingyu feels completely at home in it.
Later they head out along one of the park's shaded paths to look around a little, their footsteps muffled by pine needles and soft earth. They greet the other friends scattered around the campsite. Jun, with his cap turned backward and a can of iced tea dangling from his fingers, Minghao, who’s adjusting the settings on his camera with quiet focus, and Seokmin, the smiliest boy of the tennis club, who greets them with an over-the-top cheer and pulls each of them into enthusiastic hugs like it’s been years since they last met.
Together they split between bushes and paths to collect wood for the bonfire, laughing at the too-big branches and challenging each other to see who can find the most suitable one. Their hands grow dusty at the end of the walk, their knees stain green from the grass and every stumble and tangled twig brings more laughter.
No one is in a hurry, no one complains. And in the quiet, disorganized rhythm of the afternoon, something simple and special takes root. Because it’s true when they say that sometimes, in life, the company of a couple of friends and a sunset are more than enough to make the difference.
The sunlight however starts to slowly dip and the warm glow gives way to a deeper amber shade. Long shadows stretch across the clearing as also the low hum of cicadas rises with the cooling air.
Evening settles in and the atmosphere around the campsite shift as music starts being played from somewhere near the lake. Inside his tent, Mingyu quickly changes his clothes. He pulls on a red t-shirt, a little faded from too many washes, and his favorite pair of jeans, frayed slightly at the knees, heading out to find the others already gathering and ready for the night.
They walk down toward the lake and as they approach the site, the flicker of flames comes into view. The bonfire is already burning in the middle of the space, its flames dancing high and bright, casting a moving glow on everything nearby. Around it, thick wooden logs are arranged in wide arcs, and each one is filled with students from different departments. Some are singing along to a soft guitar, others clapping, or swaying with drinks in their hands.
Seungkwan and Jeonghan stand off to the side, rocking to the rhythm with paper cups in hand already. Soonyoung has already thrown himself into it, his shoulders moving with the beat, feet tapping and completely at ease with the moment.
Seungcheol accepts a drink from two students passing by, Nari and Jinwoo, from the communications department. He sniffs it suspiciously before taking a sip. “Always check” he tries to say over the music, lifting the cup toward the boys. “Never trust a bottle with a handwritten label!”
Jeonghan chuckles, nudging him. “Relax, General. You’re not screening rations for the army. We’re camping, you’re allowed to have fun without a checklist”
Seungcheol smirks, but doesn’t argue at that.
Nearby Mingyu stands with Joshua and Hansol enjoying the music playing, his shoulders swaying to the rhythm of that house-dance song echoing from someone’s bluetooth speaker further down the hill, floating easily between the trees. He lets the party atmosphere sink into him as he watches the scene unfold and people having fun, clapping along to the beat — some in sync, most not — but it doesn’t matter.
The bonfire throws flickering shadows across the familiar and stranger faces. The light turns skin to gold, eyes to ember, and the energy is so light and carefree. By the logs, a group starts a singalong, their voices half-harmonized and full of enthusiasm as they sing. It’s a good view and Mingyu’s eyes drift through faces in motion, sipping his drink lazily, until among all of them he finally spots him.
A little beyond the fire’s reach, where the glow softens into dusk, Jeon Wonwoo sits quietly on a low log beside Lee Chan.
He’s leaning forward, elbows casually resting on his knees as a red paper cup dangle from his fingers, barely covered by a black and white knitted sweater. The flames only reach him in flashes, illuminating his profile in brief bursts. His dark-framed glasses reflect the fire, masking his expression yet somehow making him even more focused, as if he were listening to something deeper beneath the music.
Something in the way he holds himself draws Mingyu effortlessly. He finds himself watching him without realizing it, his gaze captivated by the simplicity of that silhouette in the dim light.
Amidst so much movement and noise, only Wonwoo captures his attention.
Mingyu still holds the paper cup in his fingers, now almost empty, as he pretends to listen to the conversation between Jeonghan and Seokmin but in reality his eyes always return there, to the same spot.
He looks at him, trying to be discreet but inside himself his heart had started beating a little faster.
Wonwoo laughs at what Chan is saying. There is a naturalness between the two that makes Mingyu's stomach tighten slightly. They exchange a few words and laugh in such confidential way, Chan touches him with his shoulder, Wonwoo responds with a half smile, the kind of smile that barely reaches the corners of his mouth, but when it arrives... it hits home.
Mingyu clears his throat, he looks down.
He shouldn't be so upset. But the truth is that he has never moved beyond that silent crush, that shy charm that attracted him the first time he saw him in the library. It's still there, deep inside him, that sweet and edgy thought of what would happen if he tried to talk to him.
But he doesn’t, after all. He always retires back.
Because he is intimidated by his presence, because Chan is next to him and they seem so close, so... compatible. Maybe they are just friends, maybe not. It doesn't matter. It’s enough for Mingyu to feel the old insecurity creeping in. What if he embarrasses himself and doesn’t know what to say ? What if he looks out of place ? What if Wonwoo looks at him with those deep, silent eyes and then ignores him as if nothing has happened ?
“You’re going with your eyes, but the body is still here” Seungkwan mutters, suddenly behind him.
Mingyu flinches slightly, quickly looking down. “I… I’m not looking at him” he says, though he doesn’t believe it himself.
“You’ve been burning that poor log with your eyes for at least ten minutes” Seungkwan chuckles sweetly, “It’ll catch fire on its own soon”
Mingyu lets out a half smile but his eyes stay fixed on the flames. “I just don’t think now’s the right time. That’s all”
“And when will it be ?” Seungkwan asks quietly. There’s no challenge in his voice, just a sincere question. “What are you waiting for ? For his glasses to fall off and you to pick them up in slow motion ? You can’t put this off forever, sweetie, seize the day. Go say hi, at least”
Mingyu doesn’t answer right away. He looks at the flames curl upward, then looks at him again, Wonwoo, who in the meantime has crossed his legs and adjusted his glasses better on his nose.
“I don’t know” Mingyu mumbles, “I don’t feel that confident. Chan’s there too… and they look kind of close”
“So ?” Seungkwan replies with a smirk, “You’re the Kim Mingyu, after all. You’ve got top marks in your class, you have the most envied arms on campus, god, you’re the full package! I don’t know what your head is telling you, but from the outside… trust me, if there’s anyone he’d like, it’s you”
“Seungkwan’s right” Jeonghan says, joining them with a drink “But if you don’t go to him, you’ll never know”
Mingyu swallows hard, not really knowing what to do with his own decisions either. Sitting feels too still, like his body is sinking into the ground, but the idea of standing makes him feel suddenly visible, like any movement might attract attention he’s not ready for. So he shifts from one foot to the other, uncomfortable in his own skin, his fingers curling lightly around the cup in his hand and his gaze, almost instinctively, drifting back to that spot to seek him.
Wonwoo is still there, sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him now. His shoulder move just a little as he chuckles at something Chan whispers in his ear, his head tilts back at how fun it must be. The glow of the flames catch briefly on the edges of his glasses painting his features in flickers — shadow, light, shadow again — like a photograph that never quite focuses.
Mingyu watches him and he inhales slowly, letting the air fills his lungs. The night is cool, the kind of crisp that tingles gently on the skin, and for a second it steadies him but then Wonwoo looks up as if driven by a sixth sense, as if pulled by some invisible thread, and as soon as his head lifts, their gazes meet across the clearing like a connection that was always waiting to happen.
There’s no startle in his expression, no sign that he’s caught off guard. Wonwoo doesn’t look away, doesn’t tense, rather he keeps the contact so calm and steady. His dark eyes hold Mingyu’s gaze for a moment making it suspended in time, then the corner of his mouth lifts just slightly, not quite a full smile but enough to make Mingyu’s heart skipping a beat.
His chest tightens, but he doesn’t look away either. He just holds on to that breath, letting it sit, as if any movement might break the spell.
Then Chan shifts beside Wonwoo, he says something to him with a lopsided grin before pushing himself up and disappearing into the crowd near the drinks table. Wonwoo stays behind, all alone with a cup loose in his hand, now hanging between his knees. His gaze falls back to the fire, quiet again, and there it is. A window. A brief, clear opening.
Mingyu has a second, maybe two, in which he could move. Really, it wouldn’t take much.
He could cross the few steps that separate them and say something, anything. A greeting, a joke, a comment about the night, about the music. It wouldn’t take much.
Just a breath. A shift forward.
But he simply doesn’t move.
Because it’s true what Seungkwan said, what Jeonghan hinted at, there’s never really a perfect moment. Just a choice to do something or not. But sometimes courage isn’t loud, it doesn’t crash in like a wave. Sometimes it hesitates and waits. Sometimes it passes quietly and just promises to return.
Mingyu drops his gaze and brings the cup to his lips for a slow sip. Beside him, Seungkwan and Jeonghan stay silent. They don’t press him but rather they just wait quiet, they’ve known him long enough to understand that some choices can’t be rushed.
“Tomorrow I’ll talk to him” Mingyu then murmurs, almost like a promise to himself.
Seungkwan gives a simple nod, “Alright” he says gently, “But if you need a shove… I’m your guy”
That draws a small laugh from him. Mingyu glances at Seungkwan and offers a nod of his own. “Okay, deal”
The conversation fades, folding easily back into the hum of the night. Around them the fire crackles on, casting long shadows across the grass, as the stars above blink in their silent rhythm. In that moment something shifts inside Mingyu, not a grand decision, not yet, but a thought begins to take root.
Maybe tomorrow… who knows.
The very next early morning, as the sky turns pale gold and lavender, Mingyu stirs gently in his tent, waking up and opening his eyes to just enjoy a little the silence of that slow good morning. The camp lies quiet in the first light of dawn and while most of the group stays tucked into their sleeping bags, snoring loudly and lost in their dreams, he quietly slips out of his place, careful not to wake anyone.
True to habit, but also to clear the buzzing in his mind, Mingyu doesn’t dare to skip his usual morning workout. Minutes later he’s at the edge of the park trail wearing only dark athletic shorts and running shoes, his chest bare to the rising sun. The air is already so warm, carrying the earthy scent of dew-soaked pine needles and the faint sweetness of grass. A few birds call lazily from the trees above and the gravel beneath his shoes crunches softly as Mingyu eases into a light jog.
Joshua joins him not long after, adjusting the fit of his earbuds and flashing him a small grin. “Still determined to punish yourself first thing in the morning, huh ?”
Mingyu chuckles, rolling his shoulders. “Discipline doesn’t sleep. Besides, I needed to clear my head”
They set off down the winding trail, music thumping in their ears, each to their own rhythm though their strides fall into practiced sync. The path curves gently through the forest, lined with tall pines whose branches filter the golden sunlight into slivers that dance across their skin. Sweat quickly beads along Mingyu’s temples, trickling down his neck and over his chest.
His breath deepens, more measured but steady. His muscles move in smooth harmony, years of training evident in every controlled step. They pass early risers here and there, campers, girls from another faculty, stretching beside the trail or sipping coffee outside their tents. Some turn to look as he passes, eyes lingering on the tall, sculpted runner with amused or appreciative glances but Mingyu barely notices. His focus stays ahead, where the trail curves toward the lake now.
Joshua glances sideways at him, grinning through a light pant. “You always forget how fast you are until you run with Mingyu” he mutters to himself.
“Come on” Mingyu says, breathless but grinning back. “Don’t make me slow down just for you”
“Oh, you wish” Joshua picks up the pace slightly, his shoulder bumping against Mingyu’s as they sprint the final stretch, laughter mixing with the pounding rhythm of their footsteps.
They slow to a jog as they reach the edge of the lake, both flushed, covered in sweat, their chests rising and falling in sync. Mingyu leans forward with his hands on his thighs for a moment before straightening, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
Joshua stretches his arms up toward the sky, exhaling in satisfaction. “Now that’s how you earn your breakfast”
Mingyu chuckles and extended a hand. “Not bad, we did a good job”
Joshua slaps their palms together in a sharp high five. “We killed it, man”
By the time they make their way back toward the tents, the peaceful hush of early morning has vanished completely and the campsite is now pure chaos. The rest of the boys are wide awake, running in all directions, yelling and laughing, tripping over half-zipped tents and scattered sneakers. Someone shrieks as they get pelted with a pillow mid-run, while another stumbles by wrapped in a sleeping bag like a cloak.
“Kwon Soonyoung, I swear to god!” Seungcheol’s furious roar cuts through the noise like a war drum.
Mingyu slows his pace just in time to see a slipper fly through the air like a thrown weapon, missing Soonyoung by inches as he bolts barefoot in the opposite direction, laughing so hard he nearly wheezes.
“You put shaving cream in my slippers, you little shit!” Seungcheol shouts, hopping on one foot. His other is still foamy, leaving puffy white prints in the grass as he charges after him.
Soonyoung collapses onto the ground, rolling and clutching his stomach. “This is the funniest thing ever, look at you!” he gasps between laughter. “I think I’m dying!”
“Oh, you can say it loud,” Seungcheol growls, still chasing him.
Mingyu and Joshua exchange a look. “We were gone for what… forty minutes ?” Joshua says, incredulous.
Mingyu grins, dragging a hand through his damp hair. “It’s Soonyoung, it always starts with him”
“Peak camp anarchy” Joshua mutters.
Near the edge of the chaos, Jeonghan lounges in a foldable chair, wrapped in a gray hoodie, cradling a steaming mug of coffee like he’s watching premium comedy. His legs are crossed, one foot tapping lazily in the air. He raises his eyebrows as the two joggers approach. “You guys are freaks” he says without missing a beat. “Who voluntarily runs before 7 in this humid weather ?”
“Crazy disciplined people” Joshua answers, flopping down in the grass beside him, “And modestly we are”
Mingyu chuckles and crouches down to light the camping stove. He’s the one with the best sense of appetite and has officially proclaimed as head cook for the whole trip by the boys. A click-click from the lighter is heard and soon the blue flame flickers to life. He sets a pan down with practiced ease and grabs a carton of eggs from the cooler, cracking one onto the sizzling surface.
Behind them, someone lets out a high-pitched scream. “Hyung I just woke up, damn it!” Seokmin yells as he staggers out, his shirt half on and his face covered in toothpaste.
Soonyoung reappears behind a tree, his face red with laughter. “That wasn’t me!” he claims but no one believes him.
Joshua shakes his head, watching the madness unfold. “Camping really brings out the best in us.”
“The better, the worse. It's a fine line” Jeonghan replies with a smirk.
One by one, the boys start gravitating toward the delicious smell of eggs and the sound of sizzling butter. Mingyu adds slices of bacon into another pan, tossing them until it crisps golden at the edges. Seungkwan arrives first in front of him, sleepy-eyed, holding a plate like he’s at a buffet line.
“Are we eating ?” he asks.
“We’re always eating” Mingyu smiles, “You just have good timing showing up”
Jeonghan leans toward Mingyu’s shoulder, eyeing the stove. “You got toast ?”
“I got bread, no toaster” he says. “But I can make it anyway”
He flips a piece of bread onto the hot surface of the pan, pressing it down with the spatula.
Minghao and Jun gather next, dragging folding chairs into a loose circle. Someone puts on a bluetooth speaker, low volume for now, just enough to start a lazy beat rolling under the morning air. Sunlight glints off dew-covered grass, and the warmth of breakfast pulls the group into easy rhythm.
“So” Jeonghan says, picking up his cup again, “Shall we go to the lake after breakfast ?”
“Absolutely” Jun groans, stretching. “It’s a perfect day for a swim”
“I vote to drown Soonyoung” Seungcheol says, now changed into a swim trunks and fresh shirt. He appears behind them, pointing a fork like a weapon. “Watch your back, kid”
Soonyoung raises both arms from his spot on the grass. “I don’t regret anything!”
Joshua smiles, lifting an egg roll to his mouth, “The weather is really great, you’re right. We might as well play volleyball, the other guys from the team will be there already”
Mingyu hands him a plate of toasts. “Let’s eat and then we’ll go. Who has sunscreen ?”
“I thought you brought it” Jeonghan says.
“I brought bug spray” Mingyu replies.
“They’re not the same”
They all chuckles, the carefree laughter that only the morning sun, breakfasts around the fire and the bliss of not having a single phone reception can provide. Mingyu watches his friends with quiet amusement, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he cracks another egg into the sizzling pan, and when the last bites are eaten and plates scraped clean, the group naturally disperses drifting off to gather what they’ll need for their day at the lake.
The clatter of zippers and rustling duffels mix with suppressed chuckles. Swim trunks are tugged on, sunglasses emerge from tangled piles of clothes and towels are casually slung over shoulders.
“Does anyone actually know where the moisturizing cream is ?” Jun calls out, squinting into the mess of bags and towels.
“Left pocket of the red cooler!” Joshua shouts back, halfway through rubbing a blob of sunscreen onto Hansol’s nose, “Stop moving!”
“It’s sticky!” Hansol protests, flinching dramatically.
Mingyu brings the essential, just a towel slung over one shoulder, a water bottle in hand and sunglasses pushed into his damp hair. He pauses to make sure the stove is turned off and zips the cooler shut before falling into step with the others.
The walk to the lake is short but scenic, snaking lazily through the trees before bursting open into a view straight out of a postcard. The lake glistens under the clear sky, its surface shimmering with reflected light and splashes of movement. Laughter echoes across the shore where students from other faculties have already staked out spots and colorful towels are scattered like confetti on the sand, portable speakers thumping out summer beats.
Someone leaps from a low dock with a whoop, crashing into the water with a spray of white foam. A group further down tosses a beach ball back and forth, others lie sprawled across towels, arms behind heads, soaking in the warmth.
“What a view” Jeonghan murmurs, amazed “Ten out of ten, better than any brochure”
Seokmin drops his things under a tree, “The last one to dive in washes everyone’s clothes tonight!” he yells at the top of his lungs and before anyone can react, he yanks off his shirt and takes off sprinting toward the water, kicking up sand.
“Hey!” Soonyoung yells, dropping his backpack on the ground “That’s not fair, I’m not ready!”
“Go, go, go!” Joshua laughs, bolting after Seokmin.
The group erupts into motion, shouting and laughing as they tear down the grassy slope and the sandy edge. Shirts fly in the air, sunglasses are tossed onto towels mid-run and water bottles thump to the ground. Mingyu breaks into a run with confident strides, a grin pulling at his lips. The sun beats down on his bare skin as he races ahead, catching up to the others just as Seokmin leaps into the air and disappears into a huge splash.
Joshua dives next with a half-yell, half-laugh. Minghao cannonballs, soaking everyone nearby. Seungkwan wades in like royalty, carefully avoiding anything that looks remotely like seaweed and Soonyoung flails his way into the water still shrieking, dramatic to the end.
Mingyu reaches the edge, plants his feet, and dives cleanly into the lake slicing through the cool water with ease. Bubbles rush past his ears, the world quiet for a suspended moment beneath the surface then he kicks up and breaks through with a satisfied breath and laughter all around him.
“Soonyoung will wash everyone’s underwear!” Jeonghan shouts from the safety of the shore.
“You’re kidding me!” Soonyoung sputters, “I’m not gonna touch your nasty stuff!”
Water explodes again as Seungcheol lunges for the beach ball, snatching it with both hands before tossing it just out of Soonyoung’s reach. Hansol takes the chance to sneak up on Jun, unleashing a tidal splash. Jun screams, spins, and hurls a wave right back at him.
The lake becomes a sparkling, chaotic stage. Sunlight dances across the ripples, casting scattered reflections like slivers of glass. Behind them, a speaker hums with mellow rhythms that blend seamlessly into the mood. The air is thick with the scent of sunscreen, sun-warmed freshwater, and the crisp, resinous breath of pine trees from the shoreline.
Mingyu floats on his back in the calmest part of the lake, letting the world around him soften. His eyes are half-closed, his fingers slipping through the water.
Joshua paddles toward him with a few lazy strokes, “Hey, can you touch the bottom here ?”
Mingyu blinks at him then stretches a leg down. “Barely. My toes are touching it but it’s all soft and weird. Not a fan”
Joshua grimaces. “Ugh, mud and mystery. I pass”
And just like that, someone from the shore shouts “VOLLEYBALL!” and within seconds, the peaceful rhythm of the lake is broken by a new wave of chaos. The boys quickly gather in a loose circle, waist-deep in water. Splashes fly as they jostle for position, the surface churning around them in bright arcs. Someone tosses the ball high into the air, and it soars against the blue sky before landing right in the middle of the group.
“Ready ?" Seungkwan calls, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes as he hits the ball upward in a practiced motion. "No rules, just don't die!”
Laughter ripples through the group as Soonyoung lunges for the ball dramatically, slipping on the silty lakebed with a yelp and flailing arms. His swing misses entirely, sending water flying instead.
“You had one job!” Seokmin cries out, nearly doubling over with laughter as he tries to stay upright in the water.
“I’m warming up!” Soonyoung replies indignantly, spinning in a circle like a sea otter trying to look coordinated.
The game kicks into full gear. The ball arcs through the air again, Jun passes it to Minghao who shoves it with both hands toward Hansol but Mingyu intercepts it, eyes tracking its path with a confident grin.
“Mine!” he calls out, lifting with a powerful jump. His muscles flexing as he spikes the ball cleanly on Hansol’s shoulder before it splashes into the water with a loud sploosh.
“Damn it!” Hansol splutters, “Are you trying to break my collarbone or what ?”
“You’re in the splash zone, not my fault” Mingyu laughs, shaking the water out of his hair.
They’re all soaked now, their bare skin in a mix of sweet water and sunlight, laughing and yelling out dramatic commentary. The ball keeps moving, sometimes wildly off-course, sometimes with shocking precision. Jeonghan plays dirty, splashing the opponent teams to throw people off. Soonyoung insists he’s “strategizing” while clearly he is just being a menace by spinning in a circle.
Then, just as another serve goes flying wildly over Seungcheol’s head and hits him squarely in the back, a new voice calls out from the shore.
“Hey guys, can we join in ?”
Everyone turns mid-laugh, water dripping from their hair and shoulders. Three figures are making their way through the shallows, wading in from the sun-dappled shoreline. Lee Chan, all bright eyes and energy, leads the way with an eager grin. Behind him is Jihoon, offering them a wave with his hand, and right next to him — as Mingyu’s breath catches in his throat — there’s Jeon Wonwoo.
He’s stepping slowly into the water, black swim shorts clinging to his pale thighs and a dark t-shirt to his torso. His glasses are gone revealing the sharp angles of his face, high cheekbones, wet hair falling across his forehead, dark lashes framing quiet eyes that scan the whole group. He’s effortlessly beautiful, like a dreamy character pulled from the pages of a favorite book. His shirt clings in the water, slightly transparent in places, and Mingyu’s brain goes completely blank.
Probably doesn’t like tanning, he thinks distantly. That’s common. Totally normal.
But his heart is pounding in his ears.
“Of course!” Joshua calls back, waving them in, “Come on, join us!”
“The more the better!” Jeonghan adds, “Though you’ll regret it if you end up on Seokmin’s team”
“We won’t be a liability, I promise” the boy laughs and swims over with practiced ease, “I’m Chan, by the way, and they’re Jihoon and Wonwoo”
“Nice to meet you guys!”
Wonwoo lingers a few steps behind, offering a polite smile as he scans the whole group. His eyes flick over to Mingyu and for a second they land there, just a heartbeat-long glance, but it’s enough to short circuit Mingyu’s head entirely. He opens his mouth, then closes it, and doesn’t dare to say anything (which isn’t like him at all) but rather he manages to just hint an awkward nod that feels too small and too stiff at the same time. His charm and confidence ? Completely gone.
Joshua notices his embarrassment and gives Mingyu a sidelong smirk, leaning in just enough to whisper under his breath, “You good ?” Mingyu clears his throat, fakes a cough and pretends to focus on the game. “I’m fine”
As Wonwoo drifts closer to take his place in the circle, Mingyu scrubs a hand over his face trying to breathe. The water suddenly feels warmer and it isn’t helping at all to cool down. His brain is still stuck somewhere between “he’s even more gorgeous without the glasses” and “don’t make eye contact or you’ll dissolve like an idiot”.
Wonwoo dips his hands in the water and slicks his hair back absently. He smiles again to everyone, gentle, like he’s just happy to be included. Mingyu might combust on the spot but somehow he manages, just barely, to keep playing and passing the ball to his friends.
The game picks up again with a jolt of renewed energy, the circle expands slightly to accomodate the new arrivals. Chan is quick in the water, darting after the ball with competitive flair as Seungkwan keeps up with sarcastic commentary every time someone fumbles.
Wonwoo is quiet, hanging back a little at first, not out of shyness just observant. He laughs a little when Soonyoung flails dramatically after missing a set and calls out a soft “nice one” when Minghao nails a clean return.
Mingyu is trying so hard not to stare at him which, of course, only makes him look at him more. The way tiny drops of water run down the curve of his neck, the gentle movement of his hands as he adjusts his position in the circle, that black shirt clinging lightly to his chest like it was made to be there.
Focus, damn it. Focus.
The ball sails through the air again and Mingyu bumps it lightly, tossing it with both hands toward Wonwoo before he can ever think about it. It arcs high almost perfectly and Wonwoo lifts his arms to receive it in a smooth, practiced motion. Their eyes meet for half a second as he passes it to Seungcheol who dunks on Soonyoung with a cheer.
The boys laugh and clap their hands, Wonwoo looks up and smiles at him again. “That was pretty good” he says, giving him a thumbs up.
Mingyu nods, his voice catching in his throat for a moment, “You’re the pretty one” his cursed mouth was about to say, “Yeah I think so…” he whispers awkwardly instead.
The others are too busy splashing and yelling, challenging each other to impossible saves but from that moment something actually shifts between Mingyu and Wonwoo. They drift a little closer and when one of them moves, the other adjusts. Their passes are seamless now, almost like a choreography, Wonwoo serves with a sharp aim as Mingyu volleys back like he has known his rhythm for all his life.
He thanks the blazing sun if his cheeks are flushed, at least he can blame the heat for that.
Then Jun sends the ball flying high, higher than before, his arm swinging with a teasing sort of flair that dares someone to take the challenge. The arc is sharp, almost too much and time suddenly slows. Mingyu sees it first, the ball soars directly into Wonwoo’s path but he is caught mid-step, his attention still turned toward someone else’s laughter. He is not braced for it and Mingyu doesn’t think, his body just moves before his mind can catch up.
He surges forward, water splitting at his waist, and with one fist he punches the ball out of its path just before it can crash into Wonwoo. The save is clean and explosive and the ball lands perfectly in the center of the circle where Chan catches it, blinking in awe.
Everyone freezes for a breath, “What a save, Mingyu-yah!” Seungcheol lets out a whoop.
“He’s not the best striker on the team for nothing!” Seungkwan whistles, “That was an action worthy of Haikyuu, man!”
Wonwoo turns with surprise flickering across his face but when his gaze meets Mingyu’s, the tension melts into something warmer. His mouth curls into a slow smirk as he claps his hands twice in appreciation. “Very… impressive” he says, his voice low and warm.
Mingyu shrugs, pretending not to hear the thundering heartbeat in his ears. “Just reflexes…” he replies, rubbing the back of his neck trying to play it off.
Wonwoo just nods, his eyes shining with an expression somewhere between amusement and silent gratitude and Mingyu's mind is playing tricks on him again because he can swear there's a little blush on his cheek but he knows that it's just his imagination fooling him over and over again.
They keep playing for a while longer, tossing the ball on the shore then slipping back into the lake for one last swim until the sky starts melting into soft orange and gold shades, the surface of the water catching the light and shimmering like scattered glitter. Their laughs grow slower and softer, movements lazier as the heat fades and the breeze rolls in cooler now.
Minghao is the first to notice. “Sun is setting. Should we head back ?”
Joshua nods and begins heading to shore, “Let’s dry off and then go, I’m quite starving”
One by one the others follow, some still wading through the shallows, others trudging through sand with heavy, waterlogged steps. Someone launches a towel straight at Soonyoung’s head, and it flops down like a jellyfish. Seungkwan hums the opening notes of a cheesy song, off-key but earnest. Chan and his friends already have their towels slung over their shoulders, collecting flip-flops and t-shirts.
Around them, there’s a quiet hum. The rustle of towels, the clink of a water bottle cap, the soft thud of bags being closed, shoes being shaken out. Without needing to say much, the group slips into an unspoken rhythm making plans for the evening ahead. Someone will grab the snacks, another will get the guitar, firewood’s already stacked from the day before. There’s talk of marshmallows, someone arguing about who’s lighting the fire.
Mingyu stands a little outside the circle, water still dripping from his hair. He glances sideways at Wonwoo who’s rocking slightly on his heels as he listens to the scattered planning. He nods along, eyes soft and lips curled in a small smile as the breeze tugs gently at his wet black t-shirt. For a second, the orange light touches his face just right catching the curve of his cheekbone and the slope of his nose and Mingyu feels something skip hard in his chest.
The group begins to scatter, breaking off with easy waves and parting jokes. A few are already jogging up the sand, eager to change clothes or steal the first shower. Wonwoo lifts a hand in a lazy wave, then turns to follow them.
Mingyu watches the line of his shoulders as he walks away and realizes far too late that he hasn’t moved, hasn’t even breathed. His cheeks burn and he silently thanks the sun again for hiding the blush that blooms across his face. He exhales slowly, pressing a hand to his towel-draped neck and he starts walking the grassy path to head back to the tents.
“So… amazing day and fantastic match” Soonyoung says, dragging his feet lazily along the dirt path “But are we going to talk about the fact that Mingyu spoke actual words to Jeon Wonwoo ?”
Mingyu groans immediately, “It wasn’t even a conversation. He complimented a pass, I said thank you, that’s not —“
“Please, that heroic dive ? The dramatic save ? It was straight out of a drama, Mingyu” Seungkwan says, loud enough to turn a few heads, “If you had cradled Wonwoo in your arms after, I would’ve ascended”
“It wasn’t a big deal, come on…” Mingyu mutters, though the rising flush in his cheeks does a terrible job of backing him up.
“Not a big deal ?” Joshua chuckles, “You only risked joint dislocation to protect the guy”
“You guys are ridiculous,” Mingyu says but the corners of his mouth are already twitching. “I just deflected the ball before it hit him. He could’ve gotten hurt. Can’t a guy be decent without getting roasted alive ?”
“Not when the guy is you and the person involved is your longtime crush” Soonyoung chirps cheerfully, “You also forgot how to speak for a full ten seconds and you blushed so hard! Don’t think we didn’t see”
“I was hot!” Mingyu protests.
“You were hot” Seungkwan agrees with a theatrical nod, “And Wonwoo sure noticed”
Mingyu exhales through his nose, eyes flicking down to the trail under his feet. “He probably doesn’t even see me like that” he mumbles.
“He does, he kept looking at you” Jeonghan says softly, not teasing now. “Especially when you were distracted and weren’t paying attention”
That’s all Jeonghan says but it’s enough to make Mingyu blushes. He bites the inside of his cheek as he tries — and fails — to suppress the smile blooming across his face. His friends don’t push him further into teasing, though the amusing and knowing glances they exchange are hard to miss.
By the time they reach their tent spot, the sun has fully dipped below the horizon leaving behind a wash of twilight blue as little stars blink into view one by one. They head to the communal showers in pairs, returning damp-haired and in loose clothes, ready for the dinner.
The old grill is dragged out from the corner. It’s slightly lopsided and covered in a thin layer of dust but it still works and that’s all they need.
“I swear to god,” Seungcheol groans as he kicks one of the rickety legs into place. “If this thing collapses again like last year, I’m eating pinecones for dinner”
“Relax, tiger” Mingyu says, already crouching down with practiced ease. “Let me handle it”
“You say that like it didn’t almost explode the last time you used it” Jeonghan reminds him, sipping from a bottle of soda.
“That was one time” Mingyu replies, adjusting the gas valve, “And the sausages still came out great”
“I had heartburn for three days” Soonyoung chimes in helpfully, flopping into a nearby chair and immediately grabbing a bag of chips.
“Because you ate six in a row, not because of the grill”
Mingyu flips the igniter. A click, another, then a low whoosh as the flame catches and heat curls upward in shimmering waves. He sets a pan on the grate and lays down the first strips of marinated meat. Instantly, it sizzles and the smell rises thick and savory into the cooling air.
One by one, the others start to hover, drawn in by instinct.
Seungkwan is the first to approach, clutching an empty plate and batting his eyelashes. “Just one piece, a tiny one. A pre-meal preview, pretty please”
“Nope” Mingyu says amused, flipping the meat carefully. “Go set the table first”
“You wound me, chef”
A rhythm builds around them as some are pulling out foldable chairs and others rearranging the cooler and drink boxes. The table soon becomes a mess of paper cups and crumpled napkins but in someway it works. The smell of grilled meat drifts across the campsite, so intoxicating it makes their stomaches rumble in hungry. The boys gather on the grass as soon as the meat is cooked, plates balanced precariously on their knees and their voices overlapping mixed with laughter coming in bursts.
Jeonghan raises his half-full plastic cup high, grin crooked under the flicker of firelight. “To this absolutely chaotic camp” he declares, “to a thousand more nights like this, no phones, no plans, just vibes. And to our tragically confusing flirtations, may someone finally get laid tonight!”
A chorus of laughter erupts around the circle. “Cheers,” Hansol murmurs, lifting his drink with a shake of his head, his smile both amused and resigned.
Above them, the sky deepens by shades from dusty blue to violet then to black, punctured by the first shy stars. They talk lazily as if the night feels endless and stories float between them like old songs, tales from campus parties, cringey crushes they’re finally brave enough to admit.
The grill still glows faintly behind them, embers pulsing beneath a blanket of ash. Eventually, the group begins to stir. Someone yawns, others help to clean up tossing plastic dishes in the trash and gathering bottles in crinkling bags. As the others begin the slow walk down toward the main bonfire by the lake, their silhouettes long and flickering in the firelight, Mingyu lingers.
He dries his hands on a towel, then steps into the tent and returns with his guitar case and when he joins the others, he doesn’t rush to catch up. He walks slower, not distant, just quiet.
At the lakeside bonfire, Mingyu settles near the edge of the circle, away from the center. Jeonghan spins Seungcheol around in the sand, Seungkwan is already enthusiastically torching marshmallows on a stick, other students have joined now, faces glowing in the firelight, music pulsing faintly from a speaker half-buried in a duffel bag. Mingyu sits with his guitar balanced on his knee, tuning it by feel more than sound. The strings hum low and warm beneath his fingers, a familiar ache and comfort.
His hands move on their own and a soft melody spills out, slow and clean, like a stream winding through quiet woods. It’s the kind of tune people hum without realizing, the kind that sticks in your chest long after the sound fades.
Soonyoung drifts over him with two marshmallow sticks held in either hands. He plops down beside Mingyu and leans his shoulder gently against him, offering him the sweets which Mingyu accepts gladly.
“You good ?” he asks, voice low, stripped of his usual chaos. “You seem deep in thought”
“I’m okay” Mingyu says, quietly. “I’m just feeling a little... melancholy”
Soonyoung nods, eyes flicking to the fire. “Yeah… me too, I don’t want this to end”
Mingyu smiles softly because he feels exactly the same way. The sadness of the last days of college suddenly overtakes him and he continues to play the guitar, softly and calmly. Soonyoung squeezes his shoulders affectionately then smiles sincerely again, rejoining his natural habitat made of mess and noises just shortly after. Mingyu is left there where he is, not quite alone around but suddenly feeling lonely inside.
His little song also draws to a close, the final notes lingers in the air and slowly fades away like a breath. For a moment he stays quite, just there in front of the fire listening to someone laughing to the left. The world keeps spinning after all, it doesn’t wait for him.
Mingyu gently puts the guitar down beside him and stands up from his seat. No one notices him walking away, not really, they’re all wrapped in the rhythm of the soft music, dancing and singing while roasting marshmallows. He walks down the slope where the trees thin out and the firelight fades, slowly swallowed up by the silence of the lake.
His shoes leave soft prints in the sandy earth, Mingyu sits on the shore there in front of that black mirror that reflects the stars and whose breeze blows on the water stirring the small ripples that lap the shore.
He crosses his legs and breathes deeply. A long, full inhale that draws the night into his lungs. It smells like smoke and pine, like the aftertaste of grilled meat and the faint citrus of sunscreen. It smells like a memory already. His chest rises, then slowly sinks again. The voices from the camp are distant now, muffled by distance and thought. Like a radio turned down low in another room.
Mingyu should be up there, he knows that. This trip was supposed to be the goodbye they will never said aloud, the last full-belly laughs before they scattered to cities and careers, deadlines and rent. This was meant to be freedom and fun, so loud, messy and unforgettable.
But here he is, at the edge of it, watching the reflections instead of making the memories.
He exhales through his nose, pressing his fingers into the cool earth at his side as a part of him feels frustrated. Not angry just disappointed in himself, maybe.
Mingyu should be having fun, he thinks, should be dancing with Seokmin and getting pelted with marshmallows by Soonyoung. He should be teasing Jeonghan about his horrible bottle flip technique and yelling over the music with Joshua about how the playlist keeps repeating the same three damn songs. But instead he’s here a little too quiet, a little too heavy.
And there’s this ache. This persistent, dull ache that hums beneath the laughter and the sizzle of meat and the music because something is ending.
College, the friendships as they’ve known them, this version of his life.
And he’s scared.
Not just of the job interviews or the bank account numbers or the grown-up schedule waiting to swallow him whole but of the distance, of the way things might unravel so slowly they won’t even notice until it’s already done. Group chats going silent, calls postponed, birthday wishes turning into texted emojis instead of chaotic voice notes.
He takes another deep breath for a second, letting his thumb rest against the bridge of his nose. Did he spend enough time with his friends ? Did he tell them what they meant to him ? Did he make the most of these four years or was he too busy studying, training, getting through it ?
Mingyu doesn’t know.
And that not-knowing settles heavy in his throat like words that can’t quite find the shape to be said. His hand lowers back into his lap as he stares at the water again, watching the widening rings of a ripple where a fish briefly broke the surface, at the way the moonlight paints the lake in silver shades.
A twig snaps behind him and then a gentle voice cuts through the quiet.
“Mind if I sit here ?”
The breath leaves Mingyu’s lungs in a way that’s not quite surprise, more recognition. He slowly turns his head to see Jeon Wonwoo standing a few feet behind him, hands tucked into the sleeves of his dark hoodie, glasses missing again. The fire’s glow doesn’t reach this far but the moonlight casts enough to see him, skin glowing pale like candlelight.
Mingyu swallows thickly, stop staring him like an idiot. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, of course. I mean — I don’t mind”
Wonwoo smiles, just a quite hint of his lips curving. “Thanks”
He closes the short distance and lowers himself beside Mingyu, folding neatly to the ground. He mirrors his posture without meaning to, legs crossed, hands resting behind him in the sand. There’s a careful distance between them enough to keep things easy and respectful but not far enough to feel impersonal.
The silence returns but this time it’s not empty rather it has a shape, a shared rhythm that hums with possibility.
Wonwoo gazes out across the lake. “It’s beautiful here”
Mingyu glances sideways, stealing a glimpse of the way the moon dances on his cheek. “Yeah, it really is”
“I saw you leaving the bonfire” Wonwoo says, looking at him a little longer now. “You looked kind of… far away from here with your thoughts”
Mingyu lets out a short breath that sounds almost like a scoff, the kind one that falls somewhere between self-consciousness and surrender. “Was I that obvious ?”
“Not really” he shrugs, “Just… I noticed”
There’s nothing dramatic in his tone but the weight of the words sinks deep. It’s not about attention, it’s about care. He noticed. Mingyu lowers his gaze, fingers absently fiddling with a blade of grass, twisting it between his fingertips.
“I guess I just needed a minute” he explains, “Everything has been moving so fast lately. I don’t know… it’s a weird feeling”
“I get that”
Mingyu glances at him. “You do ?”
Wonwoo nods, gaze still on the lake. “It’s strange, isn’t it ? You spend years hoping for time to pass, wishing for things to move forward and then when they finally do, you want to hold onto what you had, all you can think is, wait, not yet.”
“Exactly…” he whispers, feeling that right in his chest like a thread being gently tugged.
For a while they don’t speak. The crickets hum around them like a lullaby and a breeze stirs the surface of the water. Behind them the fire crackles, laughter still rises but softer and slower. The silence stretches a little longer but it’s not heavy, it simply breathes between them.
“Your name is Mingyu, right ?” Wonwoo asks suddenly.
Mingyu nods. “Yeah, it is”
“Nice to finally meet you” he replies offering him a small smile. “I’m Wonwoo”
I know, Mingyu thinks immediately. His brain supplies it without hesitation like it’s been waiting years for permission to say it aloud but instead, something else more surprising escapes his mouth.
“Beautiful name” he says before he can even filter the words.
Mingyu freezes at his own voice, eyes widening just slightly already bracing himself to backpedal or make a joke but by his side Wonwoo chuckles, shy and genuine. “Thank you, that’s really nice to hear” he says softly and it doesn’t sound like he’s teasing at all.
“Sorry, that just… sort of came out” Mingyu tries to justify himself, suddenly aware of how dry his throat feels.
“It’s okay” Wonwoo murmurs, eyes still on him. “I like the way you said it”
Mingyu blushes hard and he doesn’t really know what to do with himself so he looks out over the water again, pretending to study the reflections like they hold all the answers to his sudden inability to speak like a normal human.
There’s another pause, gentle and unhurried, then Wonwoo speaks again. “Also… I meant to say this earlier but we kinda didn’t have the opportunity to chat at all so… I wanted to thank you for today”
Mingyu blinks, caught off guard. “For what ?”
“For that save you made while we were playing volleyball” Wonwoo recalls, “I quite can’t see anything without my contact lenses and glasses” he chuckles, “If you weren’t there, that ball would have hit me square in the face”
“Oh…” Mingyu says, rubbing the back of his neck. “That, yeah. I just… reacted by instinct, I guess”
“You were fast” Wonwoo says with a soft laugh, “I didn’t even see it coming”
Mingyu shrugs trying to look casual but failing to keep the blush from creeping up his cheeks. “It was nothing. I mean, Jun hit it really hard. You could’ve hurt yourself”
“You’re the spiker of the campus team after all” Wonwoo smiles, eyes narrow just slightly in thought. “I think I’ve seen you play before, a few times actually”
“Yeah, uh—yeah, I am” he nods, “I’ve been playing since first year”
“I remembered well, then. You’re really good”
Mingyu looks at him, unsure if he’s imagining the sincerity in his tone. “You think so ?”
“I know so” Wonwoo corrects, his gaze steady. “You always move like you’re sure where the ball’s going before anyone else does. It’s kind of impressive”
“Thanks…” Mingyu mutters awkwardly as he kinda wants to crawl into the lake and sink to the bottom like a rock for how embarrassed he feels. “That… means a lot to me. I didn’t know you ever watched”
Wonwoo leans back on his palms, casting a glance sideways before chuckling. “You’re… a presence kinda hard not to notice, Mingyu” he says a little teasing at the edge of his tone.
He furrows his eyebrows in confusion, “What do you mean ?”
“Yeah, uhm —” the corner of his mouth quirks as Wonwoo bites his lips, “Big volleyball guy, tall, popular, always surrounded by people. You’ve got that whole sunshine-campus-crush energy”
Mingyu chokes slightly on a laugh this time. “What — ”
Wonwoo grins, not coy exactly, but definitely enjoying his reaction and spontaneous laugh. “It’s a compliment, I promise” he adds, eyes catching the moonlight as he looks at him again.
Mingyu’s ears turn pink immediately. “I wasn’t expecting that”
“Was it too much ?” Wonwoo asks, tilting his head.
“No—no, not at all. I just…” he exhales slowly, shaking his head as if to physically collect himself. “It’s just… overwhelming. I’m not used to being addressed like that”
“Should I be flattered for making you blush, then ?”
Mingyu chuckles, “Please… Ignore that”
They both laugh and the initial tension cracks a little, it certainly doesn't disappear but Mingyu feels a little more at ease now next to him, his own body is less stiff and tense with nervousness. In the background their friends shout and laugh, the music floats in the breeze and the laughter intertwines with it like ribbons in the wind.
Wonwoo turns to watch them dance on the sand clearly tipsy and chuckles again. “Seems like they’re having fun” he whispers.
Mingyu nods, looking at them too. “They’re always like this” he says with a scoff, “Loud, chaotic, but good-hearted”
Wonwoo hums, following his gaze. “You have a great bond. They seem like the kind of friends who’d show up for you no matter what”
“They would” Mingyu agrees, “Though sometimes they are so annoying they make me want to haunt them in their sleep”
“Relatable, my group is the same” Wonwoo chuckles under his breath. “Chan especially, he’s like a soda can that someone shook and then handed to you with a smile. I love them but they can’t sit still to save their lives which is why I sneak away sometimes”
“So you’re not really into parties, mh ?”
“Not really my cup of tea” he replies gently, “I mean, I like people… in theory. Just not all at once. Not when they’re loud, half-drunk and trying to get me to dance to a remix of Abba”
Mingyu laughs at that, the sound low and easy.
“I prefer something quieter like this, you know…” Wonwoo turns slightly, facing him now, “Sitting by the lake, talking to someone I’ve kind of been hoping would notice me”
His words settle in Mingyu’s chest like a stone dropped in still water. His heart starts increasing its pace and his stomach flips not from nerves but from the sheer weight of it, from the fact that Wonwoo doesn’t look away after he says that. Mingyu glances down at his feet, a smirk tugging at his lips, a little shy, a little thrilled.
Alright. Time to be a little bold, boy.
“I’ve… noticed you, actually” he confesses, “Several times, in the library. Studying in that spot by the window”
Wonwoo tilts his head, clearly amused. “And yet you never came over to say hi ?”
Mingyu laughs softly, almost to himself. “I thought I would bother you… ”
“You wouldn’t have” Wonwoo hums, pursing his lips, “I like being alone, sure, but I think I might also have liked more being interrupted by you”
His heart does another somersaults, “Easy to say. Back then you probably would think I was a complete idiot. I’m not exactly good at this, you know”
“Not good at what ?”
“Talking, being… normal around people, around you” Mingyu huffs a quiet self-conscious laugh, almost as if he’s scolding himself for saying that out loud, “You make it kinda of hard to think straight”
“Really ?” Wonwoo’s smile deepens as a little blush appears on his cheeks. “Well, for what it’s worth… when you got that dunk in the face because of me during practice, I thought you were cute, not an idiot”
“Can’t believe you saw that” Mingyu bursts out laugh, “I guess we both were watching, mh ?”
“I guess so…” Wonwoo nods, lips quirking. “And this is getting way too honest, I need a drink now. Like, urgently, before the embarrassment takes over me”
Mingyu laughs again, leaning back on his palms, his knee brushing lightly against Wonwoo’s. “I might have a few things stashed in my tent” he offers casually. “A couple of those soju cans and something my friend swore was vodka but smells more like chemical warfare”
Wonwoo lifts his chin, eyes twinkling. “Lead the way, then”
Mingyu gets to his feet, brushing his hands on his shorts. “You sure ? You might regret trusting me after whatever’s in that bottle”
“I already regret half the things I said tonight —” Wonwoo says lightly, clarifying immediately his words. “Not this. Not you”
Mingyu’s heart does that thing again. A pause that hangs suspended in his chest like a breath held too long, the gentle stutter of something new stirring to life, the quiet shift of his heartbeats increasing its pace.
They rise from the sand brushing their palms against their jeans and, in the most unhurried way, not quite looking at each other but not avoiding it either, they begin walking to the campsite.
Their shoulders angle slightly towards one another, their hands deep in their pockets as the cool air brush off their skin making the silence around so good to enjoy. They both feel that slight embarrassment but as they follow the winding footpath lit only by scattered lanterns and the moon, Wonwoo starts yapping again and gesturing with his hands, eyes brightening while he tells Mingyu about the chaotic journey that led them here.
He describes how Jihoon had insisted to trust his own driving-instinct rather than Naver Maps only for it to send them down an old service road in the opposite direction, how they ended up circling a farm three times past a suspiciously old man with a rake. Wonwoo mimes Jihoon swearing under his breath while gripping the steering wheel and Mingyu can’t help but laugh tipping his head back as it bubbles out of him.
It’s all there in his expressions, in his exaggerated motions, and as Mingyu keeps listening to Wonwoo talking, he also takes opportunity to sneak a glance at him perceiving his feelings hit him all over again.
He notices his nose scrunching when he laughs, his eyes turning into the softest crescents moon, those dimples pressing into the sides of his cheeks not too deep but just enough to be seen. The way he used to tilt his head when he’s confused, how his hair falls into his eyes only for him to brush it back absentmindedly. He notices also the way his hoodie sleeves push past his wrists, revealing pale forearms and veins that catch the light so delicately.
Mingyu doesn’t even realize he’s smiling again, not at the storytelling this time but just at him.
They soon reach the clearing where the tent is pitched, that small spot tucked between trees, soft with flattened grass and scattered with a few folded camp chairs. Wonwoo whistles under his breath, hands on his hips as he surveys the whole place. “You guys found a really nice patch for your tents” he says with a touch of admiration in his voice.
Mingyu grins, “Yeah, Joshua got here first and claimed it before anyone else could. Where’s your tent, anyway ?”
Wonwoo side-eyes him, “Near the showers”
“Oh that’s not… ideal” he chuckles.
“Nope, indeed” Wonwoo chuckles as well, “But it’s okay. I’m sharing a tent with Chan, at least he doesn’t snore but sometimes he talks in his sleep. Last night he mumbled something about color-coded spreadsheets and ‘never trusting a Sagittarius again’ I didn’t ask.”
Mingyu bursts out laughing. “He sounds like a risk.”
“He is” Wonwoo says solemnly, “But also the best at picking snacks so I forgive him”
Mingyu crouches down, fingers catching the zipper on the tent. “I’m a bit spoiled” he says, glancing up. “I got the single tent. The others were too busy arguing over who had the least annoying sleep habits”
“Privileged” Wonwoo says, mock-serious. “I see how it is”
Mingyu flashes a crooked smile. “Welcome to my humble abode”
Wonwoo chuckles as he steps forward, slipping off his shoes before ducking inside. He crawls in on his hands and knees and settles cross-legged on the floor. He takes a slow glance around the tent. It’s small, but not cramped. There’s a rolled sleeping bag pushed against the far wall with a soft plaid blanket tossed over it. Two pillows rest near the head, slightly mismatched. A small cooler sits in the corner, half-zipped, and there’s the faintest smell of mint gum and campfire clinging to the air.
“It’s nice” Wonwoo says softly. “Cozy”
Mingyu ducks in behind him, zipping the flap closed to seal them away from the rest of the world. Then he shifts, leaning slightly to the side as he reaches for the small cooler tucked in the corner of the tent.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here” he murmurs, pulling it open.
He rummages through it for a moment then he pulls out a handful of plastic cups and a few vibrantly colored cans with such ridiculous designs and name. There's also a familiar gold-and-black beer can and, lurking near the bottom, something ominously glowing green.
Wonwoo leans over, lips twitching in amusement. “You weren’t kidding about the bad decisions”
“Honestly, I might have undersold it” Mingyu chuckles, setting the cans between them.
As they laugh and pick through the options, Mingyu’s hand brushes something colder and heavier at the bottom of the cooler. He frowns before pulling it out, blinking at the label. “Tequila ?” he says, holding up the weird bottle like it might explain itself.
Wonwoo bursts out laughing, eyes wide. “Where the hell did that come from ?”
“I genuinely don’t know” Mingyu replies, inspecting the seal. “Jeonghan brought an embarrassing amount of alcohol. It’s like a traveling circus of liquors in there”. He cracks open the bottle and cautiously sniffs the rim, nose wrinkling. “It… smells okay, I think ?”
Wonwoo snorts, shaking his head as he picks up one of the cups and hands it over. Their fingers brush during the handoff, not by accident, not quite on purpose either, but the touch lingers a second longer than necessary. Mingyu glances up, Wonwoo is already looking at him, and his heart gives him that familiar stutter again.
He looks back down quickly, focuses on pouring just enough into each cup for a shot then Mingyu clears his throat. “So… what should we toast to ?”
Wonwoo eyes his plastic cup with a small smirk. “You know you’re not supposed to toast with plastic cups”
“Do you want a real glass ?” Mingyu teases, “I can run to the nearest fine dining establishment”
Wonwoo chuckles, shaking his head. Then he lifts his drink, smile turning just a little more thoughtful. “To…” he pauses, then looks at Mingyu, gaze steady. “To coincidences. And right timing. And maybe… just maybe, not letting the moment pass this time”
Mingyu’s breath catches, eyes flicking up to meet his. They clink the cups gently, plastic tapping softly, and in one breath, they both down the shot. It burns so sharp and harsh, biting at the back of the throat immediately.
Wonwoo grimaces hard, mouth twisting. “God, that’s terrible —”
Mingyu coughs through a laughter. “That really sucks”
They’re both recovering from the taste, Wonwoo blinking rapidly like he’s trying to see straight again when something shifts in his face, the smile fades slightly. “It tastes like something expired but honestly, I hope it gives me enough bravery”
Mingyu blinks, still a little dazed. “To do what ?”
Wonwoo tosses the empty cup into the corner of the tent, where it lands with a soft bounce, then leans forward in one smooth motion. “To do this” he whispers.
His hands are on his face warm and certain, fingers curling along his jaw as if he’s meant to hold him like this, and before Mingyu can even process what’s happening, Wonwoo is kissing him.
It’s not rushed, not clumsy, rather it’s slow and absolutely beautiful, like every word they’ve shared tonight was leading here. Wonwoo’s lips are soft and careful at first, like he’s testing boundary but not afraid of crossing it. Mingyu’s breath catches in his chest, his heart might explode at any moments. He freezes just slightly in surprise but the moment he starts to kiss him back, it feels like something so damn right just clicks into place.
His hand lift instinctively, hesitating for a fraction of a second before resting against Wonwoo’s waist to pull him closer, anchoring himself in the softness of the contact. Their mouths move together, Wonwoo presses in further with one knee nudging between Mingyu’s legs as tilts his head just enough to deepen the kiss. Mingyu parts his lips, his tongue brushes lightly against Wonwoo’s bottom lip before slipping past in a slow testing drag.
He feels fire in his stomach as soon as their tongues meet and Mingyu doesn’t hold back his little moan when Wonwoo leans in even more to straddle his lap and kiss him better, hungrily this time. He circles his narrow waist with his arms, biting gently at his bottom lip. A sharp inhale escapes him as the taste of cheap tequila lingers on their mouths, Wonwoo pulls back just barely, lips brushing against Mingyu’s with a smirk that’s more felt than seen.
“Did you really come here just for a drink ?” Mingyu murmurs in a low voice.
Wonwoo grins, “I lied”
“Thank God” he mutters against his mouth, his hands tightening lightly around his waist.
Wonwoo looks at him with labored breath and wants to say something, anything, but he is suddenly overwhelmed by the heat of the moment. Then Mingyu allows him not to say anything and their mouths meet again as if they already know what to do. He tilts his head, slides his tongue into Wonwoo's mouth so he can caress it more confidently now, to feel his own breath merging with his.
Wonwoo's hands slide from Mingyu's face to his shoulders, fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt. Mingyu doesn't pull away but indulges in the contact, leaning into him with one hand spread across his back, the other sliding under the hem of his hoodie to press against his warm skin.
Wonwoo exhales sharply through his nose as if something burning had just touched him and Mingyu feels his hips instinctively moving closer, that spark of friction, brief and teasing, lighting a fire deep in his stomach. The kiss only breaks when they need air, both now breathing hard with lips swollen and red.
Wonwoo moves his hands to his broad back, fingers tracing the lines of his spine with a sort of silent reverence. Mingyu shivers but doesn't stop him, instead he leans towards him and his mouth finds his neck that kisses and sucks, moving up towards his lips messier this time, more needy. He hears a low moan, it could be Wonwoo's, or maybe both of them, swallowed by the kiss as their bodies tighten more intensely.
Mingyu lifts himself up a little with Wonwoo in his arms and gently pushes him back until he’s sprawled against the blanket, sliding between his legs but not completely unloading his weight. Their mouths open again to breathe, just for a moment, and Mingyu stops to take in the beautiful sight of him.
Dazed, flushed, absolutely gorgeous.
Their lips are like magnets, they simply can't pull away from each other, and now they move in unison, deeper and more insistent. What began as a soft and tentative kiss has grown hotter and more intense, Wonwoo gasps softly when Mingyu's tongue glides against his, their lips parting just enough to make the moment last longer.
The sleeping bag rustles beneath them as their bodies draw closer, breath coming heavier. Wonwoo feels himself burning and not just from Mingyu's touch but from the way he is being looked at, kissed, desired. It's dizzying, almost everything he has ever wished for.
Mingyu's hands are everywhere, in fact. One grips the back of Wonwoo's neck, the other skims beneath the hem of his hoodie, fingertips grazing gently dipping the bare skin of his abdomen. Wonwoo arches towards him, his hands fisted in Mingyu's shirt as if he wish he could get closer than this.
It’s reckless but only in the way trust allows. Wonwoo wants to give him that and he’s ready to but then Mingyu's hand begins to slide lower, slow and careful, and his fingers toy with the button of his jeans before drifting down even more, pausing on his crotch as soon as they reach the unexpected softness of the fabric.
Wonwoo freezes.
His whole body tenses like a rope pulled taut. It’s an involuntary but immediate reaction, a bit like instinct. His hand shoots to Mingyu's wrist, not to tease or slow him down this time but to stop him. The shift in him is immediate and Mingyu feels it, he senses the sudden hesitation from his part, the way Wonwoo’s breath stutters.
The air suddenly change between them and the fear, old raw and too familiar, starts creeping into him.
Wonwoo is no longer looking at him, he seems having no bravery for that. His eyes are past Mingyu now, unfocused somewhere as his jaw clenches like he’s bracing himself for the inevitable, for the pause, the questions, the distance, for that change of scenery that always seems to be coming. That always comes no matter what.
His heart is racing with panic. Wonwoo doesn’t say it out loud, he never does, but fear is showing all over him, especially in the way his breathing falters and in the trembling hands that bring his fingers to slowly pull back. His lips part as if he wants to try to say something but the words don’t come, they actually catch in his throat.
Wonwoo swallows hard, his chest rises and falls a little faster now. His hand is still resting on Mingyu’s, not forceful, just unsure.
He doesn’t want to stop. God, he really doesn’t want to. But there’s a voice inside him, the one shaped by experience, that tells him this is usually the moment where everything fall apart.
But then Mingyu breathes out right in front of him, as if grounding, and he doesn't pull away, he doesn't ask questions. Instead he just looks up at Wonwoo with his eyes still so warm and sweet, his lips still swollen from kissing.
"Is it okay if I touch you ?" he asks softly.
There is no hesitation in his tone, no judgment at all, just a quiet unwavering gentleness.
Wonwoo feels a lump in his throat. Something loosens a little in his chest and the fear doesn't go away, not at all, but it eases a little because Mingyu doesn't look surprised like most people. He doesn't appear confused or disgusted. He just stares at him like nothing has really changed between them in that moment.
Wonwoo sinks into his eyes and for a long second they simply look at each other. Everything slows and settles, the moment hangs between them like something sacred, then with a softness that betrays how much that simple question means for him, Wonwoo nods.
“Yes…” he whispers barely audible but enough for Mingyu to hear.
Wonwoo exhales a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding till now and when their mouths meet again, the kiss is different. It slows to a rhythm that feels like understanding, like both of them finally sinking into a pace that matches the quiet between their hearts. Mingyu kisses him like he’s learning a language, like every brush of lips is a sentence he wants to remember. Wonwoo responds in kind, kissing him back like he has never been kissed this way before.
Their hands find each other again like a series of delicate discoveries. Wonwoo’s fingers trace the angle of Mingyu’s jaw, feather-light along the sharp bone before lingering at the dip of his lower lip. Mingyu’s breath stutters and he leans into it instinctively, eyes fluttering closed for a beat as if trying to hold that feeling inside his chest.
Encouraged by the quiet gasps and the warmth radiating off his body, Mingyu moves slowly and he unzip Wonwoo’s jeans with care. He pauses just enough to pull back and look him in the eyes, waiting, always waiting for his go on, and as soon as Wonwoo meets his gaze and nods again, he lifts his hips slightly to help him getting rid of his pants. The denim slides down easily revealing the pale thighs and white cotton boxers beneath.
Wonwoo moans softly in the quiet of the tent, his cheeks are tinged with pink but his gaze never falters. His body starts to relax under Mingyu’s touch, not because of the physical contact but because it carries patience and permission. Mingyu meets him and with his consent wrapped in every unspoken words, he carefully slips his hand beneath his underwear cupping his mound with the palm to let his middle finger slides between his hot and wet folds.
Wonwoo’s eyes roll back as soon as Mingyu starts rubbing his clit, gently massaging the pad of his finger on it. A soft breath leaves his lips, caught somewhere between pleasure and surrender, and his lashes fluttering as he keeps touching him so slow and reverent, like he’s memorizing every shape of him. His fingertip move in gentle circles with a patient rhythm, savoring Wonwoo’s every flicker of response beneath the touch, teasing the delicate center of him until the soft swell begins to throb with need.
Wonwoo arches into it, chasing the sensation, his lips parting in a soundless plea and Mingyu’s breath hitches at the sight of him so blissed out from his fingers only, at the way he trembles, how his brows draw together in sweet agony. Wonwoo is so wet under his touch and it makes something inside Mingyu ache with how much more he wants to give him.
His thumb keeps tracing his sweetness over and over and Wonwoo lets out a moan, parting his legs further as silently begging him for more. Mingyu listens to him with such care, he lets his fingers travel deeper between his thighs, easing through the heat until he finds his tender opening. He slips them in past his bloom, careful not to rush but filling him slowly inch by inch. Wonwoo gasps, his cunt clenching around the intrusion and for a heartbeat he feels overwhelmed but then the tension unravels in the warmth of Mingyu’s palm.
Their foreheads press together, breath mingling as Mingyu curls his fingers into his velvety walls. Wonwoo moans loud at the sudden gesture, it’s the most beautiful sound Mingyu has ever heard in his life, and his hips begin to move chasing friction.
His eyes flutter open, “Don’t stop” Wonwoo breathes, “Please”
Mingyu kisses him softly, the pace of his fingers never faltering, and he doesn’t stop indeed, not when Wonwoo opens to him like a flower, not when every breath they share feels like a vow. His rhythm is stead, attuned to the way Wonwoo’s body pulses and tightens like Mingyu knows exactly what to do with him, like he has been knowing him like the back of his hand.
Wonwoo clings to him, moaning softly into his mouth as sounds come out muffled and desperate. He nods and encourages him to go a little faster because he’s close, so damn close, but Mingyu wants to give him more, everything if necessary. He pulls back suddenly, his fingers slipping free from his heat, and Wonwoo whimpers, a quiet curse falling from his lips in protest but before the ache can deepen, Mingyu is already moving, peeling his boxers to his ankles and sliding himself down between his legs.
Soft moans and whines keep spilling out of Wonwoo’s mouth, only intensifying even more when Mingyu opens his folds like soft petals to press his lips on the clit. His tongue flicks over it again and again, gently and soft, latching onto it to suck hard and causing Wonwoo to mewl loudly as he threads his fingers through his hair. Mingyu gives him such pleasure Wonwoo wasn’t prepared for at all and he gasps out, his hips arch up but Mingyu pins him down with his hands, keeping him in place.
“Mingyu, fuck… just like that” Wonwoo whispers, lips parted as he spreads his legs even more.
Mingyu hums against him and kisses his cunt, tracing a slow delicate path with his tongue until he reaches the center of him, lapping and fucking him with a patience that feels like worship. Wonwoo’s head falls back with a soft gasp but when he glances down, he finds Mingyu’s eyes already on him so dark and focused. He doesn’t look away, not even as his tongue begins to move with more purpose, circling his clit and sucking it.
Wonwoo can’t believe how good it feels, how Mingyu gives so much without asking for anything in return, raven hair standing between his thighs as he ravishes him only to please him at his best. His cunt feels like silk on his tongue and Mingyu deepens the way he moves, pressing softly against the opening of him, moaning so pleased.
Wonwoo’s hips starts rocking desperate to feel him even deeper inside of him. It’s shameless, overwhelming and yet, all he feels is flood in his veins like fire that makes his heart race. Mingyu’s strong hands slide up his thighs spreading them further, seemingly wanting to be as close as possible to his intimacy. He pulls back just enough to breathe, using his fingers to rub at Wonwoo’s clit instead, lips so slick and swollen.
His voice is husky but still gentle. “Is this okay ?” he has the audacity to ask, even after watching Wonwoo fall apart beneath him.
Wonwoo nods quickly, pressing his lips together. He can feel the glowing pressure building now curling in his belly that makes his eyes roll back again. Mingyu shifts lower, one hand returning to rub him in steady circles while his tongue dips back down to trace his folds, slipping inside his hole again. The sensation is maddening, velvet against velvet, warmth against warmth, and Wonwoo can’t help but crying out.
“Oh my god—” he gasps, his whole body tensing. “Mingyu, I’m— I’m gonna…”
Mingyu doesn’t let up. If anything, his pace quickens, his tongue pressing deeper while his fingers work the delicate surface of him in perfect rhythm. Wonwoo’s thighs are trembling now, his hips rolling chasing every spark that Mingyu draws out of him.
“Please— please— don’t stop…”
His words fall apart in desperate moans as the wave breaks. Pleasure crashes through him in shaking bursts and he cums with a cry, high and breathless, body arching as he clings to Mingyu like an anchor in the storm. But Mingyu doesn’t stop, not even as Wonwoo trembles, not even as aftershocks roll through him like echoes. He keeps his mouth attached on his labia, gentler now, kissing through every quiver and sigh, coaxing the pleasure to linger just a little longer.
“You’re beautiful…” Mingyu murmurs, voice thick with awe as he fucks him through his orgasm until the very end.
“Fuck…” Wonwoo gasps out, trying to catch his breath.
Mingyu presses one last lingering lick to his cunt before drawing himself back up. His lips find Wonwoo’s in a kiss that tastes like warmth and he smiles into it, breath brushing against his flushed skin.
“Was it good ?” Mingyu asks playfully as he nibbles on his bottom lip, making the moment a little more intense. It’s not just sensual but magnetic and intimate in a way that makes Wonwoo’s heart flutter.
Wonwoo lets out a breathless laugh. “Was it…” he repeats, then shakes his head, “Are you kidding me ?”
Mingyu chuckles, brushing their noses together, “Just wanted to hear you say it”
“You already know” Wonwoo murmurs, pulling him in by the collar of his shirt. His arms wrap around his neck, holding him close as he kisses him again but slower this time as if he’s trying to memorize the shape of his mouth.
He can still taste himself on Mingyu’s lips, warm and faintly sweet, but there’s no hesitation in the way he pulls him closer. If anything, it only makes the kiss burn deeper. They kiss for a while like that, mouths moving in unspoken rhythm, breathing each other in. Mingyu’s hand caresses him, gliding up from the bare thigh till the curve of his hips still draped by the hoodie.
Wonwoo sighs into his mouth as his own fingers wander up Mingyu’s jaw, brushing over his cheekbone with something tender. Then he gently pushes Mingyu back guiding him to the other side of the tent, urging him to lie on the blanket. His body follows naturally, moving to straddle him with practiced ease. The sensation of his bare cunt pressing down against the fabric of Mingyu’s shorts is electric and the contact almost too much, too direct.
His breath hitches.
Wonwoo doesn’t mean to seem greedy, he really doesn’t, but now that they’re touching in such intimate way with nothing but a thin barrier separating them, the need comes crashing back in like a wave.
“Take them off” he whispers against his lips.
To punctuate his request, Wonwoo snaps the waistband of Mingyu’s shorts with a playful flick, the elastic bouncing gently against his abdomen. The motion earns him a sharp inhale and a moan slipping out from his pretty mouth. Mingyu lifts his hips to obey without any further question. He pushes his shorts down, the fabric catching briefly on his thighs before they’re gone, tossed aside like a forgotten thought.
Wonwoo exhales shakily, eyes flickering down between them drinking in the view, the flushed skin, the rise and fall of Mingyu’s chest, the way he’s waiting patiently. He presses a kiss just below his jaw then one at his collarbone, before lifting his gaze again to let their lips meet back again so sensual as if they had never left each other before.
Wonwoo hums into the kiss as his arms loop around Mingyu’s neck, pulling him impossibly close, and he shifts into his lap, hips rolling down on him without even thinking. His cunt brushes against his hard cock, caressing it gently, and the skin-on-skin contact draws a sharp gasp from both of them. Wonwoo does it again, slower and slower, feeling his cock swell, the tip rubbing against his clit creating such delicious friction that takes his breath away.
Mingyu groans low, hands tightening on Wonwoo’s hips and fingers sinking in just enough to leave little marks on his skin, like he needs something to hold on to or he might float away otherwise.
“If you keep doing that, I—“ he warns, voice already thick with want. “Fuck — I don’t want to come that fast…”
Wonwoo leans in close, their foreheads brushing as a smirk tugs at his lips. “Why not ?”
Mingyu swallows hard, eyes fluttering as another slow grind passes between them, “Because…” he huffs out a shaky breath. “It’s embarrassing”
Wonwoo chuckles, “You like me that much ?” he teases.
This time Mingyu doesn’t let the opportunity pass him by, “I do…” he replies, “I’ve liked you for… two years, maybe more.”
Wonwoo’s heart skips a beat. His teasing falters for only a second because that kind of confession, spoken so openly in that moment of silence, hits differently and deeper.
He gently caresses Mingyu’s cheek, his thumb grazing his jaw. “You really held out this long ?”
Mingyu chuckles, a little breathless as if still recovering from the feeling of Wonwoo’s body pressed so softly against him. “I didn’t think you’d want me like this…”
“You stupid” Wonwoo whispers fondly and leans in to kiss him again softer, the kind of kiss that says, I want you so bad I can’t even pronounce it properly. “We could have done this much sooner…”
Their bodies stay pressed together, the heat between them rising like a tide. Wonwoo rocks his hips a little faster, his cunt sliding over his cock back and forth coating it with his own wetness. Mingyu’s hands slide from his hips to his lower back, holding him there tight.
“You’re driving me crazy” Mingyu whispers, his voice caught somewhere between a plea and prayer, “I want you so much…”
Mingyu lifts his hips to meet the steady rhythm of Wonwoo's body moving in his lap. Every roll of his sends sparks through his belly, a building heat that makes his vision blur behind lashes. Wonwoo can’t help the way his cunt flutters, pulsing and clenching around nothing as he imagines how full he’ll feel, how completely Mingyu will stretch and fit inside him.
His fold spread out along the length of his cock, framing him so perfectly that Mingyu lets out a strangled breath. Wonwoo whimpers freely, almost dazed from how much he wants it. All he would have to do is slide up just enough and let the tip of Mingyu’s cock nestle right where it belongs, press down slowly, open up and let him fill every aching inch of space, all the way until he could feel him everywhere.
“Then put it inside…” Wonwoo pleads, breath shaky as his hips grind down needily. His lips are parted, and every moan tumbles out like a prayer he can’t hold back. “Put it inside… please”
Their mouths crash together again, holding in the kiss all the years they’ve missed, glances held too long, laughs that lingered, touches that never quite landed. And now that it’s all unraveling at once, neither of them wants it to stop. Their bodies chase each other in rhythm, legs tangled, toes curling, fingers gripping like they’re scared to ever let go.
Mingyu reaches blindly to the side, still kissing Wonwoo through it, searching for the zipper of his backpack. He fumbles with it and rummages around until his fingers grab one of the condoms tucked into one of the front pockets — courtesy of Seungcheol who was clearly more forward-thinking than him, Mingyu makes a mental note to thank him later — and tears it open to carefully unroll that over his length.
Wonwoo lifts himself slightly, hand braced on Mingyu’s shoulders as with the other one he guides the tip of his cock to his opening. He sinks down slowly, his mouth parting in a soundless moan that melts right among his lips. The stretch is everything, his cunt hugs him so tightly, warmth draws him in deeper until their hips are flush and nothing is between them anymore.
It’s too hot but too beautiful to stop. Wonwoo’s clit is so swollen and sensitive and he lets out a loud moan when he brushes it on his pelvis. He breathes through his nose, trying to adjust to the intrusion even though some parts of him secretly love the pain.
“Fuck…” Mingyu grunts out, his forehead dropping to Wonwoo’s shoulder as he presses kisses along the slope of his neck. “You’re so fucking tight…”
Wonwoo clenches around him, his heart is pounding so hard it echoes in his ears. He loves to feel his cock throbbing inside of him, the stutter in his breath, the fingers digging tighter into his skin. Mingyu is still moaning for the pleasure too overwhelming and Wonwoo tilts his head to kiss him, to let those whimpers die in his throat.
Mingyu bites down on his lower lip trying to steady himself but the desire for him is a wildfire. He wants more, not just the closeness of their bodies and the warmth of Wonwoo’s intimacy pulsing around him, but all of him, every his inch. His hands slide up from Wonwoo’s hips, rough palms finding their way beneath the hoodie that still clings to his frame. Mingyu lifts it just slightly but before he can go further, Wonwoo suddenly pulls away from the kiss, his breath shaky, lips kiss-bruised.
“No…” he whispers, softly but firmly, his hands stopping Mingyu’s on the wrists to hold the hoodie in place.
Mingyu blinks, caught between arousal and confusion. “Why?” he asks, eyes searching Wonwoo’s face, husky with desire but layered with tenderness.
Wonwoo exhales shakily and, as if to distract him, he rocks his hips forward with just the right motion to make Mingyu moan, his head falling back slightly. It works but only for a second because Mingyu refocuses, his hands still resting gently beneath the fabric.
“Please” he murmurs softer now, like a prayer on his lips. “Let me see you…”
There’s a long pause between them, Wonwoo’s heart is beating so loudly it drowns out everything else. He hesitates, not because he doesn’t want to, but because it’s still so hard for him to look at himself, to his new shapes and curves, even worse to imagine that someone else could do it and actually appreciate him. Even with the love he feels for that boy, with the desire burning in him, Wonwoo doesn’t know if the story marked on his body is too loud for someone to listen.
But there’s something in Mingyu’s voice… something that tells him he won’t be met with anything but grace. And so Wonwoo lifts his hoodie over his head even with his fingers visibly trembling.
The light air touches his skin, making him shiver, goosebumps rise up his arms but Wonwoo doesn't know where the real cause comes from, maybe it's the innate fear that devours him, maybe it's just the cold of the dead of night that makes its way over him instead.
Mingyu's eyes rest on him, widen reverently as they observe every inch of his white and delicate skin. There, under the light of the dim light of the tent, he sees them. Two thin and pale lines that stand out under the nipples. The story of his body, of his past journey, of everything he has survived and chosen to be.
Wonwoo sits there, naked and brave, looking at him with his breath held in his throat as if he were ready for a refusal, or worse, for pity.
But Mingyu only sees beauty.
His breath catches but not in hesitation. In awe.
“You’re…” his voice falters, “God, you’re so beautiful”
Wonwoo stares at him, stunned. He stays still, not knowing how to respond, until Mingyu reaches forward planting both hands at the small of his back to pull him closer. Slowly, attentively, he leans in and presses his lips to the center of Wonwoo’s chest right over his sternum, as if anchoring his kiss to the very heart of him.
Mingyu traces the edges of those scars with his mouth, his lips ghosting over them with such devastating tenderness. He doesn't flinch, doesn't shy away. He adores him with all his being and his devotion is enough to crack something open inside Wonwoo making him tearing up. Mingyu lets his tongue flick gently over the sensitive bud of his nipple, then moves to the other, treating each like something sacred, not for what they are, but because that moment is special for him.
Wonwoo lets out a sound that trembles at the edge of a sob and a moan, his head falling back and eyes squeezed shut as his fingers slide into Mingyu’s hair. He gasps, his body responds to the sensation, to the love threaded so deeply into each kiss, and Wonwoo swallows hard before cupping Mingyu’s face. They hold each other there for a moment, still straddling the edge between overwhelming emotion and overwhelming desire, bodies still joined but hearts suddenly even closer.
Their mouths meet again, so slow and gentle, and Mingyu’s hands glide up and down his spine, holding him not just physically, but emotionally too.
Wonwoo doesn’t feel exposed anymore.
He feels seen for the very first time.
In the glow of their shared warmth, with the scent of skin and trust lingering around them, Wonwoo starts to move. It’s slow at first, just a gentle rise and fall of his hips that alternates to rocking back and forth, and his thighs burn with effort but he doesn’t falter to stop. He rides the rhythm of Mingyu’s body beneath him with such burning passion in his veins, his arms wrapped around his neck as if anchoring himself to something real and finally safe.
Mingyu gasps against his lips as their hips meet and grind against each other, sending a wave of sensations and pure dizzying pleasure through him. Wonwoo's cunt hugs his cock so tight, it's so hot that Mingyu swears to lose his mind just from the overwhelmed feeling only. Every thrust, every movement of his hips is pure magic, every moan against his mouth a line from a song that only the two of them can write.
"Wonwoo..." Mingyu murmurs hoarsely, even though he doesn't know exactly what he wants to say. Probably nothing, just pronouncing his name is enough.
Their bodies move in sync, melting into each other and Wonwoo kisses him passionately as his hips move at a frenetic pace. The way he dances on him is so relentless yet so tender, as if he's chasing a thrill that only Mingyu can provide.
Mingyu’s fingers dig into the soft flesh of his hips, guiding him with every bounce as every soft moan from Wonwoo’s throat drives him wilder and wilder. When his pace falters slightly, his legs that start shaking with tension, Mingyu meets him halfway, thrusting upwards in a desperate rhythm, his hands now sliding down his back and ass to hold him tighter.
Their hips meet again and again, his cock pushing hard inside so deep that Wonwoo can feel it all the way to his very limit. The sound of the wet heat between them is punctuated by sharp breaths and painful moans, small slaps echo off the walls of the tent, soaked in the rhythm of desire and deep connection. There’s nothing obscene about that just so much intimacy, just love that burns so bright and threatens to consume them completely.
Wonwoo throws his head back, the line of his throat exposed, so vulnerable and beautiful, and Mingyu takes the opportunity to kiss the column of his neck, all the way down to his chest as he takes his time to love once again the space where the skin meets the scar, not breaking the passion, only deepening it.
Wonwoo soon gets at his peak and his hand slides down, his fingers seeking the spot where the pleasure sings loudest as he begins to swirl them around his throbbing aching clit. He touches himself as Mingyu fills him deeper with each thrust, panting, eyes closing as the burning fire inside his tummy tightens with every second.
Mingyu kisses him and he nods as he moans into his mouth. "I'm close..." he breathes, his eyes dark and shining with everything he feels.
"Me too" Wonwoo pants and a moan escapes him as his thighs begin to shake. "Please, please..."
Mingyu holds him like he’ll never let go, hips bucking to meet every drop of his feverish rhythm. His arms wrap tightly around his back, their mouths meeting in a kiss that’s more breath than lips, more emotion than structure. And when Wonwoo finally breaks, when he comes with a cry so hoarse it curls Mingyu’s toes, it’s like watching the sunrise after a lifetime of darkness.
His body convulses in the heat of his own orgasm, his muscles spasming, and his cunt tightens around Mingyu’s cock with such desperate heat that it drags him over the edge in a shared beautiful fall. Mingyu comes into the condom and moans his name like a vow with every spurt of cum he spills, resting his head on his shoulder as Wonwoo kisses his hair and temple.
Wonwoo clings to him, hugging him as their breaths mingle, their frantic chests rising and falling, shaking and wrapped in that impossible stillness that follows something sacred. Mingyu lifts his head and kisses him softly, a peck on the lips, then another and another and another until Wonwoo bursts out laughing in amusement.
With his cheeks still flushed, Wonwoo gives him a playful nudge and slides off his lap with a deep exhale only for Mingyu to pull him right back, circling his waist with an arm and holding him in place with insistence. He rolls them gently onto their sides, settling down together under the blanket in a tangle of legs intertwined and bare skin. Mingyu nuzzles into Wonwoo’s chest and Wonwoo strokes a hand through his damp hair, lips brushing the top of his head.
The silence stretches comfortably between them but some thoughts are twirling in Wonwoo’s mind, swimming under the surface even when his body relaxes into the comfort of being held.
He feels safe. And that’s the terrifying part.
His fingertips lightly traces the curve of Mingyu’s shoulder, drawing idle lines against his skin. “I should have been honest with you” he suddenly says, the words leaving his mouth before he could even second-guess them.
Mingyu doesn’t pull away. If anything, he holds him tighter. “Honest about what ?”
Wonwoo hesitates, eyes focusing on where their bare legs are tangled beneath the blanket. “About… everything” he replies, his voice catching ever so slightly. “I feel like… I should’ve told you sooner, before we kissed. Before we… you know, before tonight”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything” Mingyu says softly, “I still like you”
Wonwoo lets out a breath half a sigh-half a laugh but it doesn’t quite mask the vulnerability in his tone. “I know” he says, “I mean, I believe you… I just…” he pauses, searching for the right words. “I guess I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and see something change in your eyes. I’ve seen it before, that flicker. People don’t always realize they’re doing it but I see it”
Mingyu stays silent, understanding in that moment the importance of listening.
Wonwoo continues, his voice steadier now as if the dam had gently opened. “Sometimes I feel like people only see parts of me like they’re looking through a foggy window and the moment they know I’m trans, that’s all they see, like the rest of me becomes a footnote. And with you… I didn’t want that, I didn’t want to be a detail you had to ‘accept’. I tried to not to get too close too you but at the same time… I liked you so much, for once I wanted to just be me”
Mingyu’s eyes never leave his and there is no flicker, no shift, just that same quiet focus. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, not even for a second” he says softly, shaking his head. “I liked you… before I knew and I like you now, even more actually, because I’ve gotten to know a little more of the person you are”
Wonwoo’s gaze drops again, overwhelmed, but he listens anyway.
“You’re brave” Mingyu goes on, “Not because you’re trans but because you keep showing up in a world that doesn’t always make it easy for people to just… be. And I don’t think you owe me, or anyone, some kind of explanation or proof. You don’t need to justify your existence to be worthy of being loved”
Wonwoo’s throat tightens. He bites his lip as the weight of that kindness sitting heavily in his chest. “Aren’t you afraid of being… with someone like me ?”
The question hangs in the air. It wasn’t an accusation but a kind of hope wrapped in fear. Something Wonwoo hadn’t dared to ask anyone before, maybe because no one had ever stopped to listen to him so long. Mingyu leans forward, his forehead resting gently against Wonwoo’s. His eyes are soft but the voice that comes out of his mouth is confident.
“I’m not” he replies, letting the words fall in that little silence, “I think… I’d be afraid of not being honest with myself about how much I like you” he pulls back slightly just to look him in the eyes. “You’re not a ‘complicated situation’ Wonwoo, you’re not someone I need to figure out. You’re just someone I want to get to know, genuinely”.
Wonwoo holds Mingyu close without a single trace of hesitation, as if his arms already know where they belong, around him, grounded in warmth, tangled in something that feels real. Their bodies sink deeper into the cocoon of the blanket, limbs entwining without effort. Wonwoo nestles his face into the crook of Mingyu’s neck, breathing in the natural scent of his skin, and they allow themselves to stay like that in such sweet quiet that doesn’t ask to be filled but only felt.
Outside, the world is hushed beneath the stars, crickets humming in the grass, the occasional rustle of the wind brushing against the tent walls, but inside, it’s all heat and heartbeats, slow breaths, and that almost unbearable ache of being held exactly how Wonwoo always wanted to be.
There are no masks between them, no cautious distance and no parts of themselves folded away. It’s just them, skin to skin, sharing nothing but truth to truth.
Wonwoo brushes his lips along Mingyu’s jaw before kissing him softly, barely more than a whisper of touch. “Thank you” he breathes, his eyes fluttering shut as he lingers there.
Mingyu smiles and it radiates from deep inside him. He brings a hand up to cradle the back of Wonwoo’s head, his fingers threading gently through his hair. “You don't have to thank me for something I'm lucky to be a part of”
Their mouths meet and there’s no hunger behind that kiss now. Mingyu’s hands trail down to Wonwoo’s waist, sliding along his hips, thumbs stroking tenderly as if memorizing every curve. Wonwoo sighs into his lips, his body arching into the touch instinctively as his back bows just enough to feel Mingyu pressing against him in all the right ways. He wishes this moment could last forever, with no time knocking on their door and no world beyond the four corners of the blanket.
Mingyu trails his fingers in slow circles over Wonwoo’s back, feeling the curve of his spine, the softness of his skin. Each touch is gentle like they are learning each corners other with hands and mouths instead of words. They kiss so lazily until they just stay there in silence one in the other’s arms. Mingyu presses a kiss to Wonwoo’s shoulder, soft and lingering, and then pulls back just enough to look at him through the dim light of the little lamp.
“What’s your favorite color ?” he asks out of nowhere and his voice comes out hushed but playful, like a question shared under covers at a sleepover.
Wonwoo chuckles indeed, brushing the tips of his fingers through his hair. “Purple” he replies, a little amused. “What’s yours ?”
“Green” Mingyu says with a grin. “But I like red and black too”
“Your team's uniform is black and red” Wonwoo points out.
Mingyu tilts his head, “You noticed ?”
“Of course I did” he laughs, “The few times I came to the volleyball court with my friends it was just an excuse to watch you practice. That uniform suits you… particularly well”
Mingyu lets out a dramatic groan and buries his face in Wonwoo’s chest. “Don’t say things like that… you’ll make me blush”
Wonwoo smirks, clearly enjoying this. “You’re not as confident as you pretend to be, are you ?”
“I never said I was” he says in a muffled voice. “I fake it really well, though”
“You're good at that”
They fall into a quiet stretch of touch and breath, skin pressed to skin, hearts beating slow in sync. Then Mingyu breaks the silence again, almost in a thin whisper. “Have you ever been abroad ?” he asks, lips pressing a butterfly kiss to the hollow beneath his collarbone and neck.
Wonwoo hums, considering. “Yeah… I lived in Japan for a few years when I was a kid. My mom had a job opportunity there and we stayed through most of my middle school journey. I still speak Japanese fluently”
Mingyu lifts his head again, eyes wide with admiration. “That’s hot”
Wonwoo snorts, burying his face in the blanket for a second. “You think everything I do is hot!”
“Because everything you do is hot” he replies without missing a beat, then winks at him.
Wonwoo rolls his eyes, cheeks warm with a blush that he pretends isn’t there. “Anyway… it was a good time in my life. I think that’s when I first really started understanding myself too. Like… the language helped me express certain things I couldn’t in Korean yet. It was a weird kind of freedom, being also somewhere new”
The playful glint in his eyes softens into something deeper. “I like the way you talk about it. It must be a very nice memory”
Wonwoo looks at him, surprised by how closely Mingyu listens. “It really is”
“You ever dream of going back ? Or somewhere else ?”
Wonwoo thinks for a second, “Europe, yeah” he nods, “The museums, the cafés, the history. I want to see cities with cobblestones and old cathedrals, I want to eat a bagel in Poland and drink wine in Italy. Just… see the world and feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself”
“Yeah, Europe is magic” Mingyu says and his gaze doesn’t waver, “Rome, Vienna, London… and you also have that kind of quiet elegance, it suits you” he chuckles, “I went to France once actually, in a camper van with my family. It was cramped and messy and so chaotic… but there was this one night where we parked by this little vineyard. I remember climbing on top of the camper and just… lay there on the roof, staring up at the stars. That’s one of my happiest memories”
“It seems beautiful” he murmurs, imagining the soft vineyards and starlit skies he just described.
“You would love that” Mingyu replies.
Wonwoo rests his head on the little pillow and smiles softly, “I’d love it more with you” he thinks but doesn’t say that out loud. “What do you want to do after college ?” instead he asks.
“Oh uhm… just build stuff I guess, when I was little I was very good at building Legos. No actually I was obsessed with them, I would make entire cities with those tiny pieces and get so upset if anyone knocked them over” Mingyu lets out a small huff of laughter.
Wonwoo laughs gently, “Sounds like future architect behavior”
“Close enough” Mingyu grins, “I’m actually about to graduate in civil engineering. Structural stuff, mostly. I really love the technical side of it, figuring out how to make things last. I guess that’s part of the appeal, creating something solid in a world that always feels like it’s shifting under your feet” he pauses for a second, looking thoughtful. “I don’t have precise plans yet. I’ve been thinking about applying for a master’s program, something I can challenge myself. Design sustainable spaces, maybe even community centers but I won’t lie… the future kind of freaks me out”
“Really ?”
“Mh-mh” he hums, “Like, everyone’s rushing toward some version of success, and I’m just over here trying to figure out how not to disappoint my future self”
There’s a softness in his voice, vulnerability slipping in with each word. Wonwoo listens, watching him with quiet admiration.
“But right now” Mingyu adds, “I just want to enjoy life for what it is. Even small things like this… lying next to someone in a tent in the middle of nowhere feels kind of perfect”
Wonwoo chuckles and his cheeks warm at that, looking down from embarrassment, “Yeah it seems like… a very nice plan” he says shyly.
Mingyu pokes him playfully in the side and they laugh for a moment before the question lingers again. He nudges Wonwoo gently. “Okay then. What do you want to do when you grow up ?”
Wonwoo quiets a little, thoughtful now. “I usually tell people I want to become a therapist. You know, it’s the safe answer”
“It doesn’t sound that safe. Helping people sounds intense”
“It can be” Wonwoo admits, pausing for a second, “But if I’m being honest… what I really want is to become a psychological counselor for trans teenagers. For people going through things like what I went through. I never had someone who understood me when I was trying to figure everything out. If I could be that for someone else, even just for one person… I would be the happiest”
He trails off, eyes searching Mingyu’s for a reaction but his gaze doesn’t waver rather he looks at Wonwoo like he’s just said the most incredible thing in the world.
“That’s… beautiful” Mingyu breathes, “Seriously. I think you'd be perfect for that”
Wonwoo chuckles, a little embarrassed but touched. “You think so ?”
“Yeah” Mingyu shifts closer, tucking a piece of hair behind Wonwoo’s ear. “You’ve got this quiet strength like you’re calm on the outside but there's a fire in there. I think that this is exactly what people need, especially kids who are scared and confused, trying to figure themselves out. You’d make them feel safe”
The words make something tighten in Wonwoo’s chest but not in a painful way. It’s like he’s being seen, wholly and without reservation. “Thank you” he whispers, his voice barely audible.
Mingyu smiles, the corners of his mouth curving up with a hint of mischief, but his eyes are soft and sincere. “Just the truth” he says, voice low, a velvet murmur that makes the space between them hum with tension.
Wonwoo smiles back and barely has time to react before Mingyu’s hand cups his cheek, fingers trailing to the back of his neck in a sweet touch. Their eyes meet for a brief, electric moment — the kind that says everything before a single move is made — and then Mingyu leans in, kissing him sensually like he’s been waiting his whole life to taste him again.
Their tongues meet so eager to taste each other and Wonwoo gasps softly against his lips. A moan escapes from his throat before he even registers it, like his body is responding instinctively and surrendering to his touch. His hands move on their own tracing the slope of Mingyu’s chest, the soft ridges of muscle down his abdomen, exploring him with a reverence that’s both tender and burning with desire.
Their breathing quickens, hands starting to roam with a kind of restrained urgency, bodies curling back into each other like magnets and had it not been for the sudden crunch of footsteps outside the tent, the rustle of branches and the distant sound of voices and laughter, they might have completely lost themselves in that moment again.
Wonwoo blinks then breaks into quiet laughter, burying his face in the crook of Mingyu’s neck as they both try to settle their racing hearts.
“The boys will be wondering what happened to us…” Wonwoo murmurs, still chuckling against his warm skin.
Mingyu snorts, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I think they’re quite aware of what happened”
That sends them both into another soft fit of laughter, this time muffled by the closeness of their bodies. It feels natural and easy, like a pure intimacy between them and Wonwoo lets himself fall back against the pillows, hair tousled and cheeks still pink. Mingyu thinks he’s the most beautiful creature on the earth.
“Chan’s probably worried” Wonwoo chuckles, glancing over at the scattered heap of clothes at the foot of the sleeping bag. “I should get dressed but my underwear is gross by now and… yeah, definitely ruined”
He makes a face, laughing at himself, and Mingyu grins leaning in to softly kiss the corner of his mouth. “I can lend you a pair of my boxers, if you want”
Wonwoo tilts his head, “Mmh… that’s nice of you but then I’d have to wash and return them, right ?” he says so seductively, lips curling into a smirk, “Which could be the perfect excuse to see you again. Maybe on a real date this time”
“Do you want to see me again ?” Mingyu asks, trying to keep it light, but there’s a hopeful vulnerability under the teasing tone.
Wonwoo shifts closer again and brushes his lips softly across his mouth. “I will be your nightmare until you officially become my boyfriend, Kim Mingyu” he whispers.
Mingyu laughs, forehead falling against Wonwoo’s as he pulls him in tighter. “Guess I better start preparing for a lifetime of pleasant nightmares, then”
They take their time getting dressed, perhaps even too long due to their lips that just don't want to leave each other. Their fingers brushing as they reach for shirts, passing each other shorts and pulling their respective shirts and hoodies over heads with lazy movements and sleepy laughter. Wonwoo playfully tosses Mingyu's hoodie at him and Mingyu retaliates by sneaking a kiss to his jaw, which earns him a soft shove and another sweet kiss in return. There's a glowing intimacy to the moment, a domestic bliss and a kind of easy closeness no longer afraid, no longer guessing.
Just them, in their own little world.
When they finally open the tent, the cold air of the now fallen night greets them with the stars still shining above them. Mingyu pulls the curtain aside and steps out only to see Seungcheol and Jeonghan not too far away, half hidden behind another group of tents, clearly deep in conversation... and watching.
They see Mingyu emerge followed a few moments later by Wonwoo, who pulls his hood over his hair and adjusts his sweatshirt, as their eyes widen in dramatic realization. Seungcheol fists-pumps in the air, Jeonghan mutters something like “No. Way.” and gives him a double thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear. Mingyu bites his lip and shakes his head with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, and that's when Wonwoo wraps his arms around his neck from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. He traces a line of small, fluttering kisses along his jaw, then down to his shoulder.
Mingyu turns in his grasp and cups his face for a soft kiss.
“See you soon?” Wonwoo asks softly, his voice barely above a breath.
Mingyu slides his hands under his hoodie, fingers brushing the bare skin of his waist, nodding. “Tomorrow morning, if you want. We can go for a walk”
Wonwoo hums, pulling back slightly with a smile still lingering on his lips. “Okay that sounds nice” he says, “Then goodnight, almost-boyfriend. Thanks for saving my night”
“Goodnight, beautiful” Mingyu replies with a grin, brushing his thumb across his cheek before pecking his lips, “Sweet dreams”
Wonwoo disappears into the bushes and thick undergrowth, walking back to his tent on the other side of the camp. Every few steps, he turns back to look at Mingyu, his eyes shining even in the dim moonlight, his smile growing every time he catches the boy still staring at him. Mingyu indeed watches him until he disappears into the shadows of the trees, his heart beating loudly in his chest like a drum. He exhales, long and deep, unable to wipe the stupid smile from his face.
What had started as a fun trip with friends but tinged with the melancholy of goodbyes, had instead turned out to be crazy and a storm of nerves and goosebumps. And somewhere, in the midst of all those emotions, love had silently crept into him, curling up between his heartbeats and settling there perhaps permanently.
"Kim Mingyu you have to tell us everything, immediately!" Jeonghan yells running full-speed towards him.
Mingyu shakes his head and rolls his eyes but the smile tugging at his lips gives him away.
The night is far from over. And maybe life — messy, surprising, beautiful life — is just beginning to open its arms to him and give him something unforgettable.
With a final glance over his shoulder and his heart beating something fierce, Mingyu walks back toward his friends, and forward, toward whatever came next.
Because love had found its way in.
And Mingyu this time isn’t planning on letting it go.