We were eventually saved from the mountains.

We managed to survive another hour or two after Jihyo and Jungyeon tossed some cans of food over the boulder.
Sana and I did not talk after that moment or dare to mention it with Jihyo and Jungyeon an earshot away.

Neither of us could really figure out what just happened.
At least, I didn’t.

And so the rest of the camp went by like a breeze.
Mina seemed strangely contented even though I appeared in a daze for most of our remaining interactions.
Momo also seemed to be talking a bit more, even with Mina. 

The camp was hailed a success even though Sana and I got trapped for a bit and many students seemed to have commended Jihyo and Jungyeon for their bravery. I heard they may even get an award.

Slowly, everyone seemed to be interacting much more in character and we were soon shipped off back to the mainland.

Little did I know it was just the beginning.

“YA, Kim Sungjoon!”

I stood by the ferry pier at Mokpo as the others piled onto the buses, turning my head to the voice that just called my name.

“Let’s date.”

Ehhhh???

I looked to find Sana standing there with her suitcase beside her, looking towards the sun setting into the sea we just left behind.

“I won’t be asking you again…”

Jihyo looked at her award for bravery and her other award for contribution in the event silently as she sat at her desk when she got home.

Jiyoon and Jihyun looked blankly at each other as their sister showed little interesting in sharing her award getting stories with them as she usually did when she returned home with silverware.

They always treasured these moments.
Their sister winning was them winning too.
But today, their unnie didn’t look like she won.
She looked like she lost.

Jungyeon was brushing her teeth as she groggily saw a Kakao message from Sungjoon.
Suddenly she spat out her toothpaste at the mirror.

When did this happen???

Did she miss it because she took a relative’s car to join a family gathering in the South instead of taking the bus home with the rest of the school?!

How come?!

Was it…the tent?

Jungyeon looked at her toothpaste covered reflection as her phone continued to ping with messages from Sungjoon asking for relationship advice.

“You sure this would work?”

I stood awkwardly by the shopping mall as Jackson and Bambam gave me one last look over.

“Fashion, check!” Bambam gave me a wink.

“Plans for the day, check!” Jackson added with a thumbs up as he pushed tickets into my hands.

“But Bambam you never dated and Jackson you got dumped by Youngji,” I protested, earning glares from the two of them.

“Don’t ask us for help then!” Jackson roared as Bambam started to pull him away, “We have better things to do during summer holidays!”

(note South Korean school year is March- January with a month of summer holidays in the middle)

“Sana is at 9 o’clock position from you! 9! Have fun dude!” The Thai hoobae laughed as he dragged his Hong Kong mentor with him.

We sat next to each other, uncertain as to what to do as our eyes pinned on the movie screen.

If someone asked me what I would be doing this summer holiday, four months back, I would not have thought I would be on my first date. With a cheerleader.

Do I hold her hand? Do we both reach for popcorn?!

This was all too agonizing.
It did not help that all the male leads in the movie we were watching, TWENTY, seem way more suited to be leading a date instead of me.

I wonder why girls get guys to watch romcoms with high standard setting male leads anyways….