"I can't believe I won either," Wonwoo responded with a small giggle.  

 

"Well good job!  I'm going to go tell the other boys," Minghao walked off and left the two boys alone.  

 

Wonwoo was having a difficult time getting out of the tree; it was a lot easier getting up than down.  Also, he was forced to look down in order to see the branches; this did not help his fear of heights in the least bit.  

 

"Do you need help," Mingyu asked while watching the boy struggle.  

 

"If you could help that would be great, but if not, I'm sure I could get down by myself.  I just need to-", Wonwoo knew it was of no use to keep speaking; Mingyu was already on his way up the tree.  As soon as he reached Wonwoo he said, "Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Ever." 

 

"It's just that, I'm afraid of heights and this tree is pretty high."

 

"Then close your eyes."

 

"What?  Are you crazy?"

 

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but that's not important right now.  If you close your eyes, I can help you down and you won't even see how high we are."

 

"This sounds like a bad idea."

 

"All the best idea sound bad at first."

 

Mingyu helped Wonwoo find the branches he needed to grip on and would sometimes let Wonwoo grab onto his own arm when needed.  Wonwoo was still quite scared, but for some reason he felt as if he could trust Mingyu.  Perhaps it was because of the friendly nickname he has given him, or simply the way Mingyu immediately allowed him to take part in the game, even though they were practically strangers.  Whatever it was, it made Wonwoo feel, almost, as if he had a friend.  There was quite a big jump from the last branch, to the ground; Wonwoo opened his eyes, briefly, to see how far it was.  He wasn't pleased with what he saw.  Mingyu jumped out of the tree with ease, and grabbed Wonwoo by the waist.  

 

"Umm Mingyu," Wonwoo said with a shaking voice, "what are you doing?"

 

"I'm going to lift you out of the tree," Mingyu responded bluntly. 

 

"No, that's not a good idea.  I'm too heavy; you might drop me."

 

"Even if you were heavy, which I'm sure you aren't, I'm strong enough; it'll be fine."

 

"I really don't think we should do that.  Let's find a different way; maybe we could-"

 

"Open your eyes."

 

"W-why?"

 

"Open your eyes and look at me."

 

Wonwoo slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mingyu.  

 

"Cat," Mingyu said while looking directly in Wonwoo's eyes, "why are you scared?"

 

"W-what?"

 

"Why are you scared?  I could lift you out right now and everything would be fine."

 

"But, what if you drop me? 

 

"The only time you should ever say 'what if' is when there is a positive thought afterwards.  'What if I could fly?'  'What if I get to eat my favorite meal everyday?'  Those are the only kind of 'what if's you should think of.  Right now you're asking something negative; 'what if I fall?'  You should be asking something positive like, 'what if I get down?'"

 

"No offensive Mingyu, but I can't relay off of just happy thoughts.  There needs to be bad ones too."

 

"Why?"

 

"Well because, umm if you just think of the good then, well, um-"

 

"If you just think of the good then the good will come."

 

"Mingyu, I don't want to get hurt."

 

"Cat, I would never allow you to be hurt.  Can you believe in me?  Please?"

 

Wonwoo thought for a moment; why should he trust Mingyu?  He didn't have an answer; he just felt he should.  He nodded his head in response and Mingyu quickly lifted him out of the tree.  Mingyu didn't let go of Wonwoo's hips and stood him so that they were face to face.

 

"I'm like a hero in some ways," Mingyu said while smiling and looking Wonwoo in the eye. 

 

"What makes you think that," Wonwoo questioned while returning Mingyu's gaze. 

 

"I saved a cat that got stuck in a tree."

 

"Wow," Wonwoo said while playfully pushing Mingyu away, "was that supposed to be funny?"

 

"Well it made you laugh, so yes," Mingyu giggled.  

 

"It was only a little funny."

 

"Whether it was funny or not, we should head back to the cabin."

 

"Yeah, you have to do the penalty as well." 

 

"I know; I'm still upset that you won."

 

"Really?"

 

"Just a little; I usually win, so to have a newbie beat me is a little embarrassing."

 

"Oh.....sorry."

 

Mingyu ruffled Wonwoo's hair and flashed him a big smile.  "Don't apologize for doing a good job," Mingyu told him, "even if I'm pouting. Let's go."

 

The two walked back to the cabin in silence; once they arrived Jun grabbed Mingyu and pulled him into the cabin to work on their play.  Wonwoo sat down on the porch, next to Chan, and watched Minghao and Seungkwan cook over a fire they had made.  

 

"Seungkwan, that is the fifth thing you've knocked over since we started cooking," Minghao stated with annoyance in his voice; Seungkwan had once again knocked over a pot that had boiling water in it.  "I've got the cooking can you just.....do something else."  

 

"I didn't mean to," Seungkwan pouted, "I'm sorry...."

 

"It's okay," Minghao said while patting Seungkwan's back, "how about you....play a game with Wonwoo and Chan!  They're probably bored; fix that."  

 

"Okay!" 

 

Seungkwan and Chan taught Wonwoo a large amount of little hand games that he had never even heard of.  Wonwoo never played games; his mom, when she was around, hated them and said they were a waste of time.  She said the same thing about dreams, that they were pointless.  Wonwoo grew up with a restriction on his imagination and thought only practical things.  He never knew how fun games could be; playing with Chan and Seungkwan made him smile more than he ever has before.  

 

"I wonder if they're done with the play or not," Chan said after winning yet another game.  "I'm going to check on them."

 

He walked into the cabin and spent less than a minute in there, before walking back out; bringing the other boys with him.  

 

"They had been done," Chan said while rolling his eyes, "they were staying inside there so they wouldn't have to cook." 

 

"Speaking of food," Jun said, "is it almost done?"

 

"Almost," Minghao said while stirring a pot that was on the fire, "it would have been done sooner if somebody had helped me."

 

"I tried helping....." Seungkwan said so quiet it was hard to hear.  

 

"I'll help Minghao," Jeonghan said while taking the spoon from the others hand and continued stirring the pot.  "Seokmin, go inside and get the bowls."

 

"Only if you say please," Seokmin teased with a big smile on his face.  The smile was quickly wiped off by the intense glare that Jeonghan gave him.  He quickly went inside and got the bowls.  

 

"What's the play about," Wonwoo questioned, very excited for the performance.  He had never seen a play before.  

 

"Well, we're going to improvise most of it," Mingyu said while sitting next to Wonwoo, "but as for the plot, you'll have to wait and see."

 

"Ahh, okay," Wonwoo said while scooting farther away from Mingyu; he really wasn't one for skin ship.  Mingyu saw this act and decided to tease Wonwoo a bit; he scooted farther away from him and said, "I don't want to sit next to you either."

 

Wonwoo recognized that he was being playful and not rude, so he moved farther away as well; sticking his tongue out as he did so.  They continued moving away from each other until Mingyu fell right off the porch; a result of not looking where he was going.  Wonwoo broke into a massive fit of laughter while the other boys applauded Mingyu's unintentional body gag.  

 

"Aren't you going to get up," Wonwoo questioned while wiping his own tears that had formed while he was laughing.  Mingyu was still sitting on the ground.

 

"Absolutely not," Mingyu said while crossing his arms and legs, "I got beaten by a cat!  I can't get up now; my pride is damaged."

 

"Is sitting on the ground going to help you regain your pride?"

 

".......maybe."

 

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and walked over to Mingyu.  He held out his hand and said, "the only thing worse then being beaten by a cat is losing your pride to one.  Now get up."

 

"I don't want to."

 

"Mingyu, get up."

 

"How about you come down?"

 

Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo's hand and pulled him to the ground.  Mingyu stood up quickly and said "now I've beaten the cat!  My pride is fine now."

 

"Okay guys food is ready," Jeonghan announced; Wonwoo quickly got to his feet at the mention of food. 

 

All the boys gathered around and ate the food that Jeonghan and Minghao had prepared.  Wonwoo felt a bit uncomfortable eating their food, but the boys assured him that he was not a burden.  He enjoyed being with the 7 boys, he felt welcome.  He almost felt as if he had friends.  

 

"Are you guys going to put on this play or not," Chan questioned while setting down his, now empty, bowl.  

 

"Oh right," Seokmin said in realization, "the play!  Okay let's do it.  Why don't you guys go on the roof so you can see better?

 

"That's a great idea," Seungkwan said while grabbing Wonwoo's hand and pulling him to the side of the cabin, which had a latter attached to it. 

 

"Do you actually want me to get on the roof," Wonwoo asked in disbelief. 

 

"Well yes.  We're all going up on the roof."

 

"Come on Wonwoo," Minghao said while putting on a hand on the others shoulder, "you've already been in a tree today; this should be no problem."

 

Wonwoo figured Minghao was right and climbed up the ladder without giving himself time to be afraid.  Once he got on top of the roof, he was still a bit afraid, but it only took him a few moments for him to become more comfortable.  The other 3 boys climbed up and the 4 boys remaining on the ground walked a bit in front of the cabin to find a good place to perform.  

 

"Can you guys see well," Seokmin asked with his hands cupped around his mouth so that the others could here.  Minghao simply gave a hand single for "okay" and the play started. 

 

The boys fulfilled their promise of improvising most of it, but it was still wonderful.  While Junhui was obviously not excited to be doing the play, Mingyu was thrilled; he truly had a talent for it.  He sang with complete passion and acted as if he was the character himself.  Wonwoo was in awe at Mingyu's performance; at one point he leaned over to Seungkwan and asked, "do you guys do plays often or is he just this good?"  

 

Seungkwan responded, "both.  We use plays as a penalty a lot, but Mingyu has never thought of it as a penalty.  He loves them; he's insanely good at them too."

 

Wonwoo continued watching in amazement until the performance was over.  Once it was over, everybody applauded, including the performers, who were also giving bows.  Wonwoo, Minghao, Seungkwan, and Chan all got down from the roof and over to the other 4 boys who had just performed. 

 

"That was amazing," Wonwoo said with a bright smile one his face.

 

"It was amazing because you weren't the one doing it," Junhui said with a look of annoyance.

 

"Junhui doesn't like performing," Jeonghan explained, "but he should have enough manners to say 'thank you'."

 

"Thank you Wonwoo," Junhui grumbled as a response to Jeonghan's scolding.  

 

It had been dark for a couple hours and Wonwoo knew it was time for him to go home.  He didn't want to leave, he couldn't remember the last time he had smiled that much or actually enjoyed something, but he couldn't leave his grandmother alone.

 

"Um guys," Wonwoo said in an attempt to get the others' attention, "I have to go home now.  It's late and I can't leave my grandmother all by herself."

 

There were multiple accounts of "awwww" and "do you really have to go", but Wonwoo couldn't stay. 

 

"I'll walk you home," Jeonghan said, "I can show you how to get out of here and you shouldn't go by yourself when it's late."

 

"But you'll have to come back here by yourself", Wonwoo pointed out.

 

"Yes, but I'll be okay.  I can take care of myself."

 

"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?"

 

Jeonghan chose not to respond and simply led Wonwoo out of the woods.  Once they got to the school, Wonwoo took the lead and headed towards his apartment. 

 

"Do you go to school there," Jeonghan questioned while pointing to the building behind him. 

 

"Yes I do; I'm graduating this year actually," Wonwoo responded.

 

"Me and the boys have never been to school.  Is it fun?"

 

"Maybe for other people, but not for me.  Nobody there is nice.  It's not too bad though, most days I can go without having anybody say something rude to me.  Oh and Minghao told me about you guys being in an orphanage; did you guys do school there?" 

 

"It wasn't really school.  We would occasionally get some homework to do; it was just the basics though, things like reading, writing, adding and subtracting.  Never anything more advanced then that; we were okay with that though.  If gave us more time to play."

 

"Minghao said that Mingyu was the first person there; is that true?"

 

"Yes, Mingyu was there first.  Then came me; Mingyu and I were there for about a year before Junhui and Minghao came.  They came within a week of each other.  Then came Seokmin, then Seungkwan, and then Chan.  Chan is actually supposed to be in the orphanage still; we snuck him out."

 

"You snuck him out?  Is he not 18 yet?"

 

"Nope.  The night before we were getting released, Mingyu had a dream that we snuck Chan out with us; so we did."

 

"You snuck him out just because of dream?"

 

"Absolutely.  Dreams are meant to be followed."

 

"Really?" 

 

"Yes.  Haven't you ever had a dream that you made come true or came true by its self?"

 

"Well no, I haven't.  I don't dream much."

 

"What?  How do you not dream?"

 

"Well I've just recently started dreaming, but I never dreamed when I was younger."

 

"What do you dream about now?"

 

"In the last dream I remember, I had friends."

 

"Well then you have had dreams that came true!"

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

"You dreamed you had friends; you have us now."

 

"You consider me a friend?  Already? We just met."

 

"A friend is a friend.  It doesn't matter how long we've known you.  And you've already played a game with us!  A game is a sign you're officially our friend."

 

They had arrived at Wonwoo's apartment building and stopped at the door.  

 

"Do you really think dreaming is important," Wonwoo asked Jeonghan.

 

"Of course," Jeonghan replied with complete sincerity.  "Now go inside and see your grandma."

 

His grandmother was already asleep by the time he got inside, but he was relived to see her sleeping so peacefully.  Wonwoo went to bed and dreamt of numerous things that night.  Some things were possible, other were impossible, but that wasn't important.  What's important is that he was dreaming.