Jackson was giddy with excitement when he looked at his calendar. It was Friday morning. He couldn’t wait for the camping trip he and his friends planned for the weekend. This trip came at the right time for him because he had his hands full with work all week. Now it was time for him to relax and have some fun with his pals at the forest that everyone’s been talking about. It’s called “the Forest of Love.” The reason for the cheesy name is the stories surrounding it. People say that somewhere in the forest lies a 100 year old tree, whose heart shaped flowers bloom at night and emit a gold light. What’s even more interesting is that a white stag (a male deer) protects the forest and has been spotted on a few occasions near the tree. However, the tree and the stag are hard to find individually, while it’s near impossible to find both. If someone was lucky enough to find one of them or both, then they can make a wish. As a result, many couples venture out there, hoping for an opportunity to wish for good fortune in their relationships. Single people also go to try to wish for luck in finding a partner. Even if they fail, the experience leads to stronger bonds between lovers and even friends.

If Jackson was honest, he would tell his friends (Bambam, Yugyeom and Youngjae) that these stories are just make believe. The three younger guys didn’t completely believe in them either, but deep down in their hearts, they hoped for the best. That’s not the main reason for this trip though. It’s all about Jackson. He got ready, packed his things, and loaded them into his car. Then, he drove to Bambam’s house where he picked up the other guys. When they arrived at the Forest of Love, they set up their tents and discussed the day’s events.

“We should go swimming first!” Yugyeom shouted.

“But I don’t see any water around here, unless you mean swimming in a pile of leaves,” Bambam said, grinning.

“The map says there’s a lake not far from here. Can we go, Jackson-hyung? Please? It’s the middle of summer and I’m dying! Catch me, Bambam.” Yugyeom pretended to faint, swaying towards said male’s direction. Bambam moved over though, causing Yugyeom to fall flat on his . Everyone erupted in laughter.

“C’mon guys, that’s not funny.” Yugyeom pouted, but he ended up smiling. Youngjae extended his hand and pulled him up. Jackson had a thoughtful look on his face. Suddenly, he smiled, put the three guys in a headlock, and ruffled their hair.

“Last two people to make it to the lake has to cook dinner!” Jackson shouted, making a beeline towards the lake with a copy of the map in his hand.

“WAIT, HYUNG! I don’t have swim gear!” Youngjae groaned. Yugyeom threw a pair of swim trunks at his face, snickering as he followed Jackson. Once the two stragglers finished changing, they ran as fast as they could to catch up. Not surprisingly, Jackson got there first, followed by Youngjae, then Bambam and Yugyeom in last place. Yugyeom complained that Bambam held him back when he tripped and fell on him.

“My legs are longer than yours, but you don’t see me tripping on them.”

“Yah, if you were looking where you were going, then you would’ve seen me trip and went around,” Bambam retorted, crossing his arms. On the outside, he seemed upset, but he was actually quite amused.

“I think your long legs make you guys look like models. So cool! Anyways, I cheated, so I’ll make dinner, ok? Now apologize and hug it out,” Jackson said. The two maknaes happily did as they were told and everything was peaceful again.

“I’ll help you, hyung.” Youngjae smiled.

“I swear you’re made of sunshine. Come here!” Jackson jumped on his back and latched on like a koala, giving him a bone-squeezing hug.

“Ok, I get it, now GET OFF ME! I can’t breathe,” Youngjae said, trying to pry Jackson’s arms off him, only to fail miserably. The two maknaes found this hilarious. Jackson chuckled and released him. The group spent most of the afternoon in the lake before returning to their camp site. When it got dark, the two youngest guys helped Youngjae