Smoke rose above the trees as the group once again sat around their daily campfire.

 

“What’s on the menu today?” Jonghyun called out to Key who was inside the tent getting food.

 

“Umm..how about sausage?”

 

Taemin and Jongin clapped in delight, while Naeun  pouted.

 

“Again?” she asked.

 

“Yeah...if Kyungsoo doesn’t find anything.” Key said, pointing to the other’s tent.

 

“Key! Key! I found some uneaten smores!” Kyungsoo called out, feeling around the blankets.

 

Naeun’s face lit up with a smile, eyes twinkling.

 

All noses twitched as the incense of smoke became stronger and stronger. Five pairs of eyes moved towards the campfire, and Kyungsoo’s darted left and right, confused.

 

Flames which were once controlled suddenly rose high, and Krystal screamed.

 

“It’s burning!” she cried, scrambling away from the camp fire.

 

The flames the log she was previously sitting on, and headed towards the others.

 

“Run! Guys! Run! Go as far away as you can!” Jonghyun yelled, trying not to sound panicked.

 

Key sped out of his tent, still holding the food. He ran to Jonghyun’s side.

 

“K-Kyungsoo!” he yelled.

 

“Key! Key! I don’t know where I’m going! Help! Help!” Kyungsoo shouted, and he was seen tripping over the blankets inside the tent.

 

The flames were now advancing over to the tents.

 

“Kyungsoo!” Jongin yelled, straining his voice.

 

More cries of help and loud coughs were heard.

 

Jongin’s heart had never beaten faster. Sweat mixed with tears dripped down his cheeks, and his eyes darted right and left. He threw off his jacket and ran towards the camping grounds.

 

“Don’t! Jongin! There’s nothing you can do!” Jonghyun said, grabbing onto the younger’s arms with tears of sorrow filling his eyes.

 

“Shut up!” the other growled, shaking Jonghyun off of him.

 

He jumped over some of the smaller flames, and his pants caught on fire. He cursed as searing pain shot through his leg, and quickly extinguished his piece of clothing with snow.

 

The smoke was making it hard to see, and breathe for that matter, as Jongin advanced towards the tent.

 

“Kyungsoo!” he hacked out.

 

“Jong-Jongin!” a hoarse voice sounded after a few seconds and Jongin sighed in relief. He ran into the tent, and picked up a blurry figure which belonged to Kyungsoo. He clasped their hands together and whispered a desperate “Follow me.”

 

Practically dragging the other out of the tent, he ran up to the ever increasing wall of flames. He heard shrieks and cries on the other side of the orange and golden element.

 

He felt tears of ash streak down his cheeks.

 

He was scared.

 

Terrified.

 

He pushed his fear down into a neverending pit of his stupid and useless worries and thoughts. In a smooth movement, he brought Kyungsoo onto his back, and stood up.

 

“It’ll be okay. I’m here.” he whispered to the other. Kyungsoo nodded, burying himself into the smoky shirt of the other’s.

 

Jongin took calculating steps towards the fire, keeping his breathing steady. He quickly spotted a place where the flames were dying down, and grabbed the opportunity in an instant. He raced over and jumped over the small flames, breathing out in relief as he felt himself land on freezing ground. He fell down after the jump, causing Kyungsoo to fall down and roll to the side.

 

“JONGIN! JONGIN?! WHAT HAPPENED?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! JONGIN?!” Kyungsoo shrieked, hurting the other’s ears. The blind boy’s hands gripped the ground, then moved up to Jongin’s t-shirt, all the way to his chin, and finally the soft hands pressed onto his face, frantically searching for evidence Jongin was still there.

 

Jongin took Kyungsoo’s hand in his, and got up. He pulled Kyungsoo away from the fire to safety, before pulling him in for a crushing hug.

 

“J-Jongin? Is that you?” Kyungsoo asked in a shaky voice, his hands resting on Jongin’s.

 

“I’m right here, I’ll always be here.” Jongin whispered and with a light kiss on the other’s forehead, he let go. Kyungsoo blushed at the sudden intimate contact, but was fine with it nevertheless.

 

“JONGIN?!” a female voice sounded from somewhere behind the two.

 

“We’re fine!” Jongin said, turning around and smiling at her figure in the distance. Suddenly, the figure came closer and closer, quickly, and enveloped the tanned boy in another bone-crushing hug.

 

“You’re alive!” she whispered, snuggling into his collarbone and sighing in relief.

 

“Kry-Krystal? Are you okay?” Kyungsoo asked, his hands extended and frantically searching for the girl.

 

Jongin broke out into a smile, patting Krystal’s back reassuringly.

 

“I’m fine. How are you? No burns?” Krystal responded, letting go of Jongin and backing up to lay her eyes on Kyungsoo’s thin frame.

 

“Just a burn on my forearm I think.” the other said, rolling his sleeves up slowly.

 

Krystal’s hand clamped over while Jongin’s eyes widened in surprise. The former skin was peeled off and dark red and pink spots were visible all over his arm. A sickly streak of opaque pus ran down his forearms as well.

 

“Is it..is it bad?” Kyungsoo said as he heard Krystal whisper a small Omigod.

 

“It’s..It’s fine.” Jongin lied, sighing.

 

“It’s disgusting, right?!”

 

“It’s not! It’s perfectly fine! We just need to bandage it.” Krystal said quickly.

 

“Alright..Jongin, are you hurt anywhere?” Kyungsoo asked.

 

Jongin rolled up his leg and was relieved to find a minor burn which was colored slightly red.

 

“I’m fine. Just a small burn on my leg, that’s all.”

 

“But..But what about our tent?”

 

“Gone.” Jongin replied grimly.

 

“All of it?!” Krystal shrieked.

 

“Yeah.” another saddened voice sounded. Behind the trio stood the rest of their group, Key latched onto Jonghyun’s arm, and Naeun shivering and crying next to Taemin, who was the one who had spoken.

 

“What-what are we going to do?”

 

“Two people should go back to their houses after the fire has died down and get some more supplies and food. We’ll be fine then.” Jonghyun replied.

 

Krystal immediately raised her hand. “I’ll go.”

 

After a few seconds of silence Jongin raised his hand as well.

 

“I’ll go too.”

 

“But your leg..” Kyungsoo whispered.

 

“It’s fine. Not too bad.”

 

“Oh..okay.”

 

 

---

 

 

“Are you ready to leave?” Kyungsoo asked, sitting on a few rocks, talking to Jongin.

 

“Yup.”

 

“You’ll be okay, right? Don’t hurt yourself.” the other said, biting his lip nervously.

 

“I should be more worried about you.” Jongin chuckled, ruffling Kyungsoo’s dark hair.

 

“Oppa!” Krystal’s voice sounded.

 

“Coming Stal!”

 

Stal? Nickname? Kyungsoo thought, his heart squeezing painfully in his chest. No, wait. Why was his heart squeezing painfully? He had no right to even think Jongin had any feelings towards him, much more fall in love with Jongin, right?

 

“Bye Kyungsoo, see you in a few.”

 

“Minutes? Hours?”

 

“Hours.” the other said with a chuckle, squeezing Kyungsoo’s arms gently and stalking off.

 

“Bye Jongin..”

 

 

---

 

 

By the time the sun had set again, Kyungsoo was still sitting on the rock, shivering slightly. The others had been busy gathering up logs for a fire, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel a pot of guilt boiling inside of him.

 

“Yo! Kyung hyung! We are done, come!” a voice that belonged to Taemin shouted.

 

“Did you just call him Kyung Hyung?!” a surprised Key hissed.

 

“Coming!” Kyungsoo said. He got up from his rock, locating the sound of Taemin’s voice. A few hesitant steps later, he felt a hand grab onto his and pull him near a warming fire.

 

“Thanks Jonghyun hyung.” Kyungsoo said with a smile.

 

“It’s time for some bonding games!” Naeun exclaimed, clapping her hands.

 

“Shouldn’t we wait till Jongin and Krystal come back?”

 

“They’re probably having some bonding games of their own, if you know what I mean.” Naeun whispered.

 

“Oh, gross!” Key groaned.

 

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but frown as well, his heart plummeting in his chest.

 

“Are they dating?” he asked quietly.

 

“No, but it’s so obvious Krystal has had the biggest crush on him since like..3rd grade..” Taemin said with a fond chuckle.

 

“Remember that one time when she literally professed her love for him in the middle of the classroom?” Naeun said. Key snorted.

 

“Yeah and he was so surprised but he was still blushing like the idiot he is.” Taemin responded with a loud laugh.

 

“Are you guys talking about us?!” a familiar voice was heard.

 

Taemin and Naeun stopped laughing instantly.

 

“Oh..J-Jongin. You’re back.” Taemin said with a sheepish smile.

 

Jongin stepped into the clearing dragging a large bag, Krystal following.

 

“We got a bunch of supplies.” Krystal said with a loud sigh, dropping her bag onto the ground.

 

“Did you guys miss us?”

 

“No, we were just starting some bonding games.” Jonghyun stated with a smirk.

 

“Without us?”

 

“Proves to you how much we missed you guys.” Kyungsoo mumbled.

 

Key, who was next to the younger, widened his eyes in surprise.

 

“I didn’t know you could talk back!” he said, patting the other’s back.

 

Kyungsoo flushed a little, embarrassed.

 

“Okay, let’s begin!” Taemin said. “First game..hmm..truth or dare?”

 

“Okay!” Jongin and Krystal said, sitting down in the circle.

 

“Jonghyun hyung..truth or dare?” Taemin asked.

 

“Truth.”

 

“Such a wuss.” Key whispered.

 

“Who was your first love?”

 

Jonghyun gulped, eyes flitting to Key.

 

“There was this girl..in 6th grade who was nice and smart and pretty..”

 

“That’s it?” Key exclaimed. “I’ve had a billion crushes.”

 

Jonghyun narrowed his eyes and the group laughed.

 

“Ok then. Key, truth or dare?” Jonghyun asked.

 

“Dare.”

 

“I dare you to pick up the snow right now and eat it.”

 

Key rolled his eyes. In a flash, there was snow in his hand and then in his mouth.

 

“Oh . That’s cold.” he whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

 

After a few minutes of ingesting the cold substance, Key moved to Kyungsoo.

 

“Truth or dare Kyungsoo.”

 

“Truth..?”

“Where do you come from?”

 

“I, I was from this poor family who didn’t have enough money to keep me.” Jongin’s eyes widened.

 

“So does that mean?” Naeun whispered.

 

“You’re only allowed one question right?” Kyungsoo said quickly.

 

“Oh right sorry.”

 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “Oh..um..okay..Truth or dare Jongin?”

 

Jongin lit up in surprise. He thought for a few seconds before answering “Dare.”

 

Dare?! Kyungsoo didn’t know how to make up any dares.

 

“I dare you to..um...say ‘Kyungsoo man se’ three times.”

 

Key snorted, and the rest of the group bursted out into laughter.

 

“That’s such a bad one!” Key said.

 

Kyungsoo blushed. “S-Sorry..”

 

“Ok, here’s a better one. I dare you to kiss the person you like in this group right now. On the lips.” Taemin said with a smirk.

 

“Ooo..good one.” Jonghyun said.

 

With a thumping heart, Krystal waited, looking anywhere besides Jongin.

In a flash Jongin turned her head towards him and pulled her in for a kiss.