CHAPTER 10

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With my stomach full and my mind at ease for the time being, I found myself able to think clearly. That meant it was time to plot my visit to the girls’ camp.

I figured it would be counter productive if I just showed up there and went searching for Minhee and June. Knowing my luck I wouldn’t find either of them, and I’d get caught. They must have realized that something was wrong when I never showed up on the other side of the lake. I had to figure out a way to let them know I was coming before I actually left the camp.

I waited until I got Minseok alone in the cabin to put my plan into action. I hoped that he wouldn’t ask too many questions and just cooperate with me. He had flopped down across his bed, relaxing after all the excitement we’d had today. I figured now was as good a time as any to start asking questions.

“Hey Minseok, you wouldn’t happen to know any phone numbers for the girls’ camp across the lake would you?”

He sat up from his position and gave me a curious look. “Are you looking for anyone in particular?” He asked with raised eyebrows.

I really doubted that Minhee or June had their phones, if we weren’t allowed to have ours either. I didn’t just want to talk to some random girl and hope she knew who I was looking for. That would just be too messy. I didn’t need to get more people involved.

“I know a few people over there. I doubt I’ll be able to get ahold of them, if they had their phones confiscated too. I just wanted to check in. Maybe I could use the number for the office.”

Minseok shot me a skeptical look, but didn’t question me. “I can just give you the number of the girl I hooked up with at the end of the summer dance last year. She probably still has her phone.”

His words almost caused my poker face to slip. I hadn’t pegged Minseok as the type of guy to casually hook up with someone. I pushed the thought away and focused on the task at hand.

“Um… no the number for the office is all I need.”

"I don't know that number, but I know where we can get it. The village leader has a directory of phone numbers. It's probably in there. Let's just go over to his cabin."

I followed Minseok out the door. He had graciously let me borrow his phone, which I had hidden in the waistline of my shorts. Everything was going smoothly so far. We stopped In front of cabin one.

"Isn't this the cabin that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stay in?"

"Yup they room with Luhan.”

“Wait… what?”

“Oh, I guess maybe you didn’t hear about that yet. Luhan is the head in our village. He has to report to the heads of camp and work with the counselors. Stuff like that. He doesn’t really like to, so he let’s Sandeul do most of the work.”

I felt my stomach drop. Why had no one told me this before? How was I just going to waltz in there and ask for the phone number of the girls’ camp? My brain was spinning, trying to create the perfect lie that wouldn't have people questioning me.

Minseok knocked three times on the door.

A voice yelled back that it was open and to “just come in.” I followed Minseok in, trying to hide behind him as much as possible. I was suddenly having second thoughts.

"Short stack!" Baekhyun bellowed launching himself off of his bed and swinging his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me towards his bed. I staggered forward due to the excess weight and whacked my shin on his bed frame.

"Get off me, you sack of potatoes!"

“Ah, sorry. Sorry,” he let go of me, and I was able to stand normally again. “I get excited when people come to visit. To what do we owe the honor?”

I looked from Baekhyun to see that Kyungsoo and Luhan were waiting for me to speak as well. Luhan sat on the bed in the back of the room. And for the first time he didn’t seem to have a scowl or air of meanness and authority about him. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as difficult as I thought.

“I was wondering if you had the office number for the girls’ camp,” I said looking directly at Luhan. His expression never changed.

“If it’s a girl you’re looking for, I can just give you the number of the girl Minseok hooked up with,” Baekhyun said eagerly.

“How did you get her number? And how do you know I hooked up with someone?” Minseok asked, clearly puzzled.

There was a scoff from the other side of the room. Kyungsoo slid to the end of his bed, intrigued by the conversation that was now going on.

“Well Minseok, you kind of just confirmed your hook up. And you do realize you are asking the king of social interaction how he got someone’s phone number, don’t you?” Kyungsoo laughed. “You should be asking him whose phone number he doesn’t have.”

“Listen guys, I just want the number for the office. My neighbor is starting camp this year too. I told her mother that we’d be together. We didn’t realize that the camps aren’t actually together. I just want to check in with her.”

In reality I didn’t even know that there was a boys’ camp. I couldn’t tell them that my “neighbor” was actually one of the few friends that I had mentioned. The boys still weren’t questioning anything, so I wasn’t going to say anymore than I needed to.

Baekhyun leaned over the side of his bed. I watched as he f