To say your stomach does a somersault when the previous night’s events resurface… it’s an understatement. Jongin’s not beside you, which is initially disorientating to your groggy, newly awakened brain, having you wondering if you’d been so sleep deprived you’d imagined the previous night’s events…

But hearing your shower running puts you at ease. Up until the point you next encounter him, and he feels more distant than you could’ve contemplated. Not just conversationally, in his mannerisms, his overall aura.

It’s something that persists during the drive to the airport. You daren’t bring up your fear of flying for numerous reasons besides his sudden silence, but it’s certainly not helping you become more forthcoming about it.

“The flight will be fun, won’t it?” You then say tersely, willing your voice to stay steady. It wavers, regardless. Jongin’s usually attuned to nuances like this and would be the first one to point them out, ask you what’s actually going on behind the facade, but he simply nods this time.

The last thing you want to do is bring your fear of flying up, it’s not something you’re proud of, it feels immature, it feels like it’s something you should be long over, by this point in your life. But at the same time, you don’t want to freak him out if you do end up panicking on the flight. Shouldn’t you at least warn him there’s a possibility you might be a complete mess?

You’re hoping you won’t have to.

Words aren’t always necessary for you and Jongin, so there’s still a chance that he’ll figure it out before you board the plane. Your actions are feeling louder than words, so it’ll be even easier than usual, you suppose.

Not that he ever has an issue ‘figuring’ you out. Hell, he may even be able to dissect your reasoning for being so afraid and give you pointers on how to get over it.

Truthfully, you wish you knew why you’re so scared, and if there is a way to stop your fear of flying in its tracks, you definitely want to hear it. 

It’s a fear that’s shared by many but most people can at least look at a plane and not want to faint.

You on the other hand…

You suppress a sigh, twiddling with your thumbs as the car moves closer and closer to its destination.

Its dreaded destination.

Once you pull up, Jongin makes no move to get out of the car and make his way into the terminals. He instead takes his phone out, attention captured wholly by it. Usually you’d be curious, but fear is gripping onto you so strongly right now you can’t think of anything else.

You chew at your lip. “S-should we go in?”

Jongin glances at you, almost like a deer caught in headlights. He nods, the move a little empty, at least by Jongin’s standards. He’s made it clear how he feels about this ‘vacation’, so you’re not surprised he’s trying to delay getting to it.  

He helps you with your suitcases, but he’s very silent in doing so. Once you’re in the terminal, Jongin branches off on his own and takes a seat. You consider following suit, but you’re starting to think he might need some time alone to recuperate and you don’t want to get in the way of that, especially since he’s shown he’s not exactly in the mood to communicate.

So you shuffle your bags with you, taking a seat near him, but not directly next to him. He doesn’t even glance up, eyes still glued to his phone.

Your bags are close to his and you know he’ll keep them safe, so you decide to get up and work your legs a little. You’re feeling restless, your nerves are starting to get the better of you. The last thing you want is to go into panic mode.

So you wander, slowly at first. It’ll likely end up as a quick trip to the bathroom and back. Your flight isn’t for a while, still, and as inattentive as Jongin’s currently being, you know he’ll never let your bags get stolen.

You just need a breather. Somewhere that isn’t as public as the inner airport. Where watchful eyes follow your every move, and overt panic is going to be met with stares.

You’re not someone who is comfortable with public breakdowns, at least not if you’re the one having the breakdown.

After spending five or so minutes in the bathroom, you convince yourself to head back. You’ll be okay, even if it’s daunting. You’ve read the facts. Air travel is safer than travelling in a car, even. 

You’re likely only this nervous because it’s a new form of travel for you and you don’t feel half as in control as you do in transport that takes place on the ground.  

Plus Taemin’s going to be there and he knows exactly what to say and do when you’re nervous. He knows how to calm you down in an instant.

You take a deep breath, feeling calmer at the prospect. Taemin’s going to be there and he won’t let anything happen to you.

“_____?” You hear, as you’re making your way back to the terminal. Relief washes over you in an instant.

“Taeminnie?”

He raises an playful eyebrow at you, eyes twinkling. “You’re not reneging on me, are you?”

You chew at your lip, willing the new rush of panic away. “Is… is it that obvious?” Your voice almost a whisper.

“Is it obvious you’re about to tackle your biggest fear to everyone around us? Probably not. But I know when you’re panicking, and I know when you’re trying to force yourself to be stronger than you’re feeling. You don’t have to do that, not right now and not to me.”  

And just like that, it’s like it flushes out of you at once, the fear, the apprehension, even the thought of having to break the promise the two of you made when you were younger. Your eyes are flooding with tears, to an embarrassing degree.

“Shh,” Taemin whispers, taking you into his warm, gentle embrace. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

You snuggle into the embrace, feeling safe. Momentarily feeling like you’re going home, like you’re finally welcome somewhere, without pretense, without needing to put your defenses up.  

“Can we sit together once we’re on the plane?” 

His laughter sends warmth through you. “Do you think I’d ever break a promise I made to you, _____?”

You shake your head, but the movement is buried beneath the tightness of the embrace.

“The answer is never. Never ever.” There’s a slight pause, almost of hesitance, before he says, “and if you get really scared, you can sit in my lap, if you like.”

Usually, with Taemin, you wouldn’t take a sentence like that to mean anything… suggestive, but even though there’s a hesitance to him saying it, there’s a sort of authority to the words, as though he’s letting you know this is his promise, this is the promise the two of you made together, and nothing… no one is going to take that away from either of you.

You bite your lip. Maybe you shouldn’t be thinking of your best friend like that, especially give the situation, but maybe it’s a little y.

But a little impossible, considering you’ll all be grouped together in first class, given the status of each and every one of the attendees – minus yourself, and because of the image your university needs to keep up.

Meaning his girlfriend and your ‘boyfriend’ will be in direct sight. And at least on Min-seo’s side, you doubt she’d be happy seeing you getting cozy with her boyfriend on an eleven hour flight.

“Come on,” Taemin says, unattaching himself from the embrace and instead offering his hand, which you take without question.

The time until your flight is ticking away, slowly, surely, steadily. You’ve been sitting with Taemin since you made your way back into the terminal, but every so often you’ve been checking if Jongin’s taking care of your bags, which he seems to be doing.

You go over and collect them at one point, but he’s still busy texting away at whoever, too busy to glance up and grill you about wandering off and leaving your bags with him.

You roll your eyes. When his attention is captured, it’s honestly like it’s all he sees. But it’s a nice change, actually, to have comfortable silences with him. To not have every conversation become the deepest topic you’ve ever discussed, as much as you enjoy that too.

He’s comfortable enough around you to now feel safe to do whatever he’s doing without being startled at your presence, instantly knowing it’s you. As captivating and tantalizing as it is getting close to Jongin, it’s also kind of normal at times, which in a odd way, you’re starting to find exciting as well.

Eventually, it’s time to board. 

The first thing you notice, aside from everyone’s initial quietness, is that Jongin sits alone. Everyone else is at least seated beside someone, but not Jongin. He didn’t even ask you about your seating plans, not that you were expecting anything, but usually he likes to get confirmation from you for these kinds of things.

Even if he planned to sit alone, he would’ve wanted to know you were going to sit with Taemin, no? Even if he expected that to take place. 

You shake your head, wondering why you’re thinking about him so much, suddenly. He’s right there and you’re going to be spending two whole weeks glued to his side, so what’s eleven hours compared to that?

Optimal time to spend time with your best friend, of course!  

As for everyone else’s seating arrangements, Kyungsoo is beside Min-seo and they seem to be happily talking.

This mystery Junmyeon person is nowhere in sight, most likely because he’s already at your first destination, which is New Zealand.

From what you’ve gathered, Min-seo is most excited about the destination. She’s even dressed for the occasion, clad in a New Zealand shirt and a sun hat, looking every bit the perfect tourist.

Kyungsoo isn’t looking your way, with his eyes scanning for his next scope or anything of the sort. Between talking excitedly with Min-seo, he’s been watching a movie, it seems.  

You’re thankful he’s not paying attention because Taemin has no qualms being as affectionate as you had been when you bumped into him on your way back to the terminal. His fingers are linked with yours and he keeps resting his head against your shoulder, making sure to ask if you’re feeling alright.

Both Taemin and Min-seo have seemed to let a guard down, and though they’re curt, neither are going out of their way to interact or cling to each other, like they seem to do when they’re out in public, at least in your school.

Jongin’s still not looked your way, which you’re not going to lie, is beginning to bother you. There’s being distracted by something, there’s needing time to recuperate and then there’s this weird silent treatment thing, and it’s passed into that zone. It passed into that zone exactly four minutes ago, you decided.

He’s not supposed to actually care that Taemin’s being affectionate with you, of course, but he’s supposed to act like he cares, because he’s supposed to be your boyfriend. The same boyfriend that despises Lee Taemin and is his mortal enemy, remember?

But whatever. You’ve decided you’re not going to think about it any longer, especially as food is now on the agenda and you’re starving. From what you’ve heard plane food isn’t the best, so even though you’re starving, you’re not expecting much.

However… the minute the flight attendant places the plate in front of you, and the second you take your first bite, your eyes widen at the taste, and you let out a surprised sound at the taste.

Jongin’s looking at you now, eyebrow raised. Probably wondering how you could possibly enjoy plane food, even if you’re all in the fancy first class section of the plane.

Not all of us have exceedingly refined palates, you would reply, if he did say something about it.

Which he doesn’t.

You’re shook awake, several hours later, entirely groggy. “Jongin?” You ask, through squinted eyes, when did it get so bright?

“We’re here,” he says, almost monotonously. “It’s time to go.”

You then find yourself smiling, because Taemin has wrapped you in his jacket. You can’t help but coo at the action.

Jongin rolls his eyes. “He said you looked too cute to wake.”

You try to disguise your blush.

“But he was lying,” Jongin then says snottily, noticing. 

You scoff at him. “What makes you say that?”

“You were drooling.”

“Maybe I’m a cute drooler, what would you know? You’ve been glued to your phone since the airport.” 

He doesn’t bother replying, simply takes hold of your hand and guides you out of the plane.

 

Min-seo’s is the first face to fall. “I thought…” She glances around frantically. “Weren’t we staying at a resort?”

“Not yet,”  a new voice cuts in and you almost jump out of your skin. The owner of the voice is a pale, doll-looking male, not a strand of hair or feature out of place. You’re assuming this is Junmyeon. “First–”

But Min-seo squeaks, almost jumping into his arms. “Junmyeonnie! You’re here already? I thought work would make you arrive a day later than the rest of us…”

He pats her hair, smiling fondly. “And miss this? Never.”

You take this time to glance around your surroundings. Tattered, beaten down. Houses looking like they’re seconds from collapsing. Trees that have actually collapsed dotted here and there.

“The introductory sheet didn’t lie to you,” Junmyeon says. “It just left out a few details.”

You snort. “A few?”

He sends a curt smile your way before continuing. “This first activity could be considered a pit stop before we get to the resort, which we’ll all be at tomorrow, regardless of how well you do in the activity.  Mr Lee is expecting a lot from each and every one of you.”

You sneak a glance at Jongin, then Taemin. Both wear impassive expressions, but Jongin’s not disguising his angered body language as well as his facial expression.

“Follow along with me,” Junmyeon then instructs, leading you down a long, winding walkway. The walkway ends, revealing a beach, whose ocean is crashing against its sand, quite ferociously. Up ahead, between the beach, lies a line of three cabins, all as tattered as the earlier location. The three cabins are quite a way from the beach and it would certainly take a couple of minutes to run towards them.

“You’ll need to pair up for the first activity.” When he notices everyone making a move to pair up, namely you and Taemin inching closer to each other because – hey – that’s your tradition, alright, he stops you in your tracks. “Nice that you’re enthusiastic, but the pairings have already been allocated.”

Your bubble of joy is popped in an instant.

“Jongin and _____ are going to be working together.” 

You roll your eyes. “Surprise, surprise,” you grumble under your breath. Jongin sends a look your way, but you simply crinkle your nose at him. Maybe if he hadn’t given you the silent treatment, you’d be happy about the pairing, but if the silent treatment is going to continue, how will you get anything done?

Plus you’re already guaranteed to be rooming with him. And likely paired with him in every other location. It’s not surprising that you’d want to be paired with your best friend for one destination, is it? Especially as that’s your tradition with each other, and has been since long before you even met Kim I-enjoy-giving-silent-treatment Jongin.

And no, you’re not bitter. You’re completely fine. Wonderful, actually.

“Min-seo will be working with Taemin.”

“And that leaves Kyungsoo and myself.”

“Wait,” you say. “You’re participating?”

“I sure am,” Junmyeon says.

“I thought you were like… the scout guide or something.”

He chuckles to himself. “That, too.” Glancing at his sheet again, he says, “the pairings also dictate who you’re rooming with. Even if the pairings change for the challenges, every so often, I do doubt that your room partner will change. Apologies if you’re displeased with this, it’s just easier with Mr. Lee’s atypical rooming system if we keep them the same. We will be using his resorts throughout the destinations, regardless of where we are, you see.”

Kyungsoo pales at this in an instant. “A-are you sure?” He asks, looking like he’s suppressing a wince.

“Is there a problem?” Junmyeon asks, wondering if he’ll need to explain the rooming system further. It always turns into a convoluted, experimental sounding mess when he tries to explain it, but sounds like the one thing humanity has been missing since the dawn of time if Mr Lee explains it. 

But that’s not Kyungsoo’s issue. “It’s just… why am I the only one rooming with another guy? S-shouldn’t it be girls rooming together and boys rooming together, why pair it as if we’re… couples?” You notice the strain on the word couple, but it seems to skip by Junmyeon completely.

Junmyeon shrugs, missing what Kyungsoo’s getting at, entirely. “I suppose it’s easier to navigate the rooms this way. Mr Lee truly has a peculiar rooming system, that he wants you all to become familiar with. I could explain it further if you wish?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head frantically. “It’s fine. I just… the other pairings are actual couples, you know. And we’re, well, we’re both guys.” There’s a nervous chuckle that follows, but it’s not this Junmyeon frowns at, it’s the mention of the other pairings being couples.

You blink, watching him closely. You know that expression. Frustration, sadness and longing. He’s pining for someone. Who? You’re sure you’ll figure it out before the vacation ends.  

“There’s only six of us here though, Kyungsoo,” it’s Jongin who says this. 

Kyungsoo chews at his lip, eventually nodding. “You’re right.” But in the back of his mind, he has to ask himself if he’d made a mistake coming on the vacation. He knows next to nothing about Mr Lee, aside from the power the man’s company and name imposed, but if he knew anything, he knew to trust gut feelings. And something was beginning to feel… uncomfortable.

Targeted.

“Now that the unofficial introductions have been made, I should probably explain what we’re doing here.”

Everyone quietens, listening.

“Our first destination is New Zealand, as you’d all been informed prior to take off. We do have a resort we’ll be staying in. But our first activity will take place here in–” He pauses, glancing at everyone, as if gauging their reactions. “How would you describe your surroundings? I’ll go through the group, one by one.”

The silence continues. Eyebrows furrowing or raising in question.

“Kyungsoo?”

“In what sense?” Kyungsoo asks. “Literally, figuratively…?”

Junmyeon purses his lip, in thought. “Tell me the first word that comes to mind when you take in your surroundings. No matter what it is.”

“…Threatening,” Kyungsoo says, sounding more tense than you’ve ever heard him. 

Junmyeon nods. He takes out a pen and a notepad, scribbling this down. “I won’t ask you to explain your reasoning until the entire group has answered, alright?”

Everyone nods.

“Min-seo?”

Min-seo twiddles with her thumbs, taking another look around. “Sad,” she says.

After scribbling down Min-seo’s answer, he turns to you. “_____, is it?” He sounds like he’s afraid of getting your name wrong.

“_____,” you confirm. 

“And what is your word, _____?”

“Technically, it’s three,” you say, chuckling. “Out of place.”

He nods again, taking note.

“Taemin?”

“Bare.”

“Finally, Jongin?”

“Suspicious.”

You wait until Jongin’s finished to bring it up, you wait for a few minutes actually. Just to make sure you’re not getting ahead of yourself. “Wait,” you say, talking directly to Junmyeon. “What about you?”

He shrugs, blinking at you. “What about me?”

“Where’s your word?”

He looks like he wants to elaborate fully, but instead chuckles. “Upperclassman perks.”

You open your mouth only to close it a second later. Say what, now?

As if it dawns on him that that could be taken as his response, he puffs out a breath, shaking his head at himself. “Which isn’t my word,” he assures. “What I mean is, I don’t have to answer.”

“But–” You begin, eyebrows furrowing.

“No buts,” he says. “That’s just the way the theoretical aspects of these challenges will work. I need to record answers. I may have more knowledge about the destinations, initially, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to excel at the challenges. There’s no advantage if you’re not the one being assessed. And the fact of the matter is, I’m not being assessed.” 

You quirk an eyebrow at this. “…And we are?”

“As confusing as everything will seem at first, it will make perfect sense in due time.” 

But that doesn’t answer your question in the slightest. You’re about to pipe up in protest, but it’s as if Junmyeon knows this already, so he continues with the ‘challenge’, before you get the words out.

“Now I’ll be asking you to explain your choice. In the same order as before, please.”

Kyungsoo seems to be contemplating it for a while, before he begins. “It doesn’t feel… safe. It feels unfamiliar, like anything could happen. I don’t know where I am, I have no idea what we’re doing, I don’t know if there’s a rabid wolf waiting to pounce on us just around the corner. Anything could happen.”

Min-seo pulls the sleeve of her New Zealand shirt so it’s covering her thumb. “It makes me feel sad to look at,” she says, a nervous tic to her mannerisms, as if she’s afraid of getting her answer wrong. “Usually holidays are full of… things. Things to do, things to see, but this place lacks all of that. It lacks people. It doesn’t really feel like a holiday standing here. It feels like something might’ve taken all that away, left it like this. Maybe a storm, or something. I don’t really know what, but that’s the impression I get.” 

She stops here, nodding to the next person, which is you. 

“Seeing as I have no idea what I’m walking into by answering this,” you make sure to slot this in. From what you know of Taemin’s father, he likes to listen in, and maybe he already knows you like to look for answers, but he should also know you like to look for answers with at least a little bit of information provided. 

This whole thing is just… confusing. There’s a million ways a person could be right and a million ways a person could be wrong if you’ve been given no outright explanation of what it is you’re doing.

There’s also the fact that impressions can’t exactly be wrong because they’re to the individual. If there’s no wrong answer, or no actual answer at the end of all of it, what’s the point of asking the question to begin with?

It’d just be a whole lot of build up and no outcome. You resist the urge to sigh, you’ve just gotten here and you’re already overthinking. 

“It feels out of place to me because it is out of place, if we judge it from the information we’ve been given about the vacation. If we judge it by the neighborhoods we come from and the school we attend. I guess at the thought of a vacation, everyone was expecting lavish conditions and… that’s not what this is. It’s the exact opposite, actually.”  

You nod to Taemin. 

“Uh, I said it’s bare because there’s nothing here,” he says plainly, glancing at his surroundings. “It’s literally a deserted beach with a couple of deserted huts, and besides an obvious storm, the rest of it is what you make it. There’s no proof that something bad happened to the people here or nearby, or that there’s a rabid wolf waiting to pounce. And if there was, you could easily find your way out of this situation, or make it better for yourself, at least in my opinion. Since we’re not boxed in, there’s a lot of ways to get out, if something were to happen.” 

Even Jongin turns to Taemin at this, seeming impressed. Marginally. 

He still seems more subdued than usual, even when he speaks up. “Suspicious because it’s only the beginning, suspicious because we’re being asked to interpret the entirety of a situation when we’re only seeing a fraction of what we’re walking… or being led into. I’d rather refrain until I have more information.”

Junmyeon nods, scribbling everything down. He pauses for a minute or so, glancing over the notes. After this, he glances back at the group. 

“This is not to place you into any categories, I’m certainly simplifying your answers here – you can ask me to edit something into my notes at the end of the challenge, if you wish to – however, your answers may tell you how you initially interact with unfamiliar situations. Kyungsoo expressed worry, a fear of what might take place. Min-seo expressed emotion. ____ expressed curiosity, especially in the sense she pushed for further answers prior to answering the question. Taemin expressed what he saw as the obvious logic of the situation, and Jongin expressed skepticism.” 

You raise an eyebrow, pondering. “But what does that lead up to?” 

Junmyeon shrugs, as if he know this will irk you, leading you back to square one. “An ice breaker.”

And he’s right. It does. 

 

Junmyeon brunches everyone together, closer proximity than before. “I’ll explain the challenge further,” he says. “This challenge is in fact, optional. At least the grueling physical aspects of it. Depending on what you want out of your first night, the decision to take this challenge on is entirely up to you. Would you prefer the luxury hotel you’ve been promised or are you happy to stay in the impoverished cabins that you’ve also been allocated?”

There’s a pause. “Don’t answer that,” he continues, which has everyone chuckling. “For the time being, you can unpack your things in the cabin allocated to you, allow yourself an hour or so to come to grips with your surroundings; swim in the ocean, walk through the forest up ahead, sun bathe, whatever you wish. 
 But if you’re up for the challenge, I’ll let you know what it is. It’s to make your way to the hotel, with no further directions provided. We understand that you’re a tourist here and the native language may not be your strongest but the thing is in life, sometimes we meet obstacles. Even when things have been planned to minute detail. 
  What we’re looking at here is how you would deal with an unexpected situation like this. It will be looked at individually of course, but as you know, you’ll be working with someone else. This person may be on the exact same page as yourself, they may be on the complete opposite. You have every right to make your way to the hotel yourself, especially if the heart of the challenge – how you deal with unexpected situations – is being looked at individually… but you must also keep in mind that in your life you will be working closely with others, and sometimes amendments must be made, if you want projects to go as smoothly as they can.
  I may be the ‘scout guide’ but I cannot influence your decisions and tell you what’s best for you or for your partner, it’s something you must decide between yourselves. Cabin or hotel, neither choice is right or wrong, it simply is. The only ‘strenuous’ requirement to all of this…” Though he rolls his eyes at the use of strenuous, indicating sarcasm. “Is that you fill out a “day’s event” sheet and hand it to me when we next see each other. On it, say what you’re thinking, how you approached the challenge, so forth.”

The silence persists, some eyebrows furrowing. No one’s making a move to say anything, so you find yourself being the one to break the silence.

“This is all starting to feel like a long winded job interview,” you yawn. 

Junmyeon’s eyes momentarily widen, like he’s been caught red handed and you suppress the urge to roll your eyes. Of course it would be. 

Invite a select few from one of the most prestigious schools in the country, whether it’s because they’re the richest or the most ambitious and dedicated students in their school, under the guise they’re going on a holiday that will benefit the school’s future, so the school looks good, and make it all so deliciously top secret that it’s barely a surprise that they’ve actually been singled out because Mr-big-boss-man-Lee wants to bag an ‘up-and-coming’ employee and is apparently too exciting to go through with a normal hiring process. 

Juice it up further with their relations and ties with one another and you’re in for two weeks full of trials and potential sabotage, and scandal… right?

Who was Taemin’s father… Gossip Girl? 

The thought made him seem less threatening, at least. 

It could be worse, you guess. At least you’re not being led to slaughter.  

 

You run a hand through your hair with one hand, tugging your luggage behind you with the other as you make your way to the cabins. You don’t know which one is yours and you don’t know where Jongin is currently. He might be inside already. 

Wherever he is, you definitely want to talk to him about the challenge. What his plans are, if he’s okay if you work together on it.  

Whether you’re staying in the cabin or taking the challenge on. 

But before you go twisting cabin doors open and barging in, you feel a presence, much too familiar to be a stranger, but certainly trying to sneak up on you.

You try to hide your smile, noting that he’s been much more like himself since the airport.  

Taemin’s hands snake over your eyes, blackening your vision. 

“Are you trying to sabotage me already?” You joke.

“If stealing you as my partner counts as that, sure.” With this, he unattaches his hands and guides you to one of the wooden walkways outside of one of the three cabins. He leans against the ledge of it, and you follow suit.

A comfortable silence follows for a little while and you find yourself gazing at your best friend, who’s now looking over at the beach and ocean, his hair blowing with the slight breeze. 

He looks… serene. Like a weight has been lifted from him and he can finally breathe. You know he’s not fond of crowds and being fawned over by a mass of wannabe socialites seeing as you did grow up with him, but the contrast is seriously stark. 

You almost feel bad for interrupting his serenity. Almost. “What are your plans for the challenge, Taeminnie?”

“Truthfully? To steal you and make a makeshift boat to sail away on,” he says, eyes sparkling in their usual playful manner. “So we can travel the world without making you get on another plane.” 

You blink up at him, wondering how he does that, be so effortlessly playful but so thoughtful at the same time. How he can make ludicrous feats sound achievable, so long as you’re together. 

But he then emits a soft sigh, as if coming back to reality. The reality that you’re stuck here for another two weeks with rigid rooming rules. “Seeing as we can’t team up for this challenge I’m going to stay in the cabin for the night.”

You pout, hoping he’d choose the opposite route, which you’re planning on. What can you say? When you’re presented with a challenge, it’s like you can’t resist. 

“But we kind of can, in a way. If both of our pairs decide to take the challenge, there’s no clause that says we can’t start it at the exact same time and stay within close reach of each other, is there?”

He nods, considering this. “You’re right.” But his expression sours and you know exactly what caused this. The thought of Jongin. It’s almost funny, they wear the exact same expression when they think of each other. “But do you really think you’ll be able to convince Jongin to go? He won’t want to get his nails dirty.” 

Sometimes it’s as if he forgets he’s just as – if not richer – than Jongin. But you do understand what he’s getting at, if you’ve noticed anything whilst being in his presence, you’ve noticed that Jongin’s very cleanly. You can already predict that the run-down cabin is going to be spotless if Jongin’s gotten in before you. 

“Junmyeon did say we can split up from our partners, though, didn’t he?”

Taemin nods again, considering this. It’s almost like the thought of Min-seo is only just crossing his mind. But it’s there and you see it. 

You wonder if this time, it’s your expression that’s souring. It’s definitely not intentional, you don’t mean any malice, you just really want to spend time with him. 

“I mean, I–” He stops here, as if collecting his thoughts. “It’s probably not wise to leave Min-seo alone, she gets scared really easily.”

Which is fair. But she needs to know she’s on her own if a bug appears… you nearly snort to yourself, but opt against voicing it knowing that when Taemin gets sulky, he can lay it on thick. And if you do end up working together, he’d be pouting at you the entire time. 

Which might be cute, but you actually really want to attempt this challenge. 

Which brings you to your next point. “Maybe we could talk it over with the others and see if they’re up for changing partners for this challenge. It’s not like your…” You chew at your lip, knowing you can probably count on one hand the amount of times you’ve mentioned Taemin’s dad to Taemin. “Dad would need to know, you know?”

There’s a nod, as he considers this. 

“And…” You trail off. “Even if Jongin doesn’t want to come along, it’s not like Min-seo’s guaranteed to say no as well.” 

“Maybe not,” he begins, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “But truthfully she has a lot of luggage and there’s no way she could carry it by herself and…”

You snort. He doesn’t want to help but he knows he would end up helping. 

“But they’re both so used to lavish conditions, aren’t they? So they probably won’t want to stay here for a whole night.” 

This is another thing you like when around Taemin. He knows you’re not from the elite, he knows you’re not super rich and of course Jongin does too, but in a way, Jongin is still so… expensive. 

Not because he likes showing off, not because he likes throwing money around. It’s more like there’s a quality about him that tells you he likes being relied on. And money can easily bring that for him.

Maybe it’s you, maybe it’s because every inch of your being wants to reject that, the prospect of ‘relying’ on someone. 

For you to get this far in this life with the elites, as one of the few odd ones out, you’ve had to develop something of a fighting spirit, some semblance of independence that can’t be infringed upon.  

Being with Jongin, even in an entirely platonic sense, sometimes it’s so intimate that those lines easily get blurred. Sometimes he’ll see you relying on him as bonding, and that’s where you feel you pull away the most. 

With Taemin, he understands this layer of independence you won’t part with. And in a way, he’s very similar. 

Taemin would be happy to walk away from this overtly rich life tomorrow, if he knew how, and he’d probably enjoy working his way up in life, having the freedom to do normal things, learning how to budget, without having to think of the millions upon billions he may have as a safety net.  

Jongin… perhaps finds a defense mechanism in his money, no matter how careful and frugal he is with it. It’s not that it’s a bad thing, by any means, you’ve just noted that if an expensive option presents itself to Jongin, he’ll go for that over the cheaper variant. Just by his nature. Even factoring in his mother not being born into the elite.

…Her son was. 

And maybe it’s only the outsider’s perspective that can see that so clearly. 

He nods at what you’re saying. “Should we find everyone else, then?”

You grin up at him, toothily. 

 

And of course, it’s Jongin who’s the most difficult to find. Also the most difficult to convince. 

“Jongin,” you say, once you find him. “There’s something we need to ask you.” 

He glances at you, peering at your features. “My answer is already no,” he grumbles. 

“Wait, what? Why?”

“You said we, we meaning them, them meaning not you alone. Three’s already a crowd, ____. Six is a freaking circus.”

You purse your lips. 

“Saying that, you’re all warming to this idea of a ‘holiday’ quicker than I expected,” he mutters. “I want no part of it.”

 "Jongin–“

He sighs, looking away from you. “What is it you want to ask me?”

“Me meaning me or me meaning them?” You ask sarcastically, knowing you coul