“And you’re sure that you got us together?”

Sana is starting to wish that she had paid more attention to what Jihyo was telling her about the camp when she realizes upon arrival that cabin arrangements are not what she thought they were. Supposedly, there are nine girls to each cabin, and Sana doesn’t recall signing up for bunk assignments. The thought that they may not be able to be in the same cabin due to potential competition over living arrangements isn’t one that Sana particularly wants to entertain.

Jihyo pats her back. “Yes, I did. I even got Mina with us, just like Momo wanted.”

“And you’ll bunk with me, right?” Sana pleads.

“As long as I get to be the bottom,” says Jihyo, but she rolls her eyes when Sana shoots her a wink and blows her a kiss in response.

They exit the vehicle and immediately head toward the side of the bus to retrieve their luggage. A giant pile of bags sitting on the grass is an intimidating sight, and the girls aren’t sure if it’s better to wait for the majority of it to be gone or to try and get their hands on their belongings as soon as possible. They watch in awe as a tall girl calmly walks toward the mound and, in a single swoop, whips her luggage out from the center of the pile before disappearing further into the campsite.

“That was hot,” Sana comments, in amused disbelief.

Momo lets out a soft whistle, seemingly impressed. “How did she do that?”

“Why don’t you try it?” Jihyo smirks at Momo, drilling a finger into her side.

“No way!” Momo whines, smacking Jihyo’s hand away. “I’ll wait until we do it together.”

Mina nudges her. “You can do it.”

Momo frowns at her before relenting and walking toward the pile. Politely making her way through the crowd of girls, she arrives at the bags and take a moment to scan for her own.

Sana smirks as she taps Mina’s shoulder. “Please tell me that you normally dare her to do things while I’m not around.”

“Not much, but I couldn’t resist this time.” The guilty giggle that comes out of Mina’s mouth is cute.

“If I’m going to do this, then you better be looking!” Momo complains from afar as she looks back to them, and the three girls start mimicking hooting and hollering along with their fists in the air. “Thank you!”

Momo reaches into the pile to grab her bag but is met with strong resistance as she tries to pull it out. Sana thinks that the tall girl from before must be worth commending, given how easy she made the whole process look, especially in comparison to Momo who seems to be breaking into a visible sweat.

Momo leans in and grabs the strap of the bag with her other arm as well, and she pulls as hard as she can until it pops out and she falls backward onto the ground.

The girls rush over, cheering and goofily calling Momo’s name while simultaneously helping her up and dusting off her clothes. Even though it hadn’t been as smooth as they had hoped for, the older girl smiles to herself between the three of them, and she even accepts a kiss on the cheek from Sana and a pat on the head from Jihyo. Mina’s warm smile is more than enough.

“I did it,” Momo says, extra cutely and seeming very proud based off of the cheesy grin on her face.

A minute or so passes and, once a few more bags have been claimed, the other three decide that it is as good of a time as any to get their belongings. Finding and picking them up goes by relatively quickly, but Jihyo is suddenly visibly stressed about reaching their cabin as fast as possible.

“,” she grumbles as she starts hastily moving across the campsite.

“Is something wrong?” Sana asks, puffing out air as best she can while trying to keep up with Jihyo’s abrupt speed-walking. “Why are we rushing?!”

“I just remembered that we need to secure our bunk placements and that maybe waiting too long wasn’t a great idea,” Jihyo explains, keeping herself together while the other three follow her up a small set of stairs, onto a large porch, and through the windowed door of a dark brown cabin.

Sana leans against the doorway, observing the room inside as she tries to catch her breath. Wood-paneled walls and wooden floors are sort of a given, she figures. It’s a sizable room, with four bunk beds and a single bed in the corner, and there are three sash windows and a curtained one on the front door. Two doors off to the side are what she can only assume are two bathrooms, and along that same wall are a bunch of shelves. It’s only after she takes note of the basic outline of the room that she realizes people are already inside.

Before she can take a good look at any of the faces, Jihyo hooks her arm and drags her over to a bunk next to one that Momo and Mina already claimed. It’s Sana’s first time at a camp, so she takes a seat on the ladder while Jihyo expertly unpacks her luggage and begins to adorn the bottom bunk’s mattress with sheets and personal pillows. Looking over to Momo and Mina’s bunk, she is a bit relieved to see Mina standing around, clearly uncertain, while watching Momo set up her own bed on the top bunk.

Mina glances her way and shares a soft smile, and Sana is glad she isn’t alone in feeling lost.

She allows herself to look around at the other girls in the cabin, pleasantly surprised that most of them are already finished or almost done setting up their spots. Two shorter girls are playing cards with one another on the bottom of one of the bunks, another pair are laughing yet somehow bickering about shelf arrangements, but it’s the single bed patron that piques Sana’s interest.

“What’s up?” Jihyo asks, taking a moment to look up from her sheets.

“Look!” Sana tilts her head toward the direction of the single bed. “It’s the girl who did that crazy bag pull!”

Jihyo seems confused for a moment before a glint of acknowledgment flashes in her eyes, and she looks over toward the single bed, which is littered with plushies. Her hand flies to to cover a laugh as she turns back to Sana. She mouths, “Look at those stuffed puppies.”

Sana giggles, nodding. The overall aura is very different from before, and maybe it’s a little too adorable how the girl is laying down, eyes closed while a stuffed dog is squeezed within her arms.

“Maybe she summoned that insane strength so that she could get the one single bed before anyone else,” Jihyo muses. And maybe she’s right, given that the girl’s bed is already set, her bag already underneath the bed and seemingly emptied.

Aside from their own group, the only pair left that seem to be unfinished are the two by the shelves.

“I don’t understand why we can’t save space and share a shelf.” The voice belongs to a girl with shorter hair than the one whining beside her and, although Sana might technically be eavesdropping, she feels that she can say it’s because they’re all in one room and because the two aren’t doing a very good job at being quiet.

The other huffs. “I need my own space. Not everything needs to be organized all the time, Jeongyeon! This is camp, so learn to live a little! There’s dirt on the floor for crying out loud.”

The supposed Jeongyeon girl scoffs. “You just want space for your makeup, Nayeon.”

“Not just that, you jerk! Why do you always make me sound like I’m so superficial?!”

“Oh, please. Enlighten me on what you need the entire shelf for, then.”

Nayeon pouts. “I have a lot of lotions and facial mask stuff, okay? There’s a routine to this beauty.”

Sana is surprised to hear a snort from one of the shorter girls by the second bunk, and feels herself freeze when one of the two by the shelves – Nayeon – shoots a glare in the girl’s direction.

“I bet you use face masks too, so don’t laugh!” Nayeon scowls, and the victim of her gaze nervously laughs while putting up her hands.

“Sorry, you guys have just been talking about the shelves for so long that it’s both ridiculous and funny,” the girl explains, and Sana is surprised by the honest and straightforward answer. Her hair is the shortest of the cabin, befitting as she also happens to be the shortest in height, and it’s styled in a way that Sana finds very charming.

The guffaw that suddenly erupts from Jeongyeon shocks Sana, frankly, and it manages to make Nayeon’s face just a little sourer.

“Chaeyoung would love to try one of your face masks,” the second girl, beside the shortest on the bed with the cards, speaks up with a playful smile while patting the back of her friend, presumably Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung’s face flushes in embarrassment by the callout, but Nayeon’s glower quickly morphs into a giddy, bunny-like grin.

“I have plenty if you want to share later, kid!”

Chaeyoung looks as though she wants to protest at the ‘kid’ comment, but she settles for a defeated smile and a nod. When Nayeon looks back to the shelves, however, Chaeyoung is quick to turn and glare at the girl next to her. “Why, Dahyun?”

The girl – Dahyun – gives her a cheeky, closed smile. “Sorry, Chaeng.”

“You’re totally not.”

“Perhaps!”

“Sana, you should get your stuff set up sooner than later,” Jihyo suddenly comments, diverting Sana’s attention back to her own group. She’s about to say that she wants Jihyo to finish up first, but apparently that had already happened while she was so focused on everyone else. With a quick glance, she sees that even Mina has started to set her bunk up.

“Alrighty!”
 

To no one’s surprise, the mandatory meeting in the mess hall at noon is merely a formality to address all the activities, arrangements, and functions of the camp. Every picnic-style table is ordered by cabin, so it’s much easier for Sana to get a closer look at all of her cabin mates, and she thinks her own friends are starting to familiarize themselves with the new faces as well. At one point, however, the four of them find themselves twisting in their seats to turn away from the other cabin girls and toward the speaker.

Momo leans her head against Sana’s shoulder, who reciprocates the gesture.

“Everyone is pretty,” Momo whispers.

Sana nods. “It’s hard not to notice. Do you think they’re from really far away?”

“Hm,” Momo hums, taking a moment to think. “I don’t think I recognize any of them, but I also don’t think that the camp takes people who live super far away. If they go to our campus, then I haven’t seen them.”

Sana peeks over her head to look at Mina, who is sitting on the opposite side of Momo and quietly listening to the counselor at the podium. “Do you think Mina knows any of them?”

Momo also adjusts her head so that she can see Mina, and proceeds tap her leg. Mina’s eyebrows perk up as she turns to the two with a questioning look, leaning in close so that she can hear them whisper.

“Do you know any of our roommates?” Momo asks quietly, and Mina steals a swift glance of the opposite bench. She looks as though she’s pondering the possibility, biting her lip in such a way that Sana can’t help but stare, before she finally nods. Momo follows up, “Who?”

“I don’t know if any of them go to my university, but one of them went to my high school and was in a volunteer pet club with me.”

Sana smiles at the thought, voice hushed. “Volunteer pet club? That sounds awesome.”

“It was.” Mina grins, and Sana can only imagine that there are happy memories behind it. “I had to go with other members to local shelters to help take care of the animals. But I remember that girl was an underclassman.”

“Which one?” Jihyo asks, leaning into their conversation now.

“The one with the single bed, the tall one.”

Sana is surprised. “You didn’t recognize her before when she grabbed her bag?”

“Huh?” Mina isn’t sure what Sana means until she inconspicuously observes the quiet girl from across the table again, who seems distracted by her phone. Mina’s eyes widen before stifling a laugh and looking back to the three. “You’re right. That was definitely her.”

“Do you remember what she was like in school?” Momo asks.

“Quiet, very quiet. But she loved to help with dogs. Her name is Tzuyu, I think.”

The fresh memory of such a seemingly intimidating girl snuggling up to a stuffed puppy doll warms Sana’s heart. People could be so odd or could have the capacity to surprise others in all kinds of ways, but that was something she liked about getting to know new people. She catches Mina’s gaze again, and they both smile. New people could be nice, shy, and even beauti—

Momo gently smacks her leg, stirring her from her thoughts, but Sana isn’t able to react in time before the speaker calls for all the cabins to work on making up a name for their houses. Every cabin had a number designated to it, with theirs being “Cabin Two,” but Sana had no idea that they would still be responsible for making up a team name of any kind. Maybe it was a lingering tradition from the usual camp routine for younger kids during the summer season.

Her and her friends turn back around on the bench to face the other five girls of their cabin, whose eyes already seem to be waiting for them. There’s a long pause where no one says anything, with only the sound of a clumsily moved microphone emitting from the building’s speakers as the head counselor steps away from the podium at the front. Sana nudges Jihyo, who sighs at the cue.

“Hi, everyone,” Jihyo begins, with a clap of her hands. “My name is Jihyo.”

She nudges Sana back. “I’m Sana.”

Then, next, “And I’m Momo.”

And, finally, “Mina.”

Unafraid, Jihyo beams at the others and gestures to them. “Your names?”

“Hey,” Chaeyoung greets with a nod. “My name is Chaeyoung, but you can call me Chaeng if you want. I don’t really mind.”

“I’m Dahyun!” Dahyun smiles, shooting the girls a V while leaning into Chaeyoung’s side. Momo returns the hand sign. “Chaeng and I are childhood friends. You four know each other, I guess?”

Sana smiles. “Mostly! Jihyo and I don’t know Mina too well since we’ve only just met, but we rode the bus together and she’s friends with Momo, which obviously means that we’re all friends now.” This doesn’t go without looking over to Mina again, who chuckles before nodding.

“Awesome,” Dahyun says with a thumb up. Pointing over to the two people Sana recognizes as Jeongyeon and Nayeon, she asks, “And what about you? The ones with the shelf.”

“My name is Jeongyeon,” is the reply, completely ignoring the last bit. “This is only the second time that I’ve been here, but I’ve done a few sports-centered programs in the summer before. I feel like it’s always been a good time, in case any of you are hesitant newcomers with the whole camp thing.”

“Yes, please make sure the first thing we know about you is that you’re a typical sporty lesbian,” Nayeon mumbles, and Jeongyeon’s face erupts into an embarrassed blush.

“Why would you say that?!” The rest of the table watches in silence, though Nayeon is terrible at hiding the smug aura emanating around her seemingly innocent smile. Sana feels a laugh bubbling within her, but she resists. Jeongyeon groans, turning toward everyone with a smug look of her own. “I’m sorry, you need to understand that she’s ill with ‘itis.’”

Nayeon scoffs. “I’m just putting it out there in the open for all of these girls here because there is no way I’m dealing with any potential homophobes.” She then scans the blank expressions and averted eyes that follow before a flash of guilt drapes her features. “Sorry, maybe that was a bit much. I just mean that there’s no need for any discomfort or feeling like we have to hide, right? I have faith that you girls get that. I dealt with that for way too long and, as the oldest, I won’t let that happen to us or any of you, if applicable, if I can help –”

“How do you know you’re the oldest?” Sana interrupts, more out of surprise at the bold assumption – in fact, the bold conversation starter – than any form of offense.

Jeongyeon laughs. “Any of you born in 1995 like this old hag?” When there’s no reply other than a swat on Jeongyeon’s arm, from said hag, she continues, “Didn’t think so, none of you have nearly as many wrinkles.”

“Anyway,” Nayeon clears . “Last year was rough for me and Jeongyeon so I just wanted to nip that in the bud since you girls look like you might appreciate women or, I don’t know, the concept of love and happiness, and thus won’t throw a fit at the sight of me kissing my own girlfriend’s cheek.”

“Did that really happen?” Jihyo asks, frowning. Sana doesn’t like the idea, either, but she tries to simmer down the boiling irritation at the pit of her stomach. There’s no reason for her to get worked up about it, given that she barely knows these people and they claim it to be a thing from the past, but she can’t help but feel a pang of protectiveness.

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon sighs. “It’s inclusive here, so the girl was the one who got moved to another cabin, but it still and made everything super awkward. And that was just the first day, so we were kind of distant for the rest of the week because we wanted to avoid another possible outburst.”

“Oh!” Momo claps her hands together suddenly. “You two are dating.”

Eyes immediately turn to Momo, whose proud smile over figuring it out is apparently too endearing for anyone to react or say anything about it. That is, except for Nayeon, who just laughs and reaches across the table to fondly pat Momo’s hands.

“I didn’t realize that, either.”

This is a voice that Sana doesn’t recognize. The table’s gazes shift to the tall girl beside Chaeyoung at the end of the table, Tzuyu. The resounding shock amongst them is silent yet somehow very loud, but Nayeon recovers in a timely fashion.

“Oh my god!” She exclaims, gesturing her hand toward her chest. “My name is Nayeon, by the way. Can’t believe I didn’t even introduce myself. I haven’t heard you talk yet, what’s your name?”

“Tzuyu.” Her eyes travel along each bench, somehow looking at everyone yet simultaneously avoiding any serious eye contact before returning her gaze to Nayeon. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just the ‘old hag’ comment that confused me.”

Chaeyoung is the first to break and snort at the conversation, with Nayeon and Jeongyeon joining in on the ensuing laughter.

“Jeongyeon loves me too much to admit it. She’s not even that much younger. She just likes to give me attention in the only way she knows how, which is by being a jerk.” Nayeon sticks her tongue out, and the two loop their arms together.

“It’s hard to resist when you’re so annoying,” Jeongyeon retorts, averting her eyes with a smile that betrays those very words.

Dahyun leans over and waggles her brows at Jeongyeon. “So, were you the type who had crushes on your teachers? Since you’re into older women and all.”

The glare that Jeongyeon throws in Dahyun’s direction doesn’t last very long when she suddenly mumbles, “Only one time.”

Sana smiles as the table begins to erupt into a fit of laughter. If someone had asked her earlier at the cabin whether she felt that their group would be compatible, she wouldn’t have known what to say. There had been no outright signs or red flags to say otherwise, but she wouldn’t have expected the quickly established capacity to joke amongst one another like they are now. It’s a nice turnout, if their grinning and laughing faces are any indicator, and she lets her shoulders relax as a wave of relief courses through her. Maybe she’d end the week with some new friends.

“So, the name thing?” Jihyo mentions, reigning everyone back into the initial purpose of the discussion. “We’re going to have to call our cabin something.”

“Do we want a specific category?” Mina asks. “We could do animals, story figures, colors, or really anything that you guys are okay with.”

Sana pouts. “I don’t really want to do anything that’s super cheesy. You know some groups are going to pick ‘Princesses’ or something.”

“In that case,” Nayeon smirks, “I think ‘Queens’ would be perfect.”

Chaeyoung grimaces. “Absolutely not, thank you.”

“Let’s pick a food,” Momo suggests.

Sana leans into Momo, giggling. “You’d just say pig’s feet!”

“Yeah.” Momo tries her best to look annoyed, but she is unable to keep herself from chuckling. Unwilling to back down, she raises an eyebrow through the amusement. “And?”

Jihyo gasps, then beams suddenly as if hit by an epiphany. “Let’s be Thor’s cabin.”

Nayeon rolls her eyes and mumbles something about Thor herding lesbians before Jeongyeon shakes her head and says, “How about Thanos’s cabin instead?”

“Isn’t he bad?” Tzuyu asks, perplexed and visibly disappointed by the suggestion. The combination of her soft voice with an expression that could almost be mistaken for a side-eye is all too funny. Dahyun pinches her nose at Jeongyeon’s suggestion as though it were a putrid stench, and Chaeyoung doesn’t bother to hide her own look of distaste. In fact, none of the girls at the table do.

Jeongyeon remains unfazed. “Yeah, but he’s the handsome one.”

“Sweetie,” Nayeon says softly as she gently Jeongyeon’s arm.

Jeongyeon meets her eyes. “Yeah?”

Nayeon offers a vaguely pitying nod. “Don’t talk,” she whispers, and Jeongyeon just rolls her eyes.

“Come on, does it have to be that Marvel stuff?” Sana whines, ignoring Jeongyeon’s overly earnest bad taste. “I don’t care about any of that. Why not something cool, like Harry Potter?”

Mina smiles at that. “I like Harry Potter. Hermione is my favorite.”

Instinct calls for Sana to make some kind of comment like, Of course you are, but it doesn’t manage to escape her once she becomes too overwhelmed by the mere idea of marathoning the series with a cute, totally nonspecific girl.

Chaeyoung practically chokes, interrupting Sana from her fantasy. “You want us to call ourselves the ‘Hermiones?’”

“No, no!” Mina blushes, waving her hands with an embarrassed laugh. “I was just saying my favorite character.”

Dahyun’s mumbling of, “Still better than Thanos,” does not go unheard.

“Hey!” Jeongyeon reaches over and swats her shoulder. “Any better ideas?”

“Cougar cabin, for you.” It earns Dahyun another smack.

“How about Strawberry? Momo recommended food,” Chaeyoung mentions, much to Momo’s pleasant surprise, eliciting a smile and finger gun from the older girl from across the table. A few of the girls hum in response, not exactly opposed.

Nayeon shrugs. “It is cute.”

“We could be the ‘Cuties’ if you want to be true to ourselves.” Sana winks, unbothered by the mixture of groans and snorts that follow.

“Never mind, no thanks!” Chaeyoung shakes her head. “Cute concepts are off the table.”

“How about we let the youngest choose?” Jihyo, ever reliable, strikes again. “Who’s the youngest?”

At first, everyone looks over to Chaeyoung. “Me being the shortest doesn’t actually mean anything, you know,” she whines.

The girls briefly talk amongst themselves, sharing their birth years and birth months. It doesn’t take too long to figure out that, amongst the youngest girls, Tzuyu is the baby of the group. Just a girl full of surprises, apparently, although Mina seems to be the least shocked, of course.

It’s evident that Tzuyu doesn’t want to be put on the spot, between never giving a suggestion in the first place and the defeated expression on her face at the conclusion that she is, in fact, the youngest. But she doesn’t stray from the responsibility, and she takes a minute to think about it while the girls watch her contemplate with her eyes closed.

Tzuyu opens her eyes and calmly puts forth “Twice” as her choice. The confused expressions that greet her don’t deter her, though she seems visibly shyer at having to elaborate. “It’s like Sana said, the cabin already has a number on it, so it’s relevant to that. It’s simple and probably unique enough from whatever the other cabins are doing, since we don’t want anything too cheesy. We’re only here for five days, so our cabin name doesn’t have to mean anything special.”

There’s a beat that passes before Chaeyoung grins. “I like it.”

Tzuyu offers her a bashful smile, and it isn’t long before the others are agreeing and beaming at her, too. For the first time since Sana has seen Tzuyu, she is finally starting to look her age. The tiny, proud, and satisfied grin on her face is cute enough to pinch.
 

After cabin names are registered with assigned counselors and lunch is served, the girls make their way outside of the building and are told that they have a half hour to rest before reporting to their first official camp activities.

Sana wraps her arms around Jihyo’s side, watching as the girl takes out the schedule guide. There are so many things to do that she wonders if five days is even enough to try everything.

“We can pick from any of the options?” Tzuyu asks, easily leaning over Jihyo’s shoulder to join her in rereading the camper’s pamphlet.

“Am I the only one who brings mine with me?” Jihyo teases, adjusting her neck and the paper in her hand to make it easier for all three of them to read. She explains, “We can pick any of the options for this specific time slot coming up. They have some in categories, though. So, when we go in a bit, we need to pick an athletic activity.” Both Sana and Tzuyu nod, prompting Jihyo to continue, “But certain things are mandatory. For example, every cabin has a hike they take with their counselors, but it depends on what day. Since we’re the second cabin, we go tomorrow on day two.”

“Are they going to make us run?” Sana pouts.

Jihyo pats Sana’s head. “Probably not for hiking, but you might get tired.”

“They have a small dance studio, right?”

Jihyo nods. “Yeah, it’s connected to the theatre hall.”

“I might do that then since Momo will probably go there, and I don’t want to do any running.”

“That’s okay! I think I might try and get to know the younger ones better,” Jihyo says with a smirk, her timing impeccable as Chaeyoung and Dahyun stumble by just in time for her to squeeze them and Tzuyu between her arms. Sana smiles at the sight, and chuckles at the defeated expressions across the three girls.

“If it makes you more comfortable, you can go with Nayeon and Jeongyeon.” The offer from Tzuyu is courteous, but Jihyo laughs.

“And be a third wheel? No way.”

Chaeyoung raises an eyebrow as she hears the two bickering in the distance. “Maybe they need a third wheel. Every kind of fighting ring needs a referee.”

“Have any of you been to camp before?” Jihyo asks, only to receive three shaking heads. “And that’s exactly why I’m sticking with you three, at least for today – assuming you don’t mind, I mean.”

Dahyun continues shaking her head. “Not at all.”

Sana gives the four girls a wave as they begin to head toward the direction of one of the courts, and further away she can barely see Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s shapes. It is then that she realizes that she never really took a minute to look around the camp, though whether that was due to not paying attention or being rushed by Jihyo’s jog to the cabin earlier, she isn’t too sure.

The place is impressively massive in scope and has the biggest list of activities that she’s ever seen. Of course, she’s never been to camp before, but compared to movies or shows, she’s almost sure that this location is somehow more fictional. Camp JYP is normally for a younger crowd, but they have a couple of select single-week offers for college-age students who either want to relive their adventurous youths or who have never had the chance to experience camp life before. The counselors are less strict but are clearly middle-aged since it would be weird to have college-age counselors for college students.

It’s a huge clearing surrounded by a thick forest and distant mountains, with plenty of fields and buildings littering the area between the trees and bodies of water, which includes both a river and a lake. It’s a little intimidating, but the anticipation of all the opportunities leaves her rocking back and forth on her heels. If she has a good time in the next few days, maybe she’ll consider coming back.

“Hey.”

She turns on her heels toward the voice and smiles when she notices Mina approaching her. She finds herself bouncing in place as the giddiness starts to well up inside of her.

“This camp is so big, Mina!”

That elicits a wide smile, which makes Sana’s bigger. “Just noticed, huh?”

“I don’t think I paid attention when we were running to the cabin. I was too busy trying not to trip.” Sana laughs, in spite of herself, but she’s delighted when a soft giggle comes from Mina. She’s been wondering about that, actually. “Hey, can I ask you a weird question?”

Mina blinks, surprised and slightly apprehensive. “Sure, yeah.”

“You sure like to laugh, huh?” Sana asks with a grin, trying to lay it on thick that it is, in no way, an insult. It isn’t as though Mina laughs incessantly. In fact, the girl is often quiet and usually dons a thoughtful, observant, or mentally distracted expression, at least from what’s been easily observable. In all these instances, Sana finds Mina incredibly cute, if not gorgeous. But Sana hasn’t failed to notice the way that Mina is often unable to contain a nervous or shy chuckle, at the very least, when interacting with others. There is a small part of her that is scared that this is a sign of unease – almost like a coping mechanism – so the urge to ask about it has been at the back of her head.

“Oh.” Mina stifles a laugh, suddenly overly-aware. “Yeah, it’s a habit.”

“Is there a reason why?”

“No idea. I’ve been told before that I laugh at almost anything, but I know that I do it even when I’m just trying to explain something sometimes. My dad thinks it’s because I’m still not completely used to confidently speaking. But I promise that I also just have an easy sense of humor; at least, I like to think so.”

“Oh, so it’s like an anxious thing?” The thought is interesting, but Sana hopes it isn’t due to something traumatic. She honestly likes that habit of Mina’s, but not if there’s a negative root for why it exists.

Mina smiles softly, apparently amused by the thought. “Maybe. I do feel nervous often. But it’s almost subconscious at this point, I think. I didn’t realize I was doing it until you just mentioned it.” There’s a sudden flash of worry across her face. “Is it okay?”

“Of course!” The fact that Sana could have implied otherwise, for even a second, pushes her to give Mina a sudden hug without hesitating or thinking. There is a chill along her spine at the realization that she may have intruded within Mina’s space without the presence of someone she’s more familiar with, like Momo, but the feeling of Mina’s arms gently reciprocating permeates through Sana’s fear. She tries not to smile too hard against her shoulder. “I actually think it’s so cute!”

“Really?” Mina’s voice is soft, and Sana pulls away to see Mina looking up at her with a pink hue blooming across her cheeks. An instinctive urge tugs at Sana when she registers the close proximity between them, but she takes a step back and opts for a wink.

“Really, really! Would I lie?” She sticks out her tongue, gently biting it.

“I don’t know you well enough to answer that, you know,” says Mina with a snort, but confusion washes over her expression when Momo suddenly walks by with her arms crossed. “Did something happen in the bathroom?”

Momo shakes her head. “It was fine; surprisingly clean, actually.” She eyes Mina from head to toe, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “But you almost never hug me! And you’re already hugging my best friend who you’ve just met today! What’s that about?! Where are mine?!” It causes Mina to bite her lip in an effort not to laugh, but Sana becomes incredulous.

“Oh, so when I hug you all the time, it isn’t okay. But when your friend wants to hug me, it’s suddenly something you want?” Sana puts her hands on her hips, looking her friend up and down, who is only giving her the familiar side-eye. “Hirai, you better tell me if you have a problem with me!”

Momo sticks out her tongue. “There’s a difference between too many and too little!”

“Too bad, then!” Sana smirks, pouncing onto Momo and wrapping her arms around her tightly. The groan she hears is one that she knows all too well – a fake one that means Momo is happy to receive the affection. Sana turns her head toward Mina. “I’m sorry for my jealous friend here. You should probably join in before she complains again.”

Mina fails to bite back a small grin and is happy to oblige, joining in on their group hug.

It feels right, Sana thinks.

“There’s a dance studio, Momo,” Sana mumbles against her head.

“I know, I was thinking about doing that for the athletic slot. It counts for both athletic and art,” Momo says, untangling herself slowly from the girls’ arms. She looks to Mina. “You want do that with me? You like ballet, right?”

The information is new to Sana, whose interest is immediately piqued. “Ballet?”

“I studied it for a long time while growing up, but I haven’t been rigorous about it for the past couple of years,” Mina answers, shyly, “so it’s not as good as it could be. But I still like it.”

“Well, it’s either that or contact sports.” Momo chuckles. Mina rolls her eyes, and that’s the only necessary answer before Momo starts heading toward the theatre hall.

“Hey, I’m coming, too!” Sana yelps, realizing that a solid ten feet has wedged its way between her and the other two girls. She catches up to them, getting between them and wrapping her arms around the two at their shoulders. She softly giggles to herself as she tightly holds Momo and Mina, and neither of them seem bothered by the slightly awkward walking.

Just right.
 

“She’s awesome, yeah?” Sana beams, leaning toward Mina to whisper as they both sit against the wall and watch while Momo freestyles in front of the mirror to a song on the room’s speaker. This is something that she knows her best friend is passionate about, and it’s almost like a superpower. Sana got into dancing because of Momo in the first place, through sheer influence but also maybe some friendly peer pressure. If anyone asks, Sana will give Momo all the credit by saying it was through sheer exposure of seeing such a great dancer.

Sana thinks she, herself, dances well enough, and even understands Momo’s preference for it as a therapeutic practice, but this will always and completely be Momo’s thing in her eyes. And she couldn’t be prouder, or happier that her buddy could have such a strong outlet to rely on when times get tough.

Even Mina is in awe, watching with admiration. “I’m surprised she had trouble with swimming if she was this good with her body.”

Sana purses her lips so that she doesn’t involuntarily laugh at the wording. “Right?”

“You know how to swim?”

“Yep! I’m fantastic at the doggy paddle,” Sana grins, imitating the swimming maneuver in a way that makes Mina smile. “Why, did you want to teach me, too?” She winks, feeling satisfied when Mina goes to tuck her hair behind her ear while bashfully shaking her head, with a smile that she’s clearly trying to suppress.

“Hey, are you going to join me or what?” Momo asks, suddenly still despite a heaving chest.

Despite enjoying her conversation with Mina, Sana hops up and waddles over to the spot next to Momo, who gives her a small smile of gratitude. With a small remote, Momo quickly shuffles through a few more songs until finding one that she and Sana have both danced to in the past.

“Want to join us, Mina?” Momo asks, turning to her friend against the wall. “I can try and teach you the choreography since it’s pretty simple. We have to do the athletic slot for a while, so I think it’ll be enough time to teach you.”

Mina pauses before ultimately nodding and getting up. The process isn’t too difficult, and Momo is a patient teacher even if she isn’t the best at explaining every part. But she puts things simply enough that they’re easy to catch onto, and Sana offers helpful examples when needed. It soon becomes clear that Mina is good at picking up on the choreography, and Sana is sure that it’s due to years of dance training, even if it was ballet.

It goes on like that for a while, and they inevitably put the pieces into place when lining themselves up to the start of the song. Momo is the center, but Sana can’t help but sneak peeks at Mina in the mirror from the other end. She’s clearly very focused and bracing herself for the steps to come, and Sana smiles to herself just as the first bits of the choreography begin.

The dance isn’t difficult, but Sana’s eyes begin to stray yet again when the slightly sultrier parts of the move-set come into play. Curse Momo for enjoying R&B. Sana is so accustomed to the song that she doesn’t need to focus too hard, but she worries that her heart will throw her off beat when she watches Mina do a body roll. Her gaze manages to escape, suddenly fearful that Momo might catch her ill-hidden attempt to stare at Mina, and she makes sure to continue monitoring herself exclusively in the mirror.

Time flies, and a few freestyled songs pass before Momo stops to take a seat. “Alright, it’s time for ballet.”

Mina’s brow rises and she asks, almost breathlessly, “What?”

“You heard me,” Momo teases, relaxing her head against the wall. “I’ve never seen it and I really want to, so please show us!” She pats the spot beside her, and Sana hastily accepts the invitation.

Mina puffs her cheeks, but they deflate when she sees that Momo is being serious. She sighs, accepting defeat, and surfs through the song options until she finds something more toward her preferred tempo.

Sana feels the excitement course through her as she watches Mina get into position, and she wraps an arm around Momo’s as though squeezing her will somehow help her let out some of the anticipation. Momo doesn’t resist or pull away, of course. And maybe Sana doesn’t know much about ballet, or its terminology, but she yells out supportive “ooh”s and “ahh”s with every bend, skip, jump, and turn. Catching a glimpse of a resistant smile in the mirror helps to keep her going with the noise, and Momo joins in on the hooting and hollering, too.

When the song fades out, Mina immediately turns to the two and shakes her head at their exuberant faces. “It was alright…”

Sana and Momo both jump up, making sure to argue with her that it was great, amazing, beautiful, spectacular, and a bunch of other positive adjectives that continue to redden Mina’s face while the two envelop her in a proud hug.

“It was just a couple of pliés, arabesques, and pirouettes,” Mina mumbles shyly.

Sana pats her head. “Aw, Mina… I don’t even know what any of those words mean! You’re so cool!”
 

“What’s a cabin activity?” Sana and Momo ask simultaneously.

Mina, thankfully carrying a pamphlet of her own, furrows her brow. “Um… I think it’s a time slot where we have to do one of the listed options as a full cabin? But we didn’t plan that beforehand, so I don’t know how we’re going to do that.”

“Should we try looking for them? We didn’t exchange numbers,” Sana mumbles, not fully invested in her suggestion and more focused on figuring out what they could do from the list.

“Even if we did, the service is wonky.” Momo shrugs. “Couldn’t even guarantee that a text would go through.”

Almost as if on cue, the door to their studio opens and the three turn to watch in surprise as Jihyo and the rest of the Twice cabin walk into the room.

Sana’s eyes light up, running over to Jihyo with her arms wide open. “Jihyo, my hero! I knew you would save us!”

“Well,” Jihyo laughs, happily embracing Sana when they collide, “I knew where you were, and both Nayeon and Jeongyeon were close to our court so I figured we’d just come over and get you guys.”

A heaving Dahyun has her hands on her knees. “Sana… why didn’t you tell us that Jihyo was good at tennis?”

Sana blinks, turning her head to Dahyun. “How was I supposed to know you’d be playing tennis?” She pauses, Dahyun’s words fully sinking in, and she looks back to Jihyo with a proud smile. “Wait, you’re good at tennis?”

Jihyo’s own smile is a bit smug, but she just shrugs in response.

“I didn’t mind,” Tzuyu mumbles, softly, with a smile that doesn’t stray from mischief.

Chaeyoung scrunches her face. “Of course you didn’t, you were on her team!”

“Hey, maybe Tzuyu was my secret weapon!” Jihyo retorts, and the youngest seems very pleased with the praise. Dahyun and Chaeyoung just lean on one another for physical support, clearly feeling their losses.

“Losing ,” Dahyun breathes out, almost coughing. Chaeyoung just pats her on the back.

Momo nods to Jeongyeon and Nayeon. “What did you two do?”

Jeongyeon smirks. “What I did was kick Nayeon’s in mini-golf.”

“You say that as if you weren’t cheating!” Nayeon grumbles, despite resting her head on Jeongyeon’s shoulder.

“Me?” Jeongyeon gapes in mock offense. “Cheat? I’ve been faithful to you for two years now, how dare you imply that?”

Nayeon rolls her eyes. “You kept distracting me, I mean.”

“Pbfft, I’m sorry my mere presence is such a distraction.”

“God personally spat on me by making you hot.”

Their back-and-forth continues, despite their conflicting body language of constant touching, but Sana finds it very funny. They’re very cute, she thinks.

“What do you guys want to do together?” Sana asks, still pressing her cheek against Jihyo’s shoulder.

“They have a zipline. That could be cool,” Chaeyoung suggests, but is shaken and wide-eyed at the abrupt screech from Momo.

“No,” Momo says simply after her brief outburst, averting her gaze when everyone looks at her after the utter shock of the sound.

Sana snorts. “Momo fears many things, heights included. Maybe you can do that on the side sometime during a different time slot.”

Dahyun, who had frozen up at the suggestion in the first place, suddenly thaws and smacks Chaeyoung’s arm. “You know I hate heights too, Chaeng!”

“You’d do it if everyone else did it!”

“That’s not the point, just don’t suggest it!” Dahyun whines, and Chaeyoung makes a disgusted face at the sound before moving away from Dahyun and, instead, gravitating near Tzuyu.

“It’s okay, I understand you,” Momo says softly, walking over and wrapping her arms around Dahyun. Dahyun seems surprised by the gesture, probably because they had only just met earlier in the day, but she accepts it and allows Momo to rest her chin on her shoulder.

“Thank you, my one true friend,” Dahyun whimpers, exaggerating the sadness in her voice and faking tear-wiping, but Chaeyoung only rolls her eyes.

“Why don’t we try archery?” Mina offers, and the lack of an immediate rejection or screech is enough to help her share a small smile with the group, who seem to nod along and agree without saying much.

“Maybe if I shoot Jeongyeon in the heart, she’ll finally appreciate me,” Nayeon mumbles, nonchalantly checking her nails.

Jeongyeon’s jaw drops. “That’s not how cupid works! I’d die!”

Nayeon shrugs. “Exactly. How many things have I wanted to do that you said would only happen over your dead body?” The smirk that follows leaves Jeongyeon with a blush and no comeback, forced to accept defeat as Nayeon squeezes her hand with a satisfied, cheeky smile.

“Archery it is, then.” Jihyo chuckles, keeping an arm around Sana’s shoulders so that they can walk out together with the rest of the group in tow. The act of reigning things back into relevancy is, by no means, complicated, but Sana can’t help but feel grateful that Jihyo is there to do it.
 

Sana yells, “Good luck, Dahyun!”

“I’m going to rock this!” Dahyun her lips in determination, nocking an arrow and lifting the bow.

“Did you forget your contacts?!” Chaeyoung calls out from the sideline, absentmindedly picking at some dandelions on the ground.

“Nope!” Dahyun confirms and glances over, only to lower the bow. “Chaeng, you’re not going to watch?”

Chaeyoung’s gaze flickers up, making eye contact. “You didn’t shoot yet.”

“I’m about to! Pay attention.” Dahyun smirks, giving the girl a thumb up, which is returned with a wink from the other. Dahyun looks at the rest of her roommates, seemingly content with the attentive looks on their faces, and she grins when Sana gives another cheer. She lifts the bow again, closing an eye and pulling back on the bowstring.

“This is kind of intense, right?” Sana asks, leaning toward Mina from the side.

“Yeah, I’m kind of nervous for some reason.” Mina chuckles. “She seems confident.”

Sana grins. “Confidence is good! I sure as hell don’t know how to shoot an arrow.”

“Neither do I,” Mina says, suddenly very focused as Dahyun releases her grip on the bowstring.

The arrow flies through the air, stealing everyone’s attention until Sana notices the critical frown that settles on Dahyun’s face when the target is pierced, before it reverts back to a calm expression. It isn’t an awful shot, with the arrow resting comfortably in the red zone, but Dahyun doesn’t seem happy with the result. She turns to bow toward the group and the girls clap, though Sana isn’t sure if any of them noticed the flash of disappointment.

“That’s so close, Dahyun!” Sana says, thinking quickly and bouncing over to give the girl a hug. “How long have you been doing archery?”

Dahyun returns the hug, and Sana notices the slight squeeze. “I’m no student or anything. It could’ve been better.” The feeling of Dahyun’s shrug does little to settle the feeling in Sana’s stomach.

Sana pulls back and shows Dahyun a determined fist, whispering in a faux-heroic voice, “I’ll avenge you.” She doesn’t watch superhero movies too much, but she hopes it’s close enough.

“What?” Dahyun’s eyes are very expressive, Sana notes from close-up, and the way they dart around when confused is endearing. But Sana realizes that she doesn’t like the memory of seeing that disheartened frown tug at such an adorable face.

“Is it okay if I go next?!” Sana turns, yelling to the others.

No one fights for the spot, and Sana makes sure to pat Dahyun’s head before replacing her at the marked spot. There are multiple targets along the archery range, but there are other cabins sharing the activity, so they can only use the one lane. Taking turns is okay, though, since that means Sana can stand around while waiting and relax without feeling pressured to anything. But she’ll consider this an exception.

Sana puffs her cheeks as she tries to figure out how to set up the bow, but it only takes a moment for her to understand how nocking the arrow works. Her heels rock back and forth a bit, happy with figuring it out. Feeling proud of herself, she raises the bow and stares down the center of the lane and toward the target. This is something she has never done before, and it’s a little exciting.

“Hey, it was a good shot. And it’s no big deal, dude. It’s a fun game,” Sana overhears Chaeyoung say, and she can only slightly make out the distressed sound effects of Dahyun. Dahyun sounds a little more lighthearted now, especially since the moment has passed, but the memory flashes before Sana’s eyes again. God, it really did bother her, didn’t it?

Biting the inside of her cheek, Sana deliberates her options for a moment. Even if she genuinely tries her best, there is no guarantee that she would even make a good shot, let alone a bullseye. So, would it be so bad to fake the shot? A part of her argues that Dahyun might be the type to be frustrated that someone would sabotage their aim for her sake, but another part assures that there would be no way to know. Sana doesn’t care enough about archery to insist on doing it again, and neither Momo or Jihyo would be that suspicious about it given she has never shot an arrow in her life.

Suddenly self-conscious that she’s taking too long, Sana abruptly adjusts her bow away from her initial position and releases the bowstring. It takes her a moment to register that her arrow lands toward the outer edge of the blue circle, but then she reminds herself that someone else needs to be cheered up.

“Wow!” She yells, putting a hand over her brow as though it would help her see the result better. “I was even further! Dahyun, how did you get so close? This isn’t easy at all!” Her whine is played up, but it’s not so unlike her that it would be suspicious, as she runs over and wraps her arms around Dahyun again. “I let you down! I couldn’t avenge you! You didn’t warn me that it would be that hard.”

Dahyun chuckles, rubbing Sana’s back. “It’s okay, it takes a lot of practice! I don’t get to do it that often – only at fairs or carnivals – so I’m super rusty. You did your best! It was your first time, right? The first time I ever shot one, I didn’t even hit the target!”

Sana grins at that, satisfied with the effect. “You’re too cool for me, Dahyun.”

It's while she’s ruffling Dahyun’s hair that Sana catches Mina looking at her with an unreadable expression, but it quickly turns into a tiny, knowing smile once Mina seems to realize that Sana has met her gaze.

The rest of the girls take their turns and it’s both funny and interesting to observe the different stances amongst the girls. Nayeon looks like she’s trying too hard to figure out a perfect pose that makes her look like an action star, Jeongyeon becomes insanely focused but comes off anxious, Jihyo is stiff out of paranoia over slouching affecting her aim, both Momo and Chaeyoung seem blasé or indifferent, and Mina manages to look like a swan somehow. Sana figures that Dahyun must have either been very hard on herself or everyone in their cabin just happens to at archery, because no one gets any closer to the bullseye than the first arrow. That is, until Tzuyu steps up.

Sana watches as the girl flips her hair over her shoulder, her posture straighter than Sana has seen on any living person; certainly straighter than Sana in general. Her movements are fluid but careful. Tzuyu isn’t rushing, but she isn’t moving too slowly, either. There is a strange aura of calm that emanates from her, and Sana debates whether she should admire loud confidence or silent confidence more. Maybe they’re the same.

Tzuyu nocks the arrow and lifts the bow, making sure to inhale deeply while pulling back on the bowstring. An unfairly smooth and cool flip of the hair for clear sights. Then, a second that manages to feel like a minute passes, and Tzuyu exhales with her bow.

“Holy !” Nayeon cries out, immediately clapping when the arrow lands half an inch from the bullseye. Tzuyu gently puts the bow down before walking back to the awestruck Twice girls.

“That was a fantastic shot, Tzuyu,” Mina says, clearly impressed.

Tzuyu bows her head a bit, blushing. “Thank you.”

Momo snickers, wrapping her arms around Tzuyu from behind. “Be proud! Don’t act like it wasn’t amazing!”

“More like incredible!” Sana sees Tzuyu’s pursed lips as a sign that she’s ready to crack, and Sana joins in to sandwich the tall girl between her and Momo. “Who needs Robin Hood when I have you around? And you’re so much prettier, too!”

A hint of a smile makes its way onto Tzuyu’s face.

“I’m so proud to call you my star pupil,” Dahyun says with a mischievous grin, and it’s enough to break Tzuyu and get her to laugh.

“Your shot was really good, too,” she comments, awkwardly meeting Dahyun’s hand in a high-five after wiggling her appendage free from the arms around her. Tzuyu averts her eyes but can’t control her smile when she admits, “I feel really good about it.”

Sana pulls Dahyun into their hug around Tzuyu, and it isn’t long before the others join in for a group hug. The first day isn’t even over, yet Sana can’t help but feel happy at the warmth she feels in these girls’ arms.
 

It’s not a surprise when Momo is the first to start sprinting at the sound of the dinner bell over the intercoms, but Sana enjoys the view of Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu following closely behind at an almost identical speed.

“That could be me.” Nayeon feigns a snivel from beside her, watching as the four run off to the mess hall.

Sana giggles. “Too tired to chase after them?”

“No,” Nayeon chuckles. She lifts her opposite hand, wrapped in Jeongyeon’s, for Sana to see. “I’m currently a hostage, you know.” But there’s absolutely no hostility or malice in her tone, merely soft amusement.

Sana rolls her eyes, but her smile doesn’t fade. They’re all bark and no bite, she decides.

Jeongyeon notices. “You want this kidnapper to get to the rendezvous spot faster?”

“Did you really just say ‘rendezvous,’ Jeongyeon? This is a kidnapping, not espionage.” Nayeon laughs, swatting at her girlfriend’s arm. For all of the banter, it seems very clear that there is a lot of fondness between the two.

“I couldn’t afford a van, sorry.” Jeongyeon smirks, playing along, but her eyes widen suddenly as she pretends to gasp. “If you’re my hostage, does this mean I can finally shut you up with a gag or something?”

Nayeon snorts. “We share a room with others, let’s not get too .”

Jeongyeon flushes and groans, facepalming with her free hand. “That isn’t what I meant! This is why you need a muzzle.”

Nayeon cackles to herself evilly. She sneaks a kiss onto Jeongyeon’s cheek, and the latter allows a soft smile to pull subtly at the corners of .

Sana wishes that she could somehow give them the gift of alone time, but even if she were to try and go on ahead, there would be too many campers pouring into the hall at the same time to really help them feel any sense of solitude. Still, she’s glad to get a preview of their more playful affections, even if it’s often at one’s expense.

By the time they get inside and find their table, Momo and her loyal, hungry followers have already gathered their food. It is deeply unsettling, given that the rest of them could not have been so far behind to warrant the four already scarfing down their food, but Sana doesn’t press about the logistics. Even Jihyo merely accepts it, lightheartedly rubbing the top of Momo’s giddy head on her way towards the buffet.

There is an array of food in every category of the food pyramid, and Sana immediately goes for any meat with a promising amount of spice. At the back of her mind, she can already imagine Momo coming back for seconds when she sees that there is a lot of chicken left, although she isn’t entirely sure if refilling one’s plate is allowed here.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Sana’s brow rises in surprise when she turns her head and notices Mina standing beside her with her own tray. It seems standard, a plate of rice with meat and veggies from what Sana can tell.

“Sure,” she answers, briefly scanning around to see if any of the others are close enough. It isn’t as though she expects there to be some major secret, but something tells her that Mina wants this to be a private exchange if possible.

There is a playful glint in Mina’s eye. “You messed your shot up on purpose, right?”

“Oh.” Sana is caught off-guard. It isn’t that she believes she is a perfect actress by any means, but the lack of a remark by Jihyo or Momo made her feel as though it had gone unnoticed. The observation is interesting, and she wonders what she could’ve possibly done to give something away. The memory of Mina’s expression when Sana had been hugging Dahyun returns to her, however, and suddenly it doesn’t seem so surprising. “Maybe.”

“And here I thought you were so friendly to me because of Momo, but I see that you just warm up to everyone in a day, huh?” Mina asks, obviously teasing. It always throws Sana off balance, because Mina just goes from quiet introvert to playful cutie within seconds. Does Mina think it’s okay? It’s absolutely not okay. Some people have weak hearts that can’t handle that sort of thing.

Sana pouts. “There was this brief moment where she seemed upset. It had nothing to do with warming up or not! Besides, I’ve never done it before, so I don’t think it would’ve been much better even if I was trying. I just wanted to make sure that I assured a worse shot. I don’t know. How did you figure it out?”

“It just felt like you were taking longer than you needed to, and then you looked like you had a mini spasm for a second before shooting.” She hums, adjusting her weight onto a different leg. “When you reacted how you did around her, I figured that a potential reason was that you did it on purpose to make her feel better. And I was right, I guess.” Mina smiles. “That was sweet of you.”

Sana feels her cheeks heat up, but she figures that humor could be a good way of brushing it off. “It turns out that I didn’t even need to do it. We all !” She snickers, trying not to be too loud. “Only Dahyun and Tzuyu were any good.”

“They really were!” Mina agrees, laughing at the blunt callout. “I thought it was fun, though, even if I didn’t do well.”

“Well,” Sana nudges her and winks cheekily, “I can certainly say you looked good doing it.”

A blush and a swat on Sana’s arm is Mina’s only response before they both head back to their table in comfortable silence, although Sana feels like she might burst into a giggle fit at any second. Any physical contact from Mina is like a sweet surprise, but Sana still isn’t entirely sure what might be okay from the other girl’s end.

They are the last to return, but it isn’t long before the flow of the dinner conversation takes heed, and Sana is happy with the friendliness of everyone. She isn’t sure if it’s normal to feel such fondness for one’s cabin mates so early on, but she considers herself blessed, regardless. The difference between the last time they were at the table versus now is jarring, though maybe some things never change, like Momo eating blissfully and being completely engrossed in her meal while keeping an arm linked with Jihyo’s.

It’s nice to see Jihyo talking to Nayeon and Jeongyeon so easily, Sana realizes, as it had always been a worry that maybe Sana and Momo’s longer childhood friendship would leave her feeling left out at any given moment. Of course, Sana tries to prevent Jihyo from even potentially feeling that way as much as she can, but there is still something relieving and heartwarming about seeing her laugh and converse so freely with the two older girls, as well as knowing she got to spend time with the younger ones as well.

Dahyun is interesting, Sana thinks as her eyes continue to observe the group. It’s a fairly simple thought, but one that has been on Sana’s mind since the archery range. Beforehand, Sana genuinely thought the girl was just goofy and lighthearted, but the expression she had upon seeing where her arrow landed still pulls at the back of Sana’s head. The disappointment was genuine, and it makes her wonder if Dahyun is simply very competitive or if there is more to her than Sana will probably ever know in only five days.

Her gaze softens when she watches Dahyun tease Momo by pretending to steal the girl’s jokbal from across the table, and Sana briefly considers asking Chaeyoung about Dahyun later before ultimately deciding that she doesn’t want to be too intrusive.

Chaeyoung seems to have taken an interest in Tzuyu, Sana notes. It’s almost funny, really, the way that their height difference often has Chaeyoung having to look up when talking. Something about it feels natural, somehow, because Sana can’t help but think that the girl’s snaggletooth grin is even more endearing when looking up.

From what Sana can hear, they seem to be talking about mostly simple subjects, like learning about one another’s favorite hobbies or what their favorite food on their tray is and why. It isn’t anything too complicated, yet Tzuyu looks as though she is always carefully choosing her words, a soft yet shy smile sometimes present, as though she’s self-conscious that what she’s saying may not be the right way to articulate her message. But she seems incredibly attentive.

Nayeon and Jeongyeon have felt like a package deal since they arrived, so Sana isn’t entirely sure what they’re like on an individual level. She remembers Jeongyeon’s preference for organizational efficiency from earlier in the day, and something about the way Nayeon is unafraid to say certain things strikes Sana as a strong sense of confidence. They both enjoy teasing, mostly amongst themselves but toward others as well. But their softer moments are Sana’s favorites, and she can’t help but bite back a smile when she sees them feeding each other casually from time to time while talking.

A part of her feels like some kind of silent observer, and she realizes that maybe nothing about herself has changed much aside from a growing warmth toward her bunkmates. Momo and Mina don’t feel particularly different, either, but maybe it’s only because the three of them had spent some of the day at the studio rather than taking the time to be with the newer people. Plus, it’s only been one day. Sitting between the two of them now, she feels comfortable, and that’s the important thing.

“Are you okay? You’re zoning out,” Momo whispers suddenly, stirring Sana out of her thoughts.

She hums. “I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“You,” Sana quips, accompanied by a wink.

Momo rolls her eyes, nudging Sana with her shoulder. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope!” And it’s honest, really, but Momo eyes her suspiciously.

“You’d tell me, right?”

“Of course!” Sana can’t resist the warm smile that stretches across her face, and she gives Momo a hug from the side. “I’m just thinking about the day so far.”

“Ah, okay. Just make sure you eat, because you haven’t touched your food.”

So that’s what alerted Momo, Sana registers. A part of her wants to laugh and say that it isn’t shocking that something food-related was what made her worried, but deep down she knows that Momo would have asked no matter what. Feeling the usual love for her friend, she picks up a piece of her chicken and offers it to Momo, who happily accepts without hesitation.

“Mina!” Nayeon blurts out suddenly, looking over to the spot beside Sana.

“Yes?” Mina replies, mildly surprised while picking up rice.

“Are you a cat or dog person?” The question is sudden and random enough that Sana almost snorts, and she realizes that she hasn’t been paying attention to the general table conversation whatsoever.

Mina grins, suddenly very vibrant. “I have a dog, actually!”

Tzuyu’s attention is immediately pulled away from Chaeyoung, and she asks with an interested grin, “What kind?”

“A Dachshund,” Mina proudly states, chin only subtly higher. “He’s older, though.”

“Damn!” Jeongyeon is shocked. “I really thought you were a cat person!”

Mina chuckles. “I get that a lot.”

“You owe me five bucks, babe.” Nayeon snickers, proudly bobbing her head in victory over some faux bet that Sana definitely did not pay attention to. Nayeon grins before continuing, “Dachshunds are so cute! Big dogs make me a little nervous sometimes, but I really do love dogs, especially the small ones. I have one, myself.”

The table somehow gets louder, much to Sana’s amusement despite the fact that she has no pet to contribute in the conversation. Names and breeds just fly out of the girls’ mouths while Sana and Jihyo share a sympathetic look with one another. They both love dogs, too, but they don’t own any. They’re more than familiar with Momo’s dogs, of course, but it’s a little overwhelming when arms are constantly leaning across the table to share saved photos of individual pets. Sana contains herself from yelling too loudly when she compliments particular pictures. And by particular, she means every single one because every exchanged picture of everyone’s dogs is insanely adorable.

It’s definitely the liveliest that Sana has seen of Mina, she realizes while watching the latter gleefully go through provided photos. Her eyes light up when talking about her dog, Ray, and how much she misses him even after only a day. They hang out in the same room whenever she’s playing video games, which is another fact that Sana finds to be an unpredictable surprise. Apparently, whenever Mina and her family would go on vacation, she would always come back and spend as much time with Ray as possible to make up for the days they lost being together. The shy smile and random bouts of self-conscious chortles while Mina talks about her dog are sweet, and the other dog owners at the table seem more than empathetic.

“I’ve been telling Sana to get a Shiba Inu for some time now,” Jihyo comments.

“Why that breed?” Chaeyoung asks, curious.

Momo laughs, gesturing to Sana’s face. “Doesn’t it suit her perfectly?”

Sana rolls her eyes but starts to giggle from embarrassment when she tries to imitate a panting dog. She’s surprised by the gentle pat on her head from Mina, who’s also laughing.

“I can see it,” she says, and Sana feigns a gasp.

“Wow, so none of you see me as a human being?” The held-back grins and stifled laughs as Sana scans everyone’s faces are enough for her to pretend to cry. “I’ve put my life on the line for each and every one of you, and this is what I get?! I see how it is.”

Chaeyoung snorts. “Excuse me? You did what now?”

“Please, I bet you’re probably the type that gets people to do stuff for you when you don’t want to!” Jeongyeon snorts, pointing a finger at Sana shamelessly. “That pouty face isn’t going to do !”

Momo bursts into laughter. “Spot on!”

It doesn’t bother her at all, but Sana continues to play up the whining and the mock offense as the girls joke about her being a weasel. Maybe they’re not exactly wrong, but it’s not like Sana has to admit it.

While the other girls laugh and move onto other topics, Sana’s head swivels toward Mina when she feels a light tap on her shoulder.

“For what it’s worth,” Mina grins, clearly stifling a soft laugh, “I thought it fit you because you’re cute.”

Sana wonders if the heat across her cheeks is too obvious. “Really?”

That wide, gummy smile should be illegal.

“Really, really.”
 

“Is it bad that I just want to go back and stay in bed?” Mina mumbles, but it’s loud enough for others to hear.

“Technically you can go back now if you want. But there’s going to be a celebratory first night bonfire,” Jihyo says, wrapping a supportive arm around Mina’s shoulders.

“Please come!” Sana says, her arm linked with Momo’s. “I’ve never been to a bonfire before! It should be a shared experience.”

Momo presses her cheek against Sana’s, teasing and drawling, “You just don’t want to be alone.”

“And what of it?” Sana whines, stretching her neck to move her head away from Momo’s face without having to let go of Momo’s arm.

“You should come, Mina,” Chaeyoung says, walking up to the girl’s free side and lifting her fist with exaggerated determination. The gesture makes Mina giggle, and she closes her fist to play along with the faux resolve.

“They have a bonfire every night,” Nayeon mentions, “so you can skip the other nights if you want. But come to the first one.”

Jeongyeon snickers. “What Nayeon says, goes. Don’t you know?” She nods to Mina. “But yeah, come.”

“Plus, there’s going to be s’mores.” Dahyun smirks. “You wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?”

“Wow, guys. You really want me to be there, I get it. Didn’t realize I was so wanted by so many,” Mina boldly jokes, earning the hearty laughter that follows from the rest of the girls, but her shy smile easily slips back. “I’ll come, though, in all seriousness.”

They jokingly let out a few “woo”s in response as they approach a huge bonfire out on the lake’s shore. The temperature begins to rise as they come nearer, and the orange glow gently kisses their bodies as they take their seats amidst the many other campers surrounding the fire. Jihyo sits beside Nayeon and Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung takes a seat next to Mina, and Dahyun rests comfortably beside Tzuyu. Their conversations feel too far for Sana to absorb anything, though. The crackling of the flames is louder than Sana has ever experienced from a domestic fireplace, and the embers sprinkling the wood are stunning in an almost glittery kind of way.

A few of the counselors walk around, offering the campers the ingredients to make s’mores, and Sana excitedly jabs a stick into a marshmallow. She feels proud of herself as she leans toward the fire, and Momo scoots closer to do the same.

“Sana.”

“Yes, dearest?”

“Do you feel something for Mina?” Despite the distracting sounds around them, Momo’s whisper is perfectly clear. There is a pause, one that Momo tries to fill. “I just want to know so that I can help you get alone time or something – wingman style.”

Sana can hear the smirk in Momo’s words, and she hits her friend on the shoulder. “Shut up.”

“But really. Do you?” The question is genuine, and memories of their years at school together pour into the silence. They’ve always enjoyed teasing one another, but they are still best friends through and through. Momo would be hurt if Sana kept a secret like that, especially if it was about her other friend.

A quick glance toward Mina, and Sana sees that she is happily chatting with Chaeyoung. The firelit glow suits her, Sana decides, and she is disappointed at the idea that Mina might skip the nighttime bonfires in the upcoming days.

Sana hums, turning the marshmallow. “Yeah, maybe a little. But I’m not in love with her or anything, you know. It’s nothing deep,” Sana says, before pausing to laugh at herself. She’s kidding no one by pretending that catching feelings in less than twenty-four hours isn’t already deep, arguably even a little weird. But she knows it’s not right to claim that, not now. “At least, not yet. She’s just super pretty and I really like how soft and timid she seems until she just, like, says something out of literally nowhere and suddenly she has this almost playful side, too. And did I mention she’s pretty?”

“Wow, all that in one day, huh?” Momo scoffs. “That’s impressive, even for you.”

Sana is filled with an urge to hit Momo with the marshmallow as she pulls it away from the flames, but that could burn, and so she refrains. “I’m surprised you don’t have feelings for her or anything after working with her for some time now. And swimming lessons!” She gasps scandalously, nudging Momo in the side. “Getting wet with a girl right under our noses, Momoring…”

There is a laugh, and Sana can tell that Momo has absolutely nothing to hide. “I have you, Jihyo, and Mina. I’m already the luckiest girl alive.” The words are playful, but there is a trace of sincerity that turns Sana’s head to Momo with puppy-dog eyes. She’s met with an eyeroll. “Ew, never mind.”

“Momo,” Sana drawls out, leaning against her best friend and rubbing her cheek on her shoulder affectionately. “I love you so much!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Momo smirks, pressing a kiss to the top of Sana’s head before leaning her head against the other’s. “Me too, buddy.”

Sana purses her lips but is unable to resist. “Wow, you love yourself so much? I didn’t know you were so conceited.”

Momo groans. “You ruined the moment.”

“Your marshmallow is what’s going to be ruined if you don’t stop burning it, sweetheart.”