It isn’t the camp’s morning alarm or the sound of birds that wakes Sana up on the second day. Instead, it is a shrill scream that almost has her falling off the top bunk.

Alerted into an upright position, her eyes dart around the cabin and it’s easy to see that the others are also awake and breathing heavily from the shock of the sound. There’s another scream from the same source, not quite as panicked but still a scary shriek to hear first thing in the morning. Sana blinks and leans over the edge of her bunk, noticing that Jihyo isn’t in bed. Suddenly, the fear bubbles into Sana’s throat.

“Jihyo!” she yells, hopping down from her bunk and running toward one of the two bathrooms, where the sound is coming from. She doesn’t register the hesitant “Wait”s that cry out from behind her via the rest of the girls, and it’s not until she’s already two feet into the bathroom that she realizes that she should have knocked.

“Sana!” Jihyo yells, quickly twisting the shower curtain around her bare form, which is an endeavor that feels a tad pointless given Sana already got a clear flash of Jihyo’s essentials. “Close the door behind –” she begins to say, before yelping and jumping out of the shower, pulling the curtain off the rod and dragging it with her.

Sana shakes her head, collecting herself and closing the door. “What’s wrong?”

Jihyo whimpers and shuffles over to Sana in a hurry, landing in the girl’s arms. “Bug.”

“Bug? What kind of bug?”

“Centipede.” Jihyo shuts her eyes, cringing at the very name.

There’s a couple of knocks at the door, along with Jeongyeon’s, “Is everything okay?”

“No!” Jihyo immediately answers, but Sana pats her head.

“Jihyo says there’s a freaky bug! I think it’s in the shower?” Sana replies, uncertain of the location until Jihyo nods her head against her shoulder.

“What kind?!” Chaeyoung yells, curious.

“A centipede!” There are more than a few cries of disgust from behind the door.

Sana doesn’t like bugs any more than the average person, but a part of her is morbidly curious to see what it looks like. In truth, she doesn’t remember the last time she had seen a centipede. That is, assuming she’s ever seen one up close at all.

“Come out!” Momo says, “Let Jihyo use the other bathroom and we can get the bug.”

It’s not a bad idea. Sana grabs the towel from the bar and wraps it around Jihyo, taking away the curtain. She starts giggling to herself, suddenly, at the ridiculousness of the situation. Or maybe because she’s trying to cope with the idea of a huge bug being close by that she doesn’t want to see up cose.

Jihyo raises an eyebrow, taking a guess. “Is it funny that you saw me ?”

“Nothing funny about that,” Sana teases. “It wouldn’t be the first time, after all.”

“Ha… Ha.” Jihyo rolls her eyes, tucking the corner of her towel in so that it stays wrapped around her form. Sana is, of course, joking with the implication. The last time she saw Jihyo , it was simply because she had accidentally walked in on her changing during a sleepover. There may be a pattern there.

They exit the bathroom, with Jihyo giving everyone a brief wave before jumping into the other bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Dahyun clears once Jihyo is out of sight. “We’ve assigned two soldiers to this case.”

“Soldiers? To a case?” Mina raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t you mean ‘investigators,’ ‘officers,’ or something like that?” Sana asks, amused.

Dahyun hums, rubbing her chin. “Yes. Yes, that is what I mean. Well, more like hitmen. It’s too early to critique my roleplay, okay? But the point is, we’ve got the perfect duo for the job.”

“And who would they be?” Sana indulges.

Nayeon and Chaeyoung rush over from their separate bunks, donning white air masks and holding a broom and a pair of shoes, respectively. The visual is very goofy, especially when both girls are wearing colorful pajama shorts and pajama tanks with graphic designs and words on them including, but not limited to, puppies and pineapples, and maybe the words “bubble babe” on a certain someone’s rear end.

“I don’t see how this makes sense,” Tzuyu comments.

“Chaeng and I will straight up kill this !” Nayeon says confidently, hitting her own chest for effect, though the muffled volume through the mask takes some of the power away. Nonetheless, she uses both hands to enthusiastically pump the broom in the air. “No one messes with Jihyo!”

Jeongyeon snorts. “But you hate bugs, babe.”

“And?! Someone’s life is on the line!”

“She’s literally safe in the other bathroom…”

Tzuyu turns to Chaeyoung, an eyebrow raised. “I thought you liked critters?”

“Centipedes are barely bugs, let alone critters!” Dahyun cuts in, as though offended by Tzuyu’s hesitance. “They’re practically evil alien snakes, with legs!” The alien comment is enough for Tzuyu to roll her eyes and go back to her bed, as well as Momo. Neither seem to have any faith or interest in the supposed plan.

Chaeyoung’s response is delayed but still directed to Tzuyu, “And it attacked Jihyo.”

The two warriors file into the quarantine, closing the door behind them and stuffing paper against the bottom of the door to prevent all manner of escape. Sana presses her ear against the door, beckoning for Dahyun and Mina to join her as the bug battlers start a ruckus almost as soon as they disappear behind the door. Jeongyeon leans against the wall, arms folded, with a look that has Sana thinking that she almost expects something bad to happen.

“This is so funny,” Dahyun says with a soft chuckle.

Sana sticks her tongue out. “You’re lucky that you’re not in there.”

“Joke’s on you, because I’m not afraid of bugs.”

“Then why did you send them in there?!”

Dahyun shrugs. “They volunteered.”

It is evident that things are falling and clattering onto the tiled ground inside, and suddenly there is a scream from behind the door.

“Ah, there it is.” Jeongyeon lets out a breathless laugh. “That would be my girlfriend.”

Sana smirks at her, looking her up and down while cocking an eyebrow. “You would know the sound, I’m sure.”

Jeongyeon looks like she might step over and give Sana a piece of her mind, but the sudden sound of what is clearly a tumbling person seems to stir her from malicious intent.

“Are you okay?!” Jeongyeon yells, joining the rest in pressing her ear to the door.

“Nayeon fe—” Chaeyoung begins to reply, before both girls suddenly starting shrieking.

Mina’s brow furrows. “They’re really having trouble over one bug.”

“You want to go in?” Dahyun retorts, teasing, and Mina quickly shakes her head.

The voices are clear through the door. “It’s on my goddamned back! Chaeng, kill it!”

“But then I’d hurt you! I’m not going –”

“Oh my god, kick me if you have to! Just get this thing off me!” Nayeon yells desperately, her voice shaking despite the volume.

There are a few smacks, thuds, and maybe a couple of yelps before the door slowly opens halfway in the wake of sudden silence. A mirthless smile rests on Chaeyoung’s face as she walks out with a tissue in one fist, the pair of shoes in the other, and her mask pulled down to her neck. Through the opening, Sana can barely make out toiletries strewn across the floor, shower curtain and broom included, and a seemingly defeated Nayeon with beads of sweat and a flushed, exhausted face. It’s very dramatic.

“I’m going to shower,” she says, and no one has the heart to say anything when she closes the door. Even Jeongyeon says nothing, staring wide-eyed and puzzled like everyone else lined outside the bathroom.

“Did you get it?” Momo asks from her bed, looking over to Chaeyoung as she throws the tissue into the garbage. The rest turn to the conversation, stepping away from the bathroom door and toward the only source of information.

Chaeyoung nods solemnly. “He’s dead.”

“What’s wrong with Nayeon?” Mina asks, though she’s not the only one with that question in mind.

“Well, she did fall down.” Suddenly Chaeyoung’s livelihood returns, and she begins to chuckle for whatever reason, as though a memory came back to her. “Unfortunately, when I killed the bug – per her own request by the way – it got messy, so she just wants to clean it off.”

Dahyun scoffs. “You can’t clean the blood off your hands from a murder, Chaeng.”

“You didn’t have to kill it,” Tzuyu reminds them from the side of the room, nose in a book.

Jihyo steps out of the second bathroom, hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a t-shirt over some shorts. Sana feels kind of guilty for already almost forgetting that this mess had started with Jihyo’s wild encounter in the first place, having been so absorbed in the antics of Nayeon and Chaeyoung.

“Wait, what time is it?” Sana asks, now aware that she has no idea when Jihyo initially woke her up. The rest of the cabin exchange confused looks amongst themselves, uncertainty plaguing them all, and it’s just as Momo takes out her phone that the camp’s morning alarm blares through the local intercom.

“7:30am,” they groan in unison.
 

“And it doesn’t explain why we need to be wearing swimsuits?” Sana inquires, feeling unenthused by the idea of a hike. The girls had already gone out for breakfast and were told by their counselor to make sure to put on swimsuits underneath their clothes.

Tzuyu shakes her head, pamphlet in hand. “It just says that we’ll be enjoying a nature walk.”

“They really think they can rope you in by giving ‘hike’ a prettier name, huh?” Dahyun mumbles, and Sana is happy that someone gets it. She leans on the younger girl as they walk, the two of them exaggerating their whining and whimpering on the way to the designated forest path.

Momo eyes the two. “Don’t encourage her, Dahyun. I have to deal with it enough at home, and this is supposed to be a getaway.”

Sana scoffs, lifting her head off Dahyun and snapping to Momo. “This isn’t a resort!”

“Didn’t you invite her?” Mina adds, contributing to Sana’s defenses and, perhaps, giddiness.

“It wasn’t just me!” Momo huffs. “Jihyo was the one who came up with the idea to begin with!”

Sana presses the back of her wrists to her hips, bending her knees now and again while shaking her in Momo’s direction, all the while singing, “You love me! You love me! You love me!”

“Alright, enough of that.” Jihyo laughs, giving Sana’s bum a light smack as they arrive at a large archway just outside the forest entrance. There are two counselors waiting for them, who quickly give a rundown of the hiking itinerary before asking the girls if they are ready. Their response is loud, albeit a bit hesitant, and they step through the archway and into the unknown.
 

It isn’t long before Sana can hardly see the entrance anymore from behind.

“Are you worried?” Mina asks, lagging behind a bit so that Sana, who has been overly concerned with the distance they’ve trekked, can catch up. Or, at the very least, that’s what Sana hopes is the truth.

“Huh?” Sana blinks, not really registering the question.

Mina rephrases, curiously, “Are you nervous about getting lost?”

“Nope!”

“Then why do you keep looking back?”

Sana scratches her cheek, a bit embarrassed. “I can’t stop thinking about how much we’ll have to walk back. I need to conserve my energy.”

“I’ve noticed that you keep talking about not wanting to run.”

“Good, because I don’t want to!”

Mina chuckles. “Do you get tired easily?”

“I don’t know,” Sana mumbles. “I’m in good shape, so that’s not really the issue. I just don’t want to.”

“Understandable,” Mina says, and Sana is thankful for the lack of judgment.

They are a couple of feet behind the rest of their cabin, but neither of them seem to mind moseying their way forward. She vaguely hears the words “mud” and “cabins” from the rest of Twice and the counselors, but she can’t make any sense of it from this distance. She’s fine with being focused on something – rather, someone – else.

Mina chortles, suddenly, before talking again, “Random fact about me, I guess, but I personally like to rest in bed as much as possible.”

Sana smiles, a bit surprised. “Is that why you wanted to skip the bonfire?”

“Yeah, but my s’more made it worth it.”

“Is there a reason why you like to lay down so much?”

Mina shrugs, her hands folding behind her back as they walk. “It’s just comforting, I think. Sleeping is a plus.”

“Ah, I have trouble sleeping,” Sana admits.

“Really? Do you get nightmares?”

“Not really. I just stay up really late, but it happens without me realizing a lot of the time.”

Mina frowns. “Did you sleep last night?”

“Well,” Sana sticks out her tongue, “I got four hours of sleep in, I think. It’s hard to tell because of the whole centipede thing.”

“You should sleep more.”

“It’s not like I want to stay up so late,” Sana whines.

There’s a brief pause. “Are you the type who has trouble sleeping alone?”

The question is simple, but something about it makes Sana feel a little nervous. It doesn’t help that Mina is unreadable both in expression and tone at this moment, and the relatively close proximity does nothing to calm the random nerves freezing beneath her skin. Her mind jumps to an image in the cabin, something a little too hopeful and maybe even inappropriate at this point in time – she can’t be that optimistic after only a day. It would be quite the jump for Sana to assume that this means what her mind is racing to think it means, so she settles for remaining present in the conversation.

She answers, “I’ve never thought about it being an issue with sleeping alone, now that you mention it. Do you mean with people in the room in general or do you mean in the same bed?”

“The latter,” Mina clarifies. “If being in the same room helped, then you probably would get more sleep since you’re in a cabin with multiple people.”

“Right, right. Then I wouldn’t know. Why, are you offering?” Sana makes sure to lace the tease with a mischievous tone, and the result is more than satisfactory: ears red, eyes slightly wide, a piece of hair tucked back, and a clearing of the throat. Admittedly, Sana wants to blush at the sight, because Mina is unfair with how pretty she is, but that would potentially make things awkward if Sana suddenly acts too serious or bashful. But then Mina decides to be slightly bolder.

“I wasn’t. But I’ll think about it.”

There’s something in Sana that feels like it short-circuits, and it doesn’t really help when Mina quietly decides to lean against her as they follow behind the rest of the girls. The movement is slow, nervous, and maybe a little awkward, but Sana doesn’t resist and eventually Mina’s stiff shoulders seem to relax.

“I-Is this okay?” Mina asks, suddenly, without meeting Sana’s gaze. “You do this with others, so I figured that this wouldn’t bother you.”

“Of course it’s okay,” Sana answers, maybe a bit too quickly, and tries to reaffirm that it’s alright by leaning her head on top of Mina’s in return. Given that this is something she’d normally do with her friends, Sana doesn’t feel too worried about anyone noticing or making any embarrassing comments about it.

A part of her itches to hold Mina’s hand but, despite it being something she’d easily do with most of her close friends, she doesn’t want to spoil the gesture. She wants it to feel special – if anything were to ever happen, that is.

“I don’t get to do this often, you know,” Mina whispers, looking down at the ground.

Sana isn’t exactly sure what she’s referring to. “Do what?”

“Be touchy with people, I mean.”

“Why not?” Sana asks, frowning at the words.

Mina hums, which Sana realizes is a pretty sound. “I don’t mind if people initiate it with me, but I have trouble starting it myself. But I think that, because I’m pretty quiet a lot of the time, no one is sure if it’s okay to approach me in that way. And that’s fair to assume, I think. But between me not doing it much myself and no one really initiating it, I don’t get opportunities like this too often.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if I could be as handsy with you as I am with Jihyo or Momo,” Sana admits. “I think I’ve been more physical with some of the others, too. I’m sorry if it came off personal – I would never isolate you like that. I just didn’t want to invade your space or make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay.” Mina makes sure to clarify, “I’m just speaking generally. Momo hugs me when she sees me at work, but it’s usually her that comes to me. She didn’t do it much when we first met, but she eventually understood me a little better. You hugged me yesterday and it was fine, so I just felt like making sure you knew that it’s okay to continue to be like that. But only if you want to, obviously.”

Sana smiles, rubbing her cheek against the top of Mina’s head with a giggle. “Well, now I know! Although, fair warning, now I might never let go.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Mina mumbles, quiet enough that Sana almost misses it.

She doesn’t respond, just in case Mina had intended for the words to go unheard. Plus, walking in silence seems to be comfortable between them, and Sana doesn’t want to ruin that by trying to pick apart Mina’s words and what they mean. But the fact that Mina would push herself to show Sana that they could be closer, even just physically, is something that she finds incredibly endearing, especially with how soft and awkward Mina had been. It’s an honest effort that Sana can appreciate, and she feels honored to be on the receiving end of it.

The sounds of cicadas buzz against her eardrums, and a part of her is beginning to think that the hike isn’t so terrible or even that tiring. Leaning against a cute girl is the kind of battery that Sana needs.

The counselors at the head of the trek blow a whistle before turning to the girls, and both Sana and Mina finally catch up after an amount of time that Sana can’t quite figure out amidst the gay blur she had been experiencing.

“Through these trees, we’ll be arriving at a swimming hole. This is where we will be for the afternoon, and we’ll enjoy lunch there as well before returning for dinner,” the counselors explain, and the swimsuits suddenly make a lot of sense. The girls seem excited at the prospect, but Sana is too focused on Mina’s warmth to really piece together what anyone in the group is babbling about.
 

The swimming hole is prettier than expected. A waterfall cascades down along dark rocks and into a sizable, clear pool, with a small shore of sand off to the side and a leaning tree with three rope swings dangling over the water on a very small cliff. There is a large, flattened boulder jutting out over the water from the opposite side, and Sana can only imagine people use it to dive into the water, too.

To Sana’s dismay, Mina straightens up with a smile. “This looks great!”

“Definitely,” Sana agrees, shedding the lingering disappointment in order to appreciate the surprise. The excitement inevitably catches up to her, and she starts bouncing more and more as she and Mina approach the sand alongside the rest of the girls. The counselors are gracious enough to spread out some large towels, and Sana takes the opportunity to stretch.

Sitting up, she removes her t-shirt as well as her denim shorts and smiles to herself when the sun kisses her exposed skin. She is donning a black, lacy bikini set that she considers her favorite.

“That’s a really pretty bikini,” Mina comments from the side, and Sana suddenly feels self-conscious. Looking over, there is a bashfulness to Mina’s expression, but her eyes seem genuinely serious about appreciating the set. “I don’t see many lace sets.”

Sana beams. “Thank you! I really love lace,” there is a sudden blush on Mina’s face that Sana doesn’t fully understand, “so this is one of my favorite pieces for the beach.”

“It’s great! I only brought a solid one with a matching pair of swims shorts. Yours is seriously pretty, though.”

Sana is about to make a joke about whether or not Mina wants to take her bikini for herself but, before she can convince herself that it’s an absolutely horrible decision, she finds herself quietly staring as Mina takes the opportunity to remove her own clothes. Her breath slows as a strange anticipation builds in her chest, watching as the fabric of Mina’s clothes ride ups and slowly reveals more of her bare body. If it isn’t for the fact that Sana knows better, she’d assume that this is a very purposeful attempt at torture.

Mina wasn’t lying about having a simple red bikini top and matching swim shorts, but Sana shamelessly soaks in her skin while the other isn’t looking. Unsure whether it’s the sun or the rush of her heartbeat, Sana ignores the heat on her face and composes herself just in time to meet Mina’s shy smile with her own.

“It still looks cute on you,” Sana compliments.

“Thank you,” Mina mouths, just as a familiar voice approaches.

“Hey,” Jihyo greets, walking over with Momo and kneeling beside Sana with a bottle in hand. “Come on, we’re going to do sunscreen now before we forget.”

“You, too, Mina. Then you can do mine.” Momo smiles. She shakes the bottle while lowering herself to kneel beside Mina, who flips onto her stomach and closes her eyes. Sana briefly makes eye contact with Momo, who points down at Mina’s back with a question lingering in her gaze. An educated guess, based on years of experience and obviously natural telepathy, has Sana feeling confident that Momo is offering the chance for Sana to apply the sunscreen onto Mina.

Sana shakes her head and flips onto her own stomach before closing her eyes. It’s cute that Momo would imply that getting to put sunscreen on Mina would be an adrenaline rush. This isn’t a movie, and Sana isn’t some kind of teenager, after all. Although, when the idea of rubbing her hands relatively near Mina’s thighs seeps its way deep into her head, she bites her lip and curses her own brief, homo hubris.

But she prefers to focus on Jihyo, whose hands have always been a comfort. Momo is the better masseuse, but Jihyo’s firm palms are always warmly welcomed against Sana’s back at any capacity, even if it’s just sunscreen.

“I think that’s enough,” Jihyo decides after another minute or so. “Will you help me with mine?”

The request feels silly to Sana because, duh, but she makes sure to grin and excitedly pat the towel once she sits up. She repeats the process on Jihyo relatively quickly, and both take the time to chat while applying the lotion to their fronts.
 

“Sana!” Chaeyoung shouts, briskly walking in their direction. There is an excitement in her smile, cheeks high and mouth slightly gaped.

Sana dramatically crosses her legs, eliciting a giggle from the shorter girl, before answering, “Yes?”

“Come swing with Tzuyu and I!”

“Ooh! Okay!” Sana grins, jumping up from the towel, but something clicks, like something is missing. “Why isn’t Dahyun joining you two?”

Chaeyoung scratches her chin. “The rope swing makes her nervous.”

“As long as she’s still having fun,” Sana mumbles, looking over and watching as Dahyun and Tzuyu splash each other in the water.

Chaeyoung grabs Sana’s hand and pulls her toward the swinging tree, calling for Tzuyu to come out and join them as they pass.

“I’ve never used a rope swing before,” Tzuyu comments once she catches up, and Sana can hear a hint of eagerness. She turns and grins at the smile on Tzuyu’s face, and she can’t help but poke the girl’s cheek. She rolls her eyes at Sana, but her lips don’t straighten from their positive curve.

“It’s fun!” Chaeyoung assures, grabbing the nearest rope. Tzuyu goes for the middle, leaving Sana with the one furthest away from the trunk of the tree.

“I only learned how to swim recently,” Tzuyu admits.

“Oh my god, you’re just like Momo!” Sana laughs. “That’s awesome; I’m glad you could learn before coming out to camp.”

“Thanks. It’s a useful skill, so it makes sense to try and take the chance to learn.”

It’s then that Sana picks up on a bit of commotion, and it isn’t long before she finds Nayeon and Jeongyeon pulling Dahyun toward the jutting boulder on the other side of the swimming hole from where they had entered. Dahyun’s face is contorted in discomfort, although Sana can tell that it is clearly joking and exaggerated, despite the distance. Jeongyeon seems to be the most amused, with Nayeon working hard to argue with Dahyun over whatever it is that they’re talking about. It’s difficult to distinguish exact words but Nayeon’s volume, Jeongyeon’s loud laughter, and Dahyun’s ridiculous faux whimpering are enough to catch anyone’s attention.

“Hey!” Nayeon shouts from across the swimming hole, pointing a finger at a slightly startled Chaeyoung. “Let’s jump at the same time!”

Chaeyoung responds with a thumb up, and the girls all stand at the ready. Mina, Momo, and Jihyo have already walked into the water, and are leisurely floating around while waiting for the others to join them from above.

Jihyo takes the liberty of yelling the countdown from below. “3, 2, 1 –“

Nayeon and Jeongyeon begin to run forward toward the end of the rock platform, Dahyun between them and gripping desperately onto their hands. Sana’s grasp on the rope tightens as she, Tzuyu, and Chaeyoung also begin to run toward the edge.

“— Jump!”

With squeals and shrieks of delight, six girls find themselves soaring through the air. It’s a fleeting sense of flight, and there is a pang of shame in the back of Sana’s mind at the idea that there is no camera around to capture the moment. Between the crystal-clear water and the waterfall backdrop, it would have made a great photo, Sana thinks, or even a cool painting.

There’s a brief moment in the air, when time seems to slow and nothing feels like it could possibly matter more than this, where Sana wonders what she’d be doing right now if she hadn’t agreed to attend camp this week. It would certainly be a boring week without Momo and Jihyo around, and she wouldn’t be doing anything exciting like this. In this moment, she’s happy.

The water suddenly engulfs her, the surface tension greeting her with a slap when her body enters the pool. There is a part of her that regrets not checking the temperature first, because she suddenly feels very cold, but she doesn’t fail to holler when she rises and pops her head out of the water.

“Whoa!” she exclaims, mostly to herself, before pushing her hair out of her face and mumbling, “That was refreshing.”

Chaeyoung surfaces, mouth gaping happily. “Wow!”

The rest of the leapers appear from underneath, shaking their heads or letting out small cries of adrenaline. Even Dahyun manages to suppress whatever fear gnawed at her from the high jump, and she doesn’t hesitate to start goofing around with Tzuyu and Chaeyoung in the water. Watching Tzuyu easily dunk Dahyun and Chaeyoung into the water whenever they try to splash her is wildly amusing.

“Please?” Sana hears Nayeon whine, and she turns to watch as Nayeon wraps her arms around Jeongyeon’s neck from behind.

“You’re too heavy.” Jeongyeon snickers, faking heavy breaths, even though she makes no attempt at moving away from her girlfriend.

Nayeon groans. “You always have to put on a show! We’re literally dating, so can’t you be a troll when I’m not around?”

“Sounds hard. I’m not so sure,” Jeongyeon says, pretending to reflect on the suggestion by pressing a finger to her chin.

“You’re always annoying me.” Nayeon rolls her eyes, taking it upon herself to hoist her legs up and wrap them around her girlfriend’s hips beneath the water.

Jeongyeon turns her head and gives Nayeon a quick kiss. “It’s because you’re my number one.”

The soft words automatically summon a goofy smile onto Nayeon’s face, her eyes squinting happily while she presses a kiss on Jeongyeon’s shoulder in return. It’s hard for Sana not to smile at the display, especially when Jeongyeon starts swimming around while continuing to carry her girlfriend on her back. They go off on their own for a bit to another end of the pool, but Sana figures that they just want to talk between themselves – or make-out. Both seem likely in Sana’s head.

When she turns back to the others, she’s surprised to find some of the girls getting into some kind of competitive formation.

“What’s happening?” Sana asks, drifting a bit closer to Jihyo and Mina. Chaeyoung is sitting on Tzuyu’s shoulders, and Dahyun is adjusting herself similarly on top of Momo.

“It’s finally time,” Dahyun says, deepening her voice for dramatic effect. “I, Tofu, will finally be taking down my arch-nemesis… the Strawberry Princess.”

“Where did those names come from?” Mina asks quietly, in an effort to not disturb Dahyun from her monologue, though Sana and Jihyo can only offer a shrug.

“And when I claim my victory,” Dahyun continues with a clenched fist, “I will eat all of the snacks in her suitcase!”

Chaeyoung points a finger at Dahyun, gasping in faux shock, “You wouldn’t dare!”

Tzuyu and Momo don’t seem to care much for the dialogue, barely looking amused while they wait for the two to finish their roleplay and start the game.

“Just go, already!” Jihyo complains, despite a smile.

Realizing Dahyun didn’t give her a legitimate answer, Sana tries again, “What are they doing?”

“They’re trying to see who will topple the other first,” Mina answers.

Finally, Chaeyoung and Dahyun grab at one another’s arms and shoulders. Their constant tilting and swinging seems to shock both Momo and Tzuyu, who struggle to keep their riders balanced as well as trying not to fall over on their own. It’s more amusing than Sana expected, but it could just be because the vigor of Chaeyoung and Dahyun trying to knock one another down looks so hilariously sincere. They’re giggling and yelling out random noises as they wrestle, and it inevitably infects Tzuyu and Momo with the desire to laugh and join in on the competitiveness. Eventually, though, someone has to lose.

Nayeon and Jeongyeon return just in time to watch Chaeyoung and Tzuyu stumble and fall into the water, splashing everyone. The audience laughs and claps as Dahyun flexes her muscles on top of Momo, who imitates the same muscular gesture. Sana wishes they were wearing matching sunglasses; it would look funnier.

“I knew I chose a winner!” Dahyun grins, drumming Mom’s head gently, who smiles gleefully at the praise.

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu rise to the surface, pushing their hair out of their faces before smiling at one another.

Tzuyu’s lips curve sheepishly. “I’m sorry we didn’t win.”

“It’s just for fun,” Chaeyoung laughs, putting a hand on Tzuyu’s shoulder. “Besides, they may have won, but you and I are still so much cooler.”

It's hard for Tzuyu to keep her grin from widening. “Definitely.”

“By the way,” Jeongyeon starts, grabbing everyone’s attention, “that tournament we’re doing tomorrow is going to be super dirty and kind of hard – just a warning. Nayeon and I did it last year when we came here.”

Nayeon leans against her girlfriend, pouting at the memory. “It would’ve been better if those two girls hadn’t been trying so hard to not try at all!”

Jihyo smiles. “We’ll do our best to make it up to your past selves.”

“You’re the only girl I trust, Jihyo.” Nayeon winks in the girl’s direction, much to Jihyo’s amusement.

“Tournament?” Sana finally asks, confused. When looking to her side, she can see that Mina is, too.

“I don’t think you were paying attention to the counselors during the hike portion,” Jihyo says to Sana, with a swift glance toward Mina before looking her friend in the eyes again. “There is a casual tournament tomorrow – a mud run.”

Sana is incredulous. “I missed that?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve zoned out,” Momo points out, helping Dahyun down from her shoulders.

“I don’t think I was paying attention either,” Mina admits, pursing her lips.

Nayeon eyes the two confused girls before speaking, “Then I’ll explain it. It’s like an obstacle course and a relay race had a baby. There are a bunch of obstacles across a long stretch, and every cabin is its own team and the teams all get their own lanes in the mud run. We need to get a small flag to the end before the other cabins in order to win, too. But it’s mostly mud, to make it harder.”

“Ew.” Sana scowls. “Why?”

“Apparently this camp does it during the co-ed season, so it’s just something they keep during any other season or week. No point in taking it out for no reason, I guess,” Jeongyeon says with a shrug.

“Is it mandatory?” Mina asks.

“Yep,” Dahyun answers, “since it wouldn’t be much of a tournament if it was optional during this week when there aren’t as many campers as a full season.”

“Are any of you getting sick? Can you cough into my mouth?” Sana asks, desperately, and the girls laugh. There is a frown on her face, because she sure as hell doesn’t want to go through mud. She prefers how it is now, with the nine of them hanging out in pretty, clear lake water and just enjoying the sun. No mud at all! Is that so hard? Is that so much to ask?

“They said the order is random, right?” Tzuyu asks, turning to Jihyo.

“Yeah, we won’t be able to pick who does what. So, I just hope we won’t get anything too crazy. Apparently, they change up some of the obstacles every year.” Jihyo idly puts her hands on her hips before muttering to herself, “I kind of want to win, though.”

“We will!” Momo smiles, catching Jihyo’s words and hugging her from the side. Jihyo dons a content smile, leaning back against Momo.

“Did you have fun when you guys played, at least?” Mina asks, looking back to Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon scratches her neck. “Yeah, but we were bummed out since two of our roommates weren’t trying.”

“It’ll be fun with us nine, I think,” Chaeyoung says, absentmindedly tapping at the water.

The girls don’t discuss it for much longer, though Sana isn’t sure if she’s grateful or not. On one hand, maybe she should be as mentally prepared as possible for a sudden tourney she apparently didn’t hear about but, on the other hand, she sort of wants to completely forget about it. Procrastinating on worrying about it sounds good, she tells herself. She can get nervous about it when the time comes.
 

Lunch consists of a variety of foods and no one hesitates to dig in. They had all played in the water for a while longer, between tossing around a beach ball and constantly splashing one another, but the counselors kindly brought and prepared their meal for the afternoon, so they had to stop.

Sana wonders why the feeling of her pruney fingertips feels weird and funny against soft bread.

“I miss homecooked meals.” Jeongyeon sighs from beside Sana, biting into some fried chicken.

“We’ve only been gone two days, babe.” Nayeon is sitting on the other end of Jeongyeon, leaning against the girl’s shoulder while eating a sandwich.

Sana nudges Jeongyeon with a smirk. “So, you’re the cook? How charming.”

Jeongyeon gives her an exasperated look before shaking her head with a chuckle. “No, I just mean from my dad. He’s a chef, so there’s always something nice at home. My mom owns a restaurant, too.”

Nayeon smirks. “So, you’re missing a certain standard of culinary luxury.”

“That’s not it!”

“I’m just messing with you,” Nayeon says, pressing a kiss against Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “I know you miss home.”

Sana feels as though her presence in the conversation has faded in place of a soft moment between the two, so she turns to Dahyun with a grin, who is sitting directly across from her on the towel.

“Did you feel better after jumping into the water, Dahyun?”

Dahyun looks up, slurping up a noodle. “Hm?”

“From the rock!”

“Oh, yeah! I actually like swimming, it’s mainly just heights that freak me out.” Dahyun shoots a glare toward Chaeyoung before saying, “The rope swings aren’t happening.”

Chaeyoung pumps her eyebrows with a cheeky grin before Dahyun shoves her gently.

“It’s okay, heights are bad,” Momo chimes in, and Sana feels a sense of déjà vu from the dance studio, when Momo’s inner banshee came to life at the mere idea of ziplining. “I freeze up with stuff like that.”

“Have you ever tried to push yourself?” Chaeyoung asks. “No judgment, just asking.”

Mina shakes her head. “I tried to get Momo on a diving board with me once and it didn’t end well.”

Jihyo mocks, “Did it begin at all, let alone end?”

“No,” Mina giggles, rubbing Momo’s back as the latter pouts, “she never made it on.”

Momo returns to scarfing down her food with a few inaudible grumbles, but Mina and Tzuyu continue to console her through sympathetic pats and rubs. Dahyun also seems to share some chicken with Momo in solidarity, and maybe Sana loves watching the scene unfold. There’s something inexplicable about it all, both in its warmth and lightheartedness, that makes her appreciate the moment for what it is. Something simple, something shared; not unlike a homemade meal.

Sana’s thoughts are interrupted when she feels a chip being gently pressed against her lips, and she turns to find Jihyo smiling at her along with the offer.

“Are you having fun?” Jihyo asks, chuckling as Sana animatedly eats the chip with a funny face.

Sana grins. “Maybe too much!”

“I’m glad you came, Sana.”

“I’m happy that you and Momo asked me to come!”

Momo’s head perks up at the sound of her name. “Are you talking about me over there?”

Sana winks. “Only about how much we love you!”

There’s a suspicious side-eye that Momo gives them before returning her head to Mina’s shoulder while eating. Mina catches Sana’s eye, and they exchange soft smiles for a fleeting moment.

“Things just don’t change with you two, huh?” Jihyo smirks, eating some veggies.

Sana shrugs, her attention restored. “Nothing to change when Momo and I are perfect as is. Plus, you’re the best mediator, so why worry about it?” The smirk elicits a small nudge from Jihyo, and then there is a brief pause.

“Let’s walk for a bit,” Jihyo says abruptly, standing up.

“Sure!” Sana says, grateful when Jihyo helps to pull her up. She dusts herself off and gives a small wave to the girls, though only Jeongyeon, Mina, and Tzuyu manage to notice the gesture and wave back.

They walk slowly, only managing to make it to the edge of the water. It’s nice to let their feet rest at the shallow edge.

“How’s it going with you-know-who?” Jihyo whispers suddenly. It makes Sana want to laugh, considering the conversation she had with Momo the previous night. Is she that obvious, or had her best friends been plotting to ask about it behind her back?

“How am I supposed to know who or what you’re talking about?” Sana teases, making the mistake to glance back toward the towels at Mina, who seems to be talking to Tzuyu over Momo’s head.

“That.” Jihyo snickers, pinching Sana’s cheek. “You can’t even keep your eyes off her when her name is mentioned. Do you think your lazy stroll on the way up here went unnoticed?”

Sana pouts, turning back to Jihyo. “Lazy? You don’t know how hard it is for me to walk! It’s a condition.”

“Is that all you got from that?”

“No… But is my stalling working?”

“No.” Jihyo chuckles. “Do you want my advice?”

Sana tries for the most innocuous expression she can muster. “Not if it’s going to be bad.”

“No, of course not,” Jihyo says softly with a smile, removing her hand from Sana’s cheeks in order to rub her arm reassuringly. “I think you should go for it.”

Sana jokingly gasps, remembering their conversation on the bus. “You are supporting me!”

“It’s what I do best, after keeping you and Momo out of trouble.”

“I’ve never been in trouble once in my life.”

Jihyo rolls her eyes before continuing, “I could be imagining it, but that girl has barely touched anyone but you and Momo, and Momo has been her coworker for months. I saw her sneak over to you last night at dinner when you were getting your food. Mina barely knows you, and she’s already gravitating toward you,” she shrugs, “just saying. You’re not the only one close to Momo, you know. She’s been friendly to me and all, but it’s not even a fraction of the same energy that she has with you – not that I mind, of course. It’s cute.”

Sana blushes, pursing her lips and remembering her conversation with Mina on the way to the swimming hole. “Is that how it looks?”

“I think there’s something there.”

“I may have imagined it, but I think she was flirting with me earlier.”

“Really?” Jihyo asks, eyes wide in surprise. “She doesn’t seem as forward as you.”

Sana bites her bottom lip, trying to think before speaking, “I have definitely said some things to her, but sometimes it’s me just saying what comes naturally or me deflecting something in my head. You know how I am. And she has these really cute reactions – the bashful kind, you know? But then I think it’s over, like I’ve said my piece and got a satisfactory response. And then she just says something to add to it. And it’s so adorable, because it’s like I can tell that she’s not in her comfort zone but she’s trying to be and—”

“Alright, Romeo,” Jihyo interrupts, chuckling and grabbing Sana’s shoulders. “It’s been two days and you’re already in deep. Just keep talking to her and shoot your shot.”

Sana giggles. “Momo talked about making alone time for the two of us.”

“I know.” Jihyo winks. “She told me.”

“So you two do talk about me behind my back!”

“Of course,” Jihyo says, kissing Sana’s cheek. “It’s our favorite thing to do.”

“Bullies,” Sana whines with a side-eye, much to Jihyo’s amusement.

“You look like Momo when you do that.”
 

The walk back to the campgrounds feels a lot shorter than it had on the way up, but Sana thinks it could just be because of the way she had soaked in every minute with Mina when they had walked together. The returning journey was less intimate, however, with Dahyun and Chaeyoung trying to show her some raps that they made back in high school, though Sana can only blame herself for inquiring about it when the topic came up. She didn’t mind, though. The two girls are surprisingly good.

She frowns now, looking up at the sky. It seems significantly cloudier, with barely any blue in sight, and things are beginning to feel darker. It makes her nervous.

“That’s not good,” she mumbles to herself.

The counselors explain to the girls that they have returned earlier than anticipated and, therefore, have time to participate in an activity of their choice before dinner.

“Jihyo!” Nayeon grins, quickly linking her arm around her target. “You’ll join Jeongyeon and I for ceramics, right?”

Jihyo spares a glance to Sana and Momo, who both nod, before chuckling. “Absolutely. I’d love to see you two fight over wet clay.”

“Wow, Jihyo. The kinks you’re into are kind of niche, aren’t they?”

“Just ignore Nayeon. That’s what I do,” Jeongeyon says, linking her arm on the opposite side of Jihyo, and Sana bites back a laugh when the two girlfriends practically drag her best friend away, not unlike the way they did with Dahyun at the swimming hole.

“Isn’t that a little suspicious?” Mina asks quietly, sharing an amused look with both Sana and Momo.

Momo hums. “Guess we’ll find out when she doesn’t make it back alive.”

Sana exaggerates a scandalized gasp. “What if they’re into Jihyo? Maybe Nayeon really is like that!”

“Like what?” Mina chuckles. “Ridiculous?”

Momo leans in between the three of them, whispering for the sake of the younger girls not too far from them, “I think Sana means ‘.’”

Mina blushes, swatting Momo’s arm. “Stop! I know what she meant, I was joking!”

Momo gapes. “What?! Sana is the one who said it!”

Sana rubs her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “They want a three... what’s that called? Three-mix? Three-way?”

“?” Mina reluctantly adds, sighing.

“Yes! That’s it.” Sana grins, much to Mina’s eyeroll. Sana already knew, of course, but she just wanted to see if she could get it out of someone else’s mouth.

“What I meant was that the way they just whisked her away seemed weird,” Mina clarifies, done with the slightly more risqué conversation.

Momo shrugs. “I feel like I’m dragged by Sana everywhere, so it doesn’t seem weird to me.”

“Can I just remind you that you invited me here?” Sana says, scoffing.

“No.”

“It was a rhetorical question!”

“What are you guys doing?” Dahyun’s voice abruptly breaks through their weirdly hushed huddle.

“Nothing!” All three of them manage to reply in unison, straightening up and turning around at the question as if they hadn’t been potentially discussing something mildly explicit even for a second.

The three younger girls stand there, eyebrows raised or furrowed amongst the three of them almost instantly at the weird reaction.

Tzuyu clears . “What are you doing for your activity? That’s what Dahyun meant.”

“Oh!” Sana giggles, bringing a finger to her lips. “Oops! Why, what are you doing, Tzuyu?”

Tzuyu’s eyes crinkle a bit. “Drawing. Do you want to come with us?”

“Sure!” Sana beams, thankful for any excuse to not have to admit what she and her two friends were talking about moments before. She hops over to Tzuyu and Chaeyoung, grabbing their hands excitedly. They don’t resist or seem to mind, as far as what Sana can guess from their bashful smiles.

Dahyun frowns. “Hey, I was a part of it, too!”

“Nope,” Momo says, grabbing Dahyun by the sleeves and pulling her away. “You’re with Mina and I now.”

“What are you two even doing?! You never answered my question!”

Mina offers an apologetic smile, despite also pulling Dahyun by the fabric of her sleeve. “We still don’t know.”

“I was the one who suggested drawing for Chaeng! I had a plan! I asked! How am I with you two now?” Dahyun whines, getting further and further away as Sana watches her become another victim to be dragged away. “We don’t have to be so evenly distributed in threes! It’s too convenient!”

It’s the last cry of distress Sana hears from Dahyun before she, along with Momo and Mina, fades into the distance.
 

“You know, I’m not great at this, but I will admit I feel very relaxed!” Sana says, smiling to herself when she draws another heart on the paper in front of her. She, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu are sharing a round table together in the drawing and painting room of the camp’s art annex. It’s a colorful and bright room, lit well regardless of the cloudy sky outside, and there are drawing and painting supplies lining the walls along with many types of papers and posters. Initially, she thought they would be forced to draw something specific as a group along with the other campers in the room, but it turns out that another perk of going to the college-age week is that campers can do mostly what they want within the parameters of the activity.

“It’s freeing,” Chaeyoung mumbles, engrossed in her drawing. Sana tries to peek, but she can’t make much sense of it from an upside-down perspective.

Tzuyu has a small smile while she doodles onto her sheet. “It’s fun.”

Sana can see that Tzuyu seems to be drawing various dog shapes, with bones and hearts, and a part of her wants to burst at how cute it is. Mina wasn’t exaggerating when she said Tzuyu seemed to love dogs back in their high school days. A part of her wants to ask Tzuyu about Mina and their club, but she doesn’t want to interrupt the activity with a full conversation. Chaeyoung is too into what she’s doing for Sana to want to feel like a distraction.

So, she goes back to drawing random things that she likes. Hearts, lollipops, noodles, perfume bottles, witch wands, and other such things, as shakily done as they are. It’s kind of nice, she thinks. Sana isn’t one to doodle out of boredom, simply because she doesn’t feel that it’s her thing but, in this moment, she can’t deny that it’s a pleasant experience that she kind of wishes she did more often.

She spares a few worrying glances out the window occasionally, but there is nothing concerning as of yet. But the gradient in the sky concerns her. She isn’t sure if she should expect there to be a bonfire tonight, but maybe it’s nothing but clouds. Glancing over toward some counselors sitting by the front desk of the room, she reminds herself that there would be a staff announcement if the fire is to be cancelled. A part of her wishes they would bring up a cancellation, though, just so that she could stop feeling anxious about what the clouds might entail.

“How does this look?” Chaeyoung asks suddenly after a few minutes, and both Sana and Tzuyu turn their attention toward her. Sana is surprised to see a singular thing on the paper, given how long Chaeyoung had been drawing, but something about it draws her eye right away.

“Is that a ‘T’ mixed together with a ‘W’ or am I imagining it?” Sana asks, staring.

Chaeyoung grins. “You got it!”

“Oh, nice!” Sana beams, feeling victorious, even though she doesn’t fully understand the imagery. “Is this a symbol from something? I’ve never seen it, but I like the way it curves and stuff.”

“Tzuyu actually inspired it,” Chaeyoung says, turning to Tzuyu, who blinks and seems shocked. “It’s for ‘Twice!’”

Sana’s smile softens. “Our cabin?”

“I know that Tzuyu said it was simple, but I actually kind of think it’s cool.” Chaeyoung continues to hold up the drawing toward Tzuyu, whose bashful, surprised smile warms Sana’s heart. “What do you think? I know you weren’t thinking too deeply about the cabin name anything, but I really did like what you came up with. It just made sense. I don’t know.”

Tzuyu seems to struggle to push past her surprise for a moment before eventually saying, “I really like it,” with a big, unabashed smile.

Sana feels delighted. “So, this is like a logo for the nine of us?”

“Yeah! We’re going to have to be a team tomorrow for that tournament anyway, and every sports team has a logo or symbol. Why not?” Chaeyoung shrugs, grabbing some colored pencils, before mumbling to herself again, “Maybe I’ll fill it in with a rainbow gradient.” And just like that, she’s lost again in the picture.

“You’re awesome, Chaeng,” Sana whispers.

“What’d you say?”

“The truth,” Tzuyu says with a giggle, sharing a knowing smile with Sana before they return to their individual pictures.
 

Dinner is not unlike the previous night, where the nine girls sit around and happily eat their food around their table while chatting about what may be arguably considered nonsense. There is a noticeable increase in food sharing and exchanging across the whole table, and Sana thinks about how interesting it is for everyone to have their own unique tastes along with the ones that overlap. It reminds her of the brief conversation she had with Jeongyeon earlier in the day, and she tries to imagine what each of the girls are used to eating at home.

There are a lot of questions that have been forming in her mind, she realizes, regarding these relatively new friends. How did Nayeon and Jeongyeon get together, and what are they like without one another? Did Dahyun and Chaeyoung meet as neighbors or as schoolmates, and when did they start enjoying rap together, of all things? What was Tzuyu’s childhood like, for her to grow into such a proper yet unbelievably adorable human, and what made her love dogs so much? What was Mina’s life story, and why could Sana sometimes only see her when the nine of them were together? But maybe that’s a little too much for her to think about while swallowing down rice and simultaneously noticing that Mina is glancing her way, so she focuses on what everyone did during their activity slot, instead.

Jihyo says that doing ceramics with Nayeon and Jeongyeon is an unforgettable experience, if only for the unnecessary amount of wet clay that ends up on the smocks of everyone within a small radius. The two supposedly still bicker, but when surrounded by less friends they are apparently flirtier, and Sana isn’t sure if she wants to see more flirtation than she already has. In fact, she thought the bickering was part of the flirting, so the implication by Jihyo that it can reach an entirely different level is somewhat unsettling. Reliably, of course, Jihyo is unfazed and is happy to share a picture of the little pot she has waiting for her tomorrow back at the kiln.

Dahyun proudly announces that she and Mina had the best cookies among the campers who had been with them when they went to do baking. Momo jokes that she made aggression cookies in honor of her feelings toward Sana, but a quick smack to the arm forces Momo to admit that she only did them because the counselor said they would be the easiest to make from scratch. But she says that Dahyun’s white chocolate and Mina’s milk chocolate chip cookies were worth going for, in the end. And the bashful, giddy smiles from both Dahyun and Mina as they hand out the cookies speak volumes in how proud they are of their work.

Everyone is more or less amused or struck with an instinctive “aw” at the sight of Tzuyu and Sana’s pictures, though Tzuyu’s obvious canine theme elicits a few more happy squeals than Sana’s random bombardment of items and shapes, but she’s okay with it. When Chaeyoung whips out her Twice logo, beautifully filled with the rainbow gradient she had intended, there are many claps and grins from across the table as she explains the purpose behind it. She seems more than happy with the reaction, and Nayeon immediately offers for them to hang it above their door when they get back to the cabin later tonight. Tzuyu is the first to agree with the idea, and no one else says otherwise.

“We should make shirts or tank tops with the logo, too. Whatever we end up wearing,” Dahyun suggests, nudging Chaeyoung proudly.

“For tomorrow?” Jeongyeon asks, and Dahyun nods. “That does sound like a good idea. We can probably dye something tonight and have it dry by then. I can stop by the rec center later and see if they have tank tops available, because they definitely have a fabric printer.”

Mina frowns. “Isn’t the mud going to ruin them? I don’t want us to ruin your logo the first time we use it.”

“It’s okay,” Chaeyoung assures. “I kind of like the idea of us matching. Even if we don’t win, we’ll be the coolest cabin for looking like an actual team.”

“I like your thinking, kid,” Nayeon starts, before leaning into the table, “but we are going to win.”

Chaeyoung chuckles. “Right, of course.”

“We’re going to win and make sure we give the elders here the redemption they deserve,” Jihyo jokes, gesturing to Nayeon and Jeongyeon, who fail to hold a glare before breaking into amused grins.

“It’s just a fun obstacle course!”

“We’ll win,” Tzuyu says, calmly and confidently while eating.

Momo snorts. “Now, if she says it, we have to win.”

Chaeyoung holds her hands up in defeat, smiling despite herself. “Fine, fine! I’ll put in the effort but don’t expect me to go above and beyond what I have to. I made the team logo, so I did my time.”

“Me, too,” Sana cuts in, imitating Chaeyoung’s gesture. “I want to have fun, but I hope I get the least exhausting thing. I’m a better cheerleader than I am an athlete!”

“You act like you’re out of shape!” Dahyun laughs, slightly incredulous.

Sana shoots her a pointed look. “I can be in-shape and lazy, Dahyun!”

Mina chuckles. “It’s true, I like to lay down all day if possible.”

“Where is the competitive spirit here?” Nayeon whines, picking up Chaeyoung’s drawing and gently shaking it in front of everyone’s face. “Do it for Twice! Do it for this sick logo that Chaeyoung slaved over!”

“Are you trying to use my own drawing to guilt me?!” Chaeyoung asks in disbelief, half-laughing through her words with a gaping mouth.

“Yes! I am!”
 

Sana can’t help but feel suspicious when Jeongyeon takes a seat next to her on the log when they’ve arrived at the bonfire. Jeongyeon even readies her marshmallow and stick without a word, acting as though she isn’t casually sitting beside the wrong girl.

“Are you confused?” Sana asks, bluntly.

Jeongyeon turns to her and blinks. “What?”

“Your girlfriend is over there,” Sana says, pointing over at Nayeon, who is sitting next to Jihyo on a different log.

“Your point?” Jeongyeon raises an eyebrow, though there is a glint of amusement in her eye.

“You could be sitting with her.”

Jeongyeon snickers. “You know we’re not connected at the hip, right?”

It isn’t as though Sana thinks that they should always be with one another, but something doesn’t feel organic about this seating choice. “So, you’re sitting here because you’re a big fan of mine?”

“Well, we are cabin mates.”

“Friends,” Sana clarifies, and is happy when Jeongyeon offers a small smile in return.

“Friends.”

“You’re so sweet! Now, since we’re such good, established friends, I’m guessing you’ll have no trouble telling me why you’re sitting here right now.”

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes. “You and Nayeon should hang out more.”

Sana gasps. “Are you calling me competition against your girlfriend?”

She’s surprised to hear a snort – maybe even slightly offended.

“What’s that reaction supposed to mean?!”

“I know you’re kidding, but have you been around Nayeon, like, at all?” Jeongyeon laughs, leaning in and extending her marshmallow into the flames. There aren’t as many campers out tonight, though Sana isn’t surprised, given the ominous sky. She, too, leans in with her own marshmallow and tries not to think about the disappointing fact that Mina decided to stay back at the cabin after all.

“Yeah, and?”

“She’s relentless.” The monotone in Jeongyeon’s voice makes Sana laugh, causing Nayeon to squint in their direction for a moment, as though by instinct. Jeongyeon merely waves, and Nayeon looks her up and down before continuing to talk to Jihyo.

“Just seemed random,” Sana mumbles, twirling her stick and returning to the original topic.

“I just think this cabin is actually worth getting to know better, you know?” Jeongyeon says quietly, her eyes focused on her marshmallow. It’s earnest, and Sana can’t help but appreciate the implied compliment.

“You two are hilarious. Great first impression.” Sana chuckles, recalling how lunch went the day before. Had it only been yesterday? It feels as though she has known them for much longer.

Jeongyeon smirks. “We try, I guess. I think after last year, we just want a better time than what we had.”

“Ah, with the homophobic girl, right?”

“Right. But Nayeon was telling me as soon as your friend group came in yesterday morning that she had a good feeling about everyone.” Jeongyeon shrugs. “She wasn’t wrong. And I can tell how much she likes everyone already.”

Sana pouts, overcome with emotion. “Aw, Nayeon…”

“Don’t tell her I said that,” Jeongyeon says with the smirk still on her face, and she pulls the stick back to blow at the fiery marshmallow.

“And what about you? Do you like everyone?”

Jeongyeon bites the marshmallow and merely turns her head to raise an amused eyebrow at Sana, as though the question should have an obvious answer. She chews silently, and Sana smiles. Perhaps Jeongyeon is the type who struggles with verbal sentiment, which is something that Sana feels may not be as big of an issue for someone like Nayeon. Maybe they complement one another in that way. She couldn’t be sure, of course, given that it’s only been two days since the cabin had come together. But she can see Jeongyeon’s answer in her crinkled eyes, and she figures that she doesn’t need to necessarily hear a yes or a no. It’s obvious.

“How did you two get together?” Sana asks, taking the opportunity to get a burning question out of the way. Jeongyeon hums while she finishes eating her marshmallow, giving Sana the time to take her own out of the fire and start eating it.

Jeongyeon clears , putting her stick to the side. “It’s kind of stupid, actually.”

Sana holds back a laugh since is full, because she isn’t shocked by the idea that it could be, but she gestures for Jeongyeon to go on.

“It’s literally just,” Jeongyeon shakes her head, trying not to laugh at a memory that Sana can’t see, “I kept ending up in Nayeon’s classes by coincidence. And I don’t mean for one semester, I mean for three consecutive semesters we coincidentally had every class together; five classes each time. So, one day she just decides to sit next to me – in the beginning of the day, mind you, which meant I had to see her for the rest of the afternoon – and says something ridiculous about, like, ‘Okay. Now I’m just annoyed. I can’t decide if you’re a creep or if this is fate, so it really better be the latter or I’m dropping out of this hellhole and getting a restraining order.’ And, keep in mind, I had noticed she was in my class every time, but it was hard not to when she was this loud, boisterous girl in the back row while I always sat quietly at the front. I didn’t care about her – at least, not in the same way that she had apparently been caring about me, I guess, and she just suddenly inserted herself into my life.”

It's a bit surprising how invested Sana feels in the story. It’s already sounding as ridiculous as she could’ve really expected from a pair like Nayeon and Jeongyeon, and it’s very cute to watch Jeongyeon try her best to look exasperated and exhausted by the antics of Nayeon in the past. It’s clearly a poor attempt at a front, though, given the way that Jeongyeon’s face betrays a sincere fondness that no amount of teasing can erase. Maybe, at the time, it genuinely had been some crazy thing that Jeongyeon was going through, but it’s clear now that it’s a story told affectionately in hindsight.

Jeongyeon chuckles, continuing, “What am I supposed to do with that, you know? I vividly remember just staring at her, wide-eyed, and feeling absolutely baffled that she could really be sitting there, in earnest, and calling me a potential creep or a factor of fate as if she didn’t just shove herself into my bubble with this ridiculous combination of words that she just spewed out of . I asked her, so bluntly, if she was feeling okay and she just groaned and left. Left! As if she didn’t just initiate that whole thing. Then the next class, while I’m still dealing with the mental gymnastics of the aftermath, she comes to me again and – much more shyly – goes, ‘I was trying to imply you’re hot. You’re gay, right?’”

Sana bursts into laughter. “How was that implied at all from what she said?”

Jeongyeon’s eyes widen, grateful for the understanding. “Yes, exactly!”

“What did you do?”

“I left the classroom and just skipped the rest of my courses that day. I feel like a jerk sometimes when I think about it, for how badly that probably freaked her out, but at the time it was just so insanely surreal that I couldn’t process any other method of dealing with it. Ask her, and even she’ll tell you that it was crazy, even for her – so it’s not just me! But we’re also talking about someone who leaves her glasses in the fridge by accident, so I guess nothing is really off the table.”

“She does what?”

Jeongyeon laughs. “You heard me. Anyway, she sends me an email through our school site later that night with this huge message that included an apology and some surprisingly sweet things. It felt like a completely different personality than that person who had sat next to me, so I said we could go out for coffee. Next thing you know, we’re sitting with one another in every class and continuing our accidental tradition of always being in the same courses, and the rest is history, I guess. I still ask myself how the hell she won me over, but I guess it’s too late, huh?”

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Sana says, as sincerely as she can with a smile. “I genuinely loved that story so much. Not sure I’ve heard a better origin story for a couple, honestly.”

Jeongyeon chuckles. “No problem. It’s one of those ‘-show’ stories, almost. At least your story will be cuter.”

Sana blinks. “What story?”

“Of how you and Mina met, right?”

Jeongyeon’s smirk grows almost devilishly wide when Sana breaks into a cold sweat, completely freezing up on the log. A part of Sana wants to desperately believe that she somehow hallucinated the words right out of Jeongyeon’s mouth; that somehow her constant thinking about Mina has somehow manifested itself into her external interactions and has begun projecting onto other people in the form of delusions. And, despite how insane any of that would be, she wonders if it’d still be better than the embarrassment currently heating up her face as Jeongyeon watches her, that knowing smirk still plastered onto her face.

“Hey, ladies,” Nayeon greets as she suddenly walks over to their log, giving them a wave that Jeongyeon returns before standing up. “Are you ready to get the tank tops?”

“Yeah, I was just telling Sana about how you and I met,” Jeongyeon says, winking at her girlfriend.

“Oh!” Nayeon laughs, although it sounds somewhat bashful. “How bad did you make me sound this time?”

Jeongyeon sticks her tongue out. “Horrid.”

Nayeon shoots her a very sarcastic and cheeky smile. “Great.”

“It’s a good story, honestly,” Sana manages to choke out, barely able to clear . She doesn’t miss the way Jeongyeon swiftly whispers something into Nayeon’s ear, only for the latter to give Sana a knowing smirk of her own that is somehow worse than Jeongyeon’s.

“Feel free to talk to us anytime, Sana,” Nayeon drawls, before pulling Jeongyeon along with her as they turn to walk away from the bonfire.

Watching them walk away, hand in hand, is normally a sweet sight. However, Sana can’t escape the overwhelming feeling that she has been defeated by a deity of some kind, something with power beyond her own recognition, and she isn’t sure how to feel. There is no way that Momo or Jihyo would say anything to anyone from the cabin, even if they are becoming fast friends.

Sana sighs, suddenly overwhelmed by how much she wants to talk to Jihyo or Momo, regardless of whether or not it’s about everything or nothing. She tries to turn to them for support, but she finds herself shocked that all but one of the other Twice girls have gone back.
 

“Hi,” Tzuyu greets quietly after a few minutes, walking over and taking a seat beside Sana with a bag of marshmallows and s’more ingredients in hand.

Sana makes sure to collect herself, for the other’s sake. “Hey! I didn’t know how much you loved these.”

Tzuyu tries not to smile too widely while putting a new marshmallow on a stick. “I do love them.”

“They’re great! Although, I’ve only had the appetite to eat one both yesterday and tonight,” Sana says, though deep down she knows it’s because both nights have been centered around the same subject, and any desire to eat something sticky becomes unappealing when lost in deep thought.

“If you’re feeling hungrier in a bit, we can share,” Tzuyu offers.

Sana beams. “You’re so sweet, thank you!”

Tzuyu subtly shakes her head. “It’s the polite thing to do.”

There is a cuter sense of focus from Tzuyu when it comes to twirling the stick in the flames, at least compared to Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon had been very focused and careful about timing, sure, but Tzuyu seems almost fascinated by the way the marshmallow roasts slowly in the fire, her concentration clearly aiming for a perfect level of toasting while appreciating the methodology and beauty behind it, as though it were magic.

“You said that you hadn’t been to a camp before, right?” Sana asks, remembering that Jihyo had asked the younger kids the day before.

“Nope.”

“What made you want to come here, then?” Sana asks, genuinely curious. “You’re the only one in our cabin who didn’t come with another person.”

“My parents saw an ad for it and wanted me to do something fun this summer,” Tzuyu says, before pouting. “If they allowed dogs, I would have brought Gucci.”

Sana chuckles, patting the girl’s back. She clearly missed her dog, if last night’s pet-owner conversation was any indicator. “I know how much you love dogs, especially your own. In fact, Mina mentioned to me that you two were in the same club in high school!”

Tzuyu grins at the mention, looking back to Sana. “It’s true. We volunteered at shelters. I really loved it, but they don’t have anything like that on my campus. I wanted to try working at the local shelter this summer, but my parents are encouraging me to try and have fun while I still can before worrying about working.”

“They don’t know how much you love pets?” Sana blinks, surprised.

“I think they’re afraid I’ll get rabies by accident. But I don’t care.”

“Oh wow! I didn’t know you were so brave.”

Tzuyu shrugs. “Maybe. But yeah, I do remember Mina. We didn’t talk, though. I know that I’m a quiet person, and she was too, at the time. But she seems more extroverted than before, so I’m happy for her.”

If she did everything that her gut told her, then Sana would take the current opportunity to learn more about Mina. But she likes Tzuyu, and knows that she is worth knowing just as much as any of the girls, even if she’s the youngest or quietest of them all.

“How are you so cute?” Sana grins, leaning against Tzuyu and giving her a hug. The younger girl tries to hold a glare in Sana’s direction, but it barely manages to stay before Tzuyu has to shake her head and bite back a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, trust me,” Sana says, watching as Tzuyu pulls back the marshmallow and carefully squishes it between some chocolate and graham crackers.

Tzuyu turns her head a bit to look at Sana on her shoulder. “Do you want a bite?”

Sana shakes her head, a dumb smile on her face. Tzuyu rolls her eyes and eats the s’more.

“Why did you stay behind?” Tzuyu asks. “You don’t even want to eat.”

Sana giggles. “Maybe I just didn’t want to leave you alone!”

“You seemed surprised when I walked over.”

“Maybe I just like to think.” Sana shrugs, sad that the girl had recognized that Sana had been surprised and not even entertaining the idea that her senior could be looking out for her.

Tzuyu hums. “I like to think, too.”

Sana wipes a couple of crumbs off Tzuyu’s chin when the girl goes for a big bite of her s’more which, admittedly, causes Sana to giggle. But Tzuyu ignores it and simply nods her head in gratitude when Sana clears the graham cracker debris from her face.

“What do you like to think about?” Sana asks after Tzuyu swallows.

“Dogs.” Tzuyu deadpans, though Sana’s laughter causes the façade to crack until they’re both chuckling. She clears . “I’m kidding, they’re not the only thing I talk about.”

“Prove it!”

“I was thinking of the drawing that Chaeng made,” Tzuyu says, before taking another bite.

Sana smiles. “It really was nice, huh? I didn’t know she liked art.”

Tzuyu nods, giving herself a moment to swallow again before continuing, “She loves it, from what she says to me. And she talks about not setting a certain standard for herself so that she can just enjoy it for what it is, and I really admire that.”

“And the drawing was kind of inspired by you, too. That must have felt nice, right?”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu whispers with a smile. “I was really surprised when she did that.”

“It was really nice.” The memory still warms her heart. Sana had thought that she was the only one appreciating the way that they, as a cabin, were coming together, but maybe Chaeyoung feels the same way. Seeing that drawing and knowing what it means is enough to make Sana believe that maybe she isn’t alone in this feeling.

They stay like this for a while, with Tzuyu inevitably leaning her head against Sana’s while peacefully making and enjoying her s’mores. There’s only one time that Sana allows the younger girl to give her a bite, and they both smile before continuing in their peaceful silence.

Maybe this is okay, Sana thinks. Maybe it’s okay to enjoy the quiet between two people and become lost in thought to the soft sounds of crackling embers and chirping crickets. Maybe it's okay to think a little too much sometimes. And maybe it’s okay to love something, like a cabin of nine new people, and see how others are loving that same thing in the same way more and more. Maybe it’s okay to want to cry at the sight of someone spontaneously doing something like drawing a tribute for a freshly formed friend group, or to want to cry because some stranger of a girl seems heartbreakingly disappointed in themselves, or to want to cry because love – platonic or romantic – can happen so fast that it’s both incredible and overwhelming. Maybe it’s okay, maybe it’s sad, maybe it’s crazy, maybe it’s –

“Maybe we should head back,” Tzuyu suggests softly, pulling Sana away from her train of thought. Sana lifts her head from the girl’s shoulder quietly, watching as Tzuyu puts away the remaining ingredients she didn’t use before they both stand up and begin to walk back to their cabin.

“Did you have a nice night?” Sana asks.

Tzuyu gives Sana a small smile. “Yes. Thank you for waiting with me.”

“Like I said, I wouldn’t leave you alone.”
 

Sana is surprised when she walks up the steps of the cabin with Tzuyu, only to find Mina sitting quietly on the porch swing.

Tzuyu waves at Mina. “Were you here the whole time?”

Mina shakes her head with a smile. “No, I just came out here a few minutes ago.”

“Ah.” Tzuyu nods, returning the smile. “I’ll see you inside. Make sure not to stay out too long.”

“Thank you,” Mina says with a small wave, watching Tzuyu open the door and enter the cabin before closing the door behind her. Mina turns her head to Sana, who is still on the porch steps. “Are you okay?”

Sana blinks, ignoring the question. “I thought you were going to be asleep this whole time!”

“I did nap for a little bit,” Mina admits. She gently drums her hands against a blanket on her lap. “But I woke up when most of the girls came back, but you and Tzuyu weren’t here so I thought I’d wait for you two.”

“How kind of you,” Sana says with a smile as she approaches the swing. “May I?”

Mina grins, patting the spot next to her. “Of course.”

Sana cautiously takes a seat beside her, too afraid that her usual clumsiness would steer her wrong if she were to approach the swing too quickly. She smiles when Mina silently unfolds the blanket so that it could cover both of their legs, as though the warmth of being next to her wasn’t already enough on a cool summer night.

“Did you have a good day today?” Mina asks, her voice quiet. She does seem like a girl who may have woken up not too long ago, and Sana thinks it’s cute how soft she looks in the glow of the porchlight.

Sana chuckles, unsure how to properly express how happy she is. “It was certainly a long one.”

“In a bad way?” Mina frowns.

“Oh, no! Just long, and maybe too good.”

“Too good?” Mina looks amused by that.

Sana shrugs, snickering. “Maybe the centipede wasn’t the best.”

“Yeah,” Mina laughs, “I wouldn’t call that a highlight.”

“You were one, though,” Sana says with a wink, earning a light smack on the shoulder.

Mina rolls her eyes. “I take it your favorite class from Hogwarts was Charms, then.”

Sana genuinely, so sincerely, tries to bite back the laugh that threatens to erupt, but it’s completely in vain. It is probably the dorkiest joke, maybe the dorkiest pickup-line even, that she’s ever heard. Her body shakes before bursting into tearful laughter, and she can barely register any pain from the weak swats Mina continues to give her.

“Stop!” Mina begs, though she herself cannot stop cracking up as the swing moves back and forth from the force of their laughter. Sana isn’t sure she’s heard Mina laugh this hard, and she takes note of the way her voice squeals just a bit when she’s practically doubled over. It’s a cute sound that Sana hopes to continue to hear. “You talked about liking Harry Potter yesterday, so I thought—I don’t know!”

Sana is still wiping tears away even as she calms down, “I almost regret mentioning it. But then that would mean erasing the chance of you actually saying what you just said to me, which may or may not be the worst thing I’ve ever heard.”

Mina regains her composure, stating matter-of-factly, “High risk, high reward.”

“What high reward could possibly warrant such a risk?” Sana asks, mouth agape at the idea that saying something so cheesy could be worth it for any reason.

“To hear you laugh,” Mina says softly, averting her gaze while straightening herself up.

Sana can feel herself blushing instantaneously, though she hopes the dim glow of the porch is enough to hide it from being too obvious. Jihyo’s words buzz at the back of her head, “I think there’s something there.” And, in this moment, Sana thinks that maybe Jihyo is right. There’s something in the air in this very second, almost tangible, that curls its finger in an effort to tempt Sana nearer, to close this seemingly thick gap between her and this beautiful girl that she barely knows. Her lips feel dry, suddenly, and she takes this moment while Mina is looking away to her lips.

“Can I tell you something?” Sana asks, suddenly, her voice like a whisper.

“Of course,” Mina says, meeting her gaze again.

Something about Mina’s low voice makes it hard to breathe, and the rise and fall of her chest in Sana’s peripheral vision is enough to make her mind buzz at the thought of kissing Mina, which becomes a very overwhelming thought all at once in her head. Sana gulps when she realizes that she’s subconsciously leaning in as a result, noticing that Mina’s eyes are already becoming half-lidded. Her chest feels like a caged drum, beating and threatening that her heart could burst at any moment beneath the lantern light.

And suddenly there is a crack of thunder, but it isn’t from her chest.

Ignoring a suddenly wide-eyed Mina, Sana shuts her eyes suddenly and shrieks at the sound in shock, her grip on the back of the swing and the blanket suddenly tightening. She practically jumps in her seat, trembling as another wave of thunder rolls deeply in the sky.

“Damn it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” Sana cries out, wanting to curse herself for thinking that the clouds from earlier in the day meant nothing when she knew they seemed worrisome to begin with. “Screw you, nature!”

“Oi!” Nayeon’s voice yells, somehow louder than the oncoming storm, and Sana manages to open an eye just in time to watch as Nayeon slams the door open, donning a face mask and some pajamas. “What the hell was that?!”

Sana almost wants to kiss Nayeon instead for looking as ridiculous as she does and for briefly distracting her mind even if only for a fraction of a second, and Sana is even more grateful when Chaeyoung curiously peeks from behind Nayeon, wearing the exact same face mask. Nayeon apparently wasn’t kidding about sharing when it came up the previous day, Sana guesses.

Like a whip meant to torture her, Sana freezes again at the sound of another crack of thunder.

“It’s okay,” Mina answers, waving for Nayeon and Chaeyoung to go back inside. “The thunder surprised her.”

Nayeon seems to believe it or, at the very least, seems to trust Mina enough with Sana, and closes the door again.

Mina scoots closer to Sana, cupping Sana’s face in her hands. “Are you scared of thunder?”

Sana blinks, still shaking a little, and is surprised by the earnest concern in Mina’s expression. She manages to nod, trying to focus on the way Mina calmly her cheeks with her thumbs. Her palms are very soft on her face.

“Do you want to go inside?”

Sana doesn’t know how to say that she doesn’t think she’s capable of moving her legs properly, so she shakes her head slowly. She tries to focus on the pitter patter of rain hitting the roof of the porch, but the flashing light of the sky with every lightning bolt only reminds her of what’s to come soon after.

“Just rest your head on my lap, okay?” Mina says, still caressing Sana’s face.

They adjust a bit, and Sana shakily moves so that she can lay her head on Mina’s lap, with Mina’s insistence that Sana’s face be facing her stomach. Despite the weather, Sana’s ears heat up at the intimacy, and she desperately tries to cling onto this moment as Mina moves the blanket so that it can fully cover Sana.

There’s not much that Sana can say as she’s trying to relax, but she’s grateful for the way Mina’s fingers comb through her hair and gently massage her scalp. She closes her eyes when Mina suddenly starts singing softly, covering familiar famous ballads, in what Sana can only assume is an added effort in calming her nerves. Frankly, she’s a little offended that Mina can sing well, on top of everything else – there’s a limit to how much perfection Sana can handle. Another wave of thunder cracks in the air, causing Sana to freeze again, but Mina’s hand slips away from her scalp and travels along her side, rubbing her arm until Sana eventually relaxes. Then her hand returns to Sana’s scalp, repeating the process whenever another eruption of thunder strikes the sky.  

“There’s nothing to be scared of,” Mina says softly between songs, her voice gentle like the rain around them. “I’m here.”

And maybe, despite her fear in this moment, Sana doesn’t want to be anywhere else.