Things feel normal enough when Sana wakes up to the sounds of the morning alarm and Nayeon’s groaning. She’s quick to realize that she isn’t experiencing a headache from any sort of hangover, so things feel all well and good until she catches Mina smiling at her shyly from the shelves. She grins back almost immediately from her top bunk, of course, but it isn’t until after they break eye contact that Sana remembers a particular conversation from the previous night.

“I like you, too.”

“Oh god,” she mutters to herself, feeling heat crawl up her neck and across her face. The bubbling excitement of butterflies fluttering in her stomach is certainly there, but a strong wave of nervousness overwhelms her. Are they a thing, officially? Is it not an “official” thing at all? Should Sana kiss Mina first or should she wait for Mina to kiss her? Is Mina expecting it as soon as possible? How believable of a lie is it for Sana to claim that she’s somehow still massively drunk, even though she was only ever tipsy in the first place and it’s been many hours since the porch?

No pressure, Sana tells herself as she runs a hand through her hair and clears before stretching, ignoring the way that the sun shines just a little too brightly through the windows. Everyone else seems to be fine – aside from Nayeon – and either relaxing on their beds while talking or waiting for a chance to get ready in the bathroom.

“Yes, you really did bite into that stick of butter, babe,” Jeongyeon explains calmly as she sits beside her girlfriend on the bottom of their bunk, though she does a poor job of holding back a snicker.

Nayeon groans a little more, pinching her nose with her fingers. “Butter is good and all, but why? Where did I even get that?”

“Literally no one knows,” Dahyun laughs from the bunk beside them. “For all we know, you pulled it out of your .”

“With an like that, I wouldn’t be shocked,” Jeongyeon teases, leaning into Nayeon on the mattress. Nayeon initially looks as though she might be offended, but she only ends up smirking and giggling against Jeongyeon’s neck. Sana decides to turn her head away when she hears lips smacking.

“Ew!” Dahyun groans, getting up and walking away once Chaeyoung, with the gift of perfect timing, exits the bathroom. Sana decides to follow suit when she notices Momo leave the opposite bathroom, and her best friend makes sure to raise an eyebrow at her as Sana passes by quickly – totally, definitely (and obviously) not looking like an absolute nervous wreck.

Sana is grateful for how warmly welcomed a shower is this morning, cleansing her of the sticky heat of the summer night and the weariness of a post-alcoholic morning. She’s happy that she has no hangover, but a small part of her wishes that she had one if only to have something other than Mina on her mind. It’s not that she’s against that in the slightest, but the restlessness makes it hard to focus on anything else. She hums softly to herself as the showerhead pours down on her, and she wonders what today will hold if not for this nervous anticipation churning in her stomach.

She exits the shower, taking the time to brush her teeth and wash her face. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she can’t help but crack open a hint of a smile. Although there might be a lingering sense of fear, this is ultimately a very good thing. As she makes silly faces at herself in the mirror, toothpaste smearing her lips, she still can’t help but hope that maybe it’s not so bad to hyper-focus on one girl.

Even if the signs had been obvious, she didn’t fully expect for Mina to feel the same way, especially because it had only been a few days – emphasis on “few.” She is beautiful, calm, attentive, and wonderfully indulgent with Sana’s hopeful touches. Her heart drums gently against her chest as she pats her face with a towel, the memory of a flannel-clad beauty moving toward them in the crowd of a bus stop being a very strong reminder that Sana has been feeling shamelessly gay since the moment she laid eyes on Mina. Did Mina think anything of her back then, too?

Still lost in thought, Sana gets dressed and exits the bathroom, barely paying any mind to her surroundings while she makes her way toward her bunk to grab her shoes. She would need to find a private place to kiss Mina, if it was something that the latter still wanted, of course. What if Mina is the one to bring her to a secluded area? Could she handle that without wanting to explode? Could Mina even be that forward? Mina had said that she’s currently in the process of trying to put herself out there a little more, so maybe –

“Sana!”

Sana gasps when she feels a smack on her shoulder, and she looks beside her to see Jihyo raising an eyebrow at her. “What was that for?!”

“You’re zoning out again. Stop overthinking whatever it is that you’re thinking about.”

“As if you don’t know,” Sana mumbles, pulling at the heel of her sneaker until her foot slips snugly into place. She then scans the room, finally noticing that she and Jihyo are the only ones remaining inside. “How am I always so late in getting out?”

Jihyo chuckles. “You take too long in the bathroom, especially when you’re thinking a lot. Is something wrong?”

“No.” Sana sighs. “Really, everything is great.”

“Convincing.” Jihyo snorts, and Sana rolls her eyes at the sarcasm.

“She told me she liked me,” she says quietly, biting her lip to avoid smiling too widely at the memory. It had been such a soft and sincere moment, and Sana may or may not be embarrassed to admit that she can still remember the way Mina’s hair tickled her nose when she had buried her head in her neck.

Jihyo beams. “Oh my god! I’m so happy for you. So, like, are you two a thing now?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!”

“It’s complicated!” Sana whines, beginning to walk toward the door.

“That’s literally what everyone says, and more than half the time it’s never actually complicated!”

“Okay, it’s not, but we weren’t sober and so we didn’t kiss and –”

Jihyo groans. “You didn’t kiss, again? I don’t recall another thunderstorm, Sana.”

Sana giggles, giving Jihyo an innocent look. “It wasn’t me this time, miss!”

“Really?” The doubt is potent.

“She said she wanted us to have our first kiss when we’re sober,” Sana explains, a soft grasp around the doorknob threatening to turn once the conversation is done.

“Oh, wow.” Jihyo smiles, patting Sana’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you, that’s so cute! Go kiss her, tiger!”

“We’ll see,” Sana says softly. “I don’t want to push it. But at least we know that we like one another, right? It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.” The second time is much more for herself than for Jihyo, which her friend seems to understand before encouraging her to step out of the cabin, finally.

The rest of the girls are hanging around the porch and the stairs again, not unlike the previous morning. However, they aren’t clad in matching team outfits today but, rather, different combinations of comfortable t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, shorts, and sneakers. The humidity envelops Sana as she takes her first few steps into this new day, and she grins widely at the different smiles amongst the girls.

“Finally!” Jeongyeon chuckles. “We thought you were never going to come out. Let’s get some breakfast.”

Sana pouts and gives the older girl an apologetic look, which seems to work judging by the way Jeongyeon shakes her head with a small smile.

“That sounds like a good idea to me,” Jihyo affirms, patting Sana’s back as they move forward with the group along the path toward the cafeteria.

Sana feels a slight pang of guilt for not walking with Mina, but the feeling is swiftly alleviated when she notices that Nayeon has an arm wrapped around Mina’s shoulder ahead of them, talking to her about something that Sana can’t quite hear. She would normally find the moment cute, but something about the way Nayeon looks over her shoulder to smirk back at Sana every so often is incredibly suspicious. She dares to stick her tongue out during one of the times that she catches Nayeon again, who only smiles brightly with her bunny teeth at the gesture before resuming her conversation with Mina.

Sana decides that Nayeon is definitely up to no good, cute teeth or not.

While her girlfriend is occupied, Jeongyeon has taken a shine to Momo and her impressive stomach, an observation that Sana only really catches when she sees Jeongyeon’s open-mouthed smile paired with the words, “You know, I thought I’d never meet anyone else who loves food as much as I do!” and the ruffle of Momo’s hair. Momo seems to enjoy it, grinning and playfully shoving Jeongyeon while boasting about different self-awarded records she’s done with many types of food.

The youngest girls seem lost in their own conversation, mainly with Tzuyu quietly looking between the two as Dahyun and Chaeyoung involve themselves in animated conversation both somehow with her and across her at the same time. Sana grins to herself when she notices a particular corner of Tzuyu’s mouth curve into the smallest hint of a fond smile, and it’s cute to see the two shortest girls in the group on both sides of the tallest.

“So, I was thinking –” Jihyo gently nudges Sana’s shoulder with her own, regaining her attention – “about what you said. Do you want Momo and I to figure out how to get you two alone?”

Sana shakes her head. “I think she got the hint that us being alone last night was intentional.”

“Embarrassed?”

“A little.” Sana chuckles. “Momo wasn’t exactly subtle with that pounce on Dahyun.”

“Well, let’s just say she’s had her finer moments.” Jihyo snorts, though Sana doesn’t fully understand what she’s implying. But Jihyo is quick to return to the point. “But you’re not actually embarrassed. I can tell.”

“Maybe.” Sana smirks for a moment before becoming serious again. “It’s okay, though. I don’t need you two to do anything. We confirmed that we like each other, so really the worst thing that can happen is that we don’t kiss at camp but probably go on a date after we get back home, right?”

“Aren’t you normally more forward?” The smug smile on Jihyo’s face causes Sana to roll her eyes.

“Please. Have you seen her? She’s adorable. I’m not going to jump her.”

Jihyo shrugs. “Maybe she’s into that.”

“D-Do you think so?”

“I was joking!” Jihyo laughs, patting Sana’s back as the entire group enters the mess hall. “Maybe the camp air is messing with your head. Suddenly you’re soft and gullible. You’re turning into Momo.”

“I am not!” Sana scoffs, shooting Jihyo a small smile before claiming a seat on the bench of their usual table. Jihyo sits beside her today, while Momo occupies the opposite side of Jihyo’s shoulders.

Sana tries to ignore the nudge on her arm from Jihyo when Mina claims the seat next to her, her gummy smile greeting Sana in a way that challenges even the sunlight, she thinks. She also wonders when she suddenly started getting into amateur poetry, if ever.

“Good morning,” Mina says in her usual soft voice, though there’s a bubbliness to it that makes Sana return the smile.

“Morning,” she greets back, wondering if she isn’t the only one who remembers every frame of every moment from the previous night. “Did you sleep well?”

Mina nods, and Sana feels her legs tense up when she feels the back of Mina’s hand move until it rests lightly between their touching thighs beneath the table, palm upward. Biting the inside of her cheek in some vain attempt to keep herself from getting overly excited, Sana’s own hand finds Mina’s. This seems to be what Mina wants, given the way that her fingers thread themselves into her grasp.

Sana smirks slightly and whispers, “Bold.”

“Well,” Mina’s blush is faint but definitely there, “I did say that I’m pushing myself these days to be a little less… awkward, I guess.” There’s a pause before she adds, “Is it still awkward?”

Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Tzuyu get up from the table to go collect their food trays. Jihyo and Momo seem engrossed enough in conversation, laughing loudly at whatever they’re talking about. Dahyun and Chaeyoung still seem to be lost in their own thing as well, and Sana feels as though she hears something about boats, but she can’t be sure when her ears feel like they’re on fire due to a cute girl holding her hand.

“If this is somehow awkward, then I think I love awkward,” Sana replies quietly after a bashful beat, giving Mina a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze with her hand. There’s a slightly more serious part of her that worries if Mina knows just how much she’s affected Sana. “I really like you, you know.”

Sana is a little surprised at Mina’s amused expression. “Are you about to kiss me?”

“What?” Sana feels her face flush. “N-No, I just wanted to reaffirm my feelings. You want that right now? I mean, I’ll do it, I—”

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Sana closes , merely taking in the subtle shade of pink on Mina’s cheeks. “I’m not. Well, at least, I’m usually not.”

“Have you—” Mina begins to ask, though she cuts herself off when Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Tzuyu return with their meals. “I’ll ask you later, actually.”

“About?”

“You.” Mina giggles, letting go of Sana’s hand and standing up from her seat. She tilts her head toward the trays. “Let’s get our food.”

Sana obliges, leaving the table behind and following Mina toward the assortments of breakfast foods. A croissant seems to be calling her name just as Mina begins to speak up again.

“Nayeon was talking to me earlier about something that she and Jeongyeon wanted to do tonight, and they invited us.”

There is a brief moment where Sana pauses midway through reaching for the croissant, instinctively going through possible scenarios in her head despite the lack of details. She likes Nayeon – possibly even adores the girl too – but those looks from earlier give her little hope that whatever she had suggested to Mina is purely innocent.

“What did she have in mind?” Sana asks casually, grabbing the croissant and eyeing her next target, some sausage and eggs.

“They want to do the overnight camping activity.” Mina fills a small bowl on her tray with steamed rice. “The kind where you sleep in tents? She said that she didn’t want to do it alone with Jeongyeon or they’ll probably end up ‘dead in the woods,’ according to her.”

“Young love sure is sweet, huh?” Sana jokes, grateful when Mina’s eyes meet her own and there’s a smile within them. “So, we just have to sleep outside? What about bugs?”

Mina shrugs. “There’s bug spray, right?”

“If I end up being bitten alive, it’s on you.” Sana points a very non-threatening finger, and it only serves to make Mina shake her head in order to fight off a laugh.

“Apparently it’s for practical learning. Putting up a tent, generally having the outdoor camping experience; overall a very ‘nature is cool’ experience, I guess.”

“You sound excited.” Sana doesn’t bother to be subtle with the sarcasm.

“Nayeon was really pushing for me to come. I don’t really have any existing plans, and I admit that I’ve wanted to try it since I was little.”

Sana coos, “You’re so cute. Just say you want to go and that you want me to come.”

Mina’s cheeks puff. “Is that not what I’m doing?”

“Well, all you said was that Nayeon passed a message that involved us being invited to do this camping thing and that you’ve wanted to try it since you were little, so…”

Mina walks up Sana’s side, nudging her arm with her own. “I do want you to come. Please?”

As if there’s any way to refuse that. “Of course. I want to spend time with you.” Sana giggles at the vaguely pouty expression on Mina’s face, happy that it stretches back into her familiar gentle smile as they walk back to the table. Jihyo, Momo, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung move to get their own food, but the rest greet Sana and Mina with a smile when they sit down.

“Did Mina tell you about the overnight camping?” Nayeon asks, one cheek swollen with food. Jeongyeon smirks and takes the opportunity to poke it, eliciting an immediate glare from her girlfriend. Tzuyu seems primarily focused on her own plate, enjoying her meal and minding her business.

“I may have heard of something like that.” Sana nods, taking a swig from a water bottle she had grabbed. “I didn’t take you for the type.”

Nayeon scoffs. “And what type is that?”

“The type that wants to sleep outside with bugs and dirt.” Sana chuckles. “I’m not the type.”

“Oh.” Nayeon rolls her eyes, briefly leaning against Jeongyeon. “Yeah, it was mostly Jeongyeon’s idea. But I don’t want it to be just us, that wouldn’t be fun.”

“Not the type?” Jeongyeon blinks, seeming to register what Sana said. “Does that mean you’re not going to come?”

Sana waves her hand dismissively. “I will! But it’s true that I probably wouldn’t do that on my own.”

“You were that worried about Sana not coming? Is my company not enough?” Mina teases with a light chuckle, raising an eyebrow at Jeongyeon.

“You’d rather third-wheel?” Jeongyeon laughs. “It’s an offer to save your own sanity. The last thing you need is to be alone with us.”

That makes Sana raise an eyebrow too. “Are you two going to be going at it the whole time? Like, physically and not verbally for once?”

Nayeon shrugs. “It could be both depending on whether Jeong—”

“No, we won’t be doing that!” Jeongyeon isn’t subtle about obviously bumping Nayeon’s leg with her own underneath the table. “But you see how we can be, right? Nayeon will lose her mind if it’s just us out there in the wilderness, but I really want to do it.”

“She’s going to want to play pranks on me,” Nayeon grumbles, seemingly unsurprised at the way that Jeongyeon’s expression twists into something smugger.

Sana hums. “Suddenly wanting to take back my decision…”

“No, don’t be like that!” Nayeon whines.

“I’m kidding!”

“Good.” Nayeon nods, returning to her food when the others arrive back at the table.

Tzuyu shrugs, quietly adding in, “I still wouldn’t trust Nayeon.”

“Tzuyu! Don’t be so mean to me!”

Everyone begins to quiet down in order to eat, but Sana’s heart feels loud against her chest as she anticipates the overnight camping that she’ll be doing with Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Mina. She had been afraid to ask about whether or not there were single tents per person or if it was per pair or per group, so she continues to eat with the uneasiness of not knowing how the night may play out.

However, remembering the way that Mina’s fingers feel while intertwined with her own is enough to relax her, and a brief eye-smile shared with the girl in question reminds her that there’s more to be happy about than worried about.
 

Sana blinks. “You want me to be with you two?”

Dahyun nods a little more enthusiastically than Chaeyoung, her hands on her friend’s shoulders as they stand by the small docks of the camp’s creek. “Please ride with us!”

The girls had decided that their cabin activity for the day would be to go canoeing, though it took some time to convince Momo. It works out nicely since the canoes can sit up to three adults, and they are perfectly split between the nine of them. But Sana had expected to be sitting with Momo and Mina, so she can’t help but be shocked at this abrupt request.

“What about Tzuyu?” Sana asks softly, turning her head and already seeing the youngest member of their cabin taking a seat in the center bench of one of the canoes, with Mina and Momo following behind. Sana whips her head back to Dahyun and Chaeyoung. “Did you already tell her that I said yes?!”

Chaeyoung rolls her eyes but Dahyun presses her palms together in mock prayer, saying, “Please give us the honor!”

Sana raises an eyebrow. “Sure.” After all, she sees nothing wrong with humoring the girls.

That is, until they’re midway down the creek and Chaeyoung has already dropped her oar into the water.

“No, wait!” Chaeyoung calls out to the wooden paddle, but the current is already carrying them farther, and the gentle rapids do little to aid the oar back in their direction.

Sana’s eyes widen. “We can still paddle with just two, right?”

“Of course!” Dahyun says confidently, though her shaking eyes betray her. “It’ll be fine! Right, Chaeng?”

“Yeah.” Chaeyoung manages to chuckle after a hefty exhale, waving farewell to what was once hers. “First we fall behind everyone and now this.”

“I get to blame you two since you forced me to ride with you.” Sana giggles, and she’s glad when the girls smile at her. They had barely been out for long, joining in on the laughter and fun of canoeing alongside everyone in the creek until Dahyun and Chaeyoung got caught up in conversation, slowing their down and causing the canoe to accidentally fall behind. The other girls are almost fully out of sight at this point, and Sana knows that having both Jihyo and Momo in each of the other two boats means that they’d encourage the other girls to leave her behind with Dahyun and Chaeyoung as a joke.

“Feel free to blame us all you want.” Chaeyoung shrugs. “I like to think we’re having fun.”

Sana smiles. “I am. Your ankle is doing better, I’m guessing?”

“Definitely, but canoeing was a good idea since I just get to sit in here. I don’t want to risk swimming or anything too strenuous, or else I might’ve jumped in after the oar.”

Dahyun matches Sana’s paddling pace once they begin rowing again. “We did want you to join us for a specific reason, you know,” she says.

“Really?” Sana asks. “Why?”

Chaeyoung distracts herself with the scenery while in the middle seat, seemingly noncommitted to whatever topic Dahyun wants to bring up. Sana also takes a second to check their surroundings while Dahyun attempts to find a way to articulate her words. The way that the sun filters through the canopies above leaves shimmering patterns in the water and causes the wet rocks to shine, and a deep breath reminds Sana that sometimes seasons have very specific scents and tastes.

“We have a romance problem.”

Sana’s jaw drops as she looks back to Dahyun, then to Chaeyoung. “Y-You two?”

Dahyun waves a hand immediately, blushing. “N-No!”

“It’s me,” Chaeyoung admits after a hearty laugh at Dahyun’s face. “Dahyun wanted you to give me some advice even though I told her that it’ll probably be fine.”

“You haven’t even done it yet.” Dahyun rolls her eyes. “You’re just as hopeless as me.”

Sana tilts her head. “Do you also need advice, Dahyun?”

The question is bluntly ignored. “Chaeng always makes fun of me whenever I have a crush! But now she’s got a crush for the first time in a while and she’s done nothing!”

“At least I’m not stuttering when I talk to her,” Chaeyoung teases, a little smirk on her face as she looks back at Dahyun, whose side-eyed huff is accompanied by a slightly harsher splash with the oar as she paddles.

It isn’t exactly difficult for Sana to guess, “Is it Tzuyu?”

All Chaeyoung does is shrug, though Dahyun’s enthusiastic nod confirms Sana’s suspicions. It isn’t that Chaeyoung and Tzuyu are overt by any means, but little moments have been enough to make Sana at least entertain the idea of one of them being interested in the other, even before this canoeing venture.

Sana had already decided early on that Chaeyoung is quite the resilient character, so she isn’t sure why Dahyun feels that she would need any kind of advice. In Sana’s mind, Chaeyoung’s general attitude will probably help her get by in most, if not all, situations. Surely, admitting feelings couldn’t be any different.

“So what’s the ‘romantic problem’ that you’re referring to, exactly?” Sana asks.

“Well, I think Tzuyu is interested.” Dahyun chuckles. “Chaeng can be both good and bad at words depending on the situation, but this isn’t one of the good times.”

Chaeyoung smacks Dahyun’s knee. “You’re worse than me!”

“It’s not a competition!”

Sana laughs. “You know that there’s an actual couple in our cabin, right? Why come to me?” She feels a little nervous when Dahyun and Chaeyoung simultaneously look at her with subtle confusion, as though they aren’t convinced by her words. “What?”

“Isn’t there something between you and Mina?” Dahyun looks nervous, as though she’s possibly made a grave error. The expression on her face is, admittedly, very goofy looking, so Sana sighs, not wanting to lie when the younger girls are seeking her out for help.

“It’s… complicated,” Sana reiterates her sentiment from when she had spoken with Jihyo, and she almost winces when both girls shoot her a disbelieving look. “We’re not together or anything, is what I mean! We haven’t even kissed!”

Chaeyoung’s jaw drops. “You haven’t kissed? What have you been doing out on the porch for the past two nights?!”

Dahyun is mumbling to herself, dejected, “Maybe this canoe is just full of hopeless gays.”

“Hey!” Sana pouts. “We like each other, okay? We just haven’t gotten to the, well, kissing part. We’ve hugged and held hands! I’m not a hopeless gay at all – in fact, I’m a super hopeful gay right now!”

Chaeyoung snickers. “Maybe I really can do this on my own… going to you seems to have been the wrong idea.”

“Aren’t you older?” Dahyun teases, her lips twitching at Sana’s indignant whine. “I thought wisdom came with age.”

“At least I told her that I liked her!” Sana shakes her head. “What can you say?”

“Ooh!” Dahyun laughs, nudging Chaeyoung with her foot. “She got you.”

“You too, dumby!” Chaeyoung giggles, hitting Dahyun’s shoe lightly with her own. “You’ve never confessed anything, and you certainly aren’t now!”

“Hey, I resent that. I technically confess whenever I have a crush… I just so happen to do it to you rather than the actual crush!”

“You’re not building your case here!”

Sana grins at their back and forth. “You two are very cute.”

The two girls look at one another before smirking at Sana and pretending to mess with their hair gracefully, angling their heads in dramatic directions while basking in the filtered sunlight. “Thank you,” they say in unison, and Sana laughs.

“If you really want my advice,” Sana leans in, as though the world may not be ready for what she might say, “I would say to just tell her. I agree with Dahyun about her seeming to like you, too. You’re honestly really cool, Chaeng. The worst that can happen is that she’d want to stay friends. And can that really be so bad?”

Chaeyoung reflects on that for a moment before she offers Sana a small smile. “You’re right. I think she’d be really cool about it, regardless.”

“Yes!” Dahyun pretends to dab tears from her eyes, pausing her rowing. “I love seeing that confident gay energy.”

“Would love to see that from you,” Chaeyoung grumbles.

“Ha! Joke’s on you, because I’m always reeking with confidence.”

“Considering how you were last night, I’d say that isn’t actually—”

“Chaeng!” Dahyun’s face quickly flushes as she panics to wrap a hand around Chaeyoung’s face, effectively lidding while keeping a tight grip on the oar with her other hand. In a hiss, she adds, “I wasn’t sober!”

Sana raises an eyebrow and smirks. “Oh, so this isn’t just a Chaeng problem then.” She grins when she sees Chaeyoung nodding beneath Dahyun’s palm, her eyes forming amused crescents.

Dahyun scoffs. “There’s no problem at all!”

“Aren’t we friends by now?” Sana bats her eyelashes, struggling not to laugh when Dahyun shoots her a deadpan look. “I’m kidding. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to! I’m just surprised.”

“Surprised?”

Sana shrugs, keeping her oar on her lap as the canoe floats itself gently through the creek. “Chaeng’s was at least, I don’t know… guessable? I wouldn’t have assumed you were into anybody. I mean, maybe you’ve been talking to other girls from other cabins, but I haven’t really seen—”

“It’s new,” Dahyun cuts Sana off, shaking her head as she lets go of Chaeyoung’s mouth. Sana tilts her head, perplexed. “What I mean to say is that I didn’t think anything of this person – well, in that way, at least – until last night. Er, well, I always thought they were, um, attractive but, like… you’re all attractive, you know?” Her awkward laugh makes Sana giggle, and Chaeyoung just shakes her head.

“Thanks for the compliment.” Sana shoots Dahyun a coy grin. “You’re pretty cute, you know.”

“Ugh!” Dahyun groans when Sana adds a wink. “Don’t look at me like that!”

“Yeah, Sana,” Chaeyoung snorts, “getting her hot and bothered is exactly what made her open her eyes last night. In fact, any longer and I’m sure she would’ve opened her—”

“Oh my god? Oh my god! Shut up!”

Sana and Chaeyoung erupt into a fit of laughter, fueled purely by the embarrassed rosiness of Dahyun’s normally-pale face. She merely huffs in response, letting out steam by aggressively rowing on her own, which does little to properly get them going. It’s borderline cartoonish, and Sana makes a strong effort to calm herself before she can speak normally again.

“Let me help you with that,” she says, returning her own oar to the water. Dahyun nods and her blush fades away as they row in silence for a bit, with Chaeyoung casually reaching over the side and running her fingers along the surface of the water.

After a minute or so, Dahyun can’t quite keep it in. “It’s your friend, you know. Th-That’s why I’m so embarrassed to admit it to you.”

“What?” Sana blinks, belatedly registering Dahyun’s words.

“I—” Dahyun tries, but stops short. She nudges Chaeyoung with her knee.

Chaeyoung meets Sana’s eyes. “Dahyun is attracted to Momo.”

“Oh.” Sana isn’t sure how to react. She hadn’t had a chance to speak with Momo much today. “You said this was because of last night?” The memory of Momo falling into Dahyun is the last memory she has of either of them before she had gone outside with Mina. The alcohol had definitely worked its way through Momo by then, which makes Sana a little nervous, because Jihyo’s words from earlier suddenly make more sense.

Chaeyoung nods on Dahyun’s behalf. “Momo was all over her. Well, it was more like Momo was big-spooning her while they were sitting up, but her face was super close to Dahyun’s neck the entire time.”

“Ew.” Sana cringes at the visual, but she makes sure to look back at Dahyun to check for any signs of discomfort. “I can talk to her about it if it made you uncomfortable.”

“No, I mean,” Dahyun’s hands are fidgeting against the wood of her oar, “I… liked it. I mean, I was also not sober, so it could’ve just been some heightened hormonal junk. It’s not a crush – like, we haven’t really talked? I mean, she did talk to me then, but she was drunk, you know? I don’t know! It’s that nervous feeling of wanting to talk to someone who interests you, right? Maybe my brain is just trying to fill in the blanks of why she’d put on me or –”

Sana’s eyes widen, jaw slacking. Mouth on you?! She’s about to say something, but Chaeyoung responds first.

“Don’t psychoanalyze yourself.” Chaeyoung rests a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder. “You think she’s a little more attractive than before, and now you’re thinking about trying to talk to her more. That’s totally fine, dude.”

“It’s more than fine, Dahyun.” Sana nods, composing herself and wishing her arms were long enough to reach past Chaeyoung and give Dahyun a reassuring pat. “I can’t speak for Momo, but she’s easy to talk to if you start leading the conversations. She’s a little shy, but she likes everyone in our cabin already so you’re pretty much in luck. You two have a fear of heights and she was your partner when wrestling Chaeyoung and Tzuyu at the watering hole, right? Just pick something to talk about.”

“I can try.” Dahyun sighs. “I just think that maybe I’m jumping the gun over something tiny.”

“She made you and you liked it.” Chaeyoung shrugs, ignoring the instant (harmless) kick to her side, which nearly tilts the canoe. “Stop overthinking it. You can just talk to her, and if you realize it’s nothing then it’s nothing. No need to freak out over it!”

“Exactly,” Sana agrees.

“Plus, you heard Sana, right? She and Mina haven’t even kissed. Some would say you already got farther with Momo then they did, and they’ve been pining for days.”

Sana is about to protest when she sees how it makes Dahyun smile, and she doesn’t have the heart to argue about it if it means making Dahyun feel better. “I can’t believe Momo’s drunk alter ego was trying to upstage me last night. Quick, we need to get back so I can make out with Mina on the docks!”

The girls laugh at that, and Sana smiles at the sight as they continue to row.
 

“We weren’t going to wait forever! You took too long,” Momo whines. “The food would’ve gotten cold!”

They had finally arrived at the docks on the opposite end of the creek, only to find that everyone had already started setting up the picnic lunch that they had prepared. Sana isn’t the least bit surprised, but Dahyun and Chaeyoung look absolutely affronted by the idea that the others had started eating without them – well, it’s more joking than anything, but the other girls roll their eyes and shoot them looks anyway.

Sana sees an empty spot by Mina, noticing how the girl gives her the tiniest, most endearing smile and wave on the planet once their eyes meet. Jeongyeon is on the opposite side of her, and Sana can only guess that she had been keeping Mina company since Nayeon seems to be in deep conversation with Jihyo and Tzuyu. But then she sees an empty spot by Momo, and she feels a deep inclination to talk to her when Dahyun takes a seat with Chaeyoung instead of seizing an opportunity.

Praying that Mina will not think anything of it, Sana plops down next to Momo and takes a sandwich out of the small basket on her towel.

Momo raises an eyebrow, lowering her voice. “You’re not going to sit next to Mina?”

“She’s talking to Jeong.” Sana shrugs. “I don’t want to interrupt.”

“You want something.” Momo narrows her eyes.

Sana gives Momo the same look. “No, I know something.”

“About me?”

“Yeah, about you.”

Momo blinks. “What’d I do?”

“A little birdy told me that you were being super touchy last night.” Sana smirks when Momo seems to register her words, eyes widening and face flushing. So she did remember. “Isn’t that right?”

“, Jihyo told you?”

“She said it wasn’t your finest moment.” It technically isn’t a lie. Jihyo had said that to her earlier in the day, but she never elaborated on what it meant. But Sana doesn’t want to reveal anything about Dahyun’s side of things. “How wasted were you?”

Momo scratches her neck. “I wouldn’t say ‘wasted’ but I was definitely drunk. I was just trying to keep her from volunteering to go outside on the porch, but then I got too handsy, I guess.”

Sana tries not to choke. “You don’t need to go into detail, it’s okay.” She knew about the borderline-necking, but she didn’t know nor necessarily want to know about any supposed handsy behavior from Momo’s end. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t bother her or make her uncomfortable.”

“No! I mean, I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I know it sounds kinda salacious, but I was genuinely being nice about it, I think! Also, based on how she was responding to me she even seemed to like—” Momo stops when Sana hits her shoulder. “Right, sorry. What I mean to say is that I don’t think I did anything that went too far and, with what I was doing, she seemed more than okay with how I was acting.”

Sana knows that Dahyun was fine with it as well, so she takes Momo’s word for it. “Well, do you have any interest in her?”

“I’m not trying to hook up with her or anything, I wouldn’t—”

“Momoring, please.” Sana rolls her eyes. “You’re not the type for that, I know that isn’t what you’re trying to do. I’m just asking if you’re, you know, attracted to her.”

“You sure want to know a lot,” Momo mumbles.

“What can I say?” Sana’s grin is smug. “I’m just a naturally curious person. Plus, you went to me about Mina right away on day one, so this is payback.”

Momo scoffs. “This isn’t like you and Mina.”

“You’re right.” Sana realizes that Momo doesn’t know about last night. “But at least we told each other that we have feelings.”

“What?!” Momo is so loud that Sana reflexively shoves the remaining half of her sandwich against Momo’s mouth in a desperate effort to silence her. The other girls look in their direction briefly, looking away once Sana gives them all an awkward “sorry about that” smile.

“Anyway,” she continues once Momo begins chewing up the sandwich, “we had a moment last night and we both confessed to having some feelings. But we didn’t kiss or anything, so I’m trying to— Ow!” Sana hisses when Momo punches her leg. “What was that for?!”

“You didn’t kiss again?” It’s very clear that Momo is using every ounce of restraint not to yell.

Sana rolls her eyes. “You’re just like Jihyo. Mina said she wanted our first kiss to be a sober one.”

“Then grab her and go behind a tree right now, dumby.”

“Yes, Momo. That would be so romantic, wouldn’t it?”

“Don’t be sarcastic with me.”

“It’ll happen today,” Sana says. She doesn’t feel like her voice is very convincing. “I’m going to be doing overnight camping with her, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon today so I’m sure I can figure something out.”

“You?” Momo snickers. “Overnight camping?”

“Mina asked me to come.” Sana chuckles. “What am I going to do? Say no to that pretty face?”

“I’m just hoping you can handle it.”

“Come on.” Sana snorts. “Of course I can.”
 

Sana isn’t sure she can handle it.

If the weight of the camping gear isn’t enough to ruin any semblance of excitement that she had, then the fact that they have to skip out on the mess hall dinner in favor of cooking over a campfire is definitely what all of the fun out of the idea.

(“We’re supposed to be eating over a campfire instead of eating dinner first and then going.” Sana pouts at Jihyo and Momo on the stairs of the porch, the sunset kissing her features. “Can you believe that?”

“I can.” Jihyo rolls her eyes, smiling. “It’s in the pamphlet, in the description for the activity. You know, the pamphlet? That thing that neither of you pay attention to.”

“Ugh, I’m just going to stay here.”

Momo snorts. “You won’t. We know exactly why you’re going, and that’s precisely the same reason why you’re not going to back out.”

“Sana, Nayeon’s ready to go meet up with Jeongyeon if you are,” comes Mina’s voice, stepping out of the cabin’s front door and walking up to Sana, donning that same black and white flannel she had been wearing when they first met. She looks gorgeous in the glow of the setting sun, Sana thinks.

Maybe Momo has a point.)

“You want me to carry anything?” Jeongyeon offers from beside Nayeon as the group walks toward the overnight camping site, but Sana shakes her head.

“I’m fine.” She goes to the gym often enough to know that this isn’t an issue, but the sheer lack of desire over doing this activity adds a figurative weight that makes it much harder to shoulder. But then Mina gently nudges her, and Sana feels a little more energized by the idea of getting to spend more time with her.

“I’m happy you came along,” Mina says softly.

Sana smiles. “Me too.”

The campsite is in a clearing within one of the thicker parts of the woods surrounding the premises, near to a side of the lake opposite of where the nightly bonfires are held, the edges more grass than sand against the tree line. They walk along the edge of the water outside the perimeter until they find a tree with a ribbon, designating where to turn so that they may walk through the woods and find their destination.

They come upon the clearing, a small field with flowers dotting the area in varying colors. There is another group of people sitting around a small campfire on the opposite end of the clearing, so Sana and the girls decide to remain close to the side nearest the lake. There are small unlit campfires surrounded by stone rings throughout the clearing, likely to give campers an idea of how to spread themselves out.

“Alright, ladies,” Nayeon drops her gear gently onto the ground, “are we eating first or putting up our tents first?”

“Tents,” Jeongyeon answers, rolling her eyes when both Sana and Nayeon groan. “The sky isn’t too dark yet so it’ll be easier to do them now while we can still kind of see.”

“It’ll feel better to eat after putting them up, I think,” Mina adds.

Sana places her equipment on the ground before picking up the tent bag. “Alright then, let’s do this.”

It takes some time, but it isn’t as mechanically difficult as Sana had initially expected. It helps that setting up each tent goes by without a hitch when there’s two people involved, let alone four. They’re easy to fold out, extend, and peg into the ground, guy lines included, and Jeongyeon seems to be the most experienced at making sure everything is done right. Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s tent takes a couple of extra minutes, given the larger size of theirs compared to Mina or Sana’s single tents, but they remain simple to do all the same. According to Jeongyeon, it’s because the tents are a pop-up style, but Sana hasn’t set up another camping tent in her life, so the specification doesn’t mean much to her.

Nayeon rubs her back after hammering in the final peg. “I should’ve stretched or something first.”

“We get it, you’re old.” Jeongyeon snickers, squatting by the small stone circle and taking a crack at igniting the wood. Mina, who had been in charge of carrying the food containers, walks over and squats beside Jeongyeon, taking out the ingredients.

“I haven’t even graduated yet.” Nayeon rolls her eyes, taking it upon herself to set up the inside of their tent with pillows and blankets. Sana can just barely hear Nayeon grumbling, “Age ain’t got on me,” as she disappears further into the tent.

Sana feels as though Jeongyeon and Mina can handle the food on their own, so she follows in Nayeon’s footsteps and begins setting up her own tent with everything she had planned on placing inside: blankets, pillows, maybe even a granola bar underneath the pillow in case they somehow manage to render their dinner entirely inedible.

When she comes back out, there’s already a small pot of broth and a spit of meat over the fire. Her brow furrows, and she’s vaguely put off by the passage of time when she looks up and also notices that the sky is getting darker. Nayeon hasn’t come out of her tent yet, though, so maybe time is just an illusion – or maybe Nayeon just has no interest in being outside.

“You guys got that set up pretty quick, huh?” She smiles, walking over and taking a seat on the ground beside Mina. “Are you sure that you two aren’t camping veterans?”

Jeongyeon chuckles, lifting a small pamphlet up for Sana to see. “Nah, they just gave me this when I went to get the equipment.” There are step-by-step directions with very basic photos, the large font detailing the way to properly set up a pot and spit. There must be a pamphlet for every damned thing at this camp, Sana thinks, rolling her eyes. It feels like karma is toying with her for throwing away the one she got in the mail.

“It’s nice that they just give us the prepared ingredients,” Mina says. “I was worried that we’d have to skin something.” She visibly shivers.

Sana chuckles. “Thank goodness for that. The only thing we’d probably need to get on our own is kindling, right?”

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon looks past Mina to meet Sana’s gaze. “I was thinking that you and Nayeon could actually go grab some while we monitor the food?”

“Sure!” Sana stands up, brushing off lingering grass and dirt from her pants. “So, just twigs? Or do you need something heftier?”

“A lot of twigs or sizable sticks would be good, I think.”

“Cool.” Sana walks over to Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s tent, ping the front to reveal Nayeon laying on her stomach and reading some magazine. “Get out loser, we’re going stick collecting.”

Nayeon turns her head over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Was that a movie reference?”

“Maybe. Now, come on.”
 

“Is this enough?” Nayeon asks, holding up her hand.

Sana stares at the small handful of twigs in disbelief. “What do you think, Nayeon?”

“Listen, I don’t know how fuel works. Maybe a fireplace can run on a two-inch stick.”

“Jeong said we should get, and I quote, ‘a lot’ of them.”

“Maybe she should pull the stick out of her , I’m sure that’d help us stock up,” Nayeon grumbles. “Plus, Sana, that’s a very subjective statement.” She places one hand of her hip, the other waving the small handful of twigs. “To me, this is a lot.”

“Well, you have larger hands than the average person, so I guess you do have a larger natural capacity for holding things.”

Nayeon deadpans. “The only thing I’m going to hold is a grudge if you make fun of my hands again.”

They’re deeper into the woods now, not so far that they can’t see the firelight from the clearing, and while there are plenty of tiny, broken twigs around, there doesn’t seem to be many that fit the bill of what they’re looking for. The issue of proper lighting hadn’t been something they thought about either, and a lot of trial and error is being done in the dark as they frequently bend and squat to pick up vague stick-like shapes from the ground.

“Sana, can I ask you something?”

The sudden question makes her feel nervous. “Yeah,” she answers, reaching to pick up what looks like a stick but is ultimately a chipped off piece of damp bark.

“When are you planning on making a move?”

Sana blinks, whipping her head to Nayeon. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know.”

“How does everyone else know?!” Sana groans. “And also, why is everyone coming to me about it?!” She knows that her last hope is Tzuyu and, frankly, she can’t fully trust that she hasn’t already been a topic of discussion between Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun in the last couple of days.

Nayeon laughs. “You’re kidding, right? You two are so obvious. Why do you think I invited you two to come with Jeong and I?”

“Ha!” Sana squints, pointing a stick at Nayeon. “I knew you were up to no good when you were looking at me this morning.”

“Please. It’s because I’m only up to good that I did this for you and Mina,” Nayeon answers in a blasé tone, examining another stick before deciding it’s good enough to keep. She tuts. “I can’t believe you two brought separate tents. Like, come on.”

“What do you mean?!”

Nayeon dons an incredulous look. “Sleep together.”

“You’re so ridiculous.” Sana rolls her eyes, hating the way that her face warms up.

“Hey, I can’t help it if your mind is in the gutter. I was just talking about cuddling.”

“Sure you were.”

“I mean it!” Nayeon whines. “It would give you some intimate space to talk without having to worry about leaving to go to bed, right?”

Sana looks up at Nayeon from her squatting position on the ground, hoping that she can convey with her eyes that she’s at least grateful that Nayeon is being supportive. “I’m going to take care of it. We’ve already talked and said that we like one another. I’m already in the clear.”

Nayeon sighs. “Sana, this time tomorrow we’ll all be on a bus. This is your first time at a camp, right? So ing make an unforgettable memory out of it, for crying out loud.”

“I wanted to kiss her last night,” Sana shrugs as she stands back up, sticks and twigs nestled in her arms, “but she didn’t want to because she wanted to be sober for it, which I think is really sweet…”

“Yeah, okay, and that’s totally fine, but my point is that there’s a golden opportunity here and you’re not jumping at it!” Nayeon picks up a few more sticks as she talks.

Sana finds it in herself to giggle. “You know, contrary to what you might believe, I’m usually better at this.”

The snort from Nayeon is as cute as her smile. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say your thing with Jeongyeon was smooth, you know.”

Nayeon shakes her head, gathering her bundle of twigs in her arms. “But at least I did something.” She walks toward Sana and nudges her arm with her own. “At least you have the advantage of knowing Mina already likes you, so there’s literally nothing to lose.” When Sana doesn’t answer right away, Nayeon sighs and adds, “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t be so pushy about it if I thought that either of you would be uncomfortable. It’s just so painful to watch you two be so nervous when you obviously both like each other and want to do it.”

Sana leans her head against Nayeon’s shoulder. “I don’t know why I’m so afraid of taking a step too far when I’m barely taking a step to begin with.”

She feels Nayeon’s head against hers. “It’s normal to want to avoid messing things up, Sana. It’s good that you care enough about her to be afraid at all, I think.”

“Maybe. I also just end up feeling like a puddle of mush whenever she’s talking to me – like, to an almost embarrassing level that I’m not used to.”

“It’s okay, I think embarrassing is a good look on you.”

Sana groans, ignoring Nayeon’s words. “She’s just so cute, you know?”

Nayeon’s chuckle vibrates her cheek. “Oh, of course. She’s ing adorable. I’d kiss her myself if Jeong was open to it.”

“You’re not allowed to,” Sana mumbles, pouting.

“Well, you haven’t kissed her yet, so she’s kinda free territory, buddy.”

“I will hit you with all of these sticks.”
 

Luckily for all of them, Sana and Nayeon bring more than enough kindling to keep the fire going for the remainder of the night, and their dinner is just about done cooking by the time they manage to join Jeongyeon and Mina around the fire.

Their meal consists of a simple beef stew, and Sana can’t find much to complain about. Although she wishes she could be eating from the usual buffet at the mess hall, the stew isn’t as bad as she had initially anticipated. Then again, her expectations had been extremely low.

She finds herself missing the rest of the girls.

They eat in amicable silence for the most part, though Jeongyeon makes sure to share a hilarious anecdote about the time she had to build a catapult for an engineering course and accidentally launched Nayeon’s favorite stuffed animal – which just so happened to be a hand-me-down from her grandmother – into a pond. According to Nayeon, Jeongyeon spent days cleaning it and ridding it of the pond scum smell, and that part of the story earns Jeongyeon a chaste kiss from her girlfriend.

Mina is as graceful and peaceful as she normally is, seemingly enjoying her food while occasionally biting back a laugh at different parts in Jeongyeon’s story. The glow of the fire makes her look especially pretty.

“Do you want to go by the lake with me?” Sana whispers once they’re done eating, noticing how much darker the sky has become.

Mina meets her eyes, searches for something that Sana can’t guess. “Yeah, sure.”

“We’ll be back, guys,” she says as she and Mina stand up. Ignoring the intensity of their stares, Sana merely waves a hand before turning and leading Mina back to the lake.

There’s something inexplicably beautiful about the way that the stars splay across the sky like a glittering canvas and how it reflects upon the water, and it reminds Sana of old books she’s read that involve magic and mirrors and alternate dimensions. She even feels a deep urge to get into the water, but she knows that would only break the illusion.

She feels Mina’s palm quietly slide into her own from her side, their fingers threading themselves together as Sana pulls Mina down onto the grass so that they can lay side by side.

“The stars look insane without as much light pollution, right?” Sana grins, rubbing her thumb against one of Mina’s knuckles as their hands lie between them on the grass.

Mina nods in her peripheral, a small smile on her face. “Do you stargaze often?”

“It doesn’t feel as good back home since they’re harder to see, but I do like it.” Sana sighs, feeling content with how wonderfully still the summer air feels along the lakeside, the not-so-distant sounds of crickets chirping calming her.

“What’s your favorite part about it?”

“About what? Stars or stargazing?”

Mina chuckles. “Why you enjoy stargazing, yes.”

“Oh!” Sana grins widely, memories from her childhood and teenage years swirling at the back of her head, memorable twinkling skies blanketing her in a sense of comfort on many occasions. “It’s not as impressive in populated areas, but it’s like the whole universe is right there on display, you know? So many of these stars are planets or suns or galaxies or comets, or whatever else that might be out there.”

“Space is incredible. It used to blow my mind when I learned that a star could die and we wouldn’t know for years, just because it’s so far.” Mina points up at the sky with her free arm, her finger swaying in the air. “Do you know any of these constellations?”

An embarrassed giggle slips out of Sana. “I actually don’t, but that’s okay. I enjoy looking up at it all just as it is. There’s, like, something about feeling so small in the grand scheme of everything that makes me feel less stressed and keeps me in perspective.”

“If you could be anywhere in the universe, where would you want to be?”

The question is difficult, especially with how the night sky is positively b with stars and extraterrestrial ecosystems. “That’s such a hard question, Mina,” she whines quietly, pouting when she hears Mina laugh. “How am I supposed to pick? Just look at the sky! Those are all options!”

“It’s an interesting question to think about.”

And then Sana remembers something. “Speaking of questions – you had one for me earlier at breakfast, right?”

“Ah, yeah.” Mina casually crosses her leg over her knee and lets her ankle bounce. Her voice is slightly softer than a moment ago. “Have you had a lot of relationship experience?”

It takes Sana by surprise. “Why?”

“Just curious,” Mina admits with a soft giggle. “I feel like we get nervous around each other, so I can’t really tell if it’s just that you’re nervous with me or if you haven’t had a lot of… things like this, I guess. Not that I’m saying that we’re in a –”

“It’s you.”

“Wh-What?”

“Er, I meant that it’s just me being nervous around you,” Sana quickly clarifies. “I’ve been in a few relationships, but my longest one only lasted a year. I’ve had one or two hook-ups, too, if you’re curious about my overall romantic history.” She gulps, not entirely sure why she felt the need to add that.

When Mina begins taking far too long for Sana’s liking, Sana turns her head and her eyes widen when she sees that Mina’s head is also turned and that her eyes are waiting for her. The little smirk on her face throws Sana off, and Mina simply raises an eyebrow.

“Do you think I’m going to judge you?” Mina asks, obviously amused. “You look tense.”

“I don’t know.” Settling down on honesty feels like the right choice. “Hook-ups in general can be weird for some people, and I’m also afraid of looking like I can’t hold a girlfriend. The breakups were either all for good reasons or I got involved with people who .”

“It’s okay.” Mina offers a reassuring smile. “I like who you are right now. That includes whatever history you may have with other people.”

Sana tries to not obsess over what was just said. “What about you? Any history with anybody?”

“I was in a relationship for most of high school, actually.”

“Whoa… that’s impressive. I feel like there’s a whole stereotype about relationships being fickle during those years.” Then Sana giggles. “I’m a good example of that, I guess.”

“I’m impressed with myself, honestly,” Mina admits with a chuckle. “I let it go for far too long. There were genuine feelings at first, but over time it was just something that felt too familiar to let go of. There weren’t any hard feelings, though.”

“And have you been with anyone since then?”

“Nope. I never really found anyone else who sparked my interest that much,” Mina’s smile shrinks bashfully, “until recently.”

“That person must be really lucky,” Sana whispers, unsure of how she hasn’t managed to burst at the seams yet.

Mina’s smile is reassuring even though her voice shakes. “Sana, I like you. You’re sweet and caring, and you make me laugh.” The affirmations are sudden, and the butterflies begin to take flight again.

Sana copes by cracking a joke. “You laugh at a lot of things though, so I’m not exactly sure if that’s a high honor.”

“Shut up,” Mina says with a grin and an eyeroll, her hand gently squeezing Sana’s.

“I like you a lot too, Mina.” It’s cruel how there aren’t better words for it.

“Then what do you want to do about it?”

Sana has always admired Mina’s random bouts of courage and playfulness, but this particular time practically floors her. And it doesn’t help that Mina looks far too attractive with a small smirk on her face, and Sana is beginning to think that is drying up.

“I want to kiss you a million times,” Sana admits quietly after a beat, her eyes focused on the mole above Mina’s lip.

The mole drifts as Mina’s smile stretches, her gummy grin so wide and happy that it constricts Sana’s heart. “Then kiss me a million times.”

There’s no use in fighting the massive smile on Sana’s face as she lets go of Mina’s hand and inches closer, propping herself up on her elbow in order to hover over Mina from the side.

She loves the way that Mina looks underneath her, quite frankly, with a blush so pink that Sana can make it out with only the stars above them, her hair splayed across the grass above her head. Despite the clear bashfulness that has taken over her features, she remains smiling up at Sana, making it all the harder to not close the gap between them and slow the rise and fall of Mina’s chest.

“You just said the corniest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” Sana beams as she pulls all her hair to one side, “and yet here I am, somehow even more attracted to you.”

“You should try being in my shoes right now.” Mina visibly gulps, and Sana’s eyes trace the way bobs. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Sana’s free hand finds its way to Mina’s cheek, cupping it gently. There’s something indescribable about Mina’s face – how gentle it simply looks and how it makes her infinitely more kissable by design. Mina leans her face into the touch, Sana’s thumb softly caressing her cheekbone. When she feels an encouraging tug on her sleeve, it’s all that she needs.

Dipping her head, Sana lightly presses her lips against Mina’s, brushing them across as Mina’s eyes flutter shut and Sana applies more pressure. Their mouths glide over one another slowly, their heads tilting and noses accidentally bumping. Mina’s warm breath finds its way deep into Sana’s lungs when she dares to part her lips in the slightest, feeling how Mina shudders against her when Sana flicks her tongue and prompts Mina to let her in. She could lose herself in the ways that Mina sighs into .

The hand cupping Mina’s cheek snakes its way down, deciding to rest at the hip. Sana can feel Mina smiling into the kiss, their teeth clacking for a moment when Mina lifts a hand to hold the back of Sana’s neck, gently pulling her closer. The feeling of her chest pressing and rising against Sana’s is relatively dizzying, and Sana is a little afraid of how fast her heart is drumming against her ribcage, her face flushing and her ears heating up when she considers the possibility that Mina could be feeling her rapid heartbeat at this very moment. She tugs at Mina’s bottom lip with her teeth just before pulling away.

The lingering warmth of her face reminds her of a fever, and she can only stare like a deer caught in headlights as Mina looks up at her with half-lidded eyes, breathing heavily with her palm still warm against Sana’s neck. Are you real? is a thought that crosses Sana’s mind, words stuck in the base of as she grasps helplessly at Mina’s hip.

“You’re beautiful,” Mina whispers suddenly, stealing the words right out of Sana’s mouth.

Sana clears , hyperaware of how hot her face is. “You have no right to say that with how you look right now.” She almost winces when Mina summons the nerve to smirk just the slightest bit. “Don’t you dare.”

“You taste like dinner.” Mina’s giggle is unfairly cute.

Sana seizes the opportunity, smirking. “Are you in the mood for dessert?”

Mina rolls her eyes, her gummy smile betraying any hope of looking annoyed. “Come here.” She moves her hands and tugs at Sana’s sides, pulling her down to lay on top of her completely.

“I have an answer now, I think,” Sana mumbles with a giggle, wrapping her arms beneath Mina.

“An answer to what?” Mina asks, holding her breath when Sana presses a warm, lingering kiss against the underside of her jaw.

“If I had the choice to be anywhere in the universe, I’d choose right here, right now, with you.”

“And you called me corny?” Mina laughs, and then they kiss for the second time.
 

Sana is just as shocked as Mina is.

“Well this tent sure is busted, huh?” Jeongyeon sighs, pulling at the edge of the giant hole in the top of Mina’s tent. “How did we miss this before when we were setting it up?”

“I have no idea.” Mina frowns, frozen in place as she helplessly watches Jeongyeon pull at the fabric. “I never went inside after we set it up, so I guess I didn’t get a chance to notice it.”

“Will she have to pay for it?” Sana asks, nervously watching as Jeongyeon and Nayeon share a quick glance before looking at Mina, who is clearly fretting.

“We’ll get it worked out,” Nayeon says, waving a dismissive hand. “Worst case scenario, Jeongyeon and I will handle it ourselves.”

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon scratches her chin. “You two can just share until tomorrow.”

The two turn away just as Sana finds Mina’s gaze, only to watch her shrug. There isn’t much else they can do, she figures, and it’s getting late.

“Do you mind if I bring my blanket and pillow in?” Mina asks as Sana s her tent.

Sana nods. “You can bring whatever you want.” She waits for Mina to gather her things, allowing her to get inside first so that she can place her things however she’d like.

Just as Sana is about to zip the opening back up, she hears a soft voice calling her name, and she peeks out from behind the zipper to see Nayeon looking out at her from behind her own tent’s front flap.

Before Sana can ask what she wants, Nayeon’s mouth stretches into a smile so devilish that a small part of Sana feels genuinely unsettled. But then comes the icing on the cake, when Sana’s jaw drops in sheer horror at the sight of Nayeon slowly revealing and smugly waving a large pair of scissors at her.

“Goodnight, you two,” Nayeon calls out, blowing Sana a kiss before retreating into her tent.

It isn’t until Mina pulls at the back of her shirt that Sana breaks free of her stupor, quickly zipping the opening and taking her spot next to Mina. The tent isn’t exactly spacious, given that it’s intended for solo use, but there’s just enough room when they both lay on their sides, and Sana isn’t exactly against the close proximity now that she and Mina have become well-acquainted, for lack of a better word.

“What was that about?” Mina asks, her brow furrowing.

“I think we just got played,” Sana says in a low voice, still utterly shell-shocked.

It's dark in the tent, so she can’t really make out Mina’s face. Not that it matters, because Sana suddenly feels plastic against her face. “Found this while I was setting my stuff up. I didn’t want to crush it by accident, so…”

“Oh, yeah!” She almost forgot that she brought a granola bar. “It was an emergency snack. Do you want to share it with me?”

“It’s okay.” Mina’s voice gives off the impression that she’s smiling, and the plastic feeling disappears. “I’m not that hungry.”

Sana smirks, and she can only hope that it can be conveyed in her tone. “So you don’t want dessert after all, huh?”

She isn’t sure if it simply takes Mina a moment to understand what she means or if there had been some flustered pause in the darkness, but then she feels a hand on her cheek and a familiar sensation against , and it doesn’t take more than a breath before Sana is embracing Mina fully, capturing her lips again.

Overnight camping may very well be her favorite activity after all.