Seolhyun is far ahead, leading the way, surrounded by the DIA and gugudan girls. Jooeun is shadowing her precious lieutenant, Haebin is monitoring their path on her GPS, and the two Produce crackheads are groaning under the weight of their rucksacks. They lost with their rocks against two papers, so now Kim Nayoung is carrying the radio station, and Heehyun — an axe and a hammer. Should have used these on someone special before we left the boot camp, thinks Heehyun. As our cinema assures us, there is sympathy for certain ladies. She smirks, but doesn’t voice her thoughts. Her platoon mates are grumpy and mute (even Nayoung isn’t shining as much), and no one will appreciate the joke.
They have been marching further and further into the woods since 5:00. The sun must have risen up already: the birds are in their full voice now. There is no other evidence to that: the trees cast such heavy shadows it is impossible to tell which colour the sky is.

The forest is a perfect place for Sowon to be in right now. As in, it perfectly represents the emotional place she has been in since yesterday. 
The tree trunks stand so close to one another they resemble walls; the tree branches are intertwined with little to no gaps in their web. The tree tunnel creates a claustrophobic feeling; Sowon feels like there is no outer world; like she dreamt she had woken up tonight, and gotten dressed, and eaten, and left the boot camp — those were no real events, but a stage play, one-man show. But now — now the reality has hit her. She is in her own purgatory, that’s what these woods are.
Yes, she may be carrying the gifts of civilisation on her back — her uniform, her paint gun, spare ammo, toiletries, utensils, food; but the forest around prevails, making all her belongings seem useless, nonsensical.
She may be walking down the narrow trail among her platoon mates, but Nayoung has gone too far ahead, and no one else dares to face her scowl, so she has no one to talk to.
She may be carrying her phone, her power bank, but she has no one to text — and no texts came last night, as well.
Their promises of — still loyal, but now platonic — friendship were not good enough!
The amiability of their official breakup is spurious. Now, in hindsight, Sowon questions everything Nicole said to her this weekend and suspects the worst. Nicole is going to ghost her forever; she’s lost her only unnie, and from now on, there will be no help with dealing with the burden of life. Sowon could swear she heard her spine cracking already!
Since the moment she had found the strength to tear herself apart from Nicole — the parting was painful on the physical level, — she spent her route back to the boot camp wallowing in self-pity. And doesn’t she have a good reason to do so?
The back pillar that has been supporting her peaceful existence so far — she destroyed it with her own hands out of a mere insecurity. Apparently, her trainee days taught her nothing; it seems, she still prefers to plough onwards if in doubt — do first, ask questions later. She is a ing idiot!
Or was it something else? Was it a subconscious desire to move on from her past and grow? But why does it feel so hollow?
She has lost a great source of tenderness and support. Will there ever be another?
She missteps, and a random rock under her foot sends her tripping off the trail.

***

Nayeon, with her snail pace, naturally finds herself in the rearguard — a small part of the platoon, tailing after everyone else. Even though the boot camp training certainly benefitted them, some people’s abilities just can’t be improved. Therefore, while the majority of this year idol recruits have huddled into a main g