Chapter 2
MiscommunicationThe rest of the afternoon slipped by as everyone leisurely set up the camp. Once the sunlight disappeared and it was dark, everyone gathered around the campfire as dinner was cooked. Which apparently was the time the group teased the unlucky two that drew dinner duty. Lots of snide comments were made about burning the food and every time a piece of food fell in to the fire, loud yelling would ensure.
You watched it all with a smile on your face, genuinely enjoying yourself. That is until the conversation turned to what the planned activities were for tomorrow. A couple of people planned on staying at the camp but a few stated they wanted to go to the lake. You remembered your friends mention of a lake to go swimming in before, but you didn't realize that came after another hike. The ache in your legs told you that it would be impossible.
"You're going right?"
You stiffened slightly as Jongup sat next to you. "Uh... I don't know." you replied and made a show of massaging your legs.
He pouted. "You have to go. It'll be lots of fun. You don't even have to swim, we can just sit on the shore together. And we'll walk by ourselves and go slow." Sticking his bottom lip out even more, he leaned towards you and whined, "Pleeaaaasssee."
Blushing at his cuteness, you chuckled and shook your head. Then he leaned closer to you, his shoulder touching yours. You tensed and before you could help yourself, you wondered what it would feel like to lean in to him as well. Put your head on to his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around you.
Instead you shifted so you were further away from him. Better this way to avoid the temptation. Though you couldn't resist completely and shyly smiled at him. "Okay."
"Good." He smiled back at you, causing a swirl of butterflies in your stomach. Then he turned away and started chatting with the other person beside him.
With his attention no longer on you, the smile disappeared from your face and you forced yourself not to grimace at the thought of tomorrow. You were going to be sore and miserable for a month.
You watched it all with a smile on your face, genuinely enjoying yourself. That is until the conversation turned to what the planned activities were for tomorrow. A couple of people planned on staying at the camp but a few stated they wanted to go to the lake. You remembered your friends mention of a lake to go swimming in before, but you didn't realize that came after another hike. The ache in your legs told you that it would be impossible.
"You're going right?"
You stiffened slightly as Jongup sat next to you. "Uh... I don't know." you replied and made a show of massaging your legs.
He pouted. "You have to go. It'll be lots of fun. You don't even have to swim, we can just sit on the shore together. And we'll walk by ourselves and go slow." Sticking his bottom lip out even more, he leaned towards you and whined, "Pleeaaaasssee."
Blushing at his cuteness, you chuckled and shook your head. Then he leaned closer to you, his shoulder touching yours. You tensed and before you could help yourself, you wondered what it would feel like to lean in to him as well. Put your head on to his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around you.
Instead you shifted so you were further away from him. Better this way to avoid the temptation. Though you couldn't resist completely and shyly smiled at him. "Okay."
"Good." He smiled back at you, causing a swirl of butterflies in your stomach. Then he turned away and started chatting with the other person beside him.
With his attention no longer on you, the smile disappeared from your face and you forced yourself not to grimace at the thought of tomorrow. You were going to be sore and miserable for a month.
A little after dinner, the people that planned on heading to the lake decided to go to bed so they could be up early and spend most of the day swimming. You reluctantly went to your tent as well despite wanting to stay up. Sleeping would just mean time would go by quicker and it would be that much sooner that you had to hike more.
With a heavy sigh, you snuggled into your sleeping bag and closed your eyes. After a moment, you rolled on to your side. Then you shifted on to your other side. "Yeah, this isn't miserable at all." you muttered as you mentally cursed the hard ground. You tossed and turned for a while until you managed to doze off.
Suddenly a loud bang made you jerk awake and you sat up. You blinked at the darkness, trying to discern what the sound was. Then you heard the pitter-patter of rain against your tent. Your hands squeezed your sleeping bag tightly. Now you knew what had woken you up.
Another boom of thunder and you let out a frightened squeak. Laying back down, you curled up on you side and moved down in to the bag as much as you could.
Please stop, please stop, please stop.
Your silent plea went unanswered as more thunder rang out. Tears welled up in your eyes. You were never doing this again. No matter how much Jongup begged, there was just no way.
The sound of a zipper moving caught your attention and you poked your head out. A dark figure shoved a couple of things into your tent before entering and zipping the door close.
And now I'm going to be murdered by a crazy mountain man.
"Jongup?" you hesitantly called out.
"Yeah, it's me." He moved closer and that's when you realized he had his own sleeping bag and pillow. "Sorry I'm a little wet." he told you as he made a bed beside you.
"What are you.. AH!" Thunder crackled overhead and you ducked back down in to your bag. A second later, you felt his arms on you as he held you tightly.
"It's okay." he said. "It'll be over soon."
You thought your heart was racing before but that was nothing compared to now. He was obviously comforting you. Did he have to be so... close though?
"I'm gonna let go of you just long enough to lay down. Okay?" he questioned.
You swallowed thickly and stuttered, "O-okay."
He released you and you emerged from your sleeping bag. You watched as he got in to his own bag but he didn't pull up the zipper all the way. Once he was comfortable, he reached his arm out and wrapped it around you again. He pulled you closer and you shifted a little so there was barely any space between the two of you. Which only made you blush and you were grateful that it was dark so he couldn't see.
"I remember that you hate thunder." he stated while his hand started rubbing your back. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think to double-check the weather forecast before we left. Otherwise I never would have brought you here."
You wanted to tell him that it was alright. That it was no big deal. It would be a lie but you didn't want him to be racked with guilt. You could have just as easily checked the forecast yourself. As you opened your mouth to force the words out though, more thunder brought a pitiful cry from you instead while you flinched. Jongup's held you even tighter and yet your body began to shake on its own with fear. A few tears leaked from your eyes.
All of a sudden, he let you go and his hand was on your face. He brushed the wetness away and you could feel yourself blushing even harder at being caught crying. It was so childish and pathetic, being so scared of a storm at this age, and you hated him seeing you like this.
You started to pull away but stopped when he moved closer. His lips touched yours and your eyes widened in surprise. He was kissing you?? No, that couldn't be right. This couldn't be happening.
You jerked away from him. "Wha.."
"Don't." he quickly said, cutting you off. He put his arm back around you. "You can sleep now, right?"
Blinking in surprise, you realized there was a low rumble outside. Another lighting strike but you were so shocked over what he had done that you didn't even noticed the thunder it had caused.
You pressed your lips together as a sharp twinge of pain came from your chest. The kiss didn't mean anything. He was just distracting you. That's all it was. Could you really hold it against him if he was helping you?
Except... yes you could. You could be angry and hurt, if he knew how you felt about him. He held your hand on the hike to distract you from the pain in your legs, making it so you could reach the campsite. Now he kissed you to distract you from the storm. Yes he was helping, but he was manipulating you. Using your feelings for him against you. Like those feelings were no big deal.
Resentment bloomed inside you and you shifted away from him, putting more space between the two of you. Thankfully he took the hint and pulled his arm back.
Taking a cue from him, you used these new feelings as armor from the storm and forced yourself to fall asleep.
With a heavy sigh, you snuggled into your sleeping bag and closed your eyes. After a moment, you rolled on to your side. Then you shifted on to your other side. "Yeah, this isn't miserable at all." you muttered as you mentally cursed the hard ground. You tossed and turned for a while until you managed to doze off.
Suddenly a loud bang made you jerk awake and you sat up. You blinked at the darkness, trying to discern what the sound was. Then you heard the pitter-patter of rain against your tent. Your hands squeezed your sleeping bag tightly. Now you knew what had woken you up.
Another boom of thunder and you let out a frightened squeak. Laying back down, you curled up on you side and moved down in to the bag as much as you could.
Please stop, please stop, please stop.
Your silent plea went unanswered as more thunder rang out. Tears welled up in your eyes. You were never doing this again. No matter how much Jongup begged, there was just no way.
The sound of a zipper moving caught your attention and you poked your head out. A dark figure shoved a couple of things into your tent before entering and zipping the door close.
And now I'm going to be murdered by a crazy mountain man.
"Jongup?" you hesitantly called out.
"Yeah, it's me." He moved closer and that's when you realized he had his own sleeping bag and pillow. "Sorry I'm a little wet." he told you as he made a bed beside you.
"What are you.. AH!" Thunder crackled overhead and you ducked back down in to your bag. A second later, you felt his arms on you as he held you tightly.
"It's okay." he said. "It'll be over soon."
You thought your heart was racing before but that was nothing compared to now. He was obviously comforting you. Did he have to be so... close though?
"I'm gonna let go of you just long enough to lay down. Okay?" he questioned.
You swallowed thickly and stuttered, "O-okay."
He released you and you emerged from your sleeping bag. You watched as he got in to his own bag but he didn't pull up the zipper all the way. Once he was comfortable, he reached his arm out and wrapped it around you again. He pulled you closer and you shifted a little so there was barely any space between the two of you. Which only made you blush and you were grateful that it was dark so he couldn't see.
"I remember that you hate thunder." he stated while his hand started rubbing your back. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think to double-check the weather forecast before we left. Otherwise I never would have brought you here."
You wanted to tell him that it was alright. That it was no big deal. It would be a lie but you didn't want him to be racked with guilt. You could have just as easily checked the forecast yourself. As you opened your mouth to force the words out though, more thunder brought a pitiful cry from you instead while you flinched. Jongup's held you even tighter and yet your body began to shake on its own with fear. A few tears leaked from your eyes.
All of a sudden, he let you go and his hand was on your face. He brushed the wetness away and you could feel yourself blushing even harder at being caught crying. It was so childish and pathetic, being so scared of a storm at this age, and you hated him seeing you like this.
You started to pull away but stopped when he moved closer. His lips touched yours and your eyes widened in surprise. He was kissing you?? No, that couldn't be right. This couldn't be happening.
You jerked away from him. "Wha.."
"Don't." he quickly said, cutting you off. He put his arm back around you. "You can sleep now, right?"
Blinking in surprise, you realized there was a low rumble outside. Another lighting strike but you were so shocked over what he had done that you didn't even noticed the thunder it had caused.
You pressed your lips together as a sharp twinge of pain came from your chest. The kiss didn't mean anything. He was just distracting you. That's all it was. Could you really hold it against him if he was helping you?
Except... yes you could. You could be angry and hurt, if he knew how you felt about him. He held your hand on the hike to distract you from the pain in your legs, making it so you could reach the campsite. Now he kissed you to distract you from the storm. Yes he was helping, but he was manipulating you. Using your feelings for him against you. Like those feelings were no big deal.
Resentment bloomed inside you and you shifted away from him, putting more space between the two of you. Thankfully he took the hint and pulled his arm back.
Taking a cue from him, you used these new feelings as armor from the storm and forced yourself to fall asleep.
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