Chapter 3
MiscommunicationYou were first aware of the soreness in your body from the ground, and then you opened your eyes to see light illuminating your tent. Memories from last night rushed you and you inhaled sharply. When you looked at the spot next to you though, there was nothing there. Jongup and his stuff was gone.
Stifling a groan, you sat up and extracted yourself from the sleeping bag. The last thing you wanted to do was see Jongup, let alone talk to him, but you couldn't hide in your tent all day either. You had to confront him about what he's done. He owes you an apology at the very least.
After you got ready, you stuffed your feet in to your boots and undid the zipper. You climbed out of your tent and made sure it was properly closed behind you. Then you peered up at the sky to see bright blue without a single cloud.
"Hey, saved you some breakfast."
You looked over at the campfire to see Jongup smiling at you. Your stomach did a little flip, but you reminded yourself that you were angry with him. His good looks weren't going to dissuade you from confronting him. As you made your way over to him though, you noticed a few other people still at the campsite. It would have to wait until you two were alone.
"Everyone else going to the lake already left but I figured I'd let you sleep." he told you as he held up a bowl of food.
You merely nodded your head in reply and sat down beside him, making sure there was some space between the two of you. You took the bowl from him and silently began to eat.
"Once you're done, we'll head over to the lake. I'll grab some lunch and extra water for us." He stood up and headed over to his tent.
Letting out a heavy sigh, you closed your eyes to mentally prepare you for the walk. And the talk. The hike was the best time to do it. Then you hurriedly finished your breakfast before cleaning your bowl.
At that moment, Jongup came up next to you. "Ready?"
"Yeah." you replied though you weren't sure if you actually were. Then you noticed the backpack he had on.
"Oh, let me get my bag and.."
"It's fine." he insisted, cutting you off. "I don't mind carrying everything."
"But.." Before you could argue, he grabbed your hand and started walking. You wanted to protest more, and tell him to release you, but you pressed your lips together and let him lead you away from the campsite.
Stifling a groan, you sat up and extracted yourself from the sleeping bag. The last thing you wanted to do was see Jongup, let alone talk to him, but you couldn't hide in your tent all day either. You had to confront him about what he's done. He owes you an apology at the very least.
After you got ready, you stuffed your feet in to your boots and undid the zipper. You climbed out of your tent and made sure it was properly closed behind you. Then you peered up at the sky to see bright blue without a single cloud.
"Hey, saved you some breakfast."
You looked over at the campfire to see Jongup smiling at you. Your stomach did a little flip, but you reminded yourself that you were angry with him. His good looks weren't going to dissuade you from confronting him. As you made your way over to him though, you noticed a few other people still at the campsite. It would have to wait until you two were alone.
"Everyone else going to the lake already left but I figured I'd let you sleep." he told you as he held up a bowl of food.
You merely nodded your head in reply and sat down beside him, making sure there was some space between the two of you. You took the bowl from him and silently began to eat.
"Once you're done, we'll head over to the lake. I'll grab some lunch and extra water for us." He stood up and headed over to his tent.
Letting out a heavy sigh, you closed your eyes to mentally prepare you for the walk. And the talk. The hike was the best time to do it. Then you hurriedly finished your breakfast before cleaning your bowl.
At that moment, Jongup came up next to you. "Ready?"
"Yeah." you replied though you weren't sure if you actually were. Then you noticed the backpack he had on.
"Oh, let me get my bag and.."
"It's fine." he insisted, cutting you off. "I don't mind carrying everything."
"But.." Before you could argue, he grabbed your hand and started walking. You wanted to protest more, and tell him to release you, but you pressed your lips together and let him lead you away from the campsite.
After walking for about 5 minutes in silence, with Jongup still holding your hand, you decided enough was enough. "Jongup."
He turned his head to glance at you with another one of his brilliant smiles. "Wait until you see the lake. It's so clear and the sunlight makes the water sparkle."
You attempted to pull your hand free, only to have him tighten his hold.
"It'll feel great after the hike too. But you don't have to swim if you don't want to." he continued.
"Jongup." you repeated without bothering to hide the irritation in your voice.
"We usually stay for most of the day, but we don't have to if you don't want to do that either."
Planting your feet, you forcefully yanked your hand away from him. He stopped and blinked at you in surprise.
"We need to talk." You crossed your arms over your chest, wanting to shield you from how much this was going to hurt. "You can't keep doing this."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Doing what?"
"You can't keep..." A blush crept up on your face. Saying the words out loud now sounded mortifying. Swallowing thickly, you said, "Holding my hand, and last night when.."
"Don't." he interrupted. He grabbed the straps of his backpack and squeezed them as he turned away from you. "Let's just.."
"No. You can't... My feelings for you.."
"Stop!"
You jumped in surprise and stared at him. The last thing you expected him to do was yell at you.
"Just stop already." he demanded. "I don't want to hear about your feelings when all you've done is... is..." He let out an frustrated growl before stomping off away from you and up the trail.
You watched him go in confusion. What was he talking about? What had you done? He was the one manipulating you by using your feelings for him. You were the one that should be angry, not him.
Tears started to well up in your eyes but you rapidly blinked them away. Instead of following after him, you turned and headed back to camp. The few people who had stayed behind eyed you curiously. They didn't say anything though, your mood evidently showing on your face, and you ignored them as you went in to your tent.
He turned his head to glance at you with another one of his brilliant smiles. "Wait until you see the lake. It's so clear and the sunlight makes the water sparkle."
You attempted to pull your hand free, only to have him tighten his hold.
"It'll feel great after the hike too. But you don't have to swim if you don't want to." he continued.
"Jongup." you repeated without bothering to hide the irritation in your voice.
"We usually stay for most of the day, but we don't have to if you don't want to do that either."
Planting your feet, you forcefully yanked your hand away from him. He stopped and blinked at you in surprise.
"We need to talk." You crossed your arms over your chest, wanting to shield you from how much this was going to hurt. "You can't keep doing this."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Doing what?"
"You can't keep..." A blush crept up on your face. Saying the words out loud now sounded mortifying. Swallowing thickly, you said, "Holding my hand, and last night when.."
"Don't." he interrupted. He grabbed the straps of his backpack and squeezed them as he turned away from you. "Let's just.."
"No. You can't... My feelings for you.."
"Stop!"
You jumped in surprise and stared at him. The last thing you expected him to do was yell at you.
"Just stop already." he demanded. "I don't want to hear about your feelings when all you've done is... is..." He let out an frustrated growl before stomping off away from you and up the trail.
You watched him go in confusion. What was he talking about? What had you done? He was the one manipulating you by using your feelings for him. You were the one that should be angry, not him.
Tears started to well up in your eyes but you rapidly blinked them away. Instead of following after him, you turned and headed back to camp. The few people who had stayed behind eyed you curiously. They didn't say anything though, your mood evidently showing on your face, and you ignored them as you went in to your tent.
You awoke to someone whispering your name and opened your eyes. It was still fairly dark but light enough that you could see Jongup peering in to your tent. You had avoided him the rest of the day, barely even looked at him and made sure you sat away from him at dinner. Seeing him now brought back the anger you felt for him. "What?" you demanded.
If your tone bothered him at all, he didn't show it. "I really want to show you something, please. It's not far, I promise. Please."
The expression on his face cooled your anger, but traipsing around with him was something you still didn't want to do. "Jongup, I.."
"Please." he begged, his voice dripping with desperation. "I just... I really, really want you to come with me. Please."
You laid there for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Just give me a minute." He nodded and zipped the tent flap closed. Sitting up, you started fumbling around for your shoes. Once they were on your feet, you messed with your hair to get it presentable. Then you remembered you were mad at him and weren't trying to impress him.
When you emerged from your tent, everything was a light grey and you realized the sunrise was soon. You turned to Jongup who offered you a tiny smile.
"Thanks." he said. He stuffed his hands in to the pockets of his jeans and indicated for you to follow him. Instead of heading to the main trail, he lead you in to the trees. A couple of minutes later, the trees thinned and you came up cliff edge.
"I told you there was a good spot to watch the sunrise." He moved over to a large boulder and sat on the ground so he could lean back against it.
You hesitated for a few seconds and then joined him on the ground. He leaned slightly to the side, putting more distance between the two of you. Your heart dropped in to your stomach. Screw being mad at him. He was your friend and you didn't want to lose that. You opened your mouth to apologize, but he started talking first as he stared out at the horizon.
"I've really wanted you to come here, so when you finally said yes, I was so excited. Too excited, I guess. I just thought that maybe you... That you... Well, I'm sorry. I never should have..." He shifted and nervously cleared his throat. Then quietly he added, "I shouldn't have read more in to you coming here than I did. It didn't mean what I thought it did."
You gaped at him in confusion for a bit before shaking your head. "Wait, what??"
He winced and squeezed his eyes shut. "Can we just forget about his whole weekend please?"
"Are you saying you weren't manipulating my feelings?"
His head whipped to the side. "What? Manip..." His face fell and this time he was gaping at you. "Your what?"
Your heart beat frantically in your chest. This wasn't happening, was it?
"You kept pulling away from me though. And every time I've asked here to come here, you said no." he continued.
You scoffed. "I hate camping."
"But it would be with me."
This made you gape at him again. "Wait... Are you..." You turned away from him so you didn't have to meet his eyes when you stated, "You thought if I said yes to something I hate, just to spend time with you, that meant I had feelings for you."
There was a few moments of silence and then Jongup whispered, "Yeah."
Butterflies fluttered in your stomach. "I figured it was one-sided."
"So this whole time you...?"
You turned your head to look at him and nodded. "Yeah. And you?"
His nodded his head as well. "Yeah."
The two of you stared at each other. A small smile formed on Jongup's face and you found yourself blushing as you smiled as well. Then the whole area brightened and you turned to watch the sunrise. You felt his hand slide into yours and instead of pulling away, you squeezed his hand in return.
If your tone bothered him at all, he didn't show it. "I really want to show you something, please. It's not far, I promise. Please."
The expression on his face cooled your anger, but traipsing around with him was something you still didn't want to do. "Jongup, I.."
"Please." he begged, his voice dripping with desperation. "I just... I really, really want you to come with me. Please."
You laid there for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Just give me a minute." He nodded and zipped the tent flap closed. Sitting up, you started fumbling around for your shoes. Once they were on your feet, you messed with your hair to get it presentable. Then you remembered you were mad at him and weren't trying to impress him.
When you emerged from your tent, everything was a light grey and you realized the sunrise was soon. You turned to Jongup who offered you a tiny smile.
"Thanks." he said. He stuffed his hands in to the pockets of his jeans and indicated for you to follow him. Instead of heading to the main trail, he lead you in to the trees. A couple of minutes later, the trees thinned and you came up cliff edge.
"I told you there was a good spot to watch the sunrise." He moved over to a large boulder and sat on the ground so he could lean back against it.
You hesitated for a few seconds and then joined him on the ground. He leaned slightly to the side, putting more distance between the two of you. Your heart dropped in to your stomach. Screw being mad at him. He was your friend and you didn't want to lose that. You opened your mouth to apologize, but he started talking first as he stared out at the horizon.
"I've really wanted you to come here, so when you finally said yes, I was so excited. Too excited, I guess. I just thought that maybe you... That you... Well, I'm sorry. I never should have..." He shifted and nervously cleared his throat. Then quietly he added, "I shouldn't have read more in to you coming here than I did. It didn't mean what I thought it did."
You gaped at him in confusion for a bit before shaking your head. "Wait, what??"
He winced and squeezed his eyes shut. "Can we just forget about his whole weekend please?"
"Are you saying you weren't manipulating my feelings?"
His head whipped to the side. "What? Manip..." His face fell and this time he was gaping at you. "Your what?"
Your heart beat frantically in your chest. This wasn't happening, was it?
"You kept pulling away from me though. And every time I've asked here to come here, you said no." he continued.
You scoffed. "I hate camping."
"But it would be with me."
This made you gape at him again. "Wait... Are you..." You turned away from him so you didn't have to meet his eyes when you stated, "You thought if I said yes to something I hate, just to spend time with you, that meant I had feelings for you."
There was a few moments of silence and then Jongup whispered, "Yeah."
Butterflies fluttered in your stomach. "I figured it was one-sided."
"So this whole time you...?"
You turned your head to look at him and nodded. "Yeah. And you?"
His nodded his head as well. "Yeah."
The two of you stared at each other. A small smile formed on Jongup's face and you found yourself blushing as you smiled as well. Then the whole area brightened and you turned to watch the sunrise. You felt his hand slide into yours and instead of pulling away, you squeezed his hand in return.
When you both returned to the campsite, you were surprised to see most of the group awake and sitting around. Then you blushed in embarrassment as every single one of them looked at your hand and Jongup's hand still interlocked.
"Well it's about damn time."
"Who had this Sunday morning in the betting pool?"
Your mouth dropped open and your eyes widened. You glanced at Jongup to see him just as surprised and confused.
"W-wait, y-you guys..." he stammered.
The group immediately burst out laughing.
"It was so obvious it was painful." one guy yelled out, bringing about another round of laughter.
Blushing even harder, you closed your eyes and suppressed a groan. When you heard a chuckle close by though, you opened your eyes to see Jongup smiling at you. You smiled back, ignoring a couple of wolf-whistles.
"Well it's about damn time."
"Who had this Sunday morning in the betting pool?"
Your mouth dropped open and your eyes widened. You glanced at Jongup to see him just as surprised and confused.
"W-wait, y-you guys..." he stammered.
The group immediately burst out laughing.
"It was so obvious it was painful." one guy yelled out, bringing about another round of laughter.
Blushing even harder, you closed your eyes and suppressed a groan. When you heard a chuckle close by though, you opened your eyes to see Jongup smiling at you. You smiled back, ignoring a couple of wolf-whistles.
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