After much consideration I’ve decided to combine chapter 13 and 14

 

Yerim stares blankly at the horizon, her mind keeps replaying the events of that night. She can’t forget the look on Nayeon’s face, the fear, the trembling, the sobs. It was etched in her brain that she can’t shake them off.

 

 

 

Yerim walked Nayeon home, not letting the girl go until they reached the latter’s doorstep.

 

Nayeon’s shaking didn’t cease, her hands kept trembling that the key won’t jab inside the keyhole.

 

Yerim holds Nayeon’s hand gently, guiding it to its place.

 

Droplets of tears fell on Yerim’s hand as Nayeon’s whole body trembled, her head finds Yerim’s chest once again while her free hand clutch on Yerim’s shirt. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Nayeon’s sobbing turn into occasional sniffing.

 

Then front door suddenly opened, Nayeon was greeted by her worried parents before she was ushered inside. Throwing questions likes where she had been, what happened and why was she crying.

 

Yerim stayed rooted in her place, not bothering to enter the house since she wasn’t invited in. She doesn’t mind though, her work here is done, Nayeon got home safely and that’s what matters. She was about to leave.

 

“Yerim-ah” Nayeon held her hand preventing her from leaving. “Can you please stay with me tonight?”

 

 

 

Yerim looks at her hand. She can still remember how Nayeon clutched unto her, like she’s afraid someone will take her away. She still remembers how she held Nayeon that night, not too tight because she doesn’t want the fragile girl to break in her hold. Nayeon’s iron grip was in contrast with Yerim’s feather embrace that night.

 

That’s why she was contemplating joining this annual team building/camping trip. Yerim can’t take the thought of leaving Nayeon unprotected and alone. She doesn’t know why she has this urge to protect Nayeon, to make her feel safe. What is this foreign feeling?

 

“Maknae, are you okay?” Seulgi came to sit beside her while Seungwan was about a foot away throwing stones at the ocean trying to make the stones jump.

 

Yerim nods, her body might be here in the middle of nowhere, but her mind is with Nayeon. “I’m just worried about my friend”

 

“Nayeon?” Seungwan asks, looking back.

 

Yerim nods.

 

“Hey” Seulgi bumps Yerim’s shoulder to get the youngest’s attention. “It’s just three days and two nights. We’ll be on our way home before you know it”

 

Seungwan is now standing in front of them, smiling. “You can always call her if you’re that worried. We’re not actually in the middle of nowhere. Our phones still have reception”

 

Yerim smiles. “I’ll do that. I’ll call her later”

 

“Why not now?” Seulgi asks.

 

Yerim chuckles, taking out her phone and immediately dial Nayeon’s number, her smile immediately brightens up. Seungwan and Seulgi knew that Naeyeon had picked up.

 

“Girls!”

 

Seulgi and Seungwan looked back and saw Taeyeon waving at them, beckoning them to come to her.

 

 

 

♦♦♦

 

 

 

Seulgi frowns as she eyes the collapsed tent in front of her.

 

“Something wrong, Seul?” Taeyeon places an arm around Seulgi’s shoulders. “You don’t know how to build a tent?”

 

“I do. I just…” Seulgi’s sights landed on Joohyun who is busy raising her shared tent with Sooyoung.

 

“Why am I sharing a tent with Seungwan? It’s obvious she doesn’t want to share with me”

 

“Hey! Don’t make up stories!” Seungwan stops reading the instructions to react to her bestfriend’s words.

 

Taeyeon smiles. “I know you’re not happy with the arrangement, none of the students are but we don’t want unnecessary events, right?”

 

Seulgi nods. She did remember the collective groans and protests from the students because of the tent buddy arrangement. She turns to Seungwan who is now back to reading the instructions and following them. If Seungwan isn’t happy with the arrangement she doesn’t show it but Seulgi knows her, she knows her best friend. If not happy then maybe a little disappointed?

 

Taeyeon pats Seulgi’s back before walking off, probably to help other students who are struggling with their tents.

 

Seulgi sighs, squatting down beside Seungwan. “I’m sorry”

 

Seungwan stops reading the instructions, again, to give her best friend her attention. “What for?”

 

“I know you want to be tent buddies with Sooyoung”

 

Seungwan smiles. “I do. I won’t lie but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to share a tent with you”

 

Seulgi flashes a tight-lipped smile. Should she ask Taeyeon to have Yerim as her tent buddy? But if Sooyoung will sleep with Seungwan then who will sleep with Joohyun? Is she comfortable with the thought of leaving Joohyun alone?

 

“Why don’t you just change tent buddies?”

 

Seulgi flinch when Yerim pops up beside her. “Where did you come from?”

 

“I came from my mother, unnie” Yerim smiles innocently and Seulgi thinks that the phone call with Nayeon went beyond expectation because little Satan is back to her usual self.

 

Seungwan shakes her head. “You were in deep thought you didn’t hear her coming”

 

Yerim nods her head eagerly, pulling Seulgi up on her feet leaving Seungwan to put up their tent on her own.

 

“Hey!” But Seungwan’s cries fell on deaf ears because Yerim is already walking away with Seulgi.

 

“Let me guess, unnie. You’re thinking of letting Sooyoung-unnie be with Seungwan-unnie?”

 

Seulgi nods. “I feel like I’m being a bad best friend if I don’t do something about it”

 

“Don’t worry, unnie. I already took care of it” Yerim beams, patting Seulgi’s back before leaving Seulgi.

 

It took Seulgi a good full minute before Yerim’s word sinks in. She looks at Yerim’s retreating back, horrified. “What did you do?! Yah Kim Yerim what did you do?!”

 

 

 

♦♦♦

 

 

 

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