“Alright, Umma, I have everything,” Kaemi sighed for the umpteenth time. Her mother was having none of it.

“Are you sure? Because once we’re gone, we’re gone,” she said, worry written all over her face. Her father, who stood with arms crossed off to the side, gave a small smile. “I just can’t let my only child go off to university lacking the essentials, you know? This is the start of the rest of your life and I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t have everything you need and ended up unhappy and floundering around not knowing what to do, and you know I just-”

“UMMA! It’s okay,” Kaemi reassured, grabbing her mother by the shoulders and giving her a slight shake. “Isn’t the start of the rest of my life about making mistakes? I’ll be fine. You’re only a phone call and a bus ride away.”

“We move in three weeks,” he mother rebutted. Kaemi shook her head.

“And if in those three weeks I need something, I’ll call you or just come home,” she said. “And once you leave, I still have Auntie Jae around to help me with stuff. Just calm down, alright? Appa, tell her to calm down.” He father laughed and swung an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“When has our girl ever gotten into a situation she wasn’t clever enough to get out of on her own?” He asked, looking at his worried spouse. “And I don’t mean the time when she baked that cake. Besides, Kai ate it anyway.” Her mother, who was about to open in protest, promptly shut it, and sighed.

“Oh, I know I’m being difficult,” she said, tears welling up. “But you’re my baby, and I’ll always worry more than I should.” She gathered Kaemi into her arms and hugged her tightly. Kaemi felt her own tears building up, and began to laugh.

“See what you did, Umma? Now I’m going to cry,” she joked. They stayed in that embrace for a minute, until Kaemi pulled away. “I have everything, and I’m going to miss you more than you can imagine. Now, I’ll go before I turn into a waterfall.” She gathered her backpack and suitcase in her arms and turned quickly around. She began heading down the path for the admissions building, when she suddenly turned back and ran for one last quick hug.

“Bye, Baby Girl!” Appa shouted after her as she ran back to her stuff. They waited until she entered the building and shut the door before heading back to their car.

"She's growing up," Umma shuffled as she buckled herself into the car. "What are we going to do?"

"Wish her good luck," Appa said, his own voice a little weary.

Back in the admissions building, Kaemi glanced around nervously. She was looking for a familiar face, something to let her know that she wasn’t alone. The room was packed with incoming freshman, some who looked bright and excited, and others who looked just as nervous as she did.

“Kaemi! Over here!” Her head whipped towards the direction of the person calling her, and her face brightened.

“Chanyeol!” She navigated the crowd, weaving her suitcase in and out of the throngs of students. He scooped her up into a hug as soon as she was close enough.

“You can put my girlfriend down now,” Kai said in mock irritation. Chanyeol just spun so that he held Kaemi away from Kai.

“I don’t wanna,” he teased. Kaemi laughed and wiggled herself out of his grip. “Aww, don’t you like me, Kae?”

“You’re like the life-sized teddy bear I’ve always wanted,” She replied, giving him a reassuring pat on the arm. “But this guy here has priority.” She turned to Kai and kissed him briefly on the lips.

“That’s something that a teddy bear doesn’t get.” It was Kai’s turn to tease Chanyeol, who pouted.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Where is D.O.? I thought he said he would be here already...” Using his height to his advantage he scanned the heads of the crowd. “There’s the fool. He looks so lost; it’s really funny.”

“Kyungsoo-oppa!” Kaemi called, waving her hand in the air. She couldn’t see as well as Chanyeol (her height was always an issue in these settings) but she hoped that D.O. could see her. And sure enough, a few moments later, the weary looking boy approached the group.

“Why are we stuffed in here like cows? I’m so done with this trip and it hasn’t even started yet,” he complained. “I don’t even know the people in my group.”

“I think that’s the point,” Kai said, throwing an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “And besides, it’s only for a few days. It’ll be fun.”

“Strange is the day when Kai is reassuring us about a trip to the wilderness being fun,” Chanyeol not so subtly whispered to Kaemi, who laughed. Kai just rolled his eyes.

“Alright students!” A voice boomed over the din. Slowly, attention was diverted to the front of the large entrance hall, where a rather skinny looking man was standing on a raised platform.

“My name is Professor Jeong and I am the Director for Freshman Affairs at Seoul U. We offer you our warmest welcome at the start of this exciting journey of the rest of your young lives.” A round of applause and cheers went through the crowd.

“I am glad to hear you so enthusiastic,” Professor Jeong said with a smile. “As you know, the freshman orientation will be held off campus at Unjangsan Recreational Forest in Jeollabuk-do. We’ll be doing a range of activities, most of which are geared towards allowing you to get to know and build friendships with each other. You each should have received a packet in the mail dictating what group you are in and which cabin you will be staying in. Professors, if you could please situate yourself outside next to your designated bus. Two professors to a bus. Students, please make your way to your group bus and you will receive more information once we are on the road."

"I hope we're in the same bus," Kai whispered to Kaemi, who thought the same. "I don't want you to be trapped for hours with that Daesang guy." At this Kaemi rolled her eyes. Even though Kai had never explicitly said he didn't like Daesang, it was obvious to her that he was jealous. As much as she tried to convince him that only two men had permanent places in her heart, him being one of them, he was still suspicious.

"I don't really want you hanging around some two-bit college floozies either, so we'll call it even," Kaemi said. Chanyeol, who'd overheard, held in a snort of laughter.

“Two-bit college floozies? My, has your vocabulary impressed me,” Kai joked back, earning a playful punch on the arm. “What group are you in again? I’m in group eight.”

“Group seven,” Kaemi answered. Chanyeol was in her group, and D.O. was with group eleven. Much to his chagrin, D.O. was shepherded onto the bus containing groups nine through twelve, separate from the others.

As they settled down into their seats, Kai gave Kaemi a kiss on the forehead. Chanyeol faked disgust, and Kaemi just returned the gesture.

“Alright you two love birds in the middle, settle down,” their chaperone said as she gave them a smirk. Kaemi covered her face in embarrassment, but Kai just sent the woman a smirk to match her own. “I’m Han Ha Yoo and I will be your chaperone for the duration of this trip. You can call me professor Han, but that makes me feel old, so if you want to stay on my good side just call me Ha Yoo.” A ripple of laughter went through the bus.

“This bus ride is going to be long, and probably really boring, so I am just going to get all of the more boring things out of the way right now.” From the seat in the very front of the bus, she pulled out a stack of yellow envelopes, and handed some to the students in the first two rows. “Please pass these back. What you’re receiving now is the schedule of activities that you will be doing over the course of this weekend. You will notice that many of the more routine things, like meals and free-times rotate between the larger groups. This means that everyone you see on this bus right now is going to be with you for those things, so get comfortable with each other now.

“Aside from meals and free times, all other activities are done bracket competition style. There will be a variety of activities, including but not limited to a scavenger hunt, obstacle course, talent competition, and cooking competition. Once we arrive each group will also be given a set of tasks that they are required to complete before the end of the trip, and you must submit a record of the completion of each of those tasks as you complete them. I think that's it for now, so you can go back to talking or cuddling or making out; whatever the case may be.” Ha Yoo cast a pointed look at Kai and Kaemi, eliciting another peal of laughter from everyone.

____

As predicted, the bus ride was long and boring, and Kaemi spent most of it sleeping. When they stopped for a break at a rest stop in the countryside, she got off the bus to stretch her legs, and found herself talking to Daesang.

“How are you enjoying the trip so far?” He asked her as she stretched her arms. She yawned and then shrugged.

“Good I guess,” she replied. “I’ve ben sleeping for most of it. What about you?”

“Great, actually. My group mates are really cool, and I’m excited for all of the competition activities.”

“So you’re a competitive person?” Kai asked, returning from getting a couple of drinks with Chanyeol. Daesang gave him a lopsided grin.

“Yeah. I hate to lose,” he explained. “I’m not a sore loser though. If I lose fair and square there’s nothing I can really do.”

“Ah, so you know to back down when it’s clear that you’re going to lose anyway?” Kai shot back, and Kaemi rolled her eyes.

“Alright, alright. Cool it, hot head,” she said, grabbing his arm and leading him back to the bus. Chanyeol gave Daesang an apologetic smile.

“He’s kinda been in love with her for the past five years, so he’s a bit possessive now that they’re finally together,” he explained. Daesang’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead.

“Five years, really?” He muttered, impressed. “And she’s just now returning those feelings? Wonder what took her so long? They seem like a nice pair.” Chanyeol shrugged.

“I mean he only just confessed to her at the beginning of last summer holidays,” Chanyeol continued. “I was surprised she said yes at first because even though they were frenemies, it seemed like he was more the annoying older brother type; not the potential lover type.”

“Ah, I see,” Daesang replied. “I guess that makes things easier, right? Well, Chanyeol, it was nice talking to you. We should talk more some time.” With that, he walked away, leaving Chanyeol to go back to his bus only slightly confused at the end of the conversation. When he found his way back to his seat, he was even further surprised by the not-so-subtly whispered conversation going on between the two enemies turned lovers.

“Can’t you at least be cordial, Kai?” Kaemi huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t interrogate every single girl that you have as a friend.”

“I wasn’t interrogating him,” Kai defended. “And you barely know the guy; how can he be a friend already?”

“He’s living in my old house, we go to the same university and we are in the same department program; what else am I supposed to consider him? Does it make sense for you to consider your girl dance partners just acquaintances?”

“The people that I dance with know me on a more intimate level than you know him.”

“Yeah, Kai, they do. They know you more than I know you, and they have the same interests as you, and that bothers me,” Kaemi said through gritted teeth. “But you know what the difference in the way that you and I approach the situation? I can accept the fact that there are other people in your life who will take your attention away from me. I am fine with knowing that as a dancer, you will be hanging around girls much prettier, and much more talented than I. And it’s hard Kai. It’s hard knowing that at any moment, your heart can change, and then what will I be to you? But I’m much happier with knowing that I have you now, and that you love me now. I wish you could think the same, because sometimes, I’m going to want to be around people who share the same interests as me, and who know me on a level that you don't.”

Kai was silent, unable to think of a reply. With a sigh, Kaemi shook her head, and stood. Surprised at the sudden movement, he also stood.

“Where are you going?” He asked, suddenly alarmed. She pointed to the empty seat a few rows up.

“I’m going to sit there,” she said, and with no further explanation, did exactly that. Kai went to follow her, but Chanyeol put his arm to stop him.

“Give her some time to calm down,” he advised his friend. “Wait until we get there to go and apologize. She’ll probably be more forgiving, and you’ll have really thought about what she’s said. She is right, you know.”

“Since when are you a love guru?” Kai muttered. But he sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. Was he really being unreasonable?

_________

A/N: What a lame chapter ending. Anyway, this has been a long time coming. I am finally back at school, with an super awesome schedule, which means I will have more time to write, and hopefully this will get updated now on a regular basis. Please remember to leave a comment; I love hearing from you guys.