HeeChul gazed at HanGeng’s face as they drove down the highway together. Weekend had come and HanGeng was finally taking him out to the place their teacher had suggested. Obviously he was excited, though slightly irritated that the younger would not allow him to put on any makeup.

“I need to look good,” HeeChul had protested.

“It’s only going to be you and I there. no makeup. I’ve seen your bare face already,” HanGeng had said, and pushed the elder out the door. The China Man was making that quite a habit these days.

“Where are we going?” HeeChul asked, for about the hundredth time.

“Not gonna tell you, no matter how many times you ask,” HanGeng told him, smirking slightly. HeeChul refrained from pouting, instead shrugging and switching the radio station.

“You know, it’s going to be a long drive. You should take a nap,” HanGeng suggested.

“Okay,” HeeChul easily agreed, climbing through the centre and sitting in the backseat of his car. He stretched out across the three seats, using his hand to prop his head as he looked out the window at the clouds, upside down. Minutes later, he drifted off to sleep.

The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake. He groaned, and rolled over, falling on the floor. This isn’t my bed, he thought. He climbed back onto the seat and slid out of the car, looking around.

It was no longer bright outside. It was night, and they were parked outside in a big empty area of grass-covered land. HeeChul observed the scene for a while longer before turning to HanGeng.

“What are we doing here?” he asked, hands flying to his hips as habit.

“We,” HanGeng said, opening the trunk and pulling out two large bags, “are going to camp here for the night.”

“No we’re not,” HeeChul decided, opening the car door and sitting.

“We are,” HanGeng said firmly, pulling him out of the car again. He tossed the bags to HeeChul. “That’s our tent.” Pulling out three more backpacks, he held them up. “And this is everything else.”

 “I’m not doing this,” HeeChul told him, dropping the bags to the ground and sitting in the driver’s seat. His hand went to the ignition before he realized there was no key. Turning to look at HanGeng, his eyes narrowed as he saw something small, silver and shiny dangling from between two of the China Man’s fingers.

“I don’t even know how to pitch a tent,” HeeChul began.

“I do.”

“Or how to start a bonfire,” he continued.

“I know how.”

“Or…” HeeChul ran out of things one did while camping. He had never ever done this before. He knew absolutely nothing about camping. And how was he supposed to sleep out here anyway? There was no makeup stores nearby.

“HanGeng…”

“HeeChul, please. For me?” HanGeng pleaded. HeeChul watched him expertly pitch the tent in less than five minutes. HanGeng sat at the entrance of the tent and met HeeChul’s eyes levelly, asking with his eyes.

“Okay, for you,” HeeChul sighed.

“But only this once,” he said warningly when a bright smile spread across HanGeng’s face.

“That’s fine. Once is enough,” HanGeng said happily, opening one of the backpacks and pulling out a dark packet.

“What is that?” heechul asked, sitting next to HanGeng at the entrance of the tent.

“It’s stuff to make wood burn better,” HanGeng said, knowing HeeChul wouldn’t care for the name.

“Oh.” HanGeng stood, and walked out of view. HeeChul sighed and flopped down on the plastic inside. He came back about half an hour later, his hands filled with pieces of wood different lengths and thickness. He dropped them on the ground a yard away from the tent, and opened the packet, pouring a dark brown powder on it. Then, he pulled out a box of matches from the backpack and quickly succeeded in lighting the pile of wood.

“How do you know all of this?” HeeChul asked, walking slowly toward the crackling fire.

“My dad, he taught me.”

“Back in China?”

“Mm hmm.”

“Did you go camping a lot?” HeeChul wanted to know.

“We…” HanGeng hesitated, and HeeChul could tell there was a story behind it.

“Tell me,” HeeChul insisted.

“Okay,” HanGeng agreed. He pulled a long thick tree trunk from somewhere in the bushes and sat on one end, staring into the orange red yellow flames. They reflected in his eyes, making them seem to burn with passion.

“Back in China, we weren’t very rich. We had a lot of expenses to be paid out, all sorts of things. Hospital bills, mortgage, hire purchase, loans… and as a result, we lost our house in an attempt to pay it off. We were able to keep out possessions, and we ended up living as campers for quite some time. I was about 16 back then,” HanGeng said.

“So your dad taught you all this during that time?” HeeChul clarified, gesturing toward the bonfire. HanGeng nodded, and then smiled tightly. Speaking of the past, of the hard times they had faced together as a family, it was difficult. But it was HeeChul. He didn’t seem to be able to refuse the diva any request.

“And both my parents taught me how to cook,” HanGeng told him.

“That’s why you can cook so well,” HeeChul realized. HanGeng nodded again. HeeChul dusted the tree trunk as best as he could and sat next to HanGeng, leaning his head on his shoulder.

“Why did you come to Korea?” HeeChul asked quietly.

“My parents wanted me to have an opportunity ot make something of myself,” HanGeng said.

“But why did you agree to come?” HeeChul asked again.

“I… want to become a professional dancer,” HanGeng confessed.

“You’ll succeed,” HeeChul whispered, kissing HanGeng’s neck lightly before readjusting his position on HanGeng’s shoulder. HanGeng smiled, a real smile this time, and pulled HeeChul onto his lap. He rocked them both slowly and gently as they watched the fire burn together.

“You think so?” HanGeng said quietly.

“I know so,” HeeChul said, and kissed HanGeng’s lips softly. He rested his head on HanGeng’s chest and together, they watched the fire burn out.

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