Hayi stood in front of her apartment building with a duffel bag slung over her shoulders and held onto a lunchbox that carried the kimbap her mom had packed up for her. It was Saturday morning and she was waiting for Hanbin's family car to arrive and pick her up.
About five minutes later, an SUV rolled to a stop in front of her. The window to the front passenger seat was rolled down to show Hanbin's mom with Hanbyul smiling at her. The man behind the driver's wheel whom Hayi guessed was Hanbin's dad also smiled and gave her a small wave.
"Get in, Hayi-sshi. Glad you could join us," Mrs. Kim told her as the middle door of the SUV slid open to show Jinhwan also smiling at her with Yunhyeong beside him.
Donghyuk, Hanbin and Bobby could be seen from the back looking at her with the last greeting her with a "Yo Hayi!"
She smiled back at them before turning to Hanbin's parents and saying "Thank you for taking us to this camping trip, Mr. and Mrs. Kim." She bowed then got on the seat beside Jinhwan, sliding the door shut with a little difficulty that Jinhwan went forward to help her.
"I just got off the phone with your mom when we arrived," Mrs. Kim said, looking back from her seat as the car started moving. "She told you to have fun."
"Yes~” Hayi answered shyly but politely.
“Have some chocolates,” Mrs. Kim handed out a box which Jinhwan immediately reached out to, assisting in opening it and holding it out to Hayi. Hanbyul’s cute and tiny voice could be heard repeating the word ‘chocolates.’
“Thank you,” Hayi said as she picked out one randomly and took a bite of it.
“Give us some chocolates here too~” Hanbin called out loudly from behind.
Jinhwan took out one chocolate and placed it on his mouth as he offered the box to Yunhyeong who gladly accepted. Jinhwan then got up on his knees on his seat, facing towards the back to give the others chocolates.
“Oh! But you’re already eating chips and you didn’t share,” Jinhwan exclaimed.
“Hanbin-ah, share your food,” Mrs. Kim’s voice came from the front.
“But this was Bobby’s,” Hanbin complained.
“Bobby.”
“Yes, Mrs. Kim,” came Bobby’s voice.
“Here, let’s trade hyung,” Hanbin said.
“No, I don’t want to,” Jinhwan replied, resuming his sitting position facing front.
“Ah hyung.”
Hayi glanced at Jinhwan. His eyes were curved down into an eye smile and she grinned herself. She also caught a glimpse of Mr. Kim taking a look at the boys through the rearview mirror and also grinning as she turned her gaze to the scenery outside. The smile lingered on her lips as she felt warmth bubbling inside her.
They were heading to Ganhyeon in Wonju, a popular camping and rock-climbing site in Korea. The boys passed around snacks, shared jokes and laughed with Hanbyul and with one another, and occasionally sang in chorus to popular songs (with Hayi joining in) throughout the whole ride.
After two hours, they finally arrived to their camping location. Mr. Kim parked the car and the boys helped to unload the camping gear as Mrs. Kim went to pay the entrance fee.
They walked the path towards the creek that ran across Ganhyeon. Several tents dotted both sides of the creek with a bridge connecting them. Hayi gazed up at the mountain cliff on the other side which a few men were already scaling up with ropes tied around their waist. She felt a sense of vertigo just looking at the tall height.
“Woahhh, I wanna go up that!” Bobby exclaimed, walking up and pointing at it excitedly.
“Maybe next time, buddy,” Mr. Kim smiled at him. “You can go on the hiking trail instead.”
They begun setting up the tents. There were three. One for Hanbin’s mom, Byul and Hayi. Hanbin was to share a tent with his dad and Bobby and the last were to be shared between Jinhwan, Yunhyeong and Donghyuk.
Mr. Kim went on to set up the grill for their lunch while the boys finished up with the tents. Hayi helped Mrs. Kim prepare the foods to be cooked.
The fish, shrimp and squid were ready for grilling when Mr. Kim finally had the charcoal burning. The rice they packed was still steaming hot and they let it sit covered on the side as they waited for the food to cook. Hayi laid out the kimbap she brought along with Mrs. Kim’s kimchi and the disposable plates, cups and utensils on the picnic blanket they place on the ground. The boys each grabbed a canned soda from the cooler as they stood beside the tents they have just set up.
They were soon having a hearty meal under the clear blue sky. The sun beat down on them, protected only by the slight shade of a huge tree nearby and the light breeze that was blowing. It was the perfect day to be out camping, even for just a picnic like this, and Hayi couldn’t wait to take a walk and explore the place. The sounds of birds chirping as they flew overhead and the distant chatter of their fellow campers accompanied their more subdued meal as Hayi watched each one of the boys eat so heartily and deliciously that Mrs. Kim couldn’t help smiling at them.
Byul had decided she was done eating when she got up from her position beside her mother and started making her way towards the creek.
“Byul-ah, don’t go into the water!” Mrs. Kim called out to her.
She stopped midway towards the creek, turned back to them and giggled, pointing towards the water. “I wanna swim,” she said.
Hanbin stood up before his mother could. “Byul-ah, you forgot dessert.”
“Dessert?” Byul asked, staring up at him cutely.
Hanbin smiled, walking up to her and scooping her up with one arm, balancing his plate with the other. “Yeah, you like chocolate right?”
“I love chocolate!” Byul declared happily.
Hanbin set her back down beside their mother, who had opened another box of chocolates and handed her a piece. He squatted beside her.
“Give me a bite of that chocolate.” He opened his mouth but Byul just shook her head and popped the chocolate into .
Jinhwan laughed out loud at him.
“Why isn’t anyone giving me chocolates today,” Hanbin grumbled as the rest joined in the laughter.
They finished eating their meal and cleaned up. They sat and rested, drinking soda and watching people climb the cliff and play on the water. Later, Bobby and Hanbin took Byul to play on the creek and they watched and laughed as Byul happily splashed water on their faces.
Jinhwan walked up to them, not joining them in the water though. Yunhyeong and Donghyuk followed him. Hayi stayed on her spot.
“Aren’t you going into the water too?” Mrs. Kim asked her warmly.
Hayi shook her head. “No, maybe later.” She smiled.
“Ah, you’re right,” Mrs. Kim said. “It’s better after going for a hike.”
“Definitely,” Mr. Kim said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
At that moment, the boys (with wet Bobby and Hanbin swinging Byul between them) went up to them.
“We’ll be going hiking now, Mr. and Mrs. Kim,” Jinhwan told them with a smile.
“Sure, sure,” Mr. Kim waved them off.
Jinhwan turned to Hayi and said, “Come join us, Hayi.”
She gladly stood up.
“Hanbin, Jiwon, change into dry clothes first,” Mrs. Kim told them as she took Byul into her arms.
They waited as the two got changed then set off towards the hiking trails.
“Take care out there,” Mrs. Kim called out to them.
“Yes~” was Hanbin’s reply.
---
They were following the trail when the path came to a divide.
Hanbin had been taking the lead as usual with Bobby, while Hayi brought up the rear. Jinhwan stayed behind with her, taking her hand and helping her through rough climbs and slippery downs. Hayi's face was getting flushed from how sweet he was being which Jinhwan only mistook for her getting worked up and sweaty from the hike.
"Are you alright?" Jinhwan asked her concernedly, offering her his face towel and water bottle.
"I'm fine, thank you," Hayi answered, blushing.
Hanbin turned towards them after contemplating between the two paths that split from the main trail. One of the paths went upwards, seeming to lead to even more trees, while the other trailed downwards leading towards the creek that ran along their side.
"Do you guys want to go up or down?"
"I want to go dive into the water now," Yunhyeong complained, fanning himself with his shirt, the sweat trickling down the sides of his face and on his neck.
"Yeah, unlike Hanbin-hyung and Bobby-hyung here who are more refreshed from their earlier frolicking in the water, we four--" Donghyuk pointed to himself, Yunhyeong, Jinhwan and Hayi "--are in desperate need of a bath right now."
"That's why you should have joined us earlier," Bobby told him.
"Alright, how about this," Hanbin said. "You four can go down to the creek while Bobby and I check out what's up there."
Jinhwan looked from the others to Hayi.
"Eyyy, but where's the fun if you already know what's up there before us?" Yunhyeong commented.
"That's exactly where the fun is, hyung," Bobby said, his eyes disappearing in a mischievous grin.
"Ah, let's just go." Jinhwan started heading towards the downward path, beckoning for Hayi. "I'm so ready for the water."
"Alright ha-ha!" Bobby did a sort of weird happy dance.
"You're not planning another prank are you?" Yunhyeong had his eyes narrowed with his finger pointing at Bobby as he passed.
Bobby faked innocence. "What do you mean, Yunhyeong-hyung?" He placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "I am hurt by your false accusations."
"Tsch," Donghyuk sneered and shook his head as he too headed for the downwards trail.
"Hey, you maknae!" Bobby pretended to hit him at the back of the head.
"We'll get back at you, Bobby-hyung," Donghyuk called out, pointing at him, already a little way down.
The four of them laughed as they came down to the bank of the creek.
"Are they really planning something?" Hayi asked them.
"You bet they do," Jinhwan answered.
"We have to think of a plan to get back at them," Donghyuk said.
Yunhyeong shushed him. "We have to keep it quiet. They could be listening in on our conversation right now," he said loudly to no one in particular, looking around at the trees surrounding them.
Jinhwan took off his shoes and socks and started stepping into the water slowly until it reached his knees. The three followed suit, except that Yunhyeong and Donghyuk just ran straight for the water, splashing it everywhere and getting themselves wet all over in an instant.
"Hey, don't splash me," Jinhwan warned, his eyes narrowed at them.
Yunhyeong just laughed and splashed water directly at him.
"Yaishhh," Jinhwan tried to run after them in the water while the two tried to get away. Jinhwan jumped up on Yunhyeong's back, the latter bending down and slipping and making the two fall into the water. Donghyuk stood on the side, pointing and laughing at them.
Hayi settled herself on a rock just a little distance from the three. It was so peaceful, sitting there with her feet in the cool waters, taking in the sights of lush green trees all round, breathing in the fresh air and basking in the warm sunlight. Punctuated of course with the occasional shout, splash then laughter from the boys, but that too was music to Hayi's ears and she smiled.
Just then, she noticed the rustling of tree branches across from them on the other side of the creek. She frowned. Were there any wild animals in that place?
She caught sight of a flash of red and, remembering Bobby's red cap, she immediately called out, "Jinhwan-sunbae!" The rustling stopped.
"What? What?" Jinhwan, Yunhyeong and Donghyuk froze in the middle of being entangled with each other during their struggle, looking at her in alarm.
Jinhwan broke free from Yunhyeong's grip as he waded in the water, taking large steps towards her. "Did something happen?"
"No, no, I'm fine," she said excitedly. "I think I saw Bobby with his red cap over there--" She pointed to where the rustling had been.
Jinhwan turned to look at where she was pointing, Yunhyeong and Donghyuk following suit. It was useless because the trees weren't moving anymore.
"I saw rustling and a flash of red," Hayi continued. "I think they moved somewhere else."
"Or they could still be there, just quietly waiting." Jinhwan had his eyes narrowed again. He beckoned for Yunhyeong and Donghyuk to come over. "Group meeting," he told them.
They joined their heads together.
"So what's the plan," Yunhyeong asked.
"None yet," Jinhwan said. "Any ideas?"
"What are they planning to do?" Hayi asked them.
"They could be planning to scare us." Jinhwan scanned the surroundings once again. He held out a hand to Hayi, turning to her. "Can I borrow your hairtie?"
"Uh, sure," Hayi said, wondering what he was planning to do, and pulled out the hairtie that was holding her long dark hair up in a ponytail.
Jinhwan gratefully took it from her. Yunhyeong and Donghyuk looked at him expectantly.
"Hyung, what are you planning to do?" Donghyuk asked.
Jinhwan just put a finger up to his lips to quiet him and slowly made his way to the creek shore. He started going around, squatting and poking here and there, as if looking for something. The other three just looked at each other with confusion, shrugging their shoulders.
Jinhwan came back carrying a handful of small reddish round things that turned out to be wild berries. He slung one on the hairtie and, aiming at the direction Hayi pointed out where the rustling had been before, he managed to make the berry shoot through the branches. They heard the leaves rustle followed by a faint grunt of pain.
Yunhyeong laughed and clapped his hands. "Let me try!"
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