The van rattled along the gravel road, sunlight flickering through the trees as the forest thickened around you. You were squeezed between Su-bong and the window, the glass cool against your temple. The air smelled faintly of instant coffee and the chips someone had opened hours ago. In the front seat, Jisoo sang off-key with the radio while Hana and Minho argued about directions.

When the van finally stopped, you all spilled out laughing, stretching stiff limbs. The campsite wasn’t anything fancy—just a clearing beside a narrow river, hemmed in by tall pines—but to you, it felt like the edge of the world.

You had been looking forward to the trip for weeks—five of you escaping the city, leaving behind the hum of traffic and the blur of screens. Su-bong was the one who suggested camping out of town, and somehow everyone agreed, even though most of you hadn’t slept outdoors in years.

Setting up camp was chaos in the best way—Su-bong and Jisoo tried to pitch the tent, but the poles bent in the wrong direction more than once. Minho was in charge of building a fire, while you and Hana unpacked the food, which somehow already had crumbs in it. When the tent finally stood, slightly lopsided but sturdy enough, you all cheered like you’d just built a house.

As the sun dipped low, you sat by the fire, roasting marshmallows and sharing stories. Su-bong kept trying to make his marshmallow “perfectly golden,” only to drop it into the flames at the last second. You laughed until your sides hurt. The night settled softly around you, filled with crickets and the slow crackle of wood.

Later, when the fire had burned down to embers, everyone crawled into the tent together. It was one big, shared space—sleeping bags lined side by side, knees and elbows bumping in the dark. Someone complained about how little room there was, and Su-bong teased, “Well, we could always sleep outside.”

You lay there listening to the quiet breathing around you. The fabric walls rustled faintly with the wind. Su-bong was beside you—close enough that you could hear him shifting, searching for a comfortable spot.

“...You still awake, princess?” he whispered.