After a grueling few months of non-stop promotions and performances, Seventeen finally got a few days of much-needed rest. Among the members, Jun, Minghao, and Joshua decided to make the most of their time off by going on a camping trip. It was a spontaneous idea, born out of Jun's love for the outdoors and Minghao's adventurous spirit. However, Joshua, ever the cautious one, felt a knot of nervousness at the thought of spending time in the wilderness.
As they packed the car with supplies-tents, sleeping bags, snacks, and other camping essentials, Joshua couldn't help but voice his concerns. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he eyed the bug spray and mosquito nets. "I mean, camping? There are so many bugs, and we'll be out in the middle of nowhere..."
Jun laughed, slinging an arm around Joshua's shoulders. "Shua hyung, you're worrying too much. It's going to be fun! Trust me, once we're there, you'll forget all about the bugs."
"If anything tries to come near you, we'll just scare it off with our dance moves."
Minghao nodded in agreement, smirking as he teased, "Yeah, if anything comes near you, Jun and I will fight them off with our kung fu skills. You'll be perfectly safe."
Joshua let out a small, nervous laugh at the image of Jun and Minghao karate-chopping mosquitoes while performing intricate choreography, and with a smile, he said, "Alright, alright, but I'm holding you to that as long as you guys promise I won't be eaten alive by those bugs."
The drive was scenic and calming, the conversation light as the sun slowly began to dip behind the horizon. As they neared the campsite, the sight of the towering trees and open sky filled Joshua with a mixture of awe and trepidation. The wilderness stretched out before them, vast and serene, but also unfamiliar.
When they arrived, Jun and Minghao immediately set to work setting up the tent while Joshua stood off to the side, watching them with wide eyes. "How do you guys know how to do this so well?" Joshua asked, amazed at how effortlessly they assembled the tent poles and unfurled the fabric.
Minghao smirked. "You're looking at professionals here. We've done this plenty of times. Just sit back and relax we've got this."
In less than half an hour, the tent was up, and Joshua couldn't help but feel a little impressed. "Okay, I'll admit, that was faster than I thought. Maybe this won't be so bad after all."
As dusk settled in, they built a small fire to keep warm and roast marshmallows. Joshua hesitated as he held his marshmallow over the flames, not entirely sure how long he was supposed to wait. "Is it supposed to catch on fire?" he asked, his eyes widening as the marshmallow began to smoke slightly.
Jun chuckled and shook his head. "Not unless you want it burnt! Here, let me help." He gently repositioned Joshua's stick so that the marshmallow hovered at just the right distance from the fire. "You want it to be golden-brown, like this," Jun explained, showing Joshua his perfectly toasted marshmallow.
Joshua smiled as he followed Jun's advice. When he bit into the gooey, sweet treat, his face lit up with delight. "Okay, this is really good! I've been missing out."
Minghao grinned, taking a bite of his own marshmallow. "Told you. There's something about roasting marshmallows that just makes everything taste better out here."
As they roasted marshmallows, they began sharing stories. Jun took it upon himself to tell the most over-the-top ghost stories, his voice filled with mock seriousness as he described haunted campsites and mysterious shadows in the woods. Joshua gasped dramatically at the suspenseful parts, only to burst into laughter when he realized how ridiculous the stories were.
"Junnie, that story doesn't even make sense!" Joshua laughed, shaking his head. "A ghost that only haunts campers who forget to pack extra socks? Really?"
Jun grinned, leaning back with an exaggerated sigh. "You never know, Shua hyung. Always better to be prepared!"
Minghao, ever the joker, chimed in with his own absurd stories about their touring life, adding exaggerated twists that had Joshua clutching his sides with laughter. "And then there was this one time in Japan," Minghao started, his tone light and teasing, "where I swear the vending machine came to life and tried to steal our snacks!"
Joshua giggled, his earlier nervousness fading away completely. It was in moments like these, surrounded by his closest friends, that he felt the most at ease.
As the fire crackled softly in the background, the three of them eventually lay down on a large blanket, staring up at the stars. The sky was clear and vast, filled with thousands of twinkling lights. Minghao pointed out constellations, tracing them with his finger as he shared bits of information about each one. Jun, lying on Joshua's left, talked about how he used to stargaze with his family as a kid, sharing the fond memories that now filled Joshua with warmth.
Joshua, nestled comfortably between Jun and Minghao, felt a deep sense of peace wash over him. The cool night air, the sound of the fire, and the warmth of his boyfriends beside him made all his earlier fears melt away. "You know," Joshua murmured softly, his eyelids growing heavy, "I didn't think I'd like camping, but this... this is really nice."
Jun glanced over at him with a soft smile, his voice gentle. "We told you it'd be fun. There's nothing to worry about out here, especially with us."
Minghao shifted closer, draping an extra blanket over Joshua. "Yeah, we've got your back, always," he added quietly.
Joshua let out a contented sigh, his body relaxing completely. The peacefulness of the moment, coupled with the warmth of their bond, lulled him into a state of blissful drowsiness. Before he knew it, his eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and loved between the two of them.
As Joshua slept soundly, Jun and Minghao exchanged soft smiles. Minghao whispered, "I think we succeeded in making him love camping."
Jun chuckled quietly. "Yeah. We'll have to do this again sometime."
They lay there for a while longer, watching the stars in comfortable silence, the only sound being Joshua's gentle breathing. Surrounded by the calmness of nature and the warmth of their bond, the night felt perfect a memory they would all cherish.
---------THE END----------
