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The following morning finds the group meandering a long, winding trail south.
As the sun slowly rises up past the trees, casting speckled imprints across the forest floor, Sunoo finds himself sandwiched between Ni-ki and Sunghoon as he drowns out Heeseung and Jake's mindless prattle with the pretty birdsong that occasionally bursts from high in the tree tops.
It doesn't matter how often he finds himself within the forests walls, drinking in the sight of moss blanketing tree trunks and pretty flowers sprinkling rich patches of grass, for he's equally as enthralled as he was the very first time, unable to help himself from continuously breathing in crisp, open air and grinning when pollen tickles heavily at his nostrils. His attention sits completely stolen by the wide myriad of animals and critters that linger along their path, and if he tries just enough he thinks he can feel the forests very heart pulsing all around them with every change of the wind.
Unfortunately, his penchant for letting himself get a little too wrapped up in the world around him doesn't do much for his clumsiness, though. Both Sunghoon and Ni-ki have had to catch and steady him mid fall on more than one occasion, and it doesn't take long for them to make some kind of game out of it, betting on who can save him from his own feet the most.
Sunoo grumbles about it, flush high on his cheeks after Ni-ki's caught him for the second time in the space of ten minutes, fingers grasping the back of his tunic just as he clipped a tree root off the path and teetered dangerously forward. The others laughter fills the trail, and he pouts as he makes it a point to stare down at the path with every step forward after, determined not to embarrass himself any bloody further.
"I don't know if I can take much more of this." Sunghoon whines, "Sunooie's giving me little heart attacks every time he so much as takes a step forward."
Sunoo scoffs, swatting at the elder and laughing when he lets out an indignant squawk. "No one told you to follow me around like a puppy."
Sunghoon's lips pull up into a broad grin at that, eyes shining with something Sunoos fast come to understand as mischief. "You're right." He clips, before flashing that smile over his shoulder, dangerous. "Jay hyung should take over."
There's a snort somewhere up front, one that sounds suspiciously like Jake's, though before Sunoo has half a chance to acknowledge the sudden heat that creeps up his neck in response Jay's piping up from somewhere behind. He'd been wrapped up in a quiet conversation with Jihyun for the past half hour, and Sunoo had given up trying to eavesdrop after both of them had caught him more than once.
"No thanks." The elder remarks, drily. "There's a reason I'm walking behind, and that's so I'll have a front row seat when he inevitably eats earth."
Jihyun snorts and Sunghoon and Ni-ki's matching cackles echo out across the forest. Sunoo represses the urge to whine as a near violent ripple of mortified heat rushes through him, and instead lets out an indignant yell as he shoots an offended glare over his shoulder.
Asshole.
"Yeah, that's why you're walking behind." Jake quips smoothly from upfront, to which Sunoos brow furrows, confused. "Nothing to do with the view, is it?"
He thinks he hears Jungwon choke around something, and when he glances back he's near positive Jay's ears are burning red, the elder glaring searing holes into the strategists back with a venom almost frightful.
