All This Time [Book 3] | Pentagon✔

Chapter 9

Chapter 9
To Busan
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When Kino and Yeeun arrived back to the rest of the camp, they immediately spotted Hongseok and Wooseok talking seriously while Hyunjooㅡand Kele were out of sight. The rest hadn't come back yet.

He and Yeeun just shared a look and a nod, then they put what they've gathered on the items' area before they separated. Kino went to Hongseok and Wooseok while Yeeun went to find Kele and Hyunjoo. Somehow, something didn't feel right.

Kino brushed his hair up with his fingers as he approached his two friends. "Hey, guys! Everything OK?"

Hongseok was the one to speak. "I don't think so. Kele came back ignoring me and Hyunjooㅡand then this guy came back as if he'd seen a ghost in the woods."

He looked at his tall friend, eyes widening. "You've told her?"

Wooseok quietly nodded before letting out a sigh.

"Waitㅡtold what?" Hongseok asked.

Wooseok pat Hongseok's shoulder with little no energy before saying, "Sorry, I wanna... rest. I'll tell you guys about it tomorrow." And then he walked off to his tent.

Hongseok looked at Kino to ask but the latter immediately said, "You heard him."

He sighed and let it go. He and Kino waited for the others to come back. Still no signs of Kele, Hyunjoo and Yeeun though.

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When Yeeun visited her tent, it was empty of people so she went walking around the campground after wrapping a towel around herself, hoping to find Hyunjoo and Kele.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she found them sitting on a bench under a lamp post. Hyunjoo had her hand on Kele's back as they talked. For a moment, Yeeun was anxious about interferingㅡbut then again, this is her friend and she probably... needs her. So slowly, she approached them.

"Hey, guys. I've been looking for you both." She said.

Hyunjoo immediately scooted to give her a space to sit with them. "Have the others arrived?" She asked.

"No, just me and Kino." Yeeun replied before turning to Kele. "Hey... so, I take it something happened in the woods huh?"

Kele smiled a little. "Yeah, I just need to think about it for a while."

"Care to give me a heads-up?"

She let out a shaky breath. "Wooseokㅡis enlisting by the end of summer. He'll be gone for... two years."

Silence filled the air between them. They could only hear the crickets sing until Yeeun decided to break it. "Wow..." She said. "That's... pretty early for him to go."

Kele's brows furrowed in sadness. "Yeah, I know." She said, "And I'm worriedㅡabout what made him decide this. I mean, he didn't even tell me. I know we can't tell each other everything, but I guess... I thought something this big and importantㅡI don't know." She gave up explaining with another sigh.

Yeeun hesitated but finally put the question out there. "Are you afraid how this would affect your relationship?"

Kele's eyes widened. "No! I mean, yes. Maybe. I don't know." She said with a groan. "Like, what if this is his way of saying it's over?"

"Kele, you might be being paranoid again, don't you think?" Yeeun asked. It's funny how after all these years, she still knows her friend's tendency to over analyze things in her head. "You could only think of that possibility if you fought over something big. Did you?"