𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩 - 𝐣𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧

Six.

By 10pm, all the campers were in bed or getting ready for bed. By 11pm, everyone was asleep. Well, almost everyone.

Two people were still awake.

Jeongin stepped outside into the cool night to look for Chan. He quietly shut the door behind him and made his way over to cabin three. On the side of the building, he saw a tall figure leaned up against the side of the building, a cigarette in his mouth still glowing. The only sounds were crickets and a flowing stream until Jeongin softly spoke. "You know that's no good for you, right?"

Chan smirked and threw his cigarette on the ground, stepping on it and letting its heat fizzle away. "It's also not good to be out here in the cold wearing shorts, so I guess neither of us is making healthy choices tonight."
"Hey," Jeongin objected, "These are my pyjamas, and that's a little death stick. Sure, we're both stupid, but I won't die from being out here in shorts."

"I won't die either," Chan teased. His expression softened suddenly and he apologised. "Sorry. I shouldn't joke about this. I don't do it very often, I'm just kinda stressed out right now and this was all I could think to do."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Chan hesitated. "I don't want to unload my stress and my troubles on you. I barely know you, and it wouldn't be fair."

With a slight smile on his face, Jeongin put a hand on Chan's shoulder and reminded him, "You said you want to get to know me. So let me get to know you, too. Okay?" Chan nodded as they made their way toward the river and sat down in the rocks near its edge.

"Okay, but we're gonna talk again tomorrow night and you'll tell me about you. Anyway, I'm a counsellor this summer because my aunt wanted me to help keep my cousin out of trouble here. So far, he seems to be okay, and he said he's having a ton of fun, but I'm worried about when he goes home. His friends kinda suck," Chan chuckled bitterly. "But so do most of mine, so really who am I to judge?"

"Why do your friends suck?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "They don't listen to me. They call me this stupid... nickname all the time, and they always do it in front of people to embarrass me. And for months, they've been trying to set me up on blind dates with all these girls and I keep telling them that I really don't want to go, but they try to pressure me into it," he explained, "They tell me that getting a girlfriend will make me happy, and that my whole life will be better, but I'm definitely not interested in getting a girlfriend."

"Oh," Jeongin muttered, "Why not?"

"Half of the word is something I'd like to have. The other half of the word is 'girl'."

They both laughed as Jeongin watched the starlight reflecting on the river. Chan's gaze, however, was focused on the boy beside him, whose smile still lingered on his face. He looked up suddenly and caught Chan staring. He quickly looked away, letting his hair fall over his eyes in hopes Jeongin hadn't noticed him.

"What's so bad about getting a girlfriend?" Jeongin asked cautiously.

Chan closed his eyes tight and quietly said, "If I tell you something, can you promise not to tell anyone else about it?"

"Of course," Jeongin assured him, "I can even tell you one of my secrets in return if it'd make you feel more comfortable."

"I don't like girls." The older boy looked up in shock. "Shit," Chan said, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Please don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad? I'm gay, too."

With a wide smile, Chan turned to face Jeongin and breathed a sigh of relief.

The wind suddenly began to pick up, making the cool night even colder. Jeongin shivered slightly, holding his knees close to his chest in order to stay warm.

"Come here," Chan demanded. Jeongin scooted closer, unsure of what Chan wanted. When he was just close enough, the younger boy reached out and grabbed Jeongin's arm, pulling him close and wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

Jeongin leaned in toward Chan and rested his head on the boy's shoulder. "Why were you so nervous tonight, though?"

"I guess I'm not used to being away from home," Chan said, "And my cousin is kind of freaked out right now and is feeling bad because he's convinced everyone has had their first kiss before he has. Most of the people in his cabin already have, and I guess he's worried about being left behind." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I want to make camp a fun experience for these kids, and I really don't want to screw everything up for them. But I'm pretty sure one of the kids from my cabin likes one of the kids from your cabin, so I think they'll be opposed to the rivalry they're expected to have."

"Hmm..." Jeongin tapped his chin lightly, pretending to be deep in thought. "Maybe we can help them, then. Let's get them to talk a bit so they can get to know each other well. And then I guess whatever happens will happen."

Little did they know, their campers had set up a scheme that was nearly identical.