campfires ₰ l.gn ✓

b

geonu and melody's conversation is cut off when they hear the abrupt noise of a door opening and closing. throwing away their invisible regular teenager roles and becoming alert as accountable camp counselors, they focus on the sound.

out of the dark shadows of the cabin hallway come not one, but two towering figures. as they come closer, the artificial light overhead reveals the two faces to belong to none other than the resident camp troublemakers—daniel and ni-ki.

ni-ki crossed his arms tightly as he notices the questioning look on their counselors' faces. "what?" he shrugs in response. "daniel was snoring."

"not true." daniel looks at the shorter boy, lips parting in shock at his statement. "i do not snore. you were the one who couldn't sleep. you were the one who kept jumping around and chanting things-"

ni-ki quickly covered daniel's mouth with his palm, preventing the younger boy from exposing his energetic midnight antics any further. "anyways~" ni-ki sings, heading to the couch and squishing his way right between melody and geonu.

daniel follows his friend's actions, and geonu gives him a funny look. the giant 13-year old just shrugs as he makes himself comfortable on the sofa.

"so~how's your night shift going together?" daniel comments, causing melody to raise an eyebrow at him.

"if we answer your question, do we get to ask one in return?" geonu bargains with the kids, watching as their eyes beam with joy upon hearing the proposal for a sudden 12 am question game. melody smiles in agreement with his deal.

daniel nods his head excitedly and ni-ki smiles wide with a thumbs up to melody.

geonu gestures to melody to respond and she rolls her eyes at his predictable move. make the deal and then have her answer the awkward question. "it's going fine. we have had enough coffee to keep us up."

satisfied with her answer ni-ki nods, stating, "now your turn."

"what's the real reason why you guys came out here?" she inquires strategically, wanting to get to figure out the boy's intentions.

startled by her direct hit, ni-ki scrambles off the couch and blurts out "w-why don't you guys just confess you like each other instead of just playing around all the time?"

the counselors are taken aback by his bluntness. "niki that wasn't an answer-"

"oh wow. daniel, we should get going, i think i feel sleepy now." he yanks on the sleeve of the clueless other camper. "aren't you sleepy too?"

daniel lets out a yawn, "yeah i guess i am sleepy. have fun doing your rounds!" he exclaims to the camp counselors as they turn to walk.

ni-ki lifts his eyebrows teasingly as he says, "but not too much fun." after seeing the intimidating look on melody's face, he lets out a strangled, "goodnight!" before the two boys run off back to their cabin.

melody's eyebrows furrow as she realizes that nina said the same thing earlier. looking at the culprit who taught it to them, she holds a pillow ready in hand.

"melody, i swear i did not tell them-"

she laughs loudly, chucking the pillow at the head counselor as he attempts to dodge her throws. "i know they learned the eyebrow wiggling from you!"

neither of them mention ni-ki's revelation yet, but it isn't forgotten. the time for that would come. but for now, the two counselors let their inner children run free, forgetting all the worries they have for the future. and just enjoy the present, together.