kicks ✓ || namgi || k.th

034: over

chapter 34: over
location: yellowstone national park, wyoming, day 1

"All right, this is exciting!" Namjoon said as the van drove through Yellowstone National Park. "Who's ready to see some American icons?"

Nobody was, truthfully. Jimin and Hoseok both had a hangover, Yoongi hadn't said a single word since they had left the bar last night, and Taehyung...to say he was heartbroken was putting it mildly. They had gathered up the van and pushed the button, in hopes of finding Sara again. And they hadn't, but they did find themselves smack dab in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. So all they could do was make the most of it.

"Hoseok, do you have any information about this place?" Seokjin asked as he watched out the window. For now, all the purple van did was wind through miles of evergreen forest.

"Hmm, oh, yes, it does have some information! It says here that the park is the oldest U.S. National Park, and that it has been around for more than a hundred years! The entire thing sits on top of what was once a volcano. There's no volcano now, but there is still activity beneath the surface. That's why there are small earthquakes, and why there are geysers as well, like Old Faithful."

"We should probably be good tourists and see Old Faithful before we leave," Jungkook said, Duke Blue notebook out.

"Let's do that tomorrow," Namjoon said. "I've got a plan. We drive around Yellowstone and see if Sara somehow poofed here. If we don't find her within three days, we push the button and see if she's there instead."

"I'm so over this Sara girl," Seokjin complained as he kept watching out the side of the window.

"Now, now," Hoseok said from the front seat. "You know she's family, too, now."

Seokjin huffed. "I know. It's just..." His voice trailed off as he saw someone walking down the road by them. It was a girl -- a woman, maybe -- with long dark hair in a ponytail and a purple jacket on. She looked like she had been hiking recently. When they passed her, Seokjin watched, and sure enough, she was beautiful. He had completely forgotten about Sara -- or, more than that, he understood why Taehyung was so obsessed with her. They did seem to get along great, and she was a huge asset to the group with her magic van knowledge. Perhaps he was just jealous that he didn't have the same relationship with a special someone.

Hoseok directed Namjoon to the Grant Visitor Center, where they used the bathroom and picked up a map that was more specific to the area. The Visitor Center was on a huge lake that Jungkook and Jimin couldn't stop staring at. "We have space open in the village campground next door," the lady behind the desk told Namjoon, "if you need to stay for a couple of days and want a home cooked meal."

Namjoon grinned at Hoseok. "That would actually be great." Hoseok put down his information for the reservation, using his fake ID. The lady didn't look like she would report them to the FBI, but they could no longer trust anybody...except maybe Sara, and even then.

The boys went over to the building. The lobby was a huge mess hall, with seating for many and meals available during certain times only. The rooms in the back had space for twelve bunk beds, sleeping twenty four in a random pattern. "She gave us these beds," Namjoon said, motioning to a select few. "Three bunk beds and a top bunk of a fourth. The bottom is already taken."

There was no swimming allowed in the lake; the temperature in the lake was near freezing at all times, Hoseok told the boys straight from his guide. "We won't last more than a half hour in there. And we don't have fishing licenses."

"Hoseok, can we go kayaking then?" Jimin asked.

Hoseok read over the brochure. "If you want to, you can see if there are kayaks available."

In the end, Jimin and Jungkook decided to rent a kayak together. Namjoon paid the fee, and they received life vests and their kayak, and were instructed to stay in the immediate area since the water was so cold. Hoseok and Seokjin helped the others get the boat in the water, and then, they were off.

Jungkook had never seen anything like it before. There were tall evergreen trees above his head that cleared out once they paddled toward the middle of the inlet. The sky was a clear blue, and the water was clear to match. He could even see fish in the water as he paddled, just under the kayak. When he looked around, he realized everything seemed as wide and as expansive as the Alamo had promised, so many button pushes ago. He knew he wanted to write it down. He wished he could take a picture, but all he could do was commit it to memory.

The other boys kept busy. Hoseok decided to go for a walk, Namjoon joining him. Yoongi took a nap in the van. Taehyung sat in the sun and pulled his shirt off, sitting just in his shorts and sneakers on a rock. If he couldn't get Sara off his mind, then at least he would get a tan while ruminating. Seokjin went back into the visitor's center and looked at a small exhibit on a recent forest fire. When he left the exhibit, he noticed the same girl he had seen on the bus was now standing in the lobby.

"Oh, are you a visitor?" she asked, assuming he spoke English.

"Visiting," he said. "Yes."

"Aww, that's so sweet. My name's Maisie, let me know if you need anything." And Seokjin realized that this Maisie worked at the park, and that she would be working near their lodge. If everybody else could afford to chase what fancied them, even on this crazy adventure, Seokjin could enjoy a little eye candy, right?