Another Day, Another Shot

Winter Camping

PROMPT: Camping with Yoon Jin-ah and friends (and dongsaeng).

WINTER CAMPING

"Let's go camping this weekend, Jin Ah-ya!" Jin-ah's best friend, Seo Gyeong-seon, told her. "COUNT ME IN!!!" She was so excited to have their girls' night out filled with gossip, drinking, dancing, and stories – a good time overall.

"Noona! Let us go, too," Seo Jun-hui and Yoon Seung-ho, Jin-ah's and Gyeong-seon's dongsaengs, said. "Fine. Invite yourselves over. That's what you're good at anyway – always crashing our fun."

Jin-ah didn't know that her best friend also invited someone over to come with them on this quick getaway camping trip.

Gyeong-seon's not one to meddle, but she knew how Jin-ah was sad and miserable for the past month after the breakup. Cool-off? Whatever they called it, she was sad about the fact that she and him weren't spending time with each other anymore.

More than that, he was different. He was mature, and really cared for Jin-ah. He loved her. And as the best friend, Gyeong-seon cared for Jin-ah. She was there when Jin-ah needed some sense talked into her, especially over Jin-ah's past boyfriends who were all narcissist, arrogant, and douchebags.

He's the only one who also passed Jun-hui's and Seung-ho's unreasonable standards when it came to Jin-ah's boyfriend. Even Jun-hui gave up on his petty little feelings for Jin-ah because he was a good man. A great fit for Jin-ah.

Therefore, the trio agreed that the camping trip was also to be called Project Bring Jin-ah and Jin-woo Back Together.

~

It's the weekend already. Their camping weekend.

That night, Jin-ah, Gyeong-seon, Seung-ho, and Jun-hui, were already enjoying each other's company. They were singing while roasting marshmallows for smores. You know, the usual camping stuff you do with friends. You'd believe they're all kids at heart with the way they enjoy this type of activity.

Gyeong-seon's phone rang, and interrupted their time for a second. "I will just take this call, okay," She told the rest. "I should have my smores already done when I get back," she directly told Jin-ah. "Okay, okay. Get the call. Be quick!" She stepped away from their campfire.

The remaining three continued cracking and laughing at jokes. They were roasting each other's life choices as much as they were roasting marshmallows. They're all silly and dumb when it comes to their respective lives anyway.

Jin-ah with her questionable ex-boyfriends. Seung-ho with his boring academic life. Jun-hui with his constant flirting.

"What is taking Gyeong-seon so long? It's been five minutes," Jin-ah wondered. "I'm gonna go drag her back in here," Jin-ah said to the boys. "No wonder you don't have a boyfriend. You spend so much time with Gyeong-seon," Jun-hui said. Jin-ah threw a marshmallow at the boys. "Whatever. Shut up."

But as Jin-ah stood up, the two boys went silent. She turned her back only to be met by something unexpected. Or rather, someone.

Shit. Gyeong-seon wasn't alone. She's with Jin-woo.

'What the hell?' Jin-ah thought to herself, careful not to say it out loud for others to hear, especially Jin-woo.

But still, Jin-ah's heart skipped a beat. And then it continued beating so much, she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. Her cheeks were flushed as well. Yes, Jin-woo still had that effect on her, no matter how much she wished he wouldn't.

"Annyeong, Yoon Jin-ah," Jin-woo finally broke the silence of the night. His handsome dimpled smile caught Jin-ah off guard. It was the reason she fell in love with him to begin with.

"What are you doing here?" Jin-ah asked, suddenly her voice was laced with annoyance. "Don't get mad at him. I was the one who invited him," Gyeong-seon interrupted. Jin-ah scoffed.

"You need to talk," Gyeong-seon simply said. "What is there to talk about?" Jin-ah argued like a little girl, with matching rolling eyes to convey her irritation about the situation they put her in.

"You know I only want what's best for you, right?" Gyeong-seon said to Jin-ah. "And I believe Jin-woo's the best man for you."

The rest of them went inside their cabin for the weekend. Jin-ah and Jin-woo were left alone to have their long overdue conversation.

"How are you?" Jin-woo asked. "What are you doing here?" Jin-ah said back.

"I'm here to get you back," Jin-woo surprised Jin-ah with his words. "I don't need you back."

"I know you still love me," Jin-woo continued confidently. "Who told you that?" Jin-ah asked, failing miserably at hiding her true feelings. "I'm already dating someone else," she tried. "You'll forever be a bad liar, Jin Ah-ya."

For the -nth time that night, Jin-ah can just roll her eyes.

They started at the embers burning on the campfire, the heat enough to warm them up, on top of the layers of jacket they were wearing to fight the coldness of the winter night.

Jin-woo noticed Jin-ah was shivering, cupping her hands on her mouth to try to warm them up. He simply gave her his scarf and wrapped it around her neck. She had no energy to push him away because she was saving her energy for the conversation they're going to have.

"Let's get back together," Jin-woo said. "If only it's that simple," Jin-ah said. "But it isn't."

Jin-ah continued her musings. "We're broken. My trust is broken. I don't want to pick up the fragments of our relationship and try to piece them back together when we both know that it will never be the same way it was."

"But I didn't cheat on you like I told you time and time again," Jin-woo insisted once again. "Even they know it," he said, referring to their company inside.

"I know. I know you're an honest, loyal man, Jin Woo-ah," Jin-ah whispered in a small voice. "But either way, my trust is broken. And it's not just you. I can't trust myself not to mess it up again."

"I will always reassure you that you're the only one for me," Jin-woo said. "Even if it won't be the same as before, I promise to work with you to make it even a better run this time around. I don't want to lose you again."

Silence.

"Okay," was the only word that came out of Jin-ah's mouth.

"Jin-ah? Really?! Where's the stubborn Jin-ah I know," Jin-woo asked, immediately pulling Jin-ah in for a hug. "I'm tired of fighting my feelings for you, Jin Woo-ah."

Jin-ah leaned her head on Jin-woo's shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her to keep her extra warm, rubbing her arm with his gentle hand.

Jin-woo kissed Jin-ah's forehead. "I missed you," Jin-ah said. "I missed you, too," Jin-woo told her.

"You know they're looking at us through the window, right," Jin-ah said. "Let them be nosy. They're part of the reason we're back together anyway," Jin-woo laughed. "And the fact that we're back together, that's all that matters to me right now."

"Let's get inside," Jin-woo grabbed Jin-ah up. "You must be freezing." The newly reconciled couple hugged once more. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Baby steps.

~

As Jin-ah and Jin-woo were climbing up the stairs, the trio went out by the entrance door of the cabin.

"What now?" Jin-ah asked, looking incredulously at Gyeong-seon, Seung-ho, and Jun-hui. "There's no spare room," Gyeong-seon spilled.

Jin-ah and Jin-woo looked at each other. "As if we didn't already know you're stirring something up," Jin-ah said. "We know you set this whole thing up to get us back together so of course there's no extra room, right? And then you'll propose that Jin-woo sleep with me tonight," she finished.

"Fine. Don't say we didn't warn you, though," Jin-ah and Jin-woo smirked at their company. They were just met with groans.

"YAAA!"