the camping terrain was filled with the lively laughter and chattering of students. the green grass filled with little daisies, reached their ankles, tickling the exposed skin if you walked through it.
everyone was exploring the surroundings in their own way. A group of girls already claimed the tree stumps around the remains of a huge campfire. Students going into the woods that surrounded their camping spot in duo's or bigger groups, joining the game of hide and seek that was being played in between the large trees.
some were occupied in a game of chess or a card game, both inside and outside of the tiny houses. there were even some students who were taking a peaceful nap in the bunkbeds, exhausted after the long bus ride.
one of those, who slept peacefully in one of the bottom beds, hiding himself underneath the thick duvets, was kwon soonyoung.
even when he spent nearly the entire bus ride sleeping, on jihoon's shoulder by accident, he still felt tired. so when they were done introducing themselves to each other and everyone went back to mind their own business, he crawled underneath the sheets, allowing himself to close his eyes for a minute.
however, that minute turned out to be about three hours of sleep. even when the room was a little noisy every now and then, soonyoung managed to sleep through every sound peacefully, being too occupied in the world of dreams and imagination to open his eyes.
until something soft hit his head, making him let out a weary groan as he hid away even more under the cozy blanket, not wanting to wake up and leave the world of dreams behind him just yet. however, the person who tried to wake him up wasn't giving up so easily and hit him again with the same pillow he had used before.
soonyoung let out another unnatural sound, rolling over and rubbing his eyes to allow the daylight in his vision again. right in front of his bed stood jihoon with crossed arms, confusing soonyoung as to what he had done wrong this time.
he clutched the blanket tightly together against his chest as he sat straight, trying to hide the tiger plushie he brought with him by covering it up with the duvets. soonyoung didn't want to admit it, but he found it hard to sleep without having anything to hold on to. even when he was surrounded by a group of other seventeen and eighteen year olds, he was willing to take the risk by secretly bringing it.
however, jihoon's small figure seemed so intimidating, making him regret his decision of bringing his plushie in the first place.
"we're going for a walk." was all jihoon said, confusing the messy haired soonyoung even more.
"mister lee is bringing us? oh i get it! is this about the forest game he had been talking about earlier?" soonyoung guessed, seemingly annoying jihoon with his joyful expression.
"no, the forest game is after twelve tonight, we are going for a walk." jihoon said, emphasizing the word 'we' and averting his gaze to the floor in obvious embarrassment, "you and i, do i have to make myself even more clear?"
soonyoung gulped, question why the musician wanted to spend time with him out of sudden. wasn't he well known for one who did everything by himself and hated it when others bothered him? then why did he want to go for a walk with soonyoung, the person he had been acting mean towards to ever since the very start.
"aren't you going to act mean to me?" soonyoung said, making jihoon look back up. the bright smile he usually held had vanished mostly, making jihoon feel guilty about the hatred comments he had been making towards him ever since they first met.
jihoon had honestly no idea how to express the tornado of butterflies that roamed through his stomach upon seeing the dancers face. him shutting himself off and doing everything on his own for practically his entire life, resulted in him also being completely socially incapable.
"whatever, just come with me." jihoon tried his hardest to not hurt soonyoung in any way, silently adding; "i don't want to explore the terrain on my own."
he hated to admit it, but for the first time he didn't felt the urge to be alone. or at least, accompanied with one specific person, in an attempt to draw them closer in any possible way, wishing he wouldn't scare the boy off even more than he already did.
because jihoon hated it, knowing he was the reason soonyoung's smile faded whenever he came near.
however, when soonyoung didn't give him a reply, jihoon sighed and pulled the blanket off him in a swift motion, making blood rush up to soonyoung's cheeks when the one thing he didn't want jihoon to see got revealed.
jihoon instantly wondered what caused soonyoung's reaction and what he tried to cover up, until his eyes landed on the tiger plushie soonyoung tried to hide with his arms in his lap. a small smile of relief displayed on jihoon's face, a chuckle of delightment rolling off his lips.
"hey don't laugh at me. i know it's stupid, okay." soonyoung said in a low voice, looking up with a pout on his face and bright red cheeks, only growing darker when he saw the small smile jihoon's face held.
"it isn't stupid," jihoon awkwardly petted the tiger on it's head, having absolutely no idea what he was doing and trying his hardest to comfort soonyoung somehow, "i envy you for having the gut to bring it with you, i left mine at home because i was too scared to bring it with me this morning."
it was the first time soonyoung saw jihoon flashing an honest smile at him. jihoon didn't even know why he was sharing all this information with soonyoung, but seeing soonyoung's vulnerabilities made him open up like a flower. the fact that they were the only ones in the room helped him with that as well.
"i need something to hold onto when i fall asleep, whether it be a pillow or a plushie, i fail to sleep without it." jihoon admitted, tearing down his own walls a little, hoping it would be enough to let soonyoung in and get his trust, "i'm assuming you have the same?"
soonyoung nodded, admitting to jihoon, who suddenly seemed a lot warmer than what he was used from him. "i once told it to one of my friends" soonyoung explained, "and he found it strange, since i'm completely inexperienced with everything surrounding relationships. but i can't suppress the need to hold onto something or to be held whenever i fall asleep."
jihoon was surprised to how relatable everything soonyoung told him sounded. the touch deprivation soonyoung seems to suffer from was an issue jihoon wanted to take care of, by giving him a hug, or cuddling up to him to fall asleep with him in his arms, or the other way around.
but he restrained himself, not being sure if soonyoung felt the same way towards him. jihoon wondered, if soonyoung, the always bright, cheerful and loved dancer, could possibly fall in love with a lonely componist.
if he only knew how soonyoung struggled with the same feelings towards him.
"shall we go outside?" soonyoung asked, flashing jihoon a bright smile.
"yeah let's go." he shortly replied, being the first to turn around and walk out of the door, shutting himself off once again.
as soonyoung's eyes followed jihoon speeding out of the room, he knew jihoon wasn't the cold introvert everyone else saw. and he was fully aware he just witnessed jihoon tearing down his walls to let him in for the first time.
now it was soonyoung's turn to reassure him again and determined to do that he got up from the bed, running after the person who just disappeared through the door.
