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THE PATH INTO THE WOODS WAS NARROW, bordered by tall, knotted trees that loomed overhead, their branches forming a canopy that blocked most of the daylight which was already being blanketed by the dense clouds above. The air smelled of damp earth and pine, and the forest floor was littered with twigs, leaves, and uneven rocks that made each step precarious. The only sounds were the crunch of their boots, distant rustling from unseen creatures, and the occasional caw of a bird high above. It felt isolated, eerie, and charged with tension—much like the dynamic between the two teenagers.

"This is so stupid," y/n grumbled, breaking the silence. Her voice was low but thick with frustration. "All this over a fight? She's insane."

Kwon didn't reply immediately. He muttered something under his breath in Korean, his tone irritable and clipped. When she caught the faint sneer in his words, her eyes narrowed.

"What was that?" she demanded, stepping over a protruding root.

"I said stop whining," he snapped, switching to English this time. "You're the one who couldn't keep your head in the fight earlier. You're the one who mindlessly attacked me during our shared punishment. Maybe if you—"

"Oh, shut up," she interrupted, throwing him a glare. "You're the one who went easy on me, again. Don't act like this isn't your fault when you're the one who charged into me during our shared punishment..."

Kwon stopped abruptly, turning to face her, his expression hard. "You froze. What the hell do you want me to do? Beat you senseless while you stand there like an idiot?"

The accusation struck a nerve. Her fists clenched, and she felt her cheeks burn with anger. "I don't need you to do anything for me. Just stay out of my business."

"Trust me, I'd love to," he muttered, turning back toward the path. "But apparently, babysitting you is part of my punishment now."

"Oh, babysitting? Please, like I need you." She let out a derisive laugh, shoving past him to take the lead. "You're not exactly great at this whole teamwork thing either. Acting like an asshole doesn't make you a leader... I'm pretty sure even God doesn't know why Kreese chose you as the captain."

Kwon's jaw tightened, his gaze darkening as he muttered something low in Korean, just loud enough for her to catch. It was laced with irritation, but there was something else beneath it—bitterness, maybe even jealousy.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." y/n stopped, turning to face him. Her eyes narrowed, challenging him. "I heard Do-jin's name in there. Got something to say?"

Kwon crossed his arms, glaring at her, the tension radiating off him palpable. "You're always running to him, aren't you? Maybe next time, have him babysit you. Since you clearly need it."

Y/n blinked, momentarily stunned. Then her expression hardened, a mix of agitation and disbelief. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, controlled despite the anger simmering just beneath the surface. "You heard me," he said coolly, though his voice was taut. "It's always Yoon this, Yoon that. Maybe you should let him carry you through the fights too while you're at it."

Her eyes blazed with defiance as she stepped closer, her voice sharp as a blade. "You're such a jerk, you know that? Yoon has nothing to do with this. Sensei's the one who asked him to train me when I was new. And for the record, I didn't ask for your help either."

"Good," Kwon shot back, his voice low and biting. "Because I wouldn't give it even if you did."

Their faces were inches apart now, the tension between them electric and crackling in the charged air. y/n crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You're unbelievable. You act like some jealous boyfriend when you've already got a girlfriend waiting for you back home."

His jaw tightened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Kwon," she taunted, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Little miss perfect, always sending you texts you think no one notices. What's wrong? Too busy worrying about me and Yoon to care about her?"

His expression darkened, and he muttered something under his breath in Korean, his tone harsh and defensive.

"You wanna say that again?" y/n pressed, leaning forward with a smirk. 

"I said," he growled, his voice sharp, "you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. So maybe shut up before you embarrass yourself."

Kwon clenched his fists, barely holding back the urge to snap. He had some idea what she was referring to, but the fact that she thought she knew everything—like catching him on his phone earlier had revealed some grand betrayal— is what annoyed him the most.

Because she didn't know anything.

She didn't know that each time he ducked behind a tree to text, it wasn't Yoo-mi luring him away. It was the updates about his grandmother, messages he dreaded yet couldn't ignore. The weight of it all—the hike, the sparring, her constant nagging... it pushed him closer to breaking.

She laughed, a bitter sound that only fueled his frustration. "Oh, I'm the one embarrassing myself? Please. You're out here throwing fits over nothing, acting like I owe you an explanation for everything."

"You don't owe me anything," he snapped back, his voice rising. "But maybe stop pretending like you're not the one dragging this shit out."

"Dragging it out?" Scoffed the girl. "You're the one who can't seem to focus on anything without turning it into some petty competition. Maybe you should worry about keeping your girl happy instead of keeping tabs on me."

The accusation hit harder than he expected, and his fists clenched at his sides. "My relationship is none of your business."

"Then stop making my life your business!" she shot back, her cheeks flushed with anger.

For a moment, the silence between them was heavy, their breaths coming hard and fast. Kwon's eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite place—anger, sure, but there was something else beneath it, raw and unresolved. He finally exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"Whatever," he muttered, his voice dropping low. "Keep running your mouth, y/n. It's the only thing you're good at."

She stared at him, the insult stinging more than she cared to admit. But instead of retaliating, she spun on her heel and stormed off down the path, her fists clenched.

Kwon stood there for a moment, the sound of her retreating footsteps echoing in his ears. His heart was pounding, his frustration boiling over into something he didn't want to name. He muttered another curse under his breath and followed after her, the tension between them unresolved and only growing thicker with each passing moment.

The boy groaned under his breath, running a hand through his hair as he watched y/n stomp ahead in no particular direction. Her silhouette wove through the dense undergrowth, the last slivers of daylight painting her outline in gold. The rumble of thunder in the distance made his chest tighten. 

"Hey!" he called, his tone sharp. "Stop acting like a brat and stay close. You don't even know where you're going."

Her head snapped around, glaring at him. "I don't need your help."

"You don't need it?" he repeated incredulously, stepping closer. "You don't even know which way the camp is, do you?"

She crossed her arms, refusing to admit defeat. "I'll figure it out."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, shaking his head. "Right before you trip over a root, get eaten by wolves, or worse."

"Wolves?" she scoffed, but there was a flicker of doubt in her voice. "We're in a national park, not some wattpad fanfiction."  (heh...)

"Exactly. No wolves, just creeps, wild boars, and whatever the hell else comes out at night," he snapped, gesturing toward the growing darkness. "Now quit playing hero and stick close."

She huffed, but his words must've hit home because she didn't immediately storm off again. Instead, she stood her ground, glaring at him like he'd personally offended her.

"Look," he said, his voice dropping, still laced with irritation but calmer now. "The sooner we gather this wood, the sooner we get back to camp. The sooner we get back, the sooner we eat. And the sooner we eat, the sooner I can stop looking at your face."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, what a motivational speech. I'm so inspired."

"You should be," he quipped, grabbing a nearby fallen branch and inspecting it before tossing it aside. "Now move your ass and start picking up wood. Unless you want to skip yet another meal."

She muttered something under her breath, but she reluctantly bent down to grab a twig, clearly annoyed. "I still don't need your babysitting."

"And I don't need your attitude," he shot back, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "But here we are."

The thunder rumbled louder this time, the sound reverberating through the dense forest. Kwon glanced up at the darkening sky and let out an exasperated sigh. "Just hurry up, will you? I'm not in the mood to get drenched because you're busy being stubborn."

She glared at him one last time before focusing on the task at hand, her movements stiff with frustration. Kwon shook his head again, muttering to himself in Korean about stubborn girls and North Korea's Human Rights policies.

He stayed close, though. Despite his irritation, his eyes flicked to her now and then, scanning the shadows for anything that might make this bad day even worse.

Kwon popped a berry into his mouth, chewing absentmindedly as he plucked a few more from the bush beside him. He tossed a glance at the girl, who was gathering wood in silence, her movements tense and irritated. The forest was growing darker, shadows stretching long across the uneven ground, and the rumble of thunder felt closer now.

"Sure you're not scared of the dark?" he taunted lightly, his voice low and teasing.

Y/n shot him a glare. "Sure you're not scared of getting slapped?"

He smirked, shaking his head as he bent to grab another branch. The two of them moved closer without realizing it, both reaching for the same stick at the same time. Their hands brushed—rough fingertips against softer skin—and they froze, the small contact sparking a current neither of them acknowledged aloud.

Kwon's eyes drifted to her hand. Her knuckles were raw, bloodied, and scraped worse than he'd thought. He frowned, instinctively reaching out, his fingers brushing over her bruised skin. "You're worse than I thought," he said, his tone lighter but still holding a note of concern.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied, standing and brushing dirt off her pants. Her voice lacked its usual edge, softened by exhaustion.

Kwon stepped closer, holding out the makeshift bandage he'd torn from the bottom corner of his shirt earlier. "Your hand's a mess. Give it here."

"I'm fine," she said, though the words were quiet, less of a protest and more of a reflex.

"Yeah, sure," he said, unfazed, taking it anyway. "You'll be even better when that turns into an infection."

His touch was colder than she expected, his fingers surprisingly steady despite the scrape of his skin. As he wrapped the cloth around her knuckles, his movements slowed, careful not to press too hard.

"Your skin's soft," he said, breaking the quiet. His voice was low, almost thoughtful. "No wonder it ripped apart so easily."

"Wow," she deadpanned, her cheeks warming despite herself. "Thanks, I'll be sure to include that in my diary tonight."

Kwon snorted, tying off the makeshift bandage with a small knot. His eyes flicked to hers briefly, a rare softness in his gaze before he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "There. Try not to ruin it."

Y/n flexed her fingers experimentally, the cloth tight but not uncomfortable. "Guess you're not completely useless," she muttered, her tone lighter than before.

"Wow," he said, feigning offense. "Careful. Keep flattering me, and I might actually start helping you out more."

The girl rolled her eyes but couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at her lips. The moment between them was unspoken, lingering but fragile, like a breath held too long. She turned away first, grabbing another stick and pretending to focus on the task at hand.

Kwon watched her for a beat longer before shaking his head, muttering under his breath as he followed suit. The air between them felt lighter, but the tension remained—a quiet storm neither of them seemed ready to face.

The forest had grown eerily quiet, save for the occasional groan of the wind twisting through the trees. The two of them trudged toward the marked trail, firewood bundles balanced precariously in their arms. The sky above churned with dark clouds, an ominous warning of the storm looming overhead.

"Looks like we timed this perfectly," y/n muttered, tilting her head toward the sky. "Not foreboding at all."

Kwon rolled his eyes. "You're just now figuring that out? Genius."

She shot him a glare but kept quiet, her arms aching as the firewood's weight began to test her resolve. Kwon, as always, looked unbothered—though y/n could tell by the set of his jaw that he wasn't having a great time either.

They were nearing the edge of the woods when a deafening crack of thunder tore through the air, shaking the ground beneath them. Startled, the girl almost dropping her bundle. A moment later, rain began pelting them in heavy sheets, quickly soaking through their clothes.

"Great," she groaned, trying to shield her face from the freezing drops.

Kwon let out a sharp breath, already scanning their surroundings. "We need to find shelter. There's no way we're making it back like this."

"No kidding," y/n shot back, her voice rising over the roar of the rain. "And where exactly are we supposed to find that? You got a weatherproof tent hidden somewhere?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, he grabbed her elbow and steered her toward a more concealed path leading deeper into the woods. "This way. I spotted a cave earlier. We'll wait it out there."

Y/n followed reluctantly, nearly slipping as the ground turned slick with mud. Her soaked shoes squelched with every step, and the relentless rain made it hard to see. Every time a branch snagged her sleeve or scraped her face, she cursed under her breath, her frustration mounting.

After what felt like an eternity, Kwon came to a stop. "There," he said, nodding toward a dark opening nestled into the hillside. The cave's mouth was partially obscured by overgrown vines, but it looked deep enough to provide real shelter.

Without waiting for her response, he ducked inside, holding back the foliage for her to follow. The girl hesitated only for a moment before stepping into the dim, dry space. It smelled of earth and moss, and the distant sound of water dripping echoed softly from within.

Kwon set his bundle of sticks down, inspecting them quickly. "Slightly wet, but not ruined. If we're careful, we can still use these."

"Good," She said flatly, wringing water out of her jacket. She slumped against the rocky wall, shivering as the cold settled into her bones. "Because I wasn't looking forward to explaining to Kim why we came back empty-handed."

"She'd probably make us do this all over again," Kwon muttered, crouching near his bundle. He ran a hand through his wet hair, shaking it out. "Lucky us."

Y/n let out a dry laugh, watching the rain pour down outside. 

"Yeah, real lucky..."

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