ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬-𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
─◌✰್ 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋

mymymy bbama is literally so cute 😭
> nomnominnie not as cute as areum though, right?
> mymymy @nomnominnie omg never!
> cheesecakehannie @nomnominnie wait why are we comparing dogs?? bbama supremacy!!
> sunshine.lix @mymymy @nomnominnie we're supposed to feel bad for him, remember...?
> minniemouse- @sunshine.lix all he's doing is moping at home tho
> sunshine.lix @minniemouse- dude shh 🤫

changaroo97 dog days are the best days 🫶
> cheesecakehannie bbama missed berry this morning!
> ryerye @cheesecakehannie it was so fun!
> matchatess @ryerye yass it was so funn i love training!
> catdad_lee @matchatess didn't @bin_there_done_that have to save you from falling in the mud when you got pulled over?
> the.official.hwang @matchatess and you got worms in your underwear, like @ramenoodlaska did when she was little
> matchatess @catdad_lee @the.official.hwang yeah, and? it was worth it!
> cheesecakehannie @matchatess maybe i should be glad i stayed back...

ramenoodlaska we missed you today, ji! 🩵
> cheesecakehannie heheh i'm glad you guys didn't totally forget me
> minniemouse- @cheesecakehannie i might have
> dingdonghong @minniemouse- hey that's so mean!!
> matchatess @minniemouse- hahah nice one (i'm kidding @cheesecakehannie )

the.official.hwang feel better, dude
> huats.up was he sick...?
> ramenoodlaska @huats.up he wasn't feeling well so he had a lonely day, i heard him making noises in the room next door
> sunshine.lix @ramenoodlaska i think those were crying sounds, babe...
> matchatess @sunshine.lix are you sure he wasn't secretly eating my snacks...? i looked in the cupboard and they were all gone.
> nomnominnie @matchatess that may or may not have been me...
> matchatess @nomnominnie grr i should've guessed from your username...

Predictably, you woke up with a blazing headache. Scrubbing your dry, red eyes for the hundredth time that morning, you moved closer to the fire, which Minho had made about half an hour ago. Autumn mornings were always cold here in Seoul, but it was sure to get nicer as the day went on.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" Renee and Seungmin, one of the least drunk of the group and one of the most drunk, had been placed on breakfast duty. That was to say, Renee had done 90% of the work, while Seungmin set out the plates, and fluffed the rice at the end, blinking blearily around the campsite as he did so.

Renee passed out plates to everyone. She had made grilled eel, fried eggs, and rice. Then, she handed you a mug, filled with some mysterious liquid. She gave the same thing to everyone else in the circle, except Mya. Jisung also got to miss out on the fun, because he'd stayed inside, having caught a cold.

"What the hell is this?" Robin demanded, pointing at the strange sludge. "I asked for a latte, and you give me... shit???"

Renee smiled at her, unbothered. "It's a hangover cure, of course. My mom showed me the recipe when I was in high school. Little did she know, but I wasn't going to drink anyway. Who knew I'd use it just to serve all my friends?"

"But... what is it?" you asked curiously, poking at the contents. It looked almost more like a soup than a drink.

"Its Haejangguk, a korean stew!" Renee responded. "I cooked some up using the leftover fish."

Alaska frowned. "Why couldn't we just take a hangover shot from the convenience store, like normal people?"

"That's what I do!" Riley chimed in. "Wayy easier than this."

Renee glared at everyone, and you all gulped. It was a little scary when Renee got mad. "You'll drink it, and be happy! It's not my fault you all decided to drink like sailors last night. I was up till three in the morning holding Riley's hair. You should be thanking me."

Riley shrugged. "I don't remember any of that. But thanks, Renee!"

Everyone dug into the soup, grimacing at the flavor. She must have added some hot pepper, because it had a kick. Thankfully, you didn't mind that, but Felix, Jeongin, and Changbin were grimacing their way through every couple gulp.

"That's disgusting!" Robin complained, chugging the last dregs, and slamming the cup down on the table. "I'll stick with my hangover shots, thanks."

While everone lapsed into a prolonged moment of uncomfortable silence, you sat back, taking a few bites of your breakfast to wash down the foul taste.

Just like Riley, you didn't remember much of anything from last night, either. After you'd gotten that call from Se Ri, and Namjoon had come over to comfort you (which you were still finding hard to wrap your head around), the night had become a blur of nausea, exhaustion, and anxiety. Maybe it was good you didn't know what had happened.

And on top of it all, Changbin hadn't spoken to you since last night. Well, if he had, you couldn't recall. You'd tried to tell him this morning about your conversation with Se Ri. You'd promised yourself you would tell him, and you would make good on your word. Only he'd all but ran outside, claiming he had to hang dry his laundry, or something insane. Had something bad gone down between you? Something that you just couldn't remember, but he did? You weren't known for saying stupid things while drunk, but maybe last night, under all that intense stress and embarrassment, you'd snapped. You had no idea, but the mere fact he was avoiding you was enough to cause worry.

Even as you gazed in his direction, willing him to make eye contact, he purposely avoided you. He would just keep looking back and forth between everyone else in the group, not even glancing in your direction. His hands fidgeted in his lap, his legs bouncing up and down. You didn't think your boyfriend was prone to that kind of anxious behavior.

Something was definitely going on. Unfortunately, you weren't afforded much time enough to find out, not yet.

"Okay everyone, let's start our training!" You stood up, clapping your hands. Everyone looked up from their plates, relieved that someone had broken the quiet. You wondered what that was about... this group was never quiet. And as terrible as that fish drink was, you had to admit, it did clear your head, so you could think again. You were already feeling less drowsy and achy, and your eyes weren't nearly as dry. Maybe you would need to ask Renee for the recipe, after all.

After much grumbling and complaining, the rest of the group followed you, going inside to get the rest of the dogs leashed up and ready for their hour of training.

Today was day three of walk training, where the dogs were practicing heeling, and not pulling as their owner walked them. Of course, Junjie and Jiao were already quite good at this, but you thought it would help the other dogs to see what it looked like when another dog did it correctly.

"Kkami, heel!" Hyunjin ordered, trying to be stern with his adorable chihuahua. The little dog just tugged on his leash, a cute smile on his face. He clearly didn't want to be controlled by his owner, who was also a professional at spoiling him and letting him do whatever he wanted.

"Oh my gosh, look at Areum!!" Mya gasped, as she stared wide-eyed at the young terrier. "She's actually listening to Innie!"

Jeongin blushed at the nickname. You wondered what that was about. In fact, you had begun to notice that everyone was being a little weird this morning. Conversation was more stilted, backs straighter, eye contact wavering. There were definitely things that went right over your head, and you needed to know what it was. If only Changbin would speak to you, so you could ask.

You turned back to watch Areum, who was walking forward, matching Jeongin's steps, as they moved around the clearing. She had improved immensely since the first day, when she had been so excited, she'd nearly tugged off the leash entirely. Your heart expanded with pride, seeing how well she was doing. This training was working. It had to be, right?

Just the thought of your talk with Se Ri last night had your stomach twisting again, like you'd just been drinking even more alcohol. You had to make progress, and you knew it. There was no other option. You refused to fail, and ruin everyone's high expectations of you.

You remembered what Namjoon had said to you last night. Maybe you should call him up, and see if he would be willing to come by and help with the dogs, like he'd suggested. Maybe that would be too awkward. You knew how Changbin felt about the man. But you needed this to work. And if that meant asking Namjoon for help, so be it.

"Hey Hua, how do you think Miso is doing?" Tessa's voice cut into your pessimistic thoughts, as she pointed at the adorable, but extremely stubborn dog at her side. Tessa was covered with mud, apparently from landing on her ass when the silly dog pulled her over. Thankfully Changbin had been there to help her up, and you'd gotten to admire his physique from afar.

You shook yourself, inwardly berating yourself for becoming distracted during the most important part of the day. "I think- I think he definitely needs more work!" you said, trying to collect your thoughts. "He's one of the more stubborn dogs in the bunch, and he needs firm guidance. Let him know that you're the boss, and you won't let him off the hook."

"Oh don't worry, I can do that!" Tessa assured you. "It's Minho who's the softie. He keeps feeding the thing treats! And he claims he isn't a dog person. Miso might need to go through weight loss treatment after this."

Minho raised a brow at her, even more judgy than usual. Tessa didn't seem to notice, as she quickly checked her phone, before jumping back in with Miso.

You sighed, holding in a nervous laugh as you moved on to the next group, Chan and Riley. They were working with Berry, who was happily prancing next to her dad.

"Oh, she's doing so well!" Riley gushed, beaming down at the precious dog. "I'd like to think I'm partially responsible?"

Chan laughed, nodding. "When you aren't cooing at her like a bird, you've been a lot of help."

While Riley was left pouting at that statement, you glanced around the clearing. Everyone was doing quite well. Seungmin and Renee were helping Alaska and are with Bingsu, while JJ, Hyunjin, and Robin stayed with Kkami. You wondered what had happened with Han, and how he'd gotten sick. You also wondered why Robin hadn't stayed indoors with him, like you expected from your friends if their partner got sick. Should you ask her? That felt weird.

"Alright everyone, great job training this morning!" You tried to keep your voice upbeat, even though you could feel the tension in the air, from everyone. "Finally, we can all have fun for the rest of the day!"

"Yay!!" Mya cheered. "Although I did have a lot of fun training, too."

"Same!" Jeongin grinned down at her, taking her hand. Mya blushed crimson, and you stared at them, mind reeling. When had that happened? Were they official, finally? Last you'd heard, Jeongin was still dawdling. Damn the alcohol, if only you could remember anything important from last night.

"See you in half an hour?" Chan asked Riley. The two stood at the entrance to their cabin. He held the door open for her.

She smiled nervously, and nodded. "Yeah, half an hour is great. If I'm late, you can just... knock on my door, as always!"

The two shared a laugh, before heading inside. And where were those two going, on such short notice? Riley had just been complaining about Chan, and his flaky attitude towards their date. Maybe he'd finally decided now was the time?

The rest of the group began splitting up. Minho decided to take Miso down to the lake to fish and play. Alaska, Felix, Mya, and Jeongin decided to go inside Mya and Jeongin's cabin and watch a movie together, since Han was occupying the other. Robin and Tessa went off to take Instagram pictures by the apple trees. JJ was teaching Hyunjin how to skateboard, while Seungmin begged Renee to play frisbee golf with him.

You glanced around the clearing, finding Changbin immediately. He had been working with Junjie and Jiao, feeding them treats. You needed to talk to him, right now. Not only did you want to ask him what you'd missed last night, but most importantly, you had to tell him about your phone call with Se Ri. No matter how much it scared you, he needed to know.

"You wanna play too, Hua?" Renee pleaded, staring at you imploringly, as Seungmin threw the frisbee up so high, it almost came down and knocked her in the head. "I'm not coordinated enough to play alone!"

You laughed. "Girl, you have Seungmin! He'll help you, I'm sure."

But the girl wouldn't stop giving you those puppy dog eyes, and you knew you had to cave. With one final look at Changbin, who was getting ready to leave with Minho and the dogs anyway, you gave in.

"Okay, but just for a little," you sighed, and followed the pair into the woods.

——————————

It had not, in fact, been "just a little". By the time you were done playing frisbee golf, the sun was already setting, and it was time for dinner.

After a delicious meal of spicy tofu soup, rice, and tuna onigiri (kindly made by Alaska, off the Japanese recipe Riley left her), everyone was warming themselves around the fire, as evening turned to night.

"It's so beautiful out here," Renee marveled, as she gazed up at the sky, cuddled under a white fleece blanket. Seungmin kept tugging at the blanket, but she held fast, fidgeting all the while.

It was an especially clear night, the stars glittering overhead so brightly, you'd still be able to make out your friend's faces, even if the fire wasn't lit. The weather was just nice enough to stay outside, with only a blanket and jacket for warmth.

As stunning at the evening was, you wished you'd had time to speak to Changbin before this. You'd had a great time with Renee and Seungmin, of course. Predictably, Seungmin had smoked both of you. Even though you considered yourself to be a very athletic person, going on an hour run every morning even on vacation, you'd been distracted. Plus, Seungmin apparently practiced the art of frisbee golf. Damn him and his weird hobbies.

But now that it had been almost a whole 24-hours since you'd gotten the call from Se Ri, the secret was eating you up inside. You were dying to talk to Changbin, even if it was clear he wasn't dying to talk to you. You would think about why that was later.

Casually walking the couple of chairs over to speak with him, you leaned down and whispered in his ear, "hey Bin, can I talk to you?"

He looked up from his conversation with Han, who had finally come out for dinner, and nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. "Sure, Hua," he responded, standing up and following you away.

You stole one of the blankets from the pile that was always by the fire, and laid it out on the grass in front of you, sitting down on it. Changbin stared at it, before following suit. You placed a second blanket on top of both of your legs.

After a couple seconds of silence, where you gathered your thoughts, you said, "it's a really nice night, isn't it?"

Changbin smiled faintly. "Yeah, it's very nice."

Well, it was now or never, you supposed. "I-I got a call from Se Ri yesterday," you began.

Changbin's brow rose. "Yeah?"

You nodded, the story coming in full force. "She called me when we were together, you remember that. And-and she said... she said that when I got back, she wanted to have a talk with me. She said if I didn't improve the progress with the dogs, that I might get-get fired. And I spiraled last night pretty bad. I didn't want to tell you what happened, because I was embarrassed, and I wanted to figure out how to say it right. A-and this wasn't very well put together at all, but I wanted you to know. I hate keeping secrets from you." You ducked your head, your face uncharacteristically warm.

Changbin turned towards you, that smile still on his face. "Thank you for telling me, Hua," he said softly. "I hate to break it to you but... you already told me all this last night. I didn't know if you would remember, but when we woke up and you asked what day it was, it was clear you didn't. I assume you don't remember much of anything from the party, huh?"

Your heart thudded hard in your chest, and you felt like you might combust. "So... you already knew all that??" you demanded in disbelief. But you weren't angry. "I just worked myself up all for nothing??"

Changbin chuckled, taking one of your hands and squeezing. "I guess so. You tend to do that a lot."

You groaned, covering your face with your other hand. "That's so embarrassing. I'm sorry, Bin. I was so scared of looking like a failure, that I ended up looking like a complete idiot, instead. And I assume you know that Namjoon came and talked to me last night too, right?"

He nodded, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Damn," you muttered, pondering your next words. "Well, what else happened last night?? Everyone has been so tense today. And then Riley and Chan went on a date? A-and what about Mya and Jeongin, are they together now??"

So Changbin filled you in on all the tea from last evening, while you gobbled up every last drop. Clearly, it filled him with great enjoyment to share gossip with you. He really was just one of the girlies.

After he had finally finished, and you couldn't think of any other probing questions to ask, you finally said, " and... what do you think about what I told you? I assume you said last night, and I just don't remember, but I want to know."

Changbin kissed your head. "I did. I said that I would always be there for you, whether or not you're employed at a crazy high-paying job, or you're unemployed, or just working at home. Whatever you're doing, I want to be there with you, because I-" he stopped himself, ducking his head. You could practically feel the heat of his blush emanating from his face.

"You what?" you prompted him gently, leaning against him in support. "If you told me last night, you can tell me tonight, too."

"That's just it," he chuckled, but you could hear the wavering of his words. "You said some things to me last night and... I didn't say them back. Because I wanted you to remember them when I did."

You tilted your head to stare at him, an inkling of what he was saying starting to bleed through. "Do you mean...?"

"I love you, Hua." He tilted your chin up to meet his gaze, brown eyes reflecting the thousands of stars in the night sky. He was beautiful. "I've been wanting to tell you all day, but I've been too damn scared. But as scared as I've been to say those words, I've never questioned how I feel about you. I think I've loved you since the day we met, back on the beach. You're the woman for me, and no matter where we end up, I want us to work through it together. No more running, no more secrets."

Your heart stuttered in your chest, as you struggled to breath. "Th-that was so beautiful," you managed to say, trying to collect your thoughts. Had you really told him you loved him last night? It sounded absolutely crazy, and yet...

"I love you too, Bin." Your lip trembled as you said the word, sudden emotions threatening to burst forth. As crazy as it felt uttering those words, you knew they were true. Your drunk self had known it before your conscious self did, but you felt it deep in your soul all the same. "I know I'm bad at sharing when I'm struggling, but I want you there with me when I am. And I hope I can be that for you, too."

He pressed a kiss to your cheek, smiling against you. "You have no idea how good it feels for you to say that, Hua," he murmured. "And you've done more for me than you can imagine."

You tilted your head inquisitively. "There's no way I've been there for you any more than you have for me. You're a lifesaver."

He smiled pensively, and you gazed rapturously upon his handsome features, so clear you could almost count the constellations reflected back at you on his skin. "You've made me feel worthy of your love, Hua. And I think that's the biggest gift of all."

laska's note —
no because why do these two continue to make me soft asf, over and over again?? is that even legal?? 😭 they've both said i love you now! i guess it's really serious! and hua is all filled in on the drama from the night before. i guess we're still watching the fallout though. poor han and robin, they're having a hard time. and how was riley and chan's date? and what's up with mya and jeongin? you know what time it is... girl talk 🤪🤪 buckle up y'all, there's a lot to unpack.

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝟯𝟰 - 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀
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