for me, there's you (and nobody else) 3/3
part 2
At breakfast the next day, the four of them grab their usual table with Sehun and Jongin, the latter of whom is nodding off the moment they sit down. Jongdae sees Junmyeon entering on the other side of the room and starts to raise a hand to wave him over, but Jonghyun catches Junmyeon's eye first, and he sits down at a different table instead.
Jongdae lowers his hand with a frown. Beside him, Baekhyun takes one look at his expression and snorts into his orange juice.
"What," Jongdae huffs, glaring at him.
"Nothing," Baekhyun says, putting his glass down to hold up his hands in defense. Jongdae squints at him for a long moment before going back to his toast. As soon as Jongdae's eyes are off him, Baekhyun leans back in his chair with a sigh. "No need to tear my head off. I was just thinking about how close you two were getting last night."
Two chairs over, Sehun chokes on his bagel, startling Jongin awake. "They what?"
"Jongdae here had some alone time with Junmyeon on the porch just before lights out," Baekhyun explains, examining his nails nonchalantly but clearly enjoying himself.
Sehun gapes at him, then looks to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo for confirmation. "Really?"
"As real as it gets," Chanyeol says with a nod. Kyungsoo hides a smile behind his juice glass.
Jongdae focuses on his toast, pretending not to hear any of them. As soon as they're back at school, he's got to find better friends.
"They had their heads together and everything. It was some Can You Feel The Love Tonight shit," Baekhyun insists. "They were out there for like an hour."
"It was not an hour," Jongdae pipes up, shooting a glare at Baekhyun, who grins back at him. "It was like, half of that, at most."
Sehun still gives him an awed look. Jongdae sighs. "Baek, we just talked. Seriously."
"I know," Baekhyun says innocently. "It's not my fault that other people are becoming invested in the potential chemistry between you two. You know, I'm not the only one who thinks you guys would be perfect candidates for finding Mount--"
Kyungsoo clears his throat loudly, giving him a hard look. The grin fades off Baekhyun's face, and he sighs before looking back at Jongdae with a tight smile.
"Nevermind," he says, like it's painful.
Kyungsoo gives a satisfied nod and goes back to his cereal.
The rest of breakfast passes without incident, and then it's vocal workshop time. The tenor and bass sections take the outside field while the sopranos and altos stay inside, and Jonghyun faces off against Kibum in rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to lead the boys' warm-up. Kibum wins easily.
Their pieces are really coming together now - even just hearing their two sections together sends some shivers up Jongdae's spine. It's still tiring, though, and when Kibum ends the workshop after a couple hours, Jongdae collapses in the grass with Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Kyungsoo sits quietly beside them and pulls out a book.
Jongdae is content to stare up at the sky for the rest of the morning, but he spots Junmyeon coming out of the lodge with the altos and, on impulse, tries again to wave him over. To his surprise, Junmyeon waves back, and changes direction to head over to them.
"You guys are so loud," he says, sitting down beside Jongdae. "I was with the girls up on the second floor, and we could hear you the whole time."
"Were we on pitch, at least?" Chanyeol asks, pushing himself up on his elbows.
"If you weren't, I couldn't tell," Junmyeon laughs. "You sound great, all of you."
On his other side, Baekhyun preens, stretching himself out into some strange imitation of a seductive pose. "Don't we just?" he sighs dreamily. "Especially those tenors, am I right?"
Jongdae rolls his eyes, but still feels a rush of pride when Junmyeon nods enthusiastically.
"Hey, now," Chanyeol says with an exaggerated frown. "Didn't Taeyeon tell you not to play favourites?"
"Actually, I don't think that was on the list of things to do that she sent me," Junmyeon muses. "Granted, there were like, a thousand things on it, so I could've missed it."
"Did she really send you a list?" Jongdae asks.
"Yeah, the night before we left," Junmyeon says, grimacing for a second. "But it's not a big deal. She just wanted to make sure you guys were okay without her. I'm really honoured that she asked me to go in her place, to be honest."
"And we're all happy you're here," Chanyeol tells him, but he looks a little uncertain. "You're, like, having fun, right?"
"Of course," Junmyeon gushes. "It's really cool to watch you guys work, and like I said, you sound awesome. Plus, it's so beautiful here - have you guys read anything about the forest? Or the local folklore?"
"Uh." Baekhyun glances quickly at Kyungsoo. "Well. Jonghyun told us about one, but..."
"Ah, yes," Junmyeon says, clapping his hands together. "The Mount Crescent legend, right?"
Kyungsoo snaps his book shut, staring at the grass in front of him instead. Baekhyun gives him another wary look. "Yeah, that one." He hesitates for a moment, then looks back at Junmyeon. "So, uh. What do you think of it? The legend, I mean?"
As small as Jongdae's desire to hear any more about the mountain is, he can't help but zone in when Junmyeon's face lights up. "I think it's cool. I've kind of been thinking about it ever since Jongdae told me the story," he admits, smiling sheepishly. Jongdae feels his face heating up and three pairs of eyes on him, but refuses to look away from Junmyeon.
"The love story is sweet, the moon and stars imagery is awesome," Junmyeon goes on, "and, just. To think that Mount Crescent is out there waiting to be found?" He shakes his head, awed. "The coolest."
"Wait," Jongdae says slowly. "You really believe it's out there?"
Junmyeon frowns at him. "Yeah, don't you?"
"Well, I mean, I--"
He's cut off by Baekhyun sniffling loudly, looking legitimately close to tears as he gives Kyungsoo a beaming smile.
"The deal's off," Baekhyun says, like it's a miracle, and throws his arms around Junmyeon.
Kyungsoo sighs. "Junmyeon, you're the worst. We just agreed to disagree, and you come in here and destroy our truce."
Junmyeon frowns, trying to extricate himself from Baekhyun's grip. "I'm... sorry, I think?"
"Who cares," Baekhyun says, rolling off him to lie in the grass with his chin propped up in his palms. "Talk magic mountain conspiracies to me."
Luckily, Amber chooses that moment to call them all inside for lunch, and Baekhyun is forced to get to his feet with the rest of them, pouting. "This isn't over," he says seriously, making an I'm watching you motion with his hand until Chanyeol prods him in the back to make him move.
Jongdae snorts and goes to follow him, but Junmyeon catches his wrist and makes him pause.
"Hey, uh, I just wanted to ask - Mr Lee wanted me to set up this scavenger hunt for you guys," he explains. "Would you be willing to help me? I have snacks."
"Sure," Jongdae agrees, surprised but pleased that Junmyeon thought of him. "What do we need to do?"
"I have all the things to hide waiting in my cabin," Junmyeon says, beckoning for him to follow. "Mr Lee gave me a map of the ranch grounds and marked where to put them all, so we just have to follow that. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Jongdae says with a grin.
True to his word, Junmyeon emerges from his cabin with granola bars and fruit strips, and the two of them wander around the ranch together hiding various things - a conductor's baton, a clarinet reed, a kazoo, not to mention a few music puns printed on nice paper and tied up with ribbon. It doesn't take long for them to end up at the end of the hunt's course, outside the barn. Junmyeon pockets all their snack wrappers and flops down in the grass.
"Are we the finish line, then?" Jongdae jokes, sitting beside him.
"Guess so," Junmyeon says, leaning back on one hand and shading his eyes with the other. "It's so beautiful here. I swear, the sun doesn't shine this bright at home."
"I think there's just so much else going on that no one notices," Jongdae hums. "Out here, there's no distractions."
"That's true," Junmyeon says, then sighs. "It's been nice having time away from… real life."
Jongdae frowns a little. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, nothing, it's just…" Junmyeon trails off for a moment, then seems to reconsider. "Being out here with all the trees and sunlight, there's no stress, no responsibilities, you know? I mean, I'm sure I'll be happy to get back to the grind when we leave, but for now it's… nice."
"Well, what kind of grind do you have waiting for you?" Jongdae asks.
"Student council catch-up, for one," Junmyeon hums. "Extra swim team practice, rescheduled tutoring sessions… there's a fundraiser coming up that needs posters printed, plus Taeyeon will want to debrief me, and then there's homework catch-up, and--"
"Okay, whoa," Jongdae says, holding up his hands in surrender. It sounds like more than he's done in his entire school career. Why in the world did Junmyeon agree to come on the retreat if it meant leaving that much work behind? "Your schedule must be jam-packed. How do you find time for all that?"
"I make time," Junmyeon says immediately, but he winces right after like he hadn't really meant to say it. "Sorry, that's what my dad always says. 'Make time for success', or something."
Jongdae furrows his brow. "Well, you have to make time for fun stuff too, right?"
"Right," Junmyeon laughs. "It's just… hard to make him see it that way, I guess. I don't regret joining student council or the swim team or any of it, but… it would be nice to have time to, like, make friends."
"I thought you had tons of friends!" Jongdae exclaims, then immediately regrets it and covers his mouth. "Sorry, that was rude, I meant-- you're always talking to someone or with a group of people, I just thought--"
"It's okay," Junmyeon says with a little smile. "I guess I exaggerated. I do have friends, I know a lot of people at school, but I'm… I'm not close with many of them, you know? It's like I don't have enough time to really get to know anyone, even if I wanted to." He looks down at the grass between them. "Like you, for example."
Jongdae's heart skips. "Me?"
"I heard you sing, once," Junmyeon says softly, "last year, at the school assembly right before winter break. The choir came out to do a few songs, and you had a solo in one of them. I remember thinking… 'wow, he's amazing.'. I wanted to get to know you. But I never had time."
Jongdae is sure his ears must be giving off steam, his face feels so red. "I thought you had no idea who I was," he admits quietly.
"Well, I do now, and I'm grateful." Junmyeon smiles at him, covering Jongdae's hand with his own. "Being out here, I feel like I can breathe for once. I don't know how I'll ever thank Taeyeon for asking me to come on this trip."
Neither do I, Jongdae wants to say, but he bites his tongue before he can embarrass himself. A week ago Junmyeon barely felt approachable, let alone like someone he could sit in the grass and talk with all afternoon. What if it all goes back to normal once they leave the ranch? "What about when we're back? Are you sure you can just pick everything up again?"
"I'm not," Junmyeon admits. "I mean, I'll try, but…" He slides his fingers between Jongdae's, linking their knuckles together. "These last few days have changed my perspective on a few things, that's for sure."
"Like what?" Jongdae asks softly, unable to help himself. He's definitely staring but Junmyeon is looking right back, still smiling at him. His hand is warm where it's touching Jongdae's and he's leaning a little closer. Jongdae's heart is going to punch its way out of his chest but Junmyeon's face is so close--
The barn doors slam open, startling them apart. Jongdae whirls around and is greeted by the sight of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, bickering with their hands full of scavenger hunt findings.
"Here," Kyungsoo says, cutting off whatever Baekhyun is in the middle of saying and dropping everything on the ground in front of Jongdae. "We found everything. Do we win?"
"Uh, yeah," Junmyeon says, sounding a little dazed. He shakes his head as he digs around in his pockets and pulls out a metallic slip of paper. "Give this to Mr Lee."
"A golden ticket?" Baekhyun scoffs, dropping his armful as well and tossing the kazoo on top. "What's the real prize?"
"I don't know, he didn't tell me,"Junmyeon says apologetically. Kyungsoo starts off towards the lodge without waiting for Baekhyun, leaving him to catch up, and they start arguing again only a few feet away.
Jongdae watches them go with a frown. Something's off with the two of them. The arguing is nothing new, it's almost weird when they're not, but this feels different, like they're fighting with more than just words.
"Are they doing okay?" Junmyeon asks, a concerned look on his face.
Jongdae thinks back to what Baekhyun had asked him the day before - Do you think Kyungsoo likes me? "I hope so."
They decide to head to the lodge after that, no reason to stay once the scavenger hunt is officially over. Jongdae tries his best not to think about what could've happened had they not been interrupted, keeping his mind focused on their small talk as they walk back and not at all on how cold his hand feels without Junmyeon's touching it.
--
At dinner, it becomes immediately clear that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are not doing okay. Even after their shared victory, things between them seem more stressed than ever, to the point where they sit on opposite ends of the table instead of their usual side by side arrangement, and yet still manage to argue all the way through the meal.
"They were like this the whole afternoon," Chanyeol whispers to Jongdae when they're headed back to the cabin, trailing behind Baekhyun and Kyungsoo as they bicker loudly. "I don't know how they managed to finish at all, let alone come in first place."
Jongdae has no idea either. The two of them aren't even fighting about anything important anymore, just disagreeing loudly about seemingly everything they have differing opinions on, from Kirk VS. Spock to which season of The X-Files is the best.
It takes until they're on their way inside after getting ready for bed at the lodge for them to come back around to the thing that got them arguing in the first place - Mount Crescent.
"It doesn't exist," Kyungsoo insists, throwing his hands up. "It can't exist, it's impossible."
"You're impossible," Baekhyun huffs back at him. "Why are you so adamant about this?"
"You're the one who's refusing to listen! It makes no sense!"
"People have seen it! Real people have been up the mountain and still, you're refusing to even consider that it might be out there--"
Kyungsoo stops suddenly on the path, glaring at him. "You want to talk eye-witnesses? Fine." He marches up to one of the cabins and knocks on the door, the other three following confusedly behind.
Jongdae glances down the row at the other cabins. This one isn't theirs, or Junmyeon's, or Jongin and Sehun's, so it must be--
"Um, hey," Yixing greets them as he opens the door, eyebrows raised. "You guys need, like, a cup of sugar, or something?"
"Are Minseok and Luhan here?" Kyungsoo asks. Yixing nods slowly and pulls the door open wider to let them inside.
Minseok is lying on one of the beds with Luhan when they enter, but he sits up upon hearing four pairs of feet come into the room. Luhan joins him upright a second later, looking confused.
Seven people in one tiny cabin ends up making things a little cramped. Yixing takes one look at Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's matching fuming expressions and ducks outside, mumbling something about bedtime snacks.
"Sorry to barge in like this," Jongdae says, after a second of awkward silence.
"We're just here following Kyungsoo," Chanyeol adds.
"It's fine," Minseok says, sharing a glance with Luhan before addressing Kyungsoo. "Can we help you out with something?"
"I need you to settle a debate," Kyungsoo says, tugging Baekhyun forward. "Is Mount Crescent real?"
"Oh, come on," Baekhyun huffs. "Are you serious? You can't take my word for it so you're asking them?"
"Got any better ideas?" Kyungsoo grits out, brow furrows. "Jonghyun said they found the mountain last year." He looks back at Minseok. "Is it true?"
There's another pause, during which Minseok frowns, lifting his hands like he's weighing each answer. "Well… yes and no."
Kyungsoo furrows his brow a little further. "What."
"Yes, we snuck out and climbed a hill in the middle of the woods," Luhan jumps in, "and we watched the sunrise and I said 'Minseok, will you date me' and then we made out--"
"But," Minseok cuts him off, raising his hand, "I don't know if I'd call it 'magical', per se."
It's Baekhyun's turn to look confused. "What?"
"It's just-- nothing magical happened while we were up there," Luhan shrugs. "It was a nice spot to confess, though - and that didn't go too badly, did it?" He winds his arm around Minseok's waist with a grin.
"So there," Kyungsoo mutters to Baekhyun.
Baekhyun frowns and turns back to Minseok. "But it's true that no one else found Mount Crescent afterwards, right? You guys were the only ones?"
"We were," Minseok admits. "The woods are pretty deep, though. It could be that no one else looked in the right spot, or--"
But Baekhyun isn't listening anymore, already grinning triumphantly at Kyungsoo. "So there."
Kyungsoo scowls, taking a threatening step towards him, but Chanyeol ushers both of them out of the cabin before they can start to fight again.
Jongdae hangs back, giving Minseok and Luhan an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. Those two are just… really intense about this."
To his surprise, though, Minseok smiles at him. "Don't worry about it. It's nice that you guys, you know, asked."
"Most people just hear the legend and the rumours and never bother to find out what really happened," Luhan explains.
Jongdae nods slowly. "But you guys did find Mount Crescent, right?"
"I guess we did," Luhan sighs, leaning forward a little. "But you have to understand, it's… it's not really something you can head out expecting to find. One minute you're wandering, and the next the path just… appears under your feet." He shares a look with Minseok, trying to find the right words. "We ended up at the top more by accident than anything. I'd known my feelings for a while, but confessing them was spur-of-the-moment."
Minseok smiles again, reaching out to cover Luhan's hand with his own. "The legend is cute, and the yearly tradition keeps things interesting," he says, looking back at Jongdae, "but the most important thing to remember is… it's not the mountain that makes you fall in love."
Jongdae hopes he doesn't look too confused when he leaves. He walks slowly back to his cabin, turning their words over in his mind. The whole deal with the mountain certainly seems unrealistic, but so many people believe in it, or at least what it seems to represent - what had Jonghyun said about it? A journey through hardship for true love?
Kyungsoo would say it's just mob mentality or mass hysteria or something, and a few days ago Jongdae would've agreed with him, but…
He bites his lip. What if Mount Crescent really is out there in the woods? Waiting to be happened upon? What if it’s--
His thoughts are cut short when he very nearly walks face-first into someone blocking his path. "Whoa, sorry about that," he starts, shaking himself a little and offering an apologetic smile - but when he glances up, it's Junmyeon looking back down at him.
"It's okay," Junmyeon says with a grin. "I was looking for you anyway."
Jongdae can't help smiling back, even as his heart pounds in his chest. "Oh, did you need something?"
Junmyeon shakes his head, turning around to walk with Jongdae the rest of the way to his cabin. "I just wanted to thank you for your help earlier, with the scavenger hunt."
"No worries," Jongdae says, pushing away thoughts of how Junmyeon had looked while leaning in. "It was fun, being behind the scenes. I'm happy you asked me to help."
"I'm happy you agreed," Junmyeon says, following him up the front steps. They both pause by the door, as has become routine. "Well, anyway. That's all I wanted to say. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure," Jongdae says, reaching for the doorknob, but it turns before he touches it and Baekhyun wrenches the door open.
"Junmyeon," he greets, trying for casual but speaking too loud, as usual. "How would you like to join us for a friendly round of truth or slap real quick?"
Jongdae feels a vague sense of foreboding. "Okay," Junmyeon says with a smile, and follows him inside.
He sits on the floor beside Jongdae, listening eagerly while Chanyeol explains the rules. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo seem to have cooled off enough to team up for this, Jongdae notes miserably, watching them both try to hide the smirks on their faces.
"I'll go first," Baekhyun announces. He looks slowly around at everyone as if he's having a hard time choosing, but his intended victim is obvious. "Junmyeon. Truth or slap?"
Junmyeon, ever the good sport, beams at him. "Truth."
"Hmm." Baekhyun draws it out, playing it up but tapping his chin before he snaps his fingers like he's had an epiphany. "Are you crushing on anyone right now?"
Jongdae is caught between wanting to die and wanting to hear Junmyeon's answers. The latter wins out.
"Um, yes," Junmyeon says carefully, like he's worried he's not playing the game properly, but the others oooh enthusiastically and make him grin. He chooses truth again when Kyungsoo picks him on his turn.
"Is the person you're crushing on… on this trip?"
"Yes, Junmyeon answers, a little flushed this time.
Jongdae catches Baekhyun's eye and glares hard. "Baekhyun. Truth or slap."
"Slap," Baekhyun says easily, holding out his arm with a grin. Jongdae hits him as hard as he can, just to wipe it off his face.
"Junmyeon," Chanyeol says, pointing at him from across the circle. "Truth or slap?"
Junmyeon grimaces at the red mark blooming on Baekhyun's forearm. "Truth."
He's in safe waters with Chanyeol, Jongdae tells himself, calming down a little. Chanyeol wouldn't betray him.
"What section is your crush in?" Chanyeol asks, waggling his eyebrows. Jongdae puts his face in his hands.
He hears Junmyeon laugh nervously. "Hey, I thought these were supposed to be yes or no answers! Are you guys trying to cheat?"
"Yeah, Chanyeol," Baekhyun says, gasping like he's truly offended even though the whole thing was most definitely his idea. "It's his first game, be nice!"
"It's my turn now, right?" Junmyeon asks, and at Baekhyun's enthusiastic nod, he looks around the circle. "Hmm. Jongdae, truth or slap?"
As much as Jongdae wants the game to be over as soon as possible, he can't help but indulge the excited, mischievous look on Junmyeon's face. "Um. Truth."
"Were you really interested in what I said about Star Wars yesterday?" Junmyeon asks, squinting at him. "Be honest."
"Of course I was," Jongdae says, breathing a mental sigh of relief. "I wouldn't lie about that."
Junmyeon grins at him, seemingly satisfied, then looks around at the others. "That was fun."
"Sure was," Baekhyun says, looking back and forth between him and Jongdae, probably trying to make sense of why Star Wars was brought up. Jongdae isn't going to give him any help with that one.
"Well, we'd all better get to bed. Thanks for letting me join you," Junmyeon says as he stands up. He pauses by the door to smile at Jongdae. "Goodnight!"
"Goodnight," Jongdae says back, a little dazed, and watches as he slips out and shuts the door quietly.
Baekhyun immediately punches Jongdae in the arm. "Dude! He's so into you!"
"Ow," Jongdae replies.
Baekhyun looks ready to scream about it for the rest of the night, but Kyungsoo peels over the edge of his bunk with a frown. "Hey, quiet down, okay? We're supposed to be asleep."
He and Baekhyun glance at each other but look away almost as soon as their eyes meet. Jongdae is a little shocked when Baekhyun turns out the lights and clambers up to his own bunk without complaint. He's not sure if he prefers this weird quiet between them, or the yelling from earlier… but probably this, because like Kyungsoo said, it's bed time.
Besides, his mind can't focus on those two for very long, not when he has brand new information to ponder - Junmyeon has a crush. He knows he shouldn't get his hopes up but it's been a long day, and he lets his mind run away with the thought for a few minutes. He rolls over and hides a smile in his pillow as he drifts off.
--
Their final day at the ranch is almost entirely taken up by rehearsals, the whole choir gathered together in the empty dining hall to run through their entire retreat repertoire. Jongdae is a little amazed at how their pieces sound with all four sections put together, rather than the disconnected way they've been practicing them. Mr Lee makes a few corrections but seems impressed, for the most part.
The only downside is that there isn't much time to relax until after lunch, and even then they have to load all their music stands and keyboards back onto the bus before Mr Lee lets them take a real break. It ends up worth it, though, when he shows them the lake behind the lodge and tells them to take the afternoon off.
"We'll head back to the real world tomorrow," he says sagely, "but for now, take some time to be proud of yourselves. You've all worked hard."
Everyone cheers and starts to head back to the cabins, chattering excitedly about swimming. Jongdae takes one look at the water reflecting the clouds overhead and decides it's not quite worth the risk of catching a cold - maybe he can just sit on the dock, or something.
He follows the others down the path, unhurried. There's a few others hanging back as well - some of the girls who are more keen on relaxing in the grass than jumping in the lake, and Jongin, who looks, as always, ready for a nap. Jongdae had noticed him yawning all morning, and had tried to hide his smile when Chanyeol had offered his shoulder for Jongin to lean on. Now, watching as Jongin trails a little behind Taemin and Sehun, Jongdae can't help grinning when Chanyeol comes up beside him and wraps his arm around Jongin's waist.
There's no awkward goodbye between them when they get to the front door this time; Jongin smiles sleepily and tugs Chanyeol inside, and Jongdae resists the urge to punch the air in triumph. He makes a mental note to tell Baekhyun and Kyungsoo about this new development, but when he glances around for them, they're nowhere to be seen. Maybe they've already gotten changed and headed back to the lake.
Halfway down the path, Junmyeon appears and catches Jongdae's arm with a grin. "Hey, are you going swimming?"
Jongdae smiles sheepishly. "I was going to grab a sweater, actually. Are you?"
Junmyeon laughs, shaking his head. "I'm in the same boat as you. I think Minho is gonna start a bonfire on the shore, though. Do you want to head down there with me?"
"Sure," Jongdae says, hoping his heart palpitations aren't as audible as they seem. "Just let me get changed, and we'll go."
"Of course," Junmyeon says with a nod, and falls into step beside him. "Nice way to end the trip, huh? Do you think Mr Lee planned this from the beginning?"
"Oh, probably," Jongdae snickers as he climbs the front steps to his cabin. "He says it's a reward for hard work, but maybe he just wants to go swimming, too--"
He pauses with his hand on the doorknob when he hears voices inside, filtering out from the open window.
"Hey, what's going on with you?" It's Kyungsoo, sounding… concerned?
A little quieter, he hears Baekhyun huff out a breath. "Nothing."
Beside him, Junmyeon raises an eyebrow. Jongdae puts a finger to his lips and inches closer to the window, curiosity winning out.
"Don't lie to me," Kyungsoo is saying, annoyed now. "You've been acting weird around me. Is this still because of the dumb mountain?"
"That's part of it, I guess, but--" Baekhyun cuts off with a sigh. "It's whatever, who cares."
Jongdae can picture Kyungsoo pinching the bridge of his nose. "Baek-- I care, okay? I want to know what I did wrong."
"What you--?" Baekhyun sounds genuinely confused. "You didn't do anything! It wasn't you, okay, it was me. I thought that we--"
He cuts himself off, and there's a long pause before Kyungsoo speaks up again, quieter. "Thought that we what?"
"People can only find Mount Crescent if they search with someone they care about. I thought that we would find it that first night, but we didn't, so that means…"
"You think that means I don't care about you? Because we got lost in the woods?" Another long pause. "Are you an idiot?"
Baekhyun splutters for a second, but Kyungsoo keeps talking. "Honestly, Baekhyun." The wooden floor creaks a little. "You don't need to find the dumb mountain to make me like you."
There's another long silence, broken by some soft, breathy noises that Jongdae belatedly realizes are the sounds of his friends kissing.
He and Junmyeon seem to come to the conclusion at the same time, and both jerk away from the window to trip their way back down the front steps. They stop in the middle of the path, well away from the cabin window, to catch their breath. Jongdae sneaks a glance at Junmyeon and finds his cheeks flushed pink, probably the same colour his own face is.
After a moment, Junmyeon clears his throat. "I, uh. I probably have a sweater you can borrow, if you want."
Jongdae nods and hurries after him towards his cabin. He'll have to tell Kyungsoo and Baekhyun about Chanyeol later, then. Much, much later.
--
It takes some time to get the bonfire to a decent size, but once the sun goes down, nearly everyone crowds around it, seeking out the light and warmth. They're left mostly to their own devices since it's their last night, and the regular lights out time comes and goes without much notice.
A while past midnight, Kibum breaks out a flashlight and declares it time to tell ghost stories. "It's tradition," he insists, sticking his tongue out when Jonghyun tries to shut him down. "If anyone wants to skip out, now's the time."
Jonghyun gives Yerim a meaningful look, but she rolls her eyes and snatches the flashlight. "I'll go first," she says with a smile, only slightly manic-looking in the firelight.
Junmyeon nudges Jongdae then, having been sitting by his side since they first came down to the shore. He inclines his head towards the lodge, eyebrows raised, and Jongdae nods, getting to his feet - ghost stories aren't something he minds missing out on. They slip away from the group around the fire and climb the stairs back to the lodge, Yerim's voice getting further and further away until the fire is a matchlight on the shore and they can't hear anything but the wind rustling the trees around the lodge.
"Did you want to head off to bed?" Junmyeon asks. Jongdae shakes his head. It's later than he's stayed up for the whole trip so far, but he's somehow not tired yet. "Okay. Come on."
Junmyeon starts towards the trees, and Jongdae follows a little apprehensively. "Where are we going?"
"The woods," Junmyeon answers, glancing back at him. Jongdae can't quite make out his face in the dark, but he can tell he's smiling. "I won't tell if you don't?"
He holds out his hand, and Jongdae takes it without hesitation.
The woods are just as dark and dense as last time, but it feels different, somehow. Maybe because they're wandering aimlessly instead of searching for their friends, maybe because they already broke this rule once before - either way, Jongdae feels calm surrounded by the trees, and Junmyeon's palm is warm against his own. Besides, sneaking out together on the last night before heading home is just the kind of romantic thing that Jongdae had only ever daydreamed about before, and he's not about to give up a real life opportunity. And it is sort of romantic this time, which is new.
"Are we headed anywhere in particular?" he asks after a while, mostly just to break the silence.
"Not really," Junmyeon replies, swinging their hands back and forth while they walk. "I just wanted to be away from everyone else for a while. Is that okay?"
"I don't mind," Jongdae says, smiling to himself.
"You know," Junmyeon starts, "I really meant what I said yesterday. About being grateful."
"Grateful for what?" Jongdae asks, stepping over a root lying across the path.
Junmyeon smiles at him, the lines of it barely visible. "Getting to know you. I've had a really good time on this trip, and a lot of it is thanks to you."
"But I didn't do anything," Jongdae splutters, glad that Junmyeon can't see him blushing in the dark. "I-I just answered Taeyeon's questions and helped with the scavenger hunt, I--"
"You went into the woods with me that first night," Junmyeon reminds him. "You made me feel like I belonged here, with all of you, not on the sidelines." He pauses to find footing where the ground gets steeper, then turns to help Jongdae up too. "And you helped me figure out some priorities."
"Ah, you mean for when we get back?" Jongdae asks. "Are you going to change your schedule?"
"I'm going to make more time for myself," Junmyeon says, then quieter, "and for you, if you want."
Jongdae feels a little like his legs are going to give out, and not just because of the incline. "For-- what?"
"I don't want to go back to school and never speak to you again," Junmyeon tells him, painfully honest. "I feel like I'm-- like I can be myself around you, entirely. I don't want to lose that again."
"You won't," Jongdae says, squeezing his hand. "I'll - I'll be here."
Junmyeon stops then, turning to face him with a soft smile. He opens his mouth to say something else but pauses, looking down. "You're still wearing my sweater," he says, surprised.
Jongdae laughs and looks down at himself. His eyes must've finally adjusted to the dark, because he can see the soft blue material a lot better than he could earlier - and come to think of it, he can see Junmyeon's smile clearly too, and the trees don't seem so dense. There's even a clearing ahead, and when he and Junmyeon walk into it, it takes a moment to register what exactly they've found.
It's not a clearing at all, but the crest of a hill with a small meadow ending in a grassy cliff. The sky is getting lighter, peeking over the tops of the tallest trees in the distance, and at the edge they can see the lake in the valley below and wisps of clouds hanging around from deeper nighttime.
Right above them, when Jongdae looks up, are two bright stars, still visible in the lightening sky beside the crescent moon.
Junmyeon lets go of his hand for a moment and then links their fingers tightly together instead. Jongdae looks at him and finds Junmyeon already looking back, beaming. "I told you it was out here," he whispers.
Jongdae looks back out over the valley, watching the sun climb its way up behind the trees. He wonders if now is the time to say something, to tell Junmyeon how long he's admired him and how he dreamt about this… but he decides against it. It seems unnecessary when Junmyeon is already right beside him.
Besides, the colours of sunrise and just starting to bloom across the sky, and he wouldn't want to interrupt.
They stand there for a long time, watching the sun come up. When the birds start chirping in the trees around them, Junmyeon gives Jongdae's hand a gentle tug, and they head back down together.
"Dude, you had it," Baekhyun says mournfully the next morning, slumping into his seat on the bus. "You were right there! Why didn't you go for it?"
Jongda shrugs. "I don't know, it… didn't feel like I had to do anything."
"It didn't feel like-- I can't believe I'm hearing this," Baekhyun says, shaking his head. "It was Mount Crescent! Doing something is the whole point!"
"Believe me, I didn't expect this either, okay?" Jongdae sighs. "That's just the way it happened."
"Ugh, whatever," Baekhyun grumbles, waving his hand. "At least you found it. Now tell Kyungsoo it's real."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Kyungsoo deadpans, turning a page in his book.
Baekhyun pouts at him and takes in a deep breath to argue, but Kyungsoo shushes him before he even starts, placing a finger on his lips. "Shh. I'm trying to read," he says, then shifts over so he's leaning on Baekhyun's shoulder.
Baekhyun immediately deflates, looking torn between feeling annoyed or endeared. Behind them, Chanyeol and Jongin snicker to each other, but Baekhyun stays put, choosing to glare over his shoulder to the best of his ability without disturbing Kyungsoo.
Jongdae leaves them like that and heads back up the aisle before the bus starts to move, swinging himself into his seat beside Junmyeon.
"Hey," Junmyeon greets, tucking his clipboard under the seat and holding his hand out. "Ready to go home?"
"Now I am," Jongdae hums, sliding their fingers together, and the first rumble of the engine thrums through their joined hands as they settle in for the long ride back.
> and then they dated, the end
> i was in choir for 5 yrs and we went on a retreat every year to Bond and it was literally the best time of the year so. write what u kno etc
> also suchen ft. chinguline ft. baeksoo + chankai is my dream thanks bye
At breakfast the next day, the four of them grab their usual table with Sehun and Jongin, the latter of whom is nodding off the moment they sit down. Jongdae sees Junmyeon entering on the other side of the room and starts to raise a hand to wave him over, but Jonghyun catches Junmyeon's eye first, and he sits down at a different table instead.
Jongdae lowers his hand with a frown. Beside him, Baekhyun takes one look at his expression and snorts into his orange juice.
"What," Jongdae huffs, glaring at him.
"Nothing," Baekhyun says, putting his glass down to hold up his hands in defense. Jongdae squints at him for a long moment before going back to his toast. As soon as Jongdae's eyes are off him, Baekhyun leans back in his chair with a sigh. "No need to tear my head off. I was just thinking about how close you two were getting last night."
Two chairs over, Sehun chokes on his bagel, startling Jongin awake. "They what?"
"Jongdae here had some alone time with Junmyeon on the porch just before lights out," Baekhyun explains, examining his nails nonchalantly but clearly enjoying himself.
Sehun gapes at him, then looks to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo for confirmation. "Really?"
"As real as it gets," Chanyeol says with a nod. Kyungsoo hides a smile behind his juice glass.
Jongdae focuses on his toast, pretending not to hear any of them. As soon as they're back at school, he's got to find better friends.
"They had their heads together and everything. It was some Can You Feel The Love Tonight shit," Baekhyun insists. "They were out there for like an hour."
"It was not an hour," Jongdae pipes up, shooting a glare at Baekhyun, who grins back at him. "It was like, half of that, at most."
Sehun still gives him an awed look. Jongdae sighs. "Baek, we just talked. Seriously."
"I know," Baekhyun says innocently. "It's not my fault that other people are becoming invested in the potential chemistry between you two. You know, I'm not the only one who thinks you guys would be perfect candidates for finding Mount--"
Kyungsoo clears his throat loudly, giving him a hard look. The grin fades off Baekhyun's face, and he sighs before looking back at Jongdae with a tight smile.
"Nevermind," he says, like it's painful.
Kyungsoo gives a satisfied nod and goes back to his cereal.
The rest of breakfast passes without incident, and then it's vocal workshop time. The tenor and bass sections take the outside field while the sopranos and altos stay inside, and Jonghyun faces off against Kibum in rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to lead the boys' warm-up. Kibum wins easily.
Their pieces are really coming together now - even just hearing their two sections together sends some shivers up Jongdae's spine. It's still tiring, though, and when Kibum ends the workshop after a couple hours, Jongdae collapses in the grass with Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Kyungsoo sits quietly beside them and pulls out a book.
Jongdae is content to stare up at the sky for the rest of the morning, but he spots Junmyeon coming out of the lodge with the altos and, on impulse, tries again to wave him over. To his surprise, Junmyeon waves back, and changes direction to head over to them.
"You guys are so loud," he says, sitting down beside Jongdae. "I was with the girls up on the second floor, and we could hear you the whole time."
"Were we on pitch, at least?" Chanyeol asks, pushing himself up on his elbows.
"If you weren't, I couldn't tell," Junmyeon laughs. "You sound great, all of you."
On his other side, Baekhyun preens, stretching himself out into some strange imitation of a seductive pose. "Don't we just?" he sighs dreamily. "Especially those tenors, am I right?"
Jongdae rolls his eyes, but still feels a rush of pride when Junmyeon nods enthusiastically.
"Hey, now," Chanyeol says with an exaggerated frown. "Didn't Taeyeon tell you not to play favourites?"
"Actually, I don't think that was on the list of things to do that she sent me," Junmyeon muses. "Granted, there were like, a thousand things on it, so I could've missed it."
"Did she really send you a list?" Jongdae asks.
"Yeah, the night before we left," Junmyeon says, grimacing for a second. "But it's not a big deal. She just wanted to make sure you guys were okay without her. I'm really honoured that she asked me to go in her place, to be honest."
"And we're all happy you're here," Chanyeol tells him, but he looks a little uncertain. "You're, like, having fun, right?"
"Of course," Junmyeon gushes. "It's really cool to watch you guys work, and like I said, you sound awesome. Plus, it's so beautiful here - have you guys read anything about the forest? Or the local folklore?"
"Uh." Baekhyun glances quickly at Kyungsoo. "Well. Jonghyun told us about one, but..."
"Ah, yes," Junmyeon says, clapping his hands together. "The Mount Crescent legend, right?"
Kyungsoo snaps his book shut, staring at the grass in front of him instead. Baekhyun gives him another wary look. "Yeah, that one." He hesitates for a moment, then looks back at Junmyeon. "So, uh. What do you think of it? The legend, I mean?"
As small as Jongdae's desire to hear any more about the mountain is, he can't help but zone in when Junmyeon's face lights up. "I think it's cool. I've kind of been thinking about it ever since Jongdae told me the story," he admits, smiling sheepishly. Jongdae feels his face heating up and three pairs of eyes on him, but refuses to look away from Junmyeon.
"The love story is sweet, the moon and stars imagery is awesome," Junmyeon goes on, "and, just. To think that Mount Crescent is out there waiting to be found?" He shakes his head, awed. "The coolest."
"Wait," Jongdae says slowly. "You really believe it's out there?"
Junmyeon frowns at him. "Yeah, don't you?"
"Well, I mean, I--"
He's cut off by Baekhyun sniffling loudly, looking legitimately close to tears as he gives Kyungsoo a beaming smile.
"The deal's off," Baekhyun says, like it's a miracle, and throws his arms around Junmyeon.
Kyungsoo sighs. "Junmyeon, you're the worst. We just agreed to disagree, and you come in here and destroy our truce."
Junmyeon frowns, trying to extricate himself from Baekhyun's grip. "I'm... sorry, I think?"
"Who cares," Baekhyun says, rolling off him to lie in the grass with his chin propped up in his palms. "Talk magic mountain conspiracies to me."
Luckily, Amber chooses that moment to call them all inside for lunch, and Baekhyun is forced to get to his feet with the rest of them, pouting. "This isn't over," he says seriously, making an I'm watching you motion with his hand until Chanyeol prods him in the back to make him move.
Jongdae snorts and goes to follow him, but Junmyeon catches his wrist and makes him pause.
"Hey, uh, I just wanted to ask - Mr Lee wanted me to set up this scavenger hunt for you guys," he explains. "Would you be willing to help me? I have snacks."
"Sure," Jongdae agrees, surprised but pleased that Junmyeon thought of him. "What do we need to do?"
"I have all the things to hide waiting in my cabin," Junmyeon says, beckoning for him to follow. "Mr Lee gave me a map of the ranch grounds and marked where to put them all, so we just have to follow that. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Jongdae says with a grin.
True to his word, Junmyeon emerges from his cabin with granola bars and fruit strips, and the two of them wander around the ranch together hiding various things - a conductor's baton, a clarinet reed, a kazoo, not to mention a few music puns printed on nice paper and tied up with ribbon. It doesn't take long for them to end up at the end of the hunt's course, outside the barn. Junmyeon pockets all their snack wrappers and flops down in the grass.
"Are we the finish line, then?" Jongdae jokes, sitting beside him.
"Guess so," Junmyeon says, leaning back on one hand and shading his eyes with the other. "It's so beautiful here. I swear, the sun doesn't shine this bright at home."
"I think there's just so much else going on that no one notices," Jongdae hums. "Out here, there's no distractions."
"That's true," Junmyeon says, then sighs. "It's been nice having time away from… real life."
Jongdae frowns a little. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, nothing, it's just…" Junmyeon trails off for a moment, then seems to reconsider. "Being out here with all the trees and sunlight, there's no stress, no responsibilities, you know? I mean, I'm sure I'll be happy to get back to the grind when we leave, but for now it's… nice."
"Well, what kind of grind do you have waiting for you?" Jongdae asks.
"Student council catch-up, for one," Junmyeon hums. "Extra swim team practice, rescheduled tutoring sessions… there's a fundraiser coming up that needs posters printed, plus Taeyeon will want to debrief me, and then there's homework catch-up, and--"
"Okay, whoa," Jongdae says, holding up his hands in surrender. It sounds like more than he's done in his entire school career. Why in the world did Junmyeon agree to come on the retreat if it meant leaving that much work behind? "Your schedule must be jam-packed. How do you find time for all that?"
"I make time," Junmyeon says immediately, but he winces right after like he hadn't really meant to say it. "Sorry, that's what my dad always says. 'Make time for success', or something."
Jongdae furrows his brow. "Well, you have to make time for fun stuff too, right?"
"Right," Junmyeon laughs. "It's just… hard to make him see it that way, I guess. I don't regret joining student council or the swim team or any of it, but… it would be nice to have time to, like, make friends."
"I thought you had tons of friends!" Jongdae exclaims, then immediately regrets it and covers his mouth. "Sorry, that was rude, I meant-- you're always talking to someone or with a group of people, I just thought--"
"It's okay," Junmyeon says with a little smile. "I guess I exaggerated. I do have friends, I know a lot of people at school, but I'm… I'm not close with many of them, you know? It's like I don't have enough time to really get to know anyone, even if I wanted to." He looks down at the grass between them. "Like you, for example."
Jongdae's heart skips. "Me?"
"I heard you sing, once," Junmyeon says softly, "last year, at the school assembly right before winter break. The choir came out to do a few songs, and you had a solo in one of them. I remember thinking… 'wow, he's amazing.'. I wanted to get to know you. But I never had time."
Jongdae is sure his ears must be giving off steam, his face feels so red. "I thought you had no idea who I was," he admits quietly.
"Well, I do now, and I'm grateful." Junmyeon smiles at him, covering Jongdae's hand with his own. "Being out here, I feel like I can breathe for once. I don't know how I'll ever thank Taeyeon for asking me to come on this trip."
Neither do I, Jongdae wants to say, but he bites his tongue before he can embarrass himself. A week ago Junmyeon barely felt approachable, let alone like someone he could sit in the grass and talk with all afternoon. What if it all goes back to normal once they leave the ranch? "What about when we're back? Are you sure you can just pick everything up again?"
"I'm not," Junmyeon admits. "I mean, I'll try, but…" He slides his fingers between Jongdae's, linking their knuckles together. "These last few days have changed my perspective on a few things, that's for sure."
"Like what?" Jongdae asks softly, unable to help himself. He's definitely staring but Junmyeon is looking right back, still smiling at him. His hand is warm where it's touching Jongdae's and he's leaning a little closer. Jongdae's heart is going to punch its way out of his chest but Junmyeon's face is so close--
The barn doors slam open, startling them apart. Jongdae whirls around and is greeted by the sight of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, bickering with their hands full of scavenger hunt findings.
"Here," Kyungsoo says, cutting off whatever Baekhyun is in the middle of saying and dropping everything on the ground in front of Jongdae. "We found everything. Do we win?"
"Uh, yeah," Junmyeon says, sounding a little dazed. He shakes his head as he digs around in his pockets and pulls out a metallic slip of paper. "Give this to Mr Lee."
"A golden ticket?" Baekhyun scoffs, dropping his armful as well and tossing the kazoo on top. "What's the real prize?"
"I don't know, he didn't tell me,"Junmyeon says apologetically. Kyungsoo starts off towards the lodge without waiting for Baekhyun, leaving him to catch up, and they start arguing again only a few feet away.
Jongdae watches them go with a frown. Something's off with the two of them. The arguing is nothing new, it's almost weird when they're not, but this feels different, like they're fighting with more than just words.
"Are they doing okay?" Junmyeon asks, a concerned look on his face.
Jongdae thinks back to what Baekhyun had asked him the day before - Do you think Kyungsoo likes me? "I hope so."
They decide to head to the lodge after that, no reason to stay once the scavenger hunt is officially over. Jongdae tries his best not to think about what could've happened had they not been interrupted, keeping his mind focused on their small talk as they walk back and not at all on how cold his hand feels without Junmyeon's touching it.
--
At dinner, it becomes immediately clear that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are not doing okay. Even after their shared victory, things between them seem more stressed than ever, to the point where they sit on opposite ends of the table instead of their usual side by side arrangement, and yet still manage to argue all the way through the meal.
"They were like this the whole afternoon," Chanyeol whispers to Jongdae when they're headed back to the cabin, trailing behind Baekhyun and Kyungsoo as they bicker loudly. "I don't know how they managed to finish at all, let alone come in first place."
Jongdae has no idea either. The two of them aren't even fighting about anything important anymore, just disagreeing loudly about seemingly everything they have differing opinions on, from Kirk VS. Spock to which season of The X-Files is the best.
It takes until they're on their way inside after getting ready for bed at the lodge for them to come back around to the thing that got them arguing in the first place - Mount Crescent.
"It doesn't exist," Kyungsoo insists, throwing his hands up. "It can't exist, it's impossible."
"You're impossible," Baekhyun huffs back at him. "Why are you so adamant about this?"
"You're the one who's refusing to listen! It makes no sense!"
"People have seen it! Real people have been up the mountain and still, you're refusing to even consider that it might be out there--"
Kyungsoo stops suddenly on the path, glaring at him. "You want to talk eye-witnesses? Fine." He marches up to one of the cabins and knocks on the door, the other three following confusedly behind.
Jongdae glances down the row at the other cabins. This one isn't theirs, or Junmyeon's, or Jongin and Sehun's, so it must be--
"Um, hey," Yixing greets them as he opens the door, eyebrows raised. "You guys need, like, a cup of sugar, or something?"
"Are Minseok and Luhan here?" Kyungsoo asks. Yixing nods slowly and pulls the door open wider to let them inside.
Minseok is lying on one of the beds with Luhan when they enter, but he sits up upon hearing four pairs of feet come into the room. Luhan joins him upright a second later, looking confused.
Seven people in one tiny cabin ends up making things a little cramped. Yixing takes one look at Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's matching fuming expressions and ducks outside, mumbling something about bedtime snacks.
"Sorry to barge in like this," Jongdae says, after a second of awkward silence.
"We're just here following Kyungsoo," Chanyeol adds.
"It's fine," Minseok says, sharing a glance with Luhan before addressing Kyungsoo. "Can we help you out with something?"
"I need you to settle a debate," Kyungsoo says, tugging Baekhyun forward. "Is Mount Crescent real?"
"Oh, come on," Baekhyun huffs. "Are you serious? You can't take my word for it so you're asking them?"
"Got any better ideas?" Kyungsoo grits out, brow furrows. "Jonghyun said they found the mountain last year." He looks back at Minseok. "Is it true?"
There's another pause, during which Minseok frowns, lifting his hands like he's weighing each answer. "Well… yes and no."
Kyungsoo furrows his brow a little further. "What."
"Yes, we snuck out and climbed a hill in the middle of the woods," Luhan jumps in, "and we watched the sunrise and I said 'Minseok, will you date me' and then we made out--"
"But," Minseok cuts him off, raising his hand, "I don't know if I'd call it 'magical', per se."
It's Baekhyun's turn to look confused. "What?"
"It's just-- nothing magical happened while we were up there," Luhan shrugs. "It was a nice spot to confess, though - and that didn't go too badly, did it?" He winds his arm around Minseok's waist with a grin.
"So there," Kyungsoo mutters to Baekhyun.
Baekhyun frowns and turns back to Minseok. "But it's true that no one else found Mount Crescent afterwards, right? You guys were the only ones?"
"We were," Minseok admits. "The woods are pretty deep, though. It could be that no one else looked in the right spot, or--"
But Baekhyun isn't listening anymore, already grinning triumphantly at Kyungsoo. "So there."
Kyungsoo scowls, taking a threatening step towards him, but Chanyeol ushers both of them out of the cabin before they can start to fight again.
Jongdae hangs back, giving Minseok and Luhan an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. Those two are just… really intense about this."
To his surprise, though, Minseok smiles at him. "Don't worry about it. It's nice that you guys, you know, asked."
"Most people just hear the legend and the rumours and never bother to find out what really happened," Luhan explains.
Jongdae nods slowly. "But you guys did find Mount Crescent, right?"
"I guess we did," Luhan sighs, leaning forward a little. "But you have to understand, it's… it's not really something you can head out expecting to find. One minute you're wandering, and the next the path just… appears under your feet." He shares a look with Minseok, trying to find the right words. "We ended up at the top more by accident than anything. I'd known my feelings for a while, but confessing them was spur-of-the-moment."
Minseok smiles again, reaching out to cover Luhan's hand with his own. "The legend is cute, and the yearly tradition keeps things interesting," he says, looking back at Jongdae, "but the most important thing to remember is… it's not the mountain that makes you fall in love."
Jongdae hopes he doesn't look too confused when he leaves. He walks slowly back to his cabin, turning their words over in his mind. The whole deal with the mountain certainly seems unrealistic, but so many people believe in it, or at least what it seems to represent - what had Jonghyun said about it? A journey through hardship for true love?
Kyungsoo would say it's just mob mentality or mass hysteria or something, and a few days ago Jongdae would've agreed with him, but…
He bites his lip. What if Mount Crescent really is out there in the woods? Waiting to be happened upon? What if it’s--
His thoughts are cut short when he very nearly walks face-first into someone blocking his path. "Whoa, sorry about that," he starts, shaking himself a little and offering an apologetic smile - but when he glances up, it's Junmyeon looking back down at him.
"It's okay," Junmyeon says with a grin. "I was looking for you anyway."
Jongdae can't help smiling back, even as his heart pounds in his chest. "Oh, did you need something?"
Junmyeon shakes his head, turning around to walk with Jongdae the rest of the way to his cabin. "I just wanted to thank you for your help earlier, with the scavenger hunt."
"No worries," Jongdae says, pushing away thoughts of how Junmyeon had looked while leaning in. "It was fun, being behind the scenes. I'm happy you asked me to help."
"I'm happy you agreed," Junmyeon says, following him up the front steps. They both pause by the door, as has become routine. "Well, anyway. That's all I wanted to say. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure," Jongdae says, reaching for the doorknob, but it turns before he touches it and Baekhyun wrenches the door open.
"Junmyeon," he greets, trying for casual but speaking too loud, as usual. "How would you like to join us for a friendly round of truth or slap real quick?"
Jongdae feels a vague sense of foreboding. "Okay," Junmyeon says with a smile, and follows him inside.
He sits on the floor beside Jongdae, listening eagerly while Chanyeol explains the rules. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo seem to have cooled off enough to team up for this, Jongdae notes miserably, watching them both try to hide the smirks on their faces.
"I'll go first," Baekhyun announces. He looks slowly around at everyone as if he's having a hard time choosing, but his intended victim is obvious. "Junmyeon. Truth or slap?"
Junmyeon, ever the good sport, beams at him. "Truth."
"Hmm." Baekhyun draws it out, playing it up but tapping his chin before he snaps his fingers like he's had an epiphany. "Are you crushing on anyone right now?"
Jongdae is caught between wanting to die and wanting to hear Junmyeon's answers. The latter wins out.
"Um, yes," Junmyeon says carefully, like he's worried he's not playing the game properly, but the others oooh enthusiastically and make him grin. He chooses truth again when Kyungsoo picks him on his turn.
"Is the person you're crushing on… on this trip?"
"Yes, Junmyeon answers, a little flushed this time.
Jongdae catches Baekhyun's eye and glares hard. "Baekhyun. Truth or slap."
"Slap," Baekhyun says easily, holding out his arm with a grin. Jongdae hits him as hard as he can, just to wipe it off his face.
"Junmyeon," Chanyeol says, pointing at him from across the circle. "Truth or slap?"
Junmyeon grimaces at the red mark blooming on Baekhyun's forearm. "Truth."
He's in safe waters with Chanyeol, Jongdae tells himself, calming down a little. Chanyeol wouldn't betray him.
"What section is your crush in?" Chanyeol asks, waggling his eyebrows. Jongdae puts his face in his hands.
He hears Junmyeon laugh nervously. "Hey, I thought these were supposed to be yes or no answers! Are you guys trying to cheat?"
"Yeah, Chanyeol," Baekhyun says, gasping like he's truly offended even though the whole thing was most definitely his idea. "It's his first game, be nice!"
"It's my turn now, right?" Junmyeon asks, and at Baekhyun's enthusiastic nod, he looks around the circle. "Hmm. Jongdae, truth or slap?"
As much as Jongdae wants the game to be over as soon as possible, he can't help but indulge the excited, mischievous look on Junmyeon's face. "Um. Truth."
"Were you really interested in what I said about Star Wars yesterday?" Junmyeon asks, squinting at him. "Be honest."
"Of course I was," Jongdae says, breathing a mental sigh of relief. "I wouldn't lie about that."
Junmyeon grins at him, seemingly satisfied, then looks around at the others. "That was fun."
"Sure was," Baekhyun says, looking back and forth between him and Jongdae, probably trying to make sense of why Star Wars was brought up. Jongdae isn't going to give him any help with that one.
"Well, we'd all better get to bed. Thanks for letting me join you," Junmyeon says as he stands up. He pauses by the door to smile at Jongdae. "Goodnight!"
"Goodnight," Jongdae says back, a little dazed, and watches as he slips out and shuts the door quietly.
Baekhyun immediately punches Jongdae in the arm. "Dude! He's so into you!"
"Ow," Jongdae replies.
Baekhyun looks ready to scream about it for the rest of the night, but Kyungsoo peels over the edge of his bunk with a frown. "Hey, quiet down, okay? We're supposed to be asleep."
He and Baekhyun glance at each other but look away almost as soon as their eyes meet. Jongdae is a little shocked when Baekhyun turns out the lights and clambers up to his own bunk without complaint. He's not sure if he prefers this weird quiet between them, or the yelling from earlier… but probably this, because like Kyungsoo said, it's bed time.
Besides, his mind can't focus on those two for very long, not when he has brand new information to ponder - Junmyeon has a crush. He knows he shouldn't get his hopes up but it's been a long day, and he lets his mind run away with the thought for a few minutes. He rolls over and hides a smile in his pillow as he drifts off.
--
Their final day at the ranch is almost entirely taken up by rehearsals, the whole choir gathered together in the empty dining hall to run through their entire retreat repertoire. Jongdae is a little amazed at how their pieces sound with all four sections put together, rather than the disconnected way they've been practicing them. Mr Lee makes a few corrections but seems impressed, for the most part.
The only downside is that there isn't much time to relax until after lunch, and even then they have to load all their music stands and keyboards back onto the bus before Mr Lee lets them take a real break. It ends up worth it, though, when he shows them the lake behind the lodge and tells them to take the afternoon off.
"We'll head back to the real world tomorrow," he says sagely, "but for now, take some time to be proud of yourselves. You've all worked hard."
Everyone cheers and starts to head back to the cabins, chattering excitedly about swimming. Jongdae takes one look at the water reflecting the clouds overhead and decides it's not quite worth the risk of catching a cold - maybe he can just sit on the dock, or something.
He follows the others down the path, unhurried. There's a few others hanging back as well - some of the girls who are more keen on relaxing in the grass than jumping in the lake, and Jongin, who looks, as always, ready for a nap. Jongdae had noticed him yawning all morning, and had tried to hide his smile when Chanyeol had offered his shoulder for Jongin to lean on. Now, watching as Jongin trails a little behind Taemin and Sehun, Jongdae can't help grinning when Chanyeol comes up beside him and wraps his arm around Jongin's waist.
There's no awkward goodbye between them when they get to the front door this time; Jongin smiles sleepily and tugs Chanyeol inside, and Jongdae resists the urge to punch the air in triumph. He makes a mental note to tell Baekhyun and Kyungsoo about this new development, but when he glances around for them, they're nowhere to be seen. Maybe they've already gotten changed and headed back to the lake.
Halfway down the path, Junmyeon appears and catches Jongdae's arm with a grin. "Hey, are you going swimming?"
Jongdae smiles sheepishly. "I was going to grab a sweater, actually. Are you?"
Junmyeon laughs, shaking his head. "I'm in the same boat as you. I think Minho is gonna start a bonfire on the shore, though. Do you want to head down there with me?"
"Sure," Jongdae says, hoping his heart palpitations aren't as audible as they seem. "Just let me get changed, and we'll go."
"Of course," Junmyeon says with a nod, and falls into step beside him. "Nice way to end the trip, huh? Do you think Mr Lee planned this from the beginning?"
"Oh, probably," Jongdae snickers as he climbs the front steps to his cabin. "He says it's a reward for hard work, but maybe he just wants to go swimming, too--"
He pauses with his hand on the doorknob when he hears voices inside, filtering out from the open window.
"Hey, what's going on with you?" It's Kyungsoo, sounding… concerned?
A little quieter, he hears Baekhyun huff out a breath. "Nothing."
Beside him, Junmyeon raises an eyebrow. Jongdae puts a finger to his lips and inches closer to the window, curiosity winning out.
"Don't lie to me," Kyungsoo is saying, annoyed now. "You've been acting weird around me. Is this still because of the dumb mountain?"
"That's part of it, I guess, but--" Baekhyun cuts off with a sigh. "It's whatever, who cares."
Jongdae can picture Kyungsoo pinching the bridge of his nose. "Baek-- I care, okay? I want to know what I did wrong."
"What you--?" Baekhyun sounds genuinely confused. "You didn't do anything! It wasn't you, okay, it was me. I thought that we--"
He cuts himself off, and there's a long pause before Kyungsoo speaks up again, quieter. "Thought that we what?"
"People can only find Mount Crescent if they search with someone they care about. I thought that we would find it that first night, but we didn't, so that means…"
"You think that means I don't care about you? Because we got lost in the woods?" Another long pause. "Are you an idiot?"
Baekhyun splutters for a second, but Kyungsoo keeps talking. "Honestly, Baekhyun." The wooden floor creaks a little. "You don't need to find the dumb mountain to make me like you."
There's another long silence, broken by some soft, breathy noises that Jongdae belatedly realizes are the sounds of his friends kissing.
He and Junmyeon seem to come to the conclusion at the same time, and both jerk away from the window to trip their way back down the front steps. They stop in the middle of the path, well away from the cabin window, to catch their breath. Jongdae sneaks a glance at Junmyeon and finds his cheeks flushed pink, probably the same colour his own face is.
After a moment, Junmyeon clears his throat. "I, uh. I probably have a sweater you can borrow, if you want."
Jongdae nods and hurries after him towards his cabin. He'll have to tell Kyungsoo and Baekhyun about Chanyeol later, then. Much, much later.
--
It takes some time to get the bonfire to a decent size, but once the sun goes down, nearly everyone crowds around it, seeking out the light and warmth. They're left mostly to their own devices since it's their last night, and the regular lights out time comes and goes without much notice.
A while past midnight, Kibum breaks out a flashlight and declares it time to tell ghost stories. "It's tradition," he insists, sticking his tongue out when Jonghyun tries to shut him down. "If anyone wants to skip out, now's the time."
Jonghyun gives Yerim a meaningful look, but she rolls her eyes and snatches the flashlight. "I'll go first," she says with a smile, only slightly manic-looking in the firelight.
Junmyeon nudges Jongdae then, having been sitting by his side since they first came down to the shore. He inclines his head towards the lodge, eyebrows raised, and Jongdae nods, getting to his feet - ghost stories aren't something he minds missing out on. They slip away from the group around the fire and climb the stairs back to the lodge, Yerim's voice getting further and further away until the fire is a matchlight on the shore and they can't hear anything but the wind rustling the trees around the lodge.
"Did you want to head off to bed?" Junmyeon asks. Jongdae shakes his head. It's later than he's stayed up for the whole trip so far, but he's somehow not tired yet. "Okay. Come on."
Junmyeon starts towards the trees, and Jongdae follows a little apprehensively. "Where are we going?"
"The woods," Junmyeon answers, glancing back at him. Jongdae can't quite make out his face in the dark, but he can tell he's smiling. "I won't tell if you don't?"
He holds out his hand, and Jongdae takes it without hesitation.
The woods are just as dark and dense as last time, but it feels different, somehow. Maybe because they're wandering aimlessly instead of searching for their friends, maybe because they already broke this rule once before - either way, Jongdae feels calm surrounded by the trees, and Junmyeon's palm is warm against his own. Besides, sneaking out together on the last night before heading home is just the kind of romantic thing that Jongdae had only ever daydreamed about before, and he's not about to give up a real life opportunity. And it is sort of romantic this time, which is new.
"Are we headed anywhere in particular?" he asks after a while, mostly just to break the silence.
"Not really," Junmyeon replies, swinging their hands back and forth while they walk. "I just wanted to be away from everyone else for a while. Is that okay?"
"I don't mind," Jongdae says, smiling to himself.
"You know," Junmyeon starts, "I really meant what I said yesterday. About being grateful."
"Grateful for what?" Jongdae asks, stepping over a root lying across the path.
Junmyeon smiles at him, the lines of it barely visible. "Getting to know you. I've had a really good time on this trip, and a lot of it is thanks to you."
"But I didn't do anything," Jongdae splutters, glad that Junmyeon can't see him blushing in the dark. "I-I just answered Taeyeon's questions and helped with the scavenger hunt, I--"
"You went into the woods with me that first night," Junmyeon reminds him. "You made me feel like I belonged here, with all of you, not on the sidelines." He pauses to find footing where the ground gets steeper, then turns to help Jongdae up too. "And you helped me figure out some priorities."
"Ah, you mean for when we get back?" Jongdae asks. "Are you going to change your schedule?"
"I'm going to make more time for myself," Junmyeon says, then quieter, "and for you, if you want."
Jongdae feels a little like his legs are going to give out, and not just because of the incline. "For-- what?"
"I don't want to go back to school and never speak to you again," Junmyeon tells him, painfully honest. "I feel like I'm-- like I can be myself around you, entirely. I don't want to lose that again."
"You won't," Jongdae says, squeezing his hand. "I'll - I'll be here."
Junmyeon stops then, turning to face him with a soft smile. He opens his mouth to say something else but pauses, looking down. "You're still wearing my sweater," he says, surprised.
Jongdae laughs and looks down at himself. His eyes must've finally adjusted to the dark, because he can see the soft blue material a lot better than he could earlier - and come to think of it, he can see Junmyeon's smile clearly too, and the trees don't seem so dense. There's even a clearing ahead, and when he and Junmyeon walk into it, it takes a moment to register what exactly they've found.
It's not a clearing at all, but the crest of a hill with a small meadow ending in a grassy cliff. The sky is getting lighter, peeking over the tops of the tallest trees in the distance, and at the edge they can see the lake in the valley below and wisps of clouds hanging around from deeper nighttime.
Right above them, when Jongdae looks up, are two bright stars, still visible in the lightening sky beside the crescent moon.
Junmyeon lets go of his hand for a moment and then links their fingers tightly together instead. Jongdae looks at him and finds Junmyeon already looking back, beaming. "I told you it was out here," he whispers.
Jongdae looks back out over the valley, watching the sun climb its way up behind the trees. He wonders if now is the time to say something, to tell Junmyeon how long he's admired him and how he dreamt about this… but he decides against it. It seems unnecessary when Junmyeon is already right beside him.
Besides, the colours of sunrise and just starting to bloom across the sky, and he wouldn't want to interrupt.
They stand there for a long time, watching the sun come up. When the birds start chirping in the trees around them, Junmyeon gives Jongdae's hand a gentle tug, and they head back down together.
"Dude, you had it," Baekhyun says mournfully the next morning, slumping into his seat on the bus. "You were right there! Why didn't you go for it?"
Jongda shrugs. "I don't know, it… didn't feel like I had to do anything."
"It didn't feel like-- I can't believe I'm hearing this," Baekhyun says, shaking his head. "It was Mount Crescent! Doing something is the whole point!"
"Believe me, I didn't expect this either, okay?" Jongdae sighs. "That's just the way it happened."
"Ugh, whatever," Baekhyun grumbles, waving his hand. "At least you found it. Now tell Kyungsoo it's real."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Kyungsoo deadpans, turning a page in his book.
Baekhyun pouts at him and takes in a deep breath to argue, but Kyungsoo shushes him before he even starts, placing a finger on his lips. "Shh. I'm trying to read," he says, then shifts over so he's leaning on Baekhyun's shoulder.
Baekhyun immediately deflates, looking torn between feeling annoyed or endeared. Behind them, Chanyeol and Jongin snicker to each other, but Baekhyun stays put, choosing to glare over his shoulder to the best of his ability without disturbing Kyungsoo.
Jongdae leaves them like that and heads back up the aisle before the bus starts to move, swinging himself into his seat beside Junmyeon.
"Hey," Junmyeon greets, tucking his clipboard under the seat and holding his hand out. "Ready to go home?"
"Now I am," Jongdae hums, sliding their fingers together, and the first rumble of the engine thrums through their joined hands as they settle in for the long ride back.
> and then they dated, the end
> i was in choir for 5 yrs and we went on a retreat every year to Bond and it was literally the best time of the year so. write what u kno etc
> also suchen ft. chinguline ft. baeksoo + chankai is my dream thanks bye