for me, there's you (and nobody else) 1/3
pairing: suho/chen
rating: PG
wordcount: 18.8k
summary: The annual choir retreat seems like fun until Jongdae's friends decide that it's the perfect opportunity to get him and his crush together - and the magic mountain legend is another problem entirely.
notes: (doesn't write anything for 3 months) (comes back with 20k fic) WELL
originally posted here!
Jongdae yawns for what feels like the tenth time in as many minutes. "Is the bus moving yet?"
"No," Baekhyun sighs from the seat in front of him, turned around so he can lean over the back. "Now's the time to catch a nap if you get car-sick, I guess."
Beside him, Kyungsoo rubs his eyes tiredly. "I'll always fondly remember the days when I thought waking up at seven-thirty was early," he says wistfully.
"Hey, come on now," Baekhyun says, nudging his shoulder. "The full day in transit is just part of the fun!"
"Not," Chanyeol mumbles, bleary-eyed and half asleep against the window beside Jongdae. They're heading out pretty early so that the day-long bus ride gets them to their destination some time before midnight. Still, Jongdae tries to stifle his next yawn. He's been looking forward to this trip for ages.
The choir takes a retreat once a year. All the members excused from classes for a few days to head out to some summer horse ranch in the wilderness and learn a few new pieces. Of course, their trip happens in fall, so most of the horses are on vacation, but having the retreat early in the school year encourages team-bonding among all the choir members, no matter how new or experienced they are - or at least, that's what the choir director, Mr Lee, told them while handing out permission slips.
They'd also all gotten a packet of sheet music for songs they'd be learning on the retreat, and although it's currently sitting at the very bottom of Jongdae's backpack, he can't wait to take a real look at it. An unfortunately timed flu virus forced Jongdae to stay home during last year's retreat, and while he did get a detailed rundown from Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, actually attending the trip this year is obviously going to be a better experience.
Baekhyun breaks him out of his thoughts with a sigh. "Sorry, Jongdae, Chanyeol's right. I lied earlier when I said 'the fun starts now'."
Jongdae snorts. "It's okay. Got any idea on when it actually does start?"
"Tonight, when we get beds," Chanyeol says sleepily. Baekhyun nods in agreement.
"It'll be great, though, I swear. Last year was awesome, and this year will be even better."
"Why's that?" Jongdae asks.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Because you're here for it, duh."
Jongdae can't help grinning, giddiness welling up inside him. A long bus ride out, a few days of sectional practice and vocal workshops, then a long bus ride back - and all with his best friends, no homework, and minimal supervision. There's staff at the ranch, but they usually work with younger kids, not a bunch of teenagers who aren't exactly into arts n' crafts or scavenger hunts. The only adult coming along with them is Mr Lee, and Chanyeol said that last year he let them have a whole day of free time instead of attending the workshops they were supposed to be doing. Baekhyun also said that Mr Lee spend said day wandering the woods around the ranch and laughing to himself, but Baekhyun is under the impression that Mr Lee is some sort of Wolfman, so Jongdae doesn't give him as much credit.
Just when they've all started to get a little restless in their seats, Mr Lee stands up at the front of the bus to greet them. "I hope you're all feeling good this morning," he says with a grin. He gets a quiet, sleepy rumble of assent in return. "Alright, well. I hate to start the trip with bad news, but something's come up." He pauses to make sure everyone is really listening before continuing. "Taeyeon has tonsilitis, and won't be joining us."
Jongdae's stomach sinks. Taeyeon is president of the choir club, she knows all their pieces back to front before they even get the sheet music, and she takes the lead so easily - it's weird to even think about the choir going anywhere without her. The rest of the members seem to feel the same way, an uneasy murmur rising.
"But who will tell us we're sharp in the middle of Pie Jesu?" Baekhyun laments, and Kyungsoo pinches his arm.
"Luckily, there's some good news too," Mr Lee adds. "In Taeyeon's stead, we'll be joined by someone you probably all know." He steps back as someone else boards the bus. Jongdae's heart speeds up, barely holding back an embarrassing gasp when he sees who it is. "Your student council president--"
"Kim Junmyeon," the newcomer introduces himself, giving a little wave in greeting. "Since Taeyeon and I are in student council together, she asked me if I could go with you guys on your trip, and fill her in when we get back. She gave me about a hundred spreadsheets to complete, so I might need some help," he says with a little laugh. Jongdae's heart jumps again in his chest. "Anyway. I hope you won't mind me coming along. I'm excited to hear what you guys can do."
Everyone gives him a quiet clap as he sits down, taking the seat beside Minho, a bass, near the front of the bus. Minho slings his arm over Junmyeon's shoulders, and Jongdae watches him lean into it and smile, just barely managing to tear his gaze away when the bus starts to move.
"--I wouldn't worry too much," Chanyeol is saying, leaning over the back of their seat to talk to Joohyun, the soprano sitting behind them. Another girl, Yerim, is asleep on her shoulder. "Taeyeon is tough, I'm sure tonsillitis won't keep her down for long."
"I just hope she's alright," Joohyun says with a frown. "It must be pretty bad for her to want to stay home."
"Even if she did come, she probably can't do much singing," Jongdae says. "I mean, that's the main reason I couldn't go on last year's trip."
"That, and you would've infected the whole choir with the flu," Kyungsoo adds.
Chanyeol makes a face, rubbing his throat. "Maybe it's better that Taeyeon stayed home, then."
Baekhyun sighs and leans forward, peeking over the other seats to squint at the front of the bus. "Only Taeyeon would send the president of student council to do her bidding," he says, shaking his head. "I mean, go big or go home, I guess, but this feels like abuse of power to me."
Jongdae hums, not paying much attention - having followed Baekhyun's gaze right back to Junmyeon. He's laughing at something Minho is waving his arms about, his smile as handsome as ever. "Could be worse," Jongdae mumbles.
Baekhyun is silent for a long moment. Jongdae glances at him and feels his stomach drop, watching his eyes flick between him and Junmyeon as a grin spreads over his face. "You know, you're right," he says before Jongdae can protest, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe this is more fortunate than we thought."
Chanyeol snickers, and Jongdae feels his cheeks turning pink. "Baek, come on--"
"What?" Baekhyun says, feigning innocence while also trying not to laugh. "I'm just saying, this could be a great opportunity for you and Junmyeon to get to know each other!"
"We do know each other," Jongdae huffs, crossing his arms and slumping a little. He knows Junmyeon is president of student council, top of most of his classes, and swim team captain; he knows he tutors ninth graders after school and started a literature circle in the library; he knows he has a dog and a car and the nicest smile Jongdae has ever seen.
Junmyeon knows... that he's in choir. Maybe.
"I mean really get to know each other," Baekhyun sighs. "Or at least let him know about the huge crush you have on him--"
Jongdae lunges forward to cover Baekhyun's mouth, but Baekhyun slips down in his seat to avoid him, snickering as he peeks over the back.
"Say it louder, why don't you," Jongdae grumbles, face red as he glances once more toward the front of the bus.
"I'm just trying to get the ball rolling," Baekhyun says haughtily. "Nothing's ever going to happen if you don't make a move."
"I know that. I just don't need you making the moves for me."
"I'm only doing it because I know you never will!"
"I can't just--" Jongdae cuts himself off with a sigh. "You make it sound like it's easy." He's tried to talk to Junmyeon before, but he never gets very far past small talk. Jongdae needs him to stay in one place long enough for him to think of something cool and interesting to say, but Junmyeon is always doing something, or on his way to something, or busy talking and laughing with someone else.
"Cut it out," Kyungsoo says, stopping Baekhyun in the middle of a deep breath. "The last thing we need is the student council president coming back here to ask why you're shouting." Baekhyun deflates with a pout.
"Don't stress yourself out about it," Chanyeol says, patting Jongdae's shoulder. "We're gonna be out in the wilderness, and trust me, there's not gonna be much to do other than talk to each other. I'm sure you'll get a chance to talk to Junmyeon."
Jongdae sticks his tongue out at Baekhyun. "Thanks, Yeol. I'm glad someone supports me like a real friend."
"Yeah, just you wait," Baekhyun says, making a face at Chanyeol. "Soon enough you'll be on my side with this. Kyungsoo, you're with me, right?"
"I am barely listening to any of you," Kyungsoo says, turning a page in his book.
The bus ride takes practically the whole day. When the initial excitement wears off, the four of them spend most of it quietly, until, two rest stops and one sunset later, the bus passes through the wooden arch that marks the entrance to the ranch. Jongdae perks up immediately. He peers curiously out the window, but he can't see through the thick trees bracketing the road.
Soon enough, the bus pulls into a parking lot and the morning's excitement gradually comes back into the air. The whole choir hops off the bus with backpacks and sleeping bags in hand, gravel crunching under their feet. It's already gotten dark out, but the ranch's main lodge is only a short walk away - bright porch lights and warm-lit windows make it hard to miss. Mr Lee ducks inside and returns a minute later with a set of keys, and leads the way down to the cabins.
There's eight in total, four on each side with a path down the middle. They all look nearly identical, save for the numbers on their doors; each has a front window and a short set of steps leading up to it, with a little porch outside the door that's protected by the roof overhang. All of them seem well taken care of, though, and Jongdae puts away his worries about bugs and leaks.
The path between the cabins leads in two directions - at one end, the way they entered from, the main lodge is in view, and if Jongdae squints he can see the dark shape of a barn a little further away. At the other end, the path seems to lead directly into the forest. There's woods surrounding the whole ranch, but the trees seem to have crept up on the cabins, some of the longer branches brushing across their roofs when the wind blows. Even at the very edge of the woods where the path disappears, it looks dark and deep. Jongdae makes himself look away before he thinks too hard about it.
The choir stops in the middle of the path between the cabins, and Mr Lee brings out his attendance sheet to split them up and hand out the keys. Baekhyun heads up to grab theirs - they decided rooming arrangements something like two full weeks before, but Chanyeol still grabs Kyungsoo and Jongdae's arms like he's calling dibs, just in case.
Jongdae slips out of his grasp just in time to see Junmyeon getting beckoned over by Minho. "We have room for you in ours," Minho's saying, tugging Junmyeon's arm, and they follow a couple other boys towards the closest cabin.
Jongdae watches them until Kyungsoo taps his shoulder, urging him along. Baekhyun is already at the door of the second cabin in the row, with Chanyeol hopping up and down beside him. He waits until the other two are climbing the steps before turning the key in the lock, and the hinges creak loudly when he throws the door open.
"Home sweet home," he announces, and takes a flying leap at one of the two bunk beds set up inside. There isn't much else besides the bunk beds, actually, except some coat hooks and a small doormat. Jongdae kicks off his shoes on it as Baekhyun scrambles up to the top bunk.
"Hah," he yells triumphantly. "Yeol, quick, get the other top one!"
"Bad idea," Kyungsoo says, throwing his backpack up to the empty top bunk before Chanyeol can get close. "Remember last year? When you fell off?"
Chanyeol pouts a little, but tosses his own bag on the bottom bunk without complaint. Jongdae sets his down on the bunk below Baekhyun's, and they all set about finding pajamas and toothbrushes.
Baekhyun leads the way back to the main lodge, showing Jongdae the way to the dining hall and rehearsal rooms while they wait for the bathroom sinks to be free. Chanyeol insists on showering in one of the tiny stalls around the corner, and takes long enough that the four of them are the last ones to leave.
Jongdae misses the lodge's warm lights as soon as they step outside into the dark again. There's no streetlights or glowing signs out here, just the stars in the sky and the light from the lodge behind them to guide the way back to their cabin. It doesn't help that they're so close to the treeline, and Baekhyun keeps slowing down to stare into the woods.
"Are you okay?" Jongdae asks a little impatiently, after Baekhyun falls behind for the third time.
Baekhyun gives him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just thinking about what's out there."
"In the woods?" Chanyeol asks, glancing fearfully at the trees.
Kyungsoo glares at Baekhyun over his shoulder. "If you say anything about wendigos, I'll kill you."
"I wasn't going to," Baekhyun scoffs. "This isn't even the right climate for wendigos. Maybe werewolves, though."
Jongdae gives the trees an uneasy glance. Beside him, Chanyeol does the same, and clings to his arm with a whimper. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"You're such a baby," Baekhyun laughs, but they all jump when a branch snaps loudly somewhere in the trees, and all four of them hurry the rest of the way to their cabin.
Once they're inside, Jongdae is ready to turn out the lights and collapse in bed, but Baekhyun has other plans.
"It's that time again, friends," he says sagely, spreading his palms. "Time to partake in that most sacred retreat cabin ritual: truth or dare."
Chanyeol cheers. Kyungsoo crosses his arms.
"You can never think of dares that are legal," he sighs, frowning. "We should do truth or slap, like last time."
"Fine," Baekhyun huffs, but he takes a seat on the floor with a grin anyway.
"We played this every night last year," Chanyeol explains to Jongdae as the four of them sit in a circle. "Baek too two turns and asked stuff on your behalf."
Jongdae grimaces. "All awful things, I presume."
"Alright, it's getting late so we'll keep this quick," Baekhyun announces, clapping his hands together. "Here's the rules: we all get one turn. You choose someone, they choose truth or a hard-as-you-can two-finger slap on the arm." He rolls up one of his sleeves in demonstration. "Also, you get one chance to dodge a truth you don't want to answer and choose slap instead. Sound fair?"
"You go first," Chanyeol says, nudging Jongdae's arm.
Jongdae nudges him right back. "Okay, truth or slap?"
Chanyeol hums for a moment. "Truth."
"Baekhyun told me that last year you tried to bring your ferret along in your backpack, is that true?"
"It is," Chanyeol admits, barely batting an eye. "He had some separation anxiety for a while, but we're past it now."
"Bless his furry heart," Baekhyun says, struggling to hold back laughter.
Chanyeol glares at him. "My turn. Baekhyun."
"Truth," Baekhyun says with a grin. "Fire away."
"Do you really think there's werewolves or whatever monsters in the woods?" Chanyeol asks, after a pause. "Like, honestly? Or were you just trying to scare us?"
"Trying to scare you, obviously," Baekhyun admits. "I don't think there's any werewolves, no. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any." He says the last part with a leer, and Chanyeol glances nervously at the dark window.
"Stop that," Kyungsoo chides, elbowing Baekhyun. "Jongdae, truth or slap?"
"Uh, truth," Jongdae says, and regrets it a little when Kyungsoo stares at him with furrowed brows for a long moment.
"What is your deepest, darkest fear?" Kyungsoo asks, straight-faced.
"That's a little much for round one," Chanyeol snickers.
"It's also not what I want to think about right before bed," Jongdae says, and rolls up his sleeve. "Sorry."
Kyungsoo shrugs. "Not a problem," he says, and gives Jongdae a light tap across his forearm. "You get a freebie, this time."
Baekhyun frowns at them, like he's upset at the lack of injury. "Lame. My turn." He points at Kyungsoo with a glint in his eye. "Truth or--"
"Slap," Kyungsoo cuts him off, already rolling up his sleeve. Baekhyun pouts but still smacks him hard enough to make him wince.
"You'd really rather get hit than let me ask you something?" He complains as they all stand up to get into bed. "I have so many good questions set aside just for this!"
"I know you do," Kyungsoo sighs, flicking the lights off before he climbs the ladder up to the top bunk. "Doesn't mean I want to answer them. Besides, Chanyeol hits harder than you do."
Jongdae stifles a laugh. Above him, Baekhyun makes an offended noise. "What happened to the good old days, when we'd lovingly quote X-Files back and forth?"
Kyungsoo hums sleepily. "After season ten, Chris Carter is dead to me."
Baekhyun gasps loudly, Chanyeol shushes him around a yawn, and Jongdae takes it as cue to stop listening. He pulls his blanket up around his ears, closes his eyes, and eventually drifts off to the soft sounds of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo whisper-arguing above his head.
--
Their first real day at the ranch starts with breakfast in the dining hall, a wide room with food and tables enough to feed and seat two other choirs along with them. Jongdae picks up some fruit and toast and follows Baekhyun to a table beside the windows that show the grassy field between the lodge and the barn. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol follow them over, and bring with them Sehun and Jongin, two younger basses who joined at the beginning of the year. Jongdae hasn't spoken to them much before, being in the tenor section instead, and they look a little shy, but they laugh at Baekhyun's bad jokes, so Jongdae is sure they'll fit in well.
Once everyone is generally settled and comfortable, Jonghyun, the tenor section leader, wanders over to their table with Amber and Kibum in tow to relay the day's schedule. Jongdae has always admired him, from his powerful voice to how well he takes care of their whole section. He even pauses to ask Jongin and Sehun how they like the ranch so far.
"The whole point of the retreat is to make us all feel comfortable together," Jonghyun tells them with a kind smile. "Don't be afraid to ask about anything, okay?" He looks over at Jongdae as well. "This is your first time here too, right? What do you think?"
Jongdae nods, a little starstruck even after knowing him for more than a year. "It's been great. The cabins are really nice."
"Except for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo bickering the whole night," Chanyeol adds. The two of them send him matching glares.
Amber snorts, rolling her eyes. "Aw, just send them up Mount Crescent together. It'll sort them out."
"What's Mount Crescent?" Jongdae asks, and Jonghyun's eyes widen.
"You don't know?" He looks around their whole table in disbelief. "No one's told you about Mount Crescent yet?"
Jongdae glances around at his friends and sees them all looking about as confused as he feels. "I guess not?"
Beaming, Jonghyun wipes away what might be a real tear and pulls up a chair. "I'll do the honours, then."
"Are you serious," Kibum sighs. "I thought you got this out of your system last year."
"It's tradition!" Jonghyun insists. "Someone has to tell them, and I know you won't tell it properly."
"What exactly are you telling us?" Kyungsoo asks.
"About the magic mountain hidden in the woods," Kibum says with an eye roll.
"It's more than that," Jonghyun squawks indignantly. "Mount Crescent is legendary! It's the representation of a journey through hardship for true love!"
Jongdae furrows his brow as he looks back and forth between them. "So… is this a real mountain, or…?"
"No," Kibum says.
"Yes," Jonghyun yells.
"Jonghyun thinks it's real," Amber explains, stifling laughter. "Kibum thinks it's dumb."
"It's not dumb," Jonghyun says with a huff. "Let me tell the story."
He sits up straighter and spreads his hands, taking a deep breath. "It's local legend," he starts, voice soft but serious. "Hundreds of years ago, two lovers from rival families would sneak out into the woods every night to be together. They both came from different ends, so they would search in the dark until they met up in the middle.
"One night, the crescent moon saw them both wandering in the dark woods and, curious, lit up a path to lead them to each other. When it saw them reunite, the moon thought it so beautiful that it rose a mountain in the middle of the forest, so that they would always be able to find each other there and never get lost alone in the trees. So every night from then on, the two lovers would meet up at the top of the mountain.
"Eventually they decided that being forced apart during the day was too much to bear, and they built a house on the mountaintop so that they would stay there forever. But the crescent moon saw, at the edges of the forest, their two families blaming each other for the disappearance of the two lovers, and it knew that if they were found they would be torn apart. And so the moon cast a spell on the mountain, hiding it from view so that it could only be found by lovers, and only lovers who believed in the mountain would find the path appearing under their feet.
"The two families set off into the woods, but never found anything, and the two lovers were able to live happily together until they died - and when the crescent moon saw their spirits rising apart from one another, it cast one last spell, turning the two lovers into stars in the sky so they could look after the mountain together forever."
Jonghyun pauses there to grin around the table, pleased by the silence he's stunned them into. "And so," he says, quieter, so they all have to lean in a little to hear him, "every year on this trip, people go looking for Mount Crescent, and every year two people come back having made it to the top."
"And then what?" Jongin asks, eyes wide with awe.
"And then the tradition is fulfilled," Jonghyun says with a grin. "If you get to the top of Mount Crescent with someone you love, you'll be together forever."
There's a mystified moment of silence, broken only by the chatter around them.
"Sounds fake," Kyungsoo says.
Jonghyun opens his mouth to argue but Mr Lee chooses then to announce that it's time to start sectionals, and everyone in the dining hall starts to get up. Kibum taps Jonghyun's shoulder and heads off toward the exit with Amber.
"Ask Minseok and Luhan about it if you don't believe me," Jonghyun says as he stands up to leave.
"They're those lovey-dovey tenors, right?" Chanyeol calls after him. "Why them?"
"What do you think made them so lovey-dovey?" Jonghyun laughs over his shoulder. "They're the ones who found the mountaintop last year."
Jongdae watches him go, not sure how to feel. Magic and legends? Seems like a little much, but… He glances at Baekhyun, about to ask his opinion, but Baekhyun very nearly vaults over their table to follow Jonghyun, his eyes lit up with curiosity. Jongdae sighs after him and trails behind Chanyeol and Kyungsoo as they head outside.
"What do you guys think?" he asks once they're out on the lawn. "The mountain, the legend… Jonghyun seemed really into the story."
"Yeah, but there's no way that could be real," Kyungsoo says. "Magic doesn't exist."
"Okay, but it's cute, right?" Chanyeol laughs. "A magical love mountain? And Minseok and Luhan have probably been dating for something close to a year, so it adds up. What if it's really true?"
They have to split up then, the basses going one way and Jongdae jogging to catch up with the rest of the tenors. It's nice out, the sun high in the sky, so the whole section sits in the grass field outside the lodge to take out their music. Jonghyun and Kibum take charge, leading them through a warm-up.
Junmyeon joins them too, sitting a little ways away and making Jongdae do a double-take when he notices. He has a clipboard and pen with him - probably for writing extensive notes for Taeyeon, knowing her - but as the tenors finish warming up and get into the real music, Jongdae never sees him write anything down. Not that he's staring, or anything.
When they switch songs, Baekhyun crawls over to sit beside Jongdae while everyone flips through their music. "Hey. How's Junmyeon doing?"
"What?" Jongdae gives him a weird look, flipping through pages in his music folder. "I don't know, we haven't talked."
Baekhyun hums, leaning back on his palms. "Really? I thought you were sending, like, brainwave messages. The way you were staring, I mean."
Jongdae feels his cheeks flush red. "I wasn't staring!"
"If you say so," Baekhyun sing-songs, and he laughs when Jongdae covers his face in embarrassment. "Aw, come on! You two could totally work if you would just make a move. Hey, maybe it could be you guys this year."
Curiosity gets the better of him for a moment, and Jongdae drops his hands to raise an eyebrow at Baekhyun. "What do you mean, it could be us?"
Baekhyun leans in with a smirk to whisper dramatically in his ear. "The ones that find Mount Crescent and fall in love forever!"
Jongdae jerks away, already feeling his face heating up again. "What? No way, we-- he doesn't even--"
But Baekhyun is looking down at his sheet music and singing over him with the rest of the tenors. Jongdae blushes deeper and hurriedly flips to the right page.
What an idea, him and Junmyeon climbing the magic love mountain. It's pretty dumb - Junmyeon barely knows him, and besides, he's so… cool and responsible, he probably doesn't care about dumb love magic on a mountain that only maybe exists. Even if he did, why would he ever want to find Mount Crescent with Jongdae, of all people?
When sectional ends an hour or so later, everyone stays outside to bask in the sunshine. Jongdae watches Junmyeon stand up to leave, probably headed off to observe another section, then looks away, berating himself for staring. Again.
The basses join them in the field a minute later, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol immediately flopping down in the grass with him and Baekhyun. Sehun and Jongin come too, but sit a little further away with another tenor, Taemin.
Jongdae tries to relax and enjoy the sun, but he can see out of the corner of his eye that Baekhyun keeps glancing at him with an amused look on his face. When he clears his throat to address the group, Jongdae dreads what's about to come out of his mouth.
"So," Baekhyun starts, innocently enough. "Mount Crescent, huh?"
"Don't," Jongdae whines, smacking him in the arm. Baekhyun just laughs and scoots out of his reach.
Kyungsoo sits up with a frown. "Did you interrogate Jonghyun about this?"
"I asked him a few in-depth questions," Baekhyun says loftily. "All of which he was able to answer. The legend has been told in this area for longer than you'd think."
"Have we determined whether or not it's a real mountain?" Chanyeol asks, rolling onto his back with an arm thrown over his eyes. "That's a good place to start."
"It's real," Baekhyun says with a nod. Kyungsoo narrows his eyes.
"Isn't there an easy way to debunk this?" Jongdae says quickly, glancing between the two of them. "I mean, a whole mountain can't be that hard to find, right?"
"Wrong," Kyungsoo deadpans. "It's not on any map of this area. I've looked. More than once."
"The whole point is that it's not easy to find," Baekhyun huffs. "It's magic."
"I don't believe in magic."
Baekhyun scoffs. "You believe in aliens, but not magic?"
"Aliens are real, and there's proof," Kyungsoo says testily. "Magic is made up, and so is Mount Crescent. It's a legend, Baekhyun."
Baekhyun huffs exasperatedly. "It's real. The legend is just the backstory for the yearly tradition." He sits up a little straighter and puts on a more serious voice. "Every year, we go on this trip, come to this place, use these cabins, and every year, people go looking for Mount Crescent, and--"
"You can't hide a mountain in the middle of a forest," Kyungsoo says flatly. "It's probably just a steep hill - and that's if it exists at all, which it doesn't."
"It does!" Baekhyun insists, breaking character. He turns to Jongdae with his arms crossed, scowling. "Look, some people believe, some don't--" He pauses to make a face in Kyungsoo's general direction. "--but either way, two people have found it every year. That's not something you can make up."
"Okay, but," Jongdae starts, "if Minseok and Luhan found it, why didn't they just show everyone else where it is?"
"That's not how it works," Baekhyun says, shaking his head. "In the legend, the moon made it so only lovers could find the mountain. You have to search with someone you really care about, or you'll never find it. Besides, it only happens once a year. The first couple to climb the mountain and confess their love at the top--"
"--gets the magical forever love," Chanyeol finishes around a yawn. "Man, for some magic legend mountain, there sure are a lot of terms and conditions. Like, do you have to say I-love-yous out loud, or does just getting there make the forever love happen?"
"What if somebody already found it like a month ago," Kyungsoo murmurs. "Is all the magic used up for this year or can we still have some?"
"Or, wait, hear me out, if a tree falls in the forest--"
"Okay, okay, okay," Baekhyun cuts them off, waving his hand with a scowl. "I don't have all the answers. All I know is that there's a legend, and a mountain, and someone's gonna find it before we go home."
"All I know is that you're going to be proven wrong before we go home," Kyungsoo sighs, and Baekhyun looks ready to scream.
The two of them bicker back and forth all day, all the way through lunch and their free time and halfway into dinner, until Chanyeol takes initiative and moves to a different table with Kyungsoo so he and Baekhyun can cool off.
It seems like Baekhyun is just going to fume silently for a while, so Jongdae lets his eyes wander around the dining hall while he pokes at his pasta. Unsurprisingly, he finds himself staring at Junmyeon from across the room. Again.
He's sitting with Minho, as usual, talking animatedly about something. Jongdae wishes he could hear, or maybe just read his lips - but then he's staring at Junmyeon's mouth from across the room, and that's even worse, so he makes himself look away before someone notices.
Baekhyun, of course, is already watching him with a smirk.
"Don't start," Jongdae says, hoping his face isn't as red as it feels.
"I'm not," Baekhyun says, then nudges his arm. "I just want to say, I'm serious about you two finding Mount Crescent."
"I'm serious about not talking about this with you," Jongdae says.
"Aw, come on."
"No! I don't understand why you're so obsessed with the idea of--" He glances over at Junmyeon again and finds him, somehow, looking right back. Junmyeon seems to realize that they've locked eyes and smiles at him before shifting his gaze somewhere else. Jongdae feels his heart stutter in his chest before he makes himself look away too, and tries his best to unstick the words caught in his throat. "Of. Of us. With the… mountain. Finding the mountain."
Baekhyun stares at him for a moment, then claps him on the shoulder. "Good talk," he says, as Jongdae slumps over the table to hide his red face. "I feel like we're really getting somewhere with this."
They head back to the cabin soon after. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have cooled off enough to be civil with each other, and the rest of the night passes almost without incident, until Baekhyun demands another game of truth or slap before bed.
"Baekhyun," Jongdae says around a yawn, "truth or slap? Be fast, I'm getting tired."
"Slap, then," he says, holding out his arm. Jongdae flings his hand out and gives him a light smack. "Oh, come on. You can do better than that."
"I can do it for you, if you want," Chanyeol offers, still rubbing his wrist where he'd been hit earlier.
Jongdae shakes his head. "Consider yourself lucky. It's your turn."
"Fine. Jongdae," Baekhyun shouts, pointing at him with a flourish. "Truth or slap?"
Jongdae takes a longing glance at his bed and sighs. Neither option seems to let him go to sleep sooner. "Truth."
Baekhyun takes a deep breath, like he's been holding his question in all day. "Do you or do you not want to find Mount Crescent with Junmyeon?"
"I-- Why are you still on about that?" Jongdae whines. "Let me deal with my unrequited feelings in peace."
"They might not be!" Baekhyun insists. "They certainly wouldn't be if you got to the top."
Jongdae looks to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol for help, but both of them are muffling laughter into their hands. He frowns at them and turns back to Baekhyun with a huff. "Is that the only reason you want me and Junmyeon to get together? So we'll find the mountain for you?"
“Pfft, what?” Baekhyun laughs, waving his hand like it's the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. “No way! How could you think I would exploit you like that? I’m hurt.” He clutches his chest with a dramatic frown, then glances up at Jongdae. “But that’s part of it, yeah.”
Chanyeol laughs so hard he nearly chokes. Jongdae punches him in the arm and turns to swing at Baekhyun, too. “You’re the worst.”
“I’m helping you out, aren’t I?” Baekhyun says with a pout, swatting him away. “Look, just ask him to take a walk with you before lights out tomorrow. You guys can have some alone time in the woods.” Jongdae gives him a skeptical look, but Baekhyun just grins. “Come on, it’ll be romantic! And if you happen to find Mount Crescent while you’re at it, then great! Win-win, right?”
“I can’t,” Jongdae huffs. “I don't know why you think I can just-- go up and suggest something like that, when we barely even talk. Suddenly asking him to join me on some moonlit walk into the woods, or whatever-- it’ll make things weird.”
Baekhyun sighs heavily. “Fine, be boring. I’ll find the mountaintop myself.”
"I thought you had to search with someone you love," Kyungsoo deadpans.
Baekhyun whirls around to argue, but Chanyeol gets between them before he can start. "Okay! Bed time, let's go!"
They both grumble their way up to their bunks, and Chanyeol turns out the lights with a relieved sigh.
Jongdae lies down with Jonghyun and Baekhyun's words from earlier swirling around his mind - you have to search with someone you really care about, or you'll never find it. He cares about Junmyeon, sure, but it's probably not mutual. Besides, the idea of magic forever love is… nice, but can something like that really exist?
He imagines, for a moment, himself and Junmyeon coming into a clearing in the woods, looking out over a cliff, feeling a rush of - something - magic--
Feeling his cheeks flush, Jongdae pushes the thought away and rolls over. Jonghyun can tell a good story, but Kyungsoo is right. He isn't going to go hunt around in the dark woods for some mountain that may or may not exist, and even if he did, Junmyeon certainly wouldn't go with him.
( part 2)
rating: PG
wordcount: 18.8k
summary: The annual choir retreat seems like fun until Jongdae's friends decide that it's the perfect opportunity to get him and his crush together - and the magic mountain legend is another problem entirely.
notes: (doesn't write anything for 3 months) (comes back with 20k fic) WELL
originally posted here!
Jongdae yawns for what feels like the tenth time in as many minutes. "Is the bus moving yet?"
"No," Baekhyun sighs from the seat in front of him, turned around so he can lean over the back. "Now's the time to catch a nap if you get car-sick, I guess."
Beside him, Kyungsoo rubs his eyes tiredly. "I'll always fondly remember the days when I thought waking up at seven-thirty was early," he says wistfully.
"Hey, come on now," Baekhyun says, nudging his shoulder. "The full day in transit is just part of the fun!"
"Not," Chanyeol mumbles, bleary-eyed and half asleep against the window beside Jongdae. They're heading out pretty early so that the day-long bus ride gets them to their destination some time before midnight. Still, Jongdae tries to stifle his next yawn. He's been looking forward to this trip for ages.
The choir takes a retreat once a year. All the members excused from classes for a few days to head out to some summer horse ranch in the wilderness and learn a few new pieces. Of course, their trip happens in fall, so most of the horses are on vacation, but having the retreat early in the school year encourages team-bonding among all the choir members, no matter how new or experienced they are - or at least, that's what the choir director, Mr Lee, told them while handing out permission slips.
They'd also all gotten a packet of sheet music for songs they'd be learning on the retreat, and although it's currently sitting at the very bottom of Jongdae's backpack, he can't wait to take a real look at it. An unfortunately timed flu virus forced Jongdae to stay home during last year's retreat, and while he did get a detailed rundown from Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, actually attending the trip this year is obviously going to be a better experience.
Baekhyun breaks him out of his thoughts with a sigh. "Sorry, Jongdae, Chanyeol's right. I lied earlier when I said 'the fun starts now'."
Jongdae snorts. "It's okay. Got any idea on when it actually does start?"
"Tonight, when we get beds," Chanyeol says sleepily. Baekhyun nods in agreement.
"It'll be great, though, I swear. Last year was awesome, and this year will be even better."
"Why's that?" Jongdae asks.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Because you're here for it, duh."
Jongdae can't help grinning, giddiness welling up inside him. A long bus ride out, a few days of sectional practice and vocal workshops, then a long bus ride back - and all with his best friends, no homework, and minimal supervision. There's staff at the ranch, but they usually work with younger kids, not a bunch of teenagers who aren't exactly into arts n' crafts or scavenger hunts. The only adult coming along with them is Mr Lee, and Chanyeol said that last year he let them have a whole day of free time instead of attending the workshops they were supposed to be doing. Baekhyun also said that Mr Lee spend said day wandering the woods around the ranch and laughing to himself, but Baekhyun is under the impression that Mr Lee is some sort of Wolfman, so Jongdae doesn't give him as much credit.
Just when they've all started to get a little restless in their seats, Mr Lee stands up at the front of the bus to greet them. "I hope you're all feeling good this morning," he says with a grin. He gets a quiet, sleepy rumble of assent in return. "Alright, well. I hate to start the trip with bad news, but something's come up." He pauses to make sure everyone is really listening before continuing. "Taeyeon has tonsilitis, and won't be joining us."
Jongdae's stomach sinks. Taeyeon is president of the choir club, she knows all their pieces back to front before they even get the sheet music, and she takes the lead so easily - it's weird to even think about the choir going anywhere without her. The rest of the members seem to feel the same way, an uneasy murmur rising.
"But who will tell us we're sharp in the middle of Pie Jesu?" Baekhyun laments, and Kyungsoo pinches his arm.
"Luckily, there's some good news too," Mr Lee adds. "In Taeyeon's stead, we'll be joined by someone you probably all know." He steps back as someone else boards the bus. Jongdae's heart speeds up, barely holding back an embarrassing gasp when he sees who it is. "Your student council president--"
"Kim Junmyeon," the newcomer introduces himself, giving a little wave in greeting. "Since Taeyeon and I are in student council together, she asked me if I could go with you guys on your trip, and fill her in when we get back. She gave me about a hundred spreadsheets to complete, so I might need some help," he says with a little laugh. Jongdae's heart jumps again in his chest. "Anyway. I hope you won't mind me coming along. I'm excited to hear what you guys can do."
Everyone gives him a quiet clap as he sits down, taking the seat beside Minho, a bass, near the front of the bus. Minho slings his arm over Junmyeon's shoulders, and Jongdae watches him lean into it and smile, just barely managing to tear his gaze away when the bus starts to move.
"--I wouldn't worry too much," Chanyeol is saying, leaning over the back of their seat to talk to Joohyun, the soprano sitting behind them. Another girl, Yerim, is asleep on her shoulder. "Taeyeon is tough, I'm sure tonsillitis won't keep her down for long."
"I just hope she's alright," Joohyun says with a frown. "It must be pretty bad for her to want to stay home."
"Even if she did come, she probably can't do much singing," Jongdae says. "I mean, that's the main reason I couldn't go on last year's trip."
"That, and you would've infected the whole choir with the flu," Kyungsoo adds.
Chanyeol makes a face, rubbing his throat. "Maybe it's better that Taeyeon stayed home, then."
Baekhyun sighs and leans forward, peeking over the other seats to squint at the front of the bus. "Only Taeyeon would send the president of student council to do her bidding," he says, shaking his head. "I mean, go big or go home, I guess, but this feels like abuse of power to me."
Jongdae hums, not paying much attention - having followed Baekhyun's gaze right back to Junmyeon. He's laughing at something Minho is waving his arms about, his smile as handsome as ever. "Could be worse," Jongdae mumbles.
Baekhyun is silent for a long moment. Jongdae glances at him and feels his stomach drop, watching his eyes flick between him and Junmyeon as a grin spreads over his face. "You know, you're right," he says before Jongdae can protest, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe this is more fortunate than we thought."
Chanyeol snickers, and Jongdae feels his cheeks turning pink. "Baek, come on--"
"What?" Baekhyun says, feigning innocence while also trying not to laugh. "I'm just saying, this could be a great opportunity for you and Junmyeon to get to know each other!"
"We do know each other," Jongdae huffs, crossing his arms and slumping a little. He knows Junmyeon is president of student council, top of most of his classes, and swim team captain; he knows he tutors ninth graders after school and started a literature circle in the library; he knows he has a dog and a car and the nicest smile Jongdae has ever seen.
Junmyeon knows... that he's in choir. Maybe.
"I mean really get to know each other," Baekhyun sighs. "Or at least let him know about the huge crush you have on him--"
Jongdae lunges forward to cover Baekhyun's mouth, but Baekhyun slips down in his seat to avoid him, snickering as he peeks over the back.
"Say it louder, why don't you," Jongdae grumbles, face red as he glances once more toward the front of the bus.
"I'm just trying to get the ball rolling," Baekhyun says haughtily. "Nothing's ever going to happen if you don't make a move."
"I know that. I just don't need you making the moves for me."
"I'm only doing it because I know you never will!"
"I can't just--" Jongdae cuts himself off with a sigh. "You make it sound like it's easy." He's tried to talk to Junmyeon before, but he never gets very far past small talk. Jongdae needs him to stay in one place long enough for him to think of something cool and interesting to say, but Junmyeon is always doing something, or on his way to something, or busy talking and laughing with someone else.
"Cut it out," Kyungsoo says, stopping Baekhyun in the middle of a deep breath. "The last thing we need is the student council president coming back here to ask why you're shouting." Baekhyun deflates with a pout.
"Don't stress yourself out about it," Chanyeol says, patting Jongdae's shoulder. "We're gonna be out in the wilderness, and trust me, there's not gonna be much to do other than talk to each other. I'm sure you'll get a chance to talk to Junmyeon."
Jongdae sticks his tongue out at Baekhyun. "Thanks, Yeol. I'm glad someone supports me like a real friend."
"Yeah, just you wait," Baekhyun says, making a face at Chanyeol. "Soon enough you'll be on my side with this. Kyungsoo, you're with me, right?"
"I am barely listening to any of you," Kyungsoo says, turning a page in his book.
The bus ride takes practically the whole day. When the initial excitement wears off, the four of them spend most of it quietly, until, two rest stops and one sunset later, the bus passes through the wooden arch that marks the entrance to the ranch. Jongdae perks up immediately. He peers curiously out the window, but he can't see through the thick trees bracketing the road.
Soon enough, the bus pulls into a parking lot and the morning's excitement gradually comes back into the air. The whole choir hops off the bus with backpacks and sleeping bags in hand, gravel crunching under their feet. It's already gotten dark out, but the ranch's main lodge is only a short walk away - bright porch lights and warm-lit windows make it hard to miss. Mr Lee ducks inside and returns a minute later with a set of keys, and leads the way down to the cabins.
There's eight in total, four on each side with a path down the middle. They all look nearly identical, save for the numbers on their doors; each has a front window and a short set of steps leading up to it, with a little porch outside the door that's protected by the roof overhang. All of them seem well taken care of, though, and Jongdae puts away his worries about bugs and leaks.
The path between the cabins leads in two directions - at one end, the way they entered from, the main lodge is in view, and if Jongdae squints he can see the dark shape of a barn a little further away. At the other end, the path seems to lead directly into the forest. There's woods surrounding the whole ranch, but the trees seem to have crept up on the cabins, some of the longer branches brushing across their roofs when the wind blows. Even at the very edge of the woods where the path disappears, it looks dark and deep. Jongdae makes himself look away before he thinks too hard about it.
The choir stops in the middle of the path between the cabins, and Mr Lee brings out his attendance sheet to split them up and hand out the keys. Baekhyun heads up to grab theirs - they decided rooming arrangements something like two full weeks before, but Chanyeol still grabs Kyungsoo and Jongdae's arms like he's calling dibs, just in case.
Jongdae slips out of his grasp just in time to see Junmyeon getting beckoned over by Minho. "We have room for you in ours," Minho's saying, tugging Junmyeon's arm, and they follow a couple other boys towards the closest cabin.
Jongdae watches them until Kyungsoo taps his shoulder, urging him along. Baekhyun is already at the door of the second cabin in the row, with Chanyeol hopping up and down beside him. He waits until the other two are climbing the steps before turning the key in the lock, and the hinges creak loudly when he throws the door open.
"Home sweet home," he announces, and takes a flying leap at one of the two bunk beds set up inside. There isn't much else besides the bunk beds, actually, except some coat hooks and a small doormat. Jongdae kicks off his shoes on it as Baekhyun scrambles up to the top bunk.
"Hah," he yells triumphantly. "Yeol, quick, get the other top one!"
"Bad idea," Kyungsoo says, throwing his backpack up to the empty top bunk before Chanyeol can get close. "Remember last year? When you fell off?"
Chanyeol pouts a little, but tosses his own bag on the bottom bunk without complaint. Jongdae sets his down on the bunk below Baekhyun's, and they all set about finding pajamas and toothbrushes.
Baekhyun leads the way back to the main lodge, showing Jongdae the way to the dining hall and rehearsal rooms while they wait for the bathroom sinks to be free. Chanyeol insists on showering in one of the tiny stalls around the corner, and takes long enough that the four of them are the last ones to leave.
Jongdae misses the lodge's warm lights as soon as they step outside into the dark again. There's no streetlights or glowing signs out here, just the stars in the sky and the light from the lodge behind them to guide the way back to their cabin. It doesn't help that they're so close to the treeline, and Baekhyun keeps slowing down to stare into the woods.
"Are you okay?" Jongdae asks a little impatiently, after Baekhyun falls behind for the third time.
Baekhyun gives him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just thinking about what's out there."
"In the woods?" Chanyeol asks, glancing fearfully at the trees.
Kyungsoo glares at Baekhyun over his shoulder. "If you say anything about wendigos, I'll kill you."
"I wasn't going to," Baekhyun scoffs. "This isn't even the right climate for wendigos. Maybe werewolves, though."
Jongdae gives the trees an uneasy glance. Beside him, Chanyeol does the same, and clings to his arm with a whimper. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"You're such a baby," Baekhyun laughs, but they all jump when a branch snaps loudly somewhere in the trees, and all four of them hurry the rest of the way to their cabin.
Once they're inside, Jongdae is ready to turn out the lights and collapse in bed, but Baekhyun has other plans.
"It's that time again, friends," he says sagely, spreading his palms. "Time to partake in that most sacred retreat cabin ritual: truth or dare."
Chanyeol cheers. Kyungsoo crosses his arms.
"You can never think of dares that are legal," he sighs, frowning. "We should do truth or slap, like last time."
"Fine," Baekhyun huffs, but he takes a seat on the floor with a grin anyway.
"We played this every night last year," Chanyeol explains to Jongdae as the four of them sit in a circle. "Baek too two turns and asked stuff on your behalf."
Jongdae grimaces. "All awful things, I presume."
"Alright, it's getting late so we'll keep this quick," Baekhyun announces, clapping his hands together. "Here's the rules: we all get one turn. You choose someone, they choose truth or a hard-as-you-can two-finger slap on the arm." He rolls up one of his sleeves in demonstration. "Also, you get one chance to dodge a truth you don't want to answer and choose slap instead. Sound fair?"
"You go first," Chanyeol says, nudging Jongdae's arm.
Jongdae nudges him right back. "Okay, truth or slap?"
Chanyeol hums for a moment. "Truth."
"Baekhyun told me that last year you tried to bring your ferret along in your backpack, is that true?"
"It is," Chanyeol admits, barely batting an eye. "He had some separation anxiety for a while, but we're past it now."
"Bless his furry heart," Baekhyun says, struggling to hold back laughter.
Chanyeol glares at him. "My turn. Baekhyun."
"Truth," Baekhyun says with a grin. "Fire away."
"Do you really think there's werewolves or whatever monsters in the woods?" Chanyeol asks, after a pause. "Like, honestly? Or were you just trying to scare us?"
"Trying to scare you, obviously," Baekhyun admits. "I don't think there's any werewolves, no. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any." He says the last part with a leer, and Chanyeol glances nervously at the dark window.
"Stop that," Kyungsoo chides, elbowing Baekhyun. "Jongdae, truth or slap?"
"Uh, truth," Jongdae says, and regrets it a little when Kyungsoo stares at him with furrowed brows for a long moment.
"What is your deepest, darkest fear?" Kyungsoo asks, straight-faced.
"That's a little much for round one," Chanyeol snickers.
"It's also not what I want to think about right before bed," Jongdae says, and rolls up his sleeve. "Sorry."
Kyungsoo shrugs. "Not a problem," he says, and gives Jongdae a light tap across his forearm. "You get a freebie, this time."
Baekhyun frowns at them, like he's upset at the lack of injury. "Lame. My turn." He points at Kyungsoo with a glint in his eye. "Truth or--"
"Slap," Kyungsoo cuts him off, already rolling up his sleeve. Baekhyun pouts but still smacks him hard enough to make him wince.
"You'd really rather get hit than let me ask you something?" He complains as they all stand up to get into bed. "I have so many good questions set aside just for this!"
"I know you do," Kyungsoo sighs, flicking the lights off before he climbs the ladder up to the top bunk. "Doesn't mean I want to answer them. Besides, Chanyeol hits harder than you do."
Jongdae stifles a laugh. Above him, Baekhyun makes an offended noise. "What happened to the good old days, when we'd lovingly quote X-Files back and forth?"
Kyungsoo hums sleepily. "After season ten, Chris Carter is dead to me."
Baekhyun gasps loudly, Chanyeol shushes him around a yawn, and Jongdae takes it as cue to stop listening. He pulls his blanket up around his ears, closes his eyes, and eventually drifts off to the soft sounds of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo whisper-arguing above his head.
--
Their first real day at the ranch starts with breakfast in the dining hall, a wide room with food and tables enough to feed and seat two other choirs along with them. Jongdae picks up some fruit and toast and follows Baekhyun to a table beside the windows that show the grassy field between the lodge and the barn. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol follow them over, and bring with them Sehun and Jongin, two younger basses who joined at the beginning of the year. Jongdae hasn't spoken to them much before, being in the tenor section instead, and they look a little shy, but they laugh at Baekhyun's bad jokes, so Jongdae is sure they'll fit in well.
Once everyone is generally settled and comfortable, Jonghyun, the tenor section leader, wanders over to their table with Amber and Kibum in tow to relay the day's schedule. Jongdae has always admired him, from his powerful voice to how well he takes care of their whole section. He even pauses to ask Jongin and Sehun how they like the ranch so far.
"The whole point of the retreat is to make us all feel comfortable together," Jonghyun tells them with a kind smile. "Don't be afraid to ask about anything, okay?" He looks over at Jongdae as well. "This is your first time here too, right? What do you think?"
Jongdae nods, a little starstruck even after knowing him for more than a year. "It's been great. The cabins are really nice."
"Except for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo bickering the whole night," Chanyeol adds. The two of them send him matching glares.
Amber snorts, rolling her eyes. "Aw, just send them up Mount Crescent together. It'll sort them out."
"What's Mount Crescent?" Jongdae asks, and Jonghyun's eyes widen.
"You don't know?" He looks around their whole table in disbelief. "No one's told you about Mount Crescent yet?"
Jongdae glances around at his friends and sees them all looking about as confused as he feels. "I guess not?"
Beaming, Jonghyun wipes away what might be a real tear and pulls up a chair. "I'll do the honours, then."
"Are you serious," Kibum sighs. "I thought you got this out of your system last year."
"It's tradition!" Jonghyun insists. "Someone has to tell them, and I know you won't tell it properly."
"What exactly are you telling us?" Kyungsoo asks.
"About the magic mountain hidden in the woods," Kibum says with an eye roll.
"It's more than that," Jonghyun squawks indignantly. "Mount Crescent is legendary! It's the representation of a journey through hardship for true love!"
Jongdae furrows his brow as he looks back and forth between them. "So… is this a real mountain, or…?"
"No," Kibum says.
"Yes," Jonghyun yells.
"Jonghyun thinks it's real," Amber explains, stifling laughter. "Kibum thinks it's dumb."
"It's not dumb," Jonghyun says with a huff. "Let me tell the story."
He sits up straighter and spreads his hands, taking a deep breath. "It's local legend," he starts, voice soft but serious. "Hundreds of years ago, two lovers from rival families would sneak out into the woods every night to be together. They both came from different ends, so they would search in the dark until they met up in the middle.
"One night, the crescent moon saw them both wandering in the dark woods and, curious, lit up a path to lead them to each other. When it saw them reunite, the moon thought it so beautiful that it rose a mountain in the middle of the forest, so that they would always be able to find each other there and never get lost alone in the trees. So every night from then on, the two lovers would meet up at the top of the mountain.
"Eventually they decided that being forced apart during the day was too much to bear, and they built a house on the mountaintop so that they would stay there forever. But the crescent moon saw, at the edges of the forest, their two families blaming each other for the disappearance of the two lovers, and it knew that if they were found they would be torn apart. And so the moon cast a spell on the mountain, hiding it from view so that it could only be found by lovers, and only lovers who believed in the mountain would find the path appearing under their feet.
"The two families set off into the woods, but never found anything, and the two lovers were able to live happily together until they died - and when the crescent moon saw their spirits rising apart from one another, it cast one last spell, turning the two lovers into stars in the sky so they could look after the mountain together forever."
Jonghyun pauses there to grin around the table, pleased by the silence he's stunned them into. "And so," he says, quieter, so they all have to lean in a little to hear him, "every year on this trip, people go looking for Mount Crescent, and every year two people come back having made it to the top."
"And then what?" Jongin asks, eyes wide with awe.
"And then the tradition is fulfilled," Jonghyun says with a grin. "If you get to the top of Mount Crescent with someone you love, you'll be together forever."
There's a mystified moment of silence, broken only by the chatter around them.
"Sounds fake," Kyungsoo says.
Jonghyun opens his mouth to argue but Mr Lee chooses then to announce that it's time to start sectionals, and everyone in the dining hall starts to get up. Kibum taps Jonghyun's shoulder and heads off toward the exit with Amber.
"Ask Minseok and Luhan about it if you don't believe me," Jonghyun says as he stands up to leave.
"They're those lovey-dovey tenors, right?" Chanyeol calls after him. "Why them?"
"What do you think made them so lovey-dovey?" Jonghyun laughs over his shoulder. "They're the ones who found the mountaintop last year."
Jongdae watches him go, not sure how to feel. Magic and legends? Seems like a little much, but… He glances at Baekhyun, about to ask his opinion, but Baekhyun very nearly vaults over their table to follow Jonghyun, his eyes lit up with curiosity. Jongdae sighs after him and trails behind Chanyeol and Kyungsoo as they head outside.
"What do you guys think?" he asks once they're out on the lawn. "The mountain, the legend… Jonghyun seemed really into the story."
"Yeah, but there's no way that could be real," Kyungsoo says. "Magic doesn't exist."
"Okay, but it's cute, right?" Chanyeol laughs. "A magical love mountain? And Minseok and Luhan have probably been dating for something close to a year, so it adds up. What if it's really true?"
They have to split up then, the basses going one way and Jongdae jogging to catch up with the rest of the tenors. It's nice out, the sun high in the sky, so the whole section sits in the grass field outside the lodge to take out their music. Jonghyun and Kibum take charge, leading them through a warm-up.
Junmyeon joins them too, sitting a little ways away and making Jongdae do a double-take when he notices. He has a clipboard and pen with him - probably for writing extensive notes for Taeyeon, knowing her - but as the tenors finish warming up and get into the real music, Jongdae never sees him write anything down. Not that he's staring, or anything.
When they switch songs, Baekhyun crawls over to sit beside Jongdae while everyone flips through their music. "Hey. How's Junmyeon doing?"
"What?" Jongdae gives him a weird look, flipping through pages in his music folder. "I don't know, we haven't talked."
Baekhyun hums, leaning back on his palms. "Really? I thought you were sending, like, brainwave messages. The way you were staring, I mean."
Jongdae feels his cheeks flush red. "I wasn't staring!"
"If you say so," Baekhyun sing-songs, and he laughs when Jongdae covers his face in embarrassment. "Aw, come on! You two could totally work if you would just make a move. Hey, maybe it could be you guys this year."
Curiosity gets the better of him for a moment, and Jongdae drops his hands to raise an eyebrow at Baekhyun. "What do you mean, it could be us?"
Baekhyun leans in with a smirk to whisper dramatically in his ear. "The ones that find Mount Crescent and fall in love forever!"
Jongdae jerks away, already feeling his face heating up again. "What? No way, we-- he doesn't even--"
But Baekhyun is looking down at his sheet music and singing over him with the rest of the tenors. Jongdae blushes deeper and hurriedly flips to the right page.
What an idea, him and Junmyeon climbing the magic love mountain. It's pretty dumb - Junmyeon barely knows him, and besides, he's so… cool and responsible, he probably doesn't care about dumb love magic on a mountain that only maybe exists. Even if he did, why would he ever want to find Mount Crescent with Jongdae, of all people?
When sectional ends an hour or so later, everyone stays outside to bask in the sunshine. Jongdae watches Junmyeon stand up to leave, probably headed off to observe another section, then looks away, berating himself for staring. Again.
The basses join them in the field a minute later, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol immediately flopping down in the grass with him and Baekhyun. Sehun and Jongin come too, but sit a little further away with another tenor, Taemin.
Jongdae tries to relax and enjoy the sun, but he can see out of the corner of his eye that Baekhyun keeps glancing at him with an amused look on his face. When he clears his throat to address the group, Jongdae dreads what's about to come out of his mouth.
"So," Baekhyun starts, innocently enough. "Mount Crescent, huh?"
"Don't," Jongdae whines, smacking him in the arm. Baekhyun just laughs and scoots out of his reach.
Kyungsoo sits up with a frown. "Did you interrogate Jonghyun about this?"
"I asked him a few in-depth questions," Baekhyun says loftily. "All of which he was able to answer. The legend has been told in this area for longer than you'd think."
"Have we determined whether or not it's a real mountain?" Chanyeol asks, rolling onto his back with an arm thrown over his eyes. "That's a good place to start."
"It's real," Baekhyun says with a nod. Kyungsoo narrows his eyes.
"Isn't there an easy way to debunk this?" Jongdae says quickly, glancing between the two of them. "I mean, a whole mountain can't be that hard to find, right?"
"Wrong," Kyungsoo deadpans. "It's not on any map of this area. I've looked. More than once."
"The whole point is that it's not easy to find," Baekhyun huffs. "It's magic."
"I don't believe in magic."
Baekhyun scoffs. "You believe in aliens, but not magic?"
"Aliens are real, and there's proof," Kyungsoo says testily. "Magic is made up, and so is Mount Crescent. It's a legend, Baekhyun."
Baekhyun huffs exasperatedly. "It's real. The legend is just the backstory for the yearly tradition." He sits up a little straighter and puts on a more serious voice. "Every year, we go on this trip, come to this place, use these cabins, and every year, people go looking for Mount Crescent, and--"
"You can't hide a mountain in the middle of a forest," Kyungsoo says flatly. "It's probably just a steep hill - and that's if it exists at all, which it doesn't."
"It does!" Baekhyun insists, breaking character. He turns to Jongdae with his arms crossed, scowling. "Look, some people believe, some don't--" He pauses to make a face in Kyungsoo's general direction. "--but either way, two people have found it every year. That's not something you can make up."
"Okay, but," Jongdae starts, "if Minseok and Luhan found it, why didn't they just show everyone else where it is?"
"That's not how it works," Baekhyun says, shaking his head. "In the legend, the moon made it so only lovers could find the mountain. You have to search with someone you really care about, or you'll never find it. Besides, it only happens once a year. The first couple to climb the mountain and confess their love at the top--"
"--gets the magical forever love," Chanyeol finishes around a yawn. "Man, for some magic legend mountain, there sure are a lot of terms and conditions. Like, do you have to say I-love-yous out loud, or does just getting there make the forever love happen?"
"What if somebody already found it like a month ago," Kyungsoo murmurs. "Is all the magic used up for this year or can we still have some?"
"Or, wait, hear me out, if a tree falls in the forest--"
"Okay, okay, okay," Baekhyun cuts them off, waving his hand with a scowl. "I don't have all the answers. All I know is that there's a legend, and a mountain, and someone's gonna find it before we go home."
"All I know is that you're going to be proven wrong before we go home," Kyungsoo sighs, and Baekhyun looks ready to scream.
The two of them bicker back and forth all day, all the way through lunch and their free time and halfway into dinner, until Chanyeol takes initiative and moves to a different table with Kyungsoo so he and Baekhyun can cool off.
It seems like Baekhyun is just going to fume silently for a while, so Jongdae lets his eyes wander around the dining hall while he pokes at his pasta. Unsurprisingly, he finds himself staring at Junmyeon from across the room. Again.
He's sitting with Minho, as usual, talking animatedly about something. Jongdae wishes he could hear, or maybe just read his lips - but then he's staring at Junmyeon's mouth from across the room, and that's even worse, so he makes himself look away before someone notices.
Baekhyun, of course, is already watching him with a smirk.
"Don't start," Jongdae says, hoping his face isn't as red as it feels.
"I'm not," Baekhyun says, then nudges his arm. "I just want to say, I'm serious about you two finding Mount Crescent."
"I'm serious about not talking about this with you," Jongdae says.
"Aw, come on."
"No! I don't understand why you're so obsessed with the idea of--" He glances over at Junmyeon again and finds him, somehow, looking right back. Junmyeon seems to realize that they've locked eyes and smiles at him before shifting his gaze somewhere else. Jongdae feels his heart stutter in his chest before he makes himself look away too, and tries his best to unstick the words caught in his throat. "Of. Of us. With the… mountain. Finding the mountain."
Baekhyun stares at him for a moment, then claps him on the shoulder. "Good talk," he says, as Jongdae slumps over the table to hide his red face. "I feel like we're really getting somewhere with this."
They head back to the cabin soon after. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have cooled off enough to be civil with each other, and the rest of the night passes almost without incident, until Baekhyun demands another game of truth or slap before bed.
"Baekhyun," Jongdae says around a yawn, "truth or slap? Be fast, I'm getting tired."
"Slap, then," he says, holding out his arm. Jongdae flings his hand out and gives him a light smack. "Oh, come on. You can do better than that."
"I can do it for you, if you want," Chanyeol offers, still rubbing his wrist where he'd been hit earlier.
Jongdae shakes his head. "Consider yourself lucky. It's your turn."
"Fine. Jongdae," Baekhyun shouts, pointing at him with a flourish. "Truth or slap?"
Jongdae takes a longing glance at his bed and sighs. Neither option seems to let him go to sleep sooner. "Truth."
Baekhyun takes a deep breath, like he's been holding his question in all day. "Do you or do you not want to find Mount Crescent with Junmyeon?"
"I-- Why are you still on about that?" Jongdae whines. "Let me deal with my unrequited feelings in peace."
"They might not be!" Baekhyun insists. "They certainly wouldn't be if you got to the top."
Jongdae looks to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol for help, but both of them are muffling laughter into their hands. He frowns at them and turns back to Baekhyun with a huff. "Is that the only reason you want me and Junmyeon to get together? So we'll find the mountain for you?"
“Pfft, what?” Baekhyun laughs, waving his hand like it's the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. “No way! How could you think I would exploit you like that? I’m hurt.” He clutches his chest with a dramatic frown, then glances up at Jongdae. “But that’s part of it, yeah.”
Chanyeol laughs so hard he nearly chokes. Jongdae punches him in the arm and turns to swing at Baekhyun, too. “You’re the worst.”
“I’m helping you out, aren’t I?” Baekhyun says with a pout, swatting him away. “Look, just ask him to take a walk with you before lights out tomorrow. You guys can have some alone time in the woods.” Jongdae gives him a skeptical look, but Baekhyun just grins. “Come on, it’ll be romantic! And if you happen to find Mount Crescent while you’re at it, then great! Win-win, right?”
“I can’t,” Jongdae huffs. “I don't know why you think I can just-- go up and suggest something like that, when we barely even talk. Suddenly asking him to join me on some moonlit walk into the woods, or whatever-- it’ll make things weird.”
Baekhyun sighs heavily. “Fine, be boring. I’ll find the mountaintop myself.”
"I thought you had to search with someone you love," Kyungsoo deadpans.
Baekhyun whirls around to argue, but Chanyeol gets between them before he can start. "Okay! Bed time, let's go!"
They both grumble their way up to their bunks, and Chanyeol turns out the lights with a relieved sigh.
Jongdae lies down with Jonghyun and Baekhyun's words from earlier swirling around his mind - you have to search with someone you really care about, or you'll never find it. He cares about Junmyeon, sure, but it's probably not mutual. Besides, the idea of magic forever love is… nice, but can something like that really exist?
He imagines, for a moment, himself and Junmyeon coming into a clearing in the woods, looking out over a cliff, feeling a rush of - something - magic--
Feeling his cheeks flush, Jongdae pushes the thought away and rolls over. Jonghyun can tell a good story, but Kyungsoo is right. He isn't going to go hunt around in the dark woods for some mountain that may or may not exist, and even if he did, Junmyeon certainly wouldn't go with him.
( part 2)