Camp would end in two days.

That morning, the village felt livelier than usual, but Seorin walked away from the noise instead. Minji wasn’t beside her talking nonstop. Kang Ara didn’t suddenly appear around corners or behind wooden fences as if this place were too small for her to ever disappear from sight.

She stopped at the end of the narrow trail.

The forest air was still damp with lingering dew. The scent of wet soil and soaked wood filled her lungs before her feet started moving again with no real destination in mind.

A group of village kids ran past her carrying nets and glass jars.

Seorin glanced over. “What are you doing?”

“We’re catching stag beetles in the forest.”

One of the boys pointed toward the trees behind the houses.

Seorin followed his finger for a few seconds.

“I’m coming too.”

The words slipped out before she really thought about them.

A few minutes later, the sounds of the village had faded far behind them.

Leaves brushed softly overhead. Sunlight spilled through the branches in scattered pieces across the forest floor. The children moved quickly, bursting into laughter whenever they managed to catch something.

Seorin tried it herself.

She swung the net once.

Nothing.

Twice.

A beetle dropped into the bottom of the jar with a tiny clink.

After that, the kids started calling her noona every time she caught more than they did. Seorin only clicked her tongue lightly, holding back the corners of her mouth before they curved too obviously.

Time slipped by without her noticing.

When the sunlight between the trees turned dim and golden, Seorin finally lifted her head.

“We should head back.”

The return felt different.

The forest that had been full of noise earlier was growing quiet now. Long shadows stretched over the path. Even the children’s footsteps ahead of her sounded quicker.

Seorin walked more carefully.

Every so often, dry branches snapped beneath her sneakers.

When the edge of the village finally appeared through the trees, she let out a quiet breath.

They had just stepped out of the forest when—

“Han Seorin!”

The voice came before the person.

Kang Ara came running from the main road. Her hair was a mess. Even from several steps away, her breathing sounded rough.

And before Seorin could even open her mouth, Ara was already in front of her.

The hug hit harder than she expected.

Ara’s arms wrapped tightly around her.

Seorin froze.

The jar in her hand nearly slipped free.

A few other students appeared not long after. Minji. Dongchul. Two upperclassmen behind them.

Their faces looked tense.

“What happened?” Seorin looked between them.

“Where were you?” Ara’s voice came sharp beside her ear.

Seorin lifted the jar slightly. “Catching beetles.”

Ara’s gaze dropped to the jar.

Then back to her face.

Something shifted faintly in Ara’s jaw before she let out a rough breath.

“COULDN’T YOU HAVE TOLD SOMEONE FIRST?”

The shout cracked through the air loudly enough that several villagers turned to look.

Seorin’s body stiffened instantly.

“Why do you always do whatever you want?”

Her fingers tightened around the glass jar.

“We’ve been looking for you for two hours,” Dongchul said too, quickly checking Seorin’s shoulders and arms like he was making sure she wasn’t hurt anywhere.

“You should know the rules,” Ara continued. “You worried everyone sick.”

Seorin opened her mouth—

But the approaching footsteps of a teacher cut through everything.

She lowered her gaze slightly.

At the edge of her vision, Ara had already turned away first.

Walking off.

***

After that evening, the greetings stopped.

No footsteps pausing near her.

No lazy glances from beneath that messy fringe.

The distance between them was small.

But Seorin felt it all night.

At dinner, she noticed immediately.

Kang Ara was sitting far from their table, half-turned away from the room. Her shoulders slouched slightly as she ate without speaking to anyone.

The rice on Seorin’s tray remained untouched.

“I know you’re upset.”

Dongchul’s voice came quietly from across the table.

“But I also know... it’s because she was worried.”

The spoon in Seorin’s hand stopped.

She kept her head lowered for several seconds before speaking.

“She shouldn’t have said that in front of everyone.”

Her voice came out flat.

But the metal spoon pressed softly against her fingers.

“I know I was wrong. But...” Her breath caught briefly. “...she had no right.”

The clatter of dishes around them sounded distant.

Even Minji, who was usually the loudest person in the room, stayed quiet as she looked between the two of them.

“We searched for you for two hours.”

Dongchul held Seorin’s gaze for a long moment.

“And during all that... Kang Ara never stopped.”

Seorin finally looked up.

“What do you mean?”

Dongchul glanced briefly toward Ara’s table.

“She even fell.”

“What?”

“off a drop.”

Seorin forgot to blink.

Minji quickly cut in. “It wasn’t deep. Just a few meters.”

“She still fell,” Dongchul muttered.

“She’s fine,” Minji added more quietly. “Just some scrapes.”

Seorin lowered her head again.

Scrapes.

The word sounded too light.

The image of Ara hugging her in front of the forest surfaced without warning—rough breathing, disheveled hair, hands trembling faintly against her shoulders.

Her grip around the spoon slowly loosened.

***

The night grew later.

The lights went out one by one. Conversations faded, replaced by the hum of an old fan and the occasional footsteps along the wooden hallway.

Seorin’s eyes remained open.

She turned toward the bed on the other side of the room.

Empty.

Ara still hadn’t come back.

Seorin sat up slowly.

Lay back down.

Then sat up again, unconsciously twisting the edge of the blanket between her fingers.

Beside her, Minji was already asleep with one arm flung halfway off the mattress.

Seorin’s eyes returned to the door.

Still empty.

Eventually, she got up.

The night air brushed instantly against her skin as she stepped outside.

“Han Seorin?”

A student had just come in from outdoors. Seorin immediately walked over.

“Have you seen Kang Ara?”

“Hm...” The girl thought for a moment. “She went toward the bathroom earlier. About twenty minutes ago.”

“She hasn’t come back?”

The student shook her head slightly.

Seorin turned immediately and left the house.

Her steps quickened along the darkening path.

Her phone stayed clutched tightly in her hand.

The first bathroom was empty.

Only the sound of dripping water came from an old faucet.

She didn’t stop.

Her footsteps turned toward the cold-water bathhouse lower down the hill. The stone path was slick with thin moss. The lighting was poor. She nearly slipped twice.

Night wind swept through the trees overhead.

The insects screamed loudly from the bushes.

Seorin’s shoulders tightened slightly when something moved behind the leaves.

Then the sound of water grew clearer.

She sped up.

Silence.

No one there.

Until—

“Ah...”

Seorin stopped immediately.

She recognized the voice.

Her hand pushed open one of the wooden doors.

And her entire body froze with it.

Kang Ara was inside the cold bath.

Half her body submerged. Head resting against the stone wall. Her shoulders trembling faintly beneath the dim light.

Seorin swallowed.

“Kang Ara... what are you doing?”

No answer.

She stepped closer.

“Get out. Are you insane? Soaking in cold water this late at night?”

Her hand immediately grabbed Ara’s wrist to pull her out.

Ara winced softly.

Seorin’s eyes dropped to her arm.

The scraped skin there looked red and irritated.

Cold water.

An injury.

Something Ara had said a few days ago flickered through her mind.

“We need medicine.”

Ara shook her head slightly.

“I’m treating it.”

Her voice stayed calm. Flat. Like the trembling in her body wasn’t a problem at all.

Seorin lowered her gaze.

“I’m sorry.”

Her voice nearly disappeared beneath the sound of the water.

“I know how it feels now...”

Her breath wavered at the end of the sentence.

“...this afternoon.”

The tears fell before she could stop them.

“I shouldn’t have gone off alone... I shouldn’t have ignored you...”

Every word came out broken apart.

Ara gently pulled at her hand.

Guiding Seorin down to sit at the edge of the stone bath.

“I’m sorry too.”

Ara’s voice was quieter than usual.

“I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

Seorin quickly shook her head.

“No. It made sense.”

Her fingers twisted the hem of her shirt.

“I was seriously awful...”

Her breath caught again.

“I worried everyone.”

Ara looked at her for a few seconds.

Then slowly lifted a hand.

Her fingertips brushed across Seorin’s cheek, wiping away the lingering tears that still felt warm against her skin.

The touch was impossibly light.

“Don’t do it again.”

Seorin nodded faintly.

“Let’s go back.”

The night wind had started biting through her skin.

“Get out first.”

Seorin frowned.

“You want me to leave you here?”

She shook her head immediately.

“I’m not doing that.”

Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

“I’ll stay with you.”

Ara let out a short sigh.

“If you stay here... I can’t get out.”

“Why?”

A short silence.

Then Ara looked straight at her.

“Han Seorin.”

“...”

“I’m naked.”

Silence settled for several seconds.

Seorin’s gaze dropped reflexively.

The slow-moving water.

Bare shoulders.

Pale skin beneath the yellowish light.

Heat rushed instantly to her face.

“Oh.”

She stood too quickly and slammed her knee against the stone edge.

“I’ll wait outside.”

She nearly stumbled on her way out.

The night air hit her face immediately.

Cold.

But the heat in her cheeks refused to fade.

Seorin stopped near the wooden fence.

Her hand lifted halfway to touch her face before quickly dropping again.

From inside, she could faintly hear the movement of water.

Her gaze kept drifting between the path and the bathroom door.

Her shoe scraped softly against the dirt.

Once.

Twice.

Then stopped when the wooden door behind her opened.

***

That night, Seorin chose to sleep in the middle.

Her reason was simple.

So Minji wouldn’t crash into Kang Ara’s injuries while sleeping.

Though because of that, Seorin ended up being the target of Minji’s wildly moving arms and legs for almost the entire night instead.

And right on cue—

A leg suddenly landed across her waist.

Seorin sighed softly as she carefully pushed it away.

“She’s annoying, right?”

Ara’s low voice came from the other side.

Seorin held back a smile.

“No one would guess someone as pretty as Minji sleeps this badly.”

“She has plenty of other terrible habits too,” Ara replied casually. “You’ll figure them out once you know her better.”

Seorin glanced toward her.

“That only makes me more interested.”

Her voice stayed light.

“I’ll try getting closer to her.”

A brief silence passed between them.

“I have a lot of bad habits too.”

This time, Seorin turned fully toward her.

Ara smiled faintly.

Far too calm to sound like a joke.

Seorin held her gaze for a few seconds too long before quickly looking away toward the wooden ceiling.

“I’m sleepy.”

The corner of her lips lifted slightly.

“This is the last night we get to sleep in the same room...”

Ara’s voice drifted softly through the darkness.

“...tomorrow night we go back to our own rooms.”

Seorin didn’t move.

“We can still be friends, right?”

The question fell lightly between them.

Almost like ordinary bedtime conversation.

Seorin’s fingers stilled on top of the blanket.

Tomorrow, this cramped room would be gone.

No more Ara breathing close beside her.

No more excuses to sit or sleep this close together.

“Can’t we stay close like this?”

Ara’s voice came quieter this time.

Seorin stayed silent.

Then slowly turned onto her side.

Facing Ara.

They were close enough now that she could faintly feel Ara’s breath against her face.

Seorin didn’t say anything.

She simply lifted a hand.

Then pulled Ara into her arms.

Slowly.

But with certainty.

Ara’s body went still for a brief moment before she finally returned the embrace little by little.

Seorin didn’t let go right away.

Ara’s pajama shirt felt cold from the night air.

But between their arms, that body warmth slowly began to rise, little by little.

“It’s okay...”

Ara’s murmur nearly disappeared against her shoulder.

And without realizing it, Seorin’s arms tightened slightly around her.

***

Morning came too fast.

The wooden houses filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and rolling suitcases. Students moved back and forth calling out each other’s names.

Seorin stood in the middle of the noise with her bag in hand.

But her thoughts felt left behind somewhere else.

The villagers began gathering to see them off.

Hugs happened everywhere.

Some of the older women cried while holding the students’ hands like they were truly sending their own children away.

One month had been long enough for all of this to start feeling familiar.

The walk toward the bus felt heavier than usual.

Not many people spoke while boarding.

Seorin took a seat by the window.

The scenery outside blurred softly once the bus began moving.

Crying broke out from several seats in the back. Someone waved frantically while wiping at their eyes.

Little by little, the bus quieted down.

Even the group of boys who were usually the loudest only spoke in hushed voices.

“One day, I’m coming back here.”

Dongchul’s voice came from beside her.

Seorin gave a small nod.

“Yeah.”

Then accidentally—

or maybe not entirely accidentally—

she turned around.

Kang Ara sat two rows behind her.

Her head rested lightly against the window. Her gaze stayed outside, following the village as it slowly disappeared into the distance.

Calm.

Like always.

Seorin watched her for a few seconds too long.

And right then, Ara turned.

Their eyes met.

This time, Ara didn’t look away first.

Slowly, the corner of her lips curved into a faint smile.

Seorin reacted a few seconds late before finally returning it.

Small.

Barely noticeable.

But even after Ara turned back toward the window again, Seorin’s gaze lingered there much longer.