episode_0074

“Don’t forget anything, okay? Should we double-check one more time?”

“Asera, this is already the fifth time. We might miss the train at this rate.”

“Sigh, I’m sure I packed everything, but it feels like I forgot something. Oh well, let’s just start. If we missed anything, we can buy it on the way.”

Waking up much earlier than usual, they began their preparations.

Despite meticulously checking their travel bag and cooler box several times, they couldn’t shake off the feeling that they had forgotten something.

It wasn’t essential, but it was the sense of missing something convenient.

Leaving their place and taking the bus, it was only on the way that they realized what they had left behind.

“…I forgot my AirPods, damn it.”

“That’s quite minor.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Nevertheless, upon discovering the item they had left behind, the uneasy feeling dissipated.

Feeling slightly more at ease, they gazed at the clear evening sky and let out a sigh of admiration.

“Phew… Hyeun really picked a fantastic day for the trip. Aside from it being a bit humid due to the daytime rain, the weather seems really nice, doesn’t it?”

“I hope the journey won’t be boring. That guy, if he keeps whining loudly, it’s going to be annoying.”

“Well, isn’t a bit of hustle and bustle better than silence? I actually prefer it.”

“…By saying that, I feel like I’m turning into a bad guy. I didn’t mean it in a negative way, you know?”

“Boo ~ Trash ~”

Engaging in light-hearted banter as usual, they soon arrived at the train station.

Getting off the bus and heading straight into the station, they were warmly greeted by an angel and a devil who had arrived ahead of them.

“Almost a month, huh? Have you been doing well during this time?”

“I’ve been fine, don’t know if Jaehyuk feels the same way though.”

“Hahaha, your expression already gives it away. What happened to make you look like that?”

“…To put it simply, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you once we board the train.”

That Jaehyuk guy.

What pointless thing is he about to say now?

Glancing curiously at him, he avoided eye contact while whistling nonchalantly.

Starting to feel awkward, I turned my head towards Junghyun, who had been smiling quietly all along.

“Is your love life going well? No, wrong question. Are you very happy? You seem to be beaming with joy.”

“Hmm, am I showing it too much?”

“Oh, very much. It seems like the happiest I’ve ever seen you.”

“…”

Teasing playfully with a mischievous tone, the devil nodded silently with a subtle smile.

Despite teasing him, I checked out the mysterious small bag in the devil’s hand and grinned.

“What’s in your hand? Food?”

“No, it’s for tomorrow’s campfire. You can look forward to it this time.”

“By saying that, I feel even more anxious?”

Four years ago, during the graduation trip, didn’t he confidently promise something and end up failing miserably?

I remember the atmosphere turning cold because of a broken pirate roulette toy.

Recalling past memories, I gave a suspicious glance for a moment but then shook my head and changed the subject.

Well, if it’s fun for him, then it must be fun.

I prepared it thinking it through, so being negative before even trying it out doesn’t seem right to me.

“Alright, I’ll look forward to it. But if it involves ‘pirate roulette’ again, you’re buying dinner at our next gathering.”

“Unfortunately, you won’t have to buy dinner. It’s planned to be beyond your imagination.”

…What could be in that small travel bag that’s overflowing with confidence?

The travel bag had a hole in it, but staring at it wouldn’t suddenly grant me X-ray vision.

Eventually losing interest, I looked away from the bag and pointed my finger towards the billboard above my head.

“They say we’re arriving soon. Let’s get off now and continue our unfinished stories on the train.”

Not a bad start to the journey.

Gazing shyly at the crescent moon in the sky, I fervently prayed in my heart.

Please.

May this good atmosphere last until the end of the trip.

—–

Since the travel time was only a short hour, we mostly chatted about light topics on the train.

“So, how did your grades turn out this semester? Did you do well?”

“Why bring that up during a trip? Curious about the reason?”

“…Let’s move on to another topic. My bad, guys.”

Like typical college students who had just finished a semester, they talked about their experiences.

“Hey, Junghyun, how are you planning to make up for your misdeeds? Can you postpone that?”

“Oh, that? I found an easy way. But it’s a bit awkward to talk about… No comment.”

“…I think Hyeun knows what it is by the way her face is blushing. Hey, Yoonjaehyuk, remember what I said? They really make a great pair.”

“Yeah, what have you two been doing if you haven’t dated so far?”

As three different races gathered, they shared their grievances or stories.

“Oh, by the way, something happened recently. A succubus visited me.”

“Eek! Eek…! Eek!!!”

“Shh, let’s keep it down!”

“S-Sorry…”

Sharing embarrassing stories they had kept hidden, they teased each other.

With only interesting and amusing stories, we lost track of time and continued our conversation without realizing.

When we finished talking and came to our senses, we had already set foot inside the camping site.

“Wow…”

Upon reaching the campsite, what caught our eyes wasn’t much different from what we had seen online a few days ago.

Contrary to our worries, everything was indeed well-prepared. I breathed a sigh of relief and began to inspect the facilities slowly.

“…I like it here.”

After expressing satisfaction with a quick look around, an angelic figure approached me with excitement.

“Right? I really worked hard to find this, so you guys should be grateful to me!”

“Well, there are still some things that could be better, so I’m not sure yet.”

“Oh, something could be better? Where!?”

Of course, it was obvious.

“…Why are both tents designated for couples only? There must have been places with beds separated.”

Pointing out the blatantly couple-oriented tent, as I awaited an excuse, Hyeun finally spoke with a sheepish face.

“I wanted to be close to you guys, but I didn’t want to sleep in a different bed from my partner. What can I do!?”

“…Sorry, I misunderstood.”

I thought you were concocting some strange scheme.

If that’s the reason, there’s nothing we can do.

After seeking forgiveness and returning to the tent, a sense of hunger started creeping in before long.

Although it was a bit late for dinner, it wasn’t too late to eat.

After consulting my friends, I brought a gas burner from nearby and started boiling water.

“Let’s just have instant noodles tonight and save the barbecue for tomorrow.”

Honestly, I briefly considered having a barbecue.

But after checking the time on my phone, that thought vanished instantly.

Midsummer, a vampire who needed at least half-past seven to venture out due to the lengthened daytime.

Because of this, we ended up leaving too late, and consequently, arrived too late as well.

Even if I and Jaehyuk were fine falling asleep in the late dawn, the other two who sought sleep in the early morning would surely feel sluggish.

Hence, I had thought of just casually satisfying our hunger with ramen. There would be opportunities for barbecue tomorrow and the day after.

Bubble, bubble, bubble –

But making it too simple wouldn’t capture the essence of camping, so I added the scallions, an egg, a frozen dumpling, and a sausage to boil the ramen.

Having cooked the delicious ramen well, we started sharing it amidst a lively atmosphere with friends.

On the noodles soaked in savory broth, I placed a well-cooked frozen dumpling with scallions on top and took a big bite.

If it felt a bit bland, I replaced the frozen dumpling with a sausage for another bite.

Lastly, a cup of spicy broth to soothe any lingering regrets.

“Mmm… This is the best.”

Why do people seek something like drugs when they can leave such goodness behind?

With just this, all the exhaustion vanishes completely.

Lost in chopstick movements without a word spoken, I slowly regained my senses as the feeling of fullness gradually built up.

“Ah, that was really good.”

After finishing dinner, sprawled on the chair, a pleasant lethargy began spreading throughout my body.

Perhaps enjoying a moment of relaxation with a sip of cool carbonated drink as a snack?

Hyeeun, who had been unusually quiet for a while, suddenly flashed a mischievous smile and pointed into the darkness before slowly speaking.

“Oh, right. Hey guys? I heard some really interesting news…”

“…Stop beating around the bush and spit it out, what is it?”

“They say there’s an abandoned mansion near this campsite. According to those who visited, they even saw a ghost…”

The angelic figure, her eyes sparkling, glanced between me and Jaehyuk before continuing.

“Why don’t we test our courage while we’re here? Doesn’t it sound fun?”

…Do we really need to go through all this trouble while trying to relax?

Can’t we just lie down and rest comfortably?

Instead of answering, I shot back a look filled with complaints, but faced with the angel’s words, I had no choice but to declare my participation in the courage test.

“Hey, scaredy-cat?”

…This darn woman is something else.

And so, on that somber night,

I began walking the dimly lit path with Jaehyuk, my chosen partner.