"Wait, Binnie! We should pack some mosquito patches too!" Ye Jin started searching her room for the said item.
"Those never work." Hyun Bin argued.
"I'm sure they do."
"I saw a mosquito land right on a patch before. You'll have better luck with the spray."
"Jinjja? Then why do they sell them?" Ye Jin's eyes were wide as she looked between Hyun Bin and the box in her hands.
Hyun Bin simply shrugged and held up the mosquito repellent for Ye Jin to pack into her duffle bag. They have been on break since two days ago but they have been busy. Those two days consisted of Ye Jin dragging Hyun Bin everywhere to purchase the items on her camping list.
As for Hyun Bin, he decided to go light as he usually does for camps and he only packed the essentials. His sole task was calming Ye Jin down or she might just go into a packing craze.
"I feel like I'm still missing something..." Ye Jin wrung her hands as she glared at her duffle bag.
"Why don't we chill and stop packing for a bit?" Hyun Bin patted the empty space next to him.
At his words, Ye Jin pursed her lips before she plonked herself down next to him. They were only an hour away from their first meeting with their fellow camp facilitators and Ye Jin wanted to be at her best. They wondered what Camp ICBM had in store for them. It would be their first year as trainee facilitators and they were both eager to learn.
"Jinnie, do you think Teacher So Sook is still there?" Hyun Bin asked.
"I hope so. We had awesome times with her, didn't we?" Ye Jin smiled happily.
"Well...she was the only one who entertained our pranks." Hyun Bin chuckled when he remembered their little camp pranks when they were 12. Those were the good old days.
"Sweetheart! Binnie! Time to go!" Ye Jin's eomeoni shouted.
"Ne!" The childhood sweethearts shouted in unison before Hyun Bin grabbed both their bags.
As Ye Jin bounded down the steps, Hyun Bin followed behind her, attempting to multi-task with balancing their two bags and watching after Ye Jin's footsteps.
He was all prepared to drop the bags to catch her if she fell. Knowing how clumsy she was, he was watching her like a hawk. Thankfully, they got to the bottom with no hiccups. Loading their bags into the boot, they were soon on their way to the campsite.
Away from the city now, lines of trees blended beautifully into the landscape as the sun played peek-a-boo with them through the thick foliage. The path was getting progressively uneven and they could feel every little bump on the road. Yet, the entrance to Camp ICBM was as they remembered.
They passed the lake in its reflecting bluey hues, quiet and still now in the absence of the strong winds. This was where they used to have their water activities as campers themselves. They saw the rock climbing wall that was shorter than they remembered. As a child, Hyun Bin was awfully afraid of climbing up the seemingly endless wall. Yet now, the wall no longer looked daunting.
Soon, they arrived at the main entrance of Camp ICBM where they would be staying for the next five days. Cute little wooden cabins surrounded Camp ICBM and a big welcome sign hung above their heads.
Ye Jin and Hyun Bin bid eomeoni goodbye before they walked into the camp. Memories hit them instantly and both were wistful as they recalled the muddy days they had at Camp ICBM.
"Jinnie? Binnie? Is that really you?" A familiar voice sounded in the distance.
"Teacher So Sook!" Ye Jin was the first to greet the kind lady who has been there for them since Day one.
Dressed in her iconic pink AIRism T-shirt from Uniqlo, it would be hard to forget their ray of sunshine of a facilitator. Except now, So Sook had a pink whistle hanging around her neck, the hallmark of a true Head Camp Counselor.
"You two have grown! When did you become so big? Binnie, you've grown into a fine man." So Sook got emotional as she fussed over her two favourite campers.
"It's been a while, Teacher So Sook." Hyun Bin's wide-dimpled smile was prominent on his face.
So Sook's eyes filled with tears when she heard Hyun Bin's voice. Her beloved baby boy's voice has gotten deeper since the last time she saw him. Oh, how the times have changed.
"Teacher So Sook, we've missed you too!" Ye Jin grinned before they hugged.
"Oh, it's been too long! I'm so happy you're back!" So Sook cheered as she ushered them indoors.
The three of them caught up on lost time as they navigated their way to the instructors' lodge easily. Ye Jin and Hyun Bin slept in here with So Sook that one time they both got spooked by the ghost stories some of the older kids were telling them.
Those kids got the scolding of their lives from So Sook, but the damage was done. So Sook decided to let them sleep with her for the night. That was yet another fond memory they had together. Ye Jin and Hyun Bin were her favourite campers for good reason.
Looking at them now, the soft smile only grew on her face when she noticed how attentive Hyun Bin was towards Ye Jin. They used to fight like cats and dogs when they were children. Yet, there was no denying that they were protective of each other from young. Their friendship has clearly grown since then.
"The rest of the facilitators haven't arrived yet. Oh, this is Raven, my Vice-head." So Sook introduced.
"Annyeonghaseyo, Raven-ssi. I'm Ye Jin and this is Hyun Bin." Ye Jin greeted shyly.
The woman, dressed in a black shirt, gray jogger pants and white rubber shoes was currently scribbling away on her clipboard. At the new arrivals, she looked up sternly at the two high-schoolers before her lips twisted up into a tiny smile. Acknowledging their greeting with a slight nod, Raven turned back to the administrative stuff she was working on.
"I have another Vice-head, Jasmine but she's with her kid now. You'll probably see her later." So Sook informed the two of them.
Knowing that her dear partner needed some time to warm up to them, So Sook led them into another room with mismatched couches and chairs. It was a common room of sorts and they were told this would be where the meeting would be held. After showing them their rooms, Ye Jin and Hyun Bin were told to report back to the common room in a few minutes.
Minutes later, the common room was alive with renewed energy as the rest of the facilitators slowly streamed in one by one. Ye Jin and Hyun Bin took a seat together on one of the couches as they studied the people in the room.
Everyone was dressed in various tank tops, shirts and leggings for full comfort just like Ye Jin and Hyun Bin. It was clear who were the social butterflies because those were the few who were already striking up conversations as they waited for the meeting to begin. Ye Jin was getting nervous meeting so many new people and Hyun Bin was exactly the calm energy she needed.
"I hope I'll get good mentors." Ye Jin muttered underneath her breath.
"You'll be fine, Jinnie." Hyun Bin whispered back before he jumped slightly at the loud squeal coming from the doorway.
Even though he was in high school and Ye Jin's girl clique could get loud at times, the squeal that came from the two women at the doorway could give them a run for their money. At that moment, So Sook stood up and clapped her hands. The room quieted down instantly, and all eyes were on So Sook as she smiled broadly at everyone.
"Welcome to Camp ICBM!" The room burst into a round of applause to welcome another season of summer camp.
Ye Jin and Hyun Bin listened attentively to So Sook's short briefing before they were told they would be splitting into their groups. Ye Jin was in Team Pirates while Hyun Bin was in Team Ninjas and the close friends looked at each other sadly when they realised they weren't in the same group.
"Hey, we'll still see each other at meals and at night." Hyun Bin assured Ye Jin.
"You're right. Let's enjoy ourselves!" Ye Jin nodded with a grin.
With that, they joined their respective teams. Hyun Bin ended up with the squealers from the doorway and another trainee, Ji Yoo. Like him, he was one of the male trainees in the room full of facilitators and that was always a good starting point to make conversation. As the two boys conversed lightly, Hyun Bin was well aware of the two sets of eyes blinking at him expectedly.
"Annyeong, I am Kylie! What's your name?" The girl in the pink tank top seemed especially eager to get to know him.
She was the social butterfly after all.
"Um...I'm Hyun Bin." He responded a little awkwardly.
"That's the perfect name!" Kylie squealed as she grabbed onto her friend's wrist tightly.
"I'm Ji Yoo." The poor ignored boy made his presence known then.
"Don't mind Kylie, she gets like this sometimes. I'm Sasha."
Hyun Bin nodded awkwardly at Sasha and Kylie before his eyes instinctively searched for his childhood friend. It would appear her group was in a deep discussion for Ye Jin's brows were knitted together in full concentration.
Yet, Hyun Bin could tell she was starting to get bored and even a tad bit stressed. While the other groups were chatting amiably, Ye Jin's group was the only quiet one as they listened to who he assumed was their Main I/C talk.
On the other side of the room, Ye Jin felt a reassuring wave of familiarity wash over her just as she was about to nod off. Her group's Main I/C, Suk Chin, a man in his 40s who was balding, was going on and on about the importance of professionalism as a facilitator. While the good student in Ye Jin was eager to learn, it doesn't mean she enjoyed a 30-minute lecture on professionalism.
Taking the chance while Suk Chin was asking the poor boy next to her, Ha Jun, to answer a question, Ye Jin sneaked a glance at her beloved friend. Their eyes met across the room and Ye Jin felt the exhaustion leave her when Hyun Bin smiled gently at her. With a slight yawn, Ye Jin smiled back at him before Suk Chin interrupted their little moment.
"Ye Jin, how do you define professionalism." Suk Chin looked at her expectantly.
Ye Jin was at a loss for words at being thrown the curveball and she was immensely grateful when Jasmine interrupted their discussion.
"Annyeong, here are your facilitator packages. The facilitator shirts are inside!" Jasmine smiled widely at the group.
Ye Jin thanked Jasmine for the package, and she watched as she strode over to Hyun Bin's team to do the same.
"Suk Chin ssi, perhaps we should wrap up this discussion. We will be doing clean-up soon." Dea, the volunteer facilitator in their group came to Ye Jin's rescue.
Dea has been running camps as a volunteer for over ten years now and she had the uncanny ability to tame Suk Chin's long-winded tendencies. Ye Jin was simply grateful that she didn't have to answer Suk Chin's question.
"Alrighty, it's time for clean-up! Pirates, I need you in the bunks, Ninjas, the canteen..." So Sook read off the assignments from the list Raven prepared.
The Main I/Cs led their teams to their assigned venues after grabbing the essential tools they needed for clean-up. Over at the bunks, Ye Jin and her team got to work clearing any debris leftover by nature during the year Camp ICBM was left empty. As she cleaned, Ye Jin began to reminisce the good old days at Camp ICBM.
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Years ago – 7-years-old
It was Lights Out Time and that meant Ye Jin and Hyun Bin had to head to their respective bunks for the night. Since it was their first camp, Ye Jin was a tad bit unused to sleeping "alone". Little Hyun Bin noticed how his friend was quiet throughout dinner and it didn't take him long to figure out the reason behind her long face.
Bidding Ye Jin good night, he watched as she dragged her feet slowly towards the girls' bunk. Before he knew it, he shouted her name and the little girl turned to face him, all the while biting her lip because of nervousness.
He wanted to help her. He wanted to chase away her fears.
"What is it, Hyun Bin?" The little girl tried to appear brave in front of her "bully". Yet, he could tell she was as timid as a mouse from the way she was scrunched up into herself.
"I bet you can't stay up the whole night." Hyun Bin smirked.
"I can too!" Ye Jin momentarily forgot about her fears as she stood up to him.
"Prove it!" Hyun Bin challenged.
"Fine. We will meet here in an hour and we'll see who can stay up longer." Ye Jin crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Deal." Hyun Bin held out his hand.
The two friends shook on it before Ye Jin strode confidently into the girls' bunk with her head held up defiantly. Hyun Bin pumped his fist in the air before he ran off to the boys' bunk too. His plan was a success. He knew tapping into Ye Jin's competitive spirit would get her riled up.
An hour later, the two friends met as planned and snuck off to the back of a shed. With only their torchlights in their hands, Hyun Bin led the path to the hidden corner where they would be safe from the facilitators patrolling the area. With that, they sat down on the grass and looked up at the starry night together.
Sometime during the silence between them, Hyun Bin peeked over at Ye Jin and smiled. He could tell she was getting tired from how rapidly she was blinking her eyes. Yet, he sensed that she was still too fearful to sleep in such a foreign environment by the pure determination in her eyes.
"Ye Jin, let's play a game!" Hyun Bin suggested as he shone the light at the blank wall opposite of them.
Ye Jin craned her neck curiously at her friend when he started making odd shapes with his hand. Soon, the two were giggling together as they used their hands to make shadow puppets using their torchlights.
And low and behold, all of Ye Jin's fears disappeared the more they laughed. Suddenly, being at camp didn't feel as daunting anymore. Suddenly, it felt as though it was one of those nights their parents forced them into the backyard for a campout, claiming being around nature would do wonders for their friendship. Suddenly, around Hyun Bin, she felt at home.
It was now an hour past midnight and their torchlights laid by their sides, completely forgotten now that their mini-game ended. With the cool night air caressing her and the warmth emanating from her friend, Ye Jin's eyes were beginning to feel heavy.
But she had to win...
Forcing her eyelids open, little Ye Jin rubbed her eyes in an attempt to stay awake but to no avail. She was sleepy. That was when she heard soft snoring next to her that was getting progressively louder every single time.
She won.
Pleased that she won their mini-challenge, Ye Jin yawned and instinctively laid herself down on Hyun Bin's lap. She chuckled a little when she noted how upright the boy was sleeping. It was almost like he was a soldier. With a tiny whisper of "Night, Binnie", Ye Jin was out like the light. That was the first day they started calling each other by their nicknames.
At that moment, Hyun Bin stopped fake snoring and opened his eyes to look down at the girl on his lap. Slowly and gingerly, he removed his jacket and wrapped Ye Jin up in it.
Deeming her safe, Hyun Bin hummed lightly to himself as he stroked her hair gently, admiring how beautiful his childhood crush looked under the glowing moonlight.
An angel. That was what she was to him. For the longest time, Hyun Bin knew that he saw Ye Jin as more than a friend. Yet, he didn't quite know how to approach her or win her heart. The only way he knew to get her attention was to be mean to her.
Around her, he was always too nervous. There were so many times he would ruin his eomeoni's garden by plucking one of the fresh flowers for Ye Jin, only for him to throw it out before he could give it to her. He wondered when he would ever find that courage to give them to her one day.
But for tonight, he would just bask in his happiness that he has helped Ye Jin. At least tonight, she finally laughed and called him Binnie.
End of memory
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Ye Jin chuckled when she remembered how she rubbed her victory in Hyun Bin's face the very next day. Those were some great times they shared. Come to think of it, Ye Jin was thankful Hyun Bin stopped her that night. His challenge chased away her fears and she had no problems sleeping in camp after that day.
But she was determined to keep this small little fact away from him. The last thing she wanted was to give him any reason to tease her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction that his old bully ways actually helped her. That was like admitting to defeat.
Little did she know, everything the boy did was intentional.
Over at the canteen, Hyun Bin was taking a similar walk down memory lane. He too was remembering the fond times they had spent at camp together.
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Years ago – 7-years-old
It was supper time. Kids lined the benches in the canteen as they waited excitedly for another round of delicious supper. Tonight's supper was London rolls and that always led to a fight for flavours as the kids screamed to get the one they desired. Strawberry was a popular choice that year and both Hyun Bin and Ye Jin were waving their arms eagerly in their bid for it.
Minutes later, one emerged more victorious than the other. Just as Hyun Bin was about to tear open the tiny packet of strawberry London roll, he noticed the tears in Ye Jin's eyes and the cute little pout on her face. Hyun Bin noted down the vanilla London roll and he put two and two together instantly. Of course, he couldn't bear to see his friend upset and he pondered hard for a way for them to exchange their sweet treat.
Hyun Bin had a eureka moment and he tossed his packet over to Ye Jin and took hers before she could react. "Yucks, strawberry is disgusting. I'm taking yours."
Still in shock, Ye Jin watched as Hyun Bin munched on the vanilla London roll as he purposefully averted his eyes from hers. Truth be told, he loved strawberries but for her, he would do anything. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ye Jin smile a little as she bit into the strawberry London roll and he mirrored her smile. At least she was happy.
From that day on, Hyun Bin could never eat strawberry around her for she was convinced he hated them. It took her years to realise he had "overcome" his disgust over the fruit when he never despised them in the first place.
End of memory
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The identical indents on his cheeks were clear as day as he wiped the tables with the rags. No one would ever look that happy cleaning bird shit off the canteen tables. It was all because of Ye Jin. He was immune to the nastiness of the table because of his sunshine.
"Ew! It's so dirty!" Kylie whined; her face twisted up in disgust as she gestured to the bird shit on the table.
"Stop complaining, it's your job." Came Sasha's retort.
Hyun Bin looked up just in time to see Kylie gritting her teeth as she attempted to clean the tables, knowing Sasha was right. She was a picky princess when it came to matters such as these but at the end of the day, she would still do her job. That was until Hyun Bin saved her from the menial task.
"Let me do it, sunbaenims." Hyun Bin offered kindly.
Instantly, Kylie and Sasha swooned at how considered Hyun Bin was. Here he was, offering to conquer the nasty bullets the birds left behind for them. How brave.
Stepping aside, Kylie and Sasha concluded that Hyun Bin was indeed a gentleman. Whoever ends up with him was an incredibly lucky girl indeed.
By the time they were done with clean-up, it was time for dinner. The facilitators gathered to enjoy their first meal together, toasting to the success of Camp ICBM with grape juice. Tomorrow was a new challenge. Tomorrow, the campers arrive. Tomorrow, they would all grow in their new roles.
That night, everyone slept soundly, using every second that they could get to recharge for the days ahead. Once the campers arrive, sleep would be thrown right out of the window. But tonight, they rest.
What would the next four days mean for them?
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A/N
Hello lovelies! Welcome to Camp ICBM! The next few chapters will revolve around camp and you'll get to meet the rest of the facilitators soon! Hope this is an enjoyable journey for everyone so far! Thanks for reading MMH and see you in the next one soon!