ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫
─◌✰್ 𝗉𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗋－𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗀 𝗐𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗌

sk8terjj aww you look so cute!
> the.official.hwang ... what are you doing to me, jiah 🫣
> huats.up @the.official.hwang she's FLIRTING holy shit!!!!!!!
> sk8terjj @huats.up lanhua stfu no

minniemouse- that pic was taken seconds before i threw a water bottle at him
> catdad_lee i thought it was before i tried to tickle him
> matchatess @minniemouse- or when @sk8terjj tried to jump-tackle him

> dingdonghong @minniemouse- @catdad_lee @sk8terjj why are y'all bullying hyunjin??? seungmin wtf!!!

ramenoodlaska i could make a sweater better than that one
sunshine.lix, ryerye, and 3 others liked this.
> sunshine.lix she's right, she made me one it's perfect
> the.official.hwang @ramenoodlaska then make me one bitch wtf
> ramenoodlaska @the.official.hwang not with that language i won't
> ryerye @ramenoodlaska me me me!

"What the hell do you mean we only get four cabins??"

All sixteen travelers stared in shock at the small log buildings in the gorgeous clearing before them, with their assigned numbers stapled to the side. There was no way that all sixteen of them could fit in four of those measly little buildings, right?

"Where are the dogs supposed to go??" Han agreed with Riley's incredulous yelp. He glanced down at Bbama, who stood next to him, his fluffy white tail wagging.

"Yeah, there's barely enough room for us, let alone the pets," Chan agreed worriedly. Berry was resting at his feet with a happy smile on her face.

"I won't really have room for my sewing machine," Alaska glanced down at her two huge suitcases.

"I thought you said these cabins were going to be roomy!" Tessa wheeled around to face you, eyes wide. "You know I need my personal space!"

You stood, gaping at the cabins along with everyone else. Your boss had repeated over and over that the cabins were as close to luxury as you could get out in the forest. You'd even looked on their website and seen how lovely the rooms were, how spacious the kitchen was, how tranquil everything looked. So naturally, you had assumed you would be living comfortably, to say the least.

Clearly, "close to luxury" was a far cry from it. Because they looked like they would barely fit two people, let alone four. How could your boss lie to you?? How had you not found this in your extensive research of the campsite?

You had only been her for ten minutes, and the trip was falling apart. Your throat tightened, eyes burning as tears pushed against them, threatening to burst forth.

Blinking rapidly and swallowing a couple of times so you could speak, you finally said, "I had no idea they were going to be this small. I researched them, and it said they would be big and comfortable. I dont know what happened." You were proud of yourself for keeping your voice steady, despite the inner turmoil inside.

"Hey, it's going to be okay!" Changbin exclaimed, hurrying over to you and grabbing your hand, squeezing hard. "We're all going to be in a bit closer quarters than we thought. So what? We're all best friends anyway, why does it matter?"

The others glanced around at one another doubtfully. Hyunjin huffed, causing JJ to nudge him in the ribs. Riley and Mya exchanged nervous looks, while Seungmin and Minho grumbled about loud snoring and their sleep schedules.

"I mean, I don't mind," Felix shrugged. "It'll be like a month-long sleepover, right? That's sort of fun!"

"Plus, we're not going to be in our cabins that often anyway, just for sleeping and maybe if we're really cold!" Jeongin added. "And there's the really nice lodge a few minutes away. They said we could hang out there whenever we wanted."

"That's true," Han chirped. Bbama's ears twitched at the happy lilt to his owner's voice. "I bet we could play so many fun games in the lodge! And I can't wait to light a campfire! I've always wanted to tell scary stories!"

"Do you even know any scary stories?" Robin asked him skeptically.

Han shrugged. "I bet I could come up with some."

"As long as the cabins are clean, I don't care," Riley gave her two cents. "I just don't want to wake up with a bug in my mouth."

"Ewe!" Mya gasped. "But I agree. They look really cute, we haven't even gone inside yet!"

Finally, Tessa nodded grudgingly. "I do want to see what they look like, I guess."

Well, that settled it. The group started nodding more hopefully to each other, chattering about what the decor would look like, what kinds of activities there might be in the area, and what they would have for dinner.

The pressure in your chest started to lighten, and you took a deep breath, calming yourself. You smiled over Changbin, and he grinned at you, squeezing your hand again.

"Thank you," you breathed so quietly no one else would hear you.

"Anytime." He winked.

Ignoring the stuttering of your heart, you called out to everyone else. "Okay everyone! I've already assigned the cabins! The owners required that I give them a list of who was staying in each one, because they have a four-person maximum. So if you don't like your cabin, take it up with me."

You opened your carry-on and pulled out a white folder nestled in the back. Rifling through the papers, you grabbed the one labeled "cabin assignments" and started to read. "In cabin one, we have Robin, Han, Alaska, and Felix."

"Wait no, why do we have to be with them?" Robin complained. "They're probably so loud doing you-know-what!"

"Hey, we are not loud!" Alaska acted scandalized, but her cheeks turned pink.

"And you and Han aren't?" Seungmin challenged. "You two are dating, aren't you?"

"We're respectful," Robin huffed, but it was clear she wasn't actually upset. "From what I heard from Hyunjin, those two aren't."

"Why would you air all our dirty laundry like that?" Alaska glared at her brother like she was going to beat him up.

Hyunjin shrugged. "Thought I should warn everyone what they're in for."

"Not very good friend behavior," Felix frowned. "I don't go around telling everyone that you sleep with a photo of-"

"Don't you dare," Hyunjin warned, his face equally as red as his sister's.

Felix grinned craftily. "I won't, but just know that I have all your secrets."

"Hey, why don't I know this secret??" Alaska demanded, slapping Felix's arm. "You're supposed to tell me everything! Isn't that like, boyfriend law?"

Felix's brow furrowed. "Is it? Sorry, I'll tell you later tonight!"

"Okay, okay, cabin two, located right next to cabin one, is going to be me, Changbin, JJ, and Hyunjin."

"What???" Alaska cried, looking back and forth from the cabins in the clearing to you, and back again.

"What do you mean, 'right next to'??" Hyunjin demanded. "As in, one foot away??" He pointed at the cabins that his sister was gaping at, open-mouthed.

"I mean what I said," you said bluntly. "They're right next to each other."

"How thick are those logs, do you think?" Hyunjin said desperately. "I hope they're like... soundproof."

"I don't think log cabins are known as being super soundproof," JJ responded, patting Hyunjin on the arm. "You'll probably be able to hear all the gossip through the paper-thin log walls. Isn't that exciting?"

"Are log walls a thing?" Renee asked, glancing at the cabins herself. "Can they be paper-thin?"

"Do you hate me??" Hyunjin wailed at you, running his hand through his hair.

"No, that's just how the assignments worked out," you shrugged with a grin. "Anyway. Does anyone want to hear the other two cabins?"

"I do!" Mya exclaimed, raising her hand hopefully.

"At least someone does," you sighed, before continuing. "Our third cabin, next to cabin four, is Riley, Chan, Seungmin, and Renee!" You announced.

"Yayy, I get to room with Seungmin!" Chan cheered, grinning at the younger boy.

"Why do we have to be with them??" Seungmin griped, pouting at you. "He won't leave me alone!"

"I like our room assignments," Renee replied to Seungmin with a soft smile. "If you don't mind, at least."

"Of course I don't mind rooming with you, Ren," Seungmin mumbled. "But Chan and Riley are annoying."

"Okay, now that's just rude," Riley protested. "I'm very chill."

"Me too! I'm the coolest," Chan nodded at Riley, who smiled and blushed brightly.

"I would have to disagree with that," Alaska smirked. "Are any of us girls really chill??"

"We wouldn't like you if you were," Felix declared. "Well, I'd like you no matter what."

"I like chill girls," Hyunjin responded. "We can't have two drama queens in this relationship."

"At least you admit it," Alaska shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You guys are especially annoying today," you rolled your eyes at the siblings.

"So I guess that leaves me and Minho with Mya and Jeongin?" Tessa glanced at the younger girl with a smile. "That'll be fun! We can stay up all night watching horror movies!"

"Do I get a fuzzy blanket?" Mya asked nervously. "Totally not to hide underneath!"

"Our cabin is the coolest!" Jeongin declared, grinning and Mya. "It'll be like one big party!"

"And we have the best cook in the group with us!" Tessa added, pointing at Minho. "We can have him make us food every night!"

"What am I, your servant?" Minho replied dryly, but the tiniest of smiles graced his lips at her words.

"I wasn't gonna say it," Tessa smirked.

"Can we go see our cabins now??" Mya asked. "I don't want to hold my suitcase anymore and I want to see how squishy the beds are!"

"Yeah, sure," you agreed. "Let's go set our stuff down and meet back out here! The clients and their dogs should be here in about two hours, so we should get ready for them."

All four groups dispersed, chatting excitedly as they entered their respective cabins.

You stood for a few moments, watching them to make sure they were okay. They weren't too tired or dehydrated, or overly disappointed about the size of the cabins. That had been a shock, but they all seemed to bounce back quickly, thank god.

"You ready to go see our living quarters?"

You snapped out of your daze to see Changbin's huge grin. You swallowed, your throat instantly closing up at the sight.

"Yeah, I'm ready." You managed what you hoped was an easygoing smile.

He offered his hand to you again, and you accepted it, letting the warmth of his palm envelope your own. Hopefully he wouldn't notice how sweaty you were.

As the two of you followed JJ and Hyunjin inside, you had to admit, it was lovely. You entered directly into the modest living space, decorated with two chairs and a small couch, each with warm crochet blankets adorning the backs. There was a cozy fireplace with wood stacked to the side of it, and a coffee table in the center. A side table with a lamp in the shape of a pumpkin sat next to the couch, a pile of board games beneath it.

A few paces away from the living room was the kitchen, which included a few cupboards as the pantry, and one hot plate for cooking. There was a hot pot to boil water, and even a microwave, dishwasher, and a small fridge. There was a set of dishes and silverware in the drawer and cupboard that you would be using.

"Whoa, come see the bedrooms!" Hyunjin called from down the hall.

You, Changbin, and JJ followed his excited voice into the room on the left. There was a queen-sized bed with an orange and green blanket over it, and matching pillows. There was a dresser and closet, and a nightstand with a light and clock on top. The walls were covered with pictures of nature in all four seasons. You loved the orange and green, because it gave such a warm, fall vibe to the space.

"We call this room, don't we Bin?" Hyunjin demanded to his friend.

Changbin met your eyes, but you didn't say anything. You supposed there had been no specification on what the room assignments would be. But JJ and Hyunjin were only friends, and you didn't think she would be comfortable sharing a bed with him just yet.

Were you comfortable sharing a bed with Changbin? You didn't think you were ready to answer that question.

"Sounds good." You smiled at the boys. "JJ and I will check out the other room then."

You snagged JJ's hand and led her out and across the hall. It was a slightly darker color palette, covered with earthy browns and dark greens. It definitely felt like JJ's energy, especially the picture of a grizzly bear in the woods on the wall behind the bed.

"This is perfect, Hua," JJ said earnestly, sitting down on the bed to admire the picture. "Really, I love it here. I can't wait to explore some more, after the clients get here. By the way, do we know who all is coming?"

"Erm, yeah, I think so," you said with a smile, feeling your cheeks warm at the lie. Your boss had been less than forthcoming about who was coming and when, just one of the many causes of stress during this trip. But she had assured you that they would be here, and to be prepared.

"How about you and the boys tell half of the group to get started setting up a fire in the fire pit in the center of the site, and the other half to check up on each of the client's cabins to make sure that they look clean," you told JJ.

"Sure," she agreed. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm just gonna contact my boss really quick, make sure everything looks good on her end," you said quickly. "I'll be right out to help."

JJ nodded, before calling out, "Bin, Hyun, lets go start a fire!"

Scrambling sounds ensued from across the hall as they hurried out.

"Do we get s'mores??" Hyunjin exclaimed.

"Can we chop wood??" Changbin cried.

"We can do both of those things after the clients are here," JJ said, leading them outside.

As their voices faded to muffled shouts, you pulled your phone out of your pocket.

Three missed calls from your boss.

Oh shit. Your heart instantly sped up, your breath catching in your throat as you clicked on her contact and called her back. What the hell could be so serious that she would call you, multiple times?

Finally, on the third ring, your boss picked up.

"Lanhua, thank god." She was breathless with relief as she answered.

"What's wrong??" You tried to keep the panic from your voice, but even you could tell it wasn't working. "Is everything okay??"

"There's a huge problem." Your boss began, and you steeled yourself for the worst.

"Tell me."

"All of the clients either canceled or no-showed. No one is coming."

laska's note —
dun dun dun! oh no, poor lanhua! her entire event that she planned so hard for is falling apart. what is she going to do?? will she have to go home already? what about her and changbin and her growing feelings for him? what about all her friends, who took time off work to be here? will it all be for nothing? give me all your thoughts below, the book is just heating up!
on another note, thanks everyone for sticking around for this chapter! i always update autumn evening on monday but since yesterday was christmas, i decided to wait one day. next update will still be on monday so don't worry!

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝟬𝟳 - 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀
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