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Under the tires of the beat-up old van, the empty road stretches as far as the eye can see.
Hoseok taps his fingers against the wheel and adjusts his sunglasses. It's almost late afternoon, but summer means the sun is still high in the sky, and the heat isn't quite gone yet despite the light breeze coming through the rolled down windows. It's nothing like the beginning of the season—at this point, it's more like a lingering warmth instead of the sweltering heat from the first months, and Hoseok is thankful that he doesn't have to deal with sweat dripping down his back and making his shirt stick to his skin. Driving for hours on end is tiring enough without that hassle.
But Hoseok's muscles aren't shy about complaining, and his legs feel like they're one step away from refusing to work completely. He groans, digging his fingers into his thigh, trying to get rid of the stiffness.
A sharp intake of breath comes from his right. “Hobi? You want me to drive?”
Hoseok glances towards the passenger seat. Namjoon's hair sticks up in all directions, and he's rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He's not very successful, judging by how his eyelids keep drooping, so Hoseok shakes his head. “Nah, I'm good, Joon. You already drove all morning, I can handle a couple more hours. Go back to sleep.”
For a second, Hoseok thinks Namjoon is going to protest, but his lack of sleep from driving since dawn must win over his willingness to call out his friend’s bullshit. “If you say so,” he mumbles in between yawns. Moments later, his snores fill the air.
“Yah, you know I can take over if you need.”
Hoseok meets Yoongi's eyes through the rearview mirror. Yoongi's been quiet for most of the afternoon, sitting next to Jungkook and Seokjin, but he's definitely more awake and not remotely as tired as Namjoon. The weight of his judgment is like an itch on the back of Hoseok's head. “I can make it until we stop to eat. I swear,” Hoseok adds when Yoongi huffs in disbelief. “According to the map, the next city isn't that far, right? Shouldn't be long ‘til we find a diner.”
“Alright. But if I think you're too tired, we're switching.”
Hoseok agrees because he's learned a long time ago that one is better off agreeing with Yoongi when he gets like this. It's not that different from him pretending he's fine so Namjoon can get more rest. They're like that with all the guys in their small friend group—a little overprotective, a little stubborn. If Hoseok thinks about it, all seven of them are like that. He supposes that's just how you get when it comes to the people you love.
“Hoseokie, we've been on the road for hours, I'm tired of hearing nothing but Joon's snores,” Jimin pipes up out of nowhere, and Hoseok has to hold back a snort. Leave it to Jimin to shatter his personal moment of waxing poetic about their friendship.
“Let's put on some music!” Taehyung's voice loud against Hoseok's ear and simultaneous yelps coming from behind him tell him Taehyung must've stumbled over everyone's legs to get to the front of the van. Lanky limbs stretch out next to him and Hoseok almost gets an elbow to the face as Taehyung reaches for the radio, ignoring his screeches about safe driving.
It's difficult to find a station that works, but after some fiddling from Taehyung a static-filled beat blasts through the van. Hoseok has grown used to the poor sound quality by now. It's not like it matters—not when Jimin, Seokjin and Taehyung waste no time to begin shouting lyrics they barely know from a song they've heard only once or twice before, almost drowning out the singer's voice. Not when they keep being interrupted by uncontrollable laughter every time Namjoon snores and one of them goes into a fit of giggles.
The road continues endlessly ahead of them, but it gets easier for Hoseok to forget about the tiredness. His friends’ energy is contagious. Soon he's humming under his breath, making up his own improvised ad-libs to the delight—or despair, in Yoongi's case, going by how he's cursed at Hoseok a few times already—of everyone else. Namjoon stays asleep throughout the ruckus, unmoving even when the weather gets chillier and Jungkook comes up to wrap a blanket around him. He must've been more tired than Hoseok thought.
After their voices have gone hoarse from singing and the sun has sunk closer to the horizon, Hoseok risks a peek through the rearview mirror. In Jungkook's hands is his Polaroid camera, the one they'd all pitched in to get him before this road trip, and as he holds it up his eyes sparkle as much as they did when he first glimpsed inside the gift wrapping.
Jimin, Taehyung and Seokjin are quick to indulge him. They crowd around Jungkook and make kissy faces at the camera, then stumble over each other while waiting for them to print. At this rate, Jungkook will use up all the film they gave him before their trip ends, but Hoseok doesn't think he cares. His smile as he inspects the result of his photography skills is so bright it could outshine the setting sun.
Hoseok's gaze falls on Yoongi. He's got his knees pulled up to his chest, chin resting on his forearms, watching the others with a smile almost as wide as Jungkook's. There's fondness in his eyes; it's the same fondness that unfurls in Hoseok's heart as he turns back towards the road, the kind that blooms inside him without warning and leaves him as breathless as the sight of the beautiful flower field they pass by.
“There!”
The sun has long set when Hoseok points triumphantly at a neon sign a few meters ahead of them. It had taken longer than planned to reach the diner, long enough for Namjoon to wake up from his nap and for Hoseok to start regretting his promise to drive until dinner time. The only distraction he has from his rebelling limbs is the growling pain of his empty stomach.
A few thumps come from the back of the van, followed by groans of relief as five people fight to catch a glimpse of the much-awaited source of food.
“Lone Road Diner,” Namjoon reads the bright red words aloud as Hoseok steers the van towards the parking lot. “Hm. Interesting name.”
“Beggars can't be choosers,” Hoseok says. “And unless we wanna starve for the night, this is our only option. C'mon, out, out, everyone!”
Hoseok's joints protest when he finally steps out of the van. He has half a mind to do some stretches, but the others’ impatience and his own hunger have him giving up after a very satisfying crack of his spine and following everyone else as they storm into the diner.
Hoseok's discomfort is forgotten the moment he steps foot inside and a welcoming wave of heat envelops him. Even though the place is permeated with the greasy smell of burgers, every surface is clean, from the black and white tiles to the vinyl seats that creak beneath Hoseok as they sit down at the largest table. They're the only ones here—not surprisingly, considering how far removed the place is from any sign of civilization—and a waitress appears to take their order not much longer after they settle.
To Hoseok, after weeks of eating at roadside diners nearly every night, what comes next is familiar. The ruckus of seven people talking over each other and trying to get their orders heard; the background music coming from the jukebox in the corner; the laughter and the rich taste of fast food when he takes the first bite of his burger. Hoseok already has so many memories like this, but each one's always a little different, be it who wins the competition of drinking soda faster or how much food Seokjin can eat within fifteen minutes.
That night, Taehyung is the winner, and Seokjin breaks his own record with the impressive amount of three burgers and all of Namjoon's ignored french fries.
Yoongi insists on driving after dinner.
Hoseok doesn't put up much of a fight, content to take Namjoon's place in the passenger seat and wallow in the lethargy of a full belly. It's gotten cold enough that he's pulled a sweatshirt from the mess of clothes that are their backpacks—it's too big on him, which means it's either Seokjin's or Namjoon's, but it's cozy and Hoseok doesn't feel like searching for his own. It wouldn't be the first time he borrows the others' clothes anyway, so he shrugs it off and pulls the sleeves down until they cover his fingers.
For the next half an hour, he stares out the window. The world outside is reduced to nothing more than indistinct shapes faintly visible beneath the light of the full moon, and the gentle rocking of the van makes everything feel a little surreal, a little dreamy. Hoseok's eyelids begin to droop.
He startles awake when Yoongi announces they're taking a break for the night. The field they park at is empty but the grass is soft; they find enough dry twigs and leaves to build a small fire, which they're quick to huddle around after arming themselves with their thickest blankets. Hoseok's still groggy as he sits next to the open door.
"I can't believe we only have another week of this," Jimin says, leaning against Hoseok and stealing part of his blanket. "This has been the best summer of my life."
"I don't want it to end," Taehyung adds, mimicking Jimin and settling by Hoseok's other side.
Everyone hums in agreement. In the silence that comes next, it truly feels like they're set apart from the rest of the world, like time has stopped running in answer to their silent wishes. Like this summer could never end.
"The stars are beautiful tonight," Yoongi says.
Hoseok fights to keep his eyes open and looks. Yoongi is right; there are more stars in the sky than Hoseok has ever seen before, hundreds of thousands of them shining over them like tiny lights. He looks at the stars until Jimin's breathing gets deeper and his head falls on Hoseok's shoulder. He looks at the stars until Taehyung yawns and throws an arm over his stomach, snuggling against Hoseok's chest. Only then does he look at Seokjin, carding his fingers through the hair of an asleep Jungkook resting on his lap, and at Namjoon and Yoongi, wrapped in the same blanket and dozing off against each other.
They're going to regret sleeping like this, in these uncomfortable positions instead of the sleeping bags, but Hoseok doesn't have the energy to move. It's the end of summer, and tomorrow they might start counting down the days until the season is over and they have to go back to their lives in the city. For now, though, time doesn't exist. There's just the seven of them, tired from the road and clinging to each other. There's Jimin and Taehyung, warm against Hoseok's sides, and Hoseok's breathing evening out to match their own.
There's a beautiful sea of stars watching them from above as they fall asleep.