Chapter Text
If you were to ask Kenji Kon what the most memorable moment of his life is, he'd say, “When I said 'Hello' to Ben from Camp.”
Very little has affected his life as much as the blue-eyed kid he met years ago at summer camp; it's true! Other seventeen year-olds would probably answer with things like ‘getting my first car’ or ‘having my first kiss.’ Not Kenji.
You might be thinking, 'why would saying hello to someone be so important?' Well, isn't that how most relationships start? Saying 'hello' to Ben back then was not only the start of a turbulent but eventful part of his life, but it was also the start of the most important relationship of his life, dramatic as that sounds.
Of course, this wasn't always the case.
If you had asked twelve-year-old Kenji, before he met Ben, what was the most memorable moment in his life? He'd have said it was when he was an extra in a movie about dinosaurs running amok in modern times. While on a vacation with his parents in Hawaiʻi, Kenji's dad met with an old college friend, Simon Masrani, who happened to be a producer on the aforementioned movie. Through that (and several other connections), it wasn't hard to get Kenji a little screentime.
To this day, Kenji will show off the five seconds he appears on screen to anyone who'll listen.
Being in that movie, however briefly, sparked an interest in dinosaurs in him. He wasn’t obsessed with them, not like his childhood friend Tim Murphy, but he definitely knew more than most kids his age. So the following year, his parents sent him to Camp Cretaceous, a dinosaur themed summer camp on the west coast. John Hammond, a billionaire philanthropist (and Tim’s grandfather), was quite the dinosaur enthusiast. Before he passed away, he left instructions for his estate to build a dinosaur themed camp so that 'future generations will continue to learn and care about prehistoric life.' Or so the pamphlet says.
Until he started high school, where he was met with the harsh realities that come with being a teenager, Kenji went into every new situation with the intent of making friends. Looking back, he thinks it may have stemmed from the part of him that craved attention and positive reinforcement- things he couldn't easily get at home. His Dad was always at work, his step-mom didn't really care, and his real mom was... gone. Of course, having been a kid at the time, he didn't think anything of it.
On the first day of camp, he made friends with everyone in his cabin. Tim happened to be in the same cabin and maybe doesn't count, but the point stands- all of them got along famously. The second day of camp was even better; the swimming lesson, horseback riding, and ziplining were not only fun, but proved to be the perfect way to make even more friends. There wasn't a single kid he came across he didn't befriend or at least got along with.
And then he finally met his match.
A short boy with big blue eyes sat all alone on bonfire night, looking forlornly at the others enjoying themselves. Since he didn't recognize him, Kenji made it a point to introduce himself.
“Hello!" He stuck out his hand for the other to take.
"My name is Kenji! Wanna make smores with me?”
The boy just looked at him incredulously- like he couldn't believe Kenji asked him that. It was subtle, but with the campfire flickering in his face, Kenji could see unshed tears in the boy's eyes. Geez, why is this kid alone and crying?, he thought. Moments pass, and Kenji is just standing there with his hand out like an idiot. The silence lingered, the awkwardness grew, and Kenji considered that this might be his first lost cause and was ready to slink away in embarrassment.
Then, all of a sudden, the blue-eyed boy rose and finally took his hand. In a small, shaky voice, he also introduced himself.
“I’m Ben.”
Kenji didn't know it at the time, but his life had changed from that point onwards- His fate sealed, if you believe in such a thing.
It was kind of a rough start. Ben latched onto Kenji whenever they saw one another. At first, it irritated him, always having the shorter boy hanging on to him, but by the end of the second day he was already used to it. By the fifth day, he looked forward to the activities where he saw the other. Sure, they kind of butt heads at times since they're not all that alike, but they always had fun. Until their last day at camp, the two were practically inseparable.
Tim noticed how close they got and made a habit of teasing Kenji, taunting him childish cries of 'Kenji got a girlfriend.’ It annoyed him to no end. During activities, meals, before bed- it never ended. Tim finally laid off after Kenji told Lex, Tim’s older sister who was a junior counselor at the camp, about her brother's antics. The other boy still playfully ribbed him, but he never brought up the ‘girlfriend’ thing again.
To this day, Kenji doesn't know why that comment bothered him so much.
Spending all that time with Ben, Kenji learned many things about the guy- He was the same age as him but was a few months younger, he ate this disgusting thing called ‘carob,’ he knew how to make his own hand sanitizer (which he carries a bottle of everywhere), he easily gets motion sick, and he can’t sleep without his stuffed dinosaur ‘Bumpy.’ Honestly, it shocked Kenji that a kid like him would even go to summer camp. But as the weeks went on, Ben came out of his shell more and more. While Kenji would not say he became outgoing, Ben definitely wasn't as timid as he was when they first met.
Ben also brought Kenji out of his own shell, in a manner of speaking. The taller boy always felt the need to bring up how wealthy his family is, the only thing he felt he could be proud of. Sometimes it wowed others, and other times it put them off. Ben, as far as he could tell, just didn't care. Maybe he just accepted it as part of who Kenji is, not seeing it as his defining quality. He didn't treat him any differently when he first brought it up and the other never complained when he'd slip it into their conversations. The worst Ben would do is roll his eyes at times, but he never told him to quit it. It took a while to get there, but Kenji finally dropped the act and, in his mind, the two got even closer.
It was nice having a friend who wasn't also insanely rich (ie. Tim), especially one who didn't hold it against him. It wouldn't be a stretch to say he and Ben were each other's best friend that summer. They even made friendship bracelets, something that was apparently hilarious, considering Tim's reaction when the pair showed up to lunch with them one day. He pointedly ignored it. Kenji was proud to wear his bracelet- a physical representation of the bond he and Ben would surely share for years to come. Maybe it's corny, but Kenji loved it.
When the final day of camp approached, Ben became dejected and less enthusiastic. It got to the point where Kenji found him crying alone by the docks a few times. But, every time he asked what was wrong, Ben just shrugged him off. Kenji supposed it was because the other was sad about them parting ways after summer. Kenji didn't get why, though. He had every intention to write to him and to see the other boy again the next summer, so it's not like this was going to be goodbye forever.
And yes, write. Writing letters to camp friends is something Kenji always saw in movies and on TV, so he was eager to try it himself. He'd not only write to Ben, but to all of his new friends, so help him. Besides, he wasn't allowed to have a cell phone until his next birthday anyway, so texting and calling were not an option.
Still, Ben being unhappy didn't sit right with Kenji. He had to come up with something to distract him.
While he wracked his brain for a solution, he overheard a couple of junior counselors talking about a cave near camp that glowed at night. Kenji is pretty sure they were talking about it as a 'date spot' for the junior counselors to sneak off to, though he didn't care. All that mattered was that it sounded cool- probably cool enough to distract Ben from the funk he's in.
So, the night before they left for home, Kenji took Ben to that cave. This was no easy feat, considering it wasn’t marked on any map or had any sort of sign leading to it. They stumbled in the dark for about half an hour before Kenji found the thing, Ben holding his arm tightly all the while. At first, he thought he got the place wrong, since it was pitch black inside. After a few minutes of nothing, he was ready to pack it in. All of a sudden, everything was washed in an array of colors. Blues, Greens, Pinks- the cave glowed in pastel and washed over the two boys in it’s soft, ambient light.
Kenji was admiring the lights, immersed completely, when he felt lithe fingers intertwine with his own. He looked next to him and found Ben holding his hand, also enjoying the view. The other boy was taking it all in, his expression one of awe. It occurred to Kenji this was his first time holding someone's hand that wasn't a parent- shaking hands don't count, and he'd done that loads already. He shoved that stray thought away and was glad that Ben was distracted from whatever thoughts he was having earlier.
But as Kenji continued staring at the other, something unpleasant started to creep into his chest.
He couldn't take his eyes off of Ben, and the ache in his chest started to grow more and more. It felt like his heart was hurting. The reality of what the end of summer means for them sets in, and so too did the dread- hating the idea that he wouldn't be seeing his friend again for a long time, if at all. He understands now why Ben was so upset. The idea of sending letters didn't seem enough now. He needed to see him again.
Overcome by all these emotions, Kenji pulled the other into his chest and hugged him for all his worth, knowing it's exactly what the other needed- because it's exactly what Kenji needed.
“W-what? Kenji-”
“Promise me you’ll come back next year.”
“Huh?”
“Promise me. Please. I want to see you again.” Kenji's voice was soft, tears threatening to form from how overwhelmed he was.
Ben went silent, arms to his side. In a way, it reminded him of their first meeting- when Ben didn't respond after Kenji introduced himself. Then after a moment, just like back then, he met him halfway. Skinny arms wrapped around Kenji's waist, and softly, into the taller boy’s chest, Ben replied.
“I promise.”
Kenji hugged him tighter.
The next day, they said ‘Goodbye.'
They promised to write often. They promised to meet again at Camp.
In the end, only Kenji kept his promises.
He received replies to his letters for the first few months or so, but eventually they slowed down, and what he did receive got shorter and shorter. Then, they stopped arriving altogether. Of course, he was disappointed at this development. He figured forgetting to write was normal, since his other new pen-pals from camp also stopped replying over time as well, and much sooner than Ben did, he might add. For some reason, Ben not replying got to him the worst. Kenji loved getting replies from the others, but he had always looked forward to Ben's the most.
Despite the disappointment, letters were no substitute for seeing his friend in person. So he cheered himself up by counting down the days until Summer break came again- when he could see Ben again. They had promised to attend camp the next summer, after all.
Ben wasn’t at camp that summer. Or the next. Or the next.
Kenji wasn't bitter or angry... but he was really looking forward to seeing him again.
A normal person would have just moved on, letting the memories of his camp friend fade away, until one day he couldn't even remember his name- their time spent together a vague memory of his youth. A normal person would have stopped going to camp after he turned fifteen, the cutoff for campers, and never return to that place. A normal person wouldn't have come back to camp as a junior counselor, still clinging to the hope of one day seeing a friend he hasn't seen in ages. A normal person wouldn't have a mantra ingrained into their being, one he repeats every year that this is the year- the year, that maybe, just maybe , his old friend will return- that they'll have that reunion they promised to have years ago.
Maybe Kenji's not a normal person.
He never gave up. Even if it was a long shot, he looked for the other boy every time he returned to camp. He continued to write Ben, even if it was less frequently; on his birthday, during the various holidays, and before Summer break. Even if he never received any back, he wrote the letters anyway. If you asked him why he was so determined to see Ben again, he really couldn't tell you. Of course, he wanted to see his friend again, but for some reason he couldn't explain, he had an ache in him that he knew wouldn't be satisfied until he could see those baby-blue eyes again.
---
Kenji celebrated his seventeenth birthday a week ago- a wholly uneventful affair. Just like the last few birthdays, he celebrated alone- His father isn't even in the country, let alone there in New York to spend the day with him. Heck, not even a phone call to wish him well. The servants always get him a gift, saying it's from his dad, but he's known for years they're just sparing his feelings.
It's whatever.
One thing he does love about his birthday is that it's right before the start of Summer break, something he's looking forward to immensely. School almost kicked his ass this year, with Math and Science almost taking him out entirely. But, just like he always does, he managed to pass everything by the skin of his teeth. 'C's get degrees' and all that.
It’s finally the last day of school, and like everyone else there, he can’t wait to get home and start his vacation. He also can't wait to get away from the pretentious pricks and phony teachers, even if it is just for the summer. Kenji is one to talk, really. Remember how he said he was great at making friends? Well, that streak didn't continue into his high school years. When his usual approach didn't work, he adopted a kind of dude-bro affectation and started to dress the part. Popped collars and shades indoors- real obnoxious. In the end, he became just popular enough to not be an outcast, but not close enough to anyone to consider any of them his friends. The facade unfortunately didn't help at all in the girl department, but it did make the more snotty classmates avoid him altogether- a win, by his standards. Still, his shield also had become his crux.
Again, it's whatever.
The last bell of the day finally rings, and Kenji hightails it out of there faster than he ever has. He hops into his car (that he bought himself for his birthday with his own money doing part-time jobs, thank you), and practically races all the way home.
Once there, he immediately jumps into packing his bag for camp. Sure, he doesn’t leave for another week, but he just can’t wait to get out of here. Besides, it gives him something to do until dinner is ready. His parent's lavish manor has everything he'd ever need, but since they're never home, it's rather lonely. There are always servants bustling around- Geraldo the butler in particular is nosy and prying- but they're not his friends and they certainly weren't his family. His real friends are going to be at camp.
Kenji is no longer of age to attend camp, but that hasn't stopped him from going. No, he started working there as a junior-counselor and having fun taking care of campers. This year, it will be his second time. Unfortunately, it will also be his last time going to camp at all. Next year he’ll be heading off to college (assuming he survives senior year of high school), so he needs his summer free for campus touring and moving. This year is going to be a kind of last hurrah- a farewell to a place he has so many fond memories of.
The sun has almost set when he's finally done with packing. With nothing to do again, he flops onto the floor, bored. The last embers of sunlight enter his picture window and dances on his wall where all his photos are stuck to, drawing his attention to it.
He wanders over and peruses the different snapshots. Very little depict his time in high school. Upon finding the picture he took with Simon Masrani on the set of that dinosaur movie, he smiles sadly, remembering the man had recently died in a freak helicopter accident. There are several with Tim, but none are recent- the older boy had moved away for college last year. There’s a few with his parents, but all of them are from when he was little. He has none with his stepmom. Honestly, most of the pictures he has on the wall are from camp. He has one with Dave and Roxy, the head counselors, taken on his first day as a junior counselor. He has many of the friends he made, and many more of him with the younger kids, having fun and helping them in their activities.
He pulls one off the wall to inspect closer, but doing so makes another that was behind it fall to the ground.
Kenji picks it up and a familiar ache settles in his chest when he sees what it is- A picture of him and Ben. The ends are curled and it's faded a bit, but the image itself remains clear. Kenji, young and smiling brightly despite missing a few teeth, with his arm around Ben’s shoulder. Ben, blushing and with a tight-lipped smile, his arm around Kenji’s midsection. The two boys have a sticker with a cartoon raptor holding a thumbs-up on their uniforms, both of them sweaty and tired but clearly happy. The photo was taken of them after they came in fourth in a kayak race. Despite the ache, Kenji smiles at the memory.
It's then he notices the bracelet they're both wearing in it and suddenly he is sucker punched by the memories the sight of it brings. He outgrew it some time ago, and it now sits in his side-table. Before he realizes he's doing it, he makes his way to the table and goes through it, eventually finding the envelope he stuck the bracelet in. He attempts to slip it on, but it barely makes it past his fingers, let alone over his thumb. He sighs, relenting to the idea it won't fit ever again. Instead of returning it to the table, however, he packs it away in his bag for camp.
'A good luck charm. This is the year. I know it,' he thinks.
A buzz in his pocket breaks him out of his daze. When he checks what it is, he sees it’s a message from his friend Yasmina.
Despite how high school has gone, Kenji actually did make some good friends- Yaz and Sammy. They all met at Camp Cretaceous the year after he met Ben and have gotten along famously. The three have met up there every year since, and having been all the same age, they even all became junior counselors together. The trio have a bit of a reputation at the camp. The kids like them enough, but the adult counselors, however, refer to them as the 'trouble-makers,' or so he hears.
It's not inaccurate. Kenji can be a bit irresponsible, and many times the others are caught up in his mess. Still, that hardly seems like a fair thing to call them, considering how well they do with the kids. It does have a nice ring to it, though.
The screen’s brightness when he opens the message from Yaz is blinding in his near-dark room. Before he reads it, he turns on his table lamp.
Yazzz1: Yo. Gonna see you next week?
Kenji chuckles at her curt way of texting. And if your wondering, yes, she speaks the way she texts.
King_Kon: Duh, of course. I know you’d miss me otherwise. ;)))
Yazzz1: Gross. Anyway, ready for our last year?
King_Kon: You know it! And, is that sentiment I detect? You’re making me sad just thinking about it :’((
Yazzz1: Why do you always add those dumb emojis?? Also, shut up. It’s kind of a big deal.
Kenji considers this. He knows despite her frank and somewhat standoffish demeanor, Yaz is someone who's fiercely loyal and, when you're as close to her as he and Sammy are, extremely caring. It’s her and Sammy's last year attending camp as well, so naturally she must be feeling a bit sad.
Instead of teasing her more, he instead tries to cheer her up.
King_Kon: Yeah... Let’s go out with a bang, yeah? Gonna be the best. summer. ever.
Yazzz1: Geez. I said, ‘kind of,’ you make it sound like we’re dying or something.
He huffs at the snark, but as he's about to respond, he sees she’s typing and lets her finish her message.
Yazzz1: But yeah. This will definitely be a summer to remember.
Kenji smiles. They text back and forth for a while longer, but when his stomach growls, he shoots her a ‘see ya’ and a dozen emojis before he heads downstairs to see if dinner is ready.
---
One week later, after a redeye flight and a two hour bus ride, Kenji stands on the very familiar grounds of Camp Cretaceous. He may no longer feel a thrill when he passes through the comically large wooden gates at the ground’s entrance, but being here always puts him in a good mood. The place looks as well-kept and maintained as the first time he saw it years ago. It’s no surprise; Tim once told him of the large amount of money his Grandpa’s estate pours into this place.
He’s barely able to de-bus before he’s tackled to the ground, startling a few of the other passengers who have to go around them. The giggle and drawled, ‘oops, sorry Kenji,’ that follows could only mean one person- Sammy. Groaning in pain, he greets her.
“Hey, Sammy.”
“Hiya, Kenji. Have you talked to Yaz yet?” She giggles again as she helps him to his feet.
“I kind of just got off the bus. You’re the first person I’ve run into. Or rather, the first person to run into me, if we’re being specific.” The girl, with her friendly Texas drawl, dismisses his comment and continues on.
“Oh, you're fine. Anyway, she’s looking for you. She said she’d be by the Dining Hall.”
“Better not keep her waiting, then. Gonna go put my bag in the cabin first. See ya at orientation?”
“You bet!” She sprints off to greet some other junior-counselors. He doesn’t know where she gets her energy from.
Kenji's gaze wanders as he makes his way to the check-in, scanning the crowds for those baby-blue eyes he’s been dying to see. He typically does a more thorough search during camper orientation and dinner since everyone will be there. Set on that, and knowing Yaz is waiting for him, he picks up his pace.
Checking in is fast and he's quickly on his way to his assigned cabin. This year, he’s in Tank House- though, it’s official name is Ankylosaurus Cabin. If Kenji’s being honest, he still has a hard time pronouncing that. He likes dinosaurs as much as the next guy, but dang, do a lot of them have really long and complicated names. Luckily, everyone here just uses nicknames instead of the official dinosaur ones, though it does cause some confusion for newbies.
Take Pachycephalosaurus Cabin for example. Everyone calls it 'Friar Tuck' house. Do most people even know the story of Robin Hood nowadays? Kenji certainly didn't when he first came here, which made it all the more confusing. That said, Pachycephalosaurus is just hard for a kid to pronounce. Once you learn the nicknames, getting around is much easier.
The ones in charge of the cabin this year are Kenji, another junior counselor (he forgot to check who), and the Cabin Counselor, Owen Grady. He really hopes the other counselor isn't Zach Mitchell, or he might have another incident this year. Where Owen is concerned, Kenji doesn’t dislike him, but from his experience of having been under his care as a camper before, he knows the guy can be kind of odd. He's somewhat socially awkward, but otherwise, he's pretty chill. Kenji isn't sure if Owen is aware of his reputation of being a 'trouble-maker,' but seeing as the camp even allowed him to return, it shouldn't be a problem. Eh, whatever. If he gives Kenji a hard time, it's nothing he can’t handle.
The teen steps into Tank House and sighs contentedly as he takes it in. Their accommodations may be called ‘cabins,’ but they hardly evoke the traditional image of one; this is a state of the art, very well funded camp after all. They're the size of a three bedroom home. Each cabin can hold twelve campers and up to four staff and is equipped with a living area, a kitchenette, and a pantry. All campers and staff get their own beds- no bunks here! Heck, everyone gets their own closets, not some dinky chest or cubby.
No one else but Kenji is here. No Grady, no co-junior counselor, and the campers assigned to them won't even see the place until after orientation. Kenji takes the opportunity to choose his bed and start unpacking his things. He likes staking his claim early, though it's possible a camper might want the same bed and he'd end up switching. He's quick to change into his uniform- a red t-shirt with a cute cartoon Ankylosaurus on the back to reflect his cabin assignment. There’s a little section on the top by the collar to write your name, so Kenji fills that in before he steps in front of the mirror to inspect himself.
Hair coiffed, shirt tucked, chino shorts fresh, and kicks on point. He pulls out a tiny comb and starts to style the hairs that he sports on his chin and upper lip. The girls tease him about his facial hair, but Kenji thinks it makes him look more mature. He winks and shoots finger guns at his reflection. He then goes through his bag until he finds the missing piece of this ensemble: the friendship bracelet he brought from home. Kenji loops the thing through one of his belt buckles, hoping that it won't break off at any point.
He’s finally ready for the first day of camp! His final first day of camp...
Kenji shakes his head as he makes his way to the exit. Just as he’s reaching for the handle, the door swings open on its own. He's startled for a second, but then he sees who it is.
Standing in the doorway, in a uniform similar to his own, is Ben.
Kenji’s jaw goes slack.
The other has grown quite a bit since he last saw him, taller and a lot less baby fat, but his blue eyes and red cheeks are almost exactly as he remembers them. He’s still shorter than Kenji, but considering he's a whopping six-foot-three, no surprise there. The guy must be five-eight or so now- not that tall, but not short. Good, Kenji thinks. Some of his fondest memories are of his old friend looking up at him, happily.
Why that is, Kenji couldn't tell you.
As Ben returns his gaze, a flash of… something crosses his expression before it's gone. What that was, Kenji couldn't guess.
It's almost surreal. Kenji had dreamt of this moment for years. He’s thought about what he’d say to his old friend, whether he’d be happy or upset or both, whether he'd hug him or kick him- but any words or plans he might have had prepared disappear into thin air. He's smiling, despite himself. All he can think of, all he can manage to say as he's looking at Ben, is-
“Hello.”
Concepts!
