Chapter Text
“Another glorious summer at Camp Wannahawkaloogie!”
Kihyun lashes out without looking, smacking the back of his hand into Jooheon’s chest. “That’s not the name,” he warns, eyes remaining fixed at the front of the room where Hyunwoo and Sojung are conversing in low voices – no doubt rehearsing their welcome speech. The two make an odd pair, what with Hyunwoo's eagle height and Sojung's much smaller size, but Sojung's volume and attitude make up for the discrepancies being their heights, and that's really all that matters. The camp counsellors have voted them in at the heads for three years now, present year included, and not just because they're the most popular.
Oh Kihyun's other side, a body sags into his, and he turns his head to offer Minhyuk a smile. On his other side, looking drowsy despite her venti of what smells like an orange mocha frappechino, Luda offers him a small smile and lazy salute.
"Survivor Man," she greets. "We miss anything?"
Kihyun shakes his head. "Sojung just got here. She had to go pick up a new counsellor, and they were running late." At Luda's look of interest, he gestures to a new addition to their ranks, easy to pick out by the way she's standing off to the side on her own. "Lee Jinsook. Apparently, she's also Sojung's cousin."
Luda edges around Minhyuk and Kihyun, thumping them both on the back on passing. "A relative of Sojung's is a friend of mine!" The two boys watch her go, Minhyuk leaning a little heavier into Kihyun's side in disbelief as they watch Luda break the ice and befriend the girl.
"You did that on purpose," Minhyuk accuses after a moment, no heat to his words.
Kihyun just grins. "Your sister is easy." At Minhyuk's noise of indignation and before the male can go off on how his sister is anything but, Kihyun elbows him to the side and gestures to the front where Hyunwoo is trying to get the attention of the room.
At his side, Sojung watches with amusement, waiting until Hyunwoo shoots her a look of exasperation before she steps up, hands cupping her mouth for added volume. "Wannahawkaloogie camp counsellors! Cease with the talking and turn your attention to the head counsellors!" Predictably enough, the conversations stop, and Sojung grins, victorious, and as her hands fall back to her side, she adds a much more muted, "Thank you."
Hyunwoo just looks....done. And really, it's a shame considering this is their first official day on the job. "You can't call it that," he says, mostly to Sojung, although his eyes shift between various people in the gathered audience. Jooheon is among them.
"Welcome to Wanner Hauk's Summer Youth Camp!" Kihyun and Minhyuk both snort into their hands when a muted Wannahawkaloogie comes from Kihyun's side, courtesy of one Lee Jooheon.
"Campers will be arriving shortly, so this is just a debriefing meeting before they get here. Any and all questions should be brought to Sojung or I, and if we can't figure it out, we'll contact someone else. Your cabins have all been assigned and can be found in the packets you picked up when you entered. Each cabin will have between six and ten youth inside, females with females and males with males, and it is you're job to ensure everyone is in by the end of the night. Your packets will detail the rules and regulations..."
Kihyun does take his eyes from Hyunwoo as he lifts his packet and pretends to flip through it. He already knows his cabin number, and he's heard this exact same speech twice already, and has most of it memorized. Being located close to the back allows him a chance to furtively sweep the crowd, and when he realizes a couple of their friends are still missing, nudges Jooheon and Minhyuk with his elbows.
Minhyuk shifts from where he's lounging against Kihyun's side, his head tilting so that is face is no longer pressed into the crook of Kihyun's neck. He doesn't speak, but like Jooheon at his other side, eyes also on Hyunwoo, he knows they're listening. His friends are the best.
"Where's Hoseok and Changkyun?"
Minhyuk snorts, pressing his face back into the crook of Kihyun's neck. "Who the fuck knows. Your boyfriend can't be on time to save his life, and your child is probably with him."
Jooheon snorts, but Kihyun can see the way he sneakily pulls out his phone and opens a new message. Still, it doesn't stop him from flushing and elbowing Minhyuk in the side. "He is not my boyfriend."
"Your pseudo lesbian lover, then," Jooheon says without looking away from Hyunwoo. How he can shoot off a text without looking at his phone is both admirable and alarming. "You know, the one you also make out with and probably bump uglies with. Which means he's probably more like a lesbian lover. Minus the lesbian part."
Kihyun's face turns an alarming shade of red, and he's pretty sure he's about to pop a vein or have an aneurism. Both would be preferred to this, he's sure.
"He's running late," Jooheon says a moment later. "Changkyun and Dayoung didn't have a ride. Theirs bailed, so Hoseok texted Hyunwoo and that he'd pick them up. Kyun says they hit traffic and got stuck behind a funeral procession."
Minhyuk stiffens against Kihyun's side. "That's ominous."
Jooheon shrugs. "They'll be here in about five minutes. Luck them, they'll arrive before the campers, but still miss most of the speech. Lucky dogs."
Kihyun snorts, attention turning back to the front where Sojung is adding in her two cents worth. "...meals are listed in the packet as well, and like previous years, everyone will come down when their period end or when they have time. If you're away from camp on a hike or nature program, either plan to be back for meals or take your own..."
Kihyun tunes out again, focus shifting back to the crowd. At the front, Hyungwon and Cheng Xiao are leaning into one another, coffees in one hand and packets in the other. Also in front, looking too awake for this early morning, Jiyeon is watching their leaders with attentive detail, nodding along ever so often. At her side, and a stark contrast, Mei Qi looks half asleep and in need of a thermos of coffee. In the middle, Hyunjung, Dawon, and Juyeon have gathered, talking amongst themselves and likely sharing their cabin numbers and seeing if any of the girls in their cabins attended the year before. Close by, Hyunseong, Jeongmin, and Minwoo look like they're doing the same. As some of the oldest, they've also been in came the longest, and it's likely they've known the returning kids for three or four years now. Off to their right, Luda and Jinsook are in quiet discussion as Luda flips through Jinsook's packet and points out the more important points as Hyunwoo and Sojung brush on them, and likely those they don't or won't.
It's familiar and heartwarming, it reminds Kihyun of why he's done this for so long now.
As the minutes pass and Hyunwoo and Sojung draw their welcome speech to a close, two arms slip around Kihyun's waist and draw him back against a broad chest, ignoring the way Minhyuk protests and pulls away. Kihyun goes without hesitation, pliant and relaxed in the arms. The scent of vanilla and white flowers wreath around him, and Kihyun takes a deep breath before sighing. "You're late."
Hoseok laughs softly, pressing a close-mouth kiss to the soft spot beneath Kihyun's ear before he rests his chin on the other's shoulder, peering at Hyunwoo and Sojung with idle curiosity. "Kyun's dad had to go in to work late last night and wasn't back this morning. He and Dayoung needed a lift, and I was close. Did I miss anything important?"
"No," Kihyun says, shifting in Hoseok's arms to make himself more comfortable. He ignores Minhyuk's and Jooheon's pointed looks and taps the hand that sits on his abdomen to get Hoseok's attention again. "What cabin are you?"
"Twenty," Hoseok murmurs into Kihyun's ear, humming thoughtfully. "I'm at the far end of the ground this time."
"Lucky you, it means you're no longer a liability. I'm in nineteen."
Hoseok perks, and Kihyun tries not to laugh, "Lucky us, you mean. We're neighbors this year."
Kihyun hums an agreement, grinning as Hoseok presses another kiss below his ear. "That's right, get it all out now before the kids arrive. No touching and kissing when they're around." Hoseok's voice is a soft whine of protest, but Kihyun ignores it as he pulls free of his arms. "It doesn't matter if they won't care. They're our responsibility first, you know it." Kihyun grabs Hoseok's hand to tug him along, gesturing to the front of the group where Hyunwoo and Sojung are passing out papers with cabin information and the campers as well as the information for their courses and who all signed on for the special activities. "Come on, let's go see which terrors were going to scare in the woods this year."
Hoseok laughs, and Kihyun smiles, and together they head to where Jooheon, Minhyuk, and the others have crowded around Hyunwoo. With only an hour before campers arrive, there's still a little to do to prepare and make them feel welcome.