This World is too Cruel to Men

With graduation over, I thought all that was left was to relax and wait for high school to start.

Unfortunately, the world wouldn’t leave me alone.

As the weather got colder, I gave up my regular exercise routine, burrowed under the covers, and spent my days peeling tangerines.

I was watching a movie on my computer when my phone suddenly started buzzing.

At first, I ignored it, assuming it was another cold wave warning or some other disaster alert…

That was the beginning.

The buzzing continued relentlessly, grating on my nerves.

I tried to focus on the movie, but the incessant noise made it impossible.

Finally, I grabbed my phone to see what the commotion was about… A bright red notification icon was dangling from the messenger app.

“What is it?”

And the source of the notification was none other than…

A newly created group chat.

“Figures…”

That explained the phone’s tantrum.

So, what was this group chat for?

I typed a question into the chat, but no one answered.

They were too busy chattering amongst themselves.

I was about to leave the chat, like any sane person would, when—

I finally learned the purpose of the group chat.

Camping.

I knew the person who created this chat was prone to impulsive ideas, but this was ridiculous.

It was winter, not summer.

Going camping on a whim in this weather?

We could literally freeze to death.

I had zero intention of going.

My warm blanket was already comfortably wrapped around me; why would I leave this cozy haven to suffer in the cold?

And more importantly—

“Do we even have any equipment?”

If we didn’t have equipment… we’d have to buy or borrow some.

But we were all broke high school freshmen-to-be, so buying was out of the question.

Borrowing would be expensive.

So, I had absolutely no intention of going… but seeing my poor friend so blinded by the romantic notion of camping, completely ignoring the hardships involved, I decided to intervene and bring him back to reality.

I cautiously voiced my concerns.

Surprisingly, it seemed like they were well-prepared.

I’d heard that Jinho’s aunt or someone ran a campground.

Maybe she had offered it as a graduation gift, allowing them to use it?

“Wait a minute…”

They were trying to rope me in as their personal chef.

Well… if they had camping equipment and warm indoor accommodations, as Jinho claimed, I wouldn’t be completely opposed to the idea.

And cooking wouldn’t be a problem.

Of course, cooking outdoors was vastly different from cooking indoors, but… they did have indoor accommodations.

If things got tough, I could just “Run” inside and cook there.

“…Hmm? This might not be so bad after all?”

A trip with close friends to make some memories before high school wouldn’t be the worst thing.

Jinho was probably thinking the same thing.

Staying home and relaxing was nice, but it was good to get some fresh air and sunshine every now and then.

Of course, I wasn’t going to agree immediately.

They were clearly trying to exploit me as their cook—

“I don’t mind cooking, but…”

Cooking ‘and’ dishwashing?

That was a bit much.

I had requested exemption from dishwashing to avoid being saddled with all the chores.

Thankfully, my request was smoothly accepted.

Jinho ended up volunteering to take on the dishwashing duties.

Now, they wanted me to ask Yun-Seo if she wanted to go.

What was she doing that she wasn’t even checking her messages?

“…Is she sleeping?”

I agreed and called Yun-Seo.

After a few rings, the dial tone clicked off, and a sleepy voice drifted through the phone speaker.

-“Hello…?”

“Were you sleeping?”

-“Yeah…”

“I thought you might have secretly flown overseas or something.”

-“What are you talking about…?”

“Well, it’s daytime here, but it sounds like midnight where you are. That’s practically a US-level time difference.”

-“…What do you want?”

Normally, she would have started snapping at me the moment I began teasing her, but her weak, sleepy reply suggested she was truly exhausted.

-“So, what’s up?… Haa…”

“Nothing much… Just wondering if you’d like to go camping.”

-“…What? Go where?”

“Camping. Camping.”

*****

Yun-Seo had been half-asleep just moments ago, but the word “camping” jolted her awake.

It was as if a switch had flipped in her brain.

One minute her eyes were drooping, the next she was wide awake.

“Camping?”

So suddenly?

From the perspective of someone who had just woken up, this was the most unexpected proposition ever… which made it all the more exciting.

Honestly, it felt like a godsend.

“Could it be…?”

Just the two of us?

They were both still middle school “small fries,” so realistically, that scenario was impossible.

But she couldn’t help but entertain the thought

“Just the two of us…”

They would pitch a tent, build a bonfire, and sit in front of it on folding chairs.

As the firewood crackled in the flames, they would sip warm tea… It would be incredibly romantic.

And as the mood grew more intimate…

She felt her face flush.

-“It’s happening if you’re going.”

Dokgun’s words, echoing from the phone speaker, shattered her sweet fantasy.

She already knew it was unlikely to happen, so the disappointment wasn’t too crushing.

She just felt a pang of regret.

“Who else is going?”

That was the important question.

-“Jinho’s going, you know him, right?”

“Ah, the one you’re always bantering with?”

-“Whatever… Anyway, it’s him, me, and Myung-Uk, so three guys… Let’s see, for girls…”

Yun-Seo’s ears perked up.

She’d been successfully blocking Dokgun’s advances so far, but she wasn’t about to let her guard down.

Especially not during an event like camping, which was practically designed to soften hearts.

-“Sanga and Chae-Dam, I think that’s it.”

Fortunately, the lineup put her at ease.

She could trust those two.

They both had their own crushes.

“And me, so three girls? That makes six in total?”

-“Yep.”

“What about expenses? Even if we sleep in tents, we’ll need other equipment for cooking and stuff.”

-“I heard Jinho’s aunt owns a campground, and she said we could use the equipment and a pension for free.”

“Really? That means it won’t cost much.”

-“Probably not… I think we just need to buy food.”

“Then I’m in.”

Truthfully, she had already decided to go the moment she heard the word “camping.”

It was a chance to escape her everyday environment and experience something new.

And if she played her cards right, she could shed her “friend” image and make Dokgun see her in a different light.

Maybe even make his heart flutter.

“But to do that…”

It seemed like she had a lot more to prepare than she initially thought.

***

Everyone agreed, and the money started to come in.

Somehow, I ended up being the treasurer. It was a bit of a hassle, but I decided to be positive.

“It’s better than…”

“…having to deal with these kids mismanaging the money.”

It was less troublesome to handle it myself.

Thanks to Jinho’s aunt’s generous offer of free equipment and lodging, the only expenses were transportation to the campground and food for two days.

We took an express bus to the campground.

Our parents had offered to drive us, but these kinds of trips were best enjoyed with friends on a bus or train.

As soon as we arrived at the town where the campground was located—

“Let’s go grocery shopping first, shall we?”

We headed straight to the mart to fill our light hands with provisions.