For a second, no one moved at all.
They had gone far enough into the forest.
Far enough that no one from the camp could see them.
Far enough that they didn't have to think too much about what they were doing.
"…So?" Kai said, looking around at the dark trees. "We just… stand here now?"
Chen glanced down at the empty bottles in their hands.
"…Throw them," he said simply. "Then we go back to the tent."
Kai didn't wait for anyone else.
He stepped back, lifted one bottle high, and threw it with all his strength —
too hard.
The bottle disappeared into the darkness.
A sharp crack echoed faintly somewhere in the distance.
"…Subtle," Chen said dryly.
"Very subtle," Dev added with a small shake of his head.
Rui snorted softly, trying not to laugh too loudly.
"Your turn," Kai said, already grinning widely as he looked at Rui.
Rui took the second bottle.
He held it carefully, like it suddenly mattered a lot.
He aimed for a moment —
then hesitated.
"…What if it hits someone?" he asked, sounding genuinely worried.
"Who?" Kai replied with a laugh. "A ghost?"
Rui frowned immediately.
"…Don't say that. It's creepy."
"Then just throw it already," Kai urged.
Rui threw the bottle.
Not very far.
But far enough.
It landed with a dull, muffled sound somewhere among the trees.
"…Perfect," Dev said, nodding once.
Kai shook his head in disbelief. "That was so weak."
"At least I didn't try to kill someone with it," Rui shot back.
They all laughed.
Not loud.
Not completely out of control.
Just… easier and lighter than before.
Kai dropped down onto the forest floor, still laughing as he sat.
Rui followed and sat down right beside him.
Dev leaned back against a tree, letting out a long exhale.
Chen stayed standing for a while.
He watched them once.
Then he relaxed his shoulders slightly.
Jian stood a little apart from the group.
Wei stayed quiet, standing a short distance away as well.
Then —
Kai suddenly froze.
"…Wait," he said.
No one reacted right away.
Kai sat up slowly, looking uncomfortable.
"…I need to pee."
Silence fell over the group.
Rui burst out laughing immediately.
"Now?" he asked, still laughing.
"When else?" Kai shot back defensively. "I can't hold it forever."
"Just hold it for a little longer," Rui said.
"I can't."
Dev rubbed his face with both hands. "You should've gone before we left the tent."
"I didn't know we were going to commit crimes tonight," Kai replied.
Chen exhaled loudly, clearly losing patience.
"…Just go," he said. "But not here. Go somewhere else."
Kai stood up a little unsteadily.
"…Where is 'not here' exactly?" he asked, looking around.
"Anywhere that's not where we're all standing right now," Chen answered.
Kai looked around in every direction.
Everything looked the same in the darkness.
"…This is all just trees," he muttered.
Rui laughed again, louder this time.
"Just pick one tree. It's not that deep into the forest."
"It feels deep," Kai muttered as he walked a few steps away.
Then he stopped.
Then turned back toward the group.
"…Don't look."
"No one is looking," Chen said calmly.
Everyone was looking.
"STOP LOOKING!" Kai shouted in a loud whisper.
That only made it worse.
Rui leaned back, covering his face with both hands and laughing harder.
Dev shook his head slowly, amused.
Even Chen turned away, clearly done with the whole situation.
Jian didn't react much.
But he stepped slightly to the side.
Giving Kai more space.
Wei had already turned his back without being asked.
"…Hurry up," Chen said, his voice impatient.
"I'm trying!" Kai replied.
A short pause followed.
"…This is weird," Kai muttered.
"Then don't talk while you're doing it," Dev said.
"I can't focus if you guys are talking."
"No one is talking," Dev pointed out.
"You just did."
Rui lost it again, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
"…Shut up," Kai muttered under his breath.
A few seconds passed in awkward silence.
Then —
"…Okay, done."
Kai walked back to the group like nothing had happened.
"…That never happened," he added quickly.
"It definitely did," Rui said, still grinning.
"You saw nothing."
"We saw everything," Dev replied.
"I hate all of you," Kai declared.
"Mutual," Chen replied dryly.
The laughter softened again.
It was no longer loud.
Just… lingering warmly in the air.
They stood there for a moment longer.
Breathing.
Settling.
Letting the night wrap around them.
Then —
Wei's voice came quietly.
"…Guys."
It cut through the moment gently.
They all looked up at him.
Kai was still half-smiling.
Rui was mid-laugh.
Dev looked relaxed.
Chen stayed calm.
Jian remained quiet.
Wei lifted something small in his hand.
A small camera.
No warning at all.
Click.
The sound was soft.
But it stayed with them.
"…Did you just—" Kai started, surprised.
Wei lowered the camera slightly.
"…Yeah," he said simply.
Rui smiled, still amused. "Why did you do that?"
Wei looked at all of them for just a second.
"…Just like this," he answered quietly. "I wanted to remember it."
No one argued with him.
Kai leaned back again, striking a pose.
"…Make sure I look cool in it."
"You don't," Chen said flatly.
"That hurts," Kai replied, pretending to be wounded.
"It should," Chen added.
A few quiet laughs followed.
Then —
stillness returned.
Not empty.
Not heavy.
Just… full.
And somewhere inside that quiet, warm moment —
without any of them realizing it —
this night had already begun to become something else.
Something they would remember long after the bottles were gone.