Failure = Success

“Follow you? No offense, I love you, but you’re just about the last person I trust in the wilderness,” the brunette giggled, happily being pulled to her feet. Evie was happy to spend time with her most comfortable of friends. She followed him closely, keeping one of his hands in her own as they walked. The other reached up to grasp his bicep, eyes flicking up to G. “This is extremely unfair and I feel like you’re leading me to my death! Do I get even one hint?” she asked, eyes back on where they were navigating. It was dark and she just really hoped that G knew what he was doing - the tightened grasp on his hand was indicative of that. 

“Wow, that’s hurtful.” Ji-Ho teased and laughed. “I’ve already been to where I’m taking you, so the path isn’t completely unknown.” He could feel her grip on him tighten. “And I have a flashlight.” He added before taking out a small flashlight from his pocket and turning it on to illuminate what was ahead of them. It was still pretty dark but the flashlight helped and he hoped it put her more at ease. “We’re going to test out an app I’ve been working on.” G held the flashlight between his teeth for a moment as he dug his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her. “Open up Star Chart. That’s your hint.” He said after holding his flashlight back in his hand. Star Chart is an app he was asked to assist on that tells you what you’re looking at in the sky based on your location. He felt like stargazing would be a perfect opportunity to see the app in action but also something Evie would enjoy and he just wanted to spend some time with a close friend.

closed starter for @prkjiho· | July 1st | stargazing 

after successfully setting up the tent that she’d be sharing with one of the other pact members, evie was pretty parched. the fire was lit, dinner was made, and the group was beginning to discuss a variety of things. she sat beside the fire, sipping on some water. it wasn’t insanely hot, but she knew she needed to keep herself hydrated in the desert. it was nice to be in surroundings similar to arizona. perhaps it was a bit comforting. she looked up as ji-ho approached, raising a brow before reaching up to take each of his hands. “what’s up, g?” evie asked softly, eyes meeting his. if anything would add to the comfort of the desert, it was ji-ho park. 

A good portion of the day was spent setting up tents and making sure they had all the necessary supplies, and talking about who was sleeping where. After his tent was set up G explored the campgrounds a bit and made some friendly conversation with some other campers who gave him tips on the area. One of the tips was where the best spots to stargaze that wasn’t exactly advertised to visitors. Now that the sun was set and everyone was eating or had just eaten dinner and are lounging around the fire, he thought this would be the perfect time to take Evie to this stargazing spot. “Follow me,” He grinned, pulling her up to her feet. “I want to show you something.” He started leading her away from camp. “And don’t ask what it is. It’s a surprise.”

Austen continued to shovel fries into her mouth, pausing to meet Ji-Ho’s eyes with a little smile. Would she usually know more about what was goin on? Sure. But there were things she was finding out that weren’t wholly appropriate to tell G. Right? “I agree - sometimes the beach just feels so good… maybe I’ll stay,” the redhead hummed, picking up another fry. “Is that the best part? I feel like you need a fully unplugged break. Maybe I’ll have to fit one of those in for you this summer. “ Austen usually would’ve probably gotten into some sort of trouble at this point, but she’d been relatively tame. “I mean, I’ve heard a few things, but nothing directly involving me,” she cooed, touching her chest. “ But - and you have to pretend you don’t know this if it ever comes up - did you know that Shiloh and Alfie are fucking? It’s wild to me.”

Ji-Ho held up a finger and gave her a stern look. “Don’t even joke about going off the grid to me.” He said as serious as he could but his stern expression soon broke as his lips curled into a smile. Going off the grid wasn’t something he would do, he always had to at least have his cell phone. The longest he went without his laptop was two days, and that was because he left it back in his Boston apartment during a weekend trip to New York in the early years of MIT. Their food arrived and G licked his lips, his stomach quietly growling as it knew it was about to be full. “Oh, I’m glad I’m not the only one who knows.” He said nonchalantly, grabbing his Banzai burger and taking a bite. “She told me during the bonfire.” He said, covering his mouth with a napkin as it was still half full.

“No, no, Park Jiho. Don’t be modest now. Next class this summer, you’re gonna be there– front and center.” The tease is irresisitible.

A summer romance. Even the suggestion makes her heart skip a few beats. She might even sigh a little into her beer. A summer romance?? That’s right up Winnie’s alley. And G’s right. Two months isn’t a very long time. She could be catching lightning in a bottle for this next little stretch, but if she doesn’t say anything…? Time wasted.

“You’re right. I probably should say something.” A beat, and she points a manicured nail in his direction. “I know you didn’t say I should, but the implication is still there, ergo you’re right.”

“You saw me dance at the bonfire. You really want me front and center during a class.” G laughs knowing she’s just teasing him.

Addison smiled over at G when he told her that she didn’t need to worry about her figure before watching him come over with the plate of pancakes and the plates and silverware they were going to use. “It looks like a lot, but if the others aren’t up, then they can’t be mad if we eat all of the food,” she replied with a laugh as she grabbed the other plate and began placing some of the food upon it. “Thanks for cooking breakfast with me, G. I enjoyed it,” the female said as her brown hues turned to look over at him briefly before continuing to fix her plate of food. Once she finished making her plate, Addison placed it upon the counter and grabbed a fork for her eggs. “My mom used to make scrambled eggs with cheese in them, and they were the best things ever,” she reminisced as a soft chuckle left her lips before taking a bite of the eggs that she had prepared. 

“In them?” Ji-Ho questioned, raising a brow as he put butter and then syrup on his pancakes. “I put cheese on my eggs sometimes but not in them. Omelettes is one thing I’m not great at making. They always come out messy.” He chuckled, putting the syrup back in the center with everything else. “Thanks for joining me for an early surf session and sticking around for breakfast. We should do this again soon.”

“ i would love some taekwondo lessons, actually. i’ve been itching to try something new lately! i took some self defense classes at penn state, but i’m sure that’s nowhere near the same thing, “ she replied with a laugh. shiloh quirked an eyebrow at her friend as she got into position to defend the goal. her eyes followed his movements, but her feet stayed planted. though the goal wasn’t that big, she didn’t want to leave it open much for ji-ho to score. she watched as he took a shot and got ready to attempt a stick save. her stick darted out towards the puck at the last second – a second too late. the deflection from her stick sent the puck searing into the goal. she groaned, twirling from the goal to face ji-ho. “ you so got lucky. “

“You’re lucky, I’m one belt shy away from being able to be a real instructor. I can give you some lessons while we’re here. Just don’t blame me if you get hurt.” Ji-Ho lifted his stick to point at her. When he took his shot he wasn’t expecting to actually score, his hands raised up in triumph not even caring if she let him score. “Lucky, or I’m just that talented.” He laughed. “I owe it all to my great coach.”

Looking ahead, Alfie nodded in agreement: not crashing was always a plus, and judging by that sink hole it could have been a lot worse. “Yeah, lets get the hell out of here.” Alfie added as he reopened the car door no longer in mood for their little adventure after all the excitement that had just occurred. The road ahead was cracked and hardly drivable leaving them no choice anyway. Once they were safely inside, Alfie started up the ‘stang taking a moment to compose himself before pulling a u-turn and heading back towards the house. He sighed keeping his eyes fixed on the road, “I’m going to need a drink after this.”

Ji-Ho silently got into the car and put his seatbelt on. He was meditating, keeping all thoughts of panic at bay. He was only pulled back to reality when he heard Alfie’s voice. “You and me both.” G laughed. “I hope everyone is okay.” He whispered and looked out the window. 

“the summer heat in new york? it’s so much better than it is here. i mean, the one downside is all of the concrete soaks in the heat, but it’s less hot than it is in california,” roman cooed softly. he bit down on his bottom lip - eventually he was going to have to come clean to his friends. how long could he keep up the act?

“But it’s more humid. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t complain about humidity, Chicago and Boston can get pretty bad with that.” Ji-Ho shrugged.·“I’ll just visit whenever you have a part in a Broadway show that I’m dying to see. That sounds like a better plan.”

Blonde head shakes back and forth, immediately. “Definitely not.” She didn’t like Austen in high school, even subconsciously. There might’ve been one girl she was inappropriately and unconsciously attracted to back then, but it hadn’t been the redhead.

Not that Austen hadn’t been cute in her own way back then, but no. Just no.

Now though? Well, obviously, things have changed.

“This is a new development, and I haven’t really thought about telling her. Maybe I should. No clue what she’d think about it thought.

Winnie takes a long sip of her beer before pointing a finger across the table at Jiho. “You are special, Park Jiho. Don’t ever let me hear you say differently.” She winks. “Next class, I’ll make sure you get your invitation.”

“I’m not saying you have to tell her. But if you want a summer romance, you might as well. Otherwise you might spend the next two months wondering the what if’s” Ji-Ho takes another drink as she talks.

“I can’t imagine that a server wouldn’t recommend a beer with a burger, honestly,” Austen spoke, her mind wandering to a time when she was at a bar and the server scoffed at her for drinking a redbull vodka with her burger. In her eyes, there wasn’t anything wrong with it, but in certain places? A craft beer was expected with such food. Especially in Portland. Austen nodded happily when he decided on a beer with the waitress. Her stomach growled a little as they talked, thankful once the woman walked away and her friend gave her permission to eat. Unlike G, Austen just reached forward and took a fry, tossing it into her mouth. Humming, she bounced happily in her seat. “Oh my god, they’re perfect,” she cooed, sipping her water before looking to her friend. “Catch me up on things in the house. How are you feeling? Anything fun?”

Ji-Ho smiled at Austen as she did a little happy dance as soon as she started to eat. He was just glad that she was still enjoying herself and that they were able to just hang out separate from everyone else. “I feel like you would know more about what’s going on.” He chuckled. “I’m feeling good, better than when I first got here. You know, it’s not that bad. I’m enjoying surfing, running on the beach is different than running in the city. It’s a nice change of scenery.” G popped a fry in his mouth and ate it before speaking again. “And the best part is I can still work and when every one else is out or sleeping, it’s easy to do. And you? What crazy shenanigans have you been up to?”

Addison turned over to face him and smiled when he told her goodnight and to have sweet dreams. She was exhausted, but she wasn’t really sure if she would be able to sleep peacefully tonight due to the intensity of the night’s events; however, she felt much better being in the same room with the male and not alone in her own bed with the others. “Goodnight, G. Sweet dreams,” the female responded back before turning over to get in a more comfortable position. Addison closed her eyes and felt her body relax even more before slumber took over her body completely. She was surprised that she had fallen asleep so quickly, but she embraced it and allowed the sleep to take over her body and cause dreams to fill her mind. 

“Ah bummer, I guess I missed out on those, but yes please. I would love to try them the next time that you cook some,” Addison responded with a grin as she stirred the eggs a bit more before turning off the burner and putting them on the plate that contained the bacon. “I completely agree. My mom used to fix it all of the time while growing up, and it’s just been my favorite ever since. It’s just an easy yet delicious meal that almost everyone enjoys” she said as she double checked the stove to make sure that the burners were off because she didn’t want the house to burn down on their watch before setting the plate down on the island where they would be sitting to eat. “This is very true. I might have to start doing that because it’s definitely better than eating out every night. I need to maintain my figure,” the female stated teasingly before making her way over to one of the stools. “This looks absolutely delicious!” Addison cooed. 

Ji-Ho quietly laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry about your figure.” He shook his head and placed the last pancake on the serving plate. He brought over the last of the food over to the island as well as a couple of plates and some silverware. “I’m starving, I hope I made enough. You know if the others come by they might take some.” G sat on one of the bar stools and started to get his own plate together. “Let’s dig in before that happens.”

“that does make sense! like… i’ll probably have a different view of the city than someone who was born and raised there. it makes total sense. i have different favorite places and different views on the most amazing things,” roman agreed, another smile spreading onto his cheeks. at ji-ho’s next words, roman nearly joked on his own spit but managed to keep a (mostly) straight face. he nodded, “oh, of course. you can see the dressing room i share with a trillion other people.” he nodded, “of course we will. it’s hard to visit new york and not have a good time.”

“Good, it’s settled then. Maybe next summer I’ll visit.” Ji-Ho grinned, “Or a holiday weekend. I don’t know if I want to deal with the summer heat in New York.” 

Addison accepted his hand that he had held out for her and followed him back to his room where she sat upon his bed once again. She watched him rummage through his drawers before her brown hues landed on the t-shirt and shorts that he had found. The female grabbed them from him before peering up at him as he stated that he was going to go and get some water and ice. “Okay, G,” Addison replied softly as she remained seated on the mattress until he exited the room and closed the door behind him.

She slowly got up from the bed and slipped the dress off of her body and watched as it pooled around her feet as it slid down her. The femme stepped out of the material and slipped on the t-shirt and shorts where the male’s scent was present upon the fabric. A small smile danced upon her features as she brought the shirt up to her nose for a few seconds as she took in the scent once more. The shirt was a bit baggy on her and she had to roll the waistband of the shorts a bit, but it was much better than having to sleep in the dress that was starting to irritate her skin. Addison sat back down on the bed and rubbed her head softly while waiting for him to return.

Her head immediately turned towards the door once she heard his voice and cleared her throat. “Yeah, it’s safe to come in, G,” she answered as she watched him walk through the door a few seconds later and offered him a soft smile. The dark haired female watched as he set the water bottle and ice pack down upon the nightstand and took in his entirety. Addison didn’t really know a lot of people who would have been there for her like G had, and she was grateful that the male was in her life. “I don’t think so. Thank you for everything tonight,” she said as she peered up at him before taking in her lesser lip between her teeth slightly. Addison figured that she should get some sleep and that he was most likely tired too. She stood up from the bed and pushed some of her hair out of her face while staring at him. The female wanted to kiss his cheek to show her appreciation for him being there for her, but she refrained from doing so in fear of crossing a line or making him uncomfortable. Instead, Addison made her way over to the other bed and started pulling the covers down in order to climb inside. She settled upon the pillows and took a deep breath as her body instantly relaxed against the mattress. “You mean a lot to me, I hope you know that,” the female whispered while grabbing the ice pack to place upon her arm that was starting to form the bruise. 

Ji-Ho nodded after she said she didn’t think she needed anything else, “It’s not a problem. Let’s just get some rest.” He walked over to his own bed, they crossed paths as she went to the other bed. Laying comfortably now he was about to turn off the light on his nightstand when he heard Addison speak again. Propped up on his elbow, he looked over at her with a small smile. It was nice to hear those words leave her lips and he could admit that she meant a lot to him too but held back instead. “Good night Addison.” He spoke softly. “Sweet dreams.” He rolled over and turned off the light. G didn’t know how long he laid in the darkness but it took some time to fall asleep. His body was exhausted but his mind was racing.

shiloh chuckled, nodding her head along with ji-ho’s words. “ okay, okay, i get it, you were super busy in high school with other things and that’s why you’re the genius you are today. – but you’d think with taking taekwondo, you’d have a little more balance out here, “ she added with a sly grin. she skated over to the front of the goal, turning on her heel to face ji-ho and pointed to a puck off to the side of him. “ now you’re gonna’ try to score on me. “

“I have plenty of balance, but it’s not the same being on ice,” Ji-Ho defended himself, his tone remaining playful. “These are completely different. Maybe I’ll give you some Taekwondo lessons since you’re so graciously teaching me some hockey skills.” He smiled and gave her a little bow. He skated to the puck she pointed at and raised his brows when she mentioned scoring on her. “Well that doesn’t seem fair.” He laughed a little and sighed. “Here goes nothing.” G started to skate, his mind playing through different ways to get the puck passed her and into the net. He made his shot, possibly too soon, as he watched the puck slide across the ice toward her.

“This is very true. I need to start cooking more often because eating take out the majority of the week isn’t doing me any good,” Addison responded with a light laugh as her attention remained on the eggs that she was beginning to scramble. She listened to him answer her question and nodded her head softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had rice bowls, but they sound delicious,” the female stated as she glanced over at him with a smile while pondering the question that he had asked. “I cook some amazing spaghetti and meatballs. It’s my favorite meal,” Addison replied as the thought alone made her mouth water. “It’s kind of hard to cook for just one person,” she added as she glanced back at the pan where the eggs looked scrambled and ready to go. 

“I made Korean beef rice bowls the first day I got here. I’m sure I’ll make more throughout the summer. I’ll make sure you get some next time.” Ji-Ho nodded, taking the next pancake off the stove and starting another one. He turned the burner to the bacon off as it was done and he set that on a one half of a plate with a napkin on it to soak up excess grease. “Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic.” He moved the plate with the bacon toward her so she could put the eggs on it when they were done. “It can be, but if you don’t mind leftovers you can always cook for two and then you’ll have lunch or dinner for the next day. You can think of it like meal prepping in a way.”