"Oh, look at that!~" Jin beamed brightly upon my appearance. I grinned bashfully when the others turned to look my way as well while I shuffled carefully towards the fence beside the ladder leading downwards with my crutch under my right arm.

Yoongi made his way beside me from behind and grinned pridefully as his crutch worked like a charm despite my lack of practice in using this. It was definitely more stable to use. There's no inkling doubt at the far back of my mind that it'll collapse under my weight, so I give this a big thumbs up.

"Get good practice with that only under someone's watch, lovely." Jimin piped from beside Jin, the latter nodding along, "That's right; in case you lose your balance, someone will be there to help you." He reasoned.

I nodded and pursed my lips as I stood beside the ladder and eyed it warily before gradually nearing it to help myself down.

"Be careful, now!" Jin fretted, hurrying with the tray holding our breakfast while I carefully crouched down and sat at the edge of the floor board and hung my legs over to somehow get down without using my right foot.

"Joon-ah, help her, please?" Jin asked while he propped our food beside the fire-pit. Namjoon nodded and hurried over towards me with outstretched arms, already going halfway up the ladder to keep me within his reach. "Place your good foot on the ladder," he instructed and I nodded silently and did as he told. I wasn't really scared I'd somehow make a joke of myself and fall like an idiot because I also had Yoongi right behind me just in case.

"Easy now..." The latter murmured under his breath from behind me. Namjoon brought one hand up to grab my own as I brought it forward.

Any other day, I would've easily slid down the ladder with the help of the poles holding it together and be down there, eating already. Why did I have to get a sprain this severe?

Diana, just be glad you didn't
fracture a bone.

Yeah, yeah, I know ㅠㅠ

"Wait- I don't think this'll work, guys," I chuckled uneasily as I tried to turn towards the ladder so I can place my foot. However, I was facing outwards from the ladder so I was starting to grow anxious as I slowly turned around and tried not to fall.

"It will. Just hang your lower half over the ladder," Yoongi instructed and I pouted his way, albeit listening anyway as I hung my legs over the edge and used my left foot to ground myself on a platform on the ladder.

"Okay, okay. Stay there." Namjoon's voice resounded from behind me, sounding more distant and making me frown at that notice. Soon, I flinched slightly in surprise when his hands grabbed the shin of my legs. Oh, so he climbed back down.

"Careful with the sprain!" I reminded, stretching my neck to peer behind me but ultimately looked back ahead of me to eye where I placed my hands.

"Diana, drop down."

I scoffed in disbelief, "Hell no! Why would I-"

"Trust me, babe. I'm right here to catch you." He reasoned and I scoffed again, "I don't want to let go, I'll just take this one step at a time." I countered in protest before complaining as I felt his hand pull lightly on my leg to urge me down with a drop.

"The rest of the makne line will eat all the food, guys." Hoseok laughed lightly.

"Hobi is kind of right..." Jin chuckled, presumably at the sight of the youngest three stuffing their faces.

Yoongi grunted indignantly and pulled at my wrists, making me shriek as I lost my grip on the poles of the ladder, "Stop worrying so much." He said and let go of my wrists, making me exclaim in shock as I dropped down.

"YOONGI!"

"I got you, I got you." Namjoon's voice quickly assured as I nearly hyperventilated while he held me securely in his hold, lowering me onto the ground carefully shortly after catching me from the high fall. Good, at least Namjoon is aware that my body is currently turned to jelly cuz I can not hold myself up after that scare.

Yoongi slipped down the ladder after that whilst I still remained frozen in shock as I clutched my chest, where my pounding heart couldn't take the hint to calm down since I was clearly fine right now.

"Yah! That was too reckless!" Jin flabbergasted as he put aside cooking the meats and rushed my way.

"Here," Yoongi chimed calmly, diverting my attention as my eyes landed on my crutch in his hold. I snatched it out of his hands with a stunned huff of breath before helping myself prop the crutch under my right arm. "I'm never asking for your help when it comes to getting down those ladders." I mumbled under my breath, but he just laughed, going over to pat my head.

I turned back to Jin who was just hovering around me fretfully, "Dear, are you sure you want to move around like this? I could help you around myself, you know." He scratched at his neck with a small frown. I smiled assuringly his way and shook my head, "I can't ask you to that much for me, plus-" I raised a knowing brow when he opened his mouth in objection, "- I'm tired of being carried around. I don't like being carried around, either." I brushed off before making my way over to take a seat so I can finally feast on my breakfast. My last remark made me send Jungkook a pointed look to which he actively ignored. I rolled my eyes at that.

Jin trailed behind and sat beside me with a small 'okay' before helping himself with the foods as well.

"So I went back to the tree I used to climb and see that cave," Jungkook piped in after swallowing, catching everyone else's attention as they listened.

"With small stops to take a break and all that jazz, I think it'll take two days at least to reach there." He pointed with a wince. "Two days inside a forest?" Hoseok groaned in dismay.

"And what about without breaks?" Taehyung asked and kook shrugged, "Two days." he then stuffed his mouth with more food with a nonchalant look towards a pouting Tae.

"How do you know how long it'll take to reach there?" Hoseok asked curiously. Jungkook smiled cheekily, "It's a guess." He revealed and everyone collectively groaned.

-

"Oh god, I have to get back up the ladder, now?" I whined distastefully.

"We should make an adult-sized baby holder," Jungkook joked whilst I chuffed, "What good will that do?" I asked.

"We piggy back you without needing to hold you." He shrugged.

"Hey, that actually- okay, it's a no." Taehyung perked up, but at my pointed glare, he immediately rejected the idea. With a nod, I used my crutch to stand back up with a small grunt and trudged my way back towards the ladder with a sour look.

"How about one of us just carry you back up?" Jimin suggested innocently, but I shook my head, "I don't want to be carried. Don't like it." I frowned.

"Why though? It's just for a short while." Taehyung mumbled.

How do I admit to them without sounding pathetic that the reason main why I'm so against being lifted is because I'm insecure about my weight?? Even if I've been doing plenty of physical activities before my leg injury, I never got into perfect shape, and with all the foods I've been stuffing in my mouth, I know I'm not exactly easy to carry around.

Then the feeling of embarrassment when they eventually put you down to take a break- Oof... I do not want to witness that. None of them have shown any troubles when carrying me around previously, granted the trips they take for me aren't long, but it could just be that they're really good at hiding the struggle of supporting my weight.

"Just no." I shook my head.

It's a relief that I have something now that can help me get where I want to go on my own, all thanks to Yoongi for being so considerate. But I think I'll only ever use the ladder in this state when absolutely necessary.

Before I got this crutch, making them support half of my weight was such a hassle and made me incredibly uncomfortable. I wouldn't tell them that, though. I don't need to sit down and explain that my self-conscious arse is too insecure to let them do what they need to do to help me about.

With their big hearts, I know they'll just brush off my worries saying that I shouldn't concern myself like that and lie to me by saying I'm light.

Getting lied to about something I'm insecure about, isn't very ideal to me, okay? Some way or the other, it kinda makes me feel worse.

I know I'm not fat. I'm just out of shape, and that's fine; had I known I'd end up like this - unable to walk on my own, I'd exercised the life out of my body to get more in shape if these hot mofos were going to be the ones to help me.

Doesn't exactly help that they all just so happened to be fit males, either. The game just has dumb high standards. And as I spend more time with them all? I might, too.

Only the universe can save me; I'm not going to be able to like any less from other males when I come across them. ㅠㅠ

Whilst I gazed up at the ladder with conflicted eyes, I didn't hear the sound of approaching footsteps amidst my running thoughts and screaming insecurities that I rather not talk about much to myself, I was caught off-guard when my feet lost its ground and was instead, hovering above the ground.

"What the freak?!" I shrieked in shock as I gripped at the locks of hair below me whilst I was lifted high up and off the ground. I took a split moment to realise my situation and registered that I was propped over someone's shoulders.

Taehyung's shoulders.

"Ah, Don't rip my head off! Here; hold my hands instead," he suggested as soon as I felt as if I might fall and tucked hardly on his hair, using it to keep my balanced over his shoulders.

Just as his hands made it above his head and within my reach, I clutched onto them tightly with skyrocketing anxiety, "Tae!! If I flipping fall, I swear to god—"

"You won't~" he crooned casually whilst I protested loudly when he began playfully swinging our hands around in the air, "Tae, Tae, Tae-" I repeated nervously, not at all finding my position any fun despite the new angle and height I was given.

"I won't let you fall, darling. Relax," He urged, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles and I tried my best to listen. Instead, I decided to focus on how he basically switched up our roles in a way by calling me darling, when he's the darling.

Actually- scratch that. This very instant, he was anything but a darling for doing this.

"You lucky you cute." I huffed under my breath and could practically feel the growing ego in his head as his posture straightened and his chest stuck out.

"Why are you doing this again?" I asked uneasily, more calm than before but still not entirely relaxed. "You were thinking too hard to see me approach so I swiped the opportunity." He giggled. "What kind of opportunity is this?" I huffed.

"A darn good one," he snickered, making me scoff in disbelief. I guess an opportunity to mess with me is a darn good one.

What the hell...

He began moving around the camp and I sent kook and mimi a look of incredulity as they climbed up the ladder and slipped inside one of their cabins to do who knows what. All the while, they grinned my way and enjoyed my freak out as Taehyung continued to skip around before he began walking with purposeful steps towards the lake.

I silently worried about all the weight he's carrying and tightened my grip on his hands uneasily, "You're gonna tire yourself out, Taehyungie," I pointed.

"Nonsense." He objected immediately and gave my hands a brief squeeze to assure me that he was just fine. "You keep fretting over your weight whenever we do so much as lift you up for a second's time." He pointed and I pursed my lips.

I heaved out a breath and licked my lips, "Look- I'm heavy, okay? I can walk around on my own, you don't have to do this." I sighed defeatedly, freeing one hand from his and bringing it over to caress his head as I spoke, "Come on, lower me back down." I urged with a pat to his head that twisted side-to-side as he walked and looked around.

"You know, instead of thinking you're too heavy to carry, you should think that the person carrying you isn't strong enough. They should be the ones embarrassed that they don't hold enough strength to carry you. On the other hand, you having some weight merely tells me that you're healthy!" He chimed chirpily, "Besides, you're a short lil' cutie and I'm a big, strong man." He boasted. "I'm 5'6." I deadpanned and he simply hummed, "Yeah, and I'm 5'10, so what about it?" He shot back sassily.

"Just put me back down," I huffed with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes to myself when he deliberately overlooked my call for him to lower me back down as he motioned for me to look ahead. "Tae-..." I trailed when my eyes soon lifted to look ahead of me, wondering what he was on about.

Right now, we were by the lake and as I viewed it more, I couldn't take my eyes off of the sight. The lake wasn't incredibly large, but it wasn't small either. With the sun just about ready to shine at its highest peak, the lake was shimmering and shining beautifully.

Past the water body, the forest covered the ground with various heights and sizes of trees of all kinds. The greenery stretched until the horizon - each shade of green ever so present from where I placed. It was a never ending expanse of trees and it's heavy vegetation covering majority of the land for as far as I could manage to see.

"What's up? Everything okay?" Taehyung interjected when my voice faltered in my throat.

His voice snapped me out of my daze whilst I spluttered, "Huh? Oh, yes. Everything's good." I nodded even though he couldn't really see my face. I let my gaze trail back onto the scenery before me for a moment's glance before repeating my answer again, "All good."

He hummed happily, "Catch a good view from here? I figured this spot would be able to capture a beautiful scenery. You happen to gain some leverage from yours truly, after all." he giggled. I made a sound of agreement as I took in the sight.

Unfortunately, I suddenly began to get dizzy spells, which threw me off and made my head drift side-to-side, bringing Taehyung's full attention as he tried to keep his balance from my swaying,

"Woah, you're tipping me off balance like that. Everything okay?"

"Ah, could you please lower me down? I-I don't really feel that okay, right now." I mumbled softly, momentarily tightening my grip on his hands as he finally complied with alarm at my words, his actions holding a hint of worry at my suddenly, wavering tone.

I shook my head to rid of the mild dizziness clogging my mind and twisting my vision, being sure to be aware of being adjusted around as Taehyung lowered down and bent forward slowly, helping my good foot on the ground whilst my other remained hovering above the ground.

As I stood on my feet, the dizziness amplified slightly more, briefly putting me off balance despite the little support Taehyung provided by holding my hands.

"Woah, woah, what's wrong?" He fretted immediately, bringing one hand to circle around my back to provide me better balance, "Dizzy..." I mumbled slowly as I blinked slowly to get rid of my spinning vision and somehow bring it back to normal.

He eventually decided to lower both of us to the ground to avoid having me potentially falling despite his support. I was deliberately placed sitting on his lap whilst my legs straddled his waist as he positioned them to be, before his hands stretched and cradled my face that scrunched irritably, my eyes lazily blinking and eyelids feeling heavy as my eyesight blurred.

His eyes roved over my features before one of his hands wrapped themselves around the back of my neck as it massaged at my nape gently, his brows furrowed in concern.

My gosh, this dizzy spell wouldn't subside!! Why is it so long?? I'm sitting down and I'm barely moving, too! Am I going to faint?

I blinked several times as it grew in intensity to the point I couldn't even support to balance my own head over my shoulders, my body going slack and too heavy for me to hold up. With a groan, I leaned forward and propped my head to rest on one of his shoulders while his arms circled around me in a hug, rubbing my back as my lips spurred out incoherent groans because of the annoying feeling of dizziness fogging my mind.

"Is it getting worse?" He asked, voice kept soft and low as to not hinder my head anymore than it already is. I grumbled under my breath in response. I took in deep breaths, hoping that this little exercise would help and soon enough, it did.

I guess my brain suddenly decided it wasn't getting enough oxygen in its system.

What the heck...

I had clasped my eyes shut as I felt my entire body move even if it wasn't. It felt as if I could feel the Earth spinning in circles. Vertigo sucks.

I clutched tightly onto Taehyung's shirt behind his back though I was vaguely aware that my (presumably) tight grip, isn't all that tight at all. Having wrapped my arms around him to keep a grasp on him to somehow make sure I didn't drift further into that awful spell.

"Take your time." He mumbled into my hair, nuzzling the side of my head to remind me that he was right here.

That felt awful. Still does and I'm so glad it's subsiding as I continued to take deep breaths, gulping down extra oxygen for my own well-being.

A few more minutes passed like this: I was cradled closely to the male rubbing my back gently and soothingly. My wooziness had finally began to vanish as if it was never there, only lingering feelings of its effects keeping me in Taehyung's warm and safe arms. He remained incredibly patient whilst I fought off the spells before I leisurely pulled away with another deep intake of breath.

"Better?" He asked softly and I nodded mutely, blinking ploddingly as the remaining effects finally ceased. "Sorry... I-I don't know why I suddenly felt so dizzy," I admitted sheepishly, rubbing at my temples with a frown. He shook his head slightly with a dismissive look on his face, "Are you drinking enough water?" He probed and I nodded, "I had a cup of water before and after breakfast." I recalled.

He frowned, clearly worried of my sudden dizzy spell. "We should still get Jin hyung to check. Maybe he could figure out why that happened." He suggested and I shrugged, "Okay." I agreed.

I heaved out a breathy groan when my crutch was nowhere in sight. "Aish, now how do I make my way around without falling?" I jabbed at his chest lightly.

He smiled cheekily, "I'm right here." He retorted before scooping me up like I'm a baby.

"Yah!" I gasped, knowing my face was flushing red as one of his hands supported me from under my rear while the other circled around my back. My arms were wrapped securely around his neck whereas my legs wrapped around his hip to keep me locked up.

"You're unbelievable." I scoffed with a shake of my head, but he only has a wide grin to display, "If it hasn't registered in your mind yet, Ana, I love holding you." He admitted.

I resorted to hiding my flushed face in the crook of his neck, "That's hard to believe." I muttered. He shrugged as he made his way back towards the camp, "Everything I say regarding what I feel is hard for you to believe. That's not my fault." He stated with a carefree smile. I hummed, "I guess so." I agreed softly.

"Now, how do you plan to help my up the ladders with your hands occupied?" I raised a brow as the ladder stood before us.

He smirked, "Watch me."

_____________________________

Wooooooooo Tae x Diana ;3

An early update for you guys!✨✨
The next two days are going to be nerve wracking to me! 🥹🥹 I'm spending tomorrow to do any sort of final prepping for my exam that happens the day after!

It hasn't hit me yet, but it sure as hell will once I'm headed towards the location of the examination hall for my entrance! NID is going to drain me frr😭😭☝️

Wish me luck haha...🥹🙏

See you... next week Friday! I have another exam to prepare for next week too 😣🤌🤌

All that mini venting aside, hope you enjoyed this chapter! ☺️☺️💕💕

Love you guys!🥰😘❤️💕💕

~ Ada