Chapter 887: Campfire Stories (2)

- Luther? Isn't that his cat?

- I think Casper's gone crazy.

- I love Casper with all my life, but why would he say that after Jisung revealed he's adopted?

Joonie blinked, also confused by Casper's statement. Then, he let out a chuckle. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked in amusement. "Luther is your cat."

The others couldn't help but chuckle at Joonie's reaction, but June didn't join in. He kept his gaze fixed on Casper, sensing there was more to the story.

Casper's lips curled into a sad smile as he continued, ignoring the light-hearted response. "My brother died," he said quietly. "His nickname was Luther."

They all stopped chuckling as soon as Casper said those words.

- Oh shit.

-Guys, you are all going to hell.

- Everybody just sees Casper as a crazy guy most of the time, but he's actually pretty deep.

- I feel bad.

- Why did Joonie even make that comment? It was insensitive.

- Yeah, I'm disappointed in Joonie.

- I swear, you were also laughing at Casper just moments ago.

Joonie pursed his lips and stayed quiet. He just wanted to make a comment because he felt that his screen time was still not enough. However, it got him to this point.

"We apologize," Hana said, taking responsibility. The others nodded in agreement. "Do you still want to continue with your story?" she asked.

Casper nodded as he continued to gaze at the campfire.

"Cerebral palsy," he started off.

"When I was younger, I didn't understand why he got all the attention. It made me so mad, but eventually, I figured it out. By then, though, it was too late. I was only able to show him a little love before he was gone."

"He always wanted to have a black cat," Casper added. "It took me a while to get to that point, but I finally got one for him, even though he's not around anymore. We gave Luther a home... for Luther."

A quiet sniffle broke the silence, and everyone turned to see Pablo wiping at his eyes, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. "You guys didn't tell me we needed tissues," he muttered, his voice shaky. "I would have stuffed one in my bag."

"You don't have space in your bag," Uno teased, trying to lighten the mood, but even he couldn't keep the sadness out of his tone.

A soft round of chuckles followed, a small but much-needed relief from the emotional atmosphere.

After Casper shared his story, the others also chimed in.

"My parents cut me out," Pablo started off. "But then again, I'm already making enough money for myself. Sometimes, I want to go home to them, but then, it would just make me go bald from all the stress. I don't want that happening now, do I?"

"I'm the breadwinner of the family," Hana chimed in. "It was pretty difficult growing up. At times, we would only have soy sauce to eat. At a young age, I wanted to earn for my family- although that's not something a 15-year-old should even think about. Now, things are better."

"Umm," Uno muttered. "My story's not as special as you guys. I'm going to pass."

Haruki scratched the back of his head. "I had a lot of hatred in my heart when my brother got hurt. Until now, he's still suffering from his injuries, but he's had such a bright outlook on life. I realized that I shouldn't be so pessimistic, and instead of looking for the bad in everything, I first start off by giving others the benefit of the doubt, that there is goodness in this world. Because of that, I feel happier."

"Up until now, I still have the desire to perform as an idol," Mimi joined in. "The end of our contract came too fast, and I had to accept it. I had to live with it even though I never wanted to. It's pretty sad to see us all apart, and some nights, I still dream of the life we had."

Joonie cleared his throat. "I was insecure growing up," he said. "Most of the time, I was good, but never good enough. I guess I'm happy to be praised by a lot of people. I never really had a lot of that growing up—even though I tried my best."

Mei, not really planning on sharing her life, eventually caved in.

"I was in a pretty bad accident a little over a year ago," she started off.

The others turned to her with wide eyes, but she quickly reassured them that she was okay

now.

"I woke up and couldn't remember most of my life," she confessed.

June nodded silently. And that was the reason why she didn't remember Jun Hao at all. But then again, that might have been for the better.

She didn't deserve to remember the pain and the struggles they went through. "However, I was blessed by my parents. They took care of me until I was better. They made me remember things slowly. They never pressured me. At first, they didn't approve of my dream. I understood, of course. Being an idol is very demanding, but in the end, they let me be -saying that this is my life to live, and if I was going to be happy in it, then I should go."

The others nodded, suddenly feeling their bond growing stronger.

June sat quietly, watching the flames dance, lost in thought. He knew now, more than ever, that everyone had a story. All of them did.

They might be artists, stars shining brightly in the public eye, but beneath the fancy clothes, they were just people. People with pasts, with pain, with memories that shaped them into who they were. And at this moment, around the campfire, those stories had started to come to

light.

- They're just like us...

- I wasn't ready for this.

- This show is something else.

- I'm so proud of them for sharing their stories.

June continued looking at the fire, oblivious to the looks the others were throwing toward his

way. It was only when Casper nudged his shoulder that he snapped out of his thoughts.

He looked up at them and raised one eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

The others smiled, amusement seen on their faces.

"What about you?"

"What's your story, June?"