RYUJIN POV
"Thank you for accepting my invitation, everyone!" Jackson said with a big grin as we stepped off the bus.
After the paintball field earlier, Jackson called us and now we found ourselves in...
"Of course! We love your parties, especially when you're the host," Jeongyeon replied, her voice full of excitement as we made our way onto the beach.
"Thanks for bringing me along too!" Yuna added, bouncing happily.
I folded my arms, looking over at Yeji. "So, you canceled our meeting tonight just for this party? What makes it so special?"
Yeji pointed at Lia. "It's Lia's idea."
Lia shrugged with a smile. "We've all been working too hard. Sometimes you need to pause and just have fun—no business talk allowed! That's why we asked Jackson to set up this party at Busan Beach."
Soft waves rolling up the shore, music spilling into the air, string lights illuminating little tents around us, and the scent of street food wafting through the breeze.
Yeji, Lia, Nayeon, Sana, Yuna, and Wonyoung are back by the tent, preparing food, grilling samgyupsal, and setting out drinks for us.
Meanwhile, Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Chaeryeong, Yujin, Jackson, and I are in the middle of an intense beach volleyball game.
After Jeongyeon serves the ball, she glances at me, a teasing smile in her eyes. "You're in a good mood, huh?" she says, her tone soft but knowing.
As Dahyun hits the ball back, I quickly respond, sending it over the net.
"Just having fun," I say, my heart feeling lighter. The other team misses the ball, and we pause the game for a moment.
Jeongyeon, breathing a bit heavily, walks over, looking me straight in the eye with a warm expression.
She reaches out and pats my head gently. "It's good to see you like this again, Ryujin. You're back."
I give her a small, grateful smile. It's been so long since I felt like this—free, alive, and unburdened.
"I'll just head to the bathroom, freshen up," I said before leaving the volleyball play.
I was about to step in when I heard Yeji's voice nearby.
"Wow, you look so cute!" she said, her tone filled with warmth.
I paused by the door, catching the soft exchange.
"Yes, Auntie, I love this Wednesday Halloween costume!" I heard a little voice respond—it must be Lucy.
And, oh, right. Halloween season.
"Alright, just be careful, okay? Message me when you get to Itaewon," Yeji said, with that familiar, gentle tone.
"Yes, Auntie! Bye-bye!"
Watching her with Lucy, seeing how gentle and caring she was, somehow made me feel something I couldn't quite name.
When the call seemed over, I walked into the public bathroom, finding Yeji at the sink, washing her hands.
"Was that Lucy?" I asked, heading to the sink beside her.
"Yeah," Yeji smiled, glancing at me. "You heard us?"
"Just bits," I admitted, then asked, "So, she's going to celebrate Halloween in Itaewon?"
"Yes. She's still with her Girl Scout club," she nodded, finishing up.
As I washed my hands, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a little messy from the beach, but something about the way I looked right now—relaxed, genuinely happy—felt different.
My eyes crinkled as I smirked at my reflection. Damn, look at that handsome face. I could totally belong on a Vogue cover, right?
The thought made me chuckle a bit.
Yeah, I'm definitely back.
Yeji's voice pulled me from my thoughts, her warm smile aimed my way. "Let's go. The food's ready," she said, grabbing my arms.
THIRD PERSON POV
Earlier, while the other girls with Jackson were playing volleyball.
Nayeon came up an idea, "Let's add a little kick to their night," She whispered, holding up a bottle of vinegar with an evil gleam in her eye.
"Vinegar and soy sauce in a drink? Genius," Lia snickered, carefully pouring a generous splash of each into a few unsuspecting cups.
"Do you think they'll even notice?" Yeji laughed, barely holding back her giggles.
"Oh, they'll notice," Wonyoung said, smirking as she handed each tainted drink to Chaeryeong, Ryujin, Dahyun, Jeongyeon, Jackson and Yujin.
"Get ready to watch the show." Sana chimed in, with an evil laugh.
"I'll take a video of this prank," Yune exclaimed as she fished out her phone.
A few moments later, when Ryujin and Yeji came back from the bathroom, they all gathered in the tent.
Everyone raised their cups to toast the night. Ryujin grinned,
"Cheers to making it to Busan!" They clinked their cups together and took a sip.
Immediately, their faces twisted in horror.
"Yuck! What the—?" Chaeryeong gagged, spitting out her drink as Jeongyeon made a face as if she'd just swallowed a lemon.
"Who put fish sauce in this?" Dahyun spluttered, while Ryujin grimaced, scrunching up her nose and trying to wash the taste away with more...only to make it worse.
"It's good though!" Jackson said, smiling like it's not affecting him at all.
From the sidelines, Yeji and the others couldn't hold it in any longer—they burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs as they watched the reactions.
"You guys should see your faces!" Wonyoung cackled.
"That was the worst prank ever!" Yujin cried, wiping her tongue with a napkin, but even she started laughing, unable to stay mad.
"It's Nayeon's idea!" Lia exclaimed, pointing at her.
"No, it's Yeji's!" Nayeon defended herself.
Now, everyone is looking at Yeji. She was about to say something but—
"Oh, you're so dead," Ryujin gasped, still recovering. She picked up a handful of sand and tossed it in Yeji's direction, laughing as Yeji scrambled away.
RYUJIN POV
I was so wasted that my head was pounding. Glancing over, I noticed Lia sprawled out and sleeping on the sand.
Yeji was in a camping chair, singing the famous drinking and waving her arms, "APT! APT! APT!"
She's so cute.
I chuckled, but the laughter faded as the pain in my head hit me again.
I needed some fresh air.
So, I slowly stood up, trying to steady myself as I made my way out of the tent.
The sand felt warm beneath my feet as I walked toward the water.
Once I reached the edge, I sat down on the sand and closed my eyes, letting the strong beach winds wrap around me. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was calming, and the only light came from the moon, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
