2. Project IZ*ONE II

Chapter 11- Pitstop

"What's wrong?" The clone says with a confused look.

"N-nothing. I'm glad you managed to save Min. Let's just merge again, rest up and meet with the others." Chaewon says. The copy simply nods, and the two walk towards each other and combine again. Chaewon thought it would all be fine, but she was suddenly overcome with the feeling of motion sickness. Everything the clone had felt and experienced was now being felt by her.

"Note to self...never let Chaeyeon-unnie race you halfway across the country at top speed ever again..." Chaewon thinks to herself as she closes the door and meets up with the others again. Later in the day, Chaeyeon had finally arrived with Minjoo without issues, unless you count Minjoo running straight for the toilet to hurl as one. The mood was definitely a lot lighter though from there as the group was finally all back together.

~~~~

A few hours later...

The group now found themselves seated around a long table, plates of delicious food being placed in front of them. Chaewon's mom had certainly gone all out, asking her personal chefs to prepare the best food for her daughter's friends. The dishes ranged bibimbap to japchae to yukhoe and all types of stew, but the main item that got everyone excited was all the grilled meat.

"Thanks again for the food, ma'am!" They all say before digging in.

"Please, just call me Ms. Lee." She replies with a smile. She was already glad that her daughter had come home, but she was way happier seeing how bright Chaewon's smile was as she talked with her friends, specifically the girl who had come late- Minjoo, she recalls. After years of coming home with a sulky expression, her daughter looked happy.

"So, I contacted Seunggi-sunbaenim a while ago for our next course of action." Eunbi announces after a few minutes.

"What'd he say?" Sakura asks.

"Remember what you said about Jeju island? The base Chaewon went to was just a connection to their base there. They probably took Minjoo to that lab because it was faster, but Seunggi-sunbaenim said to leave that base be. We should go for the bigger one instead because all of their data gets consolidated there in Jeju." The leader says.

"But how are we going to get there?" Yena asks. "Aren't our faces all over the news? I'm sure we're on some blacklist, so riding a plane or boat isn't going to be an option."

"That's the next point. He said that we have to retake PD campus because there are private vehicles there." Eunbi replies, recalling the first time they snuck in there to steal a van. The garage contained an assortment of vehicles, and she had a vague memory of seeing a plane hanging from the ceiling. The others nod in agreement, also noting how it could also be an opportunity to free their friends.

"What's the gameplan then, captain?" Yujin asks, already looking motivated and excited to get some action.

"There should be three main objectives: 1. Freeing our friends, 2. Regaining control of the server room so that Principal Ahn can't have access to our data, and 3. Securing the garage." Eunbi lists.

"Sounds like groups of four." Hyewon says.

"Mhm, I think you all know who you'll be paired with at this point, so all we have to do is pair the pairs. Me, Hyewon, Sakura and Chaeyeon will plan it overnight and let you all know in the morning. For now, you should all rest and enjoy the night." The others nod in agreement at the leader's suggestion just as Chaewon's mother walks back into the dining area.

"Hi, everyone! I hope you saved room for dessert!" She says cheerfully as she moves aside to let the servers walk in and give everyone a slice of chocolate cake.