Dive // Jaeyi x Seulgi

Chapter 6

Seulgi was left staring as Jaeyi swung a leg over her bike, the engine purring to life. With one last glance, Jaeyi pulled away, disappearing down the quiet roads leading away from the hotel, leaving Seulgi standing in front of the hotel with the weight of something unspoken settling in her chest.

-

Meanwhile, inside the hotel, Kyung and Hyeri were drained from hours of keeping watch over Haneul. Exhaustion crept in, their vigilance slipping just slightly. But when Kyung went to check on her—

Haneul was gone.

The ropes weren't loosened—they were cut. The window was cracked open, the door left slightly ajar.

Kyung swore under her breath, grabbing her phone. She dialed Seulgi.

No answer.

Elsewhere, Jaeyi's phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number lit up the screen:

You should be careful. He won't stop until he finds you.

Jaeyi's grip tightened around the phone, a familiar dread coiling in her stomach. Her father. She could almost hear his voice, feel the weight of his control pressing down like an invisible hand around her throat.

He always found a way to remind her—she was never truly free.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to think. Haneul's escape. The timing wasn't a coincidence. Her father had been watching, waiting for the right moment to act.

But she wouldn't run. Not this time.

Instead of rushing back, instead of chasing after Haneul, she slipped her phone into her pocket.

She waited.

Back in her hotel room, Seulgi reached absently into her pocket. Her fingers brushed against something cool and solid.

A key.

Her breath caught as she pulled it out, turning it over in her palm. Jaeyi's key. It sat there, heavy with meaning, a quiet answer to a question Seulgi hadn't even asked yet.

Before she could dwell on it, the door burst open.

Kyung and Hyeri stood there, breathless and furious.

"Haneul's gone."

Seulgi stared at Kyung, still trying to process it. "How the hell did Haneul escape?"

Kyung ran a hand through her hair, her jaw tight. "I don't know. The ropes weren't loose—they were cut. Maybe someone helped her."

Seulgi felt a chill creep up her spine. "Who?"

Before Kyung could answer, Hyeri's phone buzzed loudly in the tense silence, the shrill alarm cutting through the room. She groaned, rubbing her temples. "Ugh. Manager-nim is going to kill me. The shoot's in thirty minutes."

Kyung exhaled. "Go. We'll handle this."

Hyeri hesitated, eyes flickering between them. "Are you sure?"

"We can't drop everything," Seulgi muttered, still gripping the key Jaeyi had given her. "I'll go with you." Then, turning to Kyung, she added, "Just... keep me updated."

As they left the room, Seulgi cast one last glance at Kyung. The weight in her chest didn't lift.

Even as they headed toward the shoot, Haneul's escape clung to her thoughts like a shadow.

-

Seulgi followed Hyeri through the quiet hotel hallways, the weight of the night still pressing at the edges of her mind. Back on the sand with Jaeyi, she hadn't told her everything. Kyung had sent an update—Haneul was in their hands—but Seulgi had held back, unsure if Jaeyi was ready to hear it.

"You sure you want to come?" Hyeri asked, glancing at her. "I mean, you look like you just saw a ghost—again."

Seulgi exhaled slowly. "I need the distraction."

Hyeri smirked. "Well, watching me be stunning should help."

Seulgi shot her an unimpressed look but didn't argue.

They stepped out into the hotel's private garden, where the crew was already setting up. Warm lights illuminated the greenery, casting a soft glow over the neatly arranged flowers and stone pathways. There was a fountain in the center, water trickling gently, adding to the tranquil ambiance.

Hyeri's manager waved them over. "Finally! You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

Hyeri rolled her eyes. "I was dealing with some important matters."

Her manager didn't look convinced but didn't press further. Meanwhile, Seulgi stood awkwardly to the side as Hyeri was whisked away to get her makeup touched up.

"Hey, can you hold this for a sec?" One of the crew members handed her a reflector panel before she could refuse.

And just like that, Seulgi found herself part of the shoot.

For the next half hour, she adjusted lights, steadied reflectors, and even helped fix a toppled light stand when the wind knocked it over. She wasn't particularly good at it, just following instructions, but she moved efficiently, earning a few nods of approval from the crew.

"She's actually got a good presence," one of the stylists murmured.

"Yeah, and look at that bone structure," another crew member added. "She should be in front of the camera, not behind it."

Hyeri, overhearing, smirked. "I've been saying that, but she never listens."

Seulgi looked up from adjusting a light stand, blinking. "What?"

The next thing she knew, Hyeri's manager was assessing her critically. "You know, she could work for a few shots. She's got a clean, natural look. Something simple, but striking."

"Guys, no," Seulgi immediately objected, but she was already being ushered toward the styling team.

The stylist nodded in approval. "Nothing too much. Just freshen her up a little."

Seulgi sighed but let them work, feeling slightly ridiculous as they fixed her hair, subtly enhancing its sleekness to frame her face better. They handed her a layered white skirt and a soft, striped sweater to change into—something simple yet refined, a look that balanced ease with quiet elegance.

When she stepped back onto the set, Hyeri's grin widened. "Now this is a look."

Seulgi tugged at the sleeve of the sweater, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious. "I don't know about this..."

"Trust me, you look great," Hyeri reassured, though the amusement in her voice was clear.

The photographer raised the camera. "Alright, just relax. Look up for a sec—yeah, just like that."

The camera clicked.

Seulgi exhaled, barely paying attention. She wasn't thinking about the shoot, or the compliments, or even the way Hyeri watched her with a knowing look.

She was thinking about the weight of Jaeyi's key still sitting in her pocket. About the faint trace of Jaeyi's scent still clinging to her skin. About how, even with the bright flashes and admiring eyes around her, she couldn't look at anyone the way she looked at Jaeyi.

And for a moment—just a fleeting, fragile second—she almost felt Jaeyi beside her. The soft brush of fingers against her hair. A warmth resting on her skin, familiar in a way that made her chest ache.

Her breath caught.

She blinked, and the studio lights returned. The voices, the cameras, the real world. But the ghost of Jaeyi's touch remained, like an imprint on her soul. For a fleeting moment, she was still there—with her. The air still carried the warmth of Jaeyi's fingers, the quiet pull of a world that belonged only to them.

Jaeyi.

It was always Jaeyi.