Running to You | Park Han + JL + Steven | Haneulz + Stejay AU

Chapter 70: Down Under

The van rolled to a slow stop along a private drive flanked by towering eucalyptus and ghost gums, their pale trunks shimmering against the late afternoon sun. Beyond the hedged perimeter, the Zhang estate stretched across the New South Wales hinterlands like it owned the horizon -- an architectural marvel carved into the hillside, all clean lines and glass, with an infinity pool that bled into the sky.

The villa didn't so much sit on the land as command it.

Woongki jumped out first, sunglasses askew, dragging a wheeled suitcase that had definitely lost a wheel. "We have arrived," he intoned. "Where the Wi-Fi's strong, the pool's warmer than the ocean, and the neighbours are kangaroos."

JL gaped. "Is this a villa or a Bond villain hideout?"

"Both," Juwon supplied, already filming a panoramic sweep for his social media. "Hashtag, Dynasty Core."

Chih En emerged next -- unbothered, adjusting his designer sweater and slipping on velvet slides. While the others gawked, his eyes flicked coolly over the estate.

"This is good," Chih En murmured, taking in the villa's sweeping glass walls and sculpted gardens. His tone was mild, almost contemplative. "Appropriate."

Shuaibo was the last to disembark. He didn't say anything, just glanced at the villa, then at the team still frozen in the driveway.

"What?" he said, shrugging. "It's the weekend house."

Inside, the villa was ridiculous. Vaulted ceilings, seamless glass walls, and pale timber floors stretched through the living space. The house didn't just open up, it unfurled, room by room, into panoramic views of the hinterlands, as if the entire estate had been built to frame the sky.

In the kitchen, a marble island longer than their dorm hallway held a welcome platter worthy of a magazine shoot: imported cheeses, hand-folded charcuterie, native berries, and perfect squares of dark chocolate topped with edible gold and slices of candied finger lime.

Woongki leaned in and gave one a suspicious sniff, then promptly licked it.

Chih En didn't even look up. "That's food-safe gold, by the way. It's meant to be eaten."

Woongki licked it again, triumphant. "Just doing my part."

Kyungho remained at the back, quietly taking in the surroundings. He set down everyone's bags without a word, then wandered off toward the backyard -- drawn by instinct more than curiosity-- where he found the gym. He opened the door, nodded once, and grunted in approval.

"Called it," Juwon said. "He's nesting."

The villa settled around them like a surreal dream: pools of laughter echoing across the tile, half-packed bags exploding open like a dorm room crisis, someone's speaker playing K-hip hop far too loud.

Juwon floated past in a face mask and robe. "We need to plan our commercial concepts. I'm thinking: shirtless, sunlight, maybe a slow-mo shot of Kyungho lifting a tractor tire?"

Kyungho looked up. "What?"

"Ignore him," Woongki muttered, already unpacking an arsenal of hair products. "He's drunk on vitamin D and money."

Chih En entered the kitchen and began making pour-over coffee with the expertise of a seasoned barista. Shuaibo, trailing after him, leaned against the fridge, watching with wide eyes.

"You always make coffee like you're performing surgery," Shuaibo noted.

"You treat instant noodles like gourmet cuisine," Chih En replied.