When the blonde approached you, he seemed to be studying you heavily. Your eyes followed him as he walked around you, rubbing his chin in confusion.
Finally, you asked: "And you are...?"
He simply said: "Chan." When got back in front of you, he put his hands on his hips. "You're the girl Jisoo-Hyung and Jeonghan-Hyung have to help out, hm?"
"I guess so..." you glanced up at the rest of the men. Seokmin looked over at Joshua.
"You're right. She's really pretty." Joshua forced back a chuckle as he glanced in your direction. When he felt the daggers that were Seungcheol's eyes, Seokmin pursed his lips together. "Sorry, Hyung."
Seungcheol now was the one to walk over to you. "I really didn't think we'd have to meet but-." When he stuck a hand in your direction, you looked at him. "I'm Seungcheol. Those two knuckleheads over there-." He motioned to Joshua and Jeonghan, who you quickly noticed were huddled together, seemingly bickering about something. You caught sight of their narrow brows as they spoke in low voices to one another. "Those are our brothers."
"Brothers." You quickly took Seungcheol's hand, and he smiled when you politely bowed your head. He – just like the rest – was radiating with elegance and beauty. By simply standing in one place, you could feel the otherworldly presence surrounding every one of them. It felt stronger than Joshua or Jeonghan. Could it be that you were adjusting to their constant presence? When you glanced over at Joshua and Jeonghan again, their bickering had simmered down to the usual banter and snide remarks, before they looked away from one another. When Chan slipped up next to you again, you felt the sensation of plastic hit your leg and you looked down. Inside the plastic bag you were gripping were the snacks that Woozi had paid for. "Oh. Joshua-." You hurried over to him, handing him the bag. Joshua took it, peering inside. He could feel Jeonghan slithering up behind him, peering over his shoulder. "I just grabbed tons of stuff. There's ice cream, kimbap, noodles, yogurts, and milk. I wasn't sure what you would be in the mood for, so-."
Joshua smiled as you rambled to yourself about your findings. "Thank you." He said. You offered him a smile. Just then, Joshua felt Jeonghan nudge him, reaching out himself and grabbing the bag first. "Hey. Those are for me." He frowned, his hands extending quicker.
"Aah, gluttony is a sin," Jeonghan said with a grin in Joshua's direction. Joshua couldn't help but scoff; the duo both took hold of the bag and looked inside. The playful banter they shared calmed you as you watched them. As if on cue, you saw Chan and Seokmin follow behind, asking their older brothers for some of the snacks as well. As you stood by, you watched Joshua easily pass one to Seokmin. When Chan reached for one, the trio of older angels playfully denied him. They looked amused for a second at the distressed youngest, before Jeonghan finally passed him a snack as well. The smiles on their faces were content and angelic. They seemed happy to be back in the presence of loved ones, pushing all previously held disagreements behind them as soon as the youngest ones approached.
"Why are you guys even here?" you asked, looking back at Seungcheol and Wonwoo as they kept their distance from the seemingly much louder bunch. The duo shared a glance at one another, then turned back to you. Wonwoo was the one who approached you, putting a hand on your shoulder. He turned you back towards Jeonghan and Joshua, a finger extended to point to the duo as they opened a bag of chips, all four men sending their hands inside to grab a few bites. "Is it because Joshua got hurt?"
"Kind of. The longer Joshua and Jeonghan stay on Earth, the more they're going to act like humans. That means the more they're going to get hurt." He said. You glanced back over to him. "They've already been here a long time."
"How long?" you asked curiously.
Seungcheol put his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the men snacking. "For humans? It might have been about a calendar year. But to us-." He motioned between himself and the rest of the group. "But where we're from, we've been waiting for them to come back for about 100 years."
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The tension between Joshua and Jeonghan seemed to drop after their brothers left, Chan and Seokmin saying their goodbyes. You watched as Seungcheol stood in front of Joshua and Jeonghan, arms crossed. You had a full view of his back, broad and defined under his white shirt as he spoke.
"Don't play around anymore." He said, eyes darting to Joshua. "Finish what you have to finish so you come back."
"Yeah," Joshua said.
"Try not to let your feelings get in the way. If not for yourself, then for us." Joshua didn't respond to Seungcheol's comment this time, only avoiding his eyes. "See you soon."
"See you soon," Jeonghan said, waving him off. Seungcheol approached you as well, smiling.
"Sorry, we came unannounced."
"It's ok." You assured. "It was short, but they seemed happy to see you." Seungcheol smiled once again. "You can come back if you want. If you can..."
"Can we?!" Chan gasped, eyes wide in excitement. "We should. We can get some good food together. That would be fun. We can bring everyone next time. Jun and Hansol, and Minghao too." You smiled at Chan, nodding in agreement.
"Hopefully, this will all end soon enough and we won't have to. But we'll remember the offer." You nodded, bowing one more time, this time, Seungcheol kindly returned the bow himself. "Alright, let's go." He said, motioning the others out. You watched them head out, waving one last goodbye before finally closing the door. As you locked it, you rested your head against the door, letting out a deep sigh.
"Are you okay?" You heard Jeonghan ask. When you looked over, you smiled.
"Yeah." You said. "I'm glad they came to see you. They must care."
"They do." Jeonghan nodded. "They want what's best for us." He offered a brief side glance at Joshua, who simply nodded quietly.
You clapped your hands together as you turned to face them. "I'm going to get some rest. Finals are getting closer." You pushed past the duo, making your way into your bedroom. Before you made your way inside, you turned towards them. "Need anything?" Both angels shook their heads in refusal.
"No." They said together.
"Okay. Night." With a gentle wave, you headed inside, closing the door behind you. When you heard the muffled sounds of the duo getting settled in for the night, you pressed your ear to the door.
"I cannot believe you had them come down for all this," Joshua said, still surprised.
"I didn't know what else to do. I was hoping they could knock some sense back into you. Please be careful now, okay?" You heard Jeonghan's voice say gently.
"Whatever." You frowned, unaccustomed to Joshua's seemingly passive and annoyed tone, waiting a moment to see if they would continue their conversation. You were hoping some of the very large gaps in your knowledge would be filled the longer you listened. However, the TV turned on low, and it became the only noise you heard beyond the door. Sighing, you made your way to the bed and crawled inside. You rested your head on the pillow, feeling a familiar bump in the fabric. Reaching your hand, you pulled out the taser you so long ago had pointed at Joshua. You quickly set it in your bedside drawer and curled up under the covers, falling asleep within minutes.
When Jeonghan heard what seemed like muffled snoring and rustling from your room, he looked at Joshua. "You want to go now?" he asked. "Stores are still open."
Joshua looked over, an obvious hint of annoyance in his eyes. Jeonghan did not seem bothered, however, and stood up. "...Yeah," Joshua finally relented, standing up as well. The duo tiptoed out of the apartment, careful not to wake you up as they headed into the late-night streets of Seoul.
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"Guys!" Mingyu called, his voice ringing through the dewy morning air of early morning. Minnie, Seungkwan, and Hoshi, all of whom were chatting at the front of the building, looked over to see him hurry in their direction. "I need your help."
"With finals?" Seungkwan asked. "I don't think so."
"No." Mingyu sighed. "I'm planning a birthday party."
The collection of beaming faces made Mingyu immediately feel a boost of confidence. Minnie crossed her arms. "Did she finally talk to you?"
"We talked yesterday. I told her that I had her entire birthday planned for right after finals." Hoshi smiled as he heard Mingyu share the news of your conversation, nodding as he listened. "I need your help."
"Well, what do you have planned?" Hoshi asked curiously. Mingyu blinked.
"Nothing." He beamed as he sputtered the word. When he saw his friend's shoulders drop, Mingyu frowned a bit. "But I have some ideas. I need your help deciding what will be best."
Despite their disappointment that Mingyu had nothing planned for a birthday that would be coming sooner rather than later, their smiles quickly returned. "Got it," Minnie said.
"Anything you need," Seungkwan added.
"It'll be the best party ever!" Hoshi said, emphasizing his comment with powerful hand motions. Mingyu grinned.
"Okay. I was thinking at lunch we can-."
"Mingyu!" His voice immediately went quiet as a female voice called behind him. When he turned around, Mina was hurrying up, smiling sweetly. "Hi everyone. Good luck with your finals today."
"Thanks..." Minnie said. Mina blinked.
"What are you guys talking about?" She asked. "You all look happy, whatever it is."
"Uh, nothing," Mingyu said, smiling politely in her direction. Mina nodded. "Are you headed to class?"
"Yeah." She said. "I thought we could go together."
"Uh, maybe. I was just-." As Mingyu was trying to come up with an excuse, a distant laughter perked his ears up and he looked over. Mina followed his gaze, frowning at the sight of three figures walking down the road together.
Joshua, Jeonghan and you were talking about your first final of the day, making sure that the group of you was ready. Mainly you, it seemed, as Joshua and Jeonghan were throwing quiz questions in your direction almost as fast as a baseball machine in a batting cage. You couldn't help but break into amused laughter as their rapid-fire questions eventually melted into both of them just shouting random questions, one after another without you being able to get a word in edge-wise.
"Enough, enough." You laughed, raising your hands to cover their mouths. "I think my head will explode at this rate!"
Jeonghan moved your hand from his lips before uttering: "Then you're ready."
Joshua moved your hand as well: "We've done all we can do." Again, you had to laugh. As the three of you got closer, you immediately caught a glimpse of your friends, all gathered together and talking. You could tell they must have noticed you as well because they all turned to you quietly. Mina was there as well, smiling and offering you a wave. You waved back, stepping closer to the group. Joshua and Jeonghan went quiet, following behind as you gripped the strap of your bag. You had chosen to avoid people who had done nothing to harm you, all due to your feelings of self-worth. Hoshi finding you in the library was the first time that you had spoken to any of them since you and Mina had that conversation, as speaking to them meant the possibility of them asking about Mingyu. Or worse, you run into Mingyu in the process. However, taking a deep breath, you looked at Mingyu, who offered you a kind smile.
"You guys aren't mad enough at me to come to my birthday party, right?" You finally asked. It seemed your immediate attempt at rekindling your friendship worked wonders, as your friends broke into smiles. Minnie hurried up to you, enveloping you in a hug.
"Duh! Are you kidding? I still owe you a manicure!"
"We were waiting for you to feel better so we could party plan!" Seungkwan said. Hoshi hurried up to you as well, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you into a little side hug, which you happily responded to by looping your arms around his waist.
"It's going to be amazing! Mingyu told us he's planning everything!"
Mingyu sighed as he felt Mina shoot a very immediate glance into his side, but she said nothing. His eyes, instead, wandered to Joshua and Jeonghan. He stared at the duo, specifically Joshua, as they watched you talk to your friends. It was as if nothing had happened, that the group of you had been talking without any breaks at all. Joshua seemed to catch Mingyu's glance. He only returned it briefly, before glancing away.
"You can invite whoever you want," Mingyu said quickly, alerting your attention to him. "All of us, of course. But if there's anyone else, just let me know."
"Okay." You smiled. "I'll let you know soon." With a smile, you saw Mina pop up into your side view, taking your hand. When you looked at her, she only squeezed it.
"Your birthday is soon? That's amazing!"
"Yeah." You smiled a bit. "It is."
"I hope birthday luck follows you to your finals, then." She said.
"Thank you. Good luck." You said. Mina nodded, before stepping closer to Mingyu and motioning down the path.
"I'm going to leave first then. Mingyu-." She glanced at him. "Why don't we walk together? Since our class is in the same building." Her second attempt at walking over seemed to fluster him again, and she smiled.
"Uh..." Mingyu's voice trailed off as he tried to think of what to say. He glanced in your direction, and you only smiled kindly. Despite that, he could see your eyes avoiding the black-haired girl at all costs.
"Mine is on the other side of campus." You said, pointing in that direction. "We'll meet up after."
"Okay." He said. "Good luck, guys."
"Good luck!" Everyone else called before Mina and Mingyu headed down the path to their first class of the morning. You looked between your friends as they seemed to get their belongings ready. "We should probably all get going," Minnie said.
Hoshi nodded. "Agreed."
With another round of 'good luck' and 'fighting' thrown around, you all headed your own ways, hoping that finals would end just as quickly as they arrived.
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Mina was quiet her entire walk with Mingyu, but he didn't really mind. Gripping his bag, he waited patiently for the door of his class to approach so he could say his goodbyes and disappear into the door, free of the awkward tension that swarmed them. However, Mina suddenly spoke up:
"Do you ever wonder what her relationship is with Joshua and Jeonghan?" Mingyu looked over in confusion. "They're always on top of her."
"I mean, not really," Mingyu said. "I think they're just friends."
"I think Joshua likes her." Mingyu grimaced at the thought, the brunette individual staring him down popped into his mind at the mere mention of his name. "They'd make a good match. They're both very calm, good people."
"Tch. As if." Mina smiled to herself.
"Are you jealous?"
"What? No," he said. "I just don't think it is true." Shaking his head, he scoffed. "Can we please change the subject?"
Mina nodded as he smiled to herself, a gardener successfully planting a new seed in her garden. "What do you have planned for her birthday?" She asked.
"Uh, not sure yet." He said. "I was thinking of asking my dad to use our beach house on Jeju Island. We could make it a whole weekend."
"That sounds fun. What can I do to help?" Mingyu stopped walking now, looking over at Mina.
"What?"
"I want to help. Please? I'll do anything you need."
"Why do you want to help?" he asked. Mina paused a minute as if she was confused by his question.
"Because she's your friend, Mingyu." She stated simply, offering yet another smile. "And any friend of yours is going to be a friend of mine."
"You were just talking about her behind her back."
"I was not!" She gasped. "I was just getting your thoughts. You know her better than I do." She shrugged. "I just want to help. I promise."
Mingyu sighed, pursing his lips together. "Okay." He said. "Okay, you can help." Mina beamed at the task, clasping her hands together.
"I won't let you down." She said. Checking her watch, she blinked. "Oh. We have to go or we'll be late. Good luck, Mingyu." Mingyu waved as Mina headed down the hallway, disappearing into one of the doors. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he made his way down to the end of the hall himself, and entered the first door.
Finals would be over soon, and God he couldn't wait to make a weekend that you could never forget.
---------------------------
By the time finals week, and with it the semester, came to an end, you were all beat. Classes ended for the summer, signaling to you and your friends that a major event was about to happen. You all gathered in front of the school entrance, relief and exhaustion mixed throughout each of your faces. Even Joshua and Jeonghan seemed a bit more relieved than you had imagined.
"I'm so glad to be done!" Seungkwan stretched his arms over his head in glee.
"Yeah, now we have time to relax! Finally!" Hoshi said. You felt Minnie slide up next to you, smiling as she took your hands into hers, holding them all up in front of your faces.
"I'm thinking manicures tonight, so we're ready for Mingyu's party."
"He said he was going to finalize the place today." You smiled gently. "He's so thoughtful to do all of this."
"I'm sure with his wallet, it'll be amazing! And we're going to make you look so hot. Make sure you bring that dress again, okay?" you laughed a bit, nodding. As the two of you moved from Mingyu to the style of manicure you wanted, Mingyu was watching from his spot beside Hoshi and Seungkwan, also leading their conversation. For the past week, Mingyu was juggling finals and birthday planning like a professional acrobat. He was on phone calls between classes as often as he could to make sure that everything he wanted was set up properly, and ready to go. The last call, which he had just made, was to his father.
I want to borrow the beach house in Jeju.
Are you planning a trip?
Kind of. A friend's birthday party.
Ah. Will Mina be there?
...She's offered to plan with me. So...I guess so.
Good. It's nice to know the two of you are working together. Even if it's a friend's birthday, make sure you take Mina somewhere nice. Just the two of you...
The last comment made Mingyu's heartstrings tug, and he focused on watching you to make himself feel better. You were smiling as whatever Minnie told you was ridiculous enough to receive a bright, infectious smile and laugh from the both of you. You were beaming, and Mingyu was glad to see it. He wanted to see that face on your every second of the day. You turned your attention to Joshua and Jeonghan, which meant Mingyu quickly followed as well, watching as you approached the duo who were talking to one another.
"What do you think?" you asked Joshua and Jeonghan, turning your simple nails towards the duo. They looked over at you as you pointed to each one: "I'm thinking all red, but maybe something nice on the ring finger."
"I'm thinking sparkles," Minnie added.
Mingyu watched Joshua and Jeonghan each reach out, taking a hand into their grasp. Mingyu pouted, quickening his pace the second he could. "Hey." He said, making you all look over. "Why don't you ask me?"
You laughed a bit. However, before you could answer, Joshua and Jeonghan's grip on your hands tightened, and they pulled you closer. "Oh." You looked at them.
"We already decided," Jeonghan said. You grinned as Joshua took your index finger, rocking it back and forth and sticking his tongue out, examining it like an artist examines a sculpture in the works with one eye closed and everything.
"Yeah, you're not needed." He said.
"Hey." Mingyu pouted, crossing his arms. Taking your hands back, you shooed the duo away.
"You both are ridiculous." You said. Turning to Mingyu, you offered him your hands next. "What do you suggest, oh wise one?" Mingyu hesitated for a second, but gently took your fingers into his hands, looking down at your nails. You felt the gentleness of his touch, yet it burned you more than the hottest rays of the afternoon sun. You had to look down at your hands as well to keep yourself calm. Regardless of everything, your heart still beat a little quicker when Mingyu was this close to you.
"I think sparkle will be nice on the ring." He said, nodding his head. "As for the color..." he shrugged. "I always heard that a person's favorite color matches their eyes, so..." You laughed a bit, pulling your hands away and covering your cheeks, worried their redness would become obvious.
"Get a room!" Seungkwan begged, breaking the awkward silence between the two of you. Minnie took your hand, grinning.
"I told you sparkles would be the key. Come on, let's go before the salon gets crowded!"
"Okay." You looked at Joshua and Jeonghan. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah," Jeonghan said.
"We'll keep them company, don't worry!" Hoshi assured, grabbing Joshua and Jeonghan by the arms as he popped up between them. They looked down at the beaming individual, amused smiles on their faces. You nodded, waving your hand as you and Minnie headed off campus. Mingyu sighed.
"Alright." He said, looking over the rest of the guys. "We have to start planning everything. Want to come to my place? My father's out for the day."
"Heck yeah!" Seungkwan grinned. Joshua and Jeonghan shared a glance, before being led off by an eager Hoshi as the group of men made their way off campus as well.
------------------------------
"Awww." Minnie sighed as she peered inside the salon. "It's so crowded already. I knew I should have made a reservation."
"That's ok." You assured. "We can always come back."
"Well, I want to make sure our nails are done." She said. Clicking her tongue, she looked at you. "Wait here. I'll go see if they have any openings. If not, we're coming back first thing tomorrow."
"Okay." You said behind a chuckle as Minnie charged in, the door closing behind her as a welcome bell rang. You rested against the wall, pulling your phone out of your pocket and taking the silence to scroll through your messages. It wasn't long after that the sound of a bell rang once more, and you looked over in hopes of seeing Minnie. However, a few stores down, you saw a familiar short frame with jet-black hair and matching accessories. You blinked. "Oh...hey!" You called, and the figure looked over, seemingly with a snack hanging from his mouth. "Jihoon!"
"Ah." Taking his bite, Jihoon hurried up to you and smiled. "Hey. Long time. Did finals finally end?"
"Yeah. We all finished today."
"Well, good luck." Jihoon smiled, and you quickly thanked him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well-." You pointed to the salon, specifically, the girl talking to the worker inside. "My friend and I are hoping we can get our nails done soon."
"Any occasion?" Jihoon asked.
"I'm having a birthday party." You smiled.
"Ah. Happy birthday! I don't have a gift." You laughed a bit, shaking your head.
"No, no. You don't need to." You assured. Just then, your eyes widened.
You can invite whoever you want.
You immediately looked back at Jihoon after Mingyu's comment flooded your brain, eyes beaming. "Come to my party!"
"What?" Jihoon asked.
"My friend is throwing a party for my birthday weekend." You said. "All of the friends I told you about will be there. You should come. I promised I would introduce you." Jihoon recalled the photo you had shown him of your friends, shifting in his spot. He put his hand in his pocket as he took a bite of his snack. You frowned, immediately getting the hesitant feeling from him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was that to forward?"
"No," Jihoon said. "I appreciate the invite. I just worry I'll make the scene uncomfortable. They don't know me."
"Well, they'll get to know you." You assured. "I'd love it if you came."
"Well-." Jihoon didn't seem convinced, but you suddenly motioned to the door again.
"My friend is coming out. You'll know her too if you meet now." As if on cue, Minnie stepped out of the store, the door closing behind her.
"Good news. They said we can-." Minnie was interrupted by Jihoon's presence. "Oh. Hello." She nodded her head politely.
"Hi." He said.
"This is Jihoon. He's the friend I told you I had met. The one I've hung out with a few times."
"Aaah." She said. "I'm Minnie. It's nice to meet you." She said. Jihoon nodded.
"I've heard many things about you. The pleasures mine." Despite the politeness, he still seemed a bit nervous.
"I'm trying to convince him to come to my party. Mingyu said I could invite other people." Minnie looked over at Jihoon, who by now had long finished his snack.
"Yeah, totally," Minnie said. "It'll be fun!"
"Well, if you think I won't be a burden." He said. "Then I'll come."
You clapped your hands in excitement. "Okay. Once I get the final details, I'll message you. Is that ok? It'll be this weekend for sure."
"I'll keep my calendar open." He said. You nodded, Minnie finally getting your attention back.
"Let's go. They'll squeeze us in if we go now. I told them it was your wedding."
"My WHAT? Minnie." You gasped. Jihoon laughed a bit as Minnie led you inside. You offered him one more glance before disappearing into the salon. Jihoon watched for a second, hands in his pockets as the both of you were led to the back of the salon. He smiled to himself.
However, all that could sit in the back of his mind was how much the entire party was about to change the minute he stepped into the frame.
----------------------------------
The weekend had arrived, Mingyu finalizing in the group chat that you would all be taking Mingyu's plane to Jeju Island, and his father finalizing permission to use the beach house for the weekend. Mingyu, Mina, Hoshi, and Seungkwan agreed to head to the house a day early to set up. While you didn't like the idea of Mina and Mingyu being in the house an entire day before the both of you, knowing it was Mina who suggested it, you had no way to bring it up without causing a problem.
"She's probably jealous that you're the one that is getting his full attention for this party," Minnie said as both of you waited with Joshua and Jeonghan at the airport for your flight.
"She's right," Jeonghan said with a yawn. "Why did we have to wait until nighttime? The planes to Jeju run all day."
"If we get there Friday night, we have all day Saturday and Sunday," Joshua explained. "If we get on the next flight we should be there before dinner." He looked over at you, watching you check your phone. Your brows were furrowed as you tapped constantly on your phone. "Did your friend ever message you back? Are they coming?"
"I don't know. They said they would. But they seemed a bit hesitant. I gave him the address and the flight times. I hope he's able to come."
"If not, we'll still have fun," Minnie assured. "And we can just hang out when we're back."
"Right." You agreed. It was then that Mingyu's family pilot approached the group, signaling you all that the plane was refueled and ready for yet another trip to the island. You scanned the area one more time, but when you didn't see Jihoon, you simply grabbed your belongings and followed your friends onto the plane.
------------------
The hour-and-a-half-long trip over was filled with anxious excitement for the weekend to come. You were staring out the window with Minnie, while Joshua was reading a book and Jeonghan was closing his eyes beside him. You looked over and smiled at Joshua.
"Have you guys ever been to Jeju?" you asked. Joshua's eyes fluttered up at you, and when he saw your smile, he immediately looked back down at his book.
"Heh." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Not in a few years." He said. "It'll be nice to go back."
"I only went a few times as a kid." You said.
"I've never been. I'm so excited." Minnie smiled. "I heard the beaches are beautiful." You nodded in confirmation. It wasn't long after that the plane began its descent. Joshua smiled again as he heard both you and Minnie practically squeal in glee, reverting to two children who were about to go see Santa Claus just before Christmas. He simply looked over at his friend, shaking him awake. Groggily, Jeonghan's eyes fluttered open, his lips smacking to moisten them a bit. He groaned, sitting up straight as a hand went up to rub along his face. When he looked at Joshua, he frowned at his friend's amused chuckle.
"Really?" he asked, but Joshua only looked back down at his book.
Mingyu had a car waiting for you guys as well. He made sure to 'pull out all the stops'. That was the wording he used when the two of you were on the phone late the previous night, anyway. The car drove from the airport along the beautiful Jeju coast. You wasted no time taking in the beautiful sights through the window once again, admiring the natural architecture. Even as the sun began to set, the glow of the orange-yellow sun spilled along the water and bounced off the mountains in a way that made it an absolutely beautiful sight to behold. Even as the car pulled up to the massive beach house resting just off the shore.
You gasped: "There's no way his family owns this." You said.
"Of course, they do!" Minnie said. "I'm not even the least bit shocked." You stepped out of the car as a collection of workers hurried to the car's trunk, scrambling to take all of your bags inside. You could see the lights were on, and smoke seemed to be bellowing from the large back deck that overlooked the ocean. You looked over at your friends.
"This is amazing!" You said. "It's going to be the best weekend, ever!!!"
Joshua and Jeonghan smiled as they watched you and Minnie lead the way to the front door. When you walked in, your eyes scanned the enormous open-concept living room and dining room, disconnected only by a rise in the platform. You looked around as you stepped inside, eyeing what seemed to be the door to the back porch. Only the screen door was closed, so you could immediately hear laughter and music coming from the back. "This is incredible." You said. When you turned to Joshua and Jeonghan, you saw they simply stroll in, the looks on their faces not nearly as impressed as yours. "Have you ever seen a house so massive?"
"And this is just a beach house!" Minnie added.
"It's lovely," Joshua said simply. "A bit smaller than ours, though." You blinked, staring at Minnie with shocked expressions.
"Why didn't we go to your house for her birthday, then?" Minnie asked playfully.
"Because she doesn't like us," Jeonghan said. You laughed a bit before you and Minnie hurried to examine the kitchen. Joshua looked over at Jeonghan, who simply shrugged. "What? I'm right."
The commotion at the front of the house seemed to alert the back, as the screen door finally opened. You looked over to see Mingyu and Seungkwan poke their heads in. Mingyu's face, already holding an enormous smile, got bigger as he hurried inside.
"There you are!" he shouted. "Was the flight safe and everything?"
"Yeah." You said. "Mingyu this house is amazing!"
"Aha, you think so?" Mingyu's cheeks tinted a bit pink. He immediately passed the both of you drinks. "I'm almost done cooking. You're just in time." When he caught Joshua and Jeonghan stumbling in, he motioned to them too. "Come on."
You shuffled outside, immediately being hit with the warm smell of meats being grilled on the barbecue. You saw Hoshi and Mina standing over it, drinks in hand as they chatted. When they looked over, Hoshi screamed in excitement at your arrival, hurrying to hug Minnie. When you saw Mina, she hurried up to you, enveloping you in her hug.
"You're all here! I hope the trip was good!" She smiled. "We couldn't wait for you to get here! Mingyu and I have been waiting." The way she emphasized her words made you pursed your lips.
"Okay..." That was all you could respond with. She led you to the grill, which was still steaming. "Mingyu! Hurry and turn this before they burn!" She called. "He's been cooking for us since we got here. He's such a good cook. I'm glad I got to learn another new thing about him." Mingyu hurried between the two of you, reaching out and taking the tongs to flip the meat over. You smiled up at him, and he eagerly returned it.
"Dinner will be ready soon, so settle in and drink up. I have your bags being taken up to your room already." You nodded, finally opening your drink and taking a sip.
Though a bit short with your arrival, the night was already going off without a hitch. You were all sitting around a fire pit, laughing and drinking as the food finished cooking. Mingyu was sitting next to you, quick to do so when he saw two particularly pesky individuals slide up beside you. You took a sip of your drink, watching as Mingyu got up one last time to check the food.
"I think it's done." He said to a sea of applause and cheers. Just as he turned off the grill, one of the house workers hurried to the back door, alerting Mingyu's attention.
"Sir." He said. "It seems another guest has arrived." Mingyu immediately looked at you, seeing your face break out into a big and excited smile. Mingyu nodded.
"Let him in, then." He said. "He's just in time for dinner." As the man nodded his head, heading back to the front with a bow, Mingyu turned to Hoshi. "Hyung, can you go get us an extra plate inside for him?"
"Right-o!" He grinned, standing up and heading inside. You stood up as well, ready to eagerly greet and introduce Jihoon to the rest of the group. You were excited that he would have a few more friends in your circle of very kind individuals.
"Alright. Let's plate these bad boys up." Mingyu grinned, beginning to set all of the meat on a plate. The boys hurried over to lend him a hand, holding different plates for Mingyu to organize all of the food on, while you and Minnie sat side by side now, drinking together and watching.
"This is going to be so nice," Minnie said, looking at you. You nodded in agreement. The feeling of the cool sea breeze in your air, the tickle of the salt water fluttering up to your nose. And the entire weekend with your friends. An entire event is dedicated to you, organized by the one person who was the most important to you. The weekend had just started, and you couldn't be happier.
The sound of a plate dropping in the kitchen alerted all of you, making your eyes all focus on the door. You felt hands on your shoulders, immediately looking up to see Joshua and Jeonghan at your side, eyes on the door in hopes of seeing what the noise was from.
The sound of a plate dropping in the kitchen alerted all of you, making your eyes all focus on the door. You felt hands on your shoulders, immediately looking up to see Joshua and Jeonghan at your side, eyes on the door in hopes of seeing what the noise was from.
"Do you sense that?" Joshua whispered. Jeonghan nodded, their hands on your shoulders remaining firm and protective. You were just about to open your mouth and ask for more clarification when Mingyu stepped forward as well. You could immediately tell the sudden noise spooked him, as his eyes were wide in surprise and his cheeks suddenly devoid of color. However, he managed to muster up enough courage to call: "Hoshi-Hyung?"
No response. Seungkwan called: "Soonyoung-Hyung?"
You finally rose from your spot around the fire pit. "Guess I'll go check since everyone is being so cryptic." You said, both you and Minnie heading inside, closing the screen door behind you. The men followed suit, poking their heads in to see. You immediately saw Hoshi, standing in the kitchen before a shattered plate, staring at the guest that had just arrived.
Hoshi shook his head as if he couldn't believe who it was. "Woozi?" he asked, tilting his head. You immediately looked over when you heard that familiar nickname, and a gentle smile graced Jihoon's face as he nodded.
"Hey, Hoshi."