Asiya stood near the arrival gates, arms crossed, scanning the crowd. The airport buzzed with travelers rushing in all directions, announcements crackling over the speakers, and the rhythmic clatter of luggage wheels echoing off polished floors. But she knew her cousins would be impossible to miss—mostly because they'd be the loudest.
She barely had time to check her phone before she heard it.
"ASIYAAA!"
Heads turned. A few people even stepped aside as Yasmine charged through the crowd, dragging her suitcase behind her. Sana followed at a more reasonable pace, calm and amused. Behind them, Farah and Mira were in complete disarray—Farah struggling with her overstuffed backpack while Mira nearly tripped over her own feet trying to keep up.
Asiya barely had time to brace herself before Yasmine tackled her into a hug, squeezing the life out of her.
"We're finally here!" Yasmine beamed, bouncing slightly.
Sana smiled. "We survived the flight."
Farah groaned dramatically. "Barely."
Mira, still catching her breath, clutched her chest as if she had narrowly escaped death. "I thought I was gonna die on that plane."
Asiya raised an eyebrow. "What, did it almost crash?"
"No," Mira huffed, "but did you know turbulence can actually make you question your life choices?"
"It wasn't even that bad," Sana said, adjusting her purse.
"Maybe not for you! I saw my soul leave my body at least twice," Mira shot back.
Farah slumped against Asiya dramatically. "I don't know what was worse—the flight or sitting next to Mira panicking over the tiniest bump."
Mira glared. "neeeeh."
Suddenly, Yasmine pulled back and held Asiya at arm's length, eyes sparkling. "Wait—Asiya! Do you realize it's been a whole year since we last saw you?!"
Sana nodded. "Yeah, we missed you."
Farah pouted. "You better say you missed us too or I'm leaving."
Asiya smirked. "Oh no, what a tragedy that would be."
"Just admit it, you missed us!" Mira whined.
Asiya softened, her voice quieter. "Of course, I missed you all," she said, then added with a chuckle, "Even if you're loud and dramatic."
The four of them stared at her with mock offense, mouths wide open like she'd just committed a crime.
"Oh wow. Rude," Farah huffed.
"I came all this way and this is the welcome?" Mira gasped.
"You're lucky I love you," Yasmine added dramatically, flipping her hair.
Ignoring the theatrics, Farah grabbed Asiya's hand. "Alright, where's the car?"
"You didn't even say hi properly," Asiya pointed out.
Farah gave her a deadpan look. "Hi. Where's the car?"
Yasmine leaned in. "Yeah, come on. Where's our royal chariot?"
Asiya bowed slightly, hands outstretched with exaggerated grace. "This way, Your Highnesses."
They burst into laughter.
"You should be carrying our bags too, then!" Yasmine added, tossing her suitcase handle toward her.
"You know I could demote you from highness to maid in two seconds flat," Asiya shot back without missing a beat.
"Sorry" Yasmine said, instantly retreating.
Asiya led the way to the car, her cousins trailing behind her, still buzzing with excitement from their reunion. But the moment they reached the parking lot, Farah stopped in her tracks and squinted at the car.
"Uh… does the car look small to anyone else? I doubt it will be able to fit the luggage"
"No, it's not small," Asiya said, hands on her hips. "Your luggage is just ridiculous. I don't even know where I'm gonna put all of this."
She popped the trunk and shoved the suitcases inside, trying to make them fit. Yasmine handed her another suitcase.
"Here, try fitting this one in too."
Asiya groaned. "At this point, I should just leave one of you behind to make space."
"No!" Mira shouted immediately.
"Obviously not me," Sana added, unbothered.
"Why do I feel like I'm the one at risk here?" Farah muttered as Asiya tried to shove in one last suitcase. "What did you even pack? Bricks?"
Farah smirked. "Maybe."
Asiya shot her a glare. "Then maybe I will leave you and your brick collection here."
Eventually, with some creative stacking and a bit of brute force, Asiya slammed the trunk closed with a satisfied grunt. "There. Now get in."
The moment they piled into the car, the complaints started.
"Why does this car feel so cramped?" Farah groaned.
"Because you brought half your closet," Sana replied.
"I swear, I can't feel my legs," Mira complained, squirming in her seat.
Yasmine leaned toward the front. "You seriously couldn't get a bigger car?"
Asiya, eyes on the road, stayed completely unfazed. "At this rate, you don't need a car—you need a truck. besides you're lucky I got a car."
Yasmine huffed. "At least let me change the song."
Asiya smacked her hand away as she reached for the controls. "Driver picks the music. You know the rules."
"Your taste is terrible," Yasmine mumbled but she leaned back in her seat, already too exhausted to argue.
As the engine hummed, silence slowly replaced the noise. Sana leaned against the window, eyes heavy. Mira let out a massive yawn, and even Yasmine—still the most energetic of the group—began to doze off.
Asiya glanced in the rearview mirror. They were all asleep.
Mira's head was lolled to the side, mouth slightly open. Yasmine had her arms crossed but kept twitching like she was dreaming of arguing. Sana rested peacefully with her forehead against the glass, and Farah had somehow fallen asleep mid-scowl, clutching a small backpack like it was a pillow.
Asiya smiled to herself, her expression soft.
"I really missed you," she murmured, lowering the music volume and letting the road carry them in a gentle silence.
After roughly 40 minutes they reached the house
Asiya pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine and twisted around in her seat.
"We're here."
No response.
"Yasmine… wake up."
A muffled voice from the back. "Moooom, five minutes…"
Asiya sighed and stepped out, slamming the door behind her. That did it.
"Ugh, what?" Yasmine groaned, slowly peeling herself off the seat.
Mira yawned. "Are we here?"
Farah's grumpy voice came next. "You're so loud… let me sleep!"
"Wake up or I'm leaving you all in the car," Asiya called as she stretched. "I'll be inside. In my warm, comfortable bed."
That worked. With groans and muttering, they dragged their suitcases up the steps. The moment the front door opened, chaos resumed—bags dropped in the hallway, shoes kicked off in random directions, jackets tossed over chairs like confetti.
Without another word, they shuffled toward the bedrooms and collapsed onto the nearest available beds, too exhausted to argue about who was sleeping where.
The Next Morning
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, golden and warm. One by one, the girls stirred.
Farah stretched with a groan. "Where even am I?"
Mira blinked at the ceiling. "Where do you think? We're in the house, obviously."
Yasmine buried her face in the pillow. "Why do I feel like I got hit by a truck?"
Sana sat up and sighed. "Because we traveled for hours?"
Then Farah's nose twitched. "Wait… is that food?"
Like a magnet, the smell of coffee lured them to the kitchen where Asiya stood at the stove, flipping omelets.
Yasmine blinked. "Whoa. You made breakfast?"
Asiya smirked. "Don't get used to it."
"10 a.m. already?!" Mira shrieked looking at the time. "You should've woken us! We only have a month in Korea—we need to make the most of every second!"
Asiya rolled her eyes. "Huh. As if I didn't try. You wouldn't budge and Sana almost strangled me with a charging cable."
"I did?" Sana asked blankly.
"You definitely did," Asiya confirmed.
Laughter echoed through the kitchen as they dug into their food, the reunion finally feeling real.
After breakfast, they took a proper look at the house.
"Okay, now that we're awake, this place is actually nice," Sana admitted, glancing at the high ceilings and spacious living area.
Mira nodded. "Yeah, but we need to choose rooms. There are two rooms with two beds each, so we have to share."
"Let's decide by luck," Farah suggested. "That way, no fighting."
"Fine," Yasmine agreed, "but if I get stuck with a snorer, I'm switching."
Midway through drawing names, Farah froze. "Wait—Asiya, what about your room?"
Mira narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me…"
Yasmine dashed down the hall. "You took the nicest one, didn't you?!"
Asiya leaned back with a smug look. "Of course I did. I need my peace."
The room exploded.
"Unbelievable!"
"You cheated!"
"There's a balcony, Asiya!"
Asiya sipped her tea. "You think I was going to leave that up to chance? Please. I need to sleep. If I ended up with one of you, I wouldn't get a wink before 5 a.m."
Sana raised a hand. "She's got a point."
"No, she doesn't!" Yasmine whined. "This is corruption!"
"No, it's being smart," Asiya corrected.
"You've betrayed us," Farah moaned dramatically.
"You'll live," Asiya replied calmly, watching them with quiet amusement.
With a lot of grumbling, they finished choosing their roommates, still throwing occasional complaints in Asiya's direction. She just sat back, enjoying their reactions.
Before Asiya could respond, Yasmine, Farah, and Mira, who had been lazily stretching and waking up, immediately turned their attention to her.
Just as the room started to calm down, Sana squinted at Asiya suspiciously.
"Wait a second… did you get it?"
Asiya blinked innocently. "hmmm?"
Farah whipped her head around. "Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about?!"
Yasmine and Mira gasped in unison, practically leaping across the room.
"ASIIYA," Mira shouted.
"SHOW US RIGHT NOW," Yasmine yelled.
"DON'T YOU DARE LIE," Sana added.
Asiya clutched her phone to her chest like it held state secrets. "I have no idea what you're all talking about," she said, biting back a grin.
"YOU GOT IT," Farah accused, eyes wide. "SHE'S SMILING—LOOK AT HER!"
"Confess!" Farah cried, pointing dramatically.
Yasmine lunged forward. "Hand over the evidence!"
Mira tried circling around the couch. "I'll tackle you!"
"No need for violence," Asiya said, slipping behind the kitchen counter, waving a wooden spoon like a royal scepter. "All in good time, my dear peasants."
"PEASANTS?!" Farah shrieked, laughing as she grabbed a pillow and chucked it at her.
"I KNEW she got it!" Yasmine groaned, falling onto the couch in defeat.
Asiya just stood there, smug as ever, phone still hidden. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."
The house erupted into chaos again. Screams, laughter, cushions flying everywhere.
It was war.
And Asiya? She was loving every second of it.