The morning light pours through gauzy curtains, golden and warm, promising mischief. Outside, birds chirp over gentle surf. Inside, the villa stirs awake, except for Raejin, who's snoring like a chainsaw two floors up.
Yuna's eyes pop open. She sits bolt upright.
"Oh my god. I'm in paradise."
Mina's voice floats from the bathroom. "Stop screaming. I'm trying to contour."
By the time Yuna wanders to the terrace, the others are already gathered around a lavish breakfast spread. There's pineapple, papaya, pastries dusted with powdered sugar, mountains of scrambled eggs and coffee strong enough to wake the dead.
Ari's attempting to balance an entire platter of fruit on her head, practicing for an "island goddess photo."
Seo, deadpan: "Put that down before someone loses an eye."
Ari: "But my followers..."
Seo: "NO. EYE. INJURIES."
Meanwhile, Raejin's pouring syrup directly into his mouth. Sori slaps his arm. Mina scolds:
"We're in a classy villa, you gremlin."
Taewon, ever the voice of reason, cuts Raejin's stack of pancakes into neat quarters and gently plates them. Raejin gazes at him like he's his new mother.
Yuna's halfway through a croissant when someone emerges from the hallway. The chatter dies instantly.
It's J-Min.
In...swim shorts.
No shirt.
Just low-slung, black swim trunks, damp hair slicked back, droplets rolling down his sculpted chest. Sunlight hits the ridges of his abs like a Renaissance sculpture. His biceps flex as he runs a hand through his hair.
Yuna's soul promptly vacates her body.
Her coffee cup misses her mouth. Coffee drips down her chin. Ari yelps, grabbing napkins.
J-Min pauses, noticing her ogling. His lips curve in a wicked, teasing smirk.
"Morning, Yuna."
His voice is low and scratchy, a little sleep-rough.
Yuna squeaks. "H-h-h-hi."
Raejin immediately fans her with a menu. "She's overheating. Quick, someone get ice."
Seo pinches the bridge of his nose. "Why am I here?"
After breakfast, chaos ensues as the girls rush to get beach-ready. Swimsuits fly across bedrooms like neon confetti. Mina's coaching Yuna:
"Listen to me, Yuna. You've got boobs. Use them."
Yuna: "Oh my god, Mina."
Mina plants herself in front of Yuna, hands gripping her shoulders.
"Listen to me, Yuna. You always let him leave you speechless. It's time you make him the one who can't remember his own name."
Yuna gapes.
Mina waves her off. "No, seriously. Do it for the ship. Think of the Yumin™ fan edits that'll explode if he sees you and spontaneously combusts."
Ari pokes her head in the doorway, eyes gleaming. "And do it for yourself, babe. The man is basically a human lava lamp. Make him melt for once."
Sori's rummaging in a giant beach bag. "Sunscreen. SPF 100. I am not coming back looking like a lobster because of your romantic tension."
Seo's stomping past in the hallway, brandishing his clipboard like a weapon.
"NO NUDITY. I WILL CHAIN YOU TO A BEACH CHAIR IF I HAVE TO."
By the time Yuna walks down the path, the beach is dazzling under a blazing sun. Waves sparkle turquoise and white. Palm trees sway gently overhead.
She's wearing a white bikini. The crisp colour makes her sun-kissed skin glow, the simple triangle top and bottoms elegant yet a little daring. Over it, she's tied a short, tasselled cream sarong that swishes around her hips as she walks, the fringe catching the light. Her hair's in soft waves, a flower tucked behind her ear.
The moment J-Min spots her, his mouth goes slack.
"Whoa."
His voice is husky. He blinks several times, as though physically restraining himself.
"Yuna...you...holy..."
He rakes a hand through his hair, looking pained. "I'm trying so hard to be respectful right now."
Mina pops up behind Yuna. "DON'T BE RESPECTFUL. COMMIT TO THE BIT."
Seo shouts from his towel, "EVERYONE SHUT UP."
Taewon's diligently setting up an umbrella. Ari and Sori are perfecting TikTok dances in the sand. Raejin, meanwhile, has discovered the ocean and is determined to cause an international incident.
Raejin: "CANNONBALL!"
He sprints into the surf, sending a tidal wave over everyone. Sori screeches. Mina swears. Yuna nearly loses her sarong.
Taewon wades in after him, scolding gently:
"Raejin. Please. People are trying to relax."
Raejin: "BUT THE WATER'S SO GOOD."
J-Min's arm curls protectively around Yuna's waist. She can feel every ripple of muscle against her back. Her brain threatens to shut down.
Yuna, voice high: "Um. The water's...nice."
J-Min: "I'm gonna throw Raejin into the next time zone."
Eventually, J-Min tugs Yuna into the shallows. The sun glitters off the waves, warm and playful.
Yuna tries to cover herself with crossed arms. J-Min gently lowers her arms.
"Don't hide. You're beautiful."
Her face combusts. "You're...basically...naked."
He laughs. "You noticed?"
He lifts a handful of water, dribbling it down her shoulder. She yelps, smacking his chest lightly.
"Hey!"
He catches her wrist, spins her in the water, pulls her flush against him. Her breath hitches.
"Careful, Yuna. You're playing with fire."
"You're the one pouring water down my bikini top!"
His grin is absolutely wicked. "I could dry it off for you."
Seo, from shore, bellows like a drill sergeant:
"KEEP IT PG, YOU TWO!"
Back on their towels, J-Min attempts to help Yuna with sunscreen. It goes about as well as expected.
Yuna: "Careful, it's slippery...AHHHH!"
She slips right off her towel into his lap. J-Min's arms lock around her automatically.
Mina's shrieking. Sori's howling. Ari's filming.
Seo's on the brink of tears. "Why? WHY IS THIS MY JOB."
J-Min's voice is breathless. "This is...nice. But Seo's gonna kill me."
Yuna's face is pure crimson. "I CAN'T FEEL MY SPINE."
Eventually, the group sprawls out, exhausted. Raejin's buried up to his neck in sand by Taewon, mumbling, "I'm a sexy sand mermaid."
Sori and Ari are collapsed under the umbrella. Mina's reading Vogue out loud. Seo massages his temples, plotting a silent retreat to a monastery.
Yuna and J-Min lie side by side in a wide double hammock, strung between two swaying palms. Soft sea breezes rustle the fringe of Yuna's cream sarong as she snuggles closer, her head tucked beneath J-Min's chin. His arm is wrapped around her, fingers lazily tracing patterns on her sun-warmed skin.
Above them, sunlight filters through palm fronds, casting shifting shadows across their relaxed faces. The azure ocean stretches beyond, sparkling and endless, while the hammock gently sways, cocooning them in a private world of warmth and hush.
J-Min tips his head down to press a soft kiss to Yuna's hair. She exhales a shaky little laugh, her fingers drifting over his chest.
"Feels like a dream," she murmurs.
His voice rumbles low. "Then I hope we never wake up."
He stares out at the horizon.
"You know...I used to think beaches were only for fan service photoshoots."
Yuna smiles softly. "And now?"
He glances at her. "Now I think they're for...moments like this."
She nudges him. "With half the band and Seo watching us like a hawk?"
"Even then," he murmurs. "Because it's real."
Mina claps her hands suddenly. "OH MY GOD. ONARI™ IS GONNA DIE WHEN THEY SEE THE PHOTOS."
Ari: "YUMIN™ LIVES!"
Raejin (still in sand prison): "LONG LIVE YUMIN™."
Seo wails. "I can't do this anymore."
As the sun sinks lower, casting the world in rose and gold, J-Min leans closer, eyes warm and tender.
"I can't wait for more days like this. Just us. Being ridiculous."
Yuna smiles. "Me neither."
Somewhere behind them, Raejin shrieks as a hermit crab scuttles across his sand mound.
And Yuna realizes she's exactly where she wants to be...surrounded by chaos, laughter and a man who makes her feel as dazzling as the sun on the sea.