Morning arrives in a blaze of tropical sun and salty breeze. Birds trill outside, palm fronds sway, and somewhere in the distance, Raejin yells:
"TAEWON! THE COCONUTS ARE FIGHTING BACK!"
Yuna groans into the pillow. Her body's deliciously sore from laughter and a suspicious amount of mosquito defence manoeuvres the night before. She lifts her head just as J-Min pads out of the bathroom, hair damp, wearing nothing but a white towel low around his hips.
He freezes mid-step when he sees her staring. "Good morning?"
Yuna squeaks and ducks under the sheet. "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"
He bursts into laughter. "You were perfectly fine last night and suddenly you're shy?"
Yuna emerges from beneath the sheet, face pink. "That was different. It was dark."
He tilts his head, smirking. "Want me to turn off the lights?"
She pelts a pillow at him. "GET DRESSED."
But he just tosses the pillow aside, strolls closer, and kisses her forehead. "Fine. Only because I don't want you fainting this early."
The villa's patio is chaotic at breakfast. Sizzling bacon. Coffee. Fresh pineapple. And a suspiciously loud mechanical whirring.
Seo stands behind the bar, scowling at a blender. "I AM MAKING SMOOTHIES. DO NOT TOUCH ME."
Ari creeps up. "But can I try a sip..."
"NO. MANGO FIRST. THEN STRAWBERRY. THIS IS SCIENCE."
Yuna tiptoes in, wearing a breezy sundress and sunglasses. Mina's already at the table, fanning herself dramatically.
Mina grabs her hand. "Tell me why your hair's all glowy, miss thing?"
Yuna blinks. "I slept."
Mina snorts. "You slept my perfectly manicured butt. You've got post-'someone was kissing my brains out' glow."
J-Min arrives behind Yuna, pulling a shirt over his head. "She's not wrong."
Yuna whips around, smacking his chest lightly. "Stop talking!"
Ari, perched on a barstool, claps. "YUMIN™ IS ALIVE AND THRIVING."
Sori, emerging with a pineapple slice in her mouth, waves her phone. "ONARI™ will combust. I've got at least fifty fan edits waiting to drop."
Seo bellows, "NO FAN EDITS UNTIL EVERYONE'S WEARING CLOTHES."
By midmorning, Seo corrals them into sneakers and hats.
Seo waves his clipboard. "We're exploring the island. No one's allowed to get lost. Raejin, that means you."
Raejin pouts. "I wanted to free-climb a palm tree."
Taewon places a firm hand on his shoulder. "No."
They hike along narrow trails, sunlight filtering through jungle leaves. Bright birds flit overhead. Ari squeals when a rainbow-colored gecko crawls onto her arm.
Ari gasps. "Is this my Disney princess moment?!"
Sori yells, "THROW IT AWAY."
Ari cries, "No, he loves me!"
Meanwhile, J-Min and Yuna fall behind the group, their hands brushing as they walk. Every time they accidentally bump hips, Yuna's pulse races.
J-Min leans down, murmuring, "I want to get you alone later."
Yuna gulps. "We're in the middle of a jungle."
He grins. "Exactly."
Seo eventually leads them to a hidden lagoon. Sunlight sparkles off clear turquoise water. A rope swing dangles from a palm tree over the lagoon.
Raejin gasps. "It's like a travel commercial!"
Mina rolls her eyes. "Please do not break your neck."
Raejin's already scaling the tree. "COWABUNGA!"
He swings out, does an unnecessary flip and splashes down with a cannonball that drenches everyone. Sori shrieks. Ari tries to protect her phone. Seo wipes water off his clipboard, muttering curses.
Mina's hair is plastered to her face. "You're buying me a new blowout."
Taewon shakes his head, arms folded. "Please don't drown."
J-Min strips off his shirt...Yuna audibly chokes and takes the rope swing, gracefully flipping into the lagoon. When he resurfaces, he slicks back his hair, water streaming over his chest.
Yuna blurts, "Why is he so sparkly?!"
Mina deadpans, "Because life is unfair."
Yuna edges closer to the water. J-Min floats over, eyes glinting. "Come in."
"I don't know..."
"Yuna."
"...fine."
She wades in, squealing as cool water laps her thighs. J-Min grins wickedly. The second she's deep enough, he grabs her waist, spins her and dips her backward like they're dancing.
Yuna shrieks. "Stop it..."
J-Min kisses her mid-sentence. Water sloshes around them as the kiss deepens, heat blooming even under the cool lagoon. Her legs wrap around his waist automatically. The group behind them cheers.
Seo yells, "THAT'S ENOUGH PUBLIC PDA!"
They regroup on giant beach towels for fruit and snacks.
Ari, munching mango slices: "I can't believe we're all still alive."
Mina's towel is suspiciously close to Raejin's. She pretends not to notice. Raejin drips water onto her leg. Mina slaps him with a slice of pineapple.
"Gross, you sea monster!"
"You like it."
"DO NOT."
J-Min's sprawled beside Yuna, hand resting low on her waist. He nuzzles her shoulder. "Your hair smells like coconut."
Yuna swats him gently. "Stop. People are watching."
Mina pipes up, "As if you care anymore. We all saw that water kiss."
Seo collapses onto a towel. "I swear, I'm going to retire after this trip."
The next stop is a small village on the far side of the island. There's a local market full of colourful woven baskets, handmade jewellery and local food stands.
Sori buys a giant straw hat. Ari buys a sarong covered in flamingos. Raejin tries to haggle for a carved wooden monkey, fails miserably and buys it for double the price.
Mina sidles up to Yuna. "Hey...speaking of the bonfire last night..."
Yuna leans closer. "Spill."
Mina glances over at Raejin, who's grinning at a fruit stand. She whispers:
"He kissed me."
Yuna's eyes widen. "MINA."
Mina shoves her gently. "Shhh! It was just...intense. And hot. And maybe the best kiss of my life."
Yuna squeals. "Are you two..."
Mina shushes her again. "It's a vacation! We're just...seeing what happens."
A beat. Then:
Yuna smirks. "He's gonna follow you home like a puppy."
Mina snorts. "Yeah. I know."
That evening, Seo insists on another bonfire. They gather driftwood. J-Min and Taewon handle the fire.
J-Min, sweat gleaming on his skin, stacks logs. Yuna, watching from a log bench, sighs. "He's so domestic."
Mina grumbles, "Meanwhile, Raejin's trying to set fire to his own flip-flop."
Raejin shouts, "IT'S A FLAME TEST!"
Taewon smacks his shoulder. "No."
Night falls soft and balmy. The bonfire crackles. Light laughter mingles with the sound of gentle waves.
Mina and Raejin slip off for a "walk" along the shoreline. Everyone knows what that means. Ari practically vibrates. "Do you think they're making out right now?"
Sori shrugs. "Or fighting over seashells."
Seo pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to know."
J-Min settles beside Yuna, one arm slung over her shoulders. She leans into his warmth, giggling as he breathes dramatically into her ear:
"Want to sneak away from everyone for five minutes?"
Yuna's eyes glitter. "I thought you'd never ask."
They wander down the empty beach. Moonlight casts silver ripples on the water. Waves hiss over pale sand.
J-Min tugs her close. "You looked incredible today."
"So did you," she murmurs, cheeks hot.
"Want to know a secret?"
She lifts a brow. "Always."
"I've been thinking about kissing you again since the lagoon."
Her pulse skips. "So...what are you waiting for?"
He grins and pulls her in. The kiss explodes with heat. It's deeper than before, mouths parting, tongues tangling, hands roaming. Yuna clutches his shoulders, dizzy. He tastes like salt and mango.
J-Min breaks away just long enough to murmur:
"You drive me absolutely insane."
And then he kisses her again, lifting her slightly off her feet as the waves lap around their ankles.
When they finally part, breathless, Yuna's voice is wobbly. "I think my knees gave up."
He laughs low. "Good. Means I'm doing my job."
Meanwhile...
Back near the bonfire, Mina and Raejin have indeed found privacy further along the shore.
Mina breathes, "Okay, but we cannot tell anyone about this."
Raejin grins, hair tousled by the sea breeze. "Too late."
And he kisses her fiercely. It's a tangle of mouths and fingertips, Mina tugging him closer until he lifts her off the sand. The world narrows to salty air and soft moans. They break apart only when a hermit crab scuttles across Raejin's foot.
"AHH!" Raejin shrieks.
Mina bursts out laughing, burying her face in his chest. "This is the least sexy romantic interlude ever."
Eventually, they regroup. Ari's sprawled by the fire, fanning herself. Seo sits with his head in his hands.
Seo groans, "I need hazard pay."
Taewon pats his back. "You're doing great."
Yuna and J-Min slide back into the circle, suspiciously flushed. Raejin and Mina appear seconds later, both slightly windblown. The group immediately erupts:
Ari: "DID YOU KISS?!"
Mina and Raejin, in unison: "NO!"
Seo wails, "OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD."
The fire burns lower. Stars blink above like diamonds scattered across velvet. J-Min wraps Yuna in a blanket, pressing a lingering kiss to her temple.
He whispers, "I like seeing you happy."
She smiles, snuggling closer. "I like being here...with you."
Mina rolls her eyes. "Barf."
Raejin slings an arm around Mina. "Admit it. You're into it."
Mina glares. "...Shut up."
Seo rises, voice authoritative. "BED. NOW. ALL OF YOU."
And as the group shuffles back toward the villa under a sky full of stars, Yuna realizes this trip has given her everything she never knew she was looking for...friends, love, chaos and a man who makes even mosquito attacks feel like an adventure.