“We are going to Jeju Island!”

“We...are?”

“Yup!”

“When?”

“Now.”

“Seriously.”

“Seriously.”

: :

“Doo Joon...” Chorong started carefully, setting her duffel bag down on the resort hotel’s polished marble floor and glanced around her surrounding nervously. “...I don’t think this is a good idea.”

The taller of the two, glanced over his shoulder and shot her a look.

“We are here and you’re telling me this now?”

“Well...you didn’t exactly give me much of a choice back there,” she muttered quietly, fidgeting with the hem of her blouse and keeping her gaze down.

Realising that she was right, Doo Joon’s lips curved upwardly as he reached out to give her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine. Wait here while I go check us in.”

Unable to say anything, or go anywhere else even if she wanted to, Chorong sank onto one of the red, plush sofas provided and buried her face in her palms. This place, isn’t exactly her kind of scene – in fact, it fitted people like Doo Joon, Jihyun and Woohyun much better and that is what she was afraid of.

What if somehow his family decided to come for a trip here? Or maybe, someone who knows them recognises her or if not, Doo Joon even and it only takes one mouth to report everything back to the Nams’.

She would be in so much more trouble.

: :

“My room is just the opposite of yours,” Doo Joon told her about fifteen minutes later while the two of them were standing outside a white, wooden door marked #3. “So if you need anything, I’m just a knock away.”

He gave her one last warm smile before picking up his own travel bag and turned the other way to retreat into his own room, when she suddenly called out his name that made him froze.

“Why did you bring me here?” she blurted out. “What are we doing here?”

He seemed to be thinking about this as he studied her face carefully for a moment, before choosing to answer.

“I just thought you need the break,” he shrugged. “You know...for these crazy past few weeks. And anyway, you can always take this chance to explore the places you haven’t been to before.”

“I don’t like being a charity case.”

Chorong hadn’t planned on saying that, and it definitely sounded harsher than she intended to – but she was just feeling weirdly angry about the whole thing (probably just Woohyun in general) and inevitably, Doo Joon became her punching bag.

Thankfully, he understood. Or at least, she thinks so.

“Go to sleep,” he told her kindly. “It’s been a long day. We’ll take a walk around tomorrow morning.”

She just stood there and watched as he turned back around once again, hand reaching for the doorknob.

At the very last second, Chorong found her voice again and she managed a soft, “Goodnight, Doo Joon” which she wasn’t quite sure if he had heard.

She didn’t wait around to find out though. He was right; she was exhausted and she just wanted to sleep and hope with all her might that tomorrow will be a better day.

Just as she closed the door, she thought she heard a quiet “Goodnight, Chorong” coming from the other side.

: :

The next morning, after breakfast, Doo Joon showed her around the place just like how he had promised. He had even brought along a camera and they managed to snap a few pictures for memories sake.

He didn’t say a word about the previous night, and neither did she. Chorong appreciated his silence as kindness and she wasn’t about to ruin the moment by saying anything stupid. She was aware that her anger was supposed to be directed at a particular someone and it just wasn’t fair for Doo Joon to take the heat.

“I love to come here every time I visit Jeju Island. Pretty isn’t it?”

The two of them had taken off their shoes as they strolled along the beach line, enjoying the early morning breeze as they took in the beautiful scene before them – particularly for Chorong. She, who never had the chance to travel anywhere, was truly grateful to Doo Joon for bringing her here. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps, this is just what she needed.

Perhaps, just for the moment, nothing could hurt her here.

“It really is,” she agreed with a smile. “Are we staying here for the whole day?”

“That...is not up to me to decide.” She saw how his eyes flicked over her head and a coy smile appeared on his face.

Chorong whirled around quickly, curious as to what Doo Joon was smiling at. When she saw who it was, when she realised the truth behind Doo Joon’s generosity in bringing her to Jeju Island, she wasn’t sure if it was gratefulness or disappointment she was feeling.

“I suppose the two of you would love some quiet time alone,” he said in a teasing manner as Woohyun neared them. “I trust you two lovebirds can find your way around.”

Chorong’s hand shot out and grabbed Doo Joon by the wrist before she could stop herself. At that moment, she wasn’t sure on why she did that, and she certainly had no idea why she wanted to say ‘Don’t go’, but she didn’t and instead, she managed a weak smile and mumbled a shy “Thanks.”

By then, Woohyun was already standing by her side and a soft kiss was dropped on top of her head.

Chorong closed her eyes and she heard him saying “Thanks, Doo Joon hyung. I’ll call you later.”

When she opened them again, she found Doo Joon gone and Woohyun smiling down at her. Her handsome Nam Woohyun, with his charming boyish smile, was really standing there in front of her. Chorong wanted to rub her eyes to ensure she wasn’t dreaming, but instead she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

When she could feel him, when she could really touch him, did she finally believe her two eyes.

“You’re here,” she breathed. “You’re really here.”

Woohyun chuckled as he wrapped his own arms around her. “I’ve missed you too.”

He said something else, but she didn’t quite catch it because for some odd reasons, she was staring after Doo Joon’s disappearing shadow, feeling somewhat lonely.