Chapter 322: Break (18)

Joo-Han was visibly the most excited about having the huge lodge all to ourselves. He buzzed around and snapped photos everywhere. His eyes lit up as he admired every detail from statues to the shimmering pool. He couldn’t help but emit a string of amazed exclamations.

"Wow, wow! This is why I adore you, hyung. You just get me. I feel like I've just become a billionaire."

Joo-Han's smile was wider than ever, though Su-Hwan's response came without much fanfare.

“We didn’t come here just for you, Mr.Joo-Han."

“Hyung, why so formal all of a sudden? I feel distant from you. Calling me Mr.Joo-Han in my face? Hahaha."

Happiness radiated from Joo-Han. He decided to leave Su-Hwan to his devices and followed the other members deeper into the lodge.

Ahead of me, Tae-Seong and Jin-Sung carried an impressive amount of luggage on their shoulders.

“Is it true your house is like a gym?"

“No, it’s not actually a gym, but it’s set up like one."

'We could all help out with that later, though...'

Despite the bulk, the two gym enthusiasts turned the simple act of carrying bags into a mini workout session by lifting them up and down. Their dedication to staying fit was something beyond my comprehension.

When we stepped inside, a living room as vast as a corporate lobby unfolded before us.

“It must be about a hundred square meters, right?"

“I might get lost in this house..."

My tiny old studio apartment was probably smaller than this place's bathroom. I blurted this out without thinking, and Yoon-Chan approached with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. The hallways aren’t as complicated as they seem, and it’s easy to find your way to the living room, hyung. There’s even an intercom in the kitchen to help you orient yourself."

“...How do you know that?" I wondered. This was probably his first time here.

Yoon-Chan paused mid-sentence when he realized he might have revealed too much.

“I know your family is wealthy," I said.

It wasn’t something to be secretive about. Yoon-Chan hesitantly replied, “I’ve been here once... for my father’s company anniversary event." He seemed worried that admitting this might come off as bragging, but everyone at our company knew Yoon-Chan came from a rich family.

Just then, Joo-Han, who had just entered, slapped Yoon-Chan on the shoulder. “Yoon-Chan, we've always been close, but let's get even closer." Joo-Han wasn’t one to shy away from money, even if it wasn't coming from royalties.

Su-Hwan sighed along with me before addressing the group, “Let’s drop our bags in our rooms and regroup here for a meal."

The rooms were plentiful—three on the first floor and three more on the second. The members who had recently developed a snoring problem each claimed a separate room, while the quieter Su-Hwan and Yoon-Chan shared a room.

I picked a room on the second floor, set down my luggage, and surveyed the interior. It was a simple setup. Just a bed, a mood light, and blinds.

Despite the minimalist decoration, the use of high-end materials and the beautiful view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows gave it a luxurious resort vibe.

'Jin-Sung will probably spend all day out there,'

I said, looking out the window.

I gazed out at the large swimming pool before heading back to the living room. Sure enough, Jin-Sung was energetically inflating an airboat, clearly pumped for some pool time.

“Jin-Sung wants to have lunch by the pool,” Joo-Han said. “What about you, Hyun-Woo?"

“That sounds great."

“Alright, let’s sort out the teams: those who can’t help with cooking and those who can help a bit."

Joo-Han promptly shooed me, Goh Yoo-Joon, and Jin-Sung outside.

Thrown outside with an airboat and a tube, we just stood there, puzzled. We asked Joo-Han why he'd booted us out.

“Uh? What? Why so sudden?"

“Just keeping the non-cooks busy. Hyun-Woo, you are in charge of keeping an eye on these guys as a sub-leader. Make sure to capture their antics on video and photos. Okay?"

“O... okay...”

“Today’s lunch is samgyetang[1]."

Joo-Han quickly shut the door behind him after mentioning the menu. Suddenly tasked with guardianship, Goh Yoo-Joon, Jin-Sung, and I looked at each other with incredulous expressions before heading toward the pool.

“This is all because of Jin-Sung."

“Why is it my fault? It’s because you always tease Joo-Han hyung until he snaps."

“Ah, I didn’t want to come out here. It’s much better under the air conditioner."

“Sure, you say that! Weren’t you the one who took out the tube first?"

The two guys larger than me were childishly fighting with an orange tube around their waists. I captured them on video as Joo-Han instructed and said, “Joo-Han hyung kicked us out because we can't cook, Rings. Look how childishly these two are fighting. This is a conversation between an eighteen-year-old and his seventeen-year-old bro."

This private lodge was accessible only through referrals and not open to the public. This ensured that even live streams to fans posed no risk of unwelcome visitors, so it was truly a well-chosen location.

Suddenly, the two bickering young men turned sharply toward me.

“What did you say?"

“You called your hyung[2] childish?"

“Suh Hyun-Woo, get ready. Give me the phone."

Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung quickly approached and took my phone from my hands.

“Don't act all grown-up by yourself, hyung." Jin-Sung scoffed and splashed me with pool water.

I panicked and ran toward the lodge. Goh Yoo-Joon laughed like a maniac and chased after me with the phone.

“Ahh!" I shrieked as Jin-Sung lifted me up and cold water splashed on my face, hands, and feet.

“Throw him in. I think he needs a plunge."

They were having their fun, banging and drumming as they pleased.

“Rings, we love you. We will be back in a bit!" Goh Yoo-Joon shouted cheerily.

“Haha! Rings, isn't this the first time you've seen Suh Hyun-Woo like this?"

The phone was pushed into my face. I was already prepared to fall into the pool when Jin-Sung lifted me up. Hanging upside down, I shouted to the viewers with a resigned expression, “I love you, Rings!"

Splash!

I was instantly enveloped by the water's cool embrace. It was shallow enough that I quickly stood up. I was not a fan of swimming since the last view I had before falling from the plane crash was the ocean. This made me feel even more unpleasant than I expected.

“Bahaha!"

“Rings, behold a drenched Suh Hyun-Woo! You still look great, man!"

“Doesn’t he look more like soggy seaweed? Hahahaha."

Hearing Jin-Sung's laughter, I strode over to the two and extended my hand. “Hurry up and pull me out from here."

“...Hyung, are you mad?" Jin-Sung stopped laughing at my stern expression. Without saying anything, I shook my hand to urge them to grab it quickly.

Goh Yoo-Joon was as perceptive as ever and ended the video. Both of them grabbed my hand simultaneously. I pulled their hands with a lot of force.

Splash!

Brilliant droplets of water flew everywhere. After dunking my friends, I smirked lightly and emerged from the water. Yoon-Chan, who had shown up at some point, quickly handed me a towel.

Joo-Han also came out with a sour expression while holding a pot. “You guys are playing extra hardcore and we only just got here."

The delicious smell of samgyetang wafted through the air.

That evening, a photo was uploaded on

BlueBird.

It was a picture of Goh Yoo-Joon, Jin-Sung, and me soaking wet. We were wrapped in a large towel while shivering and eating samgyetang.

***

Time flew by even though we didn't do much. It felt like it passed even quicker because we were just playing around and doing nothing. Night had already fallen, and countless stars that could never be seen in Seoul filled the sky above the lodge.

After eating samgyetang, the members and I went into our respective rooms without any intention of coming out. Despite us claiming that we couldn't live without each other, it was clear how much alone time we needed after being busy for so long, like Goh Yoo-Joon said.

I dimmed the lights in my room and lay on the bed. I stared blankly at the pool surrounded by lights. There was a knock on the door.

“Yes."

“I’m coming in."

It was Goh Yoo-Joon. I sat up in bed and looked at him. He was holding a GoPro camera.

“What's that?"

“Punishment. Remember? We talked about this during the Chronos meeting because of the video call."

I couldn't help but frown. “Oh."

We had all agreed to a punishment after falling for the production team's trick during the second Chronos meeting. Goh Yoo-Joon had promised to make a video of all the members as part of the punishment for the "darling" incident.

“I am planning to film all the members while we’re here. I also shot one of myself again."

“...You did that...alone?"

“Yeah, so what?"

He shot that by himself again? As I looked at him in dismay, Goh Yoo-Joon grumbled and turned on the camera after patting me on the back. “So, you do it too. After you, I will go to Joo-Han hyung. If I go alone, he will beat me up, so you are coming with me to serve as a shield."

He shoved the camera in my face. Alright, let's just do it quickly and get it over with. We all had to do it anyway.

“Starting... Um..."

Goh Yoo-Joon was eager to start filming, but he suddenly hesitated before putting the camera down. He seemed to be pondering on something.

“Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.

“I thought about a scenario I could do in this location. But..."

I looked around the room at his words. Evening, bed, mood lighting...

“It might get a bit sexual, so let's do it outside. Haha!" Goh Yoo-Joon said in a voice full of mischief. His face made him look like the average teenager.

My expression soured as usual.

1. Samgyetang is a traditional Korean chicken soup, famous for its energizing properties, especially popular during the hottest days of summer. It features a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and simmered in a broth with ginseng, jujube fruits, and garlic, making it a hearty and health-boosting meal. ☜

2. Goh Yoo-Joon is just joking haha ☜