Chapter 4- The Busan Trip (Part 2) *Disclaimer: The events in this chapter should NOT be attempted, and probably wouldn't be possible...but bear with me. It's a FanFiction! (Emphasis on fiction -) And just to clarify, not everything in this FanFiction will be 100% correct, although I try to stay faithful to the characters. Just wanna say that*
The more I thought about what happened in the aquarium, the quieter I became. During that time, it was Jumin's number that was rolled, and he decided where to go next. He decided to go to the Modern Art Museum of Busan before dinner (it was only 5). We walked through the halls of the museum, and I spent most of the time silently replaying what happened in the aquarium in my head. Currently, the members were split up. Yoosung, Zen, and Seven had gone to the gift shop and cafeteria. Jumin had gone looking for all the art that was cat related, and Jaehee and I were walking around the sculpture garden in silence.
I had been avoiding Seven, I had a feeling he could sense it as well, and seemed bothered by it, but he didn't talk to me. I didn't understand why, but whenever I looked at him a strange feeling stabbed my heart. Did I...like him? I didn't know, Seven didn't seem to be interested in me romantically, to him, I was just a friend. 'What do you think Seven? Would you date Kao if you had the chance?' His answer to that question bothered me. He wouldn't. I didn't know if I had feelings for him or not, but I needed to get rid of them. Or, perhaps I didn't like him at all? Perhaps I just wanted him to be a close friend? God. I didn't know. I groaned, massaging my head. It was too hard to think about it.
Jaehee was looking at me out of the corner of her eye.
"Kao? Are you alright? Ever since the aquarium you've been silent."
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, just tired." I replied reflexively. Jaehee seemed unsatisfied, but nodded. Should I talk to her? There was something about Jaehee that made me want to tell her everything, maybe she could help? I bit my lip.
"You can tell me anything." She said. I sighed and sat on a bench, she sat next to me and tilted her head.
"It's Seven." I admitted, squeezing my eyes shut. "Seven?" I heard her say. "Yeah." I said again, looking at her.
"What about him?"
"I don't know-" I paused "I just feel weird around him." I looked at my hands and interlocked them tightly.
"Can you explain your feelings?" She asked patiently. I nodded timidly.
"I always want to talk to him, and I feel strange when I'm around him. But I've only known him for three days, I'm just confused. God." I cringed. "When did I become so cheesy?" Jaehee smiled.
"Sounds to me like you like him."
"As a friend?" I asked quickly. Jaehee was silent.
"More romantically." She said finally. I groaned.
"I don't want to like him romantically!"
"Why not? I think you two fit each other."
"We just like to joke around, he doesn't like me like that." I said bitterly. "And, there's something about Seven that makes him hard to approach romantically." Jaehee nodded.
"I agree, Seven jokes around so much that it's hard to tell when he's being serious."
"Exactly. Do you think I should try to stop my feelings? If they're romantic."
"No." She said thoughtfully.
"Why not?" I asked. Wasn't it the right thing to do? What if I was bothering him?
"I don't think you should get rid of your feelings if you don't completely know how Seven feels about you. Hide them, maybe, but you never know what will happen, so don't block them out. Besides, they might just be deep feelings of friendship." She said. I sighed. "How am I supposed to act around him now?"
"Just act as you normally do." She responded. I leaned back on the bench. Act as I normally do? I bit my lip and closed my eyes.
"As I normally do." I said under my breath.
"Kao." I opened my eyes and saw Seven grinning at me. I held back a screech and cursed god internally, forcing a smile.
"Oh, Seven, what's up?"
"I bought this." In his hand was a bronze miniature kitten, it's eyes were a kind of blue stone and it's paw was held out playfully. My mind went blank.
"SO CUTE!" I cooed.
"I know!" Seven said proudly. "Her name is Elizabeth the 4th! Jumin will be jealous meow~!"
"I'm jealous too meow~!" I responded. "Where'd you find her? I want her!"
"At the gift shop! They sold out, but I can show you the place!"
"Hell yes!" I said energetically as I stood up, running after him. Jaehee sat on the bench awkwardly as she watched the two run off. "Yes, normal, just like that." She said.
After that I felt a stronger bond of friendship with Jaehee. I did my best to talk normally to Seven. Sometimes it came naturally to me, and other times I had to act, but after an hour of talking with him I had a feeling that Seven dismissed my previous state as a bad mood swing and continued to act as he usually did. So I tried to as well and eventually, hiding my feelings became less difficult.
We went on a tour of the museum before we left. Jumin had tried to barter for an authentic art piece of a white cat that looked like Elizabeth the 3rd but he had failed. The owners of the museum said that it was theirs and Jumin spent the next half an hour talking dejectedly, which put everyone in a foul mood. However, once we left everyone's excitement was instantly shot up when Jumin announced that we would be checking into the hotel and then eating dinner.
"We're here." Jumin said, opening the door and stepping out. I excitedly got out and stared at the hotel, my head towards the sky, mouth slightly open. The hotel was massive. And I mean massive. It spanned several glass buildings that towered into the sky. It was literally right near the ocean. Behind us, in front of the parking lot, were docks that spanned across the harbor and overlooked the ocean. A small walkway led out further into the ocean with a small viewing port. A bridge could be seen connecting to the other part of the city. You could see each individual room as an intricate rectangle carved out in the glass. I gaped at it. This was one single hotel? "It's...huge." I said lamely.
I looked at the others. Yoosung looked like he was about to faint and the others were impressed as well. Jaehee had a small smile on her face.
"Welcome to Park Hyatt Busan." Jumin said as he walked forward. "It's a five star hotel, rated number one in Busan and where we will be staying for the night." He turned to look at us. "If you think the outside is impressive than you're in for a huge shock." Chauffeurs grabbed our luggage and we followed Jumin, looking around. He led us to the front doors and bursting with excitement, we walked through them.
The inside was even more spectacular. The marble walls and tiles were glossy, and reflected the modern lights that hung on the walls and ceilings. Several potted plants sat next to plush white chairs that were begging to be sat in. The middle of the lobby was a large pond of some sorts, a large glass statue raised up above our current floor, decorated with changing lights. A cafe was near the pond with small chairs and tables overlooking the water that emanated the smell of coffee and freshly baked desserts. Several glass elevators sat in the back and from our spot we could see floors spanning until they reached the very top, and by then they were so small I couldn't see them clearly. From the main lobby branched off several transparent hallways labeled pool, hot tubs, bar, fitness room, spa, dining room, arcade, and so on so forth.
"Now this is a hotel!" Whistled Seven as he walked to the pond in the middle of the room.
"What is this? Heaven?" Yoosung whispered, following Seven as he stared at the glass statue in the middle of the lobby.
"No, a five star hotel." Jumin replied. He walked over to the counters with Jaehee to check us in.
"So heaven." I clarified as I leaned over the glass railing that overlooked the pond. I closed my eyes, inhaling the delicious smell of coffee, though I wasn't a fan of it, it still smelt good.
"So, who wants to go swimming in the pool?" Seven asked excitedly.
"We just went to the beach." Zen exclaimed, as he took in the hotel. "Personally, I want a back massage."
"That sounds nice too, but a pool is completely different from a beach." Seven justified. "And they'll have hot tubs! In the rooms even!" "And balconies!" I added.
"And a kitchen!" Seven squealed.
"A rooftop garden!" I said with a gasp.
"And an arcade room!" Yoosung said, delighted.
"And a cafe!" Seven said, glancing at the one across the room.
"What about a theatre?" Zen asked, curiously.
"You never know~" Seven said, winking.
"-With a five star hotel!" I finished with a laugh.
"How interesting." Jumin said as he walked towards us. "This amazed over something like this."
"How could you not be amazed by this?!" Zen snapped.
"I admit it's certainly appealing." Jumin said. "Though I suppose you don't see things like this often."
"Well, if you like the lobby so much, do you want to see the rooms?" Jaehee asked excitedly. "
Yes!" We said simultaneously.
When we emerged from the glass elevators Seven asked.
"What room is it?!"
"2078 and 2079." Jaehee replied calmly. Yoosung, Zen, Seven and I ran across the floor, trying to find the door number.
"They're like children." Said Jumin disapprovingly.
"Let them enjoy their vacation." Jaehee said happily, thinking of joining them herself. "We rarely get times like these to unwind."
"Found it!" Zen yelled, gesturing to the others.
"Shut up, people are trying to sleep." Jumin lectured. Zen checked his watch.
"It's only 6:04!"
"Some people go to bed early." Jumin responded. Jaehee walked to the doors.
"Ready? Girls are on the right, 2079 and boys are on the other side, 2078." Zen, Yoosung, Seven and I nodded. She unlocked both doors with the two cards she held and squealing, I went inside the right one while the others went on the left.
When I entered the room I whistled, observing it. Two white king sized beds sat in on the side with their backs to the wall. They faced windows that overlooked the ocean and the docks. A bathroom was on the side with a large hot tub and area for showering. Further down was a tiled area where wine glasses hung on a glass display, a kitchen stood under bright lights. Potted plants decorated the doorways and a large TV and a few tables were in the main room. I squeled and ran back out into the hallway crashing into Seven. "SEVEN!" I cried.
"KAO!" He yelled.
"THEY HAVE A HOT TUB!" We cried simultaneously. Seven grinned and dragged me into his room where Yoosung was jumping on the bed singing Hallelujah, and Zen was admiring the view. Jumin was already in the bed, sleeping quietly. I stared at the room, it was practically the same except-
"You have a piano?" I asked. "No fair!"
"You don't have one?!" Seven asked, surprised.
"No!" I walked over to Jumin and said. "What's the meaning of this?" Jumin didn't respond. Seven took the opportunity to jump on the bed and snuggle up to him, and almost immediately Jumin stood up and walked over to me.
"What." He snapped.
"Jumin is mean!" Seven pouted, burying his face in his pillow and pretending to cry.
"Why doesn't our room have a piano?" I demanded.
"You have a TV." He said calmly.
"They have a TV?!" Yoosung asked as he stopped jumping on the bed.
"What? Why do they have a TV?" Zen asked. "That's discrimination!"
"I thought I would change it up a little, the rooms would be boring if they were the same." Jumin said with another yawn, changing beds. Seven tried to jump after him, but I held him back by his collar.
"Why'd you get the piano?" I asked as Seven struggled to get out of my grasp.
"It looks better." Jumin said simply as he threw the blankets over himself.
"Why? Do you play the piano Kao?" Jaehee asked as she came up behind me.
"Yeah!" I said.
"Really?" Zen asked incredulously. "I didn't think you played any instruments." I nodded.
"I don't have enough money to buy one for myself, but I used to play all the time when I was little. So it's mainly muscle memory, but I always play when I get the chance."
"I wanna hear!" Seven said, looking up at me. I stared at him, he looked pretty adorable. His red hair was hanging on his forehead over the frames of his glasses, and his cheeks were slightly red, his golden eyes were looking at me hopefully.
"If you want!" I said happily as I ruffled his hair, cheeks warm.
"I want to hear you play now!" Yoosung said excitedly.
"I'll do it later." I promised. "For now, don't we have dinner to eat?" I asked. Slowly, Jumin sat up.
"You are correct, thank you for reminding me."
"She didn't need to remind me, I'm starving." Zen said.
"I am as well." Responded Jaehee. "Same." Seven said. Jumin stood up and gestured towards the door.
"Let's go then."
We ended up deciding to eat dinner at the hotel, since it was already pretty late, and no one wanted to deal with the heavy traffic. Jumin demanded that we change into a new pair of clothes, due to the dirt and smell of the previous ones. And after changing, we took the elevator up to the second highest floor and walked into the restaurant.
It was a large foyer that had two flights of stairs that led to the top balcony. The floor was wooden, and the wall consisted of window panes that allowed me to catch a glimpse of the ocean and the darkening sky. The light was dim enough that it gave off a atmosphere, but you could see perfectly fine. Balls of silver light slightly brightened the foyer, hanging on white string from the ceiling. In the corners were medium sized birch trees. Small dazzling lights were strung around their branches. They hung over white tables that were surrounded by several blush chairs and contained plates, cutlery, and transparent wine glasses. A faint jazz song played luxuriously in the background. A young man dressed in a well groomed suit and white tie walked up to us gracefully.
"Welcome, how many?"
"Six." Jumin replied. The man nodded.
"Follow me please." We followed him up the stairs and sat in around one of the tables that was free.
"It's so high class." Yoosung whispered, fidgeting.
"I agree." Zen said, taking off his sunglasses due to the dim light, he looked out of the window and whistled softly. "Look at that view." We all turned to peer at the sight. The ocean spanned throughout the whole window, the brightly lit bridge was reflected onto the moving ocean. I could see another part of the city that was connected by the bridge, casting luminous reflections on the shifting waves. Above the ocean was the sky that was becoming dark and cloudless.
"I still can't believe this is real." Yoosung admitted.
"Me too." I responded. "I don't think I've ever been somewhere like this."
"It's beautiful." Seven said with a sigh. "I wish I could live here."
"It wouldn't be as special then." Said Jaehee, snapping pictures of the view with her phone.
We ordered our food and after half an hour the waiter came back with half a trolley full of food. I had ordered grilled steak and some side dishes, Jumin had ordered crab (lots of it), Jaehee had ordered the same thing. Yoosung had the side dishes of bulgogi and japchae (intimidated by the masses of seafood), Zen had gotten shrimp and fettuccine, and Seven had ordered lobster and stir fry. When the trolley wheeled by I almost started to drool. The smell of freshly grilled meat and seafood emanated from the steaming plates, and I swallowed. When the waiter left, Seven, Yoosung, and I started to immediately gobble down our food.
"Stop please, this is a high class restaurant. You're embarrassing me." Jumin snapped.
"Cant-...stop" Yoosung said as he slurped the noodles.
"-Won't stop." Seven finished. As he hurriedly ate the lobster.
"Shut up Jumin, no one is looking." Zen said, eating his fettuccine and sighing in bliss.
"This is amazing." Jumin groaned in pain.
"Let them eat the way they want to eat." Jaehee said.
"It's disgusting." Jumin responded a matter a factly.
"Oh right." I said, trying to bring up a new conversation topic. "Where is Elizabeth the 3rd?"
"I regretfully had to hire a professional cat sitter, as I couldn't give her to my assistant." Jumin said sadly. Jaehee cast him a dirty look. He continued. "Elizabeth the 3rd must be terribly lonely right now. I bet she's meowing for me in that graceful, lovely voice of hers." He whispered.
"Is a cat sitter even a thing?" Yoosung asked softly.
"I have no idea." Zen whispered back.
"Yeah, I was surprised you didn't bring Elly along." Seven added.
"Don't shorten her name." Jumin snapped. "And yes, though I wanted to, she would be too uncomfortable in the heat, and I knew we would be going to several places."
"Thank god, this would have been so unenjoyable if you had brought that furball." Zen muttered. Jumin proceeded to ignore him.
"I'm sure she would have liked the hotel…" He said.
"She could have gone swimming with us!" Seven cooed.
"No! I have allergies you know that!" Zen snapped.
"Preposterous, her fur is much too precious to touch water laced with chlorine." Replied Jumin.
"She would have been very majestic, swimming in the water." I said softly. Jaehee sighed, massaging her forehead.
"I'm surprised that you hired a cat sitter, you usually only give her to Jaehee." Zen muttered.
"Mr. Han gave her to the president of the cat protection society, they are acquaintances. He cat sitters often. Mr. Han was very-" Jaehee paused. "Cautious about giving her to him."
We all glanced at Jumin who didn't seem to notice and looked away. We continued to eat, chatting about the vacation and our lives. My steak was flavorful, juicy, and perfect. It was spectacular compared to the usual market food, and my tongue felt like it was lounging in heaven. I was elated and lost in this moment, in the low voices of the room, the flicker of the candles on our table, the laughs of my friends, the amazing smell of the food, and the darkening view of the ocean. My cheeks glowed, this was the most content that I had been in years. I wanted to freeze this moment, and store it deep in my heart, and always remember it.
Shortly after the dinner we made our way back to the hotel room and got out the map and die.
"It's between Kao and Seven now, everyone else has gone." Jumin clarified, he gave me the die and I rolled it onto the map, hoping for the number 5. The die rolled onto the map and wobbled, landing on my number after a brief pause.
"Sweet!" I said with a grin.
"Where to?" Seven asked excitedly, handing me the pamphlet.
"Oh, I don't need it." I said.
"You don't need it?" Yoosung asked. I shook my head.
"It's not really an attraction."
"What is it then?" Jumin asked.
"Well…" I scratched my head. The others waited excitedly.
"Yes?" Jaehee asked.
"I uh…" Oh boy. I thought to myself. They weren't going to like this.
"What is it?" Yoosung asked energetically.
"I want to go paragliding." I said finally.
"Paragliding…? It's getting dark out." Jumin said disapprovingly.
"But I suppose we can use headlights, fine. Where?"
"Off the rooftop of the hotel." I said nervously. Everyone stared at me blankly.
"What?" Jumin said firmly.
"Is that a thing?" Yoosung asked. Seven snickered.
"Sounds fun to me."
"That sounds dangerous and illegal." Jaehee said softly.
"That sounds terrifying, hell no!" Zen said quickly.
"I just…Busan looks really beautiful and I figured that it would be even prettier if we paraglided off the hotel. I know it's not a thing, but it would be really fun and-" Jumin interrupted me.
"Absolutely not." He said.
"Why not?" Seven whined.
"Because it's dangerous, paragliding off the rooftops of skyscrapers." Jumin scoffed.
"You'd crash into a building if you didn't land in the middle of traffic and get yourself ran over. Not to mention the owner of this hotel wouldn't allow it. I thought you were smarter than that Kao." I looked down in response.
"Dangerous is my middle name!" Seven said.
"That sounds scary." Yoosung said quickly. "Fun, but scary. I've never been paragliding before."
"Me either." Zen added. I wilted a little. I wasn't expecting it to happen, but it would have been fun. Jumin glanced at my face and sighed.
"Kao, if you really wanted to go paragliding off the hotel, I suppose you could do it in the direction of the ocean. I could try to figure something out with the manager."
"The ocean?" I asked. Jumin nodded.
"That makes sense, there's nothing there to hurt you." Jaehee said thoughtfully. "And if you get the landing right, the water should be a nice cushion."
"I could arrange for a yacht to pick us up there." Jumin said. "Though I'm still not a fan of the idea."
"...The ocean..?" Zen asked exasperatedly.
"Would it be safe?" Yoosung asked,
"Safe enough. I wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't." Jumin responded. (-_-;)
"Awesome. I've never been paragliding." Seven whispered.
"I-I'll give it a try." Yoosung stuttered.
"I might pass." Zen said, hesitating.
"What? Why?" I asked.
"Paragliding over an ocean…" He laughed.
"I'm not the biggest fan of heights." He said.
"Neither am I." Jaehee said slowly.
"I'm going to pass as well." Jumin added calmly. I stood up.
"Please? Come on, it'll be so much fun when everyone is there." I said. Jaehee, Zen, and Jumin stayed silent. I took a deep breath. "I've...never really done this before, hanging out like this I mean, on a vacation with friends. I've never had very good ones. I've only gone paragliding once, a few years ago. And I loved it, and I just." I sighed.
"I would love to do it again, and with people I enjoy being with." Jaehee looked away, and back at me. I stared at her, pleading silently. After a pause, Jaehee pushed up her glasses and gave a sigh of defeat.
"I suppose I could give it a try." She admitted. I smiled in joy.
"Thank you Jaehee!" I said. She nodded, a small smile on her face. I glanced at Zen who was avoiding my gaze.
"Zen...you'll look even more majestic and handsome when you're flying through the air." I said, raising an eyebrow. Zen glanced at me.
"I know, I just don't like heights."
"I think we should do this with Kao, she has gone along with everything we have said." Said Jaehee. Zen groaned, pushing his white hair back.
"Fine, jeez. I'll do it for Kao." Everyone stared at Jumin who was looking at us blankly.
"Absolutely not." He said again.
"Jumin's scared! Ooo!" Seven said, snickering. Jumin shot him a dirty look.
"I'm not scared, I find no enjoyment in activities like that." He snapped. Zen took the opportunity to make fun of him.
"Sounds like you're scared to me."
"Coming from the one who said he was afraid of heights." Jumin said cooly. Zen frowned.
"I agreed didn't I?" He defended.
"Jumin is scared of heights~" Seven said again.
"Poor Jumin." Yoosung added.
"I'm disappointed Mr. Han." Jaehee sighed, shaking her head.
"Wimp." Zen said, stretching. I glanced at Jumin who seemed to be holding back his anger.
"Coming from the people who threw me into the ocean while I was sleeping, I don't think I have to." He said. "I'll order the paraglides, and set it up with the manager of the hotel. But nothing more." Jumin said as he strolled out.
The next hour consisted of Jumin getting the paraglides and setting it up with the manager of the hotel (who was not happy at all about it). By the time we had gotten on the rooftop, it was already almost 10 and the sun had set. I turned on my headlight and flinched from the brightness.
"Jumin, we can see the ocean perfectly fine because of the light from the city." I said into my headpiece, turning the headlight off to preserve my eyes. "We don't need these."
"I'm not taking any chances." Jumin said into my ear. He was waiting on the yacht, and was talking to all of us through water proof headpieces. Zen peeked over the corner of the wall (that was waist length) and stepped back immediately.
"I uh." He stuttered. "I don't feel too good." I could hear Jumin snicker, Zen made an annoyed sound. "But I'm still going to do it." He snapped into his ear piece. I had a feeling that the only reason he was doing this was to spite Jumin.
"I'm not going first." Yoosung said quickly, he was sitting on the floor, looking terrified.
"Neither am I." Jaehee said.
"Same." Zen stuttered. I glanced at Seven who was staring at the ocean.
"Why don't we go at the same time?" He asked, still looking forward.
"Don't, there'll be a chance of a collision." I heard Jumin respond.
"A few seconds difference then?" Seven asked. There was silence.
"Fine." Jumin said finally.
"There's still the question of who will go first." I added. Seven nodded.
"Do you want to go?" He asked. I hesitated.
The last time I had gone paragliding, it had been on a large hill to the bottom of it, which was still fairly high up. But this time it was on a skyscraper 150 meters tall, overlooking an ocean at 10 o' clock at night. I walked to the wall and looked at the ocean, which was so vast and yet so far away.
"I can go second." I said finally.
"I'll go first then." Seven said. "Zen you'll go 3rd, Jaehee 4th, and Yoosung will be last."
"Why am I the last?" Yoosung whined.
"You're the most likely person to collide with someone." Seven said quickly, turning on his light.
"HEY!" Yoosung yelled. Seven flashed him a grin and looked at us.
"Ready?" He asked. I nodded, and his golden eyes flicked to mine briefly before he jumped off the edge. We all ran to the wall looking down. Seven was yelling in exhilaration, his paraglide was getting smaller by the second as he flew through the air, down to the ocean.
"Oh my god." Yoosung whimpered.
"I can't believe I'm about to do this." I said, my hands were sweating.
Take a deep breath. I told myself. I ignored the plummeting drop below and focused my gaze on the sky. You can do this, this is safe. Probably. Hopefully. No! Good thoughts. Okay, you can do this. I sucked in my breath, took a few steps back, and ran towards the wall, jumping off the edge.
I felt my body fall as gravity grabbed my legs, yanking me downwards. My paraglide aligned itself and I began to fly towards the ocean. Despite myself, I looked down and screamed. I couldn't hear myself, the wind was blasting by my ears, but I knew I was doing it. I could see the ocean waves slowly getting larger.
"HOLY SHIT" I screamed, laughing in exhilaration. I could see Seven doing swerves and flips in the air and I grinned. I heard a ear splitting scream behind me and knew it was Jaehee (it was Zen actually…) as she jumped off the edge. I tilted my paraglide downwards, gasping as the wind blasted my face, getting closer to Seven but staying a safe distance away. He glanced at me and grinned, mouthing something.
"WHAT?!" I yelled.
"First one down wins!" He yelled as loud as he could. I caught most of it and nodded. We both tilted our glides downwards, increasing our speed. I had never felt this exhilarated before, not even during my last time I had gone paragliding. Maybe it was because of the drop, or because I was doing it with people who were precious to me. I was absolutely elated, watching the ocean calmly shimmer from the city lights. It was a beautiful cloudless night, the stars were out, twinkling like beacons against the obsidian sky. This was something that only happened once in a lifetime. And I would make the most of it. Without thinking I yelled.
"SEVEN!".
"WHAT?!" He yelled back.
"I LIKE YOU!" I screamed. Laughing carelessly as I closed my eyes and howled into the wind.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Seven yelled, shaking his head. I laughed and shook my head. I heard the others behind me, and became lost in my happiness, terror, and adrenaline.
When I slowed my landing and let go of the paraglide, I fell into the ocean. Closing my eyes, I breathed out. The water was fairly warm, and comforting on my skin, contrasting the cold wind. I swam up to the surface and gasped, catching a glance of Seven's crimson hair disappearing into the obsidian waves. I saw a orb of light under the surface from his headlight and then Seven popped out of the water with the gasp.
"I won!" I said, treading the water effortlessly. Seven cried out in pain and pretended to drown.
"DAMN IT!" He yelled after I pulled him up."I was so close!" With a laugh, I was about to respond when I saw Zen as he fell into the water with a splash, drenching Seven and I. He popped out of the surface and gasped.
"I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! EVER!" Zen said shakily as he looked around for the yacht which was to the left of us. "HOLY SHIT!" He said. I snickered.
"Fun isn't it?"
"Fun...? FUN?! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE!" Zen yelled, looking at me and then swimming towards the yacht hurriedly.
"WATCH OUT BELOW!" I looked up and closed my eyes as Jaehee fell into the water with another splash. Followed by Yoosung, who was screaming. I caught Seven looking at me and we shared a grin.
After we had all boarded the yacht, we sat on the deck, wrapped in towels and talking about our experience. Zen was chatting up a storm, with Jaehee adding bits and pieces here and there. Yoosung had been silent since we had boarded the boat and was taking deep breaths.
"As soon as I jumped off I immediately regretted it." Zen said, shaking his head.
"He tried to swerve backwards, and the top of his paraglide hit the building." Jaehee said, her hands were shaking from the jump. Seven howled with laughter.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Zen hissed. "I saw people in there! And they stared at me like I was some kind of axe murderer!" Everyone excluding Zen started to laugh and he frowned. "I'm serious! Just imagine! A incredibly handsome man banging into your window on a paraglide while you're watching the super bowl!"
"I wouldn't mind that actually…" Jaehee muttered.
"Of course it would have been a lucky experience for them, but still, think how horrible it was for me!" Zen said, flipping his wet hair back with a sigh.
"I don't think it would be lucky at all. Quite terrifying actually" Jumin said as he took a sip of his wine. I could tell he had enjoyed the sight of a screaming, flying Zen.
"And you! You didn't even do it!" Zen said angrily.
"You are correct, thank god." Jumin smiled a little.
"On the contrary Mr. Han, I think you missed out. Although it is terrifying it's also incredibly fun." Jaehee said.
"Jaehee was actually pretty calm." Zen admitted. "I was impressed." Jaehee smiled brightly.
"What did you think Yoosung?" I asked. Yoosung was in the corner, muttering under his breath. He was holding his knees and rocking back and forth. We all crowded around him.
"Yoosung?" Seven asked, waving his hand in front of his face. There was no response.
"Hey Kao, I think you broke him." I pretended to grab a wrench and hammer in his skull.
"Fixed." I said calmly. Seven and I snickered, hi fiving each other. Yoosung groaned and fell off the chair he was sitting on.
"How interesting, he actually fainted." Jumin said, observing the knocked out Yoosung.
"How is that interesting?" Zen snapped. "He could be hurt!"
"Oh...wow." I said worriedly. "Will he be okay?" Seven bent down next to him.
"Yeah, he's just in shock." We all stared at Yoosung as he lay limply on the deck.
"Poor Yoosung." Jaehee said finally.
After Yoosung had recovered and we had changed into a new pair of clothes, we decided the last activity we would do, and the default decision went to Seven who had yet to choose.
"I'm going to regret giving this man a single decision in my life." Jumin said with a sigh. Seven ignored him.
"Defender of justice, Seven Oh Seven, will now choose the next activity!" He said pointing into the air.
"Hurry up." Zen said watching him exasperatedly.
"And it will be...drumroll please!" He said. I was the only one who obliged. The others waited in suspense.
"A test of courage!" Seven said excitedly.
"Huh?" I asked.
"A test of courage?" Jaehee asked. Seven nodded pushing up his glasses.
"What the hell is that?" Zen asked.
"A test to scare each other! Who ever is left standing wins!" Everyone immediately burst into conversation.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Yoosung yelled, standing up. "I JUST WENT PARAGLIDING I'M NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN A FREAKING TEST OF COURAGE!"
"That sounds silly." Jaehee said. Jumin simply shook his head.
"No, just, no."
"A test of courage...huh." Zen said. Personally, I loved a good scare. A test of courage sounded fun, and it would also settle our contest. Seven had won at swimming, I had won at paragliding, we had to decide the final point.
"Sounds good to me." I said.
"See! At least Kao agrees! Come on guys! You dragged me on this trip didn't you?" Seven asked. The others stayed silent. "It's simple. We'll go into our hiding spots and have a few minutes to come up with a plan to scare each other. Then we'll turn the lights off, scare each other, and the last person standing will win!"
"Sounds kind of fun actually." Zen admitted thoughtfully.
"See! Come on Jaehee!" Jaehee pushed up her glasses and responded after a brief hesitation.
"If everyone is participating, I don't see the harm. What will the prize be?" We all instinctively stared at Jumin who had the most money. Jumin ignored our glances, staring at his wine, eyes narrowed.
"I'm not participating!" Yoosung yelled, sitting down with a huff."
"Yoosung, if you participate I'll give you the Crimson Blood Scythe." Seven said.
"YOU HAVE THE CRIMSON BLOOD SCYTHE!?" Yoosung yelled. "THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST RAREST ITEMS IN LOLOL!" Seven nodded and grinned.
"Don't underestimate the prodigy hacker." Yoosung muttered something under his breath and sighed.
"Seven...you're killing me. Fine." Yoosung snapped.
"You have to promise you'll give it to me! And I don't have to win right?!" Seven nodded and promised.
"I find this ridiculous. I refuse to participate." Jumin said finally.
"Jumin, you didn't go paragliding either, isn't this the least you could do?" I asked. Jumin shook his head. Seven grabbed Jumin's arm, and dragged him to the side of the ship where they exchanged whispers. Zen, Jaehee, Yoosung and I stared at them.
"Fine." Jumin said after a few seconds. Seven returned to his seat with a sly grin on his face. ...We never found out what Seven said to him.
Shorty after, Seven gave each of us a rule sheet and a ribbon, and after it was go time, I had waited for the others to leave and then searched for a hiding place. I went below deck on the second floor and crawled under a table in the corner of the room. I tried to come up with ideas to scare the others. Yoosung would be simple, I didn't know about the others though. Was it okay to steakout again? I didn't remember.
Quietly, I got out the rules that Seven had quickly written up, and given all of us, which were as follows.
1) Whoever screams is immediately disqualified. If you fail to scare someone, you have a chance to take their ribbon which will also disqualify them. (It was like capture the flag in that sense)
2)You must hide your ribbon on yourself where it can be easily accessible (again, like capture the flag)
3) You can hide anywhere except the electrical room and upper deck.
4) For the last person standing, there will be a reward.
5) No violence.
6) Jump scares are allowed! (Despite Yoosung's ples not to)
7) Those who are disqualified must move to the upper deck where they must stay.
8) Steakouts are allowed!
9) At 11 the lights will turn off. (Jumin was in charge of quickly moving to the electrical panel to do this since he knew the layout.) Do not turn them back on.
10) Be careful!
11) You can play the pacifist and hide, or play the scarer. It doesn't matter as long as there is one person remaining.
12) Whoever breaks any rules will immediately be disqualified and receive a punishment!
Yup, steakouts were allowed. I folded the sheet and put it in my pocket. Besides, as much as I loved adrenaline, the idea of stalking around in the dark, waiting for someone to scare me wasn't as appealing as I had originally thought. My ribbon was hanging from my back pocket, and I made sure it was safely secured before I checked my watch. It was 10:56, the lights would be turned off in 4 minutes.
I was currently crouched under a table surrounded by one couch to my left and right, and a wall to my back. For the most part, the yacht had been cleared of dangerous things waiting to be tripped over. A few tables were pushed on the outside of the room. The television had been moved to the storage room, and the wine glasses had been cleared from the hanger above the small kitchen.
Overall the yacht was pretty big, and had three floors. The bottom floor was where the bedrooms, bathrooms, and electrical room were, under the water. The floor under the deck, just above water, was where the lounging and eating areas were (I was currently located here). And the top was where the control panel and the upper dock were, overlooking the ocean.
Without warning, the lights shut off and I stiffened in surprise. Darkness embraced me and the yacht became silent. I could hear my heart beating in my ears and wondered if anyone else could hear it, due to how loud it was. My ears strained to hear noises, and faint footsteps could be heard from above deck. The sound of waves crashed against the side of the yacht, a calming noise.
I heard a door open loudly and bit my lip. No one could see me right? I heard the shuffling of feet lightly on carpet and then a mutter.
"Ouch." I couldn't tell who it was from the voice. Half of me wanted to try to pop out, but I didn't want to risk it. Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream coming from the floor below me. I froze. I couldn't tell who it was. The person near me seemed to react as I did, they gasped softly and ran in the opposite direction, I heard their receding footsteps. Slowly, my heartbeat calmed. One down, I thought, five more to go.
In the next ten minutes one more person had been disqualified, which meant four people (including myself) were remaining. I had a strong feeling that Yoosung was down, just because of his personality, and I knew that Seven still had to be up. So who was left? Zen, Jaehee, or Jumin? I bit my lip and decided to abandon the thought.
My hideaway spot was getting cramped, and although no one had discovered me yet, my legs had fallen asleep several minutes ago. My braided damp hair lay uncomfortably on my back and I shivered. I wanted to move, but I was terrified to get up from my spot. The darkness stared at me silently, as if it was taunting me. Suddenly, I heard two sets of footsteps running from both below and above me, and a door slam open.
"Did you find them?" I recognized with a start that it was Seven's voice.
"No." A voice responded, I didn't recognize it, it was a male though.
"They've gotta be around here somewhere. Did you completely search the bottom floor?" It was Seven again.
"How should I know? It's hard enough to see already, the moonlight is the only light I get."
Wait, was that Zen? Had they teamed up!? Damn! I should have thought of that. I bit my lip angrily, it wasn't against the rules. And the fact that it was Seven and Zen made it even worse because I knew they were both fast and fairly athletic. From what they were saying, there was one person besides me who was in hiding, who was it? Jaehee? Jumin? I would have a higher chance of befriending Jaehee then Jumin, that was for sure. And I could safely assume Yoosung was out of the picture.
"I'll search this floor again." Seven said. A bit of me panicked. The one I was currently on?
"Re search the bottom?"
"Alright." Zen said, I heard a pair of footsteps recede and then silence. I knew that Seven was standing there in the darkness. I could almost feel his golden eyes scorching the darkness for me. I put my hand over my mouth, not trusting the volume of my breathing. Softly, footsteps could be heard on the floor, getting louder and louder. What would I do if he found me? I would have to run if I didn't scream, to make sure he didn't grab the ribbon. Don't scream. I said, closing my eyes tightly. The footsteps came closer, and I knew he was in front of me. Faintly, I could see his silhouette due to the moonlight that came from outside. Don't scream I told myself again. I could see him bend down and stare in my direction. Could he see me? The table shadowed my spot, but still. My fingers were sweating, my heart was thundering in my ears, I was frozen to my spot. He hesitated and was about to reach out when-
"SEVEN!" With a start, Seven's hand retreated and he stood up. I let out a soft sigh of relief. "I FOUND HER!" Her? Was Jaehee the one who was also up then? Jaehee! Survive! I cheered her on mentally.
"COMING!" He yelled, I heard him run below deck and then there was silence. I took a deep breath and let my head rest against the wall behind me. This was not good for my heart at all. But I wasn't allowed to have a moment of peace, I heard foot steps running in my general direction, loudly thumping on the floor.
"Zen! Cut her off!" I heard Seven say. No! Jaehee! I cried mentally. Should I help her? What if I got caught too? But I couldn't just abandon her, even if this was just a game! I felt a kinship with Jaehee, a strong friendship. I bit my lip, I wouldn't hide. Teeth clenched, I got up from my spot and ran towards the silhouette who had cut her off, I grabbed their waist and yanked them backwards, making sure not to hurt them. A loud yell came from the person I was restraining.
"GAH GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" I recognized the voice to be Zen's.
"Zen! Your out!" I yelled. He had screamed.
"KAO?!" I heard Seven yell. Jaehee spoke up as well.
"Kao! Is that you?!"
"DAMN IT KAO!" Zen hissed. Seeing her dim silhouette, I grabbed Jaehee's wrist and dragged her below deck.
"Jaehee! Follow me!" I knew that even with the both of us, we didn't stand much of a chance trying to get Seven's ribbon. We needed to find another way.
"Wait- Kao!" "I want to work together" I said, panting as I made sure not to trip on the dimly lit steps. Jaehee was silent for a split second and then she responded.
"Understood!" We ran down a hallway, several rooms lining the walls. Small dim blue lights were illuminating the floor, acting as a replacement for the windows which were gone.
"Kao!~ Come back!" Seven's teasing voice reached my ears, he was chasing us. I cursed under my breath as I rounded a corner. I glanced behind us, and heard his footsteps, he was gaining on us quickly. And as much as I hated to admit it, Jaehee was slowing me down. But I refused to let go, if we were going to lose, we were going to lose together.
"Kao." Jaehee said as she panted.
"Yeah?" I asked, out of breath.
"Thank you." She let go of my hand and I saw her walk towards Seven.
"Jaehee! Your crab dinner! Your prize!" I yelled as I stopped running, facing her.
"It is worth it." She said, I could make out her face as she looked at me. A slight smile was on her lips. "It's up to you now." I bit my lip and nodded, casting a final glance at her before I kept going. Thank you Jaehee. I said to myself. I would repay her for this one day. With all you can eat crab.
I rounded the corner and hid in the mild darkness. I heard footsteps coming towards me, and knew that Seven had taken Jaehee's ribbon. Though, he must have lost me in Jaehee's distraction, because I heard him checking the other bedrooms. I would win this, I wouldn't let her sacrifice be in vain! A small smile was on my lips. How silly was this? Running around, trying to chase each other. But I was having fun, so much fun.
With a grin on my face, I tackled Seven lightly to the ground as he rounded the corner I was in. His golden eyes widened briefly in surprise as his arms reflexively closed around my back. We fell to the ground and I looked for his ribbon while he looked for mine. Where was it? I thought desperately. We rolled against the wall and I spotted his at the same time he spotted mine. I tried to push his arms back and he pushed against mine as well and slowly, I was getting pushed back.
"Damn it." I hissed. I threw all my weight into grabbing his ribbon and Seven narrowly dodged my grab. We were getting nowhere, and hesitating briefly, Seven leaned in and kissed my cheek. I froze, completely, my breath hitched. Taking the opportunity, Seven grabbed my ribbon swiftly and held it up in the air.
"Seven wins! Last person standing!" He cheered, running back towards the stairs without sparing me a glance. The boat was silent, and the darkness stared at me. I blinked. Huh? What had just happened? Had I lost…? Why? How? Why did I freeze? Did he...kiss my cheek? My cheeks flushed and I covered my face. He had done it on purpose! He knew that I would be heavily affected by it! The little- I groaned, and leaned against the wall.
Why hadn't I done that? Then again, I wouldn't have the bravery to do something like that. Seven probably didn't think anything of it, he just did it to win. Right? Or maybe...could I dare to hope?
"What am I hoping for?" I asked myself softly, shaking my head. I slapped my cheeks forcefully. "Snap out of it Kao and get yourself together." I said as I lay on the floor, took a deep breath, and stared at the ceiling. What was I hoping for?
Seven P.O.V
"Damn it." I muttered under my breath. Good job Seven, freaking fantastic. Look what you just did. I sighed and shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me?
Conflicted and annoyed, I slowly made my way above deck, and when I emerged, the others were waiting for me bursting with excitement.
"Who won?! Yoosung asked.
"I did." I said. Jumin was staring at me.
"You don't seem very happy about it." He said finally. I cast a brief glance at him. Get it together. I told myself. You know what to do, so do it. With a bright laugh I responded,
"I am! Sorry! I'm just so shocked! I get to eat Honey Buddha Cereal now because I won!~" The others congratulated me. I heard Kao coming up the steps behind me, and decided to ignore her.
"Hello Kao." Jaehee said, glancing at her.
"Hey." She responded.
"Tell us how you did!" Yoosung said.
"I was the first one who got out so I don't know what happened." I grinned and took him by the shoulder, guiding him to the railing of the deck to talk about what had happened. I felt Kao's eyes linger on me but I ignored them. It was a tactic to win, I told myself, nothing more.
Kao P.O.V
When we returned to the hotel I flopped on my bed and groaned, covering my head with a pillow.
"Kao?" I heard Jaehee walk up to me and sit across from me. "What's wrong?" She asked. I shook my head.
"Nothing." I muttered.
"It doesn't seem like nothing. Did something happen?" I glanced at her from around my pillow.
"...It's Seven again."
"When? During the paragliding? Or the test of courage?" She asked. I could tell she was genuinely concerned, and it made me slightly happy despite my mood. I began to respond.
"It was during…" I paused. Wait, hadn't I said something during the paragliding? Wasn't it something about...I blinked. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed into my pillow.
"What's wrong!?" She asked, panicking.
"...I told him I liked him." I said into my pillow.
"WHAT?!" She yelled.
"I don't think he heard me...hopefully not."
"When was this?!"
"During the paragliding...I had completely forgot about it."
"How do you just forget about that?" She asked, bewildered. I rolled on the bed and groaned.
"I just...said it without thinking. I was so excited...I don't know."
"Seven didn't seem to be affected." She said.
"He probably didn't hear it...OH MY GOD WHAT IF HE HEARD IT?!" I fell off the bed. Jaehee made a sad sound and helped me back up.
"He probably didn't." Jaehee said. "Right?"
"Right." I responded shakily. He didn't hear me right? He said he didn't. He definitely didn't hear it. I began to moan and buried my head in Jaehee's shoulder. She patted my head softly.
"There there, it'll be alright."
"Why am I so stupid…?" I asked.
"Your emotions clouded your judgement is all." She said soothingly.
"Not just clouded...blocked! Barricaded! Damn it! After I made that whole statement about hiding my feelings too." I whined.
"I think we can conclude that you like him more then a friend now?" Jaehee asked. Slowly, I nodded.
"Kill me now." I said. I was so embarrassed, how could I just forget about that?
"I'm not going to kill you." Jaehee responded. "Did anything else happen?"
"...Yes." I said after a brief pause.
"What?" She asked soothingly. I stayed silent.
"He…" I paused. Should I tell her? I had told her this much but...what had happened was different. Still, I couldn't hold these pent up emotions inside me for much longer.
"He kissed my cheek." I said finally. Jaehee stared at me, blinked, and then her eyes widened.
"WHAT?! WHY? WHEN?"
"During the test of courage, after you were disqualified." Jaehee was freaking out.
"I can't...that's...so unlike him! Why? Was it a joke?"
"It was just so he could win." I clarified.
"He knew that I would freeze so he could grab my ribbon. Just a tactic to win. Nothing more, but it was still…"
"Weird." She finished.
"Right." I said. Very weird, but not unpleasant.
"That was mean of him. Especially considering how you feel." She said, calming slightly. I nodded.
"I mean, I froze, like completely." I groaned. Laying back on my bed.
"How could he do that to me? Seven is horrible!"I closed my eyes tightly.
"Kao…" Jaehee said softly.
Someone knocked on the door to our room and we both stared at it, glancing at each other.
"Should I open it?" She asked. Slowly, I sat up and slapped my cheeks.
"Yeah." I mumbled. Jaehee cast me a empathetic glance, and then walked to the entrance, opening the door.
Zen stood leaning against the door frame, he glanced Jaehee and then me.
"Everything okay in here?" He asked. "We heard raised voices."
"Yeah, fine. We were just excited." I responded. "What's up?"
"Yoosung wants to hear you play the piano." He said.
"That's right! I do as well." Jaehee added. I blinked. I had completely forgot about that in all of the excitement. Zen saw my face.
"Do you want to? You don't have to." Zen said. I shook my head.
"No, I would be happy to. Thanks for the reminder, I'll be right there." Zen nodded, and walked into his room, closing his door. Jaehee and I were silent, she closed the door and then faced me.
"Are you sure you can face Seven so soon?" Jaehee asked. I nodded.
"I'll be fine. I'm actually not too bad of an actor." I said with a strained laugh. Jaehee didn't seemed to be convinced. "It's not a big deal seriously. I just tend to overreact." I said. Jaehee sighed.
"All right."
We went to the other room and everyone gathered around the piano to hear me play. I sat on the bench and observed it. It was a beautiful grand piano, obsidian black with gold lining. I could understand why Jumin choose it to be in his room just because of how it looked.
"Don't you need music?" Yoosung inquired.
"I've memorized a few songs." I said. "I don't really need it."
I set my fingers on the keys and as a cue, everyone became silent. I remember my mother teaching me how to play the piano. And as a child I had always loved it. I don't remember what my mother looked like, but I always had one memory of her. A bright summer day, when she had first taught me to play. I remembered the wind chimes in the mild breeze, the sunlight that came through the window. The peace, and the happiness.
Whenever I played the piano I always recalled that memory. Because that was the only happy memory from my childhood. I would get lost in it, and my fingers would play on their own. I would play a song that was laced with happiness, and peace, and sadness at once. And that was what I did now. I closed my eyes and became lost in my memories, I felt my fingers on the keys, I felt my foot moving on the pedal. But I heard and saw nothing. And when I finished and my fingers came off the keys, for a brief moment I saw the silhouette of my mother before I opened my eyes and stared at the piano sadly.
The room was silent, so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Slowly, I turned on the bench to face the others.
"There you go." I said.
"Damn…" Zen said finally. Jumin was staring at me blankly, Yoosung's mouth was open, Jaehee was staring at me in awe, and Seven. Seven wasn't even looking at me. I could feel my face harden.
"I'm exhausted. Jaehee, I'm going to take a bath and get some sleep." I said softly, standing up and walking to my room.
"All right, I'll be there in a bit." I heard her say as I shut the door and walked to the large windows that lined the room. I stared at the view of the ocean, as the waves rippled melodically. It was a lonely but peaceful sight. I placed my right hand on the window and enjoyed the cold feeling of it on my hand. I wondered if he had even listened to it. If he had even cared. My fingers clenched. "Stupid Seven." I muttered.
This chapter was kinda cheesy, but I loved it anyhow. But yea, that's the end of the Busan trip! Hope it was enjoyable despite the length. Next chapter everyone returns home and start talking about the next fundraising party!