4

Day 1/26

By the time we made it to the small family-run restaurant Sunghoon had recommended, everyone was dragging their feet – the travel, the afternoon exploring, and the heat had caught up with all of us.

The place was tucked away on a quiet side street, with wooden tables set up under string lights in the courtyard. The owner greeted us like old friends, bringing out pitchers of cold barley tea and plates of banchan before we’d even sat down.

We ordered a spread of comfort food – bulgogi, japchae, kimchi jjigae, and rice – and ate mostly in comfortable silence, just grateful to rest our feet. Jake was the first to nod off, his head drooping onto his arms on the table, making everyone laugh softly.

Rina sat across from me, picking at her food and yawning every few minutes. When our eyes met briefly, she just gave a small, tired smile before looking away.

"Alright team,"  Sunghoon said, stretching as he paid the bill. "Tomorrow’s gonna be big – we’re heading to Hallasan early for the hike, so let’s get back and crash."

"Great. Hiking on the first day." Jake mumbled. Probably regretting tagging along with his friend.

The walk back to the hotel was slow, with Yuqi leaning on Ningning and Aeri complaining that her feet were 'never going to recover.'

We stopped at a convenience store on the way for bottles of water and energy bars for the morning, then finally filed into the elevator.

"See you guys at 5 AM sharp!"  Yeji called out as we split up at our room doors. "No excuses!" Yep, she has reserved energy for everything.

In room 17, we all collapsed the second we walked in. Aeri flopped onto one bed fully dressed, while Rina wordlessly grabbed her pajamas and headed for the bathroom.

"I’m out," Miyeon mumbled, already curled up under the covers. "Wake me up when it’s time to leave..."

I changed quickly and climbed into bed next to her, just as Rina emerged from the bathroom. She paused for a second, looking at us, then quietly got into bed with Aeri, who was already snoring softly.

I pulled the blanket up to my chin, my eyes fixed on the dark shape of Rina on the far bed. The room was still, but the beat of excitement - sharp and electric, was building in my chest were impossible to ignore.

She dumped me. Then ran straight to Sunghoon. But still – the way she’d looked at me across the dinner table tonight, the split-second pause before she’d looked away... she can’t help herself.

I knew her very well.

My mind was already racing,  I know exactly what I’m going to do. Not all at once – never that obvious. Just little things, here and there. A casual comment, a well-timed gesture, something she’ll think is a coincidence until it starts adding up. Until she can’t shake the feeling that I’m still here, that I still know her better than anyone else.

I'm not possessive.

obsessed?

Well...

It's just facts.

The thought makes my hands tingle. The way she’ll second-guess every interaction, the way she’ll catch herself looking for me in a crowd, the way she’ll start to wonder if she made a mistake... it’s all already playing out in my head, and I can barely contain the thrill of it.

She wanted to keep me as an option? Fine. But now I’m the one holding all the cards.

I heard her shift again, and a quiet smile crossed my face in the dark.

~•~

The alarm on my phone buzzed at 4:45 AM – I’d set it ten minutes early just to be ready. Miyeon groaned and buried her face in the pillow as I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Aeri or Rina, who were still deep asleep.

By the time everyone else was up and dressed, I’d already grabbed coffee and banana bread from the hotel café for the group.

"Here you go, Miyeon,"  I said, handing her a cup with extra sugar just how she likes it. "Figured you’d need this to wake up properly."

She beamed, taking a sip. "You’re a lifesaver. I don’t think I’ve ever been up this early in my life."

I passed out the rest of the drinks and food – making sure to hand Rina’s to her without much fanfare, just a quiet 'here' before turning to help Aeri tie her hiking boots.

"Need me to tighten those for you?"  I asked, kneeling down to adjust the laces. "Don’t want you getting blisters halfway up."

Down in the lobby, the whole group was gathering with their packs. I’d already checked everyone’s gear the night before – made sure Yeji had enough bandages in her first aid kit, helped Ningning repack her bag so it wouldn’t be too heavy on her shoulders. When Jay mentioned he’d forgotten to bring sunscreen, I pulled an extra bottle out of my pack and tossed it to him. "Thought someone might need this."

Rina was standing off to the side, adjusting her own pack straps. Sunghoon was already there, gently adjusting the load on her shoulders. "Let me get that for you," he said, his voice soft - too gentle. "You’ve got it too high – it’ll hurt your neck after a while."  I caught her eye for a second, then looked away to help Miyeon put on her lightweight rain jacket. "It might start drizzling later,"  I told her, zipping it up carefully. She pout before thanking me.

As we started the hike up Hallasan, I stayed close to the front with Miyeon and Yuqi, pointing out different plants along the trail and making sure they kept pace without pushing too hard. When Miyeon started to breathe heavily on a steep section, I slowed down immediately. "Let’s take a break,"  I said, pulling out a bottle of water and a small towel to dab at her forehead. "We’ve got plenty of time – no rush."

Behind us, Sunghoon was doing the same for Rina. I could see him letting her lean on his arm as they climbed, stopping to point out a bird in the trees just to give her a moment to catch her breath. "You okay?"  he asked her, pulling out a small pack of her favorite gummy candies. "I remembered you said you get low blood sugar on hikes."  She smiled up at him, nodding, and he reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

As I glance forward, I catch Ryu who's already looking at me meaningfully.

A little further up, I noticed Rina pausing to catch her breath, leaning against a tree. Sunghoon was already by her side, offering her his water bottle and checking to see if she was too warm. I called out to the group to wait a moment, then walked over and tossed her a bottle of electrolyte water – not stopping, just letting it land gently in her hand before turning back to help Aeri over a rocky patch.

"Thanks." she said quietly.

I just nodded without looking at her.

The whole way up, I was checking in on everyone – making sure Yuqi had eaten her energy bar, helping Ningning adjust her pack straps again, sharing jokes with Miyeon to keep her spirits up. Sunghoon stayed right by Rina’s side the entire time – adjusting her hat when the sun peeked through the trees, then helping her over tricky spots on the trail.

When we reached a small clearing for a proper rest stop, I spread out a blanket and unpacked more snacks. "Miyeon, you want the last of the dried mango?"  I asked, holding it out to her first. "I know it’s your favorite."

As she took it with a smile, I felt eyes on me – I didn’t need to look to know who was watching. Sunghoon was already opening a pack of gimbap he’d made specifically for Rina, cutting it into small pieces so she could eat easily. I just kept talking and laughing with the group, making sure everyone felt taken care of... everyone except her, not really. Just enough to make her wonder why she wasn’t the one I was focusing on anymore. She already has Sunghoon with her.

~•~

Just as Miyeon was telling a story about getting lost in a botanical garden back home, Ryu plopped down next to me, nudging my shoulder with hers.

"Nice act you’re putting on,"  she said under her breath, so only I could hear. "Though I’m not sure who you’re trying to fool more – her or yourself."

I just shrugged, passing her a granola bar. "Not putting on an act. Just taking care of my friends."

"Right,"  she said, raising an eyebrow. "That’s why you packed two bottles of electrolyte water this morning – one for ‘just in case’ and one for... well, we both know who."

Before I could respond, Yeji called out that we should get moving if we wanted to reach the summit before noon. I stood up, helping Miyeon to her feet and adjusting the strap of her pack that had slipped off her shoulder.

The rest of the hike went smoothly – we made it to the summit just as the clouds parted, revealing a stunning view of the crater lake below. Everyone pulled out their phones to take photos, and I found myself snapping shots of Miyeon laughing as she posed with Yuqi and Ningning, then capturing Aeri’s excited reaction when she spotted a rare butterfly near the edge.

I was in the middle of taking a panoramic shot when I felt someone bump into me from behind. It was Rina – she'd stepped back while looking at her own phone and hadn’t been paying attention. Sunghoon was immediately by her side, steadying her with his hands on her waist.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I’m fine," she said, but her eyes were on me – specifically on the camera in my hand. "Did you get a good shot?"

I glanced at the screen, then back at her. "Yeah. The view’s great from up here." Before she could even respond, her boyfriend excused them, saying he wanted to take a couple picture. I turned and walked away before she could say more, heading over to where Ryu was sitting on a rock, looking out at the lake.

"Penny for your thoughts?"  she asked.

"Just thinking about how everyone seems to be having a good time,"  I said, though we both knew that wasn’t the whole truth.

Ryu nodded slowly. "She keeps looking at you, you know. Even when she’s standing right next to him."

I didn’t respond, but I’d noticed too – every time I’d turned around in the last hour, her eyes had been on me, only to look away the second we made contact.

As we started the descent, I fell back a bit to walk with Aeri, who was moving slower now that her knees were starting to ache. "Want me to carry your camera bag for you?" I offered, already reaching for it. But someone beat me to it.

"I'll carry this one. It’ll lighten the load on your knees." Aeri and I were both taken aback, however, I saw Ningning winked at me secretly.  "You’ve already done so much for everyone today," she said gratefully.

"Of course," I smiled, as I stepped backwards. “That’s what friends are for."

I was walking a few steps behind Aeri and Ningning  when I heard a small cry from ahead. Rina had tripped over a root and stumbled, catching herself on a tree trunk but scraping her knee badly enough that blood was already seeping through her pants.

Sunghoon was there in an instant, pulling out a bandage from his pocket. "Let me see that," he said, kneeling down to clean the wound with a wet wipe. But Rina was looking past him – straight at me.

I hesitated for a moment, then walked forward. "Here," I said, pulling out a tube of antibiotic ointment from my pack and handing it to Sunghoon. "It’s better than just a bandage – will help keep it from getting infected."

He took it with a nod of thanks, but Rina’s eyes were still on me. I gave her a quick, neutral look before turning to help Miyeon over a particularly steep section of the trail.

On the way back to the van, Miyeon linked her arm through mine, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of me today,"  she said softly. "I don’t think I could have made it up there without you." That's, honestly sweet to hear.

I squeezed her arm gently. "Anytime."

As we approached the parking lot, I glanced back one last time. Rina was walking a few feet behind us, Sunghoon’s arm around her shoulders – but her gaze was fixed on where my hand was resting on Miyeon’s arm, and her expression was impossible to read.

A small thrill ran through me. The game was already starting.

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