It All Started With A Creepy Mail ⚊ Yang Jungwon [#4]

✗ forty eight ✗

⚊ chapter forty eight

The salty breeze kissed my face as I stood near the shoreline, watching the waves gently lap against the sand. I’d always loved the beach—the way it felt endless, as if it held every story ever told. But this wasn’t just any beach; it was one of Jay’s family’s private retreats.

It was beautiful, untouched by crowds, with soft white sand and turquoise waters. Yet, as peaceful as it seemed now, the chaos that had brought us here was anything but.

It all started a few days ago when Minji and Ni-ki decided they were going to "fix the group dynamic." With the tension between Jungwon and Chenle still lingering, Minji had declared over our group chat that we needed a getaway.

Apparently, she and Ni-ki had recruited Sunoo and Rei to help plan a surprise beach trip for everyone.

The surprise? They didn’t bother asking us if we wanted to go.

By the time Sunoo’s van pulled up outside my house that morning, I knew I was in for an adventure. His van, which was painted in the brightest shades of yellow and pink, looked like it belonged in a candy commercial.

The words "Sunshine Express" were scribbled across the side in glittery letters.

“Get in, Jillian!” Rei called from the passenger seat, waving at me enthusiastically.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

“Nope!” Ni-ki grinned, leaning out of the window. “Come on, we’ve got a schedule to keep!”

With a resigned sigh, I walked toward the van. Before I could even reach for the door handle, Minji slid the door open dramatically, revealing two familiar faces already squeezed into the back seats.

“Sunhee? Kiara?” I blinked in surprise.

“Yup,” Sunhee said, holding up a bag of chips like it was a peace offering. “We’ve been kidnapped too.”

Kiara gave me a shrug, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You might as well get comfortable. Resistance is futile.”

I climbed into the van, squeezing between Minji and Sunoo in the back. The vibe inside was undeniably upbeat—Rei was blasting some pop playlist, and Ni-ki was already dancing along, even though there was barely room to move.

“What’s with the glittery van?” I asked, looking around at the colorful decorations.

“It’s the Sunshine Express!” Sunoo declared proudly. “Only the happiest vibes allowed.”

But the chaos wasn’t over.

The next stop was Dongpyo’s house, and what we found there was something straight out of a comedy sketch.

When Minji knocked on his door, it swung open to reveal Dongpyo standing in the middle of his living room, wrapped in a bathrobe and wearing a silky hair bonnet. He looked utterly unbothered, holding a loofah in one hand and a half-empty bottle of bubble bath in the other.

“What do you want?” he asked, his tone suspicious.

“We’re going to the beach!” Minji announced, stepping into the house without hesitation.

“I’m in the middle of my bubble bath!” Dongpyo protested, backing away as Minji and Rei closed in on him.

“That’s fine,” Rei said cheerfully. “You can finish it later!”

Before he could argue further, the two of them grabbed him by the arms and practically dragged him out of the house.

“This is kidnapping!” Dongpyo shouted as they led him to the van.