EPISODE 77 – The Journey to Jeju
The headquarters felt empty. The silence was heavy, punctuated only by the low hum of the servers. It had been a few days since the successful mission against the Midnight Thief, but the victory felt hollow. Dohee was gone, and no one knew why.
Guen tried calling her again, her face etched with concern. "Still no answer," she said, her voice filled with worry. Everyone in the room felt the tension. Kevin, ever the leader, noticed the pained expression on Alex's face. He could tell something was wrong, that there was a story he wasn't being told. But as soon as Alex saw Kevin looking at him, he quickly moved to another part of the room, avoiding eye contact.
"Alright everyone, let's call it a day," Kevin announced, his voice firm. "We've done great work. You all deserve to go home."
As they were leaving, Guen lingered, watching Alex. Micha approached her, her voice soft with concern. "Don't worry, Unnie," she said. "I heard your parents are coming to your place. You should go home. I'll take care of Alex Oppa."
"Thank you, Micha," Guen replied, a grateful look on her face. "If you need any help, just call me." With a final glance at Alex, she left.
Micha, true to her word, chased after Alex. She caught up to him and, to his surprise, grabbed his hand and dragged him to a nearby local restaurant. He was completely caught off guard.
"Oppa, what happened? Why are you so sad?" Micha asked, her voice full of concern as she ordered two bowls of soup. Alex tried to deflect her questions, denying anything was wrong, but Micha was persistent. She offered him her own brand of quirky, yet profound, advice. After several moments, Alex, overwhelmed by guilt and exhaustion, finally confessed everything. He told her about the party, about his drunken mistake, about Dohee's reaction, and how it was all his fault.
Micha listened patiently. When he was done, she gave him a small, comforting smile. "Oppa, it's not your fault. It was a mistake. She didn't mean to, and you didn't mean to. You have to forgive yourself and go talk to her. It's the only way."
Just as Alex was about to respond, a voice from a nearby table cut through the air. "Hey, bro, can I help?"
Alex and Micha looked up in surprise. It was Minjae. "Minjae? What are you doing here?" Micha asked, her voice a mix of shock and amusement.
Minjae laughed, carrying his bowl of noodles over to their table. "Sorry, I was eavesdropping. I was curious, too. But it's true, you're faster than me, Alex!"
Micha quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "Hey, shut your mouth!" she hissed.
Minjae, after being freed, took on a more serious tone. "Dohee is probably angry at both of you and herself," he said. "But it wasn't entirely your fault. So, here's the plan: we have to go to her and apologize. We'll go to her village house in Jeju."
"I don't know, Minjae," Alex said, hesitant. "What if she gets even angrier?"
"That's why all of us, the whole CHIPER team, will go there to support you," Minjae said with a confident smile. "Micha, you ready?"
"Of course!" she replied. "We'll call Kevin and Guen."
"I'll handle them," Minjae said, his grin returning. "Both of you be ready tomorrow morning."
Alex remained silent, still unsure, but Micha grabbed his hand. "He'll be there," she declared. "Alex will be with us." Minjae just smiled, a flicker of genuine kindness in his eyes.
The Road to a New Beginning
The next morning, two cars headed south. In the first car, Kevin was driving, a quiet Guen beside him. In the second, Minjae was at the wheel, with a silent Alex in the passenger seat. They soon arrived in front of Micha's apartment. She was standing outside, waiting with her luggage, a giant box of homemade cookies, and a lollipop in her mouth.
"Hey, lollipop girl, get in the car!" Minjae yelled with a laugh.
Micha happily jumped in, a cheerful "Good morning!" for both Alex and Minjae.
"More cookies?" Minjae teased. "Why don't you just open a bakery and quit your job?"
"Because a baker doesn't get to save the world!" Micha retorted. "Besides, these cookies are a peace offering." She turned to Alex, who still looked downcast. "Don't worry, Oppa. We're all on your side."
In the other car, Kevin and Guen were having their own conversation. "So, you think Dohee will be okay?" Guen asked, her voice soft.
"I hope so," Kevin said, glancing at her. "I think she just needed some space. But I have a feeling Alex is the key to all this."
After a long drive, they reached a beautiful, quiet house in Jeju. The two cars pulled up and everyone got out. They walked to the door, calling out for Dohee. "Dohee! Dohee!"
The door opened, and Dohee emerged, her eyes wide with shock. It was the last thing she expected. Just then, her grandmother came out. "Who are all these people, Dohee?" she asked.
Micha quickly stepped forward. "We're Dohee's best friends! We came here to surprise her!"
Everyone introduced themselves. Kevin with a respectful bow, Guen with a warm smile, Micha with her usual energy, and Alex, his voice shaking, with a quiet apology. Minjae, ever the charmer, hugged the grandmother, complimenting her. "Grandma, you are so beautiful and young! Will you be my bride?"
The grandmother laughed, playfully grabbing his ear. "Omo! What is your name, you naughty boy?"
"Minjae! You can call me Minu," he said, and kissed her on the cheek.
Micha, mortified, pulled him away. "Minjae, what are you doing? Stop it!"
Minjae, with a wink, whispered to her, "Why? Do you want a kiss too?"
Suddenly, an older man appeared, grabbing Minjae's other ear. It was the grandfather. "How dare you kiss my wife, you naughty boy?" he said, a smile on his face. Everyone laughed. Minjae, begging for mercy, promised to never do it again. Dohee finally stepped in, telling her grandfather to let him go.
"Come inside, everyone," the grandmother said. "I'll get your rooms ready."
Dohee, her shock wearing off, apologized to everyone. "I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't mean to disappear. But thank you for coming. And congratulations on your victory. I saw it on the news."
"Yah! We were so worried about you," Micha said, handing her the box of cookies. "These are for you. We missed you."
Minjae, still rubbing his ear, whined, "I'm so hungry, Dohee. Please, some food."
"Of course," Dohee said, finally smiling. As she led everyone inside, Alex tried to say something to her, but she walked past him, ignoring his attempt to speak. The journey to Jeju was over, but the most difficult part of their mission had just begun.