EPISODE 79 – The Air in Jeju: A Night of Revelations
The night in Jeju was a canvas of starlight. The team, a newfound comfort settling over them, was gathered around the dinner table, laughing and enjoying the warmth of Dohee's grandparents' hospitality. The dinner plates were long cleared, replaced by cups of hot tea and a plate of Micha's cookies.
Dohee, her hand now clasped gently in Alex's, finally made a full-circle announcement. "Everyone," she said, her voice soft but clear, "I've finally forgiven Alex. And... we're together now. He's a good man, and I'm a very lucky girl. We're a perfect couple."
A wave of relief and happiness washed over the team. Minjae and Micha cheered, Kevin and Guen clapped. Just then, the grandmother, who had been listening from the kitchen, emerged with a warm smile. "Ooh, who is my granddaughter's boyfriend?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Minjae, ever the instigator, pointed at Alex. "He is, Grandma! He's the one who's going to make her happy."
Everyone held their breath, a collective fear that the grandparents might not approve. The grandmother walked over to Alex, her expression turning serious. She looked him up and down, then placed a hand on his cheek. "Listen here, young man," she said, her voice firm. "Don't you ever make my granddaughter cry. She is precious to us. You understand? Always take care of her." Alex, his voice thick with emotion, simply nodded. The grandmother smiled, and everyone in the room erupted in applause.
"Finally!" Minjae yelled, raising his hands in the air. "We can get some peace and quiet! So, when's the wedding?"
Dohee and Alex blushed, a mixture of surprise and shyness on their faces. "Minjae!" Dohee scolded, a laugh escaping her lips.
Grandpa, who had been quietly enjoying the show, chuckled. "This generation… they have to date first. But me," Minjae said, putting on a show, "I want to get married first, Grandpa! Can you please help me find a girl?"
Everyone burst out laughing, and Micha shook her head, muttering, "This guy is absolutely crazy."
The grandmother walked over to Micha. "You know," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye, "I think this girl has the power to control this naughty boy."
Micha's eyes widened. "Me? No, Grandma, we're not... we're not like that."
"Really grandma?" Kevin said, laughing. "They fight like cats and dogs!"
Minjae scoffed. "Do you really think this girl can control me? She's so thin! She needs to eat more to gain some weight!"
Guen, surprised, interjected, "Minjae! Do you actually like Micha?"
Micha's face turned red. "No! I am not thin, and he's not even my type! Grandma, he's always bullying and teasing me!"
Minjae's smirk widened. "What? I'm not your type? Hah! There are so many girls who want to marry me! I'm a role model to them, and you say I'm not your type, lollipop girl? Besides, I don't like girls who still eat lollipops in their adult age, or girls who make dad jokes with no filter!"
The grandpa clapped his hands together, laughing. "You two are so funny! Okay, okay, enough. I get it." He then turned to Kevin. "What about you, young man? When are you getting married with Guen?"
Kevin and Guen froze, their faces turning a deep crimson. "We're not dating!" Guen protested, but Minjae just whispered to the grandpa, "He's just shy, Grandma. They're going to get married first, I know it." Before Minjae could say anything else, Kevin put a hand over his mouth, silencing him with a glare.
Just as the chaos began to settle, a maid came in. "The beds are ready," she announced. The grandparents, exhausted from the day's excitement, bid them goodnight, and everyone headed to their rooms.
A Midnight Chase
The house was old, and the bathrooms were not attached to the rooms. One by one, the team took their showers, but the last one to go was Micha. She had just finished her shower and, in her haste, had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Wrapped in a long towel that covered her from her chest to her knees, she tiptoed back to her room.
She closed the door and turned around, and let out a small, terrified gasp. Standing in the middle of her room was Minjae. She was about to scream, but he was too fast. He put a hand over her mouth. "Hey, don't scream," he whispered. "It's just me."
He looked at her, his eyes taking in the sight of her in the towel. It was a long towel, but it was just a towel. He felt a sudden, inappropriate flicker of something in his chest, a strange pull that he immediately dismissed.
Micha, terrified and furious, ripped his hand away from her mouth and slapped him. "Sorry," Minjae said with a devilish smile. "I didn't say anything." She began to hit him again, her voice a furious whisper. "You're so shameless! You're so bad! How dare you come into my room without permission?"
Minjae, still laughing, grabbed her hands and pinned her against the wall. "Hey, calm down! I'm just here to get your charger! My laptop is about to die, and you and I are the only ones who brought our laptops."
"I don't care!" Micha yelled, her voice a desperate hiss. "You're in my room, and I'm not even wearing clothes! Don't look at me, Minjae! I'll kill you!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not looking," Minjae said, letting go of her hands. But as he turned away, she slapped him again, hard. That's when his expression changed. His smile vanished, and his eyes turned cold. He grabbed her waist, pushing her onto the bed, and kissed her. It was a brutal, forceful kiss, and Micha, trying to get away, was no match for his strength. He was a force of nature, a wild fire that she couldn't control.
He broke the kiss, his eyes burning with a dangerous fire. "If you slap me again," he said, his voice a low growl, "I'll kiss you harder." He looked at her chest, a cruel smirk on his face. "Not even too much sexy, you thin girl." He leaned in, his lips close to her ear. "You're not even my type," he whispered, a smile returning to his face. "But... I kinda like it."
Micha, her body shaking, started to cry. "I'm not weak," she sobbed, wiping her tears away. "I'll file a case against you! You're a dirty, dirty boy!"
Minjae just smiled, a dark, unsettling glint in his eyes. "Didn't you know?" he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "I'm a very bad and dirty boy." He leaned back, his eyes roaming over her body, the towel a flimsy barrier. "So don't mess with me, or I'll do whatever I want with you." He then ran a hand lightly across her skin, a feather-light touch that felt like a brand. "And about that case? Good luck, sweetheart. You know you can't do anything." With that, he grabbed her charger and walked out, leaving her alone, sobbing in her room.
Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Alex, with a screenshot of Minjae's schedule for the next day: a date with a jewelry company CEO's daughter at a luxury hotel. Micha's tears turned into a cold, hard anger. She remembered asking Alex to get his schedule, a simple prank gone horribly wrong. Now, she had a new, much darker mission. "Just wait, Minjae," she whispered to herself. "I'll get you."
The Beginning of a New War
The morning sun in Jeju felt different, less peaceful than it had a day before. The team was ready to leave, their luggage packed and their goodbyes said to the grandparents, who had welcomed them with so much warmth. The atmosphere was a strange mix of relief and lingering tension.
The car arrangements were different this time. Minjae, with a slight, knowing smirk, got into his car with Alex and Dohee. Micha, her face a mask of cold resolve, deliberately chose the other car with Kevin and Guen. Minjae's smirk widened as he saw her choice; he knew she was trying to avoid him, and he found it amusing.
In Minjae's car, a quiet, almost heavy silence had fallen. Alex and Dohee were holding hands, a silent comfort between them, but their eyes kept flicking to Minjae.
Alex was the first to speak. "Minjae," he said, his voice low. "Did you do something to Micha?"
Minjae, not even bothering to look at him, just laughed. "Why? She's just a crazy girl."
Dohee, however, was not so easily dismissed. "Really, Minjae? You tease her all the time. I know it's funny sometimes, but she gets genuinely angry with you. What did you do this time?"
Minjae simply shrugged, his eyes on the road. "She's just Micha," he said dismissively. "Crazy as ever."
Micha, in the other car, was staring out the window, her mind replaying the previous night. She was quiet, her usual cheerful banter gone. The laughter from the front seat—Kevin teasing Guen about the grandpa's comments, and Guen's embarrassed protests—barely registered. Her thoughts were a torrent of fury and humiliation. She clenched her fists, a single, cold resolve forming in her heart. She was going to make Minjae pay.
That evening, Minjae, looking like a handsome, hot playboy, arrived at the King's Hotel for his date. He was a vision in a black suit, and the girl, a CEO's daughter, looked stunning in a short dress. They were just about to order when a new figure approached their table. A girl in a fancy, though not luxury, dress, with heavy makeup, big glasses, and curly hair, came and sat down.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sitting here." Minjae and his date were stunned, their faces a mask of surprise. The girl, of course, was Micha.