Journey into the Unknown

Their journey was so long, they could've grown a beard and shaved it off twice. Maya's stomach was growling like a grizzly bear, so they threw her a bag of food. She devoured it faster than a seagull snatching a French fry. Jaebin watched in awe as Maya swam beside the ship like a majestic mermaid.

"Why are you always here? Don't you… need to sleep?" Maya hollered from the water, catching Jaebin off guard.

"I was just admiring the blue ocean and your swimming skills," Jaebin replied, trying to hide his infatuation. Maya blushed harder than a lobster in cold water.

"Aren't you tired?" he asked, seriously concerned.

Oh, it's just the energy that's always with me. It pushes me to keep going, even when I'm tired," she said with a wink.

Jaebin's jaw dropped like an anchor. "What did she just do?" he thought, before bursting out into an internal laugh.

Maya dove underwater, mortified by her own flirtatious behavior. She submerged herself under the cool water, feeling the weight of embarrassment suffocate her. She couldn't help but wonder why she always seemed to embarrass herself in front of him. Was it because she was weird, not just on the outside, but on the inside too?

As she attempted to process her thoughts, she imagined his judgmental gaze piercing through her, and she cringed. She wished she could disappear into the depths of the ocean and escape his scrutiny.

Jaebin's perspective on Maya was unlike anything he had experienced before. She was not just different in her appearance, but there was something unique about her from the inside as well. Her unconventional looks didn't faze him in the slightest. He saw her as a human, pure and simple.

Jaebin found her personality to be captivating, and he couldn't help but act as though he had found his soulmate, even though he was completely unaware of this fact.

Meanwhile, Maya was equally perplexed. She couldn't explain why she acted the way she did around him, why she struggled to speak, and why she found herself looking at him with a different type of intensity.

Neither of them had ever fallen for someone they hardly knew, so the feeling was foreign to both of them.

As Jaena watched the two of them, she couldn't help but smile. She imagined what it would be like if Maya were still a regular human being. She was certain that they would already be in a romantic relationship.

As Daehyun emerged from the room, he caught Jaena's gaze fixed on Maya and Jaebin's interaction, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. He playfully smacked her on the head, asking, "Why are you watching him flirting with Maya?"

Jaena bristled at the accusation, retorting with a fiery glare, "Shut up! My brother is not flirting, he was just concerned about her."

Daehyun raised an eyebrow in amusement before firing back, "You're the flirty one, Jaena! Aren't you? Don't even try to deny it."

But the tables quickly turned when Jaena called him out as the real flirt. Daehyun was taken aback and shouted after her, "Hey, come back here! How dare you say that I'm the flirty one? I'm the most romantic boyfriend ever. You don't even know how lucky you are, Jaena!" Despite his outburst, Jaena simply laughed and ran away, leaving Daehyun to pout and sulk in his own silly indignation. "Well, I'm lucky too," he mumbled to himself, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he absentmindedly adjusted his glasses.

Seola was practically bouncing in her seat, eagerly anticipating the moment she could reunite with her little sister Maya. She had packed her lunch bag with all of Maya's favorite treats, taking care to remember every little detail she had learned about her sister in the few days they had spent together.

Minho couldn't help but notice Seola's meticulous care and concern for Maya. As he watched her fuss over the lunch bag, a thought crossed his mind: what if Seola was into girls? The idea both intrigued and unnerved him, and he couldn't help but feel a little upset at the possibility.

And to make matters worse, Minho had been so embarrassed when he had awkwardly proposed to Seola a few years back. He had convinced himself that there was no way she could be interested in him, especially if she was into girls. Now he felt like a complete joke in front of her.

Minho stumbled towards Seola, his eyes streaming with tears. "Do you love her? You could have told me before!" he wailed dramatically.

Seola rolled her eyes at Minho's theatrics. "Oh, please. Can't you see I'm not in the mood to talk with you? And for your information, I'm into girls now. Don't ever ask me that question again, or I'll kick you so hard, you'll think you're auditioning for the next karate kid movie."

Her being romantically interested in girls wasn't the truth of the matter. Rather, she simply wasn't inclined to pursue a romantic entanglement with anyone.

"Why can't you talk to me nicely for once?" Minho pleaded with a cute voice.

Seola couldn't help but smirk at his request. "Oh, you want to hear some sweet words from me? Sure thing, Minho. My hand is feeling awfully ticklish right now, and it's dying to hit something. It's looking at your cheek, and it wants to turn it into a nice shade of red. Are you okay with that, sweetie?" She cooed, channeling her inner Disney villain.

Minho let out a long-suffering sigh. "You're so mean. I'm not going to talk to you again. Bye."

Seola smirked, "That's what I wanted all along." She sauntered back to her room, feeling satisfied with herself for putting Minho in his place.

As Minho watched Seola smirk and stride back to her room, he was left dumbfounded by her demeanor. She was by far the most challenging girl he had ever encountered, and he couldn't help but wonder what had made her this way. It didn't take long for him to realize that his own family, particularly his brother Minjae, was to blame. With a heavy heart, he knew that his brother had cruelly stolen the one thing that was most important to Seola, leaving her hurt and guarded.

***

After days of being out at sea, the weary friends finally set foot on solid ground, eager to begin their journey on four wheels. But before they could hit the road, they had to ensure that their companion, Maya, was safely extracted from the water and out of sight from any prying eyes.

Once the coast was clear, they hopped into their trusty Jeep, ready to hit the open road. However, they had no set destination in mind, only following the alluring melody that Maya was attuned to. It was both exhilarating and daunting, as they braved the unknown together.

While Maya relished the feeling of embarking on a true adventure, the group knew that they were in for some trials and tribulations along the way. Though they had all faced many adventures before, this journey was unlike any other, and they were ready to take it head-on.

Little did they know that a strange encounter was waiting for them, lurking just around the corner.