Not Misool ?

The pilot, gripping a half-empty bottle of rum, hopped off the plane.

"...he...rrre we.... are, the famous island of Misool!"

His words erupted in a boisterous yell, drifting into the distance, mingling with the sounds of rustling palm leaves and distant waves crashing against the shore.

"Neverrrr failed me, this old girl!"

His rough hand landed clumsily on the fuselage, patting it with exaggerated affection before planting a sloppy, drunken kiss upon its surface. To celebrate, he raised his bottle once more before taking another gulp. Not even a near-death experience could pry him away from his beloved liquor.

As his passengers disembarked, they stumbled onto the shore, disoriented and thoroughly disappointed by the stark emptiness that greeted them. Before their eyes sprawled a pristine, creamy white sandy beach, flanked by tall palm trees swaying gracefully against a backdrop of dense tropical forest embracing towering cliffs. Not a soul or a trace of a proper road was in sight. They erupted in protest, ready to incite mutiny.

"This is a deserted island!"

"Captain, you've brought us to the wrong location!"

"I want my money back, old man!"

"I should have trusted my instincts and never believed in Dave."

Sensing imminent danger to his life, the pilot replied weakly, "This...err.. is the other side of Misool, the har...bour is...hmm."

"Har…bour is," For a while, he looked confused.

"That ...way!" Finally, he made up his mind and pointed groggily toward the jungle before sinking into a drunken slumber. Coincidentally, the seaplane began to sputter and cough, belching out thick, black smoke from its engine before falling eerily silent.

Jack shook the pilot vigorously, attempting to rouse him from his sleep. "There's no road; you're drunk!"

"Come on. Wake up!" He splashed water on the drunken man's face, but his effort remained futile. The co-pilot was in no better condition. Feeling desperate, Jack turned to the only adult for answers. "I thought the deal was for him to take us straight to the harbor. What's our plan now?"

Dave scratched his head in frustration, then checked his phone for a signal, only to be met with disappointment. Glancing at the hopeful faces of his students, he found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to proceed.

"Everyone, over here!" Toji's voice cut through the stillness. "There's a small trail this way."

Dave gestured toward Toji, saying, "Our ship is set to depart from the harbor tomorrow. If we trek through the jungle, we should have ample time to make it. Besides, the seaplane looks pretty beaten up; we can't be sure how long it'll take to get it fixed. Let's move."

Weeks later, as she perched on the ship's railing, watching the moon dance on the surface of the ocean in this strange world, Ann would reminisce about this moment, questioning her sanity for ever considering trekking through the jungle a good idea.

She would ponder the time when the river of destiny began to deviate from its course—the fateful moment Dave won a grand prize in a lucky draw competition: an all-expenses-paid vacation to the Four Kings archipelago. How could she ever forget the gleam of excitement in his deep blue eyes as he flaunted the winning ticket and eagerly extended the invitation to them?

Everyone was reluctant to go. There was something about Dave; when he made plans, it was as if the entire universe conspired to turn them into a disaster. A skiing trip ended with an avalanche. An onsen trip resulted in a lifetime ban. And the list goes on. Sensing their reluctance, he shamelessly guilt-tripped them into agreement by emphasizing the importance of creating lasting memories before they all left him for different universities.

Initially, their journey had been incredibly smooth. They joyfully hopped from one exotic island to another during the sea cruise. It seemed that the "Dave jinx," which had haunted their previous adventures, had finally taken a vacation of its own, promising them a tranquil trip for once.

A leisurely brunch at a famous restaurant was a testament to this. However, complacency soon turned to chaos after the cruise ship departed earlier than stated in the itinerary. Sheepishly, Dave confessed he had received an email notification of the schedule change but was too engrossed in flirting with a busty waitress to look at the clock.

They all felt the urge to throttle and toss him into the sea. Yet, the blame rested solely on themselves for trusting the most irresponsible adult they ever knew. They wallowed in their misery, entirely unsure of what to do, until Dave miraculously revealed that he had arranged for a chartered plane to fly them to the next island.

The forest was beautiful and teeming with life, echoing with the symphony of nature — birds chirping, insects buzzing, and monkeys howling in the background. Ann might have enjoyed the stroll along the trail if it weren't for the fact that they had been at it for the past seven grueling hours. The once relatively wide path had dwindled into a narrow, barely distinguishable trail, obscured by the thick overgrowth of the surrounding vegetation.

The air grew hotter and increasingly humid, making her feel lightheaded. Their clothes clung to their bodies, soaked through with sweat, which mingled to create an unpleasant odor. Persistent tiny insects buzzed incessantly around their faces. At one point, Ann's foot slipped on a moss-covered rock, and she nearly found herself face-first in the muddy ground.

Jack pulled his T-shirt up, covering half his face. "These bloodsuckers won't cut us any slack. I fucking hate this." They were miserable, well, only she and Jack were.

"Nonsense! Nothing beats the fresh air and a good cardio workout." A contented smile adorned Toji's face as he effortlessly navigated the grueling forest trek. "You guys should exercise more." Ann and Jack exchanged exasperated glances.

"At least someone is enjoying this." Ann wiped away her sweat. "The muscle-gorilla feels right at home."

"Witch! You wanna have a go at it!"

"Bring it on! I'd knock you out any day!"

"Hey, knock it off, you two! If you keep this up, you'll both be in trouble. Remember the rules: no fighting like thugs. We settle our differences on the mat or not at all. Got it?" It's one of the insane rules Dave imposed on them because he was just too lazy to mediate and handle all the emotional messes.

 "Sorry, Dave," they both mumble their apologies.

Dave continued to lead them forward. After hours of trudging through the jungle, his clothes remained impeccable. Not a single strand of hair was out of place. That's how he always was, never hitting the gym, only dabbling in martial arts now and then, and yet, he was in better shape than Toji.

The dense forest began to gradually thin out until they reached the trail's end, greeted by a breathtaking sight: a vast lake nestled right in the heart of the jungle. Toji uncapped a water bottle and hastily drank from it. "Dave, there's no more trail to follow," he said, wiping water droplets from the side of his lips before tossing the nearly empty bottle to Jack.

"Hey, you can't... drink all the water... by yourself," Jack panted, sprawled out on the grass.

Ann kept walking toward the dark emerald lake, attracted by glimmers of gold flickering beneath the surface. There were thousands of jellyfish, gracefully drifting in the water. Their bulbous bodies pulsated rhythmically, resembling a soothing heartbeat. She stood at the edge of the lake, transfixed, wondering how such creatures ended up there. Out of curiosity, she dipped her finger into the lake and tasted the briny water.

"Ergggh... it's salty."

A saltwater lake filled with golden jellyfish, right in the heart of a jungle, how magical.

"Guys, come and see this." she called out excitedly, but her words were drowned by arguing voices. She strode back, brow furrowed in frustration, ready to knock some sense into the arguing boys, preferably with her fist. The magical lake was completely forgotten.