#ppangjae

Only, they hadn’t mentioned it to you.

Instead, amidst your confusion , you distinctly remember Krystal pulling you out of your bed and forcing you to wash up, Jennie in the background making breakfast for all of you (while you sincerely hoped that she wasn’t making a mess out of your kitchen), and Yuqi and Seulgi packing your clothes and essentials for the trip.

Not even an hour later, you five squeezed into Krystal’s sleek black Audi e-tron GT and they whisked you away for a fun trip. It was very Sex and the City-esque of them, and you were most certain that it was Jennie’s idea.

And that was how you ended up lying down on a beach towel with your four best friends, in a bikini and black Gentle Monster sunglasses on, and a mango margarita in your hand.

It was the third day of your trip — and you had no idea how long the girls planned this trip for — and you were still, and you quote from Yuqi, “as lifeless as ever”, and un-quote.

“Ma’am,” Krystal said to you. “We’re at the beach for the first time in so long, and you haven’t caught a single wave yet? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

“Not in a mood to surf,” you muttered back as you perched your sunglasses over your head so that they could see your deadpan expression.

“More importantly, you have all this eye-candy in front of you,” Yuqi motioned the people in front of you with a dramatic hand while the other three nodded furiously, “and you’re telling me not one of them caught your interest?”

They saw a flash of interest flash through your eyes and they immediately hounded you like a pack of coyotes around raw meat. “Who is it, you bitch!”

You turned away from them. “No one.”

“Come on!” Jennie whined. “This is probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you in the past two years!”

You narrowed your eyes. “I started going out with my ex two years ago.”

“Exactly.”

You flipped her your middle finger.

“Okay, okay,” Seulgi said as she pushed your finger down. “Let’s stop bullying her, she already has a lot to deal with.”

“Thanks, Seul.” You hugged her. “I knew there was a reason why you’re my favourite.”

“It’s not her fault if she looks too depressed for anyone to even approach her.”

You let out an offended gasp and pushed a guffawing Seulgi away while the other girls laughed and snickered at your misery. Amidst your fun, you didn’t even notice a certain man approach your little group.

“Having fun, ladies?”

You all whipped your head towards the source of the question and a smile immediately made its way to each of your faces. More so on your friends than on yours, though.

“You know it, Jaehyun,” Krystal answered with a wink.

Jung Jaehyun was one of the eye-candies that Yuqi mentioned beforehand, something you five determined the second you set foot on the beach. You six met when you were all trying to get your surfboard down from the top of Krystal’s car without hitting an innocent passerby or the cars parked nearby. He happened to pass by and offered his help.

You then proceeded to find out that he was also from Seoul and always came down to this beach to work as a lifeguard seasonally. That fact added to his face and body and his good manners, it was a no-brainer for all of you to put him in your communal eye-candy category.

It just so happened that Jaehyun was the only person that has caught your attention.

“Hey,” he addressed you specifically, and you only hoped that your friends wouldn’t embarrass you. “Some of the other lifeguards and I are having this small bonfire party later in the evening after the beach clears out. We’re going to have some booze and maybe surf a little at night. Would you like to come?”

You blinked your eyes repeatedly. “Uhh, just me?”

It was then that Jaehyun seemed to have realized his mistake. “Oh, I mean, your friends are obviously invited,” he said with his eyes darting around like crazy, making sure that he didn’t offend the other girls, before he meekly added, “But I would love it if you came.”

“Yeah, we’re just–” Yuqi started to say and got up with the other girls. “–we’re just gonna go and uh, leave you two lovebirds alone.”

When they finally left, Jaehyun plopped down on the bath towel next to you and focused his attention on you, flustering you a little.

“So, what do you say?” he asked with a cute, dimpled smile.

You raised a skeptical brow. “Careful there, Jaehyun, or else I might think that you were flirting with me.”

Jaehyun threw his head back in laughter before slowly shaking it at you. “Oh, babe, I’m always flirting with you. Keep up.”

His confession took you by surprise. Your mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish out of the water. “Y-you are?”

Jaehyun chuckled lowly, his deep voice sending tingles down your spine, and he nodded. “Yeah. So, are you coming?”

You nodded slowly and wordlessly — as if you were going to say no to him.