LOVEPHOBIA

The Confession

The next morning, as the sun lazily climbed the sky and everyone was still nestled in their dreams, Lee Yeon Woo and Park Areum sneaked down to the living room, plotting their next move to scare Ji Eun. Their whispered conversations echoed through the room.

"Any ideas, Areum?" Lee Yeon Woo leaned in, his voice barely audible. 

Every time one of them came up with a suggestion, the other would find a loophole in it. After many failures like this, Areum's brow furrowed with frustration. "Honestly, Lee, can we ever succeed in our mission to scare Ji Eun?" she said in a defeated manner.

Just then, a voice pierced the air, shattering their clandestine meeting. "Why do you want to scare Ji Eun?"

Both Lee Yeon Woo and Park Areum jumped, their faces flushed with guilt. Turning around, they saw Lee Jae Young standing there, an incredulous expression on his face.

Jae Young's tone grew stern. "Are you two really so keen on hurting her? What kind of cruel game are you playing?"

Flustered, Areum stammered out a lame excuse, "It's not what you think. Ji Eun enjoys being scared, so we thought... we thought it'd be fun, that's all."

Lee Yeon Woo chimed in, "Exactly, just harmless fun!"

Jae Young eyed them skeptically, but he eventually relented. "Alright, fine. If it's just fun, count me in. We can even ask Cha to join us; he might know some spooky spots around here as he stayed in Busan for a few years before moving to Seoul."

Lee Yeon Woo and Areum exchanged looks, realizing they now had an unexpected ally. Jae Young, with newfound enthusiasm, headed straight for Cha's room. Areum and Lee watched helplessly as their secret plot began unraveling.

Soon, Jae Young returned, brimming with excitement. "Guess what, guys? We're heading to a cave today. It's close to the beach, and it's a bit spooky. We can add some fake elements to make it even scarier. Cha's been there before, so he knows it well enough not to get lost."

Areum and Lee found this idea perfect for their mission. After all, what could be more romantic than a knight in shining armor coming to the rescue in a mysterious cave?

Later that day, as the group gathered at the beach, Jae Young pulled Lee and Cha aside for a covert strategy meeting. "Shall we kick things off?"

Lee Yeon Woo, eager to get started, agreed enthusiastically. However, Cha appeared disinterested. "Yeah, whatever, let's just get this over with."

Undeterred, Jae Young unveiled a bag filled with ominous props. "I've got all the materials for 'decorating' the cave. It would look suspicious if all of us disappear at the same time so I'll go for this while you both will stay here and wait for me. If anyone asks where I am, just say I went to the restroom. It won't take me too long and I won't get lost either, thanks to Cha for giving me a map of the cave. Let's make this a memorable scare!"

As Lee and Cha went towards the others, Ji Eun excitedly waved at her friends, asking for Jae Young's whereabouts. Lee Yeon Woo quickly fabricated a story, "He went to the restroom; he'll be back soon."

As the group enjoyed their beach day, they awaited Jae Young's return. When he finally emerged from the cave, he signaled to Lee and Cha, who were still with Areum and Ji Eun. Cha looked at Ji Eun and asked her, "Do you wanna go explore a cave today? I used to go there a lot when I lived here and it's beautiful." "Of course! I'd love to! You know I am always up for adventures, don't you?" Ji Eun said excitedly. Everyone else agreed too and they started their journey towards the cave.

Soon when they reached the cave, Ji Eun was a little spooked out by the eerie appearance of the cave but there was no going back anymore. All of them went inside the cave to look around.