The Wedding Crashers ⚊ Park Jay [ Sequel ]

✗ twenty three ✗

⚊ chapter twenty three

The bright Hawaiian sun glared down on us as we stood on the tarmac, the private plane that would take us back to Seoul gleaming in the light. Chowon had generously arranged for the plane as a thank you, though watching the chaos unfold in front of the plane’s door, I was beginning to think we might not make it on board in one piece.

Minji and Ni-ki were at it again, trying to outdo each other as they raced towards the entrance.

"Move it, slowpoke!" Minji snapped, giving Ni-ki a playful shove.

"Not a chance! I'm getting the best seat!" Ni-ki shot back, speeding up.

Sunghoon and Jake, both clearly fed up with their antics, groaned in unison.

"Why do the crazy couples always get to go first?" Jake grumbled, throwing a look at Sunghoon.

"Seriously, singles have rights too!" Sunghoon added, his tone half-joking but tinged with genuine exasperation.

And because nothing could ever be simple with our group, Kiara and Sunoo decided to join the fray.

"Excuse us, but we're here too," Kiara said, trying to squeeze past Sunghoon and Jake, Sunoo trailing behind her with a grin.

"Hey, wait your turn!" Sunghoon protested, as the four of them somehow managed to create a tangled mess right at the plane’s door.

I couldn’t help but sigh, a smile tugging at my lips despite the ridiculousness of the situation. It was chaotic, as usual, but it was our chaos.

Beide me, Jay was his usual calm and collected self, making sure I was comfortable amidst the commotion. He reached over and gently took my hand in his, the warmth of his touch immediately calming the nerves I didn’t even realize I had.

His grip was firm yet comforting, like an anchor keeping me steady in the midst of the swirling chaos around us.

"Minji, I called dibs on boarding first!" Ni-ki protested, his voice rising over the general noise.

Minji shot him a withering look. "Dibs don’t count when you’re slower than a turtle in sand, Ni-ki."

"Slower?" Ni-ki sputtered, his eyes widening in mock offense. "I beat you at sprinting yesterday!"

"You tripped and fell on purpose just to stop me from winning," she shot back, poking him in the chest with a grin.

"That was a strategic move!" Ni-ki insisted, puffing out his chest, but his attempt to sound serious only made the rest of us laugh.

"Strategic, my foot!" Sunghoon interjected, rolling his eyes. "Singles should board first. It’s only fair since we don’t have anyone to keep us company on this long flight."

He threw an exaggerated pout in Jake’s direction, who nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," Jake chimed in, crossing his arms. "Couples get to sit together, but we have to suffer alone. We deserve first boarding rights."

"Oh, please," Kiara scoffed, stepping in front of Sunghoon. "You two wouldn’t survive five minutes without us. Just admit it, you need us to keep you entertained."

Sunoo, never one to miss an opportunity to tease, smirked and added, "Besides, Kiara and I are the most photogenic. We should get on first to document everything properly."

"Photogenic, huh?" Sunghoon raised an eyebrow. "I’ll have you know, Jake and I have been called the ‘visual couple’ of this group—without even being a couple!"

Jake nodded sagely. "True, we’ve got the looks and the charm. We deserve the first entry."

"Okay, okay," Minji cut in, waving her hands. "How about this? The couple that wins a thumb war between me and Ni-ki gets to board first. Fair?"