EX-istential Crisis

Chapter 22: The Starting Point

Nelly jolted awake to the shrill sound of his alarm clock, groaning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Today was the day he decided to focus on himself—no more moping around or dwelling on the past. He needed a solid start. Glancing at his friends sprawled across the room, he sighed, realizing he needed someone to help him kick off this new chapter.

After a few failed attempts to rouse them with gentle nudges, he had an idea. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he reached for his newly invented "Wake Up" Grenade. He took a deep breath and tossed it into the room before quickly closing the door behind him.

A deafening explosion of confetti and a loud air horn erupted from inside, followed by a chorus of panicked screams. Nelly leaned against the door, a calm smile on his face as he listened to the chaos unfold.

As the door swung open, he greeted them with a nonchalant, "Good morning!"

Dan, still wide-eyed and disheveled, glared at him. "Wtf was that?"

Nelly shrugged, feigning innocence. "I don't know. You guys just screamed unexpectedly. Anyway... breakfast, dawg?"

The group groggily made their way downstairs, where the enticing aroma of breakfast wafted through the air. Mrs. Gina was already busy in the kitchen, flipping pancakes while the twin angels, Aiko and Arisu, devoured their food with gleeful chatter.

"Where are the girls?" Nelly asked, scanning the dining area.

"They already ate earlier than you," Mrs. Gina replied, glancing over her shoulder. "They said they're scheming something."

A chill ran down Nelly's spine. He had a bad feeling about this. As he took a seat, he noticed all the guys suddenly received a beep notification on their phones. They exchanged sly glances, grins creeping onto their faces as Nelly remained blissfully unaware.

"Wait, guys, you eat first," Shin said, standing up. "I'm gonna go somewhere real quick."

A few minutes later, Shin returned, and a random guy followed him inside. The newcomer cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered. "Can I ask for help, guys?"

Nelly perked up. "Sure sir, is there anything we can do to help you?"

The guy explained that he was part of a commercial team filming a wedding for a brand. Dan exchanged knowing looks with Shin, and they nodded. "Oh, Nelly can help you with that!" Dan said, a grin forming.

Nelly raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, I mean, I don't mind. So, I'll be the priest?"

The guy's smile widened, and he shook his head. "No."

"Wait, what?!" Nelly protested as the guy grabbed him, pulling him towards the door.

"You're the groom!" the man announced, dragging Nelly along.

Laughter erupted from the homies. Ryan chimed in, "Aight, it's time for our part too, right?"

"Yeah, it's time to make this trip memorable," Ein added, already planning their antics.

Nelly found himself dragged into a fitting room by a swarm of crew members, their hands tugging and adjusting as they fitted him into a sleek black groom's suit. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he realized he'd agreed to help without even asking what the favor was.

Minutes later, he stepped out, feeling both sharp and incredibly stressed. To his surprise, his homies—Shin, Dan, Ryan, Beru, Amadeus, Hiroto, Eremiya and Neisan—were all dressed in identical suits. Nelly couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight.

Shin gave him a smirk. "Go ahead, laugh now, homie. We'll be laughing at you soon enough."

Nelly raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?"