Wishlist [txtzy#1]

Wishlist-44(care)

Back at the villa, Jay could barely keep from laughing as he watched Taehyun grab his jacket, a storm of emotions clearly swirling behind his sharp eyes.

"Wow, I didn't think it would actually work," Jay muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed Taehyun and Jisung to the door.

Taehyun shot him a glare over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Jay shrugged, his expression infuriatingly nonchalant. "Nothing. Just that the thought of Chaeryeong surrounded by handsome strangers got you moving faster than I've seen in days."

"Jay, stop," Taehyun growled, his voice low and full of warning.

"Okay, fine, I'll stop," Jay said, raising his hands in mock surrender. Then he smirked. "But I'm just saying—if you don't make a move soon, someone else definitely will. She's stunning, and people notice that. I mean, if I wasn't your friend..."

Taehyun turned around fully this time, stepping closer to Jay, his jaw set. "Don't push it."

Jay's smirk faltered, but only slightly. "Alright, alright, message received." He glanced at Jisung. "What about you? Not feeling the heat yet?"

Jisung crossed his arms, frowning. "We're going to make sure they're safe. That's all."

Jay chuckled. "Sure, buddy. Keep telling yourself that."

Taehyun, clearly fed up, threw open the villa door and started down the path leading to the beach, his long strides fueled by a mix of irritation and something deeper—something raw that he wasn't ready to admit.

At the beach, the girls were blissfully unaware of the chaos they had unintentionally left behind.

NingNing adjusted her wide-brimmed hat, her sunglasses glinting in the sun. "This is perfect," she said, sighing contentedly. "Exactly what we needed."

Shuhua stretched out on her beach towel, her toned arms and legs catching the sunlight. "I'm almost tempted to jump in the water," she said, tilting her head toward the gentle waves. "What do you think, Chaeryeong?"

Chaeryeong was seated on the edge of the towel, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared out at the ocean. She seemed lost in thought, her mind still replaying Taehyun's words from the previous day.

"Unnie?" NingNing called, tapping her arm.

"Huh?" Chaeryeong blinked, snapping out of her reverie.

"You've been zoning out all day," NingNing said, her voice full of concern. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Chaeryeong replied quickly, forcing a smile. "I'm fine."

Shuhua exchanged a glance with NingNing but didn't press further. "Alright, but if you keep moping, we're dragging you into the water."

NingNing giggled. "Ooh, and we'll make you do a mini photoshoot while we're at it. You've got the perfect beach look today."

Chaeryeong laughed softly, grateful for their attempts to cheer her up. "You two are ridiculous."

As they continued chatting, a group of guys nearby couldn't help but notice them. One of them, tall with sandy blonde hair and a confident grin, approached. "Hey, ladies," he said smoothly. "Mind if we join you?"

NingNing and Shuhua exchanged surprised glances. Chaeryeong, however, stiffened, her smile faltering.

Meanwhile, Taehyun, Jisung, and Jay finally arrived at the beach, scanning the crowded shoreline for any sign of the girls.

"There they are," Jay said, pointing toward the trio. His expression turned smug. "Oh, look. They've already got company."

Taehyun's eyes zeroed in on the scene, his fists clenching as he saw the guy leaning a little too close to Chaeryeong.