The café buzzed with the usual mix of chatter and the rich smell of coffee, but at one corner table, the atmosphere was anything but light. Karina, Danny, and Winter sat close together, voices low, their expressions serious, though a hint of mischief lingered in Karina's smirk.
Karina leaned back in her chair, swirling her iced coffee lazily. "Here's the plan," she said, voice smooth and confident. "We don't need to ruin the whole project. Just enough to make Ara look bad in front of everyone."
Danny snorted, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Shouldn't be hard. She's already halfway there."
Winter smirked, tapping his nails against the table. "Exactly. One little push, and she'll fall apart."
Across from them, Yeri frowned, her arms crossed. "Wait. What exactly are you planning? Because if this is another one of your humiliation schemes, I'm out."
Hendery, sitting beside her, nodded. "Yeah. I'm not part of this either. We're supposed to work together, not get revenge on someone."
Karina rolled her eyes, waving off their concerns. "Oh, come on. It's not that serious. Just a little fun. Just enough to remind her where she belongs."
Danny tilted his head toward Ningning's usual seat, empty at another café across town. "And maybe we throw in something for Ningning too. She needs to stop acting like she's better than everyone else."
Winter chuckled darkly. "Especially since she's friends with Ara now. Seriously, what is that? Talk about a downgrade."
Yeri shook her head, voice calm but firm. "Or maybe Ningning just grew up. She's confident, strong. Acting like this is petty."
Karina's smirk faded, her eyes narrowing at Yeri. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Yeri didn't flinch. "It means you're acting like middle schoolers. Trying to tear someone down just makes you look insecure."
For a moment, the table went quiet. Danny's pen, which he'd been spinning idly, stopped. Hendery watched Karina closely, waiting for her reaction.
Karina's voice dropped, sharp and cold. "If you don't want to be part of this, fine. But don't sit here pretending you're better than me, Yeri."
Hendery held his hands up. "Whoa, chill. No one's saying that."
Yeri stayed firm. "Actually, I kind of am. I'm not ruining someone else's project because of your grudge."
Winter rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic. We're not actually hurting anyone."
Hendery leaned forward, voice tense. "Not hurting anyone? Have you noticed how quiet Ara's been lately? And Ningning doesn't even try to hide that she hates Danny. Why make it worse?"
Danny scowled. "Maybe Ningning wouldn't hate me if she wasn't such a stuck-up..."
"Don't. Just don't," Hendery cut him off before he could finish.
Karina flipped her hair, shaking off the tension. "Fine. If you two want out, go ahead. But don't complain when the rest of us make this project unforgettable." Her smirk returned, sharper than before.
Yeri stood abruptly, grabbing her bag. "Do whatever you want, Karina. Just leave me out of it." She gave one last disapproving look, then walked away.
Hendery hesitated, glancing between Karina and the door. After a moment, he sighed and followed Yeri.
That left Karina, Danny, and Winter at the table. For a brief moment, silence hung over them. Then Karina leaned forward, a slow grin spreading across her face.
"Alright," she said, voice low but full of excitement. "Less dead weight. Now, let's make Ara and her friends regret ever thinking they could compete with us."
Danny cracked his knuckles, grinning. "I'm in."
Winter matched Karina's grin. "Let's do it."
They huddled closer, whispering and sketching out ideas on napkins. Every detail was planned—subtle things to mess with Ara, little moments to make her look unsure, small jabs that could hurt her confidence.
Karina's eyes gleamed as she added the final touches. "Just enough to shake her up. We're not going to ruin her completely... just enough to make her sweat."
Danny leaned back, satisfied. "This is going to be fun. Watching them freak out is the best part."
Winter nodded, tapping his fingers on the table. "And if anyone tries to stop us, we'll adjust. Easy."
The café's warm hum continued around them, oblivious to the tension brewing in their corner. Outside, people sipped coffee, chatted, and worked on laptops, while inside, a quiet storm was forming.
Karina's grin never left her face. "The game has just begun," she whispered.
Danny and Winter echoed her silently, a shared excitement sparking between them. They leaned back, eyes gleaming with mischief, already imagining Ara's reaction when their little plan started to unfold.
And in that moment, they were unstoppable, convinced that their scheme would go exactly as they imagined.
