WALK THROUGH WALLS

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE

I should've known better than to trust a group chat with twenty-four boys.

What started as a peaceful girls' getaway with my childhood friend from Kenya had turned into a full-blown boy band invasion. My carefully curated Jeju Island retreat, complete with my family's coastal cottages and a jet prepped for two, had somehow become the most exclusive, all-male escape of the year.

And the worst part?

They hijacked it on the way.

Literally.

I blinked, squinting as the sunlight flooded through the oval window of my jet. A soft snore came from the recliner behind me—Joochan, naturally. V was filming a live video. Jimin and Taemin were harmonizing softly over a beat Zico and I.M. had just cooked up mid-flight. Felix and Bambam were dueling over a game of cards, while Kino and Xion bickered over window space like toddlers.

I leaned back in my seat, phone in hand, watching the group chat explode.

SUNWOO: Minho! You should've seen me, bro. Jet life? Private suites? Lensah's got us dripping in luxury! ��
YEONJUN: Tell Son Hyun I'm not coming back. I live here now. My skin was glowing the moment we touched down.
MINHO: You guys went to Jeju without me? The reality is dawnng on me now.
SON HYUN: You didn't even invite us? Although we will be going to Thailand, but Jeju with you guys seems like the better option.
SUNWOO: Invite? Bro, we barely got in ourselves. It was supposed to be Lensah and her Kenyan friend. But you know... we upgraded the cast.
JACKSON: Speak for yourself, Sunwoo. Some of us were invited. I happen to be on Lensah's exclusive list.
DONGMYEONG: Cap. She didn't even know you were on the plane till we hit cruising altitude.

I groaned.

"Next time I'm flying solo," I muttered under my breath.

"Lies," said Woozi from the aisle seat beside me, chuckling. "You'd miss the chaos."

"Absolutely not."

"You love it," chimed in Ten, who was already barefoot and sprawled across two seats like a spoiled cat. "Besides, Jeju Island is basically my second home. You should've known I'd show up."

"I did," I admitted with a sigh. "I just didn't think you'd bring the entire K-pop male population with you."

"Technically," said Kihyun, who had somehow already set up a camera rig, "you never told us not to come."

Seungwoo leaned in from across the aisle, his grin lazy. "Besides, someone had to make sure you didn't overwork yourself. Consider this an intervention disguised as a vacation."

"And a party," added Taeyang.

"And a photoshoot," said Felix.

"And a rap battle," added Zico, raising a brow. "Heard you've been imitating me again."

I raised an eyebrow. "I am the imitation. You are the blueprint."

"Ooh," Jimin gasped dramatically.

"I taught her that," muttered Daniel with mock pride.

Cai gave me a nod from the far end. "At least tell me we'll have bonfires."

"Sure," I said dryly. "You want marshmallows with your drama?"

"Please," said Xion, tossing a pillow at Dongmyeong. "Knowing this crew, the drama will roast itself."

"Where's Jungkook?" I asked, suddenly noticing the youngest one hadn't said a word.