Mission, Mysteries, and Friendship

"Hey there! How are you doing today?" Jaebin entered the coffee shop with a wide grin on his face, embracing his best friend warmly.

Daehyun replied with a hint of arrogance, "Looking handsome as always."

Daehyun possessed a well-built physique, was attractive, wore glasses, and constantly had a delightful smile adorning his face. He had a certain charm that made girls feel secure around him.

He turned towards Jaena and said, "Hello, sweetie!"

Jaena, annoyed, snapped back, "Keep quiet! I hate those nicknames of yours. They always make me cringe!"

As her boyfriend approached to hug her, she pulled away, clearly upset.

Innocently, he asked, "Are you still mad at me?" Jaena ignored him and took a seat.

Minho asked, "What did you want to tell us?"

Daehyun exclaimed excitedly, "Our favorite thing!"

Jaena grinned widely upon hearing the mention of their favorite activity and responded, "Oh, please share the details. I can't wait to go."

Witnessing Jaena's sudden change in behavior, as if she hadn't rejected his hug earlier, Daehyun's eyes rolled.

Daehyun, leaning closer to the group sitting around the table, started with suspense in a low voice, capturing their eager attention, "Yes, but this time it's not an asylum, abandoned hospital, or haunted house."

Everyone focused intently on him, fully engaged in what he had to say.

"Oh, God! Man, the suspense is killing me. Just spill it already," Minho exclaimed.

Finally, Daehyun dropped a bombshell, "A forest. Bu-,"

Jaena excitedly interrupted his sentence, exclaiming, "Wow, honey, you're the best!" as she clapped and jumped.

"Calm down!" He pushed her away when she tried to hug him, saying, "Your nicknames always make me cringe."

Jaena was taken aback by his response, experiencing a taste of karma.

Having seen this scenario play out before, Minho burst into laughter, while Jaebin let out a small sigh, exhausted with this couple's antics.

They had been friends since childhood, growing up together.

Only Jaena and Daehyun truly understood each other; they were both perpetually distressed individuals with lighthearted demeanors.

They would argue one day and act as if nothing had happened the next.

All of their friends were a year younger than Daehyun. After completing his education, Daehyun had taken on the role of manager in his father's business.

He despised his job, as his true passion lay elsewhere.

Everyone was excited about what he had just shared, except for Jaebin, who had grown tired of being disappointed every time they visited such places, finding nothing.

"No, I'm not interested," Jaebin firmly stated.

"Why?" Everyone gasped in amazement, begging him to reconsider.

"Are you sure? Is this news accurate?" Jaebin pressed further.

"Yes, yes! Absolutely!" Daehyun asserted himself confidently. "And I haven't even told you the most important part."

Speaking in a low voice, making sure only his friends could hear him, Daehyun continued, "The forest I'm talking about is in Jeju Island, not in our city."

"What! Do we really have to go that far?" Jaena leaned back in her chair, expressing her disappointment.

"Jaena, it's still in South Korea, not another country," Minho remarked with an irritated expression, taking a sip of his cold coffee.

"But will our parents allow us to go there alone?" Minho questioned as the reality sank in.

"We're old enough," Daehyun replied, annoyed, with a straight face. "Just take a look at this website and the image," he added.

He presented his laptop, displaying the open blog, to them. Scrolling down, he showed them the hiker's photos, including one of Maya's back.

Everyone's jaw dropped upon seeing that picture. The image sent shivers down their spines, as Maya appeared ethereal, like a magical being.

A debate ensued among the group regarding the authenticity of the photo, but Jaebin was lost in his own world, studying the pictures carefully as if he were forging a connection.

"Bro! Jaebin! Bro-," Jaena called out her brother's name, only to realize that he seemed oblivious to her.

Startled, Jaebin snapped out of his thoughts at his sister's scream.

"Oh! Uh, what happened?" He exclaimed, bewildered.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Minho inquired.

Trying to mask his awkwardness, Jaebin hastily responded without thinking, "Oh! Yes, of course."

Jaena felt a strange sensation, but she brushed it off.

They all shared a common interest in exploration and had a fascination with mystical creatures such as witches, ghosts, fairies, and goblins.

Their mutual love for ghost stories brought together the twin siblings and their friends. Whenever they heard about a haunted location, they eagerly went there to investigate.

However, despite visiting numerous places, they had never encountered anything other than humans and animals.

Impatiently, Minho asked, "When did we decide to go?"

While researching the details of a particular forest, Daehyun replied, "We haven't made a decision yet, and we still need to ask our parents for permission."

Jaena wondered, "What if it's all fake? What if we go there and find nothing?"

Although Jaena's suspicion was merely an assumption, Jaebin felt a sense of unease in his heart upon hearing her words, although he couldn't explain why.

He said, "No! While I acknowledge that it could be Photoshopped, my gut feeling tells me it's real. I don't know why, but I just have a hunch."

Daehyun concluded, "Alright, let's trust our instincts and go on the Jeju Island mission."

They approached their parents and requested a trip to Jeju Island, which their parents readily granted. Some parents wanted their kids to enjoy life, while others simply didn't mind.

All of them came from affluent families. Daehyun's father was the CEO of a construction company, and the twin's father was wealthy despite being unemployed, having previously been a director at a major company.

Minho's father held a high position in the city, and both of his parents were involved in politics.

Since their children had grown up together, the parents knew each other, although their relationships hadn't always been pleasant.

With permission secured from their parents, the friends began making plans for their journey to the haunted forest.

Jaena suggested inviting Seola to join them, as she started preparing her things, eager to travel with her friend.

Minho objected to the idea, finding Seola strange and considering her uninterested in their company.

"No! She finds us bothersome and thinks we're boring," Minho claimed, rejecting Jaena's suggestion outright.

"I'm okay with having her on this journey. She's skilled in archery and can protect us if we encounter any trouble," Daehyun agreed, shaking his head in agreement.

Jaebin added, "I'm fine with it too."

"NO! NO!" Minho continued to protest.

As he voiced his disapproval, the others gathered their belongings, seemingly oblivious to his objections.

Angry and frustrated, Minho yelled, "Don't you guys remember how she slapped me that day and humiliated me in front of the whole school?"

Jaena chuckled, "Well, it's your fault."

Embarrassed, Minho threw a pillow at Jaena. "I can't stand you!"

He scolded her, saying, "If you want to bring her along, I won't go with you. I'm not even your friend anymore. Goodbye forever!"

In a dramatic fashion, Minho dramatically flung himself onto the bed, expressing his anger.

The others rolled their eyes upon hearing his exaggerated sobbing.

"It's okay if you don't want to come; we understand. We'll just invite her, and I'll ask if she's available this weekend," Jaena playfully poked Minho's back with her finger and continued.

In the end, Minho had no choice but to accompany them and Seola on the journey.

He pretended throughout the airport that Seola wasn't there, deliberately ignoring her.

Seola reciprocated, appearing as if she was alone or only with Jaena, Jaebin, and Daehyun.