Jaeyel let out a slow breath, shaking off the lingering tension from his strange encounter with CEO Yang. He needed to focus on something else—something normal.

Luckily, the perfect distraction had come up.

Their team was scheduled for a trip to Busan—a short getaway for the members and staff to relax before their next promotions. Jaeyel had been looking forward to it all week.

He could already picture it—the fresh air, the ocean breeze, the laughter of his members as they messed around on the beach. They’d stay up late, eat way too much street food, and for once, he wouldn’t have to think about schedules, practice, or anything remotely stressful.

He smiled to himself, eyes gleaming with excitement as he imagined the whole trip unfolding perfectly.

This was exactly what he needed.

Or so he thought.

Because the next second, his daydreams shattered as the scene abruptly shifted—

To him, sitting stiffly in the passenger seat of a sleek, black luxury car.

CEO Yang’s car.

His excited expression was completely wiped off his face, replaced with pure disbelief.

What the hell happened?

He swallowed, sneaking a glance at Yang, who was calmly driving like this was the most normal situation in the world.

Jaeyel, on the other hand, was screaming internally.

---

Backstory.

The night before, he had been too excited to sleep, triple-checking his packed bag, picturing all the fun they were going to have.

That was, until he overslept.

Jaeyel jolted awake to the sound of multiple missed calls. His heart sank. When he checked the time, he nearly fell off the bed.

They left without him. How dare they…

Panic set in as he scrambled to get ready, shoving his things into his bag at lightning speed. Just as he was about to rush out of the dorm, a staff member called.

“Jaeyel, calm down. We arranged something for you.”

“What? How am I supposed to—”

“The CEO is also headed to Busan for a meeting. He offered to give you a ride.”

Jaeyel froze. “…What?”

“He’s already waiting for you downstairs. Hurry up.”

Jaeyel walked to the window to check if the CEO was really there. He parted the curtain slightly and flinched—he really was there.

Without hesitation, he rushed to get ready but suddenly stopped as a thought crossed his mind.

The way CEO Yang stood downstairs felt familiar.

But then he tilt his head and quickly brushed it off—he was in a hurry.

---

And that was how he ended up here.

In the passenger seat of CEO Yang’s sleek, expensive car.

The air inside was thick with silence. Jaeyel shifted uncomfortably, sneaking a glance at Yang, who looked completely unbothered as he drove. His sharp features remained unreadable, his posture relaxed.

Jaeyel, on the other hand, was everything but relaxed.

Why did it have to be him?

Why couldn’t they have just sent another manager? A taxi? A freaking bus?

He cleared his throat, trying to break the silence. “Uh… sorry for the trouble.”

Yang didn’t look away from the road. “It’s not a problem.”

That was it. No irritation, no small talk, just a cold, matter-of-fact response.

Jaeyel sank deeper into his seat, internally groaning.

This was going to be a long ride.