Three days had passed in a blur of beach visits, street food adventures, and late-night convenience store runs. Now, standing at the Seogwipo harbor with their luggage, everyone felt a thrill of excitement as they looked at the boat docked before them. Baki and Seongji stood behind them, also enjoying the scenery.
"This is so unreal," Max said, adjusting his backpack.
"I can't believe we're doing this," Derrick grinned, taking a photo of the boat.
Jenny's group was already there, waving from near the boarding area. Moon Seong stood with his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.
"You made it!" Jenny bounded over. "I was worried you'd change your minds."
"Sally's been talking about this nonstop for three days, so Baki-hyung agreed," Sujin laughed.
A crew member in a crisp white uniform approached with a clipboard. "Good morning! Are you the party of fifteen?"
"That's us," Jenny confirmed.
"Excellent. Welcome aboard the Jeju Dream. Let me go over a few things before we set sail."
The crew member—his name tag read 'Captain Lee'—explained the basic rules and safety procedures. No leaning over railings without supervision. Life jackets were located in every cabin. Meal times were flexible, but breakfast started at eight, lunch at noon, and dinner at seven. Activities would be announced throughout the day.
"Your rooms are on the second deck. We have eight cabins total, so you'll be two per room. You can sort that out amongst yourselves."
They boarded, walking up a small gangway onto the polished deck. Sally's eyes widened as she took it all in. The main deck had comfortable seating areas with cushioned benches, a small bar area, and plenty of space to walk around. Stairs led up to an upper observation deck and down to the cabin level.
"This is so much nicer than I expected," Sujin whispered.
They found their way to the second deck, which had a carpeted hallway with eight doors, four on each side. The rooms were identical—each with two single beds, a small bathroom, a porthole window, and surprisingly decent storage space.
"Okay, who's rooming with who?" Jenny asked.
Sally and Sujin automatically paired up. Warren and Vin Jin took another room without discussion. Max and Derrick claimed the third.
"We'll take this one," Jenny said, gesturing to Jaeryeong. Moon Seong paired with Joseph, and Jinho ended up with Heesu. Baki and Seongji took another cabin, while Hyesun Oh remained alone.
Once settled, they all gathered back on the main deck. The crew was preparing to depart. Sally felt the subtle vibration through the floor as the engines started.
"We're moving!" Max pointed as the harbor began to slowly drift away.
They stood at the railing, watching Seogwipo grow smaller. The water churned white behind them as the Jeju Dream picked up speed.
Captain Lee's voice came through speakers mounted around the deck. "Good morning, passengers. We're officially underway. Our first stop will be Udo Island, approximately two hours from now. Feel free to explore the boat, relax, or grab something from the breakfast buffet we've set up in the dining area."
"Breakfast buffet?" Max's ears perked up. "Why didn't he lead with that?"
The dining area was on the lower deck, a cozy space with large windows offering ocean views. A spread of food was laid out—rice, soup, grilled fish, various banchan, toast, eggs, fresh fruit, and coffee. There were many other passengers onboard. One man in particular stood out—he had a very large, imposing, muscular build and short, light-colored hair. He seemed focused on finishing all the food in the buffet by himself.
They loaded up their plates and found tables near the windows. The boat rocked gently, a soothing motion.
"This is the life," Derrick said, digging into his food. "Why don't we just live on a boat?"
"You'd get seasick within a week," Warren said dryly.
"I have an iron stomach."
"We'll see about that when we hit rougher waters."
After breakfast, they explored the rest of the boat. The upper observation deck had 360-degree views and lounge chairs. Sally immediately claimed one, lying back and closing her eyes against the sun.
"This is perfect," she sighed.
Sujin settled into the chair next to her. "No complaints here."
Warren appeared with two bottles of water, handing one to Sally without a word. She smiled at him. "Thanks."
He nodded, then leaned against the railing nearby, looking out at the endless blue.
Vin Jin and Max had discovered a small game area with a ping pong table, and soon a tournament was underway. The sounds of their competitive trash talk drifted up to the observation deck.
"Twenty bucks says Vin Jin wins," Moon Seong called out.
"You're on," Joseph replied. "Max has hidden skills."
"Max can barely hold the paddle correctly."
"Exactly. The element of surprise."
Jenny and Jaeryeong were taking photos, posing against various backgrounds. Heesu joined them, making exaggerated faces that had everyone laughing.
Time passed easily. The two hours to Udo Island felt like minutes.
"Approaching Udo Island," Captain Lee announced. "We'll be docking in approximately fifteen minutes. This is a one-hour stop. You're free to explore the island, but please be back at the boat by noon sharp."
Udo Island came into view—a small landmass with green hills, white beaches, and a few scattered buildings. As they docked, Sally could see a small village with shops and restaurants.
"Udo is famous for peanuts," Jenny said, reading from her phone. "They have peanut ice cream, peanut makgeolli, peanut everything."
"I'm trying all of it," Max declared.
They disembarked onto a small pier. The island had a relaxed, sleepy atmosphere. A few locals were working near the docks, and some tourists were renting bicycles from a nearby shop.
"Should we rent bikes?" Sujin suggested.
"We only have an hour," Warren pointed out. "Not enough time to really explore."
"Let's just walk around the village then."
They strolled down a narrow street lined with shops and cafes. Sally stopped at a small store selling peanut ice cream and bought one. It was creamy and nutty, surprisingly delicious.
"Okay, this is good," she admitted, offering Sujin a taste.
"Really good," Sujin agreed.
Vin Jin tried the peanut makgeolli despite it being barely past noon. "Not bad," he said, though his face suggested otherwise.
"You look like you're dying," Max laughed.
"It's an acquired taste."
Time passed, and they returned to the boat. They visited various places one by one, and soon it was nighttime.
Moon Seong suddenly left the group. After a while, he returned and said, "Hey, how about we visit the club?"
Warren didn't seem happy with the idea, and neither did Vin Jin. But before they could object, Jenny said, "Moon Seong, we shouldn't do that. Sally, and the others might be uncomfortable. It's only been a few days since we met."
Sally fell into thought as she listened. After a moment, she said, "It's okay, isn't it? We're all friends, so there should be no problem."
Jenny exclaimed, "Really?! Then let's do it!"
Warren seemed about to say something, but seeing Sally's happy expression, he kept quiet. Vin Jin also looked at Moon Seong with suspicion.