JL felt the warmth of the morning sun hit his face. He blinked groggily, shifting slightly before realizing he was comfortably wrapped in a blanket. His fingers traced the fabric absentmindedly - Chih En must have tucked him in.
He turned his head and noticed a small note beside him.
"I'll get you breakfast as promised."
JL's lips curled into a soft smile at the doodled hearts.
"He actually remembered."
But hunger gnawed at him, and patience wasn't exactly his strong suit when hungry. So, he made his way downstairs to the dining area, expecting to see Chih En waiting for him.
Instead, he found a frozen group of eight standing by the stairs, all staring in one direction.
JL frowned. "What are you guys doing?"
Woongki turned slightly, his eyes still fixed ahead, and gestured dramatically. "The appetizers have been served."
JL followed their gaze and finally saw what had everyone so captivated.
Seated at one long dining table were seven strikingly handsome men - tall, elegant, and effortlessly cool. They ate their breakfast as if they were in a drama scene, completely unfazed by the crowd of awestruck juniors gaping at them.
JL recognized them immediately.
"No way."
Juwon, standing beside him, barely whispered, "I can't believe we're seeing our seniors in the same place."
Just then, a familiar voice broke JL's trance.
"You're here," Chih En greeted him with a bright smile, balancing a tray of food.
JL was about to respond when a deep, authoritative voice filled the room.
"Good morning, sleepyheads," Galee announced, striding toward the middle of the dining area.
JL and the others snapped their attention to him.
Galee smirked. "Since I see you've already noticed them - why don't we make introductions official?"
The seven men at the table casually put down their utensils. One of them, a man with sharp, cat-like eyes and an effortlessly commanding aura, leaned back in his chair, watching JL's group with mild amusement.
Galee gestured to them. "Meet the Unicorns!"
A ripple of excitement - mixed with tension - passed through JL's group.
"Joe, Eli, Nan, Ko, Yoon, Seojun, Haru, and yours truly, Galee."
The legendary Unicorns.
Before anyone could process it, Joe, their leader, stood up. His presence alone made the room feel smaller. He walked forward - straight toward JL.
The moment he stopped in front of him, he smirked.
"You're the JL."
It wasn't a question.
JL swallowed, unsure if Joe was testing him or genuinely acknowledging him. The way Joe looked at him felt like both a challenge and an evaluation.
But before JL could say anything, Chih En stepped forward, subtly placing himself between them.
Joe raised a brow, mildly amused. "Oh?"
Chih En's tone was calm, but his presence was firm. "Do you need something from JL?"
A small chuckle escaped Haru, another member of the Unicorns, as he leaned forward on his elbows. "Interesting. Protective, aren't you?"
Woongki crossed his arms, realizing Unicorns' true colors. "Can you blame him? You guys just rolled in like main characters in an action film."
Joe ignored the banter, his sharp gaze shifting past Chih En and landing on Steven.
"You," Joe said, his smirk returning. "You're Steven - the temporary leader."
The emphasis on temporary was not lost on anyone.
Joe took another step forward. "That means you don't have a group name yet, do you?"
Seojun, the more playful member of Unicorns, chuckled as he tilted his head. "How can you be a group if you don't even have a name?"
The rest of the Unicorns chuckled along, but it was more teasing than hostile.
Steven, standing in front of his group, squared his shoulders.
"They're testing us."
Finally, he spoke. "We haven't found our COLOR yet."
His voice was firm, steady.
Joe's smirk twitched slightly, almost as if he approved of the response. The Unicorns - known for their multi-colored concept - understood the double meaning behind Steven's words.
A few beats of silence passed before Joe took one more step forward, now face-to-face with Steven.
Their eyes locked.
Both of them had that fierce, slanted gaze that made it seem like sparks could ignite at any moment.
For a second, it felt like a showdown.
Then - Park Han moved.
With unexpected confidence, Park Han stepped in front of Steven, shielding him.
Steven barely had time to react, his eyes widening in shock.
Joe raised a brow, the corner of his lips twitching in amusement. "Oh?"
One by one, JL's entire group stepped forward, closing the distance.
A silent understanding passed between them.
"We may not have a name yet, but we are a team."
The Unicorns - also not ones to back down - leaned in slightly, mirroring the movement.
For a moment, the energy in the room was thick with an unspoken challenge.
Until -
"Alright, alright, ease up, boys."
Galee stepped between them, clapping his hands with a lighthearted grin. "We're on a trip, not in a survival game."
The tension broke, and a few of the Unicorns chuckled as they took a step back. Joe glanced at Steven one last time before smirking and returning to his seat.
Galee let out a dramatic sigh. "And here I was, hoping to ease you into this." He turned to the younger group and grinned. "But I guess I should just rip the bandage off."
Steven's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Galee crossed his arms. "I was given a secret mission by the National Performing Arts."
Everyone stiffened.
Galee smirked. "This trip isn't just for relaxation."
Another sigh echoed through the group - this time from Shuaibo.
"I KNEW IT."
Galee ignored him. "For the remainder of this trip, you will undergo training and team-building activities."
A chorus of groans erupted.
"Are you serious?" Juwon muttered.
"Can't we have one normal vacation?" Woongki added.
"Does team-building include drama?" Shuaibo whined.
Even JL exhaled deeply.
Galee clapped his hands once. "Come on, don't look so down. It'll be fun!"
Joe, still sitting at his table, chuckled. "It'll definitely be fun for us."
JL had a bad feeling about that.
And just like that - the trip had taken a whole new turn.