BRRRING! BRRRING!
The alarm went off at four-thirty. Sally groaned and grabbed her phone in the dark. Beside her, Sujin pulled a pillow over her head.
"Five more minutes," Sujin mumbled.
"Everyone's waiting," Sally said. She forced herself to sit up. Her body felt like it was made of lead.
"I changed my mind," Sujin said into the pillow. "Sunrises are overrated."
Sally turned on the bedside lamp. They both flinched at the light. "We already told Jenny we'd come."
Sujin sat up slowly, her hair pointing in three different directions. "Fine," she said.
They pulled on leggings, t-shirts, and light jackets and headed out. Sally texted the group chat on the way to the lobby.
Derrick replied right away: "Already up."
Warren sent: "Obviously."
Max sent a selfie of himself half-asleep with the caption: "Why did I agree to this?"
Then Warren posted a short video of Vin Jin snoring loudly in the background.
They met in the lobby fifteen minutes later. Everyone looked tired, especially Vin Jin, who had dark circles under his eyes and said nothing to anyone. Baki and Seongji stayed behind at the hotel.
Jenny's group was already waiting near Seongsan Ilchulbong when they arrived, standing by their van. Jenny waved with full energy.
"Good morning!" she called out.
Sujin stared at her. "How are you this awake?"
"I went to bed at eight last night," Jenny said proudly.
Moon Seong yawned next to her. "She made all of us do the same. I'm a night owl. It was painful."
"Same," Max said flatly.
They started up the trail. The wooden steps were well-maintained but steep. Everyone used their phone flashlights to see the path. Other tourists moved up alongside them in the dark, all heading the same direction.
After ten minutes, Max was already panting. "How much longer?"
"We just started," Derrick said.
"I know, but my legs already hurt."
Warren and Vin Jin were at the front, climbing steadily without breaking a sweat. Neither of them said anything to the other. They just kept pace, each one unwilling to fall behind.
Sally and Sujin walked in the middle of the group with Jenny and Jaeryeong. Heesu drifted between clusters of people, talking to whoever was nearby.
Jenny looked over at Sally. "So what do you guys do? Are you in school?"
"Yeah," Sally said.
"High school?"
"Next year," Sujin answered.
Jenny smiled. "You're younger than I thought. Most of us are second years. Except Joseph and Jinho, they're first years."
They kept climbing. The air was cool and clean. Higher up, the sky had shifted from black to deep blue. A faint glow was building at the horizon.
Moon Seong called from ahead. "Almost there."
They pushed through the last stretch and reached the summit. The crater was wide and open, with viewing areas along the edges. Dozens of people were already gathered, cameras raised.
"Let's get a good spot," Jenny said, already moving.
They found a clear stretch along the railing. The sky ahead was dark blue bleeding into purple and then pink where it met the ocean. The water stretched out flat and wide.
"It's starting," Jaeryeong said quietly.
No one answered. They all watched. A thin line of orange appeared at the edge of the sea and grew steadily brighter. Then the sun pushed above the horizon, a burning arc that turned the water gold across its whole surface.
Sally held her breath. The view hit her somewhere deep and she stood very still.
Warren never looked at the sunrise. His eyes stayed on Sally. He watched her face and smiled to himself.
Sujin let out a slow breath. "Wow." Vin Jin stood beside her and actually looked at ease for once. He would never have come on his own, but watching Sujin like this made it hard to regret it.
Nearby, Max had his phone up, recording. "This is insane," he said.
Derrick glanced at him. "Worth waking up at four-thirty for?"
Max kept filming. "Yeah. Definitely."
A few feet away, Moon Seong stood at the railing with his arms crossed. His phone buzzed and he stepped back from the group to take the call. He kept his voice low, but it carried. "Yes, boss. We're with them now. Should we tell them today or wait a little longer?" A pause. "Understood. No complications expected, boss. They're all orphans, so the risk of outside interference is minimal."
He ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket.
The hike down was easier but still wore everyone out. By the time they reached the bottom, the only thing anyone wanted was food.
They found a place nearby and sat down. The table was loud and warm. Jenny was already talking before the menus arrived.
"Have you guys heard about the Jeju Dream cruise?" she said, leaning forward. "It goes around the island. Three days, two nights. Stops at places you can't reach by car."
Sally looked up. "A cruise?"
"More like a yacht-style boat. Rooms, food, activities. My cousin did it last year and said it was the best thing she'd ever done."
Sujin set her menu down. "That sounds really fun."
"We should look into it," Max said.
Warren nodded slowly. "Could be worth it."
"I'll send you the link right now," Jenny said, already on her phone.
They spent the next twenty minutes reading through the details. The boat was called Jeju Dream. Three-day trips around the island with stops at Udo Island, hidden beaches, snorkeling spots, and a marine cave only reachable by water. Meals included, with fishing, kayaking, and evening barbecues on the deck.
"This looks perfect," Sally said.
Moon Seong looked up from his phone. "The next available trip is in three days. We'd have to book soon."