The bus rumbles under us as we make our way to the beach, and Yuna's practically vibrating in her seat. She's been hyped about this trip for weeks, and it's honestly a little terrifying how much she's prepared. Her bag is bursting at the seams, and she's been hiding something under her jacket since we left.
I glance over at her, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, spill. What's in the bag?"
Yuna grins mischievously. "You're not ready for this." She leans in, pulling a sparkly headband from her bag. "I brought props."
"Props?" I squint at the glittery headpiece she's holding. "What are we, in a drama club now?"
She laughs. "No, idiot. For the trip! Imagine the photos we will be taking. We're gonna have the best Instagram stories. Everyone else will just be posting boring beach pics, and then there's us—with fireworks."
I blink. "Fireworks?"
"Yep," she says, popping the "p" and pulling a small box out of her bag. "I thought, 'What's a school trip without a grand finale?' So, I got us some fireworks for the last night."
I stare at the box in horror. "Yuna, please tell me those aren't illegal."
She shrugs like it's no big deal. "They're just sparklers and stuff. Totally harmless. Mostly."
"Mostly? That's not comforting."
"It'll be fine! We'll set them off at the beach. No one will even notice." She grins, clearly proud of her plan. I can't help but laugh because, of course, Yuna would come up with this kind of chaos.
"Just promise me you won't blow up the beach."
"No promises," she says with a wink.
The bus jostles a little as it hits a bump, and I glance out the window. The sun's barely peeking through the clouds, but you can tell it's gonna be a perfect day. The coastline is still a way off, but I can already feel the sea breeze in the air. I can't wait to hit the water, but I'm more worried about what Yuna's got in store for this trip.
She's already plotting something; I just know it.
A loud thud shakes the bus, and I turn around to see that someone's bag has fallen into the aisle. A bunch of snacks spill out, and everyone starts laughing as one of the guys tries to collect everything while the bus driver yells at him to sit down.
A loud thud shakes the bus, and I turn around to see that someone's bag has fallen into the aisle. A bunch of snacks spill out, and everyone starts laughing as one of the guys tries to collect everything while the bus driver yells at him to sit down.
But then, something changes.
The laughter dies down, and the bus falls into an eerie silence. Everyone's eyes lock onto the scattered snacks—bags of chips, cookies, and even a pack of those fancy seaweed snacks. It's like watching a pack of wolves stare down their prey.
A guy from the back yells, "Dibs on the chips!" and just like that, chaos erupts.
Bodies launch into the aisle as if someone had thrown a grenade. People are diving across seats, scrambling for the snacks like their lives depend on it. Arms flail, legs kick, and I swear I see a kid performing some kind of Olympic-level leap over a seat.
"No way, those are mine!" one girl shrieks as she grabs a bag of cookies, clutching them to her chest like they're her firstborn child.
"Back off, dude, I called dibs!" another guy argues, grabbing a bag of chips with the intensity of someone defusing a bomb.
And then there's Yuna.
She stands up slowly, her face serious. I can see the gears turning in her head, like she's calculating every move. Without saying a word, she tightens her headband—the one with sparkles—and cracks her knuckles.
"Oh no," I whisper. "Yuna, don't do it."
But she doesn't listen. She never listens.
In one swift motion, she lunges into the fray, diving between two students who are locked in a fierce tug-of-war over a pack of Pocky. Yuna moves like a ninja, dodging flailing arms and kicking feet with the grace of a trained fighter. It's like I'm watching some sort of weird martial arts film, except the stakes are a bag of chips and not some ancient relic.
"Yuna Tactics, engage!" she shouts, her eyes glinting with a mix of mischief and determination.
She sweeps low, swiping a bag of shrimp crackers from under someone's nose before spinning and kicking a bag of gummies into the air, catching it mid-flip. The bus explodes in gasps as Yuna somehow manages to grab three different snacks in one move, her hands moving so fast they're practically a blur.
"Is she—?" someone mutters in awe.
"Yeah," I say, stunned. "She's winning."
Yuna sidesteps another desperate student, who's reaching out for a bag of chocolate pretzels, and does a dramatic backflip (okay, maybe it was just a jump, but whatever) into an empty seat. She lands, arms full of snacks, and shoots everyone a triumphant grin.
"Yuna's got this in the bag—literally," she announces, shaking the stolen snacks like trophies. "Anyone wanna challenge me?"
No one dares.
The aisle is littered with defeated students, panting and clutching whatever crumbs they managed to grab in the chaos. Yuna sits down casually, crossing her legs as if she didn't just wreck half the bus with her ridiculous snack-stealing skills.
She hands me a bag of chips, smirking. "Told you. Yuna Tactics."
I can't even respond. I'm too busy laughing at the absurdity of what just happened. Leave it to Yuna to turn a simple snack situation into a full-blown action sequence.
"Yuna," I say, shaking my head, "you're insane."
"Insanely good," she says, popping a chip into her mouth with a wink.
The bus driver, still shouting in the background about the chaos, seems irrelevant now. All that matters is that somehow, against all odds, Yuna came out victorious in the Battle of the Bus Snacks.
The vibe on the bus is wild—people are either already half-dead or going crazy with excitement.
I try to relax, but the pit in my stomach grows when I catch a glimpse of Kang Joon-Soo sitting a few rows ahead. He's leaning against the window, earbuds in, looking completely unbothered by the chaos around him. Figures. He never seems rattled by anything.
Yuna notices where I'm looking and pokes me. "Staring at your man again?"
I roll my eyes. "Can you not?"
She snickers. "I'm just saying. You two have been suspiciously close lately."
"There's nothing going on!" I insist, trying to keep my voice down, but Yuna's grinning like she knows something I don't.
"Well, it looks like something. You're just lucky we're on this trip. Maybe the fireworks will light up more than just the sky, huh?"
"Yuna, I swear—"
"Relax!" She waves me off, grabbing another prop from her bag—a pair of ridiculous sunglasses with star-shaped lenses. "Let's just focus on having fun. You, me, the other two girls assigned to our room and the perfect beach trip. Joon-Soo's just a bonus."
I sigh, leaning back into my seat. There's no winning with Yuna when she's in this mood. At least the beach is a solid distraction. Hopefully, I'll survive this trip without too much drama. But knowing Yuna, that's probably wishful thinking.
As the bus finally settles into a chaotic but contented hum, I lean back in my seat, still half-watching Yuna as she munches away on her spoils of war. I'm not even mad—just impressed, honestly. Only Yuna could turn a snack scramble into some kind of competitive sport.
"What's next, Yuna?" I ask, pretending to be serious. "You planning on starting a revolution when we get to the beach?"
She taps her chin thoughtfully, eyes gleaming with mock innocence. "Hmm, well, the school trip has just begun... Plenty of time for new strategies."
I shake my head, trying to suppress a grin. "Please don't."
"Oh, Aerum," she says, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "We've only scratched the surface of the Yuna Tactics playbook. Just wait until you see what I've got planned for the bonfire."
I groan internally. Of course, Yuna would already have schemes for the bonfire. But honestly, I'm kinda excited to see what she does next. This school trip's bound to be anything but boring.
The bus rolls on, and the distant sparkle of the ocean finally comes into view. For a moment, everything quiets down as people notice the shimmering water just ahead. We're almost there—the sun, sand, and whatever wild ride Yuna has in store for us are just minutes away.
With a deep breath, I look at Yuna, whose face is already glowing with anticipation. Whatever happens next, it's going to be memorable. And probably ridiculous.
But hey, that's how Yuna rolls. And, to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Chap 7 end