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THREE HOURS HAD ROLLED BY, and the car's atmosphere grew subdued again. The winding roads and the soft hum of the engine lulled some into sleep. Yoon, sandwiched between y/n and Kwon, had succumbed to drowsiness. His head lolled slightly, mouth wide open, drool slipping from the corner as Blackpink blared through his AirPods. The faint beat was audible even to the others, and the girl stole a glance at him, shaking her head with a mix of amusement and second-hand embarrassment.

Phones weren't typically allowed during training trips, but Kim had made an exception for Yoon. He was her favorite, after all—responsible, disciplined, and, until this moment, utterly composed. y/n figured even the most zen among them had their quirks. Meanwhile, she had taken to reading, her head bowed over the pages of a well-worn book she'd smuggled into her backpack.

Kwon, sprawled lazily in his seat, was restless. He tilted his head, watching her from the corner of his eye. The way she was so completely absorbed in those pages annoyed him. Or maybe it intrigued him—he couldn't quite decide. Either way, he couldn't let her have this moment of peace.

"You know," he began casually, his voice cutting through the quiet like an arrow, "you're going to give yourself motion sickness reading like that."

Y/n sighed deeply, her grip on the book tightening as she reluctantly looked up at him. "I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, might die of boredom at this rate."

"Boredom's a slow death," he quipped, leaning closer to peer at her book's cover. "What are you even reading? Something cheesy, I bet."

"Something intellectual," she shot back, holding the book closer to her chest to shield it from his prying eyes.

"Define intellectual," Kwon pressed, smirking. "Because I have a strong feeling it's a rom-com pretending to be literature."

Y/n narrowed her eyes but couldn't help the slight tug of a smile at the corner of her lips. "What do you want, Kwon? If you're so bored, stare out the window and count trees or something."

"What's so fascinating about it?" he asked instead, feigning disinterest but speaking just loud enough to break her focus.

Y/n sighed, not bothering to look up. "Not now, Kwon."

"But I'm bored," he whined, dragging out the word dramatically. "And you've been reading that thing like it's going to disappear."

"Maybe because it's actually good?" she replied, flipping a page pointedly.

Kwon leaned closer, pouting mockingly. "Good enough to make you forget about me?"

"Oh, trust me," y/n said, finally looking at him with a deadpan expression, "your presence is hard to miss. It's like sitting next to a loud mosquito."

"Harsh," Kwon muttered, holding his chest in satirical offense. "You wound me, y/n/n."

She rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the book. "Come on, dude. Go back to counting the clouds or whatever."

Kwon huffed, leaning back. For a moment, it seemed he'd let it go. Then his smirk returned. "You know what would make this trip less boring?"

"No, and I don't want to know," she said quickly, turning another page.

He ignored her. "You should ask Sensei to play some music."

Y/n froze, lowering her book slightly to glare at him. "Do I look stupid to you? I'm not asking Kim for anything."

"Why not?" Kwon shrugged. "You're new to all this. She'll probably think it's charming. You'll be the hero who saves us from dying of boredom."

Her skepticism deepened, but she faltered slightly. "You're not just trying to get me killed, right?"

"Would I ever do that?" he asked, his grin widening.

"Yes."

"That's fair," Kwon admitted, laughing softly. "But seriously, it'll be fine. Sensei respects confidence."

"Confidence?" she echoed, narrowing her eyes. "You just don't want to do it yourself."

"Guilty as charged," he said smoothly. "But hey, first trip and all. It's basically your rite of passage."

Y/n hesitated, glancing toward the front of the car where Kim sat, her posture rigid and alert. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely," Kwon said, though his tone made it clear he was anything but.

Taking a deep breath, the girl closed her book and called out, "Sensei?"

Everyone in the vehicle seemed to wake up at once. Lee dropped his pen and notepad, his eyes wide with horror. "No, no, no, don't do it!"

Park stirred, his grip tightening on Da-eun's braid as he mumbled groggily, "What's going on?"

Even Yoon jolted awake, blinking groggily as Blackpink continued to play in his ears. "What did I miss?"

"Y/n, don't—" Lee began, his voice a frantic whisper.

But it was too late.

Kim glanced briefly at the rearview mirror, her sharp eyes locking onto the girl's. "Yes?" she asked coolly.

"I was wondering..." y/n hesitated, feeling every pair of eyes in the car drilling into her. "Could we maybe... play some music?"

A heavy silence followed, and Kwon had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Lee sank into his seat, muttering, "We're doomed."

Kwon, meanwhile, tried and failed to stifle a laugh, his shoulders shaking as he watched the unfolding chaos.

Kim's expression shifted into a rare smile—small, but undeniably pleased. "Music. An excellent idea, y/n. Very well."

"Wait—" Lee began, but he was cut off as Kim adjusted the controls on the dashboard.

The car's speakers came alive—not with music, but with the deep, guttural narration of a war audiobook. The voice was commanding, rattling off tactics in traditional Korean with a ferocity that made the windows tremble.

The voice was deep and intense, delivering lines with a ferocity that made everyone sit up straight. It was like listening to Sun Tzu's Art of War on steroids, especially with the unsynchronized banging of the drums and blaring of war horns in the background that made even the vehicle tremble.

"This," Kim announced, her voice laced with pride, "is required listening. The Battle of Myeongnyang is a masterpiece of strategy, discipline, and sacrifice. This volume captures its essence brilliantly."

Y/n's face twisted in horror as the audiobook narrator began yelling frantically, in gruesome detail, the preparation of warships for battle, which she only half-understood.

Kwon was clutching his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "You really did it. You actually did it!"

"I hate you!" y/n hissed, sinking into her seat as the war narration grew even louder.

Lee covered his ears, groaning. "This is not the vibe I was going for!"

Park looked utterly bewildered, still clutching Da-eun's braid like it was his last lifeline. "What... what is happening?"

"Art," Kim replied without missing a beat. "Listen closely. The strategist's use of deception to outmaneuver a larger fleet is unparalleled. It is truly inspiring."

The narrator's tone grew darker, recounting the psychotic details of naval preparations and psychological warfare. 

Y/n shrank into her seat as Lee glared at her. "This is your fault."

"How was I supposed to know this was her idea of music?" she hissed back.

Kwon, still grinning, whispered, "Worth it."

The audiobook continued, the narrator's voice growing increasingly dramatic. Yoon groaned, pulling his hood over his head. "I woke up for this?"

Park clung tighter to Da-eun's braid. "Make it stop."

But Kim was oblivious to the chaos, fully immersed in the narration. "The decision to fight in the strait was genius," she said, almost wistfully. "Truly a lesson in how the weak can overcome the strong." 

As the car rumbled on, filled with the chaotic mix of groans, shrieks, and war strategies, y/n silently vowed to never take Kwon's dares again.

"You're welcome... princess."

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