It was early September, and the warm promise of a cruise to Thailand had you feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. You were here to celebrate Ju-won’s 21st birthday, joining him along with Seungmin, Hyunjin, Sung-bin, Won-sik, and Jeong-in. Of course, Seong-ja and Da-eun, two of your closest friends, were part of the group too. Nine of you in total, set for an adventure on the open seas. The plan was simple: split into three groups since one room couldn’t fit everyone. Ju-won, always the life of the party, chose to bunk with Sung-bin and Won-sik in Room 102. Da-eun, much to her reluctance, ended up sharing Room 103 with Seungmin and Seong-ja. As for you, you found yourself in Room 104, sharing the space with Hyunjin and Jeong-in.

You had only known Jeong-in for two weeks, having been introduced by Ju-won. He was quiet, almost shy around new people, though you had seen glimpses of his energy when surrounded by familiar faces. He was a puzzle of sorts—reserved yet full of life, depending on the company. Now, though, he sat silently on the edge of the bed, staring down at his phone as if it held the secrets to the universe. Maybe he was fiddling with the settings, or maybe he was just as unsure as you were about starting a conversation. Hyunjin lay sprawled on the couch, lazily flipping through his phone, occasionally glancing at the TV, which played some random show in the background.

The silence in the room was thick, not exactly uncomfortable but heavy enough to make you feel like something needed to be said. You shifted by the window, watching the waves crash against the ship as the world outside moved by. The view was breathtaking, but your thoughts were elsewhere. You wanted to break the silence, to say something, anything, but the words didn’t come. How do you start a conversation with someone like Jeong-in, someone so intriguing yet so hard to read?