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Zoey somehow convinces Rumi, Jinu, Mira, Abby, Mystery, Romance, and Baby to play paintball with her. Baby is honestly excited. Abby is determined to protect his fiance Mira
Zoey had somehow managed to convince everyone that paintball would be “a relaxing group bonding activity.”
Nobody knew how she accomplished this.
Especially because the moment the group arrived at the massive outdoor paintball arena just outside Seoul, it immediately became obvious that absolutely none of this would be relaxing.
The giant field was divided into sections filled with wooden barriers, abandoned cars, tires, fake buildings, and towering walls splattered with layers of dried paint from previous games. Players in masks and padded gear sprinted around shouting while paintballs exploded in bright colors against every surface.
Baby looked thrilled.
“This,” he announced dramatically while adjusting his protective mask, “is the greatest day of my life.”
Romance pointed toward him. “You look emotionally unstable.”
“I was born ready for battle.”
Zoey pumped both fists excitedly into the air.
“YES. FINALLY SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS ME.”
Mira already looked exhausted and they had not even started yet.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this.”
Abby immediately wrapped an arm around her waist protectively.
“Don’t worry,” he said confidently. “I’ll protect you.”
Mira looked unconvinced. “From paint?”
“From everything.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“You’re precious to me.”
Mira rolled her eyes but smiled anyway while Abby kissed her forehead lovingly.
Zoey physically pointed at them.
“See? This is why people third wheel around you two.”
Meanwhile Jinu stood beside Rumi helping her tighten the straps on her protective vest while she stared distractedly toward her phone screen.
Jinu noticed immediately.
“You’re thinking about Hana.”
Rumi sighed softly. “I know she’s okay with Celine but…”
“You miss her.”
“A little.”
Jinu’s expression softened immediately.
He gently cupped her cheek through the edge of her mask before leaning down enough to kiss her softly.
“She’s safe,” he murmured. “And she’s probably already spoiled with snacks.”
“That somehow doesn’t help.”
“It should.”
Rumi smiled weakly while he brushed his thumb along her cheek comfortingly.
“You deserve one afternoon to yourself too,” he added quietly.
Rumi nodded slightly though she still looked uncertain.
Zoey noticed immediately and marched over dramatically with her paintball gun balanced against her shoulder.
“No sad mom energy.”
Rumi laughed faintly. “I’m trying.”
Zoey pointed toward the battlefield.
“Today you are not stressed mom Rumi.”
“Oh?”
“You are warrior Rumi.”
Jinu nodded solemnly. “Very inspirational.”
Zoey ignored him completely.
“You are going to dominate this game.”
Rumi blinked. “I’ve literally never played paintball before.”
“Perfect. That makes you unpredictable.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It sounds iconic.”
Rumi laughed softly despite herself.
“There’s the spirit,” Zoey declared proudly.
Then the teams were officially announced.
Blue Team consisted of Zoey, Rumi, Romance, and Mystery.
Red Team consisted of Baby, Jinu, Abby, and Mira.
The second the teams separated, Rumi looked dramatically betrayed.
“They split me from Jinu.”
Zoey grabbed her shoulders immediately.
“FOCUS.”
Jinu looked equally offended.
“I don’t like this arrangement.”
Baby grinned proudly. “Weakness.”
“You’re twelve,” Jinu replied.
“Still winning.”
Abby pointed confidently toward the blue team.
“You’re all going down.”
Mira looked at him. “You’ve never played either.”
“I have instincts.”
“You got lost in a parking garage yesterday.”
“That was strategic confusion.”
The referee finally blew the whistle signaling everyone to take their positions.
Immediately the atmosphere changed.
Zoey crouched behind a wooden barrier looking intensely focused while Romance adjusted his paintball mask beside her.
“This feels serious,” Romance muttered.
“It IS serious.”
Mystery calmly checked his paintball gun. “You’ve wanted this for weeks.”
Zoey nodded proudly. “Today I become legend.”
Across the field, Abby stood protectively in front of Mira like he was preparing for actual combat.
“You stay behind me.”
Mira blinked. “Abby this is paintball.”
“I would die for you.”
“That’s concerning.”
Baby looked deeply annoyed already.
“You’re all being dramatic.”
Then the whistle blew again.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Paintballs flew across the field from every direction while people shouted and sprinted between barriers.
Zoey screamed excitedly.
“ATTACK.”
Mystery calmly followed behind her while Romance immediately abandoned strategy entirely and started shooting wildly at everything that moved.
“ROMANCE,” Rumi shouted while ducking behind cover. “THAT’S A TREE.”
“I PANICKED.”
Meanwhile on the other side, Abby grabbed Mira’s hand and pulled her behind a wall dramatically.
“Stay low.”
Mira stared at him. “You’re taking this weirdly seriously.”
“I refuse to let you get hit.”
“You realize getting hit is the entire game.”
“Not for you.”
Mira smiled despite herself while he quickly kissed her before peeking around the barrier.
Immediately a paintball smacked directly against his chest.
Abby froze.
The referee shouted loudly.
“OUT.”
Silence.
Mira blinked once.
Then burst into laughter.
“ABBY.”
“I WAS PROTECTING YOU.”
“You lasted thirty seconds.”
Abby looked deeply offended while walking off the field dramatically.
Baby screamed from another barrier. “HE DIED IMMEDIATELY.”
Meanwhile Jinu sprinted toward another hiding spot only to accidentally collide with Mystery around a corner.
Both men froze.
Silence.
Then they shot each other at exactly the same time.
Blue paint exploded across Jinu’s shoulder while red paint splattered across Mystery’s vest.
They stared at each other.
“…Really?” Jinu asked.
Mystery sighed. “That felt avoidable.”
The referee pointed toward both exits.
“OUT.”
Jinu laughed while shaking his head and Mystery followed him off the field.
As they passed Abby, all three looked deeply disappointed in themselves.
“We failed,” Abby admitted.
“Speak for yourself,” Jinu replied. “I died heroically.”
“You walked around a corner.”
“It was emotional.”
Back on the field, Mira slowly realized she was somehow still surviving.
She crouched carefully behind a fake wall while Baby darted across the field nearby.
Paint exploded around them while Zoey’s evil laughter echoed from somewhere in the distance.
“This is stressful,” Mira muttered.
Then she paused.
Because annoyingly enough…
She was actually having fun.
She quickly shot at Romance across the field and looked genuinely shocked when she almost hit him.
“Oh.”
Romance gasped dramatically. “MIRA’S VIOLENT.”
“I’m not violent.”
Then suddenly a paintball smacked directly against Mira’s arm.
She looked down slowly.
Romance lowered his paintball gun proudly from across the field.
“…Sorry,” he called.
Mira stared at the paint splatter.
Then looked upward dramatically.
“I was starting to enjoy myself too.”
The referee waved her off the field while she laughed helplessly and headed toward the others.
Abby immediately wrapped an arm around her the second she reached him.
“You survived longer than me.”
“As I should.”
“You looked cute being competitive.”
“You’re flirting after getting eliminated first?”
“I’m committed.”
He kissed her quickly while she smiled against his lips.
Meanwhile the game narrowed down rapidly.
Only Zoey, Baby, and Rumi remained.
Baby hid behind stacked tires while Zoey crouched near the fake building looking wildly determined.
Both assumed they were the final two players.
“SHOW YOURSELF,” Zoey shouted dramatically.
“NEVER.”
Rumi remained hidden quietly nearby behind a wooden barrier, breathing hard while gripping the paintball gun nervously.
For a second she suddenly thought about Hana again.
About how weird it felt being away from her.
About how guilty she felt for enjoying herself.
Then she remembered Zoey earlier.
Today you are warrior Rumi.
Rumi laughed softly to herself.
Then slowly peeked around the barrier.
Baby remained focused entirely on Zoey.
Perfect.
Rumi carefully aimed.
“Come on,” she whispered.
Then fired.
Blue paint exploded across Baby’s back.
Silence.
Baby froze completely.
Then slowly looked down.
The referee blew the whistle loudly.
“BLUE TEAM WINS.”
Zoey screamed so loudly birds scattered from nearby trees.
“RUMI.”
Rumi stared in complete shock.
“I WON?”
“You WON.”
Zoey sprinted toward her at full speed while laughing hysterically.
“You little sneaky genius.”
Rumi burst into laughter while lowering the paintball gun.
“I can’t believe that worked.”
Baby collapsed dramatically onto the grass.
“BETRAYED.”
The others quickly rushed onto the field afterward.
Jinu immediately reached Rumi first.
“You won,” he said proudly while pulling her into his arms.
Rumi laughed breathlessly. “I don’t know how.”
“You were amazing.”
“That feels dramatic.”
“You eliminated Baby. That’s historic.”
Rumi smiled brightly while Jinu kissed her deeply despite the paint smeared across both their gear.
Zoey pointed proudly toward them.
“I CREATED THIS VICTORY.”
“You gave one pep talk,” Mystery corrected.
“It was inspirational.”
Honestly, she was not entirely wrong.
Rumi leaned happily against Jinu afterward while everyone argued loudly around them, Baby complained about betrayal, Abby defended his thirty second elimination like it was honorable combat, and Mira secretly admitted she wanted to play again someday.
And somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, Rumi realized something important.
For the first time since Hana was born, she had managed to relax.
Even if it involved paintball warfare and complete insanity.