Morning – Aurora Hills, Dining Hall
Sunlight spilled through the tall glass windows as breakfast was served: warm porridge, herbal pancakes, and honey-ginger tea.
Jiwoo looked up as Mirae, grinning ear-to-ear, plopped into the chair beside him.
"Let's take a break," she declared. "You promised us a trip when the first Network Phase ended!"
Jihye raised an eyebrow. "We're managing over a hundred micro-sanctuaries, four national education pilots, and now prepping the legacy wave."
"Exactly," Nayun chimed in, folding her planner. "We've earned this."
Yoori smiled softly. "Just once… let's go live, Jiwoo. Together."
Jiwoo paused. He looked around the table—seven faces glowing not from wealth, but from warmth. From trust.
Then he nodded.
"Pack light. Disguise tight. We're leaving at noon."
> [System Notification: "Joy Path" Activated – Circle Excursion Mode On]
[Effect: All members' emotional balance will increase. Bond growth boosted by 500%.]
---
Stop 1: Seoul Hidden Vintage Market
Clad in casual clothes, sunglasses, and caps, the group blended perfectly into the morning crowd. Jiwoo wore a gray hoodie with a simple mask. The girls buzzed around him like starlight.
Eunsol clutched a camera. "Street photography time!"
Sena bartered with a vendor for antique postcards. "Jiwoo, this one says: 'Peace is portable. Take it with you.' Definitely getting this."
Mirae pulled Jiwoo into a retro record store. "Pick a song. I'll make it our anthem."
He picked one: "A Place to Return To."
"I like the name," he said simply.
Yoori wandered into a bookstore and returned with eight blank journals. "Let's write one story each. Different voices. Same soul."
> [System: Memory Token Created – "The Day We Were Just People"]
---
Stop 2: Jeonju Hanok Village – Street Food & Laughter
Under cherry blossoms and lantern strings, they strolled through cobblestone streets lined with traditional Korean houses.
Jihye dragged them to a stand. "Everyone, try this! Hotteok stuffed with honey and walnuts!"
Noeun, usually quiet, took a bite and her eyes sparkled. "Jiwoo… it's like biting into a hug."
He smiled. "Then let's take boxes. Give them out on the train later."
They sat on a wooden bench, surrounded by chatter and wind chimes, eating, laughing, living.
No gold cards. No secret systems.
Just eight souls healing together.
> [System: Emotional Sync Reached 100% – Circle Bond Permanently Upgraded]
---
Stop 3: Tokyo, Japan – Night Walk in Shibuya
They arrived quietly, unnoticed. The city pulsed with life—lights, noise, movement.
Mirae led the group across the iconic scramble crossing. "Look at all these people," she whispered. "And we're still invisible."
Jihye booked a rooftop dining spot with a perfect view. The girls ordered ramen, sushi, mochi, and sparkling drinks.
At midnight, Jiwoo stood with Eunsol on the rooftop's edge. She pointed her camera at the world and clicked.
Flash.
"That's not for the world," she said. "That's for us."
---
Stop 4: Paris, France – Rain and Roses
It rained lightly as they walked along the Seine. Jiwoo bought each girl a rose from a street vendor and handed it to them one by one.
Noeun looked at her rose, then at him.
"You always give," she said quietly. "Don't forget… you deserve peace too."
They visited an art museum. Nayun and Mirae danced silently between sculpture halls. Sena sat in the garden with Jiwoo, eating macarons and sharing books.
That night, they wrote their journal entries on a candlelit balcony.
> Jiwoo's Entry:
"Even peace must laugh. Even warriors need picnics."
---
Stop 5: Venice, Italy – Gondolas and Confessions
In the quiet canals, under the glow of lanterns, the eight rode gondolas in two boats.
Yoori looked up at the stars. "Jiwoo… if the world knew you like we do, they'd forget what money even means."
He chuckled. "The world doesn't need to know me. They just need to believe in what we're doing."
That night, on a hidden stone bridge, the girls gifted Jiwoo something rare:
A locket. Inside were 8 names. No photos. No design.
Just names, written in their own handwriting.
"The Circle That Healed Together."
> [System Memory: "The Journey of Eight" – Eternal Bond Created]
[Special Effect: This circle can never be broken by time, distance, or conflict.]
---
Final Stop: Back in Korea – Train Ride to Aurora Hills
As the train curved through green mountains, Jiwoo looked out the window.
"We're home," Mirae whispered.
Jihye leaned on his shoulder.
"You know what's crazy?" she said. "Even after crossing countries, buying nothing expensive, and hiding from cameras…"
She smiled. "This was the happiest I've ever been."
Jiwoo nodded.
"Because we weren't building peace. We were living it."
And as the train glided into the night, their laughter, memories, and light followed it—echoing into a world that had no idea just how lucky it was.
---