The van smelled like new leather seats and half-nervous energy. Five girls. One destination. And a hundred things unsaid.
The other van was on their back, where all guys were there.
Lena sat by the window, arms crossed, her face half-buried in her scarf as she watched trees blur past. She was really doing this.
"You're super quiet," a voice chirped beside her. "You okay?"
Lena turned and met the eyes of the jolliest blonde she'd ever seen—Ruby. Bright eyes, dimpled smile, and her perfume smelled like strawberries and excitement.
"I'm just tired," Lena replied with a soft smile.
"Oh no, you're not one of those mysterious types, are you?" Ruby teased, dramatically clutching her chest. "You're going to steal the quiet boys from under our noses!"
At the back of the van, someone laughed. Mikha—gorgeous, radiant, effortlessly glowing. Her brown eyes sparkled, and her lashes were so long.
Beside Mikha, the quietest of them all, Jessie, had her head leaned against the window, eyes closed, earphones in. Not a word since they got in. She was like a shadow—calm, floating, distant.
"It will be boring if we will not enjoy our time travelling. So, driver, music please!" Mikha called out with a grin.
The driver chuckled and flipped on the radio. A catchy beat filled the air, and Mikha wasted no time. She began to sing—softly at first, then louder as the chorus hit. Her voice was… wow! Honey with a hint of soul. Everyone turned to listen.
"Dang," Ruby whispered. "Do we even stand a chance?"
Lena smiled, leaning back into her seat as Mikha's voice filled the van, rich and effortless. She has to be a singer, Lena thought, half in awe. No way that voice came from a regular human.
"You are definitely a singer," Lena blurted out, her voice a little louder than she meant it to be.
Mikha laughed modestly. "You think so?"
"These girls are hilarious," Lena thought. Both Mikha and Ruby are pure extroverts.
Angela, sitting beside Mikha with her impossibly long legs crossed like she was already posing for a magazine shoot, adjusted her oversized sunglasses and pulled out her phone. She angled it just right for a selfie video.
"This is day one and it already feels like a reality show," she said, flipping her hair like a pro.
"Oh my god, enough with your sunglasses!" Mikha teased, reaching over and playfully trying to snatch them off. "You need to sing with us, Angela. That's a rule."
Angela sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes like she was about to walk a red carpet. "Fine, fine."
"Come on, superstar," Ruby chimed in, laughing.
Angela finally caved and joined in, singing half-heartedly at first, until the beat dropped—and then she belted out a note so unexpectedly on-key that everyone burst out laughing and clapping.
As the music continued, Ruby grabbed an invisible mic and stood in the middle of the van like she was hosting a concert. "Let's make this a carpool karaoke moment!" she declared.
Then she reached out for Lena and high-fived her. "Come on, Lena! Show us what you got!"
Lena hesitated, but the vibe in the van was too infectious. She felt it bubbling up—her extrovert side, the one she kept tucked away unless she felt completely safe.
And right now, in this van full of loud voices, laughter, and off-key harmonies, she felt exactly that.
Lena threw her head back and sang.
Loud. Unapologetic. Off-tune in some parts but full of heart.
"YAAAS, LENA!" Ruby shrieked between laughs. "Where did that come from?!"
Even Jessie, in the back, cracked a smile behind her headphones.
Mikha clapped her hands like a proud mom. "That's the energy!"
Angela gave a thumbs-up, still bopping her head in rhythm. "We got a rockstar over here."
Ruby couldn't stop laughing. "I swear, I did not expect that from you. You're dangerous!"
Lena laughed with them, cheeks flushed. For the first time since she got on this journey, she wasn't overthinking. She was just here and now, she can't keep herself from laughing.
—
The van finally rolled into the villa driveway, and all five girls gasped at once.
"Are you kidding me?" Ruby shouted, leaping out before the door fully opened.
The house was massive—white walls, glass panels, garden paths, a pool, and a view of the mountains. Cameras had already been installed discreetly in corners, quietly observing.
They rushed inside with excited squeals and suitcase wheels rolling on marble.
"Beds!" Angela called, leading the charge upstairs.
Three beds. Two of them were queen-sized. One was smaller.
"I'll take the small one," Jessie said without hesitation, already placing her things neatly on it.
Lena raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Jessie gave a silent nod, one earbud still in place. Tomorrow morning, their phones will be collected.
Ruby flopped onto one of the bigger beds and turned to Lena. "Be my bedmate?" with matching blinking eyes.
Lena smiled. "Yeah, okay."
With the room settled and bags unpacked, the girls headed down to the living room—right in time to hear the front door open.
Five guys stepped in. Tall. Confident. Different.
Jayden was the first to react. "Whoa! This house is massive guys!" He took it all in with a grin that could charm walls.
Behind him, two more guys trailed in—Marcus, tall and athletic, immediately flopped on the couch like it was home; Jordan, calm and composed, nodded politely before settling beside him.
Then came the last one—quiet, barely speaking—Nathan, the one with glasses. He barely glanced around before walking straight toward the hallway with his maleta, as if eager to disappear into the walls.
And finally…
Jason.
He walked in like a silent ripple through the room. No greetings. No eye contact. He made a beeline for the kitchen, opened the fridge, and poured himself a glass of water like it was routine.
Ruby leaned over, practically buzzing. "They're all cute and handsome, right?" she whispered with a teasing giggle.
Lena gave the tiniest nod. "You need to go to the girls' bedroom, Ruby." "It's just the first night, stop checking the boys." As if she is scolding her newfound friend.
Ruby just grinned, unbothered. "First night's the best time to scout."
Lena shot her a look, but Ruby only wiggled her brows mischievously, resting her chin on her palm.
—
Night came quickly.
The bathroom became a hot topic. After a quick vote, the girls agreed, boys first. "They're faster," Angela declared.
While waiting, the girls sat around the room, chatting, filing nails, applying light skincare. They are still talking about the karaoke thing and simply created a bond.
The bathroom door opened. The boys were done. The girls took turns next.
It was getting late when the house speaker chimed with a cheerful voice:
"It's time for a Love Unseen tradition—our bedtime hug circle! One guy hugs all the girls to wish them good night. Sweet dreams!"
Ruby dramatically gasped. "Oh nooo, who made this rule?!" she groaned, throwing her head back, though her laugh quickly gave her away. "This is so cheesy—I love it!"
Lena snorted. "You clearly love it the most."
Ruby didn't even deny it. "Okay, maybe just a little. Or a lot. Look, it's for bonding, okay?"
Angela rolled her eyes playfully. "You mean hugging all the cute boys in one go."
"Exactly," Ruby said, hands on her hips. "We suffer for content."
One by one, the guys stood.
Jayden went first. He gave everyone warm, friendly hugs. When it was Lena's turn, he gave her a light squeeze. "Sleep tight."
Next was Marcus, smooth and cheeky. "Good night," he winked at each one.
Jordan, calm and gentle, offered a quick but kind hug. "See you tomorrow."
Then came Nathan—the guy with glasses, the one who had barely spoken all day. He looked… confused.
Lena smiled softly and took the lead. She stepped forward and offered him a light, polite hug. "Good night," she whispered, and he smiled—just a little.
Her eyes moved across the room.
Jason was there.
He was hugging Mikha now. His arm wrapped around her just enough for the cameras to catch it—but not too much to be called intimate.
Then Angela. He gave her a brief, one-armed hug, chuckling at something she whispered.
Ruby squealed, "You smell good!" as she hugged him, and he laughed lightly in return.
Even Jessie, who had barely spoken all day, stood still as Jason gently leaned in to hug her.
Lena stood there.
Her feet unmoving.
He was getting closer.
And just before he could step toward her—just before their eyes might meet—Lena turned away, quiet and unnoticed.
She walked calmly toward the hallway, her slippers soft against the floor, her hands cold at her sides.
The noise behind her faded—the laughter, the footsteps, the awkward goodnights.
She slipped into the girls' bedroom and closed the door behind her without a sound.
That was awkward.