Eun-Ae anxiously drummed her fingers on the leather interior of the vehicle, staring out of the large window that spanned the backseat of the large minivan the group had rented. To avoid unwanted attention, the boys had decided to travel using more common means (rather than the flashy limousine that they had arrived in) and had even donned “disguises,” which mainly consisted of baseball caps and sunglasses. Eun-Ae was still horribly worried about allowing the five boys to go such lengths for her, but as Key reached across the backseat to gently take her hand, she felt her anxiety fade away, allowing for excitement to take its place. By the time they pulled into the large parking lot adjacent to her desired destination, she was bouncing up and down in the seat, craning her neck as she attempted to catch of glimpse of her first item on the bucket list. As Jonghyun threw the large vehicle into park, she hopped out of the car and ran around the back to stare in wonder at the marvelous sight before her.

Eun-Ae had arrived at the largest amusement park in all of South Korea.

“Wow,” she breathed as she gazed at the magnificent structure. Even from the parking lot, it was a sight to behold. Roller coasters towered above the park, their tracks twisting and twirling in loops and sharp turns. Screams echoed across the wind as the carts shot over the metal, disappearing as the coaster vanished from sight behind another building. Music with exciting tunes drifted from the park’s grand entrance, an arch aglow with flashing neon lights that glared even in the bright daytime sun. As Eun-Ae breathed in deeply, she caught the scent of various sugary foods like cotton candy and ice cream that caused to water profusely.

“Eun-Ae?” Key laughed as he stepped out of the car, walking over to her and patting her head as if she were a child. “It is pretty amazing,” he admitted as he stared at the amusement park. Eun-Ae could only nod in response, simply awestruck by the majesty of it. While she was locked in her trance, Key gently took her by the hand and led her to the ticket booth at the entrance. She could hardly believe her eyes as the attendant placed a small, simple pink ticket in her hands, and she stared at it in disbelief for a moment, convinced that she had fallen into some dream.

“I’m really here,” she whispered, glancing up at the large park. It was absolutely crammed with people of all ages and sizes, strolling along the concrete or being pulled by impatient children. As she slowly stepped through the gate, an ecstatic grin played across her lips, and with a happy squeal she threw her arms around Key. “Thank you so much! Oh, I’ve been dreaming about this place since I was little!” she gushed.

“You’re welcome, Eun-Ae!” Key laughed, and as she pulled away to glance feverishly around the park once more, he smiled softly down at her. “So, what would you like to do first?” he asked.

“I don’t know!” she admitted, her eyes darting from one attraction to the next. The boys erupted into a loud ruckus as they all suggested things to do, until they were harshly silenced by Key. After a few more minutes of indecision, she pointed at the towering roller coaster in the middle of the park. “I want to ride that,” she decided.

“Do we have to? It looks scary,” Taemin whined, grabbing onto the hem of Minho’s shirt as he stared up at the menacing roller coaster. Minho gulped loudly, and even Onew and Jonghyun looked a little wary as they glanced at Key for his answer.

“That’s what I’m talking about, Eun-Ae,” Key beamed breathlessly.

Next thing Eun-Ae knew, they were winding their way through the sizable line that s its way around the towering structure. As they inched closer, she felt the bubbling excitement inside her belly grow to a feverish boil, and she could hardly contain herself as they arrived at the loading dock. However, when she stepped onto the platform and glanced down the track, she become overwhelmed with a sudden wave of insecurity. The ride was much more terrifying up close, and Eun-Ae had to crane her neck at an awkward angle to spot the peak on the first drop.

“I’m not so sure I want to do this anymore,” she whispered to Key as he stepped onto the platform beside her. Upon her utterance, the rest of the boys looked eager to comply with her request; however, it was much too late. The attendant rushed them forward as the latest wave of riders exited the carts, and Eun-Ae squeaked with fear as she hurriedly clambered into the cart at the very front. Key squeezed in next to her, lowering the safety bar over their laps.

“Don’t worry, Eun-Ae,” he smiled, reaching over to take her hand. “It’ll be fun, I promise. You can hold my hand, and squeeze it if you get too scared, okay?” he suggested. Eun-Ae nodded reluctantly, swallowing as the carts jerked into motion.

“Is it too late to pee?” she heard Taemin cry out behind her. Her eyes stared straight ahead as they slowly crept over the tracks, pushing up a steep incline with loud clanking noises. As they neared the drop, Eun-Ae’s breath quickened considerably, and she began tightening her grip on Key’s hand. After what seemed like years, the carts finally reached the peak, and hung there in the air for a brief moment. Then, with speed like lightning, they suddenly plunged forward down the steep drop. Eun-Ae released a scream, gripping Key’s hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Eun-Ae! You’re crushing my fingers!” Key wailed, but his voice was lost amidst the girl’s terrified screams. Her body jerked forward as they slammed into another incline, rocketing over it with incredible speed. Slowly, her shrieks transitioned into joyous laughter, and she relaxed her grip on Key’s hand. As she glanced at him through her peripheral vision, he grinned at her and threw their still-clutching hands high into the air. They sailed across the rails, the amusement park a blur around them. Eun-Ae laughed giddily as they rolled upside-down in a loop-de-loop, then coughed as her hair landed in . Key found this incredibly funny, and she glared playfully at him as she spit out strands of her hair. By the time the ride was finished, Eun-Ae was absolutely breathless.

“That,” she breathed as she stepped off of the ride, “was amazing.” Her legs were slightly wobbly as she made her way down the steel steps onto the concrete below. Taemin ran past her, clutching his mouth with a green face, to promptly throw up in the nearest trash can.

“Never again,” he begged, clutching the trash can as he sunk down onto his knees. “I regret all my life decisions,” he added with a hiccup. She turned as the other boys stepped down from the stairs behind her, eager to see their opinions.

“Wait!” Onew suddenly cried, throwing his arms into Minho and Jonghyun’s chests. He sniffed the air, his eyes narrowed as an intense concentration furrowed his brow. He suddenly began to stalk forward, like a hound dog trained on its prey, before yelling, “I smell chicken!” He then took off running, right up to the counter of a nearby food booth and almost giving the poor attendant girl a heart attack.

“I see nothing’s changed. He’s still obsessed with chicken,” Eun-Ae mused.

“Yep, that’s Onew. Speaking of, though, I am pretty hungry,” Key frowned as his stomach growled loudly. Eun-Ae’s responded with its own loud gurgle, and the pair of them laughed as they followed after Onew. Minho dragged the groaning Taemin to his feet, dragging the sick boy after them.

“Oh, hey guys. They have chicken,” Onew grinned through a mouthful of meat as they sat down at a picnic table beside him. It seemed the booth’s specialty was fried chicken on a stick, as Onew boasted six helpings, gripped between his fingers like some kind of wicked claws. He inhaled the meat at an inhuman rate, smearing his face with oil.

“This is quite good,” Eun-Ae smiled as she nibbled at the delicacy. The other boys could not resist the temptation of food either, and so they all sat around the picnic table enjoying chicken on a stick and chatting about the insane ride for about fifteen minutes.

“So, Eun-Ae, do you have any idea what you want to do next?” Jonghyun inquired as he picked his teeth with the wooden skewer. Eun-Ae frowned and glanced over her shoulder, looking for another attraction to try. Her eyes landed on an oddly-shaped building a few yards away. It had no windows, but an assortment of flashing lights and a sculpture of a ridiculous clown animatronic sticking out of the corner and waving its arms slowly, as if to attract guests. A heavily stylized sign read “House of Mirrors.”

“That looks fun!” she suggested, pointing at the building with the remnants of her chicken. The boys all regarded the building with a series of satisfied nods.

“The House of Mirrors it is, then,” Key smiled as he stood, tossing the skewer into the trash and holding his hand out to Eun-Ae. She took it with a shy smile, and he walked her across the concrete pathway to the strange building’s entrance. The six of them plunged inside, unsure just quite what to expect.