Eun-Ae was vaguely aware of the soft, soothing whispers in her ears as the pain slowly began to ebb away. The world faded back into focus as she blinked focused on her breathing, and her senses returned. She was wrapped in warmth, and she was clutching onto something soft. She felt a rhythmic rubbing on her back, chasing away the burning sensation in her lower legs. Key, she realized, and managed to glance up at him. He looked impossibly worried, his dark eyebrows knit together and his forehead furrowed.

“Eun-Ae?” he asked quietly. She gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the final wave of pain as she slowly stretched out her legs. It flared for a moment, causing her to tense, before receding. Her legs were simply numbed now, her nerves spent from registering the chaos that was occurring within her rogue cells. She had experienced such episodes before, but as she wiped a few beads of sweat from the side of her head, she reasoned that this one had been the most painful she had ever suffered.

“I’m all right now,” she murmured. She heard shuffling, and looked over to see the rest of the boys flitting about nervously beside the metal bench she and Key were seated on. A large crowd had gathered behind them, concerned passersby who attempted to peek over the boys’ shoulders to catch a glimpse of the wearied girl. Eun-Ae flushed with mortification and buried her face into Key’s chest. Reading her mood, Key angrily waved an arm to clear the crowed.

“Nothing to see here. She’s fine; just move along!” he shouted. Begrudgingly, the large crowd obeyed, dispersing to continue their afternoon jaunt at the zoo. “It’s all right, Eun-Ae. They’re gone now,” he murmured in her ear. Holding back tears of shame, she lifted her head once more.

“Eun-Ae? What happened?” Taemin asked anxiously as he crouched down to peer worriedly into her face.

“The nerves in my legs were just overstimulated,” she answered breathlessly. “It happens sometimes. Don’t worry too much about it!” she smiled. She hoped that if she put on a brave face, the boys would drop the subject; they looked unsure, and Key definitely wasn’t letting it go that easily.

“I think we should go home,” he frowned and moved to get up from the bench with her still in his arms. With a cry of protest, Eun-Ae maneuvered herself out of his grasp and plopped down on the metal bench, crossing her arms in disapproval. “Eun-Ae, don’t look at me like that,” he sighed wearily as she glared up at him with her cheeks puffed out. “You just collapsed on the sidewalk! I think it’s been too much for you.”

“I’m fine, really!” she insisted.

“Can you even walk?” Jonghyun asked doubtfully. With a prim huff, Eun-Ae hopped to her feet, wincing as the wave of pain traveled from her toes all the way up her spine. She trembled for a moment, desperately trying to hold her ground, before her knees buckled inward and she fell forward, right into Key’s expecting arms.

“See? That’s it. I’m taking you home,” he cried forcefully, then froze when Eun-Ae’s bottom lip quivered. She felt humiliated, and she angrily wiped her eyes with the back of her hands as she sniffled. She hadn’t even meant to cry; she just began, so frustrated with herself and her condition.

“Y-you told me to enjoy the moment, no matter what!” she sniffled miserably. “I’m trying, but my stupid body won’t let me. I just want to finish seeing the zoo with you guys, before…” she trailed off to suppress a sob. “Before I can’t,” she finished. The boys glanced at each other guiltily, unsure how to respond.

“We’ll let you finish, Eun-Ae,” Minho smiled suddenly before ducking between Key and herself. He squatted down, motioning for her to climb onto his back. “We’ll take turns carrying you, no matter how long it takes, until you’ve seen everything you wanted to see!” he smiled cheerfully. Overcome with emotion, Eun-Ae laughed and cried at the same time, clambering onto his back. He wobbled for a moment before standing straight up, his arms tucked securely under Eun-Ae’s legs. Grinning triumphantly, Minho pointed forward. “Onward!” he howled before taking off in a sprint, and Eun-Ae squealed with delight as he bobbed unsteadily across the sidewalk.

“Hey, wait!” Key cried and charged after them, laughing loudly. Eun-Ae held tightly onto Minho’s neck, her sadness already forgotten. They really are the truest friends in the world…

Like they promised, the group of idols dutifully carried her through the rest of the park, switching each time they grew tired. By the time the sun was beginning to sink into the sky, they arrived at the final exhibit.

“The Reptile Room?” Onew read with a small frown as he regarded the building. It was a large structure, constructed of smooth purplish stone that sat in a neutral area between all the continent exhibits. A statue of an alligator perch on the awning covering the entrance, its maw open as if it were ready to swallow something whole. Eun-Ae thought that it was quite tacky, but the exhibit seemed fairly popular, as visitors were streaming in and out of the entrance. Clinging to Key’s back, she shivered slightly when a little girl ran out screaming in fear, her worried mother hot in pursuit. “It seems creepy,” he murmured and looked back of her, the shadow of hesitation clear on his expression.

“No way!” Eun-Ae cried, steeling her own nerves. “I said I was going to see the whole zoo, and I meant it! Let’s go in.”

“Eun-Ae’s got more spine than all of you,” Key smirked as he walked past his trembling companions. Taemin whimpered as they passed under the awning, looking uncertainly up at the alligator. The building was dark upon entry, the only light coming from the bright UV-lights that illuminated the rows upon rows of cages lining the walls. They contained all manners of creatures, green lizards snoozing on thick-leaved branches and brown bearded dragons sunbathing on smooth orange-brown rocks beside a tiny cactus. Turtles swam gracelessly in little ponds or shuffled slowly across simulated forest floors. In a gigantic tank that spanned an entire hall, crocodiles and alligators laid on the sandy shore or hovered in the murky water, staring back at the boys as they passed. Eun-Ae thought they were all interesting- that is, until they arrived at the snakes.

The slithering creatures were more diverse than anything she had ever seen. Small garter snakes lay coiled in tiny tanks, coral snakes slipped soundlessly through water-filled tanked, and a cobra flared its flaps and hissed at her as they walked by. In larger exhibits, boas wrapped around massive tree limbs flicked their tongues through the air, slowly slithering through the leafy branches as it pressed tighter around the wood. Eun-Ae was beginning to consider leaving when they spotted a large group clustered in the corner, and naturally, the boys decided to investigate.

“Oh, no. This is where I draw the line!” Onew exclaimed as a shudder visibly went up his spine. Eun-Ae grimaced at what they discovered; a handler with several boas strung across her arms, enticing visitors to be adventurous and hold one of the snakes. They coiled across her body, their forked tongued flicking, but she seemed entirely unperturbed.

“What do you say, Eun-Ae?” Key grinned. “Wanna give it a go?” Without waiting for an answer, he dropped her off of his back and hurriedly whipped around to steady her. Then, he slipped behind her, a slightly forceful but secure hand on the small of her back as he urged her forward. She began to shake her head wildly, but the damage had been done; the handler beamed broadly at her before ceremoniously draping one of the creatures across her shoulders. Eun-Ae felt a shiver travel from the tip of her toes to the very top of her head as the scaly creature slid across her skin. Its scaled felt rough, not slimy like she had been expecting but still unsettling. She squeaked as its tongue flicked her earlobe.

“Noooooooooooo,” she groaned as she stood stock-still. Her fists were curled up so tightly that her knuckles glared white, and she glared accusingly at Key as he sniggered and danced in front of her, teasingly waving his phone camera. Winking at Eun-Ae, the attendant then dropped a snake on his shoulders, and his grin instantly vanished as he froze with fear.

“Oh my God,” he whined in a voice several octaves higher than she had ever heard, and before she knew it, she was laughing uncontrollably. Key stared at her for a moment, then began laughing himself, and soon they were both giggling like idiots. After a minute, the handler plucked the snakes away, returning to the crowd to find another victim or two. Eun-Ae instantly relaxed, rolling her shoulders to chase away the feeling of the scaly snake.

“Don’t worry! I got pictures! Minho cheered triumphantly as he waved his phone above his head. Key took off after him, yelling as he chased him around the room, while Eun-Ae leaned against Jonghyun to watch the comedic display.

“I’m glad I got to spend the day with you all,” she smiled happily as the victorious Minho pranced back over, followed by a dejected Key. Thrown off-guard, they blinked at her, then broke out in elated smiles.

“I’m glad we decided to stay,” Key smiled softly at her, crouching back down in front of her. She climbed onto his back, leaning her cheek between his shoulder blades and feeling them flex as he lifted her effortlessly off the ground. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his warmth washing over her, as they started for home.

If every day is like this… I think I can die happy.