Jjong: I'm here~

The bright glow of the smartphone screen drew Kibum's attention away from the mirror he had been looking at for the last half hour. He replied quickly as he took one last glance, totally satisfied with his outfit. A lilac and a white hooded sweatshirt with white trousers and lilac sneakers.

He admits that he takes a long time to get dressed, but it took him much longer today. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but he had been looking forward to today. The two of them were meeting for the first time since Kibum's military release, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but be excited. While he likes meeting the rest of them, it's different when it's just the two of them. 

This isn't a date, Kim Kibum. 

He reminded himself before taking one final glance in the mirror, grabbing his sunglasses, and walking out the door. He scanned around for Jonghyun's car but couldn't find it. Just as he was about to call him, a white Porsche rolled up to his street. Kibum rolled his eyes as the car drove up in front of him.

"Didn't you say you were here like 20 minutes ago?" Kibum stated as he shut the car door. "And, didn't you just come out?" Jonghyun responded with a mischievous smirk that gave Kibum a fuzzy feeling in his chest, but he quickly shrugged it off, as he always did, and let out a scoff.

"You'd still be getting ready if I didn't tell you I reached like 20 minutes ago," Jonghyun said as he gave Kibum his Iced Americano. Kibum hurriedly snatched it, sipping on it while mumbling a 'shut up' under his breath.

Jonghyun fired up the engine and drove down the road. Kibum darted a quick glance toward the man sitting next to him. He was dressed casually in a white t-shirt and black ripped jeans, yet he looked magnificent. His arms were bare, displaying his tattoos, with coffee in his right hand and the steering wheel in his left, making his veins pop.

"How are you doing? We haven't hung out in a while." Jonghyun broke the silence in the car. "Yeah, I'm fine, just don't feel like going back to work. What about you?" Kibum said, sipping his almost lukewarm Americano.

"Don't bring up work with me; it ruins my mood." Jonghyun laughed, which made Kibum happy. "So, why an amusement park all of a sudden?" Kibum inquired nonchalantly, though he had stayed up all night due to the excitement when Jonghyun messaged him, asking whether he was free today and coming up with the amusement park idea.

Jonghyun sipped his coffee and shrugged, "I've been wanting to go to one for a while, and it's been a while since we met, so why not?" Jonghyun stated. Kibum nodded, a bit disappointed by the reason, but prioritizing Kibum compared to others is more than enough for him.

Kibum knew nothing would happen between them, which is why he has kept any feelings he has to himself since high school. In reality, Kibum values his friendship above everything else, and he would not jeopardize it for emotions. As the radio took over the silence in the car, he peered out the window, focussing on the passing traffic.

-

"Ah, this reminds me of my childhood!" Kibum stated as they took their tickets and entered. "It truly does. I honestly miss those times!"

They stood at the entrance, scanning all the rides they could see to decide which one to go to, but seeing all of the enormous rides reminded Kibum of something that made him want to jump off one of them.

He's extremely scared of heights.

. 

Why did I agree to an amusement park trip? 

Did my mind really forget about the biggest fear it created? 

Kibum knew he can not back down now, nor could he show Jonghyun what a coward he is. Plus, he can see how delighted Jonghyun was to be here and how he constantly talked about going to an amusement park. This was not going to end well, and he knew it.

"Hey, I got you some ice cream." Jonghyun waved his hand in front of Kibum, causing the brunette to break his line of thought. He flashed a dry smile before taking the ice cream. 

Maybe he should tell him. Of course, Jonghyun will not let him ride if he is afraid. Isn't it better than passing out on the rides and having Jonghyun hurry him to the hospital?

"Oh, I've wanted to come here for so long!" Jonghyun exclaimed, his eyes sparkling like the kids around him, as he glanced around the amusement park. "Haven't you ever felt scared as a kid?" Kibum asked, and Jonghyun replied, "No way! I loved the thrill of riding those big roller coasters. I remember excitedly waiting to hit the suitable height range to ride one of those massive rollercoasters.

"Will they let you do it now?" Kibum burst out laughing. "You're still on the short side."

Kibum laughed as Jonghyun glared at him. 

"Nice joke." Jonghyun sarcastically remarked before continuing to observe all of the rides, mentally deciding which one he'd like to ride first. That excitement on his face was more than enough reason for Kibum to push aside his fears and give this a try. 

It wouldn't kill me. 

Right? 

Jonghyun grasped Kibum's hand as they walked to the ride Kibum had no idea about. He was simply accepting his fate as Jonghyun maneuvered through the swarm of people and children.

Of course, it has to be a rollercoaster.

"Jonghyun, are you sure this rollercoaster won't fall apart in the middle of the ride?" Kibum's breathing stopped for a second as the roller coaster passed by. 

"You're scared of rides?" Jonghyun looked at Kibum with concern in his eyes, and Kibum quickly shook his head, "No way! I'm just curious, like, what if that happens?" 

Jonghyun's lips curled slightly. "I won't let anything bad happen to my Bummie."

Forget about riding a rollercoaster. Kibum was experiencing these feelings before even sitting in one. He's admitted to himself that when Jonghyun refers to him as my Bummie, his heart melts like the ice cream in his hand.

They finally got on the ride after Kibum prayed to all the deities out there. Jonghyun, on the other hand, was excited for the ride to begin, but seeing Kibum's face made him giggle; it seemed like he was about to have a doomsday experience. "Are you sure you're not afraid? We can leave and go on another ride." Kibum shook his hand, scoffing, "You think a rollercoaster is going to scare me?"

I can just close my eyes. Kibum thought. 

As the rollercoaster reached its peak, Kibum closed his eyes and screamed as if a ghost was behind him. Meanwhile, Jonghyun let go of the bar and enjoyed himself to the maximum. Once the ride was over Kibum just sat there, bringing his soul back to the world while also being proud that he successfully made it through the ride without passing out (which he was confident that he would). 

"That was so much fun!" Jonghyun walked backward, grinning ear to ear while facing Kibum and the latter nodded with a smile "Yeah, it was. It's definitely been a while feeling that adrenaline rush." Kibum added. 

"I thought you were going to pass out from screaming your head off." Jonghyun cracked up causing the other to roll his eyes. "What's the point of going on a ride if you don't scream?" Kibum sneered, quickening his walk to avoid the other's interrogative stare.

"Yes! I've always wanted to ride one of these!" As Kibum turned to see what Jonghyun was talking about, his eyes grew wide. No way.

"Come on!" When Jonghyun began to walk, Kibum instinctively grabbed his arm. Jonghyun looked at Kibum with a puzzled expression, waiting for Kibum to say something.

Think something, Kibum.

"A Ferris wheel will look better during the evening, don't you think?" 

Kibum mentally face-palmed himself. "You're right. We'll be back when the sun goes down!" Jonghyun stated enthusiastically as he continued walking. "So, which ride do you want to go to?" He continued. Kibum hummed as he observed every ride he could see until his gaze landed on a carousel. The safest choice he can think of. 

He quickly pointed his finger towards the carousel, and Jonghyun chuckled, muttering "Cute" under his breath, but it drew Kibum's attention. "What?" Kibum asked defensively, to which Jonghyun muttered a quiet 'nothing' and then took Kibum's hand, heading towards the carousel.

They sat directly next to each other on the horses, and Kibum could finally relax and enjoy the ride. The merry-go-round was decked out in the traditional display of flashing lights and gleaming letter-box red paint. Wonderful music began to play above and around them as the gears began. The eyes adjusted to the world's constant speed as it passed them by.

Kibum, on the other hand, wanted the carousel to keep spinning so he could keep seeing Jonghyun's stunning smile. Jonghyun turned to face Kibum, and his warm laugh filled all of Kibum's senses and everything around him became a blur - the screams, laughter, clanking ride chains, whooshing of air brakes, people shouting out to one other. It was just the two of them. 

"Ca