“Food, finally!” Kangin celebrated as the group arrived at the food and drink bar. After the punishment they needed to get their energy back.

“Is it really free?” Ryeowook sounded amused while looking at the variations of food.

“Yes, it is.” Leeteuk answered.

“Whoa.”

“Okay, get in line before dawn! I’m hungry.” Kyuhyun grumped.

Shinkyung looked at him in wonder. He was back to being the same but she couldn’t forget how carefree he seemed on the roller coaster. Seeing him actually happy and smiley is new. Not bad by all means but unusual nonetheless… and maybe a bit better. His smile is nice.

“Where is my little brave best friend?” Seowon appeared and linked her arm with hers.

“You let your little brave best friend die.” Shinkyung reminded her bitter.

“Ya, don’t overreact it! The boys were with you, nothing could have happened.”

Miyeon tapped on her shoulder.

“Kyungie, have you seen Donghae oppa?”

Shinkyung instantly looked around. The birthday boy was indeed nowhere to be seen. Huh? Where did he go?

“He was with us a few minutes ago.”

Miyeon nodded. She was slightly pale.

“I know that’s why I’m worried.”

“What if some girl kidnapped him when we weren’t looking?” Seowon panicked.

Shinkyung couldn’t help but laugh a little at the crazy idea. He’s popular but still.

“He might just need some time alone.” She said. “Everybody’s attention is on him.”

“He looked upset when he left.” Eunhyuk butted in leisurely.

“You’ve seen him, darling?” Seowon wondered.

“Yes. He dropped behind by the shooting gallery.”

“Why haven’t you stopped him then, oppa?” Shinkyung furrowed her eyebrows then gave her drink to Seowon and sighed. “I’ll check if he’s okay.”

We left that place twenty minutes ago. How could we not notice him missing earlier? Shinkyung wasn’t sure where to look for him but felt determined and worried enough not to be bothered by the fact.

…

Shinkyung took a left turn by the shooting gallery while looking around carefully. Damn Lee Donghae and his popularity! There are so much people around…

It’s been a while since she left the others and the food and drink bar and started looking for the missing birthday boy but she couldn’t get him.

Shinkyung passed by a red tent when she realized she was there before. Two minutes ago exactly… She let out a big sigh and sat down on the bench nearby. It’s my first time at this park, of course I got lost! She regretted that she refused to bring the map Miyeon printed out for her.

She was about to get drown in pity when her phone rang.

“Yes?”

“Where are you?”

“Oh, Kyuhyun.” Shinkyung was taken aback. “Well… near to a red tent.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Sitting and waiting for a miracle to happen…”

“Kang, it’s not time for teasing back. Why did you left?!”

Is it just me or he does sound angry?

“Donghae went missing.” She answered while still looking. “According to Eunhyuk oppa he seemed to be upset so –“

“It’d be better if you came back.”

Huh?

“It’s been more than thirty minutes since he disappeared. Somebody has to look for him.”

“Somebody has to but not you.”

Shinkyung stared at the ground in front of herself. He’s right, but…

“I promised to stop longing after him, not to stop caring about him.” She murmured. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Oh, I don’t worry about you.”

Shinkyung couldn’t decide whether he’s joking or serious but she had more important things to do so she let him be.

“I’m hanging up.”

“Shinkyung-a.”

The said girl hesitantly put her phone back to her ear. What if he just scolds her again?

“Yes?”

“Look for the blue tent beside The Haunted Castle. You’re welcome.”

Shinkyung stared at the screen of her phone with suspicion. Could he be really there? But how does Kyuhyun know? Aish, if he’s lying and makes me get more lost with this advice, our friendship is so over...

The Haunted Castle was impossible to be mistaken with his enormous size and scary paint. A group of girls ran out of it loudly squealing when Shinkyung arrived. The smaller blue tent was there next to it just like Kyuhyun had said. Please, let Donghae be there and not in the castle.

Shinkyung pulled up the canvas and peeked inside. It was supposed to be some kind of a gallery with paintings of monsters and ghosts. No wonder why nobody is here, she thought disturbed as she passed by an especially disgusting one.

“Oppa?” She tried calling Donghae. “Are you there?”

“Shin-a?”

On the bench, between two portraits of vampires, Donghae looked up. The light radiating from the only light bulb was dim but Shinkyung could still see that he’s not feeling very happy as he supposed to be.

“Care to tell me why are you hiding in the middle of nowhere when the others are outside celebrating you?” She asked as she sat down.

Donghae looked afar.

“That’s not how I imagined my nineteenth birthday to be.”

Shinkyung slowly nodded.

“Well, I’ve told Seowon-a it’s going to be too grand for you, oppa. I haven’t known you that long ago but you seem like the person who feels better with a smaller party.”

“No, it’s not that.” He shook his head. “I can’t be thankful enough to get a party like this.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Donghae didn’t say anything but the expression on his face said Shinkyung that he has a problem and it’s huge. Why else would he be so sad in the middle of his birthday party?

“Ya, cheer up, oppa!” She lightly nudged his shoulder with hers. “It’s your birthday. It’s the day you can get everything you want.”

Shinkyung only realized the ambiguousness in her words when she already said them out. Donghae looked back at her intensely.

“Everything you say?”

Oh no. Why is he looking at me like that? Shinkyung felt like on September 1st in the studio of the radio. It was only the two of them, next to the other, looking at the other, waiting for the other to make the first step…

“Well, why not?” Shinkyung somehow managed to break the intense eye contact producing a silly laugh. “But you can’t get anything, if you’re just sitting here, oppa. Let’s go back to the other before they start worrying about you!”

With that Shinkyung stood up and was ready to march out but two arms embracing her waist made her abruptly stop.

“Kang Shinkyung, do you like me?”

For moments she hasn’t heard anything else but the blood drumming in her ears. What is happening? And more importantly, why is it happening?

I heard it wrong, right? Donghae hasn’t asked…

“Please, answer me.” He was now leaning on her back, according to the puffs of breath she felt through her dress. “Do you like me?”

Shinkyung gulped.

“Why would I not like you? You’re amazing, oppa. Understanding, nice, caring and always smiling…”

“That’s not what I’ve asked.”

It’s time. I should say what I’ve said several times already. ‘School first’, ‘I’m not into dating’, ‘I appreciate you more as a friend’… I have plenty of choices to choose from, Shinkyung thought. It’s even easier to say since he’s behind me and I don’t see his face. I can run away as soon as I said it out. Come on, Kang Shinkyung.

But at the same time she remembered all the time she was refused. How bad she felt then, how empty she felt after, how she wished she would be better for that person… Does Donghae deserve to feel like that? No.

But there’s Miyeon.

“You can’t answer me?” Donghae sounded sad.

“I could. But I don’t want to.”

Next thing Shinkyung felt was getting spin around and standing face to face with him.

“Don’t do this to me, Shinkyung.” Donghae said, clasping her arms by her side. There was something in his eyes which made Shinkyung feel even worse. “I can’t wait any longer for you. Heck, I’ve been waiting since summer, I… I need to now. Have you ever thought of me more than a friend?”

“Yes.”

She could do that. Although she hated herself for it - Donghae’s eyes lit up with hope.

“And how did it felt?”

“It felt nice.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. She hated herself so much. “But oppa –“

“I don’t need anything else.” He interrupted her and enveloped her into a tight hug. “I like you, Shin-a… Scratch that, I love you.”

Shinkyung couldn’t move. Those three words were enough to make her freeze like a statue.

He said… He said he loves me.

She felt the warmth which it caused but it was different from the warmth she hoped for. Her heart was filled up but beside happiness she felt more content somehow. She felt satisfa