---xxxviii;;

“How did things turn out this way?”

Shiyeon sighed, letting her arms dangle limply as she hung her upper torso over the fence of the bridge. She gazed at the churning water, leisurely running along with a dull expression. Beside her, Kai grinned cheerfully and stooped to meet her eyes.

“It’s fate,” he claimed cockily.

The girl snorted, “Or a curse.”

Kai frowned, straightening out and putting a hand over his heart, “Ouch. I’m hurt. After all I’ve done for you, are you going to treat me this way?”

The brunette faced him head-on, albeit being noticeably shorter, “And what exactly have you done for me?” she retorted, “Not to mention, you will be the one facing the raging she-devil called Byul if this so-called ‘date’  does not end with me being all dreamy and gushy.”

At the thought of a certain protective best friend, Kai gulped. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck before regaining his confidence and grabbing her hand.

“Don’t you worry about it, baby girl, you’ll be more than dreamy and gushy by the day’s end,” he winked back at her, “Let’s go on an adventure!”

Shiyeon scrunched up her nose, stumbling after him with her hand still tightly grasped.

“You idiot, we’re gonna trip and die!”

The girl shook her head in amusement, sipping her passion fruit green tea as Kai proceeded to fail repeatedly at the claw machine. She eyed the exit intently, debating whether she should ditch the man in the crowded arcade or wait until he succeeds—which may very well be never.

As if hearing her thoughts, Kai turned back and tossed her a disapproving look, “You’re not planning on running away from me with more less-than-logical excuses, are you?”

Shiyeon smirked, “Gee, how’d you know?”

He pouted childishly, “Come on! I’ve almost got it, give me a minute!”

She scoffed, averting her eyes from the undeniably cute puppy face he put up, “Whatever. If you still don’t get anything in a minute, we’re leaving.”

“Okay, okay!” Kai returned to focusing on the game, “I won’t fail you!”

“Did I ask you not to?” Shiyeon mumbled under her breath, smiling softly at his determined form nonetheless. She stared off into space as she waited, automatically drinking her tea in a machine-like fashion when a cheer kicked her out of her empty thoughts.

“ASA!”

Shiyeon raised a brow, eyes widening in surprise when Kai dragged her out of the arcade without another word. She groaned as they started into another sprint, her complaining continuously about the amount of exercise she definitely did not do—not even in a year.

When they arrived at a nearby park, the perfectly composed dancer sat the out-of-breath Shiyeon down on a bench and presented a pokeball with a dorky smile.

“Open it!”

She tossed him a glare, grabbing the small toy and aiming it at his forehead. Kai yelped at the impact, but somehow managed to catch it.

“You didn’t have to make me run. Is this what you spent half an hour and a fortune trying to get?”

Kai scowled, “Yes, so accept it!”

Rolling her eyes, Shiyeon opened the pokeball and nearly fell onto the ground in laughter. Inside the toy sat a plastic ring, embedded with a less-than-realistic red crystal.

“I hope you don’t expect me to wear this.”

“No, but I expect you to wear this one.” Kai squatted down before her, casually slipping an intricate white gold ring of several bands conjoined at random spots onto her hand. Shiyeon twitched, unable to force the blush from creeping onto her cheeks.

Shiyeon bit her lips, “Kim Jongin—“

Said male held a finger to her lips, much to the girl’s annoyance, “Nope! You’re wearing it. If you take it off I’ll just assume you hate me and never want to see me again.”

She slapped his hand away, “If you keep shoving your finger into my face then maybe I will hate you.”

Ignoring her statement, Kai cupped her face with both hands and squished her cheeks together (which, of course, was more to his amusement than hers) and grinned, “It’s a promise ring. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s a symbol that you’re never going to leave my side as long as I live.”

“That sounds horrifying.”

“I love you too,” he dismissed it flippantly, knowing her odd expression of affection, “I’ll replace it with a huge diamond when we get married. I’m just saying, but I want four kids.”

“Kim Jongin, off!”

I was hit with an extreme wave of guilt and pumped out this piece of in like idk 10 minutes. My throat is killing me and my nose is stuffed my brain pounds please forgive me I .

Anyway this will probably end soon. What started as a birthday gift for my baby has continued for like...a year lmao OTL. WHOOPS SORRY NOT SORRY