“This is your idea of fun?” I had to ask the moment we parked outside.

“What? I’ve heard by many people that it’s a nice place,” Krystal said and got off the bike with a straight face. I stowed the helmets away as I could only look at her with a slightly perplexed expression, the neon lights lightly glowing in the background despite the sunny day.

“Paintball is fun, but I’m not sure if it’s something for you,” I had to say the truth as we both walked towards the entrance, me trying to ignore the slightly giddy feeling inside by being next to her.

“It cannot be that bad, can it?” Krystal asked so innocently, although something suspicious was in her voice. I wasn’t sure if I had the heart to stop her, although someone who looked as fragile as her probably wouldn’t like or handle it. Even with the protective gear, she would still get some wounds from the harsh paint, and I could only sigh.

“If that’s what you want,” I concluded as we entered through the double doors to be greeted by a girl not much older than us. Her hair was mostly hidden in a cap, a loose sweater on her body with a nametag that read “Amber Liu” as she noticed us enter.

“Wow Krystal! long time; no see,” was the first thing she said as we stood in front of her, and I wondered how on earth they knew each other, but Krystal replied before I could ask.

“What can I say? Things have been quite hectic,” she then said while leaning casually on the counter, a very laidback side of her I had never seen before as she spoke. “Luckily, I’m finally done with those classes or else I would be stuck in my study room now,” the redhead continued as they struck up a short conversation.

“Good for you,” Amber began before her eyes casted towards me. “Oh, are you Ara?” she then asked and I could only look a bit surprised by the fact that she knew my name.

“How did you know?” I asked, looking over at Krystal, who now had her eyes focused on the posters in front of her. How odd.

“The blue hair was kind of a hint,” she gestured to the dyed locks and I could only shrug. “Besides, our little Soojung here has frequently men – “

Krystal then proceeded to lean over while smacking what seemed like a book onto her chest, interrupting whatever she was about to say with a slightly pained noise.

“Just sign us up, alright?” the redhead continued and I could only dart my eyes from Krystal to Amber, wondering what was going on, but I didn’t bother questioning it as the latter only laughed.

“Okay then, whatever you say,” Amber was still slightly chuckling, as she began to type something on her computer while we stood there. “I’m just going to go ahead and give you a private course, although we usually prefer people in teams, but I guess I’ll let it slide.”

I nodded slightly as she was still typing and checking some things on that computer. “I know Krystal knows the rules, but have you ever played paintball before Ara?”

Again I nodded, although it was a long time ago, but it took me a second to realize that Krystal knew too. Had this girl actually played paintball before?

“Then I don’t need to instruct you. You know where to find your gear Krystal. Ara, come with me,” Amber then said before nodding towards the hall on the right. I could only follow, although I looked back to see the redheaded girl simply go the opposite direction, not really caring about anything as if she’d been here multiple times before.

Honestly, I started to become a bit scared now.

“Uh, I know I said I played paintball before, but that was a long time ago so… could you just refresh me on the rules a bit?” I asked while we walked down the seemingly endless hall, not knowing why I grew so anxious all of the sudden.

“Just remember to wear your protective gear and mask at all times, unless you are in the safety zone. When you have gotten shot you’re out. However, since you’re only two you can decide how many times you have to get shot. Remember to raise your hand when you are officially eliminated, because Krystal sometimes gets carried away and doesn’t know how to stop.”

I could only look at her shocked by what she just said; a small gulp probably audible to her ears as we stopped by a door. Amber was quick to unlock it before we entered a room with a lot of well used overalls, masks and paintball guns.

“I think it’s best I warn you; she may look fragile and stuff, but she is the resident champion here. Neither Luna, Sulli or I have managed to beat her.”

Another gulp was probably heard by me, and I figured that I was slowly starting to regret saying yes to this. I wasn’t exactly bad the last time I played this, I came in a decent second place, but that was maybe because the competition was fairly easy. Sunny and Kai were seriously easy to beat… The same with their friends Tiffany, Sehun and Taeyeon, but Sooyoung was such a sly fox so it wasn’t weird that she won.

Either way, we were all newbies, but if I was going against someone who seemed to have done this a lot then I wasn’t too sure if I would get out of this alive.

I still couldn’t even grasp the fact that Krystal knows how to play paintball.

When I had gotten the dark green overalls on, along with the mask and a simple paintball gun, I was now standing on one side of the course while Krystal was probably on the other end. It felt as if I was sitting on a rollercoaster, getting ready for the fall and speed as a faint feeling of dread entered my system the moment the game officially started.

We had agreed on ten lives, which meant ten shots on the other and you’d win.

Things had gotten tense the minute I stepped out and scanned the course around me, makeshift objects to use as protection or for hiding. I was tough enough to simply hide behind the closest one I could find.

Scared? No, not at all…

That was an obvious lie, if you must know.

Thinking that I’d at least have to try and fight back, I ducked my body behind the small safety wall as I took cautious steps further into the path and the entire area. We had only gotten one of the smaller courses, but it still felt gigantic in my eyes.

Maybe ten minutes had passed, and I still hadn’t seen Krystal as I got the courage to look up and see if she was around. My eyes scanned the little I could see from where I was hidden, probably right in the middle before a slightly painful shot entered through my back.

I didn’t even have to think before I climbed over the small fort and onto the other side, knowing I was one life down already as I just simply shot back, not even knowing if I hit her or not. Was it odd that my heart was picking up its speed again as I sat there, small amounts of adrenaline building up in my entire being.

After a moment I then looked up, and I almost thought she had gone somewhere else until I saw a part of her boots exposed, and I knew she was hiding behind the paint covered wall. I could only slightly smirk, as I snuck like a fox ready to take their pray down.

Now it was show time.

Or not as I could only stand there like an idiot with my hand up, a bit embarrassed as I could literally feel Krystal’s smirk about half an hour later into the game.

“Maybe it was not anything for me, but wow Ara, you really got me good there,” she said a bit teasingly as I could only give her a glare from where we stood as I went to the exit in surrender. We both just took off our masks as none of us would actually shoot the other now, although I almost wanted to.

“How’d it go?” Amber asked as she waited by the exit of the course, and judging by our expressions she probably understood as she could only shake her head in disappointment. “I believed in you, Ara, but now we’re just going to have to live with the shame that none of us can beat her.”

I nodded a bit, almost humiliated by the fact that the redhead had won so easily. I had only managed to shoot her thrice. Oh my God, I wasn’t even close to beating her as I could feel her shoot one hit after another with ease.

“The worst part was probably that I was playing easy on you,” Krystal then retorted to my horror and I could just facepalm at myself. How in the world did someone like her know how to play paintball so well? It just didn’t add up no matter how I thought of it.

“Go get changed now, I still have other customers wanting to play,” Amber then said and shoved us in the direction towards the hall. I only chuckled slightly as I opted to follow Krystal, although I didn’t understand why we’d have to change in an own room because we still had our clothes on underneath.

Krystal opened the door, only for me to see a small room with red lockers and a bench with a slightly flickering light above. It looked something alike the gym changing room at school, as I looked around although it was not much to see.

The redhead opened one of the lockers, some other stuff inside as she slipped out of her overall only for me to notice she was not wearing the same as before.

She was in fact, wearing much less as she stood there with the suit pooling around her knees, only a white sports bra and a pair of jogging shorts on and I didn’t know why the sight of her just standing there made my throat go dry.

The girl might have felt my stare as she only turned around to give me a perplexed look. What was up with all the sudden emotions on her face?

“Is there something wrong?” she then asked and I shook my head, perhaps a little too quickly as I proceeded to stand by the bench a little distance away. Carefully, I ped the slightly large overall off along with the boots. I was still wearing the same outfit as before, although when I looked down I noticed how wrinkly my shirt had become along with what would be forming bruises on my skin.

“Hurry up, I have somewhere else to take you,” she then continued while probably changing to the outfit she wore previously. My eyes couldn’t turn to look because that would only make my body feel hot for a reason I did not want to discuss.

Instead I was a bit confused by where she meant this time, and also by her sudden relaxed tone as if she sounded more… normal.

I wondered where she would take me next though, as I could only slightly smile by the day’s events.

Let’s just hope nothing bad happens.