Before I post the next chapter, I just want to say a big huge THANK YOU to every single person who has left a comment or subscribed to this story! You guys are the absolute best. The comments you guys leave on here practically leave me in tears, they're so sweet! I love you all so much! ♥

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                The smooth, black pavement rolled right underneath the tires of the silver van as it glided down the street. Palm trees lined both sides of the neatly paved road, and colorful road signs were at every single corner. A map and a compass were practically necessities to weave through all these streets. Why were there so many forks in the roads? Why were there so many intersections? Maybe this was a strategy to build up suspense, so finally when you see the big blue welcome sign, you’re ready to burst from the excitement.

                Jonghyun was the first to spot the sign. He was sitting in the front seat, after all. “Look!” he exclaimed, pointing frantically out the window with a wide smile on his face.

                Changhyun pressed his face against the glass window. His eyes lit up childishly. “We’re here!”

                The silver van roared with excitement. Byunghun pulled his headphones out of his ears. Daniel shut off his Gameboy. Minsoo woke up from his nap. The boys watched with wide eyes as they passed the bright blue sign and rolled further down the street. Chanhee called out suddenly, pointing an excited finger over in the distance, where the peak of a roller coaster stuck out from the leafy tops of palm trees. Uncle Sunho shook his head from side to side slowly, chuckling to himself. He wasn’t about to tell them to quiet down; he wanted them to have fun. They deserved to have fun. They had worked hard all year performing and promoting their songs, and now it was time for them to unwind. He didn’t even tell Jonghyun to sit back down in his seat after he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around to rejoice with his friends in the back.

                It was about time they all became friends again. Jonghyun and Changhyun’s relationship had healed swiftly and painlessly, leaving no scars behind. It was remarkable how quickly their big blow-up had blown over. It took a few days (and a lot of kisses) for Min Neul to completely forgive Jonghyun, though. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief when their relationship fell back into place, even Hyerin. Min Neul and Jonghyun were inseparable once again. They weren’t the only ones, though, Byunghun and Chanhee were too. Their fight was over quicker than it had started. They really had talked it out and made up with each other just moments before Byunghun heard the news that broke his heart. I had been terrified of losing him again, and luckily I never did. During our time at the beach we had not only fixed our relationship, we had strengthened it. We told each other everything there was to know. I remember the way he had looked at me right before we turned to leave the beach. He had slipped his hand in mine and quietly thanked me with his eyes. In that moment, I honestly thought that nothing could ever come between us again. Not every relationship had been mended so smoothly, though. It took Byunghun nearly a week to forgive Jonghyun. At first they had just given each other the cold shoulder, Byunghun out of spite and Jonghyun out of guilt. Eventually, Jonghyun couldn’t take their silence and maturely apologized to Byunghun, confessing everything he thought and felt. Byunghun listened to every word he said before calmly accepting forgiving him. The apology was sealed with a hug and topped off with a smile from both boys.

                Soon after happiness had been restored, my parents and Uncle Sunho had begun to tease us about a big announcement they were going to make. We all waited patiently for another week to pass before they dropped the velvet curtain at last. It had happened the night we celebrated Daniel’s birthday. After the cake had been devoured and the presents had been opened, my parents hinted yet again at another present. This time, it was one we would all enjoy. After much begging, they finally gave in and revealed that we would be spending our last few days in California at Disneyland. Excitement exploded among the nine of us as thee adults informed us of the vacation they had booked. We would be spending all day at the various theme parks in Disneyland, riding all the rides we wanted and running around however we pleased, and then crashing later that night in one of Disney’s luxury hotels. It was the most perfect way to spend our last few days in paradise, and now that we were all friends again, we could spend our last few days in paradise together.

                The boys were obviously eager for the fun to begin, because the door to the van had slid open before Uncle Sunho had even parked the van. Changhyun popped out of the car. Daniel was close on his heels. Byunghun jumped out next. Uncle Sunho just chuckled quietly to himself and shook his head.

                The silver van rolled into the parking space beside the red one. Hyerin, Min Neul and I had popped out of the red van as soon as my father had pulled in. We joined the six giddy boys on the sidewalk and squealed loudly.

                “I can’t believe we’re here!” Daniel exclaimed.

                “I’m so excited!” Changhyun cried.

                “Who’s going on a roller coast with me?” Chanhee asked.

                “ME!” Byunghun, Hyerin, Min Neul and I called at the same time.

                “Alright, alright, we have to actually enter the park first,” Mom laughed. She handed each of us our tickets, which we clutched onto and stared down at it like they were winning lottery tickets. We didn’t let go of them until we gladly handed them over to the workers at the front gates. I chuckled to myself as I heard Jonghyun happily cry “Thank you!” in English to the worker as she handed him back his ticket after scanning it.

                We were officially in the park. Despite it being only noon, Disneyland was already flooded with people. Families of all shapes and sizes surrounded us. Small children wearing Mickey Mouse ears happily liked their dripping ice cream cones. Moms searched through diaper bags for another juice pouch. Fathers were promising to ride the Teacups once more time—after lunch. A blonde girl was posing with pretty Snow White. A curly-haired little boy high-fived Mickey. Disney characters waltzed through the pathways, granting a smile on the face of every child they passed. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was laughing. There was something magical about Disneyland that brought a smile to everyone’s face, no matter how old you were or what language you spoke.

                As we gazed around, we all seemed to be mesmerized. In the distance I could see a long stretch of roller coaster carts plummet down a deep, vertical drop. I wanted to grab Byunghun’s hand and take off running in that direction, dying to strap myself into a cart and grip Byunghun’s hand and scream my lungs out as the wind whipped my hair behind me…

                Mom, who was watching our expressions, laughed. “Alright, now can we please come up with some kind of plan?”

                “Yes,” I answered, snapping back into reality.

                “Okay, here’s the plan,” Dad announced in Korean, gaining everyone’s attention immediately. “You kids may walk around the park by yourselves. Please don’t go anywhere alone, though. I’d like for all of you to have at least one person with you at all times. You all have my cell phone number. Call if you need anything or you get lost. You all have money for food.  Go anywhere you want as long as you don’t leave the park. Understood?” When he received confirmation, he continued. “Meet back here at five. We can head to the hotel. Then if you really want to go back to the park at night, we can later.”

                “Later? At night?” Hyerin asked, her eyes lighting up like stars.

                Dad smiled. “Part of our vacation package allows you kids to come to the park at night.”

                “Really?” Byunghun squeaked.

                “Amazing!” Daniel cried.

                “I’m so excited!” Min Neul cried.

                “Can we go on some rides now?” Changhyun asked impatiently.

                “Alright, alright, sure,” Mom giggled. “Meet back here at five. Don’t forget. Now, get out of here!”

                Hyerin, Minsoo, Min Neul, Jonghyun, Changhyun, Daniel, Chanhee, Byunghun and I took off like rockets, leaving the adults behind. We maneuvered through the crowds of people, not knowing where we were going but being eager to get there. We welcomed the sun shining brightly down on us. It gave us energy to keep walking through the crowds in search of something that caught our eyes. There was just so much to do around us that we couldn’t settle on just one idea.

                “Can we go on a roller coaster?” Chanhee whined.

                “A roller coaster?” Minsoo repeated, sounding a little unsure. He slowed his pace to a stop.

                “What’s the matter?” Hyerin asked, tilting her head to the side. “You don’t like roller coasters?”

                Minsoo blushed. “Ah…not really…”

                “You don’t like water, you don’t like roller coasters…” Daniel shook his head slowly. The boys laughed.

                “I can’t help it!” Minsoo defended, just as Hyerin gave his hand a supportive little squeeze.

                “You don’t have to go on any roller coasters,” she promised reluctantly.

                “Well I sure am,” Byunghun announced boldly, smiling broadly as his eyes turned the shape of rainbows. He reached out to slip his fingers between mine. His eyes zoned in on me as he spoke again, his voice sounding playfully flirty. “Want to ride in the first cart with me?”

                I opened my mouth to respond a definite yes to Byunghun’s suggestion, but something beyond him caught my eye. That something turned out to be someone. Standing just beyond our amoeba-like group of nine was a slender, light skinned girl with long, glamorous looking legs and a body comparable to SNSD’s Sooyoung’s. She had super long, pin straight black hair cascaded over her shoulder and she had an enviable V-line face. Her wide, innocent-looking eyes seemed to reflect the California sunshine. She had a dainty hand placed casually on her hip as her dark eyes locked onto mine.

                Choi Miyoung.

                Her lips parted slightly as she looked at me. She said something quietly to the two slender girls at her side, which both turned to lock eyes on the very same target. She nodded to them once before confidently strolling her way through the crowd of people. They seemed to part like the Red Sea for her. Her friends at her side followed like disciples. Sweet perfume filled the air as she sauntered over to me, cocking her hip once she had stopped before me. “Lee Kirin,” she purred slowly.

                “Choi Miyoung,” I stated as I started at the girl who sat beside me in one of my class. The girl who had rudely accused me of lying about my relationship with Teen Top’s L.Joe. I felt no remorse in giving her a sweetly phony smile. “I didn’t except to see you here.”

                “My parents booked an American cruise and we stopped for a day in California,” she explained in Korean. She tilted her head to the side. “What brings you here?”

                “Just on vacation with some friends,” I said with a shrug, gesturing to the group around me. “Oh!” I picked up my hand, which was intertwined with L.Joe’s. “And with my boyfriend.”

                I watched her eyes wander slowly from our hands to L.Joe’s body, then to his face. She stiffened up and her eyes grew wide the moment my boyfriend’s face registered in her brain. That was the same face that she had taped to the front of all of her notebooks. She had been too ignorant and arrogant to believe my words before, but she certainly would believe her eyes now. Seeing is believing, is it not?

                I grinned wickedly. I had her right where I wanted her. I turned away from open-mouthed Miyoung and her equally stunned friends. “Babe,” I said to L.Joe, “I’d like you to meet Choi Miyoung.”

                L.Joe gave her his charming smile. “Nice to meet you, Miyoung. I’m Lee Byunghun,” he said in Korean.

                Miyoung couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She stared at him with wide eyes, agape. She struggled to get her words out. “You’re…you’re L.Joe…”

                L.Joe chuckled and flipped his orange hair. “Yeah, I am. You know me?”

                Miyoung nodded ever so slowly.

                L.Joe chuckled again. “Are you one of Kirin’s friends?”

                Miyoung’s cheeks turned pink. “Uh, yeah,” she stammered, a forged smile breaking onto her face. “We’re really close, aren’t we, Kirin?”

                “Super close,” I answered sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes in her direction; it made her blush even more. Miyoung felt uncomfortable under my gaze and she averted her eyes elsewhere: onto L.Joe.

                By now, the two girls at Miyoung’s side were staring at the eight faces around me. One by one, their dark eyes fell on each familiar face, growing larger with every passing second. They knew all eight of us both by name and face. They gasped as they realized just were who the “friends” I was with. “You’re Teen Top,” one of the girls gasped. Her hand flew to .

                The boys looked around at each other. As if on cue, the six of them bowed down. “Hello, we’re the emotional teen pop band Teen Top!”

                The two girls squealed into their palms. Miyoung’s jaw dropped. The boys began to introduce themselves as members of Teen Top one by one. Min Neul instantly laced her fingers between Changjo’s and proudly pulled herself close to him. She silently gave the girls a deadly glare, warning them to look but don’t touch. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and held her head high, silently encouraging the girls to eat their jealous hearts out.

                Meanwhile, Miyoung turned to me. “You…you weren’t lying.”

                I shook my head proudly. “Nope. Never was. None of us were.”

                Miyoung shook her head too, but slowly, almost in disbelief. “I can’t believe it.”

                “Trust me, I can’t either,” I replied. I leaned close to her. “You would not believe what a great kisser he is.”

                My confidence rose as Miyoung’s jaw dropped. Never before had I displayed Byunghun like a trophy and smugly rubbed the fact that we were dating in people’s faces. I didn’t think that was right. But Miyoung had rudely accused me of lying to our entire school by using L.Joe’s name to win some popularity. For once, I wanted to deliberately make someone as envious as possible.

                To Min Neul, making someone as envious as possible wasn’t a luxury, it was life. She watched one of the girls wrinkle her nose and giggle loudly into her palm as she gazed at Changjo. Min Neul recognized her; she was in one of her classes. When Hyerin humbly admitted that yes, she was C.A.P’s girlfriend, Min Neul saw a wondrous opportunity. She rolled her shoulders back, stepped forward, and loudly and proudly declared “Hi, I’m Changjo’s girlfriend.”

                The two girls gasped once again, and commenced to squeal amongst each other. Miyoung turned back to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” she confessed.

                I smiled. “It’s okay. Sometimes I can’t even believe it myself.”

                Miyoung stepped close to me. “How’d you do it?” she whispered.

                I shrugged, chuckling. “Luck?”

                The three of us truly were lucky. Back at home, girls would stare us down in the hallways, silently wondering what made us so special that we could live a fangirl’s dream. I honestly think that the only thing I have to thank is luck. I’ve been told how lucky I was more times than I can count. I’ve never considered myself a lucky person, but doesn’t everyone deserve to strike gold at least once? The three of us felt like we hit the jackpot.

                Both the sun and our spirits were high all afternoon. The nine of us galloped through the park like an unstoppable hurricane. Byunghun’s hand never left mine no matter what. Not even when we stared up to the top of what looked like a gigantic rock formation. Letting our breath slow down and our eyes widen, we gazed up at the western-themed ride. A rustic sign read “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” in chipping yellow paint above what looked like the opening to a goldmine. Peering inside the cavern, we could see people standing in zigzag queues, anxiously waiting to board the roller coaster. Suddenly our attention was stolen by a loud whooshing noise and people screaming. We glanced up; winding around the various rock formations was a long wooden-looking cart of roller coaster riders. They screamed in delight as the cart whipped around tight corners and dove in and out of pitch black tunnels.

                Changhyun’s eyes grew. “Let’s go on this!”

                “Yeah!” Daniel cried in agreement.

                “Let’s go!” Chanhee declared. He, Changhyun, and Daniel took off inside the mine, joining the queue of people. Jonghyun and Min Neul dashed after them.

                Byunghun glanced back at Minsoo. “Are you going on?”

                “No way,” Minsoo answered with a head shake.

                I glanced at Hyerin. “Are you?”

                Hyerin glanced at Minsoo. She shook her head. “No thanks. I’ll wait out here with Minsoo.”

                “Are you sure?” I asked carefully. I knew Hyerin secretly wanted to ride the coaster; she just didn’t want Minsoo to be waiting alone.

                “Yeah, you guys can go,” Hyerin smiled. “We’ll be watching!”

                Byunghun and I our heels and entered the mine, snatching up the spots in line behind Min Neul and Jonghyun. The wait lasted about fifteen minutes, but it was well worth the wait. The carts fit twenty people, and two people sat side by side. Naturally Byunghun and I sat together, and so did Min Neul and Jonghyun. The other three boys played Rock Paper Scissors to see who was banished to sit with a stranger. Changhyun ended up losing. Chanhee and Daniel had snickered as the watched Changhyun take his seat alone, but the instantly regretted it the moment a slender, blonde-haired, blue-eyed teenage girl in little denim shorts hovered over the empty space beside Changhyun. She flashed him a pretty, pearly smile and asked kindly if she could sit there. Changhyun, excitedly answered “Yes!” even though he probably couldn’t understand the question anyway. She happily took the seat and informed him that her name was Emily. “I’m Ricky!” he had declared happily, proud that he understood her introduction. When Emily wasn’t looking, Changhyun wiggled his eyebrows at Chanhee and Daniel. They stuck their tongues out at him in jealousy. Finally, everyone was strapped in and the ride started. The carts inched forward into a goldmine, darkness entirely engulfing us. A few rusted lanterns lit the sides of the mine, but other than that it was completely pitch black.

                “You know, if you get scared, you can hold my hand,” Byunghun whispered with a smirk.

                I giggled. “Maybe I will.”

                Slowly, the carts began to accelerate. The ride was growing bumper as we rolled along the pebbly tracks. Lights flashed, illuminating the sides of the cave and showing off impressive stalagmites covering the sides of the cave. Next we ducked under a waterfall, giggling as we were lightly splashed with droplets of water. Then ,we came out of the cave and into brought daylight. The coaster really started to pick up speed now. We whizzed around corners, dodging rock formations and whizzing past stray carts filled with rocks and gold. We rolled in and out of caves, plunging into complete darkness one minute and escaping back into the sunlight the next. Everyone squealed in anticipation as we came flying out of a cave and into an incline. Byunghun’s eyes turned the shape of rainbows and be bounced slightly in his seat, looking around at the park below. His eyes scanned the crowd for Hyerin and Minsoo. I saw him tear his hands off the safety bar across his lap and wave frantically in the air at them the moment he saw them. Just as he turned back at the ride, a chorus of gasps filled the air. Fingers pointed to the sloppily painted sign that read “Danger! Blasting ahead!” as we began to wind down the mountain faster and faster. People were screaming in delight as we rounded a sharp, bumpy corner and flew in and out of caves. We dipped unexpectedly and rolled around banked turns, narrowly missing jagged rocks. The carts dipped one last time before plunging with thrilling speed into a cave-like tunnel. Suddenly, we began to slow. The breaks screeched to a halt as we inched back into the station. When the engine exhaled, the safety bars flew up from our laps. One by one, the coaster riders unbuckled their seatbelts and exited the ride, chatting animatedly about what fun those three minutes were.

                Byunghun, always a gentleman, held my hand as I stepped up out of the cart and onto the landing platform. We followed the crowd down a ramp and out into the park as the carts began filling with riders anxious to experience all the same thrills we had. My heart was still pounding as we stepped into the sunlight, squinting our eyes as we looked around to find the others. Suddenly I spotted Daniel’s thin arm flailing above the crowd, waving frantically to catch our attention.

                “That was fun!” Chanhee announced, smiling broadly.

                “Minsoo-hyung, you would have liked that one,” Daniel said sweetly, stepping closer to his hyung. “It wasn’t too intense.”

                “It wasn’t intense enough!” Changhyun declared, folding his arms across his chest.

                “Let’s go on another one,” Jonghyun suggested with a shrug.

                “What about Minsoo?” Hyerin asked, glancing at her defiant boyfriend.

                “How about we split up?” I suggested. “That way we all get to do what to do.”

                My plan was agreed upon, as declared by a unanimous nodding of heads. Minsoo and Hyerin went off to find a milder ride. Changhyun and Daniel went to go find another roller coaster. Jonghyun and Min Neul wandered off hand-in-hand next. Min Neul had said something about finding her favorite ride, and Jonghyun couldn’t refuse his goddess her happiness. That left Chanhee, Byunghun, and me standing on the side ot the road beneath the baking sun.

                Chanhee’s eyes darted back and forth between Byunghun and me. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, an indication that he was nervous. “Uh,” he muttered hesitantly. “If you two want to be alone then I can, uh, go with another group…”

                I chuckled, shaking my head. I was about to open my mouth and assure Chanhee that he could stick with Byunghun and me, but Byunghun beat me to it. “No, Chanhee, stay with us,” he insisted, stepping forward.

                Chanhee bit his lip. “Are you sure? Because I can go with Changhyun and Daniel, it’s no problem—”

                Byunghun shook his orange head defiantly. “No. We’re best friends, Chanhee. And it’s about time we started acting like it. You’re not going anywhere except with me, okay?”

                “But—”

                “Chanhee, you’re one of my best friends too,” I interrupted. “You’re always welcome to join Byunghun and me.”

                A beautiful, pearly smile spread across Chanhee’s beautiful, perfect face. Even his eyes smiled. “Really?” he squeaked.

                Chanhee’s smile was contagious, because Byunghun’s eyes turned the shape of rainbows as he grinned. “Really.”

                Chanhee blushed. He spoke in a low, sincere voice. “Thanks. You’re the best.”

                “I know,” Byunghun said smugly, flashing a smirk.

                “Speaking of the best,” I spoke up, “I hear ‘Space Mountain’ is one of the best roller coasters in this entire amusement park.”

                Chanhee’s eyes lit up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

                The Three Musketeers took off down the paved road. We confident strolled side by side with our heads held high and smiles on our faces. We talked like best friends. We laughed like best friends. The three of us felt so at ease with each other. It was like we had been best friends our entire lives, and hadn’t just been in a huge fight a few weeks earlier. Byunghun grinned from ear to ear as he glanced first at his best friend on his right and at his girlfriend on his left. All was as it should be.

                “One cotton candy, please!”

                Min Neul bent her head in an attempt to hide her smile, but she quickly straightened back up. She didn’t want to miss even a second of Jonghyun’s conversation with the lady at the concession stand they had stopped at. After riding various rides, including the swings twice, Min Neul had mentioned she was hungry. They had been at the park an awful long time, after all. Jonghyun, always wanting to please her, instantly led her over to the nearest food stand and offered to buy her whatever she wanted. Min Neul had settled on the fluffy blue cotton candy, and Jonghyun had confidently walked up to the stand. Min Neul followed close on his heels, giggling as he flashed the gray-haired lady a charming smile. He spoke a little too loudly, which only made her giggle even more.

                “What flavor?” the lady asked.

                Jonghyun blinked at her, his mouth slightly agape. Suddenly he blurted “Why?”

                “No, you’re supposed to say ‘what,’” Min Neul whispered.

                “What?” Jonghyun repeated.

                The lady let out a sharp, suppressed sigh. She pointed to the different colored bags of cotton candy in a row on the counter beside the cash register. “What color? Pink, blue, or yellow?”

                “Pink, blue, yellow,” Jonghyun repeated absentmindedly, glancing back at Min Neul.

                Min Neul’s eyes darted back at forth between the bags of cotton candy, the lady at the counter, and Jonghyun, who looked rather embarrassed. “Blue,” she answered quickly.

                “Blue!” Jonghyun declared loudly, turning back to face the lady.

                She pressed a few buttons on the cash register. “Bag or cone?”

                “Why?” Jonghyun blurted again, his cheeks turning pink.

                “’What’!” Min Neul hissed a correction again.

                “What?” Jonghyun repeated.

                The lady sighed deeper. She held up a cone in one hand and a bag in the other. “Pick one.”

                Jonghyun turned back around to glance at Min Neul. “I think she wants us to pick one,” he said in Korean.

                “Uh, the cone,” Min Neul answered. “It’ll be more fun to share.”

                A smile spread across Jonghyun’s face. He abruptly turned back around to face the lady. “This!” he cried, pointing a strong finger at the cone.

                The lady nodded lazily and shuffled over to the back of the food stand, turning her back to them. When she turned back around, she held a towering cone of blue sugar balancing atop a skinny white cone. “Four dollars,” she said, holding up four fingers.

                Jonghyun knew what “four dollars” meant. With a proud smile, he four bills into the lady’s hand. She in turn handed him the cotton candy. “Thank you very much!” he exclaimed louder than necessary.

                The lady couldn’t possibly be frustrated at this point; Jonghyun’s smile was sweeter than the treat in his hands. “No, thank you,” she said kindly. “Enjoy your stay at the park.”

                Jonghyun’s face fell. “Why?”

                “’What’!” Min Neul corrected yet again.

                “Next customer?” the lady called, looking over the Asian kids who obviously didn’t understand her.

                Jonghyun took Min Neul by the hand and led her away from the concession stand. As they began walking, he held out the massive cone of cotton candy to her. “One cotton candy for most beautiful girl in the world!” he exclaimed proudly in broken English.

                Min Neul giggled and beamed up at him. “Thank you,” she replied back in English. She stood on her toes to peck his cheek quickly. “I can’t believe we ordered this all by ourselves. In English!” she exclaimed, converting the language back to Korean.

                “Byunghun-hyung and Kirin-noona would be proud of us,” Jonghyun agreed.

                Min Neul nodded as she took a bite of the cotton candy. Instantly, the sweet sugar melted in . She closed her eyes and savored the moment. When she opened them again, she saw Jonghyun looking at her; he had an admiring smile on his face as he gazed down at her. Smiling, Min Neul held up the fluffy cone of sugar for Jonghyun. When he bit into it, he closed his eyes to savor the sugary flavor just as she had. Min Neul giggled and took another bite without taking her eyes off of Jonghyun.

                Screams overhead dissolved their sweet moment like cotton candy. A rollercoaster towered above them, and one of the long stretches of carts had just swooped down the biggest drop. The riders screamed in delight as the track dipped and curved, climbed and swerved. For a moment, both Min Neul and Jonghyun gazed up at it, just watching the coaster roll along the smooth, sleek track. The coaster towered impressively high in the air, practically daring those who watched below to ride it. It was fast, sleek, and thrilling.

                Jonghyun was the one to break the silence. He turned to Min Neul, his eyes wide with delight. “We have got to ride this!”

                At that very moment, Chanhee, Byunghun and I came strolling down the path. We had just gone on Grizzly River Run, a water ride. Luckily, we hadn’t gotten very wet. Suddenly, Chanhee had spotted the couple sharing cotton candy and staring up at the roller coaster from afar. He had gasped and pointed a finger in the distance. “Hey!” he had exclaimed. “Isn’t that Min Neul and Jonghyun?” After deciding that yes, that was in fact them, we shuffled our way through the crowd to them.

                Chanhee jumped on Teen Top’s maknae. “Hey maknaes!”

                “God!” Min Neul exclaimed, gasping sharply, obviously surprised. “You scared me!”

                Byunghun, Chanhee and I giggled. “Sorry,” Chanhee apologized.

                Byunghun looked up at the roller coaster. “California Screamin,” he read the sign.

                “Sounds intense,” I chuckled.

                “Sounds perfect!” a voice behind us said in Korean. The five of us turned around to find Daniel and Changhyun panting behind us, their foreheads shining with sweat.

                “We saw you guys from far away,” Changhyun explained breathlessly.

                “If you’re going on the roller coaster, we’re coming too!” Daniel exclaimed.

                Byunghun shrugged. “I’ll ride it.”

                “I will too,” Chanhee agreed.

                “Count me in,” Jonghyun chimed in.

                “Me too!” Min Neul was quick to add.

                “Then let’s go!” I giggled, pointing towards the entrance.

                “Where are Minsoo-hyung and Hyerin-noona?” Changhyun asked.

                “Minsoo-hyung wouldn’t want to ride this,” Chanhee responded.

                “Hyerin might,” Byunghun said with a shrug.

                “They could be anywhere in this entire park,” Daniel spoke up.

                Jonghyun was staring off in the distance with his eyes squinted. Suddenly he pointed. “Isn’t that them over there?”

                Seven pairs flew to the direction Jonghyun was pointing in. Sure enough, a dark-haired girl wearing jean shorts and an orange t-shirt was sitting on a bench beside a tall boy dressed casually in a white v-neck and tight black jeans. A black baseball cap sat on his head, shading his eyes from the sun. the two were talking quietly to one another with small, content smiles on their faces.

                “Let’s go get them!” Changhyun cried.

                “Why?” Jonghyun asked. “Minsoo-hyung won’t ride the roller coaster with us.”

                Changhyun pouted. “I wish Minsoo-hyung was fun. He never wants to do anything fun.”

                “We should make him go on the roller coaster with us,” Chanhee suggested deviously.

                “Yeah!” Byunghun cried in agreement. “He can’t go to Disneyland without riding a roller coaster!”

                Changhyun and Chanhee took off running in their hyung’s direction. Byunghun and I followed, and the Jonghyun and Min Neul did. Hyerin saw us coming; she smiled brightly and waved when we reached her.

                “Hi!” she exclaimed happily. “Is this place awesome or what?”

                “Totally,” Daniel agreed with a nod.

                “We’ve been on so many rides today,” Chanhee added.

                Hyerin casually glanced at Minsoo. “We haven’t been on many,” she confessed.

                Changhyun gasped. “Then you must ride one with us!”

                “No thanks,” Minsoo answered quickly.

                “Aw, come on,” Byunghun urged. “There’s a really fun roller coaster over there that we all want to ride. Don’t you want to join us?”

                “No way.” Minsoo shook his head.

                “Minsoo-hyung,” Changhyun whined. He looked at his hyung with wide, pleading eyes. “It’ll be so much fun!”

                “I don’t like roller coasters,” Minsoo answered, sitting back.

                “You’ve never been on one!” Chanhee protested.

                “I’d like to keep it that way,” Minsoo answered.

                “Come on Minsoo,” Chanhee pleaded. “Just have fun with us for once. When are we ever going to come back to Disneyland again?”

                “What are you so afraid of, hyung?” Daniel asked innocently.

                “I don’t like heights,” Minsoo answered.

                “I don’t either,” Byunghun shrugged. “But roller coasters are just too much fun.”

                “No way,” Minsoo replied.

                Changhyun turned to Hyerin. “Noona, will you ride the roller coaster with us?”

                “I would love to,” Hyerin lingered on the last word, glancing sideways at Minsoo. “But I don’t want to leave Minsoo down here all alone.”

                “But you love roller coasters,” Min Neul spoke up innocently. “Remember that time we went to Lotte World? We rode that one coaster four times in a row.”

                Hyerin shrugged. “I don’t want to leave Minsoo alone.”

                Chanhee sighed. “Suit yourselves,” he shrugged as he turned to walk away. Sulking, Changhyun and Daniel followed after him. Min Neul, Jonghyun, and Byunghun were the next to walk away.

                I lingered behind. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I asked Hyerin quietly.

                “You guys go,” Hyerin said. “Have fun.” She forced a smile. I sighed, but I accepted her decision. I tuned on my heels to follow Byunghun. Changhyun and Daniel darted for the entrance to the coaster, claiming to the wind that they would get the best seats. Min Neul and Jonghyun ran after them, challenging them. Even Byunghun, Chanhee and I joined in the race.

                Hyerin reluctantly watched from her seat on the bench. She sighed. “You really won’t go on?”

                Minsoo bit his lip. He looked up at the coaster. He watched the way the carts tipped over the edge before plummeting down the track, swooping dangerously low to the ground before whipping around a corner and climbing its way back up in anticipation of another drop. Minsoo looked back down at Hyerin, who was gazing longingly at the roller coaster. He knew she wanted to ride it. And he knew she wanted him to be right there beside her, screaming with her as they plummeted to the ground. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Fine.”

                “Fine?” Hyerin repeated.

                Minsoo nodded, opening his eyes. He stood up. “You want to go on it? Fine. Let’s go.”

                Hyerin’s eyes lit up, and she stood up beside him. “You’ll go on it with me?”

                “If that’s what you want,” Minsoo said sweetly, gripping her hand tightly.

                Hyerin gave him a thousand-watt smile. “You’re the best,” she said sweetly.

                “Yeah, yeah,” Minsoo chuckled. He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ll race you to the gate.”

                “You’re on!” Hyerin cried delightfully. Side by side, they took off across the pavement to join the line of anxious, future coaster riders. They snatched the spots in the queue line right behind Byunghun and me.

                “Well, well, look who decided to join us,” Byunghun chuckled, looking behind him with a smile.

                I squealed as I turned around to face Hyerin. She squealed back. “I’m so excited!” she giggled.

                “I am too!” I exclaimed. I glanced beyond Hyerin at Minsoo. “How’d you get Minsoo to go on it?”

                Hyerin shrugged. “He knew I really wanted to ride it. And he wanted to make me happy.”

                “Aw,” I giggled, smiling up at Minsoo.

                Teen Top’s leader blushed. “Yeah, yeah,” he chuckled, slinging an arm around Hyerin’s waist. “She owes me for this.”

                Hyerin, Byunghun and I laughed. Suddenly, the line moved forward. I heard Daniel and Changhyun holler in excitement ahead of us. We still had a long way to go before we reached the front of the line, but we were willing to wait as long as we had to. It was all going to be worth it. California Screamin was the most intense ride in the whole park. It bragged to be the fastest roller coaster and boasted to have the steepest drop. My hands grew clammy just thinking about the big drop. I could hardly wait until we reached the front of the line.

                Soon, but not soon enough, we were finally there. We anxiously watched as the previous passengers exited the ride, looking a little more than winded. Changhyun was the first to hop in the cart, and Daniel hopped in beside him. Chanhee had lost the bet, and was forced to ride alone this time. Min Neul and Jonghyun sat behind him, bouncing in their seats as they gripped the metal safety bar in their laps. Byunghun had grabbed my hand and directed me to the very front cart. Hyerin excitedly grabbed Minsoo’s hand and directed him to follow us. I heard him moan behind us as he took the seat behind me.

                Byunghun turned around. “Excited, hyung?”

                “No,” Minsoo barked, already gripping the safety bar for dear life.

                “Oh, you’ll have fun. Trust me,” Hyerin promised.

                Minsoo let out a skeptical groan, which made Hyerin chuckle and shake her head from side to side.

                “Oh come on, Minsoo,” Byunghun said. “Be a man!”

                “Hey Byunghun?”

                “Yeah?”

                “Shut the hell up.”

                After the coaster attendants made sure everyone was securely situated, the ride could officially begin. Most of the passengers cheered, except for Minsoo. Suddenly, the carts jerked forward. We hadn’t even been in motion for five seconds, but everyone was already screaming. We were launched at lightning speed, the wind whipping our hair behind us. Right away we rolled smoothly into an ice blue tunnel, which was enclosed on one side but open on the other. As we climbed higher and higher, Byunghun’s head rolled around on his shoulders, excitedly looking every which way he could. He was obviously enjoying the anticipation of the long haul to the top. The same couldn’t be said for everyone though; directly behind him, Minsoo was practically frozen in fear. He sunk low into the cart, gripping the silver safety bar across his lap for dear life. Beside him, Hyerin was smiling in suspense. Min Neul and Jonghyun were marveling in excitement as they gazed at the view from up high, holding hands as always. Daniel and Changhyun were daring each other to let go of the bar the moment we plummeted to the ground, and Chanhee was laughing along with his dongsaengs in front of him. A few suspenseful moments later, the cart reached the very top of the incline. Everyone took in a sharp breath, but screamed it back out the second we tipped over the edge. The ride down was so fast that we were all still screaming as we twisted to the right and climbed up another short incline. We jerked to the right, then jerked to the left. The next corner we rounded twisted us almost parallel to the ground below, which conducted a whole new chorus of screams. Byunghun was laughing in pleasure as we were launched into yet another incline, this one much steeper than the first two. We accelerated forward, giving us little time to prepare ourselves for the grand drop. Mentally, I still felt like I was on the ground. Teasingly, the cart slowed practically to a stop as it inched forward to the .

                “HOLY SHT!” Minsoo shouted, his eyes dangerously wandering to the ground below.

                “WE’RE SO HIGH!” Changhyun cried to the sky.

                “EVERYONE PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” Byunghun cried.

                Just when we could finally catch our breath, we spilled over the edge. The drop was so steep that we couldn’t even see until we were plunging vertically down it. Byunghun let go of the safety railing, grabbed my hand, and threw them hands up the air. We closed our eyes and unleashed deafening but satisfying screams from our lungs. The wind whipped our hair and stung our eyes, but we didn’t care. We felt like we were flying. And there was nobody in the entire world I’d rather feel that way with than Byunghun.

                We dipped down and then straightened back out, rounding yet another sharp corner to the right. That corner catapulted us forward into a loop, which seemed to pop out of nowhere. Again, we all let go of the bar and threw our hands in the air and screamed as we climbed into the loop, hung upside-down for a moment, then flew back down. Still dizzy with pleasure from the loop, we sailed into another incline and then plummeted back down, enclosed in a tunnel. When we came back out, we jerked around a few more turns, taking the brief opportunity to catch our breaths before enduring three brief hills right in a row. Our brains rattled as we climbed and dropped, climbed and dropped, climbed and dropped. I felt downright dizzy as we veered to the left, parallel to the ground once again. Suddenly the cart started to slow. It took a few moments to register in my brain that the ride was over had reached the station.

                Byunghun was shaking with excitement as the carts came to a stop; Minsoo was shaking with fear. Hyerin giggled and clapped happily. “Oppa, wasn’t that fun?” she asked with dazzling eyes.

                “No!” Minsoo answered, scrambling out of the cart. “I’m never going on one of these again!”

                The nine of us, led by Byunghun, strolled down the ramp leading from the roller coaster station back out to the park. When we stepped back into the sunlight, we congregated together in front of the same bench Minsoo and Hyerin had previously been sitting on. Minsoo sat right back down and held his head in his hands. “I think I’m going to be sick,” he moaned.

                “Oh, no you’re not,” Chanhee chuckled.

                “That was amazing!” Daniel clapped.

                “Best ride in the whole park!” Changhyun agreed.

                “I can’t believe Minsoo-hyung went on that!” Jonghyun laughed.

                “I can’t either,” Minsoo moaned.

                “We got Minsoo to go in a pool and on a roller coaster this vacation,” Changhyun exclaimed in disbelief. Everyone laughed and congratulated Minsoo on being so daring this summer. No one was more pleased than Hyerin, who had a bright smile on her pretty face.

                At that moment, my mom, dad, and uncle came strolling over to us. “Well hello there, strangers!” my dad chuckled.

                “How’s Disneyland, boys?” Uncle Sunho asked his band.

                “Amazing!” Byunghun answered quickly.

                “Minsoo went on a roller coaster!” Daniel exclaimed.

                “Really? I thought he didn’t like those.” Uncle Sunho’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

                “He doesn’t,” Minsoo humorously answered. Well, it sure was humorous for the rest of us; it certainly wasn’t for him.

                “Did you go on any rides, Mom?” I asked.

                “Of course,” Mom answered with a smile.

                “Oh! Before I forget, we have something for each of you.” Dad reached into the shopping bag covered with Mickey Mouse’s face slung around his wrist. He pulled out a handful of Mickey Mouse ears and held them out for us. Everyone hollered in delight, snatching up a pair, and put them on. I have to say, Changhyun looked absolutely perfect in them. He smiled adorably, his eyes turning into little crescents and his cheeks rosy with delight. After adjusting his orange hair, Byunghun put his on. Somehow, he still managed to look chic wearing them. Daniel put his on backwards first, which made Chanhee laugh his beautiful, hearty laughter. Even Minsoo put his on over his baseball cap. Min Neul giggled as she reached up to adjust the pair of ears on Jonghyun’s head.

                “We need a picture of this!” Mom exclaimed, fishing for her camera in her purse.

                The nine of us managed to arrange ourselves for the picture in front of the roller coaster, which served as the backdrop. Daniel jumped on Minsoo’s back. Jonghyun slung an arm around Min Neul’s shoulders and pulled her close. Byunghun put his arms around both Chanhee and me. Hyerin smiled sweetly beside me. Changhyun was front and center, his arms extended at his sides in a “ta-da” manner. I couldn’t think of a more perfect moment. The nine of us were together, our hearts still racing from the thrilling roller coaster, and genuine smiles were on our faces. My mom snapped a few pictures, capturing a silly pose from at least one person every time. She got one of just the boys, just the girls, and one of each of the couples. Minsoo and Daniel even took a humorous couple-like photo together, which made even my dad laugh. The entire time, Mom didn’t even have to tell us to “say cheese”. We were already beaming brighter than the California sun, which had began to set.

                Dad suggested that we started heading to the hotel. No one protested; it was getting late, and we were all pretty tired from our long but thrilling day at Disneyland. Mom promised we could come back tomorrow or even later tonight if we really wanted to. She, my father, and my uncle led the way away from California Screamin, followed by the rest of us.

                Hyerin and Minsoo, however, lingered behind. Hyerin had grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He looked at her with a confused expression, but she offered no explanation. She simply stood up on her toes and gave him a sweet kiss on his lips. “Thank you, Minsoo, for going on the roller coaster with me.” she said softly.

                Minsoo was almost at a loss for words. He blinked his dark eyes rapidly, staring down at his girlfriend. Finally, a smile spread across his lips. “You’re welcome. I knew you wanted to ride it. I’d do anything to make you happy.”

                Hyerin giggled harmoniously. “You’re the best.”

                Minsoo chuckled. “You owe me.”

                Hyerin laughed. “How can I ever repay you?”

                Minsoo shrugged as he intertwined his fingers with Hyerin’s. “Oh, we’ll see.” He flashed a smile more beautiful than the orange sunset that was fading into the blue sky overhead. He gave Hyerin’s hand a loving squeeze before leaning down to kiss her once again. He felt her smile in the middle of their kiss.

                Something told Minsoo this wouldn’t be the last kiss they shared that night.