“Where did it go?”

Your eyes swept the desk looking for your notebook. You picked up the book in front and looked underneath but it wasn’t there either. Ah. In the desk drawer. Pulling it open, a growing pile of items you’ve thrown carelessly in it for the past few days has been revealed.

A sigh left your lips as you stared at the mess. “I’m sorry,” you muttered going through your things. “I’ll clean after the exam.” Your voice along with thuds and flipping paper were the only sounds to be heard at the dead of the night, except for the occasional barking of your next door neighbour’s dog. “Here it is!”

Picking the notebook up and placing it on your desk, your eyes caught a glimpse of something familiar placed underneath, the light from your lamp reflected on its glossy surface. It was a recent photo from the amusement park, the one taken during the roller coaster ride a few weeks ago.

The corners of your mouth tugged upwards into a smile.

On the photo was Soonyoung, the guy with the weird pose and an even weirder expression.

You flipped it over revealing the slightly messy and rushed handwriting at the back, the blue ink shining under your light. You haven’t exactly had time to call him yet. Looking back at your desk, you were just swamped. But not for long.

“I just have to endure until tomorrow,” you said, placing the photo down and started flipping through your notes. “Just until tomorrow.”

At least, that was the plan: study hard tonight, ace the exam tomorrow, and play harder the next. But like most things in life, it’s easier said than done.

Your shoulders slumped as you walked out of the room. Other test takers passed by, some silent as they go out and some chattering about the exam answers when a sweet melody reached your ears. Taking out your phone from your bag, you saw your best friend Yujin calling you.

“How did it go?”

“Awful,” you sighed. “I couldn’t concentrate at all. I forgot most of the stuff I read about last night.”

“It’ll be fine. I’m sure you’ll do well. If not, just enroll at the same college with me.”

You scrunched your face in disgust. “And study law? I can’t handle the amount of memory needed for that. I’d rather live life simply and happily with 10 dogs in a small house with a big yard somewhere.”

“Seriously. What do I do with you?”

“Love me and give me lots of attention,” you laughed.

“And what have I been doing all these years, exactly?” she retorted. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye!”

You looked at your phone and at the time. It was still a little early to go home.

 

Visible then turning invisible, spiralling upwards, you watched the white ribbon of steam swirl around, the warmth of the cup clinging on your fingertips. You sat comfortably, resting your back against the chair, watching other students walk by the coffee shop either in pairs or in groups.

“Lucky,” you rubbed your nose from the remaining cold. “They’re entering the same school with their friends.”

Vacation’s officially ending in a couple of weeks and you’ll do anything just to bring back time. Going to different colleges, it was decided that everyone would spend as much time together while still possible. Come the entrance exam seasons, everyone became busy studying. Some already got their results like your best friend had. For you however, today was the start of the nerve-wracking season of waiting.

But what would worrying do? The exam was done. What’s left is to play hard remember? Surely you can do that at the very least.

You pulled your phone out from your pocket and scrolled through your contacts.
“I wonder who’s free today,” you muttered.

Your thumb stopped scrolling when you saw a certain name.

Soonyoung.

“Should I call first?” The thought immediately dissolved as soon as you thought about it. “Duh. He doesn’t have my number.”

You breathed deeply before pressing the call button and brought your phone next to your ear. Your heart hammered in your chest almost as much as it did when you stood up to pass your test paper to the teacher. Maybe even more. It’s been a while. Will he still remember you?

“Hello?” a soft voice answered.

A rush went through your body as his voice registered. It’s him. It really is him.

“Hello?” he repeated. “Who’s this?”

“Hi,” you managed to reply after calming yourself briefly. “It’s me.”

As soon as the words left your mouth, you shut your eyes in embarrassment. ‘It’s me’?? Does he even know your name? How would he know?

“Oh!” he exclaimed pulling you from your thoughts making you jump. “I know this voice! Roller coaster?”

Your eyes widened. You felt the blood rushing to your cheeks and your ears turning warm. “You remember?”

“It is you!” he said, his voice sounding just as energetic as he did during that day. “Wait. Y/n, right?”

“What?”

“I heard your friends call you that. Is that your name?”

“It is. Yes. I’m y/n,” you gripped your phone tightly, your whole body getting more restless by the minute. He remembered!

“I was wondering when you’d call. I would’ve but I didn’t know your number. My friends were in a hurry and–”

“No it’s fine!” you replied quickly. “I…it’s okay.”

He laughed softly, you can just picture the way his eyes crinkle and his cheeks getting rounder as he smile just as you remembered him.

“Is it safe to say you’re calling because you want to hang out?”

“Uhm, yeah. When you’re not busy of course.”

“Sure. Do you want to meet today? I just finished my exams and I need some cheering up.”

“Exams? Today?”

“Entrance exams. I’m an incoming college student.”

“I just finished my entrance exams too!”

“Really? That’s so cool! What college–”

His voice died off mid-sentence though you were sure he was still there. People chattered in the background, even the faint sound of cars passing by can be heard.

“Soonyoung?” Your brows furrowed as you pressed your ear against the receiver. “Are you still there?”

“Y/n!” his voice came loudly you had to distance the phone from your ear.

“Y-yes?”

“It’s you!”

You frowned. What does he mean by that? “Uh, it is me?”

“No! Look up!”

You blinked, trying to process what he meant but obeyed. You looked around. Nothing seemed to be unusual.

“Outside!”

You glanced back at the scenery outside. A few more students walked past the glass wall before you saw him. He stood grinning at the other side of the street, waving enthusiastically at you. His appearance was still the same as you last saw him, except for one tiny detail.

You straightened up, a wide smile forming on your face. “Soonyoung!”

Soonyoung danced on his feet and dug his hands further inside the pockets of his coat as he waited for the cars to pass before running towards the café and to your table. “I knew it was you! You haven’t changed a bit!”

“You too! Except,” you looked over him, studying his appearance; he was bundled up with his large coat and scarf but the change wasn’t hard to miss, “you dyed your hair black!”

Soonyoung nodded, touching his fringe cautiously. “How does it look?”

“You look younger, honestly,” you smiled. “I like it.”

“Ah. Thanks.” Soonyoung smiled shyly, his eyes looking at you fondly before sitting across you.

“So. You’re also planning on attending there?” you motioned at the school in front.

“I know! What a coincidence, right?”

Coincidence. Fate. Chance. Destiny. However one calls it, you were thankful for it. Who knew that the boy that asked to sit next to you from the roller coaster would soon be your schoolmate? Of course it depends if both of you pass. But the mere fact that this happened, it was like it was meant to happen, like a sign that things are going just as it should be.

“We still have to wait for the results though. I’m not sure I did well,” you admitted, setting down your cup.

Soonyoung pursed his lips and nodded. “Me too. But we can’t do anything about it now, can we?”

A small smile made its way on your lips with Soonyoung mirroring it. Customers poured in the now-busy coffee shop, the place becoming more and more alive. Even the street that was filled with students were now bustling with employees coming home from work. The scenery gradually dimmed, lights from shops and street lamps waking up from their slumber and meeting the dark shaded sky above.

Time easily melted and dissolved away while talking with Soonyoung. There were times when he listened silently, his eyes never leaving you as you talked about your plans for college. And when he talked, his eyes sparkled with so much passion, his face reflected the rush he must be feeling.

Your phone lit up, a message from Yujin shown on the screen but it was the 2 missed calls from her that caught your eye. You sighed. She’ll probably scold you later for not answering.

Soonyoung quirked an eyebrow as he watched you send a message on your phone. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” you looked up, “it’s my best friend. The one sitting behind me at the roller coaster?”

“Ah, I don’t remember her much,” he admitted. Soonyoung glanced at his own phone, his eyes widening as his gaze landed on the screen. “Oh no.”

“Hmm?”

“I have to go. My friend’s coming over at my house,” he said, his eyes busy looking all over the place. He turned and saw the bus stop just a few feet away and smiled. “I’ll wait for the bus with you?”

---

“Uhm hi?” Yujin said with a tone of not-so-subtle sarcasm. “I was trying to call you earlier?”

You sat on the edge of the bed before completely lying down. “I was out with someone.”

“Who? Your mom?”

“Nooo,” you drawled.

“Who then?”

“Soonyoung,” you said, a hint of slyness just hidden in your tone.

“Soonyoung…Soonyoung,” she repeated before you hear her gasp. “Roller coaster guy??”

You grinned at her tone. “That’s the one. He applied at the same school as me.”

“Shut up. Tell me!”

You let out a small laugh and rolled on your stomach, placing the phone in front of you and putting it on speaker. “We had coffee. And we talked. He was really cute.”

“We need to meet him fast. Triple date?”

“Why do you seem more excited than me?” you laughed. “And we just saw each other today!”

“I’m sorry are you calling that a date?”

“Yes?”

Yujin sighed, you could almost see the look of exasperation on her face. Sometimes, she can really be handful of a friend. “Don’t you want to see him again?”

You rolled on your side, your fingers now busy playing with the bed sheet. Today was such a lucky day. Would it be okay to be a bit more greedy?

“…I do.”

“Then let’s go this Saturday! I’ll tell the others now okay? I bet they will be really surprised.”

“But I don’t even know if he’s free on that day!”

“…alright. Call him first then tell me immediately. Just leave everything to me.”

“Do you know how much I love and hate you right now?” you smiled as you both said goodbye, the line going back to silent.

You chewed on your lower lip and stared at your phone. Soonyoung’s name was just under Yujin‘s. It was almost as if he was the one inviting you to call him.

Taking a deep breath, you clicked on his name and the message icon. After everything that’s happened and what’s about to happen, maybe a text would be okay for now.

You pursed your lips and typed in his name. You didn’t have to wait long. A few seconds after sending your text, he replied back.

A line appeared between your eyebrows while you waited for his reply. Was it weird? Was it to soon? Your eyes widened when you saw the screen change. Soonyoung was calling.

“Soonyoung?” you sat upright.

“I’m free on Saturday. Why?”

You pursed your lips, suppressing a laugh. “You could’ve just replied back. It’s easier.”

“I could’ve. But I didn’t want to.”

You bit the inside of your cheeks. Maybe it’s okay to be a bit greedy. Just a tiny bit. “My friends and I are going out on Saturday, you know, the ones from the amusement park?”

“Oh…so…like a double date?”

You cursed in your head. He didn’t sound too excited. This is exactly why it was dangerous to ask for more. “More like a triple date actually,” you replied carefully.

“Ah. I see.”

“And well… You don’t have to, of course. I mean I understand–”

“I’ll go,” he replied quickly without missing a beat, his voice sounding happy like before.

“Really?”

 “Yeah. Like I said before, I wanted to hang out with you more.”

The corners of your lips tugged up into a smile. “Alright. We’ll be meeting at around 9.”

“I’ll see you then?”

“Yeah. See you.”

“Hey y/n?“

"Yeah?”

His voice was soft when he replied, a sweet addition to the peaceful evening. “Have a good night.”

You smiled. “You too Soonyoung. Good night.”

---

You hugged your jacket closer, keeping yourself warm. Standing in the middle of the park’s entrance were you and your friends; two pairs of couples to be exact and one, you, waiting for your own partner.

“So who are we waiting for?”

“Did y/n finally got a date?”

“Just wait and see,” Yujin smiled knowingly towards you.

A tall figure came into a view, his jet black hair and ripped black jeans neatly complementing his white jacket and bright smile. “Hey,” he greeted, stopping to stand next to you as the others stood staring at him. “I’m not late, am I?”

You shook your head in reassurance before turning to your friends. “You guys, this is Soonyoung. Roller coaster guy.” You turned to Soonyoung and whispered, “that’s what they call you.”

“Hi! I’m Kwon Soonyoung, roller coaster guy and y/n’s date,” he smiled. “Thank you for inviting me.”

You looked back at your friends just to see them still staring either in confusion or in surprise, maybe even both which was understandable. Knowing you for quite some time, they knew you’ve never really bothered dating or liking someone, they were even convinced you decided to live alone for the rest of your life. “Alright!” you clapped your hands together, finally getting everyone’s attention. “Let’s go!”

Viking. Gyro drop. Wacky mind museums. Mini zoo. Bumper cars. Even the rapid rides. Racing through the park, you rode every ride that was readily available, stopping for quick snacks from time to time. You even got to see the parade and watch their street performance while waiting in line.

“And of course, the grand finale.”

Looking ahead, your final destination (inappropriate term aside) was indeed the dreaded roller coaster. You had a feeling today’s date would eventually lead to this. But naturally, that didn’t stop you from getting scared.

Soonyoung adjusted in his seat and turned to you, his face filled with concern. “You sure about this?”

You gulped, your hands gripping the safety bar tightly, your breathing slowly becoming heavier by the second. “Well, I literally can’t turn from this now that I’m buckled up, can I? I’ve done it before. I’ll be fine.” But you’re hammering heart and unsteady voice said otherwise. Though you made sure not to eat anything weird today, you could still feel your stomach churning inside you.

“I know what to do,” Soonyoung said, though you weren’t sure you heard him right over the loud voice from the speakers.

Like déjà vu, your battle against roller coasters has begun. Not only did you agreed to ride it; somehow you ended up at the very back this time.

After what seemed like a century, the cart reached the top, the cold in the air filling your whole body and the excited screams of the people in front getting louder.

“WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS???” you shouted, earning laughs from your friends and Soonyoung. Finally, the cart came to the edge, threatening to drop fast at any second. Soonyoung reached out and took your hand holding it tightly in his, momentarily making you forget about the drop. But as heart fluttering as it was, it was only momentarily.

He raised your hands in the air as the dreaded drop began. “LET’S GO!!!”

The cart plummeted to the ground, every ounce of gravity pulling it down. Crackling metal against wood. The howl of the wind. These were the only sounds you were able to register in that short period of time. Countless drops made your body seem to pull opposite from gravity, you feared you would slip from your seat and fall off if it weren’t for your other hand gripping the safety bar for dear life. It was scary. Horrifying. You were sure your heart would burst anytime.

“Y/n! Picture time!” Soonyoung shouted.

You’ve thought of poses you could do with Soonyoung before but it all vanished at this moment. All you could remember were white flashes of light and a vague memory of the cart going faster against your will. And in seconds, it was all over.

“Group picture!” Yujin announced, taking pictures of the whole group.

“Your turn you two!” she said, pulling everyone away from you and Soonyoung as she grabbed your phone.

“Cheese!”

Finally, it was time to go home.

You sat comfortably on your seat and watched as Soonyoung waved goodbye from outside with a wide smile on his face.

I’ll call you, he mouthed as the bus slowly pulled away.

You looked in front, finally allowing yourself to breathe, massaging your cheeks from the endless smiles you had all throughout the day. You looked at the photo you had in hand, a new one you got from the roller coaster although this time, it was slightly better.

“Ah…it’s a good thing pictures were invented,” you sighed contently.

Reminded of it, you grabbed your phone to check the pictures that you took earlier, swiping from picture to picture until you saw the one Yujin took.

Soonyoung stood comfortably next to you, his head tilted just a bit closer to yours. He had that adorable childish grin on his face, a sigh of relief leaving your lips as you confirmed that you looked decent enough in the photo.

You swiped again and saw.

It was another picture of you both. You realized it was just a few seconds from the previous one and a candid one at that. In the picture, you were looking off to your friends just outside the frame, clearly telling them to stop teasing you. Soonyoung on the other hand had a look that was quite familiar. It was the same look you’ve been looking at for the past few days; he had, as you convinced yourself that it wasn’t just wishful thinking, the exact same look you had on the picture from the roller coaster with his eyes looking at you fondly, a soft smile on his lips. Just like having heart eyes.

Crazily enough, just looking at it was enough to make you a blushing smiling mess you had to check if anyone in the bus noticed. You fanned yourself from the growing warmth on your cheeks, looking at the picture a bit more when your phone screen changed.

“Hey,” you answered. “Calling so soon?”

He laughed. “It’s in my name.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, another smile growing on your lips. There’s just something positive about Soonyoung that’s really contagious. Be it his smile or his laugh, even just his voice…is this what it feels to really like someone?

A comfortable silenced passed briefly while you listened at the sound from his end.

“Where are you?”

“Just walking around the neighbourhood. Thinking,” he replied. “I…actually wanted to thank you for today.”

“Please. I should be the one thanking you for coming.”

“No, really. It’s a bit embarrassing to tell you this but I actually regretted not waiting for you last time. If I did then maybe we could’ve hung out that day. That’s why I had to say thank you for not forgetting about me,” he chuckled.

“Who would forget about you? Besides the weird pose, that was a smooth move you did back then, giving me the photo and your number like that.”

He laughed. “I did well didn’t I?”

“It’s quite surprising really,” you teased before getting up. “Hold on. I’m about to get off the bus.”

“Hey y/n?” he said, his voice a bit softer, almost cautious.

“Yes?”

“Can we go on another date?”

“Uh, sure. I could tell Yujin and the others –”

“No. I meant a solo date,” he corrected. “A proper one with just us. If it’s alright, of course.”

Looking at the picture you had in hand, there you were sitting at the back with Soonyoung and your friends in the front. Your gaze landed on your hand that was tightly holding his, wide smiles (or in your case a mild look of shock) on your faces.

The corners of your lips tugged up into a smile. Whatever it is that led to all of this happening, be it fate or your own decision, you were simply thankful for it.

“Of course, Soonyoung. A solo date sounds good to me.”