… and they reclaim their friendship


“Yah! Where are we going?” she asks for the umpteenth time and he clucks his tongue at her impatience.

It’s an hour later and they’ve changed into casual clothes. By a strange co-incidence both have chosen skinny jeans, white t-shirts and olive green safari jackets. It looks very much like couple outfits – though neither of them mentions it. 

She has left her hair down though. And despite having tried to scrub her face free from the heavy photo-shoot makeup, traces of eyeliner outline her almond shaped eyes making them even more smoky and alluring. He silently praises himself for coming up with the blindfold idea because at least now, he can drive without distractions.  


“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise,” he chides and taking his right hand off the steering wheel checks that the blindfold is still in place.
She smacks his hand playfully and mumbles, “This better be worth it, Lee Hyukjae! You know how I hate the dark.”

He does.

And so he takes her hand in his and reassuringly holds it for the rest of the ride, “Don’t worry. I’m here.”

--------------

Finally the car comes to a halt and she boldly declares, “I’m taking the blindfold off now and you can’t stop me.”
She blinks for a few seconds letting her eyes adjust to the light again and then looks around disappointed.
“I went through all this for you to bring me to a parking lot?”

His entire body shakes with laughter, “Yah Kim Hyoyeon! Don’t I always tell you to take a second to think before you speak? Of course, parking lots lead to some other place!” 

She pouts like a kid who has just lost her favourite toy and he affectionately pinches her cheek, “Some things never change! Let’s go Little Miss Curious.”


She grudgingly follows along, repeatedly throwing off the arm that he tries to sneak over her shoulder, “I’m still mad at you!”
“You won’t be when you see where we are!” his eyes twinkle and even though she refuses to admit it, she is excited.

“Ta-da!” he extends his arms out to point to the giant Lotte World sign and her eyes widen in disbelief, “You didn’t!”

“Yup!” he looks so proud of himself as he shows the passes he bought earlier at the Family Mart. “This is my apology slash anniversary present to you! Do you realize it’s been three years since we last celebrated it?”

“Why did we stop?” she wonders out loud but neither of them want to talk about the exact reason. She shakes away those thoughts, “Never mind that! We are here now! Let’s have fun!” With an impish smile, she takes off running, “Race you to the entrance. Loser buys dinner!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since it’s a school night, they are able to go on every ride they want and they scream their hearts out, even on the not so scary rides like the Tea Cup; much to the annoyance of the younger kids there. At one point, they almost get escorted off the flume ride for starting a water fight but they are too happy to care.

Finally exhausted, they stop for some drinks and she wanders off. She returns a few minutes later holding something behind her back, “Hyukjae ya! Since you got the tickets and have to pay for the food, I bought you a present!”

He knows that look too well. She is up to something. And it probably isn't good for him!

“Here!” she hands him a pink headband with fluffy feathers and a studded tiara to match. “You like?” she asks innocently and then brings out another “I have a matching one! See! BFF head bands!”

She rises on her tip toes and quickly fixes it on his head. “Let’s take a picture!” 

And for a moment they make believe that they are still the same and nothing has changed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Somehow she convinces him to leave the headband on for the rest of the night, earning him plenty of snickers and snide comments.
A little elementary school girl tugs at her mother’s hand and points out loudly, “Look umma, that monkey looking ahjusshi is wearing a crown! Is he a clown?”
The mother turns bright red and covering her child’s mouth leads her away. “I told you to think before you speak Sooyeonah!”

He turn towards her sternly, “That child must be your clone! You owe me big time, Kim Hyo Yeon!” but when he sees the never-ending gleeful smile on her face, he finds he doesn’t really care – he would do anything to make her happy.


“Yah! It’s almost closing time! If we hurry we can make it to one more ride!” she grabs his hand and leads him towards the Hot Air Balloon ride. Since it’s late, it’s almost deserted and they get a balloon to themselves. She watches the brightly lit amusement park below in awe and wonder, squealing at various things, “Doesn’t it look so pretty? And look at the top of the carousel – I never knew it was so big! Wow and the Lotte mascot is so fat and cute!” He just agrees with whatever she says, not bothering to look at the sights – his sight is fixed on her.

He knows that they might not get this chance to be together – just the two of them again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They finally leave Lotte World at around 10 p.m with an armful of stuffed toys. He won most of them including a giant monkey that she automatically picks as her favourite and names ‘EunHyukkie’. She hasn’t done too badly herself and gives him a stuffed tiger toy which he decides to call ‘Hyorengi’ in her honor. 

As they walk by, they overhear a bunch of middle school girls squealing, “Wah! Pinch me! I’m dying of envy, literally dying of envy. Look! They are even wearing couple clothes and she got so many toys! He must be a good boyfriend. Some girls are so lucky.” 


She squirms in embarrassment and once they are out of earshot in the parking lot, she tugs his arm and holds the monkey toy up to him. “Here! You should give this to Taeyeon.” His eyes snap back as if he just remembered his girlfriend. 
He pushes it back to her, “I won it for you. There are plenty of other toys here. I’ll just give her one of them.” The case is settled and he holds the door open for her.

A part of him feels guilty towards Taeyeon but another stronger part of him wants to be selfish and let this night go on endlessly. He has missed her so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drive home is more subdued with the radio filling in for conversation. Cars whizz past them - many honking in annoyance, as he continues to drive slowly - at the exact speed limit. He is not ready to go back to pretending yet.


“You must be tired. Take a nap, I’ll wake you up when we get home.” He tells her gently but she shakes her head and looking out of the 
window, quietly replies, “I don’t want to waste any time sleeping.” 

She has a sudden urge to start bawling right here in front of him. To tell him how much it hurts .. but it’s too late now. There’s another heart at stake and her reasons still stand.

She finally turns back to him after a while, “Let’s not fight again, okay Hyukjae? Let’s just stay like how we are now, best friends forever.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s close to midnight when they finally make it back home.
Reluctantly they say good night.

“Thanks for tonight Hyukjae ah. It was the second best present ever!” 
“Second best only?” he looks at her with mock offended eyes.
“Well the best present I ever got was a set of hairclips from my best friend. You might know him!” she giggles. As the realization dawns on him, he breaks out into a wide gum revealing grin. “You still have them?” “Yup” she nods proudly, “can you believe none of them have broken yet?” 
“Only the best for the best.” He helps her scoop up the toys in her arms and tells her to go in first.

She turns to wave at him from her doorstep and he watches until she has disappeared inside and the lights in her living room are turned off. 



His phone dings signalling yet another text. 

With hesitation and dread, he checks his phone. 

5 unread messages from Taeyeon.

------------- ** ------------