Minhyuk's POV:

The five of us got into the car. “Scoot over,” Ilhoon told me.

I moved to my right and buckled my seat belt. Knowing that the less time we take to get ready, the faster I get to see Muo Li.

My mother glanced at us through the car mirror and asked, “Everyone, are you ready?”

We frantically nodded and prepared ourselves for the long ride. Ilhoon, being the most childish person ever, grabbed one of the baskets full with food and opened it. There were chips, three slices of frozen pizza, three slices of microwaved pizza, some sandwiches, and six drinks. “Wow, so much good stuff in here! Mom, where did you get these good snacks?” He asked with amazement and continued, “how come I never noticed these when I go into the fridge?”

She chuckled and said, “I hid it from you so you wouldn’t know.”

He pouted. “Why?”

“Because if I told you, you would have already gobbled all of it up. Then, what am I supposed to bring?”

Ilhoon slid back to the seat and sighed. “That’s also true.”

Mom rolled her eyes and smiled. “Everything I say is true. You don’t have to tell me.”

Ilhoon pretended to puke. She reached one of her arms back and punched him. “I saw that!”

I groaned at the sight of their ever-growing childishness. Looking over at Victoria, I saw that she was laughing at them. “It’s so cute how you two interact with each other.” Then, she peered at me and observed me closely before asking, “Why won’t you ever join in the fun?”

My hands are up signaling for her to stop the second after she said that. “Count me out of this conversation. I do not want to be in the same sentence as the two chodings over there. I, the godlike Minhyuk, am far too mature for to even join their little arguments.”

Everyone in the car glanced at me for a while before cracking up laughing at the exact time. “What?” I asked a little too innocently.

Ilhoon pointed at me accusingly and shouted, “I have never seen someone as pathetic as you.”

One hour later, someone’s head fell onto my shoulders. Ilhoon was asleep with a little drool coming out of his mouth. I rolled my eyes and flipped his head over to the other side.

His head bumped against the car window and made a big thump. Ilhoon grumbled something unintelligent and rubbed his head. After a second, he fell back asleep.

What a choding. I thought as I looked outside the window. Since we were taking another route to get to the orphanage, all I saw was trees and green meadows. Just then, something caught my eye.

A familiar looking type of tree stood out from the rest. Magnolias. A smile crept up to my lips when I remembered the times back in the orphanage.  

Flashback:

“Hey oppas, come here for a second!”  Muo Li shouted to us from ten yards away.

Ilhoon and I were lying on the grass in the prairie behind the orphanage. We were planning our latest prank to trick the other kids. “What’s the matter?” Ilhoon asked.

She glanced up at us and ran over. “Look what I found!”

Both of our heads shot up curiously. There was a green frog in Muo Li’s hands. I jumped back and asked, “Are you sure it’s not poisonous to touch?”

Ilhoon shook his head at my nervousness. “Scaredy-cat.”

I scowled at him and carefully walked over to the two. “What is this doing here in the meadows?” Muo Li wondered out loud.

Ilhoon nodded at the pond next to the meadows. “Maybe it just lost it way.”

Suddenly, Muo Li and Ilhoon looked at each other and huge sly smiles appeared on their faces. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She asked him.

Ilhoon smirked sneakily and replied, “Yeah. When I count to three, let’s begin.”

Muo Li agreed. “That’s fine with me.”

I raised my eyebrows at them expectantly, expecting an explanation to their conversation. Instead, I got nothing.

“One…” He counted. I scratched my head confused and saw Muo Li raising her hands with the frog.

“…Two…” Shoot. I finally understood, but it was a second too late.

“THREE!!!” They began chasing me with the green, slimy creature.

I ran with all my might towards the pond with my two best friends running after me. “Stop, Muo Li! You know that I am scared of animals! If you don’t stop, I will… I will…”

Muo Li smirked and said, “You will what?”

Frowning as I couldn’t make up an excuse to get them to stop chasing me, I said, “I can’t think of it right now! Muo Li, listen to oppa and stop!”

On the other side, Ilhoon came speeding over to me and plunged me down to the ground. Screw Ilhoon and his athletic skills.

Muo Li placed the frog five feet on top of me. “Tell me one of your secrets or I will drop this on your face.”

I squirmed my body trying to get out of Ilhoon’s grasp, but I failed miserably. Being the sadistic person I have ever seen, he laughed and said, “You will never break free, so I suggest that you stop moving around and answer Muo Li’s question.”

“No!” I shouted as I didn’t want to give up. But that creature on top of me was telling me otherwise. I can never believe what it did to me the second after that, though. It peed on me! IT. PEED. ON. ME. On me, the majestic Minhyuk!

If you remind me about that embarrassing moment today, I won’t admit it ever happened to me.

Muo Li, Ilhoon, and I all screamed at the same time. She dropped the animal and jumped away from me. I yelled again in horror and flicked it of my face. We watched it hop away into the field of magnolia trees near the pond.

I groaned as I tried to wipe the pee off my arms. “I will forever hate you for this!”

Muo Li smiled at me and then grabbed both of our hands and pulled us after her. “What are you doing?” Ilhoon asked.

“What do you think we’re doing? Getting the frog, of course!”

Us boys exchanged disgusted glances but didn’t dare to say anything. None of us wanted to be the next victim of the frog.

The three of us finally reached one of the magnolia trees. Muo Li dropped our hands and searched around for it. After a few minutes, she turned to us with a depressed face and said, “Bummer. I lost it.”

My heart did a happy dance and I can see Ilhoon looking relieved, too. We sat there silently for a while, calming down and looking at the beautiful scenery around us. “Oh!” Muo Li suddenly shouted out breaking to peaceful silence.

I watched her as she picked up some magnolias that had fallen off the tree branches. “I will hereby declare this as a symbol of Minhyuk’s embarrassing moment…”

I was about to jokingly punch her when she continued her sentence.

“…and of our everlasting friendship.”