The next item on the list you two constructed was “extreme sports” at a nearby beach. You furrowed your brow looking down at the brochure for parasailing. It didn’t seem like a romantic activity to you at all, so you were confused as to why you were both here. But Taemin was the one with the car, so you had no choice but to go to the attractions he decided were worth visiting.

While standing in line for the parasailing, you tugged on Taemin’s sleeve.

“Why are we here?” you asked.

“To finds the Jangs, right?” he answered.

“I know that,” you answered. “What I meant is, why are we standing here as in why are we standing in line?  We just have to walk around the beach and keep an eye for them, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” Taemin said, smiling as he read the brochure again. “But where’s the fun in that?”

“What?” you said. “Taemin, we not here to have fun.”

“Well, why not?” he asked, sounding genuinely disappointed by your comment.

“We’re here to look for the Jang couple, get our passports switched back, and then head back to the hotel. We’re wasting time!”

“No, we’re wasting time if we don’t do this!” he said. “Come on, __-ah, where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I don’t know,” you answered sarcastically. “Maybe I left it with my passport, but that got lost, so?”

Taemin looked down at you and stuck out his lower lip in a cute pout. Then, with a sigh, he turned down and looked longingly at the parasailing brochure. Your arms were crossed as you watched him do this and bit-by-bit you could feel your resolve tumbling down like the Berlin Wall. He really wanted to do it, didn’t he? You let out a frustrated groan and pushed him forward in line. Taemin stumbled a bit, but he caught his balance in time to stand in front of the desk.

“Fine,” you said. “I’ll wait by the entrance.”

Taemin was about to thank you, but you decided to walk over to the exit to see if you could get a better view of the visitors. There were a lot of people at the beach that day. Maybe the Jangs were among them. You shielded your eyes against the sun and scanned the expanse of the beach. Catching sight of a bright blue parachute, you were able to hear the shouts of a couple parasailing over the shallows. You scoffed a little; you were never much of a thrill-seeker. You liked being at ground level; it was much more stable.

Taemin came by your side, strapped into a life vest and changed into swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt. “Ready?” you asked, and he nodded. Then, he handed a life vest and a one-piece bathing suit to you.

“They only do parasailing in pairs,” he said. “Please?”

You looked between him and the life vest with a blank expression. It suddenly dawned on you that Taemin wanted you to go parasailing with him. Your face grew pale at the idea.

“Absolutely not!” you protested. “I don’t really do heights and extreme stuff, you see.”

“But I’ve always wanted to try this!” he complained. “And I finally got away from the staff and my schedule and I actually have time today! I dunno when my next chance will be, so I gotta take this!”

“Why can’t you go on your own?”

“They only do pairs, they said!”

“But – ”

“Please?” he said softly, sticking out his lower lip again in a sickly sweet aegyo pout. You clenched your teeth and looked at his sad face again.

“I bet there’s a better view of the beach from up there,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be able to spot them while we parasail.”

The idea of strapping yourself onto a harness and flying through the sky at high speeds over the oceans was a daunting idea to you. You felt sick just think about it. But Taemin looked so desperate and maybe he was right to say that he might not get a chance to do this ever again. You felt pity towards him, and that pity was starting to change your mind. With a frustrated groan, you snatched the bathing suit and life vest from.

“Wait here,” you said, and you went over to the changing room, regretting your decision.

Once strapped into the harness of the parasail which was then anchored onto the speed boat. The man driving the boat looked over at you and Taemin and gave you both a thumbs-up, a gesture which Taemin returned while spouting all sorts of nonsense about how excited he was. You, however, were holding on tightly to your life vest and clenching your teeth together. The boat engine started and the boat began revving through the water. The wind caught the brightly-colored canopy, snatching you and Taemin into the air.

A high-pitched fearful yelp escaped your throat while Taemin whooped and shouted in ecstasy. Rising up over the ocean, you could feel your heart rising and dropping in your chest and you had the overwhelming urge to shout profanities. But you shut your eyes tightly, trying your best not to look down and see how far up you were. You heard nothing but the harsh whistling of the wind rushing past your ears. You smelled the salt of the ocean and the sweat of the people tied to the harness before you. You kept your body tight, but it was growing sore against the wind. You felt sick. You felt terrified and scared and panicked. You wanted nothing else than for this parasailing experience to be over completely.

But then you felt Taemin reach over and ask for your hand, which you gave to him without any qualms because you were scared and craved a comforting touch. He interlaced his fingers with yours, and the warmth in your hand encouraged you to open your eyes, little by little. Your breath was stolen.

The view was astonishing. 

Author's note: Short update tonight because I got interrupted while writing. I'll have the next part up tomorrow.