July 28, 2004

Yoonmi slowly looked around the school gates.

She turned around.

"Are you guys rea--"

"Operation 601, prepared to be launched." Chanyeol poked his head out from behind the wall with a rather serious face. "Thunder Boy, are you good?!"

Another head popped out right above Chanyeol's.

"All set, Firehawk." Chen slung a black bag over his shoulder rather dramatically. "You ready, Shadow?"

Lastly, Kai appeared above both of the guys with a pair of sunglasses on his face.

"98% prepared."

He lowered his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes at the girl in front of them, as if she was life-threatening.

"Just need that thing to get out of the way."

Yoonmi stared at the three in complete dumbfoundment, at a loss for words. She wondered why they were hiding behind a public wall in broad daylight, in the middle of where everyone was walking past.

"You guys do realize that everyone can see you--"

"Shhhhh!" Kai jumped out of their hiding place and grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over . He swiped off his sunglasses. "You mustn't speak to us, civilian!"

Chen looked around cautiously before he held his bag to his chest and rolled across the floor to reach the two.

"We almost got caught!" He whispered, panting on his knees. "Ms. Civilian, one more strike, and we'll be--"

"What are you two doing here?"

Kai, Chen, and Chanyeol let out a mixed medley of screams and curses.

Byunghun widened his eyes in surprise, not having seen Chanyeol behind the wall.

"S-Sorry," He gave them a weird look. "Did I ruin something?"

Before Chanyeol could answer the big "YES" anyone could see that he had on the tip of his tongue, Yoonmi stepped in between them.

"It's fine, Byunghun." She reassured. "Really, they're only playing Spies--"

Chen suddenly let out a loud gasp, grasping his chest with a hand. His eyes were on the verge of popping out.

"L-LEE YOONMI, DID YOU JUST--"

"YOU CAN'T JUST GIVE AWAY OUR IDENTITIES LIKE THAT--"

"UGHHH," Kai threw himself onto the ground. "I TOLD YOU GUYS THAT WE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH HER FIRST, I TOLD YOU--"

Before they could embarrass her any further in front of Byunghun, Yoonmi quickly grabbed the three's arms and dragged them out through the school gates after waving a hasty good-bye.

Soon, the four gradually began to hear the familiar buzz and soft music from the large beach house in the distance.

The Suwon Summer Dance had always taken place in that same beach house for the last ten years, and it was no surprise to suddenly see rows and rows of kids fill the usually empty boardwalk right next to the beach house.

Yoonmi let out a hard breath, panting from their run. After all, with three boys to drag behind you, a run down to the beach right below the crowded Summer Dance Boardwalk was not fun at all.

"Goodness, Kai, why couldn't we get through this normally--"

"Kai? Who's Kai? My name is Shadow."

"--without bringing THESE two into the picture--"

"Agents, we don't have time!" Chanyeol interrupted with his finger pointing to his watch. "If we're late, the Dark Light will think something's fishy."

"Who in the world is the Dark Light--"

"Firehawk is right!" Chen threw a fist into the air. "Tonight will be the night where we'll show him that not everything can go his way--"

"And all the girls will fall head over heels for us," Kai grinned. "Including Tiffany noona."

Yoonmi scoffed. "And where did that come from--"

"You mean Yuri noona." Chen insisted. "Because I think she's much prettier--"

"No, Thunder Pants. I meant Tiffan--"

"Guys!"

The three turned their attentions to the now-thoroughly-annoyed girl, rather shocked that she had interrupted their little moment.

Without a word, Yoonmi reached a hand out to Chen's direction. Reluctantly, he gave the black bag to her.

"I'll get dressed real quick," She ped the bag to reveal a soft, white cloth and a pair of white sandals, along with a separate messy pile of shirts and dark jeans beneath them.

She tossed the pile to Chanyeol's hands. "And while I'm doing that, you guys can change out of your uniforms to what I just gave to Chanyeol Oppa--"

"It's Firehawk--"

"--which I really do hope doesn't smell like you three," Yoonmi pretended she didn't hear him. "Even though you guys are you, it's still a dance, after all."

The girl waited for the boys to say an "Okay" and start changing, only to find that they were eagerly waiting for her to say something.

She sighed.

"Okay, fine. I also need you three to keep--"

"LOOKOUT?!" Chanyeol exclaimed before she even finished, his eyes twinkling.

Chen grinned, snatching Kai's sunglasses for himself. "You know what THAT sounds like?!"

"It sounds like a MISSION 462 ABOUT TO BE LAUNCHED IN THREE... TWO--"

Yoonmi only watched the three peel off their school blazers and throw their uniforms all over the place, all the while maintaining their dramatic look-out routine... as if someone were to attack them anytime soon.

She turned around and slipped inside the public restrooms with her own pair of clothing and accessories in her hands.

Yoonmi wondered if someone would call the police upon seeing the three outside.

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

The wave of panic began rather quickly.

Chanyeol bit on his fingernails for the thousandth time ever since they had finished changing, eyeing the girl walking with her back towards him warily.

He put his hands over his head.

"Guys, this is a bad idea."

Yoonmi rolled her eyes in front of them.

"You've said that for like, I don't know, the past thirty minutes."

"Baek's gonna freak out!" 

"No he isn't," Yoonmi made sure to step over the muddy puddle on the ground before bending down to strap on her shoes. "He'll be too busy worrying about his own date, just like everybody else. And really, Oppa. Like I've said for the past thirty minutes, why're you fretting over this right now, when we've literally just dressed up and started walking to the dance?"

"The civilian's right, Yeol." Chen muttered with a sigh. "We've already begun Operation 601, after all."

Yoonmi shot him a look. "You too, Chen Oppa!"

"I don't know any Chen Oppa. I'm Thunder Boy--"

"Just a while ago, you guys were jumping around oh-so-happily as my own private spies for the night. But all of a sudden, the second I pop out--"

The girl stood up and tossed back her neatly combed hair. She straightened her dress, sprinkled with the scent of rosy mist, and reached out to fix the single, silver bracelet on her wrist.

"--You and Kai start panicking." She finished, listening for any sign of support from the three before she could turn around.

The boys only stared back at her with the same, silent expression that Lee Yoonmi herself could not see: This was Byun Baekhyun they were dealing with.

"Yoonmi," Chen suddenly cleared his throat, his lips pressed together in thought. "Tell me the truth..... Are you doing this just to annoy Baekhyun?"

The girl blinked.

"Huh?"

"Because if you are, I can do that for you ANYday," He tried to sound convincing. "So why don't we turn back for today--"

Yoonmi crossed her arms, suddenly unwilling to look at them in the faces. "Okay, first of all, why would I go this far to simply annoy Baekhyun Oppa? And second of all... Why are you guys suddenly acting so concered?! Do I really look that serious--"

"Then of all things to do, why the Summer Dance?!" Kai blurted out in interruption, unable to take his eyes off of the image before him, although it was just Yoonmi's back profile. "All it is is just one big, crowded night with a bunch of food--"

He stopped. A look of realization flashed by his face.

"Oh."

"Exactly."

Without warning, the girl turned around to face the three behind her.

Kai almost tripped over himself for the second time that evening.

Chen choked on his own spit.

"This is a bad idea." Chanyeol repeated.

"Those who come as a couple get access to the chocolate fountain." Yoonmi flung the now-empty black bag into the nearest trashbin. "Yes, Lee Yoonmi is going."

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

"W-Woah,"

Xiumin froze at the sight of Yoonmi. He immediately turned to Chanyeol and pointed at the girl with a hand.

"This is a bad idea."

"Exactly!"

Yoonmi couldn't help but start groaning at their similar reactions. "Geez, what's wrong with--"

"OhmyGOD, is that Byun Baekhyun with Im Yoona Unni?!"

The five of them froze and perked their heads up in shock at the sudden sea of murmurs and gossip flooding into the Boardwalk.

"Oh, SHOOT--"

"Let's get OUT of here--"

"MOVE, MOVE--"

Running as if their lives depended on it, the small group made their way around the entrance to the large beach house to hide behind an array of flower bushes.

Kai put his hands on his knees, panting.

He suddenly put both of his hands on Yoonmi's shoulders, a look of sadness on his face.

"You, my friend," He took in a deep, dramatic breath, as if sending his daughter of to a war. "Please swear to me that you'll get through this party, have your chocolate fountain, and get your good Suwon Summer buffet without letting a single CELL get discovered by Byun Baekhyun--"

"Don't even THINK about going even near the high school party--"

"Not even the bathrooms, Lee Yoonmi--"

"And even IF by the smallest chance you actually DO get caught,"

Kai put his hands on Chanyeol, Chen, and Xiumin's shoulders, taking a step away from her with a smile.

"We never saw you today."

Yoonmi couldn't help but roll her eyes at the overdramatic sight.

"Fine," She grabbed her purse and straightened out her dress. "Our meeting spot is right here out in the beach, right?"

"Yeah, at 11 PM, sharp." Xiumin emphasized, looking at his watch. "That gives you 3 hours.... More than enough, right?"

"Yep, I'll be back in no time. Sulli and Jungkook should be waiting for me inside right now,"

Yoonmi waved with an excited grin.

"See you!"

"See you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.... see you guys too--" Kai stopped in sudden realization. "Woah, woah, woah!"

He grabbed Chanyeol's arm and pulled him away from the girl.

"Why am I talking to two people?! Where are you going?!"

"To help Yoonmi and Sulli with conquering the chocolate fountain, of course!"

Kai gaped at his hyung in dumbfoundment, who only stared back at him with a happy grin.

"Are you fricking asking for Baekhyun hyung to find you guys--"

"Oh, just let him come!" Yoonmi interrupted, breaking Kai's grasp onto Chanyeol's arm. "Don't you know? Sulli needs a partner for the chocolate fountain too!"

"What? Doesn't she have that Byunghun guy--"

Chanyeol suddenly cleared his throat. Yoonmi shot the younger guy a look that said something along the lines of 'Did you leave your senses at home today'. 

With a sigh, Kai only returned a gaze of prolonged discontent to Yoonmi's direction, scanning the girl up and down in deep thought.

He suddenly stretched out a hand.

"Let's take off the bracelet."

The girl made a face as she reluctantly took the silver accessory off and handed it over.

"Sheesh... do I look that weird? ..... Why do you look so worried--"

"Come on, Yoonmi! What's taking you so long?!" Sulli's voice interrupted from afar. "Jungkook's waiting for you in here, too--Let's go!"

Just like that, the girl finally turned her back to Kai and made a quick walk/run into the building with Chanyeol... making sure to bend behind the flower bushes whenever Baekhyun or Yoona seemed to look in their direction.

Kai sighed yet again at the sight of the two, most specifically at the girl.

"That idiot," He gazed at the almost innocently light makeup she had on, the sleeveless dress she had on that revealed her thin arms, and the humongous, doe-like eyes paired with her permanently bright grin that the girl had always carried unknowingly.

He wondered how anyone could be so oblivious.

"You're practically asking to be protected."

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

If there was anything special about the first two hours of Yoonmi's first Suwon Summer Dance, it was how quickly things went her way.

"Hi Jungkook!"

Jungkook waved at the older boy with a smile. "Hi Chanyeol hyung!"

"Don't say Hi to him," Sulli nudged Chanyeol away. "He's a bad influence."

"Hey," Chanyeol raised his hands up in the air in defense. "I'm pretty sure I'm way much of a better influence than that Kang Byunghun guy--"

"For the thousandth time, it's Lee Byunghun, you idiot." Sulli sighed dreamily. "If only he hadn't gone to the airport for America today--"

"Whatever," Chanyeol grinned. "They both sound like 'Unimportant!' to me~"

Sulli groaned when the two boys before her doubled over in laughter, somehow finding what Chanyeol had just said funny, according to their guy code.

"W-What the hell...."

Kim Myungsoo's voice suddenly interrupted them, bringing the four's attentions to the handsome guy behind them. He was gaping at the sight of Lee Yoonmi, looking at her up and down in complete shock.

The guy blushed. "You're doing this on purpose!"

Yoonmi only rolled her eyes at him, staring at the girl linking arms with him with just as much surprise.

"That's what I should be saying," She hissed at him under her breath, gesturing to the all-so-familiar girl.

Of course.

Bang Minah shot Yoonmi a half-hearted smile--yet another thing that struck her as familiar.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Yoonmi." Minah seemed to be scanning her, almost calculatively.

Yoonmi laughed rather lifelessly.

"Yeah, same here."

They weren't lying, or anything: Honestly, the last time Yoonmi remembered ever talking to Bang Minah was none other than their trip to the Goeun Cabins a couple years back..... Of course, that was if Yoonmi's prolonged habit of mentally shooting annoyed looks/insults at her throughout the past few years didn't count--

"Hey, Yoonmi." Jungkook's voice interrupted her thoughts, as well as Sulli's mini-bickering session with Kim Myungsoo and his date.

"Didn't you wanna go to the chocolate fountain?" The guy asked rather casually, much to Chanyeol, Sulli, and Yoonmi's surprise. "Because we can go right now, you know."

Without a word, the three of them smiled at each other in unison.

This guy was on their side.

And just like that, despite the rather horrid meeting they had experienced in the beginning, the four of them were able to spend the next two hours going through every intricate flavor, topping, color, and fruit surrounding the Suwon Summer Dance's chocolate fountain, all the while listening to the light, fresh music the Summer Dances always had.

Of course, the two hours were their two hours because of Chanyeol and Sulli's constant rounds of bickering that often escalated to food fights and complaints from the underclassmen... a hilarious sight for Yoonmi but not so much for the rest of the party.

But just when the last of the two hours were about to be spent with Yoonmi and Jungkook exploring the pastry buffet behind the chocolate fountain, Jungkook suddenly brought up a last-minute question that would soon reveal itself to have flipped over the entire night of Lee Yoonmi's 2004 Suwon Summer Dance.

"Yoonmi, wanna go to the high school party upstairs?"

She blinked at him. "Huh?"

"Jin hyung said they had a crepes there, and mountains of food too."

... Crepes?

The girl pursued her lips, trying not to think of all the times she had begged but been turned down by Baekhyun to buy her crepes from the Boardwalk for the past summer.

Okay. Crepes were good. But the boys had made that much of an emphasis in the afternoon to avoid the high school party--

"... Yoonmi?"

When Jungkook saw the strong look of doubt on the girl's face, he blinked in a thought for a bit before leaning in secretively.

"And I heard the high school parties always have bits of alcohol."

Yoonmi's eyes lit up at the last word. "... Are you serious?!" She whispered in interest, a mischievous smile forming on her lips.

Jungkook nodded. "They had champagne last year."

The girl snickered, getting up just like that. "What are you waiting for, then? Let's go!"

Jungkook rolled his eyes with a smile, having expected that this would've interested the girl more, although he himself really wanted the crepes.

"It'll be quick, though. We can't get caught by, I don't know..."

Jungkook followed Yoonmi up the stairs.

"... Angry high schoolers."

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thank you so much for the 100+ subscribers! I really can't wait to dive into Yoonmi and Baek's high school story ;)
/2nd lead alert
(but not really until later lol)
(omg btw I've been diving myself in Baek's abs for the past few days anyone with me)