iv
No More PrincessKai finds it amusing how Jihyun stares up at the roller coasters with amazement and wonder. Each one they pass, he has to glance behind him to make sure she's keeping up.
Sometimes he'll stop for a minute and wait until she's done her marvelling. It's okay, he figures, I'm early anyway. Most of the times that he'll wait, he'll study her some more. Her posture, her smile, her clothes. Which, he thinks as he rakes his gaze over her once more, are the same ones she wore yesterday. He makes a mental note to fix that.
"This is amazing," He hears her say after they start to walk again. "How many rides do you have?"
"About sixty attractions all together."
"Sixty? Woah . . . " She looks around her again. "Can we ride all of them?"
"Today?" He turns around and starts to walk backwards. "Probably not. Work comes first." He spins back. "But maybe some of them after I'm done."
"That's wonderful."
Kai can hear the smile in her answer, and smiles himself as he leads her to the employee lockers. "You've never been to an amusement park?" He shoves his key into the slot, places his phone, keys and wallet into the space.
"I have, when I was younger. My nanny took me and my brother when we were children, so I barely remember it." She follows him back out of the walls of locker-cubbies and back through the surrounding attractions. "So what do you do here?"
"I'm a ride operator, but I also attend. That means I check harnesses and things like that."
"Seriously?" She tears her eyes away from a huge orange and blue ride named Eagle to stare wide-eyed at him.
Yep, Kai thinks. She's definitely amusing.
"Which one do you operate?" She jogs to catch up.
"Perfect timing," He points to the left, toward the overly graphic sign that reads The Scorpion. "This one."
She looks at the ride, at the small contraptions that were attatched to not so tall metal arms. A little disappointed, she trudges after him. "This isn't a big ride."
He looks at it, "Nope. But it's a lot of damn fun."
She raises a challenging brow. "Prove it."
Smiling back at her, he shakes his head. "Later. I promise," He adds when he sees the uncertainty on her face.
"Okay," She agrees.
"Okay. Now, if my boss sees you working the equipment," He gestures to the control panel. "I'm dead meat. So don't touch."
"Yes, sir." She salutes.
Jihyun watches as Kai checks the ride, the conrol panel, making sure everything's set up properly before he does the test run. "Cool," She mutters with a smile as the carts of the rides swing back and forth, whipping them around around each other, not hitting anything but the air.
As it slows to a hault, Kai nods. "Alright. It's working fine. Now we just wait for the people."
He lets her sit on the stool meant for the operator while they wait. Even when the park starts filling with tourists, locals, youth and elders, he never asks for it back, and refuses when she offers. "I barely sit on it, anyway." He says.
Before each round, he circles the carts, checks each seatbelt to make sure it's properly fastened, calms any obvious nerves.
Jihyun figures the last isn't in his employee manual, but he does it anyway.
Then he comes back to the shaded booth they stay in, plays a track (pre-recorded) of the safety guidelines the passengers need to follow when riding the ride. Keep your hands and feet inside the cart at all times, keep your seatbelt attached and around your waist, the usual safety stuff.
She looks around at all the people while the attraction in front of her emits screams and laughter, looks at the happiness stampeding the side walks, and again at all the rides. Looking back to The Scorpion, she tries to ignore the desperate tug of exitement she gets after seeing those roller coasters.
Like Kai said, work first, so she sits and lets him work.
It's been nearly two hours, Kai muses. Why the hell is she in the same exact position as when he started his shift?
"Doesn't your back hurt?" He leans against the back of the operator booth, crosses his arms. "You've been sitting like that for a while."
She shrugs, barely messing up her posture. "I'm used to it. It's probably only after ten hours when my back starts to ache."
Only. He tries not to laugh, deeming it would be rude, but couldn't help but find her response unbelievable.
It's so unbelievable it's funny.
"Have you ever tried . . . I don't know, slouching a little?"
"I have, but I got in trouble for it."
"You got in trouble?"
"Yes, mostly because I was stupid enough to try it around my parents, and I've never thought about it when I was alone."
"Well," He clicks on the end-of-the-ride-safety-precautions track. "You can try it now."
Jihyun chuckles, shakes her head. "It's embarrassing. I look like I'm crippled or something." As the previous riders leave out the exit, Kai lets twenty more in and waits until they find their seats before checking their seatbelts. "Is this all you do?" Jihyun asks when he comes back to play the usual track.
"For seven hours."
Her eyebrows shoot up. "Seven hours?"
This time he chuckles. "Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it." He checks his watch. "My break is in about an hour. We can go to a small place I know for lunch." He suggests.
Jihyun considers the idea, finds it pleasing.
"I'd love to."
Kai parks in a small parking lot that is slowly growing by the hour. The building right near them (which is the place Jihyun suspects is the place for their lunch) is more on the run-down side, but not at all un-inviting.
More family oriented, Jihyun decides.
When they walk in, the atmosphere screams laid back, comfortable, warm. A place just like Jihyun has been dying to eat in.
But she's lost when it comes to the menu.
They're already seated, for this is a place of 'sit down and we'll come to you' after they order their drinks. Jihyun sits and carefully places a napkin across her lap, looks down. The menu is laminated under the surface of the glass table, always wiped clear for an easy read.
"I don't know what any of this means," She mutters to herself and sips her water that's just been set down.
After staring at the menu like an idiot for the better part of two minutes, she lets out a breath of relief when a waiter comes.
"Jongin," The waiter (or not the waiter?) pats Kai on the back in a friendly Hello.
Jongin?
"How ya doin'?"
"Hey, Minseok." Kai replies . . . or, Jongin replies. And this "waiter" probably isn't a waiter after all.
Jihyun feels her head begin to throb. Way too much for one sitting.
She just wants food.
"Who's this?" Minseok points at Jihyun, a smile still plastered on his face.
"A friend of mine. Jihyun, this is my good friend Minseok. His family owns this place. Minseok, Jihyun."
"Nice to meet you." He holds out his hand, which Jihyun accepts ever so slightly, fearing he'll bend and kiss it.
But he shakes it, his grin never fading, and lets go. "Wow," He says. "Gentle as a lamb. So," He claps his hands together. "What can I get you guys? It's on us."
"Hey, thanks. I'll have a Baozi Burger."
"Fries?"
"Lots of 'em." Kai looks at Jihyun. "Have you found something you like, yet?"
"Well, that's kind of hard," She looks back down to the menu. "when I don't know what half this stuff is." She meets his eyes again. "What's a Baozi Burger supposed to be?"
He grins, "Pure deliciousness."
"I guess I'll try that, then."
"You heard the lady," He taps Minseok in the stomach.
"I did," He agrees and turns to her. "Do you want some french fries?"
"I'll take some, thanks."
"Sure. I'll be back with your burgers, soon."
"So," Jihyun eyes Kai over her drink, sips. "Jongin, huh?"
Even across the table, she can see a small embarrassed blush creep to his cheeks.
He shrugs, "Yeah. It's my name."
"I figured. Why did you tell me your name was Kai?"
"Well, that's what people call me nowadays. Minseok's an old friend, that's why he still calls me Jongin. Just like other people call him Xiumin but I call him Minseok." He catches a gleam in her eye as she takes another sip of her water. The sight suddenly makes his throat dry. "What," He pulls his straw to his mouth. "Are you gonna start calling me that?"
"I like it better than Kai."
"Why?"
"I don't know, it just . . . sounds better. More appealing."
Definitely, she likes it better than the nickname he gave himself.
She tries it out, sees how it sounds on her tongue. "Jongin," She nods. "It's comfortable."
And his drink is going to be gone by the time the food comes, he realizes, from how many times he's been sipping. Or, gulping. Why did he seem so parched all of a sudden?Like his throat decided to take on the role of the freaking Sahara desert.
He sets the cup aside, thinking it best not to drink away his appetite, no matter how much he wants the refreshment.
"You can call me Jongin, I don't mind. Why didn't you get a soda or something?" He references to her drink, water droplets beginning to condensate on the glass. "Water's a little boring."
"I'm not allowed to get soda. And water is not boring." She takes a sip in defense. "It's refreshing."
"Why aren't you allowed?"
"A princess has to stay healthy."
"What, is there a rule? You're not a princess right now. Drink some." He offers his cola.
Figuring it's not the worst thing, she accepts the glass. "Alright," After a small, testing sip, she cringes and shoves it back. "God, it burns my throat."
Kai grins. "That's the best part."
She can still feel a slight flame sliding down into her chest. How can that be the best part? "Sure,"
"Two Baozi Burgers with fries." Minseok carries two plates, food threatening to fall over the edges, to their table and sets them down with a kind of pleasure Jihyun thinks comes from being able to call this place his. His food, his customers, his hard work.
She knows the feeling. Thinking about her sanctuary, Jihyun smiles a slow, heartfelt smile. She understands his pride completely.
"Thanks, Minseok." Kai says
"Yes, thank you."
"No problem. If you need anything else, just wave me down."
"Got it." Kai starts digging into the fries before Minseok is even five feet from the table. Jihyun stares down at the shining french fries and thick burger, noticing that Kai is already halfway through his side. Might as well get started.
She unwraps the fork from its napkin and stabs a few fries. She's about to put it in before she catches Kai's stare.
"What?"
"You're seriously eating finger food with a fork? Were you planning on doing that for the burger, too?"
Jihyun looks down at the bundle of golden crisps caught in the spikes of her utensil. She hesitates. "Well--"
"No, you're using your hands for this." He takes her fork away, puts it out of reach as if she'd go back for it. "No forks or spoons or knives allowed at this table. Follow my lead." He picks up his burger with both hands, juts his elbows out. "You really gotta put your arms like this to have a good angle." He waves them to show her the shape, making Jihyun laugh.
"You look like a chicken." But she mimicks him, leaning forward in her seat like he and pointing her elbows out the same.
"Now, in order to get a real big bite, you gotta start at the bottom, work your way up. Try to fit as much in your mouth as you can handle."
He shows her the ropes of how to eat a burger the proper way (as he calls it), how to clean up the grease dripping down her chin ("Just wipe it with the napkin; you don't have time to dab."), how to the extra mustard and ketchup off her fingers. She considers the entire thing a learning experience.
As Jihyun struggles to eat a burger the way she was told, Kai can't stop stealing glances of her. He likes watching her face, figuring out her thought process. From the look on her face about deciding if she should stop and clean up a little bit or just keep eating to how content she seems, chewing with a full mouth. It shouldn't be cute, Kai decides. A woman eating a loaded burger like a man should definitely, completely, not at all be cute.
Then why is it?
She tries to take big bites like he had demonstrated, he realizes. The only thing stopping her is the size of . All the effort, motivation, and determination is there.
He wonders if she picked that up from being a princess or if it came with her personality.
"Did you like it?" He asks when he's finished.
"Yes, it was actually really good. Thank you for taking me out."
"You should thank Minseok, since he served it for free."
"You're right. Where is he?"
"Ahh," He looks around the place, finding no sign of Minseok. "He must be in the back. I'll go get him." He stands up, puts his napkin on the table and goes off on the search.
Jihyun watches him wave to the bartender and walk through the door to the kitchen. He must be a close family friend to be able to go into Employees Only areas, she figures. Looking down at the table, she notices the balled up napkins, pools of water from their glasses and small drops of condiments. She can't leave the table looking like this, all cluttered and messy.
She tidies it up. Not cleans, she tells herself, remembering Jongin's order of leaving it as it is, since it's what they're supposed to do, apparently. Just tidying.
"So, Jongin told me you enjoyed your meal."
She looks up as Minseok walks over with Kai falling in step behind him. She catches Kai's suspicious eyes flick to the table, back at her. She smiles embarrassingly, and he huffs out a breath of laughter.
"I did, it was wonderful. Thank you for being so generous, really." She holds a hand out to him, which he merely glances at before leaning in for a hug.
"We're not strangers anymore, right?" He says as he gives her a squeeze. "It's my pleasure."
Jihyun usually never got hugs from a male, except those from Baekhyun. Remembering her brother, she forgets the fluster of being hugged by Minseok.
Weird, she thinks. She doesn't even realize how much she misses Baekhyun until another boy hugs her. She misses being around him, the qualities in him she loves, sharing with him the dispair of being in the world of royalty. Wondering what's going on back home now scares her. Wondering where Baekhyun is scares her even more. At this point, she can only hope everything is okay.
She returns his squeeze with one of the same force, more than Minseok expects. "This is a lovely restaurant you have here." He hears her say and pulls back to look at her.
She smiles at his face: the same one she gets when people praise her of her sanctuary. "You're doing a great job with it."
Then he smiles, his gums grinning at her more than his teeth. "Thank you, so much."
"I really hate to interrupt," Kai steps in. "But we have to get back. My lunch hour is almost up."
"No, of course." Minseok says and slaps his friend's shoulder. "You still owe me a rematch in foosball."
"I'll still win."
"Come back any time." Ignoring Kai and with one last smile at Jihyun, Minseok retreats back to the kitchen.
"I think you made his day," Kai commented, watching the double doors swing from its hinges. After a breath, he turned to Jihyun. "Come on, we don't want to be late."
Back at the park, Kai's routine continues. He gives the stool to Jihyun to sit on, checks seatbelts and safety hazards, and makes jokes with her between the rounds.
Jihyun asked him if she could use his phone for some of the time before be started work, so Kai had taken it out of his locker and told her to act as if it was hers if anyone asked. Curious to what she wants to do on his phone, Kai takes a peek before starting the ride. He laughs to himself. She asked for his phone because she wanted to play Solitare. He can't blame her; he's bored most of the time at work, so he can only imagine watching someone do it.
Another of his friends stops by on his way out. He seems a little surprised at Jihyun being there. "Is that even allowed?" He asks, pointing at her.
"What would be a problem?" Kai counteracts. "As long as she's not operating anything, it should be alright."
"Yeah, I guess so." He glances at Jihyun, who pauses her game, and bows. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Chen."
"I know."
"Hm?" His brows furrow. "How?"
Jihyun gestures, "Your name tag."
Lifting a hand to it, like he just remembers he had one on, Chen laughs embarrassingly. "Oh, right."
"Come on, hyung, get it together." Kai smiles before leaving to help a stuck passenger.
"I got it, I got it." He yells after him. "When Kai comes back, tell him I don't need him to take my shift anymore on Thursday." He tells Jihyun.
"Sure,"
"Thanks . . . Ah . . ."
"Jihyun. Byun Jihyun. Sorry, how rude of me."
He waves her apology away. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you around."
Jihyun waits patiently until Kai is finished letting passengers in, starting the tape and the ride before she tells him Chen's update.
"Your friends are very nice, by the way."
He shrugs. "I guess so. They're probably just that nice because you're here. A lot of the time they're just a bunch of s."
"Hm. So then does that make you one, too?"
"I'm a nice ."
The corners of her lips tug. "Then until something contradicts me, so are they."
He nods, a playful smile presenting itself. "Fair enough." He turns back to the ride when he notices she's gone back to her game. Not a couple minutes later, he hears her groan.
Kai chuckles. "Frustrated?"
"Immensely."
"Why don't you just give up? Play another hand?"
"Because Solitare and I have a long history."
He shrugs, "Alright. Hey, guess what," He says after a glance at his watch. "My shift's almost over."
Kai can see her eyes brighten, feels his own mood start to.
He suddenly is looking forward to spending the rest of the day here.
After multiple roller coaster rides (the first being The Spider . . . Kai proved to her that it was, actually, pretty damn fun), tons of screaming, constant smiles and many secretive glances, Kai and Jihyun return back to his apartment, exhausted but extremely satsfied.
"So you had fun today, I'm guessing?" Kai parallel parks in front of his building and notes the grin that has been on Jihyun's face since leaving the park twenty minutes before.
"Oh, so much. Thank you, for that."
He puts the car in park, pulls the key out of the ignition. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep in my bed, just once?"
Her head snaps in his direction, the smile replaced by a flustered frown. "You're letting me spend the night again?"
"Well, yeah. Why not? You have no place to go and I need some company. It works out."
Jihyun watches Kai get out and cross over to her side. He smiles at her through the window before opening her door and bowing. "Your majesty."
"Very funny." But she can't stop the smile. Stepping from the car, she grins up at him. "I'll take the couch again."
This was a long chapter and I apologize if you don't like long chapters, but I feel like we needed one. By the way, I'm legal, now! lol. My birthday was earlier this week. The only downside is that if I get in a fight at school, I'll probably go to jail. I really should have started a fight in the beginning of the year. Damn.
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