The Ferris Wheel, Everland Park

"Hi ahjussi, may I get two lemonades and two strawberry ice creams?" Minhyuk dug around his pockets for spare change.

"That'll be 7,500 won, kid." Minhyuk dug deeper inside his pockets. Blushing, he smiled at the lemonade stand man and said, "Actually... I'll get one ice cream." 

Turning to Taeri, "Do you mind sharing?" She shook her head.

It was strange, really. This drummer boy she barely knew was buying her ice cream from a concession stand. Ffteen years in the US, no boy had ever done this for her. 'Huh,' she thought, 'Korean boys must be different.' 

"So, Minhyuk-ssi, what do you like?" she asked, as he handed her lemonade and offered her the ice cream. 

"I like meat.. BBQ is really good.. And food in general!" He smiled contentedly, on his straw. "Oh, and music too. Anything, really."

Taeri laughed, "You can't just like ANYTHING.. Hmm.. I like ferris wheels except they make me nauseous."

Minhyuk stopped in his tracks and did a complete 180 turn. He stared at her with his small, glowing eyes. "You don't know what you're missing out on... Come.." Realizing the direction he was heading towards, Taeri tried to avert his eyes and scamper away as a feeling of slight nausea came over her stomach. 

"NO.. No, no Minhyuk-ssi..  NO NO." 

"But Taeri-ssi.. I BOUGHT YOU FOOD!" Sighing, she slowly faced him. "Do you wanna start something, oppa?" She said it mockingly, with a glint in her eyes. Her stance was ready. She was going to run. No way this kid was going to make her go on that ferris wheel, ice cream or not. 

And she ran. "NO, COME BACK.. UGH. THIS GIRL!" Minhyuk took after her. She cussed underneath her breath, it was harder running with a backpack, lemonade, ice cream and an extra heavy camera. 

She was just rounding a corner when he grabbed her backpack strap. "Cmon, Taeri.. It'll be fun! You're in Korea, might as well try something new!" 

"Or else what?" Taeri glanced at him, for his tone sounded a bit too mischievous for her liking. "Or else...THIS." 

He held onto her camera and began flashing her with her own flash. "UGGGH. ALRIGHT, you intolerant person. I just met you today and we're already exchanging threats?" 

"That's how great friendships begin, Taeri-ah." 

Minhyuk laughed as she acquiesced to his word. It must be precious to her, this camera. 

Eventually, they were seated in the cart of the Ferris Wheel. She sat opposite to him, her eyes clenched shut, one hand gripping the lemonade, and one the ice cream. 

"You should eat the ice cream. It might melt, you know." 

"I... Can't eat.. At this high of an altitude..." Minhyuk chuckled. He felt the same way when Yonghwa forced him onto the cart.

"Sh.. Just wait, you haven't seen anything just yet." He took out her camera and began snapping pictures, as other people began boarding. 

"Hey, you're using it wrong. That's why the pictures are turning dark." She stood up to walk to his side and flinched when the wheel began to move. "I CAN'T SIT DOWN, IT'S MOVING.." She hyperventilated. 

He kind of felt sorry for her. "Here, take my hand, and slowly sit.. Physics has got us." Taeri slowly grabbed his hand and twisted his knuckles as she lowered herself onto the seat.

"...ouch.." Minhyuk exclaimed stoically, as she continued pressing on his hand. 

"This is what you get, babo." She replied as she took the camera from his hand and began adjusting settings. 

"See here, you gotta bump the ISO up to get more light, and change the shutter speed too..." He didn't understand a word she was saying, but he enjoyed looking at her. Taeri began fidgetining with her camera, forgetting the movement of the wheel. He looked at her side profile. She had a cute nose, and dark moles and skin blemishes scattered across her skin. It looked like a painting on her skin. 

She looked up, and their eyes met. Suddenly, she snapped a picture of him off guard. "STOP!" He covered his face. She giggled, that giggle that chimed with happiness, and showed him the picture. The quality was stunning, but hid face seemed dazed. 

"Is this what I seriously look like? Ugh.. I look lik--" Taeri gasped. 

"That's not important.. Minhyuk-ssi, look at the view!" She smiled as the wind blew her hair back. "...wow.." 

He smiled at her child like innocence. "I told you so..." "You need to eat ice cream while enjoying this view." 

"Really? Does it make it ten times better?" 

"Ice cream makes everything ten times better..." She took her eyes off the view and glanced at him straightfowardly for the first time. "I like you. Like, you know, the friend way. You're really cool Minhyuk." 

"Thanks?" Minhyuk reddened. "No one ever told me anything like that." He nervously looked down at the melting ice cream and spooned himself some. Then he offered her a spoonful. She opened up and he put it in, letting go of the spoon.

She took out the spoon and laughed. "What am I, your peasant now?" Minhyuk jokingky asked. "For all you could know, I could be your sunbae." 

"But sunbae is too formal.. You just threatened me! And I'm sure you're not... I mean, you look like a kid," she said, poking his cheek full of baby fat. 

"HEY! Stop that, I'm 16, alright? Almost a man." She laughed aloud. "What, is that funny or something..? ARE YOU MY NOONA?!" 

Taeri bonked him on the head with her spoon. "No, oppa. I'm 15." The wheel rotated once more in silence as she turned her head towards the window. 

"Let's take a picture together. I'd like to remember this moment." She took out her camera, flipped the screen towards them and focused on their faces. "Smillleeee!" 

The shutter clicked as the wheel slowed down to a stop, with them at the highest point. 

"I hate being stuck up here.. It feels like forever and its so dangerous!" Taeri whined. Minhyuk glanced at her and dipped his fingers inside the ice cream. 

"Gotchu!" He said as he swiped some ice cream on her cheek. "Hey, stop it, you!" She proceeded to do the same to him. 

They got off the wheel at 8pm, surprisingly meeting the rest of their group, faces sticky with ice cream. 

"I'm so not letting you win this," she told him as they approached the group, her eyes issuing a challenge, but her smile softer than the ice cream they just ate. And a part of him actually believed her, and wanted to stick around to see what she'd do next. So he said, "Most definitely you won't."