'Mi-Hyun.'

The name slipped out of Baekhyun's surprised lips before he seemed to remember that they weren't talking. He closed his mouth quickly. Mi-Hyun smiled awkwardly.

'Hey,' she said softly.

Baekhyun's eyes seemed to take all of her in. His eyes roamed all over her, like she was something precious to be examined with the utmost care.

Mi-Hyun knew she was meant to feel embarrassed that she was enjoying it so much but hey, it wasn't everyday that Baekhyun saw her in something that wasn't their ugly school uniform. His eyes skimmed over her chest and legs lightly and quickly (a natural gentleman, Mi-Hyun noted in her head) and he shoved them back up to her face in a hurry.

Then he realised her hair was out and her skin was glowing so he resumed staring again.

His hair gets in his eyes when it's wet, Mi-Hyun thought absently. She felt a tender urge to gently smooth it back.

Even though the two were three metres away from each other, Mi-Hyun felt like Baekhyun was right in front of her. That was how strong his presence was to her.

Baekhyun blinked and seemed to be snapped out of his trance. He swallowed.

'I'm sorry,' he confessed after a pause. 'For everything.' 

Mi-Hyun knew what he was talking about their fight on the roof without him saying it.

'For saying that you weren't a good friend. For saying that you weren't there for me. You were. I was just...' He ran a hand through his wet hair in frustration. It only made Mi-Hyun want to touch it more.

Maybe it was how warm and good the bath made her feel or talking to Baekhyun somewhere else that wasn't school but Mi-Hyun felt very forgiving today.

'Okay,' she said. 'Okay.'

Baekhyun stopped then smiled. 'Alright.' He grinned. Mi-Hyun's heart was beating right next to his.

He took a step forward before remembering that his room was in the opposite direction. 'I'll see you at dinner,' he called, waving awkwardly to cover up his mistake.

Mi-Hyun laughed and waved back jokingly. She turned to go but then Baekhyun's voice dragged her around like a hook.

'Oh, uh, Mi-Hyun!'

'Yeah?' she yelled. Baekhyun looked at her face then her yakata very pointedly. His face brightened like the sun.

'You look especially pretty today,' he said cheekily.

'Flirt.' Mi-Hyun rolled her eyes and turned. She didn't want him to see the blood rushing to her cheeks.

'I mean it!' Baekhyun called after her. 'It's a billion times better than the school uniform. Thinner, too!'

Mi-Hyun didn't turn back around but threw a hand up behind her as in a 'get lost' gesture. She heard Baekhyun laugh (how long had it been since she's last heard it?) and walk back to his own room, whistling. Mi-Hyun couldn't stop smiling herself as she refrained herself from actually skipping.

There wasn't a more glorious place to live than in right now.

~~~

'So you forgave him?' Hyorin asked, skeptical. 'Just like that?'

Mi-Hyun giggled, clutching her pillow. 'Just like that.'

Ga-In walked into the room and Mi-Hyun threw the pillow at her. 'Woah,' she said, sitting down on the mat. 'Someone's in a good mood after sulking on the bus all day. You had an encounter with loverboy?'

'Something like that,' Mi-Hyun said, smiling.

Ga-In leant forward, a devilish glint in her eye. 'If you two are all chummy again, take my advice and go on the lovers ride tomorrow at the amusement park.'

Mi-Hyun raised her eyebrows. 'What's the heck is that?'

'The lovers ride,' Ga-In said, whipping her wet hair behind her with a flourish and getting into her stride,' is the most famous ride, one which couples from surrounding areas all travel to this amusement park to ride.' She waggled her eyebrows.

'Basically,' Hyorin piped up, 'You get on a carriage and it goes in a tunnel for a whole minute so the two are in the dark.'

'Shut up!' Ga-In said, throwing Mi-Hyun's pillow at her. Hyorin caught it and threw it back. 'When you say it, it's not romantic at all!'

'Doesn't sound very interesting,' Mi-Hyun mused, agreeing with Hyorin.

'Oh oh oh~' sang Ga-In, turning back to her. 'Don't judge it too soon. The most interesting bit by far is how everyone looks when they come out of it...Clothes everywhere...swollen lips...messy hair...guilty expressions...some underwear hanging at the back of the carriage...'

Mi-Hyun wrinkled her nose. 'That's gross.'

'But seriously, consider it,' Ga-In pressed. 'With Baekhyun's life as an idol and all, will this one minute be the ultimate moment of privacy for your relationship? What can happen in one minute?'

What will happen in that one minute?

~~~

The whole grade was crammed into the one hall in the inn for dinner. It was a nice big place, with big long wooden tables and cushions on the ground and Japanese woodblock paintings hanging from the ceiling. Hyorin got there early and managed to snag an empty table so their usual group could eat together. Somehow, Mi-Hyun and Baekhyun ended up on opposite ends but this didn't bother them at all.

Instead, they held staring competitions and pulled faces at each other. They chuckled at Ga-In's loud antics then laughed at Hyorin's witty remarks. Everyone seemed so much louder and happier tonight, even Kyungsoo and Baekhyun ate to their heart's content, and the warm yellow light and merry conversation made Mi-Hyun feel slightly drowsy by the end of the meal.

In the midst of the commotion and giggles, she never saw the one pair of unhappy eyes trained on her back.

~~~

Someone was pushing her.

Mi-Hyun cracked open an eyelid only for vibrant rays of the morning sun to crawl into her brain. She opened her eyes again and saw Ga-In's face looming less than 5cm away from hers.

She hurriedly scrambled away with a slight scream and she saw the lump that was surely Hyorin stir in the corner.

'Get up~' sang Ga-In, as she whipped the futon from Mi-Hyun's body. Freezing air hit her exposed arms and Mi-Hyun sneezed.

'What time is it?' she asked blearily.

'8:30,' Ga-In replied in a brisker voice. 'So get up. I don't want to miss breakfast.' She got up and padded over to Hyorin.

Mi-Hyun looked at her disbelievingly from sleep-swollen eyes. How could this girl still have the energy to hum when they had talked and laughed themselves into hysterics last night? She shook her head in wonder and reached for her pile of clothes.

'Hyorinnieeee~'

Mi-Hyun waited.

'ARGH!'

'Don't hit me!'

'PER-SO-NAL BUBBLE GA-IN! HOW DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!'

She laughed and slipped on her jeans.

~~~

'Are you excited?'

Baekhyun's sudden voice verbrated in Mi-Hyun's ear, causing her to jump a little.  She turned her head to find him looking alive, with a glint in his eye, and very attractive, in a grey sweater and casual jeans. She was at the end of the line for breakfast and Baekhyun seemed to have just joined behind her.

'For what?' she said teasingly.

'For the rollercoasters!' he said excitedly. 'For the adrenaline rushes! For-'

'I'm sorry but Mi-Hyun's already agreed to hang out with me,' a smooth voice cut in. Mi-Hyun turned surprised, to see Minho entering the hall, his hair combed handsomely back and sporting a red jacket. Apparently, he had dressed up for today. 'Isn't that right, Mi-Hyun?'

Baekhyun's eyes swung to her and Mi-Hyun felt fidgety under his stare. 'Um yeah...but not the whole day, though...right?' She laughed nervously.

Minho smiled as well. 'Unless you're having so much fun with me that you forget,' he joked.

Baekhyun didn't seem to find it very funny. 

'Well,' Minho said lightly. 'See ya.'

'See ya,' repeated Mi-Hyun and Minho walked past them, giving Baekhyun a nod which Baekhyun returned curtly. As soon as Minho was out of earshot, he Mi-Hyun.

'When did he even ask you?' he demanded.

'Back when you were ignoring me,' Mi-Hyun rolled her eyes. 'It's no big deal.'

When Baekhyun didn't stop scowling, she patted him on the back. 'Relax,' Mi-Hyun reassured him. 'I'll just walk around with him for a bit, go on a couple of rides. Before you know it, I'll be back and we can ride every rollarcoaster like you wanted.'

'Really?'

'Really.'

Baekhyun pouted. 'I still don't exactly like it...'

Mi-Hyun sqeauled inwardly. A pouting Baekhyun made her insides turn into a warm puddle of goo, something she didn't even know was possible. And just because she could, she reached up and pinched his cheek.

In front of everybody.

'Ow!'

~~~

An hour and a half later, Mi-Hyun found herself squinting as she struggled to read the signs pointing to different rides.

'Can't you tell your friends to be a little quieter?' she muttered to Minho, who was standing on her right and not even pretending to help. When Minho had asked her to accompany him, she had thought it was just them two but apparently his whole gang of friends wanted to tag along as well.

Mi-Hyun didn't even know why Minho hung out with them.

They were the type of boys who considered themselves popular and always did things first before thinking it through. Right now, the group were clustered around a statue of a mermaid and doing obscene gestures with it, while taking pictures. Yeah, Mi-Hyun didn't even know why there was a mermaid there. It wasn't a water park. Everything was starting to piss her off.

'Leave them,' Minho said goodnaturedly. His hands were in his pockets and he grinned at her. 'They're just having fun. You should too. Loosen up a little.'

Mi-Hyun made some kind of nonverbal noise that implied she was agreeing with him but inside her head, she cursed Ga-In, Baekhyun and the others who had happily walked off without her, not even taking the time to wish her goodbye.   

Minho's friends came swarming back and Mi-Hyun let them push and shove her in the direction they wanted to go in.

It's their fault if they get lost, she thought snarkily.

They walked aimlessly around for a few minutes before a ride caught Mi-Hyun's eye. The sign was coloured a faded red, with the words 'One Passionate Minute' inscribed in curly script. Below it, a lonely carriage decorated with plastic hearts lay waiting, and the black mouth of a tunnel glared behind it.

Isn't that...

'Hey!' shouted one of Minho's moronic friends. He had obviously spotted the ride.Mi-Hyun inwardly groaned. 'Let's get Mi-Hyun and Minho to ride this!'

The rest of the group roared their approval and started shouting, 'Mi-Mi, Mi-Mi, Mi-Mi!'

Uh, no, Mi-Hyun thought. You're getting it wrong, it's meant to be HYUN-HYUN.

The group pushed Minho and Mi-Hyun towards the ride despite the latter's protests. Somehow, the two ended up sitting beside each other as another guy slipped in the money in the rusty machine. Behind the excited heads, Mi-Hyun spotted Ga-In, Baekhyun and the others making their way towards the ride, attracted by the noise, and felt a rush of relief.

Ga-In will get me out of here, she thought.

However, just as the thought ran in her head, one of Minho's moronic friends (that label was starting to stick) pulled the lever down and some sappy music started to play from a speaker. The carriage creaked and started to inch forward.

'Hey!'

Mi-Hyun's head swivelled at Ga-In's shout and she saw her and Baekhyun start to run forward. Hyorin and Kyungsoo followed suit, a little slower. They arrived in front of the sign but it was too late. Minho and her were nearly in the tunnel. She shrugged at Ga-In's disappointed face and yelled, 'Maybe next time!'

The last thing she saw was Baekhyun pointing to the other end of the tunnel, indicating that he would wait for her there. She smiled at him, feeling happiness surge through her veins and making her lightheaded. She could get through the next undoubtedly very awkward minute just remembering that Baekhyun was waiting for her at the end.

Darkness engulfed Mi-Hyun and she crossed her legs. Might as well make herself comfortable, right?

'I don't know what they were thinking,' she remarked casually to Minho who was silent. 'Nothing's going to happen, right?'

When silence greeted her as her only answer, she took her back off the ride and looked in the direction of Minho.

'Minho?'

Then out of nowhere, a pair of hands grabbed her face and pulled her forwards.

Mi-Hyun only had time to yelp in utter surprise before hot lips crashed onto her own.

A/N: Oh, a cliffhanger~ Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please comment :) Thank you as always for reading.