“Ehem… Hyoyeon.. Hyoyeonnie?”

Hyoyeon was surprised that Gyuri was addressing her. “Yes, Gyuri shi?”

“Oh just call me unnie,” the older girl smiled, and the tension from Hyoyeon’s shoulders disappeared at the friendly gesture. “Ok, unnie!”

“Nicole has run off somewhere looking for cotton candy. Do you mind going to the ladies room with me?”

 Hyoyeon faltered for a second taken aback by the request but quickly gathered her wits and replied brightly, “Sure!”

“Be right back, oppa.” The girls both said at the same time.. making the atmosphere turn awkward yet again. But they left it at that and walked in the direction of the ladies room.

‘It’s not weird. Not weird at all, Kim Hyoyeon. You’re just imagining it. There’s no way she can tell that you’re in love with her boyfriend so just relax and act naturally.’ Hyoyeon coached herself while hiding out in the bathroom stall. She actually didn’t have to use the restroom but thought not going would be too awkward. “Act natural.. smile.. that’s it!” Taking a deep breath and slapping on the biggest, most cheerful smile she could muster, Hyoyeon stepped out.

Gyuri smiled at her again in the mirror as they were washing their hands.

“Lotte World is the best, isn’t it?” Hyoyeon initiated the conversation this time. “I haven’t been here in so long. Does your company give you free time, unnie?”

“No! It’s my first time back since when I was three. It’s changed a lot since then. Back then, there were just two sad looking rides. I don’t even think it was electrical – some ajusshi had to press the button to let everyone get on and off the ferris wheel!” Gyuri giggled and Hyoyeon joined her. They exchanged a few stories about favorite rides and foods to eat while drying their hands and fixing their hair. The water and high speed combo of the Atlantis ride had left them resembling the haggard contestants on ‘Survivor’.

“Ah!” Hyoyeon remembered her Minnie Mouse headband that she had put away in her bag before the ride and quickly fished it out. A chuckle escaped her unwittingly as Hyukjae's childish antics from earlier flashed in her mind

“Um Hyoyeonie?”

“Neh?” She paused mid-action and turned towards Gyuri.

The older girl gave her a shy apologetic smile as she touched her Lotte Mascot headband self-consciously, “Do you mind…um.. exchanging headbands with me? Hyukjae oppa has the Mickey one, right? so I want to have a couple item with him… but it’s fine if you don’t. Aish forget I even asked… it was a stupid thought!”

“Here!” Hyoyeon placed the headband on Gyuri’s head with a smile. “It looks good on you and no, it’s not stupid at all, unnie.”

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

“Wow you girls always take forever in the bathroom! Did you fall asleep or something?” Hyukjae immediately started complaining when he spotted them.

“We were talking bad about you!” Hyoyeon stuck her tongue out at him and went to stand next to Nicole, who had returned with the world’s biggest cotton candy.

“The ajusshi said I was cute and gave me extra,” she smiled happily. The younger girl reminded Hyoyeon of Tiffany sometimes – with her fast talking American ways and love for pink. So she gave her a loving pat on the head and then began ushering her towards the spinning teacups, plotting yet another escape plan to give the couple some alone-time. 

"NOT SO FAST CHODING!" 

Hyukjae was tugging Hyoyeon back by her ponytail.

"Ouch! Let go! It hurts, moron!"

"Ya I'm more hurt than you, okay, so don't even start with me!"

"WHAT? how is that even possible? DId you manage to trip on your shoelaces while we were gone to the ladies room? If you did, then you deserved it and I wish i could've seen it too!" Hyoyeon stuck her tongue out.

Once again, the bickering pair were in their own world. Whenever they got like this, they were totally oblivious to their company and their surroundings. 

"Meanie pants!" Hyukjae pouted. Lotte World was bringing out the bratty childish side of him. "I'm talking about THIS!" He pointed to his head.

"What?" Hyoyeon quickly stood on her tiptoes feeling for a bump, "Did you hit your head somewhere?"

"NO!" Hyukjae repeated emphatically, quite enjoying the attention from his best friend - she usually was this caring and gentle only towards the younger trainees.. and when he was sick.. and he hadn't been for a while, so he had missed this attention. 

Hyoyeon shot him an exasperated look, convincing him to elaborate - "Our BFF headbands! Did you hate the idea of us matching so much that you gave yours away? Well guess what? You shall not succeed, Evil Hyoyeon!" And with his signature cheeky smirk, he swiftly exchanged his Mickey Mouse ears with Nicole's pink Lotte headband.

"Oppa's just going to borrow it for a while, Colie! Thanks."

The youngest of the lot opened .. but realizing it was too late to protest, simply shoved another handful of the frothy pink cotton into and muched away amiably.

Meanwhile, Hyukjae craned his neck a little to check his reflection in the sparkling glass window behind him and frowned. A glance towards Hyoyeon and his expression brightened again, "Yes, Blue! SWITCH! "

“Where should we go next?” Hyukjae asked as he fixed the pink Lotte Mascot-head on Hyoyeon’s head this time, totally ignoring her protesting hands. “Tsk!! Stay still, pabo.”

Hyoyeon couldn't even dare to look towards Gyuri, afraid of what she would see on the older girl's face.

"Hold up! We need a shot of the headbands. Gyuri-ya, do you think you can.."

Unable to ignore the uncomfortable situation anymore, Hyoyeon snatched away the phone that Hyukjae was extending towards Gyuri and gave him a slight push while turning back to the two girls. “Excuse us for a second please. We’ll be right back!”

They walked past the Merry go round and stopped in a tucked away corner.

“Thanks for today, oppa. I had a really great time but as of right now, I release you from our BFF day.” She spoke quickly while constantly swerving her head to and fro to make sure they had not been followed. “You can go enjoy an ideal amusement park date with Gyuri shi now. She’s been looking sad so go cheer her up.”

There was no response so she finally looked at Hyukjae

but the boy was too busy admiring a cartoon sketch artist.

“Hey Hyo! Wanna get a portrait of us? We already have so many selcas together, let’s do something different.”

The girl rolled her eyes in disbelief, “Have you not heard a word I’ve said?”

“I totally tuned you out right after you said something mental like releasing me from our BFF day,” he chuckled looking quite proud of himself. “Now come on, let’s tell Gyuri and Nicole and get our portrait done.”

“OPPA!” Hyoyeon yelled in frustration. What the hell was wrong with Lee Hyukjae! Here she was trying to save his relationship – even though it was the last thing she wanted to do – and he was just making everything worse.

Hyukjae jumped, clutching his heart. “Don’t scream like that Hyo! It scares me!”

“Good!” she puffed out her cheeks impatiently. “Now go apologise to your girlfriend and buy her an ice cream cone or something.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“What do you mean why, why?” he childishly, enjoying the way her cheeks turned red in frustration.

“She is your girlfriend, you idiot!”

“Look Hyoyeonah,” Hyukjae finally turned serious. “Yes, she’s my girlfriend and yes I should spend time with her – which I already did - yesterday! But today I am doing my own thing – I want to spend time with my best friend and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. And a girl who becomes my girlfriend has to understand that. I can't immediately drop everyone else that is special to me just to make her place in my heart bigger. And I won't. Now will you stop trying to play matchmaker and enjoy this day like we were supposed to, pabo?"