Are We Fine?

"Ji An, we're here!"

She felt her body being shaken several times. Slowly she straightened her seat position, stared out the window with her eyes half-open.

But when her gaze fixed on the distant theme park gate, her eyes widened. Quickly she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out into the parking lot. She followed her three friends who were standing in front of the car.

"Let's! Get! Started!" She yelled in joy.

Han Sung and Gi Hoon chuckled as they saw two girls running quickly towards the gate of the theme park.

After paying for the ticket and entering, Ji An and Yeon Hee argued again about the rides that would be visited first. Han Sung intervened and said it was better to start the easy first. And they all agreed to go to the merry-go-round — the one previously that Gi Hoon refuses but he finally relented. After that, they went straight to other rides such as bumper cars, roller coasters, topspin, and also the ghost house.

Gi Hoon felt dizzy after leaving the ghost house. He suggested taking a short break on a chair around the round table under a large shady umbrella in the open space— before they followed Yeon Hee's wish to go to the tower to see the view from a height.

"I will never set my foot in a ghost house again," Gi Hoon muttered, sounding resigned.

Han Sung grabbed the bottom right side of the torn t-shirt. "Ha Joon will scold me ..."

Ji An and Yeon Hee just shook their heads at the two boys' actions. The reason is when Ji An thought they both looked confident before entering the ghost house, it turned out that in the end the two boys took refuge behind her and Yeon Hee.

In fact, Han Sung was so panicked, the t-shirt he was wearing got stuck in a place that was thought to be pulled by one of the ghosts. They're such scaredy-cat.

"I am thirsty!" said Ji An, standing up. "Anyone want to come with me to buy drinks?"

"Wait! I have something to ask while we're here." Yeon Hee asked Ji An to sit back down while staring at the other two boys.

"What is it?" exclaimed Ji An in a tone.

Gi Hoon muttered indistinctly. Meanwhile, Han Sung waited patiently while wiping the sweat from his temples.

"Just so you know," Yeon Hee started. "I'm not a fool." Her three friends didn't seem to understand what she meant, so she continued, "I told you my problem. Shouldn't you also tell me your problem? Or rather your 'secrets'?"

Ji An furrowed her brows. "I have no secrets."

"Come on, Ji Aness. You promised me last night that you would tell me. Oh yes, you said you would ask Gi Hoon first. Have you asked?"

At the mention of his name, he raised an eyebrow with narrowed eyes. "What does it mean?" he asked Ji An.

Before Ji An answered, Yeon Hee had already cut in, "I may not seem to care, but I paid attention and was curious about your dodgy answers. As if ... you can get punished if you say it."

Han Sung and Ji An looked at each other, then they both turned towards Gi Hoon.

"Yes, I think it has something to do with you, Gi Hoon. I know we are not very close. But I'm familiar with these two people," Yeon Hee pointed to two childhood friends. "Starting with you and Ji An being together often—"

"We're not together that often," Ji An interrupted.

"—You both spend a lot more time. Then the talk about demo tapes, project partners of hobby, royalties, and songs? What is that? What are you doing?"

It was quiet before Han Sung said to Yoongi, "Believe me. If Yeon Hee 'The Curious' appears, she will continue to chase you until she gets an answer."

Ji An smiled faintly and turned to Gi Hoon as well. "I guess it's your right to tell her or not, right? But I'm sure Yeon Hee can keep a secret better than me."

Gi Hoon sighs quietly as he rubbed his face. "Okay, I'll tell you." He said reluctantly. "It seems like this topic is not that important, but I am very strict because it concerns my life that I don't want to be disturbed."

Yeon Hee nods. "Okay. I can even sign on the contract if you're afraid I'll reveal it."

All eyes were on Gi Hoon. And the boy cleared his throat before starting to tell his identity as 'Suiker', the youngest genius music producer, to the story where he helped Ji An to finish the girl's song.

"Woah, you're the genius rich." It was Yeon Hee's comment that made Gi Hoon snort with amusement. She turned to Ji An. "I knew you could sing, but I didn't know you could make songs."

"All you have to do is play music," said Han Sung. "Play the melody, give the touch of music app and it becomes a song. Well, it's not that easy tho."

Yeon Hee waved her hand. "I don't really know about music. My focus is only fashion."

And the conversation turns to Yeon Hee's dream. She said that if Ji An had succeeded in becoming a famous MUA, the girl had to wear the design, as well as she told the two other.

"Most of all I'll just busy in the kitchen making dough, why should I wear your design clothes?" Han Sung protested.

"Your cake shop won't just sell dessert. Your face and body have to be sold too — not in a bad way." Yeon Hee said quickly. "Half of all of the female customers will probably be crazy about your appearance. It can make your shop crowded. You can get it on tv and in magazines, and the first thing to do is your fashion. Got it?"

Ji An chuckled at Yeon Hee's explanation. Han Sung just rolled his eyes. While Gi Hoon shook his head and laid his head on the table.

These four teenagers already have plans for their dreams, well, one of them is already successful. Ji An wonders, whether 7 or 10 years later this dream they chose will be achieved? Hopefully, they don't take the wrong step.

"Hey, stop talking," said Gi Hoon. "Anyone please buy the drinks. I'm thirsty."

"Then you guys stay here, I will go." Yeon Hee, who seemed to have more energy, immediately went off alone to buy drinks.

Ji An got up from her chair. "I'll go to the restroom, don't get lost you both."

Gi Hoon was just about to open his mouth to say 'You should be the one who shouldn't get lost' while standing up, intending to accompany Ji An. But Han Sung had preceded him and caught up with the girl earlier after saying, "I went to the restroom too. Gi Hoon, take care of the place here, okay."

Gi Hoon stunned. He sighed, looked up, and finally sat resignedly in the chair, laying his head back on the table.

♡♡♡

Han Sung leaned against the wall not far from the restroom Ji An entered. His brain was busy spinning thinking about what words should be expressed.

He realized that previously he was very rude to Ji An. He regretted it. All because he was worried if something happened to her. That said, Ji An still couldn't control her actions when she was angry.

"Oh..."

Han Sung looked up, pushing himself off the back of the wall. He paused for a moment while licking his bottom lip, a habit that could not be lost since long time ago.

"How about we go to the tower and talk there?" Right now all he's thinking about is make things right with Ji An, again.

The girl nodded slightly after hesitating for a moment, perhaps wondering why not ask the other two friends to come along.

They walked in silence from the moment they showed the tower free pass to the theme park employees and boarded the elevator. There are not many people at that time, of course, because this is a weekday not a weekend.

Arriving at the destination, Ji An goes out from the elevator first, heading to the wide glass that shows the view of the theme park and the city. The girl was amazed to see the beauty before her eyes.

Han Sung smiled a little at Ji An's rounded eyes, which looked like a deer's eyes. "Don't open your eyes too wide, they will come out rolling down." He started by teasing the girl to get rid of the awkward atmosphere.

And for some reason, the girl's joking-angry reaction made Han Sung smile even wider. He cleared his throat a little.

"I know I already apologized before, but, I want to apologize again for being rude to you."

Ji An just stared at him silently. Feeling like the girl was waiting for him to finish his guilty speech session, he continued, "I didn't think well when cursed you. Sorry if I hurt you with my words and actions."

He licked his lips again, why did his lips feel so dry. "Sometime we always fight, you could say this is my fault. I just kept quiet when you asked about Yeon Hee. You know I often say the things shouldn't be said, and I'm confused about how to keep secrets from you, so I started ignoring you ..."

"You're not completely wrong." Ji An shook her head a little. "You're right, I was reckless. I didn't think before I acted. I don't know what happens if you don't stop me from finishing off the mad guy this morning. Maybe people will report me."

Han Sung put his right hand on top of Ji An's head, he patted her head gently. "I'm worried about you, please know that. If something happens to you, how do I explain it to your parents." He lowered his hand back. "Since your parents asked me to live with you all, I feel like I also have a responsibility to look after you."

The girl's eyes were shaking. Han Sung interpreted it as feeling moved and said, "I'm glad I'm having you by my side when I had my hard time. Besides my other families that far away from me and your parents, you're the one who gave me the best of you. I really appreciate our time together. And I hope we will always be close... you know, just like brother and sister. "

Ji An turned away from him. Perhaps his strange words gave the girl goosebumps, but then she gives an amused snort.

"I don't know what to say if you're honest like this ..." Ji An turn a glimpse at him. "You sound like my dad. There were times when my dad gave me sincere advice like this after I made a mistake, all I did was cry out of guilt."

"Do you feel like crying right now?" Han Sung smiled a little, teasing.

The girl laughed stiffly. "You don't look old enough like my dad to make me cry, Han Sung. I won't cry for you."

He laughed too. "I guess I have to be an adult first to make you cry, huh?" The girl didn't answer because she was busy looking at the distance. "So ... are we fine now?"

He saw the girl's head moved with a small nod and muttered, "I'm fine. We are fine.". Before he could speak again, someone shouted from the back.

"There they are! My instincts are never wrong."

Han Sung turned around to find Yeon Hee and Gi Hoon glaring at them. He had forgotten the whereabouts of these two friends and only said softly with a guilty smile, "Sorry."

He looked back at Ji An, who didn't look back at him at all, even till they returned home. At that time he didn't realize what he said earlier would change something in his life.

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- Autumn Notes