Dreams of Arcadia

43

"Why did we come here again?" I asked Jin, who just smiled mysteriously.

"Yeah, why not Lotte World, hyung?" sulked Yunho. We were all standing in front of the gates of the theme park, which wasn't as big and well-known as Lotte World, but at the same time had this gloomy aura.

"Lotte World has become boring, I've been there a hundred times," explained Jungkook, who now happily stepped through the cast-iron gate, which looked more like a cemetery gate.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go to the Smurf Enchanted Forest after all?" Hoseok looked after Jungkook anxiously.

"Why is it so dark in here, it's only midday?" Hongjoong didn't look too happy either, but ran after the others.

"The park is under a dome, it's supposed to give the impression that it's always night," explained Namjoon.

"I'm looking forward to the haunted house." Wooyoung sounded excited and took the skeptical-looking Yeosang by the hand before pulling him inside.

"I'll protect you... and you protect me, because I can be scary too." San whispered to me, offering me his arm.

"We'd better watch out for that idiot who acts big and leaves the room at the mention of a horror movie," I giggled, pointing at Jin, before hooking San's arm. Mingi appeared at my other side.

"Can I hang on to you? I don't dare walk alone." he asked us anxiously.

"Sure, don't worry... we'll just scream together until the ghosts leave," I said and San nodded before smiling encouragingly at him.

"I'll look after you." Kibum offered, but I raised an eyebrow.

"Negative... you'll sit next to me all the time and make sure I don't have too much fun... just because you all just came along doesn't mean San and I are going to hang out with all of you all the time... this is still a date... find someone yourself." I dismissed my overprotective cousin, who then left, wrinkling his nose and visibly offended.

"Oh... I forgot all about the date, I'll leave you two alone and run off with someone else..." Mingi was about to walk away, but I held on to his hand.

"Oh, nonsense, we just need one more person to come with us, then there'll be four of us and we'll be fine with the rides on the attractions." San also waved us off and looked around. Han was standing not far from us, looking annoyed at Changbin and Jongho, who were walking away from him.

"Do you want to join us?" asked San and he turned to us, then smiled with relief.

"Yes, please... Changbin seriously ditched me because Jongho cleared him to be his partner here." He pressed his lips together in frustration, only to smile again immediately afterwards.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?" Mingi asked him so seriously that I had to giggle again.

"If I was, I wouldn't talk to any of you." Han laughed, to which Mingi just gave him an irritated look.

"Ahooo... because we're dead..." he then realized.

"Come on now, there's a romantic boat ride through the killer vaults up ahead." San pointed to a cave entrance, in front of which black swan boats were lined up in a small pond. Mingi and Han sat in the first one, although Mingi would have preferred to sit behind us, but Han persuaded him as he didn't want to be forewarned by our shouting. San got into the boat and then held his hand out to me so I could get in safely, which I thought was very sweet of him. Carefully, as the boat was wobbling a bit, we sat down and waited for our boat to start, and Mingi and Han had already disappeared into the vault. Suddenly the boat wobbled even more and Jin squeezed in next to me.

"Hyung, this is a boat for two..." San explained, while I looked at Jin skeptically.

"I don't have anyone else who wants to go with me, we won't sink," he said and put his arm around my shoulder. San's eyes almost pierced him.

"No, not us, but you, if I push you out of the boat..."