|| Philophobia || Baek Kyung

Chapter - 17 The day that vanished

It was late afternoon at the gigantic amusement park although Yeona wasn't sure it felt huge because it was actually huge or because she was walking too slow laughing with her friends to explore the place any faster, and the friend group was still buzzing from their last ride.

Friends, the word sure felt chummy in her heart

"Yeona-yah, you have to admit my aim at the water balloon game was legendary," Dan Oh boasted, swinging the oversized plushie she'd won.

"You aimed at the wrong target," Dohwa deadpanned.

"It still worked!" she shot back.

Baek Kyung rolled his eyes. "Can we eat before she challenges us to another game?"

"Yeah, let's—" Yeona started, but Dohwa cut in, "How about the roller coaster again? Third time's the charm!"

Baek Kyung froze. "No."

"Wae? Afraid?" Dohwa smirked.

"Afraid of wasting time," he muttered, though his knuckles were gripping the drink cup a little too tight, drink was just about to spill from it

Yeona leaned over the railing of the boardwalk, ice cream in hand. "Baek Kyung, why do you look like you're being tortured? It's just a ride."

"It's not just a ride," he shot back, glaring at the roller coaster in the distance. "That's... death on tracks."

Dohwa snickered from behind. "Our mighty Baek Kyung-ssi is scared of a little loop-de-loop?"

"Yah, I'm not scared," Baek Kyung said, a little too quickly.

Nam Ju smirked. "Sure. And I'm not rich."

Dan Oh laughed, linking arms with Yeona. "Fine, then you sit in the front with her." She jerked her head toward Yeona, who immediately shook her head.

"Uh, no thanks. I like my eardrums intact."

By the time they were buckled in, the teasing had reached dangerous levels. Dohwa leaned over to Yeona just before the ride started. "Watch. He's going to scream like he's in a horror movie."

The ride jerked forward, and sure enough—

"YAHHHHHHHHHH!" Baek Kyung's voice cracked halfway through, completely drowned out by Yeona's laughter beside him.

When they stumbled out, Dohwa looked ready to collapse from laughing. "Baek Kyung-ah... that was legendary."

Nam Ju patted his shoulder with fake sympathy. "Don't worry, hyung. We'll only tell... everyone."

"Try it and die," Baek Kyung muttered, but his ears were still pink.

They spent the rest of the day wandering the park, buying way too much tteokbokki, and arguing over who had to carry Nam Ju's giant plush prize. Sunset painted the sky in gold and pink when it happened—

The air went still. The sounds dulled.

Sagak.

The world seemed to blur for a heartbeat, and then—Yeona was standing in her room, in her pajamas, as if the day had never happened.

The next morning at school, she spotted the group chatting like normal. "Yesterday was fun, right?" she said casually.

"Yesterday?" Dan Oh tilted her head. "You mean... class?"

"No, the amusement park?"

Blank stares. Dohwa blinked at her. "Yeona, are you okay?"

Her stomach dropped. They didn't remember. Not even a flicker of recognition.

She laughed it off, but the unease lingered all day.

That night, Yeona stood at the sink, sleeves rolled up, scrubbing dishes. Her mind wandered back to Baek Kyung's face mid-loop, and she laughed under her breath. "He really screamed like a little kid..."

The sponge froze in her hand.

Behind her, Baek Kyung's voice came low. "Wait... I did scream."

She turned. He was standing in the doorway, eyes wide, like someone had just unlocked a door in his mind.

"You—"

"I remember," he said, a little breathless. "The roller coaster. The tteokbokki. Everything."

The plate in her hand slipped slightly. "You... remember all of it?"

His smirk returned, slow and dangerous. "And I remember you laughing so hard you almost cried."

Yeona's heart skipped. "Don't you dare—"

"Too late," he said, already pulling out his phone. "Dohwa needs to hear this"

"He doesn't remember Kyung", Yeona muttered smiling sadly but still happy atleast another person remembered the day. She wasn't sure if she liked the fact that Baek Kyung remembered the day or that just another person did, either way it was enough

"Oh", he faltered for a moment before shrugging ,"so, where were we? ah right that you have a worse aim than me"

"Oh shut up", she smiled turning her head to continue doing the dishes

At that time, the door bell rang alarming both of them. Kyung opened the door and froze at the sight 

"What are you doing here?"