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"kai, please don't hurt yourself!"
talia called out, her voice a mix of concern and exasperation as she watched the youngest member of their group wobbly balance on an s-board.
"i got this!" kai shouted back with all the confidence of someone who had fallen off five times already.
talia sighed, standing a few feet away as she watched kai cling tightly to yeonjun's brown jacket, the fabric crinkled in protest, and talia could see the slight tension of yeonjun's posture as he tried to support their maknae. it was one of those days off where they decided to make a fun memory, heading out to the skate park with a small camera in hand, recording their playful moments for MOAs.
"are you sure this was a good idea?" talia mumbled under her breath, though the smile on her face betrayed her amusement. watching kai's clumsy attempts to master the board was somehow endearing, even though every near-fall sent a rush of anxiety through her.
with each stumble, talia felt her body twitch, her instinct to catch him kicking in automatically. but every time, yeonjun managed to steady kai just before disaster struck. the two boys grew smaller in the distance, inching their way further down the park's concrete pathway. each time kai faltered, his arms flailed comically, and yeonjun's steadying hands would keep him upright.
but then, of course, came kai's inevitable plea. "talia! help me out here!" he called, his voice tinged with desperation.
she huffed out a laugh, shaking her head before jogging over to join them. "alright, alright, i'm coming."
as soon as she reached them, kai's hands were like magnets, instantly latching onto her shoulder. his grip was tight, pulling her into the chaos. yeonjun, now free from his babysitting duty, stepped back and folded his arms, a grin tugging at his lips as he watched them.
"good luck," yeonjun teased, nudging the board with his foot as a sign for kai to try again.
with a gentle push from yeonjun, kai began moving, his body wobbling back and forth as talia jogged beside him, her heart racing a little faster each time his knees buckled. it was like watching a toddler learn to walk, except this toddler was their energetic maknae, and instead of a soft floor, there was unforgiving concrete beneath them.
"easy, kai!" talia warned, her hand hovering just above his arm, ready to grab him if needed.
kai managed to ride in a straight line for all of five seconds before panic flashed in his eyes. "talia, help! stop me!" he yelped, his grip on her sleeve tightening.
before she could react, the board shot out from under his feet. everything seemed to slow down for a second. talila lunged forward, arms reaching out to catch him, but in a frantic scramble, she lost her balance too. the next thing she knew, they were both tumbling down to the ground.
"oof!" talia groaned as her elbow smacked against the pavement. the pain shot up her arm, but she couldn't help but laugh as kai lay next to her, wide-eyed and breathing heavily.
"you took me down with you!" she teased, rubbing her throbbing elbow.
"you didn't catch me!" kai retorted, sounding both embarrassed and amused.
they stayed on the ground for a moment, laughing off the chaos as yeonjun's hurried footsteps approached. his sneakers slapped against the concrete as he rushed over, his eyes wide with concern.
"are you guys okay?!" yeonjun's voice was tinged with worry, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone, too.
talia and kai were still holding hands from where they'd tried to catch each other during the fall. she let out a small groan as yeonjun helped her up, one hand gripping kai's while yeonjun grabbed her by the arms, pulling her gently to her feet.
"i'm fine, i'm fine," talia reassured them, though her elbow was throbbing. she glanced down at the red mark on her skin, wincing slightly as yeonjun leaned in to inspect it.
"at least there's no scrape. look like you just hit it hard," yeonjun murmured, lightly poking at the reddened area. talia hissed in pain and yeonjun instantly raised his hands in apology. "sorry, sorry! my bad."
talia chuckled and waved him off. "it'll be fine. shouldn't hurt as much tomorrow. i'll take some painkillers later." she turned to kai, who was still dusting himself off, "you alright, kai?"
"yeah," kai nodded, looking a little sheepish. but in true maknae fashion, it wasn't long before he was ready to try again. he grabbed the s-board and set it on the ground, determined to master it.
talia raised an eyebrow. "really? after all that?"
kai grinned. "i'm fine! i'm not giving up." he placed one foot on the board, testing the waters, though there was a definite wobble to his stance.
before talia could voice another concern, yeonjun spoke up. "you know, i think it's my turn."
talia turned to him, eyes widening in surprise. "wait. . . are you actually going to try?"
yeonjun shrugged, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "why not? you two have had all the fun."
what neither talia nor kai knew was that yeonjun had secretly been practicing. while the others had been focusing on helping kai, yeonjun had been getting the hand of the board behind the scenes. with a confident stance, he stepped onto the s-board and, to their surprise, took off in a smooth, straight line.
"whoa! yeonjun!" talia cheered, clapping her hands in delight.
kai's mouth dropped open in disbelief as yeonjun glided down the path with ease. "when did you—?"
but before either of them could finish their sentences, yeonjun got a little too ambitious. he began swerving side to side, trying to show off, but the board slipped out from under him. he stumbled, managing to catch himself before fully falling, but it was enough to send the s-board flying in the opposite direction.
"stop scaring me!" talia yelled, her voice filled with worry despite the laughter bubbling up.
the boys burst out laughing at her concerned tone. even though she often played the role of their caretaker, talia's protective instincts sometimes made her overreact. but deep down, she knew they appreciated it.
kai ran after the runaway board, clutching it triumphantly when he caught it. "i think we're done with this for today!" he called out, waving the board in the air like a trophy.
talia chuckled and nodded in agreement, nudging yeonjun playfully with her good elbow. "you can say that again."
with the sun beginning to set, they decided it was time to call it a day. though it had been chaotic, there was something comforting about these small, carefree moments with her members—moments where they could laugh, stumble, and fall, knowing they'd always help each other up.
