"I am not getting on that rollercoaster."
Wonbin stood far away from the boarding line, staring warily at the bright red amusement machine that loomed over him.
"Wonbin cmon, it's your birthday." Eunseok called from the line.
The people in the line just stared at them weirdly, well since Eunseok was yelling in Korean at his clearly embarrassed friend, and no one knew what they were saying.
Damnit, way to cause a scene Eunseok.
Wonbin groaned, succumbing as he trudged towards his friends, who rejoiced at his decision.
Wonbin sulked as Shotaro wrapped an arm around him.
"Stop whining, this is fun." Shotaro, as happy as ever casually started.
Wonbin rolled his eyes, grumbling some not so friendly words under his breath.
"What was that?" Shotaro asked.
"Oh, nothing." Wonbin quickly cut him off.
Time seemed to go by slowly.
As she sat there, staring at the large white clock, each tick echoed deep in Elsie's mind.
She was in a trance, unable to look away as it kept on going, it wasn't until a hand had reached out, did she relax.
"What?" The words flew from her mouth as she flinched, her attention snapped onto her memory ear next to her, Mia.
"Uh, you've been sitting here staring at nothing, it's time for our break." She glanced behind her before looking back at Elsie.
The blonde managed a small smile, "Sure, let's go." She took Mia's outstretched hand, grabbing it as she stood up.
The two girls made their way towards the couches, Elsie immediately grabbed her abandoned phone from the charger.
As her screen lit up, she scrolled throughout her notifications, before entering the homepage and opening her messages.
A small smile was etched on her lips as she looked fur Winbub's icon, they'd talking again, si she was always excited to hear from him.
But the smile on her lips turned downward.
Her text, she'd sent him a happy birthday response, but....
He didn't even look at it.
It was still on delivered.
She could feel the slight heat creeping through her body.
This felt...embarrassing, why didn't he look at it.
"—Hey, Elsie let's go." Areum's voice rang through her bubbling thoughts, as Elsie snapped out of it, she sent her a quick smile, grabbing her phone as the girls headed out.
She'd deal with this later.
"That was fun wasn't it?" Shotaro walked alongside a grumpy Wonbin, too busy sulking and sending him side glares as he occasionally sipped on the cream soda in hand.
Today was a chill day, American weather was kinda weird.
It was like a thermometer, it'd be hot, then rain in the same day, then it'd snow, then there'd be a thunder storm at like 6 AM, very peculiar.
But enjoying the time now, Wonbin was happy to relax, taking his mind off his stressful idol life definitely helped.
Today was one day. A day free from the expectations, from the stress, from conflicting thoughts about other things, today he was taking it.
"What's this?" Shotaro's voice broke through his thoughts, causing him to turn his gaze to the other.
"What?" Wonbin asked with furrowed eyebrows, confused.
Shotaro grinned, "Nothing, you were smiling to yourself, did you get high? Oh my, was it the wine—"
"—No." Wonbin cut him off, he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm just." He started, "I'm just finally relaxed." He ended.
Shotaro smiled fondly at him, "I'm glad."
As they settled in silence, the savory smell of a familiar delicacy caught Wonbin's scent.
Shotaro smelled it too.
"Wait..." Shotaro stopped, taking in the smell as he closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he shared a look with Wonbin, there was only one smell that made them stop like this.
Their eyes widened as they both stared at each other in surprise.
"Hotpot!"
"Hot potato!" Harin yelled as she came through the kitchen.
The beeping of the oven had called to her, bringing her out of her room as she hurried to keep the food from burning.
Clara, had emerged from the hallway, she wasn't the least unfazed, sitting at the kitchen island calmly as Harin pulled out the tray from the oven, oven mit shielding her hands from burning as she placed it onto a cooling rack.
"It's time!" Stormie sing songed from afar, entering the kitchen with Summer behind her.
"Ooh, potato." Summer reached the rack, only to have her hand slapped away by Harinks oven mit.
"No touching, it's hot." She scolded, making Summer huff.
"Exactly, it's better that way."
"What's better that way?" Lily had finally entered the kitchen, her dog Petal at her heels.
"Peppa!" Clara squealed in excitement as Petal reacted to her voice. She barked, wagging her tail excitedly as Clara got off her chair, crouching as she spread her arms for the pup to jump into.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow." Harin started. She'd rung out the plates, holding a bottle of orange juice she snagged from the fridge as well.
"Well, I'm gonna see my dad," Lily started, "He just came back this morning."
Her reveal was met with excitement.
"Really?" Summer' s eyes sparkled, "Tell him to cook his Mayak eggs again."
Lily rolled her eyes playfully, "Whatever."
She glanced at a calm Stormie, who sat next to her. The blonde scrolling through her phone.
She nudged her with her foot, "So Storms, when are you seeing Anton."
Lily's blunt question caused Stormie, at the girls to all look up at the same time, stunned.
"What?" Stormie slightly coughed, she averted her attention onto the fridge, avoiding Lily's gaze.
"I don't know whst you're talking about—"
"Stormie I love you, but just tell us." Clara cut off, everyone's eyes were trained onto the blonde until she finally broke.
"Fine." Stormie huffed. She played with her fork, smiling softly to herself, "I'll see him tomorrow."
That's when things broke loose.
Harin slammed her fists on the table, she pointed a finger at Summer, "That's right! Pay up."
Stormie watched in horror as Summer groaned, she took out a 20 dollar bill from her pocket, sliding it over to a happy Harin.
"You betted on me?" Stormie asked, incredulous.
"No," Harin sent her friend a smile, "We simply calculated when you two would finally grow some balls."
"So you betted." Clara concluded.
Harin shot her a quick glare, "Whatever, anyways you can finally do what you should have done ages ago, ask him out."
"Not that simple." Stormie replied.
Clara threw her hands up, "This calls for a virgin cake."
"What?" Stormie's face twisted in disgust.
Lily grinned, "We've got to head to the store, I call shotgun!"