~In which Nana and Jimin take a ride~
"I hate you forever."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be on this stupid death trap." He glared at her smug smile.
"C'mon, live a little, Jiminie!" She was giddy–much like her BTS twin Jungkook, she craved the adrenaline that came with thrilling amusement park rides, especially roller coasters.
"How can I live if I'm going to die here?" He groaned, clutching the safety bars tightly.
"Fine, next time I'll bring Kook," she soothed. Her partner in crime was, unfortunately, out of town visiting his family, so she had no choice but to drag along her unwilling victim Jimin.
"No! Uh, I mean, I'll do it!" For some reason, the idea of being replaced by Jungkook sent Jimin into a fluster.
"Ok...? Weren't you literally just saying how you wish you weren't here?"
"That was just a phase. I'm fine now."
"I'd believe that more if your knuckles weren't white from gripping the bars so hard," she glanced at his hands. He tried to loosen them, but it was as if they were locked in place. He laughed weakly.
"Don't worry about me, I'm not afraid at all. I'm a strong man," he insisted. She couldn't help but think that he looked like a child telling his mom that he was all grown up.
She laughed, "ok, I get it. Strong man Jimin."
"YeAH–" he started, before being rudely interrupted by the beginning of the ride. The vehicle rode smoothly for a short while; so calmly that he convinced himself he would be fine. He was not fine.
Usually, Nana liked to scream on roller coasters, as many do, even if all she felt was thrill. This time, she laughed the whole way down after listening to Jimin, who was both screaming and cursing the entire time.
As the ride came to an end, she leapt out happily, ready to explore other attractions. Jimin stumbled out, weak in the knees, only making her laugh more. She scooped his arm over her shoulders and helped him hobble out.
"Let's go, strong man. Why don't we go on the carousel for a little while, hmm? Get your land legs back?"
He just nodded gratefully. At first, he had been ashamed of his behavior, but upon reflecting and realizing this is Nana, for god's sake, she already knows I'm a coward, he just accepted his fate. She, on the other hand, was torn between feeling bad for forcing him to go with her and wanting to tease him.
They settled themselves on the horses, Jimin slightly in front of her. He had to say that he did enjoy this ride much more–yes, it was slower, but it was just much more aesthetic than those huge rollercoasters. He didn't miss the chance to take as many selfies of himself and Nana during the short ride.
What he loved most about her was how adaptable she was, even with silly things like making faces at the camera. It was almost as if they functioned with the same brain sometimes, especially in times like these, when their faces changed expressions, effortlessly matching each other. He continued to snap pictures, the last being a blurry mess of them laughing.
As they got off the ride, Jimin took the opportunity to grab her hand and swing their hands back and forth exaggeratedly.
"Where to next, Minie?" Nana asked, amused as she watched their hands soar, then plummet, repeatedly.
"Food!"
"You know the stuff they sell at theme parks is way more expensive than it should be right? And it's barely even food, it's just sugary stuff–"
"Don't care. Food."
"Fine," she acquiesced. "Food."
Moments later, they settled at a bench in the shade, holding an assortment of cakes, churros, and drinks.
"Jin would be so jealous, right now," Nana joked, tapping her cup against Jimin's in a "cheers" type of way.
He giggled, "maybe next time we'll bring the others with us!" Although, I like being alone with you...
He took out his phone briefly, and typed a little before putting it away.
They quickly polished the rest of their snacks off, happily deciding to wait a while before resuming rides. They simply wandered around, that is, until they grew bored.
Nana was draped lazily over a park bench with her head in Jimin's lap. "How long has it been?"
"It's been...seven-and-a-half minutes."
Nana groaned. "Eating was a mistake. I want to do stuff."
"Eating is never a mistake," Jimin wagged a finger at the whiny girl.
"It is when the only thing I crave right now is adrenaline!" She insisted.
"You sound like an addict."
"I'm addicted to you~" She teased, pushing two finger hearts in his face.
"Where did that come from?" He asked amused, as he leaned backwards to avoid her fingers in his nose.
"I think I've been hanging out with Tae and Jin too much," she mock-shuddered.
"Oh, the horror!" he responded dramatically. As he looked down at her face, he suddenly felt a strong urge to run his fingers through her hair. So he did.
If she cared, she showed no signs of it. She simply closed her eyes and let him do as he wished. He preoccupied himself with arranging strands into hearts in his lap. She must've found it incredibly comfortable–or him incredibly comfortable–as she soon found herself drifting off to sleep.
"Psh, adrenaline my butt," Jimin pouted down at her, realizing how cute she looked; she reminded him of a child who tired themselves out by running around.
A little while later, Jimin realized that she'd probably enjoy going home and sleeping instead of continuing to go through the park. After all, they could always come back, and she seemed too tired to want to do much of anything at this point.
Gently, he shook her awake, stopping only when she murmured vaguely that she was up. "C'mon, let's go~" Jimin coaxed.
"Dun' wanna. Wanna–wanna ride s'more," she mumbled, eyes still closed.
"We'll come back, Na."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She held up her pinky weakly, and, chuckling, he intertwined his own with hers, sealing it with a press of their thumbs.
"Chim...jus' you an' me, 'k?"
"Alright. Just you and me." Before she could go back to complete unconsciousness, Jimin hurriedly dragged her (gently-ish) up and instructed her to get on his back. She complied obediently, and promptly fell asleep atop his sturdy back, which was more comfortable than she cared to admit.
He trudged back to the parking lot, garnering a few stares along the way (but they were mostly stares of admiration or swooning at the gesture). He then set her down in the passenger seat, taking care to buckle her in.
But he couldn't resist. He leaned in close, and left a soft peck on her forehead. Slightly embarrassed and caught off guard by himself, he stepped back to close the door and get in the car on the opposite side. Before he could do so, however, he felt a light tug on his shirt.
"I wanna ride the big rides next time."
He grimaced. "Sorry I was such a bummer this time. I really am a coward."
Eyes opening for the first time, Nana carefully pressed her hands to his face, saying seriously, "Jimin, you will always be my daredevil."
Eyes darkening slightly, Jimin responded, "And if I dare to do something...out of the ordinary, would that still be the case?"
Nana's eyes flickered to his lips briefly–only a fraction of a second–but he caught it. "And what is that something out of the ordinary?"
"Kiss me," Jimin breathed out.
And she did.