A/N:  I apologize if this chapter isn't as polished as the previous two.  My brain was a bit foggy as I was editing and proofreading it.  It is a bit longer, but that is simply because of the core amount they do on the date.  Also, the images reflected were things I was considering before I actually wrote the chapter.  I was simply too lazy to change them afterward.  

Alternative Title:  Jihyun's Date

3833 words

Before my third and final first date I of course expected to have to ask the outfit question. Surprisingly, it's Jihyun that brings up that topic of discussion. He even makes some very specific recommendations.

Jihyun: I just wanted to let you know to be sure to wear comfortable shoes for our date on Saturday.

Me: Oh? What will we be doing?

Jihyun: Nope. Not answering that. You will have to wait and see.

Me: So... If I need to wear comfortable shoes then does that mean the rest of the outfit should probably be more on the comfortable side?

Jihyun: Yes. In fact, now that I think about it, if you have a comfortable pair of cargo pants that would probably be best. Also, just a tip. We will be in the sun all day long.

I take that particular comment to heart. Unfortunately, I don't own a pair of cargo pants that actually fit right now so the following day after his message I took a moment to check out the items on the sales racks in my boutique as well as the items coming in our new shipment.

I find myself equal parts lucky and unlucky at the same time. There is a pair of cargo pants on the newest shipment, and surprisingly the fabric isn't the typical shades of cream, beige, or even the khaki green color. No, they are lavender, and just looking at them I already have ideas of what to pair them with between clothing out on the sales floor as well as items that are still in my closet at home. The minus about these pants though is the elastic at the ankles. If they were just a hair longer I would just hem them up a few centimeters or so, but they legitimately fall at just the right spot on my ankles so I guess I have to deal with the elastic. I've learned in the past not to simply just take the elastic out of cuffs. It ruins the way the garment gathers.

On the sales floor I find a white graphic tee with a bouquet of lilacs on it. The main hue of purple isn't exactly the same, but there are undertones here and there that are close enough to match. In case it gets chilly I plan on layering the tee over a lavender striped tee I have at home. I also have a pair of gray Nikes that should work out fine with the outfit. I already plan on the rest of the outfit matching; I can cut myself some slack regarding the fact that my sneakers don't match.

I already know which sunglasses I will be wearing; I just need to make sure that I bring along a case for them. When Jihyun suggested cargo pants, I assumed that was so I would have pockets to carry around what I would need. I chuckle as I remember the Sanrio Kuromi one I have at home that happens to also be lavender.

Unfortunately, I don't actually have a hat that will go with this. However, my date with Jung Hyun two weeks prior strikes up another idea for me. One of the kits I almost grabbed when we were at the craft shop was a tie dye kit, and I use the memory of that as inspiration for what I am going to do regarding a hat. I might not have a hat that will work with the outfit the way I want it to, but I do have a worn out, old white baseball cap that I can tie dye to match. I just need to buy appropriate acrylic paints to work with it, and make sure I research what else I might need for the project.

That Saturday when we pull into the parking lot of Lotte World my heart legitimately sinks. "Um. Jihyun? I hate to say this, but I have just as big of a problem with roller coasters as my younger brother does." I take a deep breath for a second. "Perhaps, even more so."

He chuckles at me. "Good thing I have planned an itinerary that includes a fun filled day that doesn't involve any roller coasters or other similar thrill rides. No, the rides I have are all on the tamer side." He pulls into a parking space then looks left and right before dropping his voice as if he's telling me a secret. "I am not a big fan of roller coasters either." He pauses for a second. "I also eliminated 3d and VR rides because sometimes they give me a headache." He smiles at me before opening his door to get out.

Once I do the same I reach into my pocket and pull out the case containing my sunglasses. Jihyun notices and quickly snatches the case from my hand. "Okay, I know this is a Sanrio character, but I am not familiar with this one. Can you tell me about her?"

I smile immediately. I'm honestly thrilled that he is curious enough to ask about it. "That's Kuromi, she is My Melody's rival in the movie, Onegai My Melody. It's believed she is also a rabbit, like My Melody, but because of her hood it's hard to know for certain. She's kind of an amalgamation of tomboy, punk, and biker gang leader. In fact she actually is legitimately the leader of a biker gang called, Kuromi's 5. Don't let all that dark stuff fool you though, because she also has a very girly side to her too. She is attracted to guys she would deem good-looking, keeps a diary, and is absolutely hooked on romantic short stories."

"Wow! I'm honestly surprised to find out her character is so well rounded." He admits before he pulls out a folded up piece of paper from his backpack. He then hunches over his back slightly, and bends at his waist a bit as if he is being covert or something. "This is our very important secret mission. We cannot lose this."

I peer over his shoulder and note the neatly written hangul on the page, and while it is obviously an itinerary of what he has planned for the date I notice one key flaw. "Hmm. We'll have to stealthily acquire the coordinates for each part of our mission." I say before jogging over to grab a map from a nearby station of brochures and jogging back over to him.

"Obviously, I suggested not eating lunch yet because I planned on us potentially eating both lunch and supper here. The only determining factor being how long we end up staying. There are a lot more rides that fit the criteria than I thought there were. I was thinking though that we should probably at least save this area, in particular, for last."

True. The Adventure 1st floor area does seem to be the most crowded, and it would make sense to come back here only when we are almost done with our trip. "Perhaps we can start with Magic Island?"

Jihyun compares his plans with the Magic Island portion of the map. "There are two attractions I thought about visiting in that area. So, let's first go scope out food in that area."

We peered at the map together, our shoulders rubbing against each other and the action sending a zinging sensation through my body despite the layers of fabric between us. "What looks good?" He smiles down at me.

My mouth literally waters when I see something on the map calling out to me. However, it's not actually food. I frown to myself and check for nearby food stands to go along with it. "So, I have a request."

"What's that?"

I point out Gongcha on the map. "That before we get food we get boba tea first."

He simply nods his head. "Okay, then what were you thinking for food?"

I point out a location along the same road a bit further southeast on the map. "Maybe the Masterpiece Tteokbokki Chicken?"

He nods. "Sounds good. Maybe afterward we can ride the Geneva Cruise Ship around the nearby waters. That way we can settle our stomach before we go on any of the rides."

I order the Strawberry Milk Boba Tea, and Jihyun orders the Caramel Milk Tea before we head over to Masterpiece Tteokbokki Chicken. I can't help but sneak a sip or two of the sweet concoction before we can easily read the sign for the restaurant. The aroma coming from the small building is literally mouthwatering, and I can't help but think that I definitely chose wisely when I selected this location. Although, I initially just chose it for convenience. It's really hard to choose from the menu though. They have so many different things, and almost all of them sound delicious. "Why don't we just order a variety?" Jihyun suggests.

I go along with it, but we probably end up with way more food than necessary. I'm almost certain when Jihyun lays down the tray at the table I secured. "I ordered tteokbokki, what they called the tteok chicken set, vegetable tempura, and sodok sotteok."

I don't know where to start so I simply pick up one of the rice cake and sausage skewers (sodok sotteok) and start nibbling away. I should be shocked at how much food Jihyun can eat on his own, but I have been around my brother and the other members of BTS so I know that some men are practically human garbage disposals. Able to eat anything and everything in front of them.

When we both announce how full we are we each make a pit stop at the bathroom before we head over to the pier where the Geneva Cruise Ship docks. I can't help but frown when we notice that we literally just missed it. I'm about to express my concern regarding having to wait when Jihyun says, "I really wish I had brought my camera with me today. I was worried about taking it on the rides though."

"Your camera?" I can't help but ask. That's when I realize out of my three soulmates I probably know him the least. Jung Hyun, I had of course known about his love for drawing simply due to the fact he shared it with the world for a brief stint of time. I learned on our date that he is a graphic artist for an advertisement company. Then of course I learned about Jeong Gyu's ambitions on our date as well, and I had the knowledge that even if he didn't enjoy farming that was his current career. I had no clue regarding Jihyun's job.

He smiles over at me. "I'm a professional photographer and web designer. I've even freelanced Jung Hyun for some graphic designs a few times."

That's when I realize how much more we happen to be suitably matched. Not just me and my soulmates, but then with each other. I can picture Jihyun asking for help with more graphic designs by Jung Hyun. I can imagine Jeong Gyu potentially asking Jihyun to help him design a website, and perhaps even ask Jung Hyun for advertisement advice. I can even imagine myself probably going to Jung Hyun and Jihyun for designs regarding a website for my own boutique. I have one right now, but it is really just a skeletal framework that definitely needs to be updated.

"I see that mind working." Jihyun whispers toward me. "I will happily help you with anything in the future. You can even pay me in kisses."

I chuckle nervously, and I know that my face is probably bright red right now. However, I can't deny how much I appreciated that suggestion. Not just the offer to help, but also the form of payment. It was simply nice to know how much I was already desired and wanted.

Once we are in the boat on the river I find myself scooting closer to Jihyun. It's cold, and I can't help but automatically gravitate toward him in hopes to share his body heat. He must be able to read my mind because his arm naturally wraps around my shoulder and pulls me closer.

"So, what's next?" I ask when we are back on solid ground.

He points over to a fake tree not terribly far away. I can barely make out from here how the trunk of the tree grows taller, raising up the swings that are hanging from the branches. I'm immediately excited, because truth be told, it is one of the rides I favored anytime I did actually come here. I'm thankful we had time to let the food settle though.

After a couple of turns of the swings we both admit to being a bit sick of going around in circles. We sit down on a nearby bench for a few moments before he pulls out his itinerary once again. "Next, we are going to head up to the fourth floor. I thought we could enjoy one of the 'balloon' rides."

When we get up there I am slightly assured by the fact that the balloons aren't actual hot air balloons, although they are made to look like them. I can't quite work out how they function, but they have some kind of metal contraption above the balloon part that raises and lowers the balloons as they go around a semi invisible track. I notice that a family of six in front of us are able to all fit in the basket, and I can't help but worry that we might have to share for a brief moment. Then I look behind us and notice that the next two groupings waiting to ride are also couples. I somehow feel immediately reassured that all three of our pairings will want a balloon of our own.

When we get on Jihyun frowns as he watches the balloons follow their path. "I was hoping the balloons would fly over the entire area of the theme park, but I guess they only fly over this canopy. I guess that means we will have to stop on the third floor after all."

"What's on the third floor?" I can't help but ask.

"The monorail."

The monorail zips around the park, and we are able to just stare out the window and take it all in at once. There are quite a few people here regardless of the weather still being a bit on the chilly side.

I can't help but admit that while three out of four of the rides we have taken have been exceptionally relaxing, somehow the date as a whole has been nothing but exciting. "I only have one attraction planned for the second floor also." Jihyun frowns as he admits to me.

"Hey. You can't help how the park is organized. I get why it is bothering you, but it really isn't that big of a deal." I reassure him.

When he escorts me over to the bumper cars that's when my competitive side kicks in. He tries to insist we share a bumper car, but there actually isn't enough space to sit side by side in the small cars. Plus, I really want my own car just to have a chance to show him how silly and fun I can be. I think I end up running into him a total of six or seven times, and he isn't able to retaliate at all because for some reason all the kids riding the other cars are also focused on him. "I now know what a pinball feels like." He jokes once we get out of the ride.

Honestly, I would have considered doing the bumper cars again, but there was a pretty long line of people waiting once we got out. Also, my stomach growled fiercely letting me know it had already been a couple of hours since we had our meal. "Snack time. What kind of places do we have to eat on this floor?" He asks me since I have the map.

I point out a place named Pira Kim. "I know we already had tteokbokki, but they have french fries covered in both the sauce and cheese."

Jihyun's eyes widen and he readily admits right away how good that dish sounds. "I'm sold already."

Once we finally get to the 1st floor again I turn to him and ask out of curiosity. "How many more attractions do you have planned?"

"Five, but I also want to make a pit stop before we leave as well." He pauses for a second. "Why? Ready to get rid of me?"

I know he's joking but that still doesn't keep me from momentarily panicking. "What? No! No, not at all!"

He takes my hand in his. "Relax, I was just kidding."

"Um. Was one of the stops you were thinking of making the Rotating Baskets?" I frown before asking.

"Yes. Why?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm not really a fan of being that dizzy honestly."

He nods his head in understanding. "Okay, then that will make four attractions instead."

"Wait. Can we replace it with this one?" I point out another attraction marked on the map. "Oh, wait. It says it costs extra. Nevermind."

He shakes his head. "No, it sounds fun. Besides, the last stop I plan on making costs extra too."

I can't help but wonder what he has planned for the end of our date, but I can tell he is wanting to keep it a secret so I don't push him for more answers. The next ride we get on is Sinbad's Adventures. It's a boat ride, and once again we have a boat to ourselves. When we get to a spot on the trip where it is essentially pitch black I feel one of his hands on my knee while the other one cups the side of my face. I literally feel like I melt when he boldly kisses me for the first time in the darkness. Unfortunately before I know it I can sense light behind my eyelids again and him pulling away to keep the amount of skinship shared public friendly, but I can't keep the smile from my lips when he looks down at me with a mixture of adoration and wonder.

"Let's go head to the Mirror Maze you pointed out next."

We learn after I bump my knee in one of the mirrors to keep our hands out in front of us at all times. We also discover that neither of us are very good at mazes. It takes us probably twenty minutes to find the exit, and we both agreed while we had fun that we probably wouldn't repeat the experience in the future.

I got to once again get competitive at the next attraction. It was similar to the boat ride, but they obviously installed arcade guns in the ride to keep this one a bit more family oriented. I have never even held a real gun in my entire life, but apparently I am pretty good at the digital kind. "How on Earth did you score ten points higher than me?"

I chuckle and shrug my shoulders. "Not sure. Beginner's luck?"

He narrows his eyes at me. "You swear you never fired a gun before?"

"I promise I have never even held one before."

We take a couple of spins on the Merry-Go-Round before both once again admitting we are growing a bit hungry. "I want to stop at a dessert shop that is just off the parking garage before we leave. So perhaps the burger place over there?" Jihyun suggests.

I immediately agreed, especially after he said the magic word, "dessert."

"The last attraction we are visiting is another competitive one, and I swear I am going to win this one unlike the last. It's Outlaw of the Wilderness." At least that was his plan until he saw the 3d glasses being handed out. He grumbles underneath his breath so I squeeze his hand reassuringly. I don't know if that helps him spin a positive outlook on the situation, or if that is simply his personality though. I wouldn't be surprised if it was an amalgamation of both when he says, "Well, I guess that just means we get more time at our last stop before we leave."

He leads us over to an arcade. "I'm going to win you as many plushies from these crane machines as possible." He immediately boasts. After about an hour I have about twenty plushies, and no clue how we are going to carry them all back to the car. I'm definitely thankful that the dessert shop is near the parking garage though, rather than inside the park itself. That way we can at least stop by the car and drop all these new plushie friends off.

The dessert shop he takes me to is called, A Twosome Place, and just from window shopping I can tell I am going to have a hard time deciding on what dessert I will end up settling on. In fact, I stare at the menu probably twenty minutes before Jihyun asks, "What are you thinking about?"

"I think I am first trying to decide mostly if I want chocolate or fruit flavored dessert."

"Well, I'm thinking about the mascarpone tiramisu mousse cake. Would getting a bite or two of that satisfy the chocolate aspect for you?" He offers with a smile.

"Yes, I think that will work out fine." I nod and look back at the menu.

"I was also thinking about maybe the strawberry peach frappe to drink?"

I nod my head. "Maybe to share? Also a couple of waters to cleanse the palette before we go back to eat our dessert?"

"Good idea."

Finally, I settled on the raspberry and lemon cream cake with crumb topping as my choice. I offer a few bites of it in exchange for each of the bites of tiramisu that Jihyun offers me, and the fact that we share does indeed satisfy both of my cravings.

Forty-five minutes later Jihyun helps me haul my plushies up to my apartment door. Once I have them tucked inside I turn back to the door and see him out. "This time I can see your face when I do this." He says, and before I can ask him what 'this' is his soft lips are on my own once more.

The only reason this kiss trumps the previous one we shared on the boat ride is because of the fact that we have no time constraint. He is able to show me just how talented he is with his lips and tongue as we kiss each other until we have to stop for oxygen. If it weren't for the door behind my back I would probably be falling to the floor like a limp noodle after that doozy of a kiss.

A/N:  I was reminded as I was posting the images that I forgot two things to mention in the story.  But first let me start by saying the images of Lotte World, locations, and information is all taken from the website.  I did have to fudge my way through some of the descriptions on attractions because there wasn't too much on the website about them, and I kind of went with my gut.  

Things I forgot regarding the collages.  In the outfit collage the image of the girl with the beanie, that is the hairstyle I pictured Jiwoo to wear that day.  I just forgot to write it out in the chapter.  In the last image with food from the 1st floor I forgot to mention the name of the burger stand on the 1st floor, but that is the name of it.

I mostly wrote this chapter to show people that even if you don't like rollercoasters you can still have fun at theme parks.  My husband loves roller coaster, but he hates for me to have to wait on him while he rides one.