Lotte World glass shining under the morning light, the grand entrance bustling with streams of families, couples, and groups of students. Colorful banners for the free event fluttered in the breeze, music spilling faintly from inside.
"Phew! That bus was hell," Junhyun groaned, stretching his arms. "I thought I was gonna get crushed to death in there."
"So this is Seoul, huh…" Suwon muttered in awe.
"Looks insane," Junhyun said, whistling. "I've got a feeling there's going to be a ton of people today."
"What if we don't get to ride much because of that?"
"No way," Suwon cut him quickly. "They probably planned everything so the flow won't get too bad. We'll still get on plenty."
"Yeah… maybe," came the uncertain reply. But despite the worries, excitement buzzed between them.
Suwon's lips curved into a bright smile I pretended to be nonchalant… but honestly, I'd been looking forward to this since last night.
Names of rides flashed through his mind like promises: Thrilling Speed, the Magical Atlas. Dazzling Heights, the Power Dive Bungee Drop. He'd read about them so many times, imagining what it'd feel like.
His gaze lingered on the towering glass walls and the sound of laughter echoing beyond them. The lights, the night view… this is Lotte World.
At the gates of Lotte World, the crowd was already overwhelming. Bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder, voices overlapping in a storm of chatter and curses.
Suwon craned his neck, trying in vain to peek over the sea of heads.
"W-what… what is this? It's crowded, sure, but isn't this too much? It's not even opening time yet! Damn it… I'm too short, I can't see anything."
A hand suddenly tugged him out of the crush, and he stumbled to the side.
"T-thanks…" he muttered, catching his breath.
But his relief faded as he stared back at the chaos. "With this many people… rides aren't even the problem anymore. Are we even going to get in?"
Junhyun, looking equally miserable, groaned. "Yeah, I can't even see the entrance from here…"
The chaos intensified. People bumped shoulders, tempers flaring. Shoves turned into curses, curses into near-fights.
Then Junhyun's eyes landed on a bright poster plastered near the gate
Lotte World - Free Admission Event!
His face twisted with pure rage.
"A fantasy land and free entry?! There's only fantasy, no entry! What the hell!!"
He ripped his hair in frustration, drawing stares. "Who's the bastard that suggested this?!"
Silence. Then, almost in slow motion, everyone in his group turned to look at him.
Junhyun froze, a guilty grin stretching across his face. "…Oh, right. That was me."
Junhyun, already fuming, crumpled up the free entry ticket in his fist.
With a dramatic flick, he tossed it over his shoulder.
The paper fluttered through the air before smacking the head of a girl passing by.
"Hey!" she snapped, spinning around.
Three people stood there one girl up front, flanked by two boys.
The girl snatched the paper off her head, glaring. "What's this? You picking a fight or something?"
Meanwhile, somewhere deeper inside Lotte World, my group had already managed to squeeze past the chaos. Even so, the atmosphere was far from calm.
"Yang Jinsu!" Hyorim suddenly snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the chatter. She turned on her heel, scowling at him. "Why the hell are you spitting inside? I'm already pissed enough about the situation here!"
Jinsu froze mid-step, lips parted like he'd been caught committing murder. "What… what did I even do…?" he muttered under his breath, clueless and sulky.
I reached out, placing a steadying hand on Hyorim's shoulder. "Hey, take it easy. No need to stress yourself over this," I said softly, giving her a small smile. "Though… I'll admit, I didn't expect this many people either."
Her gaze flicked to me, then down to my hand on her shoulder. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. "…Tch. Still annoying," she muttered, but the bite in her tone had dulled.
Jinsu, watching from the side, looked like someone had just stolen his lunch. Why's she so pissed at me… and then calms down just cause of him? What the hell did I do?
While the others were distracted, I let my eyes wander across the crowd. It didn't take long I spotted Suwon's group in the distance, tangled in some commotion. My lips curved into a knowing grin.
"Hey," I said, pointing. "Isn't that Suwon over there?"
The argument between Suwon's group and the strangers was heating up fast.
One of the boys had Suwon by the collar, his fist twitching like he was seconds from swinging.
"Didn't you hear? We said we're sorry," Suwon said firmly, trying to keep his voice steady. "Why are you still trying to take our money?" I can't… I can't look pathetic in front of them, he thought, his eyes hardening despite the tension.
Just then, I stepped in. "Hey, Suwon. Didn't know you were here."
His eyes widened at the sound of my voice. Relief flashed across his face. Seojin… thank goodness.
The guy holding Suwon stiffened, his bravado wavering as he glanced my way. "…W-what? Is he your friend or something?" he muttered, trying to sound tough but clearly nervous.
I raised my hands slightly, keeping my voice calm. "Guys, let's not turn this into something ugly. I'm sure nobody meant it that way. Whatever happened, let's just leave it here, yeah?"
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then the girl from the other group looked at me. Her eyes widened as if she'd just been struck she seemed… dazed, caught off guard.
"O-o-okay…" she stammered, her face flushing.
Just as the other group was about to walk away, the biggest guy among them suddenly stopped. His heavy footsteps echoed as he stepped right up to me, his shadow overlapping mine.
"…Then how about you and me, one on one?" he said, his tone low, testing.
I met his gaze without flinching. We were eye to eye, same height, neither backing down. For a long moment, we just stared, the air between us heavy. Then I let out the faintest smile.
"There's no need to turn this into a fight," I said evenly.
His jaw tightened. "…What? You scared or something?"
Before I could even answer, Hyorim suddenly stepped between us. She tilted her head back to glare up at the guy, her eyes blazing.
"Ah, seriously fuck!" she exploded, her voice cutting through the noise of the crowd.
All of us froze, startled by her sudden outburst.
"What are you, a thug or something? Why the hell are you looking for a fight here of all places?" she shouted, her words sharp enough to draw stares from people around us.
He blinked, thrown off by Hyorim's sudden ferocity. For a beat he only managed, "W-who are you " before his words trailed off.
He caught myself staring for an instant, heat rising in my chest. Fuck she's pretty.
Hyorim didn't give him a chance to recover. "What, you piece of shit" she snapped, voice hard as a knife. "We're classmates."
The guy's face puckered with insult. "What did you just call me?" he growled, stepping forward, throat tight. "Drop the act. Put a finger on me and you're done."
Sujin scoffed, her lips curling with a nasty little grin. "Heh… heh. What, Who the hell are you? do you even know my oppa?"
Hyorim's eyes flashed, her voice sharp and cutting. "So what if you know me? You think you're the only one with oppa around?"
Irina and Jinkyung immediately thought of her brother.
'Yeah, Hyorim's got one too,'
'An older brother who used to be crazy popular'
Sujin faltered, eyes narrowing, but Hyorim pressed harder.
her words precise as a blade. "Anyway, are you even eighteen? Your uniform and your face don't match at all."
Irina gasped dramatically, "Oh my, she's got a point."
From the crowd, murmurs rippled.
"What's going on? Are they fighting?"
"Looks like a high schooler…"
Sujin's nostrils flared. "Huh… unbelievable."
"What's unbelievable," Hyorim shot back without missing a beat, "is your makeup."
Her tone was so venomous yet composed that I couldn't help the thought slipping into my head. She's even cuter when she's angry.
The two guys behind Sujin tugged her arm, whispering, "Hey Sujin, let's just go."
"Yeah, ignore them."
But Sujin shook them off, furious. "Damn it let me call my oppa." She quickly dialed, pressing the phone to her ear.
The line clicked. A man's-tired voice came through: 'Don't bother me on the weekend.'
Sujin froze, biting her lip, then lowered her phone slowly.
Hyorim smirked, stepping closer, her voice icy. "Just go stand in the corner… and don't even think about running to us later."
The crowd buzzed with stifled laughter and gasps, all eyes on Sujin's burning, humiliated face.