Page 23 of A World Apart (Between Worlds #1)

“ W aaa,” Jihoon exclaimed drawing out the sound as we walked up the steps leading us to the pier. From here we could see the Ferris wheel and the yellow coaster about half-way down the pier.

I'd come here with Becka when I'd first moved to LA and I'd had a similar reaction.

The UK doesn’t really have anything quite like this. There’s Blackpool Pleasure Beach but I’m not sure the Wild Mouse compares to an actual roller-coaster on a pier.

All the way up the pier to the Pacific Park there are food stalls, games stalls and arcades. I watched with pleasure as Jihoon’s eyes darted from side-to-side, trying to take it all in.

“What do you want to do first?” I asked, looking up at him, enjoying the way he seemed so excited.

“Everything!” he grinned and grabbed my hand, guiding us towards the arcade .

It seemed like we played on every single machine in that arcade at least once. Jihoon absolutely destroyed me on the basketball hoops game, but I got him back when we went head-to-head in Commando Shooter.

He poured an absolute fortune in quarters into those coin-pusher machines, and didn’t seem even remotely bothered when his only reward was a keyring and a couple dollars in change.

We were both giddy as we stepped out of the arcade and back onto the pier, squinting in the bright light of the morning sun.

It was still early enough that there weren’t too many people milling about, but I did notice how Jihoon hastily put his mirrored sunglasses back on and gave his cap a slight tug. He flashed a smile at me before asking, “Roller-coasters?”

“Heck yeah!” I agreed happily, and together we began walking down the pier again.

Our pace was unhurried, and we often paused to look at this or that.

Jihoon stood, mouth agape in front of a sugared doughnut vendor.

The smell wafting from the fryer could probably have coaxed Snow White out of her glass coffin.

I handed over a couple bucks in exchange for a paper bag dotted with fresh grease spots, the heat from the sugary treats inside almost burning my fingers.

Gingerly, I tore off a chunk, steam coiling into the air.

“Want some?” I asked, playfully. I expected him to take it from me, but to my surprise ? and some illicit delight ? he leaned forward and bit the morsel from my fingers, his lips brushing my fingertips.

Straightening up, his mouth quirked in a smile even as he chewed.

I couldn’t see his eyes, but I knew he was watching me, so I feigned indifference as I tore off my own bite sized chunk and popped it into my mouth, before running a fingertip around my lips to catch any sugar there and then licking my finger… slowly.

Jihoon coughed and then turned away, hitting his chest with his fist as if his bite had gone down the wrong way.

“Okay?” I asked, coming up behind him and putting my hand lightly on his back, not failing to notice the way his muscles flexed under my hand.

“Hot,” he gasped, clearing his throat again.

I turned away to hide my smile.

Eventually, we made it up the pier to Pacific Park, where we both ‘oohed, and ahhed’ over the rides.

Luckily, the queues were so short we managed to get on pretty much everything we wanted at least once.

I almost puked from laughing so hard when we went on Shark Frenzy.

Jihoon insisted we ride in the great white shark, of course, but we were both completely unprepared for how much we were going to get thrown around as we rotated around the track.

We kept sliding into each other, apologising profusely and then it would keep happening until we just stuck together and slid side-to-side.

Eventually Jihoon put his arm around me and held me so tightly I forgot to feel self-conscious.

It was mid-afternoon by the time we finally got round to queuing for the Ferris wheel, after I’d said no to going on the Plunge ride again. I’m not sure my stomach could take another go, and besides, the crowds were getting thicker by now, pressing in on us as we moved throughout the compact park.

Jihoon had been quiet as we stood in line and as we finally stepped into our own pod, I turned to him and asked if he was okay.

“I saw some girls,” he said, looking out over the crowd. “I think they might have recognised me.” His jaw was clenched tight, and he was fiddling with the hem of his shirt, practically radiating worry .

“Did they take pictures?” I discreetly looked out over the crowd ? now some feet below us, trying to see if anyone was pointing in our direction, but I couldn’t see anything.

“I don’t think so.” He sighed. “I just wanted one day.”

I took his hand and pulled it into my lap, holding it gently. He turned to look at me and I swear I could feel the intensity of his gaze, even through the sunglasses.

“It must be exhausting, constantly having to look over your shoulder.” He didn’t respond for so long that I thought he would just breeze past the comment, so when he did talk, I was surprised

“In the beginning,” he said, gazing out over the ocean, “it was like a fun game. We’d go somewhere ? a store, a café ? and see if anyone recognised us.

” He grinned at some distant memory. “But at some point, it stopped being a game and started being… inconvenient. If we went to the shop, someone would see us and post on Instagram.”

He paused, the grin fading. “I didn’t mind that so much, but once, someone took a picture of Ace ? Seokmin ? buying snacks, and it turned into this big thing about his diet.” Jihoon shook his head, his jaw tightening.

“As we got bigger, more well-known, we stopped being able to do normal things, like going to get coffee or meeting up with friends.” He shrugged, like it didn’t matter, but the tightness around his eyes told me it did.

“Sometimes, I just wish I could be normal. And then I feel guilty for not being more grateful for how lucky we are.” He shook his head again, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “I just wanted one day to be Jihoon.”

What could I say to any of that? So instead of trying to say anything, I just squeezed his hand in silent support as we watched the crowds below us getting smaller

It had gotten quieter the higher up we’d gone, until finally all we could really hear was the whistle of the wind and the distant sounds of the crowd and the passage of the other rides as they whizzed along on their tracks.

For a brief period, all there was, was a boy and a girl, sitting in a Ferris wheel, looking out over the sweeping view of Santa Monica Beach all the way to the mountains.

“I think you were right,” I said quietly, but urgently, as we exited the Ferris wheel.

A handful of young girls were turned in our direction, scanning the crowd of people as we all came off the ride.

Jihoon ducked his head and we both quickened our pace as we rejoined the main thoroughfare, the groupings of people now so thick we had to push through in some places.

Just as we were making our way to the exit, someone shouted, “Jihoon-oppa!” I startled, almost shocked still, but Jihoon didn’t falter. He pressed his hand into my back and urged me forwards, pushing us both into the bottleneck of tourists exiting the park at the same time.

Finally, we were out. “Go,” I hissed, “I’ll meet you at the end of the pier.

” He turned to look down at me, indecision clear on his face.

“Go,” I pushed him gently, “you can’t be seen with anyone and they’re not looking for me, I’ll be fine.

” He looked unhappy but nodded before he turned around and took off down the pier, going behind the buildings and out of sight while I followed, but at a walking pace, just merging with the crowd.

Not long after, four young girls scrambled out of the park some ways behind me, making enough of a scene that I distinctly heard a few shouts of 'Hey!

' in response. I didn’t turn around, instead pulling out my phone and pretending to look down at the dark screen.

“I know it was him!” I heard one girl whine.

“He’s definitely in LA, I saw it on Weverse,” another said, matter-of-factly.

“I don’t see him!” The first girl whined again, closer now, their combined pursuit sounding like a pack of horses on the wooden boards.

“Are you even sure it was him?” said another voice, fed-up and sceptical.

“Yes!” one insisted, earning a loud scoffing sound, presumably from the sceptic.

“I’m going back in the park, this is bullshit, it wasn’t him. Megan, are you coming?”

“Yeah, I don’t wanna waste my ticket. I’m coming.”

The herd split up, and now only two of them were walking quickly past me, with the others heading back into the park.

I glanced up from my phone to track the progress of the remaining two, but it was clear they had no idea where to look.

They just kept powering onwards, swinging their heads from side-to-side.

I smiled indulgently and with the grace of one who does not have to worry about being chased by random young fans. What must that life be like?

Then, the more I thought about it, the more the smile slipped from my face.

This was a novelty to me, but to Jihoon, this was his every day.

He’d told me they all felt real love for their fans ? and I believed that ? but it must be hard to reconcile the two sides of being so famous; millions of adoring fans propelling your career into the stratosphere, but never being able to simply walk to the shop, or go on a date, without risking the wrath of the few fans who took it too far.

It was a trade-off I wasn’t sure I’d be willing to take.

Me

There are 2 girls heading down the pier looking for you.

I kept walking down the pier, but when he hadn’t replied for several minutes, I began to get worried, especially as I could now see the stairs and not Jihoon.

Me

I’m at the bottom of the pier. Are you ok ?