A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I appreciate the support!

glorialopezgl534.03: Thank you for your review. I am glad you liked the chapter, hope you like this one as well.

emeraldbutterfly: Thanks for your kind words. Yes, Jae Kyung is much off away from her family.

"Thirty?" asked Jae Kyung.

"That's more like the upper limit. It's probably a lot lower than that," said Woo Bin.

He cursed his stupidity. Why did he pick this cafe?

A few minutes ago, everything was fine. He drove Jae to Church Street, a place a few blocks from Shinwa, famous for its dessert cafes.

"How about that one?" she asked while pointing to SweetTooth.

"Good choice. Lead the way," he said.

That was mistake number one.

In Woo Bin's defense, he last visited this place in high school. He assumed the staff had forgotten him.

A few minutes after they took their seats, the waitress brought Jae a big sundae. "On the house," she said.

In hindsight, that should've been his first clue.

Jae looked at the huge triple-layer treat. "I love this place."

"Would you like anything else, ma'am?"

She ordered a slice of ice cream cake.

"And for you, sir? The usual?"

That should've been his second clue, but like an idiot, he just nodded. That was mistake number two.

"You've been here before?"

"Once or twice."

The waitress returned with their order. "Enjoy. I'll give you guys some privacy." She shot Jae Kyung a sympathetic look. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay, now it's getting a bit weird. She looked at me as if I was terminal or something."

At that point, Woo Bin decided to give it to her straight. That was his third and biggest mistake. If only he'd shown more tact.

"Back in high school, I sort of used this place as a breakup spot. But only on a few occasions."

She took a second to answer. "That does explain the free dessert."

"I was young and kind of stupid. I thought chocolate would cushion the blow. And desserts make for a short, quick meal. So no need to sit through the awkwardness."

She swirled her spoon around. "I sort of see your point."

Woo Bin thought that would be the end of it. That was his fourth mistake.

"How many women have you brought here, exactly?"

And that's how he ended up in this precarious situation.

"Like I said, the real number is probably way lower. Like, maybe twenty-five?"

Jae tapped her bowl. "Woo Bin. That's the number of women you broke up with, right?"

"Roughly."

"Sure."

He guessed her next question much before she uttered it.

"How many women have you dated, exactly?"

"Come on, I've been dating since I was fourteen."

"Just in college, then?"

"Well, this year there was Ji Ah. And I didn't date anyone in sophomore year, so"—he looked away—"twenty?"

She shot him an incredulous look.

"It was casual. Sometimes non-exclusive. Add all of that up, and it's not really that big of a number."

She remained silent.

"I didn't break up with all of them. Some of them dumped me."

"How many did you break up with?"

"Ten, maybe?" He shifted in his seat. "I don't like unnecessarily dragging things out. So, whenever I felt that our time in the sun was up, I ended it."

"You broke up with ten people because you got bored?"

"That's not fair. Would you prefer I string girls along? Even though it isn't working?"

She bit her lips. "I can't believe it. Yoo Jin was actually telling the truth."

Now that just made him angry. "It's not like I hooked up with them and then dumped them immediately afterwards. I didn't even do anything with a few of them. Though that was kind of rare. I obviously hooked up with—" He stopped talking. What the hell was he saying? None of this was helping his case? "The point is, regardless of hook-up status, whenever I felt things were no longer working, I ended it."

She pursed her lips. "I see."

"Look, I never lied or cheated or pushed them to do things. And I made it explicitly clear that I wasn't looking for anything serious." He met her gaze. "I am friends with most of my exes. Would that happen if I intentionally misled them?"

"Most?"

"Three of them aren't my biggest fans. But it's not my fault. Da Eun was crazy. She tried to stab my eyes with a chopstick, for god's sake. Ha Ri caught feelings. Unfortunate, but not on me. I made my position clear from the very beginning." He looked away. "Ji Ah was my bad." He fought through the guilt. "The point is, most of my exes like me. I wasn't out there breaking hearts left, right and center."

She stared down at her bowl, her expression wistful.

"And I didn't get bored of all of them, okay? Like I said, sometimes they dumped me. Sometimes the attraction waned. On both sides. And sometimes"—he tapped the table— "they wanted more commitment than I was willing to give. And that just leads to heartbreak. It's better to nip it in the bud."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Nothing about her expression indicated she was okay with any of this.

"You're right. I was being a bit harsh. As long as the girls involved are on board, who am I to judge?" She picked at her sundae. "I was just surprised, that's all. I can't do casual. Separating emotions from the physical? Not my strong suit. Guess, I just assumed you..." Disappointment flickered across her face, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Nevermind. I am sorry."

Despite her placating words, this didn't feel like a win.

_oOo_

Yi Jeong plopped himself on the F4 lounge couch next to Woo Bin.

"You look like death."

No answer.

"I thought Jae Kyung was staying."

Still no answer.

"Woo Bin?"

Just when Yi Jeong lost all hopes for a response, Woo Bin spoke up. "I blew it. Okay? I blew my shot with the first woman I've had real feelings for since Kiarra."

"What did you do, use that line?"

Woo Bin frowned. "Glad my misery amuses you." He went back to staring at the wall.

Yi Jeong sat back in silence. Woo Bin would tell him eventually.

"You're not even that far off." Woo Bin gave him a rundown of his conversation with Jae Kyung.

"You gave her an actual number."

"She asked."

"Well, did she ask about your extracurricular activities too? What was the need to repeat the word hookup a million times?"

"I was trying to defend my honor."

"Wow, you're even dumber than Yi Jeong," said Ji Hoo from his armchair.

All eyes turned to him.

"What? I said you're louder than Yi Jeong." He gathered up his pillow and blanket. "It's impossible to get a good nap around here anymore."

"He totally said 'dumber', right?" asked Woo Bin.

_oOo_

"Did you hit your head or something? This is crazy talk!" said Woo Bin.

"You're blowing this waaaay out of proportion," said Jae.

He hated how completely unfazed she looked. As if they were discussing the brunch menu, instead of a literal life or death situation. "You want to visit a death trap with the woman, who less than a month ago may I add, vandalized your things. But I am the unreasonable one?"

"Hana wasn't involved in any of that."

"Or so she says."

"And a carnival is far from a death trap."

"You won't think that when she pushes you off the Ferris wheel."

"You seriously need to chill." She put one hand on each shoulder. "It's just a girl's hangout. It's gonna be fine."

"There's no talking you out of this, is there?"

She didn't answer.

Logic dictated that he should let this one go. If circumstances were different, he would. After the disaster that was the dessert date, the last thing he wanted was to ruin her opinion of him further, but this was about her safety. He couldn't back down. No matter how it made him look.

"Fine. I'll just come with you."

"What? No. I mean it's a girl's hangout. It'd be weird."

"Okay. I'll just go separately then. It IS hosted by Shinwa. All Shinwavians have an open invitation."

"Didn't you call it a snoozefest a few minutes ago."

Technically, he did, but that was before he knew why she was asking. "I can have a change of heart."

"Woo Bin, Hana won't try anything, okay. We made up. It's gonna be fine."

He didn't answer. There was no use continuing this conversation. Both their minds were made up.

_oOo_

Woo Bin stood in the F4 lounge living room, a whiteboard in front of him. "I think the main danger spots are here, here and here," he said while pointing to the carnival map.

"Since when did they get a swimming pool?" asked Yi Jeong.

"Pool? No, that's the Ferris wheel."

"From what angle?"

"From every—will you focus? We don't have much time."

The door flew open.

"What are you two doing?" asked Ga Eul as she walked towards them.

"Nothing," said Woo Bin while attempting to hide the board with his body.

"Yi Jeong?"

Yi Jeong looked between Ga Eul and Woo Bin three times. "Making a rescue plan."

"I'm sorry—a rescue plan?" she asked.

"Yes. In case Hana tries to attack Jae Kyung at the carnival tomorrow."

Woo Bin threw Yi Jeong a dirty look. Fourteen years of loyal friendship, and this is how Yi Jeong repays him? Traitor.

Ga Eul marched to the whiteboard. "In that case." Picking up a marker, she replaced Woo Bin's sketch with her own. "Let's get down to business."

"Still want to call me crazy? Your lady agrees." Woo Bin stepped closer. "Sure, Hana had nothing to do with the bullying. We didn't lose the elephant from that circus you sent us. I didn't strap myself with hospital equipment when your mom was sick, and ArtillaryAden65 didn't beat me at Apples VS Caterpillars 65 times."

"You still hung up on that?"

"It hurts, bro. It really hurts." He shook off the memory. This was not the time to fall down a rabbit hole of regret. "Anyway. The point is, people lie, Yi Jeong."

Yi Jeong turned to Ga Eul. "You agree with this madness?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would take Hana's word for it," said Ga Eul. "She looked remorseful when she stopped by the porridge shop. But we're talking about Jae Kyung Unnie. I love her with all my heart, but she has the worst luck with people."

Puzzled faces stared back at her.

"Think about it. We all went to the party, but only she met the drug dealer."

"While searching for apartments, she met that creepy landlord," said Woo Bin.

"All the professors in the school but she ended up with the nightmare."

"So many people on the bus, but she ended up next to Woo Bin," added Yi Jeong.

Woo Bin flung his marker at him.

_oOo_

"I'm starting to think Hana had no ulterior motives," said Ga Eul.

Yi Jeong didn't answer. From the very beginning, he thought this mission was stupid. He only tagged along to keep the peace.

"You see that arrow," said Woo Bin while pointing to the archery area.

"What about it?"

"Do you think Hana is going to turn it around at the last second and hit Jae?"

"You're crazy."

"Could happen."

"Woo Bin Sunbae," said Ga Eul. "We've been following them around for an hour. Don't you think if Hana-ssi was going to try something, she would've by now?"

If Woo Bin heard her, he didn't let on. "Not the Ferris wheel. That's a deathtrap!"

Before anyone else could get a word in edgewise, he ran off.

_oOo_

The Ferris wheel halted at the top. "It's just magnificent up here," said Jae Kyung while looking down at the city.

Hana nodded.

Jae Kyung felt the gust of wind against her hair. "Thanks for inviting me. I needed a break."

"Yeah, no problem." She gestured for Jae Kyung to sit back down. "So, what's up? How's your internship going?"

"Awesome! The offices are so amazing. We all have our own little corner, which we can decorate however we like. And the people? Hana, the people? They're all so kind and creative and smart. I love it."

"I'm glad you're happy."

Jae Kyung returned her smile. "What about you?"

"Great. I went to a party with my cousin."

"The one from Shinwa?"

"Yep, Ha Ri." She scooted closer. "I heard some things. Some disturbing things."

"Like what?" asked Jae Kyung while attempting to reign in her annoyance. She was getting a little tired of Hana's little jabs at Shinwa.

"Do you know why Woo Bin and Ji Ah broke up?"

"We talked about it."

"Her friends think he cheated on her."

"You can't possibly believe—he would never—"

"With his best friend."

Jae Kyung leaned back against her seat. No surprise there. Ji Ah hated her. Of Course she'd blame her for the breakup.

"I don't think you had anything to do with it, of course. But it's concerning what associating with him is doing to your reputation."

"That's not fair."

The wheel came to a stop. Unlocking the gate, she walked out. "I don't want to talk about this."

She rushed to the next ride, not checking if Hana followed.

"Stop running," said Hana while catching up to Jae Kyung in the roller coaster line. "I know you don't want to hear this, but his dating history—"

"Is a bit colorful, so what? It's not like he cheated or lied or took advantage of people."

The line moved an inch.

"Right, only broke a lot of hearts. No harm no foul."

The line moved another inch.

"Don't look so surprised. I'm not telling you something you don't already know."

"He's friends with most of his exes."

"When he fed you these excuses, did he also mention the three that hate him?"

They moved a few more inches.

"Well, Da Eun was crazy. She pushed us all into a pool once."

They moved up a row.

"Jae Kyung."

"Hana ."

"I know you like him, but good friends don't always make good boyfriends."

Jae Kyung looked away. Logic dictated that Hana was correct. But the more Jae Kyung thought about it, the less she believed it. How could the kind of guy who'd put his social life on hold, just so his friend could reach home safely, be anything but a loving boyfriend?

"He dated my cousin. Back in high school."

Far too stunned to reply, Jae Kyung let Hana speak.

"And sure, he technically didn't lie or cheat. Just left her heartbroken."

"I'm sorry."

"Yu Ri says that I'm blinded by my biases. That I can't see how much he cares for you, but here's the thing: he cared for Ha Ri too. You know how they met?"

Jae Kyung didn't answer. She doubted Hana expected one.

"He rescued her from bullies. The guy has a thing for damsels, I guess. They were friends for a bit. Just like the two of you, before she asked him out."

The line pushed them forward.

"He was upfront about his intentions, I'll give you that. But his actions didn't match his words. He'd take her on amazing dates, to places she'd mentioned she wanted to visit. He'd defend her from other snooty snobs. When she'd call him upset about something, he'd listen. He made her ridiculously happy until the day he unceremoniously dumped her."

What was it that Woo Bin told her? If they want more commitment than he can offer, it's better to nip it in the bud quickly.

"As wonderful as you might think he is, even you have to admit, he can date someone for months without getting attached. Can you?" she asked while entering the ride-car.

Jae Kyung spent the entire ride mulling over Hana's words.

_oOo_

Ji Hoo sat on the edge of the slide, watching Jan Di and Jun Pyo. While initially reluctant about the carnival, Jan Di changed her mind rather quickly. Now she sat on the swing while Jun Pyo pushed her.

"You were right," she said. "I did need a break. "Now twirl the swing around."

Ji Hoo got up. They deserved some privacy. God knows when Jan Di would have free time again. He'd find other ways to amuse himself.

_oOo_

Jan Di got off the swing. "Where did Ji Hoo Sunbae go?"

"He was here a minute ago," said Jun Pyo. "Do you think he fell asleep somewhere?"

"Let's check all the benches."

_oOo_

Ga Eul held the bow higher. "Better?"

Yi Jeong wrapped his arms around her. "A little lower." His hand on top of hers, he hit the trigger.

"Thanks." She fixed her hair. "Almost a perfect shot."

"Yeah." He turned away. "We should find the others. God knows what kind of trouble Woo Bin is in."

_oOo_

"No. I'm not talking about a child. My friend is twenty-one," Jun Pyo told the staff member.

"Sir, I assure you, if a full grown man was sleeping on the Ferris wheel, I would've noticed."

"Could you just check once? I don't want him to get dizzy, or nauseous, or knock his head against something."

_oOo_

The tension didn't last long. Less than a minute later, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul were too involved in a detailed discussion about Woo Bin's whereabouts to worry about anything else.

"I bet he's in a brawl," said Yi Jeong.

"Give him some cre—" She stopped talking.

"What happened?"

She looked worried. Did Woo Bin actually get in a brawl or something?

"Look," said Ga Eul. "Over there. By the Ferris wheel."

Yi Jeong followed her finger. There was a brawl alright, only it didn't involve Woo Bin.

"Isn't that Jun Pyo Sunbae?" she asked.

"We better check that out. Come on."

She didn't move. "One problem." She pointed to her left.

Two feet away from them, stood Woo Bin, involved in a heated discussion with the staff member of the octopus ride.

Yi Jeong pinched the bridge of his nose. "You take Woo Bin. I'll take Jun Pyo."

_oOo_

Woo Bin fought the urge to bang his head against the wall. Some people could be so unreasonable.

"I'll go to the back of the line once you answer my questions," he told the staff member.

"Like I already told you, the seatbelts are sturdy."

"What if someone wanted to remove them mid-ride? How easy would that be?"

The man gave him a horrified look. "Step out of the line. I can't in good conscience—"

"Relax. I don't plan to do that. I am asking for a friend."

_oOo_

Hana's words stuck with Jae Kyung long after the ride was over. She mulled over it on the boat swing, the merry-go-around, the gun range game, and all the way till they reached the Octopus, where she spotted Woo Bin talking to Ga Eul.

She smiled. Well. He did say he'd show up.

"The F4 never showed their faces in these fairs before," said Hana. "Is it because of you? Did he follow us here?" She crossed her arms. "Stop smiling. It's borderline stalking."

"He was upfront about it."

"Doesn't. Make. It. Better."

"I think it's kinda sweet—that he cares this much." Jae Kyung looked away. Woo Bin had always been an excellent friend. He took her on a hot-air balloon ride because she missed traveling. He spent a weekend helping her clean the fridge. He held her in his arms while she cried about her ex. He was incredibly kind. She never questioned that, not once. What she did question was the longevity of his romantic feelings.

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading! Did you enjoy the chapter? What was your favorite part? Tell me in the reviews.