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Chapter 7
WE LEAVE THE GIFT SHOP WITH A HUGE TEDDYbear that’s almost as big as I am. I’ve managed to perch it on my shoulders, but Bryan has to keep his hand on its back so it doesn’t fall off.
“You couldn’t have chosen a smaller bear, huh,” Bryan grumbles.
“Hey, you never said the doll had to be a reasonable size. Besides, you’re an internationally famous K-pop star. Wouldn’t you look cheap to your fans if you didn’t buy me an impressive gift?”
Bryan sighs. “Fair.”
I was expecting a smart comeback, but he looks worn out and still a little green from the roller coaster. He must be exhausted, despite how much he’s trying to hide it. I pause in my gloating to ask, “Hey, seriously, are you okay? Want to call it a day?”
Bryan shakes his head and forces a smirk. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Let’s just do something chill for the rest of this date, though.”
I’m about to ask Bryan what he wants to do next when he cocks a thumb in the teddy bear’s direction.
“So, what are you going to name the bear?”
Before I can answer, he adds, “You should name it Bryan because I bought him.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “What kind of guy tells a girl to name her bear after him? Wouldn’t that be kind of creepy?”
Bryan heaves a sigh. This time, it’s exaggerated enough that I know he’s just being dramatic. “Fine. You pick a name, then. I was kidding.”
“Uh-huh.... Well, with or without your permission, I’m going to name the bear Theodore.”
“Theodore?” Bryan repeats slowly, sounding out all the vowels.
“Yup! It’s the formal version of Teddy,” I reply. “And Teddy is way too commonplace for this bear. So, Theodore!”
“That’s fair. Theodore. What a very American name. I like it!”
I beam and then stop myself. Since when did Bryan’s approval make mehappy?
It’s because of the bear, I tell myself.The bear is cute, so it made you happy, not him.
“So...” I say, wanting to change the subject. “Where tonext? You said you wanted to do something more chill, right?”
“Yeah.” Bryan shudders. “I don’t want to actually throw up.”
A smug smile forms on my lips. “How about the merry-go-round?” I ask, thinking back to how he teased me with that very option just an hour or so ago.
Bryan shoots me a glare, but then his expression eases into a smile, too.
“Sounds good. Let’s go.”
Despite Bryan’s charm and persistence, the attendant at the ride refuses to let us take the huge teddy bear with us, saying that it’d be a huge safety hazard. So we leave Theodore with Mr. Lee—who doesn’t look very happy with the turn of events—while we get on the ride.
The amusement park’s security staff, who must have finally gotten word that Bryan and I are at the park, prevents anyone from getting on the ride with us, but I can still see the fans taking videos and photos of us from behind the fence. The small crowd watches our every move as we go around and around on the horses, and I try my best to have a good time.
I shoot furtive glances in Bryan’s direction, checking to see if he’s okay. At first, he still looks a little pale, but as the ride progresses, he visibly relaxes.
Bit by bit, and despite the countless pairs of eyes staring at us, I find myself relaxing, too. And I can’t help but smile whenever we pass Mr. Lee and see him just standing there, sullenly staring at us with Theodore on his shoulders.
Despite its ups and downs, today turned out to be not so bad. I get off the merry-go-round feeling a whole lot lighter than I felt before getting on it.
At the end of our “date,” Bryan holds out a bag to me.
“Here,” he says. “One of my team members bought us new clothes so we could sneak out of the park in relative peace. People probably have plenty of pictures of us by now. No need to entertain them until the very end.”
