Lips #20 (Le sserafim's Yunjin)

You spot Yunjin before she spots you. Her hood is up and her hair spills down her chest. A paper cup of lemonade in one hand and a plush keychain swing from the other as she walks through the crowd. The fair throws color over everything. All kinds of colours. Some are neon lights, others are blinking.

Then she sees you and her lips form a warm smile.

“You came!”

She jogs the last few steps and bumps her shoulder into yours like it’s still middle school.

“I was two minutes away from stress eating an entire filled potato by myself.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Your serious tone makes Yunjin laugh. The sound gets swallowed by the barkers and carousel music.

Up close, you catch the faint tiredness under her eyes. The kind that her makeup in music videos and shows usually hides. She shoves her lemonade into your hand without asking and stretches her arms over her head until her hoodie rides up a little.

“God, I needed this. No cameras, no managers, just… overpriced snacks and rigged games.”

She wiggles her fingers.

“And you.”

“Busy week?”

You ask, giving her the lemonade back.

“Busy month".

She corrects, rolling her eyes.

“Rehearsals, fittings, dieting, the whole thing.”

She shrugs it off with a familiar ease and nudges you toward the entrance.

“Tonight I’m clocked out. You’re in charge. Lead me to fun.”

You lift an eyebrow.

“Dangerous amount of responsibility.”

“Please. You’re the only person I trust to pick something that won’t end with me signing fan merch in a corn dog line.”

She hooks her arm through yours like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Come on. Let’s disappear.”

You let the crowd fold around you. Grill smoke and powdered sugar in the air, kids shrieking at the ring toss, someone winning a goldfish to wild applause. Yunjin stops at a stall where the prizes are absurdly large plush animals and squints up at the stacked milk bottles like they’ve personally offended her.

“Think you can knock those down?”

She gives you a look.

“Think we can pretend you did after I do?”

Then she grins.

“Kidding. Mostly. First, I want fried dough. Non-negotiable.”

“Noted.”

As you queue at the food stand, she leans into you, shoulders touching, letting the crowd behind you disappear into the background.

“Thanks for coming. I know you’re not big on crowds.”

“I’m big on friends.”

She bumps you again, her smile turning bigger.

The line inches forward. Somewhere behind you, a game buzzer blares. Ahead, the ferris wheel turns like a slow, patient clock. Yunjin tugs your sleeve and points with her chin.

“After this, ride with me?”

You nod.

“After this.”

She exhales, tension loosening from her frame like steam in cool night air. For the first time all day, she looks like she’s actually free from her idol life.

The smell of fried dough hits as soon as you reach the front of the stall. Yunjin orders without hesitation. Two powdered sugar. She presses one into your hand and immediately tears into hers. The sugar dusts the hoodie as soon as she starts eating.

“Worth it.”

She mumbles through a bite, eyes half lidded in bliss. You shake your head but can’t help grinning when she offers you a piece, powdered sugar sticking to her fingers.

Afterward, she drags you to the milk bottle game. The owner gives you a skeptical look, like he’s already counted the money he’ll be pocketing, but Yunjin squares her shoulders. She nails the first throw and gasps like she can’t believe it herself.

“Did you see that?”

She shoves the last ball into your hands.

“Okay, hero, finish it.”

You miss. Predictably. She doubles over laughing, pointing at the way the bottles barely wobble.

“That’s embarrassing.”

She teases, then slings an arm around your waist.

“Good thing I carried us.”