the view | minsung

60

the couple continued to explore lotte world, trying different rides here and there. jisung was thoroughly enjoying every ride he had been on, which relieved minho, knowing that jisung was slowly overcoming his fear of heights.

"love, it's already almost 5. what do you say we go on one more ride before we grab some snacks and head to namsan?" minho suggested, checking the time on his wristwatch.

"sure! all those rides have made me really hungry," jisung responded, placing his hand on his stomach for emphasis.

"how about we try the balloon ride?" minho suggested, pointing towards the hot air balloon attraction in the indoor amusement park.

"mhm! i've been wanting to go there since earlier," jisung exclaimed excitedly.

with that, the two of them made their way to the queue for the hot air balloon ride, their hands intertwined, the matching bead bracelets complementing their wrists.

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after a while of waiting, it was now their turn. jisung and minho stepped inside the ride, with minho guiding jisung in. they comfortably positioned themselves next to each other, and jisung gazed at the view below him as the hot air balloon began to ascend.

but as they gained altitude, jisung suddenly froze, his fear of heights kicking in. minho immediately noticed jisung's distress and gently grabbed his chin, redirecting his gaze away from the ground.

"if it gets too overwhelming, just look at me," minho comforted.

the ride continued to ascend slowly above the indoor amusement park. jisung wanted to look at the view, but he knew he needed to take small steps in conquering his fears. instead, he focused on their intertwined hands.

"love, look at the view," minho encouraged, moving closer to the edge to get an aerial perspective of the indoor amusement park.

however, jisung remained in his position, his eyes fixed on their hands. minho noticed the distance between them and tugged on jisung's arm gently, his voice sweet and comforting as he urged him, "i'll be right next to you, love. just give it a try."

jisung contemplated minho's offer. he had been doing fine earlier because they didn't spend too much time at higher altitudes, but now they were above for a longer duration, making him feel uneasy.

sensing jisung's hesitation and discomfort, minho approached him, gently cupping his cheeks as he looked into jisung's shaky eyes. "love, i'm right beside you. nothing bad will happen as long as i'm here, i promise," he comforted, his thumbs gently rubbing jisung's cheeks in a soothing motion.

jisung hesitated but realized that minho was genuinely trying to help him. taking a deep breath, he relented, his voice trembling as he agreed, "okay."

minho smiled warmly, whispering softly to jisung, "just take a peek. if you're not comfortable, you can look at me. i'll protect you from the sight." he wanted to ensure that he wasn't overwhelming jisung with his efforts.

with minho's reassurances, they slowly made their way to the edge of the basket, jisung's grip on minho's hands tightening in fear. minho ignored the discomfort in his hands as he guided jisung to get a better view of the amusement park.

initially, jisung kept his eyes on the floor, his lips pursed tightly. "love, look," minho encouraged gently. jisung raised his head, finally taking in the view in front of them.

as he did, he was captivated by the sight. the aerial perspective offered by the hot air balloon was breathtaking. they could see numerous rides inside the indoor amusement park, as well as the bustling crowds below, as it was already evening.

minho noticed jisung's nerves gradually calming down, and a warm smile, revealing his bunny teeth, spread across his face as he observed jisung becoming lost in the breathtaking view before them.

"are you okay, my love?" minho asked, making sure that jisung wasn't overwhelmed by the height.

"captain, it's beautiful," jisung replied, turning his head toward minho, his orbs sparkling with admiration.

minho's smile widened, and he couldn't help but touch jisung's cheeks again. "you're more beautiful."

jisung giggled, fully aware of what would come next. he leaned in, and their lips met in a passionate kiss. minho smiled during the kiss, feeling jisung nuzzling his face into his hand.

their kiss lingered for a few more seconds before they both pulled away, sharing a giggle. they noticed that the hot air balloon had started descending, and they were visible to the people below.

as the hot air balloon fully descended, minho stepped out first, extending his hand for jisung to hold. jisung gladly took minho's hand, hopping out of the ride.

"it wasn't too bad, right?" minho asked as they began making their way back to his car.

"as long as i'm with you, nothing's too bad," jisung replied, giving minho's hand a loving squeeze.

minho chuckled at jisung's response. "what do you want to eat before we head to namsan?" he asked, recalling jisung mentioning his hunger earlier.

"i'm fine with anything, captain. but we can just have dinner after we're done at namsan," jisung replied.

they reached minho's car, and he unlocked it, holding the door open for jisung before taking his own seat.

"are you sure you're okay with that? you mentioned you were hungry earlier," minho inquired, starting the engine.

"i can still hold it," jisung replied with a cheeky smile as he settled into his seat.

"alright, love. off to namsan we go then," minho said, driving toward their next destination.

as minho drove, jisung pulled out his phone. "darling, can i use the aux?"

"of course you can, love," minho replied.

with that, jisung connected his phone to the car's auxiliary input and scrolled through his playlist to play a suitable song.

"wave to earth?" minho asked, recognizing the music playing from jisung's playlist.

"mhm, i love their music," jisung responded, grabbing minho's hand and placing it on his own thigh, playing with his rings.

minho was pleasantly surprised by jisung's affectionate gesture, but he didn't mind it at all. in fact, he loved it.

the car ride to their destination was filled with pure comfort. jisung sang along to the songs playing on his playlist, and minho occasionally joined in. minho's hand rested on jisung's thigh, while jisung playfully twiddled with the rings on minho's fingers. the atmosphere was warm and filled with love as they shared this moment together.