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It wasn’t until Sulli ran out of the funhouse that Akara told me hand-to-heart not to reply to her Ever To let her stateuish until it doesn’t exist

I’m not a coward Neither is he

But this is fucking cowardly He’s just so afraid of changing his dyna to piece back the reone

Probably for the better She’s not the teenager he used to protect anymore

Sulli stands up and pockets her cell

We grow quiet as she approaches

“My parents called,” she explains “They’ll be here in ten minutes” She nods a lot to herself, maybe nervously

We’re not scared of her parents Akara and I were bodyguards to hout the years He just has more experience with the Meadows than me

Sulli pulls her cart closer “We should finish shopping” She glances atin a smile “I don’t think that one’s your color”

I snap the buckles, then eye Akara “She’s insulting your shopping skills”

“Hers aren’t any better” He places a bright pink helmet on Sulli’s head “Gotta protect this one” He knocks the helht fist

“Careful,” I tell Akara, as alk to the center of the store “You break it, you bought it”

Sulli pushes the cart, staying quiet She even removes the pink helmet and places it on a rack of lanterns Red patches roast her cheeks

My pulse nosedives I should’ve just flirted back with her instead ofdammit She looks more aware like it’s the two of us versus her, and not just the three of us joking around

Her neck is flushed, and she actually tries to outpace us The wheels screech on the cart, and we let her go ahead

“Shit,” Akara mutters and fits a baseball hat on backwards

We roll to a stop

Sulli has halted in front of a display of tents Two fingers rest to her lips in her iconic concentration face An expression that has graced sports azine covers

Brown hair falling over her shoulder, she turns to Akara andshould the tent be? Do I need two—?”

“Protocol is one,” Akara reminds her “But if you’d be more comfortable with—”

“One is fine,” she cuts hi fine” She tries to whisper but she’s terrible at it

I hang

Akaratoo Even in her frustration, she’s really cute

“Hey, string bean,” Akara calls to Sulli “Maybe up it to a four-person tent for this one” He squeezes my shoulder