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Nina groaned as she got off the ride they had just ridden.  She felt dizzy now.  She looked over at Jimin.  He didn’t look too well off either.  Amusement parks were definitely Tae and Mina’s thing, not theirs.

“Let’s go sit down…” she suggested, motioning to the nearest bench.  The first thing she did when they sat down was pull out her phone and text Mina.  Why, just why, had she suggested going to the amusement park?

——————–

Mina was half asleep with her hands laced through Tae’s sweaty hair when her phone chimed.  She sat up a bit and grabbed her phone off the nightstand.  It was Nina.

“Please save me.  I’m about to embarrass myself in front of Jimin.  Why did you suggest an amusement park?  You know I’m not good on rollercoasters…”

Mina sighed and glanced down at Tae, who was fast asleep with his face buried in her arm.

“I figured the amusement park wouldn’t be too bad of an idea…but that was with me and Tae tagging along.  I’m sorry we couldn’t come.”

“Don’t apologize.  You had no idea Tae would get sick this weekend.  Speaking of Tae, how’s he doing?  How sick is he?”

“He’s asleep right now.  I think he has the flu.  He’s running a fever, he’s been coughing, and he’s really stuffed up.”

Well, it was mid-October now.  Flu season was just around the corner.

“How’s your date with Jimin going?”

Nina nearly threw her phone when that text came through. “Date???  It’s not a date!”

“Um…yeah.  I’m pretty sure it’s a date.”

Nina sighed and shook her head.  Her sister was ridiculous sometimes.

“I’m gonna go now.  Jimin wants to get lunch.”

“Ok!  Hope the rest of your date goes well!”

Nina shoved her phone into her pocket.  Jimin hadn’t actually wanted to get lunch.  But she needed an excuse to leave so that Mina would stop teasing her.  Honestly, she didn’t think they would leave this bench for a long time.  And food sounded like a horrible idea right now.   

——————–

Mina was in the kitchen making soup an hour later when Tae dragged himself and his oversized blanket into the kitchen.  He slumped down in a chair at the counter and leaned his head on the island.

“How’s Nina and Jimin’s date going?” he mumbled, his eyes already fluttering shut again.

“Nina insists it’s not a date.  From the sounds of it neither of them can handle rollercoasters very well.”

Tae simply hummed in response.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Mmm…a little.” He let out a harsh cough.

Mina turned her attention away from the pot on the stove and walked over to Tae.  She ran her hand through his hair, brushing his bangs away from his face before placing the back of her hand on his forehead.

“Hmm.  You feel a bit cooler, but you definitely still have a fever.”

Tae nodded.

“Do you wanna take some medicine?  Your mom said there’s cough syrup in the cabinet.”

“Ok…” Tae mumbled again.  He was starting to fall asleep.

Mina smiled at him and went to find the medicine.  The last time she remembered him being this sick was the night of their school play back in 7^th grade.  He’d nearly passed out on stage because he’d been so insistent on finishing his scenes.  She laughed now thinking about it.  He’d been so stubborn back in middle school.

She wondered how well Nina and Jimin’s ‘date’ was really going.  Nina hadn’t been on a date since 9^th grade…and that date had turned out to be a dare.  Nina had spent the whole night sobbing into a carton of ice cream while Mina listed all the reasons that guy didn’t deserve her.  Nina had avoided guys for the most part since.

Until Jimin.  He had seemed harmless enough, Mina supposed.  All the guys who had chased Nina were ‘popular guys,’ and Jimin was your classic nerd in all honors classes.

So maybe Mina shouldn’t have teased her sister.  But she had.  Nina needed a date to redeem all the bad ones she’d had.  And Mina was sure this was it.