He remembered seeing her for the first time, he would never forget that day. He would forget the circumstances but not her. Her long hair that smelled of jasmine and lingered in his senses. Her cat eyes that gave her the haughty look until she smiles so disarmingly, Mino could forget his name. 

Like this very moment. All he could thinks about was how pretty she was. And she was just standing there. She was looking at him quizzically. Her lips slightly parted as she looked up at him. He swallowed when his eyes landed on those soft looking lips of hers.

"I could stare at you forever." He said to himself, smiling like a retard. It's true. He could just stand her and he would never get tired of staring at her at all. But his statement all but sounded gibberish to him and her too as she furrowed her brows.

Her lips moved but Mino couldn't make out what she said. He frowned when the confused on her face turned to worry. He didn't care. For him, the world stopped turning. The buzz of the training complex seemed too far away. All he was concerned at the moment was her and how pretty she looked today in her practice gear.

"Mino-shi!" She called as she waived her hand in front of his face that he blinked. It seemed to have woken him out of his reverie.

"Your tumbler is full." She said and gave him a nervous smile.

Flustered, Mino looked down to the water bottle he was filling with water. The water was spilling all over the floor already as he was still pressing on the water dispenser.

"Oh, !" He cursed as he freed the dispenser and looked over the floor spilled with water. He closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment. This always happened. He always get himself in humiliating situations in front of her that he had tried his darnest to avoid her at all costs.

You would too if you were him. The first time he saw her was unforgettable. After all, he bumped on her so hard in his excitement to introduce himself that they both fell to the floor. So much for sweeping her off her feet. He was thankful though that s were nit there to witness it. The teasing would never have ended.

"Mian." He sighed that only the mouse in the training center, if there were any, could have heard him. Once again, he has not introduced himself when he had wanted to for months now. His shoulders hunched, his head down low, Mino turned around and walked towards s who for sure had there eyes on them all this time.

They were in a practice center for the super rookies segment they were to do at an awards show. He had been excited. They would be able to meet and greet with their fellow rookies and would be able to bump elbows with her too. But now, he didn't know if he liked being there after he had just embarrassed himself. Again.

"Tsk!" His leader clicked his tongue at him and giving him a wary look as he got closer to them.

"Pathetic!" Taehyun said.

"You alright, Mino-ya?" Jinwoo asked.

"He ain't dead." His Seung Hoon said. "Did you see the look on her face?if I were him I would rather be dead." He said and the four of them laughed their hearts out.

Mino's face soured. "Ha ha!" He said amidst the teasing and the laughters. He sat next to Jinwoo and looked over where the Red Velvet girls were. Wendy gave him a side way glance as Seulgi was smiling at what Irene was saying.

He cleared his throat as he realized how red his face must be. He looked away as Irene glanced at him too and Joy gave him a brief look as well. He wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

"You Mino? Or you a tomato?" Taehyun said with a sardonic smile on his face. Mino glared at him.

"Like seriously, dude! How did you ever have a girlfriend?" Seung Hoon eyed him.

"She asked me out." He replied. It was true. She did. He never looked at her romantically at the time. She was but a friend until he asked him out and being single at the time, he agreed. They have long broken up though must be because he wasn't as invested into the relationship. He was a social butterfly after all. He was to be free.

He was saved from Seung Yoon's further teasing when GOT7 and Loveliez arrived. They greeted their friend from JYP ent and their fellow rookies. It was businees after that as they were brief on what they were to do on the awards show. They were told that they were to be paired and for once after the water incident, Mino mustered the courage to glance at the beautiful girl that was wrecking havoc to his senses. Their eyes met as he glanced at him too. He swallowed and looked away as fast as he could.

 "Irene and Mino, please." The PD said. He jolt when his name was called along with her team member. He moved to where the PD was motioning them to be. He was torn between disappointment and relief. A part of him wanted to be paired with her. A part of him was relieved that he will not turn into the babbling idiot he sure he would be if he was paired with her.

"Jackson and Seulgi." 

His ears seemed to have perked up when she was called along with his friend. He saw the two exchanged comfortable smiles as Jackson was talking her up on their way to where Irene and Mino was. His brows furrowed.

"You could at least act as if you're happy to be paired with me, Mino-shi." A voice to her left said that made him turn to the owner of it.

"Of course, Im happy to be paired with you, Irene-shi." He said as he gave her a small smile. That was thoughtless of him. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Im lucky actually. All the boys around here would want to be paired with you." He whispered back as he tried to placate her. 

Never slight a woman's ego, her mother said. He did not wanted to break Irene's confidence.

"Except you?" She asked. One eyebrow was raised questioningly.

"Aniya!" He said as he waived his hands in front of him in refusal. "You're the prettiest girl here." He said. He was truthful in a way that all the boys including the girls said so earlier. Although his heart recognizes another as the prettiest but that was because he was partial to his bias. Irene giggled at his too fast a response that he breathe a sigh of relief until he felt a pair on eyes on him that made him turned to his right.

Jackson had stopped talking and he was eyeing the pairings as they were called out. It means that the girl a few feet away from him could have seen and possibly heard the exchange he had with Irene. He wondered if it was just his imagination working overtime when he thought she gave him a glare because she turned away quickly.

The rest of the practice went on as usual. He stole multiple glances her way throughout. He felt a sense of emptiness though when not once did he find her staring back or catching her eye at all. It was strange because they always find themselves staring at each other for a couple of second every time she would feel his eyes on her. It seemed as if she was avoiding his glances.

When the instructors gave them all a fifteen minute break, Mino excused himself to give his mother a call outside of the practice area as he promised earlier. 

"Umma." He greeted when she picked up.

"Son." His mom replied. "So did you get permission to go home this weekend?"

"Ne." He said as he smiled a little. "Jinwoo hyung is coming with me again."

"That's great. Your sister would be glad."

"Umma....." He chastised. His sister was too young to be interested with boys much more with his hyung. She is not to have a boyfriend yet.

"What? Your sister is not a minor." His mother said with laugh. "And Jinwoo is a good kid. A good hyung you said."

"Aniya!" He scowled. "He's no longer invited."

"Yah! Im just kidding." She said. "I swear your sister is going to be an old maid with what your doing."

"Good." He said.

"So is she there?" Her mother asked conspiratoringly.

"Ne." He answered weakly.

"You don't sound thrilled."

"Well, it didn't to the way I planned. Again." He said defeatedly. He sighed. What happened to the swag? The bad boy image when he's nothing but a coward in front of her anyways?

"Oh, son! Im sorry to hear that. You like her that much, huh?"

"Ne, Umma. I like her that much." He said with a pout. He looked down at his feet feeling so downtrodden. Why cant he be normal around her? Why?!

He and his mother talked some more before he ended the call. He was about to go back to the room when he found Seulgi on the phone with someone too. She had said goodbye and turned around when he found her standing there.

"Umma." She said as she waived her phone in front of her.

He smiled at her. He swallowed. He had a lot to say but all he could do was smile at her like a douche. He opened his mouth to speak but all he got was a squeak. He took a labored breathe.

"You and unnie looked good together." She said thoughtfully.

"You...you...you..think so?" Wow! Way to go Mino-ya!!!

She smiled a bit but her eyes had a little dark cast he cant identify. "Ne."

He cleared his throat and opened his mouth. It took him a whole before he found his voice as her smile made his knees weak and thoughts left him.

"I.. I ...I.." He began. He wet his lips as his lips felt too dry. His heart beating profusely he was getting out of breath. He wanted to formally introduce himself. She was looking at him expectantly and he didn't want to let this opportunity pass him again.

"Im S-s-ong Mi-m-Minho imnida." He said and bowed to her. His knees about to give out.

"Mwo?" She asked amused.

"I i wa-wanted to i-i-introduce myself to y-you formally." He said a little shy with how silly it seemed. They have met before and had been introduced but never formally. The people just expected them to know each other by introducing the group and nit the person.

Silly and old fashioned it might be but he wanted to introduce himself to the girl who had captured his eyes the first time he saw her on TV on her debut stage.

"Kang Seulgi imnida. It's nice to finally meet you, Song Mino-shi." She said. Her amusement apparent as he bowed to him as well.

She gave him a wide smile that he choke with air. Aish! How is this girl so pretty with her cute smiles and pretty cat eyes. He was just staring dreamily at her when somebody flung his arms on his shoulders a little too heavily that he yelped!

"Mino-ya! Why are you stealing my partner from me?!" Jackson said teasingly. "Thought we were friends, man!"

Mino rolled his eyes as he freed himself from Jackson and hit his nape hard. His shoulders throbbing from his friends arm earlier. 

"Yah!" He said and eyed his friend with fake anger. "I saw her first, dude!"

"Oh, come on!" Jackson said. "You already have Irene!" He said and winked at Seulgi who was behind them. His back stiffened when he heard her clear .

"Ne! I didn't know you were a womanizer, Mino-shi." She said. Her tone teasing that he turned to her. Her eyes a little sad.

"Aniya!" He said. "It's Jackson here whose a womanizer!" He said and to his amazement, he didn't stammer. "He already has Youngji!"

He heard Jackson laugh behind. "Don't ruin my reputation, will you?! The trainers are calling us already." He said and dragged Mino back to the practice room with Seulgi following quietly.

The practice ended on a good note with the rest of the rookies ending the meeting cordially and were now looking forward to the rest of the practice sessions together and on their own. Mino was chatting with the Winner and GOT7 boys when Seulgi and the rest of Red Velvet passed by them to their assigned locker room.

"Watcha waiting for, man?!" Jackson said as his friend was looking at him as his eyes followed the retreating girls.

"End of the world." Taehyun answered. Their maknae and Bambam looked at each other and laughed,

"Shut up!" His Seung Hoon hyung chastised. Mino was thankful. "He has to write down what he has to say first then read it to her. Like a speech, you know?"

Mino's face crumpled in annoyance. So much for being grateful! He pushed his hyung's shoulders in retaliation who just laughed as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Seriously though, Mino-ya. This chance might not come again." Mark said wisely. "Go ask for her number already."

"Easier said than done, man." He said sadly. He had tried so hard to introduce himself. Took him months and a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah! I mean took him months to get the courage to talk to her. Took him 30 minutes to introduce himself." Said Seung Yoon.

"It was not thirty minutes." He said defensively.

The boys grew quiet and was looking at him with their eye brows raised. He raised his arms in the air exasperatedly. "It was not thirty minutes!" He insisted.

More eyebrows raising, arms crossing, unbelieving 'Uhuhs' that were freakin' annoying.

"It's not like we didn't see you!" Mark said.

Mino rolled his eyes. "Fine!"

"Go ask for her number." Mark said.

"Whose number?" Jaebum who has just arrived from speaking with the dancers asked.

"Her!" The boys said in chorus except Mino that earned him Jaebum's earnest stare.

"Oh!" Jaebum said enthusiastically. "I'll get it for you! Red Velvet, right?"

"Ne." Mino said hopefully.

"Araso! Leave it to me!" Jaebum said as he grinned to the boys.

"Ooooooookay...." Taehyun said skeptically.

"Watch me!" He said and left them to the girl's dressing rooms.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting and pacing around and multiple scolding from the boys who were getting dizzy from all his pacing, Jaebum returned with a triumphant smile on his face. The boys crowded around him and were hurling him questions after questions.

"Stop it all of you!" He said commandingly, his back straight in a superior manner as he eyed the group! "I got it!"

"Jinja?!" Taehyun asked.

"How shameless." Mark said that earned him a glare from the man of the hour.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Jinwoo asked excitedly.

Jaebum waived a piece of paper in front of Mino's frozen form. His eyes followed the paper like a puppy wanting a treat.

"Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh..."

"Sick!" Someone said as Mino just stood there.

"Love sick!" Seung Yoon said.

"There you go, man." Jaebum said. "It was easy. All is said was that you wanted her number and she gave it to me. It was weird though."

"Wae?"

"Well, she asked if it was really her number I was asking for. I mean, who else could it be right?" Jaebum said with a laugh. 

"Wait!" Jackson sigh thoughtfully. "Whose number is this?"

"Irene, of course!" Jaebum said proudly. "She was the prettiest girl here, Mino said."