- of feelings, shopaholics, and soccer games -

Sungjong and Myungsoo sat side-by-side slumped against one of the walls in TOP Entertainment. “So long story short, Krystal revealed herself as K and saved you from a crazy fan girl mob, while you repaid her by falling for her and being in denial about it?” asked Sungjong, head tilted to the side and lips pursed in thought. He looked like the perfect picture of innocence and curiosity.

Unfortunately, L wasn’t having any of that.

“I didn’t fall for her.” huffed Myungsoo. “I told you, she just tricked my emotional system. The key word here is tricked, Jongie.”

“Right.” replied Sungjong, tone dry and in disbelief. “She tricked you by speaking affectionately towards you and smiling nicely at you.”

L nodded in agreement and said, “That’s exactly right!” He ruffled Sungjong’s hair slightly as an affectionate gesture. “I knew you would understand.”

Sungjong pouted and moved away to fix his hair before staring at his Myung hyung with a critical eye. “So you’re saying you fell for her acting?”

“That’s right.” said L, tone going solemn once more. “She tricked my emotional system with that acting of hers. She made me think that I could like someone like her.”

“You, who has a background in acting and has to make use of those skills each time there is a photo shoot, fell prey to the acting of a girl is in no way a trained professional? You, who has the emotional system of a freezer?” asked Sungjong, obviously skeptical.” L nodded at him, not even minding that he was just indirectly referred to as something that stored food. “ I just think you fell for her.”

“Shh! Don’t say those words out loud!” L placed a hand over Sungjong’s mouth and looked around as if the walls could hear and would repeat those oh so blasphemous words to Krystal herself. “Besides, we’re too different.” said L. And almost with a pout, he added, “And I just can’t.”

Sungjong looked at his hyung almost sympathetically but more so in exasperation at the obvious denial that he was putting himself through. This hyung is so stupid. He’s already halfway falling.

The younger model sighed and stood up. “I need to go to my shoot now. I’ll see you later, hyung.” Myungsoo waved a goodbye and sent his dongsaeng off with a slight smile, to which the younger grinned at.

It’s just up to Krystal whether or not he fully falls on his face or catches himself and acts like nothing even happened.

--

“What am I doing here?” mumbled Krystal, staring at the gates of a school not her own. This school wasn’t even in her area; the only reason she knew this school was because she played soccer here a couple days ago. “Right. It’s because of my stupid servant.”

“A soccer game? Minho invited you to a soccer game?” asked Amber, raising a very suggestive eyebrow.

Krystal shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “I guess he felt like he should have after playing soccer with me for two hours.”

“Krys, you should go!” supplied Amber, smiling cheerfully. “It will be fun, right? And what else do you have to do on Friday?”

“I wanted to go shopping though…” the younger girl said this with an almost wistful sigh.

Amber relied to her very quickly and seriously, as if her going or not going was like a life-and-death situation. “You should definitely go.”

“You’re just saying that so you won’t have to hold my shopping bags.” accused Krystal, shooting Amber a small glare to which the older girl grinned innocently at. “I guess I can go shopping on Sunday instead…more sales too..” she mumbled.

That was how Krystal Jung found herself in front of Choi Minho’s school at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday.

“Krystal?” she heard someone call her and wasn’t very surprised when she saw who it was.

“Hi Key oppa~” she greeted, hugging him when his arms spread open; she accepted a cheek kiss from him with nonchalance and disregarded the strange stares she had gotten because of Key’s greeting.

“What are you doing here?” asked Key, clearly puzzled at the mere presence of her. “Did you transfer schools to get closer to Minho?” He said this with a brilliant smile on his face, but it was obvious that he was just messing with her. (HANA KIMI REFERENCE. WHO ELSE IS EXCITED FOR 'TO THE BEAUTIFUL YOU'?)

She pouted slightly and rolled her eyes before telling Key her reason for being here. “Minho invited me to watch his soccer game today.”

Key blinked in surprise, but the brilliant smile did not fade from his face. “Did he now~?” teased Key.

Well, well Minho. Inviting a girl to a soccer game? You haven’t done that in-

Key’s thoughts were rudely cut off as he was distracted by the retreating back of Krystal Jung. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he asked. “No one walks away from Kim Kibum!” His statement was left hanging in the air as Krystal continued to walk away. “You’re not even going the right way!”

That was when she stopped in her tracks.

Key couldn’t help but crack a smile.

-

“What is all of this?” asked Krystal with a tone of pure disbelief. Key had led her to the soccer field (Krystal had been sure she was going the right way though) after showing her around the school (in case she ever wanted to transfer) and they both found seats easily. Well, actually, it wasn’t very easy to find any free space in the bleachers.

But Kim Kibum was the almighty Key for a reason.

“Why is it so packed?” she asked in disbelief. Her school had soccer games too, but they were lucky enough to have a small crowd.

Key looked at Krystal as if she was missing out on something completely. “Your school doesn’t look like this on soccer days?”

“Not even close, oppa.” She replied, still looking around in disbelief.

“Well, look closely and read the signs.” chortled Key, laughing slightly.

Krystal pursed her lips before actually deciding to read the signs. “They’re all names, with hearts, Key oppa.”

“Exactly, Krystal. It is the essence of fangirlism.” He said this as if he was quoting a wise word or speaking from the heart. But of course, he was just playing with her. “But really, our soccer team is really popular with the girls.”

Now that Key mentioned it, Krystal noticed that there were mostly girls around them.“This happens in real life?” asked Krystal.

“Mmhmm. And Minho is the most popular soccer player.” grinned Key. “How do you feel, being the fake girlfriend of the famous and popular Choi Minho?”

Before Krystal could formulate a proper reply to that statement, a whistle blew and soccer players started running out onto the field. The game was starting.

Krystal watched very diligently (or as diligently as she could) as she saw her fake boyfriend (well, one of them) run around and chase after the ball. “This is way boring compared to actually playing the game.” complained Krystal, poking Key to get his attention. Prior to the Jung-poke, Key had been yelling and screaming at Minho (in other words, and in Kim Kibum’s own way, he was cheering for the other boy).

“Be supportive!” reprimanded Key. He went back to cheering (yelling/screaming). She just rolled her eyes. She focused her eyes on the number 9 and the bold CHOI above it.

“Whoo! Go Minho!” she cheered halfheartedly, waving her arms about as he got closer to the ball, which was currently in the opposing team’s possession.

Key looked over his shoulder and at Krystal. “You can do better than that.” Krystal rolled her eyes again. Minho had stolen the ball and was running with it. “Whoo, Minho!” Krystal cheered louder this time.

He was getting closer to the goal. It was him against two defenders and the opposing goalie to make this play count. His teammates were being marked and blocked; there was no clear shot to pass. He had to take it on himself to make a goal.

Krystal, knowing the game and predicament he was in, couldn’t help herself. “Choi Minho! Come on, make a gooooaaaaaal!” Krystal would blame it on the adrenaline rush of the game, but she cheered loudly and proudly; The crowd has been silent when Krystal had started shouting; everyone in the stands had been quiet and tense, watching the game anxiously. That meant that there was no way Minho could not have heard her; he turned his head at the sound of her voice. Like the perfect movie scene, they had locked eyes in that moment.

And then that moment had gone. He went on to fake a pass (just like how she did a few days before) passed one defender, and then another. He kicked the ball in the net, aiming right for the left corner.

Swoosh.

Krystal grinned at the sight; she loved that move. She did it all the time. And she got the reference to herself immediately. “Goooaaaal~~” she shouted, just as dramatically as she had done when she got that last goal on Minho.

He turned to look at her again and smiled. And then he did something that the whole school would be talking about for a while.

He pointed at her as he ran back into position.

He had dedicated that goal to her.

All the girls immediately swerved their heads to find the person Minho was pointing at. Everyone started to whisper as more and more people caught on that it was Krystal who Minho pointed at. The girl closest to Key couldn’t help but wonder out loud, “Is that Minho’s girlfriend?”

All Key did was smile haughtily, almost as if he was saying, “I know something you don’t know!” That was it. And then that was it. All around him, he heard were gasps and little whisperings of “girlfriend” and “Choi Minho” and “taken”.

Krystal disregarded it all. She was too busy flailing about and saying, “Goal~” over and over each time Minho looked over at her.

Let the rumors begin! Key had to stop himself from laughing maniacally and causing an unnecessary scene.

(Minho would never admit it, but he was happy that the rumor of him having a girlfriend spread around the way it did. It meant that he didn’t have to waste energy by doing it himself. To him, it was done as a gesture of his friendship with her; all the better for him that people took that gesture the wrong way. He did, after all, agree to hire her to spite his fans.)

--

Two days later…

Krystal smiled gleefully as she counted her earnings. The president of TOP Entertainment was so pleased with her showing of being K and saving L (he dubbed her L’s hero at that moment) that he gave her a little extra as a thank you. On top of what she has already earned from spending time with L, she had more than enough to go shopping.

“Oh wait.” Krystal paused in her tracks. “I was supposed to meet up with Taemin today.” she said, tone thoughtful. She tsk-ed before shrugging. “He can just go shopping with me.” A little later, Krystal found herself standing in front of a very familiar café. It was the café that she was at just a week ago with a very certain Lee Taemin.

She pushed open the door with a flourish and was met with the pleasant feeling of seeing Taemin in front of her. “Hi.”

“Would you like another milk tea?” he teased as she walked towards his table and sat across from him.

“Yes please~” she chimed, smiling and clapping her hands at the prospect of a free drink.

He got up with a little laugh at how childish she looked at the moment before going up to the counter and then coming back within fifteen seconds, drink in hand. All Krystal did was raise a brow as she took the drink from him.

“I already ordered it.” he shrugged.

Krystal did a little fist pumping move as she appreciated his thoughtfulness and busied herself with drinking the milk tea.

“So what is the plan today?” asked Taemin.

Krystal blinked once, twice, and then grinned in excitement. “We’re going to the COEX Mall!” She got up from her seat then and proceeded to walk out, leaving Taemin to catch up.

“Not even waiting for your fake boyfriend?” he joked, walking in step with her.

She looked at him with pity and playfully joked with him. “You or the mall? I wonder…” She put on a thoughtful face as she continued to walk.

Taemin was busy babbling a reply as to how he was much better than the mall when Krystal suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked at Taemin with wide-eyes.

“What, what?” asked Taemin, also stopping in his tracks and not moving a single inch. “Oh my god, what is it? Is something on me? Is there a rabid animal behind me that’s going to bite my head off? Is someone standing behind me with a gun? Is-”

Krystal suddenly started giggling, and rightly so. A freaked out Taemin was, in her opinion, pretty funny. The fact that he became like that with just a little shocked look from her made it all the more humorous. “It’s nothing like that~” she said, chuckling slightly. Taemin suddenly relaxed and crossed his arms, pout donning his face.

“Then what is it?” he asked, looking around curiously.

“I forgot to bring you your jacket.” she admitted this with a sheepish smile. What she had to say was, she had to admit, not as interesting as what Taemin’s mind came up with.

He gave her a relieved smile and waved his hands about. “Oh, that’s it? Don’t worry about it.”

She smiled brightly at him, eyes changing into moon crescents. She was showing him her eye-smile. And that was something he could not take. Why? Because it wasn’t good for his blood; it kept rushing to his cheeks. Taemin was blushing at the sight of her eye-smile. “Don’t do that.” he pouted.

“Don’t smile?” Krystal tilted her head in confusion; this was the first time anyone has ever told her not to smile. It was quite the baffling concept to wrap her mind around. Usually people loved when she smiled.

He waved his hands about once more. “No, no. You can smile. Just, you know, don’t smile like that.”

Krystal wasn’t getting what Taemin was getting at. “So just don’t smile?”

“No, you can smile~” Taemin flashed Krystal smile of his own, to show that she could smile as well.

“You’re confusing me.” Krystal complained, this time with a pout of her own, which made Taemin groan.

“Don’t do that either!” he whined. Taemin suddenly realized that his fake girlfriend could very much be the death of him (if she kept on affecting him like this, that is). “We need some ground rules.” he said this solemnly, although he was still pouting.

“And those would be?” asked Krystal, pouting to match his pout.

“No eye-smiles and no pouting from you, okay?” This was said almost awkwardly; right after Taemin said those words, he felt a little embarrassed. How could I tell her something like that? What will she think? He hid his face behind his hands and groaned.

She blinked in confusion before she suddenly realized why he set those rules. And of course she would make fun of him for it.

“Why not, oppa~~?” she asked, flashing another bright and eye-smiley smile as she forcefully removed his hands from his face. She loved teasing Taemin.

He took one look at her and backed away, starting to walk again. “Ugh, lets just go.” groaned Taemin, walking much faster than before. He wouldn’t even look at Krystal.

After a torturous walk (for Taemin, not so much for Krystal) of being showered with eye-smiles, and then pouts when he didn’t respond well to the eye-smiles, and then more eye-smiles, Taemin and Krystal reached the COEX Mall.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! We have to go into that store~!” Krystal started up right when she walked into the mall; she ran into the closest shoe store, completely leaving Taemin behind. He had barely walked through the door, while she was already in the store.

“How did she even…” he mumbled to himself, confused at the sheer speed that Krystal had; he walked into the store looking completely lost. “How do I find her in this?” he wondered. A familiar, high-pitched voice sounded from further into the store. “I’ll just follow the little squealing.” he mused.

Sure enough, he found Krystal spazzing over a particularly cute pair of shoes. “Oh, hi Taemin.” she said breezily, as if they just ran into each other. “Hold these.” He held out his hands unsurely; two seconds later, the cute shoes that Krystal were looking at was in Taemin’s hands. He inspected them for a couple of seconds, and when he looked up, Krystal was nowhere near him.

In fact, she was halfway across the store and already looking at another pair of shoes. “How in the world does she…” he mumbled to himself once more, just as confused as he was when he walked in. He followed her again, only to have the same thing happen once more. Now Taemin was holding two pairs of shoes. “I should just stop wondering how she can move so fast.”

Krystal was a whirlwind of movement as she took the two pairs from Taemin, paid for them, and then walked over to the next store; she waved Taemin over once. He vaguely thought it was so that he could hold her stuff and bags.

Seven stores and three hours later, Taemin was starting to get tired; he was also starting to believe that Krystal was superhuman. Or at the least had superhuman powers. He seriously thought that her speed was something unnatural.

“You’re such a shopaholic.” said Taemin, looking at the bags that were starting to pile up next to him. (If he was counting right, then the last bag from that clothing store made it nine altogether.)

“I don’t like that term, Taemin.” retorted Krystal, not even bothering to look at her fake boyfriend. She was already eyeing a nice pair of shorts a couple feet away from them. “I prefer saying that I appreciate the finer things of fashion and being able to buy those said things.”

“I’ve never met a shopaholic before.” he said this almost wistfully, noticing how she wasn’t even fully paying attention to him. He followed her line of sight and almost sighed, getting ready to haul all her other bags behind her. And then he felt a chill run down his back; it was like someone was staring intensely at him. Taemin looked around nervously, trying to get rid of the feeling. The only thing he did though was find the source.

“Hey Krystal, isn’t that the guy you saved last week?” asked Taemin, pointing curiously.

Krystal took her eyes off the newest article of clothing that she was going to buy to follow Taemin’s line of sight. She saw who Taemin was talking about only 27 feet away from them. There stood model Kim Myungsoo in all his glory; she locked eyes with “Mr. Model” and immediately saw him grimace. She sighed as she saw him start to walk towards them.

“Well, this can’t be good.”

--chapter end.

Surprised that I updated less than a week later? Yeah, me too. xD

TAEM AND MYUNG WILL MEET NEXT CHAPTER. ;D Yay, more character interaction~ haha. I looked at the foreword and description and I realized that it needs a change. o.O my characters are evolving (well, some of them) and this story is not going the way I planned. Haha.

I hope I am evolving and showcasing the different relationships Krystal has with the three male leads >< I want to differentiate the contrasting relations between TaeStal, MinStal, and MyungStal clearly ><

Speaking of the male leads, Minho and Krystal’s friendship is developing smoothly ;D Sadly, L has to battle denial for a little while longer…and Taemin is just a sweetie. Hehe.

Hope you guys liked this update! ;D <3

COMMENT REPLIES:

queenpi: i'm glad that you liked the last update! ;D and krystal did go and see his game~ haha. thanks for commenting, bb! <3

xQueenHanniex: "want to play soccer" is a universal question if your name is choi minho ;D haha. and at least he stepped up his game in some sort of way? i love kibum though <3 and minkey, actually lol. xD but anyway, i also love myungsoo being in denial. it makes him fun. haha. someone has to re-teach myung how to say thank you, and who better than krystal? i have to fit that in somewhere! you gave me a story idea xD haha. jongie! i love jongie! haha. thanks for the comment, unnie! i love your epic comments, my d.o.mestic seobang <3

Yayacute: i love that you loved this chapter! and i hope that you loved this chapter too! ;D thank you for commenting, sweetie! <3 haha.

imcharlie: i loved their little soccer date <3 haha. myungsoo is so funny with his denial xD myungstal is so cute~ ;D haha. thanks for commenting, dear!

kakatiny: here's an update for you, bb! hope you liked the minstal and this chapter ;D thank you so much for commenting!

arashiney: i would love to hire her too! >< oh krystal <3 haha. thanks for commenting, sweetie! hope you liked the chapter and minstal ;D 

BYE LOVELIES. THANK YOU GUYS. HOPE YOU GUYS YOU LIKED THE UPDATE. UNTIL NEXT TIME. <3