Chapter 5 - New beginning

* * * *

Minho was angry but his kiss didn't show it at all. There had been a moment just at the beginning when he had been forceful but when he realized Sulli was too stunned to fight him, he gentled the kiss and began to with gentle kisses and tender little bites. It had been a long time since Minho had kissed a girl and he was suddenly remembering how pleasant the endeavor was.

They were kissing in the car like they were some kind of a real couple and the hilarity of it hit Minho suddenly as he smiled into the kiss. Too bad for him that the twitch of his lips as they smiled was what brought Sulli back to her senses.

Sulli pulled back quickly and stared at him for a moment or two, then surprised him and even herself, she gave him a resonant slap. Then she got out of the car and hopped in a Taxi immediately.

As the Taxi sped off, Sulli's heart could never stop beating and Minho never knew this, she cried.

It was just too much, too ridiculous and Sulli felt used. She knew Minho didn't like her, she wasn't his type, he had made that abundantly clear when they had met and struck their bargain back almost three months ago. Minho had probably kissed her out of anger because he saw his ex that night.

God, how could things get so complicated so quickly.

Sulli arrived home and went straight to bed, crying herself to sleep. During the last few weeks, sometimes when they were alone, Sulli had thought what it would be like to be kissed by Minho. And the truth was that it had been great. It would have been lovely if it weren't because he had kissed her for all the wrong reasons.

- - - -

The next morning on weekend the phone calls started…

"Sulli, it's me, Minho, look I'm sorry for what happen, I shouldn't have done it. But I'm really sorry. Can we talk? Please call me. Day or night. I'll be home with Hannah all weekend. Call, please." (Minho)

"Sulli! Why aren't you answering your phone? What happened? Why did you leave the party so early? Call me back okay?" (Krystal)

"I understand if you're mad. But Hannah has been asking about you. Since you always come to visit on Sundays and take her to the park and all. Please, call?" (Minho)

"Okay, missy! What's this that you aren't answering anyone's calls? Minho has been harassing my staff at the bar while trying to reach me to ask me if I knew you were okay. What's up with you two? And what's up with you not even answering my calls? Uh? Call me, I mean it!" (Krystal)

"Sulli? Hi! It's Key. Sorry to bother you but our boss is kinda breathing down my neck here and he wants to know if you're coming to work tomorrow. Let us know, okay?" (Key)

- - - -

When Monday came, Sulli wasn't all that sure she wanted to be at Sweetlove but work was work and it was still true she needed the money, perhaps not as bad as she had a few months ago.

By now the pressure was just beginning to ease off, no need to reset all that stress, so Sulli woke up early, earlier than usual and got ready for work.

Since she had plenty of time and lots of energy to get rid off, Sulli decided to ride down to Sweetlove on her bike. It was about a twenty minutes ride down to Sweetlove from her house and she knew there was a special storage for those who came to work on bike, so Sulli hopped on her bicycle and began to pedal fast in the general direction of the restaurant.

She wasn't sure yet how she was going to confront Minho at work but for now she was at least on her way.

- - - -

It wasn't quite ten yet, Minho realized that Sulli still had time to get to Sweetlove but since she did not bother to answer his calls or anyone's calls, Minho had no way to know if she would be coming to work or not today.

Minho walked out of Sweetlove's and dialed Sulli's number. No one picked up and he tried again and again but got only voice mail.

Minho cursed lightly under his breath. He was putting his phone back into his pocket when out of nowhere he saw Sulli riding a bike and approaching Sweetlove.

So she had come to work, after all. Good, now they could talk like civilized people.

It happened so quickly until that if Minho would blink he would have missed it but he didn't blink, he was frozen solid in front of Sweetlove. He had been so absorbed watching Sulli approach that he hadn't seen a car pulling into the intersection until it collided with Sulli's small bicycle.

For a moment it was like Minho wasn't even in the present, he suddenly traveled back to the past.

Almost three years back to the day when his brother and sister-in-law had died. Minseok had a soccer game and they had gone to see him play. Hannah had gotten a little bit too much sun, so on the ride back she had been lying down on the back seat with her mother while Minseok drove with Minho who sat on the other front seat next to his brother.

It had been a very mild day, perfect day for watching the soccer game. Minho remembered that he was telling Minseok how he had gotten a job at a famous City restaurant when out of nowhere another car was right there in front of them.

It had been one messy accident, their car had turned over and there had been blood everywhere.

Minseok had been killed instantly. His wife never made it to the hospital. And by the end of the day it was only Hannah and him and so it had been still them until Minho had met Sulli and stuck that infernal bargain with her and Hannah had come to like Sulli.…

Sulli!

She was lying on the pavement and she was so still. Fueled by strong panic, Minho ran to the curb and kneeled down next to Sulli and shook her gently.

"I-I didn't see her, I'm sorry." Said the driver of the car and he was turning pale.

"Call an ambulance!" Said Minho shortly. By now he held her in his arms gently and trying to shake her again. There was an ugly gash by her temple but to his small relieve she looked otherwise unharmed. "Sulli, can you hear me? Sulli?"

Sulli whimpered and opened her eyes slightly but then closed them quickly. "Too bright…" She muttered softly and proceeded to faint in Minho's arms.

- - - -

Two hours later, Minho almost lost his patient. He was at the hospital but the hospital staff had been decidedly uncommunicative and that it kept him so worried to dead.

Sulli's parents had just gotten there and he introduced himself as her boyfriend and all because it was the only reasonable way he had found to explain his presence at the hospital.

Sulli's mother almost fainted with worry about her daughter but her husband calmed her down and the three of them had waited and waited for news on Sulli.

Finally a lady doctor came and told them that Sulli had regained consciousness but that she had suffered from a contusion. Other than that she only had some scratches and a couple of bruised ribs but they would keep her overnight just to be sure.

Minho let out a huge sigh of relief so did her parents but when the doctor asked if they wanted to see the patient, Minho politely insisted her parents went first.

Unknown to them, Minho actually needed some moment before he could see Sulli in case she was still mad, although he assumed she had been mad if the way his cheek stung all the way home was of any indication when he kissed her in the car.

Minho picked his phone and called his mother, asking her to bring Hannah over to the hospital to see Sulli. Of course, his mother didn't wanted to do it but after a good deal of his insistence, she agreed to drop Hannah by at the front entrance in twenty minutes.

Minho spent the next twenty minutes at the flower shop next to the hospital and picked up a bouquet of flowers and some get-well balloons. When Hannah arrived, Minho picked her up and headed for Sulli's room.

Minho knocked softly before entering the deserted room. No her parents in sight.

"They went to talk to the doctor about what care should I have at home." Answered Sulli to Minho's un-asked question.

"I see." Said Minho and slowly approached the bed. Hannah immediately extended her arms towards Sulli for a hug. Sulli happily complied, barely feeling the pain on her ribs and returned the little girl a hug. She wanted to pick Hannah up to sit on the bed with her but Minho saw that and he quickly stepped in to help.

For a few seconds their eyes collided but Sulli decided to break it off first.

"How are you?" Asked Minho, went back to his previous spot.

"Good enough." Sulli answered him, perhaps a little too sharply. "But I don't think I can go back to work for a week at least."

"That's okay." Said Minho, moving back a little bit closer. "I talked to Key and he's going to take over while you get better."

"Okay." Said Sulli, playing with Hannah's hair and didn't bother to look at him.

"Sulli." Started Minho, figuring he better apologized and moved on. The last weekend without talking to her had been quite hellish. He frankly didn't feel up to see her walk of his life right now. "I'm sorry for what I did the other day. I shouldn't have. I broke our agreement. It won't happen ever again."

Sulli finally looked up and straight at him, as if she was learning his features or something and Minho could have sworn he saw her eyes fill with tears but then she quickly looked away.

"Good." She whispered. "So, we are back to where we started then?

- - - -

A week later after her small accident, Sulli was ready to return to Sweetlove.

So, the Black & White Party had ended in disaster. Minho kissed her and it should've been the best thing that had happened but then again she was hurt to know that Minho had done if for all the wrong reasons and her pride wouldn't allow her to just let him kiss her senseless. She ended up slapping him and ran.

Sulli had refused to answer Minho's calls or anyone else's for that matter or to call him back. She just sat and wallowed in self-pity all weekend. And then on Monday she had gone to work but unfortunately met with a minor accident and Minho had done nothing more than confusing her.

Minho had been in near hysterics when she woke up while they were waiting for the ambulance. He was pressing a damp cloth to some point above her eye and kept telling her everything was going to be alright. And Sulli just nodded because for some reason she felt Minho needed more reassurance than her.

And then the ambulance had arrived and Minho rode along and called her parents and for what she heard, he was frantic all the time they were weighting for news