Chapter 7 - From wrong to right

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Though there was an on-going debate on the subject, Minho wasn't stupid and he very quickly figured out how much he had ed up everything with Sulli and all for a woman he didn't even love anymore.

For the fact that he didn't love Eugene anymore became very clear in the following days, especially when Eugene vanished into thin air after mucking everything up in a typical Eugene fashion.

Minho now was left alone not only to realize the mess he had done out of everything but to figure out how he was going to get out of it. He was unable to find answers. Minho did the only thing he knew is that throwing himself into work.

Only that at work there was Sulli, always smiling, always kind. Hell, she seemed to be taking their 'break-up' a damn sight better than what he was doing himself. Moreover Sulli didn't abandon Hannah, she kept taking care of her, taking her shopping and just generally hanging around which made it's absolutely impossible for Minho to avoid her, not that he wanted to, actually.

Seeing Sulli, became the bright part of each of his days. Whenever he saw her during the daily Sweetlove's staff meeting Minho had to smile and he totally looked forward giving her the lists of the breads and sweets she would be making or picking up her groceries lists, though that actually was Key's job.

"Sulli unnie." Hannah happily called as she walked into the kitchen with Minho. "I'm ready!"

"Me too." Answered Sulli, matching Hannah's cheerful tone. They were going to go shopping for backpacks and other school supplies. Hannah was starting her first grade soon. "Did you say 'bye' to Mean Uncle Minho?"

Hannah giggled. "Yep."

"Alright." Said Sulli and redirected her attention towards Minho who was just standing there watching the two of them. "I'll drop Hannah by your place at six, okay?"

"Sure, I'll be home by then." Said Minho.

"Good, see you later then." Said Sulli in her usual cheerful demeanor and took Hannah's hand.

Minho saw them off and then stared into space for good thirty seconds after they were gone.

"Tsk tsk tsk!" Key came from behind. "Do you really don't see anything wrong with this picture?" He asked sardonically.

"Uh? What do you mean?" Asked Minho, turning to see him.

"Sulli and you? You guys aren't even dating anymore if it is what you ever were for real and she's taking care of Hannah, generally playing the good-girlfriend part and you're giving her free reign of your credit cards and Hannah. Hell, you even signed her up at Hannah's school as an authorized person to fetch her from school premises!"

"They have bonded." Said Minho as an explanation. "Hannah and Sulli are close, I'm not going to pull them apart. Plus, Sulli knows so much better than me what's a six-year old should wear and what kind of backpack is best and all that stuff I've always at."

"Look, I got nothing against it, I'm just saying that you're doing everything backwards. Because if you're planning on putting your moves on Sulli and using your tactics on her, you better move quick. I hear that her old boyfriend is sniffing around again." Said Key.

"That's not true, she would have told me." Said Minho, coming close to losing his temper. "And I know Sulli wouldn't date that loser again. And where do you hear this stuff anyway?"

"Her dear best friend, Krystal." Said Key and grinned like a twelve year old. "And good thing you aren't jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Snapped Minho, knowing full well that Key implied that he was.

"I just said you weren't." Said Key with a boyish grin.

"Shut up, Key."

Needless to say that Key just grinned like a maniac and infuriated Minho by doing so.

- - - -

As if entering entrances at Sweetlove's kitchen becoming her general habit now, Krystal quickly made her way towards Sulli and sat herself at one of the tall stools around the table.

"You come." Said Sulli as she carefully applied a layer of whipped cream to a strawberry cake. "I thought you weren't showing up."

"Well…I had to pick up something." Said Krystal and pulled a magazine out of her purse. "Tada!" She said grandiosely presenting a copy of the magazine she wrote for. "Look, right here!" She added, tapping one of the cover histories.

"A Sweet Love: Soft & Sweet, perfect reason to go out." Read Sulli and automatically went to page 10 only to find pictures of both herself and Sweetlove with an article praising her desserts with enthusiasm. "Oh, Krys! This is great!"

"The magazine comes out tomorrow but I went today to get an early copy." Said Krystal.

"But what about all that stuff your boss said about not doing your friend's favors?" Asked Sulli.

"Well…my problematic-little boss was on vacation when I submitted the article and his assistant passed it. Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Plus, there isn't a single thing I wrote there wasn't true."

Lost of words, Sulli jumped to embrace Krystal exuberantly. "This is awesome sweetheart! I'm going to call mum!" She squealed and jumped up and down as she ran to the office to make a call.

"What the hell was that noise?" Asked Minho, coming in.

"Nothing." Said Krystal and helping herself with a cup of coffee. "I was just giving Sulli-bear a little early birthday present. Which brings me to the reason why I came here in the first place." She said. Looking at Minho, she grinned. "Well, I want to throw a party to Sulli, usually we do it at my restaurant but it's game night today and we can't close, so I was thinking that, perhaps if it's not too much trouble, we could throw the party here."

There was a silence.

"Well? What do you say?" Asked Krystal impatiently.

"Oh, were you asking? I thought you had already made up your mind without needing my consent." Said Minho sarcastically. "Like lately you're always here and drinking free coffee, don't you?"

"Okay, fine, whatever, can I have the party here or not?"

"Yeah, sure, I can close the private section if you want." Said Minho. "And if there is anything I can do, just let me know."

"Thanks but that's okay, our mothers have it all under control. We might need to use your kitchen a little but that would be about it." Said Krystal.

"Sure? Well, if you need anything just tell me."

"Alright, cool."

Still bouncing a little, Sulli came back from the office. "What? What are you two talking about?"

"Us? Nothing." Said Krystal quickly and took a sip of her free coffee. "I'm just about to show your boss the magazine. I think I outdid myself. And I didn't even have to lie." She added proudly and showed Minho the magazine.

"It's the first time anyone has reviewed my job ever." Said Sulli proudly.

"That's not true, remember when we were in high school and that chubby kid of the school's paper gave ten stars to your cheesecake after that back sale we had for the art department? He even published his confession of having a big crush on you." Said Krystal.

"It was high school. High school doesn't count. And don't mention Taemin. It made me still feel bad for turning him down that day." Said Sulli.

"Why? You don't mean you regret it?" Butted in Minho.

Sulli laughed. "Nah, I just feel bad that I rejected him in front of many people. You know it was quite harsh doing so. But I heard he's getting married."

"He should be." Muttered Minho and quickly diverted the topic. "Well, give me a copy of this review and I'll frame it and put it next to the other reviews of the restaurant." He smiled. "I'll find a place of honor and all."

"Oh, Minho you don't have to, really." Said Sulli.

"I want to. Just get me a copy." Said Minho. "Well, should be two, I'm sure Hannah will want one too."

"I'll bring a couple next time I come around. I'll make my boss give them to me for free." Said Krystal and cracked her best evil-laugh. "Alright, see you guys later. I have to go now."

And with that she went, with a swirl of her skirt and a flip of her long hair.

"This is just so great." Said again Sulli and she hugged Minho, just because she was so damn happy.

And Minho hugged her back, just because he could. When she was happy, Sulli not only glowed, she radiated happiness. Minho couldn't help to smile and bask on Sulli's happiness, because happiness wasn't something he had been feeling a lot lately and when he saw her radiant face he couldn't help but to notice how much he needed those happy feelings in his life and how much he needed Sulli in his life.

- - - -

Minho was acting like a love sick puppy and he didn't care. He was going crazy and being overly enthusiastic with Sulli's birthday. He was going out of his head looking for the perfect gift, he even went as far as to ask Krystal for help on picking up said perfect gift.

"Are you sure she'll like it?" Asked Minho as he carried a big box containing a new top of the line mixer.

"Of course." Said Krystal confidently. "Other woman might hit you in the head with the box if you give her this thing but Sulli loves appliances. I know she wants this one. No one has gotten it to her, yet."

Minho looked at the thing in his hands. It wasn't exactly a fortune but more than what most people spent on for a birthday gift. However not that he minded, as long as Sulli liked it and she was happy.

But Minho still had something more romantic in mind for a gift, perhaps those little diamond earrings he had seen at the jeweler's window before Krystal met him to help him buy the gift.

"Krystal, I could say you're like a Sulli expert, right?" Asked Minho, feeling like a school boy asking a girl's best friend if her friend liked him or not.

Krystal smiled proudly. "You could say so. She's my best friend, after all. Why?"

"I want your help with Sulli." Said Minho. "I want to win her back."

"What?"

"I want to get back together again or to begin with. I really miss her and I want to be with her, after all this mess I realize she's the best thing that has happened to me in years."

Krystal was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. "Are you sure about this? Because I'm not going to waste my considerable wisdom on you if you're going to break Sulli's heart life a crunchy bar."

"I'm serious. I swear it on my brother's grave."

"My God, you ARE serious." Said Krystal surprised. "All right. To put it bluntly everyone has a price and Sulli's is chocolate and flowers and candy…. in one word: ROMANCE."

"I'm not sure if I follow…."

"Sulli has always been a romantic. She wants a whirlwind romance." Explained Krystal. "Be romantic, all that stuff you probably never had to do or be before. Good looking guys really find themselves in position to woo a lady, so be all that for Sulli and well, I can't say that she'll accept you but it will be a hell of a temptation for her. Sulli… my friend is a dreamer and through everything that has been crappy in her life she has never lost her dreams." Krystal sighed. "She's one of those modern women who want fairy tale love."

- - - -

The day of Sulli's surprise party, Minho was so nervous. He had been assigned the difficult task to distract her from between three until six when the party was