"I'll take that as a no." Kwangmin got up and walked away.

Minji was left at the dinner table, alone. "Did I... Just lose my best friend?" She sat at the table dumbfounded for a few minutes before she waved a waiter over. "Can I get the receipt, please?"

"A boy already payed for it."

"Oh, okay, thank you." She walked out of the restaurant and sat on a bench as she waited for JYP to pick her up. She closed her eyes and replayed the earlier scene in her head. I'll take that as a no. You sighed. If I date him, I might not reach my goal. If I don't date him, I lose him. Why can't he understand how important this career is to me? Although, I shouldn't have led him on... Okay, Minji, you need to get your priorities straight. If you win M Countdown in two days you can date him. Fighting~ She smiled at your revival of energy.

Wooyoung pulled up in his motorcycle. "Come on, Princess." He tossed her a helmet.

"Oppa? What are you going here?" She asked as she fastened the straps.

"JYP asked me to pick you up. He's putting together your schedule right now. So what happened? You ended earlier than you said you would. And where's Kwangmin? Is everything alright?"

She hopped onto the motorcycle and smiled. "Everything's gonna be fine."

----- June 26 ------

Minji and Kwangmin were taking a nice stroll in the park. Clear skies, a carefree atsmosphere, and interlocked fingers.

"Minji-ah, look!" Kwangmin pointed at something.

She looked in the direction he pointed. "I don't see anything..." When she turned to look at him, he quickly kissed her. He missed her lips so he ended up kissing her cheek. "Kwangmin-ah..."

He held her face in his hands. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

A smile crept onto her face. "Yes, yes! A million times, yes!"

He also smiled and pulled her face closer to his. She tiptoed. They both closed their eyes...

About...

To kiss...

"And that's a rap!" The director shouted. "Great job, everyone! We're done filming the MV!" The crew all clapped before packing up their equipment.

"Good job. Thank you." Minji and Kwangmin bowed to the crew.

Minji linked arms with Kwangmin. "Want to walk around?"

He shrugged her arm off. "Go walk around by yourself."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Are you still mad that I rejected you? You sure are selfish."

He looked at her straight in the eye, dismayed. "Selfish? Me? Really now?"

"Yeah. You're being so petty with yourself. How many times have I told you that I have a dream that I have to accomplish? And I told you, I'm not letting you get in my way."

"Wow," he rolled his eyes. "Someone's being a drama queen. You don't think I have a dream that I want to accomplish too? That success isn't important to me?"

"But you've got nothing to lose."

"I've got everything to lose!" He lost his temper. "If I don't succeed, then the hard work I've done since I was little would be for nothing. Not just my hardwork, my brother's as well. If I screw up we're both done for. I have so much more to worry about so don't you dare say that you're the only one risking their lives for this dream."

"Then why are you mad at me?"

He paused. "The night I asked you out was the night I realized that I mean nothing to you."

She was about to argue but he continued on his rant.

"I think about you a lot. And to think that you can just push me out of your head as if I were nothing. Plus, 'I'm not letting you get in my way?' This is where you and I differ. I like you enough to never say those words to your face. You're important to me and you can get in my way all you want."

She looked down and regretted what she said. "What about success and your dream?"

"They mean nothing compared to spending the rest of my life with you." He rubbed his neck. "I think... I love you, Minji-ah..."

She didn't know what to say. I. I love you, too.

"I have never liked a girl this much before." He whispered. "Everything about you... Is just so perfect... Just being with you is. Great. It to know that you don't feel the same way." He turned his back to her. "I think it's best to just stay friends."

-----

"And the winner of tonight's M Countdown is... Lee Minji! Congratulations!"

~~~~~

"Kwangmin-ah!" Minwoo yelled from the living room. "You got a text message!"

Kwangmin sat up on his bed, curious. "From who?"

Minwoo flipped the phone open. "Minji-ah."

"Delete it." Kwangmin laid back down on his bed.

Minwoo ignored him. "It says, 'I know you're still mad at me but I'd like to thank you being a great friend. I won first place on M Countdown today and I couldn't have done it without you.'" Minwoo blinked. "Didn't you say that Minji is allowed to date once she wins first place?"

Kwangmin only sighed. He was still upset with her.

Minwoo grabed a pillow and threw it at Kwangmin.

"Hey!" Kwangmin threw the pillow back at Minwoo. "You sure are rude for a maknae!"

"You're not answering my question! She's your best friend. You can't stay mad at her."

"I can if I want to. Now leave me alone." Kwangmin pulled his blanket over him.

Minwoo stuck his tongue out at Kwangmin.

~~~~~

"Congrats again, Minji!" The coordi-unnies finished removing her make up from the M Countdown performance.

"Thank you." She smiled and hugged her trophy. Her phone vibrated and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was a reply from Kwangmin. She frowned when she read the message.

*'Minji-ah, this is Minwoo. Kwangmin is... sleeping so he asked me to reply for him.'

*Minji: 'He's asleep but he asked you to reply for him?'

*Minwoo: 'Oh! Um... Busted. Truth is I just decided to reply without telling him.'

*Minji: 'He's still mad at me, isn't he?...'

*Minwoo: 'He's just hurt that you rejected him. But don't worry! I heard you can officially date now :O'

*Minji: 'Yeah, I can date now. Next time I see Kwangmin, I think I'm gonna accept his confession... I want to see him soon...'

~

Minwoo smiled. "Kwangmin-ah! Minji-ah wants to see you!"

"I don't want to see her!" Kwangmin shouted back from the room. "And stop texting her with my phone!"

~

*Minwoo: 'Um, he's really upset... I don't think he wants to see you...'

*Minji: 'Oh, I see...'

*Minwoo: 'Oh! We have a fansign tomorrow. Can you come? I think Kwangmin would like that.'

*Minji: 'I can't :( I have rehearsal tomorrow.'

*Minwoo: 'Aw. But just in case you can come, it'll be at Yeongdeungpo.'

*Minji: 'Ok, thank you!'

*Minwoo: 'No problem :) I'll see you later.'

~

She closed her phone and sighed.

----- June 27 -----

"You look so cute!" JYP cheered.

Minji turned around and saw herself in the mirror. She changed her hair color for the duet comeback and it was finally the soft chestnut brown she wanted. "It looks so soft..." She petted her own hair.

"It fits you perfectly. Do you think Kwangmin wants to dye his hair, too?"

She shook her head. "I think he wants to keep it black."

"Ok." He eyed her who now frowned at the thought of Kwangmin. "Are you two still fighting?"

She nodded slowly.

"He can't stay mad at you forever. Plus, you two can finally date." He winked.

She faked a smile. "He's been mad for only two days but it already feels like forever."

He patted her head. "How about I let you take a day off? You need the rest anyways. You can go wherever you want. The movies, shopping, wherever you want."

She quickly looked at him, smiling. "Can I go to Yeongdungpo?"

"What's at Yeongdungpo?"

"A fansign."

----- June 27; Yeongdungpo -----

"Out of my way, b****!" A girl shoved Minji as she walked up to the fansign line.

"Ouch." Minji rubbed her arm. "These fans are vicious!" She straigntened up her diguise. She was wearing a school uniform (to blend in with the high school crowd), glasses and a cute hair band. She wanted to be unrecognizable but still Minji. She took out her mirror and fixed her hair; the color change seemed enough for she to look different from the last time Kwangmin saw her.

She placed her mirror back into her bag and felt a pair of eyes watching her. She looked around as she wondered if someone finally recognized the K-pop Princess. No one in the crowd was looking her way - they were all too busy fangirling (and fanboying) as the line moved closer to the stage.

"Kyaaa!" A girl infront of Minji grabbed her arm and jumped up and down. "I can't believe I'm here! Kwangmin is so amazing! Kyaaa! I want him to be my boyfriend."

Minji puffed her cheeks in jealousy. "No, he's mine!" She played along with a Seoul accent. She felt a pair of eyes staring at her again.

"OMG! He's staring at me!" The girl screamed. "I love you, Kwangmin!!!"

Minji automatically looked onto the stage and made eye contact with Kwangmin. Her heart skipped a beat. Her natural instinct was to shyly look away, but knowing that she was trying to be unrecognizable, she turned to the other girl and pretended to fangirl scream.

~~~~~

"I guess it's not her..." Kwangmin mumbled when the girl who looked like Minji started screaming like a regular fangirl.

"Are you okay, Kwangmin?" Youngmin patted his brother's back. The girls in the line squeeled at the fanservice.

Kwangmin just nodded as he signed the next CD that came his way.

"Just get over her," Youngmin suggested. "There are other girls out there. There are tons of pretty girls waiting in line to see you. Maybe you'll fall in love with a fan."

At his brother's words, Kwangmin looked up and his eyes automatically landed on Minji. They made eye contact once again and this time, Minji looked away shyly. "Huh?" He gasped as he recognized her reaction. "Minji-ah?"

Minwoo chuckled next to him. "You're in for a big surprise."

Kwangmin was distracted with sneaking peaks at you as the line pushed Minji closer and closer to him. His heart began racing when she stood merely two feet away; next in line. She came here for me? Really? Wow.

"Um. My name is not Minji..." The girl that was infront of Minji pointed out.

"Huh?" Kwangmin looked at the CD with a big MINJI written on it. "I'm so sorry! I'll give you another one and I'll let you take a picture with me!"

~~~~~

I wonder if he recognizes me. Minji thought as she watched the girl infront of her take a picture with Kwangmin. Minji and Kwangmin made eye contact for the third time and she looked away. Why does he keep looking at me? Does this hair color not look good on me? Should I dye it back to black?

Since it was almost her turn, she pulled out her copy of the "I'll Be There" CD and a pink note folded into a heart with Kwangmin's name written in the middle.

"Next," the security guard led Minji to Kwangmin. Her heart was beating so loudly that she didn't hear what Kwangmin said. "Huh?"

"I said, what's your name?" He kept a poker face on.

She frowned because she really thought that he didn't recognize her. "Minji." She said in the Seoul accent.

"Pretty name," he said as he began to write on the CD's autograph pages. "So, how have you been?"

"Not so well. My best friend hates me."

"Why does he hate you?"

"Because I rejected him. If I had another chance, I would say yes."

Kwangmin paused and pretended to think of something to say. "That's too bad. I'm sure you'll get a second chance." He continued to write. "You're very pretty."

"KYAAAAAA!" Minji pretended to fangirl scream.

It was so loud and unexpected that it made Kwangmin's hand twitch. A long black line was now on his message page.

"I'm so sorry!" She covered and blushed. Her American accent came out. How embarrassing!

Donghyun looked over to see where the loud scream came from. His eyes widened when he recognized Minji. "You!"

Minwoo covered Donghyun's mouth and shook his head, signaling for him to not say anything.

"Please answer me," she pushed her pink note towards Kwangmin, still blushing from her earlier embarassment.

He finished his signature and opened the note. He glanced at her before scribbling onto the paper.

"So, will you be my boyfriend?" She asked, impatient. A minute passed and he was still writing.

He handed the note and CD back to her. "I'm sorry but I already have a girlfriend." He waved her goodbye as she walked off the stage, confused.

Once she got off the stage, she opened the CD. She laughed when the first thing she saw on the page was a long, dark, black line.

'Dear Ms. Minji. Thank you for coming to support Boyfriend! It means a lot to us! We will work hard! Take care! Love, Kwangmin.'

She pouted at the standard message they give to regular fans. She moved her palm and saw another message.

'O-O Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you? You should work on your Seoul accent more, it's not very convincing :P Btw, i like your new hair color :) Your friend, Kwang.'

Her heart sank at the 'Your friend, Kwang' part. Just a friend...

"Wait!" She gasped and fumbled to open her note. "If he knew it was me and he said he already has a girlfriend... Does that mean!?"

She opened the note to find it covered in doodles (mostly stick figures and emoticons) which would explain why it took so long for him to reply. It originally read, 'Will you be my boyfriend? [  ] Yes!   [  ] No...' Now, it read, 'Will you be my boyfriend? [  ] Yes!   [:P] No...'

She was about to cry when Kwangmin caught her attention. He signaled for her to turn the note around. She did.

'The guy should be the one asking the girl out. Don't hurt my pride >< So... Do you want to date?'