I do not own Yuri or Minho or any other SM artist mentioned in the story. I only own the plot. This is only for entertainment purposes and I do not mean to tangle any rights of anyone. This story is MY idea, it being like any other story is pure coincidental. Do NOT plagiarize.

~

 

Key groaned and fell onto the wooden floor of the practice room. He was panting hard and sweating just as much. His eyes wandered around the walls until it met the clock hung up on the back wall, on top of the door.

11.23pm

He, Taemin and Minho had been in that practice room for exactly five hours. Five freaking hours of dance practice. And the only stops were probably a few ten minute breaks. He was dead tired.

Taemin stopped dancing and leaned against a wall. He looked at him hyung who was on the floor. He felt the same way as he did. He was tired, hungry and sleepy. It was already almost midnight. Slowly, he also fell onto the floor, out of breath.

Both Key and Taemin exchanged a worried and tired look then turned towards the rapper who was still dancing. Both of them found it miraculous how a person could dance for so long. They knew Minho was tired. They knew Minho needed rest. They knew that Minho was not going to stop either.

“Hyung…” Taemin started. “Hyung, shouldn’t we be hea..heading back to the dorm now?” he asked. He received no answer. The only sound that was heard was the loud music, blasting from the speakers in the room.

“Minho. Minho. Aish, stop it.” Key shouted. Once again, ignorance was the only reply he got. Key groaned again. As much as he wanted to go back to the dorm and rest, he didn’t want to leave Minho alone. It was almost midnight.

Key, finally, annoyed with Minho’s persistence, walked towards the cords of the speakers which were connected all together. He took something from his bag, which was kept near the cords.

Snip, snip

The sound system stopped working at once. Minho’s dancing too. “What the hell, Kibum?” Minho demanded to know. “I could say the same to you.” Key glared at the younger male. “Let’s go home.”

Minho didn’t say anything. He only scowled at Key from the mirror that was in front of him. His bag was sitting at the near the position which Key’s and Taemin’s was. He turned back and walked towards the bag. Key grabbed his hand, trying to stop him, but Minho snatched it back.

Digging into the bag, he took out a little blue iPod. He gave Key a look before going back in front of the mirror to start dancing again.

“Aish, Choi Minho.” Key growled. Minho stopped and looked at Key from the mirror. Key was glaring. Minho could see beads of sweat on his red face. He was angry. From the corner of his eye, he also spotted Taemin standing up going to the oldest among them.

“Look at you. You’re covered in sweat. Don’t try to ignore it, but your feet would be hurting like hell. Your stomach would be yearning for a taste of food. You’ve been here for five freaking hours! How can you not be tired?!” Key demanded to know. “Both Taemin and my feet hurt so much. I can’t even feel them. They’re numb. What are you trying to prove? What can you get out of this, huh? You’re practically killing yourself, Minho!”

Key’s shouting had alarmed Taemin. Though Taemin felt the same way, he hated seeing his hyungs fight. He hadn’t spoken for that very reason. He tried to calm Key at his best. Taemin was scared for his hyungs.

Key was red. His face might have actually been glowing. He was that angry. What did Minho want? Wasn’t he only hurting himself? How could he even ignore that pain?! Key himself would cry if he were to suffer more than he already was.

Minho looked at his two group mates from the mirror. He could see Taemin was worried. He could see Key was angry. He knew Key had shouted at him for his own good. But still…

Minho ignored Key and put on his earphone. “Fine! Be that way! Taemin, let’s go.” Key growled and headed out. Minho bit his lip and looked down. Whatever..

Taemin was really worried about his hyung. He knew Key was too, only Key had a rather unique way of expressing it. Key’s way of expressing feelings was different from anyone else’s.

Taemin hesitated for a while. He didn’t want to leave Minho alone and go. But he got the feeling that he should. If Key couldn’t convince Minho to leave, Taemin didn’t stand a chance. He also grabbed his back and left.

Minho sighed as they left. They didn’t understand. They wouldn’t understand. It has been a while after he had begun to work on his dancing. He knew he couldn’t beat Taemin or Key. He knew he couldn’t even be close to beating them. But he could at least try to get in more dance stages than them.

Why was he doing this? Even he had no idea. Well, he knew why, he just didn’t want to admit it. But the truth was, whenever he saw Yuri dancing with Taemin, whenever he heard Yuri rapping with Key, he felt…disturbed. Rather protective. Not that he and Yuri were in a relationship. But he felt…uneasy that Yuri was with someone besides…him.

He had begun having feelings for Yuri after numerous fans’ coupling them both. He knew that their couple, MinYul, had a huge fan base too. Sometimes, he’d read such fan fictions and dream about them when he slept. Jonghyun, on whose side Minho sleeps, usually gets freaked out with Minho laughing or smiling in his dream.

True, he had feelings for Yuri. But he never tried to make sure that he received the same feelings from her. He always thought Yuri would rather like someone cute and adorable (like Key and Taemin) or someone who can compete dancing with her (Like Key and Taemin).

Minho thought he was a failure at being cute. He had the more…handsome charm. Princely, rather than cute. Taemin and Key were both aegyo masters. Taemin was cute without even trying to be. He loved Taemin, he knew that. And he loved Yuri’s adorable laugh too. What he didn’t love was Yuri laughing to Taemin’s aegyo.

And then there was Key. Key, Yuri, Jessica. Three people who’d agree on everything with each other. Whether it be clothes, food, boyfriend (in Key’s case, girlfriend), they’d have the same view. Whenever Yuri calls the SHINee dorm, the first member she always asks for is Key.

Key, Key, Key.

ALWAYS Key.

Okay, so maybe Key could give you advice on this and that. Minho could too. He sometimes wished Yuri had given him a try.

When it came to dancing, everyone knew Taemin was the legend. Minho feared him because of that. Fine, whenever they feature SNSD in their songs in a stage, he would be partnered with Yuri. He’d always keep his eyes on Yuri. Always. But Yuri…

Minho, who’d be standing next to her, always found her more distracted. More concentrated on something other than dancing with him. She’d smile at the fans and all, that was natural, but sometimes…Minho actually thought she smiled to the others. She’d refuse to meet his eyes when they danced together. Even in practices. It hurt him.

Sometimes Minho felt as if Yuri wanted to dance with either of them. Like Minho wasn’t good enough. She’s compliment them (and of course, Jonghyun and Onew too) on the good work they’d done. For him, Yuri would just lightly hit his shoulder and say ‘you were awesome’. She wouldn’t compliment him like she compliments the others. Minho was just bothered.

And when Yuri danced with others…

Oh, don’t even start. Minho would die when he saw that. He wanted to be whom she was dancing with. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to compare. It upset him a lot.

Ever since so, Minho had been working extra hard on his dancing. He wanted to be a better dancer than Key and Taemin even though he knew it was impossible. He could try. For once, he wanted to be whom Yuri complimented, he wanted to be whom Yuri danced with, he wanted to be whom Yuri wanted to be with..

Minho took a deep breath and started to the play next song. But his feet…just hurt. Oh, how right Key was…

.

“Hyung, I’m worried about Minho hyung..” Taemin muttered as he followed Key into the elevator. “The turtle head just won’t listen.” Key sighed. “I’m worried about him too. I mean, what is he pushing himself so hard for? It’s not like anyone said that he’s a bad dancer.” Key said.

“He’s not a bad dancer.” Taemin said at once. “Precisely. What’s wrong with him!?” Key demanded to know. “That…” Taemin sighed. “Mollayo..” Taemin muttered.

Both of them stayed in silence for a while until Taemin spoke again. “Are we really going to leave him alone and go? I mean, it’s midnight.”

Key’s answer didn’t come until a while, Taemin could tell he really didn’t agree with his own answer. “It’s not like we can convince him to come back.”

After few moments, the elevator doors opened. Surprisingly, Yuri was sitting nearby. Both boys were puzzled. Yuri looked tired and as if she was waiting for someone. “What’s noona doing here at this time?” Taemin asked. Key shrugged.

“YUL NOOONAAAA~!” Key shouted with all the might he had. Yuri jumped. Like literally and began searching her sides for the identity of the scream. Both of them could tell Yuri was frightened.

When she saw Key and Taemin, she seemed relieved. “Noona must have thought we were some psycho-maniac stalkers.” Key laughed as they walked over to Yuri.

 “Don’t scare me like that! I thought you were some psychotic stalkers or something!” She said. The younger males laughed. Now where did they hear that before?

“Mianhamnida, noona.” Both of them bowed and apologized. “It’s okay. Just don’t do that anymore.” Yuri said without any hesitance. “Ne, noona?” Taemin asked. “Hmm?”

“What are you doing here so late at night?”

“I came to get something I left while I was practicing. I was waiting for the lift. And along with it came you.” Yuri explained. “But what about you? Taemin, you have a curfew, you aren’t twenty yet. You know those under twenty can’t stay out after ten.” Yuri said.

“I know, I know.” Taemin sighed. “It’s all Minho hyung’s fault.”

Yuri’s ears perked at this. Both Key and Taemin noticed her eagerness. “What did he do this time?” Neither of the two boys missed the slight smile that was twitching up the corner of her lips.

Key sighed dramatically. Key was so not going to give up so easily. If Minho thought he was going to stay in there alone, then just wait and see what the Almighty was going to do..

“Minho’s been overworking himself. He’s been dancing ever since GOD knows when. We came for practice at around six or seven this evening. Minho was already there when we came.” He said. Key caught Yuri’s eyes widening.

“Ever since then, he’d been dancing; we don’t know what is wrong with him. He wouldn’t even talk to us. He just ignores us. I’m worried, noona. We’re worried.” Key said. Taemin nodded. “Even I can’t dance for that long. Its four hours max for SNSD’s dance practices.” Yuri muttered, more to herself than her hoobaes.

“I know. Even our feet hurt a lot. We can only imagine what hyung’s would be like. Maybe someone said something to him. We’re worried he’d be..I don’t know. For both hyung’s health and him.” Taemin said. Key nodded adding more dramatic effect.

Yuri was worried. Very worried. She knew Minho was the laziest in SHINee. That guy had slept for two days without even knowing. It troubled her that he would do such a thing.

Why is he doing that…?

“I…Should I go talk to him?” Yuri asked. Key shrugged before Taemin could speak. “I doubt he’d be easily convinced. He didn’t listen to us either.” Key said. Taemin nodded, sadly. “I could try..” Yuri muttered and headed towards the elevator.

“You’re really going to go?” Taemin asked. “If that lazy is being like that, there’s bound to be something wrong.” Yuri muttered. She smiled at her hoobaes and they mouthed ‘hwaiting’ to each other before the elevator’s doors closed.

“Hyung, do you really think she’d be able to convince Minho hyung?” Taemin asked. “If she can’t, then there’s no one that can.” Key said. They both started at the elevator as it reached the floor SHINee’s practice room was in.

“Should we go home?” Taemin asked. Key didn’t reply and stared at the lift. “Hyung, should we go home?” Taemin asked, once more. Key’s eyes darted towards the staircase that was on his left side. He pointed there and said to Taemin, “A little eavesdropping won’t hurt.”

A mischievous smirk replaced Key’s innocent smile. “THE STAIRS?!” Taemin whined. Key shushed him and dragged him towards their destination.

Oooh, this was going to be gooood.

.

Yuri was really worried about Minho. She knew he wasn’t the type who would overwork himself. He was the type that would get on the bed and sleep whenever he found the chance. Yuri’s worried only increased when she found out how long he had practiced.

Five freaking hours.

Sure, maybe they took breaks, but five hours? That was just…impossible! Even SNSD could barely have the energy to dance four hours. But Minho…

In Yuri’s mind, she had planned to scold him a lot, but just as the door of the elevator opened, she felt sorry for him.

Her feelings were meddled up. She didn’t know how to feel.

Cautiously, she approached SHINee’s practice room. Unpredictably, the door was open, and since the door was exactly facing the mirrors, Yuri was able to see her full reflection on the mirror. What surprised her was that Minho who was dancing in front of the mirrors didn’t even notice her there.

Out of the blue, Minho slipped and fell onto the floor. With Yuri’s fast instincts, she was about to go to Minho when he let out a loud groan as if he had been expecting to fall in any second. Yuri stiffened and waited at her position.

“Aish, what is wrong with me?!” he growled. Yuri was much taken aback by Minho’s sudden and unexpected shout. Much perplexed, she just stood there and let him continue.

“Get up. Jeesh, I need to prove to noona..” he growled, commanding his feet. But his feet wouldn’t move. He let out a huge sigh. “AISH. Why are you doing this to me, Yuri noona?” he asked, having no idea that Yuri was standing behind him.

“Why do you make me want to be with you? Why do you make me want to be the only one who dances with you?” he said. Yuri recognized hurt in his voice.

What the hell?

He wanted to dance with her? Why didn’t he just say so? Why all this?

Moments passed without either of them moving or saying a word. Finally, Yuri decided to talk.

“Minho-ah..” she started. At her voice, Minho shot up at once as if it was a military commandment. Yuri could see his legs tremble as he depended on them to stay up on his feet. She felt guilty. From what he had said, (even though it didn’t make sense for her) she was the reason he was in the state he was in.

“Yuri noona! What are you doing here? It’s late! You shouldn’t be out at such a time! There could be stalkers or worse after you!” Minho said alarmed. Minho, unlike Yuri, was panicking. Even though he felt the pain in his legs, it was nothing compared to how panicked he was. Could she have heard what he had said? What would she think?

…and why was she there?

“What…sit down, Minho.” Yuri commanded. Minho frowned but sat down. Minho could clearly make out the anger and frustration in her voice. Yuri was angry at him. But why?

“Let me see your feet…” Yuri said, in a more calmer and soothing, yet demanding voice, seating herself on the wooden paneled floor, just close enough to inspect his swollen feet. She frowned. It was totally red and puffy. Like an exploding mushroom.

“I met Key and Taemin..” she muttered.

Of course. Who else would have told her? Minho mentally cursed at his two other teammates. He knew exactly what they had planned. He was so going to slaughter them when he saw them..

“What have you been doing to yourself, Minho..” Yuri muttered, softly massaging his feet. Minho immediately felt relaxed at her touch. He just continued to stare at Yuri without answering her.

Her hair was cut short, like in their (SHINee’s) Juliette days.

Like how it was when they danced together..

Minho shook his head. Right now was not the best time to think about the past.

“Why are you doing this, Minho?” Yuri looked up, making eye contact with Minho.

Minho felt his heart skip a beat. All these years, he had been with her he had never felt like how he was feeling right then. Hell, they had even shared a room together, but this…this was way more frustrating than that!

“I..I wanted to be a better dancer.” He lamely said. Yuri automatically scoffed. “Better dancer my foot.” She growled.

Minho’s feelings were almost indescribable at the moment. There was Yuri, massaging his feet, seated close to him and no one else was there.

Should he confess?

Should he tell her how he had been feeling?

“Noo..noona..” Minho started. “Hm?” Yuri asked and looked back at Minho at once. “Oh! What song were you dancing to just now?” she asked, out of the blue.

“Waeyo?” Minho asked at once. Yuri shrugged. “Just curious. Must’ve been a really tempting song so that you’d dance nonstop for..five hours? Yeah..just curiosity.” She said.

Minho continued to stare at Yuri as she softly massaged his feet. He should tell her. He better tell her..

“Noona..” Minho started, yet again, only praying that he’d have enough strength to finish off what he was going to say without stuttering. He had pride of that of one of the Kyu-line.

“Ne~, what is it~?” Yuri asked in a sing-song voice. She was way lightened up than she was when she had arrived. She felt rather protective as if Minho was safe and couldn’t hurt himself when she was around. Knowing that he couldn’t hurt himself made her more content that a mother who would watch her daughter/son walk into their school in its first say.

“Aish, eottokhae? I need to tell you, but I just can’t, so promise me you won’t say anything until I finish talking and won’t even make eye contact?” Minho blurted out. Yuri stared at him as if he was out of him mind. “You sound so much like you were about to make a love confession.” She grinned.

Blood rushed to Minho’s face at the speed of seven hundred miles per hour. “Just promise me!” Minho demanded, lowering his head so Yuri wouldn’t see.

Yuri stared at Minho for some more time and then sighed. “Alright.” She said. Whatever he was going to say…this might just be the perfect blackmail information! He’d better think twice before almost killing himself now!

Out of all the things you can blackmail him about, you choose to blackmail him not to dance?

The tiny voice in her mind spoke up. Of course, was that wrong? She loved him like a younger brother, she hated the fact that he’d been practically torturing himself with dancing. And with such a lame excuse.

…or was the feeling more? She was both confused and scared when he had said that he was dancing for her.

…were his feelings for her more than just a noona? And she had just abo-

Yuri gasped.

Oh..GOD.

“Bwoh?” Minho asked, alarmed, quickly bending down so he could see her face.

Yuri shook her head rapidly and continued on massaging his feet. Her face could be no redder than that tomato paste she had eaten with French fries that night.

“Alright..here goes..” Minho took in a deep breath. “…I want to be the one who’d always dance with you.” He blurted out.

Yuri looked at him, but he did his best to not look into her eyes. They were too alluring and too distracting.

“Sure, I always danced with you during the Juliette times, but after that, you’d always dance with Eunhyuk hyung or Donghae hyung or someone else! And you get so close to them that I don’t know whether its jealousy or not, sometimes, no matter how much faith I have in hyungs, I feel like they were about to strip you on stage. Believe me, that is not a good feeling. And yeah, we sang and were together in OMS, but that was also so long ago. You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you then when Simon D and everyone else were shouting to kiss you, but I was just too timid!” Minho was waving his arms in the air making different gestures, running his hands in his hair and doing everything a man could while talking.

“And you always ask for Kibum hyung when you call the dorm. Key, Key, Key! It’s always him or Taemin! It’s always them you’d help with dance practice, it’s always them! Of course, I understand that you’d go for the cute time rather than mine, but I just can’t help but want you to be with me! And I think I just might..” Minho trailed off meeting Yuri’s eyes.

“And I think I just might…I just might have fallen in love with you, Yul..noona..”

This time it was Yuri’s heart that was beating seven hundred miles per hour. She had thought right. Minho had seen her more than just a noona. It hurt her that she couldn’t return his feelings. Her feelings were for Kyuhyun…right?

BULLSHIIIIIIIIIIIT! Do you worry when Kyuhyun gets a voice crack? NO! Do you worry if Kyuhyun dances for such a long time? NO. Because he wouldn’t. but you DO when Minho does!

Gyah. Sometimes, Yuri hated that voice for being so reasonable. She had already said that Kyuhyun was her ideal type...

Someone with a strong, manly voice..

Kyuhyun. But Minho too..

Someone with big eyes.

Minho has big, deer-like ones..

Someone with good sense of humor..

Sure, Kyuhyun is the evil maknae, Minho’s the kid that takes after him and Changmin!

Someone who’d bring her food and talk to her about her worries..

Minho’s always bring food during practices. Not even forgetting one practice! He always had been a shoulder to cry on.

Someone who’d express his love for her in unique ways of his own.

Minho practicing his dancing so he could dance with her..

All things add up. Why was it that Yuri was forcing herself to have feelings for Kyuhyun? Because she wanted to be with someone older?

Minho was perfect. Funny and adorable, even if he didn’t know it.

Without knowing..she herself had times where she had wanted to be with Minho. When things got awkward at times, she wished Minho would magically appear and or lighten the mood up.

Without knowing…she herself was returning his feelings.

Hah. Strange love.

“And…it’s awkward now that I admit it, and since you’ve already said Kyuhyun hyung is your ideal type and all.” Minho combed his hair with his hands, his face as hot as the sun itself.

“I’m sorry about this..” he muttered.’

To his utter surprise, Yuri began laughing. Laughing as if she was a maniac.

“Stupid would be one good word to describe you right now, Minho. You think you’re not cute? Look into the mirror! You’re exploding adorableness! You think you can’t dance? Kyuhyun doesn’t have swift feet like you do!” she said.

“Why are you laughing?! You’re making things really awkward!” Minho exclaimed causing Yuri to laugh even more. When she finally caught her breath, she looked into Minho’s eyes with a sincere smile on her face.

“I just realized that you meet the expectations of my ideal guy more than Kyuhyun does. And subconsciously, I had already been returning those feelings to you.” She said.

Minho could have sworn he felt his back grow wings. He was the happiest man on earth! But..

“Then why were you laughing? That was no laughing matter..”

Yuri laughed a little once again. “It’s just funny that someone with such a huge pride like you would confess to me in such a way. We all know how you, Changmin and Kyuhyun brag about confessing love in a yacht in Maldives or Bora Bora. And you’re here confessing to me in a practice room! It’s just so funny!” With that Yuri began laughing again.

Minho watched the older laugh with a strange smile of his face. True, he and his hyungs had bragged about such stuff. Three of them had such a huge ego.

Yuri fell on her back, laughing. At that moment, she wasn’t sure whether she was out of her mind or not. “Is it that funny?!” Yuri heard Minho wail, causing her to laugh even more.

What surprised her was that suddenly, Minho’s arms were around her, walling her from both sides, preventing her from getting up. And the next moment, Minho’s lips were passionately kissing her own ones.

She didn’t hold back. She raised her arms and locked them around Minho’s neck, bringing him closer and deepening the kiss. At a certain point, Minho’s tongue began begged Yuri for an entrance. Being ticklish as she was, opened into a gasp as Minho hands lightly touched her tummy, causing Minho’s tongue to play with her own as if it was a toy.

She didn’t mind. He tasted like lemonade. And she loved lemonade. He was probably someone whom she loved more than lemonade.

“FINALLY!” a familiar voice caused the two to break apart, gasping for air, yet in the same position. Key was standing near the door, his eyes almost out of their sockets.

“HYUUUUNG~!” they heard another familiar voice. Key’s hands shot to the owner of the voice’s face. “DON’T OPEN THEM, TAEMIN! This is a rated scene which only those of above three years old are allowed to see!” Key declared as Taemin came into view, his hands over Taemin’s eyes.

“Ehh?” Taemin asked.

Yuri tried to lightly move from the position, but Minho didn’t budge, not allowing her to move either. “Minho..” She muttered.

Minho barely heard her. He was too busy glaring at Key and Taemin. Key rolled his eyes.

“We get it. Come back to kill us after you finish having .” Key smirked and turned to go away. “AND REMEMBER TO LOCK THE DOOR~!” Key shouted, disappearing from sight, along with Taemin.

“You really aren’t planning on killing them, are you?” Yuri asked, concerned at once. So maybe the feelings changed for Minho, but Key and Taemin were still her dongsaengs!

“I’m not. But I’m planning on something else..” he smirked, turning back to her with a suggestive look in his eye.

Yuri’s eyes caught the clock on the wall.

12.03am

Then she turned back to Minho with a smirked on her face.

She didn’t care how late it was and whether they were inside a public place.

She encircled her arms around Minho’s neck and pulled him into another kiss.

Love was a strange thing. It’d make you do the thing you’d regret most by just looking into your other’s eyes. Both Yuri and Minho knew that more than well.