It all started with an ice cream cone. Or rather, one that had tumbled out of a loud little girl’s hands and onto the floor, splattering her shirt in the process.

For eight-year-old Shim Changmin, Sunday afternoons beat Saturday afternoons, hands down. Not that there wasn’t any fun in running around the city with his friends, laughing and shrieking as they pushed and shoved each other like young boys would. But Sunday afternoons were when Mr. Shim was able to take a break from work and spend quality time with his son.

Thus, every Sunday afternoon was routine- father and son would go to the park for either an invigorating game of catch with a football or a calm stroll around the pond. Then, they would visit the nearby ice cream shop and order as much of the frozen dessert as they felt they could possibly consume.

One Sunday afternoon, Changmin and his dad were at the ice cream shop- his dad had a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream while Changmin devoured a double scoop cone of chocolate ice cream. After finishing off the last bite, Changmin his fingers and wandered around the shop while his dad answered a call on his cell phone.

The young boy went over to the far side of the shop and gazed at the abstract paintings that the shop owner had hung up as decoration. There was something about the way the colors seemed to define themselves yet mix together in an aesthetically pleasing way that held Changmin’s attention completely.

He could have stood there for another ten minutes or so, simply staring at the works of art, had his concentration not been suddenly disturbed by a loud shriek of delight.

Changmin turned and saw a girl his age dancing around excitedly with a double scoop cone of vanilla ice cream. He raised his eyebrows with interest and then continued to stare at the paintings- at least until he sensed her loud presence grow louder and louder…and finally come in full, head on collision with him.

“Ah!” she cried out as she knocked into him, causing him to stumble. He turned around to firmly reprimand her when he saw her staring at the floor, eyes wide. Changmin followed her gaze and his eyes widened as well- the once perfectly crafted double scoops of ice cream were now melting on the floor, the cone still in the girl’s hand.

“M-My ice cream…” she stammered. She then looked up and threw Changmin a most menacing glare- yet tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. “You…You made me drop it…!”

“Excuse me? You’re the one who bumped into me,” Changmin replied indignantly. The little girl opened to retort back when a woman whom Changmin presumed to be her mother called out to her:

“Sooyoung, dear? What’s wrong?” The little girl turned and ran to her mother, bawling over her lost frozen dessert and her stained shirt. He watched them for a few seconds as the girl’s mother promised her a new ice cream as she wiped her shirt down and the girl smiled with pure joy and thanked her mother fervently.

Changmin then heard his father call him, telling him that it was time to go.

The next day at school, Changmin walked into the classroom and took his seat, what had happened the day before being the last thing on his young mind. He joked with his friends until the teacher arrived and rapped on the desk with her ruler.

“Good morning, class,” the teacher said and her class of fifty third graders responded back enthusiastically. “Now before we get started with the new lessons for today, I would like to introduce a new student who will be joining us this semester.” She turned towards the door and called, “You may come in now…”

The door to the classroom…and in stepped the little girl from the ice cream shop. Changmin stared as he watched her approach the very front of the classroom, little pigtails bouncing as she walked. The teacher told her, “Please introduce yourself.” The girl nodded and beamed at the entire class.

“Annyeonghaseyo! I’m Choi Sooyoung- nice to meet you all and hope we can all be friends!” All the while, Changmin slunk lower and lower in his seat. He was sure she hadn’t seen him yet and he hoped it would stay that way- unwanted attention drawn to him was the last thing he needed.

Given that there were about fifty kids in one classroom, Changmin did manage to go largely unnoticed by Sooyoung for a period of time. Sooyoung became friends with over half the class in a matter of days and Changmin watched with amusement as her boundless energy to do almost anything was endearing to even the teachers.

In the meantime, excited talk over “promotions” and “bonuses” were all that he seemed to hear from his parents at home. While he did eventually figure out what those words meant in the dictionary, that didn’t matter- to Changmin, all they meant was that his father eventually became so busy that he couldn’t even spend Sunday afternoons with him anymore.

Feeling particularly dejected one day, Changmin decided to venture out to the park by himself and hopefully meet up with his best friends Yunho and Junsu-hyung to play basketball…

…except that neither of them were there (Yunho was out sick with strep and Junsu had a dentist’s appointment) and Changmin found himself still very much alone. After skipping some stones into the lake, the young boy felt his stomach rumble with discontent and hunger. Digging into his pocket, Changmin found that he had more than enough money to get himself an ice cream cone.

His spirits slightly lifted, Changmin ran to the ice cream shop and ordered his favorite- a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. Just as he was about to take a huge bite, he noticed that girl, Sooyoung, entering the ice cream shop. Changmin did all he could to look as inconspicuous as possible, but unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as she finally noticed him.

“Ah! You…you’re the guy who made me drop my ice cream last time!” she pointed out loudly, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance at the memory.

Changmin said, “No, I did not- that was your fault for bumping into me.” Sooyoung glared at him for a full minute, and then shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay. In that case, I forgive you,” she replied, smiling widely.

“But it wasn’t my…” Changmin didn’t bother finishing his sentence and only sighed exasperatedly. Then, he noticed something.

“Where’s your mom?” he asked out of curiosity. The big grin almost immediately fell off her face and was replaced by an undisguised look of disappointment.

“She’s working today. I thought once we moved here to Seoul, Eomma would spend more time with me and take me places like this ice cream shop. But ever since I started school, she doesn’t come home until very late…” Complete empathy overtook Changmin’s heart and, instinctively, he reached out and patted Sooyoung on the head.

“It’s going to be okay. Why don’t you go get some ice cream- maybe you’ll feel better?”

Sooyoung bit her lip, looked at him forlornly and said, “I…I don’t have enough money…” Changmin fished all the change he had out of his pocket.

“Here, I’ll pitch in…I think it should be enough.”

A brilliant smile lit up on her face.  “T-Thank you so much…by the way, aren’t you in my class?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“How come I’ve never seen you before?” Changmin shrugged in response. “Okay well…I’m Choi Sooyoung.” She stuck her hand out to him.

He took her hand, surprised by how soft it felt. “I’m Shim Changmin. Nice to meet you.”

They ended up having enough money to buy a banana split sundae, which Sooyoung insisted they share. Afterwards, they went to the park and played together- it wasn’t until nearly dinnertime when Changmin remembered he had to actually go home.

And that was how Changmin came to spend Sundays with Sooyoung.

Friends from elementary school all agreed on one thing: no one argued more than Changmin and Sooyoung. They bickered over everything; who was a better baseball player, which Harry Potter book was the best one, which dramas were the best, whether or not unicorns existed…put simply, there hardly was a day when people didn’t hear Choi Sooyoung and Shim Changmin arguing over something

But, as they say, the more people argue, the closer they become. Their friends rarely saw one without the other. They talked, joked and shared stories everyday and during group activities, they were always partners. Oftentimes, they walked home with each other, occasionally taking detours and exploring the city together- sometimes hand in hand.

And every Sunday, as a ritualistic part of the week which neither one seemed to tire of, they met at the ice cream shop. They would have contests to see who could finish off their ice cream faster and Changmin sometimes went home sick to his stomach from eating so quickly.

Then, there were times when they shared a sundae together- Changmin would snicker at the ice cream all around her lips, giving her a vanilla moustache while Sooyoung would point out how much more of a messy eater he was, getting ice cream on his nose and his shirt. After eating, they would go visit the park and skip stones or stare out at the lake and talk.

Gossip and rumors sprout much more easily amongst elementary school kids than one would think; more than once did Changmin get teased for hanging out with a girl and Sooyoung’s friends harassed her about Changmin quite a number of times.

But at that time, others’ words didn’t affect them. They were too busy having fun and making memories to really care.

In middle school, homework loads increased and things were changing. Sooyoung and Changmin were changing as well- and not just with the extra inches of height they both grew. They were both at the age where their adolescence was budding and nature was just beginning to run its course of change within them.

Yet they remained the best of friends. They weren’t in the same class anymore, but they still hung out whenever they could and spent every Sunday together.

One particular afternoon, they were at the park by the docks, dangling their feet above the water and Changmin was listening to Sooyoung gripe about her sparse pimples.

“Calm down, Soo, it’s not that bad,” he assured her. “Plus, everyone gets them. I’ve got a freaking pizza face, for crying out loud.”

She glanced at him and smirked. “Yeah you kind of do have a pizza face.” Changmin glared at her and she giggled. “Hey Changmin- wanna go to the amusement park with me next Sunday? I’ve got ticket- and I heard that they’ve got a wicked new roller coaster ride.”

Changmin felt a cold sweat form on his forehead and his eyes widened. “…Um…sure, Sooyoung…but what about…you know, Sunday afternoons…?”

His attempt at concealing his private phobia did not go unnoticed by Sooyoung, whose eyes held a mischievous glint. “Oh no, you don’t, Minnie. You’re not getting out of this- you are going to face your fears…unless you want your friends to know about them…” He glanced at her and he knew there was no backing out.

One week later, Changmin found himself at the very peak of a roller coaster, hanging on to the safety bar for dear life and an expression of absolute fear plastered on his face. Sooyoung turned to him, smirked and held onto his hand. The rushing wind making his eyes water, Changmin felt the gripping g-force make him nauseous as he plunged towards what he thought was certain death.

“That was so fun, wasn’t it, Changmin?” Sooyoung remarked later, laughing at the petrified fear still apparent in his eyes.

He pouted. “Okay, if I’m going to get the crap scared out of me, then you have to as well- it’s not fair otherwise.” Sooyoung stopped laughing immediately and her eyes became as wide as moons.

“Wha…? No way…oh come on, Changmin…we…we don’t really have to…oh, all right, we have to…” she said, her voice becoming fainter and fainter as Changmin’s sternly determined look didn’t waver.

He did feel a little bad about it later when they were venturing through the haunted house and Sooyoung was screaming her head off and clutching at him tightly. “Help me, Oppa!!” she shrieked, hugging him. When had she started to call him Oppa? Changmin wondered to himself, secretly pleased and he let her continue to hold onto him.

When they finally returned back to the ice cream shop and had their usual sundae, Changmin couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it was to be with Sooyoung and how much he liked Sooyoung for being Sooyoung. But he wasn’t able to piece together exactly why he felt this way just yet.

High school brought more change. Changmin grew into his full height of one hundred and eighty eight centimeters, towering over most of his classmates. His “pizza face” faded away to reveal handsome features that had been obscured by the scarring acne, garnering much female interest. His interest in art developed and matured seriously in these years and he soon began to pursue the dream of becoming a world renowned artist.

Changmin was also very much aware of the changes he saw in Sooyoung. The gawky tomboy in middle school had matured into a somewhat graceful high school girl of budding beauty. Her lovely smile and charm was enough to make her popular with guys and it wasn’t long before many of them began showing public interest in her.

They drifted apart slightly during this time- with schoolwork and other activities being time-consuming as they were, there never seemed to be enough time to spend with each other. They were still friends nevertheless.

In his second year of high school, Changmin, at Sooyoung’s encouragement, worked up the courage to ask out Im Yoona, one of the prettiest girls in school. Changmin thought of himself as the luckiest guy alive- yet when he took her out to a restaurant for their date, he couldn’t help but gloss over her looks and compare the way she ate, the way she spoke, her laughter to Sooyoung…and realize how overwhelmingly she was not like Sooyoung.

At the same time, he listened to Sooyoung gush over different guys over the phone- Choi Siwon, Lee Sungmin, even his own hyung Yunho- but the strange part was, he never saw her engage in a serious relationship with any of them. When he brought it up while he was at her house one night, studying and watching dramas at the same time, her expression suddenly turned femininely shy and her cheeks cherry red.

“Well…I do think those guys are attractive…but, to be honest, I’ve only got one crush.”

Changmin raised his eyebrows. “Really? Do tell.” But Sooyoung shook her head fervently.

“Well…are you going to confess to him?”

Sooyoung sighed, a sad smile on her face. “…Probably not. I guess I'm happy as long as he's happy...but I'm kind of hoping that he'll realize it himself and decide if he likes me back...” She gave Changmin a long, meaningful look and then turned her attention back to the sappy drama playing on the television.

Graduation came and went and Sooyoung and Changmin truly went their separate paths; she went on to a school specializing in business while Changmin went to Hongik University, which is renowned for its prestigious art school.

One day, Changmin was dozing off in his anatomy class when the door to the classroom opened and a brown-haired vixen strode in, clearly late to class. Her attitude made it clear that she carried herself above the professor and the other students as her high heeled boots clicked on the tiled floor. The professor said nothing and continued with his lesson. 

Her brown hair flowed behind her in soft waves, a contrast to the bold and hardened aura she gave off. Her eyebrows emphasized her fierce expression and made her all the more alluring. She spotted the empty seat next to Changmin and sat there.

Her name, Changmin soon discovered, was Lee Yeonhee. She specialized in sculpture and ceramics while working towards an economics minor. She drank alcohol straight from the bottle and her idea of fun was partying until three in the morning. She was tough, unafraid to say what was on her mind, had the most vulgar mouth Changmin had ever heard– and she couldn’t have been more different than Sooyoung.

But in those tumultuous times at college, Choi Sooyoung blended into the past and it wasn’t long before Changmin and Yeonhee hooked up together in the fraternity dorm. After that, everyday was like a drug fantasy to him- pleasing at the onset, but it slowly drained away his abilities to think rationally, to look out for the future ahead.

Drunk on lust and the feeling of being on top of the world, Changmin proposed to Yeonhee and she accepted. One week later, he came back to their apartment to find her having with with Song Seungheun- and his world came crashing down.

He forsook painting and drowned his sorrows in alcohol and, as a result, missed the final requirement he needed to graduate. So in the end, Changmin was left with no money, no diploma and a shattered heart.

His father, concerned about him, offered him a position in the company, but Changmin still had his pride, if nothing else; he refused. Mr. Shim then suggested he come back to his hometown and search for a job there. With nowhere else to go, Changmin reluctantly complied.

Two weeks passed by and still Changmin was jobless. One day, he was out for a walk by the park he always used to visit when he received a call from an unknown number.

“Yubasaeyo?” he said.

“Changmin? Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this is actually the right number…Changmin…it’s Sooyoung!” His heart skipped a beat. It had been so long, far too long, since he last heard her voice. Even through the phone, it was a sweet melody that calmed the turmoil within him.

“Soo…holy , it’s really been forever...how did you get my number?”

“I heard rumors that you were in town, so I asked Yunho-oppa for your number…and, my God, I can’t believe it…where are you right now?”

“Uh, I’m at the park.”

“Can you meet me at the ice cream shop- you know, where we used to hang out? I’ll be there in thirty minutes” Changmin grinned and agreed.

He sat at a table for twenty-five minutes, agonizing over whether he would be able to distinguish her, whether she would recognize him. All those fears melted away the minute he saw her walk into the ice cream shop.

She caught sight of him almost immediately and flew into his arms. He felt his shirt become wet from her crying and, he had to admit, tears began to form in his eyes too as he held her, his best friend in the world, in a tight embrace.

They had different friends, different interests and headed down different paths- but they were still able to reconnect in just a short amount of time. Sooyoung had been doing a lot with her life; she was now enrolled in the Korea University Business School and on her way to entrepreneurial success.

“You found a boyfriend yet?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah, I've had a few...but I’m not seeing anyone right now,” she replied and a strange sense of relief spread through him.

After they reunited, it was as if they had never separated; they went spoke often on the phone and went on long walks. Changmin sometimes even visited her at work. And, of course, every Sunday, they met at the ice cream shop for sundaes and walks by the lake.

At the same time, Changmin busied himself looking for work and Sooyoung helped out as much as she could. He found work at the local art gallery who commissioned him to paint pieces for them while he worked part-time at a diner.  

Finally, two years after his disastrous engagement, Changmin met with breakthrough success. An art critic, recently returned from France, viewed the art gallery and caught sight of his paintings. Dubbing them as “modern masterpieces”, the art critic lauded him greatly and Changmin rose to fame.

Soon, he received an invitation to Paris, France- his lifelong dream. Changmin was bouncing up and down in his seat as he waited for Sooyoung.

When she finally came to the ice cream shop, he bolted up and hugged her tightly.

“Wha-?! Changmin, what is it, why are you so excited?”

“I did it, Soo! I did it! I’ve gained international recognition!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to go to Paris!”

“That’s AWESOME, Changmin! For how long?”

“Well, they invited me to participate in a week-long art festival; but they told me that chances are, they’re going to want me to stay for years to come! I’ve finally attained my dream!”

Sooyoung grew curiously silent.

“Isn’t it great?! C’mon Sooyoung- say something? What’s up with you today?” He prodded her side and suddenly, she swatted his hand away.

“Th-That’s great for you, Changmin,” she said quickly, looking away from him. “…Why don’t you just spend the rest of your life there eating croissants and playing around with y French women?”

He stared at her. “Wha…?” Sooyoung then abruptly left the ice cream shop, leaving an utterly confused Changmin standing there awkwardly alone.

“And now a toast…to Shim Changmin, who is also a bastard for being able to go to Paris. ing Paris,” Yunho announced, downing his champagne. The other men in Yunho’s apartment cheered and drank along. Changmin grinned but only took a small sip; he wasn’t feeling in a particularly celebratory mood at the moment.

After all, his best friend was still upset at him and he had no idea why. He had called her nineteen straight times, but she didn’t pick up her phone. He had sent fifteen text messages, but she replied to none of them.

“Yah, Changmin…why the hell are you looking so depressed?” Yunho asked, his speech slurred already.

Changmin sighed. “Sooyoung’s mad at me…I think it might be because I’m leaving…”

“Well no , Changmin,” said Yunho. “She’s practically in love with you.”

“Well yeah but…wait…what. WHAT? Jung Yunho, what the did you just say?”

Yunho hiccupped. “Dude, she’s had this huge crush on you since elementary school. When I tried asking her out in high school, she told me about it. The guys and I figure you’re the only one who doesn’t know about it.” Having just dropped that little bomb, Yunho ambled away. Changmin stared at his flute of champagne in complete shock.

The night before he was to leave, Changmin just couldn’t bring himself to pack completely. He remembered Yunho’s words.

Then he remembered the dream he had always yearned for. Frustrated and torn, he ran his hands through his hair.

Sooyoung loved him. And now that he thought about it…he had felt the same way. All his life, maybe since he met her.

“Why am I such a ing moron?” he groaned to himself. His cell-phone beside him rang and he picked it up.

“Yubasaeyo?”

“Changmin? It’s your father.”

“Oh…hi. What’s up?”

“I understand you’re leaving for Paris tomorrow morning?”

“Yup. Ten o’clock sharp.”

“All right…well…I have a proposition to make…care to listen?” Changmin remained silent as he listened to his father speak.

At nine thirty in the morning the next day, Sooyoung walked into the ice cream shop. She searched around for a sign of him, a glimmer of hope that by some miracle he would still be here…but she was sadly disappointed.

Sighing, she sank into one of the booths. Sooyoung took a good look around; the shop was quite old, but still in good business and still making kids happy with their wonderful ice cream. Just like it had done in the past when she and Changmin visited when they were kids…

I am such an idiot, she thought. Why on Earth did I let him go? And without attempting to reconcile with him either… But then she figured that it was for the best; Changmin probably never saw and never would see her as more than his best friend.  

It was time Sooyoung moved on.

She checked her smart phone for a while, managing business and appointments. Finally, she checked the time. “10:00 PM.” His flight should have already left the airport. A tear escaped from her eye.

“It’s a beautiful Sunday and a beautiful young woman is crying? What is this?” Sooyoung looked up and fell open. There stood Changmin, still with his bags and luggage.

“Wha…how...wh-why…?” Sooyoung could only stammer. Changmin chuckled as he slid into the booth.

“Well…I did a lot of thinking over after Yunho-hyung pointed out to me that I’m a thick-headed idiot who never notices how the people around me really felt- especially you, Sooyoung.” She could only stare up at him as he continued.

“So then…my dad called me last night and told me about a job position I could get in regards to my artwork. He hasn’t worked out the details quite yet…but he’s certain that it would make me about three times more money than going to Paris would.”

Sooyoung looked at him cautiously. “So…you’re staying for the financial security.”

Changmin smirked. “I am but…I think I’ve also realized now that nothing else in the world can compare to spending Sundays with my Sooyoung.” There was a silence. Sooyoung seemed to be in discomfort, as her emotions were overflowing but she still struggled to contain them.

Changmin saw and put his hand on hers. “…It’s okay, Sooyoung. You can cry…I won’t laugh at you, I promise.” With that being said, Sooyoung let go and cried like she had never cried before. As he watched the tears of happiness flow from her eyes, he whispered,

“I love you, Choi Sooyoung.”

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A/N: WOW it has been forever since i updated the one-shot collection. this particular oneshot is for the ChangSoo Fic Exchange :D

@Scarlet_Legionnaire hope you like it! sorry if it's a little disjointed/rushed- i have a ton of projects so i rushed a bit to get it finished on time (lol excuses, excuses) hope you readers like it too! :D