‘Dear Amy,

I am sorry I called you a heartless who had slept with most of our year. I didn’t mean it and I was just mad.  I also apologise for telling all the boys in our year that you were a two-faced . You aren’t, most of the time.

From Choi Minho’

I smile, reading the letter I had penned years ago. Sorting through all my stuff ready to pack it for the move brought back many memories, most of them happy. I had been twelve when I had written that letter, one of many drafts for the eventual apology. Amy Lee had hated me all through school after that incident. I wonder if she still does now.  I pick up the box in which the letter had sat and sift through it. An old yearbook comes to the top, red with brown edges and the words ‘Choi Minho; grade 7’ on the front. I blow off the dust and settle back, leaning on the edge of a rather badly beaten sofa.

There is a picture of me on my first day, all gangly arms and legs dressed in dark grey shorts and a white shirt with royal blue edging. I believe I called it ‘the gayest uniform I’ve ever’ and boldly stated to my long-suffering mother that ‘I would never wear it.’ She had probably forced me into it and bribed me that if I didn’t shred it or dirty it, I’d get a treat. It probably worked too.

Turning the aged and worn page I come across a picture of myself and several of the friends who had also gone to high school that year. Kim Jonghyun and Kim Kibum or ‘Key’ to his friends. We were all smiling madly and pulling the ‘bunny ears’ behind each other’s heads. Key’s younger brother Taemin was taking the photo and as I turn another page I see my whole ‘group’ of friends. This includes the two previously mentioned and Key’s younger brother Taemin who was in the year below and Lee Jinki or ‘Onew’, Jonghyun’s cousin and a year above us. We might have been different ages but we all clicked perfectly. Our little ‘gang’ wasn’t the terror of the school but we could definitely pull some good pranks.

Moving schools meant that Taemin was left alone at our old school and Onew, who had moved up the year before got us back.

The next page was my first term report stating that Choi Minho had aced science, gone moderately well in maths, language arts and religion, got a miserable ‘D’ in history and was off the scales for PDHPE. My parents had been happy with everything but history, my father berating me for weeks that a ‘D’ just wasn’t good enough. He told me that he knew I could do better and I should’ve studied harder.

7^th grade was interesting, starting with the realization that girls weren’t an alien species and were actually quite fun. ‘Going out’ in this grade basically meant awkwardly looking each other across the classroom, getting a friend to inform her that ‘my friend likes you and wants to know if you will go out with him’. This then turned into brushing hands when you were walking, sitting next to each other in class and sharing glances out of the corner of your eyes and if you were one of those big risk takers (like me) maybe a ungainly meeting of lips in a corridor, jumping apart when you heard a noise, blushing madly. These ‘couples’ often ended in random breakups that happened on a whim. Or in my case screaming at each other.

Flash-back

“Amy Lee, you are a . I can’t believe you cheated on me with Eunhyuk! You are a heartless and I hope you never get married cause no boy would want you. I bet you slept with the whole year too didn’t you? It’s over and I hope you enjoy Eunhyuk you little !” I screamed at that cheater in the middle of the yard. The rest of her little group of girls backed her, all looking at me with shocked and hurt written on their faces. Except for one who just raised an eyebrow and looked at me with disdain. She stepped forward and slappped me across the face.

“Screw you Choi Minho! Let’s go Amy.” She put her arm around the now weeping girl and they strode off towards the girls toilets.

“That was harsh Minho.” Key had appeared from the side of a building, leaning against the sunlit brick like the feline he embodied. Sharp, angular features, a lithe little body and a cat’s gold-flecked eyes made him the envy of all the girls. The fact he had modified his school uniform to show off his unique style also made him the bain of the principal’s existence. It was a rare day that he wasn’t sent to the heads office for some minor misdemeanour. “You didn’t have to yell at her like that, not in the middle of the yard.” He indicated the watching students from other years. The instant they saw my eyes swept across them they turned their backs and tried to look busy.

“I know Key. I just got mad, I’ll apologise later I promise.” I walked over to where he was leaning on the wall and pressed my back to the warm brick, turning my head to rest on Key’s shoulder.

“Nice little slap that chicky babe got in there. She’s got a good hand on her and she’s not bad looking.” Key blew out a breath with a smile on his face as I gave him a light shove.

“Shut it Key.” He knew I was joking though.

End flashback

The girl that slapped me across the face intrigued me for weeks. I learned her name after getting Key, during one of his numerous detentions locked in the principal’s office, to flip through some files for me. I think I bribed him with a purple scarf.  Her name was Kim Shin-Soo and Key was right (as usual) she was quite pretty. After apologising numerous times to Amy she finally forgave me and introduced me to Shin-Soo. She was suspicious of me for quite a while, believing the only reason I wanted meet her was to get back with Amy.  Eventually she gave in and we became close friends, completely platonic and one of the few girls I really trusted.

In year 10 I finally worked up the courage to ask her out and she turned me down, telling me that we were better as friends. I guess she was right in a way but after a party in year 11 there was nothing between us.

Drunk as we were, playing seven minutes in heaven and not realizing we were in fact each other. We kissed and (not to sound like a fairy tale but) just ‘bang’ electric chemistry. Fooling around till we were sent home and writing each other’s numbers on our arms it wasn’t till the morning after it clicked. She gave in and we had a brilliant run. We were one of those high school couples that everyone wants to be. The one that doesn’t even have to speak they know each other so well. Sticking together through university and having an apartment together, having a few big break ups that basically involved spending three days away from each other then both calling at the same time to apologise.

I picked up a piece of paper and grabbed a pen from the desk as I sat down to rewrite a letter.

Dear Amy,

You might not remember me, Choi Minho. We went to school together and I yelled at you in grade 7. I’d just like to say thank you for kissing Eunhyuk and cheating on me. Without that I would have never met the most incredible person in my life. I don’t know where you are now, what you are doing, if you are married or have kids. I’ll find your address some how and send this to you so you can understand the incredible thing you did for me that day. You know that girl, one of your friends, the one that slapped me across the face? She’s the one I’m thanking you for. I’m just about to move into a house with her and we are married.

I’m so thankful for what you’ve done. It’s the reason I am who I am today. I hope you live a happy, long life, because you deserve it.

Thanks,

Choi Minho.

“Did you finish packing those boxes? The moving company is coming at four.” A female voice rebounds down the hallway and interrupts my thinking. I fold the paper and slip into my pocket. Fielding my way towards the door, between boxes labelled ‘dining room’, ‘living room’ and ‘office’, I leaned against the doorway and waited for the voice’s owner to appear and it didn’t take long.

Long black hair, with a magenta tipped fringe was pushed to the side, revealing large doe-like eyes and below them a cheerful mouth, turned up in a smile. Wearing one of my shirts, which virtually obscured the denim shorts she was wearing, lead to long legs and black-socked feet.

“No, I haven’t finished packing.” The gorgeous woman walked up to me and I knotted my arms behind her head, her hips leaning on mine. She slipped her hands into the front pockets of my jeans, her hands brushing my thighs through the material.

“What do we have here?” Removing her hands from my pockets and revealing the folded paper that I had recently written she opened and silently read it. “I didn’t even slap you that hard.” Her short laughter was like wind chimes in the breeze. Slipping the paper back into my pocket, she replaced her hands and looked up into my eyes. I’m above average height and she’s the perfect height for me, chin level with the tops of my shoulders.

I shifted my footing so she could stand in between my legs and she reached up to play with my slightly over long fringe. Whispering so quietly someone standing a metre away wouldn’t have heard, she said, “You know what, I’m thankful too.”

This is for Minspro- I think I promised you this a while ago and haven’t gotten around to it. You and your insane ‘Minho-loveness’ gave me the idea for this and no, I’m sorry the woman in here isn’t you. (I know I just broke you heart).

I love you heaps Minspro- you are the Minho to my Taeminnie!! 2min for the win!!!