Minho and Sulli were on their way to CF shooting. Both remained quiet in the van. They did not talk about the text message nor their feelings nor confessions again.

Sulli took out her notebook and started to scribble. Minho, being reserved and shy as usual did not know what to say, so he closed his eyes and rest.

Upon reaching the set, they changed and did their make up, transforming into tertiary students. Minho was styling his hair when he spotted a good looking guy approaching Sulli through his mirror. This guy is not familiar to Minho, so he is probably not part of the crew.

Minho walked up to Sulli: “Sulli, who was the guy who came to talk to you?”

Before Sulli can reply, cordi noona who was fixing Sulli’s hair replied: “He is the sponsor’s son, and really like Sulli a lot, so he came to say Hi to her and invited all of us to join them at a dinner after the CF.”

Minho widened his eyes: “what?… why do we need to eat dinner with him? We were told to just shoot this CF right?”

“Why are you so agitated, your manager has already agreed saying this is a networking session since we have to work with the sponsor for more CF.” Cordi Noona said and patted Minho’s back. “it is compulsory, Minho.”

Sulli just stood at where she was, keeping quiet as usual.

Minho: “So you are going for the dinner?”

Sulli: “not that I can say no. sunbae, let’s be cooperative.”

Minho: “What? I am cooperative! I am just” he wanted to say jealous but he managed to swallow it in time.

The shooting of CF started. Minho was rather experienced so he finished his part really quickly. Sulli seemed uncomfortable at first but slowly warming up and to display the kind of expressions which the director wanted. The individual scenes were all well taken. Now coming to the last few scenes where both Minho and Sulli have to act like a couple.

They stood like woodblock at first, feeling awkward, not knowing what to do. Sulli was genuinely lost and helpless.

Director: “Ya… both of you are supposed to be a couple, you don’t know what you need to do? Need me to teach you?” Director was a bit angry with the tardiness of Minho and Sulli.

Minho: “We are very sorry director. Give us one second”

Very naturally, he offered his hand to Sulli, initiating her to put her hand in his. Sulli looked at him.

Minho smiled at her: “We can do a good job right?”

Sulli hesitated for a while and smiled. She placed her hand in his and said “Sunbae, Hwaiting!”

Minho held Sulli’s hands tightly. How he longed to hold her like this. Minho was thankful that Sulli was professional and did not squirm or retaliate when he put his arms around her shoulders later on. Be it for work or persona, at this moment, Minho really enjoyed being her boyfriend.

Sulli felt the warmth from Minho’s hand. She felt him holding her hands tightly and she smiled. How she wished she can do this openly.

During the shoot, they giggled from shyness when their eyes met. Sulli looked at Minho with her smiley eyes, just like how a girlfriend will look at her boyfriend. All these seemed so natural for a real couple. During break time, they managed to chat more casually, slowly erasing all the previous awkwardness that exists between them earlier.

Sulli’s POV

When Minho bend forward to give her a peck on her cheeks, Sulli almost stopped breathing. She thought her emotions were all buried well, but this peck stirred up all these feelings again. She felt her heart beating very quickly and her face became hot. She just hoped that Minho will not discover that she still has special feeling for him.

Minho’s POV

Minho felt his heart beating very fast as he planted a peck on Sulli’s cheek. He felt a gush of warm air rising in his body and was secretly hoping noone will notice his super flushed face. Luckily, Sulli was supposed to look elsewhere where he planted the peck, else, Minho would not have been able to complete this scene with just one cut. 

Director: “CUT! Good job. We are done. Both of you are really good with your eyes contact. Very natural.”

Minho and Sulli are satisfied with their work, bowed and thanked the crew.

Sulli: “Sunbae..”

Minho: “Whei yo?”

Sulli paused and pointed to her hand: “erm.. you can let me go now. I need to go to the restroom.”

Minho didn't realise he was still holding on to her hand. His face flushed: “I am sorry.” He released his grip. How he wished he could hold on to the hand forever.

Sulli noticed Minho’s red nose and flushed ears, and started to chuckle out of the blue. She tried to stop but she can’t resist to laugh louder every time she sees Minho.

Minho: “wheiiiii?” he nudged her slightly. “Is my face dirty?”

Sulli paused for seconds, looked at his face and started to laugh loudly again. “hahahha… hahhaha…You look like a reindeer.” she laughed and collapsed on the ground laughing even louder.

Right from the day he knew Sulli, Minho is always amused when she chuckled. It is her trademark laughter and something that cheered him up

“mwo....What reindeer…Ya, choi sulli, stop laughing and get up.” he jokingly lamented her and pulled her up.

He lightly flicked his fingers against her forehead as she pulled her to stand up.

“Ahhhh… whei yo?” Sulli finally stopped laughing. She pouted her lips and rubbed her forehead. Minho found it cute when she pouted and continued to : “For saying your sunbae is a reindeer…..melong….” He sticked out his tongue at Sulli, which provoked Sulli to chase after him for her revenge.

To Minho and Sulli, their goal has always been to put away their real feelings and focus on their career. Nonetheless, Minho is still someone whom Sulli enjoys talking to and to Minho, Sulli is someone precious to him and someone whom he enjoyed teasing. Hence no matter how much they wish to suppress their feelings, how much they hope to keep this relationship as a formal sunbae and hoobae relationship, there are still moments like this when they unknowingly let their guards down and displays actions of affections for each other.

+++++++++

Dinner with sponsor is unavoidable since manager hyung has already agreed. After changing, Minho and Sulli came to this traditional Korean BBQ restaurant with the sponsors were already there, awaiting their arrival. Minho saw that the sponsor’s son who spoke to Sulli earlier was there too. 

At the long table of 10, Minho was ushered to sit on a long bench beside the main sponsor and Sulli was ushered to sit right opposite Minho, beside the sponsor’s son.

Minho has attended such dinners with his shinee members before and Taemin, Key and him would normally concentrate on eating, leaving Onew and Jong Hyun to do the soclialising. Now with only him and Sulli, someone has to lead the conversation.

Minho: “thanks for inviting Sulli and myself to the dinner. We will eat well.” And he proposed a toast to everyone, thanking them.

“Ms Sulli, this is for you.” the sponsor’s son offered Sulli a glass of beer. Sulli didn’t know how to reject and whether it is ok for her to reject. She accepted the beer with a fake smile and sipped a little to show her appreciation…. It was the first time she drank beer as she hasn’t reached the official age yet…. And she thinks the beer tastes horrible.

Seated right across Sulli, Minho couldn’t help her though he saw her cringe at the taste of beer. He tried to throw some glances at Sulli to tell her to reject the beer but Sulli doesn’t understand what Minho was trying to tell her.  The sponsor kept proposing toasts even before they started eating and Sulli already had her 10^th horrible sip of beer before solid food is served.  

Sponsor’s son: “Ms Sulli. Let’s toast again.”

Minho glared at the sponsor’s son. He already noticed that he kept on refilling Sulli’s glass to the brim and encouraging her to drink.

Sulli unwillingly put her hand around her glass and forced a smile. She was about to pick up her glass for her 11^th sip when he felt another hand on top of hers.

“Give it to me.” Sulli looked at Minho who was holding on to her glass. She released her hands, and wondered what he is going to do.

Minho took Sulli’s glass and walked round the long table to where Sulli is sitting. He smiled at Sulli and before knowing, he has already slotted himself in between Sulli and the sponsor’s son.

Sulli: “Sunbae…”

The space on the bench was just nice for 5 people. With Minho squeezing in beside Sulli now, Sulli has no extra space to shift at all. They ended up sitting so closely to each other that their bodies bumped into each other at any of their slight movement.

“An Yeong Ha Sae Yo, let me drink with you instead cos Sulli is still underaged.” Sulli heard Minho speaking in his ever polite manner to the sponsor's son. She watched in silence as Minho toasted the sponsor’s son and finished the beer from the glass that she drank from.

Though the sponsor son did ask for Sulli to drink together with him and Minho time to time, Minho continued to form his shield over Sulli, and drank her part of the share as well.

Sulli’s POV

Sulli felt thankful for Minho that she does not have to drinl. She felt safe with Minho sitting beside her. They were so close and she can feel Minho’s shoulder and leg leaning against hers, as if her whole body was attached to his.

After 2 hours

“Manager Oppa, or di soh?” Sulli hid in the restroom to call Manager Oppa who had left Minho and Sulli at the dinner alone since he is confident that Minho can handle while he sent the other members to other schedule.

Manager Oppa: “whei, I am at Shinee Hostel now. Dinner is done?”

Sulli: “Oppa, come quickly, I don’t know how long Minho Oppa can last. He drank a lot.”

Manager Oppa was shocked to hear that the always sensible Minho actually drank. "Ku rei, i will come soon."

Sulli went back to the dining area, and whispered to Minho close at his ears. “Sunbae, stop drinking. Manager Oppa is coming to get us soon.” Minho turned his head towards Sulli, with a reassuring smile: “Arraso, I am ok.”

Sulli looked at Minho. He does look ok from the surface, but he has drank more than 10 glasses. Is he really ok? From what Sulli knew, Minho’s threshold for alcohol is not that high and Key mentioned before that Minho was once knocked out with just one bottle of soju. It is either that his threshold for alcohol has improved tremendously or the beer’s alcohol content is not strong…

The dreadful dinner finally ended. Minho was still able to bid farewell to the sponsors, but as the last sponsor left the restaurant, he threw up and collapsed onto the ground.

“omo… ken cha na?” Sulli struggled to pull Minho into a sitting position, against one of the pillar. Minho had his eyes closed and didn’t respond to Sulli when she called him.

Sulli requested for a hot towel from the restaurant owner, squatted beside Minho and helped him clean the vomit off his face and his shirt. She knew he would have collapsed long ago if he did not force himself to sustain with his strong drive and motivation till the sponsors leave.

As she wiped his face, she observed Minho’s long lashes, sharp nose and well defined face....  just like what she did in the practice room in the past…. Nothing has changed at all, he is still as good looking… Sulli sighed…

“Ya…What is with that big sigh and can the towel be removed now?” a familiar deep voice startled Sulli who was still holding the towel against Minho’s forehead.

Similar scene replayed.

Sulli got a shock and almost lost her balance yet again. It was Minho again who was quick enough to pull her back in time, steadying her posture.

While her head landed on Minho’s chest the last time, her head stopped at a spot where her face is just centimetres away from Minho’s now. Their eyes locked and their nose touched. Sulli widened her eyes. The closeness allowed her to smell the beer on Minho, but surprisingly, she didn’t think the smell was horrible. Her heart began to pump at extreme fast pace. Her lips would have touched his if she were to let herself fall another 1 mm forward…just 1mm forward...

“Ya Oppa!” Sulli regained her clear mind and pushed Minho away from her. “You are drunk!”

Minho seemed to be really drunk and smirked: “Ya…. So finally, you are willing to call me Oppa now?”

Sulli’s POV

The rest of her FX members greeted Shinee and other sunbaes as Oppas. Same for Sulli as well, but only for Minho, Sulli is insistent to leave it as sunbae so that she won’t be reminded of the past.

Sulli felt like she can dig a hole, jump in and bury herself now.

YA… CHOI SULLI…. PABO YA…. Why did you call him OPPA now…….. didn’t you say you will call him sunbae from now on…. Didn’t you say you will keep a distance from him…..

She avoided Minho’s question and flaming gazes and decided to walk away.

Minho: “whei? You disliked calling me Oppa? Whei???? I have been waiting to hear you call me….”  he struggled to stand up and go after Sulli but collapsed shortly onto the ground again….