Minho's POV

“Cut!”

Minho shivered. Minho and Sulli had spent the past few hours filming a shot in the cold rain.  

“Minho, you seem very distracted today. Maybe we should take a break. Change into dry clothes for a while. We’ll start shooting again in two hours.”

Sulli held Minho’s hand as they went inside, but he was too distracted to notice. She loosened her hand until they were only linking their pinky fingers. Minho suddenly realized it and smiled. He interlocked the rest of his fingers with hers and clutched her hand warmly.

When they were inside, Minho just sat there in his damp clothes.

“What’s wrong with you today?”

Sulli came over to rub Minho’s shoulder. Even Sulli’s smooth caresses could not take Minho’s mind off of everything that bothered him.

Taemin had told him to forget the past and start a new life. That was why Minho had not asked Taemin any questions when he visited the hospital a few days ago.

But why were these haunting memories resurfacing now? Especially when he was with Sulli, these flashbacks continued to replay in his mind.

A faceless girl in a white dress. A victory cheer as a soccer ball flew into the goal. A sunset the color of a ripe red orange. A sweet kiss.

No matter how hard Minho tried to forget, these memories came back stronger than ever.

He had thought that his childhood didn’t matter to him anymore. The blurred girl in the old picture was meaningless to him now that he had fallen in love with Sulli.

-Flashback-

Minho woke up in a hospital room with his mind blank.

What am I doing here…?

“No matter what, don’t forget that I kissed you like this. My heart belongs to you now”

He suddenly heard those words echo in his mind.

He touched his lips and instantly remembered the feeling of the soft lips that had once been pressed against his mouth. A kiss between him … and who?

A year later.

“These were all our classmates. And here are is everyone on your soccer team”

Taemin was showing Minho all the photo albums with pictures of his childhood. As a child, Minho had looked so happy and healthy. Now, looking at all the pictures, Minho felt cold. He didn’t remember any of these people or these moments. He felt as if he was looking at a stranger’s life.

“Taemin, thank you for being here, even though it must have been scary to see me in such a state”

“I promised someone I would watch over you no matter what”

“Who?”

“Our dongsaeng. We played with her when we were kids because she lived in the same apartment building. She moved away before you had the surgery, but she told me to take care of you. Look! This is her”

Taemin took out a picture from a locket he was wearing.

This dongsaeng must have been important to both of us. But why isn’t she in any of the photo albums? Minho wondered. 

Minho looked intently at the picture. He needed to find out if this girl was the one … the first person from his childhood who he remembered after his surgery.

“But this picture is so unclear. How will I ever know her if I see her? She must not look the same anymore. It’s already been four years”

Minho didn’t realize he was thinking aloud.

“She’s the only girl you’ve ever kissed. Maybe you’ll know her if you kiss her”

So she is the one who I’ve kissed…

I must find her.

Taemin took the tiny picture and locked it back into his locket.

From then on, Minho kissed girl after girl. Finally, he realized it was a lost cause.

The girl he thought he loved was gone. 

--

“Ya! Have you lost your mind? Don’t scare me with that expressionless face. You’re going to catch cold if you don’t dry off!”

Sulli’s voice brought Minho back to the present.

She took a towel and dried Minho’s hair. Then, she kissed his temple and placed a neatly folded stack of dry clothes on the table in front of Minho.

‘Sulli … I have to tell you something”

“What is it?”

“I had an operation when I was little and I lost my memory as a result. But recently, I have been having flashbacks from my lost childhood. I think I loved someone as a child, before I ever met you”

Sulli’s eyes brimmed with tears. Minho hated to see her cry more than anything. He couldn’t stand to hurt the person most precious to him. 

“I am trying to forget about her. This girl doesn’t even exist in my life or in my heart anymore. But I wanted to tell you so that you would understand what I am going through”

Sulli nodded, and Minho realized she wasn't crying because she felt jealous of the girl he had once loved.

She was crying because she was sad that he could not recover his past. No matter what, Sulli thought of Minho's feelings before her own.  

Minho reached for Sulli’s hand. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Minho. Her warm dry body was pressed against his cold damp back. She leaned her head against his chest. At that moment, he felt in his heart that there was nowhere he was meant to be except in Sulli’s arms.

“Whether you remember the past or not, whether you love her or me … I will always be here for you whenever you need me”

--

Minho and Sulli were standing outside in the cold again, posing for the shoot. Minho held an umbrella but both of them were still getting wet.

Despite the rain, Minho felt warm. Talking with Sulli had cleared his mind.

“Sulli, move up slightly so that you are closer to the street” the photographer said.

As Sulli shifted her feet according to the directions, Minho heard the engine of a bus approaching.

He saw a large bus heading straight for a pool of filthy rainwater that was by Sulli’s feet.

Without thinking, he dropped the umbrella and threw himself in front of Sulli.

The bus drove by loudly, and a giant sheet of rainwater hit Minho’s body. The dirty water soaked him completely.

Sulli’s face was only inches away from his face.

She looked at Minho in surprise as rain soaked her face and water dripped from her hair. He stared at her in amazement. Somehow, he never got tired of Sulli’s beauty.   

“S-sorry… I guess we have to shoot that again” Sulli finally said.

“Actually, that shot was perfect. Although it wasn’t planned, this shot turned out to be one of the best in the series. It really captured the emotion on your faces. We can wrap up now”

Minho looked at Sulli. They were both soaked and tired.

Suddenly, they broke out laughing. Even if they were models, they felt so foolish as they stood there covered in dirty water.

He put his arms around her shoulder and held her close to him.

--

“Minho, get ready quickly. Your first shoot with Yuri will start in an hour”

The director was talking to Minho on the phone.

Minho and Sulli were in her sunny studio. They had changed into their matching black-and-white shirts after the photo shoot in the rain.  

“Aish! I have to go soon” Minho complained.

He felt physically and mentally exhausted. He hadn’t seen or heard from Yuri since the night at the hotel either. He wondered what he would have to deal with when he arrived at the shoot.

“You have your photo shoot with Yuri, right?”

Although her face didn’t show much expression, Sulli's voice was soft and sad.

Minho knew that she was upset but he couldn’t think of anything to say to comfort her.

Before he could say anything, Sulli packed all her things up and walked to the door.  

“I have to go arrange a few spreads for the Spring Catalog! Good luck on your first day!”

She waved weakly and then dashed out of the studio.

Sighing, Minho stood up to get all his things.

Suddenly, he noticed the pink notebook that Sulli always had with her. Does she not need this today?

Sulli always took care of the notebook and brought it with her everywhere. She had been so upset that she forgot her most important possession. 

I wonder if the arrangements for my shoot with Yuri are in here…?

Slowly, he opened the notebook.

He gasped and almost dropped it.

In the notebook were countless sketches … of him.

From the first page, it was a sketch of him at eight years old, wearing a soccer uniform.

A few pages later, there were sketches of him and Taemin after they debuted as models. There were other pictures of him in detailed clothing designs. While the designs changed, the tones did not ... Every piece was colored in the vibrant hues of a sunset.

All the dates were labelled, starting from thirteen years ago. 

There was a section with Return to Childhood underlined. In that section, she had sketched countless pictures of Minho as a young boy. 

One page had a corner folded... a sketch of him on his first day at the Menswear department. He was sitting in the studio, and she had painted the sunset behind him with watercolor. 

There were notes in the margins.

Thoughts are overflowing. This is my love… increased even more and more.

I cannot tell everything immediately. I want to say it someday.

As if I took 1000 years. But always by your side.

Piece of the puzzle of memories that you’re here.

And connecting memories were also softly next to me.

Minho felt his heart jolt as he was flooded with memories.

He dropped the notebook and a small photo slipped out. He didn’t have to pick it up to see what it was. A picture of him and Taemin, with Sulli standing between them in a white dress.

Her smile was still the same after all these years.

He ran out of the studio. He had to go see Taemin and ask him what was going on.

Arriving at the hospital with his heart beating fast, he pushed open the door to Taemin’s room.

Sulli was sitting by his bed, and she turned around in shock as Minho burst in. 

--

THANK YOU READERS for sticking with the story for so long. 

here are the fun facts of this chapter although you probably all already know! 

1. the rain scene was a scene from to the beautiful you! if you haven't seen this drama, go go go watch it now. 

2. the words written in the notebook are lines from a shinee song (1000 years, always by your side) 

NEXT CHAPTER WILL REVEAL THEIR ENTIRE PAST.

are you guys ready??!!

although there is a problem.

I told my roommates to make sure I am doing my work, so they made a rule that I can't post up the next chapter until I get 20 comments on this chapter. IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? aslkjagadfg

TT_TT I don't want to listen to them, but please help me by commenting so I can update faster!

much love  from your author <3