One Month Later

Sulli's POV 

Sulli awoke with her face pressed against the stuffed froggy that Minho had given her. She yawned and stretched lazily.

She hadn’t slept so well in a while because her schedule had been so hectic – from shooting for TTBY to preparing for the SM International debut to visiting Taemin throughout his recuperation.

To the Beautiful You had ended recently so she could no longer see Minho every day. However, shooting for the series had been filled with valuable memories. 

TTBY had been an excuse for them to spend time together without the director’s suspicion. Although they were unable to show their feelings, being able to see each other every day was still meaningful. They acted like oppa and dongsaeng. Actually, they had avoided public affection so much that they even felt awkward during their kiss scenes. Acting intimate for an audience certainly had a different feel from being close in private.

Unfortunately, after the press conferences and commercial offers died down, Sulli and Minho rarely saw each other these days. 

The last time she had seen him was the day that Taemin was discharged from the hospital, but they could only spend a short time together since they each had busy schedules; even Taemin had to immediately restart training so that he could model again.

It was hard to be apart, especially because they had to be careful to hide their feelings, but they always smiled when they passed each other in the hall and sent each other messages so that they didn’t lose thoughts of each other.

But today, Sulli would see Minho again. SM was launching its International debut so Minho and Sulli would be able to see each other every day for the next several weeks to promote their season's arrangements.

The thought of seeing Minho was motivation for Sulli to rise from bed.

Since their departure from the airport wasn’t for some hours, she decided to take a bath. She started the water in the tub while she brushed her teeth.

“Sulli-yah! I’m leaving now since I still need to do some last-minute shopping before leaving. I’ll meet you at the airport!” Victoria called from the doorway.

“See you soon, umma!” Sulli called back.

Although Sulli adored her Vic umma, the apartment felt more peaceful when there was no one else in it. She started to sing peacefully to herself as she soaked in her lavender-scented bath. Springtime had arrived so Sulli no longer had to fear dry skin; her body was soft as a baby’s.

Feeling light-hearted as a child, she massaged the shampoo through her hair until it stood up like antlers. Laughing to herself, she blew bubbles from the soap suds in her palm and then splashed fresh water to cleanse her face.

Suddenly, her phone lit up with a message. It was sitting on the bathtub’s ledge and Sulli peered over to see the screen.

From: Froggy

Hey love, I’m in your apartment. Victoria noticed me on the way out of the building so she let me in before I called you. She said she left the door unlocked too, so I’m heading up now.

“NOW?!” Sulli yelled out.

She was so shocked that she almost dropped the phone into the water.

Suddenly, she heard the door of the apartment open.  

“Sulli? Where are you?” Minho’s voice called out.  

Sulli was too paralyzed to respond. Why in the world did he have to come now of all times?

Ottoke…. I can’t let him see me like this. Thank god the water is too soapy for my body to be visible. Either way, it would be too embarrassing for him to come in. Victoria umma, why did you just let him in when you knew I had just woken up?!

While Sulli was panicking in her mind and biting her lip, she didn’t notice the door to the bathroom gradually open until Minho was peering in.

“Ya! Why didn’t you reply when I called your name?!” Minho demanded.

Sulli yelled in shock when she saw Minho’s face peeking into the bathroom. They both stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. Then, he noticed Sulli’s hair and collapsed into hysterics. She could feel her pale face blushing.

“P-ert, wait for me outside! Why did you come without telling me beforehand anyway?”

Sulli threw her wet loofah at Minho. It barely missed him and he laughed.

Instead of leaving, he went into the bathroom and kissed Sulli’s forehead. Her entire body was so clean and fragrant, he couldn’t help moving his lips to her neck and then to her shoulder. She touched his jawline with her moist fingertips and ran her other hand through his hair.  

“Mmph, I drove over so we could eat breakfast and go to the airport together. I didn’t know you were so busy”

Minho smirked as he stopped kissing Sulli and walked to the doorway.

“Ya!” Sulli yelled.

Minho laughed as he backed out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

--

Sulli shifted uncomfortably in the airplane seat. Next to her, Krystal was already settled in and looking through an American magazine.

“Sulli-yah…. Come here” Krystal suddenly said.

She pulled Sulli towards her and leaned close to her ear.

“Have you and Minho…. Done it?” Krystal whispered.

“BWO?!?!” Sulli yelled out loud.

Several passengers around her looked over curiously. She covered and bowed her head apologetically.

“I was reading a magazine article about it, so I just became curious” Krystal said coolly, as if the question was very simple.

“W-we have not” Sulli said. 

“Why not?! Don’t you love him?” Krystal asked.

Sulli looked down shyly and felt her face start to grow hot.

“Well, that is… I don’t think he sees me that way. In his eyes, I am probably just an inexperienced child. I doubt that he has those kinds of feelings for me” Sulli mumbled quietly.

“What are you talking about?! If he’s a man and he loves you, there’s no way he isn’t thinking about it at this very instant” Krystal said.

“B-but…”

“The question is, do you see him in that way?” Krystal asked.

Sulli opened to answer, but she suddenly felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see the director standing over her.

“Sulli, can we discuss something for a moment? It will be quick” the director said.

Sulli blinked in a daze. It took her a while to recover from the conversation she was having with Krystal. Then, she stood up to go speak with the director.  

--

Minho's POV 

“Krystal, where is Sulli?” Minho whispered.

Almost everyone on the plane was asleep, so Minho had left his seat and come to see Sulli. Even though they had arrived at the airport together, they had to separate so that nobody would suspect anything between the two of them.

“She is talking to the director” Krystal said haughtily.

“Are you serious? He won’t let her rest even on the plane ride?” Minho scowled impatiently.

“Are you jealous that the director gets more of Sulli’s attention than you do?” Krystal smirked.

“Just let me sit here for a while until she returns”

Minho sat in Sulli’s seat while Krystal continued to smirk at him.

“Oppa has changed a lot. I never thought there would be a day when I would see you fall so deeply in love. It really puts everything in perspective. Now, I’m realizing how shallow our relationship was. You really didn’t care at all, did you?”

Krystal stared at Minho. She was the kind of person who liked to be candid about what she was thinking.

He looked away.

“To be honest, when I saw you competing at sports events sponsored by the Athletes’ department, I really did think you seemed so cool. I was glad to find someone who I could discuss sports with, but that was all we talked about. I admired you a lot, and I still do. The problem is… Love and admiration are very different, right?”

“Ne… I realize that now. But we can still be friends, okay?”

“I would like that”

“You always try to be so polite. Just treat me as a friend. And come talk to me whenever you need advice about Sulli”

Krystal shook Minho’s hand. She laughed at the formalness between them. Minho was always so polite. 

“Actually, there is an issue I would like advice on –”

“Ya! Choi Minho, why are you in my seat?”

Minho turned around at the sound of Sulli’s voice. She stood over him with an expressionless face.

“I came here to see you, but you weren’t here…” Minho started to say.

“Go back before someone sees you” Sulli deadpanned.

Disoriented by Sulli’s coldness, Minho walked back to his seat like an ashamed child.

What’s wrong with her?

He was too restless to fall asleep. He continued to toss and turn in the seat with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he felt someone pinch his arm. He turned around to see Krystal.

“Honestly, right after I praise your love for Sulli, an issue comes up. Our baby Ssul has been pretending to be asleep but I see tears flowing down her face. What did you do?”

“N-nothing! We were fine this morning”

“Well, she told me that the director was discussing something about you...”

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Minho.

“Oh no!”

--

Sulli's POV 

Sulli buried her face in her arms. Why must her heart feel so tortured?

-Flashback-

“Sulli-yah, sorry to assign you work before the plane has even landed but I need you to adjust a suit for Minho. I would ask an intern who is less busy, but there is no doubt that you are the best at tailoring clothes for Minho. In order to promote the Couples series, Minho and Yuri will be performing a dance at the show. Here are several shots from their rehearsal so just fashion a suit that matches her dress”

The director showed Sulli a series of professional photographs featuring Minho and Yuri. Yuri wore a revealing dress as she stood over Minho, who gazed passionately into her eyes. His hand was grazing her bare leg and her hand was touching the back of his neck. There was no doubt they looked sultry and beautiful. 

Without another word, Sulli nodded and walked numbly back to her seat, only to see Minho and Krystal laughing and flirting with each other.

Sulli had never understood this thing called jealousy, but she was now feeling it a hundred fold.

Sulli pretended to be asleep through the rest of the plane ride so that she wouldn't have to face anyone. 

After the plane landed, Krystal put her arm around Sulli’s shoulder and kissed her cheek.

“Hurry and wake up! The first one off the plane gets to pick her bed when we arrive at our hotel room” Krystal said happily.

“The beds are the same anyway! And I have the advantage since I’m in the aisle seat”

Sulli tried her best to laugh along with her best friend. Krystal and Sulli walked off the plane hand-in-hand.

When they arrived at their hotel room, Krystal ended up picking out her bed while Sulli instantly began to work on Minho's suit.

“What are you working on? We’ve only just arrived! I wanted to go eat” Krystal pouted.

“The director wants me to tailor this suit for Minho, since he’ll be performing a Couples dance with Yuri” Sulli said emotionlessly.

Krystal’s eyes widened. She wrapped her arms around Sulli to comfort her.

“Don’t worry about it, since Minho only loves you” Krystal said.

Sulli did not respond as she focused on her work. She was grateful for Krystal's words but her heart was still stinging. 

“I feel hungry so I am going to get food. Do you want anything?” Krystal asked.

“Aniyo. Come back soon"

She waved while Krystal left the room.

After a few moments, Sulli heard the door open.

She didn’t look up because she assumed that Krystal had left her purse in the room.

She was surprised when a pair of strong arms embraced her shoulders from behind. Instantly, she recognized whose arms they were. Minho pressed his lips against Sulli’s cheek and he placed a bottle of orange juice onto the table.

“I know you are upset at me and you don’t want to see my face right now, so don’t turn around to look at me since I look ugly from crying anyway. I truly did not want to have this performance with Yuri and I wished you would not have to know about it because it would hurt you. So please just drink this orange juice to heal your heart”

Minho whispered into Sulli’s hair. She remained silent. Minho was always full of sentimental words, but how sincere was he? 

She didn’t move until she heard him leave the room.

Then, she drank every last drop of the orange juice.

--

“Krystal, are you attending the sports events sponsored by the Athletes’ department tomorrow?” Luna asked.

Luna, Victoria, Krystal, Amber, and Sulli were lying in bed. These days, it was rare for them to be all together in one room.

“Aniyo… Most of the models who are attending are from the Athletes’ department. I think the only exception is Minho, since he’s in Menswear now” Krystal said.

“So he’ll be attending the tournament right after the fashion show?! Wow, he really won’t rest, will he? That also means Sulli won’t see him for a few days” Amber said.

“Sulli-yah, take care of him, won’t you?” Luna said.

Sulli faked a smile before burying her face in a pillow and making childish whimpering noises to vent her frustration. At the same time that she felt jealous, she still wished she didn't have to go days without seeing him.

The girls laughed and hit her with their pillows.

“Sulli is always in her own world…” Victoria said affectionately and kissed the top of Sulli’s head.

--

Sulli watched as Yuri dove gracefully through Minho’s legs while holding onto his hands. Their bodies became hot as they rubbed against each other through the thin fabric. She brought her face close to his and gazed intensely into his eyes.  

Finally, Sulli couldn’t stand it anymore and turned away.

--

Minho's POV 

At the show’s end, Minho looked desperately for Sulli. He had to leave for the sports event tomorrow in order to support the Athletes' department, but he didn't want to go without seeing Sulli first.

When he found her, he pushed through the crowd to be near her and put his hand on her back.

Krystal was talking to Sulli, and glanced at him sharply to warn him about all the cameras surrounding them. Sulli turned around too but her face remained expressionless.

“Sulli…” he started to say.

“Oppa! Look front!” she said.

“Give me a push then” he said.

She pushed him closer to the front. Shocked by her strength, he fell back slightly against her arm. She gently pushed him again.

When he turned around, she had already disappeared.

How do I explain?

He reached into his pocket and felt the tiny box that was in there.

The box that held Sulli’s engagement ring…

  --

Sulli looked through the reviews from the previous day’s show. She bit her lip in concentration as she read each criticism carefully.

“Sulli! I have the worst news!”

Krystal burst into their hotel room. Sulli turned around and raised her eyebrow.

“Minho oppa has been injured!” 

---

how was the chapter?!?! please comment and upvote! 

there weren't many sweet moments but I figured that I would write a chapter showing Sulli's jealousy too, hehehe. 

oh and thank you to the mention on the minsul thread! it meant a lot to me

I love you all very much <3