“Sulli-yah, I want to make our relationship official so that I can be with you freely”

Sulli’s eyes widened with surprise as she turned her face to look at Minho. His eyes were serious. Sulli’s head was filled with all the complications that could come from revealing their relationship officially. But in her heart, she too wished that she could be with him without the burdens of secrecy.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Taemin flung open the door holding a bag of groceries. His mouth hung open when he saw Sulli lying against Minho’s almost- body.

Sulli immediately moved away from Minho and threw a shirt at him. It landed on top of his head.

“Ya! Why are you throwing clothes at me?” Minho yelled at Sulli.

She laughed as she ran over to the doorway and peeked into Taemin’s bag to see what he had bought.

“And you, why didn’t you knock?!” Minho complained to Taemin.

“Hyung, you know I never knock! I thought Sulli would have left long ago! I even went to the supermarket that’s farther so that you would have more time together. Sorry for disturbing!” Taemin said.

“It’s okay, Taeminnie! Wow, look at all the food you bought! Shall I cook for you guys today?”

Sulli left the room while swinging the bag of groceries.

For now, she didn’t want to think about the status of her relationship with Minho. Becoming an official couple to the public would cause too many problems. She simply wanted to spend every free moment by Minho’s side, playing around and laughing together along with Taemin too.

They spent the rest of the day cooking together. Minho the perfectionist laughed at the clumsy way Sulli  and Taemin chopped the vegetables. Then, as the oldest, he playfully scolded the maknaes for playing around in the kitchen. Taemin danced around and juggled the potatoes, while Sulli lifted up cucumber slices over her eyes. Somehow, they managed to finish cooking.

After dinner, Sulli cleaned up while the guys played video games. They decided to start a film, but they were hardly halfway through before Sulli and Taemin both fell asleep against Minho’s shoulder on either side of him. Slowly, he drifted to sleep as well, with his head resting on Sulli’s head.

--

“Choi Sulli, you are gaining fame these days, not only in the fashion world but in the mainstream culture as well. Because TTBY was an international success, you have many new followers. Please tell them what it’s like to become a model-turned-stylist”

The reporter looked at Sulli patiently with her pen in hand. Sulli tried to answer naturally although she wasn’t used to being interviewed. Recently, SM scheduled many publicity events for her since her talents were beginning to be acknowledged by the public.

“Actually, I am much more natural as a stylist since I have been doing it ever since I was young. As a model, I had a lovely image, especially because I was one of the youngest models to appear in fashion magazines and prints. However, I am truly able to express myself when I style clothing for models to represent. I am trying to show the world a more real and mature side of myself”

The reporter seemed impressed with the response as she recorded it.

After the interview, Sulli sat in the back seat of the company car and sighed. The chauffer turned around slightly in concern but she shook her head to indicate that it was nothing.

It had been weeks since the day she spent with Minho. She was glad to be successful, but she was so busy every day that she did not even have time for her own thoughts. SM seemed to be using her as a marketing representative now, rather than a stylist. Every day, there was another photo shoot or fashion event to attend…

Meanwhile, Minho was working hard to promote his debut and support Taemin with his comeback. Heechul had left for the military several weeks ago. She truly missed everyone... All the people she loved were fighting to realize their ambitions, so she should work hard too.

But sometimes it was so difficult. When she saw a couple holding hands while walking in the streets, she wished more than anything that she could wander freely through the city with Minho. When she noticed couple items on sale at various shops, she thought of the striped shirt she bought with Minho, which she couldn’t wear in public because it may cause suspicion. When she ran into boys kicking around a ball at the park, she remembered the simple childhood days when she watched Minho practice soccer. More than anything, she just hoped for the day that people would accept her and Minho being together.  

What Minho had said about making their relationship official never came up again, since they only sent simple messages of encouragement to make each other smile.

--

For the first time in weeks, Sulli pushed the revolving door to enter the SM building.

Her schedule was free for the rest of the day, so she went into her studio to rest. She put on some music and started to organize the room.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

Minho opened the door cautiously and then walked in.  

“I knew I would find you here” he smiled at Sulli.

“Oh, you aren’t busy?” Sulli asked as she stared at Minho in surprise.

She would have searched for Minho but she had assumed his schedule was full. Now, seeing him in person after so many days, her heart began to beat faster. 

“I made sure this block of time was clear on my agenda, since you sent me your schedule and I saw that you were not busy at this time”

He smiled shyly at her. He stared for a moment to soak in her presence, and then wrapped her in his arms. She didn’t know what to say. All she wanted to do was stay against him without moving. The stressful thoughts on her mind faded away as she placed her head against his chest.

“How much time do you have?” she asked.

“About an hour” he sighed.

He rested his head on her shoulder for a moment and let his lips softly graze her neck. Her fingers moved along his back and then slyly slipped under the fabric of his shirt. Aroused by her touch, he began to kiss her shoulder and then her neck. She lifted his chin up so that she was facing him, and she pressed her lips against his.

Suddenly, they heard the door being flung open. She had not expected anyone to know she was in her studio so she had impulsively started to kiss Minho without locking the door.

They tore apart instantly.

“Sulli-yah, my Jean Paul Gaultier shoes are worn— YA!“

Key stared in shock at the close distance between Sulli and Minho.

“W-W-Wait a second! Sulli, don’t tell me you’re …. Are you and Minho together?!”

Key grabbed Sulli’s arm and pulled her away from Minho with a sharp look of suspicion. Although Key and Minho had become close, it didn’t mean that Key could just let his dongsaeng fall in love with this cocky playboy.

“Actually, we have been together…” Sulli started to say.

“Sulli-yah! Do you not know who this is? It’s Choi Minho! Just a few weeks ago, he was dancing all over Yuri. He thinks he is the most charming and handsome model to ever grace the fashion world. Anyone can see that he needs to cut down on the cool act. He’s nice enough but starting a relationship with him will just hurt you in the end!”

Key spoke as if Minho wasn’t in the room.

Sulli gently reached out and touched Minho's hand. Although she had thought before that she wouldn’t be able to face it if anyone discovered their relationship, now she wanted to stand up for her love and protect Minho from Key’s criticism.

“Key oppa, calm down please! I have loved Minho for over ten years, so I trust him. Please understand my feelings and also help keep it a secret”

Sulli kept a calm tone but she looked at Key pleadingly. She wished everyone would get along well. All the people important to her like Key and Heechul… Would they be able to accept her love for Minho?

Key looked incredulously from Minho to Sulli. Finally, he sighed and half-heartedly tousled Sulli’s hair before turning around and leaving the studio.

Minho buried his face in his hands.

“Now I know why you didn’t want to reveal our relationship. People won’t support us at all. To them, I am just a dirtbag who is corrupting you. How could I have messed up so much?!”

“You didn’t mess anything up. It doesn’t matter what people think. The important thing is that we love each other” Sulli said.

She gave Minho one last kiss on the lips before he had to rush off to the next item on his agenda.

--

More weeks passed. Minho and Sulli were too busy to see each other. They messaged each other every day, but it wasn’t the same. Something had gone missing from their relationship; it had been a long time since they saw each other’s faces and touched each other’s hands.

Sulli was sitting in her room, browsing the Internet, when a headline suddenly caught her eye.

Are Changmin and Victoria dating?

Sulli nearly choked after clicking on the article and seeing the evidence.

“Victoria eunniiiieeee!” she called.

Victoria rushed in the room.

“What is it?! Why are you yelling like that?”

“Are you dating Changmin?!”

“Oh, so you read the news?”

“Is it true?! Why didn’t you let me know? All this time, I thought you were with Nichkhun!”

“Actually, it is because Nichkhun and I modeled wedding designs together. So we had to act like a couple for publicity. Even on our supposed anniversary, it was an event for the media….”

“How could you have faked it for so long?”

“It is part of our job as representatives of a brand. It would be unprofessional to reveal that we are dating other people in real life”

“Then you must be displeased that your relationship with Changmin has been exposed to the public”

“No… Actually, I’ve secretly wanted someone to discover our relationship. Even if we try to control our feelings, love is not so easily suppressed. I thought I was being careful and mature, but I truly love Changmin so I should start putting our relationship first. I want the freedom to express my feelings for him whenever and wherever; that is the way love should be. Everyone else isn’t important. I just want to be with him”

Victoria had a wistful look on her face. She had been hiding her relationship for too long…

Sulli looked admiringly at her wise eunni. After Victoria left the room, Sulli took out her phone and made a call.

“Yobseo?”

“Minho, let’s reveal our love to the world”

--

fun facts: 

1. Key once told Minho to cut down on his cool act. 

2. CHANGTORIA spoon scandal

hi readers, sorry, I will try to update faster! let me know whether or not you like how the story is progressing!

comment comment comment! I love all your comments so much, so even if you don't like the chapter, comment anyway and give me criticism! <3

love you all!

I love you all <3