Inseparable minxgikwang

Months went by, and it was almost a routine for Min and Gikwang to meet after school. Obviously they had those days where they were busy and had to call off, but those times were actually pretty rare. Hyosung at first insisted on tagging along, but after a week, she realized that she wasn't going to get the all of the attention she wanted from Gikwang. So she stopped, jealous and angry.

Min and Gikwang were almost inseperable now. They were just such close friends, and a lot of people mistook them as dating. Which Min (discreetly) didn't mind at all, but it certainly made an impact on Hyosung, who now sent Min daily glares.

It was one innocent Wednesday afternoon, and Min and Gikwang were sitting at their usual coffee shop, conversing like every other day, when Gikwang asked her a question that thrilled her.

"Hey, Minnie..." he started, scratching the back of his head.

"Hmmm?" she hummed in response, looking down to take a sip of her frappe from her straw.

"There'sapartyinafewdaysthatmyfriendishostingandhesaidtoinviteanyonesoIwaswonderingifyoucouldcome?" He blurted out in one breath, flushing nervously.

 Min blinked. The long, seemingly one word sentence had pretty much went into one ear and flew out the other, not giving her time to comprehend. "Sorry, what?"

Gikwang sighed in embarrassment. "Well, my close friend, Doojoon, is holding his birthday party at the hotel near the mall in Kangnam, and he said to invite as many people as I wanted. I was wondering if you could come? I invited Hyosung as well," he fiddled with his straw wrapper, wrapping it around his finger and yanking until it ripped.

Again, all Min could do was blink. Then blush. Then smile. "I'll be there!"

A immediately beam spread out over his lips, ecstatic that she accepted his invitation. "Great! It's on Saturday, starting from seven and going on through the night. I'll message you the address. Oh, and make sure to dress nice! It's going to be formal!"

Min nodded to everything he said, a bright smile still on her lips. But soon, the smile disappeared when she realized something, a chill of panic going through her body

 ! I have exactly two days to find a dress!

"Hello?"

"Unnie! You've got to help me, I'm so screwed!"

Hyoyeon yanked the phone away from her ear with a cringe at Min's abnormally shrill voice flying through the voice piece. Cautiously, she put it back to ear. "Okay Minnie, calm down and tell me what's wrong," she said in a soothing voice.

"I need to find a formal dress in two days, before Saturday! And, and, and...I didn't know who else to go to..."

"Why do you need a dress?" Bewilderment could be heard in Hyoyeon's voice. Min wasn't the type to really wear dresses, always settling for shorts, jeans, and skirts, when the occasion called for it (such as school).

"I-I-I got invited to a birthday party. By Gikwang! I told you about Gikwang right?" Min was obviously panicking so much that her usually strong speech was faltering.

Hyoyeon rolled her eyes, even though she knew Min couldn't see her through the phone (obviously). "Only like a million times. And my, the talking about him increased recently...did you guys start dating?"

Min flushed immediately, the bright red tone rushing over her cheeks. I wish...I meant-- "NO!" she yelled. "Y-You know I would have told you if I got a boyfriend!"

A chuckle slipped from Min's speaker. "Alright, alright, chill girl. I finish work in an hour, so meet me at the mall at 6. Sound good?"

"Yes...oh my God yes, thank you so much, Hyo unnie!" Min enthusiastically replied, jumping with happiness and relief.

 "This looks good," Hyo picked up a baby blue dress and held it up to Min's shoulders. It had a simple and tight bodice, with an open back where a ribbon threaded it like a corset. The skirt was a whole lot of long fabric bunched up, smoothing out to a flow at the bottom, and the whole thing was held up by two thin straps.

"Err...I'll try it on..." Min hesitantly took it, looking at the dress warily as she began to walk towards the dressing rooms.

"Make sure to come out at show me! Oh, and try on these too!" Suddenly, five more dresses were thrown over Min's head, making her run into a wall as a sea of orange satin suddenly blocked her vision.

Five minutes later, the small girl trudged out with an uncomfortable expression. The dress's skirt was gathered in her arms and when she dropped it, it seemed like she was drowning in blue fabric.

"Um...well, you look gorgeous, as always, but..." Hyo awkwardly stared at her. "I'm too short," Min plainly finished off the sentence, staring down at the puddle of silk around her feet.

"Just a bit. Now, go try on another dress!"

A million exasperated sighs, a thousand dresses, and ten large department stores later, they still couldn't find a dress for the tiny girl. Everything was either too long or too short, and Min's pickiness would reject dresses that she called "unclassy" or ones that "made her look even tinier".

Min and Hyo trudged out of the mall with irritated and bothered expressions at ten p.m. Well, Hyo still had a determined face, but Min looked like she had been forced to do manual labor for the rest of her life.

"It's okay, we’ll try again tomorrow ~” Hyoyeon cheered on positively, throwing an arm around Min’s shoulders. “at a different, better shopping mall.”

“Tomorrow is the last day for me to find a dress,” she exasperatedly threw her hands up. “I might as well tell Gikwang that I can’t go!”

“No! My Minnie has to find a boyfriend soon or else she’s going to end up forever alone!” Hyo argued, making the smaller girl roll her eyes.

The next day, it seemed like a million years passed before Min and Hyoyeon finally found a dress that both agreed on. Min felt like a heavy weight disappear from her shoulders as she paid for the dress and finally got to go home.

Lying in bed, Min stared up at the ceiling, half-anticipating, half-dreading the next day, the party. She didn’t know if she would do something un-elegant or unattractive that would make Gikwang laugh at her, and she didn’t want to know. Confusing herself in her own worries, she finally drifted off to sleep with a jumbled mess of a mind.

Min woke up, the next morning at two o’clock to the sound of the front door of her house being pounded on, as if the other person was about to get caught by some serial killer. “Lee Minyoung, open up, you lazy !” Hyoyeon’s voice leaked through the door.

“Coming, coming,” Min grumbled as she trudged towards the door in her shorts and camisole, her short hair in a mess and sticking up from her head. She unlocked the door and swung it open, only to find a grinning Hyoyeon and an utterly confused-looking Gikwang.

Min blinked her sleepy eyes, still half-asleep, before realizing who was standing in front of her and immediately, her eyes widened, now completely back to the world.

“G-Gikwang!” She squeaked, before slamming the door closed.

Gikwang stared at the door, blinking rapidly, before turning his questioning gaze onto Hyoyeon. “Why am I here again, noona?” he stupidly asked.

Hyoyeon rolled her eyes at the immaturity of Min and fished out a key from her back pocket as she repeated her plans. “You’re taking Min to that party later tonight, right? You’re going to take Minnie to get her hair and make up done before bringing her back home to get changed into her dress. By the time that’s all done, you’ll take her to that party, okay?

What Min didn’t know was that Gikwang and Hyoyeon were on the same dance team, while Gikwang had no clue until that point that Hyoyeon knew Min, Hyoyeon had purposely kept it secret that she was actually quite close to the small girl’s crush.

Gikwang narrowed his eyes at the demanding instructions. “I promised Hyosung that I would pick her up. I can’t back out now, sorry noona.” Shrugging, he his heels, about to leave.

“Oh no you’re not,” Hyoyeon grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, glaring hotly at him. “Saengie, I’m helping you with your crush. Do you not want to make your move on her?”

That caught Gikwang off-guard, and looked at her with flushed cheeks and shook his head frantically in denial. “I-I don’t like Minnie! Sh-She’s just a good friend, okay?!”

“Denial~” Hyo sing-songed as she inserted the key into the lock and turned, then swinging open the door.

“I-I swear I’m not lying!” he mumbled, but let Hyoyeon push him in.

Min burst right through her bedroom door as they came in, freshly dressed in proper clothes and hair brushed out, and she gave a startled squeak at the sight of Gikwang standing in her living. “Unnie! What’s going on?”

“Surprise. Your date here is taking you to get your face and hair drop-dead gorgeous.”

“It’s not a date!” Min screeched in protest, her face flaming. Her enthusiastic response disappointed Gikwang. He looked down, fiddling awkwardly with his thumbs. Did she really think of him so purely as a friend that she becomes disgusted at the thought of dating him?

“Aww, Minnie, look. You’ve made Gikwangie sad,” Hyoyeon boo-hooed, faking a sad face before flatly looking at Min. “Now go! I’ll take good care of your place.” She shooed both of them out the door before locking them out.

“What the—“ Min pounded on the door. “Unnie, I need my bag!”

The door opened six inches and her purse came flying out, landing on the welcome mat before the door slammed back closed.

“What the hell…” She mumbled grumpily as she picked up the bag before straightening and looking up at Gikwang with a small, embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry that my unnie dragged you all the way here, but…how do you two know each other?”

Gikwang scratched the back of his head. “We’re on the same dance team,” he explained. “I didn’t know that she knew you.”

“I didn’t know she knew you either,” she sighed, a bit irritated that she was unaware of this little fact. “You can go to your plans. I’m sorry for wasting your time, and I’ll see you later at the party.” She gave him a sheepish smile before turning reluctantly and starting her way down the street.

She had gone about a yard before a hand grabbed her shoulder. “Wait up,” Gikwang smiled. “I have nothing to do anyway, so I’ll accompany you.”

Min smiled immediately, lighting up her face, and temporarily knocked the breath out of Gikwang. “Thanks, Kwangie,” she playfully said. “Come on.”

“Where is she,” Gikwang mumbled as his eyes strayed from his phone, looking up from where he was sitting on a chair, tipping back and leaning against the wall right behind him, in a bubble tea café a few stores from the place Min had gone into. She had demanded him to stay there, saying she would feel awkward if he were there watching her, but he was completely restless. Gikwang obviously finished earlier, since all he did was dye his hair a shade of red-brown and have his hair styled with products. He kept on shaking his leg, trying to play with his phone but his eyes kept wandering excessively towards the door. Why he was so restless, he didn’t know. Just the anticipation of Min putting on make up and doing her hair unnerved him, as she usually sported loose hair and a bare face other than her eyes, which were always traced with simple black eyeliner.

“Will she be prettier than she usually is?” he mumbled before catching himself. “No, Gikwang, don’t be foolish! She doesn’t like you, so there’s no use fawning over her!” he smacked his cheek with his hand.

“What are you doing?” an amused voice rang out. The voice startling him, he looked up too quickly and ended up banging his head on the wall behind him.

“Oww…” he mumbled, rubbing his head as he carefully put his chair on its four legs and looked up again, this time more carefully. His breath caught at the sight of her.

Whoever did Min’s make up had obviously thought her already close to flawless, as it was light. Brown eyeliner outlined her eyes in a soft way, but the eye shadow dusted over her eyelids made her almond-shaped dark eyes seem more striking. She had her hair dyed a striking white-blonde color and in an intricate  bun updo using clips she had personally bought and given to the hairdressers to use. Strands of hair framed her bubbly face.

Min nervously brought her hands up to her cheeks, although careful not to touch the make up. “Do I look weird?” she asked, starting to wonder if the makeover was worth her money and just made her look like a freak.

“N-No!” Gikwang quickly denied, standing up and shaking his head. A blush crept up his neck and targeted his cheek. He smiled nervously, daring to reach up to her face and take her hand, pulling it gently away from her face. He held her hand, smiling at the petite girl. “You look stunning.”

Min flushed immediately, her cheeks burning as her red lips spread into a smile. “Thanks, Gikwang.”

The two of them fell into an awkward silence for a few seconds before Min gave a quick smile before jabbing her thumb towards the door. “Come on, let’s go back to my place.”

“Wow, you guys look hot!” Hyoyeon laughed after opening the door to their place, revealing herself to be in a light pink floor-length with her hair curled down her back.

Min blinked in surprise as she stepped into her apartment. “You’re going too? Why didn’t you tell me? We could have gotten ready together,” she pouted.

“Because you and Gikwang had to and I would just end up 3^rd-wheeling.”

“Unnie!”

“Whaaatttt? It’s true!”

Min huffed and rolled her eyes. “Fine fine, but why are you going?”

“FYI, Doojoon is in our dance team. I guess little ‘Kwangie forgot to tell you?”

“I guess little Yeonnie forgot to tell the both of us that you knew the other,” Min replied in a clipped tone.

Hyoyeon narrowed her eyes at her. “Yah, don’t disrespect me. And you’ll thank me later, babo.”

Min rolled her eyes playfully. “Whatever, I’m gonna go change into my dress now,” she said as she went towards her room.

Gikwang watched her leave until she disappeared upstairs before directing his eyes towards Hyoyeon. “Well, since my clothes are at home, I guess I should make my way back so that I can change and pick up Hyosung…” he dwindled before turning around slowly.

“Sorry to be helpful, but I brought your suit from your house. It didn’t take a lot of explaining for your mom to give it to me,” she held out the clothes bag around the hanger and said with a bright smile, knowing Gikwang’s mother favored her immensely out of all of the girls on the dance team.

“What am I supposed to do about Hyosung noona then?” Gikwang exasperatedly said. Hyo smirked. “Just pick her up with Minnie. I heard that you’re also picking up Junhyung, so I’m sure there’s room. I’m getting picked up by Kai later so I won’t need you to take me either.”

Gikwang hesitated for a second before snatching the clothes from him with a growl. “You’re making my life incredibly difficult,” he huffed before going to the bathroom.

Gikwang decided to wait in the car when he finished getting dressed, letting Min finish up after him. He played with his phone while waiting until he was startled when the door of the passenger’s seat suddenly opened, making him jump. “Geez that’s the second time today, Minn—“ He was cut off when he looked up at Min, who slid into the car with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry,” she replied once she sat down. She gestured to her body with a grin. “How do I look?” She was wearing a midnight-blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and multi-layered floor-length satin skirt, with the waist abundantly decorated with gemstones as a fake belt. Her feet were adorned with matching velvet-textured heels that also had gems sprinkled across the front and in her hand, a matching clutch. The color of the dress made her new hair-color and dark eyes stand out even more.

Gikwang swallowed before tearing his eyes away from her and staring at the road while starting the car and pulling out of the driveway of her house. “You look amazing,” he sheepishly said.

As he pulled out of the neighborhood and into the main road, he spoke up. “You do know I’m picking up Hyosung and my friend Junhyung, right?”

Min nodded, her eyes dimming slightly at the name of the girl who seemed to have Gikwang’s heart in her hands. “Yeah, Hyo Unnie told me. No problem~”

Once they arrived in front of Hyosung’s house, she ran up to the passenger’s door and opened the door enthusiastically, only to be surprised by Min sitting there.

“Oh, Mihyung-ssi! I didn’t know you were coming with the three of us?” she said, giving an apologetic smile as she was about to close the door and go to the back of the car.

“Wait, you can sit up here,” Min smiled as she stepped out of the car and went to sit in the back. “It’s actually Minyoung, but call me Min.” Her smile was a bit tight and forced as she looked at the curly-haired golden blonde.

“Oh, Thank you, Min!” she smiled as she slid into the front seat with Gikwang without hesitation.

After a while, they reached Junhyung’s house, who sat in the back seat with Min. Surprisingly for Min, who was always a wallflower, he recognized her and knew her name, and they had an easy and light conversation on the way to the hotel. Gikwang couldn’t help but grip the steering wheel more tightly every time Min laughed or smiled brightly and had a hard time listening to Hyosung’s stories.

“By the way, Gikwang, have you thought about my confession?”

Hyosung’s question made him snap out of it. Luckily, the two in the back didn’t seem to hear and continued with their conversation.

“I, um, will tell you when we get there. In private,” he muttered in reply.

Another half hour later, the four of them arrived at the party in the hotel. Although people were all in formal dresses, the atmosphere was more like that of a house party. The lights were dimmed except for colorful flashing ones, and people were huddled around the middle of the ballroom dancing raucously. Min cringed a bit when she saw a few couples scattered around the perimeter and making out aggressively, completely shameless of the hundreds of other people in the room.

However, her mind kept wandering towards what Hyosung said in the car. Confession? She confessed to him?

“Dance with me?” Junhyung shook her out of her thoughts when he flashed a charming smile and he held his hand out in front of her. Min laughed, a bit embarrassedly. “I don’t dance, sorry.”

“Oh come on, anyone can dance to this music. It’s not like it’s specifically choreographed,” Junhyung grabbed her hand before pulling her to the dance floor.

Min awkwardly stood there in the middle of the moving bodies as Junhyung began to move his body to the music in front of her. “Come on, just have fun,” he smiled, grabbing both of her hands and waving them around with his.

Min took a deep breath. It’s been years since she’s danced, whether choreographed or for fun. She began to m0ve her body, forcing herself not to be so tense. A smile spread across her lips as she began to get into it; she had forgotten how fun dancing was for her. A small laugh let loose from her lips.

“See! You got it!” Junhyung chuckled as he watched the shorter girl dancing to her fun will. The fast paced song abruptly ended and was replaced with a slower song, making her also stop. “What is this, a prom?” she laughed in embarrassment, as she was about to walk away before Junhyung grabbed her by the waist with a smile. “What wrong with prom? Just dance with me~” he playfully said. Min flushed at the close contact before smiling. “Okay, fine fine, I’ll try to chill,” she mumbled as they swayed to the music.

Gikwang watched silently from afar, disturbed and unhappy with how close they seemed to have gotten in such a short span of time. An almost-empty clear plastic cup of water is in his hand.

“Gikwang! Come on, let’s go have fun!” Hyosung bounced up to him with her usual gummy smile, tugging on his folded arm. “Don’t be a bore~”

“Hey, let’s talk, hmm? Outside?” He gave a tight smile.

Hyosung blinked in surprise. “S-Sure…” Is he going to answer my confession now?

He tossed the cup into the trashcan before leading Hyosung out to the rose garden. Once they reached the gazebo, he turned to her, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, look, Hyosung, I guess I should be straightforward with you,” he awkwardly said.

“I can’t return your feelings. I’m sorry.”

Hyosung grew silent and still, looking up at him as hurt flashed through her eyes and her lips pressed into a thin line. She finally gave a little laugh, looking down, no longer able to look him in the eye. “Well, I’m glad you were honest with me,” she truthfully said, her hands clamped into tight fists. “I’ll just get a ride from a friend later,” she said with a tight smile before turning away and walking back into the hotel.

Gikwang bit his lip in guilt as he watched her retreating figure, but felt as if a load had been lifted off his shoulders. Now I can go talk to Minnie.

When Gikwang stepped back into the hotel’s ballroom, the first thing his eyes drew to was a very harassed-looking Min with a pompous Hongki, who was gripping her wrists and had a sleazy smirk on his face that made Gikwang want to beat the out of him.

“Get your hands off of me!”

“Wow, Minyoungie. When did you become this bold?” His taunted, his hands sliding shamelessly up her bare arms and up to her shoulders.

Gikwang stormed over and quickly shoved him to the side, making him stumble away from Min. Wrapping his arms around her waist tightly and pulling her against his chest, Gikwang gave Hongki a thin smile that hid his flaming anger.. “Hands off my girlfriend, Lee Hongki.”

Hongki looked at them with the same shock that was painted on Min’s face. “Y-You guys are dating? Since when?”

“That’s not important. Just don’t touch her anymore?” He said with mock friendliness before grabbing Min’s hand and pulling her away, out of the crowd of drunk teenagers, the warm hotel, and out into the cold winter air, back to the gazebo where Gikwang had to refute Hyosung’s feelings.

“Wait, Gikwang!” Min struggled against his grip, but his hand was clamped in an iron clasp around hers.

Once they were in the gazebo, Gikwang finally let go, turning away from Min as he ran his hands through his hair, not caring about messing up his hair as he tried to calm himself down.

“Gikwang!” Min’s face was flushed as she panted, out of breath from trying to keep up with his strides as he dragged her out.

“WHAT?!” Gikwang gave up on trying to control his emotions as he swung back to around to look at her, his eyes wild with the thousands of emotions that ran through them.

Min bit her lip as she took a step back, shivering from the cold air that was beginning to set into her skin. “Why did you do that?” She said with a shuddering voice, hugging her arms close to her body.

Gikwang stared at her for a few seconds before closing his eyes and finally grabbing reign of his feelings. Without answering her question, he slipped off his jacket while coming closer to her and draping it around her small bare shoulders.

Min pulled the jacket around her shoulders more tightly, although her gaze was piercing with a demand to know the answer to her question. “Well?”

“Why can’t you stay away from him?” Gikwang finally replied flatly. “Why do I have to keep saving you from him?”

“It’s not like I can make him keep away from me! I do stay away!” Min’s fiery temper flared up. “And! I have never asked for your help! You don’t have to keep saving me. I can handle myself. I’ve done it so far for all of middle and high school up to this point.”

Gikwang’s anger spiked up again. “You obviously can’t! You’re small, you’re not as strong as Hongki is, and he is capable of doing so much to you!” He stepped even closer to her, making her take a step back even though her glare never wavered.

“Why do you care so much?!” She yelled back at him, her grip on his jacket around her tight.

“Because I like you, okay!” He finally burst out, grasping his hair before letting go. “I like you and I hate watching you with guys. I hate that you’re so close to Junhyung already and I hate that Hongki torments you in order to flirt with you. Why do you have to be so—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Min stepped forward and pressed her lips up to his, cupping his cheeks in her palms. His jacket slipped slowly off her shoulders before dropping to the ground.

Gikwang stood still in shock for a few seconds, not reacting, simply standing there. Min slowly pulled back, biting her lip nervously as she studied his face for his reaction, but before she could take a step back, Gikwang grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close against him again.

“Where do you think you’re going after that?” He murmured as he dipped his head to initiate another, more passionate kiss. Min responded with no hesitation, her arms slipping up to wrap around his neck as she deepened the kiss. His arms s tightly around her waist.

Reluctantly, Min broke away to catch her breath, her face pink from the lack of oxygen. Gikwang gave a breathless laugh and touched her forehead to his. “Really, when did you become this bold?” he playfully said before dropping a light kiss on her nose.

“Ever since I wanted you to know how I feel,” Min replied with a smile, her hands sliding down to rest on his chest.

“This seems like an obvious question after everything, but…” Gikwang cupped her jaw in his hands as he smiled. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Min smiled even more widely, holding his wrists in her hands lightly. “Of course.”

-mjooyeon