Strolling down the hallway, Minho looked around. Hoodie up, and hands in his pockets, he searched for the practice room. Finally finding a ice skating practice room, he poked his head in to see if it was the one Krystal was in. Sure enough, in front of him, there was Krystal. She was skating unsteadily on the ice, but glided confidently, reaching her hand out to the trainer. Suddenly, she gave a little yelp and fell on her side painfully. Minho winced.

                “Are you okay?” Krystal’s trainers quickly skated towards her and lend his hand out so she could get up. Krystal got back on her feet, but Minho couldn’t see her expression since her back was turned.

                “Can we do that again?” Krystal didn’t answer his question and instead determinedly turned around so she could do the move again. As soon as she saw Minho next to the door, she stopped and narrowed her eyes at him.

                “Why are you here?”

                Minho shrugged.

                “Where’s Amber? She said she would come watch me practice.”

                “Amber suddenly had something to do,” Minho started walking towards one of the bleachers on the side. “So she asked me to come watch for her instead.”

                “Oh, really,” Krystal scrunched her nose.

                “Really,” Minho put his hands up.

                Looking at him for a few seconds, she sighed and started skating backwards slowly. “Fine, you can watch. But don’t make a sound, and don’t do anything that’ll distract me from my practice. Okay? Got it?”

                Minho rolled his eyes but didn’t respond. Resting his foot, he rested his back against the wall. Settling back, he watched Krystal practice.

                It was only around 5 minutes later that Krystal fell again. Minho winced again, hearing the sound of skates hitting the ice and a girl’s body falling against the cold floor. Soundlessly, Krystal immediately got back up and retried the move.

                One after another, Krystal kept on falling. Minho knew that it must hurt, and it made him feel uncomfortable to continue watching someone fall over and over again. But every time she fell, she would get up again without hesitation and continue practicing.

                “Krystal, let’s stop practice for today,” her trainer pleaded. Krystal was panting and resting on the floor. The trainer helped her get up and skated her to the bleachers. Krystal didn’t say a word as the trainer helped her take off her skates. Minho just watched silently as Krystal slipped on her sneakers.

                “Sorry, oppa,” Krystal bowed. “You must be tired. It’s already 1. I’m sorry.”

                “Hey, it doesn’t matter,” the manager patted her shoulders. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow. And hey, you did really well today. Very professional.”

                “Thanks, oppa.”

                As Krystal slowly walked out of the door, Minho nimbly followed, catching up to her fast since she was walking so slowly. The two didn’t say a word as they walked side-by-side, out of the building.

                “You did well today,” Minho finally spoke, still looking straight ahead. Krystal just murmured words that Minho couldn’t make out.

                Awkwardly, Minho and Krystal continued to walk. Suddenly, Krystal doubled over and fell on the floor. Minho turned around and found her wincing and rubbing her ankles in pain. She was blinking her eyes so tears wouldn’t fall out.

                “Stupid rock,” Krystal mumbled angrily. “Making me trip and making me look stupid.”

                “Don’t blame the rock,” Minho crouched down and checked Krystal’s ankle. It didn’t seem like it was broken, but it was swollen a bit. “It seems like all your falling from practice caused it.”

                “It’s your entire fault,” Krystal’s frustration seemed to bubble out. “It was because you were watching me that I kept on making mistakes. I’m more used to Amber or the other members watching.”

                “Hey, don’t blame me now,” Minho rolled her jeans back down. “Can you walk? Can you get up?”

                “I’m fine,” Krystal seemed to come back to her senses and got up quickly, even though he could tell that it hurt. “I want to go home. I’m tired.”

                “Okay, then,” Minho was starting to get a bit annoyed at her attitude. Even when she was physically hurt, she still somehow managed to irritate him.

                We’ll never be friends. She’s just so hard to like.

-

                “It’s. So. Hot,” Minho rolled around on the sofa, almost tipping over onto the floor, but catching on just in time. Key laughed at his clumsiness, but he was sweating as well. Jonghyun was flapping his shirt and Onew was gulping water, a glass after another. Taemin seemed like the least affected by the heat.

                In the SHINee dorm, all the windows were wide open and the fans were on full blast. Jonghyun seemed to hog the main fan in the living room. Key was on the floor and stretched.

                “Jonghyun, get away from the fan,” Onew scooted into the living room with a cup of ice cubes. Pressing it against his cheek, he sighed at the coolness of the ice cubes. “You’re not the only one in this room, you know.”

                “Sorry, sorry,” Jonghyun pushed himself away from the floor, and rested his head on Key’s stomach, stretching his legs out on the table in front of him.

                “Ugh, I don’t feel like going to my schedule today,” Key whined, too lazy to kick Jonghyun off. Instead, he rested his head on the cool floor.

                “Me neither,” Minho sighed. “I have a Strong Heart recording today in a couple of hours. I don’t want to go.”

                “Schedules are fun,” Taemin innocently offered, borrowing Onew’s cup of ice cubes. “I think they are. You can talk and I can show my dancing!"

                “Like I said, I don’t want to go,” Minho grumbled, as if Taemin hadn’t spoken. “I want to stay home and rest.”

                “Too bad,” Onew, becoming leader-like, got up and put the cup and ice cubes away. He pointed at their bedrooms down the hall. “All of you get ready in an hour. We have places to go.”

-

                “What are you looking at?” Krystal rolled her eyes in front of Minho and fixed her hair. “You look stupid But you looking stupid isn’t that surprising.”

                “I didn’t know you were going to be at the recording as well,” Minho replied, sighing. “And I don’t look stupid.”

                “Aw, is oppa sad that I’m here? Is that was it is?” Krystal cooed as if he was a baby. “Is oppa that childish and immature?”

                “Stop that,” Minho glared at her. “I’m just sick of your annoying personality.”

                “Too bad,” Krystal stuck her tongue out at him and scrunched her nose. “You’ll just have to deal with it.”

                “Maybe I will!” Minho shot back with his lame comeback. Krystal just smiled sweetly. Minho raised his eyebrow in surprise. But then he realized that one of her stylists had walked up next to her.

                “Krystal, we got the new clothes ready. We should go now and get changed so you can be ready for the recording.”

                “That’s good, then. I’m going to go now, oppa. See you later!”

                As Krystal walked away, greeting staff members politely, Minho just watched. He ruffled his hair, frustrated.  

                Really, I hate that girl.