“What do you mean that you are pretending that you don’t remember me?” She asked me. Damn it. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. How can I explain this? If she knows, then it’ll be over. “Is eavesdropping to my phone call one of your traits now?” I said and walked away but she held my arm and turned me to face her. She was angry like she should be. “Tell me the truth, Taemin. Right now.” She said with so much force. I wish I could tell you right not but it’s not yet time. I stayed quiet and pried her hand off my arm. “How can you be so sure that you are the one I’m talking about?” I countered at her. Just drop it, Minji. Please. “I’m not stupid, Taemin. I know you were talking to Kikwang oppa. I heard his name. So, what the hell is going on?” 

“This is funny. Are you really that sure about yourself?” I said but I regret that I have said that. I saw how she flinched and hurt was in her eyes though she was unyielding about the topic. “To be honest, no but I would like to take a chance on it. If it’s not me, then who is it?” She asked me. Though I hate to say her name in front of her, I have to. Though I have long accepted that Minji was the girl who healed me or whatever it is called, I have to hurt her just to have her without his interference. Damn it.

“It’s Sulli. Choi Jin Ri. My ex-girlfriend. Remember her? She’s much taller than you and she is really pretty.” Her face fell and just said, “Oh. Right. It’s cool then. At the very least, you guys can finally make up or something.” She then went back to flavouring the radishes and cabbages in the tub. I can see her tears pooling in her lids. She desperately was trying to pull herself together. I really want to hug her and say it was just an act but I can’t. I have to keep this up. I went beside her and continue cutting the cabbages. I stole glances at her but she stayed focused on what she is doing. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Really now, cousin what the hell are you doing to Minji?” I looked up to see Minjung sneering at me. Sohyun was behind her and she looked mad as hell. I don’t care. I’m angry at her as well. If she didn’t intervened then this wouldn’t happened. But whatever it’s in the past now and I just have to concentrate at the present. I ignored them both. Minji looked at them and stood up. She went to the kitchen and when she came back she have two glasses of orange juice in a tray. She smiled at my cousin and she dragged Sohyun, well both my cousin and Sohyun to the couch. She made them sit down and gave them the refreshments. I can’t help but smile for a second. Because it felt like we were newlyweds making kimchi together and she just welcomed our guests too our house. 

“Minji, thank you for the courtesy that you have given us even if it wasn’t your house I mean dorm unlike my stupid and clueless cousin over there.” Minjung said and Minji just smiled. Sohyun was still glaring daggers at me and I smirked at her. She was about to launch at me or something but Minjung stopped her. That is kind of weird to see. Minjung loathed her after what she did to me but now they are acting like they are best friends. 

“Yo! Slave finish this.” I said to Minji because I have cut all of the radishes and cabbages. She nodded. She went back at my side and started flavouring it. I couldn’t see any emotion from her. It’s like when I was mad at her at the hospital when she let Jin Ri in my room without my permission. I went to my cousin’s side. She motioned Sohyun to help Minji in which she gladly went to before she could rip my head off. What the hell was her deal?

“Wondering why Sohyun is being a prick at you?” Minjung asked on cue. I rolled my eyes at her and asked, “Why the hell are you two here?” She chuckled and pulled the collar of my shirt to pull me closer to her. “Guess what cousin?” I was officially irritated and muttered in an angry tone, “What?” She smiled teasingly at me and said, “I know why you are pretending not to remember Minji and the fact that she notices that proves it. Also, the way you pushed her away a while ago is a giveaway and that is why Sohyun is freaking pissed at you. But don’t worry, if we say we know that you are pretending that you don’t remember her, you’ll have to give her up.” She said and I could hardly compose myself. She smiled victoriously on my reaction. 

I suddenly remembered, she’s the only cousin that could know if I was lying or not. I was thanking my stars when she wasn’t here when Sulli and I broke up but now she’s here. I don’t know what will happen.

Sohyun and I were walking around after doing kimchi for Taemin. I let out a sigh. I actually don’t know what I’m feeling. But I am sad and angry at the same time. I mean I just feel bad. Sohyun put her arm around me and said, “Let’s get out of here.” I looked at her and before I could respond to her invitation, “Minjung, we are going now!! Have fun talking sense to that idiot cousin of yours!” She then dragged me out. I don’t know if I should thank her or wring her neck but I just don’t know what I am feeling right now.

She hailed a cab and told some directions. Then, she dragged me inside a noraebang room. “Come on Minji!! It has been a while we let loose!! Though, Ji Eun and Sunyoung aren’t here. There is a plus now though. We can drink since we are of age now!!” I laughed at her antics.

We sang together. We danced. I sang her group’s songs and she did the same for me. We even dance to f(x) Nu Abo, SNSD’s Mr. Taxi and then we parodied SHINee’s songs and my sunbaes songs. We ended up laughing at each other. We drank together and of course the result is really not good. I don’t know what happened next but I don’t understand why Taemin and Minjung are here or maybe I’m hallucinating.

“I THINK I’M UGLY AND NOBODY WANTS TO LOVE MEEEE!! JUST LIKE HER I WANT TO BE PRETTYYYY!!!” I slurred our group’s song and for sure if Chaerin unnie hears me singing her lines like this she’ll be freaking out. Sohyun then sang with me and we harmonized like crazy, “DON’T LIEE TO MY FACEE TELLING ME I’M PRETTTYYY!!”

Then, I was crying like crazy and Sohyun hugging me while singing then it went blank. 

I couldn’t help but feel hurt at the fact I made her cry. I’m that kind of a jerk and my cousin just smirked at me. Like a flashback when she was drunk to save the other drunkard who is being carried now by my cousin, I’m carrying her now. 

“Taem, I’ll be leaving you with no car.” Minjung said to me and before I could react, she grabbed my keys and drove my car away. She’ll get it from me when I get home. 

She held me tight and for a moment I was startled. “Your back is warm, oppa.” She said and my heart did a backward flip or something kind of like that. Then, I felt something wet on my neck. Tears.

“But I know, you are grudgingly carrying me now, wishing it was her. Funny that I am like this. You really love her. Here I am thinking, that maybe I kind of made you moved on, that even if your memory doesn’t remember me now, you’ll do remember me later on but I guess it’s a futile case. When you forgot everything, she’s the one you remembered. It hurts because I don’t stand a chance and the fact that I didn’t even confessed makes it worse. Maybe you’ve carried her like this too, and she knows this warmth that I’m feeling now. Just for this night, I hope it’s mine. I like you, Taemin but I guess I have to keep my distance. After tonight, I won’t pester you to remember me or anything. Since we are just reliving the master-slave companionship to make you remember me, I’ll stop that now. So this burden you are carrying right now will be lifted.” As she said that, she went off my back and walked away. She was still wobbling because she’s drunk. I followed her.

“Yah, at least let me take you home.” I said but she just smiled at me, a sad smile that broke my heart and made me think why the hell did I do this stupid thing?

“My ride is here. I’m not that drunk like you think. I’m a 2NE1 girl, I can hold my liquor well.” She said and I saw one of her friends. I think it was YoungDeuk.

“Minji, wasted? This is gold.” He said then he saw me, his face changed. He bowed to acknowledge me and he carried her to the car. 

That was the last time I saw her being close to me.

“Stop! Stop!!” Hyung’s voice boomed in our practice room. We both stopped our steps and she took my hands off of her. This is the first day I saw her since that day she went off of my back and went back to her dorm via YoungDeuk. It was about two weeks.
“I’m sorry.” She immediately said and bowed her head in which hyung was puzzled by her sudden act. “What’s wrong hyung?” I asked. He looked at me like I should know something important, something integral in this routine. 

“There’s no feeling. Like you two are just forced to dance with each other and making things work out but it fails and you are trying to salvage it but it makes it more pathetic.” Hyung explained and one of our dancer noonas who are there also nodded and added, “The last time you guys showed us your routine, there’s this feeling of desire from you and Minzy is giving us the vibe of being nervousness of her giving it to you or not but her innocent teasing fuels your desire even more. You could say she’s kind of seducing you. But right now, no feelings.”

“We are on different pages right now, so I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” She said again and avoided my eyes. I was about to speak when Sulli and Jong In walked in on our practice session. 

“We are here to see how your practice is going on.” Jong In said very brightly at me. Dude this is not a good time to smile at me like that. I feel like crap.

“How about this? Jong In, can you partner up with Minzy for a while so she can practice the routine again? I just have to see something.” Hyung said and I looked at Jong In eyeing him, well, sending telepathic waves telling him to decline but the ever bright and stupid best friend of mine just smiled and said, “Sure, I wanna see how the routine goes and I’ll partner with her.” I looked at Minzy to see her reaction, she was indifferent to it.

As soon as hyung and one of our dancer noonas presented the routine cleanly, Jong In became focused and sharp and I know Minzy will look at him in a different manner. I know I was right. There was this glint in her eyes. As soon as my best friend stood up and took her hand, I know what hyung means now, why he looked at me accusingly and asking me with his eyes what the hell did I do. 

They danced together, perfectly in sync. I can see Jong In being thrilled and excited at the same time serious and focused while Minji was the same yet there’s this hint of relief and fun.

I clenched my fist seeing this scene unfold with my own two eyes then I felt Sulli’s hand on mine. “You remember her, why lie? If this goes on, she might go to someone else. Don’t lie, Taemin. Tell her the reason why or it’ll be all for nothing that I even let you go just for her.” 

“I’m dancing with the ever famous 2NE1’s Minzy. It’s a great honor, sunbaenim.” This guy said. It made me smile. I know my feelings were showing when I was dancing with Taemin. The awkwardness, the wanting to get away as soon as possible feelings overcomes my determination. How could I be indifferent after that night? Honestly speaking, here I thought after all this time he would remember me but I guess he is still holding her in his heart. 

“Can I just call you Minji? I mean if it’s okay with you? We are the same age and let’s be friends.” He said to me. I smiled in return yet again.

“Sure. You can be my friend and call me Minji.”

“I’m Jongin. Still awkward around Taemin? Don’t worry, hyung is an idiot.”

“Idiot?”

“Yes. For not remembering an awesome girl like you. Before all he can talk about is how to make your life miserable then it shifted to on how to find you when you were missing and protect you.”

I looked at him and he was smiling at me.

“A piece of advice as a friend, no matter what happens, trust him and he’ll never let you down even if he’s a jerk.”

I laughed at his comment about him.

“Jerk? How can you call him that?”

“He IS a JERK. A good jerk.”

We both laughed. After the routine being finished the third time, he kissed my cheek. 

“A friend’s kiss. Also, as my reward of dancing with you.” He said then he looked at Taemin while flashing a smirk at him. Taemin just rolled his eyes at him and Jongin laughed again. 

Such an interesting fellow but his advice, “Trust him. No matter what happens.” Still lingers on my mind.

“I think it’s time.” 

“If I see Minji moping like that again, I swear.”

“Taemin isn’t doing her a favour either. That guy really holds something against the two of them being together.”

“I’ll let them take a glimpse of me, to throw them again in confusion, especially that guy. After all, he took the glory of kicking my booty when it wasn’t him.”

“Kikwang, prepare yourself.”

“This will all be revealed, on the day of the Inkigayo special.”