The next morning, Kai did not forget to check on Minji. He called her as soon as he finished his morning routine. “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

“M-hm,” Minji was still half-asleep.

Kai smiled at her reply. “Mian. I know I’m waking you up but I suddenly thought of you… Uh! I mean, I remembered that you were hurt so I… I…” he was suddenly lost for words.

“I know but really, I’m better now. Thank you for checking up on me.”

“Well, okay. Go back to sleep then,” he said.

Minzy giggled. “Do you think I could still go back to sleep? I’m already getting up.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright, I should be getting up after 10 minutes, anyway. Treat it as if my alarm went off 10 minutes earlier.”

“Okay then. So, did the noonas scold you last night?” he asked.

“Yup. They did. They were also worried but relieved that you found me instead of anyone else” she replied.

“So next time, if you’re hesitating to call them, call me instead. Okay? If I ever see you again in that situation and you never called anyone, instead of helping you, I’ll scold you a lot!”

“Yessir!” she joked and they both laughed.

“What is the Great Gong Minji’s agenda for today?” Kai asked.

“Hmmm… let’s see. I’ll eat breakfast, clean up and then… that’s it! Remember? My ankle’s injured? I can’t do anything or go anywhere.” She deeply sighed.

“Seems like you’re disappointed with your agenda?” Kai asked.

“You say so… Aish! I hate this! I can’t even dance” she complained.

“You still want to dance even if it’s dancing that brought you in this condition?”

“Yes! I do! I badly want to dance!” she sadly stated.

“I know that feeling. Anyway, you can’t so you have to think of something else to do.”

“I know…” she sighed in defeat.

“Minji-yah! Come down and eat!” she heard Bom call from the dining room.

“Nae unnie! I’m coming!” she replied. “Hey, Kai I gotta go. Talk to you soon. Bye!”

After talking with Minzy, Kai could not get her out of his mind. He knew how it felt like to be deprived from dancing especially when you’re a passionate dancer like him and Minji. He wanted to make her feel a little bit better so the whole morning he was thinking of a way how.

Minzy just finished washing up and the moment she dreaded came. She got nothing else to do anymore so she went to her room and lay on her bed. It felt good to rest like that but not as good as when she was dancing.

Not a minute passed and her phone suddenly rang. “Hello?” she spoke.

“Yah! Gong Minji! I bet you’re boringly lying on your bed right now!” Kai excitedly exclaimed on the other line.

“Nae! But how did you know?” she asked.

“I did that too.” He laughed. “Anyway, get up and look out your window.”

“What? Wae? Yah! Are you trying to fool me?” she speculated.

“Aniyo! Just look out once, okay? You won’t regret it!” he happily said.

“Okay fine!” Minji walked towards the window and peeked outside. Her eyes widened when she saw Kai in front of their dorm beside his scooter. He was waving two helmets. “Kim Jongin! What the hell are you doing?”

“ I came to take your boredom away!” he replied.

“Eotteokhe?,” she asked.

“By taking you somewhere. Let’s go! Wear something warm and I’ll meet you downstairs in 5 minutes. Okay?”  Kai quickly uttered.

“Where? Yah! What are we going to do?” She was still talking when Kai said goodbye and hung up. She confusedly looked at him and Kai smiled at her. He mouthed, “Hurry up!”

Without even realizing it, Minji was hurriedly changing into something warmer and more comfortable. She threw all the things she could get into her bag and limped towards the elevator. The other 2NE1 members already left so she did not need to ask for their permission.

When the elevator opened, she could already see Kai standing by the entrance of the building. She walked towards him and spoke, “What are we going to do, huh, Kim Jongin?”

“You’ll see. Kaja!” he snapped. He took the bag from her and properly placed it on the scooter then he went back to her side to help her walk.

“I’m fine, Kai. I can walk by myself” she complained.

“Okay, good!” He just matched his pace with hers with his arms on her back waiting if ever she was going to fall.

Kai took out the pink helmet and gently placed it on Minzy’s head. Their faces were so close that time. Kai focused on the helmet while Minji stared at his face. Kai noticed that so he stared back at her.

“Wae? Is something on my face? Or you’re just really bewildered by my good looks?” he joked.

“HA HA HA!” She let out a sarcastic laugh. “Don’t be too full of yourself Jongin!”

“Yah, you’ve been calling me Jongin for many times today. If you’re going to call me that at least just add oppa in the end” he laughed.

“In your dreams, Kai-sshi!” Minji giggled.

“Fine I won’t force you! Let’s just go.”

Kai hopped on the scooter followed by Minji. Like the first time they rode together, Kai made her wrap her arms around him. “Hold on tight, Minzy-sshi!”

“Yah! Kai-sshi, if you’re doing this to be intimate with me then let us not go on with this trip” she firmly said.

“Yah! Gong Minji! Don’t be too full of yourself. Arasso?” He smiled. Minzy also smiled.

Kai started the engine and drove towards a place unknown to Minzy. She wasn’t thinking at all about where they were going or what are they going to do. She was just glad to be out of her room even if she thought she was going to be there the whole day.

Minzy closed her eyes and focused on the wind that brushed to her face. It was nice and very relaxing. It made her gloomy mood turn into something bright and positive.

They arrived at the place where only the winter sea could be seen. Its grandeur made both of them breathless. “Woah! It’s so pretty!” Minzy exclaimed.

“It is huh?” Kai remarked.

“But why did you take me here?” she asked.

“The last time I was injured and I couldn’t dance, this was where Kyungsoo hyung took me. This is a special place for the 12 of us. Promises were made here. Promises that kept us together; that made us hold on” he stated. “When Kyungsoo hyung brought me here, it reminded me of why I wasn’t giving up. It reminded me that I have them to lean on. At that time, my frustration was suddenly wiped away. I thought by bringing you here, you would also be reminded that at times when you’re down, you still have a lot of people to lean on.”

The whole time he was talking, Minji just stared at him. She wondered, how a boy with the same age as her can speak so maturely right now, like he was several years older than her. Then she remembered what YG said to them when they were still trainees, “You grow with each obstacle you face and overcome.” Kai definitely had his own share of hardships which made him what he is now.

Kai and Minzy walked on the sea side taking in every wonderful moment that time. They did not talk too much. No words could exceed what they were feeling. It was very nice that they almost thought that it was a dream. After sometime, they sat side-by-side and felt the warm sand on their feet.

“Minji-sshi, if I’m going to ask anything about you and Taemin, would you answer me?” he carefully asked.

She smiled and then shook her head.