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FLASHBACK

“Two Americanos. One iced with an extra shot and the other hot.”

Minzy knows him like the back of her hand and it scares Taemin…

He likes her, he truly does. Although his feelings are a whirlwind of confused specs that he cannot differentiate as being those stemming from the heart as a friend, or as something more.

He stands behind her, off to the side. They’re both sporting a disguised look, one that is neither too obvious or with very little coverage. Taemin leans on the counter while waiting for their order while the girl busies herself with grabbing a straw for him and exactly four pieces of tissues to share.

Exactly four he expected and perfectly counted.

Apparently he knows her almost as well as she to him. Almost.

They sit off into the cozy corner of the cafe, one where they aren’t exposed to windows, but where just enough light shines through. She slides in first while he later follows.

They never sit in front of the other. Never.

Minzy notices this odd sitting arrangement of theirs and she’s unsure as how she should feel about it. A part of her tingles with happiness as to have him sit by her side. But sometimes she wishes to have him in front, allowing her to stare at his pretty face without making it obvious with sudden full head turns. However, she knows that it’s usually couples that sit in such position.

And they are not a couple.

They’ve been friends now for a handful of years since that fateful dance collaboration. They’ve hung out bountiful amount of times, usually attending random dance classes around the city that led to many late night practice for the duo. Because both of them were perfectionists.

It was strange how the two never worked out to be a crowd of three. Taemin would always try to invite his best friend, but the other was always busy as he was prepping for a debut. It would be SM’s first new boy group to debut since SHINee, and the guy couldn’t spare free time. Although often sad, Taemin found his friend’s non appearance as like a window, allowing him to slowly see new sides of the 2NE1 member he found company in.

“Minzy-ah, I got something to tell you…”

Taemin decided to tell her about it before she got the news elsewhere.

“Mhmm?”

She’s blowing on her drink and he wonders why she tortures herself with the burning liquid each time.

“!@#$%” she curses as she fans her burnt tongue.

Of course she would, Minzy always would burn it when she drank coffee. But it still amuses him each time as his lips slowly curl upward.

She would sometimes catch that smile, and it never failed to make her swoon.

“I’m gonna be on We Got Married…”

He found himself confessing the fact abruptly, deciding that that would be the best time. She can’t say much if her tongue got burnt…

Minzy’s not sure what’s keeping her from speaking. Was it the scorching result of the Americano or was it Taemin’s new role he had gained? Either way, both gave her a sense of pain.

“Oh, really…?” she finally happened to say once she realized that a good few awkward minutes slipped by.

“Yeah….”

Taemin had gone off explaining the situation: how SM practically shoved him into the project despite knowing he had no interest for it. But he still got the part; his partner was to be Son Naeun of APink. Apparently SM had only agreed on the contract if MBC released the girl’s identity. And business comes first in this dog eat dog world, not your position of interest.

APink were on the rise and for some sort of reason, SM wanted to use this opportunity to showcase Taemin as a ‘man’. He needed to break free from the precious SHINee maknae image and their solution was to throw him in a virtual relationship…

“Should I say congratulations…?” she cocked her brow and studied his face, “your expression is telling me that you’re against the idea…”

Taemin sighed. Of course she knew, she could sense his dissatisfaction...she knew him.

“Things are going to get a lot harder y’know…” his voice trailed off, but he knew that the girl understood what he meant. And he was glad she did, becuase it was utterly difficult for Taemin to break it off.

“We can’t meet up as often anymore…” Minzy finished off, “that is, if we could even meet ever…”

“Thank the heavens for technology though huh?” the boy waved his phone in the air, trying to lighten up the sudden sullen atmosphere.

“We’ll talk all the time~” Minzy smiled.

It was a half empty smile...she would wonder whether or not if the male dancer ever caught on…

He didn't.

~

She couldn’t bring herself to watch the first episode of his We Got Married, nor was she able to check out the second, or third, or fourth…

Their conversations over the phone never consisted of the topic and she was always grateful about that. She wouldn’t want to hear about any of it anyway. But somewhere along the lines, things changed. As time passed, his voice became more monotone, his replies very brief.

Phone calls turned into text messages.  

Minzy could feel that they were oddly turning into acquaintances, to almost even strangers.

The girl would always want to reach out to him, to fix this broken friendship, but she didn’t know how to. Besides, it's a two way street...she wished that he’d try to open up again too...

~
 

It was her birthday when she finally received that granted wish...a phone call from her estranged friend asking to meet.

They met up once more at what was once their casual meetup spot.

He was more covered up than what he’d normally would wear. He stood awkwardly off to her side, politely offering for her to order.

“Two Americanos. One iced with an extra shot and the other hot.”

“Just one hot Americano. And one caramel macchiato please,” Taemin corrected.

Minzy could feel her chest tighten, an unbelievably painful feeling creeping up. He’s changed.

“I don’t drink Americano anymore,” he simply replied.

The girl grabbed her order when completed, staring at the SHINee member who had picked his own up along with his own straw...he was already walking off in search for a seat. Not once looking back or waiting.

She followed the steps she remembered, heading to their corner, but he wasn’t there.

“Over here!” he softly called out.

He sat comfortably by the single stool bar area in the darkened spot to the back of the room.  Minzy’s feet turned away from the empty familiar seats in the corner she had expected to occupy, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.  He’s changed.

“So…” his voice sounded hesitant and it left an unsettling feeling in the girl’s tummy.

She could feel his stare burn through her skin. Nervously, she looked for her drink, swallowing a mouthful to escape from the awkwardness.

“!@#$%” she cursed as that sting from the heat greeted her once more.

Her eyes peeked to the side, wondering if maybe, just maybe, that beloved smile of his was still there. Nope. Taemin was casually playing with the stiff straw of his sweet drink, not sparing her a look.

After a course of random exchanges that are often told between individuals who haven’t come across each other, the ball had dropped and so did Minzy’s heart.

“I think I’m falling for Naeun,” his admittance of information was not something that she was prepared for.

“At first it was all business, but I kept seeing her everywhere. During recording, music shows, even in my dreams…”

She wanted him to stop. Did he not know the level of suffering she was feeling?

“A-A-And you’re telling me this because…?” her voice quivered out of .

“I need you to congratulate me. Like how you were going to before when I was about to start this whole thing. I need it now…”

“I know that I won’t stand a chance” Minzy stared at the cup in her hands, it was empty.

She had used the Americano as a tool for escape from talking to him. Because he changed and yet he was the same.

“You won’t ever quite think of me as a woman so we should just stop whatever this is huh? I need to stop right? ”

Minzy knows him like the back of her hand and it scares Taemin…

It’s been awhile, but that moment he was reminded once more of how close they once were.

Minzy had happened to say the exact words that Taemin thought would comfort him, to make him feel less guilty...because yes, a part of him felt guilty for falling for Naeun, but he couldn’t really understand why. It was only then when the dots were finally connected and had answered a question that he had ran through his mind for quite a long time.

Does Minzy like him?

Apparently, yes, she did. And he needed her to tell him that being anything more with eachother was impossible, that he was right for pursuing Naeun, that she’ll be okay without him.

There was a swarm of emotions that was taking over him. He wanted to hug her, to apologize, but a part of him was also telling him to ignore it, to think of his delicate ‘wife’.

Taemin ended up listening to the latter.

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