Thin line between love and hate

- - - -

"How about a movie? This Friday night? Just you and me."

Sulli scowled at six feet of all male arrogance. "I have an even better idea. How about you get the hell off my desk before I personally kick your fat off it."

He just grinned at her, unfazed. "Nah babe, you just can't get enough of my , can you?"

Sulli screamed silently in frustration at his retreating back. She wanted to throw him some very bad swear words as he turned back and winked at her. The absolute nerve of that jerk!

If there was one universal law on this planet, it would be that she, Choi Sulli, completely and totally, very strongly loathed Choi Minho. It was as if he was put on this planet for the sole purpose of driving her utterly nuts.

In fourth grade, Minho purposely spilt red paint all over her brand new sneakers and no matter how many times he insisted it was an accident, she wasn't stupidly fooled. Not just that. he poured an entire juice box down the back of her uniform in sixth grade as a dare.

People would think by high school Choi Minho would have matured slightly, but no! It was absolutely wrong. Over the years, Sulli had put up with his taunting, his teasing, his oh-so-very-not-funny pranks and his annoying little habit of asking her out every week as she knew he was only doing it to provoke her and it worked.

And there was another thing leading Sulli to have such strong desire to kill Choi Minho. Because he, the one, who stole her first kiss.

They were in second grade performing the annual school play then and Sulli won the part of Sleeping Beauty and Minho was the prince charming. She was exhausted by the time the performance rolled around and fell asleep for real onstage. All Sulli remembered was being shaken awake by Minho to the words, "Get up you bum! Everyone is staring." which wasn't in the least bit romantic, even by second grade standards.

In the script, Minho was only supposed to kiss her on the cheek but according to her best friend, Soojung, he told that he missed and got instead. Missed his ! More like he did it on purpose and she didn't even know what it felt like.

Minho had completely destroyed any romantic notions Sulli would ever had of her first kiss at the young and tender age of seven. And so her hatred for Choi Minho was born since then.

Sulli jumped as something hit the back of her head. She casted a suspicious eye around the classroom, only to be met with the smirking image of Minho two rows behind.

Glaring, Sulli turned back to the front of classroom. No one could imagine how much self-control it took not to march over there and pummel him to death.

The bell rang and Sulli shook her head trying to get rid of all thoughts of Minho. Well, not that she always thought about him. Really!

"Did it hurt?"

Sulli glanced up to meet the pair of laughing huge eyes staring down at her. Since when did Minho care about her health and well-being? "You mean that stupid paper ball you threw at my head? I think I may have suffered from temporary memory loss. How old are you again? Five?" Said Sulli.

"No." Minho waved away her insulting remark and continued, "When you fell down from heaven because you have the face of an angel." He grinned and high-fived with the guy beside him, who was almost wetting himself with tears of his laughter.

"Oh, thank you, Minho." Sighed Sulli with fake sincerity. "But don't you find it depressing?"

Minho stopped laughing and turned to stare at her, confused. "What?"

"Waking up every morning and seeing your hideous face in the mirror." Said Sulli, voice sweet. Seeing his reaction which she just took down his impressive ego was just priceless.

At her words, his friend doubled over and trying his best to hold his laughter. Shooting one last withering glance in Minho's direction, Sulli stormed towards her next class. Even though she may find him slightly attractive, it didn't erase the fact that she hated him.

- - - -

Sulli shuffled tiredly towards her locker, rubbing her eyes. Staying up late to complete the third draft of her English essay was evidently not the best decision she made.

"Late night?" Asked Soojung, leaning into the locker next to her.

"Yes. Finishing English essay." She yawned.

Soojung sighed and rolled her eyes. "Isn't this the fiftieth time you've rewritten it?"

"Third actually." Corrected Sulli.

"Whatever. I remember reading it the first time and it totally kicked to me."

"So maybe I'm a bit of a perfectionist."

"Perfectionist? More like obsessive compulsion."

Sulli opened to reply Soojung but was cut off.

"Hey, Sulli!"

Sulli automatically turned around at the sound of her name being called.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"

Sulli stared dumbfounded at Minho who had materialized out of thin air and was now leaning against her locker. His captivated eyes held her startled ones and for a moment her heart fluttered as he tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear. Sulli jerked and stepped back.

"Has anyone ever told you that if you so much as glance in my direction one more time, I will ensure that not even modern medicine will allow you to reproduce." Snapped Sulli, annoyed at her response to his touch. She could have sworn she saw something in his eyes flicker before he relaxed and returned to his usual light-heartedness.

"Well didn't someone wake up from the wrong side of the bed this morning." And with that, Minho continued down the hallway, whistling, as if by just one touch he hadn't turned her knees to jelly.

"You guys are still in denial?"

Sulli stared at Soojung. "Don't even go there."

"I'm just saying that I think you guys would make the cutest couple." Insisted Soojung.

"We hate each other. Minho loves pissing me off. Therefore I hate him. End of story." Growled Sulli.

"You keep telling yourself that and maybe someday it will come true." Said Soojung as she smiled at Sulli sympathetically.

Sulli rolled her eyes. What was she feeling sorry for her? Sulli loved her life! She loved waking up to the loud, annoying sound of her neighbors. She loved every time the hot water ran out by the time it was her turn to have a shower. She loved the fact that her stupid internet connection was at time as it took ten minutes just to get to Google.

And Sulli loved the fact that every time Minho asked her on a date, a small part of her always wished he actually meant it.

"I'm going now." Said Sulli, brushing passed Soojung who was smiling.

- - - -

Sulli leaned back against a tree and reached into her backpack to check through the exam paper one more time. Sighing heavily, she covered her face with her hands and let a wave of disappointment crash over her.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Sulli glanced up and groaned as Minho strolled over and sat himself down next to her like he belonged there.

"Are you okay? You look like the Principal just announced Maths is just a waste of time."

Sulli stared glumly at the ground, too depressed to respond to his jab. "I got eighty-two percent on my chemistry exam."

"What? Does that bring your average down from six-hundred percent to a mere three-hundred?" Said Minho.

"Not. Helping!" Replied Sulli through gritted teeth.

Minho held his hands up. "Sorry. Just trying to work Choi flaming's charm."

Sulli snorted. Was he deluded or something?

"So do you need anything? Some maths homework? A hug? A back-rub? A date?" Asked Minho.

"You know what I could really use right now?" Sulli sighed dramatically.

"No, what?" Minho sounded curious.

"For you to drop off the face of this planet." Said Sulli before swiftly getting to her feet and walking away. But a hand fastened over her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Hey. Don't go." Said Minho, his voice was soft and his eyes were boring into hers, making her stomach flip. "Don't worry. It wasn't an exam, just a pop quiz. It doesn't even count towards our final report mark."

When Choi Minho was right, it meant there was something seriously wrong with the universe. And right now there was something seriously wrong with the universe.

Sulli snatched her hand away and sat back down. They sat there, side-by-side for a few minutes, neither of them speaking.

Sulli racked her brains for any memory of the last time they were in each other's company without ripping at each other's throats. She doubted they would have one because there were one time when they were babies, he stole her doll and she retaliated by whacking him with her rattle.

Minho broke the silence first, "Why do you hate me?"

Sulli squinted at him, attempting to discern whether or not this was another one of his hilarious jokes. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I honestly can't recall a time when we've actually willingly had a civil conversation." Said Minho.

Sulli stared at Minho. What is he? A mind reader or something for they actually had the same thought? "I--I don't….hate you exactly…." Muttered Sulli, staring hard at the ground and embarrassment caused her to blush. Sulli could feel Minho's penetrating gaze but she refused to look him in the eye.

Admitted that she lied before when she said she hated him but she didn't want anyone to think she was in love with him or anything. Because she wasn't, really.

"Well, thank you. And if it pleases you to know, I don't hate you either." Said Minho nonchalantly, causing a burst of warmth in her chest.

Sulli glanced over to the clear sky. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I would care if you died."

Minho stared at her before breaking into a smile. "See! I knew somewhere in your little, black heart, you had romantic feelings for--"

"Because your corpse would probably release highly toxic contaminants into the earth, causing unnecessary pollution in the natural environment and eventually leading to increased effects of global warming." Sulli cut in quickly.

For a moment, Minho sat there, stunned. Then when he spotted Sulli's grin, he returned it with a laugh and a shake of his head. Some things that never changed.

- - - -

It was raining heavily and worse of all Sulli had missed her bus because of staying behind after class to discuss an extra-credit assignment. She sat down with her back against the brick wall, figuring that if she was going to be sitting on the cold damp pavement forever until the rain decided to spare some mercy.

"Need a ride?"

And so appeared her angel in disguise, dark hair plastered to his forehead, clothes dripping and basketball tucked beneath an arm.

Minho.

For a second, Sulli's heart skipped a beat but she brushed it aside as surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Sulli suspiciously.

His white shirt was clinging to his torso due to the rain and it somehow was doing ridiculous things to her insides. Minho spun the basketball around on a finger with ease and replied, "Basketball training."

Sulli took one last look at the sky which still pouring the rain to empty the contents of the dark cloud. She gave in. "Yeah. Okay."

Minho stayed silent for two heartbeats, then he reached out and gently brushed the backs of his