"I'm seriously hopeless at leading, let alone controlling the pace."

Sungmin reported back to him the next week when they were at the studio. She had promised to help him because he and his band was entering a competition. He wanted to know what she thought about the song, as she had good ears and often her insights had been helpful. She used to be in a band with him in high school, playing the keyboard, sometimes the guitar. But that was before his genre turned a little too dark and depressive with a little too much head-banging for her taste.

Kyuhyun looked up from his guitar. "Lead? Pace? What are you talking about?"

There were just the two of them in the studio. At first he thought it was the pace of the song, the tempo, because she was pointing out a line in the song that she thought sounded a bit off, and he was scribbling some parts and tried it on his guitar. It took him a few seconds to get what she meant. "Oh, you mean..."

"How do you actually... kiss someone?"

He stopped and raised his eyebrow. Was she seriously asking him that?

"What, you want me to show you?"

Sungmin flushed a bit pink. "No I mean... like you said, be the one in the lead. I tried to make the move, but I just froze, and I don't know... I just need some advice... How do you..." She trailed off, her cheeks was now bright red. It might just as well that she was asking him about how to perform a certain position that involved standing on your head.

Kyuhyun propped his arm on his guitar and his lips slowly turned into a smirk.

"Don't laugh." She warned him.

"No, I'm not mocking you. It's just... It just occurred to me how innocent you actually are."

She glared, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He let out a short laugh, "No, I mean, for other things you're smart, independent, very capable girl. Even capable enough to brutally hit an innocent bystander–like me–and almost snap his leg in two. But when it comes to this thing..."

"Did you just say that I brutally hit you?" Kyuhyun was sure she was going to really snap his legs this time. "If you just want to keep on poking fun at my lack of experience..." She moved to leave, wondering why she had confided in him in the first place.

Kyuhyun hold her arm to stop her. "Relax, I was getting there." He slowly put down his guitar and pulled his chair closer facing her.

"What are you doing?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"This is me helping you."

"Should you sit so close?"

"Do you want me to help you or not?"

"But, Kyuhyun..."

"No wonder Yesung just goes ahead and mauls you, you wouldn't stop talking."

She shut up at that, looking at him.

"Minnie." Kyuhyun said softly, holding her shoulders. "Relax." She finally complied and loosened up against his hands.

"So, that's the first rule. You really need to learn to relax... You're always too serious, Minnie. And why your hands are so cold?" He folded her hands in his, it gently until his own warmth spread out to hers.

"It's one thing I often notice, actually. You'd tense up even when Yesung's just trying to put his arm around you." Kyuhyun's eyes were unwavering, and she stirred under it. It made her feel uneasy, because she knew he was right. She had never felt comfortable with Yesung, her own boyfriend. Kyuhyun's question from earlier nagged at the back of her mind.

"You shouldn't expect everything to be perfect, Minnie. Just... let it flow. Try not to rush it. The right moment can't be rushed." His voice were calm and steady. "Are you following me?" Sungmin nodded attentively.

"Then tell him to close his eyes. So you can take your time."

She nodded again.

"Now close your eyes."

Sungmin let her eyelids dropped, Kyuhyun's warm hands had left her feeling surprisingly calm. "Remember, don't rush it." His voice had dropped into a whisper.

Kyuhyun looked at the girl before him, and pondered for a moment. Then he slowly tilt his head. Very slowly, as if she was a porcelain doll that might break from the slightest touch, he closed the gap between them.

His lips brushed with hers. She tensed at first, startled. He moved back a little, unsure. Their breath mixing in the air. Lips hovered, waited, curious. A fraction of a second. Two. He closed the gap again. She replied, her lips moved against his, soft and warm, and he wondered how come he never noticed them before, all 10 years they knew each other. He cupped the side of her face, raked his fingers into the soft locks of her hair.

His mind was a total blur now. The universe didn't exist, what was left only the pitch black behind his eyelids, and a single sensation, her warm lips against his, and something familiar was stirring in the pitch of his stomach. His hand slid down to the nape of her neck. She shivered, even Yesung had never touched her like that.

When they finally pulled away, she spoke first, her breath catching, "That was..."

Kyuhyun swallowed.

Amazing.

He hadn't expecting this. His aim, originally, was to go for a peck. Nothing of feeling, just a simple light kiss, to show that kisses could be gentle and sweet and not at all resembling being hit by a big moving vehicle. Well, ended up sliiiiiiightly further than that, although he argued the objective was still successfully met.

She was still looking at him with unreadable eyes and he wondered if she was about to tell him how horrible it was, how it resembled being given CPR by a cod fish. Or if she would just slap him and accused him of harassment. Or both. Harassment by a cod fish.

But all she managed to say was, "Wow." A breathless, genuine, wow. He breathed relief and let himself to smile. "See, I've told you." And that smile slowly turned into a smirk.

"Whatever." She was rolling her eyes, "Apparently your kissing skill is just slightly better than your songwriting skill... Take this second verse for example. 'Government you more than losing Starcraft'. Seriously, Kyu, what kind of lyrics is this? Were you drunk?"

He didn't even remember he had ever written that part. He snatched the music sheets off her, "When did I ever write that?" And just that, whatever feeling that ignited in the pitch of his stomach had dissolved, and whatever pride he had acquired earlier of proving himself right, butchered right then and there.