“Minah, it’ll be fine. You’re overreacting.You probably won’t even see him,” Ari told Minah for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Minah was dreading walking into the gym after that terrible fiasco with the treadmill and to her dismay, colliding with an attractive man.

“Go. Now,” Ari urged.

“I know you’re doing this so that you can go tango with Kim Jongin. I can’t believe you’d put him above our friendship,” Minah clutched her heart pretending to be in pain.

Ari gave her a pointed look.

“Okay, Okay! I’m going,” Minah said, raising her hands up in surrender. Minah walked in, and as just as she did, she smoothly walked back out. “Ari, you said I wouldn’t see him. Well, the first thing I see in the gym is him so, nope. Uh uh. I quit this gym. I wish you and your hot dance instructor all the best in life. Invite me to the wedding. Goodbye,” Minah saluted and started to walk away when Ari yanked her back with a firm grip on Minah’s wrist.

“Sheesh, relax, will you?”

“No Ari, I’m telling you, it’s like I can’t do anything right in that gym. I trip and fall and pull people down, next thing you know, I’ll be yanking the man’s gym shorts down as I tumble into the floor.”

“Yank down whose shorts now?” The voice belonged to Ari’s dance instructor, Kim Jongin. Minah and Ari froze while Jongin eyed the two looking absolutely amused as Minah attempted to explain her predicament and decided it was really not worth the effort.

“Tall guy who looks like a cat.” Ari explained as Jongin attempted to put the pieces of Minah’s garble together in his head. The description of the man fit though, but Ari had shoved a highly reluctant Minah back into the gym before Jongin could really say anything. She turned back to him and smiled brightly.

“She’ll be fine, she gets a little anxious when she messes up a little.”

“It appears that your friend planned on yanking a regional football player’s shorts down.”

Ari opened in defence “she wasn’t planning on it, she was scared that she might!”

“Tell her Jung Taekwoon won’t kill her. Maybe.” Jongin grinned, gesturing towards the corridor leading to the dance room.

Minah on the other hand cursed, her shin was bruised from the previous happenings at the gym and she tried her best to ignore the purpling that marred her skin. Her eyes landed on the cat like man standing in the distance by the water cooler taking sips of water and she steered clear from that general area and headed towards the stationary bicycle. She was going to avoid all human contact and prevent herself from looking like an absolute idiot.

The bicycle was stationed in the corner of the gym which was least populated, she sighed in relief, heading towards it. That was when a soft voice interrupted her.

“That bike isn’t functioning.”

Minah internally cried as she turned around to face the tall man now looking at her with an expressionless face. Resisting the urge to turn away and bolt while sobbing, she contorted her face into a smile and nodded.

“Uh, thank you.” her eyes tried not to focus on the strong arms the man, who looked a lot like a cat, possessed. Her brain had now shut down as the whole situation did not allow her to escape the intense gaze she was currently under.

“You’re hurt.”

Minah blinked, she was very confused at this point. Why was this man still talking to her even after she had accidentally humiliated him in front of the entire gym. Attempting say something to not look like an absolute idiot, she opened and shut like a goldfish.

“What?”

“Your leg, it’s bruised.”

“Why the is this man still talking to me?” Minah wondered as she looked down at the purpling skin before meeting his eyes and sending him a sheepish smile.

“Ah it’s really not that big a deal.”

He was being considerate even after everything? He didn’t just look attractive, he was also damn sweet.The cat-like man continued to stare at her expressionlessly.

“You shouldn’t be at the gym if you’re injured. You could get in the way of others and injure them too. It’s best you stay away,” He said and walked away.

Sweet, her . This guy was rude as . Minah scrunched up her face in embarrassment as she walked out of the gym. Who did he think he was to go around saying things like that to people? She did not want to admit to the fact that among the multiple emotions she was feeling, feeling like was the strongest emotion of all. She just wanted to join the gym, but maybe the man was right. Maybe she’s not the athlete she hoped she would still be. After all, it has been a few years since she got in touch with that side of her. It was an important part of her, but maybe she was holding on to false hope. Perhaps it was time to let it go.

Minah was sitting at the pavement waiting for Ari to finish her class when a silhouette was cast next to her.

Thinking it was Ari she stood up to fling her arms around her friends body, only to find that Ari suddenly seemed taller, wider and less squishy. Her eyes widened as she pulled back to see cat-man and stumbled on the pavement edge in surprise. Now, this isn’t a romantic film where the boy catches the girl as she stumbles into his arms. No, this was reality. And in reality, she fell to her and felt a sharp pain in her ankle.

“Ahh fffu-” Minah bit her lip as she grabbed her ankle in pain.

“Minah?!” Ari’s voice resounded from the entrance of the recreation centre as her friend hurried over to her. Minah had a weak ankle due to a previous injury and from the pain emanating from her ankle, she was sure this was a minor sprain. She watched the cat-man eye her like she was an alien from outer space.

“Excuse me sir, do you think you could help her?” Ari turned to cat-man who gaped at the whole situation.

“Leave it Ari, I’m fine,” Minah grunted as she scrambled off the ground wincing but pulling herself together before grabbing onto her friend’s arm before turning to the man “I’m sorry about this, I honestly have no idea why I keep bumping into you and causing trouble…” she noticed the man looking at her slowly swelling ankle blankly. Tugging at Ari’s arm, she led the two away.

“Is that?” Ari began.

“Yes, and he’s an .”

“He’s Jung Taekwoon.” Ari clarified as Minah spun around and gaped.

“, you mean the regional football player?!” she moaned as the pain shot up her ankle yet again.

“Yeah, Jongin told me.”

“I’ve messed with a celebrity. Brilliant.” Minah rolled her eyes hobbling forward as Ari gripped onto her wrist.

“Doctor?”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

“Do you guys need any help?” another voice joined in causing a blush to rise up Ari’s cheeks. Kim Jongin stood on the pavement with a satchel slung across his shoulder and his eyebrows furrowed. He hurried over to Ari and took a hold of her wrist “are you alright?” he asked as she stared into his eyes. She’d never seen anything so beautiful and somehow his gaze made her want to melt into a puddle.

“Uh, injured one here you guys.”

That snapped Ari and Jongin out of their daze as they hurried to support Minah’s weight while Jongin hailed a taxi.

Taekwoon was nowhere to be seen.