Enough time had passed for him to forget about her. He wasn’t in love or anything, so there was really no reason for her to linger in his mind. Sure, Taemin thought about the girl from time to time. The girl he didn’t have to call noona. He was allowed to, right? She did give him her ring after all, and besides, 2ne1 recently came out with multiple music videos for their three title tracks. Chaerin had gone blond, and Kibum had fun imitating the leader’s fierceness from the video at home, adding his own touch of course. Taemin had noticed a few other things: Minji had dyed her hair black, and most likely gotten extensions; her hair was longer, and that the music videos didn’t do her amazing dance skills any justice.

This time it was a performance show. Shinee and 2ne1 were quite a few performances apart, he had reluctantly noticed, and he didn’t run into her during rehearsal.

Taemin sat in his chair in their waiting room, relaxing a bit as the stylist-noonas busied over s. He was in his stage outfit, a black wife beater and a fancy shiny leather vest, his arms exposed for god knows why. Taemin looked up at the mirror. His hair was brown again, and styled back with faint waves. He wasn’t used to this hair style, his forehead bare with his bangs pulled back.

He looked over. They had run into wardrobe problems with Minho’s outfit, and his hyung was standing in the middle of the room with a polite expression as the noona darted around him to fix it. Taemin shifted his gaze. His other hyungs were just starting their hair and makeup, probably at the same time.

He glanced around. He probably had time, so he quickly grabbed his ipod and slipped out of the room, welcoming the emptier hallway. He found some space nearby, where the hallway made a T-shape, although the one left arm was short, the empty space only leading to two rooms.

Taemin put his earphones on and turned to their title track. Jinki’s voice came out first along with the melodic rhythm of Lucifer. Taemin nodded his head along with the music until Jonghyun’s “Her whisper is the Lucifer” and the elaborate beat cued his dancing. After 16 counts, Jonghyun’s vocals came through to repeat “the Lucifer” and their combined voices followed into the chorus.

Nareul mukkgo gadundamyeon sarangdo mukkin chae

Miraedo mukkin chae, keojil su …

As Taemin backed up following the choreography, he was interrupted by a tiny squeak that made him stop. His eyes flew open as he spun around. He hadn’t felt a thing… he hadn’t hit anyone right?

He hadn’t. He wasn’t sure how, but he had ended up dancing a little out of his designated space and almost backed into the girl now standing in front of him. Taemin caught the long red hair that that reached her shoulders even tied up, before he quickly looked down and bowed to apologize.

“Sorry.”

The girl returned the bow and smiled. “It’s okay,” she replied with another smile as she continued on her way.

Taemin watched her walk away, his mind searching for a name. He knew she was from 2ne1. He had watched their music videos enough times for him to recognize her.

He shrugged the thought and returned to his dancing, but he was distracted now. Was 2ne1’s waiting room in that direction? His gaze once again went back to the hallway, now vacant of its previous 2ne1 member. This time Taemin forcefully moved his gaze to the other hallway perpendicular to the one he had been staring down, just to give them both equal attention, cause he wasn’t purposefully looking for the girl’s waiting room. He wasn’t.

Taemin was glad he did, because she was standing at the end of it, bowing faintly as she said her goodbyes to someone he couldn’t see around the next corner.

While she talked, Taemin had time to check her out, to put it nicely. Her hair was long, and there were random strands of red among the jet black colour. Her stage outfit consisted of skinny jeans and boots with heels, and a white graphic tee under an intricate faded olive jacket. There was one thing Taemin noticed though. Her smile. Being an idol himself, he knew the feeling. Sometimes you smile just to be polite, just so the fans don’t interpret differently, so the netizens don’t start labeling you as rude because you slept at two in the morning and woke up at six for multiple schedules in a row. That smile.

Minji relaxed as she turned away, a neutral expression taking over her face as she approached him. It wasn’t until she looked up did the stride in her step falter. She met his eyes and her lips pulled up into another smile.

No. Not just another smile. Taemin wasn’t sure how he knew, but he just knew. This smile was real. The heart pounding in his chest said so; Taemin more than willingly matched that smile with his own, right down to its core.

“Minji-ah.” The words left his lips right as she stopped in front of him.

She giggled quietly behind her hand. “Oppa,” she replied shyly.

Oppa. The word echoed in his mind as he struggled to think up something to say.

“I never got to thank you for the ring. It’s really nice.”

She nodded. “My parents got it for me when 2ne1 debut.”

Minji must have seen the shock in his eyes, because she quickly added, “The gift came in a set. A pair of rings. I like the other ring better… It’s prettier and it’s got a flower design… It’s a lot girlier.”

“Oh.” That made Taemin feel a little better… But he hadn’t missed the fact that the ring she had given him held value. “Wow. Thank you,” he found himself repeating.

She smiled and looked around. Although there were a mess of sounds that carried down the corridors, the corridors themselves were unusually empty.

“So,” she said, turning her attention back to him. “What are you doing here?”

“Practicing a little. The stylist-noonas are busy with my hyungs and my hair’s done already… I thought I’d get some air.”

She nodded. “Your hair is short again,” she commented, slightly amused.

Taemin sighed. “I know. It was long before, but it was just part of the concept…”

“It looks nice.” Taemin looked up in surprise as she continued after a pause, “You look good with short and long hair.”

“So do you.”

Again. What was wrong with him? Words just keep slipping out without his consent.

She looked down as they both heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. Since they were standing back in the corner again, they couldn’t see its owner. Minji’s eyes flickered around before she reached and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the empty sound room behind them. The lights were dimmed, and Taemin could see all the red lights littering the system.

Taemin turned back to Minji as she let go of his hand, her eyes off to the side as she blushed, again. He thought it was cute. Really cute, the fact that he could see her flushed cheeks through the makeup on her face.

“I just wanted to properly thank you, for all that effort you put into trying to get Chaerin-unni’s ring back…”

“Oh.” Taemin shook his hands in front of him. “Don’t worry about it. I know how Kibum-hyung is with his accessories, so I figured I should probably get it back as soon as possible.”

“Actually,” she said hesitantly. “I was kinda jealous that it was Chaerin-unni’s ring you were wearing the whole time—”

“I thought it was yours.”

Damn. Again. Thoughts he should be keeping to himself to save himself from the embarrassment were slipping out like no tomorrow. He looked up to see her pink cheeks, and her eyes on him.

“Oppa, you’re blushing.”

“So are you.”

“I have makeup on.”

“Well, that just shows how much you’re actually blushing.”

She stood there, a little taken back by his remark. Taemin wasn’t exactly sure what happened next. All he knew was that he impulsively leaned forward, meeting her soft lips with his own. She didn’t back away, and he enjoyed their gentle kiss for several more seconds before finally backing up. Her eyes fluttered open, the ray of light coming from the tiny glass window in the door catching her lashes and making them look longer than they probably were.

For some odd reason, part of him felt like explaining himself, and he found that he was spilling incoherent words once more.

“Sorry…” he mumbled softly, “I dunno… I just... I probably should have—”

Minji stopped him, gently placing a finger on his lips. She smiled up at him as she slowly made her way to the door, her back to it.

“I have to go,” she told him, and he thought he picked up a hint of regret in her voice. “We perform before you, and I still have to look for Bom-unni…”

Bom... That’s her name. “Bom-noona passed by a few minutes before you did.”

“She did? That’s good, saves me time going out to look for her.” She paused before she looked back over at him. “Oppa, you better not lose my ring.”

“Never.”

She smiled that warm smile of hers before she turned and checked the hallway, pulling the door open and leaving him alone in the sound room.

He blinked, slowly absorbing everything that had just occurred. If he didn’t have a performance to go to, he wouldn’t have minded staying right there, replaying the memory in his head over and over again.

When he got back, he wasn’t surprised when his hyung approached him and Taemin mentally prepared himself.

“Taeminnie! Where have you been? If you didn’t just get back we would have had to go out and look for you, and do I have to remind you why that’s a bad idea?”

Taemin probably should have felt bad for worrying his hyung, he couldn’t help smiling.

“Sorry Kibum-hyung. I was just practicing a little.”

“Taemin-ah. You’re the lead dancer for a reason. If anyone were to worry about their dancing, it’d be Jinki-hyung,” Jonghyun commented as he leaned on Kibum.

Their leader walked over, his attention caught by the mention of his name. He reached them and hit Jonghyun lightly.

“Jjong-ah, I think we’re supposed to get one last check with these outfits. Kibummie, noona wants to check your hair again.”

Both boys nodded, heading in their respective directions. Before leaving Jinki paused, the oldest eyeing the maknae curiously.

“Taemin-ah, you’re not supposed to practice too hard before we perform you know.”

“Hyung? I didn’t—”

“Your cheeks are glowing Taemin-ah.”

Taemin’s eyes flew open as Jinki reached over to rub his shoulder affectionately.

“But I bet you could still out-dance us all… Just don’t tell Kibummie I said that.”

Jinki looked up as Jonghyun called his name, and the leader gave Taemin’s back a quick pat on the back before leaving. Taemin turned around to meet Minho, outfit and makeup done.

“Taeminnie, noona’s calling you over. You better hurry, we’re getting our headsets soon.”

Taemin nodded as he turned away. Minho’s hand caught his arm lightly and the younger boy turned back in surprise.

“Taeminnie, you know what you’re going to noona for right?”

Taemin nodded. “Makeup.”

Minho arched an eyebrow. “So why do you already have gloss on your lips?”

Taemin was just getting bombarded with surprises left and right. He smiled cutely at this hyung as he backed up in the direction he was supposed to be heading.

“Hyung you’re right. I’m late, got to go before noona gets mad.”

He raced off, hoping Minho would overlook the matter. Noona fussed over him when he reached her, more motherly than annoyed. She even gave him a questioning look when she reached his mouth with the pencil, and Taemin quickly grabbed a tissue, wiping whatever faint imprint of gloss that had made it onto his lips.

He sped over to the monitor as soon as his makeup was done, catching her performance on the screen. He couldn’t help the grin that took over his face as he watched the whole thing, even afterwards when Minho called him over for sound check.

The members for the life of them could not figure out the reason their maknae was all smiles, but it didn’t matter. His smiles were contagious, and they had probably never had a happier performance.

The End.

* * * * *

And that's the end of the 3-shot. Thanks for reading!