Yonghwa chuckled as he read his cousin’s reply on his mobile phone and started typing his reply. He was lying when he told Krystal that he couldn’t remember the name of the ‘mean girl’ he was talking about.

Because the truth was that he didn’t even know her name.

He recalled the events that morning.

He and Hyoyeon started practicing a new routine on the ice early that morning before Hye Kyo, their trainer and Hyoyeon’s older sister as well as wife of his cousin Jihoon, arrived.

He and Hyoyeon had been frustrated that they kept on failing that they decided to take a break and wait for Hye Kyo to direct them.

He sat on the bleachers, listening to Hyoyeon grumble about how she couldn’t watch Junho’s game because of their practice when a young, slender girl appeared on the ice.

“Hyo, you’re not even his girlfriend and he doesn’t see you so it doesn’t matter whether you watch his game or not,” he said bluntly, his gaze on the girl who had already caught his attention.

Hyoyeon stood in front of him, blocking his view of the girl. She glared at Yonghwa. “I know that. But it matters to me, even if it doesn’t matter to him,” she said, a note of sadness in her voice as she said the last sentence, the glare in her eyes replaced by hurt.

Yonghwa sighed and fixed his attention on Hyoyeon. “Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?”

Hyoyeon blushed. “I don’t know. I don’t have the guts to do it. And do you think he would care?”

Yonghwa shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. But you wouldn’t know if you just bottle up how you feel.”

“Do you think it’s okay that I make the first move?” she asked.

Yonghwa scratched his head. “That’s difficult. I don’t know about him, but if you ask me, I wouldn’t really mind if a girl confesses to me. But there are guys who get turned off if the girl makes the first move, though I think Lee Junho is not among them.”

Hyoyeon sighed.

“Come on, Hyo, what are you afraid of? You’re pretty and talented and nice. How could he not like you?” he grinned encouragingly at Hyoyeon.

She bit her lip and shook her head.  “How? If he sees someone prettier and more talented and I’m sure there are lots of them around.”

Yonghwa sighed and stood up. “I can’t make you feel any better by talking to you about this. How about practicing one more time before Hye Kyo noona arrives?”

Hyoyeon’s eyes darted down the skating rink where the girl is still there, skating gracefully.

Yonghwa eyed the girl. Hm, not bad. She has a pretty face and a nice figure. And she seemed to be skilled in ice skating, though it would take a little more for her skills to impress him.

“I thought we’ve rented this whole place for a good five hours this morning? There must be some mistake,” Hyoyeon said as she watched the girl continue to glide and twirl below.

“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her,” he said as he made his way down the bleachers.

“Miss!” he shouted and watched as the girl turned to him and skated to a halt.

She was even more beautiful up close. Her porcelain skin glowed in the lights, her fitted white shirt clinging to her slim but curvy body. But her best features were her eyes. They were big, clear and expressive and he found himself drawn into their depths.

He blinked and mentally cursed himself for being distracted. For some unknown reason he grew annoyed with himself but he directed it to the poor girl.

“Miss, didn’t they tell you out there that we have this place rented until one in the afternoon?” he said rather arrogantly.

He glanced at Hyoyeon and she was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Well, I rented it too,” she said, crossing her arms on her chest, putting up a defensive stance.

Yonghwa’s eyes widened. “How could it happen?”

The girl shrugged. “Okay, I’m going to talk to the caretaker of this rink and tell him there’s been a mistake.”

“Ah, it’s okay, no need,” Yonghwa said, waving his hand in front of his face. “We can always share the rink, right Hyoyeon?”

Hyoyeon nodded.

“It’s okay. I’m allowing you to share with us,” Yonghwa said ever so nicely.

But it seemed the girl didn’t like it. She put her hands on her hips.

“What did you say? You allow me? It’s not like you own this place!” she scoffed.

Yonghwa looked at the girl in bewilderment. He was just being nice!

A moment later, he recovered and  he grinned cockily. “Well, I don’t own the place. And I don’t believe you do.”

The girl went red, if in embarrassment or annoyance, it’s hard to tell. “I’m not sharing this rink with someone as arrogant as you are!”

He wondered what part of his speech offended her. What is her problem?

“Hm, maybe you just don’t want to share the rink because you don’t want us to see how mediocre your skills are,” he teased. “I can teach you, you know.”

If possible the girl went redder than ever, and Hyoyeon tugged at Yonghwa’s sleeves, signaling him to stop teasing the girl.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. “I know who you are, Jung Yonghwa. And I’ll see you at the regionals. Let’s see who would have the right to berate who then.”

She skated away and got off the ice on the other side of the rink as Yonghwa stood there bewildered.

“Oh, she would be an opponent to us then? I wonder who’s her partner, or if there would be an entirely new pair participating,” Hyoyeon remarked as the girl disappeared from their sight. Despite what the girl had said, Hyoyeon couldn’t find it in her to hate the girl. In fact, she was amused with the way the girl dealt with Yonghwa.

“What is her problem?” Yonghwa asked, turning to look at Hyoyeon.

Hyoeyon chuckled. “Don’t ask me. It seems to me at first that she just got annoyed with your guts and your cockiness but when I heard her with that last sentence…I think it goes deeper than that. I think she hates you, Yong.”

He had told Hyoyeon it was ridiculous. Why would someone hate another being he or she just met?

He looked at the screen of his phone and tried to push the girl out of his mind. But he knew deep down he wouldn’t forget her and he was looking forward to seeing her at the regionals.

He shook his head to clear his mind and began to read Krystal’s last message to him.

Hold on, oppa. Sica unnie wants to talk to me.

Jessica. His poor cousin. She was one of the best figure skaters in women’s singles. And she was this close to her dream when she was declared first place in the finals of the grand Prix of figure skating in Korea, naming only the most popular figure skater nowadays Kwon Yuri as second. But she entered a special competition in Seoul and broke her leg.

He sent a message to Krystal, asking if Jessica is still depressed, but knowing that it would be quite a while before Krystal could reply to him, if she and Jessica are still talking.

“Yah,” Hyoyeon, who has just arrived at the dance studio, sat beside him on the matted floor and nudged his arm.

“What?” he asked, his eyes still glued on the screen of his mobile.

“Are you going to the Seals’ victory party tonight?” she asked, referring to Junho’s team, who had won just this morning.

“It would be in Incheon, of course,” Yonghwa said. He and Hyoyeon both live in Seoul, though he was from Busan originally. But he has a friend from Incheon’s ice hockey team, Kang Minhyuk, so it would most likely be that he would get invited to the victory party.

Hyoyeon nodded. “It would be in Nichkhun Horvejkul’s house.”

“Oh. And I believe you knew that from your visions?”

Hyoyeon giggled. “I tried to find it out from Minhyuk, silly. I texted him,” she had made it her mission to befriend Minhyuk so that somehow she could get closer to Junho.

Yonghwa didn’t say anything.

“So, are you going?” she prodded.

“Let me guess,” he said. “You want to come with me.”

She nodded and grinned.

He sighed. “I’m not going, then.”

“Yah!”

Yonghwa chuckled. Of course, he couldn’t say no to his friend and skating partner. “Fine, I’ll fetch you tonight. Look your prettiest, ahrasso?”

…………………………………………………………………

“Unnie, I never competed before,” Krystal said, apprehension in her eyes.

Jessica let go of her sister’s hands and placed her own hands on either side of Krystal’s face. “There’s always a first time, Jungie. You’ll be wonderful. Didn’t you remember Tyler telling us that you’re better in figure skating than I am?” she said, referring to what their first trainer had told them when they were but little girls.

“B-but…”

Jessica looked at Krystal with sadness in her eyes. Her hands fell from Krystal’s face and it swung on her sides.

“Forgive me, Soojung. I know I’ve been selfish ever since. Asking you not to compete in figure skating for me, and now asking you to compete for me. I’d be lying if I say to you that I want you to do this because I want to see you win and somehow fulfill a dream that I asked you to abandon,” she paused and took a deep breath.

“I want you to win for me. I want you to win to fulfill my dream. I want you to win so that my rival Kwon Yuri will not.”

Krystal sighed. “It’s still about you and Yuri’s rivalry then.”

She didn’t know why Jessica and Yuri had become bitter rivals, when at first they have been the best of friends. Jessica will not tell Krystal, saying that she was too young, which she was at that time. But now she was not so young anymore.

“You used to be friends with Yuri. How come you became enemies all of a sudden? I don’t believe it’s all because of the competitions in figure skating,” Krystal asked.

Jessica shook her head. “It was that…and…Donghae.”

Krystal’s eyes widened.

“She wanted Aiden, too?”

“She tried to trick me into believing that Donghae doesn’t really like me, that he just wants to play with me,” Jessica explained. “Naturally, I got angry when I found out she was lying and Donghae was in truth asking for her help so that he could be with me. I got more enraged when I found out she did all that because she wanted Donghae to herself.”

Krystal waited for Jessica to go on.

“I find it hard to forgive her, Soojung. And the fact that she wasn’t even asking for my forgiveness made it worse. She justified her act by saying she met Donghae first. That I had known she liked him first and that if it weren’t for me they’d be together then.”

Krystal rolled her eyes. “Ugh. So it’s about a boy. Though Aiden is worth the fight if you ask me.”

Jessica blinked back her tears. “Is he…I don’t know if he still wants me after all that has happened.”

Krystal hugged her sister. “Oh, unnie, he’s just waiting for you to come around and talk to him.”

Jessica nodded. “I’m going to do just that, Soojung. I’ll tell him I’m sorry and that I want us back,” she inched away from Krystal, though her eyes were still downcast.

“And I’m sorry if I have to drag you into this rivalry, Jungie. I’m just as bad as Yuri when it comes to selfishness. Of course, you don’t have to go to Korea to compete if you don’t want to. I won’t hold it against you,” Jessica said.

“Unnie…” Krystal held her sister on both arms. “All of us have that selfishness somehow, I guess.”

She paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

“I’m doing it unnie. Not just for you, but also for myself.”

And she need not worry about competing against Yuri. It would not be painful and there would be less pressure because she has no personal history with the girl. It would be purely a healthy, professional competition.

Or so she thought.

……………………………………………………….

The party was in full swing when Yonghwa and Hyoyeon arrived. Hyoyeon immediately scanned the crowd of young people for Junho.

“Oh, there’s Minhyuk,” Yonghwa remarked.

Hyoyeon turned to look at Minhyuk coming toward them. She waved at him and smiled.

“My friend Minyoung said she will be attending this party, too,” Hyoyeon told Yonghwa as Minhyuk was near. “You go talk to Minhyuk while I go find Minyoung, okay?”

Yonghwa smirked. “Minyoung my . You’ll be most likely looking for Junho.”

Hyoyeon rolled her eyes before turning away. She squeezed herself in the crowd of people, greeting some acquaintances as she went deeper into the house.

Where is he? she thought. She saw Minho, one of his closest friends, standing with their other team mates near the garden talking and laughing, but Lee Junho was nowhere to be seen.

She suddenly took a step back to avoid colliding with a boy who caught his feet on a leg of a chair and fell down in front of her. But in the process her back bumped on what felt like a solid, muscular chest.

A pair of hands gripped her upper arms to steady her and she immediately whipped her head around.

Junho was looking down at her, a frown etched on his face.

“Watch it,” he said, removing his hands from her arms.

Hyoyeon paled then blushed.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered. Aish, she thought, mentally kicking herself.

All of a sudden Junho’s eyes lit up with recognition. He pointed at Hyoyeon.

“Hey, I know you.”

Hyoyeon’s heart began to beat faster with excitement. He knows me?

“You’re…you’re that popular figure skater who married the singer Jihoon, right? Omo, Hye Kyo sunbaenim, it’s an honor to meet you here,” he said, grinning happily, his eyes almost invisibly beneath the folds of his eyelids.

Hyoyeon’s smile faded, disappointment coming over her.

“I’m her younger sister,” she informed him after some seconds of pause, the smile back on her face.

Junho blinked. Then he laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

Hyoyeon was shocked at his reaction at first. Then she got a little irritated and she couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

Be thankful that I like you or else I would have whacked your head for being so stupid.

She knew she looks a lot like her older sister but she was also quite aware and has accepted the fact that her unnie is prettier. It didn’t make her feel bad at all because those who knew them would usually say Hyoyeon’s body is a lot curvier and she’s a better dancer than Hye Kyo. Still, for this boy with his stupid but heartwarming eye-smile to think that she’s Hye Kyo is inexcusable. If he’s thinking he should have asked himself what was a married woman and a mother of a two-year old doing in a victory party full of people so much younger than her.

But then Junho doesn’t really know that, did he? Maybe she’s just upset that he doesn’t really know her at all. She must not think him stupid.

She cleared as Junho continued to chuckle.

“I’m not kidding, alright? I’m Kim Hyoyeon, Kim Hye Kyo’s younger sister. Do you watch figure skating competitions? I won first place in the Nationals last season with my skating pair, Jung Yonghwa,” she said, slightly raising her chin up and saying the words almost haughtily.

Junho stopped laughing and his eyes widened. “Omo, you’re Yonghwa’s skating partner?”

That’s better, I guess, she thought.

“Omo, you guys were awesome last year!” he exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Hyoyeon beamed. Finally, he recognized her. And she felt pleased thinking he had watched her perform, too.

“But I wasn’t betting on you guys to win, you know,” he frowned a little.

Hyoyeon was slightly taken aback. “W-why?”

He grinned once again. “Because I was betting on the Changtoria couple. You know, since Khun is my team mate and friend and Toria is his girlfriend.”

“Oh, I see,” Hyoyeon nodded. The couple Junho was talking about was really good and they were Hyoyeon’s and Yonghwa’s strongest opponent. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for both Hyoyeon and Yonghwa, it was found out that Victoria Song, who’s a Chinese, wasn’t yet a Korean citizen thereby disqualifying her and her partner for the competition.

“They’re really good. They would have given Yong and I a hard time to get the gold,” Hyoyeon said, smiling.

Junho smiled back. Then he held Hyoyeon’s wrist to steer her clear of the way of some girls passing by them.

Hyoyeon gasped a little at the contact but was able to compose herself and act nonchalant after it even though her heart leaped at .

“Yes, too bad they were disqualified because of Victoria,” Junho said in answer to Hyoyeon’s remark as he pulled her to stand in one of the corners of the Horvejkul’s spacious yard.

Hyoyeon looked up at Junho’s profile. She couldn’t believe that the two of them are finally talking as if they’re friends and it’s all because of a small accident.

It’s meant to happen, she thought giddily.

Then Junho looked down at her and met her eyes and before she could look away, he held her hand in his and shook it.

“Oh, I’m Lee Junho, by the way. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself,” he said as he shook her hand, chuckling at his forgetfulness.

I know, she thought. But she didn’t say it out loud. Instead, she laughed.

“Forgetfulness might be a sign of aging, you know,” she teased.

Junho’s eyes widened. “Yah, I’m still young!”

Hyoyeon shrugged, eyeing him playfully.

He chuckled. “So Hyoyeon-ssi, I really think your dancing skills are awesome.”

She raised an eyebrow, more pleased and giddy now, knowing he had watched her perform and admires her dancing.

Junho wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you want to check out mine?” his eyes then strayed to a large portion of the yard that has been cleared, where a lot of people are already dancing.

Hyoyeon laughed as she followed his gaze. “You want to show off, huh?”

He grinned. “Maybe a showdown? So what do you say?”

She held her hand and pulled him toward the makeshift dance floor. “Come on.”

……………………………………………………

“So, I wonder why you weren’t with your toddler boyfriend last night.”

Yuri stopped jogging and pulled the earphones off her ears. She turned to the guy who spoke behind her.

Of course, who else would it be?

Who else had the gall to annoy her so early in the morning? It was unfortunate enough that he is her school mate. Having him as her neighbor was a nightmare.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, her brows furrowed. She didn’t want to stop and speak to him but she found herself doing just the opposite.

“I said, you weren’t at the party with your toddler boyfriend last night,” Ah In smirked at her and Yuri had an urge to slap his face.

“Minho is not a toddler. Even if he’s younger he behaves more maturely than you ever do!” she spat. She turned away from the abhorring guy and resumed jogging.

He jogged alongside her, matching her pace.

“You guys having trouble? I saw him flirting with a girl at the party last night,” he said.

Yuri stopped jogging, resentment rising over her. She turned to Ah In, her eyes narrowing. Then she smirked at him. “What, you think I’d believe you? It’s their victory party and you’re from the opposing team. You’re not even friends. How could you be there?”

The smirk never left his face. He dug into the pocket of his jogging pants.

“I wasn’t there, but I have my resources,” he said, punching on his mobile and then handing it to her.

Yuri would not have accepted it, but her eyes had already strayed on the image displayed on the screen. It was Minho, his arm draped on a girl’s shoulders.

Last night Minho told her he wouldn’t be going to that party. How could he? Worse, he was with a girl, whom she recognized was one of the s in his school who was crazily infatuated with him.

Damn you, Minho. How could you? Liar. Cheat.

She threw Ah In’s mobile phone in a rage.

“Yah!” Ah In yelled. He watched as his phone crashed on the pavement not far from them. He heard a crack as it broke.

“I just bought that phone!” he yelled at Yuri.

“To hell with your phone!” Yuri yelled back. “Why are you doing this to me? Are you having fun seeing me making a fool out of myself? Are you enjoying watching me get hurt?”

For a moment, Ah In’s eyes grew soft, his gaze on her becoming tender. “He doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t love you enough.”

“How could you say that? You don’t even know him!” she shouted at him before running away.

“Yah! You’re not gonna cry, are you? I was the one who got my new phone broken, after all!” he shouted after her.

He sighed as he watched Yuri disappear in a corner. He stared at his broken phone lying on the pavement.

“And it’s not just my phone you broke…” he whispered.

……………………………………

Minho woke up to the insistent sound of his alarm clock. He opened an eye.

Ugh, what time is it?

He d for his phone on the bed side table. He unlocked the screen and groaned when he saw several missed calls and messages. He had an idea to whom all those came from, but he opened the call register anyway. He would have to call her back. How mad would she be at him for not picking up?

He scrolled on the screen. Ten missed calls from Yuri. Five from…

“Oh, damn it!” he shot upright and scrambled his way out of the bed. He almost forgot that he has to fetch his cousin Siwon at the airport today.

He looked from left to right as he stood beside his bed. Then he looked at the time on his phone. Siwon’s plane would be arriving ten minutes from now!

He grabbed his towel and ran out of his room. If he’s late then he would be so deep in trouble.

…………………………………..

Krystal took a deep breath as she hoisted herself up of her seat on the plane.

Korea after several years…

She grabbed her carryall bag and walked on the aisle toward the exit.

As she went through the usual motions upon arrival, she kept mulling on everything that has happened ever since she accepted what her sister asked of her.

Their parents had immediately arranged for Krystal to fly to Korea. Arrangements on her living and schooling were also made. She would be living with Yonghwa’s family and would go to the same school her cousin goes to.

She bade a tearful goodbye to her friends. Now she wonders if she would ever make, or find friends who are like her old friends. She doubts it, and she felt quite apprehensive with the thought.

No one could replace you, guys, she thought sadly.

She hated the idea of leaving her family, friends, and the life she had been used to. But she tried to console herself with the idea that she is doing all that for her sister, and for a dream that is already both hers and Jessica’s. She also noted the pluses of being in her home country once again.

Jessica had promised to join her there as soon as she could. Also, there was Yonghwa to take care of her, and she already made friends with his skating partner Hyoyeon. Having those two by her side might be enough and she might not really need to make friends anymore if she couldn’t. Then there’s also the thought that she could watch Incheon’s Choi Minho play ice hockey live now that she’s here. Her spirits lifted a little and she smiled to herself.

Her phone rang as she was already making her way to the lounge.

“Oh, oppa? Are you here yet?”

“Soojung-ah, I’m so sorry. I can’t fetch you,” Yonghwa said from the other side of the line.

“What?”

“Kidding!” he chuckled and Krystal would have punched him if he was right in front of her.

“Yah!”

“Don’t worry, I’m coming. Just…I don’t have a car so we’ll have to take the train back to Seoul.”

“Kidding again, oppa? I swear I’ll punch you as soon as I see you!”

“I’m serious this time so please don’t do that. I wasn’t able to borrow Jihoon hyung’s car in time and he left the city with Hye Kyo noona and Mi Cha this morning. Sorry, Jungie.”

“It’s fine,” she looked at her heavy luggage warily.

“I’m close. Wait for me on the first basement floor, ahrasso?”

She sighed. “Okay.”

…………………………………….

Minho slumped on the seat and propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. He hurriedly made his way to the airport, only to read the message from Siwon sent earlier, telling him that his cousin’s flight was delayed for an hour and he will be arriving an hour later than intended. He wished he read it while he was still at home. Now he was stuck in the food court in the first basement of the airport, having just finished breakfast.

He decided to just call Yuri while waiting.

“I hate you! How could you lie to me! And you were with that from your school last night! How could you, Minho!” Yuri screamed from the other end of the line as soon as she picked his call up.

Minho’s eyes widened. But how does she…how did she…

News travels fast, you idiot.

He had been planning to tell her that he went to the party anyway, after promising her that he wouldn’t. He wanted to tell her later and explain that the guys on the team was teasing him that he has no balls to stand up to his girlfriend if he would not attend the party. And he could also see their point. Why can’t he do what he wants just because Yuri doesn’t want him to? She’s not his mother! And he’s the man in the relationship!

He never expected Yuri to know all about it this early. “Listen, Yuri-ah, I can explain.”

It was a good thing she stopped screaming. “Fine. You better explain it to me,” she said in a cold, calm voice.

He explained to her why he decided to go to the party without her. If he should be honest the confrontation is annoying him.

“Then what about that girl? Why were you hugging her?”

His brows furrowed. What girl? He wasn’t hugging some girl last night and he wasn’t drunk not to remember. Yuri could be exaggerating at times. He tried to recall his actions to all the girls he had talked with last night.

“What girl?”

“Don’t you lie, you cheat! I saw your picture with that Ji-hyun and you were hugging her!”

His brows furrowed. Ji-hyun? Ah, the dare. But he didn’t hug her.

“I didn’t hug her, Yuri-ah. It was a dare for her. Her friends dared her to take a picture with me and I just obliged,” he explained.

“Is that why you looked so happy and you even put your arm around her shoulders?” she retorted.

Minho’s face went grim, his lips pressed in a tight line. “Let’s just talk when your mind is clearer, Yul. You won’t listen to anything I say anyway.”

He pressed the end call button and slid the phone inside his pocket. He stood up, deciding to wait for Siwon on the first floor lounge area instead.

He knew he has fault, but he wanted to justify his act by telling himself that Yuri is pushing him too much.

He stepped on the escalator that will bring him up on the first floor. Just then he noticed a girl riding the escalator opposite his. He was still some distance away from her and it would be several seconds before they would be parallel to each other but he could tell she was looking at him and studying him.

She looked like she was trying to remember who he was. Minho’s heart skipped a beat as he got a good look at the girl. He had never seen her before, but he was mesmerized by her face. She was very pretty. Sure, he was constantly surrounded by pretty girls and even his girlfriend is quite stunning, but there’s just something about the girl’s face that appeals to him.

Their eyes locked for a moment as they passed by each other on the moving stairs. He looked back at her as his escalator continued its way up while hers continued its way down. He was glad to see her looking back up at him too.

He dared to smile at her and somehow it warmed his heart when she smiled back.

Then she turned around and got off the escalator, pulling her luggage behind her.

He felt a twinge of disappointment as he realized the moment was over and he would never see her again.

...............................................

SHINee's back! XD

LOL, I dared to post a chapter and I think it's a long one, too.

AFF still undergoes some trouble at times but I hope it's more stable this time.

Please be patient with me. We'll get to the moments of the couples I have mentioned.

Thank you for reading and I hope you would leave a comment.