His breath was coming short, staggered, as his chest heaved with every intake. He shouldn’t have danced through all those five hours, he knew. But he didn’t want his thoughts to catch up with him once again, and dancing was the only way for him to guarantee that.

With a shaking hand, Taemin wiped the drops of sweat out of his eyes. They landed on the mirror front, and a hoarse laugh escaped his lips.

He looked positively exhausted.

Making his way to the back of the practice room, he snatched up his belongings. One quick glance at his watch told him it was way past decent sleeping time.

Oh well. What were managers for if it wasn’t to make sure he would get his back into the dorm after practice?

Sighing, he slung his sweater over his shoulder and hit the switch, basking the room into darkness. And as he had expected, his thoughts were once again assailing him even before his foot had touched the first step of the staircase.

~

“Aaaand cut!”

The director’s voice boomed over the set, and Taemin could see Sulli smiling gently at Minho as they both made their way over to the stylists. Something tugged at his chest, but he dismissed it even before anything could make his expression sour. He had come to cheer on Minho, not to let his mood affect the ambiance on the set.

“They look good cute together, don’t they?”

Taemin turned his head to look at the girl standing next to him. Just as Minho had invited Taemin (a fact that had made Taemin almost jump with excitement because really, Minho had invited him and not one of the other members), Sulli had brought Krystal along. It had come as a surprise, naturally, because Taemin somehow hadn’t realized that Sulli would be on the set too.

That fact had dimmed his mood, and he blamed himself for being so stupid as to forget such an obvious fact.

Taemin was about to let his mouth start to ramble on how Minho and Sulli really did not look good together because she was too young and not skinny and just not fit for him before he realized that it was Krystal who he was talking to, and the situation wouldn’t solve if he ranted about Sulli to one of her fellow members. Instead he just chose to nod curtly, making sure that a small smile was set on his lips.

“Oh come on, Taem, you look like you would rather be somewhere else than here cheering Minho-oppa on.” Krystal stated with a side glance to him, her eyes then fixing back on their acting fellow members.

It’s because I do, Stal, was what he wanted to say. It was funny how their relationship was so close that they only addressed each other with nicknames, while with the rest of the other’s group members they maintained a friendly, but still somewhat formal way of speaking.

“Stop talking nonsense, Stal. You know I love watching Minho-hyung’s acting.” Taemin opted to say, eyes back onto the pair in front of the camera.

“Mhmm. He’s really gotten better since Salamander Guru, hasn’t he? Although I must say, Sulli looks a lot more flexible with her expressions.” Krystal let out a clear laugh. “Minho-oppa looks like he just wants to burn everything with his flaming charisma gaze.”

Taemin chuckled, not because it was true, but because the way Krystal’s laugh echoed was nice and welcomed. It reminded him of pre-debut days in the practice room, hanging out after vocal lesson and sometimes eating a snack or two along the way back home.

As much as his mood had been brought down upon Sulli’s arrival, seeing Krystal made him think that it wasn’t so bad to be here watching Minho act protectively over Sulli after all.

“Well, you know him,” Taemin started. “Always wanting to look manly and cool.”

Krystal nodded, a small pout forming on her lips. “It makes his acting a little stiff, though. Shame.”

“Yah! I can hear you two!” Minho’s voice reached them over the heads of the stylist noonas, who were trying to fix his hair back into its perfect place.

Krystal only chuckled before yelling back a “Good!” and turning her attention back to Taemin.

Throughout their conversation the latter’s gaze was fixed on the back of Minho’s head, thoughts running through his mind as he watched the rapper getting ready to film the next scene.

It was true, though, what he had said before. He loved watching Minho act. The way Minho’s eyes became piercing when he concentrated, the way he was trying so hard to just live his role, were just some of the reasons why Taemin had wanted to come.

Which was why feeling threatened by the second main cast shouldn’t even have happened. He should have been looking at Minho, and Minho alone, he mused now.

But one is always smarter after all the drama then before, right?

At least that was what Taemin told himself, trying to lift his spirits, when he was startled out of his trance at Krystal’s little gasp. Confused as to what was happening (and how he actually spaced out right then and there, not even realizing that the filming had resumed), his eyes darted around the set only to land on a view he would have rather not seen after his already more than lousy mindset.

It wasn’t that Minho was kissing Sulli on the stairs, he told himself. No, it most definitely was that Minho was giving off such a bad drunk. It was hard to concentrate on that thought though as Taemin was fixated on the spot where Minho’s lips met Sulli’s, and the spark of something like enjoyment in her eyes, the way Minho closed his eyes, how they looked so maddeningly-

“Let’s go for coffee!” Taemin exclaimed suddenly, grabbing Krystal by the arm, ignoring her surprised complaints.

“What- Taemin- Why coffee?!” She asked, her words interrupted by the sharp pulling of his hand on her wrist.

Because I can’t stand Minho-hyung snogging your fellow member and no, don’t you even dare try to defend Sulli by saying it is just acting and-

Taemin tried to laugh it off. “Uh, just an excuse to spend time alone with you.” He winced, and swore he could hear the whiplash from his own stupidity.

Krystal blinked, once, twice, before what he had said registered in her mind. Her eyes met his, and for a moment Taemin thought he could see something in them he hadn’t seen before, something flashing behind the dark brown of her irises. But even before he could grasp what it could have been, it was gone, and the next thing he knew was that Krystal had started hammering her fist on his shoulder.

“You’re so silly, Lee Taemin, seriously! Thinking I wouldn’t catch up on what is going on!” Another well aimed punch landed its mark on his now slowly painful shoulder. “You think the way you look at Minho is so subtle, I’m surprised he doesn’t seem to have caught up on your feelings yet himself!”

Taemin’s eyes widened. There was a small, tiny pause before he lifted his hand over his eyes and groaned.

“Really?” He asked, and looked up at her through his fingers.

Krystal’s lips were pursed, one eye-brow cocked up in playful annoyance.

“Taem I don’t even know how you haven’t been found out all this while.”

Groaning once again, Taemin made his way to the next wall and sunk his head back against it. He should have known that Krystal would catch up on him. Because (and he should know this, he’s known her for years) she is just that bright when it came to feelings of others. Oh, who was he kidding, she just loved to stick her nose into businesses that hardly ever concerned her, and never would.

And now she was standing before him, one foot padding the floor while her hands were buried into her sides, and Taemin just knew she wouldn’t let him down on this.

“Look, Stal,” he started, trying to ease into foreign territory, “can’t we just… forget about this?” And never speak of this ever, ever again?

But with the smirk that plastered itself onto Krystal’s features, Taemin wondered if he would really get out of this without more pain than his already sore shoulder.

“You know what I think, Taem?” She said as she came closer, slowly and threateningly, that pretty and annoying smirk still illuminating her face and Taemin just wanted to run. Run from his longtime friend that looked like she wouldn’t back down from something he knew he wouldn’t enjoy.

“That we should just… go back?”

The corner of her lips pulled up the smallest bit.

“I think you should treat me to that coffee you mentioned earlier. Oh, and don’t spill it – unless it’s all about that little crush of yours on Minho-oppa.”

Yep. Taemin knew this wouldn’t end too well as she slipped her arm around his and dragged him into the next highly expensive coffee shop.

~

It was eerily silent as the front door slipped shut behind him for a moment. Well, as silent as a lively dorm can be before-

“Oh, Taemin-ah! You’re home!”

The call came from the living room, and Taemin knew that the others were probably either only sitting around watching the usual brainless stuff on television, or surrounding Jonghyun and Minho for their videogame of whatever it was they chose to play. Knowing the two of them though, it would probably be soccer.

On his way to join the others, Taemin glanced at the clock hanging above the kitchen door.

12:04

He bit his lip.

After the coffee, Krystal hadn’t been able to resist pulling him into the next accessory shop, flinging a random pair of sunglasses and a beanie at him (“It’s a real shame they are not branded because, if we were to be found out, I’d really appreciate much more that we look fashionably correct. Oh well, improvising calls for drastic measures.”), and dragging him up along the street to God knows where. Taemin couldn’t even remember the last time he had walked so long around the streets of Seoul like today. His feet hurt, but he had to admit that walking with Krystal had its perks. Like trying on the most hideous pants and shirt that every shop had to offer.

A smile formed as he thought back to his diverting afternoon.

“What are you smiling about?” Key’s nosy and curious question came almost as fast as a cannon bullet.

“Nothing.” Taemin replied cheekily, sitting himself down onto the couch next to Jonghyun. The latter was trying to play the ball past Minho’s defense, and apparently that called for frantic snatching of his thumb and wrist on the controller, making Taemin jerk slightly in his direction.

“Don’t give me that. Minho said you left the set with Krystal in the middle of his filming.” He could feel Key’s eyes bore into the side of his head. But he stayed silent and opted to listen to Jonghyun’s exclamations of frustration.

That is, weren’t it for the unnerving feeling of being watched by a pair of feline and very much determined eyes.

“So?” Taemin sighed.

He was sure Key would come crawl into his lap in order to get some good, juicy story out of him.

“Well, what did you do? Where did you go? What did you say? Was it an official date?”

“GOOOOOAAAAL!”

A loud and deafening yell surged through the room, and Taemin had to cover his ears while Jonghyun sprang up and started frolicking around in front of him. One glance at the screen and another at Minho’s very much sour as well as boiling expression was all it took him to figure out who had scored the goal. Key was yelling at Jonghyun to keep it down (because what if the neighbors heard him?) while Onew was just sitting there, nodding in admiration. Taemin’s eyes tried to find Minho’s in the ruckus after the score, and he was surprised to see the rapper look almost blankly at him. He tried a small smile, but before he knew it Minho had gotten up and out of the room, not sparing another glance back.

Taemin looked after him, bewildered as to why he hadn’t even gotten so much as a pull of the mouth. Key was on him again before his thoughts could wander off, out of the room and after Minho.

“Well?”

Taemin rolled his eyes. “Hyung, we just went for a coffee, and before I knew it she had me dragged through half of Seoul. By foot.” Key raised one of his eyebrows. “No, it was not a date. You guys know how close we are, and just because she is a girl friend of mine-“

Jonghyun and Onew couldn’t help but wolf whistle mockingly at his choice of words, snickering idiotically.

”- oh shut up you two! Anyway, it doesn’t mean there is anything happening, or that there ever will be.” Jonghyun grinned over at Onew, and Key looked at Taemin rather skeptically.

“Besides,” Taemin started again, but then he held his breath. Besides, I have a totally silly and unrealistic crush on Minho-hyung that will never ever come true. He gritted his teeth. “Besides, I am not interested in girls right now.”

“That’s what they all say.” Those were Key’s last words before he steered towards their bedroom, Jonghyun and Onew following behind. But not without sending the huffing maknae rather amused glances.

For some reason, Taemin felt like they weren’t going to let him live this down. But maybe, he thought (and hoped), maybe my gut feeling is just wrong.