It has been two weeks since Kikwang oppa confessed and Taemin acted weird. Both didn’t contact me and I don’t want to contact them because they are driving me crazy. Add this stupid dongsaeng of mine who can’t stop nagging me to give him, Sooyoung unnie’s number. 

“Yah, if I win this dance battle, give me her number!” He said. Can’t this Minjae grow up? 

“Bring it on!” Anything to keep my mind off those guys, seriously they are driving me nuts. He pressed play on his Ipod that was connected to the speakers and Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie was blazing on it. Let the music flow through you. I said to myself.

I’m dancing my frustrations, confusions and whatever. Somehow, I’ve got a feeling something’s wrong. It’s too quiet. Whenever we have a dance battle, this stupid idiot will taunt me with ‘Is that the best you can do?’ or ‘Psh! I can do better than that!’ Then, I looked at the stupid idiot and he’s recording me on his phone! 

“Lee Minjae!!!!!” I shouted at him and he ran for his life. “What!? I’m just recording it!!” 

“If I catch you, you’ll be wishing your dead!!!!!” I shouted at him.

‘Here I am lying on a bed here in a hotel with some random girl. I think I picked her up when I went on recording Strong Heart. She’s a member of a new girl group. I don’t even know what I’m doing. I just winked at her and asked if we could go drink some coffee and we ended up here. Whatever. Nothing happened between us and I’m not going to let that happen. I better text her manager and pick her up.’ Taemin thought. 

He texted her manager using the girl’s phone and went out of the room. He went to a café and just have a time for himself. 

‘Don’t go to Kikwang hyung. Didn’t I tell you, you are mine?’ I must be crazy to say that. Definitely, it’s my hormones acting up. I’m a healthy guy with a lot of needs.’

He nearly choked on his coffee. ‘Wait, that sounded erted. Taemin, you are definitely going crazy.’

He had a pensive look on his face as he remembered the scene wherein Minji and Kikwang are acting in and feeding each other with food. ‘So, all of my suspicions are correct.’

‘Guys fall for her when they get close to her and when they did, it’ll be too late. Too late because they have fallen for her deeply and all they can do is make her fall for them. Like you are now. The biggest challenge yet is how to make Gong Minji fall in love. A challenge that every guy who have tried went home crying over rejection. That’s why Kikwang hyung never tried to confess.’ Minjae’s voice echoed over.

‘Why do I even care about what that stupid idiot told me?’ Taemin thought. 

“He hugged her and said ‘I don’t want you with Taemin. I want you to be with me.’” Jonghyun’s voice taunted him now.

‘Hmph! He just wants me to settle with one girl so that I could stop playing girls.’ He sipped his coffee when his phone rang. 

‘Hm? A message from an unknown number?’ He opened the message. ‘A video message?’ He sipped more of his coffee only to be spat out. ‘What the?’ The first minute was Minji sleeping on a bench in their dance studio, wearing a white tank top. His heart raced a thousand miles and back.

‘Hyung! I know you miss your slave more than anyone in the world right now so come on peek in her dance practice. She’s been feeling so out of it these days ever since that adlib hug you made in the shooting.’ Minjae said in the video and the next clip was Minji dancing. 

For the first time in two weeks, he felt at peace seeing her. She’s still the same. The feisty one he learned to like. He was chuckling when it was at the part where Minji was chasing Minjae in the corridors of their building. He replayed the video over and over. 

‘My hormones are really out of control.’ He thought.

‘Trust me, it’s not your hormones playing with you.’ Minjae’s voice answered him in his mind.

‘I should whack Minjae’s head when I see him again. He’s the reason I’m having these thoughts.’

Minji was in the middle of strangling the life out of Minjae when her phone rang a familiar tone. It’s only for one person. Before, she would dread hearing that tone but today she was so eager to read the message. Needless to say, her face brightened up when she heard that. She left Minjae nursing his neck.

‘Meet me in my room at the dorm. I’ve given you too much vacation slave. You have to work hard for today.-Evil Master.’

“Stupid. I already knew that. I’m just waiting for your orders.” Minji said. She gathered her things and went out.

Minjae called Sooyoung. “Noona, I made my first move. You know what this means. I get to date you for one night!”

Kikwang was lying on his bed thinking. ‘I must be crazy confessing. I told myself that she’s my best friend and I don’t want her to be uncomfortable. This is why I always lie. That Taemin ruined all of it! I’m okay being by her side but that Taemin. I couldn’t resist anymore. The more I stop my feelings, it keeps on overflowing and being jealous isn’t helping.’ He put an arm over his eyes. 

‘I keep on lying to myself and managed to convince myself that I don’t love her that way. I only love her as a sister. But seeing her being kissed by Taemin and clearly she is enjoying it, made my determination crumble down into ashes. I must be a stupid idiot. I even hurt her. I’m so ashamed to even call or text her.’

He rolled over to his right. ‘How can I even face her now? Big Bang hyungs are on my case now. It was really hard to convince them before that I don’t have any intention to hit on Minji. That Minjae was taunting them that time! How should I talk to her?’

“AAAARRRGGHH! This freaking !!!!” Kikwang shouted. 

“Yah!! Shut up!! Sohyun’s here. She said she wants to see you.” Hyunseung said as he entered his room. 

“Sohyun?” Kikwang asked.

“Uhm. Yeah! Did you lose your brain or something? Yes, Sohyun.” Hyunseung said.

Sohyun entered Kikwang’s room. “Oppa! Did I surprise you?”

Minji arrived at SHINee’s dorm. ‘Should I ring the doorbell or text him I’m already here?’ The door opened revealing Kibum wearing an apron with a trash bag in hand. “Minji? It has been a while since you visited. Come in! Taemin is sleeping in his room. That irresponsible guy just got home. I don’t even know where he went to last night. I don’t even know what to do to keep him in line.”

“Oppa, it’s nice to see you.” Minji managed to say and Kibum gave her a warm smile. Jonghyun came out of nowhere and hugged her. “What made you come here? Did Taemin tell you to come over?” Jonghyun asked with an evil glint in his eyes but Minji just gave him a slight nod and said, “I have duties to fulfill.” Jonghyun was left confused however Minho just smiled while reading another novel on the couch. 

Minji entered his room. “Keep the door open!” Kibum shouted.

‘Hmph! He made me come here but I have nothing to do. I thought he have tons of workload for me to do.’ She noticed a post-it in his manga collection. 

‘Alphabetized my manga collection within one hour.’ Minji looked at the manga collection. ‘Hell no!’ She noticed another one at his closet. ‘Organize my clothes by color in one hour.’ ‘What the hell!?!’ She found another note. ‘Massage me after you’ve done the first two.’

‘Sheesh!’ Minji thought. She started organizing his manga collection. He was smirking while watching her. He then rolled back to sleep. 

‘Not only he is evil, he is also a ert and loves to steal kisses. He makes me do impossible things. Aish! I can’t believe I was a bit happy when he texted me. Stupid Minji. All he does to me is tease me. Including that, hug. Forget that Minji. Erase, erase, erase that moment in your memories.’ Minji thought as she waved her hand left and right as if erasing something from a blackboard. 

After finishing organizing his massive manga collection, she organized his clothes which in her opinion were such a pain in the since he purposely messed it up. She even thought of strangling Taemin in his sleep but thought the better she left him alone, her life will be good even though it was really tempting to kill him.

After painstakingly color-coding his shirts into a rainbow-like hanging in his closet, she laid down on the floor. ‘Finished!’ 

“Minji-ah.” She looked who called her. “Minho oppa?”

“Can you wake that guy over there and tell him to eat? Jonghyun hyung is asleep in the next room while Kibum & I will go to the recording of Happy Together.”

“Okay, oppa.” Minho left her.

She got up and went to Taemin’s bed. “Yah, wake up.” She said softly. All she got as response is some mumbling. “Taemin, wake up and eat.” 

“Changmin hyung, not her too. She’s mine. You already robbed me of my happiness not Minji. You already have Sulli.” Minji looked at him, bewildered and confused.

“Yah, you are just dreaming. Wake up!” Minji said raising her voice slightly. Taemin suddenly rose up, looked at her, hugged her and he went back to his slumber with him hugging Minji. 

“Lee Taemin, seriously, wake up and stop hugging me!” Minji said as she tried to wriggle her way out of his embrace. 

“Shut up, slave. I’m the master here.” Taemin said as he hugged her tighter.

“Did you hit your head or you are just on drugs? Oh, wait! I forgot you are a ert.” Minji said sarcastically.

“I’m just dealing some issues and affirming something that a stupid fellow insists I am.”

“I don’t follow you and can you please stop hugging me, you evil slash ert master!” Minji said as she tries to get out again for the second time however her efforts were futile. She gave up and pinched his cheeks. “You won’t let go?!”

“I won’t.” He said and looked at her seriously. Minji’s heart skipped a beat but she shrugged it off as usual.

“Get up, ert master!” She pinched harder. She saw another side of him that surprised her again for the second time, his genuine smile. “I’m up. You are going to pay for pinching my cheeks hard, slave.” 

He stood up and Minji followed him to the dinner table. Kibum cooked lasagna for the maknaes. Both were eating but Minji kept looking at him curiously. 

“What? You want to ask something?” Taemin asked.

“Did Changmin sunbaenim steal Sulli away from you?” Minji asked innocently.

“Where did you get that stupid info?” Taemin asked but he could barely hold his fork steady.

“From you. You were mumbling that while I was trying to wake you up. You said, ‘Changmin hyung not her too. You already robbed me of my happiness. You already have Sulli.” Minji said nonchalantly and she left the part ‘Not Minji.’

“It’s nothing. It’s not for a slave to pry on.” Taemin dismissed it. 

“So, you can pry on my life since you are the master?!” Minji asked raising her voice quite a bit.

“Technically, yes.” Taemin said. 

“Whatever.” Minji rolled her eyes.

“So, you and Kikwang hyung are going out now? Jonghyun hyung said he finally confessed to you.”

“Not answering that lame question. You have no right in my life.” Minji said.

“True in a sense but still I am your master so I have a right. But I’m not going to ask again since I know the answer.” Taemin said without looking at her. They ate in silence with Minji giving him the evil stare from time to time. She stood up, took their plates and washed it while he went to the living room and watched TV.

‘What answer? I didn’t even freaking answer oppa and you know the answer? What crap is he talking about? Seriously! He comes onto me hugging me when it is not even in the stupid script and telling me don’t go to Kikwang oppa. Is his brain unhinged to his body during that time? Ugh! I hate this. I can’t even dissect and analyze what’s going on through his head? He ignores me, hugs me, texts me to make me do unimaginable things and he is just sitting there without any care in the world then he says he knows what the answer to his stupid and utterly dumb question!! Should I just strangle him? No, if he dies, I’ll have problem thinking of an alibi, how to dispose his body, comfort his family and hyungs and face the sea of angry and heartbroken Shawols. Too much work, I’ll just have to endure 38 more days and I’m free.’ 

Minji was going to place the plate on to the plate holder when Jonghyun hugged her from behind. “Minji-yah, fix me some food.” Jonghyun said in a dream-like state which made her drop the plate and it smashed into thousand pieces. 

“Omona! Oppa, don’t do that. It scared the hell out of me.” Minji said as Jonghyun stopped hugging her and muttered sheepishly, “Sorry.” Jonghyun went to the living room.

Minji then started to pick up the pieces when Taemin watched her from the corner with his arms crossed, “Are you seriously stupid? Use a broom & a dust pan instead of picking it up with your bare hands. You could get hurt.”

‘Now, he worries? I’ve done this many times.’

“I can take good care o my— Ouch!” Minji said as the shard of the broken plate pierced her forefinger. 

Taemin went to her side and he just put Minji’s injured finger in his mouth. Minji was shock and looked at him. She didn’t even realize she was blushing by his sudden action. He then dragged her by the sink, washed her wound, got the first aid kit, cleaned the wound and finally putting a band aid on her finger. All that time Minji was watching his every move. 

“That is why I told you to use the broom and dust pan instead of your bare hands. You really are stupid.” Taemin said and he went to get the broom and dust pan. He started to clean the shards of the broken plate and Minji just watched him in awe.

‘This is why he is driving me crazy. One minute, he either teases or taunts me, another minute, he ignores me or he cuts me off, the other he’s warm and gentle, then, he goes smiling sincerely that makes my heart thump harder that it should be, then he’s back into being evil again.’

“Yes, you are. What are you doing here?” Kikwang asked as he ruffled Sohyun’s hair into a mess. 

“Yah, stop messing up my hair!” She said as he slap his hands away.

“So, why are you here?” Kikwang then transformed into the gentle brother mode.

“Oppa, help me get Taemin oppa, back.”

“Why would I do that? You should move on from that jerk and fall in love with someone who is much more worthy of your love.”

“Oppa. I’m determined to be his last girl. I haven’t done my best for him, to make him fall for me, to be mine. He just shoved me aside. I don’t want to a girl like that to him.”

“He doesn’t like you. Trust me he already did you favor by breaking up with you. He means that you should forget about him because he is a big time jerk.”

“Oppa!”

“What?! I’m right! He knows it too.”

“Then, why is it he chose Minji? Minji, the innocent type that everyone falls for? I’m innocent too but why is it she has to be the girl Taemin oppa likes?”

“He doesn’t like her. He is just playing her like he did to you.”

“Oppa, we both know that isn’t the case. He likes her. How could he save her during that accident in your set? How could he just kiss her passionately and forget that there are people around them? How could he just shove me around when she fainted? His face brightens up when he teases her or just playing tricks on her?” Sohyun said all these things like she was rapping them. Kikwang held her shoulders and, 

“Sohyun, breathe. Inhale, exhale.” Sohyun obeyed Kikwang then she continued. 

“Oppa, I’ve observed Taemin oppa with other girls. He is different when he’s with Minji. Trust me, he is not playing her.”

“I know. Both of them are bounded by a contract.” Kikwang said with an air of annoyance. 

“What contract?”

“You see, Sohyun. Both of them are stubborn beings who got themselves into a stupid contract. In a hundred days, Taemin has to make Minji fall for him and vice versa. If Taemin falls for her and she doesn’t love him, they’ll go separate ways and same with Minji. I’ve always reprimanded Minji that this is dangerous but she insists. She said that she won’t fall for playboy like him which makes me utterly insane worrying. Seriously, she hasn’t experience love before. How could she eve thought of playing with it? Here, I am worrying for her 24/7 thinking of bad things that Taemin would do to make her his. It makes my blood boil at the sight of him with her.”

Their roles are now reversed, Sohyun put her hands on his shoulders and, “Oppa, breathe. Inhale, exhale.”

“Yes, I must relax. Thanks, Sohyun.”

“Oppa, you love Minji.”

“Yes.” He answered absentmindedly. He suddenly realized what he said, “Wait, what?”

“I already caught you, oppa. So, don’t lie. You are just afraid to confess to her because she’s the type that would get scared and reject you. She already did that in the past when Dongho sunbaenim confessed to her.”

Both have a starefest with each other. 

“Gah! You win, Sohyun!” Kikwang said and Sohyun danced her victory dance.

“Oppa, let’s just break them up. I mean separate them naturally. After all, in their contract if both haven’t fallen for each other, they’ll go their separate ways. Then, you can have Minji and I can have Taemin oppa.”

“How would we do the “Natural Separation” you are talking about?”

“Simple, ask Minji out on a date. I’ll make Taemin see that she’s yours. Make Minji yours, oppa. You deserve a good love than just waiting on the side and being satisfied with being by her side.”

“I’ve confessed to her.”

“When?”

“Two weeks ago. I don’t even know how to approach her or what to say to her.”

“You are making things more complicated when it is just simple. Act as yourself. Like you haven’t confessed to her, because if you don’t, that’ll just make your relationship awkward and the friendship you built for five years will crumble just like this.” Sohyun snapped her fingers.
Kikwang looked at her like she was a prophet sent to him to save him. 

“Make her comfortable with you but you should also show her that you are also a guy too.” Sohyun said to him.

“Okay. Hey, wait. You said you are innocent, why do you know many things?”

“Duh. I’m a girl. Oppa, let’s do this okay?”

“Okay.” Kikwang smiled. The alliance to break the maknaes are formed.

“You know Sohyun, they only got 38 days left.” Kikwang said as cracked a smile.

“Are you going to watch me all day, ert slave?” Taemin asked as he threw the plastic bag with the shards onto the proper container.

‘Was I watching him the whole time?’ Minji thought. 

“ert? Slave? Minji is your slave?” Jonghyun said as he popped out his head from the sofa. Then, he looked at Taemin then Minji and said, “I didn’t know you two like role playing. Is that what makes your relationship hot?” Jonghyun’s eyebrows moved up and down naughtily as he asked that.

Minji blushed and Taemin just laughed. “Hyung, you really want to know? How about we show you?” Taemin then held Minji’s chin up and was about to kiss her when he noticed she was blushing like mad. He stopped and started laughing hard.

“Yah, yah, yah! Why did you make me excited then you just stop and laughed? Aish! Taemin, you became an evil maknae. Did you get lessons from Kyuhyun hyung?” Jonghyun said, frustration evident in his voice and Minji was still blushing like mad.

“Minji. Go to my room. I’ll be there in a minute.” Taemin said as he finally gain control of himself. Minji obeyed and went to his room.

Taemin then went to Jonghyun. “Hyung, don’t hug her from behind or do any skinship with her while she’s doing something. She got herself cut a while ago.”

“Alright, I won’t do any skinship with your girl without your permission. You just have to twist your words but it means ‘don’t touch what is not yours.’” Jonghyun said. Taemin smiled. He went to enter his room.

“Keep the door open, Taemin so I could easily save Minji from your evil clutches.” Jonghyun said but Taemin closed the door.

Minjae was out with Sooyoung. Mesmerized by her, he kept looking at her like she was a goddess.

“Yah, stop staring. I’ll just give you my picture. Now, talk!” Sooyoung said. Minjae relayed what happened. 

“So she just rushed off like a speed of lightning when she received message?”

“She received Taemin hyung’s message.” Minjae corrected.

“How do you even know it is his?”

“When she was sleeping, I looked on her phone contacts. It wasn’t there. But there was this weird name, ‘Evil Master’, so I checked it with the number you gave to me and it’s a match! When I looked over who texted her, in the middle of strangling me which I might add Minji isn’t the type to be distracted when she’s punishing me, it was Evil Master.”

“Good work, agent Minjae!” Sooyoung said.

“Anything for you, noona.” Minjae said.

“However, I am getting a bad feeling something is going to happen and it’s not good for the both of them. Now, that Sohyun is around hanging with us on the set because she’s the new character.” Sooyoung said.

“Sohyun? Why? She won’t do anything.” Minjae said.

“Trust me, that girl will do anything to get back someone she wants even if it’s hurting someone she is close with in return.” Sooyoung said.

Minjae was confused. 

‘Jjong oppa will be the death of me. Seriously! He blurted out to Kikwang oppa that Taemin is dating me when it’s not now this. Making me think of..’ Minji looked around the Taemin’s room. 

‘Damn it! Minji, stop thinking bad things. You are being tainted when you think like that.’ She held her face and began shaking her head.

Taemin entered the room and closed the door.

“So, ert slave, enjoyed watching your master clean up your mess?” Taemin said as he sat won beside Minji on his bed. Minji suddenly stood up.

“Wh-wh-who am I watching? Y-y-you? As if!” Minji said.

“Stuttering are we?” He stood up and he walked forward while Minji stepped backward. They both walked, Taemin walking forward smirking at her while Minji stepping backward in return. Unfortunately, for Minji, she stepped her last step backward and her back hit the wall. Taemin cornered her by putting both his arms on both sides of Minji so that she wouldn’t escape.

“Now, slave, you still deny you are a ert?”

“You are the one who is a ert!” Minji said.

“Am I? What did you think of when Jonghyun hyung said about the master and slave role playing?”

“I-I-I didn’t think of anything!!” ‘Damn it! Why am I stuttering!?’

“Really? Why are you stuttering?”

“Because I’m cold.” ‘Lame answer, Minji!’

“Really? The heater is on and you are practically sweating.” Taemin said while he slightly wiped her sweat of her forehead.

“I’m really cold. It’s the truth.” ‘Aish! Body work with me here!’

“Hm?” Taemin smiled his wicked smile. ‘Cold, my . You were caught in the act thinking something nasty. Cute. Like a child who caught doing something.’

“You are the real ert!” Minji said. Taemin just flung her on his bed and pinned her there.

“Then, why were you blushing like mad when hyung said that and you turned bright red when I was teasing him? I’m not the ert here, you are.” Taemin said.

“I-I-I’m not!” Minji said. Taemin buried his face on her neck and made her gasp. “You are a ert, admit it. Behind your innocent face lies a dark side.”

“Yes, I am. Is that what you want to hear? Aish! I hate it when I lose like this. It just came on my mind, okay? I’m going to be an adult soon so why should I be innocent about those things? Master and slave roleplay is the one with like I’m the maid and you are the master. Like Kaichou wa Maid-sama manga right?”

“I’m just teasing you. You are still innocent.” Taemin said as he inhaled some of her scent he missed for the past two weeks. ‘Kaichou wa maid-sama is about a girl who is working for a maid café and her work should be kept hidden from school because her reputation as the school president will be tarnished. It’s not a master and slave story, it is more of the master, Usui, who manage to know the girl’s secret, falls for her and protects her at any cost. While the girl, Misaki slowly falls for Usui. So, in the end, you’ll for me?’

‘Her scent, vanilla with warm sugar. It intoxicates me. Innocence with a hint of seduction. She’s the only girl that could even soothe me with just her scent, make me smile with her rebuttals and amuse me just by watching her. Gong Minji.’

“What do you get for making me agitated and irritated?”

“Amusement and a lively discussion with my slave.” He said then he kissed her neck.

“Seriously? You are a mental person that needs medical attention!” Minji said and Taemin looked at her and said, “Gong Minji, be mine. Be my girlfriend.”