Minho stopped doing push-ups and stood upright. He approached Krystal.

“You ready?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Follow me,” he headed down the oval and toward the bench where Coach Song sat.

“Coach,” he said. “I want to ask you something.”

“What is it, Minho-ssi?”

“I’m afraid something would come up again about…about you know, so I might not be able to continue monitoring her. Could you assign someone else to her?” Minho asked.

Krystal’s eyes widened with surprise upon hearing his request. She was a bit hurt and disappointed. So he dislikes her that much he really can’t stand being with her for even just a few hours. Fine. Neither can she.

Song Qian nodded. “I understand, Minho-ssi. I’ll assign Key to her,” she blew her whistle and waved at the group running at a distance. She raised the megaphone she was holding and spoke through it.

“Yah, Kibum-ssi, come here, I need to talk to you.”

Seconds later, a slim, cute-faced boy with light blond hair joined them.

“This is Krystal Jung,” Coach Song introduced her to the guy she called Kibum. “Krystal, this is Kim Kibum. He will monitor you from now on instead of Minho.”

They bowed to each other.

“You can call me Key,” he said to Krystal. Then he slapped Minho’s back. “Seriously man, I can’t understand why you’re giving up this assignment Coach gave you. Hell, other guys in this school would kill to be in your position.”

“Really? Would you?” Minho asked Key, his tone and facial expression grave.

“That was just a figure of speech,” Key muttered, scratching his head.

“I just don’t want to be her nanny,” Minho said before he turned to leave.

“Yah! I’m not a baby! And I don’t want an ugly nanny like you,” Krystal shouted.

Minho ignored her.

“Aish, I really hate that guy!” Krystal kicked the dusty air and dusts flew about them. She ended up coughing.

Key was watching her with an amused expression. “What’s with you and Minho?

Krystal sighed. “Don’t mind it, oppa. We just don’t get along well, that’s all. He dislikes me.”

“Really? But you seemed nice,” he looked at Minho’s retreating back again and shook his head. “I really can’t figure out that guy.”

Yeah, me neither, Krystal mused.

……………………………………………

Krystal had gotten along easily with Key. He was very funny and caring, and she enjoyed his company a lot. He was also a very good coach and over the days, Krystal had improved a lot.

“You’re a fast learner, Krystal-ssi,” Key told her. “I think you’re naturally athletic.”

Krystal beamed. “Thank you, oppa. I’m happy to hear that.”

“You’re really good at the high jump. I’ll tell Coach Song that,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess so. It seemed easy,” she let out a little giggle.

“But you also run fast.”

“So where do you think I excel more?” Krystal asked.

Instead of answering, Key leaned closer to Krystal and whispered. “He was looking at you, again.”

“Huh?” Krystal whirled around and followed Key’s gaze. She saw Minho leaning at the foot of the grand stand, watching her. When he saw her looking, he turned his gaze somewhere else.

“Who? Minho oppa?”

Key nodded. “Really, what’s with the two of you, huh? Why don’t you get along?”

Krystal shrugged. “I don’t know. He seemed to be in a bad mood when I’m around and he keeps on hurling sarcastic remarks at me ever since we met. God, I hate him,” she stopped as Key pushed a few strands of hair that escaped from her ponytail and stuck them behind her ear. “Thanks. Anyway, I hate him and he hates me.”

Key stared at her for a moment. “I think he likes you.”

“What?” Krystal asked, surprised. She laughed. “You’re kidding me again, oppa.”

“No, I’m not. I just know. I can see it in the way he looks at you. And he doesn’t like watching us together and being friends but he watches, anyway,” Key glanced at Minho again. “See?”

Krystal looked at Minho and caught him looking for the second time. “I don’t know. He hates me.”

“That was just an act. He just couldn’t seem to acknowledge how he feels. Or maybe he does, but he’s trying to suppress it.”

Krystal blushed at the thought of Minho possibly liking her. Could it be true? And why does she feel giddy and happy with the thought? She laughed to cover up the emotions that was stirred in her. “What are you now, psychologist?”

Key laughed. “Nah. I’m a star,” he struck a gay pose before her and she laughed harder.

“Come on,” Key straightened and patted her shoulder. “Let’s continue.”

……………………………….

Minho watched from a distance as Krystal trained with Key. He didn’t like watching them being so comfortable with each other. What if they fell in love? He cringed at the thought. No, he hoped not. He wanted to strike Key when he saw him tenderly tucking strands of stray hair behind Krystal’s ear. The gesture seemed intimate. Suddenly he realized he didn’t like the idea of another guy touching her, or being with her. But sooner or later, he knew this is going to happen. Not with Kibum, he could tell that he treats her like a little sister. But someday, she will fall in love with someone. Or maybe she already has. How was he to know?

He looked away quickly when he realized Krystal was looking right at him. Damn these thoughts and damn these feelings more. Distancing himself from her didn’t actually work. Every day he sees her with Key, he couldn’t help himself watching her from afar. He unconsciously memorizes not just her progress in the sport but how she looks, how she acts, the way she laughs or flips her hair. Her face and her every move are already etched in his mind. How did it come to this?

It was so easy hating her and erasing his attraction to her before. But when their encounters became frequent, his attraction so easily and quickly came back and grew. He raked his hand through his hair. Hell. Why does he keep on torturing himself? He’s already hurting, what could a little more pain do? So what if she rejects him? At least he tried. Maybe if he had satisfied himself in being with her even as just her partner for the training, he would get tired of her and his attraction would fade.

He approached Krystal and Key.

“Kibum-ssi, I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“Yeah, sure,” Key nodded.

Minho looked at Krystal, then he held Key by the arm, pulling him away. “Alone,” he turned back to Krystal. “Excuse us, Krystal-ssi.”

She just nodded her head.

“I want to ask you a favor,” he began.

Key waited for him to continue.

“I want to be Krystal’s partner in training again. Is it okay with you?”

Key laughed. “No, it’s not okay, man,” he answered, his face turning serious.

“W-what?” he was bewildered by Key’s response. Did he read him wrong? Does Key want Krystal all along?

“Kidding,” Key chuckled. “I knew it. You like her, don’t you?”

Minho shrugged. And he blushed.

“Whoa! This is the first time I ever saw you like that…” Key trailed off. “On second thought, I really don’t know if you’ve been like that to a girl.”

“No, I haven’t,” he confessed.

Key nodded. “I understand, Minho-ssi. A huge percent of the male population in this school wants her and you’re no exception.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out just now.”

“I can’t believe it. The indifferent Choi Minho has been finally hit by Cupid’s arrow. Rejoice,” Key began to dance comically and Minho laughed.

“Yah, stop that!” he playfully slapped Key’s chest. “You haven’t given me your answer yet.”

Key stopped dancing. “Of course, Minho-ssi. She’s yours again. I mean yours as in your partner in training. I just don’t know if you could have a relationship with her beyond that.”

“Wow, thanks for the encouragement, man,” Minho said sarcastically.

 Key tapped his shoulder. “Anytime, man,” then he smiled at Minho. “Kidding. Go get her!” he pumped his fist in the air.

Minho shook his head but he grinned at Key. He never had any close friends in this school but Key was one of those he had always liked. And he was never mistaken.

………………………………………….

Krystal watched as Minho and Key talked to each other. She wondered what they were talking about. Suddenly she saw Key breaking into a funny dance. She was puzzled by his actions but she laughed anyway. And she couldn’t believe her eyes. She saw Minho laughing. It was the first time she saw him laugh purely at something amusing, and not that hollow or sarcastic laugh she would usually hear whenever he taunts her.

She then saw Key stopping his dance and they talked some more before they began to approach her.

She put on a frown and pretended to be pissed.

“Yah, I don’t like you taking away Key oppa for a long time,” she told Minho. Uh, where did that come from? Is she trying to make him jealous? She saw his face turning grim. Uh-oh, here we go again. Krystal prepared herself for the upcoming tirade. She heard none.

“Krystal-ssi, there has been a problem,” Key s