Krystal excused herself from practice for three days, telling Coach Song that she wasn’t feeling well. She just wasn’t ready to face Minho yet. She doesn’t know why. The coach readily accepted her excuse. She seemed to be in a good mood lately.

She told her friends all about Minho’s confession.

“You’re the only one who has the answers to your questions, Soojungie,” Sonyoung told her seriously. “Omo, I really hate you. I thought he was the only boy who wouldn’t fall for your charms, but now he’s confessed to you!”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you, Soojung-ah!” Jinri said. “He doesn’t like you from the start, does he? So now why is he confessing to you? What if he just means to play with you? He hates you, remember?”

Krystal rested her head on her hands. “Aigoo, I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.”

“Why don’t we just shut up? You’re confusing her more,” Amber said to Jinri and Sonyoung.

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

Krystal tossed and her bed. She couldn’t sleep that night. And the night before, and the night before the night before. She shook her head. She must be going crazy. She can’t get Minho’s expression out of her mind the day he confessed to her. And she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She knew without a doubt that she was attracted to him, too. Maybe there’s more to it because hard as she tried to hate him before, she just couldn’t hate him absolutely. Maybe she’s in love with him, too. But he is Choi Minho…mysterious and indifferent and if the rumors are true, he is ruthless and dangerous. What will happen to Krystal if she accepts him as her boyfriend? Would their relationship last? Krystal was sure her parents wouldn’t accept Minho. Would she be able to fight for him, then? She got up and stared blankly at the wall. But how can this feeling be love? She hardly even knows a thing about him. And he wasn’t nice to her. Maybe it’s just ual attraction. It’s possible. He was good-looking and exciting. Whatever it is, it’s just driving her mad and she just couldn’t ignore it.

On Friday morning Krystal joined the other track and field players for their usual training and warm ups. She immediately scanned the field for Choi Minho. She saw him swinging upside down on one of the bars set around the field.

She hesitated before deciding to approach him. How awkward could they possibly be? After what he confessed to her, she doesn’t know how to treat him. It was better when they were fighting.

He swung down from the bar. He must have seen her approach.

“Hi, Krystal-ssi!” he said, smiling at her as if nothing happened.

Huh? It was the first time she saw him smile right at her. “Are you well now?”

She looked at him with a bewildered expression.

He laughed. “What?”

“You’re acting weird. Have you gone mad? Or is it me?” she tried to joke, still feeling awkward.

He laughed harder. “I know I’m sort of different today. We agreed to a truce so here I am being nice to you,” he answered. “Would you rather want me being mean to you?”

Krystal opened then closed it again. “A-aniyo…”

“I thought so. Come on, let’s start warming up,” he started jumping up and down.

Was his confession just a product of her- as Sonyoung always say, overactive imagination? Or was he playing with her?

“Oppa, I was wondering about what you said when we’re at the beach…,” is it really wise to bring up this topic?

His smile disappeared. “Oh, that. I was…fooling around,” he grinned again. “Ha-ha, gotcha! Scared you, right?”

Krystal’s eyes widened. After all those sleepless nights she spent?

“Yah, what is wrong with you? Making a joke out of that? You are so cruel! What if I believed you?” she hit his chest with her fis