Chapter 3

Kikwang looked at the designer watches that were enclosed inside a glass counter. There were gold watches and silver watches by Prada, Cartier, Bvlgari, and Gucci. These were watches that cost around 4,000,000 won. Unfortunately, there was only about 25,000 won in his pockets. One day when I'm rich and famous,I'll buy one,he thought.

“May I help you?,” A young female sales associate of the department store had now appeared behind the counter with a motivated expression on her face.

“ Oh, I was just browsing. I can't afford any of these watches yet,” Kikwang responded.

“ well, then...I'm sorry to hear that. ” The sales associate smiled at him.

“ That's perfectly alright. I think I just found something more appealing than these watches.”

“ Really? Anything in the jewelry or fragrance section I can assist you with?”

“ No, no. nothing in the store. I meant YOU. You're much more beautiful than these watches.”

“Excuse me?,” The girl felt herself blush but at the same time was uncomfortable at the unprofessionalism of the interaction. Kikwang brushed off the uneasiness that he knew the sales associate was feeling and was about to ask for her phone number when Dong Woon grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the department store. He asked Kikwang if he was crazy. To this question, Kikwang just shrugged. Dong Woon and Kikwang continued to look around the shopping area in Myeongdong. They passed by shops selling shoes, some clothing stores filled with trendy clothes for teenagers, and a few electronics stores. Every now and then, Dong Woon would walk into a shop and ask about a pair of shoes for girls he saw or a blouse on display at a female clothing store.

Kikwang would hesitantly follow him every time. He did not understand why Dong Woon would spend so much effort and time looking for a present for a girl that wasn't even his girlfriend but he wanted to be there to help Dong Woon. And Dong Woon explained to Kikwang that Min may not be a girlfriend but she was a friend that Dong Woon really admired.

Even when Min was back in the states, she would take time to call or message Dong Woon online every other day to see how he was. When Min found out that Dong Woon was sick with a fever from Jo Kwon a couple of months ago, she sent him a care package all the way from New York. Inside the box, Dong Woon found medicine from the states,packages of herbal tea, and a small action figure of Zerg Hydralisk, a character from Starcraft which Dong Woon was addicted to playing. At the bottom of the box, there was even a drawing on a piece of paper that Min drew herself. It was the cartoon Dooly and in his speaking bubble, it said “Dong Woon, Please Get Well!” .

And now, Dong Woon wanted to repay his gratitude to his close friend. Min has been like a sister to him and he wanted  to get her a present before she leaves for New York again to continue her training there. Min was only in Korea for one more week so he did not have much time. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon that Thursday, a day after Dong Woon played cards with Min in the office building when he asked Kikwang to help him while he looked for a gift. They had finished eating lunch and there was still some time before they had to head back to the headquarters for more dance practice and their vocal lessons so they headed to the shopping areas in Seoul.

“ Dong Woonie, I don't know if you will find anything today. Let's just go back. Eun Hee says she's by the building, ” Kikwang said after much searching and while typing a text on his phone. Dong Woon nodded and told Kikwang he was right. They walked back to the company building to find a small, fair-skinned girl named Eun Hee waiting. Eun Hee was one of the few girls Kikwang had been dating lately. Her father owns a rice cake shop and she comes by every Monday and Thursday to the JYP building to give some of the rice cakes to Kikwang. Kikwang kisses her on the lips when he sees her and thanks Eun Hee for the cakes. Then he tells her he will see her Friday night after he finishes training. Dong Woon bows to her before they enter the building.

Kikwang and Dong Woon had separate dance instructors and vocal trainers because their skill levels were different and they had areas that needed work which the other person didn't. They completed their training for the rest of the day and Dong Woon decided to go home early. Kikwang was going to stay late and lift weights in the exercise room as he usually does every Thursday in the building. On other days, he would train in a local gym by the dorm he stayed in. But it was closed every Thursday for personal reasons of the owner.

Dong Woon forgot to mention about Min possibly dropping by the exercise room to meet Kikwang but Kikwang already knew about this plan. He had seen Min chatting with the president and the other trainees the week before. And yesterday, he passed by the practice room where Dong Woon and Min were playing cards and overheard Min asking Dong Woon if he knew him and saying she wanted to meet him that night when he was going to exercise. Kikwang observed Min without them noticing and thought she was pretty but nothing special. He noticed she dressed differently than the girls in Korea though. And she had a curvy figure as opposed to the stick thin girls Kikwang usually meets. If she came to talk to him, he wouldn't mind asking her out, he thought. He can invite her over to the dorm and fool around with her before she leaves.

Kikwang told himself to at least ask for her number when he meets her as he made his way to the top floor of the building at nine in the evening. He walked to the the exercise room on the floor and looked around. No sign of her yet. There's still time though. He went to sit in the seat where a large dumbbell was situated on. He started to do some bench press exercising while he waited for Min's appearance.

After an hour, Min still did not show up. Where is she? Does she think I'm a machine who will just stay here and keep exercising until she finally decides to come? Well, it's not like I'm waiting for her or anything. I have plenty of girls who are more worth my time and waiting for me to call them later. Soo Ji, Lena, Eun Hee, and Hyemi are only a few. I just believe working out is important and I should spend a long time with it. Kikwang told himself these things as he ferociously did push-ups on a mat . He was doing them at a much faster speed than usual that night.

Finally, after 20 more minutes, Min passed by the room and was looking around the floor. Kikwang immediately took off his wifebeater to reveal his bare upper body as Min walked back to the room. By this time, all the other occupants in the room had already left and Kikwang was there alone lifting a medium-sized weight with his left arm. Min was shocked to see him there with his chest exposed and drenched with sweat. She did not look down though and walked towards him.

“Are you Lee Kikwang?,” She asked but Kikwang didn't respond. He just looked at her while he continued to lift the weight in his arm.

“Um, I'm Lee Min Young. I'm friends with Jo Kwon and Son Dong Woon. I'm a trainee here too but JYP sunbaenim wants me to debut in the states so I currently live there. I'm here for a couple of weeks on a visit, ” Min continued while Kikwang just stared. He seemed to look a little nervous to Min as she spoke.

“ Can you do me a favor and count while I lift the weight with my right arm now? Just count every time I lift it, ” Kikwang finally responded.

“ Excuse me?, ” Min asked. Is this guy for real? , she wondered. Kikwang told her it was only for a little bit and that Min can touch his arm while he is lifting if she wants. He said that he noticed Min eyeing his body and that she seemed to look impressed. He said she can touch either arm and his abs if it would make her happy and that he hopes she doesn't mind getting a little sweat on her hands.

Min was very confused and asked him if he was really Lee Kikwang to which the young shirtless boy nodded. She could not believe it though. Jo Kwon and Dong Woon said he was sweet and humble but this boy in front of her is rude and self-absorbed.

“ So are you going to count?,” Kikwang asked and Min said she would. She counted to thirty before she said she was tired. Kikwang asked her how she could be tired already but said she could stop counting as he continued his exercise. He observed Min's face as she stood there with her eyes down. Kikwang thought she looked prettier now that she was in front of him.

“ Min Young, you know you're very cute when I look at you up close. My place isn't too far if you want to stop by some time next week. We can have fun. I'm a good kisser,” Kikwang said boldly and winked at Min. The action almost made Min want to vomit. At that point, Min could only endure so much conceit and revulsion. She rejected Kikwang's offer, called him a jerk, and walked towards the elevator. Min told herself she never wanted to see him again after that initial encounter. But she did see him three days after that night. Min will never forget that day she saw him again because it was the day she was baffled to see Kikwang cry.  

Author's note: Okay, I did not mean to make the flashbacks take up so much of the chapters. But the next chapter will be the last flashback before I go back to Min and Suzy in the present. I hope the story is okay so far.