Chapter 9

Kikwang held Min's hand as he stood in front of Yoseob, Junhyung, Doojoon, and Hyunseung in the living room. The members sitting down gazed at Kikwang and Min. Doojoon asked them if they were joking and started laughing. Yoseob and Hyunseung laughed as well. Junhyung did not join them though.

“ It's about time,” he said and started clapping.

“ You knew about this?,” Doojoon asked.

“ It was obvious. Something was bound to happen between them,” Junhyung responded as if his statement was fact. The others thought over what he was saying while Min and Kikwang just quietly watched.

“ So, you're dating Min along with...with... with whoever else you are dating?,” Hyunseung asked.

“ No, only me... I asked him to date only me for at least a month,” Min answered.

“And Kikwang actually agreed to that? Unbelievable!,” Yoseob said in disbelief.

“Yoseob!,” Kikwang shouted. Kikwang said it was no big deal and that they were just dating each other for a month for fun. As he said the last part of the sentence, Min turned her head towards his and opened but no sound came out. She knew what he said was true. They would date for a month, Kikwang will get his one wish, and they'll go back to how things were before they dated. This was the agreement.

Just then, the floor creaked as footsteps were made behind Min and Kikwang.

“ Is this true?, ” a voice said from the space between the kitchen and living room. Min and Kikwang faced Dong Woon who asked this question. Dong Woon walked up to Kikwang and told him to follow him outside the apartment. Kikwang did what his dongseng said and exited the apartment after Dong Woon leaving Min standing awkwardly in front of the rest of the Beast group. Junhyung stood up and told Min that he would help her cook the banana pancakes she was planning to make.

Min and Junhyung walked into the kitchen as distorted whispers from the remaining members in the living room shuffled into Min's ears and then faded away. They took the ingredients out of the grocery bags that Min brought and looked for the other ingredients needed such as sugar, milk, and butter inside the cupboards and refrigerator. Junhyung told her he'd measure some of ingredients while Min sliced the bananas on the cutting board. They started to work quietly until Junhyung decided to say something to Min.

“ It's different with you. He talks with and goes out with a lot of girls, but ,with you, his face just changes expression when your name is mentioned,” Junhyung said. Min nodded, while keeping her eyes on her slicing.

Junhyung continued, “ I don't know if he even realizes it or notices the change. Kikwang can act like an oblivious fool. Sometimes, I wonder ,though, if his acting is just that, acting. He just pretends to not know anything so he can keep denying or escaping his real feelings.”

“ You sound wise and talk with such certainty, Oppa. And Kikwang does treat me well when we're together. But is there anything more to it and is it really different with me than with other girls as you say?”

“ I told him I would give him one wish of anything he wants if he went out with me...even if that wish is to sleep with me. That's why he's going out with me ,” Min said. She tried to smile but she looked solemn while cutting.

“ Maybe it's not him but me that is the real fool for proposing this idea?,” Min asked.

“ I really liked this girl in high school once. I wrote a rap for her and performed it in front of the whole school, hoping she would be touched. But she went up to me afterwards and plainly told me I wasn't her style then walked off with her friends, ” Junhyung said and continued, “ I felt like a fool then and wondered why I did what I did. But I concluded that when you have feelings for someone, you cannot help but be a complete idiot.”

“Haha, so I guess I do have feelings for Kikwang because I thought of such an idiotic plan. I told myself that he flirts around and I shouldn't like him...But I fell for him anyway. He must be some wizard like Harry Potter who casted a spell on me, huh?,” Min said.

Junhyung gave Min an understanding look and asked why she doesn't ask Kikwang to go out with her for real instead of this weird dating only for a month arrangement. Min told Junhyung that she could do that but she wonders if Kikwang would even want to date her seriously and if she would be enough for him in the long-term. She said the arrangement Kikwang and her have now isn't perfect but that it was better this way. She wants to be with Kikwang even if it will only be for a few more weeks.

After Min finished slicing the bananas and Junhyung was done measuring the other ingredients, Min told Junhyung to prepare the pan as she mixed the batter together in a bowl. She thought the pancakes are ideal to have on that rainy day and hoped they would lighten the mood that morning.

While Min and Junhyung were talking and cooking in the kitchen of Beast's dorm, Dong Woon and Kikwang were talking outside in the hallway by the elevator .

“ So this is why Min kept texting me this week and asking where Beast was at this time or that time. And if we were all together or if one of us like you or Doojoon went somewhere else. She wanted to know if you were keeping your word about dating only her this month,” Dong Woon said and continued, “ Just tell me if you are playing around with Min or not. ”

Kikwang told him he wasn't and that even though their dating isn't serious, he cared for Min.

“ So, you haven't been meeting any other girls and have been only seeing Min for the last few days?,” Dong Woon asked and Kikwang answered with two yeses. Dong Woon said to Kikwang that he may be one of his closest friends but he cannot believe he agreed to date a girl, even a girl like Min, exclusively. He knew that ever since Kikwang broke up with Sujin, his ex from Naju, he hasn't had another sole girlfriend and just dated around.

Kikwang told Dong Woon that Min approached him after the article in the paper was released and surprisingly suggested the idea of exclusive dating. He was against the idea at first but he thought maybe it would be an interesting experience and Min was a cool girl. He did not mention the one wish part of the plan but said to Dong Woon that he should be happy that two of his good friends are getting along well. Dong Woon told Kikwang that the fact they are his good friends is what troubles him. He doesn't want to see either of them get hurt if things don't work out in the end.

“ I promise you. Min and I will not get hurt. Well, I'll try my best to not let either of us get affected in a harmful way,” Kikwang reassured Dong Woon.

“ I hope so,” Dong Woon responded skeptically. He said he'll allow the dating for now. Kikwang jokingly said “Thank you, Appa” to Dong Woon and they headed inside to find four other Beast members feasting on banana pancakes and syrup.

“ Hey Kikwang, your girl makes great pancakes!,” Hyunseung said as he shoved pieces of food into his mouth.

“ Yeah, Min, these are delicious!, ” Yoseob added. Doojoon, who was sitting next to him, just nodded as his mouth was full.

“ Thanks, guys. I'm not as good a cook as Fei Unnie. And Junhyung helped, ” Min told them. Junhyung scoffed and called s ungrateful towards him.

Kikwang and Dong Woon started to eat as well when Min gathered her things and said she should get going to the company building. The president was going to personally watch miss A's practice later for miss A's joint concert with 2PM tomorrow night. Kikwang told her that he'd walk her out and followed her through the front door. He walked down the hallway again with Min. Min apologized for leaving so soon and Kikwang said it was no problem and that the Beast members should head to the Cube building for practice soon as well.

“ That's good. I hope you guys enjoyed the breakfast Junhyung and I made. I also found some grapes in your kitchen so I decided to put a cup of them in the freezer. Wait until they're fully frozen, they taste really yummy haha,” Min said.

“And, oh yea. I got a couple of spare tickets for the concert tomorrow. You and one of the boys should definitely go, ” Min stated and handed Kikwang two paper tickets. She said she had something in her bag as well for him and took out a pair of plastic black glasses with a rubber nose and a synthetic moustache attached to them like one you'd purchase in a joke shop. Min told him the item was his disguise for tomorrow at the concert and that Kikwang better wear it or else. Kikwang tried to keep a neutral face as he held the ridiculous object in his hand but his eyes showed hints of disgust.

Min made a small fist with her hand and said, “ Wear it, okay?! ”. Kikwang laughed as Min scrunched her face to look tough and shook her fist at him. He said he will wear it for the first and last time at the concert tomorrow if she wants him to so badly.

“ Really? Komawoyo,” Min thanked him and gave Kikwang a hug. Kikwang kissed her on the cheek and said he'd see her tomorrow. Min turned to wait for the elevator as Kikwang started to walk back to the dorm when she shouted “Wait!”. She walked up to him and closed her eyes as she pressed on his. Her child-like lips felt the softness and moisture on Kikwang's mouth and she felt herself suddenly becoming warm. She moved away and saw that Kikwang's hands were trembling a little bit.

“Annyeoung, ” Kikwang said as he hid his hands in his pockets. He waited until Min went inside the elevator before turning back to the dorm. He was a little flustered as he walked down the hallway. He opened the door and sat next to Dong Woon on the couch.

“Dong Woon-ah, we don't have schedules tomorrow night, right? ,” Kikwang asked and Dong Woon answered him saying they didn't have schedule after 8pm.

“Good. I'm taking you to a concert. Let's have fun tomorrow,” Kikwang said and patted his friend on the arm. As he got ready for his schedules that day, anticipation rushed through him for the events of tomorrow evening.

Author's note:  short chapter.  And it was kinda random lol. The cooking scene was inspired by Jack Johnson's song " banana pancakes" and I had frozen grapes the other day and that was why that was mentioned.  I was going to include the concert part and another part after the concert in this chapter but decided to save that for the next chapter.  I've already pre-writtern a little bit of the part after the concert. There may be new characters and past things may be revealed : ). Also, If anyone wants to contribute graphics or pictures I can add to future chapters or use as a background image, it would be great. I already received a story poster made by K-POPROCKS which I added to the foreword/first page. So, feel free to message me if you want to share as well ^_^.