Krystal isn’t cute or adorable. She has a mature face, her eyes are sharp and judging and she always has this brooding look on her face that scares all the boys and girls and kids away. She’s not anywhere close to Sulli’s saint-like attitude because hello—she is the ice princess’ little sister and being a rude-y-spoiled-princess runs in the family. So there is no way, not even a little chance that Taemin can ever like her. She isn’t Sulli after all.

“It’s so unfair.” Krystal huffs, sliding in the black leather couch next to her sister, Jessica, who is too busy fiddling with her phone, to even bother look up and greet the younger one.

“What’s so unfair?”

Krystal leans her head backwards and plays with her hair. Her hair is black and messy and she really should get a haircut. But Sulli has a long hair and he likes long hair so she should definitely keep it. “That I’m not likeable.”

“What’s wrong?” At this, Jessica raises her brow, stops texting and looks at her little sister weirdly. She knows very well that Krystal thinks it’s not true and so does her and she wonders what made her say it in the first place.

Krystal bites her lip. Her and Jessica aren’t very good at being the kind, loving sisters and despite being girls and siblings, never really had closure even when they were younger so she feels kind of awkward talking to her sister about love problems or any problems to be quite honest.

“Nothing really. I just feel like the boy who I like will never like me.”

“And why is that?” Jessica inquires.

Krystal closes her eyes and doesn’t open it until a full minute. When she does open it though, she sees Taemin and Sulli walking together with snacks in hand. They are both smiling and when Sulli spoke, it makes Taemin laugh. Anger rises inside of her and she answers Jessica with a scowl, “Because I’m not cute.”

Sulli and Taemin greet Jessica and Krystal and sit with them too. They share their snacks and tell jokes that, unbelievably, make Jessica laugh but not Krystal. The little Jung is too busy distracting herself from staring at Taemin or getting upset at Sulli and basically acting like she’s not there. Jessica notices. Sulli notices too. Taemin isn’t stupid either to not notice.

“What’s wrong, Krystal?”

Krystal’s focus snaps away from her thoughts and is now directed at the red-head staring at her with worry his eyes. The sight of Taemin’s brows knitted in the middle and lips in a resolved pout brings a warm ecstasy in Krystal’s chest. She cannot help but smile and flipped her index finger to his creasing forehead.

The sudden violence makes Taemin yelped in surprise. “What’s that for?” He tries to sound irritated but Krystal knows he isn’t because he’s too soft towards her; because he thinks of her like a little sister. (It makes Krystal’s heart hurt.)

Jessica observes the way Krystal’s eyes twitch before rolling her eyes at the boy. She hears her little sister say, “Because you’re a boy.” But deep inside, the blonde knew it held a deeper meaning. Something painful. Because you don’t like me. She notes her sister’s forced smile as Sulli laughs at them.

“What does that do with anything?” Taemin quirks a brow, amused. There’s a smile forming in his all too good lips and the eldest of the bunch knows that look. She has seen those kinds of smiles before. She has seen those looks a lot.

“It explains a lot.” Krystal retorts, rolling her eyes. She pulls her tongue out playfully and this time, Taemin is the one who rolls at her childishness.

Jinki arrives just before things got out of hand. He smiles at the three younger ones before his attention landed on Jessica. She smiles up to him as he lends his hand out to her. Krystal watches her sister as her boyfriend helps her to stand up with such gracefulness and finesse. When Jinki is with Jessica, she turns into something beautiful and Krystal is very envious of her sister’s radiance. She wishes she can be someone like her.

Just before Jinki and Jessica head out, the blonde inquires for Krystal to come closer until they are mere inches apart. She leans in and whispers, “You don’t need to worry, Soojung-ah.” And then hurries off as Jinki places an arm around Jessica’s shoulder and go to wherever they were supposed to be.

And Krystal, lips slightly parted and a dumbfounded look on her mature seventeen year old face, has no idea what her sister meant by that.

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