After getting ready with her outfit for the photoshoot which she was told that it was for a magazine, Minhee then was led by a staff member to the set where she’d be doing the photoshoot. When she arrived, she was welcomed by a white set which was furnished by a few flash lamps and soon after, a man in mid-30 approached and greeted her then introduced himself as the photographer that she would be working with for that day.

“So when will we start?” Minhee asked, seemingly wanting this photoshoot to end as soon as possible. As much as she wasn’t in the mood to do anything that day, she didn’t have any choice but to be professional. Moreover, she was the one who told her manager to make her busy as she knew that only work could take off Donghae and his ‘kiss scene’ with Yoona from her mind. Rather than staying at home and not doing anything but thinking about him, it was much better if she busied herself and slowly forgot about him. Even though work only made her forget him for temporary, it was more than enough for her.

“We’ll start after your partner is ready,” the photographer replied.

“Partner?” she asked, confused.

“Oh, I think I forgot to tell you,” the photographer said in realization. “You’ll be doing this photoshoot with…oh, that’s him!” he pointed at the direction behind her. Minhee turned around and looked at where the latter was pointing at and ended up stunned after seeing who the said person was.

It was Donghae.

Donghae, who was led by a staff member towards the photoshoot set which at the same time was walking towards Minhee and the photographer, was stunned right after his gaze fell on Minhee. It took him a while to convince himself that he wasn’t imagining things and when he realized that he wasn’t, he couldn’t help but stare at her without blinking, awed at how she looked beautiful as usual wearing a knee-level denim dress which suited the denim shirt he was wearing. The fact that they were wearing matched clothes made him immediately get the idea that they were paired up together for this photoshoot.

“Minhee sshi, Donghae sshi is your partner for this photoshoot.” The photographer said to Minhee and told Donghae the same thing once Donghae stood beside Minhee yet there was a rather awkward gap between them.

Minhee mentally cursed out. Of all people in this world, why him whom she had to be partnered with? Was there no one else other than him? She felt like going home right now. Seeing him just hurt her more and she completely had no mood to do this photoshoot after finding out that she would be paired up with him. But of course she had no choice.

“I’ll explain to you about the concept of the photoshoot. The concept is simple. You’ve to be a cute and happy couple….”

A cute and happy couple...

That was it. After that, everything that the photographer explained to them, she didn’t hear it anymore. She was too busy thinking of how to act like a cute and happy couple when they were the opposite of it. To think about it, it seemed too impossible that they wouldn’t be awkward during the photoshoot after what had happened between them lately. And she supposed they would look awkward in every picture that would be taken soon. She doubted she could do well in this photoshoot. Even to smile, it was as if doing it would take a lot of energy nowadays. Let alone, acting happy. Oh, it was killing her inside.

The same thing happened to Donghae. Right after hearing the ‘cute’ and ‘happy’ words from the photographer, he also couldn’t hear anything afterwards as he was busy thinking of the impossibility of no awkwardness between them once they started posing for the camera soon moreover when they had to act like a cute and happy couple like what the photographer had mentioned. He bitterly assumed that they were no longer cute and happy like before; like the days where they did film WGM and like the days where they were still on good terms, and also like the days where Minhee still loved him. And because of that, he didn’t think they could do well in this photoshoot. Though, he hoped he was wrong.

“So, if you guys are ready, we’ll start now” the photographer announced and that snapped both of them out of their trance. They simply nodded in reply though they didn’t hear most of what the photographer had explained to them. After that, the photographer walked to his camera stand which was already set up in front of the white set. Meanwhile the idols stood awkwardly there for a few seconds before Minhee took her step to the set calmly, pretending that she was okay. She didn’t even spare a glance at Donghae who was staring at her sadly. After a while, Donghae followed her step towards the set with a sigh. Today surely would be a long, long day.

“Are you ready?” The photographer asked behind the camera.

“Neh” they hesitantly responded but still stood awkwardly next to each other in the middle of the set.

“Alright. We’ll start now. Ready, one, two, three…” the photographer counted down and the pair still stood awkwardly looking at the camera as if they were photographed for a passport picture.

‘Come on, Minhee. You can do it. You’ve to be professional and don’t let personal matters mixed with work. Yes, you can do it,’ she tried to convince herself and her heart skipped a bit the moment she felt a hand, a very familiar hand, took a hold of hers gently. A tingling sensation immediately built inside her heart afterwards and her heart fluttered more when she felt him squeeze her hand gently. Feeling tears started forming in her eyes, she immediately blinked her eyes rapidly, preventing her eyes from getting teary.

She had to admit that she really missed him. His touch, his kiss, his hug; she missed everything about him so much but still, what he had done to her was unforgivable. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Donghae was looking at her. But she didn’t dare to meet his eyes. Or else her tears would give up and she would cry right there and then.

“Alright. Now smile” the photographer ordered and Minhee tried her best to forget everything that just happened between them and smiled happily, only thinking about wonderful things; the memories of theirs. And God knows how difficult it was for her to do so, especially to temporarily forget the kiss scene between Donghae and Yoona that had been haunting her mind for these past few days.

The photographer didn’t notice that there was sadness hinted behind their smile and fortunately for them, the photographer was satisfied with both their smiles and poses as blinding flashes of the camera lightened the set.

After that, the photographer requested them for the next pose and she felt him reluctantly let her hand go and the next thing she knew, his arm was put over her shoulders. She felt herself tensing up at the close proximity between them and tried to smile at the camera. The thought that he didn’t like even one bit of what they were doing right now came across her mind and that was enough to make her want this photoshoot to end as soon as possible – because she hated the fact that she liked it the moment they were close like this, meanwhile he didn’t. She felt so pathetic. Like too pathetic.

“Minhee sshi, can you please lean your head on Donghae’s shoulder?” the photographer said.

“N-Neh?” she stammered, quite shocked at the sudden request which she didn’t expect in the first place.

“Please lean your head on Donghae’s shoulder,” the photographer repeated.

Minhee didn’t move even an inch to accomplish the photographer’s request, hesitated. She then slowly looked up at Donghae and Donghae, who caught Minhee turning towards him, looked at her back. As she was about to break the eye-contact, the photographer suddenly said.

“Oh, that’s a good pose!”

Darn it....

“Now smile,” the photographer added.

Minhee looked at the photographer, who was hiding behind the camera, hopelessly for a while before she slowly and reluctantly turned her head towards Donghae who was staring at her, his arm was still over her shoulder. A second her eyes met his, she awkwardly averted her gaze away from his and silently sighed before she reluctantly averted her gaze to his eyes back. His natural sad eyes unusually looked sadder when looking at hers and her heart softened a little. However it happened only for a brief second once the thought of him with his acting again came across her mind. He’s still thinking that I would fall for it? She mentally scoffed at her own thought.

“Smile!” The photographer reminded them, snapping them back to reality. With that, Minhee’s lips reluctantly twitched up forming a smile and Donghae who saw it immediately knew that it was a forced smile. Though, he found it still beautiful and that practically made his lips slowly curl up a smile. He wanted to cherish this moment as much as possible because he somehow knew that it would be difficult for him to see her smiling, especially towards him, again in the future.

 “Perfect! Next pose!” the photographer exclaimed in the middle of the ‘clicking’ sound of the camera.

Soon after that, she stopped smiling and quickly looked ahead back.