All boys in school like Choi Jinri. Well, almost.

From her position in the swing, seventeen-year old Krystal Jung watched in exasperation as her best friend, Jinri, talked to a boy. She couldn’t hear their conversation because they sat on a park bench several feet away from her, and she doesn’t want to hear it anyway. For sure the boy, who is just one of Jinri’s many admirers, would as usual deliver the usual cheesy lines that made Krystal want to puke. Only Jinri could tolerate hearing those things because she is such a sweet girl.

Krystal smirked as she saw the boy growing bright red as Jinri smiled at him oh so sweetly. But Krystal knew that smile meant nothing; it was just Jinri being her nice and sweet usual self. She is so kind that sometimes it would leave others wondering how she became best friends with tough, tomboyish and cold Krystal Jung. It seemed that they’re opposite poles. But both girls never questioned themselves how. They have been neighbors and best friends since they were ten, when Krystal’s family moved back to Korea from the US and they both share the same passion in music and dancing.

And even though Jinri is more popular with the boys, Krystal never ever envied her. She doesn’t like boys that much. She would have slight crushes here and there but the moment a boy pays attention to her she just finds it blah. Not that she was a tomboy or anything, though.

She stood up when she saw Jinri walking toward her, while the boy walked the opposite way, his shoulders slumped.

“So, how did you turn him down?” she asked when Jinri was near.

Jinri shrugged. “I just told him that-“

“That we’re too young and it’s better for us to be friends,” Krystal finished.

Jinri gave her one of her famous eye-smiles. “You got that right, Soojung-ah.”

Krystal rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t that what you always tell all those admirers of yours?”

Her best friend giggled.

“I don’t understand why you keep talking to those fools when you don’t like anyone of them. If it were me I wouldn’t even say hi to them so that they would just get the idea and move on,” Krystal said as they made their way to where their bicycles were parked.

“But Soojung-ah, that would be rude. I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Jinri said.

“Well, it’s the same. Whether how you do it you would still hurt their feelings,” Krystal pointed out.

Jinri nodded. “That’s true. But I kind of like talking to them and hearing them say what they like about me.”

Krystal laughed. “Aigoo, Jinri-ah, you’re a flirt!” she teased.

Jinri blushed at her word. “Yah, watch it!”

“Flirt!”

“Tomboy!” Jinri shot back.

Krystal’s eyes widened. “Who? Me? You call this pretty face a tomboy?” she put her hand under her chin.

“Yes, pretty tomboy,” Jinri said, pinching Krystal’s cheeks.

“Aw, don’t do that!” Krystal protested, leaning away from her best friend’s fingers.

Jinri stopped and sighed. “You know why I talk to every admirer that I get? I’m hoping to see what I’m looking for in one of them. I want to experience falling in love,” Jinri said dreamily.

Krystal hit Jinri’s temple softly with her fist. “You’re disgusting.”

Jinri stuck her tongue out at her friend. “You wouldn’t think of that anymore once you fall in love yourself, Soojungie.”

Krystal couldn’t imagine it. “Aish, come on,” Krystal said, linking arms with Jinri. “Let’s go home. I’m starving. I wonder what your mom made for snacks this time.”

Jinri shook her head. “Tch, you’re such a glutton Jung Soojung!”

…………………………

They raced with their bicycles from the park to their neighborhood. As usual Krystal won the race.

“Race you to the door!” Krystal shouted as she dismounted from her bike. She hurriedly put it down in front of the Choi residence’s gate and ran to the door.

“Yah! That’s not fair, you should wait for me to dismount first!” Jinri shouted as she hurriedly dismounted, threw down her bike on the ground and ran after her friend.

“Too late! You’ll give me half of your snack,” Krystal smirked and stuck out her tongue as she pressed the doorbell.

Jinri pouted in return.

The door opened after a few chimes and Jinri’s older brother, Choi Minho, appeared.

His brows are furrowed as he looked at Krystal, then Jinri.

“Yah, your classes were dismissed a few hours ago,” he said, scowling at Jinri. “Where have you been?”

Jinri bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

It was Krystal who answered. “We had dance practice.”

Minho turned to her, his scowl deepening. Krystal didn’t flinch a bit. Jinri’s brother is overprotective of his little sister and he could be intimidating, but she wasn’t scared a bit of him. Almost all her life she knew Minho and he could really be serious, uptight, and well…bo-ring.

“I don’t believe you,” Minho turned to Jinri. “You didn’t tell us anything about you having participated in a dance.”

“Must she tell everything to you?” Krystal shot at him, being such a smart aleck.

Minho glared at her, his huge eyes getting bigger. “You’re not very respectful, Soojung.”

“Oh, sorry, ahjussi,” she bowed mockingly.

“Jinri,” Minho took Jinri by the arm and pulled her inside. “Get inside. How many times have I told you that this girl here is a bad influence to you?”

Krystal rolled her eyes. Like a thousand times already? And it was always in front of Krystal. She knew that ever since Minho didn’t like her very much. He didn’t like her, period. And it was all because of the prank she played on him when she and Jinri were twelve and he was fifteen. Krystal put some makeup on him while he was sleeping, took some pictures of him and showed it to the girl he had been crushing on at that time. Before that incident Minho had been ignoring her as if she was nonexistent but after that incident he grows livid everytime he sees her. Krystal didn’t regret the prank she pulled at him at all. It served him right for acting like a spinster.

“And you, go home!” Minho ordered at Krystal.

“Who are you to tell me that?” she yelled. “This is Jinri’s house, too!”

“Oppa, Soojung and I have to do our assignments together. I need her help,” Jinri said, looking up at Minho with pleading eyes.

“And how would this brat help you?”

Krystal was about to retort when a voice called out from inside the house.

“What’s with all this yelling?” Minho’s and Jinri’s mom appeared behind the siblings.

“Umma!” Jinri ran to her mother and hugged her waist.

Krystal pouted. “Umma, Minho oppa is being rude to me again.”

“Minho-ah, what did you do to Soojung this time?” Mrs. Choi scolded her son.

“Aish, fine, you take sides with your adopted daughter,” Minho said, walking back inside the house. “You love her more than you love me anyway,” he grumbled.

He looked back and glared at Krystal.

“Frog,” she mouthed and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Aish, these kids,” Mrs. Choi shook her head and smiled.

“Umma, can Soojung stay here?” Jinri asked.

“Of course! Why not, sweetie?”

“Because oppa said she can’t.”

“Minho!” Mrs. Choi yelled. “Stop bullying Soojung, okay?”

They heard no answer.

Krystal smiled secretly. It was a good thing Mr. and Mrs. Choi likes her. What she didn’t like about it was that they seemed to like her so much they were sometimes hinting to match make her to their eldest son. Ew, boring and serious Choi Minho would never ever be her type. Armageddon will come first before that happens. And she was sure Minho feels the same about it.

……………………………………

“Where are you?” Krystal barked on the phone as she entered the school gates. She was upset that Jinri wasn’t able to wait for her and had went ahead to school without her.

“I’m here at the college department. I’m sorry if I wasn’t able to wait for you, Soojung-ah. Minho oppa has forgotten his report and he needs it immediately so I have to be early and bring it to him,” Jinri explained.

“It’s okay. Are you going back here right now?” she asked.

“Um, actually, I’m still waiting for oppa to come out of his class,” Jinri said.

Soojung glanced at her wristwatch. It was still early and they still have a lot of minutes to spare before the final bell rings.

“Okay, I’m going there. Wait for me, okay? What building are you in right now?”

Jinri told her the building.

…………………………………….

As Krystal made her way to the college department, someone bumped at her, causing her to drop the backpack she was slinging on one shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” the boy said, as he squatted down to pick up Krystal’s bag at the same time she did. They both took hold of the each of the straps and Krystal looked up, annoyed.

Her annoyance dissipated when she had taken a look at the boy who had bumped at her. His face was pleasant, his smile gentle, and he might not be the most handsome boy she had seen but there’s just something about him that raised her interest.

“Sorry, I’m late so I’m in a hurry,” he said.

Krystal, for the first time in her life, was at a loss for words.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, as he put a hand on her upper arm.

She nodded mutely.

“I’m really sorry again. I’ve got to go,” he said, handing Krystal her backpack.

She nodded and watched him as he ran down the hallway.

Oh my gosh…I’m in love!

……………………………….

The whole day Krystal talked about the mysterious guy she met every chance she gets. Jinri, sweet and polite Jinri would patiently listen even though her best friend already sounded like a broken record.

“See? What did I tell you, Soojung-ah? One day you’ll fall in love and it seems like the time has come,” Jinri said as they pushed their bikes down the road when they got close to their homes.

“Yeah,” Krystal said dreamily. “It’s so unexpected.”

Jinri pouted. “I envy you. Why is it that you fell in love ahead of me when it was me who is wishing for love? It’s unfair.”

Krystal laughed. “Yah, don’t worry. That day will come soon.”

Jinri nodded.

“I’m going to find out who that boy is. You’ll help me, right?” Krystal said.

“Of course,” Jinri answered as she rang the doorbell to her house.

It was Mrs. Choi who opened the door.

“Oh, my girls are home. Hello there,” she beamed at them.

“Umma, did you prepare food?” Krystal immediately asked.

“Is oppa home already?” Jinri asked at the same time.

“Yes, I prepared food and you’ll gonna like it. And yes, your oppa is home and he has a visitor so girls, you better behave.”

“What are you talking about, Umma? We’re good girls,” Krystal said cutely.

“Hmm…especially you, Soojung-ah. Don’t get into a fight with Minho,” Mrs. Choi warned.

Krystal smiled sheepishly. “Okay, Umma.”

Mrs. Choi led them to the dining room.

Jinri and Krystal immediately saw Minho seated in front of the table and another guy across him.

The other guy’s form looked familiar to Krystal.

Suddenly the boy turned to them and Krystal gasped.

It was  the boy who had bumped at her this morning!

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Hi everyone! i know I have this habit of posting a story until chapter one only and then turning into hiatus, but bear with me because I'll try to finish all of these stories over time.

 I'm just in the mood of writing something cute and innocent about minstal and taelli today, just to refresh my mind with the "sort of intense" and with adult content minstal fic I had been working on (Beautiful Stranger).

Thank you for reading.

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