"How about tonight?" Minho asked walked down to the training room.

"It's the middle of the week..." Min Ah said as she grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs.

"Please? You can't just announce that you're willing to date me and leave me hanging" He joked.

"Fine, what do you want to do? Where should we meet?" She asked, a smile on her face.

"I'll come get you and the rest is a secret" He said.

"A secret? Ok then I gotta go I'll see you later, good luck training" She said happily as she locked the front door behind her, balancing her cell phone on her shoulder.

"Thanks you too, I mean— not with training, but with studying— well I guess, I mean school good luck with school in general" He finished, silently slapping himself across the forehead in embarrassment.

"Thanks bye!" She said, stifling the laughter at his nerves and hanging up.

He's really too cute sometimes...

"Thanks for waiting Ji Young!" Min Ah said excitedly as she got into her car and buckled herself in.

"Oh no problem. So... how on earth did Minho convince you to give him a chance?!" She exclaimed as she pushed the gas and got the car started.

"How did... I didn't even tell you yet!" Min Ah said in shock.

"Well, first of all you have that stupid smile on your face when something good happens and I hear from Onew that when Minho got back yesterday he had this equally stupid big smile on his face... the entire time... even when they danced. Apparently it freaked them all out" She  said sneaking a sly look at Min Ah.

"Really?" She asked with a small laugh, "We're going on our first date tonight"

"On a school night? Look at you, not even on your first date and already breaking Min Ah rule number... what is it three?" She teased.

"I figured it was ok right? I mean today the announce the winners of the internship and it could be like a celebration" Min Ah considered thoughtfully.

"Aigoo now you're making excuses just to see his handsome face! But it's ok I understand, hey I think Onew is going to ask to be my boyfriend!" Ji Young confided excitedly.

"Really? That's great!" Min Ah responded, happy that her best friend's relationship seemed to be going so well.

"I know right? I'm really nervous, but I'm happy at the same time! He's such a great guy, what would you do if Minho asked you to be his girlfriend?" She asked as she continued to drive.

"He won't, I'm sure he'll debut by that time" Min Ah answered after a moment of hesitation. Just how much time did they really have?

"So?" She asked, the school nearing in sight.

"So... we agreed that we would only date until he debuted..." Min Ah said trailing off at the end.

"You what?! Why on earth would you do that?!" Ji Young asked as she parked the car hastily.

"I don't know! You know I just want a normal guy and once he debuts... he'll have schedules to keep, all these other girls will chase after him, I want a boyfriend that I don't have to fight with a fan base to keep" She said simply as she slung her backpack up and walked besides Ji Young.

"You my friend, are screwed if you think you're going to be able to let him go when they debut" Ji Young said smugly as she slung an arm around Min Ah's shoulders, "Love doesn't work that way and the way I see it you two are well on your way to falling in love, so good luck"

Min Ah sat in a tense silence in Ji Young's car. She angrily pulled the band tying her hair back and let it spill around her. She ignored the look Ji Young gave her and sunk into the passenger's seat as they pulled out of school at the end of the day. Looking out the window she spotted Sol Bi, laughing happily with the friends, she turned just in time to see them drive away and smirked triumphantly. With a swift toss of her hair she turned back to her friend, leaving Min Ah to wallow in her pitiful mix of jealously, anger, and misery.

"I'm sure it was her parents. I'm sure they paid for her to get that internship" Ji Young said quietly.

"At least her parents cared enough to try to bribe her way in..." Min Ah muttered, "I mean, why her?! Anyone else I could handle, but her?! She does nothing but spread her legs for every guy around!"

"Min Ah..." Ji Young said, trying to come up with something to comfort her friend. She knew how excited and how hard she had worked to be able to qualify and now it was for nothing.

"Thanks for trying to comfort me Ji Young but can we please not talk about this anymore? I just want to go home" She said firmly.

With a sigh, Ji Young kept shut. She would try, but she knew that would only piss off Min Ah further. She had been raised in home where feelings were never really spoken out loud and so talking about things only seemed to aggravate her. She felt sorry for her best friend and wondered why she always felt like she had to shoulder all the problems that came to her by herself.

"We're here" She announced softly.

"Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow" Min Ah said briskly adding a quick and sudden hug before she raced up to her apartment.

She walked in a little dazed. She looked at the counter where she spent many sleepless nights, making sure her grades qualified and stayed at the top and now, because of money of all things, it was taken from her. By the one person whom she disliked the most. Grabbing her phone she walked sadly into her room, collapsing on her bed, not caring whether her uniform wrinkled or not. It didn't even matter anyways. The phone still gripped in her hands she dialed their number in America.

Please pick up... please if only for today just pick up mom

"Hello?" Answered her mother on the other line.

"Mom! You're home?" She asked, unable to keep the gratitude from her voice.

"Only for tonight honey, I'm actually getting ready for a benefit but why did you call?" She asked distractedly.

"I just have some bad news..." She whispered softly.

"Uh-huh, what?" She asked. Min Ah heard a clanking going around in background and the soft murmur of other voices.

"You know that internship I was telling you about?" She asked quietly.

"Oh yeah, yeah the scholarship" She said.

"No mom it's an internship, remember I talked about it for over 20 minutes the last time we talked?" Min Ah reminded her, her heart sinking.

"Oh yes, yes that's what I meant!" She said hurriedly, the lie clear on her tongue.

No it wasn't...

"I didn't get it, they gave it to some other girl" Min Ah said as she clutched the phone closer.

"That's great honey" Her mother said.

"Mom! I did NOT get it" She said louder this time.

"Oh! Oh! I'm sorry Min Ah you'll get them next time" She said absentmindedly.

"R-right... Mom I—" She choked out, feeling overwhelmed by things she needed to say.

"Oh honey I'll call you back later this week and we can discuss all about this! I've really got to  go, love you!" She called, hanging up and leaving Min Ah with her words caught in .

"Mom... I miss you" She whispered, hating the tears that rolled by. She shouldn't be so emotional over something stupid. No matter how excited she had been. No matter how much she had dreamed about this...

Min Ah told herself she was being stupid over and over again even as she curled up and pulled the covers over her head. That's right, she didn't need anyone. All her life, her parents... it was like she didn't even have any.  Her phone lit up she reached for it, her vision blurry from the tears that she couldn't seem to stop.

I heard about the internship

I'm sorry Min Ah, you should have gotten it, I know how hard you've worked.

I'll see you soon and I promise to try to cheer you up ^-^

So please... don't be too sad ok?

Cheer her up? He was just like them, a load of pain just waiting to happen.

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I feel like this fic is going a little too slow... it's probably since I'm getting so close to finals so I'm getting a lot of stuff piled on week after week so I promise it'll get better ^^ I can't wait for vacation time!

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