♦ Minho doesn't know how to fall in love.

Once, Yuri pulled Krystal aside to inform her, ever so plainly, that she was being too friendly with Minho.

"I'm telling you this for your own good. He's a good guy--" She paused, weighing her words, because, despite her reservations, she was hesitant to paint him in a bad light, "but he's done this to all of us." Krystal couldn't be sure what she meant by with 'this', but she nodded anyway, convinced that it was better not to push the subject. "He's just so..." Yuri sighed, shaking her head slightly as she leaned against the wall. The corridor suddenly seeming more gloomy than usual. "Never mind, go on." She urged the seventeen year old, motioning toward the direction that led back to the after party. Krystal did as she was told, suddenly afraid that she'd hear more than she wanted. 

"Oh, and Soojung..." Yuri called after her. Her voice causing Krystal to freeze in her tracks. "It's not that he's a player... it's just that he doesn't know how to really fall in love."

The words still rang in her ears, foreign, confusing, as she turned into the next hallway. Her path suddenly blocked by a man who she identified in an instant. "What are you doing out here, Soojung?" Minho asked, a glass of wine in hand, a habit that had been nurtured by Kyuhyun and Changmin over the last year. “Your sister has been looking for you.” She blinked, once, twice, her head naturally turning in the direction she’d come from, before she quirked her lip upward. Realizing that at times like this it was simpler to lie.

“I was looking for my phone.” She claimed, reaching into her small handbag to show him the device. “I left it in my room, and I really wanted to take some pictures tonight.” Lies. She wasn’t the type to forget things, but he nodded, and she knew he had believed her by the way that he let the subject drop and gently grabbed onto her wrist, tugging her along in the direction of the party. 

“Take the first picture with me.” 

♦ Minho Loves Fried Snacks

“I’m hungry.” The whisper was almost inaudible to Krystal, despite the close proximity in which they were seated. If he hadn’t looked directly at her, she might have ignored the sound completely. She raised her hand to cover before whispering back, “Me too.”

He smiled then, obviously amused, before he looked forward once more in order to deflect unwanted attention. After all, the movie theater was full of acquaintances and press, and neither had need for a scandal. Minho pretended to yawn, even looking slightly apologetic as he replied, “Let’s grab something to eat when this is over.” With that, he returned his focus to the screen, leaving Krystal slightly perplexed but secretly pleased. He had probably been playing around but the proposal still made her happy. She smiled secretly against the back of her hand, before she too returned her attention to the screen.

Soojung was surprised to see him climbing into her van later that night. Her gaze flickering to her manager to make sure it was alright. “I called them earlier.” Minho grinned, explaining how the situation had come about. “Our cars are basically identical, and my car is already gone.” He took the seat next to her at the back of the van, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “How do you feel about street carts?” Krystal smiled, giving him a small nod. “Fairly good, I think. I haven’t stopped at one for a while though.” His eyes glimmered the way they did when he was up to something. “Well let’s call this your ‘Re-Introduction’.”

A couple of minutes later the pair sat on a bench at the edge of the Han river, a pair of fried sausages on a stick in their hands, and an assortment of other fried snacks at their side. “Oh god, this is so good.” She muttered as she took another bite of the snack, not noticing that Minho’s eyes had been on her the whole time. When she finally looked at him, she froze, their gazes meeting, and sending her heart on erratic thumps. Until it felt like it had completely stopped, as she saw him lean closer and take a bite out of her sausage. A large grin spreading on his lips after he was done chewing. “Delicious.”

"YAH! CHOI MINHO!"

♦ Minho hates it when people are rude.

Especially when they're rude in front of him. 

That’s what Soojung told herself as Minho placed his arm around her shoulder, his expression more serious than she’d ever seen it before. “What’s going on here?” And from his tone of voice, Krystal could tell that he had overheard the argument conversation, and wasn’t at all pleased. “I—it’s nothing.” She stammered, a hand instinctively reaching out to remove herself from under his arm. “Nothing at all.” She repeated once more, avoiding the women’s looks as she shakily smiled up at him, a sorry attempt at convincing him that everything was fine. “F(x) is performing in a bit, the girls are probably already there, want to come?” She asked, and when he did not answer she tugged at his hand, only to find them cold and immobile.

“You go ahead.” He muttered not sparing her a look, his gaze focused on the two makeup artist who were suddenly looking very nervous. Soojung wanted to run, to get away from that place, but something inside of her refused to budge.

“I’m not dating Soojung.” He spoke up, and the simple phrase left a hole in the pit of Krystal’s stomach. Even if it was true, even if it wasn’t supposed to be hurtful. “But if I were, it’s none of your business, is it?” The way he looked at them chilled Krystal to the bones, and in that moment she knew that she never wanted to be on the receiving end of that look. “I don’t know if you guys are aware, but harassing an artist will get you kicked out of this company extremely quickly. So I suggest you stop, before—“ He stopped, looking at Krystal for the first time since he stepped into the room. “Before Krystal reports you. She’s not as much of a pushover as you guys seem to think.”

And there it was, the sort of thing that made Minho special. The confidence he seem to have in others, handed out in a way that convinced them that they had it in them. “Right, Krystal?” He asked, finally giving her a smile, as he once again placed his hand over her shoulder and escorted her out of the room. “I think Super Junior K.R.Y is performing right now.”

♦ Minho and Soccer go hand in hand

If Soojung had paid attention to her self-preservation instincts, she would have stayed indoors, watching the rain fall safely from her bedroom’s window. But that wasn’t the case. Not when Minho came into the picture.

She watched him from the other side of the field, away from the crowds of fan girls who continued to take pictures despite the rain. Just behind the team bench, where she could watch him slowly become soaked. His hair plastered charmingly to his fore head.

Minho on the field was someone different from the boy she’d come to know. Another facet. Faster, stronger, more determined. Focused on nothing but the ball in front of him, until he kicked the ball right into the goal, and then his full attention swiveled in her direction and she found herself rising to meet him, just on the edge of the field. He grinned pulling her into a strong hug. Her feet leaving the ground as he turned her round and round. A laugh escaping her lips as he finally put her down. His euphoria contagious as he grabbed her face in between his hands and kissed her right on the corner of her lips.

Uncertain. That was how she felt as he smiled at her and returned to finish the game. Still, the uncertainty was quickly washed away by the memory of his arms around her. No matter what, all of that had or had not meant, she was glad she had come out. She was glad she had been there to share in his joy. However momentary.

♦ Minho has the most beautiful hands Soojung has ever seen

There was a point in time when Soojung had taken up drawing, diving right into the art with great expectations, only to find out, quickly enough, that she was horrible with details. The fingers she drew on her anime like characters, so horrendous, that Sulli couldn’t help but cry tears of laughter. The more she drew, the more she became obsessed with producing the perfect hands, until her notebook became dedicated to the extremity.

Krystal was long past that obsession (and the hobby), but she still felt a trickle of joy whenever she noticed someone with beautiful fingers.

Now, as she stood watching Minho, a glass door separating them she couldn’t help but notice his hands. His fingers reaching up to push the trainee’s hair out of her eyes, strong and delicate. Krystal had probably been introduced to the girl before, but at this moment, she could remember nothing about her. Then she smiled and he leaned in, and Soojung was sure that she had smiled like that once too, because Minho did that to people.

Before she could see any more she stepped away, a familiar feeling caught in , as she forced herself to take a deep breath in order to barricade the threatening tears. At least until she was somewhere where no one could see her.

Especially not Choi Minho. Strong, caring, dependable Choi Minho, who never promised her anything more than friendship.

Sometimes, Minho looks over at her with his beautiful smile and that characteristic glint in his eyes, and Krystal can hear her heart tremble. As if pushing against previously locked doors, in an attempt to break free. In those moments, she has to stop to remind herself that they are merely friends. That's what they are. Good Friends. And so she looks up and smiles, showing no trace of her inner turmoil.

What she doesn't know is that lately, Minho doesn't look at just anybody like that.

(☂) Mun Note: Thank you for reading! Please leave any suggestions or comments below ^^ I will be working on Chapter 2 which will be the story between Soojung and Suho ! Hopefully, it will be up soon, although (tbh) it does take me a bit of time to finish these chapters. Also ! Can anyone recomend a graphics shop ?