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For two and a half weeks, Min Ho and Kitty tried to convince themselves that they were on the same page with their... friendship. Kitty had confessed. Min Ho's confession was unspoken. They were in a drifting spot, not really sure what to do next.
They'd had many cordial conversations since Dae made amends with both of them, but they still hadn't talked about it. Their situation. They hadn't even spent real alone time together, excluding partnering up for a question every day or two during their senior seminar class, and it was eating Kitty alive.
She could not handle it not anymore. She would not deal with it anymore.
She wanted to spend time together with Min Ho alone to try to figure things out, whether that meant talking it out with him or just understanding it better from the way they interacted when no one was watching.
But Kitty Song-Covey is not known for taking the easy route with anything. She always has something up her sleeve, and this was no exception.
Before drifting off to sleep, she created an entire scheme of how to make things work. She wasn't going to just ask Min Ho to spend the entire day with her. That would be crazy! She was certainly bold, but after having such a surface-level type relationship for the past few weeks, she didn't want to scare him away. If that was even possibly anymore.
There is no explanation for why the first thought that slipped into her mind was sea animals. She was taking a public speaking class. There was a "project" due- there was no project due, it was just an excuse to be with Min Ho- and she needed someone to go with her to learn more about the animals for the presentation she'd have to give in the upcoming weeks. It would be perfect. It wouldn't make things awkward, but it would still give her a chance to converse with him about more important matters.
It is no surprise that Min Ho agreed to go with her because that's what he did when it came to Kitty- follow along her lead.
That's what he had been doing for weeks, and he was slowly losing his mind. Of course he wanted to be more than friends! Of course he wanted to confess his feelings for her! But he'd had no chance! He secretly, just like Kitty, wanted to figure things out with her and talk to her about what was happening between the two of them.
~~~
They walked up the steps of COEX Aquarium in a comfortable silence. Min Ho stole a heartfelt glance at Kitty's sly grin and wondered what was going through her mind. Her description of the sea animal project had been incredibly vague, and she hadn't brought any kind of educational resource with her. So, what exactly was this?
"Covey, did you really not bring anything to help with what you're looking for?" He scoffed through a chuckle, lightly shaking his head.
Kitty rolled her eyes and swiftly pulled her phone out of her little dark brown purse that hung over her shoulder. "All I need is my phone. I just have to gather information, and I can just put it in my Notes App for when I actually have to make the power point."
"Mhm," Min Ho hummed, nodding.
Upon arriving on the upper level of the building, Kitty's eyes were immediately drawn to the photobooth, and it took a total of two seconds for her to passionately grab Min Ho's hand and drag him inside.
"Covey! Give me a warning next time you're going to rip my arm off!" Min Ho exclaimed, dramatically exhaling a huff of breath.
Rolling her eyes, Kitty quickly quipped back, "Calm down, Mr. drama queen. You're fine. Your arm's still fully intact, and now you get to have the time of your life in a photobooth with me!"
Seconds later, a short timer of ten seconds popped up on the dimly lit screen in front of them. There were four possible shots they could have for each turn, and Kitty begged Min Ho to do it two times so that they could both have pictures from the day. After heaving out a whiny groan, Min Ho agreed, even though he was secretly pleased that he'd have a souvenir from the day with her to take home and keep somewhere secret in his room.
The first three poses were casual. Platonic, even.
First, both of them stuck out their tongues, and Min Ho looked like he'd never been more annoyed in his life.
The second time, Kitty showed a toothy grin, and Min Ho complied along- well, at least before he stuck up his middle finger before the picture was snapped.
The third time, Min Ho looked like he was screeching at the top of his lungs, and Kitty's eyes were wide in disbelief.
Then, Kitty decided to take a little leap. Well, it wasn't super little to her. But it was a physically small action.
To Min Ho, it meant the world.
He'd crossed his arms and leaned back into the booth, trying to look cool, when Kitty sporadically leaned closer just milliseconds before the booth snapped a picture of her softly pressing her lips to the round of his cheek.
Min Ho's mouth had fallen open just a little, and he'd stared at the camera with intense vulnerability, caught extremely off guard.
What was that? She'd done it so simply, so quickly, like it was just second nature. One minute, her soft lips were against his flawless skin, enhancing his experience of life, and the next second, they were gone, and then it felt like something was missing.
Kitty's bubbly giggle pulled him out of his thoughts and back into reality, finding his reaction to be ever endearing. She sat next to him in comfort, even though her cheeks were scorching with pure heat, waiting for the first four pictures to print out, and when they did, Min Ho quickly snatched them away before she could.
"These are mine," He cockily stated, a priceless grin enveloping his face as he used the connected photos as his own personal fan.
"Hey!" Kitty exclaimed, crossing her arms. "I didn't pay five dollars for you to just steal those pictures and--"
Min Ho rolled his eyes and feigned a sigh of exhaustion. "Yes, yes. I know, so I could steal them and never give them back. We still have to take yours, anyways- and I'm paying this time, you troll."
"Troll?" Kitty gasped in offense. "I don't live under a bridge, and I'm not yellow, and I don't try to confuse everyone who comes my way with riddles."
He shook his head as he slipped the money into the photobooth. "Who's to say you don't confuse others with riddles?" He asked through a smirk. "You're notorious for your chaos, Covey. I think riddles should be included in that."
"The only person who speaks in riddle here is you!" Kitty exclaimed as the ten-second timer popped back up on the screen. "I mean, do you not remember last year when you--"
She stopped herself before she could finish her sentence. Wouldn't it be kind of insane to bring up that conversation again? The words replayed in her mind like a tape that never ended. But you did smile.
Min Ho quirked an eyebrow, smirking even more vibrantly than before. "When I what?"
Before Kitty could answer, the camera screen popped up, and it was time to take the final four.
Swiftly, without a second thought, Min Ho scooted closer to her than he'd been before and efficiently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and rested his chin on her shoulder. The silence was deafening, but his actions spoke louder than his words ever could.
Kitty sucked in a breath and forced a wobbly smile onto her face. What was he doing?!
After the click of the camera, she shoved him to the side- in a humorous way, grinning like she'd won the lottery, even though the butterflies swarming in her stomach felt made her feel like she was going to throw up and die. The picture ended with Kitty grinning just like that with Min Ho's hand over his heart, looking royally offended. "How rude!"
He made sure to scoot back in closer to the frame before the third picture, and this time, he pulled her even closer. Kitty bared her teeth and placed her hands over his, squeezing him equally as tight in return. The camera clicked the third picture, and they both looked simultaneously angry and in love.
Then, something horrendous happened.
The time for the fourth picture had come, and because Kitty knew that there was no chance in hell that Min Ho was giving the other pictures back, she decided to take the risk a second time. Besides, she found his first response to the little action to be cute. Maybe this time would be the same.
With Min Ho still holding Kitty close this time, she closed her eyes, and leaned in to kiss the side of her cheek-
but she was met with a different reality.
Her lips met his directly in the middle.
It wasn't a kiss. It didn't last long enough- not even two seconds. Min Ho's eyes had been squeezed shut, just like Kitty's, and when their lips met, his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"AHHGH!"
The estranged sound escaped Kitty's lips before she could stop it.
Snap! The picture took place at the worst possible timing.
Min Ho quickly pulled back, as did she, and swerved to the side, pulling her even closer as he burst into laughter. "Covey, I can't believe you just--" He couldn't even finish his sentence from laughing so heavily.
Kitty was slipping from reality, still being held in his arms, staring helplessly at the wall. What the hell just happened?
Then, the sound of the photos printing started. She scrambled out from his arms and urgently pulled the photos from the machine as quickly as she could. When her eyes found the fourth picture, her jaw dropped to the floor. "Oh my god."
Min Ho comfortably leaned over her shoulder and stared at it for a second before his laughter rang in her ears. "That is horrendous."
"It's your fault!" Kitty exclaimed, turning to him wide-eyed.
"What?!" Min Ho asked, jaw dropping to the floor. "You're the one who leaned up to--"
"It was my idea in the first place!" Kitty interrupted, her pointer finger flying out directly at him.
Min Ho shook his head. "But it was a spur of the moment kind of thing! You don't do those kinds of things a second time! It's classic photobooth conduct."
"But you stole my photos! If you hadn't done that, then I wouldn't have had to--" Kitty argued, crossing her arms.
"Well, I mean, I'm more than willing to keep these pictures as well if you really don't like them," Min Ho commented through a smile, slowly taking them from Kitty's hand.
"Nope!" Kitty exclaimed, snatching them back. "These are mine. You already have yours."
Min Ho exhaled loudly, chuckling softly. "Alright, then." He then inhaled a sharp breath, turning to her, bewildered. "But I swear to God if you go around showing these to Q and telling him how awful this moment was--"
Kitty immediately shook her head. "This is way too embarrassing to share with Q. I think he'd scream even louder than I did."
"You did scream pretty loudly for someone who's dream was almost coming true," Min Ho teased through a smirk.
"What?" Kitty inhaled. "Are you-- You're just--"
She kept stammering, unable to compose what she was trying to say. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what to say to that.
Min Ho patted her reassuringly on the small of her back. "Easy there, Covey. Don't forget to breathe. I mean, I know I'm charming and all, but really, oxygen is more important than--"
"Min Ho!" She exclaimed, glaring daggers at him.
He held his hands up, feigning innocence, but his smile gave him away. He was, as usual, doing it on purpose just to mess with her.
As they continued to explore the upper level of the aquarium, the uncomfortable feeling from earlier in the day started to slowly dissipate. Once Kitty reminded herself that this was her Min Ho, the Min Ho who she'd spent the entire two and a half months of summer break with, she could breathe correctly. Sure, he made her more nervous (in a good way) than anyone else, but he was still Min Ho.
Min Ho also eased up on the tension, being reminded of the good, similar memories he'd had with Kitty on tour. Travelling to places they'd never been together was kind of their thing. To him, it was like any other day on tour... but with the full knowledge and confidence of Kitty's feelings for him.
Every few steps, their shoulders or elbows would brush against each other, and warm grins found themselves permanently embedded into their faces. At one point, Min Ho even took Kitty's hand. It was a small act, much like the cheek kisses, but it was also something more. It was a silent promise that he was still there. That he wasn't going anywhere.
Near the end of their time at the aquarium, Kitty and Min Ho found themselves in a darker room with the jellyfish tanks. The blue luminescence ethereally complimented the redberry tint of Kitty's hair, and Min Ho couldn't help but smile at her. For some reason, she seemed to be more infatuated with the jellyfish, and the smile on her face brightened the entire room around her.
His hand found the small of her back, and he leaned in ever so slightly to ask, "Did you see the little ones over here?"
Kitty's eyes widened as they landed on the little babies that he spoke of. "No, oh my gosh! They're the cutest!"
You're the cutest, he wanted to say, but he didn't. He simply watched the joy envelop her face and took in the comforting waft of her cherry perfume as she leaned in closer to his side. "What do you think their names are?" asked Kitty.
"Well, it doesn't say on the plaque. Maybe they don't have any," Min Ho commented with a shrug.
Kitty frowned. She didn't like that idea. "Well, that's not fair. The sharks downstairs all had names. Why wouldn't they name the jellyfish? Especially if they were born here because they're so little!
"What would you name them?" Min Ho asked, leaning in closer to see her point at each individual one as she came up with clever little names.
They had been standing there, chatting about names for a few minutes, when a woman approached them. She had elbow-length long sleek black hair, but she spoke fluent English- probably because that's what Kitty and Min Ho were already speaking. She tapped Min Ho on the shoulder, smiling kindly. "Would you like a photo with your girlfriend?"
All ability to form full thoughts suddenly disappeared from Min Ho's brain. "I-- uh--"
"We're not dating!" Kitty exclaimed boldly.
The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Oh! My apologies. I just thought that the two of you were dating. I saw your most recent posts on social media and--"
Kitty's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. "You thought we were dating from those pictures?" She whispered.
"I mean, I just assumed..." The woman's voice trailed off.
"A picture would be great, actually. Thank you," Min Ho spoke up, clearing his throat. He drew in a strong breath as he handed the woman his phone.
Then, he wrapped an arm around Kitty's waist, and she leaned in, wrapping both arms around his side. Her smile was cheeky and humorous- nothing too serious- and the woman laughed heartily. "That's cute."
Min Ho glanced down to see the face she was making, and when he did, his jaw dropped in offense. "Covey! I was trying to do you a favor here! Make up for those God awful photobooth pictures!"
"Oh- well. Whoops. Guess that would be good too," Kitty chuckled nervously, smiling warmly the second time the woman took the photo.
"Thank you!" Kitty and Min Ho said unison as the woman handed Min Ho his phone back. "You're welcome," said the woman, smiling. "Enjoy your time in Gangnam."
As they walked out of the aquarium, Min Ho drew in a long, weighted breath. After the photobooth and the way Kitty had acted, he'd been thinking. A lot. It had been several weeks since Dae had essentially given them approval to be together. They hadn't talked about that. For Heaven's sake, Min Ho hadn't even confessed his feelings.
It was well past time to do it. It wasn't just something he wanted to tell her anymore.
This was something that Min Ho's soul was pulling him to tell her. If he didn't tell her how he felt, was love worth anything? And- yes. He was considering it love, once again.
After spending an entire summer with Kitty Song-Covey, how could he not? She tugged on his heart like no one else could.
Silence lulled between the two of them, and the soft pitter patter of their footsteps in sync was the only sound in the universe. It was just Kitty and Min Ho, exploring the city together, even though they were amidst the busiest part of the city at the busiest time of day.
"Kitty, you know that there is something I've been meaning to tell you..." Min Ho softly commented, intertwining his fingers with hers.
She could hear her heartbeat loudly pulsing in her ears. "Yeah. I've been wanting to talk to you about it too."
He turned to face her, stopping them both in their tracks.
"Kitty, it's really no secret how I feel about you. But I don't think it's fair that I haven't said anything. I guess, after last semester, I was just... scared of how you'd react if I brought it up again because of how it happened the first time. But now that things are good with Dae, and you've said how you feel, I think it's only fair that I say it to your face," Min Ho quietly admitted.
Kitty inhaled a deep breath, her eyes refusing to leave his as she nodded. What was there to say?
Last time, it had been Kitty. This time, it was all Min Ho.
"Do you remember what I said on the plane?" Min Ho asked, brushing a stray hair away from Kitty's face with a gentle swipe of his fingers.
Kitty swallowed a lump of ever-growing emotion and nodded. "How could I forget? It's not every day that your ex's best friend confesses his love for you..."
Min Ho laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah. Not one of my finest moments. I probably shouldn't have, but... I don't regret it. We wouldn't be here if I hadn't, and... honestly, when I said I was over you- back when Stella was still around, I lied. I tried, but, Covey, how could I ever get over you?"
"So, you really still feel..." Kitty's voice trailed off.
He laughed warmly, nodding firmly as he took both of her hands into his own. "Kitty, yes. I'm still in love with you, and I never stopped."
Kitty shook her head, eye contact unwavering. "Min Ho Moon, you're really something."
"Something charming? Unforgettable? Endearing?" Min Ho suggested through a smirk, lifting his head higher in attempt of humor.
"I was going to say insane, but yes. All of the above," Kitty agreed, cheeks blooming into a red blush color as she stepped next to him. He wrapped an arm around her side, and the closeness of his laughter tickled her neck. "I think you're the only person I could ever be insane for."
On the streets of Gangnam, Kitty and Min Ho were happier than ever. They weren't official just yet, but they were close enough. The almost kisses, the cheek kisses, Min Ho's confession... it was all perfect. It was all worth it. But there was one more secret that had yet to be revealed.
"Min Ho?" Kitty asked quietly, leaning warmly into the side of his chest.
"Yes, Covey?" He asked through a genuinely eager smile, eyes shining as he looked down at her.
"You know that project I worked on all day?" She asked.
"Mhm," Min Ho hummed in response.
Her grin grew, soft laughter rising from the bottom of her throat. "It was fake. I just wanted an excuse to hang out with you."
Min Ho nodded, cheeks flushing as his warm laughter lingered in the early autumn breeze. "I knew it"
"You knew?" Kitty asked, raising an eyebrow.
He pressed a gentle whisper of a kiss to her cheek. "You didn't touch your Notes App once. You're not very slick, troll."
"Says you," Kitty giggled, "trying to kiss me during that photobooth pic."
"Yeah..." Min Ho admitted, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "That was an epic fail."
Kitty merely shrugged. "But it was worth it. For this," she said, squeezing his hand, staring at their intertwined fingers.
"For us," Min Ho agreed, nodding.