"Cherrypopping" (Minho/Suzy) Chapter 1
This should not be this embarrassing, Suzy tells herself as she walks up to the counter with shaky legs. This should not be this embarrassing.
The cashier looks at the package, then up at her, then at the package again, and distinctly raises an eyebrow.
”Was that all?” The phrase is polite but the voice smells of suspiscion and judgement.
”Y-yes please.”
”That’s four nintyfive.”
Suzys bills are crumpled, and a little damp.
-
”So you mean you’re really doing this?” Krystal has a face of disbelief, and maybe even a little disgust.
”Of course.” Suzy replies carelessly. She kind of loves the feeling of them thinking she’s crazy.
”But… why?!”
”God, you guys, I’ve told you. I don’t wanna be a virgin when I get a boyfriend.”
”I know, but… why?”
”Why not? Might as well get it over with. Then I won’t have to be nervous about it.”
”So who’s it gonna be?” Sulli cuts in.
Suzy snorts. ”I don’t know that yet.”
Krystal grins. ”Sophomore Lee Taemin?”
Suzy blushes. Those two know way too much about her.
”Shut up. He’s the kind of person I won’t have to be nervous in front of.”
Sulli and Krystal hoot.
-
Whether she likes it or not, Suzy is crushing pretty hard on sophomore Lee Taemin. Lee Taemin with the long hair dyed hazely brown and the sharp smile. Sometimes she likes him so much she doesn’t even want to see him, and every day is a fight of whether she will try to or not, because both make her want to puke out all of her insides, just to see if that would still them.
Also, whether she likes it or not, Lee Taemin is alledgedly crushing on Park Jiyeon, the gorgeous, tall, doe-eyed and popular girl in his class.
But Dongho in Suzys class is sort of cute. She may be able to get a thing for him, if she tried. He is quite lazy, and keeps spacing out now and then, but he has a very nice smile. Donghos smile is sharp as well. And the more Suzy watches it, the more she likes it.
”Hi Dongho.” Suzy sinks down in the seat in front of his.
When he looks up, and focuses on her, he’s clearly surprised, but replies: ”Hi.”
It’s only then that her gaze falls on his hands. ”What are you doing?”
”Knitting.”
”Oh. …Why?”
”I like it.”
”Then… what are you knitting?”
He looks up at her for the second time, and his face splits in a smile; sharp and honest. ”I don’t know yet.”
Suzy can’t help smiling back. His voice is slightly cracking with puberty.
-
There’s also a guy called Noori in sophomore year who Suzy, and a shitload of other girls, think is kinda hot. She catches up with him one day after classes.
”Hi.” She’s slightly catching her breath.
Noori looks at her like she’s something he stepped in and can’t get off his shoes.
”Who are you?”
”My name is Suzy, Suzy Bae.” When getting no response whatsoever, she continues: ”I’m a hoobae of yours. A freshman.”
He just keeps on walking, and Suzy follows a few steps, before he spins around.
”What do you want?”
”Eeh… Are you gonna take the bus home?”
He rolls his eyes. ”Yes, I’m riding the nunya-business-line to the what-do-you-even-want-from-me-station at get-lost-square.”
”Wow.” Suzy says slowly, eyeing him through squinted eyes. ”That’s specific.”
And so she turns and walks away, comforting herself by thinking of the awful herpes blossoming on Nooris lower lip.
-
There’s also Jihwan in the parallel class. Jihwan has a dark voice and huge blackrimmed glasses and Suzy seriously likes how well he pulls them off. He’s really easy to find because he spends every recess in the dance studio in the school basement.
She subtly watches him working on a routine one day at lunch and when he pulls the earplugs out she attacks.
”You’re really good.”
He only looks confused, squinting. Suzy panics a bit.
”I’m Suzy. From 1-C.”
While she speaks he pulls the glasses out of his bag and then he smiles at her. ”I know.” He says. ”And thank you.”
He has bleached highlights in his black hair, she notices, while he tells her to call him Jay.
”Do you dance?”
”Not that well.”
”You should show me sometime.”
-
When Suzy comes home from school that day, she sees a familiar figure walking down the street.
”Yah, Minho!”
He turns around, frowning. ”Is that how you adress your oppa?”
”Totally, yes.” Suzy grins. Then she thinks of something. ”Hey! Do you know any guys?”
Minho laughs. ”I know many guys.”
”Yeah, but a nice guy. My age. Our age. My age.”
”What do you need that for?”
Suzy’s quiet for a second before replying. ”I might want a boyfriend or something.”
Minho smiles. ”I can give you a few numbers.”
”Numbers? I want pictures first!”
”Are you that shallow?”
”Yes.” She tries to think of some teasing comment on his looks forcing her to be careful with his friends, but decides to be nice.
”Fine. Come over later, and we’ll see what we can find.”
-
Minho flips through folders on his laptop.
”This is Kibum, but we call him Key. He’s in my class.”
He enlarges a picture of a guy in a spock bowlcut with highlights in pink and turquoise, hanging on the arm of another guy with large nostrils.
”Um. He looks okay and all, but I don’t think he’d be into me.”
”Why?”
”…Gay, gay, so completely gay.”
Minho squints at his screen. ”Really, you think?”
”…Is he usually that touchy with that other guy?”
Minhos forehead wrinkles. ”When I think about it… They kind of are touchy.”
”What else have you got?”
”Well… This is Jinki, he’s…”
”He looks old. How old is he?”
”Um.” Minho thinks. ”Twenty..one.”
”Twentyone? Would that even be legal?”
He snorts. ”He could wait a few years.”
”Yeah but… I won’t.”
”What do you mean?”
”Whatever.”
Minho laughs. ”Come on. What do you mean?”
For a few seconds Suzy fights an inner battle. Why would she tell him? But then again, it wouldn’t hurt.
”I’m looking for a guy to hook up with.”
”Yeah, that’s what we’re doing.”
”I mean. I’m looking for a guy to shag.” She uses strong words to veil the fact that she’s a little uncomfortable. ”…Someone to pop my cherry.”
Minho looks at her with his mouth open. ”Why?”
”Because.” Suzy fiddles with her hands.
”Because?”
”Because, I don’t want to be unexperienced when I get a real boyfriend.”
Minho falls back against the couch, and rubs at his eyes. ”Okay.” He sighs. ”And you just had to come to me, did you?”
Suzy punches at his arm. ”You don’t have to help me.”
”Yeah, but I’ve got to make sure you get with a nice guy. If I leave it all to you, who knows who you end up with.”
She’s angry, and gets up to leave, but he immediately grabs at her arm.
”Oh come on, I didn’t mean it like that.”
”Oh no, you’re right. I could jump into bed with anyone.”
”Quit it. I’m telling you, I’ll help you hook up with a nice guy. If you want to get it over with, I won’t stop you.”
Truth to be told, Suzy had somewhat expected some kind of reprimandment or lecture from him, but she is relieved when there is none. Maybe telling Minho wasn’t such bad idea.
”This guy is only a year older than you.” Minho scrolls and doubleclicks on a thumbnail. Suzy falls quiet.
”We got to know each other at a dance course.” Minho rants on. ”…I think he’s in your school, by the way. Do you know him? His name is Taemin. Lee Taemin.”