Final Puzzle Piece || SKZ 9th Member

Two Kids Room: Lee Know X Kala

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Minho opened the chat while struggling to unwrap his lollipop. He tried to get it off using his teeth, but the trick didn't do much.

"Yeah, we were feeding two cats in front of the JYPE building," Kala responded as she watched the intense battle between Minho and the lollipop wrap in amusement, finding his distressed expression hilarious. "Oppa, just spin it to the side."

Minho finally managed to remove the wrapping after he followed her advice. With satisfaction, he stuffed the lollipop into his mouth and carried the conversation on, "No, you fed the cats, I just played with them."

"Right," Kala clarified, snacking on tube chips again for the second time today. "You know, actually that time I didn't want to approach you."

"Why, why?" Minho gave her a look of mock offence.

"I was tired after coming back from school and I didn't feel like talking to a stranger," she recounted, her shoulders then lifting in a half-shrug. "But I ended up doing it anyway."

"You glad you did it, don't you?" Minho grinned cheekily at her, one that he always mustered when he teased the younger girl.

"Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night," Kala acquiesced nonetheless, earning a giddy laugh from Minho. "It was nice though to see a familiar face other than Channie Oppa when I first met the other members."

Minho shifted in his seat to prop his elbow on the backrest and placed his head on his hand. "That day, it took me a while to realize you were the sunbaenim girl who fed the two cats in front of the JYPE building with me."

"Me too, me too," Kala giggled at the memory, clapping her hands. "I was like, 'Why does this guy look familiar?' before I remembered you were the cat boy."

"Because we didn't see each other again after that day, right?" He gestured to himself and Kala with his lollipop.

"Right..." she affirmed. "Why do you think it happened?"

Minho hummed with mouth closed, the lollipop creating a small bump on his left cheek. "I guess because you were a solo trainee who spent your time mostly in the vocal practice room, and I'm a new trainee who just started my basic dance training."

"It's possible," Kala nodded, easily agreeing to his theory. "I heard you completed the training in just a month. That was so cool."

"That's because I was initially a dancer before joining JYP, so I practically had the basic skill acquired already."

"Yeah, you helped me so much with my dance during the survival show. That was how you made me really look up to you, you know?"

Eyes lingering on Kala, Minho hummed in acknowledgement at her every sentence, showing he was paying close attention to her talking.

"That was also why I was so devastated when you left." Kala breathed out slowly, getting out the heavy feeling in her lungs upon remembering Minho's elimination. "I was certain I couldn't do this without you."

Reaching out his hand, Minho ruffled Kala's hair playfully to neutralize the air that was suddenly filled with a gloomy atmosphere. "Trust me, Kala, you would be just fine. Wasn't it why they wanted you to be a solo artist? You're already so talented on your own."

"I still need you," Kala emphasized with sincerity flooding her words, catching Minho's hand on her head and giving it a light squeeze. "I'll always need you." She paused for a few beats of silence. "And the others too of course."

Minho quickly took back his hand from hers, sulking. "And here I thought I was special."

Kala sniggered. "Hey, every member has a special place in my heart."

"And where is my chamber exactly?"

"Yours in the atrium."

A chuckle left Minho's mouth at the pathetic, anatomy joke. "Which part of the heart it is?" he challenged.

Kala shifted her gaze to the ceiling, thinking of the answer she already knew she didn't have, but Minho didn't need to know that. "I don't remember."

Minho shook his head in disappointment, and suddenly he was a mother. "Did I raise you to be this clueless?"

"You're a college student, you try answering that!" she challenged back, pressing the older boy.

"I don't know as well," he simply gave up without the slightest effort to fight back.

They both erupted in a loud laugh. The conversation had done nothing but to only make them like a pair of dumb and dumber.

Kala steered back the conversation to a whole new topic when the laughter quieted down, "I have an offering for you."

Not expecting that from the younger girl, Minho jerked his head back with a quizzical expression. "Isn't that my line?"

"Not now, no," she waved him off with the lollipop she just took from the table. "You do realize that I often ask for your help on my dancing even until now, right?"

"I figured." Minho watched the wrapper being taken off the candy and crushed in Kala's fist.

"So why don't every time you help me with the choreography, I help you with the singing?" she threw the bid, shoving the candy into her mouth. "If our vocal teacher is giving you a hard time, just come to me, how's that sound?" She outstretched her free hand to seal the bargain. "Deal?"

"That's tempting. You just want to spend more time with me, don't you?" Minho goofed on, not taking Kala's hand immediately, which made her roll her eyes and grab his hand herself.

"Deal," Kala declared single-sidedly, shaking their joined hands while Minho chortled looking at her little pout. She snorted and playfully swatted away his hand. "So, when are you planning to take me to visit Soongie Doongie?"

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌✎

✉ Minho to Kala

Kala-ya, since you already agreed to help me with my singing, don't blame me if I keep bothering you in our vocal practice after this. And don't scold me! You're scary when you're in beast mode.

It's always fun talking to you, we should do this more often. Stay tuned for my other offers, I'll always have them ready for you when you need them.

P.S. I'll take you to see SoongDoong soon.

✉ Kala to Minho

Our handsome Lee Know Oppa, I enjoy every second that I get to spend with you. Today too I had fun. I will continue to look up to you and follow anything you do as long as you're by my side, so don't get sick of me, alright? I always appreciate all the offers you've been giving me all this time, they helped me in the most random way possible. I'll look forward to them in the future.

P.S. You're right, I'm glad I decided to feed those two cats that day.

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sorry for the long updateㅜㅜ i just finished working on my thesis and really cant wait to graduate from college. its been hard these past few weeks, my sleep schedule is all over the place. but hope u guys have been doing well.

thank u for still waiting and reading this book! i really really appreciate every single vote, comment, and everyone who added this book to their reading list. u have no idea how excited and happy i am every time i get a notification. this is my very first skz ff, so thank u for all the love. this book and I love u too<3