When You Let Your Heart Win...

August 30th2013.

[Xiumin’s POV]

I held tightly to the strap of my duffel, keeping my Nike pullover hood on my head, while the wind was fighting to take it off my head. It was the end of August, and it felt like autumn was upon us.

Best Start Fitness, was in front of me, in all its glory. This gym had just opened within the last year, and I had decided that since all my diets and working out myself hadn’t worked, that I’d hire a trainer, to help me out. I had to do something. We were doing a comeback, this coming December, and I had to be ready.

When the sunglasses were off my face, and folded in my hand, I pulled the door open and walked in, under the bright overhanging lights. Everything in here; was shiny and smelled like Lysol. Ah yes, the ‘wipe your machine when you’re done’ policy. A small dark haired girl, was seated at a desk. I assumed, that was where I had to go. A tall, muscular guy stood next to her.

“Hi,” I pulled my hood down, and greeted, walking up to the counter. “I’m Kim Minseok, I reserved the trainer for 6 weeks,” Stuffing my sunglasses in my Nike pouch pocket, I found myself getting very nervous. The guy looked me over, and smirked. He was tall, and I alas, was not. But he seemed to be kind of a cocky prick already.

“Ah yes,” She pulled a folder out, with my name on it, and handed it off to the guy. “If you follow Ben, he’ll lead you to where she is waiting for you,” She? I thought I specifically requested a guy. Oh no. I followed quickly behind him, while he lead the way through the machines; and all the people around, mumbling his greetings to them. Every one of them, were just all muscular and tanned, and tall as he was. I felt so out of place.

“Just up here,” He called over his shoulder, shooting me another dirty glare. I’m going to end up punching this guy; I know it. I can feel it in my gut. He turned abruptly and headed up a straight flight of stairs. Where was he taking me? I started to slow down, but he kept walking down the hallway.

I leaned against the glass railing while Ben kept walking and looked out over the gym. I could see all the way from the girl sitting at the desk over the sea of machines to the long hallway where the sauna was located. This upper floor, had all glass windows for each room, coupled with a glass door.

I didn’t know if I was going to enjoy it, but I only booked for 6 weeks, and that should be long enough for me to set up a plan, and get the wheels moving. I really only had 3 weeks before we started the practicing and recording and rehearsing, and then all the TV appearances, and variety shows, and music shows, and awards, and touring. I wasn’t looking forward to that at all, but I loved my job.

Realizing, Ben had kept walking, I hurried up to him, while he was still muttering. I didn’t even know if he realized I was gone or not, but he must like to hear the sound of his own voice, if he just kept talking to no one.

Ben stopped abruptly, causing me to walk into him. “Pay attention,” He hissed, shoving the folder into my hand and knocking loudly on the door. “Be a gentleman,” This room on the other hand, didn’t have the glass door, or glass walls.

“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath, after he had walked away, and turned to face the bright green eyes, and wide white smile of the girl standing with the door open. “Holy shit,” I blurted, jumping back. Her smile fell, leaving her looking very confused. She had what looked like curly thick red hair, tied into a messy bun, paired with a thin Nike headband. Her and I were roughly the exact same height, but she looked to have atleast 10lbs of muscle on me. “I mean… I’m… I… well…” I started muttering, trying to make a sentence, and leaving her laughing hysterically behind her hand.

“I’m Isabelle,” She laughed, keeping her hand in front of her mouth. “Well, Belle Park… no one ever calls me Isabelle except my Dad,” Belle… such a pretty name. Everything about her was so pretty, so dainty.

“Kim Minseok,” I meekly introduced, slightly bowing, as what I was taught, growing up.

“Ah yes, the family name first,” She face palmed, holding the door open so I could walk into the room. I sat my duffel on the bench and dug out my water bottle. “Sorry, I’m half American,” That explains quite a bit, her eye shape, eye color, her body type, and her slight accent.

“Does your Dad live here?” I tried to make conversation, to see what part of her family lives where. That would be difficult with the holidays coming up. I hated being away from my Mom, Dad, brother and sister during the holidays, but it is what it is.

“Yes, he does,” She sat down beside me, covering her mouth when she yawned. I immediately noticed she covered her mouth a lot. I needed to know why. Something inside me had to know why. Maybe she had braces, or crooked teeth, or something. She was insecure about something. “By the way, I saw you had requested a male trainer, I didn’t want you to wait for Ben, he has a waiting list like months long, and I just had someone finish with me, so I squeezed you in, I hoped you wouldn’t mind,”

“Not at all, I just thought with me being a guy, that it would make you trainers more comfortable, it was nothing against you at all,” It was not the entire truth, I was requesting a male trainer, so that rumors wouldn’t swirl about me and the trainer, and if they see us out in public, that they’d tear her apart and the saesangs would find a way to stalk her, and I’d hate for that to happen to her. “So, you’re not a popular trainer?”

“I’m a girl, and I’m told I’m pretty, so they dismiss me because I’m a girl, and I’m pretty. Besides half our client base is women, who would rather look at Ben, the hard body and not me,” She laughed it off, looking out over the room we were in. It was small, but it held all that was needed. A treadmill, two yoga mats, and a desk where a clipboard was sitting. I could feel a cool breeze coming from the open window on the other side of the room, where I just realized, was a mirrored wall. I could see Belle and I seated on the bench, my file in her hand. “It is what it is, I train three clients a day, and teach two yoga classes, I’m thrilled,”

She stood up, letting her long arms drop to her sides. “Let’s get started,” Within minutes, she had yoga mats pulled to the center, and was motioning for me to take the one beside her. I’ve seen people in the movies do yoga without shoes on, but Belle had her Nikes still tucked on her feet, moving from position to position effortlessly. I felt such happiness just watching her. I was 1000% sure I wasn’t paying attention, I was just focused on her legs, watching them lift into the air effortlessly.

It was clear, very clear that this was something she had a lot of passion for. It showed in all the moves she was showing me. She explained to me, that what she was showing me a yoga sequence, and how moves flow effortlessly together.

By the end of the class, she had me bending, not as well as she did, but I was. “Pretty soon, Min, you’ll be able to do this… It’s called the pidgeon” Min? I liked the sound of that, the wide smile spread across my face. She lifted herself onto her arms, and perched there for a few seconds.

“I bet I could…” I felt something inside of me; I had to impress her. I had to show her that she and I, well, were equals. I didn’t know why I cared, but for some reason I did. I lifted myself onto my arms, and as I looked over, to smile at her, I found myself face first on the mat. I covered my head with my arms, to hide the red forming on my face. I was so embarrassed.

“Eh, I’ve done that a billion times,” She chuckled, getting to her feet, offering a hand out at me. I took it, letting her help me to my feet. “You’ll get stronger, and before you know it, you’ll amaze yourself,” I think I knew what it was. When she had helped me up, she took her hand off her mouth and lightly smiled. She had a small metal bar across her front four teeth. It’s either braces, or a retainer… One day, when we are better friends, I’ll ask her.

By the end of the class, she had went on about her life and school, and said when I come back, we may take this outside, and run laps at the field by the gym. I was eager to see how well of a runner she was. I bet she was amazing at anything athletic.

Notes

I've had this story on my laptop for ages, and Im just getting around to posting. I hope you all enjoy it.

I would appreciate feedback.