Th. Skiing Into Your Heart - Blog Posts

she waits at the bottom with bated breath — it was barely a hump but still! lili was allowed to have her reservations, especially when minkyu says it’s his first time skiing! lili was not a worrisome person but she would not have filming be halted over something that could have easily been prevented.

“slow down, ski bunny, we don’t want you melting the mountain.” her giggles are muffled by her gloves.

“but a higher one?” she’s amused by his eagerness but she nods, nonetheless. “alright, i think we can do another after this, let’s see if that little hill wasn’t some fluke, alright?”

she’s thankful to be back in the lodge after an afternoon of skiing — it had been fun but the cold had started to get to her. her skii clothes while fashionable were not exactly the most functional to wear on the slopes and after an hour of being out on the mountains, the chills had started to seep into her bones.

walking beside minkyu, she pokes at his side, once more eager for a hint to the surprises he had teased earlier. “so, what’s next? a hot air balloon to whisk us to some snow getaway?”

They say the bunny hill is the easiest, but Minkyu’s legs clearly didn’t get the memo. The moment his skis tilt forward and gravity takes over, his knees wobble like jelly, his balance teetering on a razor’s edge. Clutching the ski poles with the desperation of a man holding onto life itself, he hurtles downhill - not so much skiing as he is surviving.

What takes mere seconds feels like a slow-motion lifetime, but somehow, miraculously, he makes it to the bottom. No falls, no dramatic wipeouts, just a slightly chaotic descent ending in a wobbly slide to her side. He’s anything but graceful, especially compared to her serene glide, but he’s in one piece, and that’s what matters.

“Phew! Not too bad, huh?” he grins, striking an exaggerated victory pose, chin tilted high in mock pride. It only takes a second before he dissolves into laughter, the tension melting from his shoulders.

Then he looks at her, really looks, and the admiration in his eyes softens his smile. “You looked like a gliding princess up there,” he says earnestly, voice warm. “Seriously. So pretty.” And he means every word. “Let’s go to a higher one next,” he says, his grin widening. “I’m all warmed up now!”

oh, he was infuriating.

behind his smile, lili knew he was enjoying every second of this — that darling devil of a man was truly cruel. how dare he play her when he knew she could do nothing but smile through it — oh, the earful he was going to get after the cameras turn off was going to be a big one.

her eyes roll, this is the one thing she can’t help, when he denies her hint — a pout already forming on her plump lips as she takes the ski poles from him. “fine, be that way, i guess i’ll just have to wait to be dazzled.”

she shakes her head, trying — but purposely failing — to keep her laugh from spilling from her cheeks as she shuffles forward, “it’s only a bunny slope, you should get down with no worries! just keep yours in front of you and your knees slightly bent!”

lili makes her first ride down with ease — a practiced simplicity that comes with experience. a bunny hill was always the best for beginners. it was barely even a hill, if lili thought of it, not even too far from where she sees minkyu riding, shortly after her.

This is fun. This is so much fun.

Minkyu isn’t mischievous by nature - not really - but there’s something endlessly entertaining about doing all the things he knows Lili isn’t particularly fond of, without the usual fear of being scolded. After all, she can’t exactly bark at him like she normally would, not with the cameras rolling. And that? That makes it even more fun.

( Though he’s well aware he won’t hear the end of it once filming wraps. )

He grins, proud, as Lili tells him he did well with the skis. But instead of accepting the praise, he lifts a single gloved hand, wiggling his pointer finger in playful denial. “No, no. You’re not getting any information out of me! A surprise is only a real surprise if the receiver is completely clueless.” His smile stretches wide, a chuckle slipping between his words.

What she doesn’t know is that he’s actually prepared two surprises. But that’s for him to know and her to find out.

“I can promise you, though: it’ll leave you speeeeeechless.”

That cheeky little grin of his makes another appearance as he hands her the ski poles, then secures the straps of his own around his wrists. “Alrightie, lead the way, Miss Ski Princess! I’ll be following closely and trying not to fall on my butt.”

“and chance you going deaf from hearing my screams all day? no, i think you chose wisely. plus, i like your ears.” her free hand reaches out to tug on an exposed lobe that wasn’t hidden by the helmet, fingertips lingering — as if relishing the heat that emitted from what was notably the warmest place on the body outside of one’s armpits but there was a hell of a chance that lili was going to shove her hands into his pits on national television. 

a brow crooks at his suggestive remarks — “a surprise? theres more? was this not all of it?”

oh, how lili loathed surprises — but her smile says otherwise; relaying a contrasted emotion: one of genuine confusion. “what could you have possibly prepared —“ she catches herself as she watches his feet shuffle into the skiis. sure, they were on a date but lili still wanted them to be safe — ski accidents were no joke!

( minkyu had to give her this — it might be the only time lili cared for someone’s well-being that wasn’t her own )

“yes! that looks about right,” she does the same, clicking her boots into place before turning to him, “so what’s this surprise down there, don’t i get a hint of some kind?”

if she had to bear with a surprise, she should at least get some clues to spark her interest.

Holding hands. Oh. They’re edging closer and closer to becoming the ultimate picture of an ultra-cute date couple - sweeter than any romance anime Minkyu has ever watched. It doesn’t feel unnatural, even if the physical closeness is new. They’re friends, after all. Regardless, he enjoys it, a soft smile tugging at his lips as his hand gently clasps hers in return.

“Luckily, while my skiing skills are lacking, I’m not afraid of heights at all,” he muses, a thoughtful hum escaping him. “Maybe I should’ve chosen an amusement park with the tallest roller coasters instead.” He laughs at the thought, lighthearted and easy.

Before long, their stop approaches, and they step off the chair lift. Ever the gentleman, Minkyu helps her down before guiding her to where they’ll get their skis ready. The air is much crisper up here, and when he glances at her, he notices the cold hasn’t left her unaffected.

“Your cheeks are so cute when they turn red like that.” he remarks with a grin before pressing his gloved hands gently to her chilled skin, offering a bit of warmth. “There’s hot chocolate waiting for us down there - aaaaaand maybe a little something special I’ve prepared as a reward for making it down in one piece.”

With that, he finally lets go, turning his focus to the skis. “We just step in until it clicks, right?”

“it’s okay,” she pipes up, appearing as happy as one could be given the circumstances, “that’s what you have me for, right?”

they’re lines straight out of a drama. of the thousands she’s been fed over her teenage years, lili knows how to play the role: of some love-smitten girl, gently brushed by the fate of a first love. that’s what the producers want, right? an innocent love to be hailed and rallied for over the netizen forums — lili can only hope that the bite of minkyu’s fans isn’t too cruel once this episode airs.

the magic words leave his lips and for the first time that day, lili’s smile turns genuine — for the one thing to truly brighten her day would be those four words. lili was far from a simple girl — but the moment those words reach her ears, she can feel the tips of them burn red, suddenly flustered, as if not expecting them.

( because, really, they were far from what she thought she’d be hearing that day )

“save the flattery for later, romeo. i haven’t gotten you down the hill yet.” she laughs, beaming when her helmet gets fitted snugly beneath her chin. 

they pass the first hurdle — safely getting onto the chair lift — with flying colors. 

if lili was honest, she had been nervous, and lili was seldom nervous. but she had been, for this : having seen others fail getting on the chair lift catastrophically over the years, she had prayed that today would not end up like so and thankfully her worries went unanswered.

now seated, sailing in the air on the lift — feet dangling from several feet above the ground — she felt a weight was lifted. that was possibly the hardest part of the mountain, in her opinion. learning and teaching couldn’t be so bad in comparison, at least that is what lili thinks. 

“you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”  her hand, gently grasped in his, gives it a light squeeze as she points to the the tiny slope they were nearing, “our stop is almost here!” 

Oh. Oh.

He can already hear it — the soft, romantic music the production team will overlay the moment this scene airs. The moment she pulls him back, the moment their eyes meet as she carefully places the helmet on his head; it’s straight out of a romance anime, he’s sure of it.

He barely registers the soft click of the security snap before he realizes he’s been holding his breath. His lips part, and there’s a flicker of bashfulness in his smile. “Ah, thank you. I guess it’s pretty obvious I’ve never skied before.”

His laugh is as soft as his smile, warm despite the cold. And then, before he can think too hard about it, he reaches for her helmet in return. His fingers graze her jaw as he secures the straps beneath her chin, and his touch lingers for just a second longer than necessary.

“You look really pretty, by the way.” The words leave him easily, without hesitation, entirely sincere when he brushes a strand gently out of her face. He grins then, eyes crinkling at the corners, and reaches up to gently push her goggles to rest on top of her helmet before doing the same with his own.

“We’re ready now, right?” This time, when he extends his hand toward her, he doesn’t just offer it — he takes hers, his gloved fingers wrapping around her own with quiet confidence. “Let's go, let's go! I need to see the ski princess in action.”

it’s an act, she tells herself.

it’s all an act and all the world’s a stage — lili knows this.

it’s easier to remember when she knows minkyu is doing it on purpose because as much as she knows him, he knows her all too well and it would be a little too easy to reveal her cracked charade to the nation.

“let’s hope you’ll say the same after the lesson.”

her smile stays soft — the grind in her teeth hidden behind a gentle curve of fulls lips and a flutter of eyelashes, a bat here; another there. the picture of enthrallment, as if minkyu’s charm had truly had her smitten until her insides fluttered — or churned, whatever best describes the millisecond of queasiness she feels as he finishes off her laces. 

( is this how it felt to be the eye of someone’s unparalleled attention? )

“hold on, minkyu-ssi!” she laughs, the fingers that had slyly wrapped his pull him back; reaching for the helmets they had left by their feet at the bench — “don’t forget your helmet,” by first instinct, lili would have held the helmet to minkyu for him to take — but through helpful pressured guidance of the cameras all around him, she, instead, steps towards him and carefully places the helmet on his head; toying with the straps to secure it firmly beneath his chin, “let’s not get hurt today, okay?”

Oh, he knows. He knows all too well that Lili is quietly fuming over his decision to choose skiing. He knows her well enough to be certain that, under normal circumstances, she would be scolding him right now, perhaps even nagging just a little.

But that’s precisely what makes this so amusing. Watching her tuck away that sharp tongue of hers, replacing it with the angelic, patient, and ever-so-loving demeanor she wants the cameras to capture; it’s a performance in itself. A carefully crafted image, all in favor of being adored by viewers.

“I am in luck indeed,” he finally responds when she mentions that she knows how to ski. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and he grins up at her with a sweetness so genuine it could melt the iciest of hearts. That look; the one he knows makes fans weak, the one he always has when he’s with those he cherishes. Complete attention, unwavering devotion, as if nothing else in the world exists but the person in front of him.

In this moment, the cameras fade into the background. His focus is solely on easing Lili into her ski boots, hands grazing her legs only when necessary, careful and respectful, like the kind gentleman he is. “I couldn’t imagine a better teacher than you.”

This may be a show, but to Minkyu, it’s something more. It’s a challenge they set for each other: a playful game of who could outdo the other in delivering the most heart-fluttering, drama-worthy moments. Yet, as the minutes pass, he finds himself forgetting the game entirely, instead surrendering to his natural instinct to romanticize every fleeting moment.

He doesn’t miss the subtle squeeze on his shoulder. If anything, it makes his smile soften, a flicker of something almost bashful in his expression.

Shifting to sit beside her, he quickly secures his own boots, giving them a firm pat before meeting her gaze again. “I’m all good, thank you.” And then, he rises, extending his hand to her, fingers curling just slightly in invitation.

“Shall we?” He nods toward the slope. “I can’t wait to see the skiing princess in action with my very own eyes.”

the date lottery is far from lili’s reality — if anything, it’s her very own acting reel that she needs to polish up. and lili ain’t no actor — but what she is is competitive. so, she plays the show like how she plays her most precious, most interesting of games.

the more she can make the viewers believe that she’s falling for minkyu and his charistmatic charms — and vice versa — the more rewards she hopes to reap. ( whatever rewards may that be —  it keeps things interesting ) at any rate — from the subtle twinkle she spies in minkyu’s gaze; an unspoken agreement seems to form extended from their previous verbal wager — at least they’re on the same page.

“you’ve never skiied before?” the declaration would have otherwise bothered lili — why else would we be at the slopes if you don’t know how to ski? but she remains patient, calming that irritating little devil in her in favor for the calm and tranquil persona she was trying to portray; her brows furrow in a gentle confusion before her lips form a precious smile, almost amused at the thought.

“well, you’re in luck. my grandma has brought me to the slopes almost every winter without fail,” her grandmother had brought her once and left her to fend for herself with strict russian instructors. “so you could say i got a lifetime of snowledge.” kill her — kill her now. her smile brightening despite the cringy dialogue, trying not to laugh at her own demise as she looks to minkyu.

“i’ve been told i’m a good teacher, too.”

no one has ever — on this earth — told her such a thing.

her surprise is paused — a slow lift of the brow as she watches minkyu descend upon one knee. “thank you.” settling onto the seat, she quickly undoing her moon boots in favor of the ski boots that minkyu helps her into. a hand reaches out gently to hold his shoulder to still her movements as she digs her feet, one after the other, into each boot; making sure they’re properly in and not loose. leaning close to inspect her shoes, she turns her chin to look at minkyu, the hand at his shoulder squeezes it lightly, in kind, as her smile is practically beaming. “they fit perfectly, shall i help you with yours?”

From the very beginning of their fake dating experience, one thing Minkyu has been consistently grateful for how effortlessly Lili aligns with his vision of what to portray: the perfect blend of sweet, romantic gestures designed to set hearts fluttering, both among the fans and the ever-adoring staff.

“Well, well,” he muses, a playful lilt in his voice as he sweeps a hand through the crisp winter air, guiding her past the entrance gate toward the ski rental. “You and I, my dearest Lili, are about to embark on our very own ski adventure, from way up there,” he points toward the towering peak of the slope, “all the way back down here.” The distant echoes of laughter and excited chatter from other skiers weave into the moment, painting a picture of a perfect winter wonderland.

He exhales, a chuckle escaping as he admits, “I have to be honest... coming from Busan, where the sun is king, I’ve never actually been skiing before.” His confession is lighthearted, almost sheepish, as they step into the rental shop, where an employee has conveniently already prepared skis in their sizes.

But rather than simply handing Lili her pair, Minkyu’s expression softens. With an easy grace, he gestures for her to take a seat on the wooden bench before lowering himself onto one knee. His usual bravado gives way to something gentler; his voice quieter now, almost intimate.

“Let me help you put them on.” he says, fingertips brushing against the bindings with care. Because even if this is all for show, he’s determined to make it feel real.

“oh — funny running into you here.” she teases, as if the date had not been arranged weeks beforehand, all the way down to notable cue cards and scripted points to follow — a sure fire way to kill the romance ( not that there was any to begin with ( but the audience didn’t know that )) that was afoot. her own hand rises above her head in an enthusiastic wave, much unlike herself. once a year, she realizes, she’s become accustomed to donning a shell of herself for people to impress — she hadn’t realized that such a time would come as soon as late winter. 

( lili had thought she could hibernate her woes until early spring at least but alas )

trekking through the snow in her snow boots, the picture of snow bunny princess in her pristine white gear and matching fur hat, lili is almost thankful she doesn’t fall face first into the sleet as she finally meets him at the entrance.

her eyes bounce around them, in absolute awe of the scene that’s set before them — maybe if she wasn’t thankful for eating shit, she was thankful for minkyu and his bright ideas because this was beautiful - breaktaking, really.

“so,” she sidles up to his side, linking one puffer-clothed arm with his for (1) stability and (2) she can already hear the cooing from the staff. “what surprise am i in store for today?” lili hated surprises but she was willing to make an exception for minkyu ( and the cameras ) ; eyes twinkling in anticipation. 

skiing into your heart.

He’s been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever. Standing in front of the cameras for the new season of Date Lottery is a project Minkyu has anticipated the most—the kind of opportunity that speaks to his inner romantic and his unwavering love for all things cheesy and cute. If there was ever a show that suited him perfectly, it was this one.

And while his luck in love off-camera may not be anything to brag about, at least for the next few hours, he can pretend he’s the luckiest man alive. What makes it even better? He’s been paired with @lgclili again—a relief, really, because she wouldn’t have heard the end of his whining had she picked someone else this season.

Dressed head to toe in a sleek ski ensemble, the baby blue color making him stand out against the snowy backdrop, his ski goggles rest neatly atop his head. “Ahh, I’m so excited. So excited.” The cameras are already rolling, catching every second of his anticipation as he waits for Lili’s grand entrance.

And the moment he spots her, his entire face lights up—the grin that spreads across his lips as genuine as the sparkle in his brown eyes. "Ah, there she is!" His voice carries over the crisp winter air as he waves, practically bouncing on his feet. "Lilissi! Over hereee!"