Perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination; perhaps it was all just an illusion.  Everything seemed so real, everything fit into place perfectly – so much so he could not help but doubt its existence.  The past 6 years were merely a blur, for he still remained that same scrawny rebellious kid from when he first left Korea, no matter how hard he tried to change.  Well, it did not really help when he was struggling to keep up with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to keep up with the pressure constantly boiling down his neck when SHE appeared.

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Lee Taemin’s POV

I doubt it ever was true.  From the day we first met when she offered me a tissue to wipe away my tears to the last day I saw her when it was my turn to offer my shoulders for her to cry on – none of it was true.  The love that we shared, perhaps it just amounted to nothingness.  __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Park Hyun-hee’s POV (HJA)

That was… awkward.  What do you do to comfort your dongsaeng you have not met in several years when he just suddenly broke down right in front of your eyes?  I was helpless, just sitting there and watching his tears fall.  My heart ached for him; I wanted to lend him my listening ear and my shoulder to lean on – most importantly, I wanted to let him know I still cared.  There was just one problem – our relationship was distant, too distant for any of those hugs and embraces we used to share when we were little.  I was too ashamed to face myself, let alone face him yet again.  He could not open up to me as he did before, but who was to blame but myself - for leading him astray, for turning him into that monster he is now?

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There was a long moment of silence shared between the two as the two avoided eye contact.  It pained Hyun-hee (HJA) to see her cousin cry for he will forever be the baby cousin she loved and cared for.  She wanted to catch those falling tears and she wanted to hug him to tell him it was all okay but she just could not.  No one knows where she got that sudden burst of courage from when she finally spoke, to break the silence.

‘Taemin-ah, don’t you want to know why I didn’t bid you farewell the day you left Korea 6 years ago?’ Hyun-hee (HJA) started, meeting his tear-stricken face with her soft brown eyes.  She was trained to be an emotionless, unfeeling individual who could kill without a blink from young but she could never be harsh to her beloved dongsaeng she loved so much.  Finally, Taemin turned towards her.  All was silent as the two just stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak.  ‘Well, what’s your explanation, noona?  I’m waiting.’

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Lee Taemin’s POV

She smiled, she actually smiled.  That same smile I haven’t seen in years, I was glad to see again.  ‘Well, because I couldn’t, Taemin.  I just couldn’t.  I could not face you, I could not face my cousin that went astray – and it was all because of me.  I was the one who let you down, I was the reason you became that heartless juvenile delinquent back then.  Mianhaeyo, dongsaeng.  Forgive your noona for being that selfish soul who couldn’t bring myself to face the consequences of my actions.’  I honestly did not expect that.  All this time I’ve been blaming her, when she had been too guilt-ridden because of me.  How could I, a dongsaeng, make my noona cry like that in front of me? 

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Lee Taemin was guilty alright, guilty of letting his noona worry for him and guilty for making his noona cry.  Perhaps that was the reason he decided to put down his tough façade on the outside and let Hwang Jin-ae (PHH) back in to his inner deeper self, like before.  They were locked in a tight embrace as the tears just flowed freely down.  Both were crying but both were content they still had each other after so many years.  The pure brotherly-sisterly love they shared was too heartwarming to forget. 

‘Jin-ae, come down for dinner and-...  Oh ok, never mind.  Carry on, you two!  This old man saw nothing!  *chuckle chuckle*’ Hwang Chul-moo just had to disrupt this moment of peace.

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On the other hand,

‘LET ME GO!’  She struggled to break free from the ropes that bounded her.  She tugged and tugged hard at the ropes with her teeth, pulling so hard bled.  She kicked about and threw a tantrum, hoping someone would come and save her from the torture.  ‘Stop yelling, pabo!  You deserve a beating!’  From a distance, she could hear the voice of an elder man, distinct from the deep husky voice that just spoke.  Though she was blindfolded, she could still sense her surroundings – a dusty and dingy warehouse locked somewhere in a rural district, a typical k-drama kidnapping set. 

He slapped, HARD.  It took just a mere three seconds before the red palm print became clear on her pale left cheek.  He smiled a crooked, disgusting smile when he saw her wince and retreat slightly.  He knew, she was no match for him.  Turning in the direction of his men, clad in black suits all around, he nodded.  Then, everything was a blur when she stifled a scream before blacking out with one of his minions covering with a white cloth.  He smiled knowingly, seemingly satisfied with himself.  ‘Chloroform, such a beautiful thing.’

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Park Hyun-hee’s POV (HJA)

‘So… that’s it?  That’s why you cried?  It was all because of her?’  Wow, I never would have thought Taemin would have such a past… shows how little I know about him.  He nodded as he tried to smile, but I couldn’t help but notice that smile was filled with a tinge of sadness, that behind that smile was something else.  ‘Do you… still love her?’ 

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Lee Taemin’s POV

‘Do you… still love her?’  Honestly, I don’t know.  I guess I did.  That probably explains why I still think about her every night in bed, why I still turn around whenever someone calls my name in hopes that the same cheeky grin would greet me once again, why I still cry at the mention of her name. 

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Lies, deception and everything else.  Perhaps everything was just an illusion, perhaps everything was fake, perhaps the love they shared was never genuine.  If she really did care, why did she leave him all of a sudden?  Why did she give him the best birthday he ever had and then disappear the very next day?  It must have been because she never loved him.  Yes, it must have been.  Kellen must have been a liar.  

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Hello everyone!(:  I realised I've been a very long hiatus!  The last time I updated was almost three months ago! :O  Sorry, I've been tied down with exams and stuff! :X  But now that everything's over, I can update more often!  (Hopefully :P)  So yeah, pardon me for all this while!  That's why I came back with an exciting chapter! (at least, I HOPE it was entertaining...)  It's too DRAMA :D  Hehe(:  I know it's digressing from the main storyline but I need chapters like these to develop characters like Park Hyun-hee and Lee Taemin(:  Hope you guys like it! :D

OH and I almost forgot... As compensation, I'll be writing a new oneshot!  I hate oneshots though so I don't know what's gotten over me :X  You can comment down below and request for characters you wish to see in the oneshot and I'll try to make everyone happy!(:  THANKS :D