A/N: Hello my lovelies! I know I haven't updated in about 3 years...It's been that long! As I was clearing out some files, I found some uposted chapters for this story... I hope you will give Key & Ellie some love! Thank you for waiting for my uploads my faithful subscribers~~            

             “Mom…why are you here?” I asked either of them.

            “Kibum called me,” Mom said, approaching me.

            “Wae? Why did you call my mom?” I turned to Key for answers. He looked at me, fidgeting with his hands. “Kibum. Why did you call my mom?” I asked again, in a more serious tone.

            “Ellie-ah, I just wanted t-,” he started to say but my mom put her hand up.

            “Who exactly are you getting mad at? You didn’t tell me anything and I had to hear it from him. Do you think you’re superwoman?!” my mom walked closer to me and I stood still. Kibum back away and let my mom yell at me. I learned over time that when getting yelled at, staying quiet was the best way. Though I had things to say, I was in the wrong. “You’re quitting that singing thing, it’s not worth it. You’re coming home with me. You’re finishing graduate school back home,” she said quietly, which was scarier. I saw Key move slightly from the corner of my eye. He fully understood what my mom said and I felt that he wanted to talk but couldn’t interfere between a mom scolding her daughter. “We’re going to the hospital tomorrow and getting you checked. Properly. All the scans, blood tests, urine test. Everything,” she said, keeping her hands on her waist. The SHIINee fan and the Key bias in me wanted to hide in a hole because Key was watching me get yelled at, but at the same time I wanted to be angry because he told my mom without letting me know. My mom stopped talking and we were just standing there in silence. Then she went in the kitchen and pulled out groceries. She had bought vegetables to cook for me. Kibum looked at me, trying to figure out if it was safe to talk to me yet. I glared at him and he kept his eyes on the ground.

            “Uh, Eomoni, I’ll just head out first and give you two time together,” Eomoni?? Since when were they ‘Eomoni-Kibum’ basis?

            “No, you’re staying here and having dinner with us, call the rest of SHINee over,” my mom said, with a serious voice, like she was angry.

            “Eh? Mom, no, they’re working, they’re busy people, why bring them into this?” I complained quietly.

            “Ani, no no, it’s okay, they would want to come,” Kibum took off the one shoe he’d already put on and pulled out his phone.

            “You free? Come to Ellie’s, bring the other two, thank you Taeminnie,” Kibum hung up and smiled at me. My mom busied herself in the kitchen and so I gave Key another glare. I sat on the couch and opened my laptop. Kibum was about to follow me then my mom grabbed his arm. I almost stood up, wondering what she was about to do, then she made Kibum taste the broth of whatever she was cooking. Eh??? Since when were they so close? What’s going on here?

            “Oh wuah, that’s really good!” Kibum gave the best reaction and gave a thumbs-up. I rolled my eyes and kept my eyes on my laptop, scrolling through my files, looking for my resume. I might have to start looking for a job if I have to quit being a trainee.

            “What do you think, Minho?” my mom asked Minho in English. He tried to reply and Key said to just say it in Korean and he would translate.

            “I think that what’s best is to keep her healthy,” Minho Oppa said. The more my mom asked them questions, the more I wanted to leave the table. She was talking like I wasn’t there and the members were just shy about not answering her questions. But I could tell it made them uncomfortable.

            “You either quit or you come home,” my mom said lightly and the boys became quiet. I cracked my knuckles to control my anger and sighed loudly.

            “Mom!” I stood up. “Do you really have to involve them in this?! Did you call them over so you can scold me in front of them?” The members paused and I kept my fists slammed on the table. My mom kept quiet, but I stayed put. Kibum put his hand over my hand, trying to make me calm down but I whisked his hand away. Suddenly, my mom started to sniffle and quickly wiped her tears away. Then I heard another whimper, only this time it wasn’t coming from my mom, but from Jonghyun Oppa.

            “Hyung… now’s really not the time,” Minho Oppa whispered. They started to call each other ‘hyung’ and being polite when they were around my mom, being wary of a stranger. I stayed standing up, waiting for my mom to talk.

            “I didn’t ask them to come here so I can scold you. I asked them to come here and eat because they have been the ones by your side since you moved here. I wanted to get to know them. But this… This condition you have… has been on my mind since I found out and it’s all I think about. My baby… I can’t lose you. I’m you mother and I have the right to worry! Do you not see that? I apologize for doing this in front of them, but I’m not gonna apologize for being worried,” she stood up and went to the kitchen, grabbing something from the refrigerator. Minho was comforting Jonghyun and Taemin kept quiet, as always. Kibum was contemplating whether or not to hold my hand again or keep his distance. I reached for his hand and gave him a soft look. What my mom said hurt my heart. Not because what she said was meant to hurt me, but because I neglected the fact that she was my mother and that, of course, she would worry. My mom meant well asking the members to be here, wanting to thank them for being by my side, but I misconstrued her. I walked to where she was and helped with getting plates for dessert, quietly. We were not the type of family to speak up about our feelings and show physical affection, so keeping quiet was our way of reconciling.

            “Yah, why are you crying? Did you even understand? Aigooooo, you big crybaby,” Kibum said to Jonghyun as my mom and I approached the table.

            “These guys really care about my crazy daughter…” my mom said quietly and shook her head.

            “Neh, we do Eomoni, they’ve been her big brothers here and I’ve been the best boyfriend,” Kibum said, jokingly, but I knew he was serious. My mom laughed and handed a plate of dessert to each of them. Though Minho was on a ‘strictly chicken ’ diet for his upcoming drama, he did not refuse what my mom made. I kept quiet throughout the rest of the night and they talked about memories I’ve had with them and my mom talked about my childhood memories. They members got ready to leave and my mom packed them leftovers.

            “I don’t understand why they’re keeping you all so skinny, look at your legs boys. You need more food in your system,” my mom handed them each, packed leftovers.

            “Thank you so much, Eomoni!”

            “We’ll cook for you next time, Ellie Eomoni,”

            “Yes, come to Key Hyung’s place sometime, we will cook for you!”

Did they get that close that they can call my mom ‘Eomoni’? I sighed and shook my head.

            “Oh right! Kibum, if you have time tomorrow, if you could come to the hospital with us, that would be really nice, but if you’ve got oth-,” my mom asked but Key cut her off.

            “I will be there,” he smiled and my mom didn’t hide her sigh of relief.

            “Kibum-ah, you have filming tomorrow morning,” I said in English so that my mom would hear.

            “Oh really? That’s okay then if you have work, we will see you after?” why is mom clinging onto meeting Key tomorrow? Oh… I know…

            “Mom, he’s going to a friend’s event tomorrow, they’re busy people, oh my…” I tugged at her arm, making sure she doesn’t mention why she was insisting.

            “Kibum, if you have time tomorrow, please call me, okay?”

            “Of course! Are you sure you don’t want me to c-,” this time I cut him off.

            “Yeah! We’re good! You don’t need to come to the hospital and have fun at your friend’s event! I’ll call you later! Bye! Thanks for coming guys! Be safe!” I pushed them out of the apartment and looked back at my mom. I glared at her.

            “Whaaaat? It’s your birthday tomorrow, a mom’s gotta do her duty you know, don’t give me that look,” she proceeded to do the dishes and I cleaned up the kitchen counter and the dining table that was used for the first time ever since I moved here. “Does he not know your birthday?” she asked.

            “No, I didn’t tell him,” I shrugged.

            “He’s been your boyfriend and one of your closest friends since that concert back home and you haven’t told him or he hasn’t asked about your birthday?” she said.

            “He has but I just… brushed it off,” I said, wiping the table.

            “And why?”

            “Because he’s gonna make a big deal about it and buy me things and you know, just celebrate,”

            “Okay, I still don’t get why,”

            “Beeeecause, I already owe him a lot. He’s been taking care of me and watching over me, I don’t want him to go overboard, which I know he will,”

            “Whateeeeever,” my mom was like another best friend. She talks like my age and she is always willing to listen about whatever crap I had to say.

            “Mmm, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, good night!” I said cutely on the phone and took a glance at my mom who was putting on her night cream. She feigned a puke sound. I rolled my eyes at her and laughed.

            “Mmm! Dream of me tonight,” Key replied. I chuckled and hung up.