Twenty

     "Yuri, when will your father leave to go to America?"  asks Hyoyeon, sitting on Yuri's desk during lunch.  Yuri is downcast, for today is the day her father will leave her and go to America for a fake Hallyu convention.  Yuri is told that all her stuff has already been moved and brought over to the dormitory and when she goes home today, she'll be picked up by the boys' minivan and be sent home with them. 

     Yuri blinks, hard, "Tonight.  Appa is leaving tonight at six."

     Eunhyuk puts a hand on Yuri's shoulder, "Then, I guess today you won't be watching us rehearse for the semester dance festival competition?"

     "Why'd you bring it up?"  asks an angry Hyoyeon, thinking that is a wrong question to ask.

     Yuri looks up and shakes her head, "No, I'll won't see him take off."

     Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk jump and stand together, staying next to Yuri, "What?!  WHY?"

     Yuri starts to sniff and a tear drops from the corner of Yuri's eye, "Because, it's going to be hard when I see him go on that air plane."  Yuri starts to tremble.  When she can't hold it anymore, she brings her hands to cover her face and burst into tears.

     Hyoyeon starts to have water in her eyes and immediately hugs Yuri, "Yuri.  No matter what happens, you still have us."  She pulls away from the hug and waits until Yuri looks at her, "Lean on us, too."

     "Onew, I am worried about you the most out of SHINee," says Kwon shi to Onew.  Onew has fallen from playing with a big balloon ball.  Onew, for some unknown reason that he doesn't know himself, wanted to jump and tried to see if he can land on the ball with his knees.  Unfortunately, he couldn't and ended up spraining his wrist when he landed face down and used his hands to help protect him.  Not only that, but he also ended up having a minor injury on his knee cap.

     Jonghyun is pushing Onew in the stroller as he, Onew and their manager get out of the hospital the safe way, the way that doesn't have many patients to stir up any unwanted fan bombarding.  "Hyung, it's okay, we'll keep an eye out on him for you," Jonghyun reassures to their manager.

     Kwon shi smiles and as he opens the door to their minivan and the rest of the SHINee boys help Onew onto the car, he says to Jonghyun, "I put him in your hands, then."

     When everyone is settled, Kwon shi starts the car and heads to their agency to get ready to leave to America.

     Taemin pouts at the back of the van, "Man, Onew hyung, why do you have to get injured?  That means we have to use plan A: just surprise Yuri shi."

     "No, we can still do what we have planned," said Onew, not wanting to not do what they have planned just because of his condition.

     Taemin points to Onew's leg, "Not in that condition we can.  Besides, now that I think about it, we can also give her a personal tour, too.  That way, she won't feel so uncomfortable around us and can feel at ease."  Taemin smiles at this wonderful thought out idea of his.

     Oh, she'll feel comfortable, smirks Minho as he looks outside the window, she'll feel so comfortable, she'll want to go back home.

     "So, basically you're saying that our current idea of surprising her is lame?" says a direct Key.

     Taemin looks up, avoiding his members' looks, admitting that's true.

     Key smiles and leans toward Taemin, "I thought that, too."

     Taemin looks at Key and the two slaps hands together, agreeing with one another.

     Jonghyun sighs,"If you two think that way, then I guess we'll go back to our first idea."

     Taemin and Key look at Jonghyun and they both said, "You thought our current idea was lame, too, right?"

     Taemin pokes Jonghyun's arm, "Admit it."

     Jonghyun angrily turns to Taemin, making Taemin stop him.  Jonghyun then relaxes his face and puts on a happy face, "Yeah, it was kind of lame."

     Onew feels offended, for the idea was his and hearing his members say that kind of upset him, "Hey, how is ordering chicken and eating with Yuri after we pick her up from school not welcoming?"

     Key looks at Onew, "Yah, how is eating chicken in the car welcoming?  I mean, where is the welcoming in that?"

     Onew stutters, "But, but, it's chicken!"  he emphasized his love for chickens.

     "It's welcoming to you, but not to her," says Jonghyun, "besides, we just went with it because it sounded great at first, but..."  he stops to think of how to describe what he wants to say next.

     "But, as we thought about it, it sounds lame," says Key, bluntly.

     Onew thinks about his own plan and finally comes to an understanding, "You're right."  he added a sigh, followed by a laugh.

     As the boys laugh and Kwon shi comes to a stop for a red light, he looks over at the boys through the front rear view mirror and hopes that the boys will make Yuri have fun during her stay in his place.

     "Yuri ah!  It's the second time you're here this week.  I thought you halted your activities with us because of something personal," says Leeteuk, who has stopped stretching.

     Yuri puts on a smile, "Ah, that's because--"

     "Hey, just because she has halted it doesn't mean she can't come and visit, right?" butts in Hyoyeon, not wanting to remind Yuri of her problems.

     Shindong and Sungmin come from the door behind Yuri, Eunhyuk, and Hyoyeon, "Sorry, but today, we both are going to leave at six to help out with our parents' store."

     Eunhyuk and Hyoyeon look at Yuri when Shindong had mentioned the time, Six.  That is the time Yuri's father is going to leave, and Yuri has decided she won't see him off.

     Yuri takes a deep breath and ignores the comment, "Hey, teach me the moves so I can practice with you guys,"  she walks to the center and starts stretching with Leeteuk.

     Eunhyuk and Hyoyeon look at their dear Yuri.  They know she's hiding what she wants to do right now.       

     Cry.

     It's been two hours since school has ended and two hours since the group have been dancing in the room they always stay afterschool for dance rehearsals.  Even though Yuri had told herself she wouldn't look at the clock to see what time it is, she finds herself stealing a chance to look at it.  She has been caught by Hyoyeon four times and Eunhyuk six times. 

      As the time is nearing six, Hyoyeon pulls Yuri out to the door.

     "Yuri, go, now."  It is a demand from Hyoyeon.  Hyoyeon rarely uses a demanding tone to Yuri, but this time, Hyoyeon has to.  She explains herself, "Yuri, I may not know how much it hurts to see your own father seperate from you, but I do know this, it's going to hurt even more knowing that you didn't get to see him off."

     Yuri looks up at her friend.  Her friend is gives her a weak smile.  She feels the gentle but rough squeeze from her friend.  "What time is it?"

     Hyoyeon smiles widely, understanding what Yuri plans to do next, "Plenty of time, girl."  Hyoyeon yells out Eunhyuk's name and he comes out, carrying Yuri's bag

     "All set?"  he asks, excited.

     "Yep.  Yuri, we'd like to go with you, but it's your time with him."  Hyoyeon takes out some cash and hands it to Yuri, "Take this and we hope it's enough to get there and get back."  Hyoyeon pushes Yuri and hands her bag to her, "Go."

     A tear falls from the corner of Yuri's eyes, "I do have the best of bestest friends.  Thank you," Yuri runs off, wiping her tears.

     "Yah!  Give us a call later," shouts Hyoyeon across the hall.  Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk look at their friend runs and turns on the hallway.

     "She'll make it in time, right?" asks Hyoyeon.

     "She will.  Even Time will be nice enough to slow down for this loving person."  Eunhyuk glances at his girlfriend and reaches for her hand, "Come on, let's go back in."