[Listen to: Stand By You (LIVE! @ Tokyo Dome) by Tohoshinki/DongBangShinKi]

 Author's Note: Yaaaay!~ DongBangShinKi's Shim Changmin's appearance! SQUEEE!~

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♪ Hold you in my arms / I just wanted to hold you in my arms / My life / You electrify my life / Let's conspire to re-ignite ♪

Ugh. Go away.

♪ Hold you in my arms / I just wanted to hold you in my arms / My life / You electrify my life / Let's conspire to re-ignite ♪

... Five more minutes, please. I got home late last night. ):

♪ Hold you in my arms / I just wanted to hold you in my arms / My life / You electrify my life / Let's conspire to re-ignite ♪

FUC—! I reached for my phone on the bed-side table.

"WHAT?!"

"Sonny-ah!? What're you doing that's so much more IMPORTANT than me?! I gave BIRTH to you, I should be your FIRST priori—"

"Oh, hi, Umma. Saranghaeyo. (I love you.)" I said sheepishly. Oops.

"You said you'd call. Why haven't you called? Did you forget about us?!"

"Eh?.. Sorry, I didn't find the time to call," I yawned, getting up.

"Everything's okay, right?" In the background I faintly heard Is that Unnie?! GIMMME! "Uh, Kirra wants to talk to you."

"Uh.. 'kay." I made my way over to the kitchen. The oven clock read 7:42 AM. Meh...

"UNNIE! I miss chuuuuu!" Kirra squealed into my ear. "Did you forget about me?!"

"Of course not, Kirra-chan! I've been busy, sorry. So, have you found a play-mate yet? Oh, how's Uncle Chris treating you? Okay? You should be okay, if you're still up at this hour.  Hey, wait. Isn't it close to 11 PM over there?"

"Uh..."

"Kirra. Put the phone down. And. Go. To. Bed." I said sternly.

"Okay, Unnie..." She said defeatedly. "Study well, and good luck on your first day of school! I love you lots! Bye!" Click. She hung up.

What a cutie... I ate my muffin slowly. Orientation starts at 8-ish, I think. Crap. I haven't even found the campus yet.

"Welcome to KyungHee. Right on time, Miss Ryu." The lady working in the Office of Admissions greeted me in heavily accented English.

"Annyeonghaseyo." I breathed in a sigh of relief as she handed me my schedule and a map of the University. Oh, my God. The campus is huge and the scenery is absolutely ridiculous. Be right back, dying.

"We have this sort of buddy-system-mentor-type-thing here for our newly transferred students. Yours is Shim Cha—oh, speak of the devil!"

"Annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun Shim Changmin imnida! (Hello, my name is Shim Changmin!)"

I turned around to find myself gazing up at a really tall hot dude decked out in Abercrombie apparel. Excuse me while I drool. Have I met you before?

"Eh? Sonny-sshi?" Changmin waved in my face. He caught me staring.

"I—You—Sing—Do—Hi." I stuttered like an idiot, turning beet red.

"Hello!" He chuckled. "As I said, I'm Changmin, and I'll be your mentor for quite a while, so call me Oppa! :D Now, c'mon! Let me show you around." He led me outside. "I'm assuming you have quite a bit an interest in music since you got paired up with me." He smirked, like there was an inside joke or something.

"Hah, yeah. Music's my all. My... my Dad encouraged me to play the piano when I was younger. It's kind of hard to explain, but everything gets all quiet when I touch a piano or pick up a guitar." I said softly.

"Oh, I know what you mean. And it's such a rush when you perform in front of everyone. I love that feeling." He continued in the same dreamy tone.

If I didn't know any better, it sounds like he's speaking from experience. I glanced at him as we rounded the fountain. Holy crap. This guy is super freakin' tall with long- legs. For every two steps I take, he steps one. I took a closer look at him, trying to remember where I've seen him from. Should I ask him?

"O-oppa?" I poked his arm.

"Neh?" He looked down at me. Oh, why are you so tall?!

"Nothing. Just trying out the nickname." I chickened out.

"Hehe! Sonny-ah! You're so cute." He grinned, pinching my cheek. "Are you sure you're not twelve?"

Oh, here we go. "Why do people keep saying that to me?!" I said exasperatedly, punching him. Hard. Well, at least I thought it was hard.

"Eh?" He kept walking, singing quietly in Japanese as he went.

Hitori kiri de kimi ga naita ano toki
          When you were crying by yourself back then
Sugu ni tonde ikeba ima mo mada kimi wa boku no yoko ni ite kureta
          If only I had run to you, would you still be by my side?
 

Then it hit me. Kind of like pushing a door that you pull open. Kind of like getting hit with a basketball in the face. Kind of like—well, you get what I mean. I was getting morbidly curious. I just had to see if my assumption was right.

"Max?" I questioned in a low voice.