[Listen to: 화살 (Quasimodo) by SHINee]

Author's Note: ... Ew. Not quite happy with the way this one chapter came out, but ripping page after page of ideas really made me desperate. Well, anyway, tell me what you think!~ Obviously, I'm running out of ideas. |: Comment with yours!~ I just might use it. :D Have you looked at [Listen to: ...]? NO?

WELL. LOOK. AT. IT. My favorite song from them. Ever. [:

- - -

I.. I was seeing red.

Literally.

Seeing.

Red.

I was looking down, barely concious that my cheek was against Taemin's chest. The red flannel shirt I wore as an accessory around my hips. The red converse I wore on my feet. The red The Beatles guitar gig bag strap partially hidden by my hair. They all screamed at me. Blood. Shaking, I heard a barrage of gunshots and the tears that fell from my eyes seared my face. Something called my name. Had I been thinking straight, I would've understood that it was Taemin, but I wasn't. I still looked up at him, though not really seeing the face of SHINee's lead dancer. Instead I saw the face of my father. A face that haunted me. A face mangled with fear and excrutiating pain. A face covered with blood, as I last remembered it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to rid myself of the memory I saw being re-lived in front of me. The sounds of screaming reverberated off the walls and clawed into my ears. My screams.

Oh geudae, mamae datgo shipeun nal malhaji
          Oh love, I want to touch your heart
Mothae shirin gooreum dwi ae garin byeolbitdeul cheoreom
          But I cannot speak, like starlight hidden behind frozen clouds
'Saranghae' ipsool kkeutae maemdoldeon apeum gobaek
          ‘I love you’ this painful confession always lies on my tongue
Kkeunae nunmure heullo
          I'll end it all and let the words flow with my tears

I don't know how I was able to hear the sounds of soft singing... My hands balled into fists around fabric.. a shirt?

Shimjangae datneun ee hwasaleun eejen nae mom gatgaetjyo
          The arrows that reached my heart
Jukeul mankeum neomu apado
          I guess are now a part of me, even if it hurts so much I want to die
Nae mamae bakhin geudaereul kkeonael su eopnaeyo
          You’re so deep inside me, I can’t remove you
Sarangiraseo nan sarangiraseo
          Because it’s love, because for me it's love

The chest I leaned on for support moved up and down, rhythmically. I listened to Taemin, tuning out the sounds of the raging thunderstorm.

Na geudae, gatji mothaedo nae mami
          My love, even if I can’t be with you
Kkeutnae seulpeun inyeonae byeok apaegaromakhyeodo
          Even if my feelings end, barred by a wall of destiny
Saranghae barabol suman itneun gosiramyeon
          I still love you, if I can just be somewhere where I can see you
Geudaen nae jeonbunikka
          Because you’re my everything

My labored breathing slowed, and my gasping sobs were reduced to barely audible sniffles. His voice was so soft, so sinuous. Eventually, I found it hard to keep my eyes open.

"Sonny-ah! You hungr—"

Zayn rushed in, calling out to me as I felt myself get pulled under.

I woke up to the sounds of clinks and clangs coming from the kitchen. I stared up at the sky-blue ceiling of my room. Weird dream. I tried to stand, but a wave of vertigo rushed over me and I stumbled into the dresser. I frowned, looking down to find that I was almost , save for under-garments and an oversized SHINee concert t-shirt. Wait... I don't own anything like this.

My bedroom door flew open in front of me, and I found myself staring at two very big feet.

"You're lucky Taemin-ah and Zayn-hyung called me last night." A footed sock tapped an annoying rhythm on the floor.

Okay. So it wasn't a dream.

"When were you planning on telling me that you were deathly afraid of thunder?" Changmin scolded as he helped me up.

"Taemin called you?" I stared stupidly at him.

"Yes, Taemin-ah called me. He dropped you off, too." He sighed. "Breakfast's almost done. Oh, and put on some pants, will you? That shirt only cove—eh.. just put something on." He went out to the kitchen.

I scrambled for a pair of shorts and went out into my living room, pulling my hair up into a messy bun. The distinguishable smell of bacon and eggs greeted me like a punch to the face.

"Zayn-hyung told me about your father."

I sat on the edge of my coffee table, watching Changmin work the stove. Looking over to my side and I saw a beat up H&M bag, something I haven't looked at since my birthday. Right next to it, I saw an open book. I looked closer—a purple photo album.

I flipped through it, seeing a ton of pictures of me and Chris dating back since the first grade. Pictures of the little band we formed with Jaydee and Mike back in highschool. Pictures of me donning frilly dresses for piano recitals. And a picture of my family. I mean, my used-to-be family. I picked up the purple album, scrutinizing the photo. I saw an adorable little girl, a twelve-year-old Zayn, my young but ever-beautiful mother with my equally young father and his arms wrapped around her waist. I don't quite remember getting this picture taken, but I remember the occassion. We were vacationing in Boracay.

"Your mother's pretty hot." Changmin said jokingly as he set up my plate on the dining table. A total lolwut moment.

"You know, she's over twice your age, right?" I laughed, getting up and walking over to the plate of bacon and eggs. "She's happily remarried, buddy. So you're out of luck."

He chuckled, watching me as I took a bite out of the bacon. Ew... it's charred. I stabbed into the eggs, wondering if it was any better. It looked fine. I'd even say it looked kind of tasty. Even worse. I looked up at him, pushing the plate away.

"Sorry. Jaejoong-hyung did most of the cooking." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I know Zayn-hyung's working with Yunho-hyung today, but I'm free! Let's go do something, like go see a movie or whatever! My treat." He looked at me, smiling with mistmatched eyes.