Onew’s POV

The next day, we had a fan signing event scheduled in the morning and a photo-shoot and a radio broadcast in the afternoon. The concert the evening before had ended as a big success; Ha Neul who had been monitoring everything from backstage hadn’t been needed even once. So technically, she would have been free to return to Seoul this morning but Taemin had once again managed to convince her to stay with us a little longer.

Though, it hadn’t been an easy feat. Although they were trying their best to hide it but it was obvious to everyone that Ha Neul and Jonghyun were somewhat awkward around each other. Even to Key, our little captain oblivious.

“Hey hyung,” he had whispered to me this morning before the fan signing event when we had been alone for a moment. “Don’t you think that Ha Neul and Jonghyun are acting strange? When they think no one is looking at them they keep stealing glances at each other. But as soon as their eyes meet, they quickly look away…!”

“They do?” I had smiled back at him. I felt a bit bad for not telling him what I knew. But it went against my principles to talk about other’s feelings and such without them knowing.

“You mean, you didn’t notice?” Key had looked at me as if I was blind and deaf altogether. Well, I guess if I really hadn’t noticed, I would indeed have been blind. It was so plain obvious!

I looked over to Jonghyun and sighed. Right now, we were in the middle of our outdoor photo shoot and the photographer had allowed Jonghyun to rest in the van until it was his turn. That’s why he was sitting on the back seat of the van and finally sleeping soundly. ‘Finally’ because from the day we arrived in Japan he hadn’t slept properly once. Only yesterday, which coincidentally happened to coincide with Ha Neul’s arrival here in Tokyo, he had suddenly started to fall asleep whenever he got the chance. Not that it was a bad thing; in my opinion it was high time he got some good sleep!

Hence I was even more reluctant to wake him up. But as it was almost time for his shoot, I was not left much of a choice. I gently tapped his arm and whispered: “Hey Jonghyun, wake up! It’s almost your turn.”

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at me tiredly. “Already?” He mumbled and I nodded.

“Man, I slept like a stone,” Jonghyun added and slapped his cheeks a little to wake himself up.

I thought for a moment before I spoke; pondering whether it was a good idea to say what I was about to say. “The body takes what he needs after all. You’ve been quite restless this whole week and I guess you finally calmed down now.”

At first, he just gave me an inscrutable look. But then he stopped his wake-up procedure and slumped back into the seat. “You noticed, huh…” he said with a tired smile and his eyes looking into space.

“You mean about you liking Ha Neul?” I asked with a soft smile. “Yes, I’ve already noticed quite some time ago.”

With a certain amusement I watched his head snap up the moment I said ‘like’. “I don’t like her!” He immediately denied it vehemently. “I just… just… I was just worried about her!”

“Of course you were worried about her,” I affirmed. “But weren’t you also jealous just because I congratulated Ha Neul for saving our music system yesterday?”

“I wasn’t jealous!” He again disagreed instantly and I had to supress a chuckle.

“Alright, alright, you weren’t,” I said. There was no point in arguing when I still had an even better argument: “But at least you were really happy to see her again, no?”

He gave me quick glance before he looked away again and I knew I had been right. Even though he mumbled that he wasn’t, his voice and expression told otherwise.

I looked at him staring at the seat in front of him as if it suddenly was the most interesting thing on earth and frowned. Sometimes, I seriously couldn’t understand him. It was so obvious that he liked her! How incredibly happy her sudden appearance had made him! The way he had been singing at last night’s concert and smiling at the fans today left no doubt about it. How he could just turn a blind eye on it and deny it so completely was beyond me.

I sighed and almost shook my head. And then I suddenly got it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to admit it. He probably knew very well what had been the reason to turn his mood 180 degrees in just the split of a second. But taking into account his past and his general view on women and love, it was most likely exactly that happiness that made him keep his distance to Ha Neul.

I had always wished he didn’t have such a negative opinion of love and romantic relationships but at the same time I knew that no matter what I tried, I would never be able to change his mind. Though, right now there had probably appeared someone who had that power… The power to change his mind.

I pondered for a moment. Maybe I should lend her a hand?

Ha Neul’s POV

I should NOT have let Onew oppa play fairy godmother for me!

I had already had a bad feeling when he’d asked me to do him a favour this afternoon with that certain impish spark in his eyes. And really, I should have listened to my intuition back then and should have declined! Then I wouldn’t be experiencing the most awkward taxi ride or my life right now!

I glanced over to my companion but quickly looked out the window again, when our eyes met. The ride seemed to never end but finally the driver stopped the car in front of a not too small estate and I had to stare at it with wide eyes for a moment. His brother could afford a holiday residence like THIS?! Although it was already dark and everything was covered with snow I could still vaguely discern the exquisite garden architecture and the traditional house with the tiled roof.

Jonghyun paid the taxi and then walked over to the gate and opened it. “Come on in,” he mumbled and did a small inviting gesture with his hand. I followed wordlessly.

But I barely made one step into the house when a horde of Native Americans - actually it was only three of them – came running and welcomed Jonghyun loudly. He knelt down and gave each of them a big hug making them laugh happily. It was obvious how much they liked him.

Finally, they noticed me too. They looked at me curiously before they turned back to Jonghyun again. “Who is this?” The girl asked.

Jonghyun gave me a quick glance. “Right. Everyone, this is Hwang Ha Neul.”

I bent down too. “Hi, everyone. Nice to meet you all,” I smiled and looked at their Native Americans costumes again. “And what might be the names of these fearful warriors?” I then asked and had to smile amusedly at how the two boys proudly puffed their chests.

“I’m Kim Youngsoo,” the taller one said. “And I am Kim Youngjae,” the other added. “We’re the feared brother warriors from the Apache Tribe, hugh!” They chorused and I almost laughed out loud. So cute!

I then turned to the girl. “I’m Kim Young Mi, the chief’s daughter who got abducted by the white men,” she said in a bit bored voice. But to me it looked more like she was embarrassed because she thought she was too old to play such games.

“Wow, only the camera’s missing and you’d be filming a western!” I thus exclaimed amazed. And as expected Young Mi’s face lit up, now that I’d taken away the label of child’s play. “Do you guys think there’s a role left for oppa and noona to play?” As soon as I’d said that I felt Jonghyun’s surprised look on me and I turned around.

“You want to play along?” The way he said it, it sounded as if I had just asked him to jump off a cliff.

“Isn’t that what we came here for?” I asked back frowning. ‘Help looking after kids’ – that was the favour Onew oppa had asked me for – usually included playing as far as I knew.

However, five solid hours later I knew where the incredulity in Jonghyun’s voice had come from. I felt like I had just crawled back from a one-week-survival-camp! Seriously, I never knew three kids could use up so much energy!

Two minutes ago Young Mi had finally – after what had appeared like a thousand and one princess stories to me – closed her eyes and I had quietly, veeeery quietly closed the door behind me. I had gone down to the living room and had let myself slump into the couch next to Jonghyun. It was beyond me how he managed to get the two boys faster asleep than I had for the girl alone.

I gave him a side glance but then quickly lowered my eyes again. “I’m sorry,” I said in a tiny voice. “I should have just kept my mouth shut and let them continue to play by themselves!”

Jonghyun just shook his head, probably too tired to even speak. I felt even worse.

But how should I have known? That they would make the two of us take up all the roles that they could not play themselves including those of the scene and sound director? That they would have us run around the whole garden – which was too damn big – three times in a row when we were ‘running away from the white men’? It goes without saying that we were the horses who had to carry the warriors. That they would make a game out of coming up with the most incredible ways to make us running around in a struggle to keep the house standing? That they had no inhibitions whatsoever to use us to have the time of their life? That they had more energy than whole colocation centre used in a whole week?!

No one had ever warned me!

I sighed and looked over to Jonghyun. Well, at least the awkwardness was gone to some extent thanks to the ordeal we had to fight through. “Do you want something to drink?” I asked him.

He straightened up. “Do YOU want something to drink? This is my hyung’s home after all.”

“Thanks, I’ll take a glass of water, if you don’t mind.”

He nodded and disappeared in the kitchen. I let my eyes wander around the room now that I finally had the time to do so. It was no doubt a traditional building with the sliding doors, the straw mats on the floor and the porch outside. Yet I could spot countless modern elements too. The shoji sliding doors had been replaced by glass doors and the interior design was not quite traditional anymore either. The partition of the rooms had been fixed and each room had a clearly designated purpose. Here in the living room there was the big couch I was sitting on, a large television and accompanying Hi-Fi system and also a spacy built-in cabinet that, as I had learned during the past hours, contained tons of toys, games and all the other things I had always dreamed of as a kid.

I then looked over to the big windows. Although it was completely dark outside, the light from the living room and the white snow that reflected everything were enough to make me realise how vast the garden must be. I couldn’t even see the end of it. There were huge trees, lawns, and even a little pond with a small bridge and a pavilion on the opposite bank.

I guessed his family wasn’t that unprivileged. Come to think of it, he did say his father was from a very wealthy family. ‘The heir to one of Seoul’s biggest corporations’, was it? I wondered why I had never bothered to look up which corporation it was that he’d spoken of. For the first time I regretted not having occupied myself with the world of KPop more; Hyo Rin would have known for sure.

Just then, Jonghyun returned with two glasses of water in his hands. “Here you go,” he said and put it down on the salon table in front of me.

“Thanks,” I said and gratefully drank it all in one go. I hadn’t realised how thirsty all the running around had actually made me.

“Do you want another one?” He asked me with an amused smile but I shook my head.

“I’m fine, but thank you,” I replied suddenly feeling a bit ashamed by my own actions.

Jonghyun gave me a doubtful glance but then he shrugged his shoulders and sat back down in a ninety degree angle from me. It was idiotic but I immediately noticed how our knees were almost touching. I mentally cursed myself for it and tried not to think about it – in vain.

Only when Jonghyun spoke up again, I was able to focus my thoughts on something else. “You were looking at the garden earlier?” He asked and I nodded thankful for the distraction.

“Yes, it looks beautiful,” I said and turned my head to look out the window once more. “It must be even more amazing in spring or summer when everything is blossoming.” I added wistfully. I had only seen those Japanese gardens on pictures or on television.

“It is,” Jonghyun smiled. He looked as if he was remembering the times he had come here during those seasons. “Though, the best season to spend time here is in autumn. Soaking in the hot springs feels the best when the temperatures are already dropping and the trees are showing their colourful fall gown.”

Huh? I looked at him confused. “Hot springs?”

“Ah, sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you with all the hustle and bustle just now,” he apologised. “This place used to be a traditional Japanese Ryokan before hyung bought and renovated it. He often needs to come to Tokyo for business trips thus he wanted a house for his wife and the kids so they could accompany him during vacation. His wife loves hot springs and there is a big garden for the three devils, so that’s why…,” Jonghyun explained and smirked as he mentioned ‘the three devils’.

I laughed. “Well, they really do like the big garden. My legs will probably kill me tomorrow morning!” I added jokingly. Though they definitely WILL kill me tomorrow…!

“Seriously?” He was trying hard not to let it show but I’d already seen the smirk on his lips. I huffed. Was he making fun of me right now?! I’m sorry that I wasn’t gifted with such a well-trained body as his!

“Then why don’t you take bath in the hot springs?” He suggested and I looked up surprised. “It’s the best cure for sore limbs, I guarantee you. And I’m speaking from experience!”

“But this is your hyung’s home…” I demurred. I didn’t want to intrude.

But Jonghyun just waved it aside. “Don’t worry about that; I always come here and take a soak, if I’m in the area and want to relax after a concert or an exhausting day. And the other members have all been here before too.”

“Really…?” I was still indecisive. “And what about you? You’ve been running around all day too.” I looked at him; he seemed tired. When I had woken up this morning they had already left for the photo shoot. And when I had spoken with Onew oppa this afternoon he had told me that Jonghyun hadn’t been getting much sleep in general ever since they came to Japan. “You look more stressed than I do,” I thus added.

For a moment he just looked at me with unfathomable eyes. But then he smiled and replied that it was fine. “There’s more than one hot spring so I can just go to another one.”

“Oh.” He was destroying my arguments one by one. Now, there was only one left: “I don’t have a bathing suit though…” I said and blushed instantly. I mentally slapped myself for speaking without thinking again.

He seemed to find it amusing though; the corners of his lips were twitching again. I on the other hand desperately wanted to hide in a hole somewhere.

“You’ll be the only one so you can just wrap yourself in a towel. Or you can borrow one of my noona’s bathing suits.” He said it with such casualness I was left speechless for a moment. He was talking about what I should be wearing for soaking, for heaven’s sake! Why wasn’t he even blushing while I was already dying from embarrassment just by listening?!

But then I sighed and slumped my shoulders defeated. There was only one explanation: He didn’t care. For him it was like talking about what we should eat for breakfast tomorrow. I momentarily closed my eyes and looked away. Why did it have to be so painful?

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Heyy, everyone~!!

How are you all doing? I know I haven't been here for a veeeery long time and I'm sincerely sorry for all of you who have supported me so far and are waiting for me to update! Reason is I have been concentrating a lot on my studies the past semester and somehow just couldn't find the time to visit AFF... It has nothing to do with you guys or AFF in itself; it's just a matter of how I decided to spend the little bit of free time I had during the semester. For those who'd like to know a bit more, I wrote an extra blog post about it: Three Months Absence.