Ha Neul’s POV

I looked at my wristwatch. A quarter to eight. In fifteen minutes the walls of the Tokyo Dome will shake when the five boys will step onto the stage.

I stared at the big building as I slowly took another spoonful of my ice cream and shoved it into my mouth.

Currently, I was sitting in an ice cream parlour at the plaza in front of the Tokyo Dome, the ticket safely stuffed into my handbag. Because even now, I still hadn’t been able to make up my mind. Being the coward I was I was still scared of the unknown consequences that walking into the concert hall would bring.

Again, I looked at my watch. Ten to eight. By now, Jonghyun would probably be standing behind the stage, waiting for the concert to start. Automatically, my eyes wandered over to the building again and I noticed all the girls still standing and sitting in front of the entrance. Fans who hadn’t been able to get a ticket but still didn’t want to miss the concert. And suddenly my bag felt like it weighed a ton. Just who was I to leave my seat empty when there were so many others who wanted it this badly?

Distraught, I took another bite of my ice cream, only to realise that there was nothing left of it. Without noticing I had eaten it all. I exhaled and put the spoon down. Now all that was left was the Tsujiura senbei – something like a Japanese version of the American fortune cookie. It wasn’t really something that was usually sold around Tokyo so it was kind of funny to receive it here at an ice parlour. Not like I cared though. I cracked it open, took out the piece of paper and put the cookie into my mouth. Absentmindedly and just for the heck of it, I rolled out the paper and read the proverb written on it.

Koketsu ni hairazunba koji o ezu. If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cubs. Or in other words: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I felt my eyes widen slightly, it felt like a déjà vu.

Suddenly, I was transported ten years back to the time that boy had rescued me from my classmates. Just like I was now, we had been eating ice cream. Ice cream that had come with a fortune cookie as well. And by sheer coincidence our fortunes had been exactly the same: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I looked at the remaining fortune cookie and the paper in my hand. Was it just me or was it somehow a bit scary for it to be exactly the same once again…? I eyed it suspiciously.

However, then I shook my head at myself. Seriously, Hwang Ha Neul, where did your reason go to?

But then I remembered what had happened after we’d eaten our fortune cookies. Since we were kids back then the simple coincidence had felt magical. Even more so, since we had just been talking about our dreams. Which was why we had then decided to chase after our dreams… Since: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I jumped up from my chair. Exactly! What was I doing here? Just what was I still waiting for?

Images from what had happened yesterday during the photo shoot flashed through my mind. What if the tiger wasn’t even there anymore? Then, the cubs would need my help!

I grabbed my bag and coat and was almost already out the door when I remembered I still had to pay. I whirled around again and slammed a probably way too big banknote onto the table before I finally stormed out of the parlour. I figured the owner probably thought I was crazy but I couldn’t care less.

I sprinted across the plaza and when I arrived in front of the entrance and heard the loud cheering resounding from inside I cursed. A quick glance on my watch told me I was half an hour late. And I still had to fight my way through the crowd of fans that were cheering outside.

But there was no way I was giving up now. Hence I took a deep breath and in wise foresight hid my bag beneath my coat.

And I was glad I did because obviously the waiting fans weren’t quite amused at how I pushed my way through to the front. I think I was never called a so often in such a short amount of time…

Either way, as soon as I arrived in front of the security guys guarding the entrance I showed them my ticket and thank god, they let me through right away. Without looking back I ran through the building following the signs. Until I finally stopped in front of a huge double door.

I took a deep breath to prepare myself and pulled the doors open. A wave of screaming and cheering washed over me; accompanied by the beats and playback of Lucifer. And his beautiful voice.

Like in trance, I walked towards the stage; my eyes never leaving a certain moving spot. The closer I got the clearer I could see him. First, his hair and catchy outfit. Then his face, his eyes and moving lips that were chanting his spell on me. Then the pearls of sweat running down his neck and the excited glow in his eyes. I could have stood there and watched him forever.

The fans around me were screaming their lungs out and jumping up and down, waving their light sticks to the beat. But I just stood there rigidly and as if in trance. I was completely captivated.

Yes, that’s him. Kim Jonghyun. Gorgeous, talented, hard-working and kind. My roommate. And the man who managed to steal my heart. There was no use in denying the truth.

“Hey you!” The girl beside me suddenly addressed me. “Don’t you like it?!”

“Huh?”

“You’re not cheering at all! You don’t like it?!” She asked as if it was the most outrageous thought ever. Well, I agree.

“Chigaimasu!” I thus hurried to disagree. “On the contrary, I like it so much I’m lost for words… I never knew they were this great!” I never knew HE was this great…

“Oh, so this is your first concert?” The girl asked now in a friendlier manner.

“Actually, yes.” I smiled shyly. Now that I saw him live I knew that just watching from backstage didn’t count at all. It simply wasn’t the same.

“Cool! So, just do what everyone else does…” She gave me an encouraging smile. “Jump and shout!” She rummaged in her bag. “Here, you can have my spare light stick!”

I took the stick from her hands. “Oh, thanks. Um… but shout what?”

She laughed. “Whatever you want!”

I thought for a second. Whatever I wanted? That was actually too easy. What I wanted… From the moment I had stepped into this hall and had set my eyes onto him, it had been the only thought on my mind…

“SARANGHAE! YOU JERK!” I shouted with all my might.

And as if he’d actually heard me amidst all the noise, Jonghyun stopped for a moment and then turned around to me. It was as if he was looking at me and me only. As if there weren’t a thousand people around me, swallowing me up. Like it was only the two of us right there. Like I was the only person he could see.

He looked at me. And smiled. And I don’t think I’ll ever forget that smile. It was as if the sun had risen. It was even brighter than the one he’d showed me yesterday during our photo shoot. It made me feel all warm and tingly. And weak in the knees. Seriously, that was the first time a simple smile had had the power to make me go weak in the knees…! The first moment I even thought I had just imagined it. But then the girls around me started squealing about how Jonghyun had smiled at them and I knew I hadn’t.

Narrator’s POV

“SARANGHAE! YOU JERK!”

He would recognise that voice anywhere. Anywhere and anytime. He froze in the middle of his movement and almost stumbled over his own two feet while whirling around to face the direction where her voice came from. His eyes darted across the faces of cheering fans for a mere second before they came to rest on the one he’d been searching for.

For a moment he remembered the time at the studio where she had also shouted the same words. And back then she had only been pretending to be a crazy fangirl to keep the MC from asking about his family. But now there was no MC to protect him from. There was no need to act like a crazy fangirl. He felt his heart speeding up. What if…?

He searched her eyes again and somehow the way she looked at him was a bit different today. And she had called him a jerk… as if she were accusing him of something…

The moment he realised what this meant, his mind turned blank and all he could remember was how to smile like a complete fool. He wanted to jump down to her, hug her, and kiss her senseless!

But at the last moment, the voice from his earpiece called him back to reality by asking what the hell he was doing. And although he had the urge to punch that guy on the other end of the line straight into the face for ruining the magical moment, he also saw that the show had to go on. So, he reluctantly went back to his position.

However, that didn’t keep him from glancing at Ha Neul at every chance he got. And whenever their eyes would meet, he couldn’t stop his mouth from extending all the way to his ears. Which in turn would be answered by a screaming wave from the fans.

And the poor show coordinator had his work cut out to get Jonghyun to perform on the other side of the stage as well. Much like the fans, he was probably going to have a hoarse voice afterwards from constantly yelling at him to finally even make single step away from that certain place on the stage.

Naturally, the other SHINee members also tried to see what had their friend so transfixed. Although they could, of course, guess what or rather who it was. But unlike Jonghyun, they couldn’t spot her among the mass of faces. Even more so since they now had to perform for Jonghyun’s share of fans as well, as the person himself seemed to have devoted himself to performing for one single person exclusively.

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Eventually, the concert came to an end and four SHINee members stepped off the stage completely drenched in sweat. They gratefully welcomed the refreshment drinks and the towels. The fifth however – though equally drenched in sweat since he had performed at his best in addition to a racing heart – had no interest in the items cordially held out to him by the staff. Even all the compliments and acknowledgements he seemed to overhear.

No, the moment he stepped off the stage, Jonghyun pulled out his cell phone. He used the scarf from his stage attire to cover his face and was out the door before anyone could even say a word. Running down the hallways he dialled Ha Neul’s number.

“Where are you?” He shot as soon as she picked up.

“I…”

“Don’t try to back out! You know I saw you! So tell me, where are you?”

“On the way out—”

“Stay in the concert hall! You hear me?! Stay! Walk towards the stage!”

“But—“

“Please.”

The way he insisted almost sounded as if he was begging so Ha Neul had no choice but to agree. “Okay…”

Jonghyun had now reached the sector where he’d seen Ha Neul during the concert. He tried to look for the familiar figure but he was just looking at a wall of people. So, not caring whether he got discovered or not he dived into the crowd.

Thankfully, everyone was in a hurry to get outside where they could purchase signed DVDs and posters of today’s concert. So no one paid attention to the poorly disguised idol pushing past them.

Meanwhile, Ha Neul was looking to the ground and trying to fight her way against the stream of people when she suddenly bumped into someone. She raised her head to apologize. “I’m sorr—” She interrupted herself and her eyes widened. “Jonghyun…”She breathed.

Next she knew she was being pulled into a tight embrace. Jonghyun was crushing her to his chest while hiding his face in her hair. Finally, he could do what he’d been longing to do for the last few hours! And thus they just stood there, hugging each other while all the people were pushing past them.

After a while, Jonghyun slightly raised his head so that he could whisper into Ha Neul’s ear. “I heard you.”

Heard me? Ha Neul thought quizzically. What…? But then her eyes widened. Don’t tell me…! Panicking, she tried to break out of his hug. But Jonghyun wouldn’t even let her move an inch. “You heard me?! How? Everyone was screaming and shouting!” She thus mumbled into his chest.

Jonghyun then pulled back a little, though just enough so that he could look at Ha Neul’s face. He smiled his most adorable smile and shrugged. “Fate?”

And then he leaned down and claimed her lips.

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Hope you guys liked it ;P

And sorry if I made any mistake with the Japanese translations! >< Feel free to correct me! ^^''