Chapter 25:

            The moment they got home AeLin headed straight for the bedroom. “TaeMin.” MinHo went to him who was sitting on the couch, watching TV. “Hyung.” TaeMin replied as he noticed him sit beside him. “You won. Good luck.” MinHo said and looked at him. TaeMin got a bit surprised and in turn looked at him as well. “There’s no one in the world that’ll make her feel more comfortable than you TaeMin. I’ve said this before and I’m saying it again. I’m giving you my blessings and I’ll pray for you as to whatever may be to come.” MinHo said. TaeMin smirked. “Hyung ah…” then he gave MinHo a hug. “Don’t disappoint us okay?” MinHo said. “I won’t.” he replied.

            Who would’ve known that Christmas would pass that quickly? All of them greeted the New Year with big smiles on their faces. The 6 of them were also getting ready for another comeback. Everyone was really excited about this year’s activities. A lot of groups have debuted recently and that they’re now the sunbaes. They were now considered to be one of the greatest. For the New Year it seems like everyone was having good luck as well. It turns out that Onew was already going out with GaeYin already. They met around Christmas time when Onew was shopping for gifts. There Onew confessed and asked her out.

            Jjong and SeKyung were going strong. No matter how the fans reacted to them at first, they still held on. And also, we smell a wedding coming up. Key also found love after the heartbreak he had to endure with Nina. KARA member, Nichole, know her? Well, it turns out that the once rumoured couple was now a confirmed one. MinHo was doing okay and is for sure finding the one right for him. TaeMin and AeLin, it seems like they’re getting ready to become an official couple.

            It was said that AeLin’s oppa now let her go and do whatever she wants. After Megumi convinced him and talked to him about how he changed, he finally realized how he was in the wrong and that he was sorry for everything that he did to AeLin. Ray, he was getting along just fine back in the Philippines. He was still a business tycoon and was also sorry for what he did to TaeMin and AeLin. It seems like everything, finally, was going as planned.

            Fabruary came in quickly as they were called to the head office. “Good morning.” They greeted as they got into the office. “Good morning. How have you been?” JeunKuk said as he saw them. “We’re doing great.” Onew replied. “SHINee, there’s something I need to tell you guys before the end of this month. Although, I’m not supposed to tell you until March or May…” JeunKuk started. Soon the atmosphere turned into a serious one. They all payed attention. “Next year SHINee would be disbanding.” JeungKuk said. As expected they were all shocked at what the heard.

            “Don’t get me wrong, I want SHINee to still be SHINee. The 6 of you are the greatest talents that I have ever produced but nothing is permanent in this world.” He added. They started to get teary-eyed and emotional. “I got the idea of putting you in one dorm so that the 6 of you can cherish the last moments of being a team. SHINee and Lin is the best team-up SM got. You set the stage on fire standing alone and together!” he continued. The 6 of them were really silent.

            “I cannot imagine the times you spent together for the past years because I know I wasn’t here those times. But wat I know is that you love each other more than anything else. If only I could do something about it, then I would, but a contract is a contract.” JeungKuk continued. They were all in deep thought. “The time…has come…” Onew said. “You have the rest of the year to promote and to spend time with each other if time permits you to. I’m truly sorry. You may now go.” Then the 6 of them went outside the room.

            “It finally came.” Key said. Jjong was bawling his eyes off. “I never knew it’d be today, when we get to know about this…” MinHo said. “Even so, we still have this year to enjoy so let’s make it count!!” Onew said and forced a smile on his face to cheer everyone up. They headed downstairs and back to their van. They headed for the dorm and stayed there for a while. Their next schedule would be up until later. “AeLin…” TaeMin said as he knocked on their bedroom door. The other SHINee members were downstairs in the living room talking abot stuff.

            “I’ll come in okay.” TaeMin said and went inside the room. As he got inside he saw the room empy but the door to the veranda open. TaeMin smiled and went outside to the veranda. As he got outside he can feel the breeze from the season that’s about to come. Then in the midst of the air he saw AeLin at the edge watching what was below. TaeMin stealthily approached her and gave a surprise hug from the back. “TaeMin…” AeLin said as she felt his presence. TaeMin cuddled up to her and hugged her tighter.

            “Even if we’re already a couple you still don’t call me oppa.” TaeMin said and laid his chin on her head. The view showed the backyard and the endless skies as they spent their time together there. “What are you thinking?” TaeMin said. “Me? Nothing…” AeLin replied. “Liar.” TaeMin said and got his head lie on her shoulder. “I never knew…that we’d get to be like this.” AeLin said. “Hm?” “You, and me, meeting each other, and then after all that happened we end up being like this.” She continued.

            “It’s good to say that we have both grown up. There were a lot of things I needed to think about in those years.” TaeMin said. “But right now, what I want to think about is being with you. You’re a dream come true AeLin. Thank you for being with me.” TaeMin said and looked at her. Then he noticed how tears were forming in her eyes. “AeLin ah…” TaeMin said and hugged her even more. “I’ll never forget you.” AeLin said as her tears started to pour. TaeMin then buried his face in her shoulder. “Don’t cry…I will never forget you as well.” TaeMin replied and finally broke the hug.

            Meanwhile downstairs the other SHINee members were talking about some things. “What would you be doing when we split up?” MinHo said. “I would be continuing on as a solo I guess. I’m currently being offered a contract on a company from Hollywood. How about you?” JongHyun said. “I’ll probably be forced by my parents to go back to L.A and maybe join the Ski Jump team.” Key said. “Ahh…” MinHo replied. “What would you be doing then?” Key said. “I’m going to continue activities here I guess. I’m going to continue being a model and actor here and if I get the chance, I might go Hollywood as well.” MinHo said.

            “Hyung, how about you?” Key said to Onew. “Me? I’m going to continue to be an actor as well. I might be going with Jjong when he leaves though since both of us were offered a contract.” Onew answered. “And TaeMin…” MinHo said. “TaeMin? I heard he might be migrating as well.” Key answered. “To where?” JongHyun said. “I heard his brother already moved to Seattle. The rest of his family are already getting ready to move as well. I guess with this news he would be going along with them.” Key continued said. “Speaking of TaeMin, where is he?” Onew said and looked around.

“AeLin…” TaeMin said and got a hold of her face. “AeLin will stay as a singing talent in SME. SHINee is the one that’s disbanding but she’ll still be the solo singer that she is.” Key said. “Ahh…it’s really amazing how time changes everything.” JongHyun said. “AeLin, promise me, you’ll never forget me, okay?” TaeMin said as tears started to form on his eyes. “I won’t. I will never.” She replied and held his hand. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.” TaeMin said and pulled her into a hug. “You too.” She replied and held on tight to her.

As the months passed by, just as JeunKuk said, schedules started piling up. They didn’t have time to spend with each other anymore. Whenever they go home they’ll all be too exhausted and sleep immediately. Slowly, a gap was seen between the two talents. A lot of rumors arose concenign Lin doing something bad to make SHINee not talk to her. Others speculate that AeLin was just pretending to be SHINee’s friend and now that she has her popularity on going, she now throws them away. The anti fans of AeLin mostly contained of fans that weren’t in agreement with her being with their favourite boy groups such as SHINee and 2PM.

They plotted to take her down years ago but she left for Japan. But now that she retuned they’re going to go all out with their plans. Before when AeLin was still a newbie and was still earning a name there weren’t any anti fans before but as she started to prosper as a singer a lot of fans started to get her. Some were jealous, and some just didn’t like her. There were only minor threats to her and a lot of times SHINee and 2PM helped her with the antis. Now that she’s on her own and it seemed like she didn’t have a clear relationship with SHINee, time was at the anti’s advantage. While filming for their drama the anti fans started to make their moves.

First they thought of ways how to make her image ruined. And there are two things that what they want can happen; one is that they spread rumors good enough to make people think it’s legit; and two, reveal something from her private life which is undeniably ugly that she can be sent home to the Philippines and not come back after 6 months of waiting from the faithful and hopeful fans!!! (Author’s note: Guys…sorry for the blow-up.But I’m not going to delete this line.xD It’s kinda good.)

They found out how AeLin disobeyed her borther into letting her go back to South Korea. And because they didn’t know the real reason, they speculated that it was because her popularity is going down and that she needed SHINee again. They referred to her as a ‘user idol’. The day the posts were released, a lot of fans didn’t believe it. Although some did, it wasn’t strong enough to affect the whole fandom. It wasn’t enough to stir the whole world apart as well. AeLin read the posts in the internet since a couple of articles were reported into that.

            She gladly read them and explained to her fans through her fancafe. “To be clear about the whole thing, a lot of you know how much I love SHINee and my brother. I wanted to go back to South Korea because I missed you, my fans, and all my friends here. I did act really stubborn with my brother back in Japan but through those years I worked hard on letting him say yes with me going back here. I hope you understand. Me, just being friends with SHINee because of their popularity, is not true. Lintastics and Shawols, I believe in you. No anti would know how things went. And to my antis, I hope you well.” The statement really pissed off the antis.