*Re-edited version 10/25/12*

Pardon my lanagage in this chappie and for the cliffie. :3 Anyway, excuse me for mistakes and confusion. Thanks for subscribing and leaving comments, I appreciate them. Oh, and no offense for fanatic people. So sorry.

Another random fact is now I have as many number of chapters as my other fanfic, 'Maknae Love'. Wow, I really need to update that too, but the next chapter might be not so interesting and messy (to me). Thanks for reading! :D

Rated M for language.

(Alaina's POV)

Something made my skin contract, as if something cold and dreadful was needled into me. But I just shook off the strange feeling as I prepared for school. As I checked the contents in my schoolbag, I spotted Taemmie - the stuffed bear Taemin won for me on our first date - resting on my desk. I smiled and blushed contently as I recalled yesterday.

I reached over to pat the bear's head. "Komawo...for being a reminder...it was like a sweet dream..."

Dreams. Like I didn't have enough experience with those. And nightmares...

I shook away the gloomy thoughts again and hurried out my room, knowing Taemin was waiting for me by the door.
 

...
 

School was (pardon my language) hell today.

Like everyday, SHINee and I entered school together, but had to split up this morning. Key was beckoned by Jae for his honest opinion for a student council thing. Minho, who was a substitute for the basketball team, had to be briefed before class. So it was just me and Taemin ambling down the hallway. Taemin was restraining himself from holding my hand. I could only shoot him sympathetic glances and stay near his side without touching him. It was hard, like a push-pull affect, to not be within contact with each other. We were attracted to each other like magnets, but when you surrounded us with particles of iron, we had to draw away because of the other outside obstacles.

Further down the hallway, people were hugging closer to the wall to let a furious, fuming blonde and her posse rage through, straight to me. Taemin suddenly looked dazed then he frowned deeply.

Soojin bared straight into my face to accost scathingly, "You !"

So that's was why I felt foreboding today.

My brows furrowed, eyes hardening. "What is it now, Soojin?"

Soojin pushed me back, but I balanced myself from falling back. "Like you don't know, you piece of trash!" she screeched at me, her voice pitching in anger. She raised her hand to slap me.

In a blink of an eye, Taemin was suddenly in front of me, startling everyone but me. His angelic face was steely and cold, scaring Soojin and her friends to back up fearfully.

"Don't. You. Dare. Hurt. Her," he growled lowly. I clutched at the back of his blazer to keep him from doing something irrational.

"Taemin-oppa!" cried Soojin theatrically. "Why? Why did I see you on a date with the new girl?"

Soojin had seen me and Taemin on our date yesterday?! How come I didn't notice? It was probably because of how content I was with Taemin and the overriding emotions that mingled in the air by other people.

Some people gasped - mainly fangirls - hearing how their beloved idol was with another girl that wasn't them.

"She's just using Onew-oppa's connection with him to get to you!" shrieked Soojin, stamping her foot outrageously. "SHE STOLE YOU FROM ME! Why didn't you give me a chance?" Her eyes filled up with hot tears, marring her thick make-up. Her friend hurried to her side and dabbed at her face with a handkerchief.

"Because I don't like you!" Taemin shouted at her, losing his temper with the deranged girl. I bit my lip anxiously. It wasn't like Taemin to be so provoked and angered...

"Were you two dating ever since that came here?" accused one of Soojin's friends. "Why are you two even together in the first place? She's nothing! Completely worthless!"

"She is something," retorted Taemin. "She's my girlfriend. And no one else. No one chooses who I want to be with! You fangirls are all crazy and absurd, thinking that you can force yourself into my life. I don't want fangirls, or a fanclub, or girls drooling after me so stupidly when you have your own lives. Just wake up!"

My jaw dropped at Taemin's speech. Did he just...declare I was his girlfriend in front of everyone?!

Taemin pointed at the males in the audience expressively. "That goes for the same for you boys. Don't you dare lust after a girl so foolishly, especially mine. So back off."

I blushed cluelessly; I didn't think if I had any - er - admirers from afar. I already had Taemin, and no one else.

"What's going here?" roared an authoritative voice. People melted away to let the principal and some teachers stride into the dramatic scene. They took in the make-up smudged Soojin and her fuming friends confronted before Taemin - me still guarded behind him.

Soojin's friend jabbed an accusing finger at Taemin and me. "They snapped at us for talking to them! We only asked why Taemin-oppa was with the exchange student so much! Taemin-oppa made Soojin-ah cry!"

Taemin glared at the lying girl. "Don't address me as oppa so familiarly, you lying wench."

"How do we know who's telling the truth?" demanded one teacher.

"We'll just have to look at the camera feed then," reasoned a counselor.

"Enough," ordered the principal, hushing those speaking and earning attention. He jerked his chin at us. "Those who argued, come with me. And if you did but do not follow, I will have you expelled."

For once in public, Taemin had his arm around my waist and ushered me forward silently, his face closed-off and solemn - something I didn't like. It made me sad.
 

...
 

(Key's POV)

Jae and him were going over through some sport festival ideas when Eunmi suddenly bursted into the room, breathing hard and looking horrified.

"Taemin-ssi and Alaina got into an outburst with Soojin and her friends!" cried the small girl, rushing forward to Jae. "They're in the front office with the principal right now!"

Key's eyes widened. "Bwoh? Wae?! What happened?"

"Soojin and her friends marched up to Alaina, yelling at her and was about to slap her but Taemin-ssi stepped in the way. Soojin was crying and shouting why Taemin-ssi was on a date with Alaina. He said in front of everyone that Alaina was his girlfriend and said that fangirls and boy alike should stop joking with their lives."

Eunmi was breathless after her summarization. Jae's friend handed her a bottle of water to drink.

Key gritted his teeth in frustration. He was both mad and proud of Taemin, but the message was delivered the wrong way and not substantially.

Damn having fangirls. Why couldn't people be normal? Just for once!

Jae bit her bottom lip in vexation, hand on hip. "Aish, first period hasn't even ended yet and Soojin and her friends already made a ruckus. Eunmi, who do you think will be punished the most because of the commotion?"

Eunmi looked wan. "Soojin and Taemin-ssi equally. Their outbursts were the worst. If Soojin had slapped Alaina, then she would probably have been suspended again, but then I'm sure Taemin-ssi wouldn't have lived with that..."

Agitated, Key rubbed the ridge of his nose as he pictured how Taemin would have literally lost it if Alaina got hurt. It wouldn't have been pretty. The devotion and love between soulmates was the strongest, eliciting a chain reaction of emotions.

"How long have they've been in the front office?" Key grumbled, not in a good mood. Just wait until Minho heard this, and then Jonghyun and Onew...

"About ten minutes," Eunmi said gravely. "I asked my teacher to let me skip homeroom as long as I stayed after school and cleaned up."

Jae patted the girl's delicate shoulder. "Don't ruin your good reputation, Eunmi. I'll vouch for Taemin-ssi and Alaina. Just go back to class and don't stress, araso?"

Eunmi hesitated but reluctantly left.

Jae turned to him with a downcasted face but her voice was light. "So I was right, Alaina and Taemin-ssi are together." In a discreet whisper, she said to him, "Alaina kinda hinted it to me. For how long?"

Key sighed collectively, his shoulders slumped in resignation. "Since the day before she started school. It was...sudden, but they really do love each other."

Jae nodded in agreement. "I can tell. Are you going to see Taemin-ssi?"

Key rubbed the back of his neck exasperatedly. "Actually, I'm going to find Minho and give him a heads up, then we'll go see Taemin together. Can you go first and make sure nothing goes out of hand?"

Jae nodded and ordered her student council members to keep working as they stepped out.

Key hoped Alaina wasn't beating herself because of Taemin decision to intervene.
 

...
 

(Alaina's POV)

The higher-ups have been watching and assessing the tapes that recorded the commotion. Essentially, I was safe from punishment because I was more of a victim and I didn't fight back. Two of Soojin's friends would be serving detention and were assigned to cleaning duties for the next two weeks because of their lack of manners, their rude language, lies, and bribes to let them off scot-free.

Soojin and Taemin were the most reprimanded and scolded upon. Their rash behavior and harsh language was unnecessary and uncalled for.

Soojin was considered to be expelled for her records of disruption, commotions, and fights over the past years she's been attending the school. Her parents were called and were not pleased, finally losing their leniency with their aggravating daughter. They decided her punishment: she would be sent to a private all-girls school overseas with a bunch of rules and warnings hanging over her head.

Lastly, Taemin.

He had been in the principal's office for some while. As I sat outside in the front office, I could feel his anxiousness and exasperation. I was slouched in a stiff chair, hands tethered together as I tapped my foot impatiently, wanting to be released from this quiet tension of waiting.

Jae had arrived earlier to speak and persuade the counselors to lessen the scale of Taemin's punishment. I was glad she wanted to contribute to ease my worry for my soulmate.

The effects of the bond were still present after two weeks. Sometimes I wonder if it would ever be tamed.

Taemin, Taemin, Taemin, I kept chanting in my head helplessly, wishing I could be by his side.

Minho and Key finally stumbled into the front office. They spotted me immediately and crossed to my side.

"Alaina!" Key grasped my shoulders. "Has Taemin been-"

"He's still with the principal," I interrupted gravely. "They've been talking for a while."

"Mianhae, we were late because I was at a basketball meeting," Minho apologized.

I shook my head. "It's fine, Jae's here to support Taemin."

"What about you?" Minho asked me.

I held up my hands, signaling how unharmed I was. "I'm fine. No punishment or injury. Although my counselor asked if I was traumatized."

Key sighed. "Seeing how dramatic our lives here in Seoul compares to a normal school, you might as well be traumatized, and not just from school." He gave me a meaningful look.

Ah, yes. Finding out I'm not human and being forever bound to a long-living guardian. Oh, the dramatic life of Seoul.

We perked up when the principal's door opened and the man and Taemin walked out. Taemin looked fine enough, just a tad worn.

"Remember what I said, boy," the superior heeded Taemin. "What you said is true, but it affects others."

Taemin nodded grimly. "Yes, sir. I will watch my mouth better."

The man returned to his office and Taemin came forward to hug me.

"What's your punishment?" I asked him softly. "You were in there for a while."

Taemin pulled away to see my worried face. "Just a week of detention. The lecture was part of the punishment."

Key crossed his arms disapprovingly. "Onew-hyung and Jonghyun are not going to like this. But seeing how hyung is our parental figure, he's probably being informed right now."

Taemin cringed. He didn't feel like going home now, but neither did he feel like being stuck in class and have everyone gawk at him.

"You have to go to class," Minho reminded him, seeing the boy's resigned expression.

"I know, I know," grumbled Taemin broodingly. He glanced at me and he softened. "At least everyone knows we're together."

That reminded me. "Did I really have boys looking at me...like that?" I asked him doubtfully.

The three of them exchanged glances then back at me queerly. "You really didn't notice, did you?" Key said, slightly amused.

I shook my head.

Taemin held me close and stuck his tongue out at his hyungs. "Because she has me~"

Jae entered the scene then and she smiled when she saw the heartwarming atmosphere around us. "Yah, guys! Are we going back to class yet?"

"Ne!" we chorused and followed her out.
 

...

(Someone's POV)

He watched the girl - Alaina - and her friends exit the front office. Finally, he could go in without trouble and having to stay discreet.

He slipped into the office and went to the counter lady who glanced up in surprise at his quiet approach.

"Omo! You must be the new student!" she said, standing up and beaming at him.

He nodded, miffed by her happy-go-lucky attitude.

"I'll get your papers and timetable...Choi Junhong? Am I correct?"

He wrinkled his nose at his real name. He usually heard it when being scolded or from higher-ups.

"Don't address me like that. My name is Zelo."

...