After the movie, Minho took Boo Yee’s hand and started walking down the road and out of the cinema. “Come on,” he said, “I wanna show you my favorite place.”

“Oh, but, Minho Oppa,” Boo Yee said, blushing a bit, “people are looking.” She glanced around and sure enough, people were whispering among themselves, occasionally shooting the two of them curious looks.

“So?”

She decided to trust him.

After a few minutes of laughing and talking, they reached the playground.

“You brought me to the playground?” she asked incredulously. She looked around. Since it was already at night, no one was there. The playground was still in the night, with the moon overlooking it, street lamps accompanying the lonely playground.

He nodded and smiled softly. “Neh, I did,” he said. “I love seeing little kids play. They always look happy, so young and so carefree too. Sometimes I actually envy them.”

She walked over and sat down on a swing. “It’s like that have no other emotions,” she agreed, pushing herself slightly.

He sat on the swing beside her. “Yup.” He paused. “And, um, Boo Yee ah?”

Boo Yee looked over at him with a bright smile. “Neh?” she asked.

Minho began blushing. “Well, ah . . . could I . . . um, well . . .” he stammered.

“Mmm?” Boo Yee asked playfully.

“Could I kiss you?” he said in a rush that she almost didn’t hear him. “I mean, I don’t have to if you don’t want me to —”

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling away, blushing.

He blushed as well. “Uh . . . um . . .” he trailed off in daze.

She giggled. “You know, I never thought of you as a guy who gets nervous,” she teased.

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’m on a date with a beautiful girl who happens to make me speechless when she’s near.”

Boo Yee blushed deeper and looked down, fidling with her fingers, her fringe falling down her pretty features. “That’s sweet of you.”

He stood up and took her hand. “I should take you home,” he said reluctantly.

She sighed. “Yeah, it’s getting late.”

They walked back to his car and he drove her back to her house.

Minho opened the door and led her up to the stairs of the front door. “So . . .”

Boo Yee leaned against the wall near the door. “This is it,” she said. “Thanks for the movie.” She smiled warmly. “I really enjoyed myself. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.”

He grinned. He leaned his arms against the wall beside her. “I was supposed to do this earlier but I got nervous, so here it goes.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

He kissed her sweetly, pulling her closer to him. Boo Yee put one hand on his shoulder, the other still behind her on the door. It felt so nice, the feeling of his soft lips against hers as well as the tingling sensation she was feeling. He put his left hand on her waist as her left hand and his right hand entwined together.

They pulled away, smiling at each other.

“Goodnight, Oppa,” she said, kissing his cheeks before going inside, smiling.

Minho was stunned. “Wow. . .” He went back to his car with a goofy, lovesick smile on his face.

At the SHINee apartment, Taemin barged into Key’s room without any warning, “Hyung! Have you asked her out yet?” were the first words out of his mouth.

Key fell off his chair from shock. “TAEMIN!” He got up from the floor. “And who are you talking about?” he asked.

“Hae Rin noona! Duh!” Taemin rolled his eyes. How thickheaded was his hyung? Could it be that he was the matured one here?

“No . . . why would I?”

He rolled his eyes again. Seriously? “Hyung, it’s obvious that you like her.”

Key sighed, sitting back down on his chair. “She doesn’t like me that way.”

“And how are you so sure that she doesn’t like you?” Taemin argued back, folding his arms, leaning against the table.

He shrugged. “She distances herself from me, like I’m some kind of sick person and she doesn’t wanna get the sickness.” He frowned, looking so gloomy.

“You mean like how Edward is at Bella in Twilight?” Taemin asked, wrinkling his eyebrow. He never did like that show.

“Exactly!”

The maknae had a ridiculous notion, too ridiculous to even think about, but that didn’t stop him from saying it. “Maybe she’s a vampire!” he cried out, gasping melodramatically. “Like you are Bella and she’s Edward. Whoa!”

Key thumped him hard on the forehead. “Taemin! I’m serious!”

He had a pained expression. “Owww. Mian. But she agreed to the concert thing. . . .”

“Yeah, she knows she’ll be with her friends,” he replied.

“Then as her out after the concert,” Taemin said, shrugging. “I bet you she’ll say yes.”

Key suddenly grasped Taemin by the shoulder. “You know what? I think I will ask her out! Thanks, Taemin!” he gushed excitedly.

Taemin put a hand on his shoulder. “What did the shoulder do to you?” he grumbled. “Whatever. You’re welcome. Later.” He left the room.

But then Key slumped back into his seat. “How am I going to ask a girl like Hae Rin out to dinner?” he groaned aloud.

Meanwhile, over at Hae Rin’s house . . .

Jonghyun kicked the front door open. “Kim Hae Rin!” he shouted.

Hae Rin ran downstairs, terrified, wondering what she’d done wrong. “N – neh, O – Oppa?”

Her brother slammed the door shut behind him and stumbled over to Hae Rin. “Guess what?? Our effin’ father freakin’ abandoned us!!!”

“W – what do you mean? And are you drunk?”

He slapped her out of impulse and she cried out in pain. “Oh, he decided to run off and marry his freakin’ girlfriend and forget about us!!!” he screamed in her face.

“But then who’s gonna give us money for school and other stuff?” she asked worriedly. She could get a job and hopefully she would earn enough money to support the both of us.

“You!!” Jonghyun bellowed and she cringed at the loudness of his voice. “You’re gonna stop schooling and work for my friend Rob at his club.

Hae Rin would’ve preferred Jonghyun slapping her anytime. “A c – club?!”

“Yes, his gentlemen club.”

“But I’m only sixteen,” she protested. “Isn’t it illegal?”

“It doesn’t matter! I own you now! I can do anything to you!” He pushed his sister against the wall. “Even this!” He kissed her on the neck and began ripping her clothes off.

“Oppa, andwae!” She tried to push Jonghyun off her to cover her exposed body but he was too strong. He pushed her into his room and forced himself on her, ignoring her pleas and cries. When he was done, he did it again.

And again.

And again.

The next morning, Hae Rin woke up, feeling someone’s arms around her waist so she looked under the blanket and saw that she had nothing on and it’s her brother’s arms on her waist.

“Anniyo,” she whispered. “Anni . . . this cannot be happening.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Anniyo . . . please, anni . . .”

Jonghyun slapped her. “Can’t you shut up for three hours or something?” he grumbled sleepily. “Your screams last night were enough for me.” He removed the arm, rolled to the other side and continued to sleep.

Hae Rin got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. “I feel so dirty,” she moaned. She took a shower and then got dressed in a long sleeved, white shirt with a black shirt over it, a pair of black jeans and white converse chucks before walking into Jonghyun’s room. “I – I’m off to school,” she stuttered, afraid. “For my l – last d – day . . .”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he muttered, hiding his face into his pillow. “Just come home and don’t tell anyone what happened.”

“Neh, Oppa,” Hae Rin whimpered before going downstairs and skateboarding to school.

At school, Boo Yee opened her locker and stuffed her books in dreamily, recalling the night before. “Last night was amazing,” she murmured to no one in particular.

“Really?”

She jumped. “Minho Oppa!” She blushed, looking down. “Erm, yeah, it was.” She closed the door and leaned against the locker.

Minho grinned, placing both hands on either side of the locker, trapping her in between. She looked up. “Good,” he said. “I thought you were getting bored with me. Good morning, by the way.” He kissed her cheeks. “And do I get a second date?”

She smiled, happy. “Yeah . . . but when?”

“This Sunday?” he suggested hopefully, slipping his hands to her waist, pulling her close. He drew his lips nearer to her.

“I’d love to,” Boo Yee murmured as their lips met again.

Key grinned broadly as he walked over to them. “Hey, lovebirds,” he said, opening his locker to stuff some of his books.

They jumped apart, blushing, and both smiled sheepishly. “Hi,” they said. Minho hugged her from behind and Boo Yee giggled.

“Have you seen Hae Rin?” he asked, pulling out his biology book then closing the locker.

“It’s really obvious to Minho and I that you really like her,” Boo Yee replied, rolling her eyes. “Ask her out already.”

Minho pulled her closer and she automatically smiled even wider. “I agree with Boo Yee.”

They saw Hae Rin walking past the trio and into the school office.

“Let’s go see what’s up with her,” Boo Yee said, her curiosity rising.

They all walked into the office to see Hae Rin returning her textbooks.

“It’s so sad that you have to leave, Miss Kim,” Principal Nam said. “You have been one of our excellent students this semester.”

“Thanks, Mr. Nam . . .”