It was already past eight in the evening when Riin opened the door to Junsu’s favourite dance studio. She was sure that neither the singer nor his manager was there anymore because she watched them leave earlier that night. She was up at the rooftop when they got into Junsu’s car. She saw how he had craned his neck to look for someone Riin could only wish she knew. She watched as their car drove away and disappeared after a left turn.

Riin walked towards the table that lined one wall. There she found the song book that she had come for, with a CD placed on top of it. Her name was hastily scribbled on a note inside the plastic casing, indicating that it was, in fact, for her. She took both items, placing the disc in her bag and made her way out the studio and back into the hall.

She stepped onto the elevator – which seemed to have waited for her – and pushed the button of Changmin’s floor. With her one hand, she held the song book tightly, while the other couldn’t help but touch the disc inside her bag, just to make sure that it was really there.

And Riin smiled widely, humming the tune that Junsu was singing earlier that day.

When she arrived at Changmin’s work room, the latter was still wearing his headphones as he played the song that he finished that day. Riin patted him on the back to get his attention and handed him the song book.

“Junsu’s new song?” he asked, not really needing an answer as he flipped through the pages of the book. “This is really good,” he said after a while. “And I know just how to make it even more beautiful.” He winked at Riin who was wide-eyed in anticipation. “Want to hear it?”

Riin nodded vigorously, sitting on the swivel chair beside the young man. The latter placed another set f headphones over her ears before starting to play on his electric keyboard, adding sounds of other instruments every now and then.

“Like it?” he asked and Riin nodded vigorously still – or maybe even more so than before. “Can you sing it?”

Changmin handed her the song book, indicating when she should start. She nodded, once again, and waited for the cue. Riin, for the first time in her life, sung in front of someone other than her Jaejoong oppa. She stuttered at the beginning, missing almost all the cues that Changmin gave. But it became better when it came to the chorus part, which instantly became her favourite part. And she continued to sing until she heard Changmin clapping.

“How come you aren’t a singer, Rinnie?” Changmin asked the moment she had set the headphones off. “With a voice like that, there’s no question that you’d be the brightest star in the industry!”

Riin blushed at that but shook her head with a firm ‘no’. “I doubt that I would make it like that, oppa. No one’s ever heard me sing before, well, except my bathroom shower, Jaejoong oppa, and, now, you,” she explained, matter-of-factly. “And besides, I’m perfectly happy with my work here.”

Changmin disagreed strongly with her statement. He knew that she’d be really great, but if what she said was true, then she’d really have a hard time. He decided to leave her alone, but told her that if ever she changed her mind, he’d be there to help as much as he could.

Riin bowed goodbye to him, giggling softly at his sweet commentaries. She closed the door gently, heaved a deep breath, and went home.

She crossed the threshold of the Jang mansion a good thirty-five minutes later, with her mother bustling herself over Riin, asking if she had had dinner already. Riin shook her head and followed the elderly woman to the dining room, stopping by the sitting room to greet her father. He was chuckling to himself at how frantic his wife was over their daughter. Of course, Riin was an only child like her Jaejoong oppa, and her mother’s attitude was perfectly understandable. Riin kissed her father’s cheek, telling him to stop making fun of her mother. He laughed louder then, but because of happiness rather than mockery – if that was what it was a minute ago.

After dinner – and an hour long chat with her zealous mother – Riin climbed the stairs to the second floor of the Jang mansion. It was where all the bedrooms were located. She and her parents were living at the same house as the President and Jaejoong. Her father was Jaejoong’s mother’s brother, that made all of them family. Her father decided not to leave Mr. Jang’s side, especially because he was the only child that Mr. Jang had left.

Riin closed her bedroom door before walking towards the mini-entertainment system she had. She switched the player on and slid the disc into place. She took the remote from its stand and went to sit on her bed.

Riin-sshi, she heard Kim Junsu’s voice. There was no mistaking it, that voice belonged to him. She should know… because it was that voice that made her fall for him in the first place.

I’m sorry for my attitude towards you this morning. I didn’t mean what I said, I was just in a lot of stress lately, I’m tired and that song was… well, it was something I needed for myself, to lift me up, and to make everything seem less of a bother to do.

I’m so sorry. I hope you understand…

Riin felt tears sliding down her pale cheeks. She wanted to see him, and thank him, and embrace him. He didn’t have to do such a thing, but it didn’t mean that Riin wasn’t happy.

She was on cloud-nine.

Then she noticed that the disc didn’t stop playing. And there was a song.

It was the exact same song that Changmin had her sing.

It was Junsu’s new song.

And he was singing it to her.