Scene 1: Seoul, SM Sumer Special talk show around 8 pm in South Korea and about 12 am in Europe

On the set: SHINee, other SM artists, staff, audience (fans)

Taemin walks back to his chair and sits down, completely oblivious to the curious stares of his hyungs.

Minho: Hey Taeminnie? Where have you been?

Onew: Yeah, you missed the delicious snack that the coordi noonas bought!

But Taemin is saved an answer by the director giving the sign to continue the show.

MC: So, we have now arrived at the part where...

Taemin couldn't care less though at what part they have now arrived. His thoughts currently have more pressing matters to pursue.

Taemin: To a park? He took her to friggin’ park?! And what ‘preparation’! No matter how you look at it, that guy just wanted to take her out on a date! I mean, a flower marked…! What guy brings a girl to a flower marked unless he’s on a date?!!

(MC: Okay, now, let's talk a little bit about Minho's drama experience...)

And ‘gosh, it was sooo beautiful’! Do you even hear yourself, Wings?! ‘He actually looked kinda handsome, hehe~’!! Tsk, you’ve got to be kidding me…! He was just pouring you a drink! Anyone can do that much! Handsome! Haaandsome! Che… (Pulls a face)

What do you even need my advice on, huh? When you think he’s already ‘kinda haaandsome’, huh?! And at the park he probably did some other knightly stuff… Like…

…

Aisht! I don’t even want to know what he did! For all that God knows…

MC: ...he should have kissed her!

Taemin: *snap*

Hell, NO!!!

He‘s jumped up from his seat and is now glaring at the MC with his eyes wide and looking more than just a little agitated.

MC: Taemin?

Taemin looks at his hyungs and the MC dazed by his own reaction. But then he slightly shakes his head and sits down again. He turns towards the MC and bows, using the opportunity to get his facial expression back under control.

Taemin (mumbling still distracted): Mianhaeyo…

Scene 2: Europe, Aaron’s room

On the set: Aaron

Of course, Aaron hasn’t missed a thing. Like usual, she’s watching the talk show life and currently rather concerned…

Aaron (mumbling to herself): What was that? Taemin? What was wrong with joking around that Minho should have taken the opportunity to kiss a fine girl like Choi Seol Ri for real?

Or… are you saying that… 2min is actually true?!

…

No… that’s just ridiculous…!

But then, what’s wrong? Did something happen? It must have… (Observes his play of features closely for several seconds) He looks like there’s something bothering him… (Bites her lower lip and frowns)

And seeing the MC’s confused and SHINee’s worried glances, Aaron feels even more affirmed in her suspicion. Which she does not like at all.

Aaron: Who dares to make him show such a face?! And occupying his thoughts to the point that he forgets where he is?! Unforgivable! That person should better hurry to the Pentagon and ask for asylum…! ‘Cause the second I find out his or her identity I won’t be able to promise anything…! And I’m certainly not the only one thinking this way!

Moreover… if it’s a girl…! *insert menacing thunder and lightning here* Theeeeen…!

(Shakes had) No… If it’s a girl… then that means that she is important enough to Taemin for him to lose his cool like that… I should respect that… Ah, damn it…! (Sighs)

-------

The middle part of the talk show has just ended and some commercial is playing when, suddenly, Aaron’s cell phone rings. Looking at the caller ID, Aaron reads ‘NamTei’.

(Entry: Taemin as NamTei on the phone)

Aaron: Oh my God, I completely forgot about that… (Picks up) Hello… On break again…?

NamTei: Hey, Wings… Yes, it just started…

Aaron: Wow, you called this fast? Thanks… (Smiles)

NamTei (slightly uncomfortable): I promised, didn’t I…?

Aaron: Still…

Short pause.

NamTei: Err, Wings?

Aaron: Hmm?

NamTei: Umm, this break is only about five minutes… So… (Draws breath to gather his courage) what did you want to ask?

Aaron (after collecting her thoughts for a moment): Alright… Well, as I said, he brought me to this park to a certain tree… He actually saved me there before… Well, you wouldn’t know so anyway…

(Taemin (sourly): In fact, I do know… I watched you jump into his arms with my own eyes, after all…!)

He took me to that tree where there was already something like a midnight pick-nick waiting beneath the tree… Turns out, donutinlove had prepared it while we were walking around the city… Well, we made ourselves comfortable there and talked and ate and, well, just had fun… (Laughs) You know, he ac—

NamTei: Um, my break is ending soon; can you not come to the point already?

I really don’t want to hear every little detail of your cosy rendezvous…!

Aaron (apologetic): Ah, right! I’m sorry!

It’s just because… I’m embarrassed from merely thinking about it…!

So, the thing is… at some point – we were tickling each other—

NamTei (shocked): Tickling each other?!

Aaron shyly: Yeah… I admit I probably should have drunken a few glasses less…

Taemin: Drunken?! They had alcohol?!!

Aaron: Either way, at some point… while rolling on the ground… our faces came quite close…

Aaron blushes a little at the memory while Taemin can feel his fingernails digging into his palms.

NamTei through clenched teeth when Aaron doesn’t continue: …and then…?

Aaron after swallowing and taking a deep breath: Andthenhekissedmeandsaidhelikedme!

And again, Taemin feels this suffocating pain in his chest that seems to grow by miles whenever he thinks about his Wings and this… this Kevin guy. He tightens his grip on the phone and closes his eyes for a few seconds.

NamTei (almost hissing; dreading the answer):  And then; what did you do?

Aaron (exclaiming whiningly): I ran away! I babbled some inconsistent excused that I don’t even remember anymore and ran away!! How am I ever going to face him again??

(Taemin: How about NEVER AGAIN AT ALL?)

And Carole, too! She must have known his intention, too, since she prepared the pick-nick! Aaaaa, just what am I supposed to do, NamTei???

Taemin: ‘Kick his and tell him to get lost! Tell him that you haven’t got even an ounce of interest in him and that you couldn’t care less about whatever he feels for you! And that he should gefälligst keep a distance of two meters at all times! Or even better disappear from your life altogether!!’

…

But I can’t tell her that…

I have no right to. I have already decided to stay out of her ‘real’ life… And I have already deemed this Kevin worthy of her… That’s why I can’t… no, must not say anything of that… Jeoldae andwae!

Aaron: NamTei?

NamTei (in a strained and somewhat tired voice): I’m sorry, I gotta go. Break is over. (And after a short pause.) Just do whatever you feel is right and you’ll be fine.

Scene 3: Soul, talk show location

On the set: Taemin

After Taemin has hung up, he closes his eyes and slides down the wall he has been leaning on. He opens his eyes again but just stares into space while his hands are lying limply by his sides; the phone slowly gliding out of his grasp.

The pain in his chest just won’t fade and he can’t seem to make his mind think about something else. Instead, it keeps producing uncalled images of his Wings and that guy kissing under the moonlight. He has only so much pictures of her in his mind and yet he can even see the sparkle in her eyes as he imagines her looking at this Kevin guy… The mind sure is a scary thing…

But even scarier is the heart. Because no matter what the mind tells it, it won’t listen. No matter how many times Taemin tells it not to care, to forget or at least act as if nothing happened. No matter what, it still hurts.

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Hey everyone!

I'm sorry, I said now I'd be back and what did I do? Left you guys waiting for almost another two weeks!! >< (I could reason that I just have too many things to do for school right now but that's actually just the result of me not doin my homework during the break (and watching dramas instead ^.^) So it's actually still my fault... So, sorry again!
Thus, because I'm already late with my update, I figured that you'd probably prefer that I upload the next chapter first before I answer your comments... ^^ But I've read them all and, well thank you! *^^* I really love reading them!!! XDD
 

Oh, and btw, I edited a few things in the previous chapter. Basically, it's just that there is no birthday celebration for Aaron's grandpa. Because according to what I wrote before, Aaron would have then had to be at that celebration and with Kevin in the park at the same evening... so yeah... X) But it's just a detail... ^^

And for those who, like me, feel that this story line's been depressing for way too long... Hehe, well this is the turning point...! XD