The light was so bright, she could not keep her eyes open. Water began to pool in her eyes as she brought up a hand to cover the light. Squinting, Shinhye could hardly make out the figure in front of her. It was just too bright, too blinding for her eyes to see. Shadows grew longer; the person was walking away. Muscles strained as she instinctively ran without thought. Her legs became heavy like lead. The shadow was so close – so close! If she just reached out her arm, her fingers could capture it…

But the light began to fade and the shadow became immersed in darkness. Where was her light? She ran blindly, searching, reaching, grasping at any of the brightness she saw, aching with desire to be with the person again…

His voice was calling her. The normally smooth tenor became harsh and desperate. “Don’t be anywhere where I can’t see you!”  

“But I’m right here. I have always been right here. It’s not you that can’t see me, but me that can’t see you.”

Funny, she did not know that darkness could be just as blinding as light.

“I see you very well right now. You can’t see me because it’s too bright, can you? When I couldn’t see you, were you always crying like that?” She smiled. He was always demanding, but in a caring way. “Shinhye, are you still crying?”

Her eyes blinked open.

The lines of her apartment were blurry as she recognized the softness of her blankets. Bed. Pillows. She was in her bed. Worn threads of her sweater dampened when her sight became clear. Slowly, Shinhye lifted herself up and brought her knees to her chest. The tiny hands of her bedside clock moved and let out a small chime. Seven fifteen. After grabbing a stray hair tie to wrap her hair in a bun, she crawled out of her bed and walked tiredly to her door. The ground was unwelcoming to her bottom. Still, while sitting against the door, Shinhye slowly reached for the handle and creaked it open just enough for her hand to pop out.

Funny, her milk was usually placed right by there. Frowning, she pushed the door a tad with her other hand for support and popped her head out into the hallway.

To see a white smile and even brighter pair of eyes, holding her milk with a scrawled message on a post it note.

“Ah!” Her hand supporting the door fell in shock and the laws of inertia told the door to fall back on the side of her head.

The person’s pair of lips moved and she found herself transfixed on the movement of them. She stared wide eyed, the blood rising to her face. Or more accurately, dripping from her face.

“Hey, hey lady! Your head is bleeding!”

I should have just stayed in bed today.
 

Their alarm clock was loud. Obnoxiously loud. It was the kind of alarm that sounded like one a factory would blare if an accident happened.

Jinki hated it.

“Hyung, get up! We’re supposed to go visit our sunbaes,” Jonghyun’s voice is so annoying in the morning, Jinki thought. How he is a renowned singer, I don’t know. “Remember last time we were late? Heechul hyung made you do Sukira for a week.” Heechul hyung is annoying too. The entire Super Junior. No, everyone. Why couldn’t people just let me sleep? After all these years, didn’t they know I was only irritable when people forced me to wake up? If they just let me wake up on my own, surely I would be in great spirits. “Hey! Wake up!”

With a great tug, Jonghyun pulled the blankets covering his bed to the floor. And inadvertently pulled Jinki’s body to the floor as well. Shell-shocked by the effect of Jonghyun’s actions, Jinki stared at Jonghyun’s smirking face. “Well, you’re awake now! I’ll go get the milk!” Jonghyun pranced away, knowing his hyung would take another minute to gather his thoughts and limbs.

“Hey, Kim Jonghyun!” Jinki shouted while reaching for the post it note he wrote on last night. “Take this note and put it on Apartment 402’s milk too.”

“Ah, you mean our resident ghost neighbor?” Jonghyun inquired, curious to why his hyung asked him to perform a strange task. “’Thank you for the soup. It was delicious. – 401’? Ah, so you didn’t order soup last night! Figures, you’re too much of a cheapskate for anything but fried foods and beer. Still, couldn’t you write something a little less… bland?”

Jinki glared and fought down the blush threatening to show on his face. “Just go do it. I’ll order us some breakfast.”

Smirking, Jonghyun walked to the door. “I’ll go deliver this to your Juliet, oh!”

With the blankets back on his bed, Jinki yawned and sluggishly walked to the table. Scrunching his nose at the mess from yesterday’s dinner, he started stacking the take out plates before throwing them out. Typical Jonghyun, he thought tiredly. Leaving me to clean up his mess.

He remembered two years ago when Shinee announced they were going on hiatus. Both he and Jonghyun were soon going to be called to military service. After their third Korean album and several overseas ones, the members let out a collective sigh of relief to have this break in their schedule. So Jonghyun and himself decided to enlist earlier than expected while Minho, Key, and Taemin would enlist a year afterwards. The fans both sobbed and were proud of the fact the boys all enlisted together. Both he and Jonghyun were finished with their two years but the younger members had an extra year to finish.

He knew that he and Jonghyun could have produced solo albums – in fact, the president himself suggested it – but they just wanted another year of separation from their company. Graciously, SM allowed it. Being seniors in the company allowed them some power over decisions and it was well known that the fans were waiting for a group comeback.

Which led to him rooming with Jonghyun in this small but comfortable apartment. Fans assumed they lived in some fancy tall tower so the pair was relatively unbothered. The ones that did know they lived in the area amazingly did not follow them into the apartment village. It was something both idols were more than grateful for.

For now, the two cohabitated (because despite their differences, after living together for so many years it was hard to say goodbye) and took up learning instruments to compose their own songs for Shinee’s comeback. It was definitely a quiet life… But one of healing from all the pressure and stress that he was trying to find in Krabi years ago.

Sighing as he started preparing the coffee maker, he thought of Apartment 402. He had never actually seen the girl, so he wasn’t even actually sure if his neighbor was a girl. But every night when he sat composing a new song by the window or casually learning some new chords, he could smell her. Something sweet, but not like the overly saccharine girl idols he knew. And fresh with an herb scent. He loved to open his window and play his guitar as he smelled her cooking and listened to the sounds of her bustling in the kitchen. Sometimes she sang. Not well, but he liked the sound of her voice despite the fact she seemed tone deaf. It reminded him a little of home and normal life. A part of him hoped that his music brought comfort to her too.

“Hyung, Jinki hyung!” Jonghyun’s voice burst into his thoughts. “Hey get the first aid kit from under the bathroom cabinet will you?”

Jinki turned and stared at Jonghyun and the person whose arm Jonghyun tugged into their apartment. A girl. A pretty one with black hair in a harassed looking bun and an oversized sweater and sweat pants. Dark red stained her cheeks in embarrassment but her eyes looked fearful as they darted around as if looking for an escape route. opened to argue, “I’m fine! I told you I’m fine so please just let me go back home!”

Ah. Apartment 402. Jonghyun brought 402. He stared and blinked. Two times. Three times. Oh, her head is bleeding.

“Uh, Onew hyung? Now?” Jonghyun said as he struggled to sit 402 on their couch. Jinki broke out of his haze and moved to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. 402 was in his apartment. In his house. And she was bleeding.

“Kim Jonghyun! I ask you to do one thing and you come back bringing a bleeding girl? What did you do?” Jinki said heatedly as he sat down on the coffee table in front of his neighbor. With a calmer tone, he added to her, “I’m sorry, my dongsaeng is stupid wimpy dinosaur who is unable to follow instructions. Here, let me disinfect that and you can join us for breakfast as an apology if you’re not busy?”

He realized the request was more of a question but he ignored the thought.

“Ah, really, I’m alright. It was my fault, I hit my head against the door. Or the door hit itself against my head. Regardless,” Shinhye quickly said, trying to hide her face from both of her neighbors. “I’m sorry to trouble you but I really should be getting home.”

The drummer laughed and lay against the couch, propping his legs on her lap. She was surprised that she could not even sit up! For a guy with such skinny legs, they sure are strong, she thought traitorously to herself. The guitarist brought a cotton ball to her face and started gently dabbing the stinging disinfectant to the wound. She shut her eyes, hoping that maybe she could get away unnoticed. Her hopes were gradually rising as she wrung her fingers in nervousness. The bandaid was on her face now, so she could make up an excuse and head home before either recognized her.

“You… Look familiar,” The guitarist said confusedly. “Like someone I know.”

Her eyes snapped open and again, she met the faces of two boys – No, flower boys. Shinee flower boys. How could I have been so stupid to not recognize them before – examining her face. Frozen in place by their stares, she gulped what felt like a rock down .

The drummer’s face lit up as it filled with recognition. Amusedly, he cried, “Ah! Now I know! You’re Park Shinhye, you’re that actress who retired early after you and – “

Shinhye stood suddenly, startling both Jinki and Jonghyun. With her head down, she muttered, “It’s an honor to meet two of the Shinee members but I’m afraid you have mistaken me for another person. Thank you for taking care of my wounds and I’m greatly indebted to you so…” Shinhye bowed lowly, keeping her eyes to the ground. “I will not intrude on your generosity any longer so goodbye and thank you again.”

Seeing both men standing to possibly stop her, she swiftly moved from the living room area and bowed again. She slammed the door behind her, hoping the sound would overcome the frantic beating of her heart.
 

Author’s Note: Hey everyone! I updated a lot sooner than I expected. I wrestled with how to approach the second chapter and get things moving. I don’t want this fic to be over twenty chapters. I’m shooting for around 10 to 15 if I keep my chapters around 2,000 words each.

I’m still looking for a beta! Or a potential co-author. Shoot me a message if you’re interested! I likely will NOT update until this coming weekend. It depends on whether an idea comes at me. I have a vague idea where this story is going…

If you recognize some quotes, gold star for you!