The next couple of weeks were busy, school was getting hectic and the audition was 2 weeks away.

“Are you planning on wearing make up?” Daehyun asked one practice.

“Um, no. Why?” Eunmi looked at him.

“Good,” he nodded. “Cuz we need to keep it simple and classy.”

“Right,” Eunmi nodded. She had chosen a light peach dress, it had a lacy top with a bottom part that flowed down.

“Well, I guess that's it for today.” Daehyun stood up. “Practice those exercises I gave you.”

“Yes, sir!” Eunmi saluted.

He smiled, “Bye, Mimi.” He walked towards the door.

“Bye-” Eunmi looked at his back in a funny way. “Mimi?”

Daehyun grinned over his shoulder before walking out.

Eunmi shook her head and left the room as well.

As she was walking home, her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“EUNNIEEEEE!” Chen exclaimed and Eunmi held the phone away from her ear. “LONG TIME NO TALK!”

“Hiya, ChenChen.” Eunmi said. “What are you up to lately? Working hard for the audition?”

“Meh, I guess. I’m not doing much, just singing, I can’t even play an instrument.” Chen said sadly.

“Don’t worry! Your voice is great, that’s your instrument.”

“Thanks, Eunnie.”

“You wanna go somewhere this weekend?” Eunmi asked. “Like the amusement park or something?”

“Isn’t it cold this weekend? It’s almost November.”

“Don’t worry! Just wear an extra coat. What do ya say? It’ll be fun!” Eunmi exclaimed as she arrived at her street.

“Okay,” Chen agreed. “Saturday?”

“Saturday. I’ll bring my friend, Sara.”

“Okay, see you then,” Chen said.

“Bye!” Eunmi said before hanging up and entering the house.

Taemin was extreme piggy-backing Taeyeon and she was clutching onto his neck tightly as he ran around.

“Noona!” Jongin walked up to her as she took her shoes off.

“I’m guessing you didn’t come here to greet me.”

“Yeah, me and my friend need your camera to shoot a video.” Jongin said. “Can we use it? We’re meeting at the park soon.”

“Sure, it’s in my dresser.” Eunmi said, walking into the living room with him. “Are you working with Sehun?”

“Yea-” he gave her a weird look. “How do you know Sehun?”

Eunmi smiled and Jongin gave her a look that said ‘You’re creepy’ before going upstairs. Eunmi walked into the kitchen and saw Hyunki making dinner.

“Ou, what are you making?” Eunmi asked, peering into the pot he was stirring.

“We’re eating homemade Chinese food today.” He grinned. “I found some new recipes.”

“Uhuhhh, and why isn’t umma cooking?” she asked, taking a cucumber from the salad and chewing on it.

“Because I really wanted to try this.”

“Oh. So you’ve never done it before?” Eunmi asked as her mother entered the kitchen.

“Do you not trust me?!” he yelped. “I’ve opened a successful restaurant, I’m sure I can make food at home.”

“Whatever you say,” Eunmi shook her head and Ms. Kim laughed. Hyunki sometimes reminded Eunmi of an adult child, but she loved that about him.

“What’s for dinner? I’m hungry.” Taemin came in, rubbing his stomach.

“Abeoji’s making different Chinese recipes.” Eunmi said unsurely. “For the first time.”

“Oh,” Taemin became serious. “Do you remember the time you tried to make Japanese for the first time on my birthday?”

“That was different!” Hyunki exclaimed. “That noodle recipe was difficult. And I still think you added an extra cup of water.”

Taemin held his hands in the air, “Whatever.”

Eunmi’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out.

[Received at 6:57] I have an appointment Saturday morning. Can we go to the amusement park at around 1?

[Sent at 6:58] Sure, don’t cry too much when you get your needle.

[Received at 6:58] THAT WAS ONCE!

Eunmi laughed and Taemin peered over her shoulder.

“Hmm, who is this?” he read the texts as Ms. Kim entered the kitchen. “You’re going to the amusement park on Saturday? With this ‘ChenChen’?”

“Hey, why don’t you take Jongin and Taemin too!” Hyunki exclaimed. “You guys can all bond with your friends!”

“Oh, no no no .” Eunmi shook her head.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Ms. Kim agreed as she nervously looked in the pot Hyunki was adding spices to.

“What’s a good idea?”Jongin entered the kitchen.  

“That you and I should join Eunmi and her friends at the amusement park.” Taemin said.

Jongin shrugged.

“But Taemin will scare Chen and Sara away!” Eunmi exclaimed.

“Oh, please.” Taemin rolled his eyes. Then he grinned, “Since you’re so miserable about me coming, I’ll do you a favour and tag along.”

 “Wait, what about Taeyeon?” Eunmi asked. “Taemin should stay home and babysit.”

“I’m at home on Saturday.” Ms. Kim said. “I’ll take her to my friend’s house, she has a daughter about her age she can play with.”

“So, I’m the only one working on Saturday?” Hyunki looked at all of them.

“Tough love,” Taemin patted his shoulder before leaving the kitchen.

“Have fun!” Eunmi smiled before leaving behind Jongin and Taemin. “Oh, and umma, you should check on what’s cooking in that pot.”

Taemin grinned, “Guess we’re doing some family bonding on Saturday.”

“Or family torture,” Eunmi shrugged as they entered the living room.

“That too,” he nodded.

“Just don’t do anything stupid.”

Taemin grinned again, “Oh, I will.”

Eunmi sighed. Some things never change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day at school, Eunmi was taking the attendance down for her art teacher.

She entered the main office but to her surprise, no one was at the desk.

She decided to sit down on one of the chairs and wait. When she turned around, she found Daehyun in one of those chairs.

“Daehyun?” she asked, her eyes rounding in surprise.

He gave her a small smile, “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked, sitting down beside him.

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

“Did you do something?”

He shrugged, “But I bet it’s something to do with drugs. Every time something like that pops up, my name is automatically connected to it.”

Eunmi peered at him, “Have you ever actually been connected to it?”

He looked at her, “I don’t do drugs. A drug has never entered my body.”

Eunmi let out a silent sigh of relief, “Well, that’s good. Then why do they associate you with it?”

“You swear not to tell anyone?”

Eunmi nodded, “But if it’s personal…..” she trailed off.

“Nah, it’s okay, I can tell you. My father is very addicted to drugs. He openly uses them and has been arrested multiple times because of that,” he began. “One time, I accidentally picked one up and was looking at it. At that moment, the police arrived and my reputation was tainted. They suspect my dad’s been giving me drugs or I do them because of his influence. They don’t have legit evidence, but I’m still the definition of drugs around here.”

“So because of your dad, you get the bad rep?”

Daehyun shrugged, “Pretty much.”

“What about those rumours floating around about gangs and fights and stuff?”

Daehyun snorted, “I have much better things to do than to worry about petty high school rumours. Besides, that covers up the embarrassment of a dad I have.”

Eunmi didn’t reply as she suddenly regretted asking him about his life.

Thankfully, the attendance lady came and Eunmi handed her the attendance.

“I’ll see you later,” Eunmi said.

“Or today at 5:00,” he shrugged.

Eunmi smiled, “Okay,” she said before leaving the office.

If they’re all rumours, why does Taemin hate him so much?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Can I ask you something?” Eunmi asked Taemin in the kitchen. He was rummaging through the cupboards, looking for something to eat.

“You just did.”

“Why do you dislike Daehyun? Do you just hate him for fun?” Eunmi asked.

Taemin stopped looking through the cupboards and looked at her.

“Why?”

“Just wondering,” Eunmi shrugged. “He’s really nice, I wasn’t going to tell anyone this, but he’s been helping me practice for the audition.”

Taemin squinted his eyes at her, “What?”

Eunmi nodded, “He’s a good teacher and he’s fun. Why do you not like him?”

“Why don’t you go ask your new teacher?” he said coldly before shoving past her and purposely bumping his shoulder into hers.

Eunmi gave his back a dirty look, “I will!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eunmi completely forgot to ask Daehyun about Taemin at practice the next day. They had repeated the song over and over again until Eunmi’s throat was as dry as a raisin.

That Wednesday evening, Eunmi walked into Taemin’s room.

“Can’t you just tell me? I’m really curious,” she said, plopping down on his bed. “Curiosity is killing me.”

“Let it kill you then,” Taemin replied, not looking up from his laptop that was on his desk.

“Pleeaasee.”

“No.”

“Come on, just tell me!”

“Why do you want to know so much?”

“Please.”

He sighed and closed his laptop, “Fine.”

Eunmi sat up, “Really?! Yay!”

“Don’t get too excited for a long answer. The guy handles drugs, he gives them to people,” his eyes turned dark, “and he ruins them.”

Eunmi looked at him in a confused way, “What?”

“Go ask him yourself,” Taemin looked away. “And when you do, ask him if it was worth it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the end of the next practice, Eunmi decided to ask Daehyun about Taemin.

“So, um, this is no secret, but Taemin kind of dislikes you….” Eunmi trailed off.

“The entire world knows he hates my guts,” Daehyun said flatly.

“Right, so um, I was wondering, why?” she asked.

“I’m not the right person to answer,” he said.

“But he told me to come to you!” she complained.

He shrugged, “November’s coming up, he might tell you.”

“What does it have to do with November?”

“A lot,” Daehyun said before standing up. “He should tell you, I can’t.”

Eunmi sighed as Daehyun walked out.

She blew a raspberry.

I am definitely getting to the bottom of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she got home, she headed straight to Taemin’s room.

“Are you going to see hyung?” Jongin stopped her in front of his door.

She nodded.

“He’s a little um, off,” Jongin said. “Just saying, so don’t start yelling when you see him.”

Eunmi furrowed her eyebrows. Off?

Jongin disappeared into his room again and Eunmi peeked into Taemin’s room. He was standing sideways, holding an old picture Eunmi couldn’t see from where she was.

In all honesty, what she saw next scared her.

Before he dropped it, a tear slipped from his eye and landed on the ground with a small tap even Eunmi heard from the doorway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heyyy

I had major writer's block which is why I didn't update.

But thanks to someone, the block is gone~! Yayy! This chapter would not have happened if it wasn't for that someone who always helps me out and is there for me ^^ Thanks Lulu :D

I started a new fic: Missing Pieces (click on that) Main characters are Kai and Sehun, gotta love those two <3

I'ma update that on the weekend and this in the weekdays. I've written some of that too so it'll be easy.

I'm sleepy, so bye~! :D