I smiled and held her hand tightly as well, liking the feel of her soft hand in mine.

Ah, what’s a nice day~ I chimed in my head as I chuckled happily.

Onew’s POV

Mi-ja and I were outside, but still near by the mall, behind the building where there was a lot of food booths, ice-cream stands, restaurants—you name it.

One particular place stood out to me—it was that ice-cream parlor, a man selling varieties of ice-creams to his customers. I smiled, remembering how I used to go there all the time.

Then I met her.

“Ooh! I remember going there!” Mi-ja suddenly said and my heart started racing. Is it time already? But we haven’t prepared anything yet! Not now!

“I loved their ice-creams and I would come here with my mom just for that.”

That’s it? Nothing about meeting me in the past…? I mentally sighed in relief—that…that’s good, even though it hurts a bit that she couldn’t remember me. Or any of SHINee for all that matters.

But I could have sworn her eyes dimmed a bit when she mentioned about her mother. I remember meeting with her once in the past—she was a very nice lady.

What happened to her that made her seems so sad?

By the way, her choice of clothes saved me a lot of trouble; with the sunglasses and beanies, not one of the fangirls set their eyes on me twice.

“Palli, palli~ palli~ I want to get ice-cream!” She was practically screaming in my ear and I cringed at the loudness of the voice. Ugh, so loud—I don’t want to be deaf at an old age.

I felt her tugging onto my hand. Aish, this kid… “Ara, arraseo, we’re going, we’re going!” I clutched onto her hand, her fingers still intertwined with mine as this childish girl dragged me over to the parlor.

“Hello and good day! How may I help you?” The man said with a smile on his face.

“You sell ice-cream here?” I asked with a small smile on my face. He nodded and showed me the list of the ice-cream flavors.

“Sure do! Now tell me what flavor you want for yourself and your lovely blossom here.” He said, smiling as he waited for our answers. I felt the tight grip onto my hand and I can tell that she’s blushing with the way she was playing with my fingers.

Mi-ja was about to answer, but I beat her to it, “One cookie & cream for her and one vanilla for me.”

The man nodded and went to find two cones for us. I looked at Mi-ja who stared at me in shock.

“How did you know that my favourite ice-cream is the cookie & cream flavor?” She asked. I shrugged, hiding the real answer to that.

“Instinct; you seem to lean more to vanilla though.”

She ‘tsk’ed and looked away, mumbling stuff like, “Aish, I’m getting more and more stalkers within each day…Who’s next, Jay Park?” And I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

I stared at her and I liked how her hair looked redder than usual in the sunlight; how her long eyelashes brushed against her cheeks, her brown eyes wide and bright behind her glasses. I smiled, remembering how we first met in this same place.

No-one’s POV

A 9-years-old Onew was running around the mall, having a clearly good time as he held this cheeky grin on his face, his arms stuck out like an airplane as he played with his friends.

All in honesty, he was pretty much excited of his dreams that may come true to him.

“Umma, I want to become an entertainer when I grow up!”

His mother laughed at his cheeky grin and pinched his cheeks.

“Oh, jinjja…? What can you do as your talents for being one, Jinki-ah~?”

The boy grinned, giggling as he chimed out, “I can sing!”

“Hahaha~ you’ll be a fine singer, I’d love to hear you sing on stage.”

Onew nodded, determination burning in his eyes as he said, “I will let you hear me sing, Umma! I will pursue that dream!”

Then he began to get worried when his mother went into one of her usual fits of coughing, causing the boy to grab that glass of water that was sitting immobile on the table and give it to her.

It wasn’t the first—she had been ill for as long as he knows.

‘Umma…’ he’d think, ‘I’ll sing to heal your pain – just for you.’

He slowed down a stop, his arms lowering as then thought of the bad moments, a small frown visible on his face. He stood there, leaving the others behind as he was left there to think deeply of the moments.

…All in honesty, he wasn’t.

Onew grunted as he pushed down to the ground by a group of six boys around his age.

“Hey, loser, give me your lunch.”

He practically hissed at them, his eyes stern as he clutched onto his lunchbox. No way was he giving it to them.

“Never!” he screamed out, clearly displeased with the attitudes given to him.

One other boy sneered, “Oi! You don’t wanna mess with our boss; he’d get angry when things don’t go his way.”

“So what does it matter?! Let things doesn’t go his way then, because I’d be something better than him—I’ll be an entertainer when I get older and I’ll be famous and you guys will be looking up at me, while I look down at you like scum!”

He earned a punch for that, straight into his right eye. He screamed in pain, one hand going up to his eye and thus leaving his lunchbox unguarded as one of the boys in the group grabbed it from him and snickered.

“You, are going to be an entertainer? PUH-LEASE~ you couldn’t even sing and you look like a homeless person. You’re useless!”

The group laughed and all of a sudden, he felt shame and anxiety wash over him.

“The one, who is going to be a scum, is you.  Tsk, let’s go guys; leave the loser alone to dwell in his stupid hopes.” the ‘leader’ said in a mocking tone before they left him.

A single tear fell down his cheek as he let the words sink into his head.

“Useless, huh…” His bangs covered his eyes as he looked down, drowning in his silent tears.

He couldn’t help to cure his mother’s pain as he hadn’t got enough money. All he could do was help her. But it grew worse and he could not help but feel as if he was a burden, having her to endure all the pain from the sickness.

A pang of hurt was inflicted in his heart as he buried himself into a human ball, his tears flowing freely like a river.

Was he useless? Maybe he was. Maybe he is.

“Maybe I am…”

He knew he was useless – a powerless angel who could do nothing but watch.

Onew felt a tug of his hand and he snapped back to reality to see a 5-years-old girl staring up at him.

“Oppa~, I want ice-cream~” she chimed out cutely, giving him her happy grin, her white teeth showing.

He stared at her in surprise as he looked at her features—she had the most wonderful chocolate brown eyes that sparkled with happiness; her hair was bob-short, and was redder than brown alone. Her skin was milky pale, but he could see bits of her freckles as well as her pink-tinted blush on her cheeks.

“Ice-cream?” he asked and she nodded. Well, he only has 30,000 ₩ on him – surely it’ll be enough.

He smiled back at the girl and nodded, “Sure, I’ll get you ice-cream. Follow me!”

And with the duo went up to the ice-cream parlor. Because of its height, Onew had to climb onto a stool, grinning at the male.

“Mianhaeyo halbae, but I’d like to buy an ice-cream for her please.”

He chuckled and ruffled his hair as he said, “How nice of you to be the gentleman to the young lady. What flavor?”

He thought of this as he looked at the girl who was playing with herself as she sat at one of the tables. She seems the type that likes both vanilla and chocolate but something in between. Like an Oreo…

Oreo… a particular flavor came into mind as he snapped his head back to the man.

“I think a cookie & cream ice-cream would work!”

“One cookie & cream ice-cream coming right up~”

Onew grinned as he waited for the order, feeling in a rather good mood.

He went over to the girl with the ice-cream in hand, and as soon she looked his way, her eyes sparkled.

“Cookie & cream~ Gamsahabnida! It’s my total favourite!” She squealed as she took the cone into her hand.

“Oi, don’t get greedy with it!” But it was too late—she was already the frozen treat happily.

“Ai-goo, this girl…” he mumbled with a smile on his face.

That reminds him, he wasn’t known of her name. “What’s your name?” he asked, causing the girl to stop eating her ice cream and look up at the male with a messy ice-cream mouth. He had to contain his laughter—it was just adorable.

“I’m Baek Mi-ja.” Mi-ja…

“My magical daughter,” He joked, causing the girl to laugh. It was true; ‘Mija’ was pretty much a Spanish slang, shortened for ‘mi-hija’ which means, ‘my daughter’. The other meant ‘mystical/magical’—he hadn’t known where that came from, but that’s what it meant.

At least, that’s what he had heard.

“Nice to meet you Mi-ja~ I’m Lee Jinki! I have another name but that’s a secret~!”

She pouted, “Ah wae, wae, wae!? I wanna know!”

Onew shook his head, thus ending the topic with another one, “I have a secret to tell you though.”

He can tell that she was all ears, with the way she leaned in, the ice cream in (wow, she was almost done!).

“I’m dreaming of becoming an entertainer!”

Mi-ja looked at him in surprise yet excited. “Entertainer…? What’s that?”

He chuckled and explained it in a simple way for a 5-years-old to understand, “It’s a person who performs things. Like dancing or singing or doing funny stuff. It could be one or two of them!”

“Wah~ that’s cool! What can you do, Jinki-oppa?”

“I can sing!”

Mi-ja stared up at him in awe while Onew just crossed his arms over his chest, smiling as if he was the champion, thus making her laugh.

But it died down quickly when his smile was replaced with a slight frown.

“But…” he said, catching the girl’s attention, who has noticed the sudden change of atmosphere, “Others at school think it’s stupid because I can’t sing and I need to look good to become famous. They say I’m useless and that I’m a loser and I look like a homeless person…”

He sighed, “Sometimes, I feel like giving up.” He looked at the brunette who just continued to stare at him, up her ice cream.

“Angel,” she simply said, thus confusing the boy.

“Huh?”

“Angel! You’re an angel! Your eyes say it all.” Onew said nothing to let her continue with her point as she finished the last of her ice-cream and—with the ice-cream cone—pointed at him. “I never heard you sing, but I think that your voice is an angel! Who cares if others don’t like you or the thought of you being an entertainer? I care about oppa getting his dreams to come true, because that’s what he wants!”

Onew stared at her in shock. Who would have thought from a cute girl, she’d be all outgoing and wise?

“I like oppa! If oppa can sing, he can sing! When you grow up, and you’re famous—tell those stupid kids, ‘Hah!  I’ve made it here, and I’m on top of the world! Who’s laughing now?’ I know oppa can do it, so…”

He could see her small hands turn into fists as she then cheered out, “Jinki-oppa, hwaiting~!”

A smile came upon his lips and he mumbled thanks to her, feeling tears in his eyes. It was the first time he had gain encouragement from someone other than his mother.

Feeling his emotions, Mi-ja came up to Onew and gave him a tight hug. This surprised the boy greatly, to see that she has done such a bold action, but hugged her back nevertheless. He buried his face into her hair and let his tears escape from his eyes.

It was strange to do this in front of somebody you just met, but he really needs it right now—he needed someone.

People around the duo thought it was cute and was very nice of the girl to do that to him as she just held him, feeling her hair grow wet from the tears.

“I don’t want Jinki-oppa to cry…be happy! I’ll make sure you’d get your dream!”

This broke him into even more tears as he hugged her tightly. “Gamsahabnida…gamsahabnida…!”

Over and over, he thanked her, and the girl only nodded and told him not to cry anymore.

Time passed and they were happily talking, Onew now over with the tears as they learnt fun facts about themselves.

Mi-ja squealed when her mother came in laughing, “I knew you’d be here! Where’d ya been, you little devil~?” ruffling her hair and tickling her everywhere whilst the girl pleaded her to stop.

Onew nodded when her mother thanked him for buying ice-cream for her—especially when it’s cookie & cream ice-cream. He replied saying that it wasn’t a problem. They talked a little bit more until the sun began to set and the booths were beginning to close. He waved to Mi-ja and her mother goodbye, as he, too need to head back home to check up on his mother. It was then, he saw a shimmer on the table. Curious, he picked it up.

It was a necklace with an angel wing pendant.

This must have been Mi-ja’s…! He turned to see the duo, but they were already gone. He clutched onto the necklace and smiled at the warmth that was contained by the girl.

“I’ll show you… Mi-ja… You have now become my inspiration… I’ll show you…I’ll show them that I’m not useless…Just you wait…”

Onew’s POV

I smiled, touching my neck to feel the necklace – her necklace.

I looked up to see Mi-ja happily eating her ice cream. I chuckled, causing her to look up at her. Her nose and cheeks were coated with ice-cream—just like how the 5-years-old looked like back then.

I laughed and I shook my head in disbelief before using my thumb to wipe away the ice-cream off her face. “Aish, this girl…”

Those same words I’ve said to her back then came again—would she remember?

Her face flushed red from the skin contact but I didn’t mind. It was nice, feeling her soft skin against my hand. I pulled back my thumb and it, teasing her. I could hear female gasps and shocked squeals, saying stuff like, “Omo, she’s so lucky!” and “I wish I had a boyfriend like that!”

Boyfriend… My cheeks went red at the thought—that’s…an intimate word…

“U-Uhm, gomawo, Onew-oppa.” she said shyly, but had her happy, childish grin on. I smiled at her before I had a bite of my ice-cream, feeling the cold burn into my teeth.

I stared at her for a while, watching her eat ice-cream in bliss. She really had changed. She looked more lady-like, even though she has her childish moments. She became more mature and her hair seems longer and ever redder than before…

“YAH, HYUNG! MI-JA-AH~”

I turned to see a pouting Taemin with the rest of SHINee from behind. Jonghyun was pretty much carrying Key’s shopping bags while Taemin and Minho was carrying their own stuff—I assume it would be video games. Key… like the brat he is, he is carrying nothing.

“How could you?!” He fake-sobbed, “I want some ice-cream too! Onew-hyung~! Buy me one!” He stomped his feet and I chuckled, shaking my head in refusal.

“Aish… and we are getting lunch later this afternoon too! Sure, try to make a waste of my money, will ya!?” Minho pouted as well, earning a smack on the head from Key.

“Oh shush yo mouth, Minho, complaining won’t save you from spending all of your money, you big lowly poor frog!” He hissed, and he could hear Jonghyun snickering at the comeback.

Mi-ja giggled at the sight, her eyes turning into crescents as she was then finishing up her ice-cream, watching the bickering 21-years-old duo.

I could only look back at Mi-ja with a smile.

‘Hah, I’ve made it here, and I’m on top of the world. Who’s laughing now?’ Oh Mi-ja, I wish you could have been there to hear me say that…

I played with the pendant and I nodded subconsciously. You truly have become my inspiration…