Water dripped from the boy's wet hair to the shower floor, intermingling with the pool that now flowed down the train. Sojin emerged from the shower, feeling more refreshed than he had in weeks. Not only had he washed himself of the dirt, he had cleansed himself of his adversary as well. With the mafia girl now behind bars, he no longer had to rush himself in his quest to get with Onew. He stared into the mirror and found himself smiling foolishly, drowned in happiness by even the thought of the leader. Sojin quickly pulled on a light blue t-shirt and some white jeans and departed the bathroom, running his hand through his damp, brown hair. It had been quite a while since he had seen the singer, and even longer since he had been able to spend time with him. As he emerged into the hallway, Sojin crossed his fingers, hoping that the other members would let him have some time with Onew. It was almost evening now--he had slept the whole day away, completely exhausted from the previous events.

He poked his head out of Onew's room and gazed around the hallway. "Seems quiet..." he muttered to himself, before fully stepping out of the room. He quietly snuck down the hallway, being especially careful near Taemin's room, and finally emerged into the living room. 

"Ah! You're awake finally," came a voice from the kitchen. Sojin's face lit up as he realized that it was Onew by his lonesome. "I didn't sleep in my room last night cause I didn't want to wake you up! Jonghyun told me about what happened, so I thought you would need to rest well. You're alright, right?" He put down the bowl he was holding and approached Sojin, looking him up and down with concern.

Sojin was unsure what took hold of him, but he couldn't hold back his happiness at seeing the singer. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Onew's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. Moments later, he realized there were tears flowing down his cheeks. He immediately pulled back and tried to wipe the tears away, stunned that he was crying. Onew looked at him in surprise and questioned what was wrong, obviously surprised by the sudden outburst. Sojin wasn't quite sure himself. It seemed as though every emotion that he had been holding in this whole time had finally burst forth. 

"I-I don't know! I'm just so happy that it's over...so happy that I get to spend time with you! This is so embarrassing..." Sojin stuttered, tears continuing to flow down his face, even with a smile on his face. "And I'm sorry that I haven't been able to focus on you! I don't want you to feel like I don't care." He tried to stop himself, but the words kept pouring out. "I do care! I care so much...I like you so much."

Onew wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, giving the boy a squeeze and his signature smile.

"You've been through so much these past weeks. I'm proud of you for being able to handle everything that's happened," Onew stated calmly. "And you don't have to worry. I know you like me. How could I not after our movie date?"

Sojin glanced at the leader, his tears finally subsiding as he realized the singer was right. He had been so preoccupied with Taemin and his other problems that he had failed to realize just how far his relationship with Onew had progressed. They had kissed! Though it seemed like ages ago, it still had happened. He was pulled from his thoughts as Onew continued. "I have to apologize too. I know I haven't made anything concrete, but it's because everything has been so hectic! Now that it's settled down, I think we can move forward."

"Don't apologize! It's completely my fault. You've been so kind to me all of this time, while I've just been vacant." His thoughts flashed to Taemin for a moment, but he pushed it away. "I just hope you realize how much I like you..."

Onew let out a chuckle, his eyes turning into half moons as he placed his hand on top of Sojin's head. "You know I like being alone, right? I don't have many friends and I can do anything by myself." He looked down at the younger boy, ruffling his hair. "Then you should know that I really like you since I want to spend time together."

Sojin felt his heart beating so fast that he was afraid it would explode from happiness. All he managed to say was a quiet, "You're the best, Onew hyung!" as he gave the leader another hug. When he finally let go, Onew headed back to the kitchen and began slurping down a bowl of naengmyeon. He pointed at the noodles with his chopsticks and tilted his head, gesturing to see if the younger boy wanted any. Knowing how much the leader liked to eat, Sojin shook his head, allowing the older boy to finish off the noodles. 

"Hm, management is throwing a small party tonight to celebrate our record sales. I think the F(x) and EXO members will be there! Do you want to come as my plus one?" Onew asked as he slurped down the last of the noodles. A party with the other idols? But he wasn't famous. And how could he explain himself as Onew's plus one? The leader could clearly see the hesitation emanating from the younger boy. "Don't worry. You'll be with me! I promise it'll be fun!"

Sojin hesitated a moment longer before nodding. "Alright, I'll go!" He couldn't bring himself to turn down an opportunity to spend time with Onew. The singer's face lit up and he all but threw the bowl and chopsticks into the sink before rushing over and pulling Sojin down the hall to his room. Onew whisked open his closet and looked inside, his eyes narrowing and his face contorting in thought. "What should I wear?"

Sojin let out a laugh at how much the idol seemed to dread dressing up. He pulled out a white dress shirt with blue polka dots and held it up for Onew. "This is nice! And you can just wear it with some jeans. Comfortable and cute!" The singer nodded his agreement, taking the shirt from the boy and beginning to change. Sojin averted his eyes, still unsure whether they were close enough for him to actually look.

"Oh, you can wear anything from the closet as well," Onew added. Sojin looked down and realized his t-shirt probably wasn't fancy enough. He easily picked out a pink dress shirt to go with his white jeans, then changed into it as quickly as possible, still embarrassed to be unclothed in front of the idol. Onew had disappeared into the bathroom, but reemerged moments later, his hair pushed back and styled. Sojin felt breathless, amazed by how handsome the idol looked. Onew held out his hand, expectantly, and smiled as Sojin took it. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes! I'll do my best not to embarrass you," he replied, squeezing the older boy's hand. Onew laughed, but shook his head.

"Don't worry, you could never embarrass me," he stated, as he led Sojin out of the apartment.

The car ride was short and Sojin could tell that Onew was trying to put his mind at ease with jokes and chatter. Still, he couldn't help but feel nervous at the prospect of meeting other groups. What if he was awkward? What if they ended up not liking him and ragging on him to Onew? As they pulled into a parking spot outside of the building, Onew turned to him and poked him in the forehead. "Stop being silly or I'm going to ttakbam you!" 

"You'll kill me if you do that!" Sojin said, laughing. He got out of the car and stared at the huge building in front of him. It was an extremely fancy hotel, lit up with gold lights and made of bright red brick. 

"Shall we?" Onew asked, a smile spreading across his face as he offered Sojin his arm. The younger boy nodded and linked his arm with the idol's. They entered the lobby and Sojin had to keep his jaw from dropping. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and huge, ornate pillars shot upwards from the ground. 

"I've never seen such a fancy hotel," he whispered to Onew after the idol had signed them in. "And this is only the lobby."

Onew nodded his agreement. "SM likes to have parties in style. Usually I don't even come, but since I have you I thought I'd show up for once. Wait till you see the ballroom!" 

As they neared the ballroom, Sojin could see that the ceiling was so high that it seemed to be a mile above them. The pillars here were as thick as tree trunks and made of marble, winding all the way up to the ceiling. The floor itself was made of huge slabs of marble and the walls were covered in ornate patterns, fancy lamps clinging to them and dimly lighting up the room. At the center of the room hung a huge chandelier that made the ones in the lobby seem like toys. At the far side of the room, tables draped in white tablecloths held candles and waiters were bustling back and forth to bring food. 

"Aw, there was food? I shouldn't have eaten earlier!" Onew exclaimed, pouting. Sojin hardly noticed the comment, still awestruck by his surroundings. The dance floor was teeming with people, though he had yet to see any idols.

"I thought you said this was a small party!" Sojin exclaimed, turning to look at Onew. 

"This is small compared to the company-wide parties!" Onew replied. He pointed towards the tables. "Do you want to get something to eat first?" Sojin nodded, clinging onto Onew's arm for dear life as they made their way through the dance floor. Although many of the party-goers paid him no mind, a few of them gave him strange looks and side-eyes. He couldn't blame them, though. He wasn't famous and he was only half Korean, so his presence was likely a mystery to them. Not to mention he was clinging to the arm of Shinee's leader. Finally they emerged on the other side, the air cooling down from the heat of the dance floor. 

"Oh, Suho!" Onew exclaimed, rushing over to greet EXO's leader who was sitting at a table and pulling Sojin along in the process. The EXO member bowed slightly in his seat, a smile across his face.

"Onew hyung! I haven't seen you at one of these for a long time!" he exclaimed, patting the seat next to him. Onew sat and Sojin followed suit, taking the empty seat next to Onew. He quickly scanned the rest of the people at the table, but didn't recognize any of them.

"And who is this?" Suho asked, looking at Sojin. The younger boy's eyes widened as nerves took over him once again.

"I-I'm Sojin! Suho, right? I mean, of course! I know you're Suho! But..." his sentence died off and he facepalmed himself. Why was he being so awkward? Fortunately, EXO's leader only laughed and extended a hand.

"Sojin? Nice to meet you! How do you know our Onew hyung?" he asked as he shook the boy's hand. Sojin glanced at Onew, unsure what to say. It might embarrass Onew if he told the truth, but it could hurt his feelings if he said they were just friends.

"We're..." he began.

"We're dating!" Onew exclaimed, bluntly, placing an arm around Sojin's shoulders. Sojin looked at him, wide-eyed, then back at Suho, expecting the idol to be in shock. Instead, Suho was clapping happily and patting Onew on the shoulder.

"You're a lucky one then, Sojin! This is one of the best guys I know. Make sure you take care of him. He needs to be fed three times a day," Suho stated, wagging his finger at the younger boy. Sojin laughed and assured him that he would, his nerves finally starting to die down. Suho was so kind, maybe he had nothing to be nervous about at this party after all...

---------------------------------------------------------------

Woo, it's been a while again! Romance time! Please, please, please comment and critique. It's what really keeps me going! :) Thanks for reading!