The phone in his hands was silent but he kept tapping the screen, waiting and expecting either a call or a text. Jonghyun was alone in his dorm for the day and he hated it. There was no sound. Even if he would turn on the TV he felt alone in his thoughts. He couldn’t express himself through words and he most certainly wouldn’t talk to himself like some sort of lunatic. He twiddled his thumbs over and over while tapping his foot on the ground. Still no messages were appearing on the screen. He couldn’t take it, he had to talk to someone.

                                Bringing his phone to his face, he scrolled through the contacts until he found Jinbyul’s name. His foot tapped faster as he hesitantly pressed the call button. Seconds felt like minutes as he waited for an answer. The ringing seemed endless. Jonghyun stood up and started to pace back and forth until he heard the soft voice of Jinbyul drearily answering, “Hello? Jonghyun?” he sighed in relief and sat back down, propping his feet on the arm of the couch.

                                “Hey! Jinbyul! I was wondering if you were busy because no one is at the dorm and it’s kind of lonely around here.” He said, calm and collected.

                                There was a brief pause until she spoke again, “That sounds like a bad pickup line.” She chuckled quietly.

                                Jonghyun tried to redeem himself, “O-oh no that’s not what I meant! Not at all! I just meant it would be nice to talk to someone. Trust me, I don’t really want…that...just talking.” He laughed nervously to himself.

                              “Ah…well I guess I could come over. I’m not too busy so I could make time. I’ll see you in a couple minutes!”

                                “Please be careful it can be dange—“ Jonghyun’s warning was cut off by Jinbyul hanging up the phone. She must not have heard. He always worried about her traveling places. It scared him—he didn’t want her to get in a car accident or not pay attention on the road. Is she walking alone? Or is she driving? He thought, suddenly getting worrisome. He rose up from the sofa and grabbed his letter jacket from the coat rack. I’ll meet her halfway and we can both walk back here…that should be okay. He always thought safety was key, even if he went overboard at times.

                               As he stepped onto the pavement, traffic was high. Cars were speeding fast and with each one that passed, Jonghyun became more nervous. Sometimes he wondered if he had a condition with all the anxiety attacks he gets from worrying about such trivial things. But being irrational still had its benefits, like being protective. Jonghyun stomped across the pavement carefully as to watch for any sign of distress or warning that he should be careful.

                                Just a block more and he wouldn’t be alone. He’d see Jinbyul and all his worries and fears would go away. That’s how it has always been. He hated it when the group members left him alone. They knew he hated it. He would get inside his own head and make him and anxious mess. But they underestimated how bad it usually would and could get.

                                “Jonghyun…?” a quiet voice said from a store just a few feet ahead of him. There she was. She was tall, never wore makeup, and had long black hair down to her waist. She was a lovely organic girl that Jonghyun could never keep his eyes off of. He abruptly looked up at her and smiled in relief that she was okay. He worried too much, he knew.

                                “Jinbyul!” he jogged to where she was and as he looked at her expression, she seemed to be a little confused. “Is something wrong?”

                                Her furrowed brow gentled for a brief moment, “Ah…no. It’s just why did you come to me? I thought I was going to walk to your place.”

                                Jonghyun shrugged, “I was just—“

                                “Worried?” she said, finishing his sentence. He felt a bit embarrassed.

                                “Y-yeah, worried. I’m sorry, I’m just always anxious and I can’t be left alone. But you’re here now so it’s okay!” he tried to reassure her. She flashed him a faint smile.

                                “Stop being so worried, it’ll do you some good.” She rustled his hair and walked past him towards the direction he came from. He was surprised and tried to catch up with her.

                                “Wait! Let me catch up!” he exclaimed, making his way to her side. “Sorry, I just like to walk next to the person I with so I feel like I can protect them at any time.”

                                Jinbyul flipped her long hair to the other side of her neck and scoffed, “That’s so sweet. But I can protect myself.” She turned around and started walking backwards, then continued to talk to Jonghyun, “So is your anxiety getting to you again? Key told me a bit about it. He didn’t really fill me in on much though…is the celebrity life getting to you?” Her eyes squinted as she covered and giggled.

                                Jonghyun laughed in response and shook his head, “Hmm, no but sometimes. When the group members leave I feel very ‘to-myself’ and I don’t like it.” He shrugged.

                                She cocked her head, “Do you know why you don’t like it? I mean…I’m fine with being alone. I like being alone actually…it gives me time to myself. You’re strange.”

                                “I know why, but it’s just…” he looked down at his worn out tennis shoes and glanced back up at the sound of a loud yell:

                                “Is that Kim Jonghyun!? Who is that lady he’s with? What’s her name? Someone figure out her name!” a crowd of people with cameras crowded Jinbyul and Jonghyun. The lenses of the cameras and recorders were less than in inch away from the two of them. Jonghyun tried to fend them off.

                                “Please, leave us alone! There’s nothing going on here! Don’t bother her, please!” he pleaded, his voice getting louder as another camera-wielding fiend entered the invasive circle. As more and more people crowded around them at the sound of the name “Jonghyun,” Jinbyul was slowly getting pushed away from him. There were so many people, no one could tell who was who. “Jinbyul? Jinbyul?! Where are you?!” he tried to push passed the people. He could hear the engines of cars along the side of the road.

                                All of a sudden he saw her long black hair in the crowd, but the reporters still pushed. He reached out his hand and called out her name, to which she responded with a pleading face. A reporter accidentally tackled into Jinbyul, making her balance stumble and become uneven. Her feet gave out from under her and her body swayed into the traffic. Jonghyun rammed his shoulder through the remaining reporters and saw her halfway in the street, her ankle twisted below her. He could see her crying face. His eyes grew wide with shock as he turned to see a long line of traffic about to speed through the intersection.

                                Jonghyun’s legs ran as fast as he could, trying to beat the red car racing towards Jinbyul, who was helpless. He was an arms-length away. She stretched her arm out, trying to grab onto him. The car was seconds away. Jonghyun dove into the ground, his arms open wide so he could grab her waist. He then swung her around towards the curb, the red car’s bumper just slightly grazing their arms.

                                He her hair as she quietly cried. A tear or two rolled down his cheek a well, as he tried to keep his composure for her sake. But only one thing was running through his mind—his sister.