Soohyun considered the options. They were heading back to the dorm, and Soohyun sat in the van over thinking everything. According to his mom, his car had just gotten repaired, and he was trying, so very hard, to figure out a solution to the problem of Hoon not getting enough sleep. They were all working incredibly hard, but still. The accident should have never happened. They were in Japan, and though he’d been thinking about it for a while, he was now starting to conclude what it was that he needed to do. However, he wanted to talk to Hoon about this separately. This wasn’t a conversation for the other members to hear. There weren’t many opportunities for privacy when they were all together like this. He pulled Hoon to his room that evening when Eli was in the shower.

As Hoon followed him into his room, he said, “Hoon, I need to tell you something.”

Hoon indicated that he should continue and patiently waited for Soohyun to speak his mind.

“I’m not trying to upset you, and I’m very sorry if this does, but I’ve thought a lot about this. After you were in the accident, I tried to think of the reason why you were so tired now, and what could be done to help you get more sleep at night.”

“Hyung,” Hoon said calmly, “I’m getting plenty of rest now. I’m making sure I sleep a decent amount every night. Things were just really crazy right then. It wasn’t a good time for me.”

“I know. And I know why, Hoonie. You were so upset over Serin not being here that you weren’t sleeping. And I can’t let that happen again. I want you to be happy and spend time with her, but I don’t think you two should spend the night together any more.”

“What? Why?” he asked, clearly not okay with this verdict.

“Because it’s a distraction. Because you’ve gotten so attached to her that being apart throws you into a depression. It’ll be easier to deal with if you just aren’t with her as much. Put a little distance in your physical relationship. I know it’s going to be hard on you, on both of you, but I don’t want you hurting yourself because you’re so upset over not being with her.”

“I don’t want to fight you on this hyung, but you’re wrong.”

“I’m not wrong,” he said with finality. “She shouldn’t be spending the night here. Not with three guys. What if your parents found out? What if her dad knew?”

“I don’t think—“ Hoon started but Soohyun cut him off.

“It’s not even just that. I’m not super comfortable with her being here in the first place, but I never said anything for your sake. I like her, Hoonie. I’m happy that she comes over and cooks for us, and that all of us can hang out and have a good time. I’m not telling you to break up or for her to stop coming over. I just don’t think she should spend the night at the apartment anymore.”

Hoon knew better than to fight over this, even if he was upset with Soohyun’s decision and didn’t agree. Hanging his head in defeat, he said, “Okay.”

Soohyun continued. “I would like for you to not go over there when we’re back, but you are an adult, and if that’s what you decide to do, I can’t stop you. I just hope that you’ll respect my wishes regarding this. She’s allowed over here. She isn’t allowed to spend the night.”

“Okay, hyung,” Hoon said, voice devoid of emotion, slinking off to quietly prepare for bed, trying to avoid Soohyun as much as possible.

Soohyun knew that he was upset, but he was sure that Serin would understand why he was asking. He assumed Hoon would tell her, and as he was sitting in his room that evening, getting ready for bed himself, he received a message from her.

“Soohyun, thanks for always thinking about what’s best for Hoonie. I know he probably seems upset, but I think your choice is for the best.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you, as well,” he responded.

“Don’t worry. I’m not upset. I thought maybe I shouldn’t come over any more after I heard about the accident. I’m actually sort of glad I don’t have to be the one to enforce it. Kekeke.”

“Tell him that so he doesn’t stay mad at me.”

“I will. Thank you for looking out for him so much. You’re the best leader they could ask for.”

Soohyun was a bit embarrassed by the compliment since he didn’t feel like he deserved it. But he accepted the praise, and simply said, “You’re welcome. I’m lacking, but I try my best.”

--

There were many fan gifts laying around their dorm room, as per usual, but what interested Eli the most was the package in the kitchen. It didn’t seem to have been from the Christmas event, and he was curious about it. Upon closer investigation, he realized whom it was for easily because of who the sender was. “Hey Hoon,” he called, “Serin sent you something.”

That got Hoon’s attention quickly. “What?” he asked as he walked over.

“I don’t know. It’s this box here. Says it’s from her.”

Hoon shook his head in wonder. She was likely going a little overboard with her gift giving. “I guess I should see what it is.” He opened the box then, only to realize that there were more than just gifts for him. She had purchased and individually wrapped gifts for everyone. He handed out the gifts, not at all sure what she would have gotten everyone and hoping that she hadn’t spent a ridiculous sum of money on them.

He felt some relief then when she had obviously gotten most of them normal things. Eli and Jaeseop had both gotten shirts and a hat. Kiseop was given a striped shirt that was definitely his style. Kevin received a light jacket that he seemed to really appreciate. He and Soohyun, on the other hand, got much more personalized gifts. Very personalized. She was aware of the fact Soohyun frequently stole his underwear and apparently gone to the trouble of getting underwear with custom waistbands made. He was embarrassed when the other members saw the boxer briefs with his name on the waistband. But they laughed even harder when they saw that Soohyun had received nearly identical underwear only with ‘Soohyun’ written in white on the black elastic.

“She’s got such a sense of humor,” Eli chuckled still cracking up.

AJ smirked in amusement, as well. “It’s what you two needed. Now you can stop fighting over it. There’s no question about whose is whose.”

Kiseop and Kevin couldn’t bring themselves to say anything, but they were both certainly finding humor in the gifts. Soohyun sent her a message of thanks, to which she responded, “No problem. I hope everyone likes their gifts.”

“They do,” he messaged back.

At the same time, Hoon received a separate message from her. “I know you’re probably a little upset about the underwear. I just wanted to make everyone laugh. If you look at the very bottom of the box, you’ll find your real present. It might be a little easy to miss, so look hard.”

Hoon proceeded to do as instructed, scouring the bottom of the box to find whatever it was she was talking about. It was a very small pouch. He picked it up, and found a ring inside. It looked custom, but he wasn’t sure where it was from. Knowing her, it was probably from some fancy jewelry designer overseas. He wasn’t going to think about how much she might have spent on him. He’d had sent her a pair of ruby earrings, knowing that she had wanted something with the red stone to go with a specific suit. He studied the ring. It was silver, oxidation in the grooves making it dark in some spots and brightly shine in others. On the inside of the ring was an inscription. It simply read “Rin.” She had left a hand written message in the pouch as well. “My ring says Hoon.” And then he understood. Couple rings with HoonRin inscribed. Their couple name. He smiled and slid the ring on his index finger. It fit nicely. “Thank you, Serin, my love,” he messaged her then. “It’s beautiful. Just like you.”

--

She walked down the stairs with a smile on her face, eager to surprise not just Hoon, but all of them. Serin had decided when Hoon first mentioned that they were going on a tour in the US that she’d go support them without letting them know. She was most familiar with New York City, and that is where she had decided to go. Getting a ticket had been a bit of a struggle, but she had managed.

Handing off her stuff to a staff member that didn’t recognize her, she waited her turn for a picture, smirk on her face. Her turn. She walked up to Soohyun, and he did a double take when he saw her. “Surprise!” she said, with a smile.

Kevin was in the middle of autopiloting a hello when he realized that it was she. “Serin!” he said, shock evident on his face. At the mention of her name, all of the other guys focused on her. Hoon couldn’t stop staring, in disbelief that she was even here. Serin was sure the look on his face was similar to the look of many of the girls who’d come through this line already.

“What’s wrong, Hoonmin?” she asked innocently in English, messing with him.

He recovered almost instantly, her voice shaking him from his reverie, and looked ahead and smiling for the picture. She stood between him and Kiseop, and both put their hands on her shoulders. “Thanks guys,” she said as she walked away.

Kevin told her, “Thanks for coming. Make sure you enjoy the show!”

“I will,” she answered, turning around to back away from them and waving cheerfully. She wasn’t expecting much else from them after that. They had more stuff to do before the concert, but the manager actually stopped her before she got much further, and gestured for her to follow him.

“You can go up on the balcony. Eli’s dad and sister are here, and since you’re a special guest, you can watch with them,” he explained to her.

“No,” she insisted. “I want to watch this like any other fan. If I wanted special treatment, I’d have said something before I came.”

“I think Hoonmin would much rather be able to see you and know where you are.”

“I really just… want to enjoy the concert like a normal fan. I’m a secret. Putting me in a special guest spot like that might make people ask questions.”

“They’ll just think you’re friends with Eli’s sister. Don’t worry about it.”

“I suppose, if you insist,” Serin conceded then, not wanting to argue with him. If the manager said it was fine, she supposed it would be fine. “Can I come back stage after the show, then?” she asked.

He nodded, before parting ways with her, and telling a member of the staff to her to where she was supposed to be. She walked with him up to the side balcony, and he turned and left. She was now situated with who she assumed were Eli’s father and his older sister. There were a few others there, but she didn’t know anyone. She didn’t know whether she ought to speak English or Korean with them. “Ah… hi,” she said timidly, choosing English to introduce herself. “I’m Lee Serin.”

They looked at her curiously. “Hi. I’m Hannah,” the girl said pleasantly. “I guess you’re a special guest of some sort, as well?”

“So I’ve been told,” Serin said, relaxing a bit. “I came to be in the general audience, but the manager told me to come up here, so here I am.”

“Huh, that’s random,” she commented.

“Not… really,” Serin admitted. “I… probably shouldn’t mention this since it’s a big secret, but I’m Hoon’s girlfriend.”

“You are?” Hannah asked, excited by the news. “That’s so good for him! And you, too. Are you from here?”

“Oh no. I flew from South Korea to see them perform here.”

“That’s intense,” the other guy, not Mr. Kim, said.

“Ah yeah. He’s my boyfriend. He came up with me to experience what my brother does first hand,” Hannah explained.

Serin smiled. “That’s very kind of you. I’m really excited. I didn’t register as a fanclub member until this fall, so I haven’t seen any live performances yet. This will be the first time for me.”

“And you flew all the way over for it?”

“Yeah. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m in New York all of the time. One of my dad’s biggest business partners is based here.”

“So you do business stuff?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m the international liaison for my dad’s company.”

“I see. Your English is so good. I wouldn’t be able to guess you were from Korea. You have no accent at all.”

 “My mom grew up in the States, and she’s who I learned English from since birth. Plus, going to college in ia for four years sure helped. And I probably speak English more often while working than Korean. And actually, I think my grandparent’s live pretty close to your hometown,” Serin added.

“Really? Where?”

“Right between Charlottesville and Richmond. That’s where my mom grew up. And where I spent quite a few school breaks.”

“That is pretty close. Kind of a small world, isn’t it?” Hannah said.

“Yeah, it is,” Serin agreed. “You never know how fate is going to bring people together.” The two talked comfortably until the show started, and then watched in awe. For the both of them, it was their first live performance, and it was breathtaking.

--

Show finished, Hoon breathed a sigh of relief. It had gone well. The US fans had been enthusiastic, and though there was still a language barrier, he could feel their excitement and support, and for that, he was grateful. The fact that Serin had gone so far out of her way to come see the performance made him extremely thankful and pleased. He’d been hoping that she could some day make it to a concert, and knowing that she was there meant more to him than he realized possible.

“You really didn’t know she was coming?” Soohyun asked him for about the third time.

“I swear, hyung. She said nothing to me. I had no idea. I’m as surprised by everyone else.”

“Hoon,” Eli said cheerfully, also happy to have had special guests watching the show waiting to meet up with them back stage, “you’ve got like the most awesome girlfriend ever. She cooks us food, isn’t super demanding or jealous of your time, and flies to the US to watch us perform. You can’t ask for more.”

He nodded, well aware that there really was not much more that he could ask for. That was why he’d started thinking about it a couple of months ago. That he didn’t want to go through life with out her in it. Why he was now planning on proposing to her. He still hadn’t told anyone, but it wouldn’t be long before he shared his intentions with Soohyun at the very least.

He was glad that she, when making her way backstage, stayed pretty well attached at Eli’s sister’s side. The two had seemed to become pretty good friends through the concert, and they both chatted happily to each other while waiting for them to clean up and prepare to leave. That was certainly helpful as it made her seem, to the film crew, as simply a friend that had tagged along. When the film crew left, he went over to her. He took her hand, and stared deeply into her eyes. “Thank you so much for coming. I was so surprised and amazed.”

“I know,” she said, flashing a bright smile at him. “And you’re welcome. You were so amazing. I’m really glad I came. It was worth it to see you perform for the first time. And I got to make a new friend. Hannah is really cool.”

“I’m glad. And I’m sure you know that we can’t really hang out. I’d love to, but we’re being filmed way too much.”

“I know,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting you to spend any time with me. I’m actually here for business, as well. I just came over a bit early. I’ll be back home next Sunday. But I guess you won’t be.”

“I don’t think so,” he said. “We’re going to Guam. And then back to Japan. I’ll be around some though, preparing for a comeback at some point. I’ll be sure to keep in touch.”

“I know you will.”

“You’re not sneaking off to any other shows on me, are you?” he asked suddenly.

“I can’t.”

“You could. You could easily fly to San Francisco and be back here in time for your meeting on Monday.”

“I suppose I could. But I won’t be. I’m actually going to see my grandparents. I’d love to go to more shows, though. But I won’t be. Not this time.”

“Okay.” He leaned in and kissed her quickly. “I have to go. I’ll let you know when I get back home.”

--

“Soohyun hyung…” Hoon began timidly as he rode with Soohyun who was driving them home from the gym one night.

“What’s up, Hoonie?” Soohyun answered.

“I want… to get married.” He said it with finality, as though he’d already made up his mind.

Soohyun tensed his jaw as he drove, a bit shocked at this revelation. “Aren’t you moving too fast?” Soohyun asked. “You’ve only been dating her for like… a few months.”

“It’s been a year, hyung,” he said, an edge of determination in his tone. “I know it seems fast. I know people aren’t going to understand.”

“Oh,” Soohyun said. “Are you sure? Absolutely positive about it?”

“Yes,” he replied. “She’s every thing I could have ever imagined for myself and more. She’s pretty, kind, understanding, a good listener. I can’t be without her anymore, hyung.”

Soohyun frowned slightly. He wasn’t exactly surprised by this revelation. Just it had come a lot sooner than he had been expecting. “I’m not sure that getting married will change your situation much,” Soohyun said, thinking through scenarios that may play out and starting to worry.

“I don’t mean to worry you, Soohyun hyung,” Hoon said, his uncanny ability to decipher the leader’s unspoken thoughts clearly evident. “Serin is the woman I love. I can’t be apart from her for weeks or months at a time anymore. I want to live with her, support her, and receive her support in return. I know it will complicate things, but it’s what I want. More than anything.”

Hoon was serious. Soohyun could see that much in his eyes. Right now, Hoon would even give up his career if he had to. And that thought was painful to Soohyun. Wanting to be with the one he loves shouldn’t be the end of this for him, Soohyun thought.

“There has to be a way,” Soohyun said.

“I know. And that’s why I wanted to talk to you first. I want your advice.”

“You can talk to me all you want,” Soohyun explained, “but I’m not going to really be able to give you the final verdict. You have to talk to the company.”

“I know. I just… I want some support in this. I haven’t asked her, and I don’t really plan to for a while yet, but it would mean the world to me if I had your support. You, in particular. You’re my other brother, and I highly value your opinion.”

  “Hoon,” Soohyun said, putting a hand on the other’s shoulder, “I love you. And I feel about the same. You and Hoonbi are the brothers I never had, and I want nothing more than to see you happy. I know you love Serin. I’ve seen you two together, and I’m not blind. If ever two people were meant for each other, it’s the two of you. All I really want for you, for all of us, is our happiness and success. I want you to get married to the woman you love, but I also don’t want you to have to give up your love and passion for singing to do so.”

Hoon had his eyes locked on Soohyun. The brotherly love between them was powerful. “Hyung, I want both. That’s very selfish of me, I know. I’m willing to lie. It’ll hurt all of us, but I love singing, performing, being with you guys only slightly less than I love Serin. I can’t leave.”

“So we really do have some serious stuff to work out.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Well, Hoon, you’ll have my support. I’ll try to work out something to suggest to the company. And as long as you’re happy not rushing, we’ll work something out eventually.”

He nodded. They had arrived back at their apartment, and were gathering their stuff to take inside for the night. It was quite late, and both still needed to shower after their workout. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Soohyun began when they walked inside, “what made you decide that you wanted to get married?”

Soohyun could tell that Hoon had an answer and was just struggling to put it into words. “She means too much to me to not,” he said finally. “I never told you, but this past fall her ex-fiance showed up and was trying to win her back. The jealousy and possessiveness I felt was unreal. And that’s when I first started thinking about it. I physically couldn’t sleep with her gone. My body and mind couldn’t feel at peace without her. She flew to New York City to see us, hyung. She would do almost anything for us, for me. I don’t want to live apart from her anymore. I need to be with her.”

Soohyun listened carefully, nodding his understanding. “How soon are you planning on setting this in motion?” Soohyun asked then.

“Well… as we talked about earlier, I’ll wait until the company gives me their say in the matter.  But I won’t take no for an answer. I think I’m aiming for sometime in the summer to propose. And I’d like to get married quickly after that.”

“Do your parents know?”

“Not yet,” he explained. “I have lots of time to tell them. But it’s not going to be an issue. My mom loves Serin. My dad thinks she’s great. She’s almost already a part of the family as it is.”

“What about her dad?” Soohyun asked.

“I’ll have to talk to him, as well. But you’ve never met him, have you?”

Soohyun shook his head. “Nope.”

“He’s very… doting. He’s tougher on her brothers, but Serin is his princess. He’s such a good father and businessman. I really respect him a lot. He’s an admirable person that anyone could learn a lot from.”

“So you think he’ll just be okay with you taking his princess.”

“If that’s what she wants, yes.”

“What if she doesn’t, Hoon? What if she’s wary about getting engaged after her last time?”

“I hadn’t thought about that, hyung,” Hoon admitted quietly. “I’ll figure it out between now and then.”

“Yeah,” Soohyun stated. “You’ve got quite a bit of time to figure out a plan.”

“And I’ve got your support?”

“Of course,” Soohyun said. “I want you and Serin both to be happy. If getting married will make you happy, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

Hoon bowed, thanking Soohyun profusely, before saying goodnight and retreating to his room. Soohyun sat on the couch and flipped on the TV, once again letting his thoughts run free, trying to work out and process the information he’d just been given. This had serious ramifications. It could even hurt the fans. Hoon had given him a time line to work with, at least. In the next seven months he and Hoon and the members and the company would have to reach an agreement on what the best way to allow Hoon to get married was. There was never any question though, on whether it should or shouldn’t be done. Not in his mind. To Soohyun, this was a marriage that was already set in stone. It was just the legality that needed sorted through. And though there was much legality, more than any person should have to put up with, Soohyun intended to see this through to end as much in everyone’s favor as possible.