Taemin sighed as he watched his little sister sleep peacefully before him. Her hair was all messy from all the turnings and tossings she made through the night in her sleep, and currently half of her face was covered by it. Taemin gently wiped them away since they seemed to itch her nose, smiling as he heard her mumble something he couldn't understand at all.

He was worried for her, really, really worried. His heart sank every time he thought he'd have to leave her under the watch of unskilled, possibly lethal and totally not trustworthy babysitters, their comrades. Maybe he was being a bit unfair, but raising a kid like Jieun surely wasn't the easiest task in the world. But what worried him more was Jieun's feelings about this all.

She'd have to accept the fact she'd have to meet new faces on daily basis, and no SHINee members would be there for her. She'd have nothing safe and familiar with her to help her through, but instead, she'd have a lot more responsibility on her shoulders as the other groups probably wouldn't pamper her as much as they did.

And when the group having her under heir watchful eye must attend for some activities in other country, Japan for an example, she would be transferred under another group and so on until SHINee had wrapped up everything they had to do. And we were talking about a girl with serious trust issues doing all that.

Jieun acting like a thirteen year old would? In your dreams. In no case would she make friends easily, not even try. And that was what concerned Taemin. Of course there was nothing she could do to protest, but still. Being the way she was would be disadvantageous in her future as well.

She wasn't like this before, though. She used to have plenty of friends always surrounding her as she was popular and very liked. Taemin remembered those times, it was before he got too busy to visit home as a trainee. Kindergardeners running here and there around their house, not a day was blessed with quietness. And oh, the fights over birthday invitations.

From one hundred and thirty friends to pick only twenty? Not even a chance. In the end they held many parties with different guests, only so that all Jieun's friends could come. Not to mention how happy Jieun was to receive such an amount of presents. Her room was filled with various stuffed toys from the floor to ceiling.

Taemin had no idea what had changed. He didn't know what had happened and why was it kept from him. The new Jieun occured when she was standing in front of the SHINee's dorm, ready to run after seeing the manager opening the door. It was odd.

"Hey, Tae!" Jonghyun's voice boomed through the door, all the way from the kitchen. Taemin panicked for a bit when he saw Jieun stirring in her sleep.

"Shh!" He hussed as Jonghyun's head peeked from the door.

"Oops! Sorry!" He whispered and raised his hands on the air guiltily. Fortunately for him, Jieun was sleeping rather heavily that day. Well, maybe because it was only 4 am at the time.

Jonghyun looked at the soundlessly sleeping Jieun before turning over to Taemin. He saw how his slender hand tapped his legs in a random rhythm, making the older one worried. Taemin was  bothered by their decision, he admitted it, but it was too late to change their minds now. Even Jonghyun was restless, but he knew it must've been worse for him that was bounded with the same bloodline.

After all, he was just a handsome, young and famous uncle with no blood ties. Yet he still didn't want to stay away from her even for a day. That was how much Jieun meant to him, how deeply she had barged in all of their hearts by only being there few months.

"You're worried, aren't you?" He asked Taemin, voice full of understanding. Taemin stayed quiet for awhile until he turned to complain about his worries.

"What if she doesn't feel comfortable being there? Not even after couple of days? What if our absence means living through hell for her? What if she runs away and gets kidnapped? What if a mean man tries to harm her? She's only thirteen!" Taemin ranted, almost crying after voicing out his greatest fear, fear of something happening to his baby sister.

"I feel the same," Jonghyun started and Taemin looked up to him from the floor. "All these 'what if's go through my head. What if they forget to feed her? What if they hate her and completely shut her out? What if they find her annoying? What if they take her to a place she doesn't belong?" Jonghyun said and played with his fingers. Worry tugged his heart and he was so close he didn't declare staying behind to take care of her.

"It's rather funny actually," Jonghyun stated with a chuckle, "how she has changed us in such a short time. Never have I taken care of anyone as much as I have taken care of her. Even my own noona looses to that little baby there. I even remember to check her homework and ask if she has washed her teeth after getting back from training." Taemin chuckled as well, agreeing to everything.

What a mess they would be without Jieun.

"I know, right? She has this some kind of irresistible charm that makes people want to take care of her. And her cute side is really worth of trying." Taemin said.

"But she surely knows how to-" The sound coming from Jieun's bed halted their small chat and they turned to see a sleepy eyed girl staring at them.

"Why are you guys awake and I am not? Is this a dream?" She muttered groggily, being half asleep and not aware of anything. She even pinched herself to make sure she wasn't sleeping. A painful wail followed soon after. Her brains started to slowly function and the thoughts were loose.

She knew the clock must've been much after seeing the boys up, but exactly what time was it? Noon? Her eyes widened as she recalled them having a schedule and thinking they might be late because of her. The mild state of shock filled her as she tried to think of all reasons why today was different. Why was she the last one up when she usually was the first?

"What time is it?" She shrieked with her sleepy voice while trying to look for her dear alarm clock that wasn't anywhere to be found. The boys, Taemin and Jonghyun, had a hard time trying to suppress their surprised laugh. She was just so cute as she truly believed they were late because of her.

"Jieun, it's only 4 am." Taemin consoled the panicky girl and Jieun did relax. Only to cast them a suspicious look.

"Why in the world are you two awake at 4 am?" She crossed her arms. For no clear reason at all, maybe exhaustion to be blamed, Jonghyun started to laugh like a lunatic, clutching on his hurting stomach and falling on the floor to laugh some more.

"Okay, what is this noisy ruckus in these godly hours?" Key said as he barged to the room with a huff, his white kitchen apron still tied around his waist. Jonghyun seemed to think even that hilarious since his laughter just rose louder. Key looked at his mate before lifting his gaze to meet Jieun's.

"Jieun!" He exclaimed and started making his way to her, stepping on the poor mat called Jonghyun on the progress. But Jonghyun's shout of agony went past his ears. "He-" Key started as he sat next to Jieun, "-didn't wake you up, right?" He continued and cast a glare towards the now calm dino, who was actually innocent.

"No." She replied with a big yawn. Key heaved a relieved sigh and smiled to himself. "So, where are we going today?" Jieun suddenly asked and enough to be said, the boys tensed up. Jieun looked at them curiosly. "What? It's not like you'd be awake otherwise." She stated nonchalantly and rose from her bed to get some breakfast.

She didn't see how tense Key's smile was. She totally missed how Taemin, her brother, had frozen to his spot with wide eyes. She had even missed how Jonghyun was left mouth agape. She didn't see the big picture of how that question hit right on the nerve.

She just blindly walked to the kitchen, where Onew was placing rice on her plate. She didn't even realize seeing Onew awake this early was weird.

"Good morning, Jieun." He said after seeing her stagger out of the weirdly silent room. "What happened there? I thought I heard some loud noises, but now it's all quiet."

Jieun looked back at her room, but shrugged it off as fast as the suspicion arouse. "Don't know. They're all being crazy right now. Why the early wake up?"

"O-oh.. Well.. We.. Just have something to do today, a bit earlier than usual." Onew answered and Jieun nodded.

Meanwhile, in the supposingly 'quiet' room, the others were panicking and making a silent ruckus with intense whispering.

"Yah, she's already suspicious! What did you guys do?" Asked Key.

"What do you mean what did we do? You barged in and ran to her! Who knows, maybe she was too taken back by your clingy attitude!" Blamed Jonghyun.

"I'm always like that, idiot." Key said with narrowed eyes and crossed arms, before smacking Jonghyun's head.

"Aish, I shouldn't have come to this room in the first place.." Muttered Taemin.

"So it's your fault? You clumsy idiot! What will we do now? Tell her the truth?" Key suggested, making the other two grimace.

"We can't tell her the truth or she'll get mad at us!" Wailed Taemin. Key sighed and nodded.

"You're right." Agreed Jonghyun. "But she's going to find out anyway."

"True.."

"Sooner or later she'll be throwing tantrums at us.." They all pouted and pondered of all the possible ways to proceed their so called abandoning plan.

"But later is better." Declared Taemin, trusting he would be able to leave the maddened Jieun behind.

"Okay, call." Key agreed and Jonghyun did too after thinking it was the best to act super nice for her in the time being, in order to replace the rude trick they were about to do.

"Guys, hurry up! We must leave soon!" Hollered Onew from the kitchen that was occupied only by him and Jieun.

"Let's go." They all stated and left Jieun's room.

It was show time. Giving each other fast glances, the trio ran to Jieun and started to blabber with her non-stop. The poor girl was too tired to answer all the questions and respond to the sudden affection given to her. She felt suffocated by them.

Fortunately, her Prince Charming, or rather Prince Frog, arrived at the door.

"Hey, I'm back!" Yelled Minho as he took off his shoes and came to the kitchen. "Oh, it seems everybody is up already. Even our little princess!" He commented and ruffled Jieun's hair, making her giggle.

Sighing, the trio watched as the Frog Prince charmed her heart straight past them with that one sentence, all naturally and unaware of their plans.

"Where were you?" Asked the ever so curious Jieun.

"Me? Well.. Someone had to keep a special promise, right?" Jieun's face gleamed as she recalled Key's promise of getting an ice cream today. He even locked fingers, and look who's got his back now. Trying to sneak away, Key silently walked backwards until Jieun stopped him.

"Key oppa! You promised!" She complained and the mentioned person glared at Minho.

"Had to bring that up, huh?" He asked coldly and Jieun narrowed her eyes. Taking it as an advantage that Key decided to sit down right next to her, she kicked his shin as hard as she could. Little did she know, that Taemin also had the same plan, and so, Key got a double punishment.

Though he knew one was from Jieun, he started pointing fingers at Jonghyun. "Yah! You! How dare you kick me?" Key shouted.

"Huh? Me?" Jonghyun asked while pointing at himself.

"Yes, you!"

"I did not!" He tried to defend himself, but avoiding a chase was not an option. Both men dashed up, the other to run away and the other to chase. "Stop chasing me, Kim Kibum! It was obviously Taemin!" Begged Jonghyun for his dear life. Well, guess Key's wrath was more manageable than Onew's flicks.

"Prove it!" Shouted Key from behind him, dodging the furniture Jonghyun drew to slow him down at the same time.

"Fine!" Shouted Jonghyun and stopped in his tracks, causing Key almost to run to him. "My legs are too short to hit you from the other side!" Admitted Jonghyun in despair. He had indeed tried to reach to give him a kick himself, but was discouraged after his height wasn't enough even for that small thing.

Key carefully gave it a thought. "I almost forgot you were so short. My bad." He shrugged. "Taemin!!" And now he was after his next victim, Lee Taemin, who had already ran away the moment Jonghyun had stopped.

Jieun, on the other hand, was just calmly her favorite popsicle Minho had bought with knowledge, the watermelon flavored one, and enjoying the weird circus show her brothers were making. Not that it was new to her, some morning ruckus was always assured in their dorm. It wasn't like that before her, though. It was like she brought the inner child to surface on anyone that met her.

Taemin was an innocent maknae? Never heard of something like that. More like double the trouble with Jonghyun. Since Onew's mistakes and falls were always expected, he wasn't counted in. And don't even get started with Key and Minho.

"C'mon, Jieun. Let's go while those guys act all crazy." The clumsy Onew suggested, and together with her and Minho, they left to wait in the car until the troublesome trio would realize they had already gone.
....

"Waah! This building is so huge eeeeeeevery time I come here!" Jieun exclaimed happily in the quiet, spacious front hall. Who would be there before 5 am? If the guards and all weren't counted, of course.

Jieun was holding hands with the leader and her Frog Prince, and the late comers were sulking behind them.

"We should be holding her hands since we made the plan after all.. What's with those ignorant ones?" Muttered Key.

"I know, right.. I'm off to a foreign land and I can't even hold hands with my sister before that. It's so depressing.." Taemin sighed. Jonghyun on the other hand was still upset by his height that he only cursed inside of his dino head.

Suddenly, Key spotted a familiar person around the front desk and made everyone flinch by his sudden shout."Yoona!"

Jieun looked to the direction Key was looking at, and gasped as she saw a gorgeous woman turning around and smiling at them widely. Jieun admired her beauty, knowing she would never in million years look that beautiful.

She recognized her as a part of Girls' Generation, the girl band that was often in the same programs with SHINee. And that particular girl there, that Yoona, was the one that rushed to greet her every time. Not that Jieun liked it.

She ran away every time Yoona tried to get closer to her, saddening the woman. But the idol wasn't to be blamed at all. Jieun was just too afraid of speaking to strangers, she'd rather try to hide and be alone than stuck in a room full of unknown people.

When she tried to talk anyone else than her family or SHINee, her heart beat so fast like it was racing against a rally car, and she lost all words along with her voice. She hated herself in that situation, always looking like an idiot anyway and she only confirmed it with her inability to speak.

"Aigoo, our cute Jieun is here!" Yoona exclaimed and tried to come closer again, thinking SHINee's presence would help her this time. Jieun frowned at her sickly sweet, upbeat voice that made her shiver.

Yoona lowered herself to her level and smiled right in front of Jieun, who quickly ran behind Taemin.

"Am I really that scary?" Yoona asked with a pout, making the boys feel a bit pressured by Jieun's behavior. Just like I guessed, Taemin sighed and shook his head, she will never be comfortable with anyone..

"Hahaha, of course you are not! You are very pretty and kind. Jieun is just, well, shy meeting strangers." Key tried to explain.

"This isn't the first time, though.." Yoona muttered inaudible.

"Yoona!" Another girl's voice echoed in the silent building. Jieun's eyes widened as two more people were coming in their direction, greeting SHINee and Yoona before turning to gaze her. She gently bit her lip and tucked Taemin's shirt.

"What is it?" He asked her silently.

"C-can't we just get going already?" Jieun asked, making Taemin freeze. It was the time to tell the truth.

"I-I'm sorry, Jieun... But we will stay for now."

"But why? Don't you have a schedule?"

"Umm.." Taemin tried to make an eye contact with others, begging for help.

"Oh, Hyoyeon and Seohyun!" Greeted Minho. Jieun felt hotter and hotter as there were more people around. Of course SHINee's waiting room had more people, but they always left her alone. Those girls just focused on her, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Jieun! Why don't you hang out with them today?" Onew suggested. "This Yoona here is a nice girl, and I'm sure she would like to be friends with you!"

"Yup!" Yoona answered with an excited smile. Hyoyeon and Seohyun also smiled and nodded, trying to make her feel a bit safer. Yeah, not succeeding at all.

Jieun was confused. Why were her brothers pushing her to them? It had never been like this and she was very stressed of the outcome. She herself did not want to spend her day with the girls, no matter how nice and friendly they looked.

"Oppaaa!" She whined and pulled Taemin's hand. "I don't want to! Let's just go now." She pleaded.

"Jieun, I'm sorry, but our schedule is too tight to have you around.."

"I'll be a good girl and sit patiently, maybe even sleep while you're doing whatever you have to!"

Seohyun's eyes were filled with confusion, but soon her sharp eyes turned to blaming ones. "Didn't you.. tell her about this?" She asked carefully. The boys looked at her in shock, totally giving away that they hadn't told a thing to Jieun.

Jieun, scared out of wits by Seohyun's question, tried to drag Taemin to the elevator. "Go, go! Let's go!" But Taemin didn't even move an inch. Gulping loudly she carefully inspected her brothers faces. "What is.. going on..?" She asked.

Hyoyeon, finally grasping the situation as well, gasped loudly. "You didn't tell her you're leaving to Japan?"

Jieun froze. It felt as if her heart froze with her as well since she was unable to feel a thing, other than utter confusion. Her brothers were going to Japan... without her?

"You're... leaving..?" She asked skeptically. There was no way they would leave her alone, right?

"Jieun, we can't keep taking you everywhere with us for the rest of our lives... So we thought it was the best if you'd learn how to cope with other people as well." Onew tried to explain.

Even if it did sound convincing and quite truthful to others, tears of betrayal were already flowing down Jieun's cheeks. Hating to see his baby sister cry, Taemin stepped forward to console her.

But he was stopped by Jieun's harsh words because she could only see the negative side of this all; the one where she was abandoned. She was still a child after all.

"Oppa, I... I HATE YOU!" She screamed before dashing off.

"Jieun!" The boys tried to call after her, but their screams were left hanging in the air as she didn't want to hear them out. She just picked up her speed and disappeared behind a corner.

She didn't want to care about this all as much as she really did. She only wanted to be alone. Because that was what she was going to be when the boys left, alone.

They were going to Japan. And she wasn't going with them.