“I can’t believe our episode was canceled because the police took our tapes!” Taemin whined. “This !”

“Stop whining Taemin, you’ve been saying that for the last three hours. If you say that one more time, I’m going to throw you out of the car.” Key growled rubbing his eyes in annoyance. “And don’t think I won’t.”

With wide eyes, he clamped his mouth shut.

“Thank God.” Onew and the rest of SHINee muttered. Yaeyoung smiled at the scene.

“Hey don’t forget, for our inconvenience, they let us stay here for the rest of the trip!” she grinned, “More beach time!”

“Okay, we’re here!” Onew called and swiveled around. “Get out; I need to return the van.”

“Alright, alright! You don’t have to be so rude about it!” Key stuck out his tongue and left the van with the rest of them. Onew drove away with the van.

“Hey, hey Yaeyoung! Let’s go to the beach again! It was so much fun last time!” Taemin hopped around in energy.

“I’m up for it. What about you Minho?”

“Same.”

“Alright! Let’s go!” Taemin pumped his hand in the air excitedly. “Come on Yaeyoung!”

She looked sorry as she waved back at them, walking away, “Sorry guys, I’m going to look around this place. I’ve never been here before. I’ll meet you at the hotel later.” then she turned to Jonghyun, “Can you come with me? I’m not familiar with these roads. You’ve been here before right?”

He didn’t answer and just put on his backpack.

“Jonghyun?” Yaeyoung tilted her head and waved her hand in front of his face. “Are you listening to me?”

“Just get someone else to take you. I’m not the only one that came here before.” Emotionlessly he began to put together his things.

Slightly stunned, she blinked. Huh? Someone else? Is something wrong? Or is it just my imagination? “Come on Dino Head, you’re my boyfriend right?” that has got to get a reaction out of him.

“Am I really?” finished, he started to walk away.

No reaction. Yaeyoung stood there, shocked, staring at his fading figure. He didn’t say or do anything. And that answer…

“…mind.”

She looked up, distracted, “Huh? What did you say?”

Minho raised his eyebrows in question. “Don’t mind him. We’re going to go okay?”

“Oh, okay.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” Taemin asked worried at Yaeyoung’s sudden lackluster expressions.

With a small smile she shook her head, “No I’m good. I’m Chang Yaeyoung! I can find my way around. Go to the beach and have fun. I’ll see you later!” Yaeyoung replied waving.

“If you’re sure…”

“I am.” She said firmly pushed the three towards the direction of the beach. “Go. I expect you guys to tease Taemin as much as possible!”

“HEY!” Taemin cried, “I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON MY SIDE!”

Minho and Key smirked as Yaeyoung stuck her tongue out at the boy.

“I mean we don’t want to Taemin…” Minho started with an evil grin.

“But you know, Yaeyoung told us to.” Key continued with the same mischievous expression. “So…” the two picked the boy up by his armpits and started to carry him to their destination.

“See you later!” Minho yelled back.

“SAVE ME! PLEASE!” Taemin struggled but couldn’t release the two’s iron grip.

“Bye!” Key sang as they disappeared.

The remains of Yaeyoung’s smile slipped. Jonghyun… with a sigh, she started to walk in the other direction.

What’s wrong with this guy? He’s been quiet since the train incident. Did something I don’t know about happen?

Yaeyoung was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the mother and her young son in front of her until it was too late.

“Ooof.” The three grunted as they all fell down from the impact.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Yaeyoung apologized as she started to pick up the dirtied groceries. “I’m so sorry, I’ll pick these up for yo-,”

“No!” the mom slapped Yaeyoung’s hands away from the food. “No one can eat this anymore. No use in picking it up.” She looked pained as she looked at the inedible food.

“I can pay-,” Yaeyoung fruitlessly tried again.

“No.” the mom raised her hand and interrupted her. “I can’t let a young girl give me money. It was my fault. I’m responsible for this mess. Let’s go Gi Min-ah.” Taking her son’s hand she started to pull him away.

“But mom! Step-daddy is going to hurt you again!” he cried.

“Hush,” his mom silenced him. “Be quiet. You know better than to speak of it here.”

Hurt her? “I’m sorry but I couldn’t help but hear your conversation, who’s going to hurt you? Please tell me, I can help you.” Yaeyoung looked at her with genuine concern and the mother wavered for a second but hardened.

“No one. Come Gi Min.” she quickly moved away.

The boy, Gi Min stared at Yaeyoung and then gestured for her to lean in.

“Can you help us noona?” he whispered a touch of fear was shown in his face. Yaeyoung saw this and nodded.

“My daddy died. And this new daddy came in to our house. He was really nice at first but he started to take my mommy’s money and hurt her if she didn’t do as he said. He…he hit me too…” He looked up at the girl with large, terrified eyes, “I’m scared noona.”

A surge of anger filled her and she clamped her fist. Hitting a child? I’ll make you pay. Just wait you bastard.

Yaeyoung kneeled down in front of the boy and grasped his shoulders and gave him a little smile. “I’ll let you in on a little secret Gi Min-ah. This noona has very powerful friends and they are going to help you, but you need to do everything I say.”

With a grave face, he nodded furiously.

“Okay. Tonight, you and your mommy must make sure to go out. Make up some excuse to be out of the house okay?”

“Okay!”

“Then you two will go here.” Yaeyoung reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down a location and a number. “Someone is going to meet you there. Do everything that that person says okay?”

He looked at her in fright, taking the paper. “How do I know if the person is from you?”

Yaeyoung blinked and smiled. “You’re a very smart boy.” She pat his head and continued. “Listen carefully; when the person approaches you, you’re going to ask who sent him or her.”

“Like a password?”

“Like a password.”

“What’s he supposed to say next?” Gi Min looked at her with wide eyes.

“That Gi Min did.” she smiled.

“Me? I didn’t send him!” he said shocked.

“Yes, you did. You are going to save you and your mommy. Don’t be scared, you can do this.” Giving him one last reassuring smile, Yaeyoung stood up. Gi Min was about to argue when they both heard his mom yell for him.

“One last thing, in the future, if you have another problem, call that number and say that Alicia sent you.”

“Alicia?” he said with a puzzled expression. “Who’s that?”

She laughed, “Don’t abuse it though! Use it when you really need help alright?”

“Okay.” He nodded.

“GI MIN!”

“Go, and remember what I told you.”

“I will! Bye noona, thank you!” the boy yelled as he ran away.

She smiled as the hope grew on the boy’s face. Don’t worry. It’ll be alright. She turned and started to walk away, tapping her phone. “I’ve got work to do.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yea, I got it. How’s it going over there anyway? Anyone bothering you?”

“No I’m good. You don’t have to worry about me Jay.” Yaeyoung laughed into the phone, fiddling with her hair.

“How can I not worry about my sister huh?” he probed, “What about school?”

Oh shoot! School! I completely forgot about that! What am I going to do? Oh I know, I’ll just say I had…strep throat! Yea that sounds legit enough. “Uhh, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure? You’re voice doesn’t sound too sure. In fact…my phone says that you have an eleven percent anxiety level…” Yaeyoung could hear her brother tapping something on his phone. “Are you stressed? Too much school work? I heard that Korean schools are really tough. I could forge an excuse for yo-,”

“It’s fine Jay! I’m good. Gosh you’re worse than Anthony!” she chuckled and ran her hand through her hair.

“Anthony! Are you kidding me? Comparing me with that old geezer? No way.” Jay exclaimed in the phone.

“Yes way you dummy and he’s not old. He’s only four years older than you. Anyways where are you and Anthony?”

Jay fake gasped over the phone. “Alicia! How can I possibly know where Anth-,”

“Save it for someone who would believe it Jay. I know that you knew where each one of us were since mom told us to separate.” Yaeyoung rolled her eyes. “So, where are you two?”

“I’m in New York.” She could hear his smirk through the phone line as soon as he said the words.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Yaeyoung gasped. “I want to go there!”

“Well too bad! I’m here!” laughter rang in Yaeyoung’s ear.

She pouted, “Well you know what? The air pollution there . And you’re just in junior high so you won’t be able to get anywhere really fun.”

Jay smirked again, “Hey, I thought you knew me better than that! You know I look older than I actually am…”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Fake IDs baby!”

“You’re in so much trouble if mom finds out.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t.”

Rolling her eyes again at her brother’s childishness, Yaeyoung went on. “What about Anthony?”

“Oh him? Paris. You know his French rocks.”

“Gosh, that language is beautiful but the grammar is so confusing! I don’t get how he just absorbs all the information!” Yaeyoung groaned, “Curse his photogenic memory.”

“Whatever, he’s not the one with the built-in radar.”

“Well I’m not the tech genius either.” she shot back.

Yaeyoung’s eyes strayed to the clock as her brother went on and on about computers. It was fifteen to six! “Whoa! Jay I need to go! I’m having dinner with Jong-…” Oh shoot.

“What? Jong? Who the heck is that?” Jay bombarded through the phone. “Jong? Is that a boy’s name? GAHH I could never tell! Alicia! I’m going to ask Anthony if you don’t tell me!”

“It’s not a name Jay…I meant to say Jung…hee! Paper! I’m going to have dinner with a bunch of paper, aka my homework! Gosh I have so much! Yea, I’m running out of time so I’m going to go now! Okay bye!” Yaeyoung quickly shut her phone off and sighed. “I hope he actually believes that…Well the most important thing is that he knows what to do.”