Pulling up to the Lee family house, ShinWoo turned off his engine and then sat back. He turned to see TaeJin asleep next to him. They ended up spending the entire day together and no one bothered either of them. It was strange being so near her. He’d felt something with MiNyu but this was a bit more intense. He leaned forward and his lips. Leaning in to her face, he kissed her, his eyes closing naturally. They were soft and moist, and then she pulled her face away.

TaeJin looked out the window and yawned, “We’re back? Thanks, man,” she stated and moved to open the car door. But ShinWoo reached out and grabbed her wrist.

TaeJin turned and ShinWoo swallowed. “I like you a lot, Lee TaeJin.” He felt his accent want to slip out but he held it back, not because he had to, but he didn’t feel confident enough to unwind around her.

TaeJin swallowed and then pleaded softly, “Don’t do this.”

But ShinWoo continued, “It’s not your skill or your music that I like, but it’s you. I want to be with you,” he concluded, very carefully, suddenly realizing just how impossible their situation was.

With practiced composure, TaeJin replied, “Thank you for your confession, but I don’t date younger men, sorry,” she replied coolly.

ShinWoo felt anything but cool as she turned from him to get out of his car. How dismissive she was made him uncomfortable, so before she could get out, he reached out and held her shoulders from behind her. TaeJin stiffened and ShinWoo knew the feelings between them weren’t just one sided.

TaeJin shook off his embrace and got out of the car quickly. So, ShinWoo hurried out of his car and hurried to grab her wrist as she walked towards the house. When she pulled her arm back, ShinWoo turned her around to face him.

She wasn’t short nor was she petite. She was complete with curves and commendable assets. He couldn’t ignore them and when she cried out, “Let go!” ShinWoo couldn’t help himself. He pulled her closer and let his lips crash on to hers.

Surprised, TaeJin leaned back, away from him, but ShinWoo held on. Even when TaeJin placed her hands on his sides and pushed, he pulled her close. He didn’t want to let go.

“Hey!” came a shout and then ShinWoo was shoved from TaeJin, who covered her lips, tears in her eyes. Randy had broken their kiss and as TaeHyun hurried up the drive from his car, Randy commanded, “Take your sister inside.”

TaeHyun grabbed TaeJin and pulled her inside as Randy glared down at ShinWoo. SoLin hurried out and jumped between her husband and ShinWoo. “ShinWoo, what are you doing here?” SoLin asked quickly.

“If a girl doesn’t want to be kissed, DON’T KISS HER,” Randy growled, ready to beat ShinWoo down.

SoLin’s eyes widened, “You kissed TaeJin?”

“Well, I confessed to her tonight, and then she –” ShinWoo tried to explain, but felt rather confused and helpless.

SoLin pushed a hand against Randy’s chest and then turned to ShinWoo, “Go home, now. Don’t call us, we’ll call you, now. Good night, ShinWoo,” she added and shoved him away.

***

At the A.N.Jell house, MiNyu walked in later than usual. She’d gotten used to finishing work to visit the Lee house, have dinner, and then check on MiNam before going back to the apartment she rented by herself. They had agreed it would be best to have her try to spend more time with her relatives and live apart from the rest of the group, wanting to see how the separation was form them. And, though TaeKyung found it frustrating, MiNyu seemed to be alright with it.

So, when she saw him, she sat down adjacent from him and asked, “Are you alright, TaeKyung-Oppa?”

TaeKyung looked at her and then asked, “Are you really considering going with Lee SoLin to America?” Neither of them noticed ShinWoo and Jeremy listening from different parts of the house, hidden from view. MiNam, also, stood on the landing of the staircase, deep in thought.

MiNyu sighed and knew the talk had finally come. “Being here, close to you, makes me happy. I am content and comfortable. But, if I go to America, everything is different and strange. I will be out of my comfort zone and every day will be unpredictable. As exciting as it would be, it is also frightening.”

TaeKyung nodded, trying to listen without pushing her a certain way. He wanted her to stay. And by staying, he knew, it meant she would choose him, or so he thought. He wanted life to make sense and them to get over that road block that was happening. He wanted to be intimate with her, and he wanted, above all else, to have her next to him for always.

MiNyu nodded and then stated, “I am flattered by their invitation but, if I’m away from MiNam-Oppa or you, I feel that would be too much. So, I will stay here and continue the life I have set up here.” Even as she spoke, MiNyu felt the tears drop from her eyes. She’d wanted to accept and get to know her family better, to see their lives and know more about her parents, but knew TaeKyung didn’t like it the moment she told him about it.

TaeKyung felt his heart squeeze and then, he pulled her closer to him and simply held onto her. He felt relief and smiled, but that didn’t feel right. He felt her shoulders shake and then, he realized that, maybe, she was more tired than she led on. TaeKyun sighed and rubbed her back.

Jeremy thought hard about what he’d heard and then laid back, on the patio, not wanting to think. From the roof top steps, ShinWoo sighed and then touched his lips. He checked his phone and then sighed, again, bowing his head in defeat. As for MiNam, he felt a great pain in his heart as he realized how hard the decision was for his sister, and that she ought to go instead of stay. Her tears, he knew, were because she wanted to go, but was afraid of losing TaeKyung. Or, was that all it was?

***

For two days and two nights, ShinWoo sat next to his phone and answered it whenever he heard a ring or thought it did. When nothing came, he found it odd but never questioned it. Instead, he simply waited.

And then, TaeHyun showed up at the A.N.Jell practice room. He was tall and knew it. He smiled as he stated, “I would like you guys to perform at our showcase. Any three songs you want, just let me know in advance so I can prep them for you with the orchestra.”

At that TaeKyung stated, “We will discuss it and then get back to you.”

TaeHyun chuckled and then repeated, “Let me rephrase this for you,” he smiled and stated, “A.N.Jell will perform three songs  at our showcase If you decline, we will withdraw our invitation to have you visit our American studio later this year.”

TaeKyung frowned and ShinWoo felt his heart squeeze. They’d never had an international offer of that magnitude. If anything, they’d done separate gigs, modeling and what not, but never to visit an international sound studio as a guest, and whatever else it may mean for them.

Off of their confused looks, TaeHyun frowned and asked, “You guys did know we invited you and your President accepted, right?”

MiNam cleared his throat and asked, “Who made the proposal?”

“My father, who else?” TaeHyun replied and then looked around the room. “Could it be, it ws supposed to be a surprise or you guys didn’t accept it yet?”

ShinWoo turned to TaeKyung, “Maybe that’s what the President wants to talk to us about but we’ve been too,” he paused, and then finished with, “busy.”

TaeKyung nodded and stepped out of the room quickly. TaeHyun sighed and hurried after TaeKyung, wondering what was going on.

In the hallway, ShinWoo caught TaeHyun and he pulled the Americanized boy aside to an outdoor patio. “Hey,” ShinWoo started and then looked away, “how’s your sister?”

TaeHyun smiled and shrugged, “Getting ready for the concert and packing to go home. This isn’t home for us, just the stop before we go home.” ShinWoo was silent and so, TaeHyun asked, “Do you really like her?”

ShinWoo shrugged, still refusing to look at TaeHyun, “It’s none of your business.”

“Then why are you asking me about her?” TaeHyun asked, leaning back against the railing.

ShinWoo shrugged, “Just asking.”

TaeHyun looked ShinWoo over and then let out a shout of laughter that surprised ShinWoo. “Let me just tell you now, you’re not her type.”

“How would you know?” ShinWoo shot back, finally turning glaring eyes on TaeHyun.

“Dude, you can’t even admit you like her. And if you did, what could you do about it from here?” TaeHyun asked and then shook his head. “TaeJin needs to marry a man who understands her cultural struggles and needs. As Asian Americans, we will always be a part of two worlds, without really belonging to either. She needs someone who can be compatible with her music abilities and someone who can teach her more,” he added, rather thoughtfully.

ShinWoo felt sick and then growled, “You mean, someone like you?”

TaeHyun thought for a moment and then nodded, “Yeah, someone like me. Not me, because that would be gross, but someone like me. And sorry, bro,” TaeHyun added, casually, “you’re nothing like me.”

ShinWoo swallowed and returned, “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

TaeHyun smiled and winked at ShinWoo, “You flirting with me, now? Geez, you move fast,” TaeHyun teased as ShinWoo let out a deep sigh. TaeHyun looked at ShinWoo and then asked, “What do you like about my sister? None of that crappy, ‘she’s nice’ excuses. I want the truth. Man to man,” TaeHyun added.

ShinWoo thought about it for a moment. He wondered why he would share such intimate thoughts with this man he’d met, this man that had kissed him, this man who seemed to challenge everything about him.

ShinWoo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the light draft, and replied, “She is like a double-stringed electric guitar. Beautiful and dangerous, tempting and very, very, experienced. She can play anything and chooses carefully what to let others hear of her. She is proud of her sound despite her wears and tears.” Surprising himself with his words, ShinWoo opened his eyes and stares into space, “She is both strong and powerful and vulnerable. But when the right guitarist plays, her music is magical.”

TaeHyun listened and rolled his eyes. “Call her whatever you want to, but since you see her as a guitar, I should ask you this,” ShinWoo turned to TaeHyun, “are you worthy of playing her?” ShinWoo’s silence was answer enough and so TaeHyun pat ShinWoo’s shoulder twice before he added, “A confident guitarist never wins against a passionate guitarist. Remember that if nothing else,” TaeHyun smiled and walked away.

ShinWoo stood alone for a moment, grilling over their conversation. How had things turned into what they were? Where did he go wrong in his seemingly simple pursuit of TaeJin? Had he always been like this, even when pursuing MiNyu? Is that why she chose TaeKyung?

His mind filled with thoughts, his phone chimed and he looked down to see, ‘Special performance at the park, bring your guitar and bongos,’ posted on TaeJin’s fan café page. He swallowed and put his phone away. He stared up at the sky and wondered what he ought to do.

***

TaeJin sat with a small group of fans at the park. A few others had their guitars out as a few had bongo drums. She smiled and played, allowing others to pick up on it before she sang the first lines of “Alive” by Krewella. Her voice was silky and smooth, others joined in as they saw fit, but no one fully sat with her.

Several chose to simply sit and listen as TaeJin pulled her voice through the songs of popular Korean artists, or her version of their music, softer and much prettier. At one point, as she semi-rapped, the fans laughed when they realized she sang, “Heartbreaker” by G-Dragon. Whatever she played, she sang with it, and those with her felt at ease and happy to be with her in that moment.

As the night wore on, the shadows shifted, but those who stayed back still heard her despite her not seeing them. And one of them, in a black hoodie, watched with still and clear eyes. As she had encouraged, some brought candles for lanterns, and as the sun set, more candles were lit and the soft light that illuminated her made her appear angelic.

“I do like her,” ShinWoo finally admitted to himself, careful to keep his hoodie over his head. But the attention wasn’t on anyone but the young woman who serenaded her fans in the park by candlelight.

She wasn’t looking for love. And somehow, he found himself basking in the love he felt for her. He was eager to give her love. Was it love, though?