Taemin P.O.V

I shouldn’t have told Amber. I really shouldn’t have told her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, I did but… she was the first person I’d told about this since Key. I told him about it and it took him some time before he fully was able to be my friend again. I guess he was a bit freaked out by the thought… it was after that, Key turned overprotective.

“Taemin ah, I’ll use the last eggs,” Amber yelled from the kitchen, “is that okay?” I nodded though she couldn’t see it.

“N-neh…” After changing from the school with Key and the others, I started getting bullied. Not physic, only with words. The first school was most people talking behind my back when I walked pass them and I heard rumors.

The next school – my last before this one – was more obvious. The bullying started getting worse, they started yelling at me and give me small shoulder-pushes and elbows in the ribs. I didn’t really like them, so I tried to look like I didn’t care and I got used to it, not fully, but enough to get through a day acting strong.
I had met Taecyeon and his gang some times after that day, but his gang always held him back from starting again. I feared meeting him alone, and I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later.

At the breakfast, there was a really awkward silence. Amber tried to start some conversations about our dance, but my answers were unusually short, ‘cause I couldn’t come up with anything better.

“When will your mum be home?” Amber tried again at the same time I opened my mouth.

“Amber, I’m sorry. Really, I shouldn’t have told you about… about it…” Amber sighed and laid her fork down.

“Why are you apologizing? You told me about something from your past and even though it is a bit… harsh, I’m glad you did. You can trust me, okay?” she smiled a bit, “so stop saying sorry.” I nodded.

“I… she is home on Monday…” I mumbled. Amber looked confused at me.

“Eh?”

3^rd Person P.O.V

Taemin and Amber decided to take a break from the dance-practice and they spend their day at a skater-park nearby, fooling around and eating ice-cream on Taemin’s treat. Taemin had forgotten everything about how it felt to have that much fun and just loosened up and enjoyed his day fully.

Amber was just happy to finally get a friend like Taemin. He was… the missing part of her puzzle of a life. The only thing that she could point out as a bad thing was the ten seconds she saw Taecyeon nearby, staring at them with a creepy smirk on his face.

The two next weeks went by pretty fast. For Taemin and Amber, dancing was their first priority and even in the school-breaks they practiced in the soccer-field. They wanted to win. They wanted to show that even people like them could do something big. It was going to be on TV and everything! After a week’s practice Taemin walked around in the heels, just as well as the girls at school, and even though he was embarrassed about it, he was also secretly proud that he managed to learn it in such a short time. The most embarrassing about it was that one time, his mum came home earlier than expected and saw him dance around in both dress and heels. He explained the situation right away and even though his mum didn’t seem to like the idea much, she didn’t say anything, only said one single sentence.

“It’s your future…”

It was two days before the competition. The whole class was gathered and the teacher was telling about how the competition would be. He told that the teams would have the next day to practice on stage with the other teams and such. No one noticed that one of their classmates moved away from them and against the schoolbags.

Taemin P.O.V

I walked down a small road. Only a few family bungalows laid here and the little playground where Amber had asked me to meet her. Why, I didn’t know, but since she lived nearby, I didn’t thought further and just walked, listening to music and dancing inside my head. As I arrived the playground, there were no sign of Amber… yet. I looked at my watch – 2 minutes to go. I sat down at a swing, and since no one was around I started swinging while humming the song.

Five minutes passed and still no sign of Amber. I stopped the swing and got of to look around. Next thing I felt was someone pushing me from the back.

“Hello Taemin. Do you remember me?” a voice said just before I felt a big pain in my ribs.

I don’t know when I fainted away. I remember a lot of pain being added to my body in something that felt like hours before I dozed of. I tried to sit up but a pain flew through my entire body and made me collapse on the ground, a mix between exhausted and pain. I didn’t feel any wind here.

Where am I?

Amber P.O.V

I stood in front of the school gate, looking for Taemin. It wasn’t like him, coming this late. He always arrived before me and I had been here ten minutes already. Some alarms started ringing in my head… but maybe he was just sick? I found my phone to call him, but before I got the change, Taecyeon and Yoona passed and I heard Yoona mention Taemin’s name.

“…text Taemin and got him?” she asked, not really lowering her voice. Taecyeon nodded with a smirk.

“Yup. Don’t worry, he won’t be ready for the competition tomorrow,” he said and laughed.

“Good! And that boy, Liu, didn’t notice anything, did he?” Taecyeon shook his head and now Yoona laughed. I widened my eyes. Noticed what? And what was it with a text – how did Taecyeon get Taemin’s number?! Without thinking I went out of the caller-program and to the text to check. A message. To Taemin. Sent yesterday under dance-class.

Hellow >w<’ Meet me at the playground near-

I barely finished the text before I started running against the gate. Taemin had been in danger, and somehow, I felt guilty.

I arrived at the playground but no sign of Taemin. Or anyone, actually. No kids, no parents, not even a single bird. Everything was silent, and that made me even more worried. I tried to imagine what had happened last night. Taemin had been here. If he came before Taecyeon and no one was here, he would probably sit down some place. I looked around and agreed with myself that it was the swing he would use for that. I smiled a bit, even though it was a serious situation. I walked towards it, but stopped as my foot hit something. I looked down and stopped. An iPod? I bend down and took it up. Taemin’s… I recognized the sticker on the back and unconsciously clenched my fists when I saw blood on it. I went nearer the swing and noticed more blood on the ground. Then I turned around and started running back against the school.

“OK TAECYEON!” I stormed against the shed the gang usually spends their breaks in if it wasn’t the cafeteria, not caring about the other members of the gang, as I headed towards Taecyeon, “tell me what the you have done to Taemin and where I can find him. I give you ten seconds.” I tried to look as harsh at him as possible but he didn’t move an inch. His eyes, on the other side, looked at bit nervous.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Liu.” He said cold, “Isn’t he your partn-”

“Don’t you ing dare to lie to me!” I spat, “one thing is you’re afraid of losing against us, another is physically hurting someone and hide him somewhere alone after it. I went to the playground and I found blood, Taecyeon, blood! And do you know what I also found?” I reached for the broken iPod in my pocket and showed it in his face, “this! Taemin’s iPod. Now, tell me where I can find him or I’ll freaking pull you to the police-station and make you regret even living!”

“Taec, is that right?” One of the guys – don’t ask me about his name, I never bothered about learning it – asked.

“Of course it isn’t,” Taecyeon looked at him, “why the hell would I hurt that ? He is nothing to my besides another student.”

“He is your ‘enemy’ for the dance tomorrow… and he is good,” another dude said, “Taecyeon, tell him where the hell the kid are. Even you can’t be that heartless, especially not if the kid needs help…” Taecyeon stared at the guy.

“Are you-”

“I’m your hyung,” the guy said, “maybe not as tough as you, but the hell. Tell him, the kid won’t be able to do it tomorrow anyways if you really did beat the crap out of him!” In that moment I both felt grateful and hatred against the boy. Grateful because he actually seemed to help me, hatred because he seemed to be right.

Taemin wouldn’t be able to make it tomorrow.

“Two blocks away from the playground you can find an old bunker at the end of a street. It’s easy to come in,” Taecyeon looked at me with a smirk, “there you go. Go find your little friend.” I didn’t say any words. Just turned around and left.

“A-Amber?” Taemin slowly opened his eyes the moment he laid in my bed. I sat down on the edge and held a wet cloth against the wound on his forehead.

“Neh… it’s me,” I smiled a bit, “how are you feeling? Are you okay?” He tried to sit up, but couldn’t really keep himself up. I supported his back with my free hand and tried to push the pillow against it to support for me. It succeed in someway and I saw Taemin smile a bit.

“Tae, how are you feeling?” I asked again, “does it hurt much?” Taemin shook his head, but I could see he was lying. The pain showed out of him.

“I-I’m fine hyung,” he said, “d-don’t worry… We’re going to wi-”

“You are not dancing in that state.” My father entered the room and looked at him. I smiled to him and for once felt grateful that my father was working at the hospital. Not anything big, but he knew how to take care of wounds like those Taemin had.

“Amber, honey, can you go and get me a new wet cloth?” he asked and I nodded and left. Even though we lost the competition even before it started, I felt happy now. Taemin was in good hands.

Taemin P.O.V

“Have you called the school yet?” Amber’s dad asked Amber as she had handed me some soup to eat. Before she even answered, I opened my mouth.

“I called them. No worries,” I said and smiled a bit as both Amber and her dad looked at me.

“You have?” Amber asked in disbelief, “really?” I nodded and instead of explaining further, I started eating.

Truth, I didn’t call the school. Hell no. I knew Amber was going to watch tomorrow, and I was going to be there too and win that competition. I wouldn’t let Taecyeon stop me or get me down. Hell, I was going to show him how a real dancer danced. No one could stop me.

I had Amber’s dad driving me home that night, even though he wanted me to stay so he could watch over me. Feeling perfectly fine – or almost – I said it wasn’t needed and I slept best in my own bed. Her dad followed me to the doorstep, hoping to get to say a word or two to my mother about how to treat me, but she wasn’t home. Not a surprise for me, Amber’s dad on the other way gave me a list of things and his phone number to my mum if it was necessary. As he went back to his car and I had closed the door, I crumpled the paper and threw it in the trashcan before I went to my room. It still hurt to walk around, but it was getting better after a dozen painkillers. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

“TAEMIN, I’M GOING NOW!” I opened my eyes. Why was she yelling? She never told me when she left, so why today? Annoyed I turned around to get my phone, not answering her as I heard the front door close anyways. I checked the time. 7:18am. I decided to get up already, I had to be ready for the competition. I also knew that the opponents had to meet at 12 o’ clock at least. I already knew what to say if they asked why Amber wasn’t there yet – Her parents’ car broke down so she had to use the bus. I swung my legs out of bed and as soon as I tried to get up, a sudden rush of pain was added to my body. I’m pretty sure I screamed or something as I fell back in my bed and made some weird face. How the hell could it hurt that much?!

It was a lot better after I had a handful painkillers and was standing in the shower, leaning against the wall while letting the water flood down my body. At 9 o’ clock, I had eaten a big solid breakfast and was practicing my moves when the phone ringed. I paused the music and picked it up.

“Yobeoseyo?” I said while I kept dancing with my feet and checking the watch to be sure I wasn’t late.

“Baby, it’s Key. Me and appa is going to arrive at 12 o’ clock, okay? Promise to make me happy!” I laughed and nodded.

“Neh. I can’t come and pick you up since I hate to be backstage at that time, but you know where it is~”

“Of course we do. Are you and Liu going to make us proud?” I nodded.

“We’re going to kick their asses,” I said with a laugh.

“Yah! My baby shouldn’t talk that way!” Key whined, “but okay… sounds good,“ now he also laughed, “I should say hi from Jonghyun and good luck~”

“Thanks. Greet him back, ‘kay? I gotta go~” And without waiting for an answer I hung up.