Onew POV:

And so the good byes commence. It was the 1st today, the same day Nicole is due to leave. I hung back to help Nicole's mum lift the luggages on to the airport trolley, and watched as the others hugged each others, everyone letting go a little reluctantly. Nicole was being hugged by Taemin, his back facing me. 

Nicole's eyes were looking straight at me, still slightly troubled. Cursing under my breath, I set the last luggage onto the trolley and pushed it towards the group. 

She let go of Taemin, and she held her arms out to me. I smiled, bemused, before stepping forward to receive her hug. She curled her arms around my neck, and her head came to rest on my shoulder. She tilted her head so that was to my ear.

I turned slightly so that the others could only see our side profile.

"Oppa....Don't torture yourself like that, okay? Please tell them what's going on...even if you won't tell me much more than the gist of it. I promised not to tell them, and that promise I shall keep. But if I call one day, to find out you haven't spoken a word.... I will tell." she whispered quickly, her breath tickling my ear.

She pulled away quickly, winking at me. I smirked at her, following her act. I tugged on her pig tail as she yelped and shook a fist at me. 

"Well. Ready to go, Nicole?" her mum piped up. 

"Okay..." she shot a look at me, before grinning at the others. "Bye guys... I'll see you in a couple of years... promise! And... about Key.... tell him to wait... if he's willing to listen." she mentioned hesitantly.

I nodded, slipping over to pat Taemin on the head as he turned to bury his face in MInho's shirt. We watched as mother and daughter slip into the swarm of people at the airport, before turning to return home.

We sat in the subway, quiet and brooding. Jonghyun fell asleep, head lolling onto my shoulder. His hand had found mine, and he was gripping on to it tightly.

I shut my own eyes, leaning my head onto his. Nicole's ambush that day was disturbing, troubling and too revealing, not to mention observant of her.

"Onew oppa? Can you bring me to the toilet? I don't really know my way around your house..."

"Sure" Onew grinned, not noticing Nicole's suspiciously sugary sweet tone.

He flung open the door, only to be pushed in and have the door locked. He stared at Nicole, eyes wide. 

"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking so... troubled, like something is haunting you."

"Nothing's wrong!" he straightened up, prepared to bluff. He smiled, "You're over thinking things, silly"

"Don't. Now spill." she pushed him backwards, forcing him to drop onto the bathtub's edge.

He scrabbled for grip before managing to secure a balance to sit on the edge.

"I..." he trailed off under her glare, her crossed arms and stiff back telling him she wasn't going to be fooled.

"Fine." he muttered, shooting a glance under the closed door. "Lee Taemin and Kim Jonghyun! I swear if I open the door and you're still there, you're both going to get it." he called out suddenly. 

A bang on the door sounded, much like someone knocking their head against the wood, and rushed footsteps sounded. 

"How did you.."

"There's a gap between the threshold and the door's bottom" he shrugged, and looked straight into her eyes. 

She faltered, shocked by what she saw. His tone and what his eyes were telling her was totally different. His tone held nonchalance, but his eyes held insecurity and fear, a pained silence. 

"I realize that maybe the saying that eyes are the windows to the soul is true, because obviously that's the only way you could have found out." his grip on the bathrub tightened further, as if to stop them from showing his fear.

"Minho knows too... I can tell." she whispered.

"You can't tell them!" his voice rose, high with panic. "They don't need to know...that."

"That what?" she eyed his hands worriedly, watching as the veins popped out visibly from him clenching and holding onto something so tight.

"Something is coming to haunt me....nothing of the supernatural sort, of course." he chuckled pathetically, showing a tired grin to her.

"Why shouldn't I tell them? I can step out of this place right now and.."

"Don't. Please." he grabbed onto her wrist, eyes now pooled with worry and...she had a double take, and blinked. It was almost like hysteria, the fine threads spreading. "I don't want them to get hurt. Promise me. I'll tell them one day, just not now." he pleaded quietly.

"Fine, I promise." she let her hand fall to her side as his grip loosened on her. 

She watched as he stood up, splashed his face with water, and walked out with a shake of his head.

She corrected her words. 

He was good enough. Just not for long.

I shuddered as I opened my eyes to find ourselves arriving at our stop. Shaking Jonghyun awake, I lugged him along to catch up with the younger two, both of them turning to smile at me. I felt Minho's eyes roam my face, and I knew that Nicole was right. He knew. 

Holy mackerel I haven't done this in ages. HI GUYS :D

Long time no chat... one way chat anyway.

I'm like super maxed out! SO much tests.............. SO MUCH homework..... SO MUCH SCHOOL. 

Anyway! I hope you don't mind the really short chapters... they hold so much content that I feel like if I added on anymore POVs, it'll ruin the "feeling". You get it? You get it? Oh well.

Okay! I shall share a little story~~~~~~

Remember the friend I talked about? The one who spazzes about her crush and what not? Those who don't you can go to chapter 17's A/N xD 

They text practically everyday. And yesterday, she told me she wants to stop being an option to him, mainly because he always laments to her about his life problems but never listens to her when she needs a listening ear (that's where I come in).

And so she says if he sends me a text twice in a row, she'll reply, if it's only once, then she won't.

And I was like all, "yeah! go for it! don't let him play with your feelings" (But she nevers listens to me when i tell her he is always using emotional blackmail on her)

And guess what? he did send two in a row, and so she replied, true to her word. And apparently he asked her why she was replying to his texts so coldly and whether its his fault and blah blah blah. And you know what she tells me? (because apparently this guy is insecure and stuff)

"It makes me feel so guilty and want to protect him more!"

And I was therefore like...

what happened to not being an option?

But I don't really blame her. It's called a crush/infatuation. And I understand because well.. as you know. I have my own crush xD

And you know, he had never texted me before? Like of his own initiative. But he did last night. Even if it was about school. I was totally shocked.

I was like reaching over to take my phone when i heard it buzz with a text, and suddenly i see his name and I almost dropped the phone xD

Anyway... comment time!

OnTaeSupporter: heh.

Mistral: Hmmmm!

Dubu_Sangtae: Key is definitely missed.

keiirulee: Hehe.

Have to rush off! OKay! byeeeee