With Hoya and Woohyun slogging their butts off at the Woollim Entertainment practice rooms, Yoomi was very much left alone most of the times these days. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy time by herself, she was very much a loner type of person who could survive if she was to be by herself, unlike most girls who had to go about in groups or they'll die.

However, it got a little too lonely at times , she would admit.

But she didn't really have any other friends other than Woohyun and Hoya. She was on pleasant polite terms with the other nerds in school, but they weren't really close. The closest "friend" other than Woohyun and Hoya would be that dorky nerd who loved chicken, that sat beside her.

They weren't really doing a lot for their project yet, though it was going to be due the next week. That was why Onew asked her over to his house to finish the darned thing once and for all.

A note appeared on Yoomi's table while she was all focused on the math the teacher was explaining.

She blinked and looked over to Onew who gestured for her to read the note. She was a little startled. No one did this with her unless they were Hoya and Woohyun. And Onew didn't seem the type to pass notes in class.

Face it: he was a nerd.

She opened the note cautiously.

Hey Yoomi (:

I was wondering if you could come over to my house today after school? We still have that project to finish. A few reflections and such.

Taemin was whining for you to come over since he couldn't do his reflection about you, since he didn't know you really well... And I was hoping to know you better too. :D

I hope you can come over today. My house isn't dirty, you know. (:

Onew

Yoomi giggled a little and nodded towards Onew's direction. She saw him brighten and whisper something to Taemin who was in the same group as them two.

Taemin's face lit up like a light bulb and he forgot he was in class. He jumped out of his seat and yelled happily. "YIPEE!!!" he beamed.

The whole class burst into laughter at his sudden declaration, and Taemin turned red. "Ahehe... just...happy?" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Apparently the news of Yoomi going to Onew's house spreaded to Jonghyun, Key and Minho, and they too seemed a little happier than usual. Yoomi giggled to herself. These five friends were such dorky people. But cute.




Onew's house was not as neat as expected, but it was cosy.

As expected, the whole of SHINee had tagged along, even though Key, Jonghyun and Minho were not in the same group and had already finished their project. They were just eager to find out more about Yoomi.

Or maybe they were just deprived of a younger female presence. Heh.

Onew reddened as he ushered Yoomi in, and picked up his books strewn around the couch hurriedly, clearing space for her to sit. "You house looks nice, Jinki sshi." she smiled.

Onew blushed pink, which looked really cute on him with those pink tints on his cheeks. "Ah." he flustered. "I'll get you drinks!"

"I want lemon tea hyung!" Jonghyun hollered.

"Banana Milk!!!" Taemin called after him.

Onew's head poked out of the kitchen with a displeased expression. "Do I look like your maid?" he demanded.

Key gave the leader a look. "Just get the drinks dubu hyung." he flicked his fingers in the most diva-ish way Yoomi had ever seen. How was this guy a nerd seriously!! "And don't you dare make my baby starve. Give him milk." he demanded.

Taemin beamed. "Thank you Key Umma!!"

Yoomi laughed at the weird exchange, giggling to herself. When she cooled down, she realised the four of them looking intently at her. She became aware of herself and reddened. "Yes?"

"Your laugh sounds so pretty, noona." Taemin beamed at her.

Yoomi flushed pink. "Thank...you?" she blinked, embarrassedly.

Minho whacked Taemin's head. "You can't say that to her face, she'll be embarrassed!"

Taemin pouted. "It's not like I have any experience talking to girls anyway!" he defended. "And hyungs, you aren't even supposed to be here! Onew hyung, noona and I are a group, you three have already finished with your work!"

"But we want to talk to a girl too!" Jonghyun whined cutely.

Yoomi giggled again, trying to keep it in. Onew soon returned with lemon tea for all of them, except banana milk for the maknae. He smiled at Yoomi shyly. "Are you hungry? We can order chicken." his face looked eager.

"You really like chicken that much, huh, Jinki sshi?" Yoomi giggled.

"Oh you don't know." Jonghyun rolled his eyes. "We almost eat chicken EVERY MEAL. Thank god for Key the diva who wants everything his way, or we'll die of chicken overdose." (Reference to SHINee golden star bell where Jonghyun reveals that Key would insist on his way when choosing what to eat. Aigoo~)

Onew turned red. "Let's start with the project shall we?" he flustered. "I'll talk about myself more, so you can have things to write about in the reflections."

"Someone's trying to leave a good impression." Jonghyun whispered.

"YAHHH!" Onew turned even redder.

"Don't let him speak!" Minho threw a pillow at the poor leader. "We'll tell you about him instead. It's more accurate from other people's mouths!"

The poor leader was left with no choice while SHINee spilt every single embarrassing thing about him. How his obsession with chicken left him with no money to take the bus one time and had to call the maknae Taemin to bring him home. How he fell knocked into lamp posts for twenty seven times since they've met. How he had this Onew syndrome where his klutziness wasn't to be defeated.

Yoomi had never laughed so much in her life, even when she was with Woohyun and Hoya. They were good to her and they had fun, but SHINee brought laughter to a whole new level. They joked around casually, not being like nerds who only studied at all.

"How about you, Yoomi?" Onew asked after being so embarrassed. "Tell us about yourself."

Yoomi cocked her head to the side. "I don't have much to talk about." she confessed. "What nonsense." Key waved it away. "Then just tell us the few things then."

Yoomi tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well..." she puffed her cheeks cutely, making the five guys look adoringly at her. "I live with my mother only. My father cheated on my mother, running away when I was six. So me and my mother had to change houses frequently to accomodate to her change of jobs. Until I moved here and met Woohyun oppa. He was my first real friend. I had been very much bullied and looked down upon in the past."

Onew softened as he gazed at her. He never thought she had such a past.

"Woohyun oppa broke my emotional shell." she told them. "I was afraid to get close to anyone in case they betrayed me. He treated me well and didn't mind that I was a nerd. Hoya oppa moved next to me a few years later, and we became great friends too. I can't imagine without anyone of them, and I'm really glad they got into Woollim as trainees to pursue their dreams. Though...sometimes I wish Woohyun Oppa didn't have a girlfriend." she whispered the last part. "He...doesn't have that much time left for Hoya oppa and me."

SHINee soaked everything in and remained quiet. "Noona, you sound like those girls in the dramas." Taemin suddenly blurted. "When you're talking about Woohyun, you sound like those girls who-"

Onew covered Taemin's mouth, seeing how uncomfortable Yoomi was. "Don't sprout rubbish." he chided softly. He shot a worried gaze at Yoomi who's face was pale at what Taemin said.

He lowered his gaze. *So that's how it is.*