AIGOO. MIANHAE so much for the lagging updates. I'm super busy studying for finals. I actually have a few more chapters drafted out but they're not quite ready yet >.< plus, I have decided I shouldn't do long stories/sequels anymore cuz I'm not like those writers who can write 50-chapter stories and not get tired of it :P I'm still working, so don't worry! Just the writing is kind of not as great anymore... T.T And, if the end of the chapter seems boring, like nothing happened, don't be fooled. Next update will be a total surprise...AISH i'll stop babbling now x)

So Hyeri has just figured out something is fishy... o.O

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“Yes?” I waited for his answer, growing more impatient by the second.

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” he finally admitted.

“No sherlock, I can see that,” I sighed, annoyed. “But what is it?”

Jonghyun’s face twisted into a pained expression. “Promise you’ll hear me out on this. Don’t leave before I finish the story. That’s all.”

“Fine,” I answered stiffly. “Begin.”

He took a deep breath. “You remember the scene with the two men holding guns at each other in the basement?” I nodded. Jonghyun cringed before continuing. “I was the man in the doorway.”

“Well then why did you tell me it was that Yunho dude who took my memory?” I asked, my voice rising.

“Let me finish,” Jonghyun demanded. He lowered his voice back to speaking level. “Jung Yunho was the man standing in front of you. I aimed for him. He moved and the shot hit you instead. The next thing I knew, I was holding your hand on your deathbed at the hospital. You don’t know the pain I suffered for three agonizing months believing the girl I loved had died at my hands.”

“Love?” I repeated blankly.

“You were my girlfriend,” he said, closing his eyes. “We had met barely a week prior to the event.” I prepared to be transported back into the memories which had been roped off to me forever.

“Our director Lee Soo Man had plunked you, who had just become jobless and homeless, into our Shinee group dorm. His intent was for you to...umm...serve us. He claimed we needed...uh...more masculinity. In any case, neither you, nor we, really wanted to go through with that. But we couldn’t refuse seonsaengnim’s wishes. So we cooked up a crazy scheme to assassinate him, that way we’d all be saved. We broke into a chemical warehouse at the dead of night, stole a small quantity of cyanide, and slipped it into the director’s wine at a party the next night, but he survived.

“At first, I thought I was indifferent to you because I was still angry that seonsaengnim had made me break up with my girlfriend at the time. What bothered me the most was that she was totally okay with it. When I was feeling down and getting drunk, you held me back and talked to me. You understood how to help me and make me feel better like no other.

“Then we had to travel to Shanghai and visit my mafia boss uncle so he could help silence the Lee Soo Man issue, which was gaining publicity. He told us that if we assassinated a certain man in Macau, he could guarantee our names cleared free of charge. Naturally, we went. Not only did you accomplish the mission successfully, but on that trip, somewhere in between you helping me with my ex-girlfriend and having fun at the Venetian, I fell for you. When we came back, I sang you a song I’d written over the past couple of days, and discovered you had feelings for me too. I was the happiest man alive that night.

“The next morning, we went to the SM building. You left for a few minutes, and then you were gone. The members and I found out TVXQ’s Jung Yunho had kidnapped you and was demanding ransom from me and me alone. I got the money from my hyung Onew, and headed to the warehouse where you were being held. The members insisted on backing me up despite Yunho’s orders. When I arrived, he had already you till you lost so much blood you were barely conscious. Yunho saw the others coming behind me and cocked his pistol, but I fired first, and...” His voice trailed off, ending the dramatic narrative.

“And you meet me three months later without saying a word.” I finished flatly. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

“Hyeri, I’m sorry. I’m not going to make excuses. But...I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them again.

“Jonghyun, did you ever think that maybe I would have listened? How much longer were you planning to lie to me? To take advantage of my ignorance?” My voice rose steadily higher and higher, spinning out of control as the tears sprung to my eyes. No, he can’t see you cry, I scolded myself. He can’t see how weak you’re feeling right now.

“I was planning to tell you soon,” he yelled. “I wanted to tell you. I hated fooling you. But what was I supposed to do when you vowed to forget? Bring the topic back up and have you suffer all over again?!”
“You had so many opportunities before that!” I shouted. “How am I supposed to trust you now? You’re the closest thing I had to a friend for the past week, and I find out I’m being lied to! What am I supposed to do?!”

“Hyeri, please!” Jonghyun bellowed, the blood rising to his face. “If you were in my place, you would have done the same. Can’t you at least try to understand? I would give up everything for you in a heartbeat. I loved you three months ago, I loved you through those terrible months when I thought you were gone, and I only love you more now. The time I spent thinking you died at my hands – believe me when I say I was seconds away from pulling the trigger on myself and joining you. It’s selfish of me, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I need to.” His passionate movements made the water ripple as his voice echoed in the hills surrounding us.

Oh how badly I wanted to believe him and run into his warm body and have him hold me there forever. “But how can I believe you?” I repeated. “How do I know you’re not just lying to me again?”

“Because I ing love you!” he cried. “If you loved me, you would put faith in me and let me show you I mean it. So are you going to trust me or not?” I could practically feel him radiating testosterone from the angry and frustrated tone in his voice.

Of all the horrible people in the world, liars were the most detestable. “I thought I loved you too,” I answered coldly, “but I’m not so sure now.” I stood up and grabbed the robe, quickly covering my body. I didn’t turn back to see his expression as I stumbled up the steps into the cabin, still trying to process everything.

We’d been in love. Why wouldn’t he tell me the truth then? I stripped out of the robe and quickly put on my normal clothes. Taking my bag, I made my way to the door, when I felt a strong hand on my back.

“Kajima,” Jonghyun commanded. Against my better judgment, I turned around. His eyes pleaded with mine frantically. “If I let you go this time I’ll never be able to forgive myself. Hyeri, I know I’ve wronged you and you have every right to refuse me now. But I can’t let you go without making sure. Just one word from you will silence me forever.” He held his breath, waiting for my response. (A/N: if any of you have read Persuasion by Jane Austen, you might recognize that quote from the end of Jjong's speech here! sorry just had to use that even if no one gets it >.<)

I could have stayed. I could have made everything easier by just leaning into his arms and forgiving him. But I just had to insist on making a point, stupid me. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. Taking my bag, I threw open the door and wriggled out of his grip without looking back, striding to the main building.

“Excuse me, is there a shuttle to Haneda Airport?” I asked the clerk.

“Yes, it’s arriving right now. You can catch it at the door here,” she replied.

“Domo arigato,” I responded, heaving my duffle over my shoulder once again and climbing onto the bus outside. You’re being unreasonable, I thought as the silent tears streamed down my face. It still wasn’t too late to return to the resort.

But he lied to you, the other, louder voice in my head said. Love is not about lies. All the way to the airport, I ignored the concerned stares and whispers of the tourists. Upon arriving, I immediately made my way to the Korean Air ticket counter. “Can I change this ticket to the soonest possible flight?”

“Let’s see what we have...” The service lady keyed in the code on my ticket. “There’s a flight departing for Seoul in half an hour. If you hurry you can make it before the gates close.”

“Kamsahabnida,” I bowed, taking the new ticket as soon as the printing machine spat it out. I passed through security silently and made my way to the gate without saying a word.

“Last call for flight KA878 departing for Seoul in 20 minutes,” the airline employee announced. I rushed to the boarding area and let her scan my passport and ticket.

“Have a nice flight,” she said as I entered the jetway. I smiled back weakly, finding my seat in coach – the only class available with such last-minute notice. Putting my bag in the overhead compartment, I picked up the blanket lying on the seat and draped it over my head, closing my eyes...

[Jonghyun’s POV]

She left. She really left. She doesn’t love me.

I stood, staring at the open door in shock for a good minute or two. Where had she gone? I stepped out into the quiet nature. “Hyeri!” I called, but the only response I got was my own echo.

Hastily stripping and throwing on my shirt and jeans, I grabbed my bag and dashed to the front office. “Excuse me, but can you tell me if you saw a girl just now? About 18, Chinese, purple duffle bag—”

“She just left on that airport shuttle to Haneda,” The clerk, rather bored, gestured towards a white bus that had just turned off onto the highway and was speeding off into the distance.

“When’s the next one?” I pressed urgently.

“Every half hour,” she sighed.

“Please, get me a taxi right now!” I begged. Pursing her lips, she pointed towards the door. “There’s one just pulled up out there. You can take it.”

“Neh!” I bowed and rushed out the door. “Wait!” I called to the driver, waving and jumping into the cab. “Haneda airport, please hurry!”

He nodded and began driving. I slid my phone back and forth anxiously for what seemed like the longest ride. The shuttle bus had disappeared from view. Jonghyun, you fool, I cursed myself. “Can you go faster?” I pleaded.

“Sorry, I can’t do much more without getting pulled over,” he shrugged apologetically, nevertheless easing the gas pedal just a little further down and giving us a burst of speed.

Song, write more lyrics, Jjong, it always calms you down.I took out my notebook and pencil. Chewing on the eraser, I let the lyrics pour out for an agonizingly long half hour before arriving at the airport.

“Kamsahabnida,” I thanked the driver upon stopping at the airport curb. “Keep the change.” Leaping through the door, I tried to search for Hyeri. Oh if only you were taller you might actually be able to seeabove people’s heads in this crowd. I spotted the Korean Air ticket counter and rushed over to the counter with no line.

“Excuse me, did a girl named Han Hyeri just come by here?” I inquired. “I—” I’m her boyfriend, I wanted to add, but then realized that wasn’t the case.

“Neh, she needed a ticket switched. But that is none of your business. How may I help you, sir?”

“Please, put me on the flight she got switched to.” I pulled out a hundred thousand won. “I really need it,” I whispered, giving her the signature puppy eyes which melt the heart of every fangirl.

She glanced around. Her coworkers were all busy helping other customers. “I’ll help you as best as I can,” she promised, stashing the bills. “Unfortunately, she took the last available seat on that flight. The next one to Seoul leaves in an hour. Will that work for you?”

An hour?! She could be on her way out of Korea in an hour. So much could happen in a sixty-minute time frame. “Is there anything sooner?” I begged.

“Choeseonghabnida,” she said. “The boarding gates just closed for her flight, and besides, it was full. If you want to get to Seoul you’ll have to take the flight in an hour.”

Aish, if that’s all there is. “I’ll take it,” I decided, throwing my passport and card onto the counter. She swiped and scanned my information, then pointed to the machine where the ticket was being printed. “Kamsahabnida,” I thanked her, grabbing my travel documents and making my way through security.

“Calling flight KA444 to Seoul,” the lady was announcing. “Business class may begin boarding.”

Whew, thank goodness there had at least been a business class left, I thought, glancing at my ticket. Hyeri, I’m on my way, even though you don’t want me. If I have to leave Japan anyway, it might as well be now.

“Enjoy your flight,” the ticket scanning lady smiled. I nodded and proceeded down the jetway, finding my seat on the plane and leaning back on the diagonally-aligned seats. After takeoff, I pressed the seat into full reclining position and took out my notebook. Maybe I’d finish that song so at least one thing would go right before I got to Seoul...

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hope it was interesting enough that you reached the end! xD this is my first ff i'm planning on finishing, so yeahhh....I'm learning :)
now off to study! hopefullly update soon ^^ -shineemoon