June 24^th, 2012

Kim Jongin.

Soojin had typed his name into the google search bar. He was handsome. Dark-skinned with plump lips and beautiful eyes. Not that she didn’t already know after their encounter last month. 

Just recently she became aware that this handsome boy was Taemin’s other closest friend beside her but she had yet to ask him about Jongin. She was too embarrassed about that little crush that developed the very moment she had laid eyes on him. Taemin would snicker and laugh about her, although not in a bad way. But that was who Taemin was: a playful boy. Therefor, she couldn’t ask. 

Sadly, she couldn’t ask Sehun about him either. Although she knew Sehun was truly friends with her and the girls, he was still a mocking little idiot who would turn on her the second she mentioned Jongin’s name.

Which was why she was looking him up online … for the hundredth time. She had to get to know him somehow. 
“What are you looking at?”, Taemin asked, plopping down on the couch right next to her. 
Soojin had hovered over her phone like her life depended on it. Now that she realized she suddenly startled, quickly locking the screen of her phone.

“What are you hiding?”, he chuckled. 
“Nothing”, she said, tugging the phone into her jeans pocket. 
“I saw your teaser photo today”, Taemin then mentioned, shifting around to sit behind her. He leaned against the backrest, sweetly shoving the girl in between his legs. Without any thought she rested her back on his chest, letting his fingers play with the hem of her shirt – as always. “I like it.” 
Soojin beamed. “It’s cool isn’t it? Seeing me in a photo like that!” 
“I would have rather seen you on set. How was it anyway?” 
Soojin nodded to herself. “It was… different. But very nice.” 
“Nothing like you imagined it would be, huh?” He chuckled. 
“Kind of.”

Taemin shrugged it off and placed his lips against her hair, his nose taking in her scent. It was a habit of him to touch her whenever possible that he had developed over time but was only now as extreme. Not that Soojin minded, though. “By the way”, he cooed sweetly. “I got something for you.”

Soojin looked up at him, twisting her back to do so. His brown eyes stared at her absentmindedly.

“I missed you”, he breathed. “I missed you so much. You can’t imagine how much I needed you with me. I never knew I depended on my best friend this much. But you’re my other half after all.”

Soojin giggled and blushed at the same time. “The last time you told me that was in kinder garden. When we made a deal to marry each other one day.”

He laughed. 
“I’ve been back for more than a year now, though. How come you tell me this now?” 
He shrugged. “I guess I just remembered I wouldn’t be able to meet up with you the way we used to if it wasn’t for you to become a singer too. Sometimes people are slow.” 
“Sometimes you are slow, you mean”, she chuckled. “And I missed you too.” 
He smiled. “Close your eyes and open your hands”, he said.

Soojin hesitated but eventually did. She leaned back onto his chest, her eyelids fluttering shut. She held her hands open in her lap.

Taemin pushed his fingers into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a silver bracelet, placing it into the palm of her hands. 
When Soojin felt the cold object, her eyes opened at an instant. 

She stared at it in awe. 
“Do you like it?” 
Soojin beamed and eventually she nodded. “I’m- I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say.” 
Taemin chuckled. “I… I asked Yuri for help. Since she’s here all the time anyway she told me she’d come with me to pick something out.”

It wasn’t exactly a miracle that Minho and Yuri were still together but still, Soojn felt quite impressed that they were. 

Soojin laughed. “What did Minho say?” 
“He didn’t like it. He said that since I give jewelry to a girl who isn’t my girlfriend with Yuri knowing he needs to buy her something now too. He never gave her jewelry before. I suppose now he did.” 
Soojin grinned. “I feel exclusive now.” 
“Good”, he cackled. 
“But Taemin”, she added, “why are you giving me this?”

Soojin had played with the little piece of silver in between her fingers. It felt heavy and utterly expensive.   
“It’s your debut soon”, he disclosed. “Your parents aren’t here to look after you and since you one, a lifetime ago, declared me part of your family I’m taking care of you. It’s for good luck so you better not take it off. And as a thank you”, he proclaimed”, for keeping your promise for me.”