CHAPTER 18

**Today's chapter is inspired by this video's lyrics. Do take a look before reading!!

The lights at a dark street

He wandered around, trying to find something that he could not remember.

But darkness was all that remained in this world.

.

A back slid past his sight and he turned around.

The person stopped as well and turned back to face him.

She approached him with an unfamiliar face.

But it only took a smile....

And everything was taken from him by that first glance.

The inside of his complicated mind shook, and the only thing that shone through the cracks of his thoughts....

Who he was living for.....

What he was heading for....

It was her.

Only she has to understand him, that’s all that he needs.

Just her, the only person his heart wanted like crazy.

That unfamiliar face is no longer unfamiliar.

He knew this girl.

She suddenly turned away and continued walking away from him.

He stared after her retreating back view.

Can’t get her out of his head.

He wants her.

After a thousand times, he still thinks the same.

He rushed forward, towards her.

He’s not going to let her leave him again.

See who’s gonna protect you in the end

**********

Something vibrated in his hand, waking him up from a strange dream. He raised his head up and looked at his vibrated hand in a half-dazed state. Had he fallen asleep?

He opened up his fisted hand and realized it was his mobile phone that had vibrated. The screen lit up to reveal “New Message: 1”.

He sat up groggily; not caring about his puffed up golden hair as he unlocked his phone screen and tapped on the message icon.

Seo-Yun:

Hi Taemin, I can’t attend Kibum Oppa’s birthday celebration with everyone :( My whole family has been invited to a function party at the Lee’s family residence. I really wish to join all of you to celebrate Kibum Oppa’s birthday, but I have to attend the function party as well. I’m really sorry about this :’(

His eyes opened wide at the words and he re-read them again.

“can’t attend Kibum Oppa’s birthday celebration with everyone.”

He bit his lips in disappointment but stood up and headed to the living room where Kibum was watching television with Minho.

He plopped down to the couch spot next to Kibum and sighed out a sign of discontent.

Both hyungs’ eyes left their sights on the variety show and strayed towards the maknae, shooting weird looks at his messy hair and depressed state.

They turned to face each other, eyes throwing silent questions to the other.

One shrugged, another frowned.

Taemin sighed again.

Minho shoot another urging look towards Kibum who finally gave up and turned back to ask the troubled maknae.

“Taemin ah….” Kibum gently patted the blond boy’s hair. “What’s wrong?”

Taemin said nothing, merely passing his phone to Kibum.

It took a fast read of the phone’s screen to send the beautiful man screeching “WHAT?”

This time, it was Minho and Taemin who shot weird looks towards him.

“What’s wrong?” Minho asked and grabbed the mobile phone from Kibum’s hand to read aloud.

“So Seo-Yun can’t make it for hyung’s birthday party?” Minho looked at Taemin who gave a slight nod. “Is that why you’re so dramatic?” He threw an amused glance at Kibum’s exasperated expression.

Kibum rolled his eyes at Minho’s grin. “That’s not it.” He jabbed his finger at the phone’s screen. “She’s attending that Lee’s family function party. And from what I heard around this week, it can only be that Lee family!”

Minho and Taemin sat up straight and stared at the diva, still not getting what their hyung was trying to say.

Kibum sighed loudly. “It’s that Lee’s family! That ridiculously rich family in the whole of Korea! I bet they are throwing a welcome party for their playboy son who just came back from America!”

Minho’s mouth instantly shaped into an O as he caught on. “Crap.”

 “What? Hyung? What is going on?” Taemin turned to look at Kibum, then Minho, then Kibum again. He could sense the urgent tension rising in the room, but he couldn’t decipher this strange air. The only thought that instantly flew into his mind was his worry for Seo-Yun.

Is it something bad?

Is she going to be alright?

Kibum tore his eyes from Minho’s knowing stare and looked straight at the maknae’s worried expression. “It’s nothing much, Taemin.” He assured the latter. “It’s just that their son has a famous reputation for playing around with fair-skinned ladies with long black hair. He seemed to be targeting Seo-Yun when we brushed past them at SM Company the other time. We managed to escape from him. But now......”

Taemin’s eyes widened at his hyung’s words.

A playboy? Target? Seo-Yun?

“What?” His mouth sprouted out the word in disbelief. His mind swirled and froze in thought for a second. Then it rebooted. “We have to stop her!”

“Calm down!” Kibum pulled at Taemin’s wrist to stop him from getting so worked up. “I won’t let that from happening.”

Taemin stared curiously at his hyung’s grinning face. “What are you doing to do hyung?”

His question was answered by a wider grin on Kibum’s flawless face. “No one is gonna turn down the diva’s birthday party when they are invitied!”

With that, Kibum started taking out his mobile phone, pressed a few button and placed the device against his side face.

“Hello? Eun-Ah Noona? Hi, I was just calling to ask you for a favor. You see…it’s about Seo-Yun…..”

His feline eyes curled up as he took a quick glance at Taemin and gave him a reassuring nod.

Both younger men remained silent as they listened onto Kibum’s one-sided chat with the phone. Their initial worried expressions slowly dissolved into a smile on their faces as they eavesdropped enough words from the conversation to understand Kibum’s plan for Seo-Yun.

After a while, Kibum finally pried his phone away from his ear and beamed at his dongsengs.

“Don’t worry Taemin,” he turned to the maknae who was sharing a knowing smile with him. “This time it will be-”

“the knight who shall saves the princess!” Taemin finished the older man’s sentence with a sharp snap of his fingers.

The three of them looked at each other for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

Their hearty laughers were loud enough to make the two remaining SHINee members’ to walk out of their rooms and into the living room.

“What are you guys laughing about?” Jinki stared at his dongsengs curiously.

Jonghyun took a glance at the television screen and frowned at the program. “Are the news that funny?”

#Author's Note =D

*dongseng means people who are younger than you*

OH LALALALALALALALA! Okay, this chapter was done up randomly because I reallllllly liked SHINee's new song 'Stranger' (okay, its not new, but still...). When I saw the english translation for this song, my mind instantly thought about Taemin. If you have to ask how Taemin feel about Seo-Yun when he first met her, this would be the perfect song to express his feelings. So if you are wondering why this chapter shared so much similarity, please don't be alarmed =x

Meanwhile, this chapter just shows the side of SHINee's relationships. I have totally no idea why Kibum is appearring so much in this story though. Kekekekekeke.....

On a random note, I read this recent information about SHINee and I find it hilarious::

Key said when they recorded Inkigayo yesterday, he went to the restroom and was washing his hands when a lady came into the male restroom, he was shocked and then noticed that it’s Taemin. Taemin said he has been scaring a lot of people recently when he goes to the restroom.

L-O-L.

I would like to thank my readers again for all the support you have given me. And an especially big thanks to readers who have been supporting my works since the start. I'm so touched you readers have been subscribing to every single stories I wrote. A very pleasant surprise indeed! 

Lastly, I have FINALLY updated my profile. For readers who are curious about my other works, you can simply go to my profile page and scroll all the way to the BOTTOM. See ya! (^V^)