SM, Asia

Lee Haechan had never once thought that his son would end up in SM, Asia. He took pride in it—that Haesung was an amazing student and seen as the perfect son. Little did he know that his stepson had hacked into a crypto wallet and might have ended up dead would his cousins not have come to save him.

But after a long long talk, Haechan finally agreed that Haesung needed the protection. Because of that, he’d have to study in SM, Asia. He’d graduate later than the rest, of course, but he already knew the basics. There wasn’t much to teach him. He knew how to build, knew how to hack… He just needed proper guidance and that was why Ms. Taengoo and his Uncle Chenle would be the one taking him in.

That was when they realized that Hollowmoon was the opposite of Fullsun, his stepdad’s code name. Haechan teared up a bit after that and after a very touching and emotional conversation, Haechan thanked Haesung for being alive and that he’d do everything for him.

Haesung had never felt so accepted in a place until he came to SM, Asia.

He had gotten hurt in the mission, tasting how it was like to have glass in his hand and wondering how his cousins treated it like a papercut. Lee Haechan decided that there was no place safer than SM, Asia for his son, especially with all his trusted friends and family on the island.

Hacker-Tech, that’s what he’d be, and Lee Haesung couldn’t be any happier. He was even happier when he saw Jung Seoul, Jung Jaehyun’s daughter who was a medic—the female tending to his wounds and shooing him out of the labs even if he wanted to stay just a little bit more.

He had to eat lunch with his cousins and Lee Haesung sat across from Billy who was still being a little about Dinah leaving. He glanced at the hamburgers and fries; the lunch of SM Asia changed to cater to the Americans.

“To cater to the Americans.” Jamie made a face. “Three Americans, Haesung. Three.”

The 23-year-old new student of SM, Asia blinked at the female. He had always known about the rivalry between the Americans and the Koreans (Including Jonah and Dinah who were definitely not using European as an identity trait), but he never understood why.

Billy sniffled over his untouched burger, texting aggressively to Dinah when Haesung spoke.

“Jung Seoul is pretty,” he began, Billy looking at him through his moist eyes.

“Jung Seoul is a killer,” Billy told him, deadpan. “A medic, you say? She did her dissertation on 101 ways how to kill someone with poison. You really want to get involved with a girl like that? It’s always the silent types that are scary.”

“Beauty and brains. Interesting,” Haesung replied and Billy blinked, pressing his lips together.

“You got that from what I told you? Beauty and brains?”

“Hey, hey,” Don greeted, sliding into the seat beside Billy before swinging a hand over Billy’s shoulder, the male throwing it away.

“Don’t touch me!”

Don quirked up an eyebrow, going to eat his food.

“He’s still caught up on Dinah.”

“Why? She’s coming back, isn’t she?”

Jamie shrugged. “It’s Billy.”

“You guys don’t understand.” Billy rolled his eyes. “And when are you going back to America? I can’t handle a day eating your type of food. I need my kimchi! You’re not even eating the cafeteria food!”

“Nah, I ordered in,” Don answered, Kim Patricia falling into a seat beside Jamie before tapping down on her phone. She winked at Billy who stared at her before she went back to texting. “Why are you so sensitive?”

“Your face is making me sensitive,” Billy snapped, Donatello rolling his eyes.

“Great comeback, amazing. Never done before.”

“Yeah, what about it? You’re named after a turtle from Ninja Turtles. It’s not even the coolest turtle. We all know the coolest turtle is Leonardo!” Billy answered, Donatello taking a bit of his caviar and putting it on the bread.

“Nice comeback,” Kim Patricia said absentmindedly, Billy feeling appreciative of her presence for once.

“You’re named after a goat. Billy the goat,” Don clapped back and Billy stuck his tongue out.

“What about it, Dongyoung?”

At the mention of Donatello’s Korean name, Don’s jaw dropped and he dropped the bread.

“Uh-oh,” Kim Patricia sang. “War.”

“Oh yeah? What have you got to say about it, Bongshik?” he answered, Billy’s eyes widening at his Korean name. It has then begun, Billy and Donatello getting into a heated debate about whose name was worse—the goat or the ninja turtle? Bongshik or Dongyoung?

“I see that my timing is right,” Taeyeon mused, wiggling her eyes at Jamie. “Hey, Jamie. I heard that you got the highest score in knife throwing.”

Jamie raised an eyebrow, already knowing from Taeyeon’s tone that she was up to something.

“And?”

“Guess what I did today?”

Jamie forced a smile on her face, chewing on her bottom lip. “Taeyeon, if I… go to the knife scoring block and I see your name, I swear to god I will—”

Taeyeon clicked her tongue, winking at Jamie. “Sure, you will. Whatever it is you want to do. I’m off to the garage. Going to meet a friend.”

She took one look at Billy and Donatello who were already wrestling on the ground, their food left forgotten and she shook her head. They were no stranger to their antics.

Jamie, however, watched as Taeyeon walked away from the lunch table when she frowned.

Why was she going to the garage?

Jamie narrowed her eyes at Taeyeon’s back that looked threatening and stood up to follow her.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Winwin's son: Dong Weilong, Wyde]

Jamie would have never acted on her feelings. She had kept it to herself for quite sometime now, she knew what she was getting into when she realized she liked him. Jamie thought to herself that one day, she’d find someone she liked as much as she liked Wyde and she’d call it a day.

The thought of telling Wyde about her feelings never crossed her mind until now.

She stood in front of the garage door, pacing back and forth. So many times had she stood here, wanting to burst through the doors just to see him working on his car. So many times had she tried to come up with excuses to just even be in the same room as him.

She bit down on her bottom lip, her high ponytail swinging back and forth. What would she say? What if Taeyeon was trying to flirt with him? She grinded her teeth, her legs feeling wobbly when a shadow fell upon her and she whipped her head around to see Lee Haesung blinking at her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked the younger female, going to open the garage door and she pouted at him. “Oh, hey! Wyde.”

“Why did you do that? Now I have to go in,” she told Haesung, the male asking if that wasn’t what she wanted to do. Wyde pushed himself from under the car, sitting up. At the sight of Jamie, his first thought was “Oh, she’s here again”. His second thought, however, was “How cute.”

Cute, Wyde thought. He had always found Jamie cute. But was ‘cute’ enough for him to do something? Relationships weren’t for him. Or so, that was what he keeps telling himself.

“Hi, Jamie!” Spikey Mikey greeted, helping Wyde paint the car. “How are ya? You’re sweating through your dress.”

“Of course, she is,” Taeyeon said from the side. She smirked, going back to punch Wyde’s punching bag a few times. Wyde stood up silently, Haesung going to give him a high-five with his free hand. “Haesung, are you here for the spare parts?”

“Yeah. Robot building class starts tomorrow,” Haesung replied, Wyde jerking his head to the side to the box he had prepared for Haesung. “Thanks. Jamie, you want to help me with this?”

“Uh…” Jamie was buffering, her hands sweating as she awkwardly stood there. Taeyeon offered instead. Even if they didn’t get along, family was family and family knew when one of them needed help. She helped Haesung, lunging the bag across her shoulder and giving Jamie a wink.

The moment both of them left, Jamie’s feet felt frozen on the ground. Wyde raised an eyebrow at her, studying her. For a moment, they stood there, not saying anything until Jamie blurted out that she made brownies.

Why did she say that? She had no idea. She wasn’t thinking straight.

“Where is it?” Wyde asked simply, grabbing a crowbar to continue on his work, his gaze not leaving hers. She swallowed.

“I ate it,” she said and mentally screamed. Why did she say that? She breathed, turning away suddenly so he wouldn’t see how red she had become. “I’ll… I’ll… yeah. I’m leaving.”

And with that, Jamie walked away, Spikey Mikey shaking his head.

“Man, that was rough.” Spikey Mikey plunged his pain brush into the can and began to paint the car. “Are ya goin’ to do somethin’ about it?”

“She’s young,” Wyde said, shaking his head. “She’s five years younger than me. She’s a kid.”

“So are ya,” Spikey Mikey pointed out. “I’m young. Maybe Uncle Johnny should just set her up. Dad said Uncle Johnny is good at it. He wrote it in the family group chat. Or maybe, he should set you up.”

Wyde exhaled, flicking Spikey Mikey’s forehead.

“I’m serious, bro. Spare her some embarrassment,” Spikey Mikey and Wyde frowned at him.

“You’re eight. Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“I dropped out.”

“No way.”

“Yes way. I told Dad that I’ll have to study Transportation instead.”

“You don’t even know how to math.”

“Bet.”

And that was how Dong Weilong: Wyde Dong, found himself sitting on the ground, trying to teach Spikey Mikey math. Forty-five minus fifteen, Spikey Mikey. How much is forty-five minus fifteen?

“I don’t know! I have only twenty fingers so I can’t count up to forty-five!”

“You don’t need your fingers!” Wyde said with frustration. “One more time.”

“I’m hungry.”

That was all it took, Spikey Mikey and his little tuffs of hair that Mark had cut the day before and his puppy dog eyes, Wyde caving at the young boy’s complaint.

“Alright, let’s have dinner, sport.”

“Works every time!”

“I need more friends.”

“You don’t. You should be happy I’m here.”

Wyde rolled his eyes but he smiled, watching Spikey Mikey hop up, bouncing to the door.

For a moment, his mind went to Jamie Lee, the image of her back walking out the garage from a few hours ago flittering though his thoughts.

“Mhm,” Wyde hummed, wondering where that came from.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jamie was on the phone with Na Jaemin, the female laying on her bed. Jaemin took one look at his daughter and knew something was wrong. She pondered on whether to tell her mother, Na Jaemin demanding why she looked like her Uncle Renjun when he first found him about to kill himself on a building.

Very specific.

“Who made you feel lost?” Na Jaemin hit the nail right on the head, Jeno peering at his daughter with concern when her door opened and Billy stalked in, furious. “Is that your brother—”

“Daddio!” he yelled, catching sight of Jeno in the background. “You call me right now.”

“The aggression. What is going on?” Jeno asked his son, Billy going on a rant on how Bongshik was his Korean name. “Son, what is wrong with Bongshik? We sent you to a Korean school before SM, they needed a Korean name.”

“Yes, but Bongshik, Daddio? Donatello is named after a turtle but at least it’s a Ninja Turtle!” Billy exclaimed, Jamie frowning at how her brother was taking away her therapy time. “What even is a Bongshik?”

“The name of my cat.”

“You named me after a cat?!”

“Well, he’s dead. I got him from the streets back in middle school.”

“You named me after a dead cat? That you got from the streets?” Billy threw his hands in the air. “Daddio!”

“Billy, I got you from the streets.”

“Billy, can you please call Daddio? I’m talking to Nana,” Jamie told her brother irritably, Billy whipping out his phone and calling his father. Jeno’s phone vibrated and he slowly brought it out, answering it. “Good, now go to your room and talk to Daddio.”

Billy slammed the door of Jamie’s room behind him, Jeno slipping away to have the conversation with his son. Jamie then began to tell Na Jaemin about her massive crush on Wyde. How she couldn’t, for the life of her, function like a normal human being when he was around.

“Oh, honey. Just go for it. It worked with your father. Stuck to him like glue.” Na Jaemin beamed at his daughter and she pouted.

“Nana, it’s different. You’re crazy.”

“Yeah… well. Why aren’t you crazy?”

“I’m adopted.”

Jaemin sighed, leaning back against the couch before hearing Jeno yell out a string of “Bongshik is Bongshik and that is your name! Deal with it!” before turning back to comfort his daughter.

“Jamie Lee… when I saw you that day when I went to the kindergarten, you had the prettiest smile in the room. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. He doesn’t know what he’s missing out.”

“Nana, it’s Wyde. He doesn’t care.”

“I’ll kill him,” Jaemin said casually, Jamie’s eyes widening. “I’ll call Dong Sicheng right now and tell him that his son, Dong Weilong is being a despicable brat—”

“Nana, you will do no such thing!”

“Honey, but honestly… the only reason why your father ended up loving me was because I made the effort to know everything about him. His favorite color, his habits. I began to mirror him and it’s hard to not fall in love with someone who knows so much about you. You begin to need them, don’t you?”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“So, chin up and ask Lee Haesung to hack into his social media account or something. See if he’s dating anyone, or what his purchase habits are. I heard Lee Haesung’s great at those things.”

“I am not hacking into his social media.”

“Why? Is it because he doesn’t have one? Just steal his phone.”

“Nana!”

“I’m kidding.”

“You’re not.”

“You’re right, I’m not. My pretty girl. Why does he not like you?” Jaemin huffed, rolling his eyes. “On a better note. Utilize your cousins, honey. After that, maybe ask Sunny for some personality analysis on Dong Weiling. She’s Moon Tae-il’s daughter, isn’t she?”

“I don’t want to ask my cousins for information.”

“Maybe talk to your Uncle Ten? Our proud sassy bachelor knows Dong Sicheng like the back of his hand. Weilong can’t be that far off.”

That was true and after a few minutes of catching up, Jamie decided to call her Uncle Ten. The conversation started casual until she spilled it out, Jamie practically pouring her frustrations to Ten.  

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me who it is, sweetie.”

“Dong Weilong.”

“Oh, you’re on your own,” Ten telling her and Jamie groaned. “Okay, I’m just saying that it won’t be easy. Weilong is exactly like his father, hard on the outside and it takes time to warm up to him, honey. You’ve got to… either go for it or try to break him down. You know… if Sicheng wasn’t drunk on that date he went, which he tried to run away for so many times, he wouldn’t have accidentally gotten his wife pregnant and would have just been single until now.”

“Wyde’s an accidental baby?”

“A precious one. Your Uncle Winwin fell in love with her, anyway. What I’m saying is that these two are like onions. They are layered and they make you cry.”

“Tell me about it.”

“But you can’t start from nothing, so go to him and just strike up a conversation.”

“Okay.”

“Okay. My brave niece! I’ve got to go, I’m heading to a bar. I love you, sweetie.”

“Okay, Uncle Ten. Love you, too.”

As Jamie exited her room, she already could see Taeyeon packing up her stuff to leave for America. She would bid her farewell later, Jamie trying to pep talk herself. She once again stood in front of the garage, this time not stalling. She pushed open the door, stepping into the garage just for her nose to slam against Wyde’s chest, the male looking surprised that she was there. His gloved hand was above her head, the male holding the garage door open.

“O-Oh.. Oh. Hey,” Jamie stammered, looking back onto the floor. So much for confidence. So much for bravery.

“Need anything?” he asked, pushing the door open, Jamie slipping under his arm to stand next to the newly painted red car. He was going to open the garage doors to let the smell of paint out, Jamie coughing as it reached her nostrils. Wyde grabbed a clean cloth from one of the hangers, giving it to her and she sighed, pounding a fist against her forehead.

“I…. baked. Again. B-Because I ate the other brownies and I—”

“Oh.” Wyde paused at her words. He nodding slowly. “I see.”

“I-I…” brownies. She didn’t have brownies! “I baked them for you so I-I came to see? I guess? If you were here, like… Because I didn’t want to give them to you… like right now, because you might be busy but now, I know you’re not so—”

Wyde nodded again. He felt a bubble of amusement simmer in the bottom of his stomach, the male running a hand through his hair.

“So, brownies, huh? Didn’t know you were a baker.”

“I—” I am not, Jamie wanted to say but she liked him so much. Too much. “I guess I am? I’ll bring them to you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he shook his head, tugging off the gloves. “I’m walking back to the dorms, anyway. Spikey Mikey wants to borrow a few books.”

Cartoons, Wyde thought to himself, but for some reason, he didn’t want her to know that. The thought was foreign and he sighed.

“Oh, no. I mean, It’ll be ready in fifteen—Thirty minutes. Come then.”

She didn’t bake brownies, Wyde knew that much. He knew Jamie knew nothing about cooking but he humored her, telling her that he’d see her in thirty minutes to pick up the brownies. Jamie then left, Spikey Mikey popping up from the side.

“You’re allergic to gluten,” Mikey pointed out and Wyde ignored the child. “Ya can’t eat brownies.”

“Which is why you have to take it away from me,” Wyde told him, Spikey Mikey tilting his head at the older male.

“Ohh… I get it. I get what is going on now. You’re acting on it, you are! Ya are, right?” Spikey Mikey asked, Wyde throwing a dirty cloth at the child. “Bleurgh!”

Jamie sped to back to the active dorms, Taeyeon lunging her luggage behind her. The plane was already grounded and Donatello was waiting for the two girls to go on board.

“Brownies!” Jamie gasped, Taeyeon frowning at her. “Does anyone have any brownies?”

“Oh, I do.”

“Thank god—” Jamie was about to thank the lords but Kim Patricia shook her head.

“But they aren’t the type for sharing,” Patricia whispered before she looked around. “Now, where is Qian Han? I swear, all I needed was a goodbye.”

Jamie had no idea what that meant but behind the dorms stood Qian Han, hiding from Kim Patricia. She had fallen in love with him and Qian Han had never been so confused his whole life, the male wondering if something went wrong. She texted him and he jumped his phone dinging.

“Oh, there you are! I knew you would come!” Patricia squealed, dropping her luggage before running after Qian Han who bolted.

“Breathe, Jamie, breathe.” Taeyeon urged her cousin to calm herself when she explained that she needed brownies. Now. Two minutes later, Jamie was in her bedroom kitchen, aggressively mixing brownie mix with Taeyeon heating the pan up. Jamie wiped her forehead, Taeyeon finally shoving the pan into the oven. “Good thing you didn’t say macarons, those things take a long time to bake.”

“I got to go, the plane—” Taeyeon told Jamie as she removed her apron. “But it’s fine now. Just take it out after fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes after now, or fifteen minutes after the minute that passes?” Jamie asked nervously. Taeyeon chuckled, pulling her nervous cousin into a hug before bidding her goodbye. She ran towards the plane that was waiting for her. Billy was standing there, waving at Donatello.

Good riddance, he thought to himself. He was excited. He planned something. He called Donatello, the plane finally taking off.

“Hey, I have a surprise.” Billy smiled to himself, pressing a button. Donatello felt the plane rise, looking out of the window to see that Billy had made fireworks for him, written oh-so-beautifully in the night sky.

“Goodbye, Dongyoung!”

Donatello’s smile remained on his face, chuckling when Billy frowned.

“I do, too.”

And with that, the banners of the school were released and written on them was a goodbye to Billy.

“Farewell, Bongshik.”

Billy let out a roar of frustration, throwing his phone onto the ground.

Fireworks were pretty, but they faded. Banners? They would stay up.

With that, Donatello put on his sleeping eye mask. He would sleep very well on his flight back to America.  

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wyde had reached the dorms, Spikey Mikey right beside him. He knew Jamie was in the room opposite of his and he knocked on the door. It was immediately opened and Jamie stood in her apron, her hair disheveled. She brushed it away, her ponytail loose and he gave her a nod.

“I…. baked them.”

No, you did not, Wyde thought to himself. But he nodded again, Jamie going to give him the Tupperware that she had wrapped up with a bow, Spikey Mikey finally going to do as planned. He grabbed the Tupperware.

“You can’t eat this!” Spikey Mikey said, zooming out of Jamie’s room with the brownies. “Because I will!”

Jamie froze. She should have asked Taeyeon to bake more than four. Oh, why… Her fingers trembled, the female texting her cousin.

Jamie: You have to come back.
Jamie: Turn the plane around
Taeyeon: ?

“I guess I can’t eat the brownies,” Wyde said to her, Jamie looking up from her phone.

“I’ll… bake again tomorrow. Just come back—”

“It’s fine.” Wyde shook his head and Jamie wanted to cry. “You don’t have to.”

But I want to, Jamie wanted to say. How else would she get to see him? She blinked and Wyde looked down, shoving his hands into his black pant pockets.

“How about dinner instead?” he asked casually.

“Dinner?” she squeaked, really feeling like she wanted to cry. “I don’t want to cook dinner.”

“Oh… Oh no.” Wyde tilted his head at her. “I meant, at a restaurant with you and me. On mainland.”

Dinner? Mainland? Jamie restructured her thoughts.

“To thank you for the brownies. Even if I didn’t get to eat it,” Wyde finally said. “Since you’re like family… and all.”

There it was, Jamie’s face falling.

“But it also can be a date.”

He said it, Wyde taking in how she physically looked like she was grabbing her heart. How did it feel like? To like someone like him? He would wonder this over and over again when he would finally get together with her. Jamie was a girl of kindness, he’d then realize, and the type to put others first.

Jamie felt like this was a dream. She’d never felt this happy before. A date? With the one and only person she had a crush on for the longest time?

“Okay,” Jamie said and Wyde saw how her hands shook. He turned towards the door, closing the door behind him, letting out a sigh before he leaned against it. He sighed, giving Jamie’s door one last look before going into his own, not knowing that Jamie was screaming into her pillow like a crazed high-schooler.

Jamie: he asked me out on a date!!!!!
Taeyeon: it was the brownies
Jamie: …. Most probably

Taeyeon looked at the text, chuckling to herself. As much as Jamie and her did not like each other, in the end, she was family. No amount of competition could change that.

__________________