DISCLAIMER: First of all, the idea for the plot of this story is not originally mine. I made this story based on her SoEul fanfic, of course, with proper permission. If you'd like to see her works, check this link: SoEul Hope you guys enjoy this one.! ^_^

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“It’s not the fall that hurts, it’s the sudden stop.”

Contrary to what her friends think, Yirang knew she  wasn’t boy crazy. That term is reserved for other girls her age that would blush and faint at the sight of idol groups. Though admittedly, she had her own share of fangirl moments but Yirang knew for certain that she wasn’t boy crazy because she’ s a girl in love.

                She hadn’t seen her object of affection for quite some time now. He’s too busy with his career, what’s with all the concerts and TV appearances scheduled for his group. She, on the other hand, had been so busy with her studies.

                The last time she saw him was during his birthday. That was almost five months ago.  She prepared a surprise for him, but due to his tight schedule, she had to wait for him for almost four hours. It’s almost time for the restaurant to close when he arrived so they had no choice but to just leave right after.

                And so now, after months of not seeing each other, she decided to pay him a visit. When she heard that SHINee would have a fan meeting near their University, she knew she couldn’t pass up the chance to see him again. She begged the school council president if she could skip the meeting just this once. Thankfully, the president agreed considering this is gonna be the first time she’s skipping a meeting.

                Yirang was beyond anxious. She supposed not seeing him for so long made her like this. She could see her reflection on the mirror. A girl with a want. A want to shout to the whole world that Kim Kibum also known as Almighty Key of the popular group SHINee is already taken. That she, Shin Yirang, a simple University student and chef, is the one that owns his heart and not those other girl group members that are being linked to him.

                She heard herself sigh. Of course she couldn’t do that. They couldn’t afford being seen together in public. Why? Because that’s the harsh reality. He’s an idol whom many fangirls love and she’s just a mere girl, neither an idol nor a singer. If the fans found out about them, that would be the end of his career. For as long as he’s an idol, he belongs to the fans. Not her.

                The fans had already had a hard time accepting the relationship between Jonghyun, another SHINee member and Shin Se Kyung, a popular actress. So how could they possibly accept her when she’s just a nobody? If they find out about her and Kibum, it would definitely have a great impact on SHINee’s career.

                She can’t help but sigh once again. She placed her comb on top of her table and prepared to leave.

                As expected, the line was long, the wait even more excruciating. His popularity hasn’t waned and he grew even more famous it seems. Women flocked where he was, like moths drawn to a single flame.

                The fan meeting has started and to everyone’s surprise, there are media men present, covering the said event. She foolishly hid in a corner of the room, not wanting to catch any unwanted attention, especially that of the media. Besides, she would just surprise him after the fan meet.

                She stood silently by the side watching as question were thrown at each member one after another. But one particular question caught her attention.

                “Key-ssi, is it true that you are also dating someone? And the rumored girl is your chef in a variety show, Shin Yirang-ssi??” one of the reporters asked.

                She couldn’t hide her shock as she heard that question. How did they find out? They were so cautious when they were out together.

                “Photos of the both of you leaving a restaurant together have been circulating the net. Can you explain it?” another reporter asked.

                Yirang peeked from behind a crowd of other attendees. She wore her hoodie to hide her face. She looked at Key. He himself seemed very surprised and doesn’t know what to say at the moment.

                Their group’s manager took the mic and answered, “Those are just plain rumors. Of course they are not dating.” He said.

                Yirang held her arms tighter. Her whole body is trembling. Her legs felt like giving up. Her heart is constricted with pain. She badly wanted to cry. But doing so would just attract more attention.

                With unshed tears, she stood silently, waiting for what Kibum has to say.

                The manager nudged Kibum, urging him to deny the accusations. “I-I..” he started. “Shi Yirang-ssi and I are just good friends and nothing more..”

                She felt numbed. She thought seeing articles about Key being linked with another girl is already heartbreaking enough. But hearing him deny their relationship is a thousand times worse. It felt like someone stepped on her already broken heart just to crush it into smaller pieces.

                What the hell is she expecting anyway? That he’ll just suddenly announce, that yes, she’s his girlfriend? She knows that he has to deny it. So why the hell does it hurt this much? She felt like someone’s squishing her heart. She can’t breathe.

                She didn’t even notice when the conference ended. She could only see the group standing up. And she swore for a millisecond that their eyes met. He looked shocked… and hurt? Deep in her heart, she wished that he’ll run up to her and tell her that it’s all a lie.. that he doesn’t mean what he said earlier.

                And so she felt her heart stop when she saw him turn his back from her. Just like always, she was left watching his back as he moves away so fast, that she could never catch up.

                Another thing she realized was that she’s just like those fans earlier. But instead, she’s a moth that flew too close to the fire and got burned. Yirang wore a wry smile. She’s always been left alone and had been dejected multiple times, but still, she chose to stick by his side.

                Perhaps, what happened today was a sign. Maybe, it’s time for her to let go of her want, to forget about Key.

                She should have known it would never work out. She would never be a part of his world..

                A week had passed since that fateful day. It was another uneventful day for Yirang.  She decided to pass by a sweet shop. While contemplating on which one to buy, she noticed that a young boy entered the shop and peered at the sweets on display. One particular item caught his eye. He reached for his pocket and took out his money. But it seemed that he didn’t have enough because the boy sighed and moved away from the sweets.

                As he was about to leave, Yirang called the boy. She asked him to stay for a bit and then she approached the sales lady. She went back with the sweets the boy was looking at earlier and gave it to him. “On the house.” She said.

                The boy looked confused before he smiled and accepted the gift. In return, he handed her a paper crane.. “Fold a thousand of this, make a wish and it will come true. I know mine did, and so will yours.

                Yirang stared at the paper crane on her palm. Maybe, just maybe, her wish would come true this time.

                A month after, she was folding her thirty second crane. And yet, she stayed the same. She could still feel the want in her system, still as strong as ever. She hoped to forget, but the mere mention of his name makes her want to see him again.

                She has mastered the art of distraction. She had learned to avoid him. She did not answer any of his calls or messages. Thus, it had already been almost three months since they last saw each other from the fan meet.

                A sigh escaped as she folded the crane’s wings and pulled them apart, finishing the 771^st paper crane. She thinks that she’ll always be a hopeless romantic, waiting for the magic a piece of paper could bring.

                The world spins continuously and without her realizing, another two months had passed by. She had already graduated from the University and is now a chef. She is now apprenticing for one of the well known chefs in US. She filled her days making good food. Food that will comfort the most weary hearts. In two months time, she’ll be leaving Korea to start her official training in US.

                She folded another paper crane absentmindedly. It has become a habit. There was one big wooden box at the foot of her bed, there laid nine hundred ninety nine paper cranes. As she was about to finish folding the last paper crane, her phone rang. An unregistered number was calling.

                “Noona..” said a very familiar voice.. “T-Taemin ah?!” Yirang asked, uncertainty evident in her voice. She couldn’t believe it. How could he know her number? She had long cut her connection with the other Shinee members along with Kibum. It was really difficult on her part for she had already grown closer to them. But she knew she had to do it if she wants to forget about Kibum.

                She was so shocked. She contemplated whether she’ll hang her phone up. “Please noona.. don’t hang up..” he plead on the other line.

                She decided to listen to what he has to say.. “Noona.. hyung is.. He was involved in a car accident..”

                “He wants to see you badly noona..please..” ‘No way.. it can’t be possible..’ she thought. “Noona.. please..” Taemin plead once again. With a sigh, she placed the last crane atop her bad and agreed to see him again.

                Memories could be quite nasty sometimes. They taunt you when you least expect it. They make you relieve all the pain that you once felt. That day remained vivid in her mind. The anticipation of seeing him again. The feeling of wanting to chase after him that day. The realization that they could never be. Then the pain when her heart suddenly stopped. She thought back to the days when all she could do was cry. When she could not function. When she felt so betrayed by the world. She remembered when she wept and told her mother that her heart really hurt. It really really hurts. When her father told her to move on and focus on a love that is constant. That her family is constant. She always remembered when she woke up one day and started breathing again. When she finally glued herself back together and patched up her heart. When she has finally let go.

                She learned that that Key met an accident while on his way back from his scheduled solo performance. His agency decided to hide everything from the media saying that Key had to rest for a bit due to an injury.

                He had been in a coma for almost two months now and when he woke up his first word was Yirang. This made the other members decide to call her.

                She recalled the voice of the boy from the sweet shop. “Fold a thousand paper cranes, make a wish and it will come true. She contemplated whether or not she believed it. If the magic of the paper crane was true. Then it dawned on her.

                This is because she was healed and not because of the paper crane. In fact, she was not even healed. It was time. Time made her forget. Time let her breathe again; allowed her to live once more.

                Truth is she’s very scared. Afraid that the moment she sees his face, the walls she had taken long time to build to protect her heart from the pain would crumble. Scared that when they meet again, the old wounds from the past would reopen and she’ll feel the pain all over again.

                Deep in thought, she didn’t even notice that she had already arrived in front of the hospital until the cab driver called for her attention.

                She could feel her heart beating loudly as she asked the nurse where is Key’s room located. The nurse looked at her with an expression she knew all too well; as if wondering how could a girl like her possibly be related to a famous idol like Key. The nurse probably thought she’s one of those obsessed fangirls who wants to “visit” Key.

                Fortunately, Minho was on his way to visit Key when he saw her at the lobby of the hospital. He tapped her shoulders. She couldn’t recognize him at first. He’s wearing a cap and hoodie.

                “Noona??” he said with his deep husky voice . He dragged her away from the lobby and to the elevator. “Mianhe noona. The fans finally found out about Key’s situation and the hospital had to tighten their security..”

                She just nodded. They stopped walking in front of a room. The other SHINee members are there. Taemin’s face visibly lightened when he saw Yirang..

                “Noona!!!” he shouted. The others, even Key, turned at her. Taemin immediately hugged Yirang. “Noona, I missed you so much!!!”

                Despite the nerve-wracking situation, Yirang couldn’t help but smile at Taemin. He’s still the same loveable Taemin she knew six months ago.

                “Annyeong!” she greeted. Onew smiled in return while Jjong also went to hug her.

“Yirang-noona..” Key said her name as if it was a sacred prayer.

Minho, sensing the situation, quietly dragged the other boys with him to give the two of them some privacy. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned awkward. Both of them lost in their own thoughts, not knowing how to start.

“How are you??” Yirang asked after finally gathering her courage. “Does it still hurt?” she asked, directing her gaze on his bandaged head, then to his plastered arm.

“Yeah,..” he answered. “The doctor advised to avoid overworking myself. But aside from that, everything seemed fine.”

Another awkward silence. Yirang gave a wry smile. “Well, I guess you’re fine now. I-I better be going then..” She picked her bag and is on her way now when she was stopped by Key.

“Mianhe..” he whispered as he hugged her from the back with his uninjured hand. His voice is quivering as he continued, “That day.. I didn’t mean those things that I said..”

Yirang tried to suppress her tears as she listened to him.. “I-I.. For our group.. I had to do it..I’m sorry..”

Yirang couldn’t take it anymore. She cried and cried. If not for Key holding her tightly, her knees would have long given up.

“W-wae? Do you know how scared I was when I saw you on that press conference??” She turned to him.

“That day as I look at you and all that cameras and fans.. I realized just how different we are from each other..” Tears now flowed uncontrollably.

“And when you denied our relationship..” Key looked down, “Do you know how it felt for me?! Huh??!!?” She kept hitting his chest.

“It felt like all those moments we have together was just a dream. And I was woken up by the harsh reality..That you are an idol that many people love and I’m nothing..”

Key doesn’t know what to say.. Instead, he hugged her tight and stayed quiet. They stayed like that for awhile. After Yirang finally calmed down, she pulled herself away from the embrace and lifted abox from the paper bag she brought. She opened the lid and showed him what was inside.

“Paper cranes. They’re my gift to you. All nine hundred ninety nine of them. I started making them but I didn’t get to finish. And I’m giving you this,” she held up the crane that is not yet completely folded. “All you  need is to fold this, then pull this out, and you have one thousand paper cranes. Make a wish and it will come true.”

“Why didn’t you finish it?” he asked, feeling his heart constrict. He felt that something was going to happen. He just couldn’t figure out what.

“I was making my last crane when Taemin called and told me that you were in an accident, plus I didn’t need my wish anymore because it already came true.”

“What did you wish for?”

“To have the strength to let you go..”

He paled but remained silent. He stared at Yirang.

“Before I went here, I asked myself: Have I really gotten over you? I was so scared to know the answer; scared to admit that even after six months, I still wasn’t able to get over you. That I cry myself to sleep every night. I was so scared.. that maybe.. if I see you, all the pain I’ve felt will come back.

I’ve always wanted you. I want you to want me as much as I wanted you. But that day, at the press conference, my heart just stopped. It can’t continue loving you anymore. But I still couldn’t forget you. I know that for me to be a better person, I had to let you go. And now that I’ve already told you everything, I felt.. No.. I know I could finally do so..

Thank you for letting me love you. I learned that it was enough. They say that if you give your best, you won’t have any regrets. And true enough, I don’t feel any.”

She watched as pain flashed on Kibum’s eyes. All these years, this was the first time that she saw him lose his composure.

She wiped the tears from her face. “Come on! Fold this and your wish will be granted.” She continued, ignoring the tension in the room.

He did as she instructed, folding the final origami with her help. The thousandth paper crane that will grant his wish. Yirang was fascinated when he closed his eyes and silently made his wish.

Curiosity got the better of her so she asked, “So, what did you wish for?”

“For you to give me a second chance.” 

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Quick Note: Should I make a sequel?? comment our suggestions! If many of you said yes, I might make a sequel as soon as I can.. ^___^