Hyo Rin’s POV

So, she finally realised it, huh…

I couldn’t help but smile a little when I looked at my best friend sitting like me on the bed with crossed legs and letting her head hang.

After avoiding me to her best ability for several days by using her ‘dates’ with Donghae after university as an excuse she had finally lost to my persistence. Or more like she no longer had an excuse because Donghae’s schedule got busier again thanks to his preparations for Super Junior’s next album.

So, when Ha Neul had admitted that Donghae was busy today, I of course had immediately seized my chance and had stalked her all the way to Jonghyun’s apartment. At first she had tried to lock me out. However, when I had threatened to make a scene right in front of the building, she had changed her mind quickly enough.

I knew, my behaviour probably seemed a little forceful and rude but I knew my best friend. She was the type of person who would rather run away and avoid a problem that she knew no solution for than face it head-on. And even though I found it stunning every time again, but for her this approach usually worked pretty well.

And this time, she was trying to apply that same method again; her avoiding me in fear of me asking questions she didn’t want to think about was proof enough.

But exactly because I was aware of all this it was indispensable that I asked her these questions and made her think about them. Because even though her usual approach might have always worked so far this time was different. I had already had a good guess about what problem she was facing; I had seen it grow in her eyes with my own eyes. And I knew this time her tactics wouldn’t work.

So, that was how we had ended up sitting on the bed of Jonghyun’s guest room facing each other and me asking her why she had been avoiding me recently.

“I’m not,” she had still tried to deny it.

But I wouldn’t let it go now. “You know it’s futile to lie to me. I’m not stupid. And you are my best friend. I know you too well.” I had smiled a little at her sorry face. I knew she always felt bad whenever she lied to me.

“I know,” she meekly replied. “You’ve known me since kindergarten. You really do know me well. And that’s why… why…”

“Why you were avoiding me?” I had finished the sentence for her and she had nodded. “Why?”

“Because you probably already figured it out that I…” Instead of finishing her sentence she lowered her eyes. “And I don’t want you to make me talk about it…”

See, I knew it. “What have I probably already figured out?”

“See?! You already know, right?! So why are you making me say it out loud, when I just said that I don’t want to?!”

“What don’t you want to say out loud?”

She glared at me and huffed. “You merciless…!”

“What is it that’s causing you such unrest, Ha Neul-ah?”

And after staring at me for a few moments she had sighed and with slumped shoulders and while looking down she had confessed to me what I had already known a long time ago: “That I fell in love with Kim Jonghyun.”

There you go; now you’ve really admitted to it. I smiled at her gently.

Still, I couldn’t help but find it amazing that it had taken her this long; especially when considering all these cheesy dramas she watched all the time! Didn’t they constantly talk about it in there?!

Well, I guess I had to blame that stupid promise of hers… That moron.

“Don’t just stare at me. Say something. I was generous enough to let you into Jonghyun’s apartment and risk incurring his wrath, so you should at least show your gratitude and give me some good advice!”

“Huh? Advice?”

“Yeah. Advice. Aren’t you an expert in dealing with guys? So tell me, what should I do now?”

Oh my God, is she an idiot?! Why is she even asking?!

“Go confess to him, of course! You stupid!” Seriously, what is she watching those dramas for?!

But she just looked at me sadly. “That’s the problem. I can’t.”

She can’t? Because he’s an idol or what?! “You can’t? But not because he’s an idol, right? That’d be a really ridiculous excu—”

“That’s not it. That’s not the reason…”

“Then why?”

“Because…” She sighed deeply. “Because I already know it’s just one-sided on my part.”

Oh god, not an inferiority complex, I beg you! “Hwang Ha Neul. You’re one of the most beautiful, intelligent, kind, and funny people I know! There’s absolutely no reason for you t—“

“You misunderstood, Hyo Rin. It’s not that I feel inferior or anything. I just know that Jonghyun will never return my feelings. Because… because he told me so himself.”

Okay, now she’s lost me. Jonghyun himself told her he’ll never like her? Really? Because as far as I had seen, her chances weren’t standing too bad; in my opinion pretty good even!

“He really told you straight to your face that he will never like you?” I still couldn’t believe it.

“Well… not quite…”

Ahh, now I was starting to understand…! I bet that idiot was jumping to conclusions again! “Then what DID he tell you?”

Ha Neul looking as if she was debating about telling or not.

“Okay, he said… Hyo Rin, promise me that you won’t tell a soul about this!”

I nodded. Now I was really starting to get curious.

“Arasso. It’s because… because Jonghyun can’t trust women.”

I blinked. What?

The most famous playboy in human history couldn’t trust women? “Are you for real?”

“Completely.” Her gaze didn’t waver a bit and I had to swallow. She was serious.

Wow. Kim Jonghyun couldn’t trust women? Well, that was some news…!

I looked at my best friend again. I guess I was starting to understand her now. Him not being able to trust women really was a problem. Trust was one of the very basics for a relationship, after all. And if he couldn’t trust her, then—

But wait…

If he really didn’t trust her at all, then why would he have told her all this? And looking into Ha Neul’s eyes I saw not only sadness but also a hint of compassion and sympathy!

There must be even more to it! There must be a reason why he can’t trust women! And I’ll bet my whole SHINee collection on it that he’s told her about that, too!!

Doesn’t trust her, my ! He may not trust other women, but my dear best friend, you are special!! You lucky girl!

Hmm, but if I tell her that right now, she won’t believe me… She’s stupid enough to come up with some other excuse in the blink of an eye…! No, this needs to be done differently.

The best would be for those two to meet with each other face to face… But Jonghyun is in Japan right now… That means we either have to wait until he returns to Korea or… Or Ha Neul goes over there! But she’s got lectures to attend and also she still has her part-time job at SMent… Hmm—

But, yes! That is it!

That would be just perfect!

I almost couldn’t wait to put my plan to action.

Narrator's POV

Tokyo, Japan, at ten o'clock in the morning; SHINee was getting their individual shoots taken for a magazine's Christmas special. Right now, it was Jonghyun's turn, so the rest of the boys were sitting at the side watching. And like it was common practice for anything related to the holy feast the models were supposed to be happy, contented, and blissful. And Jonghyun was failing miserably at that. The photographer kept NG-ing him complaining his expression and whole body language were missing just those said qualities.

Jonghyun just sighed and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Smile, smile! Easy to say for that photographer! Just what did that Spartan think it felt like to constantly have to twist one’s facial muscles when one’s head already felt like it was about to split in two?!

Finally, the photographer gave up though. "Okay, let's stop here for now. We'll try in ten minutes again. Minho, you're the last!"

And Jonghyun needn't be told that twice. Giving a short bow he immediately fled towards the chairs where the other members were watching and waiting for the shot to finish. He passed by Minho who was walking towards him and giving him a worried glance but he didn’t even notice it. All he wanted was to get away from the bright lights as quickly as possible, sit down, close his eyes and rest his throbbing head against the wall.

Which is exactly what he did when he reached the chair next to Onew. The latter watched him worried though. Like the rest of SHINee he had a pretty good idea about Jonghyun’s condition. After all, they had all watched him down drink after drink the night before.

But out of them all, Onew was probably worried the most. Because he knew Jonghyun; having been close friends since kindergarten he had already seen him deal with all kinds of situations. He’d gotten to know him as a happy and carefree boy when they had first met. Powerless, he’d had to watch as that bright boy started to gradually lose himself and got into reckless fights after his mother had left his father. Astounded but infinitely relieved, he had witnessed how one day, as if by a miracle, the smile had returned to his lips and with it his optimistic and ambitious attitude. He had joined him in his countless late-night work-outs and he had happily raised glasses with him when they had both been accepted into SMent. He had seen how hard Jonghyun worked for his dream; to the point where he could even cry, if he was not satisfied with himself. Onew knew all that.

And yet he had never seen his best friend as desperate as the night before. Onew and the others had already guessed that something was amiss from Jonghyun’s expression when he had asked them to go out, but never had Onew expected for it to be to this extent.

Despite, or probably exactly because of his opinion about women Jonghyun had never been one to refuse pretty girls. He would play along with their advances and dispose of them again without batting an eye when he got bored of them. Like one would do with a new car or an expensive pair of shoes. So, the fact that he now refused them by pointing out things that he usually preferred about women had made the SHINee members even more concerned. Too much make-up, a too gaudy of a dress, too tall, too stupid; to only mention a few.

But compared to the others who were just getting more and more confused by their hyung’s actions, Onew already had a hunch about what was going on: It was as if his friend was comparing all these girls to someone. As if he was desperately trying to forget that someone by occupying himself with other girls but achieving the exact opposite. And Onew had a pretty good idea about who that certain someone was.

And Onew’s suspicion had been strengthened even more when they had finally managed to convince Jonghyun to call it a night and Onew had been putting his drunken friend to bed. He had been just about to leave, when Jonghyun had shot up and grabbed his arm, making Onew halt and turn around again.

“Jonghyun?” He had asked a little surprised. “Are you awake?”

But instead of giving an answer, Jonghyun had just muttered with closed eyes. “Hyung… what should I do? No matter what I try I just can’t get her out of my mind…”

But before Onew even had the chance to reply, Jonghyun’s hand had already fallen back onto the bad and he had been fast asleep again. So Onew had just looked at him and sighed. Even though he knew of his friend’s pain he could do nothing to help him. Because recovering his trust in women was something Jonghyun would have to do all by himself. The only person who could possibly help him was probably Ha Neul, but then she too seemed to still have unsolved problems of the heart.

What an intricate situation, Onew thought once again upon remembering his thoughts from the previous. He glanced at the cause of his worry who was still sitting on one of the chairs and resting his head against the wall with closed eyes.

But they flew open in surprise when all of a sudden his cell phone started ringing. Confused as to who would call him during his work he took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. His equally curious, if not more, members tried to get a glimpse on it, too.

Though, only Key who was sitting right next to Jonghyun succeeded in doing so. Yet even after knowing the caller’s name he remained clueless.

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Hey everyone....

Do I need to hide myself? >.< For not updating in WEEKS?
I guess I just don't like it when my main characters are down in the pits... hehe ^^

But to make up for it, it's going to be a double update!

So, who do you think is calling Jonghyun? ^^