Narrator’s POV

Ha Neul was watching Jonghyun’s thoughtful expression wondering what he might be pondering about so hard, when suddenly the most beautiful and brilliant smile she had ever seen broke on his face. With it he looked so peaceful and relieved and content as if a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders and Ha Neul curiously tilted her head. Still, his smile was so contagious she couldn’t help but smile back.

Jonghyun took in her curiously looking black doe-eyes, her cutely tilted head, and her wise mouth that was now smiling at him so endearingly. And once more he wrapped his arms around her small figure and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Yes, he loved her. There was no turning back now. The truth was so piercing clear he felt like an idiot for running away all this time. A sigh escaped his lips and he blissfully closed his eyes.

And as Jonghyun was facing the camera, all the staff and the rest of SHINee watched him with utter amazement. Never before had they seen Jonghyun like that. That expression of complete happiness… and that sweet smile… they all saw it for the first time.

Minho nudged the maknae and whispered. “I wonder what happened just now; I’ve never seen hyung like that!”

“Me neither!” Taemin whispered back. “But it must have been something good. Just look at that smile! It’s almost too bright to look at directly!

Minho stifled a chuckle and turned to Key. “And, still wondering what their relationship is now, hyung?”

“Yeah, right,” Key replied dryly. “Anyone who can’t read that is an idiot!”

Onew nodded with a benevolent smile as he looked at Ha Neul and Jonghyun. But then his expression turned serious and he glanced at Choi Jin. “Yes, even our dear manager got it. He doesn’t look very pleased though…”

Minho sighed. “And neither do some of our female staff…” He looked at their crestfallen faces. The social media would be buzzing tonight. “I just hope they won’t get hurt by this…”

The others nodded, they all hoped for that.

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In front of the beautiful backdrop of a lush olive tree plantation two men in suits could be seen talking to each other. However, they didn’t seem to be on the best of terms.

“And you thought you could come here?” The one wearing a grey suit said with contempt.

“How could I not?” The one with chestnut-coloured hair tried to argue. “When hyung is here.” He swallowed and took a breath. “I don’t care what you say now since I saw you—”

“This is why kids are troublesome.” The other interrupted him though. “How could you come just because you missed me? You don’t even realise what this means.” His words were as cold and sharp as ice.

But even though he was visibly hurt the younger one still didn’t give up. “It’s been three—“ He tried again in a now shaky voice, and yet he got interrupted again.

“You’re watching your dramas even here? Don’t you want to go out and explore? I thought this was your first time here in Japan?” The voice Ha Neul would recognise even among a crowd of shouting people cut off Kim Tan midsentence and she quickly pressed the pause button on her laptop.

“I was waiting for you,” she said and turned around to Jonghyun who had just entered his hotel room. “Did something happen? Your manager looked kind of serious when you two left earlier…?” she looked at Jonghyun with genuine concern. As soon as they had returned to the hotel after the photo shoot, Jonghyun had left with Choi Jin. And judging from the manager’s expression it hadn’t been just to get some coffee. Moreover, as the other SHINee members had told Ha Neul after she’d asked them, Jonghyun didn’t even have any schedule for that evening. It was supposed to be their evening off because tomorrow would be their last concert before their return to Korea. That was why she now wondered whether something unexpected had happened.

But Jonghyun quickly shook his head and sat down on the couch next to her. “No, nothing.”

Ha Neul looked at him for a moment, a small frown between her eyebrows. It hadn’t quite looked like “nothing” before. But then she decided to let it go. If he didn’t want to talk about it then she wouldn’t pry.

“And, what drama are you watching now?” Jonghyun then asked conversationally. “This doesn’t look very Japanese though…”

Ha Neul gave a short chuckle. “No, it’s not a Japanese drama. I’m re-watching Heirs. You know that drama?” She asked but Jonghyun shook his head.

“You know, I don’t have the time to watch this stuff.”

Ha Neul shrugged. “Well, you could have still heard about it before. You also work in the entertainment industry after all…” She smiled at him. “It’s about a group of high school kids who are all heirs to big business conglomerates. Hence the drama’s title. The story focuses on one boy of that group – Kim Tan played by my handsome Lee Minho.” Her eyes turned dreamy and Jonghyun rolled his eyes. He already hated this Kim Tan.

“Kim Tan then falls in love with his family’s housekeeper’s daughter,” Ha Neul continued unaware. “But what no one knows is that Kim Tan is actually the mistress’s son, which is why the drama starts off in America, since his older brother – who is the legitimate son – had exiled Kim Tan over there three years ago. And this scene,” Ha Neul points at the screen, “is where Kim Tan shows up at a business meeting even though his older brother has forbidden him to do so.” Ha Neul took a deep breath, so excited she’d become while talking about it. “Isn’t he just too pitiful?” She pouted. “His own brother exiled him to another continent…!”

Jonghyun pursed his lips. “Well, I don’t know. Somehow I can understand his brother though…”

“Huh?” Ha Neul looked at him surprised.

“He was probably scared this Kim Tan would take away his place. That’s why he sent him away.” Jonghyun said lost in thought. There had been times he had wanted to do that too.

“But Kim Tan always assured him he wasn’t after his father’s company! He just wanted to live with his family!”

“The ten years old Kim Tan probably did. But what about fifteen, thirty years later? His mind-set could change until then.”

Finally Ha Neul sighed. It wasn’t like she didn’t understand that. “I know…” She thus admitted. “He was probably insecure and, like you said, scared of losing his place.”

Jonghyun didn’t say anything to that though, so Ha Neul looked at him. To her surprise, his eyes were looking far away and he seemed completely absorbed in his thoughts.

And suddenly she remembered. That day at the rooftop park on the SM Building… After he had met with his mother in the cafeteria… He had told her a little about his family…

He had a half-brother too. But he wasn’t Kim Tan. Jonghyun was Kim Won.

Ha Neul bit her lip and looked down. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

That made Jonghyun look up. “Eh, what for?”

“For being insensitive…” She gave Jonghyun a contrite look. “I forgot you…” She trailed of, not knowing how to enunciate the end of her sentence in a gentle way.

Now, Jonghyun smiled. “It’s alright. You don’t need to be sorry.”

“So… do you hate your brother too?” Ha Neul asked and observed Jonghyun’s reaction carefully.

For a split second, Ha Neul thought she saw something flicker in Jonghyun’s eyes but it had been too short to make out what it had been. And when he spoke his expression showed nothing. “It’s not that I hate him per se; if I’m honest, he’s actually quite a nice person. But I guess I just always felt like he had taken my mother away from me in a sense…” Jonghyun shrugged and played with a cushion. “And I feared I was just his replacement…” He added in a low voice.

If not for their intricate family situation they might have even become great friends. Because, in truth, the two of them were quite similar, at least character-wise. People had told that to Jonghyun often enough. And this was probably the real reason why Jonghyun had distanced himself from everything that could connect him with his half-brother or his father. Because deep down he’d always had this fear that he might actually not even be his father’s son. He had been born after his half-brother after all… And every time he saw his half-brother or his father he would get reminded of that.

Jonghyun’s play of features had gone from emotionless to resigned and helpless. And without thinking Ha Neul scooted a bit closer to him so that she could put her hand on his forearm. Feeling her touch he looked up to her and smiled.

“Anyway!” He then said in a more cheerful voice. “There is something I wanted to give to you.”

Ha Neul sat up straight and looked at him curiously as he dug around in his pockets. “Really? What is it?” She asked excitedly.

Finally, Jonghyun found what he was searching for and held his hand out to Ha Neul. “Here.” He opened his hand and Ha Neul laid eyes on a piece of paper. “It’s a ticket for our concert tomorrow,” Jonghyun explained. “You’ve never really seen a concert of us, have you?”

Immediately, Ha Neul’s eyes lit up. “No, I haven’t. The closest I’ve come was your concert yesterday evening when I was watching from backstage…!” She took the ticket out of his hand as if it was a fragile vase and inspected it closely. “Wow, thank you so much!” She then told Jonghyun sincerely and with happiness written all over her face. For a moment she thought of Hyo Rin. Heh, she would be so envious if she knew!

Jonghyun, on the other hand, just looked at Ha Neul’s happy face and smiled.

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Later that evening though, when Ha Neul was sitting alone on the bed in her own hotel room, she looked at the ticket with mixed feelings. Earlier, her delight at the thought of being able to attend one of SHINee’s concerts had been no act. Ever since she’d gotten to know them, she’d always wanted to see them live at their work once. And, of course, one of them especially.

But that was also why she was hesitant about attending. Even now she was already failing miserably every time she tried to keep her distance from him. She feared after seeing him live on stage she would only fall for him even more. Somehow, she felt like it would tear down the very last wall she’d set up in her heart.

She sighed and let herself fall back down onto her cushion. Just what was she supposed to do in this kind of situation? Moreover, Jonghyun would surely be disappointed if she didn’t show up…

She rolled onto her stomach and groaned into the cushion. Maybe she should just go and worry about the consequences later?

But she wasn’t the type to do that. She was a computer scientist-to-be. Predicting all kinds of possible future outcomes was her job.

And that’s how it went on and on. One moment she would decide to attend the concert only change her mind right after and vice-versa. Until she eventually fell asleep, too tired out from all the thinking and with her fingers still tightly clasped around the ticket.

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Oh.My.God. It feels like it's been ages since I've been here...!! >< I'm soooo sorry for neglecting my stories and my precious readers!! *bows*

Here I thought I would have lots and lots of time once my exams are over... Ha, as if! I had to start writing my thesis and things became even busier! (I wrote a deadline down a month too late and as a consequence, something I thought I had four weeks time to complete, I had to finish it in one week! Well, that's me though - head in the clouds or wherever... XDD)

Anyway, I finally managed to update again! I just realised how much I actually missed writing! *^^*

And I apologise for all the lovely comments I STILL haven't replied to! Shame on me...! >_<"