Played by Fate

I was having my breakfast when I got a text message from Taem.

*Good Morning Princess! I'm on my way to the campus right now. I have to be there early for the stage rehearsal. Concert will start at 5 o'clock. I'm afraid I can't fetch you later... Please be there at least one hour before. See you! I love you. :))*

I smiled after reading it. Taemin is really sweet and thoughtful while Minho is protective and passionate.

*Argh, when will you stop comparing them?!* I scolded myself.

Immediately after lunch, I started to prepare myself for later's event. I wore something that I would be comfortable with. The trip from our place all the way to Seoul would be more than an hour, so I left the house at 2 o'clock to make sure I'll be there in time Taemin expected me to be.

I was surprised to see a big crowd starting to build up infront of SM High School. Some were holding banners with different photos of Arts Dept members but lots of them were wearing bandanas and carrying light sticks with the name of Taem printed on it. Suddenly, I felt I was like a bottle floating alone on a big sea. Taemin's popularity is really huge and compared to him.. I'm really nothing.I was about to enter the campus when a group of girls about my age called me.

"Hey! Excuse me Miss!" one of them shouted.

"Yes? Are you calling me?" I turned to them as I replied and began to walk towards their direction with a friendly smile playing on my lips.

"Yeah, I just wanna ask, are you a member of Arts Dept of SM? Tell me, is it true that Lee Taemin officially has a girlfriend? Do you know anything about it?" she continuously asked, looking so eager to find some answers.

"Uhm.. yeah, I heard so." I simply said. Then, their faces began to change, looking so disappointed on what they heard.

"Ohhhhmeggged! I can't accept this!" the other girl blurted out.

"That really breaks my heart!" the other one cried out. The last thing they said made me decide to leave them and entered the campus quickly.

"I really hate that girl! Whoever she is, and when I get the chance to know her, I will really grab her hair!"

I walked straight to the stadium where they were practicing. Good thing, Taem gave me a special visitor's gate pass, I didn't have any hard time entering and walking around the campus. I slowly walked inside the stadium as soon as I got there. I found Taem and Krystal at the middle of the stage, rehearsing. The song "Troublemaker" was playing loudly inside, blasting aloud on the speakers spreaded around the place. I easily found a seat not too close from the stage but could easily be seen. From afar, I could see Taemin, his body drenched and slick because of sweat -- he was already bathing on his own perspiration, nonetheless, he was still gracefully dancing. Krystal, on the other hand, was dancing passionately with him. There were lots of dance moves involving skin shipping, hugging and lifting. Over all, I could say that it was a y and intimate choreography for an upbeat song. I was on that thought when I heard an applause from my back.

"That was perfect! I want you to give your all for later's actual performance, okay? The two of you look so good together," a middle-aged man complimented through a yell. Then, all the other students inside began to tease Taem with Krystal which made me felt uncomfortable.

"Krystal, may I have a word with you? Let's talk at my office, this will only take a few time, and Onew come over here also." the man continued to speak and Krystal and Onew immediately walked towards him.

I followed them with my gaze, the man told something to Onew before he left together with Krystal. Onew went up to the stage to announce something. "Guys! I would like to inform everyone that all the school board including CEO SooMan are very happy with all of our choreography, choice of songs, and over all concept and ideas for this year's concert. We just have to give it our best shot later, okay? Kamsahamnida to all of you! Let's keep fighting!" he shouted and they responded in chorus. "Fighting!!"

It was then, Taemin approached me. "Hey Princess!" he greeted me along with a quick smack on my lips. I almost melted with that and I could suddenly feel the heat on my cheeks. "Taem.. Please avoid doing that in public, I'm not comfortable.." I shyly said.

"You shouldn't be Princess... I wanna show the world how I love my girl and it's one way of showing it. Please don't get mad," he sweetly said while grining at me.

*Haayy, how will I ever get mad with this guy?..* I thought.

My phone suddenly rang, it was Ann J. She said she was at the main gate of the campus and couldn't enter because she doesn't have a VIP pass. "Uhm, Taem, Ann J called up, she's waiting outside. Would it be fine if you could please accompany her?.."I asked him.

"No prob! Okay, I'll just go and meet her up." he gladly said. "Gomawo Taem!"

He left for a couple of minutes and returned with Ann J.

"Kyaaaaaa!! Chemi! This is it! I'm actually at the cloud 9 right now," she squealed in my ear, so loud I think I just became deaf.

Taem and I were both happy to see her like that. He chuckled at Ann J's reaction. "Uhm, girls, wait up here and let me grab something to eat. It's good to have a full tummy before the concert starts. Stay here and I'll be right back." he said then left us.

We sat down and started to talk and update each other about us. Little did I know that on that very same moment, two guys were actually talking about us right back there at the stage.

"Minho!" Onew called him, who was arranging and checking the instruments that would be using later.

"Hey buddy! How's it going? Are you all done with the dance rehearsals?" Minho asked him.

"Yeah! So, you'll gonna pursue that solo act of yours later huh?" Onew . Minho chuckled and gave Onew a light punch on his thigh.

"What were you thinking huh? That I can't sing alone? Hahaha! Don't ever forget that you are talking

to the President of Music Dept. Actually, I just wanted it to be extra special, besides, this will be our last concert here and we will be leaving this campus soon, I might as well give them a performance that they will never forget, right?" he explained.

Onew slightly felt sad about their last few months at SM. They were actually on their fifth year. The last year of the students at SM High School was different from other schools. They have what they called "extension year" for their students who were members of different clubs and departments. At their final year, they were also called seniors, same as the fourth year, hence, they were not actually having an academic subjects. It was more of enhancing their skills, applying what they have learned, and teaching other lower year students to develop their talents. It was a final year for Krystal, Onew, and Minho. Next year, they will all graduate and eventually leave SM High School to continue their education on College.

Onew began to look serious and didn't hesitate to throw the question both Minho and Taemin had been avoiding. "Buddy, Can I have one final favor from you?.."

"Shoot! What is it huh? You're too serious.." Minho answered, a bit puzzled.

"I really wanna bring back what we used to have. You, me and Taemin. I'm asking you this because we are his hyungs.. more mature and more understandable. Please make the first move to talk to him buddy and try to settle things up. Please..." Onew pleaded and was deadly serious about it. Minho sighed and answered.

"Alright, I'm gonna do it, but I can't promise you anything. Just don't expect too much bro. I'll just try my very best."

"Gomawo Minho! Thank you so much.." he said hoping for a good outcome. Minho just smiled then continued on what he has been doing, but Onew wasn't finished yet, their conversation suddenly came to Taemin's love life.

"By the way, have you heard about Taem's new girl?" Onew asked, his eyes were sparkling.

"I knew that. Everyone knows that, its Krystal, right? That bratty President of yours." Minho answered without even throwing a glance at Onew.

"No. She's actually not a student here but I already met her yesterday at the master studio and you wouldn't believe what just happened.. She actually had a trouble with Krystal," Onew told him. Minho instantly stopped and began to feel unease yet curious about it, then Onew continued while shifting his gaze around, "I think she's here at the stadium," Then he saw Ann J and me chatting.

"There! Look, she's there." he tapped Minho's shoulder who were trying to concentrate on what he was fixing. Minho followed Onew's gaze and saw two girls, the one which is actually Ann J, with a long black hair who was facing the stage, and me who was standing infront of Ann J.

"That one?! Looks cute and jolly like you." making Onew wrinkled his forehead.

"Who were you referring to? The girl with long hair?" he asked.

"Yeah. Isn't she?" Now, it's Minho's turned to be confuse.

"Nope. The other one." Onew explained. Minho took a second look and at that same moment, I turned around to face the stage and Minho saw my face clearly.

"A-are you sure about that?" he stammered, asking Onew without removing his eyes on me.

"Yeah. If I'm not mistaken her name is--"

"Park Chemi," Minho said it emotionless.

"Yes. Wait, did Taemin introduce her to you? Oh my, you knew her?!.. Is there something I should know?" Onew asked continuously.

Minho managed to tell Onew what happened between us while still fixing the instruments. Onew listened with all ears. He couldn't believe that Minho and Taemin went through a lot of bitter situations last spring break. After Minho's confession, Onew couldn't help but to feel bad about it. "I believe that you and Taem should've talk more."

"Uhm, do you still like her?" he asked.

"No.. I love her Onew. I was just too coward to admit it. I have mistaken my feelings for her as a brotherly love to a dongsaeng.. She's only 15, too young for a serious commitment, too young for me, that's why I tried to divert my feelings to her unnie, Bom. I didn't have hard time doing it cause like her, Bom is so nice and sweet. Not to mention that gorgeous looks, but she loves someone else. I really thought that when I left that place, all my emotions and memories during that spring break would be vanish along with the change of seasons, but I was wrong. When I saw her again last night, I am so sure now that I do love her and wanted to be my girl... Truth is, I'm plannning to admit my true feelings to her after the concert, but how can I do it now when I am too late for that?.." he confided his feelings to someone for the first time.

"That's a big prob Bro, too complicated. The way I see Taemin cares for her, I could tell he is so serious about Chemi." Onew sighed. "I really hope so, cause the way we know Taemin, he is such a yeorim, playing with girl's emotions. I don't know what I might do to him if he makes a fool out of Chemi." he ended.

They weren't aware that behind them, someone overheard their conversation.

It's Krystal.

Taemin got back with sandwiches and lemonade for me and Ann J. "Princess, I have to go to the backstage now. We're almost starting. I'll call you as soon as the concert ends, okay? Enjoy the show and tell me later how was my performance." Taem told us and murmured a rushed goodbye before hurriedly went backstage.

Thirty minutes before it started, the security personnels began to allow the audience to come inside and have a seat. When the lights began to dim, there were a sudden scream among all the students. I was feeling a bit nervous yet so excited about the show. As expected, it opened with a blast performance from Taem's boys, EXO, dancing to MAMA and History. Fans were chanting their names especially of that guys, Kai and Suho. It followed by Taem and Onew's performance along with other senior students. The song sounded so familiar and it took me a minute to remember it.

*Replay! That's right, that was Minho's composition and me and Bom unnie were the first to hear it.* I thought, feeling flattered.

After that, different groups showed their talents in dancing and singing. Both boys and girls were so good. The fanboys went wild when Krystal's group performed. The first hour of the show ended by an unexpected solo number from Minho. He was sitting on a wooden stool, carrying his guitar with him. Before he sang, he had a short message about the song he was gonna sing, and it really made my heart beats fast.

"Annyeonghaseyo everyone! I'm Choi Minho from Music Dept. Kamsahamnida for coming here all tonight. We really appreciate it. The song I'm gonna sing is so special to me.. The lyrics were actually written by someone else, I just filled it with a melody that I thought fit it's words. This song had served as a bridge for me towards that special someone. We had been through a lot, I guess the only thing i wanted to tell her is.. Dongsaeng Saranghae." Minho said then began to strum his guitar.

He started to sing "Hello", the very first song we did together... I was staring at him vividly and I could feel his heart.

*Minho...* I thought while holding my chest. I didn't know but at that moment, I felt I was betrayed and being played by fate. Heaven knows how I love him and how I waited for that time when he would say he loves me too. Now, that it finally came true, I'm afraid it couldn't be fulfilled anymore... I was silently crying until he finished singing. My excitement slowly dropped down after that performance of Minho. My sight suddenly became blind on all the things that was happening inside the stadium. I was looking at the next set of performers but couldn't see anything. My mind was flying back last spring break when I first met Minho. I was like that for the next thirty minutes, and my thoughts just went back at the concert when Ann J grabbed my attention.

"Hey! Are you alright? They are now down to their final act and look, it's Taemin and that girl who performed a while ago." she yelled, her index finger pointing at the stage.

I saw Taemin and Krystal performing the one they were rehearsing when I arrived this afternoon. That dance bothered me so much because Krystal was deliberately grinding her skin and body to Taem. It was different from what I have watched during the practice, and it was really starting to get into my nerves. The dance ended at last, then the crowd were shouting something. At first, I couldn't understand it but when they shouted continuously, it came to my understanding that they were saying, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" Taem and Krystal were standing at the center stage smiling and waving at the audience. The chant became too loud and then there was a drum roll playing. I couldn't breathe anymore, I was waiting on what will happen, then to my surprise, Krystal faced Taem, held his nape and kissed him intimately.. The next scene made me die. I saw Taem held her back waist and responded to that kiss. They were like that as long as I could remember before I hurriedly ran outside of the stadium.

I just died too along with Chemi...

Who wants to teleport inside SM High School and give Krystal a big punch straight in the face??

You are all free to do so! LMAO

btw, Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert was a total superb here in the Philippines.

EXO even sang a Filipino song, "Hawak Kamay" (Holding Hands)

Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!