Sae Rin's POV

I'm serious, I'm lucky my brain decided to be quiet and shy or else I'd be in full fangirling, madman, monkey mode.

I mean, really. it's SHINee.

But now they're safe. Onew and I left them to their dinner, so I wouldn't be freaking out by the fact that I was eating with idols. Well, Onew's an idol, too, but now that I remember he's my brother, I feel more comfortable around him. But it's amazing how fast I warmed up to him.

Onew went to the bathroom to get the hairdryers while I got to the living room to get my bag. Then, I walked over to the bathroom again, where Onew was about to leave.

"Huh? We're not going to dry them off in here?" I ask.

"If we do it outside in the living room, there'll be more room for us to spread out the paper and everything. The bathroom's not that big," he explained.

Why didn't I think of that?

I nodded in agreement and we both headed out. We sat around the coffee table, and I made sure I was facing away from the others, so I don't remember I'm actually in their dorm. One by one, me and Onew dried of the papers that were luckily all saved from my cautionary care of them. Onew dried the music sheets, and I dried my notebooks.

"So, I guess we should get to know each other," Onew finally suggests.

"I guess so. But I already know a lot about you all, already."

"You're a shawol?"

"A major one, at that."

"Who was your bias?"

"Luckily, not you."

"Hey! What do you mean by that!?"

"It means she never liked you, hyung!" Jonghyun teased.

"It's not that!" I defended.

"Then what rank am I in?" Onew continued.

I thought for a moment, my index finger tapping on my chin. "About third."

"Well, at least I'm not last! But I'm not forgiving you for not making me your bias." He lifted his hairdryer up to my face, making my hair flow back.

"Hey! Not my fault! And do you really want your long-lost sister to have you for her favorite idol ever? You cannot imagine what K-pop fans think about."

"Really?"

"Yup. EXO fans are even more erted."

"I don't wanna know."

"Good choice."

"Anyways, who's fifth?"

"Minho."

"Hey!" Minho whined.

"I don't like you as much." I admitted. "But we'd make good friends! I love sports!"

"That doesn't make up for it!"

"Well, what do you want me to do!?"

Onew let out a laugh. "You really warm up to people rather quickly."

That's... pretty accurate, really. Once I get comfortable, I talk to people I've only known for a short time as if I had known them since birth.

"I guess."

"So you still haven't answered my question. Who's your bias? That way I can keep an eye on you."

I laughed. "Then it's better off I don't tell you, then."

"Come on! Tell me! Please? For your big brother!"

At last my books are dry. "Hand me some sheets."

"After you tell me your bias."

"You do realize it's my stuff, right?"

"It doesn't mean you can have it back."

"That can be considered stealing."

"Idols can get away with anything."

"Hey!" I pouted.

"Don't make that face. It's not making you any cuter."

"Oppa!" I reached out for my papers, but he pulled them back.

"Tell me!"

"Alright... it's Taemin."

"Bwah? Me?" he answered with a mouthful of food.

"Yah, what's wrong with the rest of us!?" Key exclaimed.

"I love you all!" I say, waving my hands up in surrender. "I dunno... he's around my age. I really like all that aegyo he has. Out of cute, hot, and handsome, I prefer cute."

"Which category do the rest of us fall in?" Minho asks.

"Hm... tough question... Taemin, Onew, and Key are cute; Jonghyun is hot; Minho is handsome."

"I don't like being called cute!" Taemin argued.

"It's not like I like it any more than him!" Key added as he and Minho stood up to drop off their plates in the kitchen.

"Well, I'm sorry! You are!" I said.

"I'm good, as long as I'm handsome," Minho announced cooly as the two returned and sat on the sofa.

"I don't like handsome guys."

Everyone laughed, humiliating Minho.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Key asks.

"Me and Onew will dry the papers. You and Minho can match up the sheets according to the song. Yah, are you and Taemin helping?" I asked Jonghyun.

"Yeah, sure!" Jonghyun said.

"Kamsamnida! You two can sort them in alphabetical order and help me put them in my binders." With my intructions, Key and Minho started getting to work.

"How can you call the oldest cute?" Onew said.

"Have you considered how clumsy you are?"

Again, everyone laughed.

"But still! I think I'm at least hot!"

"Why ask me if you're going to argue after every statement I make?"

"She's not wrong," Jonghyun said with a chuckle. He stood and put away his dirty plate, joining us and sitting next to Key. Though Taemin's still eating... "And of course, I'm hot. Who's surprised?"

"Yah! Pabo!" Key yelled as he bonked him with my binder, then handing it to him.

I snickered.

"Ok, so who's second and fourth?" Key asked. "It's only me and the pabo left."

"Key's second and Jonghyun's fourth," I answered.

Key pumped his fists in the air as he screamed, "I knew it!"

"Yah, why call me hot if I'm on the bottom!?" Jonghyun asked.

"I said I prefer cute guys! Anyways, since Onew's my brother now, you and Minho get a promotion."

"Yah!" Onew screamed.

"That doesn't change anything!" Jonghyun pointed out.

"It really doesn't..." Minho said.

"What can you possibly see in them...?" Key said.

"I love how Jonghyun can play so many instruments, being a musician myself, but he's kind of cocky at times."

"I understand you, girl."

I laughed. "I like Minho's athletic ability and unique voice. But how he's considered handsome in my eyes... I guess it's just the face. And you, I really like your voice and how feminine you are."

"Hey, I'm not feminine!"

At last, Taemin puts up his platter and enlists in the task force with a snicker. He hasn't spoken much. Maybe because I embarrassed him...

"No, you are," Jonghyun interrupted.

"Do you want to die?" Key threated.

"The thing is, I'm not that feminine, myself," I continue. "I guess you could say I'm a tomboy. Can I stop talking about my favorite idols, now?"

"No. Not until you tell me why you don't like me," he pouts.

"Yes," Onew counters, annoyed. I laugh and take Onew's answer. "What're your hobbies? Or, well, what instruments do you play?"

"My hobbies are about music, really. Sometimes I like to play sports, but I usually just like running track. Um, I can play the piano, violin, guitar, drums, trumpet, and saxophone."

Jonghyun shouts with a surprised expression. Oh yeah... wasn't one of his dreams to play all musical instruments?

"I think I'm in love," Jonghyun announces.

"Whoa, whoa, there," I say.

"Just 'cause you're all jealous does not mean you get to say you love my sister," Onew agrees. "Let's move on before Jonghyun explodes. Uh... I dunno what to ask." He laughs.

"I never do. I'm a horrible conversation starter."

"Well, we're almost finished here. Do you want to practice the piano for a while?"

"Shouldn't I stay to organize everything? It's my things, after all. You don't need to do it all yourselves."

"Nah, we're fine here. The piano's in the second room on the right down the hall."

"I'll go with you," Jonghyun volunteered.

"Yah! You just want to get out of work!" Key pointed out.

"You know, teaching someone is also considered work."

"Your dream was to become a composer or teach music!"

"Ah, fine, fine! Taemin, you wanna come with?"

"No, you go ahead, hyung," Taemin answers.

Now I'm really afraid I embarrassed him. But wouldn't a celebrity be happy to hear that he's someone's bias? Or was he expecting someone prettier...? And of course, I'm his leader's sister... Maybe he's got reason.

Jonghyun leads me into a room, with instruments all around me. A violin, guitars, snares and a drum set, and a majestic piano right in the center of a room. I've never seen such perfect instruments...

"These must've cost a fortune..." I said, walking around the room.

"Yeah, well, we're famous," Jonghyun pointed out.

I laughed. "But I mean, these are so beautifully crafted... I'd be lucky to have anything like these!" Taking a closer look at the violin, I saw there wasn't a scratch. The wood was flawlessly carved. I carefully took it in my hands. "Mind if I...?"

"Not at all."

I smiled with glee. To think, I'd ever get my hands on such an expensive thing. Grabbing the bow, I began to softly press the hair onto the violin strings, starting to play an excerpt of Baek Ji Young's That Woman.

 

Jonghyun's POV

That Woman? From Secret Garden? That's... that's really amazing. Even though she only played the chorus, I can tell she really is talented...

"Woo!" I yelled as I clapped my hands together. "Encore!" She snickered. "Where'd you learn how to play like that?"

"Actually, at my school band. My director always wanted us to have fun and didn't really care if we couldn't play well as long as we were enjoying it. If we stunk at first, he helped us become better. If we didn't have the money to buy an instrument, which I didn't, he'd let us rent one from his inventory. So I practiced at band class everyday, since I couldn't afford private lessons, and taught myself at home. Eventually, I got better and started playing in public for money. My director gave me my violin for free and I got enough money to get a ratty old piano at a pawn shop."

At a pawn shop... she really doesn't make that much money. I can see why she wants to be a professional pianist, to keep doing what she loves and make a living out of it at the same time.

"Are you thinking about being a professional violinist, too?" I continued to ask.

"I'm not planning to, but maybe. My strong point is piano, and I don't think I can keep up with trying to balance the two. But, maybe, if I get good enough."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you with violin. But maybe SM could help you."

"Maybe."

I walked over to the piano bench and signaled her to sit down next to me. She set the violin down carefully and came over.

"So, what should we do now, master?" Sae Rin asked with a smile.

"Play your favorite song for me," I suggested.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Her fingers gracefully set on the keys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31nOaXSeqSo

She begins with a simple tune that I couldn't recognize, then pauses for a measure or two, and begins again. Wait, I think I know this song. But, what was the name? Nevertheless, it sounds beautiful... angelic. Even though it's at a normal pace, it seems so difficult to play... She's multitalented, to know how to play so many instruments without a proper teacher.

As her song came to an end, I found myself staring at her face before her eyes left the keys. She's quite pretty, actually... I can see a bit of resemblance of Onew hyung.

Finally, she turned this way and noticed me staring at her. I want to look away; I'm a bit embarrassed, but I just want to take a good look at her. Back outside, I didn't really see her face entirely. She's really pretty...

Haha, noona neomu yeppeo. Whenever I think, "Oh, she's so cute," Replay keeps coming into my head.

"Uh..." she finally said.

I snapped back to my senses and saw her cheeks were red. I'm sure mine were a little flushed, too, and looked away to the piano.

"So, uh..." I shook my head. "What was the name of that song? It sounded really familiar."

"Merry-Go-Round of Life by Joe Hisaishi. It was the theme of Howl's Moving Castle, an animated Japanese movie back in 2004 based on the book. I used to love it when I was a kid. And it's also a waltz."

"Howl's Moving Castle... I remember loving that movie. And, Merry-Go-Round of Life. How long did it take you to learn that?"

"A while, really. Some say fast-tempoed songs are the hardest to play. But really, the slow ones are the ones that are hard to keep up with. Usually, you'd play pieces at a normal speed or at a fast speed, and switching back to slow pieces make you want to play faster and causes you to mess up."

She's smart. Not a lot of people realize that, except for professionals. But, I thought an amateur like her wouldn't think of that. Note to self: never underestimate Sae Rin.

"Do you think you can teach me it?" I asked.

"Sure. Now?"

"No, I meant later."

Dramas, movies... she really has an interesting choice of songs.

"Heh, well, I'm a dork."

"Huh?" I sounded. Oh, I think I said that out loud. "Oh, sorry."

"Then do you want me to play a more classical song?"

"No, I didn't mean - "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-4wUfZD6oc

She already started playing. This time, I recognized it from the first measure. Yiruma's River Flows In You. One of our maknae's favorites. Well, of course she'd know that. He's her bias, after all.

Wow... she's playing perfectly at this, too. Not a single sour note, at perfect tempo. But, if she taught herself, shouldn't she have bad habits and wrong techniques? Or did her band director get her on track? Regardless...

My eyes gaze upon her nimble fingers pressing down on the keys rapidly. Yet... I keep looking back and forth at her face. Do I... have feelings for her? No, I don't think so. I don't feel butterflies in my stomach when I'm near her like this. My heart's beating at normal pace. Maybe it's just her music skill? I am really impressed. And, I guess it's normal to look at someone so pretty. I'm sensing we're going to be really good friends.

Her song came to an end, yet I still managed to stare at her. She was looking at the piano again, for longer than last time.

"Jonghyun?" she said.

I came back again. "Yeah?"

Finally looking at me, she asked, "Why do you keep looking at me every time I play?"

"Um, err, no reason!" I stuttered, looking away again. Damn, way to keep your cool, man.

She laughed as if nothing happened. "Ok."

"So, um, why do you always stare at the piano like that?"

"Well, with a beautiful one like this, it's normal. But after I perform something, I always clear my mind and look back at what I played. See my mistakes, note them, and fix them."

"Mistakes? I didn't hear any..."

"Really? I noticed a bunch."

A bunch...? Maybe she pushes herself too hard... But maybe it's neccessary to if you're trying to make it in the big time. But she doesn't need to do it anymore.

"Yah! Why are you two so close!?" a voice shouted out. We both turned our heads towards the source, and found Key with his arms crossed. Close...? I looked over at Sae Rin again. Uh... we really are close...

I abruptly stood up. "Aish, it's not like we're doing anything."

"You better not! Hyung will kill you! ... Actually, go on and date."

"I refuse!" Sae Rin exclaims as her hand shoots up in the air.

Key smirked. "Anyways, we got your stuff ready? Do you still wanna eat?"

Sae Rin checked her watch. "It's actually getting kinda late. I think I'll get going."

"You were starving, before. At least let me pack something for you to go home with."

"Kamsamnida."

"How many people live with you?"

"Only three."

"Oh? Do you have another sibling?"

"No, I'm staying with my aunt and uncle and their 7 year-old son while I'm in Seoul."

"Oh, does he like sweets?"

She nodded.

"Then I'll get some candy for him."

"Kamsamnida."

Sae Rin stood and the three of us walked out together. Onew handed Sae Rin her bag and chatted a little while Key went in the kitchen to get some food for her.

In just a couple of minutes, Key came out again and handed Sae Rin a bag.

"That was quick," she commented.

He shrugged. "I already made food for three, and it didn't take me very long to make food for a 7 year-old."

"You didn't give me too much sugar, did you?"

"Of course not! He'd probably be bouncing off the walls if I did!"

Sae Rin chuckled. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it."

"Well, I need to get going. Nice to finally meet you again, brother," she said to Onew as Sae Rin bowed.

"You too," hyung replied. "Oh, do you go by some nickname?"

Her brows furrowed. "That's a weird question."

Onew laughed. "Yeah, but I should ask you a lot of questions if we haven't seen each other for years."

"I don't go by any nicknames. And in that case, should I call you dubu, oppa?"

"Haha, oppa or Onew is fine."

Sae Rin nodded.

"But I think we should come up with a nickname for you, then."

"I don't like nicknames."

"But you're getting a nickname."

She sighed. "Then what do you want to call me?"

"Mm... I dunno. You seem to be really devoted to music... Eumaggi? Or Eummi?"

"Eumaggi? Why would you...?"

"Eum-ag means music, doesn't it? I could call you that!"

"Eummi noona. That seems to work," Taemin commented.

Eummi... I like it, too.

"Oh, by the way, I'm younger than you," Sae Rin said.

"But noona seems to fit you better," Taemin remarked with a cheeky smile. "And besides, 'noona' is still used for girls who are close to you."

What? Er, no, we would've called her noona anyways, but he seems kind of cheery... He was quiet a while ago...

Sae Rin returned the grin. "I know, but, I'm just saying."

"And you can still call me oppa."

"That's a bit odd, but alright."

Sae Rin exited the dorm. Onew and Taemin went to their room, Minho and Key watched a bit of TV, and I started for the music room. I really want to play that song again... Or at least attempt.

I entered the room and closed the door with my foot behind me. I looked around the room again, at the instruments. Sae Rin said she could never afford instruments like these... maybe I should get her some.

My eyes shifted to the piano. But on the bench was a small notebook... I don't think it was there when me and Eummi came in. Maybe she dropped it out of her pocket.

Sigh. I really wanted to play. Hm... I'll just get Onew hyung to do it. I took the notebook in my hand and exited the room again. Then I went into Onew hyung's room. Wuh... why is he sleeping? It's not that late... Great, I have to wake him up, too.

"Yah, hyung, Eummi left this here. Can you go out and give it back?" I said.

"Nyeh... You go do it," he told me.

"But I don't want to."

"I don't want to, either."

"You're her brother."

"We haven't met for years."

"Well... you're still family."

"Well, you're the one already up."

"Yah, just go deliver it to her!"

"You do it!"

You must really want to die, hyung.

"Yah! Get up!" I yelled.

"I don't need to!"

You know what, forget it. Forget it.

I really don't wanna argue anymore.

"Fine. I'll bring it down."

 

Finally, the elevator doors opened. I stepped out to the lobby, and noticed flashing outside the doors. What...? The paparazzi usually don't stay this late... Ugh. Looks like I'll have to fight through them, too.

I walked through the main doors and tried to cover my eyes from all the flashing... A slim figure was standing in front, trying to shield herself from the cameras. Is... is that Sae Rin?

"Tell us about your relationship with your brother!" one screamed.

"Why did he bring you back to your dorm?" another asked.

Aigoo... Onew got caught by the media again. Now they know Sae Rin was here... Ottoke...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally got this up T^T" I've been so busyyyyy! 

You weren't that busy.

Shut up. Well, here's a ridiculously long chapter to make up for not updating in a while. 

Lisa, it's not that long a chapter. 

SHUT UP!

BUT THERE'S TOO MUCH DIALOGUE!

I just can't have nice things.

You can't.

But expected in 'bonding time', isn't it? If it's not... OH WELL.

 

Huh. That was actually really fun. 

NEW RULE!

At the end of some chapters, I'll make a short "Lisa vs. Lisa" conversation. I'll come up with an anti-me name and use that in the future. 

Till next time fair shawols!