|Last Chapter|

"Y-you want me to be a rookie? For SM?" Jong-in gaped. Soo-man nodded, shaking Jong-in's hand one final time. Before he left, in addition, he left Jong-in a placard with his name, phone number, and fax information, just in case.
Jong-in stared at the small business card, grinning maniacally. "Lee Soo-man wants me for SM Entertainment," he whispered to himself. Mone smiled proudly, along with the rest of the crowd huddled around the particular black haired teen. "You should do it," Mone encouraged.
They were ushered backstage, Jong-in still staring at Lee Soo-man's signature marking the small scrap of paper. "Should I really?" he turned to look at his crew.
They nodded, Myung Dae and Mone agreeing entirely. "But that means I'd have to be away from all you guys.. away from you," Jong-in murmured, locking his eyes with Mone. She only smiled, wrapping her arms around Jong-in, resting her head on his shoulder lovingly. "But I'd still support you."

Myung Dae smiled. "She'd love to have a boyfriend she can fangirl over through the tv," he sniggered.
Mone nodded. "That's true."
"I heard they force you to end your relationships, though," Chen spoke up. "Especially SM.. they're total slave-drivers."

Jong-in chewed the inside of his cheek apprehensively. "And break up with Mone?" he breathed. He turned to look at Mone, caressing her cheek. 
"We're not going to force you to do anything," Mone told him. "In fact, we'll be there 100% for you all the way, with whatever you decide to do."
The guys patted Jong-in's back on last time to assure him their regards, before filing out to go watch the rest of the pitiful showcase, leaving Mone and Jong-in alone to think out their routes. "You're graduating this year anyways," Mone said. "You're gonna be off to college and I'm gonna have to stay anyways... make something of yourself, oppa," Mone whispered.
Jong-in sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "Let's just go out and celebrate tonight," he told her. "Enjoy ourselves.. okay?"

Jong-in smiled, watching the twinkling lights of Seoul's nightlife light up the sky. He sighed, watching Mone fromt he corner of her eyes, examining her as she gawked at the jubilant neon signs glitter, contrasting the night's blanketing violet sky. "I peeled back the curtains and showed you my set, the way things worked, and how my everything was built. You loved it for five minutes; and that day, I understood why magicians never revealed their tricks."
Mone glanced at Jong-in baffled. "What?"

He only smiled. "I showed you my true self," he whispered, wrapping his arm around her as he felt small goosebumps crawl onto his skin as a chilly breeze flew by.
"And?"
"Now you know my secrets... would you reveal it to the world? If I decide to become a rookie, would you tell the world who I am? Would you spill my secrets?" Jong-in teased. "You love me, right?"

Mone smiled, wrapping her arms around Jong-in's neck, swaying themselves gently to the sound of the music flowing from behind them, from Jong-in's car's audio system. "I do love you," she confessed. "So you don't have to worry about anything -- all those secrets of yours will be safe with me, and with your hyungs and dongsaengs... I didn't know you were so poetic."
Jong-in hummed, tracing his lips against Mone's. "Word on the street is that Mone likes poetic guys."
"Oh, really?" Mone grinned.

Jong-in reflected her cheery grin, pecking her soft lips. "Yes, really," he murmured in reponse.

"Even for a genius, I don't quite understand your quote," Mone muttered.
"Mm... I don't really understand it either," Jong-in admitted. "I found it online, doing research for one of my classes, and I thought it'd be cool if I show off to you my amazing literary skills."
"Oh, they're very impressive," Mone giggled.

Jong-in only let out a hushed laugh through his nose, pulling himself closer to Mone. He rested her head softly on top of the crown of her head and grinned to himself happily. He shivered at the intimacy between him and her, figuring he'd never be able to get used to her heart-warming touches. "I really love you, Mone," he whispered.
Mone had her head lightly rested upon his chest, hearing his heartbeat madly thump against his ribcage. "Ah.. your heart's beating so fast."
Jong-in kissed her forehead lightly. "It's usually like that when I'm thinking of you or when I'm around you," he stated bluntly.
"And.. what if you're not around me.. or thinking of me?" Mone inquired, genuinely curious.

Her boyfriend only beamed at her, shooting that handsome smile of his that was enough to make her knees wobble. "My heart slowly down.. and I feel like I'm going to die," he states, looking up at the stars, arms still entangled around her slim waist. He looked back down at her, caressing her cheekbones as he gazed into her doe-like eyes. "That's why I never stop thinking about you," he mumbled sincerely.

He sighed happily, as she kissed him softly, bringing a small smile to her lips.

"I'm going to accept his offer.. Lee Soo-man's," Jong-in declared confidently. "And if he forces us to break up.. wait for me," Jong-in commands. "Just wait for me until I debut," he begged Mone.
Mone let her long fingers glide across his chiseled visage, watching him nuzzle his nose into the palm of her hand. "And then what?" she whispered.

"Once I debut, Mone, you're going to be the first one I'll look for," Jong-in promised. He sent a reassuring smile her way. "And.. once I find you.. we can go back to the way we are now. So wait for me, okay?"
Mone chuckled, letting out a girlish squeal as Jong-in picked her up playfully, spinning her around as he let teasing, butterfly kisses across her cheek. 
"Aish," she breathed as he set her down. "Does this really have to be so difficult?" she giggled. 
Jong-in intertwined their fingers, apologetically smiling down at his lover. "It's just... this is how it goes," he shrugged. "It is how it's supposed to be."

Mone cocked her head cutely to the side, thoughtfully thinking it over. "And you swear you'll come back to me?" she giggled, getting back on track with their topic of interest.
"I give you my word. So promise that you'll wait for me."

"I promise," Mone whispered. "But you really have to wait for me, too, araseo?"
Jong-in nodded, cupping his her cheeks gently; and pulling in for a lingering kiss, he smiled just as he always does as she ran her fingers through his hair -- and his mind wandered to how much he was going to miss that, and how much he's going to miss her.

"I love you, Mone," Jong-in huffed lightly, pulling away to steal another glance at Mone, "so much.. I.. saranghae."
Mone leered at him in reponse, uttering a sincere, "You know I love you, too."
"Promise me!" Jong-in pouted childishly. Mone chuckled. "I promise I love you," she giggled, flushing from the ridicule in her statement.

Jong-in grinned, though, satisfied she obliged to his immature demands. "Then I promise to love you, too."

And so, their oral contract was bravely sealed with a kiss.