(Present)

There were no dreams this time. Yun Mi opened her eyes to see the brightly lit room that had become familiar over the past two days – two days in which she had taught herself not to repeat what had happened. She would never let him see her that way again; clinging onto him and crying in his arms in her moment of weakness. No, it would never happen again.

“You’re awake?” Lee Jinki walked in with a tray of food, his angelic smile making the room brighter. She tried to stop her traitor of a heart from fluttering at his mere sight, she tried to stop the blush that crept up her face; instead she was left with no choice but to force her eyes away. Apparently that was the only control her body allowed her.

He placed the tray onto the bedside table before sitting himself down on a chair right in front of it. This seemed to have become his permanent spot every morning. “Let’s have a look shall we?”

He began what had now become a regular check-up. With skilful hands he checked every part of her in the most professional and clinical manner. Yun Mi knew the drill. Once he was done he would ask her how she was feeling and then ask her to get enough rest before making sure she ate all her food. She would then roll over and pretend to fall asleep just to cut short the silence that would follow and he would just sit and watch over her. Sometimes she would hear him sing to her, and sometimes she would hear the taps of keyboard keys; but he hardly ever left her side.

A break in the routine did occur however. “I think you can walk now…” Onew announced, excitement evident in his voice. He looked up at her with his trademark grin. “Come on come on… give me your hand. Let’s try to give your legs some exercise!” She didn’t resist as he pulled her gently out of bed, carefully placing her arms across his shoulder to support her. He was right, Yun Mi realized, walking didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore.

She watched as Onew’s eyebrows came together in concentration as he scrutinized every step she took, never letting her rest her entire weight on her feet and occasionally muttering encouraging words to her. Why was he doing this? Why was he making her fall in love with him all over again when it was the last thing she needed right now? “How’s that? Does that hurt?”

Yun Mi didn’t answer him immediately. “Why are you doing this?” The words escaped before she could really stop herself. It was probably the first complete sentence she had said to him in two days. Onew stopped mid step. His head was bent, the cheerful look on his face wiped away.

They stood in silence for a while before Onew started walking again, urging her to walk along. She complied, her expressionless face hiding the raging emotions that were tearing her apart from within.

“Another couple of days and you’ll be up and about!”

They were back in the room, she was back in her bed and Onew was back to being his cheerful self. He came to her with lunch and she ate in silence. Unlike before however, the silence was unbearable. Onew’s dismissal of her question had left her with so many more questions, with so much more to say that she felt like she would combust.

“Who were they?”

Onew’s abrupt question hung in the air like a stale stench that couldn’t be gotten rid of. He had clearly been keeping the question in for a while. Yun Mi only stared the food in her bowl, chopsticks playing with the sticky rice. “Who were they Yun Mi?” The agitation in his voice was evident but his angelic voice softened when the chopsticks dropped from her fingers. “Where are your parents?” He asked instead, placing a hand on her arm.

When she replied it was as if another being had possessed her body. Her voice lacked any kind of expression and it resembled that of a trained machine and nothing more. “I don’t know” she said, shrugging absently, “Australia… Spain… who knows?” She turned her neck to look at the first man she had ever fallen in love with, the man she would probably never get over no matter how hard she tried. She could feel his hand tighten around her arm as she continued. “They got a divorce some time ago. God knows what my father did after that or where he went. The court forced me onto my mother and she got married again. I lived with her for some time. Her and her husband. And then they sent me here to live with his brother and his foreigner friends…” Onew’s grip on her tightened even more and it was starting to hurt.

“Was it them?” There was a low underlying menacing growl in his voice that she had never heard before. It sent chills down her spine. Hanging her head in shame, in fear, she wasn’t sure which, she nodded.

“They had a temper” she whispered, the memories flooding her mind for the umpteenth time. “The brother was the only one who stopped with the fists though…” a tear escaped the corner of her eye and she bit down on her lip hoping to make it stop trembling. “I guess he just liked watching…”

The tears were flowing freely now and she gave up trying to stop them. Onew let go of her to push the tray of food aside and pull her into his arms, sitting down next to her on the bed. He felt warm and she buried her head in the crook of his neck while he held her close.

“Did they…?”

Yun Mi shook her head weakly. “I ran away before they could… they wouldn’t let me go… why wouldn’t they let me go?” Her voice came out strained from the sobs and she choked her last words out.

“Shhh…” Onew brushed her hair aside, his fingers her head to calm her down. “They’re gone” he whispered to her, his voice level and comforting. “It’s alright, they’re gone…” Yun Mi let him hold her, giving up trying to hold back. Maybe she could allow herself this brief moment of comfort? Maybe for a little while the past didn’t have to matter?

For now at least, he was by her side and that was enough.

So that seems like a really short chapter in after thought... but the next one will be up super soon and that one's longer!!! ^_^

And I forgot to add this in the previous author's note... those were the lyrics of Your Name, just in case anyone wondered. I dunno lol. I hear Onew wrote it. Aigoo Onew X_X

I just thought the lyrics sort of fit in. By the way he TOTALLY has a thing for hands doesn't he?!?!?! Every time they ask him about his 'ideal type' he says she needs to have pretty hands. Hehe

Annyyyway... I will stop talking now... I hope you liked the update ^_^

Please comment and tell me what you think!!!