“Ring ding dong, ring ding dong, ringi ding ding ding ding…”

“Alright that’s it for today! Just rest up tonight. Come back in the morning and we’ll just finish the filming tomorrow no matter what,” the director sighed while rubbing his temples.

SHINee bowed to the staff and the director before splashing their way off the water covered set. They were so tired of this. They were hungry now so they didn’t feel like returning to their dorm and then ordering food. They also didn’t feel like going out to eat while having stalker fans, well, stalking them. So, the five boys decided to eat dinner in the cafeteria downstairs. The five ordered together but after Onew finished rattling off what they wanted, he turned around and was confused to find some of s missing.

“Hey, where are Kibum and Taemin?”

Jonghyun and Minho turned around, having not noticed their absence either.

Minho speculated while running a hand through his slightly damp hair, “Did they go look for seats?”

Jonghyun scanned the place, gaze zoning in on a particular table. “Those brats…”

“And then Jonghyun started bawling when they announced that we won,” Key described.

“Oh yeah. I think I heard about it. It’s kind of sweet,” she responded.

“I guess the reason for the crying was okay, but his eyes were red for the rest of the night. You should have seen his face!” Key was cut short from saying anything else as Jonghyun sat next to him and the older guy’s arm came around Key’s neck in a seemingly friendly, close manner.

“What are you talking about Kibum-ah?”

“Hehehe…nothing,” the mirror demon replied nervously.

“May I sit here?” Onew asked the girl. They were in a booth seat and Taemin, Key, and Jonghyun effectively filled the seat across from her. She consented and moved over, letting Onew and Minho slide in.

“Hey hyung, what took you guys so long?” Taemin asked innocently. He was the one who abandoned the group first after scenting that she was in the cafeteria. The ever observant Key noticed Taemin’s departure almost immediately and followed the younger boy. Thus, the two came to sit across the object of their curiosity, and all three teenagers got to chatting amiably. SHINee and the girl were no longer complete strangers, having had a few more chats with her throughout their filming, and while they weren’t really close friends or anything either, they were on good enough terms to be able to eat a meal with each other without extreme awkwardness.

“We wouldn’t have taken so long if we had known where you two ran off to,” chided Jonghyun as he reached around Key and lightly punched the maknae’s shoulder. The youngest rubbed his shoulder in mock hurt.

“Well, at least you guys have the dance parts of the MV done…,” she tried to look on the bright side.

“Will we only have a dance version music video to this song?” Onew said worriedly.

Jonghyun sighed while tapping the handle end of his fork against his head. “We are so dead.”

“Stop that!” she scolded them for their negativity. “Come on. Let’s think why the director isn’t satisfied. You guys have to address the problem first.”

“That’s easy. He just hates us,” Key responded in a matter of fact tone complete with a small wave of his spoon.

Onew thought about it. “It’s mostly because he doesn’t like our faces.”

“So we just have to all get plastic surgery right away then.” Everyone ignored Jonghyun’s non serious statement.

“He doesn’t like our expressions.” Taemin thought out loud.

“That’s it then. So all you guys need to do is find the right expressions,” she concluded as if it was the easiest and most obvious solution, which it really was.

Key wrinkled his nose. “It’s not like I notice that I’m doing the wrong expression. I think my face is fine. I mean, this is me and my face you’re talking about.” He gestured to himself before putting some piece of vegetable matter in his mouth. Minho rolled his eyes.

She ignored his statement and continued, “Think about the lyrics and overall feeling of your song. And match them up with an expression that fits them.”

“Heh…I’m being ignored…,” Key mumbled, spearing a piece of rice cake and putting it into his mouth.

“’Ring Ding Dong’…we were told that we’re supposed to think of falling in love and having a bell goes off in your head when you know it.” Jonghyun told her.

“And we’re like going crazy over the girl we’ve fallen in love with,” added Onew.

“You guys seriously have never had a girlfriend before? Or at least a crush?” she asked them curiously.

“Why the sudden question? You want to go out with me?” Jonghyun teased.

She ignored Bling Bling Jonghyun. “You guys ARE teenagers. You’ve had to have crushes, so use those feelings you experience towards your crushes for your song.”

Key occupied himself by carving his name with a fork into apple slices, of which Taemin would steal every so often. “I honestly don’t think I’ve had any crushes. I mean. I’ve seen pretty girls but nobody who like sets a bell off in my head.” The other members shared similar comments, and Key slapped away Taemin’s hand that was reaching for his fruit pieces.

She rested her elbow on the table and put her cheek against her hand. “You guys are abnormal then. Personally, I think the lyrics to your song are just slightly obsessive. Well, maybe obsessive isn’t the word. But like you said, they’re…you’re going crazy over this girl that has pretty much captured your heart and thoughts. And I guess the unnamed girl hasn’t reciprocated your feelings?” She mulled it over.

Kibum put his head on the table. “Ugh. This is too troublesome! Let’s role play so that I can maybe feel what you’re getting at!”

“That’s actually a good idea…if we weren’t in a cafeteria or any or any other public place,” said Onew as he looked around.

“Whatever. Doesn’t matter. We need to get this right!” Key declared. He began assigning roles and making up the scenario without the others’ input. “Onew-hyung, you’re a businessman by day, a mob boss by night and you fall in love with your secretary who knows your double life but wants nothing to do with your personal affairs or illegal activities.” Onew blinked, confused at the suddenly excited Key.

“Jonghyun-hyung, you’re a soldier fighting a war in some other country. As you’re doing your patrol, you trip over a body and it’s a girl who’s injured but she’s from the enemy country and she hates your guts.” Jonghyun looked at Key as if he went crazy.

Minho was in the process of getting up and escaping but was prevented by Onew who was holding onto the back of the athletic member’s collar. “Minho, you’re an astronaut who lands on some planet and meets the alien princess who you think is super attractive but she can’t understand a word coming out of your mouth and thinks you’re a goat salesman who wants to bring trade to her planet.” Minho looked around incredulously, “What is this???”

Key turned to the maknae. “Taemin-ah, you’re a middle schooler who likes this girl who is really clumsy at everything except for badminton. She’s the captain of the badminton club but you at badminton so she doesn’t notice you at all. So you decide to be the manager of the team but she just thinks you’re just a nice kid. Oh! And she’ll be a third year and you’re a first year student!” Taemin looked upset. “I don’t wanna…”

Key failed to aknowledge any protests. “I’m going to the president of Korea. Wait! No! King of Asia! Who EVERYONE loves except this one girl who’s my childhood friend, but she really does secretly like me because everyone does of course and she’s just playing hard to get.”

“And you,” Key pointed to the girl. “You’ll just play the role of the female character because you’re…female. So we’ll do this in pairs and take turns because it’s just easier if we do separate role plays for everyone. Okay start!” He clapped his hands. Onew, Minho, Jonghyun, and the girl stood up with their trays. Taemin looked at them helplessly because Key was blocking his exit out of the booth. The teens discarded their trash and started moving towards the exit. The girl looked back at Key and Taemin apologetically. “Hey! Where are you going!” shouted Key.

A half an hour later, the six people found themselves in one of the empty conference rooms. Key had nagged them nonstop for a good ten minutes to get them all to actually role play. The first to crack was the young girl (sometimes, it being nice) and the rest soon followed, feeling sorry for the female. After a reluctant start, the guys were laughing ridiculously loud and the girl was smiling slightly as they played out their roles. Nobody was seriously acting it out and the story became good, fun chaos.

The girl’s cell phone went off and she answered, “Yes, auntie. I’m leaving now. No, I already ate. Okay. I’ll see you soon. Bye.” She pressed call end and turned back to the guys who had hushed themselves as best as they could during her phone call. “I have to go home now guys. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She bowed and collected her things. They bowed and/or waved goodbye in response, and she left the room.

There was silence for a while and then Onew pointed out, “We ended up not practicing our facial expressions in the end.”

“Oh well,” shrugged Key. “This was all good fun.”

Their manager appeared in the doorway. “There you all are! Why do you people not turn on your cell phones! Were you planning to stay here all night or something! Let’s go home people!”

--------
Back at the SHINee dorm when they had all showered and gotten ready for the night, the five guys lay on their respective beds in the dim room. None were actually asleep yet, and Taemin still had his lamp on so that he could write in his journal.

“Now that I think about it, in my two hundred something years of living, I really wonder why I haven’t had one crush…,” pondered Onew out loud as he stared at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

“You’re kidding me hyung. You never dated once?” Jonghyun asked, looking over the side of his top bunk down at the leader.

“I didn’t say that. Of course I’ve dated.”

Key interrupted, “Yeah. Probably dates set up by your mom.”

Onew blushed a little but made no comment of retaliation. “I never really got too involved or thought that much of my girlfriends. They were nice partners, well, most of them, but I can’t say I felt anything beyond companionship towards them.”

“Isn’t companionship the same thing?” the young Taemin asked.

“How should I know? I just said I never felt love for a female before.” Onew replied.

“You didn’t say that hyung.” Minho pointed out.

“Well, that’s what I meant! Go read your book Minho!” Minho picked up a book at random and opened to the first page, his eyes following the lines of The Little Prince.

Onew sighed. “It seemed like she was speaking of something more when it came to liking someone. More than just companionship.”

“Well, duh. If it was just companionship, I would have married all my pets by now.” Taemin said.

Jonghyun chuckled, “Taemin-ah! You were the first to say that companionship was the same thing as love and crushes!”

“No I didn’t.” the maknae denied.

Kibum sighed and drew circles on the wall with his finger. “A bell that goes off in your head and heart huh…like something that just clicks…a feeling you get all of a sudden…hmm…”

Jonghyun flipped onto his back and put his one hand behind his head. “When you can’t stop thinking about the girl because she’s the one who set that feeling off.”

“Like obsession...” Taemin added as he scribbled in his journal. He stared at the words on the paper. “Hey hyung. I think I know just what I’m going to think about during that song now.”

Jonghyun agreed, “I think I have something of inspiration too.”

Kibum, who was on his stomach, turned to the side to look at the other bunk. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of what I think you’re thinking of.”

“Okay. I won’t tell you then.” Jonghyun shrugged.

Onew listened to what the others were saying. “Okay. I can’t keep it to myself anymore.” He sat up. “I think you all like the same person. Her.”

“No duh, leader Onew.” Kibum rolled his eyes, and the others didn’t seem surprised by Jinki’s statement either. Onew paused. “Okay…well, I kind of like her too.” Kibum was starting to get tired and didn’t feel like responding to Onew’s obvious statement. So, Jonghyun spoke up in Kibum’s place, “Not surprised.”

“Okay…,” Onew had forgotten for a moment why he brought this observation up. “Oh yeah! You know guys. She’s human.”

Taemin looked at Onew. “Hyung…yes. We all know that.”

Onew looked at everyone and laughed awkwardly. “What is this? I’m trying to be the wise elder and you’re all talking back to me like I’m the one who needs to realize these things.” He turned his head to the side. “Minho, why aren’t you saying anything too?” Minho was half way through the children’s book that he hadn’t read in years. “Oh! Sorry about that. You don’t have to read anymore.”

Minho closed the book and glared at Jinki. “I’m going to trade freezing your off, hyung, for putting my two cents in. Yes, we all are attracted to her. Yes, we all know that everyone in this room is fascinated by the same female. Yes, we all know she’s human. Yes, we realize we cannot actually get with her because of that. No, I am not going to just pretend that I do not want to get to know her more.”

Onew was speechless for a moment. “Agreed,” Kibum put in. “Me too,” said Jonghyun in English. “I can’t help it hyung. Nothing has smelt that good to me since…well, ever!” Taemin whined. Onew blew his cheeks out. “You guys are so unreasonable. She’s a human. They’re fragile and not good at accepting the possibility that there are races more superior to their own on this planet.” There was an extended period of silence. “She’s so kind. She’d probably never go for demons if she knew they existed.”

“Ugh. Don’t make it sound so depressing. We might not be nice but we’re still decent, albeit slightly evil, guys.” Said Kibum positively.

“…decent bad boy…hmm…” Onew whispered as he fell back onto the bed.

“When I first looked into her eyes, I think that’s when I felt something.” Key thought back to that moment. “My eyes flashed and a bell rang ding dong..,” he mumbled.

“Humans ARE fragile. Sometimes she’s really shy and nervous, and it makes me think she’ll shatter if she tripped. She’s weak. So gentle. For her, I’ve fallen…” Taemin closed his journal and turned off his lamp, flooding the room in inky black.

Onew spoke into the darkness, “Hey we shouldn’t get too attached you know. It seems like she’s good inspiration, but I don’t think it should be anything more.”

Minho’s voice broke through the pause and replied convincingly, “I think you’re the one thinking too deeply about this hyung. It’s probably just curiosity, and the feeling will pass after we satisfy our curiosity. Like you said. She’s human. Nothing special about that.” The others agreed with Minho, trying to put Onew at ease. Or maybe they were trying to ignore the barely there, distant ringing in their own hearts.

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‘Oh no! I’m so late!’ She ran down the hallway to the studio in her heels, praying that she wouldn’t trip. She had missed her bus and had to wait for the next one which didn’t arrive for another forty minutes. Thus, it only made sense that she would arrive late to work. ‘I hope somebody covered for me.’ She gasped as she turned a corner and ran straight into somebody. Whoever she ran into had more mass than her so she was the one to stumble back and fall. She looked up and her eyes widened. “Director!” She scrambled to stand and bowed deeply in apology. “There you are! I want my coffee! The stuff the other staff brought me is horrible! I need you to get my normal coffee!”

“I am SO sorry sir!” She bowed deeply again.

“Nevermind that! Just get me my caffeine!” She straightened and nodded nervously to the intimidating elder who was actually an inch shorter than her without her heels on but what he lacked in height, he made up in attitude. Rushing off, the girl went to order his coffee.

Back on set in the studio, the director was instructing the boys, again, on what he wanted from them in this take. They were gathered in a half circle in front of the man in charge, listening diligently. “Pardon me sir…”

“My coffee! Finally something good today!” the director took the cup from the meek girl and when he walked away to enjoy it, she relaxed her muscles. She wiped the slight sweat off her brow and inclined her head in greeting to the guys.

“How’d you get that?” Minho pointed to a large bruise on her elbow.

“Huh?” She looked where he was pointing. “Oh! I must have gotten it when I fell like ten minutes ago. How did I not notice it?” She frowned and rubbed the skin.

“You fell?” Onew asked in concern.

She seemed to sense the worry and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it! It’s not like I do it often. I usually don’t bruise so easily either.”

“So it was a hard fall?” Onew stated more than asked.

She fidgeted, nervous and embarrassed at Onew’s unneeded concern.

“Don’t worry Onew. She’s not you. She’d be black and blue if she fell as much as you do,” Jonghyun joked.

“Hey!” Onew took offense but knew Jonghyun was just trying to lighten the mood.

The director clapped his hands. “Okay people! Let’s get this party started!”

“Nuna take care of yourself, okay?” Minho said before walking over to the director. Taemin stared at the bruise for a second longer before joining s.

The music blared, and Taemin’s voice was heard by everyone in the room.

“You’re like a butterfly,
So weak I’ve fallen.
So gentle, I’ve fallen.
I have to have you near me.”

Key, dressed in white, stared into the silver framed mirror. In the reflection, he saw her watching the scene, but she held a cold water bottle against her bruise. He stared at her with sharp eyes before walking away from the mirror.

“I call you butterfly,”
Jonghyun, standing on set in front of a black car, pointed directly at the girl, and she chose that moment to look up from a clipboard. The camera just happened to be in her same direction so he had to point towards it, but still, his gaze, even if it was towards the camera, looked like it was burning into her. Nervous of the supposed eye contact, she quickly looked back down at her papers. Jonghyun gave a small smirk and continued lipsycing.
“As the days go by,
The idea that I can’t escape you gets driven in further.”

“Break out. Hey. Break out. Hey. Break out…”
Taemin with his messy hair pointed outwards and down as he thought about her breaking out of her good girl persona and getting wild with some demons. Hey, he could hope. Not that being a good girl was bad. Not at all. It made him find her more attractive. The good girls were the ones that were the most interesting when cracked…Darn hormones and beastly instincts.

“I can’t help but be on pins and needles,”
Onew looked past the camera at the girl who was smiling and being friendly with another male staff member, and he might not have consciously done so, but a longing look slipped through his expression.

“Complicate girl.
Please don’t respond with a no.”
Minho sat on the edge of a platform that, from his understanding, was going to be CG’d to look like the top of a tall building. She was actually paying attention to his take and he had to look away briefly to collect himself during his lipsyncing before turning back towards the camera.

“Okay everyone! Look like fallen angels gazing into the distance! Alright that’s a wrap!” Everyone clapped, cheered and bowed.

“Sir…are you…crying?” the girl didn’t know if she should ask that out loud or not but the tears were just so obvious and he was right next to her.

The older man sniffled, “I’m just so…satisfied…Beautiful. I’m a genius.” He blew into a tissue and walked away. She turned back to the set and watched as the guys hugged, shook hands with, and bowed to various staff members. She smiled at them individually whenever one looked her way, and then she started the clean up process of clearing the studio. As she went around moving stuff, the guys finally made their way over to her.

“So how were our expressions?” Kibum asked excitedly.

She smiled. “Perfect. So what were you thinking of when you were filming?”

“You,” replied Key.

“Huh?” her forehead wrinkled and eyes grew wide.

“Yeah we thought about what you told us yesterday about having crushes and stuff like that,” Onew gave an explanation.

“Oh…well, glad you thought about me then.” She joked, “I guess this will be my song now.”
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THEA's Corner <3

So this is an extremely long chapter. You guys probably were looking forward to a present timeline chapter. I promise this ends the past. And I definitely have what I want to post up next already done. I just need to edit so expect a new chapter soon. Oh. Yeah...next couple of chaps, aren't so happy chaps. Just to give a heads up. Nobody dies or anything serious like that. Just no cute maknae moments and stuff like that. I love all my readers! ^_^

Posted: 17 June 2010 (Winglin)
20 July 2010 (Asianfanfics)
Approx. 7.5 pages