Yes I know...I deserve more than a slap. But hey! I'm back to hopefully continue. Now i'll stop my rambling and get on with the story.

PS. This story was written and completed about 3 years ago. So the story is based on SHINee's Juliette days:)

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Cleo tailed after Jonghyun as he and his mother led her to what she knew from the looks of it, the living room. Her eyes travelled all over, eyeing everything that came into view. The interior was designed to burry someone in comfort and security. She had never felt so safe in a stranger’s house before. A tug on her hand brought her eyes back to the two people before her. Jonghyun gestured to the sofa which Cleo soon fell gracefully onto. She crossed her feet out of habit and smiled up at the lady who returned a smile just as gentle as before.

“I’ll fix something up for the both of you. You two must be freezing from the cold outside. Do warm yourself up,” she gave Cleo a final smile before disappearing out of the room, not even giving Cleo a chance to kindly decline the offer. Cleo could simply nod after her and watched her go. Silence followed suit and she began fiddling with her sleeves once again.

“I missed her so much. I just have to see her again and I don’t really want to go alone. Sorry I dragged you here,” Jonghyun shrugged his shoulders. Cleo felt it and turned towards him, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Hey, it’s fine. In fact, I’ve always wanted to meet SHINee’s parents, if you get what I mean,” Cleo chuckled. Jonghyun raised his eyebrow at her; his eyes shone in amusement once again which caused heat to creep up to her cheeks. Cleo was definitely tired of blushing every time Jonghyun stare at her. Cleo stuck out her tongue at him and once again, silence greeted them. Cleo quietly sighed in relief when Jonghyun’s mother walked into the room, her hands holding a tray of what her nose confirmed to be freshly brewed coffee. She set the tray on the table and placed the two steaming cups before them.

“Thank you, you shouldn’t have,” Cleo accepted the drink gratefully. His mother simply waved it off and sat across them, the tray left untouched on the table soon after. Cleo felt Jonghyun shift in his seat beside her. Glancing at him, she caught the two of them having their private silent conversation once again. Feeling awkward, she reached for the cup and blew at the hot brown liquid.

“So Cleo, you’re in the same school as my dear boy? Although, I still can’t understand completely why he has to go to high school again. Are you really that dumb that your company made you go back to straighten out your education?” Cleo could not help but to laugh along with his mother.

“It’s nothing like that, ok. It’s just a stupid contract gone wrong,” Jonghyun crossed his arms tightly across his chest, a pout settling on his red full lips. For a moment there, Cleo thought she was staring at a 5-year-old instead of a 20-year-old teenager.

The three of them sat comfortably as Cleo kept on telling the other two more about herself. She also learned a few things about Jonghyun too. Some of them were rather embarrassing that made Jonghyun’s cheeks glow bright red. The two cups of coffee slowly gets empty as the time ticks by. The invisible bond between the two figures sitting side by side on the red velvet sofa tightened as more things were being said in the small living room. Soon, the late afternoon sky settles and Jonghyun had brought Cleo out to sit on the swing-set at the porch. Jonghyun pushed his feet against the floor to swing the two of them, back and forth, back and forth.

“I know you’re still curious as to why I brought you here,” Jonghyun’s voice was soft, just like the cool gentle breeze that was blowing the two of them. Cleo turned her attention away from the squirrel on the tree across from her and to the person who was swinging the two of them.

“You read me like an open book,” Cleo could not help but to feel her heart stop at how true those words could actually be in reality instead of being just simple sarcastic words.

“I knew you’d be. So that’s why I am prepared to let you in,” Jonghyun continued not even bothering to look up at Cleo who was staring at him, her eyes still swimming with the previous confusion.

“Into what?” She questioned.

“My past…”He sighed out like as if it was obvious. It only made Cleo grew more confused than ever before. What more could there be to his past apart from growing up with such a wonderful mother to keep a caring eye on him? However the thought of a paternal guide or role-model came into mind. Cleo only then realized that she have yet to hear anything about his father. Soon, dread settles in the pit of her stomach. Without giving much thought, her hand closed around his and she gave a tiny squeeze which oozed out courage and comfort which was enough boosts for Jonghyun to burst through those last few walls of resistance.

“It was exactly ten years ago….”

Jonghyun shuddered and his eyes fell shut as his mournful past took over his mind.

~~FLASHBACK~~

His small frail body trembled under his blanket he was drenched from the sweat due to the heat. He felt a hand on the small of his back before it travelled softly up to his boney shoulders.

“Honey, it’s okay. We’ll be alright. I promise you,” the sound of his mother’s voice and the words she said triggered the tears he had been struggling to hold back. He sniffed as the tears flowed down and the pillows under his wet head soaked them all up. He jumped as another sound of something crashing into the wall thudded against the walls of his room. He tightened his fists, his short irregular-shaped nails formed from years of biting out of a bad habit, digging into the soft palms of his hands. He felt his mother’s arms closing around him from over his thin blanket. The shouts got louder and the crashing sound became even more frequent and severe. However, he sobbed even harder over the fact that he could feel his mother’s heartbeat quickened and the silent sobs that he knew his mother was trying to hide from him. Without knowing exactly why, he felt guilty. Guilty that he could not really do anything to protect his mother.

The sound of a vase colliding against the wall right beside his door made the both of them jolt against the small narrow bed. The shouts continued for a few more minutes and Jonghyun’s heart stopped beating altogether when the sound of gunshots sliced painfully through the chilly air.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

Three times and for every each one of them, he could feel his mother’s heart stop, break and crumble against the empty depth of her hollowed chest.

When the door slammed open, everything happened in a rush. He was being pulled out of bed. Struggling, hair being pulled, shins being kicked, nails raking deep into arms and eyes falling onto the face of the lady he recognized as the one who lived in the house just across theirs that was glowing in bright gold flames just out his bedroom window.

The three of them was out in the street in a minute. The men that were in his house just a few minutes ago had done their justice as he stared at the lifeless body that he once loved as a father, lying in the pool of his own blood just a few feet away from their house’s front door. He could not tear his eyes away. He could feel the pressure of the person holding his hand increased. Turning to his left, he and his mother shared a silent mournful moment as the two wept over what they knew could never be brought back to them.

The chaotic noises slammed harshly against his ears as reality finally sits in and he allows himself to absorb whatever that was left of his neighborhood. The riots had gone too far on that night and everything was going out of control. Houses were being burnt down, kids crying, lost and hurt and dead bodies littered his once serene and peaceful street.

The sound of sirens from police cars finally reached their ears as Jonghyun fought to keep his contact between the two women who held tightly onto his small ones. His mother was shouting instructions at him but he could not really comprehend any of her words from over the noise. He stared up at the small soft brown orbs of his mother. He stared deeper and could only see emptiness through those eyes that people believed to be the windows to someone’s soul. He whimpered as his mother’s hand left his momentarily to do something at the back of her neck and placed an object in his hand. His mother closed his hand around it tightly and heard her say that she would forever be with him no matter what. Not wanting to lose sight of his one and only person that was left of his family, he did not care to look at what his mother had just given him. Instead he nodded his head and gave his mother his bravest look which caused his mother to smile sadly down at him.

She was just about to his short-cropped black hair when a bullet went straight through her forehead. Blood splayed across Jonghyun’s face and shirt, painting his white Power Rangers shirt, red. His eyes were glued onto his mother as her body fell to the side in a heap; her brown soft orbs darken as emptiness finally sets in. He stared wide-eyed. His 10-year-old mind did not really register the fact that he had just lost his one and only family. When it did, agony coursed through every single limbs of his body, and grief pumped through his veins as tears of sorrow falls over his lids and trailed down his ash-covered cheeks.

His eyes blurred out as more tears flowed. He was too preoccupied with the pain throbbing at his still-child heart that he was unaware that he was being lifted off the ground. He did not care that he was being brought out of the ruined street, he did not care that soon silence had engulfed the two of them, that the two of them had reached the forest on the outskirts of his old neighborhood.

 All that he could hear, see and feel was the bullet that went through both his parents’ foreheads and the cold chain of his mother’s necklace in his small trembling hand.

~~FLASHBACK ENDS~~

“And that’s why her hair is light brown and curly while mine is dark, black and straight,” Jonghyun sniffed, wiping his nose on the tissue Cleo had given him. He threw the crushed fragile tissue beside the other dozen used ones that were sitting by their feet. Cleo’s own tears were visible against her red rosy cheeks. Her hand was tightly holding onto his while the other was rubbing against his back in a slow circular motion.

“I’m so sorry. I never knew,” Cleo whispered as she tried to control her voice from sounding so weak when she knew she had to be strong for him. Jonghyun had struggled to hold back his tears as he was recalling his past but the memory of his parents had crushed all strengths left in him and he simply falls apart. Cleo’s heart broke at the sight.

“I love her so much, I truly do. She helped me pick up the broken pieces of my life and build them back together. She made me understand what is there in life despite losing everything. She showed me what is there the future has to offer. But no matter how much I love her, I’m ashamed of my life. I’ve lost everything and I don’t want to seem so weak to the others. I just chose not to talk about my past and her altogether. The others only believed that it’s been awhile that I last saw my parents who are currently staying in Busan,” Jonghyun struggled to keep his voice in control. Cleo could not help but to feel a slight pity towards the boy before him. He looked so fragile and vulnerable that from a sudden movement, it seem like she could break him.

“And that’s why you wanted to search for that necklace so badly,” Cleo said his mind out loud. Jonghyun nodded at that, sniffling.

“So will you help me?” Jonghyun asked, looking pleadingly at Cleo. Cleo blinked at that. Her face read ‘Of-course’.

Silence…

Something came up to mind and she could not help but to voice it out.

“Why’d you tell me this? I mean, I appreciate your trust but why me?” Jonghyun looked up at her and for a moment time seemed to have stopped. Everything around them froze as Jonghyun’s eyes held captive over Cleo’s. Then Jonghyun shrugged and just like that, their moment ended. Cleo could not really pin-point what exactly did she feel from that but one thing for sure was that her heart raced.

“I don’t really know. It’s just, I have the need, like a must, to tell someone about this and when you came along, I just felt like I have to tell you,” Jonghyun shrugged his shoulders once more. Cleo’s heart fell slightly at the simplistic of his trust on her despite not knowing why. Not trusting her own voice to do its job well, she simply nodded her head slowly.

Silence…

A few minutes had passed and the sun was setting soon. A cough sounded into the air and Cleo felt the shift of atmosphere. It felt calmer and less tensed than before. Cleo sighed in relief at that.

“Ermm may I ask you something?” Jonghyun stopped, waiting for Cleo to answer him.

“You’re already am actually. So must I really give you an answer to that?” Cleo mused which made Jonghyun grin sheepishly.

“You’re best friends with Alice?” Cleo jerked at the mention of her close friend.

“Yeah, yeah we are. Why’d you ask?” Cleo raised an eyebrow in confusion at him. He was still not looking at her. Instead, he was still staring at his shoes.

“Nothing..just…How old is she anyway?” Cleo tilted her head slightly as confusion settled in full mode.

“18…why?” Cleo asked. Jonghyun shrugged.

“She’s very popular with the guys right?”

“Yeah she is. What’s it to ya?” It came out harsher than she expected in her head which caused Jonghyun to finally lift his head up to stare slightly shocked up at Cleo.

They stared at one another for a few more seconds when the sound of a door opened, pulled them out of their trance. Jonghyun’s “mother” walked up to them with that same gentle smile. Staring at the smile, Cleo could not help but feel a lump growing in .

“I think you better start sending the lovely lady back to her house. Her aunt and uncle wouldn’t want their niece to be out with a guy all alone till very late at night. I’d love for you to stay longer, Cleo but they might get the wrong idea,” his mother helped Cleo into her sweater and gave her a tight hug. Cleo hugged back just as tightly, feeling her tears building under her closed lids.

“Thank you,” Cleo whispered, knowing full well that it does not only meant for her kind hospitality. A on her head made a single tear escape.

“Goodnight. Have a safe trip, both of you. Take good care of her okay, my dear boy?” Jonghyun nodded, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before the two of them head on to their journey back home.

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Hopefully it is long enough for my fellow readers. Please do comment and show me you're still there! Then at least I'll have a slight boost to continue the story<333 *Hearts and Kisses*