Chapter 3

“Y-Yamapi?”

Minho quickly covered your eyes, turning you around and hugging you against his chest.

Your boyfriend ran towards you, but Minho shifted on his position, barking out to Tomohisa:

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her” and with that he held tightly onto your hand and dragged you out of the building. Looking back, you could see Yamaa looking back at you and Jessica sliding down the wall, her head buried in on her hands.

Your mind didn’t process well what was happening, as you were still shocked by that earlier situation, but you recalled, a few minutes later, that Minho simply made you enter his car and you were on the freeway back to his apartment in an apex.

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Yamapi pressed the bridge of his nose. Wow. Who would have guess his smartass best friend was pshychic? Damn, Kazuya had cursed him for real!

While he was busy trying to come up with a great excuse to give you, sobs could be heard from the floor behind him.

“Would you mind stopping with that? I’m trying to think over here!”

“Oh, shut up, will ya?!” Jessica snapped back at him. “I just ruined every chance I had with Minho, all thanks to YOU!” she buried her head in her arms, squeezing them until her knuckles became white.

Yamaa sighed. He started with a fiery woman and ended up with a crying baby. When he was about to turn to her, Jessica’s cellphone started ringing. Wiping her eyes with her fingertips, she picked up the call and got up right away, taking in a discrete and polite tone. The call finished as soon as it started.

“It was my boss, I gotta go” she said, walking away, not giving Tomohisa time to tell her a thing.

But the main question was: what was he going to do?

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The ride towards Minho’s home was silent, safe for you friend’s rough breathing.

You were still trying to process everything that had happened since you left Yamapi to go to Onew’s office. It was all so fast, so sudden.

The image of your boyfriend and Jessica kissing kept replaying over and over in your head.

The more you saw it, the blurrier it would become, making it impossible for you to decipher who was kissing who, who was holding who. You’d just give everything to be able to realize whether Yamaa was cheating on you or not.

Soon, you arrived at Minho's building. He parked the car inside, leading you to the elevator and towards his apartment.

You sat, expressionless, on his couch, while he was busy fetching you a hot drink and a blanket, for you were shaking badly and your hands were freezing cold. When he came back and sat by your side, you were still lost in your own train of thoughts. 

A few minutes passed. You still sat stiff in your place. Your mind was speeding, rewinding and processing all the information, all the signs, everything, anything that could lead to Yamaa's innocence.

However, your friend was much less patient and pensive about the whole situation. As he slammed his drink to the coffee table, he yelled at you:

“For God's sake, Miki, say something, yell at me, call me names, curse everyone and everything, but please, REACT!” he shook your shoulders forcefully as he spoke.

You were unable to utter a word. You never knew this side of Minho before.

In fact, you were starting to wonder how well you knew him and how well you knew your boyfriend. You could tell what Minho's favorite color, food, hobby, music, movie, play, book was, but Yamapi's? Not a clue.

You knew Minho was impulsive but calm, hardworker but laid-back. You knew all about his passion for photography and how it started.

And your boyfriend? His goals and dreams were a big black blur to you; all he did on your dates was either shower you with compliments and sweet nothings or tell you some funny thing that happened when he was hanging out with Kazuya.

As if it suddenly popped on your mind, tears started forming in your beautiful brown eyes, spilling without a warning.

Minho quickly wiped them away for you, comforting you.

“Oh, Miki; my poor Miki” he said, hugging you tight. “How could he fool you like that after all you've done for him?” he was then rocking you back and forth, like you were a baby.

You two ended up falling assleep like that, in each other's arms, on Minho's big living room couch.

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Meanwhile, Tomohisa was back at your hotel, just to find out that you weren't there. He let himself fall on the bed, recalling the time he and Jessica had met for the first time.

*FLASHBACK*

Yamaa was outside your company's building, waiting for you to get out when he saw a beautiful girl with medium sized brown hair carrying one of those professional looking cameras.

He could see that she was different from every girl he had seen until then... maybe because she wasn't Japanese. The curiosity took his best and he found himself heading towards the foreign girl.

“Hey~ You lost?”

“Hey. Yeah, sort of.” She spoke on a perfect Japanese. “Is this SHINee Girl magazine's building?”

“Yeah, it is. My girlfr-- my friend works there, so if you need any help, I'll be glad to give it to you.” He showed his brightest smile.

“Oh arigato.” She bowed her head. “But I arrived too early, so meanwhile I'll just take a look around and grab some coffee~”

“Want some company?”

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Two hours later, they found themselves in a cheap motel room, sweaty and exhausted.

When that coffee became something more, was hard to say. But those narrowed looks, constant hand contact and a sudden too comfortable talk between them were probably the reasons why they ended up where they were.

“Gosh, this was amazing” Jessica said, her head resting on Tomohisa's large arm.

“You weren't bad yourself” but Yamaa didn't had the time to chuckle, for his cellphone started ringing again, like it had during their little adventure.

Picking up, he could hear your concerned voice on the other line.

“Pi, is everything okay? You said you'd pick me up for lunch but you didn't show up. Has something happened?”

“Kazuya had, um... His car suddenly broke, so I had to help him up. Sorry hon, I should have warn--”

“Don't mind it, Kazuya could have got in trouble if you didn't help him out. We'll lunch together some other day. I gotta get back to work now, Pi; talk to you later. Aieru”

“Aieru yo, Miki-chan” he hung up.

Jessica was visibly displeased while sitting up on the bed, the thin sheet covering her .

“So, you've a got a girlfriend, huh?”

He leaned back on the headboard, arms supporting his head.

“So?” Tomo scoffed.

“One night stands with single men are one thing; with engaged are another”.

“Is it that important now?” he asked while she got up and started dressing up. “We had a great , what else matters?”

“What matters” she said, putting on her jacket “is that I don't screw around with other girls' boyfriends” and with the last sentence, she left, slamming the door.

From that day on, Yamaa never saw her again.

*FLAHSBACK OFF*

Who could have guessed that he'd found Jessica again? It was a chance in a million! 

Truth is that destiny's a pretty messed up thing and he ruined everything between you and him. Not to mention he crushed a blonde girl's innocent dreams of love.

Was he that despicable after all?

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Next day's morning, you woke up leaned on something that was as soft as hard. Blinking your eyes several times, you realized that what you had lived last night wasn't just a dream. It was the pure and crude reality.

You got up, Minho's arms sliding from your waist, making the latter wake up as well.

“Ouch, my back” he groggily complained, rubbing his backside. Noticing your expressionless self, he frowned. He was considering whether to shake you or not, deciding on just calling you softly.

“Hey...”

Not getting any answer from you, he tried again.

“Miki... How are you?...”

You looked back at him, your mind racing once again.

“Fine... Just a slight headache...”

Minho got up awkwardly, running his fingers through his hair.

“I'll get you some pil--”

“It's okay, it'll go away soon, there's no need for pills”.

Seeing you sitting there so lifeless made anger boil in his heart once again. With his head hanging low, he said:

“Could you at least react?”

You looked up at him.

“What?”

“For God's sake! How can you sit there like that while he's out there making a fool out of you? Do you have no self pride at all? 'Cause the Miki I knew some years ago wasn't like that for sure!”

You stood up and your hand simply flew to slap Minho's face.

“What do you know about me? How can you say those things to me? How can you--” but you were unable to finish your sentence, for Minho took a step forward and kissed you softly.

He broke the kiss some seconds after, a tear escaping his eye, which he quickly wiped.

“Don't you say that I don't know you, Miki. Ever since I met you that you've become the center of my world, the center of my thoughts. You've become my everything.”

You felt dizzy just by hearing those words. You turned your hands into fists and looked away, feeling ashamed with your attitude. You could feel his sweet taste on your lips and his words replaying on your head.

Suddenly, your legs got weaker and you let yourself fall on the couch.
Minho quickly rushed to you, kneeling in front of you while holding your arms.
"Miki!, are you okay?"

Your body replied instead of your words, and you finally let out your anger and sadness pulling Minho by his collar just to bury your face on his neck sobbing uncontrollably.

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Tomohisa was in a random bench of a random playground, tapping his phone screen several times, thinking. Now that Miki had seen him kiss Jessica he thought that going back home was the best shot he had. But it was you that had the plane tickets and he didn’t have the nerve to crawl to ask you for his ticket. No, he had to find another solution and fast. He had no money with him, since all of his and Miki's expenses were already paid and even if he wanted some souvenirs Miki would pay for him.
So, what to do?

‘Of course!’

He quickly dialed a number and waited for the voice on the other line.

“Mochi mochi?” He heard Kazuya's skeptical voice on the other line.

“Kame!” Yamapi nearly shouted from the relief.

“What do you want?” Kame wasn't with enough patience to be with any ceremonies, especially with Yamapi.

“Gee, calm your down man, I need a favor from you”.

“Of course you do!” He scoffed. “What else could it be?”

“Look, I'm in deep this time and it's all your fault! You jinxed me, man!” Yamapi was really mad about his friend's attitude towards him.

“What the--?!” Kame lowered his tone, since cursing in a public place wouldn't be a good idea. “Tell me what you want before I change my mind!” He ordered.

“I need a plane ticket to Japan; if it was for today it would be even better” Yamapi said nonchalantly, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

“Are you freaking kidding me?! How am I supposed to do that? And what the hell happened to Miki?” Kazuya was exasperating with Yamapi's loosen attitude.

Tomohisa buried his face in his hands. He was expecting he didn't had to say that out loud.

“Rememer that girl I met once, Jessica? I found her again, she's working in Miki's magazine and the rest you can imagine. And Miki happened to caught us together.”

“Well, too bad. There are no more flights to Japan today, and my will to help you is of a big round zero.”

Yamapi stood up instantly and held his cellphone off from his ear, looking at it dumbfounded before putting the phone back on his ear.

“Y-you've gotta be kiddin' right?! Kame you can't let me down! I need you!”

“You only need me when you're in trouble. I'm always the one who cleans up your messes! You gotta learn a lesson, and the time for it is now!” Kazuya turned off his phone with a long sigh. He kinda felt bad, but he was sick of Yamapi's irresponsible actions.

As for your still boyfriend, he stood there in the playground, completely surprised. How dared Kazuya hung up on him?!

“Argh!!” Tomohisa shouted, animal-like, surprising the few kids playing in the swings and the slide. “What the do I do now?!”

He went back to the hotel, furious, cursing everyone and everything under his breath.
To worsen things up even more, when he reached his lodging, he was informed the check-out had already been made and a note was left for him, in a handwritting he knew by heart:

‘We're through’

‘Damn’, he cursed under his breath.

His bags were handed to him and he could see that, by its shape, it was Miki that had ranged it; she folded his clothes perfectly, not like his own way just throwing everything in carelessly.

What would he do now? Everything seemed even worse than before.

‘This surely didn't come included in the cheating package I bought’.

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After a good while of crying and sleeping, you woke up with a decision made. 
You realized that you weren't on the living room any more, but on Minho's room, who was sleeping next to you, cellphone on his hand.

‘So manly... Just as I always imagined him to be’ you smiled a little and your stomach turned and turned with nervousness when you reminded of that kiss.

You must have moved a little bit more than what you thought, since Minho stirred in his sleep instantly and woke up, smiling up at you.

“Hey; you better?” he stretched his arm, your straight black hair.

You nodded and said with a shaky, yet determined, voice:

“There's somewhere I need you to come with me”.

He sat on the bed and cupped your face:

“Wherever you want to” he planted a kiss on your forehead.

Later on, you were back on the hotel room you only slept in once. Minho stood outside waiting for you, despite the several protests; you had to do this alone or you'd not be strong enough from there on, was what you said to him.

You got your bags and all your belongings and were in the middle of the room deciding what you'd do to Tomohisa's own belongings. In the end, you decided to range his bags and deliver them in the reception. Once there, you asked for a paper and left him a note you wished that would definitely put an end to whatever you did have with him.

Afterwards, and after a lot of convincing and reassuring, you and Minho went back to the company to continue with the task you were assigned to do.
As you were rummaging through a series of outfits for the next day's photoshoot, Jessica came into the room.

The look on her face when you turned around was of an unimaginable shame. She ran to you and got on her knees, begging for apology.

“Unnie” you said, hands on her shoulders, pulling her up, “you don't need to apologize”.

“Y-yes I do” she sobbed.

“No you don't. I should have known my own boyfriend better. Even though deep inside I knew that a player couldn't be that easily changed, a part of me always pushed that thought aside and I pretended to not even notice his constant glances to other girls, not to mention all the rest” you said, sighing. “But now, I finally saw behind his mask. I'm free at last. And I won't say I'm not sad, 'cause I am, but I won't grieve because of him forever. I'm gonna move on with my life and count this one to the many more deceptions that are to come” you smiled while you talked.

She apologized once more and you once more reassured her that you weren't mad at her. She left you soon after and you continued your checking on the outfits.
Minho was taking a long time to come back from wherever he had went to and so you sat on a chair, looking at the plain, white set, daydreaming about that kiss Minho gave you. You just couldn't get it out of your mind.

A sudden clicking sound awoke you and you turned to see Minho with a camera on his hand, smiling at you.

“I hope to take more like this in the future.” he grinned. “Shall we go?”

“Sure”.

And, just like that, an easy smile was plastered all over your face.

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“Ah~, it’s s-so c-cold~”

“Mooom! There’s a monster under the slide!” a little kid ran to his mother, hiding behind her.

“Hey! I’m not a monster!” the young guy stood up ruffling his hair.

“And it’s speaking a weird language!” he clung to the lady.

“Me… Me is… hm… Japanese” Yamapi tried to say on his best Korean.

“Kaja” the woman sent him a weird look and quickly pulled her kid away.

“Aish! Why didn’t I learn useful Korean words?!” he slapped himself mentally. Yamapi never thought he would get so weak but he suddenly felt some tears burning his eyes. How could he have reached that point?

With tremble hands he took of the phone out of his pocket and dialed a number that he knew very well.

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Kazuya heard his phone ringing. He saw the ID and ignored the call.

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Yamapi wiped his tears and sighed. He called him again and this time a voice was heard after the third ring.

“What?!”

“Kazuya, please, listen to me! I’m really sorry for what happened, I know I can’t go back now, but I don’t wanna sleep under a slide on a park again… I’m cold and hungry… I don’t have much more money left…” Yamapi blurted out.

Kazuya’s eyes widened at his words.

“Under a… slide?” he heard a sob on the other side of the line and he felt guilty for leaving him on that situation.

He just wanted to teach him a lesson because Yamapi would always find a solution to his problems, therefore he never thought that he would be sleeping on the street!

Yamapi heard him sighing.

“There’s a plane ticket to Japan booked in your name. Be on the airport at 1 p.m. and come back home, safe.”

Yamapi felt the tears falling again and held tight to his phone.

“R-really?”

“Yes… I was going to tell you today…”

“Kazuya, arigato gozaimasu! I promise everything will be different from now on!” he bit his lower lip avoiding another sob.

“I have faith in that, now hurry…”

“I promise, I promise! Thank you!” he hung up picking up his stuff.

He knew that the airport was still a little far, but he could walk there.

After one hour walking, he arrived to the airport soaked on sweat but not even caring about it.

He shown his ID and received the plane ticket.

After a couple of minutes, a voice announced the flight to Japan.

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*A few hours later*

Being on a plane calmed him down. He just thought about being home again.

He missed you… he felt ashamed by doing that and being on your apartment surrounded by your stuff was not going to help.

He got off the plane and picked up his luggage. Unfortunately, he couldn’t walk home because it was way far. He sat on the waiting room looking at his phone, thinking whether he should call Kazuya or not.

“Are you going to sleep here?” Yamapi heard a much known voice of his. He looked up and his eyes widened.

“Ka-Kazuya” he felt tears welling up in his eyes before he could stop them.

His best friend just hugged him, patting his head.

“You’re really a big baby”.

After a while of crying, they finally headed to the car and Kamenashi drove him to Yamapi’s and your’s place.

“You sure you don’t want to stay over at my house tonight? Just to settle your ideas” he offered.

“No, man, you’ve done more than you ever should today, and I thank you for that. I won’t be a burden to you, not today, nor ever more.”

Kazuya just nodded his head, happy inside by the renewed maturity of his best friend and drove off, his car disappearing in the black road.