Henry – Trap

His eyes threatened to fall at the moment the ranges of syllables escaped Min Yun’s lips. Xiu Min stared wide-eyed towards the woman in disbelief, before he gestured for her to explain.

The sinister grin on Min Yun’s face disappeared as she mentally courage herself to reveal about the truth, with an intention for not to let Xiu Min kept stopping her from trying to get him. “Maybe Se Kyung didn’t know about this yet—but her real older sister is already dead.” Her words stopped firmly, as Xiu Min curled his fists tightly with a death glare at her.

“You are not Se Kyung’s sister?” Xiu Min’s tone was unwavering and sounded more like a statement, but inside, he was shaking vigorously in fear—knowing the fact that his assumption about Se Kyung’s real sister (which may be his ex-girlfriend, who he loved so badly after her death) was nearer to the truth.

That woman only nodded in hesitation, her shoulders lightly trembled–perhaps doubting upon revealing a secret which she shouldn’t have speak of. “My intention is good. You could say that I’m doing this just for the sake of money—but her parents were desperate to get a replacement of Se Kyung’s older sister. And I’m the only one who is kind enough to throw an act as her older sister, though she becomes my competitor in trying to get to you.”

From the way she spoke clearly like that, Xiu Min could tell that Min Yun was telling him the truth. He sighed in frustration. A vague expectation for this to come had been wondering around his mind—and here it was, revealing itself without a doubt, confidently in front of him. “If you are not Min Yun, then who are you?!” Xiu Min realised that he shouldn’t be shouting at Min Yun for her act—she was also a human who had a reason behind every single act that she decided—but the fact that Se Kyung’s real sister could be the same Min Yun as his Min Yun, was beginning to give him a massive headache.

The woman in front of him flinched upon hearing his loud voice, however, she still remained calm and confident in front of Xiu Min–as if she knew that revealing a big secret to the man wouldn’t harm her at all. “I’m Ji Ae. Hyun Ji Ae.” She, who was now known as Ji Ae, stopped moving in all of sudden just when the last syllables escaped her red lips.

Xiu Min sighed before he lowered his head down, facing the ground beneath. He had an exact idea for who had been listening to their private conversation from the beginning. With closed eyes, Xiu Min spoke up, “Tao, is this what you were afraid of?”

At the mention of Tao, three figures instantly popped out from behind a large tree, which had been covered in the whiteness of snow. Kris, Chen, and Tao, all had a stern expression written on their faces. The youngest one gulped hardly, before he slightly nodded. “Y-Yes.” But there’s something more.

“Why didn’t you tell me this from the beginning?” Xiu Min’s tone was harsh, as he roared before he parted his eyes open again, and stared sharply towards Tao. “Can’t you see that everything is messed up now?! And it’s all because of you! You’ve just made Se Kyung mad at me by letting the present to pass away just like that! You could have told me—or even change something to Se Kyung’s damn parents from having Ji Ae as Min Yun!” Due to his extreme frustration, Xiu Min threw his fists downwards, and let out a chunk of solid ices onto the ground, making it freeze as those unbreakable ices contacted with the already frosty land.

Chen lifted both of his palms up, as he moved closer towards Xiu Min, hoping for him to calm down. “It is not Tao’s fault, Xiu Min hyung. You knew that even if Tao tried to change the past—or the future—nothing will ever effect a big event of something that we wished to change. It is impossible. The destiny and the fate had been noted down since the beginning, hyung.” His voice softened as his hand rubbed Xiu Min’s back soothingly, in the attempt for the latter not to lose control over his power anymore.

Knitting his eyebrows in fear, Tao hid his figure behind Kris, before the leader exclaimed, “There’s no need to find the false in someone else’s act, Xiu Min. Like what Chen has said, everything has been planned. We didn’t know about Ji Ae’s case–until Tao told us to come here–but what I sure of is that this is all the beginning. Stay strong—not just for you, but for us all.”

Silence engulfed the atmosphere, as all of them took in everything that the leader had exclaimed, wisely. Xiu Min’s fists seemed to tremble more, as he tried to chase away those horrid events which may happen in the future–as what Kris had just said. With a final look towards his fellow members, Kris spun around to face Tao, and gestured for him to unfreeze the time.

Nodding with fear in his trembling orbs, Tao slowly lifted his hand up to his chest level and made a wave, which gave a light sight of white circle, traveled throughout the places. His eyebrows were furrowed at the moment Ji Ae (or so the fake Min Yun) stumbled forward, flashed Tao a confused look, and furiously faced Xiu Min. “Why did you called your friends here?” She huffed in frustration and continued a beat too quickly as the others stared holes in her. “Did you make me to reveal my true identity just to take me down? Am I that bad? Am I that evil? What I’m doing right now is just to make Se Kyung’s family happy. Is that even wrong to your eyes?” Her breathe was fast, white fog escaped her red lips, and cold sweats rolled down her smooth skin.

Chen’s gentle heart was urging him to deny every single syllables which popped out like bullets from Ji Ae’s lips as it sounded extremely pitiful to his ears. But he held that intention in firmly, as he knew that the situation there wasn’t for him–instead it was for Xiu Min. And the older one needed to make a right move, unless everything will proceed terribly in the present, and the awaited future. Chen’s mind recalled Xiu Min’s personality for having a cold heart, especially towards women. But this time, he hoped that Xiu Min wouldn’t bark at Ji Ae—not because Chen decided that he was on that woman’s side though. Only that he noticed the slight tremble on her shoulders. Sure, Ji Ae was capable to threaten all of them to zip their mouth shut, but rather than that threatening vibe which lingered around her, Chen could sense a hidden fact about her past—those painful ones. Perhaps it was something related to her decision in acting as Min Yun.

A sigh made it way out of Xiu Min’s lips as he glanced away, and stared back sternly towards Ji Ae. Even in a slight second, he could see her orbs that begun to be filled with tears. “No. I did not called my friends here. They came through time.” The corner of his eyes caught a sight of Tao, flinching behind Kris. Ji Ae was about to parted her lips open in order to ask him for the confusion in his truthful sentences, when Xiu Min quickly cut her off and answered, “Again, no. I did not make you to reveal your identity to bring you down—but that actually could be a brilliant idea.”

Holding the urge to smirk at Xiu Min’s response, Kris threw his gaze downwards and whispered behind his breathe, “Payback.” He secretly praised himself for him to thought Xiu Min to think wisely in that kind of situation–although Xiu Min had changed it into a cold (and a harsh) way–before, when he was still afraid to go out to see the world.

Ji Ae’s eyes widened as she stood firmly on the spot, confidently facing those four guys. “Think it again.” She swallowed her saliva, in an attempt to swallow along her fear for speaking out the upcoming words, “If you decided to tell Se Kyung and everyone else about my real identity, then they would be depressed—the effect will be worse for Se Kyung herself. After all, Min Yun is already dead. Her family and she only live in a worthless imagination anyway, so their happiness is depending on me and my act. Mr and Mrs Baek will be furious at the four of you, especially you, Xiu Min oppa – if you reveal this. And the side effect? It would be for you to be forced to break up with Se Kyung.” She took a reasonable pause to see those surprised reaction of the others, who registered about a clear fact of Ji Ae’s mind that think further before she put up an act. “Then Xiu Min could just be mine. Without Se Kyung to be on the way anymore.” The last syllables, however, came in a slowed tone–almost whispering–as a slight flash of hurt appeared in her orbs.

His fists, which had just relaxed a while ago, was now beginning to tremble again, as Xiu Min deathly stared at Ji Ae with his lips pressed in a firm line. “You said that their happiness is depending on you and your act. But what you are doing to Se Kyung right then—as she is my girlfriend—is not the right choice for their happiness. What is your agenda, really?” The older one tried hard not to shout or freeze Ji Ae on the spot, as he controlled his own tone in speaking–trying to sound calmer than he usually was.

Crossing his arms on his broad chest, Kris relaxed his tense muscles as he threw Ji Ae a judgmental gaze, with an intention to interpret her response for Xiu Min’s question just now. Truth to be told, that woman, Ji Ae, was a real maze. Her decision in accepting Se Kyung’s parents to be the fake Min Yun seemed reasonable with her own personal benefit—although Kris knew that it was a part of a selfish decision for her life, perhaps only for money, he wasn’t sure. However, the quote ‘their happiness is depending on me and my act’ was beginning to confuse Kris. It was as if Ji Ae actually had a kind part of hers – that was, to care for other’s happiness as well as hers.

Ji Ae exhaled a breath that she didn’t realise she was holding. She threw her gaze away momentarily, before she continued to stare towards the men, who stood three meters away from her. “I’ve sacrificed something important for this job. Even though this may be wrong for my contract with Mr and Mrs Baek, I will still chase for you, Xiu Min.”

“What is your agenda, actually?” Repeating the earlier question from Xiu Min, Kris stepped forward in purpose for her to focus on that question, as Kris noticed that Ji Ae was trying to avoid giving an answer to Xiu Min’s real question.

The woman shifted uncomfortably as Kris slowly made his way closer towards her figure, as if he was the one who threatened Ji Ae. Not knowing how to give a response to that question without revealing the truth–her personal reasons –Ji Ae rapidly spun around, before Kris could even reach for a hold at her arm, and walked away.

A sigh escaped Kris’s lips before he gestured for the others to follow him, leading to Ji Ae who was rushing back towards Se Kyung and the other EXO M along with SHINee.

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The corner of Xiu Min’s eyes caught a harsh grab from Ji Ae, who was pulling Se Kyung’s wrist towards the way back to the car as she exclaimed, “Let’s go to the H Bowling Centre!” The younger girl seemed confused enough, although she eventually nodded and followed her so-called sister.

Just when Xiu Min was about to run and yank Ji Ae’s firm grip from his girlfriend’s wrist, Key rushed forward and did as exactly as what Xiu Min was thinking instead. He heard, that member of SHINee spoke up deathly towards Ji Ae, who seemed irritated by Key’s suddenness, “I knew that you are Se Kyung’s sister, but you can’t play harsh with her when I am around.” Secretly, Xiu Min praised Key for his protective act—perhaps he wasn’t as bad as Xiu Min thought he would be, after all.

Throwing Key an annoyed look, which surprised the others who was watching (since Ji Ae had been that bubbly girl from the beginning), the older woman stormed forward without any second glance towards the shocked expressions of the others. Key shifted his gaze away, and eventually faced Se Kyung who was still confused with Ji Ae’s act. “Are you okay?”

Slowly nodding, Se Kyung responded, “Yes, I guess. I wonder what did Xiu Min oppa said to Min Yun unnie—” Just before Se Kyung could finish her sentences of curiosity, the corner of her eyes caught a sight of those three missing creatures, walking calmly to her direction. “Kris oppa! Chen! Tao! When did you come?!” Ditching the earlier question mark from her mind, along with Key’s soft grip from her shoulder, Se Kyung lunged towards the said men with her usual brightness.

As if Kris’s body had been set up for the abrupt hug-attack from Se Kyung, his arms automatically stretched out widely, ready to accept Se Kyung’s frail figure into his embrace. That young woman, who saw the welcoming sight of Kris, instantly jumped towards the leader and both of them were spinning for a while–a side effect of Se Kyung’s rapid movement from running–accompanied along with a boyish chuckle from Chen who eventually joined the friendly hug.

A tinge of jealousy crept into Xiu Min’s once cold heart as he watched the warm scene which laid before his eyes. A brotherly pat could be felt from the side, before he tilted his head up and met with Key’s knowing gaze, “I guess that you realised now for how Se Kyung felt when she saw your interactions with Min Yun noona?” That line of sentences were enough to snapped Xiu Min out from his earlier jealousy. He stared towards Key in realisation, then towards Se Kyung in guilt. Just how dumb was I? How could I didn’t noticed that Se Kyung was watching me ever since Ji Ae came into the view?

Risen his brows casually, Key patted Xiu Min’s muscular shoulder with an intention to shake him out from the trail of his thoughts, and perhaps, the flashbacks of his act along with Min Yun (Ji Ae). “You are lucky that I decided not to be as harsh to you as before. Or else I would be on Luhan hyung’s side by now.”

Confused, Xiu Min asked, “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t know?”

“What that I didn’t know?”

A crooked smile crept onto Key’s lips as he answered, “You just need to notice a lot of things from now on to be able to find the answers, Xiu Min hyung.” With that, he left a final pat on the older one’s shoulder, and walked away calmly.

Xiu Min knitted his eyebrows in confusion as he gazed over the disappearing figure of Key, who was entering Onew’s car (even without Onew in it, since both Tae Yeon and Onew went to the meeting by a taxi), along with the other 3 members of SHINee. His mind was trying to figure out a way to erase the misunderstanding between him and Se Kyung, as he absentmindedly walked alone towards her MPV. However, everything that he planned went into a waste when Sulli shouted, “Kyungie! Min Yun unnie! Why don’t you hop in to my car?! I’ll be driving alone here!”

The merriment conversation between Se Kyung and those two men (excluding Tao who was walking in a way of depression – Se Kyung noticed) met a halt when she bowed towards the elders, and jogged straight at Sulli’s car.

Xiu Min stared towards his girl hopelessly when suddenly, Ji Ae popped into the once peaceful view with a faux smile, plastered on her face. She chatted animatedly with Sulli momentarily, before those three women finally entered the car as Xiu Min glanced away in disgust toward Ji Ae’s behaviour—as if she hadn’t done anything to him (and secretly Se Kyung) before.

“It looks like we are having Se Kyung’s car only for EXO M. Who’s driving?!”

Perhaps Xiu Min needed to catch another chance in order to get to Se Kyung next time. And from now on, he promised to notice more – from the way he act, to the way people around him act—hopefully.

I’m not sure whether if people in Korea used to hug their friends as casually as we do, but from what I saw in the movie – they did do it sometimes. After I posted this chapter up, I’ll be in the plane to depart ;) pray for me to have a safe trip back to England!