(author's note: italics are used even more so now for character thoughts~)

(and this chapter doesn't get a picture because i didn't know what to put LOL)

(poster please? ;--; i'll update right after i get one because i'll want to show it off~ xD)

arrow o8: I can show you the world~ 

Taeyeon ran the conversation that she shared with her Junsu oppa in her mind. “What could be wrong with Leeteuk oppa?” she mumbled, thinking of random situations that could cause him distress.

Money problems?

But Leeteuk oppa’s father is a senator…

Girl problems?

Leeteuk oppa doesn’t even have a girlfriend…

(AN: I wonder why, Taeng. ._.)

Grades?

…Leeteuk oppa is top of his class.

Being bullied?

…pfft.

Family problems…?

…maybe…

Taeyeon pursed her lips as she realized that she wasn’t really getting anywhere, and huffed.

And then she saw just the person she was looking for across the quad! She smiled excitedly once she realized she could get her answers and ran to him.

(She was confident that Leeteuk would tell her if she asked~ She never questioned why that was though~)

“Leeteuk oppa!” she nearly tackled him into a hug (that he probably would have liked, but she was able to stop her momentum), but settled for poking his back.

He turned around at the voice he knew so well, and attempted to give her a bright smile. “Hi Taengoo~”

She saw what Junsu was talking about. He looked tired. Really, really tired.

Leeteuk oppa never looks this tired…

Taeyeon frowned at him suddenly, which caused him to frown as well.

They stared at each other for a full (awkward) moment before Taeyeon hit him with an adorable fist of fury.

“Ow! Taeng!” He held his shoulder in mock hurt and whined at her. “What was that for?”

“What’s wrong, oppa? Why do you look so tired?” Taeyeon demanded that he answer. She even put her hands on her hips for the full effect.

He stared at her blankly, not sure what to tell her.

She waited.

And then he started to back away slowly.

“Oppa…?” she asked, looking at him curiously.

Leeteuk started to back away faster.

“Where are you going?” Taeyeon started to walk forward, not liking where this was going.

“Taengoo, as much as I enjoy your company, I need to go right now.” Leeteuk laughed nervously as he said this, smiling awkwardly.

He backtracked even faster.

“Why do you have to go? And why do you look like you’re going to run away?” Taeyeon’s eyebrow was raised as she started to walk forward faster.

At this point, he turned and started to run.

“Because I can deny you nothing when you ask, so I can’t let you ask!” He yelled this as he ran away as fast as he could.

(AN: So that line isn't supposed to be bolded, but that's my favorite line of the chapter since it's cute xD and thus, it is bolded~)

Taeyeon looked bewildered as she watched her oppa leave, disappearing from her sight faster than an ShaWol could name all of SHINee. “I didn’t know he could run so fast.” she mumbled.

But what was that supposed to mean? He can deny me nothing? 

"Oh my gahd, I'm going to be late!" realized Taeyeon, all other thoughts in her mind stopping abruptly. She paused for another moment before shrieking, "Ah my gahd!" and then breaking into a run towards her first class. 

-

Lunch Time; School Cafeteria

Donghae laughed as Eunhyuk told a random joke, to which Sungmin choked on his food about.

He loved lunchtime. He loved when all of Super Junior was around him. It was the only time he felt like he had a real family.

But of course, something always had to remind him that the group of rag-tag crazy college boys that he hung out with weren’t his real family. (Even if Leeteuk was motherly and Donghae could have sworn that Kangin could pass off as his father.)

His cell phone buzzed abruptly and he frowned as he read the text message that was sent to him.

We’re going to have guests over tonight. You know what to do.

He almost glared at his phone, but was stopped when Sungmin asked curiously, “Something wrong, Hae?” Lee Sungmin paused his conversation with Kyuhyun to inspect the fish sitting next to him.

Donghae blinked in surprise (and practiced confusion) before slipping a smile back onto his face.

Because he was good doing that.

“No, nothing~” he chirped, throwing himself onto Sungmin (because he just wanted to hug someone at the moment.)

“Yah! Lee Donghae!” yelled Sungmin. He almost toppled over.

“Sungmin ah~” Donghae yelled in response, hugging the Aegyo King tight.

(I suppose it would have looked pretty awkward, with them being in a cafeteria setting…And sitting at lunch tables…but SuJu does what they want. xD)

“Stupid fish.” teased Sungmin. 

"Stupid Min!" Donghae teased back, real smile back in place.

He loved Super Junior.

-

"Hey hyung..." Taemin called out to Minho almost absentmindedly.

The campus Romeo quirked an eyebrow and just asked, "what?" while still paying attention to the phone in his hand.

The two youngest in SHINee sat in an empty classroom (it was lunch time), watching whatever funny youtube video they came across on Minho’s phone. It was a way to distract and amuse at the same time, all while keeping away wayward thoughts.

The distraction was only working for one of them.

They sat in comfortable, friendly silence nonetheless.

And then Lee Taemin broke it.

"Do you like anyone?" Taemin asked innocently.

A little too innocently.

Choi Minho should have listened to the warning bells then. "Why are you asking, Taem?" He couldn't help that he sounded cautious. All of SHINee knew to be cautious when answering the maknae's questions.

(Just in case.)

"Just wondering, hyung." There was that tone again. The super innocent tone of voice that told Minho that Taemin wanted a specific answer out of him.

And he didn't know what Taemin wanted to hear.

"You know that if I found my Juliette, you would be the first one to know, Taem~" He smiled cheekily at his dongsaeng, but the said dongsaeng looked at him curiously, like he was confused at the answer.

Almost suspiciously confused.

An awkward silence had taken precedence, and Minho did nothing to fix it. He stared at Taemin, trying to figure out what was behind that confused looking face.

And then Taemin broke into a tentative smile, and Minho thought he felt rather relieved.

"Minho hyung, I always thought that you liked Soojung~"

Minho felt his eyes widen and his mouth drop. "Krystal?" his mouth tried to sputter out a response, but his mind refused to think of one.

So Minho was left looking like a sputtering fool.

Taemin's smile dropped for only a split second (but it was right back up before Minho could notice) and said, "On second thought, maybe you do like Soojungie."

Minho blinked once, twice, and then thrice at the shining maknae, and was finally able to start formulating sentences again. "How could you even think that? It's Krystal, for crying out loud!"

"But it's because it's Krystal." said Taemin, arms crossed and tone wise.

Minho looked at him blankly in response. Since when could Taemin sound so insightful?

Taemin sighed softly and explained, "I only asked because Jessica noona is always trying to set up MinStal...and I was curious on if you liked her or not, since Jessica approves of you for some reason~"

You and not me.

"Oh." was Minho's very intelligent response. "Well, I never really thought about liking Krystal. I mean, she's just always kind of been there as just a cute dongsaeng." it was Minho's turn to look confused. "Wait, why do you care?"

"Because this is about you and Soojung, hyung. Two of the most important people in my life." Taemin said this solemnly, although a smile was threatening to show itself.

"Aww, Taeminnie said I was an important person to him~" joked Minho, trying to make his dongsaeng crack a smile.

Taemin gave him a reprimanding look, but smiled nonetheless to Minho and just turned to stare at Minho's phone. The confused look returned to Minho's face.

Me liking Krystal is impossible, right? Even if Sica noona wants MinStal to happen.

The topic had come to a close. The time for talking about it had passed.

"So did you hear how Jinki hyung tripped over a traffic cone today?"

"I heard Kibummie was pissed, since Jinki hyung almost brought him down with him."

This was a much safer topic.

They weren't ready to continue the talk about something that could bring about change.

-

School Auditorium; After School

Yoona bounded excitedly into the theater, smile threatening to blind anyone who looked directly at it. She ushered her unnies (and Seohyun) in and quickly took a seat. 

She loved when her school held productions. But that was probably because she loved to act.

Tiffany smiled at Yoona's excitement, but then realized she forgot to do something. At that point, all of the girls took a seat already, but Tiffany decided to count. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7..." She pointed to each girl before she cocked her head and asked, "Wait, where's Jessica?"

"You know Sica unnie, Fany unnie~ She'll come soon enough~" chirped Yoona, still smiling.

Tiffany sighed as she was resigned to the truth. Her best friend was late for a lot of things. 

(Manager Hwang for the win.)

And so, SNSD resumed conversations normally, because they were all resigned to wait for their Ice Princess.

Right at that moment, Jessica entered the auditorium briskly, knowing that she was almost late for the meeting. She instantly found her friends/sisters/the rest of SNSD, and was about to make her way over when something caught her eye.

Something fishy.

Something that was just short of drooling.

Jessica rolled her eyes at the sight of Lee Donghae staring (quite obviously) at Yoona who was about two rows over from where Donghae was.

The girl was playing quite happily with Yuri and Hyoyeon.

“If you keep staring, you’ll look even stupider than I know you are.” Jessica stated, voice flat as she approached him in the theater.

“What are you talking about, lady?” asked Donghae, head cocked and mind seriously confused. He was just sitting there, minding his own business~ Wasn’t doing anything at all~ (except for staring at Im Yoona, but that is a minor detail!)

The “ice princess” rolled her eyes again and looked over at her Im and Kim Choding. The duo was currently trying to get kkab Yul to buy something from them, and it didn’t look like it was going to so well. “Stare at Yoong any harder and she just might notice~” was the remark made.

Donghae gasped immediately, grabbed Jessica, and pulled her down onto the ground with him.

(They were covered by the seats.)

“Who told you this top secret information? WHO? WHO, EVIL DEMON LADY?” Donghae tried to shout while whispering, and it wasn’t exactly working.

She stared at him blankly, unhappy with being pulled to the ground. “What, you thought it was a secret?”

Donghae gasped again and (successfully) whispered, “Does everyone know? Does she know?”

“It’s pretty obvious, buffoon.” Jessica declared this with a pitying look as Donghae looked like he was thrown into a world of despair and desolation.

“Really? Really? Really really?” he asked, his voice going an octave higher.

Before Jessica could give out an appropriate reply (that would most likely have been something about Donghae’s stupidity), she was interrupted by a voice she knew all too well.

“…Unnie, what are you doing…?”

“…Hi Soojung…what are you doing here...?" asked Jessica, tone awkward. 

There stood Krystal Jung, bemused look on her face as she saw her unnie crouching behind theater seats with the guy she punched in the stomach.

Krystal decided to answer Jessica's question with a short, "I want to know what the play/musical is." because she was much more interested in the person next to her unnie. “Hi oppa, do you still have the fist-shaped bruise on you?” asked Krystal, voice cheerful as Jessica looked ashamed. The older Jung stood up slowly while Donghae sat there, confused at the sudden appearance of the younger Jung. (It took a moment for Hae to realize who this was.)

He blinked once, before preparing to lift his shirt and said, “Hold on, let me check.”

Jessica hit the back of his head in an instance, hissing, “Don’t show Soojung that!”

“Hey, as the causer of the fist-shaped bruise, you shouldn’t add injury to…injury!” whined Donghae, rubbing his head as he stood up slowly.

“Sica~!” Jessica turned her head as her name was called by no other than the Black Pearl. “When did you get here and why are you over there?” asked Yuri, looking at Krystal, Donghae, and Jessica curiously.

“The Jung’s are lagging again~” teased Yoona, waving them over with a smile.

Why is SIca unnie with Donghae oppa?

“Yah, Im choding! Don’t think I didn’t see you try to hustle someone earlier! Think about who you’re teasing!” Jessica teased back, slight smile on her face.

Donghae looked like lightning struck him for a moment as he realized something very important.

The evil demon lady and Yoona are friends…

He gasped suddenly as he grabbed Jessica, turned her so that she faced him, and shook her shoulders. “YOU’RE THE ANSWER TO MY PRAYERS!”

“What?” Jessica almost shrieked, shocked that Donghae was touching her person.

“How is Jessica unnie the answer to your prayers, oppa…?” asked Yoona, looking curious from her seat about fifteen feet away.

Since when did Jessica unnie and Donghae oppa become friends?

Before Donghae could stutter an appropriate response (and before Jessica could punch Donghae off of her person), someone took the stage.

Krystal laughed quietly to herself as everyone’s attention turned to the person standing on the stage. She was looking at her Sica unnie and Donghae, amused out of her mind.

Things are getting interesting. Time to get things really going though! Sica unnie will probably be too dense to make a real move~

Their drama teacher went by the name of Son Jinhee, and she was the ever so exuberant ball of theatrical sunshine. “Hi Kiddies~ who’s ready to put up a musical of Aladdin~?”

“…I'm sorry, did you just say Aladdin?" asked Jessica, staring blankly at Son Jinhee.

"Yes."

"Oh."

"...ALADDIN?" 

-chapter end.

(title is what it is because I love that Aladdin song~ AND HUZZAH. WE HAVE PROGRESSION! <3)

Comment replies: 

FolderName: I love when Sergeant Sica zones out on duty <3

minstal_1: I’ll be sure to put in a lot of MinStal moments~

IceFishyLove: Here’s your update!

babytaemin95: I’ll put in a lot of TaeStal in here~ haha.

nerdscandy: sica~ <3

JummaTaeng: I’ll be honest and say that I am a TaeSu warrior. xD but I don’t know what final pairing will be LOL

xJungSquaredx: hi unnie~ and hmm. i wonder who. xP haha.

SMNoel189: If I plan correctly, Luna will show up in the next chapter~ :D 

THANKS FOR READING, LOVELIES! HOPE YOU ALL LIKED IT <3

OH, OH, OH. AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIM JAEJOONG. <3  (Over here, anyway.) Hehe. You can be my hero anyday~~ xD (LOL, disregard this. ;D)