A/N: soooo... uhm, hi, everybody! Erm, guess who's the prodigal author who finally updated after 3 months? >_<

I'm really sorry about that, but it was like my writing mode died. T_T Anyhow, I managed to resurrect it, so here's a new update. Finally. XD Also, thanks for bearing with me and waiting. Special thanks to andrianilaras, KarliCM, p_yanka, onhoxoxo, and koalababy for reminding me to update. Seriously, I feel really guilty for keeping you guys waiting, so when I see your comments, I feel bad and write a bit. And it eventually all came together and I now have a new chapter for everybody. XD

I hope you guys all like this one! :D

Legend for character lines:

“normal speech”

“typed on iPad/computer/some gadget, or written, or text message”

*signed*

*signed and spoken at the same time*

Yunho and Changmin were caught in the usual pre-concert backstage chaos. They only had less than two hours to go before their concert for tonight is scheduled to start, and all around them, people were running about trying to finish last-minute preparations. From the stage directors, to the lighting personnel, to the stylists- everyone was busy with one thing or another. The TVXQ duo, for their part, were currently being subjected to the make-up noonas.

“Do you think she’s really coming?” Changmin suddenly asked Yunho, who was being primped up in front of another dresser next to his.

Yunho turned to look at Changmin questioningly. “Who’s really coming?”

Changmin gave him ‘are-you-really-ing-serious’ look. Then, he saw the genuine puzzlement on Yunho’s face, and he rolled his eyes. “Erin, of course! You’re the one who invited her, after all! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

“Oh. Right… Of course not! I just didn’t expect you to be asking about her,” Yunho said, making a show of raising a questioning eyebrow, when deep down he wanted to smirk at his maknae. “I mean, you were a huge jerk towards her back in the coffee shop. So, why are you so interested about her now?”

Changmin’s eyes narrowed. What exactly was Yunho trying to imply? He didn’t like the way his hyung had said it.

“I’m not interested in her. It has nothing to do with her personally!” Changmin said defensively. “I just can’t believe you actually invited a deaf person to go to a concert. I mean, isn’t that kind of insensitive?”

“You’re one to talk about being sensitive,” Yunho scoffed. Changmin was known for his wit and sharp tongue, after all. He was called “the evil maknae” for a reason.

“Yeah, but that’s expected of me to be mean, isn’t it? But you’re the good, responsible leader,” Changmin shrugged easily, not the least bothered by Yunho’s retort.

“There’s nothing wrong with what I did!” Yunho said insistently, turning to face Changmin at the exact same moment the noona was about to touch-up on his nose (A/N: is that the right way of saying it? I’m sorry, I know nothing about make-up XD), and earning himself a light but reprimanding thwack on top of his head. Yunho quickly apologized to her and faced the mirror in front of him again instead.

“Yeah, sure, nothing… except invite someone who couldn’t hear to an event where music is essentially the main point!” Changmin didn’t even know why he was still trying to make his hyung see some reason. “If that’s not insensitive, then I don’t know what is!”

“It’s supposed to make up for how you were an towards her.”

“I don’t think it counts if standing in with a crowd of screaming fangirls while watching us singing but not hearing anything will also just make her uncomfortable,” Changmin said flatly.

“We’ll see later,” Yunho said confidently. “You’ll eat your words, maknae!”

Changmin rolled his eyes. “You know what? That’s if she’ll even come at all.”

“She said she will. She agreed to it.”

“You mean you guilt-tripped her into agreeing to come with your puppy-dog face,” Changmin snorted, reminding Yunho. “Besides, you’re already sure she’ll come just because she said she will? Aren’t you putting a little too much faith on someone you just met? And met briefly, at that. For all we know, she could have just made money out of it by selling the ticket and the backstage pass to other fans.”

“And you’re too suspicious and pessimistic,” Yunho countered. “Besides, it’s obvious that she doesn’t really know anything about K-pop and concert tickets and how much fans would kill for them, remember? So, I don’t think your negative thoughts will actually happen.”

Changmin just shook his head at Yunho.

After a while, Yunho added, “Just you wait, Min. She’ll come to the concert and actually enjoy it.”

“Fine, believe whatever you want to believe,” Changmin finally sighed resignedly, as he turned to face front again, much to the joy of the make-up noona assigned to him.

The concert was a success as usual. Yunho and Changmin performed their best for the red ocean that was watching them and shouting their support and love for the two.

And the excitement from performing and the usual rush whenever they return backstage to change costumes had temporarily driven their guest (well, it’s just actually Yunho’s guest, Changmin would insist to himself and to anyone who would try to say otherwise) out of their minds.

It wasn’t until at some point during the latter half of the concert that Changmin was passing by the extended part on the right side of the stage and waving to everyone that, by chance or by fate, he spotted a familiar-looking figure.

Changmin’s smile slipped from his face and turned into a frown instead when he saw how uncomfortable and confused Erin looked by her surroundings. He was almost overwhelmed by the strong urge to grab her from the audience and drag her backstage to make sure that she was alright. He had to keep reminding himself about all the trouble that would cause. Not to mention that to get to her, he would have to go among the audience himself, and we all know that that would so not be a good idea. He wasn’t even sure if he would make it out again with complete body parts, forget about escaping unscathed.

But still… just seeing her like this was really pushing him to just say “ it all” and go on with the wild urge he was feeling, for some strange reason.

And then, Erin stopped looking uncertainly at the crazy excited fangirls around her and looked up the stage at Changmin.

Their eyes met.

She gave him a small but bright smile, like all the uncomfortableness that she had been feeling had disappeared at that moment.

And it was enough for Changmin to get a hold of himself, and smile at the fans and sing again we hen his part came along.

But that didn’t mean that he was already getting to let this pass.

‘She won’t be uncomfortable, my ,’ Changmin thought irritably as he remembered Yunho’s words before, though he still kept the smile on his face as he continued running along the stage.

He was going to have to smack Yunho for this.

And smack Yunho he did.

The moment the two of them got to the backstage again for yet another costume change, Changmin hit his leader on his head. Hard.

“Ouch!” Yunho yelped. He glared at Changmin. “What the hell was that for?!”

“You idiot! I told you she would be uncomfortable!” Changmin said angrily as the staff ushered them to change into their costumes.

That took Yunho by surprise, and his annoyance was forgotten. “Who are you talking about? Erin?”

“Who else, dumbo?” Changmin snapped.

Yunho didn’t get a chance to reply as they were handed their next set of costumes, and he and Changmin hurriedly change into their new clothes.

However, after they were done and the stylists were just putting accessories on them and pinning and securing this and that, Yunho said to Changmin, “How did you know? You saw her?”

“Yes, and she was just there looking so small and so uncertain and confused! You should have seen her, hyung!” Changmin said, the agitation that he was feeling making itself seen on the face of the normally cool and composed younger member.

Yunho immediately felt guilty. But he also looked intrigued.

“How did you even spot her?” he asked the maknae, puzzled. From experience, he knew how very hard it was to look for and actually spot someone among the throngs of fans who flood the venues of their concerts.

That question made Changmin pause. He shrugged a bit awkwardly.

“Erm… I don’t know… It must have been just some lucky coincidence that I