As usual, AN Jell were practicing for a major concert that they will hold that Saturday. But Shin Woo had to work double time for Hyun Joong.

Hyun Joong invited Shin Woo over to his place. As the guitarist went inside, he saw how neat the place was. There were pictures of SS501, and pictures of Hyun Joong's "Boys Over Flowers" days. One picture caught his attention, and he could not help but let out a small smile.

(picture from http://kpculture.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/kim-hyun-joongs-interview/)

Hyun Joong saw him smile and remarked. "Don't try to suppress your smile, Shin Woo. It is always healthy to smile."

Shin Woo looked at him and replied. "Gamsahaeyo, Hyung."

Hyun Joong looked at the picture. "I placed it there for every weary soul to see. I miss my Boys Over Flower days. I miss Beom-ah, Min Ho-ya, Hye Sun-noona, and Joon-hyung."

He noticed the guitarist contemplating.

"Just when I thought I was Yoon Ji Hoo," Hyun Joong commented.

"Mwo?" Shin Woo asked.

The SS501 leader smiled and replied. "Mianhae, I made you work almost nonstop. I'll let you out early."

Shin Woo nodded obediently.

"Before I forget, have you chosen a heartbreaking song?" Hyun Joong asked. "You might need to start recording it within this month. An original or a cover would be fine. If you choose to cover a song, please tell me so we can get the rights."

"I had chosen already," Shin Woo said and he told Hyun Joong what he was planning to sing for the OST.

"Ah... arasseo. I love that song," Hyun Joong commented.

"I am planning to practice it tonight. I have the chords already," Shin Woo said as he tapped his bag.

*****

Jeremy and Tae Kyung were surprised that Shin Woo came home before dinner time.

"Hyun Joong-hyung let me out early," he replied nonchalantly.

"Well, well, well!" Mi Nam remarked triumphantly. "It seems that AN Jell is gonna be complete for dinner after how many months."

"Since when did we eat together, Hyung?" Jeremy asked Shin Woo.

"A few weeks after Pig Rabbit flew to Africa--the day before Shin Woo worked for Hyun Joong-hyung," Tae Kyung replied.

Shin Woo did not praise Tae Kyung's perfect memory. He just wanted to eat dinner and start practicing.

*****

Everyone sat down to dinner, and Mi Nyu was sitted next to Tae Kyung, and in front of Shin Woo. Tae Kyung did not notice the awkwardness between his girlfriend and his bandmate, as the bandmate was, as usual, super good in hiding his feelings.

"Here, here, eat Mr. Kang. Oooo you have grown so thin!" Aunt Mi Ja said as she patted the guitarist's head. "Snail, don't eat all of the food. Save some for Leader, and my niece and nephew too!"

"Jeremy, is it all right if you help me practice? I need to see if my performance is good," he said to the drummer.

"Geurae, hyung," Jeremy confidently replied. "If it is for you, Hyung, I will do aaaaaaannnnyyyyything."

Mi Nam scoffed at the drummer and continued eating. Anything? Huh!

********

The veranda.

Jeremy had Jolie get to sleep before he sat beside Shin Woo. They had their back facing the door.

"Are you letting me play the guitar, Hyung?" Jeremy asked happily.

"Anya. I will play," he replied with his charming smile.

"It's good to see you smile again, Hyung. Like, it has been months!" Jeremy said.

"Yeah... I noticed that too. I guess being around you and Jolie sure relieves me of my stress," Shin Woo said as he checked his guitar.

"What are we going to sing, Hyung?"

Then, Shin Woo told him. Jeremy smiled at the choice of song.

"That will make a good song for the sound track," the blond drummer replied.

"I need to practice this so if in case we can get the rights to the song, I am ready."

He began to strum the guitar, and Jeremy waited for the signal. Coincidentally, Mi Nyu got curious and went out of the door. Since their backs were facing the door, they did not notice her.

"I wonder what they are singing? The melody sounds nice and yet so sad," she thought.

Then, she heard Jeremy sing first, and felt goosebumps on her arms.

Sorry didn't mean to call you but I couldn't fight it
I guess I was weak, couldn't even hide it
and so I surrendered, just to hear your voice.

Mi Nam passed by and saw his sister looking at his bandmates. He got curious too and saw the two consulting regarding the right way to approach the chords.

"What are they doing?" Mi Nam asked.

"Practicing the song," Mi Nyu said. "I think the song is pretty sad."

"Mwo?" Mi Nam asked.

He sensed something and alerted his senses. Then, Shin Woo sang after Jeremy.

Don't know how many times I said I'm gonna live without you,
and maybe someone else is standing there beside you,
but there's something, baby that you need to know.
That deep inside me, I feel like I'm dying.
I have to see you, it's all that I'm asking.

"The song sounds so sad," Mi Nyu commented.

Mi Nam shot a glance at his sister. Was she really that innocent?

"Mwo?" he asked as he continued listening to Shin Woo.

Baby, give me back my fantasy.
The courage that I need to live,
the air that I breathe.
Living without you, my world's become so empty.
The days are so cold and lonely
and each night I taste the purest of pain.

"Shin Woo, what are you trying to tell her?" Mi Nam thought. Shin Woo sang the next stanza.

I wish I could tell you I'm feeling better everyday
that it didn't hurt when you walk away,
but to tell you the truth I can't find my way

And deep inside me, I feel like I'm dying.
I have to see you, it's all that I'm asking...

Jeremy sang the chorus. But Mi Nam pulled his sister away.

"Gaja, let us not disturb them," he calmly told her.

He led her to the living room where they spent time together to watch TV.

**********

The next day, Tae Kyung and Mi Nyu went shopping. But they had to part ways for a bit, as Tae Kyung suddenly remembered that he was meeting Manager Ma at Gucci.

"This coming Sunday, the day after the concert, is my birthday," Tae Kyung announced to her. "Manager Ma wanted me to choose something at Gucci."

"Let me go with you, Hyungnim," Mi Nyu replied.

"Never mind. Just buy whatever you want to buy. And by the way, make yourself presentable on Sunday."

Mi Nyu nodded. When Tae Kyung went up the elevator, Mi Nyu went to the right side of the building where the jewelry shop was located. She gasped at the beautiful ornaments that she found it hard to choose.

"How may I assist you, Miss?" the girl at the counter asked.

"Ah... ehh... I'll just ask for assistance when I need it. I am not sure on what to buy," she said.

She paced around and saw a simple bracelet made of white gold.

"Whooaa... yeppeudda..." she said.

Then, she saw an intricate one made of silver, and it was studded with light blue sapphire. She compared the prices and the quality of the two, then contemplated.

"I could have either of the two," she thought. "Since I already have a necklace."

******

She bought the sapphire-studded bracelet. She could not wait to show it off to her Hyungnim.

"Hyungnim, I bought a bracelet!" she beamed triumphantly over the phone.

"Mwo? You bought a bracelet? Why not a pair of shoes or a pretty dress?" Tae Kyung asked as he was being attended by a sales lady in Gucci.

"I'm on my way to buy a dress yet. I just want a silver bracelet, to match the silver necklace."

Tae Kyung smirked. He could now trust his girlfriend to buy the things she wanted without his approval or suggestions. That was totally good. Independence on her part.

"Arasseo, let us meet at the parking lot. Just tell me when you are done," he said before hanging up.

And they did meet at the parking lot. Tae Kyung was surprised to see her holding a small pack.

"What did you buy aside from the bracelet?" he asked.

"I bought a dress. I did not buy new shoes because my black heels are still good," she said.

"I could buy you a pair today," he offered.

"Gwaenchanhseumnida. I am tired," she said.

And so, they went home.

*******

Mi Nyu was trying her pretty outfit. Her dark green tube dress had a flowy skirt with the hem three inches above the knee line, and her silver necklace and bracelet matched wonderfully. Aunt Mi Ja was totally overjoyed to see her beautiful niece.

"Wow... I am so impressed of you," the ajumma said as she watched her niece try on her black shiny heels.

"Gomawoyo, Auntie," she smiled.

Mi Nyu looked at herself in the mirror, and, instead of feeling bashful, she felt confident and pretty in her mini dress.

"Mi Nyu-ya, I know you are brought up in a convent, but I guess you have to grow up and wear pretty dresses like that," the ajumma said.

"Ye, I was thinking of that too. I should dress up like a lady," she said.

"But I suggest you wear a shawl or a scarf. It's cold, you know," the ajumma said.

"Ah, I have bought a white bolero for this one," she beamed.

Mi Ja smiled proudly at her niece.

*********

That night, Mi Nyu found it hard to sleep, so she decided to go outside and look at the sleeping dog. As she was about to go out, she noticed Shin Woo in the veranda, holding his phone.

"Shin Woo-hyung?" she called out.

Then, her phone rang. When she checked it, the number was not familiar to her. Must be a new number.

"Yeoboseyo," she answered as she turned away from Shin Woo.

No one was on the line.

"Yeoboseyo," she answered again.

She found that the call was not dropped, so she greeted for the third time. But then, she heard a beeping tone indicating that the call had been disconnected.

"Odd," she said.

As she turned to talk to Shin Woo, she saw him covering his lips and bowing his head. She noticed that his shoulders were shaking.

"Shin Woo-hyung," she called out as she approached him.

Shin Woo looked at her. She could see that he was crying, so she sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Shin Woo did not protest as he allowed Mi Nyu to let him rest his head on her shoulder.

"Is anything the matter, hyung?" she asked.

Seeing him cry like this made her heart ache. If only she could do something to make him stop crying. She had never seen him cry this hard.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't insist," she assured him tenderly. "Just to let you know, I want to comfort you like you did. I think now is that time to do things for you."

But Shin Woo did not reply. He continued sobbing, not minding if his face had been disfigured with tears. Mi Nyu thought that many things must have bothered him, and it was time to let it all out instead of keeping all of those to himself. She felt his tears trickling to her arms, and she placed her head on his head.

"Just cry, Shin Woo-hyung, if it is the only way you could feel better," she crooned.

Finally, his flood of tears stopped falling, and she cupped his face with her hands. She made him look at her in the eyes.

"Gwaenchanhseumnikka?" she asked.

He nodded. She stood up and turned to walk away.

"Eodi ga (Where are you going)?" he asked.

"I will get a glass of water for you," she said.

As she was about to go, he called her, and she turned around. "What is it, hyung?"

"You dropped your bracelet," he said as he picked it up.

"Omo? O, gamsahamnida," she gasped as she got it from him.

*****

She went out bringing a glass of water for him. She looked at him as he drank water in one sitting. What a feat!

"Gomawo," he said weakly.

She smiled at him and patted his head.

"I owe you many things, including this one," she said with a smile.

But Shin Woo did not smile back. The pain he was feeling must be that great that he found it hard to smile.

"Mianhae... I am tired," he said as he stood up and walked away.

******

In the room, Mi Nyu cleaned the bracelet. She had totally forgotten to take it off after her fashion galore in the room. As she gazed at the ornament, she remembered her hyung picking the bracelet and handing it to her. He did not comment or anything. Maybe he did not notice that it was new.

"Oh, this is total maintenance," she winced.

And she remembered the simple white gold bracelet. She wished she had bought it instead.

For those who are not fond of jewelries, they might say that silver and white gold look the same. But for those who are experts, they will say both are really different.

The silver bracelet with the sapphire was like Hyungnim. Totally majestic, elegant, rich (and powerful, wahahahah). And in contrast, Shin Woo was the simple white gold bracelet--totally unassuming yet elegant on its own.

She shed tears. She liked both bracelet, yet she was totally enamoured with the sapphire-studded one. Same with the two guys in her life. While she idolized Shin Woo, she was totally in love with Tae Kyung. Why did she appreciate the guitarist only now? She realized that if she had not been dense, she could have fallen for Shin Woo instead. But no. Turns out that her fate made her united with Tae Kyung instead.

She could not understand her feelings, so she clenched her fist and brought it to her chest. Her chest was throbbing, and she could not understand what it was.

"Why am I feeling this way?"

****************************

The song for this chappie is "Purest Of Pain" by Son By Four.