What Would Your Bias Do?

“Cheers!”

Both girls smiled as they clinked their shot glasses with a clear sound before pouring it down in one shot. After Eunmi finished work they met up by a little food and soju stall not far from her office there the two regularly met up if their planning allowed it for some much needed mindless fun.

“Ah… You have no idea how much I needed this!” Miya stretched her arms above her head with a soft groaning sound before reaching out for a piece of dukbokki. “I have been living on coffee and power bars for the last week!”

“That bad, huh?” Eunmi mused as she reached over for the bottle and poured in some more in both their glasses.

“Are you kidding?! I swear, they just decided to fit as much new stuff in the last week before exams and just expect you to catch up on time!” She slammed her fist onto the table as a growl escaped her lips, “It’s like they want us to fail!”

“Are you sure it’s not because you’ve been dozing off during lectures and now realize that the things they tried to teach you were actually kind of important?” The redhead snickered as she twirled the piece of dukbokki in front of her own face thoughtfully. Knowing her friend, especially from the brief time they spent together taking the same classes, her mind was usually everywhere except with the class.

“Yah!” The dark haired girl glared at her friend as she casually kicked her leg underneath the table. “You hush and be glad you don’t have to deal with that stress anymore!”

“Oh, like I’m living the lazy dream,” Eunmi scoffed, finally stuffing the piece of dukbokki in her mouth and chewing on it with a soft hum before continuing. “I have been on my feet running all over the place for the last couple of weeks trying to get stuff arranged for that party event.”

“At least at the end of it all you get to attend your own party!”

“You mean, I will get the honor of supervising the party,” A sigh escaped her lips as the realisation hit her hard. Sure, the party was meant for artists, celebrities, fans AND staff but since working for the company she couldn’t remember a single instance in which she was able to enjoy any event they organised. If she was even present, she was busy running around armed with a clipboard and her Bluetooth headset.

“Didn’t you say it was held on your day off, before?”

“Yes, but I think I’ll just not attend instead,” She pursed her lips thoughtfully, mindlessly poking a piece of food with her plastic fork. ”The moment they see me, they can’t help but ask me to do stuff.”

“So?” Miya’s brow shot up as her eyes focused on the piece of dukbokki her friend had been poking, reaching over with her own fork as she tried to push her friend’s away. “Just tell them no, it’s your day off and it’s your right to party hard with the idols!”

“And lose my job? No thanks!” She let out a soft laugh, quickly followed by a cringing whine as she sunk in her seat. “And I think it’s better if I don’t bump into any idols anymore… I make such a fool out of myself.”

“Hah!” Miya exclaimed proudly as she had succeeded in sticking her fork in the dukbokki and held it up in triumph, happily showing it into her mouth. “Anymore? Hold up, who did you bump and how did it feel?!”

“I don’t want to talk about it...”

“Ya~ah! As your best friend and wifey I have a right to know if I’m going to lose you to a famous hottie or not!” Miya protested as she once again stomped her hand onto the table, almost knocking over the glasses of soju in the process.

“Oh, now you’re my wifey again?” Eunmi stared at her skeptically, “But when I ask you to buy my coffee you suddenly don’t know I even exist!”

“Hey! I am a poor college kid, I barely have time to buy myself coffee, let alone buy yours too!”

“I was going to pay you back later that day!” Eunmi clicked her tongue. “And so you choose your own needs over your wifey? Aishhh, this is the person I married?”

“Yes, and until you tell me what guy I have to give you away to, you’re stuck with me!” She grinned proudly as she pointed her fork at Eunmi. “So, spill.”

Eunmi let out another groan as she recalled the moment in her head, the embarrassment rushing over her once again. “I… Ugh… I made a complete fool out of myself...”

“Yes, we’ve established that. What happened?”

“Well, I was asked to order some food for Super Junior by their manager as they were reviewing the entries for the invitation event...” Eunmi explained, so far in the story nothing weird had happened. “And when I came back for delivery, their manager slammed the door into me and I almost fell… come to think of it it might have been better if I did fall...”

“Yes, because falling on your butt with take out delivery scattered on the floor would be better than… what, exactly?”  Miya couldn’t quite follow how anything could be worse or more embarrassing than face planting in front of a group of world star idols, much less if food was involved.

“Instead I fell into… him...” She cringed as the moment replayed in her mind. Her skin tingling as she could once again feel his hands on her shoulders, the warmth of his chest supporting her tumble.

“Like… On top of him? Both asses down on the ground? Yours coincidentally but strategically placed on--”

“YAH!” Eunmi interrupted her friend loudly, which caused some of the other guests to stare their way, the redhead quickly sinking back into her seat. No, if the scenario her friend was implying had really happened she would have never been able to show her face anywhere ever again. She’d probably get fired, too. “Nothing like that, aish… I just… He caught me in my fall and then I just… zoned out.”

“Zoned out like zombie zoned out? Drool dripping down your chin zoned out?”

“Can you take this seriously, please?” Eunmi huffed, glaring at her friend across the table.

“Sorry, but you’re so vague… If you don’t fill in the blanks then I’m forced to let my imagination do so and well… The results may differ from reality.”

Finally, Miya shot up in her seat as Eunmi proceeded to punish her comment with a firm kick against the shin. With a pout curling her bottom lip, she rubbed the spot that got hit before reaching out for more food to ease the pain.

“It wasn’t even me bumping into him that was so embarrassing… It was…” She bit her lower lip as she thought back again. The way his eyes felt like they were staring straight into her soul, taking away all confidence and making her heart stop beating for the slightest of seconds. It was something she had never experienced before. A feeling she couldn’t quite place, like she wasn’t herself. “Aish… He must have thought I was such a nuisance to say the least… And how could I possibly have thought for even a second that he was complimenting me?! AISHHH!” She ran her hands through her hair in frustration as she started scolding herself for losing her composure.

“Please, like you’re the first person to get weak in the knees before him? He’s an idol, he’s used to it.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “By the way, who is this he we’re speaking of here?”

“Yeah, but I work for the company. I’m the most reliable source they have, I can’t just get all uncomfortable just because some random guy stared at me...” She huffed, quickly downing her shot of soju as she needed something bitter to punish herself and get her mind out of the cloud of embarrassment and self-cringing she was in. “Lee Donghae is the he we are speaking of.”

“Oh! The fishboy!”

“He’s not a fish.”

“Isn’t that his nickname, though?” Miya frowned as she tried to recall what her friend had once rambled about. She wasn’t a big Super Junior fan herself, or at least not as big as Chanhee for example. She appreciated their musicality and found their appearances on stage or television rather amusing but she couldn’t exactly be placed in the ELF fandom just yet.

“I suppose...” Eunmi shrugged, a lot less interested in his nickname as she was in pouring herself another shot.

“And he complimented you?”

“Nah, he complimented the pizza and chicken...” Eunmi pursed her lips as she remembered how awkward she felt when he pointed that out himself. Of course he was talking about the food.

Miya stared at her friend before bursting out in laughter, so much so that she had to hold onto the table as to not fall off her chair. “Oh man!” She breathed in between laughter. “You got… food-zoned!”

“Yah! I did not get food-zoned!” she pouted as her friend kept laughing. “There is no such thing!”

“If there wasn’t then you guys just invented it!” She continued her laughing fit as Eunmi poured down her shot in frustration, a constant pout on her face. “What if he went back to his members and talked about you?” She wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheek from laughing as she leaned in, lowering her voice so slightly to resemble a man. “Ay, I just bumped into the weirdest chick ever. She stared at me all googly eyes and thought I complimented her on smelling nice when really… I was falling in love with chicken! How weird!” Another round of laughter rolled down her throat as leaned back, clutching her stomach as it was starting to hurt.

“Aishhh...” Eunmi felt even more miserable now that she mentioned it, sinking even lower in her seat If she were lucky, he had forgotten all about what happened or the way she looked at him back there. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

After finishing their food and the bottles of soju they ordered, the two friends parted ways.

Miya couldn’t help but stumble her way over to the nearest convenient store, drinking soju always made her hungry even if she drank it with a meal and she was in dire need of some delicious instant ramen. It also didn’t help that it was one of the few things she was still able to afford, being the poor college student that she was.

She had her hoodie pulled over her head to shield her from the cold, waddling slightly as the alcohol managed to throw her balance off just a tad. She wasn’t drunk, tipsy at best but the ability of walking in a straight line had long since disappeared.

Humming softly and with exaggerated steps, she turned the corner to enter the convenient store and found herself slamming into something, or rather someone. Her head collided with something hard, immediately snapping her out of her thoughts as she stumbled back and promptly landed on her butt, accompanied by the sound of cans dropping onto the cold hard floor.

“Aishh...” She muttered with her eyes pinched close as she tried to ignore the ringing in her ears after headbutting whatever it was she hit, rubbing the spot roughly as if to wipe the pain away. “Stupid lamp post”

“Yah, who are you calling a lamp post?!”

The rough voice hissing at her surprised her, as she finally opened her eyes. Her gaze was on the ground first, noticing the cans of beer, packed ramen and cat food scattered around on the floor as she then began to note the shadow cast down on the floor beside it. Following the shadow lead to a pair of black sneakers belonging to a black haired, averagely built young man. He wasn’t too big nor too small, he didn’t seem to be extremely muscular but he wasn’t scrawny either. His face was partially covered by his black mask but his dark glare shot daggers straight through her heart.

“Ah… I’m… Sorry...” She mumbled as she got up from the floor, collecting some of his groceries that had falling because of their collision.  

“Sorry?” He muttered back, his voice muffled behind his mask. “Aish… What is your head made off? Wood?” Rubbing his own head painfully, she could hear him groan ever so slightly.

“Yah... ” She began as she held out the groceries to him. “Your head is pretty hard too, I thought I bumped into a lamp post...”

“Do I look like a lamp post to you?” He hissed as he grabbed the groceries out of her hands in a hasty manner. He glared at her again before checking if everything he bought was still in order. “Watch where you’re going next time! Or don’t go on a stroll when you’re drunk!”

“Drunk? I’m not drunk! I am perfectly sober!” She protested, at first she felt sorry for bumping into him as she knew she was walking a bit too fast and reckless for it to feel like a simple nudge, but the way he was scolding her didn’t suit her at all. “You’re to blame too! Who walks out of a store without looking?!”

“Please, I could smell the soju from a mile away!” He replied with a soft scoff accompanying his words as Miya sneakily tried to smell her own breath to see if he was right. “Me? Who enters a store without politely waiting for all other people to exit?!”

“Aish!” She clicked her tongue as she averted her gaze, trying her best not to stomp his foot out of frustration. Typical guy behavior, always blaming it on someone else. “I hope my head left a bump!”

“This punk!” He growled. “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

“Yeah,” She replied with full confidence. “A reckless brat, that’s who! Calling me drunk when you’re the one carrying beer! Aish!”

“At least I am old enough to drink!” He growled back. “You’re lucky I was in a good mood before this...” He seemed to be threatening her, the attitude with which he spoke didn’t help his case either.

Miya wanted to respond when another voice from across the street caught their attention.

“Hyung! Hurry! It’s cold!” Both pair of eyes gazed over to the person waving on the other side, he looked a tad smaller than the man she bumped into, the light too dim for her to get a good look at his face but his tone of voice sounded a lot friendlier than the stranger she was arguing with.

“You got lucky...punk!” He growled as he passed her, not helping himself as he nudged his shoulder against hers as he did.

Miya glared after him. “Yeah? Well…. L-lamp post!” She called after him, not being able to come up with a better insult at the moment. She hissed to herself as she turned around and stomped into the convenience store. “Aishh...”

“You look angry, Heechul hyung...” Donghae stared at the older male’s face as he casually draped his arm over his shoulders. “What happened? Did that girl reject you?”

“Please!” Heechul immediately bit back, still feeling irritated by his unfortunate encounter. “I wouldn’t give a person like her the time of day!”

“That bad, huh?” The younger male couldn’t help but chuckle as he lowered his arm, nudging him in the side. “Why did you give you that adorable nickname then? Lamp post hyung?”

“Aish, this punk… Are you asking to be punched?” He stopped, turning to glare at the younger male who couldn’t stop grinning as he dared to tease the almighty Heechul. Donghae was probably one of the only people who could nag and annoy him and get away with it, but that didn't mean he wouldn’t retaliate with some sort of  threat.

“You wouldn’t,” Donghae grinned proudly as he continued walking. “Lamp post hyung loves me too much!”

As promised, Eunmi made a couple of calls and managed to get the pizza and chicken delivered to the company within the fifteen minute deadline. She even managed to get free drinks arranged with the order as service.

Carrying the boxes in her arms she headed to the office, the muffled laughter and complaints drawing louder and louder with every step closer she got. Why did she think it was a good idea to carry all at once on her own? It was heavier than expected. With both her hands filled she eventually kicked the door as means of knocking.

“Food!!” She could collectively heard being called from inside as they apparently had been waiting for her to arrive back.

A few seconds later the door opened, she had forgotten the opened from the inside out and as she was standing too close after kicking it, the force of the swinging door knocked into her and sent her stumbling backwards as she desperately tried to keep her balance and keep the food from falling on the floor.

Just as she had expected to lose her fight with gravity and with eyes pinched shut prepared herself to impact with the floor, she felt two strong hands grab onto her shoulders as her back collided with a warm surface.

“Are you okay?” A soothing voice rang through her ears as she finally opened her eyes and carefully glanced up at the person who caught her before she fell. Her eyes connected with his, glistening like stars, the deep brown coloring expressing warmth, kindness and a playful curiosity that stole her breath away. The scent of his cologne was sweet against her senses as the warmth from his body radiated onto her.

“A-ah… Yes...” Her words trailed off as she quickly dropped her gaze down to his hand still firmly placed on her shoulder, casually guiding her back to balance on her own feet as she was still holding onto the food.

“Hmm… Smells good...” His words seemed to dance on his lips as his voice reached her ears once again.

She felt her cheeks flushing in the brightest color of embarrassment she had ever felt, her eyes once again glancing up to meet his. “G-good?”

His one hand let go of her shoulder, leaving behind the feeling of emptiness and cold on spot it was once placed as he pointed at the boxes in her hands. “The food. It smells good, and I’m starving!”

“Ah! Park-ssi! I’m sorry,” their manager immediately apologized as he realized what had happened, taking the boxes of food out of her hands. “I must not have been paying attention, are you alright?”

“I-I...” She cleared her throat as she tried to regain her composure. “Yes! No! It was my fault, I forgot which way the door opened and stood too close. I’m sorry!”

“Thanks for the food!” Patting her shoulder, Donghae flashed her a smile so sweet it would melt even the most frozen heart as he passed her and re-entered the room, stealing one of the take-out boxes out of his manager’s hands.

“Is… Uh… Is there anything else I can help you with?” She wondered softly, her eyes following the man’s movements from the moment he passed her. She caught a glimpse of several other members seated inside, all of them huddled around several screens as a video of a girl dressed in all blue played before them. So they weren’t kidding when they said the artists would review every video sent in, she couldn’t help but feel sorry as she could imagine the things that they had to endure.

“No, that will be all.” The manager nodded in gratitude as he turned around and headed back into the room, his head tilting back one more time. “Ah, Park-ssi, are you feeling well? Your cheeks look a bit flushed…”

“Ah?” Her hands flew up and covered her burning cheeks, “I-I’m fine!”

“Alright, make sure to get enough rest though,” he nodded, the door slowly closing behind him. Quickly her eyes darted back up inside, trying to catch one last glimpse of Donghae before it shut.

A long, deep sigh roared through her body and escaped her lips as her right arm slowly moved up towards her left shoulder, brushing away the lingering feeling of warmth his touch had left behind. Her cheeks still felt as if they were burning up with a fever. “Aish… Get a hold of yourself...” She huffed to herself as she patted her cheeks several times. “Maybe I am getting a cold...”

Bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt

Her eyes kept a tight stare towards the door as her hand instinctively reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, slowly glancing down to read the message.

FREEDOM!!! We must celebrate!! Drinks on me!!

                        - Miya

An amused grin played with her lips as she read the text, she could practically hear her friend’s voice in her head accompanying the words. She knew the university was preparing for the end of the semester exams, which increased the student’s work- and study load considerably, and Miya’s case must not have been any different.

Glancing at the time, she only had 10 more minutes until the end of her shift. And so far it didn’t seem like she had to work overtime today. Normally a person would feel glad if they were able to go home on a reasonable time, but that was not her case. Going home at a reasonable time meant going back to a place she no longer called home, back to the house where her stepmother and stepsiblings were after an entire day of wasting time and money. Going home at a reasonable time meant facing said stepfamily as they held their hands for money to waste on luxury food and other unnecessary things.

And she would give it to them, because in the end they were family. Because she had promised her father to treat them like blood-relatives, to take care of them in his stead.

My shift is almost over, meet you at the regular spot in fifteen?

                                - Eunmi

After such a long and tiring day, she could definitely use some drinks, fun company and most importantly distraction.

SM Entertainment plans to host the event of the century and you are invited!

The news headline offered as click bait got a lot of people talking. It wasn’t a complete lie as SM Entertainment was gearing up to host what they believed to be the event of the century and even a handful of lucky fans were going to be granted access to this exclusive party. But there was a catch.

Only a few lucky fans were going to receive a V.I.P. invitation to the party, a chance to meet all their favorite artists and celebrities as well as experience the best food and music they had ever come across.

In order to be considered for an invitation, fans had to record a video message stating why they loved SM Entertainment, what they felt like the company’s artists changed their lives and why they should be one of the honorable guests for the party. SM Entertainment artists would judge the videos and each group would collectively vote on one fan to personally invite to the party.

Some netizens criticized the requirements, stating that they were basically begging for people to praise them on video so they could use that to their advantage later as part of a sneaky promotional stunt, while other netizens praised the company for including fans who helped the company gain so much success over the past year.

Videos came flocking in as soon as the signup had opened, people had to create a personal account on the official SM Entertainment event page, fill out their profile and personal information and upload the video. On the first night, the event page managed to crash due to the traffic from all over the world though many netizens claimed the company would end up picking fans within Korea as they always seemed favorable to their country.

Not all the applications were valid to the competition, however. Some people thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get their own rise to fame and uploaded a video of them dancing, singing or acting in a desperate attempt to get discovered. Paying tribute to their favorite artists they sang their hearts out and tried to mimic the complicated choreography for as much as possible to showcase their own talents and abilities. Unfortunately for them, SM Entertainment wasn’t looking for new trainees and took no heed of these desperate audition attempts. And then there were the desperate fans who were just grasping the chance of conveying their messages to their favorite idols, hoping that their love confession would set off a series of events only seen in dramas.

Some, however, took it to the extreme. This platform was also the perfect opportunity for the so-called “sasaengs” to come forth with extreme and desperate messages stating that their “oppa” needed to love them and whoever would love them instead would face serious consequences. Most of them would receive a message that their account had been disabled for not following the rules and the company even issued a warning that those would continue sending disturbing messages would face legal repercussions.

   Lee Chanhee had hesitated several times about signing up and giving it a shot. She had been a big SM Entertainment fan for years, their artists and music ignited a light within her which sparked her passion for singing. There had even been people who told her she had actual star potential, the only thing that held her back was her fear. A fear to audition and get rejected. A fear of people who were supposed to be experts, rejecting her and crushing her dreams, killing the fire that fueled her passion. And the idea of the stress and demanding schedules she had heard about, it definitely made the idea of signing as an artist less favorable. Having all eyes on her, judging her every action and movement, commenting on anything she did or said or didn’t do or say, the pressure of being perfect… That was something she rather lived without. Instead, she decided to keep it low and sing for fun. Releasing online songs under a pseudonym to keep the mystery going, she gathered quite a fanbase of followers and viewers. And that was enough, for the time being.

But a chance to be invited inside SM Entertainment, to meet, greet and party with her favorite artists and get an idea of how the people she admired were in real life, without the cameras and the pressure to keep up their good image, that intrigued her. And so her mouse hovered over the signup button on the event page. But she didn’t click.

“Signing up means I have to record a video...” She let out a soft sigh as she considered her options. “Which means people will see my face… And they’ll judge my story...” They made it quite clear in the promotions that the artists were actually going to be reviewing the applications themselves and personally pick out a fan to invite. Which would mean she could have the chance to personally convey her feelings and experiences with her favorite artist, but that could also mean making a great fool out of herself. She could just imagine the groups watching her video, laughing at how ridiculously cringeworthy she looked.

But what exactly did she have to lose? None of them knew her and if her video was laughable at best, they wouldn’t invite her over which means that they would just as easily forget about her embarrassment. And if she did get invited then maybe, just maybe her video wasn’t as cringeworthy as she imagined it in her head.

“Yah! Chanhee-ah!” A voice called from the hallway as she heard the front door slam shut. Footsteps approached her bedroom door and a second later the door flung open revealing the dark haired girl that had burst into her apartment. Sometimes she regretted giving her the password. “Aish, there you are!”

“Oh, Miya-ah!” The curly haired girl nodded as she finally moved from her spot behind her computer and greeted her friend. Miya was a student at the Korean National University of Arts, majoring in vocal and dance courses whom Chanhee had met online right after she released her first ever song online under the pseudonym 월광 신데렐라 (moonlight cinderella). Miya was her first subscriber and commenter and had proceeded to comment, like and even promote every song she released after that. When Miya sent her a message asking if she was a student at her university and that she could introduce Chanhee to one of the music producer majors, she took the plunge and met up with Miya. And they have been friends ever since.

“Sorry, I’m late since the semester is ending they are killing us with exams and preparations,” The slightly shorter girl huffed as she dragged her bag over the floor.

“No problem!” Chanhee smiled as she inched closer to the girl with a curious gaze down on the bag she was dragging along. “So… You got the goods?”

“Ah?” Miya exclaimed, looking up at the taller curly haired girl with a somewhat confused gaze before realizing what she meant. “Oh! Yes! Miya's goody supplying service has done it again!” She grinned proudly as she crouched down and rummaged her bag until she pulled out the small USB stick. “Tadaa! I swear, Yunghwa was going to have a mental breakdown since his program kept crashing and it deleted his final project, you should have seen his face!” She mused, showing no signs of consideration towards her music producer friend she put in charge of helping produce and mix Chanhee’s releases.

“Aigoo, please thank him for me!” Chanhee humbled as she held her hands out for the USB stick, impatiently waiting to hear the final product. She had worked hard on this release, usually, she only produced covers of popular and lesser known songs, but this was the first re-write of a song she composed and she was eager to hear how it turned out before releasing it online.

She did feel sorry for putting so much pressure on Miya’s friend who she could imagine was under a lot of stress as was with finals creeping up. And to top it off, Yunghwa wasn’t even getting paid for the producing he did. Chanhee did offer, but Miya somehow found a way to have him do it without any reward. Chanhee decided not to ask questions.

“Psh, all he needs is a couple of cups of coffee and he’ll be good to go!” Miya smirked as she placed the USB in her hands. “So what were you up to?”

“I was wondering if I should sign up for the SM Entertainment event...” She muttered as she made her way back to her computer, playing with the USB in her hands.

“Oh, right… The fan event where they’re asking you to stick some feathers up their butts to make them feel good,” Miya hummed thoughtfully. She had heard about the event, not surprising since it was advertised everywhere and several of her fellow students had signed up. Not to mention her former roommate had been talking about all the things she had to arrange for it seeing as she found a full-time job at the company after dropping out of university.

Personally, she didn’t feel the appeal of the event, she highly doubted those lucky fans would even catch a glimpse of their idols and would most likely be stuffed in one corner of the venue. She could imagine most of the people that signed up merely did so to get to meet their wannabe husband or wife.

“It would be a chance of a lifetime to attend… Even if it’s just for the food.” Chanhee explained. “But I’m not sure if I’m so comfortable with recording a video message. Especially since the artists will hand pick the winners themselves.“

“Huh, you would think they’d have better things to do than to go through millions of fan videos.” Miya clicked her tongue as she brushed her fingers through her already messy hair. The thing about college students was that after a certain amount of time you stopped giving a crap about your appearance, the dress code was pajamas and dark eye circles most of the time anyway. “But these idols don’t know you, right? So what’s the worse that could happen? You’ll be one of a million rejected and they’ll probably not even remember your face or voice or anything.”

“See, that is what I was telling myself but still...” She bit the inside of her lip as she stared back at the signup screen.

“C’mon! Just do it, you know you want to or you wouldn’t be hesitating so much!” The smaller girl pressed her finger onto the curly haired girls to make her point. “Don’t think too much and just do it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!”

“Yes! Yes, you’re right! Let’s do it!” Chanhee encouraged herself as she finally clicked the sign-up button and filled out the information they requested. It also asked for a preferred group, seeing as they were going to divide the applications between all the groups to limit the amount of time their artist had to spent on watching and judging the videos. After thinking about it, she decided to sign up for Super Junior, reasoning that the group barely seemed to take themselves too seriously so if she ended up making a fool out of herself they would most like just brush it off as adorable at least. Or that’s what she kept telling herself as encouragement.

“Lemme know how the track sounds before releasing it and if you need anything changed hit me up and I will pester Yunghwa into fixing it!” Miya mentioned as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder again. She didn’t have enough time to stick around unfortunately, a student’s duty called and she had to get back to campus for a couple more classes.

“Thanks a lot, Miya!” Chanhee beamed as she turned to look at her friend. “I owe you a lot!”

“Aye, what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t go to the extreme for my precious unnie!” She flashed her a cheeky smile and winked as she finished her words before heading out. “Good luck!”

Chanhee waited for her friend to leave and the sound of the door falling back into its automated lock before opening her recording program and turning on her camera. She stared at her own reflection in the screen, huffing as she brushed her fingers through her soft curls trying to get them to twirl a way that would look decent on camera. Patting her cheeks she wondered if she needed to add some more makeup or if it were best to just go with the natural look to give them the right idea of the girl proclaiming her love to the company.

“Ok Chanhee,” She took a deep breath, her finger hovering over the record button. “It’s now or never, I can do this!” She cleared her throat and hit the red button.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Lee Chanhee imnida. Twenty-five years old, veterinary assistant... “ the curly haired girl introduced herself with a shy smile and soft voice. She was fidgeting with her curls as she seemed to try and think of the right words to say.

“I guess I should be answering some of these questions…” Her eyes darted off to the words on the screen for a moment as she mouthed the question first before turning back to the camera with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Um… How has SM Entertainment influenced my life? I guess I would say it has turned my world upside down...” A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she finished her words. “Ah, but not in a bad way! Not at all… It has shown me that music is so much more than a simple melody and some words. It’s about the feeling and message that it’s trying to convey. Connecting people with a mutual feeling, regardless of boundaries set by society… I think that’s what makes it beautiful.”

She seemed to really be contemplating her words as she no longer focused on the camera and as her mind wandered off to the message she was trying to convey, she seemed less nervous. “The first song from SM Entertainment that I had ever heard was sung by Super Junior, and it seemed to speak to me in a way I never expected music to do… In particular when Kyuhyun’s part came up. His voice managed to capture the words and the message, touching every heartstring by singing. It felt like he was conveying the message straight to my heart without ever having met. That’s the power of real talent, it says a lot about the artist's abilities.”

A soft hum escaped her lips as she let her own words sink in for a moment, hesitating whether or not she should keep speaking. It was clear that there was more to say, but she wasn’t sure if she could. “Music has saved my life in more ways than one. And to show gratitude I have always supported all the artists. If I ever had the chance to meet them, I would like to thank them for all the strength their music has given me…”

Her eyes moved up to the question on the screen again as she read the final question. “Ah… In all honesty, I’m not sure if I can answer the last question. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would deserve being invited more than me. So I’m not going to answer why I think I’m more deserving or special than all the other fans, everyone has their own reasons for being and their own story to tell. So if I get chosen I will feel blessed and thankful, but if not then I will still be right here, supporting the artists to the best of my abilities, that’s the least I could do.”

As she spoke her final words the screen turned to black as the video had finished. The boys stared at the screen for a moment as they let the message sink in before speaking.

“Wow, that has to be the most genuine message we have seen so far...” Sungmin finally spoke up, breaking the silence filling the Super Junior office.

So far they had seen fans declaring their undying love to the company and them as artists draped in every single Super Junior merchandise they could find. Swinging lightsticks, screaming out their names, high on energy drinks and showing the posters that covered their bedroom walls.

But this girl seemed to really take the requirements seriously. She recorded a video and answered the questions diligently and genuinely. Judging by appearance compared with some of the other videos, you could hardly tell she was a fan. But listening to her words, it was clear she thought long and hard about what she wanted to say and she actually knew what she was talking about.

“Tch, unbelievable she chose Kyu’s voice over mine!” Heechul smirked as he nudged the younger male playfully. He had seemed flustered when the girl started speaking about his ability to convey a message. Sure, he had been praised for his voice and talent before but for some reason the way she praised him felt different.

“She knows her stuff, that’s for sure!” Ryeowook nodded in agreement, it wasn’t surprising that someone praised Kyuhyun’s voice. He was one of the main vocalists after all.

“Let’s just pick hers since I doubt there will be any other actual entries on this list!” Kangin stated as he pulled out his phone. They had been watching videos for several hours now, some more cringeworthy and loud than others. He could understand that people were excited to have a chance to meeting them, but after several hours of sitting in one spot and watching these videos, he was in dire need of some change of scenery.

“That wouldn’t be fair towards the other fans,” Leeteuk felt somewhat guilty about the idea of skipping the rest of the entries right away. “I’m sure all of them put a lot of thought and dedication into it.”

“Well, can we at least call in for some food and drinks then?” Shindong suggested, maybe if they had food to keep them busy, enduring these videos would seem a lot less tiring. It was nice to hear all the praise their fans had given them, it definitely made all of them feel grateful for having such a dedicated fanbase.

“Pizza?” Yesung suggested, feeling peckish himself.

“No, chicken!” Eunhyuk protested as he was craving the taste of juicy fried chicken a lot more at the moment, already licking his lips at the thought of it.

“Why not both?” Donghae shrugged, it wouldn’t be the first time they mix and matched their food preferences because honestly, trying to decide on what to eat with ten - thirteen different cravings wasn’t exactly the easiest task in the word.

“Pizza and chicken sound good to me!” Kyuhyun nodded, finally joining in on the conversation. His mind had been replaying the words of praise Chanhee had spoken before, wondering why those specific words seemed to get to him so much.

“I’ll be right back, you guys keep watching!” their manager nodded as he left the room and headed down the hallway. “Ah! Park-ssi!”

The girl stopped in her tracks as she heard her name being called, turning in the direction of the voice as her crimson locks danced around her face. She bowed in greeting as the manager approached her.

“Yes? How can I help you?”

“I need you to order a couple of pizzas and boxes of fried chicken,” the manager told her as he nudged his head back to the office behind him. “The boys are going through the applications and they’re starting to get restless so they need some food to tie them over.”

“The boys?” She arched a brow curiously as she glanced over at the door leading to the office, hearing muffled voices from the other side. “Ah, Super Junior right? Pizza and chicken? Sure, of course, I can arrange that for you.”

“Thank you, I knew I could count on you!” he smiled thankfully as he bowed his head in gratitude. “Don’t take too long, though. They still have a lot of applicants to review.”

It was a week before the big SM Entertainment company party. Although it was a special occasion to celebrate the company’s success to which not only the artists but also the staff was invited, the staff working for the company had to bust their chops off to get everything ready for the big night.

Music had to be arranged; a DJ to run tracks during the night and he had to be the best of the best, equipment had to be ready and in place to ensure no shortcomings throughout the party, building in a karaoke bar for staff and artist alike to sing their hearts out in the name of good fun. A dance floor especially designed for the occasion, each tile placed with precision in a pattern that, when lit up would create special effects like a lake, fireworks or fire. Decorations had to be in order, balloons, strings, posters of every artist signed and invited. Food prepared by the best chefs in Korea to suit everyone’s taste and preference and to show that SM Entertainment was a well off company who left no dime unturned in treating their staff.

“Yes… Yes, of course, I understand that it takes time to prepare all the preferred dishes… Yes, I understand that changing it last minute will cost extra, that will be no problem.”

Park Eunmi was pacing back and forth through the party venue, the light of her Bluetooth headset blinking rapidly as she once again had to deal with last minute changes by the company, having to convey these orders back to the suppliers and dealing with the complaints that it caused. It was one of the downsides of her job as secretary to the board of executives that she has grown to accept over time.

At age eighteen she started interning at the company for half of minimum wage as she was in dire need of money, having to help support her family after her father’s untimely death that left her with her stepmother and twin step-siblings, as well as pay for her enrollment into the Korean National University of Arts. Her father, Park Jinwoo, had supposedly left some money as inheritance, but had apparently signed it off on her stepmother’s name instead, as he believed that it would be safer in an adult’s hands than with the children. Eunmi had no idea if that was truly the case as she had never been allowed to look at the will, but she assumed that it had been decided as such.

Eunmi had always struggled with accepting the new additions to the family. Her mother had died when she was still young and soon after her father met Kwon Seomi, a rather extravagant young woman with twins of her own; a boy named Kwon Seojun and a girl named Kwon Seola.  They were just a year older than Eunmi and to describe them as mischievous was an understatement. It didn’t take long for her father to decide he needed a new mother figure in their lives and married Seomi the following year. Though Seomi never treated Eunmi warmly and motherly, she did her best to tolerate the new additions to the family for the sake of her father who seemed to truly love the new woman in her life.

Seomi never worked a day in her life and spent her days spending Jinwoo’s money for which he worked hard day in and day out. Jinwoo was a talented producer and manager at an entertainment label known as SM Entertainment. Back when he started working for the company, they were just starting their rise in the industry and have long since grown into the company people know, love and sometimes hate today. He had garnered quite a reputation for himself as a respected and praised producer. Unfortunately, when Eunmi had just turned eighteen her father fell ill with an incurable disease and passed away, leaving her in the care of Seomi who reluctantly took care of her as she knew Jinwoo had left most of his inheritance to his favorite and only blood-related daughter but decided not to inform her of the inheritance. Instead, she decided to keep the money for herself to make sure she and her two children could continue to live comfortably while leading Eunmi to believe that they had to turn every dime to make ends meet.

Because Eunmi promised her father to treat Seomi, Seojun and Seola as if they were her real family, she tolerated the unfair treatment they put her through. She endured having to move to the space in the attic as her own room, she endured watching her siblings dress in the newest clothes while she received the hand me downs, believing that because they were older they deserved it first. She endured being looked down upon and left out and finally, she endured having to find a job to pay for her own college degree. She had witnessed Seomi waste money on the twins for an education they threw away like it was worthless and accepted it reluctantly when Seomi told her they couldn’t possibly pay for her enrollment into the National University of Arts.

Deciding that she didn’t want to give up on her dream of becoming a performing artist as her mother, who was a promising young dancer before she settled down for the married life, she decided to take a job to earn some extra money to pay for her enrollment. She applied for a job as an intern at SM Entertainment, stating that she would do anything for less than minimum wage. Feeling sorry for her desperation, as well as acknowledging the fact that she was the daughter of one of their most praised producers, they decided to give her a chance.

Eunmi started doing the jobs no one else wanted to do; get coffee, deliver mail, clean offices, rehearsal spaces and bathrooms, organizing supplies amongst other things. Her dedication didn’t go unnoticed and soon she was promoted to a full-time employee working minimum wage and being rewarded with more honorable tasks such as answering phone calls, arranging the agendas of managers within the company and welcoming guests. And soon she had earned herself enough money to pay for her first term at the university.

But as second term was creeping closer, Seomi’s inheritance well dried up and soon declared that they no longer had enough money to get by. Seeing as she was the only person with a paying job, Seomi guilted Eunmi into giving up her studies and work to support the family. A choice she regretted from the moment she made it, but felt obligated to make as she had promised her father to take care and accept the Kwon family as if they had been blood-related.

Eunmi focused more and more on her job at SM Entertainment and over the years managed to work herself up as secretary to the board of directors, one of the most highly sought after secretary positions within the company. She was directly assisting the current CEO as well as the higher ranked managers who called the shots on any endeavor the company made regarding investments and artistic releases. At the age of twenty-six she had made quite a name for herself for being dedicated and focused, never settling for less than perfect and never handing in a task half-assed.

Her position came with a lot of responsibilities, a lot of stress and required a lot of her free time as she had to be on call at all times. If a scandal broke out, she had to be present to help fix the situation and pull the right strings to cover up that which needed to be covered. If a group released a new song or album, she had to make sure that all the schedules to promote the artist were planned out and greenlit. If a concert had to be planned she had to make sure that the venue and all that involved the concert was arranged to perfection. The only thing she didn’t do was meet and greet with the artist themselves, much to her dismay. It was a job that left her with no social life whatsoever, but she was thankful for the chance she had received and grown to love her job and accomplishments.

“No, we need it on the 25th!” She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair as her other hand browsed through the list of things she had yet to arrange before the party. “Listen, we are willing to pay extra for the inconvenience if that can speed up the process but if you’re incapable of meeting our demands then I am afraid I will have to take this order elsewhere.” Her tone was demanding and serious, warning the person on the other side that she was not messing around. Her lips curled into a pleased smile as she heard the person stutter at her threat, quickly confirming that they would definitely be able to meet with their demands. After all, there was a lot at stake for a supplier if they refused a client as big as SM Entertainment. “I will forward the payment today, thank you for your cooperation.”

Eunmi pressed the button on her headset to cut the call as she leaned over her clipboard and crossed off the catering on the list of things to arrange. She barely had a moment to breathe when footsteps hurriedly approached her.

“Eunmi-ah! Big problems!”

“Taewoo-ssi.. Calm down,” She frowned as she turned to the taller, somewhat older colleague. His face was screaming panic as sweat was dripping down his brow. “What’s wrong?”

“T-the flowers… The celebrational flower gifts… They got delivered and… and… It’s terrible!”

“They got delivered today?” She frowned, according to their agreement with the supplier and the planning they weren’t supposed to be delivered until the day of the party on the 25th to ensure they were still freshly blooming.

“Yes but that’s not the worst part!” Taewoo continued as he desperately ran his fingers through his messy curls. “They sent us lillies. White lillies.”

“Lilies?! Are they trying to curse us?!” She immediately exclaimed. White lilies were often used for funerals and condolences but never used as a flower gift to congratulate someone.  “I thought we specifically ordered an assortment of orchids and roses!”

“We did, it even said so on the sign off sheet!” He nodded as she handed her the piece of paper.

“Then who signed for this?” Clearly the person who signed for the delivery didn’t check if the goods coincided with what they ordered, much less had the amount of common sense to realize that white lilies were definitely not used for their flower gifts.

“Someone at the front desk did… They were here and signed off when I got there.” He huffed again, unlike Eunmi he was less than compatible with any type of stress thrown his way. He had been in the company longer than Eunmi did and when she first started out he was somewhat of a mentor to her. But as she grew within the company, it was clear that the student surpassed the teacher and Taewoo often relied on her expertise to get through his own assignments. Eunmi didn’t mind as much, she owed a great deal to his supervision and encouragement when she first started out and at least he thanked her greatly after the fact. “Yah… What are we going to do? We’re in trouble… The party is in two days...”

As her brows knitted into a thoughtful frown, she tried to come up with a solution to the issue on hand. Of course they had to contact the supplier and make sure the right flowers would be delivered on the morning of the party, and she was not going to accept anything less than a major compensation for their mistake. As for the flowers they had foolishly accepted; they couldn’t return them to the supplier as they were of no use now that they were decreasing in value and condition.

“Are there any message ribbons attached to the lilies?” Eunmi quickly wondered to which she received a negative answer. “Alright, take the lily gifts and donate them to the nearest funeral hall, I’m sure they’ll be of good use there. Tell them that SM Entertainment sends their regards to all the people who have lost a loved one and that, although there isn’t much we can do for the community, we would like to offer this as a token of understanding and condolence as we want to give those who have lost someone to feel loved as part of the community.”

Taewoo stared at her for a moment, he never understood how she came up with ideas and solutions to their issues right on the spot. For some reason she always knew exactly what to do and how to support her argument. “You’re a genius, you know that? But what about the flower arrangements..?”

“Leave that to me, I’ll make a call to the supplier and demand full reimbursement for their mistake, as well as the flowers we had ordered, or threaten their good name with bad reviews.” Eunmi explained as she scrolled down her list of numbers to find the flower supplier.

It developed slowly but will last forever”

She was a college student who needed a job to pay for rent and took on a job as a waitress in a local coffee shop, with the sole interest of graduating top of her class and getting into medical school.

He was a famous idol who just recently opened up his own café downtown where he often helped out and met with fans, with a habit of acting crazy and having fun.

Two complete opposites and yet their paths cross, creating obstacles that they need to pass before finding their happily ever after.

“Oppa… What does love mean to you?”

                                                                       “Love? To me love is like a turtle…”

“A turtle?”

Hold the pose, a perfect picture Just so I remember how you're looking tonight With one quick glance in the mirror, you check your appearance for one last time. In just a moment he would arrive to pick you up for the night you’ve been anticipating for weeks, and everything had to be perfect.

ding dong

The sound of the door bell starteled you slightly, sending your heart racing in excitement. Hurried footsteps moved from one room to the other, followed by the sound of the door opening. 

“Good afternoon, I am here to pick up Y/N,“ His voice, smooth as honey and warm like fire managed to reach your ears even through the closed doors. 

Hurried steps approached your door and a moment later, it swung open revealing the face of your roommate, beaming with a sense of excitement as if she was living vicariously through you. “Yah, how did you get a date with such a hot guy?!”

“I guess I was just born lucky,” You couldn’t help but smile, running your hands over your dress once more. It wasn’t just luck, it was just a crazy twist of fate. The two of you had been friends since childhood, your parents were close friends so naturally the two of you always spent time together. When he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an idol, you cheered him on as his closest friend. You never imagined that one day you could possibly become more.

 With a deep inhale, you finally dared to step out of your bedroom to meet your date. 

The moment you appear in his line of sight, a dumbfounded smile creeps on his face, eyes locked with yours. “Wow...” Under the intensity of his gaze, you can’t help but feel somewhat self-aware as your cheeks flush with a hue of shyness. “You look beautiful,” He continues, managing to snap out of his trance and taking a step towards you.

“Awww,“ The combined voices of your two roommates breaks the connection you shared between your gazes as you can’t help but glare back at them. 

“Shall we?“ You turn to meet his gaze with a kind hearted smile, but before the two of you can reach the door, footsteps follow you.

“Wait! Wait!“ As the two turn around to look at your roommates again, your vision is blinded by the flash of a camera. As it slowly fades away and clears your sight once more, she nods her head apologetically. “Sorry-- Let me take a picture of you two.“ “Why?“ You frown, feeling embarassed by the way your roommate is acting. Sure, you could appreciate their support but it was just a first date and there was no reason for them to act like overbearing and most importantly embarassing parents.

“Yah, just stand together and smile,“ She huffs back at you, her phone at the ready to take another picture. “You’ll thank me on your wedding day.“

“Park Minah!“ You hiss out of reflex, your cheeks burning brighter than a fever. But the soft sound of his chuckle reaches your ear and you turn to look at his somewhat amused face.

“Let’s just play along,” He smiled, gently wrapping his arm around your shoulders as he turned both of you towards the camera. 

click click click

“Ah, such a handsome couple,“ she pouts as she continues to take pictures. “No wonder he’s an idol with those looks.” 

“Ok, that’s enough, we’ll be late!“ You huff as you step back towards the door and hurriedly open it. “I’ll be home later, don’t wait up!“ You gently tug his arm to follow you in your escape from your roommates. 

“Your friends seem... interesting...“ 

Biting your lip, you can’t help but bow in apology. “I’m sorry, they can be too much sometimes. I’ll make sure she’ll deletes those pictures later.”

“Delete them?“ He sounded surprised, placing his hands on your shoulders to straighten you up again. “Why? I’d like to save them, actually.“

“But what if they leak out... What would your fans think?“

He pondered your question for a moment before answering with a genuine smile, “They’ll think how happy I looked on this first date of many, hopefully.“

It was so simple, slightly teasing, and yet managed to send your heart racing once again. You had known each other for a while but never realized how much you liked each other until recently when he picked up the courage to ask you out. And you didn’t hesitate to say yes.

“Let’s go?“ Instead of waiting for your answer, he offered you his arm and without any consideration, you accepted it.

Let it go, now the days gone  Standing in the dark, although we've turned on the lights

Your eyes had widened as you let his words sink in, an unexpected announcement that seemed to fall out of the sky on your anniverary celebration. “Y-you couldn’t tell me sooner?”

He shrugged innocently, “Our company didn’t tell us until this morning, it was a last minute decision...”

With your heart sinking, you pace back and forth in an attempt to collect your thoughts. “How long?”

“How long?“

“How long will you be away for?“

Again, he shrugged. “They’re still working on finishing the schedule, there might be more tour dates added... They want to take world tour literally.”

You stare at him for a moment, mouth slightly agape as you could feel a whirpool of words building up in your chest. But, you dare not speak. You have no right to be upset, not at him, not at the situation. It was a shock but you also realized that it was a huge accomplishment for him. A world tour. The first world tour. He worked so hard, how could you get upset at something so good. Glancing away, you bite down on your lip to hold down the urge to cry. 

“I’m so sorry, Y/N... This is our big break...“ He tries to reason with you, his voice somehow saddened. “If I knew beforehand we could have pre--“

“I get it... Oppa...“ You manage to speak, your voice barely louder than a whisper. The excitement with which he broke the news completely disappeared from his voice.

“And if I could take you with me--“

“Go...“

His brows rise up in surprise, “What?”

“Go.“

He takes a careful step towards you, his brows now knitted into a frown. “Y/N...”

“Just go already!“ You yell at him, your tears finally breaking through. “If you have to go, go! Leave me alone!“

Your tearfilled eyes meet his gaze, stalling for a moment as his expression shifts. A soft, disappointed sigh escaping his lips. “I thought you’d be supportive...” without waiting for your answer, he turns around and disappears from your view.

The moment you hear the door slam shut, your legs give out as you slump fown to the floor. Hugging your knees to your chest, you allow the tears to run. 

Tonight we will deny, that time is passing by It's leaving you and I to... Freeze a moment, its never been better Seated on your bed, you are surrounded by pictures. Memories of good times you spent together. The picture in your apartment, taken on the night of your first date. Pictures of your picnic by the Han River. Pictures of you on your birthday. Pictures of your eldest sister’s wedding day where you nervously had asked him to come as your date.

Freeze all over, we won't last forever

You said that you're sorry for pushing me  But then smiled when I opened my eyes

Behind closed eyes you could still imagine the day he disappeared out of your life.

None of your friends and family knew what had taken place the day the tour had been announced. They merely assumed that due to his busy schedule, the two of you didn’t get to spent time together. Oh how you wished that was the reason.

They were going to depart from the company together, heading for the airport. Due to the excitement, their family had been invited to wish them luck before leaving and thus here you were. Standing eye to eye, your heart breaking as it remembered the last words he said to you two weeks ago.

“Good luck,“ You breathed, extending your hand for a handshake.

His gaze dropped from your face to your hand before traveling back up to meet your gaze once more. Reaching out, he took hold of your hand and pulled you closer towards him, wrapping his arms around your smaller torso. 

“O-oppa...“ Again, tears were stinging your eyes.

“I promise I will call you and text you every day,“ He whispered against your hair, his voice low and husky as he tried to mask his feelings. “And buy you lots of souvenirs!“

“You know it will be very hard to keep that promise...“ You sighed softly, he was going to be so busy with rehearsals and the concerts while trying to balance eating and sleeping. How could he possibly fit you in?

“No,“ He said with determination. “I swear on my life, on my family’s life, on my career, on my perfect abs--“

I'm gonna freeze a moment, while we're together

Stepping back to look at him, you noticed his goofy smile that managed to melt your heart a thousand times. 

“Let’s take a picture together! In commemoration!“ One of his members called, gesturing their manager to get the camera ready while they ushered their friends and family together.  

click Keep the peace, bygones be gone Coming up the rain under the life that we've made It was too good to be true, the fact that your heart believed his promise while your head knew better than to be gullible. He wasn’t able to keep his promise and you weren’t sure whether to be angry about the fact that he broke his promise or that you were foolish enough to expect him to. 

It had been two weeks since his last call and days since his last message. You knew he was busy, you had known from the start. You had kept tabs on his schedules from the fansites, you knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. But he had promised. And you believed him.

Under here, we're not so soft Forgiving the feeling that we put on parade From the corner of your eye you noticed your phone lighting up. An incoming call. Was it him?

‘Don’t pick up, Y/N.’ You kept telling yourself to ignore the call. You knew it was petty but your heart was hurt and you didn’t want to hear his voice. Not right now. 

After a minute, the ringing stopped and you curiously look at the caller ID. As you had expected it was him. Part of you felt guilty for being so petty and contemplated calling him back. Before you could even make up your mind, his name flashed across the screen again.

Taking a deep breath, you finally decide to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Y/N?“ His voice sounded tired. 

“Ah, oppa...“ You mutter softly. “Hello.“

He chuckled softly. Oh, how you missed the sound of his laughter. “Ah, it’s so nice to finally hear your voice again!“ 

“Is it?“

There was a brief silence, although he seemed to excited to talk to you, the bitterness in the few words you spoke to him had not gone unnoticed.

“Are you angry?“

“I’m not.“ 

His sigh was deep and loud, “...I’m sorry, I should have called more but things got so crazy and I was so tired--“

“I understand.“

“Would it make you feel better if I said we’ll be back in two weeks?“

With pursed lips, you let his question sink in for a moment. Was their tour already over? Or did he just say that to keep her content for the moment.

“Why?“

“Why?“

“Why are you coming back in two weeks?“

You could tell it wasn’t the response he had hoped for. He probably expected you to cry and cheer, but instead he was questioned. 

“We’re invited for a music festival in Busan so instead of a week off in Europe, we’re flying back for a while...“

And your heart leapt again. Just a moment ago you were wallowing in your own pity, selfishly sulking that in between his packed schedule, he hadn’t made you a priority.

“Can we meet then?“

“Of course!“ His voice perked up before getting distracted by some background muttering. “Ah-- I have to go now but I will see you real soon, okay?“

“Alright, oppa!”

Tonight we will deny, that time is passing by It's leaving you and I to... The moment you laid eyes on him, your heart fluttered like the first time you realized you had feelings for him. A sense of longing rushed over you as you made your way over to him. “Oppa!”

“Y/N!“ He smiled in greeting, catching you in his embrace. His voice sounded tired and his face looked worn but it was a sight for sore eyes nonetheless.

“I missed you.” Instead of replying, he merely nodded in return. A pout curled your lips as you glanced up at him. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Huh? Oh, of course I am,“ He shook his head, taking a deep breath. “Just tired, I suppose. Listen, I have to go meet up with the others but I’ll see you at the concert tonight, right?“

Without waiting for your reply, he gently pats your head before walking away. 

Freeze  A moment, its never been better  Freeze  All over, we won't last forever

The headlines would never lie, especially not when reported by such a reputable source. There had been rumors for weeks, but you always turned away and ignored what they were saying. But everything somehow made sense now.

You weren’t pretty, maybe he told you but he was just being kind. You couldn’t light a candle to her. You didn’t understand his life, not really. You were just a commoner, not an idol like her. 

How could the world have known before you did? 

You said that you're sorry for pushing me  But then smiled when I opened my eyes

“You are really too much,“ He yelled bitterly, throwing his hands up in frustration. You had marched into his dressing room with the backstage pass he had his manager give you earlier that day. The moment you saw him, you had started questioning him.

“Me?!“ You returned the favor with an equally bitter tone. “You’re the one fooling me, what did you expect?!“

"Fooling you? Fooling you how?” His gaze narrowed as he let your accusations sink in. 

You pulled out your phone and showed him the search results, scrolling down the headlines, some of which had been accompanied by pictures. “Then what do you call this?!” You threw at him.

All the headlines reported on the dating news. But the articles weren’t talking about you, the picture didn’t show you. They told the story about a hallyu star and a succesful idol turned actress who had been spotted on numerous dates over the course of weeks, not just in Korea but also overseas the most recent one pictured below some of the headlines. 

“Those are just rumors!“ He huffed though you noticed how hard it was for him to look you in the eyes, “We met up with mutual friends once, that’s all.“

“Then how come there are so many pictures of just the two of you?!“

“I don’t know, but it’s just a misunderstanding...“

 “Yeah, right!”

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, the intensity seemed to startle him even. “I know I haven’t been keeping my promise but you know I’ve only thought of you all this time... I love you Y/N!”

Tears were burning in your eyes, hearing him say he loved you only making things worse. You knew him well enough to recognize when he was lying and it angered you even more that he dared to utter those words while doing so.

“How can you say that so casually when you can’t even tell me the truth?“

His eyes finally met yours at the sound of your voice breaking, hesitating for a moment before releasing another sigh. “When we were in Japan... We did meet up with some mutual friends, we were trainees at the same time so we reminisced...” 

“And?”

“And we had a nice time... We talked a lot and decided to meet up again while we were both around... We caught up in the moment so at one point we ki---“

Your hand flung up, he didn’t need to finish his sentence for you to know where it was going and the tingling feeling of your hand crossing his cheek only fueled your already aching heart. 

“... I wish the two of you the best...” You offered him a bitter, courteous smile before turning on your heel and marching off. 

I'm gonna Freeze A moment, while we're together Don't stop, gotta know what you got There's no second chances in life He stared at the female before him, his brows knitted in a frown as all color had escaped his face. “You must be kidding...”

The beautiful woman shook her head, her black locks swaying in the movement. “It was fun for a while but you’re too embarrassing... I have a reputation to protect and you are just too much.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!“

“Don’t take it personally, oppa. I really enjoyed our time together and we received much praise as a couple but... I need someone to raise me up, not drag me down.“

“S-so...“ His jaw clenched as he spoke bitterly. “You just used me for the publicity?“

She pursed her lips, “Don’t see it like that, we both benefitted from this. Now it’s time to move on, nothing personal.“ He stared blankly ahead as the woman gave him a quick peck on the cheek for the last time before exiting his apartment, leaving him all alone.

Don't break, gotta give what you take With you Freeze A moment, its never been better Ten missed calles and about twenty unread messages. Normally it would drive you crazy having so many notifications on your phone but you knew who the sender was and you had no interest in hearing his voice or reading his words. 

After your last encounter two months ago, you made sure to avoid any and all mention of your name. You turned off the radio whenever their songs were played and stopped watching whenever they guested on a tv show. 

You were so far lost in your own sorrow that you barely noticed the doorbell ring. There was a brief silence before your roommate’s voice called from the other side of your door. “Y/N-ah... There’s someone here to see you.”

You lifted your head from your knees as you had your legs pulled to your chest, “I’m sick. Leave me alone.”

Silence. Your roommates knew better than to press on the subject. They had seen you come home crying and tried to comfort you but you had shut them out. You needed to be alone. 

Relaxing your legs, you turned to lie down on your side with your back facing the door. A few moment later you could hear the door open and with a loud, frustrated sigh you sat up.

“I told you to leave me--“ You scolded but your voice was stuck in your throat as your eyes met his. His eyes were equally red and puffy as yours were and the very sight of him broke your heart a million times again.

“Y/N...“

“What are you doing here?“

“You didn’t answer any of my calls or texts, I got worried--“

You scoffed, swinging your legs over the side of the bed and pushing yourself to your feet. “Why would I? There is nothing left to say to you.”

“I-I know i hurt you... I treated you badly and I wasn’t honest with you...“ His voice broke, his apology and his confession pouring straight from his heart. He had come to realize he threw away something amazing - a bond that was more than just love, it was friendship and comraderie, for someone who caught him at a vulnerable moment and made use of it. “I’m so, so sorry. I never should have let you go... I promised we would always stick together and I broke it. I’m so sorry.“

Freeze  All over, we won't last forever

You remembered, when you were younger. When you were growing up side by side. Someone had told you a bed time story about a prince and a princess who had been bound by fate but lost each other when the princess was swept away by a dragon that no one in the land dared to challenge. No one except for the prince, he saved the princess and they promised to stay by each other’s side for forever.  

It was a story you had fallen in love with, something you often played out and each time he would promise you he would be by your side. Even when he became a trainee, he continued to vow this earnestly. Even when he debuted. And up until recently, he had kept his promise. And here he was again, vowing to keep the promise once more. 

But things were different now.

"We know very well that this is a promise neither of us can keep... Not like this...”

“But…”

You offered him a sad smile, tears rolling down your cheek as you met his pleading gaze. “The two of us, we live in different worlds and are chasing different dreams... And those dreams don’t work together... So, I will always be your fan and proudly support you instead.”

He reached forward and pulled you close against his chest, his arms wrapping around you tightly. He didn’t want to let you go but he understood what you were saying. Maybe one day, your dreams could overlap and become one. But for now, it was better to remember the moments of happiness in the past while walking towards a future. Separately. 

“One day... You will be my dream, Y/N.“ He whispered against your hair. “This, I promise.“

“I can’t believe we won again,” Leeteuk beamed as he and his members made their way to their dressing room, just having finishing yet another music show where their latest single was voted number one of the week.

“I can,” Heechul replied with a pleased smirk curling his lips. “Our fans are amazing, they can make anything happen!”

“But three weeks in a row?” The eldest by just a couple of days let out a soft sigh, “I’m almost feeling sorry for our hoobaes who are working just as hard.”

“Almost being the key word, right?” Kangin joked as he nudged their leader.

It wasn’t like they considered themselves better than others just because of seniority, they were still genuinely surprised and humbled that their fans were still supporting them after all this time and that after so many years they were still able to get to the top. It didn’t mean that they put in less effort than the younger and newer groups that were promoting at the same time.

“It’s thanks to us and our fans that SM was persuaded to throw that party next week.” the second eldest bragged as he casually draped himself on the couch as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Hyung, you are definitely too much,” Ryeowook laughed as turned to the mirror to check his hair, even after the recording and the performing was done he still wanted to look his best. He was a public figure after all.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“It’s not just because of us,” Sungmin nodded in agreement to the second youngest member. “SNSD did really well with their comeback last month, and people are already excited for EXO’s new song and they haven’t even released a teaser yet!”

“Ey, you guys are no fun!” He clicked his tongue in complaint as he circled the phone around his face to find the right angle for a selfie. It had been a whole three hours without updating his SNS and that just simply wouldn’t do. “Ah, too good looking...”

“Humble as ever.” Yesung chuckled at the slightly older male’s antics as he finished packing his own things. “Let’s grab dinner on our way back.”

“Yes! Food! Man, I’m starving!” Eunhyuk whined as he dramatically rubbed his stomach. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast!”

“What about the snacks from the food truck our fans prepared?” Shindong nudged his fellow dancing machine. “You ate more than all of us together, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t!” He denied quickly. “Kyu ate more than me, there was barely any left for the staff after he went through it!”

The youngest in the room glanced up from his phone upon hearing his name and feigned innocence as he was just partially paying attention to what his members were discussing. “Whatever it is you’re accusing me of, it probably was Donghae hyung!”

“What? Why me?” He piped up from the corner of the couch as he stared at the youngest member.

“Because it’s always you,” Eunhyuk decided to join in as he poked his best friend’s head.

“It’s not always me!” He pouted, he wasn’t even sure what exactly they were accusing him off but he definitely denied any accusations that believed he was always to blame. If anything he was one of the most innocent members, sometimes a bit naive perhaps but definitely innocent.

“Just accept it. If things happen, you’re always in the neighborhood,” Eunhyuk continued to tease him as Kyuhyun nodded in agreement.

“That’s why I’m always stuck taking care of you,” Heechul decided to join in the teasing, he had probably known the young idol the longest out of all of them considering their trainee history. After all, he was one of the people who begged him to stay with the company when he was ready to give up on making his debut as an idol.

“Hey, I am totally innocent! I even have an alibi, just ask Siwon!” Donghae protested as he pointed at the taller member on the other side, who was listening in to his members chatting in silent amusement. “Yah, tell them what I was doing.”

“Me?” Siwon looked genuinely surprised as he pointed at himself, he should have known he was going to get dragged into the conversation one way or another. “Ah… Well, you were back here for a long time so I suppose you couldn’t have been eating all of the food…”

“See?!” Donghae’s voice only grew louder as he felt supported in his plea for innocence.

“Why were you back here for so long if not to hide yourself and eat all the food?” Kyuhyun questioned with an accusing tone of voice.

Donghae didn’t hesitate to answer his question, “Pooping.”

A flood of laughter and complaints erupted from the group, whether it was the sheer seriousness and even a hint of pride in which he had proclaimed his actions, or the fact that he brought up the subject carelessly though his members didn’t exactly wanted to know that much detail.

“What? What?!” He kept complaining as he tried to raise his voice above all the others. “It’s a normal thing to do, you know!”

“You don’t need to proclaim it so loud and proud, ya know!” Heechul replied with the same complaining tone of voice. “I don’t need to think of you pooping, thank you very much!”

“Well blame Kyuhyun and Hyukjae, they asked for it!”

It took Kangin two seconds to raise his hand and whack Eunhyuk’s head as punishment for a question he hadn’t even asked personally. As the younger male looked up at the broader man and rubbed the back of his head, Kangin hissed at him in a semi-serious manner. “Don’t encourage that!”

“Yah, yah, yah, Kyuhyun started it!” He muttered as he casually shuffled away from the older member, his lips curling into a pout as Donghae looked at him with a pleased smirk on his face.

“Guess who’ll be cleaning up the dishes tonight,” Shindong had promptly placed his hand on the youngest member’s shoulder, who thought he had escaped the situation unscathed. But as he was busy laughing at the outcome of his set up, the older male had made his way over and was just ever so threateningly squeezing his shoulder in his hand. “Any other jokes, maknae?”

“Okay, c’mon guys!” For as much as Leeteuk enjoyed his members’ antics, he felt it was his responsibility to settle them down when things got too crazy. With a minimum of eleven members together most of the time, energy was as contagious as a common virus which was surprising considering the heavy packed schedules they’ve had ever since they started preparing for this comeback. “Let’s go eat before we lose our appetite thanks to Donghae!”

“Yah! They started it!” Donghae continued to complain as the group slowly got up from their seat and one by one headed for the exit. “It’s a perfectly normal thing!”

“Of course it is,” Siwon agreed in means of assuring him. “But that doesn’t mean we need to know about it.”

Leeteuk had never prayed for perfection more than he did whilst preparing for this first date. He picked out the perfect spot along the Han river, a perfect view on the water and the setting sun as it disappeared behind the tall buildings of the other side and finish the night with the special rainbow fountain light show that the location was known for. He had prepared all your favourite sandwiches cut into cute little hearts without crusts, carefully sliced fruits, a bottle of wine to finish off the meal. All of it neatly packed in a big brown cane basket, alongside a soft blanket for the both of you to sit on. The sun had been shining brightly all day, adding to the already comfortably happy feeling that filled Leeteuk's heart. The last time he had felt so excited looking forward to an event was years ago when they first made their debut, maybe even more now than he did before. But his excitement soon turned into nervosity as he stopped in front of your apartment and spotted you waiting for him. His eyes lingered on your appearance; the way your hair shone brightly as the light reflected upon it, how radiant your skin seemed to be, how your outfit seemed to hug all your curves perfectly, how your eyes seemed to sparkle the moment his gaze finally met yours. His heart was racing a million times faster than it usually did as if it was about to burst out of his chest. "Is everything okay?" You wondered with a soft smile as you closed the distance between the two of you, watching as he continued to stare at you in awe. Your voice brought his attention back to reality, shaking his head quickly to clear his mind as he offered you a smile in return, his dimples even more prominent in his features. "Yes, everything is perfect." He nodded, taking a quick step to the passenger side as he opened the door for you. "Milady." A soft giggle elicited from your lips, it was obvious that the otherwise calm and collected leader of Super Junior was tensed up and you couldn't blame him one bit. You had felt just as nervous for this date as he was, but the way he treated you brought a warm and loving feeling to your heart. You gave him a quick nod before climbing into the car. "So, what are we doing?" You asked curiously as you fastened your seatbelt and waited for him to drive off. Although Leeteuk had dropped some hints in the days leading up to the date, he hadn't told you what you were doing or where you were going exactly. He just told you to dress comfortably, though you didn't shy away from looking your best. It was the first date after all. "Well..." He mused teasingly, glancing over at you with his always radiant smile before starting the car and heading towards the highway. "I could tell you but that would spoil the surprise." Jutting your lower lip, you didn't want to accept that for an answer. "Pleaaaaaase?" Your reaction ignited a soft and warm chuckle, shaking his head as he focused his attention on the road ahead. "You'll just have to wait and find out." "We're going on a picnic, aren't we?" His head briefly snapped around to look at you, his eyes widened in surprise. Even though he had kept the most obvious hints from you, somehow you had managed to figure out his surprise. "H-how..?" Once again, you couldn't help but laugh. He seemed genuinely surprised, but it wasn't all too hard to figure out. You nudged your head towards the backseat where you had spotted the picnic basket the moment you stepped inside. You just wanted to see if he was going to tell you or keep you guessing. "A-ah... I knew I should have stored it better..." His gaze turned back to the road once more and you genuinely felt a rush of guilt run through you at how disappointed he seemed that you figured it out like that. "But," You tried to save the situation a tad. "I still have no idea where we're going... And you're not going to tell me, are you?" He appreciated your attempt to make him feel better, another reason why he was so looking forward to this very day with you. "That's right, so prepare to be amazed!" His signature MC-vibe voice came out at the announcement, it was a habit that peeked through every now and then whenever you spoke. Although many people including his own members, and on occasion you, teased him about this habit, you admired how he always found a way to keep the situation upbeat. The moment you approached the parking lot near the Han river was when it finally hit you. You'd heard the romantic stories of people going to the river for dates before, it was a dream scenario you had only witnessed in movies and tv series. 

The bright light of morning shining through the window reached his eyes as he slowly awakened with a soft groan. His clothes were drenched from the sweating, his muscles aching from the trembling he had done that night. But he already felt less miserable than he remembered feeling. He could still feel the dampness of the towel that had been placed on his forehead to cool his fever, though the coldness had long since disappeared.

His eyes wandered down to his right hand, placed on top of his chest and clutching tightly to hers as he had done during his sleepy feverish delirium, he remembered someone being by his side and taking care of him but only now did he clearly realize who it was.

His eyes followed the hand he was holding onto and met with her still sleeping face. Her dark locks were covering part of her face. The light somehow illuminated her soft, milky skin as he could hear the steady beat of her breathing. She looked so peaceful and innocent, something he wasn’t sure would ever be possible and yet he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. His heart was beating faster as his eyes were glued to her sleeping face, admiring her facial features as his left hand subconsciously reached out to gently brushed some of her locks out of her face. Quickly he retracted his hand as she softly stirred, fearing he had somehow awakened her but she soon fell silent again.  

He looked around searching for his phone to capture the moment, to cherish for later or use as blackmail, depending on the situation. His phone was resting on the bedside table, his right hand automatically wanting to reach up but stopped as he remembered he was still holding onto hers. What if he removed his hand and woke her up, aside from missing out on getting a token for future blackmail, she just looked so peaceful and happy that he didn’t want to ruin that for her. But still, he wanted to reach out for his phone and attempted to do so with his left. It was a far stretch to get close to his phone due to his somewhat awkward position, his fingers barely touched it when the device slipped through his hands and dropped onto the ground with a thud.

The sound made him cringe as he turned his gaze back to the slumbering girl, only to find two drowsy eyes staring at his face. She slowly sat up as she took her hand out of his grasp, leaving a chilling emptiness that he didn’t think he would feel. She rubbed her eyes as a soft yawn escaped her lips, he could tell she needed a second to realize where she was and what was going on before the realisation clearly hit her eyes, widening as they turned to him again.

“Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” She fired question after question frantically as her eyes wandered up and down his body to check his status. “I’ll get you something to drink, or maybe refresh the washcloth to--” She was on her way to getting up but he quickly reached out for her arm.

“Yah, will you calm down?” A soft chuckle escaped with his words as he pulled her back down to her seat, silently touched by the amount of worry that radiated from her words and her expression. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Are you sure? Let me check if your fever has gone down!” She continued, trying to reach up for his head but he blocked her hand stubbornly. She clicked her tongue as she reached out with her other arm, placing the back of her hand against his cheek. The softness of her skin felt soothing against his and for a second he could feel his heart skip a beat, another sensation he had rarely felt before. “Well, you don’t feel hot...”

Quick, as if in a panic, he redeemed himself and pushed her hand away with complaint. “Yah, what are you talking about? I’m always hot!”

“Hmm, you sound delirious, maybe I should check again...” A mischievous tone danced with her words as she reached out her hand again, he quickly snatched her hand before she could letting out a loud moaning protest, but refused to let go.

“Yah, pabo-yah!” He clicked his tongue as he lowered both their hands. “What are you even doing here? Why sleep on this stupid chair when you could have been sleeping in your own bed and be comfortable, are you insane?”

“What? How could I have gone to my own place when you were so sick?!” She huffed softly, as if insulted by the question. “You wanted me to leave you alone to suffer all night?”

His dark brows knitted together in a frown, “I was in that bad of a shape, huh?”

“I almost called the hospital, you looked like you were dying!” She continued with the same insulted tone of voice, though the same hint of worry that her words carried before was hidden underneath. “And I couldn’t reach anyone in your phone to come help you so I just… stuck around all night.”

“All night..?”

•☆•☆•☆•

He had been feeling terrible all day, his entire body was shaking with fever and he was breaking out in cold sweats so much he had gone through five different wardrobe changes because his clothes were drenched. But, being the stubborn man that he was he insisted to keep to his schedule regardless of what the company staff advised him. It wasn’t until the show’s director told him to go home and rest or else he would have been banned from ever appearing on the show ever again, that he reluctantly gave in and made his way back to his apartment.

His manager had to run through some errands to cancel the remainder of his schedule, leaving him on his own after he had been dropped off. The more steps he took trying to get to his own home, the more he felt the fever affecting him. His entire world was spinning and he had a hard time keeping balanced while walking, sweat dripping down his brows as he headed for the elevator. People passing him stared at him and muttered, they weren’t in on how terrible he was feeling and assumed he had been drinking himself into the miserable state he appeared to be in, but for now he couldn’t care less. All he wanted was to reach his bed and sleep.

He pressed his floor and waited for the doors to close before turning around and leaning his forehead against the mirrored wall of the elevator. It felt cool against his skin, granting him a faint sense of relief for a brief few seconds before the sound of the elevator reaching his floor snapped him out of it and he reluctantly turned around. He stumbled out of the elevator and stayed close to the wall while reaching his door.

“Aigoo, look at you!” Her voice rang through his ears as a bell, her disapproving tone irking him even more than usual. “Is this how you earn money? Look pretty and drink miserably?”

“________-ah! Not today, please!” Usually he wouldn’t shy away from bantering with his next door neighbour. Although he was a public figure and she was - for lack of better terms - just an ordinary person, she didn’t seem to let that stop her from teasing and scolding him, and he gladly argued with her. They were like cats and dogs, usually at opposite ends of a discussion unless it involved food. Both sharp tongued but never with ill intentions. And he was somehow grateful for that.

“Ah? Already having a hangover? Did you dive in a bath of soju, you look drenched!”

“Yah! I said not today! Aish!” He practically yelled for as much as he was still capable considering the way he had been feeling, every word and movement drained his energy even more and made him feel like he was dying. He glared at the woman from underneath his messed up bangs, watching as she merely stared back at him, startled by his outburst.

“Fine. Whatever.” She huffed, raising her chin as she headed for the elevator. “I’m far too busy for you anyway.” She heard him mutter something under his breath as she passed him and ignored it, she wasn’t sure what had gotten him in this crummy mood but she didn’t feel like getting yelled when she didn’t deserve it.

As she reached the elevator, the sound of something heavy and loud dropping to the floor echoed through her ears as she glanced back to realize where the startling sound was coming from. He had collapsed onto the ground, slumped sideways against the wall and panting heavily.

Quickly she ran to his side, eyes widened and panicked as she took his shoulders and tried to pull him up in a seated position. “Y-yah! Are you alright?” She frantically looked around for anyone to help her out. “Hello? Is someone there?”

The cold sweat trickled down his face, his weight desperately leaning towards the wall as his eyes were pinched closed, trying desperately to not give into the fever.

“Oppa…”  She begged him, her voice sounding more and more distance to him. He felt something soft and soothingly colder against his cheek, followed by a gasp. She had pressed her hand against his face to check his temperature and was surprised by the almost burning sensation tingling against her skin. “Omo! You’re burning up!”

“It’s… fine… ” He panted with a strained voice as he tried to push himself away from the wall, but to no avail.

“Give me your key!”

“W-what?”

“You are in no position to get inside like this, give me your key!” She urged on. He wanted to keep arguing and act tough but he couldn’t find the energy to do so anymore. He dropped the card key he was holding onto the floor as he let his head rest against the wall again, trying to find some comfort to relieve him from the burning that ran through his entire body, contradicting with the cold chills rising up the hairs on his arm and in his neck and aching his muscles with ever shiver it caused.

She got up and unlocked the door before getting back to his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she desperately tried to get him back on his feet. It didn’t help that he was taller, broader and therefore much heavier than her, not to mention the fact that he was barely capable to keep himself up so she was left to carry dead weight - for lack of a better term. He slumped in her grasp as the two of them slowly made their way inside his apartment and straight to his bedroom.

Reaching the bed was as much of a relief for him as it was for her. His entire body had been screaming for the soft comfort of his bed as his eyes were still closed tightly to try and ignore the fever that continued to flare. For her it was the relief that they made it inside without her collapsing under his weight.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back, alright?” She told him, not that she expected him to go anywhere in his condition but it was a habit most people had. She went back to the front door and closed it, kicking off her shoes as she remembered her mannerisms when entering someone’s house.

He had spread himself over his bed and had just barely managed to kick off his shoes, his recently made bed feeling soft and cool against his body as it soaked in the heat that his entire body was radiating. Her footsteps entering his room were drained by the ringing in his ears as her voice sounded far away.

She had slipped his phone out of his pocket, knowing fully well that if he was in any better state he would have chased her down the entire apartment for repercussion and normally she wasn’t one to take another person’s phone, much less do anything with it. But desperate times called for desperate measures, she needed to try and reach someone close to him to come over and care for him and the only way she knew to reach those people was to call people from his contact list. She tried calling his manager, stylists, best friends, but they either didn’t answer the call or had to reject helping out because of their own schedule or situation. The list of potential caretakers grew smaller and smaller and after several calls she finally decided to give up.

“Ah, what is wrong with these people…” She muttered desperately as she moved back to his bedroom, to find him spread across his bed with a pained expression on his face and heavy breathing. His hair was damp from the sweating and his skin was paler than she had ever seen before, it was like staring at a ghost. “Alright, first things first… How about I get you something to drink?”

No response, he didn’t move nor react or even open up his eyes. She approached closer as she placed the back of her hand against his forehead once more. His skin was burning up worse than she had ever felt, it was in no wonder he was in no state to reply. In reflex she reached for her phone and hovered her finger over the numberpad. Who could she possibly call for advice? She could call a doctor but she wasn’t sure what effect that would have on the situation, him being a public figure and all. She wasn’t sure if their secrecy oath also included not informing the media that they were summoned to help a celebrity. No, that probably wasn’t such a good idea. Could she call her parents? No, they would worry about her and if she tried to explain it wasn’t for her own health they would just jump to conclusions. Her friends? No, she couldn’t even tell them, they couldn’t be trusted with this information anyway.

“Alright… I remember from tv that a person having a fever and cold sweat should not stay in their drenched clothing....” She stared at his face for a moment, eyebrows knitting into a worried frown. “Oppa… We need to get you out of those clothes… Can you… Are you… ” She fumbled with the words as they rolled off her tongue, it felt awkward asking him to take off his clothes even if she meant well. But he didn’t seem to hear her, her eyes wandered down to his chest and watched as it rose and fell with a rapid speed, shallow breathing accompanying the movement as the fever had finally taken its toll and he had fallen asleep almost forcefully. But that was good, she decided, sleep always helped when a person felt sick. “Oppa… I’m going to change your clothes, alright? Don’t be mad, please...” She was also fully aware that he didn’t like anyone touching him unless they were paid to do so to make his appearance fit his image as good looking idol.

Carefully she unbuttoned his shirt and took off his wet clothes, changing him into a simple sleeping attire. She tossed the old clothes aside as she headed into the bathroom and came back with a cold, damp washcloth. It was the only thing she could think of that could help calm down the fever, carefully placing it on his forehead. As the cold, wet fabric touched his skin she noticed his face flinching and she held her breath for a moment hoping it didn’t wake him up, he stirred slightly before his breathing continued in the same rhythm it did before, his expression slowly relaxing a tad.

She pulled up a chair and placed it next to his bed, letting out a deep sigh as she watched him for a moment. This was the first time she had ever seen him vulnerable. He had always been this strong, loud, obnoxious man living across the hall who happened to be good looking and talented enough to become a public figure. She had always looked up to the passion and dedication that he had for the things he did and admired him for looking so confident and in control. It was like he was some sort of superhuman, unbreakable even when everyone was on opposite ends with him. She always looked forward to bumping into him in the hall or around town, having a heated yet amusing discussion turning into a battle of wits and stubbornness, equal rivals at that.

And now, he looked vulnerable and helpless. Sick and not being able to fight the fever, not being able to complain and whine and banter with her, tease her about her hair or complain about her voice being too loud. She made a mental note to use this against him once he felt better.

She stuck around for hours, preparing some food and tea for him to eat when he woke up, if he would even be able to get anything down. She tried making more calls to reach people to take over her “shift” to take care of him but people were either too busy or not able to take her call. Which was understandable considering the group of people he surrounded himself with, but still felt harsh in some way, wasn’t this considered as some sort of emergency?

Returning to his bedroom, his breathing had slowed down and the sweating had decreased considerably, though he was still looking as pale as a ghost. She replaced the cloth on his forehead with a new, cold, damp one as it seemed to have been helping his condition. Her hand trailed down to pull up the covers up to his chest, patting them down gently.

As she pulled back her hand, his right hand moved and grasped hers. It startled her as she glanced down at him, expecting his eyes to be opened and glaring at her for daring to touch his self proclaimed holy body, but instead he seemed to be stirring, dreaming about something that made his reflexes react in reality. He muttered something incoherent as his grasp on her hand tightened to the point where she didn’t dare to pull back in fear of waking him up. With a soft sigh she lowered herself down onto the chair and stared at both their hands before her eyes wandered back to his face as he continued sleeping. “Ah, what am I going to do with you?”

•☆•☆•☆•

“I didn’t want to wake you so I decided to stay around and then I guess I fell asleep...” She muttered thoughtfully, wondering about it herself as she didn’t remember feeling sleepy at any point.

“Aish, pabo!” He muttered as his free hand reached up to her forehead and flicked it, “Why would you do that? You should have just left home instead, nobody asked you to stay!”

“Yah!” She snapped back. “How could I? No one answered my calls to come help you and you wouldn’t let go of my hand when you were sleeping! Were you dreaming about strangling someone?!”

“I told you, you didn’t have to stay!” He continued to argue, his voice rising in frustration.

“Well what could I do?!” She argued back almost as loud. “Is it a crime to be worried and feel responsible?”

“Yes! When you do something nobody asked you to do it’s a crime!”

“Aish… Fine, I’ll leave!” She growled, getting up from her seat and wanting to walk away. But instead of releasing her hand, he got up from the bed and pulled her back towards him, wrapping both arms around her smaller frame in one swift movement the moment she collided with his chest. The sudden gesture had taken her by surprise as her eyes widened even more, her entire body stiffening within his embrace, not certain how to react.

“Who told you to worry about me, hm? Isn’t it a man’s job to worry about the woman instead?” He muttered as a small smile curled his lips as the very thought of it touched his heart. He had slowly began to realize why his heart had been racing all along, and why he had enjoyed bickering with her with such passion. It wasn’t to annoy her per say, it was his way of showing he cared, for showing that he liked her in a way. “I’m sorry if I had you worried...”

“Oppa...”

“I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble and for yelling at you...” He continued, his voice softening and more soothing. “And thank you… Even though I want to be the one to take care of you, I am thankful that you care enough to take care of me even when I’m too stubborn to admit I need help.”

She pulled back slightly and glanced up at him, her eyes meeting his as she searched them for some sign that he was joking, that he could snap at her at any moment like she was used to. But there was no hints pointing to his words being insincere. Instead she took the time to admire the smile that decorated his face, something she had always loved about him was how beautiful his smile was whenever he was genuine. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before and was speeding up the rate of her heartbeat in a way she never felt before.

“I’d always be here to take care of you oppa, you know that.” Her eyes dropped to the hem of his shirt in a way to avoid eye contact, trying to steady her heartbeat as he could have sworn he noticed a blush flush her cheeks.

Her words made his smile grow even bigger, “I know that...” His hand reached up and rested underneath her chin, lifting up gently to force her eyes to look at him once more and leaned in closer. Their faces were close enough their foreheads connected.

Leeteuk

Leeteuk had not expected a gift from you, after all the plans to celebrate together were last minute. He took his time to read the letter earnestly and thoroughly and you could tell he could feel every inch of emotion you had poured into the letter.  “Yah... Jagiya... You really have a way with words, huh?”  Tears were slowly forming in his eyes, he was so touched with your message. He was a sentimental man, but the fact that you went out of your way to write all of these thoughts and feelings down made him feel so happy and blessed. He pulled you into the tightest hug he had ever given you, his smile reaching from ear to ear. “I love you too, my Christmas angel.”

Heechul

Heechul had spent the entire evening whining that he had bought you such an expensive gift and you hadn’t given him anything. Of course, he was just joking around but as per his character, he couldn’t resist any and all opportunities to rub it in. At the end of the night, you handed him the letter. “What’s this? An I owe you letter?” He had mocked but read the letter nonetheless. You watched as his expression changed from his signature smirk to a genuine smile as his eyes scanned the words. His cheeks carried a slight blush while he let out a shy chuckle, for once you had rendered the infamous Kim Heechul speechless. “Wahh... How much did you pay someone to write this?” As you rolled your eyes and wanted to walk away, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you into a warm embrace. “I love you too. Next time just wrap yourself as a gift, ok?”

Yesung

The holidays had brought out a special side of Yesung, he was especially affectionate towards you all night. He had given you that bracelet you had seen weeks ago that you said you liked but couldn’t afford and had spent the rest of the night hugging you whenever he got the chance. He hadn’t expected you to gift him anything, he was just happy to be around you but when you gave him the letter and told him it was handwritten, he was already over the moon. Reading your words of love and gratitude made him smile even brighter, it was the cutest thing you had ever seen. “Yah... Is that really how you feel? I’m so happy, jagiya. I love you forever.”

Kangin

Kangin, like Heechul, couldn’t stop complaining that he had given you this expensive, romantic gift and all you had was a little box with a rolled up piece of scented paper. “Aren’t we a bit too old for love letters?” He had joked but seeing your pouting face swayed him to read it nonetheless. His eyes slowly traveled over the words as his expression dropped to an intense seriousness the more your words sunk in. “Aigoo, are you trying to make me cry?” He let out a soft chuckle, rolling the letter up again. “You’re so cute, this is the cutest letter ever. Good luck topping this gift next year, jagi.” You puffed up your cheeks at his reaction before he pulled you close to his chest, pressing a warm kiss on your cheeks. “I love you, jagiya.” 

Sungmin

Sungmin was a real romantic, he didn’t go all out on your gift but rather gave you some cute little memories that each held a significance to your relationship. He couldn’t stop smiling and blushing when you gave him the letter, touched that you would go through so much effort just to write down all your feelings and happy the two of you were on the same page. The moment he finished reading your letter, he pulled you into a tight hug. “Thank you, jagiya. I love you!”

Zhou Mi Zhou Mi was slightly disappointed he couldn’t spend Christmas with his family in China, due to conflicting schedules. But of course, his members and you made sure he wasn’t missing out on the holiday cheer and love. He didn’t know what to expect when he got your letter, the first thing he pointed out were the small mistakes you had made as you had tried to write the letter in full Chinese. But it touched his heart that you went through so much trouble especially for him, and your feelings were conveyed successfully. “Thank you for making me feel so loved and at home.”

Shindong

Most of his focus was on the food, a thing most people mocked about him but you found endearing. After all, you fell for his funny personality and kind heart rather than the gimmick that surrounded him. Shindong was especially quiet when reading your letter, you were waiting for him to joke around since he wasn’t the type to show his feelings openly. But what you received in return was a warm and cuddly embrace which lasted a little over a minute before he finally let go. You could see the spark of tears hiding in his eyes as he cutely shot you a heart pose. “You are the best, jagiya!”

Eunhyuk

Eunhyuk had a rough night, having to spread his attention and love between his best friend and you. Though you had accepted that Eunhyuk and Donghae basically came as a two-for-one deal, the letter you had written was meant for his eyes only as you had written down a lot of personal thoughts and feelings. You finally managed to get him alone and handed him your gift, but he didn’t have time to read it as Donghae had swooped in curiously. Seeing your reaction, he ran away from his best friend and locked himself up in the bathroom. As he came out again, a good ten minutes later, he said nothing. He just immediately marched over to you and pulled you in the tightest hug he had ever given you, tears softly running down his cheek as the big emotional softie he was underneath. In your ear, he whispered softly. “I love you.”

Donghae

Even though you knew what a passionate, emotional person he could be, holidays usually brought out the little kid in Donghae. Especially when he was around his members. Donghae was all over the place, and clueless at the fact that you were waiting for him to give you just a few seconds attention. You actually started to envy Eunhyuk as he seemed to be clinging more to him than to you. Eventually, feeling neglected bu your boyfriend, you excused yourself and decided to take a little walk. You had left the present on the table, which Donghae found eventually. The careless childish excitement disappeared as your words sunk in, his heart feeling a lot heavier as your emotions rang through his head. As the other members said you had left, he wasted no time running after you. Thankfully you hadn’t gone too far yet, he caught your wrist and pulled you into a hug, you could hear him sniffling slightly. “Jagiyah... I had no idea you felt so strongly about us... I feel so too...” He whispered into your hair, his embrace only tightening as if you were to run away and disappear. “I love you.”

Siwon

After going along to church, you joined Siwon in celebrating Christmas with his members. He had been showering you in lovely compliments all day, hugging you and fixing your hair. Every little gesture he did was filled with love towards you. His smile reached from ear to ear as he received your handwritten letter, reading it carefully. He felt so loved and so touched, but also very proud that instead of taking the cheap road and buying a gift, you had actually spent time and effort and thought into this letter. “Jagiyah, you are truly a gift from God. I love you.”

Ryeowook

Ryeowook was another member who could appreciate the sentiment. Sure, he could act a little stuck up but when it involved you, he appreciated your company the most. Your letter conveyed so much you hadn’t told him before, he felt so touched that He had no idea what to tell you other than a million thank you’s, clinging onto you every moment he could to show you how much he appreciated you being in his life.

Kyuhyun

Kyuhyun had an opinion for every gift he had gotten that night, though he mostly did so to spite the older members, he was very ruthless in judging the well-meant gifts. You hesitated before giving him your gift in the presence of all the other members. They cooed to prepare for a vocal beat down, since he was so harsh about the games and other gifts he had received, imagine what he was going to say about a simple letter. But Kyuhyun grew silent, his cheeks flaring up as you could swear he was actually blushing shyly. When he refused to make a comment on the letter, the other members tried to get their hands onto it but he was quick with his reflexes and escaped their grasp, dragging you out into his own room with an amused grin, this felt like a game to him really, before reading the letter again. “Yah... I didn’t know you could get so sentimental... I love it. And I love you.”

Henry

Oh man, who gave this boy sugar? He was bouncing all over the place, singing random Christmas carols that he worked into puns in this conversations and giving everyone a hug. He wasn’t even drunk, yet. You didn’t even get the chance to give your gift when you felt it was appropriate, Henry had found the little box with his name on it and took it upon himself to read it while you were in the kitchen hellping with the snacks. A few moments later, you felt a pair of arms snake around your waist, pressing you against his warm chest as he leaned in to whisper into your ear. “All I want for Christmas is you, jagi.”