Candy Kisses (A SHINee Fanfic)

Candy Kisses (A SHINee Fanfic) Chapter 34

            As expected, the massive performance had been a huge hit with the fans. They’d raved and shouted so loud that the idols had, had a hard time hearing each other.

            The screaming fans could still be heard as everyone walked off stage. JaeHwa found TaeMin and shared a victory hug with him. He squeezed her back happily, so caught in the excitement that he totally forgot that he’d been faking his feelings for the past week or so..

            JaeHwa kept holding on to TaEMin as they walked together to the back rooms to get ready for their solo group performances.

            “That was fun~” she chimed, leaning her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

            “Ne, it was,” TaeMin agreed.

            He felt as if everything was the same again, back when him and JaeHwa were head over heels in love and the star idol couple that everyone loved and loathed at the same time. That was until he found himself alone in a corner with JaeHwa and her blue eyes stared up into his expectantly.        

            Everything came crashing back into TaeMin in one single blink. The day sof pestering thoughts, hidden emotions and facades. He forced the smile to stay in place as he bent down to kiss JaeHwa tenderly.

            Minutes passed where they shared that kiss. TaeMin was losing steam. He needed to distance himself from JaeHwa before she saw past him.

            “I have to get ready,” TaeMin whispered against her lips.

            JaeHwa’s mouth puckered into a pout. She knew that they both had to get ready but she hadn’t been able to kiss TaeMin like this in a while.

            “Do you really have to go?” she asked, knowing full well that answer to that already.

            “Ne… I’ll see you later, okay?”

            JaeHwa nodded reluctantly and gave him one last kiss before scurrying off. She knew it was part of the job, but he didn’t even look back like he usually would. She barely had time to ponder over her dilemmas considering she was pushed off the next second into the hands of a stylist.

            Make-up was altered and reapplied, her outfit was changed from the tight pants and red shirt to the short flowing, white dress needed for Sweet Nightmare.

            Usually she’d be pumped with adrenaline before a performance but her emotions were once again playing with her and she found herself completely depressed to the point where she felt tears pricking her eyes.

            Juliette hoarded around the backstage area, checking the straps on their heels and the shorts under their dress so no scandal would happen.

            JaeHwa twisted away from her group mates to wipe away a tear that had slipped only to find herself face to face with Onew.

            “JaeHwa… What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing her glistening blue eyes.

            JaeHwa sniffed, pushing her newly short, blonder hair behind her ear. “It’s nothing,” she mumbled. “Don’t worry about it.”

            Onew didn’t buy it. He took JaeHwa’s hand and pulled her gently so she couldn’t get away from him. He placed one hand on her waist, the pad of his thumb stroking her side soothingly.

            “What happened? Why are you crying?” he asked.

            The girl let out an emotionless laugh at her own weak ability to stay together. She should work on hiding her emotions more, that way she wouldn’t have to worry anyone if she suddenly broke down internally.

            “Nothing happened, oppa… I’m just hormonal,” JaeHwa ended up saying.

            She could see the disbelief in Onew’s eyes. He brought the hand he was holding her own in and rested it on her waist to match the other. He tugged JaeHwa a little closer to him. A little voice in the back of his head told him he was treading on thin water by doing this. If TaeMin caught them it wouldn’t look that innocent, but all the care Onew held for JaeHwa made it so that the naggy voices and common sense was unable to process.

            “Is it TaeMin? Did… Did you guys break up?” he asked in a gentle voice. He didn’t want to pass off as insensitive.

            A look of horror washed over JaeHwa’s face, though, suddenly making Onew very uneasy.

            “W-why does everyone seem to think that we’re breaking up?” she asked. No one had really insinuated a break up but in her emotional state, anything was anything. “H-has TaeMin been saying that he wants to break up?”

            Onew could see panic rising in his dongsang. He blue eyes widened to ridiculous sizes and he noticed her hands tightening into fists. Aish, what have you done Jinki? He cursed himself.

            “Ani, ani, ani! TaeMin hasn’t said anything, but you guys haven’t been doing good lately and-”

            JaeHwa burst out into tears at this, burrowing her face in her hands. It drew the attention of the surrounding people. They turned their heads to look. Thankfully they were too busy doing their own stuff to come over and help bt Onew was freaking out. He’d only meant to console JaeHwa, not set off the water works.

            “D-don’t cry, please!” he begged, using one hand to cup JaeHwa’s cheek.

            The girl tried to get her sobs under control (she was performing in ten minutes after all) but she failed. Why the hell was she so emotional?!

            Some time in the kafuffle, Key had spotted the tear fest. Since he’d been talking to TaeMin it had drawn his attention as well and now the leader and maknae were cornered by the two.

            “Jae, what’s wrong?” TaeMin asked, pulling her out of Onew’s arms a little protectively. He may have conflicting feelings but he was still her  boyfriend and no one was allowed to hold her like that but him.

            “Hyung, what did you do?” Key asked, fretting over the situation.

            “Onew oppa didn’t do anything,” JaeHwa choked out, clinging to TaeMin. “Nothing h-happened,” she lied. She didn’t want to spill her soul right then.

            The others seemed to understand this and merely helped console her so she wouldn’t perform with a teary face. She dried her tears and fixed her make-up before she was whisked off on stage. Throughout the whole performance she ran on autopilot, going through the dance and lyrics like it was second nature to her (which at that point it really was) while her mind stayed put in the gutters. The foreboding feeling kicked at her stomach. There was something she’d been guessing at for the past two months that she had to confirm.