Minae's POV
Shinee stands behind me with worried looks mirrored on their faces. Poor Taemin is actually crying. Crap... Today was supposed to be my day with them. Onew's hand is on my shoulder. I lose all emotion and just stare at them silently crying. Key picks me up to my feet and I throw myself at him crying into his shoulder. He hugs me back and smoothes out my tangles, wet hair.
Suddenly, I'm in the center of a giant hug. I cry until I have no more tears left to come out. They all let go and look at me. I shrug off their looks and just stumble my way out of the cemetary. Jonghyun picks up my soaked guitar and everyone follows me in a demented game of Follow the Leader. I don't know where I'm going and I honestly don't care. But I found myself in front of the dorm door. I open it and immediatly I see 12 faces blocking my field of vision.
" Yah! Where were you?!"
" You're soaking wet!! Go change!! You'll get sick!"
" We've been worried!!"
They were talking all at once. I couldn't tell who said what but I really didn't care at that moment. Only Heechul didn't say anything. He sat on the couch. He finally looked up at me with a snarl.
" You're dripping water on the floor. Be a good maid and clean it up," He said with a smirk. I had enough of this shit coming from his mouth.
" Go suck my imaginary dick. No one gives a flying shit and no one cares. If you want it clean, then do it by your damned self. I'm not your maid and will never be. Now get your ass off the couch," I say with the coldest glare and ugliest snarl on my face. His face was the perfect mix of horrer and hatred. I heard everyone gasp at what I said. Yeah, Minae can say big girl words everyone!!!
I walk to my room and take a long warm shower. Showering always helped me clear my mind from stress and fogging thoughts. I slip into warm clothes. Just a blue fitted sweatshirt and white pajama shorts. I just lay on my bed. Not bothering to sleep knowing it will only bring back the nightmares that only come on this day.
Leeteuk's POV
We all got home from recording and the photoshoots early today so we all headed home. Sora texted us that Minae would be out with her all day. So we all just hung out like old times. But it was 8:00 and Minae still wasn't home. We were all so worried. Shindong didn't eat for a couple of hours. Sungmin was sitting on the couch texting Minae at least a hundred times. Yesung just stared in a corner. Siwon and Zhou mi, however just looked at each other knowingly. Like they knew what was up ( A/N Sora texted them that it was Minae's Parents Death Anniversary ).
10:00 and Minae just walked through the door looking like hell. Not very nice, I know but that was what she looked like! Shinee walked in behind her with worried faces.
After Minae's little outburst at Heechul, he walked into his room and didn't come out the whole night except for when we called him to the dinner table. The Shinee guys called all of us to the table actually, but they couldn't get Heechul out of his room.
They played this recording on Minho's phone and Minae's broken voice rang all inside the dead quiet room.
She sounded broken, alone, and downright lost. We were all confused but thst didn't mean that some ( or almost all ) were crying at the sound of our bestfriend's cries. Siwon and Zhou mi broke down first. They knew something, but I couldn't interrogate without snot and tears coming into my mouth. Heechul looked even more surprised. He didn't cry but he looked more confused than the rest of us.
" Ahem," I heard Minae's voice say behind us. We all spin around to see her with hands on her hips.
" I expect that you all need an explanation now right?" She sighs and sits at the head of the table. She sees us trying to wipe our tears and stops us.
" Don't even bother. If you're anything like these two then your eyes will be wet again," she warns us. She pointed to Zhou mi and Siwon-hyungs who were standing behind her. ( A/N just copied the paragraphs from a couple of chappies ago )
" Where do I start? Well, I was born in Seoul, Korea. I was happy with my mother and father. It was all perfect. But when I turned four years old, my father was diagnosed with a very rare type of bone cancer. He was fighting for a year. He was so brave and strong for all of us. My mom and I and himself too even though he knew he wouldn't make it. And he was right. When I turned five years old, he died," she paused choking up a little. " Even at five years old, I noticed the silence that filled the house. Mom didn't look as happy anymore. Then, suddenly she moves the both of us to London to "have a new life" but honestly? I think that being near father would make her even more depressed. I was the only asian at my schools and I was always bullied for it. When I was 9 my mom was remarried. My step-dad was nice and all. He even had a little boy who was just the cutest thing. Life was happy, perfect even. There were days when I would miss my father but I was never really alone."
" Until...The anniversary of my fathers death. We were all in the car when suddenly an eighteen wheeler barrels into us. We spin off to the side until we stopped at the edge of a highway. A bust street right underneath us. Only 20-30 ft. below. I could still feel the glass piercing my arm and face. A piece of the door broke and pierced my lung and back. I don't even know how I'm still alive. Then, our car fell. We fell onto the busy street. Almost like real life pin ball. We were pushed and shoved by other cars coming to a stop when the car in front of us had the decency to stop and call for help. I still remember going in and out of consciousness. I wake up in an all white room with tubes and needles poking me. Strangers all around saying that I was lucky to even survive. That my lung wouldn't work properly but I would still live. I wasn't lucky. My loved ones were dead. I was all alone. I had to live with my Aunt and Uncle and they didn't even care about me. When Auntie was mad, she would scratch, slap, or dig her nails in me. When Uncle was mad, he would get his still lit cigar and drive it into my side and neck. They never loved me. They almost seemed to take joy into abusing me every single day. And school was the same at home. I didn't have a single friend and there were still the bullies who hated me for my race. I was called fat, ugly, that my mom never loved me. That I caused her so much pain that she decided to kill herself on my father's anniversary. And for a long time, I believed every single word. Every comment, I would self harm. One cut for every insult, every word," she paused to show us her wrists. There were so many and I was only counting one wrist. God, spare us if we had caused any.
" I ran away from my Aunt and Uncle when I was 15. I had to get a job and support myself to this day. I had to pay rent, pay for my school funds, food, everything. The only reason I'm here today was that I was broke and that I would have to become homeless because I couldn't pay rent. Sora-unnie was my only friend and we didn't even see eachother or talk to eachother face to face. Only by email. Sad, huh? She was and is my light. My savior. I would've given up a long time ago if it wasn't for her to keep on pushing me to live on." She paused to wipe away a stray tear.
" In my life, whenever I have a good thing, something bad always has to happen. That's just how it works in the miserable life of me...until you guys came into the picture. I never stopped smiling since I came to stay here and meet you guys," she said finally looking up at all of us. We all were crying with snot dripping down our faces, hot stears streaming down our faces but none of us making a sound. Minae's face just remained impassive. Kyuhyun and Henry-hyung was looking at her in pity. She turned her brown eyes towards us in a stone hard stare.
" Don't any of you dare give me pity. I hate people looking and giving me pity. Feeling sorry for me isn't going to change anything that's happened so don't even try it," she said. We all nod absentmindedly.
" Where are your scars?" Kyuhyun asks quietly. She sighs yet again. She's been doing that a lot lately.
" If you want to see them, then we're all going to the pool tomorrow. No if's, and's, or but's about it," She says walking to her room for the last time that night.
No wonder she was so worked up and sad today. It was the death anniversary. Gosh, we're all idiots.
The Next Morning
Minae's POV
I told them everything. Every little gritty detail and now it feels that a large weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I knew that Kyuhyun-oppa had been in an accident also, so I think I finally met someone who can understand what physical and mental scars that we both been afflicted to.
I slept the night finally having a good sleep for the first time. I always stayed awake this night every year. Sometimes, I had the premonition that my parent's and brother's spirits would cause me to have the nightmares. I would always be afraid to sleep because I would think I would never wake up again. But that would never happen. I now have 16 knights in shining armor to protect me. Including all Super Junior M and SHINee members.
I woke up bright and early. I took a shower and changed into a red bikini with light orange short-shorts and a lace white tank top. I put my long hair into a high ponytail and went into the kitchen to make snacks to take to the pool. I made sandwiches ( all different kinds: turkey, ham, veggie, italian, etc.), packed different kinds of fruit ( I made sure to bring lots of strawberries!! :D ), and made small desserts like cupcakes and cookies. I packed it all in a big picnic basket.
All was done and prepared so I sat down on the couch and waited for the guys to wake up and get ready. Oh yeah... They need to get up... And today was a free day... I got bored quickly and got a great idea. I haven't painted in a while. I brought out my canvas, paints, and brushes and brought them to the living room. I also got my phone and clicked on the picture of the sun from when Sungmin and I went on the Ferris wheel.
I got to work and started to paint. I mixed, spreaded, blurred, and shaded all or most of the colors to match the same hue of the sun. It wasn't all one color but many. It all needed to shift smoothly to the next color and look like a picture instead of big blobs on a blank canvas. I don't know how long I painted but I think I spent a pretty long time keeping at it.
" Whoa..." I heard someone gasp behind me. I turn around to see Kangin, Eunhyuk, and Han Geng-oppa with their mouths agape.
" What?" I ask curiously.
" Did you really just paint that?" Kangin asks pointing at my painting.
" It's rude to point you know," I say chuckling slightly, " Yeah. I did. Is it that good?"
" Are you kidding?! It looks like a freaking photograph!!! What can't you do?!" Kyuhyun-oppa suddenly burst from somewhere. I jumped a bit but blush afterwards. Aren't these boys so sweet? Minus the yelling... Anyways, after Kyuhyun-oppa screamed, all of the members came out to see what was going on and got stuck in the same expression as the previous 4 members earlier.
" YAH!! YOU ARE SO AMAZING!!!!" Zhou mi-oppa shouts and hugs me. Very tightly if I might add. Oh God... I can't breathe. He finally lets go and I can breathe again.
" My God! Are you trying to choke me?! Jesus!"
" What?" Siwon said. I rolled my eyes.
" I said Jesus, Siwon-oppa. Not Shisus," I say giggling. Everyone laughs.
" Hey guys! Onew just texted me that SHINee is already at the pool!" Yesung announced. I grab the picnic basket.
" C'mon guys! Let's go to the pool!!" I march out the door like a soldier saying that cliche' phrase, 'Left! Left! Left, right, left!." All the guys laugh behind me.
" You are so weird, Minae," I hear a familiar voice say behind me. I turn around with a bright smile.
"Sora-unnie!" I say throwing the basket to the guys. They better not drop that!!
Sora-unnie and I run to eachother with our arms stretched out to our sides like those cheesey couple do in movies and dramas. We both run into each other accidentally. Her nose hit my chin. We both got up after a couple of laughs and hugged and spinned at the same time. We both got dizzy so after we stopped we hung onto each other for a few minutes. All of the Super Junior and M guys were laughing. We laughed too.
" C'mon, slow-poke! I need to throw you in the pool!" Sora-unnie yells and literally drags me to the pool. We went down stairs and my head hit every step. Owie... :'(
We finally got to the pool and Sora-unnie wasn't kidding when she was going to throw me into the pool. I felt the cold water on my face. I couldn't feel the bottom of the pool. I panic. I don't swim well if I panic. Before I know it I run out of oxygen. I felt the bubbles pass my face. I think I hear someone jump in the pool. But I'm not too confident about my hearing under water. I close my eyes and suddenly I feel strong arms wrapped around me. I'm carried to the surface and I cough out the extra water that got into my mouth. At least it isn't salt water. Yech!
I open my eyes to see who rescued me. Sungmin did. He was shirtless; me being pushed against his toned chest. I blush heavily. I cough some more. This didn't help lessen my crush. Not one bit. I look around at anything else but Sungmin's very hard, defined, toned, picture-perfect...AHHHHHHHH!!! THIS IS NOT HELPING!!!!
Sora-unnie comes up to me.
" Minae! Mianhe! Quinchana?!" she asks frantically.
" I'm fine, unnie. You have the strength of a man!" I say/ shout.
Sungmin put me down and I go to a table to strip off my wet clothes. I heard everyone gasp. Oh yeah. Today was also the day they were supposed to see my scars. I have a huge faded almost gone pink scar that goes from my right breast down to my hip in a jagged large line. There were pink scratch marks from Auntie's nails on my waist on my left side. Three lines. There were stitches on my upper back near my neck from when Auntie drove her nails deep inside my flesh.
I see most of SHINee crying. I doubt anyone of them saw a sight as this. Heck, Donghae was tearing up. Sora hugged me tightly. She always tears up when seeing them. She has only seen them once before and it gets to her everytime. She lets go and traces the big scar with her forefinger. She looks at me with teary eyes. I give her a smile. Kyuhyun hugs my side. I smile a sad smile. He looks at me with sad eyes and I shake off his hug. Instead, I climb up the highest diving board and jump off. I did a twirl and a spin and hit the water without a sound or a splash. I come up to the surface.
" C'mon guys! I thought we were here to have fun!" I call out to them.
They shake off their surprise and jump into the pool. Someone had the nerve to jump on my back so I went under for a couple of seconds before coming back up. I look to find Sora on my back. She grins madly and so do I.
" Yah! Why are you on my back? Are you trying to make me crippled?" I joke. She laughs and pinches my cheeks.
" And who said you aren't funny?" she laughs. I slap her hand away and pout. I drop her into the water. She shrieks before going down. She comes back up with a murderous look.
" Minae. Come here for a minute...," she says in a really scary/creepy voice. I was scared for a minute. I swim away from her and bump into someone else. Key turns around.
" Hey. What's up Minae?"
" Key-oppa! Save me! Sora-unnie is scary!" I say in a baby voice. His face melts and tries to talk sense to Sora but fails. He comes back with wet hair and red eyes.
" Yeah... You're on your own Minae. She splashed me pretty hard in the face," Key says smirking while rubbing his eyes. Someone taps my shoulder and I turn to see a creepy/ smiley Sora. I gulp. She brings the both of us down underwater and she tickles me. I'm doing my best to not take in the water. She bring the both of us back up still tickling me.
" Yah! Sora-unnie! Mianhe, mianhe! I'm sorry! Just stop please!!" I said crying a little.
" Maybe I'll stop if you say that you'd cook anything I want for the rest of the day," she sang.
" Yes! Yes! Just stop, please!!" I beg. She stopped. I take a few shaky breaths and see everyone around us looking at us in amusement. I raise an eyebrow.
" You guys just stood there watching her practically kill me?" I question.
" I tried to help you remember!!" Key-oppa said. I roll my eyes.
" Not by much! If anything you gave her more time to get to me!!" I point out. I splash him. He smiles deviously.
" Oh, you asked for it, Minae," he said splashing me. In the end, we al had an all-out splash war. The teams were me, SHINee, Sora, Kyuhyun, Donghae, and Eunhyuk and the other team was the rest of Super Junior and M.
Please do not try this at home.
The war got intense. Water was flying everywhere and I think someone got bit. By the time we got out of the pool, all of the water was halfway gone. These boys take things way too seriously sometimes. We ate lunch from the basket and all of SHINee was drooling. Sora actually made me go back to the dorm to make her poolppang or Sweet Custard Bread and bungeoppang or Korean Fish Shaped Pastry. The girl really needs to be more reasonable but I love her anyways!!! ^-^
The rest of the day, we all dry off, change and hang out in the Super Junior Dorm. One thing I learned today was that SHINee and Super Junior are right next door to eachother. I did not know that. Everybody laughed at me and I laughed along with them.
We all changed into PJ's and got ready for an all night pajama party. This is gonna be fun.