Black Rose ~ A Taemin Fic Pt. 2

Chapter 2

My eyes fluttered open to find myself in bed, my arms wrapped around the pillow that Taemin usually slept in. Sometimes, when I notice my actions like this, I feel clingy and needy. I wonder if he was annoyed by that.

"No, shut up," I whisper to myself, unraveling my arms from the animated object that represented my husband.

"20 more days," I yawn, pulling myself out of bed to go take a shower.

My love life had been so lonely ever since he left. I hadn't slept with anyone, why would I, and I haven't even touched myself. The only person who could love such a worthless body like my own was Taemin and only Taemin.

Sure, I'd have urges, especially in the shower, but when I pictured myself hugging him on the day he'd return, I returned to normal. Well, I'll tell you this...this "commitment" of mine ended today.

My bare feet and robed body lounge on the bed, answering texts and other emails. My phone suddenly rings and Manager Won's name appears on my screen.

"Oh god, what now," I whisper before picking it up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Yuki. TenX is performing Unknown today but one of our backup dancers isn't here. I know you know the choreography so can you come to practice and dance just for today?" She asks. My eyes widen as I rise from the bed and yank the towel off from my head.

"Uh..." I drone while I frantically searched for things I would need for a dance practice. "Yes, yes that works. I can be there in 15 minutes," I reply, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder as I slipped on some leggings and attempted to work a t-shirt over my head.

"Great! The boys are really excited to see you. I don't know how, Lee Yuki, but you make the younger groups happy to work," she chuckles on the other end. Ever since I agreed to get rid of my Japanese last name and replaced it with Taemins, Manager Won had been nicer to me. She acted like we were more like friends rather than colleagues.

"That's...why I'm here, Manager Won," I laugh nervously as well. I never knew what to say to her because in reality, she was still my boss. "See you soon," I then end the call and scramble to collect all my things.

I was relieved to be dancing for TenX. They were a small group of boys, only 5 of them, but they were sweet. They reminded me of myself only 4 years ago when I was small and new to the industry just like they are now. Plus, they were a cute bunch and were always amazed to see me dance.

After grabbing a water bottle, change of clothes, and my phone, I called a driver to drive me to the SM Entertainment building. Walking past Adam and Eve, our dogs Taemin bought me to replace the lonely feeling I was sure to feel when he was away, Eve raises her head at the sound of me opening the door.

"Be good, you two," I beam at the tiny, fluffy dogs that reminded me of Taemin even more. Another reason the dogs were welcomed to the house was because of the absence of our future child. Taemin didn't have to tell me for me to know that those two fur babies were a substitute for a real child...or even children.

I arrive at the building, only for harsh memories to come to mind. Of course, all trainee days are awful but there was a tint of light in my own. Taemin had first kissed me on the crosswalk in front of this building.

"And there she is!" Talia beams, clapping her hands to herself while I just walk past the lobby. "Heard you were coming to replace a dancer for TenX. I'm glad we get to work together on this," she cracks a boxy smile.

"They hired you for this? Aren't you too tall?" I chuckle, pretending to look dramatically up at her.

She playfully pushes me away, grasping the handle of the practice room doors that were chosen specifically for TenX. "Shut up," she laughs, holding it open for me.

The minute I walk in, all the members who were scattered around the room in conversation turn to face me before bowing. "Hey guys," I smile, setting my bag beside Talia's like I did 2 years ago.

"Welcome, Lee Yuki!" Win, their maknae, greets me with a plush grin. He was cute and little while the other 4 all stood around Taemin'e height. "I'm glad you could dance with us again. I feel like it's been years."

"Win, leave her alone. She doesn't have time for your energy," their leader, Jaehung, says to the youngest. He bows once my way before going back to dancing with another member, Soonwi.

Stretching my arms a bit while watching happily at the members being happy themselves, I hear the doors of the practice room open once again from behind me. "Well well well," a voice murmurs against the shell of my ear.

For a moment, my heart skipped a beat and I thought it was Taemin. However, whipping around, I see the familiar face that was Baekhyun. "You scared me," I breathe shakily. It was bold of him to be that close to me, and in front of a bunch of 16-21 year olds.

"Ah, Baekhyun, thank you for coming," Manager Lee claps, leaving Manager Won's side to join us. "You can mentor whenever needed. Some of the members could definitely use a bit of your word," he murmurs in a low tone.

I roll my eyes at the attention Baekhyun was all of a sudden getting. Going back to stretching, I suddenly freeze at an unexpected tug on my shoulder. "Ah, Jesus," I mutter, lowering my arms and grasping my shoulder.

"You alright there?" Baekhyun asks just as Manager Lee goes to consult with the choreographer.

"I'm fine. It's just a cramp," I reply in a low tone. "Talia, tell Manager Won that I'll be getting my muscle cream," I inform my nearby friend before exiting the practice room. Little did I know, however, a little birdie would be following me.