The Other Girl

Chapter 13 (Realization)

It took one look from Onew for Taemin to know that he was probably going to give him a long, hyung-to-dongsaeng talk. And he was definitely right.

"Come here, Taemin, I need to talk to you," Onew commanded, gently patting the space next to him on the couch. The boys were all at a photoshoot set for their newest Japanese debut album cover. Key and Jonghyun were in the back, getting an early start on lunch, and Minho was still in the makeup area, doing whatever he does to make sure he's as good looking and "charismatic" as he always seems to be to the outside world.

"Why?" Taemin asked, though already making his way to sit next to his hyung. Onew remained blank-faced, and he was secretly praying that this wasn't another one of his hyungs' stupid attempts at an intervention. He had made it clear, several times really, that the reason why he and Seo Hee are on "cooling-off" terms is not because of porn (however, he didn't deny that he watched porn, either).

"Well, I just wanted to see how you are," Onew said with such endearment that it only began to worry Taemin. And when the older boy began petting the back of Taemin's head as if petting a young child or a twinkle-eyed puppy, the younger boy could feel nothing but awkwardness. And weirdness. It was certainly weird to see Onew acting like that. Not that he wasn't affectionate or anything, but he wasn't affectionate like that as of late. Something must have happened to turn him into a dongsaeng-caring, dongsaeng-petting, I-wanna-know-how-my-dongsaeng's-doing-with-life-and-how-he-is type of hyung so suddenly.

"Hyung, are you okay?" Taemin asked Onew uncertainly.

"Me? I'm fine. Definitely fine. Never been better!" Onew gleamed.

Taemin narrowed his eyes at Onew. "Really."

"Really!" said Onew, shrouding over with an impeccable display of delight. And sparkles. "But let's not talk about me – I mean, not that there is anything to not talk about with me, right? It's not like I met the girl of my dreams the other day and can't stop thinking about how beautiful and confident and strong and amazing she is and how your relationship with Seo Hee actually depends on my relationship with that girl – well, not like I already have a relationship with her or something like that, but I'm just saying, you know? She's my dream girl and she's amazing, I think I said that already, didn't I? It's true, I guess that's why I keep saying it – 'cause it's true. Or I don't know for sure. I've only met her once, but she knows Seo Hee and as I've mentioned, you and – "

"Hyung, you just said about twenty words a minute and I didn't understand anything that you've just said right now," Taemin interrupted, his head spinning with Onew's sudden rambling. "Except I heard Seo Hee's name..."

"Oh, yeah. The girl. She said she knows Seo Hee. So... I was hoping..." Onew bit his lip, and for the first time in a long time, Taemin could see his hyung's cheeks blush up like a flustered little girl's. "I was hoping you would know her – and then probably give me her name."

Taemin stared at him, his mouth agape. "My hyung finally likes a girl? Unbelievable!"

"It is not!" Onew scowled. "I've liked girls before!"

"Yeah, but not like this. You don't even know her name and you look like you're head over heels for her."

"I'm not! I'm just... well, I'm just... She's just really good-looking, alright? Now stop criticizing me and give me her name!"

"Okay, okay," Taemin said, trying to stifle in his laughter. "I may not know her, just so you know. Seo Hee's never really introduced me to many of her friends. But what does she look like? I might know her."

"Well," Onew tapped his chin to think. "She has long brown hair, a narrow face, big dark eyes and she's taller and probably even skinnier than Seo Hee. Oh! And I think her last name's Choi..."