SHINee's Dreamgirl: United at last.

Chapter Nine

"I cannot believe you got kicked out by your own boyfriend" Megan snorts as she helps me unpack my stuff.

"I wasn't kicked out, we just need to have some space" I say, trying to convince myself more than her.

"Space?" She says using air quotes "uh huh, if you say so"

I plop onto my new bed, or should I say air mattress, placed next to Megan's twin bed. She sits down and opens a pack of skittles.

"So, how did 'Mischievous' like their first day on the job?" She says and throws a skittle at me.

"At first they kept to themselves, but the boys did a good job in making them feel at home. Especially Key who broke the tension by wetting the girls with his water bottle" I close my eyes and can still see poor Ambers face of shock when the cold water splashed her face.

"Those retards" Megan mutters under her breath.

Before I can answer there's a knock on the door so Megan gets up reluctantly to see who it is. Once she leaves I take a look around what used to be my old room before I became assistant manager. So much has changed since then.

My ringtone separates me from my thoughts.

"Hello, this is Oh Ha Ni speaking" I say in my best secretary voice.

"Ha Ni listen to me, I had no choice and no say in the matter, maybe this is for the best" Manager Hyung's blubbering sets off an alarm in my head.

"What are you talking about?" I say utterly confused.

I hear Megan call my name, almost sounding like a growl.

"Give me one second" I tell Hyung and place the phone to my shoulder.

"Who is it Megan?"  I yell as i make my way to the living room.

I stop dead in my tracks when I see Soo Hi leaning against the front door way.

I snap my phone shut.

"Can I help you" I say with as much confidence as I can muster.

"Yes you can. Not that you're actually helpful in anyway, but I do need to speak with you"

Megan looks at my sister and then back at me.

"I think the boys might need me" Megan leaves the room and goes next door faster than Sonic the hedgehog on steroids. Leaving me and Darth Vader face to face.

"You were saying?" I cross my arms and wait for a smart comment. Instead she takes me by surprise.

"You're fired"

She stares at me through her blue contact lenses and a sneer creeps onto her face. Maybe she thought I was too devastated to speak so she decided to clarify.

"well I'm not completely heartless. You will still work for SM Entertainment, but you will be under new management."

I blink rapidly and she snorts.

"You are no longer Shinee's assistant manager. You are now full manager of 'Mischievous' and are working directly under the chairwoman's orders" she comes closer and puts a polished hand on my shoulder

"Who just so happens to be me"

Of all the things that could go wrong in my life, this definitely had to be the worst.

"I'll be generous enough to let you stay here for another week, but after the week is over I want you to move in with the girls"

The more she speaks the more im tempted to cut her in half with a lightsaber.

"I think your fairytale is about to end" she turns on her heel and doesn't even close the door behind her. I'm stuck in place staring across at the door of the boys dorm.

I hear the ding of the elevator and know she's finally left the premises. Before I can hang my head, the boys and Megan spill out of the dorm with angry faces.

"That cow!" Megan looks like an erupting volcano.

"I'm gonna kill her" Minho says and begins to stomp his way towards the elevator when Onew stops him.

"This isn't the way to settle this" Onew says and puts a hand on Minho's chest. Minho looks like an enraged bull.

I look at Taemin who stands in silence before me.  He takes a step toward me and opens his arms in invitation.

As soon as I'm wrapped in his embrace I let the tears flow.

"Oh honey, don't worry about that witch. I'll kidnap her tonight and wax that nasty mustache off her face" Key says.

Usually his snarky comments would make me laugh, but right now I feel as if my world is ending.

"Come on Ha Ni, look at the bright side, we'll still see you often because of our rehersals with the girls, and you can still come to the dorm and visit us" Jonghyun pats my head and Taemin squeezes me tighter.

Onew takes the gang away so me and Taemin can be on our own to sort things out.

They leave with a mixture of sad and angry faces.

"We can get through this" Taemin says and passes me a cup of tea.

We sit side by side on Megan's couch while I wipe my mucus away.

"It's so unfair!" I wail like a baby.

"Its ok, life is unfair sometimes, but we can pull through" he places his arm around my shoulder and I find comfort in the familiar warmth of his chest.

I knew Soo Hi had stayed too quiet lately. I wonder how long it took her to plan this torture out. I texted manager Hyung soon after to tell him that I finally understood what he was trying to warn me about and that I knew it wasn't his fault.

"Can we really do this?" I ask Taemin while I play with his fingers. He grabs my hand and kisses it gently.

"Yes. I have no doubt about it. Think of it as a test, show her that you can get through anything"

I look into his eyes and believe every word.

"So are you willing?" I say to him.

"Willing for what?"

"Go through hell and back with me" I say simply. He stays quiet for a second and then pecks my lips.

"Does that answer your question?" He says.

I smile in reply and lay my head in his shoulder.

Through hell and back indeed.