Maika stepped off her flight, looking around the airport as she looked for the luggage drop-off. She had just arrived in Seoul on a trip she decided to go on. She tugged at her jacket that had SHINee written on the back, straightening it as she grabbed her luggage and headed to the taxi waiting for her outside. Stepping into the taxi, she closed the door and told the driver where to go, leaving the airport.

She stared out the window, glancing at the signs and shops as they passed. She couldn't read anything, as she had yet to learn the native language here. Arriving shortly after at her hotel, she paid the driver and nodded a thanks, stepping out and heading inside.


Knock knock.

Maika's head whipped around from her spot in the hotel room she was currently renting. She had only recently arrived in Korea during her travels. Sliding off of her bed, she tucked her feet into her fuzzy white slippers and trotting over to the door.

"Yes?" she said as she opened the door, her auburn hair swishing into her eyes as she stood frozen in the doorway.

"Is this the room of Maika Juniper?" the red haired boy in front of her read the slip of paper in his hand, his eyes flicking up to her after he spoke. She let out a squeak, nodding quickly as realization settled into her mind. "Ah! Keun!"

"W-Was there something you needed?" Maika replied, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Oh, nothing of urgent importance. Our band manager saw you with your merchandise of ours and we wanted to meet one of our fans!" the boy replied as four other boys gathered around her.

"Geunyeo ingayo?"

"Geunyeoneun Taemin kkwae ibnida!"

'Taemin?' Makia thought to herself, the gears in her thoughts turning as they processed the information before her.

"Ye, I know. Give her space, don't crowd her." the boy, now deemed Taemin, pushed his friends backwards before turning back to the startled girl in front of him. "Don't worry about them. We're all friendly, maybe a little too much."

Taemin closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, his hair moving with his hand as he laughed nervously. Maika's eyes widened as she realized who they were.

"Y-You're…"

Taemin's eyes opened in surprise. "Yes?"

"You're SHINee, the Korean pop band." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Taemin grinned as he nodded.

"That's right." a boy with dark brown hair that fell over his right eye stepped forward, a smile plastered onto his face. "I'm Key. That's Min-ho, Onew, Jonghyun, and of course, Taemin."

They all bowed slightly, causing Maika to step backwards in surprise. "Y-Yes, nice to meet you all as well."

Taemin smiled at her, his brown eyes sparkling with friendliness. "Would you like to come hang out with us? It's always great to get to know a fan, especially when they're not from around here."

"S-Sure. Just give me a minute to get ready." she said, stepping back and shutting the door quietly. She leaned against it, hearing the boys on the other side conversing in their native language. She rushed to get ready, pulling on a pair of jeans and a random shirt from her suitcase. Pulling it over her head, she slipped on her socks and shoes, running to the bathroom to finish up. She grabbed her brush, pulling it through her hair to make sure the tangles were out. Her bangs swept to the side as she set it down, picking up her toothbrush and running it over her teeth. Once she finished, she looked at herself in the mirror, her heart still racing in her chest as she turned around, heading for the door. It had grown quiet so she opened it slowly, staring up at a waiting Key.

"Ah! You're finished. The others went ahead to the place we share to get ready for your arrival." he smiled down at her. "Shall we go? It's a bit of a walk."

"Oh, alright." she said, closing the door behind her. They started their trek to the groups' place, passing people along the street as they walked. She glanced around at the signs, unable to read anything. She was still learning how to speak Korean, so she figured coming here would be a good idea, but so far she hasn't been able to find anyone to teach her.

"Are you alright?" Key glanced down at the girl walking close to him. She nodded as confusion settled onto her face, her hair swishing with every move she made. "You'll get used to it here."

Maika nodded, her blue eyes darting around at the different stores. She didn't notice that Key had stopped walking until she heard a soft laughter. She stopped walking, turning around as her eyes landed on the boy with a grin plastered to his face.

"This is our place." he smiled at her, motioning to the apartment he stood by. An embarrassed blush coated her face as she scurried back to where he was standing. He chuckled as he opened the door, letting her go in first. She stepped inside, instantly slipping off her shoes as Key did the same. "We're here!"

Taemin came bounding into the room as Key led Maika to the kitchen. She let out a surprised yelp as Taemin almost ran her over. Key laughed quietly as Taemin steadied himself, grinning sheepishly.

"If I knew you were that excited to see her again, we would've gotten here faster." Key said, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Taemin shot him a look as his cheeks were dusted with a light pink.

"Geuman, Key. Not now." he said, glancing back over at Maika as his red hair bounced with his movement. "I'm glad you decided to come over!"

She smiled shyly, nodding as she couldn't find the words to speak. Key raised an eyebrow, still smiling at the two of them. "Where are the others, Taemin?"

"The other room." Taemin replied, his eyes never leaving Maika. She kept her eyes down as he spoke, trying to calm the raging fangirl inside of her. Taemin tilted his head, bending down slightly to see her face. She glanced up at him, squeaking as she stumbled backwards in surprise, tripping over her own feet. His arms shot out instinctively, wrapping themselves around her waist as he caught her. He stared at her worriedly, confusion crossing his face as she stared back with wide eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." she said quietly as he pulled her up, steadying her. Key shook his head, leaving them alone as he went to help the others. Taemin's arms never left their place as Maika tried to calm her breathing, still a little shaky from the previous events. "Thank you."

"Dangsin-eun hwan-yeonghabnida." he replied in his native tongue, smiling down at her. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. She smiled back, tilting her head down as she tried to fight the rising feelings.

"You can bring her in now." Min-ho stuck his head in through the doorway, instantly noticing how they were standing. "Hei, look at you, Taemin!"

Taemin stepped backwards, his arms falling to his sides as he glared at Min-ho. "You're just as bad as Key!"

Min-ho snickered, apologizing before retreating to the other room. Taemin reached out, gently taking Maika's hand in his with a smile. "Come on, it's ready."

Maika nodded as she stuck close to him. He led her to the other room, covering her eyes with his free hand. She stopped walking, causing Taemin to stumble as he stopped walking.

"It's alright. Trust me." he said, raising his hand once more to cover her eyes. She stared at him, slightly terrified, before pushing her head into his hand, letting him cover her eyes. He continued to lead her into the room, stopping her and uncovering her eyes slowly. She stared around at the guys who were all smiling at her, all holding small welcoming gifts.

"Welcome to Korea!" they said, startling Maika. She grinned nervously as Taemin left her side, stepping out to get his own gift. Onew and Jonghyun held out their gifts, a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. She took them, unsure of what to say. Key stepped forward, holding out a small box before opening it, revealing a small ring. He took it out, grabbing her hand and slipping it on her right index finger. Min-ho placed a huge stuffed bear in front of her, a big grin on his face.

"Th-These are for me?" Maika stuttered as Taemin peeked his head around the doorway, an irritated look on his face.

"Juniper, come with me." Taemin said, his eyes darting to Key as he took the box and bouquet from her. Maika scuffled over to Taemin, staring up at him as he stood on the stairs. "I have a gift for you as well."

Taemin held out his hand for her to take. She nodded, placing her hand in his as he pulled her along. They reached his room as he turned around. "I want you to close your eyes until I tell you to look."

"A-Alright." she replied, closing her eyes as he opened the door. She could hear a chair moving and some papers shuffling, soon hearing nothing. Taemin glanced back at her, placing a small, white doll on his desk before stepping back.

"You can look."

She opened her eyes, instantly seeing the small doll. It had hearts and other shapes drawn onto it with what looked like a fabric marker. She stepped into his room, walking over and picking it up carefully. Taemin stepped behind her, his arms snaking around her waist once more as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Did you make this?" she asked, turning it different ways so she could see all of it. Taemin nodded against her, sighing softly.

"I couldn't buy you anything like the others, so if it's not as great as theirs then I understand." he said softly, causing a twinge of sadness to shoot through Maika. She twisted in his arms, startling him as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, resting her head against his chest.

"Are you kidding me? It's wonderful. I love it." she replied, staring up at him with a more confident smile. He returned it, leaning his head down at resting his forehead against hers. A light blush coated her face as the small ego she had developed washed away. "T-Thank you."

"You are welcome." he said quietly, his eyes half closed as his own blush sprung to his face. He leaned closer to her, his smile faltering. She froze, staring up at him as their noses brushed against each other, causing her to jerk away slightly. Taemin stepped back as she set the doll down, afraid to drop it and get it dirty.

"T-Taemin?"

"Yes, Juni-"

"Call me Kai." she stopped him, stepping closer to push a finger to his lips.

"Yes, Kai?" he replied as she removed her finger.

"Why do you act differently than the others?" she said, tilting her head to the side, causing her hair to fall into her face. He brushed it away with a few fingers, letting them linger against her skin.

"It's…"

"Hei, Taemin!" Key said, popping his head in the doorway as he knocked against the open door. "We're stepping out for a bit. We'll be back."

Taemin pursed his lips as he held in a sigh. "Joh-ayo. Have fun."

He waited until he heard the door shut before sighing, walking over to his bed and sitting on it. She continued to stand, staying in her spot as he rested his arms against his legs.

"You caught my attention." he said simply, a light blush coating his face once more. She stepped closer, sitting down next to him as he laid back on his bed. "Faster than any other girl around."

"I did?" she replied, thinking. Could he really feel the same thing she's felt for years?

"I know it's only been a few hours, hajiman…" he trailed off, staring at her as he sat up. "I don't know how, but I feel something for you. It's strong, too."

She stared, keeping quiet as he wrapped his arms around her and hugging her. "It's okay if you don't feel the same. We did just meet, after all."

"No, I've known about you guys for years. You always were my favourite." she replied quickly, growing quiet again as she glanced over at him. His eyes were wide as he stared back. "I guess you could say I developed something for you."

"K-Kai…"

"It's a silly notion. We've only just met, like you said, and you're basically a worldwide celebrity. You're still in school and you've got SHINee to worry about. You don't need someone like me hanging around h-"

He trapped her chin between his forefinger and thumb, pressing his lips to hers as he cut her off. Her eyes went wide as his closed, his other arm pulling her closer to him. She eventually let herself react, leaning into the kiss before he pulled away.

"T-Taemin."

He laughed softly, shaking his head. "I guess you could say I love you."

Her blush deepened as she stared at him before smiling. "I suppose you could say I've loved you for years."

Taemin smile widened as he pulled her into a hug, his lips crashing against hers as he did. He pulled back for a moment, staring into her eyes as he continued to smile. "Kai, please, be my girlfriend."

Maika grinned back, eyes filled with happiness as she nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into another kiss.