I am so sorry for the extremely late update! Assignments have been piling up like crazy lately! Even now I'm supposed to be studying for a Japanese test that I'm gonna sit for tomorrow. Sigh. Wish me luck!


Chapter 5

Sang-Mi's POV

She slipped her slender figure into the lovely sapphire blue gown Leeteuk had bought her a few days before. She struggled to zip herself up because she had to do it herself. She was used to dressing herself on her own so even though it was quite troublesome, she could still manage it.

After the dress was on, she made her way to her dressing table and began to put on make-up. She applied the foundation first then she powdered her face carefully with her lose powder. Brushing on some rogue, Sang-Mi proceeded to the rest such as drawing on eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara to her eyelashes. She liked putting on make-up but it was very rare that she did so and this was because she was too lazy to do it. Leeteuk had once teased her by saying she was pretty enough without make-up.

Suddenly, she heard her new pink phone ring loudly. It must be Leeteuk, she though excitedly.

"Hello!" she cried out breathlessly into the speaker.

"Babe! Look out your balcony!" Leeteuk called out.

Sang-mi anxiously made her way to her balcony and looked down to the streets below. She saw Leeteuk waving up at her, smiling his trademark dimple smile that always made Sang-Mi want to melt at the sight of it.

Gracefully and slowly, he brought his hand from behind his back and held out a single red rose bud with a ribbon tied around it.

"Ready for our night, princess?" he asked in a sultry voice.

"Oh, Joongsoo-sshi…," Sang-Mi sighed happily as she gazed down into his handsome face.

She turned around quickly only to grab her purse and slip on her Jimmy Choo with the speed faster than humanly possible. She couldn't wait to run over into Leeteuk's arms.

Sang-Mi ran out into the street where Leeteuk was standing in front of a beautiful gleaming white limousine.

"Joongsoo!" she cried and rushed into his open arms.

He held her tightly close to him, glad that she was in his arms and that she would be with him at the party. Soon, it was going to be his thirtieth birthday and he was free from the contract that stated how long he had to remain single and without a girlfriend. He was so glad that he already had someone like Sang-Mi to be with.

"Sang-Mi, love…Let's go to the ball together, shall we?" he asked huskily, taking her gently over to the limo.

"Wow! I didn't even know you had rides like this one, Joongsoo-sshi!" Sang-Mi cried in disbelief, "I would've been perfectly contented with those ugly white vans you always bring when you're taking me out, you know!"

"Hahaha, very funny!" Leeteuk laughed mockingly, "You know I only bring those cuz' we need to be discreet? I'd've brought you a dozen limos if it were up to me!"

Sang-Mi smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Joongsoo-sshi."

"Aish, get in the car already, woman, so I can ravish you!" he laughed and urged her to get into the limousine. He pushed the small of her back gently into the long car.

"Saranghae…" he whispered in her ear once they got into the car. He nipped her ear and she giggled shyly.

"Joongsoo-sshi," she sighed into his chest, "I love you too…"

They gazed into each others' eyes and slowly they leaned in until the tip of their noses bumped into each other. Rubbing their noses against each other lovingly, they slowly, very tenderly leaned into each other until their lips met in a sweet and loving kiss.

The kiss was gentle sweet and it almost felt like as if both their souls had been stolen during that kiss. It was like when their lips touched, their souls travelled into the others' body leaving their original so they could belong to the other wholly and fully.

Love always made lust better…

* * *

General POV

Everyone was arriving at the fancy building where they held the function at. People were all dressed in the best outfits Korea had ever seen. Almost everyone famous was there and people were talking about all sorts of things, from how lovely a female pop star looked to a famous boyband's latest project.

"What do you think is the worst thing a male pop star could show up with on a function as grand as this, Kim Kibum-sshi?" asked a petite reporter, politely.

"Uhm," Kibum hesitated, trying to think carefully before saying anything in fear of offending someone, "I think they'd make a huge mistake if they didn't wear a tux…"

"Oh, I think that's a very good answer!" the reporter said as she laughed slightly. She then moved to the next Super Junior member in line.

"Who are you wearing tonight, Kim Heechul?" the reporter asked.

"What, this old thing?" Heechul asked grinning into the camera, "I found this in my old closet! I actually got this piece of junk even before I was a trainee- it still fits! HA! Ain't that the most hilarious thing you've ever heard?"

The reporter laughed along with Heechul but when he turned to wave at his fans, she immediately made a face that said 'what a weirdo!'. A second later she had this plastic smile plastered on her face, ready for the next celebrity.

***

Leeteuk and Sang-Mi kissed each other for the last time as Leeteuk finally pulled away. Their kisses were getting even more heated as he kept touching and holding her so close. He was practically going rabid at the thought of doing something even more than just heavy petting with Sang-Mi. Damn it, he couldn't afford to look just the slightest bit off. People might notice things and jump to conclusions and the last things he needed was some new scandal involving Sang-Mi (okay, so it would be true but that was why he wanted to keep it hidden).

"As much as I like having to kiss you and fondle you like this, I have to stop," Leeteuk groaned as he finally withdrew from her luscious lips.

"I don't think I can control myself any longer if we keep doing this, Sang- Mi…"

"My, my, Joongsoo-sshi," Sang-Mi whispered coyly in his ear, "Are we getting a little bit excited?"

Then she teasingly stroked the shell of his ear with the tip of her tongue causing him to growl deep in his throat. The sound was masculine, primal, and animalistic and it excited her even more at the thought that she was the one who caused it. Sang-Mi didn't know where she found such courage to tease a man like that, but somehow, Leeteuk was right. She could only do something like that with him because he was the right man for her.

"We're almost there...," Leeteuk whispered hoarsely in as he placed his lips gently on her forehead, "I'd better not get excited. People may notice…"

They spent the next couple of minutes readjusting Leeteuk's clothes. Sang-Mi was trying to put his bow tie in place when she noticed a lipstick mark on his ear. Blushing furiously, she quickly took out her hanky and wiped his ear.

"Lipstick mark! We don't want fans or the reporters to see that now do we?" she said sheepishly when Leeteuk eyed in surprise when she made a swipe at his ear.

"Oh, shit! Is it gone now? Do I look okay?" Leeteuk asked somewhat frantically. He wanted to keep their relationship a secret for as long as possible because he didn't want Sang-Mi to be in jeopardy. What the rabid fans would do to her if they ever found out her existence? Probably rip her to shreds and feed whatever balance left to the hounds…Leeteuk shuddered.

"You look fine!" she smiled at him and pecked him on the cheek.

The limo glided to a smooth halt and they both knew that this was it. They had to refrain themselves from their usual hugging, kissing and petting like the way they've been doing for the past hour. Now they would be in the eyes of the public and so they'd have to be secretive.

"This is it!" Leeteuk whispered, taking her hand in his as he gently pulled her out of the limo.

The minute he stepped out the cameras were flashing and a dozen reporters were already bombarding him with questions.

"When is the upcoming album coming out to hit the racks, Leeteuk-ah!?"

"Who is that with you, Leeteuk-oppa!?"

"Who are you wearing tonight, Leeteuk-hyung?"

Leeteuk merely smiled and waved at everyone in good humor. He held Sang-Mi by her elbow and at an arm's length just so no one would think they were an item. He told her beforehand that he was going to introduce her as his cousin. She had agreed even though it didn't really suit well with her.

He walked with her along the red carpet until he was united with the rest of the Super Junior members. Leeteuk was then surrounded once again by photographers and reporters.

"Who is your lady friend, Leeteuk-oppa?" asked a reporter Leeteuk knew quite well. she was a petite woman in spectacles who always seemed to be peering at those who towered above her (she was such a tiny woman).

"Oh, this is my cousin, Sang-Mi. I wanted to bring her along so she could experience something nice like this," Leeteuk said smoothly, he brought his hand out towards Sang-Mi and when she accepted his hand, he pulled her gracefully towards the reporter. He clenched her hand in his as if to reassure her that he thought of her as definitely more than a friend. They were lovers.

"Doesn't she look lovely?" Leeteuk asked sweetly as he twirled her around in jest making Sang-Mi and the reporter giggle.

"That she does! You're very pretty, Miss Sang-Mi! I actually thought you were a model just now!"

"Goodness, gracious, no!" Sang-Mi laughed at the idea of it all, "I am far from being a model!"

The reporter then asked Leeteuk a couple of other more serious questions and then it was over and all the guests had to make their way in the building.

As they walked together side by side, Sang-Mi naughtily whispered in his ear.

"So do you think I should be a model, Joongsoo-sshi?" Sang-Mi asked coyly, "The reporter said I'm pretty enough to be one!"

Leeteuk suppressed a growl in his throat at the very idea of having his girlfriend parade herself in lovely outfits in front of other men. It was a nightmare he wished would never come true! Sang-Mi belonged to him and him alone!

"No you can't! You're only supposed to model for me and me alone! No one else!" Leeteuk said in a very commanding voice.

Sang-Mi laughed at his possessive nature and lightly whacked him on the arm. She didn't ever want to have anything to do with the fashion industry much less be a model but there was something about Leeteuk's possessive nature that made her love him even more. It was like they belonged together and they should only belong with each other. Their beauty, flaws and such should only be shared with one another. That was probably the reason why she could never ever go beyond with Kibum and Leeteuk could never ever do anything with Yoona.

Sang-Mi looked around and she was thrilled to see her newest favorite boy band (besides Super Junior of course); SHINee. And sweet, endearing cute little Taemin was there too! Oh, what a cutiepie! She's seen him before on various shows and he was such a sweet little doll most of the time. She made a mental note to talk to him later on.

As they walked into the building, Leeteuk walked away with the rest of the Super Junior members and let her walk in all by herself in order to avoid suspicions.

Feeling slightly lonely, Sang-Mi walked over to a table where they served champagne with slender classy looking crystal glasses. She got a glass and took a sip, eyeing the whole place with its people in it with the eyes of an outsider. Gosh, these were all stars and some of them were people she recognized. There were the girl groups; Wondergirls, KARA, T-ARA, Brown Eyed Girls, 2NE1 and even SM's f(x). Sang-Mi also watched with wide eyes as the boy groups got together and played with each other like little naughty little kids.

"Hey, noona," a voice drawled out and Sang-Mi turned only to be greeted by an extremely tall and good-looking man. He looked young despite his stature and he almost had an air of boyish quality to add to his rugged features.

"Is that champagne they're serving or is this just punch?" he asked eagerly as he pointed to the glass she was holding.

"Oh, no. It's champagne!" she said smiling up at him.

"Great!" he cried out excitedly. He yelled out a name which made Sang-Mi jumped slightly.

"Chansung-ah! Get over here, you great lump of a champagne chugging pig!" he called out, "It IS champagne! You want any or not?"

"Taecyeon-hyung!" whined another extremely tall youth. He came running over towards their direction, panting slightly. This one was handsome in a tall, youthful way, radiating boyhood innocence with perfect features. His nose was long and clean cut, with the nostrils gentle flaring in an upward curve and he had round dark eyes that seemed too innocent for someone of his large size.

"Aish! Why do you always have to be so mean? I said I wanted to drink tonight but not so early in the night! You're tempting me!" he cried pitifully as he reached out for a glass.

"Huh! Look at him! He says he doesn't want to drink so early in the night but he's already grabbed a glass!" Teacyeon muttered as he winked down at Sang-Mi.

As Chansung greedily gulped down the champagne he looked at Sang-Mi with interest.

"Who's the pretty noona, Teac-hyung?"

"Her? Gosh, I don't know. What's a pretty noona like you doin' here all by yourself, eh?" Taecyeon asked her flashing his signature naughty grin.

"Uhm, I'm with Joongsoo-sshi, uh, I mean, with Super Junior!" she quickly corrected herself.

Taecyeon glanced in the direction of where the Super Junior members were dancing and gave a nod. Then he smirked down at Sang-Mi with an all too knowing look.

"I gotcha…You're with the leadja, eh? Leeteuk hyung sure got himself a nice girl…" he said kindly as he smiled at her. Sang-Mi flushed bright scarlet.

"Please don't tell anyon- " Sang-Mi was about to do some serious begging when Taecyon cut her off.

"It's okay. We don't tell on each other about stuff like that. After all, I myself may have a couple of secrets that Leeteuk-hyung and the Suju boys may know about…I trust them not to tell anyone about it so I'm expected to do the same. It's only fair."

"Thank you so much!" Sang-Mi sighed a big sigh of relief.

"'Sides, we like Leeteuk-hyung! He's cool!" Chansung added as he stuffed his mouth with the little cakes on display. He earned a slap upside the head for being so greedy by Teacyon.

"Dammit, maknae! You should really learn how NOT to eat like a starving wild boar!" Teacyon scolded him, "You're gonna get fat! And then all your fans are gonna leave you!"

"Teac-hyung! I'm hungry and all I've been eating these past few days are rubber and cardboard! Please, please, please just this once, can I pleeeeease EAT real food??"

Sang-Mi giggled as she watched their interactions. It was a bit like how the Suju boys behaved when they were together. She decided whoever and whatever group they belonged to, they were an okay bunch.

"Oh, it's SNSD!!" Chansung cried out happily as he clapped his hands like a six year old boy.

Sang-Mi turned and saw a group of fashionably dressed young girls walking in. She tried to look for the one she'd seen in the newspapers with Leeteuk. The one called Yoona.

"Yooooonaaa!" Chansung sang out (A/N: URGH!! Why does he even like her??? She looks retarded!).

"Oh, hi, 2PM boys!" Taeyeon replied as she gave a little wave, "Is that your girlfriend, Chansung? She's lovely!"

"This pretty noona? Oh, I wish!" he cried as he twirled Sang-Mi in a mock ballroom dance. This caused Sang-Mi to blush once again and laugh as she felt Chansung lift her into the air effortlessly.

"Uhm, thank you," Sang-Mi said politely, bowing at Taeyeon.

"If you're not with the 2PM boys, then you must be with SHINee, right?" Taeyeon asked good-naturedly.

"No, but I like SHINee," Sang-Mi smiled.

"Don't we all? So if it isn't SHINee, could it be MBLAQ?"

"Nope."

"Ah, I know, I know! It must be FT Island!"

"No."

"Okay, this is tough…" Teayeon muttered as she thumbed her nose, "I'll take a wild guess and say, Super Junior?"

Sang-Mi smiled and nodded.

"No kidding! Who're you with? I heard Leeteuk-hyung has a scandal with a girl but I never knew if it was true or not."

Yoona stepped forward then and she smiled at Sang-Mi apologetically.

"I guess I owe you an apology, huh?" Yoona asked.

"Only if you did something that requires an apology," Sang-Mi said coldly. She disliked Yoona for being the cause of her fight with Leeteuk and she hated the fact that Leeteuk and Yoona were rumored to be a couple at the moment. It annoyed the hell out of her when someone said things like "Oh, they totally suit each other!" and "Aw! They make a cute couple!". Ugh! Barf!

"Uhm, forgive me for being the cause of-" Yoona started but Sang-Mi flew in before she could say another word.

"You don't know anything about us. You weren't there when it happened and you will have nothing to do with him any more in the future, agreed? If you abide by these rules, you and I will get along just fine…" Sang-Mi said, her eyes glinting somewhat evilly at Yoona.

"O-okay…" Yoona sputtered and she quickly ran behind the other girls.

"Vicious!" Chansung whispered under his breath to Teacyeon and the older nodded in agreement. Female fights were always interesting to watch. Think cat fights.

A slow song soon came out and almost everyone flooded the dance floor with their respective partners. Most of the Super Junior members had gone and paired up with their female counter parts SNSD. Kyuhyun was with Yuri, Hankyung was with Jessica and Heechul had grabbed Taeyeon by her arm and threatened that if she did not dance with him that night, he'd run her over with a big bulldozer and squish her to a million pieces. The threat seemed to work but Taeyeon didn't seem to be in the least bit frightened.

Leeteuk walked slowly over to Sang-Mi and grinned at her as he held his arm out. She took it just as slowly and they both began to move gracefully with the song.

"Doesn't this bring back childhood memories?" Leeteuk said as he smiled in her ear. His face was to her side and he lightly rested his forehead on the crook of her neck to inhale her sweet scent. She smelled like candy. Like rose bon bons…

"Kinda…Cinderella…"

So this is love…mm-mmm,

So this is love…

So this is what make life divine…

I'm all aglow, mm-mmm,

And now I know,

(And now I know…)

The key to all heaven is mine…

"Heechul looks like he's really enjoying himself. He is after all Cinderella, right?" Leeteuk laughed as he watched Heechul dance awkwardly with Teayeon. The pretty boy was never really a good dancer to begin with and he especially sucked at ballroom dancing.

I'll touch every star in the sky…

So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of…

Their bodies moved gently and their feet glided across the dance floor as if they were dancing on air. They sort of were, thought Sang-Mi. Her head felt light and she was beginning to feel as if it were only them who existed in this ballroom. It was just her and Leeteuk. They were in their own sweet universe where everything was filled with love and warmth and sunshine. She felt so untouchable now, as if no bad thing in the world could ever happen to her and her beloved. It was even unthinkable.

"Sang-Mi ah…," Leeteuk whispered softly in her ear, causing a chill to run up her spine.

"Yes, Joongsoo-sshi?" she asked dreamily.

"Would you do me the-" Leeteuk asked but he fumbled with the pocket of his jacket. Dammit! Where the hell was that thing!? He was very sure he'd put it in his tux when he was about to leave the dorm. He couldn't have lost it, could he?

He glanced about on the floor. No, he couldn't have dropped it on the floor. He would have noticed it. Leeteuk was extremely very careful about his possessions. He was trained to look out for lost items and such because some of the members weren't too careful.

"Um, could you wait here for me?" Leeteuk said as he abruptly stopped dancing with Sang-Mi. Sang-Mi stared at him in puzzlement.

"I gotta go get something. I'll be back shortly so don't miss me while I'm gone, okay?" he asked as he gave her a quick peck on the forehead and he dashed off for the exit.

Sang-Mi stared at him in surprise but she decided to wait for him without putting up so much of a fuss. She was never the bitchy type anyway. It was then when one of the SHINee boys asked her for a dance to which Sang-Mi accepted happily. And it was Jonghyun the one with the melodious voice and handsome face. He was utterly divine; she couldn't NOT say yes.

Leeteuk ran outside where the valet was parking the cars and such. He walked quickly and his face was red from panting so hard. He was pretty much panicking at the very thought of losing the thing he'd brought along with him for the ballroom dance.

"Do you know where you parked our limo?" he asked the valet. The young man pointed in a direction where a series of white and black limos were all lined up.

"It's one of those, sir. You can have the key if you like."

"Thanks!" he cried out and he ran towards the cars.

It took a couple of minutes to locate the right vehicle and another few minutes trying to find the thing he'd lost. Thank goodness it was there in the car where he'd suspected it fell down.

He was about to make his way back into the ballroom and get to Sang-Mi when suddenly he heard a loud cry, the sound of tires screeching to a halt and the last thing he saw were a pair of blinding white lights.

CRASH!!!

"Leeteuk hyung!" a voice cried out in panic. It sounded vaguely familiar but Leeteuk couldn't place it. It definitely wasn't one of the Suju boys or he would've known immediately.

It was sort of funny…, Leeteuk thought as his vision blurred, he couldn't even feel his legs any more…

Chansung stared in shocked horror as the black Mercedes went out of control and skidded across the parking lot straight in the direction of Leeteuk hyung. He couldn't seem to move quickly enough but he felt the adrenaline rush and his heartbeat pump higher.

"Leeteuk hyung!" he yelled out loud, tossing the cigarette butt he'd been smoking. It was a disgusting habit that was forbidden for all JYP stars but he sometimes still did it just for the fun of it all and tonight was one of those nights. He'd felt like having a smoke and so he'd slipped out of the building so that no one would know that the maknae of 2PM smoked cigarettes. Oh, the horror of the press if they ever found out about such things.

He hadn't planned on actually being the witness of an accident! But it had happened and he was the first one to notice it. Leeteuk hyung was lying there on the road broken and bloodied.

"Get the other Suju members out her NOW!!" Chansung barked at the muted valet. The man obeyed without question and ran inside to do as he was told.

Chansung rushed over to Leeteuk's side.

"Hang in the hyung! I'm calling the ambulance!" he cried as he held Leeteuk's hand. He took out his chic black Corby and dialed the numbers rapidly, praying that the bloody man on the road be safe.

Other Suju members ran out of the building, screaming and crying as they saw Leeteuk's lifeless body lying there on the road.

"Teukie hyung!" Sungmin blubbered as fresh tears poured out of his eyes.

"Joongsoo hyung!" Heechul yelled as he ran over to Leeteuk's side.

All thirteen members crowded around their leader and Chansung stepped aside to let them be with their hyung. He talked to the people at the hospital and requested for an ambulance as soon as possible.

"He's gonna be fine!" Chansung said reassuringly, "The ambulance will be here shortly!"

"Joongsoo-sshi…!?" cried a feminine voice suddenly, "Oh, my God! Joongsoo-sshi! What happened to you? Let me through!"

There were security guards everywhere trying to block the flood of people from coming over to Leeteuk. Sang-Mi fought desperately to get away from them. her heart and mind were racing at the speed of light as she stared at Leeteuk's bloody body on the ground. She thought she'd go insane if she couldn't reach him!

"Let her through!" Heechul barked at the security guards, "She's one of us!"

One of the guards immediately let her pass through and Sang-Mi felt her knees tremble as she ran towards Leeteuk. When she was about to reach him, she couldn't keep her legs up any more and thus fell to the ground in a heap.

"Joongsoo…Joongsoo…Wake up! It's me! It's your Sang-Mi!" she cried as tear streamed down her painted face. She didn't care if her make-up was running, what mattered was her Leeteuk.

"Joongsoo-sshi! Please get up…Get up…," she whispered hoarsely as she gathered him in her arms and wept over him. Her dress and her arms were all drenched in his blood. And God! There was just so much blood everywhere! All she could see was the crimson liquid splashed everywhere over the road.

"Joongsoo, can you hear me? Can you see me?"

Then as if by a miracle, his eyes fluttered. He slowly opened his eyes and there was a weak smile on his face.

"I see you…My Sang-Mi…" he whispered back, his voice barely could be heard.

"Don't cry…I see y…" he tried to say but that was when his eyes rolled back and it shut. Sang-Mi burst into tears once again as she wept in the crook of his neck.

"Joongsoo… I love you!"

Leeteuk's hand suddenly dropped to the ground, the small black velvet box rolled out of his clenched palm onto the ground. It was a box filled with his dreams and hopes for the future. For a future life he planned to spend with Sang-Mi. It was filled with his heart and his love. It was a wedding ring.

He had planned on proposing to her that night…