Last Snow: Ch. 5

Last Snow
Chapter 5: First Meeting

25 Years Earlier
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The streets were packed, and the smell of fast food was permanently embedded in the air. It was suffocating to say the least. Especially for people with sharp noses like his own. Jonghyun skillfully bypassed a vendor selling hot dogs, and pulled the collar of his jacket effectively over his nose. The smells were getting stronger, and the nausea was becoming increasingly difficult to handle.

Finding a job in Seoul was almost close to impossible. Jonghyun couldn't stand the stench or the noise pollution longer than it took for him to find a victim and feed.

Thirty minutes at most was his max.

He'd been searching for nearly two hours.

In all seriousness, Jonghyun could have gotten any job he wanted by pulling a few strings or using his hidden charms. The only problem was, he couldn't find one that suited him best. He couldn't find a job he liked.

Office jobs were a bore, and he'd much rather leave that to Onew and Minho, who were far more studious than he would ever be. Designing and anything else artsy was completely out of Jonghyun's element, unlike Key, and dancing or anything remotely related to him twisting and bending his body out of proportion was simply out of the question. He wasn't like fresh faced young Taemin, who was born to dance and party.

He could party, yes, but he definitely couldn't dance. At least not like Taemin in any case.

Which left him but one choice, teaching.

He had enough credentials to obtain a teaching degree at the Academy if he wanted, but ever since he was a kid, Jonghyun swore he would never go into something as vile as teaching.

And Kim Jonghyun was most definitely not a hypocrite.

He was just desperate and needed a job.

Very badly.

Jonghyun sighed as he mulled over his limited possibilities, nearly knocking over a woman in the process.

"Sorry." He apologized, sidestepping the petite woman.

"Wait!" She screeched, latching onto his arm.

Jonghyun jumped back in alarm.

"Um…yes?!" He asked tentatively.

He took in the ladies disheveled appearance-shirt haphazardly buttoned and wrinkled, trousers sitting on her frame at an angle, and hair plastered across her face. If this lady was about to turn out to be some psycho-path and tried to rape him in-

"Can you sing?!" She asked.

"Excuse me?" Jonghyun sputtered.

Where the hell did that come from?

"I need a singer, and you look like a singer." She explained hurriedly. She looked ready to pounce at any moment.

This woman could not be sane.

"Look, I don't know what the hell you're on lady, but-"

"I'll pay you three hundred bucks if you do this gig." She said.

Nope. Most, definitely not.

"Congratulations, you've just hired yourself a singer."

"Right, awesome, you can follow me ."  

She spun on her heel, fast and sharp, grabbing his hand, and leading him through the throngs of Seoul citizens.

Jonghyun yelped at her bold approach, staring at their interlocked fingers with a hint of apprehension. He didn't like other people holding his hands. It always set him on edge, but for the time being he pushed his feelings aside, and continued to follow his new boss.

They walked three blocks down the street, with Jonghyun complaining the entire way, before she finally stopped in front of a restaurant.

"Never heard of this place." Jonghyun muttered as he read the sign.

The woman rolled her eyes in an oddly Key-like fashion.

"Well then, welcome to Nineteen."

Jonghyun glanced at her, before doing a double take of the restaurant, and then back at her again.

"Nope, still doesn't look like much."

"Then don't come back next time." She snapped offhandedly.

She made a grab for his hand, but this time Jonghyun pulled it out of reach. The woman looked at him oddly.

"I'm not going to run away. I already agreed to do the gig."

She snorted, gripping the edge of his jacket's sleeve, and dragging him through the doors.

"Do you treat all your employees like this?" Jonghyun asked, taking a whiff of the cool clean air once inside.

"Shut it."

"No wonder they keep running away," Jonghyun mumbled.

"I can cut your pay in half." She let the threat hang, and Jonghyun wisely decided to keep his mouth shut.

They passed by several round tables, making their way to a long black bar at the back, both of which had stools already occupied with customers – it looked like a full house. At the front of the room was a stage, fully equipped with a piano, speakers, and mics. There were two men currently playing a violin and cello respectively at the center, the lights beaming off their faces. The tune they were playing was rather light and playful, a warm and comforting spiel, but Jonghyun easily picked up several amateur mistakes made throughout the piece. Jonghyun could hear them loud and clear, unlike the other occupants.

Jonghyun and his boss stopped at one end of the bar, the woman pushing back a slinging door in order to get by.

"C'mon!" She demanded.

Jonghyun quickly followed, mumbling curses underneath his breath. She weaved her way through a stream of bartenders, who all greeted her with kind remarks and regarded her with respect. He on the other hand, just received a few curious stares. The woman manhandling him acknowledged her coworkers with a short nod of her head, and tossed Jonghyun through a door nudged between two walls of alcohol.

If it weren't for the fact Jonghyun had amazing balancing skills, he was almost positive he would have fallen flat on his face.  He frowned as he straightened and came face to face with a kitchen of worried workers, some of who were biting their nails, while others were pacing dredges into the tiled floors, scattered about.

"What the-"

"Sori, who's this?" One of them asked. She was a short chubby woman with wide hips.  

"Tonight's entertainment. Find him something to match Minah." Sori, the name of Jonghyun's boss, ordered, and then disappeared beyond the kitchen doors.

The chubby woman squealed and grabbed Jonghyun's hand, (honestly, why were women these days so touchy feel-ly with him?) pulling him into a vacant seat by the kitchen island. The other staff members hovered around him, taking in his appearance.

"He's absolutely precious!" Another said excitedly, lightly patting his cheeks.

Jonghyun scowled. "Stop that," Came his order.

She didn't listen and instead continued to trace his face with her pudgy fingers.

Jonghyun could feel the vein in his forehead waiting to burst. He didn't like being touched. Not one bit.

Another staff member grazed her fingers over his body, and Jonghyun gawked at her angrily. "What the hell?!" He demanded.

"What size are you?" The woman asked.

"What's it to you?!" He retorted.

The woman smirked, eyes meeting his in a defiant match of dominance.

Jonghyun yelped as he felt an unfamiliar hand darting between his legs, and giving him a good squeeze.

"Just what do you think you're grabbing?!" Jonghyun screeched indignantly.

"I think he's small enough to wear Seto's clothes." The woman said, addressing another employee and clearly ignoring Jonghyun's outburst.

The employee nodded in understanding and hurried from the room in search of the proper attire for the show.

The woman who grabbed him turned to him and gave him an evil but triumphant smile. Jonghyun gawked at her incredulously. "Now, Jonghyun was it?" She asked mockingly. "Why don't we get started?"

Jonghyun shivered at the not so innocent implications laced in her voice.  
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Twenty minutes later Jonghyun was being pushed out of the backroom, wearing a stiff but chic and modern black suit, complete with a black skinny tie and pants to finish off the look. He looked elegant and classy with a very fine sexy edge thanks to his flamboyant hairstyle and daring accessories.

Sori pushed her way to him from behind the bar, shoving a sheet into his hands before he could blink. "Tonight's song and your performance – memorize."

He read the paper carefully, eyes drinking in the lyrics of the number he was going to be singing that night. He nodded his head in approval and started humming a verse of the song to get the jist of the overall beat.

Sori made an impatient noise from the back of her throat. "All set?"

"I still don't -"

She grabbed his arm. "Good, you're up next."  

Sori weaved Jonghyun through the crowd to the front of the performance stage, allowing him but a few moments to study before it was time for him to actually take the stage.

She brought him to the stair case leading to the platform, and traded the paper in his hands for a mic, shoving him on stage.

"It's a  duet – you'll be singing the verses that were annotated on the sheet," She hurriedly whispered. And then she turned and left, leaving Jonghyun with an anxious crowd, and under the soft glare of the yellow spotlight overhead.

He was a nervous wreck.

On top of that, as far as his eyes could see, there was no other person occupying the stage other than himself, but when Sori cued the music, he obediently started singing, spilling a part of his own soul into the lifeless print that hand been shoved under his nose not but moments ago.

Why does it keep pounding?
This heart of mine (always)
Why does it feel like bursting out? (always)
Why do I keep getting breathless?
I think I'm going crazy (always)
I can' breathe (always)

He paused, having sung his verse, and when he didn't hear another voice joining in to meld with his own, he opened his mouth to launch into the following verse.

It's not even my first love
I'm not like I'm inexperienced
But you keep, again and again
Making me feel~

A melodic voice smoothly cut him off, leading the song into the next verse, and Jonghyun turned behind him to see an additional spotlight flicker into focus on a petite girl dressed in a champagne colored dress, and making her way on stage.

Her hair fell over her shoulder in loose curls, and her long legs were hidden from sight beneath velvet black panty hose. His eyes zoomed in on her face, and he felt the slight quickening of his heart when he saw the beauty staring back at him. Gentle brown eyes and plump pink lips. Her cheeks were full and framed her round face innocently.

'Innocence.' Jonghyun thought. She looked like the face of innocence.

You make me happy
You make me feel
Like the first time, like the first time
You make me crazy
You keep making me want you
Like the first time, like the first time

She took her spot by his side, and Jonghyun let her voice wash over him.

Her voice wasn't perfect, not the level of a professional singer, but the tune was charming and soothing to the ears, and every mistake was concealed, perfect in its imperfection.

Jonghyun smiled and wondered if this was indeed the reason for the throbbing in his heart.

Like the first time~
Like the first time~
Like the first time~ like like
Like the first time

The two sang the next verse in harmony, voices twining around one another in a sweet rhapsody. Jonghyun immediately decided he rather liked the sound of her voice mixing with his own.

Why does my temperature keep rising?
My entire body (always)
It gets so hot (always)
Why do I keep getting dizzy?
It lost my mind(always)
I feel like I'm about to die (always)

The girl grinned as he sang lines, and he felt as if he was sincerely going crazy for wanting to make her smile more.

His eyes fell to the small hand by her side, and without thinking he held out his hand for hers. A beat passed, but gently a small hand slipped into his, and when Jonghyun looked up at her eyes, he was blinded by the pink bend in her lips.

The familiar feeling of happiness burst in his chest.

Love love, was it only words until now?
I met you and I feel
What love really is

The stage lights were becoming increasing warm, and his own body and cheeks felt hot. Her hand burned in his, reminding him of her presence, and his head felt dizzy, drunk with the intoxicating image of the beauty singing along side him.

Jonghyun briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to die.

It wasn't such a bad way to go.

You make me happy
You make me feel
Like the first time, like the first time
You make me crazy
You keep making me want you
Like the first time, like the first time

Brown eyes stared at dark brown eyes, never once leaving one another. It was as if there was a magnetic force keeping them from pulling away.

And the more he looked, the more he liked what he saw. Her eyes were beautiful, a dark musky shade of brown – playful and mischievous.

Jonghyun honestly felt as if he was going crazy, staring at her face with the bells ringing in his ears.

Like the first time~
Like the first time~
Like the first time~ like like

The harmony returned, and Jonghyun sang more fervently, voice urging the girl to do the same. She obliged, voice rising an octave, a challenge. The throbbing in his heart grew worse.

You make me happy
You make me feel
Like the first time, like the first time
You make me crazy
You keep making me want you
Like the first time, like the first time

Her eye fluttered close as the song came closer to the end, and Jonghyun's eyes fell to her closed eyelids. He wondered what it would be like to kiss them close every night, but then they dropped to the petal pink lips of her mouth, lightly parted, and decided he would much rather kiss those every night instead.

Like the first time~
Like the first time~
Like the first time~ like like.

The spotlights faded away, the entire room lighting up, and the deafening applause of the crowd shaking the room.

"What's your name?" Jonghyun murmured, eyes on the girl next to him, drinking in everything he could and committing it to memory.

The girl's eyes flew open, and smiled at him, soft lips curling up into a beautiful curve. Her eyes sparkled from underneath the restaurant's twinkling lights, and even though the customer's applause was deafening, all Jonghyun could hear was her pretty voice. "Minah...my name is, Minah."
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A/N: Hey everyone! Just a few quick notifications! As you guys all know, if you have commented/favorited any segment of my story, Last Snow, I have automatically added you to my notification list, which I will be using to notify everyone on chapter updates. Also, please note for the next couple of days I will be absent because I have fallen behind in a couple of my online classes and I have to pick myself and continue working in those first XD So sorry, but I will return quickly! I will be gone for less than a week and with plenty of chapters prepared to post. On a final note I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and will drop a review below! The song used in the chapter is called, Like the First Time by T-ara, but please ignore the fact the song is much faster paced than what it seemed to be in the story. I simply borrowed the lyrics!