The Advice of a Good Frie (1/2)

Everything was going well and smoothly in Korea; Kim Kibum never expected his popularity to rise as quickly as other celebrities: Fame had become his new best friend.  After his trip to France Key had never worked so hard for anything in his life; he wanted to be someone, wanted fame and fortune like any other human-being, but most of all, he wanted to be at the centre of attention.  Fans loved SHINee; he had his own faithful fans who swore to be loyal to him and thereafter, he was the idol of that time.  Producers and hosts wanted SHINee on their shows and letters from companies wanted them to advertise their products.  Life was better than ever; life was better than expected and every one of his wishes fulfilled itself one by one.  Blessings were showered; Key would receive tiny but sweet gifts from fans, hugged by them in the streets, and loved by every one of them.

"I could get used to this life," Key said one day, working out in a gym nearby the place where SHINee was staying, "this is what I want."

"Are you sure?"  asked the leader of SHINee, Lee Jinki but known as Onew to the public, "Is this what you really want for the rest of your life?"

"Of course I will retire etc.," Key said, steadily running on the treadmill, "it's been a couple of years since we've debuted and we're doing well for ourselves, right?"

"Right."

"If we keep going until we surpass everyone, we may become global.  And I want to be known to the people outside Asia, to really be SHINee."

For a moment, Lee Jinki turned his head slightly to look at his younger fellow member; Key's arms were glistened with beads of sweat which entwined his muscles, those pouty lips of his were mouthing the lyrics to one of their new songs which his headphone was playing, but Lee Jinki could not look away from Key's eyes- the determination was there, fuelled by his ever-growing ambition.

"A singer for the rest of your life…"  Lee Jinki resumed his exercise which slowed to a gentle jog.

"Yup, that's how I want it."

"So let's say if you met a girl-"

"Don't even go there..."

"For instance."

"Well, I would not fall for her..."

"Hence some people call it an accident."

"Well," Key said, slowing down to walking on the treadmill, "that accident will never happen to me."

Jinki laughed.  "We'll see."

"Do you know why I'm confident about this?"

"Enlighten me."

"Why would anyone want to fall in love when 1) they will hurt themselves when they fall out of love and 2) they have the love of more than 1 person, like us?"

"Fans' love?"

"Of course!"

"So let me get this straight," Jinki slowed down on his treadmill, "you prefer the love of thousands of girls to one certain girl?  You're telling me that you're satisfied with fans' love instead of that one girl's?  Do you understand what a fan's love is?"

"Hyung, we're showered with their love everyday-" Key took off his headphones.

"A fan's love for an idol," Jinki began, ignoring Key's comment, "is limited.  They say they'll love you forever like a girl will love her new doll, that's it; that is the amount of love the toy, meaning us, will ever receive."

"We're not toys-"

"Okay, let's talk in our language: it's like spotting a new car and buying it and the owner loves it because it's all new and shiny, but then one day it gets scratched and a new model comes out: the owner will scrap the old model and buy the new model.  Capisce?"

"Why are you so against my being the best in SHINee?"

"I'm not-"