7th Chapter- "You're Not The One."

In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed again. I in- and exhaled, enjoying the fresh air surrounding the two of us. We were standing on our middle school's sports field, two classes attending the lesson in unison. While the boys were playing soccer happily, the girls were graded for their volleyball skills.

"Oh, I remember that day... that was our first sports lesson in middle school." I took a quick look at my old self, sitting on the bench and flirting with talking to one of the girls as she enjoyed her short break from the game. Oh, that was... who? Han Eul?

"So you haven't changed since middle school, huh?" Key stated as he watched 'me' putting a hand on her knee, while she responded with a giggle.

"H...hey, of course I did change! My... my body and soul matured!" Yeah, stuttering at a time like this sure was the way to go.

Key slightly snickered, his eyes wandering around the sports field as he seemed to spot someone familiar. "So, that's how they met...? How unspectacular, wasn't it?"

I followed his gaze and suddenly felt myself burning up as I saw her running after the volleyball, her clumsy self nearly falling over her own feet as she reached for it. Unfortunately, the one preventing her from hitting the ground and handing her the ball hadn't been me, but...

"Th-thank you v-very much, Choi..." I could clearly see her blush as she avoided his eyes. Man, she was so shy back then...

"No worries, it's not such a big deal..." Back then I didn't notice, but he definetely was checking her out from head to toe. Even though she was wearing those big round glasses and -even worse- pigtails.

"You should watch out, though. If you don't pay attention, you'll hurt yourself." Minho slightly scratched his neck as he tried to make eye contact again.

"Y-yes, you might be right... I'll watch my steps from now on", she answered, nervously turning the volleyball in her hands around. "I'll pay for your help as soon as I'm given a chance." As she turned around to go back to her group, Minho called out to her once more.

"W-well... I... I got a request." I saw him gulping, trying to stop myself from laughing. He surely did know how to use his puppy eyes back then. "We may be in different classes, but it wouldn't hurt to become friends and call each other by our first names, would it...?" Now it was her turn to look at him, her beautiful eyes as round as she seemed to repeat his request in her thoughts.

"Oh, I mean, if it would disturb you, I'll continue calling you Kim of course... I didn't mean to, I mean, I meant to, but..." Holy cow, I had never seen him like this before. And man, seriously. I know him since kindergarten!

"N-no, it's okay... I'd appreciate you calling me ____ from now on." She didn't seem to notice it, but her smile finished him off completely. Well, not that I would have reacted in another way...

"Fine... it's nice to meet you, ____-ah. I'm Minho." He then offered her his hand, which was accepted happily.

As both of them smiled at each other, I heard Key clearing his throat- and again, the time had stopped. I saw him gazing at me again, his sharp eyes now tinted with care. "Jonghyun, you know... I'm sorry, but she-"

"Hyung, stop. Don't force yourself." He gave me a questioning look, obviously surprised by that sudden change of mine. "I know why you'd show that to me. And I know that you hope for me to give up on my feelings for her, but... I won't. It's not possible."

I saw him releasing a soundless sith, his shoulders loosening their tension for a short moment. He was suffering, and I was thankful for that.

"Jonghyun, do you know how painful it is to make your friend suffer to rescue the person you love the most?"

Of course, I didn't. "Come on, hyung. Just tell me what to do." I simply wanted to end this and get back to my normal life... if that was possible.

"..."

"Nawww, Key. It's the first time I see you speechless. Saving her won't be that hard, will it? What do I have to do? Make a deal with the devil? Or should I jump of a cliff and die? I'll do everything, I promise." I tried to make him laugh, but what I got as an answer was a spark of fear in his eyes.

"...you're not as wrong as you think...", he whispered, yet loud enough for me to understand him. "I'm your personal devil, Jonghyun. And I'll make you pay if you lied to me just now." I noticed the serious and intensive stare he was directing at me... and suddenly it clicked inside my head.

"...I... I don't really have to d... to go a..." It's childish, yeah. But I couldn't get myself to speak out the words my brain had come up with.

"...you won't have to die. Not if you stick close to the rules." Sighing again, Key walked over to my cutie and carefully touched a strand of her dark hair. Just now I noticed that small glimm in his eyes, speaking of love, care, tenderness. Desire, even lust.

Feelings a brother shouldn't direct to his sister.

"Rules? For what? I didn't even agree to anything." I tried to avoid that distracting picture of Key caressing her cheeks, looking at her in that way.

"Don't you remember the way Minho looked at her as she was lying in her bed, pale and gasping for air?"

I nodded.

"You could avoid such a scene. With your help, I could give her a second chance she deserves. I could turn back time, if..." There he stopped, now wearing a hint of pity on his face. I felt the weight of his strong gaze, suffocating me. Unable to speak, I lowered my head.

"I'll let her live if you promise me something."

Finally mustering up the courage to do so, I returned his stare. "Just spit it out. I told you I'd do everything to save her. If you're really some kind of angel, let me go through hell or speak to your... your god about it."

"You won't have to talk to him. Just stay away." Key seemed to understand the questioning glim in my eyes, since he continued speaking. "I'll give the two of you some time alone, so that you can say goodbye properly. Therefore, as soon as the time has been turned back, you'll have to stay away from her. No deep feelings, no dating, no... kissing." He nearly spit the last word out, obviously disgusted. "It should be okay to become friends, though."

"...And that shall be a reason to feel better? Staying friends?"

"Let's say that I'm trying to be as friendly as I can, Jonghyun."

"Yeah, sure."

-End of POV-

After that, a long, uncomfortable silence set in. The two men didn't know how to face each other any longer. Of course it did hurt Key to do such a thing. He had always seen Jonghyun as a true friend, accepting him the way he had been and acted since the first day they had met. Secretly, he had been wishing for his sister's feelings to be requited by him so that she could live on happily. But... that had been long ago. Too long ago for a guardian angel like him to overlook the mistakes Jonghyun had made. He had been breaking human hearts- too many of them. And -Key admitted a slight blindness regarding that fact, since he cared for this girl with all his heart- Jonghyun clearly was the one who had mislead his beloved protégé. That was enough of a reason to receive heaven's punishment.

Beeing lost deeply in his tray of thoughts, pondering right and wrong, Key shrieked as Jonghyun raised his voice once more.

"Hyung, if there's no other way, I'll do it." The young design student saw the determination in his friend's eyes, suddenly taken aback by it. "If there's no other chance for me to be with her, I'll become her... friend. Maybe I'm even smart enough to not fall in love with her, then."

Key smiled, though he knew better. Even if the future would have another direction- Jonghyun would fall in love with her. And finally, suffer the same pain Minho and the angel himself did go through. Even if he wouldn't fall in love with her... Key would dare him to do so.

"If you really do accept that way, I shall give the two of you some time alone... I guess."