No one really realized what had gone through Minho and Taemin. They noticed the two had become distance now, but it was just like the old time that they didn’t really care about that. The thing that they missed was how it affected to both Minho and Taemin and how it changed them.

Only Jonghyun knew.

It wasn’t transparent but Minho started to fake his smile. Minho wasn’t a very kind person who always smiled, but he wasn’t cold either. He smiled to elder and teacher. Minho also dramatically busied himself with study, sport and other activities. He would study until night—that was what Jinki told—and he would play sports until he didn’t have any strength anymore. Besides that, Minho would act normal. But Jonghyun knew better. It wasn’t Minho. Minho he knew would always smile sincerely. Minho he knew would never overwork himself because he never wanted to make his parents worried. Minho he knew wouldn’t have this kind of blank stare in his eyes.

Taemin he knew also wasn’t like Taemin now. Taemin he knew would help when he saw popular students bullied the nerd one, not just looking as if nothing happened. Taemin he knew would always be kind at the customer in the café, not just wearing his plain expression. Taemin he knew always had the smiling eyes, but it seemed his eyes had lost its spark.

So was that what Jonghyun wanted? Minho stayed away from Taemin but both of his friends became zombies? Jonghyun didn’t know. He really didn’t know.

***

The school was never this full before. Yes, the winter play that the school performed was always famous, but the play this year was just attracted so many people. Maybe because the fact that Choi Minho, the heir of Choi Corp, the biggest company in South Korea would act in the play. It didn’t really matter and Miss Im didn’t really care about that. She just cared how to make her play this year perfect. And she knew it wouldn’t happen if the main roles kept acting weird like they did for this past week.

“What happen to you, Mr. Choi? Mr. Lee? I thought you’re okay? I thought both of you have been close?” Miss Im pointed Minho and Taemin who sat silently in Miss Im’s room. Miss Im called them right after the rehearsal to talk to them privately.

“We’re sorry, Miss Im,” Minho apologized, still looking at his laps, just like Taemin did. “I promise we will do well.”

“You promise?!” Miss Im asked. “Promise isn’t enough, Mr. Choi. I need proof!”

“I know, Miss Im,” Minho finally looked up at Miss Im. “But I believe you also know I never break my promise.”

For a moment Minho and Miss Im had staring battle, until finally Miss Im spoke, “Alright. I’ll trust you until now.”

Both Minho and Taemin mumbled ‘thank you’. Miss Im sighed seeing her two students being like this. She could only hope they would do well later. She had no choice anyway. So she quickly shooed the students away from her office, demanding them to practice some more before the play started.

***

“Taemin, wait!”

Taemin stopped his tracks. He really wanted to escape as soon as possible. He couldn’t bear to be close with Minho. No, he didn’t want to convince himself all over again that Minho actually wasn’t lying to him, because he was sure Minho was being untruthful. But hearing Minho voice calling for him was enough to make him stop, to actually pull himself into a deeper and darker cliff.

“Taemin.”

Taemin turned around, but he didn’t look at Minho.

“Taemin, please…just this once, I beg you. We should make this play success,” Minho pleaded. “This play is so important. Please. We can’t ruin it.”

We can’t ruin it because it means we ruin your life, Taemin. Because the principal won’t give your scholarship back if this play doesn’t succeed, Minho thought desperately.

“Only for this play, Minho-ssi,” Taemin’s cold tone made Minho cringed. It was so bittersweet when finally Taemin looked him right at his eyes.

“Only for this play,” Taemin repeated before he left.

Minho closed his eyes, feeling his heart clenched painfully. Will we be like this forever, Taemin? Can’t you…at least not hate me?

“Minho.”

Minho needed to clench his fist to control himself when he heard that voice. Eun Soo was the last person Minho wanted to meet right now. So he decided he better left. It would be better, really, if Eun Soo didn’t try to stop Minho.

But she did anyway. She grabbed Minho’s arms to hold him back.

“Minho, what’s wrong with you?” Eun Soo asked. “You refuse to talk to me.”

“Leave me alone, Noona.”

“No, Minho!” Eun Soo said stubbornly. “Really, what’s wrong with you? Is that because Taemin? That little must have brainwashed you, hasn’t he?”

It was only in split second that Minho had Eun Soo pinned on the wall. He looked at Eun Soo dangerously. His big eyes were really no joke. It was full of hatred and anger. Eun Soo shivered, feeling totally afraid by Minho’s sudden scary action.

“Don’t you dare call him like that again,” Minho said in a low hazardous tone. “Don’t you think I don’t know what you have done. You make Taemin loses his scholarship. And now, what have you just called him?”

“M-minho…” Eun Soo stuttered.

“If you ever try to ruin Taemin’s life again, don’t be surprise your family’s life is destroyed,” Minho warned, before he let go off Eun Soo, leaving the shocked poor girl shaking.

***

Taemin fulfilled his promise to act well in the play. He tried his best to suppress whatever feelings he had. It was difficult, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t. He did very well until the last scene, where Romeo found Juliette died and decided to kill himself. He was laying on the bed on the stage. His act was only pretending to sleep. It was easy, if there was no kissing scene before Romeo the blade through his chest. The kissing was fake, of course. But it didn’t fail to make Taemin’s feeling mix.

So he became so rigid on the bed. He toes curled while he tried to be seen relax. He was died, so his expression should be blank, not nervous or something like that. But he really couldn’t help it when he felt Minho’s face came closer to his. Minho’s breath hit his face, adding his nervousness. Taemin shut his eyes tightly. Luckily Minho’s position made his face covered so no one could see his absurd reaction.

“I love you.”

Taemin had been dreaming. He must have been dreaming. There was no line like that in the script, yet he could hear Minho whispered those three words to him. It must have been dream, right? But why when Minho’s lips touched his softly and gently, it felt like a reality?

***

“Taemin, are you done changing?” Jonghyun knocked the door once again, but there was no answer from Taemin. The younger guy had been locking himself in the changing room after the play, making him worried as hell.

Inside, Taemin was curling his body into a ball, crying. He bit his bottom lips in order to preventing his sobs. He didn’t understand why he cried. He shouldn’t cry. He shouldn’t cry over nothing like Minho said ‘I love you’ to him. It is a lie. It is only another lie from Minho.

Taemin chanted those words yet his heart screamed the opposite. Was Minho really lying? How about his care and smile to Taemin all of this time? Taemin shook his head. His brain couldn’t work. He was so tired. Tired of hating Minho. Tired of denying his own feeling.

I hate you, Minho hyung. I hate you for making me love you.

***

The café was closed early because it was Christmas Eve. All of Key’s employees had left except Taemin and himself, plus Jonghyun who stayed to watch Taemin worked, as usual. Key nagged Jonghyun about how the older guy had too many times to do something unimportant like that, but the Jonghyun only mocked him about he being jealous, while Taemin ignored them, drowning in his own thought.

Christmas Eve. Taemin smiled bitterly remembering his promise to Minho. If he didn’t find out Minho’s lie, would they be in the amusement park now? Would they hang out happily, seeing the Christmas tree together?

Taemin sighed. He silently wiped his tear which rolled without him himself knowing. He didn’t realize Jonghyun painfully watched him.

The ringing when the door was opened caught Taemin’s and Jonghyun’s attention back to reality. They saw a familiar guy entering the café, bringing three nicely wrapped gifts in his hands.

“Sorry, but we’re closed,” Key said politely.

“I know. I come here because I want to talk to Taemin.”

Taemin looked at Jinki—yes, the guy was Jinki—with confusion written all over his face. He motioned Jinki to sit on one of the table as he joined him. Key and Jonghyun stood near them. They didn’t want to be left out of the conversation.

“Hi, Taemin. I’m glad you looked good,” Jinki kindly greeted, before added, “Physically.”

“What do you mean?” Taemin snapped.

“Nothing,” Jinki shrugged. “You looked depressed.”

“I’m not depressed!”

Jinki chuckled. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he pushed the presents he brought to Taemin. Taemin raised his eyebrow, questioning Jinki, but the older guy only motioned him to open the presents. So Taemin opened it one by one.

The first one was a white shirt. It looked expensive and nice.

“I remembered he spoke about a little guy who was punished because of him, how he felt very guilty so he decided to buy him this shirt to show his apology,” Jinki said.

The second one was a nice scarf. It was also white.

“I remembered Minho forced me to go to the store before headed to the school. He did it after he saw the same guy giving his scarf to his little brother in the bus stop,” Jinki said again.

The last present was a sweater. White again.

Jinki smiled at the sweater. “Buying this took the longest time Minho ever spent in the store,” he recalled. “He chose so many clothes, until he finally bought this one. He said it would be perfect for this guy he really loved—this guy who had bright eyes and plump lips, flushed cheeks and blonde hair.”

“It can be anyone, Taemin,” Jinki told. “But as soon as I saw you, I know he always described you whenever he bought those presents.”

“No,” Taemin shook his head. “You’re lying!” he suddenly yelled. Taemin stood up, pointing Jinki with his index finger. “You’re lying! Minho only played on me! He is the one who reported the cafeteria incident to the principal! He made me lose my scholarship! He only wants to ruin my life!”

“Minho won’t do that,” Jinki spoke calmly.

“Yes! He absolutely does that to me!” Taemin yelled louder. “He wants to see me suffer, because I said I hate—”

“Minho loves you.”

Everyone turned to Jonghyun who suddenly spoke. Jonghyun continued, “Minho really loves you, Taemin. He never did everything what you accused him do.”

“How can you know, hyung? I heard he talked to Miss Han about that!” Taemin snapped.

“Because he knew about your scholarship from me. Before that, he knew nothing.”

“But—”

“He must come to Miss Han as soon as he asked me about that to interrogate what has happened,” Jonghyun said. “He loves you, Taemin.”

“I…” Taemin shook his head once again, feeling totally like a fool. He wasted no time and ran as fast as he could, leaving the café, trying to fix his stupidity, running to the place where he was supposed to be.

“I think I also should go,” Jinki smiled once again—he was full of smile—before he left.

When Jinki disappeared, Jonghyun sat himself on the chair. He buried his face behind his palms, feeling so broken hearted. But he knew he did the best things. If Minho and Taemin were happy, he would be happy too, because they were the most important persons in his life.

Suddenly the smell of hot chocolate hit his nose. Jonghyun removed his palms, shocked finding Key placing a cup f hot chocolate in front of him and then sipped his own cup.

“My treat,” Key simply said.

Jonghyun smiled. At least, he wasn’t alone.

***

The Christmas tree was so big. It should be four or five meters, Minho noted. There were so many people came to the amusement park only to see this beautiful tree. It was so ironic, when the other people spent this lovely night with their beloved ones, Minho stood in front of this magnificent tree alone.

He came anyway like he promised to Taemin. He came but he didn’t enjoy it a bit. Because deep inside his heart, he was still waiting. He was waiting a miracle to bring Taemin back, to give him chance to show Taemin that he could be the best for Taemin.

A tear slipped again. It often happened after the day he went to the café where Taemin worked. He felt so pathetic. He had tried to move on. He tried to busy himself. But Taemin seemed so hard to leave his mind. Minho really wanted to yell, to break down, to demanding an answer why he couldn’t forget Taemin. But it was useless, totally. Because inside him, there was only a part that refuse to forget Taemin.

“Minho hyung.”

Like this, Minho thought. He always hallucinate that Taemin was here, beside him, calling him ‘hyung’.

“Hyung?”

Okay, it was becoming uncontrollable lately.

“Minho hyung!”

That whine.

Minho finally spun around. And he officially thought himself as the craziest person in the world. How could he imagine Taemin was standing right here in front of him. How he looked so breath-taking although his hair was messy, his cheeks were flushed by the cold.

“Taemin?” Minho called.

Taemin smiled.

“Is that really you?” Minho took a step forward. He reached out to touch Taemin’s cheeks gently, afraid Taemin would suddenly disappear.

But he didn’t need to be worried. Because Taemin in front of him was real. He even jumped into Minho’s embrace, crying.

“I’m so sorry, hyung. I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t…oh hyung…I should trust you from the start. I should know that you never play on me, that you have no relation with my scholarship problem, that—”

Minho pushed Taemin a little so he could look at the younger guy’s face. “What do you mean? Trust me?”

Taemin wiped his tears and nodded vigorously. “Yes, hyung. Eun Soo-ssi lied to me about you and I believed her. I shouldn’t—”

“Does that mean you don’t hate me?” Minho asked, still couldn’t believe his ears.

“No,” Taemin shook his head. “How can I, if I really love you?”

Minho’s shaking hands once again reached Taemin’s face, cupping it gently. “I…Taemin…you don’t know how I…” Minho stopped. “My kisses touch the ten billion snowflakes in hopes that one of them reaches you. Does it mean…one of my snowflakes reaches you?”

Taemin chuckled. He looked at Minho with his usual bright eyes, the things Minho loved the most.

“I receive it all, hyung. Your snowflakes.”

That was all Minho needed to hear to make his Christmas perfect.

 

Extra Scene

The park was always so full on New Year eve like this. People came with their families, friends or even lovers to watch the magnificent fireworks that were shown every year at that park. There was only a half hour until midnight that the visitors became more and more filling the park. But in the park entrance, Taemin was standing alone. He constantly checked his watch and looked at the street, but the person he was waiting for still hadn't shown up.

Taemin squeaked when someone covered his eyes with their palms. He nearly shouted, but dropped it when he heard that person whispered, "Guess. Who am I?"

That deep voice. How could Taemin not recognize it?

With so much confidence, Taemin shouted, "Minho hyung!" He spun around and came face to face with the person who had made him wait for an hour. AN HOUR!

"You' re late!" Taemin pouted.

"I'm sorry," Minho smiled apologetically. "I don't do it with purpose, I swear!" Now Minho put peace sign beside his head, like a child tried to convince his mother. But well, Minho had ever shown his childish side only to Taemin.

"You better have a good reason for that," Taemin folded his arms, waiting.

"It's Jonghyun hyung's fault."

"Why bring Jonghyun hyung into this?" Taemin glared. Minho automatically laughed. The angry Taemin never failed to make him laugh. It was just so adorable.

"Hyuuuung! I'm serious!" Taemin whined.

"I'm sorry, Taemin. You're just so adorable when you try to be scary," Minho honestly said.

"Yah hyung! I'm a guy! I shouldn't be adorable. I'm manly!" Taemin puffed his cheeks annoyingly. It took so much struggle for Minho not to laugh again, if not Taemin would be angrier.

"Now, tell me the reason!" Taemin demanded.

"Jonghyun hyung came to my house right when I'm going to go here. He asked me to go with him but I refused. Yes, he is short (sorry Jjong Oppa >.<) but hell, he is so strong. He brought me to Key's cafe and forced me to help him to....ask Key out. He is afraid as hell of Key that he can't bring himself to ask Key by himself yet he still wanted to ask him out."

"It wouldn't take an hour," Taemin eyed Minho suspiciously.

"You won't want me to tell you some bickering that was happened before Key finally agreed, will you?" Minho raised one of his eyebrows.

That sounds....scary, Taemin thought. He quickly shook his head. "Well, I guess it's okay since it was for Key hyung and Jjong hyung."

"Sometimes I think you love them more than you love me," Minho mumbled.

Taemin blushed. Yes, they had confessed their feelings but the word 'love' was still rarely used and it never failed to make Taemin blushed. Sometimes when Minho was being mischievous, he would ask Taemin about how much he loved him, so the younger one would blushed madly.

"Hyung...you're not angry, are you?" Taemin cutely swung Minho's arms from side to side, showing his aegyo. "Look, I even wore all of your presents today to make you happy."

That was when Minho realized that Taemin really did wear it. The first shirt Minho bought for Taemin after the incident in the cafeteria was under the sweater which was also Minho's gift. Around Taemin's neck was the scarf Minho planned to give to Taemin but he cancelled it after seeing Jonghyun with Taemin.

"You look beautiful on it," Minho commented sincerely.

Taemin actually wanted to protest about the beautiful thingy, but when Minho said it, he couldn't help but feel so happy. Maybe it wasn't too bad being beautiful in front of Minho...he was his boyfriend after all so he should make Minho proud.

Boyfriend.

Taemin blushed again at the thought.

"What do you think that make you blush?" Minho asked teasingly. He enjoyed teasing his Taemin so much.

"Aniyo ~" Taemin denied. "Just let's go."

Minho chuckled as he followed Taemin entered the park. They tried to find a nice spot to see the firework. There was only five minutes left when they finally decided to sit under the big cherry tree near from the firework festival.

Taemin snuggled to Minho, feeling very cold. It wasn't snowing anymore but the weather was still so cold. Taemin pouted when the cold wind froze his hand.

"Out of the winter clothes, why don't you pick mittens?" Taemin asked as he rubbed his freezing hands.

Minho laughed. "Do you want to know why?"

Taemin suddenly felt the sudden curiosity inside him. He nodded eagerly.

Minho took Taemin's hands in his and rubbed it together, just like the first he did that to Taemin. "Because if you don't wear any mittens, I'll have a reason to keep holding your hands like this."

"You're cheesy, hyung!" Taemin said, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't deny that he also loved it when Minho warmed his hands with his own hands. It was as if he could feel Minho's love.

"I love you, hyung," Taemin suddenly spoke.

Minho was taken aback by the sudden confession, but he quickly composed himself. He smiled very warmly and widely, before he inched his face towards Taemin.

“What did you say again?" Minho mumbled on Taemin's lips.

Taemin shivered, but not from the cold. "I love you, hyung."

“I love you too, Lee Taemin."

And then they kissed passionately. Under the fireworks. Under the snow that fell right in the New Year.

------------------------------------------------------------

Done with the story.

I'm so sorry it takes so long.

I'm not really confident with my writing but I only hope you enojy it.

And thank you very much for kawaiikimbap who gave me the time extension. I'm sorry I couldn't finish it on time *bowed*

Please leave me comment ^^