Weeks passed and their little encounter back in the club was out of sight and out of mind.  Taehyun had been busy with the prep work that was needed to get the band’s first album out in the market for his fans that had been nothing but absolutely supportive every step of the way.

It was hard work having to start for ground up and exhausting whatever connections and network that he had accumulated during his idol days so that production could go underway. He was glad that s entered this situation with a mindset of a pet project and they had been willing to stick it in with him and doing all the grunt work. 

It certainly showed in their music as they worked even better than before knowing each other’s strength and the end product of it was music created where each of them were 100% satisfied. 

When the band manager came with news to inform them that there was a photo shoot coming up for one of them, immediately Taehyun was chosen without hesitation even though he wanted the others to do it. After all, they deserve to be known publicly too.

However, the other decided it was best for Taehyun to take on the project to at least get more recognition since his face was the most well-known amongst them. 

His manager hyung told him he will be paired up with another partner for the photo shoot but never mentioned who it was.  Neither did it occur to Taehyun to ask in detail. 

Out of sight and out of mind… 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mino was tired out when he arrived at the location for the photo shoot. The group’s schedule had been hectic but he was glad to be exhausted, if it meant getting Winner’s name out there, they would all do it. However, he could see that the effects of irregular meal and lack of sleep was definitely starting to show with the dark eye circles. 

Nothing makeup could not fix… for now… 

He was quickly ushered to the dressing room for hair and makeup since everyone was already there. As he entered he saw that his partner for the day was already present and was deep engrossed on his phone trying to clear a stage with the game he was playing, Mino was about to greet until he saw a familiar tattoo on his partner’s left wrist that had him grinning like a pabo. 

This was going to be a very fun photo shoot… 

“Hi I am Song Minho, I am your partner for the day. Please take good care of me…” Mino all but drawled out his greeting causing the guy beside him to look up only to find the rapper smirking at him.

Mino wanted to laugh out so bad since the transition from a look of pure shock into the what the face was just too comical. 

Talk about awesome timing…

~~~~~~~~~~

Taehyun was too engrossed in his game while waiting for the other party to arrive to notice anything around him. Heck, he did not even notice that the person had arrive until… 

“Hi I am Song Minho, I am your partner for the day. Please take good care of me…” 

Oh ! That voice!

Taehyun looked up immediately, his game forgotten as he tried to convince himself that he was hearing and seeing things but as the image of Song Minho staring at him with a tickled expression at his side of the mirror. The harsh reality of the situation was settling in by the leaps and bounds. 

However before either of them could say anything further, the production crew began working on Mino that Taehyun was inwardly grateful as it meant not having to talk to the rapper and just continue his game. 

He prayed silently that conversations and interactions with Mino would be kept to the bare minimum. 

As cliched as it was, Fate definitely had other ideas. 

It took him a while to realize that the crew had left them alone while they went out to set up the final touches to the photo shoot.  It was only when he looked up and only to find Mino staring at him through the reflection of mirror that had Taehyun startled. 

“Oh ! You scared me.” Taehyun exclaimed in shock unable to prevent the curse from leaving his lips. 

“Wow! Nam Taehyun curses. Why do you become more and more interesting the each time we meet?” 

“You apparent interest in me is uncomfortable and unsettling. Please do not be interested in me.” Taehyun answered as he struggled to remain excessively polite hoping that it will diffuse the situation. After all, the last time he engaged Mino and looked what had happened. 

“I don’t bite Taehyun, I just want to get to know you and to apologize to you about how I acted the other night.”

“I do not for a moment believe you.” The words left his mouth even though it was meant to be an internal comment. 

“Why can I not be genuine?” Mino asked earnestly without no hidden agenda in his dark eyes. 

“I still do not think that this is a good idea.”

“You are really a tough one to convince, Taehyun-ssi.”

“You have shown be two sides to yourself so far and I am not quite sure which one to believe in. “ 

“Are you still going to hold it against me even though I was half drunk the other night?”

“So you belong to the flirty drunk?! I hate to be your boyf-“

Oh s! Great way to dig a hole to bury yourself, Taehyun.

Taehyun was not even the least bit surprised when he looked up only to find the rapper’s shocked expression staring back at him. 

“I am sorry I was not thinking…” 

“Why? It was not like you were involved. Besides, I just want to get to know you as a boy who is my friend not my boyfriend. Why are you getting ahead of yourself there?” 

“Who says I want to be your friend, Mino sunbae.” 

“I remember telling you clearly that I like a challenge right?” Mino answered before with lightning reflexes, grabbed hold of Taehyun’s unattended phone.

“YAH! Give me back my phone! What are you doing? Yah!” Taehyun tried to grab for it but could hardly reach it when Mino held the devise high above and was furiously typing something. 

“Just who are you calling?! Do you want to die?!”

Taehyun yelled as he could see the tell-tale sign of the dial screen. 

“Myself.” Mino shrugged just as his phone at the other end of the counter began to ring. 

“I told you that we will be friends given how informally you have been speaking to me just now.” 

“Do you really want to test me on my follow through skills? YAH my phone!”

Mino only smirked as he handed the phone back to a fuming Taehyun.

“My number… You are going to delete right?”

“After I worked so hard to get it? Do you really and honestly think I will delete it?” 

“Are you always like this?” Taehyun muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose as though trying to pinch away the tension that was building up there. 

“Nope… only with you.”

With the loaded statement, he managed to leave Taehyun even more unnerved and confused than he already was. However, Taehyun could not even seek for any clarification since the crew came back to inform them that they were ready to proceed. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Mino could not even begin to properly explain why he acted that way with Taehyun. After the encounter at the club and the little pep talk he had with Seungyoon, he had been determined to keep his distance with the singer.

However, that all changed the minute he was within proximity with Taehyun and he was not the little spitfire cat that he thought of the younger guy to be and it was that that rouse his curiosity and he found himself acting that way towards him. 

Mino was definitely playful around his closest friends and s but never to a stranger. Somehow, Taehyun managed to draw this side of him out despite being almost complete stranger and he would not deny the kick of enjoyment that he gets whenever he sees Taehyun less than proper side. 

With the less than receptive way fans treated him with his rumoured relationship with Mina, it seemed like his curiosity would have to be kept strictly within the confines of his mobile phone. He wanted to find out why he was curious about the singer and was honest when he said that he wanted them to be friends and he only acted that way with him around.

 
What kind of name should he save the contact under was the main unsolved question. All hell will break loose if someone found out that he had it but at the same time he intended to use it and therefore not lose it by keeping it unsaved. 

Then it came to him like a blinding neon lightbulb because imagining his reaction to the cutee little nickname made it all worth it.

CaTtY

~~~~~~~~~~

Despite his better judgement, Taehyun saved the forcefully gotten number after countless attempts of finding a pesudo name before settling on a highly unimaginative HB. Mino had not used his number yet which he was highly thankful because he had an album prepare for instead of worrying about just what kind of mind games did a particular rapper by the name of Mino had in store for him. 

It had to be a cruel and highly twisted prank of some sort because no way after barely even running within each of the circle would Mino decide to befriend him. 

It was just not possible.

There was no way the rapper was attracted to him because from what he read about his rumoured girl, Taehyun was just hardly even his type. Mino and his party playboy ways and his quirky indie, “artsy-fartsy” side. They were just not a match in any sense. 

In fact, Taehyun was extremely happy to be busy because it gave him something else wo worry about and something to do instead of leaving him with his own depressing thoughts. He almost cried with tears of joy when he released the band’s warm up single because he was finally connecting and giving back to his fans who had stuck with him through all these time.

Even his insomnia was less of an issue because he was either too tired out or overwhelmed with joy that he could share a part of him with his fans. He did not care about how the music will be received or how well it was going to fare on the charts. All he wanted was to sing the songs he wanted to sing, create pieces that he could be proud out and showcased what he truly loves. 

Since the release of the warm up single, he had been receiving calls and messages from his family and close friends that even with a message coming in late into night was not even the least bit surprising until he saw who the sender was. 

HB
Congrats on your band’s single. It was great! 
2.45am

Mino had been quiet for a while even if he had his reservations of the true intentions, it was hard not to react when Mino actually listened and acknowledge the effort his band had put in. 

Thanks! I am glad you like it! 
Ermm… why are you still awake at this ungodly hour?
2.47am

HB
Would you believe me if I said I waited up all night for the release?
2.50am

“Haha… what a liar you are…” Taehyun muttered.

The kind of lies you tell. 
But seriously… Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?
2.53am

HB
I cannot sleep…
It is too quiet…
But it is always like this though after a concert.  
2.55am

Taehyun knew the situation all too well since he was in those same place for an extended period of time, even now. It is the typical loneliness after a schedule and the silence that greet you once you are back.

Have u tried music? 
Something calming…
2.57am

HB
Yes but your voice is not helping… 
2.59am

Yah! Is my voice so boring to you?
3.00am

Taehyun could not help but to immediately defend.

HB
Hold on there, tiger…
On contary, your voice keeps me up 
Cause i want to continue listening
So I can’t fall asleep if I do that
3.01am

Damn these playboys! They always had a good way with words and the younger guy was in the danger of getting into Mino’s charms.

You are dangerous
3.04am

“! !” Taehyun only realise his slip a moment but could not do much since the two ticks that appeared only meant that the rapper has read it.

He could not stop the blush from creeping in making him groaning into his pillow in embarrassment. He shrieked even more when he heard his phone ringing and HB calling flashing on his screen.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mino did not mean to scare the guy off but it was not like he could help it since he had always been honest to the people around him whom he considers as friends. He definitely was not lying when he said that Taehyun had a soothing voice that will keep him up all night if he listened to it. He meant it as a genuine praise as an artist to another.

He wondered if Taehyun was just going to let the phone ring. When Taehyun finally picked it up, he kept silent and just waited to hear just what the rapper had to say.

“Yah Nam Taehyun! I am really starting to think you are taking my words totally the wrong way. Is my compliment so toxic to you?”

“Well excuse me! Did it occur to you that you confuse the hell out me? It is like one minute you sound normal and almost the next second you are –“

“abnormal?” Mino trying not to sound offended at how the younger guy percieved him.

“No! Like a flirt!” Taehyun yelled which Mino could not help to smile.

 
“I seriously wonder if this is how you talk to your friends…” Taehyun continued to add. 

Mino could not quite control the wide grin that formed because the younger guy just indirectly admitted that they were friends. 

“You do realize that you cannot take back what you just said right? That you have just said that we are friends.”

“So I get to call you Mino now?” Taehyun asked incredulously.

“I like the way you call my name really… Well, if you add a hyung at the end, I think my heart will burst.” Mino laughed when Taehyun muttered a curse which only served to make Mino laugh more.

“Oh god no! Stop it is too toe curling!”

“It is too late to take it back like I told you earlier.”

“I am so hanging up right now.”

“Wait!”

“Why? So you could tease me even more? Besides, it is getting really late and we both need to rest especially for you since you just had a concert just now.”

“Thank you, Taehyun-ah. For making me laugh and forget about the quiet and the loneliness even if it was just for a while.” 

The guy at the other end fell into a deep silence that Mino was worried that he might have said something wrong or overstepped the boundaries. 

“I am glad it helped.” Taehyun cleared his throat before answering that made Mino let out a small breath that he did not even realize that he had been holding. 

“Good night, Mino. I really do hope that you will sleep better.”

“Sweet dreams, Taehyun.” 

Mino figured he should probably not further scare him off even further. He knew he should be threading carefully especially where Taehyun was concerned but if he was truly honest with himself, he couldn’t really care less. 

~~~~~~~~~~

And i am back!! The chapter was done i decided to just post it up first... Do let me know ur thoughts on this...