When Jinki was woken up by Sohye on Sunday morning, he let out an irritated groan. She clearly had no time to waste and she didn’t intend to patiently wait for Jinki to wake up - he was not a morning person but Sohye was used to it by now, she was immuned to his bad mood. He would have liked to be woken up by Key again, but he doubted it would happen. Sohye might have thought Jinki would be less grumpy if Key was the one to wake him up. Unfortunately, she had greatly underestimated Jinki’s love for his bed, and she hadn’t thought that Jinki could have brought Key down with him.

 

He thought about yesterday’s events again with a smile. He had missed Key since the last weekend they had spent together and he was happy he had come back this weekend. However, a small part of him couldn’t help but worry. He had grown closer to Key, both emotionally and physically, and he liked it. It was a bad sign. He had sworn himself not to make the same mistake he had made years ago and until now, he had succeeded. But Key’s arrival was slowly changing everything.

 

He shook his head as if it would help get rid of the negative thoughts and he took a deep breath. Key was paid to be with him and even if they were closer now, he was still an boy. Their friendship would not last and Jinki shouldn’t worry at all. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

 

Later that morning, he went to the kitchen and found Key cooking with Mr Bang.

 

“Hello.” Jinki said, entering the room.

 

“Hi, Mr Lee.”

 

“Hi Jinki !”

 

Jinki came closer and stopped near the counter. Key was rolling kimbap while the cook was preparing what looked like a picnic basket.

 

“We’re going somewhere ?” Jinki asked, smiling.

 

“Oh. I thought we could have a picnic today. I saw a park nearby when we were in the car and I thought it would be a good idea…” Key explained.

 

They had already gone out yesterday and to be honest, Jinki wasn’t very enthusiastic about going out again. He was used to having more of an indoor kind of lifestyle.

 

“Does Sohye know ?”

 

She liked to keep tabs on where Jinki was going and worried when he was going somewhere without her. She was his personal assistant and she sometimes acted like his nurse as well, it was normal for her to worry.

 

“I talked to her earlier and she said it was an excellent idea.”

 

Of course, she also wanted Jinki to go out more and stop ‘moping around like an old man’. Apparently, she trusted Key enough to let him go out with him alone.

 

Jinki looked a bit skeptical and Key was biting his lower lip nervously while waiting for an answer. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again.

 

“Come on, Jinki… The weather’s too nice to stay inside !” He said, pouting.

 

Key pouting was the cutest thing he had ever seen and it caught him off guard.

 

“I… Er… Sure…”

 

Key’s lips curved up into a big smile and he did a little happy dance. Small dimples appeared on his cheeks and Jinki wondered how on Earth an could be so adorable. He couldn’t help but smile and Key pecked his cheek.

 

“Thank you ! I’ll go and tell Sohye !”

 

He walked out at a quick pace, almost running, and both Jinki and Mr Bang laughed when they saw him that happy. The cook was cutting the kimbap rolls into thick slices when he spoke to Jinki.

 

“It’s been a while.”

 

Jinki turned to him.

 

“What ?”

 

“It’s been years since I last saw you smile and laugh like that.”

 

“Well, it’s been a while since I last felt that alive, to be honest.” Jinki confessed.

 

It was the first time he admitted it out loud and Mr Bang smiled.

 

“It’s all thanks to him.”

 

Jinki just smiled. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Everyone of Jinki’s employees and friends had noticed that a while ago and he felt stupid not to have seen it earlier. Key was far from being a stranger to him, he meant as much as his closest friends. They hadn’t spent much time together but they had grown a lot closer nonetheless.

 

“I’m no doctor, but if I was, I’d prescribe you to stay close to that boy !” Mr Bang said. “He’s like medicine. You look a lot happier when he’s there.”

 

Jinki just smiled at the strange comparison. He doubted that a doctor would ever prescribe him to hire an , but well, his friends had done it.

 

………………………….

 

A couple of hours later, Key was walking to the park next to Jinki, a picnic basket in his hands. Once they got to the park, Key sat on a bench and put the picnic basket next to him. He opened it and picked out two boxes filled with the kimbap rolls he had made that morning with the cook and two small bottles of water. Jinki grabbed the chopsticks and gave Key a pair.

 

“Thank you.” He said, smiling.

 

“Thank you for the meal.” Jinki said, picking up a kimbap roll with his chopsticks and eating it.

 

Key laughed upon seeing Jinki’s face, his cheeks chubby because of the food he was chewing on. He knew Jinki was a big eater, but it didn't bother him at all.

 

Jinki was chewing on his food with his eyes closed - as if he was savoring it like a high class meal - and Key smiled.

 

“This is so good.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Are they all the same ?” He asked, staring at the box on his lap.

 

“No. Here, try one of mine.”

 

He picked one of his kimbap with his chopsticks and held it up for Jinki. The latter seemed to hesitate for a second before leaning in to eat it. He nodded while eating and Key smiled.

 

“Your turn.” He said, doing the same thing Key had done except it was with his kimbap rolls.

 

“Oh… No, I’m good. Thank you though.” He said, avoiding Jinki’s chopsticks.

 

Jinki looked at his box of kimbap with an exaggerated suspicious look.

 

“What ? Oh... They’re poisoned, aren’t they ?”

 

Key’s eyes widened.

 

“No !”

 

“Prove it.” Jinki said, holding out a kimbap inbetween his chopsticks.

 

Key grabbed his wrist to keep them away.

 

“Y-yah ! No ! I can’t eat that !”

 

“Why ?” Jinki asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“There are carrots in yours…”

 

“And ?” Jinki asked, an amused smile stretching his lips. “Is it a problem ?”

 

“I hate carrots…” Key admitted, pouting.

 

Jinki started laughing and Key got back to eating, sulking a bit. He had always hated carrots, but he had wanted to respect the original recipe so he had put carrots in Jinki’s kimbap rolls only. Jinki’s small mischievous smile told him he wouldn’t forget that. Key sighed. Jinki knew something he could use against him now.

 

After they ate, they started wandering through the park, talking about this and that.

 

“That’s impossible. No one can do that.” Key scoffed.

 

“I can.” Jinki said proudly.

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“Is it that hard to believe that I can break walnuts with my fingers ?”

 

“Yes !” Key said, crossing his arms.

 

“With a bit of practice, it’s easy. And it’s not like I didn’t have any free time, since I don’t work.”

 

“There are still better things to do than practice breaking walnuts.”

 

“I can make things spin too.”

 

“Make things spin ?” Key asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like what ?”

 

“Anything. Books, computers…”

 

“Computers ?!” Key shouted, with wide eyes.

 

Jinki chuckled and Key rolled his eyes. It was impossible to make a computer spin on one finger. Nobody could do that.

 

They found a basketball court where two little boys were trying to throw a ball in a basketball hoop. They couldn’t reach it and they seemed a little depressed. One of them was looking down at the ground with a pout and Key found it so adorable he walked to them. Jinki silently followed.

 

“Hey.” Key said softly, crouching next to them. “Why the long faces ?”

 

“The basket is too high… We’ll never score…”

 

Key was rubbing one of the children’s arm to comfort him while Jinki came closer to the one who was holding the ball.

 

“Can I ?” He asked, pointing at the ball.

 

The little boy looked at Jinki’s wheelchair with a small frown but he ended up giving him the ball anyway. Since Jinki was sitting, he was about the same height as the kids and he took the ball to throw it. The ball landed directly in the basket and fell on the ground, bouncing.

 

“Wow !” The boy said with wide eyes.

 

“How did you do that ?!” The other kid asked, running to Jinki.

 

“With a bit of practice, you can do anything.” He said, ruffling the kid’s hair.

 

“Can you do it again ?”

 

The kids looked very impressed and Key smiled fondly at the scene.

Jinki did it again several times, and every time the ball landed perfectly in the basket, whether Jinki was far or close to it, on the left or the right of the court. The kids were not the only ones to be impressed. Key was too.

 

The kids bid them goodbye and left a few minutes later. They walked away, waving with big smile on their faces and Key couldn’t help but smile. He turned to Jinki, who still had the ball in his hands. The kids had given it to him as a thank you.

 

“It’s very impressive.” Key admitted.

 

Jinki smiled proudly and Key’s heart melted a little.

 

“Wanna try ?” He asked, holding out the ball.

 

“No thanks.” Key said, scoffing.

 

“Why not ?”

 

“Because I at sports and I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

 

Key took a few steps towards the bench but Jinki stopped him.

 

“Just a few shots. I can teach you.”

 

Jinki took Key’s hand in his and the latter pouted.

 

“Come on… Please.”

 

“Okay.” Key said, sighing.

 

Jinki smiled and settled in front of the basket. Key followed him and Jinki gave him the ball.

 

“It’s an easy shot, you just need to shoot straight.”

 

“Easier said than done…” Key mumbled.

 

He threw the ball, which landed on the ground, very far from the basket.

 

“See ? I told you so !”

 

He was about to leave but Jinki kept him still by putting his hands on his waist.

 

“It was just one first shot. Stay here.”

 

He went to pick up the ball to give it back to Key. He sighed. He had never worried about his skills in basketball. He didn’t really care, to be honest. But having to play in front of a player as good as Jinki was a bit embarrassing.

 

Jinki told him where to shoot from, a little bit closer from the basket, and he complied. He threw the ball, but he had thrown it too low to reach the basket. He tried several times, never even succeeding in touching the basket, and he really wanted to give up. The more he threw the ball, the more embarrassed he felt.

 

“That’s it. I’m not doing this again.”

 

“Hey, no ! You’re getting better !”

 

“Jinki, I’m really bad at this.”

 

“I think you just need a bit of motivation.”

 

Key sighed and Jinki went to pick up the ball one more time.

 

“Let’s make a bet.”

 

“A bet ?” Key repeated, raising an eyebrow.

 

“You can shoot three times. If you score once, you win.”

 

“What do I win ?”

 

“Anything you want.”

 

Jinki may have been right with this motivation thing. He suddenly felt very eager to win.

 

“What happens if I lose ?”

 

“Let’s say…”

 

He thought about it for a few seconds, then his lips stretched into a mischievous smile.

 

“If you lose, you’ll have to eat carrots.”

 

Key’s eyes widened and Jinki smiled. Did he really have to eat carrots ? Jinki knew how much he hated them, so he might as well find something equally horrible. He stared at Jinki for a while and an idea popped in his head.

 

“Alright. But if I win… You’ll have to dye your hair pink.”

 

Jinki completely froze and his eyes widened. He couldn’t say no, the bet was his idea after all. Key had already thought another hair color would suit him and pink being his favorite color… The choice was obvious.

 

Jinki took a while to answer but in the end, he agreed. All Key had to do now was win. Jinki had just given him a few pieces of advice, so he only had to put them in practice while hoping that luck was with him. He had no illusions when it came to his basketball skills. He needed luck badly if he wanted to win this bet.

 

He took a few steps forward to shoot the ball. It landed once again too far from the basket and Key sighed. He didn’t need to turn around to know that behind him, Jinki was smiling knowingly. He picked up the ball and tried to focus for a moment before shooting a second time. He needed to think about it more. He just had to evaluate the distance between himself and the basket to know how much strength he needed to put in his second shot. He could do it. He threw it again and this time, the ball touched the edge of the basket before falling on the ground. He turned around to look at Jinki, the latter had his arms crossed and a small smile on his lips.

 

“I almost did it !”

 

“Almost. The ball has to fall inside the basket, not just touch it.”

 

“I know, I know…” Key said, rolling his eyes.

 

He picked up the ball again and settled in front of the basket, a few feet away. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He had to do it, it was his last shot. He really didn’t want to eat carrots. When he opened his eyes, he stared at the basket for an instant before shooting. His shot seemed a lot better than the previous ones and it was confirmed when the ball fell inside the basket.

 

He gasped and did a little victory dance. He turned around to look at Jinki, who was completely frozen, his eyes wide.

 

“I did it !” Key said, smiling widely. “It landed in the basket !”

 

“I saw that…”

 

“You were right… I just needed motivation.” He said teasingly, a proud smile on his face.

 

“It was pure luck.”

 

“I don’t think so.” Key said haughtily, crossing his arms.

 

“Oh really ?” Jinki said, raising an eyebrow.

 

“You said it yourself, with a bit of practice you can do anything.”

 

“You don’t learn how to perfectly throw a ball in a basket by shooting ten times.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right…” Key trailed off, sighing.

 

Jinki smiled and Key sent him a mischievous look.

 

“It’s just talent.” Key teased, shrugging.

 

“Oh you…” Jinki said, his hands on his wheels.

 

Key started running, giggling, while Jinki was going after him. After a while, Key slowed down, tired, and Jinki put his hands on his waist to pull him backwards. Key had to sit on his lap and Jinki started tickling him.

 

“N-no ! Stop !”

 

Jinki stopped after a few seconds and Key relaxed. He leaned his head back against Jinki’s shoulder, catching his breath. He felt Jinki’s arms slide around his waist and he blushed a bit when the older man held him tight.

 

“We should go.” Key said, after a while.

 

“Hmm… We’ve still got time.” Jinki mumbled against his neck.

 

“No.” Key said, getting up with a determined look. “We need to go to the hair salon before it closes !”

 

“We can go another time…” Jinki said, taking his hand in his.

 

“I’m leaving tomorrow, Jinki.”

 

Jinki froze and Key lowered his head. He had probably forgotten it was Sunday. Key didn’t mean to ruin the mood but there was no way he left without seeing Jinki honor his part of the deal. He really wanted to see Jinki with pink hair and he didn’t know if Jinki would ever hire him again. After all, he had never called himself, it was always his friends.

 

Jinki sighed and let go of his hand.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Jinki started moving and Key followed, observing the older man a moment. His smile had faded and he seemed a bit lost in his thoughts. Maybe Key wasn’t the only one not to want this weekend to end, either.

 

……………………….

 

Jinki was settled in front of one of the tables, a huge mirror sticking to the wall right in front of him. Key was sitting beside him, talking with the hairdresser standing behind Jinki.

 

“I was thinking of a cherry blossom color.” Key suggested.

 

“We’ll have to bleach his hair then, it’s way too dark.”

 

Jinki wasn’t really paying attention to the discussion. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Key’s reflection on the big mirror. He would have been blind not to notice how beautiful Key was, but he couldn't help but feel his breath being taken away whenever his eyes fell on the young . Jinki couldn’t believe he was leaving tomorrow. The weekend had passed by so quickly he had been caught off guard. He wasn’t ready to be reunited with his boring, lonely life.

 

He let Key decide everything concerning his hair - as if he wanted to keep it as a memory of him - and a few hours later, Jinki’s hair were dyed a new color.

 

“So… ?” Key asked nervously.

 

The bet was meant to be something horrible for the other, but Key obviously hoped that Jinki approved of his choice and liked his new hair color. Jinki had noticed how involved Key had been in dyeing Jinki’s hair. He had chosen the hair cut and the exact color of Jinki’s hair. He had even suggested that the hairdresser combed his bangs back to clear his forehead and Jinki had to admit the result was not that bad. Key must have thought about it before.

 

“It’s… not bad.” Jinki admitted.

 

Key’s lips stretched in a wide mile and Jinki sighed.

 

“But… Pink ? Out of every colors ? I’m going to have to face Jonghyun and the others like that tomorrow for practice, you know.”

 

“Well, you lost the bet, so you need to suffer a little. And pink’s my favorite color.”

 

As stupid as it may have sounded, Jinki felt touched by the fact that Key had chosen to dye Jinki’s hair in his favorite color.

Jonghyun was so going to make fun of him.