When they are safely ensconced in Danah's room again, they begin to make preparations, deciding that the time is just right to ask Mino because he's at home. 

"You will ask him for me, right?" Taehyun asks as he bites his lower lip, nervous.

"Of course. Just stay behind me," Danah's confident.

They make their way towards Mino's room. Danah knocks on the door, with Taehyun hiding behind her.

"What?" a gruff voice laced with irritation answers from inside.

"Can we come in?" 

The door opens revealing a shirtless Mino covered in sweat. "What do you want?" his voice is not welcoming, Taehyun wants to flee, or look anywhere else except Mino's upper body.

"We have a favour to ask," says Danah with a perky voice, utterly unpertubed by Mino's lack of welcome. "Let us in, will you? And were you working out? You never work out," she pushes her way past Mino and enters the room. Taehyun continues to stand awkwardly at the half-opened door until Danah comes back and pulls him inside. 

"What is it? I'm busy," Mino asks casting a glance toward Taehyun. He takes a towel from a nearby chair and starts wiping himself. Taehyun's eyes travel towards the torso again, comparing it in his head with Jongsik's. Jongsik is leaner while the guy in front of him is bulkier, but they both have really nice toned bodies.

"You see, umm, its kinda personal," Danah closes the door so that her mom won't overhear. Taehyun stands awkwardly next to a desk, pretending to be invisible. "We need you to act as Taehyun's boyfriend for a while."

"What?" The voice comes out loud in disbelief, Taehyun wants to flee the room at that moment. Mino casts another glance Taehyun's way but quickly turns away, like he can not stand even the sight of him and re-focusses on Danah. "Are you kidding me?"

"Please. This is serious business," Danah stomps her foot, fists clenched.

Mino looks at Taehyun again, eyebrows furrowed. Taehyun can discern something dark in those eyes, something he cannot quite put a finger to but it brings a chill in his bones. They are scary eyes. "Are you so desperate that you're asking me of all people to do something so ... " Mino makes a face like he cannot defile his mouth to speak out loud the word in his head. Heat rises to Taehyun's cheeks, utterly embarassed. He does not think it's going to go this bad. He wishes he can go back to the past, like 10 minutes before so he can avoid being humiliated by Danah's brother.

"Forget it. Danah let's go," his words are biting but there's hurt etched in them. He turns his body to leave but Danah stops him.

"No. He will apologise for his comment," Danah's eyes are serious and shush Mino on the mouth when the older boy tries to protest. Then she speaks in a calmer tone. "You're being inconsiderate. Taehyun's boyfriend just broke up with him, okay, and we need, I mean, he needs to make him jealous and you're the only one we could think of." Danah explains.

"I don't want to be roped into one of your high school shenanigans," Mino stands his ground.

"Puhleez, you graduated like last year," Danah crosses her arms in front of her chest with a pout.

"It's fine. I am sure we can find a more willing participant Danah," Taehyun says and gets up to go out. He doesn't really want to beg, especially to someone who hates him.

Danah ignores Taehyun and continues begging her brother. "Please? you're the only one we know whom Jongsik would be jealous of."

"Why are you begging for him?" Mino says to Danah, mentioning Taehyun with clenched jaws. "He clearly has a mouth with which he can speak but he isn't asking. I can see he doesn't want my help." 

"Don't be mean..."

"I am always nice, Danah, but..."

Danah turns her head around and motions with her face for Taehyun to ask Mino himself. Taehyun stands silent, conflicted. On one hand he knows the guy is his only option if he's going to make Jongsik jealous, but on the other hand, he wonders if it is worth humiliating himself.

"Babe, you know you don't have a choice, right?" Danah speaks out loud, bringing Taehyun out of his innter thoughts. He turns toward the siblings again, Mino had sprawled on his bed, arms spread wide open like he owned the entire room and everything in it. Taehyun wishes he could strangle the smugness out of that face. But the annoying face is quite handsome, and he wants Jongsik back desperately.

"Will you please pretend you're my boyfriend?" he focusses his eyes on the guy's and speaks with a voice that feels strange to his own ears. "I promise I will do anything I can to pay you back for the favour."

"Anything?" one eyebrow quirks up in an arrogant fashion.

"Yes," Taehyun hears himself say.

"Danah," Mino turns to his sister, ignoring Taehyun's presence yet again. "I will do this, for you. But your friend and I will discuss the terms of agreement."

"See? Was that so hard?" Danah claps her hands together nodding to the both of them. "I am sure you can come up with something that will satisfy both person's interests. I will leave you to it," she smiles and walks out the room, but not before whispering "Goodluck," in Taehyun's ear.

Taehyun continues standing near the door even after Danah had left, not quite knowing what to do next. He figures Mino will tell him because he wants something in return for helping Taehyun. He put his hands inside his pockets, fiddling with his phone for lack of a better thing to hold on to and looks around the room, inspecting his unfamiliar surroundings. There's a lot of art on the walls, coloured and sketches but they all seemed to be done by the same hands that curated the outer side of the bedroom door.

"So what's the ing plan? Are you just going to stand there sizing up my room?" Mino barks from his place on the bed, making Taehyun almost jump out his skin.

Taehyun didn't think he was going to be so jumpy around Mino. Whenever people showed any kind of distaste towards him, he usually retaliated by being extra rude. However, he concedes, the situation is different. He is currentl asking this person to do a favour to him. Also, Mino is sort of scary in an imposing way, even though he don't seem much taller than Taehyun. He seems larger and definitely more formidable.

"I thought you would let me know your terms first," Taehyun replies, mentally calming himself. "Y' know, to know we are on the same page. I have to know what you want in return."

"Just come and sit down. I can't keep craning my neck to look at you," Mino gestures towards the chair that was next to his bed.

Well, you could have at least bothered to sit up, lazy  Taehyun rolls his eyes but his legs move to follow the direction they were given. Happy? he  his chin towards Mino after he had taken a seat.

"You can pay me back with your body," Mino speaks, jerking Taehyun bodily from the chair, almost causing him to fall down.

"What?" he splutters, unbelieving what he just heard.

Mino scoffs. "What do you take me for? I don't mean that kind," he looks at Taehyun up and down. Taehyun suddenly feels like he needs to protect himself. He crosses his arms infront of his chest while Mino chuckles mirthlessly. "I meant as a slave, a normal slave, a slave who would do whatever I bid like fetching me something to drink, or do my laundry."

Taehyun slowly starts to breathe normally after hearing that. That wasn't such a bad proposition. He can do that, as long as nobody knows about it. Taehyun has a reputation to protect after all. "Fine. I can draw up a contact right now. Do you have pen and paper?" he asks Mino in all seriousness. He needs to make sure Mino does not cross the line, also he needs assurance that whatever this is will end when he gets Jongsik back.

"A contract? I didn't peg you for a nerd," Mino remarks while Taehyun looks around the desk infront of him, looking for something to write with. All he can see are miniature models of bikes, cars, and tools. He wonders if he can ask to use the desktop at the corner of the room.

"Yeah, well I didn't peg you to be a bigger than I thought," he mumbles under his breath.

"I ing heard that," Mino snaps, making Taehyun jump in his skin again. He did not mean to say that out loud. An apology is ready at the tip of his tongue but Mino bends down to reach under the desk, coming up with a drawing pad and a coloured pen which he flings down on the desk infront of Taehyun. 

The drawing pad looks new. He opens the first page and starts writing in neat bold letters. "Contract of agreement between Nam Taehyun and Song Minho"

"Do you want to put any conditions on what you are willing to do as a fake boyfriend?" Taehyun asks before continuing.

"When are you going to start calling me hyung, brat," Mino replies instead, completely straying from the topic. He has a shallow grin on his face, Taehyun finds that more scary than cheerful.

"I have always..." Taehyun tries to argue.

"Never. I have never heard you addressing me as hyung," 

"I am sure I..."

"See, you could just say Hyung instead of arguing, but there you are..."

"Fine, hyung. Happy?" Taehyun flicks his hair backward, annoyed.

"Overjoyed," Mino mumbles but his face shows anything but.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Taehyun backs out of the deal, pushing his chair back so he can stand up. He is not sure if he can pretend to like this person. "I'll tell Danah it's not your fault so she won't be mad at you, I..."

"Suit yourself," Mino replies, nonchalant. "Though I am sure Danah would tell you again you have no choice."

Taehyun sits back down, realising the truth for what it was. "Okay, so, conditions?" he asks again, hating himself for being reined in so easily.

"I don't know. How long is this going to last?"

"I haven't really thought it through yet," Taehyun tells the truth. They had just come up with the fake boyfriend plot an hour back. "As Danah said, I... there's this boy,"

"Your ex. I got that. So?"

"I want him back."

"Oh."

"I have to make him see what he's missing out on by breaking up with me."

"And what makes you think he's gonna be jealous?"

Taehyun looks at Mino, disbelieving what he just heard. Of course Jongsik is going to be jealous. How can he not? This is Nam ing Taehyun.

"I mean, he did dump you, not the other way round. Which means..."

"I get what it means," Taehyun snaps. "You don't know him okay. He still wants me, he just doesn't know it yet."

"Okay Narcissus," Mino brings up his hands with his palms facing outward, a mocking gesture.

"If you're going to be an about this then tell me now, I will come up with another plan."

"Alright," Mino acquiesce as he raises himself from the headrest and settles on the bed, sitting up with his legs crossed. Taehyun wishes he will just put on a damn shirt. "So what goes in the contract?"

Taehyun has to think for a while. He figures the contract will last until Jongsik and he are back together, which means the time period is indefinite. He will also want to make sure Mino will not embarrass him in public with this whole slave business. He starts writing down everything that came into his head.

Article 1: This contract requires the two signees namely Nam Taehyun and Song Minho to be in a pretend romantic relationship.

Article 2: As a result of successful imitation of a romantic relationship (As mentioned in Article 1) which will depend on signee Song Minho; Nam Taehyun will agree to be Song Minho's personal slave.

          Clause 1: The duration of slave duties will be approximately equal to the time spent on executing said fraudulent romantic relationship.

          Clause 2: The slave should not be required to do something which will bring public humiliation.

          Clause 3: The slave should not be required to service the master in public.

          Clause 4: The master cannot delegate the services of the slave to any other person.

          Clause 5: The services rendered should not be in ual in nature.

Article 3. The time period of this agreement depends on the successful commencement of a romantic relationship between Nam Taehyun and Jung Jongsik. This indicates that the time period is indefinite as of this date and time.

          Clause 1: Termination of the contract before said commencement of relationship will have to be agreed upon by both signees.

Article 4: The details of the pretend relationship and its true nature should not be disclosed to any person, including relatives and friends, except the witness Song Danah. This is to ensure the indirect participant Jung Jongsik will not learn of the contract.

Mino is quiet the entire time Taehyun was scribbling on the paper, choosing to play with his phone. Taehyun waves the pad in front of him to get his attention. "Here, please let me know if you want to change anything or add something," he hands the contract to Mino who takes the pad. Taehyun watches as he reads, recognising that Mino's facial muscles are relaxing with every line until there's a curve on the corners of his lips and the guy suddenly bursts out laughing.

"Wow! You're meticulous," Mino is clearly trying to hold back his laughter when he hands the pad back to Taehyun who takes it with a glare. Taehyun definitely does not think his contract is a joke to be laughed at.

"Do you want to add anything?" he grits out with clenched jaws.

"I am not sure about Article 4," Mino looks away and seems to be thinking, his eyebrows furrowed. "If my friends ask I..."

"Why? You're scared they will make fun of you?" Taehyun bites out, still angry because Mino laughs at his carefully thought out contract.

"They won't make fun of me," Mino's eyes are dark and challenging. "But they deserve to know the truth and they can keep a secret for me."

"Fine. I will add a clause which says you can tell your friends about the contract if they swore an oath to protect it and go along with the plan."

"Fine," says Mino.

"Fine," says Taehyun, wanting to have the last word. He scribbles a few more words and then hands the pen to Mino for him to sign on top of his name. Mino does not hesitate but is muttering something under his breath which Taehyun cannot hear. He decides to ignore it. He is not doing this for fun either.

Danah is called in to sign as a witness. Taehyun's glad she did not laugh at the contract like Mino did. She really is a good friend. Taehyun has time to think of a plan while drawing up the contract, so after Danah leaves them alone again, he discloses them to Mino.

"Since we just broke up today I think it is a little too soon for me to date anyone, fake or otherwise. My plan is to take it slow. First, you court me and try to woo me..."

"'Court'? 'Woo?' What are you? Middle-aged?" Mino is making fun of him again. Taehyun ignores him.

"You will pick me up tomorrow after school, stand at the gates where Jongsik will see us, and make a grand gesture of some kind..."

"Damn you're high maintenance," Mino mutters. "But that's the Taehyun I know."

"Please don't act like you know me," Taehyun seethes.

"So prickly," Mino smiles, his hand making that mocking gesture again. "Okay, that's an idea though. I court you." Mino says the word 'court' like he's eating something particularly horrible. Taehyun isn't deterred. He decides to go through with the plan.

"Yeah, like, you wait for me after school, try to talk me up, maybe flirting. Do you know how to flirt?"

"Yah, kid."

"Stop calling me kid. You're just a year older than us. 1 year."

"Whatever, I'm still your hyung and already able to speak by the time u came into this world,"

"Ok, hyung," Taehyun calls out, tone condescending. "Show me how you would woo me if I were someone you actually like," he challenges.

That shuts Mino up, but only for a while. Taehyun watches as Mino's facial features change from blank to mild amusement, and then there's a smirk. Mino moves forward on his bed and presses his feet on the ground, moving closer to where Taehyun sits on the chair. He's not saying anything, just sitting and staring at Taehyun from the side.

Taehyun turns his head back to the contract on the desk, wondering if he had made the wrong move by challenging the guy to flirt with him, he suddenly feels out of his element. He is always a good judge of people, allowing him to always be at least two steps ahead of everyone he interacts with. This guy, however, Taehyun does not know at all. He belatedly berates himself for ignoring him all those years. disallowing himself the chance to beat him in mind games.

Then Mino's face comes closer, snapping Taehyun out of his thoughts. He can smell the sweat on him, which is strangely not distasteful, and something more- maybe a cologne, with a citrusy smell, but quite raw. He briefly wonders is a smell could be described as rugged. He wills himself not to turn his head to look at him. The skin on his arms start prickling, Mino's face comes closer still. Taehyun bites his lower lip and lowers his head even more. Then there's a hand, lightly brushing the fringe of his hair off the side of his face to tuck it behind his ear, Mino's face is only a few centimeters away now.

"I don't know why you cover your face with all this hair, you have the most gorgeously unique features," Mino's coarse voice comes out in a whisper, caressing the inner walls of his ears with warm breath because he is that close. Taehyun jerks away, almost falling off the chair, again, what was wrong with him? barely managing to stay on. Then there's a chuckle. Taehyun lets out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding in all that time. He tries to glare menacingly at the insolent guy but it is difficult to do so when he was blushing and almost panting, his lungs protesting being bereft of oxygen for too long.

Taehyun opens his mouth to speak, however, he can't find the words and closes them again, pressing his lips tight together.

"Satisfied?" Mino's smirk is cocky. It infuriates Taehyun.

"That's foul-play," he speaks the first words that come to his head, not willing to let Mino have the upper hand.

"How exactly?" one eyebrow goes up.

Taehyun has no counter-attack for that. Instead, he gathers himself, his mind working overtime. He settles himself more comfortably on the chair, putting a few inches of space between him and Mino and starts talking about the plan again. "We should probably have each other's numbers too," he suggests after he had conveyed everything that he thinks would be necessary for this new fake relationship.

"You don't have my number?" asks Mino.

"Why should I have your number?" Taehyun mutters flippantly as he takes out his own phone from his pocket, and then it hits him. "Wait, you have my number?"

"Of course. I asked Danah like years ago."

"Why?"

Mino seems a bit taken back by the question but quickly gathers himself. "I need to keep tabs on her, as a big brother. And you're the only friend she has."

"You have never called me, once," Taehyun wonders out loud.

"I guess there was no need to."

"Okay tell me your number," Taehyun asks and types the numbers in as Mino recites them. He saves the number as "Song Minho" while Mino watches.

"You're so unoriginal with your names. You should put in something cute, like a nickname, and with hearts of emoji," Mino was looking at his phone, his face devoid of any humor. "What if your ex checks your phone?"

Taehyun scoffs at that. "Maybe I will after you successfully woo me," he jibes back and then it hits him again. "Wait. Did you give me some horrible nickname in your phone?" Mino's eyes go wide as his thick eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. Taehyun narrows his eyes at the honest reaction, watching him closely as Mino fumbles for a denial. "You did!" he accuses openly, pointing his finger at Mino's chest, uncaring if the guy is older or not. "How did you save my number?"

Mino quickly sits on top of his phone so that Taehyun will not be able to grab it. Taehyun does not give up. He calls Mino from his phone so that his name will appear on the screen. He can hear the vibrations and the faint sound of a ringtone from under Mino but Mino does not budge. The situation will have been funny if Mino's smiling at least, and not looking like he will murder Taehyun if he dares tried to touch him to get at his phone.

The door opens at that time to reveal Danah who is close to squealing. "I knew you two would get along if given the chance," she smiles at the two of them like a proud mother, not noticing that the two of them were facing each other only to fight with their glares.

"Danah, do you know what your brother saved my number as?" Taehyun's voice sounds almost pleading. He is uncharacteristically curious.

"How will I know?" Danah shrugs her delicate shoulders as she approaches the bed. Mino takes out the phone from under him and fiddles with it, obviously to change whatever name he had assigned Taehyun. Danah obviously does not share Taehyun's curiosity as she is not even trying to take a peek. "So, what's the plan?"--

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Note: Inspiration taken from a Bigbang music video. Guess which part? ^^

A/N: I am wondering if the person I wrote this story for has stopped shipping Namsong, I am scared to find out so I posted this here without telling her first so that she may be pleasantly surprised when she finds this. And I am so glad to find there are still namsong shippers out there, although the numbers have seemed to dwindle a lot? I wonder if everyone else has given up on the ship? I really hope not. For the ones remaining, please stay strong. If other shippers can be strong when their OTP are in different companies (Yunjae) and when their OTP are in different companies AND different countries (Xiuhan), we can definitely stay strong too.