Jinki 

After a tiring night shift, which seemed to be all he did these days, Jinki walked towards his door yawning in the afternoon. He reached his door and started fishing for the keys. While his hands were still in his pockets he heard one of the doors behind him creak open. Jinki reflexively turned around to find Jonghyun leaving Minho’s house while wearing pajamas. The sight was so unusual that Jinki just stood rooted to his spot staring shamelessly as what he supposed was a walk of shame after a night of raw desire. Jonghyun hadn’t noticed Jinki until he had locked Minho’s door using a pair of keys and turned to walk towards his own. When Jonghyun and Jinki locked eyes, they both mirrored each other’s shocked expression. Jinki was the first to break it.

“So you and Minho, huh? That’s nice. Congratulations. He maybe short tempered but he is a very loving person. He’ll definitely keep you happy.” Jinki forced a smile but he hoped Jonghyun was too sleepy or euphoric to notice. What is this strange feeling? It feels like a heartburn but I’m pretty sure it’s just gas. Of course it can’t be anything else...no it’s definitely not THAT.

Jonghyun was focusing too much on Jinki’s actions. The way he stood, the obvious signs of sleep deprivation, how his lips moved when he spoke and that smile that never reached his eyes. How his hands balled into fists while his face told a completely different story. Jonghyun saw Jinki’s eyes glisten over for just a few seconds, as if he were thinking something, something painful by the crease in his brows, and then his eyes refocused on Jonghyun’s and this time the voice that had left Jinki’s mouth finally collapsed onto Jonghyun’s ears all at once. “What?”

“I...I said congrats...on on dating.” Jinki struggles to form those words the second time.

“Dating who?” Jonghyun asked with an innocent surprise.

“Min...Minho. You are dating him right?”

“WHAT? Where did you even get THAT idea?” 

Jinki simply looked Jonghyun up and down and then pointed towards the door behind him with a soft nod. Jonghyun followed his eyes and looked down to see himself wearing pajamas and back towards the door he exited from. He turned back at Jinki and mouthed a soundless ‘Oh!’ Immediately bursting out into a hearty laughter, that stopped suddenly without a warning; as a realization dawns on him. The gears in his brain starts churning and he stands up straight and looks at Jinki, a soft but seductive smile lighting up his face.

“You have the wrong idea. I couldn’t sleep last night so I went over to wake Minho up and talk to him till I fell asleep.” Jonghyun’s voice is hoarser than usual and he half raps the reply.

“Oh god I feel stupid for assuming.” Jinki gives a small chuckle and Jonghyun sees his tensed shoulders loosening up. This wasn’t a response Jonghyun was used to. Jinki was usually free and natural around him. No tensing up of his body, no fake smiles, nothing. Of course this had all changed over the past few months since Jinki started dating Taemin, then Jonghyun and Jinki fought, then Jonghyun forced Jinki into a kiss, and then Jinki and Taemin broke up. Even though Jinki and Taemin had both assured Jonghyun that he had nothing to do with their decision, he couldn’t help but doubt himself. He couldn’t sleep most nights because of the guilt gnawing at his heart. But in this moment when he saw Jinki behave in a way he had never before with him, Jonghyun decided this was too good an opportunity to let pass.

“You know that you are my only one, right?” Jonghyun continued in his semi hoarse - semi sleepy voice. Then, as if Jinki’s defensive reaction urged him to do something more bold, he walks towards Jinki and plants a soft, warm kiss on his cheeks. “Have a restful sleep,” and with that he tilts his head and flashes another seductive smile, while walking backwards towards his door. Before he goes in he turns his head around; that smile still playing in his lips as he waves to Jinki and vanishes behind his apartment door.

Jinki bore no expression as he turned the keys to his own door and walked in. It was only after he closed the door behind him, that he rests his back on it and lets warm, salty water leave his eyes. He continued crying soundless tears as he slowly sank down onto the floor. I don’t deserve him. I don’t deserve him at all. Why does he even love someone like me?! I’m a murderer and my own childhood friend loathes me! I need to tell him. He needs to know who I am. I used Taemin just to regain my powers. I’m despicable. Eventually, Jinki sighed, wiping his tears and collecting himself from the floor. When he got up there was a wicked smile on his face. 

“Jonghyun is so smitten by me!” Jinki hissed, “That fool. He doesn’t have the slightest idea of what he has gotten into. No matter, that makes things easy. He seems to be the soft spot for both Kibum and Minho. He is very valuable. He will definitely be very useful when the time comes.” He almost sneered while talking to himself and walking towards his bedroom. His malicious smile disappearing as soon as his head hit the pillow. All hostility leaving his body, once again to be replaced by the innocence that was the physical manifestation of his hearts true nature. Something, even he wasn’t entirely aware of.

Taemin

It’s late afternoon and Taemin is sitting on a bench at the far end of his university’s garden. His favorite professor was giving lecture and if he was his usual self Taemin would be right there on the front bench taking notes. But not today, he had been cut-off from everyone by Kibum. He somewhat understood that this was for his own safety and wellbeing however, it was killing him. He missed talking to Jinki; even though it was never a real relationship, the chats they had were very real to him. And if not a boyfriend he definitely considered Jinki a friend. He wasn’t sure what happened in the past that made Jinki murder someone, but he knew that Jinki would never hurt him. Or would he? And Minho? Minho had done nothing that proved him a threat to Taemin. The only thing that made Minho scary was his animosity towards Jinki. Taemin had decided that it was best not to get in between them. It just wasn’t worth it. He was surprised when Jonghyun raised the question to Minho, but he assumed it was safe for Jonghyun to question since he didn’t know anything. But Kai? Why couldn’t he talk to Kai? He has known Kai even before he met Jinki or Minho. Kai was the only reason he wanted to come back to Korea after the terrible taste his own country had left in his mouth. 

He still wan’t entirely over that incident all those years ago. When he was told by his school teacher that he can leave school early because his mom called for him. He was so happy, he ran home, never once thinking w