Key woke up with a start, noticing that Taemin wasn’t in the bed anymore. Oh man, please don’t tell me something happened to him on his first day here; Shin-sunsaengnim would kill me, he thought.

“Taemin-ah, Taemin-ah, where are you?” Key panicked.

“I’m right here, hyung,” Taemin said. He was sitting next to Key’s bed, reading a book.

“Sunbaenim.”

“I’m right here, sunbaenim. I’m reading about frogs. I really like frogs, you know.”

“Don’t you have class?”

“Not until three,” Taemin said, completely immersed in what seemed to be some sort of educational picture book.

“Aren’t you like seventeen years old internationally? Shouldn’t you be reading something less childish?”

“Sunbaenim said that last night,” Taemin remarked.

“Well, you act like a little kid,” Key spat.

“I can’t help being cute.”

“You’re actually just a brat, aren’t you? Anyway, I have class at nine so I’m going to shower and leave. Do not bother me, and don’t get in to trouble because I’m not your precious Onew-hyung and I’m not going to come to your rescue.”

“I wish appa was here.”

“I do too, then I wouldn’t have to deal with you. Don’t bother me.” Key went into the attached bathroom and got in the shower. The kid had been with him for less than a day and already Key was losing his almighty attitude. He hated him for it. Key didn’t care for people, and people didn’t care for Key. He’d never had a girlfriend, because all the girls liked him for his looks and nothing else. He was smart, friendly when he wanted to be, loyal, talented, but people only ever saw him for being good-looking. He didn’t mind too much. He liked having that proud attitude, that place in the social ladder nobody besides him could ever hope to reach.

Suddenly he heard knocking on the door to the bathroom.

“Key-hyung!” Taemin called. “Hyuuuuuuung!”

“Don’t call me hyung!” Key shouted. “Didn’t I tell you not to bother me?”

“But a weird guy just came in!” Taemin cried. Key’s heart almost stopped. He jumped out of the shower and put his pajama pants back on without bothering to dry himself. He darted out of the bathroom, still sopping wet, to see that there was indeed a weird guy in the room. A very good looking weird guy.

“No seriously, I thought it was my room,” the guy explained to Taemin while the two were struggling. Taemin had tried to capture him, it seemed, by attempting to pin him onto Key’s bed. Skinny Taemin was no match for this muscular guy, however, so the stranger wasn’t having much trouble while Taemin was becoming more and more out of breath.  He and the stranger made eye contact, and Key’s heart fluttered. He gave him a small smile.

“Taemin-ah, let him go,” Key sighed, but Taemin didn’t hear. He had grabbed onto the stranger’s collar, but had stopped struggling and was instead gasping for air. He was turning pale, and Key knew right away that there was something wrong.

“Taemin-ah! …Taemin-ah, do you have an inhaler? Where is it?” Key asked. Taemin struggled to point out his backpack.

“Quick,” Key said to the stranger, “get a cloth with water and wipe his face.” The guy ran into the bathroom while Key rummaged through Taemin’s backpack to find the inhaler. He grabbed it and rushed over to Taemin, taking his head and putting the inhaler in his mouth. He puffed it twice, and Taemin’s breathing eased. Key sighed as Taemin lay down on the bed, breathing heavily. The stranger came back in and began wiping the sweat off of Taemin’s face.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “This is my fault.”

“It’s okay, asthma attacks are bound to happen to people with a history. It would have happened sooner or later anyway,” Key explained. “I’m Kim Kibum, by the way, but I go by Key. This is Lee Taemin. He’s born in ’93, I think, and I’m ’91. How about you?”

“1990,” he said. “I’m Kim Jonghyun. Nice to meet you. I’m sorry about this though, I thought for sure this was my room, but it seems I’m a floor up. I always lose track of how many stairs I’ve gone up.”

“What I want to know is why the door was unlocked in the first place. Taemin-ah. Why was the door unlocked?” Key demanded. Taemin pouted adorably.

“Sorry, hyung, I unlocked it.”

“Why?” Jonghyun asked. Key looked up at him. Jonghyun was looking at Taemin, seriously trying to help Key figure out what was going on. Jonghyun had high cheekbones, brown hair, and black eyes that were full of expression. He was really good looking. How have I not noticed him before?

“I wanted to get breakfast for Key-hyung to surprise him,” Taemin said, bursting Key’s thought bubble. Jonghyun looked at Key, and their eyes locked for several seconds. Key felt his face starting to turn red. In fact, he was pretty sure his whole body was turning red, and not having a shirt on wasn’t helping.

“I can get my breakfast myself,” Key said, completely flustered. “Anyway I need to go to class so I don’t have time anyway. I want to be on time for the first day of the semester. Thanks for helping, sunbaenim.”

“You can call me hyung,” Jonghyun said as Key showed him out the door. “Hopefully I’ll see you guys again sometime? Stay healthy, Taemin-ssi.” How is it possible that in less than 24 hours I’ve met two people who can make me flustered? Key wondered as he went to put on a shirt.

“Hyung,” Taemin asked as Key combed his hair quickly, “why are you all red?”

“I’m not,” Key said a little too quickly.

“Yes you are! Are you too hot? Also, I don’t think you should go out like that.”

“Why not?”

“You’re still wearing your pajama pants!” Taemin pointed out. Key looked down to see that he was indeed still wearing his pajama pants. He made an annoyed noise and disappeared in the bathroom to put on some black skinny jeans.

“Taemin-ah, this is all your fault! I’m going to be late for the first class of the semester! And don’t forget your inhaler because I’m not going to be around to help you if another attack happens. And lock the door this time!” Key grabbed his backpack and ran out the door. He doubled back, however, when he reached the bottom floor of their dorm, because he’d forgotten one of his books. He got up to their room again, and to no surprise, the door was still unlocked. He went in quietly, and he could hear Taemin’s voice.

“Yeah, Onew-hyung, I know it’s not good to make my asthma attacks happen on purpose. I know, Onew-hyung. But how else can I get him to do what I want? No I’m not, Onew-hyung. But…okay, you’re right. I just miss you a lot, appa. Come back from Japan soon, I’m already lonely without you.” Taemin hung up his phone and picked up his frog book again. Key stood frozen against the wall, not letting Taemin see him. The kid was manipulating him. It wasn’t just with the asthma attack, Key realized.  This had been going on since Taemin entered the room the night before. First with the ramyeon, then with being cold, and Key just realized that he hadn’t corrected Taemin twice in the morning when he called him hyung. How was that possible? Nobody, absolutely nobody manipulates Kim Kibum. He left the dorm room, seething. He could do without his book today.

Super y Jonghyun, as they say.

A/N: I should write this chapter again from Taemin’s point of view. There’s so much that I never really reveal in the course of this story because it’s set Key’s mind…but it’s so interesting to me so maybe I will. Do you guys think it’s a good idea?

Also I decided I’d update twice a week. If I didn’t, this story would take a loooooooong time to finish.

@butterflybabe13: I’m glad you liked it! I tried to make Taemin super duper cute in this story so yay :)

@HappyMonster: I’ll update every week, I promise! Taemin’s cuteness is my favorite.

@kawaiikimbap: Yeah I made Taemin veeeeeery childlike, but I think it works for this story :) Thanks for reading <3

@cristelle1128: I’m glad you think so! I hope you continue to read :)

@KOBRAKID: I’m so happy you like it! Yay!!

@DaisyDen: Thank you! Yup yup I’ve been strangely attached to Keroro recently ^^;;

@FudgeBox: I basically live for cuteness so I’m glad you like it! Thanks for reading all my stuff <3

♥ Exie