Equation¹⁷

Jonghyun's P.O.V

“Long time not seen,” Jonghyun felt shivers ran down his spine as he looked up from his math book, wondering why no one was able to knock any longer before entering his room.

“Well, I guess it have been a little week,” Jonghyun guessed sarcastic and turned a little in his chair to take a look at Key – trying not to picture him again, just as he most likely had done the whole week.

He felt like an idiot.

He should have known better than entering the bathroom when Key just had returned back from a whole day of practicing and in all probability was taking a bath – of course he was taking a bath, and he should have known better.

Unless his subconscious knew that he was taking a bath and made him walk in on him on purpose!

But then he would probably just be a ert instead.

“Onew hyung told me that you was studying for a new upcoming math test?” Key stated with a questioning tone as he threw himself onto his bed, which was just beside his desk and made him able to take a look at the material Jonghyun had on his table.

“What he told you was right,” Jonghyun confirmed firmly and looked down in his book again.

“Do you need any help with something?” Key then asked and leaned in over the desk – and closer to him.

Jonghyun sank, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the sudden closeness. “Well, now that you ask yourself I can’t really reject, can I?”

Key turned his book towards him and took a look at the task Jonghyun was working with, but instead of asking him about anything math related, he asked: “What have you been doing the past week?”

‘Avoiding you’ Jonghyun thought and was almost about to say it aloud.

It wasn’t on purpose that he was avoiding him however. He really just wanted to get that embarrassing bathroom scene out of his head, and be able to face Key again, without thinking anything unsuitable every time he would look at him.

“Just been busy,” Jonghyun stated and tapped his fingers against the countertop.

“Busy with what?” Key asked a lot of questions today – had he seen his note and figured that it was from him?

“Work,” he stated, half telling the truth and half lying:

The last couple of days Jonghyun would wake up early and leave the dorm before the any of the others woke up. Then he would spent the rest of the morning in the music room – either sleeping or composing – until class eventually would start.

When class was over he would go downtown for some lunch and a drink, before returning to the campus.

He had already at the first day figured that if he stayed on the campus for lunch he would just find Key walking around, while holding onto some other guy’s hand – it was probably Woohyun.

Whoever it was though, Jonghyun couldn’t help clenching his fist at him and at the pain in his chest.

One of the days he walked pass a music store with hiring sign in the window. He knew it was silly, seeing that he really wasn’t in lack of money, but something made him walk in there and ask for the job.

A music store just seemed as the perfect choice for him, if he was to have any kind of work to kill the time with.

When he entered a girl was standing behind the counter. She had long brown hair with matching brown eyes and she was probably around his own age if he was to judge. Her skin appeared rather flawless – or properly covered with a layer of make-up.

Her eyes sized as she looked up to greet him. “K—Kim Jonghyun, what are you doing here?”

Jonghyun frowned and look an extra look at her, as he tried to figure out if he had seen her anywhere before.

“Um, I’m sorry about this question but do I know you?” Jonghyun questioned and awkwardly scratched his neck. This was one of the reasons he hated to come outside – there always was a lot of people that knew who he was, but he never had any idea about who they were.

The girl smiled sad and intertwined both of her hands on top of the counter before telling: “I’m in your math class. You probably didn’t know.”

“Right,” he confirmed with a somewhat apologizing smile. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t mind it oppa,” she answered with a returning smile. “Can I help you with something now that you’re here?”

Jonghyun snickered at his new nickname – he had to admit she was pretty when she was smiling, but that was pretty much it.

He turned around for a short second and gestured towards the sign in the window. “I saw that you were hiring people, and I just wondered if I was able to get the job?”

The girl’s eyes widened by each words, the thoughts about working together with a guy like Jonghyun overwhelmed her mind. “Sure, of course you can – I mean, I’ll just have to talk with my dad about it, since he owns the business, but I’ll make sure to give him a good impression of you.”

“Really now?” Jonghyun’s smile turned bigger and slightly more playful by the girl’s words. It wasn’t as fake as the other apologizing smile, which he had worn just a moment ago.

“Sure,” the girl beamed happily. “It would be my honor.”

“When can I get to know?” He questioned, somehow he had ended up with his elbows on the counter, leaning a little bit towards her.

“If you come by at Saturday I should be able to tell you,” the unnamed girl stated. “Then you’ll have time to study for the test this Friday.”

Jonghyun instantly felt his lips tug downwards and he straightened up – hell he had long forgotten all about that.

Anyways, back to now: Key looked at him in disbelieve as soon as he had uttered the word.

“What’s with that face?” Jonghyun questioned and pouted his lips as he had a little idea about Key’s thoughts.

“Do you, Kim Jonghyun, have a work?” Asked Key humored before starting laughing.

Even though Jonghyun had tried to prevent himself from smiling, it failed for him as he shook his head defeated and continued with his math.

For once when he entered the dorm just returning back from his new work – because he actually got it! – Taemin wasn’t sitting in front of the television and playing some kind of stupid videogame together with Minho.

“Where are you going?” Jonghyun asked and looked at Taemin tying his shoes and with a big sports bag hanging on his shoulder.

“I’m going to the dance studio,” he answered. “You want to come?”

“Maybe another day,” Jonghyun replied and ruffled the younger’s hair and made a motion to leave.

Taemin straightened up. “Too bad, Key hyung and Woohyun hyung would be there as well.”

Jonghyun felt himself stop in his track and turn around to look at Taemin again by his mention of Key – together with Woohyun once again.

“At the other hand, I think I’ll come anyways. Just give me a second to fix something first, okay?” Jonghyun asked and left for his room before Taemin even got the chance to answer.

He just hoped that the younger actually would wait for him.

Fishing another pink note out of his bottom drawer, he hastily found a pen and began to scramble some words down – making sure to make his font relatively good-looking instead of his usual sloppy characters.

“Just a second Taemin!” Jonghyun yelled all the way through the dorm as he made his way to Key’s room, this time deciding to plant the pink note at the inside of the door.

Taking a last look at the note he quickly left again, excited to see Key dance in front of him.

 ‘Math is like love. A simple idea. But it can get complicated.’

Written by Legende