I yawned, so he takes my hand and plays with my fingers because i look bored, and with all honesty, i'm pretty sure he is too. We've been sitiing here for hours and the show's barely finished. I yawned again, he covered my mouth, from a short distance we can hear some girls from the audience shriek.

 

He leans in closer and whispers stuff like how he can do better than the one showing off his talent on stage right now and I just nod in agreement to boost his ego. He laughs and watches the guy, i turned to whisper something to him at the same moment that he faced me again, our lips were mere centimeters from each other; the floor director had to 'shoosh' the audience because the shrieks were louder this time.

 

He laughed. I did too and we decided to behave and just watch as another guest starts performing, two young boys are dancing, they look around 14 or 15 and suddenly everything started to be blurry, the stage is turning into a dull dance studio surrounded by mirrors and the two boys are becoming me and him, three or four years ago. 

 

Back then, we were barely the boys (well, sort of men) that we are now. We were frail, sensitive but full of confidence and hope that after all these, we are gonna make it, and we are making it.

 

The connection, the chemistry was there the first time we met and introduced ourselves to each other, out of the four other guys in the room, i just knew that the moment you smiled, we're gonna be great together. Eventually he learned how to make me smile and how to piss me off just like i knew how to and make him laugh everytime.

 

We all moved in one dorm a year after our training, a few months before our debut. Oftentimes, the both of us will sleep late, annoying the three other people below us. Who said it was the best idea to put the both of us on the top bunks? Had the schoolyear didnt start for me, Minho and Taemin I'm pretty sure we would still be staying up late more and keep talking about everything which includes boys, girls, clothes, whatever under the sun, or the moon at that.

 

I dont know when, but eventually I knew, well, my heart told me so, that I am caught; hook, line and sinker, because of his charm, his smile, his voice. The moment my heart started to race against my chest as he comes near, i knew that a not-so-unfamiliar feeling has decided to visit me once again when i was least expecting it. 

 

"Key, are you okay?" He whispered on my ear, my neck heating up when his breath brushed against it.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine." Smiling subtly, i made sure i looked convincing enough as i assured him with a wink and ruffling his recently-turned-brown-from-blond hair and watched the stage again, the MC is giving his goodbye speech and in a few moments, it will all be over.

 

The lights dim and one by one all the guests start leaving the stage, he offered his hand and i took it reluctantly, he gave it a squeeze and he leads the way back to our dressing room, it was only a few minutes away from the studio but it felt like an eternity getting there, for me at least, I wish time would stop and we'd never reach the dressing room so he'd held on me longer but i know he wishes otherwise. He releases my hand and opens the door to the room i dreaded to open; as if a monster will attack me if it does, well figuratively, a monster will. 

 

The monster of reality.

 

He runs up to him with bright eyes and a huge smile. The younger and taller boy welcomes him by locking him in a hug and a kiss on the head, "Good job hyung." He looks up to him with those puppy eyes and pouted, "Did you wait long Minho?" And our rapper shook his head, "Not really. I arrived half an hour ago and watching the both of you is quite amusing." Both of you, means me and him.

 

"Were you jealous?"

 

"Almost."

 

"Heh. Don't be. Let's go. I'm starving." He pulls away from his hug and he lets Minho take his hand, they motioned for me to follow and I just nodded, telling them they should just go ahead and enjoy their dinner together, half-jokingly telling them that they havent went out on a date in a long time, they laughed and told me that it was true so they walked away, hand in hand, leaving me to watch as their figures disappear in the corridor. 

 

I leaned against the door and sighed. 

 

I wonder who came up with the idea that the Almighty Key can open up anything? Everything? I tried and I thought I had opened up his heart to me as mine did for him. Unfortunately it didn't because he opened it more than willingly to another person but me and i am left to just believe that everything about me and him is somehow true and deeper when the lights and cameras are on.