"A Conceited Man Can Never Go Anywhere, Because He Thinks He's Already There."

[INDENT]"Grandpa!" A cheerful voice chirped. "Listen to this! Most of the things you wanted me to buy were on sale! How cool is that?" Key turned just as the old man did and laid his eyes on a boy, looking his age, with three grocery bags hanging off his arms, smiling brightly. Once the boy saw Key, his smile widened. Oh, God, Key thought in exasperation, another fan. Great, even in this kind of place I've got fans. I'm going to have to work to get away from this one-

[INDENT]"Whose this?"

[INDENT]What?!

________________________________________________________________________________________

[INDENT]He had to be hearing him wrong.

[INDENT]That boy absolutely, positively, most definitely did not just ask who Key Kibum was. He couldn't have. There was no way a Korean teenager -especially one in the same area as Key, nonetheless- didn't know who Key was. There was no way. And just as Key opened his mouth to defend his pride-

[INDENT]The old man beat him to it.

[INDENT]"On sale, huh? How lucky." He murmured, and when his eyes slid to Key like a cat smirking at a defeated mutt, the old man snickered. "Oh, this guy? He's no one. Dont mind him, boy, and go put those in the fridge before they get cold."

[INDENT]Key's attention swerved back to the boy after a moment of glaring at the man, and watched as he crossed the room, shrugging happily, and it hit Key. This kid really didn't know who he was. He really. Didn't. Know.

[INDENT]"Dont be so surprised, boy." The old man muttered, and Key glanced at him. His irritation boiled. Damn it, why was he still here? But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to leave. Not yet.

[IDNENT]"How can I not be?" Key grumbled back, and just then, the boy returned, still looking happier than ever. What was there to be so happy about? Key wondered. He decided that, as long as he was here, he might as well indulge this person in conversation. Too bad he was once again beat to the chase.

[INDENT]The boy grabbed a seat next to Key and stuck out his hand. "I'm Kim Jonghyun." Jonghyun pointed to the old man, who was lighting a cigarette absentmindedly. "That's my grandpa, Soohyun. Nice to meet'cha! Who're you?" Key thought of telling the boy just exactly who he was, but... Something stopped him. Whether it be the incredibly childish and kind look in Jonghyun's eyes, or the surprise that Jonghyun was treating a stranger so kindly in the first place, Key couldn't place it. But there was something that made him stop before he spoke.

[INDENT]Key reached out his hand and grabbed Jonghyun's own, and delivered the most genuine smile he could muster up. "I'm-" I'm Kim Kibum. Call me Key. He stopped himself. No... It struck Key that, if this boy didn't know who he was, he was that interesting event. This boy was the thing he was looking for to surprise and indulge him. Jonghyun was the thing that Key had been looking so desperately for. Would Jonghyun's attitude change if he knew who Key was? It was a stupid idea, yes, but Key couldn't let it happen. Be it selfish of him, but he couldn't let the only person he'd met in so long that was different slip through his fingers. "I'm Shin Choi." Key kept the smile on his face, seeing the old man's head turn to him slightly. But he didn't say anything, and for that Key was grateful. Why he didn't, Key had no clue. But he didn't care much. Not at the moment.

[INDENT]And Jonghyun smiled. He smiled, so easily fooled. Key felt the guilt weigh down on him, but a feeling that overpowered it was curiosity. If Jonghyun wasn't into Key's music, and things like what Key did, then what was he interested in? Key found himself aching at the bone to know. But not just yet. He had to be normal, he had to act normal. What did a normal person act like? Being surrounded by people all the time didn't exactly tell him how to act like a normal person. Jonghyun spoke, ripping him out of his musings with that smile again. "So what are you doing here so early? We haven't even opened yet... Gramps never lets anyone in before opening time." 

[INDENT]At the 'gramps', Soohyun glanced at Jonghyun, pointing a spatula at him. "Oi. I told you, I'm not that old." Jonghyun laughed in return, and Key couldn't help but feel... an odd feeling. A feeling that made him want to just sit back and stay like this, how they were. He just wanted to stay and talk with Jonghyun. And so, he did. He knew he'd be getting an earful from his manager... but was that more important than his own prefrences? No, he didn't think it was.

[INDENT]Jonghyun looked back at Key after his laughter ceased, and cocked his head slightly in a questioning pose. Key smiled ever so slightly, and leaned back in his chair, shrugging. "I just happened to come across the place. Looks kind of... out of place in Korea, doesn't it? An American custom in Korea?" He was mostly asking Jonghyun, but he had the feeling it would be Soohyun that would actually answer it.

[INDENT]And, like Key predicted, Jonghyun laughed sheepishly and glanced at his grandfather. "I'm just working here 'cause I live with the guy. I don't know why he did this." Then, speaking up, Jonghyun asked, "Hey, grandpa, why'd you make the store look so American, anyhow?" 

[INDENT]To Key's surprise, the old man went into a long story about how he'd met his first love in America, and how he'd had his first real adventure in America, and the rest was a blur to Key, because he'd zoned out and wasn't listening to any details, but was instead staring at the big picture. It was a picture of an old man behind the counter of an American Diner, chatting on with a new animation to himself, with a young boy, no older than seventeen, laughing along with the stories, but not seeming to be listening fully, either. Key wondered if this was how people really acted.

[INDENT]If so, then why would they wish for a life like Key's? He'd heard people say they wanted to be famous too many times. They wanted everyone to love them, they wanted everyone to kiss the ground they walked on. They wanted to be recognized. Key didn't understand, looking at the scene before him, what was so wrong about being like this, happy and at home with people like Jonghyun and Soohyun that got along so great. Key allowed himself a quick glance at his watch and realized with a slight tug at his chest that it was indeed time to go. If he was gone any later, his job could be at risk. He knew how his manager could be.

[INDENT]Key stood, his chair scraping against the tiles ever to lightly, but caused the two to look towards him. "I have to go," Key said, then realized how incredibly bland it must have sounded. "Uh- I've got an important thing I have to go to. Maybe I can... come back here soon?" He glanced at Soohyun, knowing it was more up to him, but he couldn't tell why he was even asking. If anything, he was a customer, and customers were always welcome. But he asked, and to be honest, he was curious to see the old man's answer.

[INDENT]Soohyun smirked and shrugged, turning his back on the boys. "Sure, it's not up to me to decide what you can and can't do, anyway..." And just that moment, Soohyun turned, that damned smirk on his face, staring Key straight in the eyes, "Shin." He said, and gave a little snicker before disappearing back into the kitchen of the diner.

[INDENT]Key glanced at Jonghyun, but before he could say a word, that smile was already on his face, bright and completely comfortable. "You should visit again!" Jonghyun said. "It was fun. And next time, come when we're open so you can have some food. Gramps makes the best American food you'll get, even in America." Jonghyun laughed at his silently spoken pun, and the smile that slipped onto Key's face, whether it be intentionally there or not, stayed there, too.

[INDENT]"Yeah, I'll definitely be back." He said, promising. He paused, and looked around the store, considering. His eyes fell upon a pen on the counter, but no paper, and Key reached for the pen, scribbling on his finger to make sure it had ink, before glancing at Jonghyun and smiling. "Give me your hand so I can call you. I'm terrible at remembering directions. Surely, you'll be able to give me a hand with that." 

[INDENT]Jonghyun was quiet for a single moment before he broke out in laughter. He laughs a lot, Key thought, but without malice. "Sure I will! You're not the only one with directional issues." Jonghyun chuckled brightly, and stuck out his hand. Key wrote his number on Jonghyun's skin. He took his time, however, relishing in the soft feel of his skin, and the slight delicacy of the hand he was holding. Key smiled and released Jonghyun's hand, walking past him to the door and waving. 

[INDENT]"See you soon, Jonghyun!" Key said, trying to make himself sound like any other person. Of course, he'd seen television shows and dramas, and had based how he acted off of those, but he still couldn't help the feeling that he wasn't acting completely normal. But at least he'd have time to fix that with Jonghyun. Key smiled to himself, walking out the door.

[INDENT]"Bye, Shin! Have a good day, you hear?" Jonghyun called after him with that cheery tone that Key already had engraved in his memory. Key smiled to himself, walking down the street again with his head down. Then, he broke into a run, not caring if any fans saw him. In his hand he clutched the pen he used to write his number on Jonghyun's hand, and he kept running, smiling even after the first "Look! It's Kim Kibum!" sounded down the street.

_________________________________________________________________________________

kmasdlkasmdlkasmdlkasmd

Jong-bebeeehhh.... Whyyy is your name so hard to spell repeatedly....? Dx BAH.

ANYWHO. I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. I might've recently called the diner that Jonghyun works at a deli, and if I keep doing that, ignore it, okay? D: For some reason I have it painted in my mind that it's a deli and not a diner. ;;>_____> BUT I WANT IT TO BE A DINER So my mind and I are having a mental battle. Apparently my mind's winning. @3@

ANYWHO. =D Thanks for reading! And I hope I'm at least a little bit close to Jonghyun and Key's personalities, 'cause I dont want to be TOTALLY off the mark. ^____^" LOL :'D But yes~ Comment, subscribe, and do a little jig while you're at it~ ;D