Key POV

“Tri…ring……….Tri….ring”

My eyes looked up towards the door as an unfamiliar figure stepped into the cafe. Relief swept over me knowing it wasn’t Se kyung noona. My heart was thumping faster and faster as I counted down every minute towards 11.30 pm, the time that I was supposed to be meeting her.

Even though I have replayed the words I going to say over and over again in my head, I was still not prepared to face her.Sigh…………I didn’t want to hurt her but I can’t help it. I need to do this……Hwaiting Kim kibum…………..you have to protect him…………….

-Minutes later-

“Tri…ring……….Tri….ring”

“Annyeong Key-ssi, sorry I’m a little late, have you waited very long” she greeted me politely as she settle down on a chair in front of me.

“Anniyo, noona. I just waited for a while.” I answered immediately as I took in deep breaths to calm the emotions that were racing in heart.

“Excuse me, could I have a cup of green tea latte please.” she asked the waitress that was standing beside her. “Do you need anything, key?”

“Anniyo, I don’t” I replied as I bite my lips anxiously.

“Ok then, let go straight to the point. What do you want to tell me, key?” she asked seriously, glancing directly into my eyes.

“I….I…………” I stumbled nervously. “Noona, I know I’m not in the position to tell you this but …….sigh…… …but…………..Jonghyun have always been cheating on you……and…….I can’t stand it anymore so I made up my mind to tell you this………………” I bluffed swiftly, hoping that she doesn’t see through my lie. “I’m serious, noona……….”

“…………………………..”

"If you don’t believe me, you can ask him directly” I challenged confidently, knowing that she would probably notice the oblivious marks I planted on his neck. Jonghyun won’t have any excuses to give.

“…………………………..”

“I really don’t understand? Why are you telling me this, Key? Aren’t your best friends, don’t you think you’re betraying him now………………..Sorry, but I still trust Jonghyun. I believe he won’t do this to me. He won’t cheat on me” she answered calmly after a long pause.

I saw regret and grief that were flashing in her eyes but there were no signs of any anger or jealousy that should normally be present when a girl was told that her boyfriend had cheated on her. Hence, it’s either she really has that much confidence in Jonghyun or she don’t even care. Se kyung Noona……………. Do you even love him?.......................I questioned silently as I felt anger burning in me…………..

“heh………Trust….. don’t try to ridicule me. I heard and saw everything between you and Onew hyung yesterday. How could you do this?” I mocked sarcastically. “Jonghyun trusted you too, noona ……….. then wae………why did you betray him. Why did you lie to him? Are you using him all along”

“………I’……………I’…..” she gasped uncontrollably as her eyes widen in shock. “I’m sorry……………….I’m really really sorry……………..” she cried as she broke down in tears.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, noona” I replied infuriatingly “It’s Jonghyun that you should apologize to. You’re right; Jonghyun had never cheated on you. He is a dummy that loves and respect you. A guy that will cry his heart out for you but what did you do in return?...heh........I totally can’t believe it……. How could you be so cruel and treat him like this when you know that he will not betray you.  Why did you still lie to him and break his heart.”

“Why……….. noona……….why?……………” I questioned, staring at her teary face as droplet of tears rolled down her cheeks and faint sobs escaped her lips. I felt sorry for her but I can’t make myself stop.

“…………………………..”

“Honestly……….do you even love him?………………..If you don’t then leave him alone. He’s better off without a heartless girlfriend like you that only knows how to hurt him; to use him to get close to his friend?” I continued acerbically, clutching my fist to contain my anger.

“If you’ve ever spare a thought for him, you will understand the pain and suffering he is going through now. Tell me, how is he going to face Onew hyung, knowing that the girl he loves doesn’t love him but his friend; his band mate that he works and lives with. Don’t you know that you’re hurting both of them at the same time, you freaking insensitive bit…………”

“Smack…………….” A piercing slap landed on my face before I could even finish my sentence causing my head to spin wildly. The smoldering pain searing on my cheek brought me back to my senses forcing me to look up at her……………..but the person that was standing in front of me wasn’t her……………..but… Jonghyun. He was glancing remorsefully at me with his fist clenched at his side. Se kyung noona was tugging on to his shirt, stopping his advances.

I could feel all the stares in the cafe directed at me, people were gossiping about us but it didn’t matter anymore. I wasn’t concerned whether I’ve been recognized at all because I can’t feel anything. My body and senses were numbed by the throbbing bitterness that was stinging my heart. Tears started b in my eyes as my brain comprehend the situation……………….he slapped me, he slapped me because of her………………why?.................Why is this sharp pain piercing my heart?  Why is my heart bleeding?........................why?...................

“Mianhae, Key……….” she apologized in place of Jonghyun that was still in shock. “I’m sorry for everything…………..don’t be angry with Jonghyun, he didn’t do it on purpose……….”

Yup, I know…………….he did it because of you…………..he cared for you too much to even think about me………….I know this for a very long time already but why does it still hurt me knowing it………..I know I can’t be angry with him because it’s my own fault, I brought this to myself…………………But why is he looking at me like this? Why?.....................

Ridiculous isn’t it………….he was the one that slapped me but the pain look he had on his face made him looked as though he was the victim that was slapped instead and it’s breaking my heart. Are you trying to make me feel guilty, Kim Jonghyun? Congratulation because if you’re, you have just succeeded……. ………………

“Se kyung noona, mianhae. I should be the one that is apologizing. I’m sorry for saying those nasty words to you. It’s not my right to judge what you do and how you act. I know I shouldn’t get involve in your relationship; it’s my own fault for being so nosy. Mianhae.” I said regretfully as I bowed and walked out of the cafe. I can’t bear looking at his face any longer because I know the tears I trying very hard to control would start streaming down.

Jonghyun POV

What…………..What have I just done? I’ve slapped him. Damn it, I slapped him…………with this freaking hand of mine. I thought as I stared at my swollen hand in front of me.

 Remorse washed over me as the burning pain that was lingering on my palm was reminding me that it was true…………………I just hurt my best friend, the one that I treasured the most, my love………. my love? AHHHHHHH……………………What am I thinking? What is this crazy feeling that is blazing in me? Why is my heart beating so fast when I’m thinking of him? Why?.................What is happening to me?.....................

“Jonghyun………….” Her tight grip on my hand broke my train of thoughts making me turn to look at her, her teary face. “What’re you waiting for, go after him………” she cried, pushing me slightly.

“Go after who?................” I questioned in daze.

“Key, of course……………..he left……………..so are you going to just stand here” she asked anxiously. “Go quickly, go after him. What if he does anything stupid”

“What……” I yelled. He left, When?………….Damn it, where is he? I cried silently as I dashed out of the cafe, looking up and down for him as I analyzed all the places he could have gone to.

Where can he go this late?............

• Back to our dorm……………..No, not if he thinks I’m going back …………..

• To his friends’ house……………..No way, he won’t want them to worry about him…………..

• Go out shopping……………..definitely not when he is flaming angry………………..he will probably burst all his credit       cards…………………..

•  To the book store……………….Only if he is going there to tear all the books to release his anger………..

• To a restaurant………………Impossible………he hates to be fat, he won’t eat after 7 pm every night except if he’s forced to……………..but honestly I think he would rather starve himself than to obey us if he has a choice………………

• To drink……………………probably not…………………he thinks guys that drink to forget all their sorrows are dumb and idiotic…………….killing themselves in alcohol intoxication, subjecting themselves to liver cirrhosis and liver failure…………..total waste of money and resources ………………..

• To the Gym……………………. over my dead body………………he hate to sweat……..he thinks it’s smelly and disgusting…………………..he would probably spray enough perfume to smoke everyone until they all die sneezing…………….

• To the park…………….Not when it’s so quiet at night……………he will be scared……………..he’s not as strong as he always try to act as………………….

I’m running out of ideas, there is not much places left to consider already, where could he be? I riffled my hair in despair as an image flashed in my mind…………….Right, why didn’t thought of this, the playground across the street, the swing I’ve liked sitting on……………………

……….Yes……………..he would definitely be there………….I just knew it, my sixth sense is telling me ……..guiding me to him……………..I could totally feel it……………………

Key…………….please wait for me………………I’m coming  to get  you……………….

Key POV

Stop kim kibum……………….stop running…………….stop crying………………….. stop everything you’re doing now……..get a grip on yourself………stop torturing yourself…………..it’s not worth it………………….he will not even care………………..he won’t…………………

I screamed in my head but I could neither stop my legs that is sprinting impulsively nor my eyes that is tearing like crazy. Even when everything in front of me was blurred………………I could still clearly see the pain I’m feeling deep inside…………………….

……………………Why can’t I give up on you……………Why?...............I thought I could………………I could act as though nothing happened………..that I don’t even care but I can’t………………….It still hurts…………………it hurts like hell seeing both of you together……………seeing you protect her……………..caring for her………………..

…………When will you set me free, Jonghyun. When will I not feel hurt or sad anymore, I cried as I grabbed on to a metal pole in front of me to balance my exhausted body as I gasped breathlessly for air. 

I intuitively wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face with the back of my hand as I try to figure out the place I’m at. The familiarity of the place strike me……………….it’s the playground, Jonghyun liked most……………………..the swing, the wooden horse and the slide that he enjoy sitting and playing …………….

A weak smile spread on my face as I reminisce our enjoyable times here……………although they’re very short but they’re still my most treasured memories of him……………..

-Flashback-

“Yah!!!! Kim Jonghyun……………where’re you dragging me…………..” I yelled annoyingly, trying to flinch his grip away. “Stop pulling me, the groceries are so heavy, they’re killing me…………..Let’s go home. I still need to cook brunch for everyone”

“Yeobo……………..can we go to the playground for a short while, I really want to sit on the swing …….please………..” he pleaded sweetly, glancing at me with his gleaming puppy- looking eyes.

“No!!!!” I rejected frankly, breaking all his hopes. “Pabo………..only kids like the playground…………..so grow up, hyung……………….”

“Yeobo……………stop nagging or not you’ll get wrinkles………..” he pouted, sticking his half-eaten lollipop into my mouth. “This will help to sweetened up your mood” he grinned disgustingly, making me want to wipe the smile from his face.

“Yah!!!!!! Kim Jonghyun………………. It’s disgusting………………don’t ever do it again…...” I shrieked, reaching out to slam him with the grocery bags I was holding but before I could succeed; he caught hold of my wrist, swinging me towards him.

“Why?.............you don’t like my kisses, key………..” he whispered gently into my ears, making the tiny hairs on my arm to stand, leaving me dumbstruck. “……..But I enjoy kissing you……………” he continued as he lean down to peck my cheek swiftly before I could even react.

OMG…………OMG…………He just kissed me……………….Kim Jonghyun kissed me…………even though it’s just on my cheeks but……………. giggles………………my dream came true, it finally came true………………….the happiness that was bubbling in me caused my heart to pump vigorously and crimson tainted my cheek.

“key………………you’re blushing like a tomato……..” he commented “Do you really love my kiss that much, I know I’m irresistible but I’m straight so don’t fall for me ok” he joked, pinching my cheeks before running away.

…………..Don’t fall for me, key…………….I’m straight…………The words whirled in my brains………….forcing tears up my eyes…………….I felt as though a bucket of cold water just got splashed over me, making me freeze like crazy, costing my heart to stop beating……………….

All I could do was to shake my head rigorously to shake off all my thoughts………………………because it’s a fact I’ve  always known from the first day I met him…….that he will never love me romantically………… …………and I’ve learnt to face it…………………

“Yah!!!!...........Don’t worry, I won’t like a ert like you, you disgusting dino” I screamed, running after him. I won’t fall for you if I can stop myself…………….…if I can stop my heart from loving you…………….. “Don’t let me catch you or I’ll skin you alive”……………..

“Oh Yeah…………..then catch me if you can……………….” he shrieked, as he dashed off at high speed, making me sprint after him.

“Yah!!!! Kim Jonghyun, stop running already. I’m sweating and I hate it………….” I cried as I stop to catch my breath but he ran over and started pulling me along. “We’re reaching soon……………” he gasped as he dragged me towards the swing, pushing me down onto the seat before taking away all the groceries in my hands and put them onto the ground beside us.

“What’re you doing?” I questioned angrily.

“Shhhh………… Just relax, Key” His soothing voice rang behind me as his hands made its way up my back, pressing every acupuncture points on my shoulder precisely, loosening the neck stiffness I have.

“humph……………I noticed that you were always rubbing your neck these few days so I thought of giving you a shoulder massage but I know you will reject me if I offered to do it in our dorm so I lure you here…………………” he explained meticulously as he increase the intensity of his fingers. “So just relax and enjoy my service ok………yeobo……..”

 “……………Tha..nks……….” I croaked in my awful quivering voice as I bite my lips tightly to stop myself from crying……………….I know it’s dumb but I’m touched beyond words by his simple gesture; his unspoken understanding and care for me…………

-End of Flashback-

Sitting on the same swing again, staring at the starry night in front of me………………the feeling I have before had changed…………………..I don’t feel happy or touched anymore because I know all the love that I previously felt, now belongs to her…………only her………………..

I was about to start tearing again when I felt a pair of warm hands holding onto my shoulder. It’s Jonghyun………………..I  knew it without even seeing because I’m familiar with everything about him including how his warmth and touch felt…………………….stupid, isn’t it? To be so crazily in love with him, to a point that I don’t even understand…………………

Vagel_91:

Hi guys, it’s like a month since I’ve last updated, really sorry about that. I didn’t have a writer’s block this time but  I was actually a bit demoralized as I’ve lost some subscribers and there were very few comments on the story. Hence, I felt sad and wasn’t in the mood of writing.

But, after thinking hard about it, I still decided to continue writing because I hate to stop halfway and disappoint any of my readers that are still waiting for me. However, I decided to put some twist in the story soon but adding another character, hoping that she would give a different perspective and lighten the mood because will be trying to shift from angst to a more lively storyline but don’t worry I not trying to break any of the couples. However, their struggle and love life will not be so easy as I’m trying to keep the story as realistic as I can.

Please comment and subscribe, I really need a lot of motivation to preserve on and for all my readers that is still supporting me, thanks a million.