[kyungmi]

I stared at him. He wasn’t serious, was he?

“You what?” I asked, wide-eyed.

Key folded his arms across his chest and avoided my gaze, “You heard me.” He looked away from me and he seemed… embarrassed?

Maybe I had just heard him wrong because there was no possibility that Key would like me. Sooyun, was my little sister and she was Key’s ex-girlfriend, and Key was my BFF and he just told me that he loved me.

This was really messing up my head. I said too many ands.

“What the hell are you saying, Key?” Onew suddenly broke the silence from besides me. We were still sitting on the bench after all. “You can’t love Kyungmi! She’s my girlfriend!” Onew was angry, which is very rare, unless you stole all his food.

“But I do!” Key piped up, “I do like you, Kyungmi.” He stared directly into my eyes.

I never would have thought that he would ever say that, especially after he dated my little sister. I’ve known Key for about two years. We met at a party and become good friends. He had a strange sense of humor and as much as I tried to put up with him, I couldn’t help but get used to his company. Key was an interesting guy. He was handsome, (if you tap that) he dressed well (if you tap that) and you could talk to him (if he wasn’t being annoying). But I didn’t like Key in that way.

“Key…” I touched his arm and felt Onew freeze beside me. Key looked at me with expectant eyes. “Did you get enough sleep recently?” I know that he has been feeling bummed that Sooyun officially dumped him and he has been having, let’s say, late nights.

“What?” Key choked.

“You’re just tired, aren’t you?” I reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

Key looked at me with incredulous eyes, “Come on, Kyungmi… I mean it!”

I narrowed my eyes as I felt Onew tense up. “Key…”

“You know that I don’t say stuff like this!” Key almost shouted, a tinge of pink across his cheeks. “Why would I be kidding?”

“But you can’t like me!”

Without even looking at him, I could feel that Onew was shooting deadly glares at his housemate. Oh, Onew was getting angry and jealous! Key just looked into my eyes and I almost thought that he was sincere about his feelings.

“Why not?” Key folded his arms across his chest. Arrogant Key had returned.

“Because…” I started, “I don’t like you that way.”

Key averted his gaze away from mine and looked down. He seemed like he was expecting this reaction from me. “I could’ve guessed that. But can’t you give me a chance?”

“Of course not!” Onew argued. “Kyungmi is my girlfriend. Get it?”

“She can go out with me too. I don’t mind.” Key added.

“W-what?” I eyed him, “I don’t want to go out with two guys!”

Key shook his head. “I guess you’ll have to go, Onew.”

“Yah! You’re just being like this cause you’re lonely aren’t you?” Onew said, furious. He looked like he wanted to strangle Key. “I came here to help you find a new girl and now you want to go out with Kyungmi? You’re pushing the boundaries of brotherhood, Key.”

Then it hit me. I knew why Key was being like this. He was just lonely. He missed the presence of a female. I nodded my head with a smug smile. Key was, surprisingly, jealous that Onew had a girlfriend and he didn’t. I felt good about myself, since I suddenly understood everything.

“Key, I’ll give you some time to think.” I stood up and Onew followed. “I know that you, uh, love me. But I don’t, um, love you back in that way.”

Key was looking down at the ground, but I knew he was listening.

I didn’t want to lead Key along, so I knew that I needed to end things before they started. (He probably didn’t even like me in the first place). Even though I might hurt his feelings now, it was for the greater good in the future!

It felt awkward to be around him at this time. “Therefore, I believe that you should have some time alone to think about your options. Goodbye!”

“Kyungmi?” Key called as I noticed that I began to walk (sprint) away from him. “Where are you going?”

Onew shouted back at him and grabbed my hand, “We’re going shopping! Go check out the girls.”

“Check out girls?” I questioned him. I couldn’t picture Key checking out girls. I couldn’t imagine Key, sitting there on the bench, eyeing girls up and down with hungry eyes. That would just be… awkward!

He laughed and cleared his voice nervously. “Well, he needs it?”

I shrugged, but kept my eyes on him. “Right…”

As we walked around the mall, I swore I could feel eyes on me the whole time. I glanced around behind me and at my surroundings.

“What’s wrong?” Onew asked while he was snacking on some candy.

“Is someone watching us?” I scoped the mall. There were people around, school kids were gaming and couples shopping, but I couldn’t see a lone person staring at us.

“Who is?” He asked, confused.

“I don’t know. That’s why I asked you!” I looked around again cautiously and Onew continued munching on his food.

“Just go out with me, Kyungmi!” A familiar voice shouted.

Onew stopped eating. “Key…”

“So it was you!” I pointed at him accusingly as I watched him appear from behind a plant.

“You’re my BFF. You should understand me.” Key started to approach us.

“Key, let me get this straight, I’m not going to go out with you.” What? I had enough of being nice to Key. He was getting annoying and I wasn’t usually that nice anyway.

“Why not?” He pestered.

I sighed. Although she told me not to tell him, but Key left me no choice. Because too much Key was, well, too much. I just hope that she’ll forgive me, if not today, one day.

“Because Sooyun still loves you.”

Onew gasped at the sudden revelation, but Key was perfectly composed. Not the reaction I was hoping for.

“Yah, you told me that last time. I’m not going to fall for it again.” He said, “Sooyun’s not going to come back to me. She’s with Karam.”

I shook my head, “That’s where you’re wrong.”

“What is it?” Onew asked in a quiet voice, so immerse into our conversation, he looked as if he was watching a romance drama.

“What do you mean?” Key sounded as if he couldn’t be bothered to ask.

Please forgive me Sooyun. But your unnie needed to do this!

“Sooyun and Karam broke up.”

There was silence, excluding Onew’s scandalous gasp.

Key wasn’t so composed anymore. “Really?”

“I never lie about Sooyun, “ I proclaimed.

Sooyun didn’t want me to tell Key that they broke up because she didn’t want to hurt him or something. She said that she had finally rejected Key and although she still liked him and she was now single, she didn’t want to subject him to pain or some interesting form of heartbreak if they were together again.

Though her argument was plausible, I thought that Key would be as happy as ever if he heard this news.

“So Key, what are you going to do now?” I asked, hoping that he’ll go after her.

He seemed excited, but his words didn’t express it, “I don’t… know…”

“What!” I pushed him and looked him in the eye. “After all these months of chasing Sooyun and failing, you finally get the opportunity to get back together with her and you do nothing? She still likes you and now she’s single! Go get her!”

“You’re right.” Key said, suddenly pumped. “I’ll go. Right now!” He started for the exit.

I nodded, satisfied with the result of my preaching. “Yah, Key!”

“What?” He was annoyed that I was intruding in his plan.

“Do you still love me?”

He scoffed and gave me a cocky look. “What do you think?”

I felt a weight left off my chest as I had confirmed that he no longer loved me. “Phew.”

Onew heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m so happy for him.”

I just looked at him and patted his shoulder.

----

It's been 2 months at least since the last update!

We are very sorry for the late updates... We have been busy...

Well this is the 9th chapter and we hope everyone enjoys it!

Thank you subscribers, readers and viewers!

♥JSMPKK - 06/07/11

Sorry, about Key and Kyungmi :P