♪Your girlfriend’s got competition…♪
 

A few days later, Onew was at the mall looking for a gift for Jonghyun. It was their third anniversary and he was nervous, but mostly excited, about what he’d arranged. He had the dinner menu planned, deciding to order-in instead of cooking himself, and he’d already set the scene in his mind’s eye, he just had to put it into action when he got home. He couldn’t do it before he left because Jong had been there and he’d wanted it to be a surprise, but Jong would be gone by the time he returned so all that was left was the gift. He’d passed a million jewelry stores and every time he stopped to window-shop, the rings called to him. Pretty little symbols of affection they were but more importantly, they screamed commitment. He had an urgent desire to put the old ball-and-chain on Jong but he refused to give into it, knowing it was prompted by insecurity. The last thing he needed was to put more strain on Jong and subsequently their relationship. He already knew…

As soon as the thought cropped up, he pushed it away. That was the last thing he needed to think about today of all days. With a sigh of longing, he turned away from the window and headed to a store that was purely high-end watches. You could never go wrong with a blinged-out accessory. After he made his purchase, he headed to his favorite café to grab a smoothie but as he rounded the corner, he came face to face with the last person he’d ever want to see on any given day, least of all today of all days.

“Key!”

Key’s eyes widened in surprise then narrowed as his hackles rose defensively. The source of all his troubles was right n front of him and he couldn’t do a thing about it. “Onew.”

Onew swallowed and forced himself to go on. “How’ve you been? I didn’t see you for the last two practices.”

“I was sick,” Key responded curtly. Didn’t Jong tell you, he was tempted to add. However, he was immediately overcome with shame when he saw Onew frown, concern evident in his dark eyes. Damn him! “I’ll be there bright and early on Saturday, though, so don’t you worry,” he added, forcing a smile to his lips.

Onew nodded. “That’s good. Glad to hear you’re all better.”

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence until Key’s eyes fell to the brilliant J&K bag in Onew’s hand. Since the store was incredibly expensive, he knew it had to be for something important. Nodding towards the bag, he inquired, “What’s the occasion?”

Onew glanced down, having completely forgotten his reason for being there. “Oh... It’s a gift for Jong.” He stared pointedly into Key’s eyes as he continued. “You know, for our anniversary. We’ve been together three years today.”

Jong was a fool if he thought Onew didn’t know about them, Key thought. It was written clear as day in Onew’s eyes. Could Jong really be that blind?

Key unexpectedly found himself overwhelmed by an intense anger directed towards Jong. If Onew knew about them then there was no reason for the pretense. But right on the heels of that came the realization that Onew hadn’t confronted or tried to leave Jong either. Obviously, it was his way of saying he wasn’t going anywhere without a fight. Suddenly, Key felt very tired. He didn’t have any fire left in him and thought a speedy exit was best.

“Well, congratulations. I hope you have an enjoyable night.”

Onew nodded, acknowledging the end of the battle…for now. “Thank you. See you soon.”

With a slight finger wave, Key walked past him.

Onew couldn’t help feeling momentarily triumphant, like he’d gained some ground in his war to stave off his competition. At the same time, though, he couldn’t ignore the defeat and hurt he’d seen in Key’s eyes as he walked away. He wondered if he ever looked that way and was surprised to find himself becoming irritated with Jonghyun. He was playing with people’s hearts. Onew understood that he was confused but it wasn’t right.

Onew had admitted to himself months ago that Key was there to stay. Jong had dallied before, with both men and women, but it had never lasted more than a few days or weeks so he’d brushed it off and moved on. He loved Jong too much to let him go. But when Key came into the picture, he knew he was in trouble. He saw it in Jong’s eyes when he looked at Key, felt it in the distance that was ever increasing between them. Jong was completely oblivious to Onew’s awareness and it allowed him to see everything, more than he’d ever wanted to.

He’d almost caught them once. During practice at the Arts Centre, they’d left the practice room and snuck off to a supply closet, one after the other. He’d already figured out what was going on by then and was looking for confirmation so he followed them. He remembered the horrible crack he’d felt from his heart straight through to his soul when he saw first Jong, then Key, both with kiss-swollen lips, exiting the closet. He’d hidden in a classroom and cried silently until he’d calmed down. He’d tried to believe that it meant nothing, that Jong was ‘just being Jong’ again, but he couldn’t keep lying to himself. He became even more certain when he saw Key watching him curiously, wonder tinged with a hint of guilt, and perhaps regret, in his gaze. Yea… He was pretty sure Key knew from even then, maybe he had even wanted Onew to see them. It was a move but he found himself grateful. It was strange to feel anything positive towards the person trying to steal his reason for existing but he did. At least Key hadn’t lied to his face.

Shrugging off the painful memories, he decided to forgo his smoothie and just head home. His earlier excitement had faded but he hoped it would return once he was busy again. Clutching his J&K bag as if it was a lifeline for his relationship, he strode quickly towards the exit. He could see the dark skies through the glass doors, knew that rain was threatening. “Well isn’t this lovely…” he muttered. “Hell of a day for a celebration.”