The two friends are at the playground near Taemin’s house an hour later. Taemin watches Jongin dribble the soccer ball in and around his feet as he sways himself on the swing.

“Come, let’s kick some ball.”
“You kick ball. I swing.”
“Think fast!”

As soon as Jongin hears this he kicks the soccer ball in Taemin’s direction. Almost falling out of his seat, Taemin barely catches the ball and jumps out.

“Wanna die? Do you have any idea how valuable this is?!”

Taemin yells as he points to his own face and Jongin ignores him, running backwards and motioning for Taemin to kick the ball back. Taemin sets the ball on the ground and kicks it, and the ball flies across the playground to the other end of the field. Impressed by his own kick, Taemin flaunts to himself as he watches Jongin run after it.

“Shoud I…”

Pants Jongin after fetching the ball and Taemin waits, swaying on the swing back and forth again.

“…ask Choi Sulli out?”

Taemin’s mind goes blank. And the pricks in his guts are back again. He can’t see why not, Sulli may be weird but she isn’t as bad as Soojung and…

“…Why do you always ask me these stuff?”

Jongin scratches his head and fumbles with the ball awkwardly.

“Because you don’t lie to me.”
“……”
“Remember?”
“What does that got to do with this?”
“…I guess it doesn’t.”

Jongin laughs and Taemin stops swinging.

“Do you like her?”
“I don’t know… I mean, I’ve just met her and…”
“Don’t ask her out.”

Taemin is stunned at his own words and Jongin stops playing with the ball. He blinks at Taemin and the night wind blows coldly between them. Taemin knows that he could lead the situation in any way depending on how he acts from now on. He kicks his feet in the air and starts swaying the swing again.

“I find her weird. Don’t you? I mean, she told you that I like you… that kind of speaks for itself. My dating instincts tell me that she’s dangerous, she has the capability to turn into the scariest stalker there ever-”
“Okay.”
“…Huh?”
“I said okay.”
“Okay as in… you’re not going to ask her out?”
“Nope.”
“Just like that?”
“You said not to.”
“……I did… but…”

Jongin goes back to dribbling and Taemin stares at Jongin’s footwork, taken aback by Jongin’s decisiveness.

“Promise me something in return though.”
“…?”
“Don’t go out with just anyone from now on. Even if you have a truck of girls coming at you, don’t date them. Look for someone you really like.”
“I don’t have-”
“Then wait.”
“What?”
“Then wait until you find her, stop seeing girls so meaninglessly.”

Jongin speaks so fluently like he’d prepared this speech for this moment and Taemin can’t retort back. Jongin looks up from his feet and smiles.

…Don’t smile like that to just anyone.

Taemin almost blurts out and swallows the big lump in his throat.

“Shall we play one game?”

Jongin asks as he bounces the ball on his knees. Taemin stops swinging, it’s probably the reason for his dizziness right now. He feels sick and that’s what he believes caused the whole ‘speaking without thinking’ again.

“Are you asking me out?”

Jongin drops the ball and a short second of awkward silence falls upon them.

“Kim Jongin, no matter what anyone tells me, I believe that dating is a game. So when you’re asking me to play a game, it’s like asking me out. Got it?”

Taemin brushes the dirt off his pants as he leaves the sandbox. He turns towards silent Jongin for the final time before heading home.

“Do whatever you want with Choi Sulli, I’m going to do whatever I want with my life. Crying over love and all that bull, that’s enough for only one of us. See you tomorrow.”

That “thing” Taemin felt when he saw Jongin smile at him, whatever it was, it wasn’t right. Whether it is an imagination of ifs or maybes, the thought itself is too dangerous and shouldn’t even be considered. It shouldn’t be considered, it shouldn’t b