[Yeongsu POV]

 

I hated him with every fiber of my being, detested him with a passion and ultimately prayed the er would be buried 6-feet under. 

 

Dae Yeongsu, that’s my name but never did I realize as I glanced upon the itinerary of SHINee’s big comeback that my hatred would flourish like a blossoming rose of crimson. As red as blood, my spite ran deep to the very bone and I could only reach for the one thing that would relinquish this unbearable pain within my heart. With a pencil in hand, my fingers instinctively scribbled across the name I dreaded every waking day of my life. I scribbled and scribbled its leaded tip until the existence of such a name darkened in the void of my hatred, replacing that despicable three letter word with my own 10 letter title of awesome:

 

Dae Yeongsu

 

“Oi!!!” 

 

Ugh! Just like nails clawing on a chalk board, the shrill of his voice threatened to sever my head in two, his face resembling the plauge that reeled me back in fear of catching something contageious, and his presence...Don't get me started on his presence which ultimately resembled the very pits of hell.  

 

Kim Kibum had nudged my leg with his foot, glancing down at my scribbled work of art that contorted a diva expression of epic proportions. “Do you have a problem with me? If so than speak up instead of pathetically scratching out my name as if I wasn’t in the same room as you.”

 

Diva! Diva! Diva!

 

With a command being spat out at me, I only could naturally stand in response and look him straight in the eye with my infamous smirk of malevolency. Daring him to utter another command that would send my hands flying around his neck. 

 

[Key POV] 

 

After 6 straight hours of strenuous choreography drenching my body with a residue that failed to befit a world renowned prima donna such as myself, it was only natural that I would fall into the inevitably abyss of irritation. Every little insignificant thing pulled at the strings of my own frustration, snipping and snipping away at the delicate thread until my eyes festered upon a person that I hardly even knew. I discretely stood behind him, packing up my things in an irate manner that manifested my natural aura (as everyone so graciously proclaimed behind my back) to filter the air. There was not a soul in the world who would dare pry me away from my attempts to escape this wretched studio just so I can depart to my home away from home (code name: SM apartment complex). However, when I glanced over this brooding raven who intentionally scratched out my name and replaced it with his own, I knew that this Dae Yeongsu would be trouble. 

 

However, my moment of ’-sass’ failed to contain itself as I spoke of an inquiry that hoisted him to my line of view, the male towering at least 6-inches taller than me. 

 

Bam! There goes my ego!

 

“ Excuse me?” 

 

Was this mocking me? I could hear it in the intonation of his voice and that supplementary grin of pure maliciousness didn’t help my assumptions one bit. 

 

“Problem? What ever do you mean? The only problem I’m witnessing here is a diva who’s unable to sense when his presence is not welcomed. You see, I have this zone of proximity that shouldn’t be crossed and right now…you’re crossing it.”

 

Zone of proximity? Crossing what? This bastard was stepping over that threshold where if looks could kill I would be accused of murder in the nth degree. 

 

With onlookers casually leaving the studio, I retracted my fangs of resentment to save face, putting on that flawless façade of composure as solemnity quickly masked my disdained features that furrowed my brows. 

 

“Well, you crossed the line the moment you crossed out my name. You stepped over my own ‘zone of proximity’ and now I deserve a ing explanation. I don’t even know you and I’ve done nothing to deserve this bull. But you know what? I know you’ll tell me what's your problem because you’re a dedicated backup dancer, are you not? So tell me…That is…“ I intentionally paused for dramatic affect, smearing my own rendition of a smirk filled to the brim with sheer animosity. “ That is if you desire to still be apart of SHINee’s big comeback.”

 

Boom! Right in the kisser! 

 

When you mess with me you expect a load of retaliation because Kim Kibum wasn’t about to play around when my reputation was at stake. 

 

I waited for that despicable smirk to fall into nothingness and patiently waited for the explanation to fall from pursed lips, but all I received was an even wider grin from a demon that took a daring step towards me. He had a lot of guts to close that small gap between us because as I attempted to reverse my steps I had a hankering to sink my fist into that smug of a smirk he so evidently displayed. However, wave after wave of anger unfortuantely rooted me to the floor and I wanted nothing more but to show that conniving being who truly reigned supreme. But I was undoutedly striken by this sudden change of events that unexpectedly drew those sniveling lips to my ear. 

 

This person, this demon, this imp was quite a great actor. 

 

I could tell how mindful he was of the people around us as his mask of malevolency drenched with a sincerity that failed to coincide with the treacherous heat that brushed upon my cheek. He was pure evil and I wasn't even sure what exactly I got myself into until it was to late.

 

“The level of respect I have for you plunges to the center of the earth - tumbling and toppling over right into the underworld from whence it came. In addition, your level of intelligence fall in that same category of respect I just mentioned and your arrogance is beyond containable to the point of vexation; and to add to all that, your capability to use some common sense fails in comparison to the robots that march around with the secrets and lies that are evidently written all over their manipulative faces. So do you define yourself as those wretched dolls who goes against their every word? Are you really going to fire me because I‘ll tell you one thing…” I held my breath, awaiting the finally words to ruthelessly escape him. “…I’ll never abide to your every whim. I’ll never in a million years wring my neck with a leash for you to reign over me. You got that?”

 

How he said those words with a pleasant smile on his face was beyond me.

 

I stood there in stark confusion toward the proclamation that seemed to escape him in one impressive breath. It wasn’t fear nor was it intimidation that made me stumble back in disbelief. The truth of the matter is, I was simply and utterly baffled by the extent of his words that demeaned my very existence. I never knew him and until this day, I never spoken one single word to this demonic being that insisted on staring me down as if I was his arch nemesis. 

 

Eyes narrowed as a knot formed at the back of my throat and without a word of retort, I merely my heels and walked away from this psycho that clearly needed his head rearranged. 

 

[Jonghyun POV]

 

There was a fine line between love and hate and right now, I wasn’t feeling neither adoration or resentment from a Diva who tried so hard to ignore everyone and anyone in the room. 

 

“That’s a first. Yeongsu and Key was  talking back there. I thought he hated him?” Onew questioned, leaning back in his chair. 

 

We were waiting in the van for Key’s arrival to head home, but like always, the diva had to make a dramatic entrance and of course, a late one at that. 

 

“He doesn’t particularly hate him. He just needs some time to warm up to Key, that’s all.” 

 

Yeongsu had his reasons and I was one of the rare few in Yeongsu's circle who was well aware of it all. He was my best friend so it was natural for me to defend him in such a subtle manner. It wasn’t as if the others had any say in the exchange of words that wasn’t in the their jurisdiction to scrutinize in the first place. Everyone had their rough edges and Yeongsu surely was just a another diamond in the rough.

 

“Jonghyun, your phone is ringing.” I was so caught up in my thoughts I bolted a hand towards my phone and retrieved the cell that beckoned for my attention. 

 

“Hello”

 

“Jonghyun-ah, its me Yeongsu. Remember a long time ago when you said I shouldn’t judge key and that I should give him a chance? Well, I think its safe to say that that chance has arrive”

 

“Chance? What do you mean by that?” I said with a raised brow. “Knowing you this can’t be good.”

 

“Come on, the equation of faith is simple: considering the happenstance of the situation, plus the ill-willed rate of undeniable query of Kibum-ssi’s presence, multiplied by the series of events that led up to my deliberation of surfacing the old saying ’let bygones be bygones’, and finally subtracting the fifty-percent chance of failure, than that only equals to the relatively true fact that you, TaeMin and the others can leave without Key and I’ll drive him back to the apartment complex in order to amend the wasted years of him and I possibly being ‘friends’.”

 

“Wait…what? You always use so much words to say something. Let me see if I got this right. So, your saying you want us to ditch Key and leave him to you? You know, he’s going to call and demand we turn back around to get him, right?.”

 

“Then that’s when you mention my name. Everyone’s busy preparing for other individual projects that they can’t simply go out of their way to play taxi for Key, so I’m his only hope. It’s a good opportunity to be nice.”

 

“You sure its not an opportunity for something else?”

 

“Oh now that’s hurtful Jong-sii. We’ve been friends for so long and yet you still don’t have the decency to trust me. Do you want me to go off into a tirade filled with studious words and incomprehensible material that will annihilate your brain cells?”

 

Of course not! My head was reeling back as it is from the sudden bout of vocabulary that called for a dictionary. “Fine. I’m going to risk being yelled at in hopes your intentions are good. Just remember, try not to be all mischievous about things Yeongsu.”

 

With that he hung up and I did the same thereafter, hoping and praying to any god who would accept my plea that everything would play out as smoothly as possible.