The day of the play soon swept by. Key stood behind the curtains, feeling both excitement and fear. "Come on Key. You'll do fine." Dongwoon smiled, giving his friend moral support. Throughout the tough rehearsals and occasional breakdowns, Dongwoon was there for Key, making Key believe Dongwoon wasn't that bad of a guy after all. He returned the small smile before taking a heep of breath, hoping it'll soothe his nerves.

"You're on in 5!" The crew director announced before focusing on the sentences spewing out of his headset. Dongwoon and Key nodded simultaneously before taking deep breaths. You can do this, Key thought to himself, feeling the need to encourage his own shaking figure. He could hear the crowd cheering, excited for the play they were all anticipating. With our teachers cue, the stage crew dimmed the lights and shushed the crowd, motioning us to get into position. With the help of Dongwoon, Key felt more confident. Taking another big deep breath, Key walked onto set behind the curtains. As their teacher started to count down from 5, Key looked down, silently praying to himself that the play would go well. A smile crept upon his face as the curtains opened and the light flashed on him, earning a giant cheer coming from the audience.

As he looked up, Key began to recite his lines, hitting it perfectly. From the corner of his eye, he can see his teacher and the rest of his classmates silently cheering him on. The emotion of his character was clearly visible, making it as if he weren't playing a role at all. Near the end of his performance was when he successfully spotted a camera filming him. He blushed furiously and froze. "Key." He heard someone whisper. Key turned to his side to see his teacher, motioning him to keep going. The slight whispers throughout the crowd snapped Key out of his thoughts and the words began to flow out of him. As the last few sentences were belted out, the lights began to dim and the curtains started to close. Silence overlapped the audience, leaving the cast more anxious than ever. Did they like it? Before he made his thoughts into words, he could hear the audience erupt with cheers. The only thing you could hear were the sounds of their applause. Dongwoon and Key looked at each other before jumping up and down in ecstasy. Little did he know, that there was someone else in the back of the room, who seemed more than intrigued with his little presentation.

Minho's POV:

I looked out the window of the plane, smiling softly at the sight of clouds slowly drifting past us. "Psst." I looked to my right to find my mom smiling happily at me. "We're almost there. Are you excited?" You could sense the excitement in her eyes, causing me to stifle a laugh.

"I'm very excited, thanks. I'm happy I get to see Jonghyun again after 2 years." I sighed happily, my eyes fluttering shut. In a matter of seconds, I slipped into unconsciousness, hoping I would soon wake up when we landed. My head carelessly rolled to the side as vignettes of a performer began to replay in my head. In this so-called dream, I was leaning against the door frame, watching the stranger perform on stage. My mouth was left ajar as I stood there, concentrating hard on the performance. The show ended successfully as I kicked myself off of the wall and participated in the uproarious cheers. I eyed the mysterious stranger, but I couldn't seem to get a good look at the face. Noticing familiar shoes shuffling around behind the curtains, I pushed through the crowd and followed the sight of the person's feet. Just as I neared them, I tripped, making me knock out of my dream.

Feeling someone poke the sides of my body, I instinctively smacked  their hands away, groaning tiredly. "Honey, wake up! We're here!" My eyes fluttered open at the sentence, excitement soon overwhelming me once again. Everyone still seemed occupied with getting their luggage that the aisles were still blocked. I continued to loll in my chair with my mother next to me as we waited for the cloud of people to disperse. Several minutes dreaded by and we finally spotted a visible gap in the bustling array of passengers. My mom thanked them for letting us through as I grabbed our hand carry from under my seat.

"It feels nice to be back." I breathed happily, looking around the cramped airport. "Mom, can I visit my old high school? I think Jonghyun's there. Last time I talked to him, he said there was a play he was going to watch today." I shot her a hopeful smile as I grabbed her arm.

She sighed, feeling annoyed at my persistence. "Minho..." She started. I mocked her sigh as I foreshadowed what she was going to say next. Before she had the chance to say what was on her mind, I interrupted her.

"Please! It's been 2 years. Jonghyun's my best friend, you know that. I'll be back in an hour so we can unpack. Please!" I begged desperately, showing off my irresistible pout. I tried to hold back my smile, knowing she would be unable to endure my consistent pleading. She glanced down at me, followed by a defeated sigh. The smile that I held back soon made its way to my face as I hugged my mom gratefully. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I repeated multiple times, showing full gratitude.

My mom smiled warmly at me before giving me money. "You're taking a taxi there though. Don't forget to be home by 8." She ruffled my hair jokingly before walking off with our luggage. Clutching the change tightly in my hand, I sauntered out the door and smiled happily as a taxi stopped right in front of me.

I greeted the driver before informing him of my destination. I let my chin rest on the palm of my hand as I looked out the window, noticing several changes in the city. My head tilted to the side, letting it softly land on the window. Flashbacks of the times I spent with my friends replayed in my mind. By the time I felt myself drifting off to sleep, the car halted to a harsh stop. "We're here." The taxi driver grunted. I pulled the money out of my pocket and handed it over to him, thanking him graciously for the ride. Instead of acknowledging it, he huffed and leaned over to shut the door that I left open. Without letting me say anything else, he drove off with a great speed.

I scoffed in disbelief. "How rude." I muttered to myself, cursing the taxi silently to myself. Remembering my purpose for coming here, I strutted over toward the school. There were huddles of groups surrounding each corner, talking obnoxiously to each and every one of their friends. I wonder if Jonghyun is here. I cautiously walked passed the judgemental cliques when I heard muffled voices coming from the drama auditorium. "Was this the play Jonghyun was talking about?" I unconsciously whispered to myself. Going along with my instincts, I opened the door slightly before stepping in.

The audience seemed captivated by the main actor. He portrayed his character perfectly, but with his own little flair. I let the door close silently before stepping toward the side. I leaned on the wall, watching the show in awe. Why does this seem far too familiar? I thought to myself. "Why do I feel like I've been here before?" I whispered to no one in particular. I looked up in confusion to see many annoyed audience members staring at me in discontent. "Sorry." I whispered again.

As I looked over at the front, I noticed several people looking down with an angry and exasperated expression. "Shh!" They all said in unison before turning their attention back to the main star of the evening. I rolled my eyes at the disturbance before turning back to the show, instantly mesmerized once again.

Jonghyun's POV:

I clutched the plastic tightly, wondering why I felt so nervous. I made my way over to the auditorium, hearing the loud cries from the other side of the door. The cheering died down as the main character belted out their lines, leaving the crowd in awe. Opening the door slightly, I crouched down and slid inside, making sure that I would finish the mission unnoticed. The crowd was too focused on the play happening that they didn't mind my short body pushing its way through the chairs. "Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry! Excuse me, sorry." I repeated, accidently nudging irritated audience members.

"Shh!" I grimaced as I felt their spit land perfectly on my face. Glaring, I wiped their saliva off and successfully made it toward the stage. Under the stage was a barely noticeable opening that was big enough for me to get through. I turned my head slightly, hoping no one would witness my plan. Before dashing into the darkness that was displayed under the stage, I smiled up at the main actor. Counting to three silently in my head, I crawled quickly toward the stage. I sighed heavily, smiling at the fact that I didn't get caught. I used my free hand to reach out and see if there was anything in my way. Fortunately, I made it to the stairs without difficulty, but the play seemed to be nearing its end.

I ran up the stairs and into the dressing room area. I looked around the room, disgusted with the filth that was laid out in front of me. And to add to it, even the room itself had a foul aroma. I gagged as the scent filled my nostrils. " big nostrils, man." I groaned. I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the crowd erupt with cheers. Reacting quickly, I proceeded to get out what I needed: the rose and the card. Hearing footsteps, I gently placed it on top of Key's book.

The sound of his footsteps drew closer and I had to think fast. ", what do I do?" I looked around the room, searching for a somewhat decent hiding spot. I can't leave without him seeing me. Hmm... My eyes wandered around the room. Fortunately, when I first went inside the room, I made sure the door was sealed shut. I looked around frantically and seeing as there was no other choice, I reluctantly dove into a pile of clothes that were put together near the door. Using my free hand, I managed to reach for more clothes to cover any parts of my body that seemed to be exposed. As I heard the door creep open, I abstractedly took a sharp intake of breath, hoping to make nothing more than a mere whimper.

It didn't take more than 5 minutes for Key to change out of his costume and into his regular attire. Once I was positive that there was no sign of him, I dashed out the door, not even glancing at the rose that I left for him back at the dressing room. I wonder if he took it, I thought to myself as I continued to run toward the main entrance. I began to walk once the door was just a few feet away, but there was someone that seemed to be waiting for something. Why does he look so familiar? I took cautious steps as I advanced closer and closer toward the unknown stranger. I raised my hand, ready to tap on his shoulder, when he suddenly looked toward me with a shocked expression on his features. "Jonghyun!" He exclaimed, surprised to see me.

"M-Minho?!" I stuttered due to all the overwhelming excitement. "What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were in California!" Without waiting for his answer, I stepped forward and gave him a comfortable and tight hug.

Minho laughed before pulling away. "I was, but we decided that California wasn't the home for us. We missed Seoul." Forgetting about Key and the sacred present I left for him, the two of us sauntered out of the auditorium. We were so comfortable with each other; it was as if he never left.

I suddenly remembered something I was meaning to ask him, "What were you doing in the auditorium?"

"I remember you telling me about the play that was happening today. I wanted to check it out." Minho casually explained as we both entered the parking lot. "Hey, I have a question." Minho looked intensely at me and paused, waiting for my reply.

I laughed at his sterness, but quickly pushed that thought aside. "Sure, go ahead and ask."

"Who was that person in the play? The lead actress. That was a guy wasn't it?" A soft chuckle escaped his throat as he rememebered examining the lead actor's face. "It was obviously a guy."

"Yeah. His name's Key. We're actually going to go see him right now." I explained, leading him toward my car.

Minho looked at me with a both shocked and excited expression. "We're meeting him now? Why?" He asked anxiously.

"It's his birthday soon so we're celebrating it early. Why are you so excited?" I joked, poking his cheek. "You don't even know him." We both jumped into my car and as I pulled out of our parking spot, Minho get rambling on and on about Key's 'flawless performance'. The only thought that ran through my head was, of course it was a flawless performance. It's Key we're talking about here.

Third Person's POV:

After bowing and congratulating his fellow cast mates, Key quickly rushed toward the dressing rooms. Slipping out of his dress and into his regular clothes, he greeted everyone outside. "Key! You were great!" The 3 of his friends all yelled, congratulating him on his performance.

"Thanks guys!" Key smiled, appreciating their support. Just as they were about to walk out, Key remembered something. "Wait, I forgot something in the dressing room." Grabbing the nearest person, which happened to be Taemin, they raced back to the dressing rooms with the others following behind.

"What did you forget?" Taemin asked, looking around in awe at the mess displayed in the room. "Are you sure you're going to find it in this clutter?" He knelt down, examining the pieces of clothing with stains and dirt as its outer layer. "Ew..." Taemin groaned to himself, instantly dropping the fabric back on the grimy floor.

Key laughed at Taemin before walking over to the counter, picking up what seemed to be a duffel bag with a book on top. "You still have the book?" Krystal suddenly asked. Key nodded casually before freezing in his place. "What's wrong? What's that?" She asked again, noticing a pink rose placed on top of the book.

"There's a card! Read it!" Taemin jumped, seeming more than roused. "You're taking too long!" Taemin groaned before kicking the clothes out of the way and over to Key's rose, "It says... 'Amazing performance today. I'd like it if we're able to hang out again. - Anonymous'"

Key furrowed his brows, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "Anonymous, huh?" He repeated, grabbing the card from out of Taemin's grip. "I wonder who this could be from." Key began to smile as the thought of having a secret admirer appeared in his brain.

"What if it was Jonghyun?" Seunghyun calmy suggested, nudging Key's side. Noticing Key's flushed face, Seunghyun smirked. "Or it could be him." He pointed toward the door making everyone's head turn toward that direction. Key's eyes widened at the sight of Dongwoon. He was leaning on the door frame, watching them.

Dongwoon winked towards them, earning haughty laughs from the four. "Hey guys." He smirked as he bit his lips in a seductive manner.

"Ew, no." Key pretended to gag as he safetly placed the rose back into his duffel bag. "Let's go." He strutted over to the front door and pushed passed Dongwoon, hearing Seunghyun, Krystal, and Taemin discuss the rose situation once they made it out of the room. Key rolled his eyes, knowing how immature his friends could get.

When the conversation soon died down, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Taemin standing there with that signature cheeky smile of his. "Key, I just wanted to tell you again that your performance was really good. Daebak!" He flashed Key two thumbs up, moving from side to side to show his excitement. Key laughed at Taemin's goofiness and proceeded to ruffle his hair. No one could deny Taemin's cuteness; everyone knows that. Key was soon pushed by his two other friends, making him stumble forward. "See! They agree with me too!" Exclaimed a laughing Taemin as he pointed to Krystal and Seunghyun.

"Thanks," Key laughed, hugging his mates, "but it would have been better if I actually played a guy." His friends pulled away from the hug and smiled deviously at each other. "What?" Key asked, visibly confused. Instead of replying like Key had hoped, they ignored his question and pulled him. Krystal and Taemin got a hold of his wrists while Seunghyun pushed from the back.

"Man you're heavy!" The three of them groaned as they dragged him over toward the bicycle racks. "Get on." They said, breathing heavily.

"Hey, I'm not that fat." Key retorted, obeying their orders and throwing his leg over the seat, resting safely upon the motorbike. "Where are we going anyway?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at them as they their own bikes and got on themselves. Pretending like Key was nonexistent, they went ahead and began to drive down the street. "Yah! Where are you guys going?" Key yelled, starting his engine and riding down after them.

His friends laughed mockingly and ignored their friend's whining. "We're almost there, Key. Just wait!" Krystal shrieked, beginning to feel restless when his sobbing failed to cease. 5 minutes passed and, fortunate for them, they finally reached their awaited destination. As they slowly pulled into a stop, Key remained silent. Taemin began to slowly advance toward Key's curious frame as he watched nervously. Seunghyun and Krystal followed, instantly reaching for Key's wrists so he had no way of esaping.

"What are you guys doing?!" Key yelled, attempting to break free of their tight grips. Taemin smirked deviously as he slid a black blindfold from his back pocket. Too engrossed with trying to escape, Key didn't realize the mask hovering over his face. Once he looked up, Key jumped with fear running through his body. "Don't make me ask again... What are you guys doing?" Taemin tied the blindfold securely over his eyes, making sure Key had no possibility of seeing their surprise. Key pouted, feeling defeated.

As Krystal and Seunghyun began to walk slowly toward their surprise, Taemin pushed from the back. The three of them made eye contact and instantly covered their mouths to hide their stifled laughter. "Shh." Taemin mouthed to the two, still silently laughing to himself. "We're almost there." He said in a deep voice, hoping to intimidate and throw Key off.

Are they kidnapping me or something? Key thought to himself, having many scenarios play around in his head as he waited impatiently for them to get to where they wanted. 5 minutes of dead silence passed and Key began to grow tired. "What the heck are you guys doing to me?!" He yelled, pulling his hands free from Krystal and Seunghyun's grip. Key sighed in relief, rubbing the imprints on his wrists.

"Calm down. We're here. You could take off the blindfold soon." Taemin explained as he motioned Krystal to open the door. She obeyed his orders and smiled, pulling open the door. The room was pitch black, but you could see the hidden sillhouettes of people scattered around the room. "Okay, now you can take the blindfold off." Taemin announced, clapping his hands due to all his excitement and anticipation.

"Finally." Key whispered to himself, annoyed at his friends' reticence. "What was this all abo--" Before Key could finish his sentence, Krystal flipped the light switch on, making him stop in his tracks. "What the..." Key laughed, observing the room in front of him.

His eyes scanned throughout the whole room. "Surprise!" His friends yelled, jumping out from their small hiding spots, flashing huge smiles. 3 people crawled out from under the table, bringing a giant banner with them, displaying 'CONGRATULATIONS' in bold bright letters. There were ribbons and confetti being thrown all over the room and a countless amount of gifts stacked on the side. His gaze traveled over to his three friends that stood in front of him holding a cake that had his face plastered all over it.

"You guys did all this?" Key asked, both thankful and shocked that they went through all this just to throw him a party. They nodded excitedly as Key's mom began to light the candles on the cake. "Why did you guys throw me a party?"

"Just think of it as an early birthday party." Taemin explained, smiling. "Come on, umma! Blow out the candles!" He rushed behind Key, pushing him forward to get a clearer view of the cake. Key closed his eyes, wondering what kind of wish would be appropriate. A smile appeared on his face when he finally thought of the right one. I wish... I wish Jonghyun were here... It IS my birthday, after all, he thought to himself. Without delay, he blew at the candles, making the fire disappear in just one blow. "What did you wish for?!" Taemin exclaimed, grabbing onto Key's hand.

"If I tell you, then it would come true." He winked at Taemin jokingly. Key looked around the room in hopes of seeing Jonghyun suddenly appear in front of his eyes. "He isn't coming." Key whispered to himself, losing hope. "I should have wished for something more realistic."

"Did you say something Key?" Seunghyun asked, scooping out a slice of cake. Key shook his head, languishing on a chair in a corner of the room. Noticing Key's abnormal behavior, Seunghyun cautiously stepped toward him, offering his slice of cake. "It's your birthday, Key. Want some cake?"

Key smiled politely before waving his hands. "No thank you. I'm good." In an attempt to avoid further discussion about his mood, he continued to smile whenever someone began to spark up a conversation with him. Although Key was more than happy about his friends and family spending his birthday with him, he really wished that Jonghyun would at least make an appearance on his special day. I mean, who wouldn't want some hunk show up at your birthday party? "If you excuse me..." Key bowed politely at his friends before walking outside, relaxation taking over as he felt the wind blow against his milky white skin. He nonchalantly walked over toward a bench and rested comfortably upon it.

He slouched his shoulders and leaned forward, letting his head lounge in the palm of his hands. "Happy birthday, Key." He heard someone whisper above him. Key groaned tirelessly and, without picking up his head, waved for them to go inside. "Oh, uhm, okay.. Here's your gift..." The boy offered it to Key and awkwardly stood there as he waited for him to accept it.

"Thank--" Key looked up slightly and snatched the gift before glancing up at the face. "J-Jonghyun!" Key uttered nervously, immediately standing up at the sight of his crush appearing at his surprise birthday party.

Jonghyun flashed his signature smile before replying. "Happy birthday. Surprised to see me?" Jonghyun smiled formed into a smirk as Key blushed furiously. Jonghyun pulled Minho with him as they all sat down on the same bench. "This is my friend Minho. I ran into him unexpectedly and he said he wanted to come." Key looked down and thanked the both of them before looking back at the party.

"Do you guys want to go inside? There's food and everything." Sitting next to Jonghyun made Key nervous, and now he had to entertain both him and his friend. Key mentally slapped himself, noticing the dead air between the three of them. Jonghyun and Minho both nodded politely before carrying themselves off the bench and into the restaurant. After checking to see if they went in safely, Key heaved a sigh. "I need to stop embarrassing myself in front of him." He mumbled to himself before trailing behind.

The rest of the night went better than expected. Key had the guts to talk to Jonghyun and he made a new friend that night; Minho. The two stayed behind and cleaned up after everyone left. Key was more than grateful and took it as an opportunity to get closer to them.

"That was fun. You sure know how to host a party, Key." Jonghyun complimented, forming little butterflies in Key's stomach. He thanked Jonghyun with a warm smile before the two left, their minds still replaying the thrilling moments from the party.

"So, Key seems nice." Minho stated when they reached the bus stop.

Jonghyun nodded. "Yeah. Do you... like him?" He questioned Minho nervously, rocking awkwardly on his two feet.

"Like him? Like him, like him? I just met him. I might... I don't know." Minho shrugged nonchalantly before staring back at Jonghyun. "Why?" He slightly narrowed his eyes as he turned toward him.

Jonghyun's eyes were slightly wide and his lips began to quiver. "Uh," Jonghyun stuttered, "No reason. It's just that, look, I know you're gay and everything but I don't think Key rolls that way." He explained and looked away, avoiding Minho's suspicious gaze. Jonghyun hesitated before changing the subject. "There's going to be another party in a few weeks. Do you want to come?" He suddenly asked, breaking the tension.

Minho smiled and nodded excitedly. "Sure! I just got here and I'm already invited to parties." He joked, winking at Jonghyun. They laughed in unison but soon stopped when the bus reached them.