--Author’s POV—

Key is on their house, preparing to go to Yerin’s house.

This is the second and last weekend that they will be working on their project. So far, they are half way done and if they work on it together today, it will surely be finished before the submission tomorrow.

He is about to go out when he received a call from their dance trainer.

“Ne hyung?”, he said as soon as he pick up the call.

“Key. Sorry to disturb your weekend. I know we just finished our training yesterday but we really need to meet today.”

“Why?”

“Where going to perform in an event and it’s a sudden decision so we need to rush on practicing.”, their trainer explained.

“But hyung, I have something important to do today. Can’t we just move the practice?”, I asked worriedly.

“I’m really sorry to mess up your schedule for today but we really need to rush and we need you here. You know you’re the best dancer on our group.”

Key stopped for a while to think. He can’t leave the project to Yerin alone but he also can’t miss a training, the group needs him.

After a few seconds of thinking and considering, he sighed and talked again.

“Okay hyung. I’ll be there. I just need to fix some things.”

“Good. The practice will start in 30 minutes. Hurry.”, His instructor commanded then hung up.

After the call ended, Key hurriedly dialed Yerin’s number.

“Key oppa?”, Yerin answered on the other line.

“Yerin. We’ll be working on our project today, right?”, Key started.

“Yes. I already prepared the materials we’ll be needing. I’m just waiting for you.”

“I’m really sorry Yerin but something came up and I can’t go there now. My trainer just called me a few minutes ago telling me that we have to meet today.”, Key explained.

“Oh, is that so? It’s okay oppa. I understand that you’re busy. I can just do it myself.”, Yerin said but there’s no signs of sulking on her voice.

“No. You’re not going to make it alone. I’m going to send someone there to help you.”

“No oppa. It’s really fin—“

“I’m going to ask someone to help you. I’m just going to check who is available.”, Key insisted.

“Oppa… “, Yerin whined.

Key already got what Yerin is trying to say. He chuckled then continued talking.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to send Jonghyun there. I’ll try to find someone else.”

“Fine. I’ll wait here. Thanks oppa. Do well on your practice.”,Yerin said and giggled.

“Okay. Sorry again. Bye~”, He bid goodbye to Yerin and hung up.

--Jonghyun’s POV—

“Hyung, Key is going to Yerin’s house today, right?”, I looked at Onew hyung, sitting next to me on the couch, reading a book.

It’s just the two of us in our ‘headquarters’. The others were busy with their own works.

“Yeah. It’s weekend so they’ll probably be finishing their project today.”, Onew hyung answered, eyes still on his book.

“I think I should go with them to help.”, I was about to stand from the couch but Onew hyung grabbed my shirt and pulled me back.

“No, you’re not going to go. You have nothing to do there.”

“I said I’m going to help. I’m sure they need it because the submission is already tomorrow.”, I insisted and tried to get up but Onew hyung won’t let go of my shirt.

“You know what? The best help you can do for them, specially for Yerin, is to just stay here and don’t bother them.”

“I want t—“

I was cut off when the door suddenly flung open and Key went in, rushing. He ran straightly to us. He stopped in front of us for a while, trying to catch his breath. I think he ran from wherever he came from to here.

“Good, somebody’s here. Where’s the others?”, Key said, still panting.

“Taemin has a lot of homeworks to do. Minho is on a date, as usual.”, I answered.

“At least you’re here. I need your help guys—uhm no, just Onew hyung.”, Key sat between me and Onew hyung.

“My help?”, Onew hyung asked and put his book away.

“Are you busy? I need your help now”, Key asked.

“No. I’m actually finding something to do. Oh wait, I thought you’re with Yerin right now.”

“That’s actually why I needed your help. I had a sudden dance practice so I can’t do it with Yerin. I needed someone to help her to finish the project.”

“I’ll help her.”, I excitedly said but Key just ignored me.

“Onew hyung. Please. I can’t let Yerin work on that project alone.”, Key grabbed Onew hyung’s hand while begging.

Onew hyung chuckled. “You don’t have to beg like that. Of course I’ll help Yerin.”

“Thanks Onew hyung. I’ll buy you KFC chicken bucket later when we finished our practice.”, Key said and stood up.

“Really?!?! WOAHH~ I’ll do my best to help Yerin and to make your project the most perfect work.”, Onew said with sparkling eyes.

“Hey wait. Why not ask my help? I’m also free today.”, I stood up to object to Key.

“I know you know why.”, he rolled his eyes and looked at Onew hyung again.

“Onew hyung. I’m counting on you. I’m really in a hurry today. I need to go now. Help Yerin, okay? And remember, don’t let Jonghyun come. I’ll give your KFC later.Bye~”, Key said continuously and immediately ran outside.

After Key is gone, Onew gathered his things and checked his wrist watch.

“I think I should go now. Yerin is waiting.”, he said.

I watched as he slowly walks away from me.

I won’t let this happen, of course. Then an idea came on me.

‘It’s time to use strategies now…’

I chased Onew hyung and made him sat back on the couch. I moved closer to him and stretched my arm on his shoulder.

“Onew hyung let me come.”, I told him.

“No. Key asked for my help, not yours.”, he said and was about to stand up but I held his shoulders tightly.

“Okay. I have a deal. I’ll buy you a bucket of chicken, you’ll stay here and I’ll go to Yerin.”

“Key already promised me that. So still, NO”, Onew hyung said sturdily.

“Okay. I’ll make it two buckets.”, I offered again.

He looked at me. I thought already caught his interest but he immediately shook his head.

“I promised Key. And I won’t let you annoy Yerin today.”

I sighed and think of more offers to make. Then I remembered a thing he kept on telling me these past days.

“Okay. Here’s a really great deal. Two buckets of chicken and the chicken suit pajamas that you saw on an online shop.”

I saw Onew Hyung paused for a moment and looked at me straightly. I know he’s already considering my deal.

“You know? That’s a very tempting deal but I won’t break my promise for those stuffs.”

I sighed. I’m running out of offers. This is as pressuring as closing a ‘hundred million company deal’. I held his shoulders tighter before I told him the last offer I can think of.

“How about this? One bucket of chicken a day, for a week. Plus the chicken suit pajamas.”, I bit my lower lip, waiting for his reply.

I saw him closed his eyes tightly, like he was trying to resist on something. He let out a very deep sigh, took my hand and shook it.

“Deal bro. But promise me you’ll really help Yerin finish the project.”, he said.

“Sure. But before I go… Could you contact Yeonmi for me?”, I asked.

“Yeonmi? Why did she got involved to this all of a sudden?”, he raised his eyebrow.

“Because I’m going to their apartment. Yerin and I need ‘quality time’ together.  JUST US~”, I grinned.

“Aishh… Now I’m regretting that I made a deal with you.”, Onew hyung picked up his cellphone and start dialing a number.

--Yerin’s POV—

“Yerin, I’m going to go now.”, Yeonmi  told me while I was preparing the materials for our project.

“Where are you going?”

“uhmmm… finish our project?”, she answered but with an unsure tone.

“I thought you’re going to meet with your partner later. And what’s with the unsure answer?”, I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Unsure? We’ll really finish our project now. We decided to start early so I’m going now.”

“Okay. Bye~”, I waved at her and watched her walk out of the house.

Few minutes later, I heard the doorbell rang. I’m sure it’s the one whom Key sent to help me. I quickly stood up from the couch and went to open the door just to be surprise to see Jonghyun standing there.

“What are you doing here?”, I blocked him from entering the house.

“I’m here to help you on your project because Key can’t come.”, he smiled.

I raised an eyebrow. “Key asked you to help me? I don’t think so. You’ll be the last person he would be asking you to come and stay with me.”

“But I am here.”, he chuckled.

“I’m sure he really did not send you. I’m going to call him.”, I walked in the house to search for my phone but Jonghyun followed me and quickly grabbed my wrist.

“Okay, okay. It’s really Onew hyung who was asked to go here but he suddenly got an urgent ‘something to do’ so he asked me to come instead. The others were busy too.”, he explained continuously.

“Then tell Key oppa that I’m fine working alone. You may go now.”, I pointed at the door.

“No you can’t send me home.”

“And why?”

“Because the due date of your project is tomorrow and you’re just half way done. If you work on it alone,  I’m sure you won’t be able to finish it today.”, he crossed his arms on his chest and tilted his head to the side while looking at me.

I paused for a second to think about what he said.
He’s right, I might not able to finish it today if I’m alone and it’s not going to be good if we can’t submit it tomorrow.

I sighed and looked at him.
“Fine. I’ll let you help me. But if you did something annoying, I swear, I’m going to kick you out of this house and work on the project all night so I could finish it.”

“I’ll behave for you.”, he smiled then pinched my cheeks.

“And no touching!”, I yelled

He just chuckled, walked to the couch and sat there.

“Those are the materials needed for the design and everything. We need to finish it now so I need help not annoyance.”, I said calmly and sat on the carpet, in front of the center table where the materials are laid.

He slid off himself to the couch and sat on the carpet, beside me.

“I’ll really help you.”, he smiled in a gentle way.

‘His gentle image… there it is again.’, I rolled my eyes and looked away.

----

I came out of the kitchen and went back to the living room with a box of chocolate brownies. I sat down beside Jonghyun.

“Snack.”, I said briefly while holding the box near him.

He didn’t answer and just smiled at me.

“If you don’t want, just say no. I’m not going to waste my time forcing you to have a snack.”, I rolled my eyes and was about to pull the box away from him but he stopped me.

“Wait. Aren’t you going to offer me nicely?”

I sighed. “Fine… Jonghyun, have some snack first.”, I said slowly like talking to a child.

But again he just stared at me while smiling.

“If you don’t want then, don’t eat. I’m not gonna wait for your response all day.”, I glared and took the box away from him.

“Wait. Don’t you know the ‘3 trials’ offering rule?”, he said and pulled the box again from me.

I raised my eyebrow, mentally asking ‘what the hell is that?’

He chuckled. “When offering something to someone, to do it nicely, you have to ask him thrice.”

“And where on earth did you get that rule? We’re leaving on the same country but I never heard of that rule ever.”

“But don’t you think it’s a really nice way to offer someone. You could really confirm if she really wants it and she’s just being shy.”, he explained but I found that explanation with double meaning.

I just ignored him and continue working while eating.

“Hey c’mmon. Ask me again.”, he moved closer to me and rested his chine on his hand while staring at me.

“I don’t have time to ask you again and again. You really know a lot of annoying things to do.”

He chuckled. “Then shall I ask you thrice too?”

I looked at him with sharp eyes.

“Do you like me?”, he leaned closer, straightly looking on my eyes.

“No.”, I said with stiff expression.

“Do you like me?”, he leaned more towards me and the side of his lips is twitching naughtily.

“I said no.”, I tried to retain the stiff expression, though something inside me is reacting weirdly.

“Do you li—“

I cut him off when I shoved a whole brownie bar into his mouth while he was talking. I pushed his face a little farther from me so he’d move.

“This tastes good. But I’m not done asking yet.”

“Even you ask me a hundred times, you’d still get the same answer.”, I stuck my tongue out then continue doing the project.

He just chuckled. He grabbed a paper and pen beside him and start scribbling and doodling since he has nothing to do yet. He’s still waiting for my next task for him.

We’re almost done so I’m not really cramming and just letting him relax.

I looked at him and looked at what he’s doodling on the paper. I saw some fox ‘chibis’ drawn cutely. He’s drawing a lot of cute cartoon foxes all over the paper. And seeing those fox, I got curious on something.

I’m really wondering why he sees me like a fox. He would always call me Yeowoo. Yeonmi would always told me that my attitude is fox-like but I don’t think that’s enough reason for him to see me as a ‘fox-like girl’.

“Hey. I’m really curious about something.”, I started.

“Ask me anything.”, he immediately rose us from boredly laying his arms and head on the table.

“Why do you see me as a ‘fox-like girl’? I mean, what are those characteristics does a fox have?”, I asked.

It’s uncomfortable for me to ask question like that to him so I’m not looking at him while asking. I just continue doing the project.

“You have a lot of characteristics that resembles a fox. Apprearance, attitude and sometimes acts.”, he said while happily looking at me.

“Acts?”, I threw him a quick, questioning glance, and look back to what I am doing.

“You bit me remember?”, he chuckled.

I just made a face at him but I stopped on what I am doing to face him. I got interested to our conversation so I’ll pay full attention.

“How about appearance and attitude?”, I asked.

“Appearance. Narrow and pointed eyes, small nose, small, cute face… you have that. But it’s the attitude that really resembles. Yeonmi already told you that, right?”

“Yeah. Those descriptions are weird. I’m now being compared to an animal.”

“I told you. If Kim Jonghyun compared you to a fox, you should be proud of it.”, he grinned.

“But I’m not.”, I rolled my eyes and get back to working on the project.

A few seconds later, I heard Jonghyun giggling while staring at me.

“Why?”, I glared at him.

“We just had a normal conversation. No yelling, no teasing. You finally talked to me nicely, even for just a few minutes.”, he flashed a very pleased smiled.

“You’ll just experience that once. It’s over now.”, I looked away.

An hour later, we finally finished the project and we finished it earlier than expected.

“Go home now. Finally we’re done.”, I told him when I walked him to his car.

“I wish it didn’t end so I could stay longer.”, he pouted.

“But I’m thankful that it finished early so you could go home immediately.”, I rolled my eyes.

“Fine. I’ll go now.”, he gave me a big smile again before turning around.

Before he could even enter his car, I called him.

“Hey…”

He turned around and faced me again.

“Thanks…”, I said softly, almost a mumble, but luckily he heard it.

I looked away. I’m not used to talking to him like this so it’s kinds uneasy.

“Aww. You’re making me wanna stay more~ You’re treating me nicely today.”, he closed his car door again and stepped closer.

“Go home now! It’s just for today because you helped me but we’re done so you could leave now.”, I yelled.

He shook his head and laughed. He stood for seconds in front of me before getting in his car and driving away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANNYEONG! 

Hey there you, thanks for reading ^^

READ, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, (VOTE?) ♥