Creeper(s)
Our Late Night Conversations Through My Drunk Eyes
He arrived to work about an hour late even though he was technically done dressing himself about thirty minutes ago. After parking his car, he ran a hand through his hair and looked for any signs of his other coworkers. Key had gotten into repairing cars and when he was "bored", he worked at a hotel, running the snack bar. He could have easily gotten into doing something he was actually passionate about, but that just brought back too many painful memories.
He made his way to the car he was still in the midst of working on. Key kicked the grill of the beater as he threw his stuff on the spare chair placed beside it. Lifting up the hood, he examined the engine as he always did and checked to make sure all parts were still there. His coworkers like to play little pranks on him by stealing his parts or breaking something that wasn't already broken before.
It was days like those that made Key really enjoy what he had and what he had accomplished instead of wallowing in self-pity and drinking himself to death. Lying down on the creeper, he rolled underneath the car and went to work. Footsteps could be heard nearing the car and Key stopped momentarily to see whose shoes stood in front of him.
"'Bout time you showed up," the guy laughed. "I've been waiting here forever!" A smile immediately grew on Key's face and he rolled out from underneath the car to greet the mysterious guy.
"Cheolyong!" Key went in for a hug. "Man, it's nice seeing you. How've you been?" Key and Cheolyong, or Mir as he was more commonly known as, went way back. They've known each other since MBLAQ first debuted. Cheolyong used to work with Key but he was unexpectedly due for his mandatory enlisting for the army and they never talked since then. Key was the one Cheolyong would go to for advice or just to hang out with. It was like being at home with him.
"First off, sorry about the sudden cut off. They had just called me out of the blue for my service and they didn't really allow me any time to say bye or anything. My parents and the other members don't know I'm back either." He brought his voice down to a whisper and neared Key's ear, "Don't tell them. I plan on surprising them." Key laughed and hugged him again. It was nice knowing the kid hadn't changed one bit.
"It's alright. Boy, do we have a lot to catch up on. How'd you know I was still working here though?"
Cheolyong shrugged, "Knowing you, I figured you wouldn't want to change jobs or careers or anything. So I guessed you still worked here and once I asked around, it was confirmed."
He was right. He knew him well.
"Your stalker qualities are coming out again," Key said and Cheolyong broke down in laughter.
"Still the same ole Key. How's Jonghyun?" Key froze and averted his gaze to the ground.
"We... um..."
"Stop right there. Say no more. I read about that on the Internet but I didn't think it was actually true. What happened? If it's too personal, you don't have to tell me."
"No, no, it's okay. Well, our company had terminated our contract and broken up SHINee and right after he left me for Se Kyung." Cheolyong's face saddened.
"Aw, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, Changsun and I broke up."
"What? Why? What happened?"
He played with the hem of his shirt as he spoke, "He cheated on me."
"What? I'm going to kill him," Key threatened. Cheolyong grabbed his shoulders.
"No, no! It's fine. Look!" He held up his left hand for Key to see. There on his ring finger was a ring. His eyes widened as he fully examined the piece of jewelry.
"Seungho proposed right before I was called," he grinned.
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you. Well, we'll definitely catch up later okay? I'll let you get back to work."
"We will. It was nice seeing you, once again. Tell the members I said hi." Cheolyong waved goodbye as Key retreated back to the beaten car. About time, he thought. Seungho and Cheolyong had been eyeing each other ever since they were put in MBLAQ together. Why he chose Changsun over him was beyond him but what matters is that they ended up together. Now that he thought about it, that was the happiest he had seen him in a long time. Some people were just meant for each other.
Under the car again, another set of footsteps approached the car. Checking, he rolled his eyes once he recognized the steel-toed boots. The person standing before him kicked the creeper.
"Kibum," he called. Key ignored the call and continued to take out the broken exhaust pipe. "Kibum," the guy tried again.
"The name's Key," he growled. The person sighed and kicked the creeper once again. "Keep kicking the goddamn thing and watch where you'll end up."
"Okay, Key. We need to talk. It's kind of important," he added. Groaning, Key rolled out from under the car again and faced his boss. Duho, or Patrone as the other engineers liked to call him, stood awkwardly in front of him. Normally, Key wouldn't be so rude and arrogant but Duho happened to be his manager when SHINee was still together. He was also the one who had to break the news to him.
"What?" he demanded, rolling his eyes and staring at him with annoyance.
"H-Have you been drinking again?" Duho asked, not making eye contact.
"Is that really all you came here to ask me? God, you're so annoying. Go a or something." Key stood from the creeper and went to rummage for a wrench in his toolbox.
"Have you?" he asked.
"No," Key said firmly. The lie came out easily. What made it even worse was the fact that his half empty bottle of Jack Daniel's sat in front of Duho covered by rags.
"Like I believe that," he mumbled.
"Would you like to repeat what you said there, Duwhore?"
"Can you please stop insulting me?"
"Try again when you get SHINee back together," he snarled. "Just tell me what you came here to tell me and leave."
"I've signed you up for an AA class over at the hotel by your place. It starts at eight. I hope you'll go." Duho's voice was soft and weak; Key couldn't help but feel bad for insulting him nonstop for almost three years.
"I said I stopped drinking." He looked over at Duho was drawing shapes in the dirt, never looking up at him.
"Okay..." he trailed off and retreated back to his office.
Key slammed his fist down on the bench table and muttered curse words under his breath. He knew he had to get better and with Cheolyong coming back, drunk and pathetic was not how he wanted to be seen. Despite his inner conflicts, he wrote down the time and made sure to remind himself to go.
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