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“That’s it, this can’t continue” I stated it as a matter of fact, marching determinedly up to the figure lazing on the large armchair indifferently.

He didn’t spare me a gaze.

“What can’t continue?” He finally spoke, after driving my patience down the wall with a deafening silence.

My pupils popped, “What do you mean, ‘what can’t continue?”. You know perfectly well what I’m talking about!” I sighed, “Listen, this is not turning out how we wanted it to be.”

“…You mean this is not turning out how YOU wanted it to be.”

“His fallen in love! With a GUY!” I got to the point.

“….” The figure took a seep of wine, “…But is he happy?” The figure interrogated me.

“Well, depends what your definition of happy is. I mean, that is a rather broad word…”

“Is he happy now that he has a lover?”

“Taemin is not his lover! It’s one-sided, believe me! And Minho is trampling on the wrong path again. Falling in love with a man…it’s…it’s not really accepted by society, right now! Just think of all the hardships he will face by making that decision. Given Minho’s stubbornness, his bound to be fighting with his parents over it and in the end, it’ll just hurt everyone. They might even disinherit him! It’s not going to be good for Minho OR Taemin. Didn’t you want Minho to start over and live a more meaningful, happy life?”

“Yes, but I guess not everything can go perfectly to plan,” the man grinned evilly, “Let them be.”

“NO,” I defied defiantly, “EVERYTHING can run smoothly. Believe in me. As long as you give the word, I’ll make it work. His feelings have just begun to ripe. First, the both of them have to separate so that no further feelings can develop.” I hit a fist on the other palm of my hand in agreement with myself, “Yes, and then we’ll go from there and find Minho a decent girl. If we can’t give a family to him, he can make his own family. Then he will see that there is much more for him in this world–“

“Is this really about Minho or Taemin?”

I cleared my throat.  “What do you mean?” I asked cannily.

The figure placed the wine glass down and slowly stood up, approaching me silently. His shadow towered over me. His dark eyes stared deeply into mine, but I remain pokerfaced. He seems to be angry now…

“It seems to me, you’re not getting your priorities straight.” He said.

“I’m not that unprofessional,” I pouted.

“You’re not THAT unprofessional, but still unprofessional nothing-less. I have given you entire control of the situation and let you do as you wish. All I ask in return is that Minho can truly see the worth in this world and love himself a bit more. I don’t care if you’re using me to see to that your dongseang is well looked after. Don’t think I don’t know. You sent Minho to your family, but your main concern is not for Minho; it is for Taemin. So that Taemin can gain a hyung after losing another—“

“Don’t bring me down so low!” I shouted, thinking it’s best to keep the fact that what he was saying was half true to myself, “Who do you think I am?! You think I can be where I am with that frame of mind? Think about it more clearly. You wanted Minho to be loved, to see how it is to have a family. If I didn’t use the excuse of him crashing me, then how else am I going to get Minho live with strangers he does not know? It’s not like you want a family and I can conjure it up, just like that! Minho..because he didn’t fit in anywhere, he thinks living only drags out the time of his death. I have given him a home, a place he can definitely come back to. But what Minho really need is love, a love that will tie him down to this world, strong enough to make him fight to live. “

“Then why can’t your dongseang do? He is not a girl, but he is the one Minho loves.”

I sighed and patted my companion’s shoulder, “Why can’t you see? Usually, in a fight for love, the two people must have mutual feelings, and stick to each other. Despite the pain. Despite the loneliness. Despite everyone been against it. But in Minho’s case, I’m afraid Taemin can not do much for him. I don’t know how Taemin feels later, but right now, Taemin’s feelings are those of admiration and love for Minho as his hyung. But because he is obedient, he will follow Minho blindly. And if Taemin can’t stand it, he’ll just crumble and Minho will be alone again. You’re only hurting Minho this way.”

 The dark figure drag his feet back to his armchair and sat down tiredly. He mumbled, “…Minho…he…he has changed. He seems…happier. He must have found where he belongs. I don’t want to take that away from him...”

“I know.” I patted his shoulder.

 “Just…Just remember your promise, Lee Jinki.”

I smiled, “Don’t worry. We have a contract after all.”

Then as a second thought, I called out, “And you’re not meant to be drinking!” before wisping back into thin air.

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(MINHO)

I hummed happily, shoving my cap firmly onto my head, carefully carrying the plastic bag of meat, and checking for the last time that Taemin’s present was still safely in my backpack before heading out.

“Yah, ya punk! Ya shift ended so quickly?”

“Yeah, try not to miss me too much.”

“In ya dreams! Now that a big brick like ya got outta da way, I ma do some skirt chasin’ of my own” The owner’s younger brother gave his eyebrows several erted twitches at the rows of women waiting in line to order meat.

I shook my head in disbelief and rushed out before any of the women asked where I was off to. One day that ajusshi will get it from his wife.

I flicked out my new phone I’ve brought and answered the call.

“Key? What’s up?”

“Are you off your shift yet?!” Key shouted happily.

“Yeah, I’m on my way to pick Tae up right now. I got some meat for tonight’s dinner, so don’t cook anything, okay?” I answered.

“Meat?! Are you loaded?”

“Naw, boss gave me some of the spare, since I’ve been good.” I grinned. Who am I kidding? I’ve spent heaps of overtime hours washing dishes to get this best quality meat!

“Wait for me at Old Jung’s place, okay, we’ll go home together. I’ll get some seasoning on the way.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“No, I’m serious, Minho. You better be waiting for me like a good boy where I tell you or I’ll –“

I disconnected our call, shaking my head, while grinning to myself.

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I gazed down at my watch. 10 minutes to spare, I thought happily. But I didn’t stay happy for long. My body froze at the scene before me.

A man with well defined features were smiling and laughing, pulling the lost blue beanie that I’ve bought for Taemin, onto Taemin’s head. Taemin was laughing happily at something the man said, allowing the stranger to gently swipe his finger beneath Taemin’s chin playfully. I glared at the punk. He was handsome, I have to admit jealously. But he was shorter then me, I grinned evilly. His hair was a deep red wine, much like the colour Key dyes his hair with. He moved in and gave Taemin a tight hug.

My body was no longer in my control. My feet was already moving rapidly towards the punk.

Clawing at his arm, I tugged it off Taemin and pushed him away, using my body to separate the both of them.

“Who are you? Why do you have Taemin’s beanie?” I asked as Taemin bounced happily from behind me, calling my name.

In actual fact, I didn’t want to know who he was. I just wanted him to get out of here and never come back.

The man seemed no older then Key. He tugged at his blue blazer so that it was positioned perfectly back on his shoulders.

“Who am I?” He mimicked me casually, “Then just who the hell are YOU, you punk! Who do you think you are?” He gazed back at Taemin, “Taemin, come here.”

My heart was petrified for a second.

Stay by my side. Stay by my side, I pleaded.

Taemin whined from behind me.

“Are you not going to listen to hyung anymore?” The stranger questioned gently.

“Hyung..Frog hyung is not a bad person.” Taemin said.

Taemin tugged at my sleeve and whispered, “Jong hyung is not a bad person.” He tugged his beanie so low onto his head that I nearly couldn’t see his eyes, “M-Minnie left the beanie hyung gave me at Jong hyungie’s house. Jong hyungie let Minnie stay over because it was raining real hard. Really hard! It was scary! He gave me back the beanie today. See?”  

 “So you were the person who kidnapped Taemin last time,” I said coldly.

“And you’re that ‘frog hyung’ who left him in the rain?” the stranger tched, “Jesus, what the hell are you doing? If I didn’t come, he’d still be in the rain by then! Snap back to reality, please. It’s because of you, that little kid lost the only family he had left! Why are you even here? How the hell did Key agreed to let a bastard like you stay? What kind of mind playing power did you do?”

I didn’t know what I should say or do. Silence was engulfing us like a forbidding dark cloud as Taemin shuffled uncomfortably from behind me and clung onto my jacket.

“I have a feeling,” I began, “That you might know who I am, but I don’t know who you are.”

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious,” The man’s handsome face twitched into a smirk, “There is nothing about Taemin that I don’t know. You’ll soon learn that. He hasn’t even told you who I am, right? Min-ho..”

My grip hardened on the plastic bag that carried tonight’s dinner.

 “Taemin, come here. Hyung will take you home.” The man said gently.

Taemin hesitated.

Don’t hesitate. Please don’t hesitate. Stay by my side.

“B…but, what about Frog hyung?” He asked.

“That hyung has his own house to return to.” Jonghyun assured, “Come.”

He approached me, pause a little to look squarely at my face, and then pushed me aside and reached for Taemin’s wrist.

Taemin kept looking back at me as the man pulled him away.

“But frog hyung is meant to stay with Minnie. Frog hyung…you said you’ll help Minnie see Onew hyung! You’ll help Minnie right? You won’t leave Minnie right? Hyung! Hyung!”

I didn’t know whether I should be happy or cry. He wants me to stay. But all Taemin see in me is a link to his dead hyung. How would he react if he knew?

The truth remains a sharp knife, twisting deeper into my heart as the days flew by.

I killed his hyung.

But my body could not stop from heeding my heart’s desire.

I ran to Taemin like my life depended on it and held onto his hand endearingly.

Don’t hesitate anymore. Stay by my side.

You’ll soon learn… that I’m the one for you.

“What are you doing?” the stranger asked, raising an amused eyebrow at me.

“Jonghyun?” Key’s familiar voice can be heard from a short distance.

Key’s eyes moisten up and started spilling tears.

“Jonghyun..” Key whispered endearingly, with a smile that can light up the whole world.

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Hello! so wat do u think?

taeminnie's not so sure.....

thanks for reading! XD