Author’s Notes: I was ecstatic to read the comments! Everyone was like “Go Taemin Go!” and I was overwhelmed with happiness T_T The comments were so kind, I’m afraid I won’t be able to write a good story *sniffs* Another chapter or two, and it’ll come to an end. I’m tired of making a crying Key. Still, I hope you like this one, and happy reading!

***

The wedding day is getting closer. Key had lost count, but as he was finally discharged from the hospital, he believed it was around a week or so. Ten days approximately.

Key was scared. He was so scared that he didn’t want to talk about it. Luckily no one mentioned it since his suicide attempt, and Key gave silent treatment to everyone, except for Jonghyun and 2Min couple, of course. He was so scared that it bugged him deeply, and day by day, it was obvious that he was depressed. His face somehow seemed paler than ever and he refused to eat (again, except when he’s with Jonghyun).

Mrs. Kim tried to talk to his son, but she had no idea why he kept silent at her and decided to leave him alone. She knew something was wrong, but Key, once he closed himself, then there’s really nothing you can do until he finally opens up.

That’s why when the Doctor said Key can go home, she asked if Taemin could pick him up, which the latter gladly said yes.

Minho didn’t even have to ask Jonghyun if he wanted to come along, because the spiky haired male grabbed his car keys quickly and told them he’s gonna wait in the car. This time, Minho didn’t let Jonghyun drive, because the last time Jonghyun drove when they headed to the hospital, he nearly had a heart attack. So even if this is good news about Key and Jonghyun might be rational about it, Minho still thought it’d be best if he’s driving.

When they arrived, the doctor was still in the room.

“Everything’s good,” the doctor looked up from the papers in his hands and smiled. He noticed the three of them. “Ah, this must be your family?”

Taemin bowed politely and glanced at the nametag. “Kim Heechul-ssi...thank you very much, Doctor.”

“Just make sure he’s not gonna have another foolish thought. Don’t even try to think of killing yourself anymore—there’s so many things to live up, kiddo. Like, having a boyfriend.”

Heechul was staring at Jonghyun when he said the last sentence, but apparently Key was busy with the nurse. Taemin nodded amusingly.

“I’ll walk, thank you,” Key said, smiling at the nurse when she offered him a wheelchair to the car. He felt okay, well his wrist was still in pain sometimes but it’s recovering, and Dr. Heechul already gave him some medicines.

“Are you sure?”, Taemin asked worriedly.

Key nodded and stood up. A bed rest for several days made him dizzy as he tried to walk, but a few moments later, he’s already used to it. Jonghyun stood beside him, arms spreading protectively, and Key gave him a meaningful smile. They walked out of the room slowly. Minho then grabbed Key’s backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

“I’m gonna take care of the administration first, you guys go ahead and wait in the car, alright?”

“I’ll help you,” Taemin offered and they stayed behind. He smiled at the sight of Jonghyun being so protective of Key.

Taemin thought it was just a one moment feeling when Jonghyun’s eyes laid on Key and bursting out a proposal. Key was Goddamn beautiful, and Taemin realized it. He was Key’s junior in high school, and he remembered everyone, everyone wanted Key. From males to females, sophomores to seniors, even teachers, but everyone was afraid to approach him because Son Dongwoon was always by his side. They thought they’re dating, and besides, Key was always surrounded by his scary tall friends—Dongwoon, Jinwoon, and Mir. Well, Mir wasn’t that scary and tall, but the way Dongwoon and Jinwoon protected them, somehow made him looked like one.

It was later when Dongwoon dated Kikwang, one of the hottest senior that people realized Key was single.

Love at first sight? Acceptable. Proposing at first sight? Err..well...that’s...

But as he stayed for the previous nights at the hospital, watching Jonghyun and Key talked, interacted, glanced, somehow he felt the feelings were mutual, Jonghyun was true towards Key and vice versa. He never knew Key could smile like that, could roll his eyes as Jonghyun told him a corny joke, could gaze lovingly as he caressed Jonghyun’s cheek with a thumb. Love.

Key was really in love.

He’s in love, and definitely not with Jinki.

It took Taemin a couple of nights at the hospital to fully realize this, and he’s not denying it anymore.

“How are you feeling?”, Jonghyun asked as they’ve arrived in the parking lot, with Key still clinging on his arm.

“...same as ever.”

Jonghyun opened the car’s door, but Key was hesitant to go inside.

“I don’t wanna go home. I’m scared, Jjong,” Key whispered and leaned on the car. He closed his eyes.

I just wanna run away.

Key felt something was shoved to his arms and he opened his eyes at the flurry contact. It was a teddy bear. He blinked. Did Jonghyun just give him a teddy bear?

“Just hug him if you’re scared.”

“You...brought this for me?”

Jonghyun nodded and smiled sheepishly. “Thought you’d need it. In case I’m not around.”

Key hugged the teddy bear tightly. “No one has ever...this is so sweet...I—thank you—“, he realized his mumbling would not make a fine sentence, so Key pulled Jonghyun into a hug and briefly meeting their lips. “I love you. I love you so much—“

“Hey!!!”

Key jumped at the voice and looked over his shoulder.

It was Jinki.

Key was pale. He unconsciously leaned closer to Jonghyun, with one arm holding the teddy bear and the other’s still on Jonghyun’s coat.

Jinki looked grim, and he almost harshly tugged Key towards him, breaking their contact, causing a small gasp from the latter. He glared at Jonghyun. “Have we met before?”

Jonghyun was silent. Key looked like he was about to die behind Jinki.

“You do realize,” Jinki continued. “That he’s my fiance, right?”

“I do,” Jonghyun quietly answered.

“Good. Then stay the hell away from him.”

“Hyung, what are you doing here?”, Taemin appeared with Minho behind him.

“I’m picking my fiance up, is there something wrong with that?”

Taemin’s eyes were on Jonghyun before going back at his brother. “Mrs. Kim asked me to.”

“Before that, she asked me. I thought I couldn’t make it. Anyway... Key’s coming with me.”

Jinki grabbed Key’s arm and dragged him to his car. Key didn’t say anything but he was staring at Jonghyun all the time, his eyes showed great dislike and fear. Jonghyun only nodded at him encouragingly, mouthing it’s okay. Key looked like he’s about to cry any minute.

Taemin growled. “I’m coming with you, Hyung,” he said and pecked Minho goodbye. There’s no way he’s gonna let his brother and Key alone. “I’ll see you later, baby?” Taemin received a pat on his head as a reply and he smiled. He followed his brother to the car after waving at Jonghyun.

Key was sitting in the backseat with a hand pressed on the window. He stared at Jonghyun longingly and felt something vibrating on his pocket. Key took out his phone and read the text.

I don’t want you to cry anymore. Please stop crying. I love you.

Key looked up, and his eyes were teary, but he did his best not to cry. Instead he bloomed a beautiful smile at the two standing figures.

There were Minho and Jonghyun, but Jinki knew whom his fiance smiled at. And he didn’t like it.

***

It was an abduction. No, of course it wasn’t, but Jinki refused to take Key’s back home, he brought him to their house instead. Key had the look of a hostage on his face, and Taemin felt like he was the kidnapper. Crap.

The youngest one sat on the couch with his arms crossed on his chest, observing Key. Key kept holding the teddy bear on his arms with a blank stare. Taemin didn’t remember who gave Key the teddy bear, but on his way to the hospital, he remembered vaguely that there was a teddy bear in Jonghyun’s car...

Jinki walked into the room, hands full of magazines—wedding magazines to be exact and sat across Key on the table. “We’ve prepared everything but we kind of forgetting the most important thing—the tuxes.”

Key’s shoulder flinched.

“I’m thinking of wearing black, or preferably gray. But you, I think you should wear shocking colors. Which one do you like, Key?”

Jinki opened the marked pages on the magazines, revealing male models in tuxedos with different colors.

Key stared at the magazines in disbelief and Taemin finally couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Hyung, can I talk with you for a moment?”

Taemin motioned Jinki outside the living room. He waited patiently in the hallway, but when Jinki showed up, his anger arisen.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing??”

Jinki frowned. “What??”

“I told you to cancel the marriage, right Hyung? What’s up with the tuxedos?”

“The marriage’s still going, Taeminnie.”

Taemin gaped. “Hyung, the last time you guys were discussing something in our house, he ended up running away and tried to kill himself. Didn’t that mean something to you?”

“...I might’ve said something that hurt him.”

“Hyung!!”, Taemin whined.

“Taeminnie, I believe as my brother, you should be more supportive about this, not...not against it.”

Taemin sighed and took a deep breath. He pointed at the living room. “When are you going to realize...that that person, doesn’t love you at all? That he’s only doing it for the sake of his parents? That he couldn’t say no? That he kept inside so much, for how long, only God knows it, and in the end tried to kill himself?”

Jinki looked away.

“Oh, and I will be supportive, Hyung, if your husband-to-be loves you as much as you love him.”

Images of Key and the dino guy swirled around in Jinki’s head.

“But sometimes...when you love someone, and that someone doesn’t love you back...you just gotta learn to let go.”

“He loves someone else?”

Jinki was whispering to himself, but Taemin heard it.

“That guy on the hospital?”

Taemin decided to ignore it. “I’m taking Key home, Hyung. And speaking of it, where were you when he was in the hospital?”

Jinki couldn’t answer.

Unknown to them, their mother was standing at the end of the hallway, hearing perfectly every single word her sons uttered.

***

Minho was multitasking. He always thought women are the best in this kinda thing, but having your boyfriend talked endlessly on the phone while he needed to sign the papers that were on his desk forced him to do it. Minho even skipped some of the sentences he’s supposed to be reading while mumbling “Uh-huh. Yeah baby. And then?”

Taemin was never this noisy about someone. In fact, he’s never been cared enough to give a damn about his brother’s relationship. Jinki and Taemin were not close, since Jinki’s been busy with the family company while Taemin was sent to study abroad. It was when Key stepped between them that Taemin was willing to get close with Jinki. He knew his boyfriend had been adoring Key for a long time.

“Calm down baby, I’m sure we can come up with something.”

“Jonghyun? No...he doesn’t seem to be making any moves. Perhaps he’s okay with the marriage.”

“I haven’t spoken to him, I will later.”

When Minho finished signing the last paper, he huffed silently and leaned his tired back on his chair. He glanced at his watch, realizing it’s already past working hours.

“Yes, Minnie...oh, Onew-hyung.”

On the other line, Taemin frowned. “Huh?”

Minho cleared his throat. “I mean, Onew-hyung. For real. I’ll get back soon to you, Taeminnie. Love you,” he hung up the phone and stood up, smiling akwardly at him. “Hyung. What a...coincidence.”

Jinki smiled. “Is it a bad time?”

“No, no, please sit anywhere you like.”

“You don’t have to be so formal at me, Minho, I might be your brother in law, you know.”

Jinki chuckled and Minho laughed nervously, cursing himself inside.

Great. What should I do? Taeminnie is the one with all the plots and yet, Onew showed up before me.

“You look...”, Minho tried to start a conversation.

“Devastated? Crap? Torn?”

“...like you could use a drink,” Minho finished the sentence, once again cursing inwardly. He’s not too close with Jinki either, as much as Taemin. And he’s always bad at starting a conversation with someone new.

Jinki’s face fell. “Oh. Yes. You drink?”

“Well, I’m driving. But I could accompany you, if you’d like, Hyung.”

“That’d be...great.”

“Great. Well, let me gather my things first...”, with that, Minho stood up and dashed to Jonghyun’s office. He opened the door, only to find the room’s already dark, and his secretary told him that Jonghyun had left. Breathing a sigh of relief, Minho headed back to his office.

At least Jinki wouldn’t meet Jonghyun and starts a war in the Choi building. For now.

***

They arrived at a cozy restaurant, and Jinki headed straight to the bar. Minho followed him after reading a text message from Taemin.

TELL HIM THAT THE MARRIAGE IS USELESS!

Minho had no idea why Taemin had to use caps lock for something that he couldn’t afford to do. Don’t get him wrong, he loves his Taemin so much, but how is he supposed to tell Jinki? Perhaps he could start in a friendly way, “Hey, your brother wants me to tell you that the marriage is useless.” Nah.

They sat next to each other in silence, Jinki was ordering cocktails, and while Minho still has to drive home, he preferred soda. With lots of lemon twist.

“So...”, they began in unison. Then they stared at each other. “You first.”

“No, you first,” Minho quickly said.

Jinki chuckled. “Okay then. So...Taemin’s been asking me to call this whole thing off.”

Minho held his breath. “Oh.”

Any idea why?

He almost commented in a casual way, pretending he didn’t know anything, but decided not to.

“I guess it got something to do with Key’s suicide attempt...”

“Oh...”

And an attractive male named Kim Jonghyun.

“I love him, you know.”

Minho’s head snapped to Jinki’s direction.

Jinki grinned dreamily. “I love Key. Since we were kids. We met at a party somewhere...even back then, when he was still a kid, he’s so...damn...beautiful. I doubt he remembered it though, since I was only gaping at him. That’s why when my mother told me that I might marry him—if his family agrees—I was so damn happy.”

“I thought...I thought he was like that. I thought he was happy with this whole preparations, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. You know, because he’s just too shy...too quiet...”

“But that night...when he slid his wrist, I knew it was my fault. Because...I kissed him, Minho.”

Jinki stared at Minho sadly.

Minho only managed to utter a small, “Oh.”

Maybe it wasn’t just Key who hide his feelings inside. Maybe Jinki was, too.

“He screamed at me. His expression was...hurt. Disgusted. Then he ran away. And not long after that, I got a call from Taemin, saying he’s...”

Jinki downed his drink before continuing.

“And the reason why I didn’t visit him in the hospital was that, when he opened my eyes and looked at me, I felt like I wasn’t the one he’s searching for. And I was scared if I come again, he might try to kill himself again.”

A deep breath.

“Taemin asked me when will I realize that Key doesn’t love me. I realized it from the start. I just... I didn’t want to believe it, I guess. As much as I know this is hurting me, but Key...he’s the one who’s really tortured inside. But I...won’t cancel everything. Not until Key himself, tells me that he doesn’t want any of this. I want Key to tell me straightaway.”

Minho wondered why he didn’t record this conversation as a proof. He was speechless, Taemin’s long talkative endless phone sessions about Jinki was being insensitive and selfish weren’t entirely true. Jinki just loved Key, and wanted the truth. But he was waiting. Perhaps that’s the difference between Jinki and Jonghyun. Jinki was waiting, but Jonghyun was chasing for Key.

And for someone like Key, he needs Jonghyun’s type instead of Jinki’s. Key needs someone who’d ask him what’s wrong, someone who has the initiative, someone who’d be there without being asked. Someone who tells him he loves him, and at the same time shows that he really loves him.

Jonghyun understands what it takes to love a Kim Kibum.

Minho rubbed Jinki’s back soothingly, unable to find the right words.

“That guy...”

Jinki smiled at Minho, again with the sad expression.

“That guy on the hospital...that guy in your office...he’s... He’s Key’s world, right?”

Minho bit his lip and smiled softly. “Yes, Hyung.”

“He seemed...like a really nice guy. Does he love Key?”

“Very much, Hyung. Very much.”

Jinki sighed and forced a happy smile. “Then I should be happy about it too.”

They continued drowning in silence. Jinki downed his cocktail in two gulps and ordered several more.

Minho cleared his throat. “But Onew-hyung...if, Key never tells you that he doesn’t want any of this...will you still marry him?”

Jinki looked thoughtful. He almost said yes, but then there were probably two possibilities after that: Key might attempt suicide again and Taemin kills him, or Taemin tries to kill him first and cancel the marriage happily. He shuddered at the thought.

“Well then...we just gotta find a way for Key to confess. Right?”

Minho played with the lemon twist on his glass.

“...yeah.”

***

Key’s phone beeped and his eyes widened after reading the text.

Jonghyun frowned from his seat. “What’s wrong?”

“I-it’s Jinki-ssi.”

“What did he say?”

“H-he wants me to go to the church tomorrow with him,” Key whispered. “Said he wants to practice t-the vow.”

To Be Continued.