As soon as Itzel was back to my arms, I kissed her cheek and turn around to find the chick. But Taemin was not tagging behind me. Worried, I fast-walk to the outside of the cafe, the sight of him standing with a perplexed expression assured myself.

 

"What's wrong with you?" I exclaimed as I approach him. Itzel was staring into Taemin, lips latched to her left thumb.

 

"N-No.. I.." Taemin tried to say something and I watch as he hesitates and gulping restlessly. Finally, he made a move to retrieve Itzel. "Let's go home."

 

"Huh? But--" The chick didn't even hear what I complained. We weren't running, but he just pulled me away as fast as he could from the cafe as if it was cursed.

 

Having no choice but to comply to his behaviour, we set off for home. I had to contact Key in the car to inform him that we took Itzel and is heading home. It was silence until we reached our destination.

 

Taemin was puzzling, and since I can't understand him, it was irritating.

 

**********

 

If there was anything that you could call adorable else than Taemin or Itzel, it's Onew. He smiles earnestly and I like the way his eyes look like slits and for a moment, seems like he's actually closing his eyes. His politeness and the friendly atmosphere he creates, his somehow awkward posture or the occasional time when he stare onto the ground, I like it all.

 

But it was stupid of me to only realize now that Itzel had wobble out the playroom and is missing. Alerted, I rush outside to scan for her at the same moment when I feel the familiar vibration in my pants' back pocket. I answered the call from Minho that told me they had took Itzel home. Onew stood a few feet away, glancing from now and then at me, then back to the ground at his feet.

 

"I almost had a heart attack.." I replied to the other line.

 

"Sorry for that. The chick rushed me." I hear a child's low whine behind Minho's clear voice and knew Itzel wants a bottle of milk.

 

"Well, I don't mind as long as she's safe. Just don't scare me like that anymore." Minho chuckled lowly and muttered a sorry. "But why?"

 

"Whazzat?"

 

"Why is Taemin rush----" I ceased to ask when my eyes caught the sight of Jonghyun sitting alone on a table at a corner.

 

My godness.

 

My eyes roam around once more to search for one person that I assume would also be present - Kevin.

 

"Never mind Minho. Drive safely." I said and pressed the disconnect button.

 

**********

 

The welcome relief of home didn't ridden the annoyance bugging my mind. Taemin, not sure whether he deliberately being oblivious or not, still didn't say anything. There was something going on, I can tell. I just can't picture what exactly did he saw at the cafe that made him behave like this.

 

I am definitely annoyed, but that means I care for him, isn't it?

 

As soon as both of us enter my house, Cheondung was waiting for us and he bowed. Father is not around and his butler caught my cue.

 

"Sir Iseul attend to the conference ahead seeing as Sir Minho is quite late. I am positioned to you if you still want to join the meeting."

 

"I see." I let out a small sigh. Now that Itzel's safe, all the work I'm supposed to do come crashing back into my head.

 

Taemin hand over Itzel to Cheondung and instructed him to prepare a bottle of milk and put her to sleep. It was her naptime. He scrambled upstairs soon after, like a sulking teenager.

 

"Whatever is wrong with Sir Taemin?" Cheondung enquired.

 

"I don't know but it's starting to get to me.."

 

"Pardon?" Ignoring the butler's perplexed expression, I went upstairs to confront Taemin. His attitude is making my blood boil and I need to do something about it. If it's just a mere bad mood, then it's fine. But he was put off with handling Itzel too, and to see him so down because of all the things he pent up really push me of the edge. Enough is enough.

 

The door to my bedroom was not shut properly and from the small gap, I could make out Taemin's soft, weeping sob. I felt a stab of guilt. It didn't occur to me he was forlorn - I was too preoccupied with my own impatience. 

 

I enter his space with careful steps, the low creak of the door causing his small frame to shudder. Taemin was sitting on the bed, back facing me.

 

"Taemin..?" He didn't answer - didn't want to, but I waited nonetheless. Taemin hastily wipe away his tears.

 

"What do you want..?" He let out a croaked reply - the voice of a person who has been crying. I approach him and sat beside him, elbows resting on my knees and head hanging low between my legs.

 

"You know I don't like it if you are suddenly like this." I began. Taemin sniffed once.

 

"You know you don't have to give a to my problems..."

 

"You're one big bag of emotional jerk aren't you? I'm just trying to help." There was a pause between us. I watch as Taemin's long brown hair shivered along with his body, his back begging to be cradled. 

 

"Go away.." I could tell he stiffled his sobbings. Was he considering my offer? Sighing, I tried to pull his shoulder. When Taemin shrug me away, I felt a strong sense of hurt - both to my heart and my pride.

 

Why? I'm not worth it?

 

"You are so mean." I exclaimed as I stood up angrily. I knew I'm doing this the wrong way. Taemin was sensitive and it's not gonna help anyone if I let my temper get to me. It's just that at the moment, it seemed unfair.

 

I have feelings for someone to consider too and if it's not him, who else could?

 

"Yeah I'm so mean.. I'm just a big bag of emotional jerk.. I don't want help and I ticked you off.. Now will you leave me alone?"

 

"It was wrong of me to consider you as---" Confused. What exactly do I consider him as, in my life? Where do I put him as I see fit? I hesitate before continuing. This was a total clueless remark. "I don't understand.." I muttered, palm covering my eyes.

 

"You're right.. You don't understand." Taemin stood up abruptly and I saw tears still flowing down his flushed cheeks. He went to flung open the door for me. "Just leave me alone." He bit his bottom lips in vain to stop crying.

 

"I ing hate you ." I glare at him, although I held pity at his weeping sight. He's probably playing with me anyway. He hates me.

 

I mean nothing to him. 

 

**********

 

It happened in a mere second I guess. The shock of meeting with Kevin and Jonghyun left me so abashed that I barely remember how I codly greet Kevin who was lining up to order. It wasn't words that brought us at a desolate corner of the cafe. It just happens. From each other's eyes, we knew that there are things to sort out and happenings that need explanations. Lots of explanations.

 

Jonghyun is most likely doesn't know about Taemin's earlier presence - let alone myself. He probably only remember me as the old friend who worked as a model and had completely cut off connections with him when he deserted Taemin. I wonder if he actually realized that I was the one who took in Taemin long ago? Why would he when he didn't seem to care even a little bit about his own child.

 

Oh my god, Itzel. 

 

Taemin didn't calculate that Itzel and Jonghyun could actually meet. So this was the reason.

 

I could feel my palm sweating. Words seem stuck in my throat. Kevin was also surprised, that I could tell. He looked well, tho a little taller than I remembered. 

 

"How are you Key?" Kevin asked hesitantly. Maybe he didn't expected this either. This certain feeling didn't surface when I saw him at first, but it just began to pile up the more I try to suppress it. Anger, madness, hate.

 

"Drop the formalities. We were never fond of each other anyway. I just want to get to the bottom of all this." I said, tone hardly covering the sternness. I wanted to keep calm but it was obviously impossible.

 

"What exactly do you want? You want to know what really happened? Whether everything was true or not?" Kevin replied. His peculiar behaviour clicked in me.

 

"Yes. And I want to know whether you are aware or not that you have destroyed a family." I daringly said. Kevin chuckled mockingly.

 

"This is what happens when people are being too oblivious.." He muttered under his breath.

 

"What?"

 

"I'm guessing it's time. It's fine already right?" Kevin continued. "I'm tired of it.. and he's tired of it.. To be honest, I have imagined this situation once. Just not this soon.."

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Jonghyun." He announced. "He's hurt bad enough.. I just want to help!"Kevin persisted. I didn't know what to say at this point. Without his explanations, I couldn't make remarks. When he said Jonghyun has been hurt, I doubted my assumptions.

 

Jonghyun is blind. I saw him.

 

"Kevin, cal---"

 

"You may think that Jonghyun is the jerk. He rejected Taemin, he didn't want his family, he took off without any trace and he had me, the one that people think is his secret lover." Kevin said, almost angrily. "If you had good perspectives.. If you so much really cared about Jonghyun, then you'd see. He's a friend, wasn't he!?"

 

Maybe because of his severity and my strong sense. I had somehow catch the message he wanted to relay.

 

"Jonghyun's... sick?"

 

Kevin let out a long sigh and run his hand to his hair. He walked away to leave the area.

 

"I know you Key.. You get it right?" Kevin said in a low, sad voice.

 

"Why are you telling this now?" I asked, confused. Jonghyun should have known; Taemin loved him so dearly, he had the right to know. Why conceal it?

 

"Because I know what's best for Jonghyun. It's not gonna be long anyway.." Kevin muttered before walking away without looking back, leaving me still unsorted. If not, guilty.

 

**********

 

I realized it was evening only after I shut off the journal book I had been working on. I haven't left my study ever since I argued with the chick, deciding that I too can sulk. It may seem childish, but if he can do it too, why can't I?

 

I poured a glass of wine and walked to the window, watching the sky that had darkened into a deep purple colour, darkness emerging and covering unlit places. Below the bushes, a cat crawled out, predatory eyes glinting with focus on something moving in the long grasses.

 

As I take a sip of the wine, a distant coversation wavers inside the study. I turn around to observe the mahogany door and before long, it creaked open revealing my Father, wearing a small smile. The conference's done it seems.

 

"Father.." I said, quite surprised at his presence.The said man laughed lowly, growlingly, as he made his way inside, the sound of his cane hit against the sturdy wood flooring filling the entire room.

 

"You had a fight with Taemin?" He asked as if it was amusing. I let out a sigh.

 

"Cheondung told you?"

 

"All this sulking... You are still a child are you not, son?" Father scoffed.

 

"You don't have to put it that way, all this started from him, not me. If you want to  lecture, go to him. He's in the bedroom." I could tell Father is rather tickled by the current situation. There was no sort of tension in the air and for instance, I think he's glad. Composingly, Father walked to the one-seated leather couch, signalling for me to sit next to him. I gulp down the rest of the wine and immediately sat at the nearest chess seat, feet almost stomping loudly.

 

"Minho.." He began. "Do you want to hear about your mother?" Father offered. It snapped me of my trance and definitely caught my attention.

 

Father had two wives. His first was my birth mother while the second one was Niel's. I've never met and hardly hear about my mother who died after giving birth. Our sort of family are not that attached to each other and Father never really encourage love whether in material or towards a person. So he easily fished me in.

 

"Your mother... She was a lovely person." Father told. "Our relationship did not start of romantic. No first sight love, no dating in the garden and we hardly seen each other. It was an arranged marriage after all. She was a plain beauty and I was more inclined to responsibilities. It did not occur to both of us that romance was in any way needed. It'd pull us down instead."

 

Father paused, eyes focused at one place as if remembering his past life, a margin he scarcely dive in. I couldn't help but listen closely. He made me feel like I want to know; My mother.

 

"But your mother was a woman. She wanted to love, to be loved. It is what makes a lady beautiful and different. She worked at our relationship even after I said she was free to do anything with her life. I really thought she would make another love." Father said, almost thankfully. I noticed the smile that rarely covers his face.

 

" 'We're tied with a vow and a matching ring, I'm sure there's an ample of blessings that God hid from us.' I remember she said that." He continued, voice winning over the constant ticks of the grandfather clock. "She frequented my workplace just to give me a massage, she'd let me lay on her lap when she proposed we had tea in the garden, she tried cooking for me, only it was a failure and she tried to keep it from me. I found out about it when I saw an overcooked turkey given away to stray cats in the alley next to my mansion. Your mother wanted to know what actually gives woman the hard-work they can summon when it comes to that special person."

 

"Did she?" I urged. Father chuckled lowly.

 

"I rewarded her a flower-embroidered silk handkerchief on our anniversary. It was my first gift to her. Your mother was so touched she cried a little. For the following weeks, I always saw her using the gift. It was... quite flattering for me. One day, she did not came to my office. Being used to her presence, I was quite worried so I hurried home. I found her weeping in her bedroom and she grew white at my sight."

 

Father paused to cough a little. I poured a glass of wine and hand it over to him. He gratefully took it and sipped the red liquid.

 

"Apparently, she lost the handkerchief. She did not want to let me down but could not find it anywhere. She cried on my shoulder. But I was... happy. To think that she cared for my feelings meant the she loved me. And I realized, she was always there for me. When she was gone, I... was not myself to say the least." Father let out a sigh, a full smile finally evident on his face. I smiled unconsciously. Father was a lovebird too huh?

 

"Our romance, if you want to call it that.. did not last. I was not given a chance to confess love to her. Your mother.."

 

"Died after I was born." I continued his words. Father glanced to me, eyes batting slowly against his old sunken cheeks. He smiled once again, running his battered hand over his white hair.

 

Father has aged a lot.

 

"Well... It's late. I better get going. I got an appointment." He said. Father stood up, supporting his weak knees using his cane. His steps were rather slow and I felt rueful.

 

He is already old.

 

I went ahead of him and opened the door for him. He looked up to me, finding my gesture weird. He was quite weird too, coming in telling me about Mother and all. But he smiled nonetheless.

 

"Thank you Father." I muttered as he passed by me. I missed Mother anyway.

 

"Sleep well tonight, son." He replied, patting my shoulder. Cheondung rushed to him as soon as he enter the front hall. I glance to the big splitting stairs, mind made up.

 

"Do it before it's too late huh?"

 

**********

 

I pace back and forth, wondering whether I should come out the room or not. My longing for Itzel is growing by the second but the thought of Minho stops me. Is he still mad? 

 

My body finally flop back onto the soft spongy bed mattress, leaving my feet dangling in the air.

 

" ''..." I muttered, remembering Minho's last curse. "Not funny stupid frog.." I bury my face on the smooth duvet, taking in the sweet lavender smell.

 

"Sorry." A familiar husky voice caught my attention. I sprang up as the door opens slowly, revealing Minho, one hand tucked in his pocket, another on the knob.

 

"Minho.." I called to made sure it's him. It's quite surprising. 

 

And a little bit relieving I guess.

 

He walked inside, noticing the lights still off but ignored it. He sat at the edge of the bed, the soft ilustrations of shadow casted on his face vary from his shiny, chocolate eyes.

 

"I guess it was insensitive of me." Minho said softly. "Are you still mad at me?" He enquired. I shook my head.To this, Minho's shoulders relax visibly and he ruffled my hair.

 

"Wanna talk to me about it?" He said, assuming my problem. I didn't want to picture that man anytime soon but maybe, just maybe, Minho might help.

 

"Can I ask you something else then?"

 

"Hrm?" He gladly accepted.

 

"It had been bugging me since the reception." Minho's brows furrowed, probably trying to figure it out. I use my index finger and point at his brows and he shut his eyes to unfurrow it. "About Mika.." I muttered.

 

Minho sighed. "I guessed it." He smiled fascinatingly, illuminated by the moonlight through the windows. "It's nothing, really. His family's wealthy and I found his name offered as a blind date to me a few weeks ago. My men saw it too and they made quite a fuss over it. Those monkeys.."

 

"So you're seeing him?"

 

"No. Not planning to. Why? Are you jealous?" Minho whispered. I pushed him away, grateful that the lights are off. I'm sure he'd make fun of me flushing over his comment.

 

"I'm not, you frog why would I..." I pouted. Minho chuckled lowly, allowing a silence to border between us for a brief moment.

 

"Will you tell me now?" He finally asked again. Our eyes met, and my heart quickens. Partly because of the fresh memory of Jonghyun holding Itzel and the unbearable pain it brought. To put it into words is not an idea I'm fond of.

 

But it's Minho.

 

"Jonghyun. I saw him." I said, trying to sound casual. Minho's eyes grew at my revelations. "He was there at the cafe. He was the ... the blind man. Whom you took Itzel away from." I finished, trying to restrain from leaking a tear.

 

There, I've said it.

 

"Taemin.." Minho softly called. His eyes seems hesitant, but it seems like something very important. "I'm sorry I haven't told you. But I think you should know what.. contract I made with Kevin."

 

My lips unconsciously slit open at the mention of that name and to say I am eager to know about the contract is shabby. I needed to know.

 

"He wanted.. eyes." Minho revealed.

 

God.

 

"So.." I started, "S-So it's for Jonghyun then. Of course it is. Kevin did it.. for Jonghyun."

 

Seeing me shivering, Minho pulled me to his chest. "It's fine already. Get over it Taemin." He said.

 

"W-What.." I was startled at his different treatment.

 

"I'm here. So it's okay." Minho spouted. I didn't understand.

 

"Frog.. I'm fine." I said, voice muffled by his clothes. He didn't make a move. "I said I'm fine!" I repeated, pushing him away rougher.

 

"You're crying! That's fine?" Minho exclaimed, guiding my face inches away from his. He was right. I could feel the hot tears glide down my cheeks. "You don't need to cry over that Jonghyun. It's all in the past Taemin. And you don't need to be so sullen like this. I didn't really want to say this but.. you're prettier if you're happy."

 

"Wha.." I could only say this, still not understanding why Minho's being so honest.

 

"I like the sarcastic Taemin better. The chick I know." His words wrung out into my ears like a persuasion. I chuckled.

 

This is ridiculous.

 

"You like to joke, don't you? Frog.." I muttered.

 

"Do I sound like one?" He lighten up at my small smile. I thought he'd stop now, but he didn't. "I'm not, Lee Taemin."

 

Minho surprised me with a kiss, managing to slip in his tongue as I carelessly let down my defence.

 

He pushed me down on the bed, hands trapping both of my sides.

 

Dear God, is this really happening?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**********

 

Yippee~ one chapter up! Hope you like it. Written hurriedly so it may be a little awkward. ^^"