CHAPTER 2

                      Minho couldn’t feel his own heartbeat. I guess that comes with having an electric heart. During the times that his body needed to be connected to the machine for its usual weekly service, he could hear his heartbeat coming from the machine.

                     His electric heart was programmed to beat exactly how many beats it’s supposed to every minute. It was all planned and calculated. He wished he can feel what he heard people talk about in movies – when their hearts skip a beat, or when their hearts best faster than usual.

                     Minho sighed. He slowly and carefully got up from his bed and onto the wheelchair beside his bed. He loved walking, but he couldn’t walk much, as it was dangerous to add extra pressure or stress on his heart. He wheeled himself outside, into the corridor. He made his way into the waiting room. He had to pass through the waiting room in order to get to the elevator.

                     Minho stopped when he noticed a young teenager, probably about a couple of years younger than himself in the waiting room. His eyes were closed, earphones plugged into his ears, his feet tapping along to the rhythm of the song he was listening to. His expression showed that he was in bliss. Something about that boy attracted Minho to him.

                     Minho wheeled his wheelchair over to the boy. He reached over and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. The boy opened his eyes in surprise. He smiled when he saw Minho.

                     Minho blushed. Where the heck did he get his courage from anyway? Oh well, since I’m already here, might as well take a risk!    

                     “Hey, I’m Minho, nice to meet you. I don’t want to appear creepy or anything, but I saw you when I was on the way down to the garden. I wanted to know you. I hope you don’t think I’m creepy or anything!” Minho said nervously.

                     “Oh, hey. My name is Taemin. No, it’s alright. I like friendly people. You were going down to the garden? Here, I’ll go with you.” Taemin stood up and wheeled Minho over to the elevator.

                     “Well, okay. Why are you here anyway?” Minho asked, curious.

                     “It’s a funny story, actually. It’s not the first time this has happened. My hyung, Onew, accidentally swallowed a chicken bone and is in the surgery room. Key umma was upset about something so Jonghyun hyung went to comfort him. They probably went to have some ‘private time’, if you get what I mean.” Taemin said with a wink. “Why are YOU here?” Taemin asked Minho.

                      “Me? Well… I was born with a weak heart, so I had to have a surgery and they put an electronic heart to replace my dying heart. I haven’t been out of this hospital much ever since.” Minho sadly said. “Taemin, can I ask you something?” At this point, they had already arrived at the hospital garden.

                     “Yeah, sure. Ask away, Minho hyung!” Taemin said cheerfully.

                     “What makes you happy or feel alive?”

                     “That’s simple. Dance. When I dance, I’m the happiest guy in the world! Wanna see?” Taemin set his iPod down and inserted it onto a speaker. He chose a song and started to dance, freestyle.

                     Minho stared at Taemin. He was completely mesmerized by his moves. Taemin seemed to have every beat of the song pulse through his body, feeling the music pumping through his veins. It was true; Taemin looked like the happiest guy on Earth for that few minutes.

                     Wow, he’s beautiful. Minho thought, unable to take his eyes off Taemin.

**********

                     Jonghyun and Key took a walk in the hospital garden. For the fourth time this year, Onew had accidentally swallowed a chicken bone. It was also the fourth time that he needed surgery.

                     Key kept his hands in his pocket. They usually held hands, but now Key is mad. Really mad. He decided to give Jonghyun the silent treatment. He knew that Jonghyun hates the silent treatment.

                     “Kibum? Come on; please don’t be mad at me! I’m really really sorry!” Jonghyun apologized to Key for the fifth time.

                     Key kept quiet and continued walking. He was fuming mad and Jonghyun knows it. It was going to take some actual making up to cool him down and make him forgive Jonghyun.

-Flashback-

                     Key was on the way home when he noticed something. There was a familiar figure in the window of that café. He looked closer and his blood boiled.

                     Jonghyun was feeding Se Kyung cake! There was a cameraman behind them and they pretended not to notice. Jonghyun continued being sweet to Se Kyung, playing with her hand across the table and feeding her food.

                     Key felt a stab in his heart. He looked away and ran all the way home, trying to stop the tears. He opened the house door to find Onew choking on a chicken bone. He called the ambulance. He called Taemin. Then he called Jonghyun and told him about Onew in the coldest voice he could muster.

-End of flashback-

                     “Yeobo, come on! We were only doing it for the paparazzi! You know that me and Se Kyung are only friends, right? I love only you!” Jonghyun pleaded to Key.

                     Key knew that what Jonghyun is saying is totally true. They had agreed, though, to not display too much public affection. After all, Jonghyun’s relationship with Se Kyung was only a cover for Key’s relationship with Jonghyun. Jonghyun and Key were idols, their manager wouldn’t let them make their relationship public.

                     However, Key saw the way Se Kyung always looks at Jonghyun. He knows Se Kyung has feelings for Jonghyun. It was the only reason she agreed to be his fake girlfriend in the first place.

                     Key quickened his pace as his thoughts sped up in his mind. Jonghyun stepped in front of Key before Key could break out into a run and put a hand on Key’s arm.

                     “Kibum… you know the hospital is a public place so we can’t do anything, but hear me out, alright? There were paparazzi following me when I was going to buy you a ring and I called Se Kyung. She was at a nearby café and invited me to join her. Since I was heading in that direction anyway, we decided to throw the paparazzi off by going on a ‘date’. How would it look if the paparazzi saw me buying a ring with ‘Key’ carved on it?” Jonghyun tried to explain.

                     Key stared at the ground. He knew he was making a big fuss out of nothing, but it hurt to see Jonghyun and Se Kyung like that. Jonghyun put a finger under Key’s chin and titled his head up. Key still wouldn’t meet Jonghyun’s eye.

                     “Hey, look at me.” Jonghyun said softly.

                     Key finally looked up and saw that Jonghyun was giving him his famous puppy dog face. Key couldn’t help but smile when he saw how cute Jonghyun was being. “Yah! Don’t use that technique on me ever again! It’s not fair!” Key said, pouting.

                     “Yay! You’re talking to me! Of course it’s fair! When you want something you always just pout at me! And you know I can’t resist my kitty’s pouts!” Jonghyun said, laughing. He was glad that Key wasn’t mad at him anymore; it was hell on Earth whenever Key was angry.

                     Jonghyun glanced around to make sure they were alone before giving Key a peck on the lips. Key smiled.

                     They continue walking. They heard music coming further down the path. They headed towards where the music was coming from only to find Taemin dancing for a boy in a wheelchair.

                     Key and Jonghyun smiled. It was always a treat to see Taemin dance, because Taemin’s happy when he dances. They observed the boy in the wheelchair. His eyes were locked on Taemin and he looks like he’s looking at an angel.

                     “Jonghyun? I think our son got himself an admirer!” Key chuckled.

                     “Hmm, yeah. I think we should probably do a background check first, though. Taemin’s our only son, after all.” Jonghyun protectively said.

                     When Taemin finished, Key, Jonghyun, and the boy in the wheelchair gave Taemin the applause he deserved. Taemin bowed and smiled as Key and Jonghyun walked closer to him.

                     “Hey, umma! Hyung, seems like you’ve got Key umma to cheer up, huh?” Taemin said with a wink.

                     “Yah! Taemin! What has Jonghyun hyung done to pollute your mind?! We were just talking!” Key umma said, smacking both Jonghyun and Taemin’s heads. “On the other hand, you seemed to have made a new friend.” Key gestured to the boy in the wheelchair.

                     “Oh, right. His name is Minho. He’s really nice and friendly! I was just showing him a little dance.” Taemin introduced Minho to Key and Jonghyun.

                     “Hey, nice to meet you.” Minho smiled and tried to be polite.

                     "Nice to meet you." Key and Jonghyun were equally polite.

                     “Taemin, I think we should go back upstairs now. I think Onew’s hyung surgery will be over soon.” Key said to Taemin.

                     “Yeah alright. You guys head on up first. I just have to take my iPod and tie my shoelace for a second. I’ll go up with Minho hyung later.” Taemin replied.

                     Jonghyun and Key walked on ahead. Taemin put his iPod back in his pocket and bent down to tie his shoelace. When he suddenly stood up, the blood rushed to his head, making him a little dizzy. He blinked a couple of times. He started walking. He turned around to make sure Minho was behind him.

                     Just when he was turning around, he tripped on his own feet and fell. Fortunately, he fell just so that he sat right on Minho’s lap. Taemin accidentally kissed Minho’s cheek. Both of them blushed and Taemin quickly got up, apologizing.

                     Minho just kept quiet. He was shocked.

                     Because for that moment when Taemin’s lips touched his cheek, he could’ve sworn that his heart skipped a beat. Not his electronic heart, of course. He just had a feeling of his heart skipping a beat. Smiling, the hurried to catch up with Taemin.