“Why do you wake up so early, Taeminnie?” Key asked sleepily, staring at his younger brother who was struggling to put his shoes inside a backpack. “Isn’t the competition at seven this evening?”

 

Taemin giggled. “Sorry I woke you up, hyung. And yes, it is. But I need to have last-minute practice so I’ll come earlier.”

 

“Six in the morning doesn’t even count as earlier,” Key grumbled, but he walked towards the stove anyway. “What do you want? Tea or coffee?”

 

“Can I have banana milk instead?”

 

Key couldn’t help but to smile. Banana milk had been Taemin’s favorite drink since he was a kid, and though he was technically an adult now, the favoritism never changed. And Key never thought of changing that anyway. “Here. You can bring two.”

 

“Thank you, hyung!!” Taemin squealed in delight and accepted the drink from Key.

 

Key started to preheat the stove to make omelette. “And don’t worry, it’s okay to wake me up. I need to go somewhere anyway.”

 

Taemin looked up from the banana milk he was drinking. “Where are you going?”

 

Key hesitated for a few seconds. “To Bling Bling Cafe.”

 

“Ah, I know that place, Moonkyu sometimes made a dance show there to earn money. He said the place was good,” Taemin said. “But why?”

 

Key swallowed and focused on mixing the ingredients. “Uhh, I’m meeting somebody.”

 

Taemin’s eyes brightened. “Somebody? Is it your girlfriend?”

 

Key almost dropped the bowl. “No!! Why would you think so??”

 

Taemin shrugged. “You come late from work almost every day, you always say you had eaten, and I found movie ticket inside your jeans pocket when I brought out our laundry yesterday. You don’t usually go out that much. So I concluded there might be someone special.”

 

Key blushed hard as he poured the egg inside the frying pan. His brother could be clueless at times, but he wasn’t a fool, and Key loved him because of that. “Y-yeah, there is someone, Taeminnie. But not a girlfriend.”

 

“Oh? Then is it a boyfriend?”

 

Key almost choked on his own spit and he turned around to stare at his brother in disbelief.

 

Taemin chuckled. “So I’m right.”

 

Key bit his lower lip. He didn’t want to lie to his brother, not when he had had enough burden of lies already, but he knew well how homouality was viewed in Korea and he didn’t want his own brother to be disgusted at him. “I-if that’s true, are you okay with that?”

 

Taemin shrugged. “Why won’t I? Wonshik has a boyfriend named Hongbin from the neighbouring photography school. I don’t care if it’s between people from same or different genders, if they truly love each other, then they deserve to be together.”

 

Smiling, Key hugged his brother, “Thank you, Taemin-ah. Thank you very much. I promise I will introduce him to you someday.”

 

“What about tonight?” Taemin suggested. “You can bring him to my dance competition so that he will know how well I can dance.”

 

Key ruffled his brother’s hair before returning to his omelette. “That sounds like a good idea,” he said. “Okay, I will. But do you have extra invitation?”

 

“Yeah, Moonkyu’s father won’t be able to come, he has to go overseas all of a sudden. I’m sure he won’t mind giving the ticket for your boyfriend, hyung.”

 

Key blushed again and flipped the egg. “Don’t tell him that he’s my boyfriend,” he warned. “It will only add fuel to his pride. And be polite, he’s three years older than you.”

 

Taemin gave an OK sign with his thumb. “I’ll be polite. You’ll be surprised.”

 

Key placed the omelette in front of Taemin. “And good luck for your performance. I’m sure you will be the best, Taemin-ah.”

 

Taemin smiled brightly and hugged Key tightly. “Thank you hyung. Thank you very much!!”

 

Key smiled back and returned the hug, placing a light kiss on Taemin’s forehead.

 

-

 

Jonghyun had been waiting when Key entered his waiting room.

 

“Hi, Bummie,” he said cheekily and placed a kiss on Key’s cheek.

 

Key scowled, but smiled afterwards. “Hi, Jjong. I brought cupcakes.”

 

“Cupcakes?? Where? I want it!!”

 

Key chuckled and opened the box he brought with him. Jonghyun’s eyes lit up at the sight of cupcakes and he immediately grabbed one. Key did the same, and they both enjoyed their sweet treat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

 

“Jjong?” Key called quietly when they finally finished their cupcakes.

 

“Yeah?” Jonghyun replied.

 

Key bit his lower lip. “I...I resigned from my job.”

 

“Really?? You can do that?”

 

“Well, my boss said he’d think about it, but I actually don’t care whether he’ll permit me or not,” Key laughed. “I’m resigning anyway.”

 

Jonghyun flicked Key’s forehead playfully. “Naughty, naughty Bummie.”

 

“But there’s one problem...”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I haven’t found a new one.”

 

“Don’t worry about that. Didn’t I tell you I can get you one?”

 

“Yeah, but I really don’t know what I can do here, aside from serving tables or maybe cooking a little,” Key admitted. “My...my living expense is kinda high, Jjong.”

 

Jonghyun hummed a little. “Can you sing?”

 

Key was a little taken aback. “W-what?!”

 

“Can you sing?” Jonghyun repeated in a serious tone.

 

Key bit his lower lip again. It’s not that he couldn’t sing, of course. When he was younger, he often performed at his school’s talent shows, and people usually praised him. But Key had never thought his voice was good enough to be performed in public.

 

“At least try singing something,” Jonghyun urged. “I will judge whether you’re good enough or not. Don’t worry, I’m objective.”

 

Key rolled his eyes and started raking his brain for a song. He knew many songs, but he wanted the one he’d sing to be a special one for Jonghyun who had done so much for him.

 

Suddenly he remembered their second meeting, when Jonghyun sang Nell’s Newton Apple for him. Despite claiming that he hated Jonghyun’s cheesiness, Key had secretly downloaded and listened to the song as a reminder of the start of their relationship. Smiling, the feline man stood up and cleared his throat before started singing.

 

I know, it took me quite a while

I needed time to figure out

Why and how

 

The start was a bit shaky, probably from the lack of singing for the past few years, but in Key’s opinion, it wasn’t bad. Jonghyun’s eyes shone as he straightened himself on his seat.

 

It was like a roller coaster ride

Of never ending questions

And it still is

But there is one thing

That I’m so damn sure of

And that is you

Yes, you

 

While singing, Key kept on looking at Jonghyun to see his reaction, and he wasn’t disappointed. The dino man sang softly with him, smiling at Key tenderly, certainly remembering their second meeting. Key felt his cheeks flush, but he continued singing to the end of the song.

 

After all these years you are

Still the love of my life

Yes, you are

You are

 

As the last note left his mouth, Jonghyun stood up and clapped loudly. Key looked downside, trying to hide his reddened face. But he was happy as he knew Jonghyun liked it.

 

“That was so beautiful! A bit shaky at first, but overall it’s good. You have a nice voice too, a really unique one,” he complimented.

 

“T-thank you,” Key muttered and blushed even harder.

 

Jonghyun leaned back on the sofa. “But there’s something I want to ask.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Is that an audition or a confession?”

 

That earned a whack on his head from Key. “Yah! Stop with those stupid flirtatious jokes!”

 

Jonghyun rubbed his head and winced. “Ouch, that really hurts. But you get the point. I’ll put your name in the list of performers, right before mine.”

 

Key blinked. “Really?!”

 

“I’m sure the female audiences will love you,” Jonghyun winked.

 

Key smiled gratefully and hugged Jonghyun tightly. “Thank you, Jjong. And I love you. Very much.”

 

Jonghyun hugged him back. “And I love you too, Kim Kibum. More than anything in the whole world.”

 

This time, Key didn’t smack his head for his cheesiness.

 

-

 

Key was all smiles as he went home. And how couldn’t he be? He had a job, and not one requiring him to end people’s lives. He had a boyfriend. Even Taemin succeeded in his study and, Key was sure, was going to be a great dancer in the future. For the first time after his parents’ death, he felt like everything’s going back to the way it should be.

 

Walking inside the apartment building, he smiled at the security guards who blinked and started whispering among themselves as he had never smiled at them before. Jonghyun had agreed to go to Taemin’s dance competition with him, but Key wanted to clean up first. So he went home to take a bath and change clothes, and then Jonghyun would pick him up at six.

 

The elevator arrived on his floor and Key walked towards his apartment room, humming Newton’s Apple under his breath. Inserting his key inside the keyhole, he unlocked the apartment door and pushed it open, only to have his smile dissipated and his hum stopped, the last tone hanging unfinished on the air.

 

Everything inside was a mess. His sofa had been sliced here and there with a knife. The TV was on the floor, broken. One wardrobe door was hanging on one hinge, the other was ripped completely, all the clothes scattered on the floor and the bed.

 

Key stared around the room in disbelief. What had happened? Did a thief break in to steal something when he was away and mess up his apartment?? But the lock showed no signs of being picked, and the thief should have an access card to even reach the floor.

 

Then Key noticed a small paper taped on his fridge which wasn’t there a few hours ago.

 

Your brother is with us.

Come to the empty warehouse in Apgu-jeong or you will never see him again.

 

There was a picture of a knife puncturing skin under the writing.

 

Key rushed immediately to the bottom floor, earning more whispers from the security guards, and started his motorcycle. As he sped through the streets of Seoul once more, questions started to whirl inside his mind.

 

Why did they take Taemin? What did I do wrong that they have to resort to this? What are they gonna do to him?

 

It felt so long before he finally arrived at the warehouse. He knew the place, despite the letter not mentioning the exact address, as he used to spend hours practicing there. Parking his motorcycle in front of it, he entered the warehouse, hand reaching the gun inside his jacket pocket just in case.

 

“Where is my brother?!” he shouted angrily to no one. “Why did you kidnap him?! Show yourself!!”

 

For a second there’s no answer. Maybe two. Then he heard someone walking behind him, but before he could even turn around, something hit him hard on the head and he out.

 

~~~

 

 

 

 

Comments and subscriptions please.