“No?”

            “No.” Jongdae repeated his answer. He doesn’t know why but he felt a slight irritation when Junmyeon offered him his friendship. “I’m the only one that’s allowed to choose who I want to be a friend. I don’t really know you that much so I don’t want you to be my friend.”

            Shock was evident on Junmyeon’s facw. But it was just for a while because the smile in his eyes returned.

            “I’m not qualified to be your friend then? So, what are your qualifications?”

            “It’s simple. Even if you are a terrorist, if I want you to be my friend then I’ll make you my friend.

            “So it depends on the great Jongdae, huh?”

            “Don’t call me that.” Jongdae stilled for a second when Junmyeon smiled. His eyes were now shining with mystery. Jongdae furrowed his eyebrows. “Will you still take me out for lunch? If not, just say so. I don’t want to waste time. Anyway, it’s alright if you back out.”

            “I never backed out on my words.” Junmyeon stretched his arm to the pathway. “After you.”

            Jongdae stepped aside. “No, after you. I didn’t know this place so you better lead the way. Maybe we’ll end up to a cliff if I lead the way.”

            Junmyeon grinned. Oh, he was handsome, all right. “Point taken. Shall we?”

            “Sure.”

            They are both silent until they arrived at a restaurant that wasn’t that far from the café where they came from. And like the café bar, there are only few customers at the restaurant. Cozy but sophisticated was still visible in every corner. The place really suits him.

            A beautiful woman approached them. “What’s up, Junmyeon? You didn’t participate at the riot at the Lakeside Café?”

            “We just went there, Jess. In fact, we’re already finished with our business there that’s why we are here. By the way, this is Kim Jongdae. Jongdae, this is Jessica Lee, Donghae’s wife and the manager of this restaurant.”

            Jongdae smiled. “It’s nice to meet you Jess. What food can you recommend?”

            “Everything.” She gave them the menu. “You can choose there. By the way, Junmyeon, Hyeyoung passed by here earlier. She’s looking for you. You two have an appointment?”

            Junmyeon scratched his head. “I almost forgot about that.”

            Jess clucked her tongue. “Just slow down with your dates, Junmyeon. Maybe you’ll cause some chaos here.”

            “I am a peace lover, don’t worry.” Junmyeon turned to him. Apology was all over his handsome face. “I’m sorry about this, Jongdae. But I have to go. I forgot that I have an appointment before I asked you to eat lunch with me. But don’t worry, Jess will charge everything to my account. Just enjoy your food.”

            “You’re leaving?”

            “Sort of.”

            Jongdae wants to smack Junmyeon with the menu. No one has ignored him like that. And he’s really insulted. He just doesn’t show it because he doesn’t want them to pity him.

            “Go ahead and leave. I won’t mind.”

            “`You sure?”

            “Yeah.”

            Junmyeon is a bit skeptical to his answer so he stared at him for a few seconds. When he’s contented, he said goodbye to him.

            “Okay then, I’ll leave now. Jess, please take care of Jongdae.”

            “Okay. Take care. That Hyeyoung girl is like a barracuda. Maybe you’ll get forced married in no time.”

            Junmyeon just laughed. Jongdae’s still pissed at him while Junmyeon is walking towards the exit of the restaurant. I hope you trip or something.

            “I apologize for Junmyeon, Jongdae. He’s really like that. He can’t break his promises.”

            “He just can’t say no to something.” Jongdae sighed.

            Jess and him both looked at the entrance where Junmyeon met a girl with a hug before he can even leave the restaurant. Jongdae’s eyebrow rised.

            How dare that man show up with his woman here? He just stood me up! That ill-mannered pig!

            “Junmyeon’s in trouble for sure.” Jongdae heard Jess said. “For sure Daeryeong Lee’s daughter won’t let him go.”

            “Daeryeong?”

            “Daeryeong Lee is a pioneer member of this club. But he’s not that much active in the activities here.” Jess nodded to Junmyeon’s direction. “But his daughter is.”

            “My godfather Mingoo is the minister of national defense. Will the club kick that woman out if her father is demoted from his rank?”

            “I don’t know. But I’d like that woman out of this club as well.” Jongdae and Jess looked at each other. Her grin is wide. “You want to try it?”

            “You don’t like her too?”

            “Yeah that girl’s mad. And she’s so arrogant. My staffs here are always complaining about her because she’s so ill-mannered.”

            “If that’s the case, why is Junmyeon always sticking to her?”

            “I don’t understand too. Junmyeon is sane, right?”  

            Jongdae frowned when the woman’s arms s around Junmyeon’s waist. “Maybe because he likes crazy women.”

            “That’s not his girlfriend.”

            “That’s not what I’m seeing. What did Junmyeon see in her? She’s not even pretty.”

            Jongdae must have said it out loud because the two looked at his direction. The woman’s eyebrows furrowed. But he doesn’t care. Jondgdae just raised his eyebrow and looked at Jess.

            “What’s your most expensive food here? I want the best of everything for me. By the way, this is charged to Junmyeon, right? He won’t mind giving me the best.” He looked at the two. “You don’t mind, do you, Junmyeon? In the first place, you offered it to me.”

            “Excuse me.” The woman said. “Do I know you?”

            “I’m not talking to you.” Jongdae sighed and shook his head gently. “The world is full of idiots.”

            He saw that the woman wants to say something. And he’s sure that the woman wants to lunge at him. But he didn’t bother to protect himself because Junmyeon stops the woman from coming near him.

            “You’re taking side with him?”

            “No I’m not–”

            “I hate you! Just go with him!” Then the woman marched away.

            Junmyeon turned to him and sighed. Jess excused herself when he walked back to her table.

            “Follow your girlfriend.” Jongdae said while his eyes are still fixed on the menu. “She might bring herself to the stable to be kicked by the horses.”

            “You’re getting pricked by your conscience?”

            “Why? It’s not my fault if that woman chooses to be stupid. Because if I were her, I’ll just jump off a cliff rather than get myself kicked by the horses.” Jongdae looked at Junmyeon over the menu when he sat on the chair in front of him. “Yes?”

            “So now you’ll have to bear with me.”

            “Bear with you? What are you, a road that’s under construction?” Jongdae pulled the menu away. “I don’t want someone with me while I’m eating. Especially someone who just throws away their date.”

            Junmyeon just looked at him silently. Jongdae doesn’t like the feeling that he gets while Junmyeon is staring at him. It looks like he’s looking through him and he doesn’t like that. He’s ready to scold Junmyeon when he stood up.

            “Enjoy your meal, Jongdae.”

            Jongdae just looked at Junmyeon when he left the restaurant. What happened? Did he do something wrong? But he didn’t do anything wrong. But why is he beaten by his conscience?

            “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Jongdae whispered to himself.

            “Jongdae.” Jess said when she approached him. “Why did Junmyeon left?”

            “I don’t know.”

            “You asked him to leave?”

            Jongdae’s lips quivered. That must be it. He told Junmyeon to leave while he’s the one that’s paying for his meal. That’s not a nice thing to do.

            But why is there something bothering his conscience? I really hate this. What I did is not that awful.

            “Jess.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Could you wrap my orders, please?”

            “Okay.”

            “And do you know where Junmyeon’s house is?”

-----------------------------

            “Chen-chen, where are you going?”

            Jongdae faced his Heechul hyung. “Somewhere.”

            “You shouldn’t wander around without having someone with you. You might get lost. You’re always in a daze.” Heechul noticed the paper bag that he is carrying. “I thought you’re having lunch with Junmyeon?”         

            Sometimes, he wants to be annoyed with how his brothers are so observant. “Kyungsoo and Kai are okay now?”

            “Yes.”

            Heechul still looks at him skeptically. “What?”

            His brother just shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing. I haven’t had my lunch yet. Let’s go grab something to eat.”

            “Ah, you just go ahead, hyung.” Jongdae raised the paper bag that contains the food that he asked Jess to wrap. “I brought some food. Junmyeon buys it for me–”

            Heechul just grabbed it from him. “This looks delicious. This is the first time I'll be eating free food.”

            “Hyung, give it back to me!”

            “Being a glutton is bad, Jongdae.”

            “I’ll give it to Junmyeon.”

            “Thank you.”

            His hyung and him both looked at the person who just talked. Junmyeon was standing behind his Heechul hyung and was now holding the paper bag.

            “I didn’t know you are worrying about me, Jongdae.”

            “I’m not worrying about you.” Jongdae approached Junmyeon to get the paper bag. But Junmyeon pulled it away from him. “Excuse me. That’s mine.”

            “I thought this is for me? Well, this is mine now.”

            “Not until I say so.”

            “You just said it.” He looked at his Heechul hyung. “Right, Heechul?”

            His brother just shrugged his shoulders. Junmyeon looked at him. “Thanks for this.”

            That’s it and Junmyeon walked away from them, with him carrying the paper bag with the food. Jongdae stared at him with his hand on his hip. That’s it? Junmyeon doesn’t even asked him to join him eat the food? Jongdae looked at his hyung. His brother is just looking at Junmyeon and it seems like he’s thinking about something.

            “Hyung, stop him.”    

            “Hmm? Why?”

            “He took my food.”

            “You said it’s really for him, right?”

            “That’s not just for him. I want to eat too because I didn’t have my lunch yet.”

            “And you want to eat with him,” Jongdae didn’t say anything. Good thing his hyung didn’t comment about it. “Get it yourself from him then.”

            “You won’t even help me?”

            “You can do it. Anyway, it’s just Junmyeon. Just kiss him and you can get all you want from him.”

            He looked at Heechul with doubt. “Did you already make that move on him that’s why you know it?” His hyung flicked his finger on his forehead. “Ouch!”

            “Don’t make an issue.” His hyung pushed him towards Junmyeon’s direction. “Get him. Make our family proud.”

            “What?”

            “The food. Get the food.”

            He doesn’t have an idea how strong the persuasive powers of his Heechul hyung are because he quickly followed Junmyeon. When Junmyeon looked at him, Jongdae was greeted by his smiling eyes. That must be the reason why he finds himself pulling Junmyeon’s nape and kissing him on the lips. But the moment their lips touched, that’s the time when he realized what he did. He quickly separated from Junmyeon and just stared at him. His mind just went haywire. Junmyeon was also looking at him but with that unreadable expression on his handsome face. Junmyeon’s hand is still on Jongdae’s back, supporting him.

            “Jongdae!” He heard his Heechul hyung called. For the first time in many years, he called him by his birth name. His brother must have been really shocked.

            But surely not as shocked as he was.

            “I told you to kiss him.” His hyung continued. “But not on the lips! God! What am I going to tell Mom?”

            “What happened?” His Ryeowook hyung said, he just arrived.

            “Our baby brother just kissed someone.”

            “Cool! Let’s call up Mom.”

            Jongdae doesn’t know what went on his mind when he just kissed Junmyeon like that, and he went to his brothers. He slapped Heechul’s arm with force and he grabbed his Ryeowook hyung’s phone.

            “No one will tell Mom about this.” Jongdae threatened. “Or I’ll skin you two alive.”

            “Why did you kiss Junmyeon?”

            “Yeah. What face are we going to show to Junmyeon now?”

            Jongdae looked at Junmyeon. He was still standing there with the same blank expression on his face. Jongdae’s brows furrowed. Because he himself doesn’t know the reason why he kissed him. When he can’t think of an answer, he just walked away.

            “Hey, where are you going? Junmyeon will take responsibility of what he did to you.”

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I love Jongdae's sassiness here. 😂 Maybe I'll just proofread and edit this chapter tomorrow because I'm so sleepy. Thank you for the subscriptions, comments and upvotes! 😊