"... And then, Jonghyun was like 'Aren't carrots fruits?'," Jinki explained animatedly, making his best friend burst out laughing in hearty chuckles.

"Kibum hyung must have smacked him so hard!" Taemin exclaimed between laughter.

"That was exactly what he did!" Jinki confirmed, laughing along with the younger. "And Kibum just started shouting at Jonghyun about how he should just shut up and eat his carrots. And Jjong was like-" Jinki paused to snort a laugh he couldn't hold back. "He was like 'But they grow on trees, so they must be fruits!' I was laughing so hard that Kibum smacked me too," Jinki complained but he laughed harder at the joke than sulk at the injustice he received.

"He said they grew on trees?!" Taemin shouted in excitement, laughing just as hard.

"Yea, can you imagine? Carrots dangling from trees, they'll look like ornaments of a Christmas tree," Jinki joked. "When Christmas comes, I'll buy him a tree and hang some..."

"Yah, Lee Taemin!" A voice called from afar, capturing both their attentions.

"...carrots and give it to him..." Jinki trailed off hesitantly. "Someone you know, Taem?" He asked immediately after, hiding the disappointment of having been interrupted. He still wanted to tell his best friend about his whole plan of teasing Jonghyun till his face turns the color of carrots. Taemin
looked at the incoming jogger, then back to Jinki.

"Oh yea, hyung. That's Minho hyung. You know, I told you about him. He's helping me at gym," Taemin explained. In turn, Jinki frowns disapprovingly.

"You mean the one who Jongin said kept staring at your ?" Jinki whispered as the jogger drew nearer. With no time to respond, Taemin only nudged Jinki at his side playfully.

"Hey, Minho hyung," the younger greeted instead.

"Hey, Taeminnie," the tanned athlete greeted between breathless pants. Jinki cringed at the pet name. "What a coincidence, huh? What are you doing here?"

Jinki resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment on how this was the only public park in their small neighborhood, so no, it wasn't really much of a coincidence.

"Oh, Minho hyung, this is Jinki hyung." Taemin gestured to Jinki and smiled. "Jinki, this is Minho hyung." Jinki cheered a little inside when Taemin referred to him comfortably without honorifics the second time and couldn't help but return the grin with pride.

"Nice to meet you," Jinki bowed politely and Minho returned the gesture.

"Um… Are you brothers?" Minho asked cautiously, as if he was planning something. Jinki narrowed his eyes and everything in his body told him to pull Taemin close and claim the younger as his, but he didn't want to do something that would potentially upset the other, so he held himself back.

"I wish!" Taemin laughed. "Jinki hyung's my best friend. We hang out around here quite frequently."

"Oh great!" Minho sighed in relief. "I was worried that I'd get rejected before I even got to ask, you know what I mean?" Jinki felt his heart drop at those words. He felt the need to say something, do something, prevent the next question that was going to be asked.

"What are you talking about, hyung?" Taemin asked obliviously.

"Taemin..." Jinki whispered lowly, taking hold on the younger's wrist, staring territorially at his new rival.

"Well, I wanted to ask you out. There's a new movie out in the theaters and... I mean... Would you give me a chance and come on a date with me tonight?" Minho asked nervously. Jinki released Taemin's wrist the moment the words were out. There was no taking them back now. Jinki watched Taemin's expression, praying with all his might that the younger would refuse. Taemin looked shocked for a moment, but slowly locked eyes with Jinki, as if asking for approval. Jinki just didn't have the heart to deny the younger of his right to choose who he desired, so he shrugs his shoulders and squeezes out a gentle smile for the younger. Taemin seemed to relax a little from gaining the approval of one person he didn't want to lose, and he smiles back appreciatively at Jinki.

"We can give it a try..." Taemin answers shyly. Minho's face seemed to light up, but Jinki felt like drowning. Taemin was his... Why had he let Taemin go so easily...?

"Really?!" Minho asked, the bright smile on his face looked like they'd rip his jaw apart – or so Jinki thinks. Jinki fumbles with his phone on the side while the two talk up plans of where and when to meet. Instead of doing anything to try and stop the two, Jinki cowardly played his ringtone from the music player, pretending to get a call.

"Taem, I gotta get this, kay?" he lies, turning away from the younger before Taemin could look up and see his red-rimmed eyes. He walks away from the duo - the new couple - and pretends to hold the phone to his ear, trying to take control of his own emotions. He rubs his eyes trying to rid his eyes of any signs of tears before he hung up his fake phone call. Walking back to the duo took a lot of his strength but he managed to reach out to tap on Taemin's shoulder in order to dismiss his presence.

"Hey Taem, I'm sorry, that was my mum. I have to go," Jinki lied once again. Taemin grabs hold of his forearm before he could escape like he had done earlier.

"Jinki, is everything okay?" Taemin asked worriedly. Clearly, his watering eyes gave him away. Jinki just smile softly at the younger and shook his head.

"Don't worry. Some family emergency. I don't really know what's going on either. I'll let you know later," Jinki dug deeper into the lie he had formulated.

"Hey, everything's gonna be okay, hyung," Taemin squeezed his arm in what seems to be a comforting manner. "Do you need me to come with you?"

"Nah, it's okay. Go prepare for your date," Jinki squeezes out a tight smile at the bystanding Minho, who awkwardly smiles back. "I'll be okay. I'm sure it's nothing serious."

"Are you sure? I feel bad leaving you alone like this," Taemin asked guiltily.

"I'm sure, Taem. Don't worry about me. Go enjoy yourself," Jinki assured with another tight smile. Taemin sighed worriedly but finally gives in. He reaches over to give the elder a tight comforting hug packaged with a soothing back pat.

"Cheer up, hyung. It's going to be okay," he whispered to Jinki and the latter just hums along in agreement. "Call me if anything props up, okay?"

"I will," Jinki replies as they pull apart. Jinki catches the look of jealousy on Minho's face, and he wonders if that is exactly how he had looked like when Minho had first approached them. It doesn't matter anymore. Minho won and Jinki know that jealousy would bring him nowhere. As long as Taemin was going to be happy, he'd gladly hold the pain in. So he smiles at Minho in parting before finally leaving them alone.