AN | Hello!~ <3 It's been such a long time since this story has been updated, I know; I think I began it around this time exactly last year, and to be updating it now feels like...fate? If you believe in such a force. I'm sorry it's taken this long but I'm thankful and super appreciate you guys for being patient enough to wait this long. I'm so lucky that my work is enjoyed as much as I've been reading about, it makes me feel glad to receive your kind words and equally glad to know this story makes you feel good somehow, too.

As for why it's taken so long, that's all down to me not being in the proper mood to buckle down and write this out properly, but to prove I do actually care about this story still, know that this chapter has been done and practically ready for a long time--roughly 80% percent, but I won't give my readers half-assed stuff if I can help it. Besides mood, I suffer from dry eyes due to excessive computer use and reading in the past, so I've been recoperating in the mean time, and as much as I want to give you guys more, I have to take care of myself, first. But you don't have to wait any longer, it's finally here! I apologise if it's lackluster after all this time ^^;

Since this chapter is going to focus on a resolution from 2min's fight the previous night (or is it?! hehe~), I'm putting the light/nice stuffs in the beginning a/n here. Last thing I feel like mentioning now is that I've got in to reading Matsuri Hino-san's lovely 'Vampire Knight' manga--so far volumes 1 to 3. I watched the anime many years ago but I believe it's better in its original form (Zero is just as handsome as ever!! ^-^ Kaname is a though, lol). The reason I'm mentioning this isn't random but for the fact I feel like here in this a/n, it's like the small side-messages mangaka's include between pages if you have the manga in real life; it's such a delight! Writing is such a delight! I plan to produce multiple light novels irl if I can make it happen in the future!

Also, presenting my work to lovely readers is also a delight! <3

#Thursday

         There are times—while scarce—when Taemin resorts to keeping to himself if he's ever upset, bundling up with comfortable blankets, romance films, convinently made junk foods. Sometimes he stares at open cupboards of sugar given to him from kind neighbours; when he looks at them, when he uses them in his cups of tea, the sweetness of their taste feels lasting because they were passed on to him out of pure intentions and unconditional care.

         He's the sort of person to self-reflect as well. Being energetic and bubbly and optimistic are his true characteristics and they're never anything else most days...but Taemin Lee is also human and inclined to decline at times—even by the littles, simplest, mishaps, like what's about to happen. Taemin smiles and makes the most of his days, and he loves and has fun, but he isn't immune. And today, Choi Minho will realize it; beyond the surface of his quirky neighbour leads something deeper and more real than the carefree-anarchy he usually creates.

         Sometimes sugar is bitter.

         The littlest, simplest mishap this time happens in the cafe where he works today. Called in early and given the responsibility to prepare to open in an hour's time, he figures in the quiet and when there's no customers yet is the best time to try his hand at a new recipe—something that isn't coffee or tea—and he goes for the 'Berry-Strawberry' smoothie. It feels like a perfect match since strawberries happen to be his favourite fruit right after bananas. The mishap happens in a sudden blur and it's mostly his fault, for being air-headed enough, for not thinking enough, for wondering if he should've say a bit more last night instead of wondering why the lid of the smoothie maker is lying on the counter beside him when it should be fixed on top of the machine. It's too late as he jams a finger in to the power button; the machine whirs madly with power and magic, and a mix of stawberries, milk and ice-cream become a fierce hurricane that splatters everywhere—across his face and clothes, on to the floor and specks even make it to the white of the ceiling.

         In his cry of surprise, he catches the faint ring of the bell above the door, and then Minho is there, in the cafe, standing beside him, like he can just appear anywhere from the intensity and desire of emotions. The closet-geek side of Taemin Lee will say he's sub-conciously accumulated the power of empathic teleportation while the logical-thinking and more sensible Minho Choi will tell that he walked in though the Cafe's front door.

         For a drawn-out moment, they stand there staring at each other, in the mess of strawberries, milk, ice-cream and things unsaid and unresolved from their fight: a bitter-sweet conundrum.

         "I hope you weren't planning on ordering a strawberry smoothies any time soon..." Taemin says, wanting to gloss humor over an otherwise pathetic scene.

         "No." for Minho has only just came in to the cafe—a nervous walk along the street with murmured 'pep talks' turning in to a frantic sprint without a second thought once he saw the smoothie explode. There's also this fact never before mentioned until now..."I sort of don't like them."

         Taemin gapes, "Smoothies?"

         "Strawberries."

         "Really? Hyung, you know, that's really strange."

         That way of being called again, and so out of the blue like always; part of Minho feels like laughing about it so he chuckles, quietly and deep. "It's a lot stranger hearing that from the you."

         A pout hints at settling on the blond's lips, so he turns away, "...I'm not strange."

         "You have to admit...you are a little."

         "Or maybe you're the stranger one! 'Cause, after-all, in Wonderland it isn't the talking, singing and dancing creatures, or the size-changing foods that's seen as strange, but logical-thinking Alice!"

         "You love that movie."

         "You bet your pants I do!"

         "It makes absolutely no sense to me, though."

         Taemin huffs once but says nothing else. He takes out from a nearby closet resrtircted to 'employees only' a mop and bucket and first tackles the pink spillage across the floor, deciding a counter wipe-down with a cloth and spray will be next. If were the type to be genuinely infuriated, he would be right now while he's in a space between silence and Choi Minho, who is so obviously indecisively also between things: stalling with trivial disputes and truthfully expressing what he came here to; the university student could hardly sleep last night with only replays of his...horrific shouting going on in his head, and Taemin's surprised face, and his startled face, and his face as he said 'Goodnight, Minho...'.

         To his credit, though late, Minho is starting to find courage—enough to a step forward, then one back, but two more in progression again to his neighbor. He doesn't know how close or at a distance to be. Or how to go in to anything. What's appropriate now in their situation?

         "Are you...hurt at all, anywhere?"

         Taemin shakes his head and his fluffy, blond hair ruffles. "I'm alright. I guess I was...so excited about trying out a new recipe, I forgot the lid! Haha, hah..."

         'Classic Taemin' comes to Minho's mind, remembering the forgotten popcorn on their first date and the way it burned to a crisp and smoke engulfed nearly the entire apartment. Yet even he, who has tendencies to be clueless...even someone like Minho Choi can detect a bit of hurt and tell it's not entirely the truth he's hearing.

         Ignoring the 'employees only' sign hung on the door, Minho takes a second broom out of the closet and helps mop the floor.

         Taemin, rather scandalised, says, "Oh, no...thanks but you don't have to—"

         "I want to."

         Taemin watches him with an expression between solicitous and grateful, but he is, still, grateful.

         "Thank you."

*     *

         By the time they're finished, they still haven't said a real word to each other; Minho's cowardly kept everything he plans to say to himself, like a composer writing and scratching out badly-worded lines to a confession song, over and over; and Taemin's similar, biting his lip to keep from speaking, at least until he knows exactly which issue Minho wants to take on first.

         Pitifully, Minho's not sure where to even start, his experience of upsetting his neighbour fresh and rendering him nervous, and even slightly fearful that he'll say the wrong things. He's concluded nothing from the many options he has managed to sort through but knows one of them seems to be a good place to start: a) apologise for shouting, b) apologise for knocking over their blue cup, c) apologise for ruining their chinese-dinner date, d) apologise for not listening to Taemin's side of things well, e) apologise for not having balls big enough to admit that he was coming on too strong with his 'jealous boyfriend behaviour' when Taemin said he was only talking to his ex, f) apologise on behalf of Seoyun because it turns out she's making his current partner somewhat insecure, g) apologise for insisting on Taemin being insecure when it's commonly agreed upon many people that remaining friends with an ex while dating someone else is not simple at all!

         And there's no way Minho thinks Taemin should apologise—not for much, anyway, beyond making him wait in that long line for a long time while he ran off to go be with that suicidal psycho of his—'ugh, no, no!' he scolds himself.

h) apologise for insulting a mentally-ill, heavilly saddened person.

         Taemin is kind, welcoming, sweet, his heart is open to many people...and he's forgiving—he was kind enough to give his ex a chance to talk, and kind enough not to say 'goodbye' to Minho. It's hypocritical of Minho to think this way; he once was low, that's a time he struggles to overlook. He won't likely stick himself in the same boat as Junsan Kang but Taemin wasn't completely wrong when he sugge