12 minutes

 

{not love but friends}

 

 

“Nicole!!!” Key shouted from far.

 

Nicole was walking, stopped. She turned back to see the person who shouted her name. Upon seeing the person, she smiled. Then she waved to him.

 

Seeing Nicole waved at him like usual, Key started to run to her even though he really disliked running. For her, he didn’t mind running.

 

“Key, you late.” Nicole said as she crossed both of her hands.

 

Catching his breath, Key managed to chuckle, “Like you didn’t know me?”

 

Nicole laughed at his statement. “Yeah, I knew you so well.” She said emphasized the word ‘well’.

 

“Come on, let’s go to school!” Key shouted as if he was excited.

 

Nicole chuckled, “And since went you felt excited going to school?”

 

“Since I knew you,” Key said and laughed, walking leaving her behind.

 

“Yah, Wait up!” Nicole shouted and walked in faster pace towards her best friend.

 

 

Bump. “Oh I’m sorry.” Nicole said and bowed to the person she just bumpped into.

 

“It’s okay. It’s my fault too so I’m sorry.”

 

This voice… Nicole thought as she seems to recognize the person voice. She looked up and gasped a little, “Oh, it’s you Jinwoon.”

 

Jinwoon chuckled a bit, “Yeah, it’s me. Forget me already?”

 

Nicole laughed, “Hah, no, of cause not.” She looked to Key who was beside her entire time and mouth to help her.

 

Key rolled his eyes, seeing her, “Yeah, there’s no way she will forget about you.”

 

Listening to that, Nicole glared at Key. What is he doing?

 

“Oh, really? I’m must be special.” Jinwoon joked even though he actually like what Key said.

 

Nicole blushed. Is this for real? Nah… he just joking…

 

Key felt uneasy hearing what Jinwoon just said. He then looked at Nicole and saw she was slightly blushing. He felt hurt. He hated when he in the kind situation.

“Come on, let’s go to class.” Key said and dragged Nicole with him. He need to get out from the situation and she need too… for him.

 

“Yah… wait.” Nicole said as she was surprised by Key’s action. She looked at Jinwoon and waved good bye to him. After that, she looked at Key and faster her pace to be able to walk beside him. “What was that?” she asked him, with angry tone.

 

Key just silently walked and ignored her. He didn’t want to answer the question. He didn’t want to lie either.

 

Nicole stopped and raised her eyebrow. “What’s wrong with him?” she mumbles, not understand her best friend behavior. Darn, I lost my chance to talk with Jinwoon. Then, she heard the bell rang. She quickly ran to her class, not wanting to be late.

 

 

After the first class, Nicole looked at Key. She saw Key was laying his head on the table. Is he sleeping?

 

Meanwhile, Key was laying his head on the table. What the heck did I just do? Stupid Key, stupid Key. He was scolding himself. How am I gonna face her now? Uh…

 

 

Recess,

 

“Key, let’s go.” Minho said as he stood up from his desk.

 

Key looked at him and let out a little smile. He stood up and walked beside Minho, out from the class. “I’m screw, Minho…” Key said as he face palm himself.

 

Minho raised his eyebrow, looked beside him. “What is it now?” He just knew his best had some stupid stuff to deal with.

 

Key let out a sigh. He looked at Minho, his best friend, the only person that knew his feeling. He whispered to Minho and told what happened. “She wouldn’t know right?” he asked Minho softly so that only them can here.

 

Minho shook his head. “I don’t think she knows it. She maybe wondered why you are acting weird, Key.” He said. That damn girl is just too obvious

 

Key’s eyes shined the moment he heard what Minho said. “Really? Fuh… thanks Minho.” He said as finally felt relived.

 

Minho shook his head again, seeing his best friend behavior. “Why don’t you just tell her how you felt, Key?” he said to Key.

 

Key was having his happy moment crashed by Minho. He stopped smiling and looked down while walking, “You know I can’t do that.”

 

“And why is that? Where’s the Almighty Key gone, huh?” Minho said trying to provoke him. He felt sad seeing his best friend hurt indeed.

 

Key tried to chuckle a bit, covering his sadness, “She likes someone else…”

 

“Key…”

 

Key put his arm around Minho neck and said, “It’s okay and I’m okay. If she not my fate so… I just have to let go right?”

 

Minho couldn’t say anything anymore. So he could just smile to Key to show his support to him.

 

“Key hyung!” Taemin shouted from the table at the cafeteria as he saw Key and Minho walking in to the cafeteria.

 

Key waved to them and walked to his seat.

 

Minho said something before they arrived at the table. “Key, whatever happen, you know we are there for you.” He said and patted Key shoulder, walked to the table.

 

“I will remember that…” Key mumbled as he nodded to the rhythm.

 

…

10 minutes before recess over. Nicole was walking to her class from the teacher room with pile of papers in her hand. “Uh… this is so heavy.” She mumbled along the way. Suddenly the pile became light. “Huh?” She looked beside him, shocked. “Jinwoon?” she said and blinked her eyes.

 

Jinwoon arranged the pile of papers in his hand and started to walk. Then he stopped. He looked beside him and then looked behind him. He chuckled, “Yah, aren’t you coming?”

Snapped from her thought and Nicole started walking beside him. “You… don’t have to help though…” she said softly.

 

“Hehe… it’s not nice seeing a girl carrying heavy things. I’m a gentleman.” Jinwoon said as he proud of himself.

 

Nicole chuckled, “Oh really? Then you should carry the other half.”

 

“Nah… It’s heavy.” Jinwoon joked and Nicole laughed.

 

Meanwhile, on the other side, Key was watching them. Seeing them together broke his heart. Seeing them happy together hurt him. He gripped his hand in fist, controlling his anger. How I wish you know how I felt for you and for you to felt the same for me… he thought and then walked to his class.

 

 

In the class, Key was sitting in his seat, looking through the window beside him, staring blankly.

 

Meanwhile, Nicole and Jinwoon walked into the class with laughter between them. Nicole put half of the sheets on the teacher table in the same time as Jinwoon. She thanked him for being helpful.

 

Minho in the other hand, who was reading his book, caught a glance of Nicole and Jinwoon. He looked on how happy Nicole is. He then quickly looked to his best friend who was sitting beside him. Key looks like his soul left his body. He thought. He sighed as he shook his head. I guess he saw that already.

 

The teacher came into the class a second after Jinwoon walked out from their class. Nicole bowed to the teacher and went to his seat while Minho knocked Key’s head showing that the teacher had come. Key cried of pain softly and quickly looked forward.

 

 

After school, in ready to go back home… After Nicole finished packed her things, she skipped to Key’s seat. Upon arrived at his seat within a minute, she greeted him happily, “Hey Key!”

 

Key raised his eyebrow and answered, “Yes?” he looked at her as he was waiting for her to say something. You sure look happy, Nicole.

 

Nicole frowned looking at her best friend. His reaction wasn’t the same like he used to do. But she disappear the thought and instead she said, “So… wanna go shopping? My mood is up, up!” feeling exciting.

 

Key tried to smile for her. He would love to go shopping but he wasn’t in the mood for shopping that day. “Um… I’m busy today, so… I don’t think I can go.” He lied.

It was weird for Nicole when Key didn’t want to go but he did say he was busy. “Okay, then. It can’t be help right?” she said. Key never said ‘no’ to shop even though he was busy. He would make time for it. To her, it was weird but… she tried to be positive, he was busy, very busy.

 

“Yeah…” Key said and put on a fake smile. He didn’t know whether his expression was normal like always or not. He tried to make a perfect poker face. He didn’t want to show her that he was badly hurt… he was in pain.

 

“Okay… I think I better go now.” Nicole said to him in rather awkward tone. She moved one step backward and waved goodbye before she turned around and walked away for the class.

 

After seeing Nicole had left, Key let out a sigh. This is much harder than I thought it would be…

 

 

That evening Key spent his time alone in his house. It was rare for him to being in his house since he usually went out for fun. And that made his mother worried.

 

Knock, knock.

 

Key was sitting as he was leaning against the wall in his room. The room wasn’t completely dark but there’s only a little light. “Yes?” he said, not even bothers to open his door.

 

“Key darling, aren’t you going out and play?” Key’s mother asked as she was worried about her only son.

 

“No, mom. I just… just bit of tired today.” Key said, staring blankly at his room.

 

“Uh, really?” Key’s mother said as she sighed a little. They were only talk without the door opened. She was about to leave alone her son as she notice that her son was in unusual self that day but she knocked the door again with a smile in her face and said, “Key darling, could you opened this door for a second, please?”

 

Key didn’t want to open the door. He just wanted to be alone for a moment but he didn’t want to disobey his mother word. He loved his mother and he didn’t want her to be upset. Key stood up and took a deep breath. He put his happy face and twisted the door knob. As the door was opened, a bright light shine to his eyes as he was in a dark room. He blinked many times and saw a few images in front him. He raised his eyebrow and said, “Guys?”

 

The guys were no other that his closed friends. Onew, Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin smiled widely at Key.

 

“Key, your friends just come visit you. So played nice together, okay? I’ll be at downstairs.” Key’s mother said. She had been used when Onew, Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin just come into her house out of nowhere but in polite way. She didn’t mind and they are just like her own children.

 

“Yes… mom.” Key said as he watched his mother walked down the stairs. When the image of his mother had disappeared from his sight, he looked at his friends who were standing in front of him, smiling. “What are you guys doing in my house?” Key asked as he put both of his hand to his waist. He glared at them.

 

“Our Key is back!!” Jonghyun said and hugged Key drastically.

 

Minho shook his head, looking at his hyung.

 

“Yah!” Key yelled as he was suffocated by the tight hugging.

 

With a big smile in his face, Jonghyun released the hugged, giggled.

 

“Yah, why are you guys still there?” Onew asked as he was already sitting on Key’s bed.

 

“Oh, hyung when did you walked in? How come I didn’t notice that?” Taemin innocently asked the older one as he walked into Key’s room.

 

Key sighed as he admit defeated by them. After Jonghyun and Minho had walked into his room, he closed the door and switched on the light to make it brighter. After that, he turned to see his friends who were sitting in each corner of his room. “As I was asking, why are you guys doing in my house, my room?” he asked, sending his glare.

 

Jonghyun who was sitting on Key’s study chair with his hand behind the back of his head, chuckled, “We want to bright up our friend who was sad right now.”

 

Key was stunned for a moment. His heart softened when his friends care about him so much. “Guys…” he tried to say something but it didn’t come out.

 

Taemin stood up and hugged his hyung. “Key hyung… don’t be sad.” he said as he patted Key’s shoulder.

 

“What are you guys talking about?” Key paused. “I’m not sad… I’m okay.” Key lied as he tried to release the hugged.

 

Taemin tighten the hugged on wanting it to be free.

 

Since when did he be this strong? Key thought as he couldn’t release the hugged.

 

“Don’t lie to us, Kibum.” It was Minho’s turn to talk. “It’s not like we just know each other yesterday, Key.” He continued said. He knows that Key was having a bad time and needed time alone but wasn’t it better to share with them. That is what friends were for, right?

 

Key bit his lips as his bang covered his eyes, still in Taemin’s embraced. He really didn’t what to say, or what to reply to them.

 

“What do you expect us to think when we saw you without a soul walked out from the school gate, completely ignored us that waved at you?” Onew gave Key a full length statement. “Tell me, Key. What should we do?” he asked again, completely ignore his childish and dorky act.

 

Key ducked his head on Taemin’s shoulder and hugged him. Key was crying silently but only a few tears were out from his eyes.

 

“Hyung…” Taemin softly whispered feeling pity.

 

After a few minutes silent has fill up the room, Key knew he had to be happy again. “Okay!” he shouted and released the hugged fiercely making little Taemin was startled by it.

 

Jonghyun smiled. Onew chuckled a bit while Minho stood up and said, “Filling better?”

 

Taemin turned his body, viewing all of his hyungs and smiled.

 

“Oh…” Key thought a bit and then he chuckled, “Not really but I felt much better with you guys. Thanks and I’m sorry.”

 

“Group hugs!!” Jonghyun shouted and then dashed to hug everyone.

 

With that they all hugged and laughed together.

 

My friends… Key thought and smiled.

 

 

The very next day, Key had bid goodbye to his family and then walked to his school. “Be just like normal, just like normal.” Key said as if he was put on a spell on himself.

Key walked and walked but then he spot a figure that he recognized very well.

 

“Nicole!!!” Key shouted from far.

 

Nicole was walking, stopped. She turned back to see the