Taeyong exited his work place early today but none of the guys were available to go to lunch with him. He didn’t have another choice but to eat alone. He looked inside some stores and buy new CDs and books before going to the restaurant area of the mall so he could choose what to eat today. There was sushi, there was Thai food, there was Chinese food, there was fast food, there was normal food, but he still couldn’t decide what to eat. He pouted, usually the guys chose what to eat, specially Yuta who loves eating so much, like he is always so excited to eat anything and he makes great food choices, now he is here by himself having so much and not knowing what to choose. What kind of friends he has? He is like a baby, they should know him better.

He stayed still looking the different locals when he felt someone touching his right shoulder. He turned around to see Jennie smiling at him.

“Hey…” He said, it was a kind of awkward hey…

She smiled at him. “Do I make that uncomfortable?”

Taeyong’s eyes wide open. He shook his hands and head. “No, no, no, it’s just… long time no see”

“I know right?” She answered. “Sorry about that. We’re kind of loyal”

“I understand” He nodded.

“Are you here alone? Where are the guys?” She asked, looking behind him and around.

He looked the way she was looking and then looked at her. “Ah, yes I am. The guys are working, I was… wondering what to... ohm… what to eat” Is he starting to get nervous?

“Can I join you?” She asked. “I am by myself too”

“Sure!” He said instantly. “What do you want to eat?” He opened his arms. “I have a great among of choices”

Jennie smiles at him. “I let you chose”

Oh crap… a few minutes ago he was about to cry because the guys let him alone and he doesn’t really like deciding what to eat but now he has to man up and decide what to eat for the sake of this amazing encounter. He is so excited, happy and nervous at the same time. It’s amazing how a little and tiny person can make you feel… your insides can be like an emotion bomb.

“What about if we eat sushi?” He asked.

“Sushi it is!” She said. “I was praying for you to choose sushi” Her giggling sounded cute for him.

He smiled proud and walked her over to the table. He slides the chair for her and then walked to his seat. What a gentlemen. As both were scanning the menu, Jennie glanced at Taeyong at times. She is happy to see him again; there was something inside her jumping around. Butterflies? Hunger? She thinks is butterflies. It’s a familiar feeling with him since she met him.

“Tae?” She called and he looked at her. “How have you been?”

Taeyong made silence for some seconds. “Fine. Everything is good. Although kind of sad for Jae. He’s my best friend and he is having a hard time” He shrugged. “But we are with him in anything he decides. What about you?”

Jennie only looked at him, straight in his eyes. “I feel like that too. Other than I know my Chaeyoung is suffering too”

“I bet she is” Taeyong looked at the menu again.

“Are you dating someone?” He heard her asking.

What should he answer? Well, is not like he is dating. He is not. So if he wants to be honest, he should say it.

...But she is dating someone… so would it look bad if he isn’t dating? He should be dating, I mean, she is with someone else as well and he felt like wanted to die for that but he should move on... but then again, he is not dating because he can’t move on! How in the world he can say a lie only because he is bitter and jealous.

“Yes” He answered. “It’s a- a girl from work”

What?

Jennie nodded slowly. Her features formed a disappointed expression. “That’s good”

Maybe a part of Taeyong thought that Jennie still dating someone and to make him look better, he had to invent a date… I mean, maybe?

“What about you?” He asked with a smile on his face.

She shook her head. “I’m not, actually”

Oh crap, again, that part of Taeyong is killing itself.  He breathed harshly. He screwed things over right? Would the situation be any different if he said otherwise? He doesn’t know and will never know.

“I- I thought you were dating th-”

“Yeah” Jennie interrupts him. “I was. But didn’t work out. Sometimes things doesn’t work out and… it can be a sign that, you belong to someone else”

Taeyong and Jennie made eye contact.

“But I hope that doesn’t happen to you” She said. “And the girl you’re dating”

“Yeah” He answered, not very enthusiastic. “I hope so too”

“You say what!!!” Mark yelled across his living room.

After the lunch with Jennie which ended up not that great as he thought because of his stupid lie that actually got her very far away from him… at least for now, Taeyong ran to Mark’s house to burst in flames and probably die in tears.

“…Yes…” Taeyong was covering his face with his two palms.

“You are so... argh!” Mark yelled frustrated again. “I mean, didn’t your mom taught you about lies? Lies are evil and stupid and horrible and… stupid!”

“Yeah, now I understand that!!” Taeyong yelled at him, still in his position.

“Seriously… this is amazing Lee Taeyong, why would you do such a thing? Oh my God, I feel so frustrated and I’m not even that interested in your love life”

“At least you’re nice… Jaehyun will kill me” He said. “Please don’t say anything to him”

“How can I not? This is huge… a huge stupidity but huge”

“I know I screw up. I know, you have no idea how much I regret but I thought she was still dating… I mean, I was still all bitter about it”

“Yeah but you should have said the truth anyway. Now, you’ve lost your chance to at least ask her on a date”

“Ah!!!!” Taeyong yelled, throwing his body on the couch.

“Maybe, after this, she will met someone better, get married, have kids and die”

“What?!”

“Only because you lied!”

“What?!”

“Yeah, life works that way, you know?”

“No! I want to be the guy she married, have kids and die with”

“But you won’t be because you lied!”

“But… but that doesn’t mean I can end up my-”

“Fictional relationship?”

“Yeah that”

“So you can end something that doesn’t exist?”

“Yeah!”

“Like, you will end the relationship with Sara two hours after you saw Jennie?”

“Who the is Sara?”

“Your fictional girlfriend”

“Why it has to be Sara?”

“I don’t know. I imagine you would be with the American girl of your office. She’s pretty”

“Mark, what the hell? I’m not dating any Sara!”

“That’s what you said to Jennie”

“Because I was bitter, only that!”

“Ah… ok… poor Sara, she will be devastated”

“You-” Taeyong pointed at him and got up from the couch. “You are just playing with me”

“It’s funny. You deserved though.” Mark said. “You are so stupid”

Taeyong walked to the door but before open it, he turned around. “Don’t say anything to Jaehyun or I’ll be dead by tomorrow morning”

“Got it. You want me to shut it if I see Sara”

Taeyong rolled his eyes and got out from the apartment.

Best Friend Award goes to Lee Mark ladies and gentleman.

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Sicheng and Yuta yelled at Taeyong.

They got together with Mark at Taeyong’s house. He arranged the reunion to eat and drink some beers and spend time together but the hide motive is mess up with Taeyong for that stupid move. It has been two day since that happen and he still feels bad. It's not fair but is what he really deserves. It was a huge oportunity and he let it fly away from his hands. 

The guys are not that nice and comforting but they are cruel and real, which he thinks is way better, even though is really annoying.

He looked at Mark, who raised his arms. “You said not to tell anything to Jae… they are not Jae”

Oh right, and Jaehyun doesn't know yet.

“Why you did that? That was stupid!” Sicheng asked, pouching Taeyong on his knee.

“I know that already ok? I was bitter. I thought she had a boyfriend… I just said it ok? I wasn’t thinking”

“Yeah, you don’t need to tell us that” Yuta responded. “It’s clear you weren’t thinking”

Taeyong grabbed a cushion and putted over his face. It’s so frustrated to have done what he did. A little mistake can change your life, huh? He feels anxiety with only the thought of not knowing how could’ve turned out if he didn’t say what he said. A simple “No” would’ve been enough and he might not been feeling the way he is feeling now.

“Jokes a side” Mark sited beside Sicheng and Yuta that were sited in the table in front of Taeyong’s couch. “If I were you. I call her and tell her the truth”

Taeyong took the cushion off his face.

“It’s better to just fix the things” Mark handed him the phone. “It’s been two days. I mean, I don’t think she is dating this soon” He looked at Sicheng and Yuta. “Right?”

Taeyong grabbed the phone and the guys watch him dialing the number.

9

9

8

7

2

“You know what just text her!!” Sicheng took the phone.

The three guys looked at him, confused.

“It’s less embarrassing!!” He said.

“It’s actually a great idea. You know how Taeyong in saying things”

Taeyong rolled his eyes again.

“Yeah and please read us what you will text her, ok?” Mark requested him.

He started to type on his phone and took about five minutes to write a little confession with the embarrassing truth. But even though his friends at making him feel better, the fix the things before is too late is a great advice.

- JennieKim-

Hi

It’s me

I wanted to tell you something that has been bothering me lately

I spend such a great time with you the other day

And I was so nervous as well. It’s stupid for me to say that

Jennie I lied

I am not dating anyone

I told you that because

I was jealous of the guy that you were dating

And I felt embarrassed that I was not in the same position

Don’t know

Call me immature

I guess I am

Sorry about that

“Why you left so much space?” Mark asked. “You should have wrote all that in one go”

“My fingers are shaking. Let me be!” Taeyong took his phone out of Mark’s hands.

“Let him alone” Yuta told Mark after both giggled. “It’s fine. Now let’s wait for her-” The phone rang. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Yuta stood up from his place, surprised.

While Mark, Sicheng and Taeyong were startle watching Taeyong’s phone.

“It’s her?” Mark asked.

Taeyong watched the phone and then shook his head. “It’s Jae”

“Oh, what is he doing?” Yuta asked.

“He is trapped on his office so he can’t come” Taeyong started to type back.

“Poor Jae… work… Chae… work… it must be horrible” Yuta said, sitting back.

“The dude… Jungkook… he never responded back?” Mark asked.

Taeyong shook his head. “Never. He has been doing all by himself”

“He has?” Mark asked. “I don’t know anything about Jae since a while”

“Yeah, man,” Taeyong answered him. “He went to Japan and Hong Kong, to her father’s tourist complex. She wasn’t there”

“We should do something for him” Yuta proponed. “But what?”

“Leave him alone” Taeyong responded. “I think is the best way. If he needs us he’ll come. But now, I don’t think he will handle any so let’s leave him alone”

The guys nodded.

“Let’s make him a cake at least, Tae do yo-” The phone rang. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god” Yuta stood up again.

He is very sensitive to this stuff.

They all made silence.

“It’s Jae” Taeyong said.

They went calm.

“Why do you want to make a cake? Do you know how to cook?” Mark asked Yuta.

Yuta sited again. “Yes, I can. Jae is not the only one who knows about cooking”

“I can cook too” Sicheng said, rising his hand.

“Yeah but not as Jae can cooks”

“Yah! But we’re not that bad”

“What do you need?” Taeyong said, placing his phone on the couch again.

“Cake ingredients?”

“You don’t even know what ingredients you need” Mark said sarcastically.

“I can look on internet!” Yuta yelled.

“You’ll end up exploiting my kitchen” Taeyong said.

“Ok, you know what?!! Let’s buy a cake and that’s it!” Yuta crossed his arms on his chest and the guys laughed.

“Aw, our Yuta baby” Mark said, still laughing. “We are just teasing you”

“Get out of here” Yuta fought Marks hug. “You hurt my fee-” The phone rang. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god”

“Can you stop doing that? It’s just Jae!” Mark yelled at him.

It was Jae.

“I’m sensitive ok?”

“Man, he is sad as ” Taeyong’s voice was low. “Poor Jae, yell you love him” He pressed the microphone key of the phone.

“WE LOVE YOU JAE YOU CAN DO THIS!!!” The guys yelled in a cute tone. Almost doing aegyo for Jae even though he can’t see it.

Taeyong smiled and went typing again.

“See? That sadness can only be fixed with a cake” Yuta said.

“And Chaeyoung…” Sicheng added.

They nodded, included Taeyong who was on the phone.

“I think we should make him a party as well…” Yuta said again.  “Like... ok, Taeyong has a point about leave him alone but he needs to breathe a bit, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right” Taeyong placed the phone back at his side.

“What kind of party? Like a surprise party?” Sicheng asked.

“His birthday is soon as well… I think a double party will be awesome” Mark pointed.

“Oh my god, his birthday… it’s his first birthday without Chaeyoung. How cruel life can be?” Yuta said, with a dramatic tone.

“It’s a price he must pay” Mark answered him.

“I don’t think he will want a party though” Sicheng added. “He will not be happy, not even if we make him a great expensive party”

Silence. Oh god, a friend is trapped in a situation they never thought he will be. And is not only hard for him but for them as well. See him suffering and having such a hard time makes their heart feel so broken. They can be very annoying and not that helping but they still feel the same pain Jae is feeling. That’s truth friendship right there.

“Cake, only a cake and some time with friends, period” Yuta stated. “That’s my-” The phone rang. “Why always when I talk like, Jae should let me finish my sentence at least!”

Taeyong grabbed the phone amused by Yuta and his face changed when he saw the message.

It was Jennie.

“Oh, ” Taeyong whispered, loud enough for the guys to hear him.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god” Yuta stood up again.

“It’s her?” Mark asked.

Taeyong nodded, not taking his eyes off the phone.

“What did she said what did she say?” Sicheng asked. “I’m so excited about this!!”

-Jennie Kim-

Tae, I kind of knew it

But I felt a bit disappointed though

Because I wanted to share more with you

But knowing you were dating

Caught me off guard and made me feel bad

Made me feel I lost my chance

It’s cute that you say you were bitter

But I’m not dating anyone right now

So why not… spend more time together

Maybe?

Just if you want to

“OOOOOOOOOH ” Mark yelled and started to walk around the living room. “I told you! I told you!”

“You wouldn’t have been in this situation if you had said the truth Tae” Sicheng said. “Hate when Mark is right!”

At far away, walking in a victory form, you could hear Mark saying…  “I told you, I’m such a great friend!!”

Taeyong smiled. It’s everything that he wanted. Maybe this kind of things should’ve happen for him to learn that life is full of opportunities, one by one and if he can take it he just should, rather than make excuses to not to. At least right now, everything turn out well… but what about if it didn’t? He shook his head, it turn out well, and that’s what matters. But why this can’t happen to his best friend? Why things can go smoothly like right now for Jae? He doesn’t know if he’s feeling happy or sad… it’s confusing but he has Jennie to talk it out, right?

*wink wink*

“I’m so excited I want to buy the cake like now!” Yuta screamed.

“Yeah, we’re happy while Jae is miserable. Let’s buy the cake” Mark said, coming back to the living room.

“Yeah” Taeyong said, still smiling and typing on the phone. “Let’s buy the best cake on the world for Jae”

The guys walked to one of his favorite’s café to pick a good and delicious cake. He can and loves to eat anything sweet so they won’t have any problems to choose one yummy cake. They walked around only watching the designs to decide which to choose. It has to be pretty..

“This one looks pretty!” Sicheng yelled to the others.

“Ah, no, too much lemon” Mark said pointing at the cake and shaking his head.

“That’s not lemon” Sicheng said, watching him from the corner of his eyes. “That’s kiwi”

“What the hell? Looks like lemon” Mark answered him.

“Which?” Taeyong asked as he arrived. Sicheng pointed. “Ah, but it doesn’t have chocolate in it”

“Oh, that’s important” Mark said and walked over to other cake. “Then this would be fine?”

The guys looked at the other cake.

“It has chocolate in it but what the hell are those purple things?” Mark asked, narrowing his eyes.

“That’s grape!” Sicheng screamed. “Do you even know what a fruit is?”

“Hello… fast food enthusiast” He answered wryly.

“Say the words right, you are just allergic to kiwi and grapes”

“I am?” Mark asked frowning.

“He is?” Yuta and Sicheng asked as well.

Taeyong answered, while eating a donut. “Remember that time when we were in your house back in Canada and your mom told me the time when you choke on kiwi because you were allergic?”

Mark face went red. “Ah, you’re right!”

“You choke on kiwi?” Yuta asked him.

He nodded. “Well. I didn’t know what it was and looked super delicious and I eat it and boom, hospital. I remember now”

“But still, how can you confuse lemon with kiwi?” Sicheng asked.

“Dude, I only saw something green that looked delicious and I eat it, ok? Since that day I don’t know what kiwi is”

“Looks like you don’t know what lemon is either” Sicheng joked.

“You guys are really savage today. What is wrong with you?” Yuta asked the guys. It was a general question that no one answered.

“I don’t know. I think is because Jaehyun is usually the conscience of all of us” Mark admitted. “He usually goes around telling us to stop” He sighed. “I miss him”

“I think we all miss him” Yuta added.

“But we can’t do anything to make him get out of this problem quickly and return as we were used to” Sicheng said.

Taeyong bit his lower lip and took a deep breath before saying, “Ok, let’s make a plan. If we can help him, how can we help him?”

“I have no idea please don’t ask me” Mark raised his hands and shook his head.

“Let’s have a remember session” Yuta said, a smile on his lips, like he found the cure to world’s most serious disease.

“A… what?” Mark asked, looking him strangely.

“Remember Mr. Park said that Jae had to remember everything Chaeyoung said to him? Let’s help him to remember!”

“Holy that’s actually a good idea!” Mark said pointing at Yuta.

“If you think is a good idea, then is not a good idea”

“Hey!” Yuta and Mark said in unison.

Taeyong smiled. “I’m sorry I just like to tease you”

“That’s a great idea Yuta, but don’t call it remember session… sounds horrible”

“Ok ok!” Yuta showed his thump up. “Which cake are we going to choose?”

“Let it be only chocolate and cookies” Taeyong said and went to ask it in the counter.

“Chocolate and cookies for Jaehyun”

After some minutes that took from the café to Jaehyun’s office, they arrived at the building. As they are used to not announce themselves to the secretary they walked straight to where Jaehyun is. Feeling excited and hoping Jaehyun will like the cake and the motive behind it.

Taeyong walked first and saw Jaehyun’s office close. Is he not in his office? He said he will have endless of meetings this week but a meeting doesn’t take a whole day, right?

He turned the doorknob slowly to yell surprises as he opened in one go but he stopped it when he saw Jaehyun talking to a guy. He had a grim expression, and looked so serious like really into what he is hearing.

He closed the door and looked at the guys surprised as he putted his index finger on his lips.

“What?”  Mark asked, whispering.

“He’s talking to someone else and looks serious as . I’m scared” Taeyong whispered.

“Who is he talking with?” Yuta asked.

“I think is Jungkook”