When Jinki woke up again hours later, he immediately frowned as he felt cold air hitting his hand, replacing the warmth that had been there through the night. He sat up and scanned the room looking for Key, but the younger boy wasn’t sleeping by his bed, nor was he even anywhere in the room as far as Jinki could see. Disappointed, he rested his head in one hand and wondered if everything was but a beautiful dream. 

No, it was real. It had to be real. Jinki remembered how it felt when Key cradled him close and the feel of his soft lips on his forehead. They are together for real now, Jinki remembered Key saying. It couldn’t have been a dream. But if so, then where was Key?

The clock on the wall showed that it was just past 8 in the morning. Jinki swung his legs over the side of the bed, wondering if he should be someplace else by now. Habitually, he turned to the direction of his desk for his phone when he saw a red plastic bag sitting on it. When he got closer, he saw a post-it note stuck onto the surface of the desk next to the bag.

He recognized that handwriting, and the same pink ink that the secret message in the folded star had been written in.

"Onew-yah, sorry I left without a word! You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to wake you up :) I bought you porridge for breakfast! ‘ㅂ ’ You fever had subsided but I don’t know about the flu, so I got you some medicine as well. Stay in bed and rest for today okay? I already told the clinic to inform your lecturers about your absence. I’ll drop by after class. Be good! :)

Love, Key ♥"

Jinki smiled, feeling a warm glow coming over him. Key could really be so adorable when he was acting like a worried mum. 

I could get used to it, he thought as the smell of the porridge woke his stomach up and it growled noisily. I could definitely get used to it. 

“What are you thinking about?” Key’s voice hauled Jinki back to present time and he turned to look at the younger boy who was frowning at him.

They were just taking a leisurely stroll in the park near the university after dinner. It was Saturday, and both of them agreed that they didn’t feel like heading back just yet. But Jinki knew that they both really just wanted some time alone with each other.

It’s been barely two weeks since they became a couple, and the numerous exams and their various commitments in between had deprived them of spending more time together. Most days, they only had the time for a meal or a coffee at best before they had to part to attend to their individual businesses.

“Nothing.” Jinki answered as they sat down on one of the benches in the park, smiling to himself when Key’s lips formed a pout.

“You don’t want to tell me? Fine.” The younger said and began to shift his body away from Jinki’s.

“Alright, alright, you win. I’ll tell you. Come back~” Jinki hurriedly tugged on Key’s arm lightly. Even though they’ve known each other and had been the closest of friends for a long time, he felt strangely a little shy around Key now that their relationship had changed from that of friends to lovers. It was as if he went back to square one, and was interacting with Key for the first time.

There was a short pause before Jinki wrapped his arm around Key’s shoulders to bring him near, while his other hand held Key’s. Their fingers interlocked as Key sidled closer and leaned in, resting his head against Jinki’s shoulder. He was apparently happy that he’d gotten Jinki again.

Jinki never won their little pout wars and always ended up having to give in to Key. But he doesn’t mind it at all. Not one bit.

“I was just thinking… About you. About us.” A soft smile began to play on his lips again. Jinki just can’t stop himself from acting like a smitten teenage boy whenever he thought about them. But he was, in fact, madly in love with Key. The only part that didn’t fit was his age, but he was sure people who are in love acted the same way, whatever their age.

“What about us?” Key looked up at him in mild surprise and lightly squeezed their clasped hands.

Jinki smiled down at the younger boy, taking in his bright twinkling eyes and squeezed back before turning his gaze to the surroundings in the park. It was a beautiful night, breezy but not too cold, and the sky was adorned with clusters of stars. Jinki thought the park at night was full of grace in its serenity, but its beauty still couldn’t beat that of the boy he held in his arms.

“How unreal all of this is. Everything is going right for once and life is so perfect right now that sometimes I’m afraid I’ll wake up to find that it was only just a dream…”

Jinki knows that he shouldn’t ruin the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere between them now, but he couldn’t help voicing out his insecurities. Maybe he was being childish, or maybe he just wanted some assurance. After all, having pined after Key for nearly two years, it was hard to believe that Key was finally in his arms now, and for once it was not because of another man.

Key let out a soft sigh and freed his hand from Jinki’s. Before the older boy could wonder if he’d made Key upset, he felt Key’s arms loop around his waist and he leaned in even closer, if that was possible.

“Onew… Jinki. Nobody is going to take me away from you. Nobody and nothing. I won’t let anything or anybody do that either. So quit worrying now, okay? I’m all yours.” Key’s eyes did not leave Jinki’s for even one second as he said those words, and Jinki knew he really meant everything he’d said.

It wasn’t just that Key had used his real name, which only happens when he was being really serious about something. Jinki also saw, in the time that their eyes met, the love and need in Key’s eyes. Like he really wanted, and was thankful that he had Jinki.

Jinki’s heart swelled with such affection and he tightened his grip around Key’s shoulders, letting out a contented sigh. He leaned down and buried his head in the younger boy’s soft brown hair, inhaling the familiar scent of buttermilk, and something else he couldn’t identify but loved all the same, and felt comfort easing up and replacing his uncertain heart.

“I love you so much, Key.”

“I love you too, silly. You’re such a baby, Onew-yah.” Key reached up and pecked Jinki’s cheek before leaning into Jinki’s chest, hugging Jinki like he was his personal pillow. “Onew baby.”

“You’re the one holding on to me for dear life now, Key baby!” Jinki stuck his tongue out and tickled Key’s neck while the younger boy squirmed around in his arms, yet not letting go of his grip on Jinki’s waist.

“I’m only a baby for you.” Key said and snuggled back in when Jinki stopped his tickling.

Everything about this just felt so right. What does it feel like to finally be together with the person that held your entire world? Jinki felt that his heart was full; it was overflowing with all the love he could give away to Key, and all the love he was receiving in turn from him.

It felt this way in that single moment their hands aligned, and their fingers would lace through each other’s so naturally and it would fit so perfectly together. Jinki remembered how his heart went dugeun-dugeun in that moment he had grabbed Key’s forearm and slid down to clasp his hand in one smooth motion for the very first time, how Key had stopped what he was saying in mid-sentence abruptly and flushed a bright red before curling his fingers around the back of Jinki’s hand.

It felt this way whenever Key let his head rest comfortably on his favourite spot on Jinki’s shoulder, as if he’d belonged there forever. He’d even gone on to claim Jinki’s shoulder as his own. Jinki remembered that happened when Key was clinging on to him again on the bus back to school after dinner. “You really like my shoulder, don’t you?” Jinki had joked to which Key had pulled a face and responded “It’s mine!”

And whenever he placed his arm across Key’s waist, the younger boy would walk closer to his side without them ever having to say anything.

In this moment, Jinki felt like they were infinite. He felt that he had the whole world in his hands and he really didn’t want it any other way.

***

“Yah, Kibum-ah. Somebody told me today that he saw you and Jinki-hyung out of school over the weekend behaving like a couple?? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you’re together with him now, aish!”

Kibum stared wide-eyed at Minho who’d just flopped down on the seat next to him in the council room. He was just finishing up an assignment before council meeting so that he could have dinner with Onew.

, we were too careless, Kibum thought. Now I need to do some damage control.

He rearranged his features to that of an incredulous and half annoyed one. “What? Behaving like a couple like how?  Ani, Minho-yah, we are not together.”

“No? But he said that Jinki-hyung was holding your waist and you guys were walking a little too close for a comfortable distance between friends.” Minho raised an eyebrow, as if asking Kibum to explain that.

“Really? But we’ve always been this way, you know that. Of course I’ll tell you if I get attached! But I’m not. Yet.” Kibum said, biting his lower lip to keep his smile from spreading wider.

“Yet? You’re still leaving him hanging? How long has it been since you told me about his confession? Oh jinjja, I pity Jinki-hyung.” Minho mumbled the last part to himself while shaking his head and taking a file out of his bag.

Kibum and Onew had decided that they will not let their friends know about them just yet. Although this wasn’t high school, people getting together or breaking up will not become the talk of the town, but they just wanted to bask in the simple happiness of being together with each other and feigning ignorance to the whole world’s questions for awhile.

They were careful to not be overly affectionate while in the company of others and this only made every stolen contact sweeter, and cuter. Kibum loved these best, every secret hug and the hold of their hand made his heart brim with an emotion that was hard to describe. Everything about Onew, in fact, had this effect on him.

“Let them find out,” Onew had said with a cheeky grin on his face as his arms s around Kibum’s waist again. Kibum loved to be held like this, because it felt like Onew was claiming Kibum as his. “And we can focus on being in love with each other.” 

It was wonderful and it was amazing, when they just focused on savouring the feeling of being so completely and irrevocably in love with each other.

So for now it was just the two of them, in this little world of their own that nobody yet knew about.

“Honestly, Kibum. Is there something you’re not telling me?” Kibum snapped back to reality to find Minho eyeing him curiously with a deep frown on his face.

“What? No, there’s nothing.” Kibum said as he wiped the stupid grin off his face. That was probably why Minho had even turned to stare at him in the first place, who stares off in the air and grins like this?!

“You’ve been acting all odd lately, spacing out all the time and grinning to yourself. Like a pabo.”

“You’re the pabo, Minho.”

For once, Kibum wasn’t even the least bit irritated by Minho’s probing. He was smiling, as he thought to himself, I will tell you Minho, I will. Just not now, not yet.

Suddenly, Kibum thought of something.

“Yah Minho, I need your help for something…”

***

“Into The New World by So Nyeo Shi Dae, right here on SNU’s live broadcast, once again dedicated to the School of Engineering by Lizzy. It’s Nicole and Minho with you on Life Is A Song! We’ll be reading your shout-outs and messages from now till 8pm, so keep them coming in~”

“Ne, send your dedications via text message in the format L-I-A-S, space, your name, space, your message to 010 2797 5588, from now till 8pm. Next, from MissySassy ‘Hi to all students from class of 2011. It’s just 4 more months to graduation, everybody hang in there, and we will do well! Fighting!’”

“Ah, it took us awhile to find this track. Westlife’s Seasons In The Sun.”

“Oh hey, it’s for us! Funny how we’re slogging away right when this message comes on.” Jo Kwon said and sighed dramatically.

“Wahh~ That Minho guy has such a nice voice, no? Add the fact that he’s the star player for our school soccer team… Aigoo... What a heart throb...” Taeyeon mused, completely ignoring Jo Kwon while her eyes shone with enthusiasm.

“Yah, yah! Pick on someone your own age, Taeyeon-ssi. He’s too young for you! Moreover, don’t I have a nicer voice?” Jo Kwon wagged his eyebrows, teasing Taeyeon and Jinki burst out laughing at his friends’ silly squabble. 

“They’re really serious about this new course huh?” Taeyeon began and both Jinki and Jo Kwon nodded in agreement. It was apparently so important that Minho had to be excused from council meeting for the broadcast.

The School of Communication and Information was newly established and Key and Minho’s batch was the first to be offered this course. The radio broadcast was part of the grading system for the communications students. Jinki also silently seconded Taeyeon’s opinion that Minho did have a nice and charismatic voice.

The 3 of them have been tasked by their lecturer to be in charge of the learning symposium open house that the school was planning to hold right before the university let out for winter break. They had about 2 months to do the work, which is to basically sift out what they thought was the crux of the chemistry sector of the School of Science, and also to display notable achievements to showcase to their school mates, as well as prospective students who will come to the open house. They also had to put together their separate research projects from their Moscow exchange trip some months ago.

Jinki was humming along softly to the song and reading one of the research papers in front of him. It was near 7pm, and Key’s meeting should be about done soon. Jinki was looking forward to seeing him again, even if it’s only for dinner. He just hoped that they will be finishing up soon too.

“…that’s right, Nicole-ssi, the Student Council is also working hard together with everyone to present the best of SNU at the symposium. Next, we have another classic English love song; ah Nicole-ssi do you know this song?”

“Of course, it’s my favourite! It’ll be nice if somebody dedicated this to me kekeke.”

“Well, this is from… an anonymous to… Jinki. The message is ‘When I hear this song, I only think of you.’”

“Jinki as in… Our school band’s former drummer, Lee Jinki sunbae-nim?”

Jinki perked up at that. What on earth, is that me? He knew that he was well-liked by his peers, but this was kind of too far-fetched. Such things just didn’t happen to him, period.

“Ne, Lee Jinki sunbae-nim. That’s When I Love You, by Aslyn.”

Both Taeyeon and Jo Kwon were gawking at him right now. Jo Kwon raised his eyebrows and began “Okay, Jinki you better come clean right now. Since when did you get attached? And who is it? Were you planning to tell us at any point in time? I’m disappointed, Jinki. Did I really have to find out from a radio broadcast?”

“Whoa whoa, relax there Kwon. I have no idea what all this is about!” And he really doesn’t. So maybe he hadn’t been entirely truthful about being in a relationship but Key… Key was at his meeting, it couldn’t have been him… Right?

“Really? So it’s just another one of your fan girls again?” Jo Kwon asked, half laughing at his fan girl comment.

“N-no... Maybe, I don’t know.” Jinki shrugged. Jo Kwon had a point though, it could be anyone at all.

As the music began to play, he erased those thoughts from his mind and listened to the song instead, allowing his mind to wander to Key and smiling a little wistfully, It’d be nice if it was you though.

“When you have to look away
When you don’t have much to say
That’s when I love you
I love you, just that way

To hear you stumble when you speak
Or see you walk with two left feet
That’s when I love you
I love you, endlessly

And when you’re mad ’cause you lost a game
Forget I’m waiting in the rain
Baby I love you
I love you anyway

Here’s my promise made tonight
You can count on me for life
That’s when I love you
When nothing you do can change my mind


The more I learn, the more I love
The more my heart cant get enough
That’s when I love you, no matter what

So when you turn to hide your eyes
‘Cause the movie it made you cry
That’s when I love you
I love you a little more each time

And when you cant quite match your clothes
Or when you laugh at your own jokes
That’s when I love you
I love you, more than you’ll know
And when you forget that we had a date
Or that look that you give when you show up late
Baby I love you, I love you anyway…”

It was funny how well the lyrics fit, and it made him wonder who this mysterious anonymous was who dedicated this song to him and who seemed to know him so well.

“Hey, guys it’s getting late. Shall we just wrap up and continue another day?” Jokwon suggested.

“Good idea! Dinner?” Taeyeon happily agreed and asked.

“Uh, guys, I can’t. I’m… Meeting somebody. I’ll go first okay?” Jinki gathered his things at lightning speed and hurriedly excused himself. It was late and there was a missed call from Key and a message that said he’ll wait for Jinki in his room.

He made his way back to the dorm as quickly as he could and knocked on Key’s door. Jinki knew that he was kind of late but he couldn’t say that he’d expected the stony and downright pissed off expression on the younger boy’s face when he opened up.

“You better have an explanation for this, Jinki.” Key didn’t step back to allow him in, he just stood there at his door, biting on his lower lip and folding his arms, not even looking at Jinki.

“Yeah, we didn’t notice the time and went on for too long, I’m–” Jinki began to explain but was cut off by Key again.

“Not this. The dedication. On the radio. Who is it?” Key said again, still not looking at Jinki.

“What? I- I don’t know, really. I was hoping it was you though, when I heard it. But then I remembered you were in your meeting and couldn’t possibly have sent that message in… I really… Sorry, Key.” Jinki was thrown off guard, and he doesn’t really know what to think. He only knew that he just wanted to make up and go out and have a nice relaxing meal with a Key who was smiley and clingy to him.

Key slowly looked up at Jinki, a hint of a smile on his face.

“Really? You hoped it was me?” He asked, the hard expression gone from his face and he pulled Jinki into his room and closed the door behind him.

Jinki just nodded and was about to say something when he felt Key’s body flush against his and he was laughing.

“It was me, Onew. I was just playing with you, don’t be angry with me okay? I’m sorry.”

Whaaa?

Jinki hugged Key back, as tightly as he could without suffocating any of them. He felt like his heart just dropped from the top of a building.  He wanted to be even a little angry at Key because this joke wasn’t that funny, but found that he couldn’t. He was just so weak when it came to this boy he loved so much.

“I could never bring myself to be angry at you. But... How? The message?” Jinki pulled away from the hug to ask.

“Minho’s the DJ, remember?” Key said in a mere whisper as he brought his face closer to Jinki’s and smiled, closing his eyes when his lips brushed Jinki’s slightly.

Jinki heart skipped a beat as he leaned into the kiss. It was a soft, slow but a sweet kiss. Jinki on Key’s lower lip only lightly and he could feel Key smiling into their kiss as he did the same to Jinki.  

“D’you know? Whenever I hear that song, I only think of you. And everything you do... That makes me love you this much.” Key said a little shyly when they both pulled away, smiling.

Jinki ruffled Key’s hair and kissed the tip of his nose, not sure if “I love you” could even cut it at this moment. Was there something else he could say to express love that was greater than those three words? Jinki was never that good with words, so he let his words meld into actions instead and he leaned in once again to capture Key’s perfectly sculpted lips.

Can you feel this, Key? I love you this much... Jinki thought, pouring all his love into this kiss that was just as sweet as the first one they shared.

Key pulled away first, eyes glazed and slightly breathless.

“Still want dinner? Or are you already full with me?” He joked playfully and Jinki laughed.

“Let’s go, my little baby.”

***

1 New Message: Onew baby (18-10-10 11.26pm)
Okay, I’ll sleep now then, since you insist :p You too okay? Good night baby, sleep tight ^▽^

Kibum had been smiling the whole time while he was reading the message, even until he’d finished typing and sent his reply. It’s been a long while since he’d felt so complete and just so… settled.

Onew had been right, he had kept everyone out, afraid of being hurt for so long that he didn’t even remember what it feels like to have any feelings in his heart anymore. Other than the pain that faded some months after his last relationship, all he’d been feeling was emptiness and lost. A kind of numbness that made him feel like he wasn’t even really living.

But right now, what does it feel like to finally be completed, to love and be loved? He went to bed feeling safe, with a heart full of love and he was always smiling. He woke up with something to look forward to, someone he wanted to fight for and become better for. His friends told him he looked so much happier lately and asked him what the good news was, to which he would just smile widely, not answering.

It was magic, what love can do.

It’s been a long day and he should really be hugging the overflowing love he has to bed right now, but Kibum lay awake thinking about what Minho had said to him earlier in the day.

“Yah Minho, I need your help for something. I want to dedicate something for Onew during your broadcast slot later, but you know I’ll be tied up here. So I’ll just send the message to your phone now and you’ll read it for me later, okay?” Kibum asked an obviously confused Minho. 

“What? Didn’t you say there’s nothing going on between you guys?” Minho said when Kibum had told him what he wanted to say. 

“I’m just pulling his leg. Come on, do this for me Minho! Pleaseeeee~” Kibum began to persuade Minho by mock-whining, and he succeeded. 

“Okay, okay, just send it to my phone and I’ll do it.” The taller boy had said, submitting to the pleas of Kibum.

“Anyway, does that mean that, you know… You’re over Jonghyun-hyung?” Minho asked tentatively, as he suddenly began inspecting his fingernails. 

“I have been for awhile now. Why?” Kibum pressed ‘send’ and looked up from his phone, wondering why Minho mentioned Jonghyun out of nowhere. 

“Well erm… Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I…” The Minho who usually had a fast tongue and a way with words was stuttering all of a sudden. 

“If you…?” Kibum waited for Minho to finish his sentence, at the same time thinking what it was that could cause him to seize up like this. “… Choi Minho, you’re not going to tell me you’re interested in him, are you?”

From the awkward look on Minho’s face, Kibum doesn’t need his confirmation to know that he was right. But why? He couldn’t say he’d seen it coming. Sure, the two of them worked in the same projects a lot and was even close to some extent, but other than Onew, Minho had been the other one whom Kibum had told all of the horrible things he’d been going through in the last relationship, be it caused by Jonghyun or Jessica. Minho should know best, but yet… Why? 

“What about Jessica?”Kibum simply asked. With her in the way, nothing else can go on.

“I know. I know what you’re thinking right now, I really do, Kibum. But I can’t help it, it’s out of my control. I tried to put it out of my mind, but I can’t.” Minho looked rather dejected that Kibum found himself feeling sorry for him. He knows how exactly that felt like after all, and it wasn’t something pleasant, so he just kept quiet and let Minho continue. 

“Is he… you know. A nice boyfriend?”

Kibum had thought about that for awhile. There were good times, and there were bad times between them but if he could choose again, maybe he would still have gone down the same way. After all, he was saved by Onew in the end; he was okay in the end. 

“Well, yeah... He is. It was worth it, being with him. But then there’s Jessica.” 

“I know. I was just, you know. Asking. Thanks, Kibum.” Minho patted Kibum’s back and smiled at him before picking up his bag, “I’m going to prepare for broadcasting now, and I got your message covered.” 

He waved goodbye to Kibum and left. 

He didn’t really want Minho to go through what was the hell that he had gone through. But he also knew that feelings can’t be controlled. What was even Jonghyun’s deal with Jessica now anyway? Are they not already together?

Well, at least Minho hasn’t professed his feelings anywhere, so he’s safe for now. Kibum thought. His eyelids were growing heavy and he really wanted to save this issue for another day.

His phone vibrated on his desk and he stretched over to reach for it, starting to smile again as he wondered if it was Onew texting to complain that it was still too early for him to fall asleep. That smile on his face was replaced by a puzzled frown when he saw the name of the sender, and the content of the message.

1 New Message: Jonghyun (18-10-10 11.50pm)
Can we meet? 

A.N.: Hi guys, I enter Jongho here! And keke leaving you with Jonghyun's text to Kibum asking to meet up. Is he trying to be a troublemaker here? :O

Also, just letting you guys know that this story is not near its end yet :) Drama is in order!