Getting busier day by day. It . Pssshh.

Oh. This is me, releasing the fish. Keke.

“DONGHAE!!!”

A loud, shrilling scream of his name disturbed him from afar. His head automatically turned, knowing exactly where that voice was coming from. Without further ado, he sprinted his way to the voice, making sure his weapons were readied on his very skilled hands. A high jump over the metal fence, pushing the gate open and closing it again with a strong kick, he faced them with his fiery but questioning eyes.

“D-Donghae.” The voice was now weaker compared to the shouting a while ago.

He slowly looked up and remained standing for a few seconds and then, closed his eyes sternly. “Aish.” He was getting headache this early morning. “I told you to show her food before coming in.”

“But she was asleep.” The guy near bawling.

“Still.”

“Just save me already!” Seunghoon shouted in much vexation at his friend who was just chatting and reprimanding him when a huge white Bengal tiger kept on scratching the tree from below him. Seunghoon looked like a newborn koala up on that tree, clinging onto its branches for his dear life. The Bengal tiger roared angrily at him, and tried to climb up, chewing some small and weak branches in frustration for he couldn’t reach his prey. “Aaaaahhhh! Donghaeeeee!” Seunghoon cried out noisily.

Zookeepers.

That’s their noble job.

Donghae was only 10 years old when he started helping in cleaning the zoo. After two years, Seunghoon came and two became the best buds ever in the Mokpo Zoo.

“I don’t know what to do with you.” He told him wryly and then, called the beast’s attention. “Yah.” His hands threw the raw meat towards the predator on this scene. The tiger just stared at the meat on her side and then turned to Donghae. “Baby. Come here. Come here.” His right hand wiggling another piece of meat on his hand. The tiger bolted towards him and he took a few steps backward. “W-w-wait.” The meat dropped from his hand when his back and head slammed on the glass panel of the tiger’s den. “Okay. Okay.” The tiger just jumped onto him, hugging him with those lethal claws. “I know. I know. I’m gonna miss you, baby. I will.” Donghae played with the animal’s head and kissed her forehead. “You’ll always be my favorite.” He told her childishly while patting her head, ignoring his human friend, still swaying up on the tree.

“This won’t work, Hae.” Seunghoon told him, finishing his third bottle of water. The two were sitting on the bench outside the aviary where different kinds of birds were dwelling and making those sounds that has the power of enchanting the visitors. It was a Thursday and the zoo was closed, making it easier for them to secure and clean the whole area.

“You can do it.” He encouraged him for the nth time already while cleaning his dirtied hands with his water.

“I could take on all the animals in this freaking zoo with a single hand except that crazy white tiger.” Seunghoon could still fell the chills on his spine, recalling the killer fangs that almost bit him.

“My baby is actually nice and adorable.” Donghae replied with a grin.

“To you!” Seunghoon almost shouted at his face. “Aish! That creature can only be tamed by you and I don’t get why she wouldn’t open up to others. It’s not like she was maltreated since birth or something.”

Donghae just chuckled and shook his head. “You’ll get used to it.”

“What? Risking my life everyday just to make her fatter and her coat shinier. Hell no. Let her starve and fleas feast on her till you get back. Let’s see if she could act all that mighty and high to me.” His already chinky eyes got even narrower.

“Yeah. Do that and CL ssi will kill you for sabotaging the main attraction of this zoo.”

Seunghoon stared at him with widened eyes and then, buried his face on his palms in defeat. “You’re right.” He groaned. “My CL would never forgive me.”

“My CL?” Donghae repeated and just laughed at his bestfriend’s absurdity when he stopped when Seunghoon threw him an accusing look. “What?”

“Last night, I saw you and my CL entered a room. Why is that?” His voice ever low and interrogating.

“Yah. You’re making it sound malicious.” Donghae moved away from his piercing stare. “We went inside the vet’s room. She asked me about the new vitamins for the healing baby elephant.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. The end. Period.” Donghae made a shot of his emptied bottle to the garbage can. In!

“Just making sure, you’re not being recruited by the Snake Foundation.”

“What?” Donghae laughed out loud this time. Sometimes, he couldn’t just get how his friend’s brain works.

“You know how much I love her.” Seunghoon turned to him more and grabbed Donghae’s left arm, shaking him. “Three years. Three years, Donghae! It has been three years that I diligently maintain and make our relationship prosper. I can’t let anyone ruin it.”

“Yeah. Three years. Three years.” Donghae nodded in annoyance and pulled his arm away. “It has been three years that she doesn’t know she’s your girlfriend! Psycho.”

Seunghoon pointed at him while shaking his head. “Patience is a virtue, didn’t you know that? Aigoo. This guy.”

“You’re making me hungrier.” He just told him, feeling that this convo with Seunghoon was even more tiresome than cleaning the chimpanzee’s cage a while ago.

“You know what, you puzzle me, Hae.”

“What is it this time?” Donghae closed his eyes tightly, knowing for sure what this would be about.

“All of the guys working here, single or not, has reached puberty or not, is head over heels when it comes to my CL’s beauty and her voluptuous body,” Paused. “Except you.”

They had this topic for so many years and yet he kept on pushing it. “I told you a million times.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” Seunghoon said quickly.

Donghae facepalmed himself and started counting. “First, she’s our boss. Second, she’s not my type. And lastly,”

“You are in a relationship?” Seunghoon cut him off with a teasing smile.

Donghae grew quiet and looked afar. “Was.”

Seunghoon studied and knew too well that look. “You still want her back.” He shook his head, not really sure how to put some sense in his friend’s mind. “Move on, Hae. I can’t believe you.”

“What? I have.” Donghae looked at him in disbelief.

“You have?”

“Yes.”

“So, what’s with that sad and longing look of yours? Don’t tell me you want that mantis on the tree. Sure. I’ll get it for you.”

“No.” Donghae felt it silly too. “I’ve moved on. I really do. Ten months already passed by. I accepted it better. It’s just that . . .”

“That?”

He sighed a long one. “There are times when I think about the could’ve beens. I mean, I really did love Vic and those two years that we shared-”

“One year and 8 months.” He butted in.

“Aish! If I say two years, it’s two years!”

“No. It’s not. Are you that dumb on Math?”

“Aish! Why are you ruining it for me?” He pointed at his friend, pursing his lips forward.

“I did not.” Seunghoon quickly denied. “It was Victoria who ruined it for you.”

Donghae closed his mouth and turned quiet again. He stared back at the mantis, seeing it was gone already. He’s right. Victoria was the one who cheated on him.

It was their who knows what monthsary when Donghae surprised her with cake and flowers in her apartment only to be greeted back with the sight of his girlfriend grinding another man’s . It was her team leader in the call center agency she was in. He wanted to forgive her and fix things back to normal, only if she didn’t flew to Seoul with her other guy, leaving him nothing but a note: Let’s break up.

Now, that was a note came too late.

 “Donghae.” Seunghoon put an arm over his friend’s shoulder, trying to cheer him up. “It’s okay to look back at the happy and devastating memories you’ve had. Those made you who you are today. But remember, looking back and regretting are different. That ex-girlfriend of yours is a disease that finally got away. Regretting Victoria is like wishing a deadly virus stay in your body much longer. It is that unjustifiable.”

Donghae looked at him for so long. “Where did you learn that word, unjustifiable?” He eyed him questioningly.

“Eh? I heard him from little Yeo. He was reciting a poem or something yesterday. Wae?”

“You sound smart.”

“Ah. Really?” He grinned proudly.

“Deh.” Donghae nodded and the two laughed silently, letting the sound of the birds and swaying of the trees calmed them.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Seunghoon admitted, although not wanting to sound so gay. “You’re my only friend here.” He said. “Are you really going?”

“It’s only for a few months.” Donghae pushed him lightly. “I’ll be back for sure.”

“Ha! Don’t come back here and act like you’re a superstar or something.” His eyes turned into tiny slits. “Make sure, you’ll reach the finals. I am not gonna waste reloading my phone for you to get ousted on the first eviction. You have to be charming there. You’ve got the looks, so make the people love you. That way you’ll get more fans.”

What were they talking about?

Seoul Big Brother.

It was a few weeks ago while the two were eating in a ramen restaurant outside the zoo when a man approached them. It turned out that he was a talent scout from KBS. He informed them about this audition of the upcoming reality show Seoul Big Brother. He got interested with the innocent and charming look that Donghae emits, so he gave him his contact number just in case he wanted to try the audition. How Seunghoon sulked that day though. He was equally charming too like his friend! He believed.

The talent manager told Donghae that he would help him pass the screening and secure a slot as one of the housemates. For quite at time, Seunghoon and Donghae debated whether the manager was a gay or what. His eyes seemed to be sparkling whenever he talked to Donghae. It was so creepy.

“I watched last night in Youtube,” Seunghoon looked so excited, making Donghae look at him. “That Big Brother show is really famous to many countries, not only in Asia.”

“Sinchayo?” Donghae grinned in excitement too.

“You have to be always at your best.” He pointed at him. “You cannot pick your nose at the mirrors or even fart secretly.”

“I know! I know!”

“There are cameras at every corner of the house, so you’ve got to be more careful. Koreans do not like indecency or any vulgarity. You shouldn’t curse even in an accidental way. That’s deemed inappropriate.”

“I never curse.” Donghae eyed him like as if his friend didn’t know him better.

“Oh. Right.” Seunghoon nodded back. “So, that’s a plus point.” He tapped his shoulder lightly. “And you know what I learned . . . Yah. Listen to me.”

“I am listening.” Donghae told him, moving closer.

“For you to be in the finals,”

“Uhuh.”

“You have to get a loveteam.” Seunghoon nodded, convinced that this was an