Title: Counting Down
Prompt-#: 75
For: Anonymous
Pairing: JongKey
Author: bluefloral
Word count: 2,104 words
Rating: PG 13
Warnings: N/A
Summary: From “I love you... I’m just kidding” to “I love you and this time I mean it” ten years later.

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Note to the prompter: I hope I gave your prompt some justice. I’m sorry if you don’t like it in advance. T.T

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"Sir, someone named Mr. Choi Minho is outside. Do you want me to let him in?" The voice on the other line asked, Jonghyun looking up to see his newly-hired secretary facing a tall black-haired male, Minho's hands tucked inside his pockets and looking at his office's general direction with a mild scowl. It's not like he can see Jonghyun smirking behind the thick one-way mirror in front of him though.

"Let him in.” He said on the other line before ending the call, Minho entering his office a moment later.

“You hired a new secretary?” Minho asked once he’s situated at the couch placed inside his friend’s office. He was accustomed to letting the former secretary, Taeyeon, letting him in without a reservation.

“Yeah.” Jonghyun nodded, “My noona placed Taeyeon-noona at the Finance Department.” He explained.

“Figures. Anyway, did you get the invitation from our former school?” Minho asked, referring to the black and white covered invitation letter he received earlier in his own office.

“Yeah, I did. What of it?” Jonghyun questioned, typing away on his laptop, remembering the fancy card his secretary gave him earlier.

“Do you want to go?” Minho moved his brows up and down suggestively, covering his teasing smile with his clasped hands.

Jonghyu’s fingers still busy over his laptop’s keyboard, not meeting Minho’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“I heard the Kim’s only son will return from England.” Jonghyun’s hands stopped typing immediately, looking at his friend as if he heard him wrong.

“You’re kidding.”

“His Instagram live says otherwise.”

“Instagram?” Jonghyun’s brow furrowed while Minho looked at him like he’s some kind on intergalactic alien, an ancient intergalactic alien if he doesn’t really know what Instagram is.

“Seriously hyung?”

“I’m kidding, Minho.” Jonghyun smirked. He’s well-informed about all the basic social media sites though he’s not interested in signing up to it. Except Twitter, he likes Twitter.

Minho rolled his eyes. “Point is he’s back. Do you think he’ll go to the reunion party?”

Jonghyun shrugged, going back to working on his laptop.

“Aren’t you the least bit excited at the thought of seeing him again?” Minho asked again, this time seriously.

Jonghyun’s eyes was solely looking at the screen of his laptop yet his mind was really preoccupied with a million and one thoughts about a certain someone. Someone his heart really adores ever since he was a child.

His Kibummie.

Jonghyun first met Kibum when they were just little six years old. Kibum’s family moved in their subdivision, a private village in the upper-class area of Seoul. Little Kibum was adorable back then. Little freckles covering his nose and some parts of his cheeks and he’s always clutching his rabbit plushie in hand wherever he go.

“Jonghyun! Look, it’s the new kid!” His friend Minho pointed to a little boy sitting at the swing in the village’s park, the boy’s nanny sitting not too far away from the boy.

“He’s pretty.” He unconsciously said, covering his mouth as soon as those words escaped from him.

Minho have a teasing grin on his face when he heard that from his friend. “Ooh, pretty huh?”

“Shut up and help Taemin or something!” He grumbled before making his way towards the boy, hearing Minho’s laugh behind him.

“Hi.” Jonghyun greeted to the boy, sitting on the swing. He sat on the other side as he heard the other boy mumbled a small hello.

“What’s your name?” The new boy looked up, his feline eyes meeting Jonghyun for the first time and the latter felt something flapping inside his stomach. Is he sick? Maybe he needs to stop skipping in drinking his vitamins or else he’ll be done for when his father finds out.

“Kibum.” The other boy said, clutching his rabbit plushie tightly, darting a shy glance at Jonghyun’s direction.

His voice is so soft! Jonghyun thought in awe, “Nice to meet you, Kibum. I’m Jonghyun. Do you want to play with us?” Jonghyun asked, gesturing to his other friends in the sand box a few steps away.

“Is it okay?” Kibum asked back, looking nervously at the two other boys ahead.

“Hm-mm. They’ll like you a lot.” Jonghyun smiled encouragingly, never minding the fact that he’s missing two front teeth.

“Okay.”

They always play since then. Even as they grow up, they’re inseparable. Both of them are studying at SM Academy and he was 13 when Jonghyun noticed something was weird about himself.

They were in Jonghyun's room, answering their assignment on Math when Kibum's head dropped on Jonghyun's shoulder, whining about how hard their homework is. Jonghyun chuckled but deep inside, his heart is beating really fast. Again. This always happen when Kibum is in close proximity.

And when he was 15, he almost broke someone's nose when that stupid classmate of him bullied Kibum about his inclination in fashion designing. It was a gayish job, their classmate commented and thus Jonghyun's first trip in Principal's office started.

But it's okay. As long as Kibum is safe.

Graduation ball came, just the day after their graduation and Jonghyun found himself staring at his best friend beside him. The other is wearing a white-fitted suit and is looking very adorable at the moment.

Jonghyun is 18 and for once, he wanted to express his feelings to the boy who took most of the space in his mind and heart.

Everyone were counting down to the fireworks display but Jonghyun and his friends decided to sit that one out and instead stayed in their campus park, talking about the future ahead of them.

“What are you staring at?” Kibum turned his head to face Jonghyun who was laying down on the soft grass, his hands supporting the back of his head. Minho and their other friends a few steps away from them.

“You look good.”

“Thank yo-“’

“I’m kidding.”

“Yah!” Kibum slapped his friend’s stomach, glaring at him slightly.

 “I need to tell you something.” Both of them spoke at the same time, chuckling at their twin-like tendencies.

“You go first.” Jonghyun said, looking at the skies again.

“Nah, you go first. Mine’s not so important anyway.” Kibum shrugged.

“Okay.” He released an inaudible breath. “I love you.” Kibum snapped his head so fast Jonghyun thought he’s going to have a whiplash. There was a stretched silence between them and the only noise heard was the sound of fireworks in the sky, Kibum looking at Jonghyun with wide, miserable eyes and Jonghyun sat up, internally panicking. “Geez, I was just joking! Why are you taking things too seriously?” He said in a fast pace before faking a smirk. “What I want to say is I declined my university letter in America and just study here.”

Kibum forced a dry chuckle and awkwardly look away. “Don’t say jokes with a serious face like that, stupid.” I might actually believe them. “Did your father approved of it?”

“Yeah.” Actually no but I want to study here and don’t want to be away from you. I didn’t tell him that was the reason though. Jonghyun rubbed the back of his neck and faced ahead, “Anyway, what do you want to tell me?” He questioned, trying to change the subject.

“I forgot.” Kibum faked a smile before looking at the skies again.

Jonghyun just stared at his best friend again and wondered why his feline eyes seem so lonely and empty at the moment.

It was when his father approved of his admission in one of the top university in Seoul that Jonghyun found out that Kibum was accepted at a famous university in England that also highlights fashion designing and was boarding the day after their graduation ball, leaving only a letter behind to be given to Jonghyun.

studying at America that’s why I decided to go to England, too.

That night when you told me you love me, I almost said I love you back.

Not just as a friend but as a person. But you took it back and said you’re just joking.

I’m so stupid.

I think that’s what I needed anyway; a truth slap to know that you’ll never reciprocate my feelings.

I’m glad I’ve met you though. But please don’t find me anymore. I’m disgusting Jong. I’m disgusted at myself because I used our friendship to keep you close to me and never leave me through the years. I don’t want others to come close to us, especially those girls that like you. Did you know that they always wanted to confess to you and asked me about your likes but I always lie and tell them the exact opposite? I’m really sorry.

I guess they can be with you now that I’m not there anymore.

I’m sorry again and although you don’t feel the same, I love you. Always.

-Kibum

Jonghyun gently placed the letter back on his room’s drawer, eyes looking up to check himself for tonight’s event. With a determined sigh, he exited his high-rise condominium and drove with his white Lamborghini towards his former school, SM Academy’s, reunion party.

“Jjong, you’ve made it!” Minho called out excitedly once he saw his friend entering the main hall where their party is held. The place screams richness and exquisiteness and it’s no wonder that SM Academy is one of the famous institutions in their country. They always offer nothing but the best. The ceiling on the room was made of glass, the stars twinkling brightly in the night sky above.

 “The party just got started. I already saw some of our old school mates here. Did you know that Chanyeol and Baekhyun are already married? They’re staying at America for good and they’re now here for vacation…” It seems like Jonghyun doesn’t need to ask things anymore because Minho is reporting everything he know eversince he came to the party.

“I still didn’t see Kibum though. Maybe he won’t come.” Minho ended his report, studying Jonghyun’s reaction. The one being studied just shrugged and excused himself to the drinks station.

It was almost eleven in the evening and Jonghyun still doesn’t see any speck of recognition of Kibum’s presence. Minho is off somewhere he doesn’t know while everyone was listening attentively to the program held, something about a pending fireworks display and stuff.

The main door opened again and Jonghyun is already tired from watching it open for the past hour, waiting for a sign of a certain person.

An “Excuse me, does anyone sit here?” made him look up, ears ringing at the familiarity of that voice.

“Kibum.” He whispered.

Kibum changed a lot. His hair is now dyed blonde and his cheekbones are now prominent. His bow-shaped lips parted before his feline eyes widened. Of course Jonghyun would be here! Stupid! Why would you think he’ll go home early. Stupid!

Kibum back pedaled and walked towards the main doors again but before he could escape, Jonghyun held him close and hug him from behind.

“Let me go, Jonghyun.” Kibum whispered, casting his eyes down.

“Are you going to leave me again?” He whispered, glad that they are on the darker side of the room while the party is still going on.

“Don’t you hate me?” He heard Kibum whisper, his soft voice laced with insecurity and vulnerability.

“I don’t hate you Kibum, God knows how much I missed you.” Jonghyun confessed, easily making the other male turn to face him.

“I’m sorry.” Kibum’s tears started to fall. “I thought that my feelings for you will be gone once we’re apart from each other but I’m wrong.”

“It’s okay ‘Bummie. The important thing is we have each other now. I’m so stupid before and I just want you to know that my feelings for you never change. And just to make things clear,” Jonghyun paused, wiping Kibum’s tears away “I love and this time, I mean it.” Kissing Kibum’s forehead just as the glass in the room colored up from the fireworks in the sky.

“So is the drama finished yet? Wow Kibummie, you changed a lot!” Minho’s voice exclaimed from Jonghyun’s back, Kibum burying his head in Jonghyun’s shoulder at the teasing tone of his long time friend.

“You can kill him later.” Jonghyun kissed the top of his head before letting go of Kibum, the latter walking towards Minho and hugging him.

“It’s not nice to meet you again.” Kibum said and started their banter back and forth.

Jonghyun just smiled, catching Kibum’s gaze and mouthing…

I love you.