Key’s POV

This time as we drove back, we made small talks. Playing 10 questions was a best way of getting to know someone. I was able to find that Jonghyun-ssi had a pet dachshund called Roo. He showed me her pictures, and I must say, she is super cute! I always wanted to have a pet but it was a huge responsibility hence I never got one. But seeing Roo that desire came back in full force. As we spoke we found out that we had so much in common.

“I can’t believe we both have similar tastes. I mean I can’t start my day without a nice dark Americano! For me it’s a must!” I said looking at him. He chuckled a little. He had a very nice laugh. Like chiming bells.

“It’s the same for me. I have it even in winters.” he sheepishly said.

“Me too!” I chimed back.

 “Jonghyun-ssi, what’s your favorite food?” I asked next.

“Ummm…..you can call me hyung, it feels weird to be called Jonghyun-ssi. Feels like we are in a professional setting.” He said nervously and I couldn’t help but laugh saying, “Arraseo arraseo, what’s your favorite food Jonghyun hyung?”

Smiling, he said “I’m actually not that picky but I like Naengmyeon. It’s like a comfort food. If I’m not wrong yours would be pasta right?” he said glancing at me. We were almost near my house.

“Yup! I like Italian cuisine, especially pasta and salad dressings. But if it’s Korean then I love Kimchi and Tteokbokki. Also I hate carrots; I can eat any vegetable, just not carrots.” I told him as we pulled up in our drive way. I turned towards him saying-

“Thank you for the ride Jonghyun-hyung. Would you like to come in for some coffee?” He smiled at me and said-

“I would have loved to but it’s getting pretty late.” Before he could say more I interrupted him.

“For the sake of this new friendship you have to come in for a cup of coffee.” I said cheekily. Shaking his head he laughed-

“Are we going to play this friendship card each time we want something from the other?” he asked raising his eyebrow.

“YUP! If it works then why stop?” I chirped, laughing as I got out. I could hear him laugh as well, as he opened the door to follow me. That’s when I noticed another car pulling up the driveway. As it came to halt I notice it was Jinki hyung’s car. I though he was back already; where did he go? As I stared, hyung got out from his car, but what caught my attention was the person in the passenger seat. From the passenger side, Taemin got out and he was met by hyung half way and they held hands as they made their way towards us. I don’t think they noticed us. Oh my God!!!!! They are holding hands! I turned to Jonghyun-hyung and grasped his arm and started flailing my other hand pointing at Jinki hyung and Tae! Hyung and Taemin got out of his car and are holding hands!!!!! I may or may not have shaken Jonghyun hyung while making incomprehensible happy and excited sounds!

 As they came near us, I let go of Jonghyun hyungs hand and cleared my throat to get their attention. I folded my arms over my chest, just for that dramatic effect. They looked at me and I smirked at them and asked-

“Oh Taeminie! Cold night right? Jinki hyung’s hands must be pretty handy right now!!!” Immediately they let go of each other and Tae even jumped back.

“Hyu…Hyung, you’re back?” he stuttered and started speed-blinking.

“Yes Tae, I’m BACK. Though I didn’t know you would be dropping by. It’s such a pleasant SURPRISE!” I said wiggling my eyebrows. That’s when I felt someone coming to stand next to me. I side glanced and I realized that it was Jonghyun-hyung.

“Well I didn’t inform you because I thought you won’t be BACK tonight” he said to me suddenly with a cheeky smile.

“What does that mean?” I asked

“You tell me!” he raised his eyebrows. Then, for some weird reason, we both started laughing as we rushed to each other and hugged squealing like kids who just got new toys.

“Hyung, I have so much to share!” he whispered in my ear.

“Me too! Let’s go to my room!” I said as I pulled his hand and made my way inside.

Jinki’s POV

As Key pulled Tae inside, I couldn’t help but laugh. Both of them have the tendency to forget everything when they meet. Gossip is something both of them love. As I walked in, I noticed Jonghyun standing there staring at the place Key vanished. I chuckled and called out to him.

“Jonghyun” As if snapping out of a trance, he looked at me.

“Hyung, Annyeonghaseyo!”  He bowed  90 degrees before standing back up and looks at me. I hope you don’t let him go Bum, he is a nice person.

“Why don’t we follow the GIRLS in?” I laughed. I could see a small smile bloom on his face. As I turned to walk in, I heard him speak-

“Jinki hyung…”

Turning around I asked

“Yes?”

“Can we talk? I want to ask you something…” Seeing him nervous I raised my eyebrow.

“Hmmm….sure; Come in, we can talk in my study” we made our way inside. On my way I asked one of the maids to get us some tea.

I opened the door to my study and gestured for him to go in. When we settled down, one of the maids came in with tea. As she left setting the tea on the table, I turned towards Jonghyun. He seemed a bit lost as he cradled his cup maid handed him.

“So what did you wanted to talk about Jonghyun-ah?” I asked him as I took a sip of my tea. He seemed startled upon hearing me. Taking a sip, he looked at me with that nervous gaze and said-

“Hy…Hyung….Kibum just told me about his past….Ummm I….I just had a few questions regarding that.” he avoided looking at me.

“I see…. So he told you what happened. Before you can ask, I just want to say something. Please don’t judge my brother because of his past. Everyone makes mistakes; some pay lightly, some pay heavily. Kibum paid heavily for his.” I said closing my eye. This topic has always been sensitive in our family.

“I would never judge anyone on their past. I…I just want to know your perspective. I just want to know more about what happened. Kibum looked too broken, hence I couldn’t ask him. Plus it seemed like he doesn’t know much about what you did. Hyung, I’m asking this so I can avoid causing Kibum pain through my actions. I have no other intention behind this.” He said earnestly, looking me in the eyes. I know Jonghyun, I know you’ll never use this knowledge against me or Kibum. That much I was able to know you in a short time I have known you.

“Ok, what would you like to know?”

“What happen when you found out?”

“I was at a friend’s place when I got that video. Initially I didn’t pay it mind, thinking that it was one of my friends sending something nonsense. That’s when I got a call from my Mom asking me where Kibum was. I could make out in her voice that she was crying. When I asked her why she was crying, if there was something wrong, she told me about that video. She couldn’t speak anymore and hanged up on me. I was super confused. That’s when I noticed that the video I had received was from an unknown number and not from one of my friends. I clicked on it to check what it was. It was a video of Kibum with a guy. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I remember rushing home to find Kibum. When I found him, he was sitting there on his bedroom floor. He was in some kind of shock. The moment he saw me, he broke down crying as he clinged to me. He kept repeating word like “Hyung don’t hate me” “Hyung I’m sorry”. It took a while for me to get him to calm down and tell me what exactly happened. When he told me everything, I felt my blood boil. I wanted to go out and find that guy to beat the out of him. The only thing that was stopping me was Kibum. He couldn’t let go, he kept clinging to me. Suddenly I got a call from a hospital; they called to inform me that my parents had met with an accident and they passed away at the scene. It was like my entire world collapsed. I didn’t know what to do. My brother was breaking in my arms. My parents had left this world, leaving both of us alone.”  I took a shaky breath as I closed my eyes. I never spoke about my feelings on this topic with anyone. As I opened my eyes, I saw him looking at me with sympathy. It wasn’t pity. I took another deep breath and continued-

“When Kibum found out, he became depressed. He locked himself in his bedroom, not eating not speaking. Then it happened. My dad’s will went missing and my uncle came with a forged will saying as we both are young, my dad left everything to him. I knew it was fake, I knew I should fight for what was rightfully mine and Kibum’s but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. For me my inheritance didn’t matter, what mattered was Kibum, my only family that was left.  Thankfully Taemin’s & Taeyeon’s parents took both of us in. They were best friends with my parents and more closer than any relatives. My first step was to get a therapist for Kibum. Kyungsoon Imo helped me with setting Kibum up for therapy sessions. As sessions progressed, I was able to get Kibum on the path of recovery. Then next big issue was, we had nothing left. My parents’ inheritance was gone. Me and Kibum were on our own, without a penny. I was looking for jobs so I could support my brother. Even though Taemin’s parents kept insisting that they would support us, I declined. It didn’t feel right. That’s when I was offered modeling assignment by Leeteuk hyung. He was running Super Junior Acting and Modelling Agency then. He had spotted me in one of my college functions, but I had declined him back them. This time I took it. I was trying to find the guy who had done this to my family. But all I was able to find was that he was a model. I thought maybe joining the inner circle will help me find him. Call it Karma, but he was one of the models under same agency. When I met him for the first time, I couldn’t hold myself back and ended up punching him. But before I could confront him, Leeteuk hyung caught me and took me away. That day I told hyung everything that had happened. And even though he understood, he told me he cannot take action without some solid proof. I then started looking into his background. Probably my desire for justice was my luck, as I was able to find out that he was into drugs and illegal gambling. He had a huge debt piled up and was looking for easy money. Kibum was like a lottery ticket for him. I was so angry at him. For some money he had went and ruined my family. I presented all the proofs to Leeteuk hyung who later on I found out had a doubt on him since start. He not only fired him but also black listed him from industry. I was able to avenge my brother and my parents. But then one day when I was on my way back home, I saw him again. He was lying there on the road side. He was badly beaten. Initially I wanted to ignore him thinking it’s his karma coming back, but I couldn’t just walk away. I took him to the hospital and waited. I tried finding any contacts to him family, but found find any. He lapsed into coma and never recovered. A week later I got a call from hospital saying he passed away. And even after what he had done, I felt tears streaming down my face at the news. I didn’t know why I cried. I wanted to stop. I wanted to hate him. He had ruined my family, but still I cried. He had no relatives, so I asked the doctors and arrange for a small funeral for him. He didn’t have any friends or relatives. But I felt it was the only thing I could do for him.” I felt tears pricked behind my closed eyes. I have never told anyone about the guilt I held in my heart. Even though he ruined my family, I never wished death on him. I felt someone hold my hand. As I opened my eyes, he sat there holding my hand.

“Hyu…Hyung….Please don’t blame yourself. You did what any brother would have done. And about helping him you don’t have to feel guilty for it. This shows how great a person you are, you help a person who hurt your loved ones. You showed him that you are a better person than him by helping him even after what he did. Hyung, past is gone. But if you don’t let go of it, it will keep hurting you. Hyung I don’t want you to hurt. I really admire how strong you are. You helped Kibum, you secured your and his future. You should be proud of your achievement and not thing about past” he said earnestly as he stared at me with that puppy eyes. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, as I ruffled his hair.

“Thank you for your kind words Jonghyun. You should be a therapist. You have a very calming effect on people Jonghyun. That’s something not everyone has.” I told him causing him to blush.

“Hyung, I would be holding an exhibition soon. Would you like to come?” He suddenly asked me, changing the topic. All I could do was smile as I said-

“Sure, I’ll love too. I hope you don’t mind but can I get two invitations?”

“No I don’t mind, but Taemin-ssi would already be tagging along with Kibum. Kibum already asked for an invite for him” He told me shyly. I laughed at his reaction, so you saw us hmmm.

“That’s’ sweet of Kibum. But no I didn’t ask for an extra invite for Taemin. I know Kibum would have him tag along. It’s actually for Taemin’s sister. She is my best friend and someone who is interested in Art. She works as a photographer and would appreciate such an opportunity.”

“Hmmm…Sure I’ll make sure to send you two” Suddenly our conversation was interrupted by a knock followed by a shout-

“HYUNG! Did you se…..Oh! here you are. I’m so sorry I completely forgot about inviting you in Jonghyun hyung.” Kibum entered the room shouting at top of his voice.  I glanced between them and saw both of them blush. That’s when Jonghyun got up and said-

“It’s alright Kibum, maybe next time. Hyung I should take my leave, it’s already late.” He said bowing deeply again. I couldn’t help but chuckle, you are too precious Jonghyun

“Have a good night Jonghyun, and take care on the way back. Convey my regards to Jaewan”

“Yes hyung I will.” Then he turned to Kibum and I could see him smile softly.

“See you Kibum. Have a good night” and for first time in my life I saw Kibum being speechless. All he did was blush and nod as Jonghyun left. Well that’s an interesting turn of event.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, Taemin’s PoV

“AHHHHHHH!!!!!! What??!!!!! You did what?!!!!! And he did what????!!!!!! And WHAT?!!!!!!”

Key hyung was shouting all the while holding me by the shoulders and shaking me like a blanket. He clearly doesn’t look as strong as he is!!!!

“Jinki hyung took me out for dinner and he was all touchy throughout the drive and he even sang Odd Eye and View~ Then at the restaurant, he kept pushing me and I finally blurted out that I like him. Then I spent the rest of our dinner date on hyung’s lap and he fed me dinner. Then, in the car, he held my hand all the way home! Also, he kept rubbing my legs with his feet initially at the restaurant. Yep, that’s about it.”  I told Kibum hyung again and he screamed and flailed about some more before he hugged me!!!

“Congratulations Tae! Finally!!! You did it! I’m so happy for you and hyung!”

“Key hyung, that’s also thanks to you. Apparently, you told Jinki hyung that I love him long back when you were drunk. Get ready to be embarrassed in front of Jonghyun hyung now! I’ll make sure to spill all your secrets!” I said with a glint in my eyes!

“EEH?! I told hyung? Really? I don’t remember!”

“Enough about me hyung, what happened with Jonghyun-ssi?” I asked. I was quite curious about how their situation turned out and what happened. Suddenly, Key hyung let me go and his face turned solemn.

When he spoke, he said in a serious tone, “I told him everything. About my past, my fears, my insecurities, everything. I almost broke down while talking to him but Taemin! Something happened that I didn’t think could ever happen! He held me and comforted me and I calmed down faster than I ever had before!”

My eyes widened in shock! Jjonghyun-ssi could not only comfortably touch Kibum hyung but could also calm him down!!! That was something even Jinki hyung had trouble with!

“He didn’t judge me Taemin! And now that he knows, he is more than willing to take things at my pace!”

“Wow hyung! You really hit the jackpot with Jonghyun-ssi! I knew he was good but from what you’re saying, he is perfect for you! I am so happy for you! I mean, he ate a complete bowl of my ramen just for you and that was the first time he met you! He is definitely worthy of you hyung!”

“We’re just starting as FRIENDS Tae. We decided not to rush this.” Key hyung said, I couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m happy for you hyung, I really am”. That’s when he suddenly yelled -

“Oh ! I was supposed to invite him for a cup of coffee!!!” Saying this, Kibum hyung dashed out in search of Jonghyun-ssi.

So, now should I sleep in Kibum hyung’s room or Jinki hyung’s?

MEANWHILE, Kai PoV

“Here Kai, hold this too.”

“Taeyeon Noona!  I was supposed to drop you home, why did we take a detour & Noona this is the 10^th bag!!!! And it’s almost 9! Can we please go home??!!”

“What nonsense are you talking!? They’re just 10 bags? We still need to shop more then. I have two weddings to arrange! Let’s go!” Saying this, Noona dragged me, bags and all! Someone please save me!!!! SAVE ME!!!!!!!

Kibum's Favorite Food

Jonghyun's Favorite Food