The kitchen is set—all the ingredients Kibum needs to make a successful bibimbap is laid out perfectly on the counter of his new apartment… Though, he has to admit he’s nervous, for these ingredients were not to be cooked by him. In fact, as much as devouring a delectable dish of bibimbap sounded amazing for the moment, Kibum couldn't shake his nerves from the fact one of his best friends is going to be cooking the meal instead… A friend he already knows well to be a horrible cook… 

“You look like you’re about to faint, why don’t you loosen up a little! Taemin isn’t even here yet,” Jonghyun laughs. He sits upon a seat in Kibum’s dining room, observing his best friend pace back and forth in his anxious state.

“Maybe I will, okay?” Kibum can only retort with an attitude. “Maybe we should’ve done this at your place instead, perhaps then you would understand why I’m so nervous!” The banter leaves Jonghyun unfazed however, as he just emits another laugh before replying.

“Oh you know that would never work, my mom would kill Taemin for the mess he’d make!” Jonghyun laughs yet again, knowing that’s one of the reasons Kibum is so nervous in the first place. “I’m also not the one who offered to give him cooking lessons, so why would we go to my place anyway?” 

He smiles evilly now, “You know what I think instead? Maybe someone should have never developed a crush on our little delinquent friend!”

This time, Kibum grabs a spoon and throws it in the direction Jonghyun is seated in. He misses his target causing the other to only burst into more laughter. Jonghyun was able to guess the second reason why Kibum is so nervous after all, though it’s not like it was a complete mystery to him. Anyone who is anyone within their small circle of friends could tell Kibum has a crush on Taemin… Well, except Taemin himself. Somehow he is clueless as ever, and it only made it fun for people like Jonghyun to amp up the teasing.

“Well, at least Taemin has my interest, as much as you want to tease me about it, I don’t care…” Kibum pouts, “He’d probably be much better to date than you were, anyway.” He ends in a whisper that Jonghyun doesn’t miss.

“Hey, now that’s rude! Taemin would probably be much worse than me…” Jonghyun can only pout back this time, probably in an attempt to hide any ill feelings. His mischievous nature all but vanished quickly, and Kibum tries not to feel bad about it. Both of them knew their relationship couldn’t last in a romantic sense, and they both agreed staying best friends was the best option for them in the end…

They were high school lovers but only for a year, ending the relationship as soon as Jonghyun graduated… It was a short and sweet fling, and despite still having an attraction to one another, their personalities just can’t work out as partners. Kibum is much too uptight for someone as free-spirited as Jonghyun… In fact, it didn’t take Jonghyun long to start dating others once he and Kibum did split. Not like it surprised Kibum—it fit his friend’s nature very well, and if anything it only made it easier for Kibum to focus on graduating himself. He had goals and aspirations, and he was determined to reach them even if it meant he had to stay single (like a high schooler should, in all honesty). 

Fast forward to the present, Kibum is now in university studying both business and fashion design as he had always wanted… And since things are all working in his favor, being single is no longer something he wants to continue. He craves the exciting life of dating, and everything that comes with it… Especially now that he’s in his early twenties.

And so, Taemin entered his mind… Taemin, being the youngest and the last to graduate high school amongst their small group of 5, began to look more attractive and appealing to Kibum as he grew older. In actuality, Kibum never imagined he would ever begin to see his young friend in such a way, but it was hard for him not to… If Jonghyun is free-spirited, Taemin is a wild child, quite literally. 

He and Jonghyun were already best friends when Kibum first met both of them—they were always attached to the hip and getting into all sorts of trouble, thanks to the devices and schemes of Taemin himself… But there was just something about Taemin’s demeanor that felt so different to Kibum than Jonghyun’s; and now, the more time they spent together as young adults, the more Kibum realized he enjoyed being around Taemin more than a best friend should… Kibum felt like he could get love-drunk off of Taemin’s everlasting child-like soul, and cheeky smile…

“I hope he’s not out getting into problems again…” whispers Kibum once more. He bites his lip and ponders where his dear friend could be.

“He’s fine, you worrywart! If anything he probably forgot about the plans…” Jonghyun snickers back, easily forgetting Kibum’s last comment. “I hope he didn’t though, I was really hoping we could listen to the metal playlist I put together recently. I think it would be good background music for the disaster that’s about to come!”

“Jjong, could you be any more obnoxious? I swear—”

“Oh! That reminds me! I left the CD in my car! You have a stereo, right? I’ll be right back!” Jonghyun disregards any concern Kibum has left, and bolts out the front door to wherever it is he has his car parked in the building. He leaves the other standing to his own thoughts and anxieties…

Kibum can only take a deep breath, and opts to step in the restroom and splash his face with cold water. He figures getting his nerves in check is the best option before Taemin surely does arrive.

 

Once in the restroom, he takes his time running the cold water and feeling it rush over his hands. Along with it, he takes more deep breaths and tries to ground himself—tries to remember that there’s no real reason to feel as anxious as he does… 

Sure, maybe the first time Taemin ever showed off his so-called cooking skills, he gave the whole group stomach poisoning… And sure, the second time he attempted to “barbecue” for a summer night party, it ended in flames… But there’s no way that should happen now, not with Kibum’s instructions.

As long as Taemin listens to everything Kibum has to say, the bibimbap should come out nearly perfect… But that’s what gets Kibum nervous most of all: Taemin’s ability to listen to him. He hates to admit it, but Taemin’s bratty behavior when it comes to him is what drew him closer in the first place; Kibum found that Taemin didn’t shy away from being just as much a delinquent to him as he is on an everyday level… It made him feel so authentic at the end of a day.

Kibum already knows where some problems could arise in this cooking lesson for the day, and that being one of them: Taemin’s inability to actually be obedient to him… 

Ever since they met, Taemin has always been a brat towards Kibum, but to Kibum’s surprise it was actually endearing to him most of the time. He never found himself actually getting irritated despite the antics the other boy would do or say to him… It’s as if Taemin's child-like spirit eased Kibum’s uptight one. He will always find himself smiling or laughing around Taemin, or even playing along if the situation calls for it… So, how could he not fall for him over time?

Perhaps today will be different however…

Kibum can’t allow this weakness he has towards Taemin to falter him, he has to be sure this cooking lesson ends in success.

Kibum swallows hard whilst wallowing in his thoughts… He thinks that he should be sure Jonghyun has a fire extinguisher on hand at all costs—he’s sure he has one tucked away in a storage closet… 

How can he feel so unsure of himself? How can Taemin waiver his mind this much?

He thinks he’s spent enough time letting his water go to waste and splashes two large handfuls onto his face before finally turning the faucet off. With a few more deep breaths, he readies himself to finally go back into the kitchen and wait for either friend to emerge—that is, until he hears a ringing blast of an electric guitar booming with the sound of drums and screaming. Jonghyun has surely come back and made sure to announce himself properly this time.

Kibum rushes out to inform his friend that the neighbors will complain if he continues, and when he arrives at the scene at hand he’s not only in the presence of a head-banging Jonghyun, but also a loud-laughing Taemin… He stares at Taemin for a split-second, frozen as he watches him bob his head alongside Jonghyun, as careless and free as usual… But now is not the time.

“Yah!” Kibum yells as loud as he can over the music, catching his composure as best he can... Immediately, he successfully catches the attention of his friends, who automatically guess they were being too loud just by observing Kibum’s face alone. Taemin is the one who walks up to the stereo sitting on Kibum’s book shelf and turns it off before another word is spoken...

“Hi, Kibum hyung!” Taemin continues to giggle from his hard-rock adrenaline rush. The greeting instantly makes Kibum mentally curse at himself for forgiving him and his loud entrance so quickly. “Sorry for the noise, Jonghyun-hyung thought it would be fun to surprise you—and he wasn’t wrong.”

He giggles even more after his statement, and this time Kibum can only puff out his cheeks in response. The situation only made it hard for him to truly keep his composure maintained…

Jonghyun joins in on the laughter, running up to Kibum before tackling him in a hug and tossing his hair. “What a better way to make our grand-entrance… Especially for Taemin, the man of the hour! Wooo!”

“Yea, yea…” Kibum pushes Jonghyun off with a shove, and continues trying his best not to let the heat in his cheeks grow any hotter, “That was definitely such an amazing surprise!” He exasperates in sarcasm all while rolling his eyes... He then turns his way to the kitchen, and walks in its direction.

“Oh… Are you mad, hyung?” asks Taemin carefully, following Kibum in the same direction and ignoring Jonghyun’s continuous teasing and laughter... “I didn’t think it was that serious…”

“I’m not mad, Taemin, I was just expecting to see Jjong making a fool of himself all alone…” Kibum sighs, “If anything, I’m just relieved you made it after all.” He turns back towards Taemin, beaming a sweet smile in the direction of his friend to reassure him. This only causes Taemin to smile back.

“I’m going to be honest, I almost forgot…” Taemin reaches up to rub the back of his head in an awkward position, “I only remembered because I got hungry on my way to the new alley I’ve been trying to practice my breakdancing in... You know, that alley we just tagged up a few weeks ago?”

Kibum sighs, both at hearing the news that Taemin did in fact forget, and from his memory in the alley he’s being reminded of now… 

He didn’t think tagging up unknown alleys or abandoned buildings throughout the city would continue to be one of Taemin’s favorite delinquent-like activities after finishing high school, but it surely was. Kibum’s even sure the fact he so gleefully tags along with him only enables the boy to further continue this twisted hobby… But how could Kibum resist the chance to make any sort of art? Even if it meant doing graffiti on a random wall, he had to admit it was addicting. It always felt as exhilarating to him as the first time he did it so many years ago… The excitement and thrill… Something Taemin never failed at showing him.

“How could I forget, Taemin?” Kibum can’t seem to stop himself from smiling, “But seriously, I’m glad you remembered. I was seriously afraid you weren’t going to make it. I would be left with all this food for myself…”

“Hey, I’m still here you know…” Jonghyun’s voice is loud in the background, reintroducing himself yet again as he turns the stereo back on, but in a much lower volume… “I would’ve eaten the food with you, and I’m sure it would’ve surely tasted better too!” He makes his way towards the kitchen area with the other two before sitting back on the same seat he was comfortable in earlier, “But now Taemin, the star of our show, has arrived and we both will have to suffer through it!”

For some reason, Taemin can only laugh along with Jonghyun’s teasing words and their laughter all but reminds Kibum of the dangers that could lie ahead… Quick to be reminded of his anxiety outside of his crush, Kibum rushes to a closet adjacent to his kitchen.

“You just reminded me,” huffs Kibum as he digs out the object he so desperately wants near them: a fire extinguisher… “I want you to have this ready at all times, Jonghyun. Do you hear me?” He points in the direction of his friend, catching his attention without fail.

“You’re serious?” Jonghyun exclaims.

“Of course I am! Let’s all get serious for a moment here okay?” replies Kibum in a smug, and assertive tone. He heads back in the direction of his friends, handing Jonghyun the extinguisher and grabbing Taemin by the wrist to drag him along. He leads him into the kitchen and in front of all the ingredients waiting to be cooked…

“I’m getting hungry and the faster we can do this, the faster I can eat and kick you guys out, got it?” Kibum only hears a huff from Jonghyun as he accepts defeat and sits on his chair, waiting with the extinguisher still in his hands. Taemin just observes, and stares at Kibum as if he’s also checked in… Surprisingly, it’s as though he has nothing smart to say back to him. “Are you ready, Taem?”

“More than I have ever been, hyung… Thank you for doing this for me,” replies Taemin in a soft voice, smiling with full cheeks at the man who stands in front of him… This expression makes Kibum gulp, in reaction to feeling his heart elevate in pace.

“Okay then, let’s get this started!” is all Kibum can say, with as much enthusiasm and hope as he can.

 

 

 

Almost an hour into his bibimbap lesson, Taemin has successfully marinated the beef, made the sauce, and is in the process of prepping some vegetables... The vegetables being the hardest bit for Kibum to live through so far—he never thought someone could harness such bad knife skills. It was a miracle for him to be able to show Taemin proper ways in cutting something like carrots without slicing his finger off (which he almost did do). Kibum is actually in shock Taemin hasn’t cut a finger off already, whether it be in his own cooking experiments, or out doing his usual business…

Aside from the stress and tension however, Kibum can say he’s happy with how everything is moving along, though very slowly… He’s grateful he made the rice the day before, or else it would’ve taken them hours to finish. Now, he actually thinks Taemin has a good chance of successfully cooking this meal… Though, the biggest challenge all but awaits: using the stove. Taemin still had to cook and assemble all the ingredients together. Despite it, Kibum wants to keep this positive energy flowing. Not even Jonghyun’s metal soundtrack was distracting Taemin from being so focused on his task, and it made Kibum feel weirdly happy…

As soon as Kibum began giving instructions to Taemin, Taemin listened intently… He hardly spoke a word against Kibum, and only cracked a few jokes when it was appropriate. No matter how much Jonghyun was teasing and singing in the back, he could not falter Taemin from trying so hard. He was acting so differently than the Taemin Kibum is so used to… By now, he would’ve expected there to be food thrown in all directions, and an order of take out on its way to save the day…

But it’s not like Kibum can say he hates the weird change in behavior. In the midst of Taemin concentrating and actually trying to follow order, Kibum was given many chances to simply observe and stare at him… Or better yet, hold onto his hand to show him the correct ways of holding a knife, or even graze his body to direct him. Rather than having to fight back with the younger one while risking the mess that could explode in his kitchen, the atmosphere was full of so much peace… It all makes Kibum peppier than he’s ever felt around his young friend—and he hopes Jonghyun hasn’t noticed.

He slowly turns in Jonghyun’s direction to see if he’s even paying attention… To Kibum's dismay, Jonghyun is very much watching… He smiles widely at Kibum once their eyes meet. This tells Kibum Jonghyun has definitely noticed everything that has been happening, and he curses… He quickly averts from his friend’s eyes, and takes a deep breath in hopes Taemin doesn’t look up to notice his red face now… Thankfully, the boy is still immersed with his head a bit too close to the cutting board. He was about close to finishing the very last of the vegetables. 

In the end, Kibum just figures Taemin is truly intent on learning how to cook properly… And if these types of close interactions could be guaranteed with every lesson, well, Kibum thinks he actually won’t invite Jonghyun the next time around… He was mostly here for security anyway, Kibum thinks (and lies) to himself. He just can’t help but imagine his relationship with Taemin getting closer like this, and if Kibum had to be honest, that’s what he really wants right now. The imposing nature of Jonghyun is too much to handle if Kibum is to make his move like this… Especially if Taemin is always going to be this sweet and calm. 

“So, is it time to use the stove?” Taemin speaks up, interrupting Kibum’s daydreaming and never-ending thinking. He finally looks up to his older friend, eyes focused and his lips holding a smile.

Kibum is sure Taemin can notice his red face without a doubt, “Oh, yes. Good job Taemin!” He quickly looks down to observe the work Taemin has done. It’s not too bad for a start—the vegetables were cut unevenly but they were still neatly done. 

“We can now assemble the dish…” Kibum sighs, trying his best to keep his smile in return.

“Is this where I really come in now?” Jonghyun speaks up for the first time in a few minutes, “I’m more than ready, boss!” He winks at Kibum holding out a thumbs up.

“Hopefully you won’t have to! I can do this, I’m so close!” explains Taemin, stepping in for Kibum who is much too distraught to reply to Jonghyun’s antics. “There isn’t a need to be so nervous now, you guys are just being jerks!”

“Hey, it’s okay Taemin,” Kibum replies by putting a hand on Taemin's shoulder to reassure him, “I may have some worries but you shouldn’t take it so badly, okay? Anyway, I’m sure you realize we have our reasons...”

“I’ll never forget how much you charred that barbecue, and how you almost burnt your hair off in the process…” Jonghyun whispers in the back, almost shivering as he reminisces in not-so-fond memories… 

“Oh whatever!” Taemin sticks his tongue out towards his friends, and turns around to where the stove is placed, “I’m going to do this whether you’re scared or not!”

“Don’t you dare—” Kibum keeps up with Taemin’s actions, swiftly taking a hold onto the hand that was ready to switch the stove on. “You don’t even know how to do this! Calm down a little…” He swallows hard, is this where everything was finally going to fall apart? Was Kibum too hopeful of a good end?

After a few brief moments of silence however, Taemin shifts in his energy yet again.

“You’re right…” he sighs directed at Kibum. He keeps his eyes to the floor, “What should I do first?”

Kibum can only continue to stare in awe… What was in the air today? All he could do is wonder what it is that is making Taemin so compliant... Is this a prank? Or is Kibum’s optimism able to stay strong and continue after all? He notices Taemin take a deep breath, reassuring he’s okay and ready to continue before staring him in the eye.

With that, Kibum confidently takes his chance and starts to instruct Taemin on how to cook the bibimbap…

 

Jonghyun quietly observes with a sharp eye now that their young friend was playing with fire. Although he is determined to stop any flames from growing in Kibum’s kitchen if the situation arose, Jonghyun can hardly keep himself tame. Watching his friends in this proximity is daunting for him, to say the least. All he wants to do is tease the two for how awfully smitten they look at one another—he even wants to make them confront each other, and confess their truths… But he can’t.

He remembers how worried Kibum was before Taemin arrived, and he would want nothing more than to be sure his new apartment (and sanity) stayed in one piece. He’s not that mean of a friend… But what sticks in Jonghyun’s mind most is how he ran into Taemin trying to enter Kibum’s apartment not so long ago. The boy seemed just as nervous as Kibum, an emotion Jonghyun is not too fond of seeing from him. Just thinking back on it now felt strange, but it didn’t take him long to realize what was unfolding between his friends… It only made this whole cooking lesson a whole lot sweeter in his mind.

Doing his best to pay attention to the lesson playing in front of him, Jonghyun smiles to himself and holds the anticipation for his meal. He notices Taemin picking up on Kibum’s instructions easily, and quickly cooks the beef and sautés the vegetables with a surprising ease. Apparently, things seemed to be much easier for him as long as someone told him when to stop… All that was left was to crack a few eggs, and fry them to the correct temperature. The completion of a delicious and well-awaited meal was becoming a reality… And aside from the satisfaction of Taemin seemingly having a successful lesson, the kitchen was still intact. Kibum no longer looked stressed out, and joy began to shine off Taemin’s big cheeks.

They all hold their breath as Kibum finally informs Taemin the eggs are ready, and the stove is shut off. In a hurry, and perhaps out of hunger, Kibum barges in to put together the bowls of food himself. 

“I'm sorry Taemin, I don’t think I can wait another 20 minutes just for you to put this together. Take a good mental note of everything I do, okay? It’s very easy anyway…” Kibum announces as he begins to serve rice, vegetables, and meat in a neat order within his white bowls. Taemin gulps as he watches Kibum move his hands quickly, topping each dish off with his fried eggs and a good bit of sauce to tie it together… Within that moment, Jonghyun jumps from his spot.

“It’s done! He did it!” He exclaims. He also drops the fire extinguisher on the floor and runs back towards the stereo, “Lee Taemin you’re the ultimate chef now!” He raises the volume of the music, and the loud sound of guitars and screaming boom throughout the apartment once more. Taemin cheers, jumping up and down in his glory before joining Jonghyun on another head-banging session.

This time, all Kibum can do is laugh quietly at the insanity of his friends. He bends down to pick up the fire extinguisher that was luckily not needed, and sets it down before serving the dishes on his dining table. He sighs in blissful satisfaction once he puts the bowls down, each with a spoon inside and ready to be eaten… 

“Hey you guys!” yells Kibum after allowing the two rockers in his home to continue in their session a bit longer, “Remember what I said about my neighbors! And the food is getting cold, get over here already!” His friends comply, and lower the music without hesitation… He then starts to laugh louder as he watches Jonghyun tackle Taemin and drag him to their meal. They still giggle amongst themselves on their way, further infecting Kibum with the same energy… 

All the laughter and optimism within the room almost made Kibum feel dizzy (in a good way), and it was a feeling he wanted to bottle up and remember for as long as he can… It all stemmed from that energy his friends (especially Taemin) were directing towards him. Perhaps there really is something in the air, but there was just no explaining it…

“Thank you for the meal, Taemin!” Jonghyun gleefully says the moment he takes his seat in front of his food. He doesn’t miss the scowl Kibum beams at him however, “And Kibum, for gracing Taemin with your ultimate knowledge. You sure are the boss!” He winks, as he always does, and all their laughter ensues yet again.

After the atmosphere finally calms down, the trio dig into their well-deserved meal full of happiness, and the admiration of their friendship together.

 

.  .  .

 

“Taemin? Whoa! You actually made it!” Jonghyun nears Kibum’s apartment with his mixed CD in hand. He approaches his young friend in joy until he notices something… different. “Oh hey… Are you okay? Did you forget the code or something?”

Instead of replying, Taemin simply shuffles his feet and stares at the ground. Something was definitely off with the young man, but Jonghyun couldn’t understand why.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Jonghyun hyung… Sorry, I’m just a bit scattered right now,” whispers Taemin without eye contact.

“Scattered? Is everything okay? I mean, you made it didn’t you? What’s wrong?” Jonghyun notices Taemin sigh at his words.

“Nothing, I think I’m just overthinking some things… I’m okay though, I promise.”

“Are you scared about the lesson? Are you being for real?” is all Jonghyun is capable of asking in order to understand his friend’s mood better. “What is there to be afraid of?”

This time, Taemin stares up at Jonghyun, letting out another sigh before revealing his thoughts, “I just want to do a good job… I want to show Kibum hyung that I can do this, and I want him to trust in me… Is that so bad?”

Jonghyun simply stares back at Taemin, a bit astonished to see him worried about disappointing his best friend… He’s never worried like this about something as simple as a cooking lesson with Kibum. In fact, Jonghyun isn’t sure when he’s ever seen Taemin be so concerned with Kibum’s opinion. Is there something in the air? He wonders…

“Wow, both you and Kibum are really going through it today. What is up with that?” he manages to snicker, causing Taemin to at least smile a bit in return. “Listen, I’m not really sure why you’re nervous but I promise you things won’t turn out badly… I’m here after all! And Kibum will still be your friend even if things do turn sour. Okay?”

“I mean I don’t doubt any of that, I just really want to do this the right way! I want Kibum to see me actually be good at something useful, and I don’t want to waste his time… I just… Ugh!”

"Hey! Calm down!” Jonghyun approaches his friend even closer and takes a hold of his shoulder, “I understand, okay? If that’s what you really want to accomplish, you shouldn’t act like this… Everything will turn out just fine!”

Taemin is silent, nodding his head once he realizes Jonghyun is only right, “Yea…”

“Okay now you’re starting to freak me out a little…” laughs Jonghyun in response to Taemin’s introverted behavior. He thinks quickly on how to help the mood, and his mind doesn’t fail him, “I know what can amp you up…”

Jonghyun pulls up his mixed CD and informs Taemin of its content. Without fail, it brings an actual smile onto his friend’s face.

“What do you say? How about we give Kibum a good old metal entrance?” He winks at Taemin.

"Okay!” Taemin beams, “Let’s do this!”

 

Jonghyun doesn’t miss how Taemin’s cheeks become pink once Kibum enters their presence… And as classic as it could get, he also notices that Kibum wasn't aware of it…

“Oh… so that’s what’s going on, huh?” He thinks to himself in secret.

 

.  .  .

 

“I can’t believe we’re ordering take out after all, how could this be!” Taemin sighs out loud, disappointed and saddened that he failed his lesson in the end.

“It’s not your fault Taemin, if anything you can just point fingers to the boss… He should get fired if I’m going to be honest myself!” says Jonghyun in a calm demeanor, doing his best to keep Taemin from sulking any further.

Kibum can only dismiss Jonghyun’s words with an eye roll as he continues to wait on the phone and order the take-out they now have to eat… He has to admit to himself, however, that Jonghyun isn’t wrong. Kibum was truly the one who messed up today (by his distracted nature as predicted). He’s not sure how he could forget to taste everything Taemin was making as he went along, but he did… So, the end result ended up much too salty to even try to enjoy. He made such a rookie mistake as a culinary instructor, how much more ridiculous could it be?

“There, there, Taemin… It’s okay, you tried your best and we appreciate it!” Jonghyun continues to cheer Taemin on. “I hope you can keep that in mind, because I mean it!”. He turns his attention to Kibum once he starts ordering their food, “You can count me out for now, Bummie, I’ve been here long enough. I have to go home and help my mom out. I’m sure she has some food made anyway, I’ll just eat there rather than wait here any longer…”

Kibum waves to him in an understanding motion. Taemin, on the other hand, looks towards Jonghyun with sudden wide eyes.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yup! Walk me to the door, will ya?” Jonghyun waves back at Kibum, this time to say goodbye as Kibum throws a second wave back at him. Taemin complies with his wishes and follows him towards the front door. Suddenly, Jonghyun can feel the same nervous nature of earlier return to Taemin, so he turns to him with firm feet and holds onto his shoulders.

“Don’t be shy, okay?” he whispers to his young friend, “Like I said earlier, everything is going to turn out fine. If anything, things are a lot better than you think…”

“What are you talking—” Taemin is cut off by a hug before Jonghyun opens the door behind him and says his final goodbye… He shuts it quickly before allowing Taemin to continue his question, leaving him with a glowing face and a tight chest…

“He really just left… He left us alone…” Taemin sighs, taking a hold of his chest to calm his heart beat. He reminisces on Jonghyun’s words, and tries his best to understand… But his mind can only draw blanks, especially as he thinks of his new situation: being alone with Kibum at a moment like this.

He takes his time to walk back into the room Kibum is in, and notices he’s finished the food order. He’s also moved on quickly to pick up the table, and clean his kitchen… Seeing him only causes Taemin to reflect on his melancholy.

“Can I help?” Taemin speaks up after observing quietly for a few minutes.

“You know, I’m aware of what you’re thinking, and it’s not true…” Kibum says, causing Taemin to gulp, “This really isn’t your fault, I should’ve paid better attention… You did a great job, Taemin.”

Kibum looks at Taemin, and the same weird air comes about for both of them once more. They stay in silence and observe each other before Kibum breaks eye contact and continues to clean.

“That’s all I wanted, you know…” mutters Taemin as he walks closer into the kitchen.

“Yes, I could tell,” Kibum smiles now, “you were almost like a different person today, but I know you’re not… This is just your kind side, isn’t it?”

“It’s rare, right?” Taemin chuckles.

“I liked it…”

The air feels to only be getting thicker between the two, but they can do nothing about it, and stay in their proximity… Taemin also does nothing to help Kibum clean and continues to watch, leaving Kibum unbothered as he keeps at his pace. 

As he forgot it behind, Jonghyun’s CD still plays quietly through the air, and the two friends simply await their take-out to arrive without talking… Despite the silence, nothing felt awkward, and the peace went on even with the sound of metal rock in the background.

Both the young men feel comfortable in each other’s presence, and whatever it is about the day that has them acting so differently is not at all a bother to them… They just embrace it, and bask in the warmth of it all—whatever it may be…

“So… When do you want to teach me the next dish, hyung?” Taemin is the first to speak after a long while of their comfortable silence. He asks the question as he notices Kibum finishing his duties, and catches him in a pleasant surprise.

“Anytime you want, Taemin… Anytime you want.” He laughs, unable to control himself as he walks up to Taemin and wraps him in a tight hug. 

“Oh…” Taemin shuffles, suddenly shy.

“Sorry Taem, I just enjoy being around you so much... I truly do appreciate you for this day.”

Taemin smiles warmly, embracing Kibum's hold in return for just a few moments before the doorbell alerts them that their order has arrived. Almost as quickly as it happened, Kibum lets go of his arms and walks away.

“I’ll go bring in our food!” Kibum announces in the best mood he’s been all day.

Alone again, Taemin sighs with a different feeling for once. He feels oddly satisfied despite his cooking lesson bust—and after hugging Kibum the way he just did… He has a feeling Jonghyun is nothing but right.

Everything is more than fine…

 

.  .  .

 

“Those idiots…” Jonghyun ponders alone in his car driving home. He’s thinking about his time at Kibum’s, and the revelation he’s discovered; how could his two best friends suddenly fall for each other like they did? And how could they not notice it within the other if it’s so obvious? He starts to laugh to himself, finding this all to be amusing—as if it’s something straight out of a cheesy romcom…

Two best friends who met each other in high school, and all thanks to their other best friend to say the least! Two young men who almost have nothing in common but their love of life and being in the company of good people… The two best friends Jonghyun so happens to support with all his might, and have a stronger bond with than anyone in the world... It’s as though something about it was written in the stars—as if his relationship with Kibum was meant to never be… But perhaps thinking those things is a bit too much in the long run, and he quickly snaps out of it.

In the end, all Jonghyun comes to terms with is that he’s happy for them both. They’re good to each other, and it would mean so much for him to see his best friends be happy together… So, he can only wonder how time will continue to unravel this story that’s come forth—and if it will happen quicker than one would expect.

“It shouldn’t take too long…” He whispers to himself in one final thought, all because he can’t deny the fact he now knows...

The love in the air that was in Kibum’s apartment today was just too dense to ignore forever…