[key]

“Yah, Lee Taemin. Come help me here.”

“Look, you just hold it down and it’ll start blending your mix alright?” Taemin demonstrated how to make the drink with ease. It looked like he didn’t need to exert any strength at all and in mere moments the smoothie was finished. Taemin poured the contents into the foam cup and presented it triumphantly. “There we go, a strawberry smoothie!

Lee Taemin is my ‘sunbae’ at my job at The Smoothie Bar even though he’s 17. He’s been working there for half a year and the manager has already considered making him the successor to the store because of his inhuman smoothie making skills. It wasn’t fair how he was blessed with those hands. I’ve been working there for a week and yet I still don’t understand how to work the machine.

“Alright thanks.” I grabbed the smoothie and took a sip of it.

There was a shocked expression on Taemin’s face for a second and he straightened up. “You’ve drank four of them already. This is the last time you take a free drink okay, hyung? Next time you pay for it!”

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved him off. There were plenty of ingredients around me, why did it matter if I had an extra smoothie or two?

My parents chose a great time to stop sending me money, didn’t they? Just four days after Sooyun told me to get a job, omma called and said that she wasn’t going to give me money anymore.

She said ‘Kibum, you’re a grown boy. You should be able to earn your own money from now on, okay?’

I didn’t say ‘okay’, omma! I was happy receiving fortnightly payments from my parents. I wanted to never work at all in my lifetime. I was going to marry a rich woman and live luxuriously for the rest of my life. But then I met Sooyun and I didn’t mind not marrying a rich lady anymore.

“Key.” There was a familiar whine from behind me.

I stopped drinking my smoothie. “What, Kyungmi?”

“Why am I your mentor again?” Kyungmi sat on the chair in the doorway that led to the backroom.

“Because you and Onew have jobs, don’t you?” I flashed them a smile. “And since this is my first time working I need people to guide me.”

“That’s not how it works, Key. The people that guide you are your sunbaes at your workplace, such as – Little Taemin.” Kyungmi gestured to Taemin who was busily bustling around serving customers.

I narrowed my eyes. “It took half an hour for the manager to agree to have you guys in here, okay? Be happy.” I pointed at them, “Just sit and observe.”

Onew rolled his eyes and Kyungmi did as well. I didn’t bother to reply to them. I was working after all. I didn’t have time for them. I had to earn some money!

“Key hyung, I need a strawberry smoothie!” Taemin hollered, “You know how to make them right? It was the one I showed you before.”

What did this kid take me for? “Course I do.” I shook my head at him and gathered the ingredients in the bowl that Taemin prepared.

Oh, some mango. I picked up the pieces with my gloved hand and dropped it into the bowl. There’s some rainbow ice cream as well!

“Key, you’re getting the wrong ingredients!” Kyungmi called.

Onew looked panicked, “Don’t tell him, he’ll get mad.” He muttered thinking he was quiet enough that I couldn’t hear him.

“Huh? What are you talk-” I looked down at my pile of food. This wasn’t what Taemin told to me to get! I must’ve just been daydreaming. “Right.”

“It’s fine Onew. You don’t need to be afraid of Key. Yeah, BFF?” Kyungmi air-nudged me; it looked strange so she just nudged Onew instead.

“Yeah…” Even though we were BFFs, Kyungmi was a strange one.

“Have you thought about maybe, giving up on Sooyun? She’s my little sister and I want her to be happy and all. You get it, Key?” Kyungmi inquired with an expression that didn’t show any sympathy for my feelings.

Did my feelings only mean so much? “No, and yes.” I rolled my eyes at the couple and returned to my work.

Even after holding down the plastic thing that Taemin said I should hold it still didn’t work. I shook the smoothie machine, it just purred in reply. Why aren’t you working again? Dumb machine!

“Taemin, give me a hand!”

There was a sigh from where Taemin should be. “Just wait a second, I have a customer.”

“Fine, but this smoothie isn’t going to make itself.” I leaned against the counter and watched Taemin take the order from the mob of customers. Such a little workaholic he was and he’s only a young 17-year-old boy.

While Taemin was scribbling on his notepad, I noticed a familiar face. That long brown hair, a pair of bright eyes, a cheery smile and a red limited edition portable gaming console. Where have I seen her before? Duh, it was my girlfriend.

“Sooyun!” I was instantly filled with joy.

She finished her order from Taemin and looked up at the call of her name. She looked around the store, alert. Sooyun whispered cautiously, “Who is it?”

I left the unmade smoothie and approached Taemin’s working area. “It’s me.”

“You know Sooyun, Key?” Taemin asked, surprised.

I gave Taemin an incredulous look, “Yeah I do know her, and I know her very well.”

Sooyun took a step back, “Key?”

“You came to visit me.” I beamed.

“Not really. I didn’t even know you worked he- Oh, you have a job!” Sooyun leaned over the cashier and patted me on the shoulder. Sigh. That was the only physical contact I had with her recently. “I came to get a smoothie and maybe see Taemin.”

I touched my shoulder to savour the feeling and averted my gaze onto Taemin. “You know Sooyun?”

Taemin became intimidated and struggled for words. “Um, we’re just school friends…”

“Is that right?” I asked. Last time I let Sooyun befriend a guy they turned out to have a thing for each other, hence Karammama.

“Y-yeah…” Taemin looked away from Sooyun with a nervous expression and began talking to the other waiting customers.

“You working hard, Key?” Sooyun smiled.

I dusted myself, “Of course I am.”

“Cocky as always,” I think I heard Sooyun mutter. I’m sure I must’ve heard it wrong, she wouldn’t talk about me like that. Kyungmi would say stuff like that because she always says things like that about me. But I don’t mind, because I can just say stuff back to her.

“Sooyun, are you going to get back together with me now?” I leaned over the counter, “Look, I have a job and I’m taking care of myself. My parents don’t send me money anymore and I pay equal rent with Onew.”

“I’ll think about that, Key.” Sooyun said and then paused, “Didn’t you pay equal rent before?” I heard Kyungmi ask Onew the same thing in the background.

“No. Onew paid 70 percent and I paid 30 percent since he had a job and everything. I’m just an average country boy with no income besides money from parents.” I stated.

“Yah, I just work at those cell phone booths in the mall! I don’t get much money from selling sim cards and recharge, you know. I don’t earn much commission either!" Onew called from behind. I flapped my hand at him.

There was the sound of a ringtone and Sooyun picked up her phone. After a few moments of talking, she looked up at me apologetically, “I’m meeting someone now so I have to go. I’ll see you later, okay?”

I frowned. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, he’s been waiting for awhile. Bye Onew, Taemin and Kyungmi.” She waved with a smile and before I knew it she was out of the store.

Oh right, she leaves me for HIM. Stupid Karammama…

“Sooyun, you forgot your smoothie!” Taemin cried, holding a regular sized strawberry smoothie. He let out a sigh and placed it onto the counter, “What are you mumbling about, hyung?”

“What? Ah, nothing.” I turned away from him.

“Yah, you didn’t make the smoothie I told you to!” Taemin shouted.

I walked back to my workplace, “Yeah, yeah. It’s coming, Taemin.”

“Are you going to give up on my sister?” Kyungmi asked enthusiastically, peering up at me from her chair.

“Well, are you dreaming Kyungmi?” I pressed one arm against my chest and pushed the button of the blender.

She looked at me strangely. You’re the strange one, Yang Kyungmi. “No, I don’t think so.”

Then, the smoothie machine started moving. It must’ve been a sign! “Well, that’s not going to happen then.”

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Ehehe. Chapter 4 is now posted! Hope you guys liked it!
Key is pretty hardheaded, yeah? 8D

♥JSMPKK - 27/01/11