The bowling alley was nearly deserted, air thick with the smell of fried food and old bowling shoes. My eyes scanned the place nervously, brain still slightly paranoid from my close encounter with Psychopath Number One.

“Come on...” Changmin coaxed, pushing me forward. “I'm pretty sure this isn't UKnow's bowling night so I think we're safe”

“Its not funny, Changmin,” I said and shot him a glare.

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “Just trying to lighten the tension.”

I didn't reply and continued to survey the room. There was only a handful of people and one of them was coming towards us. Before I could stop it, a smile had formed on my face and I approached him, meeting him the middle.

“Jin Ae!” he exclaimed and wrapped me a tight hug.

I returned it, realizing I'd missed his big hugs. Though I'd never admit it. “Did you miss me that much?” I asked with a chuckle.

He pulled away and looked at me, smile replaced by a scowl. “I have no heard from you for six months. {C}Six months.{C} I thought you'd gone off and got shot or pushed off a roof or something. I was worried sick about you!”

“Junsu, calm down,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I've just been really busy.”

“Too busy to call your best friend?”

Changmin came to stand beside me, grimacing. “He's right, Jin Ae. I mean, he's practically the only person who doesn't have a deep, burning hatred towards you.”

Junsu gave me a triumphant look to which I shook my head. “Being nice isn't one of my strong suits, I'll admit,” I said. I pouted and gave Junsu's shoulder a push playfully. “But that doesn't mean you can gang up on me.”

Both boys' reactions were expected. Changmin stared at me in disbelief; I doubted he'd ever seen me pull something so cute before. However, Junsu ducked his head and smiled, falling for it. As always. “Okay, okay,” he said. “Let's bowl!” And he hurried off to find a ball.

Changmin continued to stare at me. “Did you just try to be cute with something besides Min?”

“Do not speak of it,” I hissed, following after Junsu with Changmin behind me. “Junsu's just that easy to win over.”

“Obviously.”

“Hey, be nice. You were right. He's the only person that's really stuck around for me.”

“Besides me.”

“Its your job so you don't count.”

“I could have let that one guy shoot you last week.”

“Thanks. That's so appreciated,” I stated dryly as Junsu came up to us, a ball in each hand.

He presented me with a black one. “Small fingers, heavy in weight, and blah in color,” he said with a grin.

“Fine, I'll just go get my own,” Changmin griped and walked off.

“I think I'm gonna sit this out,” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair shoulder length hair, ignoring Changmin's snarkiness.

Junsu's smile fell. “What? You are not just going to sit at a bowling alley and not bowl.”

“Junsu...” I said, getting ready to put on another aegyo act. “I'm just not feeling it.” I really wanted to sit and think the UKnow case over. The sooner I figured out how to get a hold of him, the less likely he'd be to show up at my apartment again.

My best friend sighed, looking at the floor and thought. Slowly, a smirk crawled onto his face. “Oh, I get it.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Get what?”

Junsu looked up at me, mischief making his eyes spark. “You're afraid of losing to me.”

My mouth dropped open. “Losing? To you? Please!” I grabbed the ball from him. “Bring it on, Kim Junsu.”

After the game was set, I was due to bowl first. “Fantastic Baby” by BIGBANG was blaring from the speakers overhead. Walking up to the isle, I took in a deep breathe, focusing all my skills. I'd show Junsu who exactly was going to win that game.

Behind me, I could hear the boys' conversation.

“So how'd you get her to play?” Changmin asked.

Junsu chuckled. “I've known Jin Ae since high school and if there's one thing I learned, she is the most competitive person on the planet. Just challenge her at something and she'll go through anything to prove she's the best.”

“I knew that...” said Changmin and I smirked. He'd had plenty of his own experiences with me.

“Yeah, well, sometimes you have to use it your advantage,” Junsu said I could hear the smile in his voice. I rolled my eyes.

I let the ball loose and it went zooming down the isle. The clatter of bowling pins sounded and they all collapsed in a strike. and I turned to the boys with a triumphant smile. “Boomshakalaka!” I shouted, throwing my fist into the air. “Beat that, Junsu!”

“Oh, I plan too. I've been practicing all this time while you've been sitting at the stupid desk.” He gave me a smirk and I narrowed my eyes, sweeping my arm towards the isle.

“Then, show me what you got, oh, Mighty Bowler.”

“Are you guys always like this?” Changmin asked as I sat down next to him.

“Sounds a lot like me and you, doesn't it?” I smiled, poking him in the arm.

“Yes, and now I see why no one can stand us.”

“Oh, brighten up,” I said, beginning to stick my lower lip out.

“No!” Changmin turned his face away, shoving my head away from him. “Aish! That's so creepy! Don't do that!”

“Strike!” My eyes snapped to Junsu who was dancing happily back towards us with a -eating grin on his face. “What now, Kim Jin Ae? What now?”

“Game's not over, Junsu.” I smiled, adding a bit of evil to it. “How about we raise the stakes?”

“I'm listening,” he said, both us completely ignoring Changmin as he went to bowl.

“Whoever loses has to buy the other two dinner,” I said.

“That does not have anything to do with me!” Changmin interjected. “I want nothing to do with you two trying to kill each other.”

“Deal,” said Junsu and we shook on it.



“Order whatever you want, Changmin. Foods on Junsu tonight,” I said, biting my lip in order to hide my pleased grin as my eyes scanned over the menu.

“Don't mind if I do,” my partner sighed from beside me.

Junsu was sitting across from us, eyes narrowed at me. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.”

“I will,” I said with a sly smile.

“How did you put up with her for so many years?” Changmin asked Junsu.

“There were days when I wondered the same thing,” said Junsu, smiling at me. “But...” He paused, looking at me thoughtfully for a moment. I quirked an eyebrow. “There's just some things that make you put up with people.”

I cocked my head at his statement, but he went back to reading his menu. We ordered our food and got caught up with one another. Junsu and his most recent girlfriend—whose name escaped me—had broken up. For the third time. Changmin and Junsu seemed to get along, starting a conversation between the two of them while we ate. Junsu was eager to ask me about my job and I answered most of it truthfully. Though I left the part of having my latest target as my stalker.

The amount that I missed Junsu really became evident that night. Our story started the first day of our freshman year and we'd had each others' backs ever since. He was the one that kept me on my feet through high school, the only one that could make me laugh when I wanted to punch a wall(because I like to say I never cried), and the one who put up with my y comments when no one else would. He was always there when I needed him most, no matter how wrong I'd treated him in the past.

And that concluded that there was something seriously wrong with him.

“Don't wait so long next time?” he said as we stood outside the restaurant. A nippy wind blew around us, making me pull my leather jacket tighter around me.

“I won't,” I said, a smile coming to my lips.

He mirrored it, looking at me skeptically. “Promise?” I nodded and he gave me another hug. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will,” I sighed.

“Hey, Changmin!” Junsu called to my partner that was waiting by the car. “Take care of her because I know she won't do it herself.”

I scoffed and smacked him the arm. “I got my own back. And yours,” I added. “See you, Junsu.”

The car ride to my apartment was quiet as usual, as was the one to Changmin's place. UKnow was no where to be seen. I'd quickly grabbed the note and Min and threw the rose in the trash, chills running down my back at the thought that he was probably watching me.

At Changmin's apartment, Min was stretched out happily on my lap, blinking lazily as we sat in front of TV.

“So...” Changmin started. “I want to know...how long has Junsu been more than a friend?”

My neck whipped around to look at him. “Say what?”

Changmin looked at me skeptically before he smiled slyly. “You didn't notice your 'friend' giving you looks all night.”

I snorted and went back to the TV. “Junsu is my best friend, Changmin.”

“Oh, he thinks of you more than that.”

“How do you know?” My eyes went back to him, challenging.
“Well, he wasn't exactly hiding it. He sees you more than a friend. Trust me, I'm a guy.” I stared at him, trying to think of a comment to shoot back with, but nothing was coming. “Maybe you didn't see it because your overly large ego was in the way.” I didn't laugh at his remark about my attitude like I usually did. I wasn't even smiling anymore. Because I didn't like it. I didn't like what Changmin was saying at all.

“You're kidding, right?” I finally managed to say. “There's no way Junsu has those kinds of feelings for me because...he's dated lots of girls.” Poor excuse. Really, really poor excuse.

“He did it to get his mind off you,” Changmin said in a 'duh' tone. He was just watching the TV now, losing interest.

“You're wrong,” I said, setting my chin stubbornly and returning my own attention to the screen.

“Mm-hm,” was all he said and leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out. That was the end of the conversation.

I Min's back absentmindedly, attention far from the action movie on the television. Changmin was being stupid; he was just messing with me like usual. Junsu and I had been friends for over ten years and he wouldn't just start being attracted to me now. That was stupid. Changmin was stupid. This whole train of thought was stupid.

Sighing, I told Changmin goodnight and went to bed. However, sleep avoided me. It avoided me like the plague while thoughts of UKnow and Junsu swarmed over me like vultures. They picked at my mind until there was nothing left to devour at the rays of dawn.

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