"It's been three weeks and I still haven't made any progress."

"Don't look at me," Jonghyun said, putting his hands up innocently, "that's not my fault. Maybe your skills just ."

"Maybe your skills just . I've been glued to your side, every chance I get I run to you and observe your actions. I listen to what you tell me and do as you say even if I don't agree with it. Three weeks, hyung. Three."

"Look, I can only teach you so much. I know how to make someone want me, but I don't know how to love them because that's not my thing. Commitment doesn't roll with me."

"You've got that right. How many girls have you gone through since we started?" Key asked, tapping the ground with his shoe impatiently.

"I don't know. Maybe a good 20, I don't really keep count."

"Do you even know their names?"

"Do I need to? I just want in, yanno?"

"Why the heck did I think you'd help?" Key shouted.

"What exactly do you want to learn from me?"

"How to steal a girl's heart." Key said flatly with determination, not amused.

Jjong sighed, deciding to take a new route.

"Ugh."

"Well... you're definitely not going to with that feminine look you got going on." Jonghyun stated, pointing at Key's outfit consisting of a black and white stripped vest topping a solid hot pink tank, black torn skinnies and white doc martin boots with equally hot pink laces and black frames. "I mean, you even wear accessories like these." He continued, his index finger lifting Key's golden horned necklace, tracing his out of place yellow gauge earrings.

"It's fashionable."

"Feminine." Jonghyun stated, his cold minty breath hitting Key's face, now merely an inch away.

"Fem-"

"Oppa! Umma said.... ah. Uhm.. Sorry.." Nicole awkwardly stepped out of the crafts studio, startled by confusion of why Jonghyun was so close to her brother's face - alone, with the lights off, only sunlight from the window shining in -

"Like a scene off a romantic anime, before they.. did I just ruin something important? " Nicole thought, hitting her head hard and pouting at the pain.

"Yes, feminine." Jonghyun continued after the door slammed closed, unaffected by her obvious misunderstanding.

"Yah. Back off." Key sighed, giving away his annoyance by the coldness of his voice.

"I'm just pointing out that it's because you look like this that people get confused of your ual orientation. You do realize not only are you known as the "ice diva" but you're also quite popular with the girl's and their ual fantasies with you and guys - yanno..? Since your past experiences, they figure you must be gay. And well this.. this doesn't help."

Key rolled his eyes at Jjong's long ignorant explanation of why his look was so bad and slapped his hand off his cheek, scooting back in the process. He didn't like that the playboy was downing his image, but he knew he was in no position to argue back anyways since after all, he he was coaching him.

"You have to listen to me in everything if you want me to be your coach, yanno?"

"I know, damnit. And stop saying 'yanno' it's illiterate."

Jjong chuckled, catching the redness surfacing Key's pale face, completely unaware of his own until he glanced over at the mirror behind them as he moved to give Key enough space.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to fix this."

Key looked up, somewhat eager but still partially angry at the criticism on his fashion sense. "What?"

"Free Sunday?"

Key was about to answer with a "what" again, just to be sure he heard correctly but Jonghyun looked so ... so ... innocent.

"I'll take that as a yes. So let's go shopping."

"L-like a d-date?"

Jonghyun scratched the back of his head and then looked Key square in the eye, "I guess.."

No. There was no way. This was a game. Jonghyun was full of games.

"Of course not, idiot. I'm just kidding!" Jonghyun defended, noticing the fear on Key's face - at least what he thought was fear. "It's a part of couching you. Why would I date a guy? Gross."

"Yeah, yeah. Right. Gross.."

"So, Sunday. Meet me at noon at the front of C station."

"S-sure."

------------------------

"Do what?" Nicole asked, bread falling out .

"You've gotta be kidding me, Kibum."

"Hyung, you said you wouldn't interfere in this."

"But hyung, that's basically a date."

Roaring laughter denied a response from Key and all he could do was look awkwardly at his deranged sister.

"You say Sunday, but that's tomorrow right?"

"Oh, well, I guess it is. He probably didn't notice."

"Liar. You held back this information."

"Well.."

"Whatever." Jinki sighed, getting up from the dining room table of the Kim residence, excusing himself to leave the house entirely.

Key simply nodded. It wasn't like he was going to force him to stay and listen to this but he did kind of want his approval on the matter, but he understood his actions. After all, YoonA got hurt by Jonghyun and the resentment an older and over protective brother has for his sister's ex boyfriend is more than real.

"See you at Choi's, Tae." Onew shouted as he opened the door and let himself out.

"Choi? Choi Minho?" Nicole asked.

"There's a lot of Choi's, Cole."

"But only one that oppa hangs out with."

"Why are you going to Minho's place? I mean, since when were you close enough to go to his house?"

"Uhm, well.. you see, we kind of, got to know each other and then... we still are. And-"

"I get it." Nicole said, smirking. "Surrounded by rainbows, I am."

"I don't get it."

"You will when it matters." Cole responded, elbowing a blushing Taemin in the ribs.

"So back to you, oppa. The date with Jonghyun oppa, what will you do?"

"Shop, like I said. Only shop."

"Right and Taemin and Minho are only getting to know each other for pure reasons."

"Noona!"

"Seriously, what does that even mean? Lee Taemin, explain. Are you holding something back from me?"

"W-what? Of c-course now."

"You can't lie to me, I can read you like an open book, kid. Now spill."

"Hey, you. We're talking about you and Jonghyun right now. I was just making a point there, don't try to change the subject because you're nervous."

"I'm not nervous, what's there to be nervous about?"

"What's there not to be nervous about?" Cole asked rhetorically and Tae just watched as his hyungs ears grew pink. "Nevermind. Wake up early, I got this."

"What?"

"Actually, we got this. Because apparently, the both of us have more experience than you on this whole dating thing."

"Noona!"

"Lee Taemin!"

"Hyung~" Tae cried while Cole laughed, her arm slung around his shoulder.

"Teasing you is my only sense of happiness."

"Noona~"

-----------

"8am. Good job. Want breakfeast there, princess or can we skip to the fun stuff?"

"Shut up, Cole."

"Well, Tae's not coming."

"Not a surprise after you bullied him all day yesterday."

"What can I say?" Cole shrugged, "the kid is easy."

"You're a horrible person."

"I try, I really, really do."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Whatever, sit down, girl. Let's get started." Cole teased, motioning for Key to sit on her filly baby blue chair.

"You have less make up than I do." Key finally said after examining the small white table filled with lotions, foundations, powders, irons and fundamentally a girl's dream set.

"Sad, isn't it? But I have less to work with." She laughed.

"I don't know why you're making this a big deal."

"I don't know why you're not."

Silence spread across the room, except for the occasional sound of the blow dryer and clipping of the straighting and curling iron from lack of hair for the next 90 minutes. Running out of the room for a few seconds while Key looked in the mirror in awe, Cole returned with a brand new and extremely questionable outfit.

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"That's so plain."

"You have to appeal to his likes, idiot."

"We're not dating, idiot. I don't have to do anything for him." Key replied, bowing before exiting the room for a few minutes then coming back. "The hell, Cole! Where are all my clothes?"

"You're such a deep sleeper, you know that?"

"You're a manipulative , you know that?"

Nicole smiled big, satisfied with the fact that her plan was working as Key snatched the too-short-for-a-guy faded blue shorts and equally faded white and blue tee out of her hand.

"And what shoes am I wearing with his?"

"Those." She replied, her index finger lagging for a second when she pointed at the black skullied platform shoes with white and blue socks tucked into them in a ball.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, oppa. Thank me later, kay?"

-----------

Kibum pushed passed the hefty crowd at the station, all too anxiously when he noticed the time on the headboard of map to his right.

11:24am

He was earlier than he really should've been, he didn't even remember what time he boarded the first subway. Had to have been past ten-ish, it's only an hour or so here depending.

Nicole:You idiot, don't get too focused on this and forget to take your pills! You have a good hour before it's time. I'll call you to make sure, okay? Don't forget!

Key smiled as he read the words off the homescreen of his iPhone, his sister was somewhat like his guardian angel. She had a motherly feel to her actions towards him he hadn't experienced from his own, she was protective and naggy, manipulative yet sensitive to his rejections at some of her proposals.

Once, when they were fifteen, years after moving back from Seoul to Daigu, she asked if he'd sleep with her because she had a nightmare about their parents but Kibum rejected her with a cold, "we're too old for that now." Nicole knew it was probably a way to mask his feelings and not cry again, because he was tired of crying over them. It wasn't going to change anything, it wasn't going to bring them back - but nonetheless, she ended up having more reasons than one to cry that night and ignored him for two weeks after that.

"Idiot." Key sighed loudly.

"Who is?" A familiar voice questioned.

The blonde, tall male looked up from his cellular device only to meet the puppy-like eyes of his hyung, a bit startled and more than anything, confused. He could have sworn when he glanced at his phone, it barely read half hour past eleven.

"You're early." Jonghyun said.

"You too."

Jonghyun laughed, trying his best not to be taken aback by the accurate response and at the same time think of an excuse but Key simply brushed it off. After all, this was Kim Jonghyun, he was probably sleeping next to some new babe until a while ago not far from the station. Everyone knows Jjong has this rule none of his one night stands or girlfriends or even relatives can go to condo his father bought for him as a means for some sort of apology that never went through.

"So where to?" Key finally asked.

"Places. Just follow me."

Key let out another exasperated sigh and did as the elder told him, lately it seems like that's all he's been doing. Following. Chasing, after this guy with no heart.

At least that's what he thought, but only for a few seconds, because when the crowd doubled as they reached the streets of Gangnam, Jonghyun reached out for his dongsaengs hand reeled him in closer. Neither of them noticing the heavy pulsing exchanged between intertwined fingers. And then, it was over. All too soon, they let go. A mutual, voluntary release that only left them wondering why their hands felt so hot, yet so empty after.

"This is it." Jonghyun said, breaking the awkward tension in the air.

"Isn't this a little out of my price range?" Key asked.

"Yours, maybe."

"What?"

"Just go inside and let me do my thing."

The taller boy let out a loud abnoxious laughter that caused some heads to turn, ,embarrassing him a little. "You're not telling me you're going to play dress up with me, are you? Please~ my fashion sense is so much better than yours."

"For a girl."

"Wow, how ignorant are you on the scale of one to ten, exactly? Fashion has nothing to do with gender."

"Maybe not, but it sure as hell isn't getting you any girls."

Key rolled his eyes, remembering Jjongs criticism on his apparently effeminate outfit the other day. He hardly thought his fashion sense had anything to do with not getting a girlfriend, or boyfriend, or whatever, but Jonghyun was the expert here. He had millions while Key had zero.

"Are you kidding? This shirt is a hundred dollars! The hell do I need a white v-neck shirt with fake splattered neon paint, that's a hundred dollars. This is ridiculous and this is the freaking clerance rack."

The sales clerk walking in his direction moments earlier to ask if he needed help stared at him wide eyed, probably judging him and wondering why such an ill mannered boy would come to Gangnam, but Jonghyun just laughed. This side of Key was fresh for him, he wasn't acting like his spoiled naggy girlfriends who wanted attention and his 24/7. It was nice.

"Look, this is nice of you and all but my fashion sense is amazing if you ask me and I don't spend nearly this much on three outfits." Key said sharply as Jonghyun made his way baxk over to him from the other side of the store, giving the sales clerk a warning glare to go back to her position already since she clearly wasn't needed.

"This is up to me, I have to choose your outfit and this happens to be my favorite store. Most of my wardrobe is from here."

All Key could do was stare at the guy and let out a choking sound. This guy really had it all, looks, money, cars, his own place, both parents and if you didn't include his personality when it came to women, he was actually somewhat of a good guy.

"Can I take you somewhere else? We can stay in Gangnam, maybe... probably not, I don't really know any cheap stores here but just pick something out from the places I go. Yeah? Even if you are loaded, I can't make you spend all that money."

"Why not? This is more for my entertainment than yours. It'd be nice to see a dog dressed in nice clothes."

Okay, so maybe Key wanted to take that back. His personality was period and there was not one atom in his body that made up anything remotely close to "kind" or "good."

"Funny."

"It's natural, I should be a comedian."

"Probably not."

---------

Time passed quickly between subway exchanges and quick stops for coffee or snacks and it was dark when they looked out the small department store window set off by the water fountain to give a more 'earthy, relaxing feel' or whatever, the owner was a nut job or something but still, he was one of Key's good friends weird traits, tastes and all.

"I wonder where Kris is at, I really wanted to introduce you to him... they said he'd be back an hour ago!"

"Does it really matter?" Jonghyun said, not really interested in the topic as much as the cheap prices on off-brand clothing that was so remarkably similar to the branded ones.

"Of course it does! You know how long he's been nagging me to get someone just because he went and got himself a cute boyfriend?" Key shouted from the dressing room he just entered, "He brags about it so much its annoying. 'Well, if you had someone like Tao you wouldn't be so unhappy. Tao cooks for me and dances for me and sings for me and does aegyo when I'm angry..' he just goes on and on about him!"

"Is that what pushed you?"

"Well, no. But I would say it's one of the factors. I look at them sometimes when I'm shopping or catching up with him over coffee and he looks so happy. Genuinely happy, like there's nothing that could ever bring him down when Tao's around, like he's invincible. And I get jealous, I think to myself; why can't I find someone like that? Someone who gives me strength when I'm weak? Someone to kiss, someone to hold, someone to fight with and be protective over, someone who belongs only to me?"

"Probably because you're a prude." Jonghyun replied, neglecting the obvious hurt in the younger boy's voice.

"Probably."

Moments later, Key stepped out in one of the many formidable outfits Jonghyun picked out for him, screaming 'I'm manly, I swear' and all Jonghyun could do was laugh. Because it really wasn't his style, maybe it was because he still had a load of eyeliner and lip gloss on, or maybe it was his too well styled hair parted in the middle depicting his true innocence.

"Okay, so maybe that's more my style." The short boy said, "try this."

Key reached out and grabbed a pair of grey washed out skinny jeans, black and green unbalanced checked print collared short sleeved shirt and yellow jersey bop-off muscle shirt with MEDUSA 23 printed in black from his grasp and disappeared only to reappear seconds later in front of his hyung.

"These too." Jonghyun said, impressed as he handed him equally yellow platform shoes with black ruffled soles.

"Not bad." Key said.

"I know."

"Still manly, I guess."

"That was the point, yeah."

"So what now?"

"Well, we pay." Jonghyun replied.

"No, smartass. I didn't mean tha-"

"I know what you meant," Jonghyun interrupted, "I could go for some steak, all this shopping has me stomach begging for food."

"We'll split" Key shouted from the register, not letting Jonghyun pay for his clothes. They might be cheap clothes but still, he wasn't going to let his hyung pay for his clothes or his dinner.

--------

Dinner was full of quiet chewing and awkward conversation starters that didn't exactly go anywhere and others dodged completely. Jonghyun wasn't the kind of guy to give out much of his life, he liked to stay behind the scenes when it came to those 'about me' topics. Maybe it was because he had a lot to hide or had no interest in it, maybe all there was to him was what was displayed on the surface but some irritating voice in Key's head was dying of curiosity.

The more hours they spent together, the more he wanted to know exactly what was behind the bold handsome face of Kim Jonghyun. Did he go through something? Why was he afraid of love? If Key did develop feelings, why was it so bad? Did someone hurt him? Who were they? What kind of person were they?

'... probably not a loud mouth twenty year old blonde effeminate guy with the tendency of scaring people away and inability to hold down a real relationship.' Key thought.

"Tomorrow," Jjong finally said, "When you see me at school, don't talk to me."

"What?" Key had no idea what was going on. Had he done something wrong? It was probably because he embarrassed him today.. or it could've been the fact that he hadn't improved in the slightest and Jonghyun was getting tired of this game.

Jonghyun looked up briefly, noticing the disbelief in Kibum's face and sighed. "I don't mean it like that, dammit." He scuffed, somewhat irritated with the reaction to his words. Why would the idiot be so hurt by those words? Why did it matter? What was up with introducing him to his friends earlier too? Why was that so necessary and why did he say it's because Kris or whatever his name was said it was because he needed someone? Was he someone? His someone? Shaking the thought of with a large gulp of wine, he continued, "the girls probably don't want to go up to you when you're with me. Girls like to attack when the pack is separated, it's less embarrassing. Less ballsy."

"Oh." Key said simply, relieved.

"We'll meet up during lunch break and," he paused for a second, contemplating if he should really say the next part, "you can come over after school."

"What?"

"Dinners already paid, I'm done here. See your way home."