Taemin felt his world crumble. Does she already know?

"Taemin, is this true?" Aunt Bom repeated, her eyes locking on Taemin's. They want answers.

"Ahjumma, let me explain," Taemin replied, his own eyes producing tears. How can I ruin the trust she gave me? he thought, as he tried to fight back his tears.

Aunt Bom now stood from the chair she was occupying, her eyes still locked on Taemin's. She advanced towards Taemin, her hands shaking.

Taemin closed his eyes. He was ready for 'the slap' and its succeeding how dare you's, I trusted you but you ruined it's, and some where did I go wrong in raising you up's. He was ready for it all, until Aunt Bom did something quite different from what he was expecting.

Aunt Bom hugged him tight.

OHMAYGAHWD. She understood?Taemin's thoughts were a blur as he hugged his aunt back; one thing was clear though: she understood.

"Minnie, why didn't you tell me?" His aunt asked.

I was scared, he thought, silent tears flowing from his eyes.

"You were so great," His aunt continued.

Whut? Great? Uhrmn... Yeah? I guess so, I think Jjong enjoyed it,he thought, his eyebrows burrowing a little because of the inappopriateness of his aunt's comments.

"I'm so proud of you," his aunt finished, breaking down at last.

Bwoh?He thought. This is totally wrong, what's happening?

He broke the hug and looked straight at his aunt.

"Why didn't you tell me you won in that dance competition?" Aunt Bom exclaimed, her eyes red as ever.

"Bwoh?" Taemin's tear glands were suddenly short of tears.Dance competition?I thought were talking about my kiss with Jonghyun! he scandalously thought.

"I told her that you won," Minhosaid, standing up from his chair. "And that you dedicated it to your 'beloved Ahjumma'."

Minhowas faking an angelic face, yet Taemin could see the devil lurking beneath it.

"Oh Taemin, it was so touching!" Aunt Bom said, mopping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Its a good thing Minho here," she faced Minho, who was still wearing that angelic face mask, "Got a video. I got a chance to, well," Tears were, again, covering her eyes. "See it. Come're," she stretched her arms and caught Taemin in another bearhug. "I love you, Minnie."

"I love you too, Ahjumma," Taemin replied, returning his aunt's bearhug.

After a few seconds, Aunt Bom broke the hug and wiped her face clean.

"Oh! I'll cook something very nice for dinner, you know, to celebrate. Minho," she took Minho's hand and patted it, "Would you stay?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," Minhoreplied.

"No," Taemin squeaked.

Taemin and Minhoglared at each other.

How dare you answer, I'm the one invited,Minhoruthlessly thought.

How dare you say yes, you're not welcome here,Taemin fumed in his head.

This glaring session was broken by Aunt Bom, who suddenly spoke.

"What did you say Minnie? No?" she asked, looking at Taemin.

"Wha-? No? Oh. Oh! No, no, I was just practicing Gee, you know, No no no no noNeomu kkamjjak kkamjjak nollan naneun Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Neomu jjaritjjarit momi tteollyeo Gee Gee Gee Gee Gee…" Taemin accompanied this with its dance steps, to further convince his aunt.

"Oh!" Aunt Bom exclaimed, laughing. "'Practice makes perfect'. I knew you have always taken that to heart, just like me!" she patted Taemin's head and walked off towards the stove. "Boys, if you could just sit there in the sofa, dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes." And with that, the two boys heard her belting a few lines from 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion.

Taemin decided to go upstairs to his room to avoid Minho, but he thought twice; he cannot let Minhoout of his sight, he might blab to his aunt. He therefore decided to stay with Minhoon the sofa, silent and glaring.

- - -

Dinner was sumptuous. Aunt Bom prepared lamb chops, mashed potatoes, some kimchi, and some wine. The eating part was silent for Taemin, but for his Aunt Bom and Minho, it became a lets-catch-up-with-one-another-now-or-we-won't-have-time-because-the-world's-going-to-really-end-tomorrow-I-swear talk. They talk animatedly (and when I say animated, they jump, run around, dance, and the like. You get what I mean.), laugh hard, and spray food everywhere. It was close to hell, as Taemin described.

"Uhmn... Ahjumma?" Taemin said, after enduring an hour of this 'catching-up'.

"YEAH, YOU REMEMBER DARA? HA-HA-HA..." Aunt Bom was definitely on the mood of story telling tonight.

"Ahju-"

"HA-HA-HA-HA... ITS NOWHERE NEAR WHAT ONEW AHJUSSI DID!" Minhowas obviously just on the same zone.

"Ahju-"

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA... NO, NO, CL'S THE QUEEN!"

Taemin just couldn't take it anymore.

"AHJUMMA!" he shouted.

"Bwo- Taemin-ah, you don't have to shout, I'm right here in front of you!" Aunt Bom demanded, cleaning her ears.

"Mianhae, Ahjumma, but I would just like to say that its thirty minutes past ten and he's - " Taemin pointed at Minho, " - still here."

"Oh." Aunt Bom was honestly surprised. "It's 10.30pmalready? Tsk, I wanted to catch-up with you more Minho."

"No, no. I'm okay Ahjumma, I can stay here long-" he didn't finish his statement for Taemin butted in already.

"No. You are going home." he said, glaring full-time.

"Yes, Minnie's right Minho. Its too late and your parent's might worry." said Aunt Bom, cleaning up the plates.

"Ermm... Okay. Good night then, Ahjumma. Good night," Minholocked his stares on Taemin's eyes. "Taemin."

He was about to go out of the door when Aunt Bom called out from the kitchen.

"Taemin-ah, walk Minhoto our gates."

Taemin rolled his eyes.

"Ahjumma, he can take care of himself. He's a giant and everyone's afraid of him. Plus," Taemin grabbed his things and started to climb the stairs. "He lives next door."

"Taemin-ah, send him home if I say you send him."

Taemin felt his eyeballs whirl in their own accord. He dropped his things and joined Minhoat the door. He opened it and bowed mockingly, saying:

"This is the way out, Your Majesty. Please walk straight so as not to get lost in our big, big, big palace."

"Taemin-ah..." Aunt Bom called warningly from the kitchen.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it." Taemin replied, pushing Minhoout of the open door and closing it behind them.

"Ya." Taemin said, after making sure his aunt couldn't hear them. He was looking straight at Minho's broad back. Minhothen turned, his face menacing again.

"Wae?" he replied.

"Why didn't you show it?" Taemin replied back, averting his gaze from Minho.

"Well, I wanted to play," said Minho, walking towards Taemin. He pinned Taemin at the door with his arms and continued: "With you."

Taemin was outraged; he won't let Minhoruin his life. He just won't.

He took advantage of their position to get what he wants. He straightened up and faced Minhoright in the face.

"Hyung," he started, making his face cute. He saw Minhowince at this, then retracted his hands, freeing Taemin.

I'm just starting jerk,he thought.

Taemin advanced at Minho, who was now looking dumbfounded.

"Hyung, please, can we just delete them? Please?" Taemin said this in his sweetest voice possible. Minho, on the other hand, still stood rigid, face hard.

. You're hard?Taemin thought. Well, desperate times calls for desperate measures. Get ready Minho.

Taemin bit his lower lip and coyly looked at Minho. He looked crucially cute, it is commendable how Minhokept his face straight.

"Hyung," he whispered as he stood right in front of the older man. He looked up and saw the still hard face of Minho. He placed one of his hands on Minho's chest and felt for his heartbeat. How can you be so cruel if you have this thing beating inside you? he thought. He wanted to say this out loud, but he doesn't want to ruin the moment. Slowly, he placed his ears to where he felt Minho's heartbeat. It pumped loudly in his ear. Try using this, jerk. He thought.

The next moment, his arms were tight around Minho's body. He could sense that Minhois affected by this, because his body was all tensed up.

"Hyung, please don't ruin my life."

These lines of Taemin were half-acted, half-true. Yes, he really wanted to stop Minhofrom ruining his life, but it was hard, so hard for him to truly believe it.

Taemin felt the statue he was hugging was stirring. His shoulders were cupped by two sturdy arms that gently pushed him away. He looked up and saw Minho's face: it was soft, genuine. For a second, Taemin thought he was facing an angel. For real.

Minhowas rummaging in his pocket, obviously looking for his phone. When he finally fished it out, he pressed a little on it, and after a while, came upon the slide show Taemin was pleading him to delete.

"Is this what you're referring to?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes," Taemin replied, overwhelmed by the angelic side of Minho.

"Please Hyung, let's just delete it and forget about it. Please Hyung, please." he continued, trying his hardest to remain pitiful.

"Well," Minhostarted, putting his gaze on the ground. With his position he looked like battling some kind of monster inside him. Taemin waited, anticipated for Minho's answer.

Minhofinally spoke.

"I don't want to."

Taemin was dumbstruck at Minho's words: he didn't expect them. He did believe that for the first time in his life, his Hyung actually favored him. But he was, obviously, mistaken. What do you think, he said to himself, He'll soften up because you called him 'Hyung?' His answer was yes, but he didn't want to entertain that now.

Minhomust've sensed this disappointment because he immidiately said: "Don't worry, its a nice try, freak."

"I hate you," Taemin replied, tears almost welling in his eyes.

"I hate you too," Minhoreplied back, smirking.

"Well, its kinda getting super late now. Gotta go, Minnie. Ha-ha-ha..." He waved the fuming and crying Taemin goodbye and set-off for their home.

*    *    *

The next few weeks became the most stressful weeks in Taemin's life. Having a blackmailer and a boyfriend at the same time isn't really good for Taemin's mental health (or so he thought).

Everytime he sees Minho, he desperately and paranoidly checks if he has his phone with him and if he was showing it to others. Minhomust've noticed this, because whenever Taemin gets close to him, he purposefully brings out his cellphone and shows it to random strangers. No matter how ridiculous this may seem, Taemin still find this disturbing and is agitated more and more.

Jonghyun wasn't helping him either. Whenever they are together, Jonghyun seem to only want to do one thing: him. He was eternally into kissing, pinching, and everything a y man could to to his partner. As Taemin wanted to enjoy this, he can't: he doesn't want another blackmailer entering his life. He always makes up lies in order to stop Jonghyun: whether he has some cold, cough, swine flu, cancer, broken bone, cracked teeth, or rashes. Its a good thing Jonghyun always believes.

That is why when Jonghyun was walking him home one day, it was only natural for him to have a contagious type of cough.

"Tsk. I wish that would go away on Saturday." Jonghyun said in an imploring manner.

Taemin, on the other hand, was puzzled.

"Wae?" he asked.

"'Wae?'" Jonghyun repeated, scandalized. "Don't you remember anything special that will take place on Saturday?"

"Ehrnmmn..." Taemin said, thinking hard. He hadn't tracked time that well eversince Minho's blackmail.

"Tsk, its my birthday Yobo!" Jonghyun exclaimed. "And I... Well... Wanted to take you to a... Uhm.. Date." he continued, looking embarassed.

"Date?" Taemin repeated, gently surprised.

"Ne. So... Are you free on Saturday?" Jonghyun asked hopefully.

It took a few moments for Taemin to answer. He still isn't into this 'asking-out' thing with Jonghyun. But nevertheless, he answered.

"Yes. Always, for you." he said, smiling broadly.

If Taemin was happy, Jonghyun was happier - he was about to kiss Taemin when Taemin's hand landed on his forehead and pushed him away.

"AHEMAHEMAHEM. Cough Yobo. You don't want it." Taemin said, faking a pained look on his face.

"TSK. DAMN THAT COUGH." Jonghyun said in a must-be angry voice. They