Oh my god... four months later I know. Life happens. I was busy and then I had no laptop for a while and no inspiration these last few weeks so yeah... I'm really really sorry. I even thought of abandoning that story but I really like Minkey and I like writing this. So I hope you enjoy. Set a few weeks after Chapter 7. 

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Minho looked at the two shirts he was holding in hands. He really didn’t know which one to pick. One was more casual, totally appropriate for a nice walk and the other one was more formal, ideal for a romantic dinner. The problem was that he had no idea what the plan was tonight. Changmin had just told him to meet him at his house.

"Oh…" The leader’s mind immediately went to Key. If he were to know that Minho was meeting a girl tonight, he’d be crushed. Fortunately, the blonde was out for now.

"But isn’t that a good thing? I mean you having a date," the leader asked, finally getting back in the moment.

"It is, but I’ve never…"  A sudden wave of embarrassment took over him and he looked to the ground, avoiding his friend’s eyes.

"Ah… you’ve never been on a date," Onew laughed, making the younger one even more uncomfortable.

"Whatever, I don’t want to talk about this anymore." Minho got up and walked back to his wardrobe. He had let that laugh get to him and now he just felt like cancelling everything. He looked at the other shirts that were there, but they all looked the same to him. He reluctantly turned around and looked at Onew.

"Could you help me find a good shirt?" he asked, calming his tone.

"Sure." The older one got up and walked to him. He started looking through his stuff, examining each shirt, more or less in the same amount of time. Minho really needed to do some shopping, because the stuff he was looking at was really plain. He pushed a few more shirts to the other side of the rack and stopped when his eyes fell upon a black, form fitting, long sleeved shirt. His signature eye smile appeared as he tossed it to the rapper’s face.

"Wear that," he simply said before jumping on his bed.

"Um… Are you sure?" The younger one frowned. "Isn’t it a little too much?"

Onew shrugged. "Maybe, but you’ll be y. The first impression is really important, Minho," he added with a wink.

Key was grateful for the lack of people present in the pharmacy at this hour. Even so, he caught a few surprised glances which made him quicken his pace. He wasn’t going to linger; he knew exactly what he wanted.

 It wasn’t long before he found himself in front of the hair coloring products. He couldn’t help but smile. For once, he felt like something would help him feel a little better. He grabbed a box and walked to the front. An astonished look from the cashier brought a smile on his face. He liked being recognized.

After the transaction was over, he stepped out into the cool evening and headed to the dorm. Tonight was going to be all about pampering and watching silly stuff. He really needed to take care of his well-being. All those months of sleeping around and feeling like an outcast in his group were starting to take a toll on him. He knew he couldn’t make the pain go away, but he could at least make an effort to make his life a little less than a living hell. He realized that now.

Without even noticing, he had found his way to his street. When it finally hit him, he walked a little more slowly, wanting to make his alone time last a little longer. He knew that as soon as he’d walk in one of them would come greet him. Ever since the breakup, it seemed like they couldn’t let him be alone, especially Jonghyun. He loved getting all that attention, but it could be suffocating.

‘I hope they’ve gone out,’ he wished as he unlocked the door. His eyes immediately fell upon Taemin who was making his way to the living room. Key closed the door behind him and before he could even take off his shoes, the younger one was standing in front of him.

"Hyung, we’re going to watch a movie," Taemin said with a bright smile.

"So?" Key took off his cap and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"So...would you like to watch it with us?" The maknae’s voice was pleading.

"Not tonight. I need some time to myself," he replied sharply.

"Oh, okay."

The look of disappointment Key saw on his face made him feel bad, but he wasn’t going to change his mind.

He walked away swiftly and headed straight to his room. A sigh of relief left his lips as he closed the door. He was glad there had been no uncomfortable run in with Minho. That would’ve probably ruined his night. So not seeing him was good.

Minho took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell button. All those weeks of postponing that blind date didn’t make him feel any more prepared for it. He was a nervous wreck.  

The few seconds he waited before the door opened felt like an eternity. His hands were starting to get sweaty by the time Changmin’s face finally appeared before him. He didn’t lose anytime greeting him and just got in.

"Is she here?" Minho blurted as his friend closed the door behind them.

Changmin laughed. "Not yet." He put a hand on the younger’s one back. "You seem... nervous," he teased with a smile.

"Wouldn’t you be? I’ve never met the girl," Minho retorted.

"I don’t see why she wouldn’t like you. And I’m sure you’ll like her too," the older one added with a wink.

"Okay, but what does she do anyway? Is she in the business?"

Changmin had been really secretive about this girl, but Minho’s curiosity was relentless.

"She’s an actress. A rookie."

"Okay, good." He felt a little better knowing that. It was always better to go out with someone who knew what it meant to be in the public’s eye.

"When is she arriving?" Minho inquired.

"Oh my god, relax!" the other exclaimed with a chuckle. "She should be here any minute. Meanwhile, just sit down and try to look a little more comfortable."

"Okay." Minho sat down and closed his eyes. He was half eager and half terrified to meet her. He didn’t know how these things worked. He had been with girls before, but they had always been drunken one night stands. His sober self was extremely awkward. He felt bad for the girl who was going to spend the evening with him.

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of the doorbell. He rose up from the chair and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. ‘You can do this, Minho.’

He watched as Changmin opened the door and let in his date. From where he stood, he could only see that she was a petite girl with dark long hair. But when she stepped into the hallway’s light, he really saw what a beauty she was. She had big sparkly eyes, a cute little nose and full lips that curled up into a wide smile as she stopped before him.

"Hi, my name is Hee Jin," she said in a warm tone.

Minho just stood there. His mind had gone blank. He couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous girl in front of him. A nudge to his side brought him back to reality and before he could even find his words, the girl added "And you’re Minho."The little giggle that followed had him smiling. He nodded.

"Yeah, I am. Very nice to meet you," he managed to say with a steady voice.

"Well, you two should head to that restaurant now," Changmin pressed.

They all walked up to the front door and after a quick goodbye, Minho found himself alone with his date.

"My car is right over there," he said as he pointed to a red Mazda.

Hee Jin flashed another one of her bright smiles. "Let’s go then."

Key looked at himself in the mirror. He was really satisfied with the result. A smile crept up his lips as he messed up his hair. ‘New color, fresh start,’ he thought as he sat on his bed.

A knock on his door had him jump. He cursed before yelling ‘Come in’. The door opened slowly and his best friend’s head peeked in. "Bummie, are you..." He paused, his eyes registering the change. "Oh my god!" Jonghyun walked up straight to him. "It’s black!" he shrieked.

Key rolled his eyes. "So observant, Jjong. Keep it up."

The mattress shifted as the older one sat beside him. "I’m just surprised," he started. "I thought you’d keep that blonde hair forever."

"I’d never keep it forever, you know that." Key looked into his eyes. "What do you think? Do you like it?" he asked seriously.

"Well, it is your natural color..." Jonghyun let his fingers brush against the freshly-dyed hair. "I think you look beautiful," he replied softly.

"Thanks. I love it, but it always feels nice to know someone else thinks the same."

Jonghyun smiled. "You’ll always be perfect no matter what," he reiterated, which caused the other one to snort.

"Yah, stop being so cheesy," he said with a laugh.

"I’m just telling the truth."

"Yeah, yeah...Wait. What did you want to ask?"

"What?"

"You meant to ask me something before getting in..."

"Oh, yeah... nothing important. Just wanted to check on you."

"Did you guys watch that movie?"

"Yeah, it’s over now. Taemin and Jinki went to bed," the older one replied.

‘So Minho’s out.’ Key mentally slapped himself. ‘I shouldn’t think about him.’

"Oh, okay. I’m sorry I didn’t watch it with you."

"It’s okay. We figured you need some time alone." Jonghyun grabbed his hand and held it tight. "I’m just glad to see you a little more...hum..."

"Happy?" Key laughed. "Well yeah, I guess I’m doing a little better."

"Good." Jonghyun suddenly looked down to his feet. "Bummie...I’ve been biding my time, but I don’t know if I can keep going on like this any longer."

Key felt a little panicky. "Jjong, what are you talking about, you’re-" His words were cut off by soft plump limps crashing onto his own and a hand settling to the back of his neck. He tried to push his friend away but it was no use; he was stronger. Jonghyun deepened the kiss and the brunette couldn’t help but give in. He moaned as the skilled tongue took over his mouth.

His head fell on his pillow and Jonghyun pressed against him, never breaking the kiss. Jolts of pleasure ran through Key’s body as their tongues intertwined. A warm hand crawling up under his shirt made him gasp and that’s when his mind turned back to on.

"No," he breathed. "Get off me."

Jonghyun moved back. "I’m sorry. I just-"

"What the hell?" he cut off. "What the ?" This time that had come out as a yell and a second later, he found himself slapping his best friend. He watched as his cheek reddened and a pang of guilt struck him. "Oh my god, Jjong. I’m so sorry. I..." He buried his face into his hands.

A hand on his wrist had him lift his head up. "I love you, Kibum," he voiced softly.

Key shook his head dismissively. "No, Jjong. Don’t do this to me. I...can’t deal with this right now."

"I’m not going to stop loving you even if you don’t say it back this instant. I’ve already waited so long; I can wait a little more."

Despite himself, a tear fell down his cheek. "It was already complicated enough..." He paused. A million thoughts were going through his mind, but they all revolved around one person. "Minho..." he whispered.

Jonghyun’s jaw clenched. "You still love him, don’t you?"

"I... I ...don’t know what I feel anymore." Key let out a sigh. "I need some time to think."

Minho took Hee Jin’s hand in his and smiled at the cute blush that spread across her face. ‘She’s so cute,’ he thought.

They’d just come out from the restaurant and were taking a walk in the park nearby. Everything had gone well so far and Minho felt really comfortable now. They had talked about so many things, from sports to music to food and their daily struggles; he really felt like they were a good match. And she seemed to feel the same way too. Minho had caught some of her flirty glances and had thrown some her way as well. It had been a long time since he’d feel so playful and care-free. He liked that version of him.

They walked up to a bench and sat down.

"So..." Hee Jin started. "We’ve talked about a lot of things, but I was wondering...how many girlfriends have you had?"

Minho shifted nervously. "I’ve never had a girlfriend."

"What?" she exclaimed. "Don’t lie. A handsome guy like you wouldn’t have trouble finding a girl."

"Well, I was with someone before..." He felt his heart beat faster as Key appeared in his mind. "But it didn’t end well."

"Oh." She put a hand on his arm. "What happened?"

"I...It just didn’t work out." He looked away, trying to find some solace in the trees.

"I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but maybe it’s for the best." She got closer to him. "I like you, Minho," she confided.

He turned his head and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. "I like you too, Hee Jin." Another image of Key popped up.

Minho brought his face closer to hers until their noses brushed. Hee Jin smiled. "Just kiss me already," she urged. He didn’t have to be told twice. He kissed her softly at first, but it soon became more passionate. He had been waiting all night long for this, but now it wasn’t just to satisfy his needs; it was to make that lingering image of his ex go away.