Japanese to English Translations for Reference throughout the chapter:

Arema - Oh my!

Kawaii Desu - It's cute!

Dono yo ni watashi wa anata no zubon ni hairu nodesu ka hani? - How do I get into your pants, Honey?

Ie - No

Hai- Yes

Taemin’s lips shape around the rim of a coffee mug as he sips on steaming hot chocolate. He tears a piece of a sticky note, slipping it between two pages of the book currently in his hand before placing it down in his slap and reaching for another labelled one. “So in this book, the girl does things like put notes in the boy’s locker and runs into him purposely around school. Meanwhile, in the other one, the girl is a lot shyer so she doesn’t do much besides hide her feelings. Her friends are who bring her and the boy together but he confesses first since she didn’t know he liked her back. In this one though… u-uh. Ehem.” He cleared his throat before continuing to himself, “In this one, the one guy confesses he likes the other guy and then he… he gets on his knees and - he does something that doesn’t apply to real life!” Taemin settled on that, putting the embarrassing book down before shoving his face into his palms. “Why is liking someone so confusing?!” Taemin yelled loudly, ignoring the fact that he could probably be heard by his neighbours through the paper thin walls. He sighed, snuggling deeper into the blanket that hugged his thin frame. He looked at all the piles of romance novels, mangas, and “how to love for dummies” books lying all over the floor, noting that he’d probably have to spend a good bit tidying the mess up later. His cheeks heated as he recalled taking all the books out from the library, the looks he got from the librarian as the older boy scanned the books, smirking. Winter was a good friend of his as he made it his excuse to cover up most of his face with scarves, earmuffs, hats, and anything else that could possibly fit while he took them out. He read and reread them, studying each line, each emotion the characters displayed. Some knew each other for years while others for a few months. Some started off on a good note while others started out on a horrible note, hating each other. Some had bad story lines, but there was a small amount that caused Taemin’s heart to tear in two and hurt as if someone was rubbing it against a cheese grader. There were a few lines he memorised and jotted down for future reference.

“You don’t need someone to complete you, only someone who accepts you completely.”

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did do.”

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

“The truth is, everyone’s going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”

“Loving a person isn’t about logic or reason.”

“Is there a limit to how much you could love somebody? No matter how much I hurt him or get hurt by him, I find myself far from hating him, actually hoping that those wounds will scar, like burns…because then you can never forget me.”

“After all… love is about timing… if you don’t say the right thing at the right moment no matter how much fate was involved in the relationship, everything will be ruined. Even if you regret it, it’ll be too late.”

                Taemin looked over the note, his heart clogging his throat as he recollected the moments that came attached with these scenes. He opened a book and flipped to a page he already knew after rereading hundreds of times. He shaped his lips around each word as he read. “ There were a lot of things I wanted to do. I wanted to become a teacher, and an astronaut, and a baker. I wanted to go to a bunch of different donut shops and ask for one of everything! I wanted to tell the ice cream man to give me one of everything too! I wish I could have five lives. Then I could have been born in five different towns, and eaten five lifetime’s worth of food, had five different careers, and…” He sighed deeply as he read the last line, “fallen in love with the same person five times.” He shushed himself before getting over emotional again. Love like that sounds wonderful, he thought. He yawned as he ruffled his own hair, getting off the couch and placing his mug on a counter. He began collecting all of the books off the floor and setting them neatly on his coffee table. His stomach grumbled loudly, signaling that he should probably head over and make himself something to eat. He reached his fridge, grabbing for the handle as he opened the door, greeted by air and a whole lot of nothing. He shouldn’t have been surprised. He hadn’t gone to the grocery store for a week now, seeing as he occasionally ate out with Minho, making the empty fridge less of a problem. He shuffled over to the door, shaking his slippers off his feet in exchange for some boots. He pulled on a matching set of warm and fuzzy mittens and a hat. He reached for his wallet and keys as he swung them around his forefinger, whistling, making his way from one side of the door to the other, locking it and sliding them into his buttoned pocket. He relaxed against the cold wind, feeling the streaks of previously cried tears become more evident on his face. Taemin debated whether or not to take the bus and settled on the latter, deciding that he would stretch his legs out after sitting on the couch and reading all morning.

                After a few blocks, he reached the grocery store. His usual shopping list consisted of enough frozen meals to last him the weak and a few fresh fruit and snacks the fill up his stomach in between. He reached for a basket on his way through the door, shivers jolting down his spine as the cold winds bled into warm wisps of air coming from the heaters. He marched down the aisle that lead to the refrigerated foods first, noting what was on sale. Should I get frozen noodles or frozen noodles? Taemin asked himself, nearly laughing at his own sarcasm. He opened the door for a few seconds as he quickly reached in for a few boxes, hurrying himself as he placed them in his basket, afraid that the stores warmth might disappear because of him prolonging the store to cold. What else, what else, what else, what else? He thought, Ah, I should probably get some apples and oranges, maybe some bananas. Oh, and banana milk! He smiled with the thought of the delicious drink, his lips. As he made it to the stands of fruit he began looking at the different apples, feeling around, trying to pick up the best ones seeing as he liked to get his money’s worth. He jumped when an unexpected squeal came from beside him, gathering a few people’s attentions. “Kawaii desu!”  He looked over, praying that the voice wasn’t aiming at him, his prayers going unanswered. His eyes opened wide as a tanned boy with long, layered, bleached blond hair stared at him with huge eyes. He was dressed in dark, most likely intentionally tattered clothing. “Dono yo ni watashi wa anata no zubon ni hairu nodesu ka hani? ~” He cooed. Taemin stood wide eyed as he looked at the foreign boy. “E-excuse me?” Finally speaking up. “I was just saying how absolutely cu~uuuute and adorable you are!” The boy said in a thick Japanese accent. “My name is Matsumoto Takanori, but you can call me Ruki-chaaaan!” The boy chanted, basically sang the sentence. Taemin noticed that the boy prolonged certain syllables, making his voice match that of a cat meowing. Taemin didn’t want to stare, but he still managed to catch the harsh amount of make up on the taller’s skin. He caught the other boy looking at him expectantly with a wide grin. He had to clear his throat in order for his voice to be able to break the invisible walls of awkwardness. “Tae-Taemin. My name is Lee Taemin.” The boy squealed as he shut his eyes tight before opening them once more. “Eeeek! Such a cute name for such a cute boy~! I loooove it!” Suddenly, his smiling eyes darted from Taemin, to the basket he was holding and back. “Oh, that must be heavy, yeah? Let me hold it for you!” Before Taemin could even protest, the basket was snatched out of his hand, replaced with a linked arm. He heard a gasp come from Riku’s mouth as the boy prodded through his chosen foods. “Arema! Is this what goes into your belly? Ie, I won’t allow this! You need proper nourishment!” Before Taemin could even register what this bubbly boy was saying, he was tugged through different section of the store; things he didn’t even know were sold in the country were filling his basket as Riku explained why they were good for him. “W-wait, you can’t just put stuff in my basket like that! I didn’t even bring enough money for all this stuff!” The smaller boy decided it was time to make his voice heard. Unexpectedly, the taller turned around with a gold credit card pressed to his cheek, making a kissy face from behind it as he winked. “No worries, Darling~ Riku-chan will paaaay~” Taemin shook his head, trying to come up with another argument. “I don’t even know how to cook this stuff, I mean, regardless the instructions, I’ll probably burn it!” He said, trying to look as convincing as possible. He bit back his tongue as the blond boy gasped and smiled. He leaned closer, pointing to himself as if his vocabulary was lacking, nodding simultaneously. “Then, then I’ll come over and cook for Taemin-chan.” They continued their walk until his container was nearly overflowing with foreign cans and boxes, nearly as foreign as the male in front of him. After 20 minutes or so, which felt like an eternity to Taemin, he began his embarrassing walk to the cashier, Riku leading him in a fastened pace. When the energetic boy finished putting all the foods onto the conveyor belt, he stared at the cashier in anticipation. When the cashier announced the total, the boy raised the card he had previously flaunted. “Ah, I’ll pay.” He quickly, professionally if anything else, swiped his card and punched in a few digits, approving the transaction. “This is my Taemin, my-ah, my friend Taemin.” The boy corrected himself as his head begin to fix into its nodding pattern once more. The boy nodded furiously as if his life depended on it. Upon hearing his name, Taemin tried to sink further into his coat, making himself smaller than he would usually allow. “He’s cute, hai? I’m going to his house to make him dinner because he’s my darling.” The tanned boy announced, smiling from ear to ear. Taemin wanted to disappear immediately. He could see all of the cashier’s shoulders shaking as they tried to hold back laughter. All Taemin could wish for was to be frozen into a cube of ice by the winter air and then melted into a puddle by the heaters in the store, only to be cleaned up by the janitor, never to be seen again. He snapped out of his dark wishes as the freezing air he was dreaming of smacked him in the face. “So where does Tae-chan live?” Riku asked, a skip in his walk. “Hey, listen, it was really nice of you to buy all this stuff for me, buy you’re not seriously planning on coming over are you?” Taemin appreciated the gesture, he really did, but wasn’t this a bit too much for someone he just met? Riku turned his head to face Taemin, an exaggerated pout forming on his lips. “Does Tae-chan not like Riku-chan? Riku-chan really likes Tae-chan you know!” Taemin tried to word his question differently in a way that might make the tanned boy register his actions in his head. “Look, I like you but we just met. I mean, we barely know each other and-“ Taemin was suddenly cut off by a finger pressed against his lips. “People bond over food, hai?” Taemin finally nodded his head, giving up arguing with the persistent male. “Okay, fine, you win.” Another blinding grin blossomed on his face as he wrapped Taemin with his arm. “You lead the way, Tae-chan!~”

                As they approached Taemin’s door, he raised the cold keys to the lock and turned them until a click was evidently heard. Riku took initiative of being the first to enter, taking his shoes off looking around and spotting the couch, placing some of the full plastic bags on it and sitting down. “Where’s your other house?” He asked, catching Taemin off guard. “My other house?” Riku nodded. “Yeah, the bigger one.” Taemin begin to shake his head, tugging off his coat and mittens, leaving his scarf. “I don’t have another house. I live here.” This caused Riku’s mouth to fall agape, jumping up and walking around as if looking for some secret door that would lead to more spacious rooms. “Waaaah? You live here? But it’s so small! Where do you keep all your shoes and clothes?!” Taemin shrugged. He’d never considered his one room apartment small. “I don’t have much stuff so storage isn’t really a problem. Would you like something to drink?” Riku nodded once more, as he began to clap his hands as if praising Taemin for being able to live in such a small room. “In Japan I have a big house, yeah, very big.” Taemin took this opportunity to learn more about the stranger in his house. “Are you from Japan?” The boy walked up to the counters at which Taemin was at work, sitting in a stool while propping his head up on his hands. “Hai. I decided to visit Korea. Didn’t really plan on how long, just thought why not? It’s not like I’d been here before. You know, you look very good in the kitchen.” Taemin lifted his eyes to reach the boys. “Huh?” He asked. “You move your hands so gracefully when you touch things and lift them. You look so kawaii.” Taemin had to piece together the boy’s multilingual sentences, hoping he came to the correct conclusion. “For someone like you who just came to Korea for the first time, you speak very good Korean.” If the boy had a tail, it would be wagging. “Ah, you really think so? That makes me so happy! You’re so nice, Tae-chan! I’ll teach you how to cook the stuff we bought!” He raced over to the bags, slowly filling his arms up with their contents. Taemin his tongues as he dug through cupboards. “As I thought, I only have a pair of mitts and one apron!” He crossed his arms as if the cupboards had disappointed him with the lack of supplies. “Here, you can wear it.” He began to stretch out his arm, offering the apron, when it was snatched out of his hand. “Ie, I say!” The darker boy twirled Taemin around, grabbing his waist to stop him before tossing the apron around and tying the two strings at Taemin’s lower. “You’ll look better in it.” His hand began reaching for the two strings behind Taemin’s neck. “I don’t think cooking is about who looks prettier, but about being dressed safely-“ once more, Taemin got caught off, figuring he should probably get used to that. “Arema, your hair is so soft.” He felt the taller boy’s nose nuzzling against his scalp, his warm breath raising the hairs on Taemin’s neck. He quickly turned around, looking at the boy only inches away from him, slowly raising the mitts in between their faces. “You can use these..” The boy grinned as if unfazed by the distance. “Hai.” He ruffled Taemin’s hair as the pair began to place pots and pans all around, each filled with their own designated substance. Soon the separate substances became different substances, those morphing even more until they were frying the last two pieces of meat on the stove, the kitchen bursting with tempting aromas. Riku bent his knees as he swung his hips into Taemin’s causing the smaller of the two to sway. “Aish! Watch out!” He squeaked, biting his lip. “Oh c’mon, we might as well have fun while doing this. I had loads of fun teaching you!” Taemin chuckled. “And I had loads of fun learning.” Taemin went on to setting the table as Riku made sure each thing was cooked and seasoned just right. As delicious foods decorated the plates, the two sat down. Riku motioned for Taemin to take the first bite, waiting impatiently for his reaction. As Taemin’s teeth sunk into the meal, his eyes lit up, nearly watering. “This is delicious!” He cupped him mouth as if afraid the flavour would escape through his very own lips. “This is- oh my God, this is amazing!” He quickly began shoving more into his mouth as Riku smiled widely, clapping. “I’m so happy!” After indulging, Taemin looked up at him, who had now also begun eating. “Riku-chan-“ He felt strange using Japanese honorifics in his sentences but nonetheless though he owed the taller for the meal. “I never asked, how old are you?” The boy looked up, in the last noodle hanging from his lips. “Nineteen!” He lifted his hands to try to show the number with his fingers, blushing as he realized how dumb he was for even thinking the idea would work. “How about you Tae-chan? You look really young.” Taemin smiled at the comment. “I get that a lot. I’m sixteen.” Riku suddenly stopped eating, staring at Taemin’s face as if intrigued by it all of a sudden. “Sixteen? Oh my~ you must be lying. Next thing you’ll tell me is that that is your natural hair.” Taemin reached for some strands, fiddling with them between his fingers. “Does it not look natural? When natural hair looks unnatural, it must be really unhealthy, ne?” He smiled. “You are everything beautiful wrapped up into one, Taemin.” He felt his cheeks get slightly warmer at the compliment, nearly forgetting what he was going to say. “Are you rich? Er- ah, that came out wrong, I must sound horrible. Rather, uhm, you’re pretty young, but you have that type of credit card, right? So..” Taemin didn’t know how to word it without making him seem like all he cared about was money. “No worries, I get what you’re trying to say. You see, back in Japan, my dad owns the largest branch of banks, so it’s kinda what pays the bills.” Taemin nodded in understanding. “Oh, and excuse my bragging, but I’m in a band as well. Not that it compares to the money my dad makes.” This talent caught Taemin’s attention. “You sing?” the elder nodded. “Do you want to hear one of our songs?” Taemin hummed in agreement as he watch the boy walk away to his coat, pulling out a small iPod and fighting to untangle the strings on the headphones, realizing they were too short to reach across the table. “Don’t worry, I’ll come closer.” Taemin said before Riku could even point out the problem. He crouched over near Riku’s chair as he accepted the ear bud,  folding his arms on the boys lap and resting his head on them. Suddenly a deafeningly loud guitar riff came, causing Taemin to jump in his spot. Riku bit back his lip with an apologetic face. “Sorry, too loud?” Taemin lifted his hand, bringing his forefinger and thumb closer together as if he was squishing something. “Just a little.” He smiled. The song started playing once more, this time comfortably lower.

                After a few minutes, the song ended, leaving their ears to drown in white noise. Taemin lifted his head to look up with and impressed expression. “Wow, you’re really talented! And I’m really jealous.” Riku watched as his lips shaped into a pout. It was such an adorable pout that he couldn’t help but blush. “I’m sure you have some mind blowing talents too. You know how much autotune goes into those songs. I’m probably nothing compared to you.” Taemin smiled, another movement of the lip Riku noted. “Can I paint your nails after dinner?” Taemin looked down at his hands, his plain nails flashing in all their glory. “I guess, I mean, I don’t see why not.” Riku giggled, kissing Taemin’s hand. “Now I’m excited, so let’s eat quickly, hai?” This boy is strange, Taemin figured as he watched the boy eat. Taemin had never been acquainted with someone like him. “Do you always dress like this?” Taemin asked. This caused the boy to look down at his attire, questioning himself. “Is it strange?” Taemin looked at the outfit, contemplating it for the first time. He was wearing a black leather vest dotted in safety pins and chains over a long sleeved formal dress shirt, untucked. He had green and black plaid pants on that ended just below his knees, tattered at the bottom as if they were cut short, a pair of mismatched, knee high socks and black, leather, stuffed shoes on high platforms. Decorating his wrist and ankles were several rings, bracelets and bangles, all in shades of black and silver. He had several piercings lining his ears and eyebrows, a few on his nose and lips. Taemin smiled as politely as he could, “Well, you know, people usually don’t theme their clothing so well. T-shirts, jeans, they settle for that stuff.” Riku nodded and Taemin sighed, glad that he didn’t say anything that could’ve been taken wrong. “I like to try my best to look nice. I’ve noticed this style isn’t as common in Korea as in Japan.” Taemin heard the tableware clink as Riku stood up, taking it to the sink and washing it. He stood up and followed him, standing in between him and the sink. “I’ll wash your plate! You’re the guest and you made the delicious meal!” Riku smiled and corrected Taemin. “You helped make the meal, now I’ll help wash the dishes!” Taemin opened his mouth but Riku covered it with his hands. “Please. I insist.” Taemin nodded, pouting at his loss. When the dishes were squeaky clean, Riku chimed in. “Time to paint your nails! Go sit on your bed and wait for me~” He skipped off, squatting by his coat digging through his coat’s millions of pockets. Taemin situated himself on the bed, sitting on his folded legs. He finally came walking back and sat on the bed’s edge with a thump, causing Taemin to bounce. “Black?” Taemin asked. Riku nodded as he crossed his legs, sitting in front of the younger. “Yup. You and me can match.” He raised his hands, wiggling his fingers for Taemin to notice the dark nails. The boy shook the glass bottle, the clicking noise ringing throughout the room. He unscrewed the top, revealing the black brush as he balanced the glass on his knee. “Tae-chan~ give me your hand!~” He opened his hand, Taemin softly placing his on it. “Even your hands are like a princess’!” Riku whined enviously. “They’re really not.” Taemin said as the brush coated his first nail in black. “Tae-chan, are you alone?” Taemin’s face shaped into a confused expression. “What do you mean?” Riku lifted his knuckles to his lips, upset with himself for not knowing the proper terms. “Are you alone.. you know, uhm, are you with somebody? Are you single?” Taemin’s lips formed into a small ‘o’ shape as he finally understood. “No, I’m not with anybody. How about you?” Riku shook his head. “Ah, no. I was with someone not too long ago, but he was a baka, so I broke up with him.” Taemin looked at him. “I must have heard that wrong. Did you say him? As in a boy?” Riku nodded. “Yeah.” Taemin bit his lip as the boy finished on hand, reaching for Taemin’s others. “Are you- I don’t mean to come off as rude, but are you gay?” The boy looked down, a somewhat sad smile forming on his face. Taemin felt horrible for asking right away. “I don’t believe in titles. People should be able to love whoever they want without being classified.” Taemin murmured an apology under his breath, getting no response back. “I don’t have many friends, so I’m happy I met you.” Taemin said, in attempt to lighten the situation. “What? That’s not possible! You’re far too lovable!” He shook his head. “Not everyone sees me that way. Actually, I even got into a fight not too long ago with one of the boys that doesn’t like me.” Riku’s jaw fell open as he looked up. “You were in a fight?!” Riku fell silent. “Did you beat him up?” He finally looked up with a smirk, winking at Taemin. Taemin giggled as he nodded. “I gave him what he had coming.” Riku leaned in, kissing just below Taemin’s eye. “Ah, my Tae-chan is so brave~” As the two laughed and enjoyed each other’s happiness, Taemin’s phone began to ring. “Eh, give me a second Riku-chan!” He hopped off the bed and to the couch where his phone sounded. He struggled opening it with his freshly coated nails, finally raising it to his ear. “Yeobosaeyeo?” A soft voice came from the speaker. “Annyeong Taemin-ah. How are you?” Taemin’s eyes lit up as he recognized the anonymous character on the other side of the device. “Ah, Minho-hyung! I’m good, how are you?” There was a chuckled. “I’m good. I just have some free time right now so I decided to call you to chat.” Taemin bit back his lip. “Minho-hyung, I have a guest over right no-“ His voice was cut off by a whine. “Darling!~ Come back to bed!~”

                “Darling!~ Come back to bed!~” Minho’s eyes opened in shock as he heard the distant voice. “Yeah, I’m coming!” Taemin’s cheerful tone surprised Minho all the more. “Hyung, I have someone over. I’ll call you later, ne? Annyeong!” Minho nodded before realising Taemin couldn’t see and stuttered out the words. “N-ne.” He hung up the phone and stared at it as if it had all the answer’s ever needed. Is Taemin sleeping with someone? N-no, he can’t be. He’s too young to- but he’s a teenager and he’s really pretty, even Jessica wanted to.. No, this isn’t right. I got to make sure…

                Taemin skipped back to bed, happy with the fact that Minho had called him. HE called HIM. Without any sort of reason or obligation. Just to talk. “Darling, who was that?” Riku questioned. “A friend of mine.” Taemin lunged towards the bed, earning a scolding for nearly ruining his nails. “Is he a good friend?” Riku asked, noting the smile on Taemin’s lips. “He’s my only friend, really.” He shook his head quickly, correcting himself. “I lied, I have one more, but he doesn’t live near here.” Riku took Taemin’s hand once more into his as he started adding a second coat to the already black nails. “You lied again.” He looked up at Riku. “No I didn’t.” A smiled crept onto the older boys lips. “Yeah you did. You have three friends. One’s sitting right in front of you.” He pecked the Taemin’s nose as he finished painting his nails. “You know what else friends do?” Taemin shook his head. “They exchange phone numbers. So let’s do that after your nails completely dry. I’m having a lot of fun and I’d like to meet you again.” Taemin’s eyes widened with happiness, and although he hated to do childish things, his arms found the way around Riku’s neck as he pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you so much for being my friend.” He smiled with genuine happiness. Riku blushed as his hands landed on Taemin’s sides after he quickly screwed on the lid to the polish, putting it aside. “K-kawaii..” the boy managed to mumble before his long fingers slithered under Taemin’s ribs, causing the older boy the shriek. “N-no, don’t do this! R-Riku, Ah!” They fell back onto the bed as Taemin placed smacks all over Riku’s chest, trying to free him. He threw his head back; one fit of giggling following the next as the tanned boy nipped at his neck, leaving a small reddening mark before he finally released him, his hair disheveled and clothes a mess. He lay on the smaller boy, pulling his cellphone out of his back pocket and touching areas on the screen in a deliberate sequence. “What’s your number, Tae-chan?” The boy recited the number and Riku inputted it. “I think I’ll go now.” Taemin nodded. “I’ll walk you to the door.” The tanned boy giggled as he collected his bag and garments. “What a gentleman.” Riku giggled. Both made their way to the door, Riku ready to go on his way.

                Minho was now only a few houses down from Taemin’s, walking quickly. His speed decreased steeply as he noticed the door to Taemin’s house open. A head with long bleached blonde hair stringed from it popped out of Taemin’s doorway, turning back. “Thanks for playing with me, Tae-chan!~ I look forward to next time.” The near but distant voice announced. Something in Minho’s stomach churned as the person leaned in through the door. The waved and skipped down the steps and around the corner as the door closed. Minho captured the breath he realised he abandoned and walked up the stairs to Taemin’s door, staring at it. After hesitation, he raised his hand and knocked. The lock on the door clicked as Taemin’s voice slipped through the wooden barrier. “Did you forget something Riku- Oh, Minho, hi!” He was greeted by the type of Taemin he had yet to see. His hair was nothing like usual, each strand facing a different direction. His stretched shirt slid off his shoulder, revealing his milky skin. Minho’s eyes locked onto Taemin, traveling this way and that across his body, landing on the mark on his neck. Was he seriously sleeping with that girl? There’s a mark on his neck… He swallowed, trying to find the words that dissolved on his tongue. “I just.. I-uh, I had some free time.. Did you sleep with that person that just left?” His mind messed up, his thoughts and words becoming one. Taemin’s face turned beet red as Minho noticed his retreat behind the door a bit. “N-no! Of course not! I just had a friend over!” Minho entered as Taemin provided more space, stepping back into the comfort of his own home. “But on the phone, I heard someone tell you to get back to bed- and, and now I just saw someone leave your house and you, you look like this!”  Why am I so worried? Minho asked himself. He walked closed towards Taemin, backing him against the wall. “And you’re being super weird right now, blushing and stuff.” He took Taemin’s wrists and brought them up to level with his shoulders. “Minho! I.. promise. I didn’t do anything like that with them.” He spoke in the most believable tone he could muster, hoping Minho would, in turn, believe him. “And this?” Minho motioned to the red mark on Taemin’s neck. “What, there’s something there?” Taemin tried to turn his head to a complying angle, sounding genuinely unaware. “It must have been when Riku tickled me and bit me..” He attempted finding a reason for it. “Does it hurt?” Minho asked, running the tip of his finger over it. “A little, but it’s barely noticeable.” Someone I don’t know had their lips on Taemin.. He found himself leaning in, his lips pressing against Taemin’s neck. His skin’s so soft… He thought, slowly leaning out. His eyes were greeted by the younger boy’s dilated ones, soft pale cheeks turned a deep red. “H-hyung?” He looked at Minho in disbelief. Minho, realising his actions, dropped Taemin’s wrists and began walking backwards, the apples of his cheeks now matching those of Taemin’s. “W-well I’m glad that’s been settled. S-sorry to bother you, I’ll be leaving now!” He announced, running out of the house, leaving Taemin breathless, gripping at his chest. Taemin fell to the ground as he watched Minho sprint out the room, the door closing behind him. He looked down as if eyeing his beating heart, smiling. “He didn’t say sorry..”

A/N: Sorry for the long chapter about nothing. It’s way longer than it should be. I think I might have accidently copied like half the chapter and pasted it again without noticing. If I did, sorry! So here’s Ruki. Most of you probably(?) don’t know him. He’s from a Japanese Rock band called The Gazette. He is probably a polar opposite from what I’m making him out to be in this fic, but –shrugs- HE IS NOW FICTIONAL AND I OWN HIM. HE’LL BE WHAT I TELL HIM TO BE! Ahem //clears throat. So I figured I might put a foreign character into the story because why not. We need someone for the comic relief when stuff gets too serious! Anyways, thanks for reading!