Kibum’s POV

I woke up drenched in sweat not for the first time today. I have been having a lot of nightmares, lately. I used to have them a lot when I was still in the hospital but they were always changing. It varies from childish dreams of monsters and kidnaps to my worst nightmare of losing my sanity. It only got better after Taemin took me in. The nightmares gradually reduced into occurring once every few weeks and my worst nightmare changed to losing Taemin. However, for the past two weeks now, I have been having the same dream over and over again. The scene changes but the character stays unchanged. It was always the same guy whose face I cannot remember once I wake up and he never tells me his name. All I could see of him was the sad and lonely smile on his lips and it hurts me. I don’t know if he was real or imaginary but it hurts me to see him sad. That makes me wonder if he used to be a figure of my past. Maybe he was my brother.

Should I ask Taemin about it?

I looked at him through my eyelashes. He had been acting peculiar today. He couldn’t sit still for one minute before he got up and pace the room back and forth or go into his dance studio and work it all out. He didn’t pay attention even when I was talking to him which was a first, by the way. He jumps whenever I called him. Was something bothering him? I did recall him going out very early in the morning yesterday stating that he had school when it was a weekend. That in itself was strange enough but I figured that since he was a teenager now, I should leave him to face his problems by himself. However, that does not mean I wasn’t worried about him because as much as I tell myself to let him be independent and deal with it himself, the fact that he has never kept anything from me was ringing in my head.

“Taeminnie?”

No response. He was pushing around his food.

“Taemin.”

He jumped for the tenth time that day. ‘Ye-Yeh?”

“Stop playing with your food and eat properly.”

He looked down at his untouched plate of scattered food as if he only just realised it was there.

“Sorry,” he smiled weakly and shoved a big spoonful into his mouth.

I sighed. I can’t not know, anymore. I reached out my hand and placed it on top of his lying abandoned on the table. “Is there something on your mind?”

He pulled away. “It’s nothing.”

It stung when he did that. “Taemin, you know you can tell me anything, right? I will always be here for you. Always.” I stressed the word ‘always’ so he would understand that whatever it was that he was hiding, I will forever take his side and help him through it.

Taemin’s POV

“Taemin, you know you can tell me anything, right? I will always be here for you. Always.”

The last word resonated in my head. Always? I would have felt better instantly after he said that if it was any time before today but after meeting up with Choi Minho yesterday, I don’t know anymore. He made me feel that it would have been so much easier if I had met up with Jonghyun instead. Just looking into his eyes at that time made my knees weak. It was as if I was being x-rayed when he stared at me while I talked. I pray I did not give away much. I can’t believe I went around hunting for information about him and his inhuman abilities for nothing. I thought I knew him already. I thought I could encounter him should we face off any day. I thought I had done more than enough research on him when in fact; I had barely scraped the bottom of his true capabilities.

I’ve underestimated him.

“Minnie?”

I startled. “Di-did you say something?”

Key sighed, putting down his cutlery before looking at me tenderly.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk. I won’t force you. Now, go get a good night’s sleep and you’ll be able to think properly tomorrow. There’s no point exerting your tired mind to its limit. Let it recharge and you can figure things out better after you wake up.

I smiled, my heart softening. This was why I love him so much. He was the only one to stand by me whenever I was depressed. He alone understood me when I came limping home from school with torn books and messy uniform. He was my friend and a brother but most of all, he is my inspiration. That is why I need to protect him. I need to keep him away from the likes of Jonghyun. That will be my duty for as long as I live.

“Thanks, umma!”

"Now, off you go. And don’t ever play with your food again.”

“Yeh!” I did a salute and got up, taking the plate with me.

“Leave it,” Key ordered. “I’ll wash them myself.”

“But-”

“No buts, Minnie. Go,” he said sternly, coming to push me out of the dining room.

I shook my head in exasperation but complied. He’s worse than my mother when it comes to things like this.

I’m sorry but I can’t tell you, Key. It’s for your own good.

Minho’s POV

I know, now. I know everything to the story. Or at least everything that Taemin told me. I was certain he still held parts of the truth from me but I will get it out of him another time because for now, he had told me enough. I know, now, how Key woke up alone and afraid in the hospital. I know how he was so close to going insane trying to remember anything about himself at all. I know how Taemin found him and took care of him. I know how hard it took him to raise his head and start a fresh chapter of his life all over again. I know all that now and I hate myself for not knowing sooner. I smashed my fist against the bathroom mirror shattering it into a thousand crystal shards, using it as a source of release.

As smart as you think you are, Minho, you’re stupid. You’re useless.

I retracted my fist from the broken mirror and stared at the bloodied knuckles and fingers with pieces of glass sticking out of it. I couldn’t feel the pain compared to the feeling of frustration and disappointment at me. I need to think. I need to figure out what to do next. I need to decide whether or not to keep Jonghyun away from Key. I have to be absolutely clear what would be best for everyone. To do that, I need to see him. I need to see them both. Only then shall I know what to do next. That is the role I hold as a friend to the two of them. I owe them at least that much after all the things I have done in the past.

Disregarding the fact that blood was dripping from the deep cuts in my hand and that the glass shards are still embedded in the exposed meat, I grabbed my keys and left leaving behind a long trail of blood in my wake.

Jonghyun’s POV

I have been feeling a lot better, recently, after going to the cafe every night. It has become my favourite hangout just to pick on Key and laugh at all her cute reactions. But I think we've gotten closer, lately. She doesn't glare at me or fight that much with me anymore. Now, she would reply me when I talk to her if her mood was good and ignore me when she was feeling down. Maybe it was because the customers still think we were a couple. I chuckled at that. Should I put on another show for them later? Key would definitely go back to hating me. Oh, well. It's more fun that way. I don't get what exactly is so fun about annoying her but at least, it makes me laugh. Hmm...speaking of laughing, I have been laughing a lot, nowadays. I guess I have Minho to thank for. Without him pushing me forward, I know for sure that I will never make the effort to stop torturing myself thinking about him every minute of every day. Well, I still think about him everyday. It's just that I don't do it every minute now and I have been able to get a few nights of good sleep without  having to wake up to nightmares. Maybe I was starting to finally be able to let him go...

No. I can't. I don't want to.

I put on Key's favourite sweater and left for his house like every other day.

I looked around the room and let out a sigh of content. I will never get tired of being here. This was the only place that makes me feel alive and strong. Just sitting here gives me courage to go on with my meaningless life. This place makes me believe that I still got you here- that you have never left. It lets me be able to breathe knowing that I still had something of yours close to me- something that can remind me of you even if it brings me temporary satisfaction and a full blast sadness afterwards. I looked down to my chest and pulled out an ordinary silver chain with a small lock hanging at the end of it. The silver paint on it had peeled off here and there after so many years. I held it in my palm and stared at the one word engraved on it. JongKey.

I remember when he first gave it to me. It was the day we celebrated our sixth month anniversary. He couldn’t refrain himself from bouncing up and down in excitement as he showed me the two things in his palm. There were two silver chains, one with a lock attached to it and another with a key. It was simple accessories that you could get from an ordinary shop anywhere and anytime but when he secured the chain around my neck, it became the most priceless possession I ever had. It meant the world to me. And when he smiled from ear to ear saying how he got it done especially for me, there was no word to describe what I felt at that time. He even told me that the lock hanging from my neck only has one key. His key. And he made me pinky promise that we were never going to remove them.

I kept my promise. Did you?

Suddenly, my phone rang out from my pocket. I checked the caller ID. It was Minho.

“I’m coming over and I’m taking Onew with me.”

it's a very SHORT chapter but pls bear with me

i haven't decided for the minor pairing yet

so keep sending in your opinion

P.S thanks so so very much to all those who had answered the questions sincerely