Kibum’s POV

My shift was almost done for the day. There was only one hour left to the closing time and the amount of customers was starting to reduce gradually. My strength in my legs muscles have been completely used up. I’m not sure if they could support my weight tomorrow when they could hardly support my weight now just standing here. Maybe it was because I had skipped a meal earlier so I could rush here on time. I got delayed slightly because I was preparing dinner for Taemin. I felt bad that he always had to wait up for me to come home so we could have dinner together when he had to wake up early for school the very next day. 

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and pooled some water in my palms to wet my face off the sticky perspiration without damaging my makeup. I only came in here to take a short break away from the work and noise. And also to get rid of the building pressure in my chest. Actually, that's the main reason why I am here.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” I screamed out in frustration, releasing all of my pent up anger. “Stupid pig! You stupid stupid pig! I’m going to kill you! I’ll chop you into pieces and feed you to the dogs! Let you be recycled into dog ! God! I’m so mad!”

Fuh. I feel so much better now.

Clap. Clap. Clap. I looked up from the basin into the mirror that reflected my contorted face and Choi Minho standing by the restroom’s door with his hands together.

“Go on. That was fun to watch,” he smirked.

I turned around, facing him. “What the heck are you doing here? This is the ladies’!”

He raised an eyebrow at me and his smirk became more pronounced. “Are you sure about that?”

“What do you mean?” I snapped. “Of course I would be in a girls’ restroom.”

“Well, Jonghyun did say you’re flat so for all I know, you might confuse yourself.”

I swear I will kill these two best friends. I will kill them if it was the last thing I do. I will kill them before I had the chance to die. And if I die before accomplishing their murder, I will haunt them to their graves.

…

Wait a minute.

Why am I so mad about this? I’m a guy, aren’t I? I’m a freaking straight guy, right? This shouldn’t affect me in the very least, should it? I should be laughing about this and not go crazy, right? God, Kibum. Pull yourself together. This disguise is really doing your head in. it’s like you’re being pulled in by this cross dressing thing. I mean, I even felt nice when that hugged me. I actually felt like we were two puzzles that had clicked back into place when I was in his arms. Although I was pretending to fight him off the whole time, my heart was beating twice the usual pace and my cheeks were turning redder with each passing second. My mind was in fact at the time imagining how it would be like if Jonghyun was my boyfriend.

…

O.M.G. What am I thinking? Kibum, you’re a guy! A guy! Get real and wake your up! I’m so taking this secret to the graves.

I took deep calming breaths to centre myself. All these unnecessary thoughts were making my head dizzy. Is there an earthquake? Why does the world seem tilted to me? There was even two Choi Minho standing there staring at me with worry written all over his usually emotionless face. The headache was building. It was pounding painfully against my skull. My eyes were suddenly heavy. The world tilted again…or was I falling to the floor? Choi Minho rushed to me, his long arms outstretched as he caught my limp body before I hit the tiled floor. He was saying something to me while shaking my shoulders but I can’t hear a word. I can only see his blurred lips moving. I can’t feel the pressure on my shoulders. All of my five senses have dulled. My eyes caught one last movement as a guy entered behind Choi Minho. He saw us on the floor and bolted. So this was a guys’ restroom. Kibum, you are honestly losing your grip.

The world was closing in on me. I should be panicking. I should be freaking out but instead, I felt at peace. I felt calm and safe in Choi Minho’s protective arms around me. I was sure he would know how to take care of me although I don’t know how I knew that. See, I told you I was going crazy.

Lesson for the day: never go to work with an empty stomach if you don’t want to go through what I just went through.

I blinked once. Twice. Three times. Before giving up and allowing the darkness to engulf me whole.

Hmm…this is so comfortable. The bed is soft and the covers are so warm. I smiled to myself as I stretched my limbs out all around me. Since when was my bed so huge? I never used to be able to do this without the edges of my hand and legs hanging at the corners of my bed.

My eyes flew open at that thought and I sat bolt upright. Ouch. I slapped my hand to my forehead as I felt my head spin. It was as if I had slammed it purposefully against a brick wall.   

“Careful. I don’t need you fainting again.”

I looked towards the direction of the familiar voice and widened my eyes at Jonghyun sitting on the coach opposite the bed I was in with his legs crossed and his arms folded as he watched me. My hands immediately flew to my head as I touched my hair. The wig was still in place. I looked down at my body. I was still wearing my working uniform. I breathed a sigh of relief, hunching my shoulders forward.

“What? You’re worried I would take advantage on you?” he said. “Don’t worry. I don’t like flat girls.”

I groaned inwardly and silently cursed myself for trusting Choi Minho. I shall never ever faint in that person’s presence again. Not when there was no one else around.

“I’m not in a mood for jokes right now, okay?” I glared at Jonghyun.

It was then that I realized his lips were held in a grim line and his jaw set with concern. His words was lacking the usual sense of humour and sarcasm. My glare softened and I looked away, my heart was suddenly aching though I don’t know why. It’s just…the sight of him being in pain puts me in pain too. But how did I know he was in pain?

I pulled back the covers and dropped my feet onto the carpeted floor. I have to leave. I have to stay away from him. I have been crazy these few days whenever he was around, losing my temper and forgetting being in a disguise. I even went to the wrong restroom. I groaned at that because it meant that Choi Minho was right. I can’t believe I let him outsmart me again.

I took a step forward and immediately felt the room spin beneath my feet. I would have fallen if Jonghyun did not reach me in time, putting a strong arm around my waist to steady me. I, on the other hand, reacted by throwing my arms around his neck for better support.

“You alright?” he asked worriedly.

I let my eyes lock into his and the world around us froze as we both searched into the depths of one another’s eyes. It was like we had carved out a little space that only has the two of us in it. I don’t know how else to explain this. But I could see the endless pain in his look. Like he hasn’t seen light in days. Like he had been locked up in an underground dungeon to wallow in self-pity. The pain in his eyes was so surreal that I felt like I was drowning in them with him too. Like I had been there to share and understand his pain. And he, in turn understands my pain. But that would be ridiculous. Nobody can even begin to understand what I had gone through…how I had learnt to live again after the surgery knowing that I had no recollection of anything at all. On top of that, I have only known him for a few days and a few days were never enough to know someone. Not the way I know I know him. So how do I explain that my heart was telling me I have recognised him for far longer than years? It just doesn’t make sense and I hate it when something doesn’t make sense. It drives me insane just trying to figure it out.

Who are you, Jonghyun? Who are you, hiding behind your tough façade? Who are you, really? I find myself desperate to know as if my life depended on understanding him.

“Ahem.”

The small sound was enough to burst our private little bubble and Jonghyun, in panic, had let go off his arm around my waist completely and my arms were not strong enough to support my weight yet. So I fell on my in surprise letting out a yelp of pain when I landed.

“. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

Oh, now he wants to help me? I thought as Jonghyun hovered over me, fussing. “If you’re sorry, you wouldn’t have let go,” I snapped as I took his offered hand and he pulled me to my feet.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to. Honest.” He raised his hand in a solemn scout swear and I had to suppress a smile at how cute he was when he did that. He wasn’t such a bad guy, after all.

“I see you’re getting along nicely.”

We both turned to glare at Choi Minho who was leaning against the doorframe looking amusedly at us.

“Choi Minho, you idiot! Couldn’t you have at least made a noise to announce your presence?”

His eyes bored into mine. “I did clear my throat. You were just too busy to notice.”

“Shut up, Minho. And tell us what you want?” Jonghyun said it in a flustered tone and when I looked at him, his cheeks were pinkish. Gosh, he’s cute.

Choi Minho looked amusedly at Jonghyun. “Tell us? Since when do the two of you belong in the same sentence together? I thought you were enemies just yesterday.”

I gasped, my attention focused only on the last word, ignoring the fidgeting Jonghyun beside me. “Yesterday?” I shrieked.

“Yeah. You’ve been out for a day.” Jonghyun said. He seemed glad to be talking about something else. “Minho called for me and I picked up the two of you and brought you here since Minho doesn’t have a car.”

. . . Taemin would be worried sick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had contacted the police to report me missing. I ran to the door without a thought pushing Choi Minho out of the way and crossed what looked like a closet, a study room and a living room. I pulled open the next door in sight. Man, this place is huge. I stepped out and stopped. I was in a long corridor full of doors on both sides. Which is which? How did a house turn out to be a maze? This is crazy!

“Turn left,” Jonghyun sniggered behind me.

I flashed him a brief glare before following his instruction. I ran along the corridor to the end of it and was relieved to see the main living room and the foyer to the right of it. Heavy oak doors came into view. That must be the exit. I pulled at them. They wouldn’t budge.

I closed my eyes in the effort to calm myself down. It wasn’t working.

“JONGHYUN!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“You didn’t have to shout. I was just here,” He grimaced as he walked towards me. “You have to scan a card over the reader or you could simply use my voice.”

The doors clicked open.

“If you’re worried about this Taemin guy, I’ve told him that you’re safe with us.” Choi Minho came into view.

“You’ve told him?” I was almost hyperventilating. "Wait a second. You know Taemin?"

“No, I don't know him. I found his number on your cellphone and yes, I told him. I told him you overworked yourself and that you had fainted. So I brought you to my friend’s house because I don’t know where you live and it was late, already. He didn’t sound too happy but it’s not like he had any other choice although he did warn me to keep my hands off you before he hung up,” he explained. “Not that I would ever want to because like Jonghyun had said, you’re-”

“Flat,” Jonghyun completed Choi Minho’s sentence gleefully.

I can’t believe I was starting to find the two of them bearable and nice just because they saved my life. I can't believe I had actually shown these two my weak side. I’m now starting to think if they purposefully did that just so I could be in their favour. If they ever think that, then they are wrong. Big time. Because Kibum never works in anyone’s favour. Ever.

“Anyway, since we only have about two hours to our shift in the café, you might as well just bathe and eat here and Jonghyun will drop us off later.”

‘Like hell I will,” I snapped. Who knows what would happen to me when there’s two guys here raging with hormones. I can’t risk my cover being blown when it had come so close to being revealed so many times by the two of them? And I have a feeling that Choi Minho wants me here so he could bombard me with questions that I can never tell anyone let alone him although I am thankful he didn't ask me in front of Jonghyun. He must have known that I won't like it so I'll admit he's smart this once and I saw the look in his eyes when he was saying that he had found Taemin's number in my phone. He was trying to read the thoughts out of me again. 

Jonghyun chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about us. We’re really not interested. Because you’re…er…you know. But if you insist, we’ll be going out now and you can have this entire place to yourself,” he walked past me out of the door and Choi Minho followed his lead. “Don’t try stealing anything, though. Everything in this house is on security alarm,” he winked.

Annoying. The two of them. Annoying beyond anything else I have come across. Then, why the hell am I smiling? But the fact remains that I owe them a favour for saving my life no matter how much I try to deny that. Yeah, I’m such a pushover. I know.  

“Hey! Thanks!” I shouted at their backs.

Jonghyun raised his hand for a short wave in acknowledgement without turning around while Choi Minho ignored me completely.

I shook my head as I watched them. I made sure that they had entered the elevator and that the elevator had gone done before I closed the doors and went to hunt for a bathroom in this maze of a house. My mind was occupied with something else, though. Something that shouldn't have bothered me but it did, anyway.

Why do their backs look so lonely and sad? And since when do I care?

Yay! i uploaded two days in a row!

i'm so proud of myself! lol~

and it looks like Jongkey is finally making progress!

anyway, comments please~ ^^