“Hey, everyone!” Leeteuk called out walking towards them.

                “Ah Teukie-hyung, you’re going home too?” Taemin asked.

                “No, I’m staying here. But there’s a pretty bad problem with the dorm during summer. There’s no air conditioning during the day, so it might get a bit hot. Make sure your bodies can handle it.” Teukie informed them.

                “EH?!” Key and Taemin shouted in disbelief.

*P-Room*

                “Hot…Hot…” Key, wearing a green loose sleeveless cotton shirt and tan shorts complained dropping his pencil on his unfinished school work. “No air conditioning since it’s summer vacation; you’ve got to be kidding! There are still students here. There’s no way I can study like this!” being his diva self again.

                “There’s nothing we can do about it. There’s almost no one here, so if the air conditioning unit is on, the cost of running it will just be a waste.” Taemin said trying to get his work done.

                “I know that already! But hot is hot!” Key still complained.

                “Hot, hot! Stop saying that! It’ll make people even hotter.” Taemin chided him.

                “Uh…let’s go to the convenience store. We certainly can’t stay here for long.” Key suggested.

                “Then, let’s go to Onew’s place.” Taemin suggested, his face lighting up at the thought.

                “It’s too sudden.” Key said immediately stumping down the idea.

                “It’s definitely too sudden, isn’t it?” Taemin said a bit disappointed.

                “By the way, tomorrow happens to be my birthday.” Key said suddenly like it wasn’t a big deal.

                “Well then, happy birthday.” Taemin said unsure of what else to say because of Key’s tone of voice.

                “Gomawayo.” Key nonchalantly replied.

                “Don’t tell me, you want me to celebrate?” Taemin asked hesitantly.

                “Not really, but I wouldn’t mind eating some cake…I’m not saying it has to be a whole cake.” Key said thoughtfully.

                “Araso! Tomorrow I’ll get a short cake from the convenience store.” Taemin said wanting to cheer his friend up on his special day.

                “You’d better buy one from a bakery! Stingy!” Key, being the diva that he is said to Taemin.

                “At least I’m willing to buy one for you!” Taemin was protesting when he was interrupted by an announcement coming from the speaker.

                Kim Kibum from first year class D, you have a phone call from your family. I repeat, Kim Kibum from first year class D, you have a phone call from your family. Please pick up the nearest phone. The electronic voice drifted from the speaker attached on the wall.

                “Hey Key, it’s for you.” Taemin said when Key didn’t react.

                Key then stood up from his desk chair and walked out of the room not even giving Taemin (who was sitting right next to him) a glance. He picked up the nearest phone from their room to answer the call.

                “Yeoboseyo?” Key said as soon as he picked up the receiver and waited for the person on the other line to answer. “Umma, what is it?” he asked when he heard his mom’s voice.

                Taemin on the other hand secretly followed Key out of their room worried at his friend’s strange behavior and listen to the conversation hiding behind a wall.

                “Tomorrow?! But I told you, I already have plans for the whole summer vacation so I won’t be coming home.” Key said then paused for a few seconds to hear his mother’s reply. “Ah, that’s true…At this stage, it’s embarrassing to celebrate birthdays with the family.” pausing again for an answer. “Yeah, that’s okay. Don’t worry. I’m doing my best.” Key said to his mom giving her reassurance.

                When Taemin thought that he heard enough of the conversation, he decided to go back to their room before Key finds out that he’s been eavesdropping on his conversation with his mom.

                After a few minutes of talking with his mom, Key returned to their room. He closed the door behind him and headed straight to his bed, lied down with his back facing Taemin not wanting to face his friend.

                “Hey, did anything happen? That call?” Taemin asked after thinking through what he was supposed to say to the obviously not in the mood Key.

                “Nothing much. They’re asking me to go home because it’s my birthday.” Key said in a monotone still facing away from Taemin.

                “Then you should go home.” Taemin simply answered.

                “It’d be a pity leaving you by yourself wouldn’t it?” Key said finally facing Taemin with a playful smirk on his lips. “Wouldn’t you be alone on your own?” he teased.

                “Key, is this really okay with you?” Taemin asked hesitanly brows furrowing.

                “Taemin. Let’s go pick up girls tomorrow!” Key suddenly says out of the blue.

                “Huh?!” Taemin said taken aback by Key’s sudden suggestion.

                “It’s going to be a pretty boring birthday if it’s just the two of us. Let’s find some girl tomorrow and have fun!” Key said with a mischievous light in his eyes.

                Taemin just looks at Key in disbelief and worry but being the good friend that he is, he just went along with what Key wanted.

                “You can’t?” Key questioned brows arched.

                “Okay, I got it.” Taemin said with a knowing look.

                “Gomawayo.”  Key said appreciatively.

*The following day*

                “Are we really going to pick up girls?” Taemin asked looking around skeptically.

                “Yeah.” Key answered carefully observing girls passing by.

                “If you just want to have fun, it’s fine if it’s just the two of us. We could go to the arcade or go to karaoke.” Taemin suggested.

                “Taemin, if we go to those places together, it’d be called a date.” Key say raising an eye brow at Taemin.

                “Let’s pick up girls.” Taemin said over zealously as he realized what he just suggested.

                “Right! First, we have to find some good-looking girls!” Key said enthusiastically with a determined look on his face. “By the way, what type of girls do you like, Taemin?” Key curiously asks.

                “Hmm…if I have to pick, I like the comforting type.” Taemin says as he thoughtfully rubs his chin with his index finger.

                “Like Onew-nim?” Key suggested.

                “Yeah! Yeah! Just like Onew-ssi!” Taemin was saying then stops dead when he realized wha t just said and turning into a bright shade of pink. “Yah! Why did you have to make a comparison with Onew-ssi? Normally, you would use idols or actresses!” lashing out on Key in embarrassment.

                “But Onew-nim is the comforting type.” Key reasoned out ignoring Taemin’s sudden outburst.

                “Even so, that’s…Anyway, what types do you like?” Taemin asked stirring the conversation into a less embarrassing topic for him.

                “Big s.” Key blatantly answered. “The big s I’m talking about aren’t the kind that are surgically enhanced; they should be cute s that you can bury your face in.” Key said eyes closed imagining.

                “With a face like yours?” Taemin asked questioningly looking at Key with brows raised.

                “It has nothing to do with my face. As a man, it’d be strange for you not to be interested in women’s s.” Key defended himself.

                “That’s right, but isn’t this a bit of a leap? For example, if Hongki were to talk about ual stuff, don’t you think it’d be a little weird?” Taemin said trying to explain what he meant.

*The two’s imagination*

                “I like the type that I can grab her slender ankles firmly and hold her s with my hands!” Hongki said with lust filled eyes.

                “Definitely weird.” Key said rubbing his arms as goose bumps appeared.

                “I feel dizzy just thinking about it.” Taemin said pinching the bridge of his nose feeling nauseated.

                “Let’s take a break.” Key suggest which Taemin readily accepted.

*At a fast food chain*

                “We can’t find any…big s or comforting types.” Key said looking around the place as he takes a bite from his burger.

                “It’s not going to be easy. Hey, how about the girls over there?” Taemin asked nodding at the direction where two girls were sitting.

                “No, no! They’re waiting for somebody. They keep on checking their watches.” Key said following the direction of Taemin’s gaze.

                “You’re really good at this. Then how about the three over there?” Taemin suggested as he takes a sip of his soda.

                “No big s. No way.” Key immediately said after checking the girls out.

                “Hey you…” Taemin said starting to get fed up with Key’s strange behavior.

                “I’m going to pick up that girl who’s looking at her cell phone. Such big s!” Key said staring at the girl.

                “Hey, there’s only one. How about me?” Taemin complained when he saw that the girl was alone.

                “Well today is my birthday!” Key said with a sly grin on his face.

                “Just a minute!” Taemin said to stop Key when their conversation was interrupted.

                “Ladies!” two guys called out to Key and Taemin as they walk to them as the friends just stares at the sudden intrusion of the two strangers blankly.

                “Are you two alone?” the shorter of the two asked with a creepy smile on his stupid face.

                “It’s just the two of us too.” the other one said trying to be cute but fails epically without him noticing.

                “We were just going to the arcade; want to come with us?” the short guy flirted.

Are they hitting on us?! Was all that went through Taemin and Key’s minds.

“Or we could go for karaoke…” horrifyingly cute guy was saying.

“Babo! That’ll be after the acade.” Short guy said to his friend not noticing the disgusted look on Key’s and Taemin’s faces.

“Oh,right. So, we could go to the arcade first, and then…” horrifyingly cute guy said.

“That’s right!” short guy said turning his attention back to the two.

“Are you guys blind?! We’re guys! What are guys doing hitting on us?!” Key, finally snapping shouted at them as he angrily stood up shooting daggers with his eyes.

“Key!” Taemin, noticing people in the fast food chain watching tried calming his friend down.

“Guys?! You tricked us looking like a girl!” the flirts exclaimed dumbfounded with their eyes bugging out of their sockets.

“You’re the ones who got it mixed up!” Key retorted advancing on the guys with clenched fists ready to do some permanent damage on those punks’ faces.

“Key!” putting firm restraining hands on both of his friends’ arms.

“What are you talking about?!” the stupid guys asked obviously still in a state of disbelief.

“Key! Forget them!” Taemin said still trying to calm his friend down to avoid an even heated argument. “Key! Hurry! Let’s go!” tightening his grip on Key’s wrist and starts dragging him out of the establishment. “Key!” pulling harder on his struggling friend, sending death glares at the guys that stupidly flirted with them.

*In a nearby park*

                “What’s up with you? Picking a fight over something so trivial…It isn’t like you.” Taemin said pulling Key down on the bench with him.

                “I just wanted to have some fun until those guys interrupted me.” Key said still pissed off from earlier.

                “What are we going to do? Keep trying to pick up girls?” Taemin asked trying to distract his friend. “Or we could go see a movie, or go to an arcade, or karaoke, or the amusement park?” Taemin suggested.

                “Are you picking me up?” Key asked teasingly at Taemin. “Let’s go back.” He said a bit more serious.

                “Huh?” Taemin asked confused at his friend’s sudden change of mind.

                “Let’s go back to the dorm.” Key said more clearly.

                “Key.” Taemin said worried.

                “Let’s go back and then, I want you to listen to my story.” Key said seriously with his face free from any emotion.

                “Key…” Taemin said trailing off not knowing what else to say.