“I hate rain,” Key pouted.

Onew chuckle and went back to checking numbers and supplies. His ears picked up on the countless sighs his friend released. He found it quite amusing to be honest. Rain always brought dull days to the store which drove Key crazy with boredom. He may have hated dealing with the typical middle school girls (or the occasional desperate guy searching for a cheap but cute gift) but it at least gave him something to do.

Another sigh escaped Key. He bobbed the Hello Kitty head and sprawled out on the counter soon after.

“Hyungggggg! I’m bored!” he yelled.

“Then help me with inventory,” Onew retorted, losing track of the number of post cards once again.

“But that’s boring.”

Onew ignored him and went back to what he’d been trying to do for the past twenty minutes. He managed to count half of the packaged before the door blew open. His eyes snapped up, half expecting to see TaeMin there like that time the month before, but it was just JongHyun.

“Yah! I thought you were only working tomorrow?” Onew asked.

JongHyun nodded and began rummaging around behind the counter, ignoring Key’s angry yells and protests. He searched a little longer before stalking to the back room.

“What are you looking for?” Key asked annoyance clear in his tone.

“My text book… It has to be. It’s not at my place; it’s not at TaeMin’s… Aish!” JongHyun ran his fingers through his hair.

The two boys stared at him – Onew with genuine concern and Key with a pathetically crafted couldn’t-care-less expression.

“Are you sure you checked everywhere?” Onew tried to help out.

“I’m sure…” JongHyun sighed. He gnawed his lower lip, trying to think of where he could have possibly left it last.

A silence came over the trio while they ran possible ideas of where the text book could be in their heads. JongHyun’s and TaeMin’s place was not a possibility since each place had been fully ransacked (the messiness of JongHyun’s apartment being proof), the store was no longer on the list either.

“Hyung!” There was a rattling at the door as TaeMin wrestled with an umbrella. He finally managed to get past the obstacle and raced to JongHyun, holding gout a text book.

“Yah! TaeMin! What are you doing out in this weather?!” JongHyun demanded, scurrying over. He tossed the text book to the side so he could fret over the boy who just swatted at his hands. He made a face and hit the elder boy until he left him alone.

“I’m fine hyung! I found your text book under my bed so I wanted to bring it to you before I left with MinHo,” TaeMin explained.

JongHyun slowly looked back to where he’d carelessly tossed his book. He returned his gaze to his friend. He wanted to feel relieved that he’d finally found his book but he was having flash backs to the last time TaeMin had showed up to the store in the middle of a rainstorm. It concerned him even more that his breaths were coming in irregular patterns.

“Do you need your pump?” JongHyun asked.

He saw TaeMin roll his eyes and a second later he said, “I don’t need it hyung – I promise. I’m going to go now. MinHo hyung is waiting for me! Bye hyung!” He was gone in a flash. JongHyun didn’t even have time to blink before he saw him pick up his umbrella an prance to the black car waiting for him.

“Ah really, Lee TaeMin…” JongHyun sighed. He took his book from where he’d so carelessly tossed it. He tossed a sheepish look at Key and Onew, mumbling an apology through his embarrassment.

“It’s all right; I’ve done worse things,” Onew forgave him.

JongHyun widened his puppy eyes to Key and gave him a cheeky grin. “And what about you?”

Key rolled his eyes with a huff.

“Sure, but only because you look ridiculous with those cute puppy eyes,” he said.

The grin widened which made Key get riled up worse than when a bull saw red.

“What?” he hissed.

“You called me cute,” JongHyun said. He tucked his text book into his jacket and stepped out of the little store out into the damp streets of Seoul.

It took a second for Key to fully register the words that had been said to him. When he began to yell in half hearted anger it was already too late. Of course, this gave Key a whole new reason to pout now.

Onew chuckled at him and resumed his previous duties. Hopefully this time with no interruptions.