This isn't really related to my story but as a Jongho writer, I probably should address the...Jongho kiss? Apparently Jonghyun really did kiss Minho, and as I'm quite out of touch with the media, I was a little confused ^^' At first, I thought that everyone was talking about someone's story on the site and I was really excited to check it out! Then I realized that it was a real kiss ^^ Hehe ^^ Some Jongho writer I am ^^' How is it that you find out about these things, anyway? (asks great-auntie Angela, with her gramophone and rotary-dial telephone ^^')

Anyway, I am not sure if I saw the right video- was it during a rehearsal and they were sitting in bleachers? I think it was that one...

To be honest, I was expecting that there would be quite a dramatic, long, passion-filled kiss between the two... (I've been spending too much time on this story ^^') but the short "birdy" kiss was just as nice to watch ^^ (Jonghyun's rapid kiss reminded me of a mother sparrow feeding her young ^^'') Some of you seem quite excited about this, so feel free to discuss :) I thought I'd mention this in case anyone was unaware, as I was, and wanted to be in on the action hehe ^^ I was amused by Minho's incredulous reaction and Jonghyun's cool...perhaps Jonghyun has an ulterior motive for initiating the kiss...?

"So you and Ryeowook are together?" Jonghyun mentioned, off-handedly, as he polished off a stainless steel steamed-milk pitcher.

He, along with Kibum and Taemin, were closing down the café for the night, and Jinki had stopped by to visit them.

Jinki nearly choked on the espresso that he had been drinking.

"How did you know...?" He spluttered. He was positive that Ryeowook hadn't yet told anyone of their "under-cover" relationship, and he, Jinki, certainly hadn't said a word.

"Minho and I saw you two at the grocery store a couple weeks ago," Jonghyun provided, deciding to cut straight to the point. In bringing up Jinki's new relationship, his intentions were to make his friend feel comfortable and accepted.

Jinki flushed, deeply, and the adorably embarrased expression on his face explained why Ryeowook would have felt attracted to him.

"You and Ryeowook are going out?!" Kibum, with a keen ear for gossip, immediately joined the conversation. Even Taemin had paused and put down the black ceramic mug that he had been drying, to listen in, as well.

"Actually...we've been living together for the past month," Jinki shared, deciding to confide in his friends, but blushing madly as he did so.

It was a fortunate thing that Taemin had put down the delicate drinking vessel, otherwise he would surely have dropped it. Kibum's facial expression, with his mouth agape and eyes popping out like a frog's, summed up all of their reactions to the unprecedented revelation. Even Jonghyun, who had been one of the first to know of Jinki and Ryeowook's relationship, blinked a few times, in shock, before staring at his friend. It hadn't crossed his mind that Jinki and Ryeowook were already at "that point" in there relationship. Sure, he was living with Minho, but that had initially been because of the fact that he had been evicted. Besides, he was a paying boarder.

"Well, you two are sure moving things fast!" Kibum recovered first, and stated, rather bluntly.

Jinki kept right on blushing, then, he couldn't help but to burst out laughing at his friends' shocked faces. Taemin looked like a deer caught on the highway, Jonghyun looked like a fish and Kibum looked more frog-like than naturally large-eyed Minho.

Realizing (and feeling) that they looked ridiculous, the three others joined in Jinki's laughter. They were all happy for their older friend, but...

"Why didn't you say anything, before?" Taemin asked, curiously, when their laughter died down. A month seemed like an awfully long time to have been concealing such a big thing, not to mention that Jinki and Ryeowook had probably been seeing each other before they moved in together.

"Well...I wasn't sure if we'd be able to make things work," Jinki started, playing with his half-empty coffee cup. "I've never had a relationship before and I was nervous that I'd do something wrong and we'd break up. But, Wookie's been so good to me and I just had to take a chance...!" He explained a very smitten expression on his face, as he mentioned Ryeowook.

The three others accepted the explanation, remembering all too well their own uncertainties during the infancy of their relationships. Jinki might not have thought so, but it seemed that he had been the most courageous of them all, having given Ryeowook a chance well before the other three had considered their own lovers.

Right on time as always, Minho, Leeteuk and Henry had come to collect their boyfriends. Ryeowook came for Jinki, as well- coincidentally, they had, in fact, been planning on revealing their hidden romance that very day, only Jonghyun had beaten them to it.  

"Guess what?!" Kibum exclaimed, nearly leaping over the counter in excitement. "Ryeowook and Jinki are T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R!!"

Entertained, Jinki, Jonghyun and Taemin let Kibum explain to Minho and Leeteuk what he had just discovered.

-----

The only dark cloud over Jonghyun's day was the letter from the university, which he received that evening, notifying him of the education fee that he would have to pay for his fourth year of university.

He had known that this letter was coming,- the final semester of his third year was more than half-finished, and it was no secret that medical school was costly- but the large sum of money that he had to somehow earn by the upcoming fall-term was still somewhat daunting. He immediately calculated that he would be able to pay off the majority of the tuition by working double shifts at the café that summer, as well as taking more hours at the seniors' home, but there was still about a quarter of the cost, including the price of his new text books. 

He sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustrated thought.

"What's wrong, Jjongie?" Minho sat down beside Jonghyun, on the sofa.

"This," Jonghyun said, leaning on Minho's shoulder as he handed his lover the letter. "I have no idea how I'm going to pay the last quarter..." He didn't even want to think about how he was going to pay off his remaining six years of medical school.

Minho smiled, then got up, taking Jonghyun's hand.

"Come on, I want to show you something..."

A confused Jonghyun followed Minho to his- their- bedroom. Minho sat Jonghyun on the edge of the bed, then rummaged through his dresser. Finding what it was that he was looking for, at last, he sat down beside Jonghyun and handed him a bank portfolio.

"What is this?" Jonghyun asked, opening the thin cardstock-based booklet and finding bank statements and balances within.

"It's a new bank account that I opened for you," Minho said, leafing through the pages and pulling out a sheet. "And this, is your 'rent'. "

Startled, Jonghyun scanned the sheet and saw that this 'new account' of his contained all of the money that he had been paying Minho for the past few months. The money that he had thought was his rent fee had actually been going back to him, and it would be enough to pay for the remaining cost of his fourth year of university...

"M-Minho...I-I..."Jonghyun simply couldn't say anything. "...W-Why...?"

Minho smiled, taking the portfolio from Jonghyun, closing it and setting it aside on the bed side table. He turned to Jonghyun and took his hands.

"Jjongie...when two people love each other, they want the best for the other person. Two people in love, who are living together, also don't charge each other rent," he smiled. "I loved you from the very beginning, only I guess I didn't realize it at the time," he said, tracing his thumb over Jonghyun's cheekbone. "Jonghyun, I love you, so will you let me take care of you and support you for the rest of your life?"

Jonghyun blushed and blinked in surprise. He couldn't help but feel as if Minho was essentially making a marriage proposal.

"Yes," Jonghyun beamed, starting to cry, again.

Why was he always so emotional?

Minho smiled back, and kissed Jonghyun, deeply. Without once breaking their kiss, he lifted Jonghyun a little and laid him on the bed, so that he could hover over him.

Jonghyun smiled inwardly, as Minho continued to kiss him. Even though his eviction had been one of the most traumatic and crushing experiences of his life, he was glad that it had happened, as it had lead him to Minho.

Note:

Woohoo! More Jongho! :)

Next chapter will be the final...Epilogue!!!

x Angela