A few hours later….

Minho looked at a sleeping Taemin, his head kept hitting the car window. Taemin grew up into such a beautiful young man. Minho reached out to pat Taemin’s soft brown hair but stopped at the last moment. Taemin was never his in the first place. Not since Taemin decided to pull away suddenly from him 6 years ago. Without so much as a by your leave. Anger rose in Minho once again. Thinking back, Minho was going to wait for Taemin until he reached 16 before confessing, to tell his feelings was more than a friend’s or a brother’s. He loved Tae Min since as long as he can remember but Taemin changed. He started treating Minho as an outsider and 12 years of closeness just disappeared. Oh, that hurt. It still did like a tooth ache. Feeling hurt and wounded, Minho too punished Taemin by creating a distance. In the end, he only hurt him self even more. He considered it was divine interference that brought Taemin to him once again. This time, he is going to make sure Taemin stay put, which is right next to him.

‘Taemin, wake up! We have reached.” Minho woke Taemin up. Taemin opened his eyes in a daze until he realized he was supposed to be on his journey to Seoul with Minho. He stared at a frowning Minho and wondered what made him cranky but refrained from saying anything. He followed Minho with his backpack and his luggage into the high rise apartment. Taemin looked high up while he was walking counting the many floors and accidently banged Minho.

“Watch where you are going, Taemin. The building is not going to run anywhere.” Minho said patiently. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Taemin muttered an apology. Taemin found out the building had 38 floors by looking at the numbers in the elevator and that Minho’s apartment was in the 24th.

            Taemin’s mouth was literally hanging open when he stepped into Minho’s apartment. The living room alone could fit Tae Min’s whole home inside it. The walls were painted beige in color with beautiful wood paneling. The house had a brightness that was very welcoming.

“Your room is the one in the left. Mine is opposite yours. I know you are 20 now and university life would seem to be a joy ride, but no staying over in anybody’s place and curfew time is midnight.” Minho said looking at Taemin.

Taemin was so tempted to ask “does that apply to you as well?” but kept quiet instead because he was the free lodger here. At least temporarily. What he didn’t tell anybody was that he intends to find a part time job and move out as soon as he can. He didn’t want to be obligated to the Choi family more than he should no matter how well meaning they are.

“Thank you for letting me stay. I didn’t tell uhmuni this or she will worry but I’m planning to find a part time job as soon as I’m settled. I’ll move out then. I am really sorry for invading your privacy and troubling you.” Taemin spoke looking down. He wished he could see Minho straight in the eye but he couldn’t.

Hearing the words from Taemin, treating him like an outsider again made his earlier anger to return in full force. In this 6 years, today was the first time they even exchanged this many words. Moving out now, does he? Minho walked towards Taemin and gripped his chin hard.

“Who said anything about you invading my privacy? You came to Seoul under my wing and that’s about it. I am not going to let you go, not again.”

Shock rendered Taemin speechless. He never expected cool and sophisticated Minho to act this volatile. Not letting him go? What did Minho mean by that?  He didn’t want Minho to feel responsible for him. Afraid of making him angrier than he already is, Taemin just nodded pretending to agree.

Minho stared at Taemin intently. “No, I don’t think you get what I mean. You are mine. I’m not going to let you leave me again.” Minho gripped Tae Min’s shoulders and saw confusion and fear in Tae Min’s eyes. Good, was all he thought and kissed Taemin with the mixture of hurt, anger and love, not giving him a chance to protest. It was then that they heard the pounding of the door.

“Minho! I know you are in there. I saw you entering, open up.” Came a laughing voice.

Minho pushed Taemin away in frustration and went to open the door, finding his close friend Jonghyun standing with a big smile. Jonghyun noticed Taemin from afar and waved towards him. Taemin gave the incredible charming looking man a small smile and waited awkwardly, praying that his booming heart rate will settle. Minho kissed him! It was not the type of first kiss he envisioned as this kiss was bruising and was not even close to tender but Minho kissed him.

“Hey! You are the new housemate in Minho’s place right? Taemin? I heard lot’s about you. I am Jonghyun by the way, I am Minho’s classmate and his neighbour. I stay right next door.” The newcomer introduced himself with such friendliness that was infectious.

“Minho, make us your famous tea, the boy looks dehydrated.” Jonghyun said and plopped him self on the white sofa. “You too sit down, Taemin. Minho’s tea is usually really good.”

“Uhm, thank you Jonghyun hyung, but I need to unpack and go to my university before 4 p.m to register.” Taemin declined politely, still not looking at Minho.

“I’ll bring you.” Minho decided.

“Thank you but…” Taemin trailed off after he saw Minho’s forbidding expression. “I’ll go unpack then.” Taemin finished lamely and bowed before he went to his new room.

Jonghyun observed the light exchange between Minho and the young boy. He was surprised to see this side of Minho. An openly dominant one.

“You are scaring him, Minho and that’s so unlike you.”

“I can’t control my self when I am with him, Jonghyun. My emotions are always high up or down whenever I am with him and he brings out the worse in me. But I can’t let him go.” Minho answered sitting opposite Jonghyun. He rubbed his neck trying to ease the tension off.

“He told me he wanted to move out right after we came in, and I lost it. In this six years, we never exchanged more than a handful of words. I always see him treating everybody else as friendly as possible except for me and today, it was as if someone flicked the switch within me and that unleashed my repressed feelings. I am not sure I can keep it hidden anymore. I want him to see only me. To be open only to me. What kind of lunatic am I becoming Jonghyung?” Minho asked his silent friend.