Jonghyun’s POV

I stared at Jung Hye, who was seated opposite me and chewing on our dinner.

“Wow~ This tastes really good!” Jung Hye complimented as she reached out to take more of the cold noodles

I grinned, “Well duh, I made it.”

She rolled her eyes in response, but nevertheless still smiled as she replied, “Wow, aren't you modest!"

“What? It’s just the truth! I’m a fantastic cook!” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say!”

A comfortable silence settled between the two of us. Perhaps it was time to ask her to the prom now? I fidgeted with my hands. Gosh, why was I even hesitating? Why did I have an unsettling feeling in my stomach? Why was I even thinking so much about asking her? I mean, it’s really no big deal right…

“Hey Jung Hye--“

“Guess what!”

We had both spoken at the same time.

Jung Hye laughed, “Yes?”

“Oh you go first!” I replied, once again putting off my question.

“Nah, it’s nothing important, you go first!”

“No! I insist, you go first!”

Jung Hye sighed, loud and exaggerated. “Fineee! All I wanted to say was that I had bought my dress for the prom!” 

I felt my eyebrows raising, “Already?”

“Yeeah! Of course! The prom’s in 3 days~ and Taemin insisted on going with me to buy something today! It was so much fun! Taemin is so cute oh my gosh, I just want to take him home and keep him as a fluffy puppy or something!”

I frowned slightly, “Taemin went with you to buy your dress?” Why would Taemin go with her? I mean I know they are friends but isn't that weird? I imagined she would have gone with Yoo Mi.

She tilted her head at me, “Yeah of course! Since I’m going with him and everything~”

I nearly choked on my mouthful of food, “What?” had I heard clearly? Jung Hye is going with Taemin?

“I’m going to the prom with Taemin! He won free tickets, how lucky huh! I can’t believe I get to go with him!” Jung Hye's smile brightened as she continued to ramble on about Taemin’s adorableness, but I had other matters on my mind. Such as processing the fact that Jung Hye was going with Taemin. I honestly thought that I- that Jung Hye and I- would go together.

“You’re going to the prom with Taemin?”  I repeated, even though I had heard clearly the first time.

“Yeah! Why? Were you going to ask me?" Jung Hye looked amused at the very idea.

For a moment I considered telling her the truth as I wondered how she would react if I had replied yes. Yes, Jung Hye, I was going to ask you. 

Instead, I kept quiet. 

"I thought I told you already! He asked me ages ago~”

No Jung Hye, you never told me. 

“Jonghyun?”

I blinked and shook my head, "Yeah?"  Why was I feeling like this? What’s wrong with you Jonghyun? 

“Are you alright? You look kinda down...“

“I’m fine!” I insisted, adding in a smile just to show her (and myself really) that yes, I was fine.  

“Okay...Are you going to the prom?” 

“No, why would I go to the prom? I have better things to do.” I winced at how the words came out sounding. Gosh, I was like a sulky little kid who didn't get his promised lollipop. Except it actually wasn't promised. And it wasn't a lollipop. And what am I even talking about? 

Pushing out my chair, I stand up, "Um, sorry, I need to go out for a bit..." I muttered before I turned away and trudged out of the room feeling annoyed at myself for getting upset over such a petty thing.

Jung Hye POV

Jonghyun's sudden movement startled me, "What are you-" I began, but before I could finish, he had already walked out on me.

Gosh! What was wrong with him? PMS much? Honestly, one minute he is all happy and annoying and the next he acts like I am his worst enemy!

But he didn't seem angry, not like the time he thought I spread the rumours about him...no, he seemed to be...upset?

I picked at my food, pondering on whether or not I should go after him. What could I say though? He made it clear he didn't want to talk to me...besides, I was never that good with people who were upset, I mean, you know how there are some people who always know how to comfort someone and make them feel better? Well, I (fortunately or unfortunately, I have yet to work out) wasn't one of them  I could just never find the right words to say and everything I did say ended up sounding like I was mocking them.

So I generally steered well clear of upset people. Which in this case, happened to be Jonghyun.

I heard the front door slam.

I wished I at least knew what I did to make Jonghyun annoyed at me, I swear I didn’t say anything that would piss him off…

I sighed as I stood up, stupid gorilla, why did he have to go and ruin a perfectly fine night? I leaned over the table and picked up his bowl along with some of the empty dishes to bring to the sink to wash.

When I was collecting his bowl, I noticed two rectangle pieces paper resting Jonghyun’s chair. Oh, he must have dropped them, I thought as I curiously peered at the papers, trying to work out what they were.

Wait…could those be…? I leaned in closer just to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

They weren’t.

There on the chair, were two tickets.

Tickets to the prom.

But hadn’t Jonghyun just called the prom stupid? Why did he have two tickets? Unless…
 
I shook my head at the very thought of the idea. No, that was absolutely ridiculous! He couldn’t have possible planned on asking me!

Right?

Jonghyun's POV

“Jonghyun ah!”  I looked up to see Jung Hye smiling at me as she took hold of my hand and gently pulled me along the corridor. Instead of questioning where she was taking me, I kept quiet until the corridor opened up into a spacious living room.

“I want you to meet someone!” Her body radiated excitement as she spoke, “Oh! There he is! My grandpa!”

I glanced towards the direction she was pointing to, squinting at the squat figure. Why did Jung Hye want me to meet her grandpa? Why would anyone want me to meet their grandpa? I don’t even-

Oh my gosh.

WHY WAS THE KFC MAN WALKING TOWARDS ME?

NOT JUNG HYE, BUT THE LEGIT KFC MAN. Glasses, white hair, white beard and the face! It is definitely him! No I am not delusional! …but wait! Wasn’t the KFC man dead? Why was he walking towards me?

Oh my gosh, he was a ghost! HE WAS COMING TO GET ME FOR RELATING JUNG HYE TO HIM! Grabbing tightly onto Jung Hye’s hand, I turned the other way and attempted to run, but Jung Hye wouldn’t budge.

“Jonghyun~” KFC man’s scratchy voice called as he neared me.

I  panicked. NOOOO WHY WAS MY LIFE SO SAD? WHY WAS I GOING TO DIE LIKE THIS? BEING KILLED BY THE KFC MAN GHOST! I THOUGHT KFC MAN WAS GOOD!!! PROVIDING CHICKEN FOR THE NATION! OMG MAYBE HE THINKS I AM ONEW! I tried to pull Jung Hye, but she was no longer beside me. 

“Jonghyun! Jonghyun!” The KFC man became progressively angrier, repeating my name as he neared me, louder and louder and starting to sound strangely like-

OWWW! My eyes snapped open and I found Key’s fingers hovering above my forehead and his narrowing eyes glaring into mine. “YAHHH!!! YOU STUPID DINOSAUR!”

I blinked, my mind beginning to register what had just happened. It was just a dream. Oh phew, there was no scary KFC man after me, phew, phew.

"YAH ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?" Key yelled and flicked my forehead again.

 OWWWW! My hands immediately went up to cover my poor abused forehead. "Whaaaaat!!!" I pouted as I inched my chair backwards, away from key.

On second thoughts, give me the KFC ghost man over a furious Key any day! I frantically searched my mind for anything I could have done recently to piss Key off.

Unfortunately, there were a lot.

"Do you know that Jung Hye is going with Taemin to the prom?" Key asked as he continued his glare. 

I groaned and leaned back down to rest my head on the table, "Yes" I mumbled, burying my face against my arms.

"Yes? YES? SO WHY AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT?" Key screeched in my ear.

Arghhhhhhh why mee? I just want to sleep!!

"I don't care." I muttered again, hoping he would just go away and leave me with my table in peace.

But of course, he didn't.

In a booming voice, he continues "Oh, hoho! You don't care do you? You don't care says Kim Jonghyun! I don’t care says the person who had planned on asking Jung-"

"SHH!" I hastily covered Key's mouth with my arm, "people will hear!" I whispered to him as I glanced around the classroom. Thankfully no one seemed to have been listening in on our conversation.

"MMMPOORGHHH! OOOFFFPHHH! AAHMUULPPH!"  Key shot me daggers as he attempted to escape from my grip.

Keeping my arm around his mouth, I half pulled him outside the classroom and into an empty hallway before I finally let him go.

He wiped his mouth, "KIM JONGHYUN!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU????" 

I avoided his glare, "What do you mean?"

"Oh for goodness sake, remind me why I am even friends with you? Look, Taemin’s the cutest kid ever, absolutely lovable and a lot more adorable than you, but it’s obvious that he and Jung Hye are not suited for each other.”

I looked at him, really? I was thinking quite the opposite, “Why not?”

“She treats him like a younger brother! Like a kid! All she sees in him is a friend! Can’t you see?”

“No,” I shake my head, “no, she likes him! She’s going to the prom with him!”

Key folds his arm, “Really? Do you really doubt me?  Me? The person who is solely responsible for the happiness of dozens of couples?"

I rolled my eyes. Yes, it was true, Key had always had a knack for being able to predict couples before they came into existence. Actually, to be honest it was actually kind of creepy, but I guess he was just able to read body language very well. But this was different, Jung Hye was different. She was not those typical teenage girls, oh no, she was more like a man in disguise. 

“So? Jung Hye could develop feelings! Or, she could like someone completely different! Maybe she likes that Minho dude, he’s tall and has big eyes! Or maybe she is secretly in love with Onew but just won’t admit it because he is with Yoo Mi—“

“Or maybe, she likes you too.”  Key cuts me short, giving me a hard glare as his eyes challenged me to argue with him.

“Do you really think so?” I asked tentatively. He had to be wrong this time, how could Jung Hye possibly like me?

“That’s what I have been trying to tell you the whole time! From the very beginning! Well, I was going to leave you to do it yourself and develop your own little love story, since I thought you wouldn’t want me meddling in with your business, but obviously you have failed to do that and obviously you need help from an awesome person by the name of Key, a.k.a me.”

I frown, “but you don’t know for sure about her feelings!”

He raised an eyebrow  "You want to bet?"

Taemin's POV

I ducked my head away from the corridor and rested my head against the cool surface of the wall, wishing I was not late to class. Wishing I had not heard the conversation. Wishing I was not there. Wishing this had never happened.

I closed my eyes as Key's words swarmed in my head.

She treats him like a younger brother! Like a kid! All she sees in him is a friend! Can’t you see?

I drew a deep breath.

Like a kid.

A younger brother.

A friend.

Not suited.

I breathed out slowly. 

Can't you see?

Can't you see, Lee Taemin?

--

A/N- Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it :D