Jonghyun POV

"Jonghyun? What is that thing you're holding?"

I look up from my newspaper and into Key's flabbergasted expression as he stands by the doorway.

I frown at Jung Hye. "Why'd you let Key in?"

"No, seriously. Is that a newspaper?" Key rubs his eyes as if making a point. "I didn't know Jonghyun was capable of reading."

My frown intensifies. "Jung Hye, can you kick him out?"

Instead Key kicks off his shoes at the entrance. Jung Hye shrugs at Key and says in a monotone voice, "Jonghyun wants you out. You're trampling all over his mammoth ego."

I sigh. "Leave me alone."

Key peers into my newspaper, and at all the bits that I've cut out and laid across my table. Confusion laces his face.

"They're ads for part-time jobs." I explain. "The ones I cut up are the ones that suit me. Cafes, life guards,  convenience stores."

Key points to one in the newspaper that I haven't cut up. Zoo worker. Feeding, cleaning and managing the animals. "How about this one?"

I wrinkle my nose. "Ew. You know how I am with picking up dog poop. How am I going to do that with monkey poop?"

Key swats me in the head. "No, idiot, I don't mean that. I mean, you'd be good for display. With those charismatic, flaring nostrils of yours - you'd be the most popular gorilla in the yard!"

He bursts out laughing and Jung Hye joins him immediately and I am left here lamenting, what have I done in my past life to earn the misfortune of both my best friend and my girlfriend bullying me?

"So, why are you taking on part time jobs?" asks Key once the laughter dies down and he lies on my bed.

"Mmmm, just to pay Dad's hospital bills." I say casually, but I feel the air thicken. Or maybe it didn't thicken, maybe it was just me feeling colder and growing a lump in my throat. It's not that I don't have anymore money. I'm using Dad's savings to pay his bills, but even I know that what meager amount of money left will run out soon. I might even have to stop school soon, just to do part time jobs.

There is silence as Key stares at me for a long time as I cut up the newspaper. I hope he can't read my mind. Let me test: Hi Key, your feet stink. I hope you get off my bed so I don't sleep tonight smelling your feet.

Key obviously has ignored my telepathic pleas or cannot read my mind because he continues rolling his feet around on my bed. "How's Dad?" he asks.

"Same as ever." I shrug. He had been the same as ever; lying still in that same bed. I visit everyday after school, telling him about my day. Jung Hye always comes with me. Sometimes we see her father too, and I don't miss the pointed looks of disapproval and condescension whenever he sees us with hands held. I avoid his gaze as much as I can, mainly because he hasn't been a very nice person recently.

"Kim Jonghyun, I would like to have a word with you." declared Dr Park, entering the room immediately after Jung Hye left for a toilet break. Instantly I became very nervous. Jung Hye! Where are you?! You're scary dad is here and I'm alone! God, I think I'm seeing literal green laser beams coming from his eyes!

"Um," I force the smile that usually gets girls wetting their . "Yeaaaaaa?" Oh my God, why did I draw out the Yeah? Why did I say Yeah? Note to Jonghyun: This is your girlfriend's dad and your father's doctor, not a teenage girl!

Dr Park ignores my -wetting smile. "How about we make a deal? A personal one between you and me."

I stiffen. "And what is it?"

"Stop all relations with Jung Hye," he starts, and he circles around the bed like a predator circling its prey. "and I will take care of your father's bills."

It frightens me how easily the words slip out of his mouth, here he was, making a deal which was worth tens of thousands of dollars. But I guess for him it was like pocket change.

However, overriding the fear of his words was anger. I mean how could he do this to Jung Hye? She was technically an adult already! Was he going to spend his whole life bribing people to get what he wanted?

'So?' He repeats when I don't respond.

I look up (yes, unfortunately I have to look up, I am very displeased at this as it does not give me the upper hand and is probably another one of his grievances with me) and directly into his eyes, 'No, I will take care of his bills for now.'

Then he smiles, a condescending you don't know what you're on about smile and that was the end of our longest conversation to date.

'Well, if ever need any…' Key's words snap me out of my memory, he pauses as if mulling over the words in his head which was unusual for his blabbermouth, '…help, then don't hesitate asking me ok?'

I snort at his words and joke light-heartedly, ‘Thanks for the offer, but I certainly wouldn't want to take money away from your shopping fund.'

'Hey!' Key protests indignantly as he swings an arm around me, 'I care about you a lot more than fashion!'

'I'm sure you do,' I laugh, ‘and I’m sure that time when you were an hour late to my birthday was not because there was an online sale or anything.’

He pouts, ‘You said you were fine with it!’

‘I was! And I’m still fine with it now, it’s okay Key, I’ve got this,’ I insist, ‘Now please excuse me as I make some phone calls.’

That night, as I lie awake on my bed I decide that I would sooner make the deal with Doctor Park than ever borrow money from my friends.