Jonghyun managed successfully to hide until Saturday. He didn’t leave his apartment once, except to do the shopping. And even then, it was a quick one-block-away-and-straight-back-to-bed kind of affair. When the dreaded day finally came around, Jonghyun woke up, rolled over in bed and groaned at the time on the clock.

Nine am.

Minho would be outside in half an hour. He didn’t know Jonghyun’s apartment number, and he toyed with the idea of simply staying inside. Then he remembered that Minho could easily call Jinki and find out which apartment to go to. And Jonghyun knew from experience that bothering Jinki too early, or just being the reason for Jinki being woken, wouldn’t end well for anyone involved. That boy wouldn’t wake for anyone until at least noon without reason. Jonghyun remembered laughing at Jinki when he had had a morning class in their first year in school, Jinki was grumpy for the whole semester until he finally had enough and arranged a class change.

The blonde felt like eating eggs and bacon for breakfast, which was always his favorite before he went to the gym. He always carefully watched his weight and before exercising was the only time he would ever allow himself something so fattening. But the thought of actually cooking was too much, so he wound up just having some buttered toast and tea.

At nine twenty five, he left his apartment, grabbing his bag, locking the door behind him and taking the elevator, wanting to preserve what little energy he had.

Minho, of course, hadn’t forgotten at all about Jonghyun. When the silver haired man strolled out of the apartment complex in a grey hoodie and sweatpants with a sports bag slung over his shoulder, Minho rolled down his window and waved Jonghyun over.

Jonghyun slumped into the back seat and wrapped the seatbelt around him and rubbed his eyes.

“Too early for this.” He mumbled.

Minho smiled. There was something endearing about the way he rubbed his eyes with balled fists and slurred his words, like a child. Somehow it matched the older man, who was surprisingly childlike at times without even trying.

“Good morning, Jonghyun.”

“Mornin’.”

The conversation stopped as soon as it had started and the rest of the drive passed in silence. It was a short drive; only taking up about fifteen minutes, but on the way, Jonghyun realized something.  

“I don’t have a membership at this gym.” He said as they climbed out of Minho’s black car.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need a membership.” Minho told him, taking his own bag out of the back seat.

Jonghyun scowled. He’d been hoping that the application process was months long, so he wouldn’t have to stick around here any longer. It would be his luck, wouldn’t it, he thought sarcastically to himself. Nothing ever went his way, nothing

He paid a small fee at the door and followed Minho in.

 

 “We should go out for coffee, I’m tired.” Minho suggested after they’d both showered and dried off almost two hours later.

Doesn’t this guy ever stop? Jonghyun just wanted to go home and sleep. He was tired, damp, and sore. Somehow he was still overheated, even after an almost completely cold shower.

“Yeah sure.”

The coffee shop across the road sold the best coffee in Seoul, Minho insisted. When they’d both put their bags in the car, Minho bought them both their coffees and they sat on the small table outside the window. Jonghyun begrudgingly had to admit that the coffee was nice, and even though he was exhausted, he felt refreshed and the slightly sore feeling in his muscles was at least familiar.

It had been an infuriating morning, however, he hadn’t been to the gym or done much at all in so long that he found he wasn’t as fit as he had been and he’s pushed himself harder than usual. He really needed to start going to the gym regularly again. He’d been working on his fitness seriously since he was about fifteen, and he’d always prided himself on keeping his thin but still muscular body. He wasn’t about to let all that hard work go down the drain.

“You seemed agitated while we were there.” Minho commented.

Jonghyun shrugged and sipped the still scalding coffee, flinching in pain.

“Pent up stress, I guess.”

“How long has it been since you were in a gym?”

“I told you and Jinki, I went in just a week ago or so.” He looked away from Minho’s face and focused on stirring the latte.

“I mean really, Jonghyun. I’m not going to tell Jinki, so don’t worry.”

Jonghyun looked up in surprise. Was he that transparent? He didn’t know what Minho had to gain, as far as he was concerned they were both just here to please their mutual friend who worried far too much.

“I’m a bit of a fanatic when it comes to reading psychology books and papers. I want to be a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse when I’m older.” Minho smirked a little. “Don’t look so surprised.”

“Suits you actually.” Jonghyun could just imagine Minho with some thick lensed glasses sitting in a leather seat while he scribbled down notes from someone reclining on a shabby chaise lounge.

Minho ignored Jonghyun’s remark in favor of his interrogation.

“You looked up and to your right, both times you’ve said that. You were lying. Don’t worry, Jinki didn’t notice. How long has it been? A month?”

“Getting closer to two now.” He replied sheepishly. “Just haven’t had the energy lately.”

“And you started smoking again at the same time? Did something happen?”

It made Minho a little sad, to think that he started smoking, stopped going to the gym and started avoiding people after his breakup. He was taking this hard, it was obvious, even Jinki, the most oblivious person known to man, noticed. Minho wanted Jonghyun to talk to him, and let out his frustration in a healthy way instead of bottling it all up. From what Jinki had said, Jonghyun kept to himself, and even though he had a few good friends, he hadn’t seen them and they hadn’t heard from him in months.

“What are you trying to psycho analyze me?” Jonghyun laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m just going through a phase, it happens to the best of us.”  He almost sounded convincing.

“I know we just met, but if you want to message me at any time, here’s my number.” Minho took Jonghyuns hand and, using a pen from his pocket, he wrote his number in messy chicken scratch handwriting. He knew the chance Jonghyun would actually call him was slim, if existent at all, but he wanted the option to be there. Just in case, and to let Jonghyun know someone else cared.

Jonghyun smiled and looked at the number.

“Definitely doctor material. You call this handwriting? Didn’t they teach you to be neat in elementary school?”

Minho reached across the table and lightly batted Jonghyun’s head, messing up his hair, before standing up.

“Unless you’re walking home..”  Minho stood up and with long quick strides, began walking back to the car.

Jonghyun stood up and scrambled after Minho on his admittedly shorter legs. Damn tall people.

 

Later that day Jonghyun lay in bed, limbs sprawled out in all directions; with his iPod blasting so loud his head throbbed. But the pain wasn’t unwelcome.

Minho was on his mind.

He turned his hand over so the number was facing him and a smile crossed his face. The number had almost faded, so he grabbed his phone and saved the number. He didn’t know when, or if, he would even use it, but he didn’t want to lose it.

As Jonghyun was about to exit the contacts app, he saw Kibums name, starred at the top as his most contacted. He gnawed at his lip, wondering if Kibum even kept his number. Probably not, he decided. You don’t dump someone on their for someone else and then keep their number.

Jonghyun’s finger hovered over the Kibum’s name, ready to delete it. But in the end, he simply locked his phone. As long as there was even a chance that Kibum was going to come back, he wasn’t going to cut all ties. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet.