It was closing time, and Niel was sending Jonghyun out after packing him some leftover pastries and a cup of steaming black coffee for his late night snacks.

“Good luck finishing your paperwork.” Niel said after handing Jonghyun his food.

“With these” Jonghyun wiggled the paper bag, “I could stay up all night and don’t even need a break.” he said with a wide grin.

“Finish your work fast, don’t sleep too late, you have conference early in the morning tomorrow, remember?”

“Yes, umma!”

“Shoo!” Niel said as he waved Jonghyun away.

He watched Jonghyun bounced to his car like a five year old kid and the other guy waved him goodbye before he drove off home.

‘Too much energy aren’t you?’

Jonghyun is… atypical? It’s not to the extent of having multiple personalities but Jonghyun does acts differently at times, like he has a button to switch his personality whenever he is in different situation, that is actually, if Niel was going to be honest with himself, is one of Jonghyun’s charms that he envied very much.

While Niel always found himself to be awkward around people, someone like Jonghyun wouldn’t find problem to fit in, they would just naturally adjust into the situation and have everyone around them to bend into their ways, he’s just charming like that.

He’s professional at work (according to Ricky), mob boss wannabe (normally with Byunghun) when there are people causing ruckus at the café (not that it happens occasionally) and Niel bet, Jonghyun is oozing with charisma wherever he goes.

Niel refused to think ahead of himself and classified himself as special because he didn’t know Jonghyun well enough and how he interact with others besides the café’s radius but, the thing is, Jonghyun did treated him differently and it didn’t go unnoticed by Niel.

Jonghyun has a strong personality but he is not someone friendly in general. He’s good at making people conform to him but with stone head of his, Jonghyun is not the type who would easily give in to others.

Around Niel though, he is totally a different person.

He could beat Ricky when he’s trying to be cute (and why on earth someone like Jonghyun would even try to be cute?). He could be hella scary when he was in his protective mode, Niel completely understand when Byunghun was being mother hen around him because they had been friends for years and no one know him better than Byunghun, but Jonghyun? He only knows Jonghyun for a few months yet the other guy can be worse than Byunghun when he’s trying to be unwarranted knight in shining armor.

Niel had heard numerous times that he could easily ignites motherly instinct from people around him because of his image (particularly his physique), even baby Ricky sometimes would look at him like he’s a child in need, but this is Jonghyun we are talking about.

Jonghyun is not supposed to be caring toward him and he has absolutely no reason to, besides, for goodness sake, Niel is very capable of taking care of himself!

“Earth to, lover bird!” Byunghun scoffed as he cuffed Niel’s head with his knuckles as he made his way to an empty table, the only one without chairs turnover it, with a tray of warm milk and cookies in his other hand.

“Huh, what are you talking about?” Niel asked as he locked the door and pulled down the blinder.

The café was closed for the day.

“I still don’t like him.” Byunghun retorted curtly as Niel sat on the chair in front of him and the taller guy merely snorted at his response.

“I thought you guys had bonding moments when both of you were teaming against me. Still not in good term I see.” Niel dunked a piece of cookie into the warm milk before happily munching on it. The sweetness of the cookie and the warm of the milk settled pleasantly in his stomach.

“Pffft.” Byunghun scoffed in return, just like Niel had expected.

While both of these guys had a similar trait of treating Niel like a toddler, nevertheless, Byunghun and Jonghyun have yet to resolve their issues. Niel can’t quite put his finger as to why Byunghun had built a wall between him and Jonghyun since the very beginning, but Byunghun is a hell of stubborn guy and Niel suspect Jonghyun is no less tenacious. When he decides on something, he would hold onto it for a long time. The problem is, their mutual dislike toward each other had caught Niel in the middle.

He just wants to be friend with both of them, why must he get stuck in between these egoistic bastards’ tug-of-war?

“I just do what is necessary, it doesn’t mean I have to like him or anything. Just, sometime you need to stop being so dense and be more careful okay?”

“Why don’t you help me out and explain to me like a good friend why I shouldn’t trust Jonghyun, yes?”

 “Idiot.” Byunghun simply scoffed before cuffing him on the head.

Yeah really helping there, totally explaining everything.

“So about that upcoming gig at suburbs…”

Niel let Byunghun changed the topic since it will be fruitless to garner anything from him if Byunghun had decide to not give anything. He’s just a stubborn guy like that.

But then, there it goes again, Byunghun and his suspicion toward Jonghyun. What’s bothering Niel is, Byunghun’s statements were not baseless. Jonghyun is different from what he was alleged to be. He’s being nice though they don’t really know each other for long.

Niel not even sure whether being nice is the right choice of words or he should just said Jonghyun is being verrrry nice and shadily so toward him.

Besides appointing himself as Niel personal bodyguard (which is very unnecessary), Niel often found himself being showered with various gifts ranging from deviously expensive watch to a shady plastic ring from a vending machine.

The battery of Niel’s watch died and Jonghyun noticed. The next day, Jonghyun came gracing the café with his presence and casually tossed a small box with a golden ribbon wrapped around it to Niel (which Niel nearly missed to capture). The box made a few attempts to bounce out of Niel’s grip before frustrated Byunghun thankfully come to the rescue and caught the box before it hit the floor. Byunghun gave Niel the eye for being a helpless twig, and then he proceeded to give Jonghyun the eye because, well, because he’s Jonghyun. Byunghun always give Jonghyun the eye whenever he can. It’s like his own personal vendetta or something.

When Jonghyun left the café and Niel was back into the safety of his kitchen again, he tentatively unwrapped the golden ribbon from the unmistakably watch box. Inside, there was a simple designed watch with dark brown leather band (Jonghyun obviously an observant), sleek silver bezel and bronze dial. The word Hublot elegantly carved below the strip indicating number twelve. Yes, the watch is simple and beautiful, but everything about it screaming expensive.

That night, Niel almost had a heart attack when he googled the price of the watch, which is a little higher than the price of that giant baking oven in his café’s kitchen (Niel took two years saving to buy the oven thank you very much). Honestly, Niel was initially too afraid to wear the watch outside, worried that he might get mugged or something.

The plastic ring though, Niel often catch himself smiling at the sight of ugly orange-blue plastic every time he saw it laid on his drawer. It was the first item Jonghyun ever draw from a vending machine in his entire life (rich kid, private school, different social life yada yada yada). Jonghyun once followed Niel to a nearby groceries store just because he had nothing else to do (which was an outright lie but Niel let it go because, yeay for extra hands to carry his groceries bags!) before they stumbled into an ancient looking vending machines. There was washed out poster of dinosaurs, robots, marbles and many other small prizes that would attract kids plastered on it. Jonghyun who definitely not a kid look at the vending machine longingly and Niel just cannot.

“Go ahead, you can try if you want.” Niel said and handed Jonghyun coins of 100 Won.

When Niel said that Jonghyun might be able to draw some robot miniature, Jonghyun was thrilled, a perfect imitation of an overjoy primary school boy and Niel merely scoffed at the other guy’s childlike reactions and maybe he found it’s cute, maybe he was cooing inside, but no one need to know that.

Jonghyun’s face when he opened the capsule was a mixture between crestfallen and surprised and Niel gleefully and the plastic ring that he had obtained. Jonghyun petulantly pouting in return before suddenly went silent and looking at the ring so intently like he was contemplating something important.

Niel suddenly felt the pang of pity, this is Jonghyun’s first time drawing items from vending machine (and he was very excited too) and he got an ugly ring instead of some cool robot or dinosaur, Niel felt guilty for being an and laughing at Jonghyun’s failure. He almost offering another 100 Won to Jonghyun to have him re-try before Jonghyun suddenly take a long deep breath.

“Keep it.”  Jonghyun said and push the ring into Niel’s hand.

“Huh?”

“Keep it as a token or memento or something.” Jonghyun repeated, there was a tremor in his voice, like Jonghyun was being uncertain and tentative, like he’s afraid that Niel might refuse the ring. His eyes were everywhere but on Niel.

Somehow Niel feels like, this is not Jonghyun giving him some cheap shady plastic ring because he didn’t want it, there is something more than just that and Jonghyun was being subtle as . And Niel couldn’t figure him out.

“Or you can just throw it away, whatever.” He huffed away with slouched shoulders, with Niel’s groceries bags in both of his hands. Jonghyun walked away, leaving Niel who was frozen on his feet.

Niel watched Jonghyun’s retreating back unblinking and dumbstruck with Jonghyun’s suddenness, the ring still in his hand.

After a while, maybe after noticing that Niel did not follow him, Jonghyun stopped and turned around.

“Hurry up, idiot.” He said without any bite.

Niel kept the ring in his jeans’ pocket and smiled cheekily at Jonghyun before jogged toward the other guy.

“I’ll keep it.” Niel said breathlessly after he settled into same pace as Jonghyun and the other guy let out a grunt in return.

“Good.”

His cheeks were red.

Jonghyun was blushing, Niel noticed.

Jonghyun keeps buggering his mind he always did these days the weight of the watch around his wrist is more than a gentle reminder.

Niel admits he often notice Jonghyun’s lingering look or his lack of apprehension on the appropriate personal space.

Damn that guy was not even trying to not be obvious, or maybe he just don’t know how to be subtle, but every time Niel caught Jonghyun doing so, the other guy would just smile it away like there was nothing wrong with it.

So how should Niel interpret such gesture?

Was Jonghyun dropping hints? Or was Niel shamelessly just being ahead of himself?

Did Jonghyun have any malice? Purposely approaching Niel just to get him flustered and make fun of him once he found out that Niel had misunderstood his actions. It’s not like Niel know Jonghyun really well, whether he was being sincere or not is unknown to him.

Or was that just how he is? Naturally friendly and amicable which based on Niel observation, definitely not likely.

Yes, they are somehow friends.

But a friend, a new friend, would not try to protect you every now and then like they want to prove something.

They would not have lingering look at you like you are some kind of precious.

They would not buy you thousands dollar watch just because yours was broken.

Would not give you plastic ring and being shy about it like it meant something.

tbc.

~~~ 

hellloooooooo~~~

oh my, i'm so sorry for the late update (if any of you were waiting)

catching up with rl was taking toll on me but complaints aside, thank you for dropping by and read this piece.

as usual, drop me some cookies and make me happy will you? comments and let me know your opinion about this story so far, yes?

btw, omggg have you listen to niel's memory?

that song is dope! imma lovin' it!!!