Forgotten Memories

Get A Clue

6: Get A Clue

“Hyung, I'm going with Jonghyun and Onew Hyung,” Taemin yelled across the studio to inform his Key Umma.

“Alright,” Key called back.

“Their leaving already?” Minho returned from the bathroom just in time to see Taemin's retreating back.

“Yeah,” his Hyung (by a few months) replied. “Onew and Jonghyun Hyung have a variety show to attend and Taemin is getting dropped off at the dorm to work on his studies.”

Minho looked away as they walked towards the shower rooms.

“Hyung, should we go out for a bite?” Minho pulled his shirt on after showering.

“Sure,” Key replied, in the middle of blow-drying his hair.

“I feel like chicken,” Minho chuckled as he thought of their Leader.

“Hm,” but Key was thinking about someone else. Someone who he thought Minho needed to bring some attention to.

After walking to a local fast-food place, the two chose a spot where they wouldn't be noticed. Lucky for them, there were hardly any people there, which ensued them some comfort away from fans.

Minho ordered a batch of chicken nuggets with milk while Key chose a chicken salad and creamy latte.

The two were halfway through their meal when Key decided to bring up the person he'd been thinking of earlier.

“So,” he cleared his throat. “What's up with Taemin?”

At the time, Minho was about to take a bite of chicken. But he froze as soon as heard the name of his love. “I don't know. Why are you asking me?”

Key stared at him intensely. “Well... It just seems like there's something going on between you two.”

“How so?” Minho asked casually as he took another bite, trying to slow his heart which beat like a jackhammer.

Taking a sip of coffee, Key sighed. “I'll just be blunt then.”

That earned him a strange look from the Flaming Charisma.

“We know that you're avoiding Taemin.”

Minho almost coughed up a lung in response. “You and who know what?”

“You heard me. Jonghyun and I have noticed that you've been cold to Taeminnie ever since we all met.”

I've known him far longer than you, and you get the pleasure of giving him a nickname? Minho thought angrily but was forced to concentrate on the matter at hand.

“You're just imagining it,” Minho said weakly as a last defense.

“Are we?” Key asked, raising a brow. “Because we have proof, you know.”

“What?” Minho asked like he was holding up a challenge.

“Whenever Taemin asked you for help on his homework, you always 'redirected' him to me. Those times when he asked you to take him out for ice cream, you always gave up lame excuses or told him to ask Onew Hyung,” Key was just getting started. “Every time you have to touch Taemin, you look away as if you don't want to see his face, and when it's an accident or surprise, you wince at him. And-”

“I get it,” Minho had never realized that Key and Jonghyun were so observant as to notice all those times that he'd tried avoiding being around their maknae. “Sure, I didn't really cuddle him like you guys, but does that mean I am avoiding him?”

“I thought the same thing,” Key admitted. “Up until a few nights ago.”

“Huh?”

“When you and Taemin had to room together, you didn't like it at all. I heard you ask how come you couldn't share a room with me. The reason Jonghyun refused was because we wanted to see how you reacted,” the elder boy paused. “And Jonghyun was correct, you ignored him as if he was a fly on the wall. You didn't have to be enthusiastic, but you were just downright rude.”

Neither of them said a thing for a while, staring at the other with mixed emotions.

“I get it, if you don't like him. But I just want to know why.”

The younger boy pushed his food away, losing his appetite.

“Why do you want to know the reason?” Minho was both impressed and upset. His cover had been blown in a month and a half. He would never make it as an actor.

Key's glare was sharp as he replied. “You might not see him as anything other than an insignificant maknae, but I think of him as my namdongsaeng.”

Minho was... Surprised. On the inside, he smiled. His baby-faced Taemin had made so many good friends. Friends who valued him and would go to unknown lengths for him. Key and Jonghyun were just 2 examples.

Minho on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. His quiet side sometimes came off as rude which often gave people a bad impression of him. And he wasn't as close to the group members as Taemin was.

After thinking through it quickly, Minho finally came to a decision on what he'd tell his Hyung.

“I dislike him because of what happened when we met.” Though he understood that what he was saying might give birth to misunderstandings, Minho wasn't ready to tell anybody about his true feelings.

Key looked at him as if he was an alien (and with his big eyes and unfair proportions, he might as well have been one!)

“We all met at the same time and place, he didn't do anything to you!”

“Are you really sure you met him at the same time that I did?” Minho wiped his hands and took out his wallet, approaching the cash register to pay.

“Yah!” Key yelled as his dongsaeng left him to clean up their mess.

On their walk back to the dorm, Key continued their earlier conversation.

“Do you hate him?”

The alien's eyed widened in response. “Why would you say that? Of course not.”

“Okay,” his Hyung said, relieved. “I'll believe you. If you hadn't said that, I probably wouldn't be this calm around you.”

As the two neared the dorm building, they saw someone that they wished they hadn't seen at the same time.

“Hyung!” Taemin sat on the steps, previously looking up at the cherry blossom trees.

“Taeminnie,” Key squealed as his Baby Tae ran up and hugged him warmly.

Minho ignored the hurting in his heart and passed their tender scene.

Key stared at the back of Minho's escaping head. And he knew that Minho hadn't told him everything.