Chapter 1

I stared blankly at the piece of paper, trying to register in my brain what I was seeing. I knew math wasn't my strongest subject, but still, it was a shock looking at the failed math test on my desk. This was very frustrating for me to look at. If it wasn't for this lousy subject I, Lee Taemin, would be the top senior in the whole school. Maybe then I'd be respected more by the other students. But no, math was a cruel subject, and always dragged me down to a B average.

Lately my math skills had gotten worst though. An with the dance competition coming up, and I being the captain of the schools dance team, stress was building for us to reach perfection. At the rate we were going, perfection was near impossible, adding even more stress onto my shoulders. This stress lewd to less studying in certain, annoying subjects. Such as math.

I sighed and turned over the insulting paper. I had no wish to any longer look at the huge, taunting, "F" on the front of my test. I rested my head on my hands, now thoroughly depressed.

I groaned as I thought of the other reason this was probably getting to me so much. I had moved away from Seoul to do some studying abroad. I had been away fir three years, nearly four, and coming back to Korea in the middle of the school year had been hard enough. Making friends had been virtually impossible since everyone had already formed their own cliques, and weren't very welcoming to new students. It had been two months since I had gotten back to Seoul, and so far, I had one friend.

This year was going nothing like I had planned it to go, but at least I was getting good grades in my classes. I eyed the piece of paper beneath me, with the exception of math. Math had never been one of my strongest subjects, but if I studied hard enough, I usually could get an "A" in the class. But not this year, no this year was proving rather hopeless.

I thanked god when the bell rang, saving me from the suffocating classroom. I walked through the halls silently, until I noticed Kyuhyun at his locker, putting away his books and talking to his girlfriend. It's not that I didn't like HyeGyo, but she didn't approve of Kyuhyun's friendship with me. That and she had an Ego that could fill up an entire opera house, and she's slept with half the guys in the school before she dated Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun was probably one of the most attractive and well-liked guys in the entire school. He was tall, with handsome features and slightly wavy black hair. His build was slightly muscular, but most of all he had, as cheesy as it sounded, a heart of gold. He had welcomed me when I had first came back to the school.

Although we were friends, none of Kyuhyun's friends liked me. Maybe because he gave me a lot of his attention. Kyuhyun said they were all jealous because they wish they were as cute as me. I just rolled me eyes at the cheesy comment.

I smiled when Kyuhyun removed his attention from his now retreating girlfriend and turned to greet me with a big smile. That was another reason why everyone liked him, his smile made everyone else want to smile back. I walked up to him, and leaned on the locker next to his.

"Hey Kyuhyun," I said to my friend with a big smile plastered on my face. Kyuhyun pushed his black hair behind his ear, and shut his locker. "Hey Taemin, how was class?" I bit my lip, tying to hide my current frustration at a certain subject.

"Fine," I lied. Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow at me, and I could tell that he didn't believe a word that came out of my mouth. I quickly tried to to change the subject before he started asking questions.

"What did HyeGyo want?" I asked quickly, nodding in the direction where the tall girl had headed seconds earlier. The way Kyuhyun looked at me with apologetic eyes, I could almost predict the words he would say next.

"I'm sorry Taemin, but she really won't take no as answer," he said. I sighed, HyeGyo always randomly demanded that Kyuhyun take her on dates, and he would always comply with what the demanding girl wanted.

"You promised you'd give me a ride home today," u partially whined. I could see guilt start to cross over Kyuhyun's features. I sighed, he always made me feel bad for making him feel bad.

"Fine Kyuhyunnie, have fun on your date. But next time you drive me home you have to buy me ice cream." I tried to sound happy, and thankfully it seemed to put Kyuhyun at ease. "Thanks so much Taemin! I promise you'll get your ice cream," he said, grasping me into a hug, before heading towards the parking lot. I sighed as I realized that now I would have to walk home. The annoying part was my house was two miles away. This was going to be annoying to walk all the way there.

I walked to the front door, and pushed it open, feeling a little crest fallen. When I got outside I gasped when I took in the sight before me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I could see a small, but familiar figure leaning against a black Lexus Gs Hybrid. It was a nice car, but not the reason I was gawking in that direction.

If it weren't for those signature diva eyes I may not have recognized Kim Kibum, or Key. Since childhood. Key and I had been best friends, nearly inseparable. The only difference between us was that he was a year older than me. It had been hard to leave Seoul in eighth grade and leave Key behind, but we had sent each other letters and kept in touch. Last he'd told me he had gone to the United States to study abroad as an exchange student, and didn't have time to write many letters after that.

That's why, looking at Key now, I realized how much had changed since we last saw each other nearly four years ago. His hair, that had once been curly and blonde, was now straight raven black, his bangs cut into a fringe. His eyes seemed more feline, cheekbones higher, and his jaw more defined. His tiny little body had more curves, some you would expect to only see on a girl.

His style was a little bit different too. He seemed to dress under the classification of a 'bad boy,' his leather jacket accentuating his look. Seeing him now reminded me of the day I told him I was leaving Seoul.

Flashback

I sat on the opposite side of the tire swing as Key, who was looking at me with concerned eyes. I wasn't sure how to tell my best friend that I was leaving to England to stay with my grandfather and study. All I could say was, " Hey Bummie, there's something important I need to tell you. Let's go to the park."

We had been sitting here for several minutes, neither of us speaking a single word. We just awkwardly looked at each other, sitting in the silence while the tire swing swung left to right, squeaks emanating from the chain above us. Key ran his fingers through his curly blonde hair and sighed.

"Min, just say whatever you have to say, I can handle it." Key said smiling at me encouragingly. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, and usually it would work. But somehow the fact that I was leaving to England, and couldn't see my best friend for god knows how many years, really depressed me. Key was practically a brother to me, and he would be the thing I would miss most about Seoul.

I had begged my mother, literally on my knees, to not make me go. But she insisted that it was a great learning opportunity, and that I should be thankful that grandfather was paying for me to go all the way there to be educated. Basically, your doing it, so get off your knees and stop pouting. Just in nicer words. I knew I should be grateful because most middle class kids didn't get this opportunity, but I didn't want it.

I sighed trying to hide my distress from the current situation I was being put in. "K-key," I started, already feeling tears well up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I was such a cry baby, and I hated it.

"I'm moving to England, and I'm not sure how long it will be until I come back." I kept my eyes on the ground the whole time I was talking. I was trying to focus on every little bark chip on the ground. The silence was excruciating, and I couldn't help but peek up from my previous position.

I was shocked to see Key have a thoughtful expression on his face. I was expecting hurt, sadness, even anger... But not thoughtful. That left a lot to the imagination. Finally Key looked at me and smiled.

"So?" He asked. I just sat there dumbfounded. His reply shocked me. "This changes nothing between us," he continued. "I'll write to you everyday if I have to. We're still going to be best friends forever," he said with his signature smile plastered on his face. I loved that smile because it looked semi-awkward on his lips, but made everyone feel at ease.

"You promise?" I asked, still unsure of his resolve. Key smiled and put his hand out, and out stretched his pinky finger towards me.

"Pinky promise," he said. I smiled and intertwined my pinky with his, and we laughed at my childish antics.

"Friends forever," Key repeated.

End of flashback

I couldn't help but grin widely when Key's sharp eyes met with mine and widened slightly. Suddenly a smile, that beautiful awkward smile, came across his face and he ran towards me at full speed. I was a little bit scared to be honest, because I knew how nearly painful Key's hugs could be. But there was no going back now.

"ugh," I groaned as Key hit me at the force of a million leopards, making me retreat a few steps when the soft body collided with mine. I could feel his arms wrap around me as he started to squeeze the life out of me. Strangely, I had missed Key's strangling hugs. I missed the feeling of warmth that spread through my body every time he hugged me. Although I had gotten back two months ago, only now that Key was hugging me did I truly feel home.

" I missed you so much Taeminnie," Key said, sounding out of breath. That's what you get when you run full speed at someone to strangle them. I smirked slightly, so much for being a bad boy. Key was the same old diva I remembered him to be.

"I missed you too Kibummie," I sighed as Key finally released me from his tight embrace. Key's hands shot forward, and grasped my shoulders as he looked me over. "Look at you Min. You've grown so tall, and your even cuter than I remember. And your hair!" Key tugged on my straight, short, red hair. "It's so different," he commented.

I giggled and tugged on Key's black hair," Yea your one to talk Hyung." Key smiled and twirled one of his fingers through his hair. "You like it?" I nodded and Key smiled widely. Our friendship hadn't changed a bit since the four years I had been gone.

"I just got back today and I thought, why not pick up Taemin at school? I still feel bad that I missed your homecoming." Key pouter. I was just relieved that Key was back and that I was going to get a ride home.

I was ecstatic that Key was back from America. I had hoped that Key would be in Seoul when I came back two months ago, but he still had to finish his studies in the United States. During the time he had been there, that long year, he had hardly any time to write to me. All I got were a few post cards from a place called Sacramento, California.

He hadn't been able to give me a date of when he would be back again, and I started to fear that he'd be there forever.

Seeing Key now was a pleasant surprise. "Thank you so much Key, you have no idea how you've saved me," I smiled at him. I heard a few giggles, and I turned to look at the entrance of the school. I saw two girls from my English class who's names I couldn't recall, were eying Key up and down with hungry eyes. Key followed my gaze to the giggling girls, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Key smirked slightly and then turned back to me. "Want to get going?" Obviously he was desperate to get away from the obsessive and overly giggly girls. I nodded and went around the car to get into the passenger seat if the Lexus, putting my bag into the backseat. I noticed two big luggage in the back seat and realized that Key must have literally just gotten back to Seoul.

Right before we drove off, Key rolled down the tinted window and yelled out the window at the girls, "I have a boyfriend," before driving off. The two girls were left gaping at the entrance of the school. I already knew that Key was gay. He had cone out to me in the seventh grade. A lit of people didn't believe Key at first, especially his parents who thought it was just a faze.

I knew Key was being serious, and in time, his parents and others learned to accept him. I remember in one of the last letters I had received from him, he talked fondly of his new boyfriend... What was his name again.

Lee Jinki, that was it. I couldn't help but wonder if they were still together since Key went to United States. "How's Jinki?" I said, hoping that they were still together, and that my question didn't make things awkward.

I relaxed when Key smiled, and his eyes took in a dreamy haze. "He's fine," Key said, sounding smitten. This was the first time I had ever heard Key talk with such a lovingly voice about someone. "I haven't seen him in awhile, and I planned on stopping by his house to surprise home after I dropped you off." Key sounded really excited, and was showing his cute side.

"How did you guys make it work while your gone?" I asked genuinely curious. "A lot of time on the phone and web cam sessions." Key blushed a little, and I didn't want to think about what happened during those sessions.

I had been banned from using the phone and Internet while in England because they didn't want me to waste my time while I was there.

"That's amazing you guys are still together," I could feel a slight yearning in the pit of my stomach. How I wished I could have something as strong as what Key and Jinki had together. I sighed and leaned back against the chair.

"Enough about me, how's school been?" Key said, stopping briefly at a stop sign. "Fine I guess," I half sighed. Key eyed me from the corner of his eye, a knowing look on his face. Damn Key and his great intuition. It didn't help that he knew me and my facial expressions so well.

"What's wrong?" Key prodded at me.

"Grades," I groaned, closing my eyes in annoyance. "What do you mean, I thought you were a great student?" Key sounded confused. I jumped into my explanation about how all the stress was making me even worst in math then I usually was. I even talked about the failed grade I had gotten on my test today.

"Ah," Key said as I finished up my speech. I groaned as the thought of math once again sank into my brain. "Maybe you should get a tutor. Jinki has a friend who is really smart. He tutored me last year while I was studying for my entrance exams."

A tutor? I had never had a tutor before. I never really needed one. But, now that I thought of it, having a tutor could be a good idea. "Who's the tutor?" I asked.

"His name is Minho, I'm sure he'd help you out, as a favor to Jinki and I." I nodded my head a few times.

"Okay Key, set it up. This could really help."