If the atmosphere in Minho's room had lightened up after Minho's promise to clear things up with Taemin, in Kibum's room the air was heavy, like a summer day when a storm threatens to tear the sky at any moment.

The placid young man looked from time to time at his friend pacing the room in a mix of anger and sadness.

- I can't believe he took advantage of Eun Ji tutoring him to flirt with her and her! I thought that what we had was nice and she trampled on everything for a fling! Why didn't you tell me he was...like... like that!

- Taemin, you know well I don't give a damn about Choi Minho's lovelife. He could have changed his boyfriend or girlfriend every week, I wouldn't have noticed.

- Yes... sorry.

To let out some steam, he kicked a pillow repeatedly under his friend's sympathizing gaze. He needed to let this bottled-up anger go by unleashing it on something. Sure, he'd have preferred if that something was Minho but Kibum's pillow was all he had.

The annoying little melody his phone played when he received a text distracted him from his intense pillow punching. He was pretty sure it would either be Eun Ji or Minho. It was Minho.

"Hello, I did something so stupid yesterday that I need to apologize in person. Could we talk?"

The younger one didn't want to but he had always been a kind-hearted person who oftentimes put people's needs before his own so he briefly answered 'ok' followed by the name of a restaurant nearby and the time where they could meet.

- Don't tell me it's him? The nerve!

- Yeah, he wants to apologize.

- Don't let yourself be taken in by his words, you gotta stand your ground.

- I will. I'm naive but he clearly went too far.

Kibum nodded firmly, he had trust in his friend but he also knew Taemin didn't like to hurt others, even those who had hurt him.

He feared he wouldn't speak his mind no matter how in pain he was in order not to make Minho go through the same emotional ordeal he endured.

- Should I accompany you? Kibum suggested.

Taemin considered the option and thought that if he faltered, Kibum would put him back on track, it wasn't a bad idea to have him by his side. He accepted his offer and when it was time, they left to go and meet Minho, wrapped in layers of warm clothes to face the winter weather.

Minho's eyes were fixed on the ground as he was walking, his eyebrows furrowed in a preoccupied expression, he knew the conversation they were about to have would be tense. He had left his friends at home after seeing Taemin's message, hoping he'd come back to them with good news.

The restaurant had a plastic tent with plenty of small tables and plastic stools to sit on. A couple of people were scattered around, making Minho search for a smaller man with warm brown hair. 

He saw him in a corner and then noticed he wasn't alone when he met Kibum's piercing gaze. 

His heart skipped a beat, he hadn't planned to have two people face him. His feet seemed to weigh a ton each as he came closer to the two guys. He sat in front of Taemin, greeted them both but received none in return.

- I didn't expect to see you there Kibum.

- Well, here I am. I'm not letting you mess with Taemin as you please.

- I'm not here to mess with him. 

- Say what you have to say and leave me alone, Taemin sighed.

- I'm sorry. I truly am. I hid it from you because I didn't want to hurt you. I also shouldn't have kissed you. You can hate me for this, you can think I'm trash for doing it without your consent. I know it was dumb and disgusting to do this.

Upon hearing this Kibum's head shot up, Minho concluded that Taemin had not told him about the kiss. The anger in the younger man's eyes melted, Minho's words unsettled him. The tall man sounded honest. Then he remembered the kiss was not what he resented Minho for. What he hated was how he had put himself between him and Eun Ji.

- Save your self-righteous speech for someone else. I don't care about the kiss and your weird confession that you love both of us.

Kibum's eyes went from his phone to Minho and Taemin in the blink of an eye. Another thing he hadn't been made aware of. 

As for Taemin, mentioning the confession produced the opposite effect of what he had said it did. He lost contact with reality for a brief moment, replaying the moment Minho had told him he loved him. 

It had been messy, sudden and hot-headed but it was genuine. A pleasant clench on his heart made him forget what he wanted to say next.

- Then... you'll forgive me? Minho's words brought him back to reality.

- Absolutely not! Eun Ji cheated on me with you, remember this tiny detail? That's what eating me from the inside, what makes me both angry and sad! I resent her even more than I resent you because you shot your shot and it worked, good for you but she apparently didn't love me enough to reject you.

Minho was at a loss for words, he had nothing to defend himself, he was guilty, he knew it. 

- I don't want to see you ever again, ok? We're nothing. You stepped into my life and ruined it.

Imagining his life without Taemin after being so close to being someone who mattered in his life wrenched Minho's heart. His whole chest ached, without thinking, he took Taemin's hands in his and bore his eyes into the younger's.

- Taemin, please, I know I'm asking for too much but... I don't want to cut you off my life and you to cut me off yours. Please.

Those big pleading eyes, the despair in his husky voice, the warmth of those hands holding his... the younger one got shaken up by all this. He was drawn in by Minho's demeanor, by the honesty of his look. Could he actually mean what he said? Should he try to forgive him?

- You don't deserve that much.

Kibum's angry statement broke the moment and Taemin quickly withdrew his hands. He looked sheepish like a kid caught doing something wrong by his father. 

Minho saw how effective Kibum was at being the guard-rail to protect Taemin from jumping into the void. But had he jumped, Minho would have been more than happy to catch him at the bottom of that void. 

- You've got some nerve to ask for forgiveness or any other favour! You and Eun Ji betrayed him so now, you better leave him alone!

He put down a bill on the table to pay for the food and stood up abruptly and grabbed Taemin's wrist to make him stand up as well. The youngest of the bunch did as he was expected to and followed his friend. Minho's eyes followed their departure, his heart was so heavy that it was painful. 

The only silver lining of that complicated and unpleasant conversation was the last look the young man sent him before he was dragged outside the restaurant. A look that wasn't hostile or resentful, a look that told him he had reasons to hope.

He came back home, swept by a strong wind that froze his face and numbed his fingers. His friends hadn't moved an inch, playing a game on his playstation. Mrs Choi seemed to have brought them some fruit since an empty plate stood on Minho's bedside table.

He had barely stepped inside, Changmin paused the game and asked him how it had gone.

- Kibum was there.

- Oh? What for?

- Playing guard dog. If only Taemin had been by himself, I think he could have forgiven me or at least, things would have calmed down a bit. At least I managed to apologize. 

He then told them more details about the conversation. When he was done, Jonghyun asked if he had news about Eun Ji. He had received none but he knew she was next in line for a conversation. They needed to talk too but he feared her reaction. He had already lost Taemin, he could not lose Eun Ji and be left alone like he always had before. He was tired of failed relationships, he aspired to something stable, long-lasting and loving.

-You flinched. You were angry and decided before going and you're now all shaken up by his sweet talk.

- I know! I let him get to my head. I don't know... he seemed genuine, Taemin sighed.

- Yes! Seemed! He's slier than he looks.

They were back to Kibum's room, on Kibum's bed but Taemin looked far away from the place. He remembered all the little things that were pleasant about Minho, the fun moments they had shared and he didn't believe that everything had been a cloud of smoke to deceive him. He wasn't sure if trusting his gut feeling was a good idea especially when it went against what was expected of him.

When the holidays ended, he feared going back to class would be painful. Seeing Eun Ji, feeling the unease in his friend group. His doubts were not unfounded. Usually, they all sat together, occupying the same spots in their classroom, the day after the holidays, Eun Ji sat on the other side of the room with Hana and Hyun Jin. None of them cast him he glance when he stepped inside the classroom