A Sparkly Encounter (A JongKey Fanfic)

A Sparkly Encounter (A JongKey Fanfic) EIGHTEEN

The smell of beef wafted up into JongHyun's nose. He turned onto his side, pulling the blankets tighter around himself. He tried to figure out whether the smell was from his dream of was actually coming from the kitchen below him.

            Cracking an eye open, JongHyun was able to say that the amazing smell was indeed real. He couldn’t just ignore it so he lumbered out of bed to the living room where he had heard the TV playing. He’d been here long enough to not be shy about walking around the house like this.

            Just like JongHyun had thought, the TV was on in the living room. TaeMin was sprawled out on the couch, his undershirt covered by a loose t-shirt. A blanket half covered his body and a pillow was propped behind his head to make it easier to watch his show.

            “I see you’re still watching those dramas,” JongHyun teased, taking a seat in the recliner.

            “JongHyun hyung!” TaeMin started, bolting into a sitting position. “I didn’t know you were awake!”

            “Don’t worry about it, I’ve only been up for a little while,” JongHyun said.

            “Okay…” TaeMin settled down on the couch like he had been before. The two watched the actors on screen for a little while before TaeMin asked, “Are you feeling better?”

            “Yeah, much thanks. Hey, is your mom cooking?”

            “Yes she is! I’m making lots so you better be hungry!” TaeMin’s mom exclaimed from the kitchen.

            JongHyun smiled, having missed TaeMin’s family. He considered them his own, especially after that incident that had happened a little over a year ago with his own.

            The smell coming from the kitchen grew stronger and overpowered everything else. JongHyun’s stomach let out unattractive growls. He could just picture those juicy morsels of beefs, steamed vegetables, and rice… Thinking about it made his mouth salivate with the idea of all that food going down to his neglected stomach.

            His hunger didn’t pass unnoticed wither. TaeMin threw a pillow at his friend, laughing as he said something about his stomach being louder than the TV.

            Finally, TaeMin’s mother announced that the food was ready. As a growing boy, it was only natural for TaeMin to run to the table like an excited child receiving a present.

            The table was laden with more dishes than JongHyun had anticipated. Large rice bowls stood at the top of each plate along with enormous amounts of vegetables and meats in the center.

            “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” JongHyun said, taking the seat he usually took across from TaeMin.

            TaeMin’s mom smiled happily. “Glad to know you like it,” she said.

            They shared smiles before digging into the hoards of food.

            Nothing had even tasted so heavenly. Each morsel of food that passed through JongHyun’s lips was amazing. He tried to remember the last time he had eaten such a good – nutritious -  meal.

            It was too distant of a memory for him to recall.

            “So JongHyun~ah, where have you been? I haven’t seen you in such a long time!” TaeMin’s mother exclaimed.

            JongHyun pushed a piece of broccoli around on his plate before saying he’d been busy with work and tutoring Key.

            “I didn’t know you were tutoring Key hyung,” TaeMin chimed.

            “Yeah, he’s taking an advanced program for the same school I’ve been going to,” JongHyun explained.

            “So Key hyung is going to school, too? I wonder why he isn’t taking the beginner exam…”

            That thought had never occurred to him before. Why was Key trying for the advanced program? It would be much simpler for him to apply to the beginner’s course like all the other freshman… And Key wasn’t even the same age as anyone in his program so why…

            Could it have anything to do with him? He wondered.

            Before he even had a chance to ponder any of it longer, TaeMin’s mom said, “Is Key that guy you’ve been spending all your time with? The one you know from junior high?”

            “No! That’s MinHo hyung!” TaeMin shouted like it was a crime to confuse the two together.

            “All right, all right! I was just wondering.” The grin on her face told JongHyun that she knew more than she was letting on. By the way TaeMin was blushing, though, it wasn’t that hard to figure out what.

            TaeMin’s mother said something else that sent her and her son into a tiny squabble full of teasing. JongHyun observed silently for once, calculating things over in his head.

            He would have to call EunJi to tell her he couldn’t come into work tonight… He wouldn’t have to work tomorrow so he could use that time to hang out with TaeMin and try to get more information about MinHo.

            Or he could use his time to figure out why Key was determined to go into the advanced program at his university. Surely that annoyingly cute guy had never thought of continuing his education before.

            Wait…

            Cute?