Matching Key (JoongNine AU)

Code XXIV

Nine

"P' Nine, P'?", the call from Kim, disturbed my blank thoughts, and I looked up to see his confused face.

"Sorry, Kim...what is it again?", I asked Kim, since I knew he was saying something, but I failed to focus.

"Are you sick, P'? This is the third time that I lost you mid conversation. If you're tired, then, just go back to the hotel to rest, I'll be fine. After this break, only 3 more change of outfits and then it'll be done".

I wiped my face, and felt guilty, "No. It's alright, P' can wait. Sorry if you feel that P' didn't pay attention..."

Kim shook his head and smiled, "No, instead I feel bad that you are stuck here waiting alone. If P'Joong is here liked last time, at least you got company".

Chen, not Joong. I wanted to correct him, but I couldn't. The runner called for Kim to be ready again. I rubbed his shoulders for support, and Kim just laughed because he said I was the one who needed them.

"Oh, P', I forgot", Kim said when he was almost out of the door of the dressing room and turned back. I raised my brows in question, and he continued, "P'Joong didn't remember me much I guess. I greeted him about two weeks ago, when I met him at the company, and he seemed a bit confused of our meeting. Well, I did say that maybe because we didn't talk much and never had the chance to meet again after the beach photoshoot, so it's understandable that he forgot. But, we are cool, don't worry, P'. Okay, I need to run".

My hands shook. I closed my eyes and gulped. Two weeks ago, was when Joong met me at the mall. No wonder he was watching Chen's back liked a hawk. It was not an excuse to see whom I dated, but to see how he looked like. Did he wonder? He must be worried about me, that's why he fired off all the questions towards me in the car, last week. He must had thought, I was mingling with a fraud of sort.

I took my phone, and made a call, "Joong...you said I am bad at lying. That's not it, isn't it? You just found out something first, and pushed me to speak the truth out...", I said to the other person at the line, who sighed heavily.

"Sort of. Not the whole truth. Just trying to search and connect the missing dots, Nine. It's not that our path didn't match, but I think your path crossed with someone who is not me. You are with Kim right now, right? Don't worry, I didn't raise any alarm, I just said I had a tendency to forget faces of people who are not close to me, since I met him when I was not yet part of the company".

"I really need a drink! At this moment, whether you believe it or not, I felt more overwhelm than ever, seriously...", I blurted out, already feeling liked I was standing on the edge of a mountain, where with just another push from the wind, would make me fall.

"No. Keep yourself sober, you have a kid under your care. Don't do anything foolish. Wait there, I'll come to you".

"Joong, wait... What...", but the call was cut off and he didn't accept my call after. I grabbed my hair tight, and feeling a bit lost. I wanted to call someone else badly. After a week of trying to think about what he had asked me to do; that we must return back to be just a pair; I still couldn't make myself do it. I like him too much that the feeling won't simply be erased, even if he didn't want me anymore. So, I avoided both of them; Chen or Joong. Lucky, that for the week, my schedule with other artists was full. Now, I was at an outskirt of town location, for an overnight shoot that Kim was hired for.

Joong is coming! Dang! He would really do what he said, I had no doubt. It would take about two hours drive, just enough time for Kim to finish his work.

***

"P'Joong!", Kim was excited to see that Joong came to the shoot to be with me. He had just finished the last shoot and was back to the dressing room to remove the makeup, and go back to the hotel to rest, "I was saying to P'Nine, about how great it will be if you could come and keep him company, liked last time, and now you're here, again! This is amazing...You really care about him, huh?", Kim said while bumping Joong's shoulder.