Keys to Happiness

25. Aliah(1)

KiBum had left for the Czech Republic a few days ago for the SHINee concert taking place there and unfortunately he'd be gone for two weeks. I was already missing him; I hadn't realized just how much time we had been spending together until he wasn't with me.

I was lonely and during the day I could only think about spending yet another boring night alone with only my stuffed animals, popcorn, and Hulu for comfort. As I finished up my final classes of the day, I got a call from HyoWon asking me to hang out. I jumped on the opportunity to get out of the funk KiBum's leaving had left me in. She picked me up from my school and we walked together to the local coffee shop in the neighborhood.

It was a bright place with floor to ceiling windows and the weak November sunshine that was filtering through them putting me in a peaceful state of mind. We shivered as we stepped into the warm cafe, the cold air in Korea definitely saying that the cold weather was arriving.

I groaned inwardly and told HyoWon that soon we'd have to go shopping for winter clothes. I was already dreading not being able to find my size in anything they had readily available. My arms and legs were always way too long for the usual medium sizes and finding a proper coat would be a nightmare.

As we got our drinks and sat down by the windows, HyoWon looked at me and shook her head as she lifted her latte to her lips.

"What?" I asked her, feeling her judgement.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," I replied, taking a sip of my hot cocoa.

"Yeah right, just tell the truth. Every time we go out your head has been somewhere else lately. Don't you want to tell me?" she questioned with a little laugh.

"Not really, but you aren't going to leave me alone until I tell you right?" At her nod, I moaned and then told her what was bothering me.

"I guess I'm just feeling a little weird lately. I've been trying to think of what to get KiBum when he comes back from his concert."

"And why do you have to get him anything again?" She sassed with a laugh.

"Because of this," I said while lifting my arm into the air. The bracelet KiBum had given me never left my wrist and the small key twisted and shimmered in the sunlight.

"Alright, so just get him a gift card if you don't know what to get him. That's what I'd do," she said with a shrug.

"HyoWon! Be serious; you don't give Key of SHINee a gift card", I huffed, shocked at her indifference. "The gift has to be meaningful or else it's pointless. The only problem is what to get him. I keep going back and forth. Earrings, a ring or clothes? What do you get a guy that can afford to buy anything he wants? It's been in the back of my head since the day he told me that his birthday had passed. I just want to get him something as special as he got me."

The little key flattened itself against my wrist and I couldn't suppress my sigh of frustration.

"Unnie, sometimes you're so slow," HyoWon said, shaking her head at me.

"What do you mean?"

"For people who have everything, you get them something that they can't buy. He's always saying you're like a gift to him. You won't have to do much to make him happy," she pointed out. I thought over her words for a minute and instantly an idea came up.

"HyoWon-ah, you're so smart! What would I do without my dongsaeng?" I said while pinching her cheeks. She snatched her face back from my probing fingers and smirked.

"Be lonely for the rest of your life probably," she said snarkily.

"Ha ha," I laughed in a dry voice. "Just for that you can pay for your own gross coffee next time."