chapter nine

"what is... happening?"

the two who are currently designing their cupcakes suddenly looked up when they heard their voices. the two even have a flour and icing stain on their faces.

"it's been a long time since you stopped baking," johnny said as they came closer to the two.

"can we have some?" jaemin asked.

"we're not finished yet," taeyong said, who is still focused on his cupcakes.

"you look dumb," yuta said. teasing the prince.

"oh, really?" jaehyun said, dipping his finger on the icing and wiped it on yuta's face.

"don't you dare," winwin said when yuta was about to do the same to him. he even showed his fire power, threatening him.

they were actually surprised to see the two baking, especially jaehyun. there's actually no new to see taeyong baking because that's what he does for a living. but jaehyun, the last time he baked was before his mother died.

that's why his friends were shocked to see jaehyun baking. how did taeyong convince him to bake? or maybe it was jaehyun who asked him to bake?

"it's done!" taeyong said happily.

"yey!" they said happily and got each cupcake.

"taste mine," jaehyun said. giving him a piece of cupcake.

"how can i be sure that this doesn't have any poison?" and he squinted his eyes.

"when johnny didn’t die," jaehyun said.

and the said person suddenly stopped eating jaehyun's cupcakes after hearing his name, but he didn’t mind it and continued eating together with yuta and jeno. they probably missed jaehyun's cupcakes.

"you said you're not good at baking!" taeyong whined.

"i am!" jaehyun whined back, holding his smile back.

"this was more delicious than mine!" taeyong said. "i will add this to my menu." he giggled.

"he can actually bake, jaehyun was just lying." ten said.

taeyong glared at jaehyun but the younger one just giggled at him. taeyong couldn't even take jaehyun's cuteness, that's why in the end, he smiled.

tomorrow morning, taeyong woke up too early. that's why he decided to go out to get some fresh air. the cold wind greeted him, the sun now rising, what a good view.

"ruby, why are you here?" taeyong asked when he saw the dog inside the kitchen.

taeyong looked around, expecting jaehyun to be there but he found nothing. the dog even looks like slept here, but didn’t she stay inside jaehyun's room? how did she come here?

"let's walk around, shall we?" he told the dog.

but as soon as he looked up after talking to the dog, his eyes went to jaehyun's room and there he saw them coming out together. both just woke up as their eyes were still sore.

taeyong suddenly felt something in his throat before walking away, making his way to the garden. that's why jaehyun didn’t let him play with ruby last night because selena was there?

"i'm a fool, right?" taeyong said, watching the dog wiggling her tail while looking at him.

"tss, why would he fall in love with me though? why am i expecting him to feel the same?" he hissed and wiped his tears away.

after crying all his tears out, he realized that he stayed in the garden for a couple of hours, laying down on the ground together with ruby, who really stayed with him.

the weather is already getting hot. that's why taeyong assumed that the others might have finished eating their breakfast now.

"good morning, sir." taeyong greeted when he saw an old man looking at those flowers.

ruby suddenly barked when the old man looked, taeyong let out a chuckle and gently pat ruby's head.

"is that your dog?" the old man asked.

"uh, no. someone actually owned her, i just like keeping her with me sometimes." he smiled. "are you alone, sir?" he asked softly.

"no, i'm just looking for these flowers. looks like someone really takes care of these." the old man said, smiling.

"yes, sir. the real owner of this garden likes taking care of these." he giggled.

"by the way, you look new here." the old man said as he put his hand on his back. "do we perhaps know each other?"

"actually, no, sir," he pouted. "i'm actually a human that accidentally came here, don't tell that to others..." he whispered in the last sentence.

"oh... a human..." he nodded.

"but i don't bite," he giggled. "i don't hurt anyone."

"it's actually surprising that you didn’t lie about your true identity," the old man said.

"lying is bad, sir." taeyong said. "besides, even if i don't tell it. they already know that i'm a human." he pouted.

the old man let out a chuckle and shook his head, his eyes went to the dog again who is now wiggling her tail. wanting to go with him.

"i'm going now, nice to meet you— what's your name again?" the old man asked.

"i'm taeyong, sir." he smiled. "nice to meet you, sir." he giggled.

"i hope that we meet again, you're such a nice kid." he chuckled.

taeyong just smiled and took a bow, watching the old man leave. when he disappeared, taeyong had already decided to go back since he was already hungry.

"ruby... ruby-ah..." he sang while swaying ruby like a baby.

not until he suddenly bumped into someone that made him stop in his tracks.

"you're gone missing in the whole morning, where the fuck did you go?" he asked seriously.

"and if i say it? does it change the fact that i'm missing the whole morning?" his eyebrow raised.

"you fucking made us worried!" he hissed.

and you fucking hurt me.

taeyong just rolled his eyes and walked away without saying any words. he was pissed as heck and he can't argue with jaehyun right now.

"taeyong, please..." he said worriedly, stopping the older one by holding his hand.

"seeing your eyes sore, it was just making me more worried." jaehyun said.

"i'm grown up enough, jaehyun." taeyong said and faced him. "and what made you worried? aren't we just friends?" he asked.

and that made jaehyun slowly let taeyong's hand go.

"fine, friends..." he gulped. "there's still food inside the kitchen, just... eat it." and he looked away.

watching the younger one go, taeyong suddenly felt a sting in his chest. he should have not said that because taeyong knows that he never looks at jaehyun as a friend.

he looks at him as his lover... as someone that he will be with when he gets old...

"taeyong?" a familiar voice called. "hey, you're back. jaehyun was looking for you, have you already seen him?" winwin asked.

"n-not yet..." he lied.

"you should look for him," winwin said. "he didn’t eat his breakfast meal just to look for you, he was worried as heck."

"did he?" taeyong asked, surprised by it.

"yes," he nodded. "i'm pretty sure he's still looking for you, where did you go though?" he asked.

"just somewhere," he smiled. "thank you, win."

after eating his meal, taeyong started to look for jaehyun. he suddenly felt guilty. jaehyun might have gotten really worried but he chose to be mean towards him.

minutes later, taeyong found jaehyun in the garden. laying down on the ground under the tree, arms were covered to his eyes. taeyong pouted and made his way closer to him, not making any noise to not disturb his sleep.

"oh, hi ruby... you're here..." taeyong said in a low voice when ruby came as soon as he sat down beside jaehyun.

"what are you doing here?"

"shit—" taeyong suddenly covered his mouth when jaehyun spoke, he was surprised that's why he can't help not to curse.

"i'm just asking, yet i got a curse," he said dramatically and got up.

"why are you here though? i'm looking for you." taeyong said and looked down, patting ruby's head.

"now you know what it feels like when the person you're looking for is not there," jaehyun said.

"i'm sorry..." he pouted. "i'm just actually here, i was laying on the ground," he admitted.

"since... morning?" he asked.

"yeah," he nodded.

"so, you perhaps met a... old man?" jaehyun asked.

"yes," taeyong nodded. "do you know him?" he asked calmly.

jaehyun just smiled at him and looked away, taeyong looked down and let ruby run around.

"jae, did you sleep with selena last night?"

"what..."

"i saw you guys come out together this morning."