A Somewhat Different Fairy Tale

{ Betrayal }

"Bummie, it doesn't have to be him. Maybe it was someone else." Jonghyun tried to comfort the younger boy as they reached the front door of a familiar house.

"It is him. I just know it," answered Kibum, sighed.

---Flashback---

It was raining outside. In a child's room, a little boy was sitting on the bed alone, waiting for someone, and flinched as he heard the loud noise of thunders. Jumped up, he ran to the small closet, closed the door. He was sitting on the floor, hugging his legs, and murmured something to himself that was supposed to calm him down but failed.

"Here, mother made your favorite banana cake, you lucky one... Hey, where are you?" He heard his best friend's voice coming nearer and then the door opened.

"Here you are. Come out, you don't have to be afraid, Minnie."

----- End -----

"Taemin-ah, we need to talk," said Kibum as he saw the younger boy opened the front door.

"Hyung?" Taemin said surprisingly with a smile on his face that immediately disappeared as he noticed Key's serious expression.

"Come in," he said.

_________________________

"N-No, I have no idea what you're talking about, hyung." Taemin stuttered. Looked on the floor, he was trying hard not to look at his best friend in the eyes.

"You know how important this is. It's a matter of life and death. Please try to remember." Jonghyun said.

"I really don't remember that day. I mean I was so young that I was still afraid of thunders." The younger stepbrother explained.

"I didn't mention the storm," said Kibum with a hurt expression. He knew what that meant. Taemin lied to him. But why?

Taemin turned pale. "I... It's because you said I was hiding in the closet... and I used to do that when it thundered. I'm sorry I really can't tell you anything."

"Minnie," the younger boy bit on his lower lips as he heard Key calling by him that name.

"Look at me in the eyes and tell me you don't know anything about the night my mother was murdered and I'll believe you," Kibum said, looking straight at his stepbrother. Taemin held his breath nervously and after a moment of fighting with himself, he finally made it to look at Key.

"Hyung, I... I..."

Kibum's eyes were fixed on Taemin, making the younger boy feel guilty. His stepbrother trusted him and all he needed to do now was to use that trust and he would be out of the woods.

....

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to lie to you. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry, really."

After a long silence, Taemin burst into tears. He wanted to say he didn't see anything that day, but he couldn't. He couldn't look into his best friend's eyes and lie to him as if there was nothing.

---Flashback---

"Gwiboon Imo," the young Taemin called cheerfully as soon as he saw his favorite aunt.

"Hello, birthday boy." Gwiboon greeted.

"Imo, today is Minnie's birthday. I'm going to be a strong man from now on," beamed Taemin.

"You are so cute, Taemin-ah." Gwiboon said, squeezed the little boy.

"I'm not cute, Imo. I'm a man," answered Taemin, pouted.