TAT (7/?)
7
Uh-oh, looks like the Taeman is against gays!
Taemin pulled at the extensions and strung his fingers through his roots. He snapped the plain silver barrettes and pulled out his fake lengths. He ran a hand through his grown out locks and grinned pleasingly. His natural color was peeking through and he was due for a new dye.
“What do you think about platinum blonde?”
Kibum rounded the vanity and tugged at the boy’s bangs. “How about strawberry blonde? I think it suits you better.”
Taemin nodded and grabbed a magazine out of the rack and devoured the pictures in seconds. He judged the styles in his head and made silent comments. He turned the page and read the loud and fun colored title which read, Fun, fun, fun colors in winter!
He looked through the girls in skintight, obnoxiously bright skinny jeans and pale pink Dum Dum pops sticking halfway through their pouted lips. Typical, he let out a slow tsk sound with his teeth.
“Why hello there, sweetie. Ready for a retouch already?” the tall man said with attitude.
Taemin smiled. “I don’t think it’s a retouch if you are getting a new color. Strawberry Blonde… number 239, please.”
“Will do!”
*
“You look awesome. All the boys and girls will be looking at you.” Kibum played.
A disgusted look arrived on the sweet face. “That’s weird. I don’t want guys looking at me like that. I’m not gay… that is so,” he shivered,” Wrong!”
Kibum felt his gut shift and his pride empty out into a sewage system. He was hurt for the most part, but also very… guilty. If Taemin was really his favorite dongsaeng he would’ve told him already; thing is, he didn’t, and that made all the difference.
“But it’s uh, the 21st century… Tae, things happen.” His voice wearily melted into a pool of sadness.
“It doesn’t make anything easier. Time can never be fully changed. Look at Korea. If they heard what you said just now I don’t think you’d be alive. They’d eat you alive.”
Kibum watched the sly expression and he excused himself. Gay. I’m really, actually gay…
*
Taemin pursed his lips until it made a fine line. This topic has been bothering him for a while now. He continued to sip his bubble tea with ease.
“So, how did you get so close with Jonghyun?” it tasted awful coming out of his mouth, almost like a stinging venom.
“I guess we kinda… fit together, y’know? I mean like, we are total opposites, Ying Yang sort of speak. Plus, I guess we got closer when I cried into him on the first day of freshmen year.”
“That’s nice.” Taemin looked up from his tea and caught the raised eyebrow. “What? I’m not jealous!” he exclaimed louder than planned.
Kibum nodded, laughing a bit as he bit into a chewy jelly-like bubble. He reached over the table and covered the younger’s hands, caressing it softly with his thumb.
“We’ve got something better.”
Taemin rolled his tongue over his pillowy lips and tried his best to hold his blush in. He pulled his hand back into his lap and made a discreet grunting sound.
“Stupid jerk face.” He muttered, but in the back of his head his cells regenerated, sending new, rusty feelings to the pit of his stomach.
“Remember that time we went into the golf court and started playing? That was really fun, wasn’t it?” Kibum looked onto the ceiling, relishing in the old memories.
“We almost got caught,” Taemin justified. “We could’ve gotten hours of community service for that. It was all Jinki’s fault, anyways.”
“Do you want to go with me?”
“We have practice though, I’ve never played hooky before. You’re kidding aren’t you?”
“Only if you’re chicken.”
Taemin thought for a little bit. “I’m not a chicken. I’m Taeman!