All in Vain; Jonghyun/Onew
All in Vain
705 words. PG.
- SHINee; Jonghyun/Onew.
author onew
summary There is a reason why Jinki trips on his own feet (other than his being innately clumsy).
notes written for the 15-minute challenge @ kpfw 9.0.
Hi, hello. He is Lee Jinki, master of smooth. He gets girls by acting innocent and cool, balancing academics, the school publications, the student council and gardening club with his hands and feet (and head, too, if you may). Whoever said all the tripping and falling on his butt make him look terribly pathetic is wrong; it brings the girls to the yard and, sometimes, the men, too. But that might just be because he gets up at once, straightens out his uniform soon after and says, "Oh sorry. Where were we?"
He is Lee Jinki, straight-A student, the guy everyone's crushing on but never has the courage to walk up to. So when the new kid - "Isn't that Kim Jonghyun," Jinki hears one of the girls saying - walks up to him and says, "You dropped your book. What is this... Korean ghost stories?", everyone gapes and stares long enough for Jinki to melt.
"Um, thank you," Jinki says, snatching the book from Jonghyun's hand, bowing afterwards. He walks to the comfort room as he can - walks, not runs, because he's supposed to be cool - and locks the door behind him. He splashes some cold water on his face.
Then he makes this resolution - get to know whoever that Kim Jonghyun guy is, humiliate him in front of the entire school population the way he did to Jinki and, well, generally make a fool out of Jonghyun. But when Jonghyun sits beside him the following day during lunch, he begins feeling all uneasy and queasy about the entire plan.
"Everybody loves you, yeah?" Jonghyun asks as he chews on his sandwich. Jinki just nods and turns his attention to his food. "But you're not really the cool guy everyone thinks you are. I bet falling on your butt more than once a day hurts a lot." Jonghyun takes a deep sigh and shakes his head.
"Well, some girls find it cute. And cool, once you, you know, act all cool after that," Jinki quickly replies, and Jonghyun finds himself laughing. Attempt to exact revenge #1: foiled.
So the next day, Jinki tries befriending Jonghyun, sitting beside him during class (because really, he didn't expect Jonghyun to be in the same class as he is). During lunch, they only ever talk about how Badminton is the best sport ever, and how weird it would be if Minho, their junior two years down, will play the lead role for "Alice in Wonderland". And so it becomes a routine - sitting beside each other during class, goofing around during lunch, walking home together after all club activities have ended. "This is my stop," Jonghyun says when they reach Apkujong. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, tomorrow."
Jonghyun waits until the train has gone, and Jinki just stares as Jonghyun waves at him, the promise of tomorrow etched in his mind.
Attempt to exact revenge #1526748: foiled again.
Realizing that all these attempts to get back at Jonghyun will never work because he can't really find it in his heart to hurt someone like Jonghyun (he really cannot find a word to substitute his name), he tries to stop. He doesn't sit next to Jonghyun in class the following day, goes to the soccer field and has lunch there, runs off alone right after the student council meeting. He exits through the gate just beside the garden because he knows Jonghyun will never go there; Jonghyun doesn't like the smell of flowers. He bows to the guard, waves him goodbye and hangs his head low as he walks, but then he bumps into someone and he falls flat on his butt.
"Is this a habit of yours, falling on your butt?" When Jinki looks up, he sees Jonghyun smiling, and he doesn't quickly get back to his feet, doesn't straighten his uniform or pick up his books. He just sits there, looking at Jonghyun, and for a while he wonders why Jonghyun's extending a hand. "Hold on tight or you'll fall again." Jinki grips Jonghyun's hand tight and pulls him down.
Attempt to save his face after falling #128495: foiled for the first time.
Attempt to save his heart #1: foiled forever, thanks to Jonghyun.
And they both erupt into a lovely peal of laughter.