you don't need to understand them
kaisoo; pg-13 (for bad words and insults); 3727w
just like any other korean child, kyungsoo is sent by his parents to a foreign country to learn english.
note: some dialogues are written in tagalog. don't worry, there are translations ^_^
++ grammar errors everywhere.
The map in his hands is no help. He's definitely lost. All these words that don't make sense, these street signs he can't understand, the people who refuse to talk to him...
He feels so out of place.
The only thing he finds familiar is the McDonalds by the corner, and the buses, and the cars, and the sky. A few minutes ago, he’s seen some Korean characters written on big boards in front of some buildings, but they are all unfamiliar names to him.
He can't understand anything.
He's in a different place but he knows he's definitely under the same clouds that travel around the world and the same sky that covers the whole world, but still, everything doesn't make sense to him.
He looks at his map again. It says he's supposed to get off the bus with the sign Quiapo under a footbridge and then cross the road. It also says he's supposed to see 7ELEVEN at the foot of the bridge and that he's supposed to walk to the right where he'll see a big billboard of a guy named Daniel Padillia. He looks ahead. He sees a bridge, with a dark green roof and dirty white body, all covered with dust. A lot of people are in the bridge, wearing uniforms or casual clothes, going to the left and to the right, going up and down the stairs. The footbridge looks really old that he thinks it's going to break sooner.
Should I cross under the bridge instead? He asks himself, looking to his left. Buses, cars and other weird looking vehicles with long antennas and open windows drive nonstop on the three-lane road. Maybe I should really use the bridge. So he walks towards the foot of the stairs and looks up. He sees an old man sitting by the side, a few steps above, reaching out to the passer-by’s with a plastic cup in his hand.
Kyungsoo swallows the big lump in his throat before finally taking a step up the stairs, and another, and another, until he passes by the old man who has extended his hand with a plastic cup to him. He stops a few steps above the old man, looking back at him, as people pass by him, ignoring him. He can't help but feel sad, but he feels sadder for himself.
He’s lost…in a place he doesn’t know.
He goes up the remaining steps and then turns left where sees a lot of vendors seated on the floor, selling different kinds of stuff. There are cell phone cases, hair accessories, shoes, and even cell phones! Wow!
When he reaches the end of the bridge, he wonders if he should go to the left or to the right. He decides he should ask someone. Looking around, he notices a female student going up the stairs. When she reaches the top, Kyungsoo stands on her way. She’s a pretty girl, hair dyed pink, no makeups.
"Excuse me?" came his tiny voice. He’s afraid he’d make mistakes that would make her laugh at him.
The girl looks at him, eyebrows crinkled.
"Uhm, can I ask... where is this?" he shows the girl his map, a finger pointing at the word 7ELEVEN.
"Ah," the girl nods. "Don," she says, pointing at the bottom of the left staircase. [don: there]
"Thank you! Thank you!" Kyungsoo bows twice to her and then goes down the left staircase immediately.
Indeed there’s the store 7ELEVEN by the foot of the stairs. He walks towards the nearest corner and turns right, muttering, "de-ni-yel-pa-dih-li-ya." He looks up, but there are no billboards on sight. He sighs. Why did he even say yes to his parents’ idea?
He sees a lot of students coming his way, but he's too shy to ask any of them. Plus, none of them are paying attention to him. What if he asks them and his voice cracks? They’d laugh at him. They’d make fun of his English. There are so many things that stop Kyungsoo from asking for help. He feels like crying. He feels so hopeless.
"Oh-ho~"
Three boys stand on his way, wearing white uniforms, dark green pants and black shoes. They are obviously taller than Kyungsoo, but have not much muscle like him. All three has short hair but in different colors. The one in the left has black hair, the one in the middle has red hair and the last one has blonde hair. Kyungsoo remembered his Mom telling him students in the Philippines aren’t allowed to have their hair dyed or in fancy cuts that’s why he’s cut his hair short and dyed it back to black.
"Hi there, little guy," greets the black haired guy in English.
The blonde guy in the right, Raymond, bends down a little to Kyungsoo's level, his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "Koreano ka?" his smile doesn't look good to Kyungsoo. It screams ‘DANGER!’ [are you korean?]
Kyungsoo doesn't answer. He doesn't even understand what he's saying!
Patrick, the guy with red hair who’s standing in the middle pushes him harshly. "Di mo ba kami naiintindihan?" he laughs. [don’t you understand us?]
Kyungsoo swallows. "...What?"
"Ang sabi ko, ko-re-ya-no-ka-ba?!" asks Raymond, shouting at Kyungsoo's face. [i said, are you korean?!]
The three of them laugh.
He feels like crying. Although he understood some of what the blonde guy said, they still don't make sense to him. Korean...o? Don't they know how to say it right or are they just doing it in purpose?
“Wag mo nga sya sigawan, Reyms!” says the red haired guy, pushing his friend playfully on the chest. [don’t shout at him, Reyms!]
"Bat ka nanginginig?" the guy with black hair, Neb, asks him in a way a brother talks playfully to his baby sister. [why are you shaking?]
Kyungsoo squints at the last guy's I.D, but he can't read properly what was written there. Ne-ne...bu...chad-
"Anong tinitingin-tingin mo?!" he pushes Kyungsoo harshly on the shoulder. [what are you looking at?!]
Raymond sighs loudly. He bends to Kyungsoo's level and says, "Diba dapat ganito kaliit mata mo?" He pulls the sides of his eyes farther, making them as small as the eyes of his Korean classmates. [aren’t your eyes supposed to be small like this?]
They all laugh again.
"Hoy, magsalita ka nga!" Patrick pushes him on the right shoulder. "Wala ka bang dila? Oh baka mabaho lang yang hininga mo?" [hey, speak up! Don’t you have a tongue? Or does your breath smell?]
"Poor you," Raymond says, faking a worried tone, "can't understand us?"
"Aww," Neb coos, pinching Kyungsoo’s left cheek.
"Don't you speak at least basic English?" asks Raymond, eyebrows crinkled in disgust.
Kyungsoo feels like his eyes are going to jump out from their sockets as he looks at the left guy, and then at the right, and then at the left, and then at the right. They don't look the same but their faces scream one word: BULLY. He wants to run, but his feet are stuck in the ground. He wants to cry, but his tears won't come out. Even his sweat won’t come out from his pores. They are all scared just like him! (Well at least, he’s not the only one who’s scared…)
Someone, please save me! Please.
"Can't understand English too? Why are you even here if you don't know how to English??" asks Neb.
"Tangina, mali ka, dre!" Patrick pushes Neb playfully. [fuck, you’re wrong, dude!]
He looks around for help. Students keep walking down the road, passing by the four of them, not even sparing him a glimpse. Is this what it's like to be in an unfamiliar place? Why is everybody ignoring him when he's clearly being bullied?
Patrick faces Kyungsoo, looking at him mockingly. "Why are you so small and why are your eyes so big? Aren’t Koreans supposed to be tall and have small eyes? You look like an owl! Eew! Are you really-" His face is almost an inch close to Kyungsoo’s when a flying kick sends him onto the ground. "Tangina, anong problema mo?!" [fuck! what’s your problem?!]
"Oh! It’s the black Korean!" says Raymond, laughing.
Kyungsoo backs away a little when the tall guy stands in front of him, guarding him from the other two delinquents. “Did they hurt you?” he asks him, and he smiles because finally, he met someone he understands! Yey!
Kyungsoo sees the sun shining on them like a spotlight, and he thinks he sees his superhero spreading out his wings. (He’d rather it be wings than a cape because he doesn’t like Superman whose brief is outside his pants or Batman whose face is covered in a weird bat mask.)
Superhero is an angel! He’s Super Angel!
"Wala na ba kayong ibang alam gawin kundi mang-bully ng mga Koreano?" He's obviously struggling to speak in the foreign language, but for Kyungsoo, who didn’t even understand a thing from what he said, he sounds perfectly fine. Actually, he thinks he sounds hot. [don’t you have anything better do than bullying Koreans?]
"Aba, marunong ka nang magtagalog!" comments Neb. [woah! You now know how to speak in tagalog!]
Super Angel is about to punch Neb when Raymond steps in between and pushes him onto Kyungsoo, his back hitting the short guy’s nose.
"Chill, dre! Tangina, there's no need to be so angry!" Raymond says to him. [chill, dude! Fuck, there’s no need to be so angry!]
Super Angel sighs and then looks at Patrick who’s standing up while holding onto his waist in pain. He then spits on the ground, eyes burning holes in Super Angel’s body. "Magbabayad ka, gago." [you’ll pay for this, bastard.]
Raymond and Neb move quickly to help Patrick stand up, and as they leave, Super Angel follows them with his eyes that are filled with anger.
Kyungsoo is staring up at his Super Angel stupidly, his eyes really big and his mouth slightly opened. To him he's the best example for the word 'perfect'. He's so breath-taking and he makes Kyungsoo's heart do somersaults. He's like an angel who came down immediately from heaven when he saw Kyungsoo being bullied by those guys. He's so… fucking… beautiful.
Super Angel looks at Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo looks away quickly, blushing.
"Are you okay? He asks, placing a hand over Kyungsoo's right shoulder.
Kyungsoo feels his shoulder burning. "Y-yeah," Kyungsoo manages to say.
"They're the worst," he says to Kyungsoo, his voice ringing like church bells in his ears. And then he imagines himself standing by the church entrance, waving at his super hero who’s walking towards him, dressed in a sexy tux. "You should stay away from them." His voice breaks Kyungsoo’s train of thoughts. "That should teach them their lesson, but they wouldn't stop no matter what."
Kyungsoo nods hesitantly. He can't find the right words to say (and his voice might crack).
"By the way, are you new here?"
"Y-yeah." Kyungsoo's voice is barely audible and his lower lip is trembling.
Super Angel chuckles before he reaches a hand to Kyungsoo. "It’s nice to meet you! I'm Kim Jongin.”
Kyungsoo licks his lips, looking down at Kim Jongin's hand. A moment of hesitation passes by him until he takes it suddenly, surprising Jongin a little. He smacks himself mentally, reminding himself not to look stupid in front of Jongin again. "Do Kyungsoo. It’s nice…r to meet you and... t-thanks,” he stutters.
Jongin laughs, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair. "No problem."
Kyungsoo blushes at the little contact between their bodies, and the sound of Jongin's laughter is so beautiful in his ears. Even Jongin is so beautiful. So beautiful that Kyungsoo thinks he should be punished for having such a beautiful smile because damn it just makes him more beautiful. (It's not Kyungsoo’s fault if he thinks Jongin's name sounds... beautiful after the word... beautiful.)
"Are they your classmates?" Kyungsoo asks.
Jongin sighs, disappointed. "Same course, to make it worse. I'm taking up graphics designing. What about you?"
Kyungsoo grins. "Same!" …tomorrow. Because he still needs to figure out the way to get into his new school and enroll in graphics designing. He’s really, really thankful of Jongin showing up. He won’t mind being in a place full of unfamiliar people if he’s going to be with Kim Jongin from now on.
"So, where do you live?" Jongin asks as he starts walking. He shoves his hands inside the pockets of his oh-so-fitted school pants (Kyungsoo's eyes bulge open and he gulps, but he looks away quickly at the group of girls whose faces are covered in thick amounts of makeups.)
“I… don’t know yet,” he says hesitantly, the map in his hands crumpled. He hasn’t noticed it until now.
“If you like, you can live with me. My apartment has two rooms and nobody likes living with me.”
Kyungsoo looks up at him. “Why is that? I mean…”
“I dunno,” Jongin says, looking down at him with a smile. “Maybe because I never told anyone about it?” he laughs.
Kyungsoo’s eyes crawl up the billboard above them, Jongin’s voice trailing off in an echo in his ears. Holy- he hastily straightens the map in his hands and then looks up again. He feels like screaming at Daniel Padilla.
“What’s the matter?” Jongin asks.
Kyungsoo crumples the map, hides it behind his back and then smiles widely at Jongin. “Nothing!” he says, shaking his head rapidly.
Jongin smiles.
“Uhm… I…” Kyungsoo doesn’t know how to say it. “I…”
“What?”
They cross the road when the streetlight turns red. Buses, cars and the weird looking vehicles stop before the pedestrian crossing. Students begin to cross the road, Jongin and Kyungsoo tagging along.
“I’m not yet enrolled, actually,” he says, smiling sheepishly at Jongin.
Jongin nods, looking at his wrist watch. It says 1:35 PM. “My class starts at three. I’ll help you if you want.” He gives Kyungsoo an assuring smile.
“Really? Thank you!”
“But… I thought you’re in the same course as me?”
“Well…” he chuckles. “Oh, don’t you think it wouldn’t be too late for me to enroll?” He changes the topic.
Jongin shrugs. “It’s just been a week, I guess no. Hey. You-”
Kyungsoo smiles sheepishly at him.
It’s around three thirty when Kyungsoo’s done fixing his enrolment papers. Jongin gives him a short tour around their school, showing him the computer laboratories (and making sure his professor doesn’t see him) and other classrooms. He also shows Kyungsoo the canteen, the library and the little shop called TamShop where they can buy school shirts and goodies. He also takes Kyungsoo outside the school to the gym where the school’s basketball varsity practices. He also treats Kyungsoo out on a dinner at Pizza Hut and then shows him the way home.
The day has been too long for Kyungsoo’s liking, but it was fun with Jongin around. He just wouldn’t stop talking, but Kyungsoo still wants to hear more from him. He also realizes Philippines is not that bad. Even though the streets are dirty of vehicle smoke and papers and plastic bags and other smelly stuff scattered everywhere, he still finds the place wonderful (especially at night) and the people everywhere.
Kyungsoo’s shoulders hurt after carrying his bag full of clothes the whole day. When they arrive at Jongin’s apartment, full and tired, he feels like throwing himself onto bed and sleep.
Jongin’s apartment is nice, warm and enough just for the two of them, although it smells of cigarette and alcohol. He feels complete in here, as if he’s just at home in Korea. The living room isn’t big unlike the one at his house, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind it as long as there’s a television set and a couch (where he can read a book while Jongin watches the television).
“Kitchen’s there, bathroom’s next, your room, then mine,” Jongin says, pointing at the rooms one by one. “You can stay here forever, as long as you’re gonna help me with the bills.”
“No problem!” Kyungsoo beams, a hand on his right temple, doing a salute.
Jongin smiles. “Sorry ‘bout the smell. Smoking and drinking are my pastime.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure I can do something about that...” He isn’t sure what, though.
“Well then, feel at home.” Jongin shrugs as he walks to the kitchen. Then he clicks his tongue and stops halfway, facing Kyungsoo. “What about your clothes?”
“Clothes? Uhm, my Mom gave me extra money to buy new clothes.”
“You didn’t bring any with you?”
“I brought a few with me…”
Jongin nods. “Okay. You can unpack your bag and put all your clothes in the cabinet. We can buy some on Saturday, since we don’t have classes. Ah,” he claps his hands, “speaking of, show me your schedule so we can make plans.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah. Go to bars and have awesome sex with sexy girls!” Jongin laughs.
Kyungsoo swallows. “Uh… I don’t-”
“I know. Wanna drink?”
Kyungsoo shakes his head rapidly. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke and… I don’t…”
“Whatever.” Jongin enters the kitchen. “Wanna eat instead?”
“We just ate a whole pizza!” Kyungsoo says, eyes wide. He feels like throwing up hearing the word ‘eat’ again. “But… I can cook! If you are… hungry.”
“Hmm?” Jongin hums, smiling. He enters the kitchen and Kyungsoo follows, leaving his bag at the floor.
“From now on I’ll cook for the two of us!” he says happily. “To repay you for saving me from those bullies and for letting me stay with you.”
“Well, you’re gonna help me with the bills so it’s fine if you don’t cook for us anymore. I can live eating McDonalds and pizza every day,” he tells Kyungsoo. “But if you insist, then suit yourself,” Jongin smiles once more, “I’ll see if you’ll make a good cook,” he pauses, looking at Kyungsoo intently, and whispers, “and a good husband.”
Kyungsoo blinks, his mind unable to form coherent words.
He thinks it’s really too much, and his heart might jump out of his chest if Jongin continues smiling beautifully at him.
“Besides, I’m hungry for something that can’t be cooked.”
Jongin’s voice trails off in his mind as his thoughts crowded his head. He doesn’t notice Jongin’s face as it inched near Kyungsoo’s until he feels Jongin’s hot breath against his lips.
Kyungsoo blinks. “What?”
Jongin swallows and oh, God, I… why must I see that? he asks himself, looking at Jongin’s adam’s apple. He swallows. Why is… oh god, what has he done in the past for him to be deserving of this perfect guy?
Jongin snickers. “You’re so cute.” He pinches the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose and adds, “Cuter when so scared… and cutest when blushing.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widen and then he coughs awkwardly, taking a step back. “Who’s blushing,” he mutters, walking past Jongin to check what’s inside the fridge. His cheeks are burning! He must do something! “What do you want to eat?” He changes the topic.
“It was you who said we just ate a whole pizza. I’m not hungry. And you haven’t unpacked your stuffs yet,” Jongin says, leaning against the counter. “Go fill your cabinet with you tiny clothes.” He laughs.
Kyungsoo’s right eye twitches as he answers, “I can do that later.” He closes the fridge. “You sure you’re not hungry?” he doesn’t look at Jongin. Instead, he looks around, familiarizing the kitchen.
Jongin shrugs. “Yeah. I’ll just take a bath. Unpack your things -and go fill your cabinet with your tiny clothes- or watch TV. Do what you like.” Jongin is about to leave when Kyungsoo calls him.
“Jongin!”
He turns back to Kyungsoo. “Yeah?”
Kyungsoo swallows. “I’m… probably older than you.”
Jongin shrugs. “Okay, Hyung.” He’s about to leave when Kyungsoo speaks again.
“Can you teach me how to speak in Filipino?”
Jongin crinkles his eyebrows. “Why?”
“Because I want to understand them,” Kyungsoo says quickly. “I want to understand what they’re saying, especially when they’re bullying me, and I want them to understand me too.”
Jongin walks towards Kyungsoo, his hands still inside his pockets. “Why?”
“Uhm… just… that?” Kyungsoo gulps. “Do I need… more reasons?”
Jongin’s face is only a few inches away from Kyungsoo’s, and he’s snickering; so sexy, so hot, that Kyungsoo’s heart is going insane and his insides are melting.
“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo squeaks. He feels so tiny under Jongin’s gaze.
Jongin stares at Kyungsoo’s lips for a while and then looks back at his eyes. "You can understand them, if you wish to, but you don't really need to,” he says to him. “Ask me why.”
“Why?” Kyungsoo asks, breathless.
“Because I am here and I want to be the only one who can understand you."
Kyungsoo almost loses his balance, his knees wobbly.
"Okay, I'll teach you one word." Jongin pulls away, walking towards one of the chairs and sitting in it. “I was just teasing you.” He laughs.
Kyungsoo’s jaw drops. Well, that worked. But Alas! Jongin’s gonna teach him! “Really?!” he squeals like a girl who’s been asked out on a date by her crush.
Jongin shrugs.
Kyungsoo pulls out his handy dandy notebook and his purple fur covered pen from the pocket of his not-so-skinny jeans and smiles wide at Jongin, eyes forming into crescents, anticipating at the first Filipino word he’ll learn.
Jongin’s jaw drops a little. “So… that was what’s in your pockets?”
Kyungsoo nods like a little child. “One word!”
Jongin sighs. "Hmm," he mutters, looking at Kyungsoo. He chuckles a little and says, "Tangina."
"Oh!" he writes it down on his notebook. "I heard that before! What does that mean? Tang...i...na... Tangina! Hahaha!"
Jongin laughs. "It's some kind of a... greeting."
"A greeting?" kyungsoo repeats, writing down the word ‘greeting’ next to ‘tangina’. "So… The best way to greet a teacher is to tell him or her “tangina, teacher!”?"
Jongin only shrugs, supressing his laughter.
"Jongin~" Kyungsoo whines.
“Yes!" Jongin laughs. “You’ll be the nicest student ever.”
"Got it! One more word!" he says excitedly.
Jongin coughs -or chokes- and looks at Kyungsoo seriously. "Hmm, you should also remember the word... pangit."
"Pangit? What's that in english?"
"Handsome." Jongin says coolly, wiggling his eyebrows at Kyungsoo.
"AH! So I’m… pangit?” Kyungsoo says in english, unsure. Then he claps to himself and laughs because, yey! Achievement!
Jongin is laughing hysterically.
----
Tangina = fuck / son of a bitch (motherfucker, too, i think lol)
Pangit = ugly.
OKAY SORRY THAT WAS SO LAME and sorry about the translations… if they weren’t accurate. I just needed to write this quickly because omg I have so many feels for kim tan and cha eunsang lulz.
this is me, when in a chinese party (my grandpa’s chinese) and whenever people are looking at me while talking, which makes me paranoid. “omg why are they looking at me?? are they talking about my nose??” (cause my nose is big meh)
Oh well. Thanks for reading!
just like any other korean child, kyungsoo is sent by his parents to a foreign country to learn english.
note: some dialogues are written in tagalog. don't worry, there are translations ^_^
++ grammar errors everywhere.
The map in his hands is no help. He's definitely lost. All these words that don't make sense, these street signs he can't understand, the people who refuse to talk to him...
He feels so out of place.
The only thing he finds familiar is the McDonalds by the corner, and the buses, and the cars, and the sky. A few minutes ago, he’s seen some Korean characters written on big boards in front of some buildings, but they are all unfamiliar names to him.
He can't understand anything.
He's in a different place but he knows he's definitely under the same clouds that travel around the world and the same sky that covers the whole world, but still, everything doesn't make sense to him.
He looks at his map again. It says he's supposed to get off the bus with the sign Quiapo under a footbridge and then cross the road. It also says he's supposed to see 7ELEVEN at the foot of the bridge and that he's supposed to walk to the right where he'll see a big billboard of a guy named Daniel Padillia. He looks ahead. He sees a bridge, with a dark green roof and dirty white body, all covered with dust. A lot of people are in the bridge, wearing uniforms or casual clothes, going to the left and to the right, going up and down the stairs. The footbridge looks really old that he thinks it's going to break sooner.
Should I cross under the bridge instead? He asks himself, looking to his left. Buses, cars and other weird looking vehicles with long antennas and open windows drive nonstop on the three-lane road. Maybe I should really use the bridge. So he walks towards the foot of the stairs and looks up. He sees an old man sitting by the side, a few steps above, reaching out to the passer-by’s with a plastic cup in his hand.
Kyungsoo swallows the big lump in his throat before finally taking a step up the stairs, and another, and another, until he passes by the old man who has extended his hand with a plastic cup to him. He stops a few steps above the old man, looking back at him, as people pass by him, ignoring him. He can't help but feel sad, but he feels sadder for himself.
He’s lost…in a place he doesn’t know.
He goes up the remaining steps and then turns left where sees a lot of vendors seated on the floor, selling different kinds of stuff. There are cell phone cases, hair accessories, shoes, and even cell phones! Wow!
When he reaches the end of the bridge, he wonders if he should go to the left or to the right. He decides he should ask someone. Looking around, he notices a female student going up the stairs. When she reaches the top, Kyungsoo stands on her way. She’s a pretty girl, hair dyed pink, no makeups.
"Excuse me?" came his tiny voice. He’s afraid he’d make mistakes that would make her laugh at him.
The girl looks at him, eyebrows crinkled.
"Uhm, can I ask... where is this?" he shows the girl his map, a finger pointing at the word 7ELEVEN.
"Ah," the girl nods. "Don," she says, pointing at the bottom of the left staircase. [don: there]
"Thank you! Thank you!" Kyungsoo bows twice to her and then goes down the left staircase immediately.
Indeed there’s the store 7ELEVEN by the foot of the stairs. He walks towards the nearest corner and turns right, muttering, "de-ni-yel-pa-dih-li-ya." He looks up, but there are no billboards on sight. He sighs. Why did he even say yes to his parents’ idea?
He sees a lot of students coming his way, but he's too shy to ask any of them. Plus, none of them are paying attention to him. What if he asks them and his voice cracks? They’d laugh at him. They’d make fun of his English. There are so many things that stop Kyungsoo from asking for help. He feels like crying. He feels so hopeless.
"Oh-ho~"
Three boys stand on his way, wearing white uniforms, dark green pants and black shoes. They are obviously taller than Kyungsoo, but have not much muscle like him. All three has short hair but in different colors. The one in the left has black hair, the one in the middle has red hair and the last one has blonde hair. Kyungsoo remembered his Mom telling him students in the Philippines aren’t allowed to have their hair dyed or in fancy cuts that’s why he’s cut his hair short and dyed it back to black.
"Hi there, little guy," greets the black haired guy in English.
The blonde guy in the right, Raymond, bends down a little to Kyungsoo's level, his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "Koreano ka?" his smile doesn't look good to Kyungsoo. It screams ‘DANGER!’ [are you korean?]
Kyungsoo doesn't answer. He doesn't even understand what he's saying!
Patrick, the guy with red hair who’s standing in the middle pushes him harshly. "Di mo ba kami naiintindihan?" he laughs. [don’t you understand us?]
Kyungsoo swallows. "...What?"
"Ang sabi ko, ko-re-ya-no-ka-ba?!" asks Raymond, shouting at Kyungsoo's face. [i said, are you korean?!]
The three of them laugh.
He feels like crying. Although he understood some of what the blonde guy said, they still don't make sense to him. Korean...o? Don't they know how to say it right or are they just doing it in purpose?
“Wag mo nga sya sigawan, Reyms!” says the red haired guy, pushing his friend playfully on the chest. [don’t shout at him, Reyms!]
"Bat ka nanginginig?" the guy with black hair, Neb, asks him in a way a brother talks playfully to his baby sister. [why are you shaking?]
Kyungsoo squints at the last guy's I.D, but he can't read properly what was written there. Ne-ne...bu...chad-
"Anong tinitingin-tingin mo?!" he pushes Kyungsoo harshly on the shoulder. [what are you looking at?!]
Raymond sighs loudly. He bends to Kyungsoo's level and says, "Diba dapat ganito kaliit mata mo?" He pulls the sides of his eyes farther, making them as small as the eyes of his Korean classmates. [aren’t your eyes supposed to be small like this?]
They all laugh again.
"Hoy, magsalita ka nga!" Patrick pushes him on the right shoulder. "Wala ka bang dila? Oh baka mabaho lang yang hininga mo?" [hey, speak up! Don’t you have a tongue? Or does your breath smell?]
"Poor you," Raymond says, faking a worried tone, "can't understand us?"
"Aww," Neb coos, pinching Kyungsoo’s left cheek.
"Don't you speak at least basic English?" asks Raymond, eyebrows crinkled in disgust.
Kyungsoo feels like his eyes are going to jump out from their sockets as he looks at the left guy, and then at the right, and then at the left, and then at the right. They don't look the same but their faces scream one word: BULLY. He wants to run, but his feet are stuck in the ground. He wants to cry, but his tears won't come out. Even his sweat won’t come out from his pores. They are all scared just like him! (Well at least, he’s not the only one who’s scared…)
Someone, please save me! Please.
"Can't understand English too? Why are you even here if you don't know how to English??" asks Neb.
"Tangina, mali ka, dre!" Patrick pushes Neb playfully. [fuck, you’re wrong, dude!]
He looks around for help. Students keep walking down the road, passing by the four of them, not even sparing him a glimpse. Is this what it's like to be in an unfamiliar place? Why is everybody ignoring him when he's clearly being bullied?
Patrick faces Kyungsoo, looking at him mockingly. "Why are you so small and why are your eyes so big? Aren’t Koreans supposed to be tall and have small eyes? You look like an owl! Eew! Are you really-" His face is almost an inch close to Kyungsoo’s when a flying kick sends him onto the ground. "Tangina, anong problema mo?!" [fuck! what’s your problem?!]
"Oh! It’s the black Korean!" says Raymond, laughing.
Kyungsoo backs away a little when the tall guy stands in front of him, guarding him from the other two delinquents. “Did they hurt you?” he asks him, and he smiles because finally, he met someone he understands! Yey!
Kyungsoo sees the sun shining on them like a spotlight, and he thinks he sees his superhero spreading out his wings. (He’d rather it be wings than a cape because he doesn’t like Superman whose brief is outside his pants or Batman whose face is covered in a weird bat mask.)
Superhero is an angel! He’s Super Angel!
"Wala na ba kayong ibang alam gawin kundi mang-bully ng mga Koreano?" He's obviously struggling to speak in the foreign language, but for Kyungsoo, who didn’t even understand a thing from what he said, he sounds perfectly fine. Actually, he thinks he sounds hot. [don’t you have anything better do than bullying Koreans?]
"Aba, marunong ka nang magtagalog!" comments Neb. [woah! You now know how to speak in tagalog!]
Super Angel is about to punch Neb when Raymond steps in between and pushes him onto Kyungsoo, his back hitting the short guy’s nose.
"Chill, dre! Tangina, there's no need to be so angry!" Raymond says to him. [chill, dude! Fuck, there’s no need to be so angry!]
Super Angel sighs and then looks at Patrick who’s standing up while holding onto his waist in pain. He then spits on the ground, eyes burning holes in Super Angel’s body. "Magbabayad ka, gago." [you’ll pay for this, bastard.]
Raymond and Neb move quickly to help Patrick stand up, and as they leave, Super Angel follows them with his eyes that are filled with anger.
Kyungsoo is staring up at his Super Angel stupidly, his eyes really big and his mouth slightly opened. To him he's the best example for the word 'perfect'. He's so breath-taking and he makes Kyungsoo's heart do somersaults. He's like an angel who came down immediately from heaven when he saw Kyungsoo being bullied by those guys. He's so… fucking… beautiful.
Super Angel looks at Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo looks away quickly, blushing.
"Are you okay? He asks, placing a hand over Kyungsoo's right shoulder.
Kyungsoo feels his shoulder burning. "Y-yeah," Kyungsoo manages to say.
"They're the worst," he says to Kyungsoo, his voice ringing like church bells in his ears. And then he imagines himself standing by the church entrance, waving at his super hero who’s walking towards him, dressed in a sexy tux. "You should stay away from them." His voice breaks Kyungsoo’s train of thoughts. "That should teach them their lesson, but they wouldn't stop no matter what."
Kyungsoo nods hesitantly. He can't find the right words to say (and his voice might crack).
"By the way, are you new here?"
"Y-yeah." Kyungsoo's voice is barely audible and his lower lip is trembling.
Super Angel chuckles before he reaches a hand to Kyungsoo. "It’s nice to meet you! I'm Kim Jongin.”
Kyungsoo licks his lips, looking down at Kim Jongin's hand. A moment of hesitation passes by him until he takes it suddenly, surprising Jongin a little. He smacks himself mentally, reminding himself not to look stupid in front of Jongin again. "Do Kyungsoo. It’s nice…r to meet you and... t-thanks,” he stutters.
Jongin laughs, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair. "No problem."
Kyungsoo blushes at the little contact between their bodies, and the sound of Jongin's laughter is so beautiful in his ears. Even Jongin is so beautiful. So beautiful that Kyungsoo thinks he should be punished for having such a beautiful smile because damn it just makes him more beautiful. (It's not Kyungsoo’s fault if he thinks Jongin's name sounds... beautiful after the word... beautiful.)
"Are they your classmates?" Kyungsoo asks.
Jongin sighs, disappointed. "Same course, to make it worse. I'm taking up graphics designing. What about you?"
Kyungsoo grins. "Same!" …tomorrow. Because he still needs to figure out the way to get into his new school and enroll in graphics designing. He’s really, really thankful of Jongin showing up. He won’t mind being in a place full of unfamiliar people if he’s going to be with Kim Jongin from now on.
"So, where do you live?" Jongin asks as he starts walking. He shoves his hands inside the pockets of his oh-so-fitted school pants (Kyungsoo's eyes bulge open and he gulps, but he looks away quickly at the group of girls whose faces are covered in thick amounts of makeups.)
“I… don’t know yet,” he says hesitantly, the map in his hands crumpled. He hasn’t noticed it until now.
“If you like, you can live with me. My apartment has two rooms and nobody likes living with me.”
Kyungsoo looks up at him. “Why is that? I mean…”
“I dunno,” Jongin says, looking down at him with a smile. “Maybe because I never told anyone about it?” he laughs.
Kyungsoo’s eyes crawl up the billboard above them, Jongin’s voice trailing off in an echo in his ears. Holy- he hastily straightens the map in his hands and then looks up again. He feels like screaming at Daniel Padilla.
“What’s the matter?” Jongin asks.
Kyungsoo crumples the map, hides it behind his back and then smiles widely at Jongin. “Nothing!” he says, shaking his head rapidly.
Jongin smiles.
“Uhm… I…” Kyungsoo doesn’t know how to say it. “I…”
“What?”
They cross the road when the streetlight turns red. Buses, cars and the weird looking vehicles stop before the pedestrian crossing. Students begin to cross the road, Jongin and Kyungsoo tagging along.
“I’m not yet enrolled, actually,” he says, smiling sheepishly at Jongin.
Jongin nods, looking at his wrist watch. It says 1:35 PM. “My class starts at three. I’ll help you if you want.” He gives Kyungsoo an assuring smile.
“Really? Thank you!”
“But… I thought you’re in the same course as me?”
“Well…” he chuckles. “Oh, don’t you think it wouldn’t be too late for me to enroll?” He changes the topic.
Jongin shrugs. “It’s just been a week, I guess no. Hey. You-”
Kyungsoo smiles sheepishly at him.
It’s around three thirty when Kyungsoo’s done fixing his enrolment papers. Jongin gives him a short tour around their school, showing him the computer laboratories (and making sure his professor doesn’t see him) and other classrooms. He also shows Kyungsoo the canteen, the library and the little shop called TamShop where they can buy school shirts and goodies. He also takes Kyungsoo outside the school to the gym where the school’s basketball varsity practices. He also treats Kyungsoo out on a dinner at Pizza Hut and then shows him the way home.
The day has been too long for Kyungsoo’s liking, but it was fun with Jongin around. He just wouldn’t stop talking, but Kyungsoo still wants to hear more from him. He also realizes Philippines is not that bad. Even though the streets are dirty of vehicle smoke and papers and plastic bags and other smelly stuff scattered everywhere, he still finds the place wonderful (especially at night) and the people everywhere.
Kyungsoo’s shoulders hurt after carrying his bag full of clothes the whole day. When they arrive at Jongin’s apartment, full and tired, he feels like throwing himself onto bed and sleep.
Jongin’s apartment is nice, warm and enough just for the two of them, although it smells of cigarette and alcohol. He feels complete in here, as if he’s just at home in Korea. The living room isn’t big unlike the one at his house, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind it as long as there’s a television set and a couch (where he can read a book while Jongin watches the television).
“Kitchen’s there, bathroom’s next, your room, then mine,” Jongin says, pointing at the rooms one by one. “You can stay here forever, as long as you’re gonna help me with the bills.”
“No problem!” Kyungsoo beams, a hand on his right temple, doing a salute.
Jongin smiles. “Sorry ‘bout the smell. Smoking and drinking are my pastime.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure I can do something about that...” He isn’t sure what, though.
“Well then, feel at home.” Jongin shrugs as he walks to the kitchen. Then he clicks his tongue and stops halfway, facing Kyungsoo. “What about your clothes?”
“Clothes? Uhm, my Mom gave me extra money to buy new clothes.”
“You didn’t bring any with you?”
“I brought a few with me…”
Jongin nods. “Okay. You can unpack your bag and put all your clothes in the cabinet. We can buy some on Saturday, since we don’t have classes. Ah,” he claps his hands, “speaking of, show me your schedule so we can make plans.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah. Go to bars and have awesome sex with sexy girls!” Jongin laughs.
Kyungsoo swallows. “Uh… I don’t-”
“I know. Wanna drink?”
Kyungsoo shakes his head rapidly. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke and… I don’t…”
“Whatever.” Jongin enters the kitchen. “Wanna eat instead?”
“We just ate a whole pizza!” Kyungsoo says, eyes wide. He feels like throwing up hearing the word ‘eat’ again. “But… I can cook! If you are… hungry.”
“Hmm?” Jongin hums, smiling. He enters the kitchen and Kyungsoo follows, leaving his bag at the floor.
“From now on I’ll cook for the two of us!” he says happily. “To repay you for saving me from those bullies and for letting me stay with you.”
“Well, you’re gonna help me with the bills so it’s fine if you don’t cook for us anymore. I can live eating McDonalds and pizza every day,” he tells Kyungsoo. “But if you insist, then suit yourself,” Jongin smiles once more, “I’ll see if you’ll make a good cook,” he pauses, looking at Kyungsoo intently, and whispers, “and a good husband.”
Kyungsoo blinks, his mind unable to form coherent words.
He thinks it’s really too much, and his heart might jump out of his chest if Jongin continues smiling beautifully at him.
“Besides, I’m hungry for something that can’t be cooked.”
Jongin’s voice trails off in his mind as his thoughts crowded his head. He doesn’t notice Jongin’s face as it inched near Kyungsoo’s until he feels Jongin’s hot breath against his lips.
Kyungsoo blinks. “What?”
Jongin swallows and oh, God, I… why must I see that? he asks himself, looking at Jongin’s adam’s apple. He swallows. Why is… oh god, what has he done in the past for him to be deserving of this perfect guy?
Jongin snickers. “You’re so cute.” He pinches the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose and adds, “Cuter when so scared… and cutest when blushing.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widen and then he coughs awkwardly, taking a step back. “Who’s blushing,” he mutters, walking past Jongin to check what’s inside the fridge. His cheeks are burning! He must do something! “What do you want to eat?” He changes the topic.
“It was you who said we just ate a whole pizza. I’m not hungry. And you haven’t unpacked your stuffs yet,” Jongin says, leaning against the counter. “Go fill your cabinet with you tiny clothes.” He laughs.
Kyungsoo’s right eye twitches as he answers, “I can do that later.” He closes the fridge. “You sure you’re not hungry?” he doesn’t look at Jongin. Instead, he looks around, familiarizing the kitchen.
Jongin shrugs. “Yeah. I’ll just take a bath. Unpack your things -and go fill your cabinet with your tiny clothes- or watch TV. Do what you like.” Jongin is about to leave when Kyungsoo calls him.
“Jongin!”
He turns back to Kyungsoo. “Yeah?”
Kyungsoo swallows. “I’m… probably older than you.”
Jongin shrugs. “Okay, Hyung.” He’s about to leave when Kyungsoo speaks again.
“Can you teach me how to speak in Filipino?”
Jongin crinkles his eyebrows. “Why?”
“Because I want to understand them,” Kyungsoo says quickly. “I want to understand what they’re saying, especially when they’re bullying me, and I want them to understand me too.”
Jongin walks towards Kyungsoo, his hands still inside his pockets. “Why?”
“Uhm… just… that?” Kyungsoo gulps. “Do I need… more reasons?”
Jongin’s face is only a few inches away from Kyungsoo’s, and he’s snickering; so sexy, so hot, that Kyungsoo’s heart is going insane and his insides are melting.
“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo squeaks. He feels so tiny under Jongin’s gaze.
Jongin stares at Kyungsoo’s lips for a while and then looks back at his eyes. "You can understand them, if you wish to, but you don't really need to,” he says to him. “Ask me why.”
“Why?” Kyungsoo asks, breathless.
“Because I am here and I want to be the only one who can understand you."
Kyungsoo almost loses his balance, his knees wobbly.
"Okay, I'll teach you one word." Jongin pulls away, walking towards one of the chairs and sitting in it. “I was just teasing you.” He laughs.
Kyungsoo’s jaw drops. Well, that worked. But Alas! Jongin’s gonna teach him! “Really?!” he squeals like a girl who’s been asked out on a date by her crush.
Jongin shrugs.
Kyungsoo pulls out his handy dandy notebook and his purple fur covered pen from the pocket of his not-so-skinny jeans and smiles wide at Jongin, eyes forming into crescents, anticipating at the first Filipino word he’ll learn.
Jongin’s jaw drops a little. “So… that was what’s in your pockets?”
Kyungsoo nods like a little child. “One word!”
Jongin sighs. "Hmm," he mutters, looking at Kyungsoo. He chuckles a little and says, "Tangina."
"Oh!" he writes it down on his notebook. "I heard that before! What does that mean? Tang...i...na... Tangina! Hahaha!"
Jongin laughs. "It's some kind of a... greeting."
"A greeting?" kyungsoo repeats, writing down the word ‘greeting’ next to ‘tangina’. "So… The best way to greet a teacher is to tell him or her “tangina, teacher!”?"
Jongin only shrugs, supressing his laughter.
"Jongin~" Kyungsoo whines.
“Yes!" Jongin laughs. “You’ll be the nicest student ever.”
"Got it! One more word!" he says excitedly.
Jongin coughs -or chokes- and looks at Kyungsoo seriously. "Hmm, you should also remember the word... pangit."
"Pangit? What's that in english?"
"Handsome." Jongin says coolly, wiggling his eyebrows at Kyungsoo.
"AH! So I’m… pangit?” Kyungsoo says in english, unsure. Then he claps to himself and laughs because, yey! Achievement!
Jongin is laughing hysterically.
----
Tangina = fuck / son of a bitch (motherfucker, too, i think lol)
Pangit = ugly.
OKAY SORRY THAT WAS SO LAME and sorry about the translations… if they weren’t accurate. I just needed to write this quickly because omg I have so many feels for kim tan and cha eunsang lulz.
this is me, when in a chinese party (my grandpa’s chinese) and whenever people are looking at me while talking, which makes me paranoid. “omg why are they looking at me?? are they talking about my nose??” (cause my nose is big meh)
Oh well. Thanks for reading!