Between Fiction And Reality; Minho/Key
in which Minho imagines the possibilities of how he and Kibum could meet.
Author's Note: Inspired by Minho and the roles he has acted or is acting. so... i don't even know how this happened? i only had the last scene in mind and then poof, my imagination went wild. thank you for clicking your way here and taking the time to read. let this be a fic in celebration of MarryMeMinkeyDay and Minho's 23rd birthday! happy December lovely readers! ♡♡
If Choi Minho has to name one favourite thing about being an actor, it has got to be how he doesn’t have to be himself once the cameras start rolling. Not only can he be someone else other than his true self, he can also do away with the Flaming Charisma (whatever that means) concept he has to take on in shinee. Acting is probably his only escape from reality, and sometimes, when the going gets tough and he feels like he’s losing his sense of self or the pressure is too much to take, he is more than happy to find comfort in the different roles he has been assigned to. Besides, as much as acting isn’t an easy job, it’s actually rather exhilarating to enter a filming location and suddenly feel as if he has been transported into an alternate universe.
The only downside to this though, is that he never has Kim Kibum with him; Kibum who actually keeps him grounded, who helps him find that very sense of direction when he’s lost, who gives him a reason to stay and, above all, makes reality a better place. Sometimes, when Minho gets too involved in acting and doesn’t know who he truly is anymore, all he has to do is think about Kibum and he remembers what it means to be himself. But what if Minho can take Kibum along with him into the world of acting? What if they can be together with each other in an alternate universe? Won’t that be all sorts of wonderful too?
Minho thinks about who Kibum can be and how he and Kibum will meet if they were to escape reality together.
~
If Minho is a genius hacker, then Kibum will be the charming con artist who he meets because of a one-time mission they’ve been assigned to complete together. And their story will go something like this…
“Well, that was easier than expected.” Kibum says as he enters the stakeout van with the all-important briefcase they needed to steal, looking all perfect without a single strand of hair out of place.
Turning his eyes away from the multiple screens in front of him, Minho nods as he leans back comfortably on his chair and raises a hand up, “Great job, Key.”
Kibum gives Minho a high five and smiles, “As much as I hate to admit this, I couldn’t have done it without you. Boy do you have some skills, Choi Minho. I’m impressed. It’s good to work with someone who isn’t a dimwit for once.”
“Thanks.” Minho chuckles as he shifts to the driver’s seat and starts the engine because although they did one heck of a terrific, faultless job, they still needed to flee the scene for precaution. “You definitely have some talent too.”
“I guess this is it then.” Kibum sighs when he settles next to Minho in the passenger seat, “Once we hand over the briefcase, our work is done and we’ll go our separate ways…”
Even though it has only been not more than 48 hours since he met the con artist, Minho inexplicably finds himself feeling that same sense of reluctance he hears in Kibum’s voice. And so, before he knows it, he voices out the first thought that comes into his mind.
“Whenever you’re free, give me a call.” Minho says first and then turns to face Kibum once he hits a red light, “I could teach you some hacking skills… or maybe we could just be normal, perhaps grab dinner and get to know each other?”
Kibum blinks at Minho for a moment before he breaks into a smile and replies just as the light turns green, “I’ll look forward to seeing how else you can impress me, Choi Minho.”
Of course, that will only be the beginning of their relationship. And Minho knows they’ll have a long way to go so he decides to end his thoughts as that, for now.
~
Minho then wonders how things will go if he becomes a national high jump athlete and attends the same school as Kibum. Simple - if Minho belongs to the first dormitory made up of athletes who are on a sports scholarship, then Kibum will be from the third dormitory full of artistic and intelligent people. And Minho believes their story will be written like this…
“What are you doing here?”
For the first time in what seems like forever, Minho fails to hide his emotions as he looks away from the window of the classroom and turns towards the direction of the voice with a surprised expression. There, he sees a face he has seen around in school a couple of times before. He instantly recognises that the familiar stranger belongs to the third dorm. Yet, Minho does not know the name of the person, who he admits, stands out from the crowd with his captivating looks. To be honest, Minho isn’t even interested in getting to know the people in his own dorm so why would he care about the rest of his schoolmates, let alone talk to anyone?
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Except Minho knows he has the responsibility to explain himself since the person is right. He is indeed in uncharted territory all thanks to the head of his dormitory who has been constantly hounding him to represent their dorm and participate in the inter-dorm rivalries which Minho doesn’t give two hoots about.
“Sorry.” Minho instantly apologises but that doesn’t mean he was going to leave, “I just need to hide here until the competition is over.”
“You do know the head of your dorm is looking high and low for you right?”
Minho isn’t surprised that the person knows him. After all, he is famous.
“Yeah, and that’s why I’m here.”
“I see.” The student replies as he sits down at a desk in the same row as Minho but two columns apart, “Don’t mind me, I’m just hiding from the head of my dorm too.”
That gets Minho’s attention as he curiously asks, “Why, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The stranger shrugs, “I know I’m prettier than everyone else but over my dead body will I participate in that damned beauty pageant.”
A chuckle escapes Minho’s lips, very much to the stranger’s displeasure.
“Try wearing stockings and walking in heels, and then we’ll see if you can still laugh.”
“Sorry.” Minho instantly stops himself as he rearranges his expression and says as sincerely as he can, “I think you’ll make a beautiful girl though.”
The art student raises an eyebrow at Minho as he shares his thoughts out loud, “That’s odd. No one said you were good at flirting…”
Minho chokes on air and immediately defends himself, “I’m not-”
“Relax. I’ll keep this a secret.” The student smirks as he takes a good look at Minho, “You’re quite a charmer yourself.”
“Sorry, but who are you?” Minho finally asks, finding himself captivated by this student who is certainly like no other.
“Key.” The stranger answers, “But since you think I’m beautiful, you can call me Kibum.”
And somehow, Minho knows he’ll treasure how friendly and nice Kibum is to him on their first meeting. He will also find out that opposites definitely attract.
Not bad for a school romance huh? Minho agrees that school is certainly a good place for love to happen but he still wants to imagine how it’ll be like if he and Kibum meets at a different setting. Say… a hospital?
~
If Minho is a surgical resident, Kibum can be a fellow resident, a nurse, a patient, or even the visitor of a patient. Whichever way it may go, Minho knows fate will bring them together. Their destinies may just be tied together like this…
“I’m looking for Kim Dumbhyun- I meant, Kim Jonghyun. He just got admitted because of a stupid car accident that injured his nose… Could you tell me which ward he is in?”
Minho is on duty and making his rounds when he walks past the reception desk and hears one of his patients’ names. Instinctively, he stops in his footsteps and taps the visitor lightly on his shoulder.
“Hi, are you looking for Kim Jonghyun?” Minho answers before the nurse could provide one and the visitor instantly turns around to look at him, “I’m actually on my way to his ward, would you like to follow me?”
The visitor stares at him, in fact, looks at him from head to toe before he shakes his head and turns back to the nurse at the reception, “Is he really a doctor here?”
The nurse giggles and nods as Minho lets out a sigh. It’s not the first time he’s being doubted of his ability and Minho suspects he has his good looks to blame once again (at least that’s what previous experiences have made him realise).
“Dr Choi’s really handsome, isn’t he?” The nurse on duty can’t help but gossip in a loud whisper with the visitor.
“Thanks Minji, but please get back to work.” Minho lightly reprimands the nurse first and then smiles helplessly at the visitor, “Sorry about that, but I’m indeed a doctor here, a resident actually but… yeah. I’ll bring you to Kim Jonghyun…”
The visitor nods and begins walking alongside Minho.
“Sorry that I doubted you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Sharing a smile, they soon enter the ward Jonghyun is resting in. Jonghyun instantly lights up and waves when he sees his best friend walking into his ward with the doctor.
“Kibummie!” Jonghyun almost squeals, “You’re here!”
The visitor, obviously named Kibum, bursts out laughing upon the sight of Jonghyun with his bandaged nose. It also doesn’t help that Jonghyun’s voice has changed with his nose bandaged like that. Minho can’t resist laughing too as he sees how Jonghyun begins glaring at his visitor.
“Hey! Where’s the sympathy I deserve?” Jonghyun huffs as he sinks further into the bed, “And you! Dr Choi, was it? Are you supposed to be laughing at your patients?”
“Ignore him, Doctor.” Kibum rolls his eyes at his best friend, “You crashed your car on April Fools' and walked away with an injured nose… how am I supposed to take you seriously?”
“I’ll have you know it actually hurts a whole lot…” Jonghyun grumbles under his breath.
Minho clears his throat and picks up the clipboard filled with Jonghyun’s records to begin his routine check, “How are you feeling today, Jonghyun?”
“Terrible.”
Minho raises an eyebrow as Kibum instantly scoffs, “Don’t mind him. He’s just annoyed right now.”
“I can see that…” Minho tries his hardest not to smile, “That’s good. At least he isn’t in pain anymore.”
“He’s being such a kid.” Kibum agrees with a sigh, “I’m sure he’s feeling fine if he can throw tantrums.”
“Damn it, Kibum, I’m right here. Don’t treat me as invisible just because the doctor’s hot.”
Minho coughs while Kibum widens his eyes at his best friend.
“What are you-”
“Oops.” There’s a mischievous glint in Jonghyun’s eyes as he interrupts Kibum, “Did I spoil something for you? You haven’t hit on him yet?”
“Kim Jonghyun, I swear to God, if this is your idea of getting back at me, I will-”
“Hey Doc!” Jonghyun ignores his best friend and calls for Minho, “Would you be interested in going out with my best friend? He’s been single for way too long.”
Kibum instantly looks at Minho and shakes his head apologetically, “He’s just trying to embarrass me… you don’t have to answer that.”
Minho smiles, “I’m not supposed to say this since I’m at work, but sure, why not?”
“What?”
Two voices sound at the same time as both Kibum and Jonghyun are caught off guard.
“Honestly, I have really busy schedules but if you don’t mind accommodating, I’m sure we can figure something out.” Minho flashes a disarming smile to Kibum that certainly made his heart skip a beat.
Kibum finds himself nodding even though he is still unable to recover from the shock that Jonghyun’s joke was taken seriously. Thankfully, his body reacts faster because it would be insane if he turned down a date with such a charming doctor.
And as Minho and Kibum begin exchanging numbers, Jonghyun can only sit in his hospital bed with his jaw dropped realising some good can actually come out of his accident. Oh and he’s actually better in matchmaking than he thinks he is.
~
As much as the possibility of that happening is rather low, Minho knows the possibility still exists. He believes that his love story with Kibum can actually be written in many ways. And he is actually quite excited to share all that he has imagined with Kibum.
It has been a number of days, almost a week, since he last saw his boyfriend, what with his busy filming schedule and all; but now that he is in Nagoya and back to being one fifth of shinee, he is finally about to be reunited with Kibum. When Minho quietly walks into the dimly lit hotel room and sees his boyfriend all snuggled up in a blanket, most probably still sleeping, he finds himself feeling the happiest he’s ever been in a long while.
Minho shrugs off his coat, removes his scarf and pays no regard to the other twin bed in the room as he squeezes himself into the remaining space on the bed, right next to Kibum. Truth be told, there isn’t much space left so he brings Kibum into his arms and smoothly moves them both towards the center of the bed, fitting his body comfortably against Kibum’s.
“Mmph…”
Minho knows he should feel sorry about waking Kibum up especially since he knows his boyfriend is a light sleeper but the truth is, he is more than happy Kibum is awake. He looks down at his boyfriend, who decides to only spare enough effort to peek one eye open, and presses a kiss to his forehead.
“Morning, baby.”
Once he sees Minho smiling at him, Kibum closes his eyes and punches Minho on his chest.
“I missed you.” Kibum mumbles as he then buries his head into his boyfriend’s chest and wraps an arm loosely around his waist.
“Me too, bum.”
“Too early...” Kibum grumbles but kisses Minho where his lips can reach, “Good night.”
Minho laughs as he tightens his hug around Kibum and closes his eyes to catch some sleep together with his boyfriend.
Later, when he wakes up to a kiss on his jaw and a “I love you but you really have to let me go and wake up now, we have rehearsals to get to!”, Minho knows he wouldn't have it any other way.
Reality is perfect as it is.
Author's Note: Inspired by Minho and the roles he has acted or is acting. so... i don't even know how this happened? i only had the last scene in mind and then poof, my imagination went wild. thank you for clicking your way here and taking the time to read. let this be a fic in celebration of MarryMeMinkeyDay and Minho's 23rd birthday! happy December lovely readers! ♡♡
If Choi Minho has to name one favourite thing about being an actor, it has got to be how he doesn’t have to be himself once the cameras start rolling. Not only can he be someone else other than his true self, he can also do away with the Flaming Charisma (whatever that means) concept he has to take on in shinee. Acting is probably his only escape from reality, and sometimes, when the going gets tough and he feels like he’s losing his sense of self or the pressure is too much to take, he is more than happy to find comfort in the different roles he has been assigned to. Besides, as much as acting isn’t an easy job, it’s actually rather exhilarating to enter a filming location and suddenly feel as if he has been transported into an alternate universe.
The only downside to this though, is that he never has Kim Kibum with him; Kibum who actually keeps him grounded, who helps him find that very sense of direction when he’s lost, who gives him a reason to stay and, above all, makes reality a better place. Sometimes, when Minho gets too involved in acting and doesn’t know who he truly is anymore, all he has to do is think about Kibum and he remembers what it means to be himself. But what if Minho can take Kibum along with him into the world of acting? What if they can be together with each other in an alternate universe? Won’t that be all sorts of wonderful too?
Minho thinks about who Kibum can be and how he and Kibum will meet if they were to escape reality together.
~
If Minho is a genius hacker, then Kibum will be the charming con artist who he meets because of a one-time mission they’ve been assigned to complete together. And their story will go something like this…
“Well, that was easier than expected.” Kibum says as he enters the stakeout van with the all-important briefcase they needed to steal, looking all perfect without a single strand of hair out of place.
Turning his eyes away from the multiple screens in front of him, Minho nods as he leans back comfortably on his chair and raises a hand up, “Great job, Key.”
Kibum gives Minho a high five and smiles, “As much as I hate to admit this, I couldn’t have done it without you. Boy do you have some skills, Choi Minho. I’m impressed. It’s good to work with someone who isn’t a dimwit for once.”
“Thanks.” Minho chuckles as he shifts to the driver’s seat and starts the engine because although they did one heck of a terrific, faultless job, they still needed to flee the scene for precaution. “You definitely have some talent too.”
“I guess this is it then.” Kibum sighs when he settles next to Minho in the passenger seat, “Once we hand over the briefcase, our work is done and we’ll go our separate ways…”
Even though it has only been not more than 48 hours since he met the con artist, Minho inexplicably finds himself feeling that same sense of reluctance he hears in Kibum’s voice. And so, before he knows it, he voices out the first thought that comes into his mind.
“Whenever you’re free, give me a call.” Minho says first and then turns to face Kibum once he hits a red light, “I could teach you some hacking skills… or maybe we could just be normal, perhaps grab dinner and get to know each other?”
Kibum blinks at Minho for a moment before he breaks into a smile and replies just as the light turns green, “I’ll look forward to seeing how else you can impress me, Choi Minho.”
Of course, that will only be the beginning of their relationship. And Minho knows they’ll have a long way to go so he decides to end his thoughts as that, for now.
~
Minho then wonders how things will go if he becomes a national high jump athlete and attends the same school as Kibum. Simple - if Minho belongs to the first dormitory made up of athletes who are on a sports scholarship, then Kibum will be from the third dormitory full of artistic and intelligent people. And Minho believes their story will be written like this…
“What are you doing here?”
For the first time in what seems like forever, Minho fails to hide his emotions as he looks away from the window of the classroom and turns towards the direction of the voice with a surprised expression. There, he sees a face he has seen around in school a couple of times before. He instantly recognises that the familiar stranger belongs to the third dorm. Yet, Minho does not know the name of the person, who he admits, stands out from the crowd with his captivating looks. To be honest, Minho isn’t even interested in getting to know the people in his own dorm so why would he care about the rest of his schoolmates, let alone talk to anyone?
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Except Minho knows he has the responsibility to explain himself since the person is right. He is indeed in uncharted territory all thanks to the head of his dormitory who has been constantly hounding him to represent their dorm and participate in the inter-dorm rivalries which Minho doesn’t give two hoots about.
“Sorry.” Minho instantly apologises but that doesn’t mean he was going to leave, “I just need to hide here until the competition is over.”
“You do know the head of your dorm is looking high and low for you right?”
Minho isn’t surprised that the person knows him. After all, he is famous.
“Yeah, and that’s why I’m here.”
“I see.” The student replies as he sits down at a desk in the same row as Minho but two columns apart, “Don’t mind me, I’m just hiding from the head of my dorm too.”
That gets Minho’s attention as he curiously asks, “Why, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The stranger shrugs, “I know I’m prettier than everyone else but over my dead body will I participate in that damned beauty pageant.”
A chuckle escapes Minho’s lips, very much to the stranger’s displeasure.
“Try wearing stockings and walking in heels, and then we’ll see if you can still laugh.”
“Sorry.” Minho instantly stops himself as he rearranges his expression and says as sincerely as he can, “I think you’ll make a beautiful girl though.”
The art student raises an eyebrow at Minho as he shares his thoughts out loud, “That’s odd. No one said you were good at flirting…”
Minho chokes on air and immediately defends himself, “I’m not-”
“Relax. I’ll keep this a secret.” The student smirks as he takes a good look at Minho, “You’re quite a charmer yourself.”
“Sorry, but who are you?” Minho finally asks, finding himself captivated by this student who is certainly like no other.
“Key.” The stranger answers, “But since you think I’m beautiful, you can call me Kibum.”
And somehow, Minho knows he’ll treasure how friendly and nice Kibum is to him on their first meeting. He will also find out that opposites definitely attract.
Not bad for a school romance huh? Minho agrees that school is certainly a good place for love to happen but he still wants to imagine how it’ll be like if he and Kibum meets at a different setting. Say… a hospital?
~
If Minho is a surgical resident, Kibum can be a fellow resident, a nurse, a patient, or even the visitor of a patient. Whichever way it may go, Minho knows fate will bring them together. Their destinies may just be tied together like this…
“I’m looking for Kim Dumbhyun- I meant, Kim Jonghyun. He just got admitted because of a stupid car accident that injured his nose… Could you tell me which ward he is in?”
Minho is on duty and making his rounds when he walks past the reception desk and hears one of his patients’ names. Instinctively, he stops in his footsteps and taps the visitor lightly on his shoulder.
“Hi, are you looking for Kim Jonghyun?” Minho answers before the nurse could provide one and the visitor instantly turns around to look at him, “I’m actually on my way to his ward, would you like to follow me?”
The visitor stares at him, in fact, looks at him from head to toe before he shakes his head and turns back to the nurse at the reception, “Is he really a doctor here?”
The nurse giggles and nods as Minho lets out a sigh. It’s not the first time he’s being doubted of his ability and Minho suspects he has his good looks to blame once again (at least that’s what previous experiences have made him realise).
“Dr Choi’s really handsome, isn’t he?” The nurse on duty can’t help but gossip in a loud whisper with the visitor.
“Thanks Minji, but please get back to work.” Minho lightly reprimands the nurse first and then smiles helplessly at the visitor, “Sorry about that, but I’m indeed a doctor here, a resident actually but… yeah. I’ll bring you to Kim Jonghyun…”
The visitor nods and begins walking alongside Minho.
“Sorry that I doubted you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Sharing a smile, they soon enter the ward Jonghyun is resting in. Jonghyun instantly lights up and waves when he sees his best friend walking into his ward with the doctor.
“Kibummie!” Jonghyun almost squeals, “You’re here!”
The visitor, obviously named Kibum, bursts out laughing upon the sight of Jonghyun with his bandaged nose. It also doesn’t help that Jonghyun’s voice has changed with his nose bandaged like that. Minho can’t resist laughing too as he sees how Jonghyun begins glaring at his visitor.
“Hey! Where’s the sympathy I deserve?” Jonghyun huffs as he sinks further into the bed, “And you! Dr Choi, was it? Are you supposed to be laughing at your patients?”
“Ignore him, Doctor.” Kibum rolls his eyes at his best friend, “You crashed your car on April Fools' and walked away with an injured nose… how am I supposed to take you seriously?”
“I’ll have you know it actually hurts a whole lot…” Jonghyun grumbles under his breath.
Minho clears his throat and picks up the clipboard filled with Jonghyun’s records to begin his routine check, “How are you feeling today, Jonghyun?”
“Terrible.”
Minho raises an eyebrow as Kibum instantly scoffs, “Don’t mind him. He’s just annoyed right now.”
“I can see that…” Minho tries his hardest not to smile, “That’s good. At least he isn’t in pain anymore.”
“He’s being such a kid.” Kibum agrees with a sigh, “I’m sure he’s feeling fine if he can throw tantrums.”
“Damn it, Kibum, I’m right here. Don’t treat me as invisible just because the doctor’s hot.”
Minho coughs while Kibum widens his eyes at his best friend.
“What are you-”
“Oops.” There’s a mischievous glint in Jonghyun’s eyes as he interrupts Kibum, “Did I spoil something for you? You haven’t hit on him yet?”
“Kim Jonghyun, I swear to God, if this is your idea of getting back at me, I will-”
“Hey Doc!” Jonghyun ignores his best friend and calls for Minho, “Would you be interested in going out with my best friend? He’s been single for way too long.”
Kibum instantly looks at Minho and shakes his head apologetically, “He’s just trying to embarrass me… you don’t have to answer that.”
Minho smiles, “I’m not supposed to say this since I’m at work, but sure, why not?”
“What?”
Two voices sound at the same time as both Kibum and Jonghyun are caught off guard.
“Honestly, I have really busy schedules but if you don’t mind accommodating, I’m sure we can figure something out.” Minho flashes a disarming smile to Kibum that certainly made his heart skip a beat.
Kibum finds himself nodding even though he is still unable to recover from the shock that Jonghyun’s joke was taken seriously. Thankfully, his body reacts faster because it would be insane if he turned down a date with such a charming doctor.
And as Minho and Kibum begin exchanging numbers, Jonghyun can only sit in his hospital bed with his jaw dropped realising some good can actually come out of his accident. Oh and he’s actually better in matchmaking than he thinks he is.
~
As much as the possibility of that happening is rather low, Minho knows the possibility still exists. He believes that his love story with Kibum can actually be written in many ways. And he is actually quite excited to share all that he has imagined with Kibum.
It has been a number of days, almost a week, since he last saw his boyfriend, what with his busy filming schedule and all; but now that he is in Nagoya and back to being one fifth of shinee, he is finally about to be reunited with Kibum. When Minho quietly walks into the dimly lit hotel room and sees his boyfriend all snuggled up in a blanket, most probably still sleeping, he finds himself feeling the happiest he’s ever been in a long while.
Minho shrugs off his coat, removes his scarf and pays no regard to the other twin bed in the room as he squeezes himself into the remaining space on the bed, right next to Kibum. Truth be told, there isn’t much space left so he brings Kibum into his arms and smoothly moves them both towards the center of the bed, fitting his body comfortably against Kibum’s.
“Mmph…”
Minho knows he should feel sorry about waking Kibum up especially since he knows his boyfriend is a light sleeper but the truth is, he is more than happy Kibum is awake. He looks down at his boyfriend, who decides to only spare enough effort to peek one eye open, and presses a kiss to his forehead.
“Morning, baby.”
Once he sees Minho smiling at him, Kibum closes his eyes and punches Minho on his chest.
“I missed you.” Kibum mumbles as he then buries his head into his boyfriend’s chest and wraps an arm loosely around his waist.
“Me too, bum.”
“Too early...” Kibum grumbles but kisses Minho where his lips can reach, “Good night.”
Minho laughs as he tightens his hug around Kibum and closes his eyes to catch some sleep together with his boyfriend.
Later, when he wakes up to a kiss on his jaw and a “I love you but you really have to let me go and wake up now, we have rehearsals to get to!”, Minho knows he wouldn't have it any other way.
Reality is perfect as it is.