Without a Word (one-shot)
Title: Without a Word
Pairing: Onkey
Rating: G
Summary: I suppose it started in my sophomore year. I was doing homework early in the morning in the library and looked up. Then I fell in...love?
I suppose it all started when I was a sophomore in high school. My bus would arrive really early to school; about a half hour or so. I had nothing really to do, so I would exit the bus and walk in one of two directions. I would just head to the library and wait for school to start, or I would head straight to my math classroom and sit there, equally bored.
Well, one day I decided to spend that half hour in the library. At first, it was like a regular trip to the library. I sat with my friend, Minho, in the back who always seemed too busy reading to talk to me. We chatted for all of two seconds before I got out some math homework I should have finished the night before and didn’t because I was too lazy.
When I was bored of solving the all too simple math equations, I looked up to my surroundings. My eyes were drawn to a tall, lanky figure in the room. He was handsome; very handsome. His dyed brown hair was spiked neatly and his eyes were a striking, dark, mocha brown that tried to suck me in. I turned my head away when I realized I was staring. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the handsome boy took a seat with some of his friends at the table next to my friend and I’s. My heart only slightly sped up. I snuck secret glances at him for the remainder of my time before school.
I went to the library all week the next week in hopes of catching even a small glimpse of him. I saw him every day and I would sneak still more glances at his back when I was sure no one was looking. As far as I knew, he didn’t notice. I think Minho noticed something was up at some point, but he chose to ignore it or he really was that oblivious. I stopped going to the library to see the handsome boy after about a month. I was feeling a little pathetic just watching his back for that single half hour every morning.
I didn’t see him again until the next year.
------------------------------
When I became a junior in high school, I got my schedule and there was a week where I was just concentrated on the numbers on the side of the buildings as I looked for my classrooms. I could not pay attention to the community of students that passed by me. When I had memorized my schedule and had mentally mapped out the quickest way to get to each of my classes, I began noticing the people around me.
As luck - fate? - would have it, I saw him once again in the hallways. He walked past me without a second glance. I tried to keep my eyes trained straight ahead of me so it wouldn’t seem like I was staring again. I was successful, but sometimes I wish I wasn’t. I wish he had caught me staring at him and stopped me to ask why I was doing that. Even if I would have been embarrassed, I would have had an opportunity to talk to him at least once.
The next time I saw him was at lunch. At my school, there were two different lunches, and it just so happened that he and I had the same one. I saw him enter the hallway to get into the cafeteria. I followed without a thought. Normally, I’m a very fast walker, but I slowed down so I could stare at his back as he walked to the cafeteria. I squealed inwardly just because I could see him yet again. I was acting like a complete girl. I didn’t even know why I liked him. Was it really just his pretty face? Or was it the warm feeling I got from him whenever he walked by.
The third time I saw him, he was coming out of the classroom my sixth period English class was in. That meant he had English during fifth period in that very same room. Again, I inwardly squealed for no real reason. I debated the possibility of actually having the same seat as him. I figured out that I didn’t when I asked my fifth period teacher if I could use the bathroom during class. I had to walk by his class on my way to the bathroom and saw him sitting at the front of the classroom. When I was in that class I sat in the back.
As weeks went by, I kept an eye out for him as I walked in the halls. Was it weird that I didn’t even know his name yet? I didn’t seem to care, I just seemed to feel a warmth radiate from him whenever he passed by. It was a very strange feeling, and yet it made me feel so good inside that I couldn’t help but crave even just a glimpse of his back or - if I was lucky - his face. At that point, I don’t even think I had heard him speak yet.
One morning, I actually saw him walk into another one of his classes. It was his third period. I looked at the number of the room and, without really thinking, got out my own schedule, flipped it over, and wrote down the room number and period so I would know. I did the same for his fifth period because I knew he was in my classroom the period before I had that class. I tried to walk extra fast sometimes to see if I could spot the direction he came from on his way to class so I could narrow down the possible rooms he had been in the period before; but to no avail.
“Kibum-hyung, do you like anyone?” my friend Taemin had asked one day. He had gotten into a pretty serious relationship of his own recently with a boy named Jonghyun from the choir department. We were talking about it when the question came up. I think I blushed as I told him about my crush on the handsome boy I didn’t know. “Do you know his name?” he asked. I shook my head. “Point him out if he walks by, okay?” I nodded and waited to see if he did indeed walk by. He did.
“There he is.” I hissed as the handsome boy walked by quickly. I tried to point too, but I was trying to be discrete so I wouldn’t attract attention to myself. Taemin missed the boy’s face as he walked by. He couldn’t help me.
After a few more days of frustration, I finally became the stalker that my friends sometimes called me as a joke. I finally pulled out my sophomore yearbook and began searching the many pages of faces. I had resisted using such tactics for about a month because I was set on asking for his name myself. I was too afraid to follow through with it though. Finally, at long last, I found his picture. When I read the name, I smiled. I thought it was a very nice name.
“Lee Jinki.”
------------------------------
I told Taemin the next day that the boy’s name was Jinki. Taemin smiled widely and said he knew him. So I asked him about the handsome boy. He said Jinki was quiet until you talked to him, but he was also strange and had an odd sense of humor. I just smiled and dropped the subject for a few weeks. Every now and then, it would somehow make its way back into our conversations, but nothing ever came of it. I sent Jinki an anonymous 'candy gram' through the school once to celebrate some holiday; I can’t remember which one now. I wouldn’t know if there was a reaction from him, I don’t actually have classes with him; so I couldn’t see what his face said when he received the candy.
I gave up for a while after that. Then my friends and I all went to see New Moon together. Taemin brought Jonghyun, and Minho just decided to put down the books for a while. It wasn’t a very good movie. In fact, most of it was quite ridiculous. So Minho had the idea to make a spoof on it. I was cast as Esme. When I asked who would be Carlisle, Minho looked thoughtful for a little while. He turned to Taemin and Jonghyun and asked if they had any suggestions. Jonghyun was the one that said they should try to get Jinki to play Carlisle. I stayed quiet about how happy that would have made me. Taemin swore he never told Jonghyun a word about my crush, so that meant everyone was still in the dark about my crush on Jinki.
A few weeks later when the spoof was still being planned, I asked Minho again who would be playing Carlisle. I was thoroughly disappointed when he didn’t say Lee Jinki’s name.
------------------------------
When the new semester came around, schedules changed and some of my friends got switched out of my classes and lunch or into my classes and my lunch. I was grateful to realize that Jinki was still all the same places he used to be; walking to his third period, walking to lunch, walking out of fifth period. I was so happy just to be able to continue to see him.
My friends at lunch always talked about him and the funny things he would do during their history class together. I almost asked them when their class was and where just so I would know where another one of his classes was. I still had my old schedule with the two classes of his written on the back. I restrained myself from adding that third.
A few times, they would catch him staring at them from across the cafeteria in an odd way and they would freak out. I would laugh. He would sometimes sneak up behind them as well and just stand there until he was noticed. I had the pleasure of witnessing him stand there for about two minutes before Jonghyun finally turned around and got scared so badly he threw his chips into the air and the salty snack landed on and all around us.
The next day, he sat down next to me to be able to listen in when Minho and Jonghyun were having an awkward conversation across the table about being in the condom section at the grocery store. Somehow the conversation turned to edible underwear and they playfully accused Jinki of liking the conversation and called him a pervert. He just stared confusedly - or was that a ‘concerned-for-my-sanity look? - back at them.
I looked at the clock and realized I had to go to the nurse to fake sick. I had English after lunch and hadn’t finished my essay that was due. So I got up and told my friends loudly over the roar of the cafeteria that I would see them all later. They didn’t seem to acknowledge me, but before I turned my head to walk out, Jinki smiled and waved a farewell to me.
For as long as I could remember, I had never been so happy in my entire life. And we hadn’t even said a word to each other.
------------------------------
AN: The things that happened in this story actually happened to me (I'm supposed to be Key). I just chose to write it down because it made me so happy and I'm still buzzing about it because the last bit of this story (the waving to me bit) happened last friday :)
Pairing: Onkey
Rating: G
Summary: I suppose it started in my sophomore year. I was doing homework early in the morning in the library and looked up. Then I fell in...love?
I suppose it all started when I was a sophomore in high school. My bus would arrive really early to school; about a half hour or so. I had nothing really to do, so I would exit the bus and walk in one of two directions. I would just head to the library and wait for school to start, or I would head straight to my math classroom and sit there, equally bored.
Well, one day I decided to spend that half hour in the library. At first, it was like a regular trip to the library. I sat with my friend, Minho, in the back who always seemed too busy reading to talk to me. We chatted for all of two seconds before I got out some math homework I should have finished the night before and didn’t because I was too lazy.
When I was bored of solving the all too simple math equations, I looked up to my surroundings. My eyes were drawn to a tall, lanky figure in the room. He was handsome; very handsome. His dyed brown hair was spiked neatly and his eyes were a striking, dark, mocha brown that tried to suck me in. I turned my head away when I realized I was staring. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the handsome boy took a seat with some of his friends at the table next to my friend and I’s. My heart only slightly sped up. I snuck secret glances at him for the remainder of my time before school.
I went to the library all week the next week in hopes of catching even a small glimpse of him. I saw him every day and I would sneak still more glances at his back when I was sure no one was looking. As far as I knew, he didn’t notice. I think Minho noticed something was up at some point, but he chose to ignore it or he really was that oblivious. I stopped going to the library to see the handsome boy after about a month. I was feeling a little pathetic just watching his back for that single half hour every morning.
I didn’t see him again until the next year.
------------------------------
When I became a junior in high school, I got my schedule and there was a week where I was just concentrated on the numbers on the side of the buildings as I looked for my classrooms. I could not pay attention to the community of students that passed by me. When I had memorized my schedule and had mentally mapped out the quickest way to get to each of my classes, I began noticing the people around me.
As luck - fate? - would have it, I saw him once again in the hallways. He walked past me without a second glance. I tried to keep my eyes trained straight ahead of me so it wouldn’t seem like I was staring again. I was successful, but sometimes I wish I wasn’t. I wish he had caught me staring at him and stopped me to ask why I was doing that. Even if I would have been embarrassed, I would have had an opportunity to talk to him at least once.
The next time I saw him was at lunch. At my school, there were two different lunches, and it just so happened that he and I had the same one. I saw him enter the hallway to get into the cafeteria. I followed without a thought. Normally, I’m a very fast walker, but I slowed down so I could stare at his back as he walked to the cafeteria. I squealed inwardly just because I could see him yet again. I was acting like a complete girl. I didn’t even know why I liked him. Was it really just his pretty face? Or was it the warm feeling I got from him whenever he walked by.
The third time I saw him, he was coming out of the classroom my sixth period English class was in. That meant he had English during fifth period in that very same room. Again, I inwardly squealed for no real reason. I debated the possibility of actually having the same seat as him. I figured out that I didn’t when I asked my fifth period teacher if I could use the bathroom during class. I had to walk by his class on my way to the bathroom and saw him sitting at the front of the classroom. When I was in that class I sat in the back.
As weeks went by, I kept an eye out for him as I walked in the halls. Was it weird that I didn’t even know his name yet? I didn’t seem to care, I just seemed to feel a warmth radiate from him whenever he passed by. It was a very strange feeling, and yet it made me feel so good inside that I couldn’t help but crave even just a glimpse of his back or - if I was lucky - his face. At that point, I don’t even think I had heard him speak yet.
One morning, I actually saw him walk into another one of his classes. It was his third period. I looked at the number of the room and, without really thinking, got out my own schedule, flipped it over, and wrote down the room number and period so I would know. I did the same for his fifth period because I knew he was in my classroom the period before I had that class. I tried to walk extra fast sometimes to see if I could spot the direction he came from on his way to class so I could narrow down the possible rooms he had been in the period before; but to no avail.
“Kibum-hyung, do you like anyone?” my friend Taemin had asked one day. He had gotten into a pretty serious relationship of his own recently with a boy named Jonghyun from the choir department. We were talking about it when the question came up. I think I blushed as I told him about my crush on the handsome boy I didn’t know. “Do you know his name?” he asked. I shook my head. “Point him out if he walks by, okay?” I nodded and waited to see if he did indeed walk by. He did.
“There he is.” I hissed as the handsome boy walked by quickly. I tried to point too, but I was trying to be discrete so I wouldn’t attract attention to myself. Taemin missed the boy’s face as he walked by. He couldn’t help me.
After a few more days of frustration, I finally became the stalker that my friends sometimes called me as a joke. I finally pulled out my sophomore yearbook and began searching the many pages of faces. I had resisted using such tactics for about a month because I was set on asking for his name myself. I was too afraid to follow through with it though. Finally, at long last, I found his picture. When I read the name, I smiled. I thought it was a very nice name.
“Lee Jinki.”
------------------------------
I told Taemin the next day that the boy’s name was Jinki. Taemin smiled widely and said he knew him. So I asked him about the handsome boy. He said Jinki was quiet until you talked to him, but he was also strange and had an odd sense of humor. I just smiled and dropped the subject for a few weeks. Every now and then, it would somehow make its way back into our conversations, but nothing ever came of it. I sent Jinki an anonymous 'candy gram' through the school once to celebrate some holiday; I can’t remember which one now. I wouldn’t know if there was a reaction from him, I don’t actually have classes with him; so I couldn’t see what his face said when he received the candy.
I gave up for a while after that. Then my friends and I all went to see New Moon together. Taemin brought Jonghyun, and Minho just decided to put down the books for a while. It wasn’t a very good movie. In fact, most of it was quite ridiculous. So Minho had the idea to make a spoof on it. I was cast as Esme. When I asked who would be Carlisle, Minho looked thoughtful for a little while. He turned to Taemin and Jonghyun and asked if they had any suggestions. Jonghyun was the one that said they should try to get Jinki to play Carlisle. I stayed quiet about how happy that would have made me. Taemin swore he never told Jonghyun a word about my crush, so that meant everyone was still in the dark about my crush on Jinki.
A few weeks later when the spoof was still being planned, I asked Minho again who would be playing Carlisle. I was thoroughly disappointed when he didn’t say Lee Jinki’s name.
------------------------------
When the new semester came around, schedules changed and some of my friends got switched out of my classes and lunch or into my classes and my lunch. I was grateful to realize that Jinki was still all the same places he used to be; walking to his third period, walking to lunch, walking out of fifth period. I was so happy just to be able to continue to see him.
My friends at lunch always talked about him and the funny things he would do during their history class together. I almost asked them when their class was and where just so I would know where another one of his classes was. I still had my old schedule with the two classes of his written on the back. I restrained myself from adding that third.
A few times, they would catch him staring at them from across the cafeteria in an odd way and they would freak out. I would laugh. He would sometimes sneak up behind them as well and just stand there until he was noticed. I had the pleasure of witnessing him stand there for about two minutes before Jonghyun finally turned around and got scared so badly he threw his chips into the air and the salty snack landed on and all around us.
The next day, he sat down next to me to be able to listen in when Minho and Jonghyun were having an awkward conversation across the table about being in the condom section at the grocery store. Somehow the conversation turned to edible underwear and they playfully accused Jinki of liking the conversation and called him a pervert. He just stared confusedly - or was that a ‘concerned-for-my-sanity look? - back at them.
I looked at the clock and realized I had to go to the nurse to fake sick. I had English after lunch and hadn’t finished my essay that was due. So I got up and told my friends loudly over the roar of the cafeteria that I would see them all later. They didn’t seem to acknowledge me, but before I turned my head to walk out, Jinki smiled and waved a farewell to me.
For as long as I could remember, I had never been so happy in my entire life. And we hadn’t even said a word to each other.
------------------------------
AN: The things that happened in this story actually happened to me (I'm supposed to be Key). I just chose to write it down because it made me so happy and I'm still buzzing about it because the last bit of this story (the waving to me bit) happened last friday :)