Shinee Reprise
Jinki hopped off the bus and watched it speed away before hurrying across the street towards his house. The house was an older but well kept and sturdy building. The gate did squeak when Jinki opened it but other than that the whole land was kept in shape and modern. Surprising considering the house that sat on it. That was his umma for him though; Min was a very creative and illustrative woman. She bought the house hoping to completely change the look, but fell in love with it, and ended up designing the yard around it. Jinki shared that same admiration for the home as his mother, and was glad when she decided to keep it exactly as how it was meant to be.
As he unlocked the door, Jinki’s thoughts fleetingly drifted back to the young men he saw earlier and his cheeks flushed. Quickly he shook his head and then opened the door, hoping his face was normal enough that his hyung wouldn’t notice anything. That’s just what he needed, Donghae getting on his case about it. No doubt the rarity of seeing his younger brother blushing over some attractive young men would no doubt crack Donghae up for a week. Jinki groaned just thinking about it. Quietly he shut the door and dropped his bag on the ground, slipping his well loved Converse shoes off and slipping into his pair of slippers. Then he shuffled along the hall and poked his head around the corner, suddenly remembering that he would be earlier than his hyung and umma. But someone was home, and the banging around in the kitchen proved it.
Jinki tensed and his eyes widened, wondering who the hell would be home so early, so he crept cautiously up to the kitchen door, and placed a hand on it. For a moment he debated whether to check or not. If it was some thief then it’d be stupid for Jinki to go barging into the kitchen. Jinki had no weapon, and he suddenly whipped his head around, searching for something to use. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything in arm’s length and he cursed silently to himself, and as he was stepping backwards while pulling out his cell his feet tangled and he crashed to the ground, ending with a satisfying oof. The noise in the kitchen abruptly ended and Jinki sat up hurriedly his wide eyes staring at the kitchen door. Well since stealth was obviously out of the question, Jinki scrambled to his feet and charged for the door, hoping to scare the thief away.
As he reached the door however, it swung towards him and as Jinki didn’t have the chance to skid to a halt he ran smack into it, the door colliding with his nose. Gripping it, he stumbled back again onto his rear and grunted while holding his nose in pain. Really, how could that happen? Now he was screwed, seeing as how he was flat on his back and the thief was coming towards him.
Through watery eyes Jinki glanced up and saw a big, looming form lean over him. Then he blinked and had to choke back a laugh.
“Oh, shit, Jinki are you alright?” the young man asked. He bent down and extended his hand, and Jinki grabbed it thankfully. “I honestly thought it was someone breaking in. You shouldn’t sneak up on someone like that.”
“Right, I’ll remember that,” Jinki muttered, rubbing his nose. It seemed okay, at least not broken. But man was it throbbing like a bitch. “But what are you doing here hyung? I thought you and umma would be working at the office. Unless…oh…right.”
Yoochun was a bright, strapping young man with a serious face but his gentle brown eyes contradicted the business-like appearance. His long, dark brown hair hung lusciously to his shoulders and he had a well toned body. Jinki, who wasn’t very big to begin with, envied his mother’s assistant. In fact, he envied anyone who could work out in the gym and come out with thick pipes with girls dangling off them. Instead, Jinki always remained the same; not too scrawny not too bulky. He was lean, yes, but it was awkward. To see Yoochun’s big frame in front of him made Jinki want to go to the gym that second.
On the other hand, Yoochun had only been Min’s assistant for only a few months, and so far he seemed to fit the bill. Because Min was so picky and forthcoming about her work, she needed the perfect assistant who could work with her and not screw up. So far, Yoochun seemed to be doing alright. In fact, he was almost a keener. Always going the extra mile for Min. That meant even going over to her house and cooking for her two children if she had to stay late at the office. Which was exactly why Yoochun was standing in front of Jinki, looking guilty for slamming the door into Jinki. Only, it was Jinki who ran head first into it anyway.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yoochun asked, reaching out as if to see if Jinki’s nose was still in place.
Quickly Jinki pulled away and nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’m okay, just a little stunned I guess.”
Sighing, Yoochun pulled back and then turned back to the kitchen. Jinki glanced up at the clock and saw it was close to four; Donghae would be home soon. Their mother…well who knew how long she’d be. As much as she claimed to love her kids, she never spent much time at home with them. Work was her focus and sole driven purpose. It was a common thing, but Jinki never could feel at home without his mother bustling around tidying up the place or doing work related things. When she was at the office the place seemed a little empty.
“It’s not like I should care,” he thought, heading for the living room. “It’s always been this way, and someday we’ll both be gone. Maybe it’s a good thing she preps for it now, then it won’t be so lonely for her later.”
Jinki kept telling himself that was the reason, but no matter how many times he thought it, he knew he was just lying to himself. Min loved work, and whether her boys were there or not, it didn’t matter. At least that’s what it felt like. And she figured they needed a babysitter so she sent Yoochun over to do the work. Since Yoochun was such a keen worker Jinki highly doubted the other man questioned the task.
Sliding onto the couch, Jinki switched the TV on and flipped through the channels absently, noting that Yoochun had shuffled back off to the kitchen to cook supper. Though the house was occupied there was no contact between the two, and the only sounds that filled it was from the TV and the noise coming from the kitchen.
Eventually the door opened and heavy, noisy feet entered. There was no need to guess who it was; Donghae usually made a dramatic entrance regardless if anyone was there or not. As if on cue, Donghae’s voice rang through the house, and Jinki rolled his eyes.
“Everyone I’m home!” he called, his feet drawing him nearer to the living room. “Oh, Onew you’re home! I thought you’d be working.”
“Yeah me too,” Jinki muttered, as his older brother pulled his bag off his shoulders and shrugged off his jacket.
Donghae, who either ignored or hadn’t heard Jinki continued speaking. “Is umma home?” When Jinki shook his head, his hyung’s face betrayed the briefest display of disappointment before he collected himself. “Well, that’s not surprising is it? That’s Yoochun hyung cooking then? Alright, well at least he can cook, unlike that other assistant she had before.”
Jinki wasn’t really listening. He didn’t want to dwell on the fact that his mother wasn’t home and that she was a work-a-holic. Instead he focused on the TV and the shapes running around on it without really knowing what was going on. Fortunately Donghae didn’t say much else, but joined Jinki in watching some TV in silence.
Soon the smell of delicious food wafted into the living room, and Jinki heard a reluctant growl that erupted from his stomach. As he clamped a hand over his stomach as if to keep it quiet, Donghae rolled his eyes and smirked at his brother.
“It doesn’t matter if you want it to happen or not, but hunger always comes with the smell of delicious, home-cooked meals right?”
Jinki nodded slightly, and his cheeks flushed. “I’m going to shower before supper. I’ll be down shortly.” And he hurried off to his room.
Once he had closed the door and had flicked on the light, Jinki breathed in deeply and then swept his eyes around the room thoughtfully. The walls were covered in posters of different bands, and the floor was covered by soft, semi-cleaned dark green carpet. The double bed pushed into a corner of the room was messy and unmade, and clothes littered the floor around it. The desk was cluttered with papers, books, and a computer. Beside the desk was a bookshelf, packed to the limit with books of all kinds. The window was covered by a thick curtain that draped nearly to the floor. Behind all the posters, there were spots of the white walls. It was a cramped, messy room, but Jinki loved simply because it was his own space. No one bothered him in there and he was free to do what he wanted while he was in that room.
He grabbed his towel and then hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him and then proceeded to undress and get in the shower. The water hit his body like a waterfall, the trickles running down his body, finding every crevice and groove in his lean body. The water falling onto his head washed everything away; all his worries and problems. It cleansed him, moving down his body in a lazy, yet strong way. Closing his eyes, Jinki lifted his head towards the shower head and felt the steamy water splash down on his face and he ran a hand over his face and then through his hair. In a shower he was free to think, to pretend that all his worries had truly been washed down the drain.
Eventually the shower had to come to an end, and Jinki reluctantly shut the faucet off, letting the chilled water drip down on his head. He must have been in the shower for a long while, because his fingers were pruned and he felt as though he had become one with the water. Slowly his fingers stretched around the curtain and groped for the towel that sat on beside the shower. Then he pulled it around himself and hopped out of the tub, shivering as the steamy air gave way to the air outside the bathroom.
Once he was dressed and comfortable, Jinki stared into the body length mirror and smiled. His eyes disappeared as his lips stretched wide. His hair lay damp on his head, and he wore an oversized sweater with sweats. He was a dork, true, but he didn’t mind. Why be the same as everyone else when being a dork was so much fun? Well, besides getting teased by his brother all the time.
Heading downstairs, the smell of cooking hit him again, making his stomach growl. Unable to hide the fact that he was starved, Jinki made his way to the dining room as if following the aromatic smell. Donghae was already seated munching on food, and he glanced up briefly when Jinki entered. Yoochun, who wasn’t in the dining room, was probably still in the kitchen cleaning up.
“Sorry, couldn’t wait for you,” Donghae choked out-his mouth was extremely full-, “I had to start; this food is awesome!” He swallowed and dug in to another bite.
Jinki sat and stared at the meal before him. His stomach rolled as he glanced up at the spot his mother usually sat, but then he grabbed his plate and put some food on it. Without looking back at the chair again Jinki began eating, savouring each bite as if it was heaven. Yoochun certainly got props for the amazing cooking.
The meal was eaten in silence; the brothers were too busy stuffing their faces to get a conversation started anyway. When they were done, both of them slumped back in their chairs and rubbed their stomachs in satisfaction.
“God forbid if I ever eat another meal like this again,” Donghae groaned, closing his eyes.
Nodding in agreement, Jinki turned to the kitchen. “I wonder if Yoochun hyung is eating anything.”
Donghae shrugged, looking slightly guilty. “I doubt there’s much left for him to eat anyway. God, we must have been hungry.”
As if on cue, Yoochun came through the door and smiled. “Well, you guys are growing and need a lot of food. Wow, you really polished it off huh? Luckily I put some away for your mom and I already ate.” He laughed and checked his watch as the brothers shot each other a look of relief. “Well, I’d better get going, so there you are and see you around.”
Donghae and Jinki muttered their goodbyes and then scrambled to clean the table, seeing as though it was obvious Yoochun expected them to do so. When they were done, they sunk onto the couch in the living room and Jinki felt a vibration from his pocket. Hurriedly he pulled out his phone and saw he had a text from Junsu, his closest friend.
Scrolling through the message, Jinki smiled and punched in a reply. He didn’t work tomorrow anyway, and the thought of going out was suddenly an awesome idea. Jinki kept his phone out for when Junsu texted back, and as the brothers were settling in to watch some TV, the front door opened, and a woman’s voice rang through the air.
“Thank-you for the files, I’ll print out a copy and then send them back. Yes, the designs are coming along smoothly; they should be ready right away. Alright, I’ll see to that tomorrow morning when I get to the office. Bye.”
A sigh came from the woman and a cell phone snapped shut. Jinki and Donghae looked up even though they knew who it was.
Min Lee came into the living room, her hair flat and her eyes underlined with dark circles. She looked exhausted, and confirmed it by sinking into the couch next to Jinki.
“Hello my boys,” she smiled, patting Jinki’s leg. “How was your day?”
“Fine,” Jinki shrugged, as Donghae muttered, “the same as usual.”
Min nodded, looking as though she wasn’t paying much attention. “Yoochun was here?” When they nodded she smiled slightly. “Good, I’m sure he made a fabulous supper. Will you pack it up for me Onew? I grabbed a sandwich on the way home and I’m not very hungry. In fact, I think I’ll go get some sleep. See you boys in the morning.”
As she got up she kissed Donghae on the head and the Jinki. Then she disappeared upstairs and shut her bedroom door. The moment she disappeared, Jinki slipped deeper into the couch and ran a hand through his hair. Going out was the perfect idea for sure.
~*~*~
Doctor Boa Kwon sat in her office, a pen clicking irritably in her hand as she faced the lab below her. She didn’t move from that position when a knock hit the door sharply and then it opened slowly. Instead her stare intensified, as if she wasn’t pleased to know who was standing behind her.
“This had better be good news,” she said in a steely, cold tone, “Doctor Jung Yunho.”
A throat cleared, a deep heavy one. “Ah…well I’m not sure ma’am. One of our agents on the field have reported seeing the experiments wandering around in Seoul. We’ve sent more agents in undercover to see if they can find out more information.”
Finally Boa spun her chair to face her leading scientist. Her thick, brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun, not a single hair astray. Her face screamed no nonsense, as her round lips were etched in a permanent frown and her large, dark eyes were cold and emotionless. There was a crease above her brow as if she was constantly overworked. All in all, with her perfectly sculpted body and appealing facial features, Boa could have been a beautiful woman. If only she wasn’t so hell bent on creating the perfect human being. All she needed were those four young men they snagged before….
“Doctor Kwon?”
Boa blinked and shot a hard look at Yunho, who shifted slightly under the intense gaze. He was attractive in a fatherly way. Deep set brown eyes that weren’t quite as hard as Boa’s, yet still had that guarded look to them. His hair was neatly cut and styled, and his body was strong and lean. On his strong face, he had two scars, making him look a little more intimidating than the rest of him. Underneath that exterior, however, Doctor Jung Yunho was ruthless and almost as obsessed with the project as Boa was.
“Well I’ll consider that good news for now,” Boa said in a bored voice, “until you slip up again.”
Yunho bowed slightly. “I assure you Doctor Kwon, what happened last time will not occur again. I have taken care of everything, and I am now ready to get those four and bring them back where they belong.”
“Good, I’m glad to see you’re taking this seriously.” Boa stood up and gazed down at the lab beneath her office. “We’ll lose more funding if our main source is missing any longer. Send out Heechul if you have to. He’ll do the job you failed to do previously.” She whirled around and her hard stare returned. “And hope to god you will not lose him either. I will not tolerate more than one experiment running around loose, let alone five!” Her temper was cracking, and Yunho could tell. “We’ve lost those four for two years! Funding is diving because we have nothing more to report since they escaped. Now, I’m ordering you: DO NOT FAIL ME THIS TIME.”
Yunho managed to choke out a quick reply before hurrying out. “I will not disappoint Doctor Kwon.” And with that he rushed out the door and slammed it behind him.
Boa sank into her chair and gazed down at the unused lab, her frown deepening. Hopefully she’ll be able to put it back into use soon enough. She glanced down at the papers on her desk and then brushed them under other files before resuming clicking her pen habitually.
~*~*~*~
Key sat back on the bed and sighed, closing his eyes. Maybe he should just go back to his brothers, where he belonged. But something told him not yet; he needed the space. Opening his eyes, Key glanced around the room and felt loneliness blossom in his chest. Hurriedly he pushed the feeling away, knowing it was only temporary and he needed the space. The only problem was he hadn’t had any space in a very long time. Being around the same four other males for countless millennia made this sudden glitch epic. Maybe Key was an accident. After all, he was the one who got his brothers into this mess in the first place.
A new tightness crept along his chest again but this time it was loneliness. No, this feeling had been occurring since the industrial revolution. Since machines were created and with them, pollution. Pollution was killing the planet, setting if off kilter. The four elements controlled and maintained the planet because they were connected to it. As the world falls into global warming, the four young men realized they were more affected by the pollution. The water wasn’t as clean as it had been before; the air was thick with smog and pollution; the earth was seeped with chemicals and loaded tight with garbage. The garbage was sucked into the ground beneath it, polluting the water and then the air. Fire was out of control because of the dry spells, lasting months and creating forest fires. All these things affected the four who worked so hard to keep the planet alive. It wasn’t hard to live with as of yet, but they felt it stirring their blood. Polluting it.
Key ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. There was no use dwelling on that. There were bigger problems to deal with at the moment. As much as he hated it, there was nothing he could do at the moment.
Sitting up Key moved towards the window and gazed up at the big moon. There were no stars in the city, or, well that you could see. But the moon glowed gloriously in the black, velvety night sky. Maybe he should wait until the morning to decide what to do next. Exhaustion pulled at him and he glided back to the bed, sliding under the blankets. Then he turned off the light and prayed sleep would come easy to him.