Shinee Reprise (Chapter 3)
Jinki yawned widely as the bus came rolling around the corner. He had gotten plenty of sleep but for some reason he was exhausted. Nonetheless he knew he was going to wake up when he met Junsu. Junsu was had a dolphin-like laugh and figured his English was so amazing that Jinki always wound up in stitches, tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks. Junsu had no idea why Jinki laughed so hard, and he probably decided that his best friend tended to be a little hysterical.
Smiling at his best friend’s nature, Jinki stepped up onto the bus and spotted the cheeky young man easily, sitting near the back of the bus. Junsu waved excitedly and Jinki hurried over, stumbling slightly as the bus lurched forward and sped off down the road.
“So how’s it going?” Junsu said in a high voice.
Jinki slumped into the seat beside him and yawned again. “Tired…actually. Which is weird because I got tons of sleep.”
Junsu shrugged and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Maybe you got too much sleep. I’ve heard somewhere that if you get too much rest your body will still feel tired. Funny, since sleep is supposed to help you get all rested.” He shrugged again.
“Yeah, well maybe that’s it.” Jinki let it drop. “So we’re going shopping?”
“That’s the plan!” Junsu’s absent look broke and spread into a pleasant, toothy smile.
Junsu looked like he could be a celebrity with his round cheeks and small, plump lips. His brown eyes were slanted but not to the point where they disappeared when he smiled; unlike Jinki’s. Also, like all the other males around Jinki, Junsu was well defined and muscular. Maybe the fact that he was an amazingly talented dancer helped a bit also.
Jinki sighed inwardly. His self esteem wasn’t low or anything, but he did wish his muscles grew. Hurriedly he pushed his thoughts away and the two friends chatted animatedly the rest of the bus ride, and hurried off when their stop came. The morning was cool even though the sun was shining through the thin clouds drifting along. Jinki pulled his sleeves down to keep his hands warm and he and Junsu jogged across the street to get to the mall. Already customers were streaming in and getting ready for their shopping trips, and briefly Jinki wondered why they were at the shopping center so early. Then he remembered who he was shopping with and that was the reason. Junsu liked to cover literally every store, and thoroughly. And Jinki was the best shopping companion because he didn’t mind being dragged around and letting Junsu do his own thing while he sat around waiting. In turn, however, Junsu gave Jinki the choice of where they were to eat. So it was a pretty good partnership.
They strolled through the mall, Jinki glancing around at all the eager shoppers and the kids being rolled around in their little buggies. Old people shuffled around, walking the length of the mall their exercise for the day. Rich housewives or retired businessmen hurried along, looking into expensive shops and talking rapidly on their blackberries. The mall was a nice, rather new place with many unique stores and a variety of places to eat, which suited Jinki just fine. Junsu was checking out all the stores, surprisingly still able to avoid people as he walked along, his eyes thoughtful as he decided which store he wanted to go into first. Suddenly he pulled Jinki to the left and the shopping day begun.
They went into literally all the stores, and both young men were dragging armfuls of bags by the time Junsu declared he was starving. Jinki-who’s stomach had been rumbling for the past hour-looked around at the food court and wondered what restaurant they should go to. Finally they decided on a Korean barbeque place and they hurried over, lifting the bags with a strain as they passed other tables.
They sat down, and Jinki literally sank limply into the chair without saying anything. Shopping with Junsu was a good way to burn calories and get a full eight hours of sleep. The waitress handed them their menus and then disappeared back into the restaurant, as the friends were seated outside it in the tables around the place. Jinki glanced at the menu, his mouth salivating over all the choices, and Junsu flipped through it casually, but there was a hungry look in his eyes as well.
When they had decided and told the waitress, Junsu leaned forward on his elbows and stared curiously at Jinki.
“What?” Jinki blinked, his cheeks flushing. “Hyung, why are you looking at me like that?”
Junsu shrugged. “Just wondering how a girl could totally pass you by. You’re cute enough.” As Jinki’s cheeks turned a deeper red, Junsu continued. “Or maybe it’s not the girls…. Are you perhaps interested in boys dear Onew?”
Jinki choked on the glass of water he had grabbed in a haste to wash away the burning sensation in his face. “Hyung! I…I…no….” A mental picture of the four young men walking down the street yesterday flashed into his mind and he choked on the water again.
His short, incoherent answer obviously didn’t fool Junsu. “It’s fine if you are. You can’t choose who you love; much less the gender you love.”
Nodding slightly, Jinki downed the rest of his glass simply because it was in his hands and they suddenly felt tingly and twitchy. He had always believed he liked girls; it was how the other boys were so he always just assumed that was the right way. To like boys was…well wrong and different. His eyes drifted off to look back at the crowd flowing along in the mall, and suddenly his eyes latched onto someone drifting along.
If he didn’t know better he could have sworn that was one of the young men who had walked by him yesterday. In fact, it was the one who had looked at him. His eyes had been slanted in such a way that looked feline and feminine. He was thin and looked shorter than Jinki by a few inches. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets, his shoulders were hunched and Jinki found he was able to see his eyes as he came closer. They were narrowed making him seem more like a predatory cat prowling among its prey. It was in a suspicious manner, but that wasn’t what caught Jinki’s attention. It was the colour.
The young man’s eyes were a vibrant aqua blue colour, which resembled the calm, beautiful ocean. They looked like they belonged to an older person, because there was so much wisdom and knowledge filling those unique blue eyes. And the way he walked; it was almost like he was liquid moving along a path. Flowing and graceful, the complete opposite of Jinki.
Jinki must have been gawking like an idiot because suddenly the young man’s startling eyes turned towards him and his tension grew. Quickly he picked up his pace and dodged the crowd easily as if they weren’t really there. Jinki watched him in awe, but something tugged at him, like worry. The young man looked a little uneasy being in a crowd, and with Jinki watching him he tensed up like a rabbit caught by a hawk.
As the food was brought to table, Jinki slid off his chair and stood up quickly. Junsu looked at him, confusion written on his face.
“I…uh…have to go to the bathroom,” Jinki spluttered, “I’ll be right back.”
“Onew?”
Junsu called after him, but Jinki was already out of the restaurant and following after the young man. What compelled him to do it was beyond him, but Jinki’s body was obviously doing its own thing so Jinki had no choice but to follow.
Suddenly he caught sight of the young man, and his feet moved swiftly, shoving past people a lot less gracefully than his target was. Finally Jinki paused as the young man broke out into an empty space and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened in shock at seeing Jinki only a few feet behind him. Nervously, and slightly embarrassed, Jinki took a step forward. Only to find that the young man took a step back, and his shoulders tensed again.
“What do you want?” he snapped.
Jinki blinked. The young man’s voice was so cool and fluid, it reminded Jinki of water flowing. But it held a tone of demand and Jinki cleared his throat, his cheeks warm again.
“I...uh...I don’t know,” he stuttered, wringing his hands. He still didn’t know why he rushed after the young man, but his body had reacted before his brain could catch up so....
“You don’t look like the type they would send,” the young man said suddenly, and his voice turned curious. “Who sent you?”
“Um...no one. I came on my own...well I mean with a friend but still, I followed you by my own will and I...look I honestly don’t know why I did it but I’m sorry if it seemed creepy or weird or perverted....I’m not like that at all. Seriously.” Jinki was rambling now, and the young man’s curious look became puzzled. Each time, however, he still remained perfect and elegant. Before Jinki could stop himself, he blurted, “My name’s Jinki...well everyone calls me Onew but that’s my real name. Jinki, not Onew....um....”
There was a stretch of silence that made Jinki uncomfortable. They were standing in a secluded section of the mall, so it was relatively quiet as no shoppers really came down that way. Jinki was wondering if he should just turn and walk away and forget that incident ever happened when the young man’s clear voice spoke.
“I’m Key,” he said, his puzzled look still etched on his sharp features.
“Key.” Jinki tasted the name with his lips and smiled slightly. “Pleased to meet you.”
Just then Junsu’s voice was heard and Jinki turned to see his best friend running towards him. Behind him, Key tensed again and looked warily over at Junsu who stopped and studied the scene carefully. Then he turned to Jinki.
“What the hell was that?” Junsu asked, a little annoyed, “you just decide to dine and dash and leave me with the bill or something?”
“Ah! No, no I didn’t want that I just...this is Key,” Jinki said hurriedly remedying the situation. “He’s...a friend of mine and I haven’t seen him in a while so I thought I’d say hi before I lost sight of him. Sorry hyung.”
Junsu didn’t look convinced but he nodded over at Key, and Jinki noticed the way he checked Key out. It was obvious Jinki wasn’t the only one who found the odd young man appealing and attractive. Standing next to Junsu meant Jinki had no chance in the world. And yet for some reason, Key’s eyes were focused on Jinki. Jinki cleared his throat and pretended not to be bothered by it, but he found it hard to ignore entirely. Apparently the stare didn’t go unnoticed by Junsu either, how bit his lip and his eyes narrowed slightly. Then he threw up his hands and shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter…friend or not, it’d be rude not to invite Key to lunch right? Come on we should get back. I don’t know how long that waitress was willing to hold our table.”
They walked back slowly, Jinki making sure Key was following. All the while Key remained silent, but it was as if he felt compelled to follow the two friends. When Jinki looked back, however, he noticed that Key’s eyes kept flickering around the mall, and his hands remained firmly by his side as if ready to run. Why would he have to run though?
When they got back to the restaurant, Junsu asked for another chair to be pulled up and Jinki resumed his seat as before. Key stood there, gazing down at the chair as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to sit or not. Junsu gestured to it and raised his eyebrows.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, kindly, and Key shook his head.
Slowly he slid into the chair but kept it back far enough away so he could get up easily if he needed to. Key’s actions puzzled Jinki, but he didn’t broach the subject for fear of what Key might or might not say. That and Junsu was already looking at Key like something was wrong with him, so asking what was wrong wouldn’t help the situation. Instead he passed his menu to the other young man and smiled encouragingly. Jinki already knew what he wanted so he didn’t need the menu anyway.
“Don’t worry about what to buy, it’s on me,” Jinki said without thinking. Key blinked in surprise and then the hint of a smile crept on his lips. It was a smile that was meant for an inside joke; one that Jinki and Junsu were obviously not part of.
“You don’t have to worry about paying for me Onew,” he said in his smooth voice, “I’ll pay for myself.”
“O…kay….”
Jinki really couldn’t wrap his head around the young man sitting beside him. He remained tense and alert, but his body seemed to have relaxed ever so slightly in the friends’ company. If he had thought they were any threat he didn’t think so now. And he kept glancing over at Jinki with a curious look on his beautiful face.
When they had decided the waitress came up and almost stumbled over her heels when she caught sight of Key sitting before her. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed and she hurried to get her words out. While she was taking their orders her wide eyes remained on Key even though she was asking Jinki. Key’s eyes, however, were looking in Jinki’s direction, not even paying any attention to the waitress goggling at him. Finally she got the menus frantically and then hurried off, no doubt to tell the other girls working there about the beautiful young man she was serving. Sure enough, Jinki glanced over towards the kitchen and noticed the door was filled with curious, excited young ladies attempting to catch a glance at Key. Jinki felt his cheeks warm and he felt surprisingly angry. Did they have any right looking at him like that? No, so why were they sitting there like vultures staring at Key like he was some big time celebrity?
Junsu’s dolphin-like laughter cut him from his thoughts and he blinked. “You’re pouting Onew.”
Jinki blinked again and he shook his head. A smile had broken out on Key’s lips and Jinki’s cheeks reddened. “No I’m not! I’m…thinking! Don’t say that unless you know hyung!”
Junsu laughed again. “Oh please, that is so a pout, isn’t it Key?”
“Yeah that is,” Key muttered, smirking.
“Gah, leave me alone!” Jinki whined, pouting again.
“Are you jealous?” Junsu continued on relentlessly.
“Jealous of what?”
“Those girls peaking at Key by the kitchen.”
“No! Why would I be?”
Junsu smiled smugly and shook his head. “You are so easy to read Onew. Geez I know you all too well.”
Jinki crossed his arms and slumped back in his chair pursing his lips together tightly. “Whatever hyung.” Then he remembered Key was sitting there and sat up. “I mean…no…I don’t think that way. I can’t I like….” He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. “God I need to learn when to stop talking. I’m sorry Key I….”
When he opened his eyes Jinki’s sentence trailed off. Key’s beautiful face was only inches from his, his cat-like, aqua blue eyes round and curious. He didn’t look the least bit offended, but Junsu looked downright shocked. His mouth hung down to his knees and his eyes bulged out so far they looked like they were going to pop out at any second. Obviously Junsu had been joking about the whole thing, but Key was serious.
“Um…hi?” Jinki squeaked.
“I trust you,” Key whispered for only Jinki to hear.
“W-what? That’s great I guess,” Jinki smiled, a little uncertain.
Then Key pulled back and pulled out his wallet. “Don’t worry about paying, I’ll take care of it.” And he pulled out a shiny credit card and flashed it before Junsu and Jinki smiling slightly.