Sunset Drive On; Jonghyun/Key; PG
Sunset Drive On
Jonghyun/Key; fluff; pg; 1022 words
In which American movies provide the best entertainment for Jonghyun (and Key)
key's always warned him of the dangers of watching too many american movies.
they'd invade his mind and pollute his insides with fantasies that korean men would never be able to fulfil.
they'd leave him quoting word-for-word off their scripts because it sounded right or nice or something.
they'd have him feeling emotional at all the wrong times.
jonghyun could perhaps deny the second one, solely because he could barely make out the words
those american actors were saying, if not for korean subtitles, which he secretly didn't trust anyway.
key was right about everything else though. scenes would go on in his mind as if on constant
replay and he had lost the remote, which wasn't actually a bad thing.
except that it fueled those fantasies key had warned about.
*****
jonghyun enjoys watching american movies mostly because of these made-up worlds where
love existed in all forms. there was love in coffee houses, bonding over steaming mugs of hot
chocolate (but the korean subtitles always read chocolate drink, which was two worlds away
from the actual meaning in jonghyun's opinion).
there was love in the park in spring, shy glances across wooden benches basked in sunlight and warmth.
there was love even in airports, from across hallways, stopping and staring because that was their
one true love right there.
but jonghyun had always enjoyed one version the best. and that was the one when they'd drive into
the sunset in an old, preferably 1960s' convertible, holding hands and the air fresh with unspoken
words and hinting smiles.
he tells key all these fantasies especially his favourite one, leaving out the hand holding,
hinting smiles part, of course, how embarrassing.
but, as expected, key only replies with 'I told you so's or 'snap out of it's.
maybe key was allergic to things like this but jonghyun had definitely earned his 'king of skinship' title
from watching re-runs of sappy american love stories and oh boy, did it rake in the female fans.
so eventually, movies were movies. but it didn't hurt to dream, did it?
well, yes it did, for kim jonghyun. it hurt the most knowing he'd never achieve those depths of love because
he was pursuing a youthhood passion - singing. he blames it on his lack of maturity at that time but key calls
it destiny.
*****
jonghyun occupies himself with american movies on the private jet to los angeles. he takes a full hour listing down
movie titles to watch on the plane and then the remaining ones he couldn't watch would be conveniently downloaded
and synced into his iPad so he could watch them anytime, anywhere.
he tortures himself by watching love stories and rom-coms and then pauses between scenes to look
out the airplane window and wonder what it'd be like if he was born 'john young' instead of 'jonghyun'.
but after all that daydreaming and pondering, he only sees a plain ol' korean man mocking his lack-thereof
in the reflection.
oh and key too, sleeping soundly next to him, head on his shoulder.
*****
they perform on a huge stage two days after arriving in a city filled with people jonghyun's only
seen in movies (figures). there is confetti and laser lights and bubble guns and lots of water.
he performs his heart out because maybe, like in one of those movies he's watched,
the love of his life is in the crowd with a knowing smile and a giant bunch of multi-coloured balloons to
release into the air when he starts singing his solo.
he stops searching when key nudges him hard on the side and throws him a dirty,
what-the-fuck-are-you-looking-for look.
when he takes a second look at the crowd,
there's only tons of lightsticks, a fair thousand lit-up fanboards
and possibly some of the biggest camera lenses he's ever seen.
along with the confetti and laser lights and bubble guns and lots of water.
but that's all.
the show ends with many tears on stage, probably all happy crying and hugs of satisfaction.
but only jonghyun (and key) know what jonghyun's tears are for.
*****
it's the last evening they all have in los angeles before its back to korea.
extraordinary life and surprises and all that.
whoopee, jonghyun thinks with a sigh and an involuntary eye roll.
he sits with his knees to his chest on the balcony and chin to his knees,
trying to enjoy the last sunset he'll see in america in awhile.
just then, the glass doors slide open forcefully behind him and key's standing there,
with a strange mix of pride and annoyance on his face.
mainly annoyance, jonghyun decides before key pulls him roughly by the arm back into the hotel
room and then out of the hotel room and down to the carpark via the elevator.
"what are you -" he starts but never gets to end.
because there, in the parking lot, is a vintage, electric blue convertible
and jonghyun's cheek is on the windscreen before he can stop himself.
"that's enough, you're dirtying the windscreen and you've only got an hour
with it okay, go crazy."
key looks at jonghyun expectantly, waiting for the man to hop into the car and drive off.
jonghyun doesn't know if it's reality or not so he pinches himself - hard.
but its obviously reality when he yelps out in pain and finds the car and key still there.
"don't be a dumbass, get in the car, go drive into the sunset, go wild, you need this."
key stands with one hand on his hip and the other waving jonghyun off.
instead of doing what key says, which is what happens most of the time,
jonghyun gets his cheek off the windscreen and grabs key's wrist.
he manages to strap key into the seat next to his, albeit the protesting and struggling.
he knows key is enjoying it though.
and then, with an eager smile across his face,
he does exactly what he's memorised from the movies.
he takes off into the fading sunset.
holding on tightly to key's hand.
the air fresh with unspoken words and hinting smiles.
*
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