It all began when Kyungsoo was mocked for giving out too much of an innocent and cute vibe.

 

Like, what? That’s unheard of! He's so manly that he can think of a number of ways why he is so, more than the fingers he can count on each hand (which he is definitely grateful that he has five on each hand)! 

 

Anyway, Baekhyun spouts all kinds of nonsense considering that he himself hasn’t lost his ity as well, and damn, can that boy lie.

 

Still, he has to at least confirm that he's the only one who thinks this. I mean, it's kind of a sensitive topic, to rate somebody's manliness so cruelly like that. It's like pointing out if someone's is small. 

 

Kyungsoo approaches it carefully when he arrives to their usual table at the cafeteria. He doesn't want to put himself in a position where everyone is going to hesitate answering, so he's got to be tactful about it.

 

"Hey, Soo."                              

 

"Hey," he pauses, and his big and round eyes he leans forward. "Say, guys, do you think I'm manly?"

 

Sehun spits out his drink and Lu Han thinks he's helping him by giving him more to drink to soothe his erratic coughing. Minseok and Jongdae are kind of looking away, but Chanyeol is the only one who placates him temporarily with a pat on the shoulder. 

 

"Sure you are, Soo!" he beams. "Once they get to know you you're manly as hell!"

 

"So you're saying... I'm not manly at first glance?"

 

"Lu Han has that problem you know, too," Sehun says after recovering.

 

"Hey, I am manly."

 

"Sure you are."

 

"Well, you have a small !" Yeah, see how cruel that is, because not only that is true, but Sehun lets out a huff and storms off from the table. Right away Lu Han looks guilty and goes after him. Ahh, there goes his walking advisor...

 

"It's not a bad thing," Minseok pitches in. "I mean, I also get the occasional, 'you look so cute, here have a candy!'"

 

"I'm surprised you're not kidnapped yet," Yixing quietly states. 

 

"Ugh, I don't know," great, here comes the self pity party, "Is this why all those guys I've asked out rejected me? Because I look like a kid?"

 

"Not only that," Chanyeol trails off.

 

"What?" he says rather sharply. "What is it?"

 

"It's your eyes."

 

"You dress well."

 

"You are super nice to everyone."

 

"And you're very small."

 

"You look like Grace Kelly except not at all. Just that kind of vibe that you'll never do anything wild in your life."

 

"What. I may be all those things but I definitely have done something wild!"

 

"List three."

 

"Well, there was that time I jigged." 

 

"That was toilet break."

 

"Okay. There was that other time, uhh, or maybe that..." Kyungsoo's at a loss of words. Has his life been so mundane up until now? He's never broken a school rule, never been to a party or snuck inside a club that his friends had gone to the other night. "Oh my God, I'm boring," he says, feeling the soul exit from his body. 

 

"Sorry man," Chanyeol pats his shoulder again. 

 

"Uh, okay, thanks for your help, I guess," Kyungsoo slowly hobbles away from the table, just as Sehun and Lu Han have returned. 

 

"So how's the whole Kyungsoo thing going?"

 

"Well, he discovered that he's boring."

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

So there's another problem at hand. 

 

Apparently Kyungsoo is innocent, cute and boring! He did not need to know that! He's just... well mannered; studious, and boring. 

 

. 

 

He stares at the open books in front of him, which he always tends to, having to bus it home every day after school. He wants to get into Law, but it unsettles him knowing that not many people is going to take him seriously, because he is innocent and cute, nor would he hold up a good social life, garner potential clients because he is boring. 

 

He shouldn't really let this get to him, though. After all, Chanyeol would probably be working under his law firm one day...

 

Kyungsoo looks outside the window. It's been a pretty good day and it still is, kind of sunny but with a breeze. Almost everyone has left the bus, and he glances at the bus driver...

 

He looks again. The bus driver looks very young and gentle looking; he's always docile to all the students including himself that come onto the buss, and he really doesn't look like he has a mean bone in his body.

 

But all of that changes because he has a piercing. It's a round black stud on his left ear lobe, and it actually suits him. Somehow, that little accessory already detracts the kind of innocent and cute vibe he gives out, and it's definitely a good way to spice up the wild things he could do in his life. 

 

In fact, he looks pretty badass with it. 

 

I want to be badass.

 

Kyungsoo packs away his books and walks up to the bus driver who spares him a small smile. 

 

"Hey, you have a cool piercing!"

 

"Oh, thanks!" he glances at the mirrors before turning. "Are you thinking of getting one?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Well, you're still young, you would need your parents' permission to get it."

 

"Oh..."

 

"But, how much do you want it?" he says with a glint in his eye. "Because I may be able to pull a few strings."

 

"I want it... a lot?" he says uncertainly.

 

The man laughs. "That's good enough for me."

 

"Thanks!" Kyungsoo smiles, not expecting to go to the parlour so quickly, so impulsively, so... wildly! The bus slows down at a curb, and the double doors open. Kyungsoo returns to his seat again, making way for the couple that's currently entering. 

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

The bus driver is nice enough to lead Kyungsoo into a professional tattoo and piercing parlour since they've arrived at the end of the stop. He's been walking through a number of stores until he is lead to turn into a stairwell, leading into an underground shop. There's a wide selection of jewellery, none of which he can distinguish too well, and sample models of ears donned with a wide combination of earrings. In the section up ahead is covered by thin veiled curtains, and he can only make out what's happening from a person applying the procedure with another sitting on a chair.

 

In the whole time he was going there he wasn't nervous, but arriving and realising that this is actually happening has resulted him to swim in dread, panic and anxiety all at the same time. 

 

"Hey, anyone there?" the bus driver yells. 

 

A few seconds later the curtain is drawn away, turns his attention at the man who comes forward to greet him. He's dressed in jeans and a white sleeveless hoodie, showing his sleeved tattoos and has a number of piercing mostly on his ears, though he spots another suspended above his eyebrow. But above all, he looks so intimidating and that beneath all his tattoos and piercings he actually looks pretty attractive, so attractive that he doesn't notice the girl in the chair actually has a rather large needle stuck through her tongue. 

 

But in any case, he's attractive and intimidating, two traits Kyungsoo can't work with, so he's probably looking like an easy prey to anyone who cares about stepping on him.

 

The guy runs his hand through his hair, using the other to shake his hand. "Hey, it's been a while! You finally going to finish tattooing the back?"

 

Kyungsoo unconsciously turns to look at his back, but of course how can he see when he's wearing a damn shirt. 

 

"No, I'm still on my shift! But it's a good thing you're still here Jongin, because I've got a favour to ask of you."

 

"Mhm," he crosses his arms, paying full attention. 

 

"Well, this boy here comes to my bus every day after school, always studying in the bus, you know," Jongin smiles at Kyungsoo, but he doesn't in return, "and he wants an ear piercing. Like mine."

 

"How old are you?"

 

"Seventeen," he mumbles.

 

"Do your parents let?"

 

Kyungsoo stays silent. 

 

Jongin scratches his head, "Well, I don't know. You need your parents' permission and my boss will kill me if he finds out."

 

"I'll deal with him," he urges. "But come on, you can do this just once, hey?"

 

He considers the statement, but nods eventually. "Fine. Alright, buddy, I'll just have you wait here while I'll finish installing her piercing, okay?"

 

Kyungsoo meekly nods. Oh this is really happening. He looks at the bus driver in horror when he tells him that he needs to leave because he has to return back to his shift, and not wanting to stand awkwardly by himself, he busies himself looking at the different types of jewellery. Kyungsoo stands in front of the mirror, turning his face sideways as he compares the picture of a black bar that extends from the middle to the ear to the top, imagining himself with it. 

 

"Do you want an industrial instead?" Jongin laughs, cleaning up the counter. 

 

"Thankth Onging!" the girl waves merrily before leaving.

 

Kyungsoo quickly shakes his head, startled by his presence. 

 

He pauses. "You don't talk much do you."

 

"Not really," he manages to say. 

 

"Well, anyway, sit on the chair," he laughs. "I won't bite."

 

Kyungsoo does as he's told, approaching cautiously. Maybe he can bite. You just never know with people these days.

 

"I didn't catch your name by the way."

 

"It's Kyungsoo."

 

"Hmm okay, I'm Jongin, I think you know that though," he nods. "So you've only got a year left in high school huh?" he pulls a chair beside Kyungsoo, preparing the things onto the table. 

 

"Yeah..."

 

"What do you want to do afterwards?"

 

"Law."

 

"Oh, nice. I'm actually younger than you, you know," Jongin states, resulting in a scandalous look from Kyungsoo. "I look old, don't I?"

 

"No, I'm just surprised. Like, really surprised." Actually yes he does look old(er) but it's never a bad thing for guys to look mature for their age. It gives them character, something that Kyungsoo begrudgingly lacks.

 

"Well, I would have been a junior this year, but ah well." 

 

"Did you drop out or something?"

 

“Mhm, and I was lucky enough to land a job here because I kept spending my money at this place. Obviously. And my boss was willing to train me and so here I am.”

 

“That’s a pretty good story to tell.”

 

“Yeah? Well, anyway, you're actually one of the few people who know I'm under age to be licensed, so,” he puts a finger on his lips. “That'll be our secret.”

 

“Well, two, actually, since I haven't exactly gotten my parents' permission to get my ear pierced...”

 

“You're right. Looks like my job is in your hands.”

 

“And my parents are in yours...” he says. "Well actually I'll get into trouble either way, not that I mind?" he quickly reassures.

 

Jongin laughs, and soon the other laughs as well. “Right, right. So, can I ask...” he nods, “why do you want to get your ear pierced? Is it to prove a point to your friends that you're secretly a wild beast inside?”

 

“Wait, how did you know?!”

 

Jongin shrugs. “You seem the type.”

 

He averts his eyes. Typecasted once again. Why do people feel the need to openly express their impressions on other people, as if it's not a big deal to them? Then again he did ask for their opinions... but still! Seriously!

 

“That's the whole point,” he sighs.

 

“What is?”

 

“Being a type, having to come off with a certain impression that I am an innocent, cute and boring type of person,” he says in a mocking tone. “Well, Chanyeol and the others seem to think so anyway. Even Sehun, who has a small wiener," he looks at Jongin who's smiling back amusingly at him, probably thinking who the hell these guys are. 

 

“So what was your first impression of me?”

 

“Ehh, intimidating...”

 

He nods. “I get that a lot. But the greatest joy comes from being given the chance for them to see who you are on the inside.”

 

Kyungsoo considers the statement, starting to see what he's saying. 

 

“I guess so,” he admits, rather shyly, "You're actually very easy to talk to by the way, if you're wondering of how I see you now."

 

"Then I've done very well," he stands up, in his teeth, "Anyway, you can always come back again once you actually appreciate the look of piercings and not just doing it for the hell of it."

 

"W-well, wait, that doesn't mean I'm not getting it, because I still want it. Kind of."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah..." he nods, slowly wrapping his head around the idea. "Yeah! Do you think it'll look good?"

 

"I do," he says with what Kyungsoo can tell as an honest response. He sits down again. "Left ear then!"

 

"What's wrong with the right?"

 

"Well, left is right and right is wrong, if you're speaking from a straight person's point of view."

 

"From that explanation, shouldn't I get it on my right ear then?" Kyungsoo says, just barely able to grasp what he's just said.

 

Jongin looks at him blankly, "Oh, you're a right."

 

"Yeah."

 

And then he smiles, "In that case, maybe I'll ask you out sometime."

 

"What??"

 

"Hold still, I'm going to make a mark."

 

"Did you just --" a soft touch.

 

"Ah damn," he rubs his ear with a wet tissue, "I said maybe," there's a teasing tone behind it. 

 

"There's no maybe in this situation..." another soft touch.

 

"Well, obviously we're very different, so, I've concluded it into my 'maybe' pile." 

 

"But, we're getting on so--" his voice catches in his throat when he sees the needle he's pointing upwards. "Well."

 

"Ready?"

 

Kyungsoo swallows hard. 

 

"Maybe."

 

 

Well, pretty typical message but I've always had this oneshot in mind for aaaages like you wouldnt believe

Anyway, comments are appreciated!!