Taemin's Story: The Beginning
Day by Day[Taemin's Story: Part 1 / Beginning]
5 years ago
"Hyung, I'm cold. Why can't mom and dad take us to school in their car?" Taemin whined as he rubbed his fingers in his pockets together to keep warm. He hid his face in the collar of his coat like how a turtle hides in its shell and frowned as he looked ahead. Taesun gave his little brother a concerned look and curled his lips.
"They have to go to work early. What? You don't want me to take you to school anymore?" Taesun teased Taemin and lifted his eyebrows at him. Taemin quickly shook his head without any hesitation. Taesun chuckled soft as he ruffled Taemin's hair and put his arms around him.
"I'll tell you what. I'll try to get my driver's license as soon as possible so that I can take you to school so you don't have to worry about the weather anymore. Okay?" Taemin furrowed his eyebrows and tought about it for a while. He stopped Taesun in his tracks with his arm and looked straight at him in a serious manner.
"Pinky promise?" Taemin held out his pinky and waited for Taesun. Taesun looked at Taemin's pinky and chuckled.
"Taemin-ah. You're 13 and you still trust pinky promises." Taesun laughed as he crossed his arm over his chest. Taemin only gave him an intense stare. Taesun lifted his eyebrow and pouted his lips as he pretended to think about it. He smiled as he made his promise.
"Okay." Taesun confidently answered as he wrapped his pinky around Taemin's. Taemin smiled as he watched Taesun do so. He quickly let go of his pinky to grab a pile of snowball and shoved it in Taesun's face and ran off. Taesun shook his head to get rid of the snow and jokingly scoffed as he watched Taemin run past him.
"YOU CAN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN TAEMIN-AH, BUT YOU KNOW I'LL EVENTUALLY CATCH UP." Taesun laughed as he dashed forward to catch up with Taemin. Taemin looked back and stuck out his tongue at Taesun. Taesun eventually catched up and tackled Taemin to the ground.
Taesun and Taemin slowly walked up and stopped at the entrance of Taemin's school. Taemin took a deep breath and went forward. He turned back to wave at Taesun. Taesun grinned and waved back as he walked on to his own school. Taemin pursued his lips together and went inside. His eyes immediately scanned the hallway in search of one person, Kai. They had been close friends since they were both in the 1st grade and Kai was Taemin's only friend ever since. His classmates would often and still often made fun of him for his girlish looks and scrawny figure. Him being friends with Kai made it harder for him to make more though he ignored them and was glad that he had Kai, the school nerd, as his friend.
He hid his head in his collar trying to avoid classmates as he searched for Kai. He finally found him and grinned as he enthusiastically waved his hand at Kai. Kai gave him a shy wave back as he fast walked towards Taemin.
Kai on his lips as he nervously looked around the hallways. Taemin looked at Kai with curiosity and tilted his head.
"Is there something wron-"
"Gunwoo.." Kai stopped and swallowed hard before continuing.
"Gunwoo and his friends are at school today. I thought they left school for good. I don't know why they came back.."
"What?" Taemin looked at Kai in shock until he felt a strong arm wrap around his neck. Taemin and Kai looked at each other with worry.
"HEY YEOJA. I've decided to visit both of you today.. Taemin.. you look prettier than the last time we met." Gunwoo roared with laughter with his friends along his side. Other classmates around them started to laugh along with Gunwoo and his friends as well. Gunwoo stopped laughing and cringed his face into a cold, menacing look as he pushed Taemin and Kai against the wall with their necks. Taemin and Kai winced as their bodies crashed onto the wall behind them.
"Did you miss me?" He panted as he whispered to both of them in a dark tone. Taemin looked at Kai who winced as he stared at Gunwoo's hand on the side of his neck. For a slim figured guy, Gunwoo was really aggressive which made him the leader of his group. He had a sharp face and his black hair was slicked back as always. Apparently, he only needed to keep his thumbs on their necks to keep the both of them back. Taemin angrily kept his eyes on Gunwoo's face and cringed as he tried to push Gunwoo's arm away, but, unfortunately, they were too strong. Gunwoo laughed and flung Taemin to the side causing him to fall straight on his arm. He winced as he felt the throbbing pain on his arm and struggled as he tried to stand up. He triumphly stood up and gritted his teeth at Gunwoo who was still trying to choke Kai against the wall.
"Leave Kai alone you bastard." Taemin grunted as he sprinted forward in an attempt to push Gunwoo away and succeeded. Gunwoo gave Taemin a cold stare and flared his nostrils at him. He fiercely struck the side of Taemin's face with his fist. Kai eyes widened and watched in horror as Taemin fell onto the ground once again. Gunwoo smirked in pleasure and turned back to his friends.
"Let's leave." The others silently nodded and obediently followed Gunwoo out the school in a fast pace. Taemin could only watch them leave as he laid on the ground in pain. Kai, who was still in shock, stared at Taemin who was still on the floor.
"Let's just.. get to class." Taemin muttered as he steadied himself as he tried to get up.
Taemin walked out of the school. Taesun spotted Taemin and his eyes widened as he got a clear look at Taemin's bruised cheek. He rushed over to Taemin.
"TAEMIN. Did those idiots do this to you again?" Taesun gently touched Taemin's cheek. Taemin kept silent and frowned as he removed Taesun's hand off of his cheek. Taesun sighed.
"Don't worry Taemin. Someday I'll have to teach them a lesson for you.. Hey Taemin. I could teach you how to-"
"Taesun, it's a Wednesday. You're supposed to teach me today." Taemin said silently and in an attempt to change the topic. Taesun his lips and nodded as he stopped talking and gave Taemin a sincere look. Every Wednesday, Taesun was supposed to give Taemin dance lessons. It was the only day of the week where his parents worked overtime and the only day he was excited for. They both kept it as a secret as their parents were completely against anything like it. They just thought it was a waste of time. Everything was a waste of time to them, but the family business, The Lee Company. They cherished Taemin that way who happened to be their only hope of taking over the Lee Company. Because they already knew Kai's dream of becoming a dancer, they treated him as crap since then. They screamed at him, scolded him, threatened him, but, Taesun managed to keep it a secret for Taemin for 3 years now. He was frightened of the idea of them finding out, but it was for Taemin anyways.
Taesun moved his bed further against the wall to create more space while Taemin sat down and laid his head back against the wall. Taesun, exhausted from pushing the bed, panted as he rested his hands on his hips once he finished pushing the bed against the bed. He smiled and looked back at Taemin. His smile faded as he stared at the sad expression on Taemin's face. He came over and knelt down beside Taemin.
"You know that I'm always there for you right, Taemin?" Taesun said softly.
"You can't do that all the time.." Taemin murmured as he wiped a tear coming out of his eye with the back of his hands.
"Of course I can.. You can always call me.. and I can come over there and beat them up for you. How's that?" Taemin quietly chuckled at Taesun's response.
"That's easy for you. You're bigger and cooler and tougher than me. What can I really do without you? You have everything.."
"You have mom and dad's love." Taesun gritted his teeth as he spoke. Taemin pouted. Taesun stared at Taemin for a while and smiled as he carefully put his arms around Taemin's shoulders. The two sat there and said nothing for a while until Taesun quietly spoke up.
"You know that we can really only have each other.. right? You'll always have me and I'll always have you.. " Taesun whispered softly to Taemin. Taemin half smiled and nodded his head. Taesun smiled and ruffled Taemin's hair. His mouth made an o and he lifted his eyebrows as he remembered something.
"Oh I just remembered what I wanted to show you." He rushed to get up and went through his drawers. Taemin stared at Taesun with curiosity as he sat down beside him and gave him a little plastic CD container. Taemin furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the cover of it.
"The Essential Michael Jackson?" Taesun proudly nodded his head as Taemin read the words.
"Yeah. I just bought it last weekend.I have decided that I want to be as great as him someday. From now on, I will work harder at dancing then I did then... I believe that I can be like him someday." Taesun said confidently. Taemin stared at Taesun weirdly who still had the proud look on his face. Taesun turned to Taemin and suddenly gave him a serious look.
"Taemin-ah, you will support me when I do, right?" Taesun tilted his head. Taemin pursed his lips and slowly nodded his head. Taesun grinned.
"Let's get started then."
Taesun positioned Taemin's feet to where they were supposed to be with his own feet. He kept his hands behind his back as he observed Taemin's body position. Taesun smiled and nodded his head in approval. Taemin carefully observed Taesun's next dance move going with a Michael Jackson song in the background. Taemin gulped from it's difficulty, yet he managed to perfect it anyways. Taesun looked at Taemin in awe.
"Wah Taemin-ah.. you might be even better than me if you continue like this." Taemin shyly smiled at Taesun's compliment. As Taesun continued to show off his dance moves, the door suddenly flew open and made a loud crash as it hit the wall. Taemin's eyes grew wide as their parents angrily stepped inside Taesun's room. Their father flared his nose in anger as he looked at the both of them. Their mother looked down on them, especially Taesun, in disappointment. Taesun swallowed hard and only kept his face straight as he stared at the ground. Their father immediately went up to Taesun and harshly smacked him across the cheek. Taemin jumped in surprise and felt tears come out from the corner of his eyes as he looked at his father in shock. Taesun only made a dull expression as he looked at the ground and was speechless.
"How dare you teach him these kinds of things you useless piece of !" Their father's voice boomed in their ears as his voice grew terrifyingly loud. He smacked Taesun on his other cheek continuously until Taesun's cheeks began to burn. Taemin shook his head and came between them.
"Stop it dad. It's not his fault. I wanted to learn." Taemin shouted. Their father stopped and stared at Taemin menacingly.
"You even taught him how to talk back as well?!" He pushed Taemin to the side and kicked Taesun down on his bed with his foot. Taesun winced but still kept silent.
"If you don't get out of this house, then don't ever leave this room." Their father stared at Taesun coldly and walked away with their mother. Taemin got up and looked at Taesun in shock.
"Taesun.. " Taemin watch Taesun as he laid down on his bed and said nothing.
It had been a week. Kai hadn't been at school ever since Wednesday. Taesun hadn't said a word at all. It had just been a lonely week for Taemin and winter had just begun this week. He missed Taesun and wanted to hear him talk again. He hadn't talked since last week. Taesun would only come home from school then go straight to his room. It bothered Taemin who just wanted to see his big brother again. Taemin hesitantly walked in to Taesun's room. Taesun laid down on his bed facing the wall. Taemin was about to come closer, but Taesun, surprisingly, spoke up which startled Taemin.
"Taemin.. do you really want to dance?" Taesun asked Taemin in a soft tone. Taemin, surprised that Taesun finally spoke up, came quickly to Taesun's side.
"Taesun, you know I love dancing as much as you do." Taesun turned his body around to face Taemin.
"More than anything?" Taemin nodded his head quickly.
"More than anything."
"Then, Taemin, would you like to continue the dance lessons?" Taesun raised his voice. Taemin's eyes widened at Taesun's sudden question.
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