HATE THAT YOU’RE HAPPY (without an umbrella)

“By any chance, do you sell umbrellas? Or does this place have one I can borrow? Or maybe you brought your own umbrella which you’d be willing to sell to me?”
 

If Taemin hadn’t been aware of his surroundings, he’d assume the desperation in the woman’s voice is necessitated by a need to brave the heavy rain so she can go home or head somewhere important. But her quivering lips and visible effort to keep her eyes from blinking and dropping bitter tears tell him that she just needs to be out of this place as soon as possible, to be away from the person she came here with.

For the past hour or so, Taemin’s been a captive audience to the woman and her male companion’s conversation, which was more like an encounter portrayed in music videos or parlor scenes in French films— the energy between them tense, the pain in their eyes apparent, and the few words they exchanged were punctuated by a roar of thunder from the skies. And what made this meeting more cinematic, apart from the steady rain outside, is their strikingly beautiful movie star features.

If it weren’t so obvious that they are breaking up, Taemin would think they are siblings. Anyone with eyes wouldn’t miss the resemblance.

Taemin is not nosy in any way, but the couple occupied the only table in this little coffee shop he is manning. The rest of what can be called a provision for patrons are two long counters leaning against the glass wall facade with bar stools tucked under.

It is not an actual cafe but a makeshift coffee shop beside a car wash garage, both on the same property and owned by the same person, Taemin’s friend Jonghyun, who was kind enough to give him a pseudo-barista job while he’s in between real jobs and even if he has no experience whatsoever related to food and beverage service.

It is not Taemin’s fault that the pair in front of him make quite a visual stimulus, especially with a backdrop as drab as the interiors of this shop. The woman’s cherry blossom hair lends a fun element to her classic beauty. The same stylish contradiction can be seen in her basic khaki trench coat which is in vinyl, of all fabrics. Is it even classified under fabric?
 

And the man...


Taemin has a hard time taking his eyes off him. His blonde hair brushed up heightens his high cheekbones further. He hasn’t smiled, not even once, so his un-stretched lips are heart-shaped under his cutely biggish nostrils.

The sharp eyes that caught Taemin staring look awfully familiar to him. It takes a violently abrupt skip in his heartbeat to make him realize that the man is the crush he’s been babbling to Jonghyun about for weeks now… the recognition delayed because the man had dyed his hair blonde from jet black, and is now swept up and held in place by molding wax, unlike its former style with short soft waves falling freely around his y wide forehead.

The man goes to the garage two to three times a week to have his black car washed, and each time he would wait inside the coffee shop with a book and a cup of Americano, which Taemin prepares with love, as what rings in the mind of his hopeless romantic self. But why would this man, or any man for that matter, bring a girlfriend here?

Taemin finally knows why the man never looked at him for more than a few seconds despite him wearing his best-fitting clothes and flashing his sweetest smile, which his mother said would make anyone believe in the grace of God— his crush, Mr. Perfect Stranger, is straight. And even if Taemin’s fervent wish that the man isn’t in a relationship has no doubt just come true, his crush just ended things with a girlfriend.

Speaking of the lucky girlfriend, or maybe she’s not so lucky anymore as she’s no longer the girlfriend, the woman clears to catch Taemin’s attention. How long did he space out after she asked him for an umbrella?

“I’m sorry, Miss. I actually brought an umbrella. I can lend it to you.”

“Thank you,” was her simple and curt reply, like she wants to wrap her business here real quick because it’s getting increasingly unbearable to stay.

Taemin feels like he has committed a crime against her by drifting off in thought for god knows how long, so he scampers to the closet and grabs the umbrella he hung on the hook over his coat. It’s a bothersome long umbrella with a thick cane handle, the type that one should carry without any other personal effect, like a bag, to accompany it. It is hideous and definitely not handy but Taemin thinks it’ll be an effective weapon should he encounter thugs on the road after hours.

The woman grabs the umbrella from him even before he could extend his arm towards her and dashes out of the café.

“Taeyeon!” The man called out to her but her eyes were fixed on the glass door, which she pushes with a surprising force coming from her petite frame.

The man doesn’t go after her. He just sighs out loud and stretches his neck backwards, probably to alleviate stress-induced muscle tension. If they have indeed broken up, Taemin is convinced that it’s a long overdue decision. The woman looked resigned when she left and the man looks utterly exhausted. He clasps his hands together and lets out a longer sigh.

Taemin feels guilty noticing how enticingly large the man’s hands are, considering the anguish his crush must be feeling at the moment. He decides to do something useful then and walks over to the door to shut it close, since the force administered by the woman left it wide open. When he turns around to return to his station, Taemin sees that the man’s flawless face is drizzled with rain, which the wind blew in.

He runs to the counter, grabs an unused hand towel, and offers it to the man.

“Thanks. I’m sorry if we caused a disturbance.” The man wipes his face with the towel, which Taemin wants to retrieve, bring home with him, and never wash.

He notices that the man’s right eyebrow has a rather appealing scar that makes the edge of his brow look split. It’s ridiculous how Taemin finds him so y in the wake of the latter’s life possibly falling apart.

“No, you didn’t disturb anyone. There’s nobody here anyway.”

“Well, you’re here. You aren’t nobody.”

The statement is not in any way flirtatious but that doesn’t stop Taemin’s guts from flipping a little.

“My name is Taemin. Do you need or want anything?”

“Your name’s Taemin? Oh, the irony.”

“You know someone else named Taemin?”

“My girlfri—my ex’s name is Taeyeon. When she was still in her mother’s womb, her father wanted her to be a boy so bad. He was bent on naming his child Taemin.”

“Does my name sound like an omen to you now? , I’m sorry for saying that. I just figured your coffee date didn’t go so well.”

“No, no. I like that your name is Taemin. It suits you. And don’t worry about what happened here. I can assure you we don’t hate each other. We’ve been friends since we were children. Our families are close as well. It’s just that the fairytale of ending up together, happily ever after, was an idea we fancied as teenagers. We shouldn’t have fed those fantasies as we adulted. That was foolish. I tried to end it more than once but she’s a brat, and I find her antics adorable so the conversation never goes anywhere. My name is Kibum, by the way.”

Taemin sits on the chair opposite Kibum after the latter points at the empty seat. He once again feels guilty, this time for finding pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, Taeyeon’s. But Taemin can swear Kibum doesn’t look devastated at all.

“I’m actually relieved,” Kibum says, as if he’d read Taemin’s thoughts. “She broke up with me because I didn’t have the heart to do it formally. I know that she knows I can never be the man she needs. She’s just stubborn. I’ll do everything to win her back as a friend, though. But not right now, of course. She’ll need space.”

“Do you want to have a drink? I’m closing in fifteen minutes. It seems wrong not to drink after a breakup.”

“You sound like you’ve been in this situation many times.” Kibum chuckles, and Taemin dies inside at the sight of Kibum’s smile. How cruel it is that the man is straight. Even if Taemin isn’t the aggressive type, he’d shoot his shot if only Kibum were gay. He’ll kill to have those lips in his mouth… and those hands grabbing at his bum as he rides Kibum like he was born for it. Kibum’s appearance in general has that promise of a good lay.

“On the contrary, I’ve never been in a relationship legitimate enough to warrant a formal breakup.”

Kibum laughs, and Taemin swears it sounds more thunderous than the actual thunder that was the soundtrack to the grim atmosphere inside the shop earlier. But this laughter seems to have altered the climate. Taemin feels warm talking to Kibum, but the problem is he also feels hot looking at him, and then he feels cold thinking this will never lead to anything remotely romantic.

“Let’s have that drink then. We’ll toast to my relationship having ended and to yours waiting to begin.”

Taemin scrabbles for a one-liner that will help him small-talk his way out of being obviously attracted to Kibum.

“Your ex borrowed my umbrella. You said she’s stubborn, so I’m wondering how I can get it back.”

“Don’t take it back. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve taken from her.”

“Huh? I took something from her?”

“My attention.”

Taemin’s childhood obsession with Looney Tunes is responsible for the sudden mental image flashing before his eyes: He crashes backwards on the floor in his wooden chair, back rest crushed and scattered under him in splinters, his eyeballs a kaleidoscope, and his heart jumping and thudding from his chest, the outline of its literal Valentine shape pronounced through his cotton shirt.

“I’m sorry, am I being too forward? I’m positive you’re trying to get my attention every time I come here.” Kibum laughs, but this time it’s a bit muffled, as if he’s trying to gauge Taemin’s sense of humor.

“I’m also positive you never noticed me, Kibum.”

“Well, I keep going back to this shack needlessly. My car is never even dirty. But I was just here to enjoy the view, also known as you. I never intended to make a move. I’m not an boyfriend, you know. Just too gay for my ex.”

“I’ll close up now so we can go somewhere to drink.” Taemin tries to sound casual over the all-consuming excitement he feels beneath his skin.

“Taemin, wait. If you really want your umbrella back--“

“No. I hate that umbrella. I mean, I hate umbrellas. I love the rain.”

“So do I. We can walk in the rain then until we find a nice place that serves alcohol. And meat, since I’m actually hungry.”

An instant date with Mr. Perfect Stranger, who’s actually perfect because he isn’t straight! The universe must be making it up to Taemin after allowing him to be fired from his dream job because he dodged the ual advances of an executive during a company party. The lecherous man retaliated by fabricating lapses in Taemin’s work performance.

Taemin tidies up the place, which is thankfully tiny so he’s done in a little over ten minutes. As they step outside after closing the lights and locking the steel shutter door, Taemin wishes he could magically produce an extra soul and astral-project for a moment so he can watch himself and Kibum walking in the rain… smiling shyly to themselves in between stolen glances. Perhaps they look good together, too, in a movie couple kind of way. Besides, his father said he’s the Korean male counterpart of Audrey Hepburn.

The sudden surge of confidence causes Taemin to seek out Kibum’s hand, which he found buried inside the pocket of the man’s coat.

He stares at their interlocked hands for a moment. Taemin loves how his small hand is cocooned within Kibum’s huge one.  

Taemin’s silly mind could only create visuals and imagine movie stills. He tends to forget the dialogues, but he has definitely caught memorable phrases from the movies his parents watch together in their living room over and over again.

Maybe in the future he can tell Kibum that on this night Taemin’s heart was singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling! Kibum would surely laugh out loud.

The rain will remind him of Kibum from here onwards. Of how light he felt in spite of the heavy downpour. And even if they break up one day, Taemin wouldn’t hate it if Kibum becomes happy after him, like he is now after Taeyeon. He may be a hopeless romantic, but life has forced him to let his realistic side grow dominant.

The only thing he’ll hate is losing Kibum too, after having lost his umbrella.

“I can’t believe I’m holding hands with a guy in less than a couple of hours after a breakup! Taeyeon will understand, eventually, after we make up. There are strange but wonderful things that just happen. Maybe the garage coffee shop is our Paris, you know? That one place or spot where the characters in a movie meet and that moment is the turning point of their lives? I mean, what are the chances an unintentionally closeted gay man would walk into a miserable-looking café and find the prettiest boy in the world in there?” Kibum laughs for the second time tonight.

“Sorry, Taemin. If it sounded corny to you, then I was just joking. I’m too sappy for my own good.” 

Taemin realizes hate is a word he would probably never associate with Kibum. If he’s really as sappy as he claims to be, then Kibum might just end up being the love of his life.

# END #

(A/N)

Hello reader!

When the Hate That MV teasers came out, I was inspired to write this.  I hope it isn't too sloppy, since it was practically impromptu writing. Nevertheless, it was inspired writing so I hope that counts. :-D

Thank you for reading this. I hope it wasn't a waste of your time. Please keep streaming Hate That and support the comeback of our Kim Kibum. Love & light! <3