“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” 

- John Lennon

--

He awoke to the sound of pots and pans clashing and orchestrating in the kitchen. The musty smell of oily, greasy eggs and bacon were being created from only five meters away. Kai rubbed his eyes until they deepened a bloody red. “Aish…The hell is going on!” He screamed with no energy, whatsoever. Inhaling the scent of the fresh food, the sizzling sound was hard to resist. Brushing his dark bangs away from his face, there was a small pitch of light brightening the room of utter darkness.

Shoving the warm blanket over his head, all he could see was blackness and a shadow of a figure in his room. He couldn’t make out who it was, but Kai never liked anyone being his room. Even if it was his parents, there was no exception.

Footsteps approached him hesitantly. “Hyung?”

The silence ended the conversation then and there.

The younger fellow pressed the palm of his hand onto Kai’s shoulder nervously. He would’ve thought his hyung would’ve without delay thrown him across the room for laying a finger on him, but all he did was almost shrug under the thick quilt. “Hyung?”

An exasperated sigh interrupted the string of words his dongsaeng was about to stitch together.  “What do you want?”

He pouted, a frail expression he had put on made Kai strip the blanket off of him and stare at his friend without looking as angry or uptight. “Hyung…it’s time for breakfast.”

“Sehun, go away.” He pushed Sehun near to the edge of the bed. He didn’t want anyone around him after he was put in a bad position yesterday. Miyoung rejected him. She didn’t want him back and somehow he knew that he saw this coming in the first place, but he still had so many doubts inside of him, shaking him out for answers. He’d never felt so clueless and angered in his life. The idea of her not wanting him was making him want to explode. Never in his life had he ever felt like wanting something so badly that he couldn’t have. Her.  “I want to be alone.”

“What kind of person wants to be alone on a Sunday morning like this?” Sehun hissed adorably with his lisp.

Kai scoffed sarcastically. “Obviously some people.”

“Like you?” The younger one raised an eyebrow in question. “Come on, hyung! Let’s go eat with the others! D.O. and Suho just finished cooking for us; you don’t want to make them wait for us, do you?” His eyes turned into crescent moons as his eyes smiled accordingly with his mouth.

Kai was about to open his mouth to belittle the answer when two derps entered his bedroom in the most disgusting manner ever. Baekhyun was on Chanyeol’s back, his arms wrapped around his neck cutely and their dispositions were as bright as the sunbeams. Both their eyes locked onto Kai’s abhorrence face. He wasn’t too cool about Baekhyun and Chanyeol acting so endearingly close together all the time, he just found it down right wrong.

“Ugh. Out. Now.” He pointed to the door as he watched Baekhyun lower his lips to the back of Chanyeol’s neck and planted a small peck on it. “, my eyes are burning into a pool of hell because of you two. Leave my room. Disperse yourselves; this is too gross to watch.”

“Baekyeol, ah!” Sehun called out naively. “We’ll be out in a minute!”

“No, we will not.” Kai annoyingly responded.

“Lighten up, hyung! You’re back in Seoul, stop being such a party pooper.”

“Stop being so happy all the time, then!” A direct groan flew off his mouth, he grunted once he fell back into his mattress all reassured and hugged by the warmth of his bed. He wanted to just go back to sleep and never wake back up. This was one of those days where he just didn’t want to see anyone, didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to do anything but breathe and think because that by now seemed wearing and endless enough as it already was.

Sehun tapped the top of Kai’s head before riposting to his insulting sentence. “If this is because of Miyoung…you shouldn’t be acting like this. I thought your motto was to forgive and forget.”

“It is.” He protested.

“Then why are you so grouchy this morning?”

“When am I not?” He ridiculed.

There was a thud at the door, subtle sounds also made it hard to endure for Kai in the early mornings. Suho popped his head in, unhurriedly looking up and down at the muddled and unhygienic room. “Look at this mess…D.O. is going to be fanatical.” He turned over to Sehun who looked as if he was talking to a bed. “Uhm…is Kai under there?” His chin poked out as he made his way over to Kai’s bed, touching the side and patting down on the soft blanket. “Kai…Kai, get up. It’s time for us to eat before we go for practice.”

His laziness didn’t hoax Suho into finding other ways to convince him to get off of his bed and act productive for once. Eyeing a close by object, he reached for the transparent vase and pulled the floral bedspread off of Kai's body and dumped the contents of freezing fluid, wetting him from the top of his head to his hips.

"Yah! You i-

Sehun stood up without delay as Kai's eyes headed straight for him.

"Actually," Suho observed the water trickling down Kai's body; sprinkles of the droplets were still in their process of disappearance. "I did that, for your own good. Now go wash up and change into a new set of clothes before you come out to join us to eat."

"I don't want to eat." Knobbing the sharp nails of his fingers to the side of his head, some parts of his hair alternated up and down with the motion conducting so.

The eldest shook his head, speaking straight forwardly. "I am not going to deal with your immaturity, stubbornness, or any of your child-like behaviour today, Kai. You better pull yourself together or else the others are going to learn from you."

"Hyung, just go get ready before Suho gets angry and the food is beginning to get cold."

"I don't give two s if the food is getting cold."

"I'm not tolerating with this, Kai. Wash. Change. Come out for breakfast or else you're sleeping on the couch tonight." Without any other demands, he whisked away Sehun along with him.

With a frequent mumble, Kai's utter hardheaded self had gotten off his two feet and carried on to his bathroom.

Her fingers tangled in her hair as she huffed out a sigh, letting her pout twitch to the side a little bit. She had felt faint the entire day after recalling back to the horrid phone call she had gotten in the early morn. All the art supplies she had on her were only a hassling mess as she had planned to complete her painting of the mysterious boy today. Making her way to her usual room, she eyed her watch on her left wrist when there was a collision.

Two worlds collide.

She held back her head in defeat and looked around until her eyes met the mysterious boy. His hood had fallen back, revealing his well sculpted face. His jaw line sharp to the right curve. His eyes sparkling, almost twinkling as she paid closer attention to every detail and vein.

Her cheeks burned up as she saw his eyes flickering over to her and he opened his mouth to speak. "Excuse me," he calmly put.

He's an angel, a gift from God, she thought to herself in silence.

He began to gather all of her belongings up in a fashionable manner although he was in casual wear. He had to be a model of some sort. There was something about him, something that just clicked. He looked dark and cold from afar, but once the hood from his sweater had fallen off, every aspect t of him was leading to perfection. Politely, he gestured to the pile of items he was holding and laid it back on the ground in front of her as he stood up to brush off the dust off his clothes. The remaining pieces of dust were stuck to his hair which she had pointed out, in her mind that is.

"Sorry about that, I was kinda in a rush." He weakly showed a smile to her and then rummaged through his pockets for something which turned out to be money. A few bills with uncountable creases are held out in his hand as he makes a run for it.

Her mind suddenly stops working and cracks open. "Wait!"

He turned around to see her perfectly still and watching him. "Nae?"

"What's your name?" Miyoung's voice almost cracked, the question was simple, but that's all she wanted to know. His answer.

"Taemin. Lee, Taemin." He replied, vanishing as he was sprinting his way to the entrance door.

"Taemin..." She said back to herself. "Lee, Taemin."

I'll remember that, she smiled as her eyes focused on the direction he had flocked out.

Miyoung held onto the stack of art supplies as she plunked back up and headed to her private room.

Tapping his feet to the cool breeze, Kai had gotten the hang of waiting on his best friend. For the past years that have gone by, he had still remembered every flash that he would be standing in the middle of somewhere, tapping his foot impatiently, and just attempting to spot Taemin somewhere, to come out of the blue.

"It's been twelve minutes...nearly thirteen, if I round up." The watch on his hand had to be corrected. In honesty, it wasn't the proper time zone.

Panting, Taemin waved his hand up in the air as he ran over to Kai's side, hands on his knees with coloured cheeks of coral. "M...M-Mian! I bumped into someone on the way here."

"It's all right." His hand clouted brick hard onto his hyung's back, slapping it with full, throttled power. "Let's go grab a bite and I'll tell you the results."

The pupil's of his eyes dilated uncontrollably. "The results?" Even in broad daylight, it seemed like his best friend's words were playing mind games. The words jumbling, twisting, and changing over the course of brief seconds. "Did you hear from him directly?"

Briskly walking, his head turned to answer Taemin who was slowly catching up his breath. "More like he chose to ask me to come to his office and speak to me about it."

The happiness inside of Taemin's heart couldn't be contained. All he could feel were jumps of joy bouncing madly, insanely on his insides.

Gradually, his fingers curled inward, his fists shaking by his sides as he thoughtfully appeared by Kai's side now. "Gomawoyo, Kai. Really, I can't thank you enough."

A heartfelt smile of Taemin's could easily break Kai's blank feelings into warmth.

Grasping a hold of Taemin's carefree simper, instantly a small amused look crept onto his accustomed commentaries.  "No need to thank me, that's what best friends are for."

Envisioning back in time, Taemin pictured the two of them smiling and high fiving at one another after their successful performance at their Grade 5 dance conference. The audience cheering proudly as they were given the first award for the best performance for putting in their strong efforts and hopeful hard work.

Extending his hand up to the sky, Taemin felt the heat of the sun running through his skin layers. His eyelids drifted into the sunny skies, downy clouds and he had ceased, leaving Kai to walk onwards.

Ending his last step, the back of his heel turned around to spy in sight of what Taemin was doing. "What in the world are you doing?"

Taemin innocently looked back down, in all the air of reality before shifting his arm down, his palm up and flat, waiting for Kai to slap his corresponding to his, a high-five to conclude.

Staring down obliviously at his hand, he smirked as the cool touch of Taemin's palm came in contact with his.

"We'll have two banana milks, a slice of apple pie, and the new brownie mix ice cream in a waffle cone, please." Clasping the two menus closed, Taemin handed them over to their waiter who jotted down their order. He strolled away quickly with a short nod of politeness.

"What's up with you lately, dongsaeng? Got any girls I should know about?" Taemin watched Kai take out his phone, scrutiny for any missed texts or calls. "You look like you're waiting for someone. Am I allowed to know who?"

Locking his phone and draining the feeling of rejection away, Kai's expression resembled a very peevish ahjussi selling watermelons or herbs. "Ugh. I'd rather you not ask about my love life."

"So it seems like the Kai is moving from his throne down to a stool, huh? This girl sounds like something."

Biting his lips securely to reopen them, the dark haired and tan boy could only slightly nod to agree with the statement. "Something. You got that right."

Numbly, the feelings of restrained anxiety were sneaking up behind Taemin's alley again. He withheld the feeling and tried to not coop himself into sadness or misery. "So...what is the news?"

"You want to know the good news first or the bad news?"

"There's good and bad news?"

Sniffing the air, Kai snorted. Slapping Taemin's arm weakly, he drew back after with a low chuckle. "You're freaking out before I even say either or?"

"Well," he anchored his chin, "when you say it like that, how am I supposed to not be scared?" Tensing up, the tips of his shoes were scraping the concrete ground back and forth in a swinging passage.

Touching the back of his neck, he rumbled Taemin with the same question again. "Bad or good first?"

"Whatever you think is best."

Acknowledging the choice of decision, his lips parted, diverting. "Lee, Sooman wants you to become one of SM Entertainment's trainees."

Only four things highlighted fluorescently.

Lee Sooman.

SM Entertainment.

Trainee.

Lee, Taemin.

Sinking back down deeper into his seat, all the words orchestrated to all overlap. Kai's intonation was vibrating inside of his mind. Falling back almost, the surprising result had caused him to barely move. He froze in lull.

It had been Taemin's reverie since young to pursue a career in the music industry. He had always construed himself on a dazzling stage. All of the lights flashing, cameras snapping, the chants of fans building up, and his adrenaline pump up higher, flying to the sky. Wishing prominently to construct his apparition as a performer, it had never touched him that he would in the near future be given the chance to profess a blissful acceptance.

What was the likelihood that this opportunity would spring up?

Alongside enlarged eyes, Taemin still hadn't processed the entire abstraction of him transforming into an entertainer. "I'm not dreaming. I really am awake." He tapped his knuckles corresponding to the side of his head.

His best friend could only remark with such laughter. "You sound as if you're having a hard time believing that this is happening."

"I am!" Taemin blinked until his eyelashes were fluttering all at once. "What. How. This. I can't even."

"Aigoo, you're such a hard kid to please, Taemin." Kai spat out. "Breathing is not an option."

"Clearly." Taemin blew his cheeks, inflating them with the oxygenated particles circulating. 

Snapping his fingers at Taemin, his vulgar tone didn't have much effect on Taemin. "I was just kidding about the bad news. Just wanted to scare you a bit. You know me." He shrugged harmlessly ahead of perceiving the waitress setting down their food and drinks. "You're happy, though, right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" A broad smile grew brightly on his face, shining - immensely lightening up the whole ambiance. "Kai...I really...really don't know how to thank you enough. I just can't...I can hardly even get this into my head. SM Entertainment...wants me. Me. Lee, Taemin. Miracles do happen...they really do."

Kai couldn't help but just to enjoy the endearment, the soft pitch of Taemin's voice. "No need to thank me. We're best friends, Taemin. And it's the least I could do after leaving for training for so long. So now we'll be able to train alongside of each other." A warm smile spread across Kai's normal arrogant visage.

"What's it like being a trainee?" Taemin then took a bite out of his pie, shoving another piece into his mouth, the crumbs brushing his lips ever so pungent.

Deeply, Kai held in the anger seeping inside of him as he was still waiting for Miyoung's phone call. Desperately, he couldn't handle the feelings that were scorching. "Stupid girl. She can't even ing call me back."

Surprisingly, although Taemin endured most of Kai's crude speech, he wasn't one to accept or take it into any consideration whenever it somehow flew out of Kim, Jongin's mouth without any delay. "You seem fairly angry with whoever that girl is. Did something happen between you two?"

A click of his tongue and a roll of his eyes resulted in complete avoidance. "I'd rather not talk about this. Or her, in any matter."

the caramelized apple bits off of his lips, he dipped his head to stop the awkwardness interpolating them.

Paint caps, brushes, wetted jars, and a colourfully, dewy canvas was in seeable view. It had been endless hours since the morning was overdue. Continuously being a dynamic busy body, Miyoung had given herself props and a light weight snack after finalizing; refining the last of the portrait she had began.

Swallowing the last remains of her strawberry milk, she spun around to the back of room where all of her efforts had successfully flown up, soaring.

"Taemin...Lee, Taemin." The name kept jumping in and out. Even the manner that she had said it had a nice flow. Calmly rolling off her tongue. "T...Taemin." Rich in sound, creamy in melody, nectarous in originality.

It couldn't just be some new silly crush she had devoted herself, too. Even trying to find herself in that sort of juncture, it was something new to her. Essentially, after her past relationship with Kai had sunk down into the deep, deep ocean - she hadn't accounted herself with any  connections or feelings, she had detached all of her strings, causing for her emotions and inner thoughts to be coagulated, washed off the shores of Seoul, and trapped inside of an unopened, taped, glue-gunned, and chained box.

From counting days to walking up and downstairs day and night - moving on, creating a new life, digging herself out of the trenches of a broken heart was the only thing that would mend her wholeheartedly.

"Sounds like someone is interested in another someone." Key  smothered up with a warm smile before waving to greet Miyoung. "You finished the painting, huh?"

It took her a few seconds to believe that Key had snuck himself into the building.

"As a matter of fact, yes." She proudly declared.

He took a whiff of the room of paint. "Smells like a masterpiece was meant to be made here."

Carefully pushing the lid off to the side of her table spot, Miyoung had a blank slate slap her across the face. "I knew I was forgetting something." It hadn't bubble wrapped her whole brain, the idea of giving it to him would be an action of kindness...but he might've thought it was far from kindness and more or so creepy.

"Forgetting...what? It looks perfect, Miyoung." He took another glance before snapping his fingers and shaking his head from side to side, disapproving of his words. "Actually, perfect would be an understatement. You...this...you really know how to make something worthwhile, Miyoung. You really do..."

Crazy enough, she couldn't agree or even bare to. "What. No. No. It's not even that. I just...the person I painted...I really want to give this to him. But-"

"Oh, no. Don't you dare use that tone with me, missy." Key flicked her forehead. "If you want to do something, you better go do it. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"But-"

"Nope! Miyoung, you gotta get out that worried, bulletproof head of yours and stop being so negative and stop thinking so lowly of yourself! I'm sure the person who you based this off...they'd be crying in tears knowing that you put in effort, passion-"

"But, Key, oppa-"

"And so much more. You've put in so much of your time into this. This will have to appreciate it. Take it into consideration, that'd be the least they could do."

"But oppa, he doesn't even know my name."

Dead cat.

Awkward mistake.

The key of silence.

"...You could've told me." Key mumbled under his breath, securely gasping in air. "What do you mean he doesn't know your name? Haven't you talked to him before?"

She didn't know how to respond except for one single, fitted word. "Once..."

"Once?" He couldn't conceive competently. "Love at first sight?"

She could only lower her head, releasing a flushed pink colour to wash upon her cheeks. If only she could describe how she was feeling, but that seemed impossible in the current festation she was in. What she had learned from love is that she liked being the giver, hated being the receiver. But after having a shot at love, she was scared. She was scared of walking the paths of romantic long walks, the feeling of someone holding you and not letting go, the familiar voice in the back of her mind every time she had missed them.

Key had known her for the longest time and whenever she did had fallen smitten for someone, he never saw a happy ending. If there was ever someone out there for her, he knew that in his heart, he would have to approve of them before she would start anew.

Miyoung didn't know how to go on besides looking back at her oppa and just smiling suddenly, not as brightly, just meekly - holding back what she wanted to actually say. "Ah, it's okay. I don't stand a chance, anyway. Besides, it's not like I'll take a step and then see him again."

In the pastel painted condominium of Lee, Jinki - the aroma of fresh, fried chicken spread across the lemon scented hall. Out of the microwave, he used both his hands to hold the chicken stable. "Hm...I wonder where Taemin is."

The clock handle had passed the midnight mark. Knowing the person Taemin was, he wouldn't be the type of rebellious kid to purposely sneak outside his home and become a delinquent. The only possible reason Taemin would be home late would be one of the two. Something extremely vital must've came about or that he had run out of banana milk and had to run out to buy some to supply himself for the ongoing days.

Pulling an oversized hoodie over his head, Jinki mumbled a few prays under his breath before taking a luscious bite out of his chicken. "Mm...Taemin is missing out."

"I'm home!" A high-pitched voice rang, exploded into a happy tone. "Jinki, hyung! Mianhae for worrying you."

He could only forgive him. The face Taemin would put on couldn't make anyone become angered or agitated with him. It was impossible. A rush of air blew on his face, layering it with coolness. "Aigoo...you know I have a soft spot for that smile of yours. Anni, anni. It's fine. Where were you, anyway? You've never been this home late."

"Oh..." Taemin then sat down, patting down the seat beside him for Jinki to join him. "Sit down.

Jinki didn't seem prepared for the occasion; he had his lips oily from top to bottom from the chicken he was devouring. Nearly tipping over, he put the chicken plate on the table and supported his head by leaning it against Taemin's shoulder. "What are you going to tell me?"

Crushing his fingers, guarding them to his lap, Taemin looked up profoundly at his hyung and slowly a smile somehow eroded. "SM Entertainment wants me to become one of their trainees."

His jaw wasn't about to drop, more like crumble with the rest of his body. Flailing like a hardcore fangirl, he took hold of Taemin's shoulder and shook them until Taemin had fallen over the table.

"Yah! Hyung! Quit it!" He laughed adorably before ruffling Jinki's hair. "So, I might be home late from now on."

Jinki couldn't contain the fatherly instincts that had perspired. "I'm so proud of you!" His voice had immediately changed from his 'hyung' tone to a fatherly pitch. Hugging onto Taemin's back, his chin rested upon his dongsaeng's spine. "I believe in you...I'll believe in everything you do, Taemin."

Taemin couldn't hold back and could only softly answer thankfully. "Gomawoyo, hyung...I'll work hard. I'll work hard and shine on stage someday. And I want you to be there, too."

"I'll be there." He promised sincerely pulling away from his grasp. "You better sleep though; aside from that eating is a key factor, too! You're already a stick; you better stuff yourself with good food. And once you debut, you have better treat me!"

Pushing out his lips, he pursed them. "I will, hyung. I'll make you proud. I promise." He linked his pinky around his hyung's before touching both their thumbs aligned together.

--
 

[ 31. 07. 12. ]

Calendar > Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Tick Tock > 3:56 PM

Infatuation > Payphone (Ukelele Cover) by uuuuuuuukewithme

Emotion > “==’”