Jongin- "I'll Be Back Before You Know It"
Secrets Of A Heartless Fairy
September 18th, 2006
((Jongin))
“Why are we going to this shop, Jonginnie? There’s no banana milky there~”
“Come on, Hyung, change can be good sometimes,” I replied as I emphasized on the word ‘Hyung’. Yet as Taemin-hyung continued to pout, I rolled my eyes in response. “Look, maybe there’s some banana milk flavored bubble tea, or something, okay?”
The guy immediately cheered up at the idea of some type of banana milk and nodded eagerly. Man, sometimes it’s really hard to admit that this guy is my Hyung since he’s always doing aegyo and acting all cute. But, hey, that’s just the way he is, and it would be really creepy if my best friend suddenly became all serious and mature.
Soon enough, we found the bubble tea shop and since it was nearly empty, we quickly found a table next to window where we could see the people passing by.
“I can’t believe that they actually have banana milk flavored bubble tea!” Taemin-hyung complemented, obviously enjoying his drink.
“Yeah, it just costs more than the regular ones,” I smirked.
“So, Jonginnie, why did we have to come here today?” he asked in a mysterious tone, rapidly changing the subject.
Sometimes, it really that your best friend knows you that well, you know?
But, to tell the truth, some days ago I overheard some of this shop’s employers saying that they needed to buy some ingredients to the make special bubble teas for some kids that came here every Friday after school or something like that. I didn’t really pay much attention to them until I heard the kids’ names: a certain “Sehun-ah” and “Exi”.
That was the real reason why I had dragged Taemin-hyung with me today, because it was the first time in 5 years that I had heard that name being said out loud. Add to that the possibility of actually seeing her, and I had just gotten myself an offer that I couldn’t refuse. But there was still no freaking way in hell that I was going to admit that to my Hyung. After all, he was the only soul I had actually told about Exi.
“No good reason. I just wanted to try something new, you know. Like I said before, change can be goo-”
“SEHUN-AH! You guys are here early today!”
That immediately snapped my attention to the front door in mid-sentence as I saw that a guy around my age had just entered the shop. I looked around. So this guy must be ‘Sehun-ah’. If that’s the case, where was Exi?
Soon enough, a little girl popped out from behind Sehun and gave a weak wave at waitress that had greeted them. No smile.
I remember finding that odd, but it didn’t matter. Just seeing her from afar like this already made the thumping in my heart go faster than it had done years before, and I realized that this was no longer a memory of my nine year old self… No, this was much better, even if she wasn’t smiling like she did in the old days because, after all, this was real.
But… then what about this guy…?
This ‘Sehun’ guy was obviously carrying Exi’s backpack for her (there’s no way a guy would buy a backpack decorated with butterflies for himself…). And she even seems to be leaning on the kid as she walks and sits downs. All in all, they seem pretty close to each other… So maybe they really are boyfriend-girlfriend…?
Wait, that can’t be right.
Exi… my Exi… having a boyfriend…?
As soon as I thought that, my face fell in disappointment and I felt a huge pang in my heart, almost as if it had stopped beating for a second there. As a reflex, I immediately shook my head in denial. After all, could never happen, right…?
“That girl… She wasn’t limping like that the last time I saw her…” I heard Taemin-hyung whisper.
“What? You’ve seen her before? Where?!” I demanded, as I finally turned to face him.
“I pretty sure that she’s a trainee at the company. Actually, if the rumors I’ve heard are correct, she’s been there for a long time now too. The infamous ‘Heartless Fairy’ of SM trainees: Exi…”
So it was her! But wait-
“‘Heartless Fairy’?” I asked with a shaky voice as thoughts slowly started to catch up. How could someone nickname such an innocent soul with something so cruel and diminishing?
“Yeah, people say that it’s because she lacks any emotion. She’s always looking bored and never expresses her feeling no matter how bad she’s bullied. At least I’ve never seen her cry no matter how harsh the other trainees are on her, and trust me you don’t even want to know... The ‘fairy’ part on the other hand, is a reflection of her appearance: her short stature and her cute face,” Taemin-hyung finished as he pointed to the girl with his plastic cup. “Why do you suddenly care so much, anyways?”
“No reason…” I murmured as I turned my attention back to Exi. A few seconds later I heard the sound of a cup bring placed on the table and not long after Taemin-hyung stood up.
“Look, I’m already done with my drink so I’m heading out. You want to come practice with me?”
“Um… That’s okay, Hyung, but I think I’m going to pass this time.”
Taemin-hyung frowned, murmuring something about “Jonginnie never missing a dance practice”, but then pointed at me accusingly.
“Oh~! I see, I see. So Exi’s ‘the one’, huh?”
“What? No, that’s not-!” I tried to defend myself, but failed miserably.
“Aw…. My little Jonginnie is growing up~! Look at how you’re blushing!”
“S-shut up!”
“If only I had known about this earlier, I might’ve introduced you guys! You would definitely make a cute couple~”
“No! I can’t meet her right now…” I whispered and immediately the atmosphere changed.
“Huh? Why not, Jonginnie? The girl of your dreams is only a few meters away! Don’t you want to meet her? Be with her? Tell her how much you’ve loved her for so long?”
“That’s not it, Hyung. Man, I’ve waited forever to see her again… I can’t even express how I’m feeling right now… It’s just… I can’t face her the way I am now. You said she’s been already an SM trainee for years, while I’ve been rejected countless of times already… I can’t fulfill our promise the way I am now, Hyung,” I explained with a sad tone.
All of this was the truth… I was pathetic. How could I protect the girl I loved if I couldn’t even keep our original promise?
No, that had to chance right now!
“Hyung! I’m going to audition at the end of the month! Don’t try to stop me because- Hey! What’re you doing?!” I screamed as Taemin-hyung started to pull me out the door of the shop.
“I’m not going just sit here and let my Jonginnie make a fool out of himself in his all-important audition now, am I?” he winked as he started to pick up his pace when I stopped fighting back. I was stunned by his reasoning, but quickly changed it to a warm smile.
“…Thanks, Hyung,” I whispered back and that was all that was left to say. He understood how I felt and in his own Taemin-hyung-way, he was giving me his unconditional support. So I closed my eyes as I let Taemin-hyung guide me through the crowd.
Just wait a little longer for me, Exi. I’ll be back by your side before you know it…
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