Title: Prettier Than Me

Pairing: JiMin

Rating: G

WC: 3,579

Summary: Jiyoung thinks Taemin is prettier than her, he begs to differ.

A/N: –

Under the dreadful day of Monday, Jiyoung never thought of actually facing the school’s most beautiful person. It was one minute past the break time when the alarm took off, along with the many students; she flew out of her classroom and aimed for a quick escape from the so called ‘hardships of a high school student’. She went all the way to the lockers, passing by the noisy world that is the cafeteria and to the corner where the vending machine is residing.

Then, the part where she kicks the bottom of the said machine, when her orange juice gets stuck in the middle, came. And then, the next thing she knew after giving up and deciding to walk back to class is that, she can’t breathe.

She had definitely heard about him, every now and then she would see him walk around the campus, but Jiyoung never imagined that she’ll be able to see Lee Taemin up to that distance. What more to smile at her?

It was no secret that the boy in front of her has been and is, the dream of almost all of the girl’s population in their school, probably even in other schools too. With his innocent looking eyes, heart melting smile, shoulder length hair that accentuated the femininity in him, Lee Taemin has been crowned as ‘the boy prettier than you’. He’s the complete package every girl wants but can never have and Jiyoung understood why, because oh boy, the title given to him doesn’t match the real deal.

Jiyoung couldn’t put it into the rightful words but she knew once she regained back her breathing, Taemin is undoubtedly, prettier than her.

And Taemin is a boy.

A boy, that’s been stealing hearts like a pro.

A boy, who shouldn’t look like a girl but he does, in any angle.

However, despite the unjust truth (that he is prettier than her), Jiyoung still saw the growing gentleman inside the pretty boy when he shyly gave her his extra carton of Strawberry Milk saying that ‘break is almost over’ and then mumbling her a goodbye.

Surely, Taemin is a boy.

A boy that appeared in Jiyoung’s dreams quite a number of times the entire week.

That little out of nowhere meeting of the two was never heard by any of her friends nor of the entire school. No one saw them and Jiyoung didn’t really think that her friends needs that kind of information. Who knows what will happen next if she decides to open , only the worse scenario. So she pretended like nothing happened, Jiyoung continued with her daily life that is now feels like not the way she got used to. Because, Taemin is appearing in her eyes more often than before, he is all over the place. She notices him even from afar, and she’s been having these internal battles whether she should smile at him or not whenever their eyes would meet, but every time, it leaves Jiyoung astounded and breathless.

Because, Taemin just had to have smile at her.

Just a single smile and that is enough for Jiyoung to feel uneasy. She didn’t need to have another ‘bothersome’ feeling by having Taemin standing beside her at the end of the day. But here she is, awakwardly waiting for her Gyuri unnie to come pick her up with Taemin coolly standing by her side.

“I didn’t know someone picks you up,” even his voice is softer than most girls and the way the rays of the setting sun highlighted Jiyoung’s view of his face is mesmerizing.

“I mean, I thought I was the only one who gets picked up at such age. I’m relieved that there’s someone like me,” it seems like the angels above were celebrating when he finally turned around and look at her. The front view of him is just as beautiful as her favorite Barbie doll that she still keeps in her closet, it caught her off guard when she realised that he’s smiling at her.

Jiyoung’s first blush was marked on that day.

The second time they met by the gates, Jiyoung is slightly shaking, because inside her bag, a carton of Strawberry Milk and Orange Juice are waiting to be picked up. A thank you, she muttered to herself when she stopped by the vending machine, few minutes earlier.

“Do you usually go home at this hour?” she nodded, looking down at her feet deciding on how to bring the topic.

“Hmm... I was wondering yesterday why, but then I remembered my brother got relocated so he takes longer than before. But I guess it’s not that bad, huh. At least you got someone to wait with you. I always got bored before but now I have someone to talk to...” and that’s when Jiyoung thought it’s the right time, with how Taemin is talking; it looks like he could use a drink. She fiddled around inside her bag and faced him, her left hand holding the milk product out for him and the other clutching her juice.

“L-last time you gave me your drink. Thank you.” Jiyoung could swore, it felt like her head would explode from extreme hotness and that shocked expression of him isn’t helping.

“Was it Orange Juice that you were trying to get back then?” she nodded and his face turned gentle.

“Do you love Orange Juice?” again, she nodded.

“Then I’ll take that one,” for a split second, her left hand is empty and Taemin is gulping down her drink.

“I gave you my precious Strawberry Milk that no one thought I prefer more than the Banana Milk so you should do the same,” there’s a cute disapproving look on her face as she watch him take another sip and a pout when her eyes looked back at the abandoned milk on her hand.

“This is good,” she looked back at ‘her’ drink and then at ‘his’ drink.

Maybe she could get used to the taste of Strawberry Milk, afterall; it’s her second shot and there was this feeling inside that it’ll not be her last.

Jiyoung would like to think that something happened after they’ve exchanged drinks because now, she feels more comfortable around him, although, they haven’t properly greeted each other (because up until now, they don’t know each other’s name, well, at least he, doesn’t) and the formality was never in the first place even though they both knew he’s older than her.

Taemin is a carefree person, he talks a lot about anything under the sun, he’s a friendly one, even with their sunbaes or with the younger ones, and maybe that’s why Jiyoung didn’t feel like there’s a one year age difference between them.

“Why is your hair like that?” that was the first words that came out of her lips when he arrived looking as beautiful as ever with his hair loosely tied up and his fringe hanging effortlessly at one side.

“We had basketball for P.E. why?” he brushed his fringe up like a show off, “Does it look weird?”

“No, you’re still beautiful,” he scoffed.

“Gee, thanks. I just hate it when my hair sticks in my face,” she cocked her head to the side and looked at him interestingly, shifting the weight on her feet.

“Why don’t you cut it then?”

“And then what? You’ll look prettier than me?” Jiyoung’s curious eyes widened as she tried her best to look for words.

“N-no..no, I didn’t mean it like that! I mean... uh it was –” crystal like bells resonated through the air while a paint of pink tainted her cheeks at the sight of him laughing.

“I was – uh – just... I was just kidd-ding,” he tried to explain in between pants as he closed his eyes and catch some air.

“I’m gonna tell you something but promise me that you’ll never make fun of me or think that I’m weird,” he looked at her with some sort of seriousness mixed with embarassment.

“Don’t even try to spread rumors about it,” he added with a warning and she nodded. Taemin has decided and was ready to open his mouth when a car abruptly stops right in front of them, Jiyoung’s service.

That night, the poor girl couldn’t get a sleep.

Usually, Jiyoung would be grumpy on Monday mornings, but after that interrupted conversation of him and her last Friday – which left her some unwanted bags under her eyes, Monday is just the day she’s been waiting for.

Through out the whole class hours, nothing runs inside her head other than the curiosity and mystery that’s surrounding a certain someone’s hair. However, at the end of the day (when she’s walking around the campus), an interesting gossip caught her attention.

The current and most talked about story of the day was that, Lee Taemin was caught drinking Orange Juice. Okay, nothing special about it, Jiyoung had seen him a couple of times already and it didn’t matter nor made a big deal out of it. But the information that came next to that, change everything.

Taemin hates Orange.

Three words, just those three words made her plans to go change quickly. It’s a lie, right? Because Jiyoung clearly saw him drank one without any hint of disgust or dislike towards the said drink, he even complimented it. Jiyoung couldn’t really understand the minds of these admirers of him, but whatever it is, her plan of asking about his hair has been changed.

As the remaining minutes drag on and she’s left alone waiting by the gates, Jiyoung could feel that now familiar heat, creeping up to her face when a joyful Lee Taemin suddenly appeared right in front of her eyes.

“Hi!”

“Hello”

“What happened to your eyes?” during the days that she had spent with him, Jiyoung had learned more about him than she had done with her friends. Apparently, Taemin is a chatterbox. He likes to ask, and will smile over the smallest things. And the recent discovery she had taken notice is that, Taemin is a very observant person. He notices even the crease on her uniform, or even when a small lock of her hair got tangled up between her pig tails and behind her ear.

“You should drink something nutritious, here take it,” and he’s a caring person. Jiyoung was glad that she’s gotten used to the sweetness of the milk.

“And this is for me,” Jiyoung watched him in interest as he take a gulp on his drink.

“Do you like Orange?” she ignored the chuckle that escaped his lip and just tilted her head to the said.

“You’re curious, I see. Yes, I hate Orange, but unexpectedly, you’ve made me like Orange Juice,” if Jiyoung is like an anime character that can have literal nose bleeds, then she can picture herself turning bright red with smoke coming out of her ears exploding like a time bomb.

The next day, the hot topic over Ornage Juice has become hotter than the sun rising above at noon. ‘Taemin is dating someone’ was written in everyone’s face, every corner people were talking about it, but, the main character of the new gossip seems to be unfazed when he asked Jiyoung to play some pick-up lines with him.

“Why?” she asked as they wait outside.

“Because it’s fun, everyone’s doing it. C’mon just try,” he looked at her with those huge innocent eyes of him with a pout that Jiyoung found to look cuter on him than on her.

“Fine, but I’m telling you I’m not good at it,” he nodded enthusiasitcally and motioned for her to start.

She took a deep breath, her face already starting to feel hot, “Are you on drugs?”

“Why?”

“Because you look so high,” awkward silence.

Pure silence

And then he laughed.

“Yah! I told you I’m not good at it!” like the baby she was, Jiyoung crossed her arms over her chest and stomped on the ground puffing her cheeks out as she looked away and glared into space.

“I’m sorry it’s just...never mind... Anyways, if I am, then you’d be the drugs,” she looked at him sceptically, analyzing his unreadable expression.

“Why?” she wanted to make it sound like she’s irritated, but rather, it sounded like she’s mad curious.

“Because you’re addictive,” imagination on work, she could hear Taemin’s fangirls screaming at how low and solid his voice just sounded then. If someone else is here, she’s doomed.

She snorted, no. She wouldn’t give up just because he could make her heart pound twice a beat, “Are you a song?”

“Why?”

“Because you sound so yesterday,” he smirked

“Not bad,” she smiled coyly, confidence building inside her.

“But mine’s better,” she raised a neatly plucked brow.

“Yeah... so, are you a song?”

“Hah. Did you said better? You can’t even think of another”

“Just answer it,” she untangled her arms and placed one of them on her hips, jutting it out.

“Why?” Taemin took a step closer, smirk playing across his lips.

“’Cause I’d like to put you on replay.” Fireworks explosion. His voice sounded like an air brushing her hair against her face, along with the light coldness that touched her warm skin.

“You’re blushing,” a statement.

There’s something with the way how Taemin said those lines, because even as how cheesy as it sounds, Jiyoung has to admit that those cheesy lines weren’t the type that would make you want to puke. Maybe having good looks has its advantage.

“Shut up!” she placed her hands over her puffed cheeks and looked anywhere but at him, the air suddenly became thick and hot, or was it only her?

“Hahaha okay, okay I’ll stop,” he raised both hands in the air as he surrender and kept those laughter inside before silence took place.

It wasn’t an awkward silence but rather, a calming one, a natural thing that happens between friends when there’s nothing else to say but also doesn’t need to leave each other right away. It took her a few months to feel like this towards her current friends, but, it only took weeks to feel comfortable around Taemin.

“But you look cute when you blush,” as the wind pass, the world stopped. A barely whisper that sounded secretive towards her ears and bashful for its owner. Her shocked eyes melted as Taemin looked the other way covering his own ones but failed to hide the blush along his cheeks.

Everything was in mute once again, except for Jiyoung’s heart that was in a race with its own beat.

A tension can be made out of the two as they both stood still at the gates, the next day. Jiyoung could hardly make an eye contact with him without feeling like she could use a heart attack sooner than thought and Taemin is unexpectedly quiet when he arrived.

Even the exchanged greeting of hi and hello took them five minutes before made, and then after that was none. They just waited there with Jiyoung fiddling with her fingers and Taemin stoically looking the other way.

Ten minutes had passed but still there’s no sign of that cheerful Taemin, and Jiyoung is starting to think that she’ll never see that again.

“It happened during elementary,” it was the first break of silence and his voice sounded serious, Jiyoung gathered her courage and looked at him.

“They made me dress as a girl for our play and people actually thought I was one,” he faintly smiled and brushed his fringe out of the way, “They told me I look beautiful with long hair, their praises made me happy. They built my confidence and after that, I actually let my hair grew.”

There’s a sudden pause and Jiyoung could make out his knitted brows, “But my brother hates it. He told me that boys should look manly and not pretty, it’s the girls’ role to be pretty. I was a brat back then, I told him that I’m prettier than all the girls in our school and if I cut my hair, our shool would look pitiful.” A faint smile curled in his lips, “We fought and in the end I told him that if I find one person prettier than me then, I will willingly cut my hair.”

“You’re still a brat” Jiyoung’s sudden remark made the boy laugh and the tension before that was as thick as a wall broke down.

“Just remember what you promised me”

She stared at him as he fixed his hair. Taemin is really beautiful, and Jiyoung thinks that his hair will grow even longer, because she herself can’t find one person that can match up with his looks. Compared to him, all the girls in their school, including her, looks average, even with make-up on, Taemin’s natural feminine look beats everyone.

“Do you think you’ll find one?” there’s a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at her.

“Who knows,” he shrugged his shoulders and took a step forward as his service came earlier than hers.

“See you tomorrow,” he waved a hand and opened the passenger door.

“Is that Kang Jiyoung?” his ears perked up as Jinki looked at the rear mirror and to the disappearing figure of a girl standing alone by the gates.

“You know her?” he asked interestedly.

“Yeah, her sister and I work on the same department,” his eyes widened at the information.

“Hyung! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Well, it’s obviously because I didn’t know,” Jinki gave him a quick side glance.

“Ugh, if you came earlier, you could’ve saved me a lot of trouble,” He slouched down on the seat and buried his head on his palms.

Jiyoung barely made it to the school gates but the latest gossip had already reached her ears, and honestly speaking, she felt something inside her went down. What caused it is an unknown mystery to her. But hearing that Taemin cut his hair; Jiyoung couldn’t help the feeling of being down.

It shouldn’t really matter to her if he already found that someone, in fact, Jiyoung should feel happy about it, because finally the insecurity she have over the boy will end. He won’t look beautiful in her eyes anymore and she won’t feel ashamed standing next to him.

She smiled as she neared the school gates, excitement overflowing her body as she wondered what Taemin would look like, how would his new hairstyle would appeal to his admirers, how will he handle the short hair, would he look manly like what his brother told him how man should look, or what would this lucky girl feel about it.

Jiyoung’s smile faltered as she stood frozen.

Will he be there later, or will he be with the girl? Maybe Taemin would want Jiyoung to meet her and then they will be friends. Friends that spend the afternoons together, friends that exchange interests, and tell stories until the car came. They would be great friends, and Taemin would like her.

Out of nowhere, a tear fell right out of Jiyoung’s eye.

Her trembling hands found it’s way over her cheek and wiped the tear away before anyone else could see, but as she did so, another one rolls down. A stinging pain was growing inside her chest. She really shouldn’t feel this way because she’s just a friend, and to her, Taemin is... Realization hit her and doubled the pain inside.

There’s no way Jiyoung would admit.

She took a deep breath and started making steps once again; she had her head bent down and her hands on her pocket.

“Why are you crying?”

A familiar voice stopped her and her heart increased in its speed and the next thing that happened, Jiyoung found her lungs tightening at the lost of air. Would it be possible for a person who’s more beautiful than you are would look so manly and hot the next day?

Taemin is standing a few inches away from her with this huge smile over his lips and sporting a red short hair.

All the needed air seem to come back after a round of blinking eyes. Jiyoung tried to answer his question but her mind is too occupied and busy with the wonders of his new look.

“You know, I’ve already met her before,” he scratched his nape and laughed nervously.

Jiyoung nervously looked around at the forming people lingering around, probably to get something fresh and hot to talk about and spread around school.

“I just didn’t have the chance to ask for her name,” he took a step forward and brushed Jiyoung’s cheek with the back of his hand, sending shivers all around her body and daggers to kill them on its way. “You look cute when you blush,” he stared right into her eyes, and she could feel that same heat crawl against the smooth of her milky skin.

“And not so cute when you cry,” she nervously broke the eye contact and looked at her feet, the most interesting thing in the world at the time her heart pounded excitedly.

“Either way, you’re still prettier than me,” she felt goosebumps rising above her nape down to the small of her back and her heart stopped all at once as Taemin dangerously leaned closer, so close she could feel his lips lightly touched her ear as he whispers the most beautiful song she had ever heard.

“...Kang Jiyoung”