Singles Awareness Day

The pounding music, recycled wall decorations, frilly dresses and knock-out punch (who knows how much alcohol the juniors put in this year). All of which made up the beautiful nightmare called prom.

Kyungsoo honestly wanted to stay home and just watch reruns of Prince of Tennis. He was an anti-social teenager much too pre-occupied with graduating in a couple of months. But NOOOOO—his mother actually FORCED him to attend prom. He was lucky to slip away last year (by pretending to be sick, although he eventually got caught), but not this time. Her exact words still rung clearly in his head:

“Do Kyungsoo, you will go to prom, or so help me, I will ground you for a year.”

“Wha-”

“Date anyone, I swear, you study too much, like what is wrong with you?”

“But-”

“How do you expect to get laid before reaching your thirties? Or to be doing the do, whichever floats your boat.”

“MOM-”

“If you can’t kiss anyone on prom night, don’t even come home. I’m warning you, young man. GET. A. LIFE. I didn’t raise you to grow up wrinkled and alone—like a lonely prune.”

“… ”

Yes, mothers were indeed lovely souls, weren’t they? Well anyway, when Kyungsoo’s neighbor-not-friend Baekhyun heard the news, he dragged the anti-social teen to buy their tuxedos together, and Kyungsoo had no idea why his mom liked Baekhyun because the guy was so PINK. Pink tux, pink tie, pink socks, pink shoes—and the shimmer, let’s not forget to be heavy on the shimmer. And the eyeliner—like my gosh, how much eyeliner do guys need to buy before they’re satisfied? And the colors all look the same! But not to Baekhyun. According to him, there’s midnight black, and coal black, and pubic hair black, and really Kyungsoo can’t remember all the rest.

So yeah, he was unwillingly held hostage by the neighborhood diva, but at least he got himself a pretty decent looking suit—not too flashy, just like his personality. He was actually thinking about buying the red one, because it screamed Look at me and Die, but he decided against it since it would garner too much attention. That, and should any murders happen to a certain diva, he could be a legal suspect.

And now here he was in prom, alone for that matter, because Baekhyun was quick to face with some auburn-haired innocent soul sitting near the punch bowl. That poor poor man; Baekhyun had too much to drink, but then again no one really knew that there was alcohol in that punch, and if some knew, they didn’t really care. The chaperons sure didn’t give shizz, they were too busy flirting with each other. About time too, they’re not getting any younger.

Kyungsoo sighed. He knew this was going to happen. Don’t get him wrong, it’s not as boring as he thought it would be (some guy was dancing like a mad man, and three girls were singing a horrible rendition of ‘Love Me Harder’), but well, it’s not really deemed an enjoyable prom if you don’t have a date. And that’s why Kyungsoo didn’t want to attend in the first place—he was anti-social, for goodness’ sakes. Back when he was a kid, he actually tried making friends but found out how socially awkward he was—stutters and all; so he grew up deciding to shun everyone out. They laughed at him, after all. He was a kid, and he was trying his best to speak up and make friends, but they just laughed at him. And Kyungsoo’s been a quiet guy ever since, glaring at anyone who so much as glanced at him the wrong way. The fact that today was Valentine’s Day didn’t really help, either. Of course the school would place prom on the cheesiest day of the year. If he couldn’t even make friends, of course all was lost when it came to love! He felt sick just looking at every couple in the room. It … he could never be as happy as them.

Well… if he didn’t get a kiss tonight, his mother surely won’t let him in the house—there wasn’t any way around it too, because that woman’s a walking lie detector—she. would. know. So Kyungsoo shrugged, and headed to the punch bowl. He might as well get drunk and kiss some stranger. He actually thought he’d wait until college before trying that out, but now’s a good a time as any.

Before he could make his way though, some drunk guy walked in front of him and spray-spitted soda all over his clothes. As if that wasn’t enough, the guy was holding a plate of nachos too, with lots of cheese sauce, and slammed it right into Kyungsoo’s face. Needless to say, a murder would be committed tonight.

“Why you little-” Kyungsoo was boiling in rage.

Before he could explode, another guy came into the scene and quickly pushed the drunk spitter away to a friend.

“I am so sorry,” the new guy said with utmost sincerity. “Really, our friend didn’t mean it! He just got dumped and all, and went berserk… plus he was kind of the one who alcoholized the punch bowl, so he downed a whole bottle and… it just got out of hand.

So so sorry, swear, we’ll even pay for your suit! And I’ll help you get cleaned up.

I hope we didn’t completely ruin your night. We’re really very sorry.”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and counted one to ten while taking deep breaths. He was forced to come here, was dragged to buy a tux with his insane neighbor, didn’t have a date, now his tux was sticky and wet, plus he had a face full of cheese. After much contemplation, there really wasn’t much left of his night to ruin—it’s all messed up now. He wasn’t even in the mood to get drunk anymore. Forget the kiss; he’ll just sleep on their front porch tonight.

“Look… just, help me wash up.”

“Sure thing.”

--

The guy later introduced himself as Kim Jongin, and it turns out he was a junior. Weird though, he’s like, really tall (or it could be that Kyungsoo’s just short… yeah, no). He had sun-kissed skin, a manly jawline, and bleached blond hair. In short, he was quite the looker. If Kyungsoo was in a good mood, he’d be gay for Jongin, but not right now. Right now, he just wanted to go home and not think about being forever alone.

Jongin was rinsing Kyungsoo’s coat in the sink, while Kyungsoo was washing his face for what seemed like the nth time. Ugh… that cheese smell just wouldn’t go away.

“Hey… umm, K-Kyungsoo hyung?”

“Yeah?”

“You look like you’re having a really hard time. I have some soap and facial wash in my locker. I could go get it if you’d like.”

“You better not run away. I will track down your clan and put a curse on your future children.”

 Jongin chuckled, eyes crinkling. Kyungsoo’s anger lessened at the sight of it. Weeeeeird.

“You’re funny, hyung.  Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

True enough, Jongin did return with the needed cleansing materials. He brought along other stuff too.

“Here, hyung,” After Kyungsoo washed his face, Jongin handed him clothes with a sheepish smile.

“What are these for?” Kyungsoo asked, confused.

“Well, I don’t think the soda’s going to come off properly. I’ll have to bring your clothes home and launder them. So I need you to change in my clothes for the mean time.”

Kyungsoo gawked at Jongin. Was he being serious?

“J-Jongin, you’re probably two sizes bigger than me! This isn’t going to work!”

“It’ll be fine, just try it out. It’s my basketball uniform from last season, so it should be a bit smaller. Hopefully. Okay, maybe not, but I don’t want you to go home smelling like spit-soda.”

Kyungsoo bit his lower lip. On the one hand, he wanted to wear clean clothes. But on the other hand, those clothes looked too big. That, and Jongin was being so caring it didn’t make sense. No one’s ever been so kind, aside from his family of course.

…

In the end, his sense of hygiene won him over.

--

Kyungsoo came out of the bathroom stall in an oversized jersey that showed too much of his pale collarbones, and shorts that hung dangerously low on his hips. Jongin was trying his best to hold in laughter, while Kyungsoo tried his best to keep the shorts in place.

“I told you this wasn’t going to work!”

“C’mon hyung, it’s not that bad. You look really cute.”

“Are you trying to make fun of me!? Do you think this is a joke!?”

Kyungsoo raised his tiny fists to hit the junior.

“H-hyung, the shorts.”

“What?”

“Umm, your hands need to be holding something…”

“Yeah, I need to be strangling you. Stop distracting me.”

“N-no… look below?”

Kyungsoo raised a brow, and looked below—only to find that the basketball shorts had slipped down to his ankles, showcasing light blue Pororo boxers. His face heated up in embarrassment, and he pulled the shorts back up, trying to save whatever was left of his dignity. He was really going to cry now; too much had happened in one night.

“Hey, if it’s any consolation, I like Pororo too,” Jongin shyly offered. “And I did mean it when I said you were cute.”

Kyungsoo wanted to die. Like, right now.

“I guess… the universe is just out to get me. It’s not completely your fault, Jongin. I just… want to go home.”

“Oh… but won’t your date look for you?”

Fudge. The junior just had to mention that.

“I… I don’t have a date.” I will grow up a lonely prune.

“Really?” Jongin sounded honestly surprised. “I thought that someone as good-looking as you would surely have a date. Me, on the other hand… not so much.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Kyungsoo questioned in confusion. “You’re really handsome.”

Jongin blushed—wait, Jongin blushed?

“Well… I do get that at the first impression. But then they realize how little I actually know of socializing, and how I’m only into video games and basketball. I’m not exactly too smart either. It’s kind of shameful... people want to get to know me, but then later, label me as just another pretty face—no brain to go with it. It makes me feel… a little unworthy and useless,” Jongin began pouting at this point. Kyungsoo wanted to make things all better. “The only two people who sincerely wanted to be my friends were Tao, my Chinese kungfu-panda cousin, and Sehun, the drunken man who spit on you. Sorry again, for that. They’re not much, but they're all I have in this school.”

“Oh… “ Kyungsoo bit his lip. He wasn’t really good at giving advice, but suddenly he felt like he needed to give Jongin something for all the younger’s doing for him. “If it’s any consolation, I would date you; even if you are a little lacking in the noggin. You seem like a good guy.”

“R-really?” Jongin perked up like a puppy. “I would date you too! Would it be so weird if I told you I’ve been stalking you for half a year now?”

 Well, that was a newfound discovery. Not entirely unnerving, but still shocking all the same.

“Uh… yes? Yes it would be very weird.”

“I know right? Awkwaaaaard!” Jongin began laughing again, and although Kyungsoo’s mildly creeped out from the confession, he still felt a sense of warmth seeing Jongin this way. It’s nice. It kind of made him smile too. He can’t believe he didn’t notice the stalking, but then again, he was anti-social and didn’t notice a lot of things. He had no idea he had an admirer. Felt surreal.

“Hey… it’s Singles Awareness Day today,” Jongin smiled, blush on his cheeks.

“What?”

“You know, like when you don’t have a special someone, it’s less of a Valentine, and more that you’re aware of how single you are. My mother told me I’d grow up a lonely raisin, all wrinkled and dried up.”

At this Kyungsoo laughed for the first time in the entire night. “Mom told me that too! Although I’m less of a raisin and more of a prune.”

The two boys continued to laugh to themselves, talking and finding out their similarities, until a comfortable silence fell on them. Then they heard “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding playing through the speakers.

“I love this song,” they both said in unison, blushing crimson afterwards.

“It’s probably for the slow dance.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey… hyung?”

“Yes Jongin?”

“Since you’re single, and I’m single, and we’re both dateless… do you think… would you mind…”

“Being your valentine?”

“Please? And have this slow dance with me?”

“Like, in the washroom? Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m a little… under-dressed. You know what’ll happen if I let go of the shorts.”

“It’s alright, I’ll lock the door. Show your cute boxers to the world!”

“R-right… okay. Sounds nice.”

As would be expected from any teenage-made fiction, they danced in the washroom, made-out sometime later, and Kyungsoo brought Jongin home to his mother when their relationship became official. She practically threw condoms at their every direction. And they lived happily ever after.

---

Author's note:

+ Late Update

+ Busy with schooool, thesssiiiisss

+ Not proof-read

+ gaaaahhh, wasthisevengoodIhopeso

+ Kaisoo is love