Prompt: “The Impetuous Athlete and the Spooky Musician”

Pairing: Kai/Kyungsoo

Words: ~1400

Kyungsoo had never really liked high school. For Kyungsoo, it always involved tiptoeing around corridors, only entering hallways when he was sure there was not a soul in sight to antagonize him. He had always been much shorter than the rest of the boys in his year, and he wasn’t exactly the brightest of students unless the subject was music. These two factors had almost always been a point of consequence during lunch as he was by far the easiest to terrorize and quite simple to find. He would always eat his lunch in the music room, his huddled figure hunched over the piano, finger movements against the black and white keys calm and refined.

The small oval behind the music rooms would always be the place the sports boys decided to kick their football around, and it really wasn’t much of an effort for them to walk into the music room and pick on him. Sometimes they would pick him up by the scuff of his shirt and kick his shins, laughing as he screeched at them to stop as bruises formed on his distinctly pale skin. Kyungsoo was the type of student who had no friends, instead opting to keep his head down and stay out of people’s way as much as possible.

Jongin was the opposite of Kyungsoo, his skin tanned from hours spent in the sun, his muscles well defined both in his legs and arms. He was much more popular than Kyungsoo, but he was a lot less calm. Jongin was hasty and uncontrolled. He did things on the spur of the moment and often to the jeers of his friends. Though he had never been the one to bully Kyungsoo outright, he had always been standing somewhere on the sidelines, watching on with the jeering crowd he called his friends.

Jongin was the best in the year at sports. Perhaps a credit to his spontaneity, Jongin could pick up any sport in an instant and blow people away with raw talent. He didn’t have to think about what he was doing, his body would just move. More often than not, the boys would make him demonstrate drills or tricks when they had breaks from lessons. Jongin didn’t mind too much about what it was they asked, he just reveled in the constant attention directed his way.

Jongin did have one secret, though, and that was dance. Every evening he would sneak his way around the circle of friends he’d somehow attained, and dance. Wonderful music would play through the music room doors and he never had enough courage to brush past the doors and find out whose music he was dancing to. Occasionally, Sehun and Tao would follow him, and watch as his body flowed with energy. The pair were kind-hearted, and often followed Jongin home from school at night to make sure he wasn’t in any trouble. Jongin knows that despite their protested innocence, both Sehun and Tao love the music just as much as him.

The one thing Jongin had never guessed, however, was that the one responsible for the music he so enjoyed was none other than the reclusive Kyungsoo.

--

The sports boys reach the oval, loud voices carrying across the school grounds as they leered and jeered at one another. Jongin stands towards the edge of the group, watching as they kick a football back and forth between them in a large circle. This was a routine for them, something they always did when they weren’t 100% committed to the sport they so enjoyed. Instead, the boys had other things on their minds, which usually revolved around a certain spooky musician.

It wasn’t that Jongin didn’t like Kyungsoo. Jongin didn’t have favourites; he didn’t really connect to many people, if he even connected to them at all. Jongin didn’t reach out to others, he simply let them fall into routines with him. Despite this, however, something about Kyungsoo had piqued Jongin’s interest. Though he had never acted upon it, instead opting to maintain his silence, Jongin found his thoughts often drifting to the quiet musician. He felt slightly intimidated by Kyungsoo, as they shared multiple classes together and Kyungsoo always sat silently at the back of the classroom, staring out the window. He knew a lot of other people were scared of the teen too, and heard the hurtful comments directed towards the boy as he passed through the halls.

On some level, Kyungsoo’s silence did sadden Jongin. If Kyungsoo wanted his friendship, he would give it to him. Jongin just hadn’t seen any reason to yet; Kyungsoo refused to reach out to others, perhaps for reasons very similar to his.

“Let’s go annoy the freak!” a boy calls, and the football is left forgotten in the middle of the field. Jongin turns to follow, slotting in between Sehun and the exchange student from China, Tao. They follow, uninterested, as the crowd moves towards the classroom doors.

And he hears it.

The sound of piano fills the hallway, and Jongin freezes. Sehun turns towards him questioningly, latching onto Tao’s arm. The other boys have made it to the doorway, standing there as they watch Kyungsoo’s fingers fly over the keys. They watch incredulously, and Jongin knows they’re chiding him, making rude comments and gestures towards him, waiting for the song to finish so they can pounce. Jongin shuts out their words, instead focusing on the music. He knows this song. It’s a song he’s heard many times.

Jongin pushes through the crowd, standing in front of the piano and leaning casually over the edge. The chatter ceases as all eyes turn towards him, staring as he watches Kyungsoo carefully. Kyungsoo refuses to look up; his eyes are closed as he focuses on the keys, on the movement of his fingers against them, of the feelings the sound elicits from him. He pours his soul into the song, tears sliding down his face. When he crescendos into the final cadences of the song, his eyes flutter open, and Jongin’s lips tug upwards into a smile.

All occupants of the room hold their breaths, watching what Jongin will do. He has quite the reputation, but he’d never actually started a fight with anyone. Sehun and Tao claw their way through the crowd to stand by his side.

“You play beautifully,” Jongin tells Kyungsoo quietly, and murmuring starts to rip its way through his friends.

“What the hell are you saying?” someone asks, and Jongin turns to face them, a threat written across his features. Sehun stands on his left and Tao flanks his right, both look on with a challenge as they cross their arms in front of them.

“I said: Kyungsoo plays beautifully.”

One glares at Jongin, but the look in Tao’s eyes forces his retreat. The boys start to follow, stalking out of the music room in various stages of confusion, noticing the distinct shift in Jongin’s allegiance as he stands protectively over Kyungsoo. The room is almost empty. Kyungsoo looks worriedly towards the door, but Jongin knows this is it for today at least. Jongin stoically watches as they all go, before turning to Sehun and Tao.

“You’re not going to follow them?” he asks. Sehun shakes his head, and Tao stands quietly behind them both, staring at Kyungsoo.

“He was the one who played, all this time?” It came out more of a statment than a question. Tao sets himself down on top of a desk and Sehun steps across to join him. Jongin turns to the boy behind the piano, noticing the distinct blush that now graces his cheeks.

“You mean it?” Kyungsoo asks hopefully. Jongin nods, smiling gently at him.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen and he finally breaks into a sheepish grin, looking between Jongin and the others, silently questioning. If Kyungsoo is anything like Jongin, he will never ask outright to be friends. He was either too embarrassed, or just didn’t have enough self-esteem. Tao lowers his head and Sehun nods with a smirk across his lips. In response to Kyungsoo’s unspoken question, Jongin steps behind Kyungsoo and takes a seat beside him, arm brushing against Kyungsoo’s elbow.

“Teach me?”

This is enough of an answer for Kyungsoo, who inclines his head towards the keys and begins directing Jongin’s fingers.