The 5th Story : JohnTen (Johnny X Ten) - Time Will Tell (Johnny and Ten's Side Story of Picture Of You)

“Can I sit here?” Ten asks in a cheerful voice. It’s lunch break, there’s no empty seat anymore inside of the school cafeteria. Ten doesn’t feel like eating outside, in the garden next to the tennis court like he usually does since the weather today is too damn hot. And he has no energy left to drag himself to the dance club room, so he chose to brave himself, asking Johnny Seo to share the seat because all of the seats except at Johnny’s table are taken. There’re 3 others empty seats at Johnny’s table, but nobody dares to approach him. Nobody dares to talk to Johnny.

“No.” Johnny answers immediately. His voice is cold, and his face is stoic.

“Mmm.” Ten nods as he plops himself down in front of Johnny.

Johnny smirks. “Are you always acts like this? Doing the opposite of what people tell you?”

Ten’s eyes twinkle when he lets out a pleasant laughter. “Not really.”

Johnny frowns. “Then why? So I’m an exception?”

Ten nods. “Yes.” There’s a teasing glint in his eyes.

Johnny laughs. “Do I suppose to feel happy?”

Ten shrugs. “It depends.”

Johnny leans closer to Ten, his voice is deep when he whisper “Everyone is scared of me.”

“I’m scared of my father more.” Ten answers nonchalantly as he bites his beef burger, without cheese.

 “You don’t like cheese. And you love spicy.”

Ten smiles. “You’re a good observer, Johnny.” Ten pauses and takes a deep breath before talking again. “Thank you for saving me in the history class earlier.”

Johnny shrugs. “It’s not a big deal. I figured you’d pass out anytime soon. You don’t have any problem talking with a stranger though, so, only in front of many people?”

Ten nods. “Yes.”

“You don’t afraid of the crowds.” Johnny states.

Ten nods again. “Yes, I’m not. But don’t ask me to talk in front of them. I can blend in quite well, as long as I’m not forced to talk. Whenever I have to talk in front of so many people, I’d… suffocate, I feel like dying. I’m sure you noticed the cold sweats on my palm and forehead earlier when nobody did.”

Maybe Ten mistaken, but he’s sure he catches a glimpse of a tender gaze flashing in Johnny’s dark orbs before it returns to the cold one again, like usual.

“You’re brave, Ten. Braver than other people.” Johnny scans his eyes around, not glaring just staring, but people who’ve been staring at them lower their gazes instantly, afraid of locking gaze with Johnny Seo, the heir of one of the strongest gangs in Asia.

“You’re not scary, Johnny.”

Johnny shows Ten his famous half cocky smirk, as if challenging Ten. “Oh, really? You don’t know anything about me, Ten.”

 Ten hums. “That’s the point! Nobody knows about who you really are. They’re only judging you based on the rumors.”

“But what if the rumors are true? That I kill people?” Johnny is still displaying his half smirk, but there’s something different now in the way he stares at Ten, it’s as if he’s really enjoying the conversation. Johnny hates having the conversations with anyone at this school, not only at this school actually but also everywhere! Anywhere! Except if it’s for the business or when Johnny needs them to fulfill his demands.

“I saw you feeding the stray kittens, last week. How could someone who has a soft heart like you kill people? I don’t believe the rumor.”

Johnny laughs, clearly pleasant with Ten’s answer, but he decides to challenge Ten more. “Cat is… different. It’s not annoying like human being.”

Ten leans in, staring into Johnny’s dark orbs deeply, his burger is forgotten completely. “You don’t just kill people because they’re annoying. You don’t want killing anyone. We can’t choose to which family we want to be born.”

Johnny holds his breath, his heart racing. It feels like Ten knows all of Johnny’s flaws and nightmares but doesn’t blame him because of those. It feels like Ten could understand the true meaning behind Johnny’s words.

“I’ve never killed anyone.” Johnny whispers softly.

Ten smiles. “I know.”

“But it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t. You have no idea how scary my father is. How awful, how disgusting, and how ed up my world is!”

“Then come to my world. In my world, you’re not the Johnny Seo feared by people. In my world, you’re not your father’s puppet. You don’t have to do anything you hate. You’ve been brave and strong all these times, Johnny. It must’ve been not easy holding onto your own life’s principles. The beating must’ve been hurt. You didn’t get those bruises because you fight people, but you fight for your own ideals, it’s the price for disobeying your father.”

Johnny chuckles, feeling amused. “You’re a good observer yourself, Ten.”

Ten shrugs. “I’m not. It’s just… there’re the big differences when you beat someone or be beaten by someone. I don’t see the trace on your knuckles.”

“You could pass as a detective.” Johnny smiles playfully.

Ten shakes his head. “I want to be a dancer. But my father would do anything to make me become a psychologist, or a professor like him.”

“I want to be a web-toon artist, but my father would do anything to make me inherit his gang.”

“Once you inherit his gang, maybe you can make some… differences.”

Johnny shrugs. “Maybe.” He plays with the straw of his coke. “And you can become a dancer without going to the dance major, as long as you practice a lot and gain lots of experiences, join competitions.”

Ten shrugs as he smiles widely until his eyes turn crescent. “Maybe.”

 Johnny returns the smile, this time with a genuine one, not the pretense one like what he usually displays in his underground world.

“Tell me, how could you know history? Do you love the subjects? Or… do you read a lot of text books?”

“Nope. It just happens… I’m blessed with good memory. That’s also the reason why I could remember and pronounce your long name perfectly even if I only have heard it once. Ten Chittaphon Leechaiyakul. I remember how you say your name the first time you introduce yourself to me last semester.”

Ten chuckles. “Oh, I remember you’re being an . You rejected my cake.”

“Why did you bring the cake? It’s not your birth day. I’m also curious why do you always pay for other people’s foods?”

Ten shrugs. “I don’t have any friends, that’s why.”

“I thought everyone except me is your friend. You’re so… friendly, cheerful, kind. You’re such a social butterfly, though after knowing your anxiety I figure out you never talked in front of lots people before, you’re only talkative among your friends. It’s hardly to believe you have the anxiety. At first I thought you just didn’t prepare the presentation. But now I realize, you never talked whenever your group did the presentation.”

“Mmm. Thanks to the cake, I guess.” Ten grins. “Nobody wants to become my friend if I never treat them foods, or pay for their coffees and desserts and movie tickets. High school is ! The people even more! Everyone is full of pretense. Being a rich and popular kid is my way to survive here. It’s not because I’m afraid being alone. I’m just afraid if they found out my weakness. I guess everyone has the different hell, the way how they face it, and the way how they survive high school.”

“I’m not afraid of being judged.” Johnny leans back to his chair, relaxed. “I’m just afraid anyone is hurt because of me.”

Ten nods. “That’s why you never let anyone in, to break through your self-guard. But what if there is this one stupid boy, who’s really curious and interested in you, who’s dying to get to know you better, who’s not afraid of anything aside of people find out about his weakness, because he’s stupid like that?”

“Maybe because I look like a challenge to you?” Johnny smirks.

Ten grins. “Life without any challenges is boring, isn’t it? But no, the reason is not because of that. You’re as white as a sheet, John. You always show your mask, but I know you wear your pure heart on your sleeves. Other people maybe can’t see it, but I can. Because you remind me of myself. The difference is, I don’t have a pure heart.”

“Maybe you’re too desperate to make everyone your friends. And FYI, pure heart is bull. Nobody has it.”

“Yes. But I don’t have any best friend. You could fill that spot.”

Johnny grins. “What’s the advantage of being your best friend?”

Ten shrugs. “You’d find out soon. But first, I can treat your wounds. Don’t let those cuts leave the scars, John. The bruises on your arms are pretty bad too.”

“You could become my personal doctor or nurse then.” Johnny smirks, there’s a teasing tone when he speaks.

“You could find it out later, John. Let’s find out if I’m only your doctor, your lunch time buddy, your classmate, your temporary friend, your fake friend, your fake best friend, or your true best friend. Time will tell.”

“You’re not secretly having a crush on me, are you?”

Ten laughs. “No way! I’m straight!”

Johnny rise his brows. “Really? You radiate the submissive vibe though.”

Ten laughs louder. “I never dated a guy! So, you’re into guy? It’s alright, I’m not judging you.”

Johnny shrugs. “I don’t do relationships. And I only ed women.”

Ten nods. “Okay. So you’ve never been in love?”

“Does love even real?”

Ten grins. “Don’t know. Maybe?”

“Time will tell.” Johnny copies Ten.

Ten’s grin grows wider. “Right. Time will tell.”

At this moment, they don’t realize that time would tell them many things. A lot of things they have never realized and thought of before.

~~~~~~~~~~~ ******* ~~~~~~~~~~

A/N : I’ve been dreaming of Johnny for these past 3 nights. I DON’T KNOW WHY, MAYBE I’VE MISSED HIM TOO MUCH, OR WHAT?! Hahaha, so yeah, this is just a really really short story of Johnny and Ten. You could call this the side story of “Picture of You”. This is how Johnny and Ten start talking to each other and become friends. You’d find out more about them in the main fic.

I want writing more Johnten / tenny, but my mind is blank right now, I have to sleep. I even haven’t written the 3^rd chapter for “Picture of You”. School's being a last week, guess this week would too (remember the deadline projects. !) but I want to write something, so this short fic is the outcome. It’s messy, I know. But I’m happy with johnten convo here :))