*Dialogue in blue is in Korean. Also I didn't proof read, excuse mistakes please orz

“It’s only for a month,” Jongin’s dad said as he handed his son the fresh load he had just grabbed from the dryer downstairs, “If it was in the middle of the semester, I’d have gotten you into the university dorms to not disrupt your studies, as I did during my business trip to Singapore last year. Your studies are always more important after all… but it’s summer vacation, son.  And you’ll have to pay for the whole semester’s rent even if you stay just a month. Living expenses for 3 months at the dorm versus a plane ticket to South Korea. You do the math.”

Jongin continued to pack his bag, disgruntled, and his father just sighed, undoing the untidy folds of the jacket Jongin had just folded and dropped into the suitcase. “Come on, you’ll have fun. It’s my hometown after all.”

“Dad, I’m nineteen,” Jongin finally looked at him, “Can’t I just stay back? Or just crash at Mark’s place?”

“I left you alone for just a weekend last month and you trashed the apartment… and I’d rather you be with me than your idiot friend who helped you trash the apartment and fired the whole wiring too, so, no.”

Jongin flopped onto the bed, face creased with displeasure as he watched his father finish the rest of his packing for him. 

“Why are you so against the idea?” His dad asked, “You always wanted to tag along, you were willing to even talk to your teacher and take exams early so you can come to Singapore with me. What changed now?”

“I’ve never been to Korea?” Jongin supplied.

“You have never been to Singapore either.”

“Singapore’s not your hometown--”

“It’s not a town at all--”

“That’s not the point!” Jongin exclaimed, “I mean, it’s your home, and everyone knows you, it’s not like Singapore where we both are tourists. How am I supposed to have any fun, let alone feel comfortable around people who’ll know you and then you’ll have to introduce me as your son, and they’ll greet me back but oh, I wouldn’t even know! Since I don’t know Korean at all! It’s all Greek to me!”

“So that’s the problem.” His father snickered, zipping up the suitcase, “You are afraid to feel embarrassed because you don’t know the language properly.”

“Yeah, and it’s not like I look like a foreigner that I can escape all the judging eyes. I’m a Korean who doesn’t know Korean, how embarrassing is that?!”

“C’mon, I know you know enough. Your first word was Korean, after all.”

“Dad,” Jongin deadpanned, “I haven’t called you appa ever since I got into kindergarten.”

“Yeah,” His dad sighed, “Mark's such a bad influence on you.”

“Why is Mark at fault again now?!”

His father flicked his forehead, “Take a shower before going to bed since the flight is early tomorrow.”

Jongin grumbled, rubbing his forehead as he watched his father leave the room. He laid down, staring at the glow in the dark stickers that filled his ceiling.

“Fun?” He mumbled to himself, sighing, “It’s gonna be torture.”

Although Jongin had so haughtily claimed that he didn’t know Korean, he did in fact, know enough to get by although he never really learnt how to read and write. He had only learnt it in speaking, from his dad. He understood it better than he spoke it, because he hadn’t really spoken Korean out loud since elementary school, but he did often watch Korean shows with his dad. His reading, writing and speaking were still at the basic level but he had come to understand the language perfectly well because of his dad’s choice of television. He didn’t ever feel the need to improve it as English was the medium used everywhere and even his father spoke in English at home. It was at first to help Jongin learn English but now it was a habit. They always spoke in English.

And so, it was a relief that most of the signs on the airport had both Korean and English text because if it were only Korean, Jongin’s splitting headache would have made him explode. Well, more like make him puke. He had been feeling nauseous from mid-flight, worrying about the trip, getting anxiously annoyed by uncomfortable seats, the Korean announcements, the bland airplane food, the default Korean subtitles on literally anything he chose to watch, the loud Korean conversation going on in the seats behind, the growing taste of vomit in his mouth which couldn’t be washed no matter how much apple juice he drank. He had been barely holding onto his puke (and pee), and adding one more obstacle to the changed environment would have tipped his control.

He had rushed to the washrooms once the security check and customs were done and he felt better. That pukey feeling was fading as he walked back to baggage claim, thinking that everything could be okay now. All he needed was some decent food, a painkiller and some good sleep in the hotel’s comfy bed.

But what he got was being jammed in a silver sedan between two middle-aged ladies. His dad’s “best friend” had come to pick them up and insisted they stay with them and save the hotel expense. And his dad had agreed.

The only thing keeping Jongin’s attention off the pukey feeling that was again building up was his anger and he continued to be angry, glaring at his dad in the passenger seat, who was laughing and chatting with his friend.

“Your name is Jongin, right?” The lady sitting on his right asked him in Korean, “What do you think of our town, dear?”

Jongin turned to the lady sitting on his right, pursing his lips in reluctance and it was his dad who answered her in Korean.

“Noona, he doesn’t know Korean.”

“No wonder he only bowed and didn’t speak the greeting. But why? You didn’t teach him at home?”

“I did but he was a kid then and you know how it is in the States. Everything is in English and even I became accustomed to speaking in English. I couldn’t teach him much.”

“But you raised him well. He came with you on the trip obediently and is polite and respectful,” His dad’s friend was saying, “Most kids staying abroad hate their home country and don’t ever want to come back. They become distant and disrespectful.”

Jongin found his irritation simmer down considerably at how his dad didn’t leave him caught between the ladies and saved him right away. It was still a bit annoying to have them speak so loudly around him, but at least he was saved from getting into awkward conversations. Or maybe not.

“You… like… Korea?” 

Jongin groaned internally but managed a smile the next moment, “Yes.”

“He has such a nice voice,” The lady on his left said in surprise, “He will sound elegant if he learns to speak Korean.”

His dad laughed, “He will.”

“Don’t worry,” She said, “My Taeminnie will teach him.”

Jongin cussed internally. There it went, the little peace he thought he would have, all ruined by getting ing tutored in Korean during the trip.

The Taeminnie that was mentioned previously in conversation was the son of his dad’s best friend. They were apparently the same age. The guy wasn’t around during lunch and Jongin wished the whole topic of the guy teaching him Korean would be dropped and forgotten but no, the aunties weren’t the kind to forget such things. One of them had even given him a notebook and a pen after lunch.

It was a boon that he got a room to himself, he was half expecting to be put in with his dad or “Taeminnie”, but his dad’s friend was quite well off, and had a two-story house with six bedrooms. One of the aunties was his wife, the other his sister, who was also just staying over as a guest because his dad was visiting.

Jongin had caught quite a lot of other unnecessary info at the lunch table but that was bearable as no one tried to drag him into any more awkward conversations and situations (well, other than getting a notebook and a pen later on).

He washed up, took a painkiller and crashed almost immediately. He had slept through dinner and was woken up by his dad the next morning for breakfast. He was suited up and ready to head for work and left after ushering him out to the dining table.

Jongin took a seat after bowing his head in greeting to the aunties, who were chatting animatedly as they handed him over the dishes that were served, urging him to try everything.

Jongin usually just had cereal or heated up frozen pancakes for breakfast so having rice, soup, eggs and an array of side dishes, was almost overwhelming. But the way his stomach grumbled and how welcoming the scent of the food was, wiped that thought the next second.

He had started eating, just listening to the aunties continue their conversation in Korean and after a few short moments, a guy had taken the seat in front of him on the dining table, yawning. He suppressed his yawn when he noticed Jongin, his eyes curiously glancing at him before they darted to one of the aunties.

“Taeminnie, my precious son! Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, umma.” The guy replied, sighing, “Please don’t call me that.”

“Okay, Taemin, my handsome son.” The auntie chuckled, noticing Taemin’s curious gaze, “Ah, you both couldn’t meet yesterday as Jongin-ah slept through dinner.” She turned to Jongin, “Jongin-ah--” She pointed to herself before pointing to Taemin, “Son! Taemin.”

Jongin bowed his head to Taemin and the auntie went on, “Taeminnie, you both are the same age. So take care of him, okay? Ah, and Jongin-ah doesn’t know Korean. He only knows English. You can teach him Korean while he’s here since you’re such an ace in English.”

Taemin cleared his throat nervously as he grabbed the cereal and helped himself.

“Eh? What’s with that ignorance. Be nice. Go sit next to him. Greet your new friend properly in English and tell him you’ll teach him Korean.”

“Umma--”

“Lee Taemin.”

Taemin closed his eyes, shaking his head before he grabbed his bowl and sat down next to Jongin, managing a smile, “Hi.”

“Hi.” Jongin answered, smiling back politely.

The aunties were looking at Taemin expectantly and Jongin was also looking at him, waiting for him to speak.

Taemin seemed almost irritated and was worrying on his lip as he said, “You teach I Korean?”

The spoon slipped from Jongin’s hand as he almost broke into laughter-- almost-- his laughter had turned into a loud, painful groan, because of the kick he had gotten to his shin under the table.

“Jongin-ah! Are you alright?”

“What happened?!”

But it was Taemin who answered, his smug expression quickly turning into a worried one as he peeked under the table, “He was swinging his feet and hit the table leg.”

“Aigo, be careful, Jongin-ah.”

“Carful.” Taemin said in a fake-worried tone, patting his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with a threat which Jongin understood.

He nodded, trying to ignore both that mispronunciation and the throbbing pain of his leg as he got back to eating.

The atmosphere in the car was rather dense. The K-pop song on the radio did nothing to ease it and Jongin tried not to glance to his side at Taemin who was driving, the sunglasses and his fringe doing nothing to conceal the wrinkle in his brows.

Taemin was stepping out after breakfast to go to a bookstore apparently, and was forced to cancel those plans and take Jongin sightseeing. And the only thing Jongin had seen in the forty minutes he had sat in the car was the blurry view of passing traffic.

“Where are we going?” Jongin finally asked and Taemin turned to him, his lips pursed and then turned back to the road, sighing as he slowed down and took the next exit, driving into the drive thru of a Starbucks.

“What?” He asked back.

Jongin sighed, repeating slowly, “Where are we going?”

Taemin clicked his tongue, muttering something under his breath, finally answering, “Book… shop.”

Jongin let out a breath in relief. From the previous display of his language skills, Taemin was probably not good at English at all so Jongin was unsure if he would understand him. Jongin was going to try speaking in the broken Korean he knew next if Taemin hadn’t understood that small sentence, deciding to give up the shield of oblivion because he thought it would be in best interests of his body (especially his legs) that he could communicate with Taemin, at least. From the looks of it, both of them had to tolerate the other for about a month, after all.

“Coffee?” Taemin asked, when they had gotten further in the drive thru, breaking Jongin from his thoughts.

“Sure.” 

“Two americanos please. Grande. Yes, I'll be paying with the card.”

They moved ahead and their order was swiftly handed to them, “Thank you.” Taemin handed one container to Jongin and drove out, into the opposite establishment. As Jongin sipped on his drink, checking the building out, he noticed it indeed was a bookstore. A huge bookstore.

They were in the parking lot and Taemin had removed his sunglasses and was on the phone as he led the way to the elevators, not caring to lower his volume at all, because he thought Jongin wouldn’t understand a thing.

“Umma has me on babysitter duty, hyung. Dad’s friend got his son along to his business trip and now I’m stuck with him for a month. She even told me to teach him Korean--” -“Stop laughing. I’m already in a pinch here. The reason umma glued him to me because they all think I’m a ing ace at English. Only you know that my English grade is a ing crater on an otherwise perfect grade report.” -“Yes. I am taking another English course. I came to the bookstore in the city to buy books for that.” -“What? Really?! Universities over there require that high a score on the English test? Hyung, send me your notes, please!” -“No, I’m not being greedy, I’m just saving course fees by using your materials too. You know the last course didn’t help me at all." - "Really, I’m so sick of going to crash courses secretly. I can’t ing go to the city everyday. Oh, the elevator’s here, I will talk to you later.”

Taemin got into the elevator and held it for Jongin, who got in behind him, slightly amused at both his suspicions being proven and also on the tidbit that he had learnt that Taemin’s parents knew nothing about his terrible English. It made sense why Taemin kicked him, so his cover of being the ‘Ace at English’ wouldn’t be blown.

He followed Taemin out after the elevator stopped, sighing as he chuckled to himself, deciding to keep his own cover of not knowing Korean a little while longer.

Maybe, this trip could turn out to be fun, after all.

Taemin was again speaking to the ‘hyung’ on bluetooth as they drove back home and Jongin, learnt a lot more about Taemin though the conversation he heard was one-sided. He was pretending to go through the English version of “Korean for Dummies” that Taemin had bought him while he listened to him talk.

“...yes, it’s okay. He doesn’t know Korean that’s why I’m able to talk to you like this.” -“What fun? How can I even have fun with a guy who I can’t communicate with? And you know, how everyone thinks I’m so perfect in English. This guy will end up blowing my cover.”- “Yes, exactly. I am thinking of ways to get rid of him.”-“What? What do you mean win him over? Did you just forget I ca