Chapter 6
Not Just Some Summer Romance
"Okay, boss, see you tomorrow!" Jongin hastily shrugged his uniform off his shoulders, throwing it into his locker. His once-white gloves followed soon after, along with the required orange hat. "Don't overwork yourself, we got a big job tomorrow."
Taemin stretched on the tips of his toes to ruffle Jongin's hair. "Aw, you're worried for me! Such a sweet kid." The taller male snorted, fixing the messy array of brown locks. "If you're not alive, who's going to cover my night shifts?" They continued their playful banter, unknowing of a pair of certain eyes watching from afar. Taemin managed to shove Jongin out the front doors just as the latter's name echoed through the intercom. He jogged to towards the station, pulling his cap over his nose.
"Kim Jongin? Are you here?" the assistant manager called, sharp eyes darting across the herd of men. Taemin cleared his voice and shuffled into view. "Here," he coughed, hoping it sounded somewhat like Jongin. The assistant nodded, then added, "Your boss won't be here tonight. Make sure you do a good job. We're counting on you just as much as the older fellas, you hear?"
It was the same thing again--Taemin covering for Jongin. They had grown close, to the point where Taemin didn't think of him as his pupil, but as a family member. He was almost fatherly (more motherly, Jongin complained) in ways. Jongin would come in looking all drowsy, as if he hadn't slept a wink, and it turns out he hadn't because he was busy studying for a college exam. Taemin would immediately offer to take his night shifts. Or Jongin might be sighing in the corner, whining about he wanted to see Kyungsoo more often, and Taemin felt bad so he pretended to be Jongin.
He knew he shouldn't be, but Jongin was just fresh out of high school, and even though he should just take it like an adult, Taemin couldn't bear the thought of someone close to him being overworked. He just wanted Jongin to not worry about work yet, to not have to worry about adult problems yet.
It's why he's the breadwinner of the house.
His mother's perfectly capable of supporting three children on her own now that she has a fulltime job at the supermarket, but Taemin didn't want her to exert herself, to stress about having to juggle work and being a single parent.
"Taemin, you sure do know how to trick everyone into thinking you're Jongin. Where's that punk anyways? Off partying? With a girlfriend?"
Taemin smirked triumphantly, raising his cap to reveal his eyes. "He's studying. Big exam. Hey, at least you won't have to worry about him messing up on the job." They chuckled and headed out into the dark, the humidity already taking its toll on their attitudes. Grouchy workers assembled into their sections began spitting orders, hustling nearby workers and making sure no one stopped, even just for a breath. "Jongin! Get started on those loads!"
Taemin huffed towards the truck parked on the side of the road and unhooked the rope protecting the materials. He grabbed stalks of wood and passed them out, chest heaving with the exhausting work by the end of the hour. His arms felt as if they were going to fall off any second, the back of his shirt soaked with sweat. Still, he made sure everything on the truck had been unloaded before joining another group.
He spotted Minho a few times. He was assigned the bigger jobs, removing excess concrete and preparing the new mix. Taemin pictured his hand on his back telling to go on, and he felt a little better. His hands grasped a few road signs and he ran off to place them in their calculated spaces. The air was stuffy, he was tired, and he missed home. But Taemin forced himself to pretend he wasn't alone.
---
"Yah, are you subbing for Jongin again? I heard him bragging earlier about going somewhere with his boyfriend?" Taemin smiled at his co-worker, Jinki. Jinki had more of a countryboy personality since he used to live in the rural, but he worked well with the others from the city. Maybe because they liked his jokes and clumsiness. They were certainly his most attractive attributes. "Yes, it's only for a week. And I offered, so don't go lecturing him."
Jinki shook his head, taking a sip of his canned beer. "You're too nice on the kid. You act way too old for your age, you know that? You shouldn't be such a pushover." Taemin rolled his eyes. "I am not a pushover! I just feel bad for him! I want to give Jongin a little break and let him spend some more time with his boyfriend. Oh, and speaking of the devil, here he comes." The two stood up to greet their friend, eyes widening a fraction at the person stuck to his hip.
Jongin, looking proud as ever, introduced the person as Kyungsoo, the boyfriend he's been talking about nonstop. He even added in that Taemin and Kyungsoo were the same ages. "Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo-ssi. I've heard many things about you."
Taemin observed that Kyungsoo was in fact, very shy in front of others. Yet he doted on Kai with firm words and judging glares.
"Mind your manners, Jongin-ah!"
"Don't do that, you're embarrassing yourself."
"Y-yah! Stop it!"
But he never missed the blushes at the slightest touches, the silent stares that Kyungsoo sends Jongin whenever the latter isn't looking. It's cute, and it makes Taemin wonder if he could have something like that in the future. If he and Minho were together, could they be like Kyungsoo and Jongin? Or would they be more reserved? Would Minho hold his hand in public? Or would he hide it under tables?
Taemin was envious of Jongin, how he freely held and kissed Kyungsoo, with no care in the world. Because he knew that Kyungsoo already loved him, and he wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
The couple, fairly interesting to watch, bid their goodbyes. Jongin apologized to Taemin, but the latter brushed it off. He needed the extra money anyways, and it was just going to be some work on the new cafeteria. Kyungsoo shyly clasped his shoulder, looking everywhere but at him. "Thanks for covering for Jongin... I didn't think we'd be able to spend much time together this summer. I'm sorry for taking him away from you." He said it so softly that Taemin wasn't even capable of being angry (not that he was in the first place).
"Hey, take him away from me as much as you can," Taemin winked. Kyungsoo laughed, finally meeting his eyes. Jongin threw his arm over the doe-eyed boy's shoulder and dragged him away, calling after Taemin to stay away from his boyfriend.
Taemin snorted, mumbling something about Jongin being ungrateful. "Have fun! You better not come back complaining!"
Jinki chuckled, slipping his gloves on and grabbing a box of light bulbs nearby. "They're a cute couple." Taemin focused on painting a second coat on the wall he started on earlier. "Yeah, Jongin talks about Kyungsoo all the time. It nearly drives me crazy. But, I think it's great how they're staying strong even when they're having problems living on their own."
"Yeah, you're right. It's sort of funny. You and Jongin are about the same age. Do you have a certain someone you like?" Jinki was busy attaching the bulbs so Taemin couldn't see his facial expression, but he could still imagine how it looked like in his head. A creepy eyebrow raised along with a y curve of his lips.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Nope."
"Really? Come on, your birthday's coming up what, next week? You must be celebrating it with someone. It's okay if it's a guy! I've seen enough gay relationships in this business to not be surprised anymore."
Taemin splattered a few drops of paint in his direction, glowering as Jinki made fun of his glare. "What? I figured you probably liked someone or maybe already in a relationship. You're an attractive guy." Taemin shrugged, a sigh weaving past his lips.
"I like someone," he admitted softly, slowly dragging the paint roller up and down the wall. The paint fumes swelled around his nostrils, and he frowned, biting back the cough rising in his throat. He never liked that smell. "It didn't work out so well. I still think about him sometimes. I just... I don't know how to stop. It's the first time I really liked someone, you know?
"You never got enough time to really look at someone when you're struggling to have your dinner table full for your family. And I can't even do that sometimes, but I try my hardest. Then this guy comes along and steals the breath out of me. I have no idea how to stop liking him."
Jinki, who had stepped down from the ladder, tore open another box of light bulbs. The corner of his lips curled up--ever so slightly. "Love works in mysterious ways. You never know when you're falling, and when you realize, it's too late to stop yourself. If you really miss this person, why not tell him? Why busy yourself with all this unnecessary work and just go up to the guy and tell him. What could go wrong?"
"It's not that simp--" A crash resonated through the empty room, and Taemin and Jinki's head swiveled towards the source of the sound.
In the other room, a few workers were exchanging the tiles. Minho had lost his grasp on a tile cutter and it slipped, shattering shards of ceramic in all directions. A cloud of dust and clay formed a dome around him. Jinki rushed to his side, pulling a towel from his belt, wrapping it around his hand. It was gushing red, dripping tiny strings onto their clothes and the floor.
Taemin stood, frozen, eyes on the trails of red. It wasn't a severe cut, but the fact that it was Minho hurt made his woozy, unable to take in his surroundings. He snapped back quickly, rushing forward and gripping the injured hand. Jinki had left somewhere and their coworkers had paused to see what the commotion was.
"Are you alright, Minho? What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital? Are you feeling dizzy? You should stop, take a break. This is dangerous. You can't ke--"
"I'm fine," Minho cut him off, waving his hand to remove Taemin's. "It's just a cut." Taemin is torn between to feelings: worry for Minho's safety and disappointment that he was given the cold shoulder. When Minho broke it off, did it mean they couldn't be friends?
Jinki returned with a first aid kit and cleaned the wound, wrapping it tightly and ordering Minho to clean it every four hours if possible. Minho nodded and began cleaning the mess he created.
Taemin bit his lip. He squatted a good foot away from Minho, skinny fingers dipping to pick up pieces of ceramic. He grabbed a bag nearby and began piling them into it. He silently offered the bag to Minho who, after some hesitation, used it as well. Together they swept the white dust, clearing the area so Minho could fix his mistake.
Even then, Taemin handed him the right materials, watching closely as Minho glued it in. They repeated the process, Minho removing a tile, Taemin cleaning it up. Taemin hands him materials, Minho installs a new tile. It reminded Taemin faintly of their first time working together. They were hostile towards each other, but worked perfectly together.
Taemin would give anything for them to be like that again. At least he wouldn't be missing Minho so much.
"Just think about what I said," Jinki told him later that night, when they were taking off their uniform and getting ready to go home. Taemin shook his head. "It's complicated, Jinki."
He scoffed, throwing his bag over his shoulder. He passed Taemin on the way out, simply saying, "Then un-complicate it." It's not as easy as it sounds...
---
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, umma! This time I'm not subbing for Jongin, so I really have to work this night shift. Go ahead and eat without me. But save me a few pieces! You know I love your fried fish."
Taemin smiled against the receiver, his mother's laugh caressing his ear. She said a few things, warned him to be careful (as always), and they said goodbye. Taemin released his hand from the phone, already missing his family. He hasn't had a day off ever since he returned. He wasn't sure if he would even celebrate his birthday with them. There wasn't anything special about turning twenty-one.
He jogged towards the parking lot, hoping his coworkers didn't leave him yet. They still had thirty minutes left, but sometimes being early meant they could go home faster. He spotted the car, taking in that it was empty save for one person: Minho. His lips. open to call out for Jinki, shut as Minho approached.
"You're not going," he said. Taemin frowned. "What?"
"I said, you're not going. Just go home. Be with your family."
The shorter male pressed his lips firmly together. "Minho sunbae, please move so I can go to my station. I am supposed to be working on a night shift." Minho narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to him. Taemin took a step back, fear rising in his throat. "And I said to go home, Taemin sunbae. I got it covered." The former looked down at his feet, remembering that he was the superior.
Minho turned around, and he stopped him. "Why?"
Minho's whole body tensed, and Taemin could hear him gritting his teeth. He swirled around, just centimeters from his lips. "Why can't you just listen to me, Taemin?" Taemin blinked, not understanding. The strain in Minho's voice... It didn't match his fierce expression. "I'm giving you a chance to be with your family, why can't you just go home? Why do you have to be so stubborn and keep over-exerting yourself like this?"
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Minho shook his head, eyebrows furrowed so deeply the younger could count the creases in his forehead. He took Taemin's shoulders, seemed to rethink his actions, and let go, taking a step back. Taemin watched him struggle to speak, followed the hand that combed through his hair.
"You shouldn't even be here. Not right now, not the years before. You should be in high scho--"
"I'm twenty."
"Or college! Taemin, you don't get it, you don't understand what I'm trying to tell you. You're still so young--too young for this. An--"
Taemin swallowed, his eyes becoming glossy as Minho continued to talk. "Too young for what? For you?" Minho sighed, his fists clenching at his sides. "No, this isn't about us. I'm talking about you. I don't know, I just feel so guilty. You should be like Jongin, Taemin. In college, studying dance, going out at night with friends, not working, and possibly even having a girlfriend."
"I don't want a girlfriend," Taemin replied, voice shaking. "I don't care if I'm in college or not." At this, Minho gave him a look. I know you do, it said. I know you want to, it's your dream. But he ignored it. "I don't need friends, I have my family."
"Which you don't even see! You wake up in the morning, sometimes so early that you don't eat breakfast with them, and you come home during the darkest hours where you just sleep. Tell me, Taemin, when was the last time you had a few hours to just play with your little brothers? To speak with your mother and ask her how her day was?"
Tears were falling now, because Taemin knew he was right, but Minho did not deserve the right to tell him this. Hadn't he broken his heart? Wasn't he angry with the fact that he lied? Didn't he tell him he didn't want anything to do with him?
"Minho, why do you even care?"
He avoided his eyes, eyes flickering as he raced to think of an answer. "I just... I guess I still care about you. I want you to have the best life out there, to make memories and not be stuck in this place working all your life."
Taemin closed his eyes, reminding himself to inhale, exhale. He opened them, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. He just couldn't stop. The person he's yearned for was right before his eyes. And it wasn't to tell him that he loved him back, it was to tell him to quit working. He wanted to laugh, and he did, but it came out bitter, broken with the tears clogging up his throat.
"You're no different from me, Minho. You're young too. Maybe not as young as me, but still. You know why I need to work. It's the same reason you do. We don't have the money to live 'normally'. You're okay with that though, maybe you'd like to do something else, but you can tolerate it. So can I, Minho. I made a choice when I was fourteen, that I would do whatever I could to support my family.
"And when I was sixteen I chose to become a full-time construction worker. It was more appealing than a stripper." Minho closed his eyes, and Taemin knew what he was thinking. "I worked day and night, just like now. I don't care about a social life, I don't need it."
"But what about love?" The question was so random, so unlike Minho, and it surprised Taemin.
"What?"
"What about love, Taemin? What about getting married, making a family? Don't you want that, too?"
"What if I told you that I miss you?"
"This isn't about us."
"Well, I want it to be!" Taemin cried. "I still love you, Minho! I never stopped! When I told you that I liked you, I wasn't kidding. I wasn't thinking about our ages or the past. I really did like you. I mean, I still do."
"I don't understand you, Taemin. Why me? Why not some rich guy so he could give you a house and help support your family? I can't do that for you. I'm just a construction worker who didn't even finish high school."
"I don't want money," Taemin retorted, voice softer. Minho was just insecure about himself, about how he could be the perfect someone for him. "I want something real. Were we real, Minho? Did you like me back, too? Or was it just some crush? Just some summer romance?"
Minho pulls him into a kiss then. It's rough and Taemin winces as their teeth knock into each other. But he kisses back, hands on the one cupping his face. "You're not just some summer romance. You could never be." He kissed him again, this time more gentle, just their lips moving against each other. "Get in the car," Minho ordered, their lips still attached.
"Everything was real?" Taemin asked, scrambling into the backseat.
"Everything was real," Minho repeated, squeezing in next to him. He pulled their bodies close, straddling the younger as hands wandered.
Taemin arched into his touch, embarrassing noises spilling from his lips. "Are we going to do this in the backseat of a car?" he panted, pulling Minho's attention away from his bare skin. He shrugged and reconnected their lips. "Why not?"
---
"HYUNG! WAKE UP!"
"WAKEY, WAKEY!"
Taemin groaned, the bed bouncing up and down. There were shrill screams against his ear and he desperately wanted to hide under his covers and disappear. But the screaming never stopped and when he opened his eyes, he witnessed his little brothers jumping on his mattress.
"Yah! What are you two doing?!"
They stopped, eyes twinkling and teeth barred as they smiled widely. "Happy birthday, Taemin-hyung!" they chorused, throwing their hands up in the air before lunging to hug him. Taemin returned the gesture, anger forgotten. "Thank you! So sweet of my baby brothers~"
They wiggled out of his hug and took his hands, pulling him out of bed. "Hurry up and brush your teeth, hyung!" one called.
"And then come out and eat breakfast with us!" the other piped up. They giggled to each other, leaving Taemin alone in the restroom. He chuckled, doing as they said at the same time wondering how his birthday would go.
He strode into the kitchen, mouth parting at the large breakfast set on the table. "Happy birthday, honey," his mother said, pulling out a chair for him. "U-umma," Taemin stammered. "How did you..."
"You're not the only one who makes money," she teased, ushering him to sit down. "Go ahead, take a bite." He went for the seaweed soup, taking a sip and closing his eyes at the calming taste, his body warming as it ran down his throat. He dug in with his brothers, stuffing rice and fried egg into his mouth, savoring the wonderful dishes.
The door rings and he automatically makes a move to answer it, but his mother stops him. "Don't stop eating, I'll get it. My, my, have I been starving my son? You're eating as if you hadn't in ages!" Taemin sheepishly lowers his head, but still makes his way towards the side dishes.
He senses someone behind him and turns around to see Minho, standing beside his mother. His eyes widen, slowly taking in his boyfriend. But Minho told him he didn't have a day off on his birthday! He swallows the mouthful of rice and runs into his arms, too surprised to say anything.
"But--you---no day off---what---how?"
"Happy birthday, Taemin," Minho chuckled. "And your pajamas are cute." Taemin looks down at his clothes and his cheeks flame up. He blinks profusely, clutching the ends of his shirt. "I-it's still m-morning and I..."
"Come on, let's all sit down," Mrs. Lee says, a very satisfied smile on her face.
Taemin watches Minho sit beside him, now noticing the extra bowl of rice. "You're staying?" he squeaks. Minho grins, leaning in to kiss his cheek (they receive disgusted sounds from the two little brats pretending to puke). "All day."
Minho didn't lie when he said all day. Just after their last meal of the day, the two were snuggling on Taemin's bed, hands intertwined. Taemin curled himself tighter against Minho's side, pressing his lips against his collarbone. "Thank you for coming today, Minho. This is the best birthday ever!"
Minho hugged him, pecking his temple. "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Besides, I like your family." Taemin closed his eyes.
"I get to meet yours on your birthday, right?"
"Sure. Or any day, if you'd like. My appa's been pressuring me to find a girl..." He shifted so that they were facing each other, legs tangled under the sheets. "But I think you're better." Taemin pouted, playfully punching him, and Minho kissed the pout away.
"Goodnight, Minho."
"Goodnight, Taemin."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"See you next summer?"
Minho pecked his lips one more time. "See you next summer."
---
A/N: Finally completed! I want to thank all my readers/subscribers for sticking with me to the end. :) I know I neglected this story for way too long, but I did promise I'd finish it. So here it is! Let me know what you think! <3
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