Idol(s): Lee Tae Min of SHINee

Genre: Comedy, Fluff

Inspiration: A random fluff piece that came to me from watching SHINee's "One Fine Day".

Synopsis: Tae Min tries to prove he is worthy of being called "Oppa".

Individual Story Link: How to Be a Man

Note: This story may contain some Korean terms. If so, their definitions are provided (to the best of my knowledge) when they first appear. You can hover over the hyperlink for a definition if you’re on a desktop computer or click on the link to be directed to a Glossary of Korean Terms if you’re on other devices.

~//~

Lee Tae Min picked up the calendar sitting on his desk and flipped through the pages to a few months from now where one date was circled in red and the words "333-Day Anniversary" were written in its respective box. It marked the day that he and his girlfriend would be going out for 333 days.

Why was this obscure anniversary so important that he had specially marked it on his calendar? Because three was his girlfriend Kang Sae Wa's favorite number. To be honest, more than just a favorite, it was her lucky number that she lived by in a borderline obsessive manner.

Three was the number of pets Sae Wa owned, the number of piercings in her ears, the last four digits of her cell phone number (something she went through great pains to obtain), and it was the number of boyfriends she had had, including him. He was her lucky number three, and the one she admitted to seeing herself with for a very long time (especially since she was also Tae Min's third girlfriend, which she liked to think meant they were fated for each other).

However, there was one thing Sae Wa did not have three of, and that was her names for Tae Min. Either she would call him comfortably as just Tae Min or, whenever she was in a chipper, mood, as Minnie. Honestly he didn't mind the latter; in fact, he thought it was cute when she called him Minnie, even though it didn't exactly help with his masculinity to be referred to by the name of a girly cartoon character. Nevertheless, apart from those two names, Sae Wa didn't address him any other way, even though he had been wanting to be called "Oppa" by her for a while now.

Having grown up with only one older brother, Tae Min never really had the privilege of being an "Oppa" or "Hyung" to anyone. He was generally the Maknae in every situation, even being the youngest amongst his group of friends. And even now, when he actually had a girlfriend younger than him (granted only by a couple of months), he finally had an opportunity to be addressed in that endearing way as an older male figure.

[Maknae: refers to the youngest in a group or family]

Except for the fact that Sae Wa flat out denied Tae Min of that privilege, explaining that it was strange calling him "Oppa" when they were in the same grade and basically the same age. Besides, he just didn't give off that "older guy" feel. If anything, she sometimes felt like he was younger given his baby face and naive yet cute personality.

But as Tae Min stared at the calendar in his hands with a contemplative gaze on how he would celebrate the important day, he also decided to make it a personal goal that come their 333-Day Anniversary, Sae Wa was going to call him "Oppa", and in the days until then, he was going to show her a new manly side of him.

Seconds after making that vow to himself, Tae Min started searching online for advice articles on how to go about proving one's masculinity and devising a list of traits that seemed to be a common factor among the most coveted men of today's society: wealth, physical strength, skill, and intellect. And being the forgetful person he was, he recorded a voice memo on his phone of his "How to Be a Man" list along with the various ways to prove each.

***

It was another ordinary day where Tae Min was at Sae Wa's house, watching a movie with her while they waited for dinner. Sae Wa's mother, Mrs. Kang, was very fond of Tae Min and often asked him to stay for dinner whenever he came over.

Mrs. Kang was currently in the kitchen cooking and had to open a new container of red pepper paste, but was having difficulty with the tight lid.

"Why do they make these so impossible to open," she muttered while trying to use a towel to get a better grip on the cap, yet still not finding any success in opening it.

Tae Min absentmindedly looked over in the direction of the kitchen and noticed Mrs. Kang struggling to open a bottle. The scene reminded him of his "How to Be a Man" list and how one of the suggestions in proving strength was to open a new jar.

"I can open it for you, Eomeonim," he offered as he approached Mrs. Kang.

Mrs. Kang immediately gave up and handed the jar over with a gracious smile.

Tae Min cracked his knuckles and cleared his throat in an effort to prepare himself before taking hold of the jar with his right hand and gripping the lid with his left. His shoulders tensed as he twisted the cap and was met with an immobile resistance. He let out a nervous laugh at Mrs. Kang, who stared back with a raised brow, and turned back to the jar with gritted teeth, grunting as he attempted to loosen the lid to no avail.

Sae Wa finally came over after noticing Tae Min unsuccessfully open the can for the past couple of minutes and held out her hand to him. "Let me try."

Tae Min scoffed at her. "Sae Wa, if your mom couldn't open it, and I couldn't open it, what makes you think that you, the tiniest one out of us three, could get this thing to budge?"

Sae Wa wasn't fazed by his question and pushed her outstretched hand further. Tae Min rolled his eyes and handed her the jar. She made a show of inspecting the jar by holding it up to the light and turning it around in her hand to inspect it while Tae Min watched with crossed his arms and a skeptical look. She nodded to herself, seeming to have understood the predicament of the jar, and then grabbed a nearby spoon to tap all along the edges of the lid, as if it was a magic wand.

"I doubt that's going to--" but before Tae Min could finish his sentence, Sae Wa had already twisted the lid off with ease. Tae Min's mouth fell open in disbelief.

"Here you go, Mom," she said with a smile as she handed the jar back to her. Her mother thanked her and resumed her cooking now that the red pepper paste jar was finally open.

Sae Wa gave Tae Min an "I told you I could do it" smirk on her way back to the living room. He grumbled to himself and took out his phone to cross off physical strength from his "How to Be a Man" list.

***

One lazy Sunday afternoon, Tae Min and Sae Wa were at the library doing homework together. However, both had gotten sick of the endless pages of reading in front of them and simultaneously leaned back in their seats with heavy sighs.

Tae Min's half-lidded eyes wanting to take a nap quickly flickered open and his expression lit up as an idea came to him. "Sae Wa, how about we take a break from reading and take an IQ test," he excitedly suggested.

Sae Wa stared at him with a deadpan expression. "You want to take a break from homework…to take a test?"

When she put it like that, his idea didn't sound appealing at all, but Tae Min was bent on making up for his last failure with proof of his intellect. "Come on, it'll be fun. You don't know your IQ score, right? They have free tests online and it'll only take like thirty minutes," he cajoled her with just a little too much zeal.

Sae Wa could sense his overexcitement and despite feeling too tired to use her brain for an IQ test, gave in to his suggestion. The two headed towards the computer lab in the back of the library and each took a seat in front of a computer across from each other. They found a site that offered a free IQ test and absorbed themselves in trying to figure out the logic questions asked.

Tae Min felt confident as he zoomed through the questions, finishing in twenty minutes. He looked over at Sae Wa to find her still engrossed in her computer screen. He smiled to himself, feeling good about finishing first and decided to wait for the reveal of his score until she was done. Sae Wa finished ten minutes later with an unsure frown after selecting her answer to the last question.

"This wasn't the kind of break I was expecting. I had to use my brain way more in the last thirty minutes than I did reading for two hours straight," she whined.

"I'm sure you did fine," Tae Min half-heartedly consoled her. "Okay, we submit together on the count of three. One. Two. Three."

They simultaneously hit the "Get Results" button and waited a few seconds for their score to load. Tae Min sat at the edge of his seat for the number to appear, but when it did, he felt an immediate blow to his pride at the unexpected result: 99. Really? He couldn't have scored just one point higher so he could at least brag that he was in the triple digits? He pouted at the frustrating two-digit number in front of him and hoped that he at least did better than Sae Wa.

"What did you get Minnie?" Sae Wa excitedly.

Oh no, she was calling him Minnie. This meant she was in a good mood, probably because she got a high score. Tae Min threw the question back at her, wanting to know just how well she had done before telling her his. "What did you get?" he nervously asked.

"I got a 120," she answered with a big grin. "You?"

Tae Min stared at the giddy, happy girl in front of him and sighed at the irony. She was the one who had been unsure of her answers and complained about being too tired to use her brain, and he was the one that zoomed through the test feeling overconfident, yet in the end she had done better.

"Um, about the same, just a few points less." Well, 21 points less could be considered a few, right?

Tae Min felt dispirited as he pushed the keyboard in front of him away and placed his forehead against the table. Intellect was crossed off from the list.

***

At an empty parking lot, Tae Min sat in the driver's seat of his car while Sae Wa sat in the passenger's seat. Sae Wa had recently passed her written test for her driver's permit and was now allowed to practice on the road with a licensed driver. Most people refrain from teaching driving to someone they are very close with because they generally have a difficult time holding back on verbalizing their frustrations if they continuously make mistakes.

However the continuous mistakes was exactly what Tae Min was counting on with Sae Wa. As petty as it might sound, Tae Min himself was still a relatively new driver, so he hoped that his inexperience would be masked by Sae Wa's own and that would in turn make his driving skills seem more advanced in her eyes.

Since they were practicing parking that day, Tae Min was going to show Sae Wa a skill that women thought very y and charming when men performed it: reverse driving. He specifically wore a white, button up shirt leaving the top two buttons undone because according to what he had read online, that would exude a very manly persona.

"I'm going to show you how to back into a parking spot. This takes a lot of skill, so don't be upset if you can't get it right away," he said in a slightly condescending manner, as if he was speaking to a small child. Sae Wa obediently nodded to signify she understood. "Alright, watch closely."

Tae Min got into position by placing his right hand on the back of Sae Wa's seat and turning his torso to reveal that bit of exposed chest to her as he kept a calm and cool smile on his face, while in his head, Tae Min thought about how Sae Wa was probably drooling at his attractiveness. But before he even had the chance to let go of the brake and let the car roll backwards, he heard a small snort come from her and his attention immediately went to her in curiosity.

"Minnie," she said through her hand-covered mouth trying to stifle a giggle, "your shirt is mis-buttoned." She used her free hand to point near his stomach.

Tae Min looked down at his shirt where sure enough, his shirt was uneven because he had missed a button. Tae Min mentally smacked himself for not noticing it earlier and forcefully laughed at himself as he ed and rebuttoned the bottom portion of his shirt.

"Okay, now I'm going to show you one of the most difficult maneuvers when driving." Again, Tae Min got into position and started expertly steering the wheel using only one hand. He backed into a parking space and parked the car before both he and Sae Wa got out so they could examine the final product: the car had crossed over the line so that it took up two spaces.

"I guess you turned too early?" Sae Wa quipped.

"Uh…y-yes, that's right," he answered loudly. "If you turn too early, this is what happens. This time, I'm going to show you how to do it properly."

Once in the car, Tae Min pulled out and backed into the space again. This time, he ended up turning too late and crossing into the space on the other side.

Third time was the charm, Tae Min reasoned as he urged Sae Wa back into the car to try again. Indeed it was because this time he managed to stay within one parking space, although the car was a bit crooked. Still, the important thing was that he had technically succeeded.

He turned to Sae Wa feeling more confident. "Alright, now your turn." The two switched spots so Sae Wa was now in the driver's seat while Tae Min observed from the passenger seat. "Remember, it's okay if it takes you a few tries to get it right. In fact, if you don't get it today, that's completely understandable," Tae Min magnanimously said.

Sae Wa smiled at his encouragement and proceeded to make her first attempt at reverse parking. Using both her hands to steer, she looked over her shoulder and guided the car backwards into a parking space.

"Minnie, I did it!" she exclaimed. Sae Wa had successfully reverse parked on her first try, even making the car straight. She gave Tae Min a big hug from behind and jumped up and down in her excitement.

Tae Min's eye slightly twitched in aggravation. "Yeah, you did. On your first try too," he said through gritted teeth.

"That's because you're such a good teacher," she complimented him.

Tae Min closed his eyes and exhaled to keep his cool. So much for skill.

***

The day had finally arrived, Tae Min and Sae Wa's 333-Day Anniversary.

Sae Wa video called Tae Min at exactly 3:33 AM to wish him a happy anniversary and perform a cute dance for him made all the more adorable since she was wearing her bunny pajamas.

But for Tae Min, today was the deadline he had set for himself to prove his manliness to Sae Wa and finally make her call him "Oppa". He had one trick left up his sleeve to prove the only item left on his "How to Be a Man" list: wealth.

To celebrate their special day Tae Min was going to take Sae Wa to her favorite restaurant, a Japanese sushi place that she only went to on special occasions due to its pricey menu. What's more, Tae Min was planning to foot the whole bill. He had been saving up every penny for the last month from his allowance and doing odd jobs for his neighbors to save enough for three people's worth of food, just to make sure he would have more than enough. He wasn't going to fail this time.

Dinner went by quickly, a sign of how much fun the two had together. They were awed by the fast and precise cutting skills of the chef, who at times was difficult to watch when the knife would come so close to his fingers that every chop they heard made their hearts skip a beat for fear of him cutting himself. They decided to look away from the unsettling scene and occupied their night talking to each other and reminiscing over the many memories they had had in their 333 days of being together.

When they had just finished their last course and were so full they weren't sure that they would be able to walk back home, the check arrived, and at seeing the total, Sae Wa gasped. Even though she was expecting it, the six-digit won figure (approximately in the hundreds in U.S. dollars) didn't stop her from feeling guilty at having spent so much just for one meal. But the remorse was fleeting when she recalled how mouth-watering and heavenly it was.

Sae Wa began taking out her wallet, ready to pay for half when Tae Min stopped her from opening her purse. "I'll take care of the bill," he confidently stated.

"All by yourself?" Sae Wa shook her head at the offer. "No way, I can't let you pay that much on your own. I'll get half." She resumed taking out her purse.

"I mean it, I'll take care of the bill," Tae Min insisted. "It's my anniversary present to you."

Sae Wa was stunned by his generous gift. Normally, the two would switch off paying for dinner whenever they went out. One day Sae Wa would pay, the next time Tae Min would. It was how their relationship worked; they treated each other as equals, just how Sae Wa wanted it. And Tae Min loved this about Sae Wa; she wasn't high maintenance, nor did she expect him to pay for everything. But that didn't mean he didn't like to have his moments to show off.

Tae Min put his hand in his jacket pocket to pull out his wallet only to find that it was empty. Trying to remain calm, he checked his other pocket, but that was empty too. Now he was starting to get nervous. He stood up to frantically pat himself down in search of it with no luck. And then it hit him, his wallet was in his other jacket. At the last minute, he had changed out of it into the one he was currently wearing, and now he was silently cursing to himself for doing so.

Sae Wa could sense from the fretful look on his face that Tae Min had probably forgotten his wallet. It was like him to lose or misplace things sometimes. In fact, once when the two had gone on a trip together via a train, he thought he had lost his ticket. It ended up being stuck in the pages of a book that he had put in his backpack. The memory made her giggle and wanting to put Tae Min's mind at ease, Sae Wa offered to pay the whole bill.

Tae Min reluctantly agreed, not having much choice otherwise, and promised to pay her back later. But this ruined the moment he had been looking forward to, when he would coolly take the check from her and pay the whole bill as a real man would.

And with that, Tae Min crossed the last item from his "How to Be a Man" list. His score: zero out four.

***

On the walk back home, Sae Wa was her usual animated self as she talked and laughed while Tae Min would half-heartedly smile and nod at her. He was still feeling depressed about the failure of his anniversary present to Sae Wa and in general not proving himself a man.

When they arrived at Sae Wa's house, Tae Min briefly entered to greet her parents before Sae Wa walked him out to the front of her house to see him off. "I had fun today Minnie," she said with a big smile.

Tae Min nodded with a small smile. "Me too."

Sae Wa didn't like his lackluster response and pouted in disappointment. "Tae Min, what's wrong? You've been really quiet since we left the restaurant."

Tae Min shrugged with his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground with his shoe.

"Come to think of it, you've been acting kind of strange these past few months. What's going on? Is it me? Did I do something wrong?" Sae Wa's eyes glistened with tears at the possibility that she might have hurt him in some way and not known it.

Tae Min quickly shook his head to deflect the notion. "No, it's not you. It's me."

Sae Wa's worry only increased at his response. Those were the dreaded pre-breakup words.

Tae Min sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just, I've been trying to prove to you how mature I am so that you'll finally call me "Oppa", but everything I tried ended up backfiring on me. And it just, it kind of hurts my pride that I failed so many times."

Sae Wa gave him a sympathetic glance and opened to say something, but didn't have a chance to because Tae Min cut her off.

"It's getting late, you should go back inside. I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips and then his heel to trudge back home with his head hanging low.

On his way, Tae Min suddenly remembered that he had to pay Sae Wa back for dinner and knowing how forgetful he was, he pulled out his phone and opened the voice recorder app to record the reminder. He ended the message when another thought came to mind.

"Also, note to self. Don't get advice from the internet again. It doesn't w--"

"Minnie!" Sae Wa's voice called to him.

Tae Min turned around to see Sae Wa running towards him. She stopped in front of him, panted to catch her breath, and then said, "I've been thinking, and maybe I haven't been giving you enough credit. I mean, even though you are my forgetful, clumsy, cute Minnie, you do have your manly moments. And since today is our 333-Day Anniversary and you did try so hard to prove that you're more mature, I'll say it. So listen carefully because I don't know when you'll hear this again from." Sae Wa stepped closer to him and held his cheeks between her palms. "I love you, Tae Min Oppa," she enunciated before leaning forward and giving him a sweet kiss. She pulled back with a big but shy grin. "Good night Minnie." Then she quickly turned around and ran back towards her house.

Tae Min stood there flabbergasted, still trying to register what had just happened, and when it hit him, a wide smile broke out that went from ear to ear. "I love you Kang Sae Wa!" he shouted at her retreating back. She turned around to wave goodbye to him one last time and then disappeared inside her house.

Once her front door closed, Tae Min turned back to his phone and tapped the "Stop Recording" button. He pressed rewind for a few seconds and then hit the play button. "I love you, Tae Min Oppa," Sae Wa's voice repeated.

Tae Min giggled in delight and rewound the clip and pressed play again. "I love you, Tae Min Oppa."

"Sae Wa, did you just call me 'Oppa'?" he asked his phone.

"Tae Min Oppa."

Tae Min proudly smiled to himself and then resumed a nonchalant expression. "Yes, Sae Wa? Did you have something you want to say?"

"I love you, Tae Min Oppa."

"I'm sorry, who did you say you love?" he asked while holding his hand up to his ear.

"Tae Min Oppa."

He nodded at his phone as if it was really Sae Wa. "I love you too, Sae Wa."

He continued to make silly conversation with Sae Wa's recorded voice all the way home, not caring about the strange glances he got from passerby.

Maybe Tae Min wasn't "manly" by conventional standards, but at least he had proved in his own special way that he could be an "Oppa" figure to the one person it mattered to most.

~//~

Author's Note

Tae Min isn't really my bias from SHINee, but he's been creeping his way up the list since I've been watching SHINee's "One Fine Day" and just saw their newly released "Why So Serious?" MV. The cute and innocent maknae is becoming the handsome daredevil Tae Man (if you watch eatyourkimchi, you'll already know this joke) :D

April 26, 2013 6:10 PM