Three

three

[ Taemin ]

Taemin can’t breathe because Jonghyun has never been this close to him before. Not passing in the hallways between classes, not standing on the risers during rehearsal for the winter concert, not ever.

“Hey,” he says, but it comes out like a squeak. Mortified, he clears his throat loudly and forces his voice back down three octaves to repeat, “hey.”

Jonghyun laughs, and Taemin fully expects to hear the news that the president has pulled all troops out of Afghanistan, that Japan and Korea have settled the claims for the disputed islands.

“Let’s walk to class together,” Jonghyun suggests.

Taemin can only nod, because if he expends too much air he’ll have to breathe in Jonghyun’s cologne again, and he’s not sure he can be held responsible for what happens to his voice after that.

“We didn’t have any homework, did we?” Jonghyun asks in a conversational tone.

“Just the reading in the textbook,” Taemin answers, pushing his voice down into his stomach.

Jonghyun groans and Taemin can feel the deep rumbling vibrations hitting his chest through the air. I wish my voice sounded like that, he thinks sourly to himself as he clears his throat again, obnoxiously.

“Don’t worry,” he offers. “I heard that there’s a substitute today.”

Jonghyun immediately perks up, making Taemin’s heart do that thing where it can’t decide whether to explode in happiness or break with the agony of Jonghyun’s smile.

“Really?” Jonghyun asks. When Taemin nods, he sighs in relief and adds, “Thank God!”

Taemin can’t help the smile that crinkles his eyes when Jonghyun’s shoulders relax and he runs a hand through his hair. Taemin even forgets that his smile makes him look about five years old, he’s so busy memorizing the shape of Jonghyun’s jaw as he talks.

“I hate that class so much,” he tells Taemin.

“What’s wrong with US history?” Taemin jokes.

Jonghyun is completely serious when he answers, “It’s pretty rich listening to an old white guy complain about what happened to people he doesn’t even know about. I bet he doesn’t know what half of what he talks about really means. And it’s pretty pointless to debate about the meaning of history when everyone has their own problems to deal with. If everyone just worried about their own problems, then--” He breaks off. “Sorry, that was a little--”

Taemin cuts him off. “I know just what you mean.”

Jonghyun nods, and he’s about to say something else when Taemin’s phone blares TVXQ’s “Humanoids”.

‘Cause we are humanoids

Startled and slightly embarrassed because I thought that was on silent, Taemin fumbles in his bag for his phone. When he turns up with it the screen shows his mother’s contact, so he waves at Jonghyun to go on without him. The older boy grins and mouths I’ll see you in class while Taemin brings the phone to his right ear. He presses one hand to his other ear to block out the noise of changing classes, exchanging a wave with Jonghyun.

He makes it into his seat just in time for the bell and realizes that the desks have been rearranged so that his is next to Jonghyun’s.

Jonghyun hums “Humanoids” under his breath for the entire period, and Taemin is ready to melt into a happy puddle of fanboy right then and there because he doesn’t think I’m a loser and he’s looking at me and God, he’s looking at me.