Four

four

[ Jonghyun ]

Jonghyun’s never realized how pretty Taemin is until walking with him to class. Even though they have a few classes together, they’ve never exchanged more than a couple words, and Jonghyun regrets it. Taemin’s eyelashes are long and soft, brushing against his cheekbones when he blinks and shading his dark eyes when he looks up. The rest of his features are delicate, almost like a girl’s, and it doesn’t help that his dark hair is soft and glossy, obviously well cared for.

Jonghyun doesn’t like it when people decide which team he plays for, but everything about Taemin screams gay. From his androgynous appearance, to his discomfort around girls, to the way he tries to conceal the almost soprano range of his voice.

It’s cute, so Jonghyun doesn’t pay any attention to US imperialism in southeast Asia. Instead he takes in every detail of Taemin’s face and wonders how something so innocent could hold in a soul so tortured. Those dark eyes tell more than Taemin’s words ever could, though what Jonghyun heard earlier says plenty. Underneath Taemin’s pretty, often distant exterior, there’s someone that wants to be taken care of. There’s someone that’s vulnerable, that thinks about more than the newest episode of Glee or the size of his allowance. There’s a depth to Taemin that Jonghyun can’t find anywhere else in this school, not in Krystal, not in Minho, not even in Key.

He doodles in the margin of his notebook, knowing that he’ll regret not paying attention, but not caring. Taemin’s lips move against each other as he watches the movie, and Jonghyun can imagine the shape of his voice as it fills the room, pure and soft and effortless.

He wishes he could get to know Taemin better. He thinks they’re more alike than it appears.