Taemin yawned, rolling over in his bed. His shoulder length hair was scattered across the pillow and over his eyes. His alarm was pounding and it refused to compromise with the length of his arm as he swiped his arm for it and missed. Puffing his cheeks out and letting them deflate, he sat up with misplaced hairs masking his eyes. Everything seemed to blend into his beige walls. He hauled his body into the sitting position and sighed, tapping the “off” button on his alarm before reaching for his cellphone and bringing it into his lap. Once again he looked around. His desk was neat compared to its usual standards while the clothes on the floor hinted otherwise. Another yawn escaped his lips as he d at the curtains by his bed, phone in hand, looking for a source of balance. He planted the soles of his feet flat on the ground as he lifted his body. Shuffling his feet over to the door, he twisted the doorknob and headed straight for the kitchen where he poured himself some orange juice and a bowl of cereal before lounging on the couch. The pixels on the screen came to life as the echo of a news anchor filled the room. “Yesterday, on XXXX Street, a young boy got hit by a car, his survival a result of a bystander. At 3:04 pm-“He changed the channel. His eyes fell to the phone in his lap, his hands instinctively ordering the screen to light up. He opened his contacts tab, his thumb running over the newly added name. “Minho...” He whispered. He on his spoon as his fingers began typing away. “Good morning, hyung.” His thumb hovered over the send button for a few seconds before giving the command. His torso gave into gravity as he sprawled out on the couch, hugging his phone. He saved my life, thought Taemin. “Why?” He hummed to himself. Just as his eyes were about to shut, his phone vibrated. His back stiffened as his body darted upwards, his tangled fingers sliding this way and that across the screen. “What have I done to deserve being woken up this early on a Saturday?” Taemin’s pursed lips retracted into a smile as he read the text. “Hyung, it’s 11:35! You need to wake up! It’s a brand new day!” Taemin slowly counted the seconds until the next message.

1…2…3…- 46…

Bzzt

“Be a good hahk-saeng and leave me alone.” Taemin ignored the request, more or less a command, as his fingertips quickly scaled the phone. “Where’s hyung’s school?” An almost instant reply. “That place with the doors and windows. There are some nice trees too.” He felt at this point that he needed his tone to sink into the text. “Hyuuuuung~! Why are you being so cold? I’m trying really hard to be your friend but you just keep shunning and rejecting me! Are you trying to break your dongsaeng’s heart?” This time the wait was longer than anticipated. A minute passed. Another did. It had been 15 minutes now and Taemin was growing impatient. “Hyung, what are your plans for today?” Taemin hugged his knees, balancing the phone on top. Maybe he’s mad.. He sighed. A familiar melody rang out as his phone caused tremors on his knee. “Why do you insist on following me?” His frustration now poured through his groan. “Because I want to know the kind of person my saviour is! I wouldn’t be talking to you right now if I didn’t want to!” He dropped his phone between huffs, angrily picking it up again. “ Look, I’m on my way to class right now. I’ll be out at 4. I’ll message you then. So please stop being a nuisance.” Taemin’s expression lightened as he read the text. “Saranghae Minho Hyung! <3”

Minho’s cheeks turned an unnoticeable shade of pink as he gave one last reply before shoving the phone into his bag.

“Stop wasting your time being and idiot and go study!”  

Taemin agreed, chugging down the remains of cereal and orange juice. Empty bowl and glass in hand, he headed to the sink where the placed them and left them for another, more enthusiastic time. He skipped over to his closet, humming the most upbeat tunes he could think of. Reaching into his closet he grabbed a red plaid shirt and a black pullover to wear on top of it. He tossed that on the bed. Next he picked out a darker pair of skinny jeans. He stripped his himself and put on the fresh batch of clothes. Posing in the mirror for a little he pouted when noticing how chubby his face was getting. He squished he cheeks making silly faces before coming to terms with how silly he was being and leaving the room with a giggle. “I don’t wanna say bye bye~ OooOooOoo” He sang while making his way to the door where he threw on a pair of uggs and a patterned bomber hat, snatching his bag. He opened the door to be greeted by a cool breeze. Fall was indeed coming, thought Taemin. He stretched on the doorstep, letting a long squeak. He locked the door and decided that there’s nothing better to do on a Saturday then to go the park. Taemin loved going to the park. He went to many places people usually don’t go alone. It’s not that he didn’t mind someone coming with him, he just didn’t have many friends. His bangs brushed against his forehead. Looking around, he noticed many parents with their children. There were also people on bikes, people in suits, people in stores. “I wonder if I’ll be that busy when I grow up..” He got to the park where he found an empty bench to sit. His fingers slid over the glossy cover before pulling it open. After a few minutes, Taemin’s eyes were glued to the book. His concentration was interrupted by a tug on his pant leg. “Unnie, can I please have my ball?” Taemin was so caught up in his book that he didn’t see the little girls pink ball bounce up beside him. Taemin’s heart broke a little at the girls failure to recognize his gender,but gave the most charming smile he could conjure “Of course! Here you go, miss. It’s a very pretty ball. I wish I had one just like it!” The little girl blushed. “Does Unnie wanna play catch with me?” He looked from his book to the girl and did a double take. He put his book in his bag and pointed over to a flat grassy area. “How about we go play over there where there’s more space?” The girl nodded in agreement and he took her hand, walking over to the grass. He let go of her hand as she hoped over, parallel to him. "If it hits the ground, you lose!" She cheerfully stated. They began to toss the ball back and forth, Taemin purposely losing. "You're too good for me, it's not fair!" The girl replied with a happy giggle,  tossing the ball back. She suddenly started waving although Taemin didn't full understand why. Suddenly he felt arms around his waist and a breath against his ear "Hey Noona~ thank you for taking such good care of my younger sister." He might have not recognized the arms, but he knew that voice. Choi Seunghyun. But it wasn’t just him. His friends were sneering in the background. The same friends that made Taemin cry himself to sleep since elementary school. The same friends who made Taemin hate his long hair, but terrorize him enough to keep it, scared of what would happen if they had lost control over that part of him. What would they go for next? His face? His body? He didn’t want to scare himself with the thought of that situation. “How about you four take my sister for ice cream across the street while I show Noona a good time?” The little girl looked at Taemin with skeptical eyes before the trailed to her older brother. “Bye Oppa! Bye Noona!” Taemin felt a hand slip into his, leading him away as Taemin let a confident façade set on his face. But that was on the inside. The further out of sight they got, the more his hands sweat, the shakier his voice got. Each step felt like hours until they were surrounded by tall shrubs and bushes. Taemin felt wood stab into his back as his head hit something hard. “Hey Noona, you’re so slender, huh? Can I see your body?” By now his eyes were shut twice. This wasn’t really happening, was it? His shoulder was not engulfed by a cold wind and a rough hand. He felt skin showing, skin that his clothing was supposed to cover. He heard buttons on a phone being pressed, pictures being taken. A hot liquid poked out between his lashed and dripped down his cheek. “You be quiet now Noona, we don’t want to get caught~” He felt rough, dry lip press against his jawline, and at this point, a sob escaped his. Another photo was taken, and another. Then came a third. This one was a different tone, a somewhat familiar sound. He refused to open his, the heat of the tears painful at this point. “Give me your phone or this picture gets sent to the authorities.” He felt the weight of Seunghyun body lift off of his as leaves crackled beneath his feet. “Who the are yo-“

“I’ll say It one more time, give me the phone.”

Silence.

“Three, two, o-“

Taemin heard a growl neck to his ear as natures sounds indicated the departure of one of the parties. He opened his eyes, his vision blurry and clouded. His knees refused to support his body any longer as he slid down with his back against the tree. A quickened pace of steps came towards him, a soft palm pressed against his cheek. At this point, sobs were leaving his mouth with no grace period. He could no longer see properly, he was so scared. He let himself melt into the stranger, crossing his fingers before choking out his words. “M-minho? Is that you?” A calm voice answered him. “How did you guess?”

“It was the camera.”

“The camera?”

“The camera. The sound of the shutter. It also smells like you.”

“Hmm. I see. C’mon, up.”

“Don’t you have school?” Taemin’s breath steadied now, a familiar tone sinking back into it. He wiped at the still-producing tears.

“I was on my way back because I forgot my textbook and film for my camera. You see, my studio is right across the street from here.” He pointed in an anonymous direction as he lifted them both onto their feet. “I’m sorry you had to see that.. uhm, can you do me a favour and delete that one picture you took hyung.. I don’t think that’s a memory I want you to have of me.” He looked down at his feet, ashamed. “I never took one. I was just bluffing. Remember, I was coming back for film?” Taemin blushed deeply at his lack of comprehension of the previous sentence. “I’m sorry, you’re probably super late because of me, hyung..” Taemin bowed at a 45 degree angle, the last of his tears diminishing. “Whatever, I don’t like today’s professor anyways.” A large hand caressed the back of his head, pushing it forward at the same time. “I’m tired.” Taemin stared at him for a little, their eyes meeting. “A-am I- can I come over?” Minho’s gaze tore across the landscape and rested somewhere in the opposite direction. “No, I’m going home. I don’t care what you do with yourself.” Taemin felt his heart sink a little from disappointment and if he had a tail, it would be between his legs. “You’re slow. I’m inviting you over.” Taemin quickly looked up, but tried to hide this ping of happiness with a simple nod. He adjusted his bag on his hip and walked side by side with Minho. “Hyung is really kind. You’re like my guardian.” His lips formed into a bigger smile with each syllable. “I feel more like a babysitter.” He watched his senior ruffle his bangs, watched them slide back perfectly into position as if left completely untouched. “Hyung is really beautiful~” Taemin stated in awe as his eyes stayed glued to him. Minho blushed and looked away. Nothing fazes this kid, huh? A car crash, nearly getting , and he’s still smiling? “Babo. If you don’t stop, I’ll kick you out before you even reach the doorstep.” He flicked his dongsaeng’s head. “I’m only saying what I believe is true..” Taemin defended. They crossed the street and walked up the stairs to a building that Taemin had passed many times before. Minho brought a small piece of plastic on a keychain up to a larger on the wall with a red light. Soon enough a beep sounded and the light momentarily turned green. I buzz filled their ears and Minho opened the door, signaling for Taemin to step through. They walked up two flights of stairs to the second floor and into a medium length hallway with four doors. 202, Taemin read in his head. They entered the apartment and Minho tossed his bag to the floor and kicked his sneakers off. He headed straight and around a corner. Taemin followed his lead, taking his shoes off and neatly placing them by the door, tiptoeing behind him. The room was very small and minimalized. The wall consisted of two main colours, and off-white eggshell shade and brown. The studio had brown carpet the filled the whole space, excluding a few rows of tiles. Directly around the corner, brown counters accented the small room. A fridge and over were there as well. A round table was placed nearby beside a decently sized flat screen TV on the wall. Two chairs stood around it. The final feature was a double bed with a white and grey striped cover and pillows. The room looked relatively neat until Minho started stripping, throwing his coat in one direction and hi’s sweater in the next. Taemin simply hung his bag on the side of a chair and sat down. I drank the last coffee so you’ll have to settle for orange juice. Kids shouldn’t be drinking coffee anyways.” Taemin sulked, resting his head in his crossed arms. “That’s mean, Hyung! I’m only two years younger than you!” He pouted. “You may only be two years behind in age, but you are much more behind in experience.” He put down a glass of orange juice in front of him, watching the younger sit up and drink it happily despite his previous comments. He sipped on his own, “So, who was that guy?” Taemin was caught off guard. He knew this question would come up, he was expecting it. In fact, if he was in Minho’s position, he would have asked it much sooner. He stuttered. “J-just some guy from school.” Minho snorted. “Is that what you do with ‘Just some guys from school’?” Taemin shook his head quickly. “No, rather.. uhm..” He began to twiddle his thumbs to distract his now racing heart. “You don’t have to tell me, I’m just curious.” His glass ‘clicked’ against the table. “He’s ah- how do I put this-“, “A bully?” He was cut off. “Y-yeah. It’s not just him though. There are 4 other guys. I’ve been going to school with them since elementary school. They’ve always teased me and picked on me, called me a girl. Today I unknowingly bumped into his younger sister and played with her. She kept calling me ‘Noona’ but I can’t blame her.. I mean my hair is pretty long for a boys. They just came along and he told the others to take his sister for ice cream while he dragged me away, and well, you saw what happened..” There was a short moment of awkwardness. “Why don’t you cut it?” The elder spoke up. “Huh? Cut what?” Taemin’s glance landed on him. “Your hair, cut it. That way you won’t be mistaken for a girl.” Taemin took the tips of his hair into his fingers as if just now realising that they’re there. “I would. I’ve always hated my hair. I thought about it more than you could imagine, almost did it once too. But then I thought that the main thing they tease me about is my hair. If they can’t tease me about my hair then what will they do? Will they beat me up? Hurt me until my hair grows back? It’s scary even to just think about it.” Taemin let out a shaky breath, cursing himself for it in his thoughts as he smiled, trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation. “Alright.” Is the only word that Minho spoke. Somehow Taemin found it a relief that he didn’t pry further. He leaned his head back against the wall, chugging down the final millilitres of vitamin C. “To be honest, I like your hair.” His eyes shifted to Taemin, making the younger of the two feel slightly uncomfortable. He blushed, looking down into his lap, where his pale knuckles were turning white as his hands clenched into fists. “I have an assignment for school; photograph natural beauty. Can I photography you? You’re really photogenic.” Taemin’s face was now a beet red. He couldn’t recall the last thing he’d been called anything nice. Girly, feminine, sack-less, homo, tranny were all names he was used to. It’s what he accepted and lived by. This was something foreign and a bit frightening. “I’m not really- I’m not really anyone’s definition of beauty. Surely there’s someone else.” His tongue kept knotting in and around itself. “ ‘I wouldn’t be talking to you right now if I didn’t want to!’ Sound familiar? Well I wouldn’t be asking to photograph you if I didn’t think you suited the purpose. I think you’re beautiful. You look like an angel, like someone not from this world. The way your eyes rest on your cheeks when you smile and how soft a colour your soft lips are. You’re amazing. Hey, look at me.” Taemin’s heart was racing way past the speed limits on any highway. His face was burning all the way to the peak of his ears. He pushed his lower lip out a bit as he looked up, completely embarrassed. Kachish. Taemin’s eyes met the eyes of a camera eye, and they instantly widened. “Hyung?! What are you-?!” Minho withdrew the camera, breaking the contact with Taemin. “I had to prep you. Ignore everything I said earlier, you turned out great.” What happened to that soft, whisper of a voice that was just drowning him in compliments? Why was he teasing him like this? “Hyung!” Taemin instantly jumped into Minho’s lap, groping for the camera. “Hyung, that was so mean, and inconsiderate, and mean, and rude, and- URGH! Delete it!” The chair nearly fell, just barely staying away from its tipping point. “N-no, I need this! Stop!” Minho protected his camera behind his body while at the same time trying to hold Taemin back. Taemin groaned and quickly took out his phone, snapping a picture of Minho. “Let’s see how you like it!” Minho gasped, “Hey you little brat! Hand over your phone!” Taemin smirked, running across the apartment. “No!” The two spent the rest of their time chasing each other around at the cost of their privacy, to which both just ended up tackling each other until they were both panting and tired on the floor. Taemin’s giggles continuously filled the air. Beautiful, he thought, what a nice word.

A/N: Woooo~ it's 10:50 pm, I'm finally done! I'm so tired, but hey, SHINee's new MV Why So Serious is out in 10 Minutes! Hopefully I won't cry myself to sleep after seeing Jonghyun not there. Aha~ You guys should all check it out. Oh and by the way this is what I imagined Minho's studio to look like

And this is what I imagine the Cafe in Ch. 1 to look like

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :D