Chapter 9 

Hello?” Eunsook says chirpily  through the phone. It feels like forever since Jinki has heard his little sister’s voice. He smiles.

“Eunsookie”, he calls, his voice b with affection. He miss her.

“Oppa? Is that really you?” Eunsook gasps excitedly and Jinki could imagine her jumping up and down as she tells the others in the house, “Mum, Aunt, Jinki oppa’s on the phone”

Then there is a stream of noises coming from the receiver, thumps of footsteps and plenty of shrilling from Aunt Yoona. “Turn the speaker on, turn the speaker on” and there are some more clicking noises, probably Eunsook trying to figure out how to turn on the speaker. Jinki just wishes that she don’t hang up accidentally. All he has is five minutes and there is a huge queue of students waiting for him to finish with his call so that they can have their turns. And his family showering him with questions without letting him talk wasn’t helping.

“Jinki darling, how are you feeling? Are you running a fever honey?”

“Is the school like our old one Oppa? Have you made friends?”

“Do you want me to send you some more kimchi Jinki?”

They are all sounding so concerned about him. He doesn’t want to make them even more worried than they already are. So he doesn’t mention anything about him being bullied by the mean and strange jock called Kim Jonghyun. He tells them about Taemin though, and all the other friends he has made in SM. He doesn’t get a chance to speak to Uncle Max. But he knows that he is there, standing next to the phone, listening carefully if there’s something Jinki needs.

Ever since childhood, Jinki has never been away from his family for long. It is a relief getting to hear their voices after a long week. He misses them all. He wanted to tell them this but five minutes was over faster than he thought.

“Do you feel better now?” Taemin asks poking his head out of his room when Jinki returns with a smile.

“Yeah.”.He seats on the bed sighing. “It feels nice” He just wished he had a bit more time to speak to them.

“So who do you have in your family?” Taemin asks, coming to sit next to him and there are stains of chocolate all around his mouth. Jinki tells him all about his family and he can’t help but remember how the motionless body of his Dad was lying on the floor. It’s an image he could never forget. Taemin listens to him like he was telling him a fairy tale and encourages Jinki to say more when he stops at times.

 “I want to meet Eunsook. Can I come over to your house during the summer holidays?” And Jinki says yes. Eunsook wanted to meet Taemin too.

When he finishes his story, silence  floods into the room. Jinki looks at Taemin, expecting him to say something because he doesn’t want to make the situation awkward. After a while, Taemin says as almost a slow whisper,

“I miss my parents too” He is smiling but it’s not the usual kind of smile you see on him. It’s a sad one. It doesn’t suit him, Jinki thinks.

“I’m their only child. They’re business owners and they travel to different countries. All the time. I don’t even remember the last time I had a proper talk with them. They can’t take me with them and that’s why I’m here, in SM.” He spreads his arms and slumps down on the pillow. “Here they won’t have to worry about my accommodation or food. They just have to pay the fees. But I don’t mind” He shrugs “because my life is perfect. My parents are cool business people and I have lots of money”

What he doesn’t have is their love. It’s sad seeing how happy and cheery he looks when he has all these bottled up inside him. Jinki would have never thought a person like Taemin would have this kind of family background. He feels sorry for him. He wants to comfort him but he doesn’t know how to. So he says what comes to his mind and sounds fairly comforting.

“And you have me?”,

Taemin tilts his head from the pillow to look at him, the sad smile now replaced with a genuine one. Jinki thinks this one is much, much better on him.

“Yes. And I have you.”

******************************

The weekend went fast. Jinki couldn’t get much time to study with Taemin in his room practically all the time. He wants to do pillow fights and bounce on the bed with Jinki. He would make Jinki read all his comics although Jinki doesn’t understand half of what’s going on in it. When Monday morning came, he got dragged into the canteen, where he meets this person, Xiah Junsu, the leader who helps him sign up for the music club.

“Hello, I’m Xiah Junsu. Welcome to the SM Music club.”

Junsu is Yunho’s closest friend. He is the person Yoochun kept staring at the canteen and Jinki finds it more than creepy. Junsu is different. You wouldn’t guess that he is in the senior year when you first see him. His voice sounds somehow pure and distinct when he speaks and Jinki secretly wants to know what his voice would be like when he sings.

“You have to come to the club every day after school and it’s a must. You’re not allowed to have any excuses unless you have a note from Cratus or any of the Heads or teachers. Or there are any other clubs you are attending. Other than that, there’s nothing else. I hope you have fun.” Junsu smiles.

“Thank You hyung” Jinki bows and he feels awkward because Junsu has a baby face and he don’t even think he should be calling him hyung.

At the end of the day, after their last lesson, Taemin and Jinki go together to their clubs. Taemin offers to come with him before he goes to his own dancing club but Jinki refuses.

“I can look after myself.” he objects.

“As long as you don’t trip over your own feet” Taemin says smiling as he disappears into the huge dance studio, where the music is blasting loud.

Jinki does trip. Over his own feet. But no worries, it’s all normal for him.

The club was full of students from Apollo, some singing individually and some in groups. There were also students who were playing other musical instruments and they were all so talented, Jinki thinks he would be nowhere near them. He stood there holding the half opened door, gaping.

“Jinki!” He hears a familiar voice.

“Oh. Hi” he waves clumsily at the person walking to him. Kyuhyun, in return raises his eyebrow.

“What are you doing in the doorway? Come on in.”

Jinki gives him a smile and closes the door trying not to slam it too hard. The last thing he wants is attention from other students.

He was glad he saw Kyuhyun there. He looked around to see where the rest of the gang was. As if understanding who Jinki is looking for, Kyuhyun says,

“Eunhyuk and Shindong raps. They’re working on their lyrics.  Heechul is good at acting so he goes to the Drama club.” 

 He felt good when he was able to sing again, this time with the people in the club. He also saw the three students he met on his first day, Yoseob, Jaejin and Dongho, who recognised him and befriended him quickly. Later, he sees Xiah Junsu enter the hall. He greets everyone and sends a smile towards Jinki, seeing how he was getting on well with the others. He face was flushed and he kept on looking back to where he had come from like he was looking out for someone as he walked to the microphone.

He cleared his throat and Jinki waited. He needed to hear Junsu sing.

When Junsu’s voice flowed through the microphone, it was nothing but beautiful. It was like time has stopped when most of the people in the hall stopped what they were doing and turned towards his voice. The song was quite familiar to Jinki and when Junsu sang it, it was like pure magic; so calm and soothing and Jinki would have listened to him forever only if he didn’t stop singing all of a sudden as he gets interrupted.

“Junsuu! Oh there you are.”  Yoochun says and Junsu cringes at hearing his voice.

Whenever Jinki sees Micky Yoochun, the first word that comes to his mind is creepy. Everything about Yoochun, Jinki finds creepy. From the way he is walking towards Junsu unstably breathing to how crooked smirk is spreading on his lips.

“Looking y as usual” He says running his eyes through Junsu’s body. What comes out of  Yoochun’s mouth is also creepy.

“How did you get it here?” Junsu almost explodes, his voice sounding nothing like before.

“Woah! Chill baby. I was wondering if you could go on a d-“

“No. And I’m not your baby. Now get out of my club before I call the guards”

“Ugh, not this again” Kyuhyun mutters under his breath.  Jinki finds it all interesting. Is this school full of gay people?

“But you know, there’s this movie-“ Yoochun tries to explain placing his hand on Junsu’s shoulder that gets shrugged away instantly.

“NO! It’s not happening. I’ll give you five seconds to leave. The door’s that way.” He says pointing at the door. “Five”

“I love you!” Yoochun says and that, to Jinki, didn’t sound creepy. He was being honest.

“I don’t. Four”

“You can try.”

“I do not want to. Three” Junsu covers his ears with both of his hands.

“Oh come on this is like the twenty eighth time you’re doing this to me!”

“I’m not doing anything to you. You are the one who is constantly following me around and being so incredibly obnoxious when I made it perfectly clear the first time you came to me that I don’t like you!  Just give up and leave me alone” Junsu screams to Yoochun’s face, his face all red with anger. “TWO”

“A true man never gives up on his woman”

And Junsu kicks him right on the shin. When two security guards comes and lifts him up from the floor to throw him out, his feet don’t quite touch the floor.  He winces like a puppy at the tight hold of the guards but still blurts “I’ll be back for you baby. Hey can you try not to bruise my arms? I have a photo shoot later on”

Their faces remained expressionless.

******************************

Jinki felt relieved to know that Key or Minho won’t be any of his classes. Jonghyun was out of the question. Yunho fixed his timetable for him and he is grateful to him for that.

But that didn’t bring an end to Jonghuyun’s bullying, however. The bullying continues as usual the next week too. It’s not like Jonghyun is looking for Jinki to bully him but when he does see him, Jinki couldn’t get away. He would try to hurt him in one way or the other. Usually this happened during lunch time, in the canteen.

Jonghyun, with his best friends casually walks through the canteen with his lunch tray in his hands and when he sees Jinki, he approaches him from behind with a smirk.  He takes the bottle of cold water from his tray and pours it over Jinki’s head and face. Jinki doesn’t have to turn around to see who it is. He is getting used to Jonghyun’s torture so he sits there and quivers as the coldness envelops his body. He is somehow relieved Jonghyun has avoided talking to him.

Another day, Jonghyun throws Minho’s soccer ball on Jinki’s head and he wakes up in the medical room.

“I’ve had enough!” Taemin exclaims while walking. “We’re not having lunch in that canteen again.”

Jinki blinks at him, a hand idly rubbing the bandage around his head and the other holding his lunch. He doesn’t know where Taemin is taking him.  

“Won’t we get hungry?”

“Yes. That’s why we’re going to get our lunch from the canteen before Jonghyun gets there and come here.” They are now standing in front of one of the classrooms that has a board on top of the door saying ‘LAB 3’ in the Science corridor.  Taemin pushes the door and it opens with a creak.

“It’s an unused Science lab. But we can have our lunch here every day from now on.”

Jinki nods. The room needs to get cleaned. It has cobwebs everywhere. It’s really dark too.

“It’s sort of scary in here.”  Jinki states. “Are we really going to-“

“Yes Onew. If you want to make it alive to graduation day we have to do this.” Taemin says looking all serious. He sneezes the next moment reminding Jinki of a kitten.

Jinki smiles and says “Okay”

They place their trays on one of the tables and starts eating.

“Thank you, Taemin”

“What for?” Taemin asks in reply, never looking up from his bowl of rice.

“You know, for trying to,uhm, protect me from Jonghyun and everything. I really appreciate it.” Jinki says and this time Taemin looks

up.

“You don’t  thank your friends Onew. Don’t you know?” 

“R-Really? I’m sorry” Jinki sputters. Suddenly Taemin is not looking that childish anymorel, even though he’s speaking with his

mouth full.

“Yes. Especially not your best friend.”  Taemin says nodding his head.

“Sorry” Jinki mumbles again. He is not familiar with the rules on Friendship.

“But you can show them how thankful you are through other ways..” Taemin’s eyes moves to Jinki’s tray. “Like sharing your

food, for example. Can I have one of you egg rolls?”

Jinki blinks then chuckles putting one egg roll into Taemin’s plate. Then he puts one more and sees Taemin’s smile going wider.  

“Thank you Onew. I love you!!”

“I thought you don’t thank your best friends.” Jinki says, still smiling.

Taemin grins sheepishly.

“Oops. Just I love you then.”

Jinki thinks he should’ve met Taemin sometime earlier in his life. Then maybe he wouldn’t have ended up being so boring and nerdy and socially awkward. He gives his last egg roll to Taemin too. He was not a fan of eggs anyway.

A/N: This chapter is crappy and short because I’m feeling crappy today and I have this really crappy headache that is killing me since morning. Today is such a crappy day! I can’t even believe such crappy days exist. Gosh >_< Alright, about the story now.

 This chapter was entirely concentrated on OnTae and YooSu relationship. I know I’ve disappointed some of you with the lack of JongYu in this chapter but I have a good reason for that. You see the thing is this fiction is going to be LONG. And when I say long I meant really long, no kidding. So because it’s going to be a long fiction, I need to proper describe each character. There will be times when I will only focus just on 2min or Yoosu  or EunHae because they are also kind of important. And the chapters are not always going to be Jinki centric. This is going to be something like Junjou Romatica. And you’ve got to understand that the story is OT5. Friendship is just as important as romance. So there will be a point when people who don’t care about Jinki will eventually start caring. ( I just gave you a huge hint) And OMG the ’s coming  :O