When a Nerd falls for a Jock
When a Nerd falls for a Jock...
Chapter 16
Minho is like an answering machine. Whenever Jinki asks him a question his responses come in quick, simple sentences the next moment. Taemin even thinks after sharing the same tent with Minho for three days, Jinki now knows more things about him than he knows about Taemin. It's like Jinki has a list of questions prepared on his mind pad or something.
Taemin figures it's because Jinki doesn't want Minho to feel bored around them. But even then, this was way too much. It wasn't that Taemin is feeling left out because that is not even true. Jinki is conversing with Taemin most of the time but when a lack of interaction is detected from the Hermes boy he always turn to him quickly.
Jinki cleverly avoids bringing up Jonghyun or Key into their conversation. He usually asks stupid questions like 'Whats your favourite colour Minho?' or 'How is your second toe longer than the rest?', or something along those lines. Sometimes Jonghyun and Key's names slips out of Minho's mouth and that will be Jinki's cue to shut up for sometime.
On Thursday their group go rock climbing . The rule given to them is the same as everyday. Do not split up from your team. They have to compete with the other teams and in Jinki and Taemin's case, it's obvious that Minho is their only hope.
Jinki thinks that Minho is cool. Every movement he makes is flawless and very captivating. When he speaks he doesn't sound nervous and unsure like Jinki does. He thinks he should try speaking with that kind of confidence too.
When Minho climbs up higher and higher insanely fast Jinki can only look up at him with starry eyes.
"Wow", he says in awe, "he is so amazing."
These are the times irritation starts to stir up inside Taemin.
"Stop that."
Jinki blinks at him.
"Stop what?"
Taemin feels like a prick today.
"Praising him."
No matter how fascinating Minho is Jinki can't bring himself to trust him entirely. He likes him very much but that's in a general sense.
He likes how Minho is so tall and strong and determined, how he looks and acts so mature despite his age.
"But he's in our team."
Taemin's fists curl,his eyes slowly darkening.
"Now he is, Onew. Next week he won't be."
Jinki pretends like he didn't hear that and smiles back widely at Minho when he comes to join them.
As expected, Jinki's first experience in rock climbing is a disaster. He is confident at first and clumsily makes it almost half way even though his muscles are straining and palms are sweating. But then he makes the mistake of looking down and he could feel his head spinning. His legs starts wobbling like crazy and he finds it hard to keep his grip he had on the rocks. He could hear Taemin's encouraging cheers from below but he realises that he isn't even able to budge a little because he is so ing scared.
Thirty minutes later, Jinki is still found remained in the same position and their guide decides to go up there himself to help him out.
When it's Taemin's turn to climb, he pouts at all of them and vanishes into thin air with the click of a finger. Except not the last part.
"I'm not scared of heights!", Jinki keeps telling to Kyuhyun who has been teasing him ever since Taemin told them what had happened.
They are having a campfire and Taemin thinks it's nice to sit with his friends and share marshmallows with them. He wishes Eunhyuk was there too. It's too bad he was missing out all the fun.
"What are you talking about?", Shindong snorts, "He is too busy getting laid."
Taemin giggles, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
"So...", Heechul leans in, "Are you two getting along with the Soccer Prince?"
Taemin rolls his eyes when Jinki nods his head happily .
"Yup."
Minho. Taemin's eyes searches. Where is he?
He slowly excuses himself by muttering something about wanting to go toilet and slowly marches towards their tent. Most of the students are already inside theirs, sleeping or determined to stay awake until midnight talking about their first time ion. Taemin spots Minho quickly, who is making his way out of the tent stretching his long arms and yawning tiredly. He looks at either side of him and starts walking and Taemin follows him sneakily, now beginning to have an apparent idea of where he must be heading to.
The taller boy makes a sudden circle unexpectedly then and Taemin almost thinks he is busted for real. But he carries on walking to a tent that seemed to be isolated from the other ones and Taemin is relieved.The perfect opportunity to know what they are planning, he smirks and prepares to put his eavesdropping skills into some use.
Key's head pokes out first and he says something to Minho before pulling his head back inside. Minho is about to follow him and Taemin is on his mark to get nearer once they close the tent.
Just before getting inside though Minho turns his head to look right at him, his expression blank.
"What's up?", he could hear Jonghyun groggily asking.
Taemin's heart stops. .
"Nothing.", Minho's gaze lingers on him for a moment before he goes inside completely.
****************
On Friday, the last day of their trip, they are given permission to do whatever they want as long as they remain inside the forest.
Taemin and Jinki decides to go fishing at the nearby lake. Minho still has not returned from yesterday.
"Don't you think we should wait for him?", Jinki asks.
"Nope. We don't have to follow the rules today remember?"
When Jinki fidgets and starts to look like he is in the verge of sulking, Taemin rubs his temple.
"Listen Onew. The only reason he was stuck with us was because he didn't have any other option. He had to do it. He is not going to leave his best friends behind to go fishing with us. Let's get going now."
When they are so close of catching a fish their pole breaks. Jinki has to go get another one since Taemin lost one of his shoe in the lake. Jinki is soaking wet after the water fight they just had but he smiles and agrees to do it. It wasn't everyday he gets to have so much fun like this.
Their campsite is a little far from the lake but he is sure he won't get lost or anything because students are always here and there which indicated that he is heading the right way.
Jinki first thinks he is imagining it. But as he continues to walk he gets a feeling that someone is following him.
It's confirmed when a hand grabs him from behind and shoves him harshly towards the rough surface of a tree.
"Hello, Jinki.", Jonghyun greets him, his face a mere inch away from Jinki's.
Jinki cannot deny that he is surprised because he had been hoping Jonghyun would leave him alone after the completely disinterested look he offered him last week. Jonghyun on his cigarette and purposefully blows it all over Jinki's face and glasses until they look steamed up.
He would groan out loud if there wasn't Jonghyun's arm digging into his neck.
He could see Key and Minho walking towards them and that's when Jinki starts to feel insanely stupid. It hits him then, how Taemin may have been right about Minho all along. How the taken aback expression Minho is wearing right now could all be a lie.
"Please Jong--urgh-", he feels blood getting summoned in his head, his eyeballs rolling to the top of his head as he struggles.
"How about we do something fun tard." Jonghyun retreats his hands from Jinki's neck and grabs his shoulders to slam him hard against the tree.
Jinki thinks the crunchy noise he hears then is his backbone getting crushed and he chokes desperately. His glasses falls off at the impact of it but Jonghyun catches it, staring at it and thinking.
"You are blind without these right?", he says waving them infront of Jinki's face his grin widening into something like the Cheshire Cat's. "Let's see how long it'll take for you to get to the campsite without your glasses."
"I need them, Jonghyun.", Jinki begs striving to breath, his voice cracking and eyes stinging. Jonghyun made him feel so pathetic. "Please."
Jonghyun grabs him by his shoulder, detaching him from the tree.
"Get.",Jonghyun stands behind, "Set.", he whispers into his ear and the pictures of that Friday night flashes through Jinki, reminding him of things he never wanted to be reminded.
"And go!"
He gets pushed violently from behind and he stumbles forward, but a hand stops him from falling over.
His glasses are pushed back on his face awkwardly and when his vision is clear, he sees Minho standing there with an empty expression.
"Are you okay? Can you see?"
Jinki nods, though unsurely.
"The Minho!?", Jonghyun screeches. Key is watching Minho and Jinki carefully, his head slightly tilted to the side.
"We're leaving. Let's do what we came here to do.", Minho says suddenly and walks off with Key following him shortly.
"Come on Jjong."
Jonghyun scoffs at his friends and glares at Jinki before jogging away.
****************
"Onew is in the shower."
They returned to the hotel to get their things and to grab food. They will be leaving to SM in an hour's time so Minho has come to take his stuff and to say goodbye to Jinki and Taemin.
"It's fine. I'm in no hurry."
He zips his bag close and sits on his bed opposite to Taemin, who is blatantly ignoring him.
"You followed me."
Taemin takes a large bite of his apple and turns a page of his comic book.
"What are you talking about?"
"Yesterday. You followed me. I want to know why."
The demanding tone Minho was using on him irks Taemin. He sighs and looks up at the other boy.
"I don't trust you.", comes his cold reply.
Minho opens his mouth to say something but Jinki comes out of the bathroom then, humming softly to himself.
"Minho!", he gasps out and Taemin goes back to reading.
"Just came to take my things.", Minho smiles.
"Oh.", Jinki's face falls as he sits next to Taemin, "Once we are back in SM, I guess you wouldn't be, urm,", he fidgets with his towel, "....acknowledging us ."
"Why wouldn't I be?", Minho furrows his brow in confusion.
"I mean, with Jonghyun being your friend and all.", Jinki laughs and looks at Taemin who is busy ignoring everything around him.
Minho appears to be thinking for a moment, like that thought has never crossed his mind.
"It's totally okay though. When you see us you just have to smile at us. Or something. Right Taemin?"
"It's better if you just ignored us.", Taemin says finally, "What's the point of you talking to us anyway? At the end, when your best friends beat the crap out of Onew, you are just going to stand their and watch, aren't you?"
Taemin smirks inside as he watches Minho sit still, like he is pondering over every word he said.
"Aren't you?", Taemin asks again and Minho lets out a sigh, half chuckling as he realises what Taemin is doing.
" No. I won't let Jonghyun hurt Jinki."
"Um...thanks Minho.", starts Jinki, "But, you really don't have to--"
"You promise."
"E-excuse me..."
"Yeah.", smiles Minho, "I promise."
"Can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?"
They talk a little more before Minho says he has to go.
When they are on their way to find where their group members are gathered, Jinki softly scolds Taemin for being cold to Minho.
"It's all an act, I keep telling you. Watch until we get to the Academy."
"Come on Taemin. What's the worse Minho can do to me?"
"I don't know. May be he wants you to fall in love so that he can break your heart later."
"Taemin, I'm not a girl. I don't fall in love with boys."
"You act exactly like a girl around Minho.", Taemin folds his arms on his chest.
"What the hell?I don't even know how to act like a girl!", Jinki starts flailing, "I just. I just admire his skills. Like how I admire you when you dance. Or Junsu hyung when he sings."
"See that's what the problem is.", Taemin snaps. "You admire me and him on the same level. You should admire me more because I'm your best friend."
They spot Minho's tall frame between the crowds of students queuing up for the bus and Jinki is hesitant about what to do because he is with his friends. Jonghyun and Key gets on the bus and when it's Minho's turn, he turns round and sees Jinki and Taemin looking his way. He smiles and nods at them (although Taemin just rolls his eyes at him), but another group of students starts pushing their way into the bus and they lose sight of him.
"You better keep your words, Choi Minho.", Taemin mutters taking his luggage and grabbing Jinki when their names are called out.
A/N: My excuses this time round are, first of all, I had to attend summer classes for like one month to complete all my work and to get enrolled to next year.
(I missed a hell lot of college last year cause of an incident) Then I got a summer job. Summer jobs are freaking stressful I tell you.
The only promise I can give you is, I wouldn't abandon this fic. So please don't hate me for the delays. >.<
And I just have to say this. Why can't Jonghyun like, touch Jinki? Or like, whisper something in his ear?
Or squeeze his thigh? Anything at all that will help me keep faith in my OTP. (okay fine I admit it. I like JongYu just as much as I like OnKey)
I don't want them to do anything too extreme cause that's just gonna make SHINee lose fans. We all know what some es did when JongTae did some fanservice. you all, man. How are you even Shawols? (sorry just had to say that)
I have more to say but right now I'm tired.
But seriously though. I come from work everyday and goes to the JongYu tag on tumblr and I always find their old stuff.
I miss Hello Baby. I'll just go and sob in the corner now. I wish DBSK came back...
Comments