Like all humans, Lee Taemin can breathe, eat and sleep (also the occasional cursing at someone random on the streets).

But not like all humans, he has a very unique ability. A very useful ability. A very sad ability.

He can see expiry dates. Expiry dates for relationships of all sorts.

It started when he was six and saw floating numbers on top of his parent's heads every time they spoke with each other (if yelling at each other counts as talking). He wondered why but he didn't ask anyone.

16.07.1998

At first , the young Lee Taemin thought they were just simply like the numbers in class the teacher made them write at the top right corner of their homeworks. He simply thought mommy and daddy had to sent something on time too. He even checked the calendar (to what ability a 6-year old can) and realised that it was Monday. He remembers mommy saying that Monday is a holiday. He thought maybe they were going on a small trip.

On 16.07.1998 was the day his parents called him to sit on the big couch in front of them.

Calmly explaining to him that mommy and daddy were not happy with each other.

That they were going to get a divorce.

It .

He realized that those numbers meant something.

That people were going to leave each other, one day or another.

Be it because of a fight, be it because they were separated by pressing issues, be it because someone died.

Seeing other people's expiry dates for their relationship was bad. Because it to see two people no longer be a us;we.

However it was not nearly as awful to see expiry dates of his own relationships.

When he was in highschool and all aware of his abilities, he found it tiresome to make friends. To know anyone really.

When he walked into the halls and heard conversations like ' We are going to be bestfriends forever' , he simply chuckled darkly as he saw how quickly their 'forever' was going to end. Girls always think that things are going to last forever and boys too-some of them.

Nickhun and Victoria- 12.04.2012

Dara and Jiyoung-10.08.2013

Kris and Tao-11.02.2013

Mr. and Mrs. Kim who lives across the street - 23.09.2032

He did have a few friends (because it is highschool and he had projects to do) but he would never make the effort to do anything more than just the occasional going out watching movies or burgers or video games. He wouldn't get involved in deep issues. He wouldn't bother to get someone approval or care about anything anyone would say.

It has become somewhat a normal situation for Lee Taemin to see expiry dates for his relationships with those people who wants to be friends with him or more.

Henry- 13.05.2011

Kai- 8.07.2012

Krystal- 2.03.2011

Luhan-23.06.2011

Chansung-12.04.2011

Luna-29.03.2011

Eunhyuk-12.04.2011

Yeah, there was really no point in making friends when in highschool when everything would just expiry right after it.

When he was in college, he was somewhat glad he found a few friends whose expiry dates with him would be years from now.

Those were the relationships, he actually made an effort to maintain.

Onew- 12.04.2047

Jonghyun- 13.05.2049

Key- 14.08.2050

It was somewhat depressing that he knew exactly when his friends would leave him, but knowing that they would be old by then made it somewhat better.

"Dude, she's looking at you."

"Who?" Taemin asked out of courtesy because not saying anything back would earn a hard smack from Kim Jonghyun for ignoring him.

"Sulli." he answers in awe. Because Kim Jonghyun was a normal over-hormonal boy who goes gaga over any object with s.

"Oh." Taemin had already seen the expiry date for them when she made an effort to fall down in front of him on purpose to get his attention. It would be about 2 months from now. Not worth the effort.

"She's hot dude. And she's like -tall." And Kim Jonghyun was also obsessed with tall girls, he says it would be unfair for their kids to be born short. The silver-haired boy studied genetics and he has determined that the only chance for his kids to be tall, is for him to a tall girl.

"Yeah, and she's going to like another dude after two months seeing me." Taemin says. Looking at Sulli again, the numbers on her head remained the same. Sometimes those numbers changes a little, maybe by a few days or months depending on how well Taemin behaves with that person.

"You don't even know her." Jonghyun says back. Frustrated because he is sad that his friend hasn't been laid yet and they are in college. He's frustrated because sometimes Taemin wouldn't even follow him to parties.

"I don't have to."

It didn't take long for another human to take interest in him. Another girl, she would have lasted for about six months. She was pretty too actually but six months was too short for Taemin. He vowed that if he ever met someone who would last with him for more than a few years, that he would take a chance with that person.

"I-I like you."

"Really?" Taemin asks back the girl who is confessing to him. 12.06.2014 - just six more months.

"Ye-yes." And Taemin almost feels bad for the girl who is stuttering so much. How could someone like him so much at this instant and not feel the same after mere months. He didn't used to believe in the numbers but they were accurate. One way or another, things will just drift away like nothing ever happened. To becoming strangers again.

"We won't last." Taemin says soflty to the girl. He didn't like breaking hearts.

"Ho-how can you be so sure? We haven't eve-" the girl tried to talk some sense into Taemin. How could someone say something like that to her without even knowing who she is.

"Trust me. I see these things."

It didn't take long for Lee Taemin to be known as the notorious heartbreaker in college. Earning him a few glares here and there from the people he said no to. Honestly, he could not find a ing point to invest in relationships that wouldn't last long. He didn't want to be part of a heartbreak or even worse someone else's heartbreak. He hated crying. He hated seeing other people cry. Especially girls with their mascara running down their cheeks.

The thing is however, they never stop trying. Of course, there were times Taemin wanted to say yes to person but it wasn't worth it. Seeing his parent's entire ordeal when they reached their expiry date was too much for him already. He didn't want to go through the same thing. He didn't want to make anyone suffer when they didn't have to.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Seats here are free." Taemin said back. He was sitting in the library, studying when a very tall boy came and sat in front of him. The blonde boy didn't even bother looking up to look at the stranger with a strangely too deep voice. His notes were more important this person who wants to sit in front of him.

"My name is Minho." he introduced himself. Taemin could hear small chatters in the library and the sound of books being placed opposite to him. Maybe this man was just friendly.

"Uh-huh." he mumbles out as he highlights the next sentence on his page. His foot was tapping on the floor. Please let this guy just want to sit in front of him and no more than that.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" the man asked. Taemin could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Taemin." he answers, still not looking up from his book as he flips to the next page.When did this subject get so hard?

"You're really cute, you know that right?" he said. And yes, Taemin has heard that line way more times than anyone can imagine. A usual pick-up line. Sometimes he gets called pretty too.

"I know." Taemin mumbles out. He has mirror at home too. He is probably the only person in the world who looks at his own pretty face more than anyone else.

"Is that book really interesting that you won't even look at me?" the boy asks. Taemin can feel the man's head hovering around him to read the content of the book.

"Kinda-yeah." Taemin answers back. He really needed to get this chapter over with. Mid-semester tests are coming soon and he could not afford another -up. Last time he went out with Onew, it ended with both of them going to the ER and ultimately missing his test. If he flunked, he would have to repeat the semester.

"When you are done with that, do you at least want to go and- like coffee?" he asks. And Taemin can honestly hear the hope in that voice. He should just say no straight on. He didn't need to build relationships that are just going to get broken in the end.

"Look-" Taemin finally lifts his head from his book. Ready to reject the man. Looking at the rather (very) handsome man in front of him. Huh- that's a first.

No expiry date. And he blinks at the man, once and twice. Rubbing his eyes. He looks around and everyone still had numbers above their heads. He looks at this Minho again, no numbers and a very handsome face. A very handsome face that Taemin can imagine kissing all day long. The man has pretty hands too.

"Yeah, so coffee?" he asks again because the blonde boy is staring at him like he has two heads and six eyes. The boy seemed so so hopeful and Taemin feels a swell in his chest. Because finally-finally.No ing expiry date.

"Yes.Coffee."

Author's notes: does this story even make sense? I always seem to write silly stories like this *bows head down*