All I need

I want you to be my girl by Johnta Austin                                                                                                      

For: enigmaticknight

 Laughter cut through the room and Ellen looked up from her book to see a group of guys surrounding the nerd again, pushing his head down as they taunted him during the free period.

Ellen shook her head, the frown deepening on her face as she stood up from her desk. She slammed her book down on the wooden surface and the loud sound caused everyone’s eyes to land on her.

She stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at the four boys around Lee Taemin.

“Don’t you idiots have anything else to do? I happen to know for a fact that all of your grades are crap and you’re fixing to get kicked off the basketball team. Perhaps you should be studying rather than proving to the whole school what pathetic morons you are!”

All four of the guys shrank back from the girls hot temper as the rest of the class jeered at them. They dispersed and sat back at their own desks, shooting looks of death at the nerd behind them.

Lee Taemin groaned as his head hit his open book. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the girls help; he just knew it was going to be ten times as bad tomorrow.

He knew the only chance he had to put off the torture until tomorrow was to get out of there now, before Kim Seonsaeng-nim came back from the office. He looked around and made sure he made his move while no one was paying him any attention.

Ellen looked up and watched as the nerdy guy suddenly gathered up his things and quietly left the room. She felt drop open. He was basically a straight student, never broke the rules and all that, yet here he was skipping out during free period!

She stood up, fully intending to follow him, when the teacher came back in and sat at the front desk, pulling out some paper work from his briefcase. She scrunched up her nose as she sat back down.

Ten minutes later, the bells sounded for their freedom and everyone moved as one to leave the school as quickly as possible.

Ellen took her time and gathered up her materials. As she was leaving the room she thought she felt eyes on her and turned around. The four guys from earlier were watching her from down the hall, snickering to each other. She glared at them and they walked away, but it left a weird prickling at the back of her neck. She would have to keep an eye out for those four.

She turned and walked down the near deserted hallway, going the other direction from the one in which they went. She intended to go out the back entrance, but before she could get there she heard music coming from down the corridor.

It was nice, the beat was infectious and she followed it. She stopped before a door that had paper covering the small window that looked into the class. She leaned in and saw where a corner had been peeled away. As she peered in she got the surprise of a lifetime.

Lee Taemin, the nerdy, near perfect Taemin, was dancing ily to an American song!

He had changed from the school uniform into a pair of stretchy blue pants and a long white, printed t-shirt that hung down to his thigh. He was sliding across the floor, his movements smooth and fluid as he popped with the beat.

His was sweating and his hair flipped around like silk as he moved, a few strands sticking to his face. She noticed how determined his gaze was as he watched himself in the large mirror propped up on the far wall in front of him.

He had taken a deserted class room and turned it into a dance studio!

Suddenly Ellen was startled by a loud bang that came from down the hall. She spun around but saw nothing. When she turned back around she was met with an equally startled Taemin.

Taemin had heard the noise and went to the door to investigate, only to find the girl from before standing there staring up at him with wide eyes. He felt his face heat up.

‘Had she seen him?’

He could only stand there, with his hand on the door handle, looking back at her as she tried to speak. Her face flushed a deep red and she turned and walked away quickly. Taemin stepped out with his hand raised in the air to stop her, but instead he paused.

He didn’t even know what to say to her anyway. He slid the door shut as he continued to stare down the hall at her retreating back. He just hoped she would keep his secret. It was all he had.

The next few days were awkward, to say the least, as Ellen and Taemin avoided each other like the plague. It wasn’t all that hard to do really, seeing as how they ran in different circles.

She was outgoing and loud, with many friends that enjoyed her company and he, well, he didn’t have any friends really.

He would sit with the other outcasts in the school during lunch, but even they didn’t talk to him, despite his cute face.

It was probably that more than anything that got him beat up and picked on at school.

‘I wonder if they would still be so quick to pick on him if they knew how hot he looked when he dances.’ Ellen asked herself one day watching the same four guys and a couple of girls laugh and mess with his hair while the boy just ignored them and continued studying.  

Then Ellen shook her head wildly. ‘What am I thinking?!’  She stood up and left the room in a daze.

Taemin watched her as she shook herself and left all spaced out. He frowned, wondering what was up with her, when he saw the four jerks that had been messing with him elbow each other and motion to the door in which Ellen had just left through.  

They all got up and walked out nonchalantly but Taemin wasn’t fooled for a second. He knew they would want a little revenge from the girl that had called them all stupid.  He stood up and followed them. He couldn’t just ignore it after all.

Ellen backed up until she hit the grey brick wall behind her. She called herself all kinds of a fool as she watched the four bullies surround her in a tight semi-circle. They were laughing disgustingly and she had no doubts about what they wanted to do.

“The teachers will hear about this.” She threatened coldly.

They just shook their heads. “I don’t think so.” The biggest one said with a grin.

“You have a big mouth girl. How about we see how much you can hold.” The others leered at her and she squeaked. They laughed and one of the uglier ones reached for her when he suddenly pitched forward and collapsed to the ground. 

“What the…” the other three turned around to find a huffing Taemin standing there in a fighting pose.

The guys laughed and started to surround him, much as they had her earlier.

“Well, looks like we won’t have to go looking for you after all nerd. You came to us instead.” The big one grinned.

Taemin smirked and they stopped, momentarily surprised by the cold look in his eyes.
“Just because I let you guys mess with me doesn’t mean I can’t take you on.”

The big one laughed and lunged at him. Ellen screamed, but it was pointless.

Taemin spun around as gracefully as he did while dancing and launched a spinning kick at the guys’ face that laid him out on the grass at Taemin’s feet.

“What the hell!” The other two backed off from the angry looking ‘nerd’.

He hadn’t been bluffing. They turned around and ran off quickly.
 

“Are you alright?” Ellen looked up to see Taemin standing over her holding out his hand.

She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet, both ignoring the sparks that seemed to travel up their arms.

She let go of him immediately and took a step back, rubbing her palm on her pants leg.
 

“Thank you.” She said quietly. Taemin turned toward her. His eyes warmed and he smiled at her for the first time.

Ellen’s breath caught. He was blinding. She never noticed how truly attractive he was before. With his glasses gone and his hair flowing around his doll like face, he really was something.

She suddenly longed for him to take her hand once more. “I’m Ellen.” She said suddenly.

Taemin took her hand and shook. “I’m Taemin.”
 

“We haven’t really spoken before have we?” She asked feeling shy.
 

“No, but I know who you are anyway.” He smiled again and she couldn’t help but return it. Then she looked down at the hulk of a guy at their feet.

“Ugh, maybe we should get out of here before he wakes up.”
 

Taemin nodded and they quickly left the school grounds, heading for a local pojang macha.
 

“Ajumeoni, hana tteogbokk-i  juseyo!” Taemin called out as they sat down.
 

“Neh, …oh Taemin-ah! Who is your lady friend?”  The older woman called with a smile as she put together their order.
 

“Ah this is Ellen, my new friend.” Taemin said with a blush.
 

The woman laughed and brought over a steaming helping of the spicy rice cake.

“You two enjoy and let me know if you need anything else.” She said with a nod.
 

Ellen looked at Taemin with wide eyes. “How many times do you come here?”

Taemin smiled and blew on a rice cake, then held it out to her.
“A few times a week.”
 

Ellen just took the pick from him and ate without thinking. “Oh it’s really good! I hardly ever get to eat this.”

Taemin looked at her, “Really?”

“Neh” she said with a smile as she pierced another and brought it up to blow.

Taemin watched her with a certain sparkle in his eye. They had gone from schoolmates to friends in less than ten minutes, and it was all thanks to the four dumbest kids in school. He would have to find a way to thank them later.
 If Ellen had looked up at Taemin just then she might have rethought their friendship, because his eyes had taken on a decidedly cold look as he thought of just how to thank the four jerks later.

A few weeks later and the two were near inseparable. She had taken to sitting with him in class, and he had let her come watch him dance for the first time yesterday. She found out that he was super shy and that was why he didn’t talk to anyone at school, not because he was being stuck up like she had initially thought.

She even told him about it and sincerely apologized but he was cool with it and even went so far as to every chance he got about it. Ellen was really impressed with his wit and natural charm, all the things that he hid on a daily basis. She wanted him to show the rest of them what an awesome guy he really was, but on the other hand she knew that if they found out he would become immensely popular and she would lose her new best friend.

But the day came when it happened. They were in the dance room, she watching him dance to a new pop song from Super Junior, when the door to the room slid open revealing a group of girls standing there staring at Taemin in awe.

“Yah Lee Taemin, could you always dance like that?” One of the most popular (and beautiful) girls in the school, Jin Ju, asked as she strode into the room with a confidence that made guys drool.

Ellen felt the bottom of her stomach drop out at the look on Taemin’s face.

“Ellen, why didn’t you tell me Taemin was so hot?” Her friend Han Byul whispered to her as she slid up next to her.

Ellen just looked at her and turned from the scene in front of her. She grabbed her book bag and rushed out of the room.

She felt her heart constricting painfully.

She knew this was going to happen. She should have been prepared to lose him. It was her fault for not being ahead of the game. No way would Taemin ever reject Jin Ju, she was a 10.   

Hot tears built up behind her eyes. She had just stepped into the class room and there Taemin was, surrounded on all sides by his new fan club. Jin Ju was sitting in Ellen’s seat with her arm wrapped tightly around his whispering into his blushing ear.

Taemin looked up and saw her. A smile lingered on his lips and he started to stand and wave her over when Jin Ju pulled him back down. He looked at her and in that moment Ellen just gave up. She shook her head and sat in a seat near the front, refusing to even look at Lee Taemin again.

Taemin looked up in an attempt to find Ellen and saw the back of her head in the front row of desks. His brow wrinkled at her actions and he was just about to get up and join her when the teacher came in.

Class was called to session and not one word was said over the rearrangement in the seating. The harried teacher just took it all in stride and penciled in the change to the chart and went on with class.

Ellen felt the burning in her chest as she walked past Taemin in the halls without him even seeing her. Jin Ju had her arms around him again and as they passed her she spoke loud enough for her to hear.

“I think it’s a shame that Ellen kept you away from all of us for so long, don’t you Taemin?”

“Yeah.” Was his reply, and that was all it took to break her heart, she didn’t hear the weary tone in his voice, only the hurtful words uttered.

She rushed out of the school and down the street not even caring that she was ditching school again. She wound up at the same pojang-macha that Taemin had taken her to the last time.

The ajumma remembered her and brought her an extra helping of the spicy rice cakes.

“Did Taeminie not come with you today?” The older woman asked her.
 

Ellen felt the tears well up in her eyes again. “Aniyo, he has a girlfriend now.”
 

The woman looked at her then sat, pulling her into her arms. At that sign of comfort Ellen didn’t hold it in any longer and cried. The woman shushed her and rubbed her back, rocking back and forth.
 

“Dear I don’t know what’s in that boys head but I know he wouldn’t want to hurt you like this.” The woman said after her sobs subsided.
 

“I don’t know Ajumeoni, he seemed pretty happy earlier when she had her arms wrapped around him.”
 

The woman stood and brought Ellen a shot glass with a bottle of soju and sat it down in front of her.
 

Ellen looked up at the woman like she was crazy. “Ajumma, I’m not old enough to drink.” She stammered.
 

The older woman laughed. “True” she said “but I think a shot would do you a lot of good right now. What do you say? Want to give it a go?”

Ellen stared at the green glass bottle for a long while and finally gave one sharp nod.

The older woman poured a small shot into the glass and Ellen picked it up and drank it all down in one go. The burning that filled far outweighed the one in her heart at that moment and she started to cough, tears again welling up in her eyes.
The ajumma patted her on the back whilst laughing. “That will definitely clear your sinuses.” She said as she walked back to the stove to stir the tteogbokk-i around.

Just then Taemin came in, shoving aside the plastic curtain, his eyes darting around in search for…

“Ellen, are you… drinking?!” Taemin stormed over to the girl who still had the shot glass in her hand and an open bottle of soju in front of her. His harsh glare the old woman.

“Ajumma, what are you doing giving a minor soju?” He nearly yelled. The older woman just smiled knowingly and went back to her stirring.

Ellen looked up at the beautiful teen and smirked. “O-ho! Did you tire of Jin-Ju Agassi already?” She asked in a slur as she took another shot from her glass.

Taemin snarled at her and snatched the glass from her fingers.
 

“What do you think you are dong Ellen?” He asked darkly.
 

“Amugeosdo an-iya, just having a party by myself.” She said swaying a little, waving her hand around.
 

“A party?” He asked incredulously, while glaring down at her with the glass still in his hand.
 

“Yep, a pity party.” She stood up and walked out leaving him standing there in shock.

“What the hell just happened?” He asked aloud.
 

“She just confessed to you, pabo.” The ajumma said chuckling. Youngsters today!
 

Taemin’s eyes widened and he ran from the tent looking left to right for her, but she was gone.

He ran around searching for her, but even when he went to her house her Mother said she hadn’t come home yet. He knew he had probably gotten her into trouble there but he was worried.

After it began getting dark, he was really worried. She still hadn’t come home and her Mother was no longer answering the phone. He had half a mind to go back to her house, but he decided he would just see her in the morning at school. The day came and went and there was no sign of Ellen. None of her friends knew where she was.

Taemin went back to her house only to find her Mother giving him the cold shoulder. She wouldn’t tell him anything more than Ellen was no longer going to that school, she was to be transferred out and they would be moving and for him to go home.

It was Taemin’s turn to feel the bottom drop out of his stomach. He felt as if his heart had plunged in after it.

He sat on her front stoop with his head in his hands. The first real friend he got was leaving him. Not only that, but she was also the first girl he had ever given his heart to and she didn’t even know it.

Ellen walked out of her new school with the uniform draped over her arm, and sighed wistfully at the flowering cherry blossoms along the front drive.

It was a beautiful academy, but it felt so empty without Taemin by her side. She pouted and began the long walk home. Her parents were packing for the move across town, closer to the school she’d just enrolled into.

Her Mother had gone ballistic over her daughter coming home drunk and smelling like soju. She had blamed it all on her school, the fact that they let hooligans attend there. She had also blamed Taemin before Ellen set her straight about him, telling her that he was the schools top ranking student.

She hadn’t seen him for two weeks now.  All the preparations for the move and switching into an academics academy were a lot of time-consuming work.

Now though, she missed him terribly, even though she was sure he never even thought about her anymore.

Just then she bumped into someone and her uniform fell to the ground.

“Oh no.” she groaned and picked it up, dusting it off. It was quite expensive for a uniform.
 

“Mianhae.” Said a familiar voice.

Ellen looked up into the bright eyes of one Lee Taemin.
 

“T… Taemin-ah”

He looked down at her and smiled. “Your Mother told me where you were.” He explained.
 

She shook her head and then cocked it to the side. “But why…”
 

“Ah” he said, shifting on his feet with his hands buried in his pockets,
“I saw her the other day at your old house. She told me your new address.” He said pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.
 

“Oh, really?”
 

She couldn’t think of anything to say, 'why couldn’t she think?!'

She chewed on her bottom lip in frustration.

Taemin reached out and, putting pressure on her chin with his fingertips, he pulled the abused flesh from her teeth with a kind smile.
 

“You shouldn’t do that in front of other guys.” He said suddenly.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, “huh?”
 

Taemin grinned and the sun came out from behind the clouds.
“Your too pretty when you do that, so… don’t do it in front of anybody but me, okay?”
 

Ellen just stared at him, not comprehending. “W…what, what are you saying, Taemin?” She really couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

Taemin took a step closer to her until they were almost nose to nose.

“What I mean” he said in a low voice, “is that I want you to be my girl.”

Her eyes were unfocused before, but immediately sharpened to look at him. “Mwo-yo?!”
 

“Let me be your man, do you want to be with me?” He his lips and took a deep breath. “I have wanted you since that day you spied on me while I was dancing Ellen. No one else is like you, I want to be more than just friends, with you.” He took her hand and laced their fingers together. Electricity traveled over her body.

“Do you feel what I feel?”

Her eyes met his and she swallowed audibly.

She her lips in nervousness and drew in a breath, “Yes.”
 

Taemin beamed at her and drew her into his arms in a bone crushing hug. He let out a whop of happiness and she couldn’t help but giggle.

“That’s great, because I’m transferring here tomorrow to be with you.” He said as he pulled away. She looked up at him in amazement.

“What?!”

He smiled pulling her to him by her upper arms and kissed her full on the mouth, right there in front of her new school.

He laid his forehead upon hers and whispered “I swear that you are everything that’s right with life.”

Ellen felt the tear fall from her eye as his words enveloped her. She smiled so brightly at him and he returned it with his whole heart.

“You are all I need, Lee Taemin.” She whispered as they held one another in the late afternoon sun, a flurry of lightly scented petals drifting in the air around them under the shade of the cherry blossoms.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wow I wound up making a prettly long one that time!

I got such a nice comment from enigmaticknight earlier that I wanted to make sure her fict was relly good. Also it kind of took off with me so I wrote this!
I hope you enjoy your one shot! It's a little diffrent from the song but I still hope you like it!

Korean word reference:

pojang-macha  - 포장 마차  - Food Stalls/tents that are set up by the roadside or along the river.

Ajumeoni, hana tteogbokk-i  juseyo! - 아주머니, 하나 떡볶이 주세요! - Ma'am, One order of spicy rice cakes please!  - Ma'am

Ajumma - another form of saying ma'am 

Agassi - 아가씨  - Miss

Amugeosdo an-iya  - 아무것도 안이야  - I am not doing anything
(with ↑ this word, the s is silent and actually sounds like a t)

Mwo-yo  - 뭐요 ? - What?