Of Scrabble and Fur Coats
Taecyeon/Junsu
PG13
For this picture:
Of Scrabble® and Fur Coats
Taecyeon is a top student. He works hard, gets good, even excellent, grades and wants to be a doctor; everything is planned.
So no-one really understands when he exits the exam room, face livid and hands trembling - he gave back a blank copy, he tells his mom, because he was unable to read his paper. They think it’s the pressure for a while, until Taecyeon realizes he can’t play Mastermind on his calculator anymore. (Or solve his favorite jigsaw, or play Solitaire on the computer.) No, really, it’s problematic.
His mom takes him to the doctor’s because apparently he can’t dial a phone or read a map either. Under three days, they send him to a psychiatric hospital. (“With the most ‘normal’ patients,” the doctor tells him, quoting with his fingers.)
There, Taecyeon meets Junho who successively introduces him to:
- Junsu, his future roommate, schizophrenic. (“He thinks he’s a manly rapper locked in the body of a soul diva,” Junho explains. “Or the opposite, I can’t remember.”);
- Chansung, bulimic. (“Oh Chansunggie!” Junho cries. “You were doing so well, no!”);
- Wooyoung, who, weirdly, thinks he’s a psychiatrist. (“Tell me. About. Your. Mom.”);
- Nichkhun, who carries an insecurity complex based on the pretended loss of a Siamese twin brother when they were just babies. (“Stop bragging about your country, man,” Junsu tells him. “It makes me feel inferior, fo’sho.” Then he locks himself in the bathroom.)
And then he meets Jaebum but it doesn’t really count because Jaebum is in the solitary confinement cell and all you can hear is muffled banging. (“And that’s why,” Junho chirps, “I’m alone in my room now!”)
“It’s fun,” Taecyeon notices. “It kind of reminds me of this movie I saw, with that famous singer and-”
“Hii!” Junho shrieks. “Enough!”
So when he goes back to the room he shares with Junsu, all in all, Taecyeon feels pretty confused and the sight of heavy, expensive-looking fur coats hanging in their closet does nothing to help.
He gets used to the life he has here, though. The doctors are completely clueless as to how they should approach his problem, even if Wooyoung claims it’s all due to a lack of attention when Taecyeon was still a fetus, so they more or less decide the best way to go is to teach him everything back again while they do some more research.
He’s given a game of Scrabble® to train.
(“Ooh, can I play?” Junho asks.
“Friggin’ hell naw,” Junsu replies. “I dun play Scrabble® wid phony mofos!” Then he breathes deeply and checks his hair.
“It’s not true!” Junho wails. “He stole my identity!”
Taecyeon is helpless.)
So he plays Scrabble® with Junsu and it’s quite nice and cozy, even if Junsu probably cheats terribly.
“MANGO,” Taec spells with the “O” of Junsu’s “BEYONCE”.
“BADI,” Junsu retaliates.
“CAT,” Taec writes.
“I think you both suck at Scrabble®,” Chansung informs them. Junho practically purrs with satisfaction.
“By the way,” Taecyeon asks one day. (“WASSUP” “WOOGLE” “That doesn’t exist.” “Wooyoung says it does.”) “Are there any girls here?”
Junsu sighs: “You wish, brah…”
They leave it at that.
(“LEGS” “BOOBS”)
Until they actually do see girls, swaying gracefully under their window. Junsu glues himself to the glass. Taecyeon glues himself to Junsu’s back.
“Spring is back.”
“Yeah.”
…
“Fuck that shit,” Junsu mutters, and then he turns back and kisses Taecyeon.
Epilogue (that’s not actually an epilogue):
