• 049 | [fic]Old enough to know, but too young to care •
Characters: Junsu, Hyukjae, Donghae
Groups: DBSK, Super Junior
Length: approx. 2100 w
Raiting: PG (minor cursing)
A/N: August 18th-19th, 2009. I can't believe I'm actually posting this... Written while listening to an a amazing fan mix, “ Dig.” 2149 words. It all started with little Emoji things(see in summary). It happened to have a dolphin, monkey and fish. Plus little ‘icons’ to represent most of every part of this story, lol. Originally planned on having no dialogue but I couldn’t stop myself. First story I ever completed, I've only had failed attempts of writing. Lyrics from Backseat Goodbye’s “Dressed Up Like Dreams” and Anberlin’s “Haight St.”
Summary:
Old enough to know, but too young too care.
(let’s dress up like dreams and pretend we’re free)
By Sandra Delgado
It was 4 in the afternoon, Junsu, Hyukjae, and Donghae had just played their final soccer game of the season. They had just won. Scouts were ready to give a scholarship to the MVP. Junsu and the older man met briefly after the last goal was made. But Junsu insisted on meeting about it some other time. It wasn’t that he didn’t want it because he’d wanted this since he joined his first soccer team in elementary school. But it was time to celebrate and not think about what the future had in store and all that serious stuff. So the three friends headed for the beach for the first time in months (due to concentration on exams and soccer practice). They were going to celebrate by just having a good time.
The sun was beating down harshly throughout the day, making their pores leak more than usual. But now clouds were making their way into the sky slyly and the air was cooling off. It was perfect weather for catching some waves. They’d parked the semi-new red car in the first open slot, and stripped down to near-nothing before throwing on their wet suits, leaving them to hang around their hips. Grabbing the surf board they all shared, they let their bare feet lead them to the white sand.
Others’ foot prints in the sand let them where their noses were telling them to go, not to the shore but to a food shack near the bushes. Propping the surfboard on the shop’s side wall, pealing flakes of faded paint, and landing their rears on the cushioned stools their stomachs’ began to rumble. They hadn’t noticed how hungry they were until the smells of noodles wafted to their noses; after all, they had sweated out their breakfasts’, just moments ago.
They enjoyed some simple Ramyun and some beer. Hardly chewing at all and sipping slowly to savor every last herb-flavor in the golden liquid but sometimes slurping a bit loudly. Wining the state soccer tournament didn’t change the fact that they were carefree boys. After munching on icy rainbow-colored popsicles they ran towards the water, Donghae had grabbed the surf board and the other two friends took off after him. Hyuk’s foot slammed on some dog feces, which had been hidden from his view by layers of sand particles. Su and Hae laughed so hard they cried, while the boy with the browned foot was steaming mad because it had squeezed between each of his bony toes.
“It must have been left by German Shepherd or perhaps a Labrador.”
“Why’s that?” Donghae breathed between laughs
“’Cause to Pomeranian could have shitted that!” Junsu set off a new roll of laughter, before getting chased around a now bent over Hae.
Eventually they lifted their wetsuits over their tan shoulders, and got in the water (first and foremost Hyuk washing his foot harshly, to rid it of every last smear of evidence of, apparently, German Shepherd poop), taking turns with the wooden surfboard.
Since they lived but an hour and fifteen minutes from the beautiful beach, the three friends enjoyed surfing. But more so for Junsu and Donghae than Hyukjae, after all he was a skinny monkey while the other two were skinny water creatures.
The wind was picking up and the waves were getting taller, when suddenly it started to downpour over the young boys. Hae suggested they leave but Hyuk and Su’s energy just increased as they watched the beach shore empty rapidly. Soon it was just the three of them surfing and having a blast. But the lightning started and the three agreed to run to the car. They got to it without getting struck down dead by lightning and accomplishing lowering their wetsuits back to their waists, laying their towels on the seats and successfully not stepping on any Pomeranian poop.
When they hoped in the seats the passenger immediately popped in their latest repeated CD, and started settling the energy running through their veins. The fifth song started, a ballad, they are calmed a bit and noticed the sun setting over the water, if they would of left when every other being evacuated they would have missed this serene sight before them. Not one noticed the other in their trances for they were in their own staring showdown with the giver of life, that orb quickly being eaten by the sea they’d just been swimming in. But soon their views changed to a paved road when Su backed up and headed towards their apartment.
Once the seventh song ended
“Couldn‘t you have waited till it was over?” Hyukjae comments from the backseat.
“Yeah… you‘ve seen it, at the beach, less than we have.” Donghae added looking questionably at the red-haired driver.
“Everyone knows if you watch, it only gets swallowed faster” he stated simply. The same CD repeated in the background until they arrived home. The only other noises heard were the windows rolling down, when only wind remained in the sky, the window rolling up when the only car on the straight street (which was keeping them from going even the speed limit) starts sending waves of cigarette smoke their direction, and Hyuk letting one rip, setting off an uproar of giggles and thin fingers covering round noses.
At some point the old car ahead of them pulls into some motel that looked as run down as the car itself. They arrive home, took turn taking soothing showers and threw on pajamas. One friend mentioned that the rest of the soccer guys were probably dressed to impress at some gentleman's club right about then. They only thing they did about that was break out their own cake and Soju. After only 15 minutes they didn’t know which they consumed more of cake or Soju, not knowing or caring would make the answer obvious to any other.
It was the last day of school, which they didn’t even spend in school, but it was still Friday. So they began their ritual of karaoke (Hyuk and Hae had pitched in to buy it for Su‘s birthday, secretly they wanted it for their own entertainment, and secretly Su knew their secret).
“You know this song better than all of us, why you slurring the chorus?” Hyuk slurred, before reaching to grab at something round, symmetrical and spongy.
“Same reason your violating Su‘s ass!” Hae spoke loudly into the microphone. The clock read nine o’clock or at least it looked like nine, they weren’t exactly seeing straight, it easily could have been three in the morning. Made no difference, the karaoke has abruptly ended when, for the third time that day, Junsu and Donghae’s eyes filled with tears due to intense laughter (the fish‘s laugh being quieter then a certain dolphin). Hyuk’s slipper has flown off his foot and broken a small blue vase, that didn’t have but dead flowers flopping over the rim anyways. Just before the chuckles died down Hae spotted something that, in their state, was beyond funny.
“Is that an shoe implant in your slipper!?”
“Nope, no, no. Look it‘s two implants!” Junsu said while dumping the slipper of it’s contents. This time the less-intoxicated Hyukjae didn’t need to turn any redder than he was from the alcohol because he was laughing along with the animals of the sea.
Hae always trying (and failing) at being the responsible one of the three, took the job of ridding the bottles of Soju from the lips of his friends.
“I may be drunk, but dudes, those have been empty for a while now.”
“Nu-uh.” Su lifts the green bottle into the air, surprisingly with the opening facing toward his red lips instead of the rear of the bottle. A clear droplet falls to his chin. “See. Whud I say Hae?”
“I think you said, nu-uh.” Hae breaths above the Hyuk’s rapping of “That rhymes, I say Hae, I say Hae, hey hey eyyy.” But his full attention was still on Su as watched him attempt to lick the drop of alcohol of his chin. It being too far for his tongue to reach so he was pulling his bottom lip into his mouth with both pointer fingers. He was looking quite dumb but the sight quickly became cute when he gave up and wiped the drop off with his pinky. He licked it off harshly then proceeded to lift his eyebrows at his saliva-covered pinky, almost as to say “Ha! I gotcha, you think I would give up but… uh-uh” and all this because of two bottles of Soju. That’s right, intolerant to alcohol was an understatement.
Time was ticking by unknowingly and now the pajama clad threesome were lying with the tops of their heads in the direction of another’s and back flushed against the zebra-stripped shag rug (goes to show they truly did go shopping for this shared apartment on their own, for the couch beside them was also covered in zebra-stripes) They’d washed their faces with cold water and flushed most of the unsteady stomachs down the toilet. Now they were quiet and thinking (semi-straight) to themselves.
One boys’ thoughts came out of his mouth, saying they should get more money together and leave Korea once most people start up classes in University. He mentions heading to Japan, for the cute bento boxes and amour-clad samurais. Or picking up dancing and maybe becoming back-up dancers for some popular pop group. His eyes go dreamy
“The cherry blossoms are enough to have me packing tomorrow…” his usual high-pitched voice was mild and a bit huskier. The pale boy to his right scoffs.
“Come on, think about it. If we go anywhere tomorrow it should definitely be Mexico.” Hyuk speaks almost harshly. With a smile Su retorts,
“Why are you assuming we‘d all go? And why the hell Mexico?” Hyukjae automatically disregards the first half of the question, knowing the dolphin was kidding.
“The beer obviously!” Hyuk says while flapping his feet together a bit excitedly. Light chuckles are heard from the others. Donghae’s turn to pipe in on the idea. He chooses Europe, for the music, the buildings and something about flipping of the Queen. Not one points out the randomness of it all, because the whole idea of actually earning enough money to leave Korea to travel, was random enough on it’s own. Not to mention how silly the idea of up and leaving the following day, to some random city on the other side of the globe, was.
There’s calm silence for a few minutes before Junsu says, Bahamas, for the palm trees (which he had a slight obsession with). The beautiful flowers and rambling a bit on his dreams of having a shell collection and hearing the ocean in a conch shell, even with his imaginary backyard being the ocean. His naturally high pitched voice disappeared as the sky lit up, outside the window. All their (pre-dilated) eyes caught the last of a fallen star.
Silence. Just like when they’d stared at the sunset that same day. Serene feeling.
“Whoa, look at the time guys.”
11:12
“There went our chance to wish our dreams true.” As soon as the words slip past his lips, there’s hand on his shoulder’s massaging gently.
“It‘s all right, don’t worry.” Su continued to soothe Hae’s shoulders as he spoke.
“Dreams aren‘t meant to come true.” With that they laid back in their original positions with small smiles on their faces and continued as if never interrupted by that glimpse of hope in the sky (falling, falling, fallen).
They’re eyelids were getting heavier.
“How about America?” Su stated more than questioned. No chuckles, just shrugs and looks forming that look like “why didn‘t we think of that? Perfect.”
“We could see the four faces of Mt. Rushmore.”
“Climb every step to the top of the statue lady, or maybe sneak into Area 91” Hyukjae added overly excited by his ideas, again. No one corrected him just added to their dream.
“Heck shouldn‘t the hamburgers and fries enough to get us to go?” small nods went unseen but known, as different shades of sleek hair collided above them.
From leaving Korea to climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty to finding a pretty girl, falling in love and making families.
The next thing they knew their dreams they’d formed, came true. Played themselves out one by one. Not one thing out of the picture. Every shell and every French fry there in their dreams that night. They never noticed when they fell asleep, to them it was as real as the conversion they had.
Not once did any mention any soccer scholarship, simply knowing any future without each other, didn’t exist. They wouldn’t let it.
Let’s dress up like dreams and pretend we’re free. I hear it’s nice, I’d like to try it sometime.