Romeo & Juliet (Kaisoo)
Pairing:Kaisoo
Rated: PG-13
Length: 6000+
[Summary: There were two families called the Do's and the Kim's. Both highly respected, rich, and has great genes. Hate has always split these families apart, but will their youngest generation follow their histories footsteps, or perhaps create a new history with a feeling that could make or break them.]There were two families called the Do's and the Kim's. Both have great genes, are respected, and are rich. The Do's have a history for great singers, astrologists (who are team leaders for multiple NASA projects and Korea's own Space Association), actors, and ecologists (that have helped find new ways to make Korea at the top of the competition with preserving energy and electrical cars). The Kim's, on the other hand, have a history with painters, dancers, electrical engineers (ranging from cars to vacuums), and inventors (escalators were helped invented by the Kim’s).
You would think the two families would complement each other well. The Kim's inventors of the family could invent different advanced telescopes, a more efficient way to study different star patterns and meteors that seem to come closer to earth every few years, or a safer way to have satellites roaming around the earth's orbit; the electrical engineers help collaborate to create an even better car that doesn't require a natural resource. or find a way to bypass solar power panels less absorption on dark of days; the dancers could share the stage with the Do's singers. The only ones of the two families that stood out were the actors and the painters. The Kim's painters didn't worry if the Do's knew the difference between contour and cross contour lines, and Do's didn't bother challenging the Kim's whether if they knew what the Chekhov Technique was.
No matter how compatible the two families were, feelings that have been passed and developed over the many generations has created a strong hate against one another. So it was natural for the youngest heir of the Do's and Kim's to hate each other.
It wasn't until the Do's son returned to Korea, after living in America in Florida where his father was assisting one of the newest studies at NASA, did they have their fateful meeting. Their son, Do Kyungsoo had a combination of his parents leading attributes. Like his father, Kyungsoo knew Jupiter all the way to the Messier catalog galaxies; like his mother, he can recite the statistics of how much plastic reuse could actually prolong the state of the earth. But he also had another trade mark that made him a Do: he can sing (and he fiddled with acting).
Despite his parents footsteps that have made different paths for him, Kyungsoo pursues his own footpath at Kirin Performing Arts. As soon as he arrived, every student knew his name. How could you not when two cousins were on Broadway, and his grandma was filming the most recent drama? But when the new popularity falls upon the school's most talented dancer's perceptive ears, the challenge for the top had started...
Rumors we flying around, spreading like wildfire; everyone knew the Do's and Kim's despise each other down to the last follicle of thumb hair that was barely visible to the naked eye. Girls were dividing their favors for wide eyes or the almond dark brown eyes. It didn't help that everyone was anticipating their first meeting. Pairs of eyes followed the two everywhere, waiting. That chance came on the third day of Kyungsoo's arrival.
Classic Literature was one of Kyungsoo's favorite subject, next to music of course. He has the class three times a week, but he had missed Monday's class to finish enrolling. surprise was written on every students face as Kyungsoo calmly evaluates the room with his calculating shiny eyes.
Kyungsoo had studied space time: multiple theories on time stopping and continuum exploding, but one was a psychological myth and the other was a the theory that time moves slower for something that moves fast. Of course different mathematical models were used to break it down in such a simple sentence. When Kyungsoo's eyes survey every face as he listens to the teacher introduces him, he experiences time stopping and the continuum slowing the world all in a few moments. It was as if he was light and as he moved to his desk warm, light chocolate skin captures his attention. Every detail Kyungsoo saw vividly as their eyes connected in slow motion: lips, that grew pinker towards the center tilted in a smirk, puppy like eyes degraded him with brush of eyelashes across cheek, and a flat, square nose slightly flares as Kyungsoo sits in the same row, three seats away.
Kyungsoo was attracted to him as soon as the first heart palpitates against his Louis Vuitton watch. Yet the arrogant air surrounding him made Kyungsoo focus to what the teacher was talking about. On the touch board had the famous author William Shakespeare staring back in black and white. He was possibly Kyungsoo’s most hated and yet favorited playwright. He hated the bald man for one reason: romance. He loved him because his stories showed the impossibility of love, but the possibility of it all being crushed.
Of course he happened to interrupt the time of assignment being distributed. Luckily for him he likes dabbling into acting too, and every actor should at least be familiar with the most popular writings of William Shakespeare. Any common reading assignment of the writer should be simple, because he’s read his most famous plays.
“You have all finished reading Romeo and Juliet. Today, I will assign the groups and distribute the scenes you will be performing next Friday. Remember, only today’s class will be focused on getting organized with your group, other than that everything has to be done on your own free time.”
The class groans in response, and protests of an approaching talent show is mentioned. The teacher silences the class with hands raised, “I know you are all working very hard for the talent show, but whoever has the best scene will perform on the talent show, which means you’ll be in line for the possibility of winning an opportunity for a commercial. And since I am choosing the group of the best project, you will also be rewarded a gift card to a restaurant of your choosing.”
The class picks back up in chatter of the prizes being waved in front of their faces. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, he could get either prize in a blink of his eyes, but the fascination of achieving it himself piqued his interest.
The teacher took out a paper and started calling out names and appointing people in different teams with what act and scene they were to perform. Kyungsoo suddenly heard a rippling name.
“Kim Jongin and Amber Liu, I’m sorry but you will have to be the only group missing a member.” The teacher apologizes. Kyungsoo watches the tan boy relax in his seat focusing on a girl with short hair and shorts instead of the normal skirts.
So that’s the Kim’s boy, Kyungsoo thinks. He was warned before entering the school that the family he has learned the name of since he could talk had their son enrolled in the same grade as him. At first, he couldn’t care less about the Kim’s son. After feeling the bitter name on his tongue all his life, he gets tired of tasting it and discards the forced hatred away. To know that he is attracted to the enemy’s son brings a thrill to his veins and disgust all at the same time.
“Do Kyungsoo?”
Kyungsoo looks up from his trance and stands in front of the teacher’s disorganized desk. “I didn’t put you into a group because you need to read Romeo and Juliet first.”
“I’ve already read it.” Kyungsoo says.
“You have? Do you remember everything?”
“Like their story was my own life”, Kyungsoo tilts up the corner of his mouth.
“That’s great! You can participate in the competition then? Perfect. One group is missing an actor, you can join them.” The teacher hands him the requirements and tells him what group he is in.
Kyungsoo turns to meet the piercing stare of Kim Jongin. His new partner. A playful smile displays across his face as he strides calmly over to his new group. A feeling of accomplishment as he hears Jongin murmur in distaste, “Heck no.”
“Hi, I’m Do Kyungsoo; you’re new partner.” Kyungsoo devilishly swells with glee as Jongin’s face flushes as he scans Kyungsoo up and down. A dangerous smile is returned to Kyungsoo as he still stares at him. Kyungsoo leans closer to his ear, “A picture always helps.”
Jongin frowns faster than Kyungsoo pulls back. The vein pumping thrill of winning makes Kyungsoo fight off the rest of the boring day without seeing his new class partner. Kyungsoo 1- Jongin 0. Maybe having a family enemy isn’t so bitter as Kyungsoo had once thought, he’s rather enjoying the constant glares and a set jaw that helps accentuate Jongin’s facial features as if Kyungsoo hasn’t admired it enough.
"How about we meet up in the gym after school?" Amber suggests. Kyungsoo nods. He can’t wait to see the boy later that afternoon with Amber. After all, he is going to win the best act. Although he never caught what scene they were reenacting.
Kim Jongin wasn't like Kyungsoo. He didn't have any passed down enthusiasm with his parents’ work as engineers. Although he did enjoy painting like his uncle, but he loved dancing. The soft locking and unlocking of his bones as he moved in different forms and patterns was addicting. Unlike his older sister, he could care less on how to invent a new mechanical knee that could last longer than two decades.
Sweat rolled down the sides of his face as he stares at his reflection. His tongue dashes across the lower half of his philtrum, catching the miniscule beads of sweat. Today, he pushed himself harder. Why? Because Do freaking Kyungsoo. That idiot dared to mess with his pride. It was big mistake on his part. He can still feel the other’s big lips barely come into contact with the flesh of his ear. A picture always helps. Like he would ever want a memorable capture of the short, un-talented loser like him.
Everything about Kyungsoo made Jongin’s skin crawl. He hadn’t though he was so bad at first; his eyes were very bewitching. It was creepy. He reminded Jongin of a beetle. And soon he would have to forced to work with the beetle like boy in thirty minutes. Wait. Make that five!
Kyungsoo turns the next page of Stephen King’s latest novel. He sets it down when he hears the loud pounding of feet skidding across the floor as Jongin reaches him and Amber on the bleachers.
“Sorry, lost track of time.” Jongin avoids all eye contact with Kyungsoo.
Amber rolls her eyes, “I knew you would. I already read through Act 5, Scene 3-”
“Were doing the death scene?” Kyungsoo exclaims.
Jongin rolls his eyes, biting back multiple insults about him being an insect.
“Yeah, and we need a Romeo and Juliet obviously, and Friar Lawrence. The others we can avoid.”
“Well, since I’m the handsomest of this group, I’ll just go ahead and sign myself up with being Romeo.” Jongin smirks. If he takes the main, he can steal the spotlight from the other. Jongin can already envision Kyungsoo in fat suit as the friar (because that’s how he views Friar Lawrence), and he can easily trip the other with his ‘dead’ body. Jongin will be getting the praise as Kyungsoo shrinks in a corner with tears rolling down his face. It was a perfect plan.
Amber writes it down, looks at Kyungsoo with pleading eyes, “Kyungsoo, this is a huge favor since we just met, but I really can’t stand dresses. I start to get rashes all over when I wear them, especially ones with lace. And the only ones the Drama club has available is the dress with lace and frilly stuff.”
Kyungsoo opens his mouth in disbelief. Him? As Juliet? Not in this life. “Sure.” Kyungsoo’s throat contracts with anger because he couldn’t utter the simple word ‘no’. He just met the girl and yet she owes him his dignity. An idea pops in his head. “Aren’t we supposed to interpret this in our own way?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, why don’t we make it a controversial version. You as a transgender, me and Jongin as the queer. The people who are against the marriage of Jongin and I, can be the bullies. Because of them, you are their trying to protect us from well getting killed. Romeo’s speech can be about how he had learned to accept himself and Juliet or Julius, and then gives mushy talk about love is love and their love will last forever. And when Julius wakes up claiming that he would rather die than live with the people who judge him for being true to himself…”
Jongin who was listening quietly, still stuck over the fact that Kyungsoo said he will be the girl. Or the guy? “So Juliet becomes a Julius?”
Kyungsoo nods excited.
Jongin had to hand it the Dough boy. The idea was different, it reached out, and if performed correctly it can touch hearts. But the fact that he has to share the stage, even more so a fake relationship on stage with Kyungsoo, a kid he has been taught to hate with every fiber of his being, it’s a bit… overwhelming. Even the fact that Kyungsoo is actually excited about it scares him more. Does this guy not understand the meaning of sworn enemies? Jongin feels a tingling hand on his knee. Kyungsoo’s eyebrows are creased.
“Look, this is just a performance. Everything that happens on stage, stays on the stage. I don’t like this anymore than you, but a good actor always challenges himself, or else you can never get better.” Kyungsoo tells him with sincerity. Jongin's stomach dropped when he heard that Kyungsoo didn't like it. Does that mean he doesn't like him? Jongin blinks, he doesn't need Kyungsoo to like him because after all their enemies.
It’s screwing up Jongin’s head. The innocent and mischievous twinkle in Kyungsoo’s eyes makes it almost impossible for him to hate the dweeb. Almost. He’s still annoyed for the earlier humiliation.
This next week is going to be difficult. The twang in his heart as Kyungsoo ever talks kindly to him, makes him worried. His kneecap which feels the loss of warmth where Kyungsoo had placed his hand made he’s tightening stomach beg for more. This is can’t be happening. Performance. It’s a performance.
Jongin repeated that through the first three rehearsals at Amber’s house because neither Jongin or Kyungsoo could let the enemy infiltrate their camps. They had the script written no thanks to Kyungsoo’s passion and Amber’s dedication and Jongin’s remarks about how creeped out he was by their efforts.
“Jongin, I know we both have a similar home life. Don’t you think it would be cool to do something without your families help?” Kyungsoo had looked at him and asked.
Jongin agreed with Kyungsoo, but he wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. “Your help is even worse than theirs,” Jongin mutters low, thinking Kyungsoo couldn’t hear him.
Kyungsoo turned around and tilted his head. The soft brown tufts isn’t fixed today, so it fell slightly into those deep brown orbs that confuses Jongin to no end. His pink lips opened to ask a troubling question, “Why?”
From then on Jongin found it difficult to ignore the growing popularity of his enemy, his rich voice that hooked itself around Jongin’s ear every time he uttered a word. His eyes were always drawn to slight shoulders that carried a raised head, but never in pride. Kyungsoo wasn’t like Jongin, who embraced everything his parent’s had given him. Kyungsoo always spoke up when asked about Orion or what gases make up the Greenhouse gases, but he never raised his hand. He also never volunteered to stand up and sing, but waited his chance when the teacher asked him too. His velvet voice echoed in the room rippling like disturbed still water, smooth as melted chocolate. When Kyungsoo entered Jongin’s dance class to learn one complicated routine for the talent show, did Jongin realize how perfect Kyungsoo actually was. He could do everything, even acting to Jongin’s dismay.
“Jongin?” Amber snapped her fingers in his face.
“What?” Jongin said.
“We need to practice the kiss scene. I know you’ve been avoiding it, but we need to perfect it before it’s too late.” Kyungsoo says, face stuck in his script.
The KISS. Jongin was avoiding it. At first it was because he never would want his lips to touch the little beetle’s lips, but the excuse had changed silently. He doesn’t know how affected he would be by Kyungsoo’s lips. Jongin stood up and walked over towards Kyunsoo, “Let’s get this over with.”
Kyungsoo smirked at Jongin’s creased forehead, “You don’t actually think I’d let you kiss me?” Jongin doesn’t answer, making Kyungsoo grin wider, “You really are making me not want to stay single.” Jongin blinks, his heart is pounding loudly as Kyungsoo takes a step closer. Like the first day in Classic Literature, Kyungsoo leans towards his ear, “Action.”
Jongin’s lip curls, blushing madly. He glances at Amber who is trying to hold in laughter, but failing miserably because he face is squished up, and short intake of breath as she calms herself. Once again, Kyungsoo has bested him. Jongin promises, he will pay back the favor. Kyungsoo - 2, Jongin - 0.
Three days before their performance. Jongin was sitting on the bleachers, reading over his lines. Kyungsoo calmly walks in talking to someone on the phone.
“No, I can’t Saturday.” Jongin listens quietly, using his acting skills to pretend he doesn’t hear anything. “Hyung! You know how my mom hates it when you show up unannounced.” Kyungsoo pauses, and Jongin can barely hear a male voice whining loudly. “A movie sounds fine. What did your dad get recently?” Another pause. “I really want to see that movie! It’s a deal, but you’re making the popcorn. I made it last time! Okay, bye!” Kyungsoo hangs up and swings his bookbag in the seat below Jongin.
“Hey”, Kyungsoo digs for his script.
“Who was that?” Jongin lets his curiosity overcome his mouth.
“Suho. You know Suho right? Well, we usually hang out on Saturday, but I have a banquet to attend, so we made plans for Sunday. It’s really cool too because Suho’s dad has all these great connections with film director’s, so he gets the movie while it’s in the theaters! Suho always brings one new movie and one he wants to watch, and we’ll watch them in my home theater.” Kyungsoo grins, eyes twinkling annoyingly.
Jongin and Kyungsoo had different friends too. It was split evenly: Jongin had five close friends, Kyungsoo had five close friends. It really wasn’t as military as it sounded. Their friends didn’t hate one another- it was just Kyungsoo and Jongin. Although, Jongin wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo and him were on some mutual peace treaty while they work together or they really didn’t hate each other.
“What yard?” Jongin asks.
“3.6, we had to downsize because we needed room for the snack bar.” Kyungsoo’s bottom lip pokes out, Jongin fantasizes poking it back in.
He stops himself, “Where’s Amber?”
“It’s just me and you today. She couldn’t get off, so I said I would help you instead.”
“Help me?”
Kyungsoo nods, “Let’s just say, you’re acting skills aren’t that great.”
Jongin scoffs, “Excuse me! I can act better than you any day,”
Kyungsoo chuckles, “I doubt that. But I think you could, if you let me help you.”
“No way.”
“Jongin,” Jongin shivers at the soft lull of Kyungsoo’s voice when he says his name. “How about this. You help me with the talent show dance, and I help you with acting today.”
“What makes you think I want to help you?” Jongin crosses his arms. “Were enemies remember?”
Kyungsoo sighs, “That’s my parents and your parents. That’s your grandmother and my grandmother. Look at me and tell me you hate me just like them.”
Jongin willingly stares at Kyungsoo. His brain keeps yelling at him to hate him. But no where in his heart did he feel hate because hate can’t exist when you love.
“Kyungsoo, how many times do I have to say back step, hand out, squat, thrust?” Jongin rubs his head. He’s been teaching Kyungsoo the same combination for ten minutes and the clumsy dough boy still can’t get it.
Kyungsoo, sweaty, tired and happy, tries to fight the smirk that wants rise. Jongin has been trying to teach him one of the easiest parts for ten minutes. Kyungsoo understood it completely, but after accidentally missing it the first attempt to dance all the way through, Jongin stopped him and broke it down, not even asking if Kyungsoo understood. When Jongin pressed the music, Kyungsoo stepped forward instead of backwards, laughing inwardly when Jongin sighs, and tells him the steps again. Over and over they go through the same process, Jongin getting angrier at each pound of the bass.
“Let’s try it again.” Jongin presses play.
Kyungsoo heads over to the left, keeping his eyes trained on Jongin’s reflection in the back. He kicks his left foot out, arms bent, step back, hand out, squat, and thrust. Kyungsoo continues on with the dance until the final fading. He caught Jongin’s gaping mouth, but recovers quickly when the music fades.
Jongin claps, “You did it. It’s weird that you messed that part up, but everything else was perfect.”
“Perfect?” Kyungsoo raises his eye at the other’s compliment.
Jongin blushes, “I mean you were nearly almost as good as me.”
The shorter takes his bottle of water, gulping it down with a pop as his lips let go of the plastic. Jongin tries not to stare. “Wow, a compliment from the master! Millions would die just to be in the same room, but I was compared to the god himself.”
“Shut up”, Jongin retaliates with a smile.
“Are you ready to act?”
“No.”
Kyungsoo ignores Jongin’s answer and starts reading what notes he has written. “I noticed whenever you start to die, you become more monotone. But that’s the most important moment. When you’re proclaiming your love you need to say it with sadness, affection, and urgency.”
Jongin swallows. “Okay.”
“Let’s do it then.”
Both sitting down, Jongin scoots closer, because that’s what’s written. He starts reciting the lines they had translated, “This light that has seen Paris dead. Now Julius, his beauty fills the room.” Jongin’s eyes trial each inch of Kyungsoo’s face. “How often can a man be happy before he dies! How can I call this light?
“My love, my husband! Death has taken the honey from your breath, but your beauty and youth remain. There is still red on your lips and in your cheeks.” A quick glance at his plush lips; hope spreads through Jongin’s stomach as red curves its way up Kyungsoo’s bloomed cheek. “Death hasn’t turned them pale. What else could I do for you then kill the man that cursed your name, who hates that you love, who killed you. Forgive me, cousin. My Julius, why are you so beautiful. I can’t let the hatred that chased us haunt you, so I will stay…”
Kyungsoo stops him. Their eyes link in the sedative silence. Jongin found himself leaning closer until he could feel Kyungsoo’s warm breath hit his lips, and a voice to come with it.
“You did good! Except you can’t look at me the whole time, pretend the audience is your mirror. You had much more emotion this time. I’m proud. You must’ve been holding back.” Kyungsoo grins, sitting away from Jongin. He grabs his bag, stands, and slings his bag of his shoulder. “Thanks for helping me today.”
Jongin follows suit, “Likewise, although you really didn’t help me. You were the most bothersome”, he finishes.
Kyungsoo smirks, humming, “You really think I didn’t know how to do that combination?”
Confused, Jongin cocks his head, “What?”
“I lost my balance when stepping back the first time. I always knew what I was supposed to do. Only a fool would get back, hand movements, squats, and thrusts wrong.”
“You were pretending to get that wrong?” Jongin asks in disbelief.
“Of course.” Kyungsoo looks at his phone.
Jongin froze for a moment before punching Kyungsoo in the arm.
Kyungsoo opens his eyes wide, fire already spitting flames at him, “What was that for?”
“We did that part at least thirty times! I thought my brain was going to explode with frustration!”
“I know. That’s why I did it. You have the funniest expressions.” Kyungsoo laughs.
Jongin curses. He can’t stay mad when he finally gets to hear the other laugh for the first time. He finds himself laughing along, claiming, “No, I don’t.”
Kyungsoo leans on Jongin for support, as he curls over in laughter, “You’re face.” He feels Jongin freeze. Kyungsoo turns to see why the younger has stopped. His face was rigid.
“My face?”
“It’s funny.”
Jongin looks at Kyungsoo with seriousness, “Is it?”
Kyungsoo slowly looks away, uncomfortable with his intense stare. It was too much. He looked… seductive with his lidded dark eyes. A tan hand cups his chin, bringing him to face Jongin once more.
“Answer me.” Jongin commands.
Kyungsoo murmurs, “No, you’re pretty.” Kyungsoo feels like slamming his door against the wall. He just called him pretty. No guy wants to be called pretty. Especially not Kim Jongin. An adjective like pretty belongs with a young girl, not masculine dancer Jongin.
Jongin’s hand drops from Kyungsoo’s chin, pulling the older’s heart strings. “Oh”, he says before striding out of the room without even saying goodbye.
Kyungsoo drops to the floor. He’s done it. He thought him and Jongin were getting along. He thought they threw away their families hate and started new. A friendship.
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he was aiming for maybe something more. But he was aiming friendship, that and well someone he can tease.
Friday came too quick for Jongin. He had been avoiding Kyungsoo like the plague. After their moment in the dance room, Jongin couldn’t spare another moment with Kyungsoo, afraid that he would let his feelings over take his senses and he would kiss him until breathing wasn’t a concern. Kyungsoo made it even more so difficult than usual. He was always looking Jongin concerned. Couldn’t he see how much torture he was making the dancer go through?
Jongin had decided he needed help. And fast. So it was natural to talk to his closest friend Chanyeol, after school the day before. “Chan, I have a serious problem.”
“And I have exciting news! But you go first.” Chanyeol fold his legs in Jongin’s bean bag chair he kept since he was a young kid.
“Okay, well there’s this person. And well I like him, but there are tons of problems. He and I… can’t go together. He’s just, well, my whole family hates every skin cell that has ever grown on him. Same goes for his family.”
“That’s rough.”
“But I think we’ve put all that behind us. I really like him and the other day we were together and I think he likes me too but I can’t just say hey how’s it going you wanna date me because as I said our families hate each other and it’s really bothering me because I can’t stop thinking about him and I just don’t know what to do.” Jongin says all in a rushed breath, mingling his words together.
“You like Do Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol hangs his mouth open. “That’s great because I can talk him up for you!”
Jongin was about to deny that it’s Kyungsoo, but who else family hates Jongin vice versa. “You are friends with him?”
Chanyeol gives a look to Jongin, “Of course. My good news was that I found someone to do the talent show with. And that someone is Kyungsoo.”
Jongin glares at his friend, “What?”
“Well, I heard him practicing, so I went to go compliment him. He told me he was practicing for the talent show, but he was still unsure whether he was going to do it. I asked him why. He said because he wants a different stage than just a typical solo; he says it’s boring. So that gave me an idea. I asked him if he wanted to perform with me.
“He told me sing, so I rapped and he said I was perfect match, it was different. So we’ve been meeting up at his house every day he doesn’t have his project work.” Chanyeol grins.
That sounds like Kyungsoo. Always was trying to do something different. Jongin’s lip curls. “So you’re close?”
“I mean we’re not super friends yet, but he’s really easy to get along with. I’m close enough to see if he likes someone and stuff.” Chanyeol shrugs.
I hate those stupid shoulders, Jongin keeps his gaze on his friend.
Chanyeol looks up after expecting praise for his great connections. Instead he finds a very angry Jongin, eyes showing different ways Jongin was going to kill him. “Trust me I don’t like him! He’s great, but never, ever. I promise.”
Jongin calms down, smiling at all the dots in his head meeting the middle. “Will you really talk to him?”
Chanyeol leans away from Jongin’s creepy personality change, “Sure…”
Jongin should've known talking included a had wrapped comfortably around Kyungsoo's narrow shoulders. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo casually strolled through the halls to Chanyeol's locker, which was a good six feet away from Jongin's. His eyes turned to glaring slits as Chanyeol continues of talking in Kyungsoo's ear. Jongin clenched his fist. Sure, Chanyeol was doing a favor, but it wasn't necessary to be all over the boy. He slams his locker and stalks away, trying his best not to look back.
His first class was with Chanyeol. As the long legged oaf stumbles to the seat beside Jongin’s, he pulled out his book. “So, I talked to him.”
Jongin faced his friend, turning so fast his neck made a sickly crack. Chanyeol grimaced. “What happened? Does he like me? What did he say?”
“One question at a time. I asked Kyungsoo if he liked anybody yet at school, so he blushed after a moment before he said yes. I asked him who. And he just mumbled a partner he is working with.”
Jongin grinned, but wait. Amber is his partner too. What if he has multiple partners in other classes? “Did he say what class? Any gender specific?” Although he was sure Kyungsoo showed him all the interest rather than Amber.
Chanyeol shrugged, “Oh! This was after you left, but when you did go he watched you for awhile before sighing.”
Jongin was 99.3% sure Kyungsoo liked him. But the 0.7% really bugged him.
Classic Literature came faster than Jongin expected. He couldn't drive his attention towards his teacher it always leaned over to small boy with mesmerizing eyes three seats away. A distance that can be cut with long strides with Jongin's legs. He could feel holes being burned it the side of his face.
"Jongin?"
"Yes!" Jongin snaps out of his encouraging chant and looks at the beady eyes belonging to his teacher.
"Is your group ready to perform?"
Crap! Jongin forgot that today was their Romeo and Juliet performance. "Yes, sir."
Jongin, Amber, and Kyungsoo rise out of their seats, walking to the front. Kyungsoo laid on the floor as the students looked down because their room is like miniature theatre. Jongin says his lines, Kyungsoo’s reminders on the back of his mind. “And with this kiss, I die.” Jongin pulls Kyungsoo’s face towards him, away from the audience. Jongin’s head hovers just above Kyungsoo’s plush lips. He takes out his poison phile and slumps back to the floor ‘dead’.
Kyungsoo then wakes, saying his lines that were split with Amber. Finally, we were at the last part where Kyungsoo raps up the scene with their twist of lines. “With knife, I can meet you again with no judging looks or families that refuse our love. Let it rust inside my body and let me die.” Silence fills the classroom.
When Jongin and Kyungsoo start to rise out of their positions did applause come. The three of them bowed. The bell rung since they were the last scene. Before they could escape, the teacher pulled them to his desk.
“I really appreciate your view. It was well written, not too much detail but just enough to know what was going on. Despite all your hard work, getting this performance for the talent show is going to be difficult. A fight. But you deserve it. I’m going to talk to the director about it. May I ask did all three of you write it?” The teacher’s eyes skim each student.
Amber glances at Jongin before answering, “It was mostly Kyungsoo. He came up with the idea and wrote most of it. I edited and gave little suggestions.”
The teacher praised Kyungsoo in which he gave a shy attentive smile.
Kyungsoo and Jongin shared lunch periods, and today Jongin wasn’t going to just watch Kyungsoo eat across the cafeteria. Jongin tugged on Kyungsoo spontaneously, telling him to sit with him outside.
“Jongin, why are we out here? We could’ve eaten inside. With people, not caterpillars.” Kyungsoo frowns at the perfectly cut grass.
“I want to know you more. Since we’ve spent sixteen years of our lives hating each other’s guts and we didn’t even know each other. So spill.” Jongin takes a sip of his cold soda.
“There’s not much too spill.” Kyungsoo admits, making Jongin nudge him to continue, “First off, I never really hated you. I just wanted to tease you. I mostly sing, but as you saw I like acting quite a bit. But it wasn’t originally like that. When I was seven I was sure I was going to be an astronaut. But after going to the states and seeing NASA, I could honestly care less about floating around in an non oxygenated place.”
“What about saving the planet with energy preservatives?”
Kyungsoo chuckles darkly, “I always hated when my mother enforced stupid recycling rules at my house. I can recite every product that belongs in a recycle bin. But because of her, I’m pretty strict on stuff like that too.”
Jongin smirks, dropping a wrapper to the ground.
Kyungsoo eyes, twitching.
“Oh no, Kyungsoo! Plastic wrapper has fallen, we are going to die!” Jongin shouts dramatically. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo is rolling his eyes, but never losing contact with the wrapper.
The wind carries it a few feet farther away from where they sit. “Okay, Jongin, you’re quite funny. Now go pick it up.”
“No, beetle.”
“Beetle?”
Jongin blushes, embarrassed by the nickname he had given him. “heh.”
Kyungsoo glares at him, “You will pick up that wrapper before I smack you upside the head.”
Jongin grins. Finally, he has won against the boy. Kyungsoo- 808,923, Jongin - 1!.
“What will you do if I won’t?” Jongin challenged feeling a surge of power high.
Jongin never expected Kyungsoo to smirk. He never expected that Kyungsoo would take slow steps toward him. He never expected to his heartrate to beat at double pace; he felt a soft hand slowly touch the exposed skin above his collar. He never expected for his hand to pull the other’s hanging tie down and closer to his face. He never expected his lips to meet with Kyungsoo’s.
At first it was slow. Nerves couldn’t send the message fast enough that they were kissing. But their lips danced together before Jongin’s eyes slightly fluttered open and closed pulling Kyungsoo closer making him fall onto the boy’s lap still attached. Jongin flushed at the new pressure on his legs. He snaked his arm inside Kyungsoo’s coat as Kyungsoo wraps his arms around Jongin’s neck.
Kyungsoo hums when Jongin dug circles into his back; Jongin moaned slightly when tongue dashes across his bottom lip. Lips parted, Kyungsoo’s tongue caressed his mouth. Jongin hastily started to unbutton Kyungsoo’s white top as Kyungsoo teeth started to scrape against his lip, slowly moving down to his jaw until the bell rung.
The older jumped up in surprise. His cheeks were flushed red, shirt slightly crooked, half of his torso exposed to the raw sun. Jongin hasn’t seen anything more beautiful. His skin was burning, hips aching for more contact. Kyungsoo - billion and a half, Jongin - 1.
Jongin got up as Kyungsoo started to back away. He reached out snatching the other’s hand.
“Let go,” he says, trying to march off.
“I don’t want too.” Jongin says. “I don’t ever want to let you go.”
“What?”
“Ever since you came here, you and me weren’t supposed to end up kissing on a bench and me liking it. But, we belong together.” Jongin pulls Kyungsoo against his chest in hug. “We belong together.”
Kyungsoo has kept quiet until this point. He breaks into laughter; Jongin pulls away. Kyungsoo meets his questioning eyes, “It’s ironic. We’re just like Romeo and Juliet.”
“Ew, don’t compare us to them. Our love is greater than theirs. And we won’t die.” Jongin scoffs.
“Our parent’s might kill us if they ever knew.” Kyungsoo mumbles.
“That’s their problem.”
“So what does that mean?”
Jongin rests his head on Kyungsoo’s, “You mean what does that make us? I guess we’re two people who have fallen in love.”
“Does that make us boyfriends?”
“Oh! You mean that. Sure, only if you want.”
Kyungsoo snuggles closer if that was possible, and responds like a child, “I want.”
Rated: PG-13
Length: 6000+
[Summary: There were two families called the Do's and the Kim's. Both highly respected, rich, and has great genes. Hate has always split these families apart, but will their youngest generation follow their histories footsteps, or perhaps create a new history with a feeling that could make or break them.]There were two families called the Do's and the Kim's. Both have great genes, are respected, and are rich. The Do's have a history for great singers, astrologists (who are team leaders for multiple NASA projects and Korea's own Space Association), actors, and ecologists (that have helped find new ways to make Korea at the top of the competition with preserving energy and electrical cars). The Kim's, on the other hand, have a history with painters, dancers, electrical engineers (ranging from cars to vacuums), and inventors (escalators were helped invented by the Kim’s).
You would think the two families would complement each other well. The Kim's inventors of the family could invent different advanced telescopes, a more efficient way to study different star patterns and meteors that seem to come closer to earth every few years, or a safer way to have satellites roaming around the earth's orbit; the electrical engineers help collaborate to create an even better car that doesn't require a natural resource. or find a way to bypass solar power panels less absorption on dark of days; the dancers could share the stage with the Do's singers. The only ones of the two families that stood out were the actors and the painters. The Kim's painters didn't worry if the Do's knew the difference between contour and cross contour lines, and Do's didn't bother challenging the Kim's whether if they knew what the Chekhov Technique was.
No matter how compatible the two families were, feelings that have been passed and developed over the many generations has created a strong hate against one another. So it was natural for the youngest heir of the Do's and Kim's to hate each other.
It wasn't until the Do's son returned to Korea, after living in America in Florida where his father was assisting one of the newest studies at NASA, did they have their fateful meeting. Their son, Do Kyungsoo had a combination of his parents leading attributes. Like his father, Kyungsoo knew Jupiter all the way to the Messier catalog galaxies; like his mother, he can recite the statistics of how much plastic reuse could actually prolong the state of the earth. But he also had another trade mark that made him a Do: he can sing (and he fiddled with acting).
Despite his parents footsteps that have made different paths for him, Kyungsoo pursues his own footpath at Kirin Performing Arts. As soon as he arrived, every student knew his name. How could you not when two cousins were on Broadway, and his grandma was filming the most recent drama? But when the new popularity falls upon the school's most talented dancer's perceptive ears, the challenge for the top had started...
Rumors we flying around, spreading like wildfire; everyone knew the Do's and Kim's despise each other down to the last follicle of thumb hair that was barely visible to the naked eye. Girls were dividing their favors for wide eyes or the almond dark brown eyes. It didn't help that everyone was anticipating their first meeting. Pairs of eyes followed the two everywhere, waiting. That chance came on the third day of Kyungsoo's arrival.
Classic Literature was one of Kyungsoo's favorite subject, next to music of course. He has the class three times a week, but he had missed Monday's class to finish enrolling. surprise was written on every students face as Kyungsoo calmly evaluates the room with his calculating shiny eyes.
Kyungsoo had studied space time: multiple theories on time stopping and continuum exploding, but one was a psychological myth and the other was a the theory that time moves slower for something that moves fast. Of course different mathematical models were used to break it down in such a simple sentence. When Kyungsoo's eyes survey every face as he listens to the teacher introduces him, he experiences time stopping and the continuum slowing the world all in a few moments. It was as if he was light and as he moved to his desk warm, light chocolate skin captures his attention. Every detail Kyungsoo saw vividly as their eyes connected in slow motion: lips, that grew pinker towards the center tilted in a smirk, puppy like eyes degraded him with brush of eyelashes across cheek, and a flat, square nose slightly flares as Kyungsoo sits in the same row, three seats away.
Kyungsoo was attracted to him as soon as the first heart palpitates against his Louis Vuitton watch. Yet the arrogant air surrounding him made Kyungsoo focus to what the teacher was talking about. On the touch board had the famous author William Shakespeare staring back in black and white. He was possibly Kyungsoo’s most hated and yet favorited playwright. He hated the bald man for one reason: romance. He loved him because his stories showed the impossibility of love, but the possibility of it all being crushed.
Of course he happened to interrupt the time of assignment being distributed. Luckily for him he likes dabbling into acting too, and every actor should at least be familiar with the most popular writings of William Shakespeare. Any common reading assignment of the writer should be simple, because he’s read his most famous plays.
“You have all finished reading Romeo and Juliet. Today, I will assign the groups and distribute the scenes you will be performing next Friday. Remember, only today’s class will be focused on getting organized with your group, other than that everything has to be done on your own free time.”
The class groans in response, and protests of an approaching talent show is mentioned. The teacher silences the class with hands raised, “I know you are all working very hard for the talent show, but whoever has the best scene will perform on the talent show, which means you’ll be in line for the possibility of winning an opportunity for a commercial. And since I am choosing the group of the best project, you will also be rewarded a gift card to a restaurant of your choosing.”
The class picks back up in chatter of the prizes being waved in front of their faces. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, he could get either prize in a blink of his eyes, but the fascination of achieving it himself piqued his interest.
The teacher took out a paper and started calling out names and appointing people in different teams with what act and scene they were to perform. Kyungsoo suddenly heard a rippling name.
“Kim Jongin and Amber Liu, I’m sorry but you will have to be the only group missing a member.” The teacher apologizes. Kyungsoo watches the tan boy relax in his seat focusing on a girl with short hair and shorts instead of the normal skirts.
So that’s the Kim’s boy, Kyungsoo thinks. He was warned before entering the school that the family he has learned the name of since he could talk had their son enrolled in the same grade as him. At first, he couldn’t care less about the Kim’s son. After feeling the bitter name on his tongue all his life, he gets tired of tasting it and discards the forced hatred away. To know that he is attracted to the enemy’s son brings a thrill to his veins and disgust all at the same time.
“Do Kyungsoo?”
Kyungsoo looks up from his trance and stands in front of the teacher’s disorganized desk. “I didn’t put you into a group because you need to read Romeo and Juliet first.”
“I’ve already read it.” Kyungsoo says.
“You have? Do you remember everything?”
“Like their story was my own life”, Kyungsoo tilts up the corner of his mouth.
“That’s great! You can participate in the competition then? Perfect. One group is missing an actor, you can join them.” The teacher hands him the requirements and tells him what group he is in.
Kyungsoo turns to meet the piercing stare of Kim Jongin. His new partner. A playful smile displays across his face as he strides calmly over to his new group. A feeling of accomplishment as he hears Jongin murmur in distaste, “Heck no.”
“Hi, I’m Do Kyungsoo; you’re new partner.” Kyungsoo devilishly swells with glee as Jongin’s face flushes as he scans Kyungsoo up and down. A dangerous smile is returned to Kyungsoo as he still stares at him. Kyungsoo leans closer to his ear, “A picture always helps.”
Jongin frowns faster than Kyungsoo pulls back. The vein pumping thrill of winning makes Kyungsoo fight off the rest of the boring day without seeing his new class partner. Kyungsoo 1- Jongin 0. Maybe having a family enemy isn’t so bitter as Kyungsoo had once thought, he’s rather enjoying the constant glares and a set jaw that helps accentuate Jongin’s facial features as if Kyungsoo hasn’t admired it enough.
"How about we meet up in the gym after school?" Amber suggests. Kyungsoo nods. He can’t wait to see the boy later that afternoon with Amber. After all, he is going to win the best act. Although he never caught what scene they were reenacting.
Kim Jongin wasn't like Kyungsoo. He didn't have any passed down enthusiasm with his parents’ work as engineers. Although he did enjoy painting like his uncle, but he loved dancing. The soft locking and unlocking of his bones as he moved in different forms and patterns was addicting. Unlike his older sister, he could care less on how to invent a new mechanical knee that could last longer than two decades.
Sweat rolled down the sides of his face as he stares at his reflection. His tongue dashes across the lower half of his philtrum, catching the miniscule beads of sweat. Today, he pushed himself harder. Why? Because Do freaking Kyungsoo. That idiot dared to mess with his pride. It was big mistake on his part. He can still feel the other’s big lips barely come into contact with the flesh of his ear. A picture always helps. Like he would ever want a memorable capture of the short, un-talented loser like him.
Everything about Kyungsoo made Jongin’s skin crawl. He hadn’t though he was so bad at first; his eyes were very bewitching. It was creepy. He reminded Jongin of a beetle. And soon he would have to forced to work with the beetle like boy in thirty minutes. Wait. Make that five!
Kyungsoo turns the next page of Stephen King’s latest novel. He sets it down when he hears the loud pounding of feet skidding across the floor as Jongin reaches him and Amber on the bleachers.
“Sorry, lost track of time.” Jongin avoids all eye contact with Kyungsoo.
Amber rolls her eyes, “I knew you would. I already read through Act 5, Scene 3-”
“Were doing the death scene?” Kyungsoo exclaims.
Jongin rolls his eyes, biting back multiple insults about him being an insect.
“Yeah, and we need a Romeo and Juliet obviously, and Friar Lawrence. The others we can avoid.”
“Well, since I’m the handsomest of this group, I’ll just go ahead and sign myself up with being Romeo.” Jongin smirks. If he takes the main, he can steal the spotlight from the other. Jongin can already envision Kyungsoo in fat suit as the friar (because that’s how he views Friar Lawrence), and he can easily trip the other with his ‘dead’ body. Jongin will be getting the praise as Kyungsoo shrinks in a corner with tears rolling down his face. It was a perfect plan.
Amber writes it down, looks at Kyungsoo with pleading eyes, “Kyungsoo, this is a huge favor since we just met, but I really can’t stand dresses. I start to get rashes all over when I wear them, especially ones with lace. And the only ones the Drama club has available is the dress with lace and frilly stuff.”
Kyungsoo opens his mouth in disbelief. Him? As Juliet? Not in this life. “Sure.” Kyungsoo’s throat contracts with anger because he couldn’t utter the simple word ‘no’. He just met the girl and yet she owes him his dignity. An idea pops in his head. “Aren’t we supposed to interpret this in our own way?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, why don’t we make it a controversial version. You as a transgender, me and Jongin as the queer. The people who are against the marriage of Jongin and I, can be the bullies. Because of them, you are their trying to protect us from well getting killed. Romeo’s speech can be about how he had learned to accept himself and Juliet or Julius, and then gives mushy talk about love is love and their love will last forever. And when Julius wakes up claiming that he would rather die than live with the people who judge him for being true to himself…”
Jongin who was listening quietly, still stuck over the fact that Kyungsoo said he will be the girl. Or the guy? “So Juliet becomes a Julius?”
Kyungsoo nods excited.
Jongin had to hand it the Dough boy. The idea was different, it reached out, and if performed correctly it can touch hearts. But the fact that he has to share the stage, even more so a fake relationship on stage with Kyungsoo, a kid he has been taught to hate with every fiber of his being, it’s a bit… overwhelming. Even the fact that Kyungsoo is actually excited about it scares him more. Does this guy not understand the meaning of sworn enemies? Jongin feels a tingling hand on his knee. Kyungsoo’s eyebrows are creased.
“Look, this is just a performance. Everything that happens on stage, stays on the stage. I don’t like this anymore than you, but a good actor always challenges himself, or else you can never get better.” Kyungsoo tells him with sincerity. Jongin's stomach dropped when he heard that Kyungsoo didn't like it. Does that mean he doesn't like him? Jongin blinks, he doesn't need Kyungsoo to like him because after all their enemies.
It’s screwing up Jongin’s head. The innocent and mischievous twinkle in Kyungsoo’s eyes makes it almost impossible for him to hate the dweeb. Almost. He’s still annoyed for the earlier humiliation.
This next week is going to be difficult. The twang in his heart as Kyungsoo ever talks kindly to him, makes him worried. His kneecap which feels the loss of warmth where Kyungsoo had placed his hand made he’s tightening stomach beg for more. This is can’t be happening. Performance. It’s a performance.
Jongin repeated that through the first three rehearsals at Amber’s house because neither Jongin or Kyungsoo could let the enemy infiltrate their camps. They had the script written no thanks to Kyungsoo’s passion and Amber’s dedication and Jongin’s remarks about how creeped out he was by their efforts.
“Jongin, I know we both have a similar home life. Don’t you think it would be cool to do something without your families help?” Kyungsoo had looked at him and asked.
Jongin agreed with Kyungsoo, but he wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. “Your help is even worse than theirs,” Jongin mutters low, thinking Kyungsoo couldn’t hear him.
Kyungsoo turned around and tilted his head. The soft brown tufts isn’t fixed today, so it fell slightly into those deep brown orbs that confuses Jongin to no end. His pink lips opened to ask a troubling question, “Why?”
From then on Jongin found it difficult to ignore the growing popularity of his enemy, his rich voice that hooked itself around Jongin’s ear every time he uttered a word. His eyes were always drawn to slight shoulders that carried a raised head, but never in pride. Kyungsoo wasn’t like Jongin, who embraced everything his parent’s had given him. Kyungsoo always spoke up when asked about Orion or what gases make up the Greenhouse gases, but he never raised his hand. He also never volunteered to stand up and sing, but waited his chance when the teacher asked him too. His velvet voice echoed in the room rippling like disturbed still water, smooth as melted chocolate. When Kyungsoo entered Jongin’s dance class to learn one complicated routine for the talent show, did Jongin realize how perfect Kyungsoo actually was. He could do everything, even acting to Jongin’s dismay.
“Jongin?” Amber snapped her fingers in his face.
“What?” Jongin said.
“We need to practice the kiss scene. I know you’ve been avoiding it, but we need to perfect it before it’s too late.” Kyungsoo says, face stuck in his script.
The KISS. Jongin was avoiding it. At first it was because he never would want his lips to touch the little beetle’s lips, but the excuse had changed silently. He doesn’t know how affected he would be by Kyungsoo’s lips. Jongin stood up and walked over towards Kyunsoo, “Let’s get this over with.”
Kyungsoo smirked at Jongin’s creased forehead, “You don’t actually think I’d let you kiss me?” Jongin doesn’t answer, making Kyungsoo grin wider, “You really are making me not want to stay single.” Jongin blinks, his heart is pounding loudly as Kyungsoo takes a step closer. Like the first day in Classic Literature, Kyungsoo leans towards his ear, “Action.”
Jongin’s lip curls, blushing madly. He glances at Amber who is trying to hold in laughter, but failing miserably because he face is squished up, and short intake of breath as she calms herself. Once again, Kyungsoo has bested him. Jongin promises, he will pay back the favor. Kyungsoo - 2, Jongin - 0.
Three days before their performance. Jongin was sitting on the bleachers, reading over his lines. Kyungsoo calmly walks in talking to someone on the phone.
“No, I can’t Saturday.” Jongin listens quietly, using his acting skills to pretend he doesn’t hear anything. “Hyung! You know how my mom hates it when you show up unannounced.” Kyungsoo pauses, and Jongin can barely hear a male voice whining loudly. “A movie sounds fine. What did your dad get recently?” Another pause. “I really want to see that movie! It’s a deal, but you’re making the popcorn. I made it last time! Okay, bye!” Kyungsoo hangs up and swings his bookbag in the seat below Jongin.
“Hey”, Kyungsoo digs for his script.
“Who was that?” Jongin lets his curiosity overcome his mouth.
“Suho. You know Suho right? Well, we usually hang out on Saturday, but I have a banquet to attend, so we made plans for Sunday. It’s really cool too because Suho’s dad has all these great connections with film director’s, so he gets the movie while it’s in the theaters! Suho always brings one new movie and one he wants to watch, and we’ll watch them in my home theater.” Kyungsoo grins, eyes twinkling annoyingly.
Jongin and Kyungsoo had different friends too. It was split evenly: Jongin had five close friends, Kyungsoo had five close friends. It really wasn’t as military as it sounded. Their friends didn’t hate one another- it was just Kyungsoo and Jongin. Although, Jongin wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo and him were on some mutual peace treaty while they work together or they really didn’t hate each other.
“What yard?” Jongin asks.
“3.6, we had to downsize because we needed room for the snack bar.” Kyungsoo’s bottom lip pokes out, Jongin fantasizes poking it back in.
He stops himself, “Where’s Amber?”
“It’s just me and you today. She couldn’t get off, so I said I would help you instead.”
“Help me?”
Kyungsoo nods, “Let’s just say, you’re acting skills aren’t that great.”
Jongin scoffs, “Excuse me! I can act better than you any day,”
Kyungsoo chuckles, “I doubt that. But I think you could, if you let me help you.”
“No way.”
“Jongin,” Jongin shivers at the soft lull of Kyungsoo’s voice when he says his name. “How about this. You help me with the talent show dance, and I help you with acting today.”
“What makes you think I want to help you?” Jongin crosses his arms. “Were enemies remember?”
Kyungsoo sighs, “That’s my parents and your parents. That’s your grandmother and my grandmother. Look at me and tell me you hate me just like them.”
Jongin willingly stares at Kyungsoo. His brain keeps yelling at him to hate him. But no where in his heart did he feel hate because hate can’t exist when you love.
“Kyungsoo, how many times do I have to say back step, hand out, squat, thrust?” Jongin rubs his head. He’s been teaching Kyungsoo the same combination for ten minutes and the clumsy dough boy still can’t get it.
Kyungsoo, sweaty, tired and happy, tries to fight the smirk that wants rise. Jongin has been trying to teach him one of the easiest parts for ten minutes. Kyungsoo understood it completely, but after accidentally missing it the first attempt to dance all the way through, Jongin stopped him and broke it down, not even asking if Kyungsoo understood. When Jongin pressed the music, Kyungsoo stepped forward instead of backwards, laughing inwardly when Jongin sighs, and tells him the steps again. Over and over they go through the same process, Jongin getting angrier at each pound of the bass.
“Let’s try it again.” Jongin presses play.
Kyungsoo heads over to the left, keeping his eyes trained on Jongin’s reflection in the back. He kicks his left foot out, arms bent, step back, hand out, squat, and thrust. Kyungsoo continues on with the dance until the final fading. He caught Jongin’s gaping mouth, but recovers quickly when the music fades.
Jongin claps, “You did it. It’s weird that you messed that part up, but everything else was perfect.”
“Perfect?” Kyungsoo raises his eye at the other’s compliment.
Jongin blushes, “I mean you were nearly almost as good as me.”
The shorter takes his bottle of water, gulping it down with a pop as his lips let go of the plastic. Jongin tries not to stare. “Wow, a compliment from the master! Millions would die just to be in the same room, but I was compared to the god himself.”
“Shut up”, Jongin retaliates with a smile.
“Are you ready to act?”
“No.”
Kyungsoo ignores Jongin’s answer and starts reading what notes he has written. “I noticed whenever you start to die, you become more monotone. But that’s the most important moment. When you’re proclaiming your love you need to say it with sadness, affection, and urgency.”
Jongin swallows. “Okay.”
“Let’s do it then.”
Both sitting down, Jongin scoots closer, because that’s what’s written. He starts reciting the lines they had translated, “This light that has seen Paris dead. Now Julius, his beauty fills the room.” Jongin’s eyes trial each inch of Kyungsoo’s face. “How often can a man be happy before he dies! How can I call this light?
“My love, my husband! Death has taken the honey from your breath, but your beauty and youth remain. There is still red on your lips and in your cheeks.” A quick glance at his plush lips; hope spreads through Jongin’s stomach as red curves its way up Kyungsoo’s bloomed cheek. “Death hasn’t turned them pale. What else could I do for you then kill the man that cursed your name, who hates that you love, who killed you. Forgive me, cousin. My Julius, why are you so beautiful. I can’t let the hatred that chased us haunt you, so I will stay…”
Kyungsoo stops him. Their eyes link in the sedative silence. Jongin found himself leaning closer until he could feel Kyungsoo’s warm breath hit his lips, and a voice to come with it.
“You did good! Except you can’t look at me the whole time, pretend the audience is your mirror. You had much more emotion this time. I’m proud. You must’ve been holding back.” Kyungsoo grins, sitting away from Jongin. He grabs his bag, stands, and slings his bag of his shoulder. “Thanks for helping me today.”
Jongin follows suit, “Likewise, although you really didn’t help me. You were the most bothersome”, he finishes.
Kyungsoo smirks, humming, “You really think I didn’t know how to do that combination?”
Confused, Jongin cocks his head, “What?”
“I lost my balance when stepping back the first time. I always knew what I was supposed to do. Only a fool would get back, hand movements, squats, and thrusts wrong.”
“You were pretending to get that wrong?” Jongin asks in disbelief.
“Of course.” Kyungsoo looks at his phone.
Jongin froze for a moment before punching Kyungsoo in the arm.
Kyungsoo opens his eyes wide, fire already spitting flames at him, “What was that for?”
“We did that part at least thirty times! I thought my brain was going to explode with frustration!”
“I know. That’s why I did it. You have the funniest expressions.” Kyungsoo laughs.
Jongin curses. He can’t stay mad when he finally gets to hear the other laugh for the first time. He finds himself laughing along, claiming, “No, I don’t.”
Kyungsoo leans on Jongin for support, as he curls over in laughter, “You’re face.” He feels Jongin freeze. Kyungsoo turns to see why the younger has stopped. His face was rigid.
“My face?”
“It’s funny.”
Jongin looks at Kyungsoo with seriousness, “Is it?”
Kyungsoo slowly looks away, uncomfortable with his intense stare. It was too much. He looked… seductive with his lidded dark eyes. A tan hand cups his chin, bringing him to face Jongin once more.
“Answer me.” Jongin commands.
Kyungsoo murmurs, “No, you’re pretty.” Kyungsoo feels like slamming his door against the wall. He just called him pretty. No guy wants to be called pretty. Especially not Kim Jongin. An adjective like pretty belongs with a young girl, not masculine dancer Jongin.
Jongin’s hand drops from Kyungsoo’s chin, pulling the older’s heart strings. “Oh”, he says before striding out of the room without even saying goodbye.
Kyungsoo drops to the floor. He’s done it. He thought him and Jongin were getting along. He thought they threw away their families hate and started new. A friendship.
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he was aiming for maybe something more. But he was aiming friendship, that and well someone he can tease.
Friday came too quick for Jongin. He had been avoiding Kyungsoo like the plague. After their moment in the dance room, Jongin couldn’t spare another moment with Kyungsoo, afraid that he would let his feelings over take his senses and he would kiss him until breathing wasn’t a concern. Kyungsoo made it even more so difficult than usual. He was always looking Jongin concerned. Couldn’t he see how much torture he was making the dancer go through?
Jongin had decided he needed help. And fast. So it was natural to talk to his closest friend Chanyeol, after school the day before. “Chan, I have a serious problem.”
“And I have exciting news! But you go first.” Chanyeol fold his legs in Jongin’s bean bag chair he kept since he was a young kid.
“Okay, well there’s this person. And well I like him, but there are tons of problems. He and I… can’t go together. He’s just, well, my whole family hates every skin cell that has ever grown on him. Same goes for his family.”
“That’s rough.”
“But I think we’ve put all that behind us. I really like him and the other day we were together and I think he likes me too but I can’t just say hey how’s it going you wanna date me because as I said our families hate each other and it’s really bothering me because I can’t stop thinking about him and I just don’t know what to do.” Jongin says all in a rushed breath, mingling his words together.
“You like Do Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol hangs his mouth open. “That’s great because I can talk him up for you!”
Jongin was about to deny that it’s Kyungsoo, but who else family hates Jongin vice versa. “You are friends with him?”
Chanyeol gives a look to Jongin, “Of course. My good news was that I found someone to do the talent show with. And that someone is Kyungsoo.”
Jongin glares at his friend, “What?”
“Well, I heard him practicing, so I went to go compliment him. He told me he was practicing for the talent show, but he was still unsure whether he was going to do it. I asked him why. He said because he wants a different stage than just a typical solo; he says it’s boring. So that gave me an idea. I asked him if he wanted to perform with me.
“He told me sing, so I rapped and he said I was perfect match, it was different. So we’ve been meeting up at his house every day he doesn’t have his project work.” Chanyeol grins.
That sounds like Kyungsoo. Always was trying to do something different. Jongin’s lip curls. “So you’re close?”
“I mean we’re not super friends yet, but he’s really easy to get along with. I’m close enough to see if he likes someone and stuff.” Chanyeol shrugs.
I hate those stupid shoulders, Jongin keeps his gaze on his friend.
Chanyeol looks up after expecting praise for his great connections. Instead he finds a very angry Jongin, eyes showing different ways Jongin was going to kill him. “Trust me I don’t like him! He’s great, but never, ever. I promise.”
Jongin calms down, smiling at all the dots in his head meeting the middle. “Will you really talk to him?”
Chanyeol leans away from Jongin’s creepy personality change, “Sure…”
Jongin should've known talking included a had wrapped comfortably around Kyungsoo's narrow shoulders. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo casually strolled through the halls to Chanyeol's locker, which was a good six feet away from Jongin's. His eyes turned to glaring slits as Chanyeol continues of talking in Kyungsoo's ear. Jongin clenched his fist. Sure, Chanyeol was doing a favor, but it wasn't necessary to be all over the boy. He slams his locker and stalks away, trying his best not to look back.
His first class was with Chanyeol. As the long legged oaf stumbles to the seat beside Jongin’s, he pulled out his book. “So, I talked to him.”
Jongin faced his friend, turning so fast his neck made a sickly crack. Chanyeol grimaced. “What happened? Does he like me? What did he say?”
“One question at a time. I asked Kyungsoo if he liked anybody yet at school, so he blushed after a moment before he said yes. I asked him who. And he just mumbled a partner he is working with.”
Jongin grinned, but wait. Amber is his partner too. What if he has multiple partners in other classes? “Did he say what class? Any gender specific?” Although he was sure Kyungsoo showed him all the interest rather than Amber.
Chanyeol shrugged, “Oh! This was after you left, but when you did go he watched you for awhile before sighing.”
Jongin was 99.3% sure Kyungsoo liked him. But the 0.7% really bugged him.
Classic Literature came faster than Jongin expected. He couldn't drive his attention towards his teacher it always leaned over to small boy with mesmerizing eyes three seats away. A distance that can be cut with long strides with Jongin's legs. He could feel holes being burned it the side of his face.
"Jongin?"
"Yes!" Jongin snaps out of his encouraging chant and looks at the beady eyes belonging to his teacher.
"Is your group ready to perform?"
Crap! Jongin forgot that today was their Romeo and Juliet performance. "Yes, sir."
Jongin, Amber, and Kyungsoo rise out of their seats, walking to the front. Kyungsoo laid on the floor as the students looked down because their room is like miniature theatre. Jongin says his lines, Kyungsoo’s reminders on the back of his mind. “And with this kiss, I die.” Jongin pulls Kyungsoo’s face towards him, away from the audience. Jongin’s head hovers just above Kyungsoo’s plush lips. He takes out his poison phile and slumps back to the floor ‘dead’.
Kyungsoo then wakes, saying his lines that were split with Amber. Finally, we were at the last part where Kyungsoo raps up the scene with their twist of lines. “With knife, I can meet you again with no judging looks or families that refuse our love. Let it rust inside my body and let me die.” Silence fills the classroom.
When Jongin and Kyungsoo start to rise out of their positions did applause come. The three of them bowed. The bell rung since they were the last scene. Before they could escape, the teacher pulled them to his desk.
“I really appreciate your view. It was well written, not too much detail but just enough to know what was going on. Despite all your hard work, getting this performance for the talent show is going to be difficult. A fight. But you deserve it. I’m going to talk to the director about it. May I ask did all three of you write it?” The teacher’s eyes skim each student.
Amber glances at Jongin before answering, “It was mostly Kyungsoo. He came up with the idea and wrote most of it. I edited and gave little suggestions.”
The teacher praised Kyungsoo in which he gave a shy attentive smile.
Kyungsoo and Jongin shared lunch periods, and today Jongin wasn’t going to just watch Kyungsoo eat across the cafeteria. Jongin tugged on Kyungsoo spontaneously, telling him to sit with him outside.
“Jongin, why are we out here? We could’ve eaten inside. With people, not caterpillars.” Kyungsoo frowns at the perfectly cut grass.
“I want to know you more. Since we’ve spent sixteen years of our lives hating each other’s guts and we didn’t even know each other. So spill.” Jongin takes a sip of his cold soda.
“There’s not much too spill.” Kyungsoo admits, making Jongin nudge him to continue, “First off, I never really hated you. I just wanted to tease you. I mostly sing, but as you saw I like acting quite a bit. But it wasn’t originally like that. When I was seven I was sure I was going to be an astronaut. But after going to the states and seeing NASA, I could honestly care less about floating around in an non oxygenated place.”
“What about saving the planet with energy preservatives?”
Kyungsoo chuckles darkly, “I always hated when my mother enforced stupid recycling rules at my house. I can recite every product that belongs in a recycle bin. But because of her, I’m pretty strict on stuff like that too.”
Jongin smirks, dropping a wrapper to the ground.
Kyungsoo eyes, twitching.
“Oh no, Kyungsoo! Plastic wrapper has fallen, we are going to die!” Jongin shouts dramatically. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo is rolling his eyes, but never losing contact with the wrapper.
The wind carries it a few feet farther away from where they sit. “Okay, Jongin, you’re quite funny. Now go pick it up.”
“No, beetle.”
“Beetle?”
Jongin blushes, embarrassed by the nickname he had given him. “heh.”
Kyungsoo glares at him, “You will pick up that wrapper before I smack you upside the head.”
Jongin grins. Finally, he has won against the boy. Kyungsoo- 808,923, Jongin - 1!.
“What will you do if I won’t?” Jongin challenged feeling a surge of power high.
Jongin never expected Kyungsoo to smirk. He never expected that Kyungsoo would take slow steps toward him. He never expected to his heartrate to beat at double pace; he felt a soft hand slowly touch the exposed skin above his collar. He never expected for his hand to pull the other’s hanging tie down and closer to his face. He never expected his lips to meet with Kyungsoo’s.
At first it was slow. Nerves couldn’t send the message fast enough that they were kissing. But their lips danced together before Jongin’s eyes slightly fluttered open and closed pulling Kyungsoo closer making him fall onto the boy’s lap still attached. Jongin flushed at the new pressure on his legs. He snaked his arm inside Kyungsoo’s coat as Kyungsoo wraps his arms around Jongin’s neck.
Kyungsoo hums when Jongin dug circles into his back; Jongin moaned slightly when tongue dashes across his bottom lip. Lips parted, Kyungsoo’s tongue caressed his mouth. Jongin hastily started to unbutton Kyungsoo’s white top as Kyungsoo teeth started to scrape against his lip, slowly moving down to his jaw until the bell rung.
The older jumped up in surprise. His cheeks were flushed red, shirt slightly crooked, half of his torso exposed to the raw sun. Jongin hasn’t seen anything more beautiful. His skin was burning, hips aching for more contact. Kyungsoo - billion and a half, Jongin - 1.
Jongin got up as Kyungsoo started to back away. He reached out snatching the other’s hand.
“Let go,” he says, trying to march off.
“I don’t want too.” Jongin says. “I don’t ever want to let you go.”
“What?”
“Ever since you came here, you and me weren’t supposed to end up kissing on a bench and me liking it. But, we belong together.” Jongin pulls Kyungsoo against his chest in hug. “We belong together.”
Kyungsoo has kept quiet until this point. He breaks into laughter; Jongin pulls away. Kyungsoo meets his questioning eyes, “It’s ironic. We’re just like Romeo and Juliet.”
“Ew, don’t compare us to them. Our love is greater than theirs. And we won’t die.” Jongin scoffs.
“Our parent’s might kill us if they ever knew.” Kyungsoo mumbles.
“That’s their problem.”
“So what does that mean?”
Jongin rests his head on Kyungsoo’s, “You mean what does that make us? I guess we’re two people who have fallen in love.”
“Does that make us boyfriends?”
“Oh! You mean that. Sure, only if you want.”
Kyungsoo snuggles closer if that was possible, and responds like a child, “I want.”