Fanfiction: One Cut At A Time - Part 2
Title: One Cut At A Time (Part 2/?)
Genre: Romance/Humour
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jongyu, Minkey
Summary: Hairdresser meets country bumpkin. A classic love story.
A/N: Just under 7000 words... Over dramatic. Really.
Part 1
Jonghyun concludes that the whole thing is a crush. It’s not that he is trying to deny it because he did feel those stupid things for days after Kibum’s promise, a heart full of anticipation with palms sweaty in anxiety. But in the end, Jonghyun did not see that awkward cousin, almost a full week passing by. And to be frank, by Monday Jonghyun had little time to even think about the boy named Lee Jinki.
Work piles sky high: a composition due by the end of the week, two papers based on composers who went insane in their genius, and Jonghyun’s fulltime job filled with appointments for young men and women attending their high school grad.
Nope, now life is his priority and Jonghyun has no time to worry about a precious looking man with pretty black eyes and an insanely perfect smile. Okay, scratch the whole last thought because Jonghyun knows he really is over the brief encounter that sent his belly doing back flips.
As a young man, Jonghyun has his dream to work towards and that is all he has time for. It is foolish to even consider a love life; after all that is why his girlfriend left him months ago. Well at least part of the reason why.
It’s a pleasing conclusion and Jonghyun grins to himself as he runs down the street from the bus stop. He is late for work, and he is pretty sure he is going to get a beating from his manager but Jonghyun schemes to come up with a full proof excuse. For example, his teacher kept him late for class past midnight to discuss just why Mozart was actually not that brilliant and how Clara Shuman needed to stop cheating on- Okay maybe that would not work.
Jonghyun bolts through the front doors, bells jingling in his wake and he struts into the salon waving a hand to the front desk.
“Sorry noona! I was late because my prof-”
“Jonghyun! Come here!”
The hairdresser flinches, wondering if he caught his noona at a bad time, but the woman pulls him towards her with a hand over his mouth.
“Who is that?” she hisses, pointing to the waiting area, only a few customers present during mornings.
Jonghyun of course blinks, thinking that maybe his boss is going insane because he does not really see anything out of the ordinary: a sizable woman with red straw for hair, a skinny girl blowing bubble gum who has likely skipped school, and last but not least, a shady looking guy wearing a black hoodie in the corner giggling to a magazine with H.O.T. on the cover.
Wait. Okay maybe the last person is a little out of the ordinary.
His noona turns to him as they spy from behind the front desk, which Jonghyun thinks must look pretty ridiculous.
“That young man in the corner,” Jonghyun’s manager starts, “He looks like some no good juvenile. Did you bring another one of your druggie friends here?”
Jonghyun scowls at her. “Noona, I already told you that art schools are not full of drug addicts, and secondly I don’t have any friends like that.”
She stares at him with incriminating eyes and Jonghyun pushes away the urge to leave work early. “But you are friends with that Kibum fellow,” his manager protests, “He’s a questionable kid.”
Jonghyun sighs heavily, a little more than annoyed now.
“Okay noona,” Jonghyun replies, his patience lost as he rises from their crouched position, “I’m just going to leave now if you are going to be like this.” He eyes her up and down, Jonghyun knowing full well that he is not in the mood to deal with her attitude. He would not put up with people insulting Kibum for being -for a lack of better words- different.
However, much to his surprise, the threat works and the woman clings to his hand and hisses in his ear.
“Okay sorry!” she apologizes quickly, “But please just figure out what that guy is doing here Jonghyun. You’re the man of the salon so protect us from this delinquent kid!”
The request is pathetic and Jonghyun thinks that a day off would be nice, but as he looks to his coworkers, two of them eyeing the man nervously along with his manager’s petrified stare, he decides against it. Flinging his bag onto a nearby counter, Jonghyun tries to go for the tough look, puckering his lips flat with a blazing stare, copied from his dearest companion Minho. He walks forward, ignoring the skinny girl smacking her gum at him with a flirtatious gaze.
“Ahem.”
A loud manly scoff, jolting the woman with red hair from her doze, but much to Jonghyun’s dismay, it’s the male that does not respond, still absorbed in the out-of-date magazine. Jonghyun decides to step even closer this time around, invading what he thinks is personal space, hovering like a bug. Again no response given, making Jonghyun look helplessly to his coworkers who shrug and shake their heads.
“Yah!” Jonghyun jeers, realizing that no other method but direct contact would work as he nudges the man on the shoulder, “You here for a cut or something?”
“Ah Jonghyun!”
If it’s physically possible, Jonghyun thinks his heartbeat triples in speed as his ears process the smooth milky voice.
“J-Jinki hyung?”
There is the object of his affection sitting before him with a long broad smile, peering out from beneath a black hood, and Jonghyun wants nothing more but to press his lips to the man’s, send him reeling off his feet and into the nearest hotel, dingy or not.
So much for being just a crush.
“Kibum told me you worked here, since I kind of needed to see you-”
“So you do know him! It is another delinquent!”
Jonghyun frowns for what feels like the hundredth time that morning as his manager’s shrill cry ruins what could have been a disgustingly warm mushy moment in his heart.
“Yah! Are you insane?!”
The woman glares at Jonghyun but promptly silences herself and motions one of the customers into an empty chair. Jonghyun rolls his eyes and looks back to Jinki, who seems startled by the sudden outburst.
“I hope I didn’t come on a bad day,” Jinki panics, turning a little pale.
“No you didn’t,” reassures Jonghyun, a grin instantaneously reaching his lips, hoping to distract the nervous man.
And sure enough Jinki returns the smile with a small laugh, a joyous noise which drives Jonghyun’s heart crawling up the wall.
“Um right,” states Jinki, recomposing his thoughts, “I kind of needed you to fix my hair… Again. I uh kind of well…”
Jonghyun arches a brow as the older man places the outdated magazine on an empty seat and drops his hood. After being apart for so long, this is the sight he is greeted with and Jonghyun’s first instinct is to laugh in delirium as the great divide appears before him. However, before he even gets the chance to chuckle, the hairdresser’s eyes catch it, a black headband wrapped around the man’s forehead, messily holding Jinki’s hair in place. Only a few strands straggle away, longer locks falling back to frame a slender neck.
Jonghyun thinks that he might just be staring, possibly, according to Jinki’s bewildered gaze anyway.
“I-I can explain!” stutters Jinki, waving his hands uselessly in front of his face, “When Kibum and I tried to style my hair the next morning, we couldn’t figure it out! It just kind of kept falling back to this.” Jinki not so subtly points directly to the partition across his head. “And Kibum said I couldn’t leave the house again because I looked like a ‘walking horror show.’”
Jonghyun snorts at the glamourous sensitivity that his best friend possesses.
“Anyway,” continues Jinki, tugging at the fabric of his pants out of habit, “I told Kibum that it would be good if maybe I saw you again- you know, to cut my hair. He gave me the address of the salon with the condition that I couldn’t go out without wearing this thing on my head… So I would look ‘adequate’ in public.” Jinki stares up at Jonghyun. “So that’s the story. Oh! And I have money to pay you this time!”
If anything, Jonghyun thinks Jinki’s has no concept of self regard, being bullied and ushered by Kibum at every turn without noticing, and Jonghyun would gladly reprimand his best friend for acting like a jerk. Except when Jonghyun looks back to Jinki and the fitting accessory, making the man look like some hot ass Asian fighter, he forgets why he is upset with Kibum in the first place.
Jonghyun just quietly inhales a breath instead, nodding his head to the side and guiding the older man towards the washing bins. It’s better to deal with this situation one step at a time.
Jinki follows timidly behind him, eventually sitting down and leaning his head back into a large wash basin. And for all his compliance, Jonghyun does not expect the visible wince the older man makes as Jonghyun moves in to remove the headband. It’s just a little unnerving.
“Did I scratch you or something?”
“No!” Jinki manages to flounder as his hair is rinsed with warm water. “It was just, uh the temperature kind of surprised me.”
“Too cold?” Jonghyun suggests although he does not buy Jinki’s excuse at all, turning the tap left as a test. A triumph as Jinki jerks his head up and away from the sudden spray of warm water.
“So it wasn’t the temperature?” Jonghyun smirks as he catches the older man red handed for lying.
Jinki pouts and lowers his head back into the tub as Jonghyun takes pity, lathering the man’s hair and running fingers through chestnut strands. The hairdresser waits for a reply, watching Jinki seemingly piece together the words in his head.
“I… I wanted you to actually cut it this time,” Jinki finally explains, shutting an eye as Jonghyun’s hands splash in the soapy water, “Because I was nervous about it before, but I really think you can do a good job, so… so can you cut it shorter? Do what you think is good?”
Really bizarre, considering the guy with the great divide across his head is worried about getting a good haircut. For all it is worth, Jonghyun would have been insulted however instead the hairdresser feels pride bubble within. He cannot help but feel flattered that the anxious and bashful man is actually giving him his trust.
Which is exactly why, Jonghyun wants to give Jinki the best cut he possibly can. He would out cut that old lady who destroyed a young man’s handsome face with a distracting outdated hairstyle. It would be a little sad to see the sleek cut from before go, but Jonghyun knows exactly what would suit the older man’s personality better, not to mention accommodate his lack of styling ability.
“You trust me?” Jonghyun states the question with an arrogant smirk, rubbing Jinki’s hair into a towel.
Jinki hesitates, looking about nervously before glancing up beneath damp bangs and Jonghyun holds his breath as Jinki nods, looking far too cute for any sane male (Well exception Taemin, but that boy defied every sexual stereotype combined.).
It is enough encouragement for him and Jonghyun drags Jinki to an empty salon chair, foot jamming into the lever at the bottom, bumping the man upwards. Jinki squirms again and Jonghyun decides not to look into it too much this time around, grabbing a bowl and squirting various dyes into a bowl. Jonghyun watches as the older man’s eyes grow as round as saucers, watching the liquid turn from a bright yellow to a dusty orange. He briefly wonders how Jinki did not suffer from cardiac arrest every time he got a haircut.
“You’ll look fine hyung,” reassures Jonghyun, feeling that it would be much better if he did not have to call emergency from his customer going into shock. “This is only for highlights, nothing more.”
“Right…” Jinki stutters, composed act failing miserably as his voice trembles and his body refuses to relax.
Jonghyun rolls his eyes and proceeds all the same. With a small smile, the hairdresser begins his work: tinfoil and brushes whipped out and applied, then throwing Jinki under the heater, only to have him come out and snip at his hair furiously with scissors and razor in hand. As expected, Jinki winces repeatedly, but there is no verbal protest and surprisingly, Jonghyun finds himself near finished in thirty minutes.
Just a few more snips, the hair dryer, some curling mousse-
“Do you find it kind of intimate?”
-Come again?
Jonghyun barely stills the blades of his scissors, millimeters from the back of Jinki’s neck where he could have quite possibly cut off a chunk of the chestnut hair.
“What is intimate?”
Jinki does not dare to look Jonghyun in the eye, instead having a nervous reaction of tongue peeking out before pressing pink lips together.
“I mean cutting someone’s hair.”
Jonghyun arches a brow, still utterly confused by Jinki’s words.
“Well I mean you are touching someone’s head right?” Jinki is suddenly insistent, grasping onto the straws of his fragile reasoning. “I mean, people are putting a lot of trust into you right?”
Trust? So that’s what it was.
“Are you worried I’m going to be Sweeny Todd and stab you in the head?” It’s an epiphany, and the absurd words leave Jonghyun’s lips, although they sound completely rational in his head. Jinki just stares at him with an astonished gaze, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Well I won’t,” explains the hairdresser, running his fingers through the shorter hair with thick white foam in hand, “I won’t make you into a meat pie that is.”
“Ha…”
Just the beginning to a sudden flurry of laughter and Jonghyun’s chest tightens, soaring into the sky as he watches Jinki keel over from the lame joke, eyes watering with hands covering a long wide smile. And it is in that instance, Jonghyun admires his work, realizing he has made the perfect choice, that the cut matches the jubilant expression of the man before him, clumsy but charming. And maybe he does not want to admit it, that Jonghyun finds himself staring at Jinki yet again.
“I-I finished by the way.” Jonghyun wants to shoot himself for letting his guard down as he shields his blushing face with his hand.
But as expected, Jinki takes no notice of the change of expression in the hairdresser, instead halting his laughter and swallowing nervously. He turns to look at the mirror for the first time, gaze having been drawn to his feet for most of the process.
It’s a much shorter cut, mixing brown and blonde for a wholesome looking style that is not too modern but not outdated either. Simple but fun and Jinki’s lips turn into a slow grin as he looks upon his reflection, his eyes hiding sweetly beneath wavy bangs. Jonghyun briefly marvels his talent at finding the perfect cut and finds himself thinking that he has achieved the fucking impossible of making a cute cut look hot at the same time.
He never knew he had a fetish for country looking boys.
That or Jinki was just a flawless anomaly of a person.
“I really really like it.”
The words are almost breathless, Jinki swiveling in his chair and looking up to Jonghyun with appreciation, a look that surely would have had Jonghyun squeal himself silly, if he was a girl and not the manliest of men.
… Okay so maybe not quite so manly, Jonghyun’s cheeks reddening as he rubs his thumbs just beneath his eyes, wiping away the start of a not so macho sniffle.
“I want to make it up to you.” Jinki’s voice is serious as he looks at Jonghyun earnestly, throwing the hairdresser off as Jinki does that impossible thing, snap second going from cute to handsome. “Anything you want.”
Magic. Those words are magic and Jonghyun wonders if his hyung understands the implications at all, of just how much anything could mean. He wants to take advantage of it and Jonghyun’s throat tightens as his hand falls upon Jinki’s shoulder. He’s done this before and Jonghyun knows from experience that being direct is best as his eyes focus on Jinki and his hand falls on the young man’s shoulder.
“Date m-”
“Yahhh, Jonghyun could you hurry it up?”
The feminine voice rings clear cut, of a bubblegum quality with an icy undertone.
Both males turn their gazes away from each other, previous request dashed from their minds as they stare at a wonderfully perfect girl. Her long curly blonde locks, fiery pair of chocolate brown eyes, and slim body with legs for days peeking out from a pair of frayed denim shorts. She is the type of girl that has both men and women swinging their heads to catch a glimpse of her perfection, a perfection that Jonghyun was once connected to.
Jessica
“I’m talking to a customer Jess.” Jonghyun smirks pretentiously while rolling his eyes. “You should know to respect that.”
“And I’m here for a cut,” she replies frankly, not missing a beat as her hands fall on her hips, “You should know not to keep a customer waiting Jong.” Her eyelashes flutter before her gaze falls upon Jinki, the man’s hands curled in his lap as he swallows pensively. Jessica smiles at him before returning her gaze to Jonghyun. “This is the type you are into now?”
His heart pounds and Jonghyun glares at Jessica, reaching out an arm to protect Jinki-
Except the awkward man stands on his own, eyes hidden beneath long bangs with a timid smile visible.
“I shouldn’t have taken so much of your time.” The mellow voice apologizes and Jinki bows to the blonde haired woman before spinning clumsily towards the young hairdresser. “Thank you Jonghyun.” His hands shove forward a few paper bills into Jonghyun’s hands.
“I’ll get going now. Keep the change”
Jinki nearly dashes off, pulling his hood over his head and rushing towards the door.
Jonghyun takes off after him.
He never even knew he had such reflexes, known for skipping gym classes all the time in high school and being a total unmotivated slob. Yet somehow Jonghyun manages it, sprinting after Jinki and grasping the man’s bony wrist in his palm. Albeit he is a little bit at a loss for breath as they stand just outside the salon, bells from the front door ringing in their wake.
“Hyung,” Jonghyun starts, giving an inquisitive stare to the man hiding beneath a black hood, “Don’t take what Jessica says so seriously. She’s just being her usual impatient self.”
“A-ah.” Jinki laughs with a forced smile and Jonghyun frowns as the normally warm noise sounds sour to his ears. “I just kind of get nervous when girls like her are around.”
Instantly, Jonghyun’s mind jumps to a million places, throat closing shut as his grips tightens around Jinki’s wrist, a rush of adrenaline from sudden anxiety.
This always happens with every single guy…
“You don’t like her do you?” Jonghyun chokes out.
Jinki stares back with astonishment at the wide eye look directed his way.
“No, that’s not it at all!” The older man protests, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he realizes he has made another poor choice in words in an attempt to explain himself.
But the words are enough to have Jonghyun relax, the start of a new burning hate towards the vixen in his life subsiding. But there are other problems as Jonghyun notices Jinki return the previous curious gaze he had, which could only be asking one thing. This one thing being something Jonghyun did not even want to hear.
“Are you worried,” begins the older man as Jonghyun swallows, knowing where Jinki’s mind is naively going. “Because you like her? Um.” Jinki’s eyelids flutter before he looks down at Jonghyun. “Do you like her, uh- Jessica?”
Jonghyun wants to vomit at the horrifying thought of falling in love with her again and he shakes his head furiously, hand leaving Jinki’s wrist to rub through his hair.
“She’s my ex.”
“Oh.” Jinki’s eyes widen, narrow space becoming round upon realization.
“Yeah.”
It’s silent and Jonghyun tilts his head, nails just scraping along the back of his neck. It’s really no big deal, really it isn’t so he should be able to say something, anything. But Jonghyun’s motivation fails as his lips stay pressed together.
“You...” Jinki pauses this time to carefully choose his words, attempting to break the ever so awkward atmosphere. “You handle yourself well around her.”
The earnest look beneath honey coloured locks and Jonghyun’s stiff front fades away, smile drawing through.
“Yeah,” Jonghyun replies rubbing his finger along his bottom lip, feeling somewhat embarrassed, “Well it’s not like I should hold onto bad feelings right just cause she’s my ex right?”
Jonghyun peeks up at Jinki, expecting a firm nod of agreement. What he receives however is the familiar nervous reaction from the country boy, a tongue slipping in and out past pursed lips and a stretched philtrum.
Jinki avoids replying, eyes dark.
It’s none of his business anyway.
The strange feeling locks in Jonghyun’s mind and unlike Kibum who would poke around, the hairdresser does not have the heart to prod into Jinki’s personal matters. Something about the way Jinki reacts makes Jonghyun want to back off.
Instead he reaches a hand into his back pockets, pulling out a few paper bills. Jonghyun thrusts them towards Jinki and smiles.
“Your change. I don’t feel good about taking so much extra.”
Jinki takes the bills between his fingers, biting down on his bottom lip as he stares at them.
Something is not right about the situation, and Jonghyun hates the weird sensation crawling up his spine as somehow they managed to move from amicable to plain out heavy. He is not even sure what is up, but Jonghyun feels like any misstep would lead to hitting a landmine.
It’s a fragile atmosphere and Jonghyun steps backwards wanting to restart another time. Jinki is hot and all, finally available to have a one-on-one conversation with Jonghyun, but even he has enough experience to know when to stop pushing.
“Well I have to go back to wor-”
“A date.”
Jonghyun pauses midsentence, his face frozen with an expression of apparent confusion.
“You were asking about a date before right? B-before um Jessica came?” Jinki is looking at him and Jonghyun is cursing his shallow self for giving in to the adorably shy face instead of running away like his instincts told him.
“Tonight!”
Jinki’s palm is now encircled around Jonghyun’s wrist, anxiety the last thing on Jonghyun’s mind as he accepts the simple touch.
“Tonight,” Jinki repeats, looking rather flustered, “Six o’clock? Come to have barbeque at the local grill? The one that the Sung family owns?”
And now Jonghyun’s mouth waters at the thought of going to the best restaurant in town with an excess of meat. Not only is Jinki being grossly attractive to Jonghyun, but now the man is enticing his stomach. How could this guy be so unaware yet hitting all of Jonghyun’s buttons?
“Sure.” Jonghyun tries to play it cool, slouching with a cocky grin. “Sure I can go out to eat tonight.”
Lies since he is skipping night class but not like Jinki would know that.
“Great! That’s really great.” And Jinki’s loaded million watt smile sends fireworks off in Jonghyun’s brain, leaving the younger man feeling ridiculous for reacting like some sixteen year old being asked out on a first date.
“I’ll see you later then.”
“Yeah later.”
The awkward man in the black hoodie retreats and Jonghyun watches blankly until Jinki is out of sight. Then, and only then is when Jonghyun throws his hands up into the air and shakes his frazzled head.
Fuck he was so unprepared. What would he wear?
“Hyung that outfit looks good on you!”
A furrow of the brows from the phony compliment.
“How dare you show up. You know where you should be right now?!”
Rubbing his temple with tired fingers in response to the scolding voice.
“The meat here is pretty good.”
An outright growl from the useless input.
“S-sorry. They insisted on coming and I just thought that maybe the more the merrier. Right?”
Jonghyun’s shoulders slump as he gives up upon hearing Jinki’s meager apology, proceeding to slip into the only available seat across the man and beside Choi Minho. Kibum has promptly made the decision to sit to the left of his beloved cousin and Taemin on the right clings to Jinki, which unsurprisingly annoys Jonghyun. He can almost feel the twitch in his lips as he watches Taemin wrap slender arms around Jinki’s shoulders.
“Eat up hyung and make sure you don’t drop any oil onto that nice white designer shirt of yours.” Taemin’s smile is grossly wide and Jonghyun just leers at the boy.
“Hugo Boss right?” Minho comments, a piece of beef headed straight into his mouth.
“And how did you afford this Kim Jonghyun?” scolds Kibum, snipping metal chopsticks towards the hairdresser’s nose, “Are you not budgeting properly?”
Jonghyun tries to remind himself that these people are his friends and damn it he is trying so very hard to remind himself.
“Samgyeospal?”
Jinki interjects with a gentle but concerned smile and for the obvious effort at peace Jonghyun settles himself. He nods as the man proceeds to drop the thick slices of bacon onto the grill in the center of the table. They sizzle instantly and Jonghyun watches with a quirked gaze as Jinki almost seems to panic at the noise, flipping one slice, obviously undercooked as it’s just warmed white side is revealed. And Jonghyun thinks that Jinki would know this meant the meat needed to cook longer, but under the pressure Jinki snaps his tongs, trying to flip every single piece.
If there was one thing Jonghyun could not stand for (other than his so-called friends being annoying pests), it was poorly grilled meat.
Without thought, Jonghyun swats away Jinki’s hands, stealing the pair of tongs and brandishes them with a threatening swing to everyone seated at the table. He practically lingers above the grill, not caring about his fabulously expensive white shirt and the spit of juices above cooking meat.
“I’ll grill okay?”
His possessive statement is posed as a question, even though Jonghyun wants no one to dare defy his offer. And as expected, no one does.
However there is just one minor thing Jonghyun has overlooked, because even though everyone else knows about his obsessive behavior with the sacred barbeque, his beloved-supposed-to-be-one-on-one-date has no idea. And sure enough, wide eyes look back at him past bangs of honey waves, looking at Jonghyun as if he is kind of frightening, and maybe a little insane.
“I just like to barbeque.”
The explanation croaks from his voice, much weaker than expected and Jonghyun falls back into his seat, somewhat embarrassed. Another dazzling impression for Jinki, you know, other than porcupine hairdresser with awkward ex issues. Maybe an OCD grill hog now too?
“Hyung cooks the best meat!” Taemin chirps in, much to Jonghyun’s relief, even if it’s from the boy he still wants to push for clinging so tightly to Jinki.
“Jonghyun takes over grilling duties when we go out Jinki-ah,” adds in Kibum, leaning an arm lazily over his cousin’s shoulder, “We were just waiting for him, but now he’s going to be the best chef ever now, right Kim Jonghyun?”
It’s impossible to miss the look Kibum gives him, arched brow and curved lips basically telling him to stop being a spaz, and Jonghyun quickly mutters a ‘yeah’ in agreement.
He takes the chance to glance up quickly, hoping the damage is not irreversible, when Jonghyun’s sight catches a very curious Jinki, almost as if the man is anticipating the results of such praise. Jonghyun is glad the object of his affection is so- dim to say the least, and knows he can get rid of the freako image as long as he cooks the perfect pork belly.
The samgyeospal sizzles before him, and Jonghyun watches closely for the signs to fix the damage Jinki had left behind. He looks for the bubbling juices, the meat going tender and losing its floppy pink appearance… and he flips!
A few claps making a pitiful scene of applause but Jonghyun does not care as he proudly smiles. He deserves it because of course his grilling skills have not failed him, the pork belly still juicy and not burnt in the slightest, a problem with this particular cut of meat.
Truthfully he wants to wave his tongs around like some passionate maestro, but Jonghyun knows that might look a little crazy. And his best friend is still giving him the warning stink eye just diagonal to his field of vision with steel chopsticks in hand. Jonghyun is not sure how he would feel about those daggers heading towards his face.
Just a few more seconds and the samgyeospal should be rea-
A pair of chopsticks shoot out, grabbing the most delicious slice out of the bunch (the one Jonghyun had been planning to give to Jinki) and landing straight on Kibum’s plate.
The man with eyes lined in trademark dark kohl smiles sweetly.
“Thank you ever so much my Minhokins~.”
“Anything for you Kibummie.”
And the amount of revulsion Jonghyun feels nearly makes him want to scream, shivers ceaselessly crawling up and down his spine. He can just feel their grins, the ones belonging to his best friend and his best friend’s disgusting boyfriend. They are playing with him, egging him on, getting a kick out of making the hairdresser squirm in front of the one he is trying to impress-
“Ah hyung.”
Jonghyun is snapped from his thoughts to look to the angelic faced boy, still clinging far too closely to Jinki.
“If you leave the meat there any longer, it might start to burn.” Taemin smiles.
Nearly yelping, Jonghyun in record time swipes every single piece of meat off the grill and onto a clean plate. Some of the slices are charred around the edges, and Jonghyun frowns at what was supposed to be his display of magnificent skill, not his psychotic behaviour.
Although maybe he is worrying too much as his friends act like they would any other day at a restaurant, being greedy buggers as soon as the meat is cooked. Jonghyun watches as his friends snatch up the samgyeospal: Taemin being weird as usual, dipping the meat in hot sauce and sugar; Kibum gulping on a lettuce roll with full toppings of garlic, bean sprouts and all; Minho looking elegant as ever, dipping his servings and eating them soundly.
At least it does not seem the results of his disastrous cooking were inedible. But then again, guys and meat did tend to have barbaric tendencies, regardless of taste.
“You haven’t eaten yet.”
Pointed towards Jonghyun is a rather juicy looking piece of the pork belly, dripping in sauce and rolled into a lettuce leaf, grasped by short fingers. Jonghyun barely has the will to stop himself from flushing as Jinki looks up to him, prodding him with the food.
“Well Jonghyun?” The shrill voice of his best friend interjects, “Aren’t you going to take my cousin’s considerate offer?”
Ah… right…
Jonghyun lifts his hand to take the roll when he flinches at Kibum’s not-so-restrained cough.
“You could just eat it now Jonghyun.”
It takes a full twenty seconds for Jonghyun to compute exactly what his friend means before he feels his cheeks burn from the rush of blood. He got what Kibum meant, what the man was pushing him to do. Eat it now, meaning use his mouth to take the treat from Jinki’s hand. That should be no big deal. Maybe a little canine-ish like a pet dog, but no big deal. Right?
Well Jinki was still holding out the food to him so…
Jonghyun leans forward, opening his mouth.
A yelp.
A clatter of plates.
Followed by a shriek.
Maybe a single laugh or possibly several more.
And of course the inevitable,
Holy fuck my shirt!
The water runs cold as Jonghyun rinses for the tenth time, bitterly staring at the faded red stain splattered across the collar of what was his pristine white dress shirt. He figures there is nothing left that he can do, having listened to the symphony that was the rush of water from creaky pipes for a while now. He would have to go beg the dry cleaners to do something, because obviously Jonghyun could not afford to buy a replacement.
But even with his ruined shirt, the hairdresser admits it is the least of his concerns, for everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. At this point, Jonghyun worries about one thing, a thought he could not shake, that the center of his affection was scared shitless of him.
His pride as a supposedly handsome male is hurt, Jonghyun grieving over the tragic event that leaves him in a mere tank top, alone in a dank washroom.
He had merely leaned forward, his lips approaching Jinki’s fingers and the roll of grilled meat when all calamity broke loose. Jinki yelping in surprise, pulling his hand away from the approaching mouth a little too quickly, leaving an audience of five watching as the food spun into the air, landing on the only possible destination that gravity would allow, Jonghyun.
Was he so repulsive that Jinki had to freak out like that?
It’s a depressing thought and Jonghyun stares into the white porcelain bowl of the sink, sighing to no one in particular. He would have stayed there in his misery too if a knock had not tapped against the door.
“J-Jonghyun? Did the tide stick work?”
No.
“I can help you if you don’t know how to use it! I’m practically a pro ever since my mom started buying me them in bundles!”
How embarrassing and yet he still liked this guy. Reality was never fair.
“Jonghyun I’m really really sorry.” The warm voice becomes pleading, knocking echoed from the doorway. “I’ll pay you back. I’ll pay for everything.”
And that is really the last thing he wants.
He shoves the door open and is met by a startled Jinki in the darkened back hallway of the small restaurant. Jinki stumbles backwards before halting to a stop in an awkward stance. Jonghyun’s wet shirt is slung around his shoulder and he observes with a quirked brow the older man staring at him. Actually to be more specific, Jinki is staring down at him, past his face, leaving Jonghyun wondering if his face was really that repulsive and scary.
“Yeah, so here.” Jonghyun does not want to prolong the not-so-enjoyable experience of his hyung gawking at him, and he pushes the orange stick into the hands of the older man.
Jinki looks up to his shoulder to which Jonghyun shifts, letting his shirt slide down his arm revealing the faded stain on the collar. The older man seems disheartened at the sight.
“But you do not have to pay me back,” reassures Jonghyun, his voice coming out a little stiffer than intended, “It’s not like I will hit you, or chase you down with scissors, or bite your fingers off, or do something equally as horrible if I can’t clean this shirt.”
Oh gods, he’s ranting and of course Jinki is giving him a perplexed look.
“Uh pardon?”
“Well I mean you freak out every time I get close to you. You’re scared of me right?” The words are blurted out as Jonghyun looks away, somewhat embarrassed at his direct but necessary statement. He hates beating around the bush and if there is one thing he knows about starting relationships, it is to make issues clear as soon as possible, to not make false expectations. Jonghyun did not want to learn this lesson the hard way again.
“That’s not true!”
Jonghyun wants to roll his eyes at this point. “Oh come on Jinki hyung, it’s not like I’ll get pissed if you admit-”
“I wouldn’t have met you at the salon and then ask you out if I was scared of you.” Jinki is looking at him with a determined gaze.
“Well yeah…” Jonghyun’s voice trails off. He has to admit that logic is pretty sound.
“I’m just, it’s just that…” At this point Jinki looks like a flustered mess, biting his lip and wringing his fingers in front of him before letting out a distraught breath. “I mean you must think I am a total freak.”
Jonghyun’s eyes widen at the confession.
“I mean I did everything wrong.” Jinki is smiling bitterly and in the dim light, Jonghyun barely catches his forlorn gaze at the wall. “I got nervous at the salon, I gave in when Kibummie found out we were coming here, and now I had a panic attack at the dinner. I mean it’s my first time doing something like this and I thought it was kind of weird-”
The air catches in Jonghyun’s lungs. Could this possibly mean?
“-But after I saw how Kibum could work things out with Minho and then you asked me, I thought that maybe dating a guy-”
“Does this mean I still have a chance?”
Jinki blinks, cut midway through his sentence.
“A chance?”
To run with you from crazy upset noonas after ditching work, to feed you spicy drumsticks through greasy fingertips, to grab steaming hot cups of coffee and discuss nonsensical European knowledge in the library, to shove you against the A-B shelf of musical compositions, to kiss you breathless beneath Beethoven’s white statuesque head, to stumble lazily with smiles towards and up the stairs of the stagnant dormitory, to go with you beneath the sheets and never come out.
“To date you.”
Jonghyun does not voice his list of girlish fantasies, instead hoping to make one a reality as he presses his fingertips into Jinki’s palms, effectively pinning the taller man against the wall. His fingers slide down and soon their hands intertwine, Jonghyun grinning as he looks up into Jinki’s darkened gaze, the man dumbly nodding. Absolutely no resistance and it makes the sparks in Jonghyun’s belly jump as they lean closer together, pink lips brushing against his.
“Oh so he is your type Jong.”
It’s that voice, and yes now she has reclaimed her vixen title in Jonghyun’s life.
The hairdresser backs away quickly to look at the expected sight, a girl with blonde locks no longer curly and long, but straightened and shoulder length with slight bounce. He cut her hair earlier today, but for some reason fate dictated that it was not enough, and he would have to see Jessica yet again.
“I didn’t want to interrupt.” She smiles a classic coy look. “But we need to get past to go to the ladies room.”
Jonghyun rolls his eyes but presses himself against the wall to let her pass along with the vaguely familiar sight of her friend, a girl Jonghyun had not really been acquainted with due to the great timing of their breakup.
“Have a great time in the toilet Jess,” Jonghyun crassly retorts, waving to their backs and having a prompt middle finger returned from Jessica no less.
Whatever, Jonghyun had more important priorities at hand.
Except maybe those would be subject to delay as well.
Jinki.
During the brief exchange, Jonghyun did not pay attention to the man, did not see him go from a state of hazed confusion to apparent shock. Jinki stands there frozen cold; shivering and eyes wide alit with something akin to fright.
Jonghyun reaches out a hand.
“Sorry about that okay? Jess and I just get like that and I didn’t expect to see her.”
“It’s not that.” The words are hissed out, whispery thin.
The clapping noise that follows rings out loud and clear, Jonghyun baffled as his hand is slapped away and the anxious man shuffles his way out of the hallway: pushing past waiters, and nearly knocking over a table before exiting the restaurant. By the time Jonghyun steps forward, it is already far too late.
“Kim Jonghyun!”
He flinches.
“What the hell did you do to my cousin?!”
Kibum is at his side in an instant with Minho and Taemin not trailing far behind.
Jonghyun in a daze looks back towards the washrooms and then back to the front entrance.
“Shit. That’s what I would like to know.”
-----
Well this is a calamity. It was incredibly difficult for me to progress from one scene to the next and I have no idea why. I think it feels choppy. I should get a beta one day... orz
Also I really didn't want to give Jessica a bitch image but I think I did. Hopefully I can fix that or something. ;_; Sorry but thank you for taking the time to read.
Genre: Romance/Humour
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jongyu, Minkey
Summary: Hairdresser meets country bumpkin. A classic love story.
A/N: Just under 7000 words... Over dramatic. Really.
Part 1
Jonghyun concludes that the whole thing is a crush. It’s not that he is trying to deny it because he did feel those stupid things for days after Kibum’s promise, a heart full of anticipation with palms sweaty in anxiety. But in the end, Jonghyun did not see that awkward cousin, almost a full week passing by. And to be frank, by Monday Jonghyun had little time to even think about the boy named Lee Jinki.
Work piles sky high: a composition due by the end of the week, two papers based on composers who went insane in their genius, and Jonghyun’s fulltime job filled with appointments for young men and women attending their high school grad.
Nope, now life is his priority and Jonghyun has no time to worry about a precious looking man with pretty black eyes and an insanely perfect smile. Okay, scratch the whole last thought because Jonghyun knows he really is over the brief encounter that sent his belly doing back flips.
As a young man, Jonghyun has his dream to work towards and that is all he has time for. It is foolish to even consider a love life; after all that is why his girlfriend left him months ago. Well at least part of the reason why.
It’s a pleasing conclusion and Jonghyun grins to himself as he runs down the street from the bus stop. He is late for work, and he is pretty sure he is going to get a beating from his manager but Jonghyun schemes to come up with a full proof excuse. For example, his teacher kept him late for class past midnight to discuss just why Mozart was actually not that brilliant and how Clara Shuman needed to stop cheating on- Okay maybe that would not work.
Jonghyun bolts through the front doors, bells jingling in his wake and he struts into the salon waving a hand to the front desk.
“Sorry noona! I was late because my prof-”
“Jonghyun! Come here!”
The hairdresser flinches, wondering if he caught his noona at a bad time, but the woman pulls him towards her with a hand over his mouth.
“Who is that?” she hisses, pointing to the waiting area, only a few customers present during mornings.
Jonghyun of course blinks, thinking that maybe his boss is going insane because he does not really see anything out of the ordinary: a sizable woman with red straw for hair, a skinny girl blowing bubble gum who has likely skipped school, and last but not least, a shady looking guy wearing a black hoodie in the corner giggling to a magazine with H.O.T. on the cover.
Wait. Okay maybe the last person is a little out of the ordinary.
His noona turns to him as they spy from behind the front desk, which Jonghyun thinks must look pretty ridiculous.
“That young man in the corner,” Jonghyun’s manager starts, “He looks like some no good juvenile. Did you bring another one of your druggie friends here?”
Jonghyun scowls at her. “Noona, I already told you that art schools are not full of drug addicts, and secondly I don’t have any friends like that.”
She stares at him with incriminating eyes and Jonghyun pushes away the urge to leave work early. “But you are friends with that Kibum fellow,” his manager protests, “He’s a questionable kid.”
Jonghyun sighs heavily, a little more than annoyed now.
“Okay noona,” Jonghyun replies, his patience lost as he rises from their crouched position, “I’m just going to leave now if you are going to be like this.” He eyes her up and down, Jonghyun knowing full well that he is not in the mood to deal with her attitude. He would not put up with people insulting Kibum for being -for a lack of better words- different.
However, much to his surprise, the threat works and the woman clings to his hand and hisses in his ear.
“Okay sorry!” she apologizes quickly, “But please just figure out what that guy is doing here Jonghyun. You’re the man of the salon so protect us from this delinquent kid!”
The request is pathetic and Jonghyun thinks that a day off would be nice, but as he looks to his coworkers, two of them eyeing the man nervously along with his manager’s petrified stare, he decides against it. Flinging his bag onto a nearby counter, Jonghyun tries to go for the tough look, puckering his lips flat with a blazing stare, copied from his dearest companion Minho. He walks forward, ignoring the skinny girl smacking her gum at him with a flirtatious gaze.
“Ahem.”
A loud manly scoff, jolting the woman with red hair from her doze, but much to Jonghyun’s dismay, it’s the male that does not respond, still absorbed in the out-of-date magazine. Jonghyun decides to step even closer this time around, invading what he thinks is personal space, hovering like a bug. Again no response given, making Jonghyun look helplessly to his coworkers who shrug and shake their heads.
“Yah!” Jonghyun jeers, realizing that no other method but direct contact would work as he nudges the man on the shoulder, “You here for a cut or something?”
“Ah Jonghyun!”
If it’s physically possible, Jonghyun thinks his heartbeat triples in speed as his ears process the smooth milky voice.
“J-Jinki hyung?”
There is the object of his affection sitting before him with a long broad smile, peering out from beneath a black hood, and Jonghyun wants nothing more but to press his lips to the man’s, send him reeling off his feet and into the nearest hotel, dingy or not.
So much for being just a crush.
“Kibum told me you worked here, since I kind of needed to see you-”
“So you do know him! It is another delinquent!”
Jonghyun frowns for what feels like the hundredth time that morning as his manager’s shrill cry ruins what could have been a disgustingly warm mushy moment in his heart.
“Yah! Are you insane?!”
The woman glares at Jonghyun but promptly silences herself and motions one of the customers into an empty chair. Jonghyun rolls his eyes and looks back to Jinki, who seems startled by the sudden outburst.
“I hope I didn’t come on a bad day,” Jinki panics, turning a little pale.
“No you didn’t,” reassures Jonghyun, a grin instantaneously reaching his lips, hoping to distract the nervous man.
And sure enough Jinki returns the smile with a small laugh, a joyous noise which drives Jonghyun’s heart crawling up the wall.
“Um right,” states Jinki, recomposing his thoughts, “I kind of needed you to fix my hair… Again. I uh kind of well…”
Jonghyun arches a brow as the older man places the outdated magazine on an empty seat and drops his hood. After being apart for so long, this is the sight he is greeted with and Jonghyun’s first instinct is to laugh in delirium as the great divide appears before him. However, before he even gets the chance to chuckle, the hairdresser’s eyes catch it, a black headband wrapped around the man’s forehead, messily holding Jinki’s hair in place. Only a few strands straggle away, longer locks falling back to frame a slender neck.
Jonghyun thinks that he might just be staring, possibly, according to Jinki’s bewildered gaze anyway.
“I-I can explain!” stutters Jinki, waving his hands uselessly in front of his face, “When Kibum and I tried to style my hair the next morning, we couldn’t figure it out! It just kind of kept falling back to this.” Jinki not so subtly points directly to the partition across his head. “And Kibum said I couldn’t leave the house again because I looked like a ‘walking horror show.’”
Jonghyun snorts at the glamourous sensitivity that his best friend possesses.
“Anyway,” continues Jinki, tugging at the fabric of his pants out of habit, “I told Kibum that it would be good if maybe I saw you again- you know, to cut my hair. He gave me the address of the salon with the condition that I couldn’t go out without wearing this thing on my head… So I would look ‘adequate’ in public.” Jinki stares up at Jonghyun. “So that’s the story. Oh! And I have money to pay you this time!”
If anything, Jonghyun thinks Jinki’s has no concept of self regard, being bullied and ushered by Kibum at every turn without noticing, and Jonghyun would gladly reprimand his best friend for acting like a jerk. Except when Jonghyun looks back to Jinki and the fitting accessory, making the man look like some hot ass Asian fighter, he forgets why he is upset with Kibum in the first place.
Jonghyun just quietly inhales a breath instead, nodding his head to the side and guiding the older man towards the washing bins. It’s better to deal with this situation one step at a time.
Jinki follows timidly behind him, eventually sitting down and leaning his head back into a large wash basin. And for all his compliance, Jonghyun does not expect the visible wince the older man makes as Jonghyun moves in to remove the headband. It’s just a little unnerving.
“Did I scratch you or something?”
“No!” Jinki manages to flounder as his hair is rinsed with warm water. “It was just, uh the temperature kind of surprised me.”
“Too cold?” Jonghyun suggests although he does not buy Jinki’s excuse at all, turning the tap left as a test. A triumph as Jinki jerks his head up and away from the sudden spray of warm water.
“So it wasn’t the temperature?” Jonghyun smirks as he catches the older man red handed for lying.
Jinki pouts and lowers his head back into the tub as Jonghyun takes pity, lathering the man’s hair and running fingers through chestnut strands. The hairdresser waits for a reply, watching Jinki seemingly piece together the words in his head.
“I… I wanted you to actually cut it this time,” Jinki finally explains, shutting an eye as Jonghyun’s hands splash in the soapy water, “Because I was nervous about it before, but I really think you can do a good job, so… so can you cut it shorter? Do what you think is good?”
Really bizarre, considering the guy with the great divide across his head is worried about getting a good haircut. For all it is worth, Jonghyun would have been insulted however instead the hairdresser feels pride bubble within. He cannot help but feel flattered that the anxious and bashful man is actually giving him his trust.
Which is exactly why, Jonghyun wants to give Jinki the best cut he possibly can. He would out cut that old lady who destroyed a young man’s handsome face with a distracting outdated hairstyle. It would be a little sad to see the sleek cut from before go, but Jonghyun knows exactly what would suit the older man’s personality better, not to mention accommodate his lack of styling ability.
“You trust me?” Jonghyun states the question with an arrogant smirk, rubbing Jinki’s hair into a towel.
Jinki hesitates, looking about nervously before glancing up beneath damp bangs and Jonghyun holds his breath as Jinki nods, looking far too cute for any sane male (Well exception Taemin, but that boy defied every sexual stereotype combined.).
It is enough encouragement for him and Jonghyun drags Jinki to an empty salon chair, foot jamming into the lever at the bottom, bumping the man upwards. Jinki squirms again and Jonghyun decides not to look into it too much this time around, grabbing a bowl and squirting various dyes into a bowl. Jonghyun watches as the older man’s eyes grow as round as saucers, watching the liquid turn from a bright yellow to a dusty orange. He briefly wonders how Jinki did not suffer from cardiac arrest every time he got a haircut.
“You’ll look fine hyung,” reassures Jonghyun, feeling that it would be much better if he did not have to call emergency from his customer going into shock. “This is only for highlights, nothing more.”
“Right…” Jinki stutters, composed act failing miserably as his voice trembles and his body refuses to relax.
Jonghyun rolls his eyes and proceeds all the same. With a small smile, the hairdresser begins his work: tinfoil and brushes whipped out and applied, then throwing Jinki under the heater, only to have him come out and snip at his hair furiously with scissors and razor in hand. As expected, Jinki winces repeatedly, but there is no verbal protest and surprisingly, Jonghyun finds himself near finished in thirty minutes.
Just a few more snips, the hair dryer, some curling mousse-
“Do you find it kind of intimate?”
-Come again?
Jonghyun barely stills the blades of his scissors, millimeters from the back of Jinki’s neck where he could have quite possibly cut off a chunk of the chestnut hair.
“What is intimate?”
Jinki does not dare to look Jonghyun in the eye, instead having a nervous reaction of tongue peeking out before pressing pink lips together.
“I mean cutting someone’s hair.”
Jonghyun arches a brow, still utterly confused by Jinki’s words.
“Well I mean you are touching someone’s head right?” Jinki is suddenly insistent, grasping onto the straws of his fragile reasoning. “I mean, people are putting a lot of trust into you right?”
Trust? So that’s what it was.
“Are you worried I’m going to be Sweeny Todd and stab you in the head?” It’s an epiphany, and the absurd words leave Jonghyun’s lips, although they sound completely rational in his head. Jinki just stares at him with an astonished gaze, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Well I won’t,” explains the hairdresser, running his fingers through the shorter hair with thick white foam in hand, “I won’t make you into a meat pie that is.”
“Ha…”
Just the beginning to a sudden flurry of laughter and Jonghyun’s chest tightens, soaring into the sky as he watches Jinki keel over from the lame joke, eyes watering with hands covering a long wide smile. And it is in that instance, Jonghyun admires his work, realizing he has made the perfect choice, that the cut matches the jubilant expression of the man before him, clumsy but charming. And maybe he does not want to admit it, that Jonghyun finds himself staring at Jinki yet again.
“I-I finished by the way.” Jonghyun wants to shoot himself for letting his guard down as he shields his blushing face with his hand.
But as expected, Jinki takes no notice of the change of expression in the hairdresser, instead halting his laughter and swallowing nervously. He turns to look at the mirror for the first time, gaze having been drawn to his feet for most of the process.
It’s a much shorter cut, mixing brown and blonde for a wholesome looking style that is not too modern but not outdated either. Simple but fun and Jinki’s lips turn into a slow grin as he looks upon his reflection, his eyes hiding sweetly beneath wavy bangs. Jonghyun briefly marvels his talent at finding the perfect cut and finds himself thinking that he has achieved the fucking impossible of making a cute cut look hot at the same time.
He never knew he had a fetish for country looking boys.
That or Jinki was just a flawless anomaly of a person.
“I really really like it.”
The words are almost breathless, Jinki swiveling in his chair and looking up to Jonghyun with appreciation, a look that surely would have had Jonghyun squeal himself silly, if he was a girl and not the manliest of men.
… Okay so maybe not quite so manly, Jonghyun’s cheeks reddening as he rubs his thumbs just beneath his eyes, wiping away the start of a not so macho sniffle.
“I want to make it up to you.” Jinki’s voice is serious as he looks at Jonghyun earnestly, throwing the hairdresser off as Jinki does that impossible thing, snap second going from cute to handsome. “Anything you want.”
Magic. Those words are magic and Jonghyun wonders if his hyung understands the implications at all, of just how much anything could mean. He wants to take advantage of it and Jonghyun’s throat tightens as his hand falls upon Jinki’s shoulder. He’s done this before and Jonghyun knows from experience that being direct is best as his eyes focus on Jinki and his hand falls on the young man’s shoulder.
“Date m-”
“Yahhh, Jonghyun could you hurry it up?”
The feminine voice rings clear cut, of a bubblegum quality with an icy undertone.
Both males turn their gazes away from each other, previous request dashed from their minds as they stare at a wonderfully perfect girl. Her long curly blonde locks, fiery pair of chocolate brown eyes, and slim body with legs for days peeking out from a pair of frayed denim shorts. She is the type of girl that has both men and women swinging their heads to catch a glimpse of her perfection, a perfection that Jonghyun was once connected to.
Jessica
“I’m talking to a customer Jess.” Jonghyun smirks pretentiously while rolling his eyes. “You should know to respect that.”
“And I’m here for a cut,” she replies frankly, not missing a beat as her hands fall on her hips, “You should know not to keep a customer waiting Jong.” Her eyelashes flutter before her gaze falls upon Jinki, the man’s hands curled in his lap as he swallows pensively. Jessica smiles at him before returning her gaze to Jonghyun. “This is the type you are into now?”
His heart pounds and Jonghyun glares at Jessica, reaching out an arm to protect Jinki-
Except the awkward man stands on his own, eyes hidden beneath long bangs with a timid smile visible.
“I shouldn’t have taken so much of your time.” The mellow voice apologizes and Jinki bows to the blonde haired woman before spinning clumsily towards the young hairdresser. “Thank you Jonghyun.” His hands shove forward a few paper bills into Jonghyun’s hands.
“I’ll get going now. Keep the change”
Jinki nearly dashes off, pulling his hood over his head and rushing towards the door.
Jonghyun takes off after him.
He never even knew he had such reflexes, known for skipping gym classes all the time in high school and being a total unmotivated slob. Yet somehow Jonghyun manages it, sprinting after Jinki and grasping the man’s bony wrist in his palm. Albeit he is a little bit at a loss for breath as they stand just outside the salon, bells from the front door ringing in their wake.
“Hyung,” Jonghyun starts, giving an inquisitive stare to the man hiding beneath a black hood, “Don’t take what Jessica says so seriously. She’s just being her usual impatient self.”
“A-ah.” Jinki laughs with a forced smile and Jonghyun frowns as the normally warm noise sounds sour to his ears. “I just kind of get nervous when girls like her are around.”
Instantly, Jonghyun’s mind jumps to a million places, throat closing shut as his grips tightens around Jinki’s wrist, a rush of adrenaline from sudden anxiety.
This always happens with every single guy…
“You don’t like her do you?” Jonghyun chokes out.
Jinki stares back with astonishment at the wide eye look directed his way.
“No, that’s not it at all!” The older man protests, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he realizes he has made another poor choice in words in an attempt to explain himself.
But the words are enough to have Jonghyun relax, the start of a new burning hate towards the vixen in his life subsiding. But there are other problems as Jonghyun notices Jinki return the previous curious gaze he had, which could only be asking one thing. This one thing being something Jonghyun did not even want to hear.
“Are you worried,” begins the older man as Jonghyun swallows, knowing where Jinki’s mind is naively going. “Because you like her? Um.” Jinki’s eyelids flutter before he looks down at Jonghyun. “Do you like her, uh- Jessica?”
Jonghyun wants to vomit at the horrifying thought of falling in love with her again and he shakes his head furiously, hand leaving Jinki’s wrist to rub through his hair.
“She’s my ex.”
“Oh.” Jinki’s eyes widen, narrow space becoming round upon realization.
“Yeah.”
It’s silent and Jonghyun tilts his head, nails just scraping along the back of his neck. It’s really no big deal, really it isn’t so he should be able to say something, anything. But Jonghyun’s motivation fails as his lips stay pressed together.
“You...” Jinki pauses this time to carefully choose his words, attempting to break the ever so awkward atmosphere. “You handle yourself well around her.”
The earnest look beneath honey coloured locks and Jonghyun’s stiff front fades away, smile drawing through.
“Yeah,” Jonghyun replies rubbing his finger along his bottom lip, feeling somewhat embarrassed, “Well it’s not like I should hold onto bad feelings right just cause she’s my ex right?”
Jonghyun peeks up at Jinki, expecting a firm nod of agreement. What he receives however is the familiar nervous reaction from the country boy, a tongue slipping in and out past pursed lips and a stretched philtrum.
Jinki avoids replying, eyes dark.
It’s none of his business anyway.
The strange feeling locks in Jonghyun’s mind and unlike Kibum who would poke around, the hairdresser does not have the heart to prod into Jinki’s personal matters. Something about the way Jinki reacts makes Jonghyun want to back off.
Instead he reaches a hand into his back pockets, pulling out a few paper bills. Jonghyun thrusts them towards Jinki and smiles.
“Your change. I don’t feel good about taking so much extra.”
Jinki takes the bills between his fingers, biting down on his bottom lip as he stares at them.
Something is not right about the situation, and Jonghyun hates the weird sensation crawling up his spine as somehow they managed to move from amicable to plain out heavy. He is not even sure what is up, but Jonghyun feels like any misstep would lead to hitting a landmine.
It’s a fragile atmosphere and Jonghyun steps backwards wanting to restart another time. Jinki is hot and all, finally available to have a one-on-one conversation with Jonghyun, but even he has enough experience to know when to stop pushing.
“Well I have to go back to wor-”
“A date.”
Jonghyun pauses midsentence, his face frozen with an expression of apparent confusion.
“You were asking about a date before right? B-before um Jessica came?” Jinki is looking at him and Jonghyun is cursing his shallow self for giving in to the adorably shy face instead of running away like his instincts told him.
“Tonight!”
Jinki’s palm is now encircled around Jonghyun’s wrist, anxiety the last thing on Jonghyun’s mind as he accepts the simple touch.
“Tonight,” Jinki repeats, looking rather flustered, “Six o’clock? Come to have barbeque at the local grill? The one that the Sung family owns?”
And now Jonghyun’s mouth waters at the thought of going to the best restaurant in town with an excess of meat. Not only is Jinki being grossly attractive to Jonghyun, but now the man is enticing his stomach. How could this guy be so unaware yet hitting all of Jonghyun’s buttons?
“Sure.” Jonghyun tries to play it cool, slouching with a cocky grin. “Sure I can go out to eat tonight.”
Lies since he is skipping night class but not like Jinki would know that.
“Great! That’s really great.” And Jinki’s loaded million watt smile sends fireworks off in Jonghyun’s brain, leaving the younger man feeling ridiculous for reacting like some sixteen year old being asked out on a first date.
“I’ll see you later then.”
“Yeah later.”
The awkward man in the black hoodie retreats and Jonghyun watches blankly until Jinki is out of sight. Then, and only then is when Jonghyun throws his hands up into the air and shakes his frazzled head.
Fuck he was so unprepared. What would he wear?
“Hyung that outfit looks good on you!”
A furrow of the brows from the phony compliment.
“How dare you show up. You know where you should be right now?!”
Rubbing his temple with tired fingers in response to the scolding voice.
“The meat here is pretty good.”
An outright growl from the useless input.
“S-sorry. They insisted on coming and I just thought that maybe the more the merrier. Right?”
Jonghyun’s shoulders slump as he gives up upon hearing Jinki’s meager apology, proceeding to slip into the only available seat across the man and beside Choi Minho. Kibum has promptly made the decision to sit to the left of his beloved cousin and Taemin on the right clings to Jinki, which unsurprisingly annoys Jonghyun. He can almost feel the twitch in his lips as he watches Taemin wrap slender arms around Jinki’s shoulders.
“Eat up hyung and make sure you don’t drop any oil onto that nice white designer shirt of yours.” Taemin’s smile is grossly wide and Jonghyun just leers at the boy.
“Hugo Boss right?” Minho comments, a piece of beef headed straight into his mouth.
“And how did you afford this Kim Jonghyun?” scolds Kibum, snipping metal chopsticks towards the hairdresser’s nose, “Are you not budgeting properly?”
Jonghyun tries to remind himself that these people are his friends and damn it he is trying so very hard to remind himself.
“Samgyeospal?”
Jinki interjects with a gentle but concerned smile and for the obvious effort at peace Jonghyun settles himself. He nods as the man proceeds to drop the thick slices of bacon onto the grill in the center of the table. They sizzle instantly and Jonghyun watches with a quirked gaze as Jinki almost seems to panic at the noise, flipping one slice, obviously undercooked as it’s just warmed white side is revealed. And Jonghyun thinks that Jinki would know this meant the meat needed to cook longer, but under the pressure Jinki snaps his tongs, trying to flip every single piece.
If there was one thing Jonghyun could not stand for (other than his so-called friends being annoying pests), it was poorly grilled meat.
Without thought, Jonghyun swats away Jinki’s hands, stealing the pair of tongs and brandishes them with a threatening swing to everyone seated at the table. He practically lingers above the grill, not caring about his fabulously expensive white shirt and the spit of juices above cooking meat.
“I’ll grill okay?”
His possessive statement is posed as a question, even though Jonghyun wants no one to dare defy his offer. And as expected, no one does.
However there is just one minor thing Jonghyun has overlooked, because even though everyone else knows about his obsessive behavior with the sacred barbeque, his beloved-supposed-to-be-one-on-one-date has no idea. And sure enough, wide eyes look back at him past bangs of honey waves, looking at Jonghyun as if he is kind of frightening, and maybe a little insane.
“I just like to barbeque.”
The explanation croaks from his voice, much weaker than expected and Jonghyun falls back into his seat, somewhat embarrassed. Another dazzling impression for Jinki, you know, other than porcupine hairdresser with awkward ex issues. Maybe an OCD grill hog now too?
“Hyung cooks the best meat!” Taemin chirps in, much to Jonghyun’s relief, even if it’s from the boy he still wants to push for clinging so tightly to Jinki.
“Jonghyun takes over grilling duties when we go out Jinki-ah,” adds in Kibum, leaning an arm lazily over his cousin’s shoulder, “We were just waiting for him, but now he’s going to be the best chef ever now, right Kim Jonghyun?”
It’s impossible to miss the look Kibum gives him, arched brow and curved lips basically telling him to stop being a spaz, and Jonghyun quickly mutters a ‘yeah’ in agreement.
He takes the chance to glance up quickly, hoping the damage is not irreversible, when Jonghyun’s sight catches a very curious Jinki, almost as if the man is anticipating the results of such praise. Jonghyun is glad the object of his affection is so- dim to say the least, and knows he can get rid of the freako image as long as he cooks the perfect pork belly.
The samgyeospal sizzles before him, and Jonghyun watches closely for the signs to fix the damage Jinki had left behind. He looks for the bubbling juices, the meat going tender and losing its floppy pink appearance… and he flips!
A few claps making a pitiful scene of applause but Jonghyun does not care as he proudly smiles. He deserves it because of course his grilling skills have not failed him, the pork belly still juicy and not burnt in the slightest, a problem with this particular cut of meat.
Truthfully he wants to wave his tongs around like some passionate maestro, but Jonghyun knows that might look a little crazy. And his best friend is still giving him the warning stink eye just diagonal to his field of vision with steel chopsticks in hand. Jonghyun is not sure how he would feel about those daggers heading towards his face.
Just a few more seconds and the samgyeospal should be rea-
A pair of chopsticks shoot out, grabbing the most delicious slice out of the bunch (the one Jonghyun had been planning to give to Jinki) and landing straight on Kibum’s plate.
The man with eyes lined in trademark dark kohl smiles sweetly.
“Thank you ever so much my Minhokins~.”
“Anything for you Kibummie.”
And the amount of revulsion Jonghyun feels nearly makes him want to scream, shivers ceaselessly crawling up and down his spine. He can just feel their grins, the ones belonging to his best friend and his best friend’s disgusting boyfriend. They are playing with him, egging him on, getting a kick out of making the hairdresser squirm in front of the one he is trying to impress-
“Ah hyung.”
Jonghyun is snapped from his thoughts to look to the angelic faced boy, still clinging far too closely to Jinki.
“If you leave the meat there any longer, it might start to burn.” Taemin smiles.
Nearly yelping, Jonghyun in record time swipes every single piece of meat off the grill and onto a clean plate. Some of the slices are charred around the edges, and Jonghyun frowns at what was supposed to be his display of magnificent skill, not his psychotic behaviour.
Although maybe he is worrying too much as his friends act like they would any other day at a restaurant, being greedy buggers as soon as the meat is cooked. Jonghyun watches as his friends snatch up the samgyeospal: Taemin being weird as usual, dipping the meat in hot sauce and sugar; Kibum gulping on a lettuce roll with full toppings of garlic, bean sprouts and all; Minho looking elegant as ever, dipping his servings and eating them soundly.
At least it does not seem the results of his disastrous cooking were inedible. But then again, guys and meat did tend to have barbaric tendencies, regardless of taste.
“You haven’t eaten yet.”
Pointed towards Jonghyun is a rather juicy looking piece of the pork belly, dripping in sauce and rolled into a lettuce leaf, grasped by short fingers. Jonghyun barely has the will to stop himself from flushing as Jinki looks up to him, prodding him with the food.
“Well Jonghyun?” The shrill voice of his best friend interjects, “Aren’t you going to take my cousin’s considerate offer?”
Ah… right…
Jonghyun lifts his hand to take the roll when he flinches at Kibum’s not-so-restrained cough.
“You could just eat it now Jonghyun.”
It takes a full twenty seconds for Jonghyun to compute exactly what his friend means before he feels his cheeks burn from the rush of blood. He got what Kibum meant, what the man was pushing him to do. Eat it now, meaning use his mouth to take the treat from Jinki’s hand. That should be no big deal. Maybe a little canine-ish like a pet dog, but no big deal. Right?
Well Jinki was still holding out the food to him so…
Jonghyun leans forward, opening his mouth.
A yelp.
A clatter of plates.
Followed by a shriek.
Maybe a single laugh or possibly several more.
And of course the inevitable,
Holy fuck my shirt!
The water runs cold as Jonghyun rinses for the tenth time, bitterly staring at the faded red stain splattered across the collar of what was his pristine white dress shirt. He figures there is nothing left that he can do, having listened to the symphony that was the rush of water from creaky pipes for a while now. He would have to go beg the dry cleaners to do something, because obviously Jonghyun could not afford to buy a replacement.
But even with his ruined shirt, the hairdresser admits it is the least of his concerns, for everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. At this point, Jonghyun worries about one thing, a thought he could not shake, that the center of his affection was scared shitless of him.
His pride as a supposedly handsome male is hurt, Jonghyun grieving over the tragic event that leaves him in a mere tank top, alone in a dank washroom.
He had merely leaned forward, his lips approaching Jinki’s fingers and the roll of grilled meat when all calamity broke loose. Jinki yelping in surprise, pulling his hand away from the approaching mouth a little too quickly, leaving an audience of five watching as the food spun into the air, landing on the only possible destination that gravity would allow, Jonghyun.
Was he so repulsive that Jinki had to freak out like that?
It’s a depressing thought and Jonghyun stares into the white porcelain bowl of the sink, sighing to no one in particular. He would have stayed there in his misery too if a knock had not tapped against the door.
“J-Jonghyun? Did the tide stick work?”
No.
“I can help you if you don’t know how to use it! I’m practically a pro ever since my mom started buying me them in bundles!”
How embarrassing and yet he still liked this guy. Reality was never fair.
“Jonghyun I’m really really sorry.” The warm voice becomes pleading, knocking echoed from the doorway. “I’ll pay you back. I’ll pay for everything.”
And that is really the last thing he wants.
He shoves the door open and is met by a startled Jinki in the darkened back hallway of the small restaurant. Jinki stumbles backwards before halting to a stop in an awkward stance. Jonghyun’s wet shirt is slung around his shoulder and he observes with a quirked brow the older man staring at him. Actually to be more specific, Jinki is staring down at him, past his face, leaving Jonghyun wondering if his face was really that repulsive and scary.
“Yeah, so here.” Jonghyun does not want to prolong the not-so-enjoyable experience of his hyung gawking at him, and he pushes the orange stick into the hands of the older man.
Jinki looks up to his shoulder to which Jonghyun shifts, letting his shirt slide down his arm revealing the faded stain on the collar. The older man seems disheartened at the sight.
“But you do not have to pay me back,” reassures Jonghyun, his voice coming out a little stiffer than intended, “It’s not like I will hit you, or chase you down with scissors, or bite your fingers off, or do something equally as horrible if I can’t clean this shirt.”
Oh gods, he’s ranting and of course Jinki is giving him a perplexed look.
“Uh pardon?”
“Well I mean you freak out every time I get close to you. You’re scared of me right?” The words are blurted out as Jonghyun looks away, somewhat embarrassed at his direct but necessary statement. He hates beating around the bush and if there is one thing he knows about starting relationships, it is to make issues clear as soon as possible, to not make false expectations. Jonghyun did not want to learn this lesson the hard way again.
“That’s not true!”
Jonghyun wants to roll his eyes at this point. “Oh come on Jinki hyung, it’s not like I’ll get pissed if you admit-”
“I wouldn’t have met you at the salon and then ask you out if I was scared of you.” Jinki is looking at him with a determined gaze.
“Well yeah…” Jonghyun’s voice trails off. He has to admit that logic is pretty sound.
“I’m just, it’s just that…” At this point Jinki looks like a flustered mess, biting his lip and wringing his fingers in front of him before letting out a distraught breath. “I mean you must think I am a total freak.”
Jonghyun’s eyes widen at the confession.
“I mean I did everything wrong.” Jinki is smiling bitterly and in the dim light, Jonghyun barely catches his forlorn gaze at the wall. “I got nervous at the salon, I gave in when Kibummie found out we were coming here, and now I had a panic attack at the dinner. I mean it’s my first time doing something like this and I thought it was kind of weird-”
The air catches in Jonghyun’s lungs. Could this possibly mean?
“-But after I saw how Kibum could work things out with Minho and then you asked me, I thought that maybe dating a guy-”
“Does this mean I still have a chance?”
Jinki blinks, cut midway through his sentence.
“A chance?”
To run with you from crazy upset noonas after ditching work, to feed you spicy drumsticks through greasy fingertips, to grab steaming hot cups of coffee and discuss nonsensical European knowledge in the library, to shove you against the A-B shelf of musical compositions, to kiss you breathless beneath Beethoven’s white statuesque head, to stumble lazily with smiles towards and up the stairs of the stagnant dormitory, to go with you beneath the sheets and never come out.
“To date you.”
Jonghyun does not voice his list of girlish fantasies, instead hoping to make one a reality as he presses his fingertips into Jinki’s palms, effectively pinning the taller man against the wall. His fingers slide down and soon their hands intertwine, Jonghyun grinning as he looks up into Jinki’s darkened gaze, the man dumbly nodding. Absolutely no resistance and it makes the sparks in Jonghyun’s belly jump as they lean closer together, pink lips brushing against his.
“Oh so he is your type Jong.”
It’s that voice, and yes now she has reclaimed her vixen title in Jonghyun’s life.
The hairdresser backs away quickly to look at the expected sight, a girl with blonde locks no longer curly and long, but straightened and shoulder length with slight bounce. He cut her hair earlier today, but for some reason fate dictated that it was not enough, and he would have to see Jessica yet again.
“I didn’t want to interrupt.” She smiles a classic coy look. “But we need to get past to go to the ladies room.”
Jonghyun rolls his eyes but presses himself against the wall to let her pass along with the vaguely familiar sight of her friend, a girl Jonghyun had not really been acquainted with due to the great timing of their breakup.
“Have a great time in the toilet Jess,” Jonghyun crassly retorts, waving to their backs and having a prompt middle finger returned from Jessica no less.
Whatever, Jonghyun had more important priorities at hand.
Except maybe those would be subject to delay as well.
Jinki.
During the brief exchange, Jonghyun did not pay attention to the man, did not see him go from a state of hazed confusion to apparent shock. Jinki stands there frozen cold; shivering and eyes wide alit with something akin to fright.
Jonghyun reaches out a hand.
“Sorry about that okay? Jess and I just get like that and I didn’t expect to see her.”
“It’s not that.” The words are hissed out, whispery thin.
The clapping noise that follows rings out loud and clear, Jonghyun baffled as his hand is slapped away and the anxious man shuffles his way out of the hallway: pushing past waiters, and nearly knocking over a table before exiting the restaurant. By the time Jonghyun steps forward, it is already far too late.
“Kim Jonghyun!”
He flinches.
“What the hell did you do to my cousin?!”
Kibum is at his side in an instant with Minho and Taemin not trailing far behind.
Jonghyun in a daze looks back towards the washrooms and then back to the front entrance.
“Shit. That’s what I would like to know.”
-----
Well this is a calamity. It was incredibly difficult for me to progress from one scene to the next and I have no idea why. I think it feels choppy. I should get a beta one day... orz
Also I really didn't want to give Jessica a bitch image but I think I did. Hopefully I can fix that or something. ;_; Sorry but thank you for taking the time to read.