Work Text:
Everyone is lost for words like you
Beyond fourth dimensional, a miraculous view
Sweetly dip it in and eat the fondue of light
You can start seeing the color of the music
View – SHINee
:::
Professor Kim is a sadist.
He must be a sadist because nobody took double degree in Photography and Music at the same time, graduated both with flying colors, and actually have a more than decent career out of it.
Professor Kim is not famous, but people he had been working with are. His lenses have captured the faces that decorated the glossy cover of magazines, his lyrics and compositions have been sung by people who regularly killed the charts.
He also owns a sleek white Lamborghini, thanks to all those royalties, and even if the paper hasn’t caught it, he’s actually dating the young editor in chief of Korea’s Vogue. According to what he heard from the grapevine, the said editor has track record of firing six interns in less than a week under his belt.
Clearly, Professor Kim is a sadist since the person he dates appears to be one.
Professor Kim and his sadistic trait aside, his final assignment is still there, looming over him like stacks of terror. “Pass it or come again next semester,” had been Professor Kim’s last word before he left the class. The class which technically just began, only to end in less than five minutes after the vertically-challenged Professor wrote their task on the whiteboard using a black marker.
Theme: Beautiful. Also hand me 239 words essay describing why this particular person is beautiful. Must be poetic. Lyrical if possible :)
Jaehyun was one of the seven people who planted their heads on their desk upon reading their final assignment.
Why lyrical, seriously?
“You’re being so dramatic,” Doyoung says, painting Ten’s nails with salmon-colored polish. Jaehyun no longer question why Doyoung likes to paint Ten’s nails, or why the Thai boy likes to get his nails done, it’s like routine by now, it’s also because according to Doyoung, Ten has pretty nails. “Just take a picture of your mom or something, it’s not that difficult.”
“You don’t understand,” Jaehyun’s moan is drowned by the loud bustling of cafeteria, he doubts Doyoung and Ten will pay attention anyways, his friends are unfeeling pricks when it comes to him and his college dilemma. “Someone did that last semester, and he’s taking the class again with me.”
Picture of his senior slash classmate, Kim Minggyu, flashes his mind. The guy had taken photo of his mother, long graying hair braided beautifully on her shoulder, and Professor Kim has given him D, simply because according to him taking picture of your family member is ‘lazy’.
“You’re not making effort to step out of the box, you’re not making effort to explore. To find another beauty that could have exist outside your bubble. Something curious, something foreign, and new. Something who awes you for how alien, yet familiar it is.”
Jaehyun quoted what Minggyu had quoted from the Professor. It is certified already, Professor Kim is a sadist, what kind of Professor turned down such loving picture of a mother. It’s like an insult. If it was Jaehyun, he’d bash his head using a tripod, except he wouldn’t have courage to, his parent has taught him manner as well that one should not resort to violence.
“Did he really say that?” Ten asks with accented Korean, large eyes doubling in size with mixture of awe and befuddlement.
“He did. Minggyu still hears it in his dream sometimes.”
“Whoa, that’s such a dick move considering he said that to a photo of someone’s mother.”
“Technically, he’s saying it to the photographer, not the object in photo,” Doyoung quips in. His tongue is stuck outside his mouth as he tries to wiggle the dainty brush so it won’t stain Ten’s flesh. “If that’s his reasoning, then, too bad, Jaehyun. You can’t take picture of your mother. But I still think you’re being dramatic, you can just ask someone else to be your model?”
“Who?”
“There are many beautiful girls in our campus. Look at fashion department, or dance? This Ten over here is the social butterfly not for nothing, you know, you can just ask him.”
Ten beams at Jaehyun’s direction, pearly white teeth full on display. “That’s right! Lisa? Bora-noona? Seulgi-noona? Just give me the name and I can help you make appointment with them.”
Jaehyun smiles, thankful for his friend’s support. “Thanks, but, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“I don’t understand you,” Doyoung groans. He blows Ten’s fingers two times before placing it gently on top of the table, considering it done. Screwing the lid of the polish close, he glares at Jaehyun, “you’re frustrated because you have no one to model, but when we tried to help you, you said you don’t need it?”
“No, no, Hyung. You got it all wrong,” Jaehyun shakes his head. He tries to placate Doyoung because even when he’s not upset, Doyoung can be a total bitch, and he would rather not deal with it when he’s having a problem on his own. “It’s not the lack of model that stressed me out, actually, I already have somebody in mind. It’s just-“
Doyoung’s jaw drops so fast that Jaehyun worries the wellbeing of his mouth, nobody’s mouth ought to open that wide, he swears. “What, what, what, what, what is this? Am I hearing this right? You have somebody in mind? Who? Someone beautiful? Irene-noona? Sooyoung-noona? Seungwan-noona?”
The bunny-like boy crowds his space too much that Jaehyun feels claustrophobic. He scoots away until half of his butt is hanging off the bench. Ten pokes his head from behind Doyoung’s shoulder, also curious. “Is it who I think it is, Jaehyun-ah?”
The gasp that leaves Doyoung’s lips reminds Jaehyun himself that as dramatic as he can be, Doyoung is even more so. He winces then looks away, which basically confirms his friends’ suspicion because Doyoung can be heard gasping again, “omo, omo, omo, is he who I think he is?”
Jaehyun realizes with how bright Ten and Doyoung’s eyes are, there is no use denying it now. He has always been easy one to read, besides, the scarlets on his cheeks are probably dead-giveaway, his face feels hot.
“Yeah, it probably is. If we’re thinking about the same guy at all.”
“Oh My God, I’m so telling Yuta about this,” Doyoung practically half-scream, half-screech, much to Jaehyun’s ears displeasure.
But it isn’t the grating noise that sends him into flurry of panic, rather, it’s what he just said, because Doyoung plus Yuta plus that guy can only equal one thing to Jaehyun; disaster.
He is already taking out his phone, Jaehyun gasps, then scrambles to stop him. “Don’t you dare!”
“Fuck you,” the lavender-haired guy curses, trying to extricate himself from Jaehyun’s hold because even if his shoulder is broader, Jaehyun is still bigger and he carries more muscle mass in him despite the many fats he should have accumulated from how much he eats on daily basis.
After their little debacle that gathered the attention of students who occupied the cafeteria, Jaehyun manages to wrench Doyoung’s phone out of his grasp. He grins triumphantly (and maybe; smugly), but it’s short-lived because Ten suddenly whistles. “Guess what?”
Jaehyun feels all color being drained from his face upon realizing Ten still has his own phone in his hand, and that shit eating grin, swirled together with a dopey grin that Jaehyun can only associate with certain person, doesn’t sound like good news to him.
“I told Johnny-hyung about it.”
Doyoung cheers loudly, clapping Ten on the back before swooping him into a hug. In contrast to their jovial atmosphere is Jaehyun, once again planting his face on the table.
He is so dead.
:::
The thing is, Jaehyun cannot really remember when was the last time he had crush until this guy. Heck, if this is what having crush is, then all the silly flutters he had in his stomach until he met this boy with the most enticing eyes he had ever seen cannot be called crush at all. Nothing can compare to this.
There is nothing special nor romantic in the way he met Taeyong. Well, it’s kind of love at first sight, so maybe it can pass off as ‘romantic’. Considering how gorgeous he is, however, Jaehyun doubts there’s anybody who doesn’t feel tempted to ogle the beautiful boy.
Even Doyoung admits that if he’s not already infatuated with someone else, namely Nakamoto Yuta and his self-proclaimed killer smile, who also happened to be sort of Taeyong’s best friend, he’d probably fall for the cute barista too.
“I think everyone in this campus have their Lee Taeyong moment,” Doyoung had told him one day. “It’s hard to not to stare, not with those sharp eyes, and angles, and I swear, his face is carved by God The Almighty himself, he is too damn fine.”
Doyoung also fawns over Taeyong’s look in daily basis, shamelessly vouch him as the “most beautiful face of the year”, even made campaigns on social media so people vote Taeyong over the other running candidates, made up of mostly female students, but Lee Taeyong is that beautiful that he ended up as winner.
Lee Taeyong is beautiful, but he is also timid and shy. He refused to be photographed after his name came out as the winner, and people were so smitten by him to the point they gave up taking his picture. He is that gorgeous that everybody in campus practically worships the ground he walks on, they’d do anything as long as that’s what Taeyong wants.
Lee Taeyong, the Music & Composing major who also works part time as barista in campus’ Starbucks, is the star in everyone’s heart, and every single student in the whole university must have their Lee Taeyong moment indeed.
Jaehyun is just one out of many, he’s nothing special. He practically got his feet stuck in his mouth upon seeing Taeyong for the first time. Words leaving his brain and air stolen away from his lungs. He literally could not breath, choked on his bread when he saw Taeyong, hair all wet and plastered to his face, buried under sopping hoodie as he crashed inside the café, running away from sudden downpour.
“I forgot my umbrella,” teeth chattering from cold, he said sheepishly to Johnny who immediately came to his aid, fussing over the smaller boy who resembled a drowned kitten. A really, really cute drown kitten.
Jaehyun was too star-struck he was not breathing. He proceeded to choke on his bread, shocking Doyoung who had to slap his back repeatedly in attempt to save his dying friend.
The whole ruckus went unnoticed by Taeyong, thankfully, Johnny had ushered him inside to save him from potential hypothermia (Jaehyun discovered later that Taeyong is quite frail. He spent his every day worrying over Taeyong’s health after that). Jaehyun was glad that he didn’t have to expose his embarrassing side to the guy who’d plague his wake and sleep.
Seo Johnny is a year their seniors, Ten’s husband according to Doyoung. They act like married couple most of the time with Johnny tending to Ten’s every need and whim whenever he can.
(“Johnny even drove two am in the morning just because Ten suddenly craved for chocolate cake. What is he? Pregnant mother?”
“You wished Yuta-hyung do the same to you.”
“Nope, because I wouldn’t do the same to him.”)
He is also Taeyong’s roommates who introduced him to this barista job after the previous guy, Oh Sehun, retired, both for graduation and modeling offer he received to work overseas.
Taeyong is already skilled at cooking, taking the barista job is easy for him. According to Johnny, he had nailed down all the basic down to the T since day one. His endearingly timid yet friendly personality added more to his charm, it’s no wonder their customers doubled, even tripled after Taeyong joined (it’s not that Sehun wasn’t good, it’s just another proof of the Lee Taeyong moment aka. Lee Taeyong is probably not human, magical creature who exists to bewitch everyone around him).
Tall, friendly, and funny, also body that makes women drool, Johnny is easily lovable guy. He’s also the big brother figure in their little circle of friend. Jaehyun likes him, especially when he treats Jaehyun that scones with chocolate chunks after a particular long day.
He despises Johnny to the smallest particle of him, though, when he’s playing matchmaker because he’s absolute rubbish at it.
News that Jaehyun adores Taeyong like Romeo adores Juliet travelled in blink of an eye in their group, courtesy of Doyoung’s unnecessarily big mouth and lack of consideration to his friend’s privacy. At first, they thought it’s just a silly crush; everyone is in love with Lee Taeyong at some point in their life after all.
Besides, it is Jaehyun, he doesn’t fall for anything that is not bread or rice. He’d like to retaliate but the fact that he had never dated anyone before when even Taeil had one in his junior high and two in senior remained for his weak defense. It’s not that he is shy or anything, he just never met anyone who tickle his fancy or makes his heart soars high enough to be worthy of his attention.
It will soon pass was what they had predicted, until a month after, Johnny realized that Jaehyun had been coming every single morning at 6:15 sharp before the café’s official operating hours. He also ordered the same thing as if he wanted to be remembered. And what struck Johnny as the most odd was Jaehyun never tried to make a conversation even though he and Taeyong had been introduced to each other, by none other than Johnny itself.
Jaehyun also frequented the same seat, the one by the corner that got full view of the counter, and he caught Jaehyun staring at Taeyong more than he likes to count.
“Alert! Alert! This is serious, Valentine Boy got a crush on Cookie Monster!” Johnny had recorded and sent to their group chat, much to Jaehyun’s embarrassment.
He’s been teased hell and back about it ever since, Johnny making multiple equally embarrassing attempts at hooking the two of them up, including locking them in café’s broom closet (what is he, five?). None had seen the light of success, to anyone’s surprise but Jaehyun himself.
He and Taeyong have remained ‘acquaintances’, not even a ‘friend’. The only words he had exchanged with Taeyong are the standard barista-customer conversation, he can have it with practically any baristas in town, it’s not even special. It doesn’t help that Taeyong’s building is in opposite of his major’s, he rarely bumps into him outside the café, even at cafeteria.
That guy cooks himself, as if he’s not amazing enough already. Johnny told him that Taeyong is the housewife kind of person, the one who checks expiry date before buying, remembers the exact date and time for discount as well. It makes Jaehyun wants to wed him even more, he and his mother will surely get along.
Except that it seems to be unlikely, seeing as how Jaehyun cannot even make a proper conversation without stuttering.
When the theme of his final assignment was announced, Jaehyun knew right away it has to be Taeyong, it cannot be anyone else. He’s almost sure that everyone in the class also thought of the beautiful barista because he heard his name whispered in passing, or maybe it’s his love-sick brain playing a trick on him.
It’s been finalized in his head, the model for his final will be Lee Taeyong, the one and only. He doesn’t want it to be anyone else, he’s sure his photograph will easily tell his heart is not in it if he chooses to work with someone else. There’s no fooling Professor Kim, that person is not only sadist, half physic too maybe. It’s scary because there had been too many occasions, accounts from seniors and juniors alike, how Professor Kim had accurately described what they felt when taking photos.
Jaehyun wonders if he can be a photographer like that in the future, such skill of professionalism. Before that, though, he has to pass this class – ace it, even, and he needs Taeyong for that exact reason.
Nobody fits the word ‘beautiful’ other than Lee Taeyong, Jaehyun even considers asking his Professor if he could stretch the word limit for the essay more than 239 words, he can do so much more than that, he waxes poetic every day for Taeyong in his head.
But, of course he has to actually ask the guy first. The problem is, Jaehyun has absolutely no idea how.
His saving grace comes in form of Dong Sicheng whom he calls at 0 am in the morning, panicking.
“I need to ask him, I need to ask him, Sicheng, or else I’m not gonna pass this class, and my mother and father will be disappointed in me. They will cross me out of their will and let me stranded on the street with no clothes nor money. Fuck. I need to ask him, but I have no fucking idea how. I mean, you know how I literally got my feet stuck in my mouth whenever I see him, right? The only thing I can say to him is; Ice Americano, venti, two pumps of sugar. And butter croissant. Extra butter. Member’s card. How am I supposed to ask him to be my model? He’d probably think I’m a creep or some-“
The line went dead.
“DONG SICHENG!?!?!?”
Who the fuck even called Sicheng “sweet little Sicheng”. Doyoung and Yuta combined can even cower in shame when Sicheng chooses to be savage. He might not be as fluent as Ten when it comes to Korean, but he makes sure he learns words that can butcher even the coldest of heart.
He calls Sicheng once again while biting his nails in frustration.
“Hello?”
“You little shit,” Jaehyun curses. “How dare you hang up on me when-“
“It’s 1 am in the morning.”
“Technically, it’s 0,” Jaehyun checks the clock on his desk. “0:17, and don’t you try lying to me, I know you’re awake playing that silly fishing game of yours.”
“It’s not as silly as your love life.”
Jaehyun gapes like the fish in Sicheng’s blasted game.
“Okay, so, what’s your problem?”
Sweet little Sicheng, my ass.
“Jaehyun, I’m hanging up.”
“No, wait!! Don’t! You got to help me!” he practically yells to his phone, unforgiving to his friend’s ears.
The dance major winces, Jaehyun thinks he deserves it for a dick he’s being. “Ugh, what? Just ask him, Jaehyun. It’s not that difficult. Even with my basic Korean, I think I can even ask him.”
“How?” he asks, desperate. Surely, if Sicheng, the foreigner, can, he, a native, can do it to.
“Hello, Taeyong-hyung. Will you be my model?”
Jaehyun groans, smothers his face with pillow, then, “it’s not supposed to be that easy.”
“How so?”
“It’s,” Jaehyun sputters, “just not. I mean, I cannot even talk to him.”
“Then talk to him,” Sicheng presses on.
“How?” he can imagine thousands of scenarios, none of them end well.
For a moment, Sicheng is quiet. Then, “Okay, leave it to me.”
Jaehyun wants to cry with happiness. Sicheng might be a little shit, but he is someone Jaehyun can always count on, more so than Doyoung, Ten, Yuta, or even Johnny (especially in love life department. He’s a horrible matchmaker). “Oh God, I love you, Dong Sicheng.”
“Save that for your Taeyong-hyung. And you owe me ice cream. Ice creams, for a month.”
Making kissy sounds, Jaehyun agrees giddily, “yes, yes. Anything for you, Darling.”
:::
Jaehyun has so many regret in life, he could probably make a book out of it. But for this moment, there’s nothing he regrets more than trusting Sicheng.
The boy is someone he can count on, that’s true. He has let Jaehyun down a couple of times before, that is also true.
Turned out Sicheng’s genius idea of ‘leave it to me’ includes dragging tongue-tied Jaehyun to the café, approaching Taeyong with that innocently bright grin of his (that automatically drew a smile on Taeyong’s face, damn, he envies Sicheng for that), chirping, “Taeyong-hyung! Taeyong-hyung!”
“Sicheng!” Taeyong answers happily, face turning watts brighter. Jaehyun is momentarily blinded by that row of small, straight, whiter than pearl teeth.
He – they – stop by the counter, Jaehyun hovering awkwardly behind Sicheng as the Chinese chats with Taeyong. No, Jaehyun is not jealous. Taeyong adores Sicheng like he adores his own child, Jaehyun wouldn’t want Taeyong to thinks of him as a child; he wants to be thought of as a ‘man’. But then Taeyong pinches Sicheng’s cheek, cooing, Jaehyun feels the sudden urge to stomp his foot on Sicheng, hissing in his ears, “Stop?? Flirting??”
He doesn’t do that, it’s a ticket to Taeyong’s book of hate.
So, Jaehyun waits, patiently, until Sicheng is done with whatever impromptu talk he has with Taeyong. His mind immediately takes the nervous turn, and Jaehyun looks around the café to distract himself. For a supposed slow hour, there are hardly any seat left (his usual ‘spot’ is already taken, which means he cannot secretly ogle at Taeyong while he works).
His effort is successful it seems, or maybe it’s counter-productive, because he jerks in surprise when Sicheng suddenly pushes him forward that he is standing with his hip pressed to the counter, face to face with smiling Taeyong, head titled aside.
Jaehyun’s jaw goes slack. His mind splutters, what the fuck? And fuck, how could somebody be this beautiful? Is he even real?
He whirls around to face Sicheng, eyes wide in panic. Sicheng is holding his shoulder in dead-grip, smiling prettily but for Jaehyun, his smile looks like the Death himself smiling at him. “So, Jaehyun here have something to say to you, Hyung.”
“Oh? What could it be?”
That snaps Jaehyun’s mouth shut. Taeyong. Taeyong’s voice. He sounds so fucking pretty. He sounds like a love song. His voice sends delicious shiver run down Jaehyun’s spine, but at the same time, making Jaehyun’s stomach twist, because; this is so not happening.
“Sicheng,” he hisses lowly in panic. Sicheng’s eyes gleam with mischief and sadistic pleasure. This little shit, Jaehyun mentally curses him again, he feels sorry for even thinking Doyoung and Yuta are the worst; Sicheng is. Manipulative little shit. “What are you doing??”
“I think you should hear it from the person himself, Hyung. Jaehyun is too shy to ask, he’s afraid he’d burden you.” Sicheng ignores Jaehyun completely, then with strength Jaehyun didn’t expect his lithe body to possesses, he forces Jaehyun to face Taeyong again.
Jaehyun chokes on his own saliva. He doesn’t need mirror to know his face must be burning like hot lava.
Taeyong is so, so damn pretty. His eyes are impossibly huge, and so black, and so glassy. Jaehyun is lost in them. He lost himself, probably his mind too, because he is turning silly. He wants to swallow, but he cannot, he forgets how to. All he can think of is how pretty Taeyong is, how cute the scar under his eyes is, how perfect his nose is, how cute his lips are, and how much Jaehyun wants to run his hand through those bleach-damaged yet lovely strands of pastel pink.
“Nonsense, anything to help a friend,” says Taeyong, turning his whole attention to Jaehyun. The latter’s brain short-circuited for a while, having his crush looking at him – him and nobody else, is too much. “What can I do to help, Jaehyun?”
Hearing his name slipping past those beautiful, small, and cute, and adorable, and totally kissable coral-pink lips is so much more.
And, wow, did Taeyong just called him a friend, because all these times Jaehyun always felt inadequate to be considered as such?
If this is the day he dies, he’s more than ready. He’s content. He has a good life. He’d die with the love of his life as the last thing he sees, he couldn’t ask for better way to die.
“Yes, Jaehyun,” Sicheng says through gritted teeth, pushing Jaehyun forward roughly that Jaehyun has to balances himself on the counter with his hands or he’d topple over. “Just tell him what do you need, Taeyong-hyung is busy.”
Fuck. Dong. Sicheng.
Half-leaning over the counter like this, he is so close to Taeyong – too close, even.
Taeyong wasn’t flinching, nor does he keep his distance. He heard from Johnny that despite how friendly he could be, Taeyong is a shy and timid homeboy instead. He values his personal space, Jaehyun would never dare to make him uncomfortable by breaching it.
Yet, Taeyong isn’t pulling away. Actually, he’s leaning forward as if he sincerely wants to hear what Jaehyun is about to say. The photography major wants to cry, his crush is not a human, he must be an angel. An angel who smells of coffee and confection sugar.
“Um,” Jaehyun starts, unsure.
Taeyong nods, listening. “Yes?”
“I’m Jaehyun. Jeong Jaehyun. Photography major, second year.”
“I know,” Taeyong says, smiling a little wider. Such simple action is enough to send Jaehyun over the moon.
“You do?”
The barista nods again, this time coupled with tinkering giggle. “Of course, we meet every day; Venti Ice Americano, two pumps of sugar. Butter croissant with extra butter. Black card. Don’t you remember?”
Jaehyun doesn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. Taeyong remembers him. “No, I remember, of course. It’s just- I- yeah. I thought, you know, with how many people who come here every day.
“I remember my regulars,” Taeyong meets Jaehyun’s eyes, the younger swears he is not breathing; those eyes are abyss of maze, and he doesn’t want to get out. “Besides, you are Johnny’s Ten’s friend. There’s no way I don’t know you, Jeong Jaehyun.”
‘Johnny’s Ten’s friend’, that is really, really cute. He knew his crush is cute but he didn’t know he is this cute. He is also sexy, very sexy, effortlessly so. He’s just looking at Jaehyun right in the eye, and he got Jaehyun hot and bothered already.
“So, I heard you need my help?”
Not trusting his voice, Jaehyun nods.
“What for? I’d be happy to help if it’s something I can do.”
Jaehyun is not sure what it is, the notion that Taeyong cannot do it is likely the reason why, but he suddenly gained this courage to speak, “that’s not true.”
“What?” Taeyong blinks, perplexed at his sudden disagreement.
“You can’t do it. That’s not true. You can. There’s nobody but you.”
Behind him, Sicheng snorts loudly. He ignores it, his imagination it might be but there’s something else in Taeyong’s enigmatic eyes; something that’s not curiosity, something more.
“Oh. That’s, that’s really flattering to hear. I’m not so sure though, I don’t even know what you need my help with.”
This is it, a voice in his head says. This is the now or never moment, you go on or go home, Jeong Jaehyun, you can do this.
Jaehyun straightens his back, takes a deep breath, prays to all God and Deities in existence – those he believes in and not, and he can hear Doyoung’s voice from somewhere, “you’re being dramatic!”
It’s okay because this is the now or never moment, everyone has it, like they have their Lee Taeyong moment. Jaehyun has it too, badly, what makes him different from those people is that he does not merely crush on the boy, but is so deeply infatuated with him, and even if it’s scary, he wants to take that first step.
“Have Johnny-hyung told you what my major is?”
“Sure! Photography.” There is no ounce of hesitation in his voice, Jaehyun suddenly wonders how much Taeyong knew about him.
“Right. For our final assignment, Professor Kim wants us to take a photo with this particular theme, and I cannot think of anyone else who fits this more than you, Hyung.”
Jaehyun is proud with himself, he’s not stuttering like he thought he would, he even sounds stable like he’s not freaking out inside. Taeyong, for the first time in the whole exchange, averts his eyes, a shy smile spreading on his face. Jaehyun’s stomach does a flip.
“So, you want me to model for you, for your assignment?”
“Yep, if it wasn’t a bother for you.”
Taeyong shakes his head, he presses his lips together into adorable half-smile, half-pout. According to Johnny, it’s the thing he does when he’s nervous. “No. Not at all! It’s not a bother, but, are you sure? You said for final, it must be important, right? Will I be enough? I never model before, I don’t want to screw up your task.”
Jaehyun grins, it’s so funny that Taeyong even dare thinking like that, if only he knew. “No, no, Hyung. In fact, you are more than enough. There’s nobody else more adequate.”
He doesn’t know where does the courage comes from, maybe because of how adorably shy Taeyong suddenly becomes, and he’s not pulling away when Jaehyun leans forward, smiling as wide as possible until he knows his dimples are in full display.
“The theme for the assignment is ‘beautiful’, that’s why I need you to model for me, Taeyong-hyung.”
Someone chokes in the background, he sounds suspiciously like Johnny. “Did he just say that?!”
“Oh,” Taeyong meets him in the eyes again. “That’s- that’s the theme for your assignment?”
“Uh-huh,” Jaehyun nods. Seriously, Lee Taeyong is so beautiful, no human ought to be this stunning.
“And you want me to model for that. You sure you’re not mistaken? I can introduce you to Seulgi-noona or Joohyun-noona. They have modeled before; it’d be easier to work with someone who had the experience, right?”
“I’m sure I’m not mistaken, Taeyong-hyung. Experience doesn’t matter; it’s the model and the photographer who make the picture. I think nobody – I cannot think of anybody else that can make this theme works but you.”
Taeyong flushes pretty shade of scarlet, Jaehyun knew Taeyong catches on what he’s meaning to say, he’s just too shy to admit that. Jaehyun needs to face this head on. “I-“
“I’m saying you are beautiful.”
Collective gasps can be heard all around. Jaehyun ignores them, simply because nothing can attract his attention more than the way Taeyong’s glassy orbs twinkle, and how adorable he is when he bites the corner of his lips like that.
Really; so beautiful. His crush is too much. Lee Taeyong is too much, and Jaehyun needs more.
“I- I’m- uuhh, thank you,” Taeyong flusters, eyes flicking back and forth between Jaehyun and the table. He starts playing with his hands as well; alternating between squeezing them or lacing his fingers together. “I’m really- it’s such an honor. And flattered. And, umm…”
Taeyong pauses. At the same time, Jaehyun feels the anxiety returns to him during Taeyong’s moment of dilemma. He swallows, mentally beating himself as he remembers through what he just had said.
Fuck, Johnny and Sicheng will never let him leave. ‘I’m saying you are beautiful?’ that’s a whole new level of greasy and cheese! Yuta will have his ass. Doyoung will eat him alive. Ten will laugh prettily from the sideline as he watches Johnny tearing him down by playing the recording of this event. He doesn’t know why he’s convinced that his hyung (and his friend who had led this to happen) have the whole exchange in video.
Jaehyun is cursed, not only with a Professor who is a sadist and also dates a sadist Vogue editor in chief, but also with friends who’s as savage as his Professor is. He wonders if he still has anyone whom he can trust, probably Taeil, but Taeil was also the person who had laughed at him as he choked on his bread after seeing Taeyong.
Himself, he really got nobody but himself.
“I’m sorry, that’s-“
“Yes.”
“-rude of me. I shouldn’t have- I mean; it’s uncalled for. Something likes that. I shouldn’t have said it. We’re not even,” he cannot say we’re not even friends with each other. “-we’re not that close, yet, here I am, asking you a fav-“
“I said; yes!” Taeyong says – repeats – loudly. He leans forward until Jaehyun’s sight is full of Taeyong’s lovely face, his nose is filled with the unique scent of sugar and coffee. “I said; yes, Jaehyun. I will be your model. For your assignment. Final. Yes, I will be. I’m okay. With you saying it, not that I think you should be, but- I’m okay. You said it. I’m-“
“Okay?” Their hearts must be in race with each other , they’re both a mess, short on breaths.
Taeyong opens his mouth but closes it again, thinking that whatever he’s about to say is better left unsaid. Jaehyun is curious, but he can save it for later when his brain is not as frazzled as now. “Okay. You’re not rude. You just- you want to pass your final, and I’m the only,” he stutters, “-one who can help you, according to you, nobody-“
“-because you are beautiful.”
The said beautiful boy gapes at him. Jaehyun also gapes, at himself.
“Oh. My. God.” It sounds like Doyoung, it must be Doyoung.
“Our sweet little, Sicheng, I know we can count on you!” this time, it’s Yuta. There’s laughter as well, it belongs to Sicheng. Sweet little Sicheng.
“Please tell me you got it in camera, Johnny-hyung.”
“Don’t worry darling, I got the Jaehyun-focus one. Sicheng got the one with Taeyong’s reaction with him,” Johnny can be heard giggling with Ten.
“Ah, to be young and to be in love,” Taeil sobs, dramatic without any hint of sincerity at all.
Taeyong and Jaehyun still gapes at each other.
“So,” someone slung his arm on Jaehyun’s shoulder, “Taeyong is beautiful, eh?”
“He’s saying he is beautiful, Honey,” says someone else on his right, Doyoung. It can only be Doyoung, then the person on his other side must be Yuta.
Johnny and Ten mirrors what they’re doing to Jaehyun, except on Taeyong. He immediately comes out from his stupor, flushing even deeper shade of scarlet. He hides his face behind his hands, Jaehyun feels the tug in his stomach to pry those offending hands away; he could die without seeing that beautiful face.
He doesn’t, though, still too shell-shocked with the turn of the event. Sicheng slaps him hard on his back, too hard that he lurches forward but he doesn’t even budge, mind fried.
Did he, Jeong Jaehyun, just flirted openly with the campus’ sweetheart Lee Taeyong?
“So, when’s the wedding, guys? I hope I’m invited!” Ten exclaims gleefully, shaking Taeyong’s shoulder.
Johnny chuckles, “don’t rush them honey, they have pre-wedding photo first.”
Taeyong makes a cute whimpering sound, “stop it, you two.”
“No, really, Tae, you should have stopped this guy before he got the chance and run his mouth like that,” Yuta teases further, patting the side of Jaehyun’s chest. “I have to admit I never thought he had it in him. He’s popular, sure, but he never struck me as lady killer.”
Doyoung shushes loudly, he waggles his finger in front of them. “Not a lady killer; Lee Taeyong killer.”
They erupt into laughter, Sicheng and Taeil joining in. Jaehyun feels like crawling to find a comfortable hole somewhere to hide and never coming back. His friends will never let him live anyways, what’s the point?
In between their friends antics, his eyes and Taeyong’s meet once again. Lee Taeyong; his crush, the most beautiful boy in the planet with scar under his eyes. He is shy, timid, yet friendly. He’s delicate, like flower, and Jaehyun will do anything to keep him abloom forever.
“You should be careful with your words,” Taeyong mutters meekly.
Jaehyun wonders if it’s supposed to be a threat for how soft his voice was. There’s also the fact that the corner of his lips are tugged upward into a shy smile, and gleaming in his obsidian eyes are vivid color of felicity.
He is so, so beautiful, and Jaehyun’s professor can be a sadist, his friends are sadists, too, but he thinks he can bear it if he can get Taeyong looking at him like that every single day; a little bit scared, yet full with faith.
Taeyong has been adored by so many people before, maybe being the object of people’s attention is boring for him, but Jaehyun wishes this will be the first time he becomes the object of someone’s affection; affection that doesn’t stop as just mere infatuation, but something more.
This will be his first time, and it’ll be Jaehyun’s too; to try to properly love someone.
“I can’t help it, Hyung,” he murmurs, wetting his lips. “After all, it’s true; you are beautiful.”
His friends laugh harder, someone starts clapping and cat-calling on the back. Taeyong makes another cute sound then buries his face in his hands again.
Jaehyun laughs, too. Happy. Content. That bout of courage comes again, he reaches out to pry Taeyong’s hands away from his face. The pink haired boy whines, “Jaehyun!”
His cheeks are red, eyes wet. He is looking at Jaehyun and no one else, his skin sears Jaehyun’s heart through his flesh and bones.
Jaehyun thinks; what a beautiful view.