Beautiful Pain

Baby Boys

"Leave him alone, asshole!" TaeHyung shouted, shoving the boy that was cramming JiMin into the lockers. The boy turned around, instantly moving away from JiMin. At 16 years old, TaeHyung Kim absolutely ruled the high school. He lost the glasses he once wore. He was intelligent, extremely good looking, and he lived all on his own. He was living a high schoolers dream. All the guys wanted to be him, and all the girls wanted to date him. JiMin on the other hand, was as low on the totem pole as a boy could be. Not even TaeHyung's popularity could pull him up. He was a dancer— ballet, to be exact— obviously gay, and foreign. He still had his Korean accent. None of these things bothered TaeHyung in the least, and unlike everyone else in this lame ass school, he envied JiMin Park.

JiMin was a beautiful boy, with eyes that closed the whole way when he laughed. He was strong and an incredible dancer. He had talent, and most of all he had a family. He had a mom and dad, and a brother. TaeHyung longed for a family. He was emancipated at the beginning of the school year. He had appealed to the court stating that his mother had been dead long enough to have officially decayed and that his father was addicted to meth. He even added that he was almost certain his father had cancer, but there was no health insurance, and therefore no health care.

Yet, the students here didn't know all of that. They just knew the handsome tenth grader that was already an adult. Nobody cared to see behind the scenes; nobody but JiMin.

"Thanks." JiMin mumbled, sliding his books into his locker. TaeHyung smiled at a girl down the hall. He didn't like girls, but he didn't need anyone to know that. Tae rather liked being popular. He liked being attractive to nearly everyone on campus. He was already so unwanted in other aspects of life, the thought of being unwanted at school nearly crushed him.

"Sure thing, shorty." Tae teased, raising an eyebrow when JiMin tried to defend himself. JiMin turned, eyeing his best friend. TaeHyung had gotten tall over the past few months. His hair was dyed blonde. He had wanted to dye it a bolder color, but then got scared. JiMin noticed a letter in TaeHyung's hand.

"What's that?" He asked curiously. TaeHyung rolled his eyes. He handed the letter to JiMin. The smaller boy scanned across the words written on the page.

"Another person asking to go to prom." He shrugged. A girl waved to him, and he smiled back politely. JiMin sighed sadly. It was obvious that he liked TaeHyung, and it was obvious to anyone that really watched TaeHyung that he like JiMin back. Yet, both boys were too scared to admit it.

"Who are you going with?" JiMin relocked his locker. The two started walking to class together. TaeHyung shrugged again, taking the heavy book load from the smaller boy. JiMin was without a doubt stronger than TaeHyung, but the boy look particularly exhausted today.

"Probably nobody." He admitted. "I'll have to work most likely. No point in getting anyone's hopes up."

"TaeHyung, you can go to prom. Eomma and Appa will cover any money you miss from taking off-."

"JiMin, it's really sweet, but no." He stopped the small boy from goin fm further. "It's just prom. Besides we're in tenth grade. We still have two of our own to go to."

"Yeah, but you're popular." JiMin exaggerated. "As in, oddly popular. Even the seniors are lower than you. You need to go with someone! How many people have asked you?"

"I dunno, ten?" Tae guessed.

"Holy, fuck, TaeHyung." He gasped, he grabbed my jacket to make me stop walking. TaeHyung tilted his head.

"Why how many asked you?"

"Nobody!" JiMin rolled his eyes. "I don't think you get how this high school ecosystem works."