Thanks for the memories (Chapter 10)
Jaejoong averted his eyes from Yunho. His heart would beat erratically again once he looked at the man's eyes.
"I would be at peace if you would just forgive me, Jaejoong," he said.
So is that it? Yunho only attached himself to Jaejoong and his son just to wash away his sin? Jaejoong now looked back at Yunho with a dark stare. And he was able to pull away his hands from Yunho. Then suddenly Yunho's phone rang and the man excused himself for a while to answer it.
He was talking to Tiffany. And as to what he can hear from Yunho, the man was telling the woman on the phone that he is not with Moonbin. And Yunho looks irritated. He even tried covering his mouth because he was embarrassed. But Moonbin tried to get Yunho's phone. Jaejoong understood the man's situation.
"Moonbin and I would leave first," he told the man after he was done talking on the phone. " I don't wanna be the reason of your fight with Tiffany. And thank you for the snack."
"Ah, Jaejoong." he tried to stop them. And he was fast enough to get a hold of Moonbin.
"And I think it's better if you don't visit the salon that often. Your girlfriend is quite possessive. And besides, you don't have any obligation to Moonbin. And I don't want my boyfriend to misunderstand." After that said, Jaejoong carried Moonbin and started walking away.
"Jaejoong!"
"Thanks for your time," he looked back again as they were steps away from the man.
"Moonbin-ah, bye, see you," Yunho sadly waved goodbye to his son.
The child looked back at him before they went out of the glass door. He waved goodbye to his not-yet-known-father with a wide smile.
Jaejoong wanted to look back too but he tried to stop himself. He bit his lower lip instead. His heart is aching for this man. Up until now. But why does he have this feeling that Yunho was not the man for him?
Why is he hurting whenever he thinks that there is already Tiffany in Yunho's life? That he and Moonbin are just taking too much time and love from Yunho where in fact they have the right more than Tiffany does.
====================
Yunho didn't show himself for a few days. And Jaejoong was starting to get pissed off whenever his son asked him about his unknown father.
"Don't look for him, Moonbin," he scolded his son. "He won't come back. He'll get married. He will have his own baby soon and he will forget about you."
He knew that his son wouldn't understand a thing he's saying, but he couldn't think of any way on how he should tell his son that he shouldn't demand too much time on Yunho.
========================
Five days had passed, Yunho returned. He brought a lot of gifts for Moonbin. The two were already playing when Jaejoong came.
"Hi, Jaejoong," Yunho greeted Jaejoong warmly.
"Tiffany will totally freak out if she finds out that you're always here," Jaejoong mocked.
"She's just my girlfriend. She has no right to stop me wherever I want to take my body. I'll go here anytime I want to see Moonbin and no one's stopping me."
From the tone of Yunho's voice, Jaejoong could tell that he has a problem with Tiffany. And if he's right, the two are not on good terms. Though he wanted to ask what happened, he knows that he has no right to question his personal life. And somehow, Jaejoong was touched that Yunho protected him and Moonbin. Was he right to think that Yunho is already affectionately attached to Moonbin?
Jaejoong was in the middle of preparing snacks for the three of them to eat when they were suddenly interrupted by an unwelcomed guest by the name of Tiffany.
"I knew that I would find you here, Yunho," the woman angrily told to her boyfriend. She found Yunho playing with Moonbin while Jaejoong was serving them the snacks.
"I'm getting suspicious of you Yunho. What is your real relationship with this man and his son?"
"Tiffany, please." Yunho was alarmed and he tried to stop the woman.
"How will I not freak out about this? I look so stupid waiting for you. We had a plan to go to Jeju but you did not come and instead you're here taking care of somebody else's son!"
Tiffany threw a hard stare to Jaejoong then to his son.
"Tiffany, watch your language," Yunho tried to stop her again while holding onto her shoulder. "I didn't promise you that I'll go with you to Jeju. I have my own job to work on. I just can't go and follow you wherever you want me to, I'm not your robot."
"There might be something that I don't know between the two of you. Could it be that you're this child's father? That's why you're giving them more attention and time than me, your girlfriend!"
"Tiffany, what the..?! Your mouth! You're making a scene here. You know what, let's go. I'll take you home. We'll talk in the car."
Yunho held onto Tiffany's arms and pulled her out with him. But before they could go out of the salon, Tiffany looked back again at Jaejoong.
"Don't you ever dare use your child just to lure my boyfriend! You seduce another man to father that fatherless child of yours!" she yelled at the man.
Yunho was so embarrassed with all the scenes his girlfriend was making so he forcefully pulled the woman out.
=============
Jaejoong could bear the scandal that Tiffany made in the salon. But what hurt him the most was they were the ones who looked pitiful, and that they begged for Yunho's time and love. He was also hurt when Tiffany called Moonbin a "fatherless child". If only Jaejoong didn't hide the truth from Yunho, his son won't be too pitiful. But why does he have to cry whenever he thinks, that anytime now Tiffany might deprive them of Yunho?
Ah, he is really in love with his child's father. All these years, he failed on telling himself to hate the man. And instead, he loves him - despite his sin. But it's too late for that. He needs to destroy the bridge between him and Yunho. Now that he'll get married to Tiffany soon.
===============
"Leave this place. Please, Yunho," Jaejoong greeted the man when he visited the salon again. He tried to be angry to hide all the pain inside.
"I want to apologize for what happened last time, Jaejoong. Don't be mad at me, too."
"I'm already living a peaceful life and now here you are again to ruin it. Why don't you just leave me and Moonbin alone?"
Yunho could only bow his head from what Jaejoong said.
"I don't want Tiffany to do that again. And to prevent that from happening once more, this will be your last visit here. I don't want to be involved in your fight. If I were you, I'd marry her this instant. To settle all things. And to drive away her fear of losing you."
"But please don't stop me from seeing Moonbin."
"There's no valid reason for you to see Moonbin. His dad might get suspicious of me. So please, Yunho, leave us alone!" he emphasized the last sentence for the man to fully understand.
"And in case you and Tiffany will marry, accept my condolences in advance."
Then Jaejoong turned his back from the man. He was even hurt from what he did. But he had to do it. Tears started to fall again as his eyes followed Yunho when he rode his car. Jaejoong bit his lower lip. Now he knows that Yunho won't ever come back again.
=================
A month has passed and Moonbin stopped asking about Yunho. The man never visited again.
"You still love him, don't you?" Dongsun asked to his pale-looking son.
"Just like my dream of becoming a lawyer, I know that Yunho is not for me. Appa, I've learned to accept that whatever we do, we cannot have the things that are not meant for us."
"Love will still come in your life in the future. It's just too bad that you cannot have him now that he had already changed and he ended his playboy ways," Dongsun said.
The next news that he heard from his father is that Yunho's marriage is going to happen very soon.
====================
The day of the wedding has finally come, though it hurts him seeing the father of his child marrying another woman, he still decided to come with Moonbin. They were few blocks away from the church. Jaejoong tried to stop the stirring emotions as he saw Yunho coming out of the car.
Did he see it right or his eyes are fooling him? He could see sadness from Yunho's face. From afar he could see that there is no excitement on the man's face.
"It's Uncle Yunho," Moonbin happily said as he saw his unknown father.
Jaejoong hugged his son tightly, as his tears continuously flowed from his eyes.
"He's your appa, Moonbin-ah," he whispered. He didn't care whether he heard him or even understood him.
Goodbye, Yunho. We wish you your happiness.
He bit his lip and tried to stop the tears from flowing once again. He couldn't take seeing the man he loves wearing white suit - and getting married to another woman. He asked the taxi driver to drive them away from that place.
"Omma.?" the doe-like eyes stared at him when his son noticed that he was crying. He didn't explain to Moonbin, he just hugged him and kissed his hair.
They were a few kilometers away when they suddenly got stuck in traffic.
"What's causing the traffic?" the taxi driver asked a street vendor.
"There's a car crash," the vendor answered. " A bridal car was run over by a ten wheeler truck. The bride in the car was trapped inside and she's far from surviving."
Jaejoong suddenly had goosebumps when he thought of the possibility that Tiffany might be the bride they were talking about. He prayed and he started to get worried on Yunho. How would he take it if Tiffany was the bride?
=====================
That night, the fatal accident that happened was all over the news. Jaejoong's mind went blank for a few moments after the news had confirmed that it was really Tiffany who died from the accident.
He suddenly hugged his son who was playing on his side.
"What will your appa do?" he whispered.
===================
Jaejoong and Moonbin visited the funeral. Jaejoong know that the mere presence of Moonbin could lift up Yunho's spirit, at least for a little bit.
After Tiffany's funeral, Yunho bid goodbye to them because he would return to America. Jaejoong wanted to stop him but he couldn't do it.
"You really loved Tiffany. You even have to go to a faraway place just to overcome the pain of losing her. And me, I'm not that important in your life like Tiffany was. I am just one of those…. playthings that you just passed by."
Jaejoong's in pain whenever he thought of that. All his life, he questioned himself, if Yunho had loved him. If it's right for him to just hide his feelings for Yunho in his heart. If he would expect that in the end everything's gonna be alright between them and they would be a one happy family.
And now he doesn't have to wait anymore. He thinks that he should not expect anything from him anymore. Even if Yunho finds out that Moonbin is his son, nothing would change. Tiffany is the only woman that he had loved truly.
=============================
They say that love is like water. You may block its way as it flows but it will find another way to continue flowing. Because after three months, Yunho surprised Jaejoong and Moonbin.
"You owe me a lot of explanations, Jaejoong," he said the moment he entered the salon. "And make sure that you will be able to convince me or else, I'll punish you."
"What do you mean?" Jaejoong tried suppressing the excitement he felt once he saw the man again.
"Why did you hide it from me? Why didn't you tell me that you got pregnant at that time and Moonbin was the child? Why did you deprive me of my right to become Moonbin's father?"
"Because you never even loved me? That because of you taking advantage of me, Moonbin was formed? I don't want to expect that you would really take responsibility and that you'll marry me because it'll only hurt me more. I know you, you're not the type of guy who takes men like me seriously."
"You really think I'm a playboy, huh?" there's pain in Yunho's eyes. "Even you believe that I'm a worthless man that only plays in a relationship?"
"That's the truth, right?"
Yunho sighed. His feelings and ego was hurt.
"Okay, let's say that's everyone's impression of me, that I'm a playboy. But I did not cheat or hurt anyone. One more thing, you changed me, Jaejoong. Ever since that night, I took life seriously because you never left my mind. I looked for you, to tell you that I love you but you hid from me."
Jaejoong couldn't even utter a word. He was wrong. He didn't even give the man a chance now that he had changed. Both of them were in pain because of what they did. Yunho suddenly grabbed his waist and pulled him into his embrace.
"Now, you will pay for all these, Jaejoong."
"What do you mean?"
Yunho then gave him a hot searing kiss as a punishment. Claiming his lips like there's no tomorrow. A kiss that is full of love. A love that he had yearned for from the man for a long time.
"God, I love you! You gave me a hard time, did you know that? I didn't know where to look for you before. And now, I will never let you go. Let's settle all these," he seriously said once he let go of Jaejoong's lips. "All the sins that I've done, I'll pay it with my love. I'll marry you and we'll give Moonbin a happy family."
"You've already forgotten about Tiffany?"
"Cause I've never really loved her that much despite what you think. I thought that she would help me forget about you. I'm sad cause she died so early, but that's all it is."
Jaejoong latched his arms on Yunho's neck.
"You know, actually, I already liked you from the first time I saw you. But you're kinda aloof. It was hard for me to approach you. That's why when I got the chance." then Yunho winked. "I really had no intention of telling anyone, I just used that to trap you."
"Oh, Yun."
"Sssh - we've got a whole wonderful lifetime to say everything we need to say," Yunho gave him a meaningful smile while his finger touched Jaejoong's lips to stop him from saying anything.
"And some things are better said without words," he whispered into the young man's ear then licked his lobe. Then he kissed every part of his body that gave shivers on the young man's spine.
"I would be at peace if you would just forgive me, Jaejoong," he said.
So is that it? Yunho only attached himself to Jaejoong and his son just to wash away his sin? Jaejoong now looked back at Yunho with a dark stare. And he was able to pull away his hands from Yunho. Then suddenly Yunho's phone rang and the man excused himself for a while to answer it.
He was talking to Tiffany. And as to what he can hear from Yunho, the man was telling the woman on the phone that he is not with Moonbin. And Yunho looks irritated. He even tried covering his mouth because he was embarrassed. But Moonbin tried to get Yunho's phone. Jaejoong understood the man's situation.
"Moonbin and I would leave first," he told the man after he was done talking on the phone. " I don't wanna be the reason of your fight with Tiffany. And thank you for the snack."
"Ah, Jaejoong." he tried to stop them. And he was fast enough to get a hold of Moonbin.
"And I think it's better if you don't visit the salon that often. Your girlfriend is quite possessive. And besides, you don't have any obligation to Moonbin. And I don't want my boyfriend to misunderstand." After that said, Jaejoong carried Moonbin and started walking away.
"Jaejoong!"
"Thanks for your time," he looked back again as they were steps away from the man.
"Moonbin-ah, bye, see you," Yunho sadly waved goodbye to his son.
The child looked back at him before they went out of the glass door. He waved goodbye to his not-yet-known-father with a wide smile.
Jaejoong wanted to look back too but he tried to stop himself. He bit his lower lip instead. His heart is aching for this man. Up until now. But why does he have this feeling that Yunho was not the man for him?
Why is he hurting whenever he thinks that there is already Tiffany in Yunho's life? That he and Moonbin are just taking too much time and love from Yunho where in fact they have the right more than Tiffany does.
====================
Yunho didn't show himself for a few days. And Jaejoong was starting to get pissed off whenever his son asked him about his unknown father.
"Don't look for him, Moonbin," he scolded his son. "He won't come back. He'll get married. He will have his own baby soon and he will forget about you."
He knew that his son wouldn't understand a thing he's saying, but he couldn't think of any way on how he should tell his son that he shouldn't demand too much time on Yunho.
========================
Five days had passed, Yunho returned. He brought a lot of gifts for Moonbin. The two were already playing when Jaejoong came.
"Hi, Jaejoong," Yunho greeted Jaejoong warmly.
"Tiffany will totally freak out if she finds out that you're always here," Jaejoong mocked.
"She's just my girlfriend. She has no right to stop me wherever I want to take my body. I'll go here anytime I want to see Moonbin and no one's stopping me."
From the tone of Yunho's voice, Jaejoong could tell that he has a problem with Tiffany. And if he's right, the two are not on good terms. Though he wanted to ask what happened, he knows that he has no right to question his personal life. And somehow, Jaejoong was touched that Yunho protected him and Moonbin. Was he right to think that Yunho is already affectionately attached to Moonbin?
Jaejoong was in the middle of preparing snacks for the three of them to eat when they were suddenly interrupted by an unwelcomed guest by the name of Tiffany.
"I knew that I would find you here, Yunho," the woman angrily told to her boyfriend. She found Yunho playing with Moonbin while Jaejoong was serving them the snacks.
"I'm getting suspicious of you Yunho. What is your real relationship with this man and his son?"
"Tiffany, please." Yunho was alarmed and he tried to stop the woman.
"How will I not freak out about this? I look so stupid waiting for you. We had a plan to go to Jeju but you did not come and instead you're here taking care of somebody else's son!"
Tiffany threw a hard stare to Jaejoong then to his son.
"Tiffany, watch your language," Yunho tried to stop her again while holding onto her shoulder. "I didn't promise you that I'll go with you to Jeju. I have my own job to work on. I just can't go and follow you wherever you want me to, I'm not your robot."
"There might be something that I don't know between the two of you. Could it be that you're this child's father? That's why you're giving them more attention and time than me, your girlfriend!"
"Tiffany, what the..?! Your mouth! You're making a scene here. You know what, let's go. I'll take you home. We'll talk in the car."
Yunho held onto Tiffany's arms and pulled her out with him. But before they could go out of the salon, Tiffany looked back again at Jaejoong.
"Don't you ever dare use your child just to lure my boyfriend! You seduce another man to father that fatherless child of yours!" she yelled at the man.
Yunho was so embarrassed with all the scenes his girlfriend was making so he forcefully pulled the woman out.
=============
Jaejoong could bear the scandal that Tiffany made in the salon. But what hurt him the most was they were the ones who looked pitiful, and that they begged for Yunho's time and love. He was also hurt when Tiffany called Moonbin a "fatherless child". If only Jaejoong didn't hide the truth from Yunho, his son won't be too pitiful. But why does he have to cry whenever he thinks, that anytime now Tiffany might deprive them of Yunho?
Ah, he is really in love with his child's father. All these years, he failed on telling himself to hate the man. And instead, he loves him - despite his sin. But it's too late for that. He needs to destroy the bridge between him and Yunho. Now that he'll get married to Tiffany soon.
===============
"Leave this place. Please, Yunho," Jaejoong greeted the man when he visited the salon again. He tried to be angry to hide all the pain inside.
"I want to apologize for what happened last time, Jaejoong. Don't be mad at me, too."
"I'm already living a peaceful life and now here you are again to ruin it. Why don't you just leave me and Moonbin alone?"
Yunho could only bow his head from what Jaejoong said.
"I don't want Tiffany to do that again. And to prevent that from happening once more, this will be your last visit here. I don't want to be involved in your fight. If I were you, I'd marry her this instant. To settle all things. And to drive away her fear of losing you."
"But please don't stop me from seeing Moonbin."
"There's no valid reason for you to see Moonbin. His dad might get suspicious of me. So please, Yunho, leave us alone!" he emphasized the last sentence for the man to fully understand.
"And in case you and Tiffany will marry, accept my condolences in advance."
Then Jaejoong turned his back from the man. He was even hurt from what he did. But he had to do it. Tears started to fall again as his eyes followed Yunho when he rode his car. Jaejoong bit his lower lip. Now he knows that Yunho won't ever come back again.
=================
A month has passed and Moonbin stopped asking about Yunho. The man never visited again.
"You still love him, don't you?" Dongsun asked to his pale-looking son.
"Just like my dream of becoming a lawyer, I know that Yunho is not for me. Appa, I've learned to accept that whatever we do, we cannot have the things that are not meant for us."
"Love will still come in your life in the future. It's just too bad that you cannot have him now that he had already changed and he ended his playboy ways," Dongsun said.
The next news that he heard from his father is that Yunho's marriage is going to happen very soon.
====================
The day of the wedding has finally come, though it hurts him seeing the father of his child marrying another woman, he still decided to come with Moonbin. They were few blocks away from the church. Jaejoong tried to stop the stirring emotions as he saw Yunho coming out of the car.
Did he see it right or his eyes are fooling him? He could see sadness from Yunho's face. From afar he could see that there is no excitement on the man's face.
"It's Uncle Yunho," Moonbin happily said as he saw his unknown father.
Jaejoong hugged his son tightly, as his tears continuously flowed from his eyes.
"He's your appa, Moonbin-ah," he whispered. He didn't care whether he heard him or even understood him.
Goodbye, Yunho. We wish you your happiness.
He bit his lip and tried to stop the tears from flowing once again. He couldn't take seeing the man he loves wearing white suit - and getting married to another woman. He asked the taxi driver to drive them away from that place.
"Omma.?" the doe-like eyes stared at him when his son noticed that he was crying. He didn't explain to Moonbin, he just hugged him and kissed his hair.
They were a few kilometers away when they suddenly got stuck in traffic.
"What's causing the traffic?" the taxi driver asked a street vendor.
"There's a car crash," the vendor answered. " A bridal car was run over by a ten wheeler truck. The bride in the car was trapped inside and she's far from surviving."
Jaejoong suddenly had goosebumps when he thought of the possibility that Tiffany might be the bride they were talking about. He prayed and he started to get worried on Yunho. How would he take it if Tiffany was the bride?
=====================
That night, the fatal accident that happened was all over the news. Jaejoong's mind went blank for a few moments after the news had confirmed that it was really Tiffany who died from the accident.
He suddenly hugged his son who was playing on his side.
"What will your appa do?" he whispered.
===================
Jaejoong and Moonbin visited the funeral. Jaejoong know that the mere presence of Moonbin could lift up Yunho's spirit, at least for a little bit.
After Tiffany's funeral, Yunho bid goodbye to them because he would return to America. Jaejoong wanted to stop him but he couldn't do it.
"You really loved Tiffany. You even have to go to a faraway place just to overcome the pain of losing her. And me, I'm not that important in your life like Tiffany was. I am just one of those…. playthings that you just passed by."
Jaejoong's in pain whenever he thought of that. All his life, he questioned himself, if Yunho had loved him. If it's right for him to just hide his feelings for Yunho in his heart. If he would expect that in the end everything's gonna be alright between them and they would be a one happy family.
And now he doesn't have to wait anymore. He thinks that he should not expect anything from him anymore. Even if Yunho finds out that Moonbin is his son, nothing would change. Tiffany is the only woman that he had loved truly.
=============================
They say that love is like water. You may block its way as it flows but it will find another way to continue flowing. Because after three months, Yunho surprised Jaejoong and Moonbin.
"You owe me a lot of explanations, Jaejoong," he said the moment he entered the salon. "And make sure that you will be able to convince me or else, I'll punish you."
"What do you mean?" Jaejoong tried suppressing the excitement he felt once he saw the man again.
"Why did you hide it from me? Why didn't you tell me that you got pregnant at that time and Moonbin was the child? Why did you deprive me of my right to become Moonbin's father?"
"Because you never even loved me? That because of you taking advantage of me, Moonbin was formed? I don't want to expect that you would really take responsibility and that you'll marry me because it'll only hurt me more. I know you, you're not the type of guy who takes men like me seriously."
"You really think I'm a playboy, huh?" there's pain in Yunho's eyes. "Even you believe that I'm a worthless man that only plays in a relationship?"
"That's the truth, right?"
Yunho sighed. His feelings and ego was hurt.
"Okay, let's say that's everyone's impression of me, that I'm a playboy. But I did not cheat or hurt anyone. One more thing, you changed me, Jaejoong. Ever since that night, I took life seriously because you never left my mind. I looked for you, to tell you that I love you but you hid from me."
Jaejoong couldn't even utter a word. He was wrong. He didn't even give the man a chance now that he had changed. Both of them were in pain because of what they did. Yunho suddenly grabbed his waist and pulled him into his embrace.
"Now, you will pay for all these, Jaejoong."
"What do you mean?"
Yunho then gave him a hot searing kiss as a punishment. Claiming his lips like there's no tomorrow. A kiss that is full of love. A love that he had yearned for from the man for a long time.
"God, I love you! You gave me a hard time, did you know that? I didn't know where to look for you before. And now, I will never let you go. Let's settle all these," he seriously said once he let go of Jaejoong's lips. "All the sins that I've done, I'll pay it with my love. I'll marry you and we'll give Moonbin a happy family."
"You've already forgotten about Tiffany?"
"Cause I've never really loved her that much despite what you think. I thought that she would help me forget about you. I'm sad cause she died so early, but that's all it is."
Jaejoong latched his arms on Yunho's neck.
"You know, actually, I already liked you from the first time I saw you. But you're kinda aloof. It was hard for me to approach you. That's why when I got the chance." then Yunho winked. "I really had no intention of telling anyone, I just used that to trap you."
"Oh, Yun."
"Sssh - we've got a whole wonderful lifetime to say everything we need to say," Yunho gave him a meaningful smile while his finger touched Jaejoong's lips to stop him from saying anything.
"And some things are better said without words," he whispered into the young man's ear then licked his lobe. Then he kissed every part of his body that gave shivers on the young man's spine.