DBSK Fic #1.5: Anata no Memory Chapter 5
Title : Anata no Memory(chaptered)
Parts: Chapter 5/15 + Epilogue
Pairing : [DBSK Fandom] JaeChun at prologue. Oh wait, don't run away! JaeHo, of course.
Rating : PG, drama, AU
Author : Randix
Disclaimer : No, the boys belong to themselves. I'm just a poor writer.
Summary : /AU/ How on earth will Yunho and Jae Joong find themselves together, when JaeChun has a pretty much perfect relationship? And if Yunho, a workaholic doctor, is not interested in Jae Joong, a music teacher, in the first place?
But Yunho finds himself taking care of Jae Joong for Yoochun, who has been whisked away to America for his studies, especially with Jae Joong having to deal with a rare kind of health disorder.
Comments: are lovely. They're food. Feed me? =) And because I love you all for reading, the more detailed Yoosu will come in the next chapters. <3 Thank you for all your support, especially regarding my mid-terms! *gives y'all cookies* I will try to keep on doing my best!
Chapter 1: But Jae Joong thought, Yunho has a pretty smile.
Chapter 2: Hi, I'm YoungWoong Jae Joong. Let's . . . . make good memories from now on
Chapter 3: Your brother Yunho . . . . is cute, but I think he's lonely
Chapter 4: Will you marry me?
CHAPTER FIVE
“Joongie? Can I come in?” It was a long pause. “I was just. . .wondering if you’d. . .if you have any dirty clothes that. . I. . I’m going to the dry cleaner so. . .”
He rolled his eyes; that had to be the funniest excuse his Umma had ever come up so far. All in the name of getting him out of his room, or just to see him, perhaps. Just a few hours ago she had knocked too, asking if he’d like to go out for coffee in his favourite café - when she herself wasn’t a coffee drinker. Last night, she had asked if he wanted to go down and watch TV with her - your favourite episode of Loveless is on TV tonight! - when she didn't understand why Ritsuka had ears. (He had stopped trying to explain it to her long ago.)
And now. What, the dry cleaner? She had just gone to the dry cleaner two days ago. He would’ve laughed if he had the strength to do so, but he figured out that not eating for almost 36 hours makes even smiling to oneself one huge exercise.
For a moment Jae Joong wondered how long he could keep not talking to his mother, or not eating, or not going out of his room. Or not taking a bath. As of that moment, he had endured not doing so for approximately 43 hours and 37 minutes. And about 27 seconds, give or take a few.
It was odd how he suddenly found counting the hours and minutes that passed very interesting. In approximately 9 hours he’d have to get up and prepare for school, and for a while he had panicked with the thought of having not prepared a lesson plan. But then again, cocooned in his blanket, the idea of just laying there and staring at his clock was a more appealing thing to do.
He had fallen asleep staring at his digital clock and had woken up staring at it still, and he was amazed by how slow time passed when one really paid attention to it. Perhaps this was really a habit of people who didn’t have much time.
Jae Joong's routine that weekend alternated between sleeping, waking up, and crying. In all honesty, Jae Joong just wanted to sleep - and never wake up. That was easier than to wake up once again just to realize that you’re slowly dying.
The first few hours after getting home - he had waited for the rain to stop before picking up his bike - was spent in an unusually long shower in the bathroom, where he had cried as hard as he did 12 years ago when they had come home from his father’s funeral. His mother had held him until he had stopped crying. But last night was different.
Jae Joong felt so numb that didn’t notice that he had started crying until he tasted his tears. He had tried to stop the waterworks, really, telling himself that the conversation in the hospital back with Yunho was just a well-executed nightmare. Until his left leg froze in mid-step while he was reaching for his shampoo, and he had to throw himself at the wall to keep his balance, his shoulder hitting the tiles in a painful thud.
What was the use of denying it? Absolutely nothing, because it was there and the truth was just as real and as tangible as the streaming hot water from the shower. He had turned it to the fullest, because it muffled his sobs. And then he was scrubbing his skin like a madman, hard and forceful and over and over even if the lather of the soap was long gone, because he couldn’t stop smelling the stink of the hospital in his skin. It was there, even in his hair, in his fingers; he could even taste it in his tongue. And he scrubbed and washed until his skin had long parallel red marks from the loofah.
The feeling in his left leg came back after a few minutes. But the smell of the hospital and its lonely wards still clung to his skin, strong and heady and nauseating, and it just wouldn’t disappear.
+ + + + +
“- erhaps a quick snack of Mr. Snowy’s Ice Cream? I heard from your Aunt Eun Sun that they have this new Cappuccino flavour, so I -“
That’s it. That’s it. Scrubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, and trying not to look so annoyed at being woken up by his mother’s louder-than-usual rapping, Jae Joong whipped the door open.
“UMMA. It’s 9:37 in the evening and it’s raining outside and you’re inviting me to go out for an ice cream snack on the other side of town?”
“ - so I bought you ice cream and here it is.”
And he found himself staring at a one-gallon tub of ice cream. Almond Mocha. His favourite.
“Umma. . . “
“So, I’ll leave you now.” His mother smiled a little, as she brushed some strands of hair that fell into his eyes and tucked it behind his ear. He knew he must look horrible, his hair unkempt and his eyes, swollen. “Goodnight, my little Joongie. Remember, Umma loves you.”
“Umma. . .” His hand shot out to grab her mother’s sleeve, just as she was about to turn away. Suddenly he felt like a little kid again, that kid who cried under his bed every night when his father died so nobody would hear, but his mother would always find him anyway. And he felt so foolish when his mother’s eyes met his, and suddenly he realized how weary she looked, how. . .sad. He wondered how she managed to live when his father died, because not even once did he saw her cry. Jae Joong choked back a little sob. “I’m sorry, Umma. I - ”
Mrs. YoungWoong shook her head, as if stopping him from saying anything more, so he did. Long and wrinkled fingers covered his own. “No, honey. Sometimes I forget that you’re all grown up now, and you have things. . . you need to keep to yourself. But whatever they are, I’m sure my little Joongie will overcome them.” Her eyes softened, as if she was remembering a very fond memory. “You always did.”
No, Umma. Not this time. Not this time. But he didn’t have the strength to say that, because the worry in his mother’s eyes made his heart ache. For the first time since the incident in the hospital, he smiled a little. It was forced, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Have you eaten dinner, Umma? I’m not hungry, but I can sit with you.”
“Honey, you don’t have to do that.” She said, then laughed a little. “And what makes you think that I went to Mr. Snowy without eating a tub of ice cream myself? I mean, you’ve got to have inherited that ice cream quirk from someone, you know!”
Jae Joong narrowed his eyes, “Of course. I’m glad I didn’t inherit your waistline though.”
“YoungWoong Jae Joong!” His mother almost shrieked at that, “That’s it. You’re grounded!”
“Eh?! I thought there was no more “you’re grounded” rules since Junsu fell from his window and broke his arm while trying to escape!”
Silence. Then they both burst into giggles, as if they were kindergarten students. Ah, after nearly two days, Jae Joong realized how much he missed laughing. Mrs. YoungWoong pinched his cheek, “Ah, what would I do without you and Junsu? Your father. . .no, no. . . with Junsu there in America. . . I’m . .I’m just so glad you’re here.”
Jae Joong wanted to say, “I won’t leave you, Umma,” but the lump in his throat prevented him from doing so. He wrapped strong arms around his mother, who let out a soft laugh at the sudden action. He buried his face in her hair - she smelled like the rain. “I love you, Umma.”
A gentle pat on his back. “I love you, Joongie. Whatever it is, you’ll get through it. This old woman knows for sure. And though I do miss your smile, it’s alright to get depressed sometimes, ne?”
She pulled away and made a fist, “Jae Joongie, HWAITING!” Then she frowned, “I wonder where I heard that. Must be from that afternoon variety show! I really should stop watching that, I end up using words that only you young people use!”
His mother left for her room with a small laugh, reminding Jae Joong that she now had to have her beauty sleep. Really, he wondered how she managed to raise him and Junsu without a partner, or how she managed to decide to go on living. Or what even made her decide to do so. At some point, she must’ve thought of abandoning them, like some widows would, but she didn’t.
Joongie, HWAITING!
He set down the tub of ice cream in his table, and sat in front of his computer, which he had turned on two days ago and had been on ever since. Removing it from sleep mode, he found himself staring at more than 10 open browsers with Google results and various web pages, all related to Walreigh-Hampton. At some point during the past 35 hours he had worked up the courage to actually search for the culprit at the internet - fuelled by some vague hope that there must be a cure, there MUST be, Yunho surely MUST be wrong - he had searched for it.
It led him to just a few hundred pages, and with all the medical jargon he wouldn’t even TRY to pretend to understand, all he really got was the fact that yes, Yunho was right.
Yunho. That boy. For the past 30 and so hours he had gotten 17 missed calls from Yoochun’s older brother, all of which he promptly ignored. And about eight messages that were really just rephrases of the same message - Jae Joong-ah, please please, please answer my call.
Really, Jae Joong wondered how she managed to raise him and Junsu without a partner, or how she managed to decide to go on living.
It took Jae Joong 15 minutes to stop crying as he stared at his computer, but the headache from too much sleeping and crying was just becoming too much to bear. Besides, the ice cream was beginning to melt.
Sniffling, Jae Joong took his phone, pushed a button as he took a deep breath. Suddenly he decided that approximately 45 hours, 48 minutes and 12 seconds is already quite enough for useless denial. After a few rings, someone picked up, but Jae Joong interrupted him even before the other could say his name. “We. . we need to talk.”
+ + + + +
“No, just the regular decaf, please.”
It was a small restaurant, at the back of the hospital, and it had a homey feeling to it that Yunho couldn’t help but feel a little sleepy. It was almost full when he came in - it was lunch after all - but he was lucky to chance upon a table in the middle of the restaurant, being vacated the very moment he stepped inside. A few minutes after, Jae Joong arrived, looking more than a little apologetic for being late.
Yunho still couldn’t believe that he was finally talking to Jae Joong, or that it was the other boy who arranged for them to meet. He seriously thought he’d grow a callus on his finger with the many times he had dialed Jae Joong’s number, only to be met by the busy tone after several rings.
But he was more than a little surprised when Jae Joong greeted him with a bright smile, rambling about how he had to take another route because a policeman stopped a car in the middle of the road and there was traffic and they wouldn’t let even bikes pass through that area and he had to -
- and the rest of whatever the boy was saying was lost in the din of the restaurant and the fact that Yunho was seriously trying to stop himself from thinking how good the other boy looked in his teacher’s uniform.
When the waitress left after having delivered their orders - Yunho, a cup of coffee and a sandwich, while Jae Joong a bowl of nachos and strawberry juice - the conversation immediately departed from how the weather was to more serious business.
Jae Joong never said a single word after he let out his request, “Please tell me everything I need to know about WHD.” He just sat there, nodding slightly as Yunho explained, in the simplest terms possible, the extent of his sickness. With all the years he spent in medical school, and eventually in the profession, Yunho never realized how difficult it was until that moment. Suddenly he felt a strange kind of sympathy for his med school teachers.
The numbness goes on and off, for a couple of minutes, Yunho began, usually starting from the legs and moving upwards. But eventually the numbness of the legs would stay for hours, even for full days, and then the arms would follow. It has the same pattern - the arms would go numb for a while, until they will be useless permanently. Patients end up bed-ridden, because the only mobile parts of the body are the neck upwards, and the torso.
That’s the third stage of WHD, Yunho cleared his throat, trying not to choke on his coffee when Jae Joong absent-mindedly licked the mayonnaise at the side of his mouth. The third-stage is dangerous, he continued, because that would mean the virus is at closest proximity to your brain, to your lungs. And to your heart.
“And. . . .I’m at what stage again?” Jae Joong’s voice cracked, and suddenly Yunho’s heart leapt out to him. The boy was putting up a very brave front, but he didn’t miss Jae Joong’s trembling fingers.
“Semi-second stage,” He said, and he wished he didn’t have to say it out loud, but he had no choice - the noise inside the restaurant was becoming a little too loud, and it didn’t help that they were right smack in the middle of the restaurant. “So you’d probably be experiencing on and off immobility on both legs -“
“Just one leg, actually.” Jae Joong said, “My left.”
“Really?” Yunho asked, more to himself than to the other boy. The results revealed that Jae Joong was way past the first stage - and usual symptoms just involved immobility in just ONE body part. He told himself to study that little information later. “That’s . . . that’s good. But as your doctor, I really suggest we - “
Jae Joong looked up from his plate, as if he knew what Yunho was about to say. “No, I don’t agree to being confined.”
Yunho’s eyes widened. “I don’t think. . . Jae Joong-ah, you have to understand. We don’t have - not yet, anyway - a standard procedure for treating WHD. We need to be able to closely monitor any symptoms you show, any developments. It will help in finding -“
“Then, confine me if I can’t. . .like. . .moveMOVE anymore.” Jae Joong reasoned out, brandishing his fork in front of him as if admonishing a petulant child. “Yunho-ah, I appreciate your optimism, but there’s no way I’m going to agree to being confined when I only feel the numbness for five minutes once, or twice in one day.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Yunho said, a little frustrated. “That’s dangerous. It may be too late before -“
“What, you expect me to just leave my students, show up in your office and stay willingly in a hospital bed,” Jae Joong started, “when I’m still fully functional? I can still teach, and I even rode my bike on my way here. Oh by the way, when I massage my leg the feeling comes back, and I’m convinced that biking helps.”
“Yes, using your leg as in biking would help because -“
“And SO, I can bike or walk to school every morning, and I’m sure my legs would -“
“I know you told me earlier that people need to have faith in themselves, but you have to have FAITH IN ME TOO.”
The restaurant immediately went into a hush the moment the words left Yunho’s mouth, and that was the only time he realized that he must’ve said that in a really loud - and frustrated - voice. He saw the colour immediately drain from Jae Joong’s face - the fork halfway to his mouth - as all eyes were on them.
Then the woman to Yunho’s left turned to her companion, then said disinterestedly, “Lovers’ quarrel.”
The restaurant went back to normal, but Yunho felt like hiding underneath their table anyway. He quickly hid the forthcoming blush by emptying the content of his coffee cup in one gulp. Fuck, that definitely burned his tongue. Then he looked at Jae Joong, who seemed to have recovered from his own embarrassment as well. “As your doctor, I’m telling you to agree to hospital stay as soon as possible. In a week or so, two weeks at most. I’m not willing to risk your life by giving in to your, though perfectly understandable, WHIM.”
Ha, that tone. That usually worked even on his most stubborn patients. The old ones, most especially.
“What did you say!” Jae Joong hissed at the word, and Yunho felt a nacho chip hitting him straight in the forehead. What the hell, the other boy threw a nacho chip at him! (But then he felt lucky Jae Joong didn’t throw his fork, because that would definitely poke him blind.)
Yunho wasn’t sure if the trembling of the other boy’s fingers was because he was still trying to deal with the reality of his illness or if he was just furious at Yunho's choice of words. He decided it was the latter, especially when Jae Joong gritted his teeth. “I’ve been teaching for as long as I could remember, and you have no right to tell me that NOT wanting to stop teaching is a whim!”
Ah Jae Joong, Yunho thought a little sadly, you know no amount of your ranting will make me change my mind. He took a deep breath, “And to add to your doctor's orders, you have to inform your mother and your brother as well, and of course, Yoochun-ah -“
“No way.” Jae Joong said indignantly. “That’s going to kill my mother. And yes, if I do get confined, how do you suppose will I tell my mother about it? Have you thought about that? No? Me too. Because I’m not planning to.”
“Jae Joong-ah,” Yunho said, trying to calm HIMSELF a little. “You have to tell them. I understand your worries, but if your mother knows, and suddenly you suffer attacks, then she would - “
“Yunho-ah,” Jae Joong said, and Yunho’s eyes widened in disbelief when he realized that the other boy was imitating his tone of speaking. “My problems . . . will stay as my problems. So please.”
“What?” he began, This is becoming more difficult than he initially thought, considering how well their conversation began, “do you think this is like that soap operas where the lead character hid from everyone that she has cancer? And then they all just find out in the end? No, this is not a soap opera. I blatantly REFUSE to -“
“And DR. JUNG, you honestly think that it’s that easy for me TO TELL THE TRUTH?!”
And the restaurant fell into a second hush for that day. Yunho half-hid his face by leaning his forehead on his hands. But he definitely caught the smirk of the woman to his left once again, as she shook his head and turned to her companion. “Yep, one of them must be definitely cheating.”
Cheating. What the hell did that come from? He looked at Jae Joong, who had suddenly found his empty plate interesting, the way he was tracing random patterns on his surface, and he was humming under his breath too. What a way to ignore that really loud remark.
Yunho didn’t know if he should laugh, or if he should cry.
+ + + + +
Jae Joong couldn’t exactly remember how their conversation ended, but he was grateful that he didn’t have any class that afternoon, because by one and a half hours later, he and Yunho were still having a heated argument. And it didn’t help that the two women beside them were making the most ridiculous remarks. He had never heard anything as ridiculous as that in his entire life! What on earth did ever give them the idea? ? It took him all his self-control to not whip out his wallet and show them the picture of Yoochun.
Chunnie. It took 100% effort in Jae Joong's part NOT to think about his last conversation with him. He knew he had to sort things out first, and face his more immediate problems.
He had to admit those annoying remarks were enough to distract him from the amount of information that Yunho had just told him. His growing annoyance with the women was also helping him win his internal battle with his tearducts. He didn't want anybody to see him cry.
But Jae Joong was scared, and yes, hurt. Definitely hurt. Jae Joong still couldn’t understand why it was happening to him.
Jae Joong sighed, wondering how long this still would take. He looked outside, saw Yunho still engaged in the call that fortunately broke the tension between them. Before he left, Yunho had looked at him, almost pleadingly. “Please, please re-consider, Jae Joong-ah.”
He knew Yunho was getting more and more impatient by the minute, but he was getting more annoyed with the fact that the doctor doesn’t seem to consider his own concerns. Yunho didn’t seem to understand that there was still so much - and better - things he can do right now than to lay in a hospital bed, and to wait for a medication that may not even exist in the first place!
He had students to take care of, he had an Umma to come home to, he had bike rides and ice cream to enjoy. Hell, he hadn’t even gone to a proper vacation outside Seoul, specifically to a small town called Namwon - something he had dreamed of ever since he was a little kid, and now Yunho is suggesting that he spend the rest of his remaining days holed up in a hospital room? And how was he supposed to break the news? No, no, no, no, Jae Joong had said repeatedly, emphasizing each no by a stabbing motion of the fork to his now empty plate, I decide WHEN I want to be confined -
Although he knew Yunho really had a point. He really did. It was just. . . not possible right now! He sighed, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. He was amazed by the fact that he hadn’t suffered another attack yet; maybe biking did really help. But at the rate that his conversation with Yunho is going right now, Jae Joong thought that if he didn't suffer a WHD attack soon, he’d probably pop a vein trying to get his point across to Yunho.
He hated to admit it, but someone just got to give already. After more than a few minutes, Yunho had come back inside, and he waited until the boy had kept his phone before drawling out, with a loud sigh, “Alright. Let’s do a compromise.”
Yunho smiled at him, relief evident in his face. “Alright. What is it?”
“I’ll agree to be confined,” Jae Joong began with a frown, “but definitely NOT within this week. At the end of your two-week “maximum time”, like you said earlier.” Yunho nodded to that. He continued, “But don’t push about having to tell people about it, because I’m sorry Yunho-ah, but that’s really none of your business.”
Yunho looked at him, then leaned back in his chair, as if some heavy weight had been removed from his back. “Alright. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pass by the hospital. You must, at least twice a week. We’ll have to administer some muscle shots to slow down the progression.”
When Yunho uses technical words like that, it just drives home the fact that yes, he REALLY is sick. Jae Joong nodded, then sighed. “Great. Then it’s done.” He extended a hand, and Yunho reached for it in a handshake.
They left the restaurant at around 5:30, he and Yunho going opposite directions - Yunho back to the hospital, and Jae Joong to the area where he had parked his bike. He was already walking towards that direction when he heard Yunho, “Yo!”
Jae Joong turned around, to see Yunho making a peace sign with his fingers. But the other boy said, his tone unsure. “Two weeks.”
He shook his head, smiling to himself. Jae Joong was a boy who never liked breaking promises. He made a peace sign of his own. “Two weeks.”
Then he turned around and continued towards his bike, the wheels in his mind running at breakneck speed. Too many things to do, so little time. Jae Joong decided he’d have to start a list later, lest he forgets something. After all, he needs to squeeze into two weeks everything that he had planned to do for the rest of his life.
+ + + + +
Jae Joong YoungWoong, you have 1 new unread message!
From: Yoochunie <3
Details: 9:20 pm (6 hours ago)
To: my baby ♥
Subject: Luv!
Mailed-by: mail.berkeley.edu
Boojae,
I hope our conversation (um, THE conversation) last time didn’t upset you or something. But really, I’ve been thinking and thinking about it, and well, you don’t have to answer now. No pressure, no pressure, baby. Because I still got, like, nearly a year before I get back, so you have, um, lots of time to think about it. So. . .um . .yeah . . that.
Guess what? For the first time since we arrived here, Junsu and I finally had dinner without fighting over anything! Well, actually, there’s something I’m not telling you. Remember the day I called you while you were in the supermarket? I went back to the apartment - I was from an internet shop - and it was just 6:30 in the evening. Junsu’s classes end at 7, he arrives around 8, so I was alone in the apartment. Then, I was on my way to the kitchen when I heard something.
It was really. . . soft, I didn’t even make out what it was at first. And then while I was trying to locate the sound, I realized that it was the sound of someone crying. Argh, it was so freaky I thought my heart was going to burst out of my ribcage. I mean, I was alone, and neither the TV nor the radio was on so what the hell!
And just as I was about to run out of the apartment, I realized that it was coming from . . . Junsu’s bedroom. He was there! O_O I didn’t know why he wasn’t at school or why he had returned early, but he was there and he was definitely the one crying. I didn’t know what to do so . . . I just went out of the apartment and took a walk. I’m sorry, but I’m not good at those situations, you know that. Should’ve I done something?
So yeah, like after 30 minutes, I went back to the apartment, and well, he wasn’t crying anymore. He had fallen asleep, and he was sitting on the floor by the side of his bed. So I thought, maybe I should wake him up, because I’m sure that’s going to be really uncomfortable if he sleeps like that through the night. As I was about to wake him up, he moved a little, and did you know what he was holding in his hand (I’m sure he was crying over it.)
It was you and Aunt Jinie’s* picture. :(
Am I bad to feel a little relieved that I’m not the only one homesick here? -_-;; So anyway, I asked him to dinner (as a thank-you gift for tutoring me) and I treated him to ice cream like you told me because you said that makes him happy. For some odd reason, he just didn’t find me annoying that night. ^^;; And we finally realized that we had a common interest: YOU! ^_^
So how’s Seoul, Boojae? How’s class? Take care, baby. Say hi to Aunt Jinie for me? I love you!
We miss you a lot!
Yoochunie
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS IS A COPY OF THE EMAIL YOU SENT to Yoochunie <3 with the following details:
To: Yoochunie <3
Subject: RE: Luv!
Mailed-by: mail.chil.edu.kr
Baybeh,
Halfway around the world, and my Yoochunnie never ceases to amaze me. Haha, yay to finding out that you and Junsu have a common interest! So what exactly did you discuss about your common interest? ^_^
I’m fine, and so is Umma. Seoul is still like. . . .Seoul.^_^ Hey, how’s your colds? Are you feeling better?
Actually, I think that you did the right thing of leaving. Junsu . . . doesn’t really like it when people see him crying, he’s just like that. I guess it’s a part of his sense of privacy, so don’t worry about it.
Oh by the way, Chunnie, if you’re gonna email me in the next two or three days, it’ll take me some time to get back to you, okay? I’m leaving for Namwon tomorrow. Oh, okay, I can see you frowning. I know, I know we’ve talked about going there together (who goes to Namwon alone, anyway?) but my co-teacher and her family’s going to go there too so I thought I could go with them so it saves me the train ride. Please don’t be upset - let’s go there again when you get back!
And yeah, I think a little trip would do me some good because I need to do something thinking, ne?
No, you’re not evil for feeling comforted by my younger brother’s plight. XP But baby, please take care of Junsu for me? Sometimes he gets thiiiis emotional like you wouldn’t believe. Well, Junsu has a very colorful personality, so I’m pretty sure trying to understand him is gonna be one roller coaster ride. (But then again, aren’t you a pain in the ass as well. OMG did I just make a pun!)
So, I’ll email you in a few days, Chunnie-baby! Take care and try not getting caught in the rain too much! I love you.
Your Boojae
TBC
Author's Notes
1. Jin is the name of Junsu and Jae Joong's mother.
2. Comments are love. And if you find any grammatical errors, please feel free to inform me.<3
3. Yes, the city of Namwon exists. It's in the province of Jeolla, about a four-hour ride from Seoul, and it is also known by its nickname, City of Love. It's the site of one of the most popular love stories in Korea. You can find more information here.
4. Thank you again for reading! ♥ ♥ ♥
Parts: Chapter 5/15 + Epilogue
Pairing : [DBSK Fandom] JaeChun at prologue. Oh wait, don't run away! JaeHo, of course.
Rating : PG, drama, AU
Author : Randix
Disclaimer : No, the boys belong to themselves. I'm just a poor writer.
Summary : /AU/ How on earth will Yunho and Jae Joong find themselves together, when JaeChun has a pretty much perfect relationship? And if Yunho, a workaholic doctor, is not interested in Jae Joong, a music teacher, in the first place?
But Yunho finds himself taking care of Jae Joong for Yoochun, who has been whisked away to America for his studies, especially with Jae Joong having to deal with a rare kind of health disorder.
Comments: are lovely. They're food. Feed me? =) And because I love you all for reading, the more detailed Yoosu will come in the next chapters. <3 Thank you for all your support, especially regarding my mid-terms! *gives y'all cookies* I will try to keep on doing my best!
Chapter 1: But Jae Joong thought, Yunho has a pretty smile.
Chapter 2: Hi, I'm YoungWoong Jae Joong. Let's . . . . make good memories from now on
Chapter 3: Your brother Yunho . . . . is cute, but I think he's lonely
Chapter 4: Will you marry me?
CHAPTER FIVE
“Joongie? Can I come in?” It was a long pause. “I was just. . .wondering if you’d. . .if you have any dirty clothes that. . I. . I’m going to the dry cleaner so. . .”
He rolled his eyes; that had to be the funniest excuse his Umma had ever come up so far. All in the name of getting him out of his room, or just to see him, perhaps. Just a few hours ago she had knocked too, asking if he’d like to go out for coffee in his favourite café - when she herself wasn’t a coffee drinker. Last night, she had asked if he wanted to go down and watch TV with her - your favourite episode of Loveless is on TV tonight! - when she didn't understand why Ritsuka had ears. (He had stopped trying to explain it to her long ago.)
And now. What, the dry cleaner? She had just gone to the dry cleaner two days ago. He would’ve laughed if he had the strength to do so, but he figured out that not eating for almost 36 hours makes even smiling to oneself one huge exercise.
For a moment Jae Joong wondered how long he could keep not talking to his mother, or not eating, or not going out of his room. Or not taking a bath. As of that moment, he had endured not doing so for approximately 43 hours and 37 minutes. And about 27 seconds, give or take a few.
It was odd how he suddenly found counting the hours and minutes that passed very interesting. In approximately 9 hours he’d have to get up and prepare for school, and for a while he had panicked with the thought of having not prepared a lesson plan. But then again, cocooned in his blanket, the idea of just laying there and staring at his clock was a more appealing thing to do.
He had fallen asleep staring at his digital clock and had woken up staring at it still, and he was amazed by how slow time passed when one really paid attention to it. Perhaps this was really a habit of people who didn’t have much time.
Jae Joong's routine that weekend alternated between sleeping, waking up, and crying. In all honesty, Jae Joong just wanted to sleep - and never wake up. That was easier than to wake up once again just to realize that you’re slowly dying.
The first few hours after getting home - he had waited for the rain to stop before picking up his bike - was spent in an unusually long shower in the bathroom, where he had cried as hard as he did 12 years ago when they had come home from his father’s funeral. His mother had held him until he had stopped crying. But last night was different.
Jae Joong felt so numb that didn’t notice that he had started crying until he tasted his tears. He had tried to stop the waterworks, really, telling himself that the conversation in the hospital back with Yunho was just a well-executed nightmare. Until his left leg froze in mid-step while he was reaching for his shampoo, and he had to throw himself at the wall to keep his balance, his shoulder hitting the tiles in a painful thud.
What was the use of denying it? Absolutely nothing, because it was there and the truth was just as real and as tangible as the streaming hot water from the shower. He had turned it to the fullest, because it muffled his sobs. And then he was scrubbing his skin like a madman, hard and forceful and over and over even if the lather of the soap was long gone, because he couldn’t stop smelling the stink of the hospital in his skin. It was there, even in his hair, in his fingers; he could even taste it in his tongue. And he scrubbed and washed until his skin had long parallel red marks from the loofah.
The feeling in his left leg came back after a few minutes. But the smell of the hospital and its lonely wards still clung to his skin, strong and heady and nauseating, and it just wouldn’t disappear.
+ + + + +
“- erhaps a quick snack of Mr. Snowy’s Ice Cream? I heard from your Aunt Eun Sun that they have this new Cappuccino flavour, so I -“
That’s it. That’s it. Scrubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, and trying not to look so annoyed at being woken up by his mother’s louder-than-usual rapping, Jae Joong whipped the door open.
“UMMA. It’s 9:37 in the evening and it’s raining outside and you’re inviting me to go out for an ice cream snack on the other side of town?”
“ - so I bought you ice cream and here it is.”
And he found himself staring at a one-gallon tub of ice cream. Almond Mocha. His favourite.
“Umma. . . “
“So, I’ll leave you now.” His mother smiled a little, as she brushed some strands of hair that fell into his eyes and tucked it behind his ear. He knew he must look horrible, his hair unkempt and his eyes, swollen. “Goodnight, my little Joongie. Remember, Umma loves you.”
“Umma. . .” His hand shot out to grab her mother’s sleeve, just as she was about to turn away. Suddenly he felt like a little kid again, that kid who cried under his bed every night when his father died so nobody would hear, but his mother would always find him anyway. And he felt so foolish when his mother’s eyes met his, and suddenly he realized how weary she looked, how. . .sad. He wondered how she managed to live when his father died, because not even once did he saw her cry. Jae Joong choked back a little sob. “I’m sorry, Umma. I - ”
Mrs. YoungWoong shook her head, as if stopping him from saying anything more, so he did. Long and wrinkled fingers covered his own. “No, honey. Sometimes I forget that you’re all grown up now, and you have things. . . you need to keep to yourself. But whatever they are, I’m sure my little Joongie will overcome them.” Her eyes softened, as if she was remembering a very fond memory. “You always did.”
No, Umma. Not this time. Not this time. But he didn’t have the strength to say that, because the worry in his mother’s eyes made his heart ache. For the first time since the incident in the hospital, he smiled a little. It was forced, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Have you eaten dinner, Umma? I’m not hungry, but I can sit with you.”
“Honey, you don’t have to do that.” She said, then laughed a little. “And what makes you think that I went to Mr. Snowy without eating a tub of ice cream myself? I mean, you’ve got to have inherited that ice cream quirk from someone, you know!”
Jae Joong narrowed his eyes, “Of course. I’m glad I didn’t inherit your waistline though.”
“YoungWoong Jae Joong!” His mother almost shrieked at that, “That’s it. You’re grounded!”
“Eh?! I thought there was no more “you’re grounded” rules since Junsu fell from his window and broke his arm while trying to escape!”
Silence. Then they both burst into giggles, as if they were kindergarten students. Ah, after nearly two days, Jae Joong realized how much he missed laughing. Mrs. YoungWoong pinched his cheek, “Ah, what would I do without you and Junsu? Your father. . .no, no. . . with Junsu there in America. . . I’m . .I’m just so glad you’re here.”
Jae Joong wanted to say, “I won’t leave you, Umma,” but the lump in his throat prevented him from doing so. He wrapped strong arms around his mother, who let out a soft laugh at the sudden action. He buried his face in her hair - she smelled like the rain. “I love you, Umma.”
A gentle pat on his back. “I love you, Joongie. Whatever it is, you’ll get through it. This old woman knows for sure. And though I do miss your smile, it’s alright to get depressed sometimes, ne?”
She pulled away and made a fist, “Jae Joongie, HWAITING!” Then she frowned, “I wonder where I heard that. Must be from that afternoon variety show! I really should stop watching that, I end up using words that only you young people use!”
His mother left for her room with a small laugh, reminding Jae Joong that she now had to have her beauty sleep. Really, he wondered how she managed to raise him and Junsu without a partner, or how she managed to decide to go on living. Or what even made her decide to do so. At some point, she must’ve thought of abandoning them, like some widows would, but she didn’t.
Joongie, HWAITING!
He set down the tub of ice cream in his table, and sat in front of his computer, which he had turned on two days ago and had been on ever since. Removing it from sleep mode, he found himself staring at more than 10 open browsers with Google results and various web pages, all related to Walreigh-Hampton. At some point during the past 35 hours he had worked up the courage to actually search for the culprit at the internet - fuelled by some vague hope that there must be a cure, there MUST be, Yunho surely MUST be wrong - he had searched for it.
It led him to just a few hundred pages, and with all the medical jargon he wouldn’t even TRY to pretend to understand, all he really got was the fact that yes, Yunho was right.
Yunho. That boy. For the past 30 and so hours he had gotten 17 missed calls from Yoochun’s older brother, all of which he promptly ignored. And about eight messages that were really just rephrases of the same message - Jae Joong-ah, please please, please answer my call.
Really, Jae Joong wondered how she managed to raise him and Junsu without a partner, or how she managed to decide to go on living.
It took Jae Joong 15 minutes to stop crying as he stared at his computer, but the headache from too much sleeping and crying was just becoming too much to bear. Besides, the ice cream was beginning to melt.
Sniffling, Jae Joong took his phone, pushed a button as he took a deep breath. Suddenly he decided that approximately 45 hours, 48 minutes and 12 seconds is already quite enough for useless denial. After a few rings, someone picked up, but Jae Joong interrupted him even before the other could say his name. “We. . we need to talk.”
+ + + + +
“No, just the regular decaf, please.”
It was a small restaurant, at the back of the hospital, and it had a homey feeling to it that Yunho couldn’t help but feel a little sleepy. It was almost full when he came in - it was lunch after all - but he was lucky to chance upon a table in the middle of the restaurant, being vacated the very moment he stepped inside. A few minutes after, Jae Joong arrived, looking more than a little apologetic for being late.
Yunho still couldn’t believe that he was finally talking to Jae Joong, or that it was the other boy who arranged for them to meet. He seriously thought he’d grow a callus on his finger with the many times he had dialed Jae Joong’s number, only to be met by the busy tone after several rings.
But he was more than a little surprised when Jae Joong greeted him with a bright smile, rambling about how he had to take another route because a policeman stopped a car in the middle of the road and there was traffic and they wouldn’t let even bikes pass through that area and he had to -
- and the rest of whatever the boy was saying was lost in the din of the restaurant and the fact that Yunho was seriously trying to stop himself from thinking how good the other boy looked in his teacher’s uniform.
When the waitress left after having delivered their orders - Yunho, a cup of coffee and a sandwich, while Jae Joong a bowl of nachos and strawberry juice - the conversation immediately departed from how the weather was to more serious business.
Jae Joong never said a single word after he let out his request, “Please tell me everything I need to know about WHD.” He just sat there, nodding slightly as Yunho explained, in the simplest terms possible, the extent of his sickness. With all the years he spent in medical school, and eventually in the profession, Yunho never realized how difficult it was until that moment. Suddenly he felt a strange kind of sympathy for his med school teachers.
The numbness goes on and off, for a couple of minutes, Yunho began, usually starting from the legs and moving upwards. But eventually the numbness of the legs would stay for hours, even for full days, and then the arms would follow. It has the same pattern - the arms would go numb for a while, until they will be useless permanently. Patients end up bed-ridden, because the only mobile parts of the body are the neck upwards, and the torso.
That’s the third stage of WHD, Yunho cleared his throat, trying not to choke on his coffee when Jae Joong absent-mindedly licked the mayonnaise at the side of his mouth. The third-stage is dangerous, he continued, because that would mean the virus is at closest proximity to your brain, to your lungs. And to your heart.
“And. . . .I’m at what stage again?” Jae Joong’s voice cracked, and suddenly Yunho’s heart leapt out to him. The boy was putting up a very brave front, but he didn’t miss Jae Joong’s trembling fingers.
“Semi-second stage,” He said, and he wished he didn’t have to say it out loud, but he had no choice - the noise inside the restaurant was becoming a little too loud, and it didn’t help that they were right smack in the middle of the restaurant. “So you’d probably be experiencing on and off immobility on both legs -“
“Just one leg, actually.” Jae Joong said, “My left.”
“Really?” Yunho asked, more to himself than to the other boy. The results revealed that Jae Joong was way past the first stage - and usual symptoms just involved immobility in just ONE body part. He told himself to study that little information later. “That’s . . . that’s good. But as your doctor, I really suggest we - “
Jae Joong looked up from his plate, as if he knew what Yunho was about to say. “No, I don’t agree to being confined.”
Yunho’s eyes widened. “I don’t think. . . Jae Joong-ah, you have to understand. We don’t have - not yet, anyway - a standard procedure for treating WHD. We need to be able to closely monitor any symptoms you show, any developments. It will help in finding -“
“Then, confine me if I can’t. . .like. . .moveMOVE anymore.” Jae Joong reasoned out, brandishing his fork in front of him as if admonishing a petulant child. “Yunho-ah, I appreciate your optimism, but there’s no way I’m going to agree to being confined when I only feel the numbness for five minutes once, or twice in one day.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Yunho said, a little frustrated. “That’s dangerous. It may be too late before -“
“What, you expect me to just leave my students, show up in your office and stay willingly in a hospital bed,” Jae Joong started, “when I’m still fully functional? I can still teach, and I even rode my bike on my way here. Oh by the way, when I massage my leg the feeling comes back, and I’m convinced that biking helps.”
“Yes, using your leg as in biking would help because -“
“And SO, I can bike or walk to school every morning, and I’m sure my legs would -“
“I know you told me earlier that people need to have faith in themselves, but you have to have FAITH IN ME TOO.”
The restaurant immediately went into a hush the moment the words left Yunho’s mouth, and that was the only time he realized that he must’ve said that in a really loud - and frustrated - voice. He saw the colour immediately drain from Jae Joong’s face - the fork halfway to his mouth - as all eyes were on them.
Then the woman to Yunho’s left turned to her companion, then said disinterestedly, “Lovers’ quarrel.”
The restaurant went back to normal, but Yunho felt like hiding underneath their table anyway. He quickly hid the forthcoming blush by emptying the content of his coffee cup in one gulp. Fuck, that definitely burned his tongue. Then he looked at Jae Joong, who seemed to have recovered from his own embarrassment as well. “As your doctor, I’m telling you to agree to hospital stay as soon as possible. In a week or so, two weeks at most. I’m not willing to risk your life by giving in to your, though perfectly understandable, WHIM.”
Ha, that tone. That usually worked even on his most stubborn patients. The old ones, most especially.
“What did you say!” Jae Joong hissed at the word, and Yunho felt a nacho chip hitting him straight in the forehead. What the hell, the other boy threw a nacho chip at him! (But then he felt lucky Jae Joong didn’t throw his fork, because that would definitely poke him blind.)
Yunho wasn’t sure if the trembling of the other boy’s fingers was because he was still trying to deal with the reality of his illness or if he was just furious at Yunho's choice of words. He decided it was the latter, especially when Jae Joong gritted his teeth. “I’ve been teaching for as long as I could remember, and you have no right to tell me that NOT wanting to stop teaching is a whim!”
Ah Jae Joong, Yunho thought a little sadly, you know no amount of your ranting will make me change my mind. He took a deep breath, “And to add to your doctor's orders, you have to inform your mother and your brother as well, and of course, Yoochun-ah -“
“No way.” Jae Joong said indignantly. “That’s going to kill my mother. And yes, if I do get confined, how do you suppose will I tell my mother about it? Have you thought about that? No? Me too. Because I’m not planning to.”
“Jae Joong-ah,” Yunho said, trying to calm HIMSELF a little. “You have to tell them. I understand your worries, but if your mother knows, and suddenly you suffer attacks, then she would - “
“Yunho-ah,” Jae Joong said, and Yunho’s eyes widened in disbelief when he realized that the other boy was imitating his tone of speaking. “My problems . . . will stay as my problems. So please.”
“What?” he began, This is becoming more difficult than he initially thought, considering how well their conversation began, “do you think this is like that soap operas where the lead character hid from everyone that she has cancer? And then they all just find out in the end? No, this is not a soap opera. I blatantly REFUSE to -“
“And DR. JUNG, you honestly think that it’s that easy for me TO TELL THE TRUTH?!”
And the restaurant fell into a second hush for that day. Yunho half-hid his face by leaning his forehead on his hands. But he definitely caught the smirk of the woman to his left once again, as she shook his head and turned to her companion. “Yep, one of them must be definitely cheating.”
Cheating. What the hell did that come from? He looked at Jae Joong, who had suddenly found his empty plate interesting, the way he was tracing random patterns on his surface, and he was humming under his breath too. What a way to ignore that really loud remark.
Yunho didn’t know if he should laugh, or if he should cry.
+ + + + +
Jae Joong couldn’t exactly remember how their conversation ended, but he was grateful that he didn’t have any class that afternoon, because by one and a half hours later, he and Yunho were still having a heated argument. And it didn’t help that the two women beside them were making the most ridiculous remarks. He had never heard anything as ridiculous as that in his entire life! What on earth did ever give them the idea? ? It took him all his self-control to not whip out his wallet and show them the picture of Yoochun.
Chunnie. It took 100% effort in Jae Joong's part NOT to think about his last conversation with him. He knew he had to sort things out first, and face his more immediate problems.
He had to admit those annoying remarks were enough to distract him from the amount of information that Yunho had just told him. His growing annoyance with the women was also helping him win his internal battle with his tearducts. He didn't want anybody to see him cry.
But Jae Joong was scared, and yes, hurt. Definitely hurt. Jae Joong still couldn’t understand why it was happening to him.
Jae Joong sighed, wondering how long this still would take. He looked outside, saw Yunho still engaged in the call that fortunately broke the tension between them. Before he left, Yunho had looked at him, almost pleadingly. “Please, please re-consider, Jae Joong-ah.”
He knew Yunho was getting more and more impatient by the minute, but he was getting more annoyed with the fact that the doctor doesn’t seem to consider his own concerns. Yunho didn’t seem to understand that there was still so much - and better - things he can do right now than to lay in a hospital bed, and to wait for a medication that may not even exist in the first place!
He had students to take care of, he had an Umma to come home to, he had bike rides and ice cream to enjoy. Hell, he hadn’t even gone to a proper vacation outside Seoul, specifically to a small town called Namwon - something he had dreamed of ever since he was a little kid, and now Yunho is suggesting that he spend the rest of his remaining days holed up in a hospital room? And how was he supposed to break the news? No, no, no, no, Jae Joong had said repeatedly, emphasizing each no by a stabbing motion of the fork to his now empty plate, I decide WHEN I want to be confined -
Although he knew Yunho really had a point. He really did. It was just. . . not possible right now! He sighed, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. He was amazed by the fact that he hadn’t suffered another attack yet; maybe biking did really help. But at the rate that his conversation with Yunho is going right now, Jae Joong thought that if he didn't suffer a WHD attack soon, he’d probably pop a vein trying to get his point across to Yunho.
He hated to admit it, but someone just got to give already. After more than a few minutes, Yunho had come back inside, and he waited until the boy had kept his phone before drawling out, with a loud sigh, “Alright. Let’s do a compromise.”
Yunho smiled at him, relief evident in his face. “Alright. What is it?”
“I’ll agree to be confined,” Jae Joong began with a frown, “but definitely NOT within this week. At the end of your two-week “maximum time”, like you said earlier.” Yunho nodded to that. He continued, “But don’t push about having to tell people about it, because I’m sorry Yunho-ah, but that’s really none of your business.”
Yunho looked at him, then leaned back in his chair, as if some heavy weight had been removed from his back. “Alright. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pass by the hospital. You must, at least twice a week. We’ll have to administer some muscle shots to slow down the progression.”
When Yunho uses technical words like that, it just drives home the fact that yes, he REALLY is sick. Jae Joong nodded, then sighed. “Great. Then it’s done.” He extended a hand, and Yunho reached for it in a handshake.
They left the restaurant at around 5:30, he and Yunho going opposite directions - Yunho back to the hospital, and Jae Joong to the area where he had parked his bike. He was already walking towards that direction when he heard Yunho, “Yo!”
Jae Joong turned around, to see Yunho making a peace sign with his fingers. But the other boy said, his tone unsure. “Two weeks.”
He shook his head, smiling to himself. Jae Joong was a boy who never liked breaking promises. He made a peace sign of his own. “Two weeks.”
Then he turned around and continued towards his bike, the wheels in his mind running at breakneck speed. Too many things to do, so little time. Jae Joong decided he’d have to start a list later, lest he forgets something. After all, he needs to squeeze into two weeks everything that he had planned to do for the rest of his life.
+ + + + +
Jae Joong YoungWoong, you have 1 new unread message!
From: Yoochunie <3
Details: 9:20 pm (6 hours ago)
To: my baby ♥
Subject: Luv!
Mailed-by: mail.berkeley.edu
Boojae,
I hope our conversation (um, THE conversation) last time didn’t upset you or something. But really, I’ve been thinking and thinking about it, and well, you don’t have to answer now. No pressure, no pressure, baby. Because I still got, like, nearly a year before I get back, so you have, um, lots of time to think about it. So. . .um . .yeah . . that.
Guess what? For the first time since we arrived here, Junsu and I finally had dinner without fighting over anything! Well, actually, there’s something I’m not telling you. Remember the day I called you while you were in the supermarket? I went back to the apartment - I was from an internet shop - and it was just 6:30 in the evening. Junsu’s classes end at 7, he arrives around 8, so I was alone in the apartment. Then, I was on my way to the kitchen when I heard something.
It was really. . . soft, I didn’t even make out what it was at first. And then while I was trying to locate the sound, I realized that it was the sound of someone crying. Argh, it was so freaky I thought my heart was going to burst out of my ribcage. I mean, I was alone, and neither the TV nor the radio was on so what the hell!
And just as I was about to run out of the apartment, I realized that it was coming from . . . Junsu’s bedroom. He was there! O_O I didn’t know why he wasn’t at school or why he had returned early, but he was there and he was definitely the one crying. I didn’t know what to do so . . . I just went out of the apartment and took a walk. I’m sorry, but I’m not good at those situations, you know that. Should’ve I done something?
So yeah, like after 30 minutes, I went back to the apartment, and well, he wasn’t crying anymore. He had fallen asleep, and he was sitting on the floor by the side of his bed. So I thought, maybe I should wake him up, because I’m sure that’s going to be really uncomfortable if he sleeps like that through the night. As I was about to wake him up, he moved a little, and did you know what he was holding in his hand (I’m sure he was crying over it.)
It was you and Aunt Jinie’s* picture. :(
Am I bad to feel a little relieved that I’m not the only one homesick here? -_-;; So anyway, I asked him to dinner (as a thank-you gift for tutoring me) and I treated him to ice cream like you told me because you said that makes him happy. For some odd reason, he just didn’t find me annoying that night. ^^;; And we finally realized that we had a common interest: YOU! ^_^
So how’s Seoul, Boojae? How’s class? Take care, baby. Say hi to Aunt Jinie for me? I love you!
We miss you a lot!
Yoochunie
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS IS A COPY OF THE EMAIL YOU SENT to Yoochunie <3 with the following details:
To: Yoochunie <3
Subject: RE: Luv!
Mailed-by: mail.chil.edu.kr
Baybeh,
Halfway around the world, and my Yoochunnie never ceases to amaze me. Haha, yay to finding out that you and Junsu have a common interest! So what exactly did you discuss about your common interest? ^_^
I’m fine, and so is Umma. Seoul is still like. . . .Seoul.^_^ Hey, how’s your colds? Are you feeling better?
Actually, I think that you did the right thing of leaving. Junsu . . . doesn’t really like it when people see him crying, he’s just like that. I guess it’s a part of his sense of privacy, so don’t worry about it.
Oh by the way, Chunnie, if you’re gonna email me in the next two or three days, it’ll take me some time to get back to you, okay? I’m leaving for Namwon tomorrow. Oh, okay, I can see you frowning. I know, I know we’ve talked about going there together (who goes to Namwon alone, anyway?) but my co-teacher and her family’s going to go there too so I thought I could go with them so it saves me the train ride. Please don’t be upset - let’s go there again when you get back!
And yeah, I think a little trip would do me some good because I need to do something thinking, ne?
No, you’re not evil for feeling comforted by my younger brother’s plight. XP But baby, please take care of Junsu for me? Sometimes he gets thiiiis emotional like you wouldn’t believe. Well, Junsu has a very colorful personality, so I’m pretty sure trying to understand him is gonna be one roller coaster ride. (But then again, aren’t you a pain in the ass as well. OMG did I just make a pun!)
So, I’ll email you in a few days, Chunnie-baby! Take care and try not getting caught in the rain too much! I love you.
Your Boojae
TBC
Author's Notes
1. Jin is the name of Junsu and Jae Joong's mother.
2. Comments are love. And if you find any grammatical errors, please feel free to inform me.<3
3. Yes, the city of Namwon exists. It's in the province of Jeolla, about a four-hour ride from Seoul, and it is also known by its nickname, City of Love. It's the site of one of the most popular love stories in Korea. You can find more information here.
4. Thank you again for reading! ♥ ♥ ♥