Poignant Affairs; Chapter 06 - Another Step
Title: Poignant Affairs
Author: honeyiceblend
Length: 6/15
Genre: Romance, Slight Angst, Drama
Characters: Yunjae, Jaemin
Summary: Time cannot erase the pain. Neither can it wash memories away. Memories, so vital to one and the only thing you can hold on to. Maybe one day I will open up my palm to let the breeze blow the dandelions away. As if letting go of your soul…
Warning: Character's death
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Chapter 6; Another Step
4 Years Ago
Fast Food Restaurant
“Yunho?” I squeaked timorously as he spun around to face me. “What are you doing here?”
“Can you please help me?” I begged, trying to inject as much sincerity in my eyes as possible. “What happened?” He asked, putting his duties aside.
“Um… There’s this guy… he just sat down at the seat opposite mine without asking and refused to leave. He has all those tattoos and stuff all over his body so I’m kind of afraid of him… Help me chase him away please! I’ll woe you one, two, three, whatever.” Tugging on his sleeve and making sure I was not sounding too desperate, I pleaded with him.
Stalking straight to my table, he slipped his hand into mine, catching me off guard. Seeing us approaching the table together, the burly menacing-looking man stared. He looked so fierce and possessive it sent shivers and his arms were so muscular and huge, it was sickening. If I had a boyfriend like him, there’s no doubt I’ll die of suffocation in his embrace. I’d rather a super skinny boyfriend with a kinder-looking face than somebody like him.
“Who the hell are you? How dare you sit with my boyfriend without asking?” Yunho slammed the table in fury so unmistakable I was almost convinced but his superb acting. Burly menacing-looking man glared at Yunho with mingled malevolence and disbelief, eyeing him “You’re his boyfriend?” Hey! Who are you looking down at? At least he’s thousand times more handsome than you are! I was so sure I was going to blurt all that embarrassing words out if Yunho had not done what he done.
What did he do? Well I could say that was one of the most special moments of my life, okay no, unforgettable, maybe. He whirled me around and crushed his lips on mine. Yes, he kissed me. I could swear that my heart and stomach must have intertwined into one single organ. Trying to register in my mind that he was supposed to be my boyfriend, I closed my eyes to conceal my shock, pretending to enjoy the kiss. Okay, wait, I was enjoying it. Was that supposed to be good or bad?
When we finally pulled away, my lips experienced a tingly sensation and I felt as if I had just stepped on safe land after a roller coaster ride. Maybe it was an emotional roller coaster I had been on. Staring into the depths of Yunho’s eyes, I could hear my heart thundering, positive he could feel it as well from his hands, which had miraculously slipped across my waist during the kiss.
Somehow, the burly menacing-looking man had left without us noticing and quickly Yunho pulled his hands away and we stepped back, momentarily speechless.
“Now will you help me with Seul Gi’s letter?” Yunho suddenly broke into my thoughts, “You owe me one, two, three, remember?”
Oh crap.
***
The present (2009)
The humming noise of the vacuum cleaner sucking up all the dirt on the carpeted floor echoed throughout the whole apartment. Now, the house really felt too dusty for dwelling, as the housework had been neglected for a long time. It is time to clean up. Heaving a large sigh, I paused and straightened my back, allowing myself a few seconds to rest. Doing housework alone was difficult, especially since I used to share the burden with Yunho.
Glancing around the living room painted in pink, I closed my eyes, remembering the days when we argued over a decent colour to paint the walls. Blue was good, no lime green was better. Lime green is disgusting, oh yeah? Blue is gross. Junsu had bounced in at that time, ending our battle. “Pink, you idiots! Pink!” Laughing blissfully, I opened my eyes again to welcome the warm and soothing colour of the walls, the images and memories lingering in my mind.
My nephew was just standing in front of me, staring at me in awe as I took a small trip back to the past and returned all smiles. Stunned by his sudden appearance, I jerked, my mirthful laughter ending abruptly by the shock. “What’s wrong, Uncle?”
“Moonbin! You scared me! Why are you out here? Aren’t you supposed to be eating your lunch?” I crouched down to stroke his beautiful hair. “Something’s wrong with Sungwoong.” He replied obediently. Immediately, I felt a brusque anxiety as an alarm rang in my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“He doesn’t want to eat…”
Rushing to the dining table with Moonbin on my heels, I found Sungwoong sitting at the end of the table with a look of discomfort evident on his face. “Sungwoong, how do you feel?” I couldn’t help but sound worried because my nephews meant the world to me now.
“Like vomiting…”
Oh my… “I’ll bring you to see a doctor, right away.”
“No, uncle, I’m really fine… Grandma would be coming later!”
This silly boy of mine, he doesn’t want to go to the doctor’s just because he didn’t want to miss his grandmother’s visit. Before I could retort and object, something in me softened, seeing the boy’s love for his grandmother. “Okay, then you’ll have to rest in bed today. I’ll get you some medicine.”
“Yay!” Sungwoong cheered and I led him into his bedroom where he could rest. “Now, rest well. Grandma would come very soon and she wouldn’t like to see dear Sungwoong sickly.” I beamed sweetly at him as he grinned toothily back.
***
“Jaejoong!” Junsu paused in his tracks as I stared in wonderment at him. “Will you stop worrying about Sungwoong for an instant? He’s gonna be fine. He’s with Auntie Taeyeon and I’m sure she won’t let anything happen to him.”
I sputtered, “Yeah, yeah I know… I mean… I can’t help it… And he refused to go see the doctor; he was dying to see his grandmother!”
Junsu laughed, “Well stop worrying, will you? Now we are already out, so enjoy yourself! I haven’t shopped with you in centuries!”
“Yes mister! Now it’s really my pleasure to shop with an over hundred-year-old old man! You waited for me until your hair has turned grey!” I fingered with his fringe as if looking at it in absolute interest, like I’ve never seen it before. Smacking my hand away, the both of us broke into peals of laughter, enjoying our times together just like before. We were hardly this happy ever since his death. But Junsu had this special effect on me, being my best friend, the one I could spill everything out to. He was mostly happy, always brightening up others’ day with a smile even brighter than a thousand candles. He didn’t let anything affect him, because he was Junsu.
“Ah, Jaejoong!” Somebody called my name from afar and both Junsu and I whipped our heads to the direction of the male voice. Who could it be?
I saw somebody waving.
Somebody in an Armani suit.
Again.
He rushed over to me and somehow took advantage of my state of shock and grabbed me around the arms, slipping his hand into mine. Another girl in a light blue office dressing came up to us with an upturned nose, “This is your girlfriend, Changmin?”
Okay, wait. GIRLFRIEND?
Before I could even register the mysterious happenings unravelling before my eyes, Changmin nodded and leaned in closer to me, “Yes, of course. Beautiful isn’t he?”
“Fine, girlfriend or boyfriend, Changmin, I’ll still continue liking you.” She said in an almost wistful soft of tone. I stared at her as if I was looking at an ape locked behind bars in a zoo. And she stared back. Darting my eyes away, I saw Junsu. He was as dumbfounded as me but at the same time, trying to stifle his laughter. I was not half as amused as I stood there stonily, feeling most uncomfortable.
As the stranger girl walked away, Shim Changmin turned to me and with much sincerity, bowed his head slightly and muttered a thank you.
“You’re welcome… I guess.”
I do have enough reasons to believe I am stalked by this Changmin guy you know. First he knows my name, and then he turns up in wherever I go. I am stalked. That brought slight shivers.
“Do you mind if I treat you to a meal to thank you?”
I gave Junsu an awkward glance and he was still looking like his laughter was just going to burst out in two seconds. “You… you go ahead…” I bet after my meal with Shim Changmin, he was going to drill me with questions and annoy me with his oh-so-beautiful laughter. I just hope he doesn’t announce it to the whole world that I had this Changmin guy as a friend or maybe more. Especially to Yoochun.
I really didn’t want to interact with a guy much especially at this point of time.
But something in his eyes made me agree. Also, I had to find out how he knew my name and why or earth does he seem like he is stalking me.
“A drink, maybe.”
He responded gleefully, “A drink it is then.”