#11 [Super Junior, Kyuhyun/Yesung]
Fandom: Super Junior
Title: so they all rolled over
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s)/Focus: KyuSung
Length: 2,657 words
Summary: every monday, he buys kyuhyun a bouquet of roses
Warnings: none!
Notes: Three cheers for my lovely beta J, who put up with me as I flailed and failed my way through writing, and without whom this fic would not have been possible! To my remixee: It was a pleasure to read your work and an honour to remix it, and I hope you enjoy this remix as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Remixee author: jesstoast
Title of work you remixed: roses
Link to work you remixed: http://jesstoast.livejournal.com/1560.html
v.
Every Monday, Jongwoon wakes up at seven a.m sharp, changes into simple clothes, and tiptoes past Kyuhyun's room and out the door. Fifteen minutes later, he buys a bouquet of fresh roses at the nearby florist's, generously tips the girl behind the counter, and leaves.
At half past seven, Jongwoon steps through the front door, and Kyuhyun is there, wide awake and waiting. Five minutes after, the rose stems are trimmed, the water in the vase is changed, and the dorm smells like roses and the cool morning air.
Ten minutes past eight, the dorm is completely empty, and the roses sit in a vase on the dining table. Sungmin sometimes wonders out loud which dedicated fan sends them so frequently, but Jongwoon never has to answer -- Jungsoo all but makes sure of it.
It’s Monday. The roses are a brilliant red and fragrant in full bloom.
ii.
"What would you do if you wanted to win a girl's heart?" the MC asks. The other members give their usual answers. "I'll cook for her," says Ryeowook. "I'll treat her like the princess that she deserves to be." Siwon is always the charming one. "I'll sing for her, and I'd do anything to impress her," says Kyuhyun. Because that's all Kyuhyun has, Jongwoon thinks. A beautiful voice.
When it’s Jongwoon’s turn, he thinks of the conversation he had with Jungsoo the previous day, and speaks.
"I would-"
Well you need to get his attention first
"-try to catch her attention, somehow-"
What do you mean "how"? Just buy him flowers, he'll notice for sure.
"--maybe I'd buy her flowers everyday, if it meant that she would notice me."
Jongwoon glances in Kyuhyun's direction as he speaks, and sees him shift a little in his seat. A strange expression flickers across his face, but it’s gone before Jongwoon can tell what it is.
Jongwoon passes by the florist’s on his way back to the dorm. He buys a single rose just because it looks particularly beautiful, and can’t help but wonder if anyone would believe him. (He can always say that a fan gave it to him anyway.)
It’s Monday. Jongwoon thinks it would be nice if every week starts with the fragrance of flowers.
i.
It’s two in the morning, and after three hours of vocal practice, Jongwoon never wants to sing a high note ever again. What he wants is a hot snack, a shower, and at least three hours of sleep, but Jongwoon knows he only has time for the first two.
Jongwoon walks through the dimly-lit corridors of the SM Entertainment building, heading for the main exit. Along the studio corridors, a sliver of light catches his attention. The door to Studio 1 is ajar, and Jongwoon can hear the melody of U.
He takes a peek inside, because, he thinks, didn’t Youngwoon just say that everyone was in the dorms?
Someone in grey sweatpants and a white shirt stands in the middle of the practice room. He has his back turned to Jongwoon so all he can see is the back of that person’s sweat-drenched shirt. It’s only when Jongwoon shifts his gaze to the mirror that he sees a familiar face.
It’s the new member, Kyuhyun.
Jongwoon watches as he runs through the full choreography that the group finished that afternoon. Judging by the chocopie wrappers and almost-empty two-liter bottle next to the CD player, Kyuhyun’s been there for a while. He fumbles somewhere around Heechul’s part of the song, moving in a half-count too late. He strides over to the music player, hits the pause button and flops onto the floor with a frustrated groan.
Jongwoon’s eyes meet Kyuhyun’s in the mirror then, and in a second, Kyuhyun’s on his feet again. He bows deeply, and Jongwoon wonders if Jungsoo’s reprimand is the reason why the bow is particularly stiff.
When Kyuhyun straightens up, Jongwoon just nods and leaves. There is something about Kyuhyun that says he doesn’t want to be disturbed.
As Jongwoon walks away from the studio, the chorus of U begins playing again.
When Kyuhyun returns to the dorms a few hours later, Jungsoo tells him off for staying out all night. Kyuhyun says absolutely nothing, but Jongwoon sees him slip out of the dorm the next day anyway. He overhears Hyukjae telling Kyuhyun to brush up on his dancing, but as he watches some of the others practice later that week, Jongwoon can’t help but think, Kyuhyun’s certainly not the one who needs more practice.
A few months later, they win their very first award. Everyone’s a crying mess in the waiting room, and in between hugs and ugly sobbing, Jongwoon sees Kyuhyun standing awkwardly at the side.
Before Jongwoon can go over and talk to him, Jungsoo’s already pulling away from the group and heading towards him. Jongwoon simply watches as he offers Kyuhyun a hug. Later, when everyone is slightly calmer and ready to go back to the dorms, Jongwoon gives Kyuhyun a simple pat on the back and a quiet, “You’ve worked very hard.”
Kyuhyun’s eyes widen at Jongwoon’s subtle emphasis on you, but he says nothing.
vii.
Jongwoon and Kyuhyun sign their contracts with management, agreeing to another five years with the company. They're lucky, Jongwoon knows. He overheard the trainees wondering whose contracts weren't renewed. Kyuhyun listens to music the whole ride back, and Jongwoon can hear little snippets of BONAMANA. How nice it was when there were enough people for BONAMANA’s choreography, or any of their old songs, to look impressive.
On the way up to the dorm, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun pass by a mover carrying a large box. And then another.
Something about their presence makes Jongwoon uneasy.
The elevator doors open, and another man walks out, toting a third box. Jongwoon sees a label on the box, and glimpses the character “Lee”.
Kyuhyun's bobbing his head to the music as they step out of the elevator, deaf to everything but the melancholic strains of Day by Day. Quite fortunate, Jongwoon thinks, that Kyuhyun can’t hear the sounds of a shouting match.
Jongwoon all but bursts into the dorm, and the shouting in the living room ceases abruptly. Hyukjae stands, backpack in hand, as Donghae storms away, slamming his door behind him. Jongwoon doesn't move until Kyuhyun all but shoves him out of the way, headphones around his neck.
"Why the backpack?", Kyuhyun asks. After so many years as a group, they've learned to leave squabbles alone. Hyukjae and Donghae fight all the time, anyway.
Hyukjae smiles and says, "Just stepping out for a bit." Jongwoon is not convinced.
Confusion is written all over Kyuhyun's face, but he simply nods and steps aside. "Don't get back too late, we have schedules tomorrow."
It's only minutes later when the realisation hits Kyuhyun, and he rushes to the door while Jongwoon says absolutely nothing. He stares out the window as he did those previous times, mind completely numb as he watches Hyukjae walk out of the apartment complex.
Just like Jungsoo, Donghee, Youngwoon, and Heechul, Hyukjae never comes back.
It’s Friday. The roses are starting to wilt.
xii.
It's been a long time since Jongwoon saw Jungsoo. Between Jongwoon's photoshoots, recordings, and overseas concerts, he hardly even has time to call, let alone meet the other equally busy man. Jungsoo looks the same, sounds the same, acts the same, like the older brother that he'd always been since Super Junior. They bump into each other at the KBS building, and since it’s a one-time coincidence, they sit and chat over coffee.
Time passes quickly, and Jongwoon decides to leave only after his manager starts threatening bodily harm if he doesn’t “wrap up the chat in two minutes”. As Jongwoon begins packing up, Jungsoo speaks up.
"You’re just as deeply in love as you were the last time I saw you."
The remark throws Jongwoon off, and he stares at Jungsoo for a second. Jungsoo is smiling, the same friendly smile as earlier, and Jongwoon just laughs. Even after years of distance and minimal contact, Jungsoo is still the same Jungsoo, the one who can read him effortlessly.
He gets up, excusing himself. Jungsoo smiles and bids him goodbye, but even as Jongwoon steps out of the cafe, he can feel Jungsoo’s gaze on him.
When he gets back home that night, Jongwoon deposits his keys on the dining table.
It’s Monday. A fresh batch of roses sit in the vase, but only Jongwoon is around to appreciate them.
viii.
They’re watching East of Eden, but Kyuhyun isn’t on Jongwoon’s lap as usual. Song Seung Hun and Lee Yeon-Hee flee from their pursuers on-screen, but Jongwoon’s not really paying attention.
The tension in the air is stifling.
Donghae appears just then, walking past the screen to flop onto the sofa next to Ryeowook. His breathing is shaky, and Jongwoon can still see a hint of tears in his eyes. Ryeowook offers Donghae a slightly awkward hug, but the silence remains unbroken.
Jongwoon’s not too sure what to say, so he says what sounds best. “Don’t worry. You still have us -- we won’t be going anywhere.”
On the other end of the couch, Kyuhyun scoffs. Donghae looks at Jongwoon with eyes red from crying, and Jongwoon can barely hear his mutter of if you knew then why’d you let him go. The room lapses back into uncomfortable silence.
Kyuhyun doesn’t talk to Jongwoon that night.
Before Jongwoon goes to bed, he changes the water in the vase. Kyuhyun’s forgotten to change the water again, but Jongwoon doesn’t blame him. The dorm feels bigger, emptier, colder now, and he knows Kyuhyun isn’t used to it. Jongwoon isn’t either.
It’s Saturday. The roses are wilting.
iii.
Kyuhyun just laughs.
"Is this some joke, hyung?" Jongwoon smiles to himself as he takes the flowers from Kyuhyun and begins trimming the stems. "It's not a joke," he says, but mentally adds, And i've never been more serious about someone.
The next Monday, Jongwoon shows up with a new bouquet of roses. Kyuhyun gives him an odd look, but says nothing. While Kyuhyun’s back is turned, Jongwoon smiles, triumphant and hopeful and nothing like he's ever felt before. Kyuhyun turns around when he least expects it, and he makes a half-hearted attempt to pretend he's smiling at a particularly well-taken photo of Super Junior.
The next week turns out a bit differently.
"Hey hyung," Kyuhyun begins. “Does this have anything to do with what you said on that show one time? About how if you liked a girl you’d buy her roses every week just to catch her attention?”
Jongwoon laughs, and says, "Maybe," pretending his heart didn't just skip a beat. It's not like Kyuhyun can tell.
Jongwoon comes back late that night to find a post-it note stuck on his door. On it are a few words in Kyuhyun's handwriting. I'm right, aren't I?
It’s Monday. The roses sit in a vase on the dining table, fresh and new and blooming.
x.
Jongwoon doesn't quite understand. “Solo career? Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”
“Well, yes and no. See, three people isn’t anywhere near the Super Junior people once knew.”
“...are you talking about disbandment?”
“More or less. Think of it this way -- at least the group died a fairly natural death.”
Natural death, Jongwoon thinks as he leaves the CEO’s office, doesn’t involve people leaving one by one.
vi.
“I got you guys keychains!” Kyuhyun announces, tossing a tiny pewter model of Taipei 101 at Heechul. Shindong gets a little clay ocarina on a chain; Jungsoo almost fails to catch the Shihlin night market tassel Kyuhyun sends flying his way.
Kyuhyun plonks himself down on the sofa next to Jongwoon, and helps himself to the jumbo packet of dried squid that Donghae brought back.
Later, while the members’ attention is on a game of Mario Kart (it’s Hyukjae against Siwon, a hundred dollars in the betting pool and only Jongwoon knows Siwon rigged Hyukjae’s controller), Kyuhyun pushes a plush turtle into Jongwoon’s hands with an abrupt, “Here. It was on discount.” Jongwoon laughs and whacks Kyuhyun over the head with the turtle, and then leans on him as they watch Siwon’s Mario ram Hyukjae’s Kirby on-screen.
The plush turtle mysteriously disappears later, and Jongwoon gives up looking for it in favour of watching Jungsoo and Sungmin battle it out in Street Fighter. He doesn’t know it yet, but in an hour Jongwoon will go upstairs to find Kyuhyun asleep on his bed again, the plush turtle in his arms.
It’s Tuesday. The roses sit on the dining table, basking in the warmth of the room.
x.
“Do you really believe all of that sappy shit we sing in our ballads?" Kyuhyun asks over lunch one day. Jongwoon laughs, flipping through the sheets of self-pitying lyrics and the overused refrain of please be happy with him. Kyuhyun steals some of his bulgogi.
"Of course I don't. No one does. I doubt even the writers themselves do." Three songs about wilting flowers, and two songs about drowning sorrows in alcohol. Jongwoon thinks he’ll probably empathise with their lyrics soon enough, at the rate things are going.
"We should try writing something, don’t you think? It’d be fun. Maybe we’ll finally understand what they’re thinking." Kyuhyun says. On the margins of the page are lyrics like: Love is like a flower - no matter how beautiful it is, if planted in a wasteland, it will die. Ordinarily, Jongwoon would laugh at how cliched it sounds -- today, it’s not so funny.
"That's the worst idea you've ever had, Kyuhyun." Jongwoon says.
They try anyway. Jongwoon stares at a blank sheet of paper, his mind racing with thoughts of, When the last petal falls.
iv.
The first time they kiss, it is two in the morning and they’re both slightly tipsy. Having had enough of the celebration in the living room, Jongwoon is dozing off when suddenly Kyuhyun’s lips are on his. They both remember it in the morning and laugh it off -- drunken first kisses don’t count, Jongwoon teases, but both know they weren’t all that drunk.
The next time they kiss, Jongwoon has Kyuhyun pushed up against the wall of an empty dressing room. Jungsoo walks in then, but quietly backs out before either of them notice.
That night, Heechul leaves notes that read use protection on their beds.
It’s Wednesday. The roses are a bright and beautiful red.
ix.
They're watching My Sassy Girl in the living room, Jongwoon's head on Kyuhyun’s shoulder when Jongwoon hears his phone from somewhere in the dorm. After a bit of grumbling, he rolls off Kyuhyun and heads towards the source of the sound.
The ringing stops, but Jongwoon finds his phone on the dining table, the screen lit.
One missed call: manager.
When he picks it up, his hand knocks against the vase of roses on the table.
It’s Sunday evening, he realises. The roses are dying.
Title: so they all rolled over
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s)/Focus: KyuSung
Length: 2,657 words
Summary: every monday, he buys kyuhyun a bouquet of roses
Warnings: none!
Notes: Three cheers for my lovely beta J, who put up with me as I flailed and failed my way through writing, and without whom this fic would not have been possible! To my remixee: It was a pleasure to read your work and an honour to remix it, and I hope you enjoy this remix as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Remixee author: jesstoast
Title of work you remixed: roses
Link to work you remixed: http://jesstoast.livejournal.com/1560.html
v.
Every Monday, Jongwoon wakes up at seven a.m sharp, changes into simple clothes, and tiptoes past Kyuhyun's room and out the door. Fifteen minutes later, he buys a bouquet of fresh roses at the nearby florist's, generously tips the girl behind the counter, and leaves.
At half past seven, Jongwoon steps through the front door, and Kyuhyun is there, wide awake and waiting. Five minutes after, the rose stems are trimmed, the water in the vase is changed, and the dorm smells like roses and the cool morning air.
Ten minutes past eight, the dorm is completely empty, and the roses sit in a vase on the dining table. Sungmin sometimes wonders out loud which dedicated fan sends them so frequently, but Jongwoon never has to answer -- Jungsoo all but makes sure of it.
It’s Monday. The roses are a brilliant red and fragrant in full bloom.
ii.
"What would you do if you wanted to win a girl's heart?" the MC asks. The other members give their usual answers. "I'll cook for her," says Ryeowook. "I'll treat her like the princess that she deserves to be." Siwon is always the charming one. "I'll sing for her, and I'd do anything to impress her," says Kyuhyun. Because that's all Kyuhyun has, Jongwoon thinks. A beautiful voice.
When it’s Jongwoon’s turn, he thinks of the conversation he had with Jungsoo the previous day, and speaks.
"I would-"
Well you need to get his attention first
"-try to catch her attention, somehow-"
What do you mean "how"? Just buy him flowers, he'll notice for sure.
"--maybe I'd buy her flowers everyday, if it meant that she would notice me."
Jongwoon glances in Kyuhyun's direction as he speaks, and sees him shift a little in his seat. A strange expression flickers across his face, but it’s gone before Jongwoon can tell what it is.
Jongwoon passes by the florist’s on his way back to the dorm. He buys a single rose just because it looks particularly beautiful, and can’t help but wonder if anyone would believe him. (He can always say that a fan gave it to him anyway.)
It’s Monday. Jongwoon thinks it would be nice if every week starts with the fragrance of flowers.
i.
It’s two in the morning, and after three hours of vocal practice, Jongwoon never wants to sing a high note ever again. What he wants is a hot snack, a shower, and at least three hours of sleep, but Jongwoon knows he only has time for the first two.
Jongwoon walks through the dimly-lit corridors of the SM Entertainment building, heading for the main exit. Along the studio corridors, a sliver of light catches his attention. The door to Studio 1 is ajar, and Jongwoon can hear the melody of U.
He takes a peek inside, because, he thinks, didn’t Youngwoon just say that everyone was in the dorms?
Someone in grey sweatpants and a white shirt stands in the middle of the practice room. He has his back turned to Jongwoon so all he can see is the back of that person’s sweat-drenched shirt. It’s only when Jongwoon shifts his gaze to the mirror that he sees a familiar face.
It’s the new member, Kyuhyun.
Jongwoon watches as he runs through the full choreography that the group finished that afternoon. Judging by the chocopie wrappers and almost-empty two-liter bottle next to the CD player, Kyuhyun’s been there for a while. He fumbles somewhere around Heechul’s part of the song, moving in a half-count too late. He strides over to the music player, hits the pause button and flops onto the floor with a frustrated groan.
Jongwoon’s eyes meet Kyuhyun’s in the mirror then, and in a second, Kyuhyun’s on his feet again. He bows deeply, and Jongwoon wonders if Jungsoo’s reprimand is the reason why the bow is particularly stiff.
When Kyuhyun straightens up, Jongwoon just nods and leaves. There is something about Kyuhyun that says he doesn’t want to be disturbed.
As Jongwoon walks away from the studio, the chorus of U begins playing again.
When Kyuhyun returns to the dorms a few hours later, Jungsoo tells him off for staying out all night. Kyuhyun says absolutely nothing, but Jongwoon sees him slip out of the dorm the next day anyway. He overhears Hyukjae telling Kyuhyun to brush up on his dancing, but as he watches some of the others practice later that week, Jongwoon can’t help but think, Kyuhyun’s certainly not the one who needs more practice.
A few months later, they win their very first award. Everyone’s a crying mess in the waiting room, and in between hugs and ugly sobbing, Jongwoon sees Kyuhyun standing awkwardly at the side.
Before Jongwoon can go over and talk to him, Jungsoo’s already pulling away from the group and heading towards him. Jongwoon simply watches as he offers Kyuhyun a hug. Later, when everyone is slightly calmer and ready to go back to the dorms, Jongwoon gives Kyuhyun a simple pat on the back and a quiet, “You’ve worked very hard.”
Kyuhyun’s eyes widen at Jongwoon’s subtle emphasis on you, but he says nothing.
vii.
Jongwoon and Kyuhyun sign their contracts with management, agreeing to another five years with the company. They're lucky, Jongwoon knows. He overheard the trainees wondering whose contracts weren't renewed. Kyuhyun listens to music the whole ride back, and Jongwoon can hear little snippets of BONAMANA. How nice it was when there were enough people for BONAMANA’s choreography, or any of their old songs, to look impressive.
On the way up to the dorm, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun pass by a mover carrying a large box. And then another.
Something about their presence makes Jongwoon uneasy.
The elevator doors open, and another man walks out, toting a third box. Jongwoon sees a label on the box, and glimpses the character “Lee”.
Kyuhyun's bobbing his head to the music as they step out of the elevator, deaf to everything but the melancholic strains of Day by Day. Quite fortunate, Jongwoon thinks, that Kyuhyun can’t hear the sounds of a shouting match.
Jongwoon all but bursts into the dorm, and the shouting in the living room ceases abruptly. Hyukjae stands, backpack in hand, as Donghae storms away, slamming his door behind him. Jongwoon doesn't move until Kyuhyun all but shoves him out of the way, headphones around his neck.
"Why the backpack?", Kyuhyun asks. After so many years as a group, they've learned to leave squabbles alone. Hyukjae and Donghae fight all the time, anyway.
Hyukjae smiles and says, "Just stepping out for a bit." Jongwoon is not convinced.
Confusion is written all over Kyuhyun's face, but he simply nods and steps aside. "Don't get back too late, we have schedules tomorrow."
It's only minutes later when the realisation hits Kyuhyun, and he rushes to the door while Jongwoon says absolutely nothing. He stares out the window as he did those previous times, mind completely numb as he watches Hyukjae walk out of the apartment complex.
Just like Jungsoo, Donghee, Youngwoon, and Heechul, Hyukjae never comes back.
It’s Friday. The roses are starting to wilt.
xii.
It's been a long time since Jongwoon saw Jungsoo. Between Jongwoon's photoshoots, recordings, and overseas concerts, he hardly even has time to call, let alone meet the other equally busy man. Jungsoo looks the same, sounds the same, acts the same, like the older brother that he'd always been since Super Junior. They bump into each other at the KBS building, and since it’s a one-time coincidence, they sit and chat over coffee.
Time passes quickly, and Jongwoon decides to leave only after his manager starts threatening bodily harm if he doesn’t “wrap up the chat in two minutes”. As Jongwoon begins packing up, Jungsoo speaks up.
"You’re just as deeply in love as you were the last time I saw you."
The remark throws Jongwoon off, and he stares at Jungsoo for a second. Jungsoo is smiling, the same friendly smile as earlier, and Jongwoon just laughs. Even after years of distance and minimal contact, Jungsoo is still the same Jungsoo, the one who can read him effortlessly.
He gets up, excusing himself. Jungsoo smiles and bids him goodbye, but even as Jongwoon steps out of the cafe, he can feel Jungsoo’s gaze on him.
When he gets back home that night, Jongwoon deposits his keys on the dining table.
It’s Monday. A fresh batch of roses sit in the vase, but only Jongwoon is around to appreciate them.
viii.
They’re watching East of Eden, but Kyuhyun isn’t on Jongwoon’s lap as usual. Song Seung Hun and Lee Yeon-Hee flee from their pursuers on-screen, but Jongwoon’s not really paying attention.
The tension in the air is stifling.
Donghae appears just then, walking past the screen to flop onto the sofa next to Ryeowook. His breathing is shaky, and Jongwoon can still see a hint of tears in his eyes. Ryeowook offers Donghae a slightly awkward hug, but the silence remains unbroken.
Jongwoon’s not too sure what to say, so he says what sounds best. “Don’t worry. You still have us -- we won’t be going anywhere.”
On the other end of the couch, Kyuhyun scoffs. Donghae looks at Jongwoon with eyes red from crying, and Jongwoon can barely hear his mutter of if you knew then why’d you let him go. The room lapses back into uncomfortable silence.
Kyuhyun doesn’t talk to Jongwoon that night.
Before Jongwoon goes to bed, he changes the water in the vase. Kyuhyun’s forgotten to change the water again, but Jongwoon doesn’t blame him. The dorm feels bigger, emptier, colder now, and he knows Kyuhyun isn’t used to it. Jongwoon isn’t either.
It’s Saturday. The roses are wilting.
iii.
Kyuhyun just laughs.
"Is this some joke, hyung?" Jongwoon smiles to himself as he takes the flowers from Kyuhyun and begins trimming the stems. "It's not a joke," he says, but mentally adds, And i've never been more serious about someone.
The next Monday, Jongwoon shows up with a new bouquet of roses. Kyuhyun gives him an odd look, but says nothing. While Kyuhyun’s back is turned, Jongwoon smiles, triumphant and hopeful and nothing like he's ever felt before. Kyuhyun turns around when he least expects it, and he makes a half-hearted attempt to pretend he's smiling at a particularly well-taken photo of Super Junior.
The next week turns out a bit differently.
"Hey hyung," Kyuhyun begins. “Does this have anything to do with what you said on that show one time? About how if you liked a girl you’d buy her roses every week just to catch her attention?”
Jongwoon laughs, and says, "Maybe," pretending his heart didn't just skip a beat. It's not like Kyuhyun can tell.
Jongwoon comes back late that night to find a post-it note stuck on his door. On it are a few words in Kyuhyun's handwriting. I'm right, aren't I?
It’s Monday. The roses sit in a vase on the dining table, fresh and new and blooming.
x.
Jongwoon doesn't quite understand. “Solo career? Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”
“Well, yes and no. See, three people isn’t anywhere near the Super Junior people once knew.”
“...are you talking about disbandment?”
“More or less. Think of it this way -- at least the group died a fairly natural death.”
Natural death, Jongwoon thinks as he leaves the CEO’s office, doesn’t involve people leaving one by one.
vi.
“I got you guys keychains!” Kyuhyun announces, tossing a tiny pewter model of Taipei 101 at Heechul. Shindong gets a little clay ocarina on a chain; Jungsoo almost fails to catch the Shihlin night market tassel Kyuhyun sends flying his way.
Kyuhyun plonks himself down on the sofa next to Jongwoon, and helps himself to the jumbo packet of dried squid that Donghae brought back.
Later, while the members’ attention is on a game of Mario Kart (it’s Hyukjae against Siwon, a hundred dollars in the betting pool and only Jongwoon knows Siwon rigged Hyukjae’s controller), Kyuhyun pushes a plush turtle into Jongwoon’s hands with an abrupt, “Here. It was on discount.” Jongwoon laughs and whacks Kyuhyun over the head with the turtle, and then leans on him as they watch Siwon’s Mario ram Hyukjae’s Kirby on-screen.
The plush turtle mysteriously disappears later, and Jongwoon gives up looking for it in favour of watching Jungsoo and Sungmin battle it out in Street Fighter. He doesn’t know it yet, but in an hour Jongwoon will go upstairs to find Kyuhyun asleep on his bed again, the plush turtle in his arms.
It’s Tuesday. The roses sit on the dining table, basking in the warmth of the room.
x.
“Do you really believe all of that sappy shit we sing in our ballads?" Kyuhyun asks over lunch one day. Jongwoon laughs, flipping through the sheets of self-pitying lyrics and the overused refrain of please be happy with him. Kyuhyun steals some of his bulgogi.
"Of course I don't. No one does. I doubt even the writers themselves do." Three songs about wilting flowers, and two songs about drowning sorrows in alcohol. Jongwoon thinks he’ll probably empathise with their lyrics soon enough, at the rate things are going.
"We should try writing something, don’t you think? It’d be fun. Maybe we’ll finally understand what they’re thinking." Kyuhyun says. On the margins of the page are lyrics like: Love is like a flower - no matter how beautiful it is, if planted in a wasteland, it will die. Ordinarily, Jongwoon would laugh at how cliched it sounds -- today, it’s not so funny.
"That's the worst idea you've ever had, Kyuhyun." Jongwoon says.
They try anyway. Jongwoon stares at a blank sheet of paper, his mind racing with thoughts of, When the last petal falls.
iv.
The first time they kiss, it is two in the morning and they’re both slightly tipsy. Having had enough of the celebration in the living room, Jongwoon is dozing off when suddenly Kyuhyun’s lips are on his. They both remember it in the morning and laugh it off -- drunken first kisses don’t count, Jongwoon teases, but both know they weren’t all that drunk.
The next time they kiss, Jongwoon has Kyuhyun pushed up against the wall of an empty dressing room. Jungsoo walks in then, but quietly backs out before either of them notice.
That night, Heechul leaves notes that read use protection on their beds.
It’s Wednesday. The roses are a bright and beautiful red.
ix.
They're watching My Sassy Girl in the living room, Jongwoon's head on Kyuhyun’s shoulder when Jongwoon hears his phone from somewhere in the dorm. After a bit of grumbling, he rolls off Kyuhyun and heads towards the source of the sound.
The ringing stops, but Jongwoon finds his phone on the dining table, the screen lit.
One missed call: manager.
When he picks it up, his hand knocks against the vase of roses on the table.
It’s Sunday evening, he realises. The roses are dying.