Pulsatilla | Chapter 5/?

[love_cassiopeia]

Pulsatilla
Author: love_cassiopeia
Summary: A complete mess was what Jung Yunho became after his beloved wife’s death. Trapped in a permanent state of isolation and loneliness, Yunho summons his knowledge on biology in hopes of recreating his wife in the form of an artificial human. However, the experiment goes terribly wrong and instead creates a male who has all his wife’s looks and qualities, one who he eventually decides to name ‘Jaejoong.’ Coping with the idyllic memories Jaejoong brings back of his wife, Yunho tries his best not to fall in love with his creation, knowing that the love he brings along is not the real thing-or is it?
Rated: PG-13 - NC-17
Warning(s): NC-17 material, language
Genre: Romance/Angst
Pairing(s): YunJae
Chapter 5: Musique

Definition: The Pulsatilla is a deciduous perennial flower native to Europe and Asia that grows in the leftover nutrients of a dead plant. It is usually grown to replace another plant. It is capable of curing diseases and may be used in remedies.





M u s i q u e

*

The day of Jung Yunho's first meeting with Kim Seulki seemed nearly a century ago. Though the occurrence seemed so far from his grasp now, it was impossible to relinquish the exquisite memories. The events of the day remained carved in his persistent mind, never wavering, even for a mere second. Whenever he was depressed or fatigued, Yunho would continuously find himself spellbound within the day for hours, reliving what he cherished most in his life.

It was a chilly Saturday night in December when he stumbled upon the music hall of Seoul University campus. He had still been in graduate school then, invited by one of his closest friends, Park Yoochun, to attend a piano showcase some of the students had arranged. With nothing in his agenda that night, Yunho accepted his offer and arrived in the music hall with his keen eyes and ears ready.

He had been bored by the entire concept of classical music during the majority of the concert, that was, until a petite girl with ebony black hair, silky rosy skin, and an elegant slender body covered with a demure but somewhat-alluring white chiffon dress stepped up to a white grand piano, and began playing.

She played a piece called Close to You-a piece from a Japanese television drama by the name of Long Vacation. She carried out her piece like a true musician, putting her entire heart, mind, and body into crafting the melody. Yunho was tremendously awed, both by her unforgettable beauty, and by how adroitly her fingers danced on the grand piano.

It was that night when Yunho decided he wanted to meet this woman-to truly know her for who she was.

Even now, after marrying her and seeing her die, he could hear her song, etched in his mind like a record that was glued eternally to the record player.



The idea of freedom was something Yunho thought much about, but something he never quite had enough of. When Seulki was alive, the wrath of work blinded him from all thoughts of freedom and led him to his unavoidable fate. So now, choosing not to make the same mistake again, Yunho decided to cherish every grain of freedom he was allowed to have as a chance to enliven Jaejoong-not that he lacked any life within him, of course.

It was a sunny Saturday morning, barely nine o’ clock when he decided to wake Jaejoong up from his serene slumber. The boy had been tired, working his hardest, trying to create lavish dinners with the small amount of fresh food left in Yunho’s ridiculous fridge. It was a bit hurtful for Yunho to see how fastidiously Jaejoong worked in hopes to make sure he wouldn’t have to eat another bite of frozen or packaged foods ever again.

So, jumping for the opportunity, Yunho decided to set aside the Saturday for a relaxing day out-of-doors with Jaejoong. He wanted to show Jaejoong the wonders of Seoul, the bliss of the chilly yet pleasant weather. He considered that with his eyes opened to such things, he would be able to speak more and enjoy his life the slightest bit more. After all, he had been locked inside a stuffy penthouse for an entire two weeks. There was no reason why the boy didn’t deserve a sniff of fresh air to fill his dispassionate lungs.

The two left the apartment at exactly nine-thirty that morning, deciding not to look twice at the car. Instead, the twosome decided to explore the town on foot, knowing that it was a better way to force the spring air into their lungs and to get a bit of exercise for their inactive bodies along the way. Besides, Yunho had no intention to go to the more cluttered parts of town-the parts of town where people usually would go to sell off their bodies, that is. Overcomplicating things would only bring his already languid mind to an even more horrifying condition.

The first stop on their nearby neighbourhood journey was the large grocery store located a few blocks east of the penthouse. Jaejoong had pleaded Yunho long ago to take him grocery shopping; for one, he would purchase tastier, fresher ingredients to cook with, and two, to scavenger for healthier options to shove down his ‘husband’s’ throat.

Jaejoong’s eyes nearly doubled in size as soon as he entered the commodious grocery store. Yunho thought that perhaps the sudden burst of passion was due to the fact that he came face to face with so many ideas that his mind was unable to process what he wanted to buy and what he intended to cook with. It was absolutely compelling, watching Jaejoong ransack through the produce section of the store, picking out sets after sets of arbitrary ingredients Yunho never even thought of purchasing.

“Whoa, what an interesting-” By the way Jaejoong was speaking, it was obvious that it was his first encounter with a pineapple. “Uh Yunho, what exactly is this?”

Yunho chuckled and teased him playfully. “That’s a pineapple, Jaejoong.”

“Pineapple.” Jaejoong let the outlandish syllables glide across his tongue. “Why would they call it a pineapple, when it looks nothing like an apple?”

Yunho sighed, not exactly in the mood to explain something he himself never quite understood. But like his wife, Jaejoong often asked strange questions to satisfy his hungry curiosity. “Uh… I would suppose that perhaps because it grows on pine trees, people decided to name it pineapple because they had no other option.”

“Well, if that’s the case, they could’ve named it pine-orange, pine-pear, or pine-melon, right?” He retorted. “Why apple?”

As adorable as he was, Yunho was pretty much at his limits, discussing idiotically over the topic of how the word ‘pineapple’ came to be. “Look Jaejoong, I don’t know, okay?” He responded lethargically. “I’m a biologist, not a fruit-tologist or whatever you call it…”

Jaejoong shook his head. “Forget about it.” He remarked. “Let’s buy this! Maybe it will taste like an apple after all!”

“Well, who’s going to eat it?”

Jaejoong was quite taken aback by Yunho’s sudden outburst. “It's got to be healthy, don’t you think? Why don’t we both give it a try?”

“Sorry Jae, I don’t eat stuff like that.”

“Well, what do you eat?” Jaejoong counterattacked.

Yunho stared up at the ceiling and started counting with his fingers. “Let’s see… I eat ramen, frozen foods, your jjigae, beer, coffee, potato chips-”

“Oh god, Yunho, you’re so inconsiderate!”

Yunho was somewhat baffled by Jaejoong’s sudden outburst. “Inconsiderate to what?”

“Inconsiderate to your body!”

He wasn’t quite pleased with the boy’s accusation. “Inconsiderate to my body? What do you mean?”

“Well first of all, none of the foods you listed have any valuable nutrients in them-except my jjigae, perhaps. You need more vitamins and antioxidants to keep your energy levels up. You’re a working man, after all.” Jaejoong attempted to lecture. “And more proteins too… like fish, chicken-”

“We’ll buy the pineapple, okay?” Yunho interrupted, having no intention of listening to Jaejoong’s nutrition lesson any longer. “Just… don’t wander off into one of your little nutrition talks anymore. You’re starting to sound horribly like my wife.” He mentioned subconsciously.

Jaejoong chuckled, feeling a small flame ignite with him as Yunho’s words emerged. Despite the fact that Yunho had been irritated as he made his accusation, Jaejoong was certain that instead, his voice had carried the message across in a beautiful aria.

“I’m made to resemble your wife, remember?” He questioned effervescently. “And it’s a deal; you don’t have to listen to any more of my nutrition talks if I get to buy whatever I want in this store.”

Yunho nodded in agreement. “Just… don’t empty out my wallet by buying too much, all right?”

Jaejoong giggled in response. “All right, all right.”

The two of them cruised through the lanes of the supermarket one by one, probing for items that caught their attention (or Jaejoong’s attention, for that matter). Yunho stealthily tried to sneak a few packs of ramen into their packed cart, only to be seen by Jaejoong and lectured once more about the salt contents and the unhealthy ingredients. Yunho evidently didn’t take a liking to it, having Jaejoong trying to plan out his menu and telling him what goes down his throat and what doesn’t, but he found it rather charming of him, taking the time to put so much care into his health and wellbeing. With Jaejoong, perhaps he would finally look forward to taking care of his health.

After purchasing a bundle of food that Yunho didn’t even know existed, the two of them departed the grocery store and set their sights on the numerous clothing stores that lined the streets. Yunho reminded himself that Jaejoong couldn’t forever live off his tiny wardrobe filled with ties and business suits, and that he needed to establish his own closet. Being forced to carry the bags of groceries, he followed Jaejoong to clothing store after clothing store, seeing him try on clothes that were perhaps just a bit too large for him.

Having another bag of clothing join them in their armful of groceries, Jaejoong questioned whether or not Yunho wanted to start heading home. Deciding that it would be a compassionate thing to do, Yunho denied, saying that Jaejoong still needed shoes for his undeveloped wardrobe.

Jaejoong felt immensely flattered and pampered, having this man tend to his every request despite the amount of baggage they were carrying. It just felt utterly magical, having the man who he felt so attracted to by his side, at his service. For the first time in his life, Jaejoong had learned what the abstract concept of happiness was.

It was a difficult concept to explain. For one, he didn’t exactly understand what caused the sensation of happiness to ring throughout him. Was it the cloudless sky? The warm sunshine that told him everything would be okay? Or was it just being with Yunho that brought a smile to his face, knowing that he was beside him?

They had strolled through the streets for quite a while, trying to locate where the nearest shoe store was. The two of them carried on a congenial conversation as they walked steadily through the streets, choosing to glimpse at the various, colourful store window displays.

That is, until something caught Jaejoong’s eye that caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

Kim Junsu’s Piano Gallery

The fair-skinned boy scanned across the words one by one, and then gazed into the limpid store windows at the large selection of pianos. There was a great variety of figures to meet every pianist’s standards. From grand pianos to electric pianos to piano sheet music bound into volumes… it was all there.

Seeing the abrupt halt in his walking, Yunho was concerned as Jaejoong stared into the piano shop, speechless. “Oh what is it now, Jaejoong?” He asked discourteously. “Hurry up, we still have to go shoe shopping, remember?”

The opinions in Jaejoong’s mind faltered, unsure of what to tell the scientist. “Can we perhaps… go in there for a second?” He pointed into the piano gallery. “I’m sure we can give our legs a rest and regain some energy.”

Having no choice but to agree, Yunho followed Jaejoong into the packed piano shop, not paying much attention to his surroundings. The astounding look on Jaejoong’s face however, told him that perhaps a certain epiphany had ignited within him.

As the raven-haired boy familiarized himself with the surroundings, a single question came to mind: why was he here? He was obviously not here to purchase a piano or to seek out anything in particular. In fact, a part of him urged him to enter the store intuitively, ignoring the intellectual reasons and purposes behind his actions. It almost felt as if an invisible force was guiding him into the store, notifying him that this was the place he belonged within. He didn’t fight it, mostly because he didn’t have the energy to fight something he just didn’t understand.

The two customers were immediately greeted by a cheerful man with an exuberant personage as soon they entered the store. The man had a welcoming smile on his lips and a slender body enveloped in a casual suit.

“Welcome to my piano gallery.” His raspy, unique voice announced. “I’m Kim Junsu, the owner of the gallery. Feel free to look around and try out our latest models.”

Jaejoong bent his lithe body in gratitude. “Hello Junsu-sshi, I’m Jaejoong, and this is Yunho.” He indicated to the man beside him who wasn’t paying even half the attention he was paying. By the look on his face, Jaejoong could clearly perceive the fact that Yunho wasn’t very amused with the fact that they were wasting time inside an unfamiliar piano store.

Ignoring the jaded expression on Yunho’s visage, he entered a room filled with large, full-scale grand pianos. He stared upon the instruments in awe, unsure of how to react or how to speak in such a situation.

Taking his pick, Jaejoong rested himself on the seat of an ivory-white grand piano. He stared at the keys in hesitation, perplexity written over his entire countenance.

“That’s our latest model, shipped here straight from Milan just last week.” The owner, Junsu informed. “If you’re curious about how it sounds, feel free to try it out yourselves.”

Jaejoong looked to his partner for guidance. “Uh, Yunho… how does this work exactly?” He asked curiously.

Having no choice but to answer his question, Yunho pressed a few random keys on the piano. "It’s like this.” He directed. “You press each key and a sound comes out. And then, you can string together a few notes to make a song.”

Jaejoong nodded, still rather dumbfounded by the instrument. He followed Yunho’s instructions, pressing a few notes at a time, all the while trying to discover what a ‘piano’ really was.

Yunho sighed, seeing no point in killing time within an overpriced piano shop. “Look Jaejoong, we still have a lot to buy. Let’s go ahead and leave, shall we?” He questioned, letting the bags of clothes and groceries sling over his shoulder as he turned away from him, approaching the exit of the store. “Besides, we’re not exactly here to purchase-”

Disrupting his sentence, a lively melody resonated into the room, flowing eloquently into Yunho’s ears and invoking a faint memory. He remembered the song… Close to You from Long Vacation, it was called wasn't it? It was certainly coming from a piano in the room, one which sounded like it was being played by an eminent pianist who dedicated his life to the instrument. Slowly turning around, Yunho discovered that the song had been created by none other that Jaejoong’s own long fingers tapping adroitly on the pallid keys.

Jaejoong executed the song like an expert, his two hands hitting every note correctly and meeting every dynamic flawlessly. The piano store owner, Junsu, stared upon Jaejoong’s fingers with amusement, pleased with the high level Jaejoong displayed. Looking upon the abstruse scene in bewilderment, Yunho asked himself a single question that was both intricate yet ridiculously simple: when the hell did Jaejoong learn to play the piano?

It was just moments ago that Jaejoong had asked him what a piano was, and now, his fingers were dancing enthusiastically on the keys, creating a melody that told Yunho he must’ve been studying the piano for years. How was this possible, having a boy who had never seen a piano play it so well?

How was it possible that even though he was only months old, he was able to play as if he had dedicated his life to practicing the instrument?

After some deep thinking, the memory of the day he and his wife first met returned to him.

Years ago within that music hall-within the audience and within the dim auditorium, he had once heard this song before. The song his wife had originally played for him was the same exact song Jaejoong was playing this very moment. It was a bit hard to believe, but even such a trait (or in this case, a talent) was carried on successfully into Jaejoong’s body. Slowly, an unintentional smile crept onto his face, making him realize that Jaejoong too, could play the piano delightfully.

Listening diligently to every note the boy produced, Yunho’s smile began to stretch wider and wider. It appeared that he didn’t make such a horrible mistake after all. Perhaps the synthetic human he had created within his own very lab didn’t turn out to be very different from his wife in the end.

His spirits were immediately calmed by the fleeting melody. It seemed that for a moment, Jaejoong’s song had the power to eradicate all of Yunho’s dilemmas and worries. And without his worries and second thoughts, Yunho could easily tell himself that Jaejoong really belonged here-here with him.

There was no doubt about it: Jaejoong contained the same, solid qualities Seulki once obtained-the exact same ones which made him fall madly for her. Everything he loved about his wife, Jaejoong possessed. But at times, even all of those supernal qualities couldn’t persuade him that Jaejoong was the one for him.

Jaejoong’s song ended abruptly, separating Yunho from the blurry reverie he had crafted within his usually-frivolous psyche. It was only when Jaejoong gazed up at him with a foolish but aesthetic grin that Yunho finally realized Jaejoong was still a mindless, naïve child brought into the world only a few months ago.

“That was superb!” The raspy-voiced Kim Junsu announced. “You played the song perfectly! I must say, I quite envy your well-polished skills. What a natural pianist you are.”

Skills? Junsu envied his skills? There was part of Yunho that was a bit uncertain of the possibility that a renowned piano store owner could envy the skills of someone who didn’t even know what a piano was a couple of minutes ago. But considering those skills were his wife’s, there was no doubt that perhaps some things in the world that seemed utterly unfeasible could actually put themselves to life; that is, if you had the correct circumstances, of course.

Although Jaejoong was preparing to leave his seat at the piano, Junsu was resolute to carry across a few more words to the skilled boy. “Jaejoong, if it’s not too much trouble… I was wondering if you could play the piano at an event on Friday.” He brought up. “We’re hiring a few local musicians and orchestras to play in the Seoul Music Hall in order to raise money for charity. All the money from the guests will be donated. If you could attend, that would be wonderful!”

Jaejoong’s face immediately brightened up. “Of course! That sounds remarkable, being able to play in front of a crowd.”

“Eh?” Yunho was the only person in the room who was befuddled by the unanticipated request. “Him? Play at a concert? No way! He might mess up! He just started playing today!”

Junsu gave Yunho a dubious glare. “Oh c’mon, even a child can tell that he’s been practicing for years!” He noted. “You don’t know a thing about your friend, Yunho!”

“B-but…” Yunho decided to let go of the matter, for there was just no point in explaining all of this to Junsu. It would be quite interesting, ranting on about a boy that was created to replace his dead wife.

“So what do you say?” Junsu asked eagerly, persuading Jaejoong to join the event. “Want to help those in need by sharing your music with us?”

Jaejoong nodded and agreed without much thought. “Of course!” He declared childishly. “I’d love to.”

Junsu grinned, satisfied that he had recruited yet another talented musician. “Now that’s decided, here’s my card.” He handed a small business card over to Jaejoong earnestly. “If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.”

Jaejoong grinned in response. “Thank you for including me within your concert.”

“Oh no, thank you, Jaejoong.”

After the laconic conversation with Junsu concluded, the twosome left the store, embarking on a journey to find several pair of shoes for Jaejoong-whose feet were too small to fit within Yunho’s loafers. Although he didn’t want to cleave through the serene, blissful silence between them, Yunho was determined to start a conversation (and perhaps ask a few more questions) with Jaejoong that would most likely settle his doubts.

“You know… the first time I met Seulki, she was playing the same song you just played in Junsu’s store.”

Fascinated, Jaejoong gazed up in surprise. “Oh really.” He murmured. “Well, that means I’m doing my job, right?”

The scientist was taken back by his words. “Your job?”

“My job is to be like Seulki, right?” Jaejoong stated to refresh his creator’s memory. “You designed me this way.”

Yunho shook his head. “But Jaejoong, you’re not my wife; I thought we’ve been through this conversation a thousand times before.” He was a bit blinded by his aggravation to think of a gentler way to put things. “Jaejoong, you’re not female, and it might be my mistake for creating you this way, but no matter how hard you try, you can never change who you are.”

“If that’s the case, then what am I here for?”

The scientist was unquestionably astute and valiant with words, but with a question as cryptic as that, he had no idea what the correct answer was. And even if there was a correct answer, he considered that tossing the answer into Jaejoong’s open heart would only cause it to shatter.

He didn’t want Jaejoong to know the truth… that he was here for absolutely nothing.

Ignoring the scenario completely, Yunho swiftly changed the topic at hand. “Jae, we'd better not waste our time on these ridiculous subjects.” He ordered. “And you have better things to think about, like your upcoming concert at the fundraiser.”

Jubilant that Yunho had resurfaced the matter, Jaejoong painted a wide grin onto his lips. “You’ll be attending the event, right?”

Yunho nodded. “Of course! I’ll be there to tell the audience to stop laughing if you mess up horribly!”

“Hey!” Jaejoong shot his creator a cynical look. “How could you even doubt me? Junsu said that I played like an expert!”

Yunho rolled his eyes in laughter. “What does he know? He’s just a salesman for God’s sake!”

Letting a sigh travel through his lips, the boy continued arguing with the taller man beside him, understanding that there was no one else on earth he wanted to share his moments with other than this man. If he looked closely, he could notice that there was nothing exceptional about his man. But just like an invisible force, a part of his mind told himself that this man was made for him-that he completed him.

“Jaejoong, what the hell are you doing?”

The boy turned around, snapping out of his indolent reverie. “Nothing.”

“N-no… it’s just that… the way you walk…” He noted. “The way your shoulders wave from side to side...”

It’s exactly like how Seulki used to walk, Yunho wanted to say.

Jaejoong tilted his head in confusion. “It’s just the way I walk…” He explained indifferently. “If you want me to change it or think it’s embarrassing, then don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Yunho shook his head. “N-no… it’s not that…”

Jaejoong immediately disregarded the look of predicament on his face brought out by Yunho’s question and replaced it with a dazzling smile full of teeth. “What are we waiting for then? Let’s go buy some shoes!”



Lee JoongYoung had worked within the Biology and Research Cooperation of South Korea for nearly a decade. Being one of the chief researchers within the company, he focused his attention solely on work, allowing nothing and no one to disrupt him from achieving the spot he desired at the company. Considering how cold-hearted he was, he had the power to win over what he wanted without any hesitation whatsoever-or in this case, any mercy.

He had been one of the strongest employees within the company until the young and charismatic Jung Yunho stepped in. The man was twenty-five, just married and thinking about children. Despite how blinded Yunho was by the love he harboured towards his wife, his natural talent and charm won over the higher-ups at the company, causing them to treasure him and his work. Immediately after seeing his success, JoongYoung began to despise him, first for his talent, and then for the blissful life he shared with his wife.

JoongYoung had met his wife countless amounts of times, so he was familiar with her beauty and her apparent kindness. He was envious of Yunho due to her-envious that he had been blessed with both life and knowledge.

To sum it up, the two scientists never got along very well. Yunho became the fresh newcomer as JoongYoung became yesterday’s news. It made the man furious, knowing that there were perhaps people in the world who were perfectly capable of rising above him, crushing him the process.

So when Yunho’s wife, Kim Seulki died, he didn’t know whether to feel happy or to feel miserable. Losing his wife meant Yunho could focus his full life on work-which meant competition for him. But losing his wife also meant that the man had finally made a decision between his career and his wife. It meant that Yunho had lost a valuable portion to what made him, him.

The death of Seulki was an event that proved no one could possibly have it all, be it a stable position in the company or a valuable relationship. The two simply could not coexist. For one to prosper, one had to disappear.

It was an early Saturday morning for JoongYoung. He had escaped his stuffy apartment building in hopes to receive a dose of fresh air. His refrigerator demanding him to stock up on groceries, he was lead out of the luxurious apartment and into the closest grocery store.

Upon visiting the grocery store, who better for him to come across than the infamous Jung Yunho? But this time, JoongYoung noticed that the man wasn’t alone like he usually was after his wife abandoned him months ago. Situated within the produce section of the grocery store, the young scientist was accompanied by a boy who looked perhaps a few years younger than him.

Although he hadn’t meant to, JoongYoung couldn’t help but gape at the boy and feel the déjà vu his intriguing looks brought him.

For a matter of a fact, he looked exactly like Yunho’s wife, Seulki.

How was this possible? Seulki had passed away long ago-she was gone. How could Yunho possibly be side to side with a companion whose face resembled Seulki’s to the last inch?

He considered that ‘companion’ perhaps wasn’t the correct word to use. The way the two of them conversed… it was almost as if they had the appearance of a married couple, sharing amiable bits of meaningless bickering with each other amidst the light, grocery store environment. If this didn’t resemble a married couple (or any couple at all), JoongYoung didn’t know what did.

Following furtively behind the two of them, JoongYoung tried his best to assimilate as much information as he could from the twosome’s behaviour. If this boy looked exactly like Seulki, then why was he a male in the end? Was this Seulki’s sibling? No, that couldn’t possibly be true-Seulki was an only child. To him, it literally felt as if Seulki had magically transformed herself into a male, and most importantly, brought herself back to life.

Knowing how intelligent and talented Yunho was however, made JoongYoung realize that perhaps what he was seeing with his own eyes wasn’t very real after all. What if Yunho had summoned all of his knowledge to create this being? To create someone that could replace his wife?

JoongYoung knew what Yunho was capable of, and this idea certainly seemed most compatible with his background knowledge on the man.

Was this even allowed? If it was, he had not even shared his discovery with the company. How could he!

Fuelled by his jealousy and resentment, JoongYoung took out his mobile phone and captured a photo of the two, making sure their faces were clearly visible. This was definitely something the government needed to see: an artificial human made to be an exact carbon replica of another.



Hopefully everyone remembers JoongYoung from the previous few chapters. His role in this fic has been pretty vague until now, so I hope everyone can at least remember the fact that I had mentioned him before =D

Besides that, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! It was longer than usual, wasn’t it?

I don’t think I edited this instalment very well though, so if you notice any spelling/grammar mistakes, please report it to me. I was too busy sticking my nose into some of Anne Rice’s novels >_<

Please comment if you can spare a few minutes of your time!

-Cindy

Previous Chapters:

R é s u l t a t | A l i é n é | D é s o l é | B a i g n o i r e | M u s i q u e



Want more? For a list of chapters and stories, please don’t hesitate to visit my fanfiction archive