Vertigo Chapter 7
They were sitting on the sofa in Yunho’s room. Changmin came to visit him, and he bought him lunch. The bag fell down when Yunho suddenly hugged Changmin, but luckily the food didn’t spill out.
“You’re not going to school today?” Yunho asked.
“The teachers have a meeting,” Changmin said.
“Oh.”
Changmin hummed. “Are you busy now? Should I… just leave the food?”
“Stay.” Yunho said. “Just stay.” He called Jaejoong and told his secretary that he didn’t want any disturbance for the rest of the day.
“I know I should’ve called. I thought I’d just drop this, but I saw you earlier.” Changmin said, didn’t want his presence hindered Yunho’s work. “I asked for you in the lobby and they asked back if I already had an appointment.”
“I will ask my secretary to make you a pass.”
Changmin nodded. “So… uh… are you hungry? Do you want to eat now?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Yunho needed anything to distract his mind now.
“I don’t know what’s your favorite food is, but my mother made anchovy riceballs and seasoned octopus. And seaweed soup.” He took out the lunchbox and two thermoses, one for soup and the other for tea.
Changmin only brought one pair of chopsticks and spoon. Yunho started to eat and offered him, the older was contemplated to feed the younger or not, but finally handed him the chopsticks.
“What time do you usually get home?” Changmin asked.
“Depends,” Yunho lifted his shoulders. “Around 7, usually.”
Changmin still held the chopsticks, but dared himself to feed Yunho. The businessman accepted it happily, hummed as he had the food in his mouth.
“How’s school? Have you decided on the university?”
Changmin pouted. “Not yet.”
Yunho was kinda staring at those luscious lips.
“And my friends already took the entrance test, I still don’t know which one to choose.”
Yunho cleared his throat and looked down. “What about linguistics? Like your father.”
“I don’t know…” Changmin muttered. “Most of my friends are choosing accounting and business. But I don’t want to sit behind a desk everyday from 9 to 5 just doing paper and typing and picking up the phone- sorry, no offense, but-“
“It’s okay. I won’t recommend it to you anyway.” Yunho smiled. “You’re right. It’s boring.”
Changmin let out an awkward laugh. He watched Yunho ate the last riceball and put down his chopsticks. He poured the tea for the older.
“Are you going somewhere after this?” Yunho asked.
“I’m going to Junsu’s to play some game.”
Yunho grinned, reminded once again of how young Changmin was, of how his world filled with books and games.
“Speaking of him, he’s actually a musical actor too and will have a performance next Thursday,”
“He’s an actor?”
“Yeah. Not starring in a major play, yet, but he’s on his way. He’s very good.” Changmin said. “So… he gave me two tickets. And… I wonder if you can attend the performance? It will start at 7.”
Yunho didn’t answer. So that was why Changmin asked the time he finished working. The boy had already thinking about this.
“It’s still workday, and… and maybe you’re busy, but… well… I thought I’d just ask…” Changmin’s words faltered. He bit his lip.
“I don’t have any plan on that day, so I should be able to attend.”
“Really?” Changmin’s face went bright.
And Yunho thought he could see golden flashed in the younger’s eyes. “Yes.”
Changmin couldn’t hide his smile. “I’ll text you the venue.”
Changmin’s smile made Yunho smiled too. “Sure.”
Changmin was putting the lunchbox back to the bag. He slowed down and looked at Yunho. “Earlier, in the cafeteria… was there a man yelling to you?”
So Changmin saw that, Yunho thought. “Yes.”
“What an asshole,” Changmin mumbled, half threw the thermos in.
“Maybe he was right.” Yunho said stiffly.
“No, he’s not.” Changmin shot Yunho a look. “Don’t tell me you give a damn about that bullshit.”
“I don’t, I’m just saying that maybe, there’s a truth hidden in that bullshit.”
“Then prove him wrong.” Changmin touched Yunho’s hand, he leaned closer to stare right through the man’s eyes.
Yunho had a sudden urge to kiss his mate, quickly diverted his eyes from glancing at Changmin’s lips.
“Though I’m sure there are hundreds of reasons to prove him wrong, but I think you have to be reminded that you’re so much more than that, Yunho-shi,”
Yunho gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
When Changmin was about to leave, Yunho took off his tie and wrapped it around Changmin’s wrist.
“It’s not for you, it’s for me,” Yunho answered Changmin’s questioning look. “So I can smell your scent too when you return it to me,” he tied the edges.
Changmin thumbed the dark grey silk tie. “Next Thursday,”
Yunho nodded. “Next Thursday it is.”
*
“I need you to go to Japan the day after tomorrow.” Yanghoon said.
That day was Monday. Yunho looked at the calendar on his table. “So, on Wednesday.” He already crossed the date on Thursday. “Until when?”
“Two or three days.”
Yunho knew he couldn’t make it. “I can’t.”
“What is more important than this corporation and your father, Yunho?”
My mate. “You can go with Siwon.”
“Siwon is in China. You know he can’t speak Japanese that well. You have to attend the meeting to talk about the partnership extension.”
Yunho tapped his fingers on his table.
“Jaejoong will give you the flight details.” Yanghoon said. “And I demand the report next Monday.”
Yunho could never say no to his father.
An email came to his inbox and his phone rang not long after. It was Jaejoong. “Sir, I’ve sent an email about your flight to Japan-“
“Right. Thanks.” He put down the phone and massaged his temple. He better told Changmin quickly that he couldn’t attend the performance, then. It was lunch break, and he decided to give Changmin a call.
The boy answered at the third ring.
“Hello, Changmin?”
“Yes, Yunho-shi?”
The way Changmin called his name already made Yunho felt guilty. “About that musical this Thursday…” he didn’t know how to say it. He didn’t want to make Changmin down. He didn’t have a heart to tell the news.
Changmin was the one who broke the silence. “You can’t make it, right.” his voice was small.
“I’m really sorry. I have to go to Japan tomorrow. I’m sorry, I know I’ve said that I will come, but-“
“No, it’s okay.” Changmin’s breaths felt like fire to him. “I… I understand. You must be busy.”
Yunho felt like a total asshole.
“When will you come back?”
“Saturday or Sunday, probably.”
“Oh. Alright, then.”
Yunho regretted that he didn’t say it in person because probably he could comfort Changmin somehow. Or maybe in the opposite, Changmin would hate him even more if the boy saw his face.
“Please tell Junsu I’m sorry I can’t come.”
Changmin just hummed.
“Okay. See you, then.”
Changmin disconnected the call right after. Yunho knew he deserved that. And he totally lost contact with the younger the day after. He was so busy preparing the material for the meeting and in end of the day, he thought Changmin was still mad at him and wondered if he shouldn’t contact him at all.
But when he went home and packed his suitcase, Soojung came to his room.
“Are you going somewhere?” she asked.
“Japan tomorrow.” Yunho carefully folded his shirts.
“Changmin Sunbae asked me to give you this.” Soojung put a little plain white box on his bed.
Yunho’s heart rate already rose up as he heard that name. He took the box and opened it. It was his grey silk tie.
“He said you’ll need it.”
Yunho breathed out in relieve. So Changmin wasn’t mad at him anymore. “Thank you.”
“Don’t forget to buy me some chocolate, Oppa.” Soojung said as she left his room.
“I’ll even buy you that expensive lavender soap, Soojung,” Yunho said to his sister’s back. He grabbed his phone and texted Changmin.
Jung Yunho:
Thank u for the tie :)
Shim Changmin:
its urs anyway
Yunho’s eyes blurred and he thought he read ‘It’s yours’ as ‘I’m yours’. He blinked hard.
Shim Changmin:
good luck for japan
Jung Yunho:
Thank you. I need it.
Yunho almost typed it to ‘I need u’ but fortunately he reread the message before he sent it, and quickly changed the word. He wore the tie during the meeting in Japan, and read the its urs and good luck over and over.
*
“How are you feeling?” Yoochun put his hand on Junsu’s shoulders.
Junsu was staring at his reflection in the mirror. He was pale because of the excessive powder, hair messy, and lips humming the song he’d sing on stage.
“You’ll nail it. You always have.” Yoochun leaned down to kiss his mate.
Junsu moved away. “You’ll ruin the makeup.” But he gave a Yoochun a kiss on the cheek instead.
Yoochun gave him a bouquet full of red flowers, it was fairly big, and his head disappeared behind the bouquet for a moment when he gave it to Junsu.
“Oh? I thought you already…” Junsu was confused. He looked at his dressing table, there was already a bucket of flowers. He thought it was from Yoochun. There was a card and he read it.
Good luck for your performance. Sorry I can’t come. Please take care of Changmin.
Jung Yunho
“Who’s Jung Yunho?” Yoochun asked, an arm wrapped around Junsu’s waist possessively as he read the card.
“Changmin’s mate.” Junsu smiled and took a picture of the flower so he could show it to Changmin.
“Oh. So he’s the one. Wait- is he Jung Yunho as in The Jung Corp?” Yoochun asked Junsu.
“I don’t know. Changmin never told me. Who is he anyway?”
“The Jung could buy half of Korea with their fortune. Their business has gone through China, Japan, and I heard they’re trying to enter Europe market.”
Junsu whistled.
“Good thing he’s Changmin’s mate.”
“Good thing Changmin is my friend.” Junsu winked and he smiled to the flower.
*
Junsu said he was touched by Yunho’s flowers, and asked Changmin to tell Yunho that Junsu was very thankful for it.
But Changmin didn’t know what to feel. It wasn’t like he was jealous because Yunho gave Junsu flowers (and didn’t give Changmin anything), because, well, wasn’t Changmin told his mate that he couldn’t just accept his gift?
“Changmin, can you take a photo of the twins in the swing?”
Changmin used to go for photo hunting after school around his house. Usually he went to the market, but that day Mrs Oh asked him to take some photos of her 4 years old twins, Hani and Hajoong when they were playing in the park.
He kneeled two meters away from the swing and began to capture the photos. He showed the results to Mrs Oh, who looked satisfied. And the woman was quite a choreographer herself, and the kids seemed to be in a good mood, made it easier for Changmin to take the photos.
“Oh, I forgot their juice… can you keep an eye on them for a while? I’ll go home to take their drink.”
Changmin just nodded, mouth full with the bread Mrs Oh gave him a moment ago. The twins were eating the same cream bread, sat side by side. He kept taking pictures as he chewed the food inside his mouth.
Hani complained about the sticky cream in her hands, so Changmin was going to take her to the nearest tap, but then he saw Hajoong bent down to touch an insect on the ground.
“No! Hajoong, it’s dirty! Don’t touch it!”
Hajoong startled by Changmin’s shout and his bread fell, made the little boy started to cry. But Changmin didn’t have time for that, he took Hani to the tap and ran the water for her, quickly washed her hands. After she finished, Hani was running in front of Changmin, back to where her brother was.
And the girl was punching a tall man’s leg with his tiny fist. “Give me Oppa! Put him down!”
The man had Hajoong in his arms, trying to calm the boy down as he was crying before.
Changmin thought he only smelled Yunho’s scent because he kept thinking about the man, but he was actually there. “Yunho-shi?”
Yunho smiled to him before he put Hajoong down carefully. “Your mother said you’re here.”
Changmin lowered his gaze to the kids. Hajoong patted Hani, told her that he was fine.
“Are you still working? Or done already?”
Changmin looked at his camera. “It’s not work. Just a hobby.”
“Hajoong-ah, Hani-ah, Umma is here! Look, look, I brought your favorite apple juice!” Mrs Oh came back. “Changmin, here, I brought an extra for you- oh, hello!” she greeted Yunho as she saw the man.
Changmin could see she was staring and Yunho just bowed politely.
“Is he your teacher, Changmin?” Mrs Oh asked.
“Uh, no.” Changmin bit his lip.
“Your children are such a delight, Ma’am, how old are they?” Yunho asked, patted Hajoong’s head.
“They will be 4 next month,” Mrs Oh answered. “Yes, yes, they sure are such a delight. They wash away my fatigue. Though they’re also the ones who caused it,”
Yunho laughed with Mrs Oh.
Changmin touched Yunho’s shoulder hesitantly. “Should we go now?”
Yunho nodded, and he looked at Mrs Oh. “Goodbye, then, bye Hajoong, Hani,” he bowed to Mrs Oh, and patted the kids too.
“I’ll show you the photos later, Mrs Oh,” Changmin said.
“Sure. Thank you, Changmin!”
Changmin said goodbye and waved to the kids. When the family was having their snack, he took one last candid photo of them. Hajoong was feeding his mother, while Hani busy with her juice bottle.
They walked to the other side of the park and took a seat on a bench. The sun was setting but Changmin didn’t feel like going home yet.
“So, how was your trip?” Changmin asked.
“Not bad. I bought you some snacks by the way, I left them in the car.” Yunho remembered buying two of everything, one for Changmin, one for Soojung.
“Thanks. And how was the meeting?”
Yunho sighed. “I still have to go there again next week, and-“
“So you’re going?” Changmin cut him. “Why do you come back if you have to leave again?”
Yunho just looked at him.
Changmin looked away, gulped and realized he just snapped at his mate.
“We still can see each other,” Yunho said.
“Of course.”
Yunho took a deep breath. “You’re right. I shouldn’t come back if I have to go again,” he said. “But I came back because I want to see you.”
“You don’t have to.” Changmin just looked at Yunho’s knee.
“But I want to.”
“It’s fine. You just have to tell me your schedule and I won’t bother you at all.”
“Look, Changmin, it’s not like I don’t want to spend time with you. I’d love to. But I can’t. That’s why I can’t promise you anything, but I will try-“
“Maybe I don’t want you to try.” Changmin’s eyes finally met Yunho’s. “Maybe I want you to promise, so you just have to come, whether you can or cannot.”
Yunho sighed again. He knew it wasn’t possible.
Changmin stood up. “Let’s just go back.”
Yunho stood up as well, but he held Changmin’s hand. He didn’t want to go back like that, not with the tension between them. “Just tell me something you want.”
Changmin turned around to see the man. “What?”
“I can’t see you all the time, but let me do something else in exchange.”
“Nothing.” Changmin answered. “Nothing you can do.” He started to walk away.
But Yunho held him again.
“I just can’t, Yunho.” Changmin pulled back his hand from Yunho’s hold. “I just hate feeling like a little whiny needy Omega waiting for my Alpha to come home. I’m an Alpha, too, for god’s sake! Am I submissive because I’m the younger one? Why do I keep thinking about you, waiting for you to come, and the moment I see your face, gosh, I really hate the look of it because how can you do just fine? How can I-“
Yunho pulled Changmin close to him, and silenced him with a kiss to his mouth. The younger’s lips were parted, so he sneaked in his tongue, dipped it in the younger’s hot cavern. Changmin was stiff for a moment, but then he melted into the kiss, let Yunho to explore and tasted every inch of his mouth. He rested his hands on the man’s broad chest, while Yunho had his hand on the back of his neck and around his waist. Changmin had Yunho’s lower lip in between his lips, lightly sucked it, and when he accidentally bit it, he could hear a soft moan came from the older.
It took ages until they were out of breath and pulled back, but they were still as close as ever, sharing the same breath.
“You are not submissive to me. And I don’t want you to. I just want you to be yourself. I only want you to be whiny and needy because you need me, because you want me, because you miss me.” Yunho said to Changmin’s lips.
Changmin’s breath hitched. “I missed you” he whispered.
Yunho’s arms tightened around him. “I missed you too.”
“I know I acted so childish.”
“You're not. Well, maybe you are. But that's okay. You're still young.”
Changmin just buried himself under Yunho’s jaw, instinctively searching for the man’s scent deeper.
Yunho caressed Changmin’s hair gently. “Let’s get married soon.”
Changmin laughed, but shook his head.
Yunho chuckled. “Not yet? Okay.”