Remind Me (part 1, chapter 10)
Chapter 10 - Everything I’ve Held So Dear
“Changminnie,” Jaejoong asks the second they get into the music room, “Where’s Seunghyun-ah?”
Changmin looks over at his hyung-deul from where he’s lounging against the side of the grand piano, watching Yoochun and Junsu tap out silly tunes on the instrument. “Jiyong came to grab him right after breakfast; they have some kind of History project to work on together. He said he’d be by later.”
“Kwon Jiyong?” Jaejoong questions in surprise.
“You know the runt?” Changmin looks appalled by the very idea.
“I…” Jaejoong shakes his head. “I’ve seen him around a few times.”
“Hyung-deul! Hyung-deul!” Yoochun cries excitedly at Jaejoong and Yunho’s approaching forms. “You’re here!” He pushes away from the piano with a stack of papers in his hands and hurries over to them. “Here. Here.”
Yunho looks through the stapled pieces of paper in his hands. “What is this?”
“Here, Hyung,” Yoochun says, pointing to a spot on the paper. “This is your part.”
“My what?” Yunho asks in complete confusion, staring at the music notes on the sheet of paper like he’s never seen a treble clef and b flat in his life.
“Yunho-hyung doesn’t know how to read notes.” Junsu pipes up from the piano bench, hands still tripping along ivory keys carelessly.
“Really?” Yoochun blinks up at the older boy in surprise, so Yunho really hasn’t ever seen a treble clef and b flat in his life. “Why not?”
“Um, because I don’t play a musical instrument.” Yunho says like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. “And I don’t sing.”
Jaejoong throws an arm over Yunho’s shoulder with a brilliant grin. “Sure you do.”
“What? Play a musical instrument?”
“No, sing.”
“I do?” Yunho turns to Jaejoong, his face scrunching up adorably.
Jaejoong can’t resist giving the taller boy a hug. “Just trust me on this one, you do.”
“Hyung, I’ll play your notes for you.” Junsu offers, as Jaejoong leads Yunho over toward the piano. “Oh, I also brought you some bread from the dining hall, since you missed breakfast.” Junsu points at the three packages of sweet buns resting atop the baby grand.
“Knew I could count on you, Junsu-yah.” Yunho snatches at one the breads and tears open the package, taking a big bite. “Thank you.”
“Here, Hyung, pay attention while you eat.” Junsu advises, playing out notes on the piano and making Yunho hum along. “Got it?”
“I guess,” Yunho hems, stuffing more bread into his mouth. “But I still don’t understand what this is all about?”
“Yoochun-hyung wrote this song and wants us to sing it.” Changmin says, wandering nearer to the bread. His long fingers sneak toward the other two packets subtly. “In Jaejoong-hyung’s brain damaged world we’re the best boy band in the whole of Asia, remember?”
“Idol group.” Jaejoong corrects irritably, slapping at Changmin’s creeping fingers. “Idol group.”
“Ow!” Changmin wails, cuddling his injured hand to his chest.
Yoochun slaps a piece of paper down in front of him and mutters, “That’s what you get for making fun of TVXQ.”
“TVX…who?” Changmin scowls at Jaejoong as the older boy scoops up the remaining bread packages and hands them to Yunho.
“Thank you, Jaejoongie.” Yunho tears into another packet, shoveling bread into his mouth, unaware that his food was ever in jepordy.
“Anyone have any questions before we start?” Yoochu asks, fingers poised over the piano keys with Junsu waiting expectantly beside him.
Yunho finishes off the last of the bread in record time. “Did you really write this Yoochunnie?”
“Yes.” Yoochun feels himself flush with anxious pride. In addition to Jaejoong, Changmin, and Junsu, Yunho will be the only other person in the world he’s ever shown his music too, besides his family. But he trusts Jaejoong for reasons he can’t really explain, not even to himself, and there’s something about the five of them together that feels like coming home. He wants this, what Jaejoong had told them they could be together. Yoochun wants it more than anything. “I wrote this song.”
Yunho smiles wide and bright. “I’m sure it’s going to be brilliant then!”
Yoochun’s eyes sting and Changmin’s eyes roll. Junsu leans into Yoochun’s side and Jaejoong’s heart feels so full it’s about to burst.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Yunho claps his hands together in anticipation. “Let’s do this.”
Yoochun grins like it’s his birthday and begins playing. Yunho can’t read notes and doesn’t know when to come in, but he watches Jaejoong and picks up his cues like he was born to do this. It’s a five part harmony and they all fill their places perfectly. Jaejoong gets caught up in the sound, the way he always gets caught up with the four of them around him, because it’s the closest thing to magic he’s ever experienced in his life. The lyrics are about first loves and saying goodbye, then saying hello again, it’s about coming full circle. Jaejoong loves them all so much in that moment that it’s very nearly painful and it’s so, so close, but they’re not really his. Not his Changmin or his Junsu. Not his Yoochun and not his Yunho. And Jaejoong just really wants to go home.
The music fades and the five of them just stare at each other, a little lost for words.
“That - that sounded great.” Yoochun barely chokes out, eyes sparkling wetly.
They’re all saved from the emotion, though, when a voice exclaims from the doorway. “Damn, Seunghyun-ah, we should start a singing group too.”
Jaejoong blinks over at Jiyong and can’t resist. “You should. You could call your group Big Bang and you’d be the leader and one of two rappers. Your stage name could be G-Dragon. Seunghyun-ah could be the group’s other rapper and his stage name would be TOP.”
Seunghyun’s mouth drops open. “Do I know how to rap?” He mumbles curiously.
Jiyong smirks. “Big Bang…I like it.” His gaze roams challengingly over the five boys at the piano. “Give you pretty boys a run for your money.”
Changmin’s lips purse in displeasure. “Who you calling ‘pretty,’ Shorty?”
Jiyong takes a defiant step forward. “I’m looking at you, ain’t I?”
Seunghyun flails his arms wide and rushes forward to place himself in front of Jiyong. He grins sloppily at Changmin. “Now, now children, no need to fight over me. There’s enough T. O. P. to go around.”
Changmin snorts out a laugh at that and sticks his tongue out and Jiyong. “No backsies. You took him, you keep him.”
Seunghyun clutches at his heart and pouts. “But, Minnie, I love you!” He sprints toward the middle of the room and rounds the piano, jumping at Changmin.
“Yah!” Changmin shrieks, stumbling around the music room and tyring to dislodge Seunghyun from his back. “Get off!”
Jiyong chases after them, screaming. “Just stay still, you great big garbage disposal, I’m trying to help you! Seunghyun-ah, get down!”
“Hyung-deul, save me! Oh my…where are you touching? Don’t grab there!” Changmin cries, his speed doubling as Jiyong makes desperate grabs for him and Seunghyun. Seunghyun just wraps his arms tighter around Changmin’s neck and laughs maniacally.
Junsu and Yoochun are the first to start giggling. Then Yunho falls against Jaejoong, shaking hysterically, and Jaejoong has to smother his own smile behind his hand.
“Well, looks like I’m late for the party again.”
The new voice shocks the other seven people in the room and they all stop to turn toward it.
“Hyunjoongie?” Jaejoong says like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.
Seunghyun slides down Changmin’s back and glances over at Jaejoong guiltily. “Oh, um, I told Hyung we’d be here and, um, well…”
Yunho makes a move first, striding toward Hyunjoong with a welcoming smile, his Leader-shi qualities coming to fore even in a different world. Yunho slaps a hand onto Hyunjoong’s shoulder and leads him further into the room, saying with absolute sincerely “Better late than never.”
~~~
After dinner Yunho lures Junsu, Yoochun, Changmin, Seunghyun, and - to Changmin’s supreme consternation - Jiyong to the common room with the promise of more epic ping pong. Jaejoong takes Hyunjoong to his and Yoochun’s dorm room so that the two of them can finally talk. Jaejoong sits on his bed and Hyunjoong sits on Yoochun’s and there’s a whole five minutes of awkward silence spent fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.
“Hyunjoongie,” Jaejoong abruptly begins, startling Hyunjoong so badly that the other boy nearly falls off the bed he’s perched on.
Hyunjoong regains his balance and starts adjusting his clothes, clearing his throat in embarrassment. “Ye - yeah?”
“I’m not replacing you.” Jaejoong completely means that. “I’m really not.”
Hyunjoong rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “I know. And the others are…not what I expected.” Hyunjoong holds out the observation to Jaejoong like a peach offering. “They’re pretty cool.”
“Yes, they’re wonderful!” Jaejoong beams.
Hyunjoong has to laugh at that. “I wouldn’t go that far. Like that Jiyong kid, he’s weird, huh? But, yeah, maybe it’s not a completely terrible thing if we started hanging out with them more.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Hyunjoong agrees, his eyes squinting in contemplation. “I think I’m beginning to get it now.”
“Get what?” Jaejoong asks.
“What the rest of them mean to you. Yunho and Yoochun and Junsu and Changmin, I mean.”
“You - you do?” Jaejoong leans forward, waiting for Hyunjoong to explain further.
“When I watch the five of you together, it’s weird, but you look like a family. And I know you’ve never really felt those kinds of bonds before - I mean, let’s face it, we all know how much your parents suck and you don’t have any siblings - and I think in the beginning I was kind of jealous that you couldn’t seem to find that sense of belonging with me and Seunghyun-ah.”
“Hyunjoongie, I’m - ” Jaejoong feels like he should apologize at least, but Hyunjoong shakes his head with a soft understanding smile.
“No, it’s okay. Seunghyun-ah was right, you’re happy. Since we were kids, I can’t ever remember a time when that was true, but it is now. Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin…I’m just glad that you were able to them at all, find where you belong. I want you to be happy, Jaejoongie. After all, I’m still your best friend.”
“Yeah,” Jaejoong smiles gratefully. “Yeah, you are.”
The two of them talk for another hour and Hyunjoong stretches out on Yoochun’s bed, looking more relaxed than Jaejoong can ever remember the other boy being since he arrived in this world.
“So, Best Friend,” Hyunjoong teases, after they’ve talked out all of Hyunjoong’s angst and confusion over the last couple of days. “You mind telling me what exactly is going on with you and Jung Yunho?”
“N - nothing’s going on with me and Yunho!” Jaejoong splutters, taken completely by surprise.
“Sure,” Hyunjoong drawls sarcastically, “And you didn’t kiss him at your birthday party either.”
Jaejoong throws a pillow at Hyunjoong’s head. “Why do you keep bringing that up?”
Hyunjoong throws it back and sticks out his tongue. “Why do you keep avoiding it?”
“I’m not avoiding it!” Jaejoong defends. “I - I’m just -”
Hyunjoong starts squawking like a chicken, staring pointedly at Jaejoong.
“You suck.” Jaejoong grumbles.
Hyunjoong cracks up, rolling around on Yoochun’s bed until the owner of said bed bursts throw the door with Junsu at his side. They’re followed by the bickering trio of Changmin, Seunghyun, and Jiyong. Yunho’s the last one through and he heads strait for Jaejoong, sitting down next to the older boy on the bed. Jaejoong blushes and refuses to look at Hyunjoong, who’s fallen victim to another attack of the giggles.
Seunghyun glances between the both of them before jumping onto Yoochun’s bed next to Hyunjoong. “So, are you two cool again?”
Hyunjoong sits up, smirking. “Yeah, we’re good.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Seunghyun breathes out in relief. He motions at Changmin and pats the spot next to him. “Here, Minnie, come sit down.”
“What about me?” Jiyong glares at Seunghyun and shoves his way onto Yoochun’s bed. “All you ever worry about is Changmin.”
Changmin dives onto Jaejoong’s bed, scuttling his long body behind Yunho and Jaejoong. “Hyung-deul,” he whispers, except it’s loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “the crazy little diva and his rapping sidekick scare me.”
“Yah!” Jiyong and Seunghyun shout at the same time, making everyone laugh.
Yoochun pulls out the desk chairs so that he and Junsu can sit as wll. The next four hours are noisy and fun and all the things that Jaejoong feels friendship should be like.
“So, you know that Hwang Bo broke up with her boyfriend, right?” Yunho says, looking at Hyunjoong.
“She did?” Hyunjoong sits up straighter, eyeing Yunho warily. “Does that mean you plan on making a play for her yourself?”
Junsu blinks over at Yunho innocently. “Why does everyone always think you and Hwang Bo-noona like each other like that?”
“You don’t?” Hyunjoong asks.
“No,” Yunho answers, eyes straying to his right helplessly, where Jaejoong is sitting. “Hwang Bo and I are just friends.”
Hyunjoong catches the sidelong look and proposes, “I’ll help you with my friend if you help me with yours.”
“What?” Yunho stares at Hyunjoong blankly. “I don’t think I understand.”
Hyunjoong frowns. “Seriously?”
“Hyunjoong-hyung, if I may?” Yoochun interrupts. “Jaejoong-hyung, what’s the name of that river that runs through Egypt again?”
“The Nile!” Junsu answers excitedly, while Jaejoong simply glares.
“Exactly. Thank you, Susu-ah.” Yoochun smiles at the other boy fondly.
Hyunjoong laughs so hard he falls off the bed, startling Seunghyun and Jiyong, who had moved to the floor an hour ago. They both have pens in their hands and a piece of paper between them as they attempt to write their very first rap lyrics.
“I still don’t understand.” Yunho says, rubbing at the back of his neck.
Changmin pats him on the back, a sly twist to his lips as he says in mock consolation. “We know, Hyung, that’s why it’s so funny.”
Jaejoong knows that he and Yunho are being made fun of, but he just can’t figure out the joke. It doesn’t really matter, though, as his head falls tiredly onto Yunho’s shoulder a little while later. Yunho just curls an arm around his waist, tucking Jaejoong closer into his side, as he continues his conversation with Yoochun and Hyunjoong about true love and when you know you’ve found the one. Changmin and Junsu slide down to the floor to join Seunghyun and Jiyong, the younger four arguing over American rap and the phrase “Never let me slip, cause if I slip, then I’m slipping” and if it’s really genius or just plain incompetence.
Jaejoong falls asleep with a smile on his face.
~~~
Jaejoong is woken by loud banging on his door and blinks up in bewilderment at a pale blue ceiling. His eyes wander around the room and it isn’t his dorm room at LSM Prep, nor is it his bedroom back home.
Jaejoong feels his eyes sting and whispers brokenly. “I just got them back. If you weren’t going to send me home, couldn’t you have let me stay with them for just a little bit longer?”
The pounding sounds again and then Junsu bursts through Jaejoong’s door. “Get up, Hyung, I’m hungry. Make me breakfast.”
At least Jaejoong thinks it’s Junsu. That is, if Junsu was into wearing man-liner and raiding Jaejoong’s closet for the most eclectic pieces of clothing, and was a punk rock/emo kid…then, yes, it’s Junsu.
“Hyung, I have class in an hour. Hurry up!” Emo!Junsu snaps, flouncing out as abruptly as he had entered.
Jaejoong groans and braces himself for this new and unexpected circumstance. “Seriously, why me?”
Afterward | 11 |
“Changminnie,” Jaejoong asks the second they get into the music room, “Where’s Seunghyun-ah?”
Changmin looks over at his hyung-deul from where he’s lounging against the side of the grand piano, watching Yoochun and Junsu tap out silly tunes on the instrument. “Jiyong came to grab him right after breakfast; they have some kind of History project to work on together. He said he’d be by later.”
“Kwon Jiyong?” Jaejoong questions in surprise.
“You know the runt?” Changmin looks appalled by the very idea.
“I…” Jaejoong shakes his head. “I’ve seen him around a few times.”
“Hyung-deul! Hyung-deul!” Yoochun cries excitedly at Jaejoong and Yunho’s approaching forms. “You’re here!” He pushes away from the piano with a stack of papers in his hands and hurries over to them. “Here. Here.”
Yunho looks through the stapled pieces of paper in his hands. “What is this?”
“Here, Hyung,” Yoochun says, pointing to a spot on the paper. “This is your part.”
“My what?” Yunho asks in complete confusion, staring at the music notes on the sheet of paper like he’s never seen a treble clef and b flat in his life.
“Yunho-hyung doesn’t know how to read notes.” Junsu pipes up from the piano bench, hands still tripping along ivory keys carelessly.
“Really?” Yoochun blinks up at the older boy in surprise, so Yunho really hasn’t ever seen a treble clef and b flat in his life. “Why not?”
“Um, because I don’t play a musical instrument.” Yunho says like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. “And I don’t sing.”
Jaejoong throws an arm over Yunho’s shoulder with a brilliant grin. “Sure you do.”
“What? Play a musical instrument?”
“No, sing.”
“I do?” Yunho turns to Jaejoong, his face scrunching up adorably.
Jaejoong can’t resist giving the taller boy a hug. “Just trust me on this one, you do.”
“Hyung, I’ll play your notes for you.” Junsu offers, as Jaejoong leads Yunho over toward the piano. “Oh, I also brought you some bread from the dining hall, since you missed breakfast.” Junsu points at the three packages of sweet buns resting atop the baby grand.
“Knew I could count on you, Junsu-yah.” Yunho snatches at one the breads and tears open the package, taking a big bite. “Thank you.”
“Here, Hyung, pay attention while you eat.” Junsu advises, playing out notes on the piano and making Yunho hum along. “Got it?”
“I guess,” Yunho hems, stuffing more bread into his mouth. “But I still don’t understand what this is all about?”
“Yoochun-hyung wrote this song and wants us to sing it.” Changmin says, wandering nearer to the bread. His long fingers sneak toward the other two packets subtly. “In Jaejoong-hyung’s brain damaged world we’re the best boy band in the whole of Asia, remember?”
“Idol group.” Jaejoong corrects irritably, slapping at Changmin’s creeping fingers. “Idol group.”
“Ow!” Changmin wails, cuddling his injured hand to his chest.
Yoochun slaps a piece of paper down in front of him and mutters, “That’s what you get for making fun of TVXQ.”
“TVX…who?” Changmin scowls at Jaejoong as the older boy scoops up the remaining bread packages and hands them to Yunho.
“Thank you, Jaejoongie.” Yunho tears into another packet, shoveling bread into his mouth, unaware that his food was ever in jepordy.
“Anyone have any questions before we start?” Yoochu asks, fingers poised over the piano keys with Junsu waiting expectantly beside him.
Yunho finishes off the last of the bread in record time. “Did you really write this Yoochunnie?”
“Yes.” Yoochun feels himself flush with anxious pride. In addition to Jaejoong, Changmin, and Junsu, Yunho will be the only other person in the world he’s ever shown his music too, besides his family. But he trusts Jaejoong for reasons he can’t really explain, not even to himself, and there’s something about the five of them together that feels like coming home. He wants this, what Jaejoong had told them they could be together. Yoochun wants it more than anything. “I wrote this song.”
Yunho smiles wide and bright. “I’m sure it’s going to be brilliant then!”
Yoochun’s eyes sting and Changmin’s eyes roll. Junsu leans into Yoochun’s side and Jaejoong’s heart feels so full it’s about to burst.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Yunho claps his hands together in anticipation. “Let’s do this.”
Yoochun grins like it’s his birthday and begins playing. Yunho can’t read notes and doesn’t know when to come in, but he watches Jaejoong and picks up his cues like he was born to do this. It’s a five part harmony and they all fill their places perfectly. Jaejoong gets caught up in the sound, the way he always gets caught up with the four of them around him, because it’s the closest thing to magic he’s ever experienced in his life. The lyrics are about first loves and saying goodbye, then saying hello again, it’s about coming full circle. Jaejoong loves them all so much in that moment that it’s very nearly painful and it’s so, so close, but they’re not really his. Not his Changmin or his Junsu. Not his Yoochun and not his Yunho. And Jaejoong just really wants to go home.
The music fades and the five of them just stare at each other, a little lost for words.
“That - that sounded great.” Yoochun barely chokes out, eyes sparkling wetly.
They’re all saved from the emotion, though, when a voice exclaims from the doorway. “Damn, Seunghyun-ah, we should start a singing group too.”
Jaejoong blinks over at Jiyong and can’t resist. “You should. You could call your group Big Bang and you’d be the leader and one of two rappers. Your stage name could be G-Dragon. Seunghyun-ah could be the group’s other rapper and his stage name would be TOP.”
Seunghyun’s mouth drops open. “Do I know how to rap?” He mumbles curiously.
Jiyong smirks. “Big Bang…I like it.” His gaze roams challengingly over the five boys at the piano. “Give you pretty boys a run for your money.”
Changmin’s lips purse in displeasure. “Who you calling ‘pretty,’ Shorty?”
Jiyong takes a defiant step forward. “I’m looking at you, ain’t I?”
Seunghyun flails his arms wide and rushes forward to place himself in front of Jiyong. He grins sloppily at Changmin. “Now, now children, no need to fight over me. There’s enough T. O. P. to go around.”
Changmin snorts out a laugh at that and sticks his tongue out and Jiyong. “No backsies. You took him, you keep him.”
Seunghyun clutches at his heart and pouts. “But, Minnie, I love you!” He sprints toward the middle of the room and rounds the piano, jumping at Changmin.
“Yah!” Changmin shrieks, stumbling around the music room and tyring to dislodge Seunghyun from his back. “Get off!”
Jiyong chases after them, screaming. “Just stay still, you great big garbage disposal, I’m trying to help you! Seunghyun-ah, get down!”
“Hyung-deul, save me! Oh my…where are you touching? Don’t grab there!” Changmin cries, his speed doubling as Jiyong makes desperate grabs for him and Seunghyun. Seunghyun just wraps his arms tighter around Changmin’s neck and laughs maniacally.
Junsu and Yoochun are the first to start giggling. Then Yunho falls against Jaejoong, shaking hysterically, and Jaejoong has to smother his own smile behind his hand.
“Well, looks like I’m late for the party again.”
The new voice shocks the other seven people in the room and they all stop to turn toward it.
“Hyunjoongie?” Jaejoong says like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.
Seunghyun slides down Changmin’s back and glances over at Jaejoong guiltily. “Oh, um, I told Hyung we’d be here and, um, well…”
Yunho makes a move first, striding toward Hyunjoong with a welcoming smile, his Leader-shi qualities coming to fore even in a different world. Yunho slaps a hand onto Hyunjoong’s shoulder and leads him further into the room, saying with absolute sincerely “Better late than never.”
~~~
After dinner Yunho lures Junsu, Yoochun, Changmin, Seunghyun, and - to Changmin’s supreme consternation - Jiyong to the common room with the promise of more epic ping pong. Jaejoong takes Hyunjoong to his and Yoochun’s dorm room so that the two of them can finally talk. Jaejoong sits on his bed and Hyunjoong sits on Yoochun’s and there’s a whole five minutes of awkward silence spent fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.
“Hyunjoongie,” Jaejoong abruptly begins, startling Hyunjoong so badly that the other boy nearly falls off the bed he’s perched on.
Hyunjoong regains his balance and starts adjusting his clothes, clearing his throat in embarrassment. “Ye - yeah?”
“I’m not replacing you.” Jaejoong completely means that. “I’m really not.”
Hyunjoong rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “I know. And the others are…not what I expected.” Hyunjoong holds out the observation to Jaejoong like a peach offering. “They’re pretty cool.”
“Yes, they’re wonderful!” Jaejoong beams.
Hyunjoong has to laugh at that. “I wouldn’t go that far. Like that Jiyong kid, he’s weird, huh? But, yeah, maybe it’s not a completely terrible thing if we started hanging out with them more.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Hyunjoong agrees, his eyes squinting in contemplation. “I think I’m beginning to get it now.”
“Get what?” Jaejoong asks.
“What the rest of them mean to you. Yunho and Yoochun and Junsu and Changmin, I mean.”
“You - you do?” Jaejoong leans forward, waiting for Hyunjoong to explain further.
“When I watch the five of you together, it’s weird, but you look like a family. And I know you’ve never really felt those kinds of bonds before - I mean, let’s face it, we all know how much your parents suck and you don’t have any siblings - and I think in the beginning I was kind of jealous that you couldn’t seem to find that sense of belonging with me and Seunghyun-ah.”
“Hyunjoongie, I’m - ” Jaejoong feels like he should apologize at least, but Hyunjoong shakes his head with a soft understanding smile.
“No, it’s okay. Seunghyun-ah was right, you’re happy. Since we were kids, I can’t ever remember a time when that was true, but it is now. Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin…I’m just glad that you were able to them at all, find where you belong. I want you to be happy, Jaejoongie. After all, I’m still your best friend.”
“Yeah,” Jaejoong smiles gratefully. “Yeah, you are.”
The two of them talk for another hour and Hyunjoong stretches out on Yoochun’s bed, looking more relaxed than Jaejoong can ever remember the other boy being since he arrived in this world.
“So, Best Friend,” Hyunjoong teases, after they’ve talked out all of Hyunjoong’s angst and confusion over the last couple of days. “You mind telling me what exactly is going on with you and Jung Yunho?”
“N - nothing’s going on with me and Yunho!” Jaejoong splutters, taken completely by surprise.
“Sure,” Hyunjoong drawls sarcastically, “And you didn’t kiss him at your birthday party either.”
Jaejoong throws a pillow at Hyunjoong’s head. “Why do you keep bringing that up?”
Hyunjoong throws it back and sticks out his tongue. “Why do you keep avoiding it?”
“I’m not avoiding it!” Jaejoong defends. “I - I’m just -”
Hyunjoong starts squawking like a chicken, staring pointedly at Jaejoong.
“You suck.” Jaejoong grumbles.
Hyunjoong cracks up, rolling around on Yoochun’s bed until the owner of said bed bursts throw the door with Junsu at his side. They’re followed by the bickering trio of Changmin, Seunghyun, and Jiyong. Yunho’s the last one through and he heads strait for Jaejoong, sitting down next to the older boy on the bed. Jaejoong blushes and refuses to look at Hyunjoong, who’s fallen victim to another attack of the giggles.
Seunghyun glances between the both of them before jumping onto Yoochun’s bed next to Hyunjoong. “So, are you two cool again?”
Hyunjoong sits up, smirking. “Yeah, we’re good.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Seunghyun breathes out in relief. He motions at Changmin and pats the spot next to him. “Here, Minnie, come sit down.”
“What about me?” Jiyong glares at Seunghyun and shoves his way onto Yoochun’s bed. “All you ever worry about is Changmin.”
Changmin dives onto Jaejoong’s bed, scuttling his long body behind Yunho and Jaejoong. “Hyung-deul,” he whispers, except it’s loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “the crazy little diva and his rapping sidekick scare me.”
“Yah!” Jiyong and Seunghyun shout at the same time, making everyone laugh.
Yoochun pulls out the desk chairs so that he and Junsu can sit as wll. The next four hours are noisy and fun and all the things that Jaejoong feels friendship should be like.
“So, you know that Hwang Bo broke up with her boyfriend, right?” Yunho says, looking at Hyunjoong.
“She did?” Hyunjoong sits up straighter, eyeing Yunho warily. “Does that mean you plan on making a play for her yourself?”
Junsu blinks over at Yunho innocently. “Why does everyone always think you and Hwang Bo-noona like each other like that?”
“You don’t?” Hyunjoong asks.
“No,” Yunho answers, eyes straying to his right helplessly, where Jaejoong is sitting. “Hwang Bo and I are just friends.”
Hyunjoong catches the sidelong look and proposes, “I’ll help you with my friend if you help me with yours.”
“What?” Yunho stares at Hyunjoong blankly. “I don’t think I understand.”
Hyunjoong frowns. “Seriously?”
“Hyunjoong-hyung, if I may?” Yoochun interrupts. “Jaejoong-hyung, what’s the name of that river that runs through Egypt again?”
“The Nile!” Junsu answers excitedly, while Jaejoong simply glares.
“Exactly. Thank you, Susu-ah.” Yoochun smiles at the other boy fondly.
Hyunjoong laughs so hard he falls off the bed, startling Seunghyun and Jiyong, who had moved to the floor an hour ago. They both have pens in their hands and a piece of paper between them as they attempt to write their very first rap lyrics.
“I still don’t understand.” Yunho says, rubbing at the back of his neck.
Changmin pats him on the back, a sly twist to his lips as he says in mock consolation. “We know, Hyung, that’s why it’s so funny.”
Jaejoong knows that he and Yunho are being made fun of, but he just can’t figure out the joke. It doesn’t really matter, though, as his head falls tiredly onto Yunho’s shoulder a little while later. Yunho just curls an arm around his waist, tucking Jaejoong closer into his side, as he continues his conversation with Yoochun and Hyunjoong about true love and when you know you’ve found the one. Changmin and Junsu slide down to the floor to join Seunghyun and Jiyong, the younger four arguing over American rap and the phrase “Never let me slip, cause if I slip, then I’m slipping” and if it’s really genius or just plain incompetence.
Jaejoong falls asleep with a smile on his face.
~~~
Jaejoong is woken by loud banging on his door and blinks up in bewilderment at a pale blue ceiling. His eyes wander around the room and it isn’t his dorm room at LSM Prep, nor is it his bedroom back home.
Jaejoong feels his eyes sting and whispers brokenly. “I just got them back. If you weren’t going to send me home, couldn’t you have let me stay with them for just a little bit longer?”
The pounding sounds again and then Junsu bursts through Jaejoong’s door. “Get up, Hyung, I’m hungry. Make me breakfast.”
At least Jaejoong thinks it’s Junsu. That is, if Junsu was into wearing man-liner and raiding Jaejoong’s closet for the most eclectic pieces of clothing, and was a punk rock/emo kid…then, yes, it’s Junsu.
“Hyung, I have class in an hour. Hurry up!” Emo!Junsu snaps, flouncing out as abruptly as he had entered.
Jaejoong groans and braces himself for this new and unexpected circumstance. “Seriously, why me?”
Afterward | 11 |