caged in sin - chapter two: see
title caged in sin
pairing jaejoong/yunho
side pairing(s) jihoon(rain)/yunho,yoochun/changmin
genre angst,drama,slice of life,romance,fluff,mpreg
rating nc-17
summary After telling his boyfriend about his pregnancy,19 year old student Jung Yunho finds himself being pushed and thrown away by the man he loves who turns out to be a cheating husband and the father of three grown up children.Things get even more nasty for Yunho when the man's family finds out about the affair and against his lover's order to get rid of the child,Yunho decides to leave the growing life inside of him unharmed,demanding for the married man to at least recognize the child as his even if not publicly.But everything he gets in return are hurtful words and repetitive rejections until the man's oldest son Jaejoong decides to take matters into his own hand.
„I'll take some rest in the office so please don't let anyone disturb me until the next meeting starts.“ Jaejoong spoke through the intercom and smiled once he received a firm 'Yes' from Heechul in return.
He just got back from a rather spontanous meet up with a potential new client and wanted nothing more than relax for a few minutes without anyone there to disturb him. Leaning back against his seat, Jaejoong could feel the slight pain in his back disappear and caused him to let out a sigh of contentment.
He couldn't really blame Yoochun for not wanting to work in the company.The life as a chaebol was filled with stress and great amount of work load which never seemed to get any less no matter how many documents he signed in one day, truly not the lifestyle Jaejoong wished for someone like his younger brother.
Yoochun was - as Yoochun himself loved to put it - a free spirit, not yearning to get himself involved in anything too much. His decision to work as a song writer instead of following into his father's and brother's footsteps came as a great disappointment to not only Jihoon but also Taehee. But Yoochun could be quite stubborn at times and firmly refused to ever step into the company as an employee.
It was a promise he managed to keep until today.
A frown got prominent on his forehead when Jaejoong heard the buzzing sound coming from his phone but decided to have a look nevertheless and only when he saw the unknown number flickering across the screen of the white device lying on his desk did he straighten his posture.
Could it be?
Jaejoong was fast to answer the call.“Yoboseyo?“
„J-Jaejoong ssi?“ A male voice wondered from the other side.“It's me, Jung Yunho.“
The chaebol smiled in relief, the slight headache he felt until a few seconds ago now gone completely.“I'm glad to hear from you, Yunho ssi. Did you think about my offer?“
„I-Yes.“
Jaejoong held his breath.
„If you are still willing to help me...then I will accept your offer.“
Relief and happiness were the first things Jaejoong felt after he heard what Yunho had to say. Truth to be told, he felt slightly uneasy prior to this phone conversation as he feared Yunho to never actually call him and agree to his plans.
„I'm happy to hear so.“ The young business man smiled.“I promise to do everything so you and your child can receive everything you deserve. And I will protect the two of you with all I got.“
„Don't make promises you can't keep.“
Jaejoong smiled.“I never make promises I can't keep, Yunho ssi.“
Somehow, despite all the initial doubts swirling around in his heart, Yunho believed him.
• ♚ •
Yunho didn't know what to do now. He needed to tell his parents, but how? They were going to try their best in convincing him of staying at home with them where they could provide a warm and happy place for not only Yunho but also his child to live in. And maybe, having his parents talk him out of the ridiculous plan was exactly what he needed.
But was it also what he wanted?
No, it wasn't. Not anymore.
When Yunho told his parents about his pregnancy, his mother had been shocked to the point of not being able to say anything. His father had been furious, partly because of Yunho's own carelessness but especially because of the way Jihoon decided to just throw his beloved son away like worthless trash. Yunho believed a mixture of a father's pain and hurt pride to have upset his father enough to make the other walk right towards Jihoon's company to confront him back then. But his love was it which allowed for Yunho to stop him before he could step into the company building.
Yunho had begged back then. He begged for his father to not make things worse, although judging by his current situation, Yunho was starting to wonder whether his father punching Jihoon good would've really made a difference.
He had hoped for things to end peacefully. But peace between Jihoon and him had turned out to be something impossible to achieve.
It was time to fight fire with fire.
Three knocks at his door had Yunho looking up.
"Yunho, dinner is ready."
"Yes, Umma. I'm coming."
Taking a deep breath, Yunho got off his bed and allowed for his socks-covered feet to touch the wooden floor before they carried him out of his room and towards the dining table in the living room where his parents were waiting for him already.
At first, they didn't notice him, too busy laughing about something they talked about before he entered the room. But then they turned around and smiled, ushering for him to join them.
"Come quick. The food tastes best when it's still hot." His mother said and it made Yunho smile when he caught his father smile in amusement as he regarded the woman next to him with a gaze full of love.
Maybe one day, he was going to find someone to look at him like that as well. Without any pretense, only pure feelings.
There was a certain kind of warmth surrounding him whenever he spent time with his parents and he knew that he was going to miss them deeply. But he felt like he had to leave. For his child's sake.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not realize how much his facial expression has changed until his father called out his name.
"Yunho, is something the matter?"
The question pulled him out of his reverie almost immediately. He looked into his parents' eyes and tried to not notice the grey hair on his father's head, only having appeared after the whole mess with Jihoon started. He tried to look past the dark circles underneath his mother's eyes, knowing for a fact the skin underneath those big orbs has never been tainted by darkness before Yunho got pregnant and thrown away by the child's father.
He tried to convince himself that everything was alright because his parents were smiling. But lately, their smiles did not quite reach their eyes.
Feeling how Jihoon hurt him was tough, but knowing that Jihoon also somehow managed to make his parents suffer was shredding Yunho's heart into millions of tiny pieces.
"Nothing." Yunho replied despite knowing that his father was not going to believe what he said.
"Did Kim do something again?" There was a dark layer of disgust tainting his father's voice and Yunho hated to see him so agigated."If so-"
"No." Yunho denied."Nothing happened. I just feel a little uncomfortable lately because of the changes and my hormones and...yeah."
His voice was thin by the end of his lie and although neither his father nor his mother looked convinced, his mother gave him a reassuring smile and nodded as if she actually did believe him.
"I will go see the doctor with you, darling." Mrs. Jung promised."It's normal to feel like that with all what's going on with your body at the moment. Come eat and recharge some energy. You will feel much better afterwards."
Yunho smiled and approached his parents to sit down across from his mother, trying his hardest to ignore the piercing stare he received from his father. But despite him seeing how much his father yearned to say something, the older male seemingly decided against it and kept quite. Yunho had a feeling that the moment his mother decided to play along, she took the opportunity from his father to pry further.
He heard the faint sound of his parents talking about something as he stared at the food in front of him. His movements were almost robotic as he scooped up some of the clear soup from his bowl with his spoon and led it towards his mouth, some rice following after.
He ate everything without complaining, but was unable to enjoy even one bite of it. It was as if nervousness and fear numbed his tongue, taking away his ability to taste what used to make him happy.
There used to be a time during which him coming home to a table full of his mother's food could blow away even the worst bit of worries. But nowadays, he only ate for nutrition and Yunho somehow believed that he might've ditched food completely if not for his baby.
By the time he finished his meal, Yunho looked up to see his parents immersed in a conversation about old times.
Happy times.
Yunho took a deep breath, forcing himself to finally speak up and get it over with.
"I'm moving out."
His parents' conversation found an abrupt end and Yunho hated the eerie silence following after. Every second during which he received no vocal reply caused his fear over their possible reaction to grow.
"Don't talk nonsense." His father spoke up first while his mother wore an expression of fear on her beautiful face."You will do no such thing. Not in your condition."
Yunho smiled in an attempt to appease his parents."I know that you are worried, but-"
Mr. Jung frowned and let out a sigh."Yunho, I don't know what brought this on, but you should not rush into this and make impulsive decisions. At least think it through."
"How are you going to handle financing the new place, go to school and take care of the baby? We will help you taking care of your child of course, but there is not much income to begin with and we are not sure whether we will be able to help you shoulder extra expenses." His mother argued, trying to make him forget his idea of moving out by presenting logical arguments.
"I will have a roommate. Sort of." Yunho purposely said the last part in a whisper."I will introduce him to you once he got some time to come over."
"Who is that person?" Mr. Jung inquired.
Yunho inhaled sharply, having feared this question."I will answer all of your questions at a given time, I promise."
"Yunho-" The soft touch of his wife on his arm managed to silene Mr. Jung almost immediately."Fine."
"May I get up? I would like to go and meet with some friends." He lied.
"Have fun, darling." His mother smiled, not loosening the grip she had on her husband."Be back by 9 PM."
Yunho nodded and flashed her a smile before getting up, not daring to look at his father before he hurried out of the living room and into his own one. Sighing once he was alone, Yunho walked towards his bed and stared at his phone.
Nervousness had his heart racing before he finally got a hold of the device to retrieve it from the nightstand. He hesitated for a while, only staring at the black display with an expression of uneasiness.
Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Yunho eventually dialed the number which has been saved on his device only recently.
Waiting for the other to pick up was almost torturous.
"Yoboseyo?"
Yunho gulped."Jaejoong ssi, I..."
"Yeah?" Jaejoong prompted gently.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called." He was about to hang up, but the call of his name made him hesitate.
"Yunho ssi please don't hang up." It almost sounded like a plead."Just...talk to me. Whatever you have in mind, talk to me about it. I'm here, I will listen."
"I don't really know what to say." Yunho admitted."There is so much going on in my mind and I just...nervermind. I-I will go on a walk now and sort my thoughts. I-"
Yunho stopped talking and let out a sigh, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration as he tried to block out the jumbled words swirling around in his head.
"Would you like some company?" Came the timid question.
Maybe Yunho should've said no, but he didn't want to. With him trying to flee from his family and none of his friends actually having time to come and listen to him as they were all busy preparing for finals, Jaejoong seemed to be the best choice as a companion.
"Sure." Yunho said."I'd like that."
"I'll pick you up in twenty minutes." Yunho could've sworn that the other was smiling as he spoke.
"Alright." The student agreed.
• ♚ •
Jaejoong, as it turned out, was a very punctual man.
Not even twenty minutes later, Yunho saw a white Bentley nearing the apartment complex he lived in and even with his view on the driver blocked, he knew exactly just who the car belonged to.
Once the car came to a halt, Jaejoong leaned over to open the door for him from the inside, smiling up at Yunho."Good evening."
"Good evening." Yunho greeted back and climbed onto the passenger seat, closing the door once he was seated comfortably.
He fastened his seatbelt with a slightly shaky grip as the sight of Jaejoong sitting next to him reminded him of who he was with. This was Kim Jaejoong, the son of the person who got him pregnant and then dumped him like it was nothing. Although highly aware, that Jaejoong and Jihoon were two different people, Yunho was unable to get rid of the nervousness he felt upon being so close to someone from Jihoon's family.
"Relax, I'm not kidnapping you." Jaejoong let out a chuckle and started the engine, soon bringing Yunho farther from his home."At least not to a bad place."
The student raised his eyebrows at those words and although the other did not look at him because his eyes were focused on the street, Yunho could see him starting to smile in an almost boyish way. It was quite charming. After a while of silence, Yunho decided to focus on what went on outside of the car, his eyes taking in the sight of several people walking around.
Some were strolling around enjoying street food as they looked through shop windows while others were just taking a walk, not paying attention on the people who hurried home after a long and exhausting day of work.
Sometimes, he wondered what kind of story each person had to tell.
Was the slightly pale boy who failed to feign interest in whatever his friends said worried about his finals because he ditched studies to not miss out on the fun he couldn't really have anyway? Was the girl who kept smiling randomly as she strolled along the pavement with headphones covering her ear in love? Did the couple which held hands but refused to look at each other have a fight?
Was anyone sharing his fate?
"Have you eaten anything yet?" Jaejoong's voice sounded almost raspy as it broke through the silence and Yunho's string of thoughts, the question coming out as a low whisper.
"Yes, I have. Right before I called you." Yunho forced himself to tear his gaze away from the window for the sake of paying attention on Jaejoong."Have you?"
"Yes." Came the soft reply before the only sound they heard was the humming of the engine as they drove along the busy streets of Seoul.
Their conversation ended there, lacking fuel to drive it further.
The silence, however, did not last long as their ride ended a few minutes after with Jaejoong parking his car near a park, their arrival causing Jaejoong to speak up."We're here."
The businessman was the first one to exit the car with Yunho following right after. Making sure to lock the car beforehand, Jaejoong led Yunho further towards the not so crowded place.
There were quite a few people around, but the park was not filled with screams or laughter like it would've been during day time. And Yunho was thankful for it. He really needed to get away from Seoul's sometimes unnerving noises, especially now.
"Thank you for bringing me here." Yunho took a deep breath and tugged his hands into the pockets of his jacket, smiling at the fresh air he inhaled."I really needed this."
"Whatever I can do to help you, I will."
Yunho did not say anything in return, only turning away in an attempt to not look at Jaejoong as the older male eyed him.
"I know you are feeling odd having me around and I would love for us to have more time to get to know each other better before you move in, but let's make the best out of what we have." He placed himself in front of Yunho and did not move further, causing a fairly surprised Yunho to crash into him."Agree?"
Jaejoong tilted his head a bit, waiting for Yunho's reply with patience while he was staring at him. Yunho did not look up, but he nodded in agreement.
"Just to clear things up." Yunho started."When have you planned on having me move in? Just so I can mentally prepare myself for it."
The last sentence was added with a small, uneasy grin, as if meant as a joke, but Jaejoong was aware of the amount of sincerity hidden behind the remark.
"After your finals. I thought you'd like to study for your exams without having my parents around." Jaejoong let out a sigh and turned around, continuing to walk in a pace which allowed for Yunho to catch up with him."I wouldn't want to risk your grades going down because of more stress."
Yunho nodded."So, in not even a month."
"Yes." Jaejoong halted in front of a bench and sat down, motioning for Yunho to do the same."I know it's not much time to get ready for it."
The young student hummed before joining Jaejoong on the bench and stretched his legs out to cross them by the ankles. He felt himself shudder as wind caught him and wondered how Jaejoong did not freeze with only a buttom up there to cover his upper body. Or maybe he was just being sensitive to the coldness.
He looked over to where Jaejoong sat, the chaebol's arms resting on his upper legs as he leaned forward and stared at nothing particular. The position caused the fabric of his shirt to pretty much cling onto his skin and Yunho kind of envied him for the muscles which lie underneath the clothes.
"I-I told my parents that I'm moving out."
That certainly caught Jaejoong's attention."What did they say?"
"My father told me to not make impulsive decisions and my mother asked me how I am going to handle everything after moving out." Yunho bit onto his bottom lip shortly."They are worried."
"Of course they are. They are your parents and they love you."
Yunho nodded in response."I told them that I will be having a roommate. I just didn't think telling them the truth was a good idea at this or any point."
"I assume the roommate you claimed to have is me?"
Another nod.
"I told them I'd introduce you to them." The young male sighed."I don't even know why I said that. I guess I was somewhat out of my mind."
"Well I doubt they would've let the topic go if you didn't make that promise." The chaebol reasoned, the smile on his lips widening a tad bit."I told you I'd help. I'll go and meet your parents whenever you think is fine."
"We'll do it whenever you are free. You have business to take care of and I can't demand for you to make time for me."
"Yes you can." Jaejoong retorted."My schedule is loaded, but it's all about priorities."
Jaejoong's words left him speechless as he thought about the meaning behind them. He knew he should've been more wary around Jaejoong, especially because he knew whose son the other was, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to distrust the older male. Not when Jaejoong was being so friendly. And the thought that Jaejoong ranked him higher than his work on the list of priorities made Yunho feel better than he has felt in a long while.
No more words were exchanged between them as they sat next to each other with smiles of contentment on their lips.
• ♚ •
"I just can't believe he'd really bring that person into our house." Taeyeon muttered glumly, not the least bit interested in the cup of coffee in front of her.
Jessica eyed her for a while before finally setting her cup of tea down to speak."But you know that he's doing the right thing. Maybe not in the smartest way possible, but he is doing the right thing."
Taeyeon refused to admit it, but her silence spoke volumes.
Jessica grinned, knowing that she hit a nerve.
• ♚ •
"You want me to move back in?" Yoochun frowned."As much as I'd like to help, I'm not very fond of the idea of flinging myself back into the lion's den."
"It's just for a few weeks. The first ones are going to be hard for him and I want someone there to help me defend him when it's needed."
Yoochun sighed before looking over at the man sitting by the table along with him and his brother."Why don't you tell your partner in crime over there to move in and play bodyguard for a bit? He came up with the idea afterall."
Changmin rolled his eyes at that."Unlike you, I actually have a job to take care of."
"I do have a job." Yoochun protested."But unlike yours, it's none where I have to walk around with a stick up my ass all day long."
Jaejoong bit back a chuckle and lowered his gaze, the fingers of his left hand covering his lips. He then dared to take a glance at Changmin and felt a dangerous wave of insults coming up, so he decided to take control of the situation before his friend had the chance of talking.
"Alright, enough." He managed to sound somewhat serious as he spoke."Yoochun, I really need your help. Please, as your brother, I beg you to do this for me."
There was only so much begging Yoochun could stand and he soon found himself agreeing with a sigh escaping from in between his lips while Jaejoong's whole face lit up in happiness and relief. Of course he didn't really have a choice.
It was not like Jaejoong had anyone else to turn to with Taeyeon still against the whole idea. Yoochun had a feeling she was eventually going to come around, but it was going to take a while.
"I'm wondering though..." Yoochun uttered."How are you going to tell our parents about this?"
"Don't worry, I got a plan." Jaejoong assured, merely smiling at the skeptical look he received from his brother.
Yoochun seriously didn't know whether this was a good idea. But maybe, he just needed to have a little more faith in his brother and the older male's genius best friend. Shim Changmin, albeit being a snarky and - in Yoochun's opinion - annoying individual at times, was a smart man and he was sure the other got everything planned at least ten steps ahead.
He only hoped things were going to go well. Because, if this shall fail, Yunho was the one to suffer the most. And he really did not deserve that.
The sudden ringing of Jaejoong's cellphone had Yoochun break out of his reverie to look at his brother. The other's brows furrowed in confusion before he answered the call.
"Yes, Yihan hyung." Jaejoong spoke, listening to what the other had to say before he sprung up from his seat and caused the people sitting at the tables around them to stare at him."I'll be right there."
"What happened?" Changmin inquired.
"Something happened to Yunho ssi during basketball practice. He was hospitalized and Yihan hyung happened to see him there. I gotta leave." Jaejoong did not give his brother nor best friend to say anything in return as he left enough money on top of the table to pay for everything before storming out of the restaurant.
"Yihan..." Yoochun said."As in Jin Yihan? How does he know Yunho ssi?"
"His cousin works in the administration office at a High School." Changmin offered as a response."The school Jung Yunho attends."
Realization dawned on Yoochun."I see."
pairing jaejoong/yunho
side pairing(s) jihoon(rain)/yunho,yoochun/changmin
genre angst,drama,slice of life,romance,fluff,mpreg
rating nc-17
summary After telling his boyfriend about his pregnancy,19 year old student Jung Yunho finds himself being pushed and thrown away by the man he loves who turns out to be a cheating husband and the father of three grown up children.Things get even more nasty for Yunho when the man's family finds out about the affair and against his lover's order to get rid of the child,Yunho decides to leave the growing life inside of him unharmed,demanding for the married man to at least recognize the child as his even if not publicly.But everything he gets in return are hurtful words and repetitive rejections until the man's oldest son Jaejoong decides to take matters into his own hand.
„I'll take some rest in the office so please don't let anyone disturb me until the next meeting starts.“ Jaejoong spoke through the intercom and smiled once he received a firm 'Yes' from Heechul in return.
He just got back from a rather spontanous meet up with a potential new client and wanted nothing more than relax for a few minutes without anyone there to disturb him. Leaning back against his seat, Jaejoong could feel the slight pain in his back disappear and caused him to let out a sigh of contentment.
He couldn't really blame Yoochun for not wanting to work in the company.The life as a chaebol was filled with stress and great amount of work load which never seemed to get any less no matter how many documents he signed in one day, truly not the lifestyle Jaejoong wished for someone like his younger brother.
Yoochun was - as Yoochun himself loved to put it - a free spirit, not yearning to get himself involved in anything too much. His decision to work as a song writer instead of following into his father's and brother's footsteps came as a great disappointment to not only Jihoon but also Taehee. But Yoochun could be quite stubborn at times and firmly refused to ever step into the company as an employee.
It was a promise he managed to keep until today.
A frown got prominent on his forehead when Jaejoong heard the buzzing sound coming from his phone but decided to have a look nevertheless and only when he saw the unknown number flickering across the screen of the white device lying on his desk did he straighten his posture.
Could it be?
Jaejoong was fast to answer the call.“Yoboseyo?“
„J-Jaejoong ssi?“ A male voice wondered from the other side.“It's me, Jung Yunho.“
The chaebol smiled in relief, the slight headache he felt until a few seconds ago now gone completely.“I'm glad to hear from you, Yunho ssi. Did you think about my offer?“
„I-Yes.“
Jaejoong held his breath.
„If you are still willing to help me...then I will accept your offer.“
Relief and happiness were the first things Jaejoong felt after he heard what Yunho had to say. Truth to be told, he felt slightly uneasy prior to this phone conversation as he feared Yunho to never actually call him and agree to his plans.
„I'm happy to hear so.“ The young business man smiled.“I promise to do everything so you and your child can receive everything you deserve. And I will protect the two of you with all I got.“
„Don't make promises you can't keep.“
Jaejoong smiled.“I never make promises I can't keep, Yunho ssi.“
Somehow, despite all the initial doubts swirling around in his heart, Yunho believed him.
• ♚ •
Yunho didn't know what to do now. He needed to tell his parents, but how? They were going to try their best in convincing him of staying at home with them where they could provide a warm and happy place for not only Yunho but also his child to live in. And maybe, having his parents talk him out of the ridiculous plan was exactly what he needed.
But was it also what he wanted?
No, it wasn't. Not anymore.
When Yunho told his parents about his pregnancy, his mother had been shocked to the point of not being able to say anything. His father had been furious, partly because of Yunho's own carelessness but especially because of the way Jihoon decided to just throw his beloved son away like worthless trash. Yunho believed a mixture of a father's pain and hurt pride to have upset his father enough to make the other walk right towards Jihoon's company to confront him back then. But his love was it which allowed for Yunho to stop him before he could step into the company building.
Yunho had begged back then. He begged for his father to not make things worse, although judging by his current situation, Yunho was starting to wonder whether his father punching Jihoon good would've really made a difference.
He had hoped for things to end peacefully. But peace between Jihoon and him had turned out to be something impossible to achieve.
It was time to fight fire with fire.
Three knocks at his door had Yunho looking up.
"Yunho, dinner is ready."
"Yes, Umma. I'm coming."
Taking a deep breath, Yunho got off his bed and allowed for his socks-covered feet to touch the wooden floor before they carried him out of his room and towards the dining table in the living room where his parents were waiting for him already.
At first, they didn't notice him, too busy laughing about something they talked about before he entered the room. But then they turned around and smiled, ushering for him to join them.
"Come quick. The food tastes best when it's still hot." His mother said and it made Yunho smile when he caught his father smile in amusement as he regarded the woman next to him with a gaze full of love.
Maybe one day, he was going to find someone to look at him like that as well. Without any pretense, only pure feelings.
There was a certain kind of warmth surrounding him whenever he spent time with his parents and he knew that he was going to miss them deeply. But he felt like he had to leave. For his child's sake.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not realize how much his facial expression has changed until his father called out his name.
"Yunho, is something the matter?"
The question pulled him out of his reverie almost immediately. He looked into his parents' eyes and tried to not notice the grey hair on his father's head, only having appeared after the whole mess with Jihoon started. He tried to look past the dark circles underneath his mother's eyes, knowing for a fact the skin underneath those big orbs has never been tainted by darkness before Yunho got pregnant and thrown away by the child's father.
He tried to convince himself that everything was alright because his parents were smiling. But lately, their smiles did not quite reach their eyes.
Feeling how Jihoon hurt him was tough, but knowing that Jihoon also somehow managed to make his parents suffer was shredding Yunho's heart into millions of tiny pieces.
"Nothing." Yunho replied despite knowing that his father was not going to believe what he said.
"Did Kim do something again?" There was a dark layer of disgust tainting his father's voice and Yunho hated to see him so agigated."If so-"
"No." Yunho denied."Nothing happened. I just feel a little uncomfortable lately because of the changes and my hormones and...yeah."
His voice was thin by the end of his lie and although neither his father nor his mother looked convinced, his mother gave him a reassuring smile and nodded as if she actually did believe him.
"I will go see the doctor with you, darling." Mrs. Jung promised."It's normal to feel like that with all what's going on with your body at the moment. Come eat and recharge some energy. You will feel much better afterwards."
Yunho smiled and approached his parents to sit down across from his mother, trying his hardest to ignore the piercing stare he received from his father. But despite him seeing how much his father yearned to say something, the older male seemingly decided against it and kept quite. Yunho had a feeling that the moment his mother decided to play along, she took the opportunity from his father to pry further.
He heard the faint sound of his parents talking about something as he stared at the food in front of him. His movements were almost robotic as he scooped up some of the clear soup from his bowl with his spoon and led it towards his mouth, some rice following after.
He ate everything without complaining, but was unable to enjoy even one bite of it. It was as if nervousness and fear numbed his tongue, taking away his ability to taste what used to make him happy.
There used to be a time during which him coming home to a table full of his mother's food could blow away even the worst bit of worries. But nowadays, he only ate for nutrition and Yunho somehow believed that he might've ditched food completely if not for his baby.
By the time he finished his meal, Yunho looked up to see his parents immersed in a conversation about old times.
Happy times.
Yunho took a deep breath, forcing himself to finally speak up and get it over with.
"I'm moving out."
His parents' conversation found an abrupt end and Yunho hated the eerie silence following after. Every second during which he received no vocal reply caused his fear over their possible reaction to grow.
"Don't talk nonsense." His father spoke up first while his mother wore an expression of fear on her beautiful face."You will do no such thing. Not in your condition."
Yunho smiled in an attempt to appease his parents."I know that you are worried, but-"
Mr. Jung frowned and let out a sigh."Yunho, I don't know what brought this on, but you should not rush into this and make impulsive decisions. At least think it through."
"How are you going to handle financing the new place, go to school and take care of the baby? We will help you taking care of your child of course, but there is not much income to begin with and we are not sure whether we will be able to help you shoulder extra expenses." His mother argued, trying to make him forget his idea of moving out by presenting logical arguments.
"I will have a roommate. Sort of." Yunho purposely said the last part in a whisper."I will introduce him to you once he got some time to come over."
"Who is that person?" Mr. Jung inquired.
Yunho inhaled sharply, having feared this question."I will answer all of your questions at a given time, I promise."
"Yunho-" The soft touch of his wife on his arm managed to silene Mr. Jung almost immediately."Fine."
"May I get up? I would like to go and meet with some friends." He lied.
"Have fun, darling." His mother smiled, not loosening the grip she had on her husband."Be back by 9 PM."
Yunho nodded and flashed her a smile before getting up, not daring to look at his father before he hurried out of the living room and into his own one. Sighing once he was alone, Yunho walked towards his bed and stared at his phone.
Nervousness had his heart racing before he finally got a hold of the device to retrieve it from the nightstand. He hesitated for a while, only staring at the black display with an expression of uneasiness.
Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Yunho eventually dialed the number which has been saved on his device only recently.
Waiting for the other to pick up was almost torturous.
"Yoboseyo?"
Yunho gulped."Jaejoong ssi, I..."
"Yeah?" Jaejoong prompted gently.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called." He was about to hang up, but the call of his name made him hesitate.
"Yunho ssi please don't hang up." It almost sounded like a plead."Just...talk to me. Whatever you have in mind, talk to me about it. I'm here, I will listen."
"I don't really know what to say." Yunho admitted."There is so much going on in my mind and I just...nervermind. I-I will go on a walk now and sort my thoughts. I-"
Yunho stopped talking and let out a sigh, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration as he tried to block out the jumbled words swirling around in his head.
"Would you like some company?" Came the timid question.
Maybe Yunho should've said no, but he didn't want to. With him trying to flee from his family and none of his friends actually having time to come and listen to him as they were all busy preparing for finals, Jaejoong seemed to be the best choice as a companion.
"Sure." Yunho said."I'd like that."
"I'll pick you up in twenty minutes." Yunho could've sworn that the other was smiling as he spoke.
"Alright." The student agreed.
• ♚ •
Jaejoong, as it turned out, was a very punctual man.
Not even twenty minutes later, Yunho saw a white Bentley nearing the apartment complex he lived in and even with his view on the driver blocked, he knew exactly just who the car belonged to.
Once the car came to a halt, Jaejoong leaned over to open the door for him from the inside, smiling up at Yunho."Good evening."
"Good evening." Yunho greeted back and climbed onto the passenger seat, closing the door once he was seated comfortably.
He fastened his seatbelt with a slightly shaky grip as the sight of Jaejoong sitting next to him reminded him of who he was with. This was Kim Jaejoong, the son of the person who got him pregnant and then dumped him like it was nothing. Although highly aware, that Jaejoong and Jihoon were two different people, Yunho was unable to get rid of the nervousness he felt upon being so close to someone from Jihoon's family.
"Relax, I'm not kidnapping you." Jaejoong let out a chuckle and started the engine, soon bringing Yunho farther from his home."At least not to a bad place."
The student raised his eyebrows at those words and although the other did not look at him because his eyes were focused on the street, Yunho could see him starting to smile in an almost boyish way. It was quite charming. After a while of silence, Yunho decided to focus on what went on outside of the car, his eyes taking in the sight of several people walking around.
Some were strolling around enjoying street food as they looked through shop windows while others were just taking a walk, not paying attention on the people who hurried home after a long and exhausting day of work.
Sometimes, he wondered what kind of story each person had to tell.
Was the slightly pale boy who failed to feign interest in whatever his friends said worried about his finals because he ditched studies to not miss out on the fun he couldn't really have anyway? Was the girl who kept smiling randomly as she strolled along the pavement with headphones covering her ear in love? Did the couple which held hands but refused to look at each other have a fight?
Was anyone sharing his fate?
"Have you eaten anything yet?" Jaejoong's voice sounded almost raspy as it broke through the silence and Yunho's string of thoughts, the question coming out as a low whisper.
"Yes, I have. Right before I called you." Yunho forced himself to tear his gaze away from the window for the sake of paying attention on Jaejoong."Have you?"
"Yes." Came the soft reply before the only sound they heard was the humming of the engine as they drove along the busy streets of Seoul.
Their conversation ended there, lacking fuel to drive it further.
The silence, however, did not last long as their ride ended a few minutes after with Jaejoong parking his car near a park, their arrival causing Jaejoong to speak up."We're here."
The businessman was the first one to exit the car with Yunho following right after. Making sure to lock the car beforehand, Jaejoong led Yunho further towards the not so crowded place.
There were quite a few people around, but the park was not filled with screams or laughter like it would've been during day time. And Yunho was thankful for it. He really needed to get away from Seoul's sometimes unnerving noises, especially now.
"Thank you for bringing me here." Yunho took a deep breath and tugged his hands into the pockets of his jacket, smiling at the fresh air he inhaled."I really needed this."
"Whatever I can do to help you, I will."
Yunho did not say anything in return, only turning away in an attempt to not look at Jaejoong as the older male eyed him.
"I know you are feeling odd having me around and I would love for us to have more time to get to know each other better before you move in, but let's make the best out of what we have." He placed himself in front of Yunho and did not move further, causing a fairly surprised Yunho to crash into him."Agree?"
Jaejoong tilted his head a bit, waiting for Yunho's reply with patience while he was staring at him. Yunho did not look up, but he nodded in agreement.
"Just to clear things up." Yunho started."When have you planned on having me move in? Just so I can mentally prepare myself for it."
The last sentence was added with a small, uneasy grin, as if meant as a joke, but Jaejoong was aware of the amount of sincerity hidden behind the remark.
"After your finals. I thought you'd like to study for your exams without having my parents around." Jaejoong let out a sigh and turned around, continuing to walk in a pace which allowed for Yunho to catch up with him."I wouldn't want to risk your grades going down because of more stress."
Yunho nodded."So, in not even a month."
"Yes." Jaejoong halted in front of a bench and sat down, motioning for Yunho to do the same."I know it's not much time to get ready for it."
The young student hummed before joining Jaejoong on the bench and stretched his legs out to cross them by the ankles. He felt himself shudder as wind caught him and wondered how Jaejoong did not freeze with only a buttom up there to cover his upper body. Or maybe he was just being sensitive to the coldness.
He looked over to where Jaejoong sat, the chaebol's arms resting on his upper legs as he leaned forward and stared at nothing particular. The position caused the fabric of his shirt to pretty much cling onto his skin and Yunho kind of envied him for the muscles which lie underneath the clothes.
"I-I told my parents that I'm moving out."
That certainly caught Jaejoong's attention."What did they say?"
"My father told me to not make impulsive decisions and my mother asked me how I am going to handle everything after moving out." Yunho bit onto his bottom lip shortly."They are worried."
"Of course they are. They are your parents and they love you."
Yunho nodded in response."I told them that I will be having a roommate. I just didn't think telling them the truth was a good idea at this or any point."
"I assume the roommate you claimed to have is me?"
Another nod.
"I told them I'd introduce you to them." The young male sighed."I don't even know why I said that. I guess I was somewhat out of my mind."
"Well I doubt they would've let the topic go if you didn't make that promise." The chaebol reasoned, the smile on his lips widening a tad bit."I told you I'd help. I'll go and meet your parents whenever you think is fine."
"We'll do it whenever you are free. You have business to take care of and I can't demand for you to make time for me."
"Yes you can." Jaejoong retorted."My schedule is loaded, but it's all about priorities."
Jaejoong's words left him speechless as he thought about the meaning behind them. He knew he should've been more wary around Jaejoong, especially because he knew whose son the other was, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to distrust the older male. Not when Jaejoong was being so friendly. And the thought that Jaejoong ranked him higher than his work on the list of priorities made Yunho feel better than he has felt in a long while.
No more words were exchanged between them as they sat next to each other with smiles of contentment on their lips.
• ♚ •
"I just can't believe he'd really bring that person into our house." Taeyeon muttered glumly, not the least bit interested in the cup of coffee in front of her.
Jessica eyed her for a while before finally setting her cup of tea down to speak."But you know that he's doing the right thing. Maybe not in the smartest way possible, but he is doing the right thing."
Taeyeon refused to admit it, but her silence spoke volumes.
Jessica grinned, knowing that she hit a nerve.
• ♚ •
"You want me to move back in?" Yoochun frowned."As much as I'd like to help, I'm not very fond of the idea of flinging myself back into the lion's den."
"It's just for a few weeks. The first ones are going to be hard for him and I want someone there to help me defend him when it's needed."
Yoochun sighed before looking over at the man sitting by the table along with him and his brother."Why don't you tell your partner in crime over there to move in and play bodyguard for a bit? He came up with the idea afterall."
Changmin rolled his eyes at that."Unlike you, I actually have a job to take care of."
"I do have a job." Yoochun protested."But unlike yours, it's none where I have to walk around with a stick up my ass all day long."
Jaejoong bit back a chuckle and lowered his gaze, the fingers of his left hand covering his lips. He then dared to take a glance at Changmin and felt a dangerous wave of insults coming up, so he decided to take control of the situation before his friend had the chance of talking.
"Alright, enough." He managed to sound somewhat serious as he spoke."Yoochun, I really need your help. Please, as your brother, I beg you to do this for me."
There was only so much begging Yoochun could stand and he soon found himself agreeing with a sigh escaping from in between his lips while Jaejoong's whole face lit up in happiness and relief. Of course he didn't really have a choice.
It was not like Jaejoong had anyone else to turn to with Taeyeon still against the whole idea. Yoochun had a feeling she was eventually going to come around, but it was going to take a while.
"I'm wondering though..." Yoochun uttered."How are you going to tell our parents about this?"
"Don't worry, I got a plan." Jaejoong assured, merely smiling at the skeptical look he received from his brother.
Yoochun seriously didn't know whether this was a good idea. But maybe, he just needed to have a little more faith in his brother and the older male's genius best friend. Shim Changmin, albeit being a snarky and - in Yoochun's opinion - annoying individual at times, was a smart man and he was sure the other got everything planned at least ten steps ahead.
He only hoped things were going to go well. Because, if this shall fail, Yunho was the one to suffer the most. And he really did not deserve that.
The sudden ringing of Jaejoong's cellphone had Yoochun break out of his reverie to look at his brother. The other's brows furrowed in confusion before he answered the call.
"Yes, Yihan hyung." Jaejoong spoke, listening to what the other had to say before he sprung up from his seat and caused the people sitting at the tables around them to stare at him."I'll be right there."
"What happened?" Changmin inquired.
"Something happened to Yunho ssi during basketball practice. He was hospitalized and Yihan hyung happened to see him there. I gotta leave." Jaejoong did not give his brother nor best friend to say anything in return as he left enough money on top of the table to pay for everything before storming out of the restaurant.
"Yihan..." Yoochun said."As in Jin Yihan? How does he know Yunho ssi?"
"His cousin works in the administration office at a High School." Changmin offered as a response."The school Jung Yunho attends."
Realization dawned on Yoochun."I see."