Where's Onew? or, Jinki's Secret Part Two
Title: Where’s Onew? or, Jinki’s Secret Part Two
Author: mimi_oly
Rating: PG-13 for mature theme
Pairing/Focus: Onew
Word count: 1450
Summary: Jinki reunites with the family he didn’t know he had.
Part One is here
He leapt from his bed, where he’d been napping, and rushed to pack a bag. By now he was an expert and it took him only minutes before he was pulling a cap low on his forehead and racing out of the dorm to catch the train.
He had an hour to think as he sat in the corner of the subway car. He’d tried to put her out of his mind over the years, but she was always there - her sweet smile, the long talks they’d share, the press of her body against his when they kissed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they’d been together. He had thought that he knew her so intimately, but then she was gone. Why hadn’t she told him she was leaving? Why hadn’t she contacted him? Did he really have a son? Why hadn’t she told him she was coming home? He tried to stay calm and not jump to conclusions.
When he heard the announcement for “Gasan Digital Complex” he knew he was almost home. He threw his bag over his shoulder and waited impatiently by the door until the train pulled into the next stop. He decided to forgo the bus to his neighborhood and instead tried to clear his head with a walk in the cool spring air.
He rounded the corner onto his block, and there was the familiar corner store. He took off his cap as he walked through the door and spotted her mother behind the cash register.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted, bowing respectfully. “Is she here?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman scowled, but then nodded. “I’ll get her.”
He caught his reflection in a display case. Disheveled and nervous, he mussed his hair artfully and smoothed his shirt.
“You’re here,” a small voice came from behind him.
He whirled around, and there she was. Her face was a little leaner, a little darker, and her figure a tad fuller, but it was her, and she was still the girl he’d fallen for.
“It’s really you,” he breathed, taking a step closer. “I missed you so much,” he blurted out, his voice breaking as the tears started to pool in his eyes.
That was all she needed to hear. She fell into his arms, and they stood there sobbing together in the middle of the store until her mother shooed them into the back room, where they sat together on the small sofa.
“You left without saying ‘goodbye,’” he accused gently, his voice full of pain.
“I know. I’m sorry, but-“
“My mother told me you have a-“
“I didn’t want to shame my family,” she admitted, bowing her head sorrowfully, “and then I didn’t want to cause a scandal for you once you became a celebrity.”
“None of that would have mattered! We could have been a family!” he cried out.
“A couple of teenage parents? Really?” she looked up at him, disbelieving. “It would have killed your parents to see you like that. It nearly killed mine,” she noted ruefully.
“You could have told me,” he choked out. “We used to tell each other everything.”
“I wanted to, at first, I really did,” she pleaded sadly, “but my mother found the pregnancy test and put me on an airplane the next day.”
“So she really did send you to California.”
“Just for a few weeks. I’ve been living on Jeju with my uncle’s family.”
“Jeju?”
“My uncle got me a job with Daum. All those IT classes we took turned out to be really practical,” she smiled wryly, remembering the mischief they’d made together in the computer lab.
“I’d say the tropical climate agrees with you,” he commented, reaching out to stroke her tanned cheek. Then he stopped short, pulling his hand away.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just realized … I didn’t mean to presume … are you …” he stumbled over his words. “Is there someone-“
“There’s never been anyone but you,” she answered, looking at him longingly. “There were so many times I came so close to coming home to try to see you. When I saw you on TV with your friends and that cute baby boy, you were so lost,” she laughed, “but you were so … earnest. It made me wonder what you’d be like with your own son.”
My own son, he thought. I’m really someone’s father.
“But then you were so busy with musicals and more TV shows and concerts. I couldn’t see coming back into your life and upsetting everything,” she explained. “Life is really good for us on Jeju. My uncle and aunt are really nice people, and my cousins have young children, too, plus I like my job …” she trailed off.
“So why come back now?” he asked gently.
“I didn’t think you were working much right now, so I suppose I hoped something like this would happen,” she confessed. “My old friends have mostly moved away, so it seemed safe to chance a visit.”
“I’m leaving for Japan in three days,” he explained bluntly as her face fell. “But I’m all yours for now.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and it was as if they were still a couple of students stealing kisses during school vacation.
“You’re still you,” she sighed against his chest. “I was afraid you’d be so different.”
“You caught me on a good hair day,” he joked, fluffing his temporarily uncolored hair.
“I like it,” she said, running her fingers through the short strands. “You look like you’re still 17.”
“I feel 17,” he said, pushing gently against the hand caressing his scalp before gathering her back into his embrace. “Don’t ever leave me again,” he whispered into her hair.
“I’m yours, if you want me … if you want us,” she whispered back timidly before pulling away. “Are you ready to meet your son?”
“Will he know me?” he asked, worried.
“He’s seen pictures. I told him his father had a very mean boss who made him work all the time and wouldn’t let him come to see us. It was a good enough lie when he was smaller, but he’ll be starting Kindergarten next year. He’s a really smart kid. He’ll be asking questions soon,” she explained.
“I’d really like to see him,” he asked hopefully.
They spent the rest of the day becoming a family. The first time he saw his son, he thought his heart would burst from happiness. It was a bittersweet meeting as he mourned his absence during the child’s infancy, all the while delighting in the antics of the cheerful, bright little boy who did indeed look just like his father.
He read his son a bedtime story before telling him a tale from his own boyhood. He tucked his son in and kissed him goodnight for the first time. It felt as if he were in a beautiful dream, living someone else’s life.
“I want this,” he sighed as she passed him a cup of tea. “I want us to be a real family. We can make this work,” he pleaded, tears threatening again.
She nodded silently and took him by the hand, leading him to her bedroom. His tender kisses led to wandering hands and tangled sheets.
In the morning, they filed the paperwork to register their marriage.
“We’ll let our parents know when the time is right,” she suggested. “We can’t very well have a big celebration right now, can we?”
“Someday, I’ll let the world know that you’re mine,” he assured her.
The next several months were a blur of stages, photo shoots, and airports. His passport pages rapidly filled with stamps in languages he could barely read. She became a master at juggling their schedules, getting time off work to meet him at a different hotel each time, booking a separate room for their son so that he could sleep undisturbed by the sounds of his parents’ passion.
At last the whirlwind of promotions came to an end, and he was able to disappear from the public eye. They formally announced their relationship to their families and begged their forgiveness for the deception. His grandmother hosted a small, traditional ceremony at her home in the countryside, and then excused herself to stay with his parents while the new family honeymooned in the little house.
For the first time in nearly six years, he felt complete.
Part Three is here
a/n: I hope that wherever he is, he's happy.
Author: mimi_oly
Rating: PG-13 for mature theme
Pairing/Focus: Onew
Word count: 1450
Summary: Jinki reunites with the family he didn’t know he had.
Part One is here
He leapt from his bed, where he’d been napping, and rushed to pack a bag. By now he was an expert and it took him only minutes before he was pulling a cap low on his forehead and racing out of the dorm to catch the train.
He had an hour to think as he sat in the corner of the subway car. He’d tried to put her out of his mind over the years, but she was always there - her sweet smile, the long talks they’d share, the press of her body against his when they kissed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they’d been together. He had thought that he knew her so intimately, but then she was gone. Why hadn’t she told him she was leaving? Why hadn’t she contacted him? Did he really have a son? Why hadn’t she told him she was coming home? He tried to stay calm and not jump to conclusions.
When he heard the announcement for “Gasan Digital Complex” he knew he was almost home. He threw his bag over his shoulder and waited impatiently by the door until the train pulled into the next stop. He decided to forgo the bus to his neighborhood and instead tried to clear his head with a walk in the cool spring air.
He rounded the corner onto his block, and there was the familiar corner store. He took off his cap as he walked through the door and spotted her mother behind the cash register.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted, bowing respectfully. “Is she here?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman scowled, but then nodded. “I’ll get her.”
He caught his reflection in a display case. Disheveled and nervous, he mussed his hair artfully and smoothed his shirt.
“You’re here,” a small voice came from behind him.
He whirled around, and there she was. Her face was a little leaner, a little darker, and her figure a tad fuller, but it was her, and she was still the girl he’d fallen for.
“It’s really you,” he breathed, taking a step closer. “I missed you so much,” he blurted out, his voice breaking as the tears started to pool in his eyes.
That was all she needed to hear. She fell into his arms, and they stood there sobbing together in the middle of the store until her mother shooed them into the back room, where they sat together on the small sofa.
“You left without saying ‘goodbye,’” he accused gently, his voice full of pain.
“I know. I’m sorry, but-“
“My mother told me you have a-“
“I didn’t want to shame my family,” she admitted, bowing her head sorrowfully, “and then I didn’t want to cause a scandal for you once you became a celebrity.”
“None of that would have mattered! We could have been a family!” he cried out.
“A couple of teenage parents? Really?” she looked up at him, disbelieving. “It would have killed your parents to see you like that. It nearly killed mine,” she noted ruefully.
“You could have told me,” he choked out. “We used to tell each other everything.”
“I wanted to, at first, I really did,” she pleaded sadly, “but my mother found the pregnancy test and put me on an airplane the next day.”
“So she really did send you to California.”
“Just for a few weeks. I’ve been living on Jeju with my uncle’s family.”
“Jeju?”
“My uncle got me a job with Daum. All those IT classes we took turned out to be really practical,” she smiled wryly, remembering the mischief they’d made together in the computer lab.
“I’d say the tropical climate agrees with you,” he commented, reaching out to stroke her tanned cheek. Then he stopped short, pulling his hand away.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just realized … I didn’t mean to presume … are you …” he stumbled over his words. “Is there someone-“
“There’s never been anyone but you,” she answered, looking at him longingly. “There were so many times I came so close to coming home to try to see you. When I saw you on TV with your friends and that cute baby boy, you were so lost,” she laughed, “but you were so … earnest. It made me wonder what you’d be like with your own son.”
My own son, he thought. I’m really someone’s father.
“But then you were so busy with musicals and more TV shows and concerts. I couldn’t see coming back into your life and upsetting everything,” she explained. “Life is really good for us on Jeju. My uncle and aunt are really nice people, and my cousins have young children, too, plus I like my job …” she trailed off.
“So why come back now?” he asked gently.
“I didn’t think you were working much right now, so I suppose I hoped something like this would happen,” she confessed. “My old friends have mostly moved away, so it seemed safe to chance a visit.”
“I’m leaving for Japan in three days,” he explained bluntly as her face fell. “But I’m all yours for now.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and it was as if they were still a couple of students stealing kisses during school vacation.
“You’re still you,” she sighed against his chest. “I was afraid you’d be so different.”
“You caught me on a good hair day,” he joked, fluffing his temporarily uncolored hair.
“I like it,” she said, running her fingers through the short strands. “You look like you’re still 17.”
“I feel 17,” he said, pushing gently against the hand caressing his scalp before gathering her back into his embrace. “Don’t ever leave me again,” he whispered into her hair.
“I’m yours, if you want me … if you want us,” she whispered back timidly before pulling away. “Are you ready to meet your son?”
“Will he know me?” he asked, worried.
“He’s seen pictures. I told him his father had a very mean boss who made him work all the time and wouldn’t let him come to see us. It was a good enough lie when he was smaller, but he’ll be starting Kindergarten next year. He’s a really smart kid. He’ll be asking questions soon,” she explained.
“I’d really like to see him,” he asked hopefully.
They spent the rest of the day becoming a family. The first time he saw his son, he thought his heart would burst from happiness. It was a bittersweet meeting as he mourned his absence during the child’s infancy, all the while delighting in the antics of the cheerful, bright little boy who did indeed look just like his father.
He read his son a bedtime story before telling him a tale from his own boyhood. He tucked his son in and kissed him goodnight for the first time. It felt as if he were in a beautiful dream, living someone else’s life.
“I want this,” he sighed as she passed him a cup of tea. “I want us to be a real family. We can make this work,” he pleaded, tears threatening again.
She nodded silently and took him by the hand, leading him to her bedroom. His tender kisses led to wandering hands and tangled sheets.
In the morning, they filed the paperwork to register their marriage.
“We’ll let our parents know when the time is right,” she suggested. “We can’t very well have a big celebration right now, can we?”
“Someday, I’ll let the world know that you’re mine,” he assured her.
The next several months were a blur of stages, photo shoots, and airports. His passport pages rapidly filled with stamps in languages he could barely read. She became a master at juggling their schedules, getting time off work to meet him at a different hotel each time, booking a separate room for their son so that he could sleep undisturbed by the sounds of his parents’ passion.
At last the whirlwind of promotions came to an end, and he was able to disappear from the public eye. They formally announced their relationship to their families and begged their forgiveness for the deception. His grandmother hosted a small, traditional ceremony at her home in the countryside, and then excused herself to stay with his parents while the new family honeymooned in the little house.
For the first time in nearly six years, he felt complete.
Part Three is here
a/n: I hope that wherever he is, he's happy.