(no subject)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
airinojoo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay so I promised you that I'll have a present for you... but I'm still editting.. lol... and I just wanted to say Happy Birthday when it's midnight there...
But then of course.. knowing me... I'm late *sigh* but I figured it's the thought that counts.. lol (and I turn off my alarm after it rang heheh)
So anyways.. there will be a long spiel that I'll do when the present itself is posted but I just wanted to say happy birthday right now... LOVE YA! ^^
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
The bright sunlight of a warm Saturday afternoon peeked through the windows of the expensive studio apartment. It shone against the smooth mahogany bed frame that held a queen-sized mattress and slowly crept onto the adjacent night table, illuminating the picture frames it supported, with the matching wooden design; all except one.
This non-matching frame held a candid picture of six teenagers in beach attire, arms linked with fake grins and giggles on their faces. A snapshot of all six of them suspended in air as if by magic.
In truth, it was far from happy and magical. After being with each other for practically their whole lives, having someone leave the group was like the end of the world to them. Trying to obtain that shot using a timed camera took over 20 takes and over an hour of their time. Finally, on the 21st try and with smiles that looked like it was painted on, they succeeded. That picture is framed in the same silver rectangular design with the heading “friendship” that also decorated each and every single bedroom of the six individuals.
Moving out of the bedroom area stood a mid-sized dining table with six chairs. Out of all the chairs, one looked to be in mint condition. It was as if it was waiting for someone to come back and claim it for his or her own. Even so, it never seemed to be out of place with the others and stood prettily there with the rest.
A little further in the middle of the studio lies the living room where people, well, live (duh). And true enough, five living beings were crowding around the small coffee table in the middle of the carpeted section of the room. From the deadpan expressions on their faces and the way they huddled toward the middle completely covering the table, it seemed like they were discussing something serious, something that involved live and death.
“AHA!!!! Six!!! I win again. In your face, Irene!” The boy next to the girl supposedly named Irene rose from his position and did a little dance while thrusting his fist up in the air, waving them like he just didn’t care. Three male voices groaned, hands covering their faces in disappointment while the girl sat there, motionless, staring at the Monopoly board on the table with no recognizable expression on her face. It can’t be. I was so close.
And then she saw it, right under his feet; the real die. She picked up the one on the table, examining the small cube before exclaiming in anger.
“YOU!!!!! You cheated! You used the wrong die. This one has six on all sides!” She turned to her three male supporters triumphantly. The man cursed. He should have kept the real one in his pocket instead of under his feet. Dangerous faces began to crowd him.
“Jaejoong…” the voice drips maliciously against his ear. He attempted his infamous smile to pacify his angry friends.
“Now, now, Changmin... I’m your hyung.” Jaejoong cooed, slowly backing away. Seeing that his words were ineffective, he came up with an idea. “I’ll treat you to ice cream!”
And just like that, the younger man’s expression, as well the expressions of all the males in the room, brightened.
“I will not be pacified by ice cream,” Irene scoffed. Jaejoong turned toward her and smirked.
“Who said I was inviting you? You lost. You should be paying us, right guys?” They all nodded.
“Changmin! Junsu! Yoochun!!!” She shrieked, unable to contain her annoyance at her childhood friends. The three boys quickly stood up from their positions on the floor.
“OH! I forgot! I was supposed to pick Aveline up from work! Aish, she’s going to be angry at me,” Junsu scratched his head while sprinting to the door. Changmin followed suit.
“Yeah, and it’s about time that Debra got out of her Saturday lessons.” He was inches behind Junsu. Before he left, he didn’t forget to turn around. “And somebody still owes me ice cream.”
“And I… well… I’m sure I have something or someone to pick up too. I just can’t remember her name.” As if on cue, his phone rang. His eyes brighten as he picked up the phone. “Yoboseyo? Oh! Angie! I mean… Angel… no no… of course I didn’t forget your name. It was my nickname for you. Don’t you like it?” He winked at Irene and Jaejoong before closing the apartment door.
Silence filled the room after the three left. The two looked at each other uncomfortably while cleaning up the board and sorting out the fake paper money. She picked up the fake die and snorted.
“I can’t believe you had to use a fake die in order to beat me.” Irene tried to break the ice. Jaejoong simply grunted. She sighed. How did it turn out like this? He and I used to be best friends, closer than anyone else in the group. Now they can barely look at each other when it was just the two of them.
“Hey…”
“Oh…”
They started simultaneously.
“You go,” Jaejoong said, looking down.
“No, no… ladies first.” His head snapped at the comment with his doe-like eyes squinting threateningly. But before he was about to retort, he felt a vibration on his jeans pocket.
“Yoboseyo? Oh, Junsu… what’s up?” He looked up at Irene for a moment, causing her to have to leave the living room for a cold drink, unable to understand how it became hot all of the sudden. “Araseo. I’ll ask her. See you there.”
“What did Junsu want?” Her voice came from the kitchen.
“He said that Aveline and Debra wanted to go clubbing tonight and invited everyone along. Junsu told me to ask you if you wanted to go.” He continued to tidy the living room, being the clean freak that he was.
“Um… is everyone going?” Irene’s head poked into the living room.
“Well, I know that Junsu and Changmin never could say no to those girls so they’re definitely going. And Yoochun… you know that he’s always up for meeting new girls so you can bet he’s going,” Jaejoong replied nonchalantly. Hearing no reply from the girl, he looked up to see her twiddling her thumb nervously. “What?”
“Um… are you going to go too?” He couldn’t hold back a smirk at the implication of the question. He kept his indifference and shrugged.
“I don’t know. I haven’t quite decided yet. Why? Don’t tell me that you’d only go if I go. Are you falling in love with me already?”
Irene felt the heat rose to her cheeks. However, in an attempt to salvage her pride, she scoffed.
“HAH! As if. I just didn’t want to go if you don’t go because everyone will be paired off. At least if you had gone I’d have someone to talk to…” Knowing that she was practically digging her own grave with that statement, she stopped and left for the bathroom instead.
Splashing her face with cold water, she mentally kicked herself in the head. What the hell was that? Why am I being so weird around him? He’s just Jaejoong. I’ve known him since I was one for goodness sakes! She looked into the mirror and saw the reflection of the window and the sunlight that was mercilessly beating down on everything and everyone outside. It must be the summer heat talking.
When she decided she had cooled down, she opened the bathroom door to reveal Jaejoong’s face on the other side, causing her to jump and slip on the bathroom floor. With quick reflexes, Jaejoong slid his arm around his friend’s waist in an attempt to steady her when the rug he was standing on budged.
They ended up on the bathroom floor, Jaejoong on top of a flustered Irene in what looked like a very uncompromising position. They stared into each other’s eyes for minutes until…
“Ahem.” Both scrambled up from their positions with cheeks as red as ripened tomatoes. They turned to see a cheekily grinning Yoochun looking at them. “I came back here because I left my house key.” He dangled the keys over his forefinger, showing his friends. “Imagine my surprise when I found the two of you on the floor like that. Tsk tsk. We can’t leave you two alone for five minutes.” He feigned disappointment.
“Ah…no… it’s not even like that! I needed to use the bathroom but Irene wasn’t coming out and so I was about to knock on the door when she opened it, startling herself and me. Then she lost her balance and so I tried to help her but the rug gave way and I slipped.” He breathed. Irene looked at him in amazement but nodded toward Yoochun as well.
The latter chuckled, brushing his hand aside. “I know… I was just kidding. I don’t think I can picture the two of you together anyway. Besides, I know that Irene still has that long lost crush for a certain someone. Right?”
Irene felt her cheeks blush again. She slapped Yoochun’s arm as a response and went into the designated bedroom section of her apartment. Yoochun approached her, undeterred.
“Speaking of which… Yunho’s coming back today. Changmin told me over the phone. That was also why I came back. I thought I had to tell you this in person.” Irene perked up.
“Yunho oppa’s back? Really? How come he never said anything to me?” Irene’s happiness radiated through her smiles. Yoochun covered his mouth.
“Oops, was I not supposed to say anything?” He turned around, avoiding Irene’s death glares as he threw his arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder, leading him out. “Come on, Jaejoong. Let’s leave the girl alone with her daydreams. Bye Irene!” Jaejoong managed a weak smile with his wave as he was led against his will out of the apartment.
Irene couldn’t possibly know this, but a piece of Jaejoong’s heart chipped off the moment he heard that Yunho came back. Even after five years…all she saw was him…
“AHH!!!! I have nothing to wear for tonight!!” She stared helplessly at the piles and piles of clothes that had migrated from her neatly organized closet to even the remote corners of her apartment. She turned to her two friends for help. “What am I to do?”
Aveline and Debra looked at each other and sighed. The classic “I-have-a-gazillion-clothes-but-nothing-to-wear” syndrome has reared its ugly head again. Debra gave the other girl a “you-handle-this” look before rising from the bed and heading toward the kitchen.
Aveline looked helplessly at the mounds of fabrics thrown around her. They only had about half an hour left and the two had been there since an hour and half ago, in promise of helping Irene get ready for the big night.
“Hey, Irene! What about that shirt we got you for Christmas last year?” Debra shouted from the kitchen. Aveline’s face brightened as she turned towards her friend, nodding her head approvingly. She saw her friend’s face paled and grinned.
“Yeah! Where did you put it? It would be perfect for tonight.” Irene avoided both her friends’ eyes as she began to fiddle with her clothes hanger. “Don’t tell me you put it away in your storage closet to rot with the rest of the non-desirable gifts you have?” Aveline added jokingly. She then saw her friend began to furiously scratch a non-existent stain on the white plastic which confirmed her words. “Tell me you’re kidding,” she finished incredulously.
To Irene’s sheepish smile, Debra simply shook her head and sprinted to the closet by the entrance door. Opening the small storage space, she found boxes of presents, some opened and re-taped while others lay there, yet to be unwrapped by the uncaring owner. Among these, she found the familiar bag she was looking for. Debra exhaled triumphantly as she marched back toward her friend, holding the bag at Irene’s eye level.
She attempted a weak laugh, which brought no sympathy from her two friends. She sighed. “Guys, you know that I could never pull off something like that. It’s just not something that I would normally wear… it’s not like me!”
“- Which was why we bought it for you in the first place. Besides, do you really want to meet Yunho dressed exactly as you did five years ago?” Her friends had a point. The whole reason why they were there in the first place was to make her look…how exactly did she want them to make her look? She turned towards her clothes, now strewn all throughout the apartment, and frowned. BORING! Her friends saw the relenting look on her eyes and grinned. Irene stared at the pretty blue halter in her hands.
“But then this would require me to put on make up or something. Otherwise, I have this sparkly clothing and… a ‘blah’ face. You know how minimalist I like to be with these things…”
Aveline and Debra looked at her like she had just grown a tail at the back of her head. “What do you take us for?” Aveline remarked, with a hint of disappointment and hurt as she busted out the small bag she was carrying. It contained almost every make-up kit possible. Irene gaped.
“How did you get these? You don’t even wear make-up!” Aveline grinned in the “that’s-for-me-to-know-and-for-you-to-never-find-out” look.
“Don’t worry, We’ll get you ready in no time. And just leave the make-up thing to me. I’ve been watching a lot of TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” I mean, I’ve never tried it before but it doesn’t look too bad,” Aveline stated calmly. Irene’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, stop being dramatic. It can’t be that hard…” With that, Irene was put on the swivel chair to turn away from the mirror toward Aveline.
Oh what the heck. If it came out badly, then I’ll just wash it off. Managing to soothe herself with those words, Irene relaxed and let her friends pampered her. In about thirty minutes time, Aveline smiled triumphantly just at the same time that the apartment door opened to reveal Junsu and Changmin who have been declared their chauffeur for the night.
“I bet you that they are still getting ready, you know how girls a…” Junsu stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes fell on the girl on the chair. He opened and closed his mouth several times, still with nothing to say. Beside him, Changmin has become petrified in his position, also speechless.
“Gentlemen, meet the new Irene, our masterpiece. What do you think?” Debra declared proudly. The guys could only nod stupidly. Feeling slightly more exposed in the halter top, Irene quickly put on a jacket and strolled out the door, managing to land a few slaps on the boys. She ran to the car and checked her appearance on the mirror. Due to the arrival of the boys, she hasn’t been able to see what she looked like after the makeover. It made the boys speechless. I can’t look that diff…
“Whoa…” She stood dumbstruck at her own reflection from the side-view mirror. “That’s… me?”
“I know, huh? Who knew that you’re a girl after all?” Junsu whispered in her ear, causing the girl to jump. But before she can give him his proper punishment, Aveline pulled him to her and slapped him lightly on the arm. Irene scoffed. He’s lucky she pulled him just in time.
“Well, someone’s gonna be pleasantly surprised tonight,” Changmin chirped to his smiling girlfriend as he and Debra locked the front door, handing Irene the key.
The five of them arrived to the club fashionably late. Junsu and Changmin, along with Yoochun and Jaejoong, are regulars there and needn’t wait in line like everyone else. And, as always, the guards outside simply nodded at them before unlatching the rope to let the five of them in.
The minute they stepped into the dim room, they were greeted by the deafening sound of music and chatters. Junsu and Changmin gently led the girls toward the deep corner of the circular room to a room labeled VIP with a few people inside. They opened the door to reveal three men already there, chatting and laughing heartily.
“Yunho hyung!!!!!” Junsu and Changmin yelled as they entered the door. “It’s been a long time. How’s it going?”
“Totally great. I missed you guys though.” Yunho laughed while hugging them.
“Did you fix your teeth?” Yunho only smiled shyly. “It looks awesome! I bet you get lots of girls after that, huh?” Junsu nudged him playfully.
“Speaking of girls, these are?”
“AH! Right! This is Aveline, my girlfriend, and this is Debra, Changmin’s girlfriend.” Yunho nodded, having heard a lot about the girls from his two younger friends.
“…And this is…” Yunho motioned toward Irene. Changmin and Junsu laughed. Jaejoong and Yoochun began to crowd her. They too have been wondering who the stunning girl was.
“You don’t recognize me? Do I look that bad?” Irene hung her head down. Hearing the familiar voice almost caused the three boys to choke.
“IRENE?!?! Is that you? You guys told me that she hasn’t changed at all. What are you talking about?”
“We didn’t know either. Just this afternoon she was normal. Is that really you?” Yoochun lifted her chin to make her face him. “It IS you! No one can match those fierce eyes,” he joked. “Who did this?” As if on cue, Aveline and Debra stood proudly next to Irene causing him to nod his head.
“To be expected… she couldn’t have done that by herself.” Irene was about to slap Yoochun if not for her two friends beside her.
“It’s not her fault she was surrounded by pigs before she met us…,” Debra countered. “Not including you of course, hun,” Aveline added quickly to pacify her boyfriend. Soon enough, the commotion ended and they all sat down, all except Jaejoong who continued to stand looking dumbly toward the door where Irene was standing.
“Jaejoong, are you okay?” Irene tapped his shoulder. He jumped in surprise and muttered incoherently before motioning to the door and left. She turned toward her friends, “You guys think he’s okay? He’s been acting super weird lately…” Her friends all looked at each other knowingly. “You guys know something don’t you?”
Yunho stood up. “I just got here and you’re accusing me of something?” He pouted. (A/N: it’s the pout he had in “Dangerous Love” when Jaejoong refused his offer to sleep together on the bed) “I’m hurt.” Seeing the look on his face, Irene softened her expression, causing him to brighten his. “Come, let’s sit.”
“But Jaejoong…”
“I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just needed to go to the restroom or something.” Irene nodded. Yunho offered his hand. “You wanna dance?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the night, Jaejoong never came back into the room. Instead, he stayed at the bar outside, getting himself drunk. He hadn’t been able to get the vision of Irene out of his head and it was driving him crazy. She’s his best friend, aside from Yoochun and Yunho, and it’s not normal for best friends to think that way of each other, is it? Why is everything getting so complicated? He downed the rest of the liquid and slammed the glass on the table.
Minutes later, a couple of girls approached and flirted with him. Being drunk, he simply grinned and accepted their advances which led him to the dance floor.
Meanwhile, Irene and Yunho are watching the dance floor from the balcony while catching up. Irene was laughing hysterically at a joke that Yunho told when her eyes landed on a lithe male figure in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by a few girls dancing seductively around him. One of them even dared to lick and kiss his neck. It took her five seconds to realize that the figure is Jaejoong. Irene gasped which caused Yunho to follow her gaze.
“Ehhh, isn’t that Jaejoong dancing with those girls? Whoa, I never knew he was such a ladies’ man. And I didn’t know he could dance like that,” Yunho commented innocently. Irene scoffed and stormed away. “Was it something I said?” Yunho called back.