The Art of Deception (Yunho x Jaejoong) - Chapter Eleven
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The Art of Deception (Chapter Eleven)
Pairing: Yunho (DBSK) x Jaejoong (DBSK).
Category: K-Pop.
Length: Multi-chaptered.
Genres: Angst, drama, humor, romance.
Rating: PG-13.
Warning: Homosexuality, light swearing, sexual implications, violence.
Summary: Yunho is a rich son who’s never done anything to earn his own money. Attending snobby diners and appearing in social events with his parents is more than he can take, so he decides to run away, thinking that surely life is better elsewhere - anywhere but his place. Little does he know that it doesn’t get any better in the slums. His thirst for adventure will be quenched - a little too much. Enter street Kabuki actor Kim Jaejoong!
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
[Yunho’s POV]
A short moment of silence passes before I notice everyone’s eyes on me. It’s as though they were expecting me to do something… I’m not foolish enough not to notice their insistent gazes… Self-conscious, I look up to address them. “Do you think he’d rather be alone or should I go after him?” Almost instantly, their expression changes thoroughly, as if they had wanted me to say this all along. For the life of me, I really can’t figure out what they’re up to, but if there’s something I can do, then…
“I’m a little worried about him, especially with those guys out there.” Yoochun admits, looking sheepish, while running a hand through his hair nervously. His honest feelings for his friend warm my heart.
I have to stop and think for a second, and then I decide to go.
“I think I’ll go check on him. I’ll be right back.”
Before leaving, I catch the look Junsu and Changmin are sharing. They’re smiling, as if they both knew something I did not. Deciding not to give it much thought, I give a small nod as a goodbye and get out. For a few minutes, I wander around searching for Jaejoong, not too sure where to start. He could be pretty much anywhere… He could even be before my eyes and I wouldn’t see him, given the stealth and subtlety with which he moves and hides, so I could spend all night at it and never find him.
At least now I know my way around a little, and I don’t stand out so much, but…
Just because I’m not completely lost doesn’t mean I feel safe and like I belong here. Although I intend not to go back until I get my hands on him, I would appreciate it if he did his part and helped me a little…
Well, I do have a hunch of where he might be…
Anxious, I pick up the pace and walk hastily towards the place where I spent most of the day. Soon, the bridge is in front of my eyes, now bathed in moonlight. Underneath it, the small shore stretching out beside the river is shrouded in almost completed darkness. Disappointed, I cross the distance separating me from the stone path, although I can tell from a distance that Jaejoong isn’t there.
Weird. I really had a strong feeling that he would have decided to come here. After all, he’s the one who showed me this place, saying he liked to come here when he needed to be alone.
When he revealed this to me, it felt like it had accidently slipped out, like he hadn’t intended to tell me.
Maybe he didn’t want me to follow and headed elsewhere.
Alright, I’ll continue my search in another area.
Before leaving, I glance downwards, almost fleetingly, at the quietly running stream… and that’s when I see him sitting by himself, barely visible in the faint glow of the moon.
Without being able to help myself, I feel my lips curl up in a tiny smile.
Deep in thought, Jaejoong doesn’t see me climb down the small grassy slope leading to the rocky beach. Seated with his legs propped up against his body and his arms hugging his knees, he is staring at an invisible spot on the ground, unaware of his surroundings. Then, when I’m finally standing a few feet behind him, he perks up tensely and whirls around in a flash, alarmed.
This bothers me a little. Does he have many enemies to fear?
When he sees that it’s me, he heaves out a sigh of unrestrained relief. “Oh, Yunho. How did you…? Either I’ve really lost my touch or you’re getting good…”
It might be a little bit of both?
Although he doesn’t invite me to, I inch closer to Jaejoong and sit down next to him.
He appears to have calmed down considerably, compared to how he was in the presence of his ex-colleagues, but something is definitely bothering him. When he feels me getting closer, he looks up and glances at me askance, curiously and a little warily. That doesn’t go unnoticed by me, but I’m determined to get my answer. No matter what it takes, I’ll make him answer for his earlier actions. “Jaejoong. Just now, when you said you cared about me… What… did you mean?”
Jaejoong’s moist coal eyes widen almost imperceptibly and for a moment, he seems speechless, only staring at me with parted lips. But then he snaps out of his daze, his eyes clearing.
His voice comes out hoarse, a lot graver than usual.
“Look, I don’t even know what the hell I’m saying anymore, so don’t make my mind more messed-up than it already is. I can’t think straight these days, damn it…”
Although he tries to get farther away from me in a discrete manner, it doesn’t quite work with me.
No, he cannot fool me, not this time.
Since I don’t want him crawling back into his hole of solitude, now that he’s here in front of me and that I have a chance to speak with him, I sidle closer to him, pressing the matter. “Tell me.”
Not trying to hide his trouble anymore, Jaejoong glowers at me. “I don’t need your participation in this, alright? All of this is your damn fault to begin with… damn virus…”
“Excuse me?”
“Nevermind.”
“Jaejoong, about the other day…”
He’s going to escape again, I know he is. But I can’t let him. I’ve had enough of this. I want to make things clear once and for all, before I go out of my mind. So when Jaejoong tries to get up, I grab his arm and make him sit back down, ignoring the way he tries to push me away and wrestle out of my grip. I turn us around, before pinning him to the ground with both hands on his upper arms. There we go.
Inwardly, I celebrate my success.
What are you going to do, now, clever guy…? Completely immobilised?
Still not saying a word, Jaejoong tries to turn his head away, but I make him look at me by cupping his chin and making him face in my direction firmly. He struggles some more, refusing to lose face and surrender to me, but his efforts are all in vain. He can’t move at all. Finally, realizing that there’s nothing he can do now, Jaejoong settles down and becomes uncharacteristically docile.
That doesn’t stop him from shooting daggers with his eyes, though.
“Will you stop running away already? You’ve been so evasive lately… Why are you trying to pretend that nothing happened…?” I release my hold on his arms, but he doesn’t move. It looks like I now have his full attention. This might very well be the last chance to get my point across. “Do I have to remind you that it was you who jumped me back then? Were you just playing with me? What am I to you, a toy…?”
“You’re the one who-”
“Don’t blame me when you started it all!”
Jaejoong’s eyes cloud over and he looks down, as if suddenly overcome with guilt.
He seems to realize that I’m right after all.
Most likely, the worst is behind us. It doesn’t look like Jaejoong will continue denying what I’m accusing him of. Even if he wanted to, at this point, he can’t really pretend anymore. And I get the feeling that he doesn’t want to. “Hey…” I whisper, and Jaejoong looks up with wide, soulful eyes, focusing all his attention on me. Our faces are mere centimetres away, our lips almost touching…
“Stop running away and tell me. Is something wrong?”
For the span of a few seconds, Jaejoong closes his eyes, as if he was contemplating something really important, wondering whether he should go for it or not. Then, he raises himself to a sitting position, making me back up a little, and slips his arms around my neck to kiss me very gently on the lips. Not really surprised, since I had felt something like that was coming, I respond with the same tranquil desire, feeling my heart swell at the feel of his tongue lazily snaking along the inside of my mouth and brushing against my tongue very softly.
Upon breaking away from me to catch his breath, Jaejoong looks at me with half-lidded, moist eyes.
“You be the judge. Is this right or wrong?”
It doesn’t take more for me to pull him in for another kiss, more passionate and urgent than the first one. Jaejoong loses his balance (or perhaps his frail arms lack the strength to support my weight added to his) and he falls on his back with me on top. Deepening the kiss, I smooth his jet black hair on each side of his head, feeling his long eyelashes flutter against my cheeks like tiny butterflies. His words sound like a confession to my ears, but I want to hear it all, I need to hear it from his mouth.
“Say it.” I ask him repeatedly like a mantra, breathing hotly against his face. “Say it.”
“I love you.”
He…
He says it so easily, as if the words had been burning on the tip of his tongue for an eternity, like nothing was easier than uttering those three words, but I know that it was hard for him to admit it, I know that he had to gather inhumane strength to bring himself to confess. Many reasons explain this… his pride, his arrogance, his refusal to share his feelings and what’s on his mind… There might also be factors that he hasn’t told me about yet. After all, much of his life remains a mystery to me…
Still, what matters to me is the fact that he revealed it to me, and that I still haven’t given him an answer.
My answer.
My heart is screaming out to him that I’ve been dying to hear those words from him, that since that day, I’ve only thought of him, unable to get him out of my mind, to the point where I thought I would go mad.
But no matter how hard I try to voice these thoughts, they won’t come out.
Looking up at me from his lying position, with his hair scattered on the grass underneath him, Jaejoong is studying me, probably wondering why I stopped. He might also be waiting for me to reciprocate the confession - puzzled by my silence, saddened by my hesitation. I scan his features for a while, and during that time, I see the love turn into doubt, and then disappointment. Since I’m not saying anything, he must be thinking that I don’t feel the same… that I’m going to reject him, throw him away…
But how wrong he is if he believes that I have no such feelings for him.
I remain silent, at a loss for words.
Finally, Jaejoong’s eyes flash in anger and he pushes me off of him, scrambling to his feet and dashing off on the double. That’s when I realize what a stupid mistake I just made.
“Wait! It’s not what you think-”
Feeling my heart climb up my throat at the fear that he might have misunderstood my actions, I get up and throw myself where he just headed for, just in time to see him disappear at the top of the hill. “Jaejoong! Wait!” Cursing to myself, I clamber up the slope, grasping handfuls of grass as I go to help haul my body to the top. When I reach the peak, I turn my head in all directions, searching frantically.
I catch a small shadow turning the corner of a building, slipping into an alleyway.
So that’s how he’s going to play. If he thinks this is going to stop me, he truly doesn’t know the extent of my feelings for him. I’m not going to let him get away without first explaining myself.
I enter the dark street, straining my ears for clues as to where he might be.
I take a left, then a right, then another right, trying to follow the sounds to the best of my ability.
Given how late and dark it is, I could run straight into the lion’s den, but…
For some reason, I couldn’t care less. It’s the least of my worries.
Ahead of me, I make out very faint yet rapid footsteps, followed by a loud clanking sound that reminds me of a trash can. I’m on the right track, I just know it… I’m not far behind…
Sure enough, I soon reach a dead-end filled with a bunch of garbage bins, and there are no signs of Jaejoong. There aren’t many possible explanations. Without even stopping, I pick up the pace to gain speed and jump on one of the barrels, barely avoiding a violent fall, and reach out to grab the gutter, pulling myself up with difficulty and climbing up to the roof, somehow still in one piece.
But I don’t have time to catch my breath. Jaejoong is already gone.
After scanning my surroundings quickly, I see him running across one of the roofs with impressive agility, in a cat-like fashion. Even though my skills are not up to his, I continue pursuing him, not wanting him to get away. Having reached the edge of the roof, I don’t even stop to think about what I’m about to do and I take the leap… landing on the other side on my hands and knees, unscathed. The shock I feel then almost makes me stop, but I snap out of it soon enough. No time to waste.
Jaejoong has a head start over me, but I don’t care. I just keep running.
All I can concentrate on is the horrible things that must be going through his mind at present, and how I want to tell him that they’re not true, that he’s got it all wrong…
Why didn’t I tell him? Why did I keep my mouth shut?
I’m such an idiot.
Jaejoong runs across the roof as if it was the easiest thing on Earth and I manage to keep up barely, but I’m not especially nimble and my skills don’t begin to compare with his abilities. At this rate, the distance between us is going to grow and I’m going to lose sight of him. It was one thing running on the dry land, but up here, I’m clearly at a disadvantage. And he’s getting further way from me… Worried, I make haste, managing to close in on him considerably and landing on the same roof as he.
“Yah…! At least give me two minutes of your time! I didn’t even get a chance to explain!”
At that moment, he comes to an abrupt halt, whirling around to glare at me, something which I wasn’t expecting at all. My surprise is such that I startle and stumble on a ridge…
“Oh f-”
Before I can understand what’s happening to me, I only have time to register the sight of Jaejoong’s eyes widening in horror as I lose my footing and slip down the roof, catching a hold of the edge out of reflex to keep myself from falling all the way down. “Ugh!” My grip is weak and I’m wondering whether I’ll even have the strength to haul my body back to safety. It all happened so quickly… Am I really going to fall to the bottom and end up squashed to the ground? “…damn it…”
Is everything over?
When I feel my fingers start to lose their grip, I squeeze my eyes shut.
So it would seem…
“Yunho… Yunho!” A hand closes around my wrist and I snap back to reality, catching sight of Jaejoong trying to pull me up with difficulty. As he struggles, I expend all my energy to help him, and soon, I’m no longer suspended in the void, but kneeling on something solid again. Shocked by all that just happened in such a short time, I’m a little out of it, but coherent enough to hear Jaejoong lecturing my head off.
I don’t even have the time to thank him.
“How fucking more stupid can you get…? Seriously…? Why did you follow me all the way up here? You could have died, moron! Or is that what you wanted? Are you possibly suicidal?” Dumbfounded, I simply gape as Jaejoong gets it all off his chest, not even stopping to catch his breath. “If you’re feeling sorry for me, please don’t. I don’t need your pity, I don’t need your good intentions and I certainly don’t need you to continue feeding me false hopes, so just go back and leave me alone, alright?”
Speechless, I don’t move an inch, wondering whether Jaejoong will let me have it if I stay despite his asking me to leave or if he’ll be mad at me if I walk out on him while he’s talking.
But I’m not satisfied with the way things have turned out.
I need to set things straight.
“The reason why I came all the way here is because I had something to tell you… You didn’t even let me give you a proper answer before you up and left…” Stopping long enough to get Jaejoong’s reaction, I see the way his eyes automatically light up in hope, although his mouth is still drawn in a thin line, suggesting discontentment and frustration. If it isn’t true for everybody, it is for Jaejoong: his eyes truly are the doors to his soul. No matter what he does, he can’t seem to block out what they show.
Crossing his arms, Jaejoong waits for the verdict to fall. “So let’s hear it.”
Before I say anything, there’s something I need to do. Slowly, I cross the distance separating me from Jaejoong who doesn’t back away at my approach. Without hesitating for a single second, I pull him by the neck for a long bruising kiss that leaves both of us breathless. There’s no mistaking the need with which he reciprocates the gesture, running his fingers through my hair… If I could never let go of him like this, I wouldn’t want anything else… But I have things to say, things he deserves to hear.
This time, I will hold to the unspoken promise I made and see this confession to the end. When I regain the power of speech, I cup Jaejoong’s delicate face between my hands and look into his eyes.
No more running away.
“I love you.” The three words linger in the air, heavy with meaning, fleeting with bliss.
The other man’s round eyes widen significantly in his surprise, and then his lips curl up in a smile that reaches his ears, while his eyes crinkle merrily. I can see that he’s trying not to, but he cannot hold it back. “Huh? Whatcha say?” He pretends not to have understood, playing innocent.
But it feels so good to finally let it out that I don’t mind repeating myself.
“I said I love you.”
“I didn’t hear-…”
“Oh, shut up, you did.”
Jaejoong actually giggles, looking down bashfully for being caught making up such a pathetic lie. But he can only look away so much, given how I’m preventing him from getting away from my hold. A few seconds pass and he looks up again, slowly, a smile still dancing on his lips. He breathes out against my lips, visibly content with the current situation. “Thank you.”
He doesn’t say why. I choose not to ask.
“There’s something I want to show you. Come with me.”
Intrigued, I let Jaejoong lead me by the hand (yes, by the hand) towards another building. Considering what just happened, I have reservations about following after him, but I definitely trust him not to put my life in danger. After all, he did save it countless times before.
As I thought, Jaejoong does not intend to make me jump from one roof to another again. He does make me move on to the next building, but there is no gap between the two, so it isn’t that dangerous. One less thing to worry about. “Where are we going?” I inquire as he instructs me to climb and haul myself up on the higher platform, a command that I submit to but fail to accomplish properly, if the way Jaejoong has to help me up is any indication. A small part of my pride shatters to pieces.
So I’m not exactly an athlete. Bite me.
“Aish, be patient… You’ll see soon enough.” Jaejoong answers enigmatically as he lifts himself up next to me without an ounce of effort. My pride takes another blow.
Puzzled, I examine Jaejoong’s face, looking for an answer. Why are we here?
He doesn’t say anything, but he points up.
“What-… oh my god.”
What a sight.
The place we have climbed up to gives us an incredible view of the dark district we find ourselves in, barely illuminated by the moon, and the far-away streetlights and neon signs of the richer part of the city. Funny how they seem so different from each other, despite being two parts of one city. It’s almost as if their occupants lived in parallel worlds alongside each other without any knowledge of their neighbours.
Not to mention that the night sky is very clear and filled with thousands of bright stars…
Somehow… It feels a little weird to see one of my father’s hotels in the distance, but I don’t think I miss him - not really. I’m just not completely accustomed to life here, but it’ll come… maybe.
Beaming, I turn to Jaejoong, who is admiring the sight as much as I am.
“It’s gorgeous.” I say simply, grateful to him for taking me here. Truthfully, I have to force myself not to add ‘just like your face’, because I’m not too sure how he would have reacted to the very cheesy line, no matter how true it might have been. Still, almost instantly, the small grin that was playing in the corner of Jaejoong’s lips turns into a full-blown smile that he tries hard to hide with his hand - a very unconvincing endeavour. Maybe he can read minds. I wouldn’t put it past that out-of-this-world man.
“Since I knew this place and we were close by, I thought I’d show you.”
Making up excuses, is he? I can’t bring myself to believe him.
Maybe I’m just fooling myself, but…
He couldn’t have meant to bring me here from the start… could he?
Suddenly extremely happy, knowing that I’m probably pushing my luck way too far, but not caring very much, to be honest, I decide to poke fun at the street prince. “This is all very romantic, I’ll admit, but you’re terribly old-fashioned, you know that?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them, thinking that he doesn’t deserve this, seeing how he’s making efforts.
But Jaejoong must be in a good mood, because he reacts very well.
“Say that again and I’ll push you off.”
Well, he did say it with a smile, so I’ll assume that it was a joke.
But I think I’ll drop the matter.
Just to be safe.
Chapter Twelve