The One That Got Away
Title: The One That Got Away
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Disclaimer: Real people belong to themselves. So I really don't own anything.
A/N: Based on the Filipino movie "My Amnesia Girl" and could be considered as a sequel to N.B.S.B. But it could also be a stand-alone fic, I think. This is also unedited and unbetaed, so I apologize for any mistakes I made.
Summary: For Kim Jaejoong, his first boyfriend didn't end up to be his last. Until said first boyfriend a.k.a. Jung Yunho came barging back in his life.
Chapter 9:
The smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee were wafting through the air. He rolled over the bed, tucked himself more into his blanket and burrowed his face into his pillows, unwilling himself to awake and face the rest of the day. He had a late night before, racking his brains trying to complete a chapter of his latest novel. He had a meeting with Seunghyun, Kibum and Heechul later on that day and he really needed all the sleep he could get. His alarm clock hasn’t rung yet so he deduced that he still didn’t have to get out of bed. His eyes remained close and with the sound of cooking from his kitchen lulling him back into a deep slumber -
His forehead creased during his sleep. Why was there cooking in his kitchen? And why did he smell food? He’s living alone and he cannot remember having someone stay over -
His eyes flew open and he sat up right from his bed that Jaejoong heard few of his bones crack. He decided to deal with the pain later as he jumped out of bed, grabbed his cell phone from his night table, and rushed out of his room, dialing the number of the police department as he went on to the kitchen, ready to beat up the stranger he found there.
“Good morning!”
“Seoul Police Department, may I help you?” Jaejoong had finally connected to the police department as he stared at the figure in front of him, who was wearing an apron that protected his Armani suit and kept it clean, the small handsome face beaming at him. Jaejoong took a deep breath, turned off his phone, and counted up to three in his head before speaking. “You’re trespassing.”
Jung Yunho only continued smiling at him. “It’s not trespassing if I have a key.”
“I didn’t give anyone a duplicate.” Both Kibum and Hyori had wanted one but Jaejoong had refused this time, knowing that giving the two keys to his apartment would mean that they could bother him any time they wanted. (He had learned his lesson from the last time when the two had been given access to his old apartment.)
“I’m your landlord, I have the original.” Yunho held up his own key. “I own this place.”
(And here he was thinking it only happened in those Korean dramas his noonas watched.) It’s a good thing he held off calling the police to arrest the supposed trespasser then. “I’m pretty sure your name wasn’t in the papers I signed when I leased this apartment.”
“The company who owns this place is a subsidiary of Jung Corporation and as Executive Vice President, I used my influence to transfer this particular property to Jung Corporation.”
Jaejoong stared at Yunho who was still smiling. He really wanted to wipe that smile off by giving him another black eye (since the one he gave a week ago was already fading). He thought better of it, though - bastard had not stayed away despite the black eye, and Jaejoong doesn’t really want to injure his knuckles more than necessary. (It’s basically a waste of time and effort using violence to get rid of Jung Yunho.) “And why did you do that?”
(“So I can have access to your apartment and at least know who goes in and out of it,” wouldn’t make for a good answer and Yunho wasn’t stupid enough to tell Jaejoong that.) “I made you breakfast.”
“That’s obvious.” Two plates filled with bacon, egg, and a croissant, with two cups of coffee, and two bowls of seaweed soup were already placed on the table. (Yunho had finished cooking just in time when Jaejoong had come barging in and had placed the food on the plates as they talked. Not that Jaejoong had given the impression that he had noticed Yunho doing those things, seeing that Jaejoong still didn’t quite know how to react to Yunho being in his kitchen. Yunho supposed Jaejoong wasn’t awake enough for this and Yunho thinks it’s nice to catch Jaejoong off-guard once in a while.)
Yunho pulled back a chair, signalling that Jaejoong take a seat. “Why don’t we eat then?”
But Jaejoong stayed right where he was standing. “How can I be so sure that you didn’t put a love potion in there?” When did Yunho learn how to cook anyway? It wasn’t that the man was hopeless in the kitchen; Yunho just did not bother to learn. He helped Jaejoong chop the ingredients sometimes, but that had been the extent of it.
“I made you fall in love with me without a love potion before, I’m confident I can do it again.”
“I doubt if I’m the same person I was before.”
“But you’re still the man I love.” Of that, Yunho had no doubt. (People change over time with or without memory loss, but his feelings for Kim Jaejoong remained the same over the years, only getting stronger as time passed by.)
Jaejoong sat down. Yunho took the chair across from his. Jaejoong just stared at the plate in front of him. Yunho sighed in exasperation. “Do you really think I would poison you? We’re both going to eat the same stuff and if you’re that worried, I can exchange plates with you.”
It wasn’t that. The food Yunho had prepared - how the bacon was cooked a bit on the edges, how the eggs were fried, how the croissant came from the same bakery near his old apartment before, how the coffee seemed to be brewed instead of instant, and how there was seaweed soup inspite of it seeming to be a Western-style breakfast -
“The first night I stayed over your apartment was because I had a fever. You took care of me and even allowed me to sleep on your bed while you took the couch. When I woke up the next morning, your eldest sister Hyori was here and she was badgering you about me. Actually, she was badgering me too. But you were ignoring her and you were cooking breakfast for me.”
Yunho had prepared the exact same breakfast that Jaejoong had five years ago - down to the very last detail.
“It was one of the most sumptuous meals I ever had,” Yunho looked at Jaejoong. “I want to give you back your lost memories, Jae. Or at least the ones you have with me.”
His whole plan was getting more complicated as days went by. (Jaejoong wanted to blame Yunho for being unpredictable and basically ruining his revenge but then Jaejoong also knew he only had himself to blame for even starting the whole thing.) “What if I don’t want to remember the times I spent with you?”
“Then I’ll help you regain the memories that doesn’t have anything to do with me.” Yunho replied. “I know you haven’t forgiven me yet, Jae and I really don’t expect you to anytime soon. But I was telling you the truth when we had dinner last time - I want to make it up to you and I still want to be your friend.”
It was Jaejoong who first tore his gaze away from Yunho. Picking up the knife, he sliced the bacon and finally took a bite. Jae had to admit it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be (it was actually quite good). “You’re washing the dishes.”
“Of course I am.” Yunho grinned. “Should I prepare you a bath too?”
It was then that Jae realized he was still in his Hamtaro pyjamas. He felt his face turning red. “No, you don’t.” He glared at Yunho. “And don’t you dare enter my apartment anytime you want to!”
Yunho pouted. “But that was the only way you would see me again. I tried calling but you don’t answer; I tried dropping by Storybook Publishing but you’re always out; and I tried coming over to your apartment but no one’s around.”
(“What did you expect genius, that I’d go out of my way to see you?”) Before Jaejoong could say anything, his phone rang. He picked it up without even bothering to excuse himself. “Hello?”
“Is this a bad time?”
Jaejoong wondered if he somehow woke up at the wrong side of the bed this morning. Yunho was staring at him. “Hyunjoong-ssi, I didn’t expect you to call. Is there something wrong?”
There was a pause on the other line. “I’m assuming you’re with Jung Yunho.” (Jaejoong wouldn’t have been so formal otherwise.) “My sister Yuri’s birthday is coming up and she wants me to bring you to the party. You know how she’s such a huge fan of yours and she probably wants to show you off to her guests too. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess that wouldn’t be a problem.” Jaejoong wasn’t as close to Yuri as he was to her brother but the times he had spent with Yuri had always been enjoyable. “When is the party?”
“The day after tomorrow,” Hyunjoong said. “I’m sorry if it’s such short notice. You didn’t really tell anyone you were coming back to Seoul.”
“It’s okay. Thank you for inviting me.” Jaejoong replied. After getting from Hyunjoong the address of where the party was being held, Jaejoong finally bade Hyunjoong goodbye.
“Were you talking to Kim Hyunjoong?” Yunho asked him.
“Yes. We met awhile ago. He told me we were friends.” Jaejoong is sticking to that story for now.
“He is.” Yunho agreed. “I’ve always been jealous of that friend of yours.”
“You are?” Yunho and Hyunjoong had never been friends, but Jae had always thought that if the two spent enough time together, they’d probably like each other. Jaejoong had mentioned it often enough but the two always brushed it away and changed the subject. (It wasn’t that Jae was insensitive of their feelings, he just really didn’t understand the concept of jealousy. It drove Yunho a bit crazy sometimes, whenever someone flirted with him and he was with Jae and the latter would only look at him with that stoic expression of his and a sarcastic remark after.) “Why?”
“If there was one person who could be capable of taking you away from me, that would be Kim Hyunjoong.” Yunho said honestly. “I have a feeling he’s going to take the chance to, now.” (He wasn’t telling Jaejoong about the challenge he made with Hyunjoong, though. Jae would know it soon himself anyway, if Hyunjoong is making his move already.) “Did he ask you to go out with him?”
“No, he just invited me to his sister’s birthday party this Saturday.” (Jaejoong doesn’t understand why he felt the need to clarify that to Yunho.)
“I see.” (Yunho might have challenged Hyunjoong and he was going to play fair - but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t exhaust any means he has in his arsenal to know what Hyunjoong would be up to. Hyunjoong could do the same too.)
++++
“I was only out of the country for a convention for two weeks and then I see you stepping out of Jung Yunho’s car.” Kim Heechul pointed his pen at Jaejoong. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I asked him that too the first time,” Kibum grumbled. “He wouldn’t listen and now it’s gotten complicated because apparently, Yunho had already come clean to him.”
“Wow, Jae, I never knew you had such a colourful love life.” Seunghyun marveled. “I mean yeah, I got invited to your wedding two years ago but I honestly thought you were the one who called off the wedding and that was the reason you moved to Busan.”
Heechul stared at Seunghyun. “Were you living in the mountains?” Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong’s fairy-tale wedding that didn’t end in happily-ever-after was news days, weeks, months after it happened. Every one knew and talked about it, making their own opinions on who exactly was in the wrong. Jung Yunho was one of the most eligible bachelors there is and a certified playboy - maybe Kim Jaejoong couldn’t satisfy him enough had been the most prevalent talk of all.
“I don’t really keep up with the news and current events.” Seunghyun said sheepishly. That’s not exactly true - Seunghyun didn’t poke his nose into other people’s business and doesn’t care much for gossip so what happened with Jaejoong’s wedding flew off his radar.
“And Heechul did his best to get Yunho away from you too,” Kibum scolded Jaejoong. “He refused to tell the bastard where you went when he tried to find you. But no, it was you who had to show himself to him.”
“I moved back to Seoul, do you honestly think we wouldn’t bump into each other at one point in time?” Jaejoong sighed in exasperation. “And why are we talking about this? Aren’t we supposed to be in a meeting to discuss Seunghyun’s novel?” The latest TOP series was targeted to be released in three months but since it appears that Seunghyun would not be meeting the deadline, the four of them have to discuss whether the release date should be moved, among other things (which also included how Jaejoong’s own novel was coming along).
Seunghyun cleared his throat. “Well, about that, I’m going to a matchmaking session tonight. Cupid and Associates set it up.”
“What?” Jaejoong turned to Seunghyun. “Why?”
“Because I was running out of ideas for the love angle and it really wouldn’t hurt.” Seunghyun reasoned. “Besides, Hyunjoong told me you did it before.”
“That’s why I know it’s a bad idea.” The matchmaking sessions with Cupid and Associates had played a huge part in bringing him closer to Yunho.
“At least Seunghyun is doing something productive,” Kibum remarked. “And where is the latest chapter of your love story, Jae?”
“I’m working on it.” Jaejoong replied. Before becoming an editor, Jaejoong had managed to write two more novels after Wasurenaide - and both weren’t in the romance genre. (The first one, W, the title character didn’t know anything about herself except for the nickname every one gave her which was W. The second one, Long Way, was about a son who wanted to bring his parents back together.) Jaejoong didn’t know why he decided to write a love story again after all these years. It just happened that way, he supposed.
Heechul regarded him with interest. “You’re writing a love story again? What is it about? The lead character pretending to lose his memories to get back at his ex?” (Jaejoong had no choice but to let Heechul and Seunghyun in on the plan as well, seeing that him working at Storybook Publishing has become known and it was better to at least make sure none of the people seen with him slip.)
“It’s nowhere near related to real life.”
“Like Wasurenaide wasn’t?”
Now, Seunghyun was interested. Maybe he should read Wasurenaide again? From the way Heechul, Kibum, and Jaejoong were talking, it appeared that Jaejoong wrote the novel based on real-life experiences. (And Seunghyun loves Wasurenaide. It was the novel that made him contemplate writing a love story himself.)
Their discussion was cut short when the secretary entered the conference room, carrying four Starbucks frappucinos in one hand and a lunch box on the other. Kibum furrowed his brows. “I don’t remember ordering Starbucks.”
“Me either.” Heechul said.
“Someone else bought this,” the secretary informed them as she placed the drinks on the table. She gave the lunch box to Jaejoong and got a card out from her pocket. “The delivery man wanted me to give this to you too.”
The card had a drawing of Hamtaro in the cover. Familiar handwriting greeted Jaejoong. Don’t forget to eat lunch.
Jaejoong opened the lunch box. There was bulgogi and seaweed soup in there. (It was the same lunch he had packed for Yunho when the latter was still recovering from his fever. Jaejoong remembered the countless messages he had sent to both Yunho and Ji Hoon, reminders that Yunho eat so that he could take the medicine. That was also the first time Jaejoong had prepared Yunho’s lunch for him.)
Jaejoong could only sigh helplessly. (It was getting harder to refuse Yunho’s advances as the day went by.)
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Disclaimer: Real people belong to themselves. So I really don't own anything.
A/N: Based on the Filipino movie "My Amnesia Girl" and could be considered as a sequel to N.B.S.B. But it could also be a stand-alone fic, I think. This is also unedited and unbetaed, so I apologize for any mistakes I made.
Summary: For Kim Jaejoong, his first boyfriend didn't end up to be his last. Until said first boyfriend a.k.a. Jung Yunho came barging back in his life.
Chapter 9:
The smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee were wafting through the air. He rolled over the bed, tucked himself more into his blanket and burrowed his face into his pillows, unwilling himself to awake and face the rest of the day. He had a late night before, racking his brains trying to complete a chapter of his latest novel. He had a meeting with Seunghyun, Kibum and Heechul later on that day and he really needed all the sleep he could get. His alarm clock hasn’t rung yet so he deduced that he still didn’t have to get out of bed. His eyes remained close and with the sound of cooking from his kitchen lulling him back into a deep slumber -
His forehead creased during his sleep. Why was there cooking in his kitchen? And why did he smell food? He’s living alone and he cannot remember having someone stay over -
His eyes flew open and he sat up right from his bed that Jaejoong heard few of his bones crack. He decided to deal with the pain later as he jumped out of bed, grabbed his cell phone from his night table, and rushed out of his room, dialing the number of the police department as he went on to the kitchen, ready to beat up the stranger he found there.
“Good morning!”
“Seoul Police Department, may I help you?” Jaejoong had finally connected to the police department as he stared at the figure in front of him, who was wearing an apron that protected his Armani suit and kept it clean, the small handsome face beaming at him. Jaejoong took a deep breath, turned off his phone, and counted up to three in his head before speaking. “You’re trespassing.”
Jung Yunho only continued smiling at him. “It’s not trespassing if I have a key.”
“I didn’t give anyone a duplicate.” Both Kibum and Hyori had wanted one but Jaejoong had refused this time, knowing that giving the two keys to his apartment would mean that they could bother him any time they wanted. (He had learned his lesson from the last time when the two had been given access to his old apartment.)
“I’m your landlord, I have the original.” Yunho held up his own key. “I own this place.”
(And here he was thinking it only happened in those Korean dramas his noonas watched.) It’s a good thing he held off calling the police to arrest the supposed trespasser then. “I’m pretty sure your name wasn’t in the papers I signed when I leased this apartment.”
“The company who owns this place is a subsidiary of Jung Corporation and as Executive Vice President, I used my influence to transfer this particular property to Jung Corporation.”
Jaejoong stared at Yunho who was still smiling. He really wanted to wipe that smile off by giving him another black eye (since the one he gave a week ago was already fading). He thought better of it, though - bastard had not stayed away despite the black eye, and Jaejoong doesn’t really want to injure his knuckles more than necessary. (It’s basically a waste of time and effort using violence to get rid of Jung Yunho.) “And why did you do that?”
(“So I can have access to your apartment and at least know who goes in and out of it,” wouldn’t make for a good answer and Yunho wasn’t stupid enough to tell Jaejoong that.) “I made you breakfast.”
“That’s obvious.” Two plates filled with bacon, egg, and a croissant, with two cups of coffee, and two bowls of seaweed soup were already placed on the table. (Yunho had finished cooking just in time when Jaejoong had come barging in and had placed the food on the plates as they talked. Not that Jaejoong had given the impression that he had noticed Yunho doing those things, seeing that Jaejoong still didn’t quite know how to react to Yunho being in his kitchen. Yunho supposed Jaejoong wasn’t awake enough for this and Yunho thinks it’s nice to catch Jaejoong off-guard once in a while.)
Yunho pulled back a chair, signalling that Jaejoong take a seat. “Why don’t we eat then?”
But Jaejoong stayed right where he was standing. “How can I be so sure that you didn’t put a love potion in there?” When did Yunho learn how to cook anyway? It wasn’t that the man was hopeless in the kitchen; Yunho just did not bother to learn. He helped Jaejoong chop the ingredients sometimes, but that had been the extent of it.
“I made you fall in love with me without a love potion before, I’m confident I can do it again.”
“I doubt if I’m the same person I was before.”
“But you’re still the man I love.” Of that, Yunho had no doubt. (People change over time with or without memory loss, but his feelings for Kim Jaejoong remained the same over the years, only getting stronger as time passed by.)
Jaejoong sat down. Yunho took the chair across from his. Jaejoong just stared at the plate in front of him. Yunho sighed in exasperation. “Do you really think I would poison you? We’re both going to eat the same stuff and if you’re that worried, I can exchange plates with you.”
It wasn’t that. The food Yunho had prepared - how the bacon was cooked a bit on the edges, how the eggs were fried, how the croissant came from the same bakery near his old apartment before, how the coffee seemed to be brewed instead of instant, and how there was seaweed soup inspite of it seeming to be a Western-style breakfast -
“The first night I stayed over your apartment was because I had a fever. You took care of me and even allowed me to sleep on your bed while you took the couch. When I woke up the next morning, your eldest sister Hyori was here and she was badgering you about me. Actually, she was badgering me too. But you were ignoring her and you were cooking breakfast for me.”
Yunho had prepared the exact same breakfast that Jaejoong had five years ago - down to the very last detail.
“It was one of the most sumptuous meals I ever had,” Yunho looked at Jaejoong. “I want to give you back your lost memories, Jae. Or at least the ones you have with me.”
His whole plan was getting more complicated as days went by. (Jaejoong wanted to blame Yunho for being unpredictable and basically ruining his revenge but then Jaejoong also knew he only had himself to blame for even starting the whole thing.) “What if I don’t want to remember the times I spent with you?”
“Then I’ll help you regain the memories that doesn’t have anything to do with me.” Yunho replied. “I know you haven’t forgiven me yet, Jae and I really don’t expect you to anytime soon. But I was telling you the truth when we had dinner last time - I want to make it up to you and I still want to be your friend.”
It was Jaejoong who first tore his gaze away from Yunho. Picking up the knife, he sliced the bacon and finally took a bite. Jae had to admit it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be (it was actually quite good). “You’re washing the dishes.”
“Of course I am.” Yunho grinned. “Should I prepare you a bath too?”
It was then that Jae realized he was still in his Hamtaro pyjamas. He felt his face turning red. “No, you don’t.” He glared at Yunho. “And don’t you dare enter my apartment anytime you want to!”
Yunho pouted. “But that was the only way you would see me again. I tried calling but you don’t answer; I tried dropping by Storybook Publishing but you’re always out; and I tried coming over to your apartment but no one’s around.”
(“What did you expect genius, that I’d go out of my way to see you?”) Before Jaejoong could say anything, his phone rang. He picked it up without even bothering to excuse himself. “Hello?”
“Is this a bad time?”
Jaejoong wondered if he somehow woke up at the wrong side of the bed this morning. Yunho was staring at him. “Hyunjoong-ssi, I didn’t expect you to call. Is there something wrong?”
There was a pause on the other line. “I’m assuming you’re with Jung Yunho.” (Jaejoong wouldn’t have been so formal otherwise.) “My sister Yuri’s birthday is coming up and she wants me to bring you to the party. You know how she’s such a huge fan of yours and she probably wants to show you off to her guests too. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess that wouldn’t be a problem.” Jaejoong wasn’t as close to Yuri as he was to her brother but the times he had spent with Yuri had always been enjoyable. “When is the party?”
“The day after tomorrow,” Hyunjoong said. “I’m sorry if it’s such short notice. You didn’t really tell anyone you were coming back to Seoul.”
“It’s okay. Thank you for inviting me.” Jaejoong replied. After getting from Hyunjoong the address of where the party was being held, Jaejoong finally bade Hyunjoong goodbye.
“Were you talking to Kim Hyunjoong?” Yunho asked him.
“Yes. We met awhile ago. He told me we were friends.” Jaejoong is sticking to that story for now.
“He is.” Yunho agreed. “I’ve always been jealous of that friend of yours.”
“You are?” Yunho and Hyunjoong had never been friends, but Jae had always thought that if the two spent enough time together, they’d probably like each other. Jaejoong had mentioned it often enough but the two always brushed it away and changed the subject. (It wasn’t that Jae was insensitive of their feelings, he just really didn’t understand the concept of jealousy. It drove Yunho a bit crazy sometimes, whenever someone flirted with him and he was with Jae and the latter would only look at him with that stoic expression of his and a sarcastic remark after.) “Why?”
“If there was one person who could be capable of taking you away from me, that would be Kim Hyunjoong.” Yunho said honestly. “I have a feeling he’s going to take the chance to, now.” (He wasn’t telling Jaejoong about the challenge he made with Hyunjoong, though. Jae would know it soon himself anyway, if Hyunjoong is making his move already.) “Did he ask you to go out with him?”
“No, he just invited me to his sister’s birthday party this Saturday.” (Jaejoong doesn’t understand why he felt the need to clarify that to Yunho.)
“I see.” (Yunho might have challenged Hyunjoong and he was going to play fair - but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t exhaust any means he has in his arsenal to know what Hyunjoong would be up to. Hyunjoong could do the same too.)
++++
“I was only out of the country for a convention for two weeks and then I see you stepping out of Jung Yunho’s car.” Kim Heechul pointed his pen at Jaejoong. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I asked him that too the first time,” Kibum grumbled. “He wouldn’t listen and now it’s gotten complicated because apparently, Yunho had already come clean to him.”
“Wow, Jae, I never knew you had such a colourful love life.” Seunghyun marveled. “I mean yeah, I got invited to your wedding two years ago but I honestly thought you were the one who called off the wedding and that was the reason you moved to Busan.”
Heechul stared at Seunghyun. “Were you living in the mountains?” Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong’s fairy-tale wedding that didn’t end in happily-ever-after was news days, weeks, months after it happened. Every one knew and talked about it, making their own opinions on who exactly was in the wrong. Jung Yunho was one of the most eligible bachelors there is and a certified playboy - maybe Kim Jaejoong couldn’t satisfy him enough had been the most prevalent talk of all.
“I don’t really keep up with the news and current events.” Seunghyun said sheepishly. That’s not exactly true - Seunghyun didn’t poke his nose into other people’s business and doesn’t care much for gossip so what happened with Jaejoong’s wedding flew off his radar.
“And Heechul did his best to get Yunho away from you too,” Kibum scolded Jaejoong. “He refused to tell the bastard where you went when he tried to find you. But no, it was you who had to show himself to him.”
“I moved back to Seoul, do you honestly think we wouldn’t bump into each other at one point in time?” Jaejoong sighed in exasperation. “And why are we talking about this? Aren’t we supposed to be in a meeting to discuss Seunghyun’s novel?” The latest TOP series was targeted to be released in three months but since it appears that Seunghyun would not be meeting the deadline, the four of them have to discuss whether the release date should be moved, among other things (which also included how Jaejoong’s own novel was coming along).
Seunghyun cleared his throat. “Well, about that, I’m going to a matchmaking session tonight. Cupid and Associates set it up.”
“What?” Jaejoong turned to Seunghyun. “Why?”
“Because I was running out of ideas for the love angle and it really wouldn’t hurt.” Seunghyun reasoned. “Besides, Hyunjoong told me you did it before.”
“That’s why I know it’s a bad idea.” The matchmaking sessions with Cupid and Associates had played a huge part in bringing him closer to Yunho.
“At least Seunghyun is doing something productive,” Kibum remarked. “And where is the latest chapter of your love story, Jae?”
“I’m working on it.” Jaejoong replied. Before becoming an editor, Jaejoong had managed to write two more novels after Wasurenaide - and both weren’t in the romance genre. (The first one, W, the title character didn’t know anything about herself except for the nickname every one gave her which was W. The second one, Long Way, was about a son who wanted to bring his parents back together.) Jaejoong didn’t know why he decided to write a love story again after all these years. It just happened that way, he supposed.
Heechul regarded him with interest. “You’re writing a love story again? What is it about? The lead character pretending to lose his memories to get back at his ex?” (Jaejoong had no choice but to let Heechul and Seunghyun in on the plan as well, seeing that him working at Storybook Publishing has become known and it was better to at least make sure none of the people seen with him slip.)
“It’s nowhere near related to real life.”
“Like Wasurenaide wasn’t?”
Now, Seunghyun was interested. Maybe he should read Wasurenaide again? From the way Heechul, Kibum, and Jaejoong were talking, it appeared that Jaejoong wrote the novel based on real-life experiences. (And Seunghyun loves Wasurenaide. It was the novel that made him contemplate writing a love story himself.)
Their discussion was cut short when the secretary entered the conference room, carrying four Starbucks frappucinos in one hand and a lunch box on the other. Kibum furrowed his brows. “I don’t remember ordering Starbucks.”
“Me either.” Heechul said.
“Someone else bought this,” the secretary informed them as she placed the drinks on the table. She gave the lunch box to Jaejoong and got a card out from her pocket. “The delivery man wanted me to give this to you too.”
The card had a drawing of Hamtaro in the cover. Familiar handwriting greeted Jaejoong. Don’t forget to eat lunch.
Jaejoong opened the lunch box. There was bulgogi and seaweed soup in there. (It was the same lunch he had packed for Yunho when the latter was still recovering from his fever. Jaejoong remembered the countless messages he had sent to both Yunho and Ji Hoon, reminders that Yunho eat so that he could take the medicine. That was also the first time Jaejoong had prepared Yunho’s lunch for him.)
Jaejoong could only sigh helplessly. (It was getting harder to refuse Yunho’s advances as the day went by.)