You're My Melody Chapter 5: Grateful

“What do you want to do right now Seohyun-ah?”  Jaejoong asked the absent minded Seohyun who was sitting on the passenger seat just beside him. She never spoke a word since they left the coffee shop. The lights outside the car caused shadows to form on her face and Jaejoong could see a feeling of sadness mirrored in her eyes.

“Huh?” Seohyun asked startled. “I… I don’t know.” She was so determined to make her birthday special but she never thought about the best way to do it.

Jaejoong knows he can’t take her to public places if he wants to avoid causing a scandal. Being in the car alone is dangerous enough. He considered cooking something for her. Not a bad idea, he thought.

“Let’s go buy groceries…” he finally decided and without waiting for Seohyun’s reply he turned the car around and headed to the nearest grocery store.

It was already late and there were only a few people at the grocery store doing their last day shopping. Some people glanced their way and it made her feel a little uncomfortable. Jaejoong, on the other hand, seemed to be oblivious to the stares pointed at them.

Jaejoong bought so many things and Seohyun have no idea what he’s planning to do. He seems to be in high spirits as he picks up a couple of canned goods, hot sauce, and other stuff while Seohyun was just tagging along. Although it was her birthday, Jaejoong seems to be more excited than she is. She looked at his face and she noticed dark circles around his eyes. He may not look like it but Seohyun could tell he’s really tired.

“Jaejoong-sshi is this really alright??” Seohyun asked feeling guilty that Jaejoong missed his chance to rest although it was obviously Jaejoong’s fault that they were doing shopping in the middle of the night instead of lying in bed sleeping.

“Call me oppa. And yes, it’s fine unless you would rather spend time alone than hang out with me.”

“No, I mean… I hope I’m not bothering you in some way.”

“Don’t be silly. Let’s just have fun, ok?” Jaejoong dismissed the topic and focused on the two canned tuna on his hands while trying to decide which of the two would taste better in a kimchi jiggae. After giving it a lot of thought he decided to purchase the two. He then continued looking for other things he needed to buy and making sure he didn’t forget anything. Seohyun however didn’t move from where she stood and just stared at Jaejoong like he was some kind of an angel sent from heaven to mend her heart.

“Oppa,” she called out to him which made Jaejoong look back at her. “Gomawoyo…” she said and she mean it.

Jaejoong came closer. He just couldn’t resist that shy smile she gave him. When he was close enough he bent a little so their faces were at the same level. He wanted to kiss her but he fought the urge to do so because if he did all hell will broke loose and he couldn’t let that happen. So instead he just smiled then said, “Think of this as payment for returning my phone.” He ruffled her hair and she protested, “Hey!” Jaejoong chuckled then went back on filling the cart with groceries as if nothing happened.

He decided to buy a cake without even asking Seohyun if she wants some. He probably knew she would protest. What he was doing was already too much and Seohyun feels like she doesn’t deserve any of it. But Seohyun couldn’t do anything about it because Jaejoong already ordered before Seohyun realized what he was doing. He did ask for her favorite flavor though. Instead of answering she said, “Oppa you shouldn’t have…”

“But I already did so just tell me what you like,” he said smiling

Seohyun returned the smiled. “All right. Anything as long it’s chocolate.”

Jaejoong bought the biggest chocolate-flavored cake available. When they went back to the car with 3 huge bags of groceries Jaejoong asked, “Where are you staying, Seohyun-ah?”

“In a hotel.”

“Our place is better then. Common~” Juggling three bags of groceries with one arm and holding Seohyun’s hand with the other Jaejoong started dragging Seohyun back to the car.

When they reached home they found Yoochun still sleeping on the couch. Jaejoong went straight to the kitchen. “Make yourself comfortable. This will only take a few minutes.”

“Let me help you, oppa…” It was out before she realized she shouldn’t have said that. She doesn’t know how to cook because she never tried even once. “Er… just tell me what to do.” She said without much confidence.

“You can start chopping the meat.” Jaejoong told her.

She took the knife lying on the table and started chopping the meat clumsily. Jaejoong was in the act of pouring oil on the pan when he suddenly stopped and looked at her. Seohyun sensed Jaejoong’s eyes are on her so she looked up at him, pouted and said, “Stop staring. I can’t concentrate.”

Jaejoong laughed. Her red pouty lips make him want to cover it with his own and again he fought the urge to kiss her. “I didn’t know chopping needs a lot of concentration,” he said instead.

“Of course it does… If you want to avoid injuries… And I definitely don’t want to see my own blood spilling all over the place. So stop bothering me, oppa.” She said as she continued to chop the meat clumsily while Jaejoong look at her worriedly. Then without a word Jaejoong took the knife from her hands and took over the job making Seohyun hate herself for being so useless.

----

Changmin woke up from the scent of food coming from the kitchen. When he checked the clock he realized it was still before midnight. He only slept for a few hours. He was torn between going back to sleep to ease his sleep-deprived body or go to the kitchen and satisfy his growling stomach. His stomach won just as it always does.

He heard laughter coming from the kitchen. He realized it was Jaejoong’s and someone else’s that he isn’t familiar with.

“Oppa… That’s too much. It’s just the two of us. How are we going to finish eating everything?” Changmin heard a girl say.

“Gwenchana. “ Jaejoong replied.

“Wait, oppa… I can’t handle spicy stuff. Don’t put in too much!”

When Changmin reached the kitchen he found Jaejoong with a girl and they look like little kids playing some kind of game with Jaejoong holding a bottle of hot sauce and the girl, who must have realized that Jaejoong was planning to pour everything, went jumping up and down trying to grab the bottle of hot sauce from Jaejoong’s hands.

Seohyun was the first one to notice Changmin’s presence. She stopped instantly the moment she saw Changmin standing at the doorway.

“Oh, Changmin-ah… you’re awake…” Jaejoong said when he noticed Changmin.

“I smelt something delicious…” His senses are always in its maximum when it comes to food… an ability that the others don’t possess. Changmin looked at Seohyun then back at Jaejoong then his eyes lingered on the assortment of food served on the table. From what he saw it appears that his hyung invited a girl over, a very pretty girl it seems, then took all the effort to cook all those stuff on the table. Changmin couldn’t even remember the last time Jaejoong cooked that much. He even had to beg Jaejoong so he would give him a bigger share than his Junsu hyung who always competes with him in everything including food.

“Ok, hyung. Spill,” Changmin said accusingly. Changmin is the maknae of the group but he rarely acts like one. Jaejoong hates it when Changmin acts like he’s the older one between the two of them when the truth is that Jaejoong is two years ahead.

“Spill what?” Jaejoong asked innocently though he knew perfectly well what Changmin really meant. He continued with his cooking as if nothing out of ordinary needs explanation and this annoyed Changmin even more. Changmin was not angry because his hyung brought a pretty girl at home. He doesn’t really care about other people’s love affair. And he knew there are a lot of girls who are willing to be his girlfriend in case he needed one. The truth was just that he hates the fact that his hyung never cooked this much food for him and yet he took all the effort to cook for this girl of whom Changmin doesn’t even know from where. How did his hyung met this girl anyway? Jaejoong never mentioned anything about a girl he likes. She’s not even a celebrity. At least that’s what he thinks. He never saw any celebrity who is as beautiful as this girl and he’s the type who never forgets pretty faces.

“You brought a girl in our house at…” he paused to check his watch. “….11 in the evening then took all the effort to cook all these,” he motioned his hands to emphasize the food on the table. “What’s going on, hyung?” He looked at Seohyun who averted her eyes the moment their gazes met. If it was because if guilt that she couldn’t meet his eyes, Changmin wasn’t sure. Besides Changmin couldn’t think of a reason for this girl to be guilty about unless she and his Jaejoong hyung are indeed having an affair when it’s definitely prohibited to all SME artists and Jaejoong isn’t an exception.

“We’re having a party for Seohyun’s birthday. Since you’re awake, help yourself.” Jaejoong told Changmin. So the girl’s name is Seohyun and it’s her birthday. Some of his questions were answered but not everything. Oh well, that can wait. All Changmin wanted to do at that moment was to sit and start eating. It’s as if the food on the table were calling him and asking him to eat them. He sat on the chair facing Seohyun then, while using his last ounce of patience, waited for his hyung to finish the last dish.

“You were having a party and you’re not telling me… That’s mean…” Changmin complained still not planning to drop the case. “You should have woken me up.”

Jaejoong chuckled. After years of living with Changmin he perfectly understand why he behaves the way he does right now. “Yunho will definitely kill me if you we’re not well rested for tomorrow’s recording.”

“So you can stay up late and I couldn’t? That’s not fair hyung. Oh, well, at least Junsu hyung was left out too. I would be really mad if all of you were having fun and I wasn’t aware.” He could already picture out Junsu’s laughing face and hear his ‘eu kyang kyang’ laugh while telling him names of food he ate all those times Changmin was sleeping.

“This will be ready in a minute,” Jaejoong said after pouring all the contents of the hot sauce bottle into the pan of ddeokbokki of which Seohyun couldn’t do anything about.

“He’s really mean you know.” Changmin whispered to Seohyun but loud enough for Jaejoong to hear. “He puts ‘sudden death’ sauce in everything he cooks and we can never complain because he would stop cooking for us once we did.” Seohyun found the name of the sauce funny but she couldn’t find the need to ask why the hot sauce was called ‘sudden death’ and besides Jaejoong already threw a remark at what Changmin just said before she could even open her mouth.

 “Yah~ Chamin-ah. Stop telling Seohyun bad things about me.”

“We’re just getting to know each other, you know. Just hurry up already so we can start eating. I’m hungry.”

“When are you not hungry?” Changmin pretended he didn’t hear that last remark and instead turned to Seohyun. “Since Jaejoong hyung is too busy to introduce us…” he stretched his arm towards Seohyun and offered a handshake. “I’m Shim Changmin.”

 Seohyun was amazed at how different Changmin is on TV and up close. She used to think of Changmin as a silent and reserved person because he never talks a lot during interviews but now she realized she was wrong. “I’m Lee Seohyun,” she said taking his hand.

“Are you and Jaejoong hyung dating?” Changmin asked.

“Ehhh?? No! We’ve just met today at SME. He left his phone in the music room and I came to return it back.” Seohyun explained without realizing that she sounded so defensive.

“Eh? So you mean you came all this way to Tokyo just to return Jaejoong hyung’s phone?” Of course Changmin was right but she knew she would look stupid if she admits it so she decided to tell the same lie she told Jaejoong a while back.

“I decided to have a vacation here in Tokyo and since you were also here I decided to drop by.”

“What did you see?”

“Eh?” Seohyun asked not sure what he meant.

“On Jaejoong’s phone. What did you see?”

She blushed again. She had been blushing a lot lately and she hates it. “Nothing worth looking at.” She said though that’s not exactly what she wanted to say. That’s what came out of her mouth and it was already too late for her to take back assuming it’s possible.

If what she meant by ‘nothing worth looking at’ are their nude pictures, then her remark was definitely insulting for Changmin. Jaejoong who had been listening to their conversation the whole time laughed really hard. “If you’re wondering whether she had seen your pictures or not, the answer’s yes. She definitely did.”

“Oh, damn. Should I expect my nude pictures on the internet by now?”

“Don’t worry Changmin. She said those pictures are ‘nothing worth looking at’ so I guess she didn’t find the need to post it on the internet.”

Changmin doesn’t know whether to be relieved because his pictures are safe or be insulted because this strange girl found his picture to be ‘nothing worth looking at’. He glared at his hyung who still didn’t stop from laughing. “Next time you pee I’ll make sure to catch it on cam.” Changmin warned.

“Remind me to always lock the door.”

Seohyun found herself laughing really hard. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so hard. She realized this is definitely the best birthday ever.

“Oh, shit. It’s almost midnight.” Jaejoong said when he noticed the time. He took the huge chocolate cake out of the refrigerator then put two candles that form ‘16’ on top of the cake where the words ‘Sengil Chukahae, Seohyun-ah’ were also written. Her two oppas sang the “Sengil Chukahae” song and it sounds so beautiful just like the accapella songs she heard them sing on tv. Jaejoong lit the candles, grabbed his Polaroid camera then told Seohyun to blow the candles. He took a shot and when the picture came out he gave it to Seohyun.

In the picture she saw a smiling image of herself… no pretenses… only real happiness mirrored in her eyes. “Gamsahamnida Jaejoong oppa… Changmin oppa…” she told them because she wanted them both to know how grateful she truly is although a simple ‘gamsahamnida’ doesn’t seem like enough. Changmin grinned and Jaejoong ruffled her hair again just like how an oppa teases his dongsaeng and instead of getting annoyed Seohyun was beginning to like it.

“Let’s eat. I’m starving.” Changmin said while avoiding Jaejoong’s eyes knowing he will just receive another ‘you’re-always-hungry’ look.

Jaejoong’s cooking was also exceptional. He’s even better than the cook they had back home. When she told Jaejoong that he beamed at her and he looked so happy just like how he looked when she saw him on tv thanking the fans after winning Best Album of the Year.

 “I wonder if I should’ve made a lot more,” Jaejoong said with a sigh. It earned a shocked look from Seohyun.

“Are you serious oppa? This is enough for 10 people… “

“Apparently it’s only enough for Changmin…” To Seohyun’s surprise she learned that Changmin usually eat 8 meals a day and if he went a little less than that they have to worry because that means there’s something wrong with him.

“Yah~ hyung. Stop talking before she starts thinking I’m a monster.” Changmin complained and Seohyun started laughing once again. She never laughed in her entire life as much as she did today. It’s all thanks to this two dork oppas beside her.

You're My Melody Chapter 4: Second Meeting

Jaejoong had no idea what has gotten on his mind. They have to wake up early the next day and he was supposed to rest and yet there he is on his way to meet a girl. He grabbed his coat and car keys then went to get his car.

When he reached the coffee shop he looked around expecting to see a familiar face that never left his mind ever since the moment he saw her that morning. She’s just too pretty to be easily forgotten. He smiled when he spotted her sitting alone in a corner. She noticed him already and she was staring at him with those pretty eyes of hers.

He walked towards her, happiness building up inside of him. If it was because he’s relieved that he can finally have his phone back or the fact that he was able to meet her for the second time, Jaejoong wasn’t sure.

---

Seohyun saw a familiar face in the corner of her eyes. When she turned to look she saw Jaejoong enter the shop. Her heart started beating faster for no reason. Jaejoong looked around as if he’s looking for someone. He met Seohyun’s gaze and she froze. She almost forgot how good-looking he really is.

Jaejoong started walking towards her and with every step he takes her heart beats extra faster. How can he be so damn good-looking? She couldn’t help but stare. Meeting Jaejoong that night would have been a good thing since it would save her a lot of trouble returning the phone. It would have been a good thing if only this guy would stop making her heart beat so fast.

When Jaejoong finally reached her table he said, “Annyeonghaseyo…” The sound of his voice made her snap out of her reverie.

“Annyeonghaseyo…” she replied. Jaejoong sat on the chair in front of her.

 “Sorry for leaving so suddenly this morning.”

“No, it’s ok.” Seohyun said with a calmness she never felt. She hopes Jaejoong wouldn’t notice her unease.

A waiter passed by their table and asked in Japanese if Jaejoong wants something. He replied in fluent Japanese that he wants a coffee. The waitress must have recognized Jaejoong and Seohyun wondered if it’s alright to be with this superstar in that time of day at that kind of place.

Seohyun remembered the phone resting on her hands. “Here’s your phone…” she gave Jaejoong his phone.

“Thanks.” Seohyun could see relief in his eyes and she’s a little happy that she can do something for Jaejoong.

“By any chance did you happen to see...” Jaejoong asked and Seohyun understood at once what he meant. She blushed and nodded her head. “Sorry…” she said.

 Jaejoong grimaced in embarrassment. “No, it’s my fault… Anyway, thanks. Really… You saved me. Those guys will kill me if this thing goes in public.” Jaejoong smiled and Seohyun’s heart started beating like crazy again.

“No, it’s nothing. Since I decided to take a vacation here in Tokyo I thought maybe I should drop by your place and return the phone.”

“Are you also working for SME? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“No… I was…” she paused trying to think of an excuse. Somehow something’s stopping her from telling Jaejoong that she’s the daughter of SME’s CEO. “I came to visit my Dad. He’s… he’s an employee.”

“Oh~ I see… You’re in a vacation right? How long do you plan to stay here in Tokyo?”

“I wish I can stay long but I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?”

Why not? Let’s see… Her Japanese sucks and she doesn’t have money to last for even a day. Either she goes back home now or get stuck here in Tokyo and die. It seems like she’s the most unlucky person in the world. It’s her birthday and she doesn’t even have the chance to have fun. All the anger she feels wanted to explode that she couldn’t keep it inside of her any longer. Before she knew it a tear already fell from her eyes and Jaejoong already noticed it before she can hide it.

“Gwenchana??” he asked in a worried voice.

She wiped the tears away, which is useless since Jaejoong already saw it. “Yeah. I’m fine.” She lied. She never cries and she’s proud of it but at that moment she was so disappointed with herself. For crying out loud, why does she have to cry now and worse why does it have to be in front of Jaejoong?! Even Seohyun was surprised by her own weakness. Too bad Jaejoong has to be the one who has to see it.

---

For the first time in his life Jaejoong have no idea what to do. The moment he saw that single tear that fell from her eyes he fought the urge to wipe it away. She looked so fragile and Jaejoong wondered what could be the reason of those tears. “Gwenchana??” he asked feeling a little stupid since it’s obvious she’s not feeling fine.

She wiped the tears that fell from her eyes and flashed an apologetic smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” It was a total lie and Jaejoong was aware of it. He noticed a lot of people in the coffee shop were already staring at them and he doesn’t like it not because he’s worried that the scene they’re making will cause a scandal but because he’s worried Seohyun might feel even more uncomfortable than she already is.

“No you’re not fine. Common let’s get out of here…” He called the waiter, asked for their bill, paid then left holding Seohyun by the hand.

“Wait Jaejoong-sshi…” she said, almost out of breath from walking too fast. Jaejoong let her go. They were just a few feet away from his car.

“Seohyun-ah…” She looked surprised and Jaejoong couldn’t blame her since he was surprised as well. He wasn’t sure how he managed to come up with that nickname but he’s as sure as hell like the sound of it.

“How old are you Seohyun-ah?”

“15…” Seohyun who is still not used to hearing Jaejoong calling her with familiarity made a mistake. “I mean… 16… I just turned 16 today,” she clarified.

“It’s your birthday then…”

“Yeah… the worst it seems…” Whatever reason she has for saying that is obviously making her down and Jaejoong doesn’t want to add to her pain by asking.

He checked his watch. It’s about two hours before midnight. He flashed her a smile hoping to cheer her up. “Jaa~ let’s make this the best birthday ever…”

“Eh?”

“Common…” He started dragging her to his car and Seohyun suddenly found herself smiling for no reason. Jaejoong’s vigor and energy seems to be contagious.

You're My Melody Chapter 3: At Tokyo, Japan

While on the plane, everyone were still worried about Jaejoong’s lost phone but since they knew there’s nothing they can do about it they decided not to worry so much and just focused on the big day ahead of them. There were more work waiting in Japan and a few hours of plane trip was their only chance to rest.

Yunho yawned and when he realized he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer he decided to sleep. A few hours later Jaejoong who was sitting beside him noticed him sleeping with his mouth open. Jaejoong tilted Yunho's seat and covered his face with a towel. Changmin whose been eating since the plane took off saw it and smiled. He was sitting beside Junsu and across the other three members.

"Yunho never fails to embarrass me. Really…" Jaejoong said. Junsu laughed at this. His high-pitched dolphin voice made other people sitting beside them glance in their direction.

On the other hand, Yoochun who was sitting on Jaejoong’s left was playing with his phone camera and making funny faces. A flight steward saw this and told Yoochun that phones should be turned off during the flight. Of course he knows it. He said sorry but when the steward left he resumed what he was doing. Jaejoong thought it was fun so he came to join him afterwards.

Junsu noticed Changmin eating and said, "Really Changmin, when are you gonna stop eating?"

"Junsu hyung, it’s like asking you when you’re going to stop those oyaji gags." The maknae retorted back.

"Do you think I'm doing them because I want to?" Changmin laughed. Yoochun and Jaejoong were just watching Junsu and Changmin's verbal fight with amusement.

---

Narita Airport

Tokyo, Japan

The moment their plane landed they started speaking in Japanese. Yunho's phone started ringing. The call was from their manager. “Manager-san?" Yunho said to the man on the other line.

"Are you in Tokyo already?"

"Yes. We just arrived."

"Good. You have a scheduled appearance this afternoon. I expect you all to be in FujiTV in 2 hours."

Yunho stared at the other members who looked like they would rather stay at home lying on the bed for the rest of the day than appear in some Japanese TV show. Yunho wanted to tell their manager to cancel their schedules for the day so they can rest. But he knew better than that. Years of experience taught him never to complain. After sighing hard he said, "Wakarimashita." He said goodbye then he hung up. He’s the leader of Dong Bang Shin Ki. But he’s only that. He wished he’s more than that but he’s not. He’s not as powerful as Lee Soo Man who can make everyone work for days without rest and still get no complaints except for a few curses spoken behind his back.

After cursing Lee Soo Man for a millionth time on his mind Yunho said to the other members, "Minna. There's work waiting. Ganbarimashou."

"Can't we at least get something to eat first, hyung?" Changmin asked.

"Alright. Let's grab some food first." Yunho agreed.

"Let’s eat Hitsumabushi!" Jusu suggested but in the end no one listened to him and they ended up eating ramen for lunch.

After lunch they were on their way to Fuji TV. Junsu was sitting at the back eating nattou.

"Ya~ Junsu.. It stinks! Will you stop eating nattou in the car?" Jaejoong complained. Junsu didn't listen and just keep on eating oblivious to the complaints of the other four members.

---

Seohyun arrived in Tokyo at around 6pm. Everything was so foreign to her. From the moment she stepped outside Narita International Airport she knew there’s no turning back. She hailed a taxi and told the driver to take her to the nearest hotel. Although she speaks a little Japanese enough to converse with a Japanese person she was still thankful that the driver could understand English and in a country like Japan it’s very rare. As she stared outside the window excitement building up inside of her, she thought about her father. She wondered if he cares enough for him to worry about her even just a little bit. She shoved the thought away. She was annoyed with herself for wishing something impossible.

She checked her phone and noticed a message left in her mailbox. It was from her father’s secretary. “Miss Seohyun, your father wants you to call him the moment you hear this message.”

Seohyun thought her father must have noticed her absence and he wanted to know where she is. She dialed her father’s number. “Dad…”

“The maids said you’re not home.” Her father said in an angry voice but without any hint of concern. He was not worried. That she can tell. He just doesn’t like it when there’s something out of ordinary in his life and that includes this situation where his daughter left and he’s not informed of her whereabouts. Lee Soo Man might not be a very caring father but he also decides everything for his daughter which restrains Seohyun in every possible way. Seohyun lacks not only love but also freedom.

“I left Korea.”

“What?? What games are you playing at, Seohyun?”

“I’m not playing games, Dad.”

“Wherever you are come back this instant.” It wasn’t even a request. The order made Seohyun retaliate even more. Right now she was not even sure whether she still wanted to come back home or not.

“Sorry, Dad…”

“You’re giving me headaches. Don’t make me mad Seohyun. Come back home before I forced you to.”

She didn’t want to hear Lee Soo Man’s angry voice anymore so she hung up right away. She was worried about her father’s last words before she hung up. Come back home before I forced you to. She wondered what her father could possibly do to make her come back home.

----

After their schedules the five members of Tohoshinki arrived home exhausted. Changmin and Junsu played Rock, Paper, and Scissors to decide who gets to take a bath first. The maknae won just as he always does. How he does it no one have any idea.

Jaejoong started preparing jiggae for dinner. “Jaejoongie, are you sure you don’t want to order something instead? You’re tired aren’t you?” Yunho said.

"Daijoubu. Besides it's been a long time since I cooked something for you guys." Jaejoong said.

"It can't be helped. We were so busy." Yoochun said.

It had been a very exhausting day and although it was only past nine everyone wanted to go to bed early. It seemed like fatigue was finally taking a toll on them. Yunho, Changmin and Junsu went to their bedroom right after dinner. Jaejoong saw Yoochun sitting on the couch watching a movie and Jaejoong was almost sure he’ll fall asleep before even finishing it.

He decided to take a bath and when he returned he found Yoochun already asleep just as he expected. He sat beside the sleeping Yoochun and made himself comfortable while trying to concentrate on whatever movie Yoochun was watching. He’s tired but he can’t possibly go to sleep just yet. There were a lot of things going on in his mind and all of it involves his damn phone. If Dong Bang Shin Ki gets into a scandal it would be because of him and he doubts if he will be able to have a peaceful night with that thought in mind.

He saw Yoochun’s phone lying on the table. Yoochun let him borrow it this morning to call his own phone which he couldn’t seem to reach. Although Yoochun probably wouldn’t mind if he borrowed it again he still felt the need to ask him.

He paused for a while before finally coming into a decision. “Yoochun-ah…” He felt bad for waking Yoochun up but he needs to find his phone and he needs Yoochun’s phone to find it. Yoochun suddenly woke up startled from the sound of Jaejoong’s voice calling his name.

“Can I borrow your phone?” Jaejoong asked the half-asleep Yoochun.

Yoochun said in a barely audible voice, “Yeah sure, hyung.” Then he went back to sleep almost instantly.

Jaejoong turned off the TV then went outside with Yoochun’s phone on his hand and leaving Yoochun sleeping on the couch. He didn’t want to bother Yoochun any more than he already did. They all needed rest and he had no plans of denying Yoochun his chance to sleep.

He dialed his phone again. He had been calling his phone since morning but a voice always says the phone is out of coverage so he was almost surprised to hear a familiar ringing sound after he dialed his own number. He waited but no one was picking up. He was growing impatient. He prayed whoever found his phone would pick up already.

----

Seohyun couldn’t believe her father would go to that extent. She went to a nearby restaurant for dinner and when it was time to pay the bills she decided to use her credit card. The waitress said in Japanese with an apologetic face, “Do you have any other card, ma’am?” She tried using her other cards but all of them were rejected. She paid in cash instead.

She could barely speak Japanese and she only had a few bills in her pocket. How in the world will she be able to last long in Japan? So this is what her father meant when he said, Come back home before I forced you to.

How could she be so impulsive? She couldn’t go back home anymore. Actually it’s more of like she didn’t want to come home. She was planning on going back to the hotel but she suddenly decided against it. It’s still early and although she doesn’t have much money she can’t waste her time lying on the bed contemplating about her hatred for her father. She passed by a coffee shop and decided to kill time by drinking coffee.

She was broke and yet there she was wasting money on a coffee when she could have saved it for something more important…  She took a sip of her coffee and grimaced from the bitterness of it. Just what she needed… Her birthday was almost over and there she was sitting alone in a coffee shop in a foreign country. Nothing good had ever happened to her that day except perhaps meeting Jaejoong that morning. So much for hoping that birthday would be any different from her previous ones…

She received emails from her classmates a while ago. They were asking why she didn’t come to class. She just ignored them. Sometimes she wondered if her classmates think of her as a friend or if they were just hanging out with her because she’s Lee Soo Man’s daughter. It’s not that she cares. Actually she never tried to get close to anyone in her class. For her they’re only classmates. Never friends… There were times when they get so annoying like when they ask things about the whereabouts of some SME artists or if they want to confirm a gossip about some actors. She was getting tired of it already. During those times she only answers with a shrug and an “I don’t know”. Thankfully they don’t press any further. For her, being Lee Soo Man’s daughter is the worst thing that could happen to anyone.

Expecting to see more emails either from her father or her classmates she searched her bag for her phone. She saw Jaejoong’s phone and noticed a message flashing on the screen saying “1 missed call from ‘My Yoochun’”

She was trying to decide whether she should call the other members of Dong Bang Shin Ki informing them that she has Jaejoong’s phone with her or going to their apartment without notice instead. Maybe she should try calling them after all. Before she could dial, the phone started ringing again and she picked it up. “Yeoboseyo? Yoochun-sshi?”

“No. It’s Jaejoong. I guess you have my phone?” The familiar voice made Seohyun’s heart skip a beat.

“Yeah… You left it in SME.”

“May I know your name?”

 “It’s Seohyun.”

“Ah, Seohyun-sshi! I remember now. We met this morning right?” Seohyun didn’t expect Jaejoong to remember her name so she was surprised to know that Jaejoong recognized her.

“Yeah. You were in a hurry so you left your phone in the music room.”

“Yeah, one of my stupid moments… “

Seohyun laughed, her problems forgotten for a moment. Jaejoong chuckled as well. “Seohyun-sshi… I’m really sorry about this but can you do me a favor? I’m in Tokyo right now. I’m not sure when I’ll be back in Seoul but can you keep my phone until then?”

“Uhm… actually I’m also in Tokyo right now. I was planning on returning your phone tomorrow.”

“Really? Then, will it be alright if we meet now?”

“Eh?”

“It’s ok if you don’t want to.”

“No, I mean… It’s fine.”

“Great. So tell me where you are.” Seohyun told him the name of the place. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Suddenly, Seohyun found herself looking forward to meeting Jaejoong for the second time that day.

Second Chance

It’s Sunday afternoon and being in that place had been a habit I never want to get rid of. Although it’s painful and frustrating being trapped in a past I can’t find the courage to let go of, past memories makes it impossible for me to move on so I have to live with it and be thankful for the little glint of happiness I’m living with at the moment.

The sound of the flowing water in the nearby stream, the smell of the autumn air, the fallen cherry blossom leaves which creates a pink carpet on the pavement floor, the little bench under the tall cherry blossom tree also coated with pink petals… Together they create beautiful scenery but to me they were also reminders of painful memories, frustrations, moments of waiting and hearts being broken.

I saw her sitting under the cherry blossom tree too engrossed in a book to notice me. I stayed where I was mesmerized by the scene in front of me. She looks so pretty with her yellow dress; the gentle wind ruffles her long black hair, and although she’s not wearing any make-up her cheeks is smeared with pinkish glow. She might have sensed me looking at her because she suddenly looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at me.

My work makes it almost impossible to be with her. It’s only during Sundays that we can really spend time together. When I got close enough I said, “Am I late?”

She stood up, grinned then said, “No. I’m just too early.” I took out a small box from my pocket took her hand then put the gift on top of her palm. She looked at me confused.

“Go on, open it.” I said. Slowly she pulled the cover up revealing a silver necklace with a pendant in a shape of a musical note. She gasped admiring the gift. “It’s pretty…” It made me so happy.

I took the necklace from her hands, spun her around gently then fastened it around her neck. I spun her around again so she was facing me and I could admire the way she looked. It was perfect just like the way I expected it to be.

“What’s the occasion?” She asked and I just smiled. “Nothing,” I lied. “I just wanted to give you something.” I find it hard to explain to her everything and even if I could she probably wouldn’t understand. Or maybe the hopeful part of me just wanted her to find it out for herself.

I took her hand and we walked together admiring the view of the park on a Sunday autumn afternoon.

“Do you still love her?” She asked after a while. The question surprised me and I stopped walking. “Huh?” That was all I was able to say.

“Your first love… You mentioned her on TV. Do you still love her?” I looked at her trying to meet her eyes but she was staring down at her feet and I instantly knew what she was thinking.

I smiled. “Jealous?” I like the way she blushes whenever I tease her. With her cheeks bright red, she looked up to me finally. “No! I-I… I’m just curious…” her voice faltered before she looked down again. I knew her long enough to know how much a bad liar she is.

I realized she was serious and she really wanted to know the truth so I stopped the teasing and sighed. “Yes. I still love her.” I felt her stiffen and her grip on my hand tightened. I don’t want my words to cause her pain but I don’t want to lie either. Why does she have to ask me that question?

Fresh memories came rushing through my mind as if they just happened not too long ago. I remember the times when everything was so beautiful like nothing could ever go wrong. How naïve I must have been thinking there are some things that could last forever.


I met my first love 10 years ago in that same place at that same time of the year. I was on my way home from school when I saw her sitting on a bench not too far away with her head bent. I looked around and noticed some kids my age playing by the stream. They were too busy to notice the girl sitting on the bench under the tall cherry blossom tree. I came closer and that was when I realized that she was crying.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She looked up and it was the first time I saw her two pools of beautiful teary eyes. “Nothing,” she replied then tried to wipe the tears that fell from her eyes. She stood up ready to leave but I grabbed her arm. I’m not sure what possessed me at that moment and I know I shouldn’t mind other people’s business but I couldn’t just let her go like that. So I held on her arm a little tighter than necessary but careful so as not to hurt her.

She stared back at me then stared at my hand that was keeping her from leaving. I let her go embarrassed by my own actions. “S-sorry.” I said.

She started to leave again setting off in the direction I was going before I saw her. “Wait!” I called out to her. “Are you going home? Let’s go together.”

“O-okay.” Somehow that single word made me so happy. I ran towards her and we walked home together. We were two strangers walking side by side and not a single word spoken between us.

When we reached her house she said goodbye to me. It was still a little awkward. “Wait, what’s your name?” I asked.

“Ee bbeun,” she said. A pretty name that fits a pretty face, I thought.

“Jaejun imnida,” I said introducing myself.

“Annyeong…” she smiled and I feel like melting. It was the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. The sight of her crying breaks my heart but her smile lights up my world. I didn’t know that what I felt at that time, the fast beating of my heart like it was breaking out of my rib cage, the shaking of my knees and the feeling of being glued to a spot unable to move. I didn’t know it was all because I’ve fallen in love.

The first meeting was followed by another one. But it wasn’t by accident that we met again. I knew where she lives so the next day I made sure I saw her again. I was waiting behind the cherry blossom tree standing proudly near their house the moment she waved goodbye to her mom and started walking towards the school. She didn’t notice me at all and I smiled as my heart started racing. “Ee bbeun!” I called out then ran so I can keep up with her.

She turned and when she saw me, her lips formed into a smile and my heart leaped from happiness. Funny how a simple smile from her affects my entire being. We walked towards the school side by side exchanging words not more than a simple hello. I’m unusually silent at that moment afraid that I might say the wrong words at the wrong time. She really has that kind of effect on me. Tongue-tied and nervous, I reached for her hand. I’m almost sure she would protest and pull her hands away so when she didn’t I was so relieved. We walked towards the school holding hands and without a care in the world.


I thought I was the luckiest boy in the whole wide world when she turned out to be my classmate. She was introduced by our teacher as the new girl from a faraway province of which I couldn’t remember the name because I was busy staring at her the whole time she was standing in the front of the whole class with her head bent and a shy smile on her lips. After the brief introduction the teacher made her sit beside me which happened to be the only seat available. I didn’t believe in fate until then.


We ate together during lunch and she made me taste her mom’s home-made lunch. I also gave her some of mine. “Sorry about yesterday.” I wasn’t quite sure about why she was saying sorry so I waited for her to continue. “Yesterday was supposed to be my first day at school but I was so nervous I ended up cutting class. I miss my friends at my previous school. That’s why I was crying. Sorry.”


I wanted to tell her there’s nothing to be sorry about but before I could speak a word she continued, “I think I’m beginning to like this school. Thanks for being my friend.” I couldn’t say anything once again.


I was never good with words, you might have noticed. Every time we were together I always find myself searching for the right words to say. There are a lot of words left unspoken but I just couldn’t find the courage to blurt them out. I only get as far as ‘annyeong’ and ‘how are you?’ when the things that I really wanted to tell her are ‘jowahae’ and ‘saranghae’. If she could just read my mind.


“Jaejunie…” she said. We were sitting at the same spot where we first met. After 5 years of being with her I still like the sound of my name on her lips. I was still lost with that thought when she continued, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”


Marry you, I thought. “I want to be a singer,” I told her instead which is also true. “How about you?” I asked her back.


She smiled. “I want to be your fan.”


Ever since then I started working harder so I can become someone she could be proud of. I started composing songs and she always insists that she should be the first one to listen to them. We would spend so much time on the music room after school and I would play the piano and sing for her.


It was perfect until suddenly everything went wrong and I have no idea how it happened. I wish I could turn back the time so I could somehow right the wrong things I’ve done just to realize I have no control over the things that happened that even if I could indeed go back the ending will just be the same. It was her own choice and it was fate that made her left.


I can still remember that time she said goodbye. The sky was dark and the wind sent chills down my spine. She didn’t seem to mind though for there were a lot of things going on in her mind and it wasn’t long before I found out what they were.


“I’m leaving,” she said.


“What?” I asked hoping I heard her wrong. She was acting strange the entire week and when she finally decided to explain, that was what I got.


“I… I’m leaving Korea. My dad lives in the states and my mom wants us to live with him.” For the years I’ve known her she never mentioned anything about her dad. I never asked because I noticed it was painful for her to talk about him. Now suddenly she was talking about leaving Korea… leaving me… so she can be with her father. And worse I know I would never stop her from leaving. I love her too much to force her to stay. And even if I did I doubt if she would.


Words left me again at that moment. I tried to open my mouth just to close it again, frustrated. There is nothing to say anyway. Although my mind is filled with questions I don’t have the courage to hear the answers so I kept my mouth shut instead.


She took a little box from her pocket and reached out her hands to give it to me. “I won’t make it on your birthday so I’m going to give this to you now.” I want to tell her “No. I don’t want it now. I want it on my birthday and I want you to be there to give it to me” but I realized it sounds so childish and I can see that saying goodbye is as hard for her as it is for me so I decided not to make it harder for both of us.


I started opening the gift but she stopped me. “Open it later,” she said and I obliged.


“When are you leaving?” I finally had the courage to ask.


She averted her eyes before answering. “The day after tomorrow…”


So soon, I thought. I wanted to get mad at her for not telling me sooner but it’s not that I can do something if I found out sooner and besides I could never get mad at her so all I did was sigh hard while letting all my frustrations, sadness, and bitterness go along with it.


“I heard US is not a very good place to live. Americans find our English funny and they…” She laughed at my failed attempt to change her mind. It’s not that I was expecting her to change her mind. I just want her to at least stay longer even just a little bit until I’m ready to finally let her go that is if it was even possible.


“Can’t you at least stay until my birthday? Just a few days wouldn’t hurt right?”


“I wish I could…” She said in a barely audible voice which made me realize she was fighting back tears. My eyes also stings from the tears I refuse to shed and my heart feels so heavy it was getting harder to be with her knowing she would be gone soon.


The rain which started as a drizzle went pouring heavily down on us. Droplets of water came pouring down on her face. I know it wasn’t rain. They were tears. I reached out to wipe those tears. Some started falling from my eyes as well. I was thankful it was raining and she didn’t notice. I can’t tell her not to cry when even I couldn’t stop myself from crying. I reached out for her, held her tight and she buried her face on my chest. I realized it was so ironic that she was crying when we first met and that she’s also crying now that we’re saying a goodbye which could possibly mean forever.


“Will you come back?” I asked her. I tightened my grip on her as if she would suddenly disappear if I loosened the hug even just a little bit.


“I… I don’t know.” She said. It’s not a “no, I won’t.” but just a plain full of hope “I don’t know”. I think I can live with that.


“Then I’ll wait,” I told her.


“But~” she couldn’t say anything else because I started kissing her knowing it would probably be the last.

~~~~~~~~~~~


Time really flies fast when you’re having fun but slows down when you’re waiting. The years I spent with her were the happiest years of my life and they seemed so short compared to my years of waiting which seemed like eternity.


“Jaejoong-ah… “ the voice of my girlfriend brought me back to the present. I realized she was still waiting for an answer on her question about my first love~ a topic I’m not willing to discuss with her just yet.

“I told you to call me Jaejun.”

“Fine, Jaejunie… But I still don’t understand why you want me to call you Jaejun when everyone else calls you Jaejoo- “ she probably noticed me staring at her so intently that she stopped.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” she asked worried and I fought the urge to laugh at how cute she is.

“No, it’s just that… you called me Jaejunie… I… ugh… never mind.” I said frustrated that I couldn’t find the right words to explain to her the feeling of déjà vu I was feeling at the moment.

She looked at me then pouted and I knew she probably wanted to kill me now unless I give her good reasons for my weird behavior. She turned to leave and I panicked. When I turned her around to face me again she couldn’t meet my eyes and I found out why. She was trying to hide the tears that were falling from her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked. She raised her hand to wipe her own tears but I stopped her and wiped it off myself. I hate to see her cry especially when I’m the reason for it.

“I know there are thousands of people who love you and I’m scared you would think of me as just a fan.”

“Of course I will never think that way. You’re not just a fan.” I know she was expecting for me to say, “You’re my girlfriend and I love you” so I decided to tease her a bit by saying, “You’re my biggest fan aren’t you?”

She caught my teasing voice and she smiled and started to relax. “Yes. I’m your biggest fan so don’t try to hide anything from me.”

I’m not trying to hide anything from her. She should have known everything even if I don’t tell her. If everything had just been different…

“How was she like?” She asked and I smiled. We’re back to “my first love” topic again.

“She’s stubborn, she cries easily and she’s very pretty…” I said and got a little carried away that I didn’t notice I’m beginning to hurt her feelings again though there’s no reason for her to feel that way at all. But she surprised me with her courage to know more.

“Go on…” she said and I did.

“Although she cries a lot she’s very brave and she’s never afraid of anything except spiders which really creeps her out. She’s…”

“Ok. That’s enough. I think that’s all I can handle…” She started walking faster and then the next instant she was far ahead of me. I stared at her retreating back for a while and sighed before following her. I’m getting tired of waiting and hoping everything would be the same as before.

“Ee beun!” I called out to her. She turned around, stopped then waited for me so we could walk side by side.

“Do you know something else?” I asked her when I got close to her. “We met here at this park and on my birthday she gave me a necklace with a pendant in a shape of a musical note.”

She put her hands on her ears. “Please… stop… I don’t wanna hear anymore,“ she begged but I couldn’t stop now. She has to know everything.

She has to remember everything.

“Her name is Eebeun and I love her so much and as she stands right here next to me I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” She dropped her hands on her sides, her eyes wide with surprise. I knew at that instant that everything started to sink in. I didn’t wait for her to say something. I closed the gap between us, cupped her face with my hands and kissed her and while holding her in my arms, I gave a silent desperate plea, “Please remember… Please…”