[Un-betaed]

*****

‘We keep believe there's no lies that we’ve been through… yet it's all we could know, letting our emotions build what is real and allowing what we have to appear, but at the end only time can tell…’

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“So, this is the one who’ve making my younger brother here infatuated over him?” Jihoon flashed a genuine smile as he approached the smaller man who seemed still in his state of shocked.

“Nice to meet you, Jaejoong-ssi.” He extended out his hand for a handshake.

Jaejoong freeze on his spot, eyes just stared at the hand that extended out towards him. He didn’t understand why the man before him could act like nothing; like they had never known each other in the first place.

“Jaejoongie…” Jaejoong snapped out of his trance as felt a warm hand placed on his shoulder. He turned to his side, facing the other person.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? You look pale.” Yunho asked in concern.

Jihoon retreated back his hand as the other didn’t give a response, his face still shown nothing.

“I…I’m fine. Just…tired.” Jaejoong could felt his legs seem weak. Confuse still filled his being at the moment, he needed a support after the shocked effect. Forgot the hatred he had for the man; his hand just came winded around Yunho’s arm for the support that he was seeking.

‘How could he…act like nothing?’ He thought painfully as saw Jihoon looked at him expressionlessly.

“I’m sorry, hyung. Seems Jaejoong doesn’t feel well today, I’ll take him to get a rest.” Yunho said to his brother. Jihoon just smiled and nodded in understand.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.” Jaejoong refused as Yunho was about to walk him to the guest room.

“But you look-”

“It’s not nice to skip the dinner when your dad already asking me before.” Jaejoong said again.

Yunho sighed. What else he could say when the other had started become his intractable-self back.

The couple made their way out to the outside spacious yard, which already been set up with long tables for the dinner. All the Jung family had already settled down in one table.

Yunho pulled a seat for Jaejoong before he settled himself beside his wife. If people viewed the couple in a normal perspective, they would thought the couple was sweet together and some might envious of Jaejoong for having such a loving and caring husband like Yunho. But the truth, no one could have a thought that there got tumult in their relationship. But both just wise in putting on a cheery face when facing their family members, especially Jaejoong who was having a great deal in faking a smile when each time he’d been approached by Jung’s relatives.

Jihoon came out a moment later and seated across of Jaejoong, since only that one seat was left. After Mr. Jung finished thanking all of his guests who attended the party, the dinner started.

“Jihoon, how long do you will stay home this time?” Mr. Jung suddenly asked his elder son when they were enjoying their dinner. It was good when only the family sat at one table, when this topic had been brought up.

Jaejoong’s heart skipped a beat at his father in-law’s words. He stole a glance at the man before him, who looked composed.

“I’m not sure, maybe just a couple of month before I receive a new project. During this time I’ll live in a rented house near my studio.”

“You’ve been wondering out there so long. Don’t you have a thought to settle down here and start helping Yunho manage the company?”

Seeing that his brother was not going to respond, Yunho helped out. “It’s okay dad. It’s not much to handle in the company. I can still manage it with Yoochun’s help.”

“But still, this current work that he’s doing has no assurance for his future.”

Jaejoong continue to gobble down his food, pretended to hear nothing about the crisis in the family.

Jihoon stopped eating and put his utensils down as heard his father’s comment on his current job. That was the reason why he had chooses to move out from this mansion. This wasn’t first time this issue being brought up.

“I think I should b-”

“It’s something he loves to do, dad.” Yunho cut off his brother immediately. He knew the man would excuse himself to leave, just wanted to avoid from arguing with their father. He didn’t want that to happen, not again. That was one of the reason why his brother fond to stay away from home.

“When it comes to something that we love, there’s no need to think about how worthless or useless it would be. As long, we can pursue what our mind told us is right.” Yunho said again in a calm tone.

Jaejoong who sat beside him in silent, could tell that there got something else lied behind the man’s words.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a freelance photographer, is it?” Yunho’s tone changed back to sound liven. “Just let hyung be what he wanted, dad.” He glanced to his brother. Jihoon smiled at him and silently mouthed a, ‘Thank you’.

“Aish, why you’ve always back him up?” Mr. Jung who had been known by his strict yet judicious personality, making him a respectable father, lost in his words this time.

“Honey, Jihoonie had just came back, don’t start pressuring him with this same topic.” Mrs. Jung interrupted. “If one day he gets tired with his work, he will still return here and start working in the company, right Jihoonie?”

Jihoon just smiled and nodded at his mother. Better cut off the topic from being further discuss. His eyes then shifted to his younger brother who was now had fully shifted his attention with treating his beautiful wife. Yunho was spooned some gravy into Jaejoong’s plate and once a while, he would asking the latter if he needs anything, and the pretty man would just shook his head as a respond.

‘They look quite good together.’ No one noticed a bitter smile on his face as he eyeing the couple.

*

It was almost twelve at midnight when the party really over and all the guest had leave the Jung’s mansion. Mr. Jung was seating in the living room, discussing about something with his sons, and Jaejoong found it was better for him to escape from the stifling atmosphere. It had already hard for him to pretend like a happy couple in front of his in-laws, and yet that unexpected presence of his ex-lover who had even putting a careless face, just make it harder for him.

“Oh, Jaejoong-ssi just leaves all the dishes there. You shouldn’t be here.” The maid that busy cleaning the mess after the party said as she saw the smaller man in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

“It’s okay…it’s almost finish.” Jaejoong gave an assurance smile.

“But...you’ve already help me a lot today. You also cooked and now washing the dishes.” The old maid said guiltily.

“So, you’re the one who cooked tonight’s dinner?”

Jaejoong turned around as heard the new voice that came into the kitchen, the maid also had immediately silent herself as saw her employer sudden appeared.

There, In Young stood on the kitchen entrance with unreadable face of her.

Jaejoong grabbed a napkin near him, dried his hands before he fully turned to facing his mother in-law. “Hmm…I’m sorry if it’s not to your taste, I just want to he-”

“It’s quite satisfied.” The woman cut off.

“Huh?” Jaejoong blinked in astounded, doesn’t expect that comment would come out from the woman’s mouth.

“Next time, I would prefer to see your cooking skill, just when you’ve some time.” She said with a swanky face before walked out from the kitchen, leaving Jaejoong with his dumfounded look.

The compliments that she received from all her acquaintances in the party before, still freshly replayed on her ears, about how good the meal was served for the night.

“So, he’s the one who prepared tonight’s dinner?’ Unconsciously, a small smile tugged on her lips, feel amused. She didn’t want to admit it, but she ever thought, maybe… she had put one look at Jaejoong and jumped to her own conclusion before. Who could not after had considered the circumstance of how the other could get married to her son out of sudden, it was absurd. But truth to be told, she did feel that this marriage somehow…could be unfair for Jaejoong more than her son was.

***

It had been a week since that unexpected encounter with his first love happened. Jaejoong still felt the fact of his first love was actually related to the person that he had getting married with was incomprehensible. It seemed really ironic.

‘Why does everything have to be worse than it already been.’ Jaejoong let out a long sigh, before the sudden knock on his office door brought back his attention to the present.

“Yes, come in.” He called from inside his office.

“Mr. Kim, it’s lunch time. Would you like me to call for delivery or get you something for lunch?” His secretary’s head popped out behind the door. 

“No, thank you.” Jaejoong respond shortly.

Lately, she figured out that manager of her seems fond to stay in the office, continue working even during break hour, went straight to work ten hours without stop and sometime even stay up late in the office. Those changes in the man had a bit worrying her. Even the man seems quiet, looked aloof, but after months she had been working with him, she found the man was actually not that bad like what people had gossiping.

“Then, I’ll get going now.” She excused herself. Once she closed the door behind her, all the colleagues in that department turned their head toward her.

“What?” She frowned as all the eyes stared at her questioningly.

“Moon geun-ah, does that Kim Jaejoong still don’t want to have a break?” One of the staff asked.

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Oh, could he having a problem in his marriage? Lately he looks like he’s stress out about something.” Another staff added.

“Yeah, maybe that Jung Yunho is back to his old life like what he used to be?”

Moon geun just rolled her eyes as heard her colleagues started gossiping. ‘Not again…’ she sighed. Somehow she pitied that man’s named Kim Jaejoong.

“Yah, could you guys stop bad mouthing him? You guys really have nothing better to wasting on, uh? Like your life is m