♥ Cherished

The day JYJ rendezvous

                After they finished bickering their dinner, Yoochun suggest that they have a little drink before going home. Junsu, who dislikes drinking, wanted to go home first.

                “If all you’ll be doing is drinking, I’ll go home. Xiahki is waiting for me. Jaejoong hyung, bye.”

                “You say that but I know you don’t want to spend time with us. That’s how you are.” Yoochun teased Junsu. Yoochun knows Junsu doesn’t like drinking but it is so fun teasing Junsu. Yoochun just can’t help it.

                “Whatever.” Junsu stuck out his tongue to Yoochun before he left Jaejoong’s house.

                “Okay, Junsu-ya. Careful going back home. Send me regards to Junho later.” Jaejoong got up and heads to the kitchen. He took out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

                “Hyung, I need to confess something.” Yoochun starts off. Now that Junsu is gone, he’ll be able to talk about this topic because out of all 3 of them, Jaejoong will be the most pleased to hear about this. “Actually, when I said that Changmin met me before, it’s true. He came to my house that night.” Yoochun told everything that happened on the night Changmin visited him including their scheme to fool Junsu.

                “Really? Changmin-ie did? You’re not kidding me right?” Jaejoong is overwhelmed by the news of Changmin actually concerned about his relationship with Junsu. When the lawsuit surfaced, Changmin was the one who felt betrayed the most. Of course. The four of us didn’t even talk about it with him. It’s natural to hate us. “Changmin-ie? For real?” Jaejoong still couldn’t believe the news. After Yoochun assured him a billion times, a beautiful smile blossoms on Jaejoong’s face. Jaejoong is on cloud nine; Yoochun knows it. It’s been a long time since I saw Jaejoong-ie hyung smile like this.

                “By the way, hyung. Changmin said they were going to hold a healing concert right? You know, the one with Junsu later. He invited us both.”

                Once again Jaejoong can’t believe his ears. “Really?!”

                Yoochun is already annoyed with giddy Jaejoong; instead of responding, he showed his hyung the tickets to the concert Changmin gave him last week. “You can keep one of them.” He took a sip of the wine before continuing, “Have Yunho hyung contacted you?”

                All of a sudden Jaejoong become quiet; his giddy self a while ago is gone. It has been a while since Yunho got discharged from the army, he knows that but still no call nor messages from him. All this time Jaejoong has been assuring himself that maybe Yunho lost the number he gave him during GF Festival in 2015 or maybe Yunho has been so busy to call him. Or maybe Yunho just simply doesn’t want to call me..

                Seeing Jaejoong’s sudden change, Yoochun panicked. God damn it Park Yoochun! “Oh hyung! I gave Changmin your private number. Is that okay?” At this point, Yoochun blabbered on and on; trying to distract his sensitive hyung.

                Yoochun stayed for a few more hours before saying his goodbye to Jaejoong. He still need to complete his public service work tomorrow.

Jaejoong is left alone in that spacious home of his. Sweet melody of Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga; serenade by Countertenor Jung Minho filled the silence. With a glass wine on his hand, he stared out the window; into the night sky.

Let me weep, my cruel fate,

And that I should have freedom,

The duel infringes,

Within these twisted places,

In my sufferings I pray for mercy.

                                The sorrow of the lyrics; matching the sorrow that is in his heart caused him to shed a tear. Where did it all go wrong? Jung Yunho.. Please.. At this moment, Vladimir’s Ave Maria serenade by Jung Minho began to play and Jaejoong just can’t hold back his tears anymore. Jaejoong bent forward where he sat on the marble floor with his palms pressing against it. Clenching his fists, he began to cry; silently screaming, suffocating with each breath he took. Jung Yunho. Jung Yunho. Jung Yunho. Countless times he repeat that name, as if it was some kind of a spell; a spell that can bring Yunho to him.

                The bitter memories he wanted to suppress for ever so long kept gushing out unwillingly, drowning him; the distasteful snickers of that man, Yunho’s mother’s sharp words to him, the look on Yunho’s eyes on that day. Yunho-ya. With his clenched fist, he hit himself on the chest several times; trying to relieve the pain that is ripping him apart. If deities are real. Please, I beg you. I won’t ask for more. I won’t ask for his love nor will I ask for his life. All I ask is for me to be beside him. Please. Please.. He prayed with all his heart; silent screams changed to violent sobbing and with every breathe he took he feels nauseous, vomiting out every sorrow he had deep inside.

*************

Few days after Changmin and Junsu reunite