Double Update! make sure you've read the previous chapter first.

That night Jaejoong watched all videos and listened to every song by Lee Hyori. She even read a few fanfictions on her for good measure because somehow the fan authors could give an insight into the idol’s personality. She memorised the singer’s Wikipedia page and became a member of her fancafe. The last time Jaejoong binge-studied like this was when she had to study for her Greek history test in one night because she watched ‘Clannad’ in one go and spent a couple of hours crying. Three days later, Jaejoong went to the fansign just to get a real life picture of this too-good-to-be-true woman. At the end of it, Jaejoong wished Lee Hyori was her sister. All in all, Jaejoong was so well-versed with Lee Hyori she could get a doctorate on it.

A week after -as Jaejoong calls it- the ‘so embarrassing I never want to remember that day’ day, Yunho sends her a text asking for her help and Jaejoong practically floats on a cloud to the bakery where Yunho will pick her up.

It took her longer than usual to get ready that day because it’s not her every day wear and she didn’t take her car because she was going to meet Yunho and then go to his house in his car.

Yunho waited three coffees and a muffin long when she came, as red-faced as he saw her last. But her appearance was far from that day and not the same as her old self either.

Jaejoong wore a bright blue lace top under a dark bolero jacket without sleeves. She wore a mid-thigh length denim skirt with frills at the end in four shades of pink. She had black gladiator shoes which made her trip every five steps- an improvement from every two steps.

Jaejoong sat on the chair opposite Yunho with a huff and pouted. Yunho gingerly passed her his second muffin anticipating a tantrum that comes with that pout.

“not happy with your makeover elves’ work?” Yunho teases. Though it’s not Lee Hyori’s exact style but Yunho can tell Jaejoong tried the popstar look to be like her. He felt quite happy someone is doing so much just so he could like her. it’s better than those s with no understanding of personal space pressing their s against his body.  

Jaejoong picked at the nuts on the muffin. “I want blonde but I’m too scared to colour it and I got the most expensive curling rod but I don’t even know how to use it. I’m stuck with this.” Jaejoong waved the end of a lock of hair in front of his face to emphasise.

However, Yunho can tell that Jaejoong did go to a salon for her hair. It’s not the old unvarying length because she hasn’t cut it for five years. Her hair is the same straight and smooth dark colour that looks brown in the sunlight and reaching just below the waist but there were layers here and there and two front locks sat prettily on her shoulders like a prim prep-schoolgirl. Yunho’s personal favourite are the side bangs that that tuck under her long hair on the side of her forehead. On his way here, he passed an accessory shop where there was a nice silver hairband with stars on it Yunho thinks will look cute on her. He considers buying it for her because she changed herself just for him.  

The thought of it made him blush internally. Somehow his personality doesn’t make him blush outwardly that much. But it could happen, so he stands up a little clumsily putting some bills on the table. Jaejoong looks at him curiously while holding her muffin with her palms. She doesn’t want to ruin her first manicure, especially when that lady scolded her for digging into her purse with fresh manicure.

“Let’s go.” he doesn’t even wait for her response while dragging her to where his car is parked. She’s so frightened by his dominating behaviour, she obediently follows and scrambles inside the car.

As he pulls out, she has all sorts of nervous thoughts. She thinks he doesn’t like her new look. She wants to break the silence in the car and remembers there’s something that can help. Shuffling inside her purse, forgetting about the manicure, she takes out a business card.

“Yunho…” he looks at her from the corner of her eye before turning his eyes back on the road again. She timidly showed him the card in her palms like it’s an offering, “some random guy stopped me in the middle of the street and said I look like a model. He gave me this.”

Yunho glances at it a couple of times and takes the card. He takes a few looks while driving and then flings it on the dashboard like it’s  a piece of trash. Jaejoong catches it before it flies away. “Don’t trust these things. 98% of the time it’s a shady thing. Who knows what they would do to you.”

He stops at a red light and then looks at her properly to give her a proper five minute lecture but then the words died in his mouth.

In front of him was a girl, head hung low and perhaps that way for most of her days. She’s hardworking, but there have been very few times it has paid off. Each time she failed, it ate at her little by little. The sight made Yunho’s heart break.

“Tell you what…” Jaejoong hesitantly looked at him, but not raising her head yet, “this idol thing is not a bad idea. It can help you become more confident. If you really debut, even better.” He clicked his tongue in self-praise, “ah…this is such a great idea.” He looked at her eagerly, “I’m going to make sure you become an idol. In return you need to help me pass the finals.” And he raised his fist.

Jaejoong looked at the fist. She has no inclination to be an idol. But then, she thought it might be great to spend more time with Yunho. call her selfish, but if she can’t be his type of woman, at least she can make some memories with him.

With a small smile, Jaejoong meekly bumped her fist with his. If she would have raised her head, she would have seen the proud smile on his face.  

~~~

It’s been three days since then, and the third she has been tutoring Yunho at his home. She found that he’s a sponge. He could absorb all the information when explained to him in simpler terms. It’s as if his poor performance in studies was intentional.

The day she saw the luxurious mansion he lives in, she concludes it was.

Her gobsmacked expression was expected. So Yunho explained without wasting time. Basically he came from a wealthy family, but they’re estranged. His parents, owning companies of their own, were more  preoccupied with work and making their heir worthy to inherit it. They drifted apart and eventually divorced. But the pressure on Yunho never stopped. He is supposed to live with his mother, but both his parents are always overseas with work leaving him alone in a house with an army of emotionless house.

The neglected Yunho, when he reached his teens got angrier day by day. if his parents weren’t going to treat them like their son, he wasn’t going to be the heir they want. So he acted out, became a rebel till he was not fit to be their successor anymore. He neglected his studies, till his parents had to forcibly return to Seoul and pull some strings to get him passed and into college. And he’d only smirk at them throughout their meaningless lectures.

But a while ago, he set himself a goal