Writer’s Note: What’s up everyone? Let me apologize for the poorly edited chapters—this is also one, lol. I’m trying to ride this wave of motivation and update as often as I can, so I’ve been editing my chapters once, and sometimes not all together (i.e. I will edit some parts and not others at the same time.) Therefore, please excuse any glaring errors.

 

Writer’s Note: Last chapter was my favorite. I had so much fun writing it, and I really hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. So, this is the last fluff chapter, and I guess the last part of the ‘intermission.’ The next chapter will have us back to the real story and will happen. Anywho, happy reading. And as always, don’t forget to comment, it makes me happy.

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“Never saw the sun shining so bright. Never saw things going so right. Noticing the days hurrying by. When you're in love, my how they fly.”—Blue Skies by Doris Day/Ella Fitzgerald

 

Jaejoong didn’t want to join them and go to the Game Center, but Juhli begged; plus, it would be the last time all of them would come together before they all would departed for their vacations. But he was uncomfortable.

 

His consolidation was that he loved the Game Center; there was many departments, such as the arcade, the bowling alley, the skating rink, and the game room where you could play all sorts of board games, pool, and ping pong—etc., and a food court—where he would love to spend his whole time.

 

With his hands forced, he showered and met up with Yunho to go together.

 

Yunho kissed the space right before his ear, on his hair, when they stood waiting for their line. Yunho smelled nice and the soft and his gentle kiss felt nice, making his stomach do flips and tumbles, but it all did nothing to decrease his anxiety. 

 

Jaejoong knew what would be taking place, and his nervousness rubbed off on Yunho who kept on asking him if he was alright.

 

When he saw Juhli standing next to Hyein, looking pretty and as fresh as spring, all he could do was give her a penitent smile. He knew what she was going to do, and he had encouraged it. He felt sorry towards both Yunho and her, especially her, his dearest friend.

 

When Hyein managed to maneuver Yunho and Juhli to go purchase their drinks, restraining Changmin from joining them, Jaejoong knew what was going to happen.

 

Sitting next to his robust, loud friends, jingling his knees he knew it was a done deal minutes later when he saw Juhli’s slumped shoulders and her pale, redrawn face appearing in the distance.

 

Yunho looked as uncomfortable and embarrassed as the girl.

 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me she liked me, Jaejoong?”

 

Yunho had pulled Jaejoong to the side after Hyein had taken a quiet, teary-eyed Juhli away, fighting off their friends who kept on asking her if she was okay and why the long face. Hyein looked ready to kill, and the hard stare she rewarded Yunho made it clear it was his blood she wanted.

 

“She told me yesterday, plus…” He casted his eyes on a point away from Yunho and whispered, “She’s my friend.”

 

“I’m your friend, too!”

 

Jaejoong wanted to reach for him, but he was conscious of his location. He restrained himself by pressing his arms next to his sides, his fingers.

 

“Are you angry?”

 

Yunho pushed his hair back. “No.” His voice was strained and he sounded as if he told a lie.

 

“It wasn’t my place, Yunho.”

 

The general walked closer to Jaejoong and said only for his ears, “I’m your partner, Jaejoong. Don’t you think some warning would have been nice.”

 

“You already know, though, that she likes you.”

 

Yunho blinked, taken back. He physically stepped back and nodded curtly. “But I didn’t know she would do this. It would have been nice if I had been prepared.”

 

“I already feel guilty, Yunho. Plus, what could I have changed?”

 

They stared back at each other without saying a word for a while.

 

Yunho sighed, his eyes softening with his shoulders drooping. “I know. I didn’t want to hurt her.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I feel like . I’ve never been in such a situation.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I never wanted to be in such a situation. And don’t say I know.”

 

They shared a small smile of camaraderie.

 

“I really do not know what to say.”

 

“I really, really hate this. I wished she never did it.”

 

Jaejoong became mute. He did not know where to look, so he casted his eyes on a spot behind Yunho's shoulder.

 

“I didn’t even notice.”

 

“She’ll be fine.” Studying Yunho’s face, Jaejoong insisted, “She will be. Her pride is probably bruised. She…really tried. It took…takes a lot of courage.”

 

“I know, and that’s why I feel even worse.” He messed his hairstyle some more.

 

“Don’t. There was no other way.”

 

“I feel like I should apologize more.”

 

Jaejoong shook his head in disapproval. “It won’t change anything. It’ll just make her feel worse. So, don’t.”

 

Yunho saw his point.

 

The vocalist believing that he was to blame for encouraging Juhli to go to the front line and inevitably get her heart broken was already messing up with his head as it was, seeing Yunho looking as troubled as he did was not helping him.

 

Jaejoong could not deal with being the reason the people he liked came to tears.

 

Jaejoong did not know what to do with himself.

 

“I feel so sorry. I—” He paused. “You really should have told me. If I had known…”

 

“It’s better now, honestly, Yunho. Now she knows there is no hope, so she can give up.”

 

They stared at each other in silence.

 

Both teenage males felt a deep sense of culpability in Juhli’s sadness.

 

All Jaejoong could think looking away from Yunho’s open brown eyes was that Juhli was the type of girl a guy like Yunho deserved. He was wrong for having Yunho.

 

“I know.” Yunho mimicked Jaejoong, eliciting a laugh from the miserable male.

 

 

The day after the failed confession, Jaejoong spent his afternoon over at Juhli. Hyein couldn’t join them because she had left that morning to go visit her oldest sister in a different department.

 

All they did was watch movies and read comic books while snacking, they tried their best to not mention Yunho. Juhli was petrified and humiliated and Jaejoong felt as if he was to blame.

 

“Are you going to spend the evening here?” Juhli asked from her low position on the floor with a pillow under her head, pressing her opened book to her chest.

 

Jaejoong looked at his wristwatch, looked back at her, and swallowed nervously. “No.”

 

“You have plans?” She sat up, closing the book, placing it on the floor.

 

“Something like that.”

 

He was going to an outdoors movie screening event with Yunho and his Poppi and dad. It was an old favorite of both of theirs. He was taking Moonbok per Yunho’s request.

 

Her eyes went flat when she saw the look on his face. Shaking her head, she pressed her left leg to her chest and raked her finger through her tangled hair. “I see then. Have fun.” She smiled at him, it was sincere.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thanks for today. You didn’t have to do this.”

“No, I wanted to.” His concern was easily heard in his voice.

Scooting to where he was, she hugged him. “You are the best friend ever.”

 

He hugged her back.

 

“Really.” She squeezed his neck. Inhaling, she muttered in his hair, “Tell Yunho to not feel bad about this.” He froze. “It’s not his fault, you know? And I don’t want this to come in between our friendship—or your friendship with him. happens.”

 

“Juh—”

 

“Shss. I am already over it, Jaejoong. Don’t worry.” She pulled back to look at him. “This is not your fault, you know?”

 

He teared his eyes away and half nodded. He knew she was right, but he felt as if his encouragement laid the groundwork for her heartbreak.

 

“I know you think you encouraged me. You didn’t.” She laughed. It was sad and dry. “No one did. I did it on my own.” She tried to sear that information into his brain with her unblinking stare before she broke out in laughter. “Hyein was the one, you know, who gave me an ultimatum—one I needed.”

 

He was looking at her now. She had taken her hair from a low ponytail and was making a braid from thin strands at the bottom of her head. Her lips were softened into a thin smile.

 

“She did?”

 

“She was tired of my constant rambbling over the course of the summer about…” she stopped and gulped. Shrugging, she continued, saying, “She told me to just tell him and get it over with.”

 

“She did.” He dropped his head.

 

Of course she did. It was Hyein she was talking about here.

 

“Yep, she did. She told me my chances, though. You know she doesn’t mince her words.” Another short laugh. Jaejoong freed one, too.

 

“Anyways.” She was combing the braid out now. “Ninety-nine percent chance…” She looked up with a smirk, a jubilant spark in her eyes. “That he would say no.”

 

“Wow.”

 

Her laughter was high-pitched. “Yeah, I know.” She tilted her head, resting her elbow on her lifted knee. A far away look entered her eyes. “Hye said that Yunho is more interested in boys than he is in girls.”

 

It was as if he was in the twilight zone.

 

He swallowed wrong as his heart thumbed loudly, the waves exploding through his body. He started coughing.

 

“You okay?”

 

With tears in his eyes, he shook his hand at her, dropping his head to his chest.

 

His mind was racing.

 

He was not sure on how to react.

 

“She meant his friends, Jaejoong.” She flipped back, guffawing. “And she was right,” she finished, voice soft and melancholic.

 

Hyein knew what she was saying when she said that to her friend. Jaejoong knew the young woman had used the exact same words as Juhli just spouted. Hyein was very conscious of semantics and always used her words carefully.

 

Juhli had found her friend’s choice of words funny, but Jaejoong did not. It didn’t sit right with him and it made him anxious and uncomfortable. But he held his tongue and did not ask Juhli all he wanted. He didn’t want to appear suspicious and she probably meant nothing by it. She couldn’t mean anything by it. She didn’t know anything.

 

She was his close friend, if she knew or suspected something, given how unapologetically blunt she was, she would have confronted him and wouldn’t have encouraged Juhli to go get her heart crushed. But who knows? It was Hyein, after all. Anything was possible with her. She scared Jaejoong with her bright all-seeing eyes, sly comments, and mocking statements.

 

He stopped coughing and peered at his silent friend, the speed of his heartrate never slowing.

 

“I knew that. I knew—know—that he is very patriotic, and I had no chance. But, he was….He is so—” She caught herself. Sitting up, she smiled at Jaejoong and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

His guilt grew stronger.

 

If only he wasn’t in the picture, maybe Yunho would have considered it.

 

Juhli was pretty, nice and smart, everything that suited Yunho.

 

Juhli was a girl and Yunho was a boy. Nothing could be more perfect.

 

He was sorry, and Juhli would never understand how sorry he was; no matter how much this hurt and how uncomfortable he was, he still could not imagine handing Yunho over to one of his best friend, one of his oldest friend in the environment that they were in and feeling as he did.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He felt and knew he sounded like a broken record, but he couldn’t help himself.

 

Clapping her hands, she said, sitting up, legs crossed, “This is really hard for me, but I promise to not let this come between us. I’ll be over it in no time.”

 

He reached and grabbed her hands. Gripping them, he said, “I’m really sorry.”

 

Freeing her hand with a laugh, she stood up, hands on her knees. “I’m not. I’m a strong woman. I am a citizen of Peyisivil, after all. There is no way I can not be strong. I’ll survive.”

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t want to go home.” Yunho whined, tapping Jaejoong’s wrist.

 

They were slowly make their way down the street after they parted ways with their companions.

 

“Then don’t,” Jaejoong said.

 

“Don’t?” He looked up at the darkening sky.

 

“Come over to mine.”

 

Yunho smiled over at Jaejoong, pillowing his lips together. He wanted to go. He wanted to be in private with Jaejoong and kiss him. And kiss him. And kiss him. And kiss him till their lips got dry and kissing hurt. But, his family would probably be home, Yunho rationalized.

 

Jaejoong interrupted Yunho before he could formulate sounds and move his tongue. “My family is away.”

 

Was that an invitation?

 

Yunho looked at his wrist watch: six forty.

 

“Really?”

 

Jaejoong nodded with a little promising smile. Yunho became expectant against his better judgement.

 

“Moonbok is spending the night with his friend—given we are traveling for the rest of the summer. And my older siblings are out doing their things. No one will be home till ten.”

 

“Can I?” Yunho breathed, excitement dripping from his eyes.

 

“Yeah.” Jaejoong pulled away from Yunho. “I have the two new releases of the ‘The Crooked and the Shrewd.’” A popular comic book.

 

That was not the prospect that excited Yunho. Alone time was. But he played along.

 

“Cool.”

 

They ended up in Jaejoong’s room.

 

Jaejoong on his bed with his legs propped up on his wall and Yunho lying next to him, knees bended, legs sprawled, feet planted on Jaejoong’s soft mattress. They were reading the comic books. Jaejoong was catching up on the new addition and Yunho picking up where he left off—the first book.

 

Yunho stopped reading, the book hanging over his face and sneaked a few glances at Jaejoong’s side profile. It was nice. Really nice. And he smelled delicious. No that he didn’t always. But, being this close to Jaejoong was making him delirious. He smelled like a citrus grove. One Yunho loved.

 

Jaejoong looked adorable focusing intently on the visual novel.

 

Cocking his head, Yunho smiled. “You like it?”

 

Jaejoong stopped reading and looked over at him. He nodded. “You?”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

He’d rather be kissing Jaejoong.

 

“I am a bit distracted because in one more day I leave.”

“You’ll have a great time.”

 

“I know.” He paused, seeking for Jaejoong’s eyes. “But I’ll miss you.”

 

Jaejoong laughed and dropped the comic, wide open, on his chest. “You are disappointed that all we are doing is reading comics?”

 

Yunho’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe.” He reached for the creamy patch of skin peeking from one of the small rips on Jaejoong’s thigh.

 

Jaejoong yanked his eyes away from the action, lifting them to meet Yunho’s smiling ones.

 

Yunho’s intense stare was invigorating.

 

Feeling flustered, Jaejoong cleared his throat and tenderly asked, “What would you rather be doing?”

 

Yunho smirked. “You smell—”

 

“I smell?”

 

He laughed. “You did not let me finish.”

 

“Right?”

 

Discarding the book, Yunho flipped on his side to face Jaejoong. “I was going to say you smell nice.”

 

“Do I?”

 

“Always.”

 

“You like it?” He asked, sniffing his shoulder.

 

“Haven’t you noticed?”

 

Jaejoong glanced over at him, cheeks warming. “You just admitted that?”

 

“Yeah. Why not.” He shrugged, reaching for a strand of Jaejoong’s hair. “You smell nice, and I’ve always thought so.”

 

“So that explains the sniffing.”

 

“Aah ha! So, you did notice.”

 

“I thought you thought I smelled bad.” He grinned cheekily.

 

“Never. You smell...warm. Like home.”

 

Jaejoong scowled lightly. “Why do you make me sound so paternal? That is not y at all.”

 

Yunho cocked a playful eyebrow. “You want to be y?”

 

“That is not that exactly what I said, but...It wouldn’t hurt. Right?”

 

“Right.” Yunho voice dropped a few more octaves, now he was playing with Jaejoong’s ear.

 

“You want me to buy you my perfume?”

 

“Huh?” Yunho blinked at him.

 

“Given you like my scent.”

 

“No. I... like it on you.” Yunho blushed at his own confession and the tone of his voice.

 

Jaejoong laughed; his cheeks and the tip of his ears glowed red.

 

“I like your scent too, for what it is worth.”

 

It was Yunho’s turn to chuckle.

 

They silently stared at each other for a few seconds before Jaejoong husked, “Hey, want to kiss?”

 

Yunho dipped his head and pressed his softly parted lips against his partner’s. That was his answer.

 

Mino was the one who came up with the activities that the group of friends would all do together for the last time that summer. He planned it on the last evening before Yunho was to leave. They had gone mini-golfing.

 

Even though Yunho had wanted to invite Jaejoong, he knew his friends wanted it to be only them—the OG’s.

 

That day, Yunho had only been able to grab lunch with Jaejoong who was also busy because his family was leaving the next day and they had to pack.

 

When he arrived home, his parents were in the family’s office talking. The door to the room was closed. It was never closed. That was not how they did things in their home. Yunho was not sure that his presence would be welcomed.

 

Greeting them, they looked disgruntled.  They returned his greeting with a tense smile.

 

He was right.

 

“You’re home, love?” His mother smiled.

 

It didn’t make the weird feeling in the pit of his stomach disappear. This has happened too often to be nothing. Something was brewing in his own household and he knew nothing of it.

 

“Everything’s okay?”

 

His mother nodded, and his dad said, “We’re fine. Welcome back.”

 

“Yeah.” He could not leave yet. Staring in the door way staring at his parents got his father to ask, “You had fun with your friends?”

 

“Yes. Umm…”

 

“I’m home!” Sanah’s holler slice through the tense silence.

 

“I’m going to go wash up.”

 

“Good.” His mother nodded once more.

 

When he got out and walk passed the office, the door was lock and it was quiet and dark.

 

They had move to the kitchen. Sanah was with their parents, sitting in front of a plate of heated dinner that she was not paying any attention to. She was holding her water-glass tightly.

 

They did not notice Yunho as he lurked outside of the kitchen.

 

Poppi was still not home.

 

“We have no other choice,” Sanah was saying, now tugging at the roots of her hair.

 

“Can we really do this?” His father asked reluctantly.

 

“We must,” Sanah said passionately. “We’ve already said we would.”

 

“But, love, this is our home.” Seara sighed. Her husband laid a comforting hand around her shoulder.

 

Sanah shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. You know how I vote.:

 

They paused, staring into space.

 

Sanah stop scowling to say, “We should talk some more to Poppi.”

 

“We should.”

 

Yunho took that moment as his cue to walk in. He cleared his throat. All three looked at him, startled. It was suspicious.

 

“Where’s Poppi?” he asked, heart galloping.

 

Why did he feel nervous to walk around his own home? He really didn’t like this.

 

“Maybe he has a lady friend.” Sanah grinned teasingly, noticing her food.

 

 “I doubt it.” Yunho snorted, his mood still low.

 

“Ooh, Sanah.” Their mother chuckling, shaking her head as she buried her face in her hands, dark hair hanging like a curtain. Jinwoo silently smiled, amused.

 

Popping the pork in , Sanah shrugged, closing her lips around the metallic utensil. “You never know. He’s pretty young.”

 

“Only ninety-nine?” Saera joked.

 

The mood was lifted.

 

“I’m always open to having a great-grand mother.”

 

“I don’t think Saera needs a new mother at this age,” Jinwoo added, barely restraining himself from laughing out loud.

 

“I would love to see mom be boss around by a mother,” Sanah said with glee, now eating her food with a new-found gusto.

 

“Am I bossy with you, Sanah?”

 

The siblings shared a look.

 

The girl shook her head, refusing to look at her mother. Knowing the mother, she did she would dissolve into laughter.

 

“Poppi is probably going another round playing board games with his friends,” their father added.

 

Now that the mood was elevated, Yunho wondered if he could try his luck. “So, what were you two talking about?” He asked as he grabbed an apple from the center of the dining table and was in the process of washing it.

 

It went so quiet, Yunho had to turn around to make sure he was not talking to himself.

 

They were still there.

 

Sanah was focusing intently on her plate. Their parents were sharing a tight look.

 

“Nothing important, love.” Saera said smoothly. Lies.

 

Yunho’s face tightened.

 

“So, how is packing going?” she asked, walking up next to him to touch his shoulder. It burned, and he wanted to move away, which he did against his will. She looked surprised then hurt.

 

“I still need to finish; let go do that. Good night everyone.”

 

He couldn’t say there for a minute longer. He was tired of her lies and exclusion.

 

Indignant, he walked out into the interaction room and called Jaejoong. He would make him feel better.

 

He really missed him and hearing his voice made it only worse. Yunho stupidly asked if they could meet.

 

“Now?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry, I know you can’t.”

 

“I can.”

 

“You can?”

 

“Yeah. Where?”

 

“I’ll come to you.”

 

“Where will we go?”

 

“Walk around.”

 

“Let’s go to the forest then. Come pick me up at the train.”

 

Yunho grinned. “I’ll be there.”

 

Yunho left home without excusing his parents to go pick Jaejoong from the train station.

 

He got lost in his thought as he waited for him. His stiff expression alarmed a grinning Jaejoong who was tiptoeing toward him, trying to shock him.

 

He stopped smiling and asked, “Hey, you okay?”

 

Yunho shook his head and smiled at Jaejoong. “I am fine.”

 

Now he was.

 

“You sure?” Jaejoong insisted, arching an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah.” He smiled, lips pressing together.

 

Jaejoong scrntized him for a few seconds before he nodded and grinned. “Sure thing. So, where are we going?”

 

“I don’t really have a place in mind. I just wanted to see you.”

 

“You’re so cheesy,” he sniggered.

 

“No, really.” Yunho chuckled, his shoulders relaxing.

 

“Then, lt’s go stargazing. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”

 

“I know the perfect place then.”

 

“Great.” The vocalist smiled, stepped up and grabbed unho’s hand and yanked him after him. “Let’s get moving then.”

 

Jaejoong was cheering him up. The fact that he knew that made him feel warm all over. His worries and anger were regulated to a small place in his life at the moment and became diminutive. He loved being with Jaejoong.

 

Yunho took Jaejoong to the woods, to the clearing he took him a few days ago.

 

There, they laid on the warm grass with the side of their bodies pressing together, and gaze at the stars and moon.

 

“The stars here are really beautiful.”

 

“I think they’re beautiful everywhere, right?” Jaejoong asked, cocking his head to gaze at Yunho.

 

“I don’t know. But I feel like it’s more beautiful here.”

 

Jaejoong simply nodded and reached for Yunho’s hand and began playing with it, tracing the lines in his palm and even dropping kisses on the back, on the soft hairless skin.  

 

His breath caught. “What are you doing?” he squeaked.

 

“Stargazing.” His eyes were a coruscating kaleidoscope of colors.

 

“I see.” He grinned, allowing Jaejoong to do his thing. He liked it.

 

If this was what dating was, Yunho saw why it would be covert. It was something he should have had done sooner. But he did not believe it could have been as perfect as it was now with anyone else other than Jaejoong. His dear, perfect Jaejoong. His little humming bird.

 

He chuckled at the nickname he just gave him.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.” Yunho shook his head. “Is it really okay to be with me?” Yunho asked. It was late.

 

“It’s fine. My parents are not home yet. I told my siblings where I am.” He smiled. “Plus, I do not want the day to end. We won’t see each other for weeks.”

 

“Right. I’ll miss you every single minute of the time.”

 

“Too cheesy,” Jaejoong squealed, but Yunho could tell he liked it from the stretched of his smile.

 

Flipping to his side, he looked at Jaejoong’s profile and he soon mirrored him. Time stopped.

 

Reaching over, Yunho tucked some hair behind his ear and rubbed the tip of his fingers against his soft, white cheek. This was heaven.

 

Jaejoong flashed a sweet smile with hooded lids.

 

Feeling sentimental, Yunho said, “Let’s go to an observatory.” He later added in a soft tone, “Or a planetarium. It’s been forever since I’ve been to one. The stars there are also beautiful.”

 

A date. Something dating couples did. Something he had always found disgusting. But not now. Nothing he did with Jaejoong was disgusting. Far from it.

 

“Let’s,” Jaejoong agreed, smiling.

 

“This is the most amazing place on earth,” Yunho hummed, voice throaty, scooting to be even closer to Jaejoong who readily welcomed it.

 

Talking, they would look occasionally at the stars, at each other, and kiss.

 

They never wanted their time together that night to end.