New school year; new faces. In Seoul University, having new faces is just normal, sort of like an every day happening if you want to call it. For starters it’s just what a normal university would be like.

There’s the usual kingkas, who varies from popular athletes, musicians or those ostentatious rich kids. Same goes for the queenkas, from resident mean girls to social climbers or just plain popular coz they’re hot. Hot but airheads.

Perhaps the most famous of the kingkas would be the duo that never wanted to be in the limelight but would always be in the center of attraction; Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong.

Kim Jaejoong, who majors in directing, is the best actor in school, not the usual thing that can get you the title but as he was a hottie, well you get the idea. His bestfriend, Jung Yunho is a taekwondo champ and a computer whiz.

            “Jaejoong oppa…” Jaejoong turned to look at who called him. Some girl a 2^nd year by the looks of her was shyly standing behind him with a box of what looked like pastries.

            “looks like there’s another one for you today.” Yunho grinned and elbowed his bestfriend lightly.

Jaejoong sighed and shoved both of his hands into his pockets.

            “yes?” Jaejoong said in a bored voice to the girl who walked a few steps towards the boys.

            “try to be nice?” Yunho gave Jaejoong a light tap on his back and walked ahead.

The girl stretched out her hand and gave Jaejoong the box of chocolate cupcakes. He stared at it for a while; he thought that it used to be his favorite but since most of the girls started giving it to him he started getting sick of it.

            “thanks.” He said flatly before turning around and walked away. He swung his arm not caring of how the treats might become.

Even with his cold treatment the girl blushed and felt giddy.

            “hey you!” two of the resident queenkas approached the girl who was now scared that they might bully her. Everyone knows they were the mean girls and their liking for the duo was pretty much public knowledge.

            “ye...yes?”

            “I would give up on Kim Jaejoong, if I were you.” The blonde one said cockily.

            “Trisha is right, you’d have more luck with Yunho…but then again he’s ours.” Lina flipped her her. Which was totally unnecessary since she has a pixie cut.

            “why?” the shy girl almost had tears in her eyes now.

            “tsh! Do your research. Everyone knows he still hasn’t gotten over SaeYoung.” Trisha sneered and the duo walked away.

The shy girl just stared at the direction to which Jaejoong went.

 

Cafeteria.

 

            “another fan gift, hyung?” Jaejoong’s younger brother, Changmin, snached the package from Jaejoong’s hand. “aw hyung! what did you do? it’s all messed up!” he said icing from his hand.

            “we can eat this right” Yunho asked. “I mean it’s your favorite.”

            “it WAS my favorite.” He said flatly.

            “great! More for us then. I don’t really get why you don’t like this anymore.” Changmin muttered trying to carefully fish out a cupcake without getting much icing on his hand. But obviously he did a poor job on it. “ I mean, you wouldn’t even give as so much as teeny tiny icing whenever SaeYoung would bake you a batch.”

Yunho hit the back of Changmin’s head that the latter choked on the pastry he had just bitten into. It was then that he realized his mistake.

The awkward atmosphere was horrible. Jaejoong didn’t move and kept his eyes firmly on the table.

            “I’m going to get some fresh air.” With that he stood up and left.

            “you had to open your mouth.” Yunho made to punch Changmin again and he flinch at his hyung’s oncoming fist.

            “sorry, it just slipped out. it’s been over a year already and I thought hyung might’ve already gotten over her.”

            “tsh! Jae and my sister have been together since they were in highschool and that break up was pretty nasty. Do you think either of them can get over it that easily?” Yunho stood up and left Changmin on the table who lost his appetite.

 

Jaejoong walked around the campus mindlessly. He turned at random junctures and walked at random paths. He was so deep in thought that he only realized where his legs took him when he heard music playing in the background.

He looked up at the familiar building and stared around. Pain stabbed his heart as soon as the memories came flooding in but couldn’t help but to shut his eyes and tried to shake the images away.

He walked towards that room that he used to always visit just for the sake of old times. It was his fault that it happened anyway so why not punish himself by inflicting his heart more pain.

But the room wasn’t empty. The familiar figure of the girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life sat there, playing the piano gracefully than she seemed to be a part of the whole piece herself.

He could still remember whenever she’d play for him after his taekwondo practice and how he’d hum her favorite song on the bus on their way home and how she’d fall asleep on his shoulders every time.

But that was over now he screwed up. That ruined chance, that mistake that ruined everything.

He stared at her for who knows how long until the song ended.

            “wow! With your skills you could be off playing for the world!” a guy squeaked from a corner and walked towards SaeYoung.

            “thanks, Junsu-ah, but don’t exaggerate.” She said fixing the music sheets and neatly putting it back on her blue folder.

            “I don’t exaggerate. I’m your bestfriend and I will be honest to you.” He sniggered.

            “you may be honest but you sugarcoat things too much.” She laughed a little. Jaejoong missed the times he heard her laugh and how he made her laugh with his lame jokes.

            “I do not!”

            “oh please! I know the lines you used when you try hooking up with girls.” She said leaning down to grab her bag. Her long hair curtained her face but it was so natural that it looked almost perfect.

            “tsh! It’s different. Speaking of the opposite . Have you answered that guy who kept visiting you from the basketball varsity?” Junsu asked curiously.

Both Jaejoong and SaeYoung froze.

            “you mean, Yoochun?”

Jaejoong’s blood boiled and his hand balled up in fists. He could clearly remember the threat in Yoochun’s that he’d take SaeYoung away the moment he’d let her go. Without thinking Jaejoong burst into the room.

            “Jae hyung!” Junsu jumped in surprise. SaeYoung who appear to had just slung her bag over her shoulders stared at Jaejoong.

            “o…oppa.”

            “Junsu-ah, leave us for a moment, I need to talk to SaeYoung.”

Junsu took a quick worried look at his bestfriend before hurriedly walking out. They might’ve used to hang out but Jae still scared him.

A moment’s silence…

            “what do you want?” SaeYoung’s icy voice filled the room.

            “I need to talk to you.”

            “we have nothing more to talk about, oppa.” SaeYoung started walking towards the door but Jaejoong held onto her arm, careful not to hurt her.

            “just hear me out here, SaeYoung-ah.” He pleaded but SaeYoung shook her head.

            “What more do you have to say? Will you lie to me again about that never happening again? I already forgave you once before but twice? No.” SaeYoung pulled her arm away from Jaejoong who let it go in defeat.

He let SaeYoung walk out again. he still could not hold on. For over a year this was the first time he ever got the courage to talk to her and yet he still screwed it up.

In frustration, Jaejoong punched the wall. The pain that spread throughout his arm and hand was nothing compared to what he felt inside.

            “punching a wall won’t do you any good, you know. It just shows how much of a loser you are.”

Jaejoong turned and saw the man he hated the most. Park Yoochun.

 

SaeYoung walked quickly away form the music building, she felt that if she would walk slowly she might just turn back. She missed Jaejoong, the man who had always been by her side. The man who taught her to be strong and not let anyone bully her. ‘teaching you to be strong is also one of my ways in protecting you.’ He once said. When Jaejoong told her that she knew he’d be the one for her.

But he broke the one promise he made to never be involved with anything illegal. SaeYoung and Yunho lost their parents when they dealt with drugs for gangs and when they lost some money they were beaten up to death. That’s why SaeYoung could never forgive Jae.

And lo he was involved in a gang and was caught by the police. He never told SaeYoung the reason why he got into the gang but he promised to quit and so she forgave her. Until she saw him beating up someone on the road with the same thugs and that’s when she gave up.

 

Flashback

 

            “Yunho just let me see her. Please!” Jaejoong begged Yunho who stood right outside the house.

Jaejoong still had a bloody lip from that fight but he didn’t care. When he saw SaeYoung’s horrified face looking at him beat the crap out of the guy, he felt like the whole world crashed.

            “Jae, man, you’re my best bud but she’s my sister.” Yunho raised his voice slightly. He actually didn’t know if was supposed to be angry or not.

He knows why Jae had to do it and why he can’t tell his sister.

            “I have to talk to her! Explain to her what she saw! I’ll lose her if I don’t, Yunho ah!” Jaejoong said pushing his way inside and ran up the stair towards SaeYoung’s room.

Yunho ran after him but both stopped in front of her room. Jae was debating whether or not to break down her door or just knock.

            “SaeYoung ah! Come out! we need to talk!” Jaejoong shouted and started banging on her door but he got no response.

            “Jaejoong-ah, stop it. it’s going to get worse if you don’t stop.” Yunho pulled Jae away from SaeYoung’s door and dragged him downstairs.

            “I can’t just give up like that, Yunho-ah.” Jae leaned on the wall and broke down.

This image of Jaejoong scared Yunho. He knew Jae since they were in middle school and knows how he’d always be strong no matter what the situation is. He’d seen him got beat up for Changmin and even then he never she a tear. Or when the time their mother left them for another man, he took care of his family. He took care of his sick father and worked part time at the dojo where he learned taekwondo as an assistant. He’d enter and win competitions just to have money for his family.

But now seeing him all crumpled on the floor, he didn’t know what to do.

            “Jae, just tell her why you had to do it. I’m sure my sister will understand.” Yunho stooped down and pun an arm around his bestfriend.

            “I can’t and you have to promise me not to tell her.” He shook his head and stood up and swayed. He started walking towards the door stumbling along the way.

            “dude, where are you going!?” Yunho called out but Jae never looked back.

Yunho called Junsu to help him get SaeYoung out of her room but to no avail. Her brother didn’t even know what to do, he thought it would be better if she was crying but she was just silent. Just like what she had always done even when their parents died.

A few hours later, Yunho got a call from Changmin who just found his brother wasted in front of their house.

The world would’ve been better if there were no secrets. It was what Yunho kept saying to himself after that.

 

End of flashback

 

Yunho heard the front door slam from the kitchen where he was preparing dinner and poked his head out.

            “SaeYoung ah? Is that you?”

            “ne, oppa.”

            “c’mon, dinner’s going to be ready soon.” He said setting the bowls on the table.

SaeYoung took off her coat and sat in front of her brother. Her round eyes were serious and just stared down at her food. She was obviously still thinking about what happened a while ago and what it could’ve been if she’s just let Jae talk.

            “Junsu called me earlier.” SaeYoung looked up and stared at her brother. Yunho just shoved food into his mouth.

            “what did he tell you?” she asked.

            “I know, you know why he called me, SaeYoung ah.”

            “nothing happened.” She said in an emotionless tone and started eating.

Yunho have had enough of this crap. He put his chopsticks down with a clatter and SaeYoung looked up.

            “whats wrong?”

            “you’re what’s wrong.” Yunho started to say controlling himself not to shout at his sister. “no, the both of you are! Do you know why he had to do, SaeYoung ah?”

            “I don’t want to hear it, oppa.” SaeYoung started to stand and walk out of the kitchen.

            “you WILL sit back down and hear me out!” SaeYoung turned towards her brother in shock.

Yunho never shouted at her. Not even once.

She sat back down silently and her brother stared at her with crossed arms.

            “did you really think he did what did because he liked it, SaeYoung ah?”

            “what do you mean?”

Yunho took a deep breath to steady himself.

            “he did that because he had no other choice. It was to do that or his whole family dies.”

SaeYoung froze. Yunho said it in a grave voice that made her scared.

            “his father felt bad that his sons were the ones doing all the work and he couldn’t even help them support the family so he made a loan from the load shark.” Yunho trailed off.

SaeYoung knew now what had happened before Yunho continued with his explanation.

Jaejoong’s father could not pay the debt and the money he loaned was used to invest in a business that failed. The brothers only found out about what their father did when the gang invaded their home and wrecked everything; everything Jaejoong and Changmin worked so hard for.

The gangsters agreed to a deal. They’d have to use Jae to get some money from those who owed them, if not all of them would die.

            “why didn’t he tell me all this?” SaeYoung found herself asking, she felt stupid for not hearing his side.

            “why do you think?” Yunho stared straight to her eyes.

She knew why; to protect her.

SaeYoung stood up and ran out the door. Yunho called after her but she didn’t listen and just ran down the road.

            “AISH!”

his phone rang suddenly and he hurriedly picked it up.

            “oh Changmin ah?”

            “hyung! you got to hurry!”  Changmin’s voice was full of worry

            “why what happened??”

            “it’s hyung! I don’t really know what happened but he and Yoochun-ssi are about to fight. It’s pretty intense hyung you gotta stop him.”

            “ok don’t worry I’ll be right there.” Yunho hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and ran out the door.

 

Jaejoong and Yoochun were at a park outside the university campus ready for a fight. Yooshun was grinning at how he had ruined Jaejoong’s life and finally took SaeYoung away from him. It was all his doing. It was his father who led the gangsters and it was him who made his father’s men convince Jaejoong’s father to make that loan and to make sure the business would not succeed.

            “so it was you all along.” Jae said through his teeth.

            “yep, pretty much. And I must say it went even better as I’d hoped.” Yoochun taunted him with a grin.

            “I should’ve known it would’ve been you.”

            “well, I didn’t really say I’d play fair now, did I? now I can have your girl all to myself. Just a little bit more and she’ll be falling head over heels for me.”

That smirk did it. Jaejoong ran towardsYoochun and punched him straight to the face. Yoochun lost his balance and fell. He spit the blood and wiped the bit the trickled down his chin with his thumb.

            “you’ll pay for that.” He stood up and gave Jae a punch to the gut.

With his training in martial arts Jaejoong managed to withstand the pain. Jaejoong pushed Yoochun away and turned his body and did a turning long hitting Yoochun straight to the face. The latter fell again coughing up blood. Jaejoong grabbed him by the collar and raised his fist to punch him.

            “oppa!” Jaejoong froze and turned around. SaeYoung was standing a few feet away from him gasping for air.

Tears were falling from SaeYoung’s eyes as she locked gazes with Jae. Jae immediately let go of Yoochun’s collar who fell back to the ground.

            “Yunho oppa…he told me everything.” SaeYoung started walking towards Jae.

            “SaeYoung-ah, I’m really sorry.” Jae said taking 3 long strides and took SaeYoung in his arms.

The girl he loves is finally back in his arms where she belonged. He inhaled her familiar scent and he thought why he didn’t try to explain things to her in the beginning and had to wait for more than a year.

            “I’m the one who have to apologize, I didn’t give you a chance to explain. I’m so sorry.”

            “shhh…it’s ok now. don’t worry. We’ll never be separated again.” Jaejoong tightened the hug and so did SaeYoung. She buried her face in Jaejoong’s chest.

She really did miss him; she knew she did but didn’t know how much not until this very moment that she was back in Jae’s embrace.

            “who says it’s ok now?” Yoochun’s voice sounded behind Jae.

            “HYUNG LOOK OUT!” Changmin shouted as he ran towards his brother.

            “JAEJOONG-AH!” Yunho tried to stop Yoochun but he was too late.

just as Jaejoong turned to face his enemy, Yoochun stabbed a knife into Jaejoong’s side.

            “OPPA!” SaeYoung’s horrified voice broke though the shouts as Jae fell to the ground clutching his side.

Yunho grabbed Yoochun and yanked him away from the 2. Changmin knelt beside his brother whose clothes was starting to get soaked with his own blood.

            “hyung, hang on, I’ll call for help!” Changmin ran while Yunho was beating the crap out of Yoochun was laughing like a madman.

            “oppa…” tears were welling up in SaeYoung’s eyes. Jae can’t leave her, not like this.

            “don’t…cry…SaeYoung-ah.” Jae started to choke. He reached for SaeYoung’s face and she held his hand as he touched her face. She did not care if it was bloody or not, all she cared about now is for Jae to survive.

            “hold on, oppa. Changmin’s calling for help.”

            “I said…I said…I won’t fight anymore…but that doesn’t include not…fighting for you.” He flinched and pressed on his wound.

            “stop talking, oppa. We can talk after we get you to the hospital.” A tear fell from SaeYoung’s eyes to Jaejoong’s cheeks.

            “just…just in case…I don’t make it.” SaeYoung shook her head vigorously not wanting any thought that Jae might not make it get into her mind. “remember that I’ll always love you, ok?”

SaeYoung nodded. An ambulance sounded in the distance and SaeYoung let out a relieved sigh.

            “hyung, you ok? Help’s coming. Hold on.” Changmin’s face was sweating, he was absolutely pale and who could blame him?

            “Jae, you better get over this or I swear I’ll beat you up if you die!” Yunho threatened as he came over.

His hands were bloodied and Yoochun was unconscious in the distance.

As soon as the ambulance arrived, Jae was quickly transported to the hospital.

Yunho, Changmin and SaeYoung waited outside the waiting room frantically, none of them were able to sit worrying what might…what could happen.

Relief washed over them when the doctor came out and told them that the stab would did not hit any major organs and he had only needed a blood transfusion as he lost a lot of blood.

When Jaejoong was finally transferred to a private room they all waited for him to wake up. Yunho and Changmin were both asleep on the couch while SaeYoung held Jaejoong’s hand as she slept leaning on his bed.

Jaejoong regained consciousness around noon and all of the rest were so tired from what happened the day before that they didn’t even notice the time.

Jae’s happiness in seeing the love of his life right there beside him was enough to make him jump for joy even with his current state.

He moved bit of stray hair away from SaeYoung’s face and brush his finger against her cheek. She stirred. She rubbed her eyes and she straightened up when she saw the man who she just almost lost was awake.

            “oppa, how long have you been awake?”

            “not long. Saranghe, SaeYoung-ah.” He said not wanting to wait any longer.

            “nado, oppa.” Saeyoung smiled and sat on the edge of his bed and leaned in to hiss his forehead. Jaejoong closed his eyes and felt that the only thing that made the situation not perfect was that he was a sick patient.

            “you don’t know how much I missed that.” He said his eyes still closed.

            “I’m really sorry I left, oppa.” Tears started welling again.

            “don’t be, I couldn’t blame you after what you went through before. I could only have myself to blame. “

            “can we put the past behind us now?” she said not wanting to extend the pain of them both.

            “on one condition.” Jaejoong grinned.

            “what?”

            “kiss me.”

            “bwo? I can’t, Yunho oppa is here.”

            “he’s asleep anyway. And I’ve been missing you for more than a year, I can’t wait any longer.” he joked. SaeYoung hit his arm with a nervous laugh.

After glancing at her brother who was still fast asleep she leaned forward.

Jaejoong then put a hand behind her head and welcomed her lips to his. It’s like two lost pieces of a puzzle finally reunited. Both fitted perfectly to each other that neither wanted to let go. More than a year’s separation made them long for each other’s company so much that every day for them felt like dying.

            “you two know better than to make out in front of me.” Yunho’s stiff voice suddenly broke them apart.

            “oppa, I didn’t know you were awake.” SaeYoung said blushing while Jaejoong laughed, which was a bad idea since his wound started give him pain.

            “we’ve been awake ever since you two started your lovey dovey conversation.” Changmin yawned and stretched. “is there any food around here?”

as if on cue, Junsu burst in with bags of food.

            “rise and shine everybody! Food’s here!” his announcement made Changmin look like it’s his birthday.

            “FOOD!”

they all laughed and ate together. Nothing like a day with friends and love reunited.

SaeYoung and Jaejoong couldn’t be happier and looking into each other’s eyes, they knew where they belonged and would stay that way for a very long time.

New school year; new faces. In Seoul University, having new faces is just normal, sort of like an every day happening if you want to call it. For starters it’s just what a normal university would be like.

There’s the usual kingkas, who varies from popular athletes, musicians or those ostentatious rich kids. Same goes for the queenkas, from resident mean girls to social climbers or just plain popular coz they’re hot. Hot but airheads.

Perhaps the most famous of the kingkas would be the duo that never wanted to be in the limelight but would always be in the center of attraction; Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong.

Kim Jaejoong, who majors in directing, is the best actor in school, not the usual thing that can get you the title but as he was a hottie, well you get the idea. His bestfriend, Jung Yunho is a taekwondo champ and a computer whiz.

            “Jaejoong oppa…” Jaejoong turned to look at who called him. Some girl a 2^nd year by the looks of her was shyly standing behind him with a box of what looked like pastries.

            “looks like there’s another one for you today.” Yunho grinned and elbowed his bestfriend lightly.

Jaejoong sighed and shoved both of his hands into his pockets.

            “yes?” Jaejoong said in a bored voice to the girl who walked a few steps towards the boys.

            “try to be nice?” Yunho gave Jaejoong a light tap on his back and walked ahead.

The girl stretched out her hand and gave Jaejoong the box of chocolate cupcakes. He stared at it for a while; he thought that it used to be his favorite but since most of the girls started giving it to him he started getting sick of it.

            “thanks.” He said flatly before turning around and walked away. He swung his arm not caring of how the treats might become.

Even with his cold treatment the girl blushed and felt giddy.

            “hey you!” two of the resident queenkas approached the girl who was now scared that they might bully her. Everyone knows they were the mean girls and their liking for the duo was pretty much public knowledge.

            “ye...yes?”

            “I would give up on Kim Jaejoong, if I were you.” The blonde one said cockily.

            “Trisha is right, you’d have more luck with Yunho…but then again he’s ours.” Lina flipped her her. Which was totally unnecessary since she has a pixie cut.

            “why?” the shy girl almost had tears in her eyes now.

            “tsh! Do your research. Everyone knows he still hasn’t gotten over SaeYoung.” Trisha sneered and the duo walked away.

The shy girl just stared at the direction to which Jaejoong went.

 

Cafeteria.

 

            “another fan gift, hyung?” Jaejoong’s younger brother, Changmin, snached the package from Jaejoong’s hand. “aw hyung! what did you do? it’s all messed up!” he said icing from his hand.

            “we can eat this right” Yunho asked. “I mean it’s your favorite.”

            “it WAS my favorite.” He said flatly.

            “great! More for us then. I don’t really get why you don’t like this anymore.” Changmin muttered trying to carefully fish out a cupcake without getting much icing on his hand. But obviously he did a poor job on it. “ I mean, you wouldn’t even give as so much as teeny tiny icing whenever SaeYoung would bake you a batch.”

Yunho hit the back of Changmin’s head that the latter choked on the pastry he had just bitten into. It was then that he realized his mistake.

The awkward atmosphere was horrible. Jaejoong didn’t move and kept his eyes firmly on the table.

            “I’m going to get some fresh air.” With that he stood up and left.

            “you had to open your mouth.” Yunho made to punch Changmin again and he flinch at his hyung’s oncoming fist.

            “sorry, it just slipped out. it’s been over a year already and I thought hyung might’ve already gotten over her.”

            “tsh! Jae and my sister have been together since they were in highschool and that break up was pretty nasty. Do you think either of them can get over it that easily?” Yunho stood up and left Changmin on the table who lost his appetite.

 

Jaejoong walked around the campus mindlessly. He turned at random junctures and walked at random paths. He was so deep in thought that he only realized where his legs took him when he heard music playing in the background.

He looked up at the familiar building and stared around. Pain stabbed his heart as soon as the memories came flooding in but couldn’t help but to shut his eyes and tried to shake the images away.

He walked towards that room that he used to always visit just for the sake of old times. It was his fault that it happened anyway so why not punish himself by inflicting his heart more pain.

But the room wasn’t empty. The familiar figure of the girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life sat there, playing the piano gracefully than she seemed to be a part of the whole piece herself.

He could still remember whenever she’d play for him after his taekwondo practice and how he’d hum her favorite song on the bus on their way home and how she’d fall asleep on his shoulders every time.

But that was over now he screwed up. That ruined chance, that mistake that ruined everything.

He stared at her for who knows how long until the song ended.

            “wow! With your skills you could be off playing for the world!” a guy squeaked from a corner and walked towards SaeYoung.

            “thanks, Junsu-ah, but don’t exaggerate.” She said fixing the music sheets and neatly putting it back on her blue folder.

            “I don’t exaggerate. I’m your bestfriend and I will be honest to you.” He sniggered.

            “you may be honest but you sugarcoat things too much.” She laughed a little. Jaejoong missed the times he heard her laugh and how he made her laugh with his lame jokes.

            “I do not!”

            “oh please! I know the lines you used when you try hooking up with girls.” She said leaning down to grab her bag. Her long hair curtained her face but it was so natural that it looked almost perfect.

            “tsh! It’s different. Speaking of the opposite . Have you answered that guy who kept visiting you from the basketball varsity?” Junsu asked curiously.

Both Jaejoong and SaeYoung froze.

            “you mean, Yoochun?”

Jaejoong’s blood boiled and his hand balled up in fists. He could clearly remember the threat in Yoochun’s that he’d take SaeYoung away the moment he’d let her go. Without thinking Jaejoong burst into the room.

            “Jae hyung!” Junsu jumped in surprise. SaeYoung who appear to had just slung her bag over her shoulders stared at Jaejoong.

            “o…oppa.”

            “Junsu-ah, leave us for a moment, I need to talk to SaeYoung.”

Junsu took a quick worried look at his bestfriend before hurriedly walking out. They might’ve used to hang out but Jae still scared him.

A moment’s silence…

            “what do you want?” SaeYoung’s icy voice filled the room.

            “I need to talk to you.”

            “we have nothing more to talk about, oppa.” SaeYoung started walking towards the door but Jaejoong held onto her arm, careful not to hurt her.

            “just hear me out here, SaeYoung-ah.” He pleaded but SaeYoung shook her head.

            “What more do you have to say? Will you lie to me again about that never happening again? I already forgave you once before but twice? No.” SaeYoung pulled her arm away from Jaejoong who let it go in defeat.

He let SaeYoung walk out again. he still could not hold on. For over a year this was the first time he ever got the courage to talk to her and yet he still screwed it up.

In frustration, Jaejoong punched the wall. The pain that spread throughout his arm and hand was nothing compared to what he felt inside.

            “punching a wall won’t do you any good, you know. It just shows how much of a loser you are.”

Jaejoong turned and saw the man he hated the most. Park Yoochun.

 

SaeYoung walked quickly away form the music building, she felt that if she would walk slowly she might just turn back. She missed Jaejoong, the man who had always been by her side. The man who taught her to be strong and not let anyone bully her. ‘teaching you to be strong is also one of my ways in protecting you.’ He once said. When Jaejoong told her that she knew he’d be the one for her.

But he broke the one promise he made to never be involved with anything illegal. SaeYoung and Yunho lost their parents when they dealt with drugs for gangs and when they lost some money they were beaten up to death. That’s why SaeYoung could never forgive Jae.

And lo he was involved in a gang and was caught by the police. He never told SaeYoung the reason why he got into the gang but he promised to quit and so she forgave her. Until she saw him beating up someone on the road with the same thugs and that’s when she gave up.

 

Flashback

 

            “Yunho just let me see her. Please!” Jaejoong begged Yunho who stood right outside the house.

Jaejoong still had a bloody lip from that fight but he didn’t care. When he saw SaeYoung’s horrified face looking at him beat the crap out of the guy, he felt like the whole world crashed.

            “Jae, man, you’re my best bud but she’s my sister.” Yunho raised his voice slightly. He actually didn’t know if was supposed to be angry or not.

He knows why Jae had to do it and why he can’t tell his sister.

            “I have to talk to her! Explain to her what she saw! I’ll lose her if I don’t, Yunho ah!” Jaejoong said pushing his way inside and ran up the stair towards SaeYoung’s room.

Yunho ran after him but both stopped in front of her room. Jae was debating whether or not to break down her door or just knock.

            “SaeYoung ah! Come out! we need to talk!” Jaejoong shouted and started banging on her door but he got no response.

            “Jaejoong-ah, stop it. it’s going to get worse if you don’t stop.” Yunho pulled Jae away from SaeYoung’s door and dragged him downstairs.

            “I can’t just give up like that, Yunho-ah.” Jae leaned on the wall and broke down.

This image of Jaejoong scared Yunho. He knew Jae since they were in middle school and knows how he’d always be strong no matter what the situation is. He’d seen him got beat up for Changmin and even then he never she a tear. Or when the time their mother left them for another man, he took care of his family. He took care of his sick father and worked part time at the dojo where he learned taekwondo as an assistant. He’d enter and win competitions just to have money for his family.

But now seeing him all crumpled on the floor, he didn’t know what to do.

            “Jae, just tell her why you had to do it. I’m sure my sister will understand.” Yunho stooped down and pun an arm around his bestfriend.

            “I can’t and you have to promise me not to tell her.” He shook his head and stood up and swayed. He started walking towards the door stumbling along the way.

            “dude, where are you going!?” Yunho called out but Jae never looked back.

Yunho called Junsu to help him get SaeYoung out of her room but to no avail. Her brother didn’t even know what to do, he thought it would be better if she was crying but she was just silent. Just like what she had always done even when their parents died.

A few hours later, Yunho got a call from Changmin who just found his brother wasted in front of their house.

The world would’ve been better if there were no secrets. It was what Yunho kept saying to himself after that.

 

End of flashback

 

Yunho heard the front door slam from the kitchen where he was preparing dinner and poked his head out.

            “SaeYoung ah? Is that you?”

            “ne, oppa.”

            “c’mon, dinner’s going to be ready soon.” He said setting the bowls on the table.

SaeYoung took off her coat and sat in front of her brother. Her round eyes were serious and just stared down at her food. She was obviously still thinking about what happened a while ago and what it could’ve been if she’s just let Jae talk.

            “Junsu called me earlier.” SaeYoung looked up and stared at her brother. Yunho just shoved food into his mouth.

            “what did he tell you?” she asked.

            “I know, you know why he called me, SaeYoung ah.”

            “nothing happened.” She said in an emotionless tone and started eating.

Yunho have had enough of this crap. He put his chopsticks down with a clatter and SaeYoung looked up.

            “whats wrong?”

            “you’re what’s wrong.” Yunho started to say controlling himself not to shout at his sister. “no, the both of you are! Do you know why he had to do, SaeYoung ah?”

            “I don’t want to hear it, oppa.” SaeYoung started to stand and walk out of the kitchen.

            “you WILL sit back down and hear me out!” SaeYoung turned towards her brother in shock.

Yunho never shouted at her. Not even once.

She sat back down silently and her brother stared at her with crossed arms.

            “did you really think he did what did because he liked it, SaeYoung ah?”

            “what do you mean?”

Yunho took a deep breath to steady himself.

            “he did that because he had no other choice. It was to do that or his whole family dies.”

SaeYoung froze. Yunho said it in a grave voice that made her scared.

            “his father felt bad that his sons were the ones doing all the work and he couldn’t even help them support the family so he made a loan from the load shark.” Yunho trailed off.

SaeYoung knew now what had happened before Yunho continued with his explanation.

Jaejoong’s father could not pay the debt and the money he loaned was used to invest in a business that failed. The brothers only found out about what their father did when the gang invaded their home and wrecked everything; everything Jaejoong and Changmin worked so hard for.

The gangsters agreed to a deal. They’d have to use Jae to get some money from those who owed them, if not all of them would die.

            “why didn’t he tell me all this?” SaeYoung found herself asking, she felt stupid for not hearing his side.

            “why do you think?” Yunho stared straight to her eyes.

She knew why; to protect her.

SaeYoung stood up and ran out the door. Yunho called after her but she didn’t listen and just ran down the road.

            “AISH!”

his phone rang suddenly and he hurriedly picked it up.

            “oh Changmin ah?”

            “hyung! you got to hurry!”  Changmin’s voice was full of worry

            “why what happened??”

            “it’s hyung! I don’t really know what happened but he and Yoochun-ssi are about to fight. It’s pretty intense hyung you gotta stop him.”

            “ok don’t worry I’ll be right there.” Yunho hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and ran out the door.

 

Jaejoong and Yoochun were at a park outside the university campus ready for a fight. Yooshun was grinning at how he had ruined Jaejoong’s life and finally took SaeYoung away from him. It was all his doing. It was his father who led the gangsters and it was him who made his father’s men convince Jaejoong’s father to make that loan and to make sure the business would not succeed.

            “so it was you all along.” Jae said through his teeth.

            “yep, pretty much. And I must say it went even better as I’d hoped.” Yoochun taunted him with a grin.

            “I should’ve known it would’ve been you.”

            “well, I didn’t really say I’d play fair now, did I? now I can have your girl all to myself. Just a little bit more and she’ll be falling head over heels for me.”

That smirk did it. Jaejoong ran towardsYoochun and punched him straight to the face. Yoochun lost his balance and fell. He spit the blood and wiped the bit the trickled down his chin with his thumb.

            “you’ll pay for that.” He stood up and gave Jae a punch to the gut.

With his training in martial arts Jaejoong managed to withstand the pain. Jaejoong pushed Yoochun away and turned his body and did a turning long hitting Yoochun straight to the face. The latter fell again coughing up blood. Jaejoong grabbed him by the collar and raised his fist to punch him.

            “oppa!” Jaejoong froze and turned around. SaeYoung was standing a few feet away from him gasping for air.

Tears were falling from SaeYoung’s eyes as she locked gazes with Jae. Jae immediately let go of Yoochun’s collar who fell back to the ground.

            “Yunho oppa…he told me everything.” SaeYoung started walking towards Jae.

            “SaeYoung-ah, I’m really sorry.” Jae said taking 3 long strides and took SaeYoung in his arms.

The girl he loves is finally back in his arms where she belonged. He inhaled her familiar scent and he thought why he didn’t try to explain things to her in the beginning and had to wait for more than a year.

            “I’m the one who have to apologize, I didn’t give you a chance to explain. I’m so sorry.”

            “shhh…it’s ok now. don’t worry. We’ll never be separated again.” Jaejoong tightened the hug and so did SaeYoung. She buried her face in Jaejoong’s chest.

She really did miss him; she knew she did but didn’t know how much not until this very moment that she was back in Jae’s embrace.

            “who says it’s ok now?” Yoochun’s voice sounded behind Jae.

            “HYUNG LOOK OUT!” Changmin shouted as he ran towards his brother.

            “JAEJOONG-AH!” Yunho tried to stop Yoochun but he was too late.

just as Jaejoong turned to face his enemy, Yoochun stabbed a knife into Jaejoong’s side.

            “OPPA!” SaeYoung’s horrified voice broke though the shouts as Jae fell to the ground clutching his side.

Yunho grabbed Yoochun and yanked him away from the 2. Changmin knelt beside his brother whose clothes was starting to get soaked with his own blood.

            “hyung, hang on, I’ll call for help!” Changmin ran while Yunho was beating the crap out of Yoochun was laughing like a madman.

            “oppa…” tears were welling up in SaeYoung’s eyes. Jae can’t leave her, not like this.

            “don’t…cry…SaeYoung-ah.” Jae started to choke. He reached for SaeYoung’s face and she held his hand as he touched her face. She did not care if it was bloody or not, all she cared about now is for Jae to survive.

            “hold on, oppa. Changmin’s calling for help.”

            “I said…I said…I won’t fight anymore…but that doesn’t include not…fighting for you.” He flinched and pressed on his wound.

            “stop talking, oppa. We can talk after we get you to the hospital.” A tear fell from SaeYoung’s eyes to Jaejoong’s cheeks.

            “just…just in case…I don’t make it.” SaeYoung shook her head vigorously not wanting any thought that Jae might not make it get into her mind. “remember that I’ll always love you, ok?”

SaeYoung nodded. An ambulance sounded in the distance and SaeYoung let out a relieved sigh.

            “hyung, you ok? Help’s coming. Hold on.” Changmin’s face was sweating, he was absolutely pale and who could blame him?

            “Jae, you better get over this or I swear I’ll beat you up if you die!” Yunho threatened as he came over.

His hands were bloodied and Yoochun was unconscious in the distance.

As soon as the ambulance arrived, Jae was quickly transported to the hospital.

Yunho, Changmin and SaeYoung waited outside the waiting room frantically, none of them were able to sit worrying what might…what could happen.

Relief washed over them when the doctor came out and told them that the stab would did not hit any major organs and he had only needed a blood transfusion as he lost a lot of blood.

When Jaejoong was finally transferred to a private room they all waited for him to wake up. Yunho and Changmin were both asleep on the couch while SaeYoung held Jaejoong’s hand as she slept leaning on his bed.

Jaejoong regained consciousness around noon and all of the rest were so tired from what happened the day before that they didn’t even notice the time.

Jae’s happiness in seeing the love of his life right there beside him was enough to make him jump for joy even with his current state.

He moved bit of stray hair away from SaeYoung’s face and brush his finger against her cheek. She stirred. She rubbed her eyes and she straightened up when she saw the man who she just almost lost was awake.

            “oppa, how long have you been awake?”

            “not long. Saranghe, SaeYoung-ah.” He said not wanting to wait any longer.

            “nado, oppa.” Saeyoung smiled and sat on the edge of his bed and leaned in to hiss his forehead. Jaejoong closed his eyes and felt that the only thing that made the situation not perfect was that he was a sick patient.

            “you don’t know how much I missed that.” He said his eyes still closed.

            “I’m really sorry I left, oppa.” Tears started welling again.

            “don’t be, I couldn’t blame you after what you went through before. I could only have myself to blame. “

            “can we put the past behind us now?” she said not wanting to extend the pain of them both.

            “on one condition.” Jaejoong grinned.

            “what?”

            “kiss me.”

            “bwo? I can’t, Yunho oppa is here.”

            “he’s asleep anyway. And I’ve been missing you for more than a year, I can’t wait any longer.” he joked. SaeYoung hit his arm with a nervous laugh.

After glancing at her brother who was still fast asleep she leaned forward.

Jaejoong then put a hand behind her head and welcomed her lips to his. It’s like two lost pieces of a puzzle finally reunited. Both fitted perfectly to each other that neither wanted to let go. More than a year’s separation made them long for each other’s company so much that every day for them felt like dying.

            “you two know better than to make out in front of me.” Yunho’s stiff voice suddenly broke them apart.

            “oppa, I didn’t know you were awake.” SaeYoung said blushing while Jaejoong laughed, which was a bad idea since his wound started give him pain.

            “we’ve been awake ever since you two started your lovey dovey conversation.” Changmin yawned and stretched. “is there any food around here?”

as if on cue, Junsu burst in with bags of food.

            “rise and shine everybody! Food’s here!” his announcement made Changmin look like it’s his birthday.

            “FOOD!”

they all laughed and ate together. Nothing like a day with friends and love reunited.

SaeYoung and Jaejoong couldn’t be happier and looking into each other’s eyes, they knew where they belonged and would stay that way for a very long time.