“Did you continue waiting for me?”

He stood in the hallway stoically, while I suddenly felt a rush of fatigue fall over me. “No. Want to come in?” His eyebrows crinkled as I asked him, and I knew that he’d expected me to complain a bit and ask him where he’d been. However, I decided not to bother with it. Though I was slightly annoyed, because I’d been waiting for so long, I wouldn’t push it-there was no point in making things any harder for Jaejoong. Why did he have to answer any unnecessary questions, when we could just pretend that everything was all right? That way, it would be easier for us when we needed to part ways. It would just be like before when we didn’t know each other. Our time together would just be a memory, one that I’d soon forget.

And yet, why did I want it to be real forever? Why couldn’t I just be happy with what I had now?

Trying to push the thoughts into the back of my head, I opened the door and he walked in. Running to the couch, he jumped on to it and let out a war cry. While I smiled at his childishness, I put my bag on the table and took my hat off, gathering my hair into a ponytail. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it today, and didn’t tell you. I had a meeting to go to.” His eyes were closed as he lay on the couch, his hands folded on his stomach.

”Ah, how’s the modelling and trainee schedule working out? You looked tired.”

As I asked him, I moved over to the kitchen and grabbed some fruit from the refrigerator, peeling an apple by the sink. “Yeah. It’s been kind of busy lately. What about you?” He smiled at me as he spoke, but his eyes were cold, and I knew that he was getting annoyed with our small talk. He had expected me to interrogate him, and even though I knew it, and had wanted to do it, I’d casually tried my best to avoid the topic. The whole time, I’d been trying to steer the conversation into a different direction, though even Jaejoong could sense it.

“It’s been good. I’ve almost found a job, and Yunho has started hitting on girls again.” I laughed, albeit falsely. “After the accident, he hasn’t been the same, but I’m surprised he paid so much attention to that girl. I think her name was Song Ha Jae-”

“__________.”

There was a pause of silence, and the only sound that could be heard were my hands throwing the apple peels into the garbage.

“What about us?”

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and stiffened when I realized that Jaejoong was touching me. “Why won’t you look at me?” His body was now beside mine, my back against his chest, and I could feel his fingers slowly travel to my waist. Setting his chin gently on my shoulder, though I couldn’t see his face, I knew his eyes were closed. I could feel his breath behind my neck, and my heart suddenly started to race. As if by reflex, I set down the peeler rapidly and grabbed the plate of apple slices, twisting out of his grasp. Putting it on the table, I laughed nervously.

“You hungry? I cut some apples, and there’s also some oranges. I’ll prepare them for you if you like-“

I closed my eyes as I asked, and tried to regain the courage to look at him. I didn’t want to hear what he wanted to talk to me about. I knew it had something to do with going behind my back, but I didn’t want to know what it was. However, Jaejoong, oblivious or uncaring to my wishes, ignored the slight plea in my voice.

“No.”

His eyes were dark, almost scary, as he strode over to me.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

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