Paper Aeroplanes

77 Words

    Jaejoong had always been the quiet, weird kid in school. He sat at the back of the classroom, ate lunch alone and walked home alone. He carried a box of origami paper with him everywhere and in the time between classes and during lunch he would fold the most beautiful paper creations.
    Once he fashioned wreaths of perfectly folded snowflakes and taped them to all the teachers’ doors before school started. Another time, he made thousands of paper airplanes and tied them to the ceiling of the gym. The dance committee left the planes up for the dance and lights flickered through the paper, giving the gym an ethereal glow.
    Every once and a while, someone would find a paper plane that was folded too perfectly to be anyone but Jaejoong’s work.
    Yoochun found Jaejoong fascinating. He would watch him almost everyday during lunch. And then immediately feel guilty for doing so. But Jaejoong was such an interesting person.
    But Jaejoong would talk to him. Jaejoong wouldn’t talk to anyone except the teachers. And then only in a soft, hushed voice and quick sentences.
    Jaejoong was sitting in a corner of the cafeteria folding a sheet of yellow paper into a duck. Yoochun took a chance and sat down across from Jaejoong.
    Jaejoong winced as Yoochun sat, but continued to fold the paper. Yoochun didn’t speak; he just watched. Jaejoong finished the duck, set it aside and pulled out another sheet of paper.
    The bell finally rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Jaejoong gathered his things quickly and ran out the door.
    Yoochun noticed Jaejoong didn’t eat anything and wonder why. He resolved to bring enough to share tomorrow as he walked to his class.
    Class was boring and Yoochun couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Jaejoong. He was such a weird boy. Yoochun had heard rumors that he ‘wasn’t right in the head’ as Yuri put it. No one answered when Yoochun pressed for more information. It seemed easier to ignore the odd boy than to actually take the time to get to know him.

    The next day Yoochun sat with Jaejoong again. He brought an extra helping of curried rice with him. He pushed the rice toward Jaejoong, but Jaejoong just looked at it for a moment and continued to make an origami goat.
    When the bell rang Jaejoong all but ran from the table, but he left the little goat behind. Yoochun scooped up the tiny goat made out of pale pink paper and tucked it carefully into the pocket of his uniform.
    As soon as he was home he put the goat in a place of honor, next to a photo of his father, on his dresser. He stared at the figure for a long time. Jaejoong never left his paper creations behind, no matter how rushed his was.
    He decided not to think too much about it until the next day. He had to skip lunch to practice for his piano recital. The recital was in 5 days and he still hadn’t chosen a song to play.
    Yoochun did, however, manage to slip a container of homemade macaroni and cheese into Jaejoong’s locker with a little help from the janitor.
    The janitor had only agreed to help because no one in the school had ever seen Jaejoong eat lunch before. He always just sat in the cafeteria, folding origami paper.
    Yoochun started with an easy song; ‘Putting the Damage On’ by Tori Amos. He sang softly to himself. He contemplated just playing that song. But he knew the music teacher was expecting something much more difficult from him.
    He played for a long time. He didn’t notice the music teacher standing by the piano and listening.
    “You keep your eyes closed when you sing. Did you know that?” Mrs. Han said softly.
    Yoochun jump and hit his knee on the piano. He swore as he rubbed his knee.
    “Sorry,” Mrs. Han said with a laugh. “If you kept your eyes open when you sing, you would have seen me come in.”
    “Sorry, Mrs. Han.”
    “It’s okay. Have you picked a song yet?”
    Yoochun shook his head and played a few notes. “I can’t think of anything to play. I kinda want to sing, too. But…”
    “You have a wonderful voice. Have you heard of Mary Lambert? She’s an American singer. Go home look up her version of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’. I’d like you to do something like that.”
    “Take a rock song and slow it down?” Yoochun asked bewildered.
    “Take a song you love and make it your own for a night.” Mrs. Han smiled. “Lunch is almost over, hurry and get to your next class.”

    Yoochun stood in his closet trying to pick out clothes to wear for the recital. It was proving a more difficult task than picking music to play.
    “How about this?” he asked as he stepped out.
    “No. Just no,” his best friend Yunho said. “You have really terrible clothes. Why are you trying to pick your outfit anyway? You don’t even have your song yet.”
    “Maybe if I get my clothes together, the song will come to me?”
    “Probably not.” Yunho sighed and pushed him out of the way. He riffled through Yoochun’s closet. “Why don’t you do that song you love so much?”
    “Which one?” Yoochun quirked his eyebrow at Yunho.
    “That one by that American singer.”
    “That doesn’t narrow it down,” Yoochun sighed. “Mrs. Han wants me to take a song and ‘make it my own’. She made me look up this singer and she’s amazing, but I’ll never be that good.”
    “You should play ‘Serenity’ by Godsmack. Because they rock.”
    “Maybe. I kinda just want to do a Tori song. She plays the piano, so it won’t be hard.”
    “Yeah. Okay. You can have Mrs. Han on your for that. Do you want me to sing for you again?”
    “No. I think I want to this time.” Yoochun threw the shirt he was holding on the floor. “I give up. I’ll just play in my uniform.”
    “Let’s go shopping. Get you something cool.”
    Yoochun shrugged, but followed Yunho anyway. At least he would look cool on stage, even if he had nothing to sing.
    He was exhausted by the time Yunho was finished being his own personal stylist. And he still didn’t have a song to play.
    Yoochun was almost late for class the next morning. By lunch time he was worn out, but still managed to get the janitor to slip a sandwich and a fruit cup into Jaejoong’s locker.
    He sat down at the piano and almost didn’t notice the small green frog sitting on the keys. Written in perfect, neat handwriting was the word ‘Thanks’. Yoochun smiled and tucked the frog into his pocket. He finally knew what song he was going to play.
    Yoochun practiced all through lunch and after school. It had to be perfect.
    “Wow… So, you’re going to confess through song?” Yunho leaned back on the bench. “He’s weird, man. I don’t think he understands stuff like that.”
    “He does. I think. He’s just quiet.”


    Yoochun sat at the piano waiting for the lights to come up on him. The note Jaejoong wrote him on a paper plane tucked safely in his pocket. ‘Good luck’ it said in Jaejoong’s neat script.
    The spot light came up slowly and Yoochun played the first notes of the song softly. He wanted his voice to be heard more than the music. This was his confession. He prayed Jaejoong understood it was for him.
    Yoochun finished the song and was met with a standing ovation. He made his way through the crowd, towards his brother and mother. They stood by the back stage door and enveloped him in hugs and kisses, repeatedly telling him he was amazing.
    “Go look in the dressing room. There’s something for you,” his mother said.
    On the vanity was a small bouquet of red paper roses and blue paper planes. Yoochun picked up the flowers and folded back one of the wings on the biggest plane. He read the note slowly and could barely believe his eyes. ‘I like you. I just didn’t want anyone to know I like a boy. Will you meet me after school tomorrow? In the park near the lake. If you don’t like me, don’t show up. I’ll wait from 4-5.’
    The next day at 4 pm sharp, Yoochun was standing by the lake in the park.
    “Hey,” he said as Jaejoong walked up to him.
    “Hey,” Jaejoong replied sheepishly. “I’m glad you’re here.”
    Yoochun smiled and took hold of Jaejoong’s hand. They walked around the lake together as the sun was setting. They talked about everything and nothing.
    When it was time for Yoochun to go home he gave Jaejoong’s hand a little extra squeeze and agreed to meet after school every day to talk. Before he left, Jaejoong gave Yoochun a soft kiss on the cheek and ran away.
    It was going to take time, but Yoochun was determined to find out everything he could about the odd boy who made perfect paper airplanes.

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Hey everyone!! I hope everyone is doing well. Please, please, please request words and pairing! I need inspiration so these all don't end up being YunJae and YooSu fics.

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Serenity_Grace
Hey all! Give me some pairing for these words and I'll try to fill the request for you.

Comments

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chichiri0515
#1
Chapter 12: Waaaaahhhhh.....hosu so sweet :3
lalaland1125
#2
Chapter 7: Just read "run" and I love it..so sweet lovely and fluffy :))
sweet_apple5
#3
Chapter 4: minsu my love! nice~
i'll stop till here coz my eyes are getting heavier.. ahahahahah

thank u for the story~
vicshi #4
Chapter 11: can i request yunjae w/ JJ having family trouble & running to YH as sanctuary please?
helden #5
Chapter 11: I really love this story. Simple yet beautiful.
Sakura_Aimi
#6
Chapter 7: This is so simple and sweet and I just loved it. You'll be getting more comments from me as I check the rest of these out
LuvTia
#7
Chapter 14: love it so much
thanks for writing
HominYC #8
Chapter 14: So sweet . Yunho is so mature that's why he could dealing with ge's baby changmin .
LMS_239
#9
Chapter 14: this is so beautiful xD
how mature Yunho to handle Changmin.
omg I feel pity for Changmin for his past with donghae.
so as long HoMin having but that was the first making love of them *giggles*