Album No. 13

:: Track 01 ::

“BoA!”

I looked up with my puffy eyes, seeing Junsu darting down the hallway with LiYin trailing quickly behind. They were the first people I called after calling the ambulance and right now I was outside in the waiting area praying to God that Kim JaeJoong was okay.

“Is YoungWoongie Hyung okay? Huh? What happened? Is he okay?” he asked and bent down to my level, shaking me by the arms. I’ve never seen Junsu look so worried but what could I say? I didn’t know. I was hoping that he was okay too. More than okay. Yes, please be okay.

LiYin then quietly sat down next to me, hugging me around the shoulders, resting her forehead affectionately against my neck. I shook my head slightly in response, not able to speak, not able to give a good answer. I felt terrible.

“JaeJoong sunbae was really cold when we found him,” DongHae then answered in a low voice. I forgot that he was here even though he had been comforting me for the past half hour.
Junsu and LiYin turned to him, surprised at his presence but they were listening. “He basically passed out. We’re not sure what happened but the school nurse said that it might have been an overdose.”

What? I glanced up at DongHae with my eyes wide. He looked sorry for not saying anything before but – an overdose? How come I didn’t hear that? When did the nurse say that? What?

I watched as Junsu stood up and shook his head frantically.
“No. No way! Hyung is not stupid like that. It can’t be something like that,” he said, looking as dazed as ever. This fretful disbelieving Junsu was starting to scare me. LiYin got up as well and pulled him over to take a seat. She rubbed his back trying to comfort him.

“Don’t worry, Su. The nurse only said it ‘might be’. It’s not for sure right? JaeJoong wouldn’t do that,” LiYin spoke in a soft voice in Junsu’s ear and he closed his eyes.

I felt bad. This might be my fault… I was the last one to see Kim JaeJoong alive…

Kim JaeJoong –
Please be okay… for Junsu, for your parents, for me— please be okay!


“Are you the family of Kim JaeJoong?”
The doctor walked out after he finished the examination and looked to us. We all stood to our feet at the same time and felt our hearts skip unnaturally.
“I’m his best friend!” Junsu yelled and patted himself on the chest. He then pointed to the door. “Is he awake? Can I go in?” The doctor nodded.

Before he could even begin to explain the details of Kim JaeJoong’s condition, Junsu busted past the grey doors. LiYin gave me a look of concern and I told her to follow him to see that if he was okay. DongHae went with her, giving me some privacy with the doctor.

I then glanced back at the doctor who was looking down at his clipboard and he flipped up a page.
“Are you a friend as well?” the doctor questioned and I hesitated for a second but slowly nodded. Kim JaeJoong’s friend? Yeah, right…

I wanted to speak. I really did. I wanted to ask how Kim JaeJoong was doing. If he’s all right now. If everything is fine. And that it wasn’t a –

“It was an overdose,” the doctor finally spoke and my heart dropped.
What? How could he do this to himself? I never knew that he would even put his hands –
“On Tylenol.”

“What?” I asked out loud but I covered my mouth, hoping the question didn’t come out too rude. It was definitely one of those moments where the characters in the anime shows fall to the ground and have a big drop of sweat roll down the side of their heads.

“It was an overdose on Tylenol,” he repeated, just as seriously as the first time.
“The patient has been conscious since fifteen minutes ago and I asked about the situation. Don’t worry. He just took one too many pills because of a sharp heart pain that he complained about. That was why he was really cold. Tylenol is also a fever reducer –”

“He has heart problems?” I questioned, cutting of the doctor’s explanation, feeling my own heart race with worry. To my surprise the doctor shook his head.
“We ran some tests and the patient is completely healthy. I assume that if his heart is hurting, it’s because of something emotional rather than physical.”

Emotional – heart pains – sounded more like me…

“I think you should go inside miss,” the doctor advised. He looked like he had an emergency to get to.
“I think the patient will want to see you.” He smiled and pat me on the shoulder. He then his heel and left. I froze with a blush but quickly went into the room.

:: Track 02 ::

“Hyung! Let me see your face! Come on!” Junsu whined as he tried to pull the thin white covers off of Kim JaeJoong. He was hiding himself underneath the hospital blankets, not letting anyone see him.
From under, Kim JaeJoong yelled back. “Stop it Junsu! I swear –“ It was nice to hear his airy voice again. I smiled.
“Junsu-ah, just let him be~” LiYin said and tried to drag Junsu back, only to make him tug at the sheets stronger.

I glanced over at DongHae who was standing in a corner with his arms crossed, leaning against the white wall. He was just watching and when he noticed me, his eyes lit up and he walked over.

“Hey BoA. What did the doctor say?” DongHae said and at that moment, as if my name was a trigger, Kim JaeJoong perked up from under the covers and stared at me. I simply stared back, happy to see that he returned to his original color and he was even a little red.

Was he blushing? Of course my heart started pitter-pattering and my cheeks turned warm. Gah, aren’t I supposed to hate him? Oh BoA.

He then whipped his head to the side and Junsu ran over to that side, patting Kim JaeJoong on the cheeks.
“Haha Hyung! You’re okay!” he exclaimed with his unique laugh and then hugged him.
Kim JaeJoong flailed his arms around and tried to shove him away as LiYin giggled.
“Erg! Junsu~ get off of me! I’m fine!” Aww~ “Get off! This is unmanly!”

“So?” DongHae asked, intruding my thoughts. I faced him and brushed my hair behind my ear.
“Oh, um the doctor said that it was an overdose but on Tylenol.” We both smiled and I watched DongHae look at Kim JaeJoong with a solemn face. He then turned to me and nodded.

“Good. Let’s make sure that he doesn’t do something like that again,” DongHae advised and I agreed. “I’ll get going now. See you tomorrow?”
“Okay,” I answered and gave him a small wave.
“Rest well sunbae. Bye everyone,” DongHae said and then bowed to everyone before leaving the hospital.

Kim JaeJoong simply eyed him, saying nothing, as he left. LiYin didn’t respond either but Junsu tilted his head wondering.
“Hey Hyung,” he patted Kim JaeJoong on the leg. “Isn’t that Lee DongHae?”

Kim JaeJoong leaned back on a pillow sitting up and made a humming noise. “\What about it?”
Junsu pouted his lips and shook his head. “Nothing. Just thought he was familiar. We kind of used to be friends when we were younger. I remember.”
“Yeah. Used to,” Kim JaeJoong replied and I felt his eyes lock dead set on mine. He crossed his arms and then looked away again.

LiYin then let out a nervous laugh feeling the awkwardness and tension. “Hahaha… anyway… glad to see that you’re okay JaeJoong.”
“…Thanks…” he muttered, not even looking her way. He was obviously upset about something.
“Well then we should get going,” LiYin said. She stole a glance at me and her LiYin language was telling me that I should say something to him since she was giving me the chance.

She grabbed Junsu’s arm and attempted to pick him up from sitting on the side of Kim JaeJoong’s bed.
“Come on, Su. Let’s go~” she sang but he refused.

“Nu-uh. The last time we left, YoungWoongie Hyung fainted. I’m staying,” Junsu claimed and wiggled his in to the mattress as if he was planting it there for real. Ha, I never knew that he was so attached to the dummy. No wonder I always see them together.

LiYin elbowed him and twitched her head towards me. Junsu looked in my direction and then opened his mouth in realization.
“…Oh fine,” he finally agreed and lazily picked himself up. “Take care Hyung,” he told Kim JaeJoong and gave him a guy handshake. The older boy nodded and the couple soon left, leaving me with Kim JaeJoong as planned.

:: Track 03 ::

For a good moment, everything was silent. So silent that I could hear a pin drop from a mile away.
But it was okay. As long as Kim JaeJoong was alive, it felt like everything else was okay.

I continued to sit and stare at his handsome profile but after a while I realized: what was the point? He wasn’t talking and I wasn’t talking. It was just silence, pure silence, and yet I hate to admit that I wasn’t the least bored. Strange.

I looked out the window and noticed that the sky had grown dark, not too dark but dark enough. I took out my phone, reading that it was about six and it meant that I should be going – still had some homework to do and lunch to eat, you know. I gave a mental sigh as I looked over to Kim JaeJoong, who was paying no attention to me whatsoever. At least he was better now. I can finally go home and have a good sleep tonight.

I hopped off from sitting on the small round coffee table in the corner of the room, making some extra noises on purpose, and yet he still didn’t look my way. Tch, fine. Be like that, jerk.

I grabbed my knapsack, slipped it on and walked past his bed. I was about to exit without saying a word but… he was technically sick so I supposed that giving him a tiny goodbye would only be right to do.

“Get better,” I said in a serious voice. I stared at his left cheek and he was simply looking out the window of his room into the halls of the hospital – no response. “And yah, don’t be stupid and do something like that again… dummy…” I warned, my voice trailing off by the end, and still nothing. I guess something outside was more interesting than me. Thanks a lot, Kim JaeJoong.

I rolled my eyes at him and just as I was about to walk out of the door –

“Didn’t you say that you hate me?”

I slowly gazed back at him, feeling my face instantly get hot and my stomach tie into a knot. He spoke and his dark chocolate eyes were shooting into mine like a laser. Ah well, I did say it but –

“Why did you help me?”

What was this – an interview?
Well if you want to know Kim JaeJoong, not everyone is so cold-hearted like you –

“Doesn’t that mean … you like me?”

“WHAT!? WHAT?! YOU SAID WHAT!” I shouted and slammed the door shut. I stormed over to his bedside and pointed at him between the eyes. Those darn pretty eyes.
“You take that lie back!” I stammered with a crazily shaky finger – hm not helping! And not to mention, I was the one who was lying.

Kim JaeJoong finally smirked and gave me a shrug. He even pushed my hand away from his face and stood up in fluffy slippers.
“So you hate me?” he asked, glaring down at me with his scary height. I could have almost laughed at the outfit that he was wearing – one of those icky white and green ones that the hospital puts you in – eek.

I huffed and grabbed the straps of my knapsack, tightening my grip and stepping back inch by inch as he came closer and closer.
“…No,” I managed to reply – not without blushing – and then he stopped cornering me to smile wide.

“Okay fine. I’ll accept that,” he answered and then pinched himself on the bridge of his nose, laughing.
My face was burning and I put my hands on my hips, glowering at him. “Wha-what’s so funny?”

“I don’t know~” Kim JaeJoong answered strangely, trying his best to stop his wild laughter. “It just – it just makes me feel so much better…” he paused and took a deep breath before completing his sentence.
“It makes me feel really good to know that you don’t hate me.”

My short arms gradually fell to my sides and I eyed him weirdly.
What the heck was that supposed to mean?
I don’t hate him and it makes him happy… huh.
Is that why… his heart hurt? Oh.

I then put one hand on my cheek, feeling the warmth burst up my skin and grabbed my bag with the other. “Um, I’m gonna go…” I said with a red face. “B-bye.”

“Huh? Wait!” he called after me just as I was about to get out of the door. Interrupted again, Kwon BoA. Hm, as if I wasn’t used to this.

Out of reflex, I gazed back at him, only to have him catch my burning face in between his soft hands. Mwo?! (What?!)

“Y-yah…!” My voice came out weak and my legs were trembling by how intensely he was staring at me with his dark chocolate brown eyes… I could see it now. His concern, his care, his sincerity, his lov—

“Your eyes are so ugly.” He just loves to drop bombs doesn’t he? Kim JaeJoong then pinched my cheeks and stretched out my face, pulling both cheeks in opposite directions.

“Ow, that hurts!” I screamed at him and then elbowed his hands away. He only laughed as I rubbed my poor violated face. Eventually he stopped and looked at me with those eyes again.

“You’ve been crying,” he spoke and his voice was a whispery soft. He then looked to the floor. “Is it because of me?”

Heck yeah it was! Why does he even bother to ask?!
I really wanted to say this to him but when I watched him keep his gaze down, looking truly sorry or something, my heart totally went soft. Darn heart.

… Besides I couldn’t tell him that I overheard him say that he didn’t like me, which is why I cried so much. That’d be more detrimental for me rather than him! He can’t find this out! No, no, no!

“Um… I uh, ran into Geun Suk this morning.”
Ha brilliant, BoA! I could have patted myself on the back for that one. And I wasn’t even lying, really good job!

Kim JaeJoong’s gaze then darted up and he looked alarmed.
“What?! What happened? He still doesn’t leave you alone? What did he do to you?” I blinked and blushed furiously, seeing how worried he was for me and not to mention, he was holding me so tightly by the arms.

He started to look me up and down as if trying to find a potential injury.
I yelped and jumped back when he was about to lift my uniform skirt up.

“Yah! N-nothing happened okay!” I yelled back at him, making my arms into an X in front of my legs. Imagine if I didn’t have fast reflexes, he would have seen something. Ahem, my Hello Kitty underwear—

“ert!” I scolded and threw my knapsack at his face. Unfortunately, he ducked and my knapsack landed on the floor behind him. Aish~ my phone’s in there!

I quickly dove to get it but someone else was much faster. Argh!
I looked up, seeing Kim JaeJoong hold my bag way up high over his head. Being short, there was no way I could get it from the jerk.

“Kim JaeJoong! Give it!” I shouted and tried to jump up against him despite the fact that I knew I will never retrieve it. It didn’t hurt to try.

I noticed that his face grew to a darker pink and I then stayed on my feet, wondering why.
“Yah! Are you listening? Give me back my bag!” I jabbed my finger continuously into his chest until he suddenly pushed me back a few inches by my shoulder.

“Hey!” I shouted and put my hands firmly on my waist. “What’s your problem?!” This is not how a guy should treat girls! Teasing them and pushing them around! Gah! You jerk!

His face was getting redder by the minute. “I’m not giving you this back until you tell me what happened with you and Geun Suk!” he tried to sound strong but somehow I felt like he was very embarrassed about something, but what?

Well fine. If he wants to play this taunting game, I’ll play with him!

“I told you nothing happened!” I repeated and then I smirked. “DongHae helped me run away.”
I knew what I said worked when I saw him lower the bag by his knee looking defeated. I then noticed a change in his eyes. He looked upset, like, furious. Uh-oh.

I took the chance to grab my knapsack and make a run for it. A really really fast no-turning-back kind of run. I smiled when I successfully snatched my bag but of course this guy had reactions like a ninja and instantly held me back by the wrist before I could even take a step.

“DongHae?” he asked through gritted teeth. I somehow didn’t have a good feeling about answering that question. I closed my eyes with a wince and didn’t dare look at his face.
“Yah, pabo! Didn’t I tell you that if you’re in trouble you can tell ME?” Yes I remember but –
“You don’t need DongHae! I’ll take care of Geun Suk. I’ll take care of you! I’ll protect you!”

It was weird but he made me feel like I was the guilty one. My heart beat uncomfortably.
Hey wait! Tch, hell no! I did nothing wrong!

“Yah! You—!”
“Which reminds me! Why were you even with him this morning anyway? You never answered me pabo!”

I slowly gazed up at him with a mean glare in my own eyes now. He was breathing heavily and his fist was shaking by his side. It worked him up so bad. Why?

Slowly the feelings from earlier today flooded back into my veins. He was making me angry too!

“Why do you care? Why—“
“Because! I— ugh—“
He then fell on me. Luckily I caught him fast and did my best to hold him up.

“Kim JaeJoong!” I screamed despite the fact that his was ear was right next to my lips, his chin was resting over my right shoulder. My hands on his back patted him lightly, trying to call him to his senses. Aish, I forgot that he shouldn’t be feeling to well. Did I… hurt him?

He then stood up weakly, his eyes fluttering but his face wasn’t pale. He shoved me away and sighed.
I watched as he stumbled back to his bed, feeling everything in his path like he was blind.

How does he always manage to make me feel like I am the bad guy in all this? And what was with all this pushing away?!

“Kim JaeJoong—“
He then knocked a glass of water off the side table and I widened my eyes. I watched carefully as he made a hurt expression and clutched his chest.
“… Forget it. Don’t say anything, don’t answer anything,” he muttered in a low voice as he leaned over, pulling his knees into his body.

I stared from afar for a moment but my heart couldn’t just leave him now.
I sighed and walked over to the side that didn’t have broken glass scattered on the floor. I pulled up a chair and sat down.

“…DongHae being there was just a coincidence,” I told him but he didn’t falter. He continued to look down to his feet that were under the blanket, not even blinking. “I just met him—“
“Yeah and then you hug him,” Kim JaeJoong then unexpectedly spoke up but he still wasn’t looking my way.
My heart thumped and I wanted to smile. “…Does that… bother you?” I asked, tilting my head to the side, trying to catch his gaze.

He then picked up his head and looked cautious. “No~” Hmph, he was so lying!
“I just don’t think that you should hug strangers like that!” he argued but I knew he was jealous. He must be, right? Hehe, I had half a mind to giggle out loud.

“Stranger? Isn’t he your friend?” I asked, trying my best not to laugh.
Kim JaeJoong shook his head with his lips sticking out in a small pout. “If he was, he’s not anymore.” Hm, suspicious.

“Why?” I asked. I couldn’t help but feel curious. Like I said, I am pretty nosy.
Kim JaeJoong then glared at me. “Yah pabo. What’s with all these questions?” I shrugged at him.
“You always ask me a bunch of questions,” I argued and crossed my arms.
“Yeah well at least I answer yours,” he defended and I must say he had a point, to some extent.
“Fine then! You can ask me anything and I’ll answer,” I said and held up my pinky finger. “But you have to answer anything I ask you too.”

He stared at my pinky for a while but eventually linked his with mine. We shook on the pinky promise.

“You go first,” he said, looking at me innocently with his dark chocolate eyes as he rested his chin on top of his knees hugged to his body.

Hmm… what should I ask? There were so many questions…

Why does he dislike DongHae so much? What is their history? Who is Yoochun to him? And why does he always seem to bring him up reminding me that I am supposed to marry him? And yah, who was this Stephanie? Is she his ex-girlfriend? Why doesn’t he want to think about her? What happened between them? Why does his heart hurt? Why does he have to be so dumb and eat all that Tylenol? Does his heart hurt because of me? Does that mean that he likes me? But why would he then say that he doesn’t like me? Why? Ah I don’t understand!

“N-no, you ask me first,” I offered, feeling my head get heavy and my heart beat like crazy. I couldn’t possibly ask him these things. I think I’d die out of embarrassment.

“Okay, so… do you like DongHae?” he questioned and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He seemed very serious.

“Um…no,” I answered after a pause. Though DongHae was sweet, I already like you, dummy.
“You hesitated!” Kim JaeJoong pointed out childishly and I rolled my eyes.
“I already said no! What’s wrong with you?” He’s jealous, I know it. J-e-al-o-u-s~
“Ha, good,” he said with a wide smile. See? His face went pink a little but he quickly covered it up. “Otherwise Yoochun would be sad.”
“Yah!” I screamed and punched him on the leg but I smiled knowing that he wasn’t really concerned about what Yoochun thought. He was the one who cared.

Talking about Yoochun. Maybe I should ask about him.
But then --
“Why did you leave?” I questioned, staring right into his eyes that seemed to suddenly fill with nervousness. It was a good question that had been hanging around in the back of mind.
“That day at my house, why did you leave without saying anything?”

It was that day after our ‘bed incident’ and I hate to admit it but it made me really sad that he went off without a word. I thought that we had something, even though it was just for a moment –

“Can you ask something else?” Kim JaeJoong questioned back, dodging his eyes all over the room, seeming as he had been thrown off balance by what I asked. What!

“No way! We pinky promised!” I reminded him and he bit onto his lip. “Tell me!”
“Uh well I take it back!” Kim JaeJoong claimed and looked away – I bet so that I couldn’t see his blushing face. Gosh what could be so bad about why he left? It was killing me!

“You can’t take back pinky promises just like that Kim JaeJoong!” I argued and grabbed him on the arm with both hands. “Tell me~ Bali malhaebwa~” (Hurry tell me~)

He then pushed me back again, making me land in the plastic chair on my . I blew my bangs out of my face and glared at him. He keeps doing that! What the heck!

“There are just some things guys can’t tell girls about such incidents, okay?!” Kim JaeJoong suddenly answered and I narrowed my eyes even further. What in the world was he talking about?

“What kind of lame excuse did you just make up Kim JaeJoong?” I asked and stood up again, hands on my hips, not understanding him at all. “Why does it matter if I’m a girl or a guy? Just tell me!!”

Kim JaeJoong grumbled and turned to the side so that I was facing his broad back. He was still curled up in a ball, looking out the hospital window.
“I can’t~ please – just ask me something else, pabo. Anything,” he said in a pleading tone but I can’t give in. If I don’t find out, I think I’m going to go crazy.

I frowned and let out a huff to the air. “Fine if you won’t answer, I’m leaving,” I told him but he didn’t turn back or anything. I grabbed my knapsack off of the floor and stormed out of the room, not looking back even once.

Well~ if he wasn’t going to tell me, I was going to find out somehow. I must. Then it hit me!

My number one source for all things Kim JaeJoong who cannot keep his mouth shut to save his life and so happens to be my best friend’s newest first boyfriend.


Kim Junsu, bring it on~!