[Changmin’s apartment]

Changmin made sure his visual was sharp today as well, styling his hair with an adequate amount of gel before he put on a pair of glasses. His name right now is as Choi Tae Hyun, a representative from the accountancy department of the Kim’s Corp.

Thanks to his work for the past 6 months, he had now owned Kim Jaekyung‘s trust, Jaejoong’s older sister, the CEO of the Kim's Corp, the one that had heartlessly disowned their own blood relation, just because he was played with and got pregnant.

Their first meeting left her some really good impression of him.

It was just like he predicted, that night, she went to her usual bar where she regularly enjoyed her relief and pick up some random stranger to be brought to nearby hotel for a quick . Let’s just say luck wasn’t on her side that night and she ran across some gangsters who were more than willing to harm her than what she could ever imagine. And just so happen, Changmin had been there, beating the daylights out of those offenders and like a gentleman, using his jacket to cover her torn dress while bringing her home, back to safety.

Only to discover that her knight in shinny armors is actually the new accountant hired by the Kim’s Corp, just few days ago.

Well…in short, it wasn’t really that hard to earn her trust.

Sure, she doubted him for couple of weeks because of all those coincidences seemed too oblivious but just like any other women, they eventually succumb to the path of destiny. Talking about little girl who can’t let go of her fairy tale story.

All just according to the plan.

Changmin lightly smirked over the reflection in the mirror as he was straighten his tie, making his last touch up on his look before he heard the small pitter-patter on the marble tiled made by those small pair of elephant house slipper.

A little head with a pair of large doe eyes coming from a four-year-old boy, peaked through the door.

“Appa? You’re going to work alrweady?” Brushing his sleepy eyes with one of his hand as he got closer to the person he had been calling appa with his short legs. Changmin didn’t need to be told twice and picked him up as he placed a peck on the little boy’s forehead, holding him close.

“I was about to wake you up anyway, did uri Minjoongie had a good sleep? No nightmare?” The boy leaned onto his shoulder and wrapped his little tiny arms around his father’s neck.

Clingy, just like his mother, small smile decorated on Changmin’s lips over the similarities between the two.

“Hmm, halmoni read me a story about a house made from cookies and candy. It would be great if that wreally come true. Then me can shware it with appa and umma.” Changmin went into the bathroom and placed the little boy on the counter, placing a toothbrush with some strawberry toothpaste into the boy’s hand, letting the boy performed his morning routine under a close supervision. 

“Minjoong-ah, wanna spent some time today together with halmoni and umma?” The boy’s eyes sparkled, his appa had just rewarded him his most favorite gift, meeting his umma.

“Wreally? Like wreally, wreally? I got to see umma?”  The boy stood up on his feet and looked excited, mouth filled with foam. “Appa, pwomise?? Pwromise!” He held out his pinky with one hand as another hand was holding onto the toothbrush.

“Alright I promise, you can play with umma all day.” He suppressed a giggle from the cute behavior coming from the toddler, decided to a little “Oooo~~ Now appa is sad, uri Minjoongie loves umma more than appa.” Changmin teased the little boy, and the boy definitely fell for that, seemed to panic before he clutched onto his appa’s sleeves tightly.

“Appa can’t leave as well. Joongie… loves appa and umma wvery much.” He flashed him his foamy teethy smile, and Changmin is definitely a er for the little boy’s charm.

[ The park where Changmin stated in the note ]

Jaejoong’s pov
 

It has been awhile, wait, how long was it again?

Yeah, two months, since I’ve last met my precious baby. My life, the one of the reasons of that make me keep going on in this harsh reality of life. My source of strength, my source of sunshine. 

I parked the car nearby where our meeting place, the playground around the park.

It was nice and the weather was good.

I sure hope Minjoong remember to put on the sun block before coming here. I kept my sunglasses on as I waited for Minjoong to arrive. My memories recalled back the bitterness that happened last night. I shivered over the thought, to think that I had to meet him again this morning, sent me goosebumps. How did I ever manage to mutter that courage to spat those words right in front of him.

The grip on my knuckles turned white.

I guess spending my time with Changmin does change me a lot. I can’t imagine the old me even do any of those.

Changmin, he’s a good man. He knows not only of my past me, but still accepted me, even when I was in the lowest stage in my life, he who gives me lights of hopes in my darkest day. Without knowing this past five years, Changmin has been a significant presence in my life.

My thoughts were left hanging when a loud squeal voice startled me, followed with a loud “Umma!!”  

He’s finally here, my baby.

I can’t help but to grin happily to him, wearing his cute blue sailor suit along with the blue-white streak hat. My baby is definitely the cutest.

“Umma!!!!”

He was practically running on those small feet of his, trying to get to me as fast as he could. I can’t help but running toward him as well, held onto him as he jumps on me, cradling him with loves and warmth.

“Umma…Joongie misses you…”

He claims as he starts to attack me with kisses on my face, smooching and wetting my cheeks. Chuckling I peck his nose as well.

“Umma misses you too baby…”

I said, and keep holding onto him before I spotted an elder woman walking behind him, she was shaking her head as she was trying to keep in pace with Minjoong running right in front of her.

She is a present I’ve grown used too, the one who had taken care of me when I was on my recovery after given birth and taught me on how to take care a newly born.

Changmin’s mother.

“Jaejoong-ah….” I smiled to her and bowed politely after putting Minjoong down on his feet. “Eomonim…” walking toward her, she came closer and pulls me into a gentle hug. I returned the gesture and hugging her back. It’s been awhile since I’ve last saw her as well, and with all honesty, I was missing her motherly touches that always able to comfort me from any pain that I endure alone.

We broke the hug with Minjoong trying his hardest to fit in between us, graving for some attention and demanding to be hugged as well. We both chuckled over how cute he was acting. Eventually we settled back on the bench I was sitting on while waiting for them, enjoying the morning breeze with Minjoong playing with the swing and monkey bars.

“So…how’s work Jae…Changmin said it has been hard on you lately,” She held onto my hand, securing it with both of hers. I felt safe.

“Changmin just exaggerating eomonim…it’s not that hard… don’t worry about it, alright” I said as ease her grip on my hand, assuring her that I am fine.

“But you do look a bit pale…Jaejoong-ah…” She gave me her examining stare before start to speak again, placing the container she had brought along with her.

“I made you your favorite dish, kimchijigae and fresh batch of kimchi,  take them … and eat them later okay…” she remind me, I could only nodded obediently as to what she said.

Flashback

[In the bathroom in Changmin’s apartment, three days after Changmin took him home with him]

*the sound of running water and my panting resonant through the sparkling bathroom tiles*

Dizzy…nausea…

I can barely feel anything coming out from my stomach anymore.

My baby hates me.

That’s all I can come up with as I feel another wave of nausea hits me. Damn, how many times has it been already…

I can barely register of Changmin’s frantic in the background, he was on the phone, calling for someone and I’m not even sure who. I closed my eyes and count to ten, hoping that the nausea would go away and by the time I opened them, Changmin was already behind me, rubbing my back, willing me to calm down.

“Are you feeling better now?” His voice covered with concern. I shook my head and close my eyes again to calm myself down.

The sound of the toilet flushed and the running water continued before the tip of the glass hit my lips, followed by an order,

“Wash up your throat, you badly need this.”

I did as I was told. Then he handed me my toothbrush and let me brush my teeth. At least now the smell isn’t there anymore, I thought. Changmin was gone to who knows where for a good half an hour and by the time he was back, he brought a lot of dried crackers with various flavor along and a glass of warm tea. I tried to give him a weak smile but he just shook his head and helped me into the bed instead.

“Your morning sickness is , no kidding.”

“Jeez thanks for notifying, Einstein.” I glared, I don’t need anyone to state the obvious right now despite my teary, bulging eyes and red lips, thanks to all the throw up sessions.

“What are those for?” Finally decided to ask, referring to the bags he carried along with him.

“Yours. Since I’ve no experience with prenatal care, I called an expert and she told me you can’t skip meal although how many time you want to throw up. So here, eat this. They’re odorless crackers, you should be able to eat them without giving them away, and there’s also some medicine here, she told me that should help you reduce the drowsiness without effecting the baby too much. There’s also a bunch of list of do and don’t but since I think it’s better if you listened to them yourself, you would remember them better. She should be here soon.”

“Who?”

“My mother”

“You have a mother?” I asked dumbfounded. Changmin has a mother? I’ve been living with him for the past two weeks and he never mentioned anything about his family. As far as I know, Changmin lives alone in this apartment. I’ll be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in Changmin’s background. Who is he? Why did he decide to help me? What’s in it for him for doing all these things? Being all kind to a stranger?

All these questions are like unanswered mysteries. And the worst is….I’m too afraid to ask. What if I pry too much and ended up being hated by him as well? Because frankly… I don’t think I’ll be able to survive if he decided to throw me away like what everyone did.

The sound of his chuckling startled me.

“Of course I have a mother. I just let her stay away at the moment, I guess, given the circumstance, it’s about time she came back and live with us again. I need her help in taking care of you.”    

He caressed my head gently. I lend into his touch. Being pregnant does that to you, especially when you’re all alone and was prepared to die, you’re ready to give up the world for the person that first come to save you.  

End flashback

“Jaejoong, are you alright? You seemed to be far away with your thoughts for a moment there…” Eomonim looked concern, oh dear, did I spaced out?

“I’m sorry eomonim, something distracted me for a moment.” I laughed, embarrassed by myself while she just warmly returning back a smile, holding my hand closely with hers.

“You’ve been working too much lately, here…” She took out a key card from handbag, handing it over to me. There was a number written on top of it. 1209. A hotel room? Right…

“Changmin told me Minjoongie will be spending some time with you for tonight, he said it was some sort of like a vacation to you? Well I’m not really sure what he meant by that, but I guess he just want you to take a break and spent some time with Minjoongie. Here.”

Grabbing on the key firmly in my fist, I silently thanked Changmin for arranging all these.

“Thanks eomonim, I’ll use it well.”  

End Jaejoong’s P.O.V.

[Jung Corp. Building, 9.08 a.m.]

In front of the main entrance, Changmin parked his car, he was careful with his surrounding, checking his last appearance by using the rear view mirror before finally getting out and made his way toward the entrance. He was carrying along with him an ID pass, a prove that him being a representative from the Kim’s Corp.

He greets the secretary of the CEO’s office, Jung Yunho’s office.

“Hey gorgeous…” His dashing charms works on her wonderfully. 

He’s lucky he got the look and charms to woo the secretary over her feet. A little winks and flirting gestures exchanged here and there and he already had her handing over Yunho’s daily schedule and telling him rumors that was going on in the inside of the company.

He didn’t approached her for nothing, what he was after is the project that the company has been working on, they were planning on marketing the company’s shares to the foreign investors. The project worth billions and the company had been planning on that for a long time, six years as Changmin has been observing, not doing anything major to execute his revenge plan yet, just simply collecting data and evaluating, while devising the wisest way in having his revenge, plotting a plan with back up, in case anything would back fire back at him.

He wasn’t raised to be a person that hold grudge, heck!

His mother or father never once taught him to hold grudge on anyone.

He was raised a quite child, always at peace with himself and satisfied with whatever expectation his parents had for him. His mother, Shim Haesung, did her role well as the Chairman’s wife and a loving mother, of course that is to say, Changmin is actually the successor to the Shim Group, a very wealthy company back at one point in the past, constantly growing under his father supervision and guidance.

In another few years, after Changmin graduated from school and pursuing his study in business, he was destined to take over the company, following his father footsteps……

Well…..

At least……

that what was supposed to happen to a boy named Shim Changmin,

If it wasn’t for a cruel twisted fate occurred to him when he was 14 years old….

Flashback…  

It was raining on that day, as Changmin recalled, and nothing went unusual than the normal routine except for the fact that there a whole bunch of reporters waiting at the entrance of the gate. He was only fourteen, returning back home from cram school as he was surrounded by a swarm of reporters as soon as the car door was opened for him. They asked him a lot of questions, for things he never even know about.

The Shim’s Secret Fund

Later that night, he tried to talk to his father study room but was stopped by a surprise visitor by their family lawyer and the second biggest share holder of the company at that time, the Jung’s. He wanted to ask his father, but hold still when a heated argument broken off between them.

“This is ridiculous, how come the rumor gotten this bad. I never recalled even having signing anything that worth that much. 5 billions…. What crap are they making” It was his father’s voice.

“The problem is the police have evidences Chairman Shim. This is a serious matter. I think it’s best…” Jung hold his words, looking at the lawyer as the lawyer nodded, for him to continue, and Chairman Shim noticed.

“It’s best if you pledged guilty, all the evidences are against you.”

“You mean succumb toward the accusation? Never! Only weak people would resolve to that. For the past thirty years, I’ve dedicated my life for the company, do you think I would resolve to such pathetic measure? I won’t go down that easily.” His tone sounded stern, his aura send shivered to those two souls present in the room.

“If you still couldn’t figure anything by tomorrow, consider yourself fired as the Shim’s Group’s lawyer. I’m sure replacing you won’t be difficult, at all.” He pressed an intercom button that connects him directly to his secretary.

“Find me another lawyer, one that doesn’t complain much, does his work properly and first and foremost, doesn’t resolve to such cowardly measure.” 

That was the last he remembered seeing his father in his original self. The next times he remembered, was his father with handcuff hanging around his wrists, being dragged out of the house with the police and reporters surrounding their house.

It was raining again that day, when he silently watched the gate to the place he once called home being taken. They lost everything, the company, their house and even his father. He remembered clearly his father last words to him was

“Changmin-ah…my son

The world is cruel. I’m sorry I wasn’t capable enough of protecting you from it.”

His fist tighten, knuckles turned white as he vowed in that rainy day, his whole body was already soaked in the rain and his hair was dripping off but he really couldn’t care as he watched the light coming from the transparent sliding door.

Soon after his father death, his father trusted partner and lawyer have been living their life in luxury, enjoying all the privilege of being pointed at the new Chairman.

It was definitely a conspiracy, of bringing his father down in the crumble. He swore on that day that he’ll avenge on his father’s death.

A boy seemed to be a bit older than Changmin got out from the gate, holding an umbrella with him when he saw Changmin that was getting wet all by himself. He decided to approach him.

“Aren’t you cold? Do you want to borrow an umbrella?” Yunho asked. He seemed a lot purer back then as he eyed the drench boy. Changmin stared back at him, expression stoic and empty.

“I’m Jung Yunho. I just moved in here.” He held out his hand out for a handshake but received nothing in returned which he awkwardly put his hand away back to his side.

“Do you live around here?”

He tried to keep a conversation going on but received nothing as respond.

He decided that the boy isn’t going to talk to him, so it’s best if he ignored him as well. He was about to walk away when the drench boy finally talked…

“Jung Yunho, live your life well. I’ll come and claim it back one day. Mark my words.”

Yunho stared at the boy’s back, puzzled by them as the boy had turned around and left him on that spot. He could have easily shrugged it off, like an insignificant encounter that mistaken him for someone else, but he couldn’t… because of the dark expression the other had when he said those to him.          

End Flashback

Changmin held the file tight by his arm. Yes. Mission completed. He got the first hand to those files containing the information of the project. Now all he need is to memorize the contact details on the investors and cut the beforehand, sabotage them first before they begin buying the shares. He could manipulate this somehow, to make it favorable for his situation. A new card ups his sleeve.

For the past ten years, he has been hacking into the Jung’s company database, checking information on the company, even to the dirtiest little details he would dug it out, while keeping an eye into the Jung’s family member personal matters as well.

That was how he learnt about Kim Jaejoong in the first place. He always had Yunho on his tracking device and constantly following the other’s progress while he devicing his plan in taking back what’s rightfully belongs to him in the first place.

If Jaejoong ever thought their first encountered was by a coincidence, then he was definitely wrong because Changmin had been keeping an eye on his as well as he was related to Jung Yunho as well.

Back then when he had just learnt about Kim Jaejoong, he just knew for a fact that Kim Jaejoong is… well was dating Jung Yunho and even the fact that Kim Jaejoong’s being pregnant and Yunho that had refused to take responsible over him.

Changmin just came in the right time at the moment, pulling him from throwing himself onto the railway to be hit by the train. Life is too precious to be given away that easily, there a lot way of making a full use out of it, that’s why he decided to help the other that day.

[Starlight Hotel, room 1209, 0030 ]

The door clicked opened and the sound of Changmin taking off his shoes and arranged them neatly in the rank awake Jaejoong, even as he tried to keep it as low as possible.

There laying on the king sized bed, cuddling to one another was Jaejoong and Minjoong, with Minjoong carefully wrapped around him as he lullaby his baby to sleep, humming sweet song.

“Changmin, is that you?” He lifted his head a little from the pillow, peaking at the room entrance before a tall figure finally showed up, blocking the doorway from the lighting that Jaejoong had left it on purposely. He never likes to be in the dark by himself, he sure Minjoong will agreed with him as well…

Of course…except if Changmin was with him. Then he wouldn’t mind the dark at all.

“Yes, it’s me. Sorry that I woke you up.” Changmin casually walked toward the coffee table and placed his bag, before began ing his shirt and untying his tie. He untucked his shirt off his pant and left his wife-beater exposed as he lend into the nightstand, one hand resting on the night stand while another hand caressing Minjoong’s hair. Jaejoong thought Changmin’s look hot like this.   

“Did you have fun today?” Changmin asked, eyes still on Minjoong’s sleeping face. He helped tucked the blanket under Minjoong’s chin properly as the boy always has the tendency to move around too much in his sleep.

“Yes, so much fun after so long. I missed being next to him every day, seeing him grow up every day.”

“I’m sorry I took that away from you.”

“Don’t be Changmin, it’s not even something you need to apologize for. I made the decision on my own. I…” Jaejoong was stunned with Changmin casually lay down right next to him, hugging him from his back as he had his front pressed closed to Minjoong’s cuddle.

Jaejoong breaths in relief, now he has his two most favorite persons cuddled close to him. He felt safe and warm.

“You’re too kind Jae, you shouldn’t be so nice to me. I don’t deserve it.” Changmin whispered to his ear, it sends shiver through him, making him weak in Changmin’s embrace.

‘You deserve more than kindness, Changmin-ah. You deserve love, and…to be honest…I think I have already fallen for you. I think I love you, Changmin-ah.’

Those were the words Jaejoong wants to say to Changmin at the moment, but he was too scare, scared that it was only one sided.

“Sleep Changmin-ah, you need a rest. Good night.” He caressed the hand that was wrapped around his shoulder, he felt the other’s breath around his neck was getting steadier as Changmin was slowly drown into sleep. Jaejoong concluded that today was a blissful day for him and it would only be more prefect if he had said to the other that he loves him and they can stop playing the house game and actually being a family.