Chapter 8

“Jae-chan! I missed you.” Jaejoong found herself in a tight embrace by the pop star.

“Boa, you look great! Japan really did well for you.” Jaejoong said as she was released from the squeeze.

“oh, Don’t get me started! The tour was so hectic. Seriously, how could Yoochun make me slave like this! I miss my fiancé and that wide forehead had to schedule a 6 month tour in Japan. How do you put up with him Jae-chan?”

“because to you he’s a boss and to me he’s my brother.” Jaejoong smiled.

“right, you're both family. That reminds me, how’s your son?”

“good grades, good health and still snarky!” Jaejoong said good-naturedly.

“but he’s still so precious!” a deep voice said near the door.

“great, here comes the slave-driver!” Boa rolled her eyes.

“hey, if you weren’t this good, I wouldn’t have to schedule all those concerts. It really is your fault that your fans love you.” Yoochun said playfully as he moved to hug the pop star.

Boa made a big show of hating Yoochun but she had great respect for him and she didn’t shrug away the hug.

“it’s good that you both are here. I called my fiancé and he’ll be here soon. You should meet him.” Boa said like a little girl on Christmas day.

“I’ll meet him later. I’ve got to meet those boys from our new group. I just came to see our star.” And Yoochun sneaked away quickly before Boa whined.

“it’s okay, Boa. I’m still here.” Jaejoong picked up her book, “let’s go to the studio. I’ll show your new song.”

Boa squealed like a child who got his favourite toy and walked with Jaejoong to the recording studio occasionally greeting the other artists of the company. In the recording studio, Jaejoong was about to play the melody of the track she recorded when hers and Boa’a phones rang at the same time.

“my fiancé.” Boa said.

“my baby.” Jaejoong smiled and answered the call while gesturing Boa to answer hers. “yes baby…. No I kept it in the bathroom cabinet…..what do you mean it’s no there…..it’s probably over…..ask aunty Suie….” Jaejoong was too immersed in her conversation with Changmin that she didn’t notice Boa leaving the room because of the poor cell reception on her call.

“yeah, can you hear me now?.....okay good, come to the fourth floor, studio no.3…… Alright see you.” An she hung up and waited for her visitor.

“Boa!” the popstar turned around and found her fiancé sharply dressed in his 3-piece suit as always. She hugged him and placed a peck on his cheek.

“I missed you Yun.” Boa said and Yunho smiled at his fiancée.

Yes, Jung Yunho was engaged to Kwon Boa.

He had met her when he helped her brother through some legal issues and became close ever since. Yunho who had turned into some brooding and cut-off from humanity ever since he came back from New York found a new lease in life when he met 4 year old Changmin that day in the park. His dull, contemplative, plaintive days in the park turned into a recreational activity of sorts and Yunho found himself getting back to civilization. That’s when he met Kwon Boa. She was bright and cheerful, and heart-warming, much like a certain someone Yunho longed for. Boa was able to make Yunho’s heart lighter and they dated before deciding on marriage, mutually. Neither proposed just thought that they are good for each other and would do well spending the rest of their lives together. Yunho was okay with marrying her, even if he didn’t really love her, since she’s a good person and their relationship was nothing like Yunho had with Ara.

“so where’s this friend of yours you want me to meet?” Yunho asked after presenting the roses he bought for her.

“she’s inside, talking to her son. let’s go see if she’s done.” Boa slung her arm in Yunho’s and pulled him inside the studio uncaring that his phone was ringing.

Jaejoong, in the course of the conversation had found herself behind the glass partition of the recording room. She saw Boa and another man whose face was concealed by his cell phone and the bouquet of roses Boa was swinging wildly to catch Jaejoong’s attention. Jaejoong showed her right hand, all five fingers outstretched in a silent request for additional time. “Minnie, you have to clean the wound first before putting the Band-Aid. Just call Junsu…..what do you mean you don’t want to?.....of course it will burn! You think you can play with the blade and live happily ever after!..... I know it’s your craft project but you could have at least taken Junsu’s help.” Jaejoong mouthed ‘emergency’ to Boa and the singer understood, “will you just call Junsu?” Jaejoong continued coaxing her son not noticing the pair of almond-eyes staring at her wide-eyed and shocked.

Yunho ended his call with a client and turned to face Boa who was amusingly trying to get the attention of someone on the other side of the partition. Yunho simply glanced at who is this person and felt the air knocked out of him.

Before his eyes, was the very Kim Jaejoong, blabbering wildly and pouting just like she did 10 years ago. If Yunho want shocked he would have run up to her and….

What would he do exactly?

Yunho spent so much time mulling over losing Jaejoong, he never thought of what he would do if he ever so her for real.

Should he go over and say hi as if nothing happened? Like anyone could erase those mistakes.

How about, ‘I’m sorry for leaving you like that. Please forgive me’? I have to apologise but this sounds too casual.

Or should he hug her? Is that even acceptable given the circumstances?

Or kiss her senseless? Why did this thought even occur?

Yunho didn’t know what to do; especially now that Boa is leaving him alone with Jaejoong because she got a message from her manager. Yunho hasn’t sorted what he feels for Jaejoong so if they meet, he’s say or do something stupid and Jaejoong would once again leave him and he would once again be heartbroken and once again, he doesn’t know why?  

Do you need your ing feelings to be spelt out in big, bold lights for you to know!

Yunho decided to give his inner conscious a talking-to later on but for now he had to escape before Jaejoong sees him. So he left with Boa.

In the past 90 seconds, Yunho’s brain went into overdrive picturing all possible scenarios which he had circumvented the past 10 years, but never had he imagined that he would be the coward again and run away