So beautiful

She is beautiful.

He should know.

He’s from a world where beauty has astronomically ridiculous standards.

He sees her every day, almost every day.  He’s busy sometimes at outdoor shootings spare the mornings he eat at ‘The Heart(h)’ before he goes to his agency across the street. But she’s always there, in her own private booth near the window with enough light but away from the throng of the bustling restaurant.

Kim Jaejoong

He learns that’s her name when her friend called out to her on his second time there. She was so mysterious and enticing. She hardly interacted with anyone who wasn’t her two friends who owned this restaurant, Yoochun and Junsu, the reason why she has her own private spot. She turns down men coldly, almost disdainfully. But they come back. Who can blame them? She is…..so beautiful.

He chanced on this place when he finished a late shooting. He had to report at his company but he was hungry. This was the first place he saw that day and thanked whatever deity there was up there that brought him to the Heart(h). funny name! Symbolic! It’s supposed to be a hearth, like that oven that makes pizzas but its ‘h’ omitted to be Heart. The first day he liked the food, so he came back the same day for lunch. He came back again for breakfast the next morning and that’s when his eyes fell on the gorgeous patron.

So ethereal, angelic, he was drawn to her. Her very beauty was such a magnet, that not even once in the entire year he has been frequenting this place has anyone noticed the country’s biggest actor, not to be boastful, Jung Yunho is sitting in this restaurant. As time passed, he came to know more about her.

As told, she was mysterious, always tapping away at her laptop. But the more he came to know, his curiosity turned to adoration then to love. 

He fell in love with Kim Jaejoong.

First when he was curious, he learnt that she was a writer, pulp fiction stuff. He wasn’t stalking, just conveniently sitting next to her table. He saw her writing and recognised her books. He had only read one of them but when he knew it was her who wrote them, he went and bought all her books. The typical jock-dramatic arts-non-academic Jung Yunho read 14 books in 4 days. She’s famous but not by face. She never promotes, leaving it to her publication to do the needful without disturbing her. He read somewhere that she doesn’t like attention.

Then came his transition to adoration. He was shooting a commercial near a church and there was a lot of commotion at the church’s attached orphanage. Even in the dark moonless night, Yunho could recognise Jaejoong. She and Yoochun with Junsu carried food, presumably from their restaurant, for these kids. It was heart-warming to see the kids swarm her and the radiating smile she gave them made Yunho’s heart flutter. There really is a thin line between adoration and love! She was beautiful, not merely by appearances but also by soul.

He went to that orphanage the next day bearing toys and clothes for the kids. He just wanted to be a part of the same experience as her and not like some photo-op his company tends to display and truly the best day of his life was spent with these kids.

That day he saw a wall bearing pictures of the past residents and immediately recognised Jaejoong and her two friends. Realisation dawned on him.

She was an orphan.

That made his heart hurt so much. He spent a week thinking over what she might’ve gone through. It pained Yunho and at the same time he felt this need to protect her.

He fell in love with her but….

But he was scared.

For a year, he kept his feelings hidden. Loving her from afar. Watching her reject suitors upon suitors, fearing he could be one of them if he approached. He later learnt from a waiter that she hates strangers interrupting her writing.

Every time a man came up to her, Yunho felt his heart stop and bile came to his throat. “What would I do if she one day accepted a proposal?” He would ask himself, “but that would be a result of my own cowardice.” He reminded right after.

After a week’s absence from 'The Heart(h)' due to an offsite filming, Yunho came to this restaurant again, but things were different. The atmosphere seemed off. People were murmuring instead of the usual lively chatter.

Yunho looked around and instantly found the reason.

Jaejoong was in her private booth, but all known patrons of this place knew the difference.

 A blue squirming bundle in her arm.

 Her left hand continued typing as if nothing was off, but everyone who knew the writer that sits at the same place every day, they would know she has no child.

Junsu calls the child Changmin every time she feeds him, but otherwise the child has remained attached to Jaejoong the entire week he’s been here.

Yunho doesn’t fret being a mostly logical person (except when it comes to love). He knows she isn’t married. She doesn’t have any relationship. He knows of her orphanage connections. He figured it’s one the kids from there. But he was grateful for Changmin. Since his arrival, not a single man has dared to confess to her. Spineless men afraid of the responsibility of a child! That showed they saw Jaejoong as a mere pretty face.

He wants to proclaim to her his love, pour out his heart. But he can’t get over his fears. Seeing her, so motherly with Changmin, cooing at him every time, smiling so brightly, he wants to be a part of that but what if his feelings are unrequited.         

“You know, Jaejoong says she always feels someone is burning a hole in her by his stares.” Yunho snaps at the sudden voice, “I’d never think it was a very famous person staring.” Yunho cursed for being caught by Yoochun of all the people. Now he’ll know he’s a semi-stalker.

“I don’t know what you're talking about?” that’s right Yunho, play it cool.

“Puh-leeze! You’ve been staring at her for a year. Even she noticed. You know she’s waiting for you to come up to her.” Yunho would rather wait for a hole to swallow him. He doesn’t want to be rejected even if she is….

“Wait what! She knows? How? When? Why? How?”

“You said how twice.”

“Doesn’t matter. Tell me more.”

“Well she knows you, watches your dramas on rerun. Big fan of yours so is my wife who is eternally grateful to god for bringing you to her restaurant, but Jaejoong also has a tiny crush on you but is the shy types since her good looks have gotten her in trouble with men in the past.” Yunho felt a little murder-ish now but he had things on mind, an adorable infant for instance.

“And…and Changmin?”

“Ah! You know his name. I thought you were simply looking. I didn’t know the superstar had stalker tendencies.” Yunho blushed at the comment, but coughed to cover it.

“I hear you guys talk and you're wife is pretty loud.” Yunho said softly and was relieved when Yoochun agreed. Junsu did have some ultrasonic set of pipes in .

Yoochun cleared his throat before speaking, “Changmin’s same as us…orphaned.” Yoochun looked so hurt saying that word Yunho felt like an idiot for asking. “don’t mind me. I just …. I never thought about our condition until I saw Changmin and to leave a fragile child like that, the thoughts in those parent’s minds I can never fathom. Changmin is a month old. We found out from his medical records in the hospital he was born and abandoned. Jaejoong had taken one of our residents for a check-up and found him. We were first going to take him to the orphanage, but the infant was so deprived of maternal care he latched onto Jaejoong and refused to part. Who knows what came over Jaejoong too that she wanted to keep him close so she adopted him. Jaejoong is his mother. We finished the process just yesterday.”

Yunho and Yoochun turned to Jaejoong and Changmin. He was out of his out of his blanket and sleeping on his tummy on the table, quite enjoying the sunny spot on the table.

“Why don’t you ask her? I’m sure an experienced actor like you doesn’t have anything to be scared about.”

“Actors have stage fright too Yoochun’ssi.” Yunho said, “And she doesn’t look interested.”

“Have you been listening? She has a crush on you too. She’s never going to approach you on her own because she’s too shy to come up to a celebrity like you. And you’ve got the chance now that Changmin….” Yoochun paused and narrowed his eyes at Yunho, “You're not going to separate Changmin from her are you?”

“Never, I’d can’t even think of that.” Yunho looked offended and Yoochun knew he was sincere.

“Good. So go up to my bestie and sweep her off her feet. Go shoo!” Yoochun made shooing motions while going back to his accounts book. But Yunho remained there.

“Why are you so persistent to set me up with her?”

“Because if you do my wife will stop fangirling over you and I can live in peace.” Fair answer. Yunho can accept that. He turns but Yoochun calls him again, “Take this with you.” He gives Yunho a bottle of milk, “It’s his meal time and the way to Jaejoong’s heart is Changmin and the way to that baby food monster’s heart is his milk.” Yunho took the bottle and walked towards Jaejoong’s table.

Yunho stood by her table and Jaejoong was still immersed in her writing. So Yunho cleared his throat. Jaejoong jolted by the sound and looked up to see Jung Yunho brandishing a Changmin’s bottle.

“Junsu got celebrities to work for her now?” she asked incredulously.

“No, this is kinda my pick-up art.” Yunho joked, surprised to find his fears melting away. He felt bolder and asked if he could sit with her. He mentally did cartwheels when she said yes.

“So what made you leave you your favourite vantage point?” Yunho sputtered at her hint that she knew he sat opposite her to observe her easily.

“I….. I …..your friend made me.”  Yunho suddenly became meek and pointed at Yoochun. Jaejoong looked over to where that man was standing. Yoochun had a cheesy grin and was giving her two thumbs up.

“What else did he tell you?” Jaejoong asked Yunho but her eyes were on Yoochun, narrowed and furious for giving out too much information.

“Enough to make me ask you out.” Yunho said with a smile which had Jaejoong’s attention back on him.

“You…you…want…me….out….like you….in the movies?” Jaejoong stuttered.

“I guess, only if you want to.”

Jaejoong opened to say something but loud gurgling caught her attention. Changmin seemed to be fixated on Yunho, probably recognising the smooth baritone from the dramas he watches with Jaejoong.

“Oh, I was supposed to make my token offering to Lord Changmin.” Yunho removed the lid with one hand and was  about to pick up Changmin, but halted midway, “may I?” he asked Jaejoong for permission and she nodded. Yunho took Changmin in his arms and fed him. The infant drank noisily, holding the bottle on his own. His eyes fixed on Yunho and once in while, he would let go of the teat to give the older man a gummy smile.

“This is the first time I’ve seen him like a male. Changmin only likes females. Even Yoochun has a hard time with him.” Jaejoong commented and Yunho felt this sense of pride.

“So since the little man approves, can we go on a date?  You can bring Changmin, and I’ll make sure no crazy fans too.” Yunho asked again.

Jaejoong looked away blushing a bit and nodded.

~~~       

“Kim Changmin, come here right now!”  Jaejoong pointed at a spot near her but all she got is wriggling for a no.

Changmin crawled under a table of diners and Jaejoong shrieked. She was almost ready to pull him out by his feet. Since the little tyke has begun crawling, Jaejoong has been getting mini-heart attacks everytime he crawls to a diner. She almost wanted to stop coming over but Junsu and Yoochun assured that the diners all love the crawling baby, especially the old women who have grown up children of their own.

“Changminnie! Come to mama, please~!” Jaejoong tried again, but Changmin just giggled at sitting between the feet of two ladies who were telling Jaejoong to let the boy be.

“Minnie-yah! Come out of there.” A baritone voice sounds at to everyone’s amazement Changmin follows duly. He crawled all the way to the long legs and sat beside them like a puppy waiting for his next command. Added to it, the infant is wearing a shirt with a puppy going woof on it.

“eeee-nyaa~!” the boy squealed when he was lifted upside down and Yunho blew raspberries on his belly. Yunho straightened him up and carried him to where Jaejoong was standing.

“Sure! 3 dates at the aquarium and the amusement park, and I’m forgotten.” Jaejoong poked Changmin’s stomach making him giggle at the ticklish feeling.

Like Jaejoong said, they went on a couple of dates some with Changmin and some without. Yunho always wore a disguise when he was out with both of them and usually chose a private place when alone with Jaejoong. Yet, there were speculations about the nation’s best actor dating somebody. Jaejoong’s relatively lesser known identity made it easier to keep the media guessing while Jaejoong and Changmin had a more peaceful life. Yoochun and Junsu also made sure no news about Yunho and Jaejoong dating got out by making it look that they were only friends.

They were still a fledgling couple and quite awkward at this point. To protect Changmin, they wanted to keep things on the down low. Everyone knew Yunho could have some extreme fangirls.

“He listens to you too much.” Jaejoong said with a pout. Yunho came closer, making it look like he was passing Changmin to her and whispered.

“If you pout, I’ll want to kiss you and we can’t do that here.” Jaejoong sputtered finding words failing her.

“And just yesterday she says you're both at the awkward stage.” Yoochun comments drily while passing by them making them blush furiously. They sit in Jaejoong’s booth silently, Jaejoong writing again and Yunho having his breakfast while fighting off Changmin from his bacon and eggs. 

“Yunho, can I ask something?”

“I told you Jae, you have to watch the show to know if Mooseuk is dead or not.”

“What’s the point of dating Mooseuk then?”

~~~       

'The Heart(h)' is decorated vibrantly this evening for the first birthday of Changmin. It was closed early for the special day and all of Changmin’s friends from the orphanage are there. A specially prepared birthday cake in the shape of a bambi prepared by the head-chef Heechul sat on the centre-most table. Smaller kids ran around while the older ones tried to mind them.

But the birthday boy was missing.

“He won’t even look at anyone.” Jaejoong moaned looking at her son. Yoochun tried to get Changmin’s attention but the boy just sulked in a corner of Yoochun’s office.

“Minnie, don’t you want cake?” Junsu tried to bait him. It looked like it was going to work when Changmin turned to look at the adults at the prospect of food, but he didn’t see a particular face and once again turned back and sulked.

“You know