Closer
Love? Hate? Death.
Yunho POV
Three hours later, at around seven in the morning, I was at my 1,352nd file. And finally found my desired file.
Born Han Changmin. I frowned. Han? Wasn't that the surnames of the agents in Nine? How in the world did he share the same surname as me, as us? I skimmed through the unnecessary bits quickly. Born in February. One older brother; contact lost since young. Parents murdered. Put up for adoption.
His file was extremely thick and complex, with minute details describing events that were considered important, such as Changmin topping his class in kindergarten and others. Half of his file was filled with the topic of his abuse at the hands of his second foster family, the details uncomfortably clear cut. I spent about an hour reading through it, before I realised that I wasn't really getting any where with it. I had to run through a lot of files before I got the file I wanted. His adoption process.Reading through it took a long time before I finally found who his second adoptive father was.
Jung Ji Soon.
I tilted my head. Jung was my born surname. My mother's last name. It wasn't that really a common surname in Korea.So was he related to me in some way?
Disgusting.
I opened his file. Fifties. Married. Numerous criminal records, including child abuse, , stealing, drunk driving and con. He wasn't even going to be missed once dead. I glanced at his picture to commit it to memory and was slightly surprised, though my face never moved a muscle. He looked a bit like me. Very slight, as I had a lot of my mother's features, but I saw our similarities. Sharp jawline, pointed chin, thin lips. I narrowed my eyes accusingly at him. I didn't really enjoy our similarities.
I stifled a yawn as I rubbed my eyes. I was sleepy and Changmin was making me lose feeling in my legs. Not very comfortable. I checked up Ji Soon's address and memorized it quickly enough, before closing my phone and leaning against the wall behind me. Now, what would be the best punishment for him? I doubt he had any right to live. These kind of people didn't deserve those kinds of things.
I thought back to what this man had done to Changmin, and the amount of abuse he must've made Changmin go through. Changmin must have been in a lot of pain.
And fear.
I thought of Yoochun and Jaejoong, and sure enough, felt my temper rising.
The man didn't deserve to live.
I nearly smiled to myself. What fun it would be to kill him.
I exited the files, the necessary information already stored in my head, as I fiddled with my phone. I knew I had a call to make, Kangta would be beyond livid by now, but I wasn't really in the mood. I really wanted to get up and walk around. Changmin's weight was making me lose feeling in my legs. But I stayed still.
He would need the sleep.
Slowly, the hours passed and dawn came and went. It was 11 in the morning and Changmin still wasn't awake. My arm and legs were already killing me at this point. I had stayed still for nearly twelve whole hours and if I didn't move soon, I'd start getting restless.
Thankfully, Changmin started stirring. At this point I didn't really care whether it was a nightmare or not, I just needed him awake.
Changmin POV
My head was resting on a weird pillow of sorts; it was hard yet at the same time soft and warm. It was kind of comfortable, so I started snuggling deeper. Awesome pillow. I felt the oxygen mask strapped to my face be pulled away. Weird, I couldn't feel any elastic strap attached to my face. The medicine the oxygen mask brought was taken away and sure enough I felt myself waking up. My eyes fluttered open.
Only to see Yunho staring at me with his normal passiveness.
I was sure I was still dreaming, since I was kind of drowsy from the continuous doses of medicated air.
'Morning...' I mumbled to the illusion.
Illusion Yunho cocked his head to the side as he studied me.
'Get off me,' he said.
I frowned. I didn't feel like moving.
'Don't wanna...' I answered, repositioning myself to a more comfortable position on his lap.
...
Wait a minute.
My head was resting on his lap.
Which was solid. Warm. Real. Well it was comfy too, but that wasn't the point.
This wasn't an illusion.
Oh Dear God.
My eyes popped open and I practically shot off him, shouting 'I'm so sorry!' . So suddenly, in fact, that I fell off the bed with a loud thud, landing painfully on my front.
'Ow!' I yelled as the force of the fall winded me.
Silence greeted me and I immediately got up and bowed at Yunho.
'I'm so sorry, Hyung! Chosonghaeyo!'
Yunho looked at me with the normal passiveness he usually had on before he answered.
'It's fine.'
I let out a breath I had been holding. I really didn't want Yunho to be angry.
'Are you feeling better now?' he suddenly asked.
I looked up at him, surprised he would ask. He had his head tilted to the side with his crossed legs dangling over the edge of the tall bed as he looked me with eyes that had a small sliver of concern.
'I guess so. A bit sleepy, but I'll be okay.'
He nodded as an answer and got off the bed, heading towards the door.
'Wait!' I yelled before I could stop myself. I don't know why, but I didn't want him to leave me. Not yet.
He was already halfway out the door when I suddenly spun around and yelled at him. He turned around to look at me.
'What is it?'
I scratched my head nervously. Now you've done it, Changmin...
'Umm... I just wanted to say thank you... For watching over me when I was asleep. And...yeah. Thanks.'
Yunho looked at me blankly, his expression unreadable.
'I wasn't watching over you. You gripped me when you were asleep and wouldn't let me move.'
My jaw dropped. I could feel anger and... Embarrassment? Creeping its way up my face but beat it down before it could show.
'O-o-oh,' I stuttered. 'Sorry for that.'
Yunho looked at the ceiling for a while before he looked at me. 'Did you sleep well?'
I blinked in surprise. Excuse me? Was he being sarcastic? I decided not to risk a smart reply.
'N-n-ne,' I answered hesitantly.
'Then it's fine.' He said, and just like that, turned to leave the room.
Wait.... What?! I didn't get it! Was there supposed to be a hidden meaning behind his words? What in the world did that mean? First he was mad that I fell asleep on him now he says it's okay as long as I slept well? What, was this guy on constant PMS?
'Hey!'
I chased him from behind, catching up easily and falling in step with his walking beside him. Yunho barely glanced at me.
'What are you talking about?' I asked bluntly.
I was curious and part mad too, this guy was too much like a puzzle I was in no mood to solve.
'First you get all mad that I fell asleep on you and then go all Obi Wan Kenobi philosophical leaving me in the dark I don't know what you're talking about like as if your freaking moodswings are understandable! I mean I AM sorry I fell asleep on you but you know you could've just moved or pushed me away and now you're gonna go all mysterious that since I had a good nap it doesn't matter and --'
'Are you hungry, Changmin?'
'Yeah!'
'I'll buy you breakfast.'
'Okay!'
Wait...
Huh?
Yunho POV
Changmin's insistent babble was giving me a slight headache. I wasn't really in any mood to listen. I had been awake for twelve straight hours squinting my eyes in the dark on an illuminated screen barely bigger than my palm reading vast amounts of information in a most uncomfortable position, so I really didn't want to hear his insistent chatter. Calculating my timing, I cut him short before he could go any further.
'Are you hungry, Changmin?'
'Yeah!'
'I'll buy you breakfast.'
'Okay!'
I nearly smirked when I saw Changmin's blank expression of confusion as he tried to register what just happened. He blinked several times before he dropped it.
'Breakfast, Hyung!' he yelled, pointing to something a distance away. I looked in his direction and nearly smiled.
A 7-11 store. What simple minded thinking.
We walked to the store, well I did. Changmin seemed to be...skipping? Amusing. Once inside, Changmin started grabbing whatever in sight. Quite literally. I saw him take an assortment of bread, crackers, biscuits, beverages and light snacks. I could barely contain my surprise when Changmin came to me with a big smile on his face, hands quite full of food.
'Done,' he proclaimed unnecessarily.
'... I see...' was all I could answer.
I decided not to question. Maybe Jaejoong wasn't joking when he said Changmin had a 'big appetite'. I paid for everything as I said I would. I carried the bags as well, as Changmin lightly protested. I could feel the cashier staring at us in amusement, her eyes shining with curiosity until I beat it down with my own glare.
'Are you really going to eat all that?' I asked as soon as we were outside the store.
Changmin turned to look at me, a look of surprise in his eyes.
'What?' he said in amusement, 'No... I'm sharing!'
'With?'
'All of you! I bought food for all four of us, so we could share!'
I tilted my head to the side. Surely this was too much for even four people to consume? This looked like food for ten people. I shrugged my shoulders. Not my problem.
'Hyung?'
I realised Changmin had difficulty keeping his mouth shut, even if it was momentarily.
'Yes?'
'Can I come with you to see Jae? Would you mind?'
Jae? He called Jaejoong Jae?
'No. You can come.'
Changmin's face practically lit up like a child during Christmas.
'Really? Thank you!'
I didn't mind him tagging along. Jaejoong liked him. If Jaejoong liked him then I guess it would be alright. Besides, after this hospital visit, we weren't going to meet him again. I was going to make sure of it. It would be too dangerous. Having Changmin, a boy as fragile as him, know people like us, who worked around danger in a daily basis was like asking for trouble. It would be better if we simply disappeared from his life after this. I would take Yoochun and Jaejoong out from their current schools and transfer them somewhere else, preferably far from where Changmin is.
I blinked as I realised what I was doing.
Thinking of Changmin again.
We reached Jaejoong's ward and I entered without knocking, to see both Yoochun and Jaejoong on the couch, Jaejoong resting his head on Yoochun's lap, asleep. There were claw marks running down Yoochun's arm and it didn't take much to figure out what happened. It seemed Changmin, however, couldn't put two and two together.
'Yoochun Hyung!' he exclaimed, running to him. 'What happened? Are you okay? Why're there scratch marks on your arm? Does it hurt?'
Yoochun held up a hand gently to silence him.
'I'm okay, Changmin ah. Its just that Jaejoong woke up and couldn't find Yunho, so he panicked. I tried to calm him down, but had limited success. I'm fine though, so it doesn't matter.'
Changmin collapsed on the couch beside him, Jaejoong on Yoochun's other side, as Changmin leaned stared at the wound, it lightly.
'Aish it must hurt a lot!' he said.
'It's fine, Changmin. Doesn't hurt anymore.'
I put the food on the bedside table and came to inspect Yoochun's arm, holding it in my hands as I turned it this way and that, calculating how bad the wound was. Yoochun grimaced at the movements and tried to hide his hiss of pain, though I easily caught it. I came to kneel on one knee in front of him, taking out a tube of ointment from my pocket.
'Aish Yunho, it's nothing!' I heard Yoochun whine.
I ignored him as I started rubbing some of the ointment on the wound. Yoochun let out a soft whine of pain. The ointment burned slightly, but helped a lot in the healing process.
'Yunho, I don't like it!'
I looked up at him sharply, and he immediately quieted down, keeping his mouth zipped shut. I continued applying the ointment, but this time in a softer manner.
'Withstand the pain, Yoochun. You've experienced higher than this.'
Yoochun only kept quiet, with Changmin looking over his shoulder curiously. I was done pretty quickly and stood up, pocketing the tube once again.
'Why did Jaejoong freak out?' I asked as I knelt in front of a sleeping Jaejoong, carding my fingers through his hair gently.
'I told you, he couldn't find you."
'Yoochun.'
I heard Yoochun sigh.
'He had a nightmare,' he whispered very softly.
I stiffened. 'Another one?'
From my peripheral vision I saw Yoochun nod. I sighed, before moving to hold Jaejoong underneath his armpits and lift him up into my arms. I stood up as he instinctively wrapped his arms around my neck as his chin rested on my shoulder. I heard him whine. Being the light sleeper that he was, I could tell he was waking up.
'Y-Yunnie? Is that you?'
'Yeah,' I answered, unconsciously holding him closer to me.
'Jae Jae had a nightmare...' he started.
'I see...'
'It was scary. Really scary...'
'What was it about?' I asked.
Jaejoong started shaking his head. 'No no. Jae Jae doesn't want to remember. Too scary.'
I moved to kiss his forehead gently, as Jaejoong rested his head in the crook of my neck.
'Your Changmin Oppa bought you breakfast,' I said, drastically changing the subject.
Jaejoong perked up almost immediately, straightening up to look me in the eye.
'Really? Oppa brought breakfast?'
I nodded as I moved to gently peck his lips. Jaejoong giggled for a while before he squirmed off me, too excited to keep still. He came to sit beside Changmin, resting his chin on Changmin's shoulder.
Changmin POV
I saw Jae get off Yunho Hyung and come to me excitedly, flopping down on the couch beside me. I couldn't help but be slightly apprehensive. I was just scared that would he did to Yoochun...
No. Jae was a nice kid. He was just a bit ill. Just like me.
I smiled as Jae placed his chin on my shoulder, giving me a close up view of his huge doe eyes. Seriously they were huge. I thought he wore circle lenses, but it turned out he didn't!
'Oppa bought Jae Jae breakfast?'
'Yup! You hungry?'
Jae nodded by nodding excitedly. 'Yes! Jae Jae wants food! Lots and lots because Jae Jae is veeeeeeeeery hungry!'
I grinned as I got up and took the huge plastic bag on the table. I saw Yoochun's eyes widen at the sight.
'That's... A lot of food,' he mumbled.
I gave a shrug. 'Yunho Hyung offered to pay for me. So I bought some for everyone.'
I saw one of his eyebrows shoot up in quizzical surprise.
'Yunho offered to treat you?'
I nodded.
'So...he paid for all this food?'
I nodded once again, confused. Yoochun smiled as he turned to look at Yunho. 'That was awfully nice of you, Yunho.'
Somehow I knew he wasn't being sarcastic. He was telling the truth. There was sincerity in his tone. Yunho responded by merely shrugging.
'Yah!' Jae suddenly exclaimed, putting his hands together for attention. 'Let's eat! Jae Jae is HUNGRY!!'
Our attention on the food, all of us came to eat. I collapsed on the sofa beside Yoochun, as Yunho sat himself on the hospital bed, legs hanging off the side. I kinda liked Yoochun. He had the aura of someone you could trust, someone you would always be comfortable with. Even though I had only started talking to him the day before, I was completely comfortable with hitting him, skinship and such. I leaned my back against his arm as I ate, my legs dangling off the edge of the couch. I let them choose what they wanted to eat, I was feeling kinda gracious today.
Jae chose a cheese burger and a cold can of Starbucks latte (I wonder if it was wise to give him caffeine) while Yoochun ate a hot dog roll and had strawberry milk. Yunho, I guess he didn't eat much, had a pack of Famous Amos cookies with apple juice. After some time, Jae got up to sit on Yunho's lap, bored of his burger and wanting the cookies in exchange. Yunho complied without a sound, though I could tell he didn't like eating the burger. Jae was cute when he started feeding Yunho some cookies, Yunho only played along. Jae started giggling like a little girl, leaning his back against Yunho's chest. I noticed that Yunho was an extremely slow eater, barely going through his food at all. He only nibbled the burger when Jae gave it to him before stopping and letting Jae feed him the cookies. Even that, he was slow at chewing. I was on to my fourth packet of crackers when Yoochun suddenly asked.
'Have you called him?'
I sat up straight to look at him, not getting the question, before I realized the question wasn't aimed at me.
'Who?' Yunho asked.
'Kangta.'
There was a silence before Yunho answered 'no'.
Yoochun sighed and ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated.
'Why??' he asked Yunho.
Yunho only shrugged as he drank his juice. Yoochun didn't seem to find it amusing, though.
'You know he'll get mad, Yunho.'
I had no idea what they were talking about, so I kept quiet.
'It doesn't matter,' Yunho answered softly.
'Yunnie...' Jae said gently, 'Chunnie Hyung's just worried, that's all. Don't be mad, ne?'
Jae moved to gently kiss Yunho's cheek, as he popped another cookie in his mouth. Yunho said nothing as he stood up, but not before repositioning Jae on the bed.
'I'll go talk to the doctor to get you discharged,' he said before he just upt and left.
Silence enveloped the three of us as the soft click of the door could be heard. I felt compelled to break it, and besides, the silence was killing me.
'Who's... Kangta?'
Yoochun and Jaejoong looked up at my question, soft alarm in their eyes.
'Am I...not supposed to ask?' I said hesitantly. I didn't mean to pry...
Yoochun blinked a few times before looking away.
'Kangta is my appa!' Jae proclaimed excitedly. 'He's strict and doesn't smile but he's nice!'
I stretched a smile as the obviously forced excitement in Jae's voice.
'I-I see...' I answered, not wanting to pry any deeper.
Yoochun gave me a forced smile that matched mine. I believed he knew of my inner thoughts.
'It's just... we don't talk about it to others, Changmin. It's just between us.'
I nodded, completely understanding.
The rest of the wait for Yunho to return was in complete silence, silence that I felt obliged to not break. Yunho soon came back, explaining that Jae could be discharged as soon as Heechul Hyung checked on him. Heechul Hyung came a few moments later, raising an eyebrow at my presence but not questioning it. Jae seemed to be excited to see Heechul Hyung though, as he grinned his pearlie whites at him.
'Doctor Keeeeeem!' he exclaimed when he saw him.
Heechul Hyung answered with a smile. 'Hello, Jaejoongie. Had a good night's sleep?'
Jae shook his head, a pout on his lips as he sat cross legged on the bed. I.noticed his arms were still raw from whatever it was he did to himself. Or were those new injuries?
'Jae Jae had a nightmare...'
'Really now?' Heechul Hyung answered as he came to sit on the edge of the bed, taking out his stethescope.
'Mm! Scary nightmare...' Jae mumbled as Heechul Hyung moved to examine Jae with the stethescope.
'Ai, Shiro!' Jae yelled when Heechul nearly placed the flatend of the stethescope on his chest. Jae pushed it away with his hand.
'What's wrong, Jaejoongie? You've done this numerous times already. I'm sure you can do it again, ne?' Hyung tried to coax the patient.
Jae shook his head again.
'Shiro. I said Shiro!' Jae was adamant.
'Jaejoongie, be a good boy...' Heechul tried to convince him again.
'I said SHIRO!!' The last part of that sentence turned into a very high pitched shriek as Jae grabbed the stethescope from Heechul hyung's hands and threw it across the room. The speed and strength of that travelling object was amazing, hitting the wooden door and leaving a large crack on it. My jaw hung open in shock.
The other three in the room barely blinked as Jae started throwing a tantrum, his shriek getting louder and louder till he himself closed his own ears from the sound. Jae kept screaming without pausing for breath. Seriously his lung capacity must be amazing. Yunho Hyung seemed to know what to do, as he came to the bed and sat beside the banshee of a boy, wrapping his arms around Jae's waist. I heard him whisper a 'shh' into Jae's ear and -- no joke -- Jae immediately silenced, leaning his head back to look up at him.
'Don't scream, Jaejoong,' Yunho said gently, his hand moving to gently Jae's head.
Jae gave a pout, his lower lip jutting out adorably. It was amazing to think that he was nearing a panic attack only moments before.
'But Yunnie, I don't want it,' he whined.
'Why not? You've always been fine with it.'
'Jae Jae... doesn't... LIKE IT!!' The last part grew into an ear piercing screech as Jae showed just how much he dislike the stethescope.
Yunho was completely calm as he put a finger to his lips. 'Don't scream,' he said, 'It never got you anywhere.'
Jae pouted and swung his legs in a tantrum. 'I just don't like it, Yunnie.'
'Why?' Yunho asked.
Jae shrug his shoulders as he suddenly dove to wrap his arms around Yunho hyung's waist. 'I don't wanna. Don't make me.'
Yunho sighed. 'Alright. He won't touch you.'
Yunho looked up to look Heechul hyung in the eye, and I swear, the look he gave him would have been enough to kill.
'You shall not touch him,' he said, in the coldest voice possible. I had to admit, he sounded a bit dramatic, but one does not simply mess with Yunho and expect to get away with it.
Heechul hyung was smart. He nodded along, folding his arms against his chest. 'Alright, but another follow-up check up will be necessary to evaluate Jaejoong's condition. In the mean time, I think it's safe to get him discharged. Once again, please watch over his diet. Too much sugar and caffeine is dangerous for a boy of his condition.'
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yoochun hyung swiftly hide Jae's coffee drink and cookies behind the counter. Nice move, hyung!
Several signed documents and paperwork later, Jae was officially discharged. The four of us were gathered at the entrance of the hospital. It seemed Heechul hyung still wouldn't let me go home yet, as I still needed another check up and a few other medical routines.
Jae was in Yunho's arms, wrapped comfortably around his waist as his head rested on the latter's shoulder as we gave our farewells.
'Well then. It was nice meeting the three of you. Sorry things turned out so....eventful though...' I said as I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
Yoochun laughed as he patted my head. 'No. Thanks for being a great sport, Changmin. Thanks for everything, in actual fact.'
I grinned as I turned to Jae. 'You take good care of yourself, alright? Listen to Yoochun and Yunho hyung. They know what's best for you.'
Jae returned my grin. 'Alright, Oppa. Thank you for the cake.'
My eyes widened as realization hit me. 'Ai! The cake! We forgot about it, didn't we?' I facepalmed myself. Good job, idiot.
Jae broke out in fits of giggles and leaned into my ear. 'It's alright, Oppa. Jae Jae's appetite has not been huge-assed yet!'
I was so thankful that Jae had been whispering that in my ear, and not saying that outloud, or that literally would've been the death of me. Jae moved to loudly peck me on my cheek before wrapping himself around Yunho once more.
'Bye, Oppa!' he yelled as Yunho began walking away.
I waved.
I had a weird feeling that we were going to meet again, like it or not.
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