1. The beginning.

They say curiosity kills the cat.

Junsu experiences it first hand though he didn’t do it out of curiosity. He was just.. gathering as many ideas as he could grasp for Changmin’s upcoming 28th birthday surprise. You see, they’ve been married for three years and ongoing. Things aren’t as sweet and honey as their first year of being legally tied to each other. He has to admit that things are not so good a lot of the times. They fight more and more often. They take more time to fix the unavoidable post argument awkwardness which mostly is pulled by Junsu’s side. Well, it’s just like any normal three years old marriage everywhere.

So, last three weeks, upon stumbling over the unintentional reminder (Changmin’s mom) who asked Junsu whether he prepared any birthday surprise for Changmin, Junsu thought hard to find the best idea of surprising his husband. It sure would be easier if Changmin is a person who welcomes surprise. He isn’t. He has this scary look after a surprise is thrown on him most of the time which leaves Junsu fewer options impressing yet not angering the tall man.

When mama Shim asked, Junsu smugly said “Of course I have something, mom. It will be great.” earning him a poke on his cheek from the mother in law. He didn’t tell reveal past “Changmin would love it.” hush hush information because, honestly, he had no idea at all but he couldn’t let mama Shim think so. The mother issued the usual family dinner in the Shim’s house which Junsu didn’t quickly agree on it. Birthday dinner was so common. He wanted to do better than just the ordinary dining and family celebration.

Before he went home to his own apartment, Junsu’s rarely determined mode was activated. He would pull a birthday surprise, a big unforgettable one, on to Changmin. Ideas started to flow in his head as he parked his car in the garage. Just wait, you Minnie. You’d be surprised.

But then, when he was sorting the ideas and starting to put pieces of it into action behind Changmin’s back, he was the one meeting the surprise. Or, on better note, a shock.

Junsu is the type of person who has to struggle very hard to keep things unknown. His mouth usually works faster than his brain. It’s a torture for him to discipline the urge to just burst everything on the tip of his tongue to Changmin. He had to change topic whenever their talk steered to any indication of plan, gift, or worse, surprise. His lips were so tempted to say I’ve got a big surprise event for you due to the increasing excitement he barely managed to school. Junsu wondered whether Changmin could read him well on this like he usually does. Changmin had this disapproval look on his face cast to Junsu but he said nothing so far which was a good thing. Perhaps he already guessed and decided to ignore it. perhaps he’s just letting Junsu have his way like everything else.

Ten days before the D-day, Junsu was home alone. He excused himself from visiting the Shims with Changmin using Yoochun as the bargain. He needed to contact one of their mutual friends for the plan yet he forgot where he stored the business card or email address. It was a short notice as the idea just popped up a couple of hours before Changmin’s arrival from work. He started searching as soon as the tall man left the driveway view. Changmin loves food. He eats anything. Junsu wanted to order one particular cake and dish for the D-day but not using their friendship line. He wanted to use anonymity for that. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the business contact in their address book. Changmin is the more organized one between them. He might keep it somewhere else. Hmm.. his computer? Laptop? Should he try?

Junsu was looking for an email address. Not more. At least, that was the initial motive when he browsed folder after folder in Changmin’s laptop. It was luck that Changmin, somehow, put his laptop on sleep mode that Junsu didn’t have to spend time guessing the password to access the mail site. He did quick scanning to the recipient and sender names. He frowned at the long list of emails he saw. Why didn’t Min delete the old mails that went as far as a year back? Oh wait, two years. Three years. Four years. Five? Six? Seven? What is this? Changmin even made folders in yearly order. Tsk tsk.

He found the wanted address after forty five minutes thanks to the many long emails his husband kept. He just needed the address. He scribbled it down on and was about to close the window when, God bless the duck, his mischievous side poked him. Look there. The folders named by the year. Don’t you want to take a peek? Just a minute won’t do any harm.

His conscience warned him to leave it. Reading emails without permission is the other form of trespassing or violating human right known as privacy. You know your husband. Bet it mostly consist of boring work related mails. Leave it, Junsu.

The mischievous corner pointed that the year was before they two met. Perhaps there’s something valuable Junsu could use for the surprise event. Changmin’s college friends maybe? Or something good in the past that had deep impression?

But really, what kind of person keeping mails for years in his laptop aside from the important ones? Changmin even kept the ads or spam mails on his recent dates. He didn’t bother deleting them. Imagine the spam he kept along those years. Weird. Even if Junsu clicked one of the old year folders, how would he find useful thing among the numerous malis? Reading one by one?

His finger opened a folder under the name 2011. It’s a year before their marriage. They were dating that year.

Soon, the screen was filled with big amount of mails. Junsu blinked twice seeing the number of mails Changmin kept for that year. Two hundred seventy six. None was from or for Junsu. They didn’t do mail. They called and texted. More like Junsu dominated the calling and texting. Hehe. As expected, most of them were work related mails. Some were from friends or acquaintances Junsu weren’t familiar with. Exchanging the usual friendly news and stuff.

He clicked 2009. more or less similar. The difference was about the topic of the mails.

2008. Ha! Club activities. Organizations. More friends.

The sound of incoming calls startled Junsu’s focused reading. Changmin called him informing he would be home a bit late. MinHo was with him. Junsu whined a bit as usual at Changmin’s spending time with MinHo. it’s half true because he did feel slightly irritated whenever Changmin met friends drinking till late and went home half drunk or whatnot. Changmin said he wouldn’t be long which meant not past midnight. Junsu ended the call in grunts, muttering to none about this particular habit of Changmin’s. One of the potential sources of their arguments.

Junsu lost his mood reading more emails. The call undid the excitement. He now had good excuse to lay hand on Changmin’s SNS account. Facebook? Line? bleh. Nothing much. Changmin updated status like once in a month. He didn’t leave many comments on his facebook friends’s statutes either. His friends tagged him in photos a lot which Changmin commented shortly like when did you take this, ****? Leave me out of the mess. Nice try. Good job. Better luck next time. etc. The private message section was also filled by Changmin’s friends mono talking to him instead of him replying the messages. He replied the important ones though and ignored the rest. Mostly about work and friendly jokes or chit chat. Junsu clicked the home button, smiling as he sa