Jaejoong stared into the air, eyes glossed over as he didn’t even hear what the teacher has been saying. It has been two weeks since Jaejoong left the Old Palace. He has been back to school and things were back to normal except for one thing. Jaejoong looked at the empty table across the class.

Yunho has been missing from school even when their wedding is just around the corner.

Right after Jaejoong had returned home the other day, the royal family released a statement announcing the wedding that will be held on the 1st of March. There are only a few days left until the wedding but Jaejoong hadn’t seen his new partner at all.

“Jaejoong!”

“Yes!” Jaejoong shouted, standing up immediately.

“I asked you, what is the formula for force in terms of Newton’s Law?”

“Huh?” Jaejoong asked, clearly showing that he wasn’t listening. Before the teacher can scold the boy, his younger brother answered for Jaejoong.

“Force is equals to mass times acceleration. In terms of Newton’s Law.” Changmin said, answering his brother’s question to Jaejoong. Jiho looked at his brother, shaking his head slightly.

“Alright then. Let’s end the class here. Make sure to read up on the next three pages since we’re going through that next week. And Jaejoong?”

“Yes sir.” Jaejoong said, straightening up again.

“I know you’re getting married this Sunday. But please, it’s only Friday. You cannot afford to lose your focus on your studies. Understand?”

“Yes Mr Shim.” Jaejoong said, frowning slightly as he takes his seat.

“Class dismissed.” Jiho said, packing up. The students greeted the teacher before the older man left the classroom. Jaejoong sigh, packing his bag too.

“Maybe you should have stayed at home anyway, Jae.” Jaejoong just smile when Heechul said that.

“It’s not like he can do anything at home. I still prefer you going to school, Jae.” Changmin said.

“Let’s just go home.” Jaejoong said, bringing his bag over his shoulder. He glanced at the school gate, sighing again.

The reporters were waiting right outside, cameras ready to click for any pictures of the new royal couple.

“I parked the car at the back. I’ll call Changmin once I’m in front.” Heechul said before leaving to get the car.

“You alright, Jae?” Changmin said, trying to take Jaejoong’s bag.

“I’m fine.” Jaejoong said, pulling it back. His eyes moved towards Junsu who has made his way to Yoochun.

The two had their hands held together and were acting so close. As if they were lovers.

“Hey Jae, did you hear me?”

“Huh? Uh...Hey, I’ll meet you in front. I need to talk to someone.” Jaejoong said, seeing that Junsu had left with Yoochun. Jaejoong walked out of the classroom ahead of Changmin.

“Junsu!” Jaejoong called. The man stopped, turning at the sound of his name being called.

“Jae? What’s wrong?” Junsu asked.

“I need to talk to you. About something private.” Jaejoong said, his eyes glancing to Yoochun before going back to Junsu.

“I’ll meet you in the car.” Yoochun said, taking the hint before leaving. Once Yoochun leave, Junsu changed his stance as he cross his arms.

“So?” Junsu asked.

“Did...did Yunho call you?” Jaejoong asked, already regretting what he had just asked.

“Even if he did call me, what is your business with that?”

“I just...you know, I’m just worried since he didn’t come to school and all.”

“Well he did call me. Yunho never fails to call me every night. We talk to each other everyday. Don’t he do that with you?” Jaejoong didn’t answer, looking away.

“Of course I don’t expect him to do that. Since I’m his boyfriend and you’re the extra prop.” Junsu said, turning around to leave.

“If you’re his boyfriend, what’s with Yoochun? I saw you the other night. The night you went to a restaurant with Yoochun?” Junsu turned back, stalking back towards Jaejoong.

“So you’re the one who told Yunho about me. Listen here, if you don’t know anything, don’t open your mouth. I don’t care if you’re going to be Yunho’s partner. You’re just an extra here, Jae. Yunho only agreed to marry you because I said no to his proposal.”

“That’s enough.” Jaejoong turned around, seeing Changmin frowning hard.

“Changmin.” Jaejoong called, hand holding out to stop him from doing anything that could make things worse.

“I don’t know what’s your deal but if you think that you can easily talk to Jaejoong like that, you are so wrong.” Changmin said, ignoring Jaejoong’s efforts to stop him to say anything.

“So what? I’m frustrated with the fact that Yunho has to marry Jaejoong just because of a stupid will written in the past. Aren’t you frustrated too? After all, you like Jaejoong a lot. Anyone can see that. We should be working together, Changmin.”

“I’m not like you. You two-timing .”

“Changmin.” Jaejoong called, this time pulling the man away from Junsu.

“Heechul is calling. Come on.” Jaejoong said before pulling Changmin to the front of the school.

There was no car or Heechul waiting for them at the entrance of the school building. Changmin pulled his hand away, glaring at Jaejoong.

“You lied to me. Really Jaejoong? You can lie to everyone else but not me.” Changmin snapped.

“You were out of control. I was fine with what Junsu said.”

“Well I’m not.” Changmin replied, pacing up and down.

“Changmin.” Jaejoong called, wanting the man to stop walking.

“Changmin.” Jaejoong called again, this time holding on to the man’s arm.

“I’m alright. Calm down. Please.” Changmin just pulled away, shaking his head. At that moment, Heechul came in with the car before stopping in front of them.

“I was about to call you.” Heechul said.

“We got out here early.” Jaejoong said. Changmin didn’t say anything, deciding to get in the car and sitting beside Heechul instead.

Jaejoong looked on before entering the car. Heechul drive towards the gate, the reporters starting to shout out questions as cameras flashed when they recognise whose car it was.

“Damn reporters.” Heechul mumbled, pressing the horn to clear the crowd.

The ride back home was silent. Heechul stopped at the road junction, waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

“Heechul, stop at my house first.” Changmin said, breaking the silence. Jaejoong turned to look at Changmin, wondering why he had done so.

“You’re not going home with us?” Heechul asked, asking the question that Jaejoong wanted to ask.

“No.” Jaejoong turned to look out of the window, shaking his head slightly.

“Really? But you always stay at our house after school. Well actually, you practically stay in Jaejoong’s room just because it’s more convenient like that.” Heechul said, rambling.

“Just stop at my house, Heechul.” Changmin said, not wanting to explain.

“But-”

“Heechul. If the man says he wants you to stop at his house then just follow what he says.” Jaejoong interrupted. He could see from the side of his eye that Changmin had looked at him for a second before turning away again.

“Whatever you say, future princess.” Hearing that, Changmin scoffed as he shakes his head.

“What? You don’t like hearing Heechul call me that?” Jaejoong asked, irritated with Changmin’s behaviour.

“Please, we both know that you don’t like people calling you Princess.”

“Well, maybe I like it now since I’m getting married to a Prince.”

“Kim Jaejoong, don’t make me start on that.” This time, Changmin finally turned behind to look at Jaejoong.

“What? Me getting married?”

“Yes. The fact that you initially decided to reject it. And after a talk with that guy, you decide to marry him because of your adopted grandfather? That doesn’t make sense at all!”

“So what if it doesn’t make sense? We did what we had to do.”

“The only thing that would make sense is that you made a deal with that dumb Prince.”

“Even if we did, that’s none of your business.”

“It’s my business when it comes to you!” Changmin shouted, feeling irritated that Jaejoong couldn’t see what was going on. After all, Changmin was just trying to protect him.

Why Jaejoong can’t see that was beyond what Changmin can comprehend.

“Okay we’re here!” Heechul said, trying to break the tension in the car.

“I can take care of myself, Changmin.”

“Of course you would think that, Jaejun.” Changmin said, slamming the door close once he was out of the car.

“Changmin!” Jaejoong called but the man just showed him his middle finger as he walked through the gates of his house.

“Let’s just head home.” Jaejoong said, seeing Changmin’s back walking away from him.

“You know I was waiting for this fight to happen.” Heechul said, driving further up the road.

“What do you mean?”

“Well...you two have been so close all these years and now the royal family suddenly comes in saying that you will be getting married with the Crown Prince. And with how sudden you quickly change your mind plus Changmin liking you for so long and being so overprotective, it was bound to happen.”

“I don’t know, Heechul...this never happened to us before.” Jaejoong said, sighing softly.

“It’ll get better. Just give him a call when you get back. He’ll probably cool it off by then.” Heechul said, taking a turn to get in a parking lot.

“I hope so.” Jaejoong mumbled, getting out of the car before entering the house.

Once he had settled himself down in his room, Jaejoong took out his phone. His fingers dialled the familiar number, hoping that Changmin would answer the call.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is engaged at the moment. Please try again later.” Jaejoong sigh upon hearing that, hanging up.

“Maybe he’s talking to Jiho hyung.” Jaejoong said, trying to convince himself that what he said was true.

An hour later, Jaejoong called again. This time, the phone was shut off, leaving a message.

“Hey, this is Changmin. If you’re listening to this, I’m probably busy with Jaejoong at his house. Leave a message or don’t. I don’t care.”

There were sounds of him and Changmin giggling at the end. Jaejoong laughed hearing that pre-recorded message. The both of them were so close that fighting like this makes Jaejoong feel that something was missing in his life.

He looked at the pictures around the room. Only a few were pictures of him. The others always have Changmin inside it.

It was when they were fifteen when Changmin confessed. They were having a sleepover and they got into a topic of love. Changmin, knowing that both of them are gay, decides to confess. Jaejoong have always known about it but he had to reject the man, citing reasons of their fathers not approving of it. Changmin had let it slide.

The only change was that in the next few years, Changmin became more protective over Jaejoong. Almost like a protective boyfriend. The phone ring and Jaejoong immediately answered.

“Changmin? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for whatever I said. I know you’re trying to take care of me and I understand if my life is your business. I just want to apologise for everything just now. Please forgive me.” Jaejoong rambled on before hearing him chuckle on the other line.

“Wait…” Jaejoong said, pulling away from his phone to look at the called ID. The number shown was definitely not Changmin’s number.

“Who is this? And if you say you are a reporter, I’m going to call the police and report you. This is harassment.” Jaejoong said.

“It’s me.”

“Yunho?”

“Yes.” The voice was quite weak but it was definitely Yunho.

“You sound great.”

“Of course. I need to get well so we can get married, don’t I?” There was silence on Jaejoong’s side as Jaejoong sat down by his balcony.

“Jaejoong?”

“Why did you call?” Jaejoong asked.

“I just...I wanted to call you. You know, before we get married this Sunday.”

“And why do you want to do that?”

“Why do you sound like that?” Yunho asked, not understanding Jaejoong’s tone.

“Sound like what?”

“You sound like you’re judging me.”

“Well with the fact that you’re calling Junsu every night, I’m surprised you have the time to call me in the day.” Yunho heard Jaejoong said. The man, still not fully healed, stands up before walking to the window as he look out to the city below.

“I didn’t call Junsu. Who told you that?”

“Junsu did. Well I’m not surprised. You are his boyfriend while I am-” Jaejoong stopped talking, not willing to label his own self as an extra prop. “And you are my soon-to-be partner. Look, don’t listen to what he says. Unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless you’re jealous that Junsu told you that I’ve been calling him every night.” Yunho said, smirking as he teased Jaejoong. What he got was not what he expected though.

“So you do admit that you’ve been calling him every night. What are you trying to do? You’re trying to make me tick off with your ways handling Junsu?”

“What? I’m not. Jaejoong, he was the one who called me every night.” Yunho said, trying to clarify things.

“And how can I believe you on that.”

“Come on. You can take my word.”

“Fine whatever. I don’t even care about that.”

“Really? You sound like you care a lot.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Hey, don’t you want to talk to me?”

“Well I did talk to you. So we’re done.”

“Let’s meet tonight.” Yunho hurriedly say, not wanting Jaejoong to hang up on him.

“Meet? I thought there was this superstition going on that the bride and groom are not supposed to see each other. Especially when there’s one day left.”

“You believe in superstitions?”

“Nope.” “Good. Neither do I. So I’ll see you at seven?”

“Yeah whatever. Just know, I’m not looking forward to this...this meet of ours.”

“Bye Jaejoong.” Yunho said, hanging up with a silly smile on his face. He head to his living room, greeting his butler who had just walked in from the Main Palace.

“I doubt those scars on your back are the result of your sudden happiness.”

“Hmm?” Yunho looked at Donghae, taking a seat on his living room.

“Your smile. Did you finally answer Junsu’s call?”

“No? I’m going out tonight.” Yunho said, turning on the TV.

“Did you forget? You’re getting married this Sunday. Why are you going out? And with who?” Donghae interrogated.

“With Jaejoong.” Yunho simply answered, changing the channel.

“Do you know that a wedding could have bad luck if the spouses meet before their wedding?”

“You do realise that we’re not a normal couple, right?”

“With a different way of thinking that is.”