“Wake up Yunho-yah...”

I felt my shoulder rock back and forth as the mattress squeaked. The dawn’s rays beamed through my eyes as I lift my lids.

Opening my eyes, Jaejoong's gaze was the first thing I saw.

“Isn’t it too early?” I groaned, pulling the blanket upwards, just enough to shield my eyes from the light.

“There’s no food.”

“...There’s...Go-Ara’s...food...” I murmured, burying my face in the pillow.

“We left it in Heechul’s car, remember?” he asked.

“Then...the cake...”

“I don’t want to eat cake first thing in the morning,” he said. “I don’t know where the grocery store is. So just wake up and tell me the directions to the nearest grocery. My stomach is driving me crazy.”

 “Aish, fine...” I mumbled, arising from my position.

My eyelids were heavy from my slumber, and my drowsiness still in effect. I had the urge to plop back down, but then I remembered this was Jaejoong’s time to shine. I had to do stuff to please him, not myself.

Jaejoong faced the window, somewhat gazing into the sun’s rays. “It’ll be a nice day.”

“It will,” I said, stretching my limbs.

To be honest, I’m not quite sure. What would unfold for the rest of us? What was our current status? Lovers? Friends? It was quite uncertain. If someone had asked me at this very moment, I would give them nothing but silence.

I mentally told myself I could do this.

I can appease Jaejoong. Just for a month.

“You know what...I’ll just go to the grocery shop with you,” I said, rising from the bed. “So you don’t get lost.”

“Really?” he asked, turning his head at me.

“Yeah.”

“Well, before we go...we should make the bed. We made quite a mess,” he said, walking around the bed.

“We should just leave it...it’s not-,”

“No. We’re cleaning the bed.”

“Fine,” I gave in, rolling my eyes. “You know, you’re quite naggy like a wife, don’t you know?” I asked, taking hold of the bedsheet.

“I am not naggy. I just like a clean environment.”

“Husbands don’t like it when their wife nags,” I remarked, repositioning the covers at its proper spot.

“Wives don’t like it when their husbands oppose them,” Jaejoong responded back, placing the pillows against the headboard.

 “I am praying for your future husband. You are quite a scary man.”

“I am. And they better be prepared.”

“Well, at least you’re good at cooking,” I said. “And cleaning.”

“I can fix things too...like light bulbs. I remember changing your lamp bulb back then. You couldn’t do it since you were scared of burning yourself,” he chuckled, smoothing the covers out.

“I was?” I asked, dumbfounded. “Wow, I was such a baby.”

“You were. You were a monstrous baby,” he remarked.

To be honest, I still was scared of replacing my lightbulbs. I usually got Chae Won to change them for me. It wasn’t much of a problem though, since those were rare occurrences.

“I’m going to wash my face,” Jaejoong said, heading to the bathroom.

“I want to go first!” I said, sprinting past him.

“Hey! There’s another bathroom in this house you know!” he cried, grabbing my wrist in hopes to hold me back.

“Too far,” I said, twisting the doorknob.

I bolted inside, letting myself free from Jaejoong’s grasp. I pushed the door closed, blocking him from getting inside. I smirked as I claimed the bathroom all to myself.

“Yah!! Open the door Yunho-yah!” he cried, thudding the door.

“Nope. I’m going in first.”

“When you get out of that bathroom, I’m going to kill you. My stuff is in there you know?!”

His words hit me as I spot the tray of medicine sitting on the counter. Heaving a sigh, I opened the door, sighting Jaejoong’s scowl.

“Fine, you can go in,” I said.

“Aren’t you getting out of the bathroom?” he asked, still remaining in his spot.

“No. Cause my stuff is in here too,” I said, gripping on the doorknob. “Just get in. I’m too lazy to take my stuff out.”

“So now are we sharing the bathroom or what?” he asked, entering the space.

I let go of the doorknob, letting Jaejoong close the door himself.

“Guess so,” I said.

“But this bathroom is too small.”

“So? That means less water bills,” I said, running the tap water.

“How does that make sense? The amount of bathrooms doesn’t affect the price of the water bills. It’ll only make a difference if one of us leaves, which will mean less water,” Jaejoong said, putting his hand underneath the water. “Don’t you know math?”

“Sorry for being dumb Mr. Smarty-pants,” I retorted, wetting my cheeks.

“You should’ve paid more attention in math,” he said.

“I have amnesia. I don’t remember half of the stuff they taught me, let alone my teenage life,” I said, rubbing my hand against the bar of soap, soon lathering the soap’s remnants on my face.

“It should be basic common sense,” Jaejoong said, squeezing some fancy looking face product into his hands.

“That stuff looks expensive,” I said as I watched him spread the liquid on his face.

“It’s worth it. It makes your skin nice and smooth, unlike that bar soap your using.”

“I got it as a ‘service’,” I said, continuing to rub the soap into the pores of my skin.

(A/N Service is basically a marketing tactic in Korea, where you purchase one product, but there’s another free thing attached to it. Basically a product + freebie.)

“Aish...as expected,” Jaejoong said, scrunching his face.

“What’s in that stuff that makes it so great?” I asked, eyeing the foam lathered all over his face.

“Lots of ingredients. Won Bin did a CF on it, so I decided to get it.”

“Just because Won Bin advertises something, doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to work. I remember buying a rice cooker which had Song Joong Ki on it, and it broke within a week,” I said, turning the tap on.

“Maybe you pressed buttons wrong. You know you and your clumsiness.”

“Are you underestimating me?” I asked, rinsing the soap off my face.

“Well, you’re not very good with the kitchen.”

“Whatever,” I said, pulling away from the sink. “Your turn.”

“Thank god,” Jaejoong said, soon leaning towards the tap.

~

“Do you have any socks?” I asked, rummaging through my luggage.

“Don’t you have more pairs?” he asked, pulling his sock to his ankles.

“No, most of them don’t match.”

“Why do you always lose your socks?” he asked, standing up.

“Well, I always toss them in the middle of the room once I’m done with them.”

“That explains it,” he said. “Here.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the fresh pair of socks from his hands. Soon, I slid them on my feet, covering the long, skinny toes that irked me.

“You should fold your socks and put them both in the laundry hamper after you use them,” he said.

“Aish,” I said, standing up from the ground. “Do you think I have time or the energy for that?”

“It’s not like you have a physically demanding job.”

“Whatever...painting does hurt you know?”

“Yeah, but compared to a construction worker, your job is nothing. And you make much more money.”

“Whatever, stop being such a realist.”

“I’m stating facts.”

“Are you Wikipedia?”

“No, I’m Kim Jaejoong. You?”

~

An abundant of voices clashed within my ears as people swarmed within the market, taking interest in the rows of produce. Smells of fish and fresh vegetables clung within the air, awakening my senses immidietly. Along with produce, there were spices, poultry, sweets, and street foods within the stalls. Behind the market was the ocean, where the fishermen caught creatures, only to end up in this market.

“Ahjumma, how much is this?” Jaejoong asked inspecting the arrangement of oranges as he eyed the fruit closely.

“1500 Won for one orange,” the ahjumma said.

“1500 Won? Can’t we narrow it down to like 1000 Won?” I asked the ahjumma.

“Yah these are freshly grown! These are the cheapest you can get it to be!” the ahjumma cried, flailing her arms.

I crossed my arms, unable to negotiate any further.

“These are at a good price, considering how big they are,” Jaejoong said. “Ahjumma, I would like ten of these.”

The ahjumma nodded and placed the vibrant fruits into a paper bag, soon giving it to Jaejoong. Jaejoong took it and put it in the basket, giving coins in exchange.

“Thank you,” he bowed, soon walking away from the aisle of oranges.

“Wait for me,” I said, trying to catch up with him.

“We should buy some octopus.”

“Wait...octopus?!” I shrieked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, glancing over to the peaches.

“But...that’s gross...” I cringed, thinking of its slimy tentacles.

“You’re such a baby Yunho,” he remarked.

“Am not! I heard of a woman dying because of its tentacles,” I said, crossing my arms.

“She probably ate it wrong.”

“Nope. We are not going to octopus,” I said, eyeing the octopus’s squirming tentacles. My backbones bucked as I continued to stare at it.

On the tables were rows of octopuses, priced at a ridiculously high value. Behind the table were old ladies, handling the slimy creatures with rubber gloves. Along with the octopus, there were assortments of raw sea food, crammed in fish tanks for people to look at. Revolted by the octopuses, I suddenly gained the urge to poke my eyeballs out and throw them in the ocean across me. Even the smell was making me throw up.

“Ahjumma, I want a package of baby octopuses,” Jaejoong said, looking at the creature below him. “How much is one?”

“5000 Won,” she replied.

“Good price,” he said, nodding. “Oh, and ahjumma...can you get me one package to take home, and another to eat for two people?”

“Wait...what?!” I burst.

“We’re going to eat octopus...” he said, smirking.

“Are you crazy?!”

“No. You’re just the baby,” he said.

“I...I am not eating live octopus. I refuse.”

“Too bad. This is my vacation right?”

I stayed silent, taking the defeat.

God, why did I sign myself up for this? Was this an episode of Survivor? My stomach lurched, sickened by the fact that I was going to eat a live octopus.

The ahjumma handed Jaejoong a bag and an aluminum plate filled with baby octopuses, causing me to pull away. Jaejoong drew out cash and paid the ahjumma.

“Aish...” I groaned. “Is this really going to be our breakfast?” I asked.

“Yup,” Jaejoong said, grabbing two pairs of chopsticks from a cup.

I followed him to the group of tables, taking each step small and slow. Never have I been so hesitant to eat breakfast.

Jaejoong and I sat ourselves on a stool as we both faced each other. He put down the basket, and placed one of the plate of octopus in front of him.

Opening it, I immidietly jerked away as the tentacles wiggled in front of my very eyes. “Aish!!!!!!!!!” I screamed.

The octopuses were disgustingly ugly. With its slimy tentacles and its twitching movements, along with their beady eyes, it reminded me too much of a horror movie. I covered my mouth, feeling bile rush up my throat. How could a pretty man like Jaejoong eat this?

“Looks good,” Jaejoong said, his lips.

“You’re...really going to eat that...” I said breathlessly.

“Of course. And you should too,” he said, tearing the packaging from the wooden chopsticks. He rubbed the chopsticks together, looking eager to eat the atrocity in front of him.

“I rather starve than eat that,” I grimaced.

He then picked up the slimy creature, and wrapped its tentacles around the chopsticks, causing me to raise my shoulders in utter disgust. Shivers pricked down my spine as Jaejoong put the octopus into his mouth, not showing a sign of distress nor hesitation.

The ends of its tentacles poked out of Jaejoong’s lips as Jaejoong the creature in. I stiffened in my seat, astonished by his ability to each such a thing. Jaejoong’s jaw moved profoundly as he chomped through the creature. It must’ve been hard to break down, considering its wild tentacles.

“So good,” he said, his lips.

“You are disgustingly gross...I can’t even come up with an adjective to describe how gross that was.”

“Try it Yunho!”

“No!”

“Please!”

“Nope!” I shook my head.

“Baby,” he pouted.

“I rather be a baby than eat that. By the time we get home, we are throwing that out! I can’t have that squirming in my fridge....”

“We can cook it and kill it...it’d make a good soup.”

“Soup? Oh hell no, we are not making soup out of that. Making soup out of an octopus would be like making soup out of feces. I am not, I repeat am not going to eat that thing ever.”

“Then, what will you eat?” he asked.

“I can just buy some Kimchi pancakes here.”

“They only accept cash you know.”

“What?!” I gasped.

“Why? Did you not bring cash?”

“Well, who needs cash when you have credit cards?!” I retorted, digging through my pockets, in hopes to find change.

Damn there’s no ATM nearby.

Did I really have to resort into eating this octopus? My eyes freeze at the octopus, deliberating on whether I should eat it or not. Be a man Yunho. Just eat it.

“Fine,” I said, giving in. “I’ll...I’ll...eat it.”

“Yes!” Jaejoong cheered, pushing the plate towards me.

“You ban ramen from our house, but then you eat this?! You make no sense Jaejoong,” I said, shaking my head.

I gulped, taking preparation for what’s about to come. I took a deep inhale, silently telling myself I could do this. I tore the chopsticks out of the package, soon holding it in my hands.

A slimy, cold texture slithers onto my hands as I take hold of the baby octopus’s tentacles. A wave of shivers penetrated into my back as I wrapped the tentacles around the chopsticks,

“Here...goes for nothing,” I croaked, nearing the chopsticks in my mouth.

The tip of the tentacles swished against the top of my lip, causing me to wince. My jaw drops open as I put the octopus into my mouth. Its long, tentacles hit the roof of my mouth, soon entering by a whole as I closed my lips. 

Chewing it was more disgusting than actually putting it in your mouth. The consistency was hard, tender, and sticky, making it hard to tear it apart. It was like trying to supress a wild creature. I couldn’t believe I was eating a live octopus, all because of one man.

Every muscle of my face stiffened as my face warped into a deep grimace. To my horror, one of its suctions got caught in between my teeth, hindering me from swallowing it.

“Jaejoong...what do I do...” I mumbled. “It’s stuck...”

His eyes widened as he leaned in forward. “Are you okay?!”

“No...”

“Try chewing it...harder...”

“I’m trying...” I moaned.

Was I going to die? Was I going to choke on this octopus? I chewed on it harder, trying to free the suction from my teeth. Dying from choking on an octopus’s suction would be more embarrassing than pissing yourself in public,

“I got it!” I cried as my molars teared the suction away. Soon, the octopus lumped into my throat, soon slithering down to my digestive system. Thank god. I made it.

“Thank god, I thought you were going to die,” Jaejoong said. The lines on his face soon disappeared as he heaved out a large sigh.

“Water, water,” I said.

Jaejoong bent down, soon reappearing with a giant bottle of water. I snatched it from him, twisting the lid off, and gulped the liquid down.

A rush of relief flows through me as the water cascades down my throat, washing the lingering sliminess away.

“I’m never...ever...eating that crap again,” I said, sliding the plate towards him. “Have all of it.”

“Good, we’re never ever letting you eat that again.”

~

“Are you still grossed out by that whole octopus fiasco?” Jaejoong asked.

“Yes,” I said, looking at the assortment of sweets. “I’m going to eat a bunch of junk food and eat away my miseries, because that was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten in my whole years of living. I’m officially traumatized.”

“Rich people really do have different stomachs,” Jaejoong said, walking behind me.

Jaejoong and I were at the convenience store. It took a fifteen hour walk from the market, which was good since we got brief exercise. The air was quite fresh, and the sun shone very brightly.

A plan came to thought. The perfect revenge for Jaejoong’s inflicted torture upon me.

“You’re going to be eating junk food,” I said, smirking.

“What?! No. I refuse,” Jaejoong said, crossing his arms.

“Oh stop being such a health freak. We all know your true colors after you managed to gobble down a bunch of baby octopuses!”

“The stuff they put in the food is atrocious! Think about the calories they have!”