“Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out - yeah. And floating around in ecstasy. So don't stop me now don't stop me. 'Cause I'm having a good time having a good time.” —Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

 

“Anyone want anything?” Yunho asked walking in the vocal practice room, grabbing Jaejoong’s attention. The raven haired male instantly perked up. He was elated to see a sweating Yunho after hours of grueling practice. Yunho’s handsome face, bright smile, and owl like glasses rejuvenated Jaejoong.

 

The fellow classmates who would occasionally joined him and his friend for lunch called out his name in greeting and asked in passing ‘what’s up.’

 

Yunho lifted his chin in greeting at Jaejoong, the vocalist mimicked him. Smiling tenderly at each other, they shared a moment of zen.

 

Juhli broke the moment by loudly asking in a high pitched voice, smiling prettily at Yunho, “Anything what?” Getting up she began smoothing her sweaty hair, lifting the dark curtain off her clammy neck.

 

Yunho beamed at her before he quickly rested his eyes on Jaejoong’s face again. The singer’s large brown eyes seemed to take up all of his face. Yunnho thought Jaejoong looked adorable: like a cute doll or an adorable cat.

 

“A few of my friends and I are sneaking out to grab a few snacks. If you want anything I can get, I’ll buy it. So...want anything?”

 

They were not supposed to leave the school ground during break, which was why the school provided a diverse selection of food in the canteen; what the students really wanted to eat was of course not in the quality selection.

 

“Yes!” everyone presented screamed.

 

Yunho laughed. “Well, we can carry only so much.”

 

“You offered.” Hyein grinned, flipping a thick pile of hair off her dainty shoulder.

 

“I did, but please be considerate,” he begged in a light-hearted manner, pressing his palms together and peered at her through one eye, the other closed.

 

She smirked and shrugged her small shoulders before saying, after catching Juhli’s murderous glare, “I was only joking.” She childish stuck her tongue out at her glowering friend.

 

Ignoring the bantering girls, someone began giving Yunho his orders and the rest soon followed. After they were done shouting requests and handing him their point card, Yunho looked at Jaejoong, and the boy shrugged and shook his head.

 

“If you have space left, grab me anything.”

 

“Nothing specific?” the general confirmed.

 

“Yeah. Anything will do.” Jaejoong shrugged again.

 

Jaejoong’s customary apathetic vibe reflected off his dark eyes.

 

“Well,” Yunho pouted and gently pushed his lips to the side, “that will be difficult.” He flashed a radiating smile after his pause. “But I’ll try my best to get you something you’ll like.”

 

Jaejoong chuckled. “Thanks.”

 

“Gotcha. We’ll be back before lunch is over.”

 

Reaching for his wallet in his school bag, where his point card was, Jaejoong rummaged around for it.

 

Point cards are used by the populace as payment in the exchange of goods, because labor was rewarded in the form of points.

 

Points are checked using the point system. Due to computers being allocated only to professionals who needed it and at school for the sake of education, the system had to be checked by a checker at the numerous of designated locations, which are simply referred to as the Point Holders—the PH.

 

For minors, dependent, parents allocated point to their card for them to be able to make purchases. Jaejoong mostly used his points at the school canteen, given he was on campus a majority of his days. Point cards scanned.

 

Finding the indented crimson red card, he handed it to Yunho who shook his head, stating, “It’s okay.”

 

Something fluttered within Jaejoong—his pulse, maybe?

 

Jaejoong arched his eyebrows. “No. I cannot.” His arm remained extended.

 

Everyone else gave their point card.

 

Yunho continued on shaking his head, eyebrows knitted together.

 

“Aaw, let him, Jaejoong. He is being nice.” Juhli quickly included her unwarranted opinion. She glowed at Yunho. “He is being a good friend.”

 

Yunho nodded and saluted. “She is right. That’s what friends—” He paused and corrected, the brightness of his smile intensifying, “Good friends do.”

 

Jaejoong sighed and shook his head. “No, really. Please take my point card.”

 

“Nope,” Yunho sang, winking at him. “You’re my good friend.” He waved and began walking out of the room before Jaejoong could coerced him, his name stuck on his new friend’s tongue.

 

“Let him.” Juhli smiled at Jaejoong, his head.

 

Sighing, he rolled his shoulders, elevating some tension. “I supposed.” It was already done.

 

Soojin, the pretty chorale member who had spoken up first when Juhli had caught him hiding in the hallway peeking, said in a loud, clear voice, her smile slightly predatory, “See you later, Yunho.”

 

He looked back before he stepped out and returned her smile and waved noncommittedly over his shoulder at her.

 

“He did not take my and Hyein card, too,” Juhli said after Yunho was long gone. The something crashed within Jaejoong. “Yunho’s nice—really nice.” Juhli half sighed and mumbled.

 

Soojin dreamily muttered with moony eyes, agreeing with Juhli, “Yunho is so nice.”

 

“Right!” Someone quickly agreed.

 

Soojin bobbed her head. “I admire him so much.”

 

Her friend laughed. “You mean you find him cute and you like him,” she sang, stressing the word ‘like’ into a short, crisp high note, making her friend giggle in a high pitch and playfully hit her.

 

“Yunho’s not interested in the matters of the heart, you know?” Juhli announced, taking down her limp, greasy hair, combing through it with her fingers and twisted it up into a messy bun on the middle of her head.

 

Soojin rolled her eyes at her, irked. “How do you know that?”

 

Juhli finally looked at her, a wicked glint in her pretty eyes. “It’s obvious.”

 

“You do not know.” Soojin smirked coyly.

 

Juhli grinned, eyes shimmering with bloodthirst. “Well then, if you do not trust me ask him.” She looked over at Jaejoong, putting him on the spot. “You are a man, right, Jaejoong?” His oldest friend asked.

 

“Last time I checked, yeah.” He was certain of that.

 

Juhli smirked devilishly. “Does Yunho look to be interested in...teenage—romances? More like, is he interested in participating in one.”

 

What an awkward question.

 

He had never asked, nor had it ever interested him.

 

He shrugged. “I couldn’t say.”

 

Yunho was patriotic, and that was all Jaejoong could guess on the situation.

 

Soojin presented Juhli with a smug grin.

 

The stocky girl tightened her lips at Soojin, glowering at Jaejoong.

 

Was his answer incorrect, he pondered, looking away from his friend’s scorching exquisite eyes. Even in anger the beauty of the slant and shape of Juhli’s eyes shone.

 

Jaejoong hoped the banter would not escalate. 

 

They're friends, right?

 

“I can admire him if I want to, you know?” Soojin shrugged. “It is not like it is anything serious. He is just dreamy.” Her eyes gleamed.

 

“Pathetic.”

 

Soojin’s eyes widened in shock, anger, hurt, and Jaejoong detected a hint of shame.

 

“What!” she spat.

 

Juhli smirked and shrugged, unbothered. “Nothing. I just think it is…” she nonchalantly shrugged again, “pathetic to run after someone who has no interest in you.”

 

“What’s it to you!” She snapped, flipping her collarbone length wavy bob over her shoulder.

 

“I am just trying to help you, Soo.” Juhli was enjoying angering her teammate.

 

“Apologize!” the angered girl shouted, making for Juhli with all the intention of slapping some sense into her.

 

Jaejoong reached for Soojin. “Please do not fight.”

 

Physical altercations was against school rules. Violence was not permitted.

 

She violently shook her arm, trying to free herself. “She insulted me!” she said, looking up at Jaejoong, furious.

 

Juhli had. There really was no reason to call Soojin’s little crush pathetic. It was only a small crush. Most of them had have one or two, including Juhli.

 

“Juh, apologize.” He pleaded with his eyes. “Please.” He did not add ‘for my sanity,’ though he wanted to.

 

He simply did not understand the logic or reason behind their argument. Why was Juhli so angry at Soojin over her comment and obvious appreciation for Yunho?

 

Juhli crossed her arms under her perky breaats and rolled her eyes. “Did I say something wrong? You know it is wrong to crave for the affection of someone that is not your legal partner.”

 

“It is not! is. Plus, how do we know he will not in the near future be my legal partner?”

 

Wrong reply, because Juhli looked enraged.

 

“You got to be kidding, right?”

 

Body shaking in rage, Soojin shouted, “Are you question my qualifications!”

 

This keeps on getting worse. Jaejoong winced.

 

The teenage boy wondered why the girls were fighting over Yunho who he was sure treasured his friends more than he could any girl at that moment.

 

Yunho did not appear to be interested in the matters of the heart. But he could be wrong. He was certain he was not, however.

 

“I never said I was looking down on you”—Juhli did not get to say more because Hyein interrupted, saying as she twisted a wavy strand around her dainty fingers, rolling her large cat-like eyes, “You both are pathetic.”

 

Both girl stopped glaring at the other to stare at an unimpressed Hyein, jaws slack in hurt.

 

“Hyein!” Juhli cried accusingly at her friend.

 

“I did not stutter. Can you two stop fighting over someone who do not care about you gals, and can we go eat? I am starving.” Another effortless, arrogant roll of her eyes.

 

Juhli’s chest deflated and inflated.

 

Hyein was good. Jaejoong looked at her, impressed and thankful.

 

Juhli was realizing how stupid the banter with her teammate was and how condescending and hurtful some of her comments had been, especially her remarks on Yunho making Soojin’s list. Everyone left in the room was looking at them in amusement.

 

She looked at the chorale member she had insulted and nodded at head slightly, eyes rueful. “You are right, Soojin. We do not know if he is not in your List. I really wasn't looking down on you. I think you have amazing qualifications which would match, and supersede Yunho’s.” She inhaled. “Plus there is nothing wrong with crushing and dating.”

 

Soojin was calming down. She was gracious.

 

Swallowing, she flashed Juhli a dimpled smile and bashfully said, “Yunho would—might— not appreciate me talking about him like that.” She appeased Juhli with that concession. “I really just...admire him. Truly.” She sighed and breathed loudly in the space of a millisecond before adding, “I am a bit...pathetic that all I can do is admire him behind his back.”

 

Jaejoong released Soojin’s arm. He did not have to fear the girl’s coming to blows.

 

“No. I don’t think that is pathetic. We all do it.” Juhli laughed and reached for Soojin.

 

Oh, how fast they make up. Jaejoong rolled his eyes away from the two young woman's line of sight.

 

“Plus, Yunho is a great person who offers a great deal lot of subject matters to admire.” Juhli breathed and spreaded her lips in a smile that was returned.

 

“Right!” Soojin gleefully exclaimed, nodding, dimples crating her tawny cheeks.

 

“That was stupid,” Jaejoong who was near Hyein heard her mumbled with a small grin.

 

He agreed with her. He could not understand how illogical some people would behave over the opposite .

 

Jaejoong caught Hyein’s attention with his light snigger. She winked at him and announced, leading the way, “Let’s go eat lunch,”

 

The people left in the room nodded and walked out.

 

Petite Hyein reached for Jaejoong’s arm, plastering her soft body against his. Hints of her perfume teased his nose with its sweetness. He wanted to push her away, because it was too hot and he could not stand her perfume, though it was not that strong, but he didn’t have the heart. He simply returned her smile and allowed her to talk his ears off.

 

Why did he attract talkative people?

 

They left to join Yunho’s remaining friends in the courtyard.

 

The girl’s little argument stayed with the delicate featured male, looping in his mind.

 

He guessed girls would like Yunho. It wasn’t as if it was against the law for them to find the opposite attractive. That would be an impossible law to uphold and protect. And Yunho was extremely good looking. Even as a man he could tell that, and even he admired those clean, simple, proportionate features.

 

He momentarily wondered if Yunho was interested in girls. A lot of their peers were romantically interested in each other, therefore such an expectation wouldn’t be far off, especially at their current age.

 

Jaejoong wasn’t, though. Girls never piqued his interest. He had never like a girl.

 

He thought them beautiful. They were toned, but soft, and supple, and smelt nice. But he had never craved for their affection as some of his male friends did.

 

The one and only time he wondered the nature of his feelings for someone had been when he was twelve, his last year of primary school, when he had begin to become a bit obsessed with a male classmate whom he had admire for his prowess. Kind of like Yunho. Except he never talked to that boy. It had been a silent, distant admiration. The way it had been with Yunho till the general talked to him those few weeks ago.

 

As a male Jaejoong had not see his feelings for his classmate as being romantic. He still did not. Such a thing was unthinkable, and deviant behaviors like that are punishable by death in their country.

 

He must and would marry a beautiful, hardworking woman, and have many children for the growth of this nation. Their population needed to grow more and that was their duty to this country, as well as to each other, as brothers and sisters working toward the one goal of advancing their state and making it more civilized.

 

 

 

Yunho and his friends came back with large smiles on their faces, elated at not getting caught by any of their supervisors.

 

The boys brought an assortments of food—sweets— the canteen did not offer.

 

Jaejoong wondered, looking at Yunho who smiled attentively down at Juhli and Hyein, how he would react if he knew about the argument his friend and teammate had over him.

 

Could Yunho be interested in Juhli?

 

He cocked his head to regard them. He didn’t see it in their interactions.

 

Dropping next to Jaejoong, Yunho said, offering him a bag of warm fish shaped bread, “I didn’t know what you wanted to so I brought you what I like.”

 

Yunho smelt of sweat, grass, summer, and….a musk Jaejoong could only describe as a natural body fragrance. Skin, maybe.

 

Jaejoong wrinkled his nose as the thought waltzed through his mind. It unnerved him a bit.

 

Composing himself, Jaejoong dabbed his tongue on his bottom lip.

 

Accepting the thick brown paper bag, he opened it and excitedly exclaimed, “I love fish shaped breads! What filling?” He looked at Yunho, taking one out and took a large bite.

 

“I didn’t know what you would like, so I picked one of every kind that the store had.” Yunho grinned fondly over at him.

 

Jaejoong heart skipped a beat. He discarded the reaction. It wasn’t of substance.

 

“Good thinking,” he praised, finishing the one in his hand in three oversized bites and reached for another, and began gobbling it down.

 

“I am glad you like it.” He laughed. “But, pace yourself.”

 

Biting into the new bread, Jaejoong nodded. He chuckled around the paste in his mouth.

 

Yunho regarded Jaejoong as parents did when they watched their children eat. Yunho looked happy. His reaction made Jaejoong feel awkward. He shifted in his seat.

 

Juhli called Yunho’s name, thanking him with shining eyes.

 

“My pleasure. Please enjoy lunch.” His smile was charming, making Jaejoong stare at him in awe before he dropped his gaze when the male turned toward him and picked up a random conversation.

 

By the end of lunch Yunho got Jaejoong to a bit more about himself. Jaejoong was pacing himself when it came to what he shared with his new friend. But that afternoon he told Yunho about his love, or lack of love for singing, his future plans and more.

 

Jaejoong pointedly asked Yunho with laughing eyes, “Have you ever been to one of our concerts?”

 

Yunho’s face heat in shame. “I’ve been to...a few. Three.” He confessed, cheeks staining red with shame.

 

Doubling over in laughter and Jaejoong choked, “It’s okay.”

 

Yunho begun paying more attention to Jaejoong after his performance at Brother’s Lee’s birthday celebration, and by that time there had been only three concerts left in the year. Not to mention his busy schedule as the school’s president and general. He just could not make time that easily. However, he planned to attend as many shows as he could the following school year.

 

Jaejoong’s laughter was contagious. Yunho started laughing too.

 

“If I knew how beautiful your singing voice was, I would have gone a long time ago,” he promised. Which was a lie, because he knew Jaejoong was a beautiful singer. His interest had never been pique. A concept he was having trouble understanding, because everything about Jaejoong was so interesting to him now.

 

“You know what, for a matter of fact, I will be attending all of your concerts from now on.”

 

“Thank you. But don’t make a promise like that.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I am in the Chorale Department and I would not make a promise like that.” His eyes twinkled.

 

“No. I mean it,” Yunho assured, popping a cherry tomato in his mouth and chewed.

 

Jaejoong watched the teen’s Adam's apple bobbed like a mesmerized cat, noting how nice Yunho’s neck was: long, strong, and smooth. Glorious.

 

Against his will Jaejoong’s eyes remained a fraction too long on Yunho’s lips—smooth, cherry colored heart shaped lips that readily morphed into a smile. He was fascinated by the bottom lip. It was fuller than the top and looked so….

 

He got distracted by Yunho’s tongue. It sneaked out and unconsciously dap the bottom lip.

 

Tendrils of heat spread through Jaejoong, electrocuting him into shame.

 

Jaejoong startled when Yunho laughed at his own comment and continued without seeking a response from him.

 

Get a grip!

 

He refused to allow his thoughts of Yunho’s lips to finalized.

 

Jaejoong gaze into the distance, eyes blank.

 

He resumed his listening role. Yunho did not seem to notice as much, because Juhli soon stole his attention and Hyein sneaked next to Jaejoong and began talking about music, something they both could relate to.

 

 

 

During Jaejoong’s waterbreak, he passed by the field where the infantry kids were still practicing. Watertime was alternated to avoid the formation of long queues at the ten water fountains on the school ground.

 

He spied Yunho. He was in the middle practice.

 

Jaejoong stared at the male a bit too long.

 

“What—cha looking at?” Hyein asked, wrapping her arm around his waist and stared in the general direction he was.

 

Shaking his head with his already pink tinted cheeks darkening, he rushed out an explanation, “Nothing. Just looking at the...the the kids practicing. They are getting good.”

 

Hyein didn’t find anything untoward about his explanation, though his pulse picked up pace and he felt like he had been caught doing something naughty. “True.” She bobbed her pretty head.

 

She paused and squinted her eyes, long dark lashes casting inverted crown shadows on her tan, rosy cheeks. She smiled. “I see Yunho”—He jolted at the mention of his name. The reaction surprised him.—“He looks good.”

 

She looked away and casted her large eyes on him. “I see why—” A sharp pause was followed by a quick, nervous laugh. She was catching herself from saying something...incriminating?

 

“What?” Jaejoong blinked down at the tiny young woman, curious. The pace of his heart quickened. He feared it would stop at any moment and he would die.

 

Why did she stop?

 

She ‘see why’ what!

 

Shaking her dark head, she shook his arm. “Let’s go. I am dying from thirst.”

 

He nodded, even though he wanted to shake her into finishing her sentence. Looking on the ground, not daring one last glance at Yunho’s glorious physique, Jaejoong followed a chatty Hyein.

 

They rushed to the fountain to get some water before their break ended.