Chapter 4

[3 November 2003]

“Minnie!!! Where are you?” I asked as I looked around. I couldn’t find my dongsaeng, Changmin. He said he’s going to play outside with Kibum, but they hadn’t return for one hour. I started to worry. The snow was thick; winter came sooner than we thought that time.

“Kibumie?” I shouted, again, no answer. Sighing, I looked at the forest in front of me. They couldn’t, could they? I decided to enter it; it’s the only place they could be. The surface was hard to walk because it’s so slippery. I didn’t care about it now; the most important thing was to find them.

I didn’t know how much time had passed. The sun already set, I couldn’t see a thing. I sat on the big broken tree, resting my feet. Yes, I was lost. I didn’t see any sign of them until now. What should I do, I asked myself. That’s when lighting struck a tree, which is just few meters from me. I shocked and jumped back. I ran from it, storm was coming, I knew it. I must find them fast!!!

I looked around, there’s nothing. Another bizarre sound echoed in my ears. I hated the lighting. It made me scared. I ran again, like a crazy kid, I couldn’t bear the fear. That’s when I slipped and the snow was rolling with me. I could feel how hard my body smashed into the snow, it’s hurt so much. But that’s not the point, I could see frozen river on the edge of my crazy-rolling-style. I really couldn’t stop!!!

The ice cracked as my body went into it. The frozen water was killing me; I could feel drip by drip of my blood frozen. I tried to go out from it, but ice mirror prevented me from doing it. I screamed in the water, but no one heard me. In the opposite way, I still could hear the lightning screamed on the other said. I cried and shouted again and again. The water started to enter me. The last thing I remembered was my sight blurred and my body was drowning.

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[Present Time] 

“And…When I woke up, I saw the nurses beside me, Changmin’s and Kibum’s worried face, they’re cying. I wanted to speak, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t speak for days. The bruises were all along my body. I remembered that I couldn’t even move a finger. Luckily, the ice didn’t hurt me anywhere. In few months I healed…” I ended my story. Yunho really silent, he didn’t move an inch. I knew he’s shocked.

I looked at his handsome face; I could feel his hand was trembling on my hip. He suddenly moved and kissed me on the lips. I replied. We gave each other comfort.

“Yunnie…hmm…” I moaned. But then, Yunho broke the kiss.

“Yunnie, are you OK?” I asked. Yunho nodded. That’s when we decided to go home.

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Yunho was so silent in the car. I didn’t dare to ask why. Finally we arrived at his apartment. We entered as Yunho said I could take the bath first and so I did. After that Yunho took a bath. I watched a drama on the television in the living room, waiting for him.

After he got out from the bathroom, he called me. I automatically looked back, that’s when I realized he just used towel to cover his downer part, revealing his well-built body. His tanned skin made me hot, but I decided to retreat from the feeling, looking back to the television.

“Jae ah,” he called as he sat next to me. I really wanted to ask him, why in the earth he didn’t put anything on him first before sat next to me. Okay, he wore towel, but!!!

“Wh…what?” I asked, struggling with my own blood pressure. Seriously, I could have a major nosebleed now.

“Can we sleep together, tonight?” he asked. I couldn’t help but to blush.

“Hey, why are you blushing?” he asked me innocently.

“Put…Put something on!!!” I said as I covered my face with my both palm. Yunho laughed so hard before he left to his room. Few minutes later, he’s back with a red boxer and white singlet. 

“So, Jae, can we sleep together tonight?” he asked as he grinned. I stared at him like I was saying ‘ert’, he seemed to understand it.

“I promise nothing will happen, just sleep together, please?” he asked me. I thought about it for a few seconds, and I decided to let him sleep with me.

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I didn’t know why, but the now Yunho was really made me happy. He’s like a little kid that wanted me so bad. I thought this is how love should be. But thinking about it, Yunho hadn’t even said he loved me for once. Was this really love?

I turned my body backwards, facing Yunho who’s playing with my hair.

“Yunnie…” I called. He answered with ‘hmm?’

“Do you love me?” I asked. Yunho smiled at my question.

“Well, that’s a question. One thing for sure, YOU’RE MINE!!!” he said as he kissed my wanted-to-protest-lips. He kissed passionately, wetting each other. I was out of breath, so I decided to break it.

“Good night, Joongie ah…” he said as he kissed my hair from the back. I’d let him for now. Next time, I’d make sure he said the three words.

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“Yes, that’s good! A little more to the left, stay like that! Wait, blablabla…” the director ordered me. It’s my first day to take a photo shot. It’s for a magazine. Finally after one tiring hour, it finished. Yunho was the one who suggested me take model work before becoming a real singer. I just agreed since, he knew more than me.

“I’m tired…” I complained to Yunho as we waited for the result of the photo shot.

“It’s just a beginning, Jae. You’ll work harder when you’re a singer…” he said.

“I know. It’s because someone who made me couldn’t sleep last night, someone who kept playing with my hair and tickling me with his kiss…” I said to him. Yunho chuckled, he said,” But you like it, don’t you?” I didn’t answer.

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It’s almost Christmas. Tomorrow will be the day. I’d been busy preparing the tree and stuff here and there in Yunho’s apartment. He’s going to invite his friends tomorrow. He said I could invite my dongsaeng too, so Changmin was going to coming. That’s why I needed to make lots of foods, my dongsaeng is a food-eater. He ate three to five times from me. That’s crazy and insane, I thought.

“Yunho, what should I wear tomorrow?” I asked, I was afraid he’s going to invite business friend, it’d be inappropriate if I wear casual cloth.

“Hmm, let’s see…I’m fine if you didn’t wear anything…” I slapped his cheek softly, mumbling the ‘ert’ word.

“Well, just wear something casual…” he said. I nodded.

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And so the day came, the bell rang. I opened the door. Okay, I lost my breath.

IT’S KIM JUNSU!!!

There’re also two others, but I didn’t pay attention to them. I was seeing my favorite idol, okay, Kim Junsu!!! That’s when a voice I recognized called me.

“Jae…JAE HYUNG?!!”

I looked at the source of the voice. I was shocked for the second time.

“Kibumie?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’d been few years since I saw him. He’d really grown, but the cute face was still there. “Kibumie!!!” I hugged him.

“What happened here? Why didn’t you let them in, Jae?” Yunho’s figure appeared behind me. I was still hugging Kibum. So, we went in.

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“So, you and Kibum know each other?” Yunho asked. I nodded.

“I was in the same orphan house with Jae hyung before I was adopted…” Kibum explained. Few years ago, Kibum was adopted and I lost contact with him. Changmin was the one who hurt the most, he really liked Kibum, I thought.

“Hmm, OK now, would you guys stop ignoring us?” the person next to Junsu said.

“Sorry,” I said,” I’m Kim Jaejoong…” 

“Park Yoochun…nice to meet you, and he’s…” Yoochun was about to introduce Junsu, but I knew him already.

“Kim Junsu-sshi, right?” I asked,” I’m your big fan…”

“Really?” the dolphin boy asked with his high-pitch sound, like a kid who just got a lollipop. He’s so cute I think and handsome in the other way. I nodded.

“Hmm, but wait. What with the formality, you can call us by our name, Jaejoong ah…” Yoochun said. That’s when he realized he had said it wrong. Yunho was staring at him in killing-mode. He didn’t suppose to add ‘ah’ behind my name. That’s only applied for Yunho. He looked back at Yunho fierce eyes, saying ‘sorry’. Junsu seemed to notice and laughed a little, leaving me and Kibum confused.

That’s when the bell rang again and I got it. I opened the door and saw my dongsaeng.

“MINNIE!!!” My voice echoed till the living room.

“No way! Changmin is here!!! Hide me!!!” Kibum begged, the three guys stared at him confusedly.

“Aarrgg!!! I’ll hide in the bathroom, don’t tell Minnie!!!” Kibum rushed into the bathroom. But, he’s too late, Changmin already called and saw him.

“Ki…Kibum?” Changmin gasped.