“So… do you like them?”

Jaejoong chuckled, his eyes on the bouquet of blue flowers on his desk. “Yes, Yunho, they’re lovely.” He paused before continuing, “I think my students will love this one.”

On the other line, Yunho sighed. “When are you going to start keeping my gifts, Jaejoong?”

Jaejoong hummed. “When I feel like it.”

Another sigh. “Fine, fine… as long as it makes your students happy… then, I’m happy.”

Jaejoong hummed again in answer.

“I’m coming home next weekend. Dinner and movie?”

“Are you paying?”

“Yes… as I always do.”

“Call. I’ll see you then.”

They said their good-byes, Yunho not forgetting to say his “I miss you”, before hanging up.

Jaejoong found himself, smiling before his eyes wandered over to the blue roses once again.

It had been 2 months since that fateful day at the park. This was the third time that Yunho had sent him flowers. After the peach-colored ones, he had then sent purple ones, and now blue ones. Jaejoong had scolded him after the last time, telling him he should save whatever money he earned for himself.

As usual, Yunho insisted… because he had to make it up to him.

“Oh, how lovely!”

Hyori had entered the staff room and seen the flowers. “Are you giving these to the kids too?”

Jaejoong chuckled. “You know it.”

“Who sends these to you?” Hyori picked up a bud and smelled it, sighing in bliss. “Ahhh, when will my husband be as sweet as this person?!”

Jaejoong pursed his lips in thought. He wondered if it was unprofessional to ask Hyori for advice on something so personal. But, he felt like he needed an unbiased thought.

“Sunbae… can I ask you a question?”

“Hmm? Sure, what is it?”

Jaejoong twiddled his thumbs. “It’s a little… personal.”

Hyori grabbed a chair and settled herself in front of him. “I’m all ears.”

“Has… has your husband… ever done something before… that you feel like you shouldn’t forgive him for… but you did, anyway?”

Hyori appeared to contemplate before nodding. “Of course. No one on earth is perfect, Jaejoong. Heck, I’ve done things that my husband probably didn’t want to forgive me for, but he did, anyway.”

Jaejoong sighed. “Do you ever wonder if the decision you made was right? What if you regret it later?”

“Then… regret it later. What matters is that you chose to forgive and work on your relationship now. You know, a lot of people live in regret because of that.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are you seeing someone, my dear hoobae?”

Jaejoong blushed, a small smile on his lips. He nodded. “Yes… Well, sort of... Um... Actually… We were together before… But, something happened and I broke things off... But, recently, we’ve reconciled... So... We're... trying to start over..."

“And now you’re wondering if you made the right choice?”

“Yes.”

“Why is that?”

He pursed his lips. “I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Nobody wants to get hurt by the people we love. But, we’re all human. We do stupid things and make mistakes.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Some things are forgivable. Some things are not. It all depends on you if you choose it.”

“And what if… it was a mistake to give that person a second chance?”

Hyori sighed. “Then… you walk away.”

---

Somehow, they managed to get back on their feet and head for home. Somehow, they also managed to hold hands, Yunho’s hold on his was tight and honestly, a little painful, like he was afraid that Jaejoong would disappear if he let go.

Clutched in his other hand, Jaejoong held the bouquet of flowers the other had given him.

They didn’t say a word as they walked and it wasn’t until he caught sight of his own house that Jaejoong realized that Yunho was walking him home.

They made it to the front door and Jaejoong turned to the other.

“Um… thank you for walking me,” he said, feeling a little awkward.

Yunho smiled a wide smile and took a step closer towards him. He leaned in and almost immediately, Jaejoong’s senses were on high alert.

He raised finger to stop Yunho’s oncoming lips. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Yunho said, as he stepped away and let go of Jaejoong’s hand. “I overstepped my boundaries. I’m sorry. It’s just… Jaejoong… I’m so happy that you’ve given me another chance! I promise I won’t waste it! I swear!”

Jaejoong shuffled on his feet, uneasily. “Yunho, I’ve given you a second chance, but this doesn’t mean that we’re together again.”

He watched with a slight guilty conscience as Yunho’s face fell, and was almost tempted to take back what he said. But, he knew that if he did, then he wouldn’t be fair to the other. He wasn’t ready to take that step yet. He wasn’t ready to completely forgive his ex-fiancé.

“I… I want to take things slow,” he continued. “I just… want us to start being friends again and maybe… maybe when I’m ready, I can call myself your boyfriend again. But… not right now… I’m… I’m still hurt, Yunho.”

He expected the other start begging again or even apologize but to his surprise, Yunho only nodded.

“I understand. I’ll wait as long as it takes. We’ll go at any pace you want. I promise to work my hardest to gain your trust again… to be worthy of your love again. Jaejoong… I’ll wait.”

And Jaejoong felt his heart warm at the sentiment. For the first time in months, he truly felt at peace.

Starting over with Yunho… maybe this was what they needed to learn how to love each other again.

And maybe along the way, Jaejoong could finally find it in his heart to completely forgive Yunho.

The other began to smile, shyly at him. “Is it okay if I hug you?”

The request sounded like it came from a young child, but Jaejoong acquiesced.

Yunho opened his arms and he stepped into them, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist. He was warm, his familiar firm chest a comfort. Yunho’s arms had always been one of his favorite places to be in.

“I missed you,” Yunho whispered.

“I missed you too,” Jaejoong replied.

Jaejoong missed holding him like this and being held by him like this.

They weren’t completely fixed. But, if Yunho was to be believed, then maybe… just maybe… they could go back to what they were before.

But, there was still this nagging feeling in the back of his mind, taunting him.

How long was this going to last?

How long until he got hurt again?

Did he make the right choice?

---

Yunho hung up and stared at his phone, smiling absentmindedly as he thought about his date with Jaejoong next weekend.

Okay, it was only Yunho who called them dates. Jaejoong called them “two friends hanging out”. But, Yunho was taking what he could get.

Those few hours along with Jaejoong were one of the few things he looked forward to whenever he came home.

His parents were grateful that he was visiting more now. It took a toll on his wallet for gas money, but it was worth it getting to be by Jaejoong’s side, earning his trust again… earning his love again.

“Mr. Jung, you’re spacing out again.”

Yunho blinked a few times, thoughts of Jaejoong’s cute dimples disappearing like smoke in his head. He looked up at the new person in front of his desk and stood up, quickly.

“Sunbae!” he greeted with a bow.

Choi Seunghyun was one of the senior lawyers at the firm and Yunho’s self-proclaimed mentor. The younger had assisted him in a few cases before.

His senior dropped some folders on his desk. “I need you to file these.”

“Yes, sir!”

Seunghyun flashed him an amused smile. “What were you daydreaming about just now?”

Jaejoong’s dimpled smile flashed in Yunho’s eyes and he smiled before realizing it. “Um… nothing.”

The lawyer just raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t look like nothing.” He crossed his arms and leaned at the edge of Yunho’s desk. “Come on, we’re friends, right?”

For a well-rounded and very professional lawyer in the courtroom, he also tended to be really nosey, particularly when it came to Yunho’s personal life.

But, he didn’t mean anything malicious about it. He was just genuinely curious. Yunho felt like he could trust him.

Actually, the guy was married. That was plenty of experience with relationships, right? Maybe he knew a few things…

“Hey, sunbae, how long have you been married?” he asked.

Seunghyun’s brows rose up in astonishment at the sudden question, but answered anyway, “About ten years, now. Why?”

Yunho twiddled his fingers, like a child who stole cookies from a cookie jar. “Have you… ever done anything that hurt your wife and you have to apologize really hard for it?”

“Uh… I forgot to buy quail eggs for her when she was pregnant with our firstborn. She sent me to sleep on the couch for a week.”

Yunho couldn’t help but laugh at that. It sounded ridiculous, and it was, but not exactly the answer he was looking for.

“Not like that, sunbae.”

Seunghyun pursed his lips. “I wanted to ask about your love life, not spill about mine.”

The young intern only chuckled. “I know. You’re right. Sorry, sunbae.”

The older hummed in contemplation. “Well, why don’t I take you out to lunch and we can talk, man-to-man? Looks like you need it.”

He clapped him on the shoulder before leaving for his office.

A surprised Yunho stared after him. That was quite unexpected.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t wasting the opportunity. So, he diligently focused on his work. When lunchtime came, Seunghyun picked him up from his desk and they went to a ramyun house a block away.

As they waited for their order, Seunghyun rounded up on him. “Okay, Mr. Jung. Any life problems? Lay them on me!”

Yunho played with the folds of his napkin, wondering where he should start or if he should reveal all.

“I… did something… bad… to the person I really love,” he started, carefully. “And… I don’t know how I can make it up to them.”

“What did you do?”

“Is that really important, sunbae?” Yunho’s eye twitched a little.

“Well, I can’t give you proper advice without knowing all the details. Think of yourself as a client, Yunho, and I’m your lawyer. You did something. Do you think I, as your lawyer, can do my job if you don’t tell me everything?”

Seunghyun got him there. One of the first things you needed as a lawyer was to establish trust with your client. If your client was guilty, you had to know in order to give them the best counsel you could. You could only do so much with so very little information.

And Yunho was most definitely guilty. He sighed. “I… cheated.”

He looked up to see Seunghyun blink in surprise before nodding. “I see.”

Their food arrived just then. They both said their thanks and dug in. Seunghyun seemed deep in thought so Yunho opted to be silent as well.

After taking a few bites of noodles, Seunghyun spoke again, “Did your girlfriend find out?”

Yunho swallowed. “Um… boyfriend, actually… and yeah, he did.”

Another surprised look, but it wasn’t like Yunho had been openly flaunting his love life all over the office.

Seunghyun simply nodded. “That’s a toughie. But, not uncommon.” He coughed. “I had my own episode back in Law School,” he admitted.

Yunho’s brows raised in surprise.

“Don’t look at me like that, I’m a man too. It’s what happens when you're in Seoul and your girlfriend is in Busan and you had a few drunken nights.” He sighed. “I was genuinely in love with her too. But, she couldn’t stand the thought of it so she dumped me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He couldn’t blame her. Jaejoong had done the same. It was well-deserved.

The older waved a dismissive hand. “It’s all in the past. Besides, I love my wife now. And I’ve been very faithful to her. Learned my lesson once.” He looked pointedly at Yunho. “So, are you trying to get his forgiveness?”

“He… sort of… forgave me?” Yunho sighed. “I don’t really know. Our situation… it’s ambiguous. He said he was giving me a second chance. But, he still feels so distant.”

“A second chance, huh? That’s more than what most cheaters get.”

“Yeah, and I’m very thankful. But… I just want things to go back to the way they were.”

“You’re asking him for too much.” Seunghyun pointed his chopsticks at him. “You were in the fault, so you have to endure.”

“I know… I just…” A sigh from the younger. “I just miss what we had before my mistakes.”

“You can’t go back to the past, Mr. Jung. You can only move forward. So, be patient with your boyfriend and just show him that he can trust you again. Does he love you?”

Yunho nodded, a smile making its way to his lips at the thought. “I know he does. He… he hasn’t said it to me lately… but, I know he does.”

“Then, trust in him. And if it works out, then it works out. If it doesn’t, well, at least you can say you’ve done everything you could and you won’t have regrets.” Seunghyun sighed. “Because living with regret follows us for the rest of our lives.” He smiled a little bitterly. “I hurt someone I had cared for so deeply, but I didn’t even get the chance to make it right. So, if I were you, I would use this opportunity to show that person exactly how much I love them, no matter the outcome. Nothing is sure in this life, Yunho, not even love. So fight back with everything you have and maybe, luck will be on your side, and you win.”

---

Jaejoong had agreed to spend the afternoon with him, namely a trip to the ice cream shop and a movie.

They had just gotten their ice cream and were taking a walk, since the movie wasn’t showing for another hour or so. So, they chatted.

Yunho talked about his work. Jaejoong talked about his. It was an amicable atmosphere. So far off from the romantic vibes Yunho was going for, but he wasn’t complaining… even though he really wanted to hold Jaejoong’s hand.

This was their first date after Jaejoong agreed to give him a second chance. Okay, it wasn’t exactly a date because Junsu was coming with them; the other had invited him and Yunho reluctantly agreed. They were meeting him at the theater later.

So they had some alone time until then.

“Jaejoong?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I… hold your hand?”

Jaejoong hummed, contemplating, before stretching his available hand to Yunho. He happily took it, entwining their fingers together. The other’s hold was loose, but that was fine with Yunho.

In this position, it felt like the old days.

“Remember the first time I held your hand?” he asked, grinning.

Jaejoong cracked his first smile of the day. “You mean the actual first time or after we started dating?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Of course it does! The real first time was when you helped me up the ground after chasing those bullies away. But, when we first started dating, you walked me home after we made it official and grabbed my hand.”

“I said, ‘You’re mine now, I’m never letting you go.’”

“Possessive idiot.”

“Only when it comes to you.”

Their laughter melted the tense atmosphere from moments ago, and Yunho felt Jaejoong finally relax. He couldn’t stop looking at the other from the corner of his eye.

Jaejoong’s smile was really beautiful. It felt like Yunho was falling in love all over again.

“Jae…”

“Hmmm?”

“I missed you.”

Jaejoong hummed. “I know. Your texts everyday never fail to remind me.”

“I won’t give up, you know.”

He felt the other stiffen and stopped walking. A flash of hurt and pain crossed Jaejoong’s face before he schooled them it to nonchalance.

“Baby steps, okay, Jung?” he said, blankly.

Yunho squeezed his hand as they began to walk again. “Baby steps,” he agreed.

---

The next few months were much the same.

Yunho came to visit. He and Jaejoong would hang out, either with the rest of their friends or just the two of them. Sometimes, Jihye tagged along. Jaejoong was still so very fond of her and the feeling was mutual.

More than often, it was Yoochun or Junsu or both who hung out with them. Changmin rarely showed up and when he did, he stuck mostly close to Jaejoong and seemed to have shifted his hero worship to Yoochun. He didn’t speak to Yunho unless necessary, and even the few words he said to the older were filled with bitterness.

For those few hours every couple of weeks, it felt like they were back in high school again, back when life was simple and they didn’t have these adult responsibilities hanging over their heads. When their only worry was where to go for lunch or which movie to watch or how many songs they should sing at Noraebang.

As for Yunho and Jaejoong’s relationship, or lack thereof, the latter had started relaxing. There were still no “I love you’s” or kisses exchanged between them, but Jaejoong looked at him with fondness sometimes, even laughing at his jokes. He had even allowed a little hand-holding.

It was enough for Yunho, but he would be lying if he said he didn't wish that there was more. He wished Jaejoong would allow him more.

But, he had given up control to Jaejoong a long time ago. He owed him that.

It was his loss of control and weakness that caused this. It was only fair that the person he hurt the most had a say on when they could take those next steps.

---

­­Before they knew it, December was upon them and therefore... it was Christmas season!

It was Yunho’s first Christmas in Seoul and Jaejoong had agreed to spend it with him!

Well… he agreed to spend it with Yunho, Yoochun, and Changmin.

The law intern had been given the entire week of Christmas and New Year’s off and planned on making the most of it with the people he loved. So, his friends planned to drive up to Seoul to spend Christmas with him and then he would be driving back down with them to spend New Year’s with his family.

Yunho couldn’t ask for more.

So, on the morning of Christmas Eve, when he got the text from Yoochun saying that they were in the parking lot and needed help with their bags, he excitedly bounded down the building stairs like a child on Christmas morning.

His friends were all bundled up in thick coats, scarves, and hats due to the cold, but their happy smiles as they greeted Yunho warmed his heart. Even Changmin’s bored nonchalance couldn’t spoil his mood.

He led them up to his floor, chatting about sleeping arrangements (he was giving them the comfort of his lovely living room), how much beer and soju he bought for the occasion (and some juice for a non-alcohol fan Junsu), and, of course, presents!

“You better have gotten us something good this year, Jung!” boomed Yoochun. “Now that you’re some fancy hotshot lawyer.”

“Yeah! Like a PS4!” Junsu added, laughing his ear-piercing dolphin laugh.

“Yah! I’m still a law intern! I’m barely earning enough to get out of this place!”

“That’s ‘cause you spend all your money on Jaejoong-hyung!” Junsu placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. “You hurt us so, hyung. You’re clearly playing favorites!”

With absolutely no shame, Yunho directed his gaze at Jaejoong who was smiling and laughing just as widely. “Of course. Jaejoong has always been my favorite.”

The said one blushed and turned away, shyly. It pleased Yunho that he could still have that effect on Jaejoong.

They finally reached his door and Yunho unlocked it, ushering his friends inside. When he turned back around to help Jaejoong with his suitcase, the latter was staring at something down the hall with a contemplative look.

“Jae?”

He blinked, startled at the sudden address and looked back at Yunho. “Oh, sorry, I was just…” He bit his lip and turned back to look at the hallway. “Is she… Is she here?”

By ‘she’, he obviously meant Jisoo.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been busy so I haven’t seen her all week.”

It was the honest truth. He still avoided her as much as he could in the last few months, but this entire week, he had barely been home. He spent a lot of time at the office, finishing up work so he could be worry-free during his vacation. So, he hadn’t seen or spoken to her.

Jaejoong simply nodded before flashing a small smile and entering the apartment.

They spent that day planning and debating what to cook before Jaejoong made the final verdict and took Changmin shopping for groceries at the nearby store. The other three stayed at the apartment, talking, flipping on random channels on T.V., and debating about the most ridiculous topics. Yoochun talked about work (he had taken over managing his family’s convenience store) and Junsu complained about med-school (he wanted to be a pediatrician).

It was the first time in months that his apartment was so loud. Yunho loved every bit of it.

Jaejoong and Changmin returned after two hours, the younger complaining about his poor arms and back. They ordered takeout and lazed around in front of the T.V., not really watching it but just talking.

And when it was time to turn in for the night, Jaejoong, as the eldest, got the couch while the rest were spread out on futons and blankets all over Yunho’s small living room.

He could only smile as he watched them settle in before entering his own room. Five minutes later, he emerged with his own pillow and blankets and stretched out on the floor beside Yoochun, near Jaejoong’s head.

They talked for another hour and one-by-one, fell asleep.

As Yunho drifted off, he realized he was smiling really, goofily and that he had smiled more the entire day than he did in the last few months alone in this small apartment.

It really did feel like old times.

---

The next morning, Christmas morning, was the hustle and bustle of food preparation for their planned Christmas dinner. Jaejoong, in a dark blue apron, had taken control of Yunho’s kitchen, barking out orders to the rest of them to peel, chop, and hand him things.

Although the other three grumbled their acquiesce, Yunho happily did everything Jaejoong commanded of him with bright smiles and flirtatious winks, leaving the older flustered at times as he stumbled on his words.

It was a beautiful scene, seeing Jaejoong in his kitchen, cooking away like he owned the place. It fit. He had imagined it many times.

It was a scene he would have witnessed everyday, if not for his mistakes.

“Changmin! Do you remember if we bought pineapples yesterday?”

“Um… I don’t know,” the younger replied, sheepishly.

Jaejoong looked around the kitchen and clucked his tongue. “Looks like I might have forgotten it. I’ll run to the store real quick-.”

“Jae, I’ll go,” Yunho piped up as he wiped his teary eyes on his shirt. Jaejoong had him cutting onions and no matter how eager he had been to do it earlier, onions were no one’s friends. “You’re needed here. Do you want me to get anything else?”

Jaejoong raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“Yep. Just tell me what to get.”

So Jaejoong sent him off with a list with very specific instructions.

He returned skipping, despite the full bags he was holding. The grocery store was full of last-minute shoppers, so it had taken him at least an hour to get what Jaejoong wanted, but he knew it would be worth it getting to eat the young teacher’s cooking again.

He missed the times Jaejoong would cook for him and he was looking forward to this meal.

Humming a Christmas song under his breath, Yunho was about to enter his apartment when he heard his name being called.

His heart almost stopped in dread as he knew that voice, very well.

He swallowed, nervously as he turned his head to greet the newcomer.

“Jisoo-shii, Merry Christmas.” He tilted his head slightly to her before pointing at the door. “I have to go-.”

“He’s here, isn’t he?” she asked, her eyes inquisitive.

She stood there, looking so small in an oversized sweater and faded jeans, her hands shaking as she held a large gift bag in front of her. Yunho had a feeling it was for him so he looked away and unlocked his door.

“My friends are all here, so I have to get back. Jae needs these for the food.”

“W-Wait, Yunho, I have-.”

He shut the door and leaned against it, breathing deeply to calm his beating heart.

“Yun? Is that you? Did you get everything?”

Jaejoong’s sweet voice floated from the kitchen and Yunho’s agitation disappeared. The other poked his head out the door frame, caught sight of him, and broke into a smile.

“Thanks!” he said, bounding over to take the bags. He inspected them and nodded his approval.

“Do I get a reward?” Yunho asked, grinning, cheekily.

Jaejoong rolled his eyes, but nonetheless, leaned in… and gave him a one-armed hug.

He was slightly disappointed, but hey, who was he to complain about a Jaejoong hug?

An hour or so later, Jaejoong kicked Yunho and Changmin out of the kitchen – Yunho for cutting the carrots wrong and Changmin for eating the raw noodles.

The two were placed on decorating duty of Yunho’s waist-high plastic tree that his friends had brought from Gwangju. They said it was a present from his parents.

What kind of parents gifted their law intern son a tree?!

Nonetheless, he and Changmin quietly hung ornaments while occasionally sipping on juice Jaejoong had given them. (“Soju is for tonight, you alcoholics!” he said to them when they complained.)

Changmin refused to look at him, and Yunho felt hurt that this kid who once looked up to him was so cold now. Not that he could blame him. But, it wasn’t just his relationship with Jaejoong he wanted to fix. It was his relationship with all his friends too.

Yoochun and Junsu had followed Jaejoong’s lead, slowly re-building their bond with Yunho. But, Changmin was stubborn.

Yunho wondered if Jaejoong had used this opportunity to get the two of them to talk to each other again.

“Um… how’s school going?” he asked.

Changmin shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“You’ll be graduating next year. Any plans?”

“Not really.”

Silence.

Yunho took a sip of juice. Changmin hung a Christmas ball on the tree.

“Any girls caught your eye yet?”

Changmin shrugged, but his cheeks suddenly turned pink.

Bingo.

Yunho smiled. “So… who is she?”

Changmin coughed. “Just a classmate.”

“Mmhmm… And?”

“And what?”

Yunho took a chance and elbowed him, slightly. “Come on, you can tell hyung. You used to tell me everything.”

“That was before you broke Jaejoong-hyun’s heart,” the younger answered, coldly.

Yunho’s face fell and once again, there was only silence between them.

They finished decorating, but Jaejoong still wouldn’t let them into the kitchen. He had kindly given them a bowl of pasta to munch on, though.

The two sat in front of the T.V., eating their pasta and watching whatever was on. It occurred to Yunho that although he had apologized many times to Jaejoong, he had never once said it to his friends.

Sure, Yoochun and Junsu had no need for it. But, maybe Changmin did…

He turned to the younger. Changming ignored him.

“Changmin.”

Only silent eating from the other.

“Changmin… Hyung is sorry.”

The younger’s chewing appeared to slow down so Yunho continued.

“I know I hurt you. When I hurt Jaejoongie, I hurt you and Junsu and Yoochun. And I’m sorry. I know that saying it won’t do anything to change what I did. But, Changmin-ah, Hyung promises to be better. To Jaejoongie and to you, guys. I’ll be a better Hyung, one that you all deserve to look up to.”

There was no immediate response from Changmin after that, only thoughtful chewing.

Yunho sighed and went back to his food, knowing that all he could do now was truly show how sorry and remorseful he was.

During a commercial break, Changmin turned to him and finally spoke. “You promise?”

Yunho's heart warmed as he smiled and ruffled the younger’s hair, fondly. “I swear on all the food that exists in the world.”

Changmin snorted. “Swear on the thing you treasure the most, hyung, not on what I treasure the most.”

“Then… I swear on Jaejoong, my most precious treasure in the world, that I’ll be better.”

It was obviously the right thing to say as Changmin finally smiled before acting nonchalant. “Okay. I’ll hold you to it.” He gave his bowl to Yunho. “I’m done.”

Laughing at him, Yunho took the empty bowl and his and headed to the kitchen.

Jaejoong looked up from his cooking when he entered. “Good, you didn’t kill each other,” he commented, smiling.

“Damnit, hyung, I had a bet going that Changmin would punch you again,” Junsu whined from his spot by the sink as Jaejoong’s dishwasher.

Yoochun grinned. “I win. See, Jaejoong-hyung? I told you that Minnie has a soft spot for Yunho-hyung.”

Yunho felt his eye twitch as he handed the bowls to Junsu. “Can’t believe you guys bet on me! Don’t you have any faith in me at all?”

Junsu raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want us to answer that?”

Yunho sighed, giving in. “No…”

Meanwhile, Jaejoong flashed him a comforting smile. “I knew you two would make up again,” he said. “Changmin loves you.”

Grinning, Yunho winked at him. “And what about you?”

Jaejoong threw a towel at him. “Don’t make me regret sending you two off alone to make up.”

“Aww, Jaejoongie, don’t be like that. I was joking.”

“Were you, really?” A suspicious raised eyebrow.

“Okay, no, I wasn’t. But, only because I love you so very much.”

A chuckle. “Is that so?”

“All my love is for you, baby.”

Yoochun made fake gagging noises as Junsu whined, “Stop! Our ears are bleeding!”

They tossed a few more teasing words, back and forth, annoying the hell out of the other two with them.

Yunho appreciated moments like these, when Jaejoong was unguarded and flirted back. It was mostly due to the presence of their other friends because his guard was always up when alone with Yunho. He knew it was because doing it with the others around made Jaejoong feel more comfortable. Having others around playing along lessens the likelihood of bringing up the past hurts that continued and would continue to haunt them.

Nonetheless, he savored it.

Amidst all these, Changmin made his way into the kitchen, a worried look on his face.

Yunho was the first to notice him. “Hey, what’s up?”

Changmin swallowed. “That woman… she’s outside.”

Yunho sighed and made a move for the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Actually, hyung… she asked for Jaejoong-hyung.”

All at once, they simultaneously turned to Jaejoong, whose face was now devoid of the humor and laughter from earlier. Instead, a dark look hung above him at Changmin’s words.

To their surprise, he simply nodded and turned the stove off.

“Don’t touch anything,” he said to them as he removed his apron and handed it to Yunho. “I’ll be back.”

And with that, they watched as he left the kitchen to face whatever was waiting for him beyond that door.

---

A/N: So, this fic is turning out longer than I expected. This whole entire chapter was supposed to be everything that happened at Christmas but I got too overzealous and wrote A LOT of happenings, so I had to split it. You'll see Jaejoong and Jisoo's second confrontation in the next chapter!

As you can see, Jaejoong and Yunho are technically not "together" but Jaejoong is welcoming him back into his life. As for whether Yunho will win his heart back, that remains to be seen. I have so many more surprises in store and so many more revelations, so hold on to your seats!

Also, for those who answered my poll, my "All That Glitters" playlist can be found here. Feel free to also share with me what you think is a fitting song for this fic if it was a K-Drama and had a soundtrack! 

And now... something that I'd like to bring up... This is gonna be long so if you're not up for a rant, feel free to just skidaddle away, I won't hold it against you, I promise!

Anyway, I'd like to bring up something that I found rather amusing. It was... a critique! Well... At least, I think it was a critique? I can't really tell, sometimes, if someone is trying to be rude or polite on here. Anyway, seeing it has motivated me to write so there!

Now, I know I'm not living in a perfect world so I'm perfectly aware that critiques are just part of the package as a writer (and life, in general). And I must tell you all now that I don't mind getting criticism... as long as they are constructive.

So, a short story about my life, I've been writing fanfics since I was 14 so that's... 11 years now. One of my first fanfics was a Lord of the Rings one and at the time, I had only seen the movies and never read the books. I wrote a fanfic that was heavily criticized and I'll admit, it made me mad and upset. But, then, the more I wrote and after taking some writing classes, I realized that those people who criticized my fanfic had a point! I didn't know much about the fandom I was writing for completely, didn't do my research, and tried to pass off poor writing as decent work. And after reading the actual LOTR books, I realized that the fanfic I wrote... . Lol. It takes a lot of swallowing your pride to admit that. 

Now, that kind of constructive criticism, I will always welcome because it allows me to see the flaws in my own work and be a better writer.

What doesn't make me a better writer, however, is if my work was not properly read or was not read at all and the plot was simply assumed. Really, it just doesn't help cause I don't even know what is wrong with my story or if it was simply a detail that you didn't like.

And even if it is a typical and "overused" plot, I think that it's always a worth a shot to read. I've read many "overused" plots since the day I discovered fanfiction and what makes certain fics stand out are the details the writers choose to put in. Unless someone plagiarized someone else's story or based it on another, no story will ever be truly the same because writer voices differ. All writers adopt a certain "voice", and the more you read their stories, the more their "voice" stands out. That's why these "overused" plots still work and will continue to work because they are always presented in different voices. 

No story is perfect or will ever be perfect, but that doesn't mean you still can't enjoy it.

As much as I love writing for you guys and always aim to provide a beautiful story to enjoy, I know that you're not all going to like or agree with the plotlines I choose. I will probably go in certain directions that you won't like and will completely turn you off from reading the rest. I will also probably not take some of your suggestions simply because it doesn't fit with the plot I had in mind. Or reject writing a story I'm not comfortable writing or feel like an expert enough to write. And that's perfectly okay.

I know for some of you, I've had very deep and analyzing conversations about certain chapters, and you're always welcomed to discuss my plot with me because I learn from you too! 

But, hey, if you really hate my story, no sweat. I get it, some stories are just not for everyone. As long as, you know, you actually read it first and base your opinion on what you've read. 

All I'm saying is... remember that classic quote: "Never judge a book by its cover." 

'Til the next one!