Act 9 “Unknown”

“Where’s he?” Jaejoong asked as he took a sip of his strawberry juice, his pale pink lips.

“He’s not here,” Changmin answered fast as he arranged files on his desk and then skipped over pile of paper on the floor; he was about to send another report to their superior, Jaejoong thought.

“You know where to find him, don’t you, hyung?” Changmin asked one last time as Jaejoong nodded and then the younger man disappeared from the room, leaving Jaejoong alone in the messy office. Jaejoong sighed as he put his juice on the table and then tried to tidy up Changmin’s floor and cupboard. It took him ten minutes to do so; he just couldn’t stand messy things.

Realizing his real purpose; Jaejoong got up and drank his juice till the last drop. He threw it away to a trashcan in the hallway. The white ceiling didn’t make any contrast with the wall and the cream floor; it’s like all of them were one unity. He passed few office doors as he wondered how a zombie-fighter department could be like a normal business office. Another good undercover organization, Jaejoong needed to admit.

“Hyung!” Junsu’s voice echoed from behind as Jaejoong stopped his track. He turned back and saw Junsu was waving at him with Yoochun beside him. Both of them dressed in white cape; they had to be working on another experiment, Jaejoong thought.

“Hey, what’re you up to?” Yoochun asked,” I believe you’re on holiday till further notice.”

“I’m,” Jaejoong answered; one thing he didn’t really like was the fact he and Yunho were always on holiday till something happened, like a zombie attack or their superior needed them,” I’m just checking some stuff with Changmin and coming here to get my juice.”

“Is it really tasty?” Junsu frowned at the word ‘juice’ as Yoochun laughed at him; bringing a smile to Jaejoong’s lips.

“It’s bad at first but it gets better and better. It actually tastes like strawberry juice to me now,” Jaejoong explained as Yoochun was the one frowning now.

“I’m confused. How can infected blood tastes like strawberry juice?” Yoochun asked,” Maybe I’ll try to test it later….Hmmm…”

“Well, good luck on your search. I’ll be going now, bye,” Jaejoong waved to them as they separated.  Yoochun and Junsu went left from the junction as Jaejoong went right; heading to the lift. Jaejoong got into the square box as he pressed B2 button. Waiting, Jaejoong checked another bottle of juice he brought was still safe and sound. Getting out from the lift, he skipped to his car; black Audi R8, his beloved baby. Okay, that’s too much but Jaejoong loved his car too much.

Inside, Jaejong got ready and then kicked the accelerator. He drove up to the main road and joined the traffic. He took few turns till he reached residential section. Jaejoong drove into a certain apartment complex as he entered and parked. He got out from his car and headed to level 21. He skipped through the hallway and stopped at a door. Jaejoong pushed the bell few times.

Getting no answer, Jaejoong used his own keys to get inside; he somehow managed to make the owner gave a duplicate for him. Taking off his jacket and shoes, Jaejoong noticed there’re two half-sealed boxes there. It was probably from the company and Jaejoong felt furious when he noticed nothing had been touch. The red bottles inside still sealed tight.

Hurrying up, Jaejoong got into the living room and saw no one there. It had been two weeks since his last visit and three months from their last mission at the mall; the start from Yunho isolated himself in his apartment. Jaejoong checked out the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. He spotted no one.

“Yunho!” Jaejoong shouted the name as he became more frustrated. He knew the man had been tearing inside since their last mission, especially because certain boy he saved turned to be a zombie in front of his own eyes.

“YUN!” Jaejoong shouted again as finally he spotted a figure leaning on the glasses window outside. Jaejoong opened the balcony door as he spotted Yunho asleep there on the floor.

“Yunho…” Jaejoong woke the man slowly as Yunho opened his eyes, staring on Jaejoong a few seconds before recognized who he was.

“You’re drunk,” Jaejoong frowned as he spotted few cans of beer and the alcohol smell. Yunho didn’t give any respond and only stared at Jaejoong. At least till he felt his head hurt and grinned in pain.

“Come here, I’ll make you something,” Jaejoong helped Yunho got up and put the man on the couch in the living room. He left the drunken man there till he returned with a glass of drink. Yunho sipped it without asking the content. It indeed made him felt better a lot.

“Feeling better?” Jaejoong asked as Yunho nodded. Jaejoong sighed; he knew he couldn’t force Yunho to talk to him because his futile effort in their last meeting brought a fight to them. Well, Yunho just yelled at him and Jaejoong was the one punched the man on the face before retreating from the apartment.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong pulled Yunho’s face up as he examined the jaw; the bruise mark he left was gone,” I’m sorry I hit you before…”

“…It’s okay,” Yunho finally spoke,” I deserved it.”

“No, you’re not, silly,” Jaejoong comforted Yunho with a warm friendly hug as he caressed Yunho’s back,” You did your best and it’s not your fault, Yunho. You’ve done all you could for the boy’s sake.”

Yunho stayed silent; in fact, he had been waiting for Jaejoong to bring the real reason up. Their fight before was only because Jaejoong was mad at Yunho for saying he might just die after he was bitten for the first time, rather than turned into the broken one. Jaejoong never mentioned the boy even though Yunho was more than sure Jaejoong knew it was the reason for his breakdown.

“Jae,” Yunho called,” Will you listen to my story?”

“Sure,” Jaejoong nodded as Yunho began to tell him his past. When his town was attacked by SMV and all of them turned into zombies except him.  How he set on revenge for his beloved one and killed those monsters alone; preventing any others had the same cursed fate like him. The terror, the fear, and the scar were still inside Yunho’s deepest heart as he cried out, wetting Jaejoong’s shirt. The other man could only do his best giving his support for the breaking man.

“ I couldn’t save them! I couldn’t save my parents in the past and in our last mission, I…I couldn’t---“

“You did your best, Yunho, stop blaming yourself,” Jaejoong stated the fact.

“Jae…Please…don’t leave me…I’m sorry I yelled at you…I’m---“

 “Shhh…It’s okay. You’re not alone anymore, Yunho ah,” Jaejoong spoke softly, “I’m here. Not only me, you’ve got Changmin, Junsu and Yoochun too.”

It took Jaejoong five minutes to get Yunho stopped crying and another five to make the man calm down. Jaejoong smiled silently to himself that Yunho had begun to open up to him. He was happy he could finally let Yunho’s emotion out and comfort the man.

“Yunho ah,” Jaejoong called the man, who’s leaning on his shoulder now,” You should be thankful, you now, at least, you get the chance to know your parents and they’re good people. I know they really love you, even now, they must be watching over you.”

“What do you mean?” Yunho asked as he looked into Jaejoong’s eyes.

“I…I don’t have a chance to know mine since my mother abandoned me from the first day I was born,” Jaejoong forced a smile,” Luckily an orphanage was willing to accept me and bring me up.”

Yunho went silent as he thought hard of any words to comfort Jaejoong but he found none. He could only gazed into Jaejoong’s glisten eyes as he tightened their connected hand.

“It’s okay, I want you to listen to my story,” Jaejoong smiled tenderly as he continued,” When I was fifteen I ran away from the orphanage, not because they’re mean but because I didn’t want to be adopted. There’s a family wanted me but I didn’t want any family; I thought I was too scared that they would also abandon me. I dropped out from school and studied on my own because I needed to work.”

“I somehow got scholarship and it was a miracle how I could study and graduate as an oncologist,” Jaejoong slid a tear out as he leaned on Yunho’s shoulder, hiding his face,” Moreover because I knew who my biological mother was in the first day of my final exam.”

“Jae…” Yunho caressed Jaejoong’s back, making a circle as he let his arms secured the man.

“I searched for her, trying to get an answer. But I stopped when I knew who she was. I didn’t want to meet him or have any connection to her when I know she was common e. I mean…She had to think of me as a disturber in her job. I was lucky she didn’t kill me when I was in her tummy…At least, he gave me a chance to live as human being in this world…And if you’re wondering about my father, he’s probably some unknown customer she had…”

“Jae. It’s okay, you’re also not alone now, you got me,” Yunho reassured as Jaejoong smiled.

[FLASHBACK]

Everything happened so fast but the pain made it looked like forever. Jaejoong tried to catch some breathe but he couldn’t. He screamed his lungs over and over again. It was like the whole world was leaving him, abandoned him like his parents did. No one wanted him and the fear alone crept through his spine.

Don’t leave me! Please! Help me! Make the pain go away! He wanted to scream out but only hoarse screams came out. He didn’t know how much time had passed till the pain decreased. Sweating and laying helplessly, he finally gained some of his senses as he could feel someone embraced him tightly, securing him. With his opened eyes, he took quick glance and realized it was Yunho, his savior.

His half opened eyes spotted Changmin on the other side of the small room. He couldn’t speak or move but he could hear Yunho asked Changmin to get them out of there. He felt lifted up as an oxygen mask was worn to him. Soon, he felt the cold water surrounded him as he spotted some of the monsters. Yunho shot them, protecting him from them. It felt somehow familiar, like the feelings he had been longing. Maybe, that’s how a child felt when his parents were protecting him, secured and calmed.

Time seemed to freeze once again as Jaejoong closed his eyes. He felt some strength, pushing and pulling him till he reached out the end of the tunnel. He opened his eyes as he could see the grey cloud on the sky. He spotted some paramedics were working on him as Yunho held his hands.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

“Yun,” Jaejoong wiped his tears,” Thanks for saving me back there.”

“You’re welcome,” Yunho gave a smile,” You’ve also saved me, Jaejoong ah.”

“So, I guess we’re each other’s savior then?”

“Sure. We’re stuck with each other anyway.”

“Be sure to drink your strawberry juice then or I’ll leave you,” Jaejoong playfully threatened.

“Yah! How dare you blackmail me?” Yunho tickled Jaejoong few times as he stopped,” Okay, I’ll. But I wonder, how can that chocolate-tasted-like infected blood taste like strawberry juice on your tongue?”

“Then how can it taste like chocolate to you?” Jaejoong’s frowned.

“I don’t have any idea…”

“It’s an unknown mystery then, at least for now till Yoochun or Junsu find out why…”