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Thirteenth Time's the Charm

When Jongwoon was born, a fortune-teller told his mother that he was born under the unlucky star, that his life was destined to be full of bad luck and misfortune, and that he would go through twelve heartbreaks. The fortune-teller also told his mother that his bad luck would leave him alone after his thirteenth relationship, though it would leave him unable to have any new relationship ever again. At first, he thought of it as a malicious joke. However, after going through a series of misfortune from childhood to adolescence, he eventually came to wholeheartedly believe it. That was why he was very careful when it came to dating someone as he didn't want the fortune-telling to come true.

 

 

Sadly, nothing ever went as he hoped.

 

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His first relationship was when he was just a freshman in high school. A senior student named Park Jungsu confessed to him and asked him out. Jungsu was known as a kind-hearted and reliable person, and he seemed to genuinely like Jongwoon. He thought that the fortune-telling might be wrong so he agreed to date the older boy. Jungsu hyung took great care of him while they were dating. Although the older boy was a bit too paranoid at a time, Jongwoon still enjoyed being with him.

 

 

They broke up after dating only for two weeks.

 

 

He was the one who broke things up between them. The reason was that he couldn't stand making Jungsu hyung suffer. Due to his bad luck (and his clumsiness to some extent), he always ran into minor accidents here and there, resulting in many bruises all over himself. Jungsu hyung always freaked out and blamed himself when that happened. Although the older boy had never complained, Jongwoon knew just how much Jungsu's heart ached whenever he took care of Jongwoon's bruises. That was why he decided to break up with Jungsu hyung (though he didn't explain the reason to the older boy).

 

It would hurt less if they were to be only a stranger, right?

 

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The second time he was in a relationship was during his junior-high year. A freshman college student saw him at a game center and proclaimed that it was love at first sight. At that time, Jongwoon's puberty was hitting its peak so he didn't carefully consider his life choices. He agreed to date the older man even though they knew absolutely nothing about each other.

 

 

They broke up only two days after they first met.

 

 

Both of them agreed that they were stupid to jump into a relationship knowing nothing about their partners. Turned out their personalities were so different like comparing the North Pole to a tropical island. They just couldn't seem to get along at all. What he liked, the older man disliked. In the end, they agreed to break up and just remained as a brother.

 

That was how he met Kim Heechul, a man who remained as his wonderful hyung to this day.

 

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He was very serious about his third relationship, that was why it broke his heart to a million pieces saying goodbye to Han Geng. They met at a Chinese restaurant where Jongwoon did his part-time job during the senior-high year. Han Geng hyung was an exchanged student in his last year in a college. He was a regular customer at Jongwoon's workplace. Their first meeting was quite a cliche like a soap opera too, what with Jongwoon accidentally bumped into the older man and dumped an entire tray full of cups of coffee on him. After that silly accident, they got to know more about each other and, eventually, fell in love.

 

 

They broke up on their four months anniversary day.

 

 

It was the most painful breakup he had ever faced. Both parties still loved each other so much, but they couldn't be together. After graduation from college, Han Geng hyung had to go back to China. The older man did ask Jongwoon whether he wanted to go with him or not. But how could he leave his parents and his friends in Korea? He loved Han Geng hyung, very much so, but it still wasn't enough for him to sacrifice his life here. In the end, they broke up on a melancholy peaceful term.

 

After sending Han Geng hyung off at an airport with a fake smile, Jongwoon stayed a night over at Heechul hyung's place and cried himself to sleep.

 

********************

 

After the three times unsuccessful relationship, Jongwoon noticed that he had only dated men so far. Some pessimistic part of him couldn't help but think that he was heartbroken because he broke the taboo. Men should be with women. An act of homoual was an unforgivable sin. That was why he couldn't be happy in past relationships. So, he decided to date a woman this time. 

 

 

They broke up on a very bad term.

 

 

He was a freshman in a college. His girlfriend, Hwang Miyoung, was also a freshman in the same college. Jongwoon was the one who approached her and asked her out first. They did have a wonderful time together during their two months dating. But they had to break up because Jongwoon found out that he didn't like Miyoung the same way he liked his past lovers. He gathered courage and confessed to his girlfriend, the fact that he liked men. Needless to say, they couldn't even look at each other's faces after the breakup.

 

It was the only time in his pitiful life that he thought he was lucky for studying in a different faculty with Miyoung.

 

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After admitting that he liked men, it took one year before he was able to enter the fifth relationship. It was with Kim Youngwoon, a sophomore year just like him but studied in a different faculty, who bravely confessed to him first. Many people (including himself) thought that they were a match made in heaven due to how well they got along. Their personalities were quite alike and they even shared many same interests. That was why Jongwoon laid down his guard believing that he would be happy for real this time.

 

 

They broke up because Youngwoon cheated on him.

 

 

Well, saying that Youngwoon cheated on him might be too harsh, especially when Jongwoon was the one who encouraged the cheating. Turned out Youngwoon and Jungsu hyung, his first boyfriend, knew each other since they were young. He learned that Youngwoon had a crush on the older man since they were young. Although the man kept telling Jongwoon that it was nothing but a puppy love, the way he kept glancing at Jungsu hyung with a fond smile told Jongwoon otherwise. That was why he broke up with Youngwoon and even helped him confess to Jungsu hyung.

 

After that, he got one more wonderful hyung and a best friend.

 

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His sixth relationship, unfortunately, ended because of a certain circumstance. He was in a junior year in college doing paper research on gaming effects on teenagers, that was how he met his sixth boyfriend, Shin Donghee. Shindong was an owner of the internet cafe he was doing the research on. It was the first time he asked a man out first. Albeit surprised, Shindong agreed to try dating him. Jongwoon couldn't tell why, but he enjoyed being with Shindong. There was something about his calm and mature attitude that made Jongwoon fall for him.

 

 

Shindong was very calm even when he told Jongwoon to break up with him.

 

 

Both Jongwoon and Shindong loved children. They even agreed to adopt a kid or two after Jongwoon graduating and moved in with Shindong. Sadly, their plan was left unborn when Shindong told him to break up after dating only for a month. The man calmly told him that he would love to get married one day and had children, his own children. Obviously, it wasn't something Jongwoon could grant so he obediently agreed to end their relationship.

 

Fortunately, his paper research was already done by that time, so he didn't have to stand the awkwardness between them.

 

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Jungsu hyung was the one who introduced his seventh boyfriend to him, Lee Sungmin. It was only a few days after his breakup with Shindong. Jungsu hyung told him that a freshman he knew secretly had a crush on him. Jongwoon agreed to go out with said freshman without even thinking. At that time, he only wanted some distraction to get over Shindong. However, he was surprised finding out that he and Sungmin got along very well. Though their personalities didn't match that well, they somehow made it out as they slowly learned to be with each other.

 

 

They broke up because Sungmin was reaching his limit.

 

 

For some reason, misfortunes began to haunt Sungmin as it did to him after they had been dating for three months. As someone who had lived with bad luck for twenty-one years, Jongwoon was used to life turning against him at every opportunity. However, Sungmin wasn't used to it. The younger man wasn't used to missing every bus or losing his wallet every now and then. At first, Jongwoon thought that it was only a coincidence. But the closer they were to their four months anniversary, the more it reminded him of Han Geng hyung. At that time, Han Geng also faced many unexplainable misfortunes and ended up breaking up with him on their four months anniversary day.

 

That was why Jongwoon wasn't surprised at all when Sungmin broke up with him on their four months anniversary day too.

 

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His eighth and ninth relationships were a complete mess. He was in his senior year in college. He shouldn't have time for any relationship, but when a freshman named Lee Hyukjae confessed to him with an adorable but nervous smile, he found himself unable to turn the younger man down. Hyukjae was different from every person he had dated. Though being younger, Hyukjae enjoyed teasing him about literally everything. It was annoying at times, but he still adored the younger man. Despite Hyukjae's tendency to , the younger man could be mature and collected when situations called for.

 

 

Somehow, Hyukjae was still able to keep his cool when another man confessed to Jongwoon.

 

 

That man was none other than Lee Donghae, a freshman who was Hyukjae's best friend. Donghae was a very honest and straightforward man. He confessed to Jongwoon in front of his best friend Hyukjae. He even told them that since Jongwoon and Hyukjae hadn't gotten married yet, he still had a chance on Jongwoon. At first, he planned to turn Donghae down since he already dated Hyukjae. However, the duo came to an agreement (without his knowledge) that they both would play a fair game trying to win Jongwoon's heart. His life couldn't be more confusing than that. The three of them would always go out on a date together, warranting a curious gaze wherever they went. Then, Hyukjae and Donghae would compete with each other to win his heart.

The most troubling part of their weird relationship was, he couldn't choose. He loved Hyukjae's energetic but also mature personality, however, he also fell for Donghae's sincerity and child-like personality. He loved both of them so much that he considered either dating them both or dumping them both. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), he didn't have to choose at all because their relationship ended after two months dating. It ended when Jongwoon noticed that both men were upset whenever their friends paid attention to Jongwoon rather than themselves, which was strange, wasn't it? Shouldn't they feel upset because Jongwoon didn't pay attention to them but their friends? After some investigation on his own, he came to the conclusion that Hyukjae and Donghae did like him, but they liked each other more. After finding that out, Jongwoon had a pep talk with both men and helped them sort their feelings out.

 

Though he lost two boyfriends at the same time, at least he got two new dongsaengs to pamper.

 

**********************************

 

Two years after graduating, he was busy with making his dream come true, opening a coffee shop. Having to take care of everything in the shop made him lose time and energy to find new love. Though he was single, he was surrounded by many wonderful hyungs and dongsaengs and friends, so he didn't feel like dating anyone. He agreed to date his tenth boyfriend only because Heechul hyung insisted that he wouldn't regret it. Choi Siwon was Heechul hyung's junior at his workplace. One day, Heechul hyung brought Siwon to his coffee shop and introduced them to one another. They hit it off almost immediately. Jongwoon was deeply impressed with Siwon's kind heart and gentlemen attitude. He really thought that if it was Siwon, his fortune-telling might be wrong this time.

 

 

Not long after he thought of that, they had to break up.

 

 

He was the one who brought it up. The thought of breakup occurred to him after he met Siwon's family. Due to his family was very religious, Siwon introduced him as a friend to his family. At that time, Jongwoon immediately knew that he had to go through another heartbreak again. He loved Siwon and Siwon also loved him. However, love wasn't only about two persons. He didn't want to make Siwon choose between him and his family, nor did he think the younger man could choose. So, with a bitter feeling in his chest, he broke up with Siwon when they were about to step into their third month.

 

This time, Jongwoon sought shelter at Jungsu hyung and Youngwoon's place, because he was still angry at Heechul hyung for making him go through another heartbreak.

 

*********************************

 

After Siwon, he really thought that he wouldn't be in a relationship again. Why bother looking for another heartbreak when he already had many wonderful people by his side? He kept that thought in mind and turned everyone down to protect his fragile heart. However, he was able to do so for only one year, someone then broke through his wall, thus began his eleventh relationship. He was a man named Kim Kibum, a peculiar customer who only visited his cafe at night time. At first, he really didn't want to accept Kibum's confession, but the younger man was very determined and persistent about it. In the end, Jongwoon's heart softened and he agreed to date Kibum.

 

 

Hyukjae and Donghae were the ones who told him to break up with Kibum, and he followed their advice.

 

 

He really didn't want to break up with Kibum, not when he began to fall for the younger man. However, one sentence from the EunHae couple forced him to do it, for his sake, for Kibum's sake. The couple told him that Kibum was actually a famous actor. That one truth helped clear many questions Jongwoon had about Kibum: why he only visited his coffee shop at night, why he was very careful with his words and actions, why he acted like they were a stranger when there were other people with them...

 

Wishing for the younger man's success in his career, he felt like crying but there weren't any tears left.

 

***********************

 

After eleven heartbreaks, Jongwoon was determined not to be in a relationship ever again. Sadly, his heart didn't listen to his brain and threw him right into another heartbreak. Two years after breaking up with Kibum, he met a man named Kim Ryeowook by coincidence while he was delivering  drink orders at Hyukjae and Donghae's workplace. It was love at first sight. He had never felt this way before, not with any of his past eleven lovers. After contemplating it (and had the EunHae couple investigate Ryeowook's background for him), he decided to take a risk and asked Ryeowook out. It was the best decision he had ever made in his pitiful life. They clicked together like two jigsaw pieces meaning to be together. When they stepped into the third month in their relationship, Jongwoon was scared that the younger man might leave him because of his misfortunes. However, Ryeowook stood by his side even though he faced many misfortunes.

 

 

Ryeowook didn't leave him because of misfortune. He left because he found someone else.

 

 

Jongwoon was at a loss for words when Ryeowook introduced him to his childhood friend, Sungmin. A familiar sense of Deja Vu ate him inside out as he watched them interacting with each other. He couldn't help but see Jungsu hyung and Youngwoon whenever he looked at Ryeowook and Sungmin. One day, his worst nightmare came true when he saw how Ryeowook and Sungmin were flustered after their hands accidentally brushing. Being a decisive person he was, he decided to break up with Ryeowook first while pretending that he didn't know a thing between the younger man and his childhood friend. At the same time, he wasn't surprised even a bit after looking at a calendar and found out that it was their four months anniversary day.

 

He didn't cry this time because he had already run out of tears.

 

**************************************

 

After twelve heartbreaks, Jongwoon finally lost all hope of finding true love. The fortune-teller said that he wouldn't be able to have any relationship ever again after the thirteenth one. He was scared. What kind of heartbreak the thirteenth one would be that could stop him from having a new one ever again? While he was curious about it, he didn't have any plan to find out. He only turned twenty-six this year, but he had already gone through twelve lovers. Surely he had enough of a relationship for one lifetime.

 

That was why he didn't even give Cho Kyuhyun a chance and immediately turned him down.

 

"Jongwoon hyung, I really like you. Will you give me a chance and go out with me?"

"I'm sorry but no. Please don't ever think about it again."

 

For some reason, his rejection only made the determination in Kyuhyun's eyes shine brighter.

.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun was four years younger than him. He just graduated from college and got a job in the same company with Ryeowook and the EunHae couple. The younger man came to his cafe because he heard about Jongwoon from his friend Ryeowook. In fact, he had already known Kyuhyun when he was dating Ryeowook. He didn't expect Kyuhyun to actually have a crush on him, so he was caught off guard when Kyuhyun suddenly confessed to him two weeks after his breakup with Ryeowook. But, as he said, he had no intention to go back in a relationship again so he turned the younger man down without a second thought. However, it only seemed to motivate Kyuhyun more.

 

"I'll stop for now today, but can you at least tell me why you reject me?"

"No, you'll only laugh at me and think that I'm weird."

"Hyung, I promise I won't do neither of those so tell me, please?"

 

Kyuhyun pleaded while sneakily reaching out and held his hand. Jongwoon politely pulled his hand out and told the younger man about the fortune teller's word, his full-of-misfortunes life, and his past twelve relationships.

 

"That's why I don't want to have any relationship again. Besides, a number thirteen is a sign of bad luck, isn't it? So, I'm sincerely sorry, but I think you should give up on me and find someone else who won't bring you nothing but bad luck."

"Hyung," Kyuhyun chuckled softly, "You should know that I don't have a word like giving up in my dictionary! Moreover, whether something is bad luck or not depending on how you view it. Give me a chance and I'll prove it to you!"

.

.

.

.

Of course, he turned Kyuhyun down again. However, the younger man still kept pursuing him. Every time Kyuhyun would tell him that he would prove it to Jongwoon that he was different from Jongwoon's past lovers. He was caught in a huge conflict. On one hand, he was scared that the fortune-telling would be real and Kyuhyun would leave him unable to love anyone again. On the other hand, he was very fond of Kyuhyun and his determination to win Jongwoon's heart.

 

"Hyung, give me a chance. I don't have any childhood friends or friends whom I might fall for. My family knows that I like men and they're cool with it, as long as my boyfriend is a good person which you are. Well, I'm quite religious myself but I still won't let it stop my heart from choosing what my heart wants. I like children and would love to have a kid or two, but I'm fine with adoption. My boss doesn't care who I date as long as I still get the job done. Changing my heart to another person? I think it's very unlikely because I have never met anyone who makes my heart flutter as you do. As for your misfortunes, as I said, it depends on how you look at it. See? I don't have any reason to leave you so give me a chance!"

 

 

Jongwoon finally gave in to Kyuhyun's persistence after listening to the same thing for two months. He told the younger man that he agreed to date him only because he wanted to have mercy on his ears. However, deep down he knew that he gave in because Kyuhyun's determination managed to destroy his wall and gave him hope again.

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Black_Lily
Happy New Year! Let's us E.L.F. and SUJU all stay healthy together 💙

Comments

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Taeyuriekimchj
#1
Chapter 3: kyaaaa, so sweet ~ i love it ♡♡♡♡
wayforrokkugo
#2
Chapter 3: omg this is adorableee i wish the happt couple the best of luck 😉
xoxo_exo_chanbaek
#3
Chapter 3: Aren’t they the cutest? But this is so funny at the same time, good thing there’s confident Kyuhyun.
I love KyuSung.
Liza_Blessedx2 #4
Chapter 3: Precious!!! My Kyusung heart is happy <3<3<3
mooncloud #5
Chapter 3: i love it!!! so thats why it was 13 relationships hahaha!
ninive
#6
Chapter 3: I was wondering who you'd add to make it 13, I thought it may be Zhoumi or something but it was a girl instead. I guess it made sense for the story and it's nice to see those classic ships back.
farrelandmerry
358 streak #7
Chapter 3: I LOVE THE ENDING~~~ <333333
Terry1502
#8
Chapter 2: Ahhhh still the best story from my favorite author!!!!! I love all the pampering yeye got~~~~
farrelandmerry
358 streak #9
Chapter 2: didn't realize it's not completed yet. and me being an idiot, forgot to subscribe. lucky me that I'm a stalker, I stalked your profile bwahahaha~

I thought you're going to post 3 stories with different title~

oh gosh I love you~ #starting to read