Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

 

There was something about Halloween day at school Yunho could not get enough of. 

 

Even when Halloween did not fall on a weekday, there was still something about how everyone treated each other at school. There was something even more amazing about Halloween being on a Friday or the weekend, and it was a Friday this year. 

 

Yunho could not remember the last time he truly enjoyed Halloween. He had a feeling this year would be different. 

 

There was this kind of charged feeling at school, and everyone was much nicer, happier, more giggly. He didn't even feel a type of way when Jaejoong ambushed him at his locker right before school started.

 

The light poke on his side came before he heard Soel’s voice. His heart skipped a beat, and he just did not understand why he cared. Jaejoong angled his head to the side and he made eye contact with Soel and Kimberli. He gave the girls a warm smile.

 

“Ooh, hey,” Soel said. Both her and Kimberli had a face full of paint. Soel was a bunny while Kimberli was a black cat. 

 

“Nice costumes,” Jaejoong said cheerily, pulling away from the lockers and flashing the two girls one of his most charming, sauvy smiles.

 

“Aah, thanks,” Soel said awkwardly, touching one of her bunny ears.

 

Jaejoong gave her another saccharine smile and looked at Kimberli and quickly took in her outfit. “A black cat. My favorite pet. Nice fit.” He was being too friendly and chummy, Yunho thought, feeling completely overwhelmed.

 

Kimberli shrugged, appearing completely nonchalant. She lifted the corner of her glossed lips and muttered, “Thanks.” 

 

Kimberli cleared and frowned, staring really hard at the beaming Jaejoong, as if she was trying to understand him. “You look nice, too. A 60’s look can never go wrong?”

 

Jaejoong laughed, it was warm, and shook his head. “Thanks, but no. It’s a 70’s look. I mean, it is supposed to be?” His smile dropped a notch, but as quick as it dimmed it was back and brighter.  

 

He was wearing high waisted black jeans, colorful high socks, black platform boots, and a black turtleneck over a colorful knitted cardigan vest.

 

“What? No!” The girls said at the same time. They shared a look and smiled at each other. 

 

“You look great,” Soel said with complete sincerity; she gave Jaejoong an appreciative look over.

 

“Thank you,” Jaejoong said in that voice, doing that thing with his lashes that was so overwhelmingly attractive, but Yunho knew he was completely unaware of how the small things he did were all so charming. Yunho knew that he knew that he was attractive, however, and that was the biggest issue he currently had with him.

 

Yunho felt his cheeks heating up even more. 

 

Clearing his throat, Yunho started, “You all look fine. I am going to—”

 

“No!” Soel said, interrupting him. She pointed her painted nail at him. “We all do, but not you?” Soel finished saying, leaning on Kimberli. She gave him a critical look.

 

“That’s what I said,” Jaejoong told her, trying to smother a chuckle; he smacked Yunho on the arm, taking him by surprise. He gave him a critical look and tried to pull away from him.

 

The girls’ eyes followed the motion, noticing how Jaejoong was basically hanging off Yunho’s shoulder. Soel unconsciously peeled herself off Kimberli.

 

Yunho hated that he was being put on the spot. His mind was running with what people might be thinking about as they saw them together. 

 

“I don’t like dressing up.”

 

“I asked him to just twin with me. Don’t you think a 70’s look would be nice on him?” He eyed him up and down, making Yunho grow hotter and more uncomfortable. “He already has the afro for the Disco era look.”

 

“That’s what you were going for?” Kimberli said, looking completely flabbergasted.

 

“No,” he said swiftly, laughing lightheartedly.  “The 70’s.”

 

“Okay,” Kimberli said, silently studying his costume again. “You look really nice,” Kimberli added, and Soel quietly nodded.

 

Yunho cleared his throat. “Are we done admiring each other?”

 

“Jealous?” Jaejoong asked, his tone lighthearted.

 

He grinned mockingly at Jaejoong. “Of you? Not in a million years.”

 

“Yeah, you are. It’s okay,” Jaejoong fired back, beaming cheekily at him.

 

Clearing his throat, Yunho quickly said, not able to put up with the heat, “See you girls at lunch. The outfits look nice.” 

 

The hallway was getting more crowded.

 

Yunho wished this conversation would be over and this assembly could disassemble. He really wished he had never allowed Jaejoong to concern him at his locker while he was trying to find the psychic textbook he would need and the homework stuck inside it he hadn’t completed last night that he wanted to do during his morning class.

 

Kimberli gave him a look that was between confusion, interest, and awkwardness. “Right. We’ll see you guys later.”

 

“You should see what Changmin is wearing,” Soel said, smiling brightly at them.

 

“Yeah. I’ll look forward to seeing him at lunch.”

 

The girls smiled that tense, awkward smile again. Soel linked arms with Kimberli and pulled her after her and she gave them a little wave on her way down the hall.

 

Yunho closed his locker and opened his mouth to excuse himself from Jaejoong’s presence when he grabbed his arm and said, “Stop it right there, young fella; what was that?”

 

“What?”

 

“I hate when you do this.”

 

“What?”

 

He sighed loudly. “Everyone knows we’re on good terms, Yunho.”

 

“Of course, I know that.” He nodded and pulled back, loosening Jaejoong’s hold. 

 

Jaejoong frowned at him moving away from him. “Then stop acting weird at us being together.”

 

“I’m not.”

 

“You’re lying,” Jaejoong said matter of fact. Yunho grimaced.

 

“Bro., no one cares if we’re friends again.”

 

“No.” Yunho hissed, “But there are some rumors I don’t want to reemerge.”

 

Jaejoong bit his bottom lip, held his stomach, and laughed. “Yunho, no one thinks you’re gay, or even remembers.”

 

“The MeadowSecret post about me was only last month.”

 

“No one visits that ty blog.”

 

 “If by no one you mean the whole town, then yes.” Looking away from Jaejoong,he muttered, “I have to head to class. Don’t want to be late.”

 

Jaejoong grabbed his arm again, mid turn this time. “Yunho, bro., chill. I—”

 

“Jaejoong!” 

 

Jaejoong jumped and released Yunho’s arm. He looked up to see four of his friends. Jaehyun was there. Yunho tried to control himself. He refused to even give him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze.

 

Jaejoong gave them an open, easy-going smile and waved.

 

“What are you doing standing in the hall? You’re going to be late, bro..” Jaehyun said with a cheeky grin. He detached himself from his friends and walked up next to Jaejoong and threw his arm around his neck. He was gripping him so tightly, it was like his arm was a vine and he wanted to steal Jaejoong’s oxygen.

 

With that dark look in his and his mean smile, Yunho didn’t doubt that he would do that if could.

 

What was his issue, Yunho wondered? He wanted to disappear.

 

“My human clock is here,” Jaejoong muttered good naturedly. 

 

Jaehyun gave him a saucy look. “If I don’t remind you, I know you’ll be late. Can you afford another tardy?” He arched an eyebrow, appearing completely cocky. He looked away from Jaejoong to stare straight at Yunho, completely unabashed and without a trace of humor on his face.

 

“Thanks for the heads-up, Jaehyun.”

 

“Just doing my part as a great friend.”

 

Yunho couldn’t hold it in anymore, he let out the snort.

 

“You okay, newbie?” Jaehyun said.

 

Jaejoong rolled his eyes. Yunho couldn’t tell if that was just their thing or if Jaejoong was trying to refrain from letting his annoyance shine through.

 

Yunho had nothing to hide and let his aggravation shine through, proudly and visibly. “Thanks for checking on me, buddy. It’s nice to know I can count on you, since we’re both outsiders here.”

 

His grip on Jaejoong tightened. “Huh? I think you’re the—”

 

“Shut up, Jaehyun.” Jaejoong pushed him off. He never broke eye contact with Yunho who felt his stubborn streak coming through and was not going to be the first one of the two to look away.

 

“Come, let’s get a move on, bro., we’re really going to be late,” Junsu said in annoyance.

 

“Right.”  Jaejoong gave Yunho a nervous look. Yunho felt his heart sinking. He gave Jaejoong a warning look. 

 

“Almost forgot, everyone, this is Yunho.” 

 

The four teens nodded, staring openly at Yunho as if this was their first time meeting him.

 

“Jaejoong, you don’t have to. We’ve already made each other’s acquaintances,” Jaehyun said with a hard smile.

 

Yunho gave him a terse look. Jaehyun returned the look with an innocuous smile.

 

“Okay. Cool,” Jaejoong said, sounding very pleased.

 

Yunho wondered if he was this dense or if he was ignoring the animosity between them.

 

How come he couldn’t see his friends were leeches and Jaehyun hated his guts and was a homophobic ?

 

“You know, I have to say it’s nice that you two Musketeers are back together again?” Jaehyun said sardonically what should have been a statement but ended it with a loud question mark.

 

“Yeah. We’re cool,” Jaejoong said with a soft smile, rolling his large shoulders.

 

“Cool,” Jaehyun said, eyes dark and voice devoid of nothing but platitudes.

 

“Nice to formally meet you, Yunho—again—but we are going to be late if we don’t get a move on. If I’m tardy one more time, my mom is going to ground me. I have a big date for Hallow’s Eve I can’t miss,” Kentaro said animatedly.

 

“I keep on forgetting how hard it is for you to get girls to look in your direction,” Jaehyun teased, smacking his friend on the back. 

 

“I never forget that I am much better looking than you, -wipe,” Kentaro shot back, hollering as Jaehyun made a face and jabbed him on the side.

 

And without excusing himself, he started making his way toward his class with a loud Kentaro.

 

Jaejoong looked away from them and said to Yunho, “See you later.”

 

Yunho nodded silently.

 

“Remember, you can always join us at lunch.”

 

Yunho simply waved at him and turned around, rushing to class and hoping he’d never have to talk with Jaejoong’s friends ever again.

 

Yunho could not believe there was a time when he was in the ‘popular’ crowd.

 

He used to be in the interfold of this dog-eat-dog crowd. He could not believe there was a time when he was an extension of Jaejoong.

 

He shuddered at the thought.

 

—----

 

“You look amazing,” his grandmother said, smoothing his lapel one more time.

 

“You have said that a million time already.”

 

She chuckled, stepped back and gave him a good look. “I’ll never stop saying it. I can’t believe that I am having this privilege of seeing you going to high school dances.” She paused and sniffed.

 

Yunho’s heart melted.

 

“Momma, we still have homecoming and prom next year.”

 

“But this is my first Hallow’s Eve dance.” She pulled him in a hug, squeezing the air out of him.

 

“Jinae, let him go. You’re ruining the boy’s suit,” Poppa said, walking in the living room. Following behind him was his father. 

 

Yunho frowned and gave his momma a searching look.

 

She said in a low voice, verging on whispering, “Your dad wanted to come over and send you off.”

 

He sighed. “It’s only the autumn fest dance, it’s not even homecoming or prom.”

 

“Yes, we know!” Poppa said, laughing. He reached for the camera and told his father, “Go stand next to the boy. We need to snap some pictures of you two together.”

 

Yunho wanted to die.

 

“Put your mask on, dear,” his momma told him, handing him his discarded mask. 

 

Looking at the mask, he started to rethink his decision to go to the dance. Why must it be a masquerade? It was a Hallow’s Eve fest. He could not understand what the student body was thinking by not simply hosting a costume dance given it was an autumn fest dance with a Halloween theme.

 

Yunho wished he hadn’t agreed to let Changmin pick him up; otherwise, he would have been gone by now. 

 

It felt like an hour of pure embarrassment as he stood in weird positions letting his grandparents and father take pictures of him before he saw Changmin’s headlights coming up the long driveway.

 

His father had lent him the family’s car and he had decided to pick up all of them for the dance. They couldn’t refuse, so he had threatened them during lunch.

 

Author’s Note: Hello all! How is everyone?

I've been doing well.

I have been having a lot of fun working on this story and I hope that everyone that is reading is also having fun, too.

As I've been off AFF and out of the YJ fandom for a while now, I am aware that it is much quieter here than when I left it; still, I have just been having a blast working on something YJ related, because it's taking me back to when I was in high school and was so deep in the fandom. I miss the pure joy fanfics used to bring me.

2022 is a year of getting back into the things that used to bring me joy and focusing only on the positive.

So, how is everyone's 2022 so far and what are some things you all find yourselves missing and going back into?

As always, thank you for reading.

Leave a comment or PM if you want to communicate.