21ST CENTURY

YUNHO POV
 

It has already been 15 days 12 hours and 36 minutes, and yet no progress is shown by Changmin. I am desperate, really desperate of calling Changmin back to me. I don’t care about myself anymore, all I know, Changmin have to wake up before tomorrow. Or, the doctor team will take away his oxygen and declares his death. Nurses and friends, all have been saying that I look like in mess ever since they told me the news. I knew the fact better than anyone else, if the patient didn’t show any more sign of brain activity, then it’s the same as saying that he’s gone. I let my moustache and beard grows, didn’t have enough time to shave, and don’t even mention about my house, take outs are piling up on the table. It’s amazing I was still able to feed Mandong consider the mess I already in. Today is another day of me sitting here besides his bed, holding his hand.

“Min-ah….do you have a good dream? Is that why you don’t want to wake up?”

I caress his pale cheeks gently. Aside of the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth, the iv drip on his left arm, supplying glucose for his nutrient, the machine’s wire that indicate his heartbeat and blood pressure that were paste on his chest underneath the hospital gown, Changmin looks perfectly fine. There will be time where I see him smiles in his sleeps, even sweating. But I brushed that off, maybe it just my hallucination since I miss him too much. I tried again, calling for him.

“Min…now that you are laying here, it’s reminds me of the first night I met you. Don’t you remember? You are full of blood and huge wound on your stomach. You look so pale, and I brought you home…do you remember…”

If calling the past make him want to return to me, I will do anything, I will keep reminiscing the past. Just please, let him back to me.
 

“Min…our home…it’s empty without you Min…our princess…is waiting for his umma to come back…don’t you want to come back Min? Come back to me, come back to our princess, come back to our home, our life…please Min. I miss you…I miss you so much that no words in this world that can describe how I feel about you,”   and I hold his right hand, and keep placing soft kisses all over, hoping that this small gestures, small affection can call him to me. Without realizing what I was doing a hand placed on my shoulder. Turns out it belongs to Jaejoong. I look at him helpless and let my tears rolling down my face.

“Be strong Yunho-ah…you are crying like this, you are burdening Changmin’s heart…”

I carve a small smile for him and I look back at my love. Kim Jaejoong, the one that cause my love one in this state. But I couldn’t blame him for that. It was their job, and risking their life every day, catching criminal to obtain justice is what they do. Risking life occupation, couldn’t he choose a different kind of work?

Why does it’s always has to be end up with gunshot and fighting?

“Go home, Yunho-ah…get yourself clean up, shaves a bit will you? You looked like a beggar….

eat something and take some sleep…” he continues and I shook my head.

“I want to be here when he wakes up,”
 

“Do you seriously think that he want to meet you in this condition?” he asked back, glaring for a bit.

“Just go home Yunho…take some rest before coming back. I will take care of Changmin. Changmin might scold you if he wakes up and see you in mess like this. Go home okay. If he wakes up, I will definitely give you a call,”   and with that, I can’t say no ever again. Jaejoong is serious with his decision and I know better. Changmin wouldn’t wakes up just like that.

End Yunho's POV

Joseon era

Next day, the wedding day, inside Young Ho’s chamber.

“Whoah~ you look really handsome, Young Ho. A perfect groom.”

Changmin commented as he eyed Young ho from head to toe. Changmin passed by three lady maids when he was about to enter that room, seemed like Young ho already finished dressed into their traditional hanbok wore during a wedding ceremony. Young ho only stayed quiet and finally exchanged a sad smile to Changmin. Changmin help straighten the tied on his belt.

“Your family must have been proud of you.”

“Changmin-ah, do you think…I’m doing the right thing?” Changmin looked up to face Young ho.

“Why do you ask that?”

“Well… right now I’m feeling heavy all over my body and my limps feel like coming off any time now.” Changmin chuckled a bit over Young ho’s whine.

“Want me to rub it for you then?” Changmin chuckled even more before smack his back once.

“Relax, it’s not like you’re sentencing to death. It’s just a wedding Young ho, it’s not like anyone is going to die because of this. It’s not a bad decision to get marry. You’re doing a right thing. And besides, a Jung’s never been wrong in making a decision.”

Changmin smiled silently as he remembered when he was told that and by whom.

Flash back

“Yunho, are you sure this is the right way? Because I seriously think we are lost. We’ve been going around and around for awhile now.”

Changmin sighed for the n^th time that day. It was Yunho’s idea to go on hiking somewhere at Jinan for that particular weekend instead of staying home and sleep through of the day. Yunho’s idea of going for an adventurous date, somehow they ended up being lost along the way up to the hill.

“Don’t worry Minnie, a Jung’s is always right, trust me. I know the way around here, besides I’ve been here before.”

Yunho smiled assuringly, he extended his hand to help Changmin up, as Changmin take it rebelliously.

“I do trust you and for that, I hate myself. I don’t think trusting you would be a right thing to do now. Are you even sure this is the right way?” Changmin protested.

“Of course I am. Hahahaha….” He laughed it off awkwardly, trying to regain back his confidence in leading the way, which clearly they had lost.

Then a ranger passed by, making both of them sighed in relieved, Changmin mostly. “See, there are other people than us here. Let ask him for a direction.” Yunho smiled innocently as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘Typical Yunho, never admitted that we got lost.’ Changmin thought to himself.

End Flashback

“Changmin.”

“Changmin-ah, are you still here?”

Changmin snapped out of his thought as he saw Young Ho waving his hand right in front of his face. He captured the hand firmly, immobilized its movement. Young ho’s weak attempt in snapping him out of his trance.

“Yeah, I’m here. You can stop doing that.”

Changmin put up a smile as he distanced himself away from Young Ho and headed toward the door.

“You should get going, your guests are arriving and our father requested that you greet them properly.”

Young Ho didn’t protest and let Changmin lead him to the main door. As soon as Changmin opened the door, he was greeted by a familiar face that he met yesterday, the one that he mercilessly left with a bruised cheek on his handsome cheek. The bratty lord from the other day.

“You again. What are you doing here?” Changmin lets out his surprised.

“Coming to the Jung’s wedding of course. And I guess I got lucky enough to see you again. We have a debt to settle so you’re coming with me.”

He smirks as he grabbed onto Changmin’s wrist firmly pulling him closer.

“Get your hand off me. I will not hesitate to hurt you again you know.”

Changmin tried to pull his hand off him but the latter seem to hold him a lot more stronger than he thought.

“What are you two doing?”

Young Ho asks as he approaching the two standing in front of the door, blocking his way. He looks at the new person greets him, certainly a face he would only be seen once in a full moon. To have a Lee visiting his resident just for this occasion put a smirk plastered all over his face. They had always been known as worst nemesis, competing with one another’s family ever since their ancestors.

“Seong Joon, didn’t expect to see you here. You don’t really attend to such occasion like this? Why? Is my wedding that great to be grace by your presence? Or is it for something else.”

Young Ho noticed the hold on Changmin and wasn’t that please to see that.

“But before that, would you mind letting him go first?”

He pulls Changmin back to him, causing the boy to yelp, surprise by the sudden force on him.

Seong Joon couldn’t help but to be amused by the whole situation. How did he end up attending to his enemy’s wedding? An occasion for a celebration and an obvious way of the Jung’s way of strengthen their political position. Then here he is, in the middle of witnessing the whole thing, just cause of a mere servant. A servant that dare to hit him.

“Congratulation Jung, on your wedding. I’m pretty sure I have to say something like that since it’s your wedding, but you’re right. I have something else in mind. That servant of your, owes me something, so I want it back. So can you give him to me?”

Young Ho smirked in return, somehow he felt challenged.

“And exactly what’s in your mind that make you think I would hand him over to you just like that? He’s mine and he’s not going anywhere.”

Both of them felt equally challenged with one another. A solution should be made and both had exactly the same idea in mind. A duel.     

Changmin sighed, letting out his frustration that has been building up way inside of him for awhile now.

“EXACTLY WHAT WAS IT IN YOUR MIND!?!”

Another sigh was heard and the other man didn’t respond to the high pitch screaming of his, he was getting used to it being screamed at. 

“Mind telling me exactly why you have to do this? It’s your wedding for god sake, you can’t just postpone it to later just because of a silly duel between the two of you.”

Changmin was complaining, but it didn’t stop the fact that he was in the middle of helping Young Ho wearing his armor, preparing for a sword fight.

“Changmin, it’s not silly. If I lose, I’m gonna lost you to him. And I can’t have that.”

Changmin heaved out another round of loud sigh. If words not going through his thick head, then maybe a fist will do. He smacked Young Ho’s head once with his hand, causing a loud ‘bang’ heard in the room.

“Pabo! You should straighten up yourself to become a descent man, not a childish brat. You’re about to start a family of your own and probably replacing your father’s position in this Great Joseon and yet you’re still acting like this. Keep doing this and the next thing you’ll be meeting with the head of my sword.” Changmin threaten, or more like a nag.

Young Ho could only laugh over it when he rubbed the part where Changmin just hit, it hurt a bit but somehow he couldn’t help himself but to laugh it out.

“Oh-ho, and now you’re laughing? What? Something amused you?” Changmin asked in a cold tone, displeased.

“Ani, the part where you hit really hurt, I think a bump will showed in a day or two. But I really like this feeling. For once, I really felt like someone really cares about me enough to be scolding me like these.” He continued smiling, and that somehow creep the other.

“You’re weird, Jung Young Ho.”

“Begin.”

The duel between those two turned out to be anticipated by the crowd way better than expected. Everyone who was supposed to be witnessing the wedding gathered around the battle arena, excited to see the match. Nobody seemed to know the real deal between those two, they thought it was sort of show being put on, in honor of marrying the Kim’s daughter. Everyone were clapping their hands and cheering for either one of the opponents, some on the Jung’s while other for the Lee’s. Changmin was only able to watch it from aside.

Flashback (right before the match started)

“Let’s just stop this, why are you so determine in taking me away? Is it because of that?”

Changmin pointed at the bruised eye that he made on the other guy. Somehow, Changmin decided to take the matter into his hand and pay a visit to the changing room where Lee Seong Joon was putting on his armor. Changmin didn’t really get it, what’s the point of doing such worthless thing? A match over a servant?

“If it’s revenge that you seek then let’s just settle thing between us, not involving the Jung as well.”

The young lord showed his charming smile and approached Changmin closer, before his finger slowly starts tracing Changmin’s jaw line.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Another smile plastered on his face. Changmin slapped his hand away, not comfortable being touched by the other.

“Man only going all out when it comes to two things, the first one is power and the second one is love.” This time he cups Changmin’s face and brings him closer, just a few more inches distance between them, with Changmin’s hands right on his chest, ready to push him if he dares to make another move.

“And the reason for this right now, is definitely not the first one.” 

And there, he dropped the bomb there, a sudden confession to Changmin, leaving a frozen Changmin before he snapped, pushing the body away from his harshly.

“What?!! You?” His jaw drops.

“That….that’s just wrong. What did I ever do to deserve such attention coming from you?” 

Seong Joon let out a chuckle, he was fairly amused by the reaction he received over his sudden confession. Well, it’s not like he expected the boy to accept it, those kind of reaction would had crossed in his mind. He just needed to come up with an explainable way to make the boy understand.

“Well for a starter, you’re the first to ever talk back to me like that. You even dare to throw a punch at me. You’re really something.”

“That’s it? Then if I go around telling people that Lee Seong Joon wants to be hit, you can get all the people come to you and hit you. Not a good enough reason, now stop this childish bet.”

“You haven’t listened to my second reason.”

“I saw how you were really nice to that kid. You treated the kid fair, without being discriminated of what he did or whether he was from a noble family or not. You seemed like you understand people really well. It was then I though… ‘ah…if I was going to have someone by my side, I want him to be able to listen to me and understand me well’, just like you.”

Changmin sighed, why is this person being so difficult?

“Then all you need is a friend. That’s all right? The reasons? Now leave.” Changmin is being stern with his stand, he’s never going to go with this guy.

“But it is still you that I want.” He stopped Changmin from leaving by holding onto his wrist.

“Do whatever you want, even if somehow Young Ho lost, I wouldn’t go to you. My heart belongs to someone else already, someone far away from here.” Changmin gives up on stopping this stupid match.

End Flashback (back to the match)

Changmin bites his lips nervously. He worries. ‘Aish!!! Why are they so reckless?!’

He was focusing on the match when out of a sudden, he sensed a tense atmosphere, something warning him that there was murder aura somewhere nearby. His senses alert him. He looked around the arena and spotted the source of his worries right on the roof, having a bow and an arrow aimed right on Young Ho on the arena.

‘Sure enough, how could I forget? Kyung and the gang are still at loose. So it is Young Ho their aim, I gotta stop this.’

Changmin didn’t give much thought about it, or how he was going to stop the attempt. The match between the two was getting more intense as time grew by. Both were getting violence in each wail of their swords. There was a moment when both of them were panting hard, but eyes were still filled with fire, refusing to give up. It was then the arrow was released, aimed right to Young Ho’s chest, the exact moment when Changmin threw himself in front of him, using his body as a shield, allowing the arrow to penetrate through his body.

Blood was flowing out of his body, while he slowly felt weak, feeling his legs to weary to hold onto his weight anymore. He would definitely hit directly to the floor if Young Ho wasn’t there, supporting him from fall. He wrapped his arms around him, taken aback with what just happen right in front of him.

“Chang…changmin. Why?”

“WHY!!!”

“cry….baby.” Changmin tried to smile although he was holding the pain when he saw a tear slips off from Young Ho.

“We got to get you to a doctor.”

He was going to carry Changmin but Changmin stopped him.

“I don’t think I’m going to make it. The arrow had poison on it. Listen to what I have to say first.” Changmin tried to take a deep breath, he was bearing the pain as well as trying to compose his words. “You have to continue your life, and be a great leader. I know you will. Don’t be too depressed about your life, you can’t choose which family to be born into but you can always choose how you’re gonna live your life. Don’t let me down, and love your wife, she deserves it. Don’t waste it on someone who can never return it back. You understand what I’m saying, right?” Changmin’s grip on Young Ho’s hand was slowly loosening as more blood oozed out from him. Blood spitted out from him as well, his internal organ was damaged.

“I…I’m tired. I think I’m going far away, far from here. Live well, Jung Young Ho.”

He closed his eyes as he felt really warm around him, Young Ho’s embrace is really warm. A pool of blood formed around them as Changmin’s heart beat was getting slow, and slower by the minutes.

“Changmin….Changmin no. No!!!!!”

Young Ho screamed out his frustrating as he held the body that was gradually getting cold.

Back to the presence

“Changmin”

“Come on baby, you can do it.”

“Open your eyes Minnie.”

Changmin slowly opens his heavy eye lids, somehow it felt so hard but he has to do it. The first thing he saw was Yunho’s worried plus happy face in front of him. He had a tear in his eyes, probably he was crying before. Changmin hand’s felt warm, Yunho was holding onto it.

“Welcome back, beautiful.” Yunho greets him as he places a soft kiss on the hand he was holding.

“Don’t…..call….me…..beautiful…..stupid….Yunho.”

The patient tries to speak but his voice betrayed him, refusing to come out smoothly like it used to. He looks elsewhere, although he just awake, his conscience never fails him.

“Wa…ter.” He felt sharp pierce down his throats, which Yunho quickly understood and hand him a glass. He took it gratefully and drank it all in one go. Finally felt a bit better.

“How long was I out?” He asks, once he was well aware of his surroundings.

 “Two weeks and two days. That’s how long. You scared me Min. I thought I lost you back then.” Yunho hugged him carefully, he didn’t want to cause any pain to the patient. He was deeply grateful, Changmin woke up and for the fact that he didn’t see him in his worst state. He wore clean cloth that day and had shaved up his facial hair, making him looked stunning again. Jaejoong was right for once, Changmin would scold him if he saw him in that state. They stayed that way for awhile until Yunho finally decided to let him go. Changmin felt a bit guilty causing the other worried. He pecked the other lips, his way of saying sorry.

“It’s weird.”

“What weird Min?” Yunho asks as he’s peeling of the apples for him. Changmin was complaining that he’s hungry earlier.

“Although I haven’t seen you that long, it felt like I’ve seen you every day. But….in a different world. In Joseon era, I think?” Yunho lets out a chuckle, how could that be? But there was some truth behind those words, he did come to visit Changmin every day.

Changmin laughed over the older’s reaction as well, but then he noticed something else was missing on his finger.

“My ring, did I lose it?”

Yunho put down the knife on his hand along with the half peeled apple. He took a case out of his pocket. A red velvet case which have his ring in it. He intertwined their fingers together before he finally put on the ring on Changmin’s ring finger again, right where it supposed to be.

“You’re mine again, Min. Don’t ever forget that. Don’t ever pull a stunt like that ever again. Even if you get shot next time, don’t die. I’ll just save you all over again. So…please, don’t die on me like that ever again.”

Changmin knew Yunho was referring to the time when he was shot because of saving his partner but somehow he couldn’t shrugged the feeling like Yunho had just continued where Young Ho had left off. He let of his sigh of relieved, glad to finally back to where he should be. The IV drip on his left hand made it hard for him to move, but he still lift his hand and caressed Yunho’s face.

“I won’t go anywhere, I’ll be here, right with you.” Yunho intertwined their fingers together, his overwhelmed that Min was back with him. Changmin’s presence seemed so real to him. The cute doe eyes portraying his innocent although there wasn’t much left, those pointy pair of ears which very much reminding him to a fawn. Shim Changmin, the boy he loved with all his heart is back to him. And he couldn’t thank enough for that.