Chapter thirty: Birthday evening

Jaejoong and I stand there patiently at the back of the small set up stage while my father addresses his warm welcomes to those attending the party. We have our arms linked with each other like how Appa did when he was walking me to Jaejoong on the day we got ‘married.’ The speech isn’t short either, and the amount of people sitting there at their tables watching us is daunting. It’s also rather tiring, we have to try and smile the whole time because of the cameras flashing and obviously looking happy about the event.

“Jaejoong, does your mouth hurt?” I mumble through my smiling teeth.

“I haven’t been fully smiling the whole time because I’m attractive no matter what I do.” He also mumbles through his smiling teeth.

After what felt like ages, and no the speech thing isn’t over yet… Appa formally addresses Jaejoong and I to stand beside him. “What makes my birthday even special this year, is the fact that my daughter is here to celebrate with me. We’ve been searching, and searching but we never gave up and I’d like to publicly show my gratitude to the special person that helped me find her at the end of the evening! So a little surprise.” He brightly says, laughing. I smile back.

My father, still smiling as bright as ever grabs hold of one my hands then Jaejoong’s, before placing them on top of each other. “Though the time my daughter living with me was short, and I wasn’t able to bond with her a lot, I’m glad to let Jaejoong take care of her!” He turns to stare at me again, “You weren’t the Ahn Ka Eun for a long time, and you are already Kim Ka Eun!” The crowd claps loudly and cheers and this is when Jaejoong approaches from the side and bows to Appa, “It’s my pleasure too.” He lies before grabbing hold of my hands, staring at me in the eye.

“This is gross but I’m going to have to peck you.” He whispers, before leaning into me, marking the territory of contamination on the corner of my lip.

“I’m glad, now let us start the dinner!”

*

 “You ate so much it’s so embarrassing to look at Piggy Eun.” Jaejoong whispers into my ear, sending me shivers down my spine. He’s so scary and weird I swear.

“Why do you have to talk like this, our parents are having fun in the middle socialising with the guests since it’s after dinner. Can’t you just be normal?”

“I guess, but I just had this weird thought that you’d like it more when I talked the other way.” He winks. I scoff and take out my phone, considering whether or not I should play some games or is that considered a commoner act, I don’t know.

“Omo!” Jaejoong exclaims.

“What.”

“You know how I said I had twenty four thousand followers on Instagram? I just realised its two hundred and forty thousand nine hundred and ninety three, to be exact.” I scroll my screen side to side, pretending to do something, “Yeah, yeah you’re so popular and fabulous.”

“Yeah baby, by the way let’s take a selca together and I’ll post it on my Instagram, and tag you in it and like promote you.”

“I don’t have that less, when I checked this morning I actually had six thousand, nor bad right?”

“Your numbers compared to mine! How awkward, it’s like Kim Jaejoong married some unpopular wife.”

“Whatever, I’m not taking a selca with you because I’m not photogenic stop annoying me.” Jaejoong tries to act cute by pouting and continuously tugging onto my arm, “Ka Eun, take one with me!” He repeats.

“Oh my god, go away don’t touch my bare skin.”

“You won’t be saying that when I touch your bare skin elsewhere with my- I mean Ka Eun you look so pretty tonight let’s take one I mean I’m sure mine as well as your little fans would be happy to see us updating our double lives right?!”

“It’s not double if they don’t know what we do at home and how we really communicate with each other Jaejoong.” He stares at me with his mystical eyes again, the expression that makes me feel nervous and scared. “FINE OKAY, happy?”

“Yeah took a while.” He says, rolling his eyes and rotating his camera towards our faces whilst it’s still on his lap. I look down and stare at myself from that angle, oh my goodness nightmare for ten years. Jaejoong takes a quick snap and chuckles, “Nice double chin you got there.”

“What the hell?! You even purposely placed the phone closer towards me so you can barely see your own face!”

“You got me. Too funny, I’m keeping this forever.”

“Just don’t bribe me with it.” He doesn’t say anything and just smirks and raises the phone in front of our faces. He starts to fiddle with his fringe and I don’t know why but the fact that he’s so ‘oh my god my hair’ annoys me and takes away all masculinity he has, not that he has much. Jaejoong raises the phone to a slightly higher angle, “This shot looks nice, don’t you think? Now pose!”

I naturally make the Asian peace sign.

“Ka Eun! This photo of me looks so good but you completely ruined it with that stupid pose!” He whinges, “Oh my goodness shut up