CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

As four o’clock was approaching, Jaejoong was getting more and more worried. He knew _____ would be at the SPA since she was already getting ready. He knew _____ would be there because she was getting ready in the bathroom. He knew Yunho would be there. He better be or else…he thought. What or more precisely who concerned him most was Kara. Anxiously pacing back and forth the room he decided that he could no longer just leave the odds of Kara’s attendance to fate.

“_____ I’ll see you later at the SPA.” He cried through the bathroom door and quickly left their bungalow. He rapidly made his way to his neighbor.

“Kara! Kara! It’s Jaejoong! Are you there?” He knocked loudly on Kara’s door however there was no reply. “Kaa~raa~” he kept saying. “I know you’re there. I heard the TV on. Kaa~raa~” but no matter how much he called out and knocked on the door there was no reply. “Kara Kara Kara Kara Kara” he continually repeated until the door finally open to show a angry irritated Kara.

“What do you want?” She asked through gritted teeth.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you getting ready? Is that what you are going to wear to your SPA date with Yunho? Seriously?” Jaejoong asks at her as he looks at her from head to toe. “I mean, sure we all want to look y but to wear a bikini for a SPA date?”

“I.am.not.going.out.with.Yunho. I’m going to the beach.” She says slowly. “Do you not understand Korean?” She asks. “Want me to tell it to you in Japanese?”

“Why are you so mean to me? I just want to help you and my friend get together. I think you would look perfect together.” He pouted at her only to receive a raised eyebrow from her.

“Look, I appreciate your concern, although I totally don't understand it but me and Yunho, not gonna happen.” She says and pushes him aside and makes her way to the beach.

“How do you know it won’t happen? You haven’t even given it a shot.” He continues to follow and nag her to come to the SPA. Time kept running and she kept saying no, four o’clock was approaching. What was he to do?” Extreme times call for extreme measures

“Kara, come on. You have to help me…it’s..it’s” he stopped her walking made her face him and took her hands in his. “Yunho is…is…I just wanted to grant his last wish…” He says and looks devastated. “I just wanted for him to experience love before his time…his time runs out.” his voice croaks. He lets go of her hands and releases a sob.

“And the actor award goes to…Kim Jaejoong!” Changmin says and claps from behind them.

“Hi Changmin.” Kara greets the new arrival.

“Hi Kara.” Changmin flashes her a quick smile before turning back to his hyung.

“Hyung, stop worrying about your dying best friend.” He said sarcastically. “And start worrying about _____ and Yunho spending a romantic couple spa date.” He teased. “I just came out from the SPA and I saw Yunho and _____ talking by themselves…they looked so cute!” He teased his hyung. “So you see..even if you make Yunho go out with Kara, it would be totally useless.”

A few seconds in silence passed before Jaejoong sprinted to the SPA, Changmin could but laugh at the look his hyung had when he realized what he was implying.

“What just happened?” Kara looked at the retreating figure of Jaejoong.

“Oh don’t worry about it. Hyung is just jealous. It’s amusing.” He giggled. “Oh don't look so worried. Yunhp hyung isn't really dying but he might die because of Jaejoong. hahaha. Come let’s go eat some icecream.” He grabbed her had and led her to a food stall.

“I can’t eat ice cream. I’m wearing a freaking bikini. What about my figure.” She protests though willingly lets herself be led away.

“Your figure’s smashing.” He says, he then turns to the vendor and asked fro two popsicles.

“Good answer.” She laughed. “Or else you would be dead meat.” She said and took the popsicle Changmin handed her. “Why is Jaejoong jealous anyways? Why does he want to set me up with Yunho. I mean…he looks nice and all but Jaejoong totally set me up with the wrong friend.” Kara said as she took the popsicle from Changmin.

“Oh, you wanted to be set up with me?” Changmin said and on his popsicle.

“mmmm…this popsicle is awesome!” She said and smiled at him.

-at the SPA-

“Excuse me, Miss, sir.” A SPA attendant interrupted _____ and Yunho’s conversation. “You are here for the Couple SPA therapy right? We should start, if we wait for the other couple more, the therapy will be rushed.”

 Five o’clock was approaching and there was no sign of either Jaejoong or Kara.

“Ok then” _____ said as she stood up from the single seater sofa and looked at Yunho. “Let’s go honey. I  wanna have a nice relaxing SPA.” _____ teased Yunho and helped him to his feet.

“Sure honey. Anything you want.” Yunho cooed back at her and draped an arm around her shoulder as the two of them laughed.

“What a nice couple. What a nice happy couple.” The attendant observed.

“A-HEM!” Jaejoong loudly cleared his throat and shoved himself between _____ and Jaejoong. “They’re not a couple. Hello!” Jaejoong told the attendant. “Do you really think they suit each other? I mean…come on!” Jaejoong said as he tried to reason out with the attendant.

While Jaejoong was still arguing about how _____ and Yunho did not suit each other, _____ felt her phone vibrate in her bag, she fished it out to find a call.

“_____, tell them you and Yunho aren't a couple.”

“We’re not a couple.” _____ replies nonchalantly as she ends the call and returns her phone in her bag. “I have to go to the nursery. Yumi is throwing a tantrum. Have to go check on her.” _____ says and leaves the two men behind.

“_____~” Jaejoong calls after her.

“So…are you two the couple for the spa therapy?” the attendant asks pointing at the two of them irritated. She was just giving a compliment to the two people she believed to be a couple and in return all she gets is a long sermon from this pretty man. Jaejoong and Yunho were looking at the attendant toally confused from where that question came from. “Don’t worry sir, we are very discreet. And we are very open. We do not think that a couple SPA should only be between a man and a woman.”

“I…no thank you.” Jaejong replies embarrassed. “I’ll just be going…”

“Sir, we don’t give refunds, the SPA is ready it would be a shame not to use it.” The attendant replied.

“I’ll call Changmin, I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to have a couple SPA therapy with us honey.” Yunho tells Jaejoong.

Jaejoong smiles at the attendant and pulls Yunho away for a few. “I am not gay!”

“Neither am I. I just thought, what the hell…I had a hard weekend, I wouldn’t mind a nice SPA therapy, especially if I’m not the one who paid for it.” Yunho says and proceeds to make a call. A few minutes later, Changmin and Kara walk in the SPA building together and in they go for a relaxing SPA therapy. Well, it was relaxing at least for Changmin and Kara.

After a relaxing massage with aphrodisiac oil which does not only send your sense of smell in another world but also loosens your body and relaxes you, Yunho and Jaejoong were now given a chance to bond in a private room with some aphrodisiac delicacies and some aromatic candles.

Jaejoong sighed at the sight around him. _____ and I could be enjoying this.

“I thought you supported the idea of _____ and me together.” Yunho said as he took a sip of the champagne.

“What?” Jaejoong asked snapping out of his daydreaming.

“You said ‘_____ and I could be enjoying this.’ I thought you were giving way for _____ and me.” He said and ate an oyster.

“You really like her?” Jaejoong asked with a small hint of sadness in his voice.

“Do you really want to know?”

“No.” Jaejoong said and after a few minutes he added “Don’t you like Kara? Aren’t you jealous she’s with Changmin. That they are now eating and drinking and smelling all these aphrodisiac-y things?” Jaejoong asked as he waved a hand around the room.

“Do you really want to know the answer to that?” Yunho asks coyly as he eats another oyster. “Woah! This aphrodisiac filled afternoon is kinda I think.”

“Ok. Enough oysters for you mister.” Jaejoong said ash he distances the oyster platter from Yunho. “You seem to have eaten enough aphrodisiacs.”

“Oh well, I’m full enough anyways. Time for me to go. Hmmm…Where could _____ be?” Yunho wondered aloud.

And a few seconds later, Yunho saw an oyster shell fly by his head as he made his way to the door.

“WOW. I think these oysters are alive! They fly!” Jaejoong exclaimed innocently.

-that evening-

“Jaejoong let’s go! We have dinner reservations. Come on! I even had to put make-up and I finished preparing myself before you? Come on!” _____ said through the bathroom door.

“Well I’m sorry if I wanted to look good.” Jaejoong told her as he opened the bathroom door.

“Well…at least the extra 20 minutes it took you to look good was effective. You look awesome.” _____ said as she adjusted his tie.

Jaejoong made reservations at the fanciest restaurant at the resort, Althea. He was wearing a black suit, white dress shirt and a black skinny tie, _____ was wearing a tube type LBD which ended on her mid thigh. Even Yumi was dressed to the nines She had a pink dress on and a white bow on her hair.

“And you look awesome, you put me to shame. I think I have to wear something else.” Jaejoong said and turned to return to the bathroom.

“No no no no no. you look goregeous Jae.” _____ replied “But I think no matter how hard we try, Yumi puts as to shame.” _____ said as she looked back to Yumi who was playing on the bed. Yumi giggled and clapped her hands when her father came to picked her up.

“You little monster! What am I going to do to you when guys like Changmin, or god forbid Junsu, come to my house to ask you out on a date huh?” Jaejoong asked Yumi. Yumi’s reply, a simple kiss and a smile.

“Awww~ you guys look so cute!” _____ said looking at the scene infront of her. “But I’d really love if we could eat dinner tonight. Let’s go?” _____ said as she picked Yumi from Jaejoong and put her on her stroller.

On their way to the restaurant, they see Changmin and Kara holding hands while walking towards their direction. Apparently, Changmin and Kara did not see them for all of a sudden Changmin pulls Kara to the side, under a streetlamp and gave her a passionate kiss, which did not seem that it would end soon.

“What The Hell?” Jaejoong said as he looked at the scene infront of him.

“That’s why I told you to stop pushing Kara to Yunho. I haven’t seen Kara with you guys but according to Yunho there was so much attraction between the two they could have been magnets. I can’t believe you did not see that.” _____ said as she looked at the still perplexed Jaejoong.

“What The Hell?” Jaejoong said once again, he still could not wrap his head around the idea of what he was seeing.

“I guess they ate and smelled too much of those aphrodisiacs they had at the couple SPA therapy.” _____ giggled as she noticed Changmins hand disappear under Kara’s blouse. “I should have gone to that couple SPA therapy with you weeks ago. I could have seduced you easily, no need for me to go through that embarrassing lingerie shopping trip.” She laughed.

“What the hell!” Jaejoong exclaimed loudly and steered the stroller to face the opposite direction of Kara and Changmin. He then proceeded to cover _____’s eyes. “Yah! You! Yes you two! You and you!” Jaejoong cried out to the couple who have gone from kiss to heavy petting to an movie in five minutes.

Changmin and Kara broke their kiss ad looked over to the Kim family, although Kara’s arms were still wrapped around Changmin’s neck and Changmin’s hand were still inside her blouse and one was going up and down Kara’s leg, which was around him.

“Will you two stop that! No more oysters and champagne for you people!” Jaejoong said as he tried to keep _____ from seeing what was going on.

_____ elbowed him and he finally let loose of his hold. “Hi guys! We didn't mean to interrupt.” _____ said to them as Changmin and Kara finally disentangled themselves. “Where are you guys headed to?” _____ asked as she and Jaejoong made their way to them.

“We have reservations at Althea.” Kara said as she wrapped her arm around Changmin’s waist. 

“We’re going there too! Let's go together.” Jaejoong said as he led them to the restaurant.

“Good evening. Do you have reservations?” The maître-dasked them pnce they arrived at the entrance of the Althea.

“We do. Under Kim Jaejoong and Shim Changmin.”

The maître-d looked through his book and looked up to the awaiting people infront of him. “Mr Kim Jaejoong. Ah yes here you are. Oh! I am so very sorry sir but your reservation was cancelled. You had reservation for seven o’clock, it is now eight. We are very strict about the time. I am sorry sir.”

“Jaejoong! This is all your fault. Why does it take you so long to get ready!!?” _____ hissed at him.

“It’s not my fault.” Jaejoong looks around him trying to think up of an excuse. “Ah! It’s because of Changmin! We stopped to look at their live make out session. If we didn’t stop we could have been here earlier.” Jaejoong whined.

_____ just looked at him coldly.

“Mr. Shim Changmin. We have your table waiting. Please follow me.” The maître-d said.

“Wait!” Jaejoong cried out and pulled at Changmin’s sleeve. “Can’t we sit with you? Come on.” Jaejoong pouted.

Changmin came closer to his hyung and whispered to him “Not gonna happen. You’re just gonna interrupt my time with Kara. Plus. I need lots of space for the food.”

“_____? Hyung? Changmin? Kara? Woah! What is this? You guys didn’t invite me to dinner? You guys are horrible!” Yunho said as he approached the group.

“What are you doing here? All I wanted was a weekend at a SPA with my family, but then you guys show up. I want to have dinner with my family and you guys show up. Why can’t I get a break?!” Jaejoong whines to the stars above.

“Mr. Shim?” the maître-d asks impatiently.

“One moment Mister…” Changmin looks at the name plate of the maître-d  “Chen. Mr. Chen hold on a sec.” Changmin looks back at his Jaejoong hyung and takes Jaejoongs grip off his sleeve. “Hyung.” Changmin says to Yunho “Are you dining here? Can they sit with you? Jaejoong hyung took forever to get ready and missed his reservation. Ok? Yes thank you bye.” Changmin quickle said and entered the restaurant with Kara in hand and the maître-d in tow.

“We could eat together if they can arrange a table.” Yunho told _____ and Jaejoong.

“Sorry Yumho, we don’t mean to interrupt.” _____ said.

“It’s ok. I was going to eat on my own anyways.” He smiled at her.

Once the maître-d returned, Yunho asked him if it was possible for a table for 3 and a high chair for Yumi be arranged. Ten minutes later _____ Jaejoonga nd Yunho settled on a table and Yumi was happily seated on her high chair and they were now waiting for their food to arrive.

“Thanks Yunho. You’re a friend. Unlike other people here.” Jaejoong said loud enough for the nearby table to hear.

“Whatever hyung.” Changmin said from the nearby table as he stuffed his face with a piece of bread.

“Sorry Kara, we don’t mean to ruin your date. Please try to ignore him” _____ apologized to Kara and kick Jaejoong under the table. “behave” she mouthed at him.

Changmin called out the waiter and asked to be seated at another table, one preferably far from his hyung. Although Kara and Changmin have moves tables, the trio’s attention was still on them. _____, Yunho and Jaejoong scrutinized their every move. The appetizers for Changmin and Kara’s table arrived and the two were just looking so sweet. For once, Changmin seemed to have his attention more on Kara than on the food spread out for him.

“They look adorable.” _____ whispered as she looked at the couple who were engrossed in their conversation. After appetizers were taken away…in a record speed. Apparently, Changmin has found his match when it comes to eating.  As the meals progressed so did their touching and kissing. Come dessert, the trio was sure the two were playing footsie under the table.

“Looks like someone is getting lucky tonight.” Yunho said. As a waiter took away their entrée and were now waiting for their dessert to be served.

“awww~ is someone jealous? Wish you were in his shoes right?” Jaejoong teased Yunho. “See that’s the thing. If you would just have showed some interest I’m sure she would have picked you over Changmin.”

“It’s ok. As I told _____ before, She Yumi and my mom are all the women I need in my life right now.” He said and smiled at her, and she returned the smile back.

“Humph. Whatever man.” Jaejoong humph and wiped some drool from Yumi’s chin.

As they waited for their dessert Jaejoong’s phone rang. It was their next door neighbor.

“Jaejoong, It’s Mrs. Yung. Look, something’s wrong. There’s a woman crying on your front door. She kept ringing and ringing the door and then she started banging the door and shouting your name. So I came out to see what the fracas was about. She was looking for you, so I told her you were out for the weekend with your family and she just gave me a blank look and nodded. I didn’t want to alarm _____ so I called you. I think it moght be important. I remember you said you have sisters, maybe she is one? She wouldn’t talk to me. She was like in a shock, she kept repeating your name.”

“I see. Well then, I’ll be there immediately. Can you please look out for her.” Jaejoong asked and once his neighbor agreed he bid goodbye and ended the call.

“What’s wrong Jae?” _____ asked once he ended the call.

“I have to return home. I think one of my sisters is back and the neighbor the woman was crying non stop.” He said.

“Let’s go then.” _____ said as she started to get up.

“No no no. Stay. I know dessert’s your favorite part of the meal. Yunho could you please look after _____ and then bring her and Yumi back with you and Changmin tomorrow?”

“Sure hyung. Anything you need.”

“I want to go with you.” _____ insisted.

“_____, just stay here tonight, you’ll be back home tomorrow anyways. I just have to see to what’s going on. I don’t think it’s that bad. You know Mrs. Yung has a penchant for making the actual event sound more dramatic.Remeber what happened a few weeks ago.” Jaejoong kissed Yumi’s chubby cheek and adjusted her bows. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Jaejoong reassured them and finally bid them goodbye.

-a few hours later in Seoul-

Jaejoong quickly made his way up the stairs to their apartment. Infront of the door he found a someone sitting with her knees bent towards her, her arms wrapped around them and her head was resting on her knees.

The stranger looked up and upon seeing Jaejoong’s face she jumped up and into his arms.