C h a p t e r 10:

“Joongie!” JiJae squealed and jumped on his back. JaeJoong has just came back from the day in his work with his mother.

“OMO! JiJi! You scared me!” JaeJoong said.

“Oh, mianhe oppa,” JiJae said and got off, standing in front of him. Soon, everyone came in, wondering what the yelling was about.

“What happened?” YunHo asked worried.

“Nothing why?” JiJae answered.

“We heard screaming,” YooChun answered.

“Oppa screamed cause I scared him,” JiJae answered and giggled a little.

“Wow Jae, and I thought something happened to JiJae,” said JunSu.

“Shut up,” JaeJoong said and turned to JiJae. “Let’s hang out, JiJi.”

“Where? Here or out?” JiJae asked, raising her eyebrows.

“This time, let’s go out to the playground where we first met,” JaeJoong answered, forming a big smile on JiJae’s face.

“Araso, oppa! Let’s go!” JiJae cheered happily, getting ready to go out.

Everyone turned back to each other once JiJae entered her room to get ready.

“So hyung, when will you confess?” ChangMin asked.

“Bwoh?” JaeJoong asked.

“Confess,” ChangMin said again, “You know, saying ‘I love you, baby’.”

“Oh, that…um…when the time is right, I’ll tell her,” JaeJoong answered.

“Wow, and that would be never since Jae can never confess,” YooChun teased.

“Bwoh? Never? I can!” JaeJoong protested.

“Sure…”

Soon, they heard the door open, seeing JiJae dressed for the outdoors. JaeJoong smiled and lead the way to the door.

“Bye, oppas,” JiJae said and followed JaeJoong.

…

“Jin, can you go to the store and get me some eyeliner and blush?” her umma asked.

“Araso,” Jin answered sadly and headed out to the store. “Lazy , why can’t she get it herself. I bet JiJae is dead or like somewhere else, far away from here.”

…

“Oppa, not too high!” JiJae squealed as JaeJoong pushed her on the swings. He kept pushing her higher and higher. “OPPA!”

“Say that ‘Joongie oppa is the best‘ 3 times!” JaeJoong said.

“JOONGIE OPPA IS THE BEST! JOONGIE OPPA IS THE BEST! JOONGIE OPPA IS THE BEST” JiJae screamed. She sighed in relief once JaeJoong slowed down. She stood up and looked at JaeJoong and laughed. “Oppa, don’t do that!”

“Bwoh? Wae?” JaeJoong asked.

“That’s really high,” she pouted cutely. JaeJoong looked away, knowing he can’t resist a pout from her when she was little.

“Mianhe, JiJi,” he said and gave in.

“It’s alright, Joongie,” she said and kissed him on the cheek.

JiJae giggled and ran to the tree and lied down. She stared at the sky, feeing all happy inside. She started blushing from her actions she did to JaeJoong. JaeJoong’s eyes were still widened. He touched the cheek she kissed on and just automatically smiled. He turned to where she went and headed to her. He sat down next to her, staring at the sky too.

“Oppa, you know what?” JiJae asked and opened her eyes too look at him.

“Bwoh?” he asked so curiously.

“Sometimes…I wish I can love someone as much as they can love me again.”

“What do you mean by that again?”

“I lost the most two important people of my life and if I’m loved again, I’m afraid to lose them again.”

“I guess…it’s a real bad time for me to tell you something,” JaeJoong muttered, unfortunately, she heard him.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. JaeJoong looked at her a little off guard. He was silent, trying to think on what to say.

“JiJi, you shouldn’t keep your fear of love…take advantage of you,” JaeJoong said seriously.

“Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“B-Because…”

“Because?”

JaeJoong sat her up. She looked at him confused, anxious yet scared for his answer. He stared deeply into her eyes, thinking if he should say it or not.

“Oppa?” JiJae called.

JaeJoong didn’t answer and slowly leaned to her face. Soon, they were a centimeter apart and JiJae just sat there frozen, her mind was blank, not knowing what he’s going to do. JaeJoong just sighed, backing away.

“Mianhe, JiJi, I didn’t mean to…I mean…I never planned…I-I just…I love you,” JaeJoong confessed.

“L-Love…” she muttered.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, I really do though. I told you that if I find my childhood friend, I hope we start over and I would someday confess.”

“O-Oppa, I-I’m shocked.”

“I know you are and…” JaeJoong kept blabbering, thinking that he ruined everything. Soon, he didn’t even make any sense in his sentence.

“Saranghae, Joongie,” JiJae said. He stopped talking and faced her.

“Bwoh?” JaeJoong asked.

“Saranghae,” she said again. JaeJoong was in shock, and was really surprised but happy.

“Ch-Chincha? Y-You mean it?” he asked.

“Neh. I-I trust you and I did say that I would love my childhood friend too, right,” she said and smiled as she faced him. JaeJoong smiled and hugged her.

“Now you’re just making me the happiest man alive, do you know that?” JaeJoong asked.

“Really?” she asked and looked up at him. JaeJoong affectionately looked at her in the eyes.

“Really,” JaeJoong said and leaned in to kiss her which he did as JiJae kissed him back. He soon broke the kiss and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too, oppa.”

…

Jin paid the cashier and soon headed home. She passed the park and turned, about to scream her head off. She took her cell phone and took a quick picture before she left to head home.

“UMMA!” she screamed and her umma ran down.

“Where’s my make-up? I have a meeting in Japan soon,” she said.

“Here, and look!” Jin took out her cell phone.

Her umma took her phone. Her eyes widened in shock, thinking how it’s unbelievable for her to imagine.

“Isn’t that JiJae?” she asked.

“No, it’s Son DamBi, yes it’s JiJae!” Jin answered.

“Argh! Did you try to get to him?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinking ways to.”

“Why didn’t you just go up to them and break them off?”

“I can’t do that. It’s not gonna do anything. I’m thinking of ways to get to JaeJoong and to break them apart now. It’s going to work. If killing her won’t do, then destroying the one precious thing she has will,” Jin said with a smirk.

…

“Oppa, that cloud looks like you,” said JiJae. They were both lying on the grass, staring at the clouds.

“How?” JaeJoong asked.

“It looks like a panda,” she joked.

“Do I still seem like one to you?” he asked.

“Always.”

“Fine, then you’re still my piggy,” JaeJoong teased. She slapped him in the arm. “Ow! What was that for?”

“I’m not a pig,” JiJae whined.

“You can eat like one.”

“Sometimes.”

“That’s sometimes.”

Both laughed and sighed. It was just silent, listening to the wind blow slightly.

“Oppa?” JiJae asked.

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever thought of coming for me?” she asked seriously. JaeJoong didn’t answer. “You haven’t huh?”

“Mianhe, I…mianhe.”

“It’s alright. You can next time right?”

“I promise.”

“Good because now…if you do come after me, I will always know that you still love me.”