Chapter 8

 

‘Because he’s always around when I need him.’ Yuri’s statement, so softly spoken was deeply engrained in Jaejoong’s memory. It kept repeating over & over in his head while he was driving over to Changmin’s house. She was right. He could barely find time for her & more often than not whenever he did, something from work would pull him away from her, ‘I don’t want to see him yet.’ Why? What happened to make her so upset with him? Finally, he saw Changmin’s house. He drove so fast on his way there that he was lucky that he didn’t get pulled over.

 

Changmin was standing at the doorway, waiting for his arrival, “Where is she?!” Jaejoong demanded immediately.

 

“She’s waiting for you in the living room.” Before Jaejoong could enter the house, Changmin stepped outside & closed the door behind him.

 

“What do you think you are doing?” Jaejoong asked, as he tried to push his way pass his rival.

 

“I want to talk to you before you barge in there & make your wife more upset.” Changmin answered calmly. Jaejoong glanced longingly at the door for he wanted to see Yuri right away but he grudgingly followed Changmin’s lead.

“Do you know it’s not advisable to make a pregnant lady upset? A lot of things could happen; you could endanger not only the baby’s life but also the mother’s.” Was Changmin’s opening statement.

“Of course, I know that. What do you think I am? An idiot?!”

 

Changmin let that one go. Jaejoong was an easy target at the moment but the guy already looked too miserable to be harassed, “Then I don’t understand why you keep on upsetting your wife. You should be treating her like a precious piece of fragile china, instead you have been acting as if she’s some cheap piece of thrown away plastic.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about. Why are you so concerned? I’m warning you, Yuri is my wife, stay away from her.”

“I’m not going to hide the fact that I do like your wife a lot & if the opportunity ever presents itself, I wouldn’t hesitate to step in & be something more to her.” Jaejoong was ready to punch Changmin’s lights out, however, the next words stopped him, “But right now, we are just good friends. I promise you won’t have anything to worry about if you treat Yuri properly.” Changmin paused, then challenged, “& why the sudden concern? You never used to care about what Yuri did as long as she stayed out of your way.”

 

“I.” Jaejoong was at a loss. What did change in their relationship? All he knew was that he wouldn’t be able to do anything if Yuri weren’t in his life; he always wanted to see her face full of happiness; he missed her whenever he wasn’t around her; his mood was thoroughly attached with hers; & then he finally realized what happened. She was no longer the person he married just to give the baby a name, she was now surely & truly a significant part of his life, for richer or poorer, in sickness & in health, till death do them apart, “I love her.” He said in awe.

‘I didn’t need to hear that.’ Changmin thought to himself, as he felt the faint flicker of hope in his chest fade away, “You sure have a funny way of showing it then.” Well, might as well go for it & help this dummy straighten out his head.

“What do you mean?” Jaejoong was still reeling from his recent revelation.

“Where should I start?” Changmin was getting tired of leading this blind man who doesn’t deserve his good fortune.

 

Jaejoong gave him a blank look. Had he really messed up that badly?

“Let’s see, you have shown absolutely no interests in your baby. You are going to be a father, aren’t you even proud or excited about that?”

 

Jaejoong reflected on what Changmin said. He always made sure that Yuri was taking her vitamins & getting proper exercises. He always asked to make sure that Yuri wasn’t having a hard time with the pregnancy. He made concessions that Yuri couldn’t do certain things because of the baby & then it became clear to him; all his concern was focused on his wife, never on the baby. Why was that? Perhaps he was still resenting the unborn child for getting him married before he was ready or was he unconsciously jealous of the attention that Yuri was giving to the baby? He was going to be a father. For the first time, he didn’t think of the baby as a heavy responsibility but a gift from the heavens above.

 

Changmin saw the light dawning in Jaejoong’s eyes & continued, “Jaejoong, a woman needs to know that she holds an important part in her loved ones life. I think you need to set your priorities straight, no more leaving her in a lurch & canceling your plans whenever business calls. You need to learn how to balance your life & don’t tell me that’s not possible. I’m as busy as you are but I can manage to find time for Yuri whenever she needs me.” His toned hardened when he asked the next question, “& what’s going on between you & your secretary?”

 

Jaejoong’s head snapped up, his whole demeanor changed from acceptance to aggressiveness, “You know, I accept that I was a total failure as a husband & I mean to change that right away but I refuses to stand here & be accused of doing something that I never nor ever will do. What made you think that I have a side thing going? Yuri also mentioned the same thing earlier.”

“We saw you at the restaurant, remember?” Changmin felt like he was talking to an eight year old child.

 

“&?”

“Did you kiss your secretary?”

 

“What? Are you insane? Why would I want to do that? She’s just my secretary, for heaven sake.” Jaejoong couldn’t even remember what happened at lunch after everything else that went on afterwards.

“Hmmm, it sure seemed like you did from where we were sitting. That’s why Yuri was so upset earlier. You have some serious explaining to do when you talk to your wife.”

 

This time, nothing could stop Jaejoong from seeing his wife. He was about to open the door when Changmin called out, “Good luck!”

 

Jaejoong had learned his lesson. Changmin was indeed a good friend, “Thank you. I really appreciate all your help.”

 

Jaejoong hurried into the house. He stood at the foyer, looking around, wondering where the living room was. Where the heck was his wife? His ears perked up when he picked up the sound blaring from the tv set & he hurriedly headed towards his left. All the eager words & thoughts flew out of his mind when he finally saw Yuri sitting at the couch, looking like a zombie.

 

Yuri turned when she heard approaching footsteps & stared at Jaejoong with dead eyes. She was half-tempted to escape this confrontation but Changmin made her promise to stay put & talk it out with her husband.

 

Jaejoong hesitated when he saw Yuri’s expression. He didn’t even know what to say to her now. All he knew was that he had to make everything right between them again. Without a word, he headed towards where Yuri was sitting. Not knowing what else to do, he knelt in front of her, subjugating himself, mutely asking for her understanding & forgiveness. Yuri’s eyes never left him but she still didn’t make a sound or movement since he got in front of her.

“Yuri.” Jaejoong whispered. He did what he most wanted to do at that instant; he folded his arms around her, holding her tightly, “I’m so sorry.”

 

Yuri struggled inwardly to keep herself from responding to her husband’s embrace. They have been through this too many times before. It had to be different now; she needed to know where she stood in this marriage.

 

Jaejoong couldn’t stop the lump from forming in his throat when Yuri ignored him. The hurt he felt was nothing compared to the lifetime of accumulated suffering he had experienced before. He reluctantly pulled back but remained kneeling in front of his wife.

“Yuri, please, at least talk to me?” He begged.

“Of course, that’s why we are here, aren’t we? Go on.” Yuri answered in a deadpan voice.

 

He didn’t know where to start. He sincerely wished that he had a magic wand to whisk all their troubles away, ‘I want to make a promise to you.”

 

Yuri’s thick, straight brow lifted, most promises were a dime a dozen. It’s easy to make one but keeping to it was another thing.

 

Jaejoong saw his wife’s doubting look & made a vow there & then that she would never ever have any causes to distrust his words again, “I promise that whatever happens, I will always be there for you.”

“Is that all?”

 

Jaejoong was frantically thinking of a way to break through the wall that his wife built around herself, “I know that I have treated you very badly but please give me another chance? I swear you won’t regret it.”

 

Yuri still maintained her look of disinterests.

“I love you, Yuri.” Jaejoong said, his voice full of emotions. He hoped that his wife would respond to his newly discovered feelings. She did respond alright but not in the way he expected.

“I don’t think you even know what love means. How dare you uses this underhanded trick to get me to forgive you?” She pushed Jaejoong aside & angrily stood up to leave the room.

 

Jaejoong captured her in his arms while she struggled wildly to get away, “Don’t. Please don’t leave? I meant every word I have said. I love you & if you will give me a chance, I will prove it to you.”

 

“You have an odd way of showing your love. First, you ignore me, taking me for granted & then you act as if our baby doesn’t exists. To top it off, you pretended to always be busy at work while you have probably been engaging in extracurricular activities all this time.” Yuri ceased to try & get away. She started pounding on Jaejoong’s chest, physically taking out her built up anger & pain on him.

 

Jaejoong didn’t stop his wife from pummeling him, he felt that he deserved everything after the way he treated her. Pretty soon, Yuri’s anger died down as they held each other in a warm embrace as cleansing tears washed away most of the disappointments.

 

“Yuri.” Jaejoong whispered, ‘I love you with every ounce of my being. If you can ever find it in your heart to forgive the way I have treated you, I promise that you will never have any causes to regret it.”

“But what about Hyoyeon?”

 

“I don’t know what made you think that there was something going on between my secretary & I but please believe me when I say that there is no one else in my life except for you & the baby.”

 

Yuri drew back & looked deeply into her husband’s eyes, searching for any signed of falsehood, satisfied when she found none & then Jaejoong’s words reached her. She knew that he was telling the truth when he finally acknowledged their baby, too.

“I love you too, Oppa.” She cried.

Their lips touched. Each caress chasing away the ugly past, each kiss sealing the promise of a bright new future in store for them.