Chapter 9

 

Jaejoong sleepily fumbled around the bed, searching for Yuri so that he can cuddle up to her but his body jerked into full consciousness as soon as he felt the empty space right next to him, “Yuri?” He immediately stood up when she didn’t respond. Where could she be? To his relief, he heard the sound of movement coming from the kitchen & quickly headed towards it.

 

“Yuri? Are you having trouble sleeping again? Is your back bothering you? Is the baby kicking up a storm again?” Jaejoong gave her a loving kiss on her temple while anxiously checking her out.

 

“Hi, Jaejoong Oppa. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. Was I making too much noise? I was just thirsty & was just about to get something to drink.” Yuri smiled gently as she gave her husband a hug, “Would you like some, too?”

“Why don’t you sit down & I will get both of us a glass of water.” Jaejoong got their drinks & sat down next to Yuri, “Okay, what’s bothering you?” Jaejoong asked again.

“I’m alright, honest.”

“Come on Yuri, out with it. You have been fidgety the whole night. Is junior getting rambunctious again?”

 

“I’m telling you, it’s not a junior, it’s a little Yuri.” Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle as she responded. It’s become a long-standing joke between the two of them for Jaejoong to guess the baby’s . Yuri knew but wanted to surprised her husband & Jaejoong went along with it, “I think I’m just excited about the prospect of moving into our new home tomorrow.” She hesitated, “I’m a little worried, too.”

 

It’s been a couple of weeks of pure bliss for Yuri. The overnight progress in her & Jaejoong’s relationship still seemed too good to be true & often times, Yuri had to restrain from pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Her husband had gone all out to prove that he could fulfill all his promises to her & he seemed to be having a marvelous time doing so. Yuri thinks she was the one having a hard time adjusting to this new super loving Jaejoong who was always around whenever she needed him.

 

She smiled again, as she remembered the day when Jaejoong said he had a big surprises for her.

 

*Flashback*

“Jaejoong Oppa, are you sure about this?”

“Why are you hesitating? Don’t you like it?”

“But it’s so big.”

“The bigger the better.” Jaejoong grinned proudly.

 

Yuri couldn’t believe her eyes when Jaejoong led her around the new house he found for them. It had six bedrooms, a swimming pool, half a basketball court, a front lawn where she could plant all the flowers she wanted, a large spacious kitchen equipped with all the various paraphernalia she could think of & simply put, the house was humongous, “I do like this house. The mountain view is excellent but don’t you think it’s way too big for us?”

 

“Yuri, we have to plan for the future.” Jaejoong said convincingly, “In a few years time, you would be complaining that this house is too small. Come on, do you like it? We can sign the papers this afternoon & get moved in before you know it.” Jaejoong had been eagerly showing her around & pointing out all the cool features & advantages of owning the house, all the while sounding like a professional real estate agent.

 

“What do you mean this house would be too small in a few years time? Just how many kids did you think we were going to have?”

“I told you.” Jaejoong gave her a kiss, “I want a badminton team & junior here is a great start.”

 

*End of Flashback*

“What’s there to worry about? Everything is taken care of, the movers will be here in a few hours & then we get to sleep in our new house.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. The house is so big. Are you sure we can afford something like this? Especially when you have just started your business? Maybe we should wait until the baby is born before moving.”

 

“You silly goose.” Jaejoong answered fondly, & started to massage Yuri’s shoulders, “I told you that everything would be fine. The business is doing extremely well & besides, I want our baby to have her own room & never have to move until the day she gets married.”

“It’s a he, Oppa.” Yuri interjected automatically. Jaejoong smiled at their familiar game. He would say one thing & Yuri would always contradict him. At this point, he doesn’t really care as long as the baby & Yuri will be alright.

“By the way, everyone at work really likes you, too. I have receive nothing but the best compliments whenever anyone of my employees meet you.”

“Are you sure about that? I don’t think Hyoyeon likes me that much.”

“What makes you say that?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

“Well, I don’t really know. It’s just this feeling I get whenever I’m with her.” Yuri recanted her statement when she saw Jaejoong frown in deep thought. She didn’t want to make him worry unnecessarily, “Don’t worry about it.” She smoothed his forehead, “It’s probably just my overactive imagination.”

 

“Are you sure?” At Yuri’s nod, Jaejoong said, “Let’s go back to bed & get some rest then, it’s going to be long day.”

 

The feeling of someone showering butterfly kisses all over her face woke Yuri up. First thing she saw was Jaejoong sitting next to her, grinning like a little kid, “Wake up, I have a surprises for you.”

“Again? Don’t tell me we are going to buy another new house.” Yuri teased.

“Fine, if you don’t want to find out then go back to sleep.” Jaejoong feigned his disappointment & pretended to leave the bedroom.

“Come back here, you can’t tell me about a surprises & leave just like that. Besides, I had probably never find you in this huge house of ours.” This time, it was Yuri who pretended to get mad. She patted the empty space on the bed, inviting Jaejoong to sit down.

“Well, if you put it that way.” Jaejoong grabbed a tray that was sitting on a little table, “First, breakfast in bed for my beautiful wife on her first morning in our new home.” Jaejoong ceremoniously uncovered a tray revealing all her favorite breakfast food.

“Wow. Thank you so much, Oppa.” She loved nothing more than having breakfast in bed, “Here, have some.” She persuaded her husband to share her breakfast. Jaejoong sat & opened his mouth expectantly. Yuri pretended not to understand what he wanted & said, “Oppa? There are more efficient ways to catch flies, you know?”

“You.” Jaejoong started to tickle his wife.

 

Yuri laughed loudly, squirming madly to get away from her husband’s evil fingers, “Okay, okay, I surrender.” She was at Jaejoong’s mercy since she couldn’t even move away from him for fear of toppling the tray of food, “That’s better. I prefer my wife to be obedient & docile.” Jaejoong sat there with a smug look & waited for his wife to start feeding him.

“So, what’s the big surprises?”

“Finish your breakfast first & you will find out.”

 

Yuri wondered what her husband was up to as she looked at his delighted expression. She was beginning to find out that Jaejoong was very fond of springing surprises & he never settled for little ones, all his surprises had been extraordinary.

 

Jaejoong placed a handkerchief over Yuri’s eyes & carefully led her outside the house, “Oppa, you had better not think of taking me somewhere. I’m not even dressed yet.” Yuri couldn’t even imagine what was in store for her but with her new Jaejoong, she had learned to expect the unexpected.

“Don’t worry about it. I would never do that to you.” They have reached their destination when Jaejoong removed the blindfold, “What do you think?”

 

Yuri blinked for few seconds as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. She gasped in awe as standing in front of her was a garden full of the most beautiful exotic plants she had ever seen in her whole life, “What? Where did these come from? They weren’t here when we moved in yesterday.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“I love it. Oh Oppa, thank you so much but really, when did you get a chance to?”

“For your information, I have been working my off since the first light while you were still having your beauty sleep.” He put a hand on his back, “Poor me, slaving the morning away & I don’t think my wife even appreciates it.” He sneaked a look at Yuri & started & groaning while still clutching his aching back. Yuri smiled at Jaejoong’s comical movements, “Oppa, look at me.”

“Hmmm?”

 

Yuri imprisoned his face between her hands & gave him the biggest thank you kiss ever. The playful kiss turned serious & they finally breathlessly broke apart.

“I can’t wait until little Yuri is born.” Jaejoong muttered breathlessly.

“It’s junior.” Yuri replied automatically.

“I had better get ready for work now. Oh, & don’t forget your appointment later this afternoon. I have already cleared my schedule so that we can go to your checkup. Why don’t you drop by the office at around noon so that we can have lunch first?”

 

Yuri, still couldn’t believe her ear, Jaejoong was now the one to remind her about the doctor’s appointment. He had lived up to every single promise he made & more. She smiled when she recalled the first emergency phone call Jaejoong got from work after their talk at Changmin’s, “Hyoyeon, I told you to let the IT guys handle this problem. Well, they have better learn to take care of their own problems or I will fire all of them.” After getting rid of the phone call, he had turned to her & said, “No one is going to interrupt any time I spend with my wife.”

 

“Sounds like a perfect plan to me.” Yuri answered happily.

“Hang on a second, Oppa.” She stopped Jaejoong as he was about to enter the house, “There’s a ladybug on your shirt.” She blew on the bug to make it fly away, “What are you doing?” Jaejoong was clinging tightly onto her, “Weren’t you going to take a shower?”

“My wife just told me to hang on & I’m obeying her.” Jaejoong answered, with a serious face, not letting Yuri out of his arms.

“Stop being silly.” Yuri laughed, “Now, get moving & get cleaned up.” She shook her head as she watched Jaejoong run towards the house, wondering how she was going to handle all the children her husband wanted if all of them turned out to be as crazy as him.

 

“Hi Hyoyeon, is Jaejoong Oppa busy right now?” Yuri greeted, when she got to her husband’s office.

 

Hyoyeon could barely maintain her civil expression when she faced Yuri. Her ploy of keeping them apart by calling Jaejoong all the time was no longer working & it seemed like her boss was spending more & more time with his wife. She angrily recollected Jaejoong’s last instruction when she called him the other day, “I told you not to call anymore unless there’s an extreme emergency!” He had snapped, “But I really don’t think marketing can handle the latest fiasco.” Hyoyeon had tried to defend herself.

“I repeat Hyoyeon, don’t interrupt my time with Yuri unless the building is burning down.”

 

Hyoyeon was tempted right there & then to burn the building down. What did he see in Yuri anyway? She felt that not only was she much more beautiful than his wife but she was also far more useful. A new idea occurred to her & she started fiddling with her givenchy crystal collar necklace.

 

“Hi Yuri, Mr. Kim should be free in a moment.” Then she pointedly looked down at her necklace.

 

“That’s a beautiful necklace.” Yuri complimented.

“It’s my favorite.” Hyoyeon smiled sweetly, “Mr. Kim gave this to me a couple of months ago.”

 

Yuri stared thoughtfully at the piece of jewelry. Why on earth would Jaejoong give his secretary something so personal?

“Thank you, Minho.” Just then, Jaejoong’s inner office door opened, revealing him & his office administrator. Jaejoong’s face lit up when he spotted his wife, “Yuri, I’m sorry for making you wait. Give me a couple of seconds to wrap things up then we can go.”

“Mr. Kim.” Hyoyeon stopped them right before they left the office, “You need to check this contract over before four this afternoon so we can fax it over.”

 

Jaejoong frowned; he didn’t have time for this right now. Yuri saw this & suggested helpfully, “Hyoyeon, why don’t you go to lunch with us? That way, you & Oppa can discuss the contract.”

“Yuri, there’s no need for that.” Jaejoong tried to end this plan but Hyoyeon interrupted with, “I think it’s a great idea.”

 

Lunch was a fiasco with Jaejoong feeling like he was being torn between two women. What’s going on with Hyoyeon? She started by showing that she knew what kind of food he preferred & the matter got worse from that point on. She excluded Yuri from any conversation by talking non-stop about business. Jaejoong felt awful as Yuri got more & more quiet & had completely withdrawn into herself by the time lunch was over.

 

“Yuri, are you okay?” Jaejoong asked anxiously. Hyoyeon had already left to go back to the office, feeling like she had won a trophy.

 

Yuri didn’t answer him & headed towards the car. She sat there quietly, feeling uneasy about what just happened.

“Yuri?”

“Oppa, tell me the truth, what is going on between you & Hyoyeon?”

 

“What are you talking about? I told you before, there is nothing going on between us.”

“That’s not the impression I’m getting & if there’s nothing going on, why would you give Hyoyeon an expensive necklace?”

“Huh? I never got her anything of that sort.” Jaejoong replied indignantly.

“Don’t lie to me. She just showed me the necklace earlier. She said you gave it to her a couple of months ago.” “Yuri, I assure you that I have never gotten her a necklace.”

“Why would Hyoyeon lie then?”

 

“Are you sure you understood her properly?”

“Now you are saying that I’m making things up?!” Yuri was getting extremely angry now.

“No, of course not.” Jaejoong’s face brightened when he suddenly recalled something, “It must be what she got for herself when I gave her a bonus on secretary day. Yuri, don’t tell me you are actually jealous of Hyoyeon?” “Of course not.” Yuri was berating herself up for being a fool. She should learn to have more confidence in her husband.

 

Jaejoong looked at his wife’s uncomfortable expression & decided to give her a hard time for doubting him, “Actually, I kinda like it when you are jealous, it shows how much you love me.”

“Just shut up & drive!”

Jaejoong laughed all the way to the clinic.