- Chapter Five - "His new life."

Sitting on the bench in front of one of the two pools in the Jardin des Tuileries, Jaejoong was basking on the sunray with a book in his hands, sometimes reading it or at least trying to understand its topic, and another time looking at the passersby who roamed between all those stylish promenades alleys where the statues of Maillol went alongside to those of Rodin and Giacometti. The young idol felt like being a normal person among all of those people who took time to breathe for awhile in their busy lives which were summed up very well in this French-speaking: métro, boulot, dodo. Meaning the daily routine of commuting and work, or we could say it in three other words: subway, eat, sleep.

Who said that Paris was the city of love?

People didn't look at Paris, like the Parisians, the name for those people who live in Paris, had looked for decades or for since they were born in this city. City of love. A name for tourists only. Tourists who had the leisure time to lounge in their holidays. While those Parisians, not only them but all the French people, tried to make a life as they could like other people in other countries, by working and earning an income every month.

Not really romantic for a city of love, right? Where you went life was the same.

But, nevertheless, Paris hadn't lost its magical with all its monuments dating from the time of kings. Even in the modern time, Paris still remained a bit antiquated. Wherever he stepped, Paris still had this soul of the old time. And when Jaejoong closed his eyes, he could imagine himself walking in the old Paris with its time landscapes.

"You look more like a tourist than a newly Parisian with your sunglass on the bridge of your nose and that idol aura of you wherever you go."

Jaejoong smiled at his wife who was standing in front of him. Hana returned his smile and sat next to him.

"Have you had a good time in your French class?" She asked, taking the book from her husband's hands.

"I improved. I'm not a bad student, you know."

"I never said that." She said, browsing the book.

"It's what you imply in your tone." Jaejoong added poking her right cheek.

"Oh, my! I didn't know you are so sensitive." She replied and puffed her cheeks to let her husband poke them as he pleased.

"You're such a coldhearted giraffe. My coldhearted kirin." He complied amused by her docility.

"You offended me." She whined with a pout.

Jaejoong burst into laughter, finding his wife so adorable with her pout. People said that he was the king of a pouty face, but his Ha-chan could win that title without fighting.

Hana wasn't the most beautiful woman in this world, but she was more than cute. Being a mixed blood made her an exotic beauty with her straight nose, her hazel blue eyes and those adorable plump lips. She had those auras of an Asian woman and Western woman at the same time. Submissive and independent. It was a paradoxical trait, but it was what made her exceptional. And what more, she was taller than the average of the women he knew in his entourage and in the idols' population. That's why she gained an adorable pet name from him, the giraffe. His adorable kirin.

The first time they met was when s and him had escaped from a tight schedule to explore Tokyo and its surroundings. They were five young boys, with their limited Japanese vocabulary, who had found a way to get lost in a big and foreign city. And there, in their panic state they met a tall young girl who was as lost as they were, cursing her bad luck while trying to find her way back to her new house in a foreign country.

Jaejoong had found her interesting to be with and kept in touch with her since that day. She became his closest friend and now his wife.

"I think within three months I will be able to talk with your grandmother like two best friends who know each other for years." He added, kissing her temple.

"Good. My grandma Isa would like to know that she could hang out with you at her arm. Like hey, les filles, mon petit-fils par alliance est à tomber parterre. (Hey, girls, my grandson-in-law is damn good looking.)" Hana smiled.

"She did say that to her friends last week when they visited her, right?" Jaejoong frowned, recalling his wife's grandmother talking playfully with her Monday friends, a routine meeting for an old lady like her for years.

"Yeah! She did say that she was a lucky grandmother to have a handsome grandson-in-law like you." She put her elbows on her knees.

"I like her very much." He stated with a smile.

"Oh! Don't worry. She is fond of you. Even more than her own grandchildren." Hana added amused by her grandmother who was delighted to accept them with her at their arrival.

The old lady had lost her husband ten years ago and was living since then alone in a large apartment in the center of Paris. Having them with her was her solace.

Of course grandma Isa had her children. But, her son who was Hana's father couldn't be with her all the time. Being a businessman, the man had to work abroad more often than in France, taking his little family with him, landing them for the last few years in Japan where Hana had met Jaejoong for the first time. As for her daughter, she had her own family to look after. Her visit with her children made the old lady happy. However, when they returned back home, she felt lonely again.

That's why when Hana had told her about her illness and her return in France with her husband, the older woman was ready to give them a quiet place to settle down for the time being, until things were better for them.

"So tell me! Have some of those ajummas in your class hit on you again?" She asked with a smile.

"Hmm... I think Mrs. Kang tried to imply something like she wants to dine with me one night." Jaejoong answered with an amused smile ghosting on his lips.

Those Korean old ladies in his class knew who he was, but they never referred to his idol's life. They all wished him good luck in what he had planned for his future life with Hana. And every time he had his French class with them, they like he was a members of their families.

"And I'm not against to have a dinner with her. She's a good old lady." He added.

"Oh, my! My husband is trying to make me jealous. So cute!" She said with a teasing tone. "I don't mind to let you go dine with her."

"Oh, my! My wife is trying to push me to cheat on her." The young man pinched his wife cheeks playfully.

"Oww... Hurt!" She whined.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" Jaejoong asked with concern.

"Don't worry." Hana said massaging her cheeks to ease the painful sensation. "I'm okay. You don't have to take everything badly when it comes to me. I'm really okay. My treatment works for the time being. So, la vie n'est que plus belle! (life is even better!)"

"Yeah..." He said, biting his lower lip.

"I will be alright." Hana added with a reassuring smile.

"You will be alright." He repeated after her.

Hana smiled at her husband's concern. He was a good man. And she just hoped that life would never be unfair to a man like him, a man who was ready to sacrifice everything for her, a mere young woman.

"I have some news for you." She beamed clapping her hands. "My cousin got three tickets for the SM Town in Paris. So, would you like to go with us?" She asked quietly, looking at her husband.

Jaejoong sketched a sad smile. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Everything about them isn't my concern anymore."

"It's not true." Hana said quietly. "You're the one who sit with a laptop on your knees trying to find everything related to the four of them. And you know that he visited your parents after the media has disclosed your departure from J-CeS and JYJ. You also know about what he did for you by your attorney Mr. Song, right? He stood against SM Entertainment and secured your position in your group. And he did what he must do for the two other members you left behind... The four of them keep seeing each other. And they don't hide it anymore. The last picture you saw on the net about them was Junsu and Changmin getting out of a restaurant together. It's good to see them get along like before, right?"

Jaejoong nodded. "And I owe him at least that..."

"You don't owe him anything. And he doesn't owe you anything either. It's what best friends... No! It's what brothers do for each other." Hana added with a smile on her lips. "And you would do the same for him if you were in his shoes."

"I would... Yes I would..." He added quietly.

The couple remained silent for awhile, watching those happy people walking in this beautiful garden. They seemed to enjoy the good weather. And moreover, nothing could disturb their day.

"I try to go away... really far away from them... from him... but ironically..." Jaejoong breathed in a low voice. "Ironically..."

"...he follows you here." Hana continued. It seemed that fate wanted to let Jaejoong know that his story with that man wasn't something he could forget easily. "Your story with him will never disappear in one day."

"I know." Jaejoong added. "He was... he is an important person in my life. He was the one who made me learn the real meaning of love..." He smiled. "I know... our story isn't something I can forget easily. But it would be good for all of us if I can forget everything." Jaejoong breathed slowly. "It hurts. It hurts a lot to remember all those happy and sad moments with him... I want to sleep for years and wake up with a memory loss... My life would be better... Yeah, our lives would be better..." He said, looking at his wife. "I'm sorry if I can't give you all my heart."

"You love me with all your heart." She said, sitting astride on the bench facing her husband. "Because I'm the only woman for you as he will be the only man for you. So don't belittle what we have. Okay! Our relationship isn't comparable with what you have with him. The tie you have forged together is something I can't beat. But what we have is something real. You can touch me as I can touch you at this moment." Hana added holding his left hand on hers. "And I'm happy with you as you are happy with me, right? Unless you aren't..."

"I'm happy with you." Jaejoong said with a smile. He was really happy to be with her. She was also an important person in his life. Not the same as Yunho, but she had a special place in his heart for always being there for him. And nothing was going to change what he felt for her.

"Good to know." She smiled. "So... you really don't want to go to see them?!"

"No... I think when that time will come..." He interlaced their fing