“A little more.”

“Seriously?! How much more can you go,” I questioned with a frustrated sigh.

“It’s not all the way in,” Jae grunted.

“Oh come on, Jae! It’s not that big to begin with.”

“That is not something a secure man should hear from his girlfriend right now.”

“Just stick it in already.”

“Don’t rush me, Sam! This is our first time, excuse me for-“

“I’ll stick the damn thing in then!”

“No, Sam. Don’t I’m not read-“

“I’m here!” Jon’s voice echoed through the apartment as the front door slammed open.

What the hell? He is not supposed to be here yet. He is too early.

Jae and I looked up from our positions on the floor in shock. Sweat covering our bodies like a thin layer of second skin as our breaths came out labored. Our limbs tangled with each other. Our skins touching together. Jon’s eyes widen in horror at the sight of us then quickly turned red with rage.

I can’t hold it anymore. I have to stick it in.

“What the actual are you guys doing?” Jon roared.

Just as a small pop echoed through the apartment followed by a small flying plastic pirate bouncing on the carpeted ground. Jaejoong turned to look at the hole where I just stuck his sword through then at the fallen plastic pirate. With a loud groan, he rolled his eyes and then let himself fall back into the ground.

“Victory,” I exclaimed detangling myself from Jaejoong.

I proceeded to childishly jump in triumph. My fist pumping up in the air as my hips moved into a small victory dance. I childishly sang that ‘I won’ repeatedly.

Don’t you dare judge me. We have been going on with this game for a little more than three hours. Both of us were getting super competitive and we kept raising the stakes each time. You would be damn glad that you won too if you were me.

“That’s not fair. You cheated,” Jaejoong whined getting back up from the ground.

“How could I cheat?”

“I didn’t physically stick in the sword, you did. So technically you lost.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense. You took too damn long to stick the sword in. You already picked the spot, so I just finished what you didn’t have the balls to do.”

“I was going to do it! I demand a rematch!”

I snorted crossing my arms over my chest. I rolled my eyes at my annoyed boyfriend as he continued to complain. He wasn’t going to do it. I know him. He knew he was going to lose so he was prolonging his own destruction. Now he blames me for his loss.

What a sore loser.

I know what you might be thinking: Sam, what the hell. How can you just stand there and not take his side? It’s clear that it was an unfair win to me. And I see that, I accept your complaints. A good person would accept Jaejoong’s declaration of a rematch and play fair and square.

“You’re such a sore loser. I won fair and square,” I laughed. “Now take it off.”

Yeah, I am not a fair person. I don’t give a . I won!

“What is going on here,” Jon finally yelled.

Jae and I finally quieted down from arguing and gave our full attention to the short brunette man at the entry. Jon stood tall as if he was a massive figure with his arms crossed over his chest. His right-hand clutching tightly to a plastic grocery bag. His eyes slightly wide with shock and confusion.

“We heard you the first time. You didn’t have to yell.” I replied rolling my eyes at him.

“Then why didn’t you answer me,” Jon said.

“We chose to ignore you.”

“What. The. . Is. Going. On,” He enunciated each word as if to scare us with his anger.

Jae and I looked at each other than at the scene behind us than each other again. Both of us holding the same confused expression as we looked back at Jon.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I let out.

“We’re playing strip pop up pirate game,” Jaejoong finished.

With innocent looks, Jaejoong and I stood in the middle of the living room only sporting half of our clothes. I stood shamelessly in just a tank top and boy shorts underwear while Jae only had on a pair of boxers on. Both of our skins glistening with sweat. If you haven’t realized: Jaejoong was the one who lost the most rounds. Much to my enjoyment. I just have one word for you: Abs. It is what drove me to keep winning. As erted as it sounds, I wanted to see him . Wouldn’t you?

“So everything I heard through the door…” Jon trailed off.

He heard through the door?

I looked back at Jaejoong in confusion. Realization passed through his dark eyes as he looked down at himself then at me. His face slowly turning red along with his ears.

Why is he so red?

What did Jon hear through the door?

Wait? Through the door? Oh, my God! Did Jon think we were-

“ert!” I yelled looking back at Jon. My face just as red as Jae’s. “What the hell? You thought we were- “

“What else was I supposed to think with all those moans and grunts? Not to mention you two are barely clothed and dripping in sweat!”

“That’s because the power went out in the building including the A/C. We were hot.”

“So, you decided to pass your time by playing strip pop up pirate?” Jon hissed.

“Yeah,” Jae and I said at the same time as if it was the most obvious answer.

“You idiots! You should have gotten a ing card game!”

“Like strip poker?” I questioned.

“No! !” Jon yelled then proceed to blow up at both of us.

******

“I’m telling you, I know Japanese,” I argued looking at the laughing Jaejoong in the kitchen. “Why don’t you believe me?”

“Because you don’t know Japanese,” Jon muttered.

I immediately snapped my head to him sending him my most powerful glare. Promising death with my eyes, I reminded him kindly to leave. Like I have been telling him for the past 20 minutes. The brunette man simply crossed his arms over his chest while mouthing ‘no’ to me.

Damn him. Why won’t he just leave? Why is he still here?

Go away!

“Sam, it’s not that I don’t believe you,” Jae started to say with a hesitant voice.

“You don’t believe me,” I said turning back to Jaejoong. He looked at me from his position of preparing tea in the kitchen. Why is he even making everyone tea? Jon shouldn’t even be here anymore. “Fine, I’ll prove it to you.”

“This should be good,” Jon snorted.

“Shut up, Jon,” I hissed.

Jon was quick to stick his tongue out at me making let out a curse. I want to kill him. I don’t care that he has been good lately and that he is helping Jaejoong and I. I want to murder him in his sleep. He is so damn annoying. Why won’t he just leave? Ignoring Jon’s presence, for now, I looked back at Jaejoong. He stood behind the counter staring at me. His lips quirked into a smile. He met my gaze giving me a half smile. My heart jumped to my throat as his eyes sparkled with amusement. One side of his lips quirked up so effortlessly. He is enjoying this. Sadistic mothe-

“Well?” Jae breathed out leaning on the counter in front of him. His shoulders slouched as his arms crossed over the other resting on top of the counter. His head slightly tilted to the side. Ugh, Why the hell is Jon here! “Aren’t you going to prove it to me?”

“Prove what…Oh yeah, yes. Yes, I am going to prove it to you right now. Get ready to fall at my glory.”

“I’m waiting.”

“Hai. Watashi wa toire ga suki desu.” I spoke up the only Japanese phrase I could remember.

Ha, take that Jaejoong. I bet you didn’t think I knew Japanese, but I did. I stared at the shocked Jaejoong with a proud expression. A silence covered the apartment.

Wait. Did I say it right? What did I even say? The longer the silence lasted the more I lost confidence in what I said. Was it toire? Wasn’t the Japanese word for food toire. No?

What the hell, what did I say?

Finally, Jon broke the silence. “Hahaha, I can’t hold it anymore. Sam, you are truly an idiot. Do you have any idea what you just said?”

“Of course, I did.” I stubbornly said. No, no I don’t. Was it bad? Damn it, I knew I should have paid attention to the Japanese lessons the company made me take. I looked at Jaejoong to only see him looking down at the ground. He was biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Jae?”

He snapped his head up to look at me.

“I can’t,” Jaejoong wheezed out as he turned away from me.

My eyes widened in horror as I witnessed his shoulders start to shake. I turned back to the laughing Jon hoping for answers. Jon was wheezing as he bent over in pain.

“Y-you ,” Jon laughed. He let out small wheezes as he tried to regain his breath. After a couple of tries, he wiped his tears. “Y-you just said you like the restroom. Which considering how long you spend in there, it’s not a lie.”

“Why are you here?” I hissed glaring at Jon. Jon looked back at me with a quirked eyebrow. “You dropped me off, now go. You don’t need to stay here.”

“Yes, I do” Jon answered crossing his arms over his chest. His face still red from all the laughing. Jaejoong came into the living room with a sigh putting down tea on the coffee table in front of both of us. He sat down next to me grabbing a cup of tea for himself. His face also still red from laughing earlier. He didn’t have to laugh so hard. I gave him a side glance rolling my eyes then glared back at Jon. I continued to glare at Jon across from us. “Or did you forget what happened the last time I left the both of you together?”

Jae let out a small choking sound as he coughed out his tea. Without taking my narrowed eyes off Jon, I placed my hands-on Jae’s back patting it a little too hard. Jae gave me a small glare causing me to give him one back. That’s what he gets for laughing at me earlier. Jae let out a soft apology as he stopped my hand from patting his back. Using his hand, he interlaced our fingers together. With slightly watery eyes, he gave me a weak smile. I just rolled my eyes at him and focused back on Jon, who is currently studying us like a hawk.

“That was two days ago, we didn’t even do anything that bad,” I said. “So, you can leave now. Your comments and yourself are not welcomed here.”

“You were half ,” Jon said.

“We were playing a game.”

“To which you forced Jaejoong to play with you.”

“I did not force him to play with me,” I attempted to defend myself. I looked at Jaejoong to see him flinch back from my glare. “You wanted to play the game. You told me that you did.”

Jaejoong took a second to look back and forth between Jon and I. His eyes screaming his need for an escape as he let out a nervous laugh.

“Of course, I wanted to play it sounded fun,” Jaejoong finally answered.

“You hesitated,” Jon said.

“Go the home, Jon!” I roared.

****

“Hahaha,” Naeun howled as she slammed her rough hand on the table.

I let out a groan. I just finished telling her about yesterday’s disaster with Jon. It’s not even that funny. I was super pissed yesterday. That damn manager of mine would not leave. He stayed the entire time and even went as far as declaring that he will always be with us on all our dates. And it didn’t help that they kept teasing me about the Japanese.

Damn him. Stupid, Jon!

I can’t believe I said ‘I like the restroom’ in Japanese in front of Jae.

I am such an idiot.

I took a shot of the soju then grabbed the bottle to refill my glass. I let out soft grumbles under my breath as the older woman continued to laugh to the point of tears.

Stupid Jon. Stupid Naeun.

“Yah! Don’t you think you are too old to laugh like this?” I scolded her. “Your face doesn’t look attractive at all.”

“Don’t be a just because you’re bitter,” Naeun replied. “Anyways, I can’t help it. It’s kinda cute that Jon is being protective.”

“Protective my . He doesn’t leave us alone with each other. I don’t get him. He was the one that gave me the bag full of birth control and condoms. Now he is being a .”

Naeun let out another loud laugh. “I remember when you told me that. Do you still have the bag?”

“Of course. Oi, don’t give me that disgusting face. I am being serious. I haven’t even used them except the birth control.”

Naeun let out another chuckle to herself before taking another shot. She doesn’t believe me. Of course, she doesn’t. If she was in my shoes, she would have jumped Jaejoong the first moment she saw him. A horrible shiver took over my body at the thought of it. I shook my head in disgust to dispel the image. Why would you even think about that? I took another shot of soju hoping the alcohol will burn the image away from my brain. So many nightmares will invade my brain now.

“Jon is just acting like an older brother, Sam. Didn’t you say you two have gotten closer lately?” Naeun spoke.

“Well, yeah, but,” I tried to reply.

“No, buts. Jon is seeing you in a different light. You are no longer the annoying, y, heartless, pain in the….”

“Please, do continue with your amazing compliments.”

“Smartass! Idol under his management. He is probably seeing you as an annoying little sister. He doesn’t want you to get hurt for moving too fast with Jaejoong.”

“We are not moving too fast.”

“Really? How many times have you stayed at his place?”

“But we haven’t done anything.”

Naeun shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. In my day, it was the same thing.”

“Well, it is no longer the stone ages,” I snorted. Naeun in her teeth as she lifted her hand in the air ready to hit me. On instinct, I flinched back making her smile in satisfaction then down another shot before grabbing the bottle from my hand. She filled both of our glasses. I rolled my eyes at her before downing my shot. I let the alcohol burn my throat and heat up my body. “Anyways, I don’t think it’s me Jon is protecting.”

Silence.

Naeun looked at me for a second. Her hand frozen in midair with a fresh shot. I poured myself another shot and downed it as I gave her a look.

“You mean?” She went to say.

“uhh huh,” I let out taking another shot.

“He is protecting Jaejoong?”

“Yup.”

“Like in protecting him from you?”

“Yeah.”

Naeun let out a snort followed by a loud laugh. Her free hand slapping down on the table as small snorts escaped her nose. Is she a pig? “He is protecting that beautiful, y, fine -“

“Please don’t continue that. That is my boyfriend you are talking about,” I groaned putting down my shot. I glanced behind her to see her employees standing behind the counter watching us with shocked faces. Thank god, the café is closed or else this woman would scare off her own customers with her own laughter. “Your voice is scaring your own employees.”

Naeun stopped laughing to turn around to glare at her employees. With a quick shout of curse words, she ordered her employees to get back to work. The poor kids jumped in fright and frantically went back to their closing preparations for the café.

“Honestly, a bunch of nosy kids that’s what they are,” Naeun sighed turning back towards me. She grabbed her shot glass and downed the soju then put the empty glass back on the table for I to refill it. “Parents don’t discipline their children enough these days.”

“I told you not to hire them fresh out of high school,” I replied rolling my eyes taking another shot of soju then refilled both of our glasses. I glanced back at her employees wearily. “Are you sure they can keep my secret?”

“Of course, they wouldn’t dare tell anyone about Jaejoong and you. They fear me too much,” Naeun chuckled taking another shot of soju. I quickly took my shot then refilled our glasses again. “Being paranoid will age you, relax. It’s been a week since the photoshoot with the girls, right? You haven’t seen your hideous manager woman since then, right?”

“A little more than a week actually, but it’s not like she disappeared during that time. I keep seeing her from time to time around the SM building following me and watching like a damn predator. I think she is planning something.”

Naeun let out a soft hum looking down at the table. Her cheeks slightly red from all the alcohol we consumed. She then looked back up at me with a small smile. I smiled back at the older woman feeling the alcohol tingling through my body.

I think I am done for the night.

“I hope you are happy,” Naeun muttered out sadly. Tears flowed down her eyes silently as she looked at me. Damn it, she’s drunk. Wet liquid flowed down my cheeks as I watched her cry for me. I lifted my hand up to my face to feel the tears. Damn it, I’m drunk. “You deserve all the happiness in the world.” Naeun grabbed another soju bottle opening it and filling our glasses. She grabbed her glass lifting it up in the air towards me. “All tho-ose s, can screw themselves. How dare they treat you like ! Yah, you better tell me if that does something to you. I was the boss of my high school, I can take her at this age.”

“Unnie, please. No more drinking,” I cried trying to take her drink away from her.

“I have to drink. Do you know how pissed off I get when I read those articles and comments about you? Do you know how much I want to kill that Modosa woman?”

“It’s Medusa.”

“Who gives a !”

“Unnie,” I whined finally snatching the shot glass from her hand. Naeun immediately burst into tears. “Stop crying, you are supposed to be tough. You are so drunk right now.”

“What about you?” Naeun cried pointing a finger at me. She then turned back towards her employees staring at us. “Yah! If I hear that any of you have done something to hurt this precious pain in my , I will kill you with my bare hands. Do you hear me?” Her employees immediately became bobble heads. “I mean it if news gets out about her and my future son in law and I find out any of you spread it. I will kill you. I don’t care how old you are.”

“That’s enough, Unnie. You are scaring them.”

Naeun snapped her head towards me. She moved towards me squeezing my cheeks with her rough hands. “You are a pain in the , but you are my pain in the . You are like a daughter I always wanted.”

“You have a daughter,” I moaned putting my hands over hers in order to her to stop squeezing.

“Yeah, but she is so horrible.”

Naeun continued to complain about her daughter as she held me tightly to her. In my drunk state, I complained loudly as I tried to get her to let me go. Naeun continued to cry without a care in the world. I should never have let us get this far. I know how Naeun gets when she is drunk. Like a bipolar faucet and I am always her favorite therapist.

“Thank God, you’re here,” I heard one of the female employees let out running to the back door. I looked up to see Jaejoong standing there staring at us in confusion. He turned to the girl asking her what happened. The girl let out a sigh putting her hand on his arm. Oh hell no. Naeun let out a gasp in shock as she mumbled curses towards the girl while I stared at the manicured hand on his arm. My blood boiling. “They were fine earlier, but they kept drinking and drinking. I think they are drunk now. We do-“

“Yah!” My voice rang through the café making everyone jump in shock. Naeun let me go to stomp towards Jaejoong and the girl in a jealous rage. Jaejoong let out my name in caution, but I ignored him focusing my attention on the girl. Once I reached them I snatched the girl’s hand off Jaejoong and instilled fear into the poor girl. “He’s mine. Mine only, so don’t touch. You touch, you lose the hand. Understand?” The girl nodded furiously. “Why are you still here? Go change your pampers, kid!”

And with that, the girl ran to the backroom. The two other employees chasing after her in order to comfort her. Jaejoong let out another tired sigh as he turned me around to look at him. His perfect right eyebrow quirked up. He crossed his arms over his chest as he gave me a disappointed look.

Why am I ?

“Yeah, take your man, Sam. No one messes with my JAM ship,” Naeun yelled. “I’ll help you kick her if you need it. Teach her to dye her hair seaweed color again after I told her no unnatural colors.”

“Noona, she is your employee,” Jaejoong sighed glancing behind me towards Naeun. Naeun let out a loud curse then flopped herself back on the chair. She continued to curse under her breath about unnatural hair colors and seaweeds. “She is defiantly drunk.” Jaejoong turned back towards me. I just continued to glare at him with my arms crossed over my chest. “What?”

“Why are you here? You told me you were busy,” I said.

“I got off early and had news that I couldn’t wait to tell you,” He answered. “But seeing how you are now. I might wait till you are more sober.”

“I am sober,” I argued with a pout.

Jaejoong gave me a soft caring smile. “No, you’re not. You are just trying to act like you are.”

“Lies, I am sober.”

“So am I!” Naeun let out. “Oh .” Jaejoong and I turned just in time to see her fall to the ground. “Old woman down. I repeat old woman down. Where the is my Life Alert necklace.”

Jaejoong and I turned back to each other with a sigh.

“She’s wasted and you are swaying,” Jaejoong said.

“Am not,” I childishly replied.

“Yes, you are.” Jaejoong poked me in the shoulder. With a loud curse, I went down. My hitting the ground causing Naeun to burst out laughing at my pain. Jaejoong stared down at me with a smirk. “Looks like your wasted too. Let’s get the two of you home, come on.”

“But I want to hear the news?”

“It can wait till tomorrow.”

“But I don’t want to wait.”

“Too bad.”

Jaejoong held out a hand towards me with a soft smile. And I don’t know if it was the soju, but I could have sworn that the lights got brighter behind him. My heart raced as my cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

I can’t believe I am drunk. I was fine earlier, why now. Why did he have to be here to see me like this?

I placed my hand in Jaejoong’s. I refused to look at him as I let him help me up. He lifted me easily as if I didn’t weigh anything at all. Our bodies so close to each other as his arms circled my waist holding me close to him. I stared at his chest as if the black fabric of his t-shirt had all the answers to the universe.

His voice called my name softly. Almost like a soft whisper of a lover. I looked up at him. His face so close to mine. I could see all the small brown flecks in his eyes. I could count each tiny dark freckle on his cheeks that he normally hides under makeup. Without taking my eyes off of him, I lifted my right hand to his face. My hand making soft contact with his cheek. He smiled a little as he leaned into my hand.

“Can I at least get a hint,” I muttered.

Jaejoong chuckled. “Even drunk you are still stubborn.”

I gave him a teasing smirk. “I’m not even fully drunk.”

“I’m curious to see ‘fully drunk Sam’ now. I have heard stories from Jon.”

My eyes widen. “I am going to kill Jon.”

Jaejoong laughed. “Please don’t. Our bromance is only in the beginning stages.”

“You won’t have a normal romance if you don’t tell me the news.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Both of us stared at each other refusing. Him refusing to tell me the news. And me refusing to back down from finding out. His hands still securely on my waist. My body pressed flushed against his as my right hand rested on his shoulder. The more we stared into each other’s eyes the more I lost my resolve.

It was as if we were the only two people in the world. The only person I see is him. The only things I hear is our breathing as well as our hearts beating rapidly. I felt my hard glare softened as my body relaxed against his. The more I stared at him the more I felt my worries slip away. All the little problems in the world mean nothing to me anymore.

How did I survive not seeing him for a whole day? Feeling him hold me? Or even looking into his gorgeous brown eyes? Brown eyes that stare back at me as if I was the most beautiful and delicate creature that has ever walked the earth. The more I stared at him the more I felt that I …

“I lo-“ I went to say, but I was quickly cut off by the sound of Naeun throwing up.

“,” Jaejoong let out.