three
Blush for Me3. She has plans.
If anyone asked Jackson what his plans were for the next ten years of his life, he’d answer something along the lines of “having dozens of number one hits” and “world domination.”
If anyone asked YoungJi about hers, she’d smile and sweetly reply, “To be making wonderful music with my KARA members that our fans will continue to love and support.”
But that’s not what she tells him when they’re sitting side by side backstage between tapings. Jackson is understandably a little surprised.
“Coffee Terior?” He repeated, naming her family’s business and raising an eyebrow. “You want to run the cafe? That’s your goal??”
“Well, it’s clearly not my only goal in life.” YoungJi said it like it was obvious and shrugged, “But it is a family business.”
“Yeah,” He agreed readily, pointing out, “That’s why your mom runs it.”
“She’s not going to run it forever, you know.” YoungJi snorted, “So, I figure I could handle it in the future.”
Jackson narrowed his eyes at her, assessing until he realized, “Wow. You’re actually serious.”
“Sure.” She said, raising an eyebrow at him, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“‘Why?’” Jackson parroted, laughing incredulously, “Um, how about because we’re popstars who don’t need day jobs?”
His sarcasm didn’t even phase her.
“That’s right now, though.” YoungJi told him reasonably. “Come on, you don’t really expect to be a popstar and performing when you’re in your 40s, do you?”
“JoonHyung and his band are still holding concerts and my CEO just released a single about checking girls’ bodies out.” Jackson deadpanned, “My role models don’t agree with your logic.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her stylist waving at her to come over and she nodded, rising from her seat.
“I’m just saying that it’s good to have a backup plan in life.” She said as Jackson stood beside her. “Don’t you have a Plan B too?”
And Jackson, being Jackson, merely smirked at her smugly.
“Who needs a Plan B when my band’s going to run the planet?”
YoungJi snorted because she had a feeling he’d probably still be this boastful and brash when they were in their 40s too. He tugged on a loose curl over her shoulder and told her,
“You could rule the world with me too, you know.”
YoungJi missed the change in tone because her stylist was waving at her impatiently and her wayward curl slipped from his fingers as she walked away from him, calling over her shoulder,
“Pass.” She told Jackson with a cheeky grin, “We can’t be idols for forever, you know.”
It hits his gut harder than he cares to admit.
“So what, you’re just going to run your family’s café? Like, that’s it??”
Jackson’s still perplexed, YoungJi’s still half-asleep, and the line is crackling because Got7’s up at an ungodly hour in Malaysia to rehearse for a concert and she’s just trying to rest her eyes in Japan.
“WHYY are we still talking about this??” She was trying not to whine but it’s kind of her fault for picking up the phone in the first place.
“Because it doesn’t make any sense woman!” Jackson said emphatically. He tried to reason with her, “I mean, you worked so hard, for so many years and so many different companies-”
“It was only three, Jackson.” She tried to interject tiredly but he’s on a roll,
“-and you’re telling me that, after all that effort and time, you just want to make coffee and milkshakes?”
She snorted once, “You like our coffee and milkshakes.”
“That’s not the point YoungJi.” He fired back and she laughed despite her exhaustion.
“Then what is the point Jackson??” YoungJi entertained him, her voice muffled by the pillow she was trying to burrow her face into.
“The point,” He ground out, “Is that I thought being an idol was your greatest dream in life.”
“It was.” YoungJi agreed tiredly.
“And you’re going to abandon that same dream you worked so hard for??”
Elsewhere on their stage, YuGyeom looked up in alarm at Jackson’s loud accusation (exaggeration).
“What? YoungJi-noona is leaving KARA??”
Beside him, JaeBum distractedly patted their maknae’s head reassuringly,
“Ignore Jackson, Gyeom-ie. Jackson’s just being a drama queen.”
Her royal highness could hear them just fine so he chucked a sweaty at them. YuGyeom yelped and JaeBum shouted so loudly that Jackson almost missed YoungJi’s reply,
“…’s sake Jackson,” She grumbled, exasperated. “I was talking about the future! The future!”
He scoffed, “What difference does that make?”
“Like, 10 or 20 years’ worth of a difference you brat!” YoungJi groaned, exasperated.
“I’m just saying!” He insisted, “How does it make any sense for you to even think about giving up on your dream after it came true?”
In another country, Heo YoungJi groaned once more and face-planted into her hotel’s duvet again, seriously contemplating her friendship with this idiot as she desperately wriggled into the blankets to try to find some peace and quiet. Granted, she knew that wasn’t going to happen with this kid on the line talking about cafes and dreams and decades that haven’t passed yet.
“Yah, Wang Jackson,” YoungJi said with a quiet hum, “We’re allowed to have new dreams, you know.”
He paused then because he was too busying imagining her in a café while he’s conquering music boards in other countries and being annoyed at that prospect, that that particular thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. So, YoungJi already had one dream come true,
“Then,” Jackson ventured, “What’s your new dream?”
But she’s done talking about dreams and floating through one instead now, and all that came through the line were her soft, steady breaths of sleep. Jackson should’ve been annoyed but, instead, he sits at the edge of Got7’s stage and listens to the calming sound through the occasional crackle of static. It’s not weird, he’s sure.
Later, Jackson remembered a conversation they had back when they were on Roommate ("Who is going to be? Jackson?" "No!" "Absolutely not!") and realized, oh, she'd already told him that dream. He wasn't sure if he'd preferred not to remember.
He dropped by MCountdown with the excuse to bother JinYoung and BamBam. Tthey see right through it, of course, because he runs out the door after barely saying hello to them both. After a bit of wandering, Jackson found her in the hallway, leaning close to a wall to avoid the flow of traffic and chatting with SungJae, NamJoo, and TaeHyung. He came up to the group and it just kind of tumbled out of his mouth when he addressed YoungJi,
“Do you want to get married?”
And, really, it’s Jackson so random and out-of-context outbursts are kind of expected with him. YoungJi doesn’t even bat a heavily-mascaraed eyelash; she can speak Jackson, after all. The others, however, fall into a semi-shocked silence with NamJoo letting out a surprised squeak and TaeHyung quietly whispering something that sounded very suspiciously like,
“NamJoo was right. It’s finally happening.”
Planting hands on her hips, YoungJi just sighed at him like they hadn’t had this conversation over a week ago,
“Yes, Jackson, I want to get married.”
TaeHyung clutched the sleeve of SungJae’s shirt, his whisper a scandalized hiss,
“Oh my God, it really is happening!!”
“So that’s it then?” Jackson challenged. “You’re just going to get married and quit being an idol and run your family’s café??”
YoungJi felt a headache coming on even as NamJoo turned to her, eyes wide.
“YoungJi, you’re quitting being an idol?” NamJoo asked the same time SungJae chirped, “Your family owns a café?”
“Yes!” YoungJi sputtered. “I mean, no! But, if you-“
“Wait,” TaeHyung tried, “But does this mean you’re still getting married?”
No one could quite tell when HoSeok showed up but then he’s asking, “Who’s getting married?”
“YoungJi,” SungJae told him, then frowned, “I think.”
“…oh.” HoSeok seemed taken back for a split second before blurting out, (very loudly), “Congratulations on your engagement!”
“Now, w-wait a minute-“
“Someone got engaged?” BoMi only showed up to MCountdown to cheer on SungJae and NamJoo (suuure) but she’d managed to jump into the conversation at the worst time because HoSeok inadequately supplied her with,
“YoungJi’s getting married!”
“Ah! Congratulations!” BoMi said happily…before turning to NamJoo and hastily asking, “Who is she engaged to??”
“H-Hang on there-“
“Well,” NamJoo said honestly, “Jackson asked her if she wanted to get married and-“
“Oh!” BoMi looked like she had actual hearts in her eyes as she turned back and forth between Jackson and YoungJi, exclaiming, “Finally!! I thought it was never going to happen!”
BTS’ JHope then muttered (very loudly) to V, “Dude! RapMon really was right!”
YoungJi buried her face in her palms with a groan and that’s how Jackson inadvertently started the rumor that Heo YoungJi was leaving KARA to get married. DSP’s CEO actually laughed when he was asked to comment and the rest of Got7 sent a congratulatory wreath to KARA’s dorm. GyuRi and SeungYeon get a kick out of it, HaRa saves a few of the flowers “as mementos” and YoungJi is not amused.
“What does it matter to you, anyway?” She asked him later when they’ve reassured fans that YoungJi isn’t going anywhere. They’d gone out with a few friends but Amber and BamBam are tearing up the dance floor with Min, JaeBum’s gone to get more drinks with SanDeul, and JinYoung and BoMi have not-so-mysteriously disappeared to God knows where. “Is it really a big deal that I don’t plan on being an idol for the rest of my life?”
“I’m just saying,” Jackson said slowly, swirling his drink in one hand, “That I think it’d be a waste.”
YoungJi laughed because, “You think that me getting married and having a family would be a waste?”
Jackson made a face at her, “That’s not what I mean at all.”
She pressed, “So what do you mean?”
And he’s not quite ready to deal with the real answer to that question so he hedged and replied,
“That you can do more in your life than be someone’s wife.”
“Like what? Be your wife instead?”
He flicked her forehead because, “You’ve been my wife since Roommate already, you know.”
She laughed again because that joke was likely never going to die. She s an arm into the crook of his, nudging his bicep with her cheek to look up at him cutely (it’s the rum, for certain),
“Do you remember how I told you that we can’t be idols for forever?”
“Speak for yourself.” He told her, ignoring that second hit to his gut.
YoungJi clicked her tongue at his bluff but continued anyway,
“Jackson, there might come a day that we won’t be performing or sharing stages anymore.” She could feel the muscles around his arm tense as he gripped his drink harder. YoungJi ran her fingers down his forearm lightly, comfortingly, “But it doesn’t mean I’m going to disappear, you know.” She tugged on his snapback for emphasis, “Just because you’re going to conquer the world one day when I’m no longer an idol, doesn’t mean we have to leave each other in the past.”
Being sentimental is more of Junior’s shtick but it made Jackson smirk a little anyway. YoungJi can feel his arm relax under her touch.
“Yeah? You sure about that?” He wasn’t asking for reassurance, truly.
“Of course.” YoungJi said emphatically, winking at him, “After all, you’re my husband, aren’t you?”
Jackson laughed because it was a ridiculous, albeit appropriate response. She smiled then, her hand curling down the length of his arm, stopping short of actually sliding her palm against his. Instead, she idly ran a finger along his wrist, drawing invisible designs against his skin and lingering over his pulse point. Jackson haphazardly wondered if he should hold her hand. It felt like one of those moments, even if he didn’t really know if he and YoungJi were even allowed to have those kind of moments.
“You could come see me, you know.” She said suddenly and he tore his eyes away from their not-really-intertwined hands to look at her.
“Huh?”
“At the coffee shop.” YoungJi elaborated. “You could visit me from time to time. You know, when you’re not busy taking over the world and music charts.”
“I’ll be a very busy man then,” Jackson cautioned her smugly, “I don’t know if I’ll have any openings in my schedule to drink coffee with you.”
“How about I name a drink after you?” YoungJi offered, grinning. “It will have five shots of espresso, too much sugar, and will guarantee to give my customers headaches if they buy it.”
He burst out in laughter. “YAH!”
“I’ll call it,” She waved a hand in the air like she was displaying a billboard. “‘The Wang.’”
Jackson choked on his drink, spewing Jack Daniels everywhere in between chortles because he’s taught her English well enough to make dumb jokes like that.
“And each drink will cost the same as a ticket to a Got7 concert.” YoungJi continued with a giggle. “That way, I’ll be able to see you too.”
“Yah!” Jackson admonished, shaking his head and wiping his mouth, “That’s a terrible idea! How are you going to keep the café open with drinks like that for such high prices??”
“All the more reason for you to come see me!” YoungJi insisted, tugging his arm, her smile notwithstanding. “We can still argue and talk and yell at each other without make up on our faces or managers or cameras following us around. That wouldn’t be too bad, now would it?”
Admitting that YoungJi was right about anything was outside of Jackson’s scope of abilities but he had to silently agree, no, that wouldn’t be terrible actually…
“Ah,” YoungJi threw in as an afterthought. “And if you do end up aggravating me, I’ll just make sure my kids attack and irritate you during your visits too.”
She laughed. Jackson blinked.
“……kids?”
But JB and Sandeul are suddenly back with new drinks and then BoMi and Junior have reappeared with his shirt half-tucked and her hair a mess, and Jackson didn’t feel like having that conversation with YoungJi in front of everyone else. He thought about it later, though.
He thinks, maybe, in a decade or two, he’ll come back from an international tour and drive to her coffee shop at closing time without any warning just to annoy her. They’ll probably argue, he’ll probably win, and maybe, just maybe, Jackson could watch YoungJi make a drink just for him in an empty café. Maybe she’ll even sic a cute, hyper, wide-mouthed little girl on him to talk his ear off in revenge.
(Maybe that little kid could speak Cantonese to him too. Or whatever. It's just a thought.)
6/11/15
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