Chapter 10

 

The Kim and Kwon family, a total number of six people, sat at the dining table, chatting merrily. The mom's were talking to each other and the same went for the dad's.

 

The atmosphere was warm, friendly and relaxing like they were one big family.

 

Half an hour later, desserts were served. It was candied sweet potato made by Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Kwon.

 

"Not bad." Mr. Kwon commented.

 

"It would be nicer if the potato taste is a little sweeter." Mr. Kim suggested, "Jaejoong, Yuri, what do you think?" "At least it is edible." Yuri teased lightly.

 

"Yuri!" Mrs. Kwon warned.

 

"It's fantastic, mom, but like uncle Kim said, it might be nicer if the potato taste is a little sweeter." Yuri said smiling, giving her comments honestly now.

 

"Jaejoong, what do you intend to do after graduation?" Mr. Kwon asked.

 

"Most likely work in my dad's company to helped him out." Jaejoong answered politely, "If not, I will work in other companies to gain some experiences first."

 

Nodding his head approvingly, Mr. Kwon said, "It's so nice to have a son."

 

"I knew it! I knew you have always wanted a son and blame me for giving you a daughter! There you are, finally saying your heartfelt words! If you don't like my daughter, say it earlier! So harsh on you huh, taking care of MY DAUGHTER!" Mrs. Kwon rambled angrily.

 

"Honey, that's not what I'm implying." Mr. Kwon coaxed tenderly. Losing her appetite, Mrs. Kwon got up from her seat and left with Mr. Kwon following after her.

 

"Yes, it is. I know it's my fault that my body is weak, unable to born you a son. You can go find some other women out there to bear you a son. Though you are in your late forties now, you are still quite an attractive guy to those women, don't think that I don't know. So, finding a woman to bear you a son wouldn't be a problem. Instead, I think they would gladly do so, especially with your fame and fortune." Mrs. Kwon continued sarcastically, walking away from the dining room, "Being a woman, I can only tolerate it and bear with my husband's unfaithfulness. Never mind, at least I have Yuri."

 

"Honey, you have misunderstood me. Am I such a man to you? If I am, I won't wait until now, right? I love you and only you. I swear I'm absolutely faithful to you in our years of marriage."

 

"Humph."

 

"As long as it's our child, yours and mine, I will love it all the same, whether it's a boy or girl. It's the proof of our love for each other, that's the most important thing. Indeed, I would love to have a son but if it's at the expense of endangering your life, I wouldn't want it at all. It's already tough on you when you were pregnant with Yuri and I don't want you to go through it anymore." Mr. Kwon continued, chasing after his wife.

 

Rolling her eyes, Yuri tried to eat her sweet potato. During her years of growing up, such scenes weren't uncommon to her. Once in a while, her mom would throw tantrums and then her dad would just willingly coax her. Maybe it was partly due to the fact that her mom was from a rich family and an only daughter. Her grandfather loved her mom a lot and spoilt her since young. Not only her grandfather, both her uncles, her mom's older brothers, did too, and when she was born, it made them happier. However, in a situation like now, it was a little too public and embarrassing. Nonetheless, she was happy for them. After so long, their marriage was still as loving as when they just got married. Embarrassed as she was, she was really envious of her parents.

 

Suddenly, Mrs. Kim lowered her head down, eating her sweet potato. Glancing at his wife meaningfully, a faint blushed creep up her cheeks. Noticing his parents behaviour too, and like Yuri, Jaejoong rolled his eyes. For his situation, his mom wanted another one, a daughter if possible but his dad objected to it quite strongly because he had accompanied her during labour and it pained him to see his wife suffered so much and didn't want her to go through it again. His mom tried many means, trying to persuade her husband and tried all kinds of means to be pregnant again. Whatever it was, her effort was futile, as right after the birth of Jaejoong, his dad underwent a very minor operation and she could no longer get pregnant.

 

Minutes later, her parents returned, hand-in-hand, back to the lovey-dovey couple. The atmosphere reversed back to the time before that small little squabble happened between Mr. and Mrs. Kwon.

 

Yuri was upstairs in Jaejoong's room, resting on his blue bed with her hands crossed behind her head while their parents were downstairs, chatting as usual. Their friendship was only a few weeks old but from the way they got along, it was like they had been close friends since young. Other than the rooftop and her room, Yuri's next favorite place was Jaejoong's room. It was a neat and tidy room for a guy and it made her feel at ease.

 

Jaejoong was putting one of his cds in the cd player and played it, boosting the soothing ambience that they were enjoying at the moment. Then he sat at the bean chair beside his bed in a comfortable position, too.

 

"Here you are, right after dinner, lying down. If you get fat, I'm not going to console you."

 

Grinning, Yuri said confidently, "I won't."

 

"Our parents were quite similar, huh?" Jaejoong commented lazily.

 

"Yeah, disgustingly sweet." Yuri chortled heartily. Only she knew how much her mom had wanted another child in order to give her a younger sibling. All because she, herself, grew up with two elder brothers and knew how much fun and how enjoyable it was to have company during the stage of growing up. It was one of her greatest regrets in life but her weak body didn't allow her to do so. Her mom told her all about it once when she was young and she didn't think that even her mom, herself, remember about it but she still remembered how her mom told her that there were numerous of times her mom had to battle with life and death during her pregnancy period which freaked her dad out and her mom, herself, knew that in worst cases scenario, she could lose both, her life and baby.

 

"Too bad both our dad's went through vasectomy. Yours, to prevent from falling into your mom's trap and not wanting to see his wife in pain while mine, to prevent more heart attacks and don't want to endanger my mom's life. How nice." Yuri said, sighing enviously, "I guess in this world there's no more such strong love like our parents."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Nodding her head to Jaejoong's question, her curiosity was pricked, "Jaejoong Oppa, will you do like what our dad's did?" Yuri asked inquisitively and interestedly.

 

"Uh." Jaejoong said, at a loss for words.

 

"Oh well, whatever it is, if you really do what our dad's did, I will know by then." Yuri said coolly.

 

"What about you? Is your body like auntie Kwon? So weak?" Jaejoong asked, with a faint concern in his voice. Grinning, she held him in suspenses, "What do you think?"

 

"Kwon Yuri."

 

"My mom has been feeding me with tons of tonics since I was young so that I won't be another her. So, I guess I should be fine but you will never know whether its true until I'm pregnant." Yuri said, in the mood to joke but this obviously wasn't the case for Jaejoong as he glared at her warningly.

 

"Worse comes to worst, there is a thing called test-tube baby and the purposes of surrogate mother."

 

Letting out a defeated sigh, Jaejoong asked, "So, where did you go today?"

 

"Lunch and movie." Yuri answered candidly, totally unaware that Jaejoong was testing her out.

 

"With?"

 

"Fany and Minnie Oppa."

 

"Minnie? Oppa?" Jaejoong asked, on his guard when he heard her mention a guy name that he never knew of.

 

"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce you to him." Yuri said, remaining unperturbed, totally oblivious to Jaejoong's aim, "Thank you for reminding me about it." She was actually even grateful.

 

"Am I supposed to know him?"

 

"Yeah, since he's my future supposed-to-be fiance."

 

"What?" Jaejoong said, getting up from his seat in a jolt, completely stunned by this piece of news.

 

"Didn't I tell you?" Yuri asked, looking at him cluelessly, "Once, my mom arranged me to attend a matchmaking dinner and the person happened to be Minnie Oppa but then, he already had someone in his heart and at that time, I'm not interested at all so didn't pay much attention to him."

 

Listening to Yuri as she told him all of this, Jaejoong's heart was in the ups and downs. He was scared when she told him about the matchmaking dinner and relieved when he heard that the Minnie guy had someone already and Yuri wasn't interested in him.

 

"Then, how did you get to know him and even went out with him?"

 

"That was around the time when you and I became friends. He suddenly came looking for me at my house. I was surprised as I never expected to see him again."

 

"Why?"

 

"Why what?"

 

"Why did he go to your house?"

 

"To be friends, of course." Then, she rubbed her eyes sleepily. The ambience was too sleep-inducing, too comfortable. Now, her sleepiness was starting to kicked in. Yawning, she soon fell into a deep slumber. Seeing this, Jaejoong took the black blanket and covered her body gently.

 

"Yul." He whispered, looking at her sleeping form. His eyes were so soft and tender and with all the love he had for her.

 

"Huh?" Yuri stirred in her sleep, her eyes tightly closed. Jaejoong smiled affectionately at her child-like form, gently her cheeks. Her skin was so soft and smooth, Jaejoong realized with a skip in his heart.

 

'When? When will I have the courage to confess my feelings to her?' Jaejoong questioned himself.

 

There was no answer.

 

The warmth was so soothing that Yuri started craving for more. She held the hand on her cheeks tightly, snuggling closer for more of that warmth. Unbeknownst to her, Yuri was hugging Jaejoong like a pillow and slept more soundly than ever before. Shaking his head, Jaejoong slowly and carefully pulled her arms away, untying himself from her grasps. Then he took one of the black pillows and placed it between her arms which Yuri hugged all the same. Although initially, there was a slight frown but it disappeared quickly.

 

Smiling, he pecked her affectionately on the forehead, "Goodnight, my dear Yul. Wish you a sweet dreams."

 

Lastly, before tearing himself away from her beautiful sleeping form and lost his self-control and gave in to the desire in his heart, he finally let out the three words he had been wanting to tell her, "I love you."

 

Forever.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't when she was awake.

 

The bright morning sun shone through the window and into the big, spacious, neat and tidy room, lightening the whole room up. The furniture in the room became more visible and the light highlighted the neatness and tidiness of the room. It added in freshness to the masculine room which also gave people an idea what type of person the owner of this room was. The only thing that contradicted the style of the room was the person sleeping on the king size bed peacefully. A woman, Kwon Yuri.

 

By the time she woke up, it was already the next morning. Opening her eyes, Yuri stared up at the ceiling and knew that she was in Jaejoong's room. For some weird reason, yesterday night sleep was one of the best she had ever had. She wondered why.

 

Ever since they became friends, she went over to his house and he went to hers quite often and sometimes, she would stayed until it was late into the night and fell asleep unknowingly until the next day and poor Jaejoong had to sleep in the guest room when he was the owner of this room.

 

After washing herself up quickly, she walked down the stairs and started greeting everyone there politely, "Good morning uncle and auntie Kim, Jae Oppa. I'm sorry for troubling all of you again."

 

"Its fine. We have been next door neighbours for so many years so spare all the formality." Mrs. Kim said, smiling "Come and have a seat."

 

Obeying, Yuri sat down beside Jaejoong.

 

"Oppa, are you free later on?" Yuri asked, as she took a bite of her rice.

 

"Why?"

 

"Watch a movie together, of course. The end of vacation is nearing so I'm thinking let's do something together before school starts."

 

"You and me?"

 

Nodding, Yuri smiled widely, "Just the two of us. I realize that since we became friends, there's never a time when the both of us do things together."

 

"Sure. What time?"

 

"One hour later. Outside the gate."

 

It was the last week of their vacation and throughout the whole day, Jaejoong and Yuri did a lot of things together. Other than watching movies, they went bike riding at the beach, then spent some time strolling around the soft sand of the beach, had lunch together, went to the bookshop, ate at her favourite ice-cream shop and when the day got dark, they went stargazing before going home.

 

During their trip, Jaejoong asked, "Why did you suggests doing something together all of a sudden?"

 

"To spend more time together. As a friend, I feel its a good way to get to know each other better, especially when we became friends just recently. If I include Fany then I might focus more on her and neglect you so I decided to spend a day together, with just you and me." Yuri answered, before smiling proudly, "Aren't I smart?"

 

"Yes, very smart." Jaejoong said, giving in.

 

"Hey. You aren't sincere." Yuri said, hitting him lightly on his broad shoulder, "And the idea of you and me spending time together was quite appealing. I had a feeling that it would be fun." Then she grabbed his hands and led him to a shop a few stores down from where they stood, "Let's go see that store. The shop title sounds attractive."

 

Jaejoong followed her a little stupidly as in his mind he was still repeating the words Yuri had said earlier.

 

'More time together.'

 

'Appealing.'

 

'Fun.'

 

Jaejoong knew better than to read too deeply into it. For a moment, he felt himself flying in heaven but his common senses brought him back. To her, it was because he was her friend. Just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Nonetheless, he was glad because he believed at least he had some significance in her life and heart.

 

He wanted to believe so.