Happy New Year, Changmomo! Exchange fic: "A Love Like This"
Title: A Love Like This
Rating: G
Genre: Romance, fluff, angst
Warning: None
Summary: A weird relationship with ex-wife and a kid on my side? That’s all I've ever known and had. What happens when a hardworking, playful and serious stranger grows close to me?
Changmomo's request: Jaejoong is a rich divorce man (with a woman) with a little son on his side. Yunho is an ordinary college student who works part time job in a dance studio and cafe nearby. Yunho met Jaejoong in the studio or cafe it's up to author's decision :D
Author’s note: Since there’s no specific plot, I took the liberty to come up with this. I tried my best to stick to your request as close as possible. I hope you enjoy the story :)
It’s a warm Saturday morning when I make my way to the nearest café near the office building. I enter the café and make the store bell jingle.
“Good morning. Welcome to Philosophy Coffee,” greets the man behind the counter.
“Good morning,” I reply.
“May I have your order, sir?”
“An espresso, please, and a muffin” I say, giving him my money.
“Okay, right away, sir. Thank you,” the counter boy smiles at me.
After giving my order, I sit at the vacant seat near the window to watch the morning crowd.
This is became a habit for me, to come to this coffee shop every morning and spend two hours just enjoying my day before hectic day at office. Even though I only spend half a day in the office, life as a single parent with one energetic boy who’s high on sugar can be so tiring. So, who can deny a guy a relaxing morning, huh?
All my daydreaming gets interrupted when someone suddenly falls into my lap, the sound of glass shattering to the ground filling the coffee shop.
“What the …?” I’m still shocked when I realize I have a lapful of a man.
“I - I am sorry, sir,” he stutters.
“Would you mind getting off me?” I ask with an angry voice. He rose from me.
“I didn’t mean to fall right on you,” he said, and I just arch one of my eyebrows. Because, really, who in their right mind intends to fall on someone? Really … sigh. This guy is just so weird. I get a quick peek at his name tag: Yunho.
I huff and puff, while trying to clean my shirt from the coffee stain that splashed from the glass when it fell. And then the café manager comes to my table.
“Ahh … Jaejoong-hyung. I’m sorry for my worker’s clumsiness. He can be a handful sometimes,” the manager said while glaring at Yunho. “I’m wondering though, how can he can be so good at dance while being so clumsy at serving,” he said with a sigh.
“It’s okay, Yoochun. No harm done,” I said.
Yup, you can say that I know the manager. He’s none other than my brother-in-law - my ex-wife’s little brother. I was married to her for three years, and when our son, Changmin, was barely two-years-old, she asked for a divorce. She said the married life was so not her. She loves Changmin and she loves me, but not like before. I knew from the start that she was quite eccentric, so I accepted the divorce with a big heart. We still have a good relationship as friends, everything is good after all.
Yunho apologizes to me one more time with bow, and excuses himself. I continue to enjoy my morning, until it’s time for me to go to work.
+++
The second time I run into Yunho is at my son’s dance recital, when he bumped into me.
“Ow!” I say as someone runs into me and I fall to the floor.
“Ah, sorry,” a voice says, while helping me to stand. “I’m in a hurry.”
“It’s okay- Yunho?” I say, stunned when I see that the someone who bumped into me was the same person who fell on me before.
“Oh!” He’s shocked to see me, too. An awkward moment is avoided when Changmin calls out to us.
“Appa? Yunho-hyung, why are you holding my appa?” the five-year-old innocently asks.
“Yunho-hyung saved Appa when I was about to fall,” I reply, because Yunho is still to shocked to answer.
“Ohh, I see. Appa is so clumsy,” Changmin said.
“Aigooo, this brat,” I said playfully, while i pinch his chubby cheeks and push him to follow his other teacher who asked the kids to follow her.
“So, you’re Changmin’s appa?” Yunho asked, finally able to overcome his shocked.
“Yes,” I answer. “So, you’re the hyung he’s so proud of. He’s always so excited to talk about you, about how great your dance is, and how he wants to become a great dancer like you.” I think back to what Changmin told me about Yunho, never realizing he was the same clumsy Yunho I know.
“Ah, thank you. I’m not that great, though,” he says while blushing. Aww. It’s cute to see grown men like him blushing like that. I like it. Yes, you hear me right. I like him. I’m not one to judge someone just because of their gender. From that second encounter, me and Yunho became close and started to get to know one another.
+++
From the frequent meetings we have after that, I know that Yunho is in university majoring in architecture. Why architecture? Well, because he wants to build a special house for his family later. Yunho was an orphan whose parents died in an accident when he was still in junior high. After that, he lived with his uncle until he got a scholarship for school in Seoul.
To afford living expenses and other necessities, he works two jobs: at a café as a waiter and in the dance studio as an instructor. Yunho is younger than me by five years. He’s now 20 years old - the same age I had Changmin. Awesome, right?
Changmin really adores him probably because Yunho is such a dork. He became Changmin’s playmate and that’s what makes him visit my house so often. At first, he was afraid to come to my house because he said he had never been to such a fancy house. I want my house as comfortable as possible for living, especially for Changmin. Seeing how hectic Yunho’s day-to-day schedule is, between working and studying, I appointed myself his personal chef because of my concern for his health. My work as a writer doesn’t take much of my time and I still have a fortune from my parents. Yep, I’m spoiled, but I spoiled in the right way.
+++
Six months into my friendship with Yunho, my ex-wife comes to visit Changmin after a long absence.
“You look different,” she stated with a knowing face.
“Huh? What do you mean? I look the same. What’s different?” I ask, confused by her statement.
“You look like you’re in love. Uh-uh … don’t even try to deny it. I know the look because I’ve been the one who has received it before,” she says teasing me.
“Why do I even try?” I say.
“Spill it,” she says excitedly. With Changmin still taking his nap, I tell everything to my ex-wife. How I met Yunho. When I first I started to fall in love. And I told her that I haven’t even told Yunho about all of this.
“Oh my God. Stupid, come on what are you afraid of?” she says. “It’s clear as day that Yunho likes you, too. If not, why else does he always make time to come visit? To visit Minnie? You’re kidding me, right? He can meet Minnie in the dance studio. He is Minnie’s instructor, after all. And don’t even try to say that he came for free dinner. For goodness sake, he can buy it.” She’s chattering while holding her hand in front of me to stop me from interrupting her. I keep silent while trying to process the information she gives me. Why didn’t I notice it? Truthfully, I just didn’t want to be too hopeful. After all, he’s in university and there are many young students for Yunho to have a relationship with. Students who aren’t old me.
“What to do?” I pout at her and gave her my best puppy eyes.
+++
“Thank God you’re not my husband anymore,” my wife says. “You can be dense and a real idiot sometimes. But, I still adore you. Listen, you must tell him tomorrow when he visits. If you don’t tell him about your feelings, believe me, I’ll be the one who will,” she says threateningly, while I just gape at her. She makes her way to Changmin’s room leaving me behind in the kitchen. Why did I tell her? She can be handful sometimes, and I should know it best.
The next day, my ex-wife brings Changmin with her to visit her parents. I know it’s her way of showing her support for me by creating a moment to speak with Yunho in private. She knows if Changmin’s there, I absolutely won’t come clean to Yunho about my feelings because I’ll be too busy tending to Changmin and too tired after that to focus on the conversation. I mentally prepare myself for this meeting with Yunho. Not long after, there’s someone ringing my doorbell. It must be Yunho, and so I hurry to open the door. There he is standing handsomely at my door, making my heart flutter.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey, come in,” I reply while opening my door wider so he can come in.
We talk while we eat, and he asks where Changmin is. I tell him that Changmin is visiting his grandparents. After eating, we sit on a bench in the garden behind the house, and I try to start the conversation.
“Yunho there’s something I want you to know,” I begin, and Yunho gives me a perplexed look.
“Okay, what is it?”
“So we’ve already known each other for almost more than six months, and you know we’ve become closer and closer. And I… ” I stutter. I’m so nervous. My heart keeps beating hard and it doesn’t help that I can’t read Yunho’s expression.
“Yes, we have. And?” he encourages me to continue.
“I’m falling in love with you. I … I know maybe you’re not even into guys, and maybe you’ll feel disgusted towards me. I just can’t help it.” I sigh and look like a kicked puppy.
Yunho lets out a heavy breath and I get a feeling things are going to turn ugly.
“First of all, I’m not disgusted by you, Jae. Second, I’m into guys, especially you.”
I hold my breath.
“But,” he continues. (Uh-uh, when there’s a “but,” it’s not good) “I’m sorry, Jae, I can’t respond to your feelings right now. It’s not like I don’t like you or love you, but I promised myself that I’d finish my studies first and then think of a relationship,” he explains, and I exhale.
It does hurt after all, but I understand his reasons.
“And I thought what we have now was good,” Yunho says. “I will not ask for you to wait for me because it only shows how selfish I am. I want you to be happy. But I can’t be in a relationship now. I hope you understand. If you want, please come ask me again in two years.”
I let my tears fall down. God, it hurts. Two years? Yeah, right. I still keep my silence.
“I’m sorry, Jae,” he continues. “I think it’s better that I take my leave now.”
And with that, he hugs me and take his leave. My tears continue falling. Oh, how love can be so hard?
I stayed in my garden for a long time that night.
END
Rating: G
Genre: Romance, fluff, angst
Warning: None
Summary: A weird relationship with ex-wife and a kid on my side? That’s all I've ever known and had. What happens when a hardworking, playful and serious stranger grows close to me?
Changmomo's request: Jaejoong is a rich divorce man (with a woman) with a little son on his side. Yunho is an ordinary college student who works part time job in a dance studio and cafe nearby. Yunho met Jaejoong in the studio or cafe it's up to author's decision :D
Author’s note: Since there’s no specific plot, I took the liberty to come up with this. I tried my best to stick to your request as close as possible. I hope you enjoy the story :)
It’s a warm Saturday morning when I make my way to the nearest café near the office building. I enter the café and make the store bell jingle.
“Good morning. Welcome to Philosophy Coffee,” greets the man behind the counter.
“Good morning,” I reply.
“May I have your order, sir?”
“An espresso, please, and a muffin” I say, giving him my money.
“Okay, right away, sir. Thank you,” the counter boy smiles at me.
After giving my order, I sit at the vacant seat near the window to watch the morning crowd.
This is became a habit for me, to come to this coffee shop every morning and spend two hours just enjoying my day before hectic day at office. Even though I only spend half a day in the office, life as a single parent with one energetic boy who’s high on sugar can be so tiring. So, who can deny a guy a relaxing morning, huh?
All my daydreaming gets interrupted when someone suddenly falls into my lap, the sound of glass shattering to the ground filling the coffee shop.
“What the …?” I’m still shocked when I realize I have a lapful of a man.
“I - I am sorry, sir,” he stutters.
“Would you mind getting off me?” I ask with an angry voice. He rose from me.
“I didn’t mean to fall right on you,” he said, and I just arch one of my eyebrows. Because, really, who in their right mind intends to fall on someone? Really … sigh. This guy is just so weird. I get a quick peek at his name tag: Yunho.
I huff and puff, while trying to clean my shirt from the coffee stain that splashed from the glass when it fell. And then the café manager comes to my table.
“Ahh … Jaejoong-hyung. I’m sorry for my worker’s clumsiness. He can be a handful sometimes,” the manager said while glaring at Yunho. “I’m wondering though, how can he can be so good at dance while being so clumsy at serving,” he said with a sigh.
“It’s okay, Yoochun. No harm done,” I said.
Yup, you can say that I know the manager. He’s none other than my brother-in-law - my ex-wife’s little brother. I was married to her for three years, and when our son, Changmin, was barely two-years-old, she asked for a divorce. She said the married life was so not her. She loves Changmin and she loves me, but not like before. I knew from the start that she was quite eccentric, so I accepted the divorce with a big heart. We still have a good relationship as friends, everything is good after all.
Yunho apologizes to me one more time with bow, and excuses himself. I continue to enjoy my morning, until it’s time for me to go to work.
+++
The second time I run into Yunho is at my son’s dance recital, when he bumped into me.
“Ow!” I say as someone runs into me and I fall to the floor.
“Ah, sorry,” a voice says, while helping me to stand. “I’m in a hurry.”
“It’s okay- Yunho?” I say, stunned when I see that the someone who bumped into me was the same person who fell on me before.
“Oh!” He’s shocked to see me, too. An awkward moment is avoided when Changmin calls out to us.
“Appa? Yunho-hyung, why are you holding my appa?” the five-year-old innocently asks.
“Yunho-hyung saved Appa when I was about to fall,” I reply, because Yunho is still to shocked to answer.
“Ohh, I see. Appa is so clumsy,” Changmin said.
“Aigooo, this brat,” I said playfully, while i pinch his chubby cheeks and push him to follow his other teacher who asked the kids to follow her.
“So, you’re Changmin’s appa?” Yunho asked, finally able to overcome his shocked.
“Yes,” I answer. “So, you’re the hyung he’s so proud of. He’s always so excited to talk about you, about how great your dance is, and how he wants to become a great dancer like you.” I think back to what Changmin told me about Yunho, never realizing he was the same clumsy Yunho I know.
“Ah, thank you. I’m not that great, though,” he says while blushing. Aww. It’s cute to see grown men like him blushing like that. I like it. Yes, you hear me right. I like him. I’m not one to judge someone just because of their gender. From that second encounter, me and Yunho became close and started to get to know one another.
+++
From the frequent meetings we have after that, I know that Yunho is in university majoring in architecture. Why architecture? Well, because he wants to build a special house for his family later. Yunho was an orphan whose parents died in an accident when he was still in junior high. After that, he lived with his uncle until he got a scholarship for school in Seoul.
To afford living expenses and other necessities, he works two jobs: at a café as a waiter and in the dance studio as an instructor. Yunho is younger than me by five years. He’s now 20 years old - the same age I had Changmin. Awesome, right?
Changmin really adores him probably because Yunho is such a dork. He became Changmin’s playmate and that’s what makes him visit my house so often. At first, he was afraid to come to my house because he said he had never been to such a fancy house. I want my house as comfortable as possible for living, especially for Changmin. Seeing how hectic Yunho’s day-to-day schedule is, between working and studying, I appointed myself his personal chef because of my concern for his health. My work as a writer doesn’t take much of my time and I still have a fortune from my parents. Yep, I’m spoiled, but I spoiled in the right way.
+++
Six months into my friendship with Yunho, my ex-wife comes to visit Changmin after a long absence.
“You look different,” she stated with a knowing face.
“Huh? What do you mean? I look the same. What’s different?” I ask, confused by her statement.
“You look like you’re in love. Uh-uh … don’t even try to deny it. I know the look because I’ve been the one who has received it before,” she says teasing me.
“Why do I even try?” I say.
“Spill it,” she says excitedly. With Changmin still taking his nap, I tell everything to my ex-wife. How I met Yunho. When I first I started to fall in love. And I told her that I haven’t even told Yunho about all of this.
“Oh my God. Stupid, come on what are you afraid of?” she says. “It’s clear as day that Yunho likes you, too. If not, why else does he always make time to come visit? To visit Minnie? You’re kidding me, right? He can meet Minnie in the dance studio. He is Minnie’s instructor, after all. And don’t even try to say that he came for free dinner. For goodness sake, he can buy it.” She’s chattering while holding her hand in front of me to stop me from interrupting her. I keep silent while trying to process the information she gives me. Why didn’t I notice it? Truthfully, I just didn’t want to be too hopeful. After all, he’s in university and there are many young students for Yunho to have a relationship with. Students who aren’t old me.
“What to do?” I pout at her and gave her my best puppy eyes.
+++
“Thank God you’re not my husband anymore,” my wife says. “You can be dense and a real idiot sometimes. But, I still adore you. Listen, you must tell him tomorrow when he visits. If you don’t tell him about your feelings, believe me, I’ll be the one who will,” she says threateningly, while I just gape at her. She makes her way to Changmin’s room leaving me behind in the kitchen. Why did I tell her? She can be handful sometimes, and I should know it best.
The next day, my ex-wife brings Changmin with her to visit her parents. I know it’s her way of showing her support for me by creating a moment to speak with Yunho in private. She knows if Changmin’s there, I absolutely won’t come clean to Yunho about my feelings because I’ll be too busy tending to Changmin and too tired after that to focus on the conversation. I mentally prepare myself for this meeting with Yunho. Not long after, there’s someone ringing my doorbell. It must be Yunho, and so I hurry to open the door. There he is standing handsomely at my door, making my heart flutter.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey, come in,” I reply while opening my door wider so he can come in.
We talk while we eat, and he asks where Changmin is. I tell him that Changmin is visiting his grandparents. After eating, we sit on a bench in the garden behind the house, and I try to start the conversation.
“Yunho there’s something I want you to know,” I begin, and Yunho gives me a perplexed look.
“Okay, what is it?”
“So we’ve already known each other for almost more than six months, and you know we’ve become closer and closer. And I… ” I stutter. I’m so nervous. My heart keeps beating hard and it doesn’t help that I can’t read Yunho’s expression.
“Yes, we have. And?” he encourages me to continue.
“I’m falling in love with you. I … I know maybe you’re not even into guys, and maybe you’ll feel disgusted towards me. I just can’t help it.” I sigh and look like a kicked puppy.
Yunho lets out a heavy breath and I get a feeling things are going to turn ugly.
“First of all, I’m not disgusted by you, Jae. Second, I’m into guys, especially you.”
I hold my breath.
“But,” he continues. (Uh-uh, when there’s a “but,” it’s not good) “I’m sorry, Jae, I can’t respond to your feelings right now. It’s not like I don’t like you or love you, but I promised myself that I’d finish my studies first and then think of a relationship,” he explains, and I exhale.
It does hurt after all, but I understand his reasons.
“And I thought what we have now was good,” Yunho says. “I will not ask for you to wait for me because it only shows how selfish I am. I want you to be happy. But I can’t be in a relationship now. I hope you understand. If you want, please come ask me again in two years.”
I let my tears fall down. God, it hurts. Two years? Yeah, right. I still keep my silence.
“I’m sorry, Jae,” he continues. “I think it’s better that I take my leave now.”
And with that, he hugs me and take his leave. My tears continue falling. Oh, how love can be so hard?
I stayed in my garden for a long time that night.
END