Jaejoong / Yoochun
2,562 words, g
Prompt suggested by yuki-joongie. I'm sorry this took so long but i really enjoyed writing it, thank you for the idea :D i hope that this is good enough and that you'll enjoy reading :)
*
Jaejoong is chewing on the bottom of his pen, looking troubled. He then starts to put it down on a piece of light blue paper that looks like a letter.
(Dear my future partner,)
- He writes down.
(i think i’ve been looking for you ever since i was born.)
Jaejoong can’t think of any missing thing in his life yet he lives looking for something he doesn’t even know. He knows he will die someday and he isn’t scared of that fact so he’s trying to find something, anything, which will make him fear the end of the world.
(I’m always afraid that i might, unconsciously, go past you without knowing that it was you.)
Yoochun appears in Jaejoong’s life for the first time in a restaurant where neither of them pays attention to anything around. Their eyes didn’t even meet. A customer spills his coffee on the table and Yoochun cleans it with a yellow towel. A woman comes into the restaurant and the bell above the door tinkles. Jaejoong randomly loves that sound. Yoochun goes into the kitchen and Jaejoong moves his eyes back to outside the windows.
(I wonder how i will recognize you.)
Yoochun’s shift ends at six and it takes him only five minutes to walk to the bus stop. He takes a glance at another man already sitting on the bench. His hair is blond with long bangs that only stop at the very end of his eyelashes. His feet are tapping along the melody that comes from a music store across the street, in a strange way.
“Is something the matter?”
Yoochun suddenly realizes that he has been gazing at that person for too long. He shakes his head, hard, the night hiding his flushed cheeks. Jaejoong finds it strange how Yoochun didn’t say a word.
(At first i thought that i would definitely know it, but now i fear,)
Two months after the first encounter that no one noticed, Yoochun is busy cleaning up tables as the restaurant always gets crowded during lunch time. Jaejoong pushes the door open, pausing for two seconds at the doorstep to listen to his favourite sound from the bell above his head. Yoochun puts a wide smile on his face and bows. His lips are moving in the shape of a ‘welcome’ but Jaejoong doesn’t hear anything and he thinks it’s because of all the noises in this place.
Jaejoong takes papers out from his bag and puts them down on the table, next to a glass of water. He orders a cup of coffee from the waitress and starts writing. Jaejoong knows perfectly well that caffeine has lost its effect on him ever since his one-thousandth cup yet he can’t calm down without it. He is looking around the restaurant while unconsciously fiddling with the pen in his right hand. His eyes stop at the waiter from before with high cheek-bones who smiles all the time. Jaejoong can tell what that waiter is saying just by looking at the movements of his lips from far away. “Yes sir?”, “Of course”, “Please enjoy your meal.” And he has unknowingly stopped fiddling with his pen even before he notices that he was doing it. Jaejoong’s mind turns into a camera, it usually does. He is taking pictures of that boy, each blink is one take.
(what if heaven decides to play with my life and lead me to a wrong place?)
Jaejoong decides to go to a faraway place, for a change. He climbs to the top of a mountain and it is snowing. This time he has a real camera with him so he takes pictures like normal people do. With a clumsily set up tent, Jaejoong starts writing again and the many layers of clothes make it hard for him.
(Because i fear that i might have gone past you already, or maybe you’re somewhere else, i try to go around the world.)
Jaejoong leaves the snow covered mountain after two days and books a plane ticket to Greece.
“Why the hell do you always disappear without saying a word?” Yunho yells on the phone.
“Don’t worry Yunho-ah, i’ll buy you a present.” Jaejoong says, smiling.
To him, they are all great journeys to find his other half and he doesn’t care about the fact that nobody else in this world understands. He keeps going, keeps meeting people and keeps realizing that he has come to a wrong place.
Yoochun’s shift ends at seven on Saturday so he’s here at the bus stop at ten-past-seven, alone. He hears the melody from that music shop across the street again, and he’s tapping his feet.
“I see you’re in a good mood.”
Yoochun smiles widely at the other boy who just appeared and the boy smiles back, sitting himself down next to Yoochun, “Tomorrow’s Sunday, so let’s go to my place?”
Yoochun nods and Changmin pats him on the back.
(Ever since i was a child, i have never believed in love at the first sight.)
Jaejoong takes a bus to the airport; one big back bag is his only luggage. He stops at a small family restaurant to fill his empty stomach before finishing the rest of the journey. When he comes inside the door bell tinkles and it reminds him of the much more beautiful sound at his favourite restaurant in central Seoul. Jaejoong orders a cup of coffee, again, and a bowl of plain ramen, with a lot of chilli sauce.
“Where does that music come from?” Jaejoong asks the waiter, pointing his index finger up in the air.
“It’s from the bookstore right next door. They always play the piano on Sunday. Isn’t that a beautiful melody?”
Jaejoong pushes the glass door open and he realizes his favourite tinkling sound from above his head.
“Welcome.” A boy at the till counter is smiling at him. His name tag says ‘Shim Changmin’. He looks taller than his age. Jaejoong smiles back without much effort and he notices that there are only two other customers in the store. Like a small child, he curiously walks towards the piano sound and stops when he sees someone’s back next to the black instrument.
“You like piano?” Shim Changmin says, approaching Jaejoong from behind.
(My mother also told me that love takes a long time for you to know that it’s love.)
“Not particularly. But there’s something special about this melody, and the way he plays it.”
“Are you a musician?” Changmin asks, his eyes sparkling with interest. “That guy over there wrote this piece himself.” Changmin points his thumb at Yoochun. Jaejoong doesn’t see the face though.
“I write songs, from time to time.” Jaejoong answers, his eyes still fixed at the piano.
“Wow.”
When the melody stops, Yoochun stands up and turns around to see the two of them standing next to each other. Jaejoong remembers him, the boy with high cheek-bones at the restaurant, the boy who couldn’t stop smiling, and he’s still smiling right now.
“I’m sorry for interrupting.” Jaejoong says, almost tripping over his words. Yoochun shakes his head and it reminds Jaejoong of how this boy didn’t say a word at the bus stop either. He’s even more curious about how his voice would sound like.
“Do you remember me? I often come by that restaurant where you work at.”
Yoochun smiles and nods.
“My name is Kim Jaejoong. And you?”
There is no reply.
“Yoochun, maybe you would want to help me arrange the books at the music section?” Changmin interrupts and Yoochun leaves the two of them alone again.
“So you don’t know it yet.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jaejoong turns to Changmin.
(Could you please do me a favour and tell me that it’s you when we meet?)
“He can’t speak.” Changmin says, eyes looking at Yoochun who is a few feet away.
Jaejoong doesn’t know how to react or what to say yet. His mind is a complete blur with stars here and there.
“He lost all his family members in a car accident, on that same day he lost his ability to speak. I guess it was a big mental shock.”
“I’m... i’m sorry. It must be a very personal thing.” Jaejoong’s trying to chase clouds away from his mind. He tightens his grip on the strap of his back bag.
“It’s alright.” Changmin smiles, “Yoochun doesn’t mind it at all. He can even work at a restaurant, he’s very popular there. He’s recovering, i’m sure you can tell by looking at the way he smiles at everyone.”
Jaejoong falls into silence again.
“So,” Changmin tilts his head, “are you travelling?” He points at Jaejoong’s back bag.
“Oh,” Jaejoong, as if he just woke up from a long sleep, looks at the watch on his wrist, “oh shit, i’m late.” He rushes towards the door.
Yoochun sees him running out, he smiles at Jaejoong, waving him a goodbye. Jaejoong almost bumps into the closed door.
(At least i hope that i’ll find you before someone else does.)
The flight to Greece is long, and Jaejoong can’t sleep. He is thinking of asking for a cup of coffee but he knows better than anyone that caffeine is just like sleeping pills for him. He then takes out the camera and goes over the pictures on that snow covered mountain. He’s going to take even prettier pictures in Greece, Jaejoong thinks, and they will give him even more ideas for his coming composition. He falls asleep and the melody at the bookstore plays in his head.
“He’s hot.” Changmin snorts.
Yoochun just smiles, and looking down at a pile of music books.
“He also seems like a nice person.”
Yoochun nods agreement.
“You should make more friends, Yoochun-ah.” Changmin sips hot tea. “Isn’t it boring sticking with me and me only for all these years?”
Yoochun shakes his head.
“You have a weird taste in humans.” Changmin laughs out loud, almost spilling his tea on Yoochun.
*
Yunho drops his books in front of the apartment; his mouth is in the shape of a big fat O. “Didn’t you just leave for Greece yesterday?”
“It was too hot.” Jaejoong replies.
(I can already fantasize my life being filled with pink and maybe i’ll dance on the streets while humming a melody of love, once i’ve found you.)
Jaejoong locks himself in his music room and it is already the fourth day. He only comes out for food twice a day. Every morning Yunho wakes up and sees a pile of scrap papers in front of the door. On the fifth day, Jaejoong rushes out without breathing and grabs a random coat on the couch just to disappear after slamming the front door shut. This time he forgets to pause at the doorstep to listen to the pretty tinkling sound of the bell. He asks a waiter for Yoochun and leaves the restaurant again after knowing that Yoochun doesn’t work on Sunday. Memory tells him to take the bus that goes to the airport and get off after the fourth stop, house number twenty two.
Jaejoong doesn’t see Changmin who is right in front of him. He looks around and spots Yoochun at the end of a bookshelf on the left.
“Please play that piece again.” Jaejoong says, breathlessly, while grabbing at Yoochun’s thin shoulders. Yoochun is surprised and his eyes keep blinking. He is holding books, pressing them hard against his own chest.
(I, who has never known love, will probably get lost in these new feelings.)
Changmin has a new regular who comes every Sunday, apart from Yoochun. Jaejoong brings a sketchbook and a black pen with him and gives them to Yoochun.
“Do you remember my name?”
Yoochun writes on the first page: Kim Jae Joong.
“What is your name?”
Yoochun flips the page and writes on the other side of that first sheet: Park Yoo Chun.
“Park Yoochun.” Jaejoong takes a mental note by saying it out.
Yoochun smiles.
And the conversation continues until Changmin chases them both out.
*
There are times when Jaejoong thinks that Yoochun might be a genius.
“He taught himself how to play the piano.” Changmin randomly reminds Jaejoong.
*
Jaejoong steps into the restaurant and Yoochun bows at him, his lips forming a ‘welcome’ as usual but his smile is wider than what other customers receive.
“One coffee, please.” Jaejoong says while taking a sit by the window. Yoochun is writing something down and Jaejoong assumes it’s his order, but then Yoochun gives him the paper: It’s almost 6 pm. Jaejoong can’t stop grinning like an idiot. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve drunk too much coffee it has lost effect on me.”
Yoochun laughs soundlessly and he goes off to get a cup of black coffee for Jaejoong.
My shift ends after 15 minutes, do you want to go to the bus stop together? There’s this note in between the cup and the plate and Jaejoong, for a moment, thinks he got exposed.
They’re sitting next to each other on the bench at the bus stop for the second time. Yoochun pokes Jaejoong in the shoulder and points at his own feet. They’re tapping along the melody that comes from across the street. Jaejoong laughs, and he starts tapping his feet as well.
*
(But i’m sure no matter how far i go, it’ll always be you, again.)
Jaejoong is playing the piano and Yoochun is watching. He doesn’t turn around immediately after finishing the song until he hears applause from behind.
“Was it good?”
Yoochun nods, very hard, and Jaejoong lets out a sigh of relief, his cheeks are slightly flushed.
After a second, the two of them are sitting next to each other in front of the piano and Yoochun is playing that piece he composed again because Jaejoong loves listening to it. He loves looking at the way Yoochun’s thin fingers fly from one end of the keyboard to another. He loves the way Yoochun tilts his head along the melody. He loves the way Yoochun seems to be in his very own world while playing the piano.
He loves Yoochun.
loves Yoochun
Jaejoong is seeing the sun for the first time. He knows he was living deep inside a cave for more than twenty years. The thought ‘Jaejoong loves Yoochun’ is troubling him as he doesn’t know how he figured it out. Jaejoong is trying to decide whether it comes from his head or his heart but in the end he decides that it must have come from both sides so he leans over to kiss the younger boy and the melody stops. Jaejoong’s heart also does but he cannot care less. His fingers are brushing those high cheeks and they touch a smile.
“Will you, one day, sing me a song?” Jaejoong whispers into the space somewhere between Yoochun’s upper lip and the lower one. Yoochun nods.
“Then i’ll start writing it from now.”
*
(Dear my future partner,)
- Jaejoong wrote.
(I think i’ve found you.
I want to love you, to fill the holes in your heart with that love and one day you will be able to call my name, to say that you love me too.)
“Hey Yoochun,”
Yoochun turns his head, facing Jaejoong.
“I have a letter for you.”
---
Gosh this is like the longest one i've ever written and might be the longest ever ;;