Ten Years (Part One)
Title: Ten Years
Length: Two Parts
Pairing: YunJae
Genre: Angst, Romance, slight Fluff
Summary: Everyone knows Jaejoong never thinks before he acts, and we all were waiting for the day to come when he said the one thing that would get S. M. Entertainment shut down. It's been ten years since that day, but what has become of our precious Dong Bang Shin Ki?
Ten Years
One Shot
Rating: NC17
The rain poured down hard, slapping against the pavement with a deafening roar. The droplets mixed with the tears of a broken man, washing away the red of his blood. He kept crying, sobbing into the darkness. Passersby walked on coldly, some glancing down at his frail form.
He tried to push himself up, but the pain was maddening, making him slip and crash back down with a splash. After waiting a few minutes, he forced himself into a sitting position. He inspected his arms, wincing at the look of the scars and bruises. With a little willpower, he was able to pull his pants back up. He brought his hands to his face.
“Um... Oppa?”
He looked up. A little girl stood in front of him, holding out a 100 won dollar bill. Her mother stood behind her, waiting for him to take it. She smiled when he looked at her. The girl's father stood off to the side, shouting into his cell phone. He glanced back at his family impatiently.
The man reached forward uncertainly, taking the bill slowly. “Th... Thank You...”
“It isn't much,” said the Mother. “But it should pay for a decent meal.” He nodded.
“Can we please get moving?” asked the Father loudly. They were about to walk away when the girl came back, her parents yelling after her. She reached out, brushing his wet hair out of his face.
“You're pretty, oppa. Are you sure you're not a girl?”
He couldn't help but laugh at that. Her Mother came forward, trying to pull the girl back, but stopped when she saw his face. “Oh my God! Honey! Come over here! It's Youngwoong from Dong Bang Shin Ki!”
The Father came over reluctantly, leaning down to inspect his face. “Yes, it is.”
Jaejoong dropped his eyes. “Please call me Jaejoong,” he whispered.
“Honey,” said the Mother, “We can't just leave him here.”
“Why should he get special treatment just because he was famous ten years ago?”
Jaejoong grimaced from the bitterness in the man's words.
“Would you leave him if he was your brother?” the woman countered.
A sigh was heard. “Fine. Whatever. Jaejoong, can you walk?” he asked, switching his umbrella to his left hand. In response, Jae tried to stand up, resulting in him almost falling to the ground. Both the man and woman rushed forward, grabbing a hold of his arms. He screamed from the pain.
“Oh no,” screamed the woman, “Honey, he's been ra-”
“Children,” interrupted Jae. The two adults stared at him. He chuckled as lightly as he could. “You wouldn't want your little girl to be spreading that word around kindergarten, now would you?”
The Mother laughed halfheartedly with the extra weight. “The same old Jaejoong.”
The Father shook his head, “Let's take him in here,” he suggested, gesturing toward a restaurant. They hauled him inside, sitting him in a booth before scooting in across from him. The little girl scooted in between her parents.
“Thank you,” said Jae quietly. “This is really nice. Probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in the past ten years.”
The woman sighed sadly as the waitress came over to them, curling her nose at Jaejoong in disapproval. The man glowered at her. “We'll have three coffees and a milk, please.” He sneered the “please”. When she had turned around, he called after her, “And get some respect for the Unfortunate while your at it!”
“Kibum, honey!” gasped the woman.
Jaejoong looked up, his eyes glistening. “Ki... Kibum? Is it really you?”
Kibum scowled before nodding. An overwhelming surge of emotion bubbled up within Jaejoong and he sobbed uncontrollably, making the little girl cry and her mother to freak. Kibum got up, scooting in next to Jae, hugging him tight.
“Hyung... stop crying, okay? It was a long time ago-”
“I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” The former Hero couldn't stop saying it. He meant it more than anything. “I'm so sorry!” His sobs wouldn't stop coming. He couldn't stop himself.
Everyone in the surrounding tables turned to stare at them, disgust coloring their ugly faces. Jaejoong's sobbing got louder, and it eventually got to the point when Kibum, at a loss as to what else to do, slapped him. Hard. The woman screamed at the sound. Jae stopped, bringing the crying down to a few sniffles here and there.
Kibum had never seen his hyung this pathetic. It scared him. He had always looked up to Jaejoong, saying that he wanted to be just like him. He had failed miserably at it, and now Jaejoong was the one looking up to him. Where had his favorite hyung gone so wrong?
“Hyung, we forgave you a long time ago...” he half-lied.
Jae saw threw it. “You hate me. You wanted to leave me on the *hiccup * side of the road.”
Kibum clenched his teeth. “You ended all our lives that day, Jaejoong.”
Bad move. He started crying again. His wife kicked his leg under the table. He sighed. “Hyung, I'm sorry, but it's the truth.” Another kick. He winced. “But we forgave you in our own ways. I just-I just couldn't help but think of what you did when I saw you.”
“I doubt everyone forgave me.”
Kibum scowled, looking out the window next to their booth. It was dawn, but the rain was too heavy to see through. “You're right. Not everyone. Heechul never did. His whole life was Super Junior. Same with Donghae. They... They said that they wish you'll rot inside.”
Jaejoong laughed bitterly at that. “I guess they got their wish, then.”
A silence loomed after he said that. The little girl and Mother were crying silently.
Jae broke the stillness. “Why did you forgive me, Kibum? I thought that you would be the most disappointed...”
Kibum bowed his head. “I was. But, that same day, I saw you walking alone after we all got fired. You got pushed over by Boa, and then Sungmin spat on you. I waited and waited for you to get back up, Hyung. I got yelled at and bumped by people trying to get around me, but I just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for you to get up from across the street and put that smile back on your face. But you never got up, Hyung. Not once. You sat and you... cried. I realized then that you were more broken than any of us.”
Jae shook his head. “I once said in an interview that if I couldn't be in Dong Bang Shin Ki, I wouldn't want to live...”
Kibum lay his head on his Hyung's shoulder, surprising his wife and child. “I don't remember that interview.”
“After what I said in that interview, who remembers any others,” Jae said sullenly.
“Hyung,” Kibum whispered after a short silence.
“Hmm?” answered Jaejoong tiredly. The woman and little girl rose from their seats, saying that they would go check on their coffee.
“The S. M. Entertainment building is right across the street, or, at least what's left of it.”
“What's your point?”
“You... never left that spot on the street I saw you fall on, did you, Hyung?”
Jaejoong was silent for a moment before answering. “Once, to go get my things from DBSK's apartment. My stuff was thrown all over the lawn,.... and.... our blind land lord had already mowed over it, so... I had nothing but the clothes on my back. Then I went to a pay phone, but my Mother disowned me as soon she picked up.” Tears started to silently run down Jae's cheeks, but Kibum brushed them away with his thumb.
“What does Changmin have to say about all this?”
Jae tensed. “Let's please not... talk about Changmin right now?”
Kibum sat up. “Junsu?”
“I haven't talked to him since that day.”
“Yoochun?”
“Him, neither...” said Jae sadly.
“Yunho?”
Jaejoong's neck snapped as he stared at Kibum. “I... don't think it's safe to talk to him.”
“What are you talking about?” asked his dongsaeng. “Come on,” he said, getting up, “I have his number. Let's go call him.”
Jae stared at him, terror edging his face. “N-No! Let's not, and say we did!”
Kibum smirked. “Aw,” he mocked, “Is the little girl afraid to talk to her crush?”
Jae blushed redder than a tomato. “I do not have a crush on him!”
Kibum snickered, grabbing his hand. He dragged him out of the booth, leading him out of the restaurant. On their way out, they passed their waitress, who was on her way to give them their coffee. She “humphed!” furiously in their wake.
Jae protested as Kibum shoved him into a telephone booth. “Please, Kibum, don't make me do this!”
Kibum muttered an aish before pointing a finger at him. “You and I both know that you said what got us all fired to get Yunho's attention that day. And I am not going to sit here and let all our careers go down the drain while nothing good comes out of it.”
Jae stared at him defiantly. “How do you know that he's forgiven me?”
“How do you know that he hasn't?”
They attempted to stare each other down for a few seconds before Jaejoong put out his hand. “Well, give me two quarters, then...” he said miserably.
His dongsaeng fished around in his pocket until he found two solid objects, handing them over. “Bitch,” Jae muttered as Kibum leaned inside the booth to punch the numbers in.
Butterflies flew around in Jaejoong's stomach, making him regret not having that coffee before.
Riiing
Riiing
Oh god, the suspense was killing him. He felt silly-like a sorority girl about to ask out the football quarterback. Damn, after ten years, these feelings feel so fresh...
Hello?
He jumped. It had been so long since he had heard that voice. He closed his eyes, letting it sooth him. He heard toddlers' voices in the background. Oh. So he had a family. He was happy. Without him.
Hello? Is anyone there?
“Yunho?” his voice sounded so weak, but he couldn't help it. Had his voice been this exhausted when he was talking with Kibum? Not that he cared what he sounded like to Kibum. To Yunho, on the other hand...
Yes, this is he. Who is this?
He was about to answer when he heard a faint voice of a little girl. Appa! It said. Oh, how many times had he wished to be the second Appa of any girl that called Yunho that?
Hyewoo, shush, I'm on the phone. Go to your mother. Excuse me, who is this?
Jaejoong snapped out of his misery. “You... you sound good. Happy.... I'm glad...”
The confusion was evident in Yunho's voice. I'm sorry, I'm not sure who you are...
“I'm sorry...” said Jae incredulously, ignoring Yunho's question. “Who would think you would ever be the one saying that to Me?”
I don't know what you're talking about. Who is this?
“I should tell you I'm sorry, now, shouldn't I?” continued Jaejoong. “Since I never got to say it to you. You were the one I wanted to tell more than anyone... for ruining everything...” Jae hugged himself, resting his forehead against the side of the booth. He sniffed, silent tears streaming down his cheeks once more. Why did it have to be like this? He'd sacrificed everything, and now he had nothing to show for it.
… Jaejoong?
The tone of his voice scared Jaejoong. It was a whisper of non belief. He let out a low, bitter, raspy laugh. So he remembers me. That's nice.
Louder voices were heard on the other line. SHUTUP! Jae jumped at the severity of his tone. He heard a door slam before, Jaejoong? Is that really you?
He laughed again. But this laugh had no humor in it. It was empty. “... How'd you know?”
Jaejoong, oh my god. Where are you? Where have you been? Why do you sound so used up? Has something happened to you? Are you in jail? Are you dead?
Jae laughed at his cuteness. This time, it was full and light. But weak. Damn his exhaustion. “You big dummy, how could I be dead if I'm talking to you?”
I just... can't believe it.
“It's nice to hear your voice again, Yunho...” he sniffed. He wanted so much to be in those arms.
Are you crying? Where are you?
Jae was about to hang up when Kibum grabbed the phone, edging past Jaejoong and pushing him out of the booth. Jae gave an oof! When he landed on his butt on the pavement. He stared up at his dongsaeng.
“Is this how you treat your former members, Jung?! Leaving them to die on the side of the street?!”
Yunho sounded bewildered. Kibum?
“Your damn right it's Kibum!”
What are you doing with Jaejoong?
Jae rose from his spot, lunging for the booth, but Kibum slammed the glass door shut, leaning on it as he continued. “I just picked up your little boyfriend off the side of the road! He's homeless! Has been for the past ten years! Sound familiar?!”
Jae slammed his body against the door, trying to claw his way in. The only response from his dongsaeng he got was the middle finger, which only pissed him off more.
Yunho sounded frustrated, even forgetting about the “boyfriend” thing. Ten years?
Kibum continued, enjoying this way more than he should. “Yeah! Ever since that day! He only left the spot long enough to get disowned by his mother!”
… disowned?
“Hell yeah, disowned! Is he still scum to you?! Huh, Jung!”
You shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. Ooh. Got him mad. Exactly what Kibum was going for.
“Oh yeah? Well, I'll tell you something I do know.”
Jae begged from outside. “Please, don't!”
“I know that Jaejoong has lost everything because of what he did to get your attention. And I know that when he meets one of the people that he got fired, he breaks down into tears. And I also know that he needs you now more than ever.”
Jae was in tears. Kibum turned around in the booth to look down at his frail form solemnly. The other line was silent. For the first time, Kibum brought his voice down to a low plea, barely above a whisper. “Please, Hyung. You are the only one that can save him now.”
There was a pause that seemed to last forever, then, Where are you? A jingling of keys was heard, then the slamming of a door.
A tear slipped down Kibum's cheek as he whispered, “But that's the thing, Hyung. He never left.”
What the hell do you think I'm supposed to get from that riddle? Where are you?
He gritted his teeth, choking out every syllable. “S. M. Entertainment.” He waited until he heard the other phone crash to the ground before hanging up. He wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve, straitening out his clothing before he opened the door, closing it behind him silently. He bent down, helping the sobbing Jaejoong off the ground. Jae stared at him.
“Why?” he asked, his voice almost inaudible.
“Because you need him,” Kibum replied just as softly. He led his hyung back into the restaurant, scooting back into the booth Kibum's wife and child were still sitting at. As their grumpy waitress passed their table, Kibum yelled at her. “Hey, where's our coffee?”
The woman dropped her tray, tuning to glare at him as she stomped off in order to not wring his neck, leaving her mess for another waiter to clean up.
A/N: It wouldn't let me post the whole thing, so here: Part Two