Pulsatilla | Chapter 2/?
Pulsatilla
Author: love_cassiopeia
Summary: A complete mess was what Jung Yunho became after his beloved wife’s death. Trapped in a permanent state of isolation and loneliness, Yunho summons his knowledge on biology in hopes of recreating his wife in the form of an artificial human. However, the experiment goes terribly wrong and instead creates a male who has all his wife’s looks and qualities, one who he eventually decides to name ‘Jaejoong.’ Coping with the idyllic memories Jaejoong brings back of his wife, Yunho tries his best not to fall in love with his creation, knowing that the love he brings along is not the real thing-or is it?
Rated: PG-13 - NC-17
Warning(s): NC-17 material, language
Genre: Romance/Angst
Pairing(s): YunJae
Chapter 2: Aliéné
Definition: The Pulsatilla is a deciduous perennial flower native to Europe and Asia that grows in the leftover nutrients of a dead plant. It is usually grown to replace another plant. It is capable of curing diseases and may be used in remedies.
A l i é n é
*
Jogging for long periods of time doesn’t solve a single thing, he wanted to inform himself that night.
There was once a time in Yunho’s idyllic past where his wife would wait for him at the apartment’s doorway every night until he returned from work. She would assemble a delicious, warm bowl of kimchi jjigae-one which she added her own distinctive ingredients to. No matter how long Yunho stayed out or how far into the night he worked, Seulki would continue to wait for him, not eating a single morsel of the dinner she cooked until her husband came home. Every night, she would strive to make sure that they would at least share the short twenty minutes of dinner together to have various discussions over the highlights of their day. She considered that this way, the two of them would not have the slightest chance of falling apart.
She was wrong.
“Did you hear what I said, my husband Yunho?” The boy questioned, tilting his head to one side in perplexity. “Dinner is ready, dear. I made your favourite tonight.”
Yunho stared upon Jaejoong for a second in puzzlement, and then made a cynical face. Why was this scene so familiar? How could a sudden explosion of déjà vu possibly occur as soon as he walked through the door that night?
He shook his head, brushing past Jaejoong’s shoulder without a single greeting as he walked past him. He entered the living room, refusing to take a glimpse at the boy’s face in fear that it would perturb him.
“First of all, I know you’re designed to be my wife. But never refer to me as your husband ever again.” He coldly stated. “And second, where the hell did you learn how to cook?”
Jaejoong turned around and hung his head in apology. “It just… sort of… came to me.”
“That answer doesn’t exactly solve anything.” Yunho criticized. “How come you can cook exactly like my wife?”
“Because I was supposed to be your wif-”
“No, you’re not!” The sudden trail of words was unexpectedly fabricated as Yunho reached his boiling point. “You can never be my wife, ever!”
The impassive expression on Jaejoong’s face instantly morphed into a deep frown as Yunho’s bitter words were pronounced. “But you designed me to be exactly like her.” He stated stubbornly. “My traits, characteristics, even habits are designed to replicate hers.”
The boy was right. Even his unrelenting tenacity was exactly like his wife’s.
“Just… shut up.” Yunho decided to ignore the boy’s words entirely. “Look, Jaejoong-whoever you are-you’re certainly not my wife, so stop wasting your time, trying to become her.” He demanded irritably. “I don’t know who or what you are, and you obviously don’t either. Why don’t you just… go back to the lab and self destruct or something?”
“I don’t know how to…” The boy replied. “And besides, I’m not a robot. I’m made of real flesh and bones.”
Yunho scoffed. “Listen Jaejoong, I’m not desperate-much less idiotic enough to love a mistake I created out of a lab.” He clarified. “I don’t want to deal with you right now, please.”
“But at least have your dinner, Yunho.” Jaejoong convinced. “Skipping meals is no good for your health, dear.”
Driven by his anger, Yunho nailed the innocent boy to the wall, meeting his fractious eyes up with his. “Never call me ‘dear’ again, got it?” He spoke in an enraged tone. “And put some clothes on. I have no intention of seeing you walking around my apartment naked.”
The scientist ran his eyes over his creation’s body-he didn't mean to, but he was extremely curious to miss out on such an opportunity. He laid his eyes upon the boy’s diminutive waist, and then on his long legs. It didn’t take him long to realize that the boy’s body closely resembled that of his wife’s.
With one last look at him, Yunho quickly ran into his office and locked the door, attempting to escape from the monster he had just recently crafted. Once within the darkness and safety of the small room, he let his knees weaken and his body fall to the floor, permitting tears to emerge from his fatigued eyes.
“Oh God, what the hell have I done?” He whispered in the darkness, hoping someone-anyone-would be able to hear him. He buried his face into his knees, letting his tears taint the dark blue fabric of his jeans. There was just absolutely nothing he could do at the moment to regain the happiness his wife brought had along in the past.
“Where are you, Seulki?” He called out into the darkness. “Where are you and what do you think about this absurd mistake? What do you think I should do?”
No one replied. He considered that perhaps he was turning mad, calling out to someone that wouldn't show up in spite of how loudly his voice could take him. But there was nothing more he could do. He had no one to turn to for advice, no one to trust, and in the end, no one to hold onto.
Bringing himself to a stand, he turned on his lamp and pulled out his briefcase. He dug out a few papers, hoping that he would be able to accomplish a bit of the work he had brought home the previous day. Hopefully, work would distract him, leaving no room in his turbulent mind to muse over Jaejoong and his similarities to Seulki.
Besides, he had a rival at work to worry about-Lee JoongYoung was his name. The two of them were the top scientists for the company, both trying to achieve the upper most position in order to raise their prestige and to fulfil their hungry egos. The two were continuously battling over who would be able to receive the next project the company carried out, and at times, the two would go as far as sabotage to keep each other from the prize.
Yes, life was relatively bland for Yunho. A company rival was the only thing that could ignite a flame within him.
He went to work, moving his pen rapidly and trying to type up countless documents during a single sitting. He hoped to keep Jaejoong off his mind, but alas, it was easier said than done.
With every word he typed and every sentence he wrote, the beautiful (yet utterly disgusting) Jaejoong continued to haunt his every thought.
He didn’t have an easy time going to sleep that night; neither could he hear any noises from the living room that Jaejoong occupied. He felt auspicious, not hearing or feeling any hints of his presence within the house, but peculiarly, a part of him frantically wanted to see the boy once more.
The next morning Yunho awoke at eleven o’ clock sharp. He was usually an early bird and a night owl-all at the same time-but after a long night of thinking and lamenting, the amount of energy he attained soon grew thin. He had refused to leave his office that night in fear that he would have to come across that face again. Putting the large, relaxing mattress to the back of his mind, Yunho chose to retire in the large armchair situated within his cluttered office.
The sunlight peeking through the windows reminded him that it was Saturday. He didn’t have work today and had a copious amount of leisure time on his hands. Out of all the distinctive days in a usual week, Yunho wanted to go to work today. He had no intention to stay imprisoned within the penthouse that nearly represented a dungeon.
Realizing that perhaps he was a coward for not being able to face his fears, he lifted himself up from the armchair, bringing himself to a complete stance. He needed to do something about Jaejoong; to find some way to rid himself of the dilemmas he had brought along. Staying within the walls of his office without a proper breath of oxygen would only slow down the process.
Having no choice, Yunho turned the doorknob, brought the door to a complete open, and entered the living room. He hung his head and fixed his eyes to the carpet, too frightened to see what was to be presented before him.
“Good morning, Yunho.” A soft, melodic voice echoed from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready for you.”
The voice acting as a wakeup call, Yunho allowed his eyes to glance towards the kitchen and at the boy he oh-so-wanted to hate-but just couldn’t. He had moments ago finished assembling a traditional Korean-style breakfast, one which comprised the same elements his wife included. His stomach growled as he laid his eyes on the scrumptious meal, but his brows furrowed as he saw the boy who was responsible for the meal, a naïve grin on his face and still, naked.
“You. Didn’t I tell you to put some clothes on last night?”
The boy replied in a slightly mischievous fashion-replicating Seulki. “My name is not ‘you.’” He corrected. “You named me Jaejoong last night, remember?”
“Right.” Yunho was not in the position to take in any extraneous words that flew from the boy’s cherry lips. “Look Jaejoong, whatever your name is, put on some clothes right this instant! I simply cannot stand you walking around my apartment without something to cover you up!”
Jaejoong carried a frown. “I’m sorry Yunho dear, but I wasn’t able to rummage the house for clothes last night.” He denied. “I was afraid that I would disturb your privacy by entering your bedroom.
Stubborn, yet considerate of others’ privacy, Yunho told himself. Exactly like Seulki.
“Fine, you have my permission now.” Yunho coldly stated. “Get dressed right now and please, don’t refer to me as ‘dear’ anymore.”
“But I’m your wife.”
“No you’re not, Jaejoong, now go get dressed.”
As the boy left the kitchen and headed into his bedroom, the scientist found himself ogling at the delicious breakfast Jaejoong had created. The smell brought fond memories back to his crestfallen mind, a reminder that perhaps there was still a portion of his wife left in this world.
But he couldn’t bring himself to eat it. No matter how hungry he was, he was unable to permit himself to savour the artificial flavour created by an artificial human.
With his aggravation seizing the best of him, he took the plates of food and immediately discarded them into the trash. He didn’t care how foul he was being or how cumbersome it was for Jaejoong to cook the meal; at this point, he only wanted to efface every last portion of food he saw. Perhaps with the food gone, the knot in his stomach would be disentangled.
Still hungry, Yunho summoned a pack of ramen, and tossed it into a pot of boiling water.
A sum of eight hours had passed before Yunho finally was awarded with the opportunity of making a feasible decision. He hadn’t spoken a word to Jaejoong within those eight hours, and although he told himself that it would be for the better, he couldn’t help but feel culpable as he left the boy by himself with no company.
He sighed, pondering over what life would’ve been like if he had discarded the boy. He would go back to those lonely days where he lived on his own with nothing else to focus on except work. He considered that even that would be a better lifestyle than having the boy stick around for the rest of his life.
So, no matter how morally wrong the task was, he had to make himself commit to it sooner or later.
He summoned Jaejoong, who was now fully clothed in apparel from Yunho’s wardrobe. He led him out of his apartment and into the underground parking lot. He instructed Jaejoong to sit in the passenger’s seat as he drove away out of the darkness of the parking lot and into the multi-coloured lighted streets of downtown Seoul.
“Yunho, where are we going, dear?” The boy spoke innocently in the sugary, childish voice of his.
Ignoring his question entirely, Yunho decided to make his own counterattack. “Did I tell you not to call me ‘dear’ anymore?”
Jaejoong hesitated. “My mind tells my mouth to stop, but my voice reacts automatically.”
Yunho rolled his eyes. “Forget it.” He spoke soullessly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
After a ten minute drive, the two of them arrived within the heart of Seoul-a district filled with bars, nightclubs, and small eateries of different varieties. The two of them parked near a crowded nightclub and departed their seats in the vehicle. And just like that, without gaining a single notion, the two of them embroiled themselves directly into pure chaos.
Yunho pushed Jaejoong into the nightclub, allowing thousands of moving bodies to press against his. “Stay here.” He informed Jaejoong. “I’ll pick you up soon.” He let the lies slip through his lips like poison, and then he left without a single word, abandoning the boy within the musky atmosphere.
He felt a rush of guilt pierce through him as he returned to the driver’s seat of his black sedan. Was he making the correct decision, leaving the boy here without a single goodbye? Was this how he was to abandon him, with deceitful lies and fake hope?
“I’ll pick you up soon.” He told the boy earlier. But the truth was, he would never see the boy ever again within his entire lifetime.
Liar, he wanted to call himself. But a part of him considered that abandoning the boy here would only make things easier for him.
Deciding to take one last look at the nightclub, he drove away in his vehicle into the deep winding streets of Seoul.
And then, he wanted to call himself a criminal.
The fair-skinned beauty stood within the eye of the hurricane of lights, admiring the vast range of colours and yet, being admired by others as well. His eyes focused on the dancers; at the couples. And for a moment, a faint memory immediately returned to him.
Yunho.
Would he be able to dance like this with Yunho? He was his husband after all, was he not?
For a moment, he wasn’t quite sure anymore.
Taking a break from staring at the vibrant lights, the boy was drawn in by a group of older men, who, without hesitation, rubbed their bodies against his repetitively.
Then, one of the older men bought him a drink, which he downed quickly without any idea what it was.
Jaejoong couldn’t exactly remember what happened from that point on.
The only thing he could fully recall was the same man asking him, “would you like to go back to my apartment?” and him, agreeing.
Oh Yunho, you have just about done it! I think many readers at this point would want to throw tomatoes at him, am I right? But don’t worry you guys, I’m sure you’ll all start to gradually like Yunho after a while when you see his true personality emmerge.
Alright! Hopefully you’ll continue to follow me. I always am nervous about losing readers by the 3rd or 2nd chapter. So please, stay with me if you can!
Please offer me some feedback on the chapter. Thank you!
-Cindy
Previous chapters:
R é s u l t a t | A l i é n é
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