leave all this to yesterday - 1; jaesu
leave all this to yesterday (1/4)
jaesu; 1,590 words
a/n: saved in my g drive as "moulin rogue jaesu" from 2012 💀 i hate it here.
They arrive 15 minutes late, as always, because Yoochun always insists on being late, but fashionably so. Jaejoong looks around the shady theater, taking the closest seats to the exit to avoid having to step over those already seated. He lowers himself slowly into the imprint of a butt that is far too wide to be his, his seat emitting a low squeak that earns him a few stern looks from his neighbors. "People here are so serious," he whispers at Yoochun.
"They enjoy their music," Yoochun explains, bouncing in his seat and trying to get comfortable, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.
"Not fair. Yours doesn't make noise."
"Shh, listening."
Jaejoong gets impatient and packs his cigarettes, fingers itching for something to do since Yoochun doesn't want to be the one to amuse him.
"Can't smoke in here. The singers get pretty pissy about it."
Jaejoong huffs, sliding his pack back into his pocket. "Bunch of snobs."
And then someone sings and it takes Jaejoong's breath away. He has read about it a million times before, too many words about the lightness of the notes that travel through the air and how they fill the room, though it's a cliche that he can't exactly admit he's avoided. But imagination is so far off from the experience. The singer sends chills up his spine even at this distance.
"Yoochun," he says quietly, putting his hand over Yoochun's on their shared armrest, "I think I've met my muse."
"I can't feel my hand."
He mumbles a sorry, taking his hand off without even looking over at Yoochun. "He's amazing."
"Junsu?"
"You know him?" Jaejoong looks over, finally interested.
Yoochun peaks one eye open to look at the stage. "Yeah, he's the one who invited me."
"Introduce me."
"He's not your type."
"I don't mean like that."
"When this ends," Yoochun says, closing his eyes again. "He likes when we go backstage and blow up his ego."
"Is this a euphemism?"
It turns out it's not. Junsu is still a ball of energy backstage, sharing laughs, smiles and hugs with his cast mates. When he spots Yoochun he runs right over, asking him what he thought of the performance, if he enjoyed it, if he fell asleep. Jaejoong seems to go unnoticed for the most part, just watching Junsu with wide eyes. He sucks on his lower lip and pokes at Yoochun's lower back with his pointer.
"Oh - this is my friend Jaejoong. He came with me."
Junsu redirects his beaming smile. "How was it?"
"Amazing, actually," Jaejoong blurts. "I don't really go to these a lot. But you blew me away."
"You're only saying that because you don't have anything to compare it to, then."
Jaejoong laughs a little nervously because he can't tell if Junsu is serious or not, and he doesn't get the chance to ask before the man is dragged away by another cast mate for another picture. "Yoochun, he's shiny ."
"He's just sweaty."
-
Jaejoong whips out the rough draft of three whole chapters that night between dinner and sleep, typing away at the dinner table. "Maybe that's all I needed, some new blood."
"Hyung, as happy as I am for you, I'm insulted that I am too boring to inspire you."
"You can't be my muse, you have to be my roommate. You were the one who told me to go out for stimulation."
"And it worked!"
"Exactly!"
Yoochun pauses, chewing his food in a way that makes Jaejoong think of hamsters and bunnies. "What are we arguing about again?"
"Something stupid, I don't remember. I just remember I won."
"You don't even know what you won."
Jaejoong brings over the soju from their fridge and they drink in silence for a few minutes. “How come you’ve never brought Junsu around before?”
“Huh? What’s this about?”
“He’s never been to one of our parties or anything.”
Yoochun shrugs and clinks their glasses together before finishing his own. “He doesn’t drink. We met when I was helping out a hyung with another local musical. Super nice though, never forgets a face.”
Jaejoong hums, hugging his own legs. “He seems really nice.”
Yoochun raises an eyebrow at him, watching. “I already tried hitting on him,” he teases. “Besides, totally not your type.”
“What is my type!” Jaejoong shakes his head. “That’s not even what I mean!”
“He’s wholesome. But very filtered. And overly polite.” Yoochuns pours the what’s left of the bottle into Jaejoong’s glass. “And you, are the exact opposite.”
-
Maybe Junsu was only a temporary type of thing because the next thing Jaejoong knows, he's gotten so desperate for inspiration that he's stepping into his local bookstore to find himself a copy of Writing for Dummies , because nothing else would better describe how he's feeling right now, and maybe he's hoping that the 'for Dummies' people will have something to offer.
The books themselves are obvious enough, all in one section, yellow and black flashy and standing out from the muted tan and olives of older books and pages. Apparently there are a lot of dummies in the world, so there's no need to feel alone, and Jaejoong starts thinking he could just choose a different line of work. Raising Chickens for Dummies sounds good; he's always dreamed of owning a farm, living off the land. He just has an issue with eating his friends. And how can you raise animals without befriending them, right?
He's distracted by a tap on his shoulder right as he's contemplating Singing for Dummies . Jaejoong turns around, blinking at the stranger for a good five seconds. "Hi?" he tries, flashing a small smile with teeth.
The man laughs and Jaejoong would recognize that sound anywhere.
"Oh! Hi. You look different without makeup. But not bad. Because that's bad to girls. But you're not a girl." Jaejoong takes a breath. "Hi."
"Hi," Junsu answers and looks like he's trying not to laugh, or really happy; Jaejoong's not really sure which it is or if there's a difference. "Considering joining in on the musical fun?"
"Huh?" pops out of his mouth before Jaejoong realizes that Junsu is referring to the book in his hand.
"Singing. For dummies," Junsu teases, laughing as he reads the second part. "I could teach you."
Jaejoong shakes his head, placing the book back in its place on the shelf. "I'm completely tone deaf."
"Never really knew how that worked."
Jaejoong hums as if in thought. "It does take a special kind of genius to figure it out, but I think I've pretty much mastered it."
Junsu laughs, clapping his hands, but not really since his own book is in the way. Jaejoong wouldn't have guessed that one of Junsu's interests was Cognitive Psychology .
"Psychology?"
Junsu smiles, opening his book to show Jaejoong a Dragonball Z manga clipped between the pages. "Girls love guys who read."
Jaejoong laughs nervously, hand covering his mouth and looking like it's trying to claw at his nose when he's unsure how to position it. "What if they ask you about it?"
Junsu shrugs. "Just have to say what you think."
"Does that work?"
"One of my many good ideas," Junsu says, hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. He reminds Jaejoong of those small birds that puff their chests out just the same way.
Some small talk brings them to the cafe in the front of the bookstore, where Jaejoong buys Junsu a coffee and Junsu buys himself a slice of strawberry cheesecake, which he insists Jaejoong must try, pushing it on him when Jaejoong tells him he doesn't like sweet things. Jaejoong washes it down with coffee, and tells Junsu it's not that bad just because Junsu's making one of those really cute worried faces.
“So are you trying to become a writer?”
“Huh?”
Junsu nods at the book in Jaejoong’s shopping bag. Right, Jaejoong thinks, he was here for the For Dummies wisdom. “I am one. I guess! I’ve been in a rut for a bit though.”
“Artistic block,” Junsu groans, slouching into his chair.. “The worst”
“I wrote more recently though. After your show, actually.”
Junsu’s head perks back up. “Mine?”
Jaejoong sighs, leaning forward and resting his chin in his hands. He’s never had a filter so he doesn’t know why Junsu watching him makes him so nervous to speak now. Might be the strawberry cheesecake. “I feel like you’re my muse.”
Junsu laughs. “Are you my stalker? Did you follow me here, then?”
Jaejoong shoots up straight in his chair, hand slamming on the table. “No! Just - seeing you on stage really inspired me. I wrote a ton of new chapters in the novel I’m trying to finish that night. I did try to see you again though I guess, but not in a stalker way. I was looking for insp-”
Junsu stops him from talking when he places his hand over Jaejoong’s. “I’m teasing you.”
The way Jaejoong stares at their hands could have burned a hole through them. But he notices how much tanner Junsu is than him. His hands were smaller, prettier too.
“So is a muse a paid gig or…?”
Jaejoong finally looks back up, only to see Junsu holding in a laugh. “Oh you’re teasing again. You’re so different from how Yoochun described you.”
“What did he say?”
“Distant? Reserved? I might be paraphrasing.”
“Just trying to make sure he doesn’t fall in love with me.”
“Oh.”
Junsu bursts out laughing.
“Oh! You’re teasing again.”
"I'll be your muse."