| Fan Fiction |
by syu_chun
-1998-
“26… 27… 28… 29… 30” Jaejoong sighed and looked over the remaining space between him and the tree in front of him. 3 steps more. Only 3 steps needed and the space remained is quite large. Prepared himself to step wider, he determined to fill the space with his 3 steps. 3 steps only. No more no less. Then it would be perfect.
Took a deep breath… he pounced forward.
“31… 32… 33! Yes! Perfect!” happily shouted when he finished jumped over his limited 3 steps to the tree.
“Yah Kim Jaejoong. Keep on counting when you were here. Until today. I never thought that you are so persistence. It’s almost 8 years.” a voice sounded and it came from a boy at the tree… inside a small tree house. Beautiful smile jabbed into Yunho eyes as Jaejoong smile to him.
“It will always 33 steps from that gate to our tree house.” Told Jaejoong while his right hand gestured to the gate of Yunho’s house. Then, Jaejoong hold the stairs that they build to the tree house and continued talking.
“And… 3 more steps climbing this stairs to be in our tree house.” Said Jaejoong while climbing step by step of the wood stairs and settled himself beside Yunho.
The small tree house that they built when they were 10 years old once were look so big and high up on the tree but now, it was too small and too squat and it was seemed to be too close to the ground. Especially for 18 years old boys. Still… that place they built together was something special and precious, it holds the memories they experienced… and the love they shared. Side by side with legs hanged and moved like a swing, Jaejoong softly took Yunho’s hand and intertwined their fingers.
“You know what do I think everytime I was standing outside your gate? It takes me 33 steps for me to our tree, and 3 steps to be beside you.” Jaejoong ended his confession with small sighed and looked at their intertwined hands.
“You really loved the numbers right?” Yunho tightens the hold of their hand.
“Of course. It’s the numbers that make us together. As acquaintance, as buddy, as comrade… as love. Did you still remember? During our kindergarten? You hold card number 3 and mine was 33 and we exchange presents. And I still remember when teacher asked us to say something nice to the person we gave the present, you said that I’m beautiful.” Jaejoong let out small giggled while his eyes wondered around like he was trying to find their lost time through the air.
“The present and the card were still in my possession.” Yunho simply spoke out the truth that he never once disclosed it to Jaejoong.
“And I still have mine.” Confessed Jaejoong and they locked their eyes together. Until it was Yunho who changed his gazed to front, covered something.
“Jae… will we still keeping it after tomorrow?” Asked Yunho with thousand meaning that only both of them understand.
“I know I will.” And with that, Jaejoong let go Yunho’s hand and moved from his sitting position, without using the stairs, he jumped to the ground.
“I’ll be going tomorrow. You promise that you’ll never come to the airport right? Keep it real OK! Bye Yunho.” Jaejoong reminded Yunho the promise they made weeks ago, when Jaejoong parents told him that they will be migrated to America. Jeajoong without glanced to Yunho ran to the gate and stopped when he hold the gate to open it. Torn to be apart… but what else can he decided. Stood still at the gate, Jaejoong felt he stuck between times. He did not want to move, hoping the time stopped. But why the clock still tickled?
“Jaejoong… I’ll be waiting for you. Here… I’ll be waiting for you here… At our tree house. No matters how long will it takes. Trust me.” Withhold the cracked voice, Yunho hexed it with his laughter. Jaejoong slowly opened the gate and let himself out from that house ground. Walked away from Yunho’s house could be the best thing that he could do now. And so he ran… toward the future that awaited for him.
Jaejoong’s body vanished when he stepped outside the gate… so did his shadow…
Slowly, Yunho laid his back inside the tree house. Brought his legs inside the tree house, he curled his body and buried his face to the world. He shed tears…
Reached to his house, he saw Junsu, his cousin in front of the veranda. Jaejoong with his damped eyes soullessly walked towards his cousin and heaved his body against the other boy knowing that he can helped to lessen the burden.
“Junsu-ya… he sent me with his laughter.”
“He’ll be OK.” Junsu said while his arms hugged around the weak boy. Junsu can felt Jaejoong shook his head over his shoulder.
“It was a fake laughter. And that laughter brings me close to tears just then. I almost break our promise.” And so… Jaejoong cried over his cousin’s shoulder.
***
-2009-
His jaw dropped when he realized how Korea changed for a decade. Even the airport showed so many changes. Jaejoong came back to Korea after finished his studies in America. Junsu kept on asking when he will be coming back as since 3 years ago, Jaejoong patiently told him that he will be back once he finished his studies.
Excited with the returned of his cousin, Junsu prepared everything from new apartment to the best job position in Junsu’s father company. Jaejoong felt blessed as he has family left in Korea. He once told his parents that no matter how far they went, he wanted to be back and worked in Korea, and most importantly, he wanted a life in Korea… with someone he had in his mind for a long time. A very long time.
“Junsu-ya!” shouted 29 years old beauty as soon as he saw his cousin waited for his arrival. Junsu waved excitedly with a touched of smile upon his face.
“Joongie, Welcome back!” both of them shared a warm hugged and began to examine the changes they both had since the day they part away on the same airport. Walked together to where Junsu park his car, and have his first ride across Seoul after years of ignorance about Korea.
“How is your parent?” Jaejoong asked about Junsu’s parent while they were in a car.
“Like usual. Still have sermons in the morning by my mother. Telling me that I was alive today for many reasons and I should be thankful.” Junsu laughed and Jaejoong nodded as he knew how was his aunt always like.
“I missed her.” Jaejoong stated simply.
“And you know she missed you too. If only your parents did not have fights with Grandpa, we would not have to be apart right.” Junsu talked and sighed while remembered the things happened with their families 10 years ago.
“Aish Junsu-ya. Stop talking about problems. Can you bring me to somewhere I could find gifts? I have to buy something to my favorite aunt. I kind of forget to buy something from America.” Jaejoong excitedly requested to Junsu. Futhermore, he did not want to talk the reasons his family has to leave Korea and never came back.
“Gifts?” Junsu repeated Jaejoong’s question and his brows knitted together. Like it was forever and deep thought, Junsu then excitedly telling that there was a mall that he could find anything.
“I mean ANYTHING.” Junsu pre-phrased that word twice which make Jaejoong thought that he actually talked for his own purposed and benefit.
“OK. Bring me to this mall that we can find ANYTHING.” Mocked Jaejoong. Junsu pushed the accelerator with sneered face. Jaejoong mind wondered everywhere. His child life… school… friends… Yun…
“Jaejoong, well… do you still remember him?” Junsu asked suddenly. Jaejoong off caught when Junsu asked the person that he just have in his mind.
“Who? Oo… Him. What do you think?” Jaejoong answered his own question as Junsu make face of I-think-I-knew-the-answer.
“Your old house area was been developed.” Junsu eyes still fixed to the road ignored the questioned face from Jaejoong.
“Develop. The whole area? Was he…”
“Yes and everyone been moved out. Once when I was there, that place been closed for construction. And… do not ask me whether I know where to find him. I really don’t.”
Silenced… Jaejoong did not know what to think and to expect. Without knowing, they just arrived to the mall that Junsu talked before.
“Hope you can find something interesting here. I have to go somewhere. Call me if you finished OK!”
“Junsu-ya! You leave me here alone? I never knew about this mall”
“It’s not like you are gonna lost? It just a mall.” Junsu rolled his eyes and quickly left Jaejoong in middle of nowhere. Jaejoong annoyed and sighed frustrated.
His mind kept on thinking about the thing that Junsu told him before. He was planning of finding Yunho but now he needed to look for him. Should he occupy a personal investigator? That would be much easier.
As his mind wondered around, so did his steps. He supposed to find a present but all the thing he did is looked to the floor and slowly walked without goal.
Jaejoong can't helped but thinking about Yunho. How was he now? Did Yunho change? He remembered the tree house that they shared. Did the development destroy their tree house too? If the place gone, did the memories of it also vanished? Did Yunho remember him like Jaejoong did? Mostly... did Yunho even miss him like Jaejoong missed him everyday. Shook his head reiterated to thrown all the sad feelings, he reminded himself that he has to find something for his aunt. Determined, he changed his gazed to the shops along the hallway.
Stopped... his eyes fixed to a store.
The store looked different because it was too bright. Brighter than any other store. He walked closer... it was a coffee house... and that coffee house reminded him to something... familiar.
Green and brown color... the wall of the coffee house been made by woods, and the ceiling has a picture of a roof. It was a tree house. Silly smile craved on Jaejoong's face. There was slender piece of wood with leaves every corner of the store which made Jaejoong sure that 'IT' was a tree house.
“Such a lovely coffee house” muttered Jaejoong to himself. As he stood dumbly in front of the store, several customers looked uncomfortably to him. But that did not stop Jaejoong to be there and mesmerized by the coffee house.
His imaginary pop out when suddenly a man from inside of the coffee house burst out while talked loudly to the cell phone in his hand. From what his wear, Jaejoong automatically knew that he was one of the workers. That man almost knocked his other colleague and keep on impinged the customer's chair before finally get through to the entrance/exit.
“What? He's here? What should we do? What should 'I' do? You should tell me earlier so I...” That man walked and talked so fast that he also almost knocked Jaejoong aside. Annoyed, Jaejoong quickly move to his right side and can't help but to shot his angry eyes to that reckless man. But then... that man stopped talking and shouting, stood frozenly beside Jaejoong and slowly turned his body to the right side where Jaejoong was. Looked at each other for a while... then the beautiful smile placed on his face to cover his strange reaction, that man stood straight with his palms hold together.
“Welcome to ‘COFFEE3HOUSE’. Would you like to come in and have some coffee?” requested that man politely and bowed a bit while his hand gestured to welcome Jaejoong to the entrance of the coffee house. Jaejoong was dumbfounded with the sudden reaction of that man and stared him disbelieved before someone else from inside the store took hold that man's arm and pulled him to other side.
“Yoochun! Do you know that you just smashed 3 cups and not to forget that you almost scare all the...” That reckless man named Yoochun made strangely face and asked the man that scolded him to look behind.
“What?!” That man almost shouted before he turned his back to see what Yoochun meant.
Stunned... shocked... awkward...
Mixed feeling felt by both men when they set their eyes together. Eyes that tried to find the courage to approach first. It was Yoochun finally spoken, for his own neck.
“I... go first Yunho. About the cups, it just 3 of it. It's not like we don't have... aaahhh.” Yoochun who tried to save himself stopped when someone pulled him away from the reunion. For a moment Jaejoong, he somehow afraid to take even one breathes. His eyes were everywhere on Yunho's face. Yunho's have crinkles around eyes now but it still so soft and beautiful. Even after 10 years, it always his eyes that made Jaejoong fall.
“Hi” Yunho spoke his first word after a decade of parted.
“Hi” Jaejoong cannot hide his smile anymore. Bit his lower lip so that the smile upon his face did not being to sincere about his happy heart to see Yunho again. But his cheek never lied. He changed it color to a deep red.
“Would you... emm...” stutter Yunho with his hand showed the entrance of the coffee house. Jaejoong's head tilted to the way Yunho showed but his eyes never away from the face he missed for 10 years.
“Sorry. Do... you drink coffee?” Asked Yunho with his timid voice. It was something he did not know about Jaejoong. Something that he did not discover yet about Jaejoong.
“Coffee?” Jaejoong teased and raised his eyebrow.
“Yes. Well... I was taking into liking coffee so much since 4 or 5 years ago.” Told Yunho with his hand rubbed the back of his head.
“A lot of thing to talk and tell what happen for these years right?” Jaejoong gave out hints.
“It never bored me to know more once. And it will never bore me now.”
“Same here.”
Yunho hold out his hand...
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Of course I do” Jaejoong took hold on the connected hands and they looked at it and recalled of how their hands felt after a long apart. For Jaejoong... it never changed... so did his heart. Yunho pulled Jaejoong to the entrance of the coffee house but stopped when Jaejoong's eye fixed on something.
STORE ‘G-33’ been craved on the left side of the store. Understand what was inside Jaejoong's mind. Yunho told him the fact.
“It might be hard to find any store with 33 steps from any entrance of this mall.” Yunho squeezed Jaejoong hand softly when he spoke. Jaejoong eyes traveled from the number to the sign-board that bearing the shop name.
“COFFEE3HOUSE”
“3 steps to the tree house. Our tree house already gone. Consider this is the replacement. New tree house... for us” Yunho quickly added the last word hoping Jaejoong taken note the hint. Jaejoong darted his eyes from 'COFFEE3HOUSE' to 'STORE G-33'.
“The tree house. At the perfect number 33.” Jaejoong whispered softly and he was so touched of how Yunho truly remembered him. No doubt that Yunho waited for him for all these years. And no doubt that he love this man so much.
Both of them entered the COFFEE3HOUSE. They talked about past and present, they kept on slipped hints about future. Smile... and laugh... and a sip of coffee just made everything so perfect. A perfect day for Yunho and Jaejoong in the different type of tree house that they used to have... at the store number 33. The Perfect Number 33.
[END]
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