Monday 27 November 2006

Chapter 32: Monologue

“Hasn’t your ankle gotten better?” I asked Hae Rin.

“It’s much better, but I’ve been instructed to keep using the crutches until they’re 100% sure that I’ve recovered.”

“Lucky you,” I said. “No dance training for 2 weeks then?”

“Might sound lucky, but they’re probably gonna work me twice as hard when I resume training,” she lamented.

“True… So what brought you here? Is there something you wanna talk to me about?” I asked her.

“Talk? Anieyo… just dropped by to see how you were doing.”

“You sure?” I looked at her face for signs that she may be hiding something, but she gave away nothing.

“Hey… that’s a really nice pendant,” she suddenly said.

“Thanks,” I said as my hand consciously went to my neck and I held the pendant for awhile.

“It looks like Cassiopeia,” she said as she reached out her hand to touch the pendant.

“It is.”

“But why is there an extra diamond in the middle?”

“Erm… it’s kind of a personal reason,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell her everything that went on between me and Jae Joong. After all, I didn’t know her that well.

“Where did you buy it?”

“Jae Joong gave it to me,” I said and her hand immediately dropped to her side.

“Jae Joong oppa gave this to you?” she said incredulously.

“Yea,” I said. She’s starting to act weird again. Why did it shock her so much that Jae Joong gave me a present?

“Erm… I better go,” she said and started to walk away and I watched her wordlessly. What a strange girl.

Two hours later, Skye and Shoei finally made it to practice.

“Thank god you guys are back,” I whispered.

“What happened?” Shoei asked.

“Lex oppa was trying to kill me today.”

“Then you would’ve achieved improvements you would usually take 2 days to achieve in today’s practice session,” Shoei laughed.

“Not funny,” I said as I smacked Shoei. “My knee still hurts from a fall I had just now.”

“Really?” Shoei said and he immediately crouched down to look at my knee. “Kwaenchana?”

“It’s just a little black and blue,” I said as I pulled my leg away. Sometimes Shoei was such a worrywart. “I’ll just rub some ointment on it tonight.”

We rehearsed together until about 9pm before we were allowed to go home. Jae Joong was waiting for me in his car as we walked out of the building. Upon closing the car door, I planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” he smiled.

“Just happy to see you,” I smiled back, and I meant it.

Skye starts making a gagging sound, “Can you two lovebirds please put a lid on it until we get home?”

“You have the option of taking the bus,” Jae Joong said as we started to drive off.

“Are you crazy? I’ll get mobbed if I take the bus,” Skye said.

“Right,” Shoei said, “mobbed by middle-aged housewives.”

“Yah!! My fans are not middle-aged housewives.”

“Are you talking about that ajumma who tried to molest him the other day, at Taejon?” I said gleefully, taking the opportunity to join in and attack Skye.

“It was an accident,” Skye yelled as he started to get a little too excited.

“Didn’t look like one to me,” Shoei said with a straight face.

“I’m telling you. It was an accident,” Skye said as he started to get annoyed.

“What exactly happened?” I asked. “Did the ajumma grope him or something?”

“There was no groping!!” Skye yelled defensively.

“Actually…” Shoei started but was cut off when Skye covered his hand over his mouth and there was a small tussle in the back of the car as Shoei tried to push Skye away.

“Hey, guys. Settle down,” Jae Joong laughed.

Jae Joong parked his car and followed us up to our apartment.

“We’re home!!” Skye yelled into the empty apartment as we walked in.

“Who are you talking to?” Jae Joong asked.

“He has an imaginary friend,” Shoei said in a stage whisper.

“Kuraeyo?” Jae Joong laughed.

“Do you want some noodles?” I asked Jae Joong as I dumped my bag on the sofa.

“I’m fine,” Jae Joong replied. “I’ll be in your room,” he said as he picked up my bag and walked into my room.

“Nuna,” Skye said sweetly. “Why did you offer noodles to hyung only?”

“Yea, nuna,” Shoei said as he came and put his arm over Skye’s shoulders and looked at me.

“I’m sorry,” I smiled. “Are you guys hungry too?”

“Ne,” the two of them answered in unison.

“Make your own noodles,” I said as I turned away to walk into the kitchen.

“Nuna…” they wailed together as I walked off.

10 minutes later, I’m slurping my noodles in my room in front of my laptop, while Jae Joong was preoccupied with Skye’s PSP. His tongue stuck out at the left corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the game. He looked so cute whenever he did that. I’ve seen candid pictures of him online with the exact expression.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Jae Joong asked.

“I have a recording session in the morning,” I replied with my mouth full.

“With who?”

“Brian and Hwan Hee.”

“So they finally got around to collaborating with you,” he said, still not taking his eyes off the PSP.

“I guess… it’s been more than a year since S-Cube’s debut. We’ve finally earned some credibility.”

“What are you doing?” he said as he tossed the PSP aside and came to look over my shoulder.

“Chatting…”

“Aa…” he said as he opened his mouth, just as I’d picked up a few strands of noodles with my chopsticks.

“That’s my dinner,” I grumbled in jest as I fed him. After slurping the noodles into his mouth loudly, he kissed me on my cheek. “Kim Jae Joong!!” I yelled as I wiped the soup from the noodles off my face.

He rolled onto my bed laughing and I jumped on him after setting down the noodles. Then he rolled over and pinned me to the bed.

“Gotcha,” he said and he kissed me. I licked my lips and they still tasted of the soup. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Get off…” I said as I tried to push him off.

“Andwae…” he said in a cute voice and pushed me onto the bed.

“My noodles are getting soggy.”

“I’ll cook you another bowl later,” he said as he nuzzled my neck.

“I won’t be able to finish it…” I said dreamily.

“I’ll be hungry after this… I’ll help you with it.”

An hour later, I was showered and back in front of my laptop and eating the remains of my cold and soggy noodles. Jae Joong was lying face down on my bed, sleeping. I’d flipped open laptop and there was a message from Kat.

Kat: Where did you go?

Sierra: To feed my insatiable hero :P

Kat: So I take it that he’s full now ;)

Sierra: Fed and put to bed… hehe!

After checking my mails and posting some replies on the fanboard, I shut down my laptop and crawled into bed with Jae Joong. He automatically made space for me when I nudged him and as I lay down and got comfortable, he put his arm around me.

The next morning I woke up and Jae Joong was on the floor. Whenever he came over, I’d lay out the futon because Jae Joong once fell out of my bed. The futon there was in case he ever fell out again. These days, he’d automatically end up on the floor in the morning since I hogged the bed at night. I rolled off the bed, onto the floor to lie beside him.

“Is it time to wake up yet?” he said sleepily when he realized I’d joined him on the floor.

“Ani,” I said as I snuggled closer.

“Okay…” he said and he went back to sleep.

About half an hour later, my alarm rang. I woke up slowly so that I did not wake him and tiptoed around as I got dressed. I showered and changed in 15 minutes and came back to wake him.

“Wake up…” I whispered into his ear and kissed him on the cheek.

“Mmm… 5 more minutes…” he mumbled.

“I’m showered and ready to go. I’ll be late if you don’t wake up now,” I said as I nudged him with my feet. “And don’t you have a press conference?” I added and he immediately sat up.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“It’s 8:30am.”

“Let’s go,” he said as he stood up and put on his shirt, which was hanging on the chair in my room.

“You’re not even going to shower?”

“I’ll shower when I get home. I’m supposed to meet up with the guys and get to the venue with them.”

We got into his car and he revved out of the gates.

“Slow down,” I said. “I’m not late yet.”

“I’m gonna be if I don’t hurry,” he replied.

“You don’t have to drive like that,” I reasoned and he slowed down a little.

“You wanna have dinner with us tonight?” he asked me as he took my hand and kissed it.

“Call me when you’re done. Or you can drop by at the studios.”

“Okay. How much do you plan to do today?”

“We’re just starting today, so I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to complete today.”

“Just don’t overexert yourself,” he said as he absently rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand.

“This coming from the person who works like 10 times harder then me?’ I laughed.

“It’s different,” he said.

“I’m trying to make my mark as well. If I don’t work hard now, it’ll be all over in another 1 or 2 years. Then I will never be able to get all of this back.”

“Araso… I’m just worried about you,” he sighed and there was a moment of silence.

“Hae Rin dropped by to see me yesterday,” I said, out of the blue.

“She did? What did she want?”

“Exactly… I have no idea what she wants. Remember me telling you about her being weird?”

“What about it?”

“She was doing it again yesterday.”

“Was she troubled about something?”

“Maybe it’s the pressure her manager is giving her. I heard that she still has to train despite her injury. It’s probably made her a little cuckoo.”

“Hmm… I have no comments on her manager, except that he’s a hard man.”

“A little too hard, I think. I’ve met him on several occasions, and I’ve never dared to approach him or have a one on one conversation with him.”

“There’s no need for you to know him,” Jae Joong said.

“Why? Are you jealous?” I teased him.

“Why would I be?”

“Mian. I forgot that you are Yongung JaeJoong. Why would you get jealous?”

“But I would if you treated me better,” he smiled as he stopped his car in front of the building.

“Mwo? Am I ill-treating you now?”

“Ani. But you could offer better services,” he laughed.

“What do you think I am? A sales assistant, a waitress?” I said. “Aigoo… of all things, better services.”

“Aaahh… mian,” he said sweetly.

“Go date a vending machine then! You’ll get instant gratification,” I said.

“Sierra…” he drawled as he leaned over to kiss me. I pinched his cheek and pushed his face away. “Oww…” he said as he rubbed his cheek.

“See you tonight,” I said as I opened the door and got out.

“I don’t get a kiss?” he leaned over to the passenger seat and peered up at me through the open door.

“You can get it from the vending machine you’re dating from now on,” I smiled, and I turned and walked into the building.

“Sierra…” he called after me. I ignored him. “Yah!! Sierra!!” he shouted and I walked into the elevator, still not acknowledging him.

7 comments:

snowyflakes said...

Awww... So sweet! *dies from the sweetness of it all* xP

And I wonder what's HR intention this time... Haha. Anyway, love the chapter~~!

charzylicious said...

i feel so in love...i want another jj too...hahhaa....

i wonder if Sierra will see HR later...
cant wait cant wait..

Anonymous said...

he falls out of bed??? how cute is that!! hahahahha

charzylicious said...

KOrean, a new language for LOVE and ROMANCE...

i am wondering if i should stop learning my jap and do Korean...aw...

Anonymous said...

awww ahaha that's so cute =)
jaejoongie falls out of bed! xD

Anonymous said...

AHW ur so mean..
not giving jaejoongie a kiss =.=
hmpzx

Bern Lam said...

HAHAHAH go date a vending machine, you'll get instant gratification...AAHAHAHAHAHHA i laughed so hard at that line