A Cinderella Story

Yunjae

Rating: E

Words: 2,903

 

 

Multi-colored neon stars danced in and around the people crowded streets, exciting the creatures of the night. Music flooded the open streets, bursting out of night clubs and into alleys filling their ears. From techno to Hip-Hop and Rap, Jazz to Pop, Rock and Roll, it didn’t matter. It was where Yunho was, well his mind anyway. His body, unfortunately, was trapped in a large mansion miles away from the fun. Normally his parties weren’t that boring, but then again this wasn’t ‘his’ party anymore but another one of his fathers’ little ideas to help Yunho meet the person he would spend the rest of his life with. In other words: a party to find his future wife. His mother had commented saying it was romantic but it was annoying really. Yunho was only twenty-two, he was still young. He wanted to hang out with his friends, party, date. He didn’t care for Jung Inc. or the fact that he would inherit the company someday, which was the whole reason his father was doing this in the first place.

Yunho sighs, backing away from the large hallway window. He walked down the empty corridor, stopping when he was face to face with the wide double doors. On the other side was his—more like his fathers’—costume party. Closing his eyes Yunho took a deep breath. Once he stepped through those doors he was no longer Jung Yunho, but Prince Yunho.

 

 

 

 

“There perfect!” Ji-hye clapped her hands together.

“Are you sure noona1?” Jae asked.

“Yes, and don’t call me noona! For tonight it’s unni2! U-N-N-I~!” She lectured.

“Okay okay unni” Jae now stood looking in mirror. “Dose this really look okay?” This was the first time Jae doing something like this and was bothered by the feeling of getting caught.

“It looks fine! Stop worrying already.”

“…” Ji-hye stepped closer to Jae and put a reassuring hand on Jae’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry so much. Just have fun. Remember, I’ll be there with you, and so will Su-Dae and Chung-Ja.”She stung her favorite silver heart locket around Jae’s neck, and then combed her fingers through Jae’s raven hair. She knew her dongseng3 well enough to know what was wrong. “You’re going to be fine”, she repeated, “No one will find out” Her voice came out soft, calming some of Jae’s nervous.

 

 

 

 

One hour, one hour and twenty-six minutes since Yunho had entered the room. Eighty-six minutes…five thousand, one hundred and sixty seconds, which was exactly three hundred nine thousand and six hundred milliseconds—but then who was counting?

            When the song ended Yunho quickly detached himself from his current dance partner, a Korean Cleopatra. She clung on for a moment but eventually got the message. The next song started and already the next girl was approaching. This time it was an Arabian princess. Yunho turned the opposite way; he couldn’t bear to take another dance. He disappeared behind the white lace curtains and out the balcony door.

Beyond the white French doors was a balcony, a garden balcony. It was Yunho’s favorite place. In the city of Seoul many stars are fake, but the real ones—the truly real ones, could be found there. He often went there to relax.

Yunho navigated his way through the jungle of potted and planted orchids, blooming flowers and shrubbery of all kind. Exactly in the middle of the garden was a circular fountain, the perfect place to view stars.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Yunho stared. He didn’t expect to see anyone up there. By the moon’s light he saw the silhouette of a woman, judging from her dress. As he walked closer he could see her more clearly. Short waves or her brown hair hugged her pale face, her white frilly dress swayed with the cool breeze and at that moment Yunho deemed her very pretty and in the back of his mind he secretly thanked his father for arranging this party.

“May I sit here?” He asked. Startled she jumped, when she looked his way, her cheeks tinted pink, and nodded. “Do you like to star gaze?” Another nod, another question, and before long, Yunho wondered if this conversation was going to go anywhere. She kept to herself. She didn’t look at him, but fiddled with a loose string on her dress, which, Yunho thought; she found more interest in then in him. He was about to give up when his one of his favorite songs came on, a song he knew all the steps to. “Would you like to dance?” He asked.

She hesitated but then murmured, “uh…here?…now?”

“You can hear the music all the way out here so…” He trailed off. Shyly she took his extended hand.

She was a horrible dancer! She couldn’t move with the music like Yunho could. Her steps were all wrong and her movements were awkward. It was as if she had learned the dace the day before, only to forget everything. It didn’t help that with every mistake she made at least three more. Yunho couldn’t help but laughed at her level of elegance, ballroom dancing was defiantly not her thing. Her face burned with embarrassment after the song ended. She made an attempt to leave, but Yunho wouldn’t let go. Oh no, he saw this as a chance for them to get closer. The next song played and he took the lead, happy to teach her the dance moves. With each song she relaxed more and more.

Their last song was a slow song. The kind where young couples, swaying back and forth, hold each other in their arms. One arm gripped tightly around her waist, the other caressed her face. With his thumb he petted her soft skin. His princess’s arms hung loosely around his neck and later dropped to his sides to hug him. The two stayed like that long after the song ended. They swayed to the beat of each other’s rhythm, lost in the deep eyes that captured them both. They came closer and closer until their lips touched; an innocent brush on the lips. At that point Yunho thought she wasn’t just pretty but beautiful. The two kissed and kissed and kissed until their lips their lips turn swollen.

“What’s your name?” Yunho mumbled in her ear.

“…Jae…”she replied reluctantly.

“Jae…” Yunho repeated, “I’m—”

“I know…” came a hushed whisper.

 

GONG, GONG, GONG, the clock struck.

‘Is it that time already?’ Jae panicked. The clock struck once more.

“Is something wrong?” Yunho asked. Jae let go of him and backed way.

“Ah yea—no…I mean I—I …” She looked back at the open window, “I…I have to go…” Jae didn’t bother to explain and in her haste didn’t notice the silver pendent slid off and fall.

 

 

 

 

That night Yunho didn’t sleep. His mind—and heart—raced when he thought of her, his Cinderella. She disappeared without a trace and in the place of the glass slipper a heart shaped locket.

Yunho opened the locket. His face lit up when he was the photo inside. “Jae?” He asked to no one in particular. “…no…” It wasn’t her. This one was a boy, a pretty boy, but a boy non-the-less. ‘Why did she give me this?’

“Maybe their twins…” He thought out loud. It didn’t matter to him. All he cared about was finding his princess and if this picture—twin or not, could lead him to her, he didn’t care. It didn’t take long for Yunho to think up an idea that “would not fail”. He took out his cell phone and took a picture of the photo in the locket. At the bottom he texted: “Find him” and sent it to all the contacts on his phone. He knew his friends. They’d try their hardest to help and find this mystery man and if they couldn’t they’d pass it on to all of their friends and so on and so forth. Someone was bound to find him, somewhere, and when they did word would eventually get back to him. Yunho was confident of that. He would find his princes in no time.

About a week of waiting, an impatient Yunho finally got a reply. “333 Lion Lane” it read. Yunho didn’t know where that was but if it was where she was, he was going to find out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the door bell rung Ji-hye was the first to answer. Jaejoong waited in the next room pretending to watch TV. “Yes? Who is i—”

“Um” Jaejoong recognized that voice instantly.

‘How’ He thought. ‘How did he…?’ He asked but already knew the answer. He’d gotten one too—a text, a lot of them actually. The moment he had dreaded had arrived. He didn’t think it would be so soon though. A month of two was his guess. Clearly the meeting had made more of an impression on him then they thought.

“I’m looking for a girl named Jae. Do you know here?” His voice seemed unsure.

“I’m sorry but I don’t think I know the girl you’re looking for.” Jihye stated.

“Oh…” this time he sounded disappointed. Jaejoong could imagine the look on his face.

“But” Ji-hye paused, thinking of a way to phrase her words, “I think I know who you’re looking for”

“Ah, really?” He replied quickly. Jaejoong could tell he was excited. This only made it harder for him.

Ji-hye left Yunho at the door and walked to into the living room of their apartment. “It’s for you~” she stretched the last part, playing with the “you~” in a sing song voice.

Jaejoong’s stomach turned, he really didn’t want to face him, not now. “…” He didn’t budge.

“Get up” his noona commanded. It’s not my fault you lost my necklace.” emphasis on the ‘my’, “I told you, you wouldn’t get caught but I didn’t expect you to be so careless.”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose” He felt like yelling but against his will (and stomach) he got up. He say Yunho at the door. “Hey…” he half waved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jaejoong had taken them to the playground near his apartment complex. He sat on the swings swaying hack and forth but not so much to actually lift his feet from the ground. Yunho, who he didn’t dare look at, sat on the big plastic white spotted, green ladybug dome. He faced the opposite direction from Jaejoong.

“So…” he started, “The girl named Jae, you know her?”

“Yeah…kinda, in a way…”

“Is he your sister or something?”

“Or something…I don’t have any sisters named Jae” He quickly added, “The only one close is Ji-yhe, the one who answered the door.”

“Huh? You’re related?” She looks nothing like you though.”

“We’re adopted, all nine of us…” Jaejoong clarified.

“Oh” Yunho replied. What else could he say? “The how do you look so much alike if you’re not twins? Do you know where I can find her?”

“Yeah, I know exactly where.” He could have easily denied this but he didn’t. He didn’t lie, especially not to those he loved most.

“Really” He perked up like before, “Where”

“Right here,” Jaejoong said quietly.

“Where?” Yunho asked looking around, obviously not understanding Jaejoong. There was no one around.

Jaejoong sighed. “The reason why she looks so much like me is because” pause here, “…because she is me.” I’m Jae. My full name is Kim Jaejoong.” He turned to meet Yunho’s eyes. Judging by the look on his face, Yunho was shocked, but then it turned into something else. Jaejoong’s stomach churned. He didn’t like being looked at like that and didn’t expect to like the reply he was going to get from the other.

“Stop kidding around,” Yunho said, he certainly wasn’t.

“I’m not.” Jaejoong looked away.

“…” He’s not kidding. Yunho was stunned. Here he was, expecting his princess, the same beauty she had been the night before. He expected the same short silky hair he had ran his fingers through thousands of times the other night, the same tiny waist he clung to and the same pretty fingers that clung to him, which of course the one standing in front had. He just expected the girl he’d fallen in love with that night and thought of every night after. Yunho was indeed disappointed. He was sad and mad and felt a sick, sick to his stomach. He couldn’t believe he’d lost sleep over this person…this guy, this guy who had probably deceived him as part of some kind of cruel joke…or worse. He couldn’t believe he kissed such a person.

“I—” Jaejoong decided to break the silence. “I…it wasn’t meant as a joke. Honestly…” He knew what Yunho was thinking, his face showed it all.

“Then why?” His question came almost in a whisper.

Why did he? In truth he didn’t know it himself. He didn’t know what came over him to go along with his sisters in the first place. He didn’t know what came over him when he agreed to go to the party, especially dressed like that. It was a costume party but he doubted they meant for him to dress as a girl. Maybe it was all those comments of how he looked so girly—enough to pass for one. “I don’t know,” he finally said.

“You don’t…you’re not…” Yunho struggled to find the right words.

Jaejoong let of a quiet laugh, “No I don’t normally dress up like that. I might be though, I don’t know.” ‘It’s probably only you’ “It I said I’ve always loved you, I’d be lying. I wasn’t planning on going that far, actually, I didn’t plan on meeting you either. It just…happened. And I think I…” like you.

They stayed in silence and eventually Yunho left. Jaejoong didn’t mind. No, that was a lie. He did. What he said was true. He really did like Yunho. He was all Jaejoong thought about –dreamed about—for the past week. Ji-hye and the others teased him about it a lot, though he didn’t mind. He didn’t care. But as Yunho rejected him, even in as few words a he had, he felt like throwing up, badly. He held his stomach but his heart hurt the most. It ached. He wanted to cry, and then realized he already was.

Maybe he should have lied and told Yunho he didn’t know her, or that his Jae had died somewhere, like he felt like doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A day passed, two days, three four, five then a whole week. Then two. It didn’t matter how much time had passed by, he still couldn’t forget. What had happened to his beautiful Cinderella? He often found himself thinking.

What happened?

‘She turned into a guy, that’s what’

It was selfish, Yunho knew, but still he couldn’t. He’d already debated that statement in his head. It always came up, ‘You could’. Then comes the question, ‘Then why?’ ‘Because you’re a jerk, because you’re human…Because you’re scared.’ ‘Scared of what?’ ‘What others might think?’ ‘No.’ he never cared for such things. ‘What others might say?’ ‘No’ ‘Might do?’ ‘NO NO NO’ that wasn’t it, that defiantly wasn’t it.

‘Then what?’ The voice in his head had grown impatient.

‘I don’t know!’ And so had he.

Why was he so scared anyway? It wasn’t that his princess had turned into a prince—well maybe before it mattered, but not anymore—and he already knew ton of not-so-straight- people. His best friend was one of them. All his parents needed was for Yunho to find happiness for them to find happiness, so then what?

His beauty wasn’t a beauty for anything. Sure she—he was good looking, but he also had a soft side to him. He doubted anyone who gazed up at the stars so pensively could be a bad person. The way he blushed and made Yunho blush, smile and made Yunho smile, it all seemed so…so right. And lastly when he told him he liked him he got this weird feeling. At first he thought of it as disgust, but that wasn’t it. He found that out while still with him that day, but instead of admitting what exactly he was feeling he left.

Now he was willing, at least he’d like to think too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘why?’ Jaejoong didn’t expect to see his again. “What do you want?” Jaejoong asked not bothering to step out of the door way. Couldn’t this guy just leave him alone?

“I’m sorry,” Yunho muttered. “I’m sorry…” He looked up at Jaejoong. His face heart sank. ‘Had he been crying?’ Jaejoong’s eyes were bloodshot. On impulse Yunho moved closer to the other. Jaejoong took a step back but allowed Yunho to close the gap between them. “I’m sorry,” Yunho repeated.

“Don’t be…”

“I’m sorry”

“Stop it…”

“I’m sorry…”

“Stop it!” He pounded against Yunho’s chest, trying to pull away but the harder he pushed the tighter Yunho’s held on. Jaejoong eventually gave up.

“I was thinking”

“About what?”

“You…me…fairytales”

“Fairytales?” Jaejoong looked at Yunho.

Yunho nodded, “Cinderella mostly.” Jaejoong didn’t say anything, “I was thinking, if you were the beautiful princess, I would want to be your prince charming and live together with you happily ever after”

Jaejoong buried his face in Yunho’ chest, smiling against his shirt, “Pabo4, this isn’t a once upon a time story” He hugged Yunho’s back, “And besides, what if I wanted to be the prince?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Words:

 

1 Noona – Korean term for addressing an older female; used by males

2 Unni – Korean term for addressing an older female; used by females

3 Dongseng – Korean term for addressing someone younger then you

4 Pabo – Idiot in Korean

 

english homework. We had to write a short story about whatever and I chose Yunjae <3. yay XD
It had to have a theme, exposition, climax and I think fall action. We didn’t have to write the reselution.
Theme of this story is: Yunjae rocks Never judge a book by it’s cover or something like that…
-midevilmind