Chapter Fifteen

The girl was flailing her arms in disappointment after losing for the umpteenth time in a simple
game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’, a reaction that really didn’t shock anyone else in that room. Sunako
acted oddly when she lost, not that it was anything new to the rest of them. The hospital room was filled
with pure bliss and warmth that was enough to light up a Christmas tree, all ecstatic about the fact that
Megumi was finally being discharged after an eternity of staying in the place.

Jaejoong couldn’t control his laughter from filling the room, accompanied by the same mirthful
giggles from all of his other friends who watched Ryo and Sunako, who were seated in the center of the
circle, play a strangely heated game. Ryo’s victories earned him a half-box of chocolate truffles and three
pieces of lifesavers while the snack pile on Sunako’s side merely consisted of two Twix bars and a piece
of caramel candy. She picked up the caramel and flung it over to Ryo, settling the agreement that every
ten defeats equals to a piece of candy going to the opponent.

His eyes slowly left the group and gazed at Megumi, who was watching them quietly from her
bed; fluffing her white silk comforter every so often without the slightest care in the world. There was
something about her that seemed off, as though her mind was flying elsewhere beyond the look in her
eyes.

“Am I too late?” A deep voice caused the circle to break into hearty greetings and wide, friendly
smiles. He looked at Megumi as her face lit up, smiling brightly while extending her arms out as a motion
to call out to him. “Minho-kun! Finally! We’ve been waiting for you for a half-hour now.” Mica
exasperatedly said, rolling her eyes and swinging her arm to the side, as if telling him to go to Megumi
immediately. He laughed heartily before passing around the circle and hurrying to Megumi’s bed,
landing on the bed with a little squeak and a pair of arms wrapped around his upper back.

A sting of raw emotion boiled up from places that Jaejoong didn’t know existed. His heart had
been ripped out of his body and was being controlled by something much more powerful than he, a
force that became unruly under his touch. He couldn’t explain it, how the sight made his heart a little
uneasy. It really shouldn’t matter, since Megumi was his little sister, and the latter fervently insisted that
she and Minho were just friends throughout an intriguingly interesting three-hour conversation they
had at the café last night.

Her words, her grace, and her eloquence all seemed very attractive to him in ways that the
muddled thoughts hidden in the nooks of his brain couldn’t quite articulate. The radiance in her voice
that reminded him of hummingbirds and the slight gestures of her hands that gave her the grace of a
swan, all seemed to strike emotions that overwhelmed him.

Now, she was doing the same, to another boy who was far more expressive with his feelings,
who responded well to her gestures and acted synchronically with each sway of her hand. Her awkward
charm and the unknowing ease of her cuteness were being appreciated by someone other than him,
and he found it quite unnerving for reasons that had no logic in them.
 He watched her carefully as she hugged Minho even tighter, her head leaning on the latter’s
shoulder while he whispered words to her that made her smile bloom even more. He didn’t like what he
was seeing, not one bit.

As soon as his parents came in with the signed release forms, everyone began piling out of the
room in an odd line, skipping out by pairs having animated discussions. Sunako and Ryo led the team,
arguing and shooting daggers at one another while playing childish games. Mica and Naie followed,
talking about the party that the Takenagas were hosting at their home for Christmas. Then Koike and
Haruma trudged behind them, catching each other up on important student council work that they both
failed to do in their spare time due to the laziness that accompanied the holiday season. Yamapi and
Hannah were singing a holiday tune that perked up everyone’s ears, even his, though he still brooded
terribly while watching Megumi.

The wheelchair was rolled in by their otou-san and Megumi hopped on with a small smile. “I’ll
push you.” Minho kindly offered, setting the bouquet he brought her on her lap. Jaejoong’s eyes
widened upon hearing those words and hurriedly made his way to Megumi. “That’s really nice of you,
Minho-kun, but I think I should do that. After all, I am her brother.” He uttered in unfamiliar
defensiveness, gripping the dark turquoise handles so tightly that his pale knuckles were slightly colored
like fresh peaches.

Megumi laughed and dismissed Jaejoong’s apprehensions with a warm, reassuring grin, knowing
how the latter disliked Minho paying too much attention to her. Actually, he did not just dislike it. It
made his blood boil to temperatures beyond what the human thermometer can measure, and he had no
control over this phenomena. His temper had a mind of its own, a wild, unruly, untamed mind.

“Yamapi-kun! Can you push me?” Megumi cutely called out, giggling giddily as Yamapi looked at
them with a raised brow, wagging a finger at himself in confusion. They nodded in unison while he
hurried to Megumi’s side, beaming brightly as he pushed her out of the room. “Let’s go. Up, up and
away!” He cheered, pushing her with great speed that they zoomed past everyone else walking towards
the elevator.

Jaejoong’s face melted to a tender smile upon hearing the sound of Megumi’s sweet morning
laughter echoing throughout the hallway. He couldn’t help but wonder why he was unable to make
Megumi laugh like that. It was always someone else who made her laugh with such glee that it had the
power to paint dew on beautiful mountains on a summer morning. He could just imagine her frolicking
in the field, her pure white dress dancing in the wind with every graceful step she took, her melodious
voice wafting in the air as she spun around in cute little circles, turning back to face him with a bright
smile. She took his hand and pulled him closer, leading his hand to the curve of her waist and gliding
around the meadow so merrily that he didn’t care whether or not it looked stupid to dance out of
nowhere.

‘Why am I getting these thoughts? Megumi-chan’s my sister. Nothing else. And it’s weird to have
these kinds of thoughts about your sister.’ He mentally scolded himself, catching up with Sunako and
Ryo. He slung an arm around Ryo’s neck and tousled his hair casually while the latter shooed him away
with a flick of his hand.

Blankly staring at the laptop screen, Megumi felt a strange rush of happiness flowing in her
veins. Having been detached from the black Sony laptop that she treasured so dearly (and even named
Bob) was the most dreadful experience of her temporary paralysis. She liked the adrenaline that was
brought about by clicking keys, producing words and reanalyzing files. She was too much of a workaholic
to survive without that dear laptop that contained most of her life’s worth, her purpose of being
accepted in the Takenaga clan. If not for her odd attitude towards the workload, she would feel very
shameful around the family that adopted her so warmheartedly.

Typing out long strings of words and editing proposals all alone in the comfort of the family
office was her solitude. It was the only place she could be herself, where the chestnut walls held the
secrets of her soul and each bookshelf was etched with the details of her thoughts. It was the place that
she was at most ease, since even being in her shared bedroom with Sunako brought about a sense of
cautiousness in her words and actions.

At the end of the day, really, the family office brought her the thing she yearned the most… to
be alone. Nobody ever came there, with the fine exemption of her otou-san who had his own office right
by the master bedroom. It was just her, the walls, the books, the chairs and the old oak dresser with
unknown contents that left her mystified.

Playing a favorite song in her laptop, she began to stretch her fingers by pushing them against
each other, twirling them every so often as though she was trying to clutch on to the air. Her right index
finger slowly dictated the movement of her hands, rapidly pressing the keypad with uncommon
familiarity that displayed her fanatical behavior towards work. She made her own symphonies, her own
little masterpieces with each well-planned, nearly flawless contract she produced and she would be lying
to herself if she denied the pride she felt towards her fruitful labor.

The shined silver knob twisted, its rasping sound not gone unnoticed by the girl who voluntarily
chose to keep her focus on the white screen instead of whoever helper entered the room without
observing the politeness of knocking. Its weight made creaking sounds on the wooden floor, bouncing
about the room so casually that it agitated the girl a little. She would covertly glance from the corner of
her eyes, only to see feet shifting about, heading towards the oak dresser at the far end of the room.

The next thing she knew, the dresser’s dull bronze handle was being yanked open, producing a
high-pitched belching sound, indicating that it hadn’t been touched for a long period of time. With that
sound followed curious eyes, intrigued by the brave soul that dared to touch the dresser that nobody,
not even the helpers, fiddled with. Nobody bothered to clean it or to polish its knobs and gold
trimmings, yet they all knew that it existed and sat there, taunting them with its mysterious aura.

Her eyes landed on an unexpected visitor playing with the hem of his basketball jersey. His back
was facing her, head snooping around the dresser while a free hand roamed around, as if he was digging
through the closet to find something. Without noticing the blushing gaze focused on him, he slowly
pulled his jersey over his ill-kept hair and threw it on the nearby couch. He pulled out what looked like
an undershirt and put it on, slamming the dresser inconsiderately with a quick spin of his feet.

Megumi was flabbergasted, half-embarrassed and half-annoyed. It was as if he purposely chose

to ignore her presence and go on about with his daily business or he knew that she had this secret
attraction to him that he decided to play tricks with her head. Whichever it was, she didn’t like it one bit.
It only made her puzzled, irritated… and maybe a bit nervous. Even her favorite place in the world had
been ruined by that one sight, one that she never thought she would see before. She knew she was
overreacting and maybe that was because she was… but it was still weird… seeing someone you like
half-naked. It was weird.

“Are you done staring or you want me to change shirts again?” The teasing voice knocked her
out of her little reverie, dragging her back to utter humiliation. Rolling her eyes, she looked down at the
laptop screen, a little ashamed of herself for gaping too long. It didn’t take a split second before she
began typing about once more, mentally cursing herself for being so brazen. She tried to ignore his
playful gaze, eyes looking back and forth between the screen and the thick reams of files that managed
to hide the rosy tint of her face.

Jaejoong sauntered to her side, stretching his arms on both her sides, trapping her in his grasp.
A lump of nervousness cascaded down her throat, leaving a trail of burning hot butterflies fluttering in
her insides, bringing a new sort of high and numbness to her brain. She literally froze, unable to move
any other part of her body because of that peculiar feeling that she desperately tried to process. Her
soul broke free from its body, roaming around the room until it found rest in Jaejoong’s shadow, as if it
was telling her to succumb to the temptation that he was unconsciously directing towards her.

“Don’t tell me you’re working on that Choi deal again.” The coldness and sharpness of his voice
startled her a little, the feeling of control and supremacy oozing from his oddly placed confidence. The
ticklish feeling of his warm breath on the tip of her ear only made the awkward feeling growing in her
much worse. Megumi tried not to look flustered, though it was stupid to deny that she was since only a
blind man wouldn’t notice the trembling of her lips, the uncontrollable tapping motions of her fingers
and the tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“I’m working, onii-sama. And I suggest that you leave me alone unless you’re going to work as
well.” Letting her voice escape through clenched teeth, she hurriedly skimmed through a few pages of
the files stacked to her right then turned her full attention to the laptop, fingers dancing about as she
tried to reconstruct her thoughts. To her disappointment, the only thought floating on her head was the
shape of Jaejoong’s back, the definite, well-shaped form of his arms and the perfectly carved lines that
was his spine. The tattoo etched on his upper back was the most memorable one that actually took her
by surprise, since he was very sensitive with his skin. If only Jaejoong didn’t prance in the room like the
prince that he was, she would have been able to focus on her task at hand.

The chuckle broke through her thoughts with its questionable melodiousness, followed by a few
clicking sounds and a ringtone-like sound. Turning her head, she saw Jaejoong setting up his laptop,
clearing up the border of papers standing tall in between them and pushing them aside to the center of
the table while waiting for his laptop to start up. As soon as it did, he entered into a typing frenzy similar
to hers, somehow forgetting her presence in the middle of studying contract clauses and reanalyzing
stratagems of all sorts and matching it up with realistic logistics. Normally, he dumped all of the
analytical work to her but there was something about him that changed over the course of her hospital
admittance. She just couldn’t point her finger at it.

Disregarding the incomprehensible thoughts that floated right above her head, Megumi
returned to her usual routine of work, allowing her spirit to enter the valleys of bold black words from
which flowed the river of brilliance and innovation. From her peripheral view, she could see Jaejoong
browsing through her untouched files, pulling out a thick light brown envelope from the middle of the
bunch. Unabashed, she peeked at Jaejoong’s workspace and mentally smacked herself. He managed to
get a copy of the Choi files from her protected laptop and he was skimming through the details of the
contract with evident disinterest.

“Jaejoong-kun, why are you working on the Choi deal? I thought that we agreed that I wouldn’t
do anything serious with Minho-kun to appease that senseless temper of yours.” She spoke less acridly
compared to her normal tone, knowing that sparking a single nerve in Jaejoong’s system could send the
rest of him burning aflame, that is, if she unconsciously struck a powerful nerve.

“I talked to otou-san about it and he said I could take on the deal from here on out. He agreed
that it would be better for you to just do desk work until you’re able to walk completely again. Besides,
after you get better, you’re resuming the latter half of the deal. Heaven knows how much I don’t want to
work with that guy.” The casual way in which he talk, the lackluster beam in his eyes and the
inattentiveness posed by his words baffled her since Jaejoong never talked that lightly or uncaringly
about important matters like work.

Trapped in the muddle that her thoughts and assumptions created, she didn’t notice the hand
twining itself around hers and the odd speed of her heart’s palpitation. Feeling fingers tap on the back of
her hand, Megumi looked up to see Jaejoong smiling warmly at her, full attention focused on her, just
her. He would glance down at his fingers every so often, forgetting the rhythm that he was tapping on
her hand. Was it some sort of Morse code or something? She knew that Jaejoong wouldn’t learn
something as childish as Morse code even if his life depended on it. He was too proud of his ‘innate’
maturity, when really… he was probably the most immature man she’s ever met.

“Don’t you recognize it?” He asked in slight disappointment. Didn’t she recognize what? The
Morse code? She didn’t know how to use Morse code… not even sign language. She looked at him in
blatant confusion then resumed watching his fingers tap away on the back of her hand. “Yiruma. I
thought you liked him.”

Megumi laughed at Jaejoong’s silly display, throwing her head back against the soft, dark blue
rotating chair as her eyes closed on its own, beads forming on the corners of her eyes from too much
laughter. Gently pulling her hand away, her melodious laugh continued to fill the emptiness of the room
until it exploded with so much warmth and mirth that it no longer felt like a cold, distant sanctuary.
 “Maybe if you played it on a piano, I would have known.”

The idle air that hung about bothered her dearly, yet there was nothing else left for her to do
but sit about in her okaa-san’s prized greenhouse filled with various arrays of blue, purple, yellow,
orange, red and pink, filing out so orderly that it formed a spectrum of colors splayed on a meadow. Her
okaa-san had taken up gardening since Megumi was confined in the hospital and she got different types
of flowers imported from all around the world, fitting them all in a greenhouse that stood out
prominently amongst the grandeur design of their home.

Clicking on the spray bottle with minute force, she watched the water flow out of the spout,
gently hitting the surface of the smooth, rubbery green leaf before trickling down, seeping through the
dark brown, blackish soil. Frowning, she poked a hole in the soil, letting out a deep sigh because of the
boredom that was building up in her esophagus.

“Sunako-chan!” The pair of arms that found its way to her upper back startled her. She turned
her head and saw Ryo’s head resting on her shoulder while his arms were thrown over her shoulders.
Her heart jumped a little, realizing the close proximity that they were in and the strange tingling feeling
lingering on her skin. “Why are you crushing me?” She asked, trying her best to sound a lot less awkward
than how she felt, only to end up croaking out the words.

“They could see us from here. Why do you think I told you to spy on them from here?” Sunako’s
eyes widened as she turned her head to face the large French windows adorning the side of the family
office. Megumi and Jaejoong were stalking them from the window, raising up the steaming cups they
were holding once they noticed Sunako’s eyes on them. Facing the daisy that she was watering, she
carefully pressed herself closer to Ryo, deeper in his embrace as she spoke hastily.

“Why do you have to hug me? Won’t they get suspicious?” She muttered, fingers gently
brushing against the leaf of the plant, which she was so tempted to tug off completely. “Trust me. If we
don’t move, they’ll stop watching.” After a split second, Ryo let go of her and she turned her head to see
the figures standing by the window gone, seated on their work chairs and typing about as if nothing
happened.

“Okay. I have an idea for tonight. What if we…” Ryo’s voice began to fade away in her ears, her
brain not registering anything that he said after the word ‘we’. After all, Ryo’s voice had this lulling effect
that temporarily turned off her brain especially if something else of greater interest passes her mind.

‘Oh look! A tulip! Are these really supposed to be purple?’ Sunako’s thoughts fueled her feet,
making them walk on their own accord that she didn’t notice her movement at all. She ended up in
another row of flower pots, gazing amongst the tulips and lilies that soon flooded her sight. It was
fascinating, how she didn’t know that those flowers could carry those shades, since it really wasn’t
typical for a lily to be shiny black or a tulip to be light blue. It was unusual, yet quite interesting at the
same time.
 There were more flowers lining the farther corners of the flowerbed, from orchids to morning
glories. Each tall pot of flowers was lined up carefully, creating an odd pattern all the way to the center
of the greenhouse. It was as if the entire thing was designed intricately so that there would be an empty
circle right at the center of the beautiful meadow of flowers.

“Sunako-chan, are you listening to me?” Gazing back at Ryo, she faked a smile and snickered.
“Whatever your plan was, it won’t work. Trust me on this.” Sauntering past a few flowerbeds, she slowly
found her way to the center of the greenhouse and twirled on her heels, arms extended sideward as if
she was dancing the waltz. Ryo immediately hurried to her side and held her hands, dancing with her,
spinning around. Sunako spun on her heel and faced him, grinning as he spun her away with a gentle
push then carefully pulling her closer to him until her back rested on his torso, both of their hands
interlocked with each other’s in a perfect fit.

“Will you tell me why we’re dancing like lunatics?” Ryo humored her, leading her to glide away
from him gracefully and allowing their hands to interlock in the proper waltz position. They began to
dance once more, feet taking precarious steps with the melody playing in their heads. “Because… I just
had an idea.” She cheekily replied, pulling her hands away as she turned to face the window once more,
her suspicions of Megumi and Jaejoong observing them confirmed by the presence of the two by the
window.

“Ryo-kun, will you borrow Jaejoong-kun’s iPhone for me?” Speaking in a bittersweet tone, she
carefully spun around the boy caught in shock, unable to move his feet. Circling him slowly, a smirk
began to form on her lips as Ryo glanced at her inquisitively, eyebrows wiggling in confusion every so
often. “When I face you, we part ways. Leave, borrow the phone and I’ll call Sakurai-san. I’ll meet you in
the lanai by the pool in ten minutes.” As soon as she finished speaking, she came face to face with Ryo.
The latter took her cue and hastily sauntered away while she took her cell phone from her jeans pocket.

“Sakurai-san, I need some Christmas lights and speakers.”

“Glad you could make it.”

The night stars sparkled with innate brilliance, lighting up the otherwise gloomy sea of black.
The moon stood out amongst the painted starts, full and glowing in radiance. It was a perfect
opportunity to create romance and spark a few emotions. Ryo knew this and was quite grateful that
Sunako chose the right time to execute her plan, not letting her inborn denseness take control of the
situation. Sometimes, he fears that her denseness would lead to her downfall, but he was hoping that it
wasn’t this night where it fails them both.

Minho, clad in a long-sleeved crisp white dress shirt and a grey jumpsuit with thin straps, looked
like he stepped out of fashion shoot and rushed to the Takenaga household, not forgetting the
traditional bottle of wine that guests bring over when invited to dinners. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
He coolly answered. “I hope that you remembered what I told you.” Ryo whispered as soon as Minho
passed him, wishing that nobody else had heard him.
 “Thanks again for helping me out, Ryo-kun.” Minho replied, pulling Ryo in for a manly hug. The
latter patted his back casually before leading him to the living room where everyone else was. Although
he felt bad for creating false happiness for the boy, Ryo knew he had to do it. He had to help Jaejoong
realize his true feelings, even if it meant fooling his best friend and pretend like he was helping clueless
Minho get the girl he’s been chasing. Then again, if Minho and Megumi did get together, he was most
certain that it would just end in tragedy. Megumi clearly liked Jaejoong, no matter how much she
dictated her actions to project otherwise. If she and Minho began dating, she would just break that poor
guy’s heart. Maybe in the end, he was sort of doing the right thing, helping Minho realize his true
feelings before it’s too late for any of them.

The mess he was getting himself into… was really complicated.

From the corner of his eyes, he observed Minho carefully, suddenly being filled by compassion
for the poor boy who didn’t know he was being deceived. He was greeting Mr. and Mrs. Takenaga with
such friendly familiarity that it angered Jaejoong, who was clearly fuming from the other side of the
room. Just his presence made Jaejoong fume and only Jaejoong is in the shadows as to why. All of them
knew. At least he thinks all of them do know of Jaejoong’s true feelings.

“I apologize for my inability to bring a better gift, Takenaga-san. This is from my dad’s personal
collection in his vineyard in Barcelona. He hopes that you receive it with a warm heart.” Ryo could hear
Minho’s kind voice fill the room as he watched the boy hand the dark green bottle to Mr. Takenaga, who
accepted it with great appreciation. “I trust in Minhyuk’s taste in wine. I’m sure this is wonderful. I’ll just
put it away in the cellar and hopefully we could drink it together the next time we discuss business.”
Minho beamed at the man as he headed up the grand staircase, probably going to his private office.

He had never heard Mr. Takenaga speak so kindly to someone he hardly saw before. The man
loved him but that was because he hung out at their home every single day and his dad and Mr.
Takenaga were best friends. That was practically why Mr. Takenaga treated them so well, because they
were the sons of his closest friends. It wasn’t that the man was horrid. Actually, he was quite the
opposite of that, warm and approachable, but a little cautious around strangers who ran in the same
circles of business with the same level of esteem. He was humble in that way; at least that’s what Ryo
thought of him.

Minho was soon making his way to Megumi, just as he expected. Though, what he didn’t expect
was that Megumi actually bothered dressing up for that night, without saying a peep of how horrible
dresses made her feel. She sat down on the couch quietly, leaving behind the usual aggressiveness and
putting on a more demure attitude that came along with the yellow sundress. He sat down beside her,
hand immediately finding its way to hers while being completely immersed in her small yet wise voice.

Satisfied with his surprisingly accurate assumptions, he made his way to the other end of the
room, where Jaejoong was brooding and fuming at the same time, struggling to keep a cool disposition
while swirling his scotch around. Patting his buddy on the back, Ryo took the scotch from his hands and
sipped it.
 “Watching you stare at them like that makes me a little jealous, sweetie. Are you planning to
replace me with Minho-kun any time soon?” He jokingly whispered in Jaejoong’s ear, knowing that
merry acting would be the only way to humor the angry man. As expected, Jaejoong stared back at him
lustfully and sipped the scotch without taking it from Ryo’s grip. “Relax, honey. I’m just fishing. You
know I’ll never replace you.” Winking, he chuckled lightly and leaned against the wall, eyes roaming
around the room.

“Ryo-kun!” Sunako’s shrill voice startled him a little, causing the glass of scotch that he downed
to lodge his throat, leaving him to slightly choke. “Be gay somewhere else. Onii-san is straight.” She
added, pulling him away from Jaejoong, who gazed at them in amusement. Rolling his eyes, he merely
followed Sunako, remembering to get a glass of champagne from the table before heading over to
wherever Sunako led him.

“Are you sure that Minho-kun is clear with the plan?” She asked once that they were alone. He
wasn’t so sure of where they were, but being alone with a girl who had serious anger management
problems in a place with barely any light scared him a little. Nobody would hear him scream or yelp in
pain in case Sunako decides to pinch him or call him fat again.

“Yeah. My side’s all good.”

“I’ll signal you when everything’s ready. For now, try to not act suspicious. I’ll be with Mica-chan
and Naie-chan. Stay with Koike-kun so I’ll know where to look for you.” Ryo nodded, mentally smacking
himself for allowing a girl to control his actions. Well, Sunako wasn’t a typical girl. She was a yakuza
princess and yakuza princesses get what they want one way or another, whether you’re part of the
yakuza or not. They just have that way of bossing people around without seeming mean, that kind of
charisma that got people to follow them.

If yakuza princesses had a queen, it would definitely be Sunako, and he was so sure of it.

“Minho-kun, where are you taking me?”

The dinner had been perfectly lovely, a nice serving of her favorite yakiniku coupled with a few
trays of sushi and sashimi of all sorts, patterned in the form of a fish, a glass of bubbly rosé champagne
alongside a slice of Croquembouche with that interesting sugar syrup drizzled on top. Jaejoong acted
impressively civil around Minho, which was just icing on top of her already sweet cake. Though, Minho
argued that the best part of the night was just to come, which she couldn’t quite comprehend. The only
thing happening now was the casual exchange of words over cups of Japanese and English tea served in
the sitting room.

He giggled lightly, pulling her hand towards a dark glasshouse, probably her okaa-san’s. “Minho-
kun, if you wanted me to see flowers, you should have brought me here earlier.” She joked as the latter
struggled with yanking the door open. It was pure glass and the knob was quite difficult to find in the
pure, hypnotizing darkness of the night.
 As soon as Minho managed to open the door, the entire place lit up due to the tiny bulbs that
covered each inch of the place. The flowers seemed to be illuminated under the yellow-orange light of
the Christmas lights, giving the glasshouse a sense of warmth and comfort. Everything looked so vibrant,
so breathtaking, as each line of pots lined a well-weaved maze. Turning up, she was immediately
captivated by Minho’s boyish, megawatt smile that seemed to shine more than the rest of the
glasshouse.

Without taking her eyes off Minho’s face, studying every little detail of it under the warm orange
glow, she felt him guide her through the maze even if his eyes were focused just on her. They reached
the center in a matter of seconds but she knew that it wouldn’t hurt to stare at Minho’s eyes
shamelessly for one more second. An odd kind of adrenaline pumped out from her heart, the kind that
made her so embarrassingly giddy with the beauty of youthful romance.

Romance, ah, the bitter word that she never thought would escape her lips. She was of age,
after all, to experience the invigorating thrill of falling in love and losing all sanity because of it, but there
was this nagging voice in her head that was telling her that she was falling in love with the wrong guy,
that it shouldn’t be Minho in front of her. Then again, if Jaejoong refused to be the guy in front of her,
then she would choose the one who was willing to be that guy.

Minho placed his hand on her waist and held the other one tightly. As if on cue, beautiful jazz
music began playing from heaven knows where. Laughing, she placed her hand on his shoulder and they
began gliding around the surprisingly large circle that was the center of the greenhouse. “Odd music to
dance to, isn’t it?” She asked as Minho gently spun her around then pulled her closer to him, hand ready
to take hers. Obliging, she locked hands with him and took a few steps to her right before spinning out.

Honestly, she wasn’t the best ballroom dancer, but he guided her so well that she felt like she’s
been dancing for years. “Didn’t I ever tell you that being surrounded by a lot of flowers makes me think
of funerals? I like a few bouquets or so, but too much scares me.” Giggling, she stepped closer to Minho,
resting her head on his shoulder as her arms locked themselves around his neck. The scent of musky
pine soon filled her senses, mesmerizing her a little, causing her eyes to close on their own. Minho’s
resolute silence worried her a little, but judging by the faint lines etched on his features, something was
worrying him deeply.

“Do you still feel scared?” He whispered in a tender voice, bringing one arm from his waist to
caress her face, brushing away a few strands of hair that she was blowing on. “Not really.” She answered
back, the feeling of utter serenity taking over her body. She felt like she could just fall asleep in Minho’s
arms and leave behind all of the worldly concerns that occupied her deeply.

“Megumi-chan, there’s something I have to ask you.” Minho sounded like he was choking on his
own words, taking up a serious amount of willpower to force those words out of his mouth. “Hmm?”
When her eyes opened to meet the most loving gaze that she has seen, the world suddenly turned dark,
nothing left but the faint glow of light coming from the distant house. Everything else was coated in
absolute darkness, illuminating the starts painting the night sky.
 “What happened?”

“Where is that iPhone?” Frantic, Jaejoong began running one hand through his hair while the
other searched the pockets of his straight-cut denims for his new iPhone 4. Failing to find it in his jeans,
he resumed searching the pockets of his gray cardigan to no avail.

Scanning the sitting room, he noticed Ryo zooming past the crowd with a plate of tea cakes,
probably for the girls sitting at the end of the room, minus Sunako and Megumi. “Ryo-kun.” Slightly
yelling, he chased after his friend hurriedly, patting his shoulder as soon as he caught up with the latter’s
pace. Eyes creased in masked frustration, he stopped Ryo from sauntering by sticking an arm out in the
air, as though they were in the middle of a basketball game and he was playing on defense.

“Where’s my iPhone?”

“I think I left it in the family office. Reception’s pretty good there, apparently.”

Without wasting a single second, Jaejoong dashed to the family office, not minding the few end
tables he knocked down and the occasional crashing sounds that accompanied each fall. He probably
broke something, but getting his hands on the phone proved to be far more important. He needed a girl
or two to keep him occupied for the night, since his parents invited Minho and the rest of the gang to
stay for the night. Just the thought of being in the same house as Minho for more than two hours
annoyed him for unexplainable reasons. The least he could do was drive away for the night, head to his
unknown townhouse in Toyosu and have a party of his own.

Strangely, the past couple of days have been quite unoccupied for him. He hasn’t been to a club
in a week or so and he hasn’t even laid eyes on any other girl for a while because all of his attention was
focused on Megumi. He couldn’t understand it, the nature of his actions and his thoughts, and the
source from which they came from. Why was he so possessive? Why did he put so much priority on
Megumi that he put the rest of his life on hold?

Forcing the door open, he stumbled into the family office, his leg hitting the chairs that were left
disarrayed by the path. “Aha! Found it!” Snatching the phone from the desk, he began to browse
through the numbers being displayed on the screen of his phone. “Ashley, Aiko, Bridget, Carey…” As he
read each name in disinterest, a certain flash appeared from the corner of his eyes, drawing his
attention to the glasshouse opposite the family office.

In shock, he dropped his phone on the floor and continued studying the sight before him. Minho
was dragging Megumi into the glasshouse, both of them smiling like lovesick idiots that it aroused a
burning sensation from the depths of only heaven knows where. They were both giggling as they
reached the center of the circle, dancing around without a care in the world. He didn’t know why but it
made him so angry… watching them so happy and carefree, so in love. It stirred a great wave of emotion
in him, a mixture of anger and jealousy… and a little bit of heartache.

He thought he could trust her, that she wouldn’t do anything serious with him. But the same day
she reassured her fidelity to that promise, she was breaking it. What a deceitful girl she was! She
probably didn’t think that he would catch her disobeying him red handed so she went behind his back
and broke her promise. Then again, why was he keeping her on a leash? What right did he have to stop
her from being happy? Why did he feel so betrayed?

Swimming in his own thoughts, he watched everything passively until the lights in the
glasshouse turned off, catching him off-guard. “Megumi-chan!” He muttered in worry, taking his phone
from the floor and hurrying to the glasshouse, his feet flying off, powered by great force he didn’t know
he had.

Just thinking of what kind of sick plan Minho had for Megumi frightened him a little. He didn’t
want that guy doing things he wasn’t supposed to do to Megumi. What if he hurts her? What if he
makes her cry? What if he steals her away from him?

“Megumi-chan!” He called out, bursting into the glasshouse with the saving spark of light. It
casted off not much glow, but it was enough to light his way around the maze. “Jaejoong-kun!” The
voice replied, scared and wary. Megumi didn’t like having her eyes open in the dark and she certainly
didn’t like being surrounded by too much flowers. The blend of floral fragrances made her feel like she
was in a funeral. What kind of idiot was Minho, bringing her to a place full of flowers without preparing
for the unexpected… like power shortage?

“Don’t worry. I’m right here.” He responded, jumping over the occasional flower pot standing in
his way in an attempt to be at Megumi’s side as fast as he could. Leap after leap, he could feel his legs
numb a little but he ignored the shooting pains pestering him. The faint squeal coming from what
seemed like an eternity away powered him, motivated him to get to the very end. “Minho-kun.
Jaejoong-kun.” Megumi’s voice started to quiver, as though she was about to break into tears.

Shining the light randomly, he was relieved to see Minho pacifying Megumi, who was curled in a
ball, back pressed against an empty flower pot. Her head was buried in folded arms, hiding her face
from the sight of darkness and the overpowering scent of flowers. Right now, he didn’t care about the
fact that Minho’s presence bothered him. As long as he was able to comfort Megumi, then he would
bear that man’s existence.

He eyed Minho worriedly, an arm resting on Megumi’s slumped shoulders. “She’s like this when
she enters a state of shock. Take this,” He tossed the iPhone to Minho as he spoke. “Go outside, get a
bottle of water and a flashlight… the electrical wiring of this place is probably faulty so looking for a
power outlet would be kind of stupid. I’ll stay here with her, but you have to hurry. Megumi hates being
surrounded by flowers.” Nodding, Minho stood up and dashed out in a speed faster than Jaejoong could
imagine. Apparently, his long legs were of good use for something.

“Jaejoong-kun.” Megumi whimpered. Jaejoong felt something collide with his chest but he
ignored the pain, expecting it to be Megumi burying her face in his chest. “It’s going to be okay,
Megumi-chan. I’m right here.” He uttered tenderly, rubbing her back soothingly while his other arm
hugged her, pulling her closer to him.
 He couldn’t care less if she betrayed his trust. It hurt, yes, but seeing Megumi in her fragile state
hurt him so much more than he thought it would. How he felt so much compassion for this girl baffled
him, but then again, she was his sister. It was normal for a brother to protect his sister… even if he
wasn’t THAT protective over Sunako.

“Jaejoong-kun.” She mumbled again, weak and vulnerable. His favorite cardigan was being
soaked by her tears but he didn’t care. He just knew he had to be there. He had to be the one she called
for comfort, the one she confided to, her knight in shining armor. He couldn’t let it be Minho. He
couldn’t let a guy Megumi hardly knew take his place.

He didn’t understand why he was okay with the fact that Megumi and Koike are the best of
friends, that Megumi practically told Koike anything and everything, that they shared such a powerful
bond that nothing would be able to break it. Yet, when he saw Megumi and Minho’s friendship blossom
to that level, it stirred something deep within him. Maybe it was because he saw love lingering in their
eyes, more than the usual platonic friendship. It bothered him that Megumi was showering all the
affection she poured on him to someone else.

Megumi cared for him despite every bad thing he’s done to her. At the end of the day, it would
be Megumi taking care of him when he came home intoxicated, or Megumi picking up the broken pieces
of his manhood when he felt so smashed apart. He just couldn’t bear all of that going away because
Megumi found someone else.

“Do you like him?” He asked, finally letting the question that was hanging over his head meet
the light of day. Megumi tilted her head up, fingers caressing the side of his face. “What are you talking
about?” She responded with a question, her voice coated in guilt and… hurt.

“Do you like him? Minho-kun?”

“Jaejoong-kun, Minho-kun and I are just friends.”

“I know you say that. I know you mean it. But why is it so hard for me to believe you?”

The silence took over the air, leaving the both of them speechless. It was the conversation that
Jaejoong would never want to have with her, the one that played over in his dreams until he woke up
covered in cold sweat.

“Jaejoong-kun, please don’t act like a jealous boyfriend. Please don’t. It makes me think that you
like me or something.” After a few seconds of silence and a quick gulp, a small sound came out from
Megumi’s mouth.

“Do you?”

Did he? His brain said no, but his heart was too preoccupied in a maze of emotions s to
straightforwardly spit out what he feels. Why is it that he couldn’t answer the simplest question in the
world? He didn’t like her… right?

But everything around him seemed to prove him wrong.

“I… I don’t know. I really don’t.”

End of Chapter 15