BELOVED

006: Fiancé

As Third Master Jung promised, the day after their dinner appointment the whole nation was stunned with shocking news. The Jungs' family made a public statement to express their trust and support for the Kims' company, as well as announced the engagement between their Third Master Jung and Kims' First Master. The act itself was the greatest push for people to start thinking differently about the Kims' plight. Considering there was not even the slightest scandal between those two men before, everyone knew it was not a blind love affair. Yet the fact that such a powerful family like the Jungs was willing to associate themselves with the Kims now of all times must've meant they were in the right all along. Right? Surely, they were truly victims in regards of those plagiarism cases just like they claimed and would definitely come out triumphant later? Really, the Kims deserved the benefits of the doubt. After all, why would the Jungs sacrifice their youngest son for nothing? There's nothing to First Master Kim other than his beauty and it's definitely not enough to compensate his flaws as well as the burden that come along with his family, right?

By the end of the week, majority of the general public was in agreement that the Kims must've been a family with outstanding values that even the Jungs can't help but support them.

In truth, only the Kims was aware that the Jungs, at least the Main Family, had simply done nothing after the announcement. None of the financial support provided to the Kims family and its business directly come from the Jungs' Main Family. In fact, his fiancé spent his own money and wasted no effort to help save their reputation and recover the losses.

Even though Jaejoong was not involved with the company, his parents were not secretive about its every development nowadays especially because it was due to Jaejoong's help that they had come so far. For Jaejoong, the more he heard of how much his fiancé supported them financially and how many connections he used to strengthen the company's image, the sadder he felt. He's all the more convinced that everything was indeed just as the Jungs' intended when they included him for Third Master Jung's marriage candidate.

Simply said, they don't have any good intentions at all.

However, Jaejoong couldn't really say anything despite his pity for his fiancé. After all, his family desperately needed this kind of assistance. If it wasn't because of his fiancé's intervention, they would've lost everything by now. They would be staying with Grandfather Lim and his brothers would be transferred to an impoverished school nearby the mountain's foothills. Jaejoong couldn't even imagine what his parents, especially Father, would be forced to do just to provide for them. Mother had originally been raised in poverty so she'll definitely be able to cope but Father...

Obviously, Jaejoong had no choice but to receive his fiancé's kindness with opened arms.

In addition, it's not like the Kims deceived the Third Master Jung or anything. His fiancé knew about everything and he's also the one willingly doing all he can to help them. Even Father and Mother were surprised with his actions because they had simply wished for some funds to sustain the company for a while until the lawsuit's settled and their image restored, not an all out effort like this. His fiancé haven't said a word of complaint too.

Needless to say, Jaejoong had been advised, encouraged and even pressured to be a good wife because his parents believed they couldn't find a better son-in-law anywhere!

"I- I- think they lo- love you more- more than me- now." Jaejoong breathed out the words into the phone without any malice, even smiling happily as he stared at the night sky. After that night, they hadn't had any chance to meet but they talked on the phone almost every night. Surprisingly, this habit started because of Jaejoong. He'd sent a message to express his gratitude that night after arriving home and his fiancé immediately gave him a call. They never talked long, sometimes only exchanging a few sentences with each other, but Jaejoong liked their short conversation very much. It's because his fiancé never urged him to speak perfectly and even if for some reason Jaejoong stammered worst than usual, the man was always calm and patient. Jaejoong naturally become comfortable with him.

"Hm."

"Yu- Yun? I- I- I'm accepted- for- for college. But- it's- it's far." Jaejoong finally started on the real reason for calling his fiancé tonight. He wanted to discuss about their future. Before, they had agreed to marry as fast as possible because of the pressure from the Jungs' Main Family and after asking his parents about it, the date had been fixed for late next month. His fiancé had even offered to organise everything as long as the Kims agree with the chosen date. "I'm- I'm not- that smart- so- so maybe- this is- th- the only offer- I- I'm getting." 

"Do you want to accept?"

"Wha- What do you- th- think?"

"... Hm."

Unsure whether the hum was a sign of annoyance or deep thought, Jaejoong hurried to explain. "I'm- not- not that- goo- good with people- and- and I'm- I'm not that- sma- smart so- there's no dif- difference if I- I further- my- my study but would you- you be- a- ashamed?" Not everyone preferred a trophy wife after all.

"If you're able to, and want to, I have no objection. The same goes the other way around. It's your decision. As long as you won't forget your duty and role as my wife." His fiancé paused and Jaejoong actually nodded his agreement, conveniently forgetting that the other man can't see him. "However, if you're interested in pursuing your education but want to be more comfortable in doing so, perhaps you should give online programs some consideration? That way, you'll have even more options and freedom in your education. I think you can handle both the pressure and responsibility. Many well respected universities offered online programs now so there's no need to worry about its credibility. Although, depending on your choice of programs, you would still be required to complete on-campus study and/or fulfill campus attendance policy, it won't be as frequent as normal programs."

It's the first time Jaejoong heard his fiancé talked that much and as it was in regards of his education, Jaejoong felt even more touched. "Th- Then I won't- accept. I'll- I'll focus on our- our wed- wedding's preparation- first." Jaejoong shyly decided. "I'll- I'll do some- research af- after our- mar- marriage's set- settled. I like to- to write." Jaejoong had never confessed his interest so easily like that. Even though he enjoyed literature and could fully engrossed himself in reading and writing, but, because he thought it was neither necessary nor useful for his family, he actually did not apply for programs related to his interests at all. Instead, he applied for business programs and a few design programs even though he knew he did not have the intelligence and talent to be accepted. That's why earlier that evening, he's honestly surprised when he found out he received an offer.

But, his fiancé had repeatedly showed him he can be whatever he wanted to be and do anything he liked, so, Jaejoong felt like going after his dreams anyway. Moreover, his fiancé just needed a useless wife that the Jungs' Main Family approved and Jaejoong's sure having a writer as a wife would fit that requirement even more, in addition to his stuttering problem. That thought actually made him giggle.

"Hm?" His fiancé's voiced turned gentle all of a sudden, seemingly amused by his abrupt mirth.

"Yun, I'll be- the- the best wife for- for you. I- promise."

Silence.

Jaejoong found himself overwhelmed with embarrassment the longer his fiancé stayed quiet.

"Yu- Yun?"

"Hm." The man cleared his throat and after saying his last sentence, hung up the phone.

Jaejoong can't help but beamed and stared at the few distant stars scattered on the dark city sky. Really... His fiancé's previous I know become the best praise he'd ever heard.