Chapter 40: [F] CH 8.2 - Talking Points
It was a nice and chill day for them. Jaehwan was lazing on the sofa while Aki cuddled with him. Shujin hadn't really come to disturb their peace lately which was good. He did pop in every now and then to check on Jaehwan but Aki dealt with him each and every time. He was still as persistent as ever to see and speak with Jaehwan but only under Aki's eagle eyes. Of course, Aki wasn't trying to be controlling. He just wanted to make sure Shujin didn't pull a quick one on him while he wasn't there.
He had been working hard at his new job and the kids at the training centre seemed to like him for he was more fun-spirited and free than their former coach. However, he still made sure that they were disciplined and performed well so that they could smash the court during tournaments. Because he had grown increasingly busy, Jaehwan had been making bento for him to take to work. With some inspiration and help from his friend Yuto.
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"Kirishima? I have a question about making bentos,"Came Jaehwan's soft voice as he donned a frilly pink apron. "Ask away,". Jaehwan looked into the camera, hands clasped together. "Whenever you make rice dishes for your hubby, what kind of shapes entice him most? I have so many moulds but I don't actually know which one looks best,"He sighed, taking out a batch of silicone moulds from a drawer underneath. Taking a look at the moulds Jaehwan showed him, Yuto had a clear favourite. "That blue one. I think it's a bear mould right? The bears are the easiest ones to clean. Use that,".
Holding up the chosen one and displaying the backside to his friend, Yuto nodded. "Yeah, that one's adorable. Then you can cut out little details with seaweed and use tomatoes for cute red cheeks,". Patting some rice into the mould Jaehwan followed his instructions to a T. "How do you do all this for your hubby everyday? Don't you get exhausted?". His friend shrugged on the other side of the phone as he peeled a bowl full of jujubes. "I've been doing it for 5 years now. I just prep and marinate the ingredients while making dinner so that I can cook it up quickly in the morning,".
Placing the peeled jujubes into a bowl of cold water, he rinsed them before starting on another handful of jujubes. "You work hard for your husband. I hope he's grateful for all the work you put into his breakfast,"Jaehwan chuckled, stamping out cute little eyes and a smiley mouth with a cutter he had bought. "He always comes home with a clean lunchbox. That's the best compliment that I'm lucky to get everyday,"Yuto giggled, scraping out the pits from the peeled dates. "Right now, he's obsessed with eating jujubes. So I'm just preparing a snack for him to enjoy when he gets home from work,".
Arranging the seaweed pieces on the bear's face and laying two fresh slices of tomato as the cheeks, he proudly showed off his first attempt to Yuto. "It does look adorable! I can see why Shinji-san returns home to you with his bento box empty; It just makes the food look so much more appetising!". Yuto looked up and showed him a thumbs up, a grin on his face. "Yeah, hehe. He takes plenty of pictures of his bento. He recently had to upgrade his phone's memory card to contain all the photos. It's sweet of him,"He replied as he cleaned the second handful of dates and began on the third.
"I'm sure that your partner will be just as delighted. It's nice to know that the person you love puts in the time and effort to make good food for you,". Taking a slice of cheese out of it's packaging, Jaehwan cut a few star shapes out. "Yeah~ I did make bento for him before this. But I never really went the extra mile to make it look this cute. I hope he'll be excited for it,". Ladling some curry into the empty spaces of the lunchbox, Jaehwan topped it off with some of the stars he had cut out. "Say, Kirishima, do you ever plan to have children?".
His friend set his knife down and thought for a while. "Well, I'm not really confident that I can raise a child properly. I don't think that Nagi would want one either. We're both happy with Yuna as our baby,"He replied as he looked to the floor for a second and came back to the video call with said cat in his arms. "She's happy just to have me around at home,". Jaehwan looked at the pristine white cat with a short coat and gasped. "Yuna! She's a big girl now, isn't she? She was barely the size of my foot when I last saw her! She's growing so well!".
Glowing at all the praise, Yuna meowed at Jaehwan and showed off her fluffy tail. Yuto kissed his cat on the head and continued to talk and peel the dates with Yuna on his lap. "What about you, Ryu? Do you want to have children?". His friend looked at the camera, smiling timidly. "Aki has always told me about how he wants to raise a child with me. He wants to be a father someday in the future. He's a family man,"Jaehwan began as he munched on the extra bits of rice and cheese. "I wouldn't mind having one. The child would make Aki happy,". Yuto shook his head, unaware that Yuna was sneaking some cut dates from the cutting board.
"But, do you want to be a parent Ryu?". He cut some of the peeled dates, being careful with the knife. "You should have a talk with your partner, Ryu. Children are a lifetime responsibility,". He noticed that some of the dates had gone missing from the end of the cutting board and realised that Yuna was snacking on them. "Yuna! Those are for Daddy!"He laughed and stooped to get Yuna's food bowl. "I know how much having a family means to Aki though. I want him to feel more complete,". Yuto returned with Yuna's dish and began dicing up some dates for her.
While Yuna stared at her share of dates hungrily, Yuto gave his friend some advice. "I know that you love him. But, if you parent a child only because he wants one, you'd eventually grow to hate the child. Sit down and talk with him about this. Find out what you really want, Ryu. Whether you actually feel it in your heart to be a parent or if you're just going along with it because it's what he wants,". Jaehwan listened carefully and thought to himself.
'He's right. I don't really know if I actually want to have a child or not. I should ask Aki about this'.
Scratching at the bowl impatiently, Yuna was desperate to nibble on her dates. "Be patient Princess. I have to dice these into small pieces so you don't choke,". After much thought, Jaehwan returned to the conversation. "I'll ask him about it tonight,". Yuto nodded and pushed his cat's dish closer to her so that she could go to town on her share of jujubes.
"I hope you find a compromise that makes both of you happy, Ryu. You don't have to sacrifice your happiness to make anyone else happy,".
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At 8 in the evening, Aki finally returned home from work. He had a long day training the kids at the centre but he was happy to be able to come home to Jaehwan and to be able to cuddle him and see him. "Hwan-ie, I'm home. I can smell something good coming from the kitchen. You must be cooking,"He chuckled, setting his sports bag down in the living room. He wiped the sweat away from his face with the towel around his neck and headed for the kitchen where his predictions were right; Jaehwan had been cooking.
To see his partner in that frilly pink apron, it must have set something off in him. 'He looks so fucking sexy in that'. Still, he casually strolled up to Jaehwan and put his arms around his waist, kissing his neck. "Yeobeo, I missed you so much while I was at work,". Jaehwan, who was toasting some nuts in the pan, merely smiled at the affection he received. "I missed you too, Yeobeo. I got together with Kirishima today and created a cute bento dinner for you,". Aki pecked him on the cheek and traced his hands down the frills of the apron cheekily.
"Thank you, babe~ I'll freshen up before I have dinner with you,". He left the kitchen with a spring in his step, happy that Jaehwan had cooked for him. He had a brisk shower and went downstairs. But this time, he had a present for Jaehwan. Remember those rings he had bought a month ago? He thought that it would be a great time to gift them to his partner. He had been holding onto them for so long, he just couldn't wait anymore. He appeared in the kitchen with a fresh bouquet of flowers and a large jar of kimchi.
Kimchi probably wasn't the most romantic option for most people but he knew that Jaehwan couldn't live without it.
"Babe, I have presents for you,"He grinned, setting the heavy clay vat on the floor. Jaehwan gaped at the sight of the clay pot and peeped inside, sniffing delicately. "That smells like kimchi! There's no way! Kiki..."He gasped, his eyes glimmering like they held all the stars in them. What more could he say? He was touched. He beckoned Aki with a bear hug and tried to wipe his tears. "I'm so touched. I had no idea that you would buy an onggi pot! Where on earth did you even get this from?". Aki giggled and wiped at his tears tenderly, pulling him into a warm secure hug.
Jaehwan sniffled, quite overwhelmed with emotion. "Well, when I went to the mart to get some for you, a grandmother came up to me and told me that the kimchi in there wasn't the real deal. She said that she had dozens and dozens of these pots full of kimchi at her house and that I could buy some from her if I wanted to,". He dried Jaehwan's tears carefully, kissing him on the head. "I was just going to buy a container worth home but she told me that making kimchi was a fun family activity. It just sparked something in me and I offered to pay for the whole thing,".
Feeling the ridges in the beautiful earthenware, Jaehwan was stunned. "Did you really just buy this because you wanted to make kimchi with me?". Aki giggled and held his hand, kissing it. "Why else would I buy the pot? I'd love any excuse to spend time with you,". Jaehwan had never owned an onggi pot before and to him, this pot was the best gift he had ever gotten. "That grandmother also sells earthenware bowls and plates. I'll buy some home next week. Your tofu stew always cools too quickly and it's not really pleasant to have it cold,"He chuckled.
Hazel eyes had plastered themselves on the pot. Dear me, Aki had just brought a rival home! Jaehwan just couldn't believe that Aki would do something so sweet for him. "Yeobeo, why haven't we gotten married yet?"Jaehwan joked, still wiping his tears away.
Conveniently, Aki pulled out the small box from his pocket, opening it as he got down on one knee. "What are you waiting for?".
Jaehwan gasped before he started laughing. "Oh no...Kiki...". He headed to the dining table and pulled out one of the bento boxes with him. "I made a decoy....with rings in it...". Aki peered into the bento box and burst out laughing. Coincidentally, he and Jaehwan wanted to propose to each other on the same night.
Setting the lunchbox aside, Jaehwan grinned. "I didn't mean to leave you hanging, Kiki. But I think you already know my answer to that question,". Being equally playful, Aki nodded enthusiastically. "I know. But I still want to hear it from you,". Jaehwan sighed and broke into a bright smile before he accepted the rings graciously, falling into Aki's embrace.
"I'm not waiting anymore because I'm saying 'yes' now. I love you, Aki".
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While they were all cuddled up in bed the next morning, Jaehwan decided to ask him about children. "Kiki, do you ever feel sad that I'm not able to get pregnant?". Aki shook his head and kissed his neck. "Not one bit. But even if you could, pregnancy would be very difficult and dangerous for you because of your weight issues. I wouldn't ever want to force you to do something you don't want to,".
Cupping Aki's face, Jaehwan nuzzled into his chest. "You've always wanted to start a family, right?". Aki kissed Jaehwan on the head and ran his fingers through his darling's soft dark hair. "Mhm..However, it's not really about myself anymore. Rather than me starting a family, it's about us starting a family,". He wrapped his arms around his partner's skinny shoulders, content. "I know you haven't really decided yet. But instead of making you shoulder the responsibilities on my own selfish whim, I'll wait for you to tell me your decision,".
Kissing his partner on the jaw, Jaehwan was relieved. "Thank you, Kiki. I've been worrying about this for a while now,". That seemed to have caught Aki off guard.
"Worried? Why were you worried about it?".
"Because I know how much it means to you to start a family. But I wasn't sure if I was ready for it,".
He hugged Jaehwan, pecking him on the head multiple times. "Goodness, you should have told me earlier. I guess it is my fault, since I subconsciously say those things around you. I didn't mean to make you worried, Jae,"He apologised, stroking Jaehwan's hand. "I don't mind starting a family whenever. But, I'll only take the first step if you're ready to take it with me,". Wrapping Jaehwan in his strong arms, he had nothing but love flowing through his head. "Okay, Kiki. Thank you for waiting for me,".
Aki smiled at him, tan skin glowing from the morning sunlight that was peeking through their curtains. "Of course I'm waiting for you. Two loving parents are better than one,".
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After lunch, Jaehwan attached his set of rings to some chains so that Aki could wear it as a necklace and he could wear it as a bracelet. He stared at his new ring. It fit him perfectly and it replaced the silver ring he used to wear around his other finger for Shujin.
But he didn't need that anymore.
Heading downstairs, he could see that the fish tank had gone from the marble table. He heard scrubbing sounds and sure enough, Aki was cleaning their fish tank. He headed to the bathroom and noticed that Aki didn't roll up his sleeves. "Yeobeo, your sleeves are going to get wet,". He squatted on the floor behind Aki and helped roll his sleeves up. "Thank you~ It's been a while since this tank had a good scrub. I'm sure our fish will be happier with a cleaner home to swim in,". Watching him clean the tank, Jaehwan rinsed the oxygen pump for him and left it to dry on the counter.
"Is there anything you'd like to eat for dinner, Kiki?"He asked, observing Aki do a wonderful job at cleaning the fish tank. "Could we please have dakgalbi?? I can only eat it the way you make it,". Jaehwan nodded and pecked him on the cheek. "Anything you want, Yeobeo. Thank you for cleaning the tank,". He left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen to pull out ingredients for the dakgalbi. He wasn't actually sure when to tell Yuto about their proposal but he knew that his best friend would be happy to receive the news.
Actually, no, he wanted to keep it a secret. Perhaps showing Yuto his new ring would be enough of a hint. He updated his HATO status with a picture of his new bracelet and ring and he'd check back for a response later at night. After that, he set his phone down and began prepping for dinner.
Yet the only thoughts that filled his mind was his conversation with Aki last night. 'It would probably be better if I called Shujin and told him about the marriage. I don't want him to hurt Aki because of me'.
"Yeobeo, are you sure about this? I'm only worried about what your Master will do to you if he finds out about this,".
Stopping to catch his breath, Jaehwan panted as he leaned forward, resting his head on Aki's shoulder. "He doesn't matter...*pant* anymore. I'm not going to listen to him,". Gently moving Jaehwan's arms so that they would hold onto his back, he stroked his face tenderly. "Are you sure? Do you want to give him a heads-up?". That made Jaehwan laugh and snuggled into Aki's chest, sweat dripping from his hair. "Well, I didn't get a heads-up from him. I don't see why I have to give him one,". Aki nodded and held him close. "Ahh..that makes sense,".
Smirking, Aki kissed his partner on the neck. "Do you want to continue? The rocket's about to launch,". Jaehwan clung onto him, a smile on his small face. "Why not? What planet are you taking me to, Yeobeo?".
"We're touring the whole solar system, Yeobeo. My rocket has more than enough fuel for the trip,"Aki joked and Jaehwan kissed him on the cheek.
"Let's go then~ Please take care of me for the duration of the trip,".
"Of course I will Yeobeo! You'd better hang on tight because we're about to take off! You might experience a bit of turbulence so don't let go of me!".
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Nervously punching in Shujin's number, Jaehwan waited for the receiver to click. He fiddled with the ring that he wore as a bracelet while waiting for Shujin to answer his call.
"Angel? What's wrong?".
Clearing his throat, it was now or never.
"Master...Aki proposed to me,".
"And?".
Jaehwan's hands shook as he responded to that question.
"I said yes,".
His Master had gone silent for what seemed like five minutes. Jaehwan could hear him mumble some things to himself and even finish his glass of water. He put the glass down with such a violent clink! Jaehwan was afraid that he was angry and that was his way of showing contempt for him. He saw his Master sigh over and over again.
Bracing himself for the worst, Jaehwan tried to cheer himself up by looking at his scarf that he had hung on the coat rack. The very scarf Aki had bought for their first monthsary. Just remembering the very sensation of his partner wrapping that thing around his neck while they were at the cold beach.
The fact that Aki took the time to plan and set up everything to celebrate their first month together. It should have been a telling sign that he was the one, right?
"Angel,".
Snapping his attention back to the screen, Jaehwan waited for his response, fidgeting in his seat.
"I already guessed it from your HATO status. You don't have to be afraid. I should have known that you would accept it. You have all the right to,"He huffed, rubbing his temples. "I'm not going to be mad at you for marrying Nakanishi-kun as I know how much love you have for him. But, I'll ask a few things of you,".
Possibilities were endless. Jaehwan nodded to urge the question and Shujin put his pen down. "First, make sure you invite me to your wedding. I want to walk you down the aisle and see you off,". He adjusted himself in his seat before he continued talking. "Second, I still want to be involved in your life. In addition to that, I'll continue sending you allowances and managing your taxes but I'll give you full autonomy over your savings,".
After each statement, Jaehwan nodded his head obediently to signify that he agreed and understood with the clauses Shujin was bringing up. "Third, if you ever have a child with Nakanishi-kun, make sure you introduce them to me. Okay? Fourth, I still want to see you every month and I want you to stay with me for at least 3 days in a month,". Jaehwan thought for a bit before he proposed something.
"Master, I'll follow all of those rules as best as I can. But, I'd also like you to promise me some things too,". Shujin perked up and folded his arms. "Ask away Angel. Your wish is my command,".
Mustering the courage to speak up, Jaehwan averted his eyes to the floor and wore his hangdog smile. "I'd like it if you were nicer to me. I also want you to go to anger management classes because the behaviour you have displayed while angry with me is unacceptable and I would like you to manage those emotions properly,".
Listening, Shujin was solemn. "Is there anything else you want from me, Angel?".
With trembling lips, Jaehwan blurted out his last request. "Please b-be a good role model for my future child. That's all I ask of you,".
Shujin agreed and rested his head on his arm. "I'll carry out all of those obligations, okay Angel? And if it helps, from today onwards, I'm no longer going to address you as 'pet'. Only as Jaehwan and Angel. Okay?". Receiving a positive response to that question, Shujin continued to speak.
"I love you Angel. You've grown a lot more independent and I'm happy for you. I look forward to our next call on Monday at 9:00 PM,".
"Alright Master. I love you too. I'll see you then. Bye-bye~".
Jaehwan turned to the bed, where Aki was sitting. He was in the room to monitor the call in case Shujin thought he could try to be funny.
Thankfully, it seemed to have gone smoothly.
"Kiki~~He accepted it!"He squealed and Aki jumped around as well, happy for him.
Taking Jaehwan into his arms, he smiled and pecked him on the lips. "I can't wait to start a new chapter of my life with you, Hwan-ie,".
Pecking him back on the lips, Jaehwan was so happy he felt like the pains in his chest could just melt away. "I can't either, Kiki. And one day when we're prepared for it, we'll get to raise a child together,".
As if both of their thoughts had aligned, the same phrase full of love and hope had echoed in their heads.
'I can't wait to spend the rest of my lifetime with you, Yeobeo'.
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Thank you for reading the final chapter of Purity, AH2H but no worries! Bonus chapters are coming soon~
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