My Other Half [Jaehyungparkian] (suspended)

Chapter Five - 2

for people who read the first part when I published it... I added a part to it, it's quite important but I didn't want to post it separately, so I added to the previous chapt, please check it out before this part!! 

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The day after, when Younghyun entered the music room, said Sungjin was there.

They never met before, but when he saw the man standing beside the piano, he did not doubt it was Sungjin. He was not tall, not that short either, but still shorter than Younghyun, with well-style hair, strong nose and full lips. He was handsome in an unusual way, not too bothered about fashion and had an unmoving soft expression on his face whenever he talked with Jaehyung.

Younghyun had no reason to hate him but he was pretty sure he did not like him either.

Sungjin was the first one to spot him and he immediately offered Younghyun an eye-blinding smile. Jaehyung turned and greeted him, already less comfortable than he had been when Younghyun spotted him. The singer introduced them and Younghyun bowed politely. He was never too friendly with people he did not know. Jaehyung had been the only exception; Because of his voice, obviously, he concluded later.

With no formalities, they quickly began to work. Or at least they tried to. With Sungjin's advices, the result was not better than it had been before and Jaehyung was still unable to sing in front of Younghyun.

It seemed to bother Jaehyung a lot who had been convinced it would change the situation to have his friend by his side. After many tries, he isolated himself a moment to think and cool down. Sungjin who had been glued next to his friend the whole time joined Younghyun beside the wall.

"It has nothing to do with you," Sungjin stated as he watched carefully Younghyun's pensive face, "You just have to be patient..."

Younghyun sighed, overacting his annoyance. He had been testing his patience a lot lately and he did not want to hear Sungjin's lecture.

"He needs ... assurance? Confidence?" The composer continued, wanting to reassure Younghyun and help Jaehyung as much as possible. "Not really self-confidence, but let's say he needs to trust the ones he is with. Jaehyung doesn't sing as most people do. It is more than a performance for him, way more than a job or a hobby. It's even more than just singing."

Raising an eyebrow, Younghyun looked at Sungjin, sceptical. What does that even mean, 'more than just singing'? How could this be possible? Jaehyung's voice was beautiful, right, but this did not make sense at all. Catching Younghyun's inner questioning, Sungjin smiled and followed his thought.

"If the song is sad, he will cry along and grieve. If it's a happy one, he will smile brighter than ever and make you feel better just after a few seconds..." He explained, and Younghyun kind of got the idea. He felt the sadness coming from Jaehyung's voice the first time he heard it too. "Jaehyung lives his songs and pours his heart into them; that's why he can't open up and show this side of him so easily. It makes him feel naked, defenceless."

Younghyun nodded. He heard that already, but he could not entirely get the implication. Sungjin glanced at Jaehyung who was back in the room, scolding himself next to the piano. He smiled at the scene, eyes softer than before.

"The first time he sang for me, it was some cliché song about heartbreak and he didn't have any dating experience at that time. When it ended, though, he was crying as if the story had been his," Sungjin remembered as he talked. "That's hard to understand without seeing it... but he's like that, his voice breathes with his emotion," he ended, unsure if it was the best to reassure the man in front of him.

Sungjin looked at the Younghyun and waited for a reaction, but his face stayed still and he noticed it was the younger man's way to keep his feelings in check. Despite the explication, it was not easy to accept the situation. He understood the bitterness; he felt it too, at first, when Jaehyung was too scared to sing with him or to show the lyrics he spent hours working on when was already practising with Sammy.

The feeling was probably not comparable with Younghyun's, tough. If it bothered him then, what could it be for Younghyun, who was building his career on this? Sungjin knew the pressure Jaehyung put on himself was not helping to solve the situation, but Jaehyung was ready to do everything he could to make it work and please Younghyun. It took no genius to guess it could mean much more than he imagined for both of them.

"Be patient, Younghyun," Sungjin repeated, more confident, "in a short time, he trusts you more than anyone I saw him with. He will allow you to get closer, eventually."

Younghyun scoffed, not convinced and Sungjin let him think about their talk in peace.

Once again, Sungjin put on some random music and made Jaehyung practice different breathing exercises. His voice was low, probably to reassure his friend and keep their conversation private. Younghyun hated it even more. He was still in the room, why were they acting like he was not even there? Why did he feel like he was intruding? Younghyun's foot kept the rhythm of the song by habit, but he looked more tense than usual while doing so.

Sungjin looked different around Jaehyung, more caring and reassuring. The contrary was also true, the Jaehyung he could see now was different from the one he grew used to in the last weeks. He could notice the change. He was goofier, more peaceful, maybe even sweeter, even if the stress seemed to hold back part of his natural habits.

Still, a bit defeated, Jaehyung lowered his head but took a breath to find the courage he gathered thanks to his best friend's words. Sungjin patted his back gently. The touch was simple but homey and comforting. They shared a smile and Jaehyung nodded. He suddenly seemed revitalized as he gathered his energy.

Younghyun's jaw clenched and he looked away, uncomfortable in the middle of the intimate scene. Too busy watching his hands; he did not see Sungjin walking back toward him expectantly. His face was bothered and kind of shy, it did not suit the man much.

"I'm sorry about this, don't take it personally, okay?" He winced.

Younghyun frowned but shook his head, inviting him to develop his thoughts.

"I don't want to offend you or anything but... could you please leave us a moment alone?" He said and stopped to check Younghyun, hoping he would not be offended by the request. "I'd like to talk to him. He'll listen more if we're alone."

Younghyun gaze darkened a bit, feelings mixed between irritation and miff. Smiling hesitantly, Sungjin screwed up his eyes as he explained his idea a bit more.

"I think he needs a bit of rest. Fifteen minutes should be enough," he justified, though he was not sure why he felt the need to. "Perfect timing to get a drink," he offered.

His jaw clenched again but Younghyun obeyed and walked out of the room with no ceremony. He did not like the request but he disliked, even more, the unwanted feelings he had sharing the room with the two close friends.

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Sorry for the delay~ 

What did you think about this chapt? Next part should be out soon~ ^^