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After a year of radio silence, Park Jisung secures the opportunity to talk to JUNG JAEHYUN about the loss of his husband, KIM DOYOUNG, as well as JAEHYUN’s future.
Once you step in the aristocratic mansion of the Kim-Jung family, a myriad of emotions and feelings washes over you. The mansion houses three floors, or at least three floors apparent to the first impressions of any guests, all laden with luxurious décor and paraphernalia that only one can dream of acquiring in their entire lifetime. Picturesque windows encompass the tall walls of the residence, providing a lavish view of the woodlands nearby, a heavy indicator that the Kim-Jungs treasured their solitude, and were willing to pay a fortune to amass it. A myriad of emotions and feelings wash over you, but really, only one word encapsulates the entire experience of walking into the bright marble homes of the estate: astonished.
Kim Doyoung and Jung Jaehyun left a mark for several communities across the planet. That may seem like a stretch but try thinking of any establishment that you’ve encountered in your life. Chances are, the Kim-Jungs have left an imprint on any brand, entertainment, media – you name it – that you’ve known. Many argue that there aren’t really any suitable words to describe who they are but consider this as an oversimplification: celebrity angel investors. Perhaps, that wasn’t enough. Here’s a corrected oversimplification: gay celebrity angel investors. Doyoung and Jaehyun left their mark on the world, for building a multitude of institutions and fostering a culture of acceptance and love.
Jaehyun enters the room, emanating an aura of confidence, that, although composed, is still intimidating. He flashes his radiant smile, and proceeds to say, “Welcome to my playground.”
A manager steps in to say that ‘playground’ is simply an affectionate term Jaehyun and Doyoung coined to describe their estate. Somehow, it makes sense. The mansion seems to have everything and anything, that anyone really could view it as a playground.
Jaehyun leans on his plush loveseat, a piece of furniture that probably costs the rent of three apartment units, calm and collected, as if he had never left the public eye in a year. Although the atmosphere Jaehyun sets is powerful as is, it is hard to shake the feeling that something – or rather, someone – is missing.
Anyone with some form of connection to the outside world would know this, but here’s a recap. A year ago, Jaehyun’s beloved husband Doyoung passed away. The passing of one of the most influential angel investors in the world struck shock to many. The media was overflowing with memorials, theories, anything of the like related to Doyoung, to Jaehyun, to Doyoung and Jaehyun. To this day, no one knows the cause of Doyoung’s death. It was as if the circumstances surrounding it was grabbed, tossed into a chest, securely locked, and thrown away to the bottom of the seas. Many have tried to figure out what happened but to no avail.
Inciting the curiosities of many, Jaehyun fell into isolation. For a year, nothing, not even a pip, was heard from Jaehyun.
Until now.
“I’m healing,” Jaehyun replies to a common, but all too powerful, question – how are you? “I’m lucky to have a great team with me handling everything in my absence. Without them, everything would fall apart – and that is not an exaggeration.”
True to his kind and gentle reputation, Jaehyun gives a bright smile to his workers around us, watching us like a hawk. In honesty, the interview slightly feels like a tightly controlled and monitored interrogation. Maybe that isn’t too far from the truth.
“It’s tough, you know?” Jaehyun continues, his brows furrowing in contemplation. “Imagine losing your best friend, your partner, your soulmate. On second thought, don’t imagine that. I wouldn’t wish this grief on even my worst enemy.”
Jaehyun’s voice begins to have a lilt to it, an indication of unstable intonation. This thought may just be a result of outlandish hypothesizing, but somehow, Jaehyun’s temperate demeanour felt insincere, rehearsed. If anything, Jaehyun seemed too cool to be cool. He takes a breath, pauses, and speaks again. The death of Kim Doyoung, in one word as Jaehyun would label it, was – no, is – puzzling.
Puzzling?
"What I mean is," Jaehyun clarifies, lightly waving a hand in an attempt to clear the air. "To this day, I still can’t figure out why things happened the way it did.” He sighs. “I agreed to this interview because I was growing well aware that there were some things – no, a lot of things – that I needed to resolve. Beyond that, however, I also agreed because... I needed an outlet to finally process what happened.”
Seems strange to rely on a multinational magazine read by the entire world as an emotional outlet, but to each their own.
As of today, it has been one year since the passing of Kim Doyoung. Jaehyun shares what happened before the unfortunate event. The two of them were fervently discussing a potential investing agreement for a potentially lucrative start-up. The start-up was dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts to underprivileged kids, an idea that Doyoung and Jaehyun both loved. Jaehyun, the more impulsive of the two, wanted to immediately seal the deal, however Doyoung, the more cautious of the two, wanted to calculate the costs and benefits before making any decisions.
“We’re both brilliant,” Jaehyun says lightly, an acknowledgement of his humble bragging. “But Doyoung was special. He was always exact in our decisions. I would say he’s a big reason why a lot of our investments grow a success.”
Upon analyzing the risks and opportunities of the potential investment decision, Doyoung and Jaehyun decided to revisit the topic again, and to finally decide.
It was going well, until Doyoung died.
Then, Jaehyun shares what happened after the unfortunate event. Jaehyun claims it was a blur, but he remembers that the process of sorting out the legal matters was an arduous experience that he never wants to revisit. Technically, out of the result of the unfortunate, archaic, and backward traditions that shape the modern legalities of today, Jaehyun and Doyoung are not legally married. Jaehyun shares that it was a horrible process of trying to claim their shared assets as his, and essentially getting legal acknowledgement of their relationship.
It was horrible, because Doyoung died.
“Can I tell you a secret ?” Jaehyun asks, certainly in a cheeky manner for he knew whatever he said would be shared worldwide. “I haven't touched Doyoung’s belongings since. I’m not sure how. I’m not sure if I should. I mean, yes, it’s technically mines now, but at the time... It is not.”
Jaehyun shares almost everything about the occurrences before and after Doyoung’s death, but never really about the death as is. Jaehyun stills a bit when it was pointed out to him.
“It was an accident,” Jaehyun says impassively, effectively sending a chill through everyone’s spine. “It was an unfortunate accident that I no longer could control.”
Somewhat reluctantly, Jaehyun discloses the cause of death: organ failure.
In response to a request to expound further, Jaehyun shrugs. “That’s all I know,” Jaehyun admits. “What killed me though, was that I couldn’t remember, nor can I still remember, the details of everything. I know everything that happened before, and I can walk you through what happened after. But I can’t tell you when it happened. I’m sorry.”
Jaehyun’s apology, it seems, is not meant for anyone but his love, Doyoung. Through the downcast expression of Jaehyun’s eyes, the lifeless state of Jaehyun’s shoulders, and the limp appearance of Jaehyun’s hand, anyone can tell that Jaehyun is, and might forever be, remorseful. To be physically present, yet emotionally absent, on the passing of your husband – that's something that Jaehyun had to recuperate from, something that he had to learn to forgive himself.
It is revealed that the last investment Doyoung and Jaehyun decided on together ended up being the performing arts center as previously discussed. In light of past, unfortunate events however, the establishment of the center was held back until further notice. With quiet pride, Jaehyun shares that the center will be opening in a month, with a name aptly given: The Kim Doyoung Performing Arts Center.
“Naming a center after my husband seems so little in comparison to everything he’s done for me,” Jaehyun muses, his expression thoughtful and contemplative. “But it felt like the right thing to do.”
Other news includes Jaehyun slowly coming back to the spotlight. Although he finds it difficult to navigate through his personal and professional life without his soul partner, Jaehyun vows to do the best he can for himself, for Doyoung, and for the community. Before, Jaehyun and Doyoung were inclined to only invest in startups that that they deemed successful in the future. Now, Jaehyun aims to provide capital to any startup with a sound social purpose.
“We’re not called angel investors for no reason,” Jaehyun points out. “I think, now more than ever, is high time for me to start expanding the Kim-Jung influence – not only in ‘profits’, but in development as well.”
The interview ends with an exchange of trivial small talk; what has Jaehyun been up to during his hiatus (binge-watching children’s cartoon), what kind of hobbies has Jaehyun started (collecting miniature plants), will he finally go through Doyoung’s possessions (eventually, but there’s no pressure), and more.
Jaehyun gives a gentle, yet assertive handshake as he guides us out the mansion. The hallways are long, all laden with luxurious décor and paraphernalia that only one can dream of acquiring in their entire lifetime, providing me with a little opportunity to shortly reflect on the interview.
It went well, in some way.
Although, there is that unexplainable feeling lingering in the air, screaming that the collected, capricious Jung Jaehyun, however outwardly honest as he was, was hiding something. Something that, perhaps, he himself didn’t know.
Jisung is one of our esteemed investigative reporters – but more than that, he writes compelling pieces on the affairs and secrets of celebrity life. When he’s not searching for a story to report, he’s bickering with his boyfriend, Renjun, on what pizza they should order for dinner.