Jaejoong was brooding over something as he did in the last couple of days and his friends knew exactly the reason for his anguish. The leader was the cause of his affliction and that was no surprise to them. As of late, Yunho had been refusing to acknowledge the oldest member, even going as far as putting a stop to his public display of affection which was much to Jaejoong's dismay.

Just yesterday, Jaejoong had asked him a simple question, but apparently it was too complex for human comprehension for the leader didn't even bother to look at him. Not even a word or a blink of an eye apprised him that he was heard. He just wanted to inform himself about the time, he sulked deeply. 

"That's because you're wearing a watch hyung," Changmin had reminded him cleverly. 

Okay, so maybe he also wanted to hear his voice, the voice that hadn't spoken to him since that night. 

"What the , Jaejoong?" Yunho spat the pill into his hand and scowled when it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Take it, you'll digest the food smoothly. And by the time you wake up, you'll be rushing to the loo in no time." 

"What are you on about-" 

"Trust me, this thing works like magic," Jaejoong tried convincing as he placed another pill in front of his lips. 

"Jaejoong stop," Yunho grunted and pushed Jaejoong's hand harshly — too harsh for his liking, "Just let me sleep."

The older man froze at the attitude and watched the leader turn away from him as he mumbled words that sounded unpleasant to his ears.

This was nothing new, Jaejoong continued to remind himself. In fact, he should be used to it by now because this was exactly how they first started. But something about his silence and aloofness bothered him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. 

He sighed while he stirred the scorching soup in the heavy pot before scooping some out and pouring it into a bowl. 

"Changmin," he called for the youngest and Changmin pranced to take his first meal of the day. 

"Junsu," he announced next and the member collected his bowl before giving Jaejoong a quick hug. 

"Thanks hyung!"

"Yoochun," he was aware that he didn't have to call him for he was already behind Junsu, but this name-calling routine was now a habit he couldn't let go. 

It was no longer a first come first serve system they were following for Changmin had fought "fair and clean" to implement the age system approach, where apparently the youngest should always come first because he hadn't been on Earth for that long. 

"Yun-" he paused this time as he recalled that the leader went for an early shower.

He took the soup that was meant to feed Yunho and ate it on his behalf. Taking the seat next to Changmin, he ate in silence and chose to disregard the curious yet knowing stares of his friends. He continued to mope and wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon, not until he figured out what was going on with the man. 

He felt a sudden gush of wind pass by him, almost knocking over his glass of water and leaving a familiar faint smell of herbal shampoo. It was his favorite shampoo he had recently just opened, he thought. Realization hit him for he had now solved the mystery of the previous bottle that had emptied out too quickly. 

Yunho sat in front of him and devoured his breakfast swiftly, causing the others to cringe as though they could feel their tongue burning in place of the leader. The room was soon filled with chatter as the members discuss about the newly released episode of One Piece. Jaejoong huffed a sigh of chagrin when he saw Yunho turning to his dongsaengs to attend to their gabfest. The leader still refused to look at him which caused a pout to form in his lips. 

The oldest member was left aside to reflect on Yunho's sudden lack of attention. He thought back at the possible causes of the leader's behavior, more questions arising rather than clarification. Was it something he had said, or something he did? Was it from shoving the pill into his mouth without asking his consent? But he was just concerned, he persuaded himself with his pout turning into a frown. But memories from that night rushed through him, reminding him that Yunho's foul mood began at that restaurant. But why was he the only one being ignored? The pout made a comeback for it was another mystery to solve and a rather impossible one it seemed. 

Kim Jaejoong didn't like this, he didn't like this at all. He reckoned that everything was going smoothly between them, almost as if they were sharing a mutual understanding although limited and fragile. But never did he think that the consensus would be this short-lived or that it would break into pieces before he could even savor every moment. He was no longer the Yunho who would offer a break if fatigue took over his body. He was no longer the Yunho who would carry his weightless bag for him. He was definitely no longer the Yunho who would massage his shoulders without having to ask for it. Jaejoong was well aware that they were never genuine to begin with but he did appreciate these actions nevertheless for they showed him a different side of the leader, a side in which he'd sometimes like to pretend was real. At times, he would lose himself in Yunho's little fibs because it was the only way for him to actually communicate with the man. For awhile, he was able to experience what the other members received on a daily basis but at this very moment, he was staring at the old Yunho — the Yunho who lacked affection and warmth. The Yunho who told him to know where he should stand and the Yunho who was certain to never give his acceptance. Jaejoong was starting to think that he liked the not so sincere Yunho more than the old uptight one.

The day had just begun but Jaejoong could already feel the exhaustion setting in. He slightly pushed his empty bowl, placing his elbow on the table and rubbing his temples. He heaved another exasperated sigh that reached everyone's ears, but only the youngest member chose to act on it. Changmin rubbed his back which soothed the frown away and which calmed him somehow. He whispered comforting words into his ears in which no other members understood, but they sure did not miss the smile that was starting to become evident on Jaejoong's face. 

"Cheer up, I'll even wash the dishes for you," Changmin said softly. 

"You better, I can't always cook for free. I'm not that easy," Jaejoong answered back in a whisper. 

They giggled like schoolgirls as though they were sharing stories of their first kiss. They were so engrossed with each other that they didn't perceive the piercing eyes nearly burning a hole through them. Pushing his chair back with a screech, Yunho walked out of the table and dumped, more like slammed, his dish into the sink. Once he was out of sight, Jaejoong released a groan which almost sounded inhuman, like the sound of a rabid animal running after its prey. 

"I'm so stupid," he erupted,  as he put his hand to his head. 

"Hyung?" Junsu spoke, startled by his hyung's outburst. 

"I'm so stupid. I don't know what I did wrong, but I know I messed up big time."

"What are you talking about?" Yoochun asked even though it was crystal clear what the rambling was about.

"Yunho! He's doing it again!" 

"Doing what?" 

"Ignoring me!" he pouted.

"Umm, okay. And why is that?" Yoochun asked through a suppressed laugh. 

"You tell me! God, why is he so hard to read sometimes?" 

"Trust me hyung, he's quite an open book if you ask me," Changmin snorted, "You can see everything just by looking at him. His face alone says it all." 

"What do you mean, what does it say?" 

"Well that's for you to find out hyung. Stop moping around, it's no use. Trust my words," Changmin laughed as he began to walk away from the desperate man.  

"What do you mean, hey!" 

"Guys, what does he mean by that," 

"Who knows hyung, only time can tell," Yoochun joined the fun, followed by Junsu's snicker. 

"Oh yeah? Well you guys !" 

.............................................................................................

"The tension is killing me," Junsu said after witnessing Jaejoong being dismissed by the dancer for the third time that day.

"Tell me about it," Yoochun replied flatly. 

The oldest member had inquired himself about the upcoming schedule, only to be treated like a paranormal entity or a wall that had somehow acquired a voice. Yoochun and Junsu could tell that Jaejoong was infuriated with the way Yunho was behaving but they were also aware that he was mostly irritated with himself. Jaejoong was blaming himself and that was an understatement. All day he was seen fidgeting in his seat or tramping along the room with no particular destination in mind. He just couldn't stay still, not even for a minute. 

It was all fun and games until Jaejoong had refused to eat and this was something the younger members couldn't let pass. He had insisted that he had no appetite and even made up a senseless excuse about not feeling hungry for he had a heavy breakfast that morning. 

"Bull, we all had the same thing," Junsu retorted back, causing the older man to eat in defeat. 

"They're worse than children. Why can't they communicate like adults instead of running around in circles?" 

"Yunho hyung is too much... can't even handle a little bit of teasing," Junsu whispered through his pout. 

"Right? I can't believe he's not over it yet. I think we hit a nerve," Yoochun giggled at the thought of Yunho's reaction. 

"We hit him right on the spot," the other man laughed with him, "He can't even look at me straight in the eyes anymore." 

"I get it, you know, we all have had some embarrassing moments in our lives but for how long is he going to keep this up? I mean, is this still about that night? Something tells me that this is something else." 

"Let him be," Changmin joined in, "that's just him slowly coming in terms with his affection for Jaejoong hyung." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, you see, Yunho hyung is starting to care but I don't think he's liking the idea so much. His emotions are all jumbled up right now and he doesn't know what to do with them. So this is him trying to run away because he's too afraid to face them. I think he's just feeling overwhelmed with Jaejoong hyung around." 

"Oh, well ," 

"Yup," Changmin said before releasing a sigh. My thoughts exactly.

"But so what if he's starting to care? Isn't that a good thing?" Yoochun asked this time.

"Not for him apparently. Our leader is too prideful. He will stand by his words even if it means to fight the turmoil inside of him," 

"Okay, now you're losing me,"

"He said that he'll never accept him, didn't he? And he's quite determined to keep it that way. But now, I don't think that that's the case anymore. His heart and his mind are at war right now, and I'm guessing that our hyung is rooting for the latter." 

Changmin took a glance at Yunho's back before turning his head to Yoochun and Junsu, only to see them staring blankly at him. 

He grunted softly, "And here I thought that we were all on the same page." 

Changmin shook his head and made his way to the van, which was already occupied by the two oldest members.

"Well if you weren't speaking in riddles, then maybe we'd understand you better!" Yoochun yelled as he and Junsu tried running after the taller man. 

"Forget I said anything. I don't want to fry your little brains." 

Changmin entered the vehicle and the first thing he noticed was the pout plastered on Jaejoong's face. He rolled his eyes and fought the urge to slap the sulk away. He was even convinced more so afraid that it was becoming a permanent look. He peeked at the leader who had his eyes shut and who already seemed to be far in his sleep. He shook his head and told himself to never come in between, no matter how difficult it was for him to be witnessing his hopeless hyungs making their lives harder than they should be. He just needed to hold back, he repeated to himself. 

The restless group was on their way to another location, a concert where multiple artists will perform for a charitable purpose. It was a good image-building strategy in which Mr. Lee had swore by. He had emphasized that at this point in their career, the maintenance of their image and the public perception should be their top priority, hence the reason why they were being dispatched to different voluntary organizations on top of their regular itinerary. 

In a venue carrying numerous organization officials and ambassadors, the boys performed strenuously and showed great effort despite their faltering energy. By the end of the ceremony, the members had scattered themselves across the stage, losing each other as they mingled with the audience as well as with other talents. 

Yunho found himself getting further and further away from his friends to the point where he could hardly get a sight of them. He felt himself swallow, gulp after gulp. This was not good, this was a hazard bound to become a disaster. One rule he had established as a leader was to never lose sight of the members and this was something he had never failed to do. Yet, at that moment, he felt his heart accelerating and the paranoia creeping up from the back of his mind. He had always made sure that all performances went smoothly, from beginning to end. And that was mostly achievable because he had always ensured that the members was in close proximity or at least within his range of vision. But he was now experiencing the opposite. 

'Damn it,' he cursed inwardly as he kept his worry in a low profile. 

He scanned the stage discreetly, attending to the audience and looking for at least one of the familiar faces of s. He wandered around the stage and made sure not to miss a spot. He would occasionally stop in his tracks to wave at his fans, but the concern on his face was becoming harder and harder to conceal. 

Yunho wanted to scream at himself for letting his stupidity take control of him. He had no one else to blame for he was the reason why he was now in that particular situation. He continued to curse and hoped that it would at least help the unsettling feeling in his stomach. But it didn't, for this was all his doing. Ever since that night, the night when he felt the most humiliated, Yunho couldn't bare to be around his friends any longer, especially around Jaejoong. The mere thought of the man made him squirm in embarrassment with the heat on his cheeks returning effortlessly. He hated to admit it, but he wanted to stay away from his friends for as much as possible. He couldn't face any more teases from the younger members because he felt as though he was being stripped , revealing secrets that were nonexistent. And this is why he was standing in that stage like a lost puppy looking for its mother. All this running away had caused him to forget his job as a leader. Not that he didn't trust any of them, but there were definitely things that can be prevented under his watch. 

Yunho felt a certain relief from his worries when he spotted Junsu from afar, laughing along with his childhood friend Hyukjae. Not that far from them stood Jaejoong who seemed to be associating with new faces, which had almost caught the leader off guard for this was an unusual sight. Other than the members and their colleagues, Jaejoong had always kept to himself, so seeing him mingling with other singers was a fresh sight to behold. Seeing Jaejoong smiling candidly ca