Fan chants took over the crowded venue, the tension slowly building up as everyone anticipated for the call for this week's winner. Five men stood apprehensively in the sea of people, the heavy pounding of their hearts beating together, similar to their opponents standing alongside of them with their bodies nestled closely as they exchanged motivational cheers to one another. 

"Please show us the scores for this week's winner!" 

They stared at the screen, their eyes widening and gasps escaping their cramped throat as they caught a glimpse of their score exceeding the opposing team and their group's name echoing in their ears as the MC announced their first win. 

"Congratulations, TVXQ!"

They looked around and bowed in appreciation, as they fought the stinging sensation in the back of their eyes. Yunho turned to his left and gathered his dongsaengs in a huddle, the new member standing on his right completely slipping his mind. Jaejoong stared at s, conscious of the pitiful glances being thrown at him. He squirmed in his spot and looked at the MC who appeared to share the same awkwardness as him. Jaejoong turned his attention to the floor, his body perspiring. Moments passed before he let out a squeal, feeling long arms being wrapped around his body, swaying him back and forth. 

"Congratulations."

He looked up to see the youngest member smiling down at him, his mismatched eyes shedding tears but the grin on his face never leaving. He hugged him back and saw Yoochun and Junsu also in tears and walking towards them, their arms opening wide as they joined their tight embrace. His blurred eyes fell on the leader who hadn't moved an inch, the almond eyes staring back at him. Yunho stiffened, his body wanting to move but his mind fighting the urge to take a step closer. He felt a hand on his shoulder, the MC motioning him to take the mic. He stepped forward and reluctantly called the others to join him, breaking the crowded circle that they had formed together. 

"We would like to thank our fans. Congratulations everyone, we wouldn't be here if not for you! Also, everyone at the company, Mr. Lee, our managers and our stylists, thank you very much! And... and lastly, to our Ho Jun, we did it! We miss you so much," He paused as his voice cracked, "Thank you all!" 

Jaejoong felt a lurch in his stomach as he listened to the fans chanting the former member's name, a lump forming in his throat as he tried to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth. He looked over to the leader who was holding the trophy up in the air, tears swelling in his eyes before blinking them away. Jaejoong couldn't look away, his face softening at the sight. The lump on his throat was long gone, replaced by an inexplicable feeling as he watched Yunho shut his eyes as he mumbled something under his breath. 

The group gave the audience a final bow before walking backstage only to be faced with a flock of staff sending them away with endless praises and admiration. They headed back to their dorm with no words left to share, except for the sound of sniffing coming from Yoochun and Junsu who were cuddled at the back of the van as they steadied their breathing.

Jaejoong looked at their reflection on the mirror and melted at the sight of the two members in each other's arms. This reminded him of the hug they all shared earlier sans Yunho, his stomach fluttering continuously as he forced himself to forget the embarrassment he temporarily had to experience on stage. But it no longer mattered to him he thought, his mind occupied by the blissful feeling taking over his body. The thought of s sharing such memorable moment with him was enough to make him forget about the hardships he had to go through. The vehicle stopped at a red light and he heaved a contented sigh, a smile plastered on his face as he watched the sun setting gracefully. The car accelerated and the reflection of the orange glimmer was soon replaced by the image of his roommate staring into nothingness, his eyes looking hollow. He exhaled deeply and moved closer to the window to get a better look, wondering what the hell was going through the man's head and feeling aggravated at the fact that the leader was so hard to read sometimes.

Jaejoong's body slumped limply onto his bed, his legs no longer capable of holding himself up. He ran his hands down his legs as he gently massaged the soreness away, focusing on his almost healed ankle. He rubbed his foot and stared at it amazingly, a small smile forming on his lips. The thought of bringing home a trophy made his heart soar, creating an indescribable feeling of elation within him. So much had happened in just a couple of weeks, with the group's debut and now with their first win, never did he expect to experience these accomplishments in such a short period of time. He thought of his dongsaengs and how they have come to accept him, causing his face to glow with delight. But the grin on his lips vanished as he thought of his roommate, the man who appeared to have built an indestructible wall around him that no force can penetrate. Although Yunho had gotten rid of his sharp tongue, the leader had somehow remained indifferent towards him. 

It was exhausting to see him conceal his affectionate and warm personality when it was obvious to Jaejoong that the man was purposely building a false facade to intimidate him. He noticed how the younger man would walk away whenever his front was starting to slip, just like the time when he spotted s messing around in the living room, where Jaejoong walked in and caught the leader laughing wholeheartedly as though he was seeing a completely different person.  But what amazed him even more was how fast the beam on his roommate's face turned into a scowl as soon as the man got a glimpse of him, walking away hurriedly as if he had been caught red handed. 

Jaejoong shook his head furiously, Yunho's difficult personality further irritating him. He pictured the man in his earlier fragile state and how he had pushed back his tears as he gave his short speech, wondering if he'll ever get to witness this delicate side of the leader. He heaved a sigh, feeling pathetic for overthinking and for letting the younger man mess with his head.

The new member heard the door open, causing him to shut his eyes as though he was hiding something. He opened his eyes slightly and secretly watched the leader walking in as he rubbed a towel over his damp hair. Yunho took a quick glance before turning to his bed but the swollen eyes and the faded redness remained evident on his face. Jaejoong's eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he pondered if he had seen wrong. He stole a peek at Yunho whose back laid still as though he had stopped breathing. He watched the man tremble under his sheet, a muted breath escaping his lips and what almost sounded like soft whimpers coming from the man wrapped around the fluffy material. 

Jaejoong looked away and ignored the palpitation in his chest. His breath hitched as a continuous snivel reached his ears causing him to take another brief glance. But this time he paused. The man was crying, his body shaking as he suppressed his sobs. Jaejoong gripped his sheets, stopping himself from blurting out his concern. He turned his body completely and faced Yunho's bed, his eyes never leaving the curled up frame for his body seamed to emanate weakness like a child pleading for a mother's caress. 

For the first time ever, Jaejoong felt that he could look at the man directly and at that moment, the thought of catching his cold stare didn't frighten him anymore. He stared for the longest time, a feeling of relief taking possession of his body when he saw the tension on the leader's figure settling and his breathing stabilizing. 

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

Beverages left untouched rattled as a tabloid magazine was slammed down onto the glass table, making everyone jump in their seats. All members looked up to see their tongue-tied CEO pointing his finger at the article with an expression of absolute fury causing their eyes to settle onto the publication. Their eyebrows scrunched with confusion as they read the headline placed in between the faces of the oldest members. 

‘Netizens Suspect Discord between TVXQ’s Yunho and Jaejoong’

The group entered the building with bright faces and happy hearts as they were greeted with nothing but praises and best wishes from their colleagues, expecting the same treatment from their beloved boss. Yet, there he was, standing before them with his hands resting on his waist instead of the glee they were anticipating to see. He massaged his temples and cursed his fate as he waited for an answer, receiving silence instead of clarification. 

"Do you even want to know what it says about the two of you?"

He watched the new member glance at the leader who completely disregarded him as his eyes remained glued to the magazine. 

"You have one job Yunho and that is to be the leader of this group. But I don't think you're doing a very good job right now."

Yunho finally gave the older man a look, his eyebrows further furrowing. 

"What? You think people wouldn't notice? How you give all the attention to your dongsaengs and never acknowledging Jaejoong? Walls have eyes Yunho. People scrutinize your every move now that all of you are on the road to success, so why don't you stop playing favorites and start acting like a true leader." 

"Mr. Lee, no offence but this contains nothing but gossips and bull. People don't take this seriously. I mean do people actually believe that they can lose 10 pou