By the end of the week, the boys are almost completely recovered, much to the relief of Mr.Choi. Although the number of rescheduled events is daunting, the five of them do marvelously, giving no indication of how horrible they’d been feeling. I, on the other hand, have a little more trouble.Yoochun forgetting and probably not meaning his confession affected me more than I care to admit. No matter how many times I tell myself to forget it and move on, it remains a niggling presence in the back of my mind. Wait until you’re not working for him, I silently repeat. Then you can try. Then you may have a shot.

“Hey, you okay noona?” Changmin’s voice interrupts my thoughts.

I shake my head a little as the back room of the television studio comes back into focus.  “I’m fine. Is it time to go on?”

“No, I just got my makeup finished early. Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been quieter than usual,” Changmin says with a concerned look.

I smile and pat his hand. “I’m sure. I’m just tired.”

“Probably from staying up late with us. I hope you’re not getting sick too.”

“I feel fine, Changmin-ah. Don’t worry about me.”

He studies my face before hesitantly saying, “Noona, if you need or want to talk about something, you know I’ll listen, right?”

“I’ll remember that. Thank you,” I smile.

Changmin smiles back at me before getting up to ask Yunho something.

My eyes float back to Yoochun who’s making a middle aged wardrobe assistant giggle like a teenager at his jokes. I can’t help smiling myself as I watch him.

Changmin stops by Yoochun to whisper something in his ear before coming back to my side. “Could we have something really good tonight, noona? No offense, but soup and sick people food is getting old.”

“What am I, your personal chef?” I tease. “What would you like?”

“Hmmm....surprise me.”

“I can do that.”

One of the crewmen sticks his head in the room. “We’re ready for you.”
 

    As the day winds down, I decide to skip going to the arena with the guys. I put off making dinner since I know they’ll be late and call Yejin.

“Unnie,” she says happily when she answers. “I was just thinking of you!”

I laugh at her enthusiasm. “Are you done or should I call back later?”

“All done. Actually, after today, there’s only two more. I can’t believe the concert’s the day after tomorrow! Are the guys ready?”

“As ready as they’ll ever be. The show’s going to be amazing,” I tell her, my mind going back to the basics of it that I’d watched repeatedly. “Are you coming to the fan meeting tomorrow afternoon?”

“Can’t. Work.” Yejin pauses.

“Speaking of work, I want to hear what you’ve been up to with all these workshops."

She launches into an excited description of all the new things she’s learning, letting countless minutes pass by. Eventually she slows down, pausing before saying, “And unnie, I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

“What I said?”

“About me telling Junsu that...I love him. I think I may do it.”

I fumble. “Oh, really? What made you change your mind?”

“I’m not really sure,” she admits. “I just started thinking about it after I left the dorm the last time and it kept bugging me. Then when I talked to Junsu yesterday, I realized that if there’s even a chance Junsu feels the same way, I should go for it, right?”

I hesitate. “Right. Good for you. Um, when were you planning on telling him?”

Yejin giggles nervously. “Yeah, about that...still working on that. Definitely not while we’re here. When do they go back to Seoul?”

“The first week of February.”

“Can’t do it then. Yunho oppa’s birthday is then, and Changmin’s a little afterward. I don’t want to miss those if this doesn’t end well.”

I wipe at an imaginary bead of sweat. “Better wait until after. They’ll be in Japan again for the last week of that month and the first week of March, but then it’s back to Seoul, so maybe then?”

“Maybe. Do you think I should do it?”

“I can’t tell you that, but I think you’ve got a good shot.”

“You’ll help me, right? Please say you will,” Yejin begs. “I’ve never done something like this before.”

“I don’t have much experience with this either, kiddo, but I’ll help,” I promise.

“Thank you so much unnie! Oh, I’ve got another call. I’ll talk to you later though. Bye, unnie. Saranghae!”

“Love you too,” I laugh. As I put my phone down and get ready to start dinner, I let lose a relieved sigh. I’m glad Yejin wants to tell Junsu, but I’d also hate for all the planning the guys and I have already done to sweep her off her feet go to waste.

    When I finish everything, I carefully put it away so I can pull it out to heat when the guys get back. The clock tells me I have a few hours, so I put my phone by my head and curl up on the couch for a quick cat nap.In my dream, I see my vision of Junsu’s confession played out, only instead of Yejin and Junsu, it’s me and Yoochun.

“_______. I love you,” dream Yoochun says, gently taking my hand and bringing me closer. Ever so slowly, he lowers his lips to mine.

Just before our lips touch, I hear the door open. Blinking my eyes open, I glance at my phone and try to figure out how I slept so long.

“________, you didn’t have to wait for us,” Jaejoong lightly scolds when he sees me.

“I wanted to.” I rub my eyes as I shuffle into the kitchen to warm everything up.

“It smells good, ______ noona,” Changmin says sleepily.

“No sick person food, like I promised,” I tell him with a smile.

The other three follow Jaejoong and Changmin’s example, collapsing on the couch.

“I’m too tired to eat,” Junsu complains, closing his eyes.

“You have to eat so you don’t get sick again,” Yunho tells him, covering a yawn. “We only have one day before our concerts.”

Yunho’s yawn proves contagious as I try to swallow my own. “Just have a little, Junsu, then you can go straight to sleep.”

“Okay, umma,” he smiles drowsily.

“You doing okay?” Yoochun asks when he musters the energy to come get his plate.

I glance at Changmin, wondering if I was what he’d whispered to Yoochun about earlier. “Just tired.”

“Go to sleep, ______,” Yoochun smiles as I yawn again. “We can handle things from here. We had to do it before we had you, remember?”

“I know, but I can still-”

Yoochun stops my protest by sweeping me up in his arms and walking out of the room. “Just putting _____ to bed, guys. Be right back.”

“Put me down,” I say, my words lacking any force and completely contradicted when I lay my head on his chest.

“I am,” he chuckles as he nudges the door of my room open and carefully sets me down by the bed. “You took care of us enough this trip and I know you won’t stop doing it, but you have to take care of yourself too, arasso? Get some sleep, ______, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay,” I give in, hugging him. “Goodnight, oppa.”

“Goodnight, ________,” Yoochun says, giving me a brotherly kiss on the forehead before heading back to his room.

    The guys spend the whole of the next day at the concert arena, going through the final preparations for the concert tomorrow night. Since I don’t have much else to do with Yejin still in her workshops, I hang around to watch. Seeing it like this makes me even more excited for the concert when all the extra things like special lighting and effects will be added. As I watch Junsu’s solo performance, Yejin’s revelation from yesterday springs to mind.

During their next break, I walk down to the stage and quietly recount the conversation.

“She wants to confess to me? That’s awesome!” Junsu laughs quietly when I finish. “I mean, I still want to tell her first, but still!”

“That was close,” Yunho comments. “Good covering, _____.”

“So she’s definitely waiting until March?” Jaejoong asks.

“But we’ll be beating her by a month,” Changmin chuckles, chugging a water bottle. “I hope she doesn’t start planning anything soon.”

“I don’t think so, but she asked me for help so I’ll try to stall things,” I reply. “I feel kinda bad about doing it, but I know she’s going to love what we have.”

“Of course she will,” Yoochun smiles, wrapping an arm around Junsu. “By the time we’re done, you’re never going to be able to get rid of her.”

“Why would I want to get rid of her? I love her,” Junsu says confusedly.

Yoochun laughs and ruffles Junsu’s hair. “I’m just kidding.”

Junsu’s smile returns. “Oh.”

“I guess that means we have to get on our game. It’s only what, three weeks until Valentine’s Day?” Jaejoong asks.

“Like two and a half,” I shrug. “Plenty of time.”

“Speaking of time, it’s time for us to get back to work,” Yunho says, already standing. “See you in a bit, _______.”

“Okay. You guys are looking really good,” I tell them.

“Good enough to get a kiss?” Yoochun asks, closing his eyes and pointing at his cheek.

Shaking my head, I laugh and push him away. “Not here. Maybe later.”

He sighs. “It was worth a shot.”

“Kisses aren’t party favors, you know. I shouldn’t just give them away,” I tease.

“I know. That’s why I’m the only one that should get them,” Yoochun winks. “Or at least until you get a guy I approve of. See you, _____.”

I smile as he walks away. Despite my situation, I can’t be unhappy when I’m around him.

    When we all get back to the dorm, we share the leftovers from last night and turn in early in preparation for the long day ahead of us tomorrow. Some of the excitement from practice rubbed off on me and I can’t fall asleep. Instead, I sneak out and downstairs to the pool. Lying down on one of the chairs, I watch the moon and stars that seem to hover just above the glass ceiling and allow my mind to wander aimlessly.

“________? What’re you doing down here?”

I look towards the door to find Yoochun looking at me curiously. “I couldn’t sleep so I came here to watch the stars,” I answer as I sit up. “What are you doing up? You need to be sleeping.”

“I just kept tossing and turning and I didn’t want to keep the others up.” Yoochun comes in and sits on the chair beside me. “Do you do this a lot?”

“Every once in a while. I like watching the sky when my mind can’t stop racing. It’s calming. Everything seems so peaceful and beautiful.”

Yoochun nods, casting his gaze towards the heavens. “When I’m upset I watch the sky,” he says. “It’s just like you said. It can make you feel like you’re in another world, without your problems.”

“Do you have a lot of problems, oppa?” I ask softly.

He smiles when he looks at me. “Just a few, but nothing too bad at the moment.”

“Then what is wrong now?”

“I’m just nervous,” Yoochun shrugs. “No matter how many times we perform, I still get jittery sometimes.”

“Anything I can do?”

“What you’re doing now is good.”

I frown. “What am I doing exactly?”

“Just being here with me.”

“Oh.”

We fall silent, each in our own thoughts. After some time, I finally begin feeling sleepy.

“I think I’m going to bed, oppa. I’ll see you in the morning,” I yawn, stretching as I get up. “Go to bed soon, okay?”

“Okay. _______?” Yoochun calls after me when I reach the door. “Never mind.”
I look back curiously. “What is it?”

“Would it be all right...if...if I slept with you tonight? Just tonight and I’ll leave before Choi hyung comes to get us. I sleep better when I’m near you for some reason,” he admits with a childish innocence.

“Are you sure it’s me? You seem to sleep pretty fine without me,” I tease lightly. I consider saying no, but I’m quickly finding that when it comes to Yoochun, that word doesn’t come easily. “All right, but just tonight and hands to yourself.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s you. No rational idea why though,” Yoochun smiles as he follows me.

    When we get to my room, I crawl into bed first and hurriedly pull the covers up, suddenly nervous. Yoochun slides in beside me, keeping a sliver of space between us before smiling and closing his eyes. I watch him fade into sleep before slipping into dreams again myself.

==============

Annyoung lovely readers! Mianhae for the long absence. I've just had a lot going on with getting ready to leave. For those of you already subbed to my other fic, I'm sorry for saying this again, but I have to...I got a job as an illustrator for a book! Just one book, but hey, how many people can say that? Anway, enough about me. Hope you forgive me for only one update (I'll try to update again this week). Please enjoy and comment! Saranghae!

MewNikkiChan: I know, I know, but maybe they'll stop being dumb and get together soon, right?

yellow14: Don't be sad. Maybe he'll remember or say it for real. ^^

Jun_KOI_Mi: Ke ke, little boys do anything to get attention.

PurpleangelSJ: I believe the confession you so eagerly await will be next. ;)

ChinkyKayla: Ke ke, I was too when I was writing it.

WhiteAutumn: ^^ Fighting!

SuperSHINeeB2stJr: I don't think Yoochun would like that,...but we'll see. ;)

nar12345: ke ke, I absolutely love your comment and everything you said made me feel so good! Saranghae!

Champions27: I know, sad day.

tichiharahara: It's ok as long as you keep reading and commenting. ^^

Mionyu: Ke ke, I can't say how happy I am that you liked it that much. Thanks for the comment and I hope you continue loving the story. Love you too!