Somehow, the months pass quickly until it's early June. With their busy schedules, I barely get to see the guys except for the random movie and dinner nights at the dorm. On those visits, if Jaehwa is there, she acts neutrally friendly, showing little of her earlier hostility which is a small relief. Having Yejin and the other guys around helps too. As it is, this means I end up getting closer to the other four and spending a lot more time with Yejin.

“Unnie, it’s not fair,” she sighs, scratching at the ground with her foot as we sit on the swings at the empty playground, enjoying the spring air. “Junsu and I are together. It should be you and Yoochun’s turn now.”

“In a perfect world, maybe,” I reply, sipping on my smoothie.

“I wish I could just make that girl disappear.” She wrinkles her face and wriggles her fingers like she’s casting a spell. “Then I’d give Yoochun oppa a love potion so he’d fall back in love with you.”

I can’t help giggling and tug on one of her braids. “We don’t know for sure if he was ever in love with me in the first place, silly goose.”

“But _____-unnie-”

“Speak of the devil.” I hold up a finger and quickly answer my phone. “Hi, oppa.”

“It’s good to here your voice, ______. I’ve missed you,” Yoochun complains.

“You saw me last week,” I remind him.

“What? That’s not enough time to miss you? You’ve missed me too, right?”

I roll my eyes, smiling at his teasing tone. “Of course.”

“I knew it,” Yoochun laughs triumphantly. “How about Wangja? Does he miss his appa?”

“Since when were you my panda’s appa?”

He chuckles.“Since I won him for you.”

“Ah.”

“So, _____, as the father of your panda, can I ask you a huge favor?”

“That just sounds wrong. What do I need to do?” I ask, still shaking my head at him.

“I need to make reservations at this restaurant for my date with Jaehwa tonight, but I lost the number and we’re so busy that I can’t-”

I quickly get what he needs. “Arasso. Just tell me the name and time and I’ll take care of everything.”

“You’re amazing, _____,” Yoochun says gratefully. “I knew I can always depend on you.”

“No problem.” Using my hand as a notepad, I write down the details as he quickly relays them to me. “I’ll call you when I’ve made them.”

“Great. Thanks so much. Gotta go. Saranghae.”

“Saranghae,” I answer quietly, hanging up and slipping my phone back into my pocket. With a small smile, I look at my unfinished drink and put it on the ground, not wanting it anymore.

“Yoochun?” Yejin reaches over to hold my hand. She smiles with sad eyes.

I nod. “He needs help setting up his date tonight.”

She hisses a little in sympathy. “Mianhae, unnie.”

“It’s all right. You must think I’m pathetic,” I say with a small laugh, looking back at her.

“I don’t!” she assures me, vehemently shaking her head. “If I did, I’d have to think that of myself too since I’d be doing the same if I was you.”

“But thank goodness you’re not. Don’t worry about me, Yejin-ah.”

“Why don’t you come with me tonight? I’m going over to the dorm to hang out with Junsu, but the others will be there too. That way you won’t be alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” I smile. “I’ve got work to keep me busy.”

“Please, unnie! You can distract them so Junsu and I can have romantic time,” Yejin begs.

“They don’t leave you two alone? Do I need to give them a talking to?”

She sighs. “_____ unnie, work with me. Of course they do. They’re really good about it actually. I’m trying to get you to come with me so you’re not lonely and it’s not like they’ll say you’re not allowed to come.”

“Have you been hanging out with Changmin?” I giggle. “Coming up with secret plans for me?”

“Maybe,” she replies, making me laugh. “Please. Please come.”

“All right.”

“Yay!” Jumping up, Yejin tugs on my hand. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we rushing off to?” I ask, letting her pull me off the swing.

“The grocery market! I had the sudden inspiration that we’ll make dinner for them. It’s unnie-dongsaeng bonding time!”

    Laughing, I start running along with her. She’s like a beam of sunshine that wants to make the whole world brighter. No wonder she and Junsu fit so well together. As she starts shopping, I borrow her phone to look up the restaurant number and call to make the arrangements. When I text Yoochun to tell him everything’s set, I start feeling bad again. Thankfully, Yejin doesn’t let me dwell on it too much, making a game out of getting the rest of what we need and chattering away while we actually make dinner.
    

“I’m here!” Yejin sings as we enter their apartment. “And guess who I brought!”

“____!” Jaejoong’s face lights up as he runs over to hug me.

“Hi, oppa,” I smile, hugging him back.  

“No hug for me?” Yunho pouts.

I swear this guy loves skinship more than me. “As soon as this one lets go of me,” I giggle.

With a laugh, Jaejoong releases me, but Changmin snatches me up next. “Too slow, hyung,” he says with a grin.

Yunho just sighs and waits with a patient smile until I come to him. “Always last.”

“No, you’re not. I haven’t said ‘hi’ to Junsu yet,” I reply, jerking a thumb over my shoulder where he and Yejin are still in their own little world. “Has Yoochun left already?”

“You missed him by a couple minutes.”

“Oh.” I had hoped to see him before his date, but maybe it’s better this way. “His loss. Yejin and I made some good food, didn’t we, Yejin-ah?”

My question startles Yejin, who was kissing Junsu’s cheek, making her blush. “What? Oh, yeah, we did.”

“You two are just too cute,” I laugh, shaking my head.

“We are, aren’t we?” Junsu laughs, taking advantage of Yejin’s distraction to steal a quick kiss and run away before she can react.

“Not...not fair,” she scoldingly laughs, giving chase.

“Well, we won’t be seeing them for another...hour or so,” Jaejoong jokes.

“Plenty of time for me to eat all the food then,” Changmin says with a happy shrug, already moving towards the bags. When I snag him by the hem of his shirt, being too short to reach his collar, he smiles. “Just kidding.”

I keep my grip and yell, “Love birds! Get back in here or I’m setting Changmin loose!”

+++++++++++++++++++

“I wish she didn’t have to go,” Junsu pouts sadly after the two girls have left, cuddling a pillow to his chest.

“You know she can’t stay,” Yunho gently reminds him.

“I know.”

“Wasn’t Yoochun supposed to be back by now?” Jaejoong asks, glancing at the clock.

“I think so, but we don’t have anything too early so it doesn’t really matter,” Changmin replies, sneaking in some more of the leftovers.

“I’m going to call him anyway,” Yunho says, looking at the clock too. He waits, but hangs up a little later. “No answer.”

A few seconds later, Yoochun bursts through the door.

“See,” Changmin smiles, “I told you-”

He stops when he sees the look on Yoochun’s face and a crying Jaehwa behind him.

“What happened?” Yunho asks anxiously, quickly crossing to the pair with the others closely following. “What’s wrong?”

Yoochun gulps before answering, not looking Yunho in the eyes.“We...Someone...”

“Someone caught us,” Jaewha says, starting to cry again. “A photographer was waiting outside the restaurant when we came out.”

Yoochun nods and continues as Jaejoong brings her a tissue, “He forgot to turn his flash off. I almost caught him, but I lost him in a backstreet. I’m sorry, hyung. We’ve been careful; meeting different places, making sure we weren’t followed, not going popular places. I don’t know how it happened.”

“It was _____,” Jaehwa says suddenly, her eyes becoming angry.

The guys stare at her, even Yoochun.

“What?” Changmin asks, his temper stirring despite the situation.

“She’s the only outsider who knew we’d be there,” she says, her voice rising.

“_____’s not an outsider,” Junsu angrily tells her.

Jaehwa ignores him, wiping her eyes. “She made the arrangements. She could've easily told someone.”

“Why would _____ do that? She’s our friend,” Jaejoong says quietly.

“_____ would never do something like that,” Yoochun immediately replies, looking down at Jaehwa. “We were just unlucky.”

She stares at him for a few seconds before starting to cry again. Jaehwa yanks her hand from Yoochun’s and yells, “Why don’t you even listen to me? Don’t you love me? It has to be her!”

“I do,” Yoochun assures her, trying to take her hand again. “It’s just that _____ isn’t that kind of person.”

The other four stand there watching them awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

“Why do you always take her side, Yoochun? Just go date ______, Yoochun!” Jaehwa shouts, wrenching herself away and running out the door crying.

Yoochun gives the guys a frantic look before running out after her.

“Great,” Yunho sighs, following them to make sure neither does anything stupid.

“I can’t believe she said that about _____,” Junsu says into the silence after the door closes, sinking down on the couch. “She’s not like that; she’s family. She doesn’t have a reason to so anything. Even if she was in love with Yoochun, ____ wouldn’t do that because she cares about him too much.”

Jaejoong and Changmin share a look over Junsu’s head at his unintended perception.

“We know that and so does Yoochun,” Jaejoong replies, sitting beside him. “Jaehwa’s probably just too upset to think straight.”

“Or she’s jealous of _____ noona,” Changmin mutters, still feeling mad. “She still had no right to accuse noona like that. Hyung, you don’t think Yoochun would believe Jaehwa?”

Jaejoong hesitates before answering. “I don’t think he will.”

‘He better trust noona,’ Changmin thinks, turning his gaze to the door. ‘Otherwise...he’ll break her heart.”

++++++++++++++++++

I answer the phone the next morning in a good mood, having let myself sleep in as a Sunday treat to myself. “Yubseyo?”

“_____, how did this happen?” Ayako shrieks into my ear.

“What’re you talking about? How did ‘what’ happen?”

“How do you not know about this? It’s all over the internet!”

“Ayako, I just woke up.” I shuffle over to pick up my laptop and power it on.

“So? You should’ve known the minute it happened!”

“Calm down, I’m going.” As I’m about to type in my password, someone knocks on my door. “Hang on a second, someone’s here.”

Ignoring Ayako’s protests, I zip up my hoodie before looking out the peephole. My eyes widen in surprise and I quickly open the door.

“Yoochun?” I look at my friend in concern as he hurries inside, my concern growing when he takes off his sunglasses and pushes back his hood to reveal bloodshot eyes. “What happened to you?”

“I...”

“Come on.” I gently take his arm and lead him to the couch, making him sit down. Glancing at him, I pick up my phone again. “Ayako, I’m really sorry, but I need to call you back. Yoochun’s here and he doesn’t look good. Bye.”

“Wait. I need to tell you what happened before you talk to him,” Ayako says desperately.

“Ayako, can’t it wait? He really doesn’t-”

“Someone got a bunch of pictures of him and Jaehwa on their date last night and it’s all over.”

I freeze. “Oh.”

Ayako sighs unhappily. “Yeah. That’s probably why he’s in bad shape. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Take care of him, arasso? See you tomorrow.”

“See you.” Slowly, I put my phone down and turn to look at my friend. I sit beside him, leaving some space between us. “Oppa,...is there anything I can do?”

“You know?” Yoochun asks, looking at me.

“Ayako just told me.” I hesitate, not really sure of what to say. “Is it really that bad?”

He gives a frustrated sigh, running both hands through his hair.

I have to clench my fingers to suppress the urge to reach over and fix it.

“Getting caught in itself isn’t a tragedy,” he finally says. “Annoying for me, something SM wishes hadn’t happened but will deal with.”

“Then why are you so upset?” I ask.

“Afterwards...Jaehwa and I had a fight...and now she won’t answer my calls. I spent half the night trying to talk to her.”

“A fight about what?”

Yoochun sighs again and looks at me. “You.”

I blink and repeat him to make sure I wasn’t hearing things. “Me?”

His gaze falls to our feet. “She thinks you sold us out to the press.”

It takes a few minutes to wrap my brain around this, but when I do, my heart sinks like a rock. I look at the floor too. “Do...do you think so too?”

Cool fingers slide beneath my chin to lift my face up.

“Do you think I think so little of you? ______, I trust you,” Yoochun says softly, a small smile coming to his face. “I didn’t come here to confront you. I needed to get out of the dorm. I needed to talk to you.”

I feel some of the tension drain from my body. “What about Yunho? Or the other guys?”

He shakes his head and takes my hand. “I needed you. To put it lightly, it’s been a really crappy day.”

“Yeah...” I put on a smile too. “How about I make us both something to eat? I always feel better with full stomach.”

“All right.”

Keeping my hand in his, I take Yoochun over to the kitchen table and sit him down. I feel his eyes on me as I flit about getting things together quickly.

“Really?” he asks with a little of his usual self, looking between me and the mug of hot chocolate smothered in cream in front of him.

“What?” I shrug. “It always makes me feel better.”

Yoochun chuckles and sips it. As we sit together, I watch the tired and unhappy look almost completely disappear from his face. When we finish, some of it comes back though.

Propping his head up with one hand, he looks at me and asks, “______, what should I do about Jaehwa? Should I even bother trying to make things better? It’s like she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. That and I think she’s convinced SM’s going to make us break up. Like they could.”

I think it over for a while before answering. “You really only have to consider one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you love her?” I start playing with the last puff of cream floating in my mug. “Think about why you’re with her. If you love her, then yes, you fight for it. If not, let it go.”

“Why do I love her?” he repeats, thinking out loud. “She’s beautiful-Ow!”

I pull my hand back, ready to smack his arm again. “Be serious!”

“I wasn’t done yet. I was still thinking. She’s determined, strong, cool, considerate...”

“Would you be upset if she wasn’t in your life?” I prod.

“...Yes.”

“Then you go after her, pabo. Keep calling until she answers and tell her you don’t want something like this to break you two apart. Don’t mention me at all. It won’t help you.”

“I’ll do all that, but I’m going to convince her it wasn’t you,” Yoochun says determinedly.

I sigh. “Fine, but don’t push that point too much. Like I said, it won’t help.”

Yoochun smiles and reaches over to hug me. “What’d I do without you, _____?”

“Die,” I reply, using the sarcasm to mask my pain at his earlier answer.

“Probably,” he laughs. “You're right. I can't not try for love."

'Taking advice from a hypocrite,' I think sadly.

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

Annyeong lovelies! It seems I'm forever apologizing, but here it goes anyway: Mianhae. I know I said updates would be on time from now on because I have everything mapped out but I'm failing at that. I did have this half done Friday, but then my housemates dragged me out clubbing that night. Then we all spent today with one of last year's seniors who's studying in Florence, so that was another day gone...*sigh*, again, sorry for being a bad writer. I know you're getting over the top annoyed with Yoochun, but as you can see, he does love Jaehwa (dumb, yes). My reasons for this continued frustration is that I'm trying to add more drama to this fic than in my other and it will all lead to something good. Please keep your faith in me. Saranghae.

lojolson: Agreed.

nar12345: Yeah, those two titles are true too. There will be more of this, I promise.

SuperSHINeeB2STJr: See? I finally explained why Yoochun likes her. Besides, it's not like she'd really show the witchy side to Yoochun so poor kid has no idea. I'm working on it; Jaejoong's been growing me. I watched that after reading your comment and omo! My ribs hurt I laughed so hard! They were all so sweet in those episodes. Honestly, I've been asking myself the same question for ages and haven't found an answer.

ChinkyKayla: ke ke. Thing is with girls like her, a full out fight won't fix things. Witches be sneaky.

MewNikkiChan: Ah, pig-rabbit man! I always watch that mv if I'm having a bad day. I think Changmin would glady fulfill your wish. Yeah, classes are definitely keeping me busy. I'd love for you to visit!

Champions27: Yup, our girl's a tough cookie.

ankeaenkeli: Like I said, I don't think any of the guys would be able to do that because they'd feell like it was betraying Yoochun. Yes, Yoochun does need some talking to.

WhiteAutumn_x: This gets him some points back, right? He didn't take Jaehwa's side this time.

Mionyu: I tried to fix the not understanding Yoochun part here a little, but more will come. Aw, I'm glad they do.

Jun_KOI_Mi: Explained it partly here, lovely. ^^

yellow14: I know, lovely, I know. You're supposed to. She does have a purpose though, I promise.

PurpleangelSJ: Jaehwa's too witchy to do anything physical, just the sneakier, mental stuff. By new song, you mean 'Catch Me'? Yes, I have and I love it. They'll always be better their best when they're five. Saranghae.