When Seunghyun opens the door, he rolled his eyes heavenward. "Really Jaejoong? Even before you made it to my house!"

"To be fair, I fell in your driveway." Jaejoong says behind Yunho's neck. Yunho hitches her higher in her piggyback and enters the house as Seunghyun grumbles about a certain smartass with skinned knees. Yunho drops her on the couch when Seunghyun returns with a first aid kit. "So you must be the famous Daejang." Yunho takes the little box and shakes the idol's hand, "Jung Yunho."

"TOP or Choi Seunghyun."

"I've heard you go by Toppy."

"Ah... Kim Heechul."

When the doorbell rings, Seunghyun excuses himself while Yunho tends to Jaejoong. By the time Yunho has stuck three Bandaids on her knees the house is full of celebrities and Yunho is their favourite conversation partner.

"Hey Daejang, you up for a game of pool?" Seunghyun invites Yunho, as the other guys make their way to Seunghyun's game room. "Ooooh! I want to play." Heechul stands up drunkenly but is promptly tugged down by Jaejoong. "Are you joining the army?" Heechul pouts, grumbling "Hannie isn't going to the army. Why does he get to go?" Yet she snuggles Jaejoong after taking the spot Yunho vacated.

"You'll be okay?" Yunho asks Jaejoong unnecessarily making Jaejoong respond with shooing motions. "Go, and don't forget to get yourself a groomsman." Yunho playfully flicks her nose before following Seunghyun.

Jaejoong and Heechul watch Ji Changwook come over and switch out Park Minyoung's soju for a glass of wine. "Don't drink too much. We have to drive back home separately." Minyoung smiles at him as his caring side always makes her. "Ditto." After he gives her a little peck on her lips Changwook runs off to join the other guys where they are all dying to speak to Yunho for the first time.

"You guys still doing that thing where you go to the same home in different cars..." Heechul sounds both teasing and annoyed but Jaejoong her hand that’s wrapped around her her placating her. "It's worked for their secret for five years."

"And to think Let's Eat Together turning up at her mother's place almost blew the lid on their relationship."

"Thank you for that by the way." Minyoung smiles but it's not her usual cheery smile. In fact she's been quiet for the most of it, curled up on the armchair while Changwook got her whatever she wanted.

"You're awefully mellow for someone who just got a proposal in Paris. Can we at least see the ring?" Jaejoong makes grabby hands at her looking so adorable that Minyoung can't refuse her invite. Minyoung switches to the couch and shows her right hand to both of them. "Oh God! Can't see! Blinding!" Heechul makes a big show of covering her eyes.

"That's big. But you're wearing it on the wrong finger." Jaejoong shows her own engagement ring on her left hand ring finger.

To their surprise Minyoung nods wistfully. "It... wasn't a proposal. Not an official one at least." Heechul and Jaejoong look at each other wide eyed not sure if they heard right. "But you said he asked you to marry you." Jaejoong is talking more to Heechul as if confirming that phone conversation from two days ago. Now that she thinks about it Minyoung didn't sound ecstatic about the proposal. She only ended the call saying she'd tell them later. Was it the 'unofficial' proposal? "I mean, who goes to Paris and propose but not mean it!"

"He meant it..." Minyoung states simply. "So... you don't want it?" Heechul asks slowly. Minyoung looks away, her friends noticing the barely concealed hurt on her face but don't point it out.

"You know..." Minyoung clears when her voice cracks with emotion, "on our first anniversary he told me he sees a future with me. I thought he was going to propose then. But he said I'd have to wait till he completed his military duty. He didn't want to settle down before that."

Jaejoong goes over her words for a few seconds before asking, "and what was your reaction then?"

"Panic..." Minyoung sighs, "You know how I was back then. I was too scarred from everything to think about long term commitments. I told him I wasn't ready to settle down and he was miraculously calm about it and said he didn't plan to settle down before completing his military duty. That wasn’t the real proposal anyway."

"From what you’re saying, neither is this one. That still doesn't explain the 'unofficial' proposal." Heechul's exasperation boils over, "Are you freaking out that you'd have to marry him after his army duty is up? You were with him for four years since he told you that. If you didn't want it then you should have ended it a long time ago."

"That's not what I'm saying Kim Heechul." Minyoung grits out but the diva is not one to back down. It's only when Jaejoong placates Heechul to let her speak does Minyoung continue. "Look, I'm not the same person I was four years ago. It's not hard for me to imagine a future with him anymore."

"Then?" Jaejoong prods, still unsure where this is going. Did they break up? It didn't seem so with their usual touchy-feely gestures.

"I may...have... put the nail on a coffin I didn't know was there that time when I said I'm not ready for marriage..." After a heartbeat, Jaejoong says with dread "He thinks you're still not ready for marriage does he?"

Minyoung nods, showing her ring, "This is a conditional surety. He did the whole thing, private dinner, went down on one knee, gave me the ring, asked me to marry him. I was ready to scream yes but he told me he didn't want my answer yet."

"The !" Heechul growls but Jaejoong nudges her to not interrupt. "He said he doesn't want me to feel pressured or carried away to say yes. He wants to give me time to think about if I really want to do this."

"Time as in... two years?" Jaejoong asks with dread, hoping Minyoung says it isn't so. But her heart stops when Minyoung gives a single nod. "Are you serious? So what are you going to be on a break while he's in the army?" Heechul wants to fling something or hit someone when frustration and fury peaks. Jaejoong holds her hands and lets Heechul snuggle her like a teddy bear till she's calmed down.

"You can't be mad at him Chul. I was the one who made him think that I don't want to get married anyway. And we're not exactly going to be on a break. We had decided a long time ago that I can't visit him or contact him in the military so nobody can find out we're together."

"But he's been going on about all the actresses who will visit him in the army. Including you."

"He can't not mention my name when he's talking about his co-stars. But I can't visit him and cause rumours."

"Maybe that's the problem. You two think more about keeping your relationship a secret than your future." Minyoung is slightly affronted by that accusation especially from Heechul. "You can't say that to me when you're dating in secret yourself."

"For less than year. If I've been with the same man for five years I would be pretty comfortable telling the world."

"Well everything is not black and white Kim Heechul."

"Guys please..." Jaejoong breaks the fight, shooting a warning glare at Heechul before turning an exasperated face towards Minyoung. "Clarify some things for me. he's asked you to think about it while he's in the army?" Minyoung nods, "Did you try telling him you don't need that time?"

"Of course I did... right away. But... I think right now... he doesn't believe me. He said we need some time apart for me to be sure. After he's back, if my answer is yes then... great...."

"And what if you don't have an answer even then? That's a real possibility."

Minyoung twirls the ring on her finger, a sick churning in her stomach feeling like this piece of jewellery is completely wrong. "He didn't say anything about a breakup. But he said if I needed more time he's willing to wait. Either way, I can keep the ring... think of it as another piece of jewellery from no one special."

"And what if his feelings change?"

"He says it won't."

"I don't know if he's stupid or stupidly nice." Heechul grumbles against Jaejoong's shoulder. "I don't know what to say Min... this situation is as unique as it gets." Jaejoong extends her arm