Jaejoong had never been one to make decisions. There was no “I’ll think about it” to his mind. It was either be blunt, or ignore the situation. Maybe that was why Yunho was leader instead of him. He actually had a thought process, unlike Jaejoong.

For once in his career as the hyung in DBSK, he actually had to think for days.

It all started when Jaejoong had thrown up after dance practice. He had felt perfectly fine before it started, but he was forced to keep practicing by the instructor, even as his dongsaengs got a water break, so when he was finally released, he ran to the trash can in the corner of the small practice room, got on his knees, and vomited on an empty stomach.

The instructor had yelled at the others for crowding around Jaejoong, telling them to get back to work.

That wasn’t the only thing, though. If that had happened alone, Jaejoong would’ve brushed it off. After all, he wasn’t as good a dancer as Yunho or Junsu. But every member of the staff, from the managers to the cordi noonas, were treating him horribly.

This happened with all of the members. But Jaejoong got it worst.

With new groups like SHINee and f(x) coming out, DBSK was slowly being thrown under the bus, promotion wise. They had spent months in Japan promoting, but back in Korea, it was like they didn’t even matter anymore. Everyone felt this.

But Jaejoong felt it the most.

He was the oldest, yet he was arrogant. People didn’t like him because of his cold face, even if his fans—including himself—thought he had a nice face. He was suddenly very glad he backed down from the leader position; if he had talked as much as Yunho did in interviews, something bad would slip instantly.

So when Jaejoong was sitting on the couch in the dorm after a long night at the SM building, he couldn’t help but recall this. It was a little past three in the morning; everyone else was fast asleep. He had the single room as the oldest, so nobody would notice he was missing. The television was on, but very low volume, and Jaejoong wasn’t paying attention. Just fiddling with his hands.

He loved his dongsaengs with all of his heart; he really did. But if he was going to continue to be mistreated like this, he had no choice but to rip his contract to shreds and go to court, never to join DBSK again.

Sadly, he couldn’t do that.

Sure, he might be able to handle leaving everyone else after a while. But to leave Yunho… he couldn’t even fathom the thought of it. It broke his heart, even to simply imagine. He loved Jung Yunho with every ounce of his being; and he knew that Yunho felt the same.

Jaejoong leaned his head back on the couch, letting his eyes slip close; he was too exhausted to get up and go to his room. Once again, he had been overworked and forced to dance and sing until way past midnight. Yet the managers had pushed him around even as he struggled to get into the van.

His body ached. Every last muscle.

Just as he was slipping into unconsciousness, he heard a door click closed. He decided to ignore it, figuring it was Changmin or someone else coming out for a drink of water. But, instead, he heard a low whisper from a familiar voice. “Jaejoong-ah?”

Immediately, his eyes opened, and he looked to his right, where the hallway was. Yunho, dressed in a white wife beater and his boxers, stared at Jaejoong sleepily. “I was wondering when you were going to get home, hyung.” He paused, taking in Jaejoong’s state. “Did they do it again?”

Jaejoong nodded numbly, tears welling up in his tired eyes. The abuse from the staff was starting to get to him emotionally, but he knew that he couldn’t cry in front of his lover. He was the older one, and he wasn’t allowed to show weakness. Only the maknae was.

And he only cried if you took his food away.

Yunho frowned, and joined Jaejoong on the couch in the dimly lit living room. He wrapped an arm around Jaejoong’s sore shoulders and put his other hand on Jaejoong’s thigh, kissing him on the forehead lightly. “You can cry. It’ll be okay,” Yunho whispered soothingly.

And that’s when Jaejoong lost it.

All of the emotions he had felt; being overworked, constantly feeling miserable, hiding it all for the fans, being majorly stalked by some of their Korean saesang fans. Everything came out in those ten minutes of sobbing into Yunho’s chest. He was so warm, even if Jaejoong was more dressed than him.

When he was done, he hiccupped, followed by a sniffle. “Okay. I’m done.”

Yunho gave him a disbelieving look. “Are you sure you’re finished?”

Jaejoong nodded, feeling like he had control over his emotions for the moment. Yunho smiled and they kissed on the lips. Jaejoong rested his head on Yunho and whimpered, “Can you sleep with me tonight?” hoping he’d get a yes, even if his bed was really only fit for one.

Yunho smiled. “Of course I will. Come on, we have a photoshoot tomorrow,” he whispered deeply in Jaejoong’s ear, Yunho’s hot breath tickling it as he spoke.

They stood up from their position on the couch, Yunho turning off the television as Jaejoong shuffled absentmindedly to his bedroom. Yunho followed closely behind, and since Jaejoong was dressed in sweats, he didn’t even bother changing; just plopped down on the bed.

Yunho had to put a fan on him before he climbed under the covers, wrapping his arms around his already unconscious lover. “I’m sorry, Jaejoong-ah.”

~*~

Things only got worse for Jaejoong. But it wasn’t just targeting him anymore, though. When he came home one day from a meeting with a manager, he found Junsu sobbing into Yoochun’s lap as Yoochun gave the other a worn, sad look. He didn’t even look up when Jaejoong entered the dorm.

Soon, though, all three of them were involved.

And if Jaejoong didn’t stop this, Yunho and Changmin were next.

So he finally gathered the courage after a sleepless night. He woke up a sleepy Junsu and exhausted Yoochun so they could get to the building and talk to Soo Man before their schedules began. They made sure Yunho and Changmin didn’t even flinch in their bedrooms before they walked out together, ready to fix this issue.

No saesangs were out today; a surprising miracle. They needed this day to themselves.

They were welcomed by their hoobaes at the SM building; bowed to, greeted properly. They really did have good manners, and Jaejoong could just tell they were talented. And, soon, since DBSK was most likely about to fall apart, they might even debut.

Junsu and Yoochun were silent, standing close to each other as Jaejoong asked the secretary sitting at her desk, typing away, if Soo Man was open. After she opened a window and typed some more, she said that they could go up there. He thanked her quickly, ushering the others behind him as they got in the elevator up to the second floor, where his office was.

Jaejoong couldn’t believe he was about to do this.

He was going to regret it.

But he had to.

He promised Junsu and Yoochun this would stop, and whether that would mean leaving Changmin and Yunho, it would be better than facing this almost every day. Jaejoong used that as motivation as he knocked on Soo Man’s door that morning. He heard Junsu whimper behind him, “I’m scared,” but he ignored him, as the door opened and Lee Soo Man’s unamused face appeared. “Yes, boys?”

“Soo Man-sshi,” Jaejoong growled, trying to hide his fear with confidence. “We need to talk.”

Soo Man raised an eyebrow, but opened his door for the three to step in. “Take a seat.”

~*~

Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yoochun vowed to keep the mess they had made from Yunho and Changmin until they went to court. It started out normal, but when the three had asked for a change, Soo Man had said either they deal with it, or they go to court and just try to beat them with a lawsuit.

So, that led to the beginning or a long and painful process.

They had kept the constant meetings on the down low; just because they were hiding it, they said they were going to mandatory practices for dance. They were suspicious due to Junsu, but they didn’t question it. Constantly, they would get called for a talk with their lawyers or Soo Man, who hated their guts for leaving.

Jaejoong couldn’t pull himself to feel anything but numb.

However, the whole process was bringing Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong closer than Jaejoong had even thought possible. He didn’t realize how reluctant he was with them until the entire thing. The problem was… because of this, Yunho and Changmin were becoming distant.

It was 9:07 pm when the trio walked through the dorm door, slipping their shoes off. Changmin was fast asleep on the couch, and Yunho was sitting at the dinner table on his laptop. When they walked through, though, he didn’t look pleased. “Another practice, huh?”

His tone gave away his suspicion instantly.

Jaejoong nodded weakly. “Yeah.”

Yunho “hmph”ed, returning back to his laptop. Normally, he would stand up and give Jaejoong a kiss and ask how his day was. But, today, he was acting completely unlike himself. Jaejoong ignored the wary looks his dongsaengs were giving him because of Yunho’s behavior. “I’ll be in my room,” he explained hoarsely, clearing his throat and scurrying to his room.

He didn’t see Yunho or anyone else for hours. Jaejoong lay on his back, his bed unmade underneath him, watching the ceiling fan above him turn slowly, as it was off. He kept his eyes on one, watching it spin in a never ending circle, until, finally, it stopped moving altogether.

Somehow, he felt that resembled both his career and his relationship. It kept going, and it was going strong, and then suddenly it slows down and goes to a stop. He wasn’t so sure about the Yunho thing, but he knew for sure that he would be out of his career for a while.

Soo Man was not taking this lightly.

It was around midnight when his bedroom door opened. His light didn’t get to help see, which would’ve been the case for everyone except… Yunho.

He hesitated, but Jaejoong saw him—out of his peripheral—shut the door and turn on a lamp, just so it was at least dimly lit in his room. Jaejoong looked over at Yunho, who had a concerned look in his eye as he studied Jaejoong. “Are you sure you’re okay? All three of you look so worn out, and Junsu snapped at me for being rude…” he trailed off.

Jaejoong shrugged, but inside he was clawing at his ribs.

He decided to sit up, but he was hunched over and he fiddled with his hands like he was washing them in a sink, a weird habit he had. “I’m fine, I guess… just a little sleep deprived is all.”

Yunho’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”

Jaejoong flinched, and was scared to meet Yunho’s eyes. So he kept his head downcast. Only when Yunho crouched in front of him did their eyes meet, and Jaejoong’s welled with tears. He couldn’t help that sometimes. “How did you know?”

“Baby, you’re like a pane of glass sometimes,” Yunho chuckled, caressing Jaejoong’s cheek. He suppressed a smile, but soon sniffled and his mouth turned into a frown. Yunho frowned as well, before speaking again. “Do you want to go take a walk?”

Jaejoong and Yunho had a thing for walking. They could vent, talk, and do anything they wanted, all accompanied by the beautiful outer skirts of Seoul. They went on walks so much that the other three barely saw them sit down. But, lately, they hadn’t walked at all.

Nodding numbly, Jaejoong stood up from his bed and tidied himself up a bit. Even if it was almost one in the morning, that didn’t really matter. They had walked everywhere between 4 am to past midnight, so they were used to sneaking out and doing this.

Luckily, everyone had gone to sleep (someone had put a blanket over Changmin on the couch), so Jaejoong and Yunho didn’t have to answer any questions, even if everyone could predict where they were  going. Either way, it was dead silent as they stepped into their shoes and slipped out the door, unnoticed.

~*~

Yunho’s smile was radiant; it was one of the many things Jaejoong loved about him. Every person has their flaws, but Jaejoong was convinced that, since Yunho’s flaws were so small, he was perfect. So when Yunho smiled at him, taking Jaejoong’s hand in his as they strolled across the deserted sidewalk, he couldn’t help but remember that his perfect lover was right next to him.

With the moon, a small crescent, shining brightly above them, they walked across the sidewalk, out of the area with their dorm. Barely anyone was walking, too, but they still walked across a more secluded sidewalk, just so they were judged less for holding hands. The weather was perfect; a soft breeze, not even strong enough to mess up Jaejoong’s hair, blew through, cooling Jaejoong and Yunho’s faces.

They talked for a while about nothing that would matter in a few hours; schedules, Junsu, Changmin raiding the pantry, everything. But when Yunho started swinging Jaejoong’s arm with his and made noises of uncertainty, Jaejoong knew something was up.

And, by the reason that Yunho asked him to walk, he knew what that something was.

Yunho must’ve built up the courage to speak in their somewhat comfortable silence. “I’m sure this is probably really private, and you might’ve even been told not to tell me or Changmin, but we’re both really concerned, and we need to know what’s going on,” he explained, the smile leaving his face immediately.

Jaejoong didn’t speak. In fact, he had been told to keep his mouth shut. But Yunho was his lover… he didn’t deserve to have things hidden from him. “If I tell you, do you promise to keep your mouth shut, even to Changmin? He can find out later,” Jaejoong sighed, rolling his shoulders out with his hand still in Yunho’s.

Yunho nodded. “I promise.”

Jaejoong spilled everything. The mistreatment, how Junsu and Yoochun were getting it bad as well, going to Soo Man’s office, the lawsuit, the possible contract termination… everything left Jaejoong’s mouth, and by the time he was finished, he was sobbing into Yunho’s warm, strong arms, a reoccurring process since that first dance practice.

When Jaejoong was done—both with the story and crying—Yunho, face still pale, didn’t say a word. Jaejoong wiped his face clean of dried tears, trying to avoid eye contact with his frozen lover, but eventually he cracked. “Please say something.”

Yunho swallowed audibly hard. “Does this mean...”

“Yeah. The three of us won’t be in DBSK anymore if this goes right. It’ll be just you and Changmin. I’m sorry, Yunho. I love you so much, and I don’t want this to separate us. But the treatment… it’s too much…” Jaejoong choked out, wanting to cry again but holding it back.

Yunho nodded weakly. “I know, baby. I understand. I’m so proud of you for standing up to them,” he whispered, pulling Jaejoong into a tight hug. They didn’t pull away as Yunho finished. “And even if the band is split, that doesn’t mean we will, right? I’ll just see you less.”

“Yeah,” Jaejoong agreed. He and Yunho both pulled away at once. “We can still make tons of time for each other. And not being together constantly might be a good thing. Less fights and other things… It’s just, I’ll miss you,” Jaejoong admitted with a sad sigh.

“I know. I’ll miss you too,” Yunho replied, and they hugged once more before walking back home. Tomorrow they found out the date of the trial beginning.

And the possible termination of Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu from SM for good.

~*~

It was raining on the day of the trial, six days later. Changmin and Yunho weren’t allowed to come; the trial was private, apparently. Nothing but the three, some representatives from SM Entertainment, and the judge. The leader and the maknae were both still in pajamas, but both watching the TV eagerly for updates.

When they got one, though, they frowned.

“Today was day one of the big brawl between SM Entertainment and three members of popular band Dong Bang Shin Ki; Kim Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu,” the announcer on the news stated.

“Turn it up, Changmin,” Yunho ordered quietly to the maknae, who had the remote. The television was turned up, and the report continued.

“Kim, Micky, and Xiah have claims of mistreatment from their company and demand that their contracts be terminated as soon as possible. They were put on trial. Their answer could take months, maybe even years,” the announcer explained.

Then it switched to a fancam, no doubt from a saesang. It was the three of them walking out of the court, sunglasses over their eyes and suits on their bodies. Junsu waved a couple times, as did Yoochun, but Jaejoong didn’t do a thing. In fact, he pushed right through his fans to the black van.

Yunho raised an eyebrow. That was unlike him.

The announcer continued. “Although the trial has barely started, the three were demanded by CEO of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo Man, to move out of the Dong Bang Shin Ki dorm immediately, leaving other members, U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin, alone.”

Yunho felt butterflies well up in his stomach. He felt sick. They already had to move out?

This was moving too fast.

He couldn’t handle it.

~*~

Two months passed. Yunho was tired. Jaejoong was exhausted. Nobody was sleeping at night. Everyone, even the fans, were on edge. It didn’t even seem like Jaejoong wanted to leave anymore, but that decision had been made.

The trial was still being held, but they had reached a decision, although unfinished. Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yoochun were leaving DBSK and going to do other activities until a new company would take them. However, Lee Soo Man didn’t let them unscatched. Not only were they kicked out, but they were also banned from promoting on every music show in South Korea.

Yunho thought this was going too far.

He saw Jaejoong later that day after Changmin and Yunho requested that they could see them. All of them had bags under their eyes, dressed in casual clothing, and looked like they would drop in seconds. Changmin focused on Yoochun and Junsu, while Yunho’s eyes were on Jaejoong.

He looked worst; his bags were purple, his skin was paling, and he was noticeably skinnier since two months ago. It worried Yunho so much, but he knew that this would be their last communication through allowed entertainment company services. They said no more after this.

And it was only a few seconds.

After Yunho said his goodbyes to Yoochun and Junsu, he turned to Jaejoong, who was about to start crying. “Hey,” Yunho said softly, kissing him softly on the forehead. “Don’t cry. It’s not like you’ll never see me or I’m going to the army,” he reminded Jaejoong.

“I know, but… I’ll just miss seeing you so often,” Jaejoong choked, a tear sliding down his warm cheeks. Yunho wiped it off with his thumb and crashed his lips against Jaejoong’s, sharing one last passionate kiss before the trio was taken away. Jaejoong pulled away when he absolutely needed to breathe, and that took more than a minute.

All three of them were more or less shoved into the black van by managers. Jaejoong and Yunho made hearts with their hands to each other, but that was it. No other communication. The managers got in and drove the car away.

Changmin and Yunho were silent. Realization hit Yunho like a ton of bricks, and it was so powerful that he felt a single tear slide down his cheek. He didn’t wipe it; his arms felt like led at his sides. He wanted to start wailing, but he couldn’t. He had to stay strong for Changmin, his maknae.

The only member he truly had left.

After a deflated sigh, Yunho wrapped his arm around Changmin’s shoulders, who was crying, too. “We’ll be okay, Changmin. We’ll be okay.”

~*~

Even almost two years after the split, Changmin and Yunho were depressed. Not as much as at first, but every once in a while they would talk about Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong, who were now a separate group called JYJ. Changmin and Yunho had to keep DBSK alive for them.

No matter how much it hurt.

So that’s exactly what they did when they had a concert in Japan. It was February and still chilly, but the stadium was so packed that the guards had to turn on the AC and pull out multiple huge fans. Changmin and Yunho worked as hard they could, the two of them, the cheer of Cassies pulling them all together.

Their last song before the concert ended, I Don’t Know, started playing, and even though Yunho was exhausted, they weren’t done yet. He pulled out his energy into making his moves smooth and clean. Changmin did, too, and when the song was over, the crowd erupted.

“We did good, hyung!” Changmin whispered, covering his mic with one hand while the other gripped Yunho’s. They raised their entertwined hands and bowed deeply. Changmin took his hand off. “We love you, Japan!”

After some more screams, they ran off stage and were wiped down with damp cloths and removed of their tight, hot, leather clothing. When Yunho was in just a wife beater and his leather pants, he grabbed a bottle of water from a noona and gulped it down. Changmin was still getting tended to.

Yunho felt someone tap him on the shoulder, so he turned around, almost jumping back into the wall when he saw who it was. His hair, formerly long and blonde, was now cut short and dyed black. He looked much healthier and less sleep deprived; in fact, he looked happy. “You were amazing, Yunho-ah.”

“Jaejoong!” Yunho cried, pulling him into a tight hug. He couldn’t help it, but he burst into tears in only seconds. Jaejoong wrapped his arms around Yunho’s waist, starting to cry as well. Yunho began planting kisses along Jaejoong’s temple, down to his jaw. “I missed you so much,” he breathed between kisses.

Jaejoong chuckled and snuggled his head into Yunho’s neck. “You don’t have to tell me. It’s pretty obvious,” he laughed lightly. Yunho grinned, sniffling and wiping his tears quickly, so no one else saw.

“Where are the others?”

“Junsu and Yoochun? Ah, they couldn’t make it,” Jaejoong explained. “They had to go re-record a song back in Korea. A stupid new guy lost their files, but mine survived. So, since I had a day of break and some money, I flew here to see you perform. You guys were great,” he complimented.

“It’d be better if you three were still here,” Yunho grumbled, frowning.

Jaejoong shrugged. “At least you’re still together and going strong. We’re slowly getting ripped apart by saesangs. It’s driving us up the wall,” he groaned, running a hand through his short hair.

“Jaejoong-sshi!” Both Yunho and Jaejoong’s heads whipped around at the sound of a man unknown to Yunho, but obviously familiar to Jaejoong. “A fan has spotted you. We have to go. Say your goodbyes now.”

Yunho paused, unsure of what to say. “Did you already talk to Changmin?”

Jaejoong nodded. “While you were catching your breath earlier, yeah.”

“Well… I guess this is it. Will you visit me later?” Yunho asked, hopeful.

“If I can get some time, of course.” After a heartfelt kiss goodbye and a some words, Jaejoong was ushered away into a van. Yunho waved sadly, sighing as he watched his lover leave the stadium to go join the other two back in Korea.

~*~

“Jaejoong-ah?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Will you love me forever?”

“Always.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what.”

“Jaejoong-ah?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll miss you.”

“I know. I’ll miss you too.”

~*~

One of the longest one-shots I've ever written. Pretty proud of this thing, tbh. Now I have homework to do. xD

Please comment~ I worked hard~

<3