Yunho stopped at a red light. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead thinking back on his last argument with Changmin.

"I'm out of TVXQ!" the maknae had declared.

I can't blame him. Yunho bit his lip bitterly. Jaejoongie, what should I do? I feel weak. I'm a bad leader. I wasn't able to keep the three of you, now I can't even keep Changmin in the group.

Jaejoongie, what should I do? If you were here, I know you'd be able to handle this. I wish you were here, Joongie.

The traffic light flashed green and Yunho stepped down on the gas pedal. He turned to a narrow lane that has been his shortcut way back since he first learned how to drive. Yunho smiled to himself. He found the shortcut by accident. It was his turn to drive for the group when they got lost.

"Hyung, where are we going?" Junsu had asked him. He was in the passenger seat since he drove before Yunho's turn.

"I don't know where this is," Yoochun had said, looking around the quiet neighborhood.

"I believe we are lost," Changmin had stated matter-of-factly, saying the words Yunho had feared most.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Yunho had stuttered, unable to keep guilt undercover. "I think I made the wrong turn."

"You did make a wrong turn," Changmin had said haughtily. "Geez."

"Keep it cool, guys," Jaejoong had suddenly piped up, they all thought he was asleep. "Getting lost can be fun. Let's have fun then. Why don't you turn left at the next corner, Yunho?"

It wasn't a guarantee for home, but the dongsaengs have believed him still. They always have, even if Jaejoong sometimes wounds them up in a worse situation. He did get them all the more lost that night, but he laughed it off like a child. Changmin has had enough of Jaejoong's aimless directions and finally remembered that there was a map in the compartment.

Yunho drove steadily, shaking the memory off. It made him feel lonely, and lonely is the last thing he wanted to feel at the moment. He clenched his jaw and gripped the steering wheel while reciting his mantra. "I am a good leader. I am a good leader. I am a good..."

His voice trailed off when he noticed someone on the sidewalk. Someone who doesn't quite blend in. Someone in a hamtaro suit. It was hot as day and Yunho wondered why anyone would wear a jumpsuit. He chuckled to himself and drove on. He spared the hamtaro guy one last look at the rearview mirror. The hamtaro guy looked lost and directionless, looking at one direction to another. He was sweating and tired, so he took off his hood. Yunho smashed his foot on the brake.

Joongie! Why is he here!? Without hesitation hee turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. He put on his baseball cap to conceal himself from keen eyes. Jaejoong has his hands on his head, his face contorted in what seems to be pain. People started giving him sideway glances, unable to recognize him with all the dirt on his face. Yunho walked hurriedly, keeping his collar up to keep fans from spotting him. They can't recognize him. But I know it's him. It can only be him!

A sinister man in his 40's is hovering near Jaejoong, whispering something. Yunho quickened his pace to reach Jaejoong before trouble arises. It isn't the first time men have hovered around Jaejoong, thinking he was a girl. It also isn't the first time Yunho comes in to the rescue.

"So what do you say, missy? Let me bring you to the hospital," the man grabbed Jaejoong's shoulder gently. Jaejoong looked up innocently, confusion all over his face.

"Hey," Yunho pulled Jaejoong in his direction. "Back off. He's a HE."

The man sniggered and went away muttering something Yunho couldn't hear. People looked at Yunho strangely before shuffling back to their daily activities.

"Joongie, are you all right?" Yunho asked in a hushed tone. He turned Jaejoong around so he can face him. "Why are you here? Where's Yoochun?"

Jaejoong's eyes grew wide as he looked at Yunho's face. "Y-you- agh!" He screwed his eyes shut and put his hands back on his head. He knelt to the ground as jumbled images spinned in his head uncontrollably.

"Joongie!" Yunho dropped to one knee. "What's wrong-"

"Away!" Jaejoong pushed him away and dashed off. Yunho was quick to recover and ran after the guy in the hamtaro suit.

***

Yunho have been running for hours, trying to keep Jaejoong in his line of vision.

Man, he's still fast. He put his hands on his knees and bent down to rest. He's in a playground, and the setting sun has bathed everything in an orange caramel glow. Suddenly he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and he turned around to see Jaejoong darting off towards a highway. Yunho's heart took a turn when he saw Jaejoong turn to the pedestrian road with only a few seconds on the clock. "Stop! Joongie!"

Jaejoong tried to run as fast as he can but his legs gave out under him. Blurred faces started swimming in his head, unknown voices whispering in his ears. His head throbbed and he felt his world spinning. He started to fall down in the middle of the road as he saw the pedestrian signal turn red and a truck in full acceleration screeching to a halt when the driver saw him in the way. Jaejoong felt his consciousness leave him and he closed his eyes.

The truck driver stepped desperately on the brake, praying to all gods he knew to stop the truck from crushing the person in the middle of the road.

Yunho forced his legs to run faster as he saw the truck getting close to hitting Jaejoong's body. With all his might he scooped Jaejoong and pushed their bodies in the direction of the sidewalk. He closed his eyes when he saw the truck bumper right in front of him, their bodies about to collide with it.

***

Oh crap, now I'm literally dead. Yunho opened his eyes slowly, unsure if he's still alive. He tasted dust in his mouth and he immediately rose on all fours to spit the taste out. He wiped his tongue inelegantly on his sleeve and began picking on the leaves that got stuck on his shirt. He was dusting off his baseball cap which landed a few meters away when he heard low moans.

Shoot, Joongie! He ran towards Jaejoong who was lying face down near a set of swings. I'm back in the playground, Yunho thought when he recognized the surroundings. He heard someone call out if they were fine and he replied, in a big voice and his face turned down, that they were okay and that there was nothing to worry about. When he was sure no one's looking, Yunho turned Jaejoong around and wiped dirt off the latter's face. "Come on, Jaejoong, I'll bring you home," he whispered before putting Jaejoong's hood on his head and standing up with the unconscious hamtaro guy in his arms.

 ***

Yunho drove in silence, not too fast and careful on the road to not wake Jaejoong, who was asleep in the passenger seat. Despite the dirty suit and face, Yunho can tell without a doubt that it's Jaejoong beside him.

"Yah, Jaejoongah," he said to the sleeping person. "Why are you all dirty? Did you play in the mud? If you are the Jaejoong I knew, you would scream with all that dirt on you. You should look at your hair, it's all matted and soiled."

Jaejoong snored softly, not hearing the other man's dialogue.

"So you changed back to black, huh," Yunho went on, referring to Jaejoong's hair. "It suits you well. It has always suit you. I liked it the most. It reminds me of our Rising Sun days. You had long black hair, and it was the first time I saw you look like a girl. Remember Dangerous Love?" Yunho laughed, recalling funnier days. "Yeah," he said with nostalgia in his voice.

Just then Jaejoong started coughing uncontrollably. Yunho parked the car on a layaway and fumbled in the glove compartment for a roll of tissue. He put a piece under Jaejoong's mouth as the latter started wheezing.

"Jaejoongah!" Yunho's voice rang with alarm, panic rising in his chest. "Oi, Jaejoong!"

Jaejoong grabbed Yunho's hand and coughed in the tissue he was holding out. He held Yunho for a while before collapsing back on the seat. Yunho stared frightfully at the blood in the tissue he was holding.

"Joongie!"

"Ch-chunnie," Jaejoong muttered weakly. "Chunnie...I want to sleep, Chunnie-ah."

"Jaejoongah, it's me, Yunho."

Jaejoong's eyes fluttered open. He turned towards Yunho's voice in uncertainty, his vision unfocused. "Yunho?" he repeated slowly.

Yunho smiled encouragingly. "Yes, Jaejoong, it's Yunho."

"Yunhoyah." The sound of the word made Yunho happy. Only Jaejoong calls him by that name, the same way only he calls the other Jaejoongie.

"Joongie, I thought I'd lose you again."

"Why?" Jaejoong frowned. "Where did I go? I was in my room, Yunhoyah, composing a new song for Dong Bang Shin Ki. I told you I will just be in my room, don't you remember? Ask Junsu, he came by awhile ago to help me."

It was now Yunho's turn to frown, but he decided to gamble with a lie. "Jaejoongie, you weren't in your room, that's why I came looking for you."

"You never looked for me, Yunhoyah," Jaejoong turned back at the windshield, his eyes starting to close again. "You never called. You never sent a message," Jaejoong's voice started to regain its old lustre, bringing chills up Yunho's back. It's starting to sound like the old, strong, and headstrong Jaejoong. "You even had a song for us, what did you call it again? Yes." Jaejoong's eyes opened and looked at Yunho menacingly, with a glint that wasn't there awhile ago. "Keep your head down, is that right?"

Yunho swallowed. What's happening? He found it difficult to speak, but most of all he found it hard to look away from Jaejoong's gaze. I know those eyes. I know that glint.

"Is that right!?" Jaejoong demanded loudly Yunho had no choice but to nod in agreement. "I thought so. I wonder, how were you able to keep up with just the two of you?" Jaejoong grinned devilishly. "You see, Yunho, we had a promise. DBSK was a name for five people, not two. But nah-uh-uh," Jaejoong wagged his pointer before Yunho's face. "Three people kept the faith, but two people broke the promise. They even sang songs which weren't theirs."

Yunho felt guilt stab him in the chest. "Jaejoong, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Oh no no no, Yunho, that's nothing." Jaejoong pushed his face a few inches in front of Yunho's and bared his teeth as if het had fangs. He grabbed Yunho's neck with one strong hand and started strangling him.

"Joongie," Yunho sputtered out. The dream, it's coming true!

"Do you think sorry can bring everything back! After everything JYJ had to go through, do you think sorry is enough!?" Jaejoong growled like a rabid animal, the anger and bitterness reaching a level Yunho had never seen before. "We waited and kept our doors open for you, faced shame and anger from old friends who turned their backs on us, and what did you do? You shut your door in our faces, sang the songs I wrote, and accused us of greed for money. And all you have to say is sorry!?"

Yunho tried prying away Jaejoong's fingers but they were clenched tight. Joongie, I can't breathe. Please, let me explain.

"Sorry!? All you have to say is sorry!?" Jaejoong pushed Yunho down on his seat, his hands still on the latter's neck, his grip getting tighter.

"J-Joongie p-please-" Yunho's lungs started to hurt. He was about to lose consciousness when he felt Jaejoong's fingers loosen. Yunho took deep breaths and tried refocusing his blurrying sight when he felt Jaejoong collapse on his chest. Jaejoongie, I'm really sorry. If only you knew. And Yunho began to cry.

***

An hour of driving later, Yunho wiped his eyes one last time, put on the mask of the leader that everyone is familiar with, and pressed the doorbell. When Yoochun opened the door, he kept a straight face.

"Yunho!" Yoochun exclaimed, clearly not expecting him. His eyes moved to the unconscious Jaejoong in Yunho's arms.

"I found him," Yunho stated straightly, and for the first time, he was proud of himself.