Chapter 21: Problems Before the Storm

"Junsu!" Jaejoong yelled out as he burst through that hospital door of Junsu's room taking long strides to get to his bedside. It took him about two seconds to realize that Yoochun was also there, just standing still, staring silently at the unconscious man. He suddenly slowed down, realizing that the unthinkable might have occurred. Did Yoochun find out? It was that question that bugged him for that moment in time. It was all too quiet and yet, neither one of them spoke.

"Which Junsu are you looking for Jae?" Yoochun finally asked as he placed a towel over Junsu's eyes. He did so because of the fact that he wanted to hide the evidence of knowing this man’s identity. "The existent or the non-existent? In which case, they are both here, and, yet, I only see one person."

"Yoochun! I can explain!" Jaejoong suddenly just said so that the man in front of him wouldn't misunderstand.

“Why?” it was all that Yoochun could ask. “Why?” his question became louder, almost screamed out. “So you can make a fool out of me more?”

“No! Yoochun, don’t misunderstand!” the blonde haired man could only reply as quickly as he could think. He couldn’t let this guy get even more depressed and make the situation even worse.

“We only kept it from you because—“

“No, Jaejoong. No,” Yoochun calmly interrupted him. “Don’t answer. Don’t explain to me. Don’t give me excuses or reasons. It’s been only been week and my life’s a ing mess and I can’t help but think you brought this upon me!”

“It needs to be answered! You’re already starting to misunderstand!”

"Then let me misunderstand!" the blue eyed man said with a troubled face. “I’m not going to do anything rash. We’re not kids anymore.”

"I want you to understand—!"

“I’ve calmed down, Jaejoong. I’ve accepted it. I knew. So I had time to think things over. I don’t need a week or a month to understand a whole lot of things. I know so don’t mess with me and my head any longer.”

Jaejoong was interrupted as he spoke. He didn’t like it one bit. There were too many questions he wanted to ask. When? How? Why? And as much as he hated being cut off from his questions, he paused himself for a brief moment to pay attention to what it was in front of him. Yoochun, who never even looked at his face, at that moment, pulled out a piece of paper and abruptly held it an inch away in front of his eyes.

"This morning when both of us went to Junsu's apartment, I saw something," Yoochun continued to talk as he still held the note he read from the start of the day. “And tell you what, Jae, I believe it more than your words right now. I don’t need any more lies to cover up the truth.”

It took Jaejoong a few moments to respond as he tried to read the words written on that piece of paper. His confused look turned into a frown seconds later. The truth was stated here and he won’t defend this false fact they’ve been hiding all along.

"Are you kidding me?" Jaejoong laughed at the unbelievable mistake.

"I'm not going to freak out or get mad like this morning," Yoochun managed to reply even though he tried to keep his anger and frustration. "I was about to chase down your car to hear an explanation but I’m no superman. I would have failed drastically. And if you’re going to explain right now, I don’t need it. I simply don’t care for it right about now."

"Sorry,” Jaejoong could only say. “I’m so sorry. But you need to understand—!” Jaejoong was cut off yet again by Yoochun’s snapping temper.

“, Jaejoong!” Yoochun cursed. “I know! I know. I know and , I know.” He kept on repeating those words just so the man beside him wouldn’t dare speak. “As much as maybe this is for the better that I didn’t know, I don’t understand why you couldn’t just tell me earlier on! Am I just a fool to be toyed around with? Is that what it is?”

“Not once did we ever think that way!” Jaejoong tried to explain to the frustrated man beside him. “We only wanted to protect you! It’s just that Junsu…he—“ Yoochun with his fist at his side ready to punch the insensitive man, gave Jaejoong a rude shove back and turned to Junsu once again. But right after he did that, he felt a little bit remorseful.

“Sorry.” It was the only thing he could say out loud at that moment in time.

“Alright! Alright. Fine! I get it.” Jaejoong replied to him as he raised both his hands up in surrender. He didn’t have the right to get angry at Yoochun. It was only normal for a person to act like that after this stupid charade and so he sighed and changed the subject. Once both of them got a bit of a breather, he finally spoke to the other with a calm tone as he got himself together.

“He won't talk to you now that you know this secret, you know that right?" he told him the truth bluntly.

"Then don't tell him that I know his identity," Yoochun replied with also a straight forward answer. “I want to straighten out some things. If I let go now, it feels as if I'm letting go of something important. For now, at least, we can be friends."

After hearing the word friends, Jaejoong almost burst out laughing from disbelief. “Friends huh? After the guy confesses his deepest feelings of ‘I love you’ to you, you told him to off. Then later on apologize and suggest, let’s be friends? Are you sane?” Jaejoong ranted out loud unconsciously and by the time he realized he was talking out loud, he was too late. He finished his whole thought and out loud too. He looked at Yoochun who just stood there staring at him awestruck as if he too just realized his stupidity.

“No offense,” Jaejoong covered his mouth. He didn’t want to start a fight with this guy anymore.

“I didn’t mean it like that…” Yoochun confessed. “I need some time to think. Right now, I just wanted to apologize for the things I've said. I was unreasonable and acted out of my own selfish vengeance. But I don’t even know why I’m thinking about these things. My mind is telling me to push him away and to hate him but in reality, it feels like for some reason, I've... accepted...him?”

“Hate him for what Yoochun?” Jaejoong asked him. “Hate him…Blame him for your ruined past when he totally had nothing to do with it but you did with his. You're using him as an entity to let go of your hate for your deceased mother? Or are you just using this reason so that you can run away from this scary feeling called love?”

And those were his exact reasons. Yoochun knew about it. He grew up hating those men in their high class suits and their ‘I love money’ attitude. And Junsu as he pictured him to be was the exact image of them. But over time, his ideals and point of view started to change. And what he thought was the absolute truth became false. How was he supposed to get revenge for his mother who died because of some selfish deed? Just days of spending time with Junsu especially at the beach that day, he couldn’t help but have this feeling of closeness to the man. He didn’t want that and so all he could think of was push him away. Fed up with the tension, Yoochun sighed and as a replacement took a big breath in.

“You know what's frightening Jaejoong?" Yoochun continued. "Besides me thinking about loving him, the scariest thought is about time healing my hatred or this love that you speak of that will make me forgive the people responsible for the death of my mother. I don't want to forget and I don't want to stop hating. For my mother, I'm not going to let go of this hate. I will continue to hate and despise for the things they've done to her..." Yoochun clenched his fist and looked down. "Let’s drop this conversation. I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” he finally said out loud as he hung his head loose. “Here, it’s his glasses. I took it off so it doesn’t seem like he’s in a weird get up. I want to leave before he wakes up so time’s up for me. See you whenever.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Jaejoong replied calmly stopping all those thoughts that ran through Yoochun’s head as he was about to take a step to leave. “I just wanted you to realize some things you couldn’t see. Yesterday, when you and that drunk Junsu spoke, you didn’t even consider any of your feelings or his. You casually let go of the words ‘I hate you’ just because of some stupid man who was rich made your life horrible. For you to make Junsu cry that much— I mean, wow! Junsu rarely cries. And for him to cry…I can’t help but feel concerned.”

“I don’t know, Jaejoong!” Yoochun abruptly reacted to his words. “I don’t know. It’s my own reaction that just happens when… I don’t know…”

“Of course you don’t! You left this morning hating on him when he said he loved you and now, you’re thinking up of excuses because you simply want to talk to him again. Figure out what the you want because I’m sick and tired of this bull.”

“You make me sound like I’m such a selfish person, Jae,” Yoochun complained silently. And with a weak exhausted sigh, he leaned back on the wall adjacent to the door. “When I first met him, I wanted to smother his face down on the ground called reality because of his spoiled life. I’ve always had a bias about ‘his’ and 'your' kind. So at that moment, I wanted to befriend him and yet again, I wanted to get away from him. I wanted to hate him and yet I’m here all worried that he’s hurt. The feelings inside me are too contradicting that I’m getting confused! He wasn't what I expected him to be. I was dead set on hating him, closing my heart to everything else but the truth. I missed the man he truly was.”

Jaejoong could only question Yoochun’s feelings. This guy was in obvious denial. Of course, he was no God. He was only telling him the things that were painstakingly obvious and yet, however, was not seen by this dense man.

“I did try to hate the both of you know,” Yoochun again confessed the plain truth. “I tried to hate the both of you, but I just couldn’t. Every time I saw Junsu, I just wanted to protect him and if I saw him in trouble, I couldn’t help but come to his aid. But now that I think about it, I feel like a fool because he protected me more than I protected him. Right from the first day I met him, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of both the Junsu's I’ve met. But because I gave in to that feeling, look where I am now! My life’s upside down.”

“Well then, I’ll apologize in his place for making a mess of things,” Jaejoong told him.

“And even though you say that and even though I have nothing to do with you guys anymore…” Yoochun hesitated to say what he was about to say next, “I can’t help but care about Junsu!”

“Then what is Junsu to you?” Jaejoong emphasized that question to him. “You care about him so much that your puffed up eyes tell me that you cried for him when he passed out,” Jaejoong told him. “You care for him so much that you can’t even take your eyes off of him until he has opened his eyes and made sure that he's alright."

“Shut up, Jae,” he looked away so that the man wouldn’t say out loud what he secretly feels. “I was worried for a… friend.”

“So a friend, huh?”

“That’s the best description I can give as of now. I'm in the process learning how to love someone or learning how to be loved.”

“Park Yoochun, you are terribly in love with him.”

“Ye--, No, I’m not!” Yoochun unconsciously answered at that statement. But he managed to catch himself before he was able to say something so weird and give an answer. So again, he quickly shot those words down as soon as he processed those words in his head. “You’re pushing these feelings on to me again. Give me time.”

“You need to face the facts and stop denying the inevitable. In your head you have the answers but you just don’t want to look because you’re too stubborn! You feel like you’re giving it your all, but you’re not even giving half the effort Junsu has placed out. At least make it seem like you are trying in my eyes.”

“I am trying! Look at where I am now! I’m blurting out 1000 words per minute when I used to not even care to talk!” Yoochun exaggeratedly spoke out loud with his voice full of disbelief. “I even befriended these things that I ing hate!”

“Hate towards my kind?” Jaejoong scoffed at the statement. “You hate when you can’t even resent both Junsu and I. Please Yoochun, anyone can talk. Even a baby can make sounds. So, can you even compare?”

“I don’t understand Jaejoong. I ing don’t understand what’s so special about you two that’s enough to mess up the flow of my life,” Yoochun ranted his feelings out in these words.

“Why do I even get bothered?” Jaejoong scoffed as he turned around to get something from the table across the room. “I was going to deliver this to you,” he said as he walked back to Yoochun handing him an envelope. “It’s an invitation. Since you’re not getting it at all, I’d rather much show you tonight. Promise me not to run away.”

“An invitation to what?” Yoochun asked. “A grand party,” Jaejoong replied with that sarcastic tone.

“This is the party at the Kims, isn’t it?” Yoochun questioned once again. “What are you thinking? I’ll only get kicked out.”

“This is Junsu’s fight,” Jaejoong answered him. “This is your last chance to make a final decision of how things will end up. He’s about to disappear from your life completely, Yoochun. He’s completely going to disappear out of your life. And this is your one last chance.” He stated the same words again to drill these in Yoochun’s head. “And if you’re saying these words just because you’re in denial or in confusion, you need to go and have another chat with him.”

“I already told you, I have Changm—“ He was cut off.

“Did Changmin ever once tell you, he loved you?” Jaejoong interrogated him. “And did you ever once tell him, you love him?”

“We don’t have to say those words to prove that we love each other,” Yoochun answered back quickly. “Why do I have to explain myself anyways?”

“I’ll show you the painful truth since a lot of things are out of the bag anyways,” he paused and then hesitantly continued, “I’ll let you in on a secret tonight. So come.”

“Give me a reason to go and I’ll think about it.”

“Just go. You and I both know you want to meet Junsu to talk. Isn’t that enough?”

Yoochun couldn’t even retort an answer. He was too damn obvious.

“You’re going to regret it if you don’t,” Jaejoong sighed as he, little by little, lost his patience. “You’re going to regret everything since you’re so stupid for not seeing what’s lying in front of you. I don’t want to spell it out for you any longer but your foolishness forces me to. There is a right answer here, Yoochun, I suggest looking at the face right in front of you. You’ll find it there.”

Yoochun could only stand in silence. There were no words to reply to it. He began to speak once again.

“Right now, I feel that I have to be the one to show you who to love, who to befriend and who to hate. Since to me,” Jaejoong paused to think. “To me, you’re that oblivious kid who doesn’t have any experience of seeing others for who they really are. To feel comfortable in this world, you don’t try to get to know others for their own personality but what characteristic you make for them in your own world. This is how you came to hate Junsu whom you were supposed to love and love Changmin when you guys only shared a bond of friendship. And if you keep being this way, there will always be betrayal. And I’ll ing show you that Yoochun. I’ll get rid of this paradise you’ve set in your head because it’s suffocating you. I can’t explain it to you so why not give this a chance?”

“I’m being punished, aren’t I?” Yoochun comfortably in front of Jaejoong spoke now. These types of conversations have been common for the past few days.

“You’re not getting punished,” Jaejoong told him. “The one who’s punishing you is your own self. It’s just fate working its wonders so let it flow. You’re only having a hard time because you’re pushing against it. Use your head for once and actually think. Don’t deny your thoughts any longer.”

There was a long pause and everything to them just remained as still and quiet as a statue.

“You want to go, don’t you?” Jaejoong for the hundredth time read his feelings. “Do what you want to. Go if you want to go. That’s all I can say.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation which made Yoochun quickly stand on his two feet. The door started to open a second later after the knock, and him and Jaejoong could only stare.

“Good afternoon. Kim Jaejoong I suppose? I see you got the message,” a man wearing a white robe spoke to only the blond haired man. “I have results from the brain scans and x-rays.”

“Then it’s time for me to go now,” Yoochun said as he walked towards Jaejoong, patting his shoulder as a sign of goodbye. “I have a lot of things to think about.”

“You can be selfish for once,” Jaejoong reminded him. “Don’t be scared to become a greedy bastard.”

“I’ll think about it, Jae,” Yoochun paused as he grabbed the knob and twisted it to open the closed door. “I told Junsu that I won’t let him see me anymore and I feel that I shouldn’t take back my own words and cause more trouble for him.”

“Like I said, don’t be scared to become a greedy bastard. Do what you want and not what others tell you to do. You've lived long enough in the shadows.”

“But, Jaejoong, don’t you think the easiest way out of this is to just say ‘I don’t need him’? Because to me, what I can do right now is to love hating him. If I do this, I think everything will be over.”

“Contradicting words, Park Yoochun. But think it over. Will you be happy?”

“Sorry to interrupt, but are you leaving already, Mr. Park?” the doctor called out to him before he got the chance to close the door.

“Yeah,” he managed to answer back, “if anyone asks who brought him in here, just tell them that a random stranger found him on the sidewalk.”

“But sir,” the doctor wanted to argue but Jae interrupted their conversation.

“He’s right, doctor,” Jaejoong butted in, “if anyone asks, tell them a stranger brought him to the hospital. And if that doesn’t satisfy you, tell them I’m the one who brought him in here.” He looked at Yoochun who was at the door ready to leave. “It’s fine Yoochun. Just leave.”

And that’s what the blue eyed man did. Without a word, he left silently and closed the door.

“I need five minutes doc,” Jaejoong told the white robed man. “Come back in five minutes. I need to settle something first.”

“Alright then,” the man said and left the door quickly, a bit confused. And as soon as the door shut, Junsu rose from the bed. And the towel that Yoochun placed over his eyes fell right on top of his left hand.

“You were awake?” Jaejoong smiled at him as he did.

“Just now,” Junsu groaned out as he pressed on the bridge of his nose. “I heard Yoochun’s voice. Does he know my…?”

Jaejoong sighed at the lie he was about to make. But Junsu could only eye him closely as he did this. He was so hesitant about this since he has never lied to Junsu, but at least, he should keep this promise for Yoochun.

“Yoochun never came in at this room,” Jaejoong told him. “He did, but I went in first and covered half of your face with that towel, and then I told him to come in. He doesn’t know yet.”

“So he was here,” Junsu looked down with eyes that looked too depressed for their own good. “You heard something, didn’t you?” Jaejoong raised his brow at Junsu and walked to his side. The man that sat straight up at the bed could only laugh at his sadness.

“What did you hear?” Jaejoong asked nervously. The mood suddenly turned for the worst.

“Jaejoong,” Junsu finally said to him out loud. “I don’t know how…I don’t know why…But lend me your shoulder. I want to hide.”

Jaejoong did as he was told. He knew this man was truly hurting. He didn’t know how bad but if he needed a shoulder, he gets one. And so, without any hesitation, he went over and sat on the bed feeling Junsu’s forehead rest against it.

“You coping well?” There was no reply so Jaejoong turned towards him to observe Junsu’s face. He was just in time to see tears fall out of those never melting ice cold eyes.

“Ah…” Junsu uttered out loud as he felt those tears drop from his eyes. He tried to hold them back by looking up but before he realized it, he was crying and it was too late to stop them. Not wanting for Jaejoong to see him cry, he quickly covered his face with his right hand and looked down.

“I’m always fine,” he managed to answer with his cracking voice. Tears continued to fall out of his eyes and yet, him and Jaejoong could only remain quiet as if that was the only thing they could do. “What am I living for, Jae?” He now couldn’t hold back his cry. “Why am I here?”

“What happened that made you like this?” Jaejoong questioned him but as soon as the question was asked, there was that though already creeping up from the back of his mind. He knew. Junsu has regained his memories.

“Don’t question me!”

“Do you remember everything now?" Jaejoong asked him as he understood what that blunt reply meant. 

"Park Yoochun..." Junsu mumbled out. "Park Yoochun. No wonder I was attracted. We've met before. I knew him!"

"He doesn't know where to place himself at the moment with you," Jaejoong laughed at the thought. "He wants to resent you but feels guilty towards you."

"Guilty...for running in front of the car like that?" Junsu scoffed. "It was nothing neither I or him could have helped. However, I see now why that man really hates him." There was a pause as Junsu began to recall memories so easily for the first time in a long time. "Oh God, why am I crying?” Junsu tried to stop these tears from falling. He kept on wiping his face with his hands but tears wouldn’t stop.

Jaejoong laughed to lighten to mood. "Maybe you're feeling ecstatic," he said with great sarcasm. He hugged Junsu tighter and tighter as if he was gripping on to Junsu’s sanity. Junsu could now only sob louder and let his tears out.

“I feel a huge lump in my throat and it ing hurts!”

Jaejoong could only laugh some more at the poor man’s reaction as he patted the sobbing man’s back. “I’ll do my best tonight to protect your heart in many ways. I never ever want to see you like this any longer.”

“He’s sending me away to Paris, isn’t he?” Junsu told the man. He knew already.

“You knew?” Jaejoong now broke the hug and stared at the man. “Your father thinks I’m a bad influence and threatened me by holding me at gun point,” he now chuckled as he held Junsu’s shoulders at each side. “The devil wants me to tell you that your private jet leaves at nine in the morning the day after tomorrow. He doesn’t seem like he’s taking all this too well especially the “this-and-that” relationship with your one and only Yoochun.”

Junsu now started to wipe his tears and faced the wall. “I’m so pathetic. It feels like I worked so hard for nothing.”

“Why are you so ashamed of crying when everyone has cried a million times more than you?” Jaejoong rhetorically asked him. “Don’t be so ashamed of crying. It’s the only way to keep sane.”

“I can't be so weak any longer,” Junsu replied back, still crying but only this time he faced the wall. “I need to finish strong.”

“Well, from time to time it’s alright to show your weakness probably just in private though.”

And with those words, the sound of Junsu’s sob settled down little by little until it completely stopped. It took long minutes for this to happen, but once it actually did, Jaejoong could only feel relief. A crying Junsu wasn’t his forte.

“You’ve calmed down?” Jaejoong said as he patted him on the back.

“I can’t afford for my eyes and face to be swollen,” Junsu answered. “I’ll continue later when I realize I have once again failed to gain freedom. For now, I’ll continue to pretend that I’m still a robot.”

“Then what’s the plan?” Junsu breathed in to just temporarily hold himself together. He then spoke with a clear voice, “Call that doctor in. We need to get going. There are too many things attached to my body it makes me want to take it all off.”

Jaejoong could only shake his head sideways in amusement. And at the same time, he worried. “Just do it, my head is still throbbing.”

“I only have to bear with this for just one more night.” As entertained as he could be, Jaejoong got up and pushed the call button at the side of the bed. “After tonight, life will definitely be quiet again.”

There was a huge pause and silence crept in. Junsu looked outside his window and quietly said, “After tonight, I’d love it if I’m still sane.”

"Don't worry, I'm holding on to it tight for you."

The doctor knocked once again and came in. Perfect timing.

“Come here,” Junsu ordered as he looked straight at the doctor’s eye. The doctor now rushed to his side.

“Sir?”

“Tell me,” Junsu commanded him as he eyed those papers and x-ray scans the doctor was holding. He was hoping for results that wouldn’t reveal anything as of yet. “Tell me my results.”

“The results are negative,” the practitioner breathlessly reported to him. “There are no signs of bleeding or blood clotting in the brain. But we have to be careful since pains this big in the head may cause temporary hearing loss. But usually, in your situation, it might just be signs of remembrance. Do you remember anything by chance?”

Jaejoong searched those eyes for clues of deception. He had always admired Junsu for his ability of deceit. Even though they have been together for so long, there hasn't been a time when he figured out if Junsu was lying. Even though he knew the truth, the false words Junsu said out loud seemed like the real truth instead. He was convinced.

“Complete blank,” Junsu, with a non-failing straight voice lied. “And I’m completely fine so unhook everything now. Take these things off that are attached to my forehead and my arms. I don’t need them.”

“But…!” the doctor tried to fight back against his orders.

“You’re quite a brave man, aren’t you?” Junsu threatened him. “Do you want to get fired for refusing my orders?”

“I love my job,” the doctor defended himself. “I love it a lot that I care about every single one of my patients. So at least, please, for your safety, just let this drip run out. It will only take about fifteen more minutes of your time. Please reconsider.”

Junsu wasn’t convinced at all. Instead of understanding, he could only place his fingertips on his aching head and frustration came out of his lips. “I don’t give a about drips. So if you don’t take these out, I will—”

“What the hell are you saying, Kim Junsu? Did your sanity just snap?” Jaejoong came up to him and flicked his forehead. “Should I mend it back for you?”

“There’s not much time left Jaejoong,” Junsu reasoned as he punched the bed with his fist. “There’s not much time…”

“It’s only fifteen minutes,” Jaejoong explained back. “And it’s only five in the afternoon, you weren’t knocked out that long. Once the drip is done, I’ll get you to your apartment in five minutes tops. All our things are prepared there and everything is set. I’ll be here Junsu, so ing keep yourself together. We haven’t begun yet.”

“You win. We’ll have it your way. But once we get out of here, and out of the car, every single detail and layout of the plan should be stated out loud to me.” Junsu was definitely serious about this.

Yoochun for some reason wanted to kick something for being such a pushover all the time. And so, crumpling the note, he just threw it as hard as he could at the wall to ease all his frustrations. For once in his life, he really did feel like a toy that was always played around with and easily controllable.

“You’re such a ing bastard, Kim Jaejoong,” Yoochun said out loud and cursed until he relieved his tension. “Jeo Chung-hee? Are you kidding me? A commoner like me pretending to be some high-class man? And also becoming a man I obviously hate?”

Taking the portfolio and his expensive clothes off the rack, Yoochun went straight to the washroom to get ready.

Dongwook knocked at this ominous door. He was getting nervous at the plan and started to think things through. Should he still continue with this plan even if it was for Changmin’s safety? Of course, the only reason why he was doing this was for his lover’s safety and yet now, he knew that once this charade is over, Changmin would be the one hating him. It will all be over for them even though his major operation would be a success. He knew it. He knew Changmin would be the target tonight. The rat inside that company, that back stabbing Kim Kibum, had just reported that he would be the one carrying all those official documents instead of Jaejoong this year.

How ironic that Changmin be in the company he’s against. Does he know already? Is he mad? Would they break up after this? It was all these questions that made him not want to carry this mission out even though it was for his lover’s wellbeing. But this was the only way out. He had to do it even though he would only be left with nothing. He never had a choice even from the beginning.

“Come in,” the voice strictly ordered from the other side of the door. Dongwook could only hesitate to come in but breathing in, he went in anyways.

“Everything’s prepared Dongwook?” Siwon asked urgently as he fixed the buttons on his sleeve and looked at his dazzling reflection in the mirror.

“Everything is well prepared, sir,” Dongwook replied urgently.

“You know, I’m hesitating to put you up against your lover,” Siwon bluntly stated out of nowhere.

Dongwook’s heart raced as these words came out. This guy sensed his own self doubt already and he didn’t even speak about his concerns yet. What a sharp mind he has.

“There’s no need to worry,” he replied with a thick voice, “The documents that the Kim Enterprises will give to the Shim Enterprise will be present in Changmin’s hands tonight. These are the only things we need to bankrupt your enemy. And the fact that it’s Changmin, I’m the only one that’s able to get close to him so right now, I’m the best candidate.”

“I see,” Siwon smirked at himself and then looked at Dongwook. “You volunteered for this right? But that’s only because if it was anyone else, he would get hurt. That’s a damn good reason, isn’t it? But right now, it’s too obvious that you’re not mentally prepared for this.”

“I disagree,” Dongwook said with eyes full of determination. “I’m more than ready to betray for the good. Unlike you, I stay true to my words.”

After these words were said, a hand automatically shot towards him and grabbed his collar. “And who gave you permission to speak to me that way?” Siwon angrily taunted him.

“I didn’t say anything rude,” Dongwook spoke again but still managed to hold in his temper, “I’m merely stating the truth. I really don’t care about my life right now so kill me anytime you want. But I can assure you, there’s no one that will pull this plan better than my own. I know I won’t be forgiven for these tricks that I’m ordered to do, but, however, at least I have guts to face it myself unlike you who only plays with puppets so that they could take the blame for you.”

“Good!” Siwon unexpectedly just let the man go and shoved him to the door. “Good. Good. Good. That’s great, Dongwook. How loyal of you to set an example for me. But I want to remind you again that if you fail, one of us dies—and it’s not going to be me. Life is good,” the tall man fixed his collar once again and walked in front of the mirror to check if everything was still in order. “You know, I may not be good at a lot of things, but crushing others is what I am the best at. Remember that alright?”

“Of course, sir,” Dongwook replied in a calm fashioned manner. “If there’s anything else—“

“That’s all,” Siwon interrupted him, “Leave.”

And without a single respect of goodbye, Dongwook closed the door along with his bursting anger.

As Jaejoong said, it didn’t take a while to get to Junsu’s apartment. But, of course, the ride there had that tense atmosphere already. For each second and minute that passed by, the more Jaejoong feared for the outcome of this day. Junsu wasn’t even up to his full potential. He could tell. The guy was more pale than usual and is too emotional. As much as he was glad for this guy waking up, today wasn’t the best day for him to feel like crap.

Even Changmin, who was going to be the main man today, had health problems and also that “lover” problem. By the way the situation looks right about now, things aren’t looking good for all of them. This plan required flawless execution and nobody, not even Kim Junsu, was in perfect condition to perform this perfect task.

“We’re not wasting any second starting now,” the uptight Junsu spoke as they got into his apartment. “Start talking. The only way we can break their plan is to act before the enemy.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Jaejoong told him as Junsu went ahead to his bed. “Party begins at nineteen o’clock sharp. Meet Changmin at the second dining hall at 20:20. By 20:25, execution of plan: Changmin goes in the main hall, with the documents at hand. Of course, it needs to be the real thing for Dongwook with just a quick glance, will know if it's fake or not. I’ve taken to account his capabilities and so, we need not miss any minor details.

20:45, lure Dongwook into a private room a.k.a the third guest room at the third floor. Person accountable for the task at hand is Shim Changmin. As we predict, Dongwook will try to steal those documents without Changmin noticing but he has a gun on him for protection if needed.

21:30, Dongwook shall leave with the required information and also the documents while I on the other hand will be on standby next door ready to follow for pursuit. His next destination should be a meet up place where Siwon and men would be waiting. Most likely we’ll need cars and so there is one available at every corner of your house. Our goal is to arrest Siwon but we won’t be able to do it if he has guinea pigs doing all the work for him and so we need to catch this man on the act. Arresting him means no more threats in the future and the money we’ve been losing for days will come back once again. And yet, I doubt Dongwook will reveal anything if we catch him on the spot.”

“It’s alright,” Junsu spoke calmly as he wrapped his tie around his neck. “If for some reason Siwon doesn’t come out, I will make him come to us.”

“What?” Jaejoong could only wonder what Junsu was thinking. It’s a great skill how this man could dress nicely and at the same time think whole heartedly about the upcoming matters. To him, it felt as if this was all too easy for him.

“We have to consider and weigh out the possible situations at hand Jaejoong. Sometimes, your plan, as perfect as it seems will not carry out as you please. And if it doesn’t in this case, we have to be prepared to lure out the enemy for an attack.”

“How do you suppose we do that?”

“Luring out the enemy Jaejoong,” Junsu paused and smirked as he now looked at himself in front of the mirror fixing his side bangs, “is as easy as tempting the devil…because we’re all the same.”

Jaejoong could only lift his brow. “How so?”

“The devil is greedy. But so are all of us. Be it I, you, Siwon, Changmin, Yoochun— you name it, we’re all greedy in different levels. However, the greedier the person is, the more we can manipulate them to satisfy their desires.”

“Yoochun, huh? I can’t see him as a greedy person,” Jaejoong stated out loud. “He’s not the type to want anything.”

“Of course,” Junsu answered with a smile. “But that’s only because he’s still looking for what he really wants the most. I’m sure once he finds it, there will be a time when greed comes in his life.”

“You seem to be over him as it sounds like you can easily talk about him now.”

“What you see and how it seems like to your eyes doesn’t necessarily make it true,” Junsu seemed to have sighed as he walked to wards his closed to get his shoes. “As a matter of fact, what I feel for him right now is exactly the opposite of what you said. I don’t think I’ll ever get over him, neither am I going to let go even though I said I would. He’s going to come to me, Jaejoong. Probably not now but time will answer all questions I suppose. I’m merely going to step back to give him space.”

“You seem to have thought about this for a while now. I know I’m not suppose to say this but…Junsu, you’re too adorable.”

“Jae, of course I’m adorable. I know there are always different times for praises like those and to tell you the truth; I’m not in the mood right now to hear that at all.”

“I see,” Jaejoong laughed softly. “You are in the process of readying and clearing your head I suppose?”

“As business men of our standards, we have only room in our minds for success and a complete mask to hide our emotions. The motto is-- to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield. That way, we’ll be invincible.”

Jaejoong stared in awe as Junsu stood before him placing the most expensive watch on his wrist and two pure golden rings embedded with diamonds on his slim fingers.

“Don’t stare too much or you’ll fall for me Jaejoong. I’ll feel bad for your poor Yunho.”

“Say what?” Jaejoong was flustered at Junsu’s comment. “What kind of sick joke is that?” he paused and then added an insult.

“You bastard. Who told you to crack a joke while I’m at my spacing out phase?”

“That’s why I cracked a joke. You can’t space out, Jae. You might get shot for all we know.” Junsu smirked at him as he used a hand gesture to indicate they were leaving. “So shall we?”

It was definitely time to leave. With guns underneath their suits, and communication gadgets clipped on their ears, they headed out the apartment door. This situation has been prolonged long enough. This menacing wild game has now officially begun.