It was almost four in the afternoon. Colourful figures shuffled to and fro Tokyo's busy streets on this fine, cloudless Saturday. Amongst the bustling crowd stood four figures as a sharp voice penetrated through the warm, shifting Tokyo air.

"Jaejoong! Who may this be?" snarled a pregnant woman, examining the girl whose hand was latched inside the firm grip of the tall man her question had targeted, her voice solid and stern.

Quickly releasing his grasp from Yeonhee's, "She's just a friend." Jaejoong assured.

Offended by the woman's tone of voice, Yeonhee felt the need to attack back. "And you are...?"

A low growl was beginning to bubble from inside the woman's parted lips. Tempted to retaliate, she was overtaken by a nervous voice that broke the heated riff in the air.

"Yeonhee-ah, this is Yuri" the petite girl squeaked, "She's DBSK's stylist... the one that I told you about, remember?" Dami laughed lightly, trying her best to loosen the awkward situation.

"Oh...." Unexpecting that response from her cousin, Yeonhee was torn between apologising to Yuri, and conserving the animosity that had flared up just moments ago. It was in fact, Yuri in the first place who triggered it with her tone of voice anyway! ...Wasn't it? Feeling her conscience stab her insides, Yeonhee heaved out a feeble "Sorry," as she bowed slightly to the older woman, "I.... I'm Yeonhee. A childhood friend of Jaejoong-oppa." she smiled, hoping that the hostility between them would simmer out.

The 27 year old soon-to-be mother couldn't help but feel foolish for her initial attitude towards Jaejoong's 'childhood friend'. It wasn't usually like her to snap at girls who were with him in public, but then again she always felt the need to look out for him as a colleague who cared for his well-being.

Yuri --with her copper and red hair, usually extravagant garments, and a naturally young face-- contradicted the maturity of her mind. She was with DBSK from the very first beginnings of the band, had experienced the hardships and success with them first hand, and so had grown to become an older sister figure to them. The last thing she wanted for her younger brothers was for them to be caught out in public with anything that could damage their image and reputation to the public eye.

Gathering herself together, Yuri returned Yeonhee with a slight nod of the head and a sincere smile, one that read acceptance to Yeonhee's meek apology, and her own solemn pardon.

All was well.

"So, where are you girls off to?" Jaejoong began.

"Just shopping around for fabrics for the new costumes." Yuri answered, holding up plastic bags that seemed to be filled with samples of an array of textures.

"Oh, we were just about to hit up the ice-cream parlour before it closes. Care to join us?" Jaejoong offered as he volunteered to carry the bags that were hauling his pregnant friend down.

Yuri watched as Jaejoong instantaneously took the bags from her clutch, before turning to Dami for a response.

"Sure, why not?" Dami shrugged with a grin.

Yeonhee stood motionless as she eyed the three walk away. She had to admit that it startled her to witness Jaejoong's gentleman-like gesture towards Yuri. She also had to admit she felt a little envious...

"Yeonhee, you coming or what?"

Realising that she was lagging behind, Yeonhee ran up beside Dami as they followed a seemingly young couple with an unborn child. Yeonhee couldn't help but feel slightly ...hurt... from the shifted attention as she observed the pregnant woman engage in chit-chat with her old friend as they walked ahead, side by side.

+ + + +

The ice-cream parlour was gleaming in friendly pastel colours, almost every surface of it smooth and shiny. Occupying a four seater bench near the floor-to-ceiling window panes, two unrelated siblings sat amongst private discussion...

"How did you meet her?" Yuri questioned as she chewed on a piece of mango from the left over fruit of her tropical-flavored ice-cream. The subject of their cultivating discussion -and her cousin- had excused themselves to the bathroom ten seconds beforehand, leaving Yuri some alone time to taunt Jaejoong about the woman whom he had just claimed to be 'just a friend'.

"Dunno, since she was born I guess?" Jaejoong smirked, "Our mothers are best friends." he added.

"So you've practically known eachother all your lives..." Yuri raised an eyebrow, "Then why is it that you've only introduced her to me now?"

Jaejoong could tell that Yuri was only trying to interrogate him with her demanding questions, and so he saw it fit to give her straight forward answers. "She moved to London when she was 12, I was 14." There was nothing he wanted to hide from his senior, and although she was prying into his personal life, he knew she only meant well. "We lost contact since then, and have only met again just recently."

"She must be someone very special to you." The tone in Yuri's voice turned playful.

"She is. But not in that way, Yuri-noona!" Jaejoong laughed, "I grew up with her... so she's always been like a little sister to me."

"I'm sure." Yuri mused, a twinkle in her eye.

"I'm serious!"

"Which explains why you two were holding hands, I assume?" her eyes shot right into Jaejoong's, cornering his thoughts and alluring out all his honesty.

Jaejoong could only his head back to laugh, before allowing Yuri's preying gaze to search him, proving that he had nothing to lose. "She's my little sister of another bloodtype." he simply put. "I look out for her, like you look out for me."

"Would you ever consider--"

"Um no." Jaejoong retorted. He knew what Yuri was going to ask, it was obvious from the direction of where the conversation was heading, and after years of their friendship, he knew her too well. "If say, it were an alternate universe and I had just met her for the first time today.... I'd still hold true to my 'no'. She really isn't my type, anyway." he concluded. And it was the truth. Sure, he had recently showcased his inner sleaze to his childhood companion, but it was all just friendly play. He was sure Yeonhee also held mutual feelings towards him ...right? After all, they were raised together like family.

"OK, OK, I believe you." Yuri surrendered. "Just don't look so... intimate in public next time, OK?" she teased.

Jaejoong shook his head, humored by Yuri's playful provocation, as he twirled his spoon in the remains of the melted cream slurring about in his pastel blue bowl.

Suddenly, Yuri noticed four familiar faces scurry by from outside. Tapping on the glass that divided her from the darkening sky, Yuri caught the attention of the four other members of DBSK as she motioned for them to come inside.

"Hey!" They all greeted each other, the four makeup less men huddling around the shiny four-seat bench.

"What's my pregnant cousin doing here with our vocalist?" Yunho laughed as he slipped beside Yuri, picking off a piece of passion fruit from the remains of his relative's ice-cream.

Junsu slumped himself beside Jaejoong as Yoochun shuffled them over to fit half of his on their bench, with Changmin sloping against the side of Yunho and Yuri's bench, his arms hidden inside the pockets of his dark jeans.

Feeling the warmth of his seat from its prior occupancy, Junsu noticed two other bowls beside Jaejoong's and Yuri's. "Who's party did we just crash?" the boy grinned, his inner dolphin revealing itself.

At that moment, the door of the women's bathroom flung open as a tiny woman stomped out, her nose held between her fingers, a puffed and flustered expression plastered on her face.

"WAHAHAHA THAT BOMBER DESERVED A TEN OUT OF TEN, YEAH!!!!" laughed a taller woman, guffawing hysterically as she stumbled out, trailing behind the smaller one.

"YOU ARE INSANELY DISGUSTING!!!!!" Dami shouted over her shoulder.

"Oh my beloved Dami, there is nothing more natural than emitting gas from my a---"

Yeonhee felt herself freeze, her breathing ceased, her heart pounding wildly, and her entire face flushing a bright red as a surge of heat rumbled inside her frozen body. It was then, at that very moment, that Yeonhee wanted to evaporate into thin air. And die.

"Ah... guys, this is my old friend Yeonhee, and her cousin Dami." Jaejoong introduced in between silent chuckles.

"Nice to meet you Dami... and Yeonhee." All fou guys began, fighting back their laughter.

"...Ah.. nice to meet you too..." Dami blushed as she bowed, nudging her silent and motionless cousin.

"....."

"......"

"......."

Feeling rather embarrassed for Yeonhee, Yuri decided to shatter the awkward silence, "So... I guess we should be going off? You guys are having a performance this evening" she smiled, rising from her seat while piercing the chuckling Jaejoong a shut-your-face-before-she-cries glare.

"Oh yeah, we should be ready, boys!" Yunho shot up, throw his leader charisma in front of other member.

“Bye girls, nice to see you,” winked Yoochun, the rest of the band also bid goodbye.

One by one, everyone headed towards the exit, Yeonhee still glued in the same position. The humiliation had plagued her mind causing all her bodily functions to pause as the torrent of heat circulated inside, its burning color had seeped out into the pores of her flesh, and the sweat that had been accumulated was not enough to simmer out the painful embarrassment of her display just moments ago.

Jaejoong's giggles had just about died down as he noticed his childhood friend locked in a state of freezing with slightly gaping like a fish. He smiled, “Guys, I will take Yeonhee home first ‘kay?” he slinging an arm around Yeonhee's stiffened shoulders, finally initiating her to move as they followed the others out

+ + + +

"Thanks for taking me out. It was fun." Yeonhee smiled, bowing at her family friend before stepping inside her brightly lit home.

"No worries! It was nice to finally see you again." Jaejoong paused, "So... I guess I'll see you later?"

"Of course!" Yeonhee snorted.

"In that case..." Jaejoong leaned forward, "Goodnight Yeonhee-ah." he whispered before planting a quick, casual kiss on Yeonhee's cheek with the corner of his lips.

Yeonhee felt her neck stiffen. "B..Bye.." she managed to stutter out as she bid him farewell, observing his lanky build scurry through her front lawn, back into his car.

+ + + +

Gazing out into the sparkling sky of a crescent moon from her bedroom window, Yeonhee explored her cheek with her fingertips as she thought back to the casual kiss Jaejoong had planted on it thirty minutes ago. She was lost in thought, in attempts to encapsulate her feelings towards her childhood best friend.

Yes, she loved him, and still loves him...
...but in what way?

The small signs of affection, his smug smiles and winks, his clutch, his gentleman-like nature, and... that kiss...
Sure it was just a casual kiss from the corner of his lips, but... did it mean anything? Anything more? Did it all imply something other than sheer friendship? I mean.. what would her parents think? After all, she was raised like a sister to him. And what would his family think? His friends? His workmates ...his band?