A/N: Hi, guys! Here’s the next chapter. It’s longer than usual. And action-packed. The title of this chapter is Yunjae, but it’s really a confrontation between Yunho and Jaejoong, hence the appropriate ‘versus’ inserted between their names in the title D:

I hope you enjoy this update! :)

Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. The rehearsals for DBSK’s reunion performance in SM Town went on.

And so did the awkwardness.

And tension.

And increased Homin PDA.

And teary eyes from a certain ex.

Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin were (secretly) at a lost on how to make their “real mission” happen. Heck, even the DBSK reunion façade wasn’t exactly going that well. Sure, there’d be an exchange of a few words between the duo and the trio now at this point, but it’s really only for work related matters- to coordinate movements for choreographies and their voices when singing. And even those few words were mostly just between Yoochun and Junsu and Changmin, though Yunho sometimes would also say a word or two to his two former bandmates (Yunho still thought of them as “former bandmates”, despite being “reunited” already).

But between Yunho and Jaejoong? There were no words exchanged at all. Nada. Null. Zip. Zero.

The only form of “interaction” between the two ex-lovers are the scathing comments Yunho would let out now and then. Those comments were never outright and Yunho never looked at Jaejoong’s direction, but still everyone knew who they were for. It was quite obvious.

And then, when there was only a month until the SM Town concert, another unthinkable thing happened.

Lee Soo Man made an appearance in the dance studio where the five boys were practicing late one afternoon.

The president had so far managed to avoid visiting the rehearsals of DBSK. Normally, he’d check in now and then with his idols to see how their preparations were doing, but this time, he just let the managers and staff update him with DBSK’s progress. He figured it was the safer alternative. He didn’t want to be in the presence of those he considered traitors to his company. It was honestly safer that way, lest he be put in the path of temptation of putting his hands arounds their necks and strangling them. Extreme tendencies due to anger were not far from his mind when it came to those three.

However, the night before, Lee Soo Man had received a text from a certain evil maknae mastermind, giving him urgent instructions (only that person would have the nerve to give the president instructions, and on such short notice, too!).

With the lack of progress with getting Yunjae together again, Changmin had been forced to take matters to a higher level. To up their gameplay… Or maybe you can just call it “taking more drastic measures”.

So, yeah, here was Lee Soo Man now, standing at the threshold of the dance studio, surveying the happenings before him with a blank expression, managing to keep the distaste and anger and resentment from his face. For now, at least.

Yunho, Changmin, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu had just finished performing a certain sequence, and were now standing together (note the ever present considerable gap between the duo and the trio, though), panting and trying to catch their breath, as the choreographer stood in front of them, giving comments and suggestions.

But then, the choreographer caught sight of the powerful man standing at the doorway, and he abruptly stopped in mid-sentence. Everyone in the room also turned to look in that direction, and a certain hushed silence fell around the room.

After quickly recovering from his shock, DBSK’s manager quickly walked towards the president. “Uhm, we didn’t expect that you’d be gracing us with your presence today, sir,” the man said nervously, bowing low in front of the president.

“’Gracing us with his presence’,” Jaejoong repeated in a mutter (or maybe it was more of a quiet scoff). “What is he, royalty?” He rolled his eyes and huffed.

Jaejoong’s sarcastic words now had been said quietly, but with the silence in the room, everyone still heard it. Even Lee Soo Man, judging from how his hand tightened furiously on his walking stick.

‘Do not kill the traitorous bastard. Do not kill him. Do not kill him…’ Lee Soo Man chanted in his thoughts. Changmin had blackmail material against him that he would not to hesitate to release to the press and police should he fail to reunite DBSK and Yunjae, after all. And he could safely assume that murdering Jaejoong would automatically mean those reunions’ failure.

He had to at least try to hold back his temper.

“Here,” the president said gruffly to DBSK’s manager instead, handing him music sheets. “That’s a new song from one of the composers. I want the line-up changed a bit so that this song will be performed in SM Town.”

As the manager quickly looked at the sheets, the president beckoned Yunho to come to him, and the leader hurriedly walked towards the president.

Judging from the hard expressions on the faces of Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, they didn’t like how Yunho just came at the man’s bidding. The three of them (even Yoochun and Junsu, though they agreed to return to SM for the sake of Changmin and their hyungs) still hold grudges against the man who they feel exploited them before.

Out of the three JYJ members, however, Jaejoong held the most grudge against the president. For in the eldest’s eyes, if only the man was so stubborn and heartless and cruel and greedy and- well, Jaejoong could go on forever about his negative opinions regarding the president’s personality, but that’s not really the point. The point is that if only Lee Soo Man wasn’t that much of a horrible human being and agreed to make compromises as they’ve originally demanded, then JYJ would not have had to go with the lawsuit and leaving the company option. And Jaejoong wouldn’t have had to leave Yunho.

Jaejoong’s world came crashing down thanks to that old man.

Well, that’s what Jaejoong thinks, at least.

Hence why he had no problem being downright rude and showing his pure hatred for Lee Soo Man, as seen in his mocking words just a while ago.

“U-Know, look at these sheets- you’ll be the one performing this song,” the president told Yunho.

“Am I supposed to do a solo at the SM Town concert, sir?” Yunho was a bit confused. DBSK was already going to a good number of “reunion performances”, was he still going to be doing a solo song as well?

“No, it’s not a solo,” the president replied, his lips pressed together in a hard line. By now, he was no longer successful in keeping the distaste from his face. “It’s a duet.”

Yunho looked even more confused. “With Changmin?”

That was odd, since the two Homin songs they were going to be performing at the concert was being reorganized for the five of them to perform now.

“No. With- with him.” The president focused a cold glare on Jaejoong’s direction. He could not even force himself to utter the traitor’s name.

The managers’ and staff members’ jaws fell open at that announcement. Yoochun and Junsu immediately glanced at Changmin, whose face was expressionless and giving nothing away- they were sure the youngest had something to do with this. Yunho turned pale as sheet. His mouth opened and closed, but was only able to let out incomprehensible, gibberish sounds. And Jaejoong, who would normally be returning the cold glare right back at the president, swayed dangerously on his feet. Yoochun and Junsu quickly each grabbed one of his arms to steady him.

“W-what?” the DBSK manager managed to stutter out in behalf of Yunho. “B-but why, sir?”

“We’re promoting Yunjae again,” was all the president said as an explanation before quickly turned around and left, much to the greater shock of everyone (except three certain people) in the room. He could not bear to be those traitors’ presence any longer. And in the same way that it was Jaejoong that held the most grudge against the president among JYJ, the president also held grudges against Jaejoong the most out of the trio. Jaejoong had been one of the most prized idols in his company, due to his beauty and his voice, and yet the traitorous bastard had the nerve to leave them, and taint SM’s name as well. And he now had the nerve to be rude and openly hostile at the president’s face! Maybe Lee Soo Man shouldn’t be surprised at those actions from such an ingrate, but it still made his temper flare to dangerous levels.

If only Changmin didn’t want Jaejoong back at the company, the president would never have accepted him back, even if he came crawling back to the company on his knees. However, as it stands, Changmin did want JYJ back, and Changmin had blackmail material against him.

Leaving as soon as possible was the only possible option to avoid risking letting his anger out at Jaejoong.

‘This isn’t the end of it, though,’ the president vowed darkly in his mind as he left, promising to himself that there is no way he would let Jaejoong’s transgressions and disrespect pass without severe consequences. He will make the beautiful traitor pay. And pay a heavy price at that…

Everyone was left in shock. Yunho and Jaejoong were going to perform a song together? And Yunjae was going to be promoted again?! Nobody missed how he said ‘Yunjae’ as though it was a dirty swear word, though.

But holy hell.

Most people were thinking along the line of ‘Yunjae? Being promoted again? Yunjae?!”’ repeatedly in their heads.

Oh, sweet bloody Merlin.

When they’ve managed to recover from their “frozen with shock” states, the DBSK manager quickly decided to end practice for today. Which the choreographer readily agreed to... before things could get nasty between Yunho and Jaejoong, seeing as Yunho looked furious and was now taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

After a quick coordinating talk between the DBSK manager and the JYJ manager were they agreed to bring Yunho and Jaejoong respectively to the recording studio bright and early tomorrow, they all began packing up and leaving the studio.

“You ready to go home, love?” Yunho asked in that usual loud, carrying voice (maybe even made deliberately louder this time, with the news he just heard) as he approached Changmin, who was grabbing his bags at the side.

The leader was angry beyond belief. But whether he admits it to himself or not, that anger mostly stemmed from panic and fear. Panic and fear that he was expected to work with Jaejoong again. With only Jaejoong again. Yes, it was only one song, but still… And when Lee Soo Man said that Yunjae was being promoted again. Yunho’s insides were a swirling tornado of pure turmoil. Merlin’s underpants, his emotions were all over the place in a scattered mess.

But Yunho cannot let him see that he was affected. No way.

So, he smoothed his face and went on with the lovey-dovey act with Changmin instead.

“Oh,” Changmin said as he looked up at Yunho, keeping his face blank.

The maknae was also undergoing intense emotional turmoil right now.

Yes, he ordered Lee Soo Man to make sure there’s a Yunjae performance. Yes, this was part of his plan to get Yunjae together again. Yes, he wanted Yunjae to be promoted again as a pairing. Yes, he knew this was all necessary. Yes, he knew that Yunho being with Jaejoong again is what’s right and this will only be the beginning of the couple’s reunion.

But also yes, it still goddamn hurt.

“Actually, I have to go somewhere else. Uhm, Kyuhyun begged me to meet him, said it was urgent or something like that…” the maknae said as an excuse.

(Miles away, Kyuhyun was busy with his musical rehearsal and was currently on a short break, and he suddenly choked and coughed as he took a drink from his bottle of water.)

And no, he wasn’t above using his best friend. He thought Kyuhyun might as well make himself useful for something. Changmin may be a martyr for love, but that