CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Realigning The Lost Stars.“She looks so sad, Yoochun-ah. My heart breaks just by looking at her.”
No, to say that he was worried was the understatement of the year.
Divide and conquer. That was the plan that Changmin and him devised on the plane back to Seoul. Changmin was to head to SM to find out more about the matter on hand before meeting him back in the dorms while Yunho was to head to the doe’s favorite hangouts, a minute chance in hoping to bump into Yoona; it was a long shot but what other option did the TXVQ leader have?
Needless to say, the trips Yunho made had been futile. And a part of him had expected it, Yoona wouldn’t be easily found should she made her mind up to disappear from everyone. Wasn’t she one of the best in hiding back when they played hide-and-seek during their trainee days?
Yoochun fidgeted in the leather seat of his black Lexus he parked on the side of the street, itching for a smoke as he peered at his surroundings anxiously. Yoochun scowled, what was he doing here again? Right, because he was an idiot.
A slight commotion at the side of the apartment caught his eyes and Yoochun snickered. The security guard was holding onto the back collar of a high school student whom, no doubt, had just attempted to sneak into the building. “Sasaeng fans.” he thought, when will they ever leave them alone?
Four years. Four long years that he shut his heart, shielded his mind and turned his back on the memories they shared. As unfeeling and heartless some might perceive him to be, it was the only way the JYJ singer knew how to cope with the loss of his brothers, his everything, without going truly insane. Yoochun had been so lost then. At the tender age of twenty-three, he was known to be the most emotional, most sentimental out of the five, with his heart constantly hung on his sleeves. Like Junsu and Jaejoong, he had been certain that Changmin and Yunho would have joined them ultimately, convinced that they just needed more time. And like a jilted puppy, he waited patiently in agony, in the depths of hell, refusing to believe in anything else. The TVXQ rapper had watched helplessly as Jaejoong wasted away, the angel’s self-destruction as his best friend’s eyes grew increasingly haunted as the days passed. He had too had to watch, helpless once more, at the sight of Junsu retreating into himself, the sunny deposition no more as his other brother’s bubbly laughter were replaced by violent tantrums and tears of despair. And so, what other choice did Yoochun had other than to grow up, to take care of his two remaining brothers that needed him so? He owed it to the two of them to do so.
It had been painstakingly painful, every fiber in him had hurt, and Yoochun tackled it the only way he knew how; locking every memory, every emotion he had into the back of his mind, a Pandora box he swore never to open. It had been a success of some sort, the absence of his emotional baggage had given him a steel resolve he desperately needed to pull Junsu and Jaejoong out of their grieves, to be the strong one, the birth of a brand new Park Yoochun. And Yoochun never looked back, not until now.
Clearly, the JYJ singer had cared about the two than he let on because there he was, sitting in his car, by the street of Changmin’s and Yunho’s new dorm without asking anyone for their address. His heart remembered it even if his mind hadn’t. Song Jihyo, their co-worker in C-Jes, had spoken to the trio briefly after a particular recording of Running Man guest-starring Yunho and Changmin in October, 2012. The actress had shared with them, none-too-subtlety, about the ongoings of the duo’s lives she had learnt during the recording, including the details of their newest apartment the duo shared. Jaejoong had been silent as Jihyo shared her findings, Junsu had brood, while Yoochun hadn’t bothered listening (at least, that was what he thought at that point of time).
With a shake of his head, the JYJ singer allowed his gaze to roam at the view ahead of him, humming to a random song on the radio until his eyes caught sight of an all-too-familiar figure at the end of the street. It hadn’t matter that the said figure was wearing a baseball cap, neither did the distance between the two of them matter, Yoochun would recognize his ex-leader anytime, anywhere.
Yoochun felt his eyes sting a little as his brain tried to absorb as much information as he could, taking in the sight before him. Swallowing hard, the JYJ singer exhaled a shaky breath. It was really him, Jung Yunho, standing there at the end of the street, gazing up at the evening sky. There was no mistaking that tiny face and the tall broad frame. He looks older, Yoochun realized, and was now a bigger size than Yoochun had remembered him to be. Not fat, just… bigger. The lean muscles the TVXQ leader had then grew bigger in size. Yoochun nearly smiled, “He looks healthy.” He thought.
Huffing, Yoochun got out of his car, aiming to intercept Yunho in the shadows before he could enter the building, away from any prying eyes of sasaengs and paparazzi alike. Yoochun’s heart thundered as he neared his former leader, even as his face betrayed nothing.
Hands in his pocket, Yunho stared absentmindedly at the pavement as he strolled back to the dorms. At least, that was the TVXQ leader’s plan until a shadow obstructed his path.
“Yunho.” A husky but familiar voice called out. Yunho froze. It couldn’t be… but yet, there was no mistaking that deep, baritone voice. He had been listening to that voice for more than a decade now, a voice he had missed, the same voice that was part of the three whom haunts him in his dreams.
Shocked, Yunho snapped his head up, his almond shaped eyes meeting a pair of dark brown ones. Impossible, but yet… there he was, standing in front of him with his arms crossed.
“Chun-ah.” he whispered in a reverence.
Yoochun had cringed at the former’s nickname, caught off guard by the tenderness and onslaught of emotions Yunho had brought out within him.
“Come with me.” Stated the JYJ singer. Yoochun just wanted to get this done and over with as fast as possible. The former DBSK singer could already feel his heart wavering at the sight of his ex-leader. Yunho wasn’t supposed to appear so vulnerable and insecure in front of him, he was supposed to be cool, confident and aloof and maybe if he was, Yoochun would find it easier to bear, to convince himself of that he still hated Yunho.
If possible, Yunho’s eyes widened further before settling into a frown, a worried expression marring the DBSK leader’s face, “I can’t Yoochun-ah. I… There’s something important I’ve to do now, someone to find.”
Yoochun sighed, “Yoona’s with me.” The JYJ singer figured it was best not to beat out the bush and that they really should get going since the duo were out in the open where there were so many risks and variables to consider. Hell would raise if dispatch or anyone else catches wind of this meet up.
Yunho’s jaw slacken, resembling a gaping ape as he stared at Yoochun in disbelief, Yoochun snickered.
“Mwoh?! B-But… how… Yoon--” Yunho spluttered as he rushed to get his words out. Not only had Yoochun knew of Yoona’s disappearance, he had also just told him that Yoona was seeking refugee with him. Has the world turned upside down?!
“There’s no time, we have to go right now. I’ll explain on the journey there. It’s too dangerous to be standing out here exposed.”
Yunho’s lips pursed as he considered Yoochun’s words, understanding the latter’s concern but hesitant in taking up Yoochun’s offer, well aware of the risk and consequence involved.
Yoochun rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, annoyance bubbling within him at the distrust in Yunho’s eyes, “I’ve nothing to gain by lying to you. I’m only going to offer this service once, take it or leave it.”
Yunho’s eyes narrowed at Yoochun’s ultimatum, before sighing in concede. “I’m sorry, it’s just… Alright, lead the way.”
Yoochun blinked in surprise, astounded by the apology that sprung easily from his ex-leader’s lips. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting this reaction, whatever happened to Yunho’s infamous pride? It was only when Yunho exclaimed a self-conscious, “What?” did Yoochun realize he had been staring.
Schooling his face to betray nothing once more, Yoochun shook his head, “Nothing. Come one, let’s go.” With that, the two DongBangShinKi members hurried to the black Lexus, side by side; a scene many thought they would never live to see again.
Jaejoong chuckled at Junsu’s animated face, watching affectionately as the latter bragged about his superb soccer skills during a match he played in the morning today, fighting the urge to tussle Junsu’s hair as he would to an adorable five year-old.
“Hyung!!”
Jaejoong laughed, riling Junsu up was a pastime he would never get sick of. It was simply amusing to watch the indignant look on Junsu’s face as he waited for the duckybutt’s unpredictable response. Junsu had a childlike innocence aura around him and Jaejoong never wanted it to fade. The three of them; Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu, were originally set to have dinner together tonight at one of their favorite restaurants, however the famous Park actor had bailed on them the last minute, stating that he had something to take care of. And so, the two decided to have their dinner back at Jaejoong’s place instead, with the younger demanding the oldest to whip up a special feast as a reward for his victorious soccer match. But just as they were about to enter Jaejoong’s apartment, they were greeted by an unexpected vistor.
“Seunghyun? What are you doing here? Good Lord, what happened to your face?” asked Jaejoong as he spotted a small bruise by the side of the Big Bang rapper’s face while Junsu watched on curiously.
“Erm, I don’t suppose you know where Yoona is right now, do you?” questioned Seunghyun meekly.
The whole of Big Bang knew that Yoona was missing. How could they not when Taeyeon had practically stormed down to YG in all her fury, three days after Yoona remained unfound, unleashing her wrath on the Big Bang leader, asking Jiyong if he’s happy now that he had driven Yoona away, berating him for all he had done. The five Big Bang members could do no other than to stand before her, heads bowed low in shame as angry tears streaked down the SNSD leader’s face. It was only when Taeyeon had left did Seunghyun round in on Jiyong. “You cheated on her? With Tiffany?! Was that the reason why Youngbae and Xin are being all pissed with you?” And when Jiyong remained silent, Seunghyun took his silence as a confession, throwing a solid punch to his leader; marking the start of the scuffle of the two most popular Big Bang members.
Silence filled the corridor, the tension so palpable that Seunghyun was certain he would die of suffocation.
“And you’re only telling me about it, now?” Seunghyun gulped at his friend, knees going weak at the blazing anger he saw reflecting back at him.
“Where is Kwon Jiyong, Seunghyun-ssi.” The Big Bang rapper nearly flinched at the sound of Junsu’s voice, never knowing that a squeaky dolphin-like voice could sound so menacing. And as mad as Top was at Jiyong, the latter was still a brother to him, he wouldn’t… couldn’t send Jiyong’s death to him on a silver platter this readily, no matter how deserving it was.
“Answer the question, Seunghyun-ah.” The no-nonsense tone had Seunghyun paling, knowing that there was no way out of this situation.
“How is she?” asked Yunho as they neared Yoochun’s apartment.
Yoochun paused as his fingers hovered over the electronic lock on his apartment door, in awe that Yunho had just spoken to him. Apart from the brief one-sided conversation about meeting Yoona, the car ride had been a silent affair, having only the faint purr of the car’s engine to fill up the deafening silence. After all, what does one talk about after seeing each other after four years? What does one say with all that bad blood that laid between them? And so, given their history, the two opted for silence instead, tonight was not the time for any potential heated arguments about the past.
Yunho nodded, his heart going out to his beloved dongseang. And after a spilt moment of hesitation, Yunho asked his question before he had the time to regret, “What about you?”
At the barely audible question, Yoochun spun around slowly to face his ex-leader, unbelieving and for the briefest second, his heart panged. Just who is this stranger before him and where did the confident U-Know-Yun-Ho go? “I’m good, I suppose.”
“Yoona, I brought something back for you.”
Without a word, Yunho enveloped Yoona in a tight hug, his own almond eyes misty. “Thank God, you’re safe.”
“Arra, Yoona-ah, arra. Just let it all out.” soothed Yunho, his voice clogged with his own emotions.
Sniffling, Yoochun blinked against his own tears, the doe’s cries piercing his own heart. Feeling like an outsider intruding, the JYJ singer turned his back quietly to the embracing duo as he made his way to his own room, with Harang trailing after him, giving the two the privacy they deserved. It was only until Yoochun shut his bedroom door did he brush away a lone tear. And that’s when Yoochun knew, despite everything that had happened, despite his own discomforts, he had done the right thing by Yoona after all.
Changmin growled as he jabbed his finger repeatedly against the doorbell of Kwon Jiyong’s apartment. It hadn’t take long for the idol to track down the home address of the Big Bang leader. The entertainment industry has no secrets if one has connections and being in the industry for a decade now, Shim Changmin had connections alright.
“.” cursed Taeyang as he witnessed the scene before him, hearing the commotion from one of the guestrooms. Changmin merely raised an eyebrow lazily at the manager’s threat, nonplussed.
Kim Jaejoong was seeing red, his mind plagued by bloodlust. How dare he?! How dare Kwon Jiyong treat his baby Yoona in such a manner?! Standing by Jaejoong’s side was an equally enraged Junsu, red hot fury radiating both men in waves. They had left Jaejoong’s place without a word after the brief encounter with Seunghyun, years of working together had left them so attuned to the other that a look was all it takes for a consensus decision to be made.
They had arrived in Jiyong’s apartment in record-breaking time, no words were exchanged during the ride, the air within the confined space of Jaejoong’s Mercedes had cackled and pulsed with the amount of fury and tension present. Tension wounding so tight that it was shocking that neither of the two had exploded from the pressure.
Upon reaching the Kwon leader’s apartment, Jaejoong had furrowed his brows at the slightly ajar door of Jiyong’s apartment. It was the golden rule in the Korean entertainment industry, especially those in the idol singer field, to have your doors double locked against anti-s and saseangs, while Junsu had merely shrugged at the sight. “Easier for us to enter then.” The corners of Jaejoong’s lips quirked up a fraction in amusement.
Stepping into the apartment cautiously, the duo were each contemplating on the best course of action when the sight before them stopped them dead in their tracks. Fury rose within Jaejoong like a tsunami tide, hot and fast, his eyes taking on a red tint as every protective instinct within the blonde took over.
It was a well established fact in the Cassiopeia world that Kim Jaejoong was extremely protective towards the youngest of the group. Being the baby of the group aside, the protectiveness the oldest had for his maknae only grew exponentially when Jaejoong had witnessed Changmin being attacked by hate fans in China several years back. Unnerved by the long wait, a curious Jaejoong had then wandered off to the back of the rest stop TVXQ were stopping over, wondering what was Changmin’s hold up and the scene that greeted DBSK’s oldest member soon became a memory Jaejoong would never forget. There his baby maknae was, all alone in the middle of the street in tears, incapable of defending himself as a middle aged lady attacked him repeatedly with a gym bag full of rocks while another had stood close by, swearing at Changmin, spurring the other woman on. Jaejoong felt his heart shred into bits with every cry that escaped Changmin, with every blow inflicted onto his defend-less maknae and the former had never felt rage as it is then. Fuming, Jaejoong had sprinted over, shielding Changmin’s body with his own as he towered over the two Chinese, fighting back with every ounce of aggression he had, countering every Chinese curse with a Korean one of his own. It was only after Jae had succeeded in chasing the two lunatics off did the sense of guilt weigh on him. If only he had accompanied Changmin earlier then, perhaps his baby wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Kneeling down, Jaejoong gingerly wrapped his arms around the crying Changmin, a hold so tender that it had only made Changmin cry more, “I’ll protect you, Minnie. Hush now.” A vow Jaejoong swore on his life.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The words spilled out of Jaejoong before the man himself had even realized it, a voice so cold that it would have little difficulties in freezing the fires that burned within the deepest pit of hell. If one thought Changmin to have the scariest temper in DongBangShinKi, clearly they had seen nothing yet when it comes to Kim Jaejoong. No one, and I mean no one, messes with his babies.
Seungri gulped, hair rising at the back of his neck at the soft, willowy voice. If possible, Seungri felt the room’s temperature plummet just from that eight simple words; words that held a sinister, dark promise to it. The Big Bang maknae shivered. Glancing up, Seungri nearly pissed in his pants at the sight before him. There stood the two former DBSK members in all their glory as power clung onto them like second skin, faces full of menace as they shot killer glares at him… Seungri’s brows furrowed, no, it wasn’t him that they were directing the murderous stance. Turning his head slowly but surely, Seungri groaned inwardly at the sight, his hyung’s manger was about to give the restrained Changmin a slap, a tight slap by the looks of it. Great, just great and Lee Seungri was certain that they were all dead men tonight.
You see, it’s common knowledge to not mess with the babies of the group, period. Not unless one has a death wish and desired to be the receiving end of the wrath of all hyungs/oppas/unnies/noonas alike. The closer knitted the group was, the more painful the death of the perpetuator, as simple as that. And as estranged as their relationship were at the moment, Lee Seungri was pretty certain that the same rule still applies. It did not help that the Big Bang maknae had knew and seen firsthand how close the five were once…
Dropping his hand, GD’s manager sneered, “Aww. What is this? A DBSK reunion? How touching.”
Jaejoong’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the other man’s sarcasm, his icy glare piercing. Daesung whimpered, having never seen the infamous DBSK tempers until now. Taking advantage of the momentarily distraction, Changmin shook himself free from his captors, arms crossed as he glared at the man who came so close in laying a hand on him. Seungri made a move to hold onto Changmin again but cleverly dropped his arm midway with a startled yelp after a not-so-subtle pointed glare from Junsu.
Seemingly understanding the danger he was in, GD’s manager took a step back and cleared his throat, “What do you want, Kim?”
Jaejoong quirked an eyebrow up and was tempted to ask the man which Kim he was referring to, him or Junsu. Instead, the JYJ oldest opted to keep his narrowed eyes on the man as he made his way forward to where Changmin stood, his eyes never leaving the other man even as he asked, “You okay, Changmin?”
Shim Changmin did a double-take at Jaejoong’s voice, dropping his gaze on Jiyong’s manager to the blonde standing protectively before him. The DBSK maknae didn’t know which was more unnerving; Jae helping him, the worry in the latter’s question or the unblinking gaze of Junsu as the duckbutt silently did an once-over to his body, checking for any visible bruises.
Stamping down on a tear-jerky emotion that was bubbling within him, Changmin’s cleared his throat. “I’m okay.” replied the youngest DBSK member gruffly, fighting the urge to squirm under Junsu’s unnaturally piercing stare.
Jaejoong shot a quick glance at his youngest from the corner of his eyes, needing to see it for himself that Changmin was alright. With a satisfied nod, Jaejoong diverted his attention once more to the scene before him, remembering the purpose of his visit. Unknowingly mirroring what Changmin did earlier, Jaejoong strode over to where Jiyong stood bleeding with purposeful yet graceful steps, stopping only when he was within a striking distance of Jiyong. Seungri and Daesung both made a sound of protest and was about to make their way over to their leader when Changmin spun around, obstructing their path with his body, a smirk on his face. Years with Jae had long taught Changmin that his former band-mate had a knack for delivering the best punishments, the reason why no one in DBSK ever really dared to prank Jaejoong, and if that particular trait of Jae’s haven’t changed… Changmin gave a gleeful grin in his mind, “Kwon Jiyong won’t even see it coming.”
Instinctively, Junsu and Changmin sought out the other, sharing a knowing smirk, knowing that things were about to get good. Only for them to drop their gazes a second later, scowling, realizing that the time had long past for them to share any knowing smirks, or anything for that matter.
Taking in the sight of Kwon Jiyong’s bleeding nose, Jaejoong smirked, taking pride in the fact that his baby Changmin did a number on the cheating bastard.
“I’m telling you, I’m placing charges for assault if any of you monsters lay another hand on Jiyong.”
In response to the threat, Jaejoong merely graced the huffing manager with a devious grin, “Oh, don’t worry. I’ve no intention of dirtying my hands with filth.”
Only to drop his smile as he faced the wary Jiyong, “This is for Yoona, .”
With that, Jaejoong brought his knee up, fast and hard, to the other man’s groin. A deadly move so swift and precise that it had the others wincing instinctively. Owww-ouch.
“Why you little--” GD’s manager made a move towards the gleeful Jaejoong, only to be stopped by a serious-looking Junsu, who had quite literally popped up in front of him. Changmin’s smirk grew. For years, many had underestimated Junsu due to his bubbly deposition and childlike aura, never expecting Junsu to be the speediest and most nimble out of them five. Tsk, tsk, shame on them.
Jiyong’s manager snarled, “What perfect teamwork you three have, huh. It’s just too bad that you guys chose to split up.” The trio stiffened at the implication before glaring in response to the other man’s venomous words.
With a sneer, Jaejoong lifted Jiyong up by the collar of his shirt, making sure the latter would hear him loud and clear. “You better pray to all the Gods above that Yoona is alright. I swear on my mother’s life that I would kill you if I find her in less than perfect condition. Do you understand me, Kwon?”
Seemingly satisfied that he got his message across, Jae released his grip on Jiyong’s clothes, allowing the latter to fall back to the marble floor with a dull thud. Dusting his hands together, Jae ignored the groan of pain emitted by the fallen Big Bang leader as he stood to his full height. Directing a look to s, Jaejoong gave a smirk, “Let’s go, boys.” before proceeding to leave the living room without as much as a second glance back.
Changmin fought back a chuckle, Jae was still as much as a drama queen as he remembered him to be, only to somber up as he found Junsu staring back at him. It was only then did it hit the DBSK maknae that Jaejoong had said ‘boys’, not boy but boys… Does that mean that Jaejoong was including him as well? But before Changmin could even decide the implication of Jae’s words or if he would follow Jaejoong out, Junsu made the decision for him by giving a slight tilt of the head to the door, subtlety asking, no, telling the youngest to follow their oldest out.
With a sigh, Changmin obeyed begrudgingly, following Jaejoong. It hadn’t escaped the DBSK maknae’s notice either that Junsu had only moved after he had, taking the rear as they made their way out… and it almost feels like Junsu was protecting him in the latter’s own way. Changmin shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts as he pondered over the behavior of his former band-mates. What has the world come to, tonight?
It was only after the apartment door clicked shut that Seungri allowed himself to fall onto the ground, his knees giving way as the adrenaline within him left.
“Remind me to never, ever cross DongBangShinKi ever again.” proclaimed Seungri in a breathy whisper. Beside him, Daesung nodded his head vehemently, in complete agreement.
Changmin found Jaejoong waiting by the elevators, calm and collected. A façade that fell apart by the relieved sigh Jae made at the sight of his two dongseangs making it out safely in one piece. The elevator ride back down to the lobby was quiet at best, each lost in their own respective thoughts. Jaejoong hated the silence, hated how far Changmin felt despite the fact that the said man was standing right beside him, hated how things have become.
The elevator door opened with a ‘ping’ and Changmin was the first to exit the metal box. The DBSK maknae was feeling uncharacteristically nervous, not knowing what to say to his older counterparts. Should he thank Jaejoong for interfering earlier? That was the polite thing to do right? But since when were they polite to each other? Are they on civil terms now then? Or is the mini truce over? Should he bade them goodbye now that they’re supposed to part ways, yet again. What does one simply say after four years of silence and bitter words? What?
“There’s a convenience store by the end of the street.”
Changmin stilled at the soft musical voice, his heart hammering at a familiar voice he hadn’t heard in so long; a voice that didn't have an edge to it this time. Jaejoong turned his head to Junsu in shock, his mouth agape, unbelieving that Junsu had just spoken, as random as the comment was.
Junsu merely shrugged at Jaejoong’s questioning gaze. Unflinching, the musical actor met Changmin’s bewildered gaze, gesturing to the latter’s bruised knuckles with a jerk of his chin. Instinctively, Changmin hid his palms behind his back, acting very much like a boy who had just gotten caught for stealing from a cookie jar. Blinking, the DBSK maknae tried to recover from the shock of Junsu speaking to him, much less caring about him, “I-I… Thanks.”
And the JYJ youngest gave a nod in return. Jaejoong lowered his gaze to the ground, shielding his misty eyes to his younger counterparts, the interaction between his two youngest tugging at his heartstrings. It was then Jae realized Junsu still cared, more than the latter would ever admit. For years, Jaejoong had wondered what a reunion between them would be like, and for years Jaejoong had accepted the fact that things are different now, but to see change in the relationship dynamics for himself had a greater part of Jaejoong’s heart weeping. Junsu and Changmin weren’t meant to be polite to the other, they weren’t meant to conceal their care for the other in such a manner, they were supposed to tease and fight, just like how Tom and Jerry does. And to see the two so near yet so far had Jaejoong tearing up, fast.
“I should go now.”
Jaejoong’s head snapped up at the barely audible whisper and an illogical part of him wanted to beg his youngest to stay, for his youngest to not leave him again.
Junsu gave a nod before averting his gaze to the ground, resembling a crestfallen child, his shoulders sagged in resignation and defeat; a sight that was tearing into Jaejoong’s heart once more. Jaejoong panicked as his youngest spun around, he wasn’t ready for Changmin to leave him just yet.
“Changmin-ah.” he called out impulsively, feeling the sting in his eyes.
Cautiously, Changmin turned to face Jaejoong with a tilt of his head, wondering what the other man wanted. The panic laced in Jae’s voice had tore at him but as soon as Changmin met Jaejoong’s gaze, the DBSK idol wished he hadn’t. The sight of the tears swimming in those expressive brown orbs had triggered his own, and Changmin could see each unspoken plea, each emotion crystal clear in Jaejoong’s pair of expressive eyes.
“I-It was good seeing you, Changmin-ah.”
Swallowing hard, Changmin fought against his own emotions, “It was good seeing you too.”
Seconds ticked by as the two continued to stare at the other, not knowing what other words to say but unwilling to say goodbye just yet.
“Take care.” whispered Junsu, finally gaining to courage to peer up at the taller man.
Changmin bit his lower lips as the memories came flashing back at him; times where there was only laughter and easy camaraderie between them. “Y-You too.”
Another moment of silence passed between the trio, an invisible line between them as Junsu stood by Jaejoong’s side while Changmin stood opposite them, both parties greedily drinking in the sight of the other. Consequences be damned.
And when Jaejoong’s lower lip trembled, Changmin took it as his cue to leave. The DBSK maknae was certain his tears would come the moment Jae’s arrived and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it just yet.
Taking one last long look at his former band-mates, Changmin whispered the one word he should have said eons ago, “Bye.” And with that, the DBSK idol took off without a second glance back, blinking back his tears as he made his way forcefully to the exit, determined not to give in to the temptation to turn back.
Jaejoong choked on a sob, watching as his baby leave him once more, sniffling as a traitorous tear strayed down his cheek. Eyes never leaving the backview of the taller man, Jae had watched till the back view of his maknae disappeared into nothingness into the night. Exhaling a shaky breath, Jae had turned to face Junsu, needing the comfort when the former saw that Junsu was still craning his neck at direction Changmin left, an unconscious pout on his lips, his round orbs teary as the latter peered for the slightest glimpse of the DBSK idol.
Bringing a fist to his mouth, Jaejoong stifled the sob that was rising in his throat, ignoring the second tear that spilled onto his cheeks as he hugged his companion, knowing that Junsu needed comfort more than he do and it was only then that Junsu knew his maknae was gone. Sniffling, Junsu brought an arm up to rub the older man’s arm soothingly, offering comfort to his fellow member. With his teary eyes still glued to the exit, Junsu bleakly wondered if it would ever end, if the pain would ever stop… if the time would ever come for the five of them to bid each other goodbye without the tears but with good-natured smiles as they once did so many years ago.
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