[August 12th: Seoul, South Korea]

 

“Hey,” whispered Jaejoong softly as he turned to Yoochun in the middle of the kitchen and frowned.

 

“Hmm?” he replied, half paying attention, as he stared across the open space of Jaejoong’s apartment and focused on the movie that Junsu and Nikki were watching in the living room.

 

“Chunnie,” whined Jaejoong quietly as he rolled his eyes.

 

“What?” answered Yoochun, almost frustratingly, as he turned to look at his brother.

 

“Can you take Nikki out for ice cream or something?” he questioned as he reached into the cupboard and retrieved a small drinking glass.

 

“Ice cream? Why?” he retorted. “Are we out?”

 

“No,” sighed Jaejoong with a disappointed shake of the head.

 

God, could Yoochun any more oblivious? he thought before he spoke again. “I still need to talk to Su.”

 

“Oh,” answered Yoochun with a nod, finally getting his brother’s drift. “Yeah, I can do that.”

 

“Thanks,” smiled Jaejoong as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. 

 

“Hey, Noona!” called out Yoochun boisterously as he rounded the counter and stepped into the living room. “Jae needs us to run to the market.”

 

“Can’t you go by yourself?” scoffed Junsu, a slight tinge of overprotectiveness lacing his words, as he looked up at Yoochun curiously. “We’re watching a movie.”

 

“Jae said she has to go with me,” answered Yoochun with a suggestive smile.

 

“Why?” replied Junsu with a suspicious look.

 

“’ Cause he using my credit card,” called out Jaejoong from the kitchen, his tone derisive and almost irritated, as he peeked out from underneath the cabinets hanging over the counter and glared at Junsu. “If Noona doesn’t go with him, he’ll come back with nothing but alcohol…and no ice cream!”

 

“But,” mumbled Junsu dejectedly.

 

“It's fine,” answered Nikki, reaching out and cutting off another of Junsu’s uncharacteristic counter-arguments with a pat on his shoulder. “Just stop the movie and we can finish it when I get back.”

 

“Alright,” sighed Junsu disappointingly. “I guess.”

 

“Great,” smiled Yoochun. “Let’s go.”

 

After grabbing her jacket from the back of the dining room chair, Nikki followed Yoochun out while Junsu seemed to nearly brood on the living room couch quietly. His countenance mimicking that of a disgruntled and abandoned child.

 

“There it is again,” Jaejoong mumbled quietly to himself as he took in the look on Junsu’s face.

 

Wiping his wet hands on a dishtowel, Jaejoong sighed softly and mustered up his confidence to say what he needed to say. He knew that the conversation they had to have would be difficult. Junsu, while normally understanding of other’s thoughts and feelings, had always had a tendency to feel defensive when being questioned about his own.

 

If he was as attached to Nikki as Jaejoong feared, what he was about to say could easily end up in a knock-out-drag-out fight if he wasn’t careful. Jaejoong had never really thought that he would ever need to scold his brother’s about their personal lives, knowing that both of them had learned harsh lessons by his own example many years ago, but the more and more Junsu seemed to get emotionally attached to their Noona the more he worried that his best friend had forgotten or ignored the obvious –what could really happen.

 

To avoid any real lasting damage, not only to Junsu’s psyche and heart but also their strong friendship, he needed to handle this delicately. He needed to make his point, give Junsu some proper advice, and make him understand his concerns without raising his ire.

 

“Get to the point,” scoffed Junsu dejectedly as he watched from the corner of his eye as Jaejoong came into the living room and sat down.

 

“What do you mean?” questioned Jaejoong nonchalantly, trying to gauge Junsu’s mood.

 

“We have two containers of ice cream in the fridge, Jae,” answered Junsu knowingly. “So, why don’t you just say what you need to say and let’s stop pretending that you didn’t send them away for a reason.”

 

“Fine…” sighed Jaejoong, knowing that he was caught. “I’ll get to the point.”

 

“But,” he interjected. “Before I do, I want you to understand something.”

 

“That… you’re only doing this because you care about me?” interrupted Junsu with a soft scoff. “You always say that right before come down on me about something.”

 

“I know…Ok?” sighed Junsu. “So, just get to the point.”

 

“You’ve been acting really strange these last few weeks,” started Jaejoong apprehensively. “You’re normally so cautious but for some reason, you’ve become more and more reckless.”

 

“This is about Nikki, isn’t it?” questioned Junsu immediately.

 

“What’s going on between you two?” asked Jaejoong bluntly.

 

“Nothing,” replied Junsu with an almost disappointed sigh as he stared at the paused and silent television before him.

 

“It doesn’t look that way to us,” countered Jaejoong as he stared at his best friend disbelievingly.

 

“Look…I don’t really care what it looks like, alright?” answered Junsu, slightly irritated, as he turned to look at his friend. “Nothing is going on.”

 

“Bull,” breathed out Jaejoong disappointedly. He had hoped Junsu would be honest with him.

 

“Something is going on,” continued Jaejoong as he looked at his best friend and shook his head. “Yoochun and I both see it. And you know it.”

 

“What do you want from me, Jae?” questioned Junsu derisively. “What do you want me to say?”

 

“Just tell me the truth,” he answered.

 

“I don’t know what the truth is.” scoffed Junsu as he leaned back on the couch and ran his hand through his hair. The confusion and near desperation lacing his every word.

 

“Do you like her?” questioned Jaejoong bluntly. “Do you have feelings for her?”

 

“Honestly?” questioned Junsu as he looked a Jaejoong questioningly –only to see him immediately nod in agreement.

 

“Sort of,” he answered.

 

“I like her well enough,” he continued. “She’s nice, caring, and completely open-hearted. We get along well. We understand each other. She takes care of me. She’s always so attentive to what I want, need, or feel. She never disregards my opinions, she supports me through and through, and never hesitates to put me in my place when I act like an idiot.”

 

“Noona is like the best friend and sister I never really had growing up,” sighed Junsu. “So…its hard…not to feel something for her.”

 

“I understand how you feel, Su. But did you ever think that Noona is the way she is because it’s her job?” questioned Jaejoong, playing devil’s advocate. “That’s what she’s supposed to do.”

 

“Don’t do that…You and I both know that Nikki’s not like that because she has to be,” replied Junsu with a dismissive shake of the head. “She loves us, that’s why she does the things she does.”

 

“Sure, she loves us and cares about us on a personal level,” Jaejoong agreed. “But that doesn’t mean that she treats us the way she does because of some deeper connection, that she sees us as something more than we already are.”

 

“Are you saying that Nikki couldn’t possibly have real feelings for one of us?” countered Junsu immediately, his defensive nature showing itself instantly.

 

“I’m not saying that,” dismissed Jaejoong with a wave and a somewhat reassuring smile. “Noona is a normal person, after all. She has the same hopes, dreams, thoughts, and emotions as everyone else. She loves others and wants to be loved in return, but you and I both know that Noona isn’t stupid.”

 

“She knows, just as we all do, what could happen if she ever got emotionally involved with one of us,” continued Jaejoong with a saddened sigh. “She knows what our lives are like, what our fans are like, and what our families are like. She knows that, no matter how much she hopes that we will find real love someday, that the person for us isn’t someone like her.”

 

“Someone like her?” questioned Junsu with an almost hurt expression. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What are you saying?”

 

“Noona is a realist, Su. Just like you should be,” sighed Jaejoong as a conversation he once had with Nikki crossed his mind. “She knows who and what she is in this life and being with one of us, or any artist for that matter is completely out of the question for her.”

 

“How the hell do you know that?” questioned Junsu, a slight tinge of anger lacing his voice.

 

“Our wellbeing and future are more important than anything she could ever want or need,” he replied gently. “She’s sacrificed a lot of what she’s wanted for the betterment of those around her, and things like love or relationships have never been her priority. Her artist’s happiness comes before her own, it always has and it always will.”

 

“And, if an artist falls for her, she sees it as a personal failure,” he added. “She blames herself.”

 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” argued Junsu angrily. “How can she blame herself if someone else has feelings for her?”

 

“It’s a lesson learned from a long time ago,” answered Jaejoong as he bit back the urge to tell Junsu about the first boy band she ever worked with even though it wasn’t necessarily a secret. “Let’s just say that thanks to some people in the past she came to realize that being this way is the best for all involved.”

 

“So…whatever feelings you have for her brewing in your heart,” sighed Jaejoong. “Bury them now. Throw them away and let them go.”

 

“What if I can’t?” questioned Junsu softly.

 

“You must,” Jaejoong replied.

 

“I don’t want to see you get hurt,” he added. “And I don’t want to see Noona get hurt either.”

 

“And if you pursue this…” sighed Jaejoong sadly. “That’s how it will end up.”

 

“Our world is a cruel and hateful place Su,” added Jaejoong sadly. “And it’s no place for someone like Noona. She is too good and too kind to be tainted by all the hate that will be flung at her should one of us ever...”

 

“I don’t want either one of us to get hurt,” sighed Junsu worriedly. “But, I don’t know if I can just let this go either. I haven’t felt like this since…”

 

“It’s been a really, really, long time Jae,” he admitted with a deep and lonely sigh.

 

“I know,” nodded Jaejoong knowingly. “But…you know there is only one outcome for all of this that leaves not only your friendship with her intact but also your career.”

 

“I guess…” sighed Junsu as he reached up and rubbed his face.

 

“Take it from me, Su…Sometimes…sometimes it’s better to let the people we love go rather than holding on to them,” sniffled Jaejoong solemnly as a lonesome memory from his past flickered across his troubled mind. “That’s the only way we can ensure that at least they will be happy.”

 

“Let it go, Su,” begged Jaejoong softly “For her sake as well as yours.”

 

 

 

[August 18th: Seoul, South Korea]

 

“All parties for the primary and secondary finales have agreed to the contract terms,” informed Director Choi over the phone.

 

“The secondary buyout held no complications and were officially completed, smoothly, two days ago,” he added.

 

“What was the final bid for part one of the primary contractual buyout?” questioned Lady N.

 

“80 Million USD for a complete buyout,” he replied.

 

“And that includes all trademarks, copyrights, previous compositions, and branding?” she questions for clarification.

 

“Yes, …as of, ten this morning…they belong to Haze Media.” Director Choi smiled.

 

“And what about part two of the primary buyout?” she prompted.

 

“Their company’s President is being fickle,” he answered. “But we’ve finally agreed on the purchase price.”

 

“What’s the bottom line?” she questioned.

 

“150 Million USD?” he answered, a sense of uneasiness and questioning lacing his words as he subversively prompted her for an answer.

 

“Do it,” Lady N immediately ordered.

 

“Are you sure?” questioned Director Choi. “It’s nearly double our original offer.”

 

“Do whatever is legally necessary to see to it that this buyout happens,” she commanded firmly. “I don’t care if we have to break the bank. I want their contracts, and legal rights to the brand, above all else.”

 

“We have to save them from themselves,” she added softly.

 

“Very well,” Director Choi agreed with a nod. “If that is what you wish, then I will see to it that it’s done by Friday”

 

 

 

[September 1rst: Seoul, Korea]

 

“Jae,” called out Yoochun as he stood in the doorway of the company’s largest studio and looked up at his brother working quietly.

 

“What?” answered Jaejoong with a slightly irritated sigh. “Can’t you see I’m trying to work?”

 

“The Prez wants to see us,” he answered.

 

“Right now?” replied Jaejoong, rolling his eyes in frustration.

 

“Yeah…right now.” sighed Yoochun.

 

“Fine,” he sighed acceptingly as he reached up and hit a button on the soundboard, pausing the playback.

 

Grabbing his phone from the soundboard’s railing, Jaejoong stood quietly and followed Yoochun out of the studio.

 

“What’s this about?” questioned Jaejoong as he closed the door behind him.

 

“Don’t know,” replied Yoochun. “But he seemed to be in a good mood.”

 

“Well…that’s something at least,” smirked Jaejoong with a soft chuckle.

 

In a matter of minutes, Jaejoong and Yoochun arrived at the President’s office to find Junsu sitting quietly on one of the large black leather couches in the middle of the room, fiddling with his phone, while President Baek seemed to be studying some paperwork on his desk.

 

“Hello,” called out Yoochun as he nonchalantly knocked on the open office door.

 

“Oh? Yoochun…and Jaejoong,” acknowledged the President as he looked up at the two men and smiled. “Come in. Come in!”

 

“Have a seat,” he added gently as he stood from his desk and buttoned the buttons of his suit jacket.

 

“What’s up?” questioned Jaejoong as he plopped down on the couch beside Junsu and Yoochun lounged out in one of the large black leather chairs near the end of the coffee table.

 

“Well,” smiled the President, sitting down in the head chair. “I have some news that you three will be quite interested in.”

 

“Oh?” questioned Yoochun. “Like what?”

 

“For the last few months, I have been in negotiations with an overseas company who have been in the process of putting together a Global Event Concert,” stated President Baek.

 

“Global Event Concert?” questioned Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong almost simultaneously.

 

“What’s that?” questioned Jaejoong curiously.

 

“Sound’s strange, doesn’t it?” chuckled President Baek. “But it’s the real deal.”

 

“The company, based out of Japan, has been working for almost five years setting up this big event,” continued the President. “Dubbed the Kpop Mega Con, its set to be the largest Kpop event ever attempted in Hallyu history. It’s going to be huge!”

 

“I didn’t really think they were going to be able to pull it off,” he added disbelievingly “But it looks like it’s really going to happen.”

 

“It’s just another con,” scoffed Jaejoong. “What could be so great about it?”

 

“It’s like nothing the Kpop world has ever seen,” informed President Baek. “Tours are hard as hell to pull off even with billions of won in the bank, but these guys have done something completely unprecedented.”

 

“They have not only financed the entire event on their own and solidified one of the biggest venues in Los Angeles for it but have also locked in some of the hugest acts in Kpop to perform there,” continued the President with an impressed look on his face. “They’ve set up this enormous network of contractors, production companies, promotional agencies, advertisers, and news outlets to work the event."

 

"And even acquired the rights to broadcast the concert live –worldwide- on over 150 television stations throughout the US, Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia and live-stream the broadcast, in its entirety, on 200 different sites around the globe simultaneously.”

 

“And to top it all off,” he chuckled disbelievingly. “Believe it or not…The concert itself will be completely FREE for the fans to attend.”

 

“WHAT?” the three men barked in unison.

 

“Yes, free,” he answered, nodding in agreement. “Apparently the owner of the company has been a fan of Korean music for nearly twenty years and wanted to reward the fans with something truly spectacular.”

 

“Spectacular, indeed,” nodded Jaejoong. “But what does it have to do with us?”

 

“I've received the final list of performances for the Kpop Mega Con this morning,” stated President Beak, seemingly bypassing Jaejoong’s question for the moment. “There will be a total of twelve acts performing over a seven-hour period.”

.

“Seven hours…” breathed out Junsu disbelievingly. “Jesus”

 

“BIGBANG, Epik High, Super Junior, BTS, GOT7, 2PM, Stray Kids, EXO, NCT, and Monsta X will be the advertised performers for the con officially,” he continued. "With two special, surprise guests performing in the final two slots."

 

"The eleventh and twelfth groups performing are a secret even from the other artists that have already been confirmed. Only those involved with the final two performances know who it will be so it will be a complete surprise to the fans and the world.”

 

“Who are they?” questioned Junsu with a deeply curious look.

 

“By an amazing feat of negotiation, the company in charge of the con has bought the rights and contracts for all five members of SS501,” stated the President bluntly. “And they will celebrate their official comeback as five on the day of the con, in the eleventh slot.”

 

“Whoa!” said Jaejoong excitedly. “Hyun Joong and the boys are getting back together?”

 

“It looks like it,” chuckled President Baek. “From what I have been told, it looks like the owner of the company in charge of the con pushed hard to buy out not only their individual contracts but buy the rights to the SS501 brand, and the copyrights to everything under the brand –even all of their music, from DSP Media. They own the group’s name lock, stock, and barrel and all the members have signed highly lucrative contracts, with major perks like artistic freedom and a joint 50/50 split of brand control, just recently.”

 

“Kind of like what we did with you,” smiled Junsu.

 

“Exactly.” nodded President Baek.

 

“That’s awesome!” cheered Yoochun.

 

“Yeah…it will be great to have them back in the game,” beamed Junsu happily.

 

“I agree,” nodded President Baek with a laugh.

 

“So who’s going to be the final act of the night?” questioned Jaejoong a few moments later. “Is it us?”

 

“Yes,” answered the President, his face; once happy; falling in an instant and turning concerned. “And No.”

 

“What do you mean?” questioned Yoochun curiously as his two brothers looked on suspiciously.

 

“They want the three of you,” he answered, stammering for a moment. “But there are some conditions.”

 

“What kind of conditions?” questioned Jaejoong immediately, suddenly feeling really apprehensive to the near point of frustration.

 

“Those…you will need to discuss with them,” he answered. “The company’s CEO and its Founder have requested a private meeting with you, first, Jaejoong –to discuss their proposal one on one.”

 

“If you agree to their terms,” he finished with a sigh. “Then you three will be able to take the final spot at the con.”

 

“Will you meet them?” prompted President Beak questioningly.

 

Jaejoong stayed silent for a moment, contemplating all that they had learned about the event, and after a few tense moments, he sighed acceptingly.

 

“Alright, let’s hear them out at least,” he answered with a nod.

 

“Great!” smiled President Baek. “You leave for Japan in two days.”

 

 

 

[September 2nd: Seoul, Korea]

 

“Hey, Min…” answered Nini as she put her phone to her ear “How’s it going?”

 

“Good…I guess…” sighed Changmin disappointingly.

 

“You sure? You sound a little down in the dumps.” she asked lovingly “Are you alright?”

 

“Just bored,” answered Changmin with an overly exasperated and manipulative sigh.

 

“Why?” she nearly chuckled before adding mischievously “Did I give you too much to do today?”

 

“No…It’s not that…” he replied, “I’ve finished my schedule for the day early and now I have nothing to do.”

 

“Did you remember to update your social media accounts today?” she questioned suspiciously.

 

“Yeah...” sighed Changmin, the sadness in his voice becoming more and more evident as the seconds passed by.

 

“Then why don’t you call Heechul and see if he wants to hang out with you and play video games or something?” she suggested, knowing full well that when Changmin got really bored he had a tendency to get in trouble just because he could.

 

“He’s in the studio…” he grumbled disappointingly “And won’t be done till after midnight.”

 

“Ah…ok.” she acknowledged.

 

“Can you come over and hang out with me at my place tonight instead?” he questioned bluntly.

 

“Why?” she chuckled gently.

 

“All my friends are too busy and Yunnie is in Japan,” he grumbled.

 

“Have you talk to him?” she questioned, deliberately trying to change the subject “Does he like the hotel?”

 

“No…” answered Changmin bluntly.

 

“Oh no. Why not?” Nini asked worriedly “Is there something wrong?”

 

“It’s not that…” laughed Changmin “He was just a little irritated that you book him a suite at the Imperial Hotel. That place is ungodly expensive!”

 

“You know how he is about money…” he added gently.

 

“Well he can get over it.” she laughed “You two deserved to be spoiled, every now and again.”

 

“And besides…” she added, “it was Director Choi’s idea anyway.”

 

“It’s not fair…” whined Changmin childishly “Yunnie gets to go to Tokyo and stay in such a great hotel… and I’m stuck in my boring apartment all by myself.”

 

“I’m so bored.” he added with a whine “Come over and play with me Noona.”

 

Shaking her head and sighing deeply at the manipulative childishness that Changmin could project when he wanted something, Nini quickly ran over the rest of her daily schedule in her head.

 

“I have meetings all afternoon Min.” she answered apologetically, a tinge of disappointment stalking her every word, as she glanced down at her watch and noted that it was just a little afternoon “I don’t know when I will be done.”

 

“And, besides, you’ve been looking super tired the last few days…” she added worriedly “why don’t you just take the time for yourself and get some more rest?”

 

“You saw the photos, I take it?” questioned Changmin, realizing that Nini must have seen the photographs a few reporters took of him two days ago coming out of the studio.

 

“Yeah…” she sighed “Look, I know you want to do well with this next promotion Min but you don’t have to run yourself into the ground for it.”

 

“It’s bad enough I have to deal with Yunho going above and beyond…” she added derisively “I don’t need you doing it too.”

 

“But the harder we work the better it will be…” said Changmin coyly, knowing exactly what response he would immediately get in return, as he raised his eyebrow mischievously.

 

“Damn it Min…” she sighed amusedly “You know what I mean.”

 

“So…you’re coming over right?” he questioned with a smile “I’ll even make dinner…”

 

“Make…?” she laughed.

 

“Well…order.” corrected Changmin.

 

“Please?” he begged almost cutely.

 

“Alright…” she sighed, giving in “I’ll text you when I’m on my way…”

 

“OK!” cheered Changmin happily “See you then!”

 

“See you…” she smiled as she shook her head in disbelief.

 

As the line went dead, Nini pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the screen with an amused smile on her face.

 

“Such a troublemaker…” she scoffed playfully.

 

 

[September 3rd: Tokyo, Japan]

 

“Where to, Sir?” questioned the elderly Japanese taxi cab driver as he sat down in the driver’s seat, closed the door, and glanced back at the strangely beautiful man sitting in the back seat hiding behind a black baseball cap and dark sunglasses.

 

“The Imperial Hotel,” answered Jaejoong with a nod.

 

“Very well, Sir.” replied the driver as he immediately put the car into drive and pulled out from the front of the airport terminal doors.