A/N: Greetings to all the brand new subscribers! I'm happy you're enjoying things thus far :D

O -Jung.Ban.Hap-

“Jaejoong ssi, could you not fall asleep when I'm doing your hair, please?” the stylist noona said, giving him a firm tap on the shoulder. “I don't want the chemicals to go down your neck.”

Jaejoong lifted his head and sighed. He'd been in the salon more than ever since he'd dyed his hair blonde for their most recent comeback, and as soon as his roots started creeping back, it was back to the stylist's chair for him. He didn't mind it so much since he didn't actually have to do anything other than sit there while the stylist smothered his hair in chemicals, but he was so exhausted from their promotions that it was a pain that he couldn't sneak in a few minutes of sleep when he had the chance. Their promotions had increased significantly for O compared to their TRI-ANGLE and Rising Sun days, and even though they were having a lot of fun, they still all wanted much more sleep than they were getting.

“I'm almost done, so just sit tight,” the stylist said, holding Jaejoong's shoulders still. His scalp tingled from the bleach, and though he thought the whole process was troublesome, he didn't mind how he looked when it was finished. Yunho also liked it, teasing him flirtatiously by saying that he looked amazing no matter what the stylists did to him, unlike some of the other members.

“Would you like me to grab you a magazine so you can stay awake?” she asked.

“No, I think I'd fall asleep while reading,” Jaejoong admitted.

“You sure? The front pages are filled with more juicy details on that one actor's cheating scandal. Those illicit love letters his wife turned up should wake you up.”

Jaejoong smiled guiltily. He knew all about that particular scandal, since it had given the gossip pages such a field day that it had completely pushed Dami and her accusations out of everybody's minds. He, Yunho, and Soorin had been left well alone by photographers and reporters after the news broke, and Shinwon's much more blatant fanservice with Chansik had convinced some of their more suspicious parties that C&M artists were simply joining in on the fanservice trend. Jaejoong and Yunho had also taken Hyunsoo nim's advice and kept their closeness more apparent onstage; now that they could share a room most nights, they could hold back their constant need to be in contact with each other, and since their new couple rings were so dissimilar to each other, no one expected anything. The BigEast Yunjae shippers kept their word and remained quiet on the subject, not confessing to the Cassiopeia branches of their fanclub that they had in actuality been wearing couple rings for months.

“Those kinds of men are so bad,” the stylist continued. “Thinking they're so good that they deserve to enjoy two women at once. Slimeballs like that aren't even worth one. Some of you idols are just as bad, too. I'm glad I got assigned to work with you five. You're all such good kids.”

“And kids with barely any free time to get into trouble.”

“Still, I don't think you would if you could. The five of you just keep getting more and more popular, but you still have yet to act entitled because of it. No, 'I could have any girl I want, so I will' from you.”

“We're not at that level yet,” Jaejoong pointed out. “We're still not as popular as we could be in Japan.”

“See what I mean? Not entitled at all!”

After the stylist washed out his hair and trimmed it, he was free to go. Yoochun was waiting for him in the coffeehouse the next building over, disguised by a face mask and floppy beanie that covered his long black hair.

“Hyung,” he said, glancing at Jaejoong's drooping eyelids. “You should get some caffeine in you, too. You look dead on your feet.”

“Mmm? I'll be fine. Besides, it's not like I have any schedules immediately. I was just going to back to the dorm and sleep until we have our next interview and the smell in my hair goes away.” He glanced at his watch. “I know Junsu has a photoshoot scheduled, but Yunho and Changmin will be at the dorm, right?”

“Changmin should be there, but hyung's out with his friends, remember?”

Jaejoong stuck out his tongue, annoyed with himself for forgetting.

“Still haven't changed about that, have you? All of his friends really like you, so I don't see why you can't get along.”

“Because he can't tell them about me, they keep trying to set him up with actresses and ulzzangs,” Jaejoong muttered.

“Still, what other guy can claim he's had the nation's top beauties turned down on his behalf?”

“Whatever. I want to go back to Japan where he gets to be the jealous one all the time.”

“Spoken like a true brat, hyung. Have you been taking lessons from Changminnie?”

“Nope, I can manage it just fine on my own.”

Jaejoong collapsed on the bed as soon as he got home and pulled out his cellphone to check his messages before going to sleep. There was nothing from Yunho-- he never texted when he was with his friends-- but there was a short message from his mother, asking him about measurements for a tuxedo. Dayoung and Stan had finally gotten engaged, and their wedding was scheduled after DBSK's Korean tour for O wrapped up and before they were slated to go back to Japan, so Jaejoong's mother was in a tizzy helping the couple plan. Jaejoong could only help from a distance since he was so busy, but he'd already promised a special live performance for his sister, and had even taken a day off of practice to join all his sisters in helping Dayoung pick out her dress.

He messaged his mother back and threw his phone down beside his pillow. Dayoung and Stan started dating the same year Yunho and I did, he remembered. Had we chosen another life, would we be thinking of settling down together within the next few years? He snorted, trying to imagine how they would ever explain that to Yunho's family. They'd settled down in their own way, anyways. They were living together, sleeping together, dating on the sly, and building a life, no matter how hectic it was, with each other in it. He didn't need anything official to seal the fact that he was in love and loved back, as nice as it would be to have the option.

I'm a little envious of noona, though, Jaejoong thought to himself as he pulled to covers over his head. It's nice to have the freedom to do what you want rather than know from the beginning that you can't.

He got a few hours of sleep before Yunho came back in the evening and stopped into the room. “God, you smell like bleach again,” he said, holding his nose. He'd managed to get out of a drastic hair change by simply growing his longer from their last promotion cycle, which Jaejoong liked running his fingers through when they were together.

“Then go away,” Jaejoong said drowsily. The had to leave for their next schedule around 5 in the morning, so he wanted those extra hours of sleep while they were still his to have, even if it meant kicking Yunho out for awhile.

“Sorry,” Yunho said, releasing his nose. He sat down next to Jaejoong on the bed and rubbed his back. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but okay. If I recharge, I'll be fine by tomorrow. You should be exhausted by now too, shouldn't you?”

“Hmmm. I'm managing. We were just sitting around chatting tonight, so I didn't spend any extra energy.”

“Any girls there this time?” Jaejoong couldn't help but ask.

Yunho smacked him on the back. “Oh, you. Just someone else's girlfriend. I would say 'nothing to worry over,' but all of them are nothing to worry over and you never believe me.”

Jaejoong propped himself up. “It's not that I don't believe you. It's them I don't trust. I don't want you to attract another Dami-type.”

“I'm pretty sure Dami was a one-of-a-kind problem on my part. Everyone else knows how to take 'no' for an answer.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Anyways, before you go back to sleep again, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Yongsoo hyung told me that our O tour schedule has been solidified, and these are the dates.” He handed it to Jaejoong, who scanned it over.

“Wonderful.”

“My hometown is on the list this year.”

“Eh? I didn't see it. We'd really go somewhere so small when they can just take the bus one hour for our Seoul show?”

Yunho laughed. “No, no, I don't mean the town where I grew up with Auntie Minjung. I mean my birthplace. Gwangju. Where my parents live.”

“Ohh.”

“I called my mother about it, and she's ecstatic. It's been awhile since I've been able to see them, so...” He trailed off. “Anyways, you don't mind visiting while we're there, do you?”

“All of us?”

Yunho shook his head. “Well, maybe at one point we can all meet up. My parents adore the other three, Changmin especially. But I was thinking you and me in particular.”

Jaejoong blinked. “You're not suggesting... that we should tell them about us?”

He shook his head again. “...not everything. But I was thinking... if we've been dating this long, we've reached the point where we should at least be testing the waters. We can't hide it from them indefinitely. Or at least we shouldn't. That's not fair to you, to have them always assuming that I'll be finding someone else.”

“Testing the waters,” Jaejoong echoed. “How do we do that? Hypothetically, umma, what would do if I fell in love with a man?”

“She'd tell me to fall in love with someone else, that's what she'd do.” Yunho sighed. “Honestly, I don't expect them to be particularly thrilled about it. I just want them to understand it to the point that even if they don't agree with it, they'll accept it as a choice I'm making. Like your parents were able to do.”

“The only problem is that my parents suspected me for ages before they figured out. I don't think yours do.”

“They probably don't. That's what I get for dating Minhee for two seconds.” Yunho paused. “What do you think? Should we just not tell them at all? We can get away with that for several more years, but it will get to a point where they'll wonder why I'm not dating or getting serious about marriage.”

“I know. I just... don't want there to be trouble in your family because of me.”

“It won't be because of you. Sure you love me, but I love you back, so just who's fault is this? But as I've said before-”

“It's not a fault.” Jaejoong smiled unwittingly. “Let's just do this gradually, if we can. Slowly and safely.”

“Got it. No causalities or causing anything that would make you cry.” He smiled back. “Er, I should tell you, though. They aren't completely oblivious about the fact that there's a fandom for you and me. I couldn't keep them from reading the Dispatch article about Dami either, so they know what she said about you and me, and then you and Soorin...”

“Who hasn't though?” Jaejoong sighed, collapsing back on the bed. “I thought after we turned her in, my hatred of Sung Dami would stop increasing.”

“That was your mistake.” Yunho got up from the bed. “Anyways, get some sleep. You still look exhausted, and we still have more promotions to make it through before we start the tour.”

“I know,” Jaejoong groaned. “You get some sleep early tonight, too, all right?”

“Will do.” He turned back to the door. “Sweet dreams, Boojae.”

0o0

After their day of schedules, they regrouped back at C&M. B.P.M was already using the practice room to work on their routines for an upcoming showcase, so they waited in the break room until it freed up, and discovered Starkiss was also in the building for the day.

“Are we having a company party or something?” Yoochun asked. “What are we all doing here?”

“B.P.M is practicing, and we are waiting for Hyunsoo nim to come talk to us about some sort of CF deal,” Brie answered. “And I assume you're here to practice your dances for your concert.”

“Sounds about right,” Junsu said, plopping down in a chair. “Still, it's nice to have everyone here.”

“It'll be nice as long as our CF is for something interesting this time,” Gaeun said, rolling her eyes. “Why do we always wind up promoting weird things like sunblock while you guys get nice watches and those gorgeous designer leather jackets you did last time?”

“We got our own versions of the jackets to take home, if you want one,” Changmin offered. “Jaejoong's would be the closest fit.”

“You're offering to donate my jacket?” Jaejoong asked, smacking Changmin on the back.

“You have more jackets then you know what to do with.”

Gaeun waved her hand. “I can't go around wearing a man's jacket without causing trouble. Since the designer has an agreement with C&M, I'll just ask my stylist if she could put in a request for me. I want a burgundy one like either Yunho ah or Yoochun ah was wearing in the shoot.”

“That was me,” Yunho said.

“Yup. That's the one I want.” She glanced over at Jaejoong, who had pulled out a bridal magazine Dayoung had left with him so she could get his vote on the best centerpiece for her wedding reception. “Still helping out with Stanley ssi and your sister?”

“Yeah, more little details keep popping up.”

She looked over his shoulder at the magazine and sighed longingly. The other three members exchanged glances. “Jealous, unni?” Saehee asked.

“When you get to be my age...”

“You've been with your boyfriend since the beginning of time. I'm sure you can make it a little while more.”

“My boyfriend isn't like your Minjun. He's already done his military service, and he doesn't have a time consuming career that he wants to focus on before he gets married. I don't want to make him wait around forever.”

“We'll respect whatever decision you make, unni,” Soorin said.

Gaeun sighed again. “I just don't want our fans to misunderstand and think I'm leaving you three in the lurch. Maybe waiting is the best thing after all...”

Their conversation was cut short by the hot and sweaty Shinwon, Chaozhi, and Jongwoo coming in, fresh from practice. “Ooh, more wedding planning,” Shinwon said, taking a seat next to Jaejoong. All of the C&M artists were invited to the wedding, so they were all trying to use Jaejoong's leverage to make their own opinions heard, though most of them Jaejoong wouldn't trust with coordinating a tea party. Shinwon had fairly good taste, though, and his constant good mood made him easy to talk to. Apparently, Chansik had turned out to be very obedient and quick to learn as a lover, so even though they seemed to fight every five seconds, they were very quick to make up, and both had very little to complain about.

“Unfortunately, if you're back, that means we have to go out to practice. But you can look it if you want. We're picking table center pieces.”

“Ah, well. Take care practicing. And watch out for Chansikkie and Haejinnie, they're still cleaning up.”

Sure enough, the two of them were still out on the floor, clearing out their water bottles and towels. Haejin did it obediently, as a more even tempered maknae then Changmin, but Chansik was audibly grumbling “Just because I'm the dancing black hole...” under his breath.

“Changminnie, be good and set up the speakers,” Yunho said, passing him the CD of their concert set-list.

“Do it yourself.”

“Changminnie, please set a good example for our hoobaes.”

Changmin rolled his eyes and grabbed the CD, while Yunho found some tape to mark their movement limits. Since Chansik was stumbling around with water bottle collection, Jaejoong dug out a trash bag for him to dump them into.

“Thanks, hyung,” he said, wiping his forehead. “Next time, I'm going to out-dance that little twit and make him clean up for once.”

“Things going well?”

Chansik tried not to smile, but failed miserably. “He's a twit, but if he wound up winning me over, I guess I'm the idiot he says I am. Everything's going just fine.”

Jaejoong smiled back. “I'm glad. A well-received debut and an exciting romance... you certainly are living the life.” He paused. “So... have you met Shinwon ah's family yet?”

“Of course, we were friends before... you know. He was usually the one at my house, but I've been over to his place several times. You should see his siblings. It's like a family full of models.”

“Do his parents know about you two?”

“Dunno. Probably. They know about him, at least, so I don't see why he wouldn't tell them.”

“And your family...?”

“Well... considering that he's been stalking me since we met, I'm sure they have an idea, at least on his side. He's really touchy, so... I don't really know how they feel about it, though. I don't have a very close relationship with my family, but they can't really whine about grandchildren considering that my older sister has three, and I still have two other little brothers.” He trailed off. “Are you having problems with hyung's family?”

“Not yet. But it's probably on the horizon.”

“It can't be any worse than what you went through with Dami, right? You just have you and him to worry about. Not Soorin noona or anyone else.”

“But his family is going to have a lasting presence on our life, unlike Dami. Not that Dami isn't doing her best.” Jaejoong grimaced. “But breaking up isn't an option, so I'll do a better job of fighting to stay at his side this time around.”

“We'll root for you, as always.” Chansik shook his head. “And I mean 'as always' loosely, since Shinwon ah feels the constant need to bring up that I used to be a Yunjae anti-fan.”

Jaejoong laughed at his phrasing. “Glad you put those days behind you. Anyways, you got jealous enough over Hyungchul that you should excuse Shinwon for remembering the old days.”

“If I excuse him everything, I'll only wind up regretting it, won't I?”

“I don't know about that,” Jaejoong said, looking over his shoulder at Yunho. “It's tricky regretting the things that make you happy, I think.”

0o0

The night before their tour began, Jaejoong was flipping through yet another bridal magazine from Dayoung in bed when Yunho popped his head in. “Still up?”

“Clearly.”

“Reading another magazine. You've been addicted to those things lately. Is your noona really relying on you so much to help her out?”

“Not really.” Jaejoong shut the magazine and placed it on his lap. “But I like doing it anyways. Even if I can't see my family as often anymore, I like to think there's still things like this I can do for them.”

“You're better than me. I've been worse than useless at doing anything other than sending money and presents. I should really visit more often.” He took the magazine from Jaejoong's lap and began flipping through it. “My god, all these details. I'm glad I still have several years before my sister will be ready to get married.” He glanced up at Jaejoong. “Wait, you're not reading these so religiously because this is what you want, right?”

Jaejoong laughed and wrapped his arms around his back. “That's right. I want a long, white, and lacy dress, a triple decker cake, and a whole mountain of gifts. And the hottest man in the world waiting for me at the end of aisle.”

“...am I the hottest man in the world?”

“I don't know. Do you think you are?” He laughed again. “I just want to be with you, all right? If I want anything else from you one day, we'll just have to wait for that day to come, huh?”

Yunho grabbed his chin and squeezed it gently. The look on his face was fond, but a little bit sad as well.

“What is it?” Jaejoong asked.

“Nothing. No, not nothing. Just...” He patted Jaejoong's cheek. “Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could understand how this feels? That's what I was thinking. That's all.”

Even if its a small dream,
if everyone were to work together
Without an end it becomes new,
going down paths never traveled before
You can’t block my return
It can coexist anytime