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The night was so nice and quiet. Not too fresh, so the girls were walking around the neighborhood in light clothes. The tires of a car squealing made them jump.

- Ah! Hyu~ng! - several voices protested in a foreign language.

- Ah, my bad, my bad! - the driver giggled.

The car got closer to them, and someone stuck his head out the window.

- Girls! Can you tell us where is this? - he spoke in pretty decent japanese.

Yoochun showed them an adress in a piece of paper. The girls gave them the directions, pointing downtown. As they drove away, the girls commented:

- Kakkoi ne~

- Ne.

 

 

They slept uncomfortably in the car, as they waited for the sun to rise. They had parked outside the only Health Center there was in Tokyo.

Changmin couldn't sleep in such a tiny space. He would type in things in his pocket device, until dawn.

- Couldn't sleep? - asked Yoochun with a hoarse voice as he turned back and stared at the youngest over his backrest.

- Not even a second. I'm dead, hyung.

Yunho was sleeping with his mouth open, sitting in the driver's seat.

Junsu sat straight, trying to open both eyes. The sunlight was appearing behind the tall buildings.

- Mm? - he tried to stretch, but he hadn't that much room. Changmin shove his hand off.

- Changmin's grumpy. - said Yoochun. - Let's go grab something to eat.

- Hyung's sleeping. - said Changmin, he glanced quickly at the driver and went back to type. - Don't wake him up. He looks really tired.

- What are you typing? - Junsu asked with his morning voice. He rubbed his face.

- Stuff. - he was so serious. Then he realized he was being too mean with his hyungs. - Um... I'm chatting with some people. I was bored.

Junsu looked at the screen over his shoulder.

- Is that your user's name? - Junsu giggled.

- Tsk. Mind your own bussiness, hyung.

- Changmin is grumpy. - repeated Yoochun, still staring at him.

They waited for Yunho to wake up. He scolded them for letting him oversleep.

- It's office time.

- I'm hungry. - said Changmin, kicking Yoochun's seat with his foot.

- We'll eat after we find out, okay? - Yunho proposed.

He sighed deeply, grabbing the steering wheel.

- Im going with you, hyung. - said Junsu and they got off.

- Junsu-hyung and I came to Tokyo already. - Changmin said, really down, as soon as his hyungs walked away.

- You did?

- He's not here, I know.

- Yeah, I get the feeling also. - Yoochun's low voice accused him of being emotional.

- There used to be two in Tokyo: one was shut down and we finally found the one we came looking for that time... - Changmin concluded as he glanced at the building.

Yoochun would stare at some point ahead of the car, thinking.

- This is the last one. There are no more places where to go, hyung, so I don't know... - Changmin was pissed.

- He might well have died back then... - said Yoochun, in a sad tone.

- He didn't. - Changmin wanted to be stubborn about it. - He didn't, hyung.

- Changmin-ah... - Yoochun began, swallowing with difficulty, his voice getting more and more paused, as he tried to supress the urge to cry - you know... we have to... let go early...

Changmin shook his head slightly.

- And I'm saying this just because it's been hard for me the past months... Let go early... - Yoochun thought about the correct words. - will give you enough room to start healing... from a loss like this one.

- You see... he is not dead. - Changmin's voice trembled subtly. Yoochun thought that if he were to look at the back, he'd see Changmin's sparkly eyes.

It seemed as if Changmin was being really stubborn, but he had his reasons.

- There is... no way... No way, hyung... that we four can gather in such a way, leaving hyung out of the picture. - Changmin said, and he added: - We've believed in fate since long ago... So what kind of fate is mocking us in such a way? - he seemed hurt. - You can't tell me this is going to end like this.

They remained silent for a minute or so, but Changmin wanted confirmation.

- What do you think?

Yoochun scratched his chest distractedly.

- I'll Always Keep The Faith.

 

 

Inside the car, they became uneasy, as they waited for nearly half hour until they spotted Yunho and Junsu's silhouettes getting out of the building. The sun was right up their heads as they got inside the car. And both had very dark expressions.

Changmin stared at both, wanting an explanation. He would go, glancing at Yunho, then Junsu without saying anything, but perceiving every little move they made. While Junsu had just leaned against the backrest and stared at the leader's head with an empty expression, Yunho sat,  stretching his arms, very tense, he grabbed the steering wheel and taking a deep breath, he lowered his head, as if he was really tired.

- Hyung. - blurted out Yoochun, almost in a whisper, getting more uneasy.

There was no reply from Yunho, as he only tightened the grip of the steering wheel. Yoochun glanced at Changmin really quickly, and seeing that both were getting a bit anxious, he patted the leader's thigh.

- Hyung.

- Yeah. - Yunho sat straight, taking another deep breath, and started the engine. - Yeah. - he repeated with a new determination, and without saying anything, he drove away from the centric streets.

Changmin could barely swallow, too scared to ask, seeing how they gained speed, and Yunho took the next exit, towards south, all in the midst of the tension rising up gradually inside the car. The streets passed in front of their eyes rapidly.

- Hyung, we have to think about this. - Junsu said, in a low voice.

- No, no, I think it's okay. - replied Yunho, as he pressed the accelerator. - You don't have to overthink. Okay?

- ...Yeah. - Junsu nodded.

- Hyung, what's going on? Changmin and I...

- Where are we going? - asked Changmin.

- I don't know yet. - Yunho replied with his eyes fixed on the road, gaining even more speed. - Country side. Not too far.

- Hyung, stop. - said Changmin. - We need to drop by the gas station before, or we won't get far like this... - he said, piercing the leader with his eyes- Hyung.

They passed by a gas station, that had reminded Changmin that the fuel tank was almost empty. He turned around to see it passing before his eyes and turned around again, violently.

- Hyung!! - Changmin almost yelled at Yunho, and the leader took notice of him. He glanced at the youngest through the mirror, nodded nervously, and immediately began to slow down. He turned around and drove towards the gas station.

They took the chance to eat something. 

Changmin didn't want to sit.

- Are you going to tell us what happened? You're getting on my nerves. - he said, pissed at both, Junsu and Yunho.

- Please... eat something, Changmin-ah. - said Yunho, looking at him and caring for him. - Come on. Sit.- Yunho invited him.

Changmin sat and ate, in silence.

He didn't know if he should just give up, or keep feeding the fear inside of him. His meal never tasted so cold.

- So... tell us. - said Yoochun, as he ate, when he considered it was okay to ask. Their silence was killing him also.

- Well... Changmin and I were here already. - began Junsu, gesturing.

They thought he was being really cautious with his words.

- Yeah, yeah. - blurted out Changmin, a bit impatient.

- That building used to be a Health Center... - said Junsu, his voice saddened, remembering the time he and Changmin had been there, all by themselves.

- I know that already. - said Changmin, taking a deep breath.

- They transferred to the country side, where they built... - Junsu explained, gesturing.-  this beautiful facility that was going to be the jewel of 'recovered' projects. A huge project that... had to be... shut down.

- Because Tokyo was lacking a Health Center, they finally built the one we just visited. - Yunho finished.

- Where's hyung? - Changmin said, tilting his head, and wanting for them to go straight to the point.

- Speak already, we're not kids anymore, hyung. - Yoochun hurried them, feeling a bit hurt.

- It's just that... - Junsu began, playing with his food. - The new one doesn't have people in preservation, nor 'recovered' patients, because the previous Center was shut down.

- Where was he transferred to? Back to Korea? There are no more Centers. Didn't you say you checked them all? - Yoochun tried to guess, glancing at each, one by one.

- There weren't any transfers. - Junsu replied, without looking at them, still playing with his food. - Now, this doesn't mean anything. - Junsu added, a bit quickly, gesturing, as he showed them his palm open. - I'm not... - but he couldn't finish his sentence. Yoochun just nodded shortly to show him he thought the same thing.

It didn't mean anything.

- What. - Changmin looked at both. - You're telling me the thing was shut down with him... inside?

Yunho stared at him, his fear showing in his eyes.

Yoochun felt this was it. He knew his hyung was there. He could feel it with all his being, and as he checked ’s expressions, he could see they were the same, although, the circumstances were a bit odd.

- What are you expecting to find there, hyung? - Changmin asked, bitterly. The facts were blunt about an unpleasant outcome.

- We'll go there and find out. - Yunho said, very calm.

- What are YOU expecting to find there? - Changmin asked again, with a piercing gaze. He was picking on Yunho, because he seemed the most optimistic.

Somehow, Changmin was expecting someone who would let him down. Anyone. One of them had to smack in some harsh reality into the rest.

- We'll go there and find out. - Yunho repeated, in a monotone voice. Staring back at Changmin.

The youngest was challenging him, but Yunho was a fair rival. His tone of voice was soothing,but dangerous.

- Calm down. - Yoochun said, very softly, next to Changmin as he patted his wrist on top of the table. - Hyung is doing what he can.

- I know. - Changmin blurted out, taking another deep breath. He felt really stressed all of a sudden.

Changmin lowered his head and his face.

Junsu and Yoochun glanced at each other, worried.

- You haven't slept at all, either. - said Yunho, standing up from his chair. He stretched his arm and Changmin's head. - Come on. If you already finished, let's get going. - he said to them.

Chairs clattering and Yoochun patting him in the back made Changmin stand up and follow his hyungs outside.

The day was so nice. A bright sun and fresh air were awaiting them. It seemed pretty nice weather for a trip to the country side.

Yunho stretched before getting in, since he'd be driving, and he didn't know for how long. Changmin got closer, a bit apologetic.

- You do know that I trust you. - said Changmin, with a serious face.

Yunho was surprised, but he didn't show it. He turned around and tried to put up a smile to the youngest. Nothing had changed between them. The trust they built in the past was intact. He smiled whole-heartedly and patted his back.

- I know. You get some sleep... and I'll get you where he is. - Yunho thought about it for a second or two, and nodded repeatedly, feeling more confident than before. - Come on.

 

 

He drove by a rural road, that was so calming. There was tall, green grass in one side, along the way, and wild flowers were blooming  in all its whiteness. The wind blew and they danced for them, all at once, welcoming them.

Yunho was wearing sunglasses because of the sun in front. The sky didn't have a single cloud. It was a perfect day to travel and enjoy the landscape, however, they were alone in the road, and a bit nostalgic at that.

- Aren't you tired, hyung? I can take the wheel. - Yoochun proposed.

- Nah, it's okay.

Changmin was trying to sleep in the back, but it was difficult, considering the speed at which Yunho was driving. He seemed really impatient to get somewhere. As they advanced, Junsu would check directions on Changmin's little toy. He was very quiet, which was odd for him. Yoochun checked him from time to time, glancing at the back seat, thinking it had to be hard for him since the beginning, expecting to find s and stumbling with the possibility of not finding even one. He felt so thankful to Junsu for even daring to start that journey.

- Junsu-yah... - Yoochun whispered, over his backrest as he poked Junsu's nose. - Are you falling asleep?

- Eh? - he blinked twice. - I think.

Yoochun smiled and giggled shortly.

The car gradually slowed down. Yoochun got curious and turned to look forward.

- Junsu-yah. - this time was Yunho calling out his name.

- Eh?

- Where to?

- Well... - Junsu picked up the computer and checked the map. There were two roads they could take, so he pointed at the left one. - Over there.

Vegetation became wilder and greener. When they went through a tunnel, they made a big fuss, yelling and waving their arms outside of each one’s window, and inevitably waking Changmin up. He looked around, trying to figure out what was the big deal in finding a  tunnel.

They hadn't seen one in quite a while, their voices sounded really weird inside, and when they got out of it, they felt the fun had gone, along with the bottled voices. Changmin shook his head, disapproving.

- Grow up already. - Changmin mumbled and went back to try to sleep, covering himself up with his jacket, shrinking in his seat.

 

Changmin heard someone humming. He didn't know if he was already sleeping, but it felt comfortable and welcoming. It was probably Junsu's voice, next to him in the car. He recognized Picture of You in it, and even though Junsu was humming it, he dreamed of something else. Of course he'd dream their main vocalist would be the opening of the song.

He woke up and found himself using the entire extension of the back seat. He lifted up his head and found himself alone in the car. Sitting straight and looking everywhere, soon he heard Yoochun's laughter coming from the outside.

They had stopped alongside the rural road, next to a river, and his hyungs were sitting in some rocks. He felt like joining them and got out of the car.

Stretching as much as he could, he called them.

- Yo!

Yoochun waved and almost fell in the water, as he was squatting, deciding if he should get his feet inside.

- Ah! Changmin-ah!

Yunho took off his shirt and laid down in a big, flat rock to rest, as Yoochun, Junsu and Changmin put their feet inside.

- It's too cold. Ah... it's too cold... - Yoochun whined, as his legs hung down from a rock, and Junsu, beside him, was trying to get in completely. - What are you doing?

- Ah! It's cold! - yelled Junsu as he entered and took off his shirt also, before it got wet. He left it beside Yoochun and splashed some water, unintentionally.

- Hey! It's cold! - yelled Yoochun.

Changmin was still numb from his nap, and was watching them with half opened eyes. But he didn't want to be in this state, half awake, so he just began stripping.

Junsu laughed at Yoochun and pulled his foot.

- No! Junsu! Yah!

Feeling really mischievous, Junsu splashed some more water to Yoochun and he shielded himself behind his hands, as Junsu giggled.

- YAH! Junsu-yah! Jamkkanman, wait, wait! It's cold! - Yoochun giggled uncontrollablyand attacked Junsu all he could, lying flat over the rock, face down, splashing water to him.

Junsu gasped repeatedly and yelled, walking away from Yoochun. They were so noisy, Yunho moved away, at time, before he was caught in the middle of the battle.

As he tried to escape from Yoochun, Junsu was attacked by Changmin, who had just get inside.

- Yah, grow some manliness! - Changmin scolded him, jokingly, and submerged completely. He felt like swimming. When he broke the surface again, he called out his hyung. - Yoochun-hyung, get in already!

- Waaa! There are fish here! - yelled Junsu as he lifted one feet from the ground, feeling  things touching him under the water.

Yunho watched how they played in the water, until they convinced Yoochun to join them. Making a big fuss, he got wet, and finally Yunho felt like obliteratingthem all in a swimming competition.

Only Changmin was able to stand to his skills, and in the end, the maknae won. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the river and when the night fell, they made a fire next to the car.

- There's a flashlight in the car, hyung. - Yoochun said, sitting in an old log, and pointing at the car.

- Nah, it's okay, I found all of my clothes. - said Yunho, giggling, as he sat in front of the fire, putting his shorts in a stick to dry them up.

Changmin was smokingfish in sticks. The smell drove them crazy after a while, because they were quite hungry after all that water.

- Agh! You're going to burn them, hyung! - protested Changmin, twitching his mouth and sighing, trying to be patient with Junsu.

- Let me handle it, would you? - Junsu shove off Changmin.

- I want fi~sh! Changmin-a~h! Junjja~ng! - said Yoochun with a childish voice, stretching his arms towards both and closing his claw-like hands in the air. He was trying to stop a childish fight between them.

- Ah. I want too! - said Yunho, smelling it from afar.

Being in front of the fire, eating fish with his friends felt so nice.

Yunho was happy to be able to sit under such a beautiful sky, enjoying his brothers’ playfulness. He felt they'd needed it afterwards, when things would get complicated. So he enjoyed just being there, staring at the stars with his friends.

Aside from being hungry before, they were sleepy. Junsu lay down in the ground and put his head on Yoochun's lap, sitting beside him. He dragged Changmin's bag closer and looked for the pocket device. When he found it, he showed it to Changmin, to let him know he was going to use it. Changmin nodded and lay down also. He was getting sleepy again, although he had slept already.

- Can you see Cassiopeia?

- Noo... - Yoochun and Yunho replied, with monotone voices.

One by one, they were getting shut, and soon, Junsu's eyes were closing. He moved to get up.

- Ah. I should go to the car. I'm falling asleep.

- Stay. Stay, Junsu-yah. I don't mind. - said Yoochun, sighing deeply.

- Okay. - Junsu smiled and got comfortable. He didn't want to get up either. He fell asleep bit by bit, together with Changmin.

Yoochun used the log as a backrest, as he watched the stars. He could see Yunho was awake also. He removed a little in his spot, to check if Junsu was sleeping.

- Don't wanna try to mimick Changmin... - began Yoochun - But what are you expecting to find there, hyung? - he dared to ask. The night was good friend of confessions.

Yunho glanced at him. His eyes glared with the flames, and then went back to stare at the sky, his hands in the back of his head.

- I want to see Jaejoong-ah. - he said, flatly.

Yoochun felt a stinging painjust by hearing his name. He missed his hyung by his side. His friend and member, whose sole presence was capable of reassuring him.

- This waiting has been too long, and I just want to see Jaejoong-ah again. - said Yunho, his saddened voice showing.- I just want to see Jaejoongie. I'm only thinking about that.

Yoochun thought that, with the little possibilities of encountering good news, he'd be the same. They could only do this much. The rest was up to fate.

- Yoochun-ah. - Yunho's voice seemed to crack for a second.

- ...What?

- How was him?

Yoochun could have asked so many things after that, but he knew exactly what was his hyung referring to. It was only natural he wanted to know.

- You know, hyung... - began Yoochun, thinking about the time, after the splitting. - You can't... measure somebody's cravingfor someone, but if I had to tell you the one person that missed you the most... - he nodded subtly- it has to be Jaejoong-hyung.

Yoochun wondered if his hyung was being a masochist by asking. What else could he expect?

- Considering how much I missed you both, hyung... - Yoochun continued- I can only guess from my own point of view, that, his longingcould have being contained only by the sky…

Changmin was quietly listening to his hyungs talk. He glanced at Yunho, as he pouted, probably the only sign in his face that showed he was trying to keep his face, and fighting some of his emotion.

- I wonder if I should go alone. - said Yunho almost in a whisper, after a while.

- Don't. - Yoochun replied immediately- Hyung. Don't.

Changmin stopped pretending he was asleep and sat, startling his hyungs.

- Please don't treat us like kids, Yunho-hyung.

His hair was messy, so he arranged it with one hand. His eyes were sparkling before the fire, but there was emotion also. He twitched his mouth, feeling it was shameful he had cried so many times now.

Yoochun patted Yunho's hand as he could, because he didn't want to wake Junsu, sleeping on his lap.

- You know what hyung would say, right? - Yoochun asked to the oldest one.

Changmin nodded, agreeing beforehand.

- That you are carrying already too much weight on your shoulders again. Please share some of it with us. - Yoochun replied himself.

Yunho giggled softly.

- Yah... You managed to get very cheesy with the long sleep. - Yunho giggled louder.- Both of you.

- We know, hyung. - Changmin smiled. - But no one can beat you, I assure you that.- he finished.

- Oohh... mm, maybe Junsu could, no? - Yoochun guessed, staring at the sleeping boy.

He had no idea of his friends’ little chat.

- Would you have guessed this babo traveled all by himself relying in his wish alone to see us again? - Yoochun asked them, and his love for Junsu showed more than ever. He wanted to poke his nose, but he resigned half way, letting him sleep.

- I am curious about something. - said Changmin, tilting his head.

- What? - now Yoochun was curious also.

- Mm... - Changmin pouted and thought about it for a second. - Why is it...?

- Why what? - demanded to know Yoochun.

- Why... did he come to me first? - Changmin asked more to himself than his hyungs, but glanced at both, not expecting an answer from them either.

Yoochun carressed Junsu's hair shortly.

- He is a fool, indeed. - said Changmin, his admiration hidden under his words.

- Ah! I think I caught Cassiopeia.

- Eh? Where?

- Ah, no, I think not.

 

Next day, early in the morning, they resumed their trip, knowing it'd be a hard day, as they were sure they were getting closer and closer to the end of their journey.

 

 

At last!

Right after driving past a stone bridge, they stopped by a green sign that was welcoming them to a small town, located at 6 km ahead.

They stared at it for a long time, and took the empty lane towards town, checking directions very often on Changmin's pocket device.

That tiny toy had been of great help, and if it weren't for it, they'd be completely lost.

The scenery was peaceful and fresh, with mountains in the background, as they drove alonside a forest. Soon, they began to spot some buildings and houses.

Changmin was always relieved and thankful for a warm, decent bed, and well cooked meals.

Yunho tapped the steering wheel, distractedly with both hands, looking everywhere, as if he were to find Jaejoong walking around.

People walking in the streets stared at them in a strange way. Yunho stopped at the end of the street, by an old lady who was dragging a wheeled backpack. She frowned and stared really long at them when Yoochun asked her for directions.

- Are you from the military?

Yoochun chuckled and turned to look at s, then he explained himself to the old lady, waving subtly with his hand.

- Aniyo, not at all. We're just looking for a place to stay.

- ...Sure. - replied the old lady, judging them. She pointed at somewhere behind her back, indicating something around the corner.

- Thanks.

- What was that? - Junsu asked, giggling and scratching his nose, a bit embarrassed. Changmin shrugged and nodded.

After getting a room, and taking naps and showers by turns, they wandered around town, not knowing with certainty where to go exactly. Their expectations varied from one to another, but after getting to the small location their mood had gotten better.

It was a very small town, indeed. But the picture of it all was really peaceful and warming. Since they were almost in the outskirts of the mountains, trees surrounded the whole area, in large forests that climb all the way up, bringing them fresh air that was near shocking.

Changmin stretched and filled his lungs with it.

- What about going to drink something? – Yoochun asked, when the lights of the town began to appear.

The sight was just beautiful in front of them, where the buildings were sparkling at the distance, over a hill.

- Ah, I'm in. - said Changmin, enthusiastic.

- There's a bar back there. - Yoochun invited Junsu and Yunho.

Yunho stared at him, as if he were to protest, but finally turned around and followed Yoochun.

- I'm not drinking, though. - Junsu said, and Yoochun giggled and rounded him with his arm.

- C'mon, you can have it your way, just come.

- Okay.

The night was a bit chilly, so they felt really good in the warmth of the bar. Yoochun closed his jacket, shivering, when he got in, making a bell ring as he did.

- Irasshaimase!

They heard, and bowed shortly after entering, one after another. They sat in the last table, hoping they could stop attracting so much attention. Luckily, the bar was almost empty, as only five people were drinking next to the bar.

- This is for hyung! - Yoochun said, as he raised his glass, inviting the others to mimick him.

He greeted the last glass on the table he had poured liquor into with a nod. No one grabbed it, because it belonged to Jaejoong.

- Kanpaaai! - all of them said and the glasses clattered at the center and then everyone touched Jaejoong's glass with his own.

They had a good time together, trying not to think in sad matters. After a while, Yoochun and Changmin went to play pool in the other side of the bar, and before they could get really drunk, they left.

When they got out of the bar, the streets were almost empty, but it wasn't that late either.

No one seemed willing to go to their room yet, so they just crossed the street to a wooden balcony that offered them a great view of the east side of town.

- Woow... - blurted out Yoochun, as he bent over the wooden banister and let his arms hanging down. - Look at that.

The lights made it a beautiful sight. Changmin, beside him, closed his device, that snapped shut.

- Changmin-ah! Can you take pictures with that?

- No.

- Aahh... what a useless piece of junk... - Yoochun said jokingly, with a serious face, and ended up chuckling.

- Hey! If it weren't for that thing, we wouldn't know where we're standing. - Junsu whined, putting his hands in his pockets, since it was a bit chilly.

- I know, baby. C'mere. I was just joking.

Junsu got closer, a bit flustered. It wasn't his intention to be so touchy. He let Yoochun pat him in the back.

- You should've drinked something, Junsu-san... You're so tense. - Yoochun scolded him.

- Ah, wa... What's with the "san"...?

Yoochun giggled, and Changmin followed him.

- And I did drink, you didn't notice? - Junsu asked both, Changmin and Yoochun, getting on the defensive.

Yunho sat in the banister and held Junsu's hand and squeezed it, smiling. He had forseen a mocking attack from the duo, so it'd be good to stop it in time and team up with Junsu.

- Ah! Hyung! Don't sit there, it's dangerous!- Yoochun warned him.

Since all of them had drinked, it didn't seem like a good idea.

- I'm okay. You see? -  Yunho slightly swayed back and forth, with his cutest face. - Whee~

- Noo! - Yoochun giggled, and rounded Junsu to grab his hyung's hand and get him down from there.

- Hello! - Yunho yelled at the couple that was walking in the lonely street, below. - Hello~

- Hyung. - Junsu and Yoochun grabbed his hands and dragged him to a standing position, as he kept waving.

The couple raised their heads and giggled at them.

- We're Dong Bang- ! I mean Tohoshinki- ! - Yunho yelled at them.

Yoochun cracked up after that. Changmin felt second hand embarrassement was taking over, so he nodded and lowered his head.

- Yah, could you please... ? Hyung. - Changmin begged.

Surprinsingly, the couple below replied:

- I don't know anything about it!

- Oh! - Yunho startled when he heard the boy reply, and leaned over the banister a bit, to wave some more. - Hello~ !

- We sing! - Junsu joined in, giggling. He felt infected by Yunho's playfulness.

The couple below shrugged and looked at each other. But they kept playing.

- Never heard of it!

The girl laughed out loud, and hugged his boyfriend. She was a bit unsure about talking to some drunk stranger.

- Wanna hear something? - asked Yunho, enthusiastic, his smile wide and bright.

The couple below hesitated. They stared at each other for a while, not too convinced of staying. Feeling their audience was running away, Yoochun got closer to the banister.

- Is it because hyung would always start harmonizing that we haven't already, right?

- Oh! - Changmin blurted out. - Keujjo.

Taking the lead, Junsu began the harmonization, as the couple below raised their heads, listening. The girl patted his boyfriend's chest to make him shut. Changmin joined, then Yoochun, then Yunho with the lowest tone.

The night filled with their harmonization of heaven.

- Eh? What are we singing? -Junsu asked, suddenly and cracked up, his "eu kyang kyang" replaced their harmonization in the night.

They glanced at each other and the answer became obvious as well as not possible.

- We won't be singing "Hug" without hyung... - Yoochun stated what all of them were thinking.

Then Yoochun suddenly began: (x)

 

I don't care what everybody sa~ys...

 

Yunho smiled at his choice but supported him, as he invited Junsu with his hand, very politely, to sing Jaejoong's part. But Junsu invited Changmin to do so. He thought Changmin fit better for the role. The youngest opened his eyes widely and pointed at himself, but took the task thoroughly.

Baby girl guden naui hengunijyo

Gu manhun saram jung nall gajang galmun gunyorul

 

Hajiman saramdurun uri kuthnagimanul barajyo

Oh ige juojin hyonshiriramyon unmyong tawin midji marayo

 

Whatever they say don't listen girl

Uril jiltuhal punijyo

Nega marhan modun jinshildul gudeman midojugil baral punijyo

Whatever they say I don't care nol saranghanungoryo

Their chorus transformed the night.

In the street below, the girl leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder as they listened to Tohoshinki sing, swaying subtly.

Even before finishing, the girl was already clapping at the balcony, and jumping.

People from the bar, had gone out to listen to them singing. Flustered as never before, they bowed, and thanking them very quickly, they rushed to disappear around the corner. Since Junsu didn't seem to want to move from the spot, Yunho grabbed him by his wrist and dragged him along. When they were far and "safe", Yoochun cracked up in Changmin's shoulder.

- Aaaghh! That was so embarrassing~ ! - Yunho blurted out, his hands closed in fists, tapping the floor with his feet like a kid.

- So embarrassing~ - Yoochun supported his hyung.

Junsu giggled with a big smile in his face as he stared at Changmin, who was very composed, but flustered as well.

They got to their room and lay down in the first thing they found.

 

But there was someone who couldn't sleep that night. 

 

-  I was thinking, that I'd like to listen to something from JYJ. – said Changmin, drinking a soda, as he sat next to junsu on the floor. They stared at the moon together.

- Ah... really?

- Yeah, hyung.

Junsu giggled.

- Well... we can't do it until we find Jaejoong-hyung, though.

His name would bring nostalgic feelings lately, so they remained silent for a while, as they watched the moon. Changmin sipped his soda and sighed.

- I wonder where he is now. - Changmin almost whispered.

- And who is he with. - Junsu added.

- Mm? - Changmin blinked twice, his eyes lost in some point in the wall. - Ah, hyung... don't tell me you also wonder what clothes he is wearing. - he whined- That'd be weird.

- Eh? Why would I...?

Junsu stopped talking and realized those were lyrics. He chuckled and laughed so loud, he muffled himself, and hid his face between his hands, after Changmin shut him, looking behind them, to check if his hyungs were still sleeping.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

- We should go for it. - he said, serious.

- Go for what? - Junsu asked, getting curious, and sitting straight.

- Resume from where we left it.

- As five?

- Yeah. - Changmin glanced at Junsu, and then thought about it, elaborating. - The last  one we sang as five...

Junsu opened his eyes, interested.

- Yeah, yeah.

- ...should be the first one when we resume.

It was a bit awkward to ask, but Junsu dared to.

- ...Resume what? - he smiled half-heartedly at Changmin. - We haven't talked about it, you know?

- Well, it's pretty clear to me, hyung. - Changmin stated, and before Junsu could say anything, he added: - There are no ties anymore.

Junsu's smile widened and he shut the moment Changmin said it. Because his hyung was staring at him in a creepy way (to his liking), he felt flustered.

- "No ties" sounds good. - Junsu stated.

Then he laughed, and Changmin automatically shut him, but ended up laughing also.

- Dong Bang Shin Ki imnida! - they whispered, gathering their hands at the center.

- Tohoshinki desu! - Junsu added.

- What about chinese? - Changmin asked and giggled.

- I forgot. - Junsu said and both laughed. - Oh, but... english...

Changmin anticipated it, giggling at Junsu.

- Wee ah~ Dong Bang Shin Ki!

They both cracked up so hard, Yunho woke up, really mad.

- Hey! - the leader scolded them.

Quickly, they got up and locked themselves in the bathroom, unable to stop laughing, so they would let their hyung sleep. Uncontrollable laughter sneaked out for a long time.

 

In the morning, Yunho found both sleeping on the floor, with a blanket on, like little kids. Yoochun and him let them sleep until very late, being one of those weird times when Junsu didn't get up early.

- Hyung... - Yoochun looked everywhere. - What are we going to do today?

Sitting in the other bed, Yunho raised his head from tying his sneakers.He was preparing to go somewhere, but Yoochun had just screwed up his plans.

- Where? Where are you going, hyung? - Yoochun asked, his hair messy, and his eyes protesting from all the light.

- Jogging.                                                                              

- You su~ck at lying. - Yoochun his face. - Just so you know.

- "Just so U-Know"? - Yunho tried to mimicked, with a cute voice, as he smiled.

Yoochun giggled.

- "Just so you know"! Don't change subjects!

- I'm going for a walk.

He stood up, but Yoochun uncovered himself and protested right away.

- I'll help you asking around.

Around midday, Changmin and Junsu woke up, their bodies hurting a little for the rough sleep in the floor.

Seeing there were no hyungs around, Changmin got worried. He grabbed his device and opened it. A recording of Yunho's voice came out clear:

- Yoochunnie and I went for a walk. Please take care of "the house" and behave until we come back.

- Snarky bastard! Argh! - he threw his device in the bed, a bit pissed.

- What happened? - Junsu asked from the floor, as he ate fruit.

- He gets to go out wherever he wants! - whined Changmin. - And besides I have to nurse the kid! - he yelled from inside the bathroom, after slamming the door shut.

- Ah, good one. Changmin-ah! We shouldn't let him do as he pleases! - Junsu replied, hearing the shower. - Ah, wait! Who's the kid??

The town wasn't at all big, and since they had no new ideas, they tried asking in the bars and restaurants, like they had done with Yoochun. Both thought that a person like Jaejoong wouldn't go unnoticed in a small town like that.

Aside from being a good drinker, they thought that, if Jaejoong needed to survive, he would sure pick a restaurant to work on and earn some money, as he did when he was really young.

But after a while, they realized, no one in town had seen him or heard of him.

Past midday, they got in a restaurant, and stumble with their two friends, sitting at a table, and already eating. When Changmin spotted them, he leaned back on his chair and made a sign with his hand to make them get closer.

- Yah, over here! Come here, you two! - Changmin called them, jokingly.

Junsu giggled as he munched. Changmin was being bossy with his hyungs because he thought they owed them some respect.

- That looks good. - Yoochun said as he sat next to Junsu, pointing at his dish.

Yunho slapped Changmin softly on his shoulder.

- What do you think you're doing??! - Yunho claimed back his respect, jokingly also.

- Come, Yunho-yah. Sit. Join us.

Yoochun laughed, and Yunho sat, intertwining his fingers on his belly as he leaned back on his chair.

- Ah, yeah? Should I call you hyung now? - asked Yunho, opening his eyes really wide.

- Aww~ You know that's his dream since forever! - laughed Yoochun, patting his hyung's shoulder with the back of his hand and pointing at Changmin afterwards.

Yoochun ate from Junsu's dish, glancing at Changmin, so full of himself. He had a slight smile on his face.

- Yah, let's eat and get the hell out. Hurry up. - Changmin kept joking, as the real hyung.

Yunho and Yoochun glanced at each other. While Yoochun cracked up, Yunho just smiled and giggled.

- I feel somewhat threatened. - Yunho joked.

They ate, as they fooled around.

 

- Didn't find anything? - Changmin asked, dissapointed.

- Maybe he's not a waiter... - Junsu guessed.

- Mm. Keujjo.

- Maybe he's like the Mayor! - Junsu joked and giggled.

- The Mayor of town? - Yunho smiled. - I'd be amused, I admit it.

They stayed silent for a brief moment, thinking in other possibilities.

- Maybe he fled from here. - Yoochun tried to guess. He glanced at Junsu, in search of support.

- Is that what you think?- Junsu asked him. - Because you two are alike. If that's what you'd do...

- Yeah, I think I'd do that. - said Yoochun, scratching his chest distractedly. - I don't know. - he finished, his chin.

Yoochun's eyes wandered around, thinking. He somehow felt they were in the right place.

 

Again, in the streets, without much to do, they ended up going to the wooden balcony. Yoochun made the attempt to get in the bar.

- Yoochun-ah, - Yunho got his attention - we already asked there this morning.

- I know. - Yoochun replied, nodding shortly, stopping at the entrance. - But I thought about finishing our game today. - he added, pointing at himself and Changmin. - Come, hyung.

Hessitating, Yunho twisted his mouth, and his friends understood he wanted to be alone. The leader put his hands inside his pockets and looked around.

- I'll stay here. You go in, and I'll be there in a moment.

- Okay. - Yoochun said, letting him be.

Him and Junsu got in, but Changmin watched Yunho walk away. Again with that solitary attitude.

- Yah! Don't take too long!

Changmin yelled at him, but when Yunho turned around, he had already gotten in.

The leader stood there, alone, quite a while, thinking, feeling nostalgic, as he admired the scenery, and when he thought s were going through the same, he decided to join them and try to cheer them up a bit.

When he entered the bar, Changmin had abandoned Yoochun already and he was talking to Junsu, sitting at a table in the corner.

- Ah, look who decided to show up. - Changmin smiled at Yunho, as he passed by.

- I'm going to the bathroom. - said the leader, patting Changmin's shoulder.

 

- You don't know exactly where is this Health Center?

- Truth is, we spoke with the Director...

- Yeah, of the last one we visited. - Changmin finished, a bit impatient because of the repetitive talk.

- Ne. - Junsu said, losing his train of thoughts for a second, he stared at the table, trying to regain it. - ...He explained there was this facility that had been shut down, but before hearing the whole story, Yunho-hyung and I just rushed to get out of there. - Junsu laughed, hoping to entertain Changmin with his short story.

But Changmin was far from laughing: he was quite worried.

- Well, we got this far with the adress the Director gave us. But it doesn't... specify... - Junsu flipped the paper they got from the Director. - where, exactly... - He passed the piece of paper to Changmin. - It has the adress of this town, though!

Changmin examined it and couldn't come up with anything, aside from asking.

When Yunho came back to their table, they repeated their little chat to him. Changmin searched for a picture of a Health Center in the net and handed over his computer to Yunho.

- They all look pretty much the same.

- Ask him where it is? - Yunho asked Changmin and the youngest nodded shortly.

Sighing, Yunho got up and sat at the bar, leaving his keys on top of it. The old man, the owner, turned around.

- Ojii-san... Kono tokoro ga doko ni shirun desu ka?

- Aah... hai. Shirun desu. - he said, and glanced at the lady cashier, worried. - Could it be... you guys are from the military?

- Again with that? - asked Yoochun from the pool table. - We're not. If it's the car, it's old and it was the most decent one to pick, why would...? - he tried to explain himself.

- They're not. They came earlier asking for one of his friends. - explained the cashier with a cigarrette in as she counted money. - You are the boys from last night?

- Yeah.

- Why are you so interested in the Health Center? - the lady cashier spoke without taking her eyes away from the money she was counting.

- Well we... - began Yunho, pointing at himself and s.

Knowing Yunho was bad at lying, and he would begin stuttering, Junsu stood up and went to sit in the bar also.

- I am a 'recovered' person. - Junsu said, plainly.

- Oh, really? - the lady cashier got really interested.

- Yeah.

- And you took... one of those long, long sleeps and all? - asked the lady, gesturing.

- Yeah. - Junsu giggled, flustered. - I don't know why is it so amusing, though. Why is it? Obaa-san?

- It's such an interestingstory, boy. That's why you're so into the Health Center?

- Yeah, pretty much. I've kind of... visited almost all of them.

- Aren't most of them in Korea?

- Well, yeah... - Junsu glanced at each member, wondering if they hadn't noticed. - We're korean.

- Oh, yeah? I wouldn't have guessed. - the lady giggled, because of her slowness. - I'm sorry, my sight is getting worse with age.

- Don't worry. - Junsu eased her.

Changmin stood up and joined Yoochun in the pool table again.

- You look like good boys. We were just scared of you being from the military. Things get a little tense when they appear.

- We always think they come to 'finish the job' when we see one of them. - her husband explained, but neither of the members knew what they were talking about.

Junsu was enjoying chatting with the lady. Because Yunho's face was so clueless about their comments, the lady felt like explaining further, but a middle aged man, drinking alone in a table, joined the conversation.

- Yeah. Having shut down the Health Center was too much.

From the pool table, both boys raised their heads, listening to every word. The lady cashier finished writing down some things and spoke to Junsu very tenderly, like a mother.

- I'm sorry, boy. But you won't be allowed to go there. Currently,  the road is off limits, and is prohibited by the military to go past the security line.

- Townspeople can't go there either. - the mister behind the bar shrugged.

- Why is it? - Yunho asked, getting more and more curious. The tone in their voices revealed dissapointment.

- Uh? You don't know? - asked the mister, sincerely surprised.

- Should I? - the leader frowned.

- We are all recovered. - Yoochun spoke aloud. He thought letting them know would make things easier.

- Ehh??! - several voices came out from inside the bar, since there were very few people, the conversation had extended to all, it seemed.

The lady was really stunned. She took her hand to her chest, very lady-like, surprised by the information.

- Well, of course you wouldn't know then!

- It's dangerous to go up there. - said the mister in the table. - You know the road, back there? - asked the mister, pointing south.

Junsu tried to recall. They had seen a weird sign two streets away. Changmin nodded.

- What about it? - asked Yoochun, their pool game was forgotten.

- No one can go there because the land and above all...

- The mountain. - the mister behind the bar added.

- ...the mountain, yeah, are still unstable. It could collapse again. All of it.

- You see, this area still gets residual earthquakes from the big disaster. We get a big one every four or five years. - the owner nodded. - The last one was... - he looked at his customer in the table, asking for help.

- Two years ago? - he said, not very sure.

- Two years ago.

In the bar, Junsu looked clueless, going from the owner to the mister in the table, thinking thoroughly about their words. The picture was becoming clearer for them, but then, something was not right about it. Changmin was tying lose strings at a faster speed. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He shook his head, because his mind  wouldn't shut up. The lady hadn't talked since she heard they were all 'recovered' patients. Yoochun had his eyes fixed on her, because her body language was quite revealing. She felt sorry for the boys, since she had already understood what they were doing in such a far away place, in a foreign country.

- It was awful. - the owner shook his head subtly, recalling. - After all the effort they put in the project of building that Health Center. The people working at it would come down from time to time, to have fun, have some drinks... I knew a few of them personally. 

The members were speechless.

- You didn't know any of this? - the owner asked to the boys sitting at the bar. Junsu  shook his head shortly, his face a mask. - When the mountain collapsed, the facility was evacuated immediately. The entire staff feared for all of their patients, since it was a hospital dedicated only to those matters. Their 'recovered' projects were their all.

- It was all so sad... - the mister in the table added, drinking from his glass.

- In reality, they were never allowed to get back in, because there was a crumbling of the facility and... - in the voice of the bar's owner, they could feel the sorrow.

The owner didn't seem to want to keep talking about it.

- Ojii-san... - Yunho's voice came out, like a ghost, very smoothly. - What happened next?

His eyes were fixed on the owner, piercing him. 

- Eh...?  the mountain slid off, son. The Health Center got buried under it.

- Authorities thought that... - the man in the table sighed heavily, lowering his head. - The Center was stealing too much energy... in these hard times, when energy is very valuable, and we're not in a position where we can waste it... they decided to cut it off, thus, they shut it down. There were patients in that... preservation state, you know... sleeping...

- If there was anything alive in that facility, now is gone. - the owner finished.

The lady cashier grabbed her husband's hand, trying to make him stop. 

- Ojii-san, what are you talking about? That's inhumane… - Junsu forced himself to speak, but only a whisper came out.

- There were protests, boy, a lot of public judgement and protests, that's why the military had to intervene. Now they are gone, but those were tense days.

- Boys... - the lady began, with a very soothing voice, she wanted to get rid of her doubts at once. - - You're not looking for someone that was IN there, right?

Their faces spoke for them.

Changmin was pale and still, next to the pool table.

- Oh, my poor boys...

She felt so sorry for them. Yunho grabbed his keys from the bar and stood up. He didn't want to hear about her sorrow. 

- Hyung! - Changmin jumped. He left his pool cue on the table and rushed to block Yunho's way. In a moment, Changmin didn't know what he was doing there. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stop him, or rush after him.

- But you can't go there, it's-  - the mister in the table glanced at the members, stunned.

- Come. - Yunho whispered to Changmin and nodded subtly at the other members.

Neither of them wasn't really thinking. The owner and his wife just stared at how three boys walked to the door.

- Thanks for everything. - Junsu said in a monotone voice, and tried to smile, but couldn't. He paid and dissapeared also by the door.

- Boys! The entrance is prohibited! What are you- ?!

Junsu got out, stumbled with Changmin, and he heard tires screeching. The car stopped in front of them and Yoochun made a sign for them to get in. No one talked as Yunho drove crazily, turning around the corner towards the road that seeemed to be unused for a long time. They dissobeyed the sign that said to stay away and they got lost into the woods.

 

 

"There weren't any transfers."

"Mountain slid off."

"Buried under it."

- Can you drive faster? - Yoochun asked.

The road went up several times, and it was obvious it hadn't been used by anyone in a long time. Greenery was wild, and at several points, the road became darker, due of the dense foliage.

"Shut down."

"Energy cut off."

"If there was anything alive in there, now is gone."

Changmin was pale, his mind running at a great speed also. He spotted a sign hidden in the midst of the greenery that said that the Health Center was 17 km. ahead.

- Look. - he almost whispered as they passed the sign.

A few seconds later, they got sight of a security cord, along with security tape that had written "Danger" all over. Yunho drove through it and wripped it off.

They encountered big logs almost blocking th road and crumbling of the rocky walls at some places.

Along the way, they found more security tape in all imaginable colors, and Yunho drove through, wripping them all off. "Danger" signs came after, one afteranother, until they reached an entrance guarded by white lions on both sides. Yunho almost drove past it, but hit the brake at time and turned. The gate had a chain put on.

- Please put your seat belts. - asked Yunho, moving the car back,to grab some impulse.

- Watch it, hyung. - Changmin warned him, looking back and forth.

It wasn't so difficult to brake the chain, as they crashed against the gatedoor, with all the cautiousness Yunho could have, while doing something so reckless.

A bit shocked, they waited for Yunho to put the car really close to a taped area, and the leader stopped the engine. Yoochun got out immediately. He rushed to the security tape and passed under it, towards what seemed to be the entrance of the building.

He heard the doors of the car being slammed, and footsteps behind him. 

Changmin read "cautious" and "danger", jumped over the tape and got closer, behind Yoochun.

The mountain had poured all of its strenght on the facility. They couldn't even distinguish the shape it had, as it was buried, almost completely, under it, and only the front wall was partially visible, as the only solid proof that there had been something built by humans there.

The greenery already had taken the surface, and the soilwas covered by it. Ivy came down covering the holes that had been windows once, now completely smashed and bent under the force of nature. Logs were lying here and there, probably material of the result of the force of nature.

Junsu stood in the middle of what had been a garden, once. And a gasp escaped from his mouth as he did not believe what he was staring at. He his hair, feeling he was going into despair. 

- This is what we came looking for...??! There-is-nothing-here!! - his voice echoed in the woods.

Footsteps behind him, let him know his friends were next to him. Junsu covered his mouth, in complete awe.

- Can't be... - Yoochun whispered, as he frowned.

Changmin checked in his head, passing rapidly all the information he had gathered. He met his hyungs, he was able, and allowed to see them again, to be with them again, and followed the unknown path lying ahead, with little expectations. But every time he was "allowed" to meet another member, he felt he had more than he deserved.

Somehow he had allowed himself to dream the five could be reunited, so why...?

He double checked everything in his head. The steps that led them to that instant and that place, where he was bound to meet Jaejoong.

Meet him.

He was there.

Lying under the mountain. And it suddenly hit him.

He was there.

His hyung was buried there.

His head shut before the bold truth, but his heart denied it even before the proofs.

Junsu began sobbing, and Yoochun, taken aback, sat in an old log, probably knocked down when the mountain collapsed, with his mouth slightly opened, diggesting all the new information of what he could see.

Yunho's face was emotionless, a few steps away from the others, as he stared at the heights of the mountain with lost eyes.

- This can't be. - Yoochun whispered, shocked.

They could barely see the inferior part of the metallic door that was surely the entrance. Junsu sobbed and stretched his arm, trying to say something, but words didn't come. He felt lost.

A knob in his throat, kept Changmin from saying anything. His eyes got blurry as his brain collapsed after so much trying. He couldn't come up with any new ideas: he accepted that his hyung was buried there or he would go mad any moment. The youngest covered his mouth and closed his eyes, fighting the urge to cry.

Junsu wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sobbed. He cried after, and some tears streamed down. He wiped them right away: accepting he was crying would be the acceptance of the loss of his hyung also.

- Hyung. Hyung? What do we-  - he couldn't finish his sentence, and couldn't turn around either to look at Yunho. He ended up covering his face and crying some more.

What were they thinking when going up to that point?

Expecting it was all a lie?

They had hoped to reach their goal until the last moment.

Yoochun felt like he was lacking air. He breathed heavily as he lowered his head, denying everything.

- This is not fair... - they heard Yoochun mumbling. - This is not fair... - he sat straight, and grabbed the bridge of his nose, fighting the tears back.

 

Here ends fate.

 

It was all they could think of.

They had rushed only to see this.

Junsu cried miserably and fell to the ground covered by leaveson his knees.He sobbed uncontrollably until Changmin came next to him and patted him in the back. He didn't know why exactly he didn't shed any tears at the moment.

- Come on, get up, hyung. - Changmin said dryly, and pulled his hyung's hand. - Come on. - he helped Junsu to stand up and then grabbed Yoochun's hand and dragged him along.

He didn't dare to go any closer, because it was dangerous, but he thought it was best for them to look directly at it instead of avoiding the truth. Junsu wiped his nose again, as Changmin patted him in the back, a bit awkwardly.

If he thought about it a little, Changmin believed the place was beautiful. Jaejoong was a person who didn't like anything conventional, so, in a way, it was a good place to rest, in the middle of nature, and in Japan, a country he had loved so much. If he thought about it a little, that place was perfect for Jaejoong.

Yoochun showed his tears, proudly. He sobbed and wiped them away. They all knew the oldestmember of TVXQ loved each one of them, but there was a special connection between him and Yoochun. Their hyung had called him several times "his soulmate", not without reason. Changmin wondered what exactly he was feeling at the moment.

They had spent the next three years after the splitting  together. Their ties had deepened. And then Changmin remembered, he never got to see his hyung again.

He had been so focused in meeting his hyung, he had completely forgotten they hadn't seen each other since they part ways when the lawsuit took place. He never got to speak with Jaejoong, and now he wouldn't be able either. He his hair and tried not to cry, but the tension had built over the past months and lost sight of the mountain, as he lowered his head.

Changmin covered his eyes, ashamed of his tears, and felt so little. Yoochun hugged him and comforted him.

- Junsu. - Yoochun tried to speak, but his voice cracked. He tried to reach him with his hand.

- Why is it so... - Junsu sobbed and tried to speak also. - hard to say goodbye? I don't want it to end like this.

- Neither of us. - Yoochun replied, but couldn't continue.

Junsu made use of all his strenght to stop the tears flowing. He wanted to say something, to what was now, their hyung's grave.

- Hyung would want to know this. - Junsu said, as he kept sobbing, his eyes swollen. - I don't want to let this unsaid...

Yoochun stopped trying to reach for him and let him speak.

- Thanks for sharing and giving your love to us, hyung. This journey doesn't have to... - some new tears fell and he didn't feel like he could finish properly. - end in this way... just by reaching this point, hyung, and I want you to know it... we could come to gather and be together once more...

- Junsu-hyung. - Changmin blurted out, wanting to stop him. Junsu could be the one speaking, but Changmin couldn't stand it. His words were hurting him. - Junsu-hyung, don't.

- It's hard for him too. - Yoochun tried to ease the youngest.

- I could promise you... - Junsu gasped, trying to keep calm.

- Junsu... - Yoochun called him. He was saying too much.

- We'll sing in your behalf... I could promise you that...

They remained silent. Changmin stood up straight and swallowed his tears. No use in being a little kid anymore.

- Just know this, hyung: that you are loved... and missed by your members. - Junsu finished and began crying uncontrollably. -  I can't-

Yoochun rushed to hug him.

- I can't.

- I know.

- I won't believe it.

 

"Here ends fate."

 

 

 

 

 

A loud gong pierced their ears, stunning them. All of them turned to watch Yunho stick a long and slim log into the door's crack. The log penetrated, but Yunho took it off eitherway, and attacked again, trying to stick the log deeper.

- I'M.NOT.GOING.ANYWHERE.WITHOUT.SEEING.JAEJOONGIE!! - he said, fiercely, grittinghis teeth as he pushed with all his might.

The three younger boys just stared at him, in shock.

Yunho tossed the log, and rushed to the car. He drove past the security tape, wripping it off, and then next to the door, making Changmin panick.

- YUNHO-HYUNG, ANDWE !

Changmin yelled, as Yunho crashed the car against the door, making a dent. Yunho got off, and this time he could stick the log deeper. Then he hacer palanca.

At any other time, they would have stopped him, but, besides from being in shock for his actions, they didn't think they were that of a mad man at all. Yunho was being cautious and measured every movement with care. Changmin, being pale and stunned, thought if he should let his hyung continue, or just force him to see the reality of things. When Changmin got to his senses again, he rushed to help the leader.

- ARGH!

Changmin's strenght was enough to make the difference, as they saw the crack widening with the pressure.

Junsu and Yoochun were paralyzed.

- Agh! We need he~lp!! Yah! - called Changmin.

Junsu helped them, and as he joined, the door opened a little bit, making a load of soil fall over them, but they didn't care.

The opening was wide enough to let people in, but inside was pitch black.

- There's a flashlight in the back of the car. - said Yoochun in a monotone voice.

Yunho sprinted after it. Changmin got rid of the log, throwing it aside, as he and Yoochun looked at each other. Both felt that, if they opened their mouths, the spell the leader had cast on them would disappear. All would definitely crumble. Yoochun noticed he still had traces of tears on his face, so he wiped them off, and Changmin mimicked him, really embarrassed.

Their leader came back with a flashlight, and their bags. He threw them to their respective owners as he turned the light on and lead the way in, never hessitating.

- Come on.

 

 

 

Yunho led the way in, with Yoochun at his back. Junsu, closing the line, felt dirt falling to his head, alarming him. A gasp escaped from his mouth and rushed to stick very close to Changmin.

- Watch it, hyung. - Changmin said, worried. 

- Watch your step. - Yunho warned them, moving the flashlight really quickly from side to side, when he found there was more than a hallway ahead.

He decided to take the one on the left and after a few meters they stumbled with the hallway being crumbled and completely blocked, so they turned around and took the way they had looked over to.

- Ah!

- What? - Yoochun asked, scared.

- Something is sliding. - Junsu replied. They all shut up and remained still.

There were subtle noises near them. They didn't know where they were, but it was a very wide space, judging from the eco. Yunho moved the flashlight to see where the noise came from, and it got bigger. Changmin jumped to conclussions:

- Something's sliding off. Hyung. - he alarmed them and pushed them to keep walking. - Hyung, hyung, hyung, there's something there, point there. - he rushed Yunho.

The light hit a pair of double metallic doors: the elevators.

- Ah! The staircase must be around here! - said Yoochun.

- Move, move, move. - Changmin whispered, quickly.

They crossed a door and found a waiting room, so they tried another one. Blackness was everywhere, and where Yunho directed the flashlight to, only then, they could recognize the space, their surroundings. The rest of the time it was only the four, walking in nothingness.

- Watch it. There's something broken over here. - Yunho warned s, as he rounded something like a column's rubbish scattered on the floor and part of a high wall.

- Where are you going? Changmin! - whispered Yoochun, when he felt Changmin pass by.

Yunho tried to look for Changmin with the flashlight, alarmed at Yoochun's voice.

- I think I saw the staircase. - Changmin called from some point at Yunho's right.

Something cracked noisily far away, and they all held their breath, waiting.

After a moment of not hearing anything new, Yunho followed Changmin into the staircase.

- Come on, let's move.

As soon as they stepped into the next floor, a big "bam" far away made the walls tremble subtly.

- Woah!

Instinctively, they squatted down to protect themselves, but nothing changed where they were, although, the dust was lifted and some dirt fell in their heads.

- What the hell was that? - Junsu asked, in a whisper. He was sweating.

They got into several halls, and after going a couple of floors up, they crossed a hallway that was cracked open halfway. They could see the floor below through it, which scared Yoochun. Changmin got in a tiny room, filled with lockers. Yunho lighted up his steps, as the youngest tried to look for a map or something that could clear their path ahead, and before going out, he played with the room's light switch. For a moment, he thought the townspeople might have been mistaken. He saw Yoochun's expression of disappointment and despair when they didn't turn on.

- Let's go. - said Yunho.

Confused by the turns they gave, uncertain of their own whereabouts, Yunho picked a small and kind of hidden staircase, different from the previous ones, and followed by s, he went up and crossed a double glassed door, that, due to the dust, was dirty, trying to ignore the threatening sound of another slid off, somewhere far away from their position.

Junsu and Changmin looked at each other as they closed the glassed doors behind them. Yoochun turned around, and noticed also, when they pointed at the doors, curious.

- What. Oh... the glass is not broken.- Yoochun felt curious also.

Indeed, the glassed doors were intact.

- What is this place? - the leader asked to no one in particular.

Yunho was trying to find some sense to the huge room they were in. He could see things glaring when he pointed at them with the flashlight. Metallic glare.

Suddenly, the flashlight turned off, so Yunho had to smack it, and it came back, but the moment the light went off, Changmin had perceived a distant red dot out of the corner of his eye, somewhere, at his left.

- Batteries? - asked Yunho.

- They're fine, hyung. I think it's the flashlight. It's old. - replied Yoochun.

- Hyung! Turn the light off! - asked Changmin, taking his bag off and letting it slide to the floor, as he walked rushly to where he thought he had seen the red dot.

- What?

- Turn it off! - he said, a bit bossy.

Yunho did as the youngest said. They all stood still for a moment. Although, their eyes were not visible, they knew each of them were searching for something.

- What are we... - attempted to ask Yunho.

- Anything weird. - said Changmin, plainly, and kept looking for it.

It was all pitch black.

They were alone in an unknown place, in the middle of a complete darkness, and total silence. Someone started to feel uneasy, because there was a sound of someone dragging his feet. Yoochun thought it was probably Junsu.

A red light shone at the distance, making Changmin's heart race like crazy. He began blindly walking in its direction, stumbling with something in his way, that made him whine. Nervous, Yunho turned the flashlight on at time to iluminate Changmin's way to a metallic ladder that went all the way up to a cabin. 

- Hyung. - Junsu's voice, like a ghost, made Yunho light towards where he was pointing.

The ladder went up to the cabin, and the cabin had a metallic bridge attached, that extended several meters away, sticked to the high wall, and ended in a very simple staircase. Changmin and Junsu walked towards it, hessitating.

- Watch it. - mumbled Yoochun.- Could be unstable.

Changmin gripped the banister firmly and tried to shake it. He couldn't. Then he stomped in a few steps, going up to see if it was okay to. When he reached the bridge, he gripped the banister again. It didn't move, just like before. With Junsu at his back, he walked towards the cabin, a bit impatient. The tiny room was glassed from the middle up, to see the entire room from there and had only one door, for what they could perceive with the poor ilumination the flashlight gave them. It resembled a crane's cabin a lot. Changmin opened the door and the two youngest got in.

There was a red light flashing.

The implications of a light flashing trespassed their thoughts, and Changmin heard a soft gasp from his hyung behind him.

- There's light. - Changmin's voice trembled in a whisper. - There's light.

- Changmin-ah. - Yunho called from below, but he was so mesmerized by the redness of the tiny, flashy light, coming and going, that he didn't reply. - Changmin-ah!

- Junsu? - called Yoochun.

- Just a moment. - Changmin whispered. He swallowed with difficulty and quickly put his hands on the red, flashing light, reading the surface with his palms. - Just a moment... - he repeated, as his hyung joined him and tried to look for something familiar.

Junsu thought he had seen something. As their eyes adjusted more and more to the darkness, he could perceive a brighter color somewhere out of the corner of his eye.

He got closer to it and wiped a surface that had dust all over. It was a screen, and it had a displayed message in white letters over a black background.

- Changmin.

The youngest turned around and with his mouth slightly opened, he read something about a motion sensor.

- We activated something by walking in here it seems... - Changmin looked for a keyboard under the screen and, luckily found it. He pressed enter and the message disappeared and was replaced with another. He read eaggerly, his breathing becoming heavier. - There's no energy left in the facility, except for "the cage"... - his japanese was a bit rusty, but if he could have a second, he'd figure out what the kanjis meant. - a reinforced block and the core of the Health Center. The area known as "the cage" contains "the recovery room", "control cabin", the "containers", and "the pool".

A very simple model of a tubular area was displayed in white in the screen.

- What's the pool? - asked Junsu right away.

But Changmin's finger rubbed the screen over the model where it said "containers" at the end of the message, revealing the entire label as "containers (preservation)", so he jumped out of the cabin without even commenting on the last line on the screen that said "Turn energy on? Y/N", and rushed to the bridge where he ran towards the staircase.

- Hyung, turn it on!- Changmin yelled, really loud and hyper, going downstairs at double pace.

- What happened?! - asked Yunho, worried at a running by Changmin, towards the other side of the great hallroom. - Changmin-ah?!

- Junsu-hyung, turn on the lights! - he yelled to Junsu louder.

- Okay. - whispered Junsu, hearing Changmin. He pressed enter after hitting "Y".

- Yunho-hyung, look, look!

Changmin's yelling was followed by a flash that left them blind for a second and made them whine in pain. The lights illuminated the great room in a explossion of whiteness..

Everything took shape: they were in a huge hall, with a very tall ceiling that contained several areas, like the one at the very center, where there was medical equipment, and it looked kind of like a surgery room. There was a metallic plate in the floor, delimited by a silver banister and monitors and control consoles surrounding it. A big window made of thick glass split their area to another tubular shaped one that was both high and deep and at the very bottom it had a pool, where a person could get by going down through several staircases and platforms sticked to the tubular wall.

The most interesting area was where Changmin was standing: two rows of something that looked like vaults. There were around twenty of them.

At the opposite side of the control cabin, the youngest gasped when he opened his eyes again, bearing the light, as he put his hands on the silver surface of a big metallic plate in the wall In front. It had two little wings, engraved, at each side of an english name, also engraved, that Changmin read as "Hero". 

- Haa... - Changmin panted, and tried to laugh, but couldn't.

Yunho was staring at it with eyes wide open, in complete awe. The flashlight in his hand was still on, although he didn't need it now. Frowning, Yoochun walked past him and with his mouth slightly opened, got closer, stunned, unable to say anything. Changmin smiled and tapped the silver surface. He knocked it next and tapped it again, softly this time. A nervous giggle scaped his lips. He looked at his hyung, beside him. Yoochun raised his eyebrows wanting to make questions, and couldn't find the starting point, so Changmin just nodded, reassuring him. His hyung opened his mouth wider, tracing the details of the vault-like plate with his eyes. They didn't believe it, but after the first impression, Changmin's hands started to look for something else. His hands found two holes in the lower half of the plate.

- Is this a lid? - he asked himself.

The holes hissed when he stuck his hands in. They were handles. He pulled but nothing happened. Yunho shove him aside gently, and a bit impatient, he mimicked Changmin.

- How do you open this? - asked Yunho, inspecting the vault-like lid. He knocked the surface.

Junsu didn't need to go down, since he had security cameras displayed in several screens. The entire cabin had in hundreds of lights everywhere. Security cameras, monitors showing random data, consoles flashing here and there: a festival of lights. He swallowed a knob in his throat away, and after sighing deeply, he poked a mic he had in front. Below, s heard the sound everywhere. Then Junsu's voice came out.

- I have... hyung's record displayed here. I just need a serial number. - he said, his voice trembling.

Yoochun tapped a number engraved in the surface, above the handles.

- I can hear you from here. Go ahead. - Junsu said, he didn't see the number clearly, even though there was a camera that recorded the vault with the name "Hero" alone.

- Two... double o, three, one, two, two, six. - Changmin informed.

As soon as Junsu typed in, he smiled.

- Okay~ - Junsu giggled shortly.

- Okay. - replied Changmin.

Yunho and Yoochun walked around, checking the other huge plates in the double row. There were twenty, all with names, and numbers, but the "Hero" one caught the attention immediately because it was at the center and the name was big and appealing.

- Hyung, always stealing the spotlight... - Changmin reflected.

- Yeah... - Yunho just giggled, and then he attempted to open another one. He couldn't.

Scratching an almost invisible crack beside one of the plates, Yunho found a hidden keyboard he opened. It had a big green button inside. He rushed back to where Changmin was and found one next to the "Hero" plate. He opened it, with Changmin at his back, wondering and getting excited. The youngest looked over his hyung's shoulder as he punched the button. Nothing happened. Yoochun got next to them at time to see Changmin pointing at the lower part of the lid, to the engraved numbers.

- What? - Yunho tapped the numbers.

- No, no. - he said, waving his hand. - The handles. Pull. - Changmin gestured, attracting his fists to his chest. - Press. - he finished, stamping his palm on an invisible button in the air, trying to guess.

Yunho stuck his slim hands on the handle holes and grabbing them, he pulled, making them hiss. He rubbed his nose, excited and scared, he stood up and lifted his arm.

- Don't! Hyung! - Junsu's alarming voice made them jump.

The leader was sweating. His head turned to look at the cabin, at the other side of the hall, and his eyes showed he was nervous.

- The fact that he's in preservation might mean he never got to receive recovery. Hyung... Hyung's record says... - Junsu's voice trembled. -  he had heart failure, massive blood loss, lung failure... body was partially destroyed and had to be reanimated twice, besides from... he...

- Junsu, stop reading. - Yoochun ordered him. He could hear him sobbing through the mic.

- His... his record hasn't been updated in ages, but it says...

He shut and sobbed louder. He was crying alone in the cabin, with too much information in his hands. s were waiting. After a second of total silence, Junsu sniffed.

- What does it say? - Changmin asked with a low voice, trying to control it as much as he could and not give into emotion again.

- "Recovery" was carried out up to a 42%.

Fourty two percent.

That was less than half of Jaejoong's health, or rather his life. Yunho turned around to stare at the vault he had behind. Was Jaejoong there, in a way he was not complete to be the Jaejoong he knew?

- Update the damn thing. - ordered Changmin and stomped towards the bridge leading to the cabin.

- I'm on it. - Junsu replied.

 

They were all so worn out. Junsu found a stretcher near the recovery area and was laying down, without any sign of life, but his eyes opened. His chin on the stretcher, he stared at the empty space in front, lost deeply in his thoughts. Yoochun, who was sitting before on one of the control consoles near him, stood up after minutes of seeing him like that, and rubbed his back. The boy in the stretcher looked really tired, as if he hadn't slept in days. He was so quiet and still, he wasn't him at all. He looked really weird in that state. Not at all like the cheerful Junsu they were used to. He turned around noisily and rubbed his eyes.

- Yeah... I'm okay. - Junsu said, putting a really nice smile. He was good at covering his problems in times like that one.

- I didn't ask. - Yoochun raised his eyebrows.

- Eh? You didn't ask? - Junsu was genuinely surprised and that made Yoochun giggle.

- No~

Rubbing his eyes again, Junsu sighed deeply.

- Come on. - said Yoochun, patting his leg to confort him.- Yunho-hyung found a storage room back there. Let's go grab something to eat.

- I don't want to. - Junsu replied, covering his face with his forearm, and a low voice that revealed he was really tired.

- Ah, come on. Let's bring something to Changmin.

The youngest was locked in the control cabin, studying the system. They hadn't heard anything from him in a while, but they could see him through the cabin's windows, really immersed in the computers up there.

Since Junsu didn't even seem to want to start moving, Yoochun grabbed his foot and dragged him, along with the wheeled stretcher, to the double doors, next to the preservation vaults.

- I said I don't want to~ - Junsu whined.

Yoochun just giggled like a kid, when he crossed the doors, with the stretcher rattling behind him.

- Patient Junsu to the surgery room~ - Yoochun said with a cute voice. He laughed.

The last thing Changmin heard from them through the security cameras was "his must be removed immediately so he can lead a normal life", and as Junsu cracked up, it made him giggle also. 

 

A bit more relaxed, after a couple of hours of being sitting and locked in the control cabin watching several monitors and screens, he stretched in his wheeled chair, breathing deeply. He sighed, shook his head feeling his eyes burning a little, and looked around.  So many buttons, monitors, consoles and flashing lights were asking and telling him things.

- I don't understand this crap. I'm not a medic. - he whispered, rubbing his eyes.

When he leaned back in his seat again, his eyes stumbled directly with the screen he was avoiding the most: his hyung's status. His eyes were locked on it for a moment, feeling powerless and so lost. At least he wasn't anxious, but if things got worse, he would start feeling so.

The amount of surgeries and treatments he had gone through was humongous, and the record had progressed slowly, updating his recovery process in a 9%. The door opened abruptly and Yunho got in. His hair was messy and his shirt was so dirty, Changmin stared at him at the verge of scolding.

- Where were you?

- Ah. - he looked at himself and felt apologetic because of his appearance. He had the flashlight in his left hand. - I went back to see the way out.. I couldn't find it.

- Of course! There's no way you're going to recognize anything with that tiny light, hyung. But why in the world are you like that? - he finally scolded Yunho. - You look like coming from the sewer or something.

Yunho smiled, but it wasn't comforting at all. His smirk tensed.

- There are some problems in the way. Do you have security cameras...?

- Only of "the cage". The place is crumbled, but this area was built thinking of protecting the preservtion vaults from everything. - He judged his appearance with worry. - What kind of problems?

- Well, they did a good job. The place is intact. - Yunho replied, ignoring his last question, as he looked to the entire extension of the tubular hallroom. He shook his head shortly to get rid of his bangs in his eyes.

- Don't go doing reckless things, hyung. - Changmin could see his hyung was breathing a little heavier.

- I didn't. - he said, but it was clear he had done some exercise out there. Probably, running away from something. - Where are Yoochun and Junsu?

- Eating.

- Aren't you hungry?

- No.

Well, that was a change.

- I'll give you a map if I find it. - Changmin said, turning his chair to his working station, and back to typing.

Yunho saw Changmin's pocket device on top of the desk he was using.

- It's dead. It kinda lost some signal and it died. - said Changmin, nonchalant. He saw Yunho checking the screen performing Jaejoong's record update. - That's not so dead. It's steady... - he said, satisfied - and really slow.- he finished, not so satisfied.

- Did they perform all these surgeries on him? - Yunho asked in a sad tone.

- They had to, hyung. It was the same for all of us, i guess. It was surgery, back to preservation, back to surgery, again back to preservation and so on. Recovering little by little our health and body. They do such a detailed job, it takes a lot of time and effort. To have an optimum result, they take care to the last detail.

Something caught their attention in one of the monitors. Yoochun pushed the wheeled stretcher back into the big hall, loaded with things. Junsu was sitting in the stretcher, enjoying the trip.

- Ja~ Look what we brought! - Yoochun yelled at the cameras, calling for Yunho and Changmin.

In five minutes, Yoochun had unfolded a blanket he stretched on the floor, and making what looked like a picnic, waved at the cameras, as Junsu was inspecting what they had brought to eat.

- Oi~ Yunho-hyung~ !

Yunho smiled widely just by seeing his dongsaengs were in such a good mood.

- Drag Changmin along! He's been there for hours!

Suddenly, Yunho thought that, knowing Yoochun, he must have been pretty nostalgic, and his smile got bitter so, glancing at Changmin, he invited him to go downstairs: Yoochun enjoyed the simple moments of life the most; if he could have a meal with his friends, he'd feel better. The cheerful Yoochun who waved at the camera was being a bit hypocritical.

- You go, hyung. I'm not satisfied with my knowledge on these...

Changmin was pissed at him for not being able to decode all the information he had at hand.

- Ah, c'mon. You need to eat.

And giving him his best smile, he pulled Changmin from the wrist.

- Hyung... - Changmin whined.

- C'mon~ Yah~ - and Yunho exploded in a happy giggle that made Changmin walk really fast ahead of him, not wanting to be involved with his childish tickling and giggles or anything cheerful.

Yoochun received him, tapping the blanket next to him. Changmin seemed ready to kill someone, so feeling like giving him some brotherly support, as the youngest sat next to him, Yoochun patted him in his knee and rounded him with his arm.

- We found ramen! - exclaimed Junsu, handing over a cup of something steaming.

- You checked the expiration date? - he asked, a bit hostile.

- Yeah -Junsu defied him.

It was so obvious they would be tired and stressed by then. Trying to keep things friendly, Yunho patted Junsu's back softly, and Yoochun began whispering to Changmin, making him nod in agreement. The youngest had ramen quietly, as Yoochun kept joking with him.

- How long have we been here? - Yunho asked.

He stared at the vaults unconsciously. They were visible from everywhere and caught the attention automatically, their size was imponent, and at moments it felt as if they were nothing but a bad omen. Yunho glanced at s, feeling a bit of pressure for taking them somewhere, without knowing exactly where, but somewhere. Somewhere they could be reunited.

It was clear that sooner or later someone was going to ask:

- What's next?

Changmin's voice made him stop thinking about the vaults, as Yunho sipped a bit of soup from his steaming cup.

- It's clear to me, hyung -Yoochun told Yunho, acknowledging his leadership- we call someone for help so they can get him out of there. - he said, turning around to see the "Hero" vault.- Make him receive treatment, like it should be. Wake him up, have him back. - he added, gesturing with his sticks as he munched his meal- You know.  Have Jaejoong-hyung back. - his voice deepening as he talked.

At his side, Changmin nodded subtly, lowering his head to his cup of ramen, thinking. It was easy to say so, but taking it to action wasn't as easy, however, their will was the best to make it happen. He was being possitive as long as he could.

- I don't understand everything... - Changmin began, with his eyes fixed on the blanket, elaborating, and gesturing with his hand - but I think I can get hyung out of there, eventually.

- Okay, I'll go back to look for the way out  -said Yunho, setting up everything.

- I'll go with you, hyung - Yoochun supported him.

Junsu stared at Yunho, munching his noodles. He was so focused, Yunho felt flustered.

- Your scars...

- Eh? - Yunho touched his face automatically - Oh, yeah, they thought they were recent, so they wiped them away.

- In the "recovery"? -Yoochun asked, amused- Jinjja?

Now all of them were staring at him.

- Bet you miss them. - Junsu said, sliding his finger by where one of his scars was supposed to be.

- Probably tried to fall off a roof again to have it back -Changmin said, giggling shortly.

Yunho stared at him and finally broke up laughing.

- Almost. - he half-yelled, jokingly- Yah~ !!

- Oh! Now that you mention it... - Yoochun began, making faces, recalling something.

- What? - the youngest glanced at him, going back to eat his noodles.

- My asthma is a lot better, actually.

- Really?

- You think it can do that? "Recovery"?

- Probably...

- Most likely, hyung!

They kept talking for a long time.

Just having a meal together, laughing and joking with each other, ignoring the unfamiliar place and the overall weird scene.

 

"How long has it been?" Changmin wondered first thing when he woke up. He separated his cheek from the console, trying to find out what time was it, but he couldn't remember having seen any clocks around. 

He tried to remember where he had left it when he fell asleep, scratching his head. He sighed, and stretched his neck to look for his hyungs, sleeping downstairs. Then he saw the security camera fixed on the main vault showed someone was sitting in front of it, for a moment, Changmin was sure it was Jaejoong, until he moved and whispered:

- ...  I miss you so much, hyung...

And as he raised a can with some beverage and made cheers to the closed vault, he sighed.

Really, Yoochun and him were so alike. Changmin thought that it was a really private moment, so he turned off the camera and resumed his work.

As soon as Yunho woke up,  in which would appear to be morning, him and Yoochun got out of the cage and got lost in the facility corridors with nothing more than the flashlight as company. Junsu had wanted to join them, but Yunho asked him to stay with Changmin. Splitting into teams was best, irony aside.

So, after staying, obediently, and seeing Changmin's mood was not something to mess with at the moment, he got really curious of the area called "the pool". It had attracted his attention since he saw it in that screen. He wandered around, distractedly, as he got closer to a very thick, metallic door, which was the entrance to the tubular area. He grabbed the handle and tried to open, but it was locked. He tried again, a bit stubborn, but it didn't make any difference, so he just walked, sticked to the wall, until he was in front of the huge window: a huge and thick glassed panel that let him see the tubular area almost completely. He put his hands on the glass and sticked his cheek to it, wanting to see the angles he normally couldn't. 

Suddenly, he noticed a giant metallic arm in the roof. It was complex and probably movile, because it had so many joints. He thought it looked like a huge syringe hanging from the roof. It was imponent and gave him chills, as if it was a bad omen.

He looked away and got distracted  by the bottom. The very bottom had water. It was a pool. His eyes followed the metallic platform lying there, serving as a shore and the staircase that went up until it reached the thick door that was just beside him. How many meters until the pool?

- Hyung.

His cheek hurt when he jumped and separated his face from the glassed panel too brusquely, surprised by the loud voice that came out of everywhere as if a god was talking to him directly. 

- Hyung, - Changmin's impatient voice came out amplified by through the speakers- could you help me up here?

The youngest's face looked really tired. He had red eyes and bags under them. The cabin was messy, because Changmin had several documents opened on top the consoles, and paper sheets and anotations.

- There are 4 protocols for that vault to open.

- Really? - Junsu was surprised, he opened his eyes wide, and looked for something in the screen to confirm it. - Where? How?

- Don't.... - Changmin started, shaking his head in disappointment - don't get so optimistic, hyung. - he rubbed his face, tired and sighed deeply - I've looked everywhere and i can't find the codes to activate the two first, that seems to be the most secure ones. These are protocols to follow when taking out a patient for surgery. I've found some interesting stuff to help me - he handed over a thick book to Junsu - but it's never complete access. 

- I guess everything was very strict in here.

Junsu passed the pages with thousands of codes. He had no idea how Changmin had found out so much in such a short time.

- What's this... - Junsu asked distractedly, as he turned the pages over and over again, containing endless serial numbers. - Changmin-ah... - Junsu whispered as his jaw dropped when he saw the book had near 5000 pages - you're overdoing it.

The youngest rubbed his face strongly as he giggled softly. It was ironical he was overdoing it if the results didn't show him any progress. He felt bitter about it, knowing he couldn't do much to help at the moment.

Although there was something he had to show his hyung yet.

- Look here - he sat in his chair and showed him a screen which had "protocol #4" on display. 

The codes had been broken, and the access granted. Junsu opened his mouth in disbelief and trying to say something, some incoherent words stumbled in his mouth and he finally made noises that were not comprehensible. Just noises.

- Open it - he demanded. - Open it - he repeated, this time staring at Changmin as he turned around in his wheeled chair, playfully and distractedly, thinking. He heard his hyung the second time, because his voice was imperative.

- What? No. It could be dangerous.

- What? How? Everything's ready, right? You just have to open that vault-

- Protocol no. 4 is for throw-out purposes.

- Wha-

- Protocols no. 1 and no.2 are for surgery and recovery, numbers 3 and 4 are to throw the garbage.

His hyung stared at him with big, confused eyes.

- Why... would they have... such protocols...?

- If they died, for example - Changmin said coldly, staring at some point in the wall.

Junsu closed his mouth and remained silent, frowning. Changmin noticed he had stopped talking, because it was a bit unusual, and came back from his deep thoughts. He sighed deeply and looked at his hyung.

- He isn't.

Junsu could only stare back at him, not thinking clearly. 

- He's not, hyung - Changmin's assurance calmed him. - Everyone is the same. Under this procedure, protocol no. 4, all the vaults are ready to be opened. I've thought that maybe someone, a worker, broke all the codes this way to evacuate them when they came back to rescue their patients.

- But they never came back.

- Right. They didn't. And after shutting the place down, everybody assumed that the preserved patients were no longer alive. But again, someone did not tell the truth and the energy didn't get cut off completely. The workers of this place...

Changmin shut up. He was eternally grateful to whoever had done the necessary to keep the patients alive. 

- Oh, hyung! - Junsu jumped, getting Changmin's attention immediately. 

Before the youngest could smile because Junsu had called him hyung, he followed his finger, pointing at one of the security cameras: Yunho and Yoochun had came back. Their faces were a bit gloomy.

The two youngest went downstairs to get news. Yunho put the flashlight on top of a console and sat in a wheeled chair, looking tired. Yoochun did the same. As soon as Junsu was by his side, he patted his back, worried.

- Hyung... - Changmin stood up, his hands in his hips, wanting to know more. He let them recover and take a breath before asking. - Hyung.

- You found it? - Junsu just asked. 

Changmin handed what looked like a sealed bottle with water over to Yunho. He took it and check it for a second.

- It's ok, I drank from it earlier. I took it from the storage room, hyung. - Changmin said as he stared at Yunho opening the bottle and drinking. He was not going to rest until he had drank something and his hyung knew it.

- The reason why hyung didn't find the way out is because it got blocked. - Yoochun started. 

The boy was worried. Usually, Yoochun was carefree, so seeing him uneasy was revealing and worrisome. The leader offered him the bottle next but he rejected it and kept talking.

- We looked for all the signs, all of them, what we coud remember, to go straight for where we came in. - Yoochun gestured as he talked, asking for his hyung's support with glances here and there. - We realized we were on the right track, but there was no path. It's all crumbled. We'll just have to...

- Yeah, find some other way out - Yunho finished

- You are being too optimistic hyung - Changmin said boldly. It had been stucked in his throat for a while.

It wasn't his intention to put everybody down, only see the reality they were into: trying to help their hyung get out of his container when they were the ones trapped.

- We never should've allowed all of us to get in here. - Changmin's voice rose even though it wasn't that necessary in the middle of their silence. 

- This is something that would concern only us. - Yunho replied, raising his eyebrows. - I don't think anyone could understand what this means to us.

- At least split into two groups... - Changmin's hands in his hips, he moved around, without going anywhere. - What the hell were we thinking when coming to this trap? - he his face.

- Changmin-ah - Yoochun's voice, soothing, called out his name softly.

- We were... just eager - Junsu told the youngest, reflecting on it. 

- We make stupid decisions when they're emotional. Changmin-ah. It's done. Stop torturing yourself. - Yoochun's hand reached his arm  and shook it, caring for him - Changmin-ah.

- It's done, I know.

Changmin's anger was just getting worse. They knew him and he used to explode at times, besides from him being really nervous and tired at the moment: it wasn't a good scenario. He began walking away frrom s, kicking some boxes in his way to the cabin, mumbling things.

- At least if I could get hyung out... - he began -  we'd be together... - his mumbling got lost in his way up as the eco twisted his words and made them incomprehensible - ...not trapped in this ty hole.

The last thing they heard out of him was the door slamming.

The silence invaded them again. Yunho just stared at his hands as he rubbed one against the other. He had to take them out of that place, but before that, he would have Changmin sleep a few hours. He was tired as well, although, he had had some sleep. He sighed deeply, and felt Yoochun patting his knee. 

- What are we going to do? - Junsu asked, nervous and scared.

But the answer was vague. 

 

That night, Yoochun found out they had been inside the facility for 3 days already. The mood was weird between the members, and awkwardness seemed to raise among them. Changmin was forced to get out of the cabin and sleep properly. Yunho appeared at his side, with a cup of something steaming, as the youngest watched over the vaults, standing right in front of them. He couldn't get his eyes away from the central lid. 

- Ah, thank you - he looked up to his hyung with a dark look, as he took his cup - Is it coffee?

- No coffee for you tonight.

The youngest stared at him, pissed. 

- Who are you? My mom?

Yunho smiled and sighed before drinking from his own cup. At least the youngest had regained his humor, which made the leader happy. 

- Are you calmed, Changmin? are you okay? - Yunho suddenly asked him, without looking at him - We have to keep our resolve to the end.

Dead serious, Changmin only stared at him. He hated his optimistic chat crap, and Yunho knew it was bothering him. He broke into a soft laughter and smiled at the youngest, finally caressing his head, fatherly-like, but it only made Changmin excuse himself from his company, by stepping away an entire meter. A humming behind them, let them know Junsu was lying on the stretcher, starting the usual lullaby that accompany them to sleep every day. His soft voice filled the new silence that had taken place as Changmin seemed to recognize the melody, vaguely. His memory gave him a subtle aching in his chest, along with a nostalgic feeling trying to place the melody into words. As Junsu hummed a bit more, he kind of recognized that it was a japanese song and it was confirmed when he finally sang "bokura wa mada bokura no mirai wo souzou shinagara...", as he tried to lower his head, but the sight of Yoochun getting Junsu's attention to only shush him in a subtle way caught his eyes.

Of course Changmin knew of the song, and Yunho also.

He thanked in his heart that his hyung would've thought it was not a good time to hum that song, but now the melody was intalled in his head. Why would they? Pour such feelings into one of their songs? They had to talk about so many things, but he needed his hyung out. Before realizing it, he had abandoned his cup on a chair and he was touching the lid, checking it, with a sad expression on his face, wondering a lot of things. Yunho kept an eye on him, worrying.

- This... is not a coffin, right? - Changmin asked to no one in particular. Yoochun raised his head, since he had asked aloud.

The idea of his hyung, sleeping indefinably inside of a box made him wonder. He wanted to see him so bad as he thought a hundred years had passed since he saw him smile and talked to him, and it probably had happened this way. His hands slid through the surface, feeling that this would be the closest he'd get to be from his hyung, ever.

His talkative hyung, the one who smashed the walls down and reached him when he was so shy. When he was the youngest. He talked his way to him and changed him for good.

And suddenly realized he didn't remember how his voice sounded like. He could tell it was husky, but exactly, how... did it sound? He tapped the lid with his hand putting his ear right next to the surface as if he wanted to hear what was going on inside. He didn't know what he wanted to hear at that moment, though, but it made him desperate, knowing his record still hadn't been updated and it couldn't reach 50%, and the fact he wasn't showing any signs of life. Angered, he punched the lid, making Yunho jump from his comfortable chair and Yoochun stand up to stop him.

- Yah! Calm down.

- Why would you pick me in the first place? You could've gone to any other member first, hyung - Changmin asked Junsu, hitting the surface of the vault's lid.

- Stop it already. Changmin-ah! - Yunho warned him, grabbing him by the shoulder, trying to separate him from the huge and hard plate.

But Changmin pushed him away, still gently, turning around to stare at Junsu, who had a scared expression, seeing him so angered, and the atmosphere so tense.

- You came to me first. 

- Changmin-ah - Yoochun approached him also and touched his forearm very gently to call him back to his senses.

- I don't know - Junsu said, plainly, after thinking about it for a second, he tried harder, because Changmin needed an answer - I just thought... - suddenly remembered what he wanted, by going after Changmin in the first place - "if i want to find them all, my members, to the last one, i have to go find Changmin first".

It was common for them to have trust in Changmin's cleverness and wiseness: not surprsing at all; and evaluating it very quickly, Yoochun and Yunho would've done the same, probably. Junsu had been clever too, when picking him as the first one to look for.

- Let's find out where I led you to.

Yoochun and Yunho looked each other frowning, and in a second, Changmin had slid his hands into the handles and pulled, he opened the box beside the vault to open it.

- NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? - Yunho jumped and grabbed him with both arms to prevent him from doing it.

- You can't!- Junsu yelled and stood up from the stretcher.

The youngest fought Yunho back, trying to release.

- Changmin-ah! Stop it! - Yoochun also, tried to calm him down - We won't get anything out of this.

- I'm tired of this ! - Changmin kicked the lid, because Yunho kept his arms in his place.

- No, hyung, it's ready to be opened! - Junsu remembered, as Changmin had told him, so if he were to press that button, protocol no. 4 would begin, whatever that meant - Don't let him! - and Junsu went to help him to try to ease Changmin.

- We'll know now or we won't ever! Yunho-hyung!

Changmin was strong. In his desperate intent to release from Yunho's grip, Changmin let him push, as they struggled, and although it was not easy to make Yunho lose his balance, he made it, and shove his hyung away, as Junsu tried to catch him, only to witness how the youngest stepped forward and sunk his fist in the rubber red button.

- NOO! - Yunho was really mad and scared.

A thin thread of lights in the lid's surface, which didn't surprise anyone more than they already were, but the alarm that made them all jump next did scare them. Sweating, Changmin and Yoochun looked everywhere, as to identify the source. Yunho opened his eyes widely, fearing the outcome.

The alarm was very loud, but it was somewhat silenced by the sound of something that gave them chills: a mechanical sound and a low vibration on the ground that indicated a huge gear was put in motion. 

- The hell...? - Yoochun blurted out.

- What's that? - Junsu looked everywhere.

Instead of being there without knowing anything, completely lost at what was taking place, Changmin began to move. He stepped back, still looking everywhere, and went running to his cabin, that surely had a response for all that noise.

- OH - Junsu blurted out.

- What? - Yoochun stared at him immediately, and followed his eyes, that had gotten bigger as they went up high.

Through the thick and huge glassed panel, they could see the giant syringe-like mechanic arm moving. Yoochun got really close to it and watched how it positioned itself. But for what?

Changmin got to his station, sat and checked everything in the screen. Several red signs flashed in the monitors, warning him.

- I know! I know! But what? - he yelled at his keyboard as he typed, mad at his behavior and the damn system that didn't tell him anything.

He knew everything had been ready to open the vault according to protocol no. 4, though, so he searched from there, as the annoying mechanical sound made the cabin vibrate. He watched, horryfied, how the gigantic arm moved towards the vaults, only by the other side of the wall, where they couldn't access: the tubular room which end was... a pool.

His voice, alarmed, almost yelled through the speakers, to warn everybody:

- That thing is doing something! 

- I know! Tell me, Changmin-ah, what the hell...? - Yoochun, scared, turned around, to look for Changmin in his cabin, and went back to follow the now terrorific mechanical arm move.

- I'm trying - replied Changmin's shaky voice as he typed and tried to find something.

Yunho had stood up and he was pressing over and over again the red button beside the central vault, but it didn't have any effect. Suddenly, the scaring sound turned off, and as it did, everybody stood quiet, sweating cold, and waiting.

They waited for something.

Yoochun saw the thing stopped when it was pointing at the vaults from inside the tubular area. He saw how it was hanging from the roof: it had to be a powerful arm. Finally he wondered what it was for.

- ...What? - Changmin raised his head to see what was going on in the screen, as Junsu got by his side to help him.

Everybody held their breath as the vibration, although it hadn't disappeared, it had lowered its intensity like it was calculating something. 

- OH, it's moving again! Changmin-ah! What it's going- to do? Changmin? - Yoochun asked, as he walked together with the arm movements, when it stretched it's syringe-like tip and inserted itself in the wall perfectly, in a fitting metallic pipe.

- What? What is it? - Yunho asked next, his hands on the lid.

The leader had felt, suddenly, the vault had begun to vibrate with another intensity.

- Hyung, can you tell where that thing it's screwing?

- Screwing? - Yunho jumped and began to hit the lid, desperately wanting to open it.

Yoochun put his face really close to the glass, like Junsu had done before, and tried to look where the arm's end was. The screwing sound continued as he finally could see it was inserting itself in what looked like...

- Hyung-! Hyung's vault! It's hyung's vault!! -Yoochun almost yelled, tapping the glassed pannel, nervously.

- What? - Junsu blurted out - Changmin! Changmin! Hey, if it's that protocol thing you talked about, then it's going to throw out his capsule!

- What?? - Yoochun jumped, looking at the cabin - Do something!

- Yoochun-ah! Help me! - Yunho called, as he slid his hands on the handle holes - we have to open this vault from this side! - he said, pulling hard - Help me here!

Yoochun slip, as nervous as he was, when getting to his hyung's side. He helped him, but the lid didn't move.

- Do something! - Junsu's voice came out through the speakers as he plead Changmin to find the way to stop it.

The youngest's panting was heard through the mic, doing all he could.

- I'm trying with some codes. Most sure thing is... that thing is going to throw hyung to the pool...

- WHAT? No - Yunho jumped - Changmin, tell me how do I get there - he asked him, as he ran to the door next to the glassed pannel and tried to open it. It was as sealed as when Junsu tried earlier.

- Here, hyung! - Yoochun handed over a fire extinguisher to Yunho.

His hands were sweating, so he wiped them in his pants and took the extinguisher and hit the handle brutely: it didn't budge. 

- Changmin! Changmin! Tell me how do I get to the other side! - Yunho yelled as he hit the handle even harder. - Tell me how to get to the other side of this wall, dammit!

- You can't! - Changmin rushed to reply through the mic, and almost yelled at it - Hyung, the only way in is that door... maybe some... - he tried to think but the screwing noise was so disturbing now and he was half-blocked - ventilation ducts!

- There's one above your head, look up, hyung - Junsu added, checking the security cameras, trying to keep calm.

- It's dangerous, hyu- WHERE ARE YOU GOING? 

Suddenly, Yunho had led Yoochun to drag a table, dropping everything there was on top of it in a second. Bringing a chair along too, they built a tower, in which Yunho climbed to reach the grilled lid above the door.

- Hyung! What are you going to do?? - Changmin's alarmed voice yelled through the speakers.

As it had begun, without a warning, it shut.

The noise stopped, all of it. The alarm, the screwing sound, the vibrations, all of it.

Scared as hell, Changmin checked the security cameras: the arm was not moving, he wondered if any of the codes he had tried had been useful, but the truth was he had a bad feeling still. He panted , waiting again, checking where the hell his hyungs were.

Yunho had a squared grill on his hands, but had stopped for a second, waiting also.

- Yunho-hyung, stay where you are... - Changmin whispered, nervously.

- Yoochun-ah, could you check now if that lid opens? - Yunho asked, aware of every little thing.

He thought that it might be possible, but as soon as Yoochun tried to open the vault, the vibrations restarted, and a siren filled the room. Yunho didn't waste more time, and throwing the grill to the floor, he jumped, and climbed the wall like a cat and got into the duct.

- I can't see what's doing? What is that thing doing??

Junsu checked all the security cameras and even switched angles, but he couldn't see what he wanted, so he ran downstairs and got next to the glassed pannel just to see Yoochun following their leader.

- Where are you going? - he asked, with eyes wide opened.

- No! You stay here! - Yoochun yelled back at him when Junsu attempted to follow also, as firmly as he could. He hoped they wouldn't be in the middle of a stupid action.

Agreeing that it was best to divide forces, he stood there and rushed to stick his face in the glassed pannel and saw, horrified, how the huge mechanic arm  extracted from the wall what looked like a capsule. A larged, tubular capsule.

- Ah! Changmi- Changmin-ah! Changmin-ah! - it's getting hyung-

- What? - Changmin raised his head, sweating cold, scared as hell, looking at his hyung in the distance - What? Hyung.

- It's his container! It's the "Hero" vault it's pulling off!

- - Changmin blurted out. He had no idea how to stop the procedure.

He had no idea how to prevent it.

- It's gowing to throw hyung into the pool to throw him out, like waste... - Changmin said almost in a whisper as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

- He's going to throw- What...? - Yunho's yelling got to the youngest's ears through one of the security cameras, although he couldn't see him on the monitors.

A grilled metallic square suddenly flew in the air, and Junsu watched it fall several meters into the water. He raised his head to see his hyung's feet showing from the whole the grill had left behind and with agile movements, he fell to a hanging platform, a metallic craddle,  right beside the huge arm.

- OH Hyung! - Junsu was with his heart in his throat, ready to go rush help Yunho.

The craddle swayed dangerously, making Yunho hold on to it, keeping his body sticked to the platform, very cat-like. 

- How do I- How do I stop this? - Changmin kept whispering  to himself, as he felt the walls closing in, his tiny cabin was asfixiating him - I'm in the control cabin, I should be able to do something from here...

- Shut it down! Changmin-ah! - Junsu turned around, and saw the fire extinguisher in the floor, he turned around to see where Yoochun had grabbed it from.

- I can't! - Changmin yelled back staring at the preservation vaults at the distance.

If he were to shut the energy off, the patients, that had managed to stay alive until that very moment, would be in danger. But he had thought of something, suddenly: the computer directing the mechanic arm was one of the many inside the tiny cabin. Changmin's eyes followed the pipes that came out of it's hard drive and climbed up by the walls and the roof, leading to outside of the tower. He suddenly took full notice of the wiring and the way it was disposed. 

- AH NO - Junsu hit the glassed pannel as he saw Yunho standing up on his feet now that the craddle had stopped.

He was ready to go down to another platform but it was dangerous as well, because it was a bit separated from his, although it was very close to the mechanic arm, so he'd be able to reach it by jumping. It was all very chaotic because the arm had finished extracting the container, completely sealed, and it was moving it away from the wall, positioning the container right under itself, in the center of the tubular room. 

So Junsu rushed to get the axe and ran back to Changmin, who was just in the middle of the bridge that led to the cabin. He was so calmed, staring blankly at the pipes that surrounded the tower they were in.

- Let's brake it - Junsu said plainly, with a serious face, panting from the exercise of running upstairs.

Changmin grabbed the axe and  followed the wiring he thought, controlled the mechanic arm, as Junsu went back next to the glassed pannel to see what was going on. Yoochun kicked several times at the exit of the duct, only he landed safely in the staircase, meters away from Yunho, who was hanging from a swaying platform.

- Yunho-hyung! - Junsu hit the glassed pannel repeatedly, desperate, seeing his hyung in danger.

The platform swayed as Yunho jumped to the next one and immediately, with the same impulse, he reached the mechanic arm, that seen up close it was even bigger than he had imagined. It vibrated annoyingly as he tried to keep his balance while moving through the several joints in the body to get close to the syringe-like end. He sticked his feet in every hole he found to go down by its huge machinery. 

He was so scared up there as the arm positioned the large, tubular container standing.

- CHANGMIN-AH - he yelled at the roof, hoping the youngest would hear his pleading. 

He needed it to stop. Now.

A red light beeped right next to Yunho's face, indicating something he feared. It beeped shortly and it shut off.  He heard the processing of something inside the machinery reaching the capsule.

- CHANGMIIINN~ - he desperately yelled.

The youngest lifted the axe, standing in the middle of the bridge, high up above his head as Yunho saw a second red light flashing shortly that shut off immediately. 

- YAAAHHHH 

With a single strike, the youngest hit the pipes with all his strenght making the bridge tremble, braking the pipes, cutting the cables, the light went off in several areas as Yunho heard a third beeping light, this time green as a new, subtle noise ran through the machinery (only he could hear it because he had his face next to the body) and reached the capsule below his feet.

And everything shut off.

Yunho held tight to the body as the gigantic arm stopped suddenly and the lights everywhere went off and on shortly after. He looked everywhere, sweating and panting, wondering what had happened. He looked at Junsu next. He had his mouth opened, and scared as hell, looked back at him, asking Yunho, with his eyes, if everything was alright. The atmosphere seemed to freeze.

Then the capsule's lid hissed.

His body tense, and his senses in alert, Yunho looked below his feet, the capsule was intact and still, but the lid had been opened. The front half, in front of everyone's horrified eyes, opened, it got separated completely from the capsule's body and fell, inevitably, several meters, and got lost in the emptiness, finally braking the calmed surface of the water.

- NO! - Yoochun yelled, grabbing the banister from the staircases system he had landed on - NO!!

What they had feared, happened: without support, the capsule's content bent forward gently and slowly, in front of everybody's eyes. Yunho's mouth opened widely and gasped, unable to say anything as he watched below him, the pale body of a guy, heading to a free fall to emptiness.

- NO!! - Yunho screamed ferouciously - NOOO...!!

He extended his arm in despair, leaning over dangerously, as he barely cought something to hold on to, but he only managed to scratch the back of that person's neck above his shirt, where a piece of tatoo showed.

- NOOO!!! 

But the body slipped from his grip and began it's free fall.

- Jaejoong-ah!! - he yelled at full lungs when he realized he hadn't grabbed him - NOW JAEJOONGIE~!!!

Yunho made a decision in an instant and jumped after him.

- HYUNG, ANDWEE!!! - Junsu hit the glassed pannel with all his might repeatedly, desperatedly.

His dongsaengs watched Yunho falling from the mechanic arm, several meters into the water. The lid fell first and it sank deeply, as Yoochun got back in his senses, and ran downstairs as fast as the inestability of the staircases let him do so. The pale body got into the water, braking the surface, heavily, followed by Yunho, both sinking really quickly.

- Yunho-hyung!! - Yoochun yelled, sticking half of his body out, over the banister, as he gasped and tried to look deeply into the water. He kept running downstairs.

When he broke into the water, Yunho felt calmness: a peace he hadn't had in a long time. It hurt, hitting against the cold water, and go numb for a while as he adjusted to the new environment. Bubbles going up at a fast speed as he wouldn't stop sinking. Suddenly he remembered why he had jumped. As soon as he regained control over his body and his free fall came to an end, he turned around, looking for the other body. It had fell right before him, and it had similar complexion. He was sure he had seen it. His tattoo.

He swam towards the only spot where he could see something white, floating near him that was sinking slowly. He grabbed the body by its clothes and got it closer to him, feeling he would not last long under the water. He would run out of air before he could get to the surface, so he rushed. He tried to calm himself, and make it out. He grabbed the body, wrapping an arm around it's chest and he felt it was so familiar. He gave a , making the most out of it, taking it slowly, but only enough to not panic. He thought that the surface was really far away above his head.

- Yunho-hyung!! - Yoochun jumped over the banister in the last flight as he saw his hyung approaching under the water.

The water's surface, now calmed, sudenly broke, Yunho emerged noisily, taking a deep, long and desperate breath. He almost lost the body due to his despair to grab some air, but Yoochun, falling to his knees, helped him get to the edge. He rested there, as Yoochun grabbed the inanimate body, grabbed it from its clothes and dragged it on to the surface, with a lot of effort since it had his same height and weight. 

Yunho hopped up to the metallic surface and saw Yoochun grabbing that person's head, with his mouth opened and at the verge of crying. Yoochun wanted to touch him, but he didn't quite dare. Yunho got scared, crawled next to him and saw the pale body, so white as the snow, with his eyes closed and his wet bangs covering his forehead. Panting, Yunho removed his hair: he was cold. So very cold.

- It's hyung - Yoochun said in a whisper as some tears gathered in his eyes, making his sight blurry - It's hyung... - he grabbed his head finally, feeling his temperature directly and hearing nothing from him, not even his breathing - is he...?

- He's alive - Yunho stated firmly, remembering that, before falling, he touched him and felt his body heat - he's alive.

- He's not breathing.

- Agh, Jaejoongie... - Yunho whispered and noticed also.

The leader supressed his emotions and a growing urge to cry, he grabbed Jaejoong's shoulders to make him rest flatly on the floor. He moved Jaejoong's head,  leaving his chin a bit lifted, and squeezing his nose, Yunho pumped air into his lungs.

- Hyung... - Yoochun's voice barely had sound as he cried, quietly.

His lips were so cold. He began the chest compressions, careful not to be too rough.

- He was alive - Yunho told himself in a whisper as he went back to blow his own air on Jaejoong's mouth.

He remembered feeling the warmth of his neck before Jaejoong fell. 

- He was alive - as Yunho went back to the compressions, he wondered if his heart made that warmth up because it was what he longed for the most.

He shook his head in response, denying that possibility, as his eyes burnt from a new urge to cry. Jaejoong couldn't be. He just couldn't be. His compressions had turned rougher with his thoughts, but he wanted Jaejoong alive. He wanted him, and needed him alive.

He coughed loudly and violently, spitting water everywhere. Before he could choke on it, Yunho turned him on his side so he could vomit the rest on the floor. The leader sighed deeply in relief, as he patted Jaejoong's back gently, his tattoo visible through the wet shirt, in which he could read TVfXQ SOUL.