"Hyung! L...lookk...!" ChangMin was poiting his shaking finger at the television set. I hurried to see what his problem was.

 

"No... way..." JunSu whispered.

 

"YooGeun-ah?!" I stared at the TV, trying hard not to beleive that my son was with my little boys SHINee.

 

"Yah... how did that happen?" YooChun was also staring in disbelief.

 

"I... I don't know..." I half-wispered.

 

"You're in danger, YunHo..." Jae pat my head.

 

"What's happening?!" I finally freaked out. "This can't be!"

 

 

 

Narrator's POV

 

 

 

JongHyun was having fun carrying YooGeun around the SM building, telling people that he was his child.

 

"Appa..." YooGeun pointed at TVXQ's poster.

 

"No, YooGuen-ah... They are ahjussis... Not everyone can be called 'appa', YooGeun." Jonghyun smiled.

 

"No. It's appa." It shocked JongHyun wen he pointed particularly at his YunHo hyung.

 

"Are you sure that's your dad, YooGeun-ah?" He looked at the smiling child as he nodded happily.

 

"He gives me presents everytime he comes home."

 

Maybe he just looks like hyung. It can't be really YunHo hyung... JongHyun thought as he walked towards the dance studio.

 

 

 

 

YunHo's POV

 

 

"Ahjumma! How can you let YooGeun show up on local television?!" I called YooGeun's caretaker.

 

"It was the scouts who forced us to..." came her reply.

 

"Oh, gosh... how long has he been SHINee's child?"

 

"2 months, young master."

 

"How long will that show take?"

 

"That, I'm not sure, young master."

 

"Gosh, my child made his TV debut at such a young age." I sighed. "Please make sure that his true identity will be kept a secret."

 

"Yes, young master."

 

"Is he at home?"

 

"I'm sorry but he had to go to the taping early this morning"

 

"It's alright. Just keep your promise to take good care of him, okay?"

 

"Ne, young master."

 

 

I then hung up and heaved a sigh. I can't go back to Korea now. I might spill the beans if I see those little boys. But how did the producers find him in the first place?!

 

"Are you alright?" Jae sat in front of me.

 

"I can't believe producers are using children to earn money now." I sighed. "And I don't get how they discovered YooGeun."

 

"Well, that kid was one of a kind. He's really something, you know. And it would be a big catch if the public found out that Dong Bang Shin Ki's oh-so-great-leader Jung YunHo has a son and is being taken care of by the country's next big thing, SHINee." JunSu sat beside Jae. "What are you going to do, hyung?"

 

"I don't know. But I really want YooGeun to withdraw from that stupid show."

 

"You can't do that." Chun then joined the conversation. "What will the people of korea say if they find out that a 25-year-old idol had a son when he was 21 years old."

 

"That's corruption of minors, hyungnim." Changmin said as he ate his chocolate ice cream. "If the whole of Korea finds that out, the authorities might take the child away."

 

"But Ami was 19 when she gave birth to YooGeun."

 

"Still, you had an illigitemate son. That's very bad for your image, YunHo."

 

"Nobody should know." YunHo sighed. "But i don't know what to do."

 

"Just let the show finish. Maybe people would get tired of watching it and forget about the child." ChangMin suggested.

 

"Fangirls are not that simple, Minnie." Jae sighed. "They don't easily forget. YooGeun's not like a shoe or something that people don't notice. He's a child and he lived with idols. Many of those fangirls are even anvying the child for that."

 

"Jae's right. But Minnie has a point too. It's not as if YooGeun was what they are after, it's the group. I don't think that fans would go as far as stalking a four year old." Chunnie took Minnie's bowl, earning himself a loud smack on the head from the younger member.

 

"Shall I just take him here to Japan?"

 

"That's is the most riddiculous thing I have heard from you, YunHo hyung." JunSu sighed.

 

"But people know that I love children. I could just tell them that YooGeun caught my attention and I adopted him."

 

"Korea knows that YooGeun has parents. That may sound like power-tripping."

 

"But I can't let him be famous! Especially now that his father is. Everything would turn topsy-turvy if that happens."

 

"It's not like he can sing clearly at that age. He won't be a trainee, trust me."

 

"He can be a model." ChangMin finally finished his dessert.

 

"Aish. What am I going to do?! Right now, he's a threat to the group."

 

"YunHo-ah..."  Jae finally spoke after sitting silently. "I have been your best friend, right?" I nodded and looked at Jae. "I have known you well enough to say that you have never been too selfish. But right now, you are the most greedy person I have ever known. You are planning to make YooGeun's childhood a disaster. You should just let fate mold him. Maybe he's going to follow your steps but we wouldn't know if we would stop him from discovering himself. You might tell me that he's still too young for that but I tell you, everything that happens to people, no matter how young or old they are, it will affect their personality and theior future. You were wrong to let an old couple adopt him. If you ruined your image the moment he was born, cassies would've forgiven you already by this time. But you were greedy for fame. You didn't want to lose those die hard fangirls.You left your family in Korea. I was really fine with it at first. But right now, your greed is starting to be uncontrollable. And you're bringing YooGeun down with it."

 

 

I just stared at Jae. It has never crossed my mind that JaeJoong could say such cold words. It was true that I was afraid to lose my popularity but I didn't notice that I started being selfish until now that my bestfriend has slapped it onto my face. I didn't know what to say. I just wanted to go back in time and correct all those mistakes. But it was impossible and right now, I doesn't know how to resolve what I have done.

 

"Think about it YunHo... TVXQ won't be together forever but YooGeun will always be there." Jae then stood up and headed outside.

 

"Hyung, what did you mean by not staying together?" ChangMin followed the elder member. I noticed that JunSu and YooChun exchanged glances.

 

"What are you planning?" I held their gazes.

 

"Jae said not to mention it." JunSu said with a shaking voice.

 

"Babo!" Chun hit JunSu's head.

 

"Mian. But his stare is scary." JunSu was shaking from fear. "Y...YunHo hyung, mianhaeyo." With that, I stood up and stormed outside to look for JaeJoong.

 

 

 

"JaeJoong!" I was panting when I found Jae on a bench park, lying and watching the clouds pass by.

 

"What's up? Finally made your mind? Are you going to leave the limelight for your son?" Jae didn't move but he made sure that I can hear him.

 

"Why did you mention a break-up, Jae? Are you really sure about that lawsuit?" I sat beside him.

 

"Do you see that flock of birds?" Jae pointed at five birds flying above us. "They would always fly together but whatever happens, they will always have separate nests and will lead their own lives." He sighed. "Maybe it's time to have our own lives now, YunHo."

 

"But we vowed to each other that we should be together."

 

"We're old enough to know what's right and wrong, YunHo. Those birds don't fly all the time. They will look for trees to rest on. Some will find the best trees that will protect them, some would find dying ones. Not everyone of us feel safe and protected under one large tree. And those who feel afraid of losing the tree will cling onto it forever. But the three of us find it uneasy to stay with the company, Yunnie. We have to find another one that will make us feel protected."

 

"So, you're just leaving us like this?"

 

"We don't have to break up. As firends, at least. But if you would leave that tree, ours will be more than willing to accept you." Jae finally sat up and looked at me. "We can still be friends, you know."

 

"You are very aware that if we break up, the two of us won't be allowed to talk to you, Jae. Please don't do this." I pleaded. My eyes started to water, I can't afford to lose another important person.

 

"But TVXQ's friendship can overcome such small obstacles. We can keep our friendship even if we don't have enough communication." Jae's voice started to shake.

 

"No, Jae. Please don't do it." Tears started to fall from my eyes.

 

"Well, I guess this is it. Let's meet if fate lets us. You were the best of all my friends, YunHo. I hope that you can be a wise man and father for YooGeun. And please take care of Minnie. You know how childish he can be." Jae then stood up from the bench. "I'll be packing my things now." He then started to walk away, wiping small tears that were threatening to fall.

 

"Please be happy, Jae. Tell Su and Chunnie that. I wish you the best of luck." I shouted at JaeJoong's back as my voice shook and as tears rushed endlessly on my cheeks.

 

 

 

"It's hard, isn't it?" Manager Min sat beside me as I stared out of the window. "It felt like I lost three sons."

 

"I still can't believe it. We have been together for so long and it would just be ruined by one stupid law." I couldn't supress the bitterness in my voice. I wasn't really mad at my friends but at the idea that they had to leave ChangMin and I behind.

 

"You can't control people, YunHo. Even if you're the king of the world. There are people who would always go against you and drift away."

 

"But we swore that we will stay together whatever happens."

 

"Then maybe it's time for you to make your move. People won't always do things for you. There really are times that you should do them favors."

 

"But I can't leave the company. It's scary to even think about it."

 

"That won't be my problem, little kid. It's your choice to put family first over your best friends. I couldn't say that it was a good idea but it's not that bad at all." Manager then stood up and went outside the house.

 

 

"Manager left this." ChangMin handed me a piece of paper.

 

"What's this?"

 

"Our final schedule."

 

I read the paper and it was noted there that we are still releasing two more singles before the press conference where we will officially be announcing the 'hiatus'. "Tell me I'm dreaming."

 

"Hyung, it hurts me as much as you do but maybe you should just accept what's happening. It's a battle between the big bosses and we're just the smallest minions. We couldn't stop them anymore. It has already started and there's only one way to end it. And that is to remove the three." ChangMin the headed upstairs to his room.

 

 

"Maybe I should just go home." I crumpled the piece of paper in my hand then threw it outside. "This is useless, anyway. TVXQ's done for."

 

 

The two months felt like forever. There were no more live performances scheduled for us and our radio show was already gone. In fact, we had a lot of time on our hands already. There were interviews here and there but it didn't help us at all. They keep on asking about our rumored break up and it just made me even more depressed. Everytime I listen to the radio, I would be hearing our songs and memories of our friendship would just come back to me. Even when I turn the television on, may it be the news station or the music channel, I would just see our interviews and music videos.

 

 

ChangMin started to worry about me. He told me that I have lost some weight and that my appetite gravely decreased. When I looked at the mirror this morning, I have noticed that eyebags and wrinkles started to appear. I didn't really even care about my hair now. I have lost interest in everything I do. I barely sleep and usually just stare at nothing. My life felt so empty. I even forgot that I had a son and never called home ever since Jae, JunSu and Chun left.

 

 

"Hyung, let's go." ChangMin dragged me down the stairs.

 

"Where are we going?"

 

"Airport."

 

"Why? Where are we going, anyway?"

 

"Home. The doctor told us that you should go back home and relax. You need a few rehabilitation sessions but that wouldn't be a problem."

 

"What am I going to do, Minnie? I feel empty." I sighed.

 

"Think of this: you have a son, he needs you right now. The three other hyungs are happy now and are working hard as well. We should just support them, even in the shadows, hyung." He then pushed me into the car and had the driver go to Narita Airport.