Changmin always teases him about being a masochist.

Yunho didn’t enjoy pain, of course. However, he had a desperate need for perfection.

Of course, Changmin’s biggest reason to hate Yunho’s perfectionism is the extra hours they spend practicing and recording at the studio.

But neither of them care because in the end, they get the results that they want, and suddenly, the extra pain they go through is always worth it.

“I don’t care what you call it,” Changmin says to him one day, collapsing onto the ground of the dance studio. He curls up, as if this seemed like the perfect time and place to take a nap. “It’s going to get one of us killed one day.”

Yunho just laughs, because sometimes Changmin is more dramatic than he would like to admit, and Yunho thinks it’s hilarious.

Yunho focuses on everything except himself.

That was another thing about Yunho that Changmin hates.

Yunho is too dedicated. Once he was given a task, everything else was pushed into the background.

Changmin remembers how many times Yunho worked himself so long and so hard that once everything was through his body finally gave up, resulting in Yunho collapsing where he stood.

But Yunho never learns his lesson. He’s too stubborn, and refuses to admit that he has limits.

Changmin realized that the only way he would ensure that Yunho’s habits wouldn’t kill him was if the maknae kept a close eye on the leader, and he didn’t care how much extra work that involved.

Changmin starts to make sure Yunho eats. He didn’t care if Yunho ate nothing but junk food throughout the day, as long as he was getting some form of energy to keep going.

Changmin starts to make sure Yunho sleeps enough. Yunho expects too much of himself, and his sleeping habits suffer because of that. Changmin wants to make sure Yunho is well rested, reminding him that it was impossible to do anything right without a decent amount of sleep.

Overtime, Changmin starts to see positive changes in Yunho, and that makes him happy. He starts to feel that he doesn’t have to worry so much about Yunho anymore, and that thought causes his anxiety levels to decrease.

His constant watch over Yunho begins to decrease over the years because “Yunho will be fine,” Changmin always tells himself.  

He believes that, until one day, it seems like the biggest lie he’s ever told.

For Yunho, the hardest part about preparing for a comeback was the dieting.

Changmin didn’t understand that.

He never did.

Which is why Yunho actively avoids Changmin during a comeback period, because he knows he won’t be able to resist Changmin tempting him with food.

But, without fail, Changmin seeks him out, and Yunho is reluctantly eating with Changmin at one o’clock in the morning.

Changmin doesn’t show affection in conventional ways. Usually, Changmin shows his love by making fun of Yunho or causing some sort of physical injury. The least violent way Changmin knows how to show love involves food. So Yunho knows, when Changmin forces him to eat, it’s all his way of showing how much he cares.

But sometimes, cheating on his diet hurts more than a punch in the face from Changmin.

“Your body’s perfect, Hyung,” Changmin would say as he practically shoves food down the older one’s throat.

“Doesn’t it taste good?” Changmin would ask as he serves Yunho a second serving, despite how much Yunho is telling him to stop.

Of course it tastes good. Changmin is an excellent cook and Yunho was weak when it came to saying no to him.

But Yunho would remind Changmin that he was toning his body for their comeback. He would plead for the maknae to listen, because how was he going to reach his goal if Changmin kept throwing all this food at him?

But Changmin just shakes his head. “You look good!” he says. “You don’t need a diet.”

Yunho wants to say “no, you don’t need a diet and it’s not fair.”

But Yunho doesn’t want Changmin to lecture him. Instead, he smiles, promising to eat as much as Changmin tells him to as soon as they’re done promoting their new album.

Except their album promotions come and Yunho notices he’s losing weight slower than normal this time and for some reason it bothers him.

Yunho finds himself cutting out more and more from his diet.

His breakfasts are replaced by strawberry-flavored protein shakes and he spends an extra two hours in the gym everyday.

He’s gotten better at refusing Changmin midnight “snacks”, and he’s proud of himself because that was a form of progress he was could actually see.

Being under Changmin’s watchful eye, the maknae suspects something almost right away.

But lying comes easy to Yunho, and he never believed that would ever be possible.

“I already ate, Min. Enjoy.”

“I had some cereal before I went to the gym.”

“I’m not feeling well.”

“I was so tired that I fell asleep without dinner.”

He feels the guilt eating away at him every time he looks into Changmin’s eyes and tells yet another lie, but Yunho reminds himself that it was for the best and Changmin wouldn’t understand what a diet is.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Changmin says to him one day. “But if something is wrong, you’ll tell me, right? Just like you promised?”

Yunho flashes his signature smile. “Of course I will, Changdola,” he answers.

Except nothing is wrong, so Changmin has nothing to worry about.

He lost four kilograms.

Yunho clenches his fists in anger as he stares down at the number on the scale.

All that hard work and only four kilograms to show for it.

Was the universe mocking him?

Probably.

With a heavy sigh of defeat, he stepped off the scale and put it away.

As he left the bathroom and enters his room, the front door opens, proving that the universe really was mocking Yunho.

“Yunho!” Changmin called out as he closed the door behind him. “I got some food! Let’s eat!”

Yunho doesn’t reply. Instead, he crawls into bed. Maybe if he pretends to be asleep, Changmin will leave him alone.

But Yunho has no such luck as he hears footsteps approaching his room.

“Yunho,” Changmin says as he opens the bedroom door.

He didn’t knock, didn’t ask permission to come in. He just let himself in.

“Yunho,” Changmin says again as he approaches the bed. Yunho’s back is toward him but Changmin still doesn’t take it as his cue to leave. Instead, he sits on the edge of the bed and gently shakes Yunho. He can tell the older one is still awake, and is confused as to why he was getting the silent treatment. “Yunho. Let’s eat. I brought our favorites. I just finished filming my drama and that calls for celebration. Come on.” He continues to shake Yunho until the older one finally responds.

“I’m not hungry, Changmin,” Yunho finally mutters. He still has yet to face Changmin.

Yunho’s response causes Changmin to shiver, but he ignores it and continues his urging. “How can you not be hungry?” he asks. “You didn’t eat breakfast this morning, and BoA said you were so busy at the studio you didn’t have time for a break.” And with the exception of a mug in the sink, there was no other sign that Yunho spent any real time in the kitchen.

Yunho sighs. “Changmin,” he says. “I’m not hungry.”

Changmin’s eyebrows crease together at Yunho’s behavior. He noticed Yunho was growing more and more distant and Changmin couldn’t figure out why. “Hyung,” he says. “Is something wrong?”

Yunho scoffs, once again sending chills down Changmin’s spine. He slowly sits up, finally facing Changmin, and the maknae almost smiles.

Almost.

“I’m tired, Min,” Yunho finally answers, his voice suddenly laced with bitterness. “I’m tired and you just walk in here and won’t leave me alone!”

Changmin’s eyes widen at Yunho’s outburst, but Yunho fails to notice. Instead, he lays back down, clutching his blanket tightly around him.

“I want to be alone,” Yunho mutters. “Please.”

This time his voice is more gentle, but still cuts at Changmin’s heart as he continues to stare at Yunho with wide eyes.

“Okay,” Changmin surrenders. He slowly rises off the bed, and can hear Yunho sigh in relief as he walks away.

“I don’t understand,” the stylist says as she studies Yunho.

Yunho shuffles his feet. Her worried gaze is making him uncomfortable, and he isn’t sure how he’s supposed to react. “What’s wrong?”

The stylist bites her lip, trying to figure out what could have happened. She had two red and black suits custom made for Yunho and Changmin.

Changmin’s suit fit perfectly, while Yunho’s suit seemed to hang loosely on him.

Changmin walks up to the pair at that moment, staring at them in confusion. He notices the confused gaze on the stylist’s face before his eyes focus on Yunho.

“Yun-Yunho,” Changmin mutters, his eyes widening as he realized what was troubling their stylist in the first place.

“Your suit is too big,” the stylist explains to the leader.

Yunho can’t understand why the two of them are so worried. So he smiles and says, “It’s okay. At least this guarantees I don’t rip my pants on stage this time.”

The stylist laughs along with Yunho.

Changmin just stares at Yunho, his vision suddenly becoming blurry before he realizes he’s on the verge of crying. He turns and quickly walks away, ignoring the casual jokes Yunho began to make about his weight.

Changmin hears Yunho come back home from a jog. He rolls out of bed and leaves his room, running into the sweaty form of Yunho in the hallway.

“Hey,” Yunho greets him casually.

“Hey,” Changmin replies. He notices Yunho’s face seems flushed and he wonders if Yunho is getting sick.

They two of them have a free day today, something the both of them cherish in order to catch up on rest and live their lives like normal people for 24 hours.

“I was thinking,” Changmin continued, nervous about how Yunho would react. “Can we eat together? We haven’t spent any real time together lately, and there’s that new barbecue restaurant that opened up…”

Yunho swallows the lump in his throat, hoping that Changmin doesn’t notice his hesitation.

He wants to say no.

Yunho rubs the back of his neck. “I’m a little tired today, Min,” he mutters. “I just want to spend today lying down or something.”

At least that wasn’t a lie. His head is pounding and his body aches. If it hadn’t been for his need to exercise this morning, Yunho w