Chapter 17 - Not This Kind Of Reunion

Yunho stretched his back as he got up from the slightly dusty floor of the dance room while Changmin sat back and leaned against the wall, eyes closed in exhaustion. The two of them had been dragged to the practice room by their managers to practice their dance choreographies one last time before they depart for their respective filmings, be it variety shows or dramas. Both of them would be busy with their filmings for the next couple of days and wouldn’t have time to rehearse their songs’ routines, so the management decided to have them run through the songs and dance routines for the final time before dispatching them.

“Minnie. Minnie.”

Yunho walked over and poked his maknae gently at his side. Changmin cracked an eye half open lazily and peered out at his hyungs through his bangs that had now fallen in front of his eyes.

“We have to continue practicing.”

Changmin groaned and shifted away so that his back was facing Yunho. Add a bed, a blanket and a pillow and it would have been the exact same thing Yunho experienced everyday early in the morning. Yunho hid a smile to himself and continued poking Changmin, only this time with more force applied.

“Get up Changmin. Rest time is over.”

“Mm... K. Imma up.” The younger swatted Yunho’s persistent hand away, before mumbling out and pushing himself up tiredly. They had been practicing for four hours without rest already. Was asking for a 30 minutes break too much to ask? Changmin stood up and stretched his tired body, cracking his bones and shook his head to get rid of the exhaustion “Let’s go.” He sighed.

Shijageun dalkomhage, pyeongbeomhage na ege kkeullyeo

Eonjena geuraetdeushi meonjeo mareul georeowa

The song started again and Changmin felt himself being dragged back into the memories as he let his body flow with the music. He bit his lip, gasping as the pain woke him up instantly and focused on the dance moves instead. He looked at the mirror and gasped immediately. He could just so see Jaejoong standing behind him, eyebrows screwed up in focus as he attempted to perfect the moves. Could just so see Junsu dancing with his eyes  slightly close, losing himself in the music. Could just so see Yoochun somehow managing to pull off dance moves while still being half asleep with the swag that only a Park Yoochun could posses. He could see the completed band dancing together with one another.

“Changmin.”

The call of his name jolted the maknae from his inner musings and he turned to Yunho in surprise. Oh... When had the music stopped?

“Sorry hyung.” Changmin lowered his eyes at the sight of his hyung’s disappointed face. He had moved out of line. Again. But it really wasn’t his fault that he could see his hyungs everywhere he looked at. No matter how hard he tried, the memories of the past always lingered there. A hand on his shoulder made him look up and he found himself staring in the dark deep eyes of his hyung, understanding and sadness dancing in them.

“We’re dancing to Catch Me. Change of song.” Yunho instructed their back up dancers as he turned to change the song.

Wham.

The attention of those two were turned to the door almost immediately when it slammed open against the wall, questioning looks pasted on their faces as they saw Hyukjae of Super Junior panting heavily, trying to regain his breath as he stared at the duo with wide eyes.

“Hyuk, what’s wrong?”

“They’re here. They’re here.” Hyukjae gasped out, body trembling.

“Who’s here?” Changmin asked curiously, as he bent down to pick up a bottle of water to hydrate himself.

“Them. THEM. Why aren’t you with them?”

“Who? Hyukjae, stop talking in circles.” Yunho sighed as he eyed his dongsaeng worriedly.

“JYJ.”

Plonk.

Water splashed onto the shoes of the duo as the bottle hit the ground, staining them a dark wet color, but neither of them noticed. Time froze for them as they found themselves dragged back into memories. Yunho stared in shock before closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. Somehow, he was actually expecting this to happen.

“Why?” Changmin croaked out in a strangled voice, not noticing the absence of the bottle from his hand.

“They’re meeting the trainees.” Kyuhyun answered as he came up from behind Hyukjae.

“Trainees? Which trainees?” Changmin could only blink blankly.

“The trainees that were going to be added to TVXQ.”

Oh those trainees.

Yunho’s eyes flew open in shock at that statement. Now he WASN’T expecting that to happen. SM Entertainment had to be crazy to let them meet. They weren’t even supposed to let them meet. What happened to the SM Entertainment that was so bent on not letting them talk to JYJ?

“.” He muttered as he moved towards the door, with Changmin who was now wide awake, following him. That meeting would bring disaster. It was as clear as day that the trainees hated JYJ to the depths of hell. Who knew what lies they would spin just to take pleasure in breaking JYJ. Contrary to what stans think, there was no way that Yunho and Changmin hated JYJ.

Tension could be felt through the hallway as waves of anger and frustration radiated off the two man, its presence dominating the entire area. Other artistes and staff alike all moved aside to make way for both of them. It was an unspoken rule that runs in SM Entertainment, what TVXQ wants, TVXQ gets. Most of the time. And this time wasn’t going to be one of the minority.

Changmin growled as he turned around the corner, just in time to s