cнapтer 7: мaĸnae тalĸ

I closed my eyes tiredly.

Finally…

Two hours ago, we brought Yunho's back  from Death's grip.

One and a half hour ago, the doctors declared that Jung Yunho, my hyung, my leader, is in a coma and no one really knows when he'll wake up.

One hour ago, a fan who's visiting her sister in the hospital saw us and the news leaked.

Half an hour ago, SM confirmed this information.

The outside world had turned crazy.

"Min…" Jaejoong tapped my shoulder. "I think you should see this."

Following him bleakly, we stopped at the huge windows.

I woke from my little world almost instantly when seeing what greeted me.

"B-bwo?"

"They're here to see you, Min." Jaejoong whispered, looking at the crowd gathered outside the hospital.

"Go." He said gently, giving me a tiny shove.

I gulped as I took a step forward. Taking a deep breathe, I opened the window and put my head out.

I was noticed almost instantly by the sea of people.

Tears came into my eyes when I saw how almost all of them are in pajamas.

I never knew… that so many people cared for us.

"CHANGMIN! CHANGMIN! CHANGMIN! CHANGMIN!!!!!!!!" The crowd were crazy. "CHANGMIN OPPA!"

I can't bring myself to say anything.

"Thank you… thank you…" I whispered, although they won't hear me.

Suddenly, the screams just got louder. I turned to see Junsu behind me. He smiled at me warmly, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

"Let's go inside, neh?"

I could only nod, allowing him to lead me back inside.

Once the windows were  shut, I cried pathetically in Junsu's arms. He just rubbed my back repeatedly, letting me wet his shirt like some water fountain.

"Hyung… since when did you get so strong?" I asked softly, looking up at him like a real hyung.

"Since well… since we had to face more stuff as JYJ…" Junsu replied, his eyes getting distant.

"Changmin-ah, do you still remember what we agreed that day?"

"Eh?"

"That afternoon, before Jaejoong called our last meeting." Junsu said, he's smiling but the pain in his eyes gave him off.

-Flashback, 3 years ago, DBSK dorm-

"Hey Min." I looked up to see Junsu sit down beside me on my bed.

"Hey dolphin." I returned.

"…"

"Why didn't you retort?" I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated it when I call you dolphin?"

"And you still call me that?" He finally let out a short chuckle.

"Its fun, okay?" I replied. "So, what do you want to tell me, hm?"

"How did you know?" He looked so shock.

"Really, Junsu, we had been living together for 8 years. How can I not know that face you give whenever you want to talk with me seriously?" I responded, shaking my head slightly.

He just smiled.

"So… speak up. I'm all ears." I said seriously, tossing my phone to aside and looking at him.

"I…" Junsu started, but soon his voice trailed off.

I said nothing, just waiting for him to gather himself. Its no use interrupting him now, I know that.

"Min, will you be angry at me?" He finally made out after a long silence.

"For?" I asked questioningly.

"For… um… hiding something from you?"

"Well of course I will be… but it really depends on what the thing is you know…"

"If its pretty big?"

"Then I'll understand."

"Oh- Wait, what?"

"Well, you gotta have your reasons for hiding it from me right? Especially important stuff. I know you, Junsu hyung. You won't do anything to hurt me."

I should have noticed that flash of pain in his eyes at that time though.

He just smiled and hugged me carefully.

Ignoring that tugging feel at the back of my brain, I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for a bigger one.

"Min… if you don't get to see me for a while, will you miss me?"

"Of course I will. Although I'll be glad there's less competition with me at dining times, hehe." I chuckled slightly, trying to make him smile but failed.

"And um… will you be sad if Yoochun hyung goes missing too?"

"Eh? Of course! What sort of a question is that?"

"Will you be so sad that you can't function?"

"Well not really, I mean I can ask Jaejoong hyung to have late night snacks with me and I can still joke around with you randomly and rely on Yunho hyung to talk serious stuff with…" I said thoughtfully. "But he needs to come back soon, 'cause I'll miss him loads!"

"And if its Jaejoong hyung?"

"Jae hyung?! WAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE? MY FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Min, I'm being serious here."

"Okay fine… I guess I won't be used to it? Like, without umma life won't be usual you see… no morning calls, no nagging, no rules, not like I love them but it'll be weird without them. Especially no food!"

"Mm ks…"

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

"Min, will you hate me? Or Yoochun? Or Jaejoong?" Junsu suddenly asked.

"Of course not! What can you guys possibly do to make me hate yall?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Really?"

"Of course."

He smiled. For once in quite a few days, he looked really happy.

"Junsu?"

"Mhm?"

"Are you guys going somewhere?"

"EH?"

"I'm just asking. 'Cause the stuff you asked… and you guys had been acting weirdly for quite a while."

"Min…"

"Well if you guys really are, I won't ask much though. I know you guys have your own reasons okay? It's your own privacy, I won't invade it." I assured.

"But since you came to talk to me today, I just want you to promise me something."

He was silent, so I went on.

"Um, since I don't really know what's happening and everything, but I guess no matter what we'll still be the maknaes, right? Usually maknaes are the babies, but Junsu hyung, I'm worried that our hyungs may tire out someday. So Junsu hyung, promise me that you'll take care of them? Yoochun and Jaejoong?"

"… I will, I promise." Junsu finally answered.

I tried to ignore the tears in his eyes, fooling myself that its nothing, maybe the wind stung them or something.

"And I promise too, that I'll take care of Yunho hyung too."

"When we come back together again, hyung, maybe we can point at them and laugh, saying that we, the maknaes, had officially taken the lead!" I said cheerfully, trying to pull up a smile, forcefully pushing down that dread filling me from head to toe.

What's gonna happen, hyung? Why are you suddenly talking about leaving?

Can it be-

No it can't-

But it’s so-

No it CAN'T…

They won't…

-End Flashback-

"They were wrong…" Junsu murmured all of a sudden.

"Mh?"

"They thought, if we leave, you guys will too… But I knew you both won't. I knew. Yunho hyung is too loyal, not just to us but especially to the company. When I went to find you that day, I knew that you'd stay with him too."

"How did you-"

"Min, although Jaejoong and Yoochun are smarter than me, I am more sensitive about this kind of stuff. I know that somewhere, deep down, they are aware that you two won't leave with us, but they're too proud to admit that you guys value others over us." Junsu said softly.

"I'm sorry…"

"No don't say sorry, hyung. Don't. Please." I whispered. "It's over now, isn't it?"

"Yeah it is."

"Hyung?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna file a lawsuit against SM." I declared, shocking Junsu so much that he dropped the paper cup.

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Yes." I replied, nodding firmly. "Yunho hyung is the only reason why I stayed. There is no more reason to continue if he's in this state."

"Hyung, you know those insurance thing? Well there was once, we just got really paranoid and asked a lawyer to help us draw up 2 private agreements. For mine, it states that in cases where I am in a situation where I lost control over my own body or mind, Yunho will be able to make any decisions for me. For his, it’s the same thing."

"I'll talk with Yunho's parents. Then I'll find a good lawyer."

"Hyung, you guys won't mind me joining your group, will you?"

For the first time in years, Junsu smiled a real smile, like how he used to smile in the DBSK days, eyes twinkling with laughter and all his teeth flashing.

"More than welcome."