Yoochun

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Our schedule finally was full again with interviews, and most importantly our first TV appearance since our split. I felt so lightheaded as we stood on that stage and sang like there was no tomorrow. Ok, maybe I exaggerated with that description, but there was no comparable feeling to this one I had that moment. I guess that is what you'd call pure joy. Even if I hadn't won any prizes that night I would have been the happiest person on earth.

But winning those prizes made me feel that working like crazy and forcing my body to manage the impossible was worth it. I sweat blood, I cried and I was in pain often, but it really gave me the strength to continue giving it all I've got.

The Guerilla date reminded me of how loved we are by our fans. I was reminded that we do have a lot to be thankful for, and that I can't ever let myself forget that we can only exist because of the undying support of Cassiopeia. We had to change locations and even go indoors because there were just way too many people who wanted to meet us. It was overwhelming to see these crowds around us, but somehow it was frightening. I don't know, but I was kinda shocked at how many people count on us and look up to us. It made me realize that our very actions are being watched by all those people. Since then I wonder what they might think about our decision to file the lawsuit against the agency. But I can't read their minds, neither can they read ours.

Operation Yunjae - Kick off

"Come on Yoochun. We need to leave or else we won't make it in time."

"I'm coming. I'm coming, damn it! Saying it once is enough! Don't freak out." I say a bit annoyed since he told me to get ready for like the 20th time already and his nagging since the whole day.

As he confirmed that Hyunjoong picked up Jae hyung in the morning he kept teasing me that his and Minnie’s plan will work out and that I should just sit back and watch.

Meanwhile we tried to make the time go by faster, but as usual time tends to pass even slower when you want it to go by fast. Sometimes I had the feeling that the clock's arm went backwards.

Finally we leave the apartment and head to the car in the garage. Su gets into the driver's seat and I take the passenger seat next to him. It's already dark outside by now so we don't wear disguises. As I watch the lights flash by the car as we drive through the city Junsu's cell rings.

"Could you get it for me? I guess it's Hyunjoong hyung." he says excited and holds out the phone to me. I take it and pick up.

"Hey! Are you on your way?" I hear Hyunjoong's voice.

"Yeah, we are. How about you?" I ask. Su occasionally glances at me anxiously as I talk on the phone.

"Watch where you are driving! I really would like to keep on living." I snap at him because he looks at me more than the street.

"Ok, Ok!" he pouts and turns his head straight ahead again.

"You alright?" Hyunjoong asks.

"Uhm, yup. Don't mind it. So will you make it on time?" I say.

"Yes. We will head off in a minute. Jae is still in the bathroom but then we'll leave."

"Is everything alright with the manager? Could you obtain enough time for them?"

"I could. We got the whole night."

"Alright. We'll see us later then." I say and hang up.

"So what did he say?" Su asks in excitement.

"Everything seems to work out fine. I never thought that your extraordinarily stupid plan would work out this well. You really got more luck than judgment, Kim Junsu." I say in amazement as we are on our way to the concert venue of SHINee's first solo concert. I would have liked to see our youngsters on stage at their first big solo concert, but in the end there was no way for me to actually watch them.

"I told you it would, but you didn't believe me." Su says with an I-told-you-so look.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, but who would have thought that it would actually work out? There were just too many week points in your plan. What if Hyunjoong wasn't able to pick him up? You really were lucky that the concert got postponed. Otherwise it would have been a complete fail."

"You know, luck is part of life." he replies trying to sound philosophic.

"But who is stupid enough to depend on it?" I say.

"We did plan things. We planned out the best opportunity, how we should make them meet and we took care of their manager as well. What else is there to it?"

"Still. If the timing is off it can still fail, you know that. So don't be too sure of yourself yet." I say still not able to believe that we are about to reach our goal.

"Come on. Didn't you just hear for yourself? Stop doubting already and admit it. You were wrong."

"No. I won't until it really worked."

"You are so stubborn." Su teases me.

We pull over at the parking lot of the concert venue and drive over to one of the back entrances Changmin said he'd meet us. We sit in the dark car, silently and tense waiting for him to turn up. I can’t take the silence anymore and start talking random things.

“Did you try the new coffee I bought?” I ask him staring out the windshield.

“What coffee do you mean?”

“The blue one at your place.”

“Ah. Yes. It tastes good.”

“Uhm.” I say and we turn silent again. Then the passenger door suddenly opens and Changmin sticks his head in.

"Minnie!" I yell, get out of the car and give him a bear hug. Changmin winces at my strong grip and pants.

"You trying to kill me?" he says under his breath. I let go of him and look at him.

"Sorry. You look... thin." I say. "Did you give up on food or what?" I say teasingly.

He kinda looks at me a bit embarrassed but gets a hold of himself immediately.

"We need to leave now. Yunho will be there in a minute. We can't miss them. Come on. Get in." he says and just sits down in the front seat.

"Hey! Won't you let your hyung sit in the front?" I complain.

"Do you really think we have time to discuss something like this now?" he says and shuts the door.

"My god you really didn't change did you." I say to myself and just get in to sit on the back seat.

"Let's get going now." Su says and drives off.

Hyunjoong

“Hey Jae. You ready to leave?” I ask.

“Give me a minute, then I’ll be. You can wait in the living room meanwhile. It really just takes a minute.” he says and disappears in his bedroom.

I go into the living room since I already know that Jae’s one minute can take up to 10 minutes if he can’t decide on what accessory to wear or when his hair won’t stay the way he wants it to.

He has so many small things standing around just like when we lived together. I look at them and then I notice a field of cactuses in one corner of the room. Most of them seem to be of the same kind, but one has a beautiful blossom growing on top of it. It looks like a pure white star made of many slender petals.

As I look at the flower on top of the cactus Jae comes out of the bed room.

“We can leave now.” He says and puts on his shoes. I do the same and we leave.

“What do you think about this one? I like the design.” I say to Jae pointing at a lamp.

We are on a shopping tour to buy some things for my place and I am consulting Jae about this since he used to take care of our place when we lived together.

“Now I know why I took care of designing our place. This lamp is just tasteless Joong.” He says and pulls a face at the sight of the lamp.

“You think so? Really?”

“Yes. I do think so. How about this one?” he says pointing at a lamp made out of silver metal and glass that is painted with a black pattern.

“Uhu. It looks really good.” I say and take a look at the one Jae suggested.

“I’ll take a picture then.” He says and takes out one of his cell phones and takes a photo of the lamp. He always carries around loads of different phones with him. I don’t really get why he thinks it’s more convenient, but who understands him anyway?

“Why don’t we just buy it here? They even offer free delivery service.” I say.

“Because we can just look for similar stuff on the Internet, and it’s way cheaper than buying it here. And they deliver it to your house as well.” he says.

“But I really want this lamp. I will buy it here.”

“That’s really not necessary Joong.” Jae says.

“But I want to.”

“Do as you want. It’s pretty so I won’t tell you not to.” Jae says.

“So what else do you need?” Jae asks me as he wanders through the shop pulling up his glasses.

“I was thinking about new bed sheets.”

“Why?” he asks me smirking.

“It’s not what you think.” I reply defending, turning a bit red.

“What do I think, huh?” he keeps on teasing me.

“You should know it better than I do.”

He laughs at me and heads to the section with the bed sheets. I follow him silently.

My god you are just so dirty Jae. What kind of person do you take me as? He really should know after living with me for a while… Really. Making me look bad there. I am not a womanizer.

“Come over here. I think I found one that fits into your bed room. The color goes well with the color on the wall. And the fabric is really nice. Come, touch it.”

I go over to him and touch the sheets.

“Omo. They really feel very soft.” I say in amazement.

“Didn’t I say so?”

At the exit we get the package with the lamp and I carry it to the car. I open the passenger door put the lamp on the passenger seat and put the seatbelt around it.

“Hey. Why do you put it there? That’s my seat.” Jae complains.

“It was expensive and there is an airbag.”

“And what about me? I don’t need an airbag?”

“Not as much as the lamp.” I laugh and get in the car.

Sulking Jae gets in and keeps complaining the whole way to the next shop.

Like this we keep on looking through shops, taking pictures from the stuff so we can search the Internet for cheaper versions of those things. Luckily we are able to spend a silent day thanks to our disguises and a whole load of luck.

After the exhausting shopping trip we go to get something for dinner in a small restaurant. After eating Jae goes to the bathroom and I take the chance to give Su a call and confirm the timing so we won’t miss each other at the venue.

Just as I hang up Jae returns and we get into the car.

“Thanks for coming with me today. You really helped me there.” I say kicking off a conversation to break the silence.

“That was a wise decision and it was good for my mental health as well. Chun and Su keep acting strange lately. Always whispering about something. That’s so annoying.”

“Ah, really. That’s really strange, you are right. I say and have to suppress my laughter with all I’ve got.

“I tell you. Junsu is worse than Chun. He giggles all the time and so on. It’s so obvious that they plan some stupid surprise for my birthday, like a stripper or something. Just thinking about it I can feel my cheeks blush with embarrassment.” he huffs.

“That sounds so like them. I think that would be funny. Remember to invite me, ok.” I say laughing at this thought.

Oh JJ. If you just knew. It’s way better than a stripper for a birthday present.

“Did you change your hobbies?” he asks now laughing with me until he changes the topic.

“Uhm… where are we going now?” Jae asks looking out of the window.

“You’ll see when we are there. It’s not far anymore.”

“Why don’t you just tell me?”

“Just because. Wait and see.”

Just a few minutes later I pull over to the concert venue and head to the entrance for the VIP guests. On the way there I see Junsu’s car that follows after mine as I drive past it.

I stop in front of the entrance and look around, to search for Yunho. Occasionally I look into rearview mirror to check on the car behind mine and the three people who sit in it.

It seems to work out nicely.

“What are we waiting for? Why are we here?”

That moment I get out of the car and wave at someone who is heading our way.

“The front seat is full. You have to sit in the back.” I say and close the door behind me. Just a second after the back door opens and Yunho gets in.

Not as I expected the atmosphere in the car gets tense and Jae leans forward to me to whisper in my ear.

“What kind of game are you playing, huh?” he whispers shocked.

“I’ll help you.” I say and drive off.

I hope you enjoy this chapter =D 

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