Chapter 7

It is still so awkward after dinner. They all just in the living room doing some of their own business. Yoochun went back to his piano. HoMin is again sitting in the single couches trying to send texts only to find out the place is a dead spot. Jae is being tended by Junsu in the long couch. Jae’s temperature rose and Junsu is trying to cool him down with towel and a bowl of water. Jae is still barely awake but for him he can’t miss each moment they are together.

Yunho tried to steal glances on Jaejoong only to find out that Jae is actually looking, but Junsu is oblivious to anything, only focusing on Jae. They lock gazes. Jae smiled while Yunho looked away feeling a little embarrass.  

‘Jae is naturally warm person, but shouldn’t he have to be more aware of what is happening. It’s so frustrating’ Yunho thought.

Changmin himself is not really a fan of what’s happening. He too steal glances on Jae from time to time. When he locked gazes with Jae, he didn’t bother looking away. He stared at Jae intently. ‘What are you thinking, hyung?’ Junsu this time noticed the staring game.

“Yah, Shim Changmin, what now?” Junsu spat.

“Why? Are you high and mighty now to be looked at?” Changmin provokingly says. Yoochun stopped what he’s doing and even Yunho now averted his attention to the two.

“Why? Are you insecure that you still are cowering like a mouse all this years?”

Changmin stood and pulled Junsu’s shirt up. While Junsu also motioned to fight when Yoochun and Yunho stopped them from doing so.

“Stop it you two!”, Yunho authoritatively said, bringing out the leader in him. “How about Yoochun you show us where we can sleep. I think we have enough of anything from tonight”

Yoochun was not really comfortable with this but to stop further chaos he better show them their bedroom.

“Yes, let’s be civil tomorrow ‘till tomorrow. I believe this rain will stop by then. Then, you can ing get out from my house”

Junsu smirked because of Yoochun’s statement. Wow this is really is bad. Even Changmin was about to attack – this coming from the always cool headed Changmin. Yunho is also really irritated. This is too much but to really stop further damage they should better be silent.

Jaejoong who is witnessing all things is a bit hurt. ‘I thought we could talk but curse this sickness’ Here in front of him, are his four brothers and they aren’t doing well with each other. Jae also can’t help but to feel dizziness coming but he want to cherish the picture in them being together, well superficially together but all he could see is darkness. ‘Not again.’

HoMin was lead by Yoochun who walks way ahead of them to follow and he showed them to a room. At least it is a really a good room. With two separate single beds and good furnishing. Upon entering when Changmin saw that it has its own comfort room he instantly entered it with a bang. Yunho knows that Changmin is really frustrated. Yunho sat on the bed while Yoochun left them.

Changmin is thrashing everything he could find in the C.R. Yunho could hear from the outside his frustration. Then in a little Yunho could hear muffled sobbing.

“Changmin-ah, open the door”, Yunho knocked. “Come on, we have each other remember?”

Changmin didn’t respond.

“I’m angry too, you know. And I understand that you’re frustrated but you can tell me what you feel?” Yeah all these years the two of them have each other but actually Changmin is quite not comfortable to talk his hurts away with anybody. He’s been composed and quite. He rather is alone at times like this.

Yunho sighed and sat on his bed. ‘If Jae didn’t meddle, everything would have gone smoothly, especially for this day.’ Yunho sighed the rain is really strong and even emotions are strong. Yunho went down. He don’t what really he should do but he is somehow compelled to talk to Jaejoong of what is he up to. Sick or not this should not be happening.

When he went down, he found out that Yoochun is still back in his piano. Jae is sleeping on the couch. Junsu is probably gone upstairs. Yoochun is oblivious to anything and much focused on the piano. Wow, he’s playing now what feels like a hunting song. It’s beautiful but it is a bit sad. Then Yoochun switched keys and he played a now familiar song. It’s In Heaven. Yeah, he knows the song and he knows Jae composed it for Yongha. Now Yoochun is playing it with a very slow tempo.

Yunho, felt very foolish standing here just like this and about to head upstairs. When

“What do you want?” Yoochun asked. Yoochun is still playing to the piano.

Yunho didn’t answer because apparently he doesn’t really know.

“Jae can’t talk right now but if he is I want to talk to him also”, Yoochun said himself. “He’s my soulmate but somehow right now I don’t understand him either” Yoochun turn around. “Care for a drink?”

It’s so weird that Yoochun and Yunho finds themselves in a bar drinking some brandy. They sat on their high chair looking straight on the array of alcoholic beverages, not looking on each other. The silence between them is somehow soothing.

“He wants us to be together”, Yoochun said.

“Yeah” Yunho nods. “I know, but he seems a little hasty again”

“No, he changed. He is not the clumsy and foolish Jae you know” Yoochun explains. “He always says there is no leader among the three of us but I feel he is our leader during these years. He guides us and protects us. Even accepting all the blame himself. Of course, no one can replace your leadership but through these years, it’s Jae that we turn to lean on to.”

“So you hated me for not coming with you. As well, as Changmin for staying with me?”

“Actually, I didn’t hate you on the first time we separated. A little sorry that we can’t be together with the cause. We’ve been planning for it and I will still tell you that you would have been an important factor of it all. But I really don’t understand why you would stay there and even when we always say Always Keep The Faith, somehow… I lost faith that we’d be together. Always Keep The Faith become the faith of sticking in our decisions of going away from the company. That things will work out fine but what hurts is it’s so hard to achieve because all this time we’ve been kicked in the gut for so many times. We’ve been pushed here and there and there is no way but to go out to the country. But we are happy, that’s the truth. I felt the freedom. And I’m regretful you haven’t tasted it yourself and somehow along the way hated you because you could have been with us. So tell me hyung, why?” Yoochun by this time have his voice wavering, in the verge of crying.

Yunho stared at his dongsaeng. It must be the alcohol that the two of them are a bit emotional. “ It must be done. SM is where we should belong. This is where we have grown up. It wouldn’t for them, we wouldn’t be in this industry”

“But they are using us”

“Still, it would not change the fact that we would never be in this industry if it weren’t for them” Yunho said. But somehow it feels wrong in the tip of his tongue. After that they did not push each other. Maybe it’s also the alcohol that kept them silent.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Jae woke up with a headache. He himself doesn’t remember where he is until the events of yesterday flooded his mind. He smiled at the memory. He giggled knowing his brothers are just in one house. It’s a bit foggy outside after the strong rain yesterday. The sky still is a bit dark but that would not lower his spirit.

Jae went to the kitchen passing by the bar to find Yunho and Yoochun sleeping on the high table. Jae heart fluttered. ‘Oh, I missed it’ Jae went to the living finding the thing he brought but it was not in there.

‘Where is it? Ahh, car!’

Finally he found what he is finding. His bag, and inside his camera phone. He take their picture. He smiled. Now he is in the mood to make breakfast.

.......................................

I haven't proofread yet so I might have some mistake, here and there.