Back to Junjin!!! Thank you yifenggg! Because I was thinking of putting on hold writing this until your comment xD It still took long enough because I am having block for the last part of the chapter. I pushed it to the next chapter in the end xD

Part 2

Choong Jae glowered into the manager’s eyes, willing the man to comprehend. It was not something to be discussed or negotiated. He would not do the photo-shoot nor the recording of the 4^th album unless they agreed fully to his request.

“Jin-ah! You’re here!”

Choong Jae’s consternation returned immediately when he heard the voice. It was Dongwan. He tried his best to ignore his dread and hold his gaze on the manager, but cold sweat started forming with the sound of each nearing footstep.

He had been close to the older man once, but it changed that night Andy went back to America. Dongwan had witnessed both of them coming out of the practice room, and Choong Jae knew Dongwan had his suspicion Andy left without warning because of him. But that was not the reason why Choong Jae dreaded the older man. It was because to the older man, fight between members was never a serious issue because it can always be resolved. Therefore, Dongwan was more optimistic than anyone Andy would return. It was the confidence and hope in Dongwan’s eyes that drove Choong Jae away; because he knew the pain of having your hopes relentlessly taken from you.

Andy would never return.

“Jin-ah, we were looking all over for you. Why didn’t you tell us you would be coming to the studio first?” Dongwan asked gently, careful not to upset him. Choong Jae turned his head to the opposite direction of where Dongwan was, not caring if he had broken eye contact with the manager. He could not deal with looking at Dongwan.

Dongwan sighed; conscious that Choong Jae did not want to face him. He took his mobile phone and dialed the leader’s number, “Hey Eric…yes I found him…yes, he is at the studio…okay…yes…I’ll inform Hyesung then.”

After making the call to Hyesung, Dongwan turned to Choong Jae again, “Jin-ah... tell me what I did wrong.”

More footsteps. The rest of the members had arrived.

“Jin!” Hyesung ran over and hugged him like a parent who found his kid that wondered away in the mall. “Why did you come here by yourself without informing us? Do you know how worried we are?” Choong Jae lowered his head, guilty that he had made his hyungs worried, but not remorseful over his action. It was important to him.

“He said he wouldn’t do the photo shoot unless we plan it as if Andy were here.” The manager replied Hyesung’s question in an annoyed tone. “And he wanted all songs to include Andy’s part before he would do the recording.”

Hyesung let go of Choong Jae, held his shoulders with both hands and looked at him with concerned eyes.

Choong Jae was daunted by the shift in things. Why hadn’t he managed to make the manager yield to his demand before the members arrived? He feared the members would think he was cracked and try to talk him out of it.

“I mean it! I won’t do it. I don’t care what you guys think.” He snapped his head up and swept his eyes across s’ faces (skipping Dongwan) before locking gaze with the manager. “I won’t unless you plan Andy in it.” He said obstinately.

Eric stepped forward. Choong Jae primed himself to defend his proposal against the leader.

“I won’t do it either.” Eric said. Choong Jae felt warm liquid escaping his eyes. “I joined the Company because of Andy. I am here because of him. Without him, it wouldn’t be Shinhwa. Count me out if you don’t agree with Junjin’s request.” Eric grabbed Choong Jae’s hand and stride to the door, shocking everyone. But all the members agreed. Without Andy, it wouldn’t be Shinhwa. All of them turned wordlessly and followed their leader’s lead.

“Okay okay, we’ll put Andy’s part into the songs.” The manager shouted, distressed. One thing about Shinhwa was their loyalty to each other. It was a double edge sword; a weakness that the managers often exploited to rein them, but in times like this, a perfect weapon to get what they wanted.

Eric halted his steps. Choong Jae glanced nervously at Eric, the manager had not promised them anything about the photo shoot.

Eric appeared to be in deep thoughts, weighing and calculating in his mind. Choong Jae was worrying until the leader turned over stolidly, “How about the photo shoot?”

The manager was in dismay; he tried his best to reason to the members. “It would look weird with an empty spot in between you.”

Eric shook his head, “It would be weird if it is 5 members. Shinhwa is a group with 6 members.”

The distress manager shut his eye and exhaled. “Let me make a call.” The members waited. Choong Jae felt Eric’s palm held his protectively.

“Okay, we’ll do a photo shoot for 6 people.” The manager announced when he finally returned. Eric’s face broke into a smile as he ruffled Choong Jae’s hair and led him back to into the studio.

“I…I want to be beside Andy.” Choong Jae said diffidently.

***

Choong Jae’s eyes remained on the empty spot Andy used to sleep in. He made the request not because he believed Andy would be back. He didn’t. He just wanted to pretend everything was alright and his life still had meaning in it.

He was startled when he felt a sting in his nose and realised that tears had been streaming down his face. He did not know when he started crying, but it happened a lot recently, crying without his knowledge. Since Andy left, Choong Jae had always functioned on auto-pilot. He could not recall going to places, eating or even bathing and using the toilet. He would suddenly come to his senses to find himself crying and staring into emptiness which should have been Andy.

The door creaked open and Hyesung came in. The older man sat down beside him and held his palms. “Jin-ah, I know you miss him. We all do. But you can’t be like this forever.”

Choong Jae frowned, not comprehending what his hyung was saying.

Why couldn’t he be like this? His soul mate was gone! It was more painful than literally ripping his heart out. His physical body had only been with him for this long. And will only be with him for this lifetime. But Andy’s soul had been there since the beginning of things. It had been part of him since thousands of years ago. Hyesung hyung would not know this kind of pain. No one would. Only him…only he would know; because no one else loses your soul mate. Did it mean Andy had successfully broken the cycle? Was that the reason why they could not be together in a lifetime that they meet? Was this really the end of the cycle?

Choong Jae felt anxiety taking over as his thoughts drove down the unforgiving path. He started hyperventilating.

“Junjin?! Junjin! Listen to me! Look at me! Everything is going to be alright!” Choong Jae heard Hyesung’s shouting. The older man’s palms were clamping Choong Jae’s cheeks, forcing him to look at Hyesung. “Everything is going to be alright.” Hyesung repeated. Choong Jae was pulled out of his thoughts and he started to calm down a little. Hyesung pulled him into a hug and the back of his head, whispering soothing words into his ears. The older man left the room when he thought Choong Jae had fallen asleep. Choong Jae opened his eyes and stared at two figures outside the door left ajar by Hyesung.

“How was he?” Dongwan’s deep voice questioned.

“Still the same.” Hyesung sighed. “Andy leaving is really taking a toll on him. I don’t buy the visa and furthering his study story the company is telling us. Andy would have told us if that was it.”

“I know.” Dongwan replied.

“Even Eric was clueless about him leaving. Wan-ah, you were the last one that saw him. Didn’t he tell you anything?”

“I already told you guys. All his said was ask me to take care of Choong Jae.”

Choong Jae’s vision started blurring. He could still recall vividly the pain that was in Andy’s calm voice. Had he hurt Andy unknowingly again? Was it him that forced Andy to leave? He had been avoiding Andy for months before his soul mate decided to leave, was that the reason behind it?

A shift in OTP from Part 1! Ricdy was obvious because it was needed, but I actually paired Minsyung  and Wanjin together too. More subtle because they were not needed. xD The original OTPs! Wanjin broke my heart though.

And the photoshoot...

And the fan edit...

Cr on pic