- Chapter Eighteen - "His fight against fate."

Three days later and Jaejoong was sitting around a table in one of SM Entertainment's office with Yunho and their lawyer Mr. Song, the older man was the one who had handled everything for him in his absence. And now the latter was also Yunho's and Changmin's lawyer at their request, which the man accepted willingly the offer even knowing that the two singers thought of him as their only way to be still connected to Kim Jaejoong at that time.

During their talk, Yunho had said no to almost everything the CEO had proposed to them, making Mr. Song not frustrated but amused about the idol taking his main role in this meeting. And Jung Yunho even had the nerve to suggest things which were more constraints for their label than for Jaejoong. He only wanted the best for his friend and he was going to have it that way.

SM Entertainment wanted Jaejoong to have a solo career, meaning a solo artist's contract with the label, and all in all, they had this hidden agenda to remove Jaejoong from Dong Bang Shin Ki. And Jung Yunho knowing their purpose had said no immediately, making clear that Kim Jaejoong will remain a member of their group. If they wanted him to sing a few songs alone, and eventually recording an album or two as a solo artist, Jaejoong would do it but not as an ex-member of Dong Bang Shin Ki and of course, with no pressure from their part.

When SM Entertainment had asked a special show with Jaejoong talking about his life with his late wife and daughter, Yunho had said no yet again, specifying that it was too soon for his friend to talk about something that was too personal to be shared with others. Even him, he didn't know anything about Jaejoong's life with Hana, nor their dongsaengs. So why would they learn about all the details of their friend's life in the same way like others? And Yunho wasn't going to negotiate anything not even if they turned the show to be a special one for the three members of Dong Bang Shin Ki, making it official to the public that they will be active from now on as three not two.

Photo shoot of Kim Jaejoong with his daughter? Yunho said yes for the three of them playing supermodel in front of a viewfinder of a professional photographer as they always did when they had a comeback with a new album. But he said no for a picture of Jaejoong with his daughter. And no again when they insisted to have the three of them playing with the little baby girl in front of a professional photographer or eventually a little show with her as a mascot of the group.

The singer scoffed at the thought of having baby Cap as their mascot. Yunho loved the baby girl as if she was his own. He was ready to fight everything to protect her from being a mere toy for their label. She was too young to understand the world that surrounded her, mostly the world surrounding her father. And she wasn't born to be any kind of profit for those people. Her story with her father and mother wasn't something for SM Entertainment to exploit.

And at SM Entertainment's suggestion to put Jaejoong into acting like the other members of the group, so Changmin and him, Yunho had taking his time to consider this choice of career Because he wasn't going to restrain Jaejoong for exploring something new in his career. So he drew a line for all of them to follow. Jaejoong would be the only one to decide to act or not in a drama series or movie on his own will, not them forcing him to do this or that for the sake of his popularity, more likely for SM Entertainment's own good.

However, things turned not good when they talked about Jaejoong's proposal to have all the rights of Dong Bang Shin Ki after Changmin's two-year mandatory military service. As they knew, in their country, boys who turned eighteen could postpone their enlistment in the army to the age of thirty five. And SM Entertainment was trying to play with time, delaying Changmin's enlistment to his thirty years old, wanting to have more time to control them. Or should he say, wanting to have time to gain more money from them before letting go of their rights for good.

"I say no." Yunho stated sternly, looking at the man sitting on the sofa across of him. "You don't have the right to decide about that."

"Do you think I don't know what you are trying to do?"

"You don't know anything." Jaejoong said quietly, making all the men in the room turn their eyes on him. "What will become of Changmin if Yunho and I go to the army? To tell the truth...," the young father his lower lip as he took a deep breath before adding, "...I don't even know if I could be dispensed with my mandatory military service knowing my situation as a single parent with a daughter born prematurely.... But the only thing I and you are sure and certain is that when Yunho will reach his thirty years, he has to enlist like all the men in our country. If I have to be enlisted too, I will be gone at the same time as him." He stated, looking at Kim Young Min straight in the other man's eyes. "Then, Changmin will be alone. He can't do anything much for the sake of our group as you put us into a contract which forces us to be active in the name of Dong Bang Shin Ki. A solo career isn't worthy for you because you don't really get much. No wonder SM Entertainment doesn't really have famous solo artists. BoA is an exception. However, she doesn't make money like all your groups. So at the end, no money for you during that laps of time. And if he has to delay his enlistment, you will suffer more than two years. Yunho and I can't do much for you to gain money in his absence after our time in the army."

"And you said that you didn't thought a bit of this situation." Kim Young Min said sarcastically as he was shaking his head lightly, playing the bad man.

"I didn't." Jaejoong said quietly. "Life didn't let me the time to think about the future... Since Ha-chan was diagnosed with leukemia, I can't offer to foresee our future together. A long-range planning was not something for us." He laughed softly. "A week was the longest time we could afford to plan what we wanted to do before her illness takes a tool on her. And seeing her in a bad shape always made me feel that I could lose her overnight. That fear never left me... and when our daughter was born... the nightmare never stopped. Even now I still have this horrible feeling that when I'll open my eyes... I'll find my baby girl not breathing next to me." The young father added sadly. "I don't really have the luxury to make projects for the future. I just take each day as it comes... hoping that a better day will come soon..."

"So why Dong Bang Shin Ki? Why now?"

"Because my wife wanted it." Jaejoong smiled and added quickly, "...saying that, it would be a lie. Sure, Ha-chan wanted us to be together again. Singing and dancing on the same stage like before. But you know, even if we don't have a chance to be together on stage, Dong Bang Shin Ki will always exist within us. As long as we're still friends and see each other, we're Dong Bang Shin Ki. Even SM Entertainment will never destroy our tie easily." The young father paused and continued after his lower lip, an habit when he felt nervous or anxious. "What I want... it's just a fight. A fight that will not be useless. I lost a fight against life. But I can't lose a fight against fate. Because Dong Bang Shin Ki is the receptacle of our five souls. We started together as five... we should end with only the five of us."

"Jaejoong-ssi, if we agree, you should know that when your dongsaeng will be release from the army, SM Entertainment and I will lose Dong Bang Shin Ki. And I have things more to lose than you in this mess." The CEO said quietly.

"Not really." Yunho replied in the same tone, looking straight at the older man's eyes. "If you keep the deal, you won't lose anything. On the contrary, if Yoochun and Junsu go to the army at the same time as us three, we will be released at the same time too. So, Dong Bang Shin Ki will be able to return to the music industry as five sooner than later. And think about it. It means more money for you with us five not only the three of us." The man added with a smile, knowing that this side of business was the only thing that interested those old shareholders.

"It's tempting but-"

"Nothing will change." Yunho cut the man off. "It's like the time when SM Entertainment invested on us at our debut. But this time, you won't be the one who will give orders but us, having the control of our own activities. You just have to wait for the money to get in your hands. There will be no praises for SM Entertainment but only a grateful thank you for letting us fly with our own wings." The idol added. "You know, our fans keep the faith on us five. And when we're going to comeback as the group of five like before, you can tell things will happen really soon. People will want to see the five of us standing together on the same stage. And I won't list things we can do as five in front of them. You can guess what will be our lives after those two-year mandatory military service for all of us. We will get busy with new songs, radio shows, TV shows and concerts. Not only in South Korea, but in Japan, in all Asia and maybe Europe and America too. Our fans in the world would love to see us as five. Yes, a worldwide tour! What do you think? It's better than having us being separated. No?"

Kim Young Min looked at the young man who was so confident in his words. However, what Jung Yunho had said wasn't wrong. If the expectation was so big from their fans not only in South Korea and Japan but throughout the world, they could hope for something like that to happen at the announcement of them being five again in the near future. They could take part in something great with their comeback as the five Rising Gods of the East. And if they delayed more time, it would be a waste of time.

Recalling Lee Soo Man's words, the CEO knew what he had to do. He heaved a sigh as he looked at the two lawyers of SM Entertainment sitting at his both sides, waiting for further orders from his part.

"We're going to postpone every decision for a posterior meeting." Kim Young Min finally said. "We need time to take our decision to let go of our rights on Dong Bang Shin Ki. However," he added looking at the leader of the group, "...we still keep the repackage of all your albums with the additional voice of Jaejoong-ssi and to do that, we need a few sessions of photo shoots to make new photo books for those repackages. And we want Jaejoong-ssi being present in a few shows. If he doesn't want to talk about his wife and daughter, we won't say anything for now. But, he must do his part to promote the group."

"As long as you keep your part clean, I don't see why we can't do that. But you have to give us what we want in turn." Yunho stated with a nod. "And we need to do something about Jaejoong still one of Dong Bang Shin Ki. Having his voice adding with us is a good answer for our fans who keep wondering what is his place among us since his return. He's still our lead singer and a member of our group. However, I want to draw some other lines."

"What are they?"

"We will do everything at Jaejoong's pace. No rushing anything or pressuring him for your own good. He has a daughter to take care. If he can't go recording those songs for a day or two, you will have to adjust the schedule for another time."

"Jaejoong-ssi, you could also hire a nanny-"

"Don't go there." Yunho cut off the CEO sternly. "You're not in his situation to say what's best for him. Face this kind of misery one day and we can talk about what best to do or not. He did explain his reason to always have his daughter next to him. So, Jaejoong needs to be near her. Period! And for this meeting, he had to ask Changmin to babysit his daughter. No one else other than the four of us, including his family, can make him at ease to let go of her for an hour or two."

"If I listen to you, we'll have to schedule everything from now on in function of his daughter's needs?"

"Yes! If Jaejoong can't have his daughter with him, one of us has to be free. If I have to do some activity, Changmin must be free of any engagement. If Changmin is busy, I must have nothing to do that same day. And for the shows you want him to step in, I will be the one to judge if he can go or not as well as I will be the one who is going to decide who will accompany him other than Changmin and I. One more thing, never but Boa in the same show with Jaejoong."

"Why?"

"Things happen. And I don't trust her."

"You should know that in the upcoming days Dong Bang Shin Ki will celebrate their ten years anniversary, right?" The older man said quietly. "And you three must celebrate it in front of your fans as well as having a few SM's artists as your guests. And BoA-ssi is one of them."

"Well, you can start to put her name away from the list of guests." Yunho stated sheepishly.

"You're aware that some of your fans expect to see her on stage with you."

"I really don't care. I don't expect to gain more fans just by standing with her to satisfy those YunBoA's fans either." The leader of Dong Bang Shin Ki said nonchalantly. "I don't want to see her near Jaejoong. And I won't change my mind even if you say that she is SM Entertainment's most valuable solo artist or whatever suits yourself. She's not going to be on stage with us at our ten years anniversary."

The CEO heaved a sigh as he nodded, knowing the reason this man didn't want the female idol being in the same show and stage as Kim Jaejoong. The woman had declared herself as his best friend, but she had turned her back on him after the lawsuit was announced publicly.

"But you know that we have to solve that problem in the near future. All SM Entertainment's artists have to get along with each other."

"We can pretend to be good friends. But, I'm not trusting her when it comes to Jaejoong for now."

"Okay... Speaking of your ten years anniversary, I presume that Jaejoong-ssi's daughter isn't going to be afar when the three of you will be on stage singing and talking with your fans?"

"Don't put your hopes so high." Yunho cut off the man's hope about showing baby Cap to their fans. It wasn't a decision for that man to make but only his friend. And Jaejoong didn't want to show her as a trophy to anyone. So SM Entertainment should stick in that way. "As we will be on stage, she will be on the care of Junsu and Yoochun." He added plainly.

"Those two will also be present in that event?"

"Why not?" Yunho shrugged. "They are members of Dong Bang Shin Ki too. And Jaejoong can't go without his daughter near him. He needs her at his arms' reach. So you just have to bear with their presence as her babysitters in that day."

"Everything is done to make people believe that the five of you will be reunited soon." The older man said with an amused smile on his face.

"It's not really a lie."

"If we accept the deal." The CEO retorted. "But for now, nothing is decided."

"You know what's best for you." Yunho smirked and added, "...every detail will be discuss with our lawyer, Mr. Song from now on. He knows what we want. So, make sure that everything will be alright for the three of us. If you don't satisfy us in any way, he will be the one you're going to see before any kind of charges will put into you."

"We don't like threats."

"We neither. But you started it first since the split. You threatened us. We threaten you in return. You only get what you give." Yunho added angrily.

Kim Young Min could only nod at Jung Yunho's words. And with this, the meeting ended with their lawyers having a last discussion about them contacting each other for more details about the new contract concerning Kim Jaejoong and of course Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin for the time being before they left the label for good, if SM Entertainment intended to let them go.

The CEO of SM Entertainment had to call for another urgent meeting with their shareholders, hoping that Lee Soo Man would greet them of his presence. The other man will be a good help for him if he was going to have a verbal fight with those old men. He too, was ready to let go of them. Because as the businessman he was, the deal was the best SM Entertainment could expect from those five men.

As for Yunho and Jaejoong, they left the administration floor in silence as they walked toward the cafeteria to join Changmin and baby Cap who were waiting for them there.

~~~~~

Baby Cap was a quiet baby and easy to handle in her father's absence. At the beginning, the baby girl didn't like to be in his arms. Not only his. Junsu and Yoochun had a hard time like him to tame this little fairy. The three of them were jealous of Yunho. The man did not have to put so much efforts to have her in his arms. But them... it was another story.

Now, she was used to their presences. And she even burst into laughter not into tears when she saw them. Sometimes, they played hide-and-seek with her. Because it too adorable to see her craning her little head at any directions in order to find them at the sound of their voices.

However, at the sight of her drifting into slumber, Changmin remembered Yunho saying that Jaejoong didn't sleep when night came, fearing to wake up with a breathless baby girl laying on her crib. So, the man had always spent his nights awake, staring at his daughter as he made sure she was still breathing.

And as worry he was, the young man could not shrug away the worry gnawing inside his stomach at this instant. And to assure himself, he watched her carefully, looking at her little chest heaving up and down as she breathed in and out in her sleep. Once in a while, the young man could not help but put his finger next to her nose, feeling every intake of air escaping from her nostrils. Feeling the little breath coming from her nose, he heaved a salvation sigh.

"So this little one is Jaejoong's."

Changmin turned to look at the woman who had taken a seat next to him at his table. What a ing day! He wasn't happy to face the female singer Kwon BoA. Not today with Jaejoong in this building. Knowing the woman, she was up to something no good. Or was he too pessimist about her case?

No one was born evil. And she was a sweet girl when they were all trainees. She was a supportive sunbae to all of them. So how could she turn to be an obnoxious person after the years? Love could blind anyone.

"I don't have to say the obvious." Changmin retorted, not hiding his dislike towards the female singer.

"She looks like him. We can't deny their resemblance." The woman added as she brought her cup of coffee to her lips.

"Beautiful people could only give birth to beautiful children." The young man replied quietly.

"Of course!" She rolled