The world was an interesting place, Yunho thought.

The fourth day since Changmin had been kidnapped had dawned, and already the internet had taken the problem for its own. Hash tags coated Twitter, Facebook and countless other websites. The most popular slogan seemed to be ‘#BringBackMaxChangmin’. ‘#BBMC’ was the short form of it. Yunho saw it everywhere, even on the news. The tags mainly emerged from Easterners, especially in Korea and Japan, but there were a rather surprising number of Westerners who were making use of the hash tag as well.

Yunho was seated in the back of the TVXQ transport vehicle, being taken to give a statement on Changmin. Word that he’d had a phone call with the maknae had gotten out, and fans were dying to know the details. Just as much, they wanted to see the idol’s face, especially after the video he’d posted online two days ago. This time, Yunho had little problem with it. He knew Changmin was alive, and he was certain the sasaeng wouldn’t cause him any further harm.

That was his hope at least.

Yunho stared out the window, seeing the stage nearby. In a few minutes, he’d be walking up there and talking about the phone call. He could see countless people standing in the crowd, awaiting his arrival. Cameras were lined up in a massive row, microphones pointing towards the podium, wanting to pick up his every word. He felt almost like a politician. He was glad that wasn’t the case. Being an idol was probably easier than being a political leader.

A tapping on the vehicle window drew him from his thoughts. Yunho glanced over at his agent outside the vehicle and pushed the door open, stepping into the opening. He instantly heard the uproar of cheers as he stood up straight, surrounded by his security guards. Cameras flashed in his direction, making him glance over slightly, but he mainly kept himself focused on the task at hand. If a bunch of his fans had showed up just for the sake of seeing his face, not caring about Changmin, then that was their prerogative. He just hoped they all wanted to know that Changmin was alright.

His black suited security guards stood around him as he reached the podium. More cameras flashed up at him as he looked up, staring down at the crowd below. It reminded him of being on stage performing, but he knew that wasn’t the case. He tried to focus on the cameras instead, trying to find some sort of familiarity in the endless lenses aimed at him. All of this should’ve been easy, but it wasn’t. Maybe he’d done a few solos, but never like this. Never in front of this many cameras, or this many people. Not without Changmin.

Yunho took a breath and adjusted the microphone to his height. “Hello,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound weak or unconfident. “I am Jung Yunho of TVXQ,” the crowd knew that of course. But stating truths made him feel a little bit better. “Four days ago, my partner, Shim Changmin, was taken from his house.”

The silence in the crowd took his breath away. He’d never heard any sort of crowd so silent. At concerts, the noise was liable to make his ears ring if the music pouring out of the speakers didn’t. He pushed his way through it, though it made him feel uncomfortable.

“I am happy to say, and I can tell you for certain, that he is alive and okay,” Yunho said.

Instantly, the silence was shattered by a deafening roar. People were clapping and cheering and hugging each other with relief in the crowd. But just as quickly as it started, it died down as they waited for Yunho’s next words. He knew they probably wouldn’t like them.

“We still don’t know where he is,” Yunho stated, “but he gained access to a phone long enough to call me. He’s alive, and right now, it’s all that matters to me.”

“Jung-seonsaeng,” a news reporter shouted suddenly. “Why would you announce that Shim-seonsaeng had access to a phone? Wouldn’t that get him in trouble with his captors?”

“That would be true,” Yunho responded, “if his captor meant him harm. Changmin told me his captor was a sasaeng.”

In a heartbeat, the angry shouts started up. Fans screamed their fury with colourful words and phrases. Yunho listened to the shouts, letting their anger wash over him but never flinching. He understood how they were feeling. Sasaengs weren’t popular, even among fans. In fact, it seemed as though the fans themselves made an effort to shun every potential sasaeng that existed, never ever considering them as part of the fanbase.

As the crowd grew even more volatile, Yunho held his hand up for silence, staring down at the crowd. One by one, they fell silent until once again, there was only the sound of the birds in the trees.

“I understand your anger,” Yunho stated. “I too, am angry, but getting upset won’t help Changmin. We’ll find him, and we’ll bring him home,”

The crowd burst into applause once more, shouting their agreement.

...

Changmin missed performing. Out of all of the things it could’ve been, it had to be that. He missed the feeling of the music around him, his body moving to the rhythm, with Yunho by his side. Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu he missed just as much, but they’d gone elsewhere. He also missed the fans. The ones who stood in the crowds, screaming and chanting along with the music, not the sasaengs that kidnapped him. He never thought he’d miss the fans.

When he was sure Hyeonjin wasn’t going to come back anytime soon, Changmin would sometimes stand up and hum to himself, trying to dance. It never really was the same without the music. He might’ve been able to find the music inside him and dance to that, but it never felt quite right.

He was standing in the middle of the floor when he heard the sound of the door unlocking. He turned, just as Hyeonjin stepped into the room. She smiled slightly and slid inside, locking the door behind her.

“Hi, oppa,” she greeted.

“Hi,” Changmin looked away again.

She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, her face nuzzling between his shoulder blades. “How are you?”

Changmin pulled her arms off him and walked away, throwing himself back onto the bed as was usual for him. He didn’t bother responding to her, not even glancing her way when she approached him again.

“I’m going to change your bandage,” she said, taking his injured hand.

Changmin still said nothing, letting her unwrap the bandages around his still aching hand. He didn’t even want to look at the damage that had been done. He already knew it would more than likely scar. He was just glad the bruises on his wrists were starting to yellow.

“You told Yunho-oppa I was a sasaeng,” Hyeonjin said suddenly, treating his injury.

Changmin glanced over at her. “Where’d you figure that out?”

“Yunho-oppa was on TV,” she replied, not looking up at him. “He told a crowd that you were alive and that a sasaeng had you,”

“Sounds about right,” Changmin mumbled, wishing he’d been able to see Yunho on television. He was starting to forget what his friend’s face looked like. He could faintly remember neatly combed hair, but that was it. He couldn’t remember much else.

Hyeonjin began wrapping his hand again. “I don’t like being called a sasaeng,” she mumbled.

“Sorry,” Changmin said, not feeling too sorry. “But that’s what you are,”

She tied the bandage in place and finally looked up at him, hurt in her eyes. “It hurts to be called that, oppa,”

“A normal fan wouldn’t kidnap me,” Changmin stated. “You might not behave like most sasaengs, but you still fit under the category,”

Hyeonjin ran her thumb over his wrist, still holding his bandaged hand. “I don’t want to be a sasaeng,” she sighed, watching her finger trace across the yellowing bruises. “I want to be your friend,”

“You can’t exactly be my friend while holding me captive,” Changmin reminded. “Friends and captors are two different things.”

“I know,” she breathed. Then she leaned down and lightly kissed the bruise on his wrist. Changmin flinched slightly, though the gesture itself didn’t hurt.

“Does it still hurt?” She asked, her brow creased with worry.

“A little,” Changmin merely said.

She ran her fingertips over the injury a few more times, as though she were pretending to heal it with a touch. Changmin didn’t pull his hand back, even though he normally would’ve. Hyeonjin touching him had just become a new part of life, and he’d given up on trying to fight it. She’d always touch him.

Hyeonjin let go of his hand and crawled onto the bed, stepping over his legs and lying down beside him. She put an arm around him and squeezed slightly. He twitched a little, but the hugging was yet another thing he’d given up on. They just kept coming.

“Oppa...?”

“What?”

Hyeonjin shifted slightly and took a breath. “Is it okay if I call you Changmin?”

Well at least she was respectful enough to ask, Changmin thought to himself.

“Call me what you want,” he muttered. She’d eventually start calling him Changmin anyway. That’s just the way things worked.

“Changmin,” the smile on her face was quite prevalent in the sound of her voice. “Thank you,” she hugged him a little tighter.

He didn’t care. He wondered just when he stopped caring about Hyeonjin’s actions towards him.

...

Barely an hour had lapsed since his speech and already the internet had taken the new information and run with it. Yunho was amused to see that whole new hash tags had appeared on Twitter, many of them varying degrees of ‘#KillThe’, ‘#SlaughterTheSasaeng’ and ‘#SaveOurChangmin’. He almost wished he was on the fans end, able to use these hash tags, some of them amused him so much.

Changmin hadn’t called him since yesterday. He was beginning to worry the sasaeng had taken his phone. Yunho hoped that wasn’t the case. He considered dialling the number Changmin had called him from the day before, but he never did, afraid there would be no answer. He swallowed and gripped the phone in his hand, looking down at the screen. He had to try at least. Maybe, just maybe he’d be able to talk to Changmin again.

He found the number fairly easy in his call history and tapped it, holding the phone to his ear. He found himself whispering a quiet prayer to the air, hoping the phone would go through.

It clicked as it was answered.

Yunho-hyung, is that you?

“Changmin,” Yunho couldn’t hold in his relieved sigh. “I thought maybe your sasaeng took the phone away,”

No, she’s just been hanging around so I’ve had no time to call,

“Is she around right now?”

Yeah, she is,

“She’s letting you talk on the phone?”

Yeah, no protests from her, his voice was mildly sarcastic, making Yunho wonder exactly what she was doing.

Then it sort of came to him.

“She’s cuddled up to you, isn’t she?” Yunho pressed a hand into his forehead.

Congratulations, you won a trip to Hawaii,

“And you’re tolerating this how?”

How long have I been here for?

“This is day four,”

Then this has been going on for three and a half days. I’ve given up.

Yunho ran a hand through his hair. “Isn’t she like...I don’t know, all over you?” he didn’t know how to put it into words, though he hoped Changmin would get the picture.

No, nothing like that,

“Really?” Yunho was surprised, hardly able to believe she hadn’t tried to him like every other sasaeng out there.

Yeah.

“You have no idea how hard that is to believe,”

I know, but it’s true. I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure why she’s keeping me here.

“Is it okay that you’re this open with me about this?”

She’s asleep. She’s drooling on me. I can tell you she’s a stuck up snob if I wanted to and she wouldn’t blink.

“Is she?”

Actually, no. As far as sasaengs go, she’s okay. Aside from the imprisonment part.

“So what then?” Yunho asked. “What are you to her if you’re not some sort of toy like every other sasaeng seems to think?”

I think I’m her pet to be honest.

“And that means...?”

Well, she takes care of me and tries to make sure I’m happy. That’s about it.

“But you’re not happy,” Yunho didn’t ask it as a question.

...No, I miss you, my family and SM. I want to go home, Yunho-hyung.

“I know, Changmin. We’re looking for you, okay? Just hang in there,”

She’s waking up, I have to go,

“Okay,”

Sorry,

“It’s not your fault, Changmin. For now, just try to think of a way out of there,”

I’m trying- He cut himself off, and a moment later, he said a hurried goodbye and the line went dead. Yunho sighed heavily, the hand holding the phone falling to his side.

...

“Were you talking to Yunho-oppa, Changmin?” Hyeonjin asked, looking up at him.

“Yeah,” Changmin replied, setting the phone aside.

“What did you talk about?”

“Nothing,”

Hyeonjin pouted slightly, lifting herself onto her forearms so she could properly look at him. “It didn’t sound like nothing,”

Changmin turned his head away from her, refusing to look at her. Her hand reached over, cupping his cheek and turning his face back towards her. All Changmin could do was stare, feeling uncomfortable as her eyes met his.

“You don’t have to hide things from me, Changmin,” she said softly. “I want to know what you and Yunho-oppa talk about,”

“What we talk about is none of your business,” Changmin managed to get out, irritated by her close proximity. Her hand was cool against his cheek, which didn’t help his mood.

Hyeonjin pouted, an expression that might’ve been cute if it had been under any other circumstance and on any other person. Changmin internally cringed, once again trying to look away. She forced his head back, this time, crawling just a little bit closer. He grimaced, smelling the perfume wafting off her skin.

“Don’t look away,” she breathed.

“Get away from me,” the words tore from his lips harsher than he intended them to, but he didn’t care, watching as she pulled her hand from his cheek and sat up, her expression hurt. For the briefest of moments, he felt bad for her. He looked away quickly, climbing off the bed and turning his back to her.

“Changmin,” her voice met his ears, making him hesitate for half a second. He kept walking, slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He pressed his hands into his forehead and fell against the door, gritting his teeth. He’d been in there for barely a minute when she tapped on the door.

“I said go away,” Changmin growled, leaning on the door in case she tried to push her way in. The bathroom door didn’t have a lock. He’d already checked.

She was silent for a moment, and then he heard her sigh.

“I’ll go get you some dinner,” she said, her voice quiet.

Changmin said nothing, only listening to the sound of her exiting the room from the other side of the bathroom door. He sat for another few minutes before standing back up again, opening the door just enough so he could peek out into the room. He heaved a relieved sigh when Hyeonjin was nowhere to be seen.

He slid out of the bathroom, stepping back towards the bed and throwing himself on it, burying his face in the pillows. He thought about Yunho once again, wishing his hyung was there with him. At least together they’d be able to think of a way out of Hyeonjin’s room. Alone, Changmin was unsure of what he could do. Until he either thought of a way out or the police found them, he was stuck in this room, unable to get out.

He let out a frustrated groan into the pillow, clenching his fists in the sheets. What could he do?

Changmin began fishing through the sheets, searching for the phone Hyeonjin had given him. He gripped it tightly, pulling it towards him and dialling Yunho’s number. He held it to his ear, waiting for his friend to pick up.

Changmin?

“She left the room, so I wanted to talk to you again,” Changmin just said.

Are you alright?

“No,” Changmin sat up, brushing the hair from his eyes. “I’m not, I don’t know what to do anymore,”

What happened?

“Nothing more than usual face touching and invading my space,”

That’s a sasaeng for you, Yunho said, though the disgust was plain in his voice.

“How can I get out of here?”

Only you could figure that out, Yunho replied. I don’t know what the place you’re in looks like, and I don’t know what your captor’s like either,

“The room has no windows, but I don’t think it’s a basement,” Changmin explained. “She keeps me locked in here,”

Is there a key?

“Yeah,”

Is there any way you can get that key?

“It’s in her pocket, hyung,”

Try to think of a way to get it from her,

“I’d have to stick my hand in her pocket, she’ll know exactly what I’m doing,”

Grab it when she’s sleeping?

“I don’t know how heavy of a sleeper she is,”

It’s either you try to find a way to get that key, or you get her to trust you enough so she’ll let you out of that room, Yunho said.

“How am I supposed to do that?”

You said you’re like her pet?

“Yeah?”

Which means she probably cares enough about you that she’s taking care of you?

“She does,”

My only suggestion is to maybe show some of that care back, Yunho said, sounding awkward even as he spoke. I wouldn’t be too fond of doing it, but maybe, if she thinks you’re not as likely to abandon her at the next possible second, she’ll give you more freedom. Once you’re out of that room, I’m sure escaping would be easy.

“You’re telling me to up to her,”

Basically, yeah. Sorry, Changmin,

“It’s fine,” Changmin ran a hand through his hair, flopping back on the bed. “It can’t be the only option, though,”

It probably isn’t. I mean, if you wanted to you could take the key by force, but what you do is up to you.

Changmin swallowed nervously, thinking about even trying to overpower her and take the key. He could probably do it, but even though she was a sasaeng, and even though she was holding him prisoner, he wasn’t sure if he could do it. He never was fond of violence.

“What would you do, Yunho?” Changmin asked. “If you had the choice of taking the key from her or befriending her, which would you choose?”

Yunho was silent for several seconds. I don’t know, Changmin, he said. I really don’t know.

.

.

.

A/N: Haha I shouldn't be posting anything I keep forgetting to update I almost didn't LOL. 

Thanks for reading guys ^^/ I'll have the next one up as soon as possible. To be honest though I'm kind of nervous about the story hahaha idk why...

Take care! : D