[Fic] .:Extent:.oo3
Extent
Chapter 3
[Their bedroom]
It was one of those mornings that JaeJoong woke up knowing it was going to be a good day. Somehow, he just knew it when his subconscious filled with uneasiness and he knew someone was hovering over him in his sleep.
His eyes snapped opened and he stared blankly at the person’s face above him before turning and pulling his blankets up over his head.
YunHo scowled in disappointment, wanting at least some sort of reaction. Manager-hyung had always been given the privilege of JaeJoong’s startled yells in the mornings as he hovered above this oldest member to wake him up while the others were sitting around the breakfast table.
Usually it wasn’t long after when they would hear YooChun’s exclamations of surprise.
“Yah, why aren’t you yelling?” YunHo asked, prodding the bundle with his hand.
“Your face is too pretty to yell at.” JaeJoong’s reply was muffled. YunHo laughed and prodded the bundle again.
“YooChun is awake already. We have an early photo shoot today.” YunHo told him.
“Mmm…” JaeJoong mumbled.
“You’re not falling asleep are you?” YunHo asked, suspiciously.
“No.” JaeJoong said from underneath the blankets.
He heard the bathroom door open and soon YooChun entered the room, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of faded jeans along with a light pink shirt and JaeJoong’s favorite black zip up sweater. Without sparing a glance at YunHo, he got into JaeJoong’s bed and snuggled underneath the blankets.
YunHo could only watch open-mouth as the bundle thrashed and JaeJoong emerged, eyes wide.
“YooChun! What did you do?” YunHo gasped in horror.
What did YooChun do to him underneath the blankets?
Did he touch…?
Oh my god he did!
“Why are your feet so cold?!” JaeJoong yelled pushing at YooChun’s unresponsive figure.
“That’s why I need you to warm me up, Hyung.” YooChun replied, winking at him. JaeJoong rolled his eyes.
“What is this? Pick on Kim JaeJoong day?” JaeJoong demanded as he made his way out of his blankets and stood up, stepping onto YooChun’s butt in the process of getting off his bed and ignoring his ‘Oof!’. “I have to remind you, I am the oldest! You should respect me!”
“Yes, Hyung.” YunHo and YooChun said, obediently.
“There better be some hot water left!” JaeJoong grumbled as he left the room. “What time is it? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
The door to the bathroom finally closed and ChangMin poked his head into the bedroom curiously.
“Hm? What made Jae-Hyung all riled up?” ChangMin asked. YunHo and YooChun exchanged mischievous looks and turned back to ChangMin, shrugging. The youngest member frowned and eyed them suspiciously.
After a long tense moment ChangMin finally left and the two found they could breathe again.
[In the kitchen]
Manager-hyung came into their apartment just as JaeJoong finished getting ready. The eldest had thrown on a black sleeveless shirt with jeans that looked suspiciously like YooChun’s.
The other four gave him envious looks and wondered for the umpteenth time how he managed to look so good in such a short time.
“What?” JaeJoong asked when he noticed the four was staring at him.
“Hyung, have some fruit or cereal before we leave.” ChangMin said as he got up to go search for the sought items.
“It’s okay. I’ll grab something to eat later.” JaeJoong replied as he bowed his head in greeting to their manager. “We shouldn’t keep people waiting.”
“We have enough time, JaeJoong.” Their manager said. “Why don’t you bring it with us?”
ChangMin threw JaeJoong an apple and he caught it on reflex, showing the fruit to all of them before taking a bite out of it. He left the room to reappear in a gray and white striped sweater that he had randomly grabbed.
Again, they could only stare in envy on why everything looked good on him.
“What?” JaeJoong asked again as he took another bite of his apple.
“How do you do it?” JunSu finally asked in irritation. JaeJoong could only stare at him in puzzlement before ripping another chunk out of his apple.
[To the set]
Everyone was in high spirits during the ride to the location of the photo shoot. It was extremely noisy as JunSu cracked jokes while YooChun threatened to kill him.
ChangMin and JaeJoong bickered over random things and YunHo sat back listening to his mp3 player. Once in awhile he would voice his opinion as he caught snippets of the conversations through the breaks in his music.
Their manager tuned them all out by as he happily whistled “Balloons” to himself.
They were still in their high mode as they entered the set. JaeJoong and ChangMin were still bickering if coconuts were actually nuts.
“It’s not a nut!” JaeJoong protested, his voice rising dramatically. “It’s hollow and--.”
He turned around, stopping in his tracks and his sentence dropped, forgotten. ChangMin frowned, glanced over JaeJoong’s shoulder and grasped his arm gently.
“Hyung, what’s wrong?” he asked, worriedly. The muscles were tense underneath his fingers and he rubbed them soothingly.
YooChun broke off his death threat to JunSu in mid-sentence and turned around when he realized that JaeJoong had stopped talking. He walked back to them and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” YooChun watched as JaeJoong could only raise his arm and point in the direction he was staring at. YooChun followed the line from his finger and inhaled sharply.
YooChun’s grip on JaeJoong’s left shoulder tightened.
“Hyung, are you not feeling well?” JunSu asked walking back toward them. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
“I’m okay.” JaeJoong replied with some effort. “I’m just nervous.”
“Hyung~! After this, we have the day free right?” ChangMin brought up, suddenly. He smiled brightly and JaeJoong turned to him, distractedly.
“Yes…?” JaeJoong blinked.
“Ah! Let’s go to the market and buy some things for dinner!” ChangMin exclaimed in delight.
“Stupid! People will recognize us!” YooChun frowned.
ChangMin shot him a look that could kill. “We’ll be in disguises.”
“Fine, I’m coming too. I want to go to Starbucks.” YooChun said, sticking his tongue out.
“After your announcement of your love for Starbucks, I’m sure fans are camped out at every single one!” JunSu admonished.
“Hey, at least I have more fans than you do!” YooChun mocked while mimicking JunSu’s “cute” face.
“What’s the hold up?” YunHo asked, walking toward them with their manager.
“Jae-Hyung isn’t feeling well.” JunSu spoke up, immediately destroying their artificial creation of comfort.
“Joongie? Do you want to sit down?” YunHo asked with worry. JaeJoong shook his head and JunSu grabbed YunHo’s arm, bringing him away from the group.
“How deep do you think that pool is?” he asked softly.
YunHo tensed and stared at JunSu in shock before glancing toward the set and realizing what their set actually was. Past glass double doors, the sun beat down happily onto a pool of water.
“It’s a little higher than the waist.” Their manager’s voice startled them both and they turned to see him standing behind them. “Why? Someone doesn’t know how to swim?”
“JaeJoongie…” YunHo began.
“Of course I can swim.” JaeJoong interjected in defense. “We can’t keep them waiting. Noona! Do my makeup first!”
YunHo could only look on worriedly as JaeJoong strode away with the female makeup artist.
I’m fine.
JaeJoong repeated to himself mentally as he watched the feet of the woman walking in front of him. He swallowed thickly and willed himself to calm the tide of emotions that threatened to destroy his composure.
I didn’t dream last night.
It will all be okay.
I won’t die.
Please…don’t let me die.