Pedestrian Crossings - 04: Tangent. [DBSK; JaeMin; PG]
title: Pedestrian Crossings - 04: Tangent.
author: yumeyana
fandom: dbsk
pairing: jaejoong x changmin (jaechun, hosu, yunjae)
rating/genre: PG / drama, angst, sap, romance, humor
chapter: 4 of ?
summary: Lines are crossed, days are made better. ChangMin asks the question he's never asked before and JaeJoong finds out that a home can be created between two smiles.
Previous Chapters can be found here.
[crossposted at _starcandy and at hug______.]
Author’s Notes: Will I forever apologize for delaying every chapter? Probably yes. I had to change my original plans since someone was being too lovable and I had a soft spot for a certain pairing. So, I had to change a lot of things in the story’s outline. Who those people are, you’d have to guess. ^^ Anyway, here’s the next installment Hope you enjoy it~!
Disclaimers: None of the Dong Bang Shin Ki boys are mine no matter how much I wish they would be. The events below are purely a figment of my over-active imagination. The plot is mine.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pedestrian Crossings
04 : Tangent.
JunSu~!
He turns around at the sound of YooChun’s voice and smiles. He doesn’t flinch at YooChun’s playful hug-in fact, he welcomes the warmth of that embrace-and doesn’t even mind that the older one is doing all that in front of YunHo. Not even when that little hug just disturbed his rare walk with the latter.
Quite the ball of sunshine, aren’t you, YooChun-ah?
He smiles at JunSu, bright and infectious. YunHo suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. YooChun still isn’t in his list of people he wants to see or be with; come to think about it, perhaps the list is too… short-listed. But after that little hugging session with JaeJoong, he thinks-he knows-he has every right to feel at least a bit pissed off about everything that’s happening. Or not happening.
It’s a beautiful day, ‘Su. There’s absolutely no reason not to feel happy.
And YunHo thinks, he couldn’t agree less.
*
JunSu laughs at how surprised ChangMin is when YooChun tackles him the moment they enter the room. He waves at a blinking JaeJoong and the older one waves back just in time before YooChun leaves a squirming ChangMin to tackle JaeJoong. I think he’s had too many chocolate-JunSu tells the eldest.
ChangMin shivers-Next time, no chocolate for YooChun hyung.
YooChun turns to the two youngest and protests, saying that it isn’t the chocolate-although he has had quite a few. It’s just that I feel happy-and he twirls around, humming a song they’ve never heard before.
Perhaps you could share that with YunHo-JaeJoong tells him, eyeing his best friend from his seat.
YooChun stops twirling; ChangMin stops smiling. JunSu berates himself for even feeling happy when YunHo absolutely doesn’t feel anything close to that. It is as if the whole room is suddenly devoid of all of the happiness YooChun came in with.
YunHo rolls his eyes and plops beside JaeJoong-Then you should smile, Jae.
JaeJoong pats his leg-I’ve been doing that, YunHo-yah. You’ve been too busy pouting.
Somewhere in that conversation, the world moves again but JunSu knows that it is starting to move in another direction. And he can see that it doesn’t involve him or ChangMin or YooChun. The world is turning the way YunHo wants it to-with JaeJoong smiling.
At him.
*
And ChangMin actually wants to hug Lee SooMan for entering the room at that very moment. Their little drama ends and another unfolds. All of them stand in attention-JunSu, YunHo, JaeJoong, ChangMin and YooChun. In that order.
Lee SooMan smiles at them and tells them to take a seat.
Unconsciously, it is JunSu and YunHo who sit beside each other while JaeJoong sits in between YooChun and ChangMin. YunHo doesn’t seem to like it but he doesn’t say anything; it is business before anything personal. YooChun even seems to have forgotten the tension between all of them.
SM Entertainment’s top man is telling them something but ChangMin’s attention is somewhere else. He sees the way JunSu tries not to hold YunHo’s hand, how the latter tries to keep eye contact with JaeJoong. And how JaeJoong gives that small smile of his, seemingly oblivious to the intricate tug-of-war.
It is a complicated weave of unrequited loves, ChangMin thinks.
He blinks. Love?
*
The news surprises all of them-all four of them, at least-and even YunHo’s pout vanishes into a wide smile. JunSu’s lips curve into one of the biggest smiles YooChun has ever seen him wear as YunHo turns to him and grabs his hands in excitement. JaeJoong is close to laughing-that confused look on ChangMin’s face is just priceless-and YooChun helps his hyung in explaining to the youngest what just transpired.
They-all five of them-are going to be in one group.
All five of them are going to debut as one group.
Perhaps he has been right all along; YooChun smiles as JaeJoong’s right hand find his, the left one in ChangMin’s. They all stand and shake hands with Lee SooMan; YunHo, as if by default, assumes the leader position and thanks him for placing his trust on them.
Yes, there is absolutely no reason not to be happy today.
**
It is a whirlwind of song and dance practices, meetings with Lee SooMan and the members of the production team, costume fittings, and acting lessons. There is barely time to sit down and eat or to go back to their respective homes and rest. Most of the time, the crash into the nearest apartment-that being JunSu’s. And by crash, JaeJoong thinks, they mean it literally.
There are times when YooChun falls asleep even before they get to the apartment and ChangMin takes on the job of carrying his hyung on his back; his best friend would stand between him and JunSu, supporting whoever falters in his step first. Sometimes, YooChun clings onto JunSu’s arm-head on the younger one’s shoulder-while behind them, YunHo walks by himself. And it is at those times, where he slips his hand into ChangMin’s, swinging with a light rhythm.
And JaeJoong thinks, he loves that he produces a smile on ChangMin’s tired features.
*
Two hours before their first public appearance as a group, JunSu is on his feet, burning a hole on the floor. YunHo is walking around, checking if everything is in order. YooChun is on the phone with his brother. JaeJoong is sitting on one corner, eyes closed.
ChangMin tries not to be difficult-the make-up artist keeps telling him to stay still-but his eyes are watching JaeJoong. He knows that beneath that calm face, JaeJoong is actually nervous. He is, most probably, running the whole performance in his mind-every step, every note. He is making sure that he knows, he remembers every part of the routine. Memorizing it enough to make it perfect.
The youngest sees YunHo looking at JaeJoong from afar, trying to gauge if it is alright to approach the oldest or not. But before their leader could decided, JunSu crosses his path and with YunHo, responsibility always comes first; therefore, he comforts JunSu-Calm down, ‘Su-running his hand on the latter’s back.
The make-up artist lets him go, finally.
He makes sure that he thanks her before tiptoeing towards JaeJoong. He places his hands on the older one’s shoulders, gently massaging them. JaeJoong’s eyes suddenly open, looking a bit pissed off that someone is disturbing his peace. He looks up-Ah, ChangMin-ah-and then his features soften into a smile.
ChangMin kneels down and puts his arms around JaeJoong-You’ll be great, hyung.
JaeJoong leans into the embrace, closing his eyes-Yeah. I think so, too.
Really? You think so, too?
The older one opens one eye-ChangMin-ah. Did you just tell me that to make me feel better?
ChangMin tightens his hold on JaeJoong, burying his nose in the latter’s soft locks. Who cares if the make-up artist and the hairstylist will get his head later for doing this? JaeJoong’s hair smells like a variation of flowers in a field. And yet beneath that is a tinge of a scent of the man that he is.
Mmm…Maybe.
JaeJoong reaches over and bops his head with hand-Brat.
And ChangMin bites his tongue before he could say-Only for you, hyung.
**
Their manager calls them to the office one day, saying that he needs to tell them something important. They arrive almost simultaneously, tired and yet alert enough to take on the day’s activities. Ever since the debut, they’ve barely seen each other without eye bags, without make-up to conceal them. They’ve been drinking energy drinks-two to three a day-squeezing each other’s hand whenever one of them feels a little too tired and overwhelmed.
And YooChun is somehow thankful that their little tug-of-war is somehow on hiatus.
Their manager asks them if they trust him and they nod-Of course, we do. Then he smiles and blindfolds each of them. YooChun hears YunHo ask what is happening-Is there really a need to put a handkerchief over our eyes? But their manager doesn’t say anything.
He whisks them away from the office to the car and drives them off to somewhere. He can hear ChangMin beside him-Where are you taking us, hyung?-his voice a little too irritated for their normal ChangMinnie. Their manager answers this time-We have a surprise for you-and YooChun notes that there is amusement in his voice.
It calms them a little, that promise of a surprise, and YooChun can’t help but grin. Underneath their newly found star status, all five of them are still kids who could be bribed with a surprise.
The car stops and their managers assist them out. Hold each other’s hands-he tells them-so you won’t lose sight of each other. YooChun hears JunSu chuckle somewhere to his right and he could almost tell why the latter is doing so. How could they lose sight of each other when they are already blindfolded?
But they do as they have been told and YooChun finds himself holding hands with YunHo. Or he thinks-feels, rather-that it is YunHo. He could be wrong.
Yet he definitely knows that they aren’t JaeJoong’s or JunSu’s.
They go up at least few floors, before their manager declares that they are here-wherever here is. He takes off the blindfolds, telling them not to open their eyes until he tells them to. He wants them to open their eyes together, in unity.
The way Dong Bang Shin Ki should always be.
On the count of three-he says. And YooChun grins at how childish this is.
One. JaeJoong’s voice is a little louder than all of them.
Two. JunSu’s tone changes into his dolphin voice, unable to contain his excitement.
Three. And all of them hold their breaths before opening their eyes.
Surprise-their manager exclaims and for the first time since they learned about Dong Bang Shin Ki being all five of them in one group, they are held in awe, unable to speak. In front of them is a fully furnished apartment with a television, a kitchen, two rooms and a veranda.
It is YunHo who finds his voice first and asks-This is…?
Your new home, YunHo-yah. Dong Bang Shin Ki’s home.
*
They rush to explore the whole house like kids on a new playground. JaeJoong is scanning every inch of the kitchen; JunSu explores the veranda. YunHo is busy with all the body building equipments; YooChun tinkers with the television and the PlayStation.
Jae hyung-ChangMin calls from the bedroom-we have double decks!
All of them rush inside the bedroom, forgetting that their youngest only mentioned JaeJoong’s name. True enough, they have two double decks and a single bed. ChangMin is already sitting on one of the double decks and excitedly pulls JaeJoong to his side and tells him that his bed is above the one has just chosen.
YunHo expects-wants-JaeJoong to question ChangMin’s decision but the older one doesn’t. Instead, he agrees to it and immediately climbs to the top deck. JunSu rushes to the other one, telling YooChun that they could share it and the latter immediately agrees-Can I have the top deck?
And just like that, YunHo is left with the single bed.
*
This is going to be fun, isn’t it JaeJoong hyung?
Yeah. It will be.
And YooChun can’t help but think that he is supposed to get all jealous about JaeJoong not looking at him while answering his question. But he doesn’t. Not the way he thinks he supposed to be or the way he knows he should be.
Not even when JaeJoong is looking at ChangMin with that sweet smile on his face.
***
tbc.
author: yumeyana
fandom: dbsk
pairing: jaejoong x changmin (jaechun, hosu, yunjae)
rating/genre: PG / drama, angst, sap, romance, humor
chapter: 4 of ?
summary: Lines are crossed, days are made better. ChangMin asks the question he's never asked before and JaeJoong finds out that a home can be created between two smiles.
Previous Chapters can be found here.
[crossposted at _starcandy and at hug______.]
Author’s Notes: Will I forever apologize for delaying every chapter? Probably yes. I had to change my original plans since someone was being too lovable and I had a soft spot for a certain pairing. So, I had to change a lot of things in the story’s outline. Who those people are, you’d have to guess. ^^ Anyway, here’s the next installment Hope you enjoy it~!
Disclaimers: None of the Dong Bang Shin Ki boys are mine no matter how much I wish they would be. The events below are purely a figment of my over-active imagination. The plot is mine.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pedestrian Crossings
04 : Tangent.
JunSu~!
He turns around at the sound of YooChun’s voice and smiles. He doesn’t flinch at YooChun’s playful hug-in fact, he welcomes the warmth of that embrace-and doesn’t even mind that the older one is doing all that in front of YunHo. Not even when that little hug just disturbed his rare walk with the latter.
Quite the ball of sunshine, aren’t you, YooChun-ah?
He smiles at JunSu, bright and infectious. YunHo suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. YooChun still isn’t in his list of people he wants to see or be with; come to think about it, perhaps the list is too… short-listed. But after that little hugging session with JaeJoong, he thinks-he knows-he has every right to feel at least a bit pissed off about everything that’s happening. Or not happening.
It’s a beautiful day, ‘Su. There’s absolutely no reason not to feel happy.
And YunHo thinks, he couldn’t agree less.
*
JunSu laughs at how surprised ChangMin is when YooChun tackles him the moment they enter the room. He waves at a blinking JaeJoong and the older one waves back just in time before YooChun leaves a squirming ChangMin to tackle JaeJoong. I think he’s had too many chocolate-JunSu tells the eldest.
ChangMin shivers-Next time, no chocolate for YooChun hyung.
YooChun turns to the two youngest and protests, saying that it isn’t the chocolate-although he has had quite a few. It’s just that I feel happy-and he twirls around, humming a song they’ve never heard before.
Perhaps you could share that with YunHo-JaeJoong tells him, eyeing his best friend from his seat.
YooChun stops twirling; ChangMin stops smiling. JunSu berates himself for even feeling happy when YunHo absolutely doesn’t feel anything close to that. It is as if the whole room is suddenly devoid of all of the happiness YooChun came in with.
YunHo rolls his eyes and plops beside JaeJoong-Then you should smile, Jae.
JaeJoong pats his leg-I’ve been doing that, YunHo-yah. You’ve been too busy pouting.
Somewhere in that conversation, the world moves again but JunSu knows that it is starting to move in another direction. And he can see that it doesn’t involve him or ChangMin or YooChun. The world is turning the way YunHo wants it to-with JaeJoong smiling.
At him.
*
And ChangMin actually wants to hug Lee SooMan for entering the room at that very moment. Their little drama ends and another unfolds. All of them stand in attention-JunSu, YunHo, JaeJoong, ChangMin and YooChun. In that order.
Lee SooMan smiles at them and tells them to take a seat.
Unconsciously, it is JunSu and YunHo who sit beside each other while JaeJoong sits in between YooChun and ChangMin. YunHo doesn’t seem to like it but he doesn’t say anything; it is business before anything personal. YooChun even seems to have forgotten the tension between all of them.
SM Entertainment’s top man is telling them something but ChangMin’s attention is somewhere else. He sees the way JunSu tries not to hold YunHo’s hand, how the latter tries to keep eye contact with JaeJoong. And how JaeJoong gives that small smile of his, seemingly oblivious to the intricate tug-of-war.
It is a complicated weave of unrequited loves, ChangMin thinks.
He blinks. Love?
*
The news surprises all of them-all four of them, at least-and even YunHo’s pout vanishes into a wide smile. JunSu’s lips curve into one of the biggest smiles YooChun has ever seen him wear as YunHo turns to him and grabs his hands in excitement. JaeJoong is close to laughing-that confused look on ChangMin’s face is just priceless-and YooChun helps his hyung in explaining to the youngest what just transpired.
They-all five of them-are going to be in one group.
All five of them are going to debut as one group.
Perhaps he has been right all along; YooChun smiles as JaeJoong’s right hand find his, the left one in ChangMin’s. They all stand and shake hands with Lee SooMan; YunHo, as if by default, assumes the leader position and thanks him for placing his trust on them.
Yes, there is absolutely no reason not to be happy today.
**
It is a whirlwind of song and dance practices, meetings with Lee SooMan and the members of the production team, costume fittings, and acting lessons. There is barely time to sit down and eat or to go back to their respective homes and rest. Most of the time, the crash into the nearest apartment-that being JunSu’s. And by crash, JaeJoong thinks, they mean it literally.
There are times when YooChun falls asleep even before they get to the apartment and ChangMin takes on the job of carrying his hyung on his back; his best friend would stand between him and JunSu, supporting whoever falters in his step first. Sometimes, YooChun clings onto JunSu’s arm-head on the younger one’s shoulder-while behind them, YunHo walks by himself. And it is at those times, where he slips his hand into ChangMin’s, swinging with a light rhythm.
And JaeJoong thinks, he loves that he produces a smile on ChangMin’s tired features.
*
Two hours before their first public appearance as a group, JunSu is on his feet, burning a hole on the floor. YunHo is walking around, checking if everything is in order. YooChun is on the phone with his brother. JaeJoong is sitting on one corner, eyes closed.
ChangMin tries not to be difficult-the make-up artist keeps telling him to stay still-but his eyes are watching JaeJoong. He knows that beneath that calm face, JaeJoong is actually nervous. He is, most probably, running the whole performance in his mind-every step, every note. He is making sure that he knows, he remembers every part of the routine. Memorizing it enough to make it perfect.
The youngest sees YunHo looking at JaeJoong from afar, trying to gauge if it is alright to approach the oldest or not. But before their leader could decided, JunSu crosses his path and with YunHo, responsibility always comes first; therefore, he comforts JunSu-Calm down, ‘Su-running his hand on the latter’s back.
The make-up artist lets him go, finally.
He makes sure that he thanks her before tiptoeing towards JaeJoong. He places his hands on the older one’s shoulders, gently massaging them. JaeJoong’s eyes suddenly open, looking a bit pissed off that someone is disturbing his peace. He looks up-Ah, ChangMin-ah-and then his features soften into a smile.
ChangMin kneels down and puts his arms around JaeJoong-You’ll be great, hyung.
JaeJoong leans into the embrace, closing his eyes-Yeah. I think so, too.
Really? You think so, too?
The older one opens one eye-ChangMin-ah. Did you just tell me that to make me feel better?
ChangMin tightens his hold on JaeJoong, burying his nose in the latter’s soft locks. Who cares if the make-up artist and the hairstylist will get his head later for doing this? JaeJoong’s hair smells like a variation of flowers in a field. And yet beneath that is a tinge of a scent of the man that he is.
Mmm…Maybe.
JaeJoong reaches over and bops his head with hand-Brat.
And ChangMin bites his tongue before he could say-Only for you, hyung.
**
Their manager calls them to the office one day, saying that he needs to tell them something important. They arrive almost simultaneously, tired and yet alert enough to take on the day’s activities. Ever since the debut, they’ve barely seen each other without eye bags, without make-up to conceal them. They’ve been drinking energy drinks-two to three a day-squeezing each other’s hand whenever one of them feels a little too tired and overwhelmed.
And YooChun is somehow thankful that their little tug-of-war is somehow on hiatus.
Their manager asks them if they trust him and they nod-Of course, we do. Then he smiles and blindfolds each of them. YooChun hears YunHo ask what is happening-Is there really a need to put a handkerchief over our eyes? But their manager doesn’t say anything.
He whisks them away from the office to the car and drives them off to somewhere. He can hear ChangMin beside him-Where are you taking us, hyung?-his voice a little too irritated for their normal ChangMinnie. Their manager answers this time-We have a surprise for you-and YooChun notes that there is amusement in his voice.
It calms them a little, that promise of a surprise, and YooChun can’t help but grin. Underneath their newly found star status, all five of them are still kids who could be bribed with a surprise.
The car stops and their managers assist them out. Hold each other’s hands-he tells them-so you won’t lose sight of each other. YooChun hears JunSu chuckle somewhere to his right and he could almost tell why the latter is doing so. How could they lose sight of each other when they are already blindfolded?
But they do as they have been told and YooChun finds himself holding hands with YunHo. Or he thinks-feels, rather-that it is YunHo. He could be wrong.
Yet he definitely knows that they aren’t JaeJoong’s or JunSu’s.
They go up at least few floors, before their manager declares that they are here-wherever here is. He takes off the blindfolds, telling them not to open their eyes until he tells them to. He wants them to open their eyes together, in unity.
The way Dong Bang Shin Ki should always be.
On the count of three-he says. And YooChun grins at how childish this is.
One. JaeJoong’s voice is a little louder than all of them.
Two. JunSu’s tone changes into his dolphin voice, unable to contain his excitement.
Three. And all of them hold their breaths before opening their eyes.
Surprise-their manager exclaims and for the first time since they learned about Dong Bang Shin Ki being all five of them in one group, they are held in awe, unable to speak. In front of them is a fully furnished apartment with a television, a kitchen, two rooms and a veranda.
It is YunHo who finds his voice first and asks-This is…?
Your new home, YunHo-yah. Dong Bang Shin Ki’s home.
*
They rush to explore the whole house like kids on a new playground. JaeJoong is scanning every inch of the kitchen; JunSu explores the veranda. YunHo is busy with all the body building equipments; YooChun tinkers with the television and the PlayStation.
Jae hyung-ChangMin calls from the bedroom-we have double decks!
All of them rush inside the bedroom, forgetting that their youngest only mentioned JaeJoong’s name. True enough, they have two double decks and a single bed. ChangMin is already sitting on one of the double decks and excitedly pulls JaeJoong to his side and tells him that his bed is above the one has just chosen.
YunHo expects-wants-JaeJoong to question ChangMin’s decision but the older one doesn’t. Instead, he agrees to it and immediately climbs to the top deck. JunSu rushes to the other one, telling YooChun that they could share it and the latter immediately agrees-Can I have the top deck?
And just like that, YunHo is left with the single bed.
*
This is going to be fun, isn’t it JaeJoong hyung?
Yeah. It will be.
And YooChun can’t help but think that he is supposed to get all jealous about JaeJoong not looking at him while answering his question. But he doesn’t. Not the way he thinks he supposed to be or the way he knows he should be.
Not even when JaeJoong is looking at ChangMin with that sweet smile on his face.
***
tbc.