No Show Fee: 17. Fare Calculation [JaeMin, JaeHae, YehHae; DBSJ]
title: No Show Fee : 17. Fare Calculation
author: yumeyana
fandom: dong bang shin ki / super junior
pairs: JaeMin, JaeHae, YehHae (YooSu, KangTeuk, etc.)
rating/genre: PG-13 - NC-17 / drama, angst, humor, romance
summary: They say love waits. But the question always is, until when? The aftermath of Jaejoong and Changmin's meeting takes a toll on Jaejoong and Donghae's relationship. Their busy schedule doens't help either; all work and no play meant they didn't get a chance to talk to each other. And while Jaejoong tries to ignore Changmin, Donghae tries to overcome his fear of losing the one he loves. But with everything that has been happening, will it be enough?
[crossposted at hug______, miracle______, _starcandy.]
Author’s Notes: After a month long absence, I am back. I’ve been planning the next few chapters while I was away and well, we all know the infamous writer’s block that plagues everyone. xD Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. The tension is building up and soon-well, we’ll see, won’t we? :D
Disclaimers: None of the Dong Bang Shin Ki and Super Junior boys are mine, only the plot is.
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THEN:
His eyes widened when he saw that there was a cab waiting for Jaejoong outside the house. His breath hitched when he saw Donghae get out and welcome Jaejoong with open arms. The latter immediately surrendered into those arms, allowing Donghae to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Let’s go,” he heard Jaejoong say. Donghae cocked his head to the side. “I thought I’d say hi to Miwha-sshi-” Jaejoong shook his head. “Heechul hyung will burn us alive if we waste another minute.” Donghae blinked before nodding. He opened the door and let Jaejoong enter the cab first. Yoochun was about to breathe again when Donghae looked back, looking straight at Changmin, before entering the cab. He said nothing but Yoochun was sure he didn’t need to.
That one look was enough.
No Show Fee : Fare Calculation
The trip to the airport was quiet and Jaejoong was thankful that Donghae didn’t say anything at all. Although, Jaejoong thought, he was sure that Donghae saw Changmin and that he already knew-at least he could surmise what has happened and he had questions Jaejoong had to answer. He sighed as Donghae put an arm around him, leaning in and closing his eyes. He liked this-this comfort he felt whenever Donghae was around. It made him forget everything else.
“Why don’t you sleep, hm?” he heard Donghae whisper. He nodded, snuggling closer. Sleep was a nice thing to do, he thought as he felt Donghae’s fingers run through his hair. It was something that could make time run along without him taking part in its existence. He smiled when he heard Donghae humming an old lullaby. This was perfect and no one and nothing can take this away from him.
Not even his past.
*
Donghae held Jaejoong close, softly singing to the singer. He could hear Jaejoong’s breathing finally settle down and he wished he could make his mind do the same. But all his mind was processing was that Changmin was there and that he could’ve lost Jaejoong. He was too close and he knew that Jaejoong came unprepared for it. Changmin must’ve said something that bothered Jaejoong a great deal. He saw it in Jaejoong’s eyes, heard it in his voice-his silence.
He looked out of the window, trying his best to appreciate the scenery but his mind was somewhere else. He wanted to know what happened without prying, without making Jaejoong angry at him. He sighed; it was a tall order, wanting all that, but he didn’t want to put their relationship in jeopardy just because he was curious. Fine, he thought; curious wasn’t exactly the word for it.
He was afraid.
*
Changmin could hear his heart slowly die with every second he spent standing on the same spot where he saw Jaejoong leave with Donghae. It was heartbreaking to see how Jaejoong smiled, how he kissed Donghae, how he seemed to fit there in Donghae’s arms. That was his place, he wanted to shout. That was his place but that was before he left for Canada-left Jaejoong behind. That was before, he thought, remembering the look Donghae gave him before they left.
He’s mine now.
He closed his eyes, the tears he had kept at bay falling down his cheeks. He had lost simply because he decided not to act sooner. He had lost because he didn’t take the risk of telling Jaejoong how he really felt. And Donghae won because he played his cards when he could’ve just stayed in sidelines and watched Jaejoong from afar.
“Changmin?”
He didn’t turn around, didn’t even move. It hurt so much to even do anything but cry right now. “Look at me,” he heard Yoochun say but he didn’t. Why can’t they just let him cry, he thought. Yoochun sighed. “Changmin, listen. You failed Jaejoong hyung. Whatever reason you have for not calling, it’s not enough. For Jaejoong hyung, it will never be enough.”
“I know.” He paused, trying his best to steady his voice. “I fucking know, hyung.”
*
“Kibum, stop.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Not now, anyway. But I know you will,” Kyuhyun said, not releasing his hold on Kibum’s wrist. The latter was trembling, anger rising with every second they spent outside of Changmin’s house. They had seen everything-from Jaejoong’s sudden departure to Donghae’s surprising arrival. It took all of Kyuhyun’s strength to rein Kibum in. He knew that if Kibum had been on his own, he would’ve rushed towards Donghae and punched him. To hell with them being long-time friends and all.
“Let me go, Kyu. Miwha-sshi needs her medicines.”
“Not until you calm down just a bit. You can’t go back there like this.”
Kibum glanced sharply at him, unable to decide whether he wanted to hit Kyuhyun for being overprotective or for being reasonable. He shook his head; he was never going to win against a stubborn Kyuhyun. No one ever did, not even Changmin. He sighed, slightly leaning on Kyuhyun. He was right; even if Changmin needed him right now, he couldn’t go back like this. He needed to calm himself down first. He could punch Donghae later, he thought. Perhaps he’ll let him explain then punch him. Or he could do it the other way around. That could be better.
“You’re never going to calm down if you keep planning on how to deal with Donghae hyung.”
His eyes widened. “How did you know?”
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “You were snickering, stupid. You sounded like Muttley.”
“You watch too much cartoons, Kyu.”
*
“I sense a but somewhere there.”
Yoochun waited against his own will. He wanted to figure out just why Changmin was here, why Changmin said what he did to Jaejoong. Well, he thought, scratch that; he knew why but he wanted to hear it from Shim Changmin himself. He wanted to know if he was still reading his dongsaeng right.
Changmin shifted, teeth biting his lower lip. From years of living with him, Yoochun knew that their magnae wasn’t the type who would say exactly how he felt. It was one of his most hideous traits, Yoochun thought, especially when he was dealing with a certain Kim Jaejoong.
The younger one’s tear-filled eyes met his, hesitation evident in them. Yoochun could see what he was trying so hard to say-Changmin was having a hard time formulating the right sentence-and he should’ve just let his magnae’s misery end right there but he couldn’t. If he was going to side with Changmin, he would do it for the right reasons.
“But I love him, hyung.”
Changmin’s voice was barely above a whisper but he could hear the truth in Changmin’s voice. Yoochun smiled, taking Changmin’s hand in his. That was all he needed to hear.
“Then let’s get your supposedly intelligent brain to work, shall we?”
*
Yehsung was all but angry when they showed up later that day. He even took Donghae and Jaejoong by surprise by hugging them tight. It wasn’t unwelcome but it was something they hadn’t expected, Donghae thought; after all, didn’t he just have an argument with Yehsung earlier? He was about to say something about it when Yehsung looked at him and smiled. He understood; Donghae could see that he understood.
And he hugged Yehsung tighter.
Heechul, however, was not as ecstatic. He did not say anything regarding their disappearance, though; he just told them to get ready to shoot in thirty minutes. That gave them enough time to shower and get dressed, he said then he was gone. Saitoh shook his head and grinned before disappearing into his room. It was one of the weirdest sequences of events, Jaejoong thought, but he didn’t mention it to anyone. They only had twenty-nine minutes and counting.
*
Junsu was talking non-stop, trying his best keep Miwha distracted. He didn’t exactly know what was happening but he could feel the tension even from afar. Something happened to Jaejoong and Changmin. And whatever that something was has caused Kyuhyun to keep Kibum by his side. Yoochun has disappeared as well and Junsu only hoped that his boyfriend was making sure their magnae was alright.
“Junsu yah.”
The singer suddenly stopped talking, almost choking in his own words. Miwha was looking at him as if she knew something was up. It was a bad thing, Junsu thought, since Miwha was supposed to be relaxing, not thinking about things that made him the fidgety.
“Does Jaejoong know?”
“Know what, Miwha-sshi?”
“How much my son loves him.”
Junsu looked away, sighing. This was the subject he wished they’d never discuss. It was enough that it brought so much stress to him and all the people involved. They didn’t need Miwha worrying about such things. But, Junsu thought, she was Changmin’s mother. And, in a way, Jaejoong’s mother as well. She had every right to know what was happening.
He shook his head. “Jaejoong hyung doesn’t read between the lines.”
“And my son has drawn too many lines for his own good.”
“You could say that.”
*
Divine intervention, as Yoochun would so eloquently put it, came a week after. He and Junsu were having lunch with Yunho and Hyukjae when one of their former managers sat with them. They were in the middle of reminiscing the old times when he mentioned the drama Jaejoong was in.
“I heard that the original writer for the novel it’s based on decided to do some last minute changes,” he said, earning a grin from Hyukjae. “I’m sure that pissed Heechul hyung off,” the dancer remarked and everyone agreed. “If it did,” continued their former manager. “He didn’t let anyone notice. Heechul has learned how to control his mouth when it comes to such matters.” Everyone laughed.
“Those last minute changes,” Yoochun said, bringing the conversation back to the original topic. “What were they about, hyung?” Their former manager shifted uneasily, lowering his voice. “I don’t exactly know what changes were made but they’re having auditions tomorrow.” Then he raised his voice again. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Yoochun grinned. “Of course, we didn’t.”
*
Heechul glared at his mobile phone, hoping that the person in the other line would drop down and die. It was something he shouldn’t be wishing since he was the reason why he had a job but right now, but Heechul loathed him greatly. He had every right to know who was picked for the role, dammit. He didn’t want something like the previous casting to happen again.
We’ll let you know once you get back next month, Heechul-sshi. Until then, good luck with the rest of the filming. He gritted his teeth, thanking his boss for the nth time around. He hated this part of his job. He was not Heechul whenever he did this and it irked him a great deal. But he did it nonetheless. It was part of the job description.
He had never hated his job more than he did at that moment.
*
“They changed the ending?”
Heechul sighed, blowing his bangs out of his face. “Yes, Jongwoon. The drama’s been getting good reviews and the original writer decided to add something to spice it up.” He almost wanted to roll his eyes just like Saitoh did but he didn’t. Instead, he kicked the latter under the table. Saitoh winced. He smiled; point for Kim Heechul.
“Spice it up,” Jaejoong scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “As if it’s not as spicy enough.”
“I know,” Heechul said. “But what the writer wants, the writer gets. You know how it goes. So we’re set to go back to Korea by the end of the month. You’ll get the revised scripts then and we’ll start shooting again after two weeks.”
“You’re giving us a break?” came Donghae’s surprised voice.
“Stop sounding as if I’m treating you as slaves. If I remember correctly, I’ve given you enough breaks in the time we’ve spent here in Japan.” Donghae was smiling, eyes still wide. “Yeah. But still-two weeks? That’s just-wow.” Heechul glared at him. “I’m not Hitler, you know.”
Everyone laughed.
“Two weeks, huh,” Saitoh said after the laughter had subsided. “That’s enough time to give me a tour, isn’t it, Jongwoon-kun?” Yehsung raised an eyebrow, glaring at the older one when he used his real name. “What do you mean ‘give you a tour’? You’re not going back with us.” Saitoh smiled sweetly at him and Yehsung swore he would arrange an appointment with the dentist soon. “But of course I am. Right, Heechul-kun?” Yehsung turned to his hyung, hoping against hope that Saitoh was playing one of his tricks with him again. Heechul sighed. “Yeah.”
Yehsung groaned.
*
The first two weeks of their remaining month in Japan had been more tiring than all of their previous months put together. There had been no time to rest in between takes; everyone was busy practicing for the next scene if they weren’t in the one they were currently shooting. Heechul had been particularly testy, the stress building up day after day. Saitoh had stayed away and hadn’t tried testing Heechul’s thinning patience. No one commented on this silent truce; they were all grateful for it and saying something about it would only get their butts kicked. And no one wanted that especially if the one kicking was one pissed off Kim Heechul.
Jaejoong, however, was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice such things. Because of their busy schedule, he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Donghae, much less spend time with his boyfriend aside from the parts they had together. They were all work and no play for at the end of the day, they were too tired to do anything other that kiss each other goodnight. Which was all too bad because all Jaejoong needed at the moment was Donghae.
He sighed, settling down on the nearest chair with his script in hand. They had just finished shooting his scene at least ten times before Heechul was satisfied with it. They were shooting Donghae and Yehsung’s scene now and even though Jaejoong had his eyes closed, he could feel Donghae’s eyes on him.
He wished he could talk to Donghae. He wanted to tell him what happened on that day three weeks ago. He wanted to tell Donghae everything including all the text messages and the e-mails he had been getting from Changmin. Jaejoong put a hand on top of his eyes, shielding them from the glaring noon sun; not even his closed eyes and the umbrella above him could prevent the sun from piercing him. Ever since that day, Changmin had been sending him text messages ranging from the short I’m sorry, hyung to the longer I’m sorry to the long I was afraid that I didn’t know what to say once I called; I should’ve called nonetheless. He had erased all of them; well at first, he did so after reading them-he was curious what other excuses Changmin could come up with-but after a few days, he had grown tired of them and had deleted them as soon as he had received them. The same went with the e-mails. Changmin even had the audacity to attach old photos of them in the mail. The brat, he thought, feeling a headache coming.
“Headache?” he heard Donghae ask in his ear, voice but a whisper. He smiled, leaning towards the source of the voice. He could feel Donghae’s lips near his ear. Had he been thinking too much not to hear Heechul call for a break, he thought. “Kiss it better,” he said. They hadn’t been intimate in weeks and this was what he needed. He opened his eyes slightly and saw Donghae’s face hovering above his.
“Kiss it better, Hae,” he repeated softly, pouting cutely for added flair. Donghae smiled and drew him close, kissing his lips instead of his head. Jaejoong wrapped his arms around Donghae’s neck, pulling him closer. He felt Donghae grin as the younger one fell on his lap. Donghae snaked his arms around Jaejoong’s waist, unmindful that they were on the set. No one would mind, Jaejoong thought, slipping his tongue in, meeting Donghae’s. He could do this all day, all his life. But before they could go any further, Donghae pulled away but rested his forehead on Jaejoong’s own. Jaejoong sighed; he opened his eyes and drowned himself in Donghae’s chocolate eyes.
“Better?” he asked.
A smile tugged on his lips. “It could use more of your wonderful medicine, sensei.”
And Donghae grinned.
*
“Your turn, Hae,” Yehsung said as he came out of the shower. He was about to get dressed when he saw Donghae sitting on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the wall across him. Yehsung sighed, glancing at the towel that hung loosely on his waist; so much for getting dressed quickly. “Hey,” he said, sitting beside his dongsaeng. “What’s wrong?”
Donghae sighed, head immediately falling on Yehsung’s shoulder. The latter almost stiffened by instinct and was glad he didn’t when he heard Donghae’s next words. “Changmin’s back, hyung.” Yehsung blinked; Changmin was what? “He was there when I went after Jaejoong hyung,” Donghae continued when the older one remained silent. “He was there.” He could feel Donghae’s body tremble as if the sentence had some kind of power. His dongsaeng had been keeping this inside way too long, Yehsung thought as he pulled the younger one closer; Donghae cuddled even closer, putting his arms around Yehsung’s waist and resting his head on Yehsung’s bare chest. For a moment there, Yehsung wished he had changed into something more decent before approaching Donghae. He sighed; now was not the time to be thinking about such things.
“Have you talked to Jaejoong about this?” he asked, running his fingers through Donghae’s hair. Donghae shook his head. “We haven’t exactly had time for each other lately, hyung. We’ve all been busy these past few weeks.” Donghae paused and whatever he was going to say next was choked back in a sob. Yehsung held him tighter. He knew how scared Donghae was; Changmin, the one obstacle he thought he had eliminated, was back and he wasn’t entirely sure he could win again. A rematch was usually harder than the original fight. And no matter how much Donghae strengthened his fort, Changmin still had a hell of a fighting chance. He sighed for what seemed to be the nth time that night. If only he could take Donghae away from all this, he would. He’d make Donghae realize that he had been waiting all these years, that he was here and that he loved Donghae and no one else.
But.
“Talk to him, Hae. I’m sure he’s been wanting to do that ever since that happened.”
Donghae sniffed, lifting his head. Their eyes met. “You think so?”
Yehsung could feel his heart breaking with every second he spent playing the reliable hyung, the friend Donghae needed right now. The moon to his now absent sun. He brought out his most convincing smile, gulping down all of the tears he knew that would fall the moment Donghae left him alone with his thoughts.
“I know so.”
*
Yunho watched his dongsaeng burn a hole in the apartment he now shared with Hyukjae. He wanted to tell said dongsaeng to stop walking and to stay put but he knew better than that. He sighed. If only Yoochun and Junsu weren’t busy with their new album, he wouldn’t even allow this dongsaeng to stay with them.
He was destroying his quality time with his boyfriend.
“I thought you said we weren’t going to help,” Hyukjae whispered, settling beside Yunho on the couch. The latter snorted as he let Hyukjae lean on him, arm snaking around the younger one’s waist. “Your best friend used his puppy dog eyes on me.” Hyukjae grinned. “And you fell for that?” Yunho sighed, rolling his eyes; the younger dancer laughed. “You’re too cute when you’re frustrated, Yunja.”
“Say that again or-”
Hyukjae’s grin grew wider, eyes challenging. “Or what, hm?”
“I could leave that to your imagination, Hyukkie.” Yunho’s irritated look was replaced with a certain smugness he was known for. “Or I could demonstrate it if you want.” Hyukjae licked his lips, noticing how close they were. “Oh dear me,” he said, eyes twinkling. “How do I pick?”
“YUNHO HYUNG, MY VIRGIN EYES.”
“Shut up, Changmin! I can seduce my boyfriend anywhere I want!”
“MY VIRGIN EARS!”
“Shut up!”
tbc.
16 | 18
Check-in. Check-out.
No Show Fee: o1 | o2 | o3 | o4 | o5.a | o5.b | o6 | st, boarding pass | o7.a | o7.b. | o7.c | o7.d | o8.a | o8.b | o8.c | o8.d | o8.e | o9 | 1o | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
author: yumeyana
fandom: dong bang shin ki / super junior
pairs: JaeMin, JaeHae, YehHae (YooSu, KangTeuk, etc.)
rating/genre: PG-13 - NC-17 / drama, angst, humor, romance
summary: They say love waits. But the question always is, until when? The aftermath of Jaejoong and Changmin's meeting takes a toll on Jaejoong and Donghae's relationship. Their busy schedule doens't help either; all work and no play meant they didn't get a chance to talk to each other. And while Jaejoong tries to ignore Changmin, Donghae tries to overcome his fear of losing the one he loves. But with everything that has been happening, will it be enough?
[crossposted at hug______, miracle______, _starcandy.]
Author’s Notes: After a month long absence, I am back. I’ve been planning the next few chapters while I was away and well, we all know the infamous writer’s block that plagues everyone. xD Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. The tension is building up and soon-well, we’ll see, won’t we? :D
Disclaimers: None of the Dong Bang Shin Ki and Super Junior boys are mine, only the plot is.
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THEN:
His eyes widened when he saw that there was a cab waiting for Jaejoong outside the house. His breath hitched when he saw Donghae get out and welcome Jaejoong with open arms. The latter immediately surrendered into those arms, allowing Donghae to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Let’s go,” he heard Jaejoong say. Donghae cocked his head to the side. “I thought I’d say hi to Miwha-sshi-” Jaejoong shook his head. “Heechul hyung will burn us alive if we waste another minute.” Donghae blinked before nodding. He opened the door and let Jaejoong enter the cab first. Yoochun was about to breathe again when Donghae looked back, looking straight at Changmin, before entering the cab. He said nothing but Yoochun was sure he didn’t need to.
That one look was enough.
No Show Fee : Fare Calculation
The trip to the airport was quiet and Jaejoong was thankful that Donghae didn’t say anything at all. Although, Jaejoong thought, he was sure that Donghae saw Changmin and that he already knew-at least he could surmise what has happened and he had questions Jaejoong had to answer. He sighed as Donghae put an arm around him, leaning in and closing his eyes. He liked this-this comfort he felt whenever Donghae was around. It made him forget everything else.
“Why don’t you sleep, hm?” he heard Donghae whisper. He nodded, snuggling closer. Sleep was a nice thing to do, he thought as he felt Donghae’s fingers run through his hair. It was something that could make time run along without him taking part in its existence. He smiled when he heard Donghae humming an old lullaby. This was perfect and no one and nothing can take this away from him.
Not even his past.
*
Donghae held Jaejoong close, softly singing to the singer. He could hear Jaejoong’s breathing finally settle down and he wished he could make his mind do the same. But all his mind was processing was that Changmin was there and that he could’ve lost Jaejoong. He was too close and he knew that Jaejoong came unprepared for it. Changmin must’ve said something that bothered Jaejoong a great deal. He saw it in Jaejoong’s eyes, heard it in his voice-his silence.
He looked out of the window, trying his best to appreciate the scenery but his mind was somewhere else. He wanted to know what happened without prying, without making Jaejoong angry at him. He sighed; it was a tall order, wanting all that, but he didn’t want to put their relationship in jeopardy just because he was curious. Fine, he thought; curious wasn’t exactly the word for it.
He was afraid.
*
Changmin could hear his heart slowly die with every second he spent standing on the same spot where he saw Jaejoong leave with Donghae. It was heartbreaking to see how Jaejoong smiled, how he kissed Donghae, how he seemed to fit there in Donghae’s arms. That was his place, he wanted to shout. That was his place but that was before he left for Canada-left Jaejoong behind. That was before, he thought, remembering the look Donghae gave him before they left.
He’s mine now.
He closed his eyes, the tears he had kept at bay falling down his cheeks. He had lost simply because he decided not to act sooner. He had lost because he didn’t take the risk of telling Jaejoong how he really felt. And Donghae won because he played his cards when he could’ve just stayed in sidelines and watched Jaejoong from afar.
“Changmin?”
He didn’t turn around, didn’t even move. It hurt so much to even do anything but cry right now. “Look at me,” he heard Yoochun say but he didn’t. Why can’t they just let him cry, he thought. Yoochun sighed. “Changmin, listen. You failed Jaejoong hyung. Whatever reason you have for not calling, it’s not enough. For Jaejoong hyung, it will never be enough.”
“I know.” He paused, trying his best to steady his voice. “I fucking know, hyung.”
*
“Kibum, stop.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Not now, anyway. But I know you will,” Kyuhyun said, not releasing his hold on Kibum’s wrist. The latter was trembling, anger rising with every second they spent outside of Changmin’s house. They had seen everything-from Jaejoong’s sudden departure to Donghae’s surprising arrival. It took all of Kyuhyun’s strength to rein Kibum in. He knew that if Kibum had been on his own, he would’ve rushed towards Donghae and punched him. To hell with them being long-time friends and all.
“Let me go, Kyu. Miwha-sshi needs her medicines.”
“Not until you calm down just a bit. You can’t go back there like this.”
Kibum glanced sharply at him, unable to decide whether he wanted to hit Kyuhyun for being overprotective or for being reasonable. He shook his head; he was never going to win against a stubborn Kyuhyun. No one ever did, not even Changmin. He sighed, slightly leaning on Kyuhyun. He was right; even if Changmin needed him right now, he couldn’t go back like this. He needed to calm himself down first. He could punch Donghae later, he thought. Perhaps he’ll let him explain then punch him. Or he could do it the other way around. That could be better.
“You’re never going to calm down if you keep planning on how to deal with Donghae hyung.”
His eyes widened. “How did you know?”
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “You were snickering, stupid. You sounded like Muttley.”
“You watch too much cartoons, Kyu.”
*
“I sense a but somewhere there.”
Yoochun waited against his own will. He wanted to figure out just why Changmin was here, why Changmin said what he did to Jaejoong. Well, he thought, scratch that; he knew why but he wanted to hear it from Shim Changmin himself. He wanted to know if he was still reading his dongsaeng right.
Changmin shifted, teeth biting his lower lip. From years of living with him, Yoochun knew that their magnae wasn’t the type who would say exactly how he felt. It was one of his most hideous traits, Yoochun thought, especially when he was dealing with a certain Kim Jaejoong.
The younger one’s tear-filled eyes met his, hesitation evident in them. Yoochun could see what he was trying so hard to say-Changmin was having a hard time formulating the right sentence-and he should’ve just let his magnae’s misery end right there but he couldn’t. If he was going to side with Changmin, he would do it for the right reasons.
“But I love him, hyung.”
Changmin’s voice was barely above a whisper but he could hear the truth in Changmin’s voice. Yoochun smiled, taking Changmin’s hand in his. That was all he needed to hear.
“Then let’s get your supposedly intelligent brain to work, shall we?”
*
Yehsung was all but angry when they showed up later that day. He even took Donghae and Jaejoong by surprise by hugging them tight. It wasn’t unwelcome but it was something they hadn’t expected, Donghae thought; after all, didn’t he just have an argument with Yehsung earlier? He was about to say something about it when Yehsung looked at him and smiled. He understood; Donghae could see that he understood.
And he hugged Yehsung tighter.
Heechul, however, was not as ecstatic. He did not say anything regarding their disappearance, though; he just told them to get ready to shoot in thirty minutes. That gave them enough time to shower and get dressed, he said then he was gone. Saitoh shook his head and grinned before disappearing into his room. It was one of the weirdest sequences of events, Jaejoong thought, but he didn’t mention it to anyone. They only had twenty-nine minutes and counting.
*
Junsu was talking non-stop, trying his best keep Miwha distracted. He didn’t exactly know what was happening but he could feel the tension even from afar. Something happened to Jaejoong and Changmin. And whatever that something was has caused Kyuhyun to keep Kibum by his side. Yoochun has disappeared as well and Junsu only hoped that his boyfriend was making sure their magnae was alright.
“Junsu yah.”
The singer suddenly stopped talking, almost choking in his own words. Miwha was looking at him as if she knew something was up. It was a bad thing, Junsu thought, since Miwha was supposed to be relaxing, not thinking about things that made him the fidgety.
“Does Jaejoong know?”
“Know what, Miwha-sshi?”
“How much my son loves him.”
Junsu looked away, sighing. This was the subject he wished they’d never discuss. It was enough that it brought so much stress to him and all the people involved. They didn’t need Miwha worrying about such things. But, Junsu thought, she was Changmin’s mother. And, in a way, Jaejoong’s mother as well. She had every right to know what was happening.
He shook his head. “Jaejoong hyung doesn’t read between the lines.”
“And my son has drawn too many lines for his own good.”
“You could say that.”
*
Divine intervention, as Yoochun would so eloquently put it, came a week after. He and Junsu were having lunch with Yunho and Hyukjae when one of their former managers sat with them. They were in the middle of reminiscing the old times when he mentioned the drama Jaejoong was in.
“I heard that the original writer for the novel it’s based on decided to do some last minute changes,” he said, earning a grin from Hyukjae. “I’m sure that pissed Heechul hyung off,” the dancer remarked and everyone agreed. “If it did,” continued their former manager. “He didn’t let anyone notice. Heechul has learned how to control his mouth when it comes to such matters.” Everyone laughed.
“Those last minute changes,” Yoochun said, bringing the conversation back to the original topic. “What were they about, hyung?” Their former manager shifted uneasily, lowering his voice. “I don’t exactly know what changes were made but they’re having auditions tomorrow.” Then he raised his voice again. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Yoochun grinned. “Of course, we didn’t.”
*
Heechul glared at his mobile phone, hoping that the person in the other line would drop down and die. It was something he shouldn’t be wishing since he was the reason why he had a job but right now, but Heechul loathed him greatly. He had every right to know who was picked for the role, dammit. He didn’t want something like the previous casting to happen again.
We’ll let you know once you get back next month, Heechul-sshi. Until then, good luck with the rest of the filming. He gritted his teeth, thanking his boss for the nth time around. He hated this part of his job. He was not Heechul whenever he did this and it irked him a great deal. But he did it nonetheless. It was part of the job description.
He had never hated his job more than he did at that moment.
*
“They changed the ending?”
Heechul sighed, blowing his bangs out of his face. “Yes, Jongwoon. The drama’s been getting good reviews and the original writer decided to add something to spice it up.” He almost wanted to roll his eyes just like Saitoh did but he didn’t. Instead, he kicked the latter under the table. Saitoh winced. He smiled; point for Kim Heechul.
“Spice it up,” Jaejoong scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “As if it’s not as spicy enough.”
“I know,” Heechul said. “But what the writer wants, the writer gets. You know how it goes. So we’re set to go back to Korea by the end of the month. You’ll get the revised scripts then and we’ll start shooting again after two weeks.”
“You’re giving us a break?” came Donghae’s surprised voice.
“Stop sounding as if I’m treating you as slaves. If I remember correctly, I’ve given you enough breaks in the time we’ve spent here in Japan.” Donghae was smiling, eyes still wide. “Yeah. But still-two weeks? That’s just-wow.” Heechul glared at him. “I’m not Hitler, you know.”
Everyone laughed.
“Two weeks, huh,” Saitoh said after the laughter had subsided. “That’s enough time to give me a tour, isn’t it, Jongwoon-kun?” Yehsung raised an eyebrow, glaring at the older one when he used his real name. “What do you mean ‘give you a tour’? You’re not going back with us.” Saitoh smiled sweetly at him and Yehsung swore he would arrange an appointment with the dentist soon. “But of course I am. Right, Heechul-kun?” Yehsung turned to his hyung, hoping against hope that Saitoh was playing one of his tricks with him again. Heechul sighed. “Yeah.”
Yehsung groaned.
*
The first two weeks of their remaining month in Japan had been more tiring than all of their previous months put together. There had been no time to rest in between takes; everyone was busy practicing for the next scene if they weren’t in the one they were currently shooting. Heechul had been particularly testy, the stress building up day after day. Saitoh had stayed away and hadn’t tried testing Heechul’s thinning patience. No one commented on this silent truce; they were all grateful for it and saying something about it would only get their butts kicked. And no one wanted that especially if the one kicking was one pissed off Kim Heechul.
Jaejoong, however, was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice such things. Because of their busy schedule, he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Donghae, much less spend time with his boyfriend aside from the parts they had together. They were all work and no play for at the end of the day, they were too tired to do anything other that kiss each other goodnight. Which was all too bad because all Jaejoong needed at the moment was Donghae.
He sighed, settling down on the nearest chair with his script in hand. They had just finished shooting his scene at least ten times before Heechul was satisfied with it. They were shooting Donghae and Yehsung’s scene now and even though Jaejoong had his eyes closed, he could feel Donghae’s eyes on him.
He wished he could talk to Donghae. He wanted to tell him what happened on that day three weeks ago. He wanted to tell Donghae everything including all the text messages and the e-mails he had been getting from Changmin. Jaejoong put a hand on top of his eyes, shielding them from the glaring noon sun; not even his closed eyes and the umbrella above him could prevent the sun from piercing him. Ever since that day, Changmin had been sending him text messages ranging from the short I’m sorry, hyung to the longer I’m sorry to the long I was afraid that I didn’t know what to say once I called; I should’ve called nonetheless. He had erased all of them; well at first, he did so after reading them-he was curious what other excuses Changmin could come up with-but after a few days, he had grown tired of them and had deleted them as soon as he had received them. The same went with the e-mails. Changmin even had the audacity to attach old photos of them in the mail. The brat, he thought, feeling a headache coming.
“Headache?” he heard Donghae ask in his ear, voice but a whisper. He smiled, leaning towards the source of the voice. He could feel Donghae’s lips near his ear. Had he been thinking too much not to hear Heechul call for a break, he thought. “Kiss it better,” he said. They hadn’t been intimate in weeks and this was what he needed. He opened his eyes slightly and saw Donghae’s face hovering above his.
“Kiss it better, Hae,” he repeated softly, pouting cutely for added flair. Donghae smiled and drew him close, kissing his lips instead of his head. Jaejoong wrapped his arms around Donghae’s neck, pulling him closer. He felt Donghae grin as the younger one fell on his lap. Donghae snaked his arms around Jaejoong’s waist, unmindful that they were on the set. No one would mind, Jaejoong thought, slipping his tongue in, meeting Donghae’s. He could do this all day, all his life. But before they could go any further, Donghae pulled away but rested his forehead on Jaejoong’s own. Jaejoong sighed; he opened his eyes and drowned himself in Donghae’s chocolate eyes.
“Better?” he asked.
A smile tugged on his lips. “It could use more of your wonderful medicine, sensei.”
And Donghae grinned.
*
“Your turn, Hae,” Yehsung said as he came out of the shower. He was about to get dressed when he saw Donghae sitting on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the wall across him. Yehsung sighed, glancing at the towel that hung loosely on his waist; so much for getting dressed quickly. “Hey,” he said, sitting beside his dongsaeng. “What’s wrong?”
Donghae sighed, head immediately falling on Yehsung’s shoulder. The latter almost stiffened by instinct and was glad he didn’t when he heard Donghae’s next words. “Changmin’s back, hyung.” Yehsung blinked; Changmin was what? “He was there when I went after Jaejoong hyung,” Donghae continued when the older one remained silent. “He was there.” He could feel Donghae’s body tremble as if the sentence had some kind of power. His dongsaeng had been keeping this inside way too long, Yehsung thought as he pulled the younger one closer; Donghae cuddled even closer, putting his arms around Yehsung’s waist and resting his head on Yehsung’s bare chest. For a moment there, Yehsung wished he had changed into something more decent before approaching Donghae. He sighed; now was not the time to be thinking about such things.
“Have you talked to Jaejoong about this?” he asked, running his fingers through Donghae’s hair. Donghae shook his head. “We haven’t exactly had time for each other lately, hyung. We’ve all been busy these past few weeks.” Donghae paused and whatever he was going to say next was choked back in a sob. Yehsung held him tighter. He knew how scared Donghae was; Changmin, the one obstacle he thought he had eliminated, was back and he wasn’t entirely sure he could win again. A rematch was usually harder than the original fight. And no matter how much Donghae strengthened his fort, Changmin still had a hell of a fighting chance. He sighed for what seemed to be the nth time that night. If only he could take Donghae away from all this, he would. He’d make Donghae realize that he had been waiting all these years, that he was here and that he loved Donghae and no one else.
But.
“Talk to him, Hae. I’m sure he’s been wanting to do that ever since that happened.”
Donghae sniffed, lifting his head. Their eyes met. “You think so?”
Yehsung could feel his heart breaking with every second he spent playing the reliable hyung, the friend Donghae needed right now. The moon to his now absent sun. He brought out his most convincing smile, gulping down all of the tears he knew that would fall the moment Donghae left him alone with his thoughts.
“I know so.”
*
Yunho watched his dongsaeng burn a hole in the apartment he now shared with Hyukjae. He wanted to tell said dongsaeng to stop walking and to stay put but he knew better than that. He sighed. If only Yoochun and Junsu weren’t busy with their new album, he wouldn’t even allow this dongsaeng to stay with them.
He was destroying his quality time with his boyfriend.
“I thought you said we weren’t going to help,” Hyukjae whispered, settling beside Yunho on the couch. The latter snorted as he let Hyukjae lean on him, arm snaking around the younger one’s waist. “Your best friend used his puppy dog eyes on me.” Hyukjae grinned. “And you fell for that?” Yunho sighed, rolling his eyes; the younger dancer laughed. “You’re too cute when you’re frustrated, Yunja.”
“Say that again or-”
Hyukjae’s grin grew wider, eyes challenging. “Or what, hm?”
“I could leave that to your imagination, Hyukkie.” Yunho’s irritated look was replaced with a certain smugness he was known for. “Or I could demonstrate it if you want.” Hyukjae licked his lips, noticing how close they were. “Oh dear me,” he said, eyes twinkling. “How do I pick?”
“YUNHO HYUNG, MY VIRGIN EYES.”
“Shut up, Changmin! I can seduce my boyfriend anywhere I want!”
“MY VIRGIN EARS!”
“Shut up!”
tbc.
16 | 18
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