The Five Legends [Ch. 7]
The Five Legends
Beta: hell_angel_v2
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG-13 (might increase)
7/?
Summary: In the Korean music business, there were five young men who were called the future of Korea's music. Although only in their early twenties, they already were rising legends ready to take over the world. In fact, Japan, Korea, and most of Asia were under their spell already, and all that remained was the Western world. However, due to the language barrier, most believed that they wouldn't be able to take over the Western music scene. But due to the plan of one man, the five men came together to become not five separate legends, but to form one myth, one legend, which would one day, be able to rule the world's music and go down in history.
Prologue&Chapter 1 | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
“Paper… I need paper,” muttered Changmin as he rummaged through Yoochun’s desk. He finally spotted a piece of white, unblemished paper and triumphantly pulled it out between sheets of illegible scribbles. His face fell when he saw that it wasn’t unwritten on, instead, it had the beginnings of what looked like a music composition. Out of curiosity, Changmin placed the composition onto the keyboard and started to play it. The melody flowed easily out of his fingers into the air, and he paused, startled by beauty of the tune.
“Where’d you find that?” Yoochun appeared suddenly in the doorway, his face sheet white.
Changmin raised surprised eyes to him. “I found it in between your papers.” He gestured towards the mess left on Yoochun’s desk.
“Why’d you go through my stuff?” snapped Yoochun as he headed towards Changmin and snatched the paper off of the keyboard. He went to his desk and put everything back into order, all the while not making eye contact with Changmin.
“I was looking for paper,” retorted Changmin. “Why are you so pissed off?”
“I don’t appreciate people looking through my things without asking me,” Yoochun bit off.
Changmin gaped in astonishment. He never thought Yoochun had this temper in him.
Yoochun sighed wearily. “Forget it. Just don’t do it again, all right?” He angled his body such that the only thing Changmin would be able to see would be his back.
Changmin looked at Yoochun’s back for a while. “Yoochun-hyung,” he began softly, “why are you scared of us knowing about the fact that you compose? There’s nothing wrong with composing.”
Yoochun’s back noticeably stiffened. “What are you talking about? I’m not hiding anything from you guys! This,” he said, as he waved the piece of paper around, “was nothing but something I wanted to try out.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what first time composing sounds like, hyung,” retorted Changmin. “Your composition was too good for a first try.”
Yoochun didn’t reply; he merely continued to fiddle around with the things on his desk while ignoring Changmin.
Changmin sighed and turned to leave. He paused at the door and looking back over his shoulder, he said, gently, “Hyung, never be afraid to share anything with us. You should know that.”
Just then, Yunho walked up to them and said, “What’s wrong?”
Changmin just smiled at Yunho. “Nothing, hyung. Yoochun-hyung’s just being weird again.”
Yunho grinned. “Well, if nothing’s wrong, then it’s time to leave. Chunhee-shii has something to talk to us about, so Hansook-hyung’s here with the van to drive us.” He walked back towards the living room.
Changmin’s smile grew bigger as he saw Junsu’s expression when Yunho pulled Junsu away from his video games by the wrist; a chuckle escaped him as he caught a glimpse of Jaejoong’s panicked face when Yunho pulled him away from the kitchen by the hand. Looking back, he saw Yoochun’s own grin. They shared a smile and walked towards Yunho.
~*~
Well, he had expected it. He just didn’t think it would be quite so soon. He had known that they, as the newly formed band Dong Bang Shin Ki, would have to release a single sometime in the future. He didn’t quite understand why they were forced to release the single only after a month of practice; they still had to work on their harmonization. He didn’t think they were really ready, but if Chunhee-shii and the management thought they were ready, well, so be it.
As soon as they had walked into the studio, Chunhee-shii had informed them that in two weeks’ time Dong Bang Shin Ki would be releasing their first single. Everyone else had been stunned, but he, Changmin, had already predicted that something like this would happen. Now, the song they were supposed to sing were playing for them to hear and everyone’s face was a mirage of different emotions.
The song ended, and Chunhee asked, “Well? What do you guys think?”
Silence reigned until Yunho decided to speak. “It’s a very beautiful song, Chunhee-shii. But… isn’t it a little too easy for us to sing?”
Chunhee-shii smiled; it seemed like he had been expecting this question. “It only sounds easy because there’s only one person singing, but once we add in five separate parts, this song will not be as easy to sing.” At the skeptical looks on the members’ faces, he added, “If you don’t believe me, then shall we start learning the song now?”
~*~
Junsu threw down his sheet music in frustration. No matter how much he sang, nothing was coming out right. And judging by the looks on everyone else’s faces, it was the same for them too. Chunhee-shii had left them alone an hour ago and now they were alone in the studio with the demo tape and a keyboard, trying to learn their notes.
“Chunhee-shii was right,” muttered Yoochun on Junsu’s left side. “It was only because we heard one part that we thought the song was easy.” He stared at the paper in his hand in annoyance.
“Come on, let’s try the song again,” cajoled Yunho. “Maybe the song will come out better this time.”
Although everyone grumbled, they all moved into position around the keyboard. Yoochun’s hand reached out to press the starting keys they needed. Changmin’s finger silently moved to press the play button on the music player as Yunho softly whispered, “One, two, three.” Junsu’s hand clenched into a fist, and as the music began to quietly lilt into the air, Jaejoong closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to sing, the notes coming out perfectly. His voice grew and faded away as demanded by the song. His part ended, and he opened his eyes to stare at Yoochun expectantly.
Yoochun nodded as he shut his eyes to sing his line. He finished, and the chorus began.
All five voices blended together, melded into one complete sound. The sound was nothing new to them anymore; they had already gotten used to it weeks before. Changmin’s voice lived at the top; Junsu’s voice being heard right under, Jaejoong’s voice supported by everyone, Yoochun’s voice providing a base, with Yunho’s voice serving as the foundation of their harmony.
They sang together, as one. The song ended, and each of their eyes came to rest on each other. Amazement could be seen on their faces.
“Wow,” said Changmin, dazed. “That… that was incredible.”
Jaejoong nodded in agreement, just as staggered as Changmin. “If that’s how the song’s supposed to sound like, I really wouldn’t mind releasing the single so early.”
Suddenly, clapping could be heard from the doorway. “Fantastic job, guys,” smiled Chunhee. “That’s exactly the sound I hoped I would hear from you five when I gave you the demo tape. You guys haven’t disappointed me. Now, let’s get down to actually recording it.”
The atmosphere left over from their singing was broken by Chunhee’s arrival, and they smiled, all of them sure that today would be a day forever remembered: it was the day that they’ve first heard the beautiful sound that they, as five people, could produce.
~*~
They were heading home in their van when Junsu, Yoochun, and Changmin started talking about Yunho and Jaejoong. Yunho and Jaejoong were sleeping with Jaejoong’s head on Yunho’s shoulder and Yunho’s head on Jaejoong’s head.
“Hey, don’t you guys think that Yunho-hyung and Jaejoong-hyung recently started getting more and more friendly?” whispered Changmin. “They’ve started hanging out around each other every time we have a break, and they’ve started getting really touchy-feely with each other.”
Junsu sneaked a furtive glance over at them. “I’ve noticed that too,” he murmured. “I don’t think it’s actually that surprising though, considering that their age gap is only a little over a week.”
“Yeah,” agreed Yoochun. “Besides, they have something in common. Both of them are the leaders of something: Yunho-hyung’s the leader of the group while Jaejoong-hyung’s the oldest.”
“What does Jaejoong-hyung’s age have to do with anything?” asked Changmin, skeptical.
“Well, since Jaejoong-hyung’s the oldest, he should be the most mature, right?” explained Junsu.
“Should being the key word,” snickered Changmin. “I don’t think Jaejoong-hyung’s that mature yet. He’s probably younger than me, maturity wise.”
“You already know that you’re way too mature for your age,” replied Yoochun affectionately. “Jaejoong-hyung’s the youngest in his family; that’s why he isn’t prepared to be the oldest.”
“How do you know that he’s the youngest?” chorused Changmin and Junsu.
“You guys didn’t know about that?” asked Yoochun, surprised. At Changmin and Junsu’s head shakes, he continued, “I found out a while ago, when we first moved in. Jaejoong-hyung and I share a room, so sometimes when one of us is bored or can’t sleep, we talk about everything and anything.
“Well, one night after practice, Jaejoong-hyung couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t asleep yet either, so he started talking to me about his family. I found out that he has eight sisters and that he was adopted. I remembered watching something on the news a while ago about the adoption case of Jaejoong-hyung, so I asked him if that was when he found out. He nodded, and… he just started crying.” Yoochun smiled sadly, remembering.
“That time must’ve been a really hard time for him,” said Junsu somberly.
Changmin nodded. “I wonder how he got through it all alone with the media’s attention all on him,” he said softly, looking over at Jaejoong’s sleeping profile.
“I didn’t ask,” said Yoochun. “I just comforted him, and he went straight to sleep.”
“Maybe the reason why Jaejoong-hyung’s so comfortable with Yunho-hyung is because Yunho-hyung’s really secure, really steady and unwavering,” said Junsu after a few moments of silence. “After all that confusion, Jaejoong-hyung really needs a person in his life whom he can be absolutely sure of.”
“Perhaps,” whispered Yoochun. “We can never be sure, though.”
They didn’t speak anymore on the subject, and silence fell over them. They didn’t see the small smile that had curved onto Jaejoong’s lips, nor did they see the gentle squeeze Yunho gave to Jaejoong’s hand.
~*~
“Look over here. Yunho-shii, turn a little more to your left. No, Jaejoong-shii, don’t turn more towards Yunho-shii; you’re close enough to him as it is. Changmin-shii, can you place your hand a little higher on Junsu-shii’s shoulder? There we go. Yoochun-shii, lower your face a little more. Yes! Don’t move!”
They were shooting their new single’s cover today, and Junsu was tired from constantly waiting for everyone to form a good position for the photographer to take a picture of. Before, when it was just him, taking the cover for a single would only take around three hours, four at the most, but now it was taking six hours.
“Junsu-shii! Pay attention, please!”
He started, not realizing that he had been lost in his thoughts. “Sorry,” he apologized.
Looking around, hoping no one noticed his momentary lapse in concentration, he saw that his band members had noticed. Changmin had a smirk playing around his mouth while Yunho looked amused. Jaejoong obviously had a smile on his face, and Yoochun affectionately rolled his eyes when Junsu looked at him. He mouthed, bored? Junsu nodded and mouthed back, yeah, this is taking a long time to finish.
Yoochun shrugged and smiled. Don’t worry, I think we’re almost done he mouthed. Junsu opened his mouth and was just about to say something back, but a nudge from Changmin reminded him that they were still working. He gave a sheepish smile to both of them and turned back to the photographer.
But now, his impatience was gone. For some reason, after talking to Yoochun and making eye contact with the rest of his band members, a warm feeling was in his chest, blocking out everything that was telling him that he was better off alone. He looked around again and saw that everyone (Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, and Changmin, everyone that mattered to him now) was gazing at him, with gentle, loving smiles on their faces.
He simply smiled back at them, happy with what he now has.
~*~
The day of the single’s release came, and everybody waited with bated breath, wondering how the public would respond. The management, before the actual release, had done all they could with the promotions and previews of the single. Now the only thing they could do was to wait-wait to see how the fans of the band would react to the single.
~*~
Before the first day passed, whispers had already begun to circulate. Whispers about Dong Bang Shin Ki and their new style of music, their looks, their harmony, and their talent spread like wildfire, making everyone who heard curious about them.
Fans who originally opposed the forming of the band listened to the single skeptically, doubtful that it would match up to their expectations. Fans who supported the merge listened hopefully, confident that the object of their support wouldn’t let them down. The people who neither supported them nor opposed them listened, and they shared something in common with the fans afterwards: all began to believe in the group of five.
And as more people began to listen-and talk about them-, even more were pulled into listening to the new band which, in turn, helped to spread their fame.
~*~
Lee Sooman stared at the papers in front of him in shock, his mind unable to fully comprehend the information written on the sheets.
“Impossible…” he whispered. “How could the sales come to this? I never expected this…”
Just then, his secretary burst in with more papers in her hand. “Lee-shii,” she said, shaking with excitement, “new figures just came in. It seems that Dong Bang Shin Ki has set a new record.”
~*~
Junsu paced nervously across the living room floor as he waited for Hansook's call. He was supposed to call today with their debut single's sales as it was finally one week after the release, and everyone was waiting with anxiety for the call.
Yunho was sitting in a chair next to the window, blankly gazing outside. He seemed relaxed, but his knuckles were white from gripping the armrest a little too hard.
Changmin, lounging in the chair he liked best, had his eyes on a book. It was obvious that the book was just for show as he hadn’t turned a page in the entire hour they’ve been waiting.
Jaejoong was lying on the couch staring expressionlessly at the ceiling while his hands were clenched into fists. His face was a mask; it hid his emotions completely.
Yoochun, idling by the piano, randomly pressed keys with his finger. He had an air of visible tension around him; yet his face was calm, unperturbed.
Suddenly, the phone rang; Yunho, being the closest to it, reached over quickly and grabbed the phone.
“Hello?” asked Yunho, his voice raspy. He listened intently to whoever was on the other line while the rest of the members waited restlessly. Jaejoong silently moved over to where Yunho was sitting and took his hand, squeezing it until it turned white. Glancing back at him, Yunho gently turned his hand over until he was holding Jaejoong’s hand and gave it a soothing squeeze, reassuring him that nothing was wrong.
Finally, Yunho said goodbye to their manager and looked up at them. He simply gazed at them for a while, seeming to be incapable of speech.
“Well?” Junsu burst out. “What did Hansook-hyung say?”
“He said…” Yunho hesitated. He cleared his throat before continuing. “He said that our first single… broke the record of highest sold debut album… ever.” A smile finally curved his lips before turning into a full grin.
~*~
In his living room, Sooman lazily held a glass of wine in his hand. He was pondering the effects of Dong Bang Shin Ki and how they managed to break a record with their album. He never expected, or even hoped, that something like this might happen. But now that it has, he planned to establish Dong Bang Shin Ki as Korea’s- and in the future, Asia’s- best group.
He knew it was a lofty goal, and yet he knew that with Dong Bang Shin Ki’s many different talents, charisma, and personalities, the goal just might be reachable.
Chapter Eight
Beta: hell_angel_v2
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG-13 (might increase)
7/?
Summary: In the Korean music business, there were five young men who were called the future of Korea's music. Although only in their early twenties, they already were rising legends ready to take over the world. In fact, Japan, Korea, and most of Asia were under their spell already, and all that remained was the Western world. However, due to the language barrier, most believed that they wouldn't be able to take over the Western music scene. But due to the plan of one man, the five men came together to become not five separate legends, but to form one myth, one legend, which would one day, be able to rule the world's music and go down in history.
Prologue&Chapter 1 | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
“Paper… I need paper,” muttered Changmin as he rummaged through Yoochun’s desk. He finally spotted a piece of white, unblemished paper and triumphantly pulled it out between sheets of illegible scribbles. His face fell when he saw that it wasn’t unwritten on, instead, it had the beginnings of what looked like a music composition. Out of curiosity, Changmin placed the composition onto the keyboard and started to play it. The melody flowed easily out of his fingers into the air, and he paused, startled by beauty of the tune.
“Where’d you find that?” Yoochun appeared suddenly in the doorway, his face sheet white.
Changmin raised surprised eyes to him. “I found it in between your papers.” He gestured towards the mess left on Yoochun’s desk.
“Why’d you go through my stuff?” snapped Yoochun as he headed towards Changmin and snatched the paper off of the keyboard. He went to his desk and put everything back into order, all the while not making eye contact with Changmin.
“I was looking for paper,” retorted Changmin. “Why are you so pissed off?”
“I don’t appreciate people looking through my things without asking me,” Yoochun bit off.
Changmin gaped in astonishment. He never thought Yoochun had this temper in him.
Yoochun sighed wearily. “Forget it. Just don’t do it again, all right?” He angled his body such that the only thing Changmin would be able to see would be his back.
Changmin looked at Yoochun’s back for a while. “Yoochun-hyung,” he began softly, “why are you scared of us knowing about the fact that you compose? There’s nothing wrong with composing.”
Yoochun’s back noticeably stiffened. “What are you talking about? I’m not hiding anything from you guys! This,” he said, as he waved the piece of paper around, “was nothing but something I wanted to try out.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what first time composing sounds like, hyung,” retorted Changmin. “Your composition was too good for a first try.”
Yoochun didn’t reply; he merely continued to fiddle around with the things on his desk while ignoring Changmin.
Changmin sighed and turned to leave. He paused at the door and looking back over his shoulder, he said, gently, “Hyung, never be afraid to share anything with us. You should know that.”
Just then, Yunho walked up to them and said, “What’s wrong?”
Changmin just smiled at Yunho. “Nothing, hyung. Yoochun-hyung’s just being weird again.”
Yunho grinned. “Well, if nothing’s wrong, then it’s time to leave. Chunhee-shii has something to talk to us about, so Hansook-hyung’s here with the van to drive us.” He walked back towards the living room.
Changmin’s smile grew bigger as he saw Junsu’s expression when Yunho pulled Junsu away from his video games by the wrist; a chuckle escaped him as he caught a glimpse of Jaejoong’s panicked face when Yunho pulled him away from the kitchen by the hand. Looking back, he saw Yoochun’s own grin. They shared a smile and walked towards Yunho.
~*~
Well, he had expected it. He just didn’t think it would be quite so soon. He had known that they, as the newly formed band Dong Bang Shin Ki, would have to release a single sometime in the future. He didn’t quite understand why they were forced to release the single only after a month of practice; they still had to work on their harmonization. He didn’t think they were really ready, but if Chunhee-shii and the management thought they were ready, well, so be it.
As soon as they had walked into the studio, Chunhee-shii had informed them that in two weeks’ time Dong Bang Shin Ki would be releasing their first single. Everyone else had been stunned, but he, Changmin, had already predicted that something like this would happen. Now, the song they were supposed to sing were playing for them to hear and everyone’s face was a mirage of different emotions.
The song ended, and Chunhee asked, “Well? What do you guys think?”
Silence reigned until Yunho decided to speak. “It’s a very beautiful song, Chunhee-shii. But… isn’t it a little too easy for us to sing?”
Chunhee-shii smiled; it seemed like he had been expecting this question. “It only sounds easy because there’s only one person singing, but once we add in five separate parts, this song will not be as easy to sing.” At the skeptical looks on the members’ faces, he added, “If you don’t believe me, then shall we start learning the song now?”
~*~
Junsu threw down his sheet music in frustration. No matter how much he sang, nothing was coming out right. And judging by the looks on everyone else’s faces, it was the same for them too. Chunhee-shii had left them alone an hour ago and now they were alone in the studio with the demo tape and a keyboard, trying to learn their notes.
“Chunhee-shii was right,” muttered Yoochun on Junsu’s left side. “It was only because we heard one part that we thought the song was easy.” He stared at the paper in his hand in annoyance.
“Come on, let’s try the song again,” cajoled Yunho. “Maybe the song will come out better this time.”
Although everyone grumbled, they all moved into position around the keyboard. Yoochun’s hand reached out to press the starting keys they needed. Changmin’s finger silently moved to press the play button on the music player as Yunho softly whispered, “One, two, three.” Junsu’s hand clenched into a fist, and as the music began to quietly lilt into the air, Jaejoong closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to sing, the notes coming out perfectly. His voice grew and faded away as demanded by the song. His part ended, and he opened his eyes to stare at Yoochun expectantly.
Yoochun nodded as he shut his eyes to sing his line. He finished, and the chorus began.
All five voices blended together, melded into one complete sound. The sound was nothing new to them anymore; they had already gotten used to it weeks before. Changmin’s voice lived at the top; Junsu’s voice being heard right under, Jaejoong’s voice supported by everyone, Yoochun’s voice providing a base, with Yunho’s voice serving as the foundation of their harmony.
They sang together, as one. The song ended, and each of their eyes came to rest on each other. Amazement could be seen on their faces.
“Wow,” said Changmin, dazed. “That… that was incredible.”
Jaejoong nodded in agreement, just as staggered as Changmin. “If that’s how the song’s supposed to sound like, I really wouldn’t mind releasing the single so early.”
Suddenly, clapping could be heard from the doorway. “Fantastic job, guys,” smiled Chunhee. “That’s exactly the sound I hoped I would hear from you five when I gave you the demo tape. You guys haven’t disappointed me. Now, let’s get down to actually recording it.”
The atmosphere left over from their singing was broken by Chunhee’s arrival, and they smiled, all of them sure that today would be a day forever remembered: it was the day that they’ve first heard the beautiful sound that they, as five people, could produce.
~*~
They were heading home in their van when Junsu, Yoochun, and Changmin started talking about Yunho and Jaejoong. Yunho and Jaejoong were sleeping with Jaejoong’s head on Yunho’s shoulder and Yunho’s head on Jaejoong’s head.
“Hey, don’t you guys think that Yunho-hyung and Jaejoong-hyung recently started getting more and more friendly?” whispered Changmin. “They’ve started hanging out around each other every time we have a break, and they’ve started getting really touchy-feely with each other.”
Junsu sneaked a furtive glance over at them. “I’ve noticed that too,” he murmured. “I don’t think it’s actually that surprising though, considering that their age gap is only a little over a week.”
“Yeah,” agreed Yoochun. “Besides, they have something in common. Both of them are the leaders of something: Yunho-hyung’s the leader of the group while Jaejoong-hyung’s the oldest.”
“What does Jaejoong-hyung’s age have to do with anything?” asked Changmin, skeptical.
“Well, since Jaejoong-hyung’s the oldest, he should be the most mature, right?” explained Junsu.
“Should being the key word,” snickered Changmin. “I don’t think Jaejoong-hyung’s that mature yet. He’s probably younger than me, maturity wise.”
“You already know that you’re way too mature for your age,” replied Yoochun affectionately. “Jaejoong-hyung’s the youngest in his family; that’s why he isn’t prepared to be the oldest.”
“How do you know that he’s the youngest?” chorused Changmin and Junsu.
“You guys didn’t know about that?” asked Yoochun, surprised. At Changmin and Junsu’s head shakes, he continued, “I found out a while ago, when we first moved in. Jaejoong-hyung and I share a room, so sometimes when one of us is bored or can’t sleep, we talk about everything and anything.
“Well, one night after practice, Jaejoong-hyung couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t asleep yet either, so he started talking to me about his family. I found out that he has eight sisters and that he was adopted. I remembered watching something on the news a while ago about the adoption case of Jaejoong-hyung, so I asked him if that was when he found out. He nodded, and… he just started crying.” Yoochun smiled sadly, remembering.
“That time must’ve been a really hard time for him,” said Junsu somberly.
Changmin nodded. “I wonder how he got through it all alone with the media’s attention all on him,” he said softly, looking over at Jaejoong’s sleeping profile.
“I didn’t ask,” said Yoochun. “I just comforted him, and he went straight to sleep.”
“Maybe the reason why Jaejoong-hyung’s so comfortable with Yunho-hyung is because Yunho-hyung’s really secure, really steady and unwavering,” said Junsu after a few moments of silence. “After all that confusion, Jaejoong-hyung really needs a person in his life whom he can be absolutely sure of.”
“Perhaps,” whispered Yoochun. “We can never be sure, though.”
They didn’t speak anymore on the subject, and silence fell over them. They didn’t see the small smile that had curved onto Jaejoong’s lips, nor did they see the gentle squeeze Yunho gave to Jaejoong’s hand.
~*~
“Look over here. Yunho-shii, turn a little more to your left. No, Jaejoong-shii, don’t turn more towards Yunho-shii; you’re close enough to him as it is. Changmin-shii, can you place your hand a little higher on Junsu-shii’s shoulder? There we go. Yoochun-shii, lower your face a little more. Yes! Don’t move!”
They were shooting their new single’s cover today, and Junsu was tired from constantly waiting for everyone to form a good position for the photographer to take a picture of. Before, when it was just him, taking the cover for a single would only take around three hours, four at the most, but now it was taking six hours.
“Junsu-shii! Pay attention, please!”
He started, not realizing that he had been lost in his thoughts. “Sorry,” he apologized.
Looking around, hoping no one noticed his momentary lapse in concentration, he saw that his band members had noticed. Changmin had a smirk playing around his mouth while Yunho looked amused. Jaejoong obviously had a smile on his face, and Yoochun affectionately rolled his eyes when Junsu looked at him. He mouthed, bored? Junsu nodded and mouthed back, yeah, this is taking a long time to finish.
Yoochun shrugged and smiled. Don’t worry, I think we’re almost done he mouthed. Junsu opened his mouth and was just about to say something back, but a nudge from Changmin reminded him that they were still working. He gave a sheepish smile to both of them and turned back to the photographer.
But now, his impatience was gone. For some reason, after talking to Yoochun and making eye contact with the rest of his band members, a warm feeling was in his chest, blocking out everything that was telling him that he was better off alone. He looked around again and saw that everyone (Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, and Changmin, everyone that mattered to him now) was gazing at him, with gentle, loving smiles on their faces.
He simply smiled back at them, happy with what he now has.
~*~
The day of the single’s release came, and everybody waited with bated breath, wondering how the public would respond. The management, before the actual release, had done all they could with the promotions and previews of the single. Now the only thing they could do was to wait-wait to see how the fans of the band would react to the single.
~*~
Before the first day passed, whispers had already begun to circulate. Whispers about Dong Bang Shin Ki and their new style of music, their looks, their harmony, and their talent spread like wildfire, making everyone who heard curious about them.
Fans who originally opposed the forming of the band listened to the single skeptically, doubtful that it would match up to their expectations. Fans who supported the merge listened hopefully, confident that the object of their support wouldn’t let them down. The people who neither supported them nor opposed them listened, and they shared something in common with the fans afterwards: all began to believe in the group of five.
And as more people began to listen-and talk about them-, even more were pulled into listening to the new band which, in turn, helped to spread their fame.
~*~
Lee Sooman stared at the papers in front of him in shock, his mind unable to fully comprehend the information written on the sheets.
“Impossible…” he whispered. “How could the sales come to this? I never expected this…”
Just then, his secretary burst in with more papers in her hand. “Lee-shii,” she said, shaking with excitement, “new figures just came in. It seems that Dong Bang Shin Ki has set a new record.”
~*~
Junsu paced nervously across the living room floor as he waited for Hansook's call. He was supposed to call today with their debut single's sales as it was finally one week after the release, and everyone was waiting with anxiety for the call.
Yunho was sitting in a chair next to the window, blankly gazing outside. He seemed relaxed, but his knuckles were white from gripping the armrest a little too hard.
Changmin, lounging in the chair he liked best, had his eyes on a book. It was obvious that the book was just for show as he hadn’t turned a page in the entire hour they’ve been waiting.
Jaejoong was lying on the couch staring expressionlessly at the ceiling while his hands were clenched into fists. His face was a mask; it hid his emotions completely.
Yoochun, idling by the piano, randomly pressed keys with his finger. He had an air of visible tension around him; yet his face was calm, unperturbed.
Suddenly, the phone rang; Yunho, being the closest to it, reached over quickly and grabbed the phone.
“Hello?” asked Yunho, his voice raspy. He listened intently to whoever was on the other line while the rest of the members waited restlessly. Jaejoong silently moved over to where Yunho was sitting and took his hand, squeezing it until it turned white. Glancing back at him, Yunho gently turned his hand over until he was holding Jaejoong’s hand and gave it a soothing squeeze, reassuring him that nothing was wrong.
Finally, Yunho said goodbye to their manager and looked up at them. He simply gazed at them for a while, seeming to be incapable of speech.
“Well?” Junsu burst out. “What did Hansook-hyung say?”
“He said…” Yunho hesitated. He cleared his throat before continuing. “He said that our first single… broke the record of highest sold debut album… ever.” A smile finally curved his lips before turning into a full grin.
~*~
In his living room, Sooman lazily held a glass of wine in his hand. He was pondering the effects of Dong Bang Shin Ki and how they managed to break a record with their album. He never expected, or even hoped, that something like this might happen. But now that it has, he planned to establish Dong Bang Shin Ki as Korea’s- and in the future, Asia’s- best group.
He knew it was a lofty goal, and yet he knew that with Dong Bang Shin Ki’s many different talents, charisma, and personalities, the goal just might be reachable.
Chapter Eight