The Five Legends [Ch. 8]
The Five Legends
Beta: hell_angel_v2
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG-13 (might increase)
8/?
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
Chapter Eight
Sipping his coffee silently, Yunho walked to the living room where the rest of the members slept. They had celebrated last night, and after growing tired of eating too much popcorn, watching too many movies, and playing too many games, they had fallen asleep right where they had sat.
As he walked, his eyes glanced over to where Yoochun and Junsu slept. An amused smile grew on his face as he noticed how Junsu's head lay on Yoochun's shoulder as Yoochun's arm covered Junsu protectively. He paused before the sofa where Jaejoong slept, looking down at him and wondering what he was dreaming about. He noticed a stray, almost transparent, piece of blonde hair on Jaejoong's face, and without thinking, his hand reached out and smoothed it away, marveling at the same time at how soft his skin was.
His hand unconsciously began to lightly stroke Jaejoong's hair, softly ruffling through the messed up strands. He noticed idly that black hair was starting to grow at the roots and wondered if Jaejoong would continue to bleach his hair blonde. Jaejoong stirred under his touch and thinking he was still asleep, Yunho continued to play with Jaejoong’s hair.
“Does my hair feel soft?” Jaejoong murmured softly, amused.
Yunho jumped, startled at the sudden question. “I didn’t know you were awake,” he said self-consciously, guiltily withdrawing his hand from Jaejoong’s hair.
Jaejoong laughed gently, saying, “I wasn’t. I just woke up a minute ago.” He added almost as an afterthought, “Don’t stop playing with my hair. It felt nice.” He looked up at Yunho and smiled contentedly.
Yunho returned his smile and continued to stroke his hair, wondering what the warm, happy feeling inside him meant.
~*~
After minutes of simply lying there and enjoying the feeling of someone playing with his hair, Jaejoong reluctantly said, “I think it’s time for me to get up. It’s almost time for Hansook-hyung to come over and tell us our schedule.”
Yunho chuckled and said, “Actually, before you woke up, I heard a message on the recording machine. It was Hansook-hyung calling to tell us that we have the day off today, and that we should use it wisely.”
“Really?” asked Jaejoong incredulously. In the entire time he had been a singer, he had never gotten a day off after the first week’s release of a single. Instead, everything had seemed to be gotten more hectic.
“Yeah,” Yunho replied. His eyes laughed at him, telling Jaejoong that he understood his amazement very well.
“Well then, I guess that means I should get up even faster then,” said Jaejoong as he stretched luxuriously on the couch.
“Why?” asked Yunho, baffled at why Jaejoong should get up earlier on a day off.
“Because,” Jaejoong smiled warmly, “I want to prepare a good breakfast for you guys today. Usually we don’t have enough time for a good, healthy breakfast. I want to use the free time today to treat you guys.”
“I see,” laughed Yunho. “Then why don’t you go wash up and get ready while I wake everybody else up?”
“Will it take that long to wake them up?” asked Jaejoong, puzzled.
Yunho grinned. “Of course it will. You know how Yoochun is like. It practically takes him a full fifteen minutes to even remember how to put toothpaste onto a toothbrush in the morning.”
Jaejoong laughed quietly. “That’s true. All right, you can go wake everybody up while I wash up.” He got up from the sofa and tiptoed over Changmin who was sleeping on the floor next to the sofa. He looked back at Yunho and motioned with his hand at Junsu and Yoochun, his eyes asking Yunho what happened.
Yunho simply shrugged, smiling as he did so.
Jaejoong affectionately rolled his eyes and turned back around, thinking that being woken up by Yunho playing with his hair and seeing his face first thing in the morning was a perfect way to begin his morning.
~*~
Feeling his body being shaken, Junsu couldn’t help but groan. “No… let me sleep a bit longer.” He didn’t want to move from the comfortable place he was in. His back may feel a bit sore, but his head rested on a very warm place.
“It’s time to wake up, Junsu.” Was that Yunho’s voice he heard? Suppressing another groan, Junsu simply turned his head to face the direction the voice was coming from and opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. Yes, it was Yunho, with an amused smile on his face.
“Is it time for Hansook-hyung to arrive already?” he asked, his voice coming out a bit rusty.
“No,” Yunho replied. “We’re getting today off.”
“Then let me sleep longer,” Junsu groaned, and he turned his body to fit more snugly against whatever he was sleeping against.
He heard a muffled snicker and heard, “Uh… Junsu-yah, you might want to see where your head is at.”
Junsu simply ignored Yunho, not caring where his head was at, only wishing that Yunho would go away and let him fall asleep again.
“Seriously, Junsu. You should see where your head’s at.” Yunho’s voice was strangled, sounding like he was only barely holding his laughter in.
“Why should I?” grumbled Junsu as he opened his eyes blearily. His eyes focused, and he saw someone’s nose. It looked strangely like Yoochun’s nose… His eyes traveled downwards, seeing that his body was completely wrapped around a body that looked suspiciously like Yoochun’s.
“Ah!” cried Junsu, realizing that his head was on Yoochun’s shoulder. He jumped up, feeling his cheeks turn red as he saw Yunho a foot away, laughing so hard tears were in his eyes.
“That, that,” he spluttered, “that was-” Words failed him as he tried to explain his sleeping so close next to Yoochun.
Yunho simply laughed harder, laughing so loudly that Yoochun stirred, Changmin woke up, and Jaejoong popped his head out of the bathroom.
“I think Yunho-hyung’s feeling the aftereffects of last night,” Junsu said to Jaejoong helplessly. Jaejoong grinned, and disappeared back into the bathroom.
He looked down to Changmin, who was now fully awake, and rolled his eyes. He gazed over at Yunho, whose laughter was starting to die down, and muttered, “God, Yunho-hyung. You can be such a dork sometimes.”
Hearing Yoochun shift his body on the floor, he crouched down and shook him. “Wake up, Yoochun,” he said loudly.
“It’s not going to work, you know,” Changmin said, amused. He was across the room, reclining against the couch watching Junsu continue to try to wake Yoochun.
“Well, I could try,” Junsu grumbled. He shook harder, hoping he would be able to wake Yoochun up without having to throw cold water on him.
Seeing Jaejoong walk into the kitchen, he pleaded weakly for help. Yunho was unable to help as he was weak from laughing so hard, and Changmin was Changmin, enjoying the sight of Junsu embarrassing himself. Jaejoong gave him a slight half-smile and shook his head, continuing to walk into the kitchen as he did so.
Sighing, Junsu resigned himself to yelling into Yoochun’s ear, “Wake up, Yoochun!”
~*~
Glimpsing Jaejoong go into the kitchen, Yunho picked himself up from the floor. He was weak from laughter and picking himself up was a hard task. Just glancing over to where Junsu stood, still trying to wake Yoochun up, almost sent him back into fits of laughter. Only by forcefully swallowing the giggles that threatened to come out was he able to stand up and walk. Averting his eyes away from Junsu helped, but a grin still lingered around his mouth.
He strode into the kitchen and saw Jaejoong, cutting vegetables at the counter. He thought about sneaking up to him but thought it would be dangerous with him holding a knife.
Walking up to him, he gently bumped shoulders with Jaejoong. “Need help?” he teased.
Jaejoong looked up in surprise. “Sure,” he replied, smiling. “You could help me rinse off those dishes.” He gestured over to the sink where several dishes lay.
Yunho moved over and turned on the faucet. Perhaps it was the laughter still residing in him, or perhaps it was the euphoria left over from yesterday, but his hands moved by their own volition to splash some water at Jaejoong’s direction.
Jaejoong gasped as the cold water hit his face and turned to face Yunho with a glimmer in his eyes. “You’re going to regret that, Yunho,” he threatened.
“Really?” Yunho taunted, an evil smile on his face. “What are you going to do to me?”
“This!” Jaejoong threw a freshly cut cucumber at Yunho’s face.
He felt the cucumber hit his face as he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t hit his eyes. “How could you?” he gasped in mock outrage. “That was a waste of good food!”
“Hm, good point,” Jaejoong mused. “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to do this!” Jaejoong had gone to the faucet, gotten a handful of water, and had thrown it onto Yunho’s shirt.
Looking down, Yunho saw the water spread across his shirt, making it transparent. “You-!” he spluttered. “That was really cold, Jaejoong!”
“Oh. Sorry.” Jaejoong grinned, not looking the least bit repentant.
Yunho took a step back, but he ended up slipping on the water left on the floor. He managed to land on Changmin who had strolled into the kitchen just then.
“Ow, Yunho-hyung,” Changmin complained. “That hurt. And why is your shirt so wet?” he exclaimed, jumping away from Yunho.
“Blame Jaejoong,” Yunho grumbled, holding his shirt away from his chest. “He threw the water on me.”
“Well you’re the one who started it,” Jaejoong retorted, sticking out his tongue and seeming like a little child again.
Yunho averted his eyes from Changmin, who was grinning at him in a funny way, and reached over to gently poke Jaejoong in the stomach. “Well, whatever,” Yunho said, grinning. “Doesn’t matter who started it, you were the one who made my shirt so wet.”
He walked away, laughing over his shoulder, “Good luck with cleaning up and making breakfast, Jaejoong!”
“Wait, where are you going?” Jaejoong asked. “You have to help me clean this mess up!”
“I’m going to change my shirt into something drier,” came the wry reply. “And you could always get Changmin to help you. Besides, I have to see what’s taking Yoochun and Junsu so long…” The words trailed off, leaving Jaejoong standing there, staring in the direction the voice came from in disbelief.
He turned to Changmin and gave him a glare. “You’re not going away too, are you, Changmin?” he asked sweetly.
Changmin, recognizing the question for what it was, sighed and muttered, “No, hyung, I’m not.”
“Good.” Jaejoong smiled. “Then you can mop up the water while I finish making breakfast.”
As he bent down to the floor with a piece of cloth in his hand, Changmin grumbled, “I’m going to get Yunho-hyung for this, just watch.”
~*~
Later, as he was setting up the table for breakfast, Changmin, instead of putting a bowl of rice, placed a bowl of cereal on the place where Yunho usually sat. He grinned, knowing that Yunho would never be able to survive eating only cereal for breakfast.
“Changmin, what are you doing?” Jaejoong asked curiously. He had come out of the kitchen and saw Changmin put the bowl of cereal on the table.
“I’m taking revenge on Yunho-hyung,” Changmin replied, a smirk playing around his face.
“By giving him cereal for breakfast?” Jaejoong laughed. “You do know that he could always eat something else later, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Changmin said. “But at least this way he won’t be able to enjoy the breakfast you cooked for us. Instead, he has to make do with cereal.” He snickered as he finished his sentence.
Jaejoong smiled, saying, “You’re so evil, Changmin-ah.”
Changmin pretended to be innocent, as if not understanding what Jaejoong was saying. Just then, a loud voice yelled down the apartment.
“I smell breakfast!”
Jaejoong and Changmin shared a smile, knowing that in mere seconds, Junsu, Yoochun, and Yunho would come rushing into the kitchen, demanding their share of the food.
Changmin’s smile turned into an evil grin, imagining Yunho’s reaction when he saw his breakfast when compared to the rest of the group’s.
~*~
Junsu trudged into the kitchen, tired from his efforts on waking Yoochun up. He had somewhat awoken Yoochun up when Yunho had walked in with an amused face.
He had obviously heard Junsu’s futile pleads for Yoochun to wake up and had decided to help Junsu.
With Yunho’s help, Yoochun had finally awoken and had stumbled into the bathroom.
It had taken fifteen minutes for him to come out, bleary eyed but more awake than when he had gone inside. His eyes had brightened slightly at the smell of coffee in the air, something that Jaejoong always made sure was brewed in the morning.
Junsu walked behind him and lightly pushed Yoochun in the direction of the dining room. Whoever was supposed to wake Yoochun up in the morning knew how to deal with him when he’s in a half dead state.
Yoochun, now walking, moved with his eyes half closed, yet his nose was pointed at the kitchen where the coffee was sure to be waiting for him.
Finally reaching the dining room where Jaejoong stood with a mug of coffee ready for Yoochun, Junsu dropped onto his seat and sighed in appreciation for the breakfast Jaejoong had made. Lately, the only thing they would have in the mornings would be either the leftovers from the previous night or just a simple cup of coffee or tea with some gimbap once they’ve reached the studio.
Seeing Yoochun stand in a corner sipping his coffee, Junsu took pity on him and stood up, going over to him in order to lead him to his seat.
“Thanks,” he heard Yoochun whisper.
Smiling softly, Junsu simply squeezed Yoochun’s shoulder.
~*~
Taking care to keep an eye on Yunho, Jaejoong noticed the expression on his face at being given a bowl of cereal. Yunho sat down, his expression of utter disbelief.
Jaejoong saw his eyes flick to the other members’ bowls, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the morose expression on Yunho’s face as he stared into his bowl.
Deciding to take pity on him, Jaejoong asked, “Do you want some rice, Yunho?”
Yunho looked at him, surprised. “Weren’t you the one who-?” His eyes narrowed, and he turned to glare at Changmin. “Changmin…” he murmured.
“Yes?” Changmin replied, eyes wide in fake innocence.
“Thank you so much for the cereal,” Yunho said sarcastically. “It’ll be very filling.”
“No problem, hyung. Anytime.” Changmin smiled.
Yunho rolled his eyes, laughter filling his face. He got up, holding his bowl, and went inside the kitchen to get some rice.
As he went inside, the phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Jaejoong said, rising from his chair. He gestured for the others to continue eating. Picking up the phone, he said, “Hello?”
He fell silent, obviously listening to whoever it was on the other line. “Yes, all right, Hansook-hyung,” he finally said. “I’ll tell them.” He hung up, turning to face them.
“Who was it?” Yunho asked, leaning against the kitchen door.
“Hansook-hyung,” Jaejoong replied. “He said to get ready; we’re going over to SM.” He rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking tired. “I guess having a day off was too good to be true,” he whispered softly.
Slightly frowning, Yunho went over to him and tried to smooth away the frown that threatened to appear on Jaejoong’s face. “It’s all right,” he consoled gently, fingers lingering on Jaejoong’s features. “We just have to go over, right? It doesn’t mean we have to work.”
The clink of chopsticks against the table made him turn. It was Junsu and Changmin, starting to clear the table. Even Yoochun was helping, slowly reaching to grab various bowls and plates to give to either Junsu or Changmin. They all had varying degrees of fatigue on their faces, mouths twisted wistfully as they carried the dishes into the kitchen.
“See?” Jaejoong asked Yunho. “Even they look tired.”
Yunho sighed as he looked down at him. “It’ll be all right,” he repeated softly as he pulled Jaejoong into a hug. He didn’t know what else to do.
~*~
Yoochun came out of the room he shared with Jaejoong, holding a sheaf of papers. Jaejoong had asked what it was, but he had refused to tell him unless they were already with everyone.
Yunho, Junsu, and Changmin were in the hallway, waiting for them. Changmin’s eyes saw what he was holding and asked, “Is that what I think it is, Yoochun-hyung?”
Nodding silently, he waited for Jaejoong to join them before speaking. “I was wondering,” he began hesitantly, “if I should tell you guys this, but after thinking about it for a while, I realized that if I want my compositions to be produced, I should tell you guys first.”
Taking a deep breath, he thrust the papers he was holding out in front of him. As Yunho took them and started to leaf through them, he said, “Before, I didn’t want to tell you guys this because we were strangers. I put a lot of my personal feelings into what I compose, and I didn’t want strangers to hear them before they were completely polished.”
Giving the papers over to Jaejoong, Yunho walked over to him, saying, “Thank you for telling us, Yoochun. I guess this means we’re no longer strangers?” he teased.
Feeling himself relax at the warm gaze Yunho was giving him, Yoochun replied, smiling, “No, of course not. It’s been a while since we’ve passed that stage, hyung.”
Just then, Changmin exclaimed, the composition in his hands, “This isn’t the one I found! What happened to that one?”
Junsu, Yunho, and Jaejoong chorused, “You knew before?”
“He found it on accident,” Yoochun muttered. “I didn’t let him know on purpose.” And turning to glare at Changmin, he replied, “I threw that one away. The inspiration for it left me.”
Changmin opened his mouth, ready to say something else, but the doorbell rang.
Taking his papers back, Yoochun carefully put them on the piano in the living room.
“You’re not going to show them to Chunhee-shii?” Junsu asked curiously.
Yoochun laughed nervously. “Not today. Maybe later, but not today.”
“All right, guys, let’s go,” commanded Hansook as Jaejoong opened the door. “Sooman-shii is waiting for us.”
~*~
The outside of the SM building was completely crowded with reporters and crazy fans with cameras. The van they were in slowed to a crawl as it tried to go through the throng of people, the driver honking at people who threw themselves in front.
Finally reaching the front of the building, bodyguards came out and pushed their way through the crowd, trying to reach the van.
Inside, Changmin murmured, “Wow, that’s a lot of people.”
“Of course there would be a lot of people,” Hansook said. “With you guys breaking a record, you now are the golden band in the press’s eyes.
Shifting uneasily in their seats, they shared a glance, unused to so many flashing cameras, screaming fans, and pushy reporters waiting for them. They got out of the van, putting on their sunglasses, pulling their hats down lower, or pulling on their hoods in order to try to ignore the people around them.
“Dong Bang Shin Ki! How do you feel now that you have broken the record?”
“Dong Bang Shin Ki! Please answer our questions!”
“Dong Bang Shin Ki, when will you hold your press conference?”
They completely ignored the reporters as they tried to walk in the swarm of people surrounding them. Changmin went first, tailing behind a bodyguard. Yoochun walked after Changmin, with Junsu following him. Jaejoong tried to move faster, head lowered, trying to leave the horde of people as Yunho kept a hand on his back.
They moved slowly through the mass, inching their way to the building even as the bodyguards tried to clear their way. Hands touched them, pulling at their clothing, stroking their body, as they moved.
Gritting their teeth, they kept moving, steadily heading towards the building. As soon as they reached it, a bodyguard inside opened the door, motioning for them to hurry in. They rushed in, anxious to be free of the mob.
Inside, they finally fixed the clothing and the hair that had been messed with.
“You guys okay?” Hansook asked, wiping away his sweat with a tissue.
Nodding, they started to walk towards Lee Sooman’s office.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yunho asked them quietly as they walked, concerned. He noticed the fine lines around Jaejoong’s eyes, the slight frown of Changmin’s eyebrows, Junsu’s tight lips, and Yoochun’s clenched fists.
“Yeah,” they muttered, each lost in their own thoughts.
They reached the main foyer of the SM building, slowly starting to relax as the air conditioning cooled down their heated bodies.
But whispers and muffled screams sounded around them, causing them to look around in surprise. Trainees, younger stars, even staff were acting like it was their first time seeing them.
They bowed stiffly to them, not knowing how to act. They walked faster towards Sooman’s office, almost running in their haste. Finally reaching his office, the secretary in front smiled at them and gestured for them to go inside, paging Sooman as they entered.
Sooman was reclining in his chair, holding a piece of paper. “Hello,” he said absently. “Go ahead and take a seat; I’ll talk to you guys as soon as I’m done reading this.”
They sat on the couches at the edge of the room, taking the time to rearrange their faces, trying not to show their severe shock and bewilderment.
Sooman soon put the paper on his desk and rose from his chair, strolling over to where they sat. His sharp eyes noticed the signs of strain on their faces, but he said nothing, choosing for them to get used to the dangers of fame by themselves.
“Congratulations on breaking a record the first time you released an album,” he said pleasantly. “I certainly didn’t expect such good sales.”
Swallowing, Yunho nodded weakly, saying, “Thank you, sir. We didn’t expect such good results either.”
“Do you know why the single sold so much?” Sooman asked.
They all shook their heads, for the first time, wondering how the sales reached such high numbers.
“It was because of all your fans,” Sooman replied, smiling. “Each fan of each individual singer plus the ones who supported the band instead of just the singer contributed to the sales. So you can say that each of you also helped.”
“Now,” he continued, “your schedule will get that much busier. Variety shows, performances, appearances… all will be compressed into your schedule. You must get used to waking early but sleeping late, little rest, and exhausting practices in the studio. That will be the price of your fame.”
He paused, looking at each of them. They were looking straight at him; understanding, resignation, and determination warring on their faces. “Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes,” Yunho said, confident.
“I do,” Junsu said, determined.
“Yeah,” Yoochun murmured.
Jaejoong nodded, while Changmin sighed in resignation.
“Good,” Sooman said, smiling. “Then get all your rest in today, your new schedule will start at 5 o’clock in the morning tomorrow.”
Chapter Nine
Beta: hell_angel_v2
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG-13 (might increase)
8/?
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
Chapter Eight
Sipping his coffee silently, Yunho walked to the living room where the rest of the members slept. They had celebrated last night, and after growing tired of eating too much popcorn, watching too many movies, and playing too many games, they had fallen asleep right where they had sat.
As he walked, his eyes glanced over to where Yoochun and Junsu slept. An amused smile grew on his face as he noticed how Junsu's head lay on Yoochun's shoulder as Yoochun's arm covered Junsu protectively. He paused before the sofa where Jaejoong slept, looking down at him and wondering what he was dreaming about. He noticed a stray, almost transparent, piece of blonde hair on Jaejoong's face, and without thinking, his hand reached out and smoothed it away, marveling at the same time at how soft his skin was.
His hand unconsciously began to lightly stroke Jaejoong's hair, softly ruffling through the messed up strands. He noticed idly that black hair was starting to grow at the roots and wondered if Jaejoong would continue to bleach his hair blonde. Jaejoong stirred under his touch and thinking he was still asleep, Yunho continued to play with Jaejoong’s hair.
“Does my hair feel soft?” Jaejoong murmured softly, amused.
Yunho jumped, startled at the sudden question. “I didn’t know you were awake,” he said self-consciously, guiltily withdrawing his hand from Jaejoong’s hair.
Jaejoong laughed gently, saying, “I wasn’t. I just woke up a minute ago.” He added almost as an afterthought, “Don’t stop playing with my hair. It felt nice.” He looked up at Yunho and smiled contentedly.
Yunho returned his smile and continued to stroke his hair, wondering what the warm, happy feeling inside him meant.
~*~
After minutes of simply lying there and enjoying the feeling of someone playing with his hair, Jaejoong reluctantly said, “I think it’s time for me to get up. It’s almost time for Hansook-hyung to come over and tell us our schedule.”
Yunho chuckled and said, “Actually, before you woke up, I heard a message on the recording machine. It was Hansook-hyung calling to tell us that we have the day off today, and that we should use it wisely.”
“Really?” asked Jaejoong incredulously. In the entire time he had been a singer, he had never gotten a day off after the first week’s release of a single. Instead, everything had seemed to be gotten more hectic.
“Yeah,” Yunho replied. His eyes laughed at him, telling Jaejoong that he understood his amazement very well.
“Well then, I guess that means I should get up even faster then,” said Jaejoong as he stretched luxuriously on the couch.
“Why?” asked Yunho, baffled at why Jaejoong should get up earlier on a day off.
“Because,” Jaejoong smiled warmly, “I want to prepare a good breakfast for you guys today. Usually we don’t have enough time for a good, healthy breakfast. I want to use the free time today to treat you guys.”
“I see,” laughed Yunho. “Then why don’t you go wash up and get ready while I wake everybody else up?”
“Will it take that long to wake them up?” asked Jaejoong, puzzled.
Yunho grinned. “Of course it will. You know how Yoochun is like. It practically takes him a full fifteen minutes to even remember how to put toothpaste onto a toothbrush in the morning.”
Jaejoong laughed quietly. “That’s true. All right, you can go wake everybody up while I wash up.” He got up from the sofa and tiptoed over Changmin who was sleeping on the floor next to the sofa. He looked back at Yunho and motioned with his hand at Junsu and Yoochun, his eyes asking Yunho what happened.
Yunho simply shrugged, smiling as he did so.
Jaejoong affectionately rolled his eyes and turned back around, thinking that being woken up by Yunho playing with his hair and seeing his face first thing in the morning was a perfect way to begin his morning.
~*~
Feeling his body being shaken, Junsu couldn’t help but groan. “No… let me sleep a bit longer.” He didn’t want to move from the comfortable place he was in. His back may feel a bit sore, but his head rested on a very warm place.
“It’s time to wake up, Junsu.” Was that Yunho’s voice he heard? Suppressing another groan, Junsu simply turned his head to face the direction the voice was coming from and opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. Yes, it was Yunho, with an amused smile on his face.
“Is it time for Hansook-hyung to arrive already?” he asked, his voice coming out a bit rusty.
“No,” Yunho replied. “We’re getting today off.”
“Then let me sleep longer,” Junsu groaned, and he turned his body to fit more snugly against whatever he was sleeping against.
He heard a muffled snicker and heard, “Uh… Junsu-yah, you might want to see where your head is at.”
Junsu simply ignored Yunho, not caring where his head was at, only wishing that Yunho would go away and let him fall asleep again.
“Seriously, Junsu. You should see where your head’s at.” Yunho’s voice was strangled, sounding like he was only barely holding his laughter in.
“Why should I?” grumbled Junsu as he opened his eyes blearily. His eyes focused, and he saw someone’s nose. It looked strangely like Yoochun’s nose… His eyes traveled downwards, seeing that his body was completely wrapped around a body that looked suspiciously like Yoochun’s.
“Ah!” cried Junsu, realizing that his head was on Yoochun’s shoulder. He jumped up, feeling his cheeks turn red as he saw Yunho a foot away, laughing so hard tears were in his eyes.
“That, that,” he spluttered, “that was-” Words failed him as he tried to explain his sleeping so close next to Yoochun.
Yunho simply laughed harder, laughing so loudly that Yoochun stirred, Changmin woke up, and Jaejoong popped his head out of the bathroom.
“I think Yunho-hyung’s feeling the aftereffects of last night,” Junsu said to Jaejoong helplessly. Jaejoong grinned, and disappeared back into the bathroom.
He looked down to Changmin, who was now fully awake, and rolled his eyes. He gazed over at Yunho, whose laughter was starting to die down, and muttered, “God, Yunho-hyung. You can be such a dork sometimes.”
Hearing Yoochun shift his body on the floor, he crouched down and shook him. “Wake up, Yoochun,” he said loudly.
“It’s not going to work, you know,” Changmin said, amused. He was across the room, reclining against the couch watching Junsu continue to try to wake Yoochun.
“Well, I could try,” Junsu grumbled. He shook harder, hoping he would be able to wake Yoochun up without having to throw cold water on him.
Seeing Jaejoong walk into the kitchen, he pleaded weakly for help. Yunho was unable to help as he was weak from laughing so hard, and Changmin was Changmin, enjoying the sight of Junsu embarrassing himself. Jaejoong gave him a slight half-smile and shook his head, continuing to walk into the kitchen as he did so.
Sighing, Junsu resigned himself to yelling into Yoochun’s ear, “Wake up, Yoochun!”
~*~
Glimpsing Jaejoong go into the kitchen, Yunho picked himself up from the floor. He was weak from laughter and picking himself up was a hard task. Just glancing over to where Junsu stood, still trying to wake Yoochun up, almost sent him back into fits of laughter. Only by forcefully swallowing the giggles that threatened to come out was he able to stand up and walk. Averting his eyes away from Junsu helped, but a grin still lingered around his mouth.
He strode into the kitchen and saw Jaejoong, cutting vegetables at the counter. He thought about sneaking up to him but thought it would be dangerous with him holding a knife.
Walking up to him, he gently bumped shoulders with Jaejoong. “Need help?” he teased.
Jaejoong looked up in surprise. “Sure,” he replied, smiling. “You could help me rinse off those dishes.” He gestured over to the sink where several dishes lay.
Yunho moved over and turned on the faucet. Perhaps it was the laughter still residing in him, or perhaps it was the euphoria left over from yesterday, but his hands moved by their own volition to splash some water at Jaejoong’s direction.
Jaejoong gasped as the cold water hit his face and turned to face Yunho with a glimmer in his eyes. “You’re going to regret that, Yunho,” he threatened.
“Really?” Yunho taunted, an evil smile on his face. “What are you going to do to me?”
“This!” Jaejoong threw a freshly cut cucumber at Yunho’s face.
He felt the cucumber hit his face as he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t hit his eyes. “How could you?” he gasped in mock outrage. “That was a waste of good food!”
“Hm, good point,” Jaejoong mused. “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to do this!” Jaejoong had gone to the faucet, gotten a handful of water, and had thrown it onto Yunho’s shirt.
Looking down, Yunho saw the water spread across his shirt, making it transparent. “You-!” he spluttered. “That was really cold, Jaejoong!”
“Oh. Sorry.” Jaejoong grinned, not looking the least bit repentant.
Yunho took a step back, but he ended up slipping on the water left on the floor. He managed to land on Changmin who had strolled into the kitchen just then.
“Ow, Yunho-hyung,” Changmin complained. “That hurt. And why is your shirt so wet?” he exclaimed, jumping away from Yunho.
“Blame Jaejoong,” Yunho grumbled, holding his shirt away from his chest. “He threw the water on me.”
“Well you’re the one who started it,” Jaejoong retorted, sticking out his tongue and seeming like a little child again.
Yunho averted his eyes from Changmin, who was grinning at him in a funny way, and reached over to gently poke Jaejoong in the stomach. “Well, whatever,” Yunho said, grinning. “Doesn’t matter who started it, you were the one who made my shirt so wet.”
He walked away, laughing over his shoulder, “Good luck with cleaning up and making breakfast, Jaejoong!”
“Wait, where are you going?” Jaejoong asked. “You have to help me clean this mess up!”
“I’m going to change my shirt into something drier,” came the wry reply. “And you could always get Changmin to help you. Besides, I have to see what’s taking Yoochun and Junsu so long…” The words trailed off, leaving Jaejoong standing there, staring in the direction the voice came from in disbelief.
He turned to Changmin and gave him a glare. “You’re not going away too, are you, Changmin?” he asked sweetly.
Changmin, recognizing the question for what it was, sighed and muttered, “No, hyung, I’m not.”
“Good.” Jaejoong smiled. “Then you can mop up the water while I finish making breakfast.”
As he bent down to the floor with a piece of cloth in his hand, Changmin grumbled, “I’m going to get Yunho-hyung for this, just watch.”
~*~
Later, as he was setting up the table for breakfast, Changmin, instead of putting a bowl of rice, placed a bowl of cereal on the place where Yunho usually sat. He grinned, knowing that Yunho would never be able to survive eating only cereal for breakfast.
“Changmin, what are you doing?” Jaejoong asked curiously. He had come out of the kitchen and saw Changmin put the bowl of cereal on the table.
“I’m taking revenge on Yunho-hyung,” Changmin replied, a smirk playing around his face.
“By giving him cereal for breakfast?” Jaejoong laughed. “You do know that he could always eat something else later, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Changmin said. “But at least this way he won’t be able to enjoy the breakfast you cooked for us. Instead, he has to make do with cereal.” He snickered as he finished his sentence.
Jaejoong smiled, saying, “You’re so evil, Changmin-ah.”
Changmin pretended to be innocent, as if not understanding what Jaejoong was saying. Just then, a loud voice yelled down the apartment.
“I smell breakfast!”
Jaejoong and Changmin shared a smile, knowing that in mere seconds, Junsu, Yoochun, and Yunho would come rushing into the kitchen, demanding their share of the food.
Changmin’s smile turned into an evil grin, imagining Yunho’s reaction when he saw his breakfast when compared to the rest of the group’s.
~*~
Junsu trudged into the kitchen, tired from his efforts on waking Yoochun up. He had somewhat awoken Yoochun up when Yunho had walked in with an amused face.
He had obviously heard Junsu’s futile pleads for Yoochun to wake up and had decided to help Junsu.
With Yunho’s help, Yoochun had finally awoken and had stumbled into the bathroom.
It had taken fifteen minutes for him to come out, bleary eyed but more awake than when he had gone inside. His eyes had brightened slightly at the smell of coffee in the air, something that Jaejoong always made sure was brewed in the morning.
Junsu walked behind him and lightly pushed Yoochun in the direction of the dining room. Whoever was supposed to wake Yoochun up in the morning knew how to deal with him when he’s in a half dead state.
Yoochun, now walking, moved with his eyes half closed, yet his nose was pointed at the kitchen where the coffee was sure to be waiting for him.
Finally reaching the dining room where Jaejoong stood with a mug of coffee ready for Yoochun, Junsu dropped onto his seat and sighed in appreciation for the breakfast Jaejoong had made. Lately, the only thing they would have in the mornings would be either the leftovers from the previous night or just a simple cup of coffee or tea with some gimbap once they’ve reached the studio.
Seeing Yoochun stand in a corner sipping his coffee, Junsu took pity on him and stood up, going over to him in order to lead him to his seat.
“Thanks,” he heard Yoochun whisper.
Smiling softly, Junsu simply squeezed Yoochun’s shoulder.
~*~
Taking care to keep an eye on Yunho, Jaejoong noticed the expression on his face at being given a bowl of cereal. Yunho sat down, his expression of utter disbelief.
Jaejoong saw his eyes flick to the other members’ bowls, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the morose expression on Yunho’s face as he stared into his bowl.
Deciding to take pity on him, Jaejoong asked, “Do you want some rice, Yunho?”
Yunho looked at him, surprised. “Weren’t you the one who-?” His eyes narrowed, and he turned to glare at Changmin. “Changmin…” he murmured.
“Yes?” Changmin replied, eyes wide in fake innocence.
“Thank you so much for the cereal,” Yunho said sarcastically. “It’ll be very filling.”
“No problem, hyung. Anytime.” Changmin smiled.
Yunho rolled his eyes, laughter filling his face. He got up, holding his bowl, and went inside the kitchen to get some rice.
As he went inside, the phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Jaejoong said, rising from his chair. He gestured for the others to continue eating. Picking up the phone, he said, “Hello?”
He fell silent, obviously listening to whoever it was on the other line. “Yes, all right, Hansook-hyung,” he finally said. “I’ll tell them.” He hung up, turning to face them.
“Who was it?” Yunho asked, leaning against the kitchen door.
“Hansook-hyung,” Jaejoong replied. “He said to get ready; we’re going over to SM.” He rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking tired. “I guess having a day off was too good to be true,” he whispered softly.
Slightly frowning, Yunho went over to him and tried to smooth away the frown that threatened to appear on Jaejoong’s face. “It’s all right,” he consoled gently, fingers lingering on Jaejoong’s features. “We just have to go over, right? It doesn’t mean we have to work.”
The clink of chopsticks against the table made him turn. It was Junsu and Changmin, starting to clear the table. Even Yoochun was helping, slowly reaching to grab various bowls and plates to give to either Junsu or Changmin. They all had varying degrees of fatigue on their faces, mouths twisted wistfully as they carried the dishes into the kitchen.
“See?” Jaejoong asked Yunho. “Even they look tired.”
Yunho sighed as he looked down at him. “It’ll be all right,” he repeated softly as he pulled Jaejoong into a hug. He didn’t know what else to do.
~*~
Yoochun came out of the room he shared with Jaejoong, holding a sheaf of papers. Jaejoong had asked what it was, but he had refused to tell him unless they were already with everyone.
Yunho, Junsu, and Changmin were in the hallway, waiting for them. Changmin’s eyes saw what he was holding and asked, “Is that what I think it is, Yoochun-hyung?”
Nodding silently, he waited for Jaejoong to join them before speaking. “I was wondering,” he began hesitantly, “if I should tell you guys this, but after thinking about it for a while, I realized that if I want my compositions to be produced, I should tell you guys first.”
Taking a deep breath, he thrust the papers he was holding out in front of him. As Yunho took them and started to leaf through them, he said, “Before, I didn’t want to tell you guys this because we were strangers. I put a lot of my personal feelings into what I compose, and I didn’t want strangers to hear them before they were completely polished.”
Giving the papers over to Jaejoong, Yunho walked over to him, saying, “Thank you for telling us, Yoochun. I guess this means we’re no longer strangers?” he teased.
Feeling himself relax at the warm gaze Yunho was giving him, Yoochun replied, smiling, “No, of course not. It’s been a while since we’ve passed that stage, hyung.”
Just then, Changmin exclaimed, the composition in his hands, “This isn’t the one I found! What happened to that one?”
Junsu, Yunho, and Jaejoong chorused, “You knew before?”
“He found it on accident,” Yoochun muttered. “I didn’t let him know on purpose.” And turning to glare at Changmin, he replied, “I threw that one away. The inspiration for it left me.”
Changmin opened his mouth, ready to say something else, but the doorbell rang.
Taking his papers back, Yoochun carefully put them on the piano in the living room.
“You’re not going to show them to Chunhee-shii?” Junsu asked curiously.
Yoochun laughed nervously. “Not today. Maybe later, but not today.”
“All right, guys, let’s go,” commanded Hansook as Jaejoong opened the door. “Sooman-shii is waiting for us.”
~*~
The outside of the SM building was completely crowded with reporters and crazy fans with cameras. The van they were in slowed to a crawl as it tried to go through the throng of people, the driver honking at people who threw themselves in front.
Finally reaching the front of the building, bodyguards came out and pushed their way through the crowd, trying to reach the van.
Inside, Changmin murmured, “Wow, that’s a lot of people.”
“Of course there would be a lot of people,” Hansook said. “With you guys breaking a record, you now are the golden band in the press’s eyes.
Shifting uneasily in their seats, they shared a glance, unused to so many flashing cameras, screaming fans, and pushy reporters waiting for them. They got out of the van, putting on their sunglasses, pulling their hats down lower, or pulling on their hoods in order to try to ignore the people around them.
“Dong Bang Shin Ki! How do you feel now that you have broken the record?”
“Dong Bang Shin Ki! Please answer our questions!”
“Dong Bang Shin Ki, when will you hold your press conference?”
They completely ignored the reporters as they tried to walk in the swarm of people surrounding them. Changmin went first, tailing behind a bodyguard. Yoochun walked after Changmin, with Junsu following him. Jaejoong tried to move faster, head lowered, trying to leave the horde of people as Yunho kept a hand on his back.
They moved slowly through the mass, inching their way to the building even as the bodyguards tried to clear their way. Hands touched them, pulling at their clothing, stroking their body, as they moved.
Gritting their teeth, they kept moving, steadily heading towards the building. As soon as they reached it, a bodyguard inside opened the door, motioning for them to hurry in. They rushed in, anxious to be free of the mob.
Inside, they finally fixed the clothing and the hair that had been messed with.
“You guys okay?” Hansook asked, wiping away his sweat with a tissue.
Nodding, they started to walk towards Lee Sooman’s office.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yunho asked them quietly as they walked, concerned. He noticed the fine lines around Jaejoong’s eyes, the slight frown of Changmin’s eyebrows, Junsu’s tight lips, and Yoochun’s clenched fists.
“Yeah,” they muttered, each lost in their own thoughts.
They reached the main foyer of the SM building, slowly starting to relax as the air conditioning cooled down their heated bodies.
But whispers and muffled screams sounded around them, causing them to look around in surprise. Trainees, younger stars, even staff were acting like it was their first time seeing them.
They bowed stiffly to them, not knowing how to act. They walked faster towards Sooman’s office, almost running in their haste. Finally reaching his office, the secretary in front smiled at them and gestured for them to go inside, paging Sooman as they entered.
Sooman was reclining in his chair, holding a piece of paper. “Hello,” he said absently. “Go ahead and take a seat; I’ll talk to you guys as soon as I’m done reading this.”
They sat on the couches at the edge of the room, taking the time to rearrange their faces, trying not to show their severe shock and bewilderment.
Sooman soon put the paper on his desk and rose from his chair, strolling over to where they sat. His sharp eyes noticed the signs of strain on their faces, but he said nothing, choosing for them to get used to the dangers of fame by themselves.
“Congratulations on breaking a record the first time you released an album,” he said pleasantly. “I certainly didn’t expect such good sales.”
Swallowing, Yunho nodded weakly, saying, “Thank you, sir. We didn’t expect such good results either.”
“Do you know why the single sold so much?” Sooman asked.
They all shook their heads, for the first time, wondering how the sales reached such high numbers.
“It was because of all your fans,” Sooman replied, smiling. “Each fan of each individual singer plus the ones who supported the band instead of just the singer contributed to the sales. So you can say that each of you also helped.”
“Now,” he continued, “your schedule will get that much busier. Variety shows, performances, appearances… all will be compressed into your schedule. You must get used to waking early but sleeping late, little rest, and exhausting practices in the studio. That will be the price of your fame.”
He paused, looking at each of them. They were looking straight at him; understanding, resignation, and determination warring on their faces. “Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes,” Yunho said, confident.
“I do,” Junsu said, determined.
“Yeah,” Yoochun murmured.
Jaejoong nodded, while Changmin sighed in resignation.
“Good,” Sooman said, smiling. “Then get all your rest in today, your new schedule will start at 5 o’clock in the morning tomorrow.”
Chapter Nine