Supportive
The dressing room was the last place he could sulk until he was thrown completely into the world of schedules, recordings, and a bunch of other things he wouldn’t see his hyungs in again. Changmin pouted in the mirror, wishing he could cry and thus, give the staff more reason to put this comeback off.
The door was knocked on and opened. The stylist came in and looked like she was smiling at him in the eyes - her real smile was hidden behind a mask. Her hair was black and it hurt Changmin’s heart - she bared a strong resemblance to Jaejoong.
“I’ll do your hair now.” She said and Changmin dumbly nodded. She pulled a comb through his ends, positioning them this way and that around his shoulders. Changmin avoided looking at her in the mirror - the way she did things…they were way too much like his Band-Umma.
In fact…her hands were a lot like Jaejoong’s…with the same scald scar on the thumb.
Changmin grabbed her hand and held it there on his shoulder for a minute. Reality had slipped away from him and just as quickly, grabbed hold again. If he was wrong about this, so many bad things could happen. She could be offended, she could see him as trying to harass her, she could sue, she could create a scandal -
Or she could be Jaejoong.
Courage filled him and he brought the hand out for him to look at. The scar (Jaejoong was making dinner for the five of them when he had come home. Nothing had seemed to be going right - the photographer was a PMS-ing bitch, the radio had a technology problem and he was stuck in a chair for three hours, and the traffic - “AGH!” He slammed the door shut and that was when Jaejoong jumped, splattering boiling hot water on his hand.) was just the same as it had been when they went to the doctor.
In a complete trance, Changmin stood up and turned around. His free hand went slowly to the mask around the stylist’s face. Apprehensive eyes watched as more milky-white skin was shown.
And Jaejoong smiled back at him.
Changmin’s legs failed him and he fell into the elder’s arms. Tears welled up and overflowed his face, crying. He clung to Jaejoong like the child he felt he was. “Umma…”
“Come on, Minnie, if you cry now, then manager-hyung will know something’s up and we’ll all be trouble.” Jaejoong laughed, rubbing the maknae’s back. He coerced Changmin back into his seat and continued prepping him for the concert-to-come.
Changmin sniffled. “What…are you doing…here?”
Jaejoong chuckled. “Do you really think Umma would miss your big comeback?”
Changmin hung his head. “But…hyung and I…”
Jaejoong smacked his head. “If you start feeling bad about missing our debut, I will make Yunho not feed you for two days.” He went back to combing his curls.
Changmin looked at his hyung in the mirror. “Where’re Yoochun and Su?”
“With Yunho, probably scaring the daylights out of him.” Jaejoong put the comb down and turned the chair around, pulling out concealer.
Changmin lifted his head up. “When did you get so good at makeup?”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes. “When the whole world is watching your court case, you have to have a strong face on.”
Changmin pouted. “Hyung…are you…I mean…”
Jaejoong looked Changmin in the eyes. “Choi Changmin, I am hear, right in front of you, telling you that you and Yunho have to go through with this comeback. No matter what, not even if we go against each other in the Korean Artist Awards, you and Yunho have to try your best to get Number 1.”
“But…hyungs deser-”
“You say 'deserve to be the best' and two days turn into a week.” Changmin pulled back. “I want to say that you should give up singing and come fight with us - I really do - but that would be selfish. And as much as I don’t want SM to just forget that Dong Bang Shin Ki use to be - and always will be - five, I want the best for you always. And that trumps anything. I’m not about to let you give up your dream while I’m still living mine just because I’m selfish.” He held the maknae’s chin in his hand. “Understood?”
And Changmin smiled. “Understood.” He leaned forward and hugged Jaejoong around the waist. “Thanks Hyung, for coming out tonight.”
Jaejoong smiled 1000-watts and smiled back. “Saranghae, Minnie.”
That night, when they went out on Inkigayo and sang the bullshit SM had written for them, Yunho and Changmin shared a look.
5 hearts beat in the studio, even though only 2 voices sang.
The door was knocked on and opened. The stylist came in and looked like she was smiling at him in the eyes - her real smile was hidden behind a mask. Her hair was black and it hurt Changmin’s heart - she bared a strong resemblance to Jaejoong.
“I’ll do your hair now.” She said and Changmin dumbly nodded. She pulled a comb through his ends, positioning them this way and that around his shoulders. Changmin avoided looking at her in the mirror - the way she did things…they were way too much like his Band-Umma.
In fact…her hands were a lot like Jaejoong’s…with the same scald scar on the thumb.
Changmin grabbed her hand and held it there on his shoulder for a minute. Reality had slipped away from him and just as quickly, grabbed hold again. If he was wrong about this, so many bad things could happen. She could be offended, she could see him as trying to harass her, she could sue, she could create a scandal -
Or she could be Jaejoong.
Courage filled him and he brought the hand out for him to look at. The scar (Jaejoong was making dinner for the five of them when he had come home. Nothing had seemed to be going right - the photographer was a PMS-ing bitch, the radio had a technology problem and he was stuck in a chair for three hours, and the traffic - “AGH!” He slammed the door shut and that was when Jaejoong jumped, splattering boiling hot water on his hand.) was just the same as it had been when they went to the doctor.
In a complete trance, Changmin stood up and turned around. His free hand went slowly to the mask around the stylist’s face. Apprehensive eyes watched as more milky-white skin was shown.
And Jaejoong smiled back at him.
Changmin’s legs failed him and he fell into the elder’s arms. Tears welled up and overflowed his face, crying. He clung to Jaejoong like the child he felt he was. “Umma…”
“Come on, Minnie, if you cry now, then manager-hyung will know something’s up and we’ll all be trouble.” Jaejoong laughed, rubbing the maknae’s back. He coerced Changmin back into his seat and continued prepping him for the concert-to-come.
Changmin sniffled. “What…are you doing…here?”
Jaejoong chuckled. “Do you really think Umma would miss your big comeback?”
Changmin hung his head. “But…hyung and I…”
Jaejoong smacked his head. “If you start feeling bad about missing our debut, I will make Yunho not feed you for two days.” He went back to combing his curls.
Changmin looked at his hyung in the mirror. “Where’re Yoochun and Su?”
“With Yunho, probably scaring the daylights out of him.” Jaejoong put the comb down and turned the chair around, pulling out concealer.
Changmin lifted his head up. “When did you get so good at makeup?”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes. “When the whole world is watching your court case, you have to have a strong face on.”
Changmin pouted. “Hyung…are you…I mean…”
Jaejoong looked Changmin in the eyes. “Choi Changmin, I am hear, right in front of you, telling you that you and Yunho have to go through with this comeback. No matter what, not even if we go against each other in the Korean Artist Awards, you and Yunho have to try your best to get Number 1.”
“But…hyungs deser-”
“You say 'deserve to be the best' and two days turn into a week.” Changmin pulled back. “I want to say that you should give up singing and come fight with us - I really do - but that would be selfish. And as much as I don’t want SM to just forget that Dong Bang Shin Ki use to be - and always will be - five, I want the best for you always. And that trumps anything. I’m not about to let you give up your dream while I’m still living mine just because I’m selfish.” He held the maknae’s chin in his hand. “Understood?”
And Changmin smiled. “Understood.” He leaned forward and hugged Jaejoong around the waist. “Thanks Hyung, for coming out tonight.”
Jaejoong smiled 1000-watts and smiled back. “Saranghae, Minnie.”
That night, when they went out on Inkigayo and sang the bullshit SM had written for them, Yunho and Changmin shared a look.
5 hearts beat in the studio, even though only 2 voices sang.