The Five Legends [Ch.3]
The Five Legends
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG - ?
3/?
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
The day after Sooman-shii announced his startling plan, Yunho was at his dance studio, trying to dance away his troubled thoughts. At the same time, in another place, Changmin tried to bury his thoughts in a book. Jaejoong compulsively cleaned every inch of his apartment. Yoochun locked himself in his work room and blasted music on the highest volume possible. Junsu sang and sang and sang, hoping to tire himself out. And yet, even after Yunho collapsed wearily onto the floor, even after Changmin finished his book, even after Jaejoong couldn’t find a single piece of dust, even after Yoochun went through all his CDs twice, even after Junsu sang until his throat was raw and his voice was hoarse, none of them could keep Sooman-shii’s voice saying “From now on, you five are going to be in the same band” from echoing in their minds.
~*~
Junsu, three days after that fateful meeting, walked into Sooman’s office, determined to find out if Sooman meant what he said. Unfortunately, his secretary told him Sooman was out for lunch. Junsu plodded out after asking her to call him as soon Sooman came back; he decided to eat lunch as he was hungry as well.
“Junsu-shii?” He stiffened at the voice calling his name; it belonged to a man he had wished never to see again-Yunho. He turned around reluctantly and stared in disbelief. Standing a few feet behind him were all four of the men he had met on Sunday, Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, and Changmin
“Why are you guys here?” He couldn’t help sounding defensive.
“I came here to see Sooman-shii, but I bumped into everybody else on the way up here,” replied Jaejoong gently. “It turned out that everyone also came to see Sooman-shii.”
“He’s not in right now. Apparently he’s gone out to eat lunch.”
“Oh... I see.” Jaejoong looked put out. Suddenly, someone’s stomach grumbled; it turned out to be Changmin.
“Ah, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “My stomach gets hungry easily.” Everyone cracked a laugh, even Yoochun.
“Well, do you guys want to join me for lunch down at the café?” asked Junsu. “I was about to go down to get something to eat.”
“Yes, of course I’ll go with you!” Changmin jumped enthusiastically at the offer. “Besides, since Sooman-shii isn’t in his office right now, we could all eat lunch! Unless… have you guys eaten yet?” He sounded a bit uncertain.
“I haven’t eaten yet.” Yunho smiled reassuringly at Changmin. “And I believe Jaejoong hasn’t eaten either, if the sounds his stomach made on the way up were of any indication.” He teased Jaejoong gently; almost as if he wasn’t sure Jae would let him behave in such a familiar way.
Jaejoong laughed awkwardly before replying, “No, I haven’t eaten yet either.” He looked up into Yunho’s eyes and shared a shy smile.
“Great! Then we can…” Changmin trailed off as he realized Yoochun was the only one who hasn’t replied yet. “Yoochun-shii, how about you?”
“Uh… I’ll go with you guys,” mumbled Yoochun. His eyes never looked up from the floor.
The silence that fell over them was tangible. Everyone felt a bit uncertain about Yoochun’s lack of enthusiasm; they weren’t sure of what they should do in order to make him feel a bit more comfortable.
“Let’s just go…” Yunho’s voice was hesitant, but everyone followed his lead as he walked into the elevator.
~*~
Jaejoong was curious about Yoochun. Very curious. He wondered why Yoochun seemed to keep his distance from all of them. Everybody else was cautious, but only he seemed to be completely ignoring them as they walked down to the café. Jaejoong’s eyes followed him and observed how Yoochun seemed to walk separate from the group, with his head down. He decided to be nicer to Yoochun, to be gentler to him.
“Ok. Where do you guys want to sit? Yoochun-shii?” Yoochun looked startled as four pairs of eyes looked at him, waiting for his answer.
“We could sit over there.” He pointed to a secluded table at the corner. Everyone nodded and headed towards the table.
As soon as they sat down, a waiter came over and asked for their order. After telling him what they wanted, he disappeared, leaving the table silent.
“So… what did you guys think of Sooman-shii’s proposal?” Yunho finally brought up the topic that was on their minds. He was sitting back against his chair, fingers crossed, and his body posture relaxed; only his face gave away his insecurity.
Jaejoong’s eyes flicked up at him. Was he always this bold? Regardless, he answered Yunho. “I’ve been trying to find some way to get out of it,” he replied honestly. “I like being a solo artist. Otherwise, when I first debuted, I would have joined a group.”
Everyone nodded agreement, even Yoochun. “But, what if Sooman-shii’s right? What if being in the same band really would let us gain worldwide fame?” Junsu asked.
Conversation stopped for a moment as their food was served. Everyone used that time to mull over the question; worldwide fame was something they all desired, and it was something they would give their all to gain.
“I would love worldwide fame,” said Changmin thoughtfully. “But if I had to give up my independence as a solo artist, I would rather let worldwide fame wait a little longer.”
Again, everyone nodded agreement. They all valued their freedom in deciding what they wanted to do. Granted, they weren’t allowed choices in most aspects of their careers, but whatever they could choose, they used it to their best advantage.
“You’re right, Changmin-shii. With our careers being controlled so much, it’s hard to even choose what to sing, what to wear,” said Junsu somberly. “If we become a band, it’s going to be even harder to do what we want.”
“Why do you think that forming a band together will limit your choices even more? In my opinion, forming a band out of you five will only open more doors for you.”
Everyone’s eyes swung to the man standing at the edge of the table. “Sooman-shii, how long have you been standing there?” asked Yunho incredulously.
“I’ve been standing here only for a few seconds, but I’ve been sitting in that table over there for a while.” He pointed to a table directly diagonal from theirs. “I guess that shows how much you guys were preoccupied when you don’t even notice me sitting near you and listening in to your conversation,” he chuckled. Junsu and Jaejoong flushed while Yunho, Changmin, and Yoochun steadfastly either looked at the table, floor, or the ceiling.
“Anyways,” coughed Yunho, “Sooman-shii, we were looking for you.”
“I know what you guys want to say. Just let me ask Yoochun something before we go up to my office to talk about it.” He smiled, completely at ease. He faced Yoochun and asked a question. “So, Yoochun. I’ve heard what the other four feel about my plan. I haven’t heard you, though. How do you feel about it?”
“Er…” He looked unused to being asked his opinion. Junsu fought a smile, thinking how adorable Yoochun looked.
“I’m stuck right in the middle,” replied Yoochun softly. “I like the idea of being in a band, but I also want to keep being a solo artist at the same time.”
“What? Why do you want to part of a band?” Yunho, Jaejoong, Junsu, and Changmin spoke at the same time while Sooman just looked on.
“Because… sometimes, when I see bands on TV, they all seem so close. I know that some are just an act, but the ones that show true friendship, really stick out to me and make me want to have friends like that.” Yoochun looked away before adding, “And sometimes… I wouldn’t mind having friends to lean on when our job gets tough.”
Everyone felt a chord being struck deep within him. Each of them had wished for a friend during some point in time during their careers. But of course… they would never admit it to near strangers.
Instead of responding, they chose to finish their food. As soon as they finished and had paid the check, Sooman said, “Finished? Good. Let’s go up to my office and finish talking.”
They headed up and entered the elevator. As Sooman observed the five men, he noticed how each stood apart, in their own separate corners. They all looked at everything but each other; he noted with amusement their reactions to each other when they accidentally met one another’s eyes. If Junsu and Yoochun met each other’s eyes, they would give small, shy smiles; Changmin would partially grin if he saw Yunho or Jaejoong; Jaejoong and Yunho would immediately look away with a suspicious flush; Junsu would give a glare to Jaejoong; Yoochun would blink in bemusement when he saw Jaejoong’s warm smile. All these separate responses gave a clue to how they felt about the others.
They reached Sooman’s floor and left the elevator. “Ah, Sooman-shii, Junsu-shii…” Sooman’s secretary trailed off as she saw Junsu and everyone else behind him. “Never mind, Sooman-shii. I see you’ve met up with Junsu-shii,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, I have.” Sooman faced the five men and opening the door, he welcomed them in. “Please, have a seat. Get comfortable, because I know we’ll probably have a lot to talk about.” His indulgent attitude was gone. He was now the man who had made ordinary people into huge stars, hard, and unyielding. “Oh, yes. If anyone looks for me, please tell them I’m in a very important meeting,” Sooman instructed his secretary.
“Yes sir.”
He turned and closed the door, meeting the eyes of the five men warily waiting inside. For a moment, the sight took his breath away. He had not realized how the five of them would look like when placed side by side; he had only noticed the talent and potential that could be harnessed. Now, when sitting together in the only couch he had, he finally saw the indescribable, shining aura that enveloped them. He smiled, a cold, calculating smile, when he thought of all the photo shoots he would arrange for them to attract fans. With the proper tools, they would rise to the top of the industry with their looks and talent. But first… he must get them to work together.
“So, you guys are sure you definitely don’t want to form a band?” He talked lightly, but a strange glint in his eye contradicted his tone.
“Yes,” they chorused.
“Really? Well, too bad.” This was said with a pleasant smile that did nothing to disguise the implacable authority he held. “But, instead of it being permanent, I’ve decided to only put you guys together for only a certain amount of time. Does that sound better to you?” If they really did as well as he hoped they would do, he had no intention of breaking them up. But if they really couldn’t get their act right, well, then at least there will be a way out. Of course, they didn’t have to know that.
“Can you define that time period? How long?” Yunho, the one person nothing could get across, asked with a frown on his face.
“Hm… maybe 6 months to one year?”
“Well, since it’s not permanent, I have no problems with it,” replied Yunho, shrugging. The feat proved difficult as his shoulders were squished between Changmin’s shoulder and the end of the couch.
“I don’t mind.”
“I’m up for it.”
“Sure…”
“As long as I get to beat Jaejoong in singing, why not?”
“Perfect!” Sooman beamed, seeming like a different person than before. “I believe that now that you’ve all agreed, I need to arrange a new manager, a vocal coach to teach you how to blend your voices together, a dance chorographer, a new apartment-”
“A new apartment?! Why do we need a new apartment?!” they exclaimed in a panic.
“Well, you can’t expect to all fit in one of your apartments now do you?” asked Sooman crossly.
“Why do we have to live in the same apartment? We could just meet up in the place we’re supposed to be!”
Sooman was shaking his head before Changmin even finished his sentence. “Think of all the cars I’ll have to send out to pick each of you up from your apartment. All the hair stylists and makeup stylists I’ll have to send with the separate cars. No, if you all lived in the same place, only one car, one hair stylist, one makeup stylist, will be needed.”
“But… still…” responded Jaejoong weakly.
“No buts. You can all start packing up your necessary luggage tonight. No appliances are required. The new apartment, which should be ready in a week or so, will have all essential equipments.” He abruptly turned to Yoochun. “However, if you want to keep your keyboard, Yoochun, you should bring it along with you.”
“Alright,” Yoochun mumbled.
“Now that that’s all taken cared of, you all can go home.” Sooman smiled as he waved them out the room. “Oh, by the way! Expect your managers to schedule in a press conference two to three days from now. That will be the day we’ll announce to the world the merging of the top five talents in the industry.”
As the door closed in front of their astonished faces, Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin all stared at each other in abject amazement. What in the world had they gotten themselves into?
~*~
On the day of the press conference, they all met at the backstage of the place the conference would be held. All of them were feeling nervous, a feeling they hadn’t felt for a while since their debuts. Sooman appeared, beckoning them over to him.
“Everybody ready? The press conference will start in about 5 minutes. All of you guys know the drill.” He smiled, confidence seeping from every pore. His eyes raked over them professionally, taking in their perfect hair, perfect faces, and perfect clothes that matched each other. “This will be the only time I will be here with you. From now on, your new manager will take over these jobs.” He called over a man that looked like he was in his early 30’s. “His name is Hansook.”
Hansook bowed respectfully before saying “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” chorused Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin while bowing back to him.
“It’s time to go out and meet those reporters. You guys and Hansook can get acquainted later; I’m sure you’ll know each other very well by the time a few weeks have passed. And remember: no more calling each other with the -shii honorific. You may use “hyung” instead.” As he was talking, Sooman ushered them out into the waiting sea of news hungry reporters.
~*~
Camera lights flashed while questions were shouted out. Each member of the newly formed band answered a question while the other members answered another. Reporters from other countries such as China translated the news into a recorder as the answers were given.
“Yunho-shii! Do you know why Sooman-shii decided to merge you into a band with four other members?”
“I believe it’s because he wants to spread Korea’s music farther into the world.” Yunho’s reply was, as always, calm, collected, and correct while giving nothing important away.
“Jaejoong-shii! What do you think of the other four members?”
“They’re all very kind. I believe, with time, we’ll be able to become good friends.” Jaejoong’s answer was sweet, but straight to the point.
“Junsu-shii! What do you think the music you will all sing will be like?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a mixture of all our styles?” Junsu’s response was untroubled as he flashed one of his cheery smiles.
“Yoochun-shii! Are you going to teach the rest of your new bandmembers how to compose songs?”
“If they’re interested, of course I will teach them. There’s no reason not to.” Yoochun smiled softly as he answered.
“Changmin-shii! What will the name of your new band?”
“Ah… I…” Changmin had no idea what to answer. They hadn’t talked about their name yet.
Yunho’s voice cut smoothly into the question. “We don’t know yet. Our management has still yet to decide what to call us.”
Changmin and the rest of the new band turned to stare at Yunho. They hadn’t known how to answer the question; how did he? Backstage, Sooman smiled to himself as he knew who he would pick as the leader of the new band.
~*~
As bodyguards escorted them out, Junsu and Changmin began talking to each other. “Hey Changmin, what’d you think of the press conference?” Junsu was curious about how Changmin thought the day went.
“It was alright. I already anticipated most of the questions, but for some reason, I didn’t think they would ask us our band name.” Changmin grimaced as he remembered how he became all tongue tied.
Junsu laughed before responding, “Ha, I wasn’t expecting that either. I don’t think anyone expected it. But how did Yunho-hyung know how to answer so quickly?”
Jaejoong slowed down to walk besides them. “I’ve heard that Yunho grew up in a family with many prosecutors. If you’re a prosecutor, you’re going to have to think fast on your feet right? Maybe Yunho learned how to think quickly under pressure from his family.”
“Yes… You’re right.” Junsu replied.
Hansook came up to them and said, “Guys, Sooman-shii just called me and told me to take you to your new apartment.”
“He already found an apartment that’ll fit all five of us? Wow. He works fast,” Junsu replied with round eyes.
“Yes, he does. Now, can all of you please hurry up and get into the van? Yunho and Yoochun are already inside.”
They obediently speeded up their footsteps and reached the van. Jaejoong wavered between sitting next to Yoochun or Yunho. He wanted to try to befriend Yoochun, but at the same time, he wanted to talk to Yunho. Junsu solved the problem for him by pushing him to the side so he could sit next to Yunho. Jaejoong saw, with displeasure, the seat next to Yoochun had been filled by Changmin as he had been deciding who to sit next to. Both Changmin and Junsu had already begun to start talking to the person sitting next to them.
“Jaejoong, please sit down.” Hansook was strapped in his seat and had turned to look at Jaejoong. “The van’s about to start moving.”
Flushing, he moved to the seat right in the middle; he didn’t get to see the eyes that were on him the entire time-Yunho’s eyes.
~*~
“Why is there only four bedrooms?!” Junsu yelled into the phone he was holding. The person on the other side of the line, Sooman, was probably holding the phone a foot away from his ear.
“Because, Junsu, did you really expect me to find a five bedroom apartment in a week? This was the best I could find, so you’re going to have to deal with it,” replied Sooman.
“But, really, four bedrooms?! Three of us get to get their own room, but two of us has to share? Don’t you think that’s a little unfair, Sooman-shii?” Everybody looked on in amusement as Junsu argued it out with Sooman. They figured that Junsu could hold his own again him.
“Well, you could always use two bedrooms as study rooms right? That way, all of you guys have to share,” came Sooman’s sage advice.
“Hey… you’re right.” Junsu’s head was nodding as he pondered the idea. “Ok, that’s what we’re going to do. Thanks Sooman-shii!” He abruptly hanged up on Sooman and turned to talk to the rest of the band. “So, Sooman-shii says we can use two of the rooms as study rooms and two as bedrooms.”
The rest of the people standing in the room nodded in agreement. “We could hear what Sooman-shii said, Junsu. You accidentally turned the speaker phone on,” said Yunho dryly.
”Ah… I did? Whoops.” Junsu flushed. In his fervor to argue with Sooman, he didn’t notice his finger pressing the speaker phone button.
Hansook smiled at Junsu and turned to face the rest of the band to say, “So, now that that’s settled, who want to share a room with whom?”
“I think that since there are two bigger bedrooms and two smaller ones, the two smaller people can share the small rooms and the three other ones can share the bigger rooms,” said Changmin.
Hansook nodded and said, “Good advice, Changmin. Now, who are the smaller ones in here?” His eyes looked at each member and slowly came to rest on Jaejoong and Junsu. “So-”
“I’m not sharing a room with Jaejoong-hyung,” said Junsu pleasantly. His eyes had a strange glint.
Chapter Four
AU/Romance/Drama
BandFic with Yunho/Jaejoong and some slight Yoochun/Junsu.
PG - ?
3/?
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
The day after Sooman-shii announced his startling plan, Yunho was at his dance studio, trying to dance away his troubled thoughts. At the same time, in another place, Changmin tried to bury his thoughts in a book. Jaejoong compulsively cleaned every inch of his apartment. Yoochun locked himself in his work room and blasted music on the highest volume possible. Junsu sang and sang and sang, hoping to tire himself out. And yet, even after Yunho collapsed wearily onto the floor, even after Changmin finished his book, even after Jaejoong couldn’t find a single piece of dust, even after Yoochun went through all his CDs twice, even after Junsu sang until his throat was raw and his voice was hoarse, none of them could keep Sooman-shii’s voice saying “From now on, you five are going to be in the same band” from echoing in their minds.
~*~
Junsu, three days after that fateful meeting, walked into Sooman’s office, determined to find out if Sooman meant what he said. Unfortunately, his secretary told him Sooman was out for lunch. Junsu plodded out after asking her to call him as soon Sooman came back; he decided to eat lunch as he was hungry as well.
“Junsu-shii?” He stiffened at the voice calling his name; it belonged to a man he had wished never to see again-Yunho. He turned around reluctantly and stared in disbelief. Standing a few feet behind him were all four of the men he had met on Sunday, Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, and Changmin
“Why are you guys here?” He couldn’t help sounding defensive.
“I came here to see Sooman-shii, but I bumped into everybody else on the way up here,” replied Jaejoong gently. “It turned out that everyone also came to see Sooman-shii.”
“He’s not in right now. Apparently he’s gone out to eat lunch.”
“Oh... I see.” Jaejoong looked put out. Suddenly, someone’s stomach grumbled; it turned out to be Changmin.
“Ah, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “My stomach gets hungry easily.” Everyone cracked a laugh, even Yoochun.
“Well, do you guys want to join me for lunch down at the café?” asked Junsu. “I was about to go down to get something to eat.”
“Yes, of course I’ll go with you!” Changmin jumped enthusiastically at the offer. “Besides, since Sooman-shii isn’t in his office right now, we could all eat lunch! Unless… have you guys eaten yet?” He sounded a bit uncertain.
“I haven’t eaten yet.” Yunho smiled reassuringly at Changmin. “And I believe Jaejoong hasn’t eaten either, if the sounds his stomach made on the way up were of any indication.” He teased Jaejoong gently; almost as if he wasn’t sure Jae would let him behave in such a familiar way.
Jaejoong laughed awkwardly before replying, “No, I haven’t eaten yet either.” He looked up into Yunho’s eyes and shared a shy smile.
“Great! Then we can…” Changmin trailed off as he realized Yoochun was the only one who hasn’t replied yet. “Yoochun-shii, how about you?”
“Uh… I’ll go with you guys,” mumbled Yoochun. His eyes never looked up from the floor.
The silence that fell over them was tangible. Everyone felt a bit uncertain about Yoochun’s lack of enthusiasm; they weren’t sure of what they should do in order to make him feel a bit more comfortable.
“Let’s just go…” Yunho’s voice was hesitant, but everyone followed his lead as he walked into the elevator.
~*~
Jaejoong was curious about Yoochun. Very curious. He wondered why Yoochun seemed to keep his distance from all of them. Everybody else was cautious, but only he seemed to be completely ignoring them as they walked down to the café. Jaejoong’s eyes followed him and observed how Yoochun seemed to walk separate from the group, with his head down. He decided to be nicer to Yoochun, to be gentler to him.
“Ok. Where do you guys want to sit? Yoochun-shii?” Yoochun looked startled as four pairs of eyes looked at him, waiting for his answer.
“We could sit over there.” He pointed to a secluded table at the corner. Everyone nodded and headed towards the table.
As soon as they sat down, a waiter came over and asked for their order. After telling him what they wanted, he disappeared, leaving the table silent.
“So… what did you guys think of Sooman-shii’s proposal?” Yunho finally brought up the topic that was on their minds. He was sitting back against his chair, fingers crossed, and his body posture relaxed; only his face gave away his insecurity.
Jaejoong’s eyes flicked up at him. Was he always this bold? Regardless, he answered Yunho. “I’ve been trying to find some way to get out of it,” he replied honestly. “I like being a solo artist. Otherwise, when I first debuted, I would have joined a group.”
Everyone nodded agreement, even Yoochun. “But, what if Sooman-shii’s right? What if being in the same band really would let us gain worldwide fame?” Junsu asked.
Conversation stopped for a moment as their food was served. Everyone used that time to mull over the question; worldwide fame was something they all desired, and it was something they would give their all to gain.
“I would love worldwide fame,” said Changmin thoughtfully. “But if I had to give up my independence as a solo artist, I would rather let worldwide fame wait a little longer.”
Again, everyone nodded agreement. They all valued their freedom in deciding what they wanted to do. Granted, they weren’t allowed choices in most aspects of their careers, but whatever they could choose, they used it to their best advantage.
“You’re right, Changmin-shii. With our careers being controlled so much, it’s hard to even choose what to sing, what to wear,” said Junsu somberly. “If we become a band, it’s going to be even harder to do what we want.”
“Why do you think that forming a band together will limit your choices even more? In my opinion, forming a band out of you five will only open more doors for you.”
Everyone’s eyes swung to the man standing at the edge of the table. “Sooman-shii, how long have you been standing there?” asked Yunho incredulously.
“I’ve been standing here only for a few seconds, but I’ve been sitting in that table over there for a while.” He pointed to a table directly diagonal from theirs. “I guess that shows how much you guys were preoccupied when you don’t even notice me sitting near you and listening in to your conversation,” he chuckled. Junsu and Jaejoong flushed while Yunho, Changmin, and Yoochun steadfastly either looked at the table, floor, or the ceiling.
“Anyways,” coughed Yunho, “Sooman-shii, we were looking for you.”
“I know what you guys want to say. Just let me ask Yoochun something before we go up to my office to talk about it.” He smiled, completely at ease. He faced Yoochun and asked a question. “So, Yoochun. I’ve heard what the other four feel about my plan. I haven’t heard you, though. How do you feel about it?”
“Er…” He looked unused to being asked his opinion. Junsu fought a smile, thinking how adorable Yoochun looked.
“I’m stuck right in the middle,” replied Yoochun softly. “I like the idea of being in a band, but I also want to keep being a solo artist at the same time.”
“What? Why do you want to part of a band?” Yunho, Jaejoong, Junsu, and Changmin spoke at the same time while Sooman just looked on.
“Because… sometimes, when I see bands on TV, they all seem so close. I know that some are just an act, but the ones that show true friendship, really stick out to me and make me want to have friends like that.” Yoochun looked away before adding, “And sometimes… I wouldn’t mind having friends to lean on when our job gets tough.”
Everyone felt a chord being struck deep within him. Each of them had wished for a friend during some point in time during their careers. But of course… they would never admit it to near strangers.
Instead of responding, they chose to finish their food. As soon as they finished and had paid the check, Sooman said, “Finished? Good. Let’s go up to my office and finish talking.”
They headed up and entered the elevator. As Sooman observed the five men, he noticed how each stood apart, in their own separate corners. They all looked at everything but each other; he noted with amusement their reactions to each other when they accidentally met one another’s eyes. If Junsu and Yoochun met each other’s eyes, they would give small, shy smiles; Changmin would partially grin if he saw Yunho or Jaejoong; Jaejoong and Yunho would immediately look away with a suspicious flush; Junsu would give a glare to Jaejoong; Yoochun would blink in bemusement when he saw Jaejoong’s warm smile. All these separate responses gave a clue to how they felt about the others.
They reached Sooman’s floor and left the elevator. “Ah, Sooman-shii, Junsu-shii…” Sooman’s secretary trailed off as she saw Junsu and everyone else behind him. “Never mind, Sooman-shii. I see you’ve met up with Junsu-shii,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, I have.” Sooman faced the five men and opening the door, he welcomed them in. “Please, have a seat. Get comfortable, because I know we’ll probably have a lot to talk about.” His indulgent attitude was gone. He was now the man who had made ordinary people into huge stars, hard, and unyielding. “Oh, yes. If anyone looks for me, please tell them I’m in a very important meeting,” Sooman instructed his secretary.
“Yes sir.”
He turned and closed the door, meeting the eyes of the five men warily waiting inside. For a moment, the sight took his breath away. He had not realized how the five of them would look like when placed side by side; he had only noticed the talent and potential that could be harnessed. Now, when sitting together in the only couch he had, he finally saw the indescribable, shining aura that enveloped them. He smiled, a cold, calculating smile, when he thought of all the photo shoots he would arrange for them to attract fans. With the proper tools, they would rise to the top of the industry with their looks and talent. But first… he must get them to work together.
“So, you guys are sure you definitely don’t want to form a band?” He talked lightly, but a strange glint in his eye contradicted his tone.
“Yes,” they chorused.
“Really? Well, too bad.” This was said with a pleasant smile that did nothing to disguise the implacable authority he held. “But, instead of it being permanent, I’ve decided to only put you guys together for only a certain amount of time. Does that sound better to you?” If they really did as well as he hoped they would do, he had no intention of breaking them up. But if they really couldn’t get their act right, well, then at least there will be a way out. Of course, they didn’t have to know that.
“Can you define that time period? How long?” Yunho, the one person nothing could get across, asked with a frown on his face.
“Hm… maybe 6 months to one year?”
“Well, since it’s not permanent, I have no problems with it,” replied Yunho, shrugging. The feat proved difficult as his shoulders were squished between Changmin’s shoulder and the end of the couch.
“I don’t mind.”
“I’m up for it.”
“Sure…”
“As long as I get to beat Jaejoong in singing, why not?”
“Perfect!” Sooman beamed, seeming like a different person than before. “I believe that now that you’ve all agreed, I need to arrange a new manager, a vocal coach to teach you how to blend your voices together, a dance chorographer, a new apartment-”
“A new apartment?! Why do we need a new apartment?!” they exclaimed in a panic.
“Well, you can’t expect to all fit in one of your apartments now do you?” asked Sooman crossly.
“Why do we have to live in the same apartment? We could just meet up in the place we’re supposed to be!”
Sooman was shaking his head before Changmin even finished his sentence. “Think of all the cars I’ll have to send out to pick each of you up from your apartment. All the hair stylists and makeup stylists I’ll have to send with the separate cars. No, if you all lived in the same place, only one car, one hair stylist, one makeup stylist, will be needed.”
“But… still…” responded Jaejoong weakly.
“No buts. You can all start packing up your necessary luggage tonight. No appliances are required. The new apartment, which should be ready in a week or so, will have all essential equipments.” He abruptly turned to Yoochun. “However, if you want to keep your keyboard, Yoochun, you should bring it along with you.”
“Alright,” Yoochun mumbled.
“Now that that’s all taken cared of, you all can go home.” Sooman smiled as he waved them out the room. “Oh, by the way! Expect your managers to schedule in a press conference two to three days from now. That will be the day we’ll announce to the world the merging of the top five talents in the industry.”
As the door closed in front of their astonished faces, Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin all stared at each other in abject amazement. What in the world had they gotten themselves into?
~*~
On the day of the press conference, they all met at the backstage of the place the conference would be held. All of them were feeling nervous, a feeling they hadn’t felt for a while since their debuts. Sooman appeared, beckoning them over to him.
“Everybody ready? The press conference will start in about 5 minutes. All of you guys know the drill.” He smiled, confidence seeping from every pore. His eyes raked over them professionally, taking in their perfect hair, perfect faces, and perfect clothes that matched each other. “This will be the only time I will be here with you. From now on, your new manager will take over these jobs.” He called over a man that looked like he was in his early 30’s. “His name is Hansook.”
Hansook bowed respectfully before saying “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” chorused Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu, and Changmin while bowing back to him.
“It’s time to go out and meet those reporters. You guys and Hansook can get acquainted later; I’m sure you’ll know each other very well by the time a few weeks have passed. And remember: no more calling each other with the -shii honorific. You may use “hyung” instead.” As he was talking, Sooman ushered them out into the waiting sea of news hungry reporters.
~*~
Camera lights flashed while questions were shouted out. Each member of the newly formed band answered a question while the other members answered another. Reporters from other countries such as China translated the news into a recorder as the answers were given.
“Yunho-shii! Do you know why Sooman-shii decided to merge you into a band with four other members?”
“I believe it’s because he wants to spread Korea’s music farther into the world.” Yunho’s reply was, as always, calm, collected, and correct while giving nothing important away.
“Jaejoong-shii! What do you think of the other four members?”
“They’re all very kind. I believe, with time, we’ll be able to become good friends.” Jaejoong’s answer was sweet, but straight to the point.
“Junsu-shii! What do you think the music you will all sing will be like?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a mixture of all our styles?” Junsu’s response was untroubled as he flashed one of his cheery smiles.
“Yoochun-shii! Are you going to teach the rest of your new bandmembers how to compose songs?”
“If they’re interested, of course I will teach them. There’s no reason not to.” Yoochun smiled softly as he answered.
“Changmin-shii! What will the name of your new band?”
“Ah… I…” Changmin had no idea what to answer. They hadn’t talked about their name yet.
Yunho’s voice cut smoothly into the question. “We don’t know yet. Our management has still yet to decide what to call us.”
Changmin and the rest of the new band turned to stare at Yunho. They hadn’t known how to answer the question; how did he? Backstage, Sooman smiled to himself as he knew who he would pick as the leader of the new band.
~*~
As bodyguards escorted them out, Junsu and Changmin began talking to each other. “Hey Changmin, what’d you think of the press conference?” Junsu was curious about how Changmin thought the day went.
“It was alright. I already anticipated most of the questions, but for some reason, I didn’t think they would ask us our band name.” Changmin grimaced as he remembered how he became all tongue tied.
Junsu laughed before responding, “Ha, I wasn’t expecting that either. I don’t think anyone expected it. But how did Yunho-hyung know how to answer so quickly?”
Jaejoong slowed down to walk besides them. “I’ve heard that Yunho grew up in a family with many prosecutors. If you’re a prosecutor, you’re going to have to think fast on your feet right? Maybe Yunho learned how to think quickly under pressure from his family.”
“Yes… You’re right.” Junsu replied.
Hansook came up to them and said, “Guys, Sooman-shii just called me and told me to take you to your new apartment.”
“He already found an apartment that’ll fit all five of us? Wow. He works fast,” Junsu replied with round eyes.
“Yes, he does. Now, can all of you please hurry up and get into the van? Yunho and Yoochun are already inside.”
They obediently speeded up their footsteps and reached the van. Jaejoong wavered between sitting next to Yoochun or Yunho. He wanted to try to befriend Yoochun, but at the same time, he wanted to talk to Yunho. Junsu solved the problem for him by pushing him to the side so he could sit next to Yunho. Jaejoong saw, with displeasure, the seat next to Yoochun had been filled by Changmin as he had been deciding who to sit next to. Both Changmin and Junsu had already begun to start talking to the person sitting next to them.
“Jaejoong, please sit down.” Hansook was strapped in his seat and had turned to look at Jaejoong. “The van’s about to start moving.”
Flushing, he moved to the seat right in the middle; he didn’t get to see the eyes that were on him the entire time-Yunho’s eyes.
~*~
“Why is there only four bedrooms?!” Junsu yelled into the phone he was holding. The person on the other side of the line, Sooman, was probably holding the phone a foot away from his ear.
“Because, Junsu, did you really expect me to find a five bedroom apartment in a week? This was the best I could find, so you’re going to have to deal with it,” replied Sooman.
“But, really, four bedrooms?! Three of us get to get their own room, but two of us has to share? Don’t you think that’s a little unfair, Sooman-shii?” Everybody looked on in amusement as Junsu argued it out with Sooman. They figured that Junsu could hold his own again him.
“Well, you could always use two bedrooms as study rooms right? That way, all of you guys have to share,” came Sooman’s sage advice.
“Hey… you’re right.” Junsu’s head was nodding as he pondered the idea. “Ok, that’s what we’re going to do. Thanks Sooman-shii!” He abruptly hanged up on Sooman and turned to talk to the rest of the band. “So, Sooman-shii says we can use two of the rooms as study rooms and two as bedrooms.”
The rest of the people standing in the room nodded in agreement. “We could hear what Sooman-shii said, Junsu. You accidentally turned the speaker phone on,” said Yunho dryly.
”Ah… I did? Whoops.” Junsu flushed. In his fervor to argue with Sooman, he didn’t notice his finger pressing the speaker phone button.
Hansook smiled at Junsu and turned to face the rest of the band to say, “So, now that that’s settled, who want to share a room with whom?”
“I think that since there are two bigger bedrooms and two smaller ones, the two smaller people can share the small rooms and the three other ones can share the bigger rooms,” said Changmin.
Hansook nodded and said, “Good advice, Changmin. Now, who are the smaller ones in here?” His eyes looked at each member and slowly came to rest on Jaejoong and Junsu. “So-”
“I’m not sharing a room with Jaejoong-hyung,” said Junsu pleasantly. His eyes had a strange glint.
Chapter Four