The Phone Call

Chapter Twelve

Yoochun placed the phone in his hands down on the table before him, a bewildered expression on his face.

"What's wrong? Who was that?" Junsu questioned him, stepping out of Jaejoong's room.

"It's Changmin-" Yoochun replied, only to be cut off by Junsu's voice.

"How's Yunho hyung?" Junsu interrupted, causing Yoochun to erupt into fits of laughter.

"What?" Junsu said irritably, annoyed by Yoochun's sudden laughter, "I didn't say anything funny and I'm asking a serious question here."

"You did the same thing I did to Changmin earlier," Yoochun laughed, "No wonder we're the second couple after YunJae. Yoosu huh?"

"Yeah." Junsu nodded absentmindedly, "So how's Yunho hyung? You still haven't answered me. Besides, why did Changmin call you?"

"Yunho hyung fainted due to exhaustion and Changmin called you technically." Yoochun replied, trying to ignore the twinge of hurt he felt at how easily Junsu dismissed Yoosu.

"That's weird," Junsu said, scratching his head, "Why will Yunho hyung faint due to exhaustion? I thought they had no schedules planned on that day except for the fan meet itself?"

Yoochun's face darkened as he sighed.

"Yunho hyung's father passed away today. They were supposed to pull out the plu- "

"What!" Junsu exclaimed, "How could that happen? I thought Yunho hyung's father is very fit and strong?"

"Will you ever let me continue?" Yoochun remarked and Junsu immediately kept his mouth shut.

"Yunho hyung's father had a stroke a few days before and was declared brain dead ever since. They were supposed to pull the plug out but they wanted to wait for a while more. The day Yunho hyung returned from China was the day they were supposed to pull the plug." Yoochun explained.

"But he didn't make it on time did he?" Junsu whispered, horror dawning on him, "And Jaejoong hyung didn't know a thing so he said all those cruel words to Yunho at that time and.. oh God!"

"Yes, 'Oh God' would be a perfect summary." Yoochun agreed, "This situation just gets worse and worse."

"Jaejoong hyung.. He doesn't even know a thing," Junsu uttered, "I can't imagine what will happen if he finds out.. This.. Oh Lord. He's going to feel so guilty even though it's not his fault. Shit, Yoochun! What can we do?"

Yoochun smiled weakly at Junsu. From Junsu's choice of words, it was as though all Junsu cared about was how the news of Yunho's father's death would affect Jaejoong and not how Yunho was taking it. Yoochun knew better though. It was not that Junsu did not care. It was simply because it was too painful for Junsu to even imagine the agony that Yunho must be going through that he made no mention of it. Yunho's pain was always their pain. Their sadness was always equally shared and their happiness multiplied by fives. Such was the bond among them.

"We make a plan." Yoochun replied, "We put them together so that they can both make up and stop being so miserable."

"Haha," Junsu laughed bitterly, "You make it sound so easy."

"And why would it not be?" Yoochun retorted, "Why would it be difficult?"

Just like that, Junsu knew they were not talking about Yunho and Jaejoong anymore.

Why would it be difficult?

Honestly, Junsu never did know. When his hyungs first announced to them that they were together, Junsu thought they meant it as a joke and had laughed it away. When he realised they were serious, he was stumped and could not say a thing in reply. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to feel? Since young, he had been taught that people of the same gender falling in love with each other were wrong and abnormal and yet? He now had a prime example of abnormality in front of him and they were his beloved brothers; his Jaejoong hyung and Yunho hyung. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to react?