The Phone Call

Chapter Sixteen

Silence hung in the air as neither said a word. The revelation before them stunning them into immobility; their faces a frozen expression of shock.

"I don't get it." Yoochun spoke after a while, breaking the silence amongst them, "Why would he break up with you then? If he remembered, why.."

His voice died out at the sight of Jaejoong's tears. 

"Hyung," Yoochun whispered, pulling Jaejoong over into a hug, "why are you crying?"

Jaejoong shook his head in reply, tears soaking Yoochun's coat. Sighing, Yoochun tightened his embrace on his hyung. He had always thought of Yunho being the strong one and Jaejoong being the emotionless one but now, his hyung who had often been thought of as 'cold' was sobbing in his arms like a little kid. He was as fragile as glass, easily broken with a single sweep of a breeze. Yoochun never felt so afraid before. He could feel Jaejoong's bones through all the clothes he was wearing. It was as though Jaejoong had not eaten for days. It was as though he was embracing a zombie. A living zombie. How had he not noticed it through all the promotions and advertorials they had done together?

"It's like the moment you're not together, you fall apart. Broken into pieces." Yoochun murmured as he gazed fondly at the person in his arms, "Hyung, you both need to get back together again."

"Is it even that simple?" Junsu retorted, the shock he received earlier slowly dissipating from his face, "If it's that easy Yunho hyung and Jaejoong hyung would have been together ages ago isn't it?"

"In what way is it not easy?" 

Changmin questioned as he glanced at the sobbing hyung in Yoochun's arms. Standing up, he faced Junsu, eyes glaring at him in irritation.

"Were you and Yoochun hyung getting together easy? Were Yunho hyung dating Jaejoong hyung back then considered easy? Was being Dong Bang Shin Ki even easy?"

  

Changmin paced, his hands trembling as he fought for control, reigning the anger back in.

"Since when was everything easy Junsu hyung? If everything was easy, if everything was smooth sailing without a single obstacle in sight, then what's the point of fighting for your love? What's the point of happiness? What's the freaking point? Hyung, I thought you had realised this when Yoochun hyung and you got together but evidently you did not."

"Did not what?" Junsu shouted, angered that Changmin would belittle him, "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"Currently? Right now? Yes." Changmin replied, his voice a condescending tone, "You're always afraid of this and afraid of that. You realised Yoochun hyung's feelings nine years ago yet you were afraid to act on it. You knew Yunho hyung and Jaejoong hyung love each other yet you pretended to not know anything cause you were afraid. You are afraid. You hurt their feelings back then but you didn't care did you? All because of your stinking fear!"

"Don't talk to me like you're any better! Don't. Just don't. What gives you the right to lecture me anyway? What gives you the freaking right? Are you not afraid then? Are you not afraid of loving or being loved? Of failure, and disappointment? Are you never afraid? What gives you the right to scold me like you've never been afraid before? What gives you the bloody right? Besides I'm not afraid anymore. I'm just asking because I don't think that's a solution! How can being together with your love be THE solution?"