Trouble In the Family pt 5
Wind blew through Yunho and Jaejoong’s hair as they stood atop the roof of their once shared headquarters. After the amicable split of the two jokpo, they used this building as neutral ground for any sort of settlement. It was just the two leaders, staring silently into the other’s eyes.
“It was a pleasure working with you, Hero,” Yunho held out his hand, the pale appendage contrasting heavily with his inky black suit.
Jaejoong stared at the hand but for a moment before extending his own in a means to firmly grasp it. “Likewise, U-Know. Let’s just hope our associates do not require help any time soon.”
Eyes boring into the other’s soul, each man tightened his grip. It was something of a ritual for them, a show of the dominant jokpo. Imperceptibly, Yunho’s jaw began to clench as the force and strength in Jaejoong’s hand grew to be too constricting. On the other side of the handshake, Jaejoong blinked ever so slowly, mouth parting slightly to exhale a silent hiss of pain. Catching the movement, Yunho smirked as he further tightened his grip.
After a few more minutes, Jaejoong finally relented to the superior strength of Yunho. “So close,” Yunho cooed, eyes crinkling at the corners as a wide grin split his face. “Maybe next time.”
“There’s still one more tradition,” Jaejoong mumbled, massaging feeling back into his hand. At the reminder, Yunho’s smile waned slightly, but had yet to fall completely.
Once prepared, the two stood at arms’ length of each other, gun pointed at a nonvital target. The goal was to have the quickest shot; otherwise, you might as well not show your face in any further deals.
“When you lose this one, too, make sure to send Junsu to the next few meetings, okay. Max likes having someone close to his age,” Yunho taunted. Jaejoong scowled slightly at the taunt, finger squeezing slightly on the trigger.
“Funny,” he scoffed, “I was just about to say the same about you.”
With no fanfare, the two counted down from five.
Yunho stared right into Jaejoong’s eyes, remembering the time when they were the worst of enemies.
Jaejoong stared right back, thoughts clouding over of a much more peaceful time when their original leader was still alive and thus DBSK was one.
The wind blew once more through their hair, ruffling the perfect styles each bore. Carried on the breeze, the smell of the Han just beside them, reminiscent of a time when they were younger and had the freedom to enjoy.
“Sorry what was that,” Yunho questioned the three in front of him.
“He said it was Hyun Suk,” Jaehyo stated, his earlier twisted giddiness replaced with a submissive tone.
“The bastard who tried to breed infighting down at Blackjack,” Yunho asked in a rhetorical manner.
“Yes, sir. Once we got the name, we had Yukwon double check to make sure it was who we thought it was,” Taeil confirmed.
“Brilliant. Have Jiho contact me within the next week or I’ll have Taeyong pick up his slack. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that,” with a wave of his hand, Yunho dismissed the three. Releasing a heavy sigh, he leaned back into his chair, eyes closed to prevent the oncoming headache.
“Trouble down below,” a soothing voice questioned. Yunho’s eyes snapped open to come face to face with Junsu. Once he realized it was only the younger, he relaxed slightly into his chair.
“What do you want, Xia,” Yunho asked tiredly.
“Oh, it’s not me who wants something,” Junsu smirked. “Hero wants to know what happened to the little leak in your basement.”
Yunho smiled sadistically at the other, a deranged chuckle emanating from him. “Let’s just say Chaerin will be receiving a visit from me very soon. She happens to know who sprung the leak.”
Junsu stared at the older as he tried to piece together the cryptic words. When he realized the implications, his eyes widened considerably. “Hyun Suk? But didn’t you and Hero fill him with lead five years ago?”
“Apparently we didn’t fill him with enough. Turns out that the blips on our radar were nothing more than a Suicide Squad put together by him as a message. He’s back, but don’t worry your precious head, because I’m sure once you inform Jaejoong, he will be dealt with same as last time.”
Junsu turned his gaze towards the ground, taking a moment to find his composure, before looking directly into Yunho’s eyes. “Just, please, make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”
Knowing who the younger was speaking about, Yunho nodded his agreement, “No harm shall come to him.”
Having completed his duty, Junsu walked out of the office. He stormed down the stairs to the lobby where the subject of his and Yunho’s promise stood waiting. “Whoa, hey, Xia, is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” Junsu slowly wrapped his hand around the other’s, a silent affirmation that they were okay for now. “I just have some information for Hero about a bug issue.”
Changmin looked down at him with concern in his doe eyes, a hand coming up to rest on Junsu’s shoulder. “Well, let me know if he needs help.”
“I would, but Yunho said it was a family secret.”
“You sure you won’t tell me,” Changmin smirked, running a hand down Junsu’s arm.
“Not when lives are on the line,” Junsu denied, throwing Changmin’s arm off. Adjusting his jacket so that it looked impeccable, Junsu walked away. Changmin could only watch as his closest friend stormed away.
“Oh, Taeyong,” a high-pitched voice trilled throughout NCT’s living space. “I have a job for you and your little gang of delinquents.”
“What do you want, Heechul,” Taeyong’s second, Jaehyun, questioned from his place in the kitchen. The older man simply smiled a Cheshire grin that would strike fear into those who saw it for the first and last time. “Tae’s not here, so what do you want?”
“Fine,” Heechul deflated after seeing that his psycho smile was having no effect on the younger. “Yunho has asked me to deliver a message to you hoodlums. He wants you to meet him at Blackjack; no guns, no knives, no shivs, and absolutely, no lighters.”
“That’d be like walking right into a trap,” Jaehyun scoffed.
“Well, you’re pretty low on the food chain of groups under him. Jiho and Leeteuk are going as his bodyguards, you nine idiots are just a distraction. Give Haechan a little sip of the grown-up juice and we’ll have a perfect opening. Besides, nothing should go wrong where we’d need those silly little trinkets you youngsters are so fond of using,” Heechul explained.
“Need I remind you the last time he went to Blackjack unarmed,” Jaehyun challenged.
“That issue has since been rectified. At least it should have been if Chaerin wants her girlfriend to keep her pretty little head,” Heechul said. He opened the fridge, digging around as if he lived there himself. Grabbing a can of beer, he turned to look back at Jaehyun. “Meeting’s at nine o’clock. Don’t be late.”
Jaehyun stared after the older, shoulders relaxing at the sound of the door closing. If he had to keep up the act for a minute more, Heechul would’ve saw right through it. “Shit.”
Not long after the elder had left, Taeyong entered through the front door. “Hey, Jae, what’s crawled up your butt,” he asked, noticing the other’s tense form.
“Heechul was here,” Jaehyun answered with a sigh. “Yunho wants us planted in Blackjack. No weapons, simple observation on our part.”
“No weapons? Not even a simple lighter.”
“Uh, yeah. Under explicit orders to have no lighters. Yunho wants this as quiet as possible.”
“Does he not remember what happened the last time he had us go in unarmed,” Taeyong’s voice rose slightly. The incident surrounding Blackjack leading to Jaehyun getting severely injured.
“He’s aware and has a contingency plan. So, I’ll go tell the others while you go change,” Jaehyun patted the other on the shoulder before disappearing down the hall. Taeyong sighed in concession before following his friend down the hall.
