2PM: Happy Endings
Here's another short 2PM fic! I wanted to have an Arashi fic to post at the same time so my recent entries are a little more balanced out, but I decided, to hell with it, because: a) KPFW is reopening tonight and if I deanon by mistake and people end up clicking on my username and come here, I DO NOT want smut fic being the first thing they see LMAO LMAO what a sleazy first impression that would make; and b) a lot of Jay/JYPE rumours have been surfacing lately and it's just... a mess. I didn't write this fic for any grand purpose, but since I'm posting, I'm going to take this chance to say, EVERYONE: don't lose hope yet! Things are happening fast, and whether good or bad, I think we'll be getting some real answers out of JYPE in the coming few weeks. Until then however, let's not write Jay off just yet, okay? :) How you decide to support 2PM is up to you, but please respect the other side's decisions and keep an open mind about the news -- if nothing else, at least remember we're all reaching for the same goal here. ♥
Title: three happy endings that never could be and one that could
Fandom: 2PM (always 7!)
Rating: G
Pairings: none
Word count: ~2,800
Notes: Inspired by the lyrics from Quelqu’un m’a Dit by Carla Bruni.
On me dit que le destin se moque bien de nous
Qu'il ne nous donne rien et qu'il nous promet tout
Parais qu'le bonheur est à portée de main,
Alors on tend la main et on se retrouve fou
Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit ...
(I’m told that fate makes fun of us,
That it gives us nothing and promises everything,
When happiness seems to be within our reach,
We reach out and find ourselves like fools.
Yet someone told me…)
three happy endings that never could be and one that could
1. first
Jaebeom drops out of JYPE in the last week of April, 2007, and honestly, no one had seen this coming. Even though it's painfully obvious how badly Jaebeom had fit in Korea and how he carried himself as an American with every inch of his body, it'd also been clear that he had the talent, energy and drive needed to succeed as an idol, and that's what everyone had been expecting him to do: succeed. Jaebeom was a lot of things, but he was far from a quitter. Everyone had been sure of that.
Everyone is wrong. By the first of May, Jo Kwon's room has one empty bed and Nichkhun is short one English-speaking friend and Taecyeon, being new, didn't to get to know Jay Park all that well, but even though he now has one less person to translate for, he feels sort of disappointed, like he's missed out on a chance. And the thing is, anyone who knew anything about Park Jaebeom would have known he wasn't having the greatest time as a trainee, but that goes without saying. Who has a good time being a trainee? It's the definition of misery. Hard work, long hours, curfew, and no promise of debut, but this couldn't have come as a surprise to him. There must have been another reason why Jaebeom had left.
Those who care find out eventually, from those who had been closer to Jaebeom, that it had been Jay's twentieth birthday near the end of April. And on his birthday, Jaebeom had called his home in Seattle and had talked to his mother for over three hours. A week later, he'd requested a meeting with JYP himself, and by evening of that day, he was packing his bags. The next morning he was gone.
People don't forget him so easily, though. He'd had a bit of a reputation, after all, and Nichkhun and Junsu still keep in contact with him every so often. They let the others know that Jay's doing fine at home. He's back in school, has a part-time job at car mechanic, and has enrolled himself in weekly Korean lessons at church. He practises bboying with his crew regularly and they win quite a few local dance tournaments. Taecyeon goes onto YouTube sometimes and watches Art of Movement's performance videos; it's impossible to miss how bright Jay's smile is, even when the camera only captures a quick flash of his face.
A year passes and in September, 2PM debuts with Taecyeon as leader and six other members: Junsu, Nichkhun, Wooyoung, Junho, Chansung, and Doojoon. Their first single, 10 Out of 10, is a modest hit, but it's not until their second mini-album is launched that they start getting widespread recognition. In Seattle, Jay is having dinner with friends at a Korean barbecue restaurant and nearly chokes on his rice when he hears Junsu's voice coming over the radio intercom. As soon as he gets home; he checks his MySpace and remembers that Nichkhun and Junsu had stopped messaging him months ago, with Nichkhun's last message being, "things are really busy these days... so tired lol T_T.... but happy that we're all working hard together!! hope ur doing well jay!!! <3"
Jay is actually doing quite well. He's in college for music and dance and through publicity of AOM's wins, he's already received offers to join dance studios and for teaching positions. His life in Seattle is a lot quieter than it was in Seoul, but he's comfortable here, and he's with his family, so Jay doesn't regret leaving Korea. Yoon sometimes hassles him for losing his opportunity with all those hot girl idols, but that wasn't the reason Jay went to Korea in the first place. He wishes the best for 2PM and whenever one of the group's songs gets played on the local Asian radio station, Jay always stops what he's doing and listens till the end.
2. then
Because of the Wonder Girls' success in Korea, JYPE makes the decision not to debut them in the US as had been planned since the group's formation. One Day is split up and 2PM are sent overseas instead. With three out of seven members fluent in English, they already have a leg up on many Asian artists trying to make a dent in the American music industry. The MTV Iggy crew, who 2PM had met in their brief visit to New York City, had been duly impressed with the group's talents and pledge their support for 2PM to become as successful in the States as 2AM is fast becoming in Korea.
But at first, and for a long time after, 2PM is a name only known to Korean-Americans in cities that have large Asian populations. The members tour around to community centres to perform, and only are broadcast on local news stations. They do not sell a lot of CDs and for a long, long year, it feels like all their training has been for nothing. The non-American members have a hard time adjusting to the new culture: Chansung cries sometimes because he misses his family. Wooyoung’s father does not answer his long-distance calls. Junho wishes he could have picked any other career path. And Junsu spends his nights staring up at the ceiling of the room he shares with Taecyeon, cursing himself for joining JYPE instead of YG. They feel like they’re paddling in open water: no lifejackets, no island, just them using all their strength to try and stay afloat. But they’re all under contracts anyway, so there is no choice but to do their best.
The group's big break comes when Nichkhun is interviewed on the street by a roaming TV reporter doing a story about ethnic minorities in the city; "Nichkhun Horvejkul, Thai-Chinese-American," the caption under his face reads that night, and eventually, people find him. He does a few commercials, and professionals begin to take more notice of the group Nichkhun hangs around with -- good-looking boys all in good physical shape. 2PM starts modelling, start getting more known. Through JYPE's contacts and their new reputation, they sign on with a non-profit group to do a campaign against racism. They act in a TV spot, they are on posters, and they are marketed as 2PM, a multicultural crew. They guest star on So You Think You Can Dance, and surprise the audience by bursting into song at the end of their performance.
2PM's full-length English CD is released soon after and it sells almost 40,000 copies. Their Again and Again dance is parodied all over the country, and they are invited onto daytime talk shows to sing it. Viewers quickly fall for Nichkhun's angelic smile, Taecyeon's smarmy sense of humour, and Jay's honest attempts to sound cooler than everyone can tell he actually is. The four other members receive less of the spotlight until Khun, Taec, and Jay start shoving them up to the front of the line: here is Woo, he's a great dancer despite what his face suggests; here is Junho, he's really good at singing and acrobatics and he's addicted to Twitter; here is Junsu, he's got the soul of a diva and the shoulders of a football player; here is Chan, he's nineteen, really, we swear.
For their next album, the members are given a chance to write their own songs and Junsu's single reaches a peak of number 76 on top-100 charts. They're still not as popular as 2AM is in Korea, but they get a steady stream of income from their album sales and endorsements, and the first time Jay sends a cheque back home to his mom in Seattle, the boys celebrate by taking a night out on the town. They are hounded by one paparazzi photographer and he snaps pictures of Jay flipping him off and Junsu sticking out his tongue and Chansung getting a piggyback from Junho, all of which get featured in a small section in a few tabloid magazines.
When 2PM is confirmed as one of the opening acts for the Black Eyed Peas' new tour, Wooyoung starts tearing up. They've been in the States for close to three years now and they've done nothing but practise and work and practise and work, but here they are, slowly but surely making their dream. Even if they never become superstars, they’ve come a long way. They’re allowed three weeks to visit family; at home, the first thing Wooyoung’s father does is tell him he’s proud of him, and Wooyoung thinks, just for that, everything has been worth it.
3. now
The group's first full-length album is released to mixed reviews. They’ve gone for a darker, more mature concept, and though the songs do reflect a sombre tone, the feeling is much the same as their previous mini-album's Again and Again and Niga Mibda. Being tired of waiting, trying to move on, singing to an absent lover; a new presentation is not enough to hide the mediocrity of the songs and 2PM, hailed as beastly idols who re-energized the industry, had been expected to come out with something that would create a bigger impact, something more meaningful. Lyrics with more significance to match their more established image.
Still, the album and their first single does well on music charts and 2PM wins one triple crown on Inkigayo, where Wooyoung and Taecyeon continue to MC. Throughout promotions, 2PM stays busy with group and individual activities. Junho grows slightly in popularity as he continues to film Dream Team Season Two, where he is given a chance to show off his athletic abilities to their full extent. Nichkhun's Thailand tourism venture is a success and another trip is immediately scheduled for the following year. Junsu writes a song for 2AM's new mini-album. Chansung is casted for a small role in a new drama. Jaebeom becomes the spokesperson for Samsung's new Anycall phone. All across the industry, 2PM continues to be lauded for their strong, handsome image and their fun group dynamics on variety shows. Wild Bunny's final episode is aired and the fans enjoy the "Leader Olympics" championships so much that the games are used again on 2PM's next reality show, 2PM's Heartbeat, where members organize events to raise money for charity.
The members work hard, but because of the lack of quality of their new album, coupled with no one doing anything contentious on a large scale, their popularity does not explode, merely makes a slow and steady increase as they are seen more on television, heard more on radio, and talked about more online. But for a few weeks in October, the only idol group on the news is Super Junior: Kangin gets into a car accident to disastrous results and member Han Geng sues SM Entertainment, causing SJ-M to lose a leader right before their album is released. 2PM sympathizes, wondering how much it would hurt.
On rare occasions, while listening to Taecyeon read aloud from his laptop, Nichkhun will still wish for a scandal, to shake everything up and really put 2PM on the map. But most of the time, he knows he is blessed that he gets to spend his days with six very good friends, making fans happy. No matter where their individual activities lead them, 2PM is at their best when they are all together. At the end of November, they win the M.Net Asian Music Award for Best Male Group, and when they stand on the stage, all seven in a row, Nichkhun can’t keep the smile off his face because he knows that there's nowhere to go from here but up.
4. later (maybe)
They're not much without each other, so they do something that has never been done before in the industry: they wait until their seven years are up, and then all enter army at more or less the same time. Nichkhun, the only one who doesn't, promises to hold up the 2PM fort as best he can while everyone’s gone. Chansung joins last due to drama filming obligations, and two years later, when pictures surface of him dressed in civilian clothes and with a huge grin on his face, Junho and Wooyoung on either side of him, the fans rejoice. Finally, 2PM can be reunited.
But as with all things 2PM-related, it isn't long before uneasy rumours start to surface: this time, they say that Hwang Chansung's contract has not been renewed, and that JYPE does not have any plans to reform 2PM. JYPE denies these rumours quickly, saying that the choice lies with the members, not the management. But each day that passes without an official announcement feels like a heavy confirmation.
The six of them decide to take a break from their solo jobs to spend a night at Junho and Wooyoung's apartment. Taecyeon makes pasta, Nichkhun brings soju, and over dinner, they only talk about happy things. But in the middle of a comfortable silence, Junsu suddenly yells out, "So what the hell are we going to do?"
They're at a crossroads. Besides Chansung's contract not being renewed, Junsu and Junho's have only been extended by a year. After that, there are no guarantees. Junho reveals that he's been approached to become a choreographer for another talent agency, and Junsu says that he could use this chance to finally sell some of his own songs. And there are other things: Wooyoung's back is still not fully healed so for now his radio job is the best place for him. Taecyeon's MC position on MBC's Star Spirit will last indefinitely. Nichkhun is in Thailand for at least half the year. And Jay, well. Whether he likes it or not, he'll be with JYPE for a long time to come.
"Let's call him," Junho suggests.
It's barely 6am in Seattle and it takes three tries before Jay picks up his cell. He's back home to celebrate his brother's PhD graduation so predictably, he hasn't been keeping track of the news. Taecyeon is drunk enough to just come out with it. He asks, "Do you want 2PM to get back together or not?" And Jay panics; says, "Why ask me?" And Taecyeon sighs and answers, "Because you're our leader."
Nine years is a long stretch, by anyone's standards. Chansung is twenty-seven and Jaebeom is thirty, and none of them can claim they haven't thought about moving on. Junsu's had his songs stolen and could do nothing about it, Nichkhun's fainted three times due to exhaustion, Taecyeon's had scandal after scandal with girls even though they've all been media exaggeration, Wooyoung's broken bones when he did a high back flip and landed on the base of his neck, Junho's sprained both ankles and wrists at the same time, Chansung's only had a handful of acting opportunities because he's been too busy with group activities, and Jay, Jay thought he'd be done with all of this by now. This is still a job to Jay, and as long as his family is depending on him, it always will be.
Still, it doesn't have to end here, just because they can’t be a full group again. Even if things haven't turned out exactly how they'd dreamt it, even if they've seen just how ugly this business can really be, they've accomplished a lot and they have their fans and they have each other: 2PM is still together in spirit, if not on stage. And no matter where they head in the future, that will remain true. Maybe that's enough.
No. It’s not enough.
"I don't get what the problem is," Jay asks, baffled. "Don't you guys want to stick together?"
"Well, yes, but--"
"Then that's what we'll do."
Taecyeon pauses and looks at the others. Then everyone blows up at once, shouting into the speakerphone. Are you stupid; how can you make it seem as simple as that? Hyung, aren't you taking this seriously? There are contract renegotiations to worry about and big people to answer to! Jay, there are other responsibilities to consider, we’re not exactly in a position to demand things. You idiot, you haven't even thought seriously about -- do you even realize the situation we're in now? Do you know what that might mean for our future? Hyung, don’t joke around. It'll take a lot of hard work, you know! And organization! And we might have to take huge risks! What happens if we screw up, hyung? And what if -- what if it ends up with all of us quitting the company?
And Jay yawns; says, "Then that's what we'll do."
(end)
Thanks for reading. :)
Title: three happy endings that never could be and one that could
Fandom: 2PM (always 7!)
Rating: G
Pairings: none
Word count: ~2,800
Notes: Inspired by the lyrics from Quelqu’un m’a Dit by Carla Bruni.
On me dit que le destin se moque bien de nous
Qu'il ne nous donne rien et qu'il nous promet tout
Parais qu'le bonheur est à portée de main,
Alors on tend la main et on se retrouve fou
Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit ...
(I’m told that fate makes fun of us,
That it gives us nothing and promises everything,
When happiness seems to be within our reach,
We reach out and find ourselves like fools.
Yet someone told me…)
three happy endings that never could be and one that could
1. first
Jaebeom drops out of JYPE in the last week of April, 2007, and honestly, no one had seen this coming. Even though it's painfully obvious how badly Jaebeom had fit in Korea and how he carried himself as an American with every inch of his body, it'd also been clear that he had the talent, energy and drive needed to succeed as an idol, and that's what everyone had been expecting him to do: succeed. Jaebeom was a lot of things, but he was far from a quitter. Everyone had been sure of that.
Everyone is wrong. By the first of May, Jo Kwon's room has one empty bed and Nichkhun is short one English-speaking friend and Taecyeon, being new, didn't to get to know Jay Park all that well, but even though he now has one less person to translate for, he feels sort of disappointed, like he's missed out on a chance. And the thing is, anyone who knew anything about Park Jaebeom would have known he wasn't having the greatest time as a trainee, but that goes without saying. Who has a good time being a trainee? It's the definition of misery. Hard work, long hours, curfew, and no promise of debut, but this couldn't have come as a surprise to him. There must have been another reason why Jaebeom had left.
Those who care find out eventually, from those who had been closer to Jaebeom, that it had been Jay's twentieth birthday near the end of April. And on his birthday, Jaebeom had called his home in Seattle and had talked to his mother for over three hours. A week later, he'd requested a meeting with JYP himself, and by evening of that day, he was packing his bags. The next morning he was gone.
People don't forget him so easily, though. He'd had a bit of a reputation, after all, and Nichkhun and Junsu still keep in contact with him every so often. They let the others know that Jay's doing fine at home. He's back in school, has a part-time job at car mechanic, and has enrolled himself in weekly Korean lessons at church. He practises bboying with his crew regularly and they win quite a few local dance tournaments. Taecyeon goes onto YouTube sometimes and watches Art of Movement's performance videos; it's impossible to miss how bright Jay's smile is, even when the camera only captures a quick flash of his face.
A year passes and in September, 2PM debuts with Taecyeon as leader and six other members: Junsu, Nichkhun, Wooyoung, Junho, Chansung, and Doojoon. Their first single, 10 Out of 10, is a modest hit, but it's not until their second mini-album is launched that they start getting widespread recognition. In Seattle, Jay is having dinner with friends at a Korean barbecue restaurant and nearly chokes on his rice when he hears Junsu's voice coming over the radio intercom. As soon as he gets home; he checks his MySpace and remembers that Nichkhun and Junsu had stopped messaging him months ago, with Nichkhun's last message being, "things are really busy these days... so tired lol T_T.... but happy that we're all working hard together!! hope ur doing well jay!!! <3"
Jay is actually doing quite well. He's in college for music and dance and through publicity of AOM's wins, he's already received offers to join dance studios and for teaching positions. His life in Seattle is a lot quieter than it was in Seoul, but he's comfortable here, and he's with his family, so Jay doesn't regret leaving Korea. Yoon sometimes hassles him for losing his opportunity with all those hot girl idols, but that wasn't the reason Jay went to Korea in the first place. He wishes the best for 2PM and whenever one of the group's songs gets played on the local Asian radio station, Jay always stops what he's doing and listens till the end.
2. then
Because of the Wonder Girls' success in Korea, JYPE makes the decision not to debut them in the US as had been planned since the group's formation. One Day is split up and 2PM are sent overseas instead. With three out of seven members fluent in English, they already have a leg up on many Asian artists trying to make a dent in the American music industry. The MTV Iggy crew, who 2PM had met in their brief visit to New York City, had been duly impressed with the group's talents and pledge their support for 2PM to become as successful in the States as 2AM is fast becoming in Korea.
But at first, and for a long time after, 2PM is a name only known to Korean-Americans in cities that have large Asian populations. The members tour around to community centres to perform, and only are broadcast on local news stations. They do not sell a lot of CDs and for a long, long year, it feels like all their training has been for nothing. The non-American members have a hard time adjusting to the new culture: Chansung cries sometimes because he misses his family. Wooyoung’s father does not answer his long-distance calls. Junho wishes he could have picked any other career path. And Junsu spends his nights staring up at the ceiling of the room he shares with Taecyeon, cursing himself for joining JYPE instead of YG. They feel like they’re paddling in open water: no lifejackets, no island, just them using all their strength to try and stay afloat. But they’re all under contracts anyway, so there is no choice but to do their best.
The group's big break comes when Nichkhun is interviewed on the street by a roaming TV reporter doing a story about ethnic minorities in the city; "Nichkhun Horvejkul, Thai-Chinese-American," the caption under his face reads that night, and eventually, people find him. He does a few commercials, and professionals begin to take more notice of the group Nichkhun hangs around with -- good-looking boys all in good physical shape. 2PM starts modelling, start getting more known. Through JYPE's contacts and their new reputation, they sign on with a non-profit group to do a campaign against racism. They act in a TV spot, they are on posters, and they are marketed as 2PM, a multicultural crew. They guest star on So You Think You Can Dance, and surprise the audience by bursting into song at the end of their performance.
2PM's full-length English CD is released soon after and it sells almost 40,000 copies. Their Again and Again dance is parodied all over the country, and they are invited onto daytime talk shows to sing it. Viewers quickly fall for Nichkhun's angelic smile, Taecyeon's smarmy sense of humour, and Jay's honest attempts to sound cooler than everyone can tell he actually is. The four other members receive less of the spotlight until Khun, Taec, and Jay start shoving them up to the front of the line: here is Woo, he's a great dancer despite what his face suggests; here is Junho, he's really good at singing and acrobatics and he's addicted to Twitter; here is Junsu, he's got the soul of a diva and the shoulders of a football player; here is Chan, he's nineteen, really, we swear.
For their next album, the members are given a chance to write their own songs and Junsu's single reaches a peak of number 76 on top-100 charts. They're still not as popular as 2AM is in Korea, but they get a steady stream of income from their album sales and endorsements, and the first time Jay sends a cheque back home to his mom in Seattle, the boys celebrate by taking a night out on the town. They are hounded by one paparazzi photographer and he snaps pictures of Jay flipping him off and Junsu sticking out his tongue and Chansung getting a piggyback from Junho, all of which get featured in a small section in a few tabloid magazines.
When 2PM is confirmed as one of the opening acts for the Black Eyed Peas' new tour, Wooyoung starts tearing up. They've been in the States for close to three years now and they've done nothing but practise and work and practise and work, but here they are, slowly but surely making their dream. Even if they never become superstars, they’ve come a long way. They’re allowed three weeks to visit family; at home, the first thing Wooyoung’s father does is tell him he’s proud of him, and Wooyoung thinks, just for that, everything has been worth it.
3. now
The group's first full-length album is released to mixed reviews. They’ve gone for a darker, more mature concept, and though the songs do reflect a sombre tone, the feeling is much the same as their previous mini-album's Again and Again and Niga Mibda. Being tired of waiting, trying to move on, singing to an absent lover; a new presentation is not enough to hide the mediocrity of the songs and 2PM, hailed as beastly idols who re-energized the industry, had been expected to come out with something that would create a bigger impact, something more meaningful. Lyrics with more significance to match their more established image.
Still, the album and their first single does well on music charts and 2PM wins one triple crown on Inkigayo, where Wooyoung and Taecyeon continue to MC. Throughout promotions, 2PM stays busy with group and individual activities. Junho grows slightly in popularity as he continues to film Dream Team Season Two, where he is given a chance to show off his athletic abilities to their full extent. Nichkhun's Thailand tourism venture is a success and another trip is immediately scheduled for the following year. Junsu writes a song for 2AM's new mini-album. Chansung is casted for a small role in a new drama. Jaebeom becomes the spokesperson for Samsung's new Anycall phone. All across the industry, 2PM continues to be lauded for their strong, handsome image and their fun group dynamics on variety shows. Wild Bunny's final episode is aired and the fans enjoy the "Leader Olympics" championships so much that the games are used again on 2PM's next reality show, 2PM's Heartbeat, where members organize events to raise money for charity.
The members work hard, but because of the lack of quality of their new album, coupled with no one doing anything contentious on a large scale, their popularity does not explode, merely makes a slow and steady increase as they are seen more on television, heard more on radio, and talked about more online. But for a few weeks in October, the only idol group on the news is Super Junior: Kangin gets into a car accident to disastrous results and member Han Geng sues SM Entertainment, causing SJ-M to lose a leader right before their album is released. 2PM sympathizes, wondering how much it would hurt.
On rare occasions, while listening to Taecyeon read aloud from his laptop, Nichkhun will still wish for a scandal, to shake everything up and really put 2PM on the map. But most of the time, he knows he is blessed that he gets to spend his days with six very good friends, making fans happy. No matter where their individual activities lead them, 2PM is at their best when they are all together. At the end of November, they win the M.Net Asian Music Award for Best Male Group, and when they stand on the stage, all seven in a row, Nichkhun can’t keep the smile off his face because he knows that there's nowhere to go from here but up.
4. later (maybe)
They're not much without each other, so they do something that has never been done before in the industry: they wait until their seven years are up, and then all enter army at more or less the same time. Nichkhun, the only one who doesn't, promises to hold up the 2PM fort as best he can while everyone’s gone. Chansung joins last due to drama filming obligations, and two years later, when pictures surface of him dressed in civilian clothes and with a huge grin on his face, Junho and Wooyoung on either side of him, the fans rejoice. Finally, 2PM can be reunited.
But as with all things 2PM-related, it isn't long before uneasy rumours start to surface: this time, they say that Hwang Chansung's contract has not been renewed, and that JYPE does not have any plans to reform 2PM. JYPE denies these rumours quickly, saying that the choice lies with the members, not the management. But each day that passes without an official announcement feels like a heavy confirmation.
The six of them decide to take a break from their solo jobs to spend a night at Junho and Wooyoung's apartment. Taecyeon makes pasta, Nichkhun brings soju, and over dinner, they only talk about happy things. But in the middle of a comfortable silence, Junsu suddenly yells out, "So what the hell are we going to do?"
They're at a crossroads. Besides Chansung's contract not being renewed, Junsu and Junho's have only been extended by a year. After that, there are no guarantees. Junho reveals that he's been approached to become a choreographer for another talent agency, and Junsu says that he could use this chance to finally sell some of his own songs. And there are other things: Wooyoung's back is still not fully healed so for now his radio job is the best place for him. Taecyeon's MC position on MBC's Star Spirit will last indefinitely. Nichkhun is in Thailand for at least half the year. And Jay, well. Whether he likes it or not, he'll be with JYPE for a long time to come.
"Let's call him," Junho suggests.
It's barely 6am in Seattle and it takes three tries before Jay picks up his cell. He's back home to celebrate his brother's PhD graduation so predictably, he hasn't been keeping track of the news. Taecyeon is drunk enough to just come out with it. He asks, "Do you want 2PM to get back together or not?" And Jay panics; says, "Why ask me?" And Taecyeon sighs and answers, "Because you're our leader."
Nine years is a long stretch, by anyone's standards. Chansung is twenty-seven and Jaebeom is thirty, and none of them can claim they haven't thought about moving on. Junsu's had his songs stolen and could do nothing about it, Nichkhun's fainted three times due to exhaustion, Taecyeon's had scandal after scandal with girls even though they've all been media exaggeration, Wooyoung's broken bones when he did a high back flip and landed on the base of his neck, Junho's sprained both ankles and wrists at the same time, Chansung's only had a handful of acting opportunities because he's been too busy with group activities, and Jay, Jay thought he'd be done with all of this by now. This is still a job to Jay, and as long as his family is depending on him, it always will be.
Still, it doesn't have to end here, just because they can’t be a full group again. Even if things haven't turned out exactly how they'd dreamt it, even if they've seen just how ugly this business can really be, they've accomplished a lot and they have their fans and they have each other: 2PM is still together in spirit, if not on stage. And no matter where they head in the future, that will remain true. Maybe that's enough.
No. It’s not enough.
"I don't get what the problem is," Jay asks, baffled. "Don't you guys want to stick together?"
"Well, yes, but--"
"Then that's what we'll do."
Taecyeon pauses and looks at the others. Then everyone blows up at once, shouting into the speakerphone. Are you stupid; how can you make it seem as simple as that? Hyung, aren't you taking this seriously? There are contract renegotiations to worry about and big people to answer to! Jay, there are other responsibilities to consider, we’re not exactly in a position to demand things. You idiot, you haven't even thought seriously about -- do you even realize the situation we're in now? Do you know what that might mean for our future? Hyung, don’t joke around. It'll take a lot of hard work, you know! And organization! And we might have to take huge risks! What happens if we screw up, hyung? And what if -- what if it ends up with all of us quitting the company?
And Jay yawns; says, "Then that's what we'll do."
(end)
Thanks for reading. :)