Chapter 4: The Leader Vows to be in Control

When the three boys, Junsu, Yoochun, and Changmin, had arrived home, they were flabbergasted to discover that the whole mansion was shunned with darkness and obscurity, aside from the flashing plasma screen in the living room. 

“Is that who I think it is?” Junsu pointed his index finger at the shadow. This was probably the boys’ worst fear and may be even their nightmare. “I don’t like this.” Junsu shuddered and headed for the closest light switch. 

“Don’t,” Changmin pulled one hand out of his pocket to stop Junsu, “don’t turn on the goddamn lights. You know how he’ll be if . . .” 


Changmin’s voice had suddenly trailed upwards, which made the two boys grit their teeth. This was going to be a difficult situation to handle, and indeed, they were all like wax mannequins until Yoochun broke through this curse. Shaking his head in disapproval, Yoochun ventured to the living room to confront the head. “What’s up?”

Rhett still continued to slouch on the couch. He sat with his legs wide open and with his head lying on his right shoulder. 

“Nothing,” he at last replied with a grin. “I’m enjoying my film.”

Junsu bolted to block the screen by spreading his arms far apart. “Stop it!” 

“Stop what?” Rhett sulked and looked up to glare at Junsu. 

“This,” Changmin made his way to the TV and pressed the off button. “You never watch this movie unless something is bothering you.” 

As if by impulse, Rhett stood and bawled, “Shim Changmin! Who said you could turn off the TV? Who said you could kill Jihyun’s screening time?”  Rhett was charging directly at his prey, Changmin, who was too stunned to even breathe.

Luckily, Yoochun had intercepted by pulling Rhett backwards. “There’s no need for you to show off your aikido,” Yoochun muttered, which led Changmin to reveal a conniving smirk. 

“Changmin!” Yoochun now howled. 

All of them knew how much Changmin enjoyed becoming the accelerator to an immense fire and typically, Yoochun would be a supporter. Today, however, was not for bantering because Yoochun had stared at Rhett, whose eyes were exuding one emotion, anger. 

“Rhett, if you tell us what’s wrong, maybe we could lend a hand,” Yoochun patted his shoulder. “We’re all like brothers, you know? So, we support each other no matter what.”

Changmin, on the other hand, had to scrunch his fists and bite his bottom lip to control his muffled laughs. 

Oh, Yoochun, what a cheesy line to say. Only he could ever do that.

Junsu then piped his infamous dolphin cry. “Yes! Yes! Konyaku, konyakuu!”

Rhett blinked to the point where his eyes were twitching. “I don’t know you.” 

“Idiot!” Yoochun smacked Junsu’s head with Changmin chuckling from afar. “Why are you—“

Rhett confessed, “It’s okay. Junsu didn’t mean it and I’m sorry. I just . . . couldn’t take it anymore.”

Changmin jeered while clapping his hands ever so proudly. “And you guys always say that I’m the one that explodes! Ha!”

Rhett simply plummeted to the couch once again. “My parents expect me to have a blind date with this short girl.” Rhett relieved a sigh with his body leaning forward with his eyes focused on the Blu-ray cover of his favourite film. Before Changmin could bellow his laughter for the world to hear, Yoochun had glowered at him. 

Yoochun then sat beside the victim, Rhett. “That already doesn’t fulfill your requirement for your ideal girl.”

“Yeah! I mean, how weird will it be for me to be dating a short and also kid like girl? People will think I’m a pedophile . . . a pedophile!” Rhett thrashed his arms out.

“Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, you will lose your reputation!” Changmin crafted in a brilliant British accent and slammed his bottom on the cushion beside Yoochun. Why beside Yoochun? Well, there needed a barrier to protect himself from potential injuries that Rhett could inflict on him. 

Junsu handed Changmin a high-five. “You’re a genius!” Junsu chortled, leading Changmin to unintentionally lift his head up higher. 

Ignoring the two boys, Yoochun suggested, “Why don’t you give it a shot? You shouldn’t judge people by their appearances.”

“B-b-but . . . I’m never attracted to short girls,” Rhett mumbled under his breath. He knew he shouldn’t have disregarded someone like that. He did know though that he could never have romantic feelings towards a stunted female. He did know too that he had to be fair. To be just or judgmental was his question.

“Ah!” Junsu’s fist hit the centre of his palm. “It must be fate! You must be fated to meet her, so you have to see her! I was fated to meet my girlfriend. I met her at our family restaurant!”

Rhett scratched his chin, letting out a forced smile. “Perhaps, perhaps.”

Changmin scoffed, “Fate my ass. You take fate in your hands and you stick it up someone else’s ass. Now, that’s called ‘Taking Control of Your Life’.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll give it a try. You know, why not?” Rhett smiled warmly at Yoochun. “Thanks man.”
Junsu disintegrated to absolute laughter. “Yunho why not? Hahaha!”

Rhett elbowed Junsu in the rib before leaving for his room. “Yeah, you don’t get to tease me about my Korean name. It’s a stupid joke anyways.”

After Rhett had departed, Yoochun placed his palm over his forehead and shook his head. “Man, Junsu, you always screw up the moment.”

“Okay, okay.” Junsu crossed his arms and huffed. “But . . . you have to admit . . . it has always been quite funny. Don’t tell me that you never laughed about it.” 

Changmin noted, “Yeah, especially when Jaejoong messed up big time the first time they met. What was it he said again?”

“He said, ‘Rhett, you know Jung?’” Junsu was at the brink of dying from a sore stomach.

“Yeah, when was this?” Yoochun interrupted. “How come I don’t remember any of this happening? Didn’t people just laugh at his middle name whenever they saw him filling out forms?”

“This was back in elementary school when you hadn’t transferred yet,” Changmin clarified. “Grade . . . three or grade four?”

“Grade three for you,” Junsu corrected with his chest upright and back straight. “Grade four for me, and grade five for Rhett and Jaejoong.”

Yoochun asked in confusion, “So, I assume this was during recess?”

“Yeah,” Changmin answered. “Rhett was the new kid that year . . . with the best lunches.” He folded his arms and even scoffed.

Junsu butted in, “Ahaha, Changmin, you always stole from him!”

“That was not called stealing,” Changmin corrected. “That was called sharing.”

So while the boys spent the entire time bickering about the past, Rhett was upstairs watching a comedy show online. He needed to relief his frustrations. He needed to be able to say that everything would be okay. The only way for everything to be okay was to follow through with the date and to let nature take its course, but for now, it was more enjoyable watching comedians suffer for laughing. Yes, watching his favourite comedians getting their butts smacked for laughing was the remedy for a bad day.

*Konyaku, konyakuu is a common example Japanese Dajyre joke. It means “I'll eat konyaku tonight.”

*Rhett is watching Gaki no Tsukai’s batsu games. There are typically five comedians involved in these games. The rule to the no laughing games is not to laugh. If the comedian laughs, then he will receive a punishment in the form of having his butt smack by a staff member.

(I said I wouldn't update during exam time, but I had a bad exam, so I felt like sharing something. I honestly won't upload chapter five until the specified date.)