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“Do you believe that a man and woman can only be friends without having romantic feelings for each other?”
“I’m sure they can. Why wouldn’t they be able to be just friends? A lesbian and a gay man can be perfectly good friends and never want more from each other besides the stimulating conversation.” a playful wink.
“I’m serious Jaejoong-hyung!”
“Why are you asking, dongsaeng? Have you been rejected with the ‘just friends’ excuse?”
“No, it’s just that sometimes I feel like it’s impossible. I mean every time I write a song with a ‘she’ in it, everyone automatically assumes the relationship to be romantic. If an ‘I love you’ is included, then it has to be a romantic relationship, but that’s not what I’m trying to portray half the time. Besides, if I used ‘he’ instead of ‘she’ the company always rejects it, saying we have an image to maintain.
“So, why? Can’t a man and woman just be friends?”
“Well, I think that a man and woman can be just friends, but I think most of these types of relationships don’t start off or stay that way. That’s probably why you feel like it’s impossible, Yoochun-ah.”
“What do you mean hyung?”
“I think one or both parties will at some time want more, but realize that it’s not a good fit and stay friends. Friendship, though, isn’t the second choice to unrequited love; rather, it’s the comfortable fit that allows for both parties to be completely open and honest with each other. You’re never more vulnerable than when you want love and if you can be friends with someone after experiencing that kind of vulnerability, then that’s a friendship worth more than gold.”
“But many of those relationships continue being unrequited love.”
“Yes, but your question was if it was possible, not probable. If they can both get over the unrequited love and move onto other people, then I believe the pair can want no more than friendship from each other. It’s ok to wonder, everyone does about their friends at some point.”
“I just still don’t like the fact that I can’t say ‘love’ to someone of the opposite gender, who’s not related to me, without everyone assuming it is meant romantically. Sometimes when we sing about love I want to portray more than just a romantic image, but it’s frustrating that romance is all that gets across.”
“Yoochun-ah, as singers, we portray emotions as we feel and interpret the lyrics. As listeners, they are free to interpret what we sing in their own ways. It may not be what you want it to be, but it is what they want it to mean. That’s the beauty of music, it’s moving to people because people can get more than one meaning or feeling from a melody; that’s what makes music special.
“I know it can be frustrating sometimes for your intentions to be misinterpreted, but if you can honestly and sincerely express what you feel, someone out there will understand.”
“Thank you hyung. I think I know how to finish writing this song now.” a smile of gratitude.
“No problem. I want to be the first to hear your song when you finish, ok?” and assenting smile follows him out of the room.
“I hear tinkering on the piano again. I assume you helped Yoochun with his inspiration blockage?”
“He wasn’t having inspirational issues, he was just frustrated.” Jaejoong steals a sip from the glass of juice in Yunho’s hand.
“With what? And if you want juice, pour your own glass.” Yunho grabs his glass back before settling down at the kitchen table with his laptop.
“It was just a sip, stingy! And he was frustrated that his songs of platonic love are being turned into songs of romantic love in the heads of our fangirls. He’s also frustrated that every time he uses ‘he’ instead of ‘she’ to fix the problem, the songs are turned down by our company.” Jaejoong peeks into the fridge to see what he can snack on.
“That’s because platonic love doesn’t sell. It’s nice and all, but romance sells; and that’s the bottom line the company is looking for.” Yunho continues clicking away on the keyboard.
“But why couldn’t it? I think most people experience platonic love more than the die-hard romantic love that the media tries to show all the time. Realistically, no man would ever be caught willingly saying the things that they say in romance movies and dramas.” Jaejoong decides to make ramyeon after further inspection of the kitchen.
“Well, platonic love is too long of a phase for movies and dramas to have a budget for. Besides, if you experience it all the time, why would you spend time and money watching it? Everyone knows what platonic love is like; they just want to get to the part where passion enters the relationship.” Yunho looks over to Jaejoong, mouth watering. “Make me one too! That smells too good.”
“Too bad, it’s the last one we have.” Jaejoong grins, but adds more water and vegetables to his ramyeon. “What do you mean platonic love is a phase? You don’t think a relationship can be purely platonic?”
“A relationship can be purely platonic for some time, but I think it eventually develops into more.” Yunho closes the laptop and moves it to the corner of the table.
“So you’re saying that romance is always the end goal? I think Yoochunie was frustrated at people that think like you do.” a tap of chopsticks against the pot.
“I’m not saying romance is the end goal, I just think of platonic love as the phase in friendship where you get to know each other. After you get to know the other person, your feelings may change to be romantic or not.”
“So you’re saying if it becomes an unrequited love, the relationship is no longer platonic? But then that relationship is only romantic on one side, the other person could still view the relationship as purely platonic.” Jaejoong adds less chili powder than he usually does when he eats ramyeon by himself.
“Yes, one person could view the relationship as purely platonic while the other doesn’t, but that doesn’t make the relationship strictly platonic anymore does it?” Yunho gets up to refill his glass of juice.
“Ok, fine. But what if the people in the relationship are both the same gender? Does the platonic love still change then?” Jaejoong’s hand stills, waiting for an answer.
“Of course, like I said, romance is only one way the relationship can change. There are other ways the feelings of platonic love change.” the door to the refrigerator is closed, “Romance isn’t always the end goal, even though it’s often the one that people assume.”
“What else does platonic love turn into then?” the gas is switched off, the ramyeon poured into two bowls. Jaejoong busies himself with placing vegetables in a more appetizing fashion.
“Familial; brothers and sisters born from different parents; soul mates that can understand each other; that sort of thing, you know?” a body inches behind another to observe one hard at work, glass of juice set on the counter, forgotten.
“Familial.” a heavy breath let out. A body stiffens when he feels another come behind him.
“Yes, just like umma” an arm settled around a waist “and appa” a hand wrapped around one holding chopsticks “making dinner” a piece of mushroom is picked up “while the kids play in the living room” and redirected to Yunho’s mouth.
“Yah, use your own chopsticks!” Jaejoong whips around, face red, scowling at the still munching Yunho.
“Fine, fine. Who’s stingy now?” Yunho moves to grab another pair of chopsticks from the drawer while Jaejoong brings both bowls of ramyeon to the table.
Yunho sits down as they both begin to eat the ramyeon. “But I’ll have you know, the ones you’re using have already been contaminated by my saliva.”
Jaejoong chokes as Junsu and Changmin enter the kitchen to find some snacks. “Hyung! Are you all right?” Junsu exclaims at the coughing Jaejoong.
“Have a glass of water. What happened Yunho-hyung? Why did he choke all of the sudden?” Changmin asks as he pats Jaejoong’s back.
“Ah, you know how clumsy your hyung can be.” a sly smirk greets a pair of glaring eyes.
“Yah! Jung Yunho!” and both bowls of ramyeon are abandoned as Jaejoong rains abuse on Yunho.