The footsteps were heavy.

He walked down the busy street slowly letting each and every step make him feel the weight of his life to his heart that was singing a different tune in this convoluted world. 

He wondered whether he'd ever see the place he grew up in; whether he'd ever see that sun that rose up everyday where he was said that it was the only sun he'd ever see this lifetime. But he got to see two suns; two suns in different realities.

He took a turn and found himself climbing up a hill while vehicles passed by him. The hill was less steeper than the mountain he was trying to overcome in his messed up life. He wanted to somehow get everyone home; he had to, for their own survival.

He was just taking a walk around the place after trying to keep an eye on Kris all night.  After the sun came up he decided to just park the car and take a walk around Seoul. It was only him last night. He was doing his patrolling alone for he forced the others to stay back. 

Soon, he came by a very familiar place and decided to just walk in after observing it from the outside for a couple of minutes.

His mind was flying off to when he knew how he never liked any aspect of this reality in any way until one day when he saw that smile.

He was soon looking at the same person, who owned that smile, caressing the ears of a small puppy on it's owners arms. She flashed the same smile and let the owner give her last bow and go off out of the door behind him, who was standing in front of the glass doors.

His eyes automatically followed the customer who left. He traced his gaze back to her standing there turning to him. And he felt like he was too lucky to be here for just that split second seeing those lips curve instantly as those eyes spotted him.

"Zhang Yixing!...Surprising how you remembered me. What is it this time? You always come to me when you are in trouble," she walked up to him with her long legs decorated with a pair of deep red heels highlighting them.

"No, not this time. I just came to see you," Lay replied and smiled back as Song Qian gave a slight punch followed by a chuckle.

As always, Lay watched Song Qian make coffee running back and forth from the kitchen, sitting on the small couch by the corner just in front of the TV screen, barely hanging on the wall.

"Yixing, watch something on the TV. You look too bored," Song Qian chimed while running to the tiny kitchen by the side.

Yixing nodded but still had his eyes on her. As he watched her trying to make coffee he smiled seeing her happily bounce around. Seemed like she was as contented as he was. After all, they were always the same when it came to feeling ecstatic over small things like drinking coffee with a good old friend. Except to Lay she was always more than just a shoulder to rest his tired head on or a helping hand when everything seemed lost. She was his anchor; she was his force that kept him pulled down to earth.

"So, what's going on with you these days? Still looking for the others? Anything I can help with?" Song Qian asked as she took a seat next to Lay who scoot across with his coffee in his hand and watched her raise her bare feet and place them up on the space between her and him.

"Still looking. Still trying to figure out how to even get back the ones we have found. It's getting more complicated," he answered quite honestly.

"Do you regret it? Do you regret coming here all those years ago? I'd hate myself if I was in your position"

Lay thought for a second about her question.

"We were supposed to go back after one year...but we just got stuck."

Song Qian looked to Lay who seemed to have lowered his gaze from the TV screen with colorful pictures flipping through, down to his feet.

"Were you ever mad at not being able to go back?" She asked wanting him to talk through with her for she knew that he'd stay silent and bottle things up all to himself.

"I was...Not at the guys. Okay, maybe I was a bit mad at the guys, but I was even more mad at the authorities back home. They said they would send help if we don't return on the due date. And up to this day there's nothing. I took my anger out on so many things; in so many ways. The mother nature here must be hating me for all that negative energy I put out that way. I am a healer. I shold have never acted that way at that time."

Lay fell silent while Song Qian put her legs down and stayed silent for a bit.

She then chuckled to lighten up the mood,

"Well, if you did go back you'd never have had the chance of meeting me. So, good that no one came back for you or I could have been so bored living in this normal world with normal people. Oh yeah! That reminds me, remember one time you promised you'd take with me to show your home? And that you'd introduce me to your family and walk around the garden picking the flowers I want, although I prefer flowers unplucked so I can appreciating them more at a distance? I'll make sure you keep that promise."

"That was before you knew who I really am."

"Yeah, that was just one of your old and lame pick up lines, wasn't it? Can't believe I fell for it"

Lay chuckled remembering how some years ago he met her and wanting to prove the fact that any girl would go out with him, he chose Song Qian, who was drinking with a couple of her friends at the corner of the shop, to ask out before his then college friends who were mostly likely lawyers and professionals by now. 

They had a bit of funny and cheesy history but Lay always knew that he had already fallen deeply for the girl in front of him, gradually, slowly but steadily. And he's always wondered whether he'd be able to go back home one day knowing he'd never see her smile again.The creatures from their reality had a deeper understanding of the bond formed between two people. He's always felt whether Song Qian was doing great or was having a really bad day even if he was a thousand miles away.

***

Seulgi jumped as her homeroom teacher hit the table with her book while Seulgi and Kai sat down on the two chairs in front of her desk in her small cubicle within the teachers' office.

Seulgi watched as the teacher gave out a frustrated sigh and glare back at them. 

Jongin was having his eyes fixed on his shoes avoiding the teacher's glares while Seulgi didn't exactly know what to do.

"I mean, I know it's the age when the hormones awaken..."

Seulgi could feel Jongin holding in his laugh.

"...but do you have to do those nasty things in school for God's sake? Seulgi, you out of everyone?! *Deep sigh of extreme frustration after finding out what the straight A student has been up to* I don't know what to say."

"But we weren't--" Seulgi squeaked but got cut off by the teacher.

"You don't need to deny it. I know what I saw! Or what else would a girl and boy be doing in a broom cupboard, huh? Answer me!" 

Almost all the other teachers were now peeping from here and there to see the on going scene. Seulgi just wanted to hide her face and pretend as if nothing was happening to her now deteriorating reputation.

"Let this be the last time I catch you two hiding around in school. You are both seniors too! Set an example to the other kids! And I'm letting you go because Seulgi is the ace in this batch. And she has always been obedient...Understand?!"

Seulgi and Jongin nodded furiously.

They were both freed after they were ordered to write fifteen pages of 'I would never get caught dating during school hours' by the end of the week.

Seulgi followed Jongin out of the teachers' office listening to some teachers mumble that it was just  another classic high school relationship between a 'smart girl and a bad boy'.

What relationship?! Urgh! Adults and their assumptions!...

Seulgi looked away disgusted and almost bumped onto Jongin.

As soon as they were out of the place Jongin started snickering, making Seulgi roll her eyes.

She was ready to go all out at Jongin when she found a familiar figure standing across from them along the hallway, looking this way with eager eyes.

It was Baekhyun. Seemed like he had heard that Jongin was back. But he didn't look that happy.

And soon Seulgi figured why, for Jongin who was suppressing his laughter before, was frowning at Baekhyun.

It wasn't Jongin's fault, really. He basically trusted Baekhyun back then to be a good friend and invited him to enter into his circle of friends. But it seemed that after Baekhyun's name was mentioned during his learning process of the person who he was supposed to be, he just saw Baekhyun as a liar.

Seulgi knew Jongin no longer trusted Baekhyun and most likely would do anything to avoid him. She held out her hand so she could calm him down but Jongin was quick this time for before Seulgi could catch on, he had turned away and walked away out of sight.

It wasn't long before Baekhyun too passed by not wanting to give up now. 

Baekhyun knew that Kai was probably detesting him so much now that he had figured out Baekhyun's true motive in getting closer to him before.

He soon caught up with Jongin and grabbed his shoulder.

Jongin immediately gushed his hand off but Baekhyun pulled him back and made him stop.

"Stay away," Jonign said in a low voice.

"Jongin, you need to calm down. I was only trying to help and watch out for you--"

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