ELEVEN

            Days later, after Jongdae finished his classes with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, they are having their time together at the library to finish the project they have been assigned together. It is quite late, but it is normal to college students for staying there as exams are coming soon. They sat at the corner of the room when Jongdae’s phone rings with such a loud sound, earning a glare from each direction thus he immediately took out the phone and made it silence. Baekhyun scooted closer to Jongdae when Kyungsoo permits himself to look for another reference.

“Who is that?” Baekhyun asked

“The renter” Jongdae answered simply and look at the messages “He asked to meet tonight”

“He?”

Jongdae nodded “Well, I don’t know yet, but I saw the profile picture. It is a hand of a man”

“He used cat as his profile picture?” Baekhyun frowned “Then, why didn’t reply him? Just say a yes”

“I would like to, but-“ Jongdae narrowed his eyes, pouted his lips, the signed of confusion “I told him so many times that there is no need to meet up but he insisted. He just wants to meet me because he thought it is the proper thing to do and I found it is weird”

“Seriously, you are a fine man Jongdae-ah. You are afraid of meeting with a stranger?”

“Said by someone who is prohibited to talk with stranger by his brother” Jongdae mumbled “He looks like a creep”

“You don’t even see his face yet” Baekhyun snorted

“Do you want me to meet him then?”

            Jongdae turned around, surprised to see Kyungsoo offered himself.

“Well, it is a nice idea actually” Jongdae said slowly but then he frowned “Don’t you mind? I thought that you are busy with something”

            At something, Jongdae referred to someone. At someone, Jongdae talked about Jongin.

But the blank on Kyungsoo hid everything “No, I am not. Give me the details. I will meet him. Then, he won’t bother you anymore”

            Jongdae turned to Baekhyun who shrugged his shoulders as a reply. Kyungsoo has been weird these days. He studies a lot, talks lesser than before, and just helps them with everything.

“Did he fight with his boyfriend?” Baekhyun asked

Jongdae frowned “Jongin? No, he won’t. I mean- they always appear lovely-dovey in my camera and I was like-“

            And the rest of the conversation ended up like that. After Jongdae replied the renter with a yes, then send the meet up details to Kyungsoo, the latter leave them in library. Said that everything is done in his part thus he wants to go home and clean his apartment. Jongdae looks at Baekhyun once again, but none of them have the answer to that.

***

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it, Soo-ah?”

            Tao bit his lips impatiently, probably bleeding, waiting for his King to answer his question. Yet, no answer for him and he just stands there stupidly on the door. Kyungsoo shoves his laundry to the machine and presses some buttons, waiting it to work as he stood still. Tao frowned, sighed audibly before closed the door behind him. He approached Kyungsoo, which surprisingly is holding back his tears.

            Well, honestly speaking, Tao didn’t know how to handle this. He better faced the enemies with weapons and bloods all around, not an effin’ tears. Therefore, he secretly frustrated and scream in his mind.

“Do you want me to talk to him, then?” he tried his best to talk sweetly

            But well, Tao is best at weapon, not sweet words.

Kyungsoo sniffed, tried hard not to look weak as he stated “I-I don’t want to talk about this”

“But, Soo-“

“Jongin hates me”

            That is short, but somewhat meaningful.

“Jongin hates me. He said that he hates me and don’t want to see me, ever, again. He hates me” the King kneeled down in front of the washing machine

           Sniffing becomes sobbing thus Tao pulled Kyungsoo into a hug hurriedly. He massaged Kyungsoo’s back, saying that would be alright. This is must be misunderstanding or anything. Tao tries his best to soothe his King and said sweet words but deep in his mind, he cursed Jongin to ever say those hateful words to his King.

            Jongin just declared a war to him.

            -and a war to Guardian of Northwest is really not a good one.

            Once Tao makes sure that Kyungsoo has fallen asleep on his bed, he picked up his phone.

“Kris? I need your help. Could you please- uhm, look for Kyungsoo for a moment? Nah, I just have some business to go. Don’t worry, it wouldn’t be long. Yes, I promise you, nothing is going wrong. Alright, thank you. I will wait for you. See you soon”

            As he swiped the phone off, he looks at Kyungsoo once more before leaving the guy alone once he knows that Kris is near. The night sky is relaxing, the stars shone so brightly. He hopes that Kyungsoo would have a sweet dream while he is beating someone down.

            Tao smirks at the certain guy who is just turning around to lock his pastry shop.

“Urm, do you need any help?” the guy asked

Tao nodded “Yes, it is about-“

***

            Days have passed but nothing has changed. Luhan is still that clueless guy while Sehun kept everything inside. Sometimes Luhan knows there is something wrong with the way Sehun protects him. He is older than the other man, obviously. It is a wonder how Sehun could convince Luhan to live together with him, moreover, his family. Luhan is the son of big leading company while Sehun is, just a mere student college. But Sehun has, Luhan didn’t know, charm? That Luhan, or anyone near, couldn’t help but to follow him around.

            Having Sehun as his boyfriend, is not bad at all, is actually a good ride of playing a roller coaster. Luhan can’t stand high places, but as long as he comes with Sehun, he will feel safe. Just like now, when Luhan accidentally slipped on his slipper and would like to fall right on his face if only Sehun didn’t catch him right away.

“You should be careful next time, hyung” Sehun said and Luhan swears he saw his cheeks are getting red by how close they are

Cleared his throat out of nervous, Luhan stood up and replied “I didn’t know the floor is wet”

“Well, you almost didn’t know anything around you”

The way Sehun chuckled makes Luhan’s heart skipped a bit, that low and deep laughter is dangerous for him.

“Should I say sorry for becoming clumsy?” Luhan then asked innocently but Sehun just gave him a peck, turning Luhan into a beef tomato while he is laughing lowly

“Nah, I should be thankful that you are clumsy. Without that only weakness you have, I couldn’t be near you” when Sehun stared at him, he knows there is something more meaningful on his words, but then Sehun continued with his casual tones “It is late already. We need to sleep. Good night, my princess”

“I am not a princess” Luhan denied even though his cheeks are a red as tomato right now

            Sehun closed his door tightly. He didn’t want Luhan or anyone comes to his room accidentally and found how he neatly arranged every photo on the board. There are arrows that connected each photo, completed with small notes on it.

            If everyone who didn’t know anything looks at that, he actually looks like a creep. But with all this Kingdom’s messes, he couldn’t put Luhan in danger once again. Luhan is precious to him. That the only matters here.

Did Sehun know anything?

            The answer: is No.

            But did he just as clueless as Luhan?

            The answer: is not that either.

            He just found out recently that they didn’t belong here. His brilliant brain helps him with everything. The memories that left on his minds, adds up with the tiny camera he found on his watch as the evidence after talking to familiar Jongdae. Oh, how he has such a smart brain.

            Sehun puts Jongdae’s photo on the top left side, Suho on the top right side, while Baekhyun in the center. He pulled an arrow to Suho, writing ‘brother?’, then an arrow to Jongdae, writing ‘friends’. He furrowed his eyebrow, trying to put two photos of unnamed tall guys who he meets on the cinema days ago.  As he knows he wouldn’t get the answer by just thinking, Sehun closed his eyes, hand crossed, in full concertation mode.

            He always imagines this thing about he is hand on hand with Luhan in somewhat like a castle. Then he imagines this tall man follow them behind. Once it clicks, his hand work on his own and put that unnamed tall guy in the cinema on the top side, beside him and Luhan.

            Then, in his own imagination, he saw someone familiar to him, kneeling on him while giving his throne to him. He reads every sentence on that man’s mouth. It is said-

“To the next King of the Western Air, Oh Sehun, I give you my throne as well as my power, the great Air”

            The old man gave him a crown, thus why he bended down deeply, eyes down on the floor. Once the crown locked on his head, he could feel a sudden burst of energy. He saw a dragon on his right, a man on his left. The old man said again.

“-and to the King of the Western Air, I shall introduce you to your Guardians: Kris the descendants of dragon warrior, the Guardian of Northwest from Western Air Kingdom” Sehun saw the dragon who turned into a man and that surprised him as he know that is the tall man he saw in the cinema days ago

            But he couldn’t just lift his head as he is in his own imagination. It is just his imagination, thinking about the past. He narrowed his eyes harshly, tried to be back on his track of memories.

“Luhan, the greatest guardian who fights over evil by himself, the master of Telekinetic, Guardian of Southwest from Western Air Kingdom”

            Then he saw the love of his life, Luhan, who smiles brightly on him. He might look beautifully fragile here, but back then in his imagination, Luhan is scary looking man. He has that fiery look, but his smile is still the same.

            Sehun couldn’t help not to crack a smile on that. That only ruined his imagination, as he pulled back to the photos and board. He swears at that but writing the short information he remembers before he forgets it.

            So, he is a King of Western Air. He didn’t forget to put the question mark on it, and slides Kris and Luhan’s photo closer, writing a ‘guardian’ as the piece of information he finally got. The other man in the cinema, most probably is a guardian like Kris. He knows that. They share the same atmosphere. But what does it mean?

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