~*~

The figure didn’t seem to notice us frozen  in the hallway, they were too absorbed in lifting out papers and flicking through them (neatly, strangely enough) trying to find something amongst them.

Lu Han took a sharp intake of breath behind me - a bit too loudly - and the head of the shadow looked up at us in alarm and I took that as a cue so I reached out and immediately flicked on the lights.

We both sighed in relief as we saw a familiar mess of black hair and sleepy dark eyes staring at us, though for some reason it was still a look of alarm.

Well, at least it wasn’t a blood-thirsty thief.

“Tao? What are you doing?”

Tao shoved the papers back into the box hastily and put the lid on. I noticed that he was fully clothed, and holding a large duffel bag, looking very panicked.

“I-”

“What’s going on?” a voice grumbled from behind us. Kai appeared in his dressing gown, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He took a look at Tao and frowned in confusion.

“Tao, what-” Lu Han began.

“Are you looking for this?” Chen said darkly as he walked up behind us, holding up a small brown leather book....a passport?

 Tao looked shocked and he clutched at his bag. When Chen walked closer to him, he made a grab at the book but Chen successfully manoeuvred it out of his reach.

“Please, give it-” Tao attempted to retrieve the passport from Chen again.

“What the hell is going on you two? It’s three in the freaking morning!” I complained as I crossed my arms. Tao looked at me and bit his lip in nervousness, Chen cleared his throat.

“Chen please, don’t-” Tao begged, but it didn’t make a difference.

“Tao’s moving to China.” Chen said bluntly as Tao breathed in. My jaw dropped, and Lu Han’s hand fell from mine, I looked back at Lu and Kai and they gawped back at me in the same shock and confusion.

“China?!” Lu Han shrieked suddenly.

“What? Why?!” I said, more upset than it sounded in my head.

“My grandfather is sick, and there is no one to take care of him...so my family demanded that I fly to China and look after him...” Tao said as he looked at the floor, still gripping his full duffel bag, but not attempting to grab his passport from Chen’s clutches anymore.

“How long for?” Kai asked seriously as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his dressing gown.

“A few years at the least...” Tao mumbled. Lu Han gasped.

“You can’t be serious,” Chen said, looking genuinely upset, “You said up to a year!”

“They’re quite strict...my family...” Tao said, even quieter, but somehow we could all still hear what he said. The thought that we might not see one of our best friends for years wasn’t quite sinking in.

“Why sneak off in the night?” I frowned, he looked up at me.

He didn’t answer me for a while.

“It would’ve been easier to go alone without goodbyes,” he sighed finally. Then, when Chen wasn’t paying attention, he grabbed the passport clean out of Chen’s hand and made a dash for the front door.

“NO!” Chen yelled as ran after him and frantically tried to grab it back.

“TAO!” Lu Han ran over and tried to block Tao’s way to the front door, but Tao pushed him aside – a little too forcefully, “OUCH! TAO NO! YOU CAN’T GO!”

 I flinched, but Kai noticed and he put his hand on my shoulder comfortingly as I watched Lu Han in tears, trying desperately to pull Tao back by the back of his coat, Chen had given up by this point, just standing there with his head down. He is one of the closest to Tao, after all he shared a room with him. Chen’s always so happy...it made my heart hurt to see him like this.

“I have to-” Tao said loudly as he tried to wrestle Lu Han’s grip from his arm as he was opening the front door to get out.

Suddenly - a strong arm blocked the doorway from outside, preventing Tao from getting out, and yet again another mysterious figure moved into our view.

~*~

A longer chapter!

And woops! Accidental second cliffhanger!

The next chapter will be up very very soon.

Ps. You all know who this person is going to be. It's so darn obivous.