I continued my life as nothing had happened. Or I tried to. But not without much difficulty. I would space out at times for several minutes at once. I would think about Wu Fan and tears would brim my eyes but then I would brush the tears away quickly and try forgetting him.

I had gotten my own apartment in Stockholm and I was working at a clothing shop not far from my apartment. It was currently lunch time somewhere in the middle of May and I was out with my friend Gina.  I had told Gina all about Wu Fan and she had supported me and tried to hook me up with other guys, but none of them caught my attention like Wu Fan had done.

“So I was thinking, why don’t we take a week of vacation?” she asked as we ate. I looked up at her.

“You know that I can’t do that, I don’t have any more money for a trip.” I said and ate my pasta.

“Well, see it as a late birthday gift for you?” she said and pulled out two tickets from her bag.

“Gina… you didn’t?”

“Yes I did, and I also spoke to your boss already. She’s fine with it” Gina said as I looked at the tickets. Beijing.

I sighed and shook my head.

“You’re insane” I mumbled.

“I know, that’s why you love me. So pack your bags and we’ll meet in a week at five outside the central station?” she said and I nodded reluctantly.

~~~~~

 Meanwhile EXO-M was currently on a flight going back to Beijing from Seoul after having a concert in Seoul with the rest of EXO. Kris was seated beside Luhan and he was now staring out the window at the clouds.

Luhan nudged the Duizhang as the food arrived and Kris snapped back to reality.

“You’ve been like this since then” Luhan mumbled as they removed the plastic from the food containers.

“Like what?” Krisu asked, trying to sound as oblivious as possible.

“You know, like always spacing out. Remember that time when we were recording that new song. You just stood there, quiet for the whole song. And then you cried-“

“When did he cry?” Lay interrupted and looked down at Kris and Luhan, over the seats from his place behind the two.

“Sit down will you?” Kris said to Lay and glared a little at him and the unicorn obediently sat down, even thou he wanted to hear more.

“Firstly; I do not what so ever space out. And secondly; I did not cry. I had some dust in my eye”

“Oh, so it was you who I heard crying in the cubicles in the restroom that day. I thought it was a trainee who had seen the wrath of Taeyeon sunbaenim.” Xiumin said in his improved Mandarin from behind them.

Kris stiffened a little and then he looked down at the container of the food. He sighed.

“Fine, I cried. So what?” Kris finally admitted and looked at Xiumin and Lay between the seats of himself and Luhan. Then he looked at Luhan.

“Well nothing, it just… I didn’t think you were the type to cry over a girl-“ Luhan started but was interrupted by Kris.

“I-I-Who would I cry over?” Kris stuttered, becoming less and less able to hide how much he really just wants to break down and cry his eyes out.

Luhan looked sternly at Kris.

“You know well enough who we’re talking about” Luhan said and Kris looked at Luhan with what he himself thought was a confused look.

“No, I don-“

“Karolina! That’s who!” Lay interrupted. The whole of EXO-M were by now already sick of the Duizhang’s behavior. He had not only cried that time, he had also cried multiple times when they listened or performed that song. And the members would hear him cry every now and then in the shower, trying to drown out the sound with the water.

Kris froze and then he looked down at the food in front of him again. His shoulders started shaking as he tried to hold in the tears that were threatening to fall.

Luhan looked at the Duizhang and hugged him. Kris turned to Luhan and leaned his face in his hands as he rested his fore-head on Luhan’s shoulder.

Quiet sobs escaped his lips and the tears slowly fell down his cheeks as he thought of the girl who had left him a few months earlier. He tried to be as quiet as possible and calmed down rather quickly. It would be horribly embarrassing to be seen by fans in his state, eyes all puffy and he didn’t want that.

Kris pulled away from Luhan and dried his cheeks. Luhan grabbed Kris face and patted the Canadian man’s cheeks with a tissue.

“You better apply some makeup too…” Luhan mumbled and Kris nodded.