Chapter 42: The Beginning of Everything

Trigger to finale

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• Sehun’s POV

I’m close.

Though for the past week, where I thought I was close, I just realized that I’m still a step far away. Even though I just unexpectedly encountered Himchan from the streets all of a sudden; I was still a step away. When I went back to that place where we bumped into each other, he was no longer there, of course, but I still tried to look for him, wanting to get my answers too soon, but I didn’t see him at all.

I’ve tried. I tried to look for him for the past week, but I couldn’t meet him again and that caused me a big disappointment. Himchan is the only way where I could find Luhan, but there are also others, but I don’t know who is who and where they are. It wasn’t easy to take a step.

~

“Sehun.”

I turned to look at Dr. Daehyun, a concerned look etched on his face and I wonder why. He narrows his eyes on me before pressing his lips into a firm line.

“You’re ruining the coffee,” he blankly says. I stared at him for a moment, before I realized what I was doing. I looked at my hand and wondered how much sugar have I dunked on. This is bad. What am I doing?

“You look occupied for the past week, Sehun. What’s wrong with you? Jaejoong and Yunho have been pointing out your absentminded these days.”

I didn’t answer. It’s just that I couldn’t tell him that I’m bothered. Too much bothered in fact. I’m facing a big battle that I can’t win, because this is merely a lose-lose situation. I’m not strong, nor am I allowed to step out from this battle since fate has appointed its chess piece already. There are already things that occupy my mind, too much in fact and the matter about Luhan is only one of them. I don’t care how much I lose; I just wanted to get some answers from one of them.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try not to be like this. I’m just…thinking of some things,” I replied solemnly. I took another cup from the drawer and poured a newly brewed coffee again and this time, not ruining it again. After I finished, I throw away the ruined coffee in the bin and handed him over his coffee, feeling a bit dazed and blank. He didn’t take it for a moment, his eyes gazes with mine and stared for awhile; leaving me to dwell on those orbs that seem to know the very core of your soul. He sighs and I broke contact, taking the coffee from my hand, he mutters his thanks.

“I’ll be heading out now. Could you please tell Suho hyung that I took my leave?”

He didn’t answer and I just nodded. He’ll tell Suho hyung, that’s for sure. I whispered my thanks and left his office. As I walk down the hallway, I just noticed that I’m in the wrong one, choosing the path where it leads to the canteen. I sighed.

I’m so losing it.

 

• Jongdae/Minseok

"Jongdae."

"What."

"Jongdae."

"What."

"Jongdae."

"What?!"

Jongdae glared irritably at Minseok who cheekily smiled at him. They're at the cafe and Minseok had turned up to watch him while he does his work and somehow it annoyed Jongdae to the core since Minseok kept calling his name over and over again.

"What do you want, hyung? You keep bothering me," Jongdae grits out; eyes narrowed and lips curled into a deep frown.

"Stop frowning. It doesn't suit you." Minseok pouts and Jongdae felt the need to drive him out his cafe. Turning his back on him, Jongdae continues to brew some coffee and Minseok chuckles lightly behind him, making him sigh.

"Jongdae," Minseok calls out again and Jongdae gave up and turns his head towards him.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Heat rose up to his face, Jongdae almost knocked down the cups that are lined up on the counter. Heart frantically beating against his chest, Jongdae sputtered, “Y-yah! W-w-what are y-you sa-saying?!”

After a week had passed, they had gotten close, but not too close like before since Minseok knows the limitation to where he could get far. Though he does that, Jongdae doesn’t understand as to why Minseok became bolder in confessing his love for him. It irked Jongdae, yet the warm feeling that spreads in his chest says otherwise.

Minseok smiles innocently at him and says nothing, looking everywhere but Jongdae. Jongdae, who is still flustered, gave a wary look to the older before going back to what he was doing. Taking out the newly brewed coffee from the machine, he pours it to the cups and places some packet of sugar and cream to the side. After he had finished, the younger noticed that there is still coffee left and glanced at the busy Minseok who is busy playing at his phone. Biting his bottom lip, he pulls his gaze away and pours the remaining coffee to an empty shaker near the bottle of flavours and pops some ice, cream and sugar plus a teaspoon of honey and shakes it. After shaking, he gets a cup from the drawer and pours the content from the shaker.

Getting a tray, he places the cups of coffee and pinned the table number on it and hands it to the serving area and rings the bell. Just in time, Elich came and took the tray and left the coffee area. Jongdae silently busies himself with cleaning the counter he had just previously worked onto.

When he finishes, he hears his name being called in the kitchen. Answering back with a ‘I’ll be right there!’, he takes the coffee and stops in front of Minseok who looked up at him with a curious gaze.

“Yes?”

“Here.”

Jongdae nearly shoved the coffee to him, slightly pissed off from Minseok’s lack of attention. Without saying goodbye, but instead gave a glare, the younger leaves the older in the coffee are with a huff. Minseok blinks at what had happened, before he chuckles and nods his head.

“Mission accomplished,” he whispers to himself and sets his phone down. The main screen lit up instead of a game. He wasn’t really playing, but was pretending he was. He just wanted to see how Jongdae would react and seeing how the younger had reacted, it gave him hope that the younger must have still feelings for him at all. Even the smallest one would do.

Feeling happy, Minseok takes a sip on the coffee and widens his eyes the taste. He pulls away and looks at the coffee that Jongdae had handed to him. A soft smile appears on his face, his heart swelled with affection and warmth.

“You still remembered the coffee that I like.”

Taking another sip, Minseok relinquishes his time in remembering his good memories with Jongdae and how he is going to make up with the lost past.

 

• Jongin/Kyungsoo

Kyungsoo was at the middle of watering the plants when Jongin came in to his shop, tired and worn out. Kyungsoo was filled with concern and immediately drops whatever he was doing and approaches Jongin. When he approached the younger, he sees the exhaustion on his face and Kyungsoo wonders why.

Kyungsoo glanced at the main door and quickly turned the sign to ‘CLOSE’ and pulled down the binds and attends to Jongin.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo calls out worriedly.

He hadn’t seen Jongin for a week already and it worried him to what had happened to the younger. He had sent Sehun to check up on Jongin, and Sehun told him that Jongin is fine. Then Kyungsoo realized that Sehun lied to him about Jongin being fine when he is not. When the older observes the younger’s face more, he realized that Jongin have been crying and Kyungsoo feels his heart ache in pain.

Jongin has been hurting for a week and he wasn’t there.

“Jongin.”

Kyungsoo pulls him into a hug, patting his back comfortingly. Jongin didn’t show any sign of response until Kyungsoo opens the topic up, because he knew very well what it caused Jongin to be like this.

“It’s Taemin, isn’t it?”

After he had said that, a few seconds later, Jongin broke down. His cries mirroring his pain and Kyungsoo try his best to comfort the younger.

Kyungsoo should have known the reason why Taemin bought flowers back then was to ask repentance for what he had Jongin. Kyungsoo should have known the choices of flowers that Taemin is picking when he bought those flowers; it was different from the other orders that Taemin always orders. Kyungsoo should have known. He should have noticed it.

It doesn’t take long for Kyungsoo to piece out what really had happened, since Jongin would always ramble on how Taemin is here and there and their past. It’s really easy to figure out. Kyungsoo heart hurts a bit whenever he would hear their story, but he doesn’t know why, so he dismisses it as nothing.

But now when he sees Jongin crying again, he knew that this somehow needs to stop.

“It hurts hyung. I don’t want this. I can’t. I can’t let him go. Not yet,” Jongin helplessly says, so desperate and clinging to hope. His words pierced Kyungsoo’s heart and the older notices about it, hugging Jongin a bit tighter unconsciously.

"Its okay, Jongin. It's okay."

Jongin shakes his head; hot tears continue to pour down from his eyes.

"Everything's okay, Jongin. Everything will be fine."

Kyungsoo tries to soothe him, to calm him down, but when he does so, Jongin continues to cry. Kyungsoo felt helpless when he can't stop Jongin from crying and it breaks his heart when Jongin tears cascades down because of pain and hurt.

"Jongin. Jongin."

Sobs filled the room and Kyungsoo could only do was envelope the younger in an embrace, rocking him from side to side to comfort him. If words can't soothe him, then maybe a hug would do. Truthfully, it worked and the sobs hushed down into silent whimpering and finally eased out. Though there are still remnants of tears, Kyungsoo felt smiling a bit.

"Hyung," Jongin utters his name and Kyungsoo hums to his calling.

"Everything will be fine, right? Taemin will be back, right?"

Kyungsoo feels his heart squeeze in an unlikely matter and he wonders why.

'If this is love, I should probably stop it.'

 

• Dr. Daehyun & Himchan

Daehyun yawns.

He rubs his eyes sleepily and yawns again. He had just finished with the meeting and it bored him to death. The meeting was a simple reencounter of medicine and review of a simple fuss about hallucination or something. He really didn’t paid much attention about it since he wasn’t able to get some sleep for the past few days, but he got a bit curious about what Psychologist Moon had explained awhile ago. Though it was short and is still merely a preview, Daehyun couldn’t help but be struck by that topic and he feels something is soon to come.

Dismissing it, he yawns again and overhears Suho’s laughter after he had passed by Yixing’s room. He smiles at those two, chuckling at himself how perfectly they are meant for each other. Though, he may not have the right to play this kind of role, he was forced to. It pains him to see other’s pain and sufferings and no matter how much he wants to help; he could only do was watch at the sidelines.

Daehyun sighs and ruffles his hair in frustration. He bit his lip in annoyance over of all things that are happening and suddenly he remembers about Sehun. The assistant nurse of Suho and a well acquainted friend of his—not really. He noticed the nurse’s absentmindedness for the past week and how he is acting so strangely this morning that it annoyed him a bit.

He knew something is up and that it must be regarding about Luhan to why Sehun is shaken just like that. Daehyun knew he was bothered, bothered about something that had happened and that the younger is trying to get some answers from it. Daehyun grits his teeth when he saw that Sehun didn’t update the form he had told him to do and slams the clipboard on the desk, startling the nurses inside.

“I’m so annoyed that I could rip out 20 pages without a problem,” Daehyun grumbles under his breath, a dark aura veiled around him that caused some patients and nurses look at him warily. Yunho whistled as he approached him followed by Jaejoong who was behind him. Yunho grins at him with a childish smile and Daehyun feels like smacking him in the chest.

“What’s up, kiddo? You’ve been troubled for these days, just like Sehun. Is anything up?” Yunho inquires, a teasing smirk plastered on his face as he challenges Daehyun with a raised eyebrow. Feeling pissed off, Daehyun pulls up a crooked smile and grits out his answer.

“I’m not a kid, old man. I’m an adult and my personal life is none of your business, Dr. Yunho.” Daehyun tries to answer back politely, but it turned out to be low class rudeness. Yunho merely laughs at this, not completely offended by it and pats Daehyun’s shoulder.

“Right. It is your privacy after all. Sorry about that,” Yunho apologizes light heartedly and gives one last pat to the brunette’s shoulder and left, Jaejoong glancing at Daehyun as he passed him by. Daehyun growls and ruffles his hair, heaving out a frustrated sigh. Calming himself down, Daehyun resolves to relinquish his frustration in the café down the street.

Arriving at the first floor, he overhears someone talking; a very familiar voice in his ears. When he turns, he spots a well suited guy at the information desk, an urgent look on his face as he talks to the nurse on duty. Staring at him, Daehyun tries to figure out who he was and then, it hit him when he realized who it was. Smiling a bit to himself, all frustration gone, he approaches the man.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Daehyun and what could I help you with?” he smoothly says and silently cheers when the man turned his attention towards him, a troubled look on his face.

“Oh, um. You see, I’m looking for someone, but the nurse doesn’t seem to understand who I am saying,” the man utters; a bit displeased to the nurse who doesn’t know who is who. Daehyun eyed the nurse who looked down on shame and sighs silently.

“Forgive her, sir. For she is merely a new nurse who had been appointed in the information desk. This is her first day and I hope you won’t be upset with her lack of knowledge of who is who, especially of whom you are wishing to look for.”

Daehyun bows his head and smiles when he sees the flustered look of the man before him and grins when the man looks at him with a curious gaze.

“Who are you?”

“Why don’t we have a cup of coffee down the street, hm?”

~

“So you’re saying that Luhan is here for 7 years already?” Daehyun asked, not completely surprised. Of course he knew about it. He wasn’t dumb not to know. Though the years that Luhan is here got him a bit, but it didn’t prove much of a surprise it is.

They were at the café, relating the stories of the unknown and Himchan was more surprised than he should be. Daehyun could care less about it, but he feels amused by the different emotions the younger had expressed, silently chuckling to himself because of it.

Himchan looked a bit pleased after the stories had ended, his face masked with relief. “I’m glad everything is fine. Finally, their suffering would end, don’t you think, Dr. Daehyun?” Himchan asks, a small smile appearing on his face.

Daehyun could hardly smile, knowing how well where this is going to lead to. Sighing, he puts up a tight smile instead, but not agreeing to what Himchan had just said. Puffing his cheeks, Daehyun bit his bottom lip in frustration and Himchan stared at him in puzzlement.

“Suffering?” Daehyun scoffs, feeling the flush of anger rising up. “Don’t just say whatever you want. Their suffering is not for us to decide and whatever we say won’t be able to change what it is to come,” Daehyun spoke flatly, eyes narrowing at Himchan for a moment, before he turns his eyes away and stares outside the glass. 

Himchan stares at him, feeling a wave of shock and understanding crashing on him. He shifts his attention at him Americano, staring at the bitter colour and the straw plunged to the liquid. Smiling as he does so, he realized something that he isn’t supposed to realize and understood what is not supposed to be understood.

Softly sighing, Himchan gave back his attention to Daehyun, who had a blank look on his face, but one who has keen eyes would notice the lightest flicker of emotion in Daehyun eyes that proved he is thinking something, too deep to understand for a normal person.

“You’re weird,” Himchan declares, a smile on his face when Daehyun gazed at him, an eyebrow raised incredulously at his claim. Daehyun feels ridiculed by the comment of Himchan, unannounced and completely out-of-hand to take care of.

“Excuse me? Did you just call me weird?”

Himchan smirks. “Yeah, I did.”

Daehyun growls at him, prepared to counter back when Himchan softly sighs, a knowing look prominent in his eyes when he gazed at Daehyun that left the older to shut his mouth and listen to whatever he has to say.

“I don’t know. But somehow, I understand you. What you are doing and all. There’s a reason for it, doesn’t it?” Though his words may be vague, Daehyun had no problem keeping up with it, because he knows very well what Himchan is saying. It’s not really that complicated.

Daehyun drawled out a shaky breath, feeling his chest constrict a bit, but then loosens up when he exhales again. “Fate is such a scary being. It plays whatever it chooses and shows no mercy to all. Sometimes it spares the pawns, when it is enlightened and not bored where the game is made. But Sehun and Luhan’s life were fabricated by boredom. It’s a meaningless game where everything is a lose-lose situation.” Daehyun paused, recalling bitterly the cries of the young nurse beyond the doors.

“They don’t have any options at all, because everything is ripped out. If fate would ever spare them, then I would do anything to help them. But until the game is not yet settled, we are not to interfere. We are merely spectators, guilty of watching other people lives suffer, but we can’t do anything about it. No matter how much we interfere, the result will always be the same, unless fate would have it easy for them. Life is but a matter of choice, yet you don’t get to choose one and that is the bitter fact.” Daehyun ended his words with a soft tinkle of guilt and Himchan felt the doctor’s sadness over it. Feeling the same way as the doctor, Himchan feels his heart weighs heavily, a deep guilt buried on his heart; feeling the pain and suffering of Daehyun.

“We’ve got no choice, do we?” Himchan asks sadly. He hopes there is, at least. Because he doesn’t want a bitter ending.

Daehyun closes his eyes for a moment, pondering on what to do and say and when he does, a slight hope looms on his eyes when he gazes at Himchan’s eyes.

“We have a choice.”

 

• Suho/Yixing

“I’m sorry, Yixing. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, hyung. I should have been the one who is sorry.”

That day, when Yixing realized how precious Suho is to him, everything becomes crystal clear. His heart and mind unified as one. They thought of no other, but Suho only and how much Yixing wanted to spend his life with Suho. It was a realization and Yixing hated himself for not realizing it too soon.

When he left the note on his bed and went to the garden, Suho came after half an hour later, cautious and seemingly sad that it hurts Yixing because it was him who made Suho like that. He knew he had hurt Suho in an unimaginable way and he wants to apologize for his mistakes and tell him how regrets it.

When Suho sat beside him, Yixing was surprised to hear Suho apologized to him, regret and sadness in his voice that it gave a pang of guilt to Yixing’s heart. Quickly, he took the older’s hand and wrote what he wanted to say.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you. I didn’t mean it. I was just too overwhelmed. It’s not your fault. Never was it. I’m sorry, Suho hyung.”

Yixing was crying that time, after he wrote what he wanted to say to the older. He really regretted it and he wants to ask for forgiveness from Suho for everything that he had gone through because of him. The heavy pain and guilt was too overwhelming that it almost didn’t pull him back to reality. He felt Suho pull him into a comforting hug as he sobbed at his shoulder, Suho patting his back while he tells him that it is okay. That he forgives him and that he hopes he forgives him (Suho) too, because of his lacking and all. He tells him one last time that he is happy that Yixing doesn’t hate him at all, because he can’t bear to live the day without seeing the younger.

Yixing felt happy and relieved. Knowing that everything will be fine now. No more lies and everything, after everything had been clear to him. He promises silently to himself that he’ll never forget  Suho, that he’ll do anything to keep the older happy whereas Suho was also promising the same silently to himself.

One thing was clear that day and that was he never regretted loving Suho.

After their second reconciliation, they catch up again for the next few days, the regular check-up is taken up more and the warmth filled the room once more with Suho’s laugh and both of their smiles. It feels great to have things back to normal again, where two hearts beat for each other and how they spent their time together again.

Dr. Yunho and Jaejoong have been teasing about them being too much lovey-dovey and that they need to tone down the radiance. Of course, Yixing was flustered because of it and with a flushed face, Suho denied their claims, but the two cheeky doctors only whistled in return, leaving them dumbfounded.

Now a week has passed, their heart grew to beat louder and clearer than before and the two of them has been flustered by their feelings from time to time. Yixing and Suho had realized their love for each other, yet none of them would like to confess first; afraid of the rejection that may come.

Suho, after realizing that he couldn’t wait, decides to confess first. Though a bit hard and he feels awkward and shy about it, he is determined to let the younger know his feelings. So when they were spending their time together again after the check-ups and all; Suho makes the first move after being indulged with Yixing’s beautiful smile that makes his heart race more and his breath seemingly caught in his throat.

Suho held his hand, cautious and affectionately, making Yixing blush a bit by the sudden hold. They were at the garden, the blanket of stars twinkling beyond the darkness of a moment time. It was night time and they decided to spend a moment together in the garden, to bathe each other in each presence.

Yixing felt his heart skip a bit when he gazed at Suho's face, just like the first time he saw him.

"Yixing," Suho calls his name and Yixing gazed down, embarrassed to meet his gaze. The sound of his name being called is just too bearable enough; he couldn't afford to look at him in the eye. Giving a gentle squeeze to his hand, Suho smiles at the shy brunette.

"Let's go out on a date."

 

• Sehun/Dr. Daehyun

Their life has been always a twisted one. One never knowing what is true and what is false. Every choice has been ripped out from them and they don’t have a choice to pick with; so twisted and unfair. Everything is webbed accordingly to what is to happen, even though someone may interfere; the ending doesn’t change.

Sehun never got a clue where Luhan is, but his heart told him that the older is looking for him, that’s why he is hoping until today. Hoping that Luhan will find him soon. Technology is of no use whenever Sehun would look into it, Luhan’s name—many, yet not the person he loves. His hope has always been shattered whenever the name Luhan would turn out to be false and it always broke his heart when he doesn’t get to see a glimpse of the older at all—again.

7 years of waiting, it seems impossible for them not to meet, but it happens to them. Sehun tried looking 7 years ago, yet the younger wasn’t able to find him; he stopped looking for Luhan 3 years ago.  He thought of Luhan being successful, but whenever he would look at the internet; Luhan is not Luhan at all.  Yet with all that hardship, Sehun waits for Luhan, thinking of his promise that he’ll come looking for him, a reason why he is holding on the silver ring with a red tie wrapped around it to mark the hope he had weaved when Luhan left him.

So when Daehyun called him out to the hospital, he stands on the doctor’s room, quite dark and silent. He sees Daehyun with a deflated shoulder, face veiled with unknown look and the silence of the room adds to the tense atmosphere. There’s something going on and Sehun knows it. He approaches the older and stops a meter away from the table, sighting some scattered papers on the table and Sehun remembers that he had to update the form that Daehyun asked him to do. Biting his bottom lip, Sehun thinks that it must be the reason why Daehyun called him for, to scold him probably because of it. But what happens next caught him surprised.

"I've got news for you, Sehun," Daehyun utters, a bit solemnly that caused the younger to raise an eyebrow in puzzlement of whatever Daehyun is going to tell him. Daehyun sighs, feeling the air twists in tense and he couldn't help but to sigh again. After the meeting with Himchan, Daehyun felt angry with the twisting of fate, and on how cruel it is, but no, what happened so far is enough. He’s going to interfere, because he has a choice and he’s going to help Sehun out.

"What is it, Dr. Daehyun?" Sehun asked, mild confusion lingered on his voice. Glancing at the young nurse, Daehyun purses his lips in hesitation before finally making up his mind. This was his role and he has to fulfil it in any other way.

"Sehun."

"Yes?"

Meeting his gaze, Daehyun let the words slip, marking the time left.

"Luhan is here."

Time has been marked.

 

• Chanyeol/Baekhyun

"Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol, who are you?" Baekhyun asks, face masked with pain and bewilderment. He feels his heart race on what is to come, after learning something that is beyond comprehension. Chanyeol didn't speak, eyes trained on his and Baekhyun gritted his teeth in frustration and confusion.

"Who are you?" Baekhyun asks, wanting to know who the man before him is. All seems to be a lie of what they had shared before and all seems to turn out to be a heavy guilt that looms in his heart. Clenching his hands, Baekhyun feels the tears well up in his eyes and with a shaky voice, he once again asked.

"Who are you?"

Flashback

“I should probably give Mark to you. He likes you more than me!” Chanyeol complains, a childish pout adorning his face. Baekhyun chuckles at him and shakes his head. The time he spent with Chanyeol and Mark was truly exciting and refreshing. He was able to get half of his voice back, though the restraint is still there and very long sentence are not allowed still for him.

The doctor had congratulated him, a warm old smile plastered on the doctor’s face when he announced the results. Both of them were overjoyed and they had thought to have a party it out together with the Wu’s. Though Mr. Wu wasn’t pleasant at seeing Chanyeol, the party went well and everyone congratulated Baekhyun with a wide smile.

Now, they had just finished taking care of Mark, took a whole day, but it gave them laughs and new memories to recall. It was night time and they decided to have a cup of coffee at the nearby home-café. Having a pleasant conversation, their supposed topic makes a turn to the dog and somehow it came to this where Chanyeol complains about his own dog.

“But seriously, hyung! Mark doesn’t even bite you, yet he bites me! Me! His very own owner!” Chanyeol dramatically explains, faking tears to even emphasize it. Hushed murmurs were heard around by the sudden drama that Chanyeol puts up and Baekhyun laughs nervously in embarrassment. 

Baekhyun awkwardly scratches the back of his neck, biting his bottom lip while he glances at Chanyeol who has his face plastered on the table, continuing his drama. “Guess I’m nicer?” Baekhyun awkwardly laughs when Chanyeol sharply narrows his eyes on him, seemingly like a glare.

Puffing out a sigh, Chanyeol pouts and takes a sip on his coffee. “ though. But I guess that’s okay. At least he likes you. That’s enough for me,” Chanyeol says after he sets his cup on the saucer, a small smile appearing on his face that made the older’s heart race a bit. Ignoring it, they indulge themselves in more stories, telling a bit more of themselves, the truth and the lies.

When they got out of the café, they were busy chatting that they didn’t realize that they were on the intersection already. They halted their stories and Chanyeol gently clasped his hand with Baekhyun’s, causing the older to look at him with a flustered face and him responding with a soft smile. They heard a scream and both looked in front of them and their eyes widen when they saw a young girl at the middle of the pedestrian lane and cars coming at the side, fast.

Baekhyun feels frightened for the child, and he feels more frightened when Chanyeol lets go of his hand and runs toward the girl. His eyes glanced at the approaching cars and gazes back to Chanyeol running to the girl. He’s not going to make it. He’s not.

Baekhyun screams. Loud and clear.

“CHANYEOL!”

Flashes of the hidden past came back, blinding him to see the play of his younger years; all precious and lost. He sees two children playing, chatting happily and eating messily. It flashes by so fast like a dream, yet so vivid in his mind when it ends. The tingling feeling of the past creeps on his skin and somehow Baekhyun feels complete, yet he was not. He was still missing some pieces, but mostly everything in his past was covered up and Baekhyun remembers them.

All too surreal, honks were heard everywhere, the petite male was pulled back to reality and Baekhyun feels tears flowing out from his eyes, feeling his heart break as he broke down with his eyes closed; unable to bear the truth. Baekhyun was expecting screams and hurried murmurs of Chanyeol’s and the girl’s death, but all he heard was hushed murmurs of ‘he’s alive’ and ‘thank goodness. The cars stopped in time.’

He opens his eyes and sees that indeed the cars have stopped, a few inches away from Chanyeol and the girl. Chanyeol was hugging the girl tightly, and the child crying in fear and the people crowded them including Baekhyun who ran to his side. When Chanyeol realized that they are safe, he sighs in relief and pulls away. Wiping off the tears from the girl’s eyes, he murmurs her that it’s okay, that everything fine now. After several comforting words, the young girl calmed down and smiled a bit at him, making Chanyeol ruffle her hair.

“Thank you for your big help. We couldn’t have found the lost child and would have been dead without your help. Thank you very much, sir,” the police thanked him after somebody on the crowd called the police. The police explained that the child had been missing for at least 2 days now and that the mother is desperate to find her. Now, that everything has been settled, the police thanked him once again and took the child in their custody, but not long before the young girl gave a peck on Chanyeol’s cheek and thanked him softly.

~

“Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!” Baekhyun yells at him, punching him at the chest and Chanyeol takes the blows. Baekhyun needs to vent out his anger at him, the great worry and concern over him. The older continued to smack him, until he lost his energy and was reduced to sobs. Chanyeol hugged him to calm him down and Baekhyun continued to cry on his shoulder.

Baekhyun was deathly worried and scared. Seeing Chanyeol and the girl almost killed in front of his eyes, made him remember of his parents who died in front of his eyes, fresh and vivid in his mind still. When he saw that Chanyeol and the young girl is almost killed, he felt the word crashing on him and he screams.

And after his scream, new pictures of the past resurfaced, completing the almost finished puzzle. Some are still missing, but most of his past is covered up. He remembers the two young boys, where he points out that one of them is him and the identity of the slightly taller kid is still unknown.

Something struck Baekhyun, as to why he pushed Chanyeol all of a sudden. His tears have stopped and he takes a few steps back from Chanyeol, causing the younger to look at him in confusion. Somehow, when he looks at Chanyeol, he sees the slightly tall kid that is always with him, mirroring Chanyeol. Then, he realizes how the two resembles much. They eyes, the ears and lips and his mannerisms. How they are the same, because they are one.

The kid in his past is Chanyeol.

Betrayal and confusion wells up at Baekhyun’s heart, when he realizes what have been wrong and why his heart throbs that day in sadness and warning. To why everything is so odd at that day in the cliff, where everything seems so wrong; so utterly wrong.

Betrayal and confusion fills his heart.

End of Flashback

“Who are you?”

Chanyeol's blank face didn't change, but the small twitch in his lips had proven that he is listening to his repeated question. A moment of silence passed them by, before his lips curled up in a bitter one for a moment and masked it with a lopsided smile, eyes veiled with questioning sadness and truth.

"I am me. Park Chanyeol. The one who fell in love with you while you were playing the piano. Nothing else and nothing more."

Lies.

 

• Kris/Tao

“I’m taking him out, okay Luhan?” Kris announced and Luhan hums at his desk, busy with the papers that are piled on his table. The blonde watched the young owner keep up with the stacks of paper dumped on him to sign and do. It made him worry over Luhan, but Luhan would always tell him to back off and just bother with his own life.

“Do you want help, Luhan?”

Luhan glares at him, not because of his offer, but because of disturbing him with his constant persistence of helping him out.

“Mind your own business, Wu. What would you even know about what I’m doing? You didn’t take the company, right? You’re just a teacher.”

Though those words hurt, Kris learned to accept them because it was true and he couldn’t change that fact. Sighing when he saw Luhan’s eyebrows furrow in focus and pressure, he pulls Tao out of Luhan’s office; guiding the younger to the elevator and to his car. Silence surrounds them until they got in the car, where Kris sighed.

“You know, sometimes I wonder how Luhan could pull all of those off.”

Tao smiles a bit, remembering how Luhan have worked hard to gain this hotel and the other hotels because Luhan shouldered it all, the heavy tasks and papers and everything. He had watched Luhan does it all, and watched how he had suffered, yet never complained. They practically grew up together and shared the same thing. Tao’s the infamous son of the Huang and Luhan is the infamous 5-star hotel owner. Both of them hated social media and they leave the hotel either by casual clothes or normal suit. They both have the same reasons and common on things, in which Tao considers Luhan as his brother.

Tao chuckles, thinking how they have much in common. While he was thinking about his life and Luhan’s, Kris was silently watching him, a small smile on his face when he sees the younger’s lips curl into a smile and chuckles airily. His heart throbs, but he ignores it and thinks that time is wasting and he wouldn’t want the night to pass by that easily.

~

Thankfully, Tao got a hold of his pen and notebook with him and when Kris asked him why, he wrote on the paper that the reason is simply because he doesn’t want to mouth his answer; it was too tiring. So when they got to their destination, Tao feels happy to even write on his notebook on how he felt.

“Do you like it?” Kris asks him when the older stopped beside him. They were at the Bich Park; numerous glows of lights surrounded the place. A lot of people came, but not too crowded to destroy the image and Tao was thankful for that.  The pathways were filled with lights, the trees, bushes and so were the benches. Everything was filled with lights, a precious experience for Tao when they ventured in; a pleasing smile plastered on Kris’s face.

The flowery archway was also filled with lights, creating a radiant glow that seems to be in great enchantment. Filled with joy, Tao didn’t hesitate to take pictures, several of them by himself and when he takes a look of them, he felt happy that it took well. When he noticed that Kris was just watching him to whatever he is doing, Tao thought of something; a very pleasant idea.

Approaching the older, Tao pulls his arm and hooked his arm together with him, causing the older to be startled a moment, his heart racing by their closeness. Tao mouths him to stay still and says cheese. Stiff and awkward, Kris tries his best to look well when Tao took the picture.

Turns out that Tao didn’t let him go after that one shot when Kris that he would. The younger placed him every picture that Tao took and when they reached the last of their picture session, Kris was more comfortable. Before they took the picture, Kris took a glance at the younger, his heart beating and he could it very well, when he sees Tao’s joyful smile, his arm hooked up with him, it seems to make his heart glaze with an affection he once knew.

When Tao found a nice place, he pulled Kris with him and raised the camera up, nudging Kris at the side that the said male looked at him and Tao smiles cheekily at him and turns his attention towards the camera. Kris stares at him a bit more before stifling a chuckle and looks at the camera and adorns a warm smile.

CLICK!

~

They had decided to stay at Han River, settling themselves on the glade that softly tickles them under. As they settled in a warm silence, they watch the city lights, crested in small blurred circles like snows of different colours; a rainbow of another kind. They felt satisfied and happy from the time that they spent together; it was a precious moment for them.

After a few minutes, Kris couldn’t help but ask the question that he wanted to ask through the time that they spent together; a reason why he couldn’t back then, because Kris hesitated and because of Luhan’s words of not hurting him in which he hesitated to ask. Luhan wouldn’t tell him and it leaves him to ask Tao himself. And now that everything is well and comfortable, Kris simply wanted to ask. Even if he doesn’t get an answer, it would have been fine; he just wanted to ask, to get out the nagging feeling in his mind.

"Tell me, Tao. Why are you mute in the first place?"

Tao glanced at him for awhile, eyes garnered with a mild surprise before he looks away and bitterly smiles. He doesn't bother to mouth his answers, but rather write it on the notebook he had along with him together with the pen.

"Would you believe me if I told you that a nerve in my brain was severed?"

Kris looked at him, surprised. It was so sudden, so frank to say that a nerve in his brain was severed to why he lost his voice. Feel the heat rose up to his face, the sudden constriction in his throat, the painful squeeze in his heart; Kris regretted asking that question.

"I-I'm sorry, Tao. I didn't mean to ask that. I-" Kris stopped midway, feeling pathetic for asking that question. He felt the words that Luhan had told him back then when the older couldn’t find the will to separate them.

"If you are ever going to ask a sensitive topic, I warn you to not do that. Tao, though, he seems to appears to be tough and all, he's still but a child and talking about a sensitive topic like that, will probably hit him and you, I believe, will feel the pressure of guilt."

Luhan's words had struck him very well, and Kris couldn't help but feel guilty when he saw the immediate flicker of pain in the younger's eyes, making him more guilty and all. He quietly sighs and tries to think on how to make it up to the younger. Unbeknownst to him, the younger had been watching his guilty actions and self and it made Tao's heart drum with the warmth that Kris cared. Smiling softly, he writes on his notebook and quietly passed it to the older's lap before taking Kris's hand and clasped it with his, gently resting his head on Kris shoulder.

Surprised by the action, Kris looks at Tao before turning his attention to the notebook, a simple note that made him smile.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. It feels a bit relieving to let you know how I was mute. No secrets untold. To make it up, just let me hold your hand and rest my head on your shoulder, okay?"

Kris smiles softly at the younger's words, feeling his heart smothered with affection as he gaze at the younger's sleeping face and drawled out a soft sigh and watched the ball of night with dancing stars.

---

And so here is the chapter! I've kept my promise. *smiles*

I hope everything works out for this chapter. Sorry for the typos and everything. Let me know how you think of it. ^^