Chapter 7:

There is just something about friendship that makes it so precious, because it is the only thing that can bring back the child-like innocence in everyone. Then, there is laughter. This simple thing that any human being is capable of is something that binds the beginnings of friendship. Without knowing it, laughter brings to the surface the innocence that is us even in an environment where what is needed is to be like them.

Laughter is a spell and friendship the effects of that spell. It is binding, it is powerful, but most of all, it is pure. There is nothing like the power of friendship, for even money cannot bring about such sacrificial love. After all, is it not love and friendship that which caused the greatest sacrifice to be laid and not money? For money can only do so much.

"It seems that I really am fond of her," Kris said in a detached manner as he and Lu Han worked in the library yet again.

"Ms. Joo Seohyun?" Lu Han asked with a wishful smile on his face.

"I do believe so," he replied.

"Wouldn't your parents be simply ecstatic?" Lu Han asked.

"What?"

"Their little boy is all grown up!" Lu Han exclaimed.

"Lu Han!" Kris complained. "I share this to you, and that is what you think of? I'm hurt!"

"I understand perfectly what you are trying to say, Kris.  You have been spending a considerable amount of time speaking with her, and she is a wonderful person, so I don't question it," he replied.

"Thanks, Lu Han," he said sheepishly with a smile.

Before Lu Han could reply, someone knocked on the door. From the other side, they could hear a female voice. "Prince Lu Han, are you in here?"

"Yes, Victoria."

"Your father's meeting ended early. Would you like to see him now?" she asked, poking a head into the library.

"He's already free? He might want some time to rest, though."

"He's actually asking for you," she said with a laugh. "He's just not being forceful about it."

"He is?" Lu Han asked a little too brightly.

Kris and Victoria laughed a little in response.

"Yes, he is. Now, be a good boy and go find your Daddy," Victoria said, ushering Lu Han out of the room.

"Thanks, Victoria," he said.

"No problem, just go," she replied with a smile.

Lu Han nodded and quickly jogged out of the room.

In a way, Victoria was like the sister he never had. She liked to call Lu Han 'Prince' Lu Han, unlike Tao and Lay, whom Lu Han had partly trained and partly tricked to stop calling him that.

"Still a kid," she said, shaking her head with a smile on her face.

"What else would he be?" Kris asked as he began arranging the papers on the table.

"You seem to forget you're a kid, too," she mused.

"I am, but Lu Han and I aren't the same, you know? I spent my childhood with my parents before I began working with Lu Han."

"I like that word."

"What word?"

"With," she said. "I like how you used 'with' rather than 'for'. You don't mind that the other half of your life was spent chained to his side?"

"You make it sound so terrible!"

"But it is, isn't it? Everyone in service of the Emperor has spent more or less their whole life here. Away from family."

"But I find Lu Han's situation more heartbreaking, and I guess that diminishes the self-pity that I feel. Contrary to what a lot of people think, he's not spoiled; I think he's rather deprived."

"Is that why you stick by his side?"

"Well, he is my friend. That comes first."

"Ai-ya, this place really has some way of making young people old," she muttered with a disapproving click of her tongue.

"Why do you sound so negative? It's an honor to serve our country," he reminded.

"I'm not. I was just thinking of you guys. You were forced to grow up by coming here."

"Tao's Jekyll and Hyde. He's sometimes very mature and other times he's so childish."

"It's likely that that's what you get when you're forced to mature."

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "I might just be in a similar state of mind as he."

"Goodness, Lu Han, what took you so long?" his father asked amiably when he entered the room.

Lu Han's father was a sturdy, powerful-looking man. Lines were etched on his face, lines which reflected his weariness and his smiles.

"Hi, Dad," Lu Han replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

He never dreaded seeing his father, what he dreaded was seeing his father with his advisors. He knew that there were those that were influential, but weren't to be trusted, while there were those, like Chen Long, who were to be trusted. Politics is never clean nor easy.

"I was beginning to wonder where you were," he commented with a laugh as Lu Han gave him a hug and sat down in front of him.

"How was your day?" Lu Han asked.

"It was as always. What about you?"

"Kris, Tao and Lay have been helping me as they always have," he replied. "So I'm good."

"That's good to hear."

~°~

"...And I got to spend some time with my Dad, as in real time, just talking to him, listening to him, you know?" Lu Han explained when Yoona asked why he seemed so happy that day.

"He's that busy, huh?"

"Yeah, he's got lots of things to handle, but he doesn't forget me, and I have that to be thankful for. And the fact that he's part of the reason why Kris is my friend."

"Really? Well, that's cool," Yoona said. "I met Seohyun at school, and she just latched herself to me, in a good way. If she'd been like a family friend, like you and Kris, then things might be a little more different."

But Kris isn't a family friend, he thought. But he never said it out loud; he did not want Yoona to know what he was.

Lu Han looked at the skies and said, "I think it's time for you to get going, Yoona. The waking world is waking up."

"Already?" she asked, trying to see what Lu Han saw, but she didn't see anything. "It's so fast!"

"Time flies when you're having fun," he replied. "But I do believe I will see you soon, won't I?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied cheerily.

"Good morning, Yoona," he said.

"Good morning, Lu Han."

Unfortunately, unlike Yoona, those words did not bring Lu Han out of this place. It worked on her because she always woke up whenever she was told so, while he, he did not. So, he stayed there, and stared at the skies, watching them change. With regards to details, the scenes hardly changed; the sky was still blue, the river still flowed gently, the trees were still rooted in the same spot, none of their leaves had left. Yet, despite the appearance of a picture-perfect scene, where nothing seems to have been disrupted, everything seemed different. It seemed happy, yet melancholic; complete yet incomplete. It was such a beautiful yet fearsome thing, and only Lu Han realized that.

“Why doesn’t anyone see the difference?” he asked.

In his eyes, the eyes which saw these things for the truth they contained, he saw that the sky had gotten a shade darker, the river, though it continues to flow, has become more sorrowful and angry, and the trees have lost much of their fervor. In a way, they had begun to wilt, even when they cannot, because in this part of reality, things change in small degrees. Nothing is ever permanent, but sometimes, the changes, though slow, small and few, build up and turn this breath-taking beauty into a fearsome lair. They could go back to the way they were, oh yes, but how? How long will it take? How much strength must you have in order to look and see the changes and keep yourself from despair? Because despair creates more pain, more dullness and more fear than forgetfulness. And this part of reality reflects, more accurately than a mirror, a person. A heart. An intention.

He pulled his knees up closer to his chest and hugged them. He was beginning to miss Yoona’s presence. She, despite her ignorance, made him feel happy. For some reason, her ignorance seemed like childish innocence, and at this moment, he did not know if that was a good thing or if it was something he had to change. But it was something he truly cherished, and he didn't know if he was selfless enough to change it.

How ugly human hearts can be, he mused. I hate those people who pretend, who scheme and con others, but isn't that exactly what I am doing to her?

My own heart is ugly, and perhaps the one thing that I desire is for it to become beautiful; the heart of an emperor truly worth looking up to.

~°~

Yoona was lying on her bed, watching the ceiling. She had just woken up from her dream, and the memory of her conversation with Lu Han still lingered on her mind.

Truly, she found him endearing. She liked how he could be so child-like yet be so mature at the same time. She liked how he could understand her most of the time and how he would listen to her, no matter what she said, and have the right words to say. It mesmerized her that sometimes, she didn't even have to say anything, and he understood her silence.

With the memory of his image still freshly engraved in her mind, she picked up her sketch pad and began to draw. It was rough, quite unrefined, but it was only the beginning of her work, so it had much to improve, still.

"Hey, Sis," Kai said, walking into his sister's room. He carelessly sat on her bed and peeked at what she was doing. "Who's that?"

"I don't know," she replied. "A figment of my imagination."

"He looks to real. I never knew you had a boyfriend; how come you never told me? I'm hurt!" he exclaimed.

"That's because I don't have one. He's a character in a dream," she said.

"Vivid dream you have," he mused. "I've never had a dream as vivid as that. When I wake up, I hardly ever remember the faces of the characters. That is, unless they've been wearing the faces of my friends."

"What?"

"It's true, you know. Can I see?" he asked when she stretched out her limbs. She passed it to him, and he said, "This dude looks very familiar."

"Eh? How?"

"I don't know, he just does. I mean, he looks like someone I've seen before, but I can't remember who. Must be some actor somewhere in China."

"How do you know?"

"He looks Chinese. Just look at his eyes. That or that's your drawing mistake. But his eyebrows look like they-"

"Eyebrows?"

"You're the one who's supposed to be attentive to details, aren't you?" he asked tauntingly with a quirk in his voice.

"Just say it already," she wheedled.

"Their eyebrows are supposed to be a bit more pointy. Triangular-ish. Or so says Kyungsoo. But then again, that could just be a joke; he loves teasing Jongdae and Minseok for being partly Chinese," he shrugged.

"Are they really?" she asked.

"They're cousins, aren't they? Their Dads are related."

"I know that."

"I don't know. 'Kim' is not common as a Chinese family name as it is in Korean. Now, if they were Lee, that's an entirely different story."

"Kai," she said playfully. She patted his arm playfully.

"What? It's true!" he defended.

"Yeah, it is," she said.

~°~

One month. Two months. Three months. The time trickled by so quickly that Baekhyun could hardly believe it himself, had he not been living through those past few months.

"Aaaarghhhh!" he screamed to himself, ruffling his hair in worry.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Kai asked as he walked into Baekhyun's garage.

The past few months, the two of them had been practicing together for Baekhyun's competition. Kai's knowledge of Wu Shu was only marginal, but his dancing skills were good enough for him to keep up (albeit in a floundering fashion) to Baekhyun, and so he volunteered to help his friend out.

"I can't get it right," he sighed. "I won't be able to get past anything, Kai. I'll get eliminated the moment I step in front of those people. I'm leaving tomorrow! What do I have to show for it? Three months, Kai. I wasted three months not doing anything at all."

"You say nothing?" Kai asked with a scoff. "Baekhyun, I've never been so sore in my life. How can you say it's nothing? You're just thinking that. I'm sure they'll enjoy it. Don't be so negative."

"You don't understand. Those people are amazing, I can't compete."

"Then why are you still in the running?" Kai asked seriously. "If you're really not good enough, then you would've been kicked out of the competition already."

Kai crouched down so he could meet Baekhyun, who was sitting down, at eye level. Baekhyun was taken aback, he'd never seen Kai so scarily serious.

"Baekhyun, you said that Wu Shu is also very decorative? Then let's dance," he said. "Be a hybrid."

~°~

Yoona walked in the gardens of their university. Recently, she hadn't been feeling the stress of school as she would or should have, but she was grateful for that. Still, she wasn't active. Meeting Lu Han, she felt like she really wanted to be a quiet personality, but one that could leave a deep impression on others.

She took a seat on one of the stone benches to allow the gentle breeze to clear her mind. The atmosphere was so beautiful, so serene, that Yoona found herself drifting off to sleep.

"So is this what your university looks like?" Lu Han asked, startling Yoona.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, flustered.

Lu Han chuckled. "You're asleep, Yoona, but physically, I think you're in school."

Lu Han looked at his surroundings, admiring it. Yoona looked around and saw that they really were in her university's campus, but it had acquired a dream-like appeal. Now, it looked absolutely surreal and perfect.

"I fell asleep, didn't I?" she asked, looking at him.

He was dressed in a sandy-coloured coat and slacks, all pressed and pristine, and a pair of black, leather shoes. A small tuft of his handkercheif peeked out from the pocket of his coat.

"Yes," he replied.

"You're all dressed up today," she mused.

"I have somewhere to go with my father."

"You must be ruining your suit by sleeping at this time," she said. "You're not going to wear a tie?"

"I am," he said. "Or not. Depends on what I feel like when I wake up. But it's likely that I won't. It isn't terribly formal, and I'm sure they would forgive me."

"Would you like to sit down?" she offered, scooting over to give him some room on the bench. She noticed her bag wasn't with her.

"Physical things cannot be brought into dreams, Yoona. Except maybe clothes, but clothes are also part of our mentality; what we wear leaves an impression in our minds and affects how we move and how we carry ourselves, did you know that?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Well, it does. Try it out and see for yourself one day. Wear something a little different; a more formal dress than the usual, but not something that would make you feel self-conscious," he suggested. "It does wonders to one's bearing."

"I'll try that one day," she replied with a smile. "Will you really not sit?"

"Hmm? No, thank you. I cannot be too comfortable or I risk annoying Kris to no end. He seems to be in a positively amazing mood recently, perhaps it is because he is to visit his parents soon, and I do not wish to dampen his spirits. I do believe he will harbor some sort of feeling of annoyance once he sees I am asleep," he replied with a chuckle. "But if I wake up immediately, he would not mind. I hope."

"Yes, let's hope for that," she replied. "Lu Han?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are we here and not by the river?"

"You are not fully unconscious, Yoona. I think it is what they would call lucid dreaming."

"But you are...?"

"I might be lucidly dreaming as well," he mused. "I always find myself in the forest by the river when I fall asleep."

"I see. Do you like it here?” she asked.

“Your school seems lovely,” he said. “But the waking world is probably very different.”

“It is. This place feels too much like a dream.”

“Because it is.”

“Then why haven’t my dreams been fulfilled here?” she asked.

“Why haven’t they?” he asked softly.

Yoona turned to look at him, wondering why he asked such a thing, and saw that he was no longer there. The wind suddenly dropped a few degrees, the sky grew a few shades darker, and life seemed to drain out of the flora around her though they retained all their colour.

What’s happening? she wondered. It’s so dark and cold…

~°~

“I left her there,” he muttered sadly. “It’s like I just got up and left. But the thing is, I didn’t even move a muscle. I never said a word.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kris assured him as they were driven to the place he was to meet with the Emperor. “She will understand.”

“How could she? The moment after I left, I…I could feel it grow cold. I could feel that she was afraid, Kris. I felt her fear. I felt the coldness. Is she struggling with something? Is she hiding something?” he asked. As he spoke, the worry became more and more noticeable on his face. He looked as if he was ready to cry.

Kris kept quiet for a moment. He diverted his attention to Tao, who sat beside the driver, diligently keeping an eye out for trouble, then glanced at Lay through the rearview mirror, who, too, was doing his work.

“She’ll be all right,” he assured Lu Han. “She’s strong, isn’t she? She’s capable, isn’t she? Please, do not worry too much. It affects you more than you think.”

Lu Han could only resign himself to that. He could not go back to where she was. She could have woken up already, or he could find himself in his little haven by the river. Going into a place in between was tricky, and he could easily overshoot. After all, the only place he knew how to bring himself to was to the river.

A/N: I think I forgot to mention this in the previous chapters. I know Baekhyun is an Aikido martial artist (or at least that's the martial art that he knows), but you know, to make the story make sense, I kinda tweaked it and made it into Wu Shu.