'Fire! Fire! Get out! Everyone get out!'

The teenager Yixing held out his hand to his friends. 

'Ruo Jian! Ruo Jian! Help me! I can't get out! Help me!'

His friend stretched his hand out but quickly retracted it when a blazing beam creaked and began to fall from the ceiling.

'I'm sorry Yixing! I can't reach you!'

Lay turned around and ran to the other side of the smoky room. 

'Xin Yuan! Hey! Xin Yuan! Help me! Help me!'

Lay was calling for his best friend. 

'Xin Yuan! Please! Help me!'

He began to cough but kept his hand outstretched through the gap.

'Please! I beg you!'

He saw his best friend turn to face him, looking horrified.

'Xin Yuan!'

His best friend turned back around and ran. He tripped up over his own feet but picked himself up and carried on running- away from the blaze, away from the best friend who depended on him more than anything in the world.

'Xin Yuan! 你去哪里?! (Where are you going?!)'

Lay could feel himself crying but the heat from the fire evaporated the salty water before they could drop to the floor. He kept his hand outstretched, hoping more than anything that someone would come and find him and save him. He began to feel lightheaded, the carbon dioxide getting to his brain and his oxygen levels running low. 

'H-Help... M-Me... P-P-Plea-'

As he felt himself going, Lay thought he saw his life flash before his eyes. 

He saw his webpage and the fan count going up. 

He saw the jealousy in the eyes of his school friends. 

He saw the countless photos he had taken with his only friends, Ruo Jian and Xin Yuan. 

He saw the two of them leaving him when he needed them most. 

And then he felt wetness. 

He felt a cooling sensation on his face- something liquidy and they weren't his tears. 

'Over there! There's a boy there! Get him out! Quick!'

Lay's legs gave way and his head landed with a thump against the stone wall, knocking him out. He didn't feel the pair of strong arms lifting him. He only felt nothingness. 

*** 

'Fire! Fire! Fire! Ruo Jian! Xin Yuan! Help me! Help me! Argh!'

Lay woke up in his hospital bed in a cold sweat. 

'Yixing? Are you okay?'

Lay turned his head to face the nurse who was busy preparing his hospital meal.

'I'm f-fine'

'Bad dream, dear?'

Lay nodded. Well, he nodded as best as he could. His neck was in a brace after hitting it at a funny angle. 

'I hate this thing. I can't see anything with it on. It's too restricted'

The nurse was sympathetic and placed a straw in his mouth.

'I know dear, I know. I hope you'll never be in such a situation like this, okay? I know how it feels'

'How do you know how it feels?! You don't understand me!' he yelled, spitting out the straw and trying to lift his head only to remember that he couldn't.

Lay wasn't trying to be rude. He isn't the type to get angry but he replayed the moment his two best friends deserted him and his fury and resentment got the better of him. 

'I-I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to react like that-'

'Shhh dear, it's okay. You're right, Yixing. I don't know how it feels.'

'That's not what I want you to say' said Lay.

He could feel tears welling up and for once, he made no effort to try and stop them. There were no paparazzi cameras. There were no bullies. There were no fans. There was no image to look after. 

'You can cry, dear. You're only human, after all'

Lay shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He fell asleep to the sound of his nurse quietly humming whilst she gently unwound his bandages, caring and tending to them just as a mother would. 

***

'Yixing, your burns are healing up nicely'

'It's all thanks to you'

'It's not just me. Your body seems to be good at healing yourself. That's a good trait, you know'

'I guess I should throw myself off a cliff then and see how long it takes to heal'

Lay laughed and his nurse looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

'No, Yixing. You cannot throw yourself off a cliff. Do you know how many of your die-hard fans will throw themselves in after you? I'll have my work cut out for all eternity'

Lay laughed again.

'I'm only joking'

'I know you are, dear... But seriously, don't do it. Come, I have a present for you'

'Present? What is it?'

'Dessert'

Lay groaned.

'It had better not be lime jelly. I'm not having any more of that digusting watery mess'

'Oh shush you. It's a special dessert today... Because you've got the brace and your bandages off'

'I'm also getting discharged tomorrow...'

'I know, dear'

'I'll miss you. You've looked after me so well whilst I've been here. You've worked so hard to keep the cameras out and you even read those fan letters to me... How can I even begin to thank you?'

'You don't need to, dear. It's been my absolute pleasure to look after you-'

'I couldn't have asked for a better nurse, you know?'

The nurse smiled and handed Lay a small wrapped piece of cake. He opened it up and his eyes lit up.

'You even got my favorite! Thank you so much!'

He began to eat as the nurse continued to talk. 

'It's sad, saying goodbye... But I hope you'll enjoy your time in Korea. I know your manager thought it'd be a good idea to just retire from showbusiness here and just carry on living life like a normal teenager but... I can't help but wonder... Are you okay with it? Aren't you going to miss it at all?'

'Miss the bullies and the pressure? And the constant backstabbing because I've somehow turned out to be a child superstar with a baidu bar and everything? Miss the-' 

'Yixing, your temper is rising again'

'Ah... I'm sorry'

'It's okay. It's because you've been in this hospital for so long- it makes people become people that aren't themselves. I was just wondering, that's all. I wish you the best of luck in Korea. I know you'll do perfectly fine'

'How can you know that?'

'A woman's instinct is always right, Yixing. Remember that'

I give you part 1. I'll put part 2 up once I've finished writing it ^^ hopefully in a few hours tops :)