Lay, Luhan and Kris sat together in a frozen yoghurt shop. It was a hot day and they were having their weekly catch up session. It was something they always did. 

'So it's been a week since we last met up... How's school?'

'It's not too bad...'

'Any pretty girls?'

Lay thought about it. 

Sure there are pretty girls but they're almost all taken or together with the other jerks in my class.

'Nah, none for me. How about you?'

'There's a few girls who keep pestering Kris' Luhan laughed 

'Aish... I have one word for them- annoying'

'Because you're an ex model' Luhan cooed

'You told him? I thought you were keeping it a secret about your identity?' said Lay, turning to look at his elder.

Kris nodded.

'All us guys, because we live together, we figured it would be wrong if there were secrets'

Luhan nodded aswell. 

'Kris told me everything'

'Everything?'

'Everything. Brothers, right?'

'Right'

***

'Hey! China man! Come over here for a second!'

Lay got up slowly from his desk. It was his 2nd week at his new school and he had somehow managed to heave his battered and bruised body out of bed for yet another day of abuse and torture from his fellow classmates. 

'Yah! Don't you understand Korean?! I said come here! Quickly!'

'I'm coming! Jeez!'

'Yah! You dare talk back to me?!'

Everyone in the room froze. 

'You! You think you're better than me?! Let me show you who's better, Lay.'

The guy snarled and Lay walked forwards calmly. Why he walked forwards, even he didn't know. Perhaps it was fear. Perhaps it was his inner self wanting to stand up against the bullies. Whatever came over him to walk towards the beating that awaited him was unknown but what was for sure was that the beating always, always came. 

***

'Hey Lay! Sorry we're a bit late, I forgot my wallet and we had to go back for it. How are-... Holy mother of God, what happened to your arm?!' Luhan shrieked

Kris came running over and Lay quickly pulled up his jacket which had fallen off his shoulder only to have Kris pull it back down again exposing his biceps which were laden with thick purple bruises. 

'Good lord, what have you been up to?'

'I hit it'

'You hit it?' said Luhan

'Yeah, I hit it on an open locker door'

'Locker doors aren't that heavy, Lay. Don't play dumb with me.' said Kris

'They are. Lockers weigh around 100 kilos, did you know that?'

'No, I didn't know that but that's not the point Lay! Stop avoiding this topic! It's the 3rd time I've seen you like this and I can tell something is up, okay?'

'Nothing's wrong, I'm just being clumsy'

'Or targeted'

Lay looked away from Kris. He didn't want to talk to him when Kris was acting like this. Luhan crouched down to Lay's level. 

'Look Lay, I know you think we're being annoying but as your friends, we care about you. That's all. As your hyungs or gege's, whatever, we don't want you being...'

'Being?'

'Being... Aish, being... bullied'

Lay stood up abruptly. 

'Look, I'm not being bullied!' He turned to face Kris. 'I'm not being targeted!'

He zipped up his jacket and took out his wallet. 

'Now, I have a loyalty card for a cafe down in Myeongdong so how about I treat you out today, okay?'

Luhan and Kris looked at each other. They knew arguing with him would be a waste of their time. 

'Come on! The bus is coming! Let's go!'

'Nothing, I just tripped. You don't need to worry about me Ssaem'

A man ran past Lay and his teacher, carrying a boy in his arms. Both of them were momentarily stunned by the man and the limp body he was holding.

'Please help me! He collapsed in the library'

'Do you know his name? What's your relationship with the boy?' said the receptionist

'I'm just one of the librarians but I see him almost everyday. His name is Suho'

'Alright, come this way. We'll get him seen immediately'

Lay's teacher turned back to him.

'Don't need to worry about you? I've seen you around these past few weeks and you're either hobbling around on a bad leg or clutching a bad arm or holding onto your broken bag or-'

'Lay?' said the doctor

Lay stood up slowly with the help of his teacher. A nurse rushed forwards and took over.

'You can wait out here for him, sir'

Lay's teacher was about to argue but Lay pleaded with him.

'Please, Ssaem. I'll be out soon. I'll be fine,' he smiled, 'I'm always fine'

alrighty, Lay's story is gonna be long. I want to write as much as I can for him just because I seem to have built his past up to be a really sad one... 

anyhow, I leave you with a Lay gif. ENJOY! (btw, if this gif is yours, tell me and I'll credit you)

so precious T_T let me love you Lay <3