Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Story belong to aliceninelovegazette.

Chapter 13

“Luhan…,” Xiumin stopped his stride. He stared at his band mate, and then shifted to their hands, which were still intertwined. The humidity among them mixed equally, making Xiumin’s hand felt numb, almost paralyzed. “I think… it’s time to let go of my hand.”

Luhan finally remembered that all this time he had taken Xiumin in his grip like a mother who feared of losing her child. Taking him to wherever he stepped to, where Sehun’s eyeshot was within range. It was proper for Xiumin to remind him since they were already in EXO-M’s van now, getting ready to exit the parking lot, the van which brought the members home. Sehun and EXO-K’s van had gone before, a few minutes ago while EXO-M’s van waited for Lay’s from toilet, taking his earphone which was left behind.

Luhan pulled his own hand while coughing. As he was so used to it, he could think that his fingers had transplanted Xiumin’s. “Thank you for today, bao zhi…”

What that gratitude… was for? thought Xiumin. Because he had lend his hand? Because Xiuhan was successfully raised? Or because Sehun had sour face during the program, pouting his lips behind Kai’s back, with puppy eyes look begging for its master’s caresses? Xiumin didn’t have the heart to see the 4 years younger dongsaeng’s gaze. But it’s hopeless, this game was initiated by Luhan and he was just the figurant.

An antagonist one.

Ah, Luhan’s gratitude just now became an igniter of a contradiction inside Xiumin… again.

Was it all right helping someone to hurt the other?

Xiumin shook his head, shoving away his regret. This was the best, Luhan said, when prompting that plan. Wasn’t he has offered his help by his own conciousness? Why would Xiumin feel worry?

Did he felt… this was not right?

Later that night, Xiumin, tiptoeing from his room, entered the dorm’s toilet. Every member had sounded asleep except for Chen who was still in front of the TV, pleasing his senses, watching Korean TV program he understand inwardly-and-outwardly. He couldn’t find this entertaining facility in China’s dorm. Xiumin sat on the water closet, searching Sehun’s number in his phone book.

Connected. One beep… two beeps… three beeps… Picked up.

“Yeoboseyo?” said Xiumin. No answer. “Se-Sehun-ah…”

“Oh, Hyung…”

Chakamanyeo. Since when Sehun’s voice becoming deep and low?

“Jong-in?” guessed Xiumin.

Silent.

“Jongin-ah, is that you?” Rustling noise was heard and Xiumin presumed the call would be cut. He held Kai back hastily. “Wait a sec, can you get me to him?” No answer. Xiumin checked the number he called on his phone’s screen, which was clearly read Sehun. “Jongin, Sehun…”

“Sehun is crying,” answered Kai in monotone.

“Iye?”

Kai exhaled heavily. “As we arrived at dorm, Sehun locked himself in his room. Suho hyung is trying to resolve it now. Look what hyung have done to our maknae.”

“I….” Xiumin thought of some possible reply that wouldn’t corner anybody. Luhan, the creator, and he himself, who made this plan turned successfuly. But the words coming out sounded so one-sided. Xiumin defended himself. “This isn’t like what you think, Kai. I don’t mean…”

“So this all is planned by Luhan hyung?”

Eh?

Kai’s voice became a bit higher. “Luhan hyung who…”

“ANIYA!” shouted Xiumin, he then stayed still waiting for movement outside the toilet. Waiting for Chen’s arrival knocking at the door, questioned his reason yelling in the toilet in the middle of the night. Apparently, Chen was too focused to the TV program. “A-aniya, Jongin-ah. This is all… all because of fans. Y-you know, in fan site, they wish for… more of Xiuhan so…”

“Hyung, I haven’t said the reason behind Sehun’s cry. Why would hyung think it’s about Xiuhan?” asked Kai, stabbed Xiumin’s ribcages. “So there’s indeed a conspiracy, isn’t it? What is exactly Luhan hyung planning?”

Xiumin lost his words. There were so many things that made Sehun cry. Even though not as melancholy as EXO-M’s maknae, Tao, sometimes Sehun was easily touched by something sentimental. Sehun would drop tears while watching drama, relieving his longing for his mother through cell phone’s speaker, or sharing the exhaustion together with other members of EXO after their official debut back then.

And Xiumin made a right guess by bringing up Xiuhan? What an obvious hint he gave! He mentioned Luhan indirectly and making Luhan as the main doer causing Sehun’s sadness. But… Kai had clearly mentioned Luhan’s name. Therefore, the words ‘so this is all planned by Luhan hyung?’ was too suspicious. Did Kai knew something more than he should? How to ask him without adding more suspicion? thought Xiumin.   

“This is wrong, Hyung…,” said Kai, cutting off. “Sehun wasn’t worth it, being regarded like this.”

Ha?

“I wish Hyung realized whom you’re supposed to support,” said Kai again, before cutting off the dial. Leaving Xiumin to wonder about the last question. If Kai were saying it, it was equal with pointing Xiumin as walking with the wrong person.

Luhan was the wrong guy? Then who was the right one?

Aish, what really happened here?

“Oh, hyung….” Chen straightened up his back, shifting his sit to give Xiumin some room. Chen was not a midnight-breaking-news lover but hearing someone talking in Korean, could relax his nerve a little, before being bothered again by how complicated Mandarin was in the private course tomorrow. Although it was done by Chinese group’s members, Chen was weighed to show the best. Perfectionist trait and pig headed, the specialties of Kim Jongdae.

Xiumin  sat beside Chen. Unmoving, moreover commenting at the current program. For your information, all EXO-M’s members avoided news channel except Kris who had to update his intelligence as a leader. The rest of the member didn’t want to burden their mind with the most actual things all over the world because the debut things alone had almost made their brain exploded.

“Hyung, you… want to change the channel?” asked Chen while stretching out TV remote. Afraid of Xiumin’s serious face, which was far from adorable.

“Jongdae-ah…” Xiumin called. “Did I look like a badass this whole day?” 

An ‘uh?’ with big question mark escaped Chen’s thin lips. Without forewords or anything, Xiumin asked for an appraisal about… Chen laughed. “Hyung, are you having a bad dream? You… thought your dream was the fruit of the ‘sin’ you did this afternoon?” said Chen with a quotation mark at ‘sin’. Like karma, regret haunted over, asking to be told. “No, Hyung. You had performed so cool on-stage. In ‘MAMA’ performance, the only sin you made was… um, breaking your ice cream’s prohibition or...”

Xiumin groaned, feeling useless to talk about it with Chen.

TBC...