The same table. 

The same chairs. 

The same door. 

The same lack of windows. 

The same four walls.

The same interrogation room Yixing was in nearly 3 years ago.

He thought he’d be calmer since he had been through it all. On the contrary, Yixing couldn’t stop shaking. Unlike the first time he was arrested, he had no idea how he landed himself in the predicament of drug abuse yet again. The silence of the interrogation room was eating into him and he almost wished one of those annoying policemen would show up and start throwing accusations at him because that would be preferred than being alone.

He stared down at his clammy palms and cast a gaze at the door, wishing the room wasn’t soundproofed so he could hear what was going on on the other side. Kris was somewhere outside, he knew, probably arguing and throwing his authority around the police until his manager arrived to keep him in check.

He didn’t want to go to prison. Someone clearly wanted him to.

His head jerked up when the door suddenly opened, and the noise from outside floated into the dreary room. Yixing could make out Kris’s distinct voice among the rest and the brief snippet he caught was “Did you call the cops again, L--?”

Was Luhan outside?

“Hey. Look at me.”

Yixing’s eyes flickered over to the leery policeman, heart caught in his throat at the realisation of what was about to come. He had to stay calm. The police would want him to lose his cool and start blabbing what they thought was the truth. But no, if Yixing could convince them the first time round, maybe he could talk himself out of this situation too.

“Your records say you’ve been arrested before. Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson,” the policeman sneered. “ing Chinese. You know the consequences for second offences?”

His fingernails dug deep into his palms as Yixing made himself stare right into the policeman’s eyes. “I didn’t do it,” he said slowly and clearly. “Someone framed me. The wasn’t mine.”

As expected, the older man merely scoffed in disbelief. “You think I’m stupid? I’m not going to believe you. Addicts never change.” His eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Are you involved in distributing it? Were you selling it to Kris Wu?”

 “I wasn’t! I—” He paused, frustrated, when the door opened again. The relief at seeing Kris rushed to him all at once; if he weren’t sitting down, he might have collapsed.

“I want to talk to him,” Kris said flatly, whipping his wallet out and shoving a ₩100,000 note at the policeman trying to hold him back before he strode over and ed another note in the pocket of the policeman interrogating Yixing. Yixing’s eyes widened slightly at the latter’s stupidity; if anyone were around to see that, Kris could be arrested for bribery. The idiot.

Either the policemen were satisfied with the money or they seemed to realise this was Kris Wu, the great actor and singer, because they fortunately left them alone in the room. In three long strides, Kris was by Yixing’s side, tightly enveloping him in a hug. This was all it took for Yixing’s eyes to water and fall.

“I didn’t do it, Kris. Someone knocked into me earlier – he must have stuffed it in my backpack,” he mumbled, his voice muffled against Kris’s shirt. The pressure of Kris’s heavy hand on his back helped calm him down a little, and Yixing relaxed.

“Of course I know you didn’t do it,” Kris scoffed, tightening his hold on Yixing. “Don’t worry – I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Yixing nodded, or as much nodding he could do with his head still pressed against Kris. He believed him.

“Is Luhan outside?” he asked softly, and from the way Kris tensed, he had his answer before the other even replied. “Can I talk to him?”

“I don’t think—”

“Please?”

A heavy sigh left Kris’s lips and the actor reluctantly pulled away from the hug. “Okay,” he conceded with a frown, brushing a soft kiss on Yixing’s forehead. “Just for a short while.”

If Yixing thought he looked terrible, Luhan was absolutely wrecked. The pretty boy who was often mistaken to be a girl had puffy eyes that could rival his own and he looked so tired Yixing wanted to tuck him into bed.

“Lu... you... are you...?”

“I didn’t do it,” Luhan cut in frantically before Yixing could finish his sentence. His best friend shook his head fervently. “I didn’t call the cops, I swear. I wouldn’t... I couldn’t put you through that again. I just—”

Yixing looked at him in alarm and was quick to jump up from his seat to go over to the other side of the table. “Xiaolu, I know,” he said, rubbing Luhan’s back soothingly the way Kris did his earlier. “I know you wouldn’t do such a thing. Someone intentionally wants me gone.” He hesitated. “I... suspect it’s Kris’s sponsor.”

 Luhan’s head snapped up abruptly.

“It’s complicated,” Yixing continued, uncertain how to summarise everything she had done. “But she’d go out of her way to make sure Kris is hers. Up till now, she still believes that he will marry her once his contract expires in a few months.”

The photographer gritted his teeth. “What is it about Kris that makes everyone fall over themselves,” he muttered under his breath. Yixing pretended not to hear it.

“I think it’s her. She’s the one sabotaging me.” Yixing swallowed. “I... I don’t want to go to jail again, Xiaolu.”

The guilt in Luhan’s eyes was so easy to read Yixing felt bad bringing it up.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let them take you.”

***

The temporary holding cell in the police station which Yixing was taken to was not much better than the interrogation room. It was worse, actually. Instead of four walls, one of the walls was replaced by metal bars, allowing the policemen to watch him. There was no sense of privacy – which he supposed was the whole point after all.

He sat on the bed in silence, blankly staring into space. There was nothing for him to do except to look at the clock and count the number of hours since he had been arrested. Maybe he ought to face the fact that he was very likely going to go prison again. How many years would the judge give him this time? Five?

Junmyeon must be disappointed in him. Exo Artists had already invested so much time and money in him, yet he threw it all away. The only consolation was that Yixing hadn’t debuted so he wouldn’t incur as much losses. They could always record the tracks again with just Baek Hyun.

He hadn’t realise he had nodded off, his head leaning against the rough white walls, when a policeman rattled the metal bars.

“Oy, Chinese boy. Wake up. You’re free to go.” The policeman opened the gate, rudely kicking Yixing’s leg with his foot.

Yixing stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He gazed up at the policeman in confusion, not fully comprehending his words. “I... can go?”

The policeman rolled his eyes and all but yanked him out of the cell. “There’s not enough evidence. Or rather, you’re just ing lucky your fingerprints aren’t on the pack.” He glared at Yixing as if irritated he wouldn’t be able to keep him behind bars. “Next time you won’t be so lucky. Now take your backpack and scram.”

Despite the wariness surrounding his unbelievably good luck, Yixing was so thankful he could leave that he wanted to break down. He gulped a lungful of air and grabbed his backpack, stumbling out of the police station in a hurry. He wasn’t going to prison!

The happiness was short-lived however. Because who should he face but Kris’s sponsor herself, Kim Myung Hee.

A smile curled on her lips.

“Aren’t you going to thank me for getting you out?”

A/N: Sorry, filler chapter! It finally hit me that the fic is finishing... Likely in 2 chapters. Already working on 2 other Kray fics!