The strings and the bow collided, creating not only friction also a beautiful melancholic note as they rubbed against each other. Luhan’s eyes were closed in contentment, enjoying the notes that were being put into life under the classic wood violin and his two hands. It was his favorite piece, the piece Luhan’s mother had taught him note by note, finger by finger, and hand by hand.

“Luhan?” Bai Weiyao opened her eyes to find a little deer with his mouth wide agape. She chuckled, walking over to her son and ruffled his soft black hair. “How did Mommy do?”

“It was beautiful!” Six year old Luhan exclaimed while clapping his hands together. “Mommy you’re the best!” He nuzzled his nose into his mother’s stomach since it was the highest spot he could reach with his current height, enjoying the warmth emitted from Weiyao’s body and the gentle hand that was fixing his hair.

“What do you say, should Mommy teach you the piece?”

Luhan peeked at the sheets of paper lying on the music stand, they were filled with complicated notes that Luhan still hadn’t learnt yet, but if his mommy was willing to teach… “Yes!” Luhan chimed sweetly before hugging Weiyao again, he giggled when his mother tried to tickle him on his tummy, still Luhan clung on Weiyao like a baby octopus.

Weiyao taught her son the music piece little by little. Luhan learned without much trouble, understanding the instructions first time it was taught. Weiyao knew her son was gifted in many ways, whether it was math, languages, logic, music, art… She couldn’t even express the pride she felt when Luhan’s grade school teachers complimented him in every way possible.

Luhan was a genius, yes. Luhan was her son, yes.

Despite the maturity Luhan showed in front of his teachers, older classmates, and even Luming, he remained a regular six year old in front of her. Weiyao loved to shower Luhan with as much love and affections she could, sometimes her husband would scold at her, telling Weiyao that she would one day spoil Luhan. “You don’t understand.” She had shaken her head at Luming and said. A mother’s love is hard to understand, same goes for a father’s. While Weiyao showed her love for her son every second she could, Luming preferred to be strict. He was always attempting to set a good example for their son, and he was doing a much better job than before. Weiyao remembered the first few years when Luhan was born, where Luming had tried – more like failed attempts – to scold at Luhan, but the words were shoved back down his throat once Luming saw the b tears in Luhan’s large eyes, her husband would immediately start making funny faces, trying to make Luhan laugh. Weiyao never stopped making fun of Luming because of that.

“Lulu,” she called when Luhan finished playing the violin piece. It seemed that Weiyao’s love for violin had passed down to Luhan as well. Too bad his father’s love for mystery was more dominant or else Weiyao would persuade Luhan to become a musician, Luhan would be a perfect violinist, although Weiyao was sure he’d be a perfect detective as well.

Luhan opened his eyes and smiled at his mother. “I did good right, Mommy?”

“Yes, you certainly did.” While helping Luhan putting the violin away, Weiyao casted another adoring glance toward Luhan. “Lulu,” her voice softened at how much Luhan’s features represented hers. He has my eyes. “Listen, your father yesterday, he was just…”

“Showing his love in a way that he deemed manly and fatherly?” Luhan took over his mother’s sentence. Looking up at a shocked Weiyao, little Luhan smiled. “I know, Mommy, you don’t have to tell me.” A father and son quarrel happened last night, it ended with Luhan locking himself up his room until the morning, and Luming rushing to work when the fight ended.

Weiyao laughed whole heartedly. And all this time she thought her son was incapable of understanding his father’s so called tough love. It seemed that Luhan even understood it better than her.

“I know Daddy loves me, Mommy.” Luhan was extremely mature for his age, he knew why his father had acted that way, he knew it was for his own good, he also knew it was Luming’s way of showing his love. Luhan understood it, but it didn’t mean he liked it. He wanted Luming to take him to the amusement park and hug him the way his mother would. It wouldn’t be Luming if he did those things though, especially not with his busy schedule as a cop. Luhan simply accepted his father being well, Luming; his father wasn’t perfect, even though Luhan always believed he is. Luhan took it as his responsibility to understand his parents as a way of thanking them for the love they gave him.

Weiyao bent down to meet Luhan and eye level. Extending her arms, she embraced her son into a warm hug. “Mommy and Daddy will always love you, Luhan, don’t ever forget that.” Luhan’s eyes closed in sheer blissfulness.

“I know.”

His eyes opened as the last note flew out of the violin, this time he was once again the nineteen year old Luhan, no longer innocent and without a family. For your love ones in heaven, his mother had taught him the meaning of the song. Tears threatened to come out of his eyes but Luhan still remembered his father’s words about staying strong and kept the tears from falling down.

Settling the violin and emotions aside, Luhan reminisced the old times once again before putting his head back together. The past few days were quite interesting with Kris being Kris and Sehun acting strange.

Luhan kept his eyes on the blabbering Sehun with curiosity. He had been wondering why Sehun had lied to walk him home. No, Luhan wasn’t dumb enough to believe Sehun’s sorry excuse of living close to him. He knew to trust the information Kris gave him; when it said Sehun lived on the other side of Seoul, it meant he lived on the other side of Seoul. Sehun’s second excuse of needing help at forensics collapsed on its own when all Sehun talked about was everything and anything but forensics. Still, Luhan kept quiet and allowed Sehun to continue chatting; he needed some noise in his life anyways.

Sehun was looking around like a curious cat when they first reached Luhan’s apartment. Digging out the key, Luhan was just about to insert it into the keyhole when the door opened, revealing an equally surprised Kris.

“Oh,” Kris exclaimed in his usual tone when he saw it was just Luhan, however, his eyes trailed t