They're coming back againnnn! Waaaa! Eureurong! XOXO ^^

---

You close the wooden doors and almost fall down the floor of astonishment. Practically, his parents are standing right in front of the door. Apparently, they all just got back.

“Woo!” You exhale after gathering enough strength to still stand.

“Well hello there Jae Min.” His mother says as she warmly smiles. You try to remember their names but nothing comes out.

“Is Tao inside?” His father asks and you just nod. They immediately look at each other and since you’re not that stupid, you explain things.

“I was—Er… I was watching him practice.” You talk fast.

“Really? He never lets anyone in when he does--” His mom asks in disbelief. She seems too positive on these things.

“Oh no! I just barg--” You interrupt just as the doors behind you creak open.

“Son!” His mom shouts as she takes him in a warm embrace. His father follows beside them. Well I’m not the only awkward one out.

“I guess I should be leaving then…” You mumble as you start to walk backwards. 

“No! You’re eating dinner with us.”

“And your parents are in the living room with Kyuhyun.” Oppa’s here?!

“What?” Tao’s eyes widen. He seems shock too. You don’t understand why he should be though.

“Yes, they are all here. Everyone’s here for an early family gathering.” Ugh, let me vomit, please. Can I get away? I don’t imagine a life with this jerk. -_-

“Of course.” Tao mutters sarcastically as he obviously does not patronize the idea. Well at least he’s with me.

---

You wake up with the sound of your phone blasting by your ear. You didn’t end the alarm since you still want to listen to the song. It’s INFINITE’s Destiny. You can’t wait for the arrival of your pre-ordered album. You can’t help but imagine the album in your hands already. It has made you go crazy long ago.

You raise your body and sit down on the edge of your bed. It’s Monday today and Hana will be coming any time soon to fetch you. You are invited to stay at Luhan’s house this week anyway. If I’m not mistaken, there will be a party on Saturday. You just don’t understand why you have to stay there for a week. Anyway, it’s nice to move away from this damned house sometimes so you agreed.

“Jaemin! Your car’s here!” shouts your mom on the other side of the door. Shoot!

“Tell her to wait 10 minutes!” You shout back and rush towards the shower. You dress yourself up the quickest way possible, snatch your prepared luggage and run downstairs only to meet someone not expected at all.

“Where’s Hana?” You ask as that is the only question running in your head.

“Jongin already took her--”

“Jongin?”

“I mean, Kai.” Kai?! Are they even close? Like, they’re having a cold war right? Or… I’m just so outdated on things. Ugh.

“Oh, okay. And Kris?” I mean, Kris could’ve been the substitute right? Why him? I still remember all the unwanted happenings last Saturday. It’s embarrassing.

“He’s already at Luhan’s since yesterday.” He answers.

“Oh.” You are out of words and it’s still awkward to be with him all because of that ‘family gathering’ .

“Er… let’s go? It’s still a long way down.” He asks taking one of your two luggages and heads outside. You nod to thin air since he already turned around. You just follow him to his black car.

The long road towards Luhan’s place is filled with silence. It’s a good thing the songs playing in his car are tolerable. It’s mostly rap but it’s better than nothing. It lessens the awkwardness even more that both of you aren’t even talking.

“So what were you doing here all week huh?” Kyuhyun asks impishly out of randomness.

“Nothing.” You answer hurriedly almost choking on your drink.

“Nothing? How did you survive then?” Asks his mom, almost laughing.

“Take outs.” Tao answers.

“We were arguing most of the times so we no longer have time to cook.”

“Just admit that you couldn’t cook!” Kyuhyun interrupts and you shoot him daggers.

“Shut up.” You say as you chew on vegetables while all of them laugh their hearts out. Please!

“You should really learn to cook dear. Tao’s skills are just as bad.” His mom says.

 “I know I’m useless no need to point that out.” You mutter in annoyance.

“That’s not what I meant dear.” Go on, pity me more.

“Jaemin don’t be silly. At least you can now eat by yourself.” Your mom says. Uck!

“Tss.” Tao hisses and you want to hit him just as hard. His kindness always has an expiry date. Why are you acting like a jerk now? Oh right. I’m not pitiable anymore so you can around on me again. You no longer talked the rest of the evening.

You don’t understand how he’s acting normal right now as if nothing happened. Or maybe you just took everything seriously. Still, you kind of miss his better side. It’s weird. Maybe I should try getting sick again? Lol, no. Not that desperate ew. -_-

“You always go at Luhan’s during Sem Break?” You ask since you have been curious.

“Yes…  You still want me to… uhh… help you on things?” He asks.

“Kris will be there.” Kris always is. ^^

“Just in case, then?”

“Sure.” Silence once again is devouring the both of you until you reach Luhan’s place.

JAWDROP. You are in awe once you see the exteriors of Luhan’s house, ancestral house. It’s like a white mansion. The porch is filled with flowers, probably roses, and a fountain carved manipulatively stands still on the middle of the entrance. Tao continues to drive in and stops when he’s in front of the main door. showing off his cool car.

Both of you got out of the car as the chauffer takes Tao’s keys to park it somewhere. You knock on the door with Tao behind you and seconds later, a maid opens it showing you the wide staircase meters away from you. You enter the house and realize that everything is either painted white or gold.

“Where are they?” Tao asks one of the maids.

“They’re all outside in the field sir.” The maid answers with a bow and leaves. Too formal. Ugh.

You see a Grandfather’s clock on your way out and recognize it is past 11 already. The travel time obviously didn’t seem so. Anyway, you just follow Tao who is walking towards the field outside. You pass a big glass sliding door and are hit in the face by the scorching heat of the sun. The field is indeed very wide. It is a football field after all. You roam your eyes around the space and found moving people on the far end of the field where bigger trees with heavier shades are rooted in.

“Don’t they have a car here or something?” You quickly ask as you hold Tao’s arm, who is getting ready to walk his long way to the other side.

“Of course.” He chuckles at your reaction. He calls a maid and does some hand signals and minutes later a golf cart stops in front of you. Tao offers you to sit in first and then sits beside you in front of the wheel. He is rich.

“How do people even endure this heat?!” You mutter on yourself but Tao hears and smirks secretly.

“They’re used to it.” He answers. Not even asked, ugh.

The whole trip along the field is deafening with silence. You are staggered of sceneries here and there as you pass along but you try to keep it to yourself since Tao’s around. That family gathering never should have happened. You reach the place where everyone else is minutes later. Apparently they’re all playing badminton under the shades. You immediately step out of the golf cart.

“You’re here Jae Min!” Hana beams and waves her hand at you. She gets distracted by your appearance that she forgets she is actually playing badminton.

“Hana watch out!” Luhan and Kai both shouts that make her turn back around only to get hit by the shuttlecock coming her way. They both looked concerned. She massages her forehead as if something painful and heavy did hit her. Please, that is as light as a feather!

“Jae Min…” Kris says with a tone that makes you want to go near him, so you do. Tao on the other hand, is busy talking around with Suho and Chen. It’s as if both of you didn’t even come together. At least no one’s suspecting yet… and I’m just paranoid. Ugh.

“Nugu?” You ask as you come near Kris who is practically meters away, standing in front of the white wooden fence, but still not that far from everyone else either.

“Does your injury still hurt?” He asks full of concern. You are no longer wearing arm supports this time, just the bandage.

“A little, but it doesn’t bother me like it used to.” You shrug.

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t worry Kris. It’s better now, besides Zi Tao helped me too… well sometimes.” You take back the last part since he was pure cruelty during the last two days, or you’re just exaggerating.

“Sometimes?” He asks but you just knowingly smile and nudge closer beside him. You missed him, a lot. Both of you falls silent just watching the rest interact and laugh with each other. It’s the good kind of silence that calms you down. Minutes later, you find yourself staring blankly at Hana’s side badly wanting to tell her the truth.

“I must be a bad friend, right?” You mumble.

“You just knew that?” He wickedly mocks you with wide eyes so you slap him by the arm. “Yah! I was kidding!” He chuckles as he tries to stop your hand from constantly hitting his left arm.

“Sure you were.” You hiss. You give up knowing you’d just get tired after. Kris sighs. “I want her to know the truth.”

“Tell her.” He suggests.

“My tongue gets tied every time I try to.”

“Then don’t tell her.”

“You are helping Kris, really.” You roll eyes crossing your arms by your chest. Kris tousles your hair and wraps you in a half embrace with his hand resting on your left shoulder. You try to shrug your shoulder off for him to take away his loose grip on it. He was about to actually do so when you suddenly hold his wrist to keep it that way. Weirdo. Kris thinks, suppressing his laughter.

“Yah! Let’s stay like this for awhile, ne jagiya?” You almost laugh on your weird kind of sweetness but still bend your head by his arms since he is so tall you couldn’t reach his shoulders. Kris hints that something wrong or bad has happened. You usually act cute like this when you need something or you’re upset about things too much you just want to be normal for awhile, even though what you’re doing isn’t actually a normal thing.

“Spill it out… and don’t lie.” He says with his pointer finger at you as if blackmailing you or something.

“I’m hungry jagi…” You murmur.

“Tell me what happened.” He says seriously that you wish for once he doesn’t actually know you as he holds you on both shoulders.

“Jagi… I missed you so much…” You whisper, staring at point blank. He sighs.

“I missed you too.” He says as he wraps you tightly in a full embrace with your back facing them. You let your arms just fall beside you. You feel him breathing and that’s just enough to keep you from crying.

“Mianhae… but I will tell you, soon.” You murmur as you smile bitterly remembering the memory. You hate how it affects you more than it should.

“Er… everyone! Lunch is ready so let’s head back inside!” Luhan shouts that makes you want to stop time for awhile. Kris unclasps his grip on you and holds you by your arm instead as he pulls you towards the mansion. You follow him aimlessly like a lifeless body. He is holding an umbrella on his other hand that’s why it isn’t as hot as earlier. You wonder how it got there. You see Tao look back at both of you and you’re not so sure if he sighed or it was just the sun reflecting weird.

Everyone comes in the dining room smelling luscious scents along the way. Seeing all the food on the table makes everyone hungrier. You all sit on the well-carved white wooden chairs and you sit beside Kris at one end of the long table as you intended. You don’t want anyone else to sit beside you, especially Tao right now. You see Chen sitting on the chair across you wherein Lay is beside Xiumin beside him and Suho on the master chair. You also see Hana sitting in between Luhan and Kai. This clueless girl really… You can only shake your head lightly.

You can’t see Tao which means he’s probably in line with you but you don’t know he’s actually beside Kris. Chanyeol and Sehun were arguing on who should sit on the other master chair but in the end Chanyeol wins. Sehun settles on sitting across Luhan away from Chanyeol. Baekhyun and D.O. sit on the remaining seats on the other end of your horizontal line.

You all start to eat but you’re disrupted by flashing dinner memories once in awhile. Kris notices but he does nothing. He’s afraid everyone else will know about your fiancé. And he knows you would hate it if that happens.

“How was your week here dear?” His mom asks. You didn’t want to answer. You just keep on eating the chocolate cake without any noise.

“It probably wasn’t good.” Kyuhyun snickers trying to lighten the mood but to no avail.

“Shut up.” You mutter glaring at him since he is sitting beside you. You nudge his side as you do.

“Did something happen?” His mom asks. No one dares answer. “Tao?” But he just shrugs.

Everyone is quiet with the atmosphere in disarray. Only the forks clicking together with the plates are heard. No one looks at another’s eyes. You keep your eye focused on the cake, or at least that’s how you want it to look. Every topic opened since the dinner started makes you feel stupid even if not intended to. You want Hana to be here, or even Kris… but that will not happen.

“You know you should get along. Sooner or later you’ll be living in one house.” What? Are they crazy?

“I believe they are getting along though. It’s probably just awkward with us around.” His mom jokes and all the old ones laugh. Not funny, lady. You roll eyes.

“The house will be fully furnished in a few weeks--” His dad says. House? What house?!

“Can we not talk about this… dad.” Tao interrupts with a strong impression. He knows about this already?

“Why not, son?” He asks, not quite getting the idea.

“I just don’t want to.”

“I don’t see any reasons why we shouldn’t.” His mom comments.

“But I have one.” You can feel the tension rising up. The fact that you know nothing makes it worse.

“Really? And what would that be?”

“Jaebin.” Everyone’s eyes widen in shock with his answer. You actually drop the fork from your hold still with your head low. .

Remembering it now, you actually did look stupid there. You can feel your eye getting teary but you mean to drop you fork this time so you could wipe the tear away as you go down. Kris knows, but once again, he just lets you.

---

Everyone decides to play soccer in the field some time after lunch while you stay sitting on the floor of the gazebo by the garden. You were amazed when you first saw this garden. You didn’t know it even existed, but practically you know nothing about this place anyway so it doesn’t matter. No one knows where you are. At least you made sure of it. You have been staring at dead air for a long time now, enough for them to actually start playing soccer by now. Kris all the while is looking for you.

“I didn’t expect you to be here.” Kris says cross-sitting beside you.

“And I thought no one would find me here.” You mutter.

“Well it took me an hour, so I’ll give you two thumbs up for that. You suddenly vanished after eating.”

“Pity you.” You act childish and he messes your hair for that. He misses you doing that. You practically stayed in Europe for 2 years, and that’s pretty long for one without having any communication. You still wonder how Kris was doing while you were gone up to now. You knew some parts of it but just didn’t want to ask about the whole story. He said he was okay anyway.

“Yah, you’re being out of it a lot lately.” He says waving his hand up and down in front of your face.

“He still loves her.” The words fumble out of your mouth superfluously. You want to hit yourself for that.

“It’s not easy to forget Jae Min.” He states. He also realizes that you have fallen but you don’t know yet.

“It must be hard for you then.” Once again, you did not know what came out of your mouth.

“Say for yourself kid.” He says with a half smile. You never should have brought that up. Now you feel even more stupid. You both stay sitting like that as it is making you feel safe. You lean your head on his shoulder and just listen to nature’s sound and your breathing.

 Meanwhile in the soccer field, 12 of them are divided into groups of 6. Suho, Chanyeol,Chen, Luhan, Sehun and Tao are in one group while Xiumin, Baekhyun, D.O., Lay Kai and Hana are in another. The score is 2-1 in favor of Luhan’s team. There are 20 minutes left on the 2^nd half and some butlers are out to score and refer the game. The goalies of both teams are well-built butlers. They’re having a lot of fun that no one notices your and Kris’ disappearance.

Five minutes before the game ends, Hana goals making both teams tie and it ends up just like that. Everyone’s tired for an additional time so both teams win. Some don’t even care that it’s hot and just lie down on the grass. Hana immediately sits on one of the near benches. Kai, seeing her alone, goes up to her.

“You did well on the game.” Kai praises.

“I know.” Hana answers, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

“You’re still mad at me?” Kai asks with wide eyes.

“Technically yes, but I’m not. You should’ve just asked early on. Now my mom thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

“Wow, so blunt of you.” Kai says raising his hands up.

“I’m tired.” Hana says not minding Kai. No one talks after.

“I’m sorry for taking you unplanned. But that’s the only act I can think of.” Kai starts.

“Act?”

“Usually, it’s the ladies that go to my house. You’re lucky I’m putting effort on you.”

“Egotistical jerk,” Hana mumbles and leaves. Now you understand why we got here together?

Chen passes by when she says that and comments at Kai. “Buuuuurn!” And runs fast after. Troll.

“Luhan!” Hana shouts as she runs towards Luhan who is sitting on the grass with his legs stretched out.

“Oh?” He smiles.

“You are awesome! I didn’t know you play so well.”

“Thanks.” He says as he bows his head multiple times.

“Don’t be shy, besides I should be thanking you for letting us come here. Your mansion is stunning! And it hasn’t even been a day since we got here. I wonder what else we can do here…” Hana says and stares on the wide space after, as if really thinking.

“You’re so hyper.” Luhan chuckles.

“Anyway, there are snacks after this right?” She asks innocently with eyes on full circle. Luhan could only shake his head lightly.

Minutes after all of them decides to get in the house for snacks. It is only then that they realize your vanishing. All of them dig in the food prepared for them. Hana isn’t worried at all since she knows you’re with Kris. She worries about her stomach more.

“How is it that you’re skinny even though you eat a lot?” Kai asks Hana as he is beside her. She only shrugs as an answer. She can’t be disturbed from food right now. “Ahh, shikshin.” He smirks.

“Where’s Jae Min?” Asks Suho.

“She was gone after lunch.” Chen answers.

“Kris isn’t around either.” Chanyeol says taking a big bite on his pizza.

“They’re probably together.” Xiumin notes sipping on his orange juice.

“Yah Luhan hyung, can I go to the garden?” Sehun asks and Luhan nods so he immediately goes out. Sehun loves Luhan’s garden the most among all the places in his house. Especially because there is a butterfly section he can just go in and out to. Sehun loves butterflies.

“Are they really just best friends? They’re always around each other.” Kai asks.

“Yah, how can you even doubt duizhang?” Lay adds.

 “They are. And you won’t know because you don’t even have a girl best friend.” Hana states.

 “How so?”

“I grew up with them.” Hana glares at Kai.

“They look good together though.” D.O. remarks and more than half of them nod to agree.

“They look like models.” Baekhyun mentions.

“I always tell that to the both of them. They just laugh at me.” Hana says with her head low.

“What do you think Tao? You’ve been quiet since you arrived.” Luhan asks as Tao seems to be staring into space. “Yah!” He nudges him a little when he didn’t move.

“Huh?” Tao mutters. They could just facepalm for that. You can think I’m stupid. But I remember duizhang once opened up to me. It’s about his ex who left him without even saying goodbye. He never talked about it after. He was a bit drunk when he did so anyway. That ex and Jae Min can’t be one person right? He thinks.

---

Sehun just got out of the butterfly section with full smiles on his face when he realizes that there are other people around besides himself. He can see Kris and Jae Min sitting on the floor of the gazebo. But he’s sure they don’t know he’s around. He can even overhear their conversation.

“Yah! Don’t make me remember that memory! That was embarrassing!” Shouts Jae Min as Kris just guffaws.

“It was funny!” Kris says as his laughter dies out. Then it is all just silence and the gush of wind heard.

“I’m planning on visiting the tree again.” Jae Min says after some seconds.

“Are you crazy? You said you’d stop.” Kris says staring blankly by the garden’s roses.

“I know! But… what if… he’ll actually be there this time--”

“And how many times have you said that? You were 8 years old when we first went there, and… he wasn’t there. You never missed a day visiting that place ever since. You only stopped when you were forced to live in Europe. But I didn’t stop. And every time I go there… all I see is the ing tree!”

“Stop it Kris!” She stands up.

“No! You have to give up sooner or later! You’re just hurting yourself for waiting!” He stands up too.

“And you think I’m not hurt right now?! He still loves her! It’s always gonna be Jaebin, Kris! Not me but Jaebin, you got me?! Jaebin not Jae Min! And I’m not stupid Kris! I know I’m falling!” She shouts and breaks on the last sentence and falls back down. She’s crying. Sehun wants to go away because what they’re talking about is too private, but his feet won’t let him.

“! Don’t cry!” Kris says as he hugs Jae Min who’s carelessly sitting back on the ground. Jae Min cries her heart out by Kris’ shoulders and almost tearing off Kris’ shirt for tugging and crumpling it too tightly. She is sobbing terribly.

“It’s my only option Kris… at least I remember that boy promised to come back. I only fell in love twice, and it will be three times soon I’m sure. But aside from zgfghh, I now know that I also can’t have xzzsfghh… that’s why I don’t want to fall anymore. I’d rather get hurt waiting than crash down the ground with no one around to save me.” She whispers in between her sobs that Sehun wasn’t able to hear some words. Sehun thinks it’s for the best. He slowly backs away trying not to make any sound and runs back inside when he’s far enough. Sehun realizes two things.

Best friends do actually fight, and Jae Min actually feels… hurts.