It lasted for days.

Although Yixing wasn’t really planning on creating a space between him and Yifan, he didn’t really have much of a choice. What he wanted was to force everything back to normal; but if that was the goal, he had to forget whatever stupid feeling he felt during the past months. And for that, he needed time.

He wasn’t really avoiding Yifan, if you ask him. Yixing just didn’t want to see Yifan yet. He isn’t ready: not ready to show his smiling face to the other; not ready to look at Yifan eye-to-eye like the old times. And so he decided that the only time he’d face Yifan would be the day he’s sure that he sees him as a friend - nothing more. Yixing was determined. He’ll do everything he can to solve this issue.

Also, he decided that that night was the last night he’ll ever cry for that reason. He knows he’s strong. Whatever pain he felt when he was crying, that was all in the past.

During the first few days after the night Yixing cried, it was easy to get by. Yifan was mostly out for photo shoots - two of which were held outside the city. Yixing also requested for more assignments from the company because he wanted to be distracted. He took on more jobs and subbed whenever a photographer couldn’t attend a shoot. He was tired, but at least he was entertaining his mind with thoughts other than Yifan.

On the first day Yifan was out of their apartment, Yixing invited Luhan to sleep over. He just felt like it, to have someone liven up his mood. And either Chen or Luhan would be perfect for that. But Chen was too busy keeping up with his articles so Luhan it is. Besides, Yixing remembered that he has this video game he had wanted to play with Luhan for some time now.

“Seriously, we’re adults and we’re still playing video games…” Luhan sighed as he opened another bag of chips.

“I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Yixing replied. “Besides, even though you’re an adult, you still at it, hyung.”

“I was letting you win.”

“Really? Cuz judging by the way you were pressing on the buttons during the last lap, I wouldn’t really call it an unserious match.”

“That’s because something is wrong with the control pad.”

“Yeah… right, hyung.” Yixing laughed as he stood up and walked to the fridge to get something to drink. “Shall we go for another round?” he asked when he got back.

“Hey, Xing… can I ask one question?” Luhan spoke seriously.

“If it’s about him, no you cannot…” Yixing answered plainly as he sat down. He knew it. He knows that no matter how unaffected he portrayed himself and no matter how hard he tried not to show he’s sad, he wouldn’t be able to fool the two people who knew him well. He guesses he knew that this would happen. He also knows that he can’t avoid the topic when either Chen or Luhan was in front of him. They would want answers.

“Is this really what you wanted?” the older asked anyway. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what Yixing was doing. Chen and Luhan noticed it from the way Yixing is keeping himself buried in work and in the way Yixing was not looking at Yifan whenever the group was in one place.

“The game’s starting, hyung,” the younger said, ignoring the other, as he pressed “start” on the game. “You’ll lose if you don’t grab the pad.”

“5…4…3…” the screen showed. “1…GO!”

“It’s starting, hyung!” Yixing announced as he pressed the buttons on his control pad. Both of them stayed quiet until the first lap was finished.

“Hyung,” he spoke suddenly in a soft voice. “…we both know that this… isn’t what I wanted,” he added, eyes still focused on the game.

Yes, just like what he thought before. If things really happened to how he liked them to be, he wouldn’t be dead tired from work and he wouldn’t be constantly distracting himself.

“Then why do you…?” Luhan asked.

“It isn’t what I wanted… but, it’s what I want now.” Yixing said.

 Understanding what the other wanted to say, Luhan just let out a loud sigh and continued to eat his chips.

“Hyung, shouldn’t you be lifting the mood? I mean, I’m winning effortlessly here…” the younger smiled softly.

“I’m just letting you taste your last victory,” the other said with big smile as he watched the game. “The next rounds will name me the victor.”

Yup, everything was just going according to plan, Yixing thought. It’s slowly progressing, but at least he’s going somewhere. Everything was going smoothly, he concluded. And it was. The only problematic time was, however, whenever the two of them are alone in the apartment. Of course, Yifan wasn’t always out on a job. And it’s not like Yixing really has a chance to not see the other completely.

When Yifan wasn’t there, it would be dead quiet. Yixing will emptily stare at the living room, at the TV, at the kitchen. It would be hours of convincing himself that he’s making progress, that he IS being distracted, and that he does NOT really think of Yifan that much anymore.

When Yifan is actually there, it would be even more problematic. Yixing would spend most of his time inside his room. He would play random songs on his keyboard or guitar. He would browse the internet. He would clean his camera. He only goes out when he needs to: time to eat, to go to the bathroom, or to cook.

When the two of them meet, it was awkward silence. Yixing would never start a conversation and his replies would always be short ones.

But what made it strange was that it’s as if Yifan was completely apathetic the whole time. Normally, he would ask Yixing if something is wrong as soon as he notices that Yixing isn’t being his usual self. Normally, he would bother Yixing to confess whatever it is that’s bothering him. But Yifan wasn’t. He was quiet all throughout. But then again, Yixing thought, it’s better this way.

The Thursday “dates” were another thing to consider these three weeks after that night. Yixing can no longer use the excuse of saving money because he was often eating out with Luhan and Chen (and sometimes, Sehun and Suho) to lessen the time he has to spend in the apartment. Luckily, Yifan was out for a job on the first Thursday. On the second, Yifan did ask him if they would go out and eat, but Yixing said he’s really busy with work and promises the other to eat next week.

And that was the problem.

Today was the third Thursday. Yixing hated himself for what he said last week. “Couldn’t you just have stopped talking after the ‘really busy’ part…?” he scolded himself. He needed an excuse, anything; and maybe that’s why when Chen suddenly asked him to go drinking that night, he immediately said yes. He just opted to send a message to Yifan saying that he forgot that he promised Chen that he’ll drink with him. Yifan replied simply: “Okay, I’ll just see you at home tonight then?” and Yixing replied back: “Sure.”

That evening, the two of them were sitting on a stall at a random street. Neither of them really liked the flashy club and bars so they often just go to small stalls like this. After all, they only wanted to drink and eat.

“So…” Yixing spoke after he took his first sip of alcohol. He doesn’t have much tolerance and he can only drink one glass every time they go out. Yixing would just opt to make that one glass last for long by taking small sips every now and then.

“So?” Chen asked as he focused on cooking the meat in front of them.

“I know why you invited me,” the older smiled.

“Well, that could have been my initial plan but I’m pretty sure Luhan-hyung already said everything…” the younger laughed.

The two of them continued to eat and drink silently. Being a strong drinker, Chen was in his second bottle already but he was still very much sane. Yixing finished his glass and was feeling a bit dizzy. It was by that time that Yixing admired Chen’s tolerance for alcohol.

“Hyung…” Chen called suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“There’s one thing I’m curious about though…”

“Haha! I thought you didn’t want to talk about it…”

“No, it’s not really that. It’s about what you told me some time ago.”

“I told you?”

“Yeah. The camera thing, remember?” Chen said as Yixing thought hard.

“Let’s say that the person receiving the love is this camera, the person with the undiscovered love is the strap, and the person exerting effort is my right hand…” he explained while pointing them out.

“Okaaay…?”

“So, if I hold the camera like this,” he said as he placed the camera strap around his neck and raised the camera with his right hand.

“I don’t get it, hyung,” Chen said as he observed the other.

“If the situation is like this, any person would tell you that it’s my right hand that is supporting the camera; the strap becomes useless.”

“So then you think that the undiscovered one becomes unneeded?”

“Exactly,” Yixing said with a nod and a frown.

“Oh, the hand and strap thing?”

“Yeah, that one!”

“What about it?”

“Don’t you think…?” Chen said before he drank another glass. “that the strap is way stronger than the hand? I mean, the right hand will eventually get tired and let go of the camera. But the camera strap, it’s like it is its duty to hold on to the camera. The strap would never go tired.”

Yixing was silent.

“Time will come and the right hand will let go because it’s never enough that effort is only being exerted by one side. But that isn’t true for the camera and the strap. When you look at it, the two will always be joined together. It’s like; it’s their fate to hold on to one another.”

The older didn’t completely grasp the concept, but he had the general idea.

“Fate is something rather imaginary, don’t you think?” Yixing sighed as he unconsciously grabbed a glass of alcohol.

The two of them finished drinking after two more hours. The serious talk stopped at that and the two of them just went on sharing funny stories or jokes about Luhan and Sehun. Both of them thought that too much seriousness is beyond their personality.

Chen opted to walk Yixing home because the older drank three glasses - which is why Yixing is completely red and completely dizzy. Chen had four bottles but he was still fairly standing.

“Seriously hyung, three glasses and you’re like this?” Chen laughed as he sat Yixing on the footsteps of the apartment.

“But I’m not drunk!” Yixing protested.

“Yeah, right,” Chen rolled his eyes. “Cmon, you need to go up now and sleep.”

“Later,” the older protested. “I’ll go up later; I need air for a while.”

“Cmon, hyung. It’s late.”

“It’s okay. I’m already home; you, however, should get back now.”

“Not until you go inside.”

“It’s fine. Jeez. I’ll go up after five minutes.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah. You get home now, if anything happens to you, Luhan would blame me.”

“Fine. I’ll talk to you when I get home…”

And so Yixing was left alone at the footsteps of his apartment. His head hurt like crazy and his cheeks and forehead feel really hot. He knew that he had to go inside as soon as possible but if he was going to go back in that condition, he’s pretty sure that Yifan would demand an explanation. And he wouldn’t like that. Suddenly, he remembers Chen saying before that a cup of coffee always helps him after drinking. So Yixing got up and walked towards a store nearby. The store was two corners away, roughly a five-minute walk, but by the way Yixing was dragging his dizzy self, it would probably take at least fifteen minutes.

When he turned the first corner, he suddenly regrets walking alone. His head was spinning more than before and he feels that he would pass out any minute.

“Yixing?” somebody called out to him.

“Who?” Yixing asked as he raised his head. But by the time he did so, his body gave up on him and everything went black. “Yah! Yixing!” were the last things he heard before completely fainting.

A few minutes later.

“Hey hyung, you alright?” Chen messaged Yixing.

“Yup. I’m okay.”  - the reply read.

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A/N: It’s really hard to write bridge chapters like this… sigh… sorry if it turned out crappy. But then again, everything I write is so embarrassingly crappy. (facepalm) >.<  sorry.
Thanks for commenting guys, I really appreciate it! I really have fun reading through them, I even read them twice or thrice cuz everyone’s so cute and nice.