Journey 22

Jongin crossed his arms and leaned his back on the wall as soon as Jinri locked the door. After the resounding click of the doorknob was heard, a crashing silence followed on both them wherein neither Jinri nor Jongin  spoke their thoughts out loud first.

A few more minutes of silence proceeded between them. Honestly, Jinri doesn't know where to start her questions on Jongin. She was scared, anxious, and determined all at the same time. Her feelings collided with her thoughts and her thoughts collided with her actions which left her hanging for nothing, saying nothing.

Finally, Jongin sighed exasperatedly and started towards the door. But Jinri blocked him by instinct, closing the distance between her and Jongin. Their eyes met briefly, earning themselves with glares from each other.

"I told you that we need to talk." Jinri said.
"Then talk." Jongin moved farther from Jinri until he was in his usual distance from her. "I'm waiting."
"Let's start with my most important question: Why do you hate me so much?"
"Hate is a strong word." Jongin replied.
"Then what do you call from your glares and nasty comments on me? Wasn't that hate?"
"I told you that hate is a strong word." Jongin repeated. "Next question."
"But it didn't give me any answers!" Jinri protested.

Jongin sighed again. Then he ed his jacket slowly while talking to Jinri.

"I hope this will give you answers." he said, letting his jacket fell on the floor next to him.
"W-what are you doing?" Jinri asked nervously.

Jongin lifted his shirt. Jinri saw his tanned six pack making Jinri blush deeper.

"P-p-p-" she stammered.

At last he removed his shirt above his head, standing bare-chested in front of Jinri.

Jinri looked slowly upwards, stopping at the circular, cyan tattoo marked below his throat. It shines brighter than Luhan's tattoo, in fact, it shines just as bright as Chanyeol's. A surprised gasp escaped Jinri's lips. 

"You're... an exotic?" she asked unbelievably.

Instead of responding, Jongin put on his shirt and jacket back and walked away from Jinri. His heels echoed loudly inside the void classroom, his steps pounding with more mystery than Jinri asked for.

Jinri turned to face Jongin's back.

"But why are you trying to kill me?!" she shouted.

Jongin stopped in midstep and turned slowly to Jinri. His eyes were still deadpanned, making it harder for Jinri to guess his thoughts. But she can feel the iciness of his stare, bringing chills in her spine.

"I think I should be the one asking why you hate me woman. I may not be the friendliest - err - species you know, but I am not a murderer." Jongin answered coldly. "So you can stop making accusations and pointing your fingers at me."

With that Jongin left the room, leaving Jinri with more questions to ponder than answers.

* * *

Jinri had invited Luhan and Kyungsoo on her place that day. The three of them were sharing ddukbokki, sundae and soda - all of Jinri's treat - while watching movie, but the real reason why Jinri thought of treating the boys with snacks was not with them.

"Have you seen Chanyeol lately?" she asked the two men beside her.

Kyungsoo shook his head, his eyes still glued on the screen. 

"Maybe he's girl hunting?" he suggested, scooping a sundae at the same time.
"Or he's mourning for his parents." Luhan whispered softly so only Jinri can hear. "I know Prince Yeol will be back soon Jinri. Don't worry."
"I hope so." Jinri mumbled. She attempted to refocus her attention on the movie but her thoughts floated from afar again. Giving up, Jinri stood up and excused herself from the boys. She went straight to her bedroom, flopping herself on the comforts of her soft pillows.

Meanwhile,  unknown to Jinri was that Jongin had successfully followed her to her apartment. He leaned on the nearby post and saw Jinri's figure from the window exiting her living room. He can sense the same stench he had smelled before on her - dogs to be cleared - and true enough, he saw Kyungsoo lifting a small zu in his arms and cuddling it like a stuff toy. Jongin wrinkled his nose further. He can never fathom how much he hates dogs.

Jongin moved on. He strolled around the busy streets of Jinri's neighborhood, humming an old lullaby from the 60's. He stopped on the playground, where he saw a lone man sitting on the swing with a glum expression - Chanyeol.

He did not know what made him do it, but for the first time since he had confirmed that the kid he saw in SMA before was their prince, Jongin mustered the courage to approach his highness.

His shadow towered over Chanyeol, and the latter looked up to see who his company was. His warm eyes met Jongin's cold ones, and they stared at each other for a long time.

"Do you know me?" Chanyeol asked Jongin. Usually, people asked 'Do I know you?' before moving on a conversation, but Chanyeol felt that it was the most appropriate question to ask this stranger in front of him.
"Yes, Prince Yeol." Jongin said. He sat on the swing next to Chanyeol and kicked the ground, lifting himself meters high.
"Have I seen you before?" Chanyeol asked through the continuous creaks of Jongin's swing.
"This is the first time."  Jongin replied.

Silence followed after Jongin's response. Chanyeol went back on spacing out while Jongin continued swinging.

"What's your name?" Chanyeol asked after a while.
"I'm Kim Jongin. But call me Kai, Prince Yeol."
"Right. Then call me Chanyeol, Kai."

Jongin looked sidewards. Chanyeol flashed his rich teeth on Jongin, grinning for the first time since last night.

"I'm not used to be called a 'prince'." he explained. "I like my human name."
"Ahh..."
"Hey Kai?"
"Yes Prince - I mean, Chanyeol?"
"What does Exo looks like?"

Jongin pushed his foot on the ground so he can stop swinging. He arched his head backwards, looking at the cerulean sky above them. Then, he smiled.

"I don't know. I've never been there." he said bitterly.
"What? How was that possible?" Chanyeol asked, startled.

Jongin sighed and looked back at Chanyeol. The more he tried to grin the more bitter his smile looked like.

"Have you heard of the book 1000 Days of Visit to Planet Earth, Chanyeol?" Jongin asked.
"No."
"I heard it's the most famous book in Exo." Jongin explained. "Its author was actually your guardian, Mei. 55 years ago, Mei visited and stayed in Earth for 1000 days with the goal of researching more about humans and its planet."
"And you're telling me this because..?"
"I'm getting there. After 1000 days, Mei went back to Exo. But her research was incomplete. She still has to know how long can an exotic survive in Earth. Therefore, Mei sent a newborn baby to Earth the moment he was born so she can observe its lifespan." Jongin stopped narrating and looked at Chanyeol with his bitterest smile. "That baby was me."

Chanyeol felt a pang of pity and guilt after Kai's story. Last night, when he learned that his parents were killed, he felt sorry for himself for being the biggest loser prince who had to run away from enemies. He doesn't even know the face of his parents. But he has something that Kai doesn't has: Chanyeol has his parents protection. Whereas Kai? He was sent in Earth to serve as a guinea pig for a research. He doesn't know or heard, or saw his parents face. He has no one but himself. He's alone for survival in Earth.

"But your parents must have protested, right?" Chanyeol asked, attempting to give light on Kai's situation.

Kai laughed unamusedly.

"If they have protested then I shouldn't have been left to survive in Earth for the last 53 years."
"53 - ?!"
"Yes Chanyeol. For the last 53 years."
"How... but... Luhan told us that if an exotic comes to Earth then he will instantly age!"
"Yes." Kai agreed. "That's why Mei chose me because I was a newborn, which means I don't have to spend a year in Exo. You get it? Fresh from the womb. I don't know how long I stayed as a baby, but when someone found me, I started aging fast."
"I don't understand. Chanyeol interrupted confusedly. "If you were born 53 years ago than me, then why are you still a 19 year old???"
"When I grew in front of the old man who took care of me, he had a heart attack." Kai continued, ignoring Chanyeol's question. "I was a still a kid back then, and it petrified me to see a human dead. So I secluded myself from anyone, hiding my secret away. That was when I found out how not to age in Earth."

Chanyeol waited for Kai to continue but the man beside him seemed lost from his own world. He coughed to catch Kai's attention again.

"Which is...?"he prompted.
"It's a secret."

Chanyeol nodded in understanding. He assumed that Kai probably doesn't want to remember his dark past. After he heard Kai's story, Chanyeol felt grateful that at least he had received the protection of his parents. Today he learned something valuable: the each person - human or exotic - are just lucky and unlucky in their own ways.

He might be unfortunate for losing his family and his home planet. But he was fortunate that Jinri found him, learned lessons with Kyungsoo, shared secrets with Luhan and now... shared bitter past with Kai. Kai has no one. No family, no home, no friends.

At least not today anymore.

"Kai, what do you say if we become friends?" Chanyeol asked, offering his hand to him. 
"I don't fit with those kinds social peers Chanyeol. I am not a typical friend anyone wants to be with."
"Then let them hate you." Chanyeol stood up, this time towering over Kai. "And let me be your friend. Because while everyone turns your back on you, I promise that I won't."

Kai felt warm flow of electricty heating up his body. It was enveloping him with human emotion called "concern", and it was calming him. For the first time in his life, Kai smiled genuinely. He stood up and grasped Chanyeol's hand. It was warm, just like his prince's eyes. 

Whatever he was feeling right now, it was the second emotion he felt after his first pang of fear when he saw an old man dead years ago. He welcomed this new emotion and he wished it would last for his lifetime in Earth.

"There you are Chanyeol!" Kyungsoo ran towards the two of them, waving a pack of left ddukbokki at them. "Jinri specially scolded me and Luhan to leave a piece of ddukbokki just for you kiddo!"
"Don't be ridiculous Kyungsoo. Of course I don't." Jinri denied from behind. Luhan followed them, his eyes landing on Kai.
"Who are you?" he asked Kai.

Kai looked from Luhan, who smiled... to Kyungsoo, who smiled brighter... and lastly, to Jinri, who looked away embarrasedly from his stare.

"Where do I start?"