Sehun gradually chew on his food, silence filling the too dense air. Four people, including himself, sat around the big table, food displayed before them. It had only been ten minutes, yet no one had uttered a single word. Sounds, yes. Words, no.

Occasionally, Father would burp silently to himself and Mother would glare at him in disgust. Father would cautiously excuse himself before the devil started her nagging.

Kai, unlike every other day, sat in silence. Usually Sehun wouldn’t care, but it was too odd and different to see Kai just casually eating and staring off into space. Usually, Kai would be talking and ranting about his day, being the talkative person he was. Everyone would listen to him because who wouldn’t? Everyone just has to love him.

Curiosity, which Sehun barely felt, drained Sehun’s mind, seeing the jock Kim Kai all sad and sorrow looking.

Another minute pass and Kai still hadn’t said anything.

Sehun kind of felt worried for the boy, wondering what made Kai looked this horrible.

Quietly, he scooted closer to the elder and nudged his knee against Kai’s. 

This caused the latter to turn as he glared at Sehun, both having a silent communication through their eyes.

Sehun cocked an eyebrow, questioning his state. Kai doesn’t immediately respond, rather shooting an annoyed look towards the younger. After about a few seconds, Kai rolled his eyes and lazily slumped into his chair, head lolled up at an angle and eyes directed at the ceiling.

Sehun took his chance and was about to open his mouth, a second from confronting Kai when another voice spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

“So boys, you guys are oddly quiet today. Anything in particular making you guys act like this?” The feminine voice asked. Sehun sighed and sat back in chair, grieving a chance of confrontation. What made him even more annoyed was the question being asked. When did Mother ask questions like this? She never really cared about their days, wanting to know more about grades and achievements rather than how the two felt that day.

Seconds ticked by and no one still hadn’t responded to her. Like Kai, Mother hated being rejected. So instead of letting the simple statement slide by, she lowered her eyes at her two sons and glowered death at them. 

Sehun gulped, knowing he’ll definitely get it if he doesn’t respond. “Nothing happened. We’re just tired.”

“Nothing happened? Oh really, Sehun?” 

Sehun nodded his head, confused with the tone his mother continues to give him. “Yes, Mother.”

“Are you sure? You know I hate it when you lie to me.”

When have I ever told you the truth? Sehun thought but quickly adverted his attention back towards Mother, who currently sips on classy, red wine.

“I told you already, nothing exciting happened.”

“That’s not what your school told me, son.” She glared at him, astonished with how Sehun blandly lied to her. “According to the nurse, you were cut in your home economics class.” Mother said as she took Sehun’s arm, who’s breath hitched at the contact, and slid his sleeve up effortless.

Sehun angrily ripped his arm away, but Mother had already seen the white bandage wrapped tightly around his arm, done so carefully by the school nurse.

This caught Kai’s attention, who seemingly chuckled.

Sehun turned at Kai, wondering what got the boy so hyped up.

“I can’t imagine how painful that would’ve been!” Mother exclaims, hands over and her eyes widened. Blood had already seeped through the bandage, though not heavily. It’s slight, but noticeable. All throughout this, Sehun hadn’t felt anything. He didn’t notice the blood that must have been emitted whenever doing things, probably ripping the scar even more.

“My poor baby,” Mother clicked her tongue. Sehun cringed at the disgusting nickname. “It must have hurt so bad. To think that a school would-”

“He’s use to it.”

Sehun and both parents look at Kai, who spoke his first words ever since dinner.

“What do you mean by that?” Mother asked.

Kai shook his head and chuckled, as if he were an evil character in a cartoon. “Don’t worry about Sehun. He probably liked it.”

Sehun bit his lip, almost drawing blood, and shot knives towards the trusted oldest. “Kai, stop.”

Kai smirked. “I’m just saying the truth and if you can’t handle it, maybe you should stop.”

“Boys, can you please elaborate what in the world you guys are talking about?” Even Father’s attention had been sparked. Mother nods along with her husband.

Sehun felt his heart racing, not being able to stop Kai from revealing the truth.

“Well, parents,” he emphasized, “your youngest son here seems to enjoy pain-”

“Don’t. Kai.” Sehun then strongly protested. Kai sips his cup casually, enjoying the fact that Sehun was now in the spotlight. 

“Why not? You’re always being babied, even though you’re too ignorant to see it. I hate the fact that you always get what you want and complain about them. Maybe it’s about time you mature yourself and reveal what you’ve been doing secretly in locked bathrooms and closed closets.”

Sehun stood up, high awareness now pitched in. The chair scraped the glossy floor and he felt all eyes trained on him. Even others, including maids, had gathered at the entryway to see what the commotion was all about.

“Sehun, sit back down and tell us what’s wrong.” Mother calmly suggested. Sehun doesn’t acknowledge the statement and instead, backed farther away, scared of being found out.

“Tell them, Sehun. Or should I do the pleasurable deed?”

Sehun didn‘t want to feel weak, but his eyes blurry at the very thought of being found out by his parents. “What’s wrong with you…” Sehun says. He trusted Kai. Now, as Sehun had deeply feared in the past, Kai was about to betray and pluck out all his secrets to the open. He felt hatred boil in and the wall around him thickened even more.

“There’s nothing wrong with me!” Kai annoyingly exclaims. His eyes grow wider and seemed like a mad man’s. 

“Lower your voice and settle this peacefully, Kai.” 

“It’s you that’s wrong!” Kai ignored Father’s command. “I’m not the one emotionally unstable and results to cutting my-”

“You shut the up!”

“Sehun!”

“Sehun!”

Father and Mother scream at Sehun’s inappropriate word of use. But at this point, Sehun doesn’t really care, even if he does get penalized for it later on. 

Without another word, Sehun shamefully walked away, a quiet tension following behind. The path he took made maids disperse from his view, hiding behind each other and ducking being furniture. One maid in particular doesn’t do so, and Sehun pretended to not notice.

He passed by Xiaoling, not even giving him a glance. 

Trotting up the stairs, Sehun ignored Mother and Father’s commands to come back. Instead, he plopped on his bed and stuck his earphones in, the music seeming to calm him down.

He hated Kai.

He hated everyone.

He hated his life.

Sehun blankly stare at the ground, emotions bellowing up inside his stomach. Downstairs, he could barely hear the two adults giving Kai a lecture and demanding answers. Much to Sehun’s surprise, Kai doesn’t give them what they want.

Heart thumping rapidly and fist clenched tightly, Sehun propped up on his elbow, a goal set in mind. His eyes dragged around the room, eyeing every corner and stopped at a certain area, the bathroom door. Just as he got up to go release his stress, a slight knock at the door unified his steps and strained him into a slow paced halt.

Without his permission, the door opened with a small creak, a small head poking in.

At the sight of the person, Sehun scoffed in annoyance and proceeded to attend himself inside the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” A question is let out of Xiaoling’s mouth. Sehun stopped again, shoulders curling from the voice.

“I should be the one asking you that.” Sehun said. “What are you doing in here? Get out.”

“I want to see what you’re up to.” Xiaoling, with determination, stepped inside and planted his foot on the ground with emphasizes. He, much like a girl, braced his arms and looked up at Sehun with eyes that glowed. His frilly skirt skidded up and Sehun blushed slightly, turning his head the other way to avoid eye contact.

“T-this isn’t your house. Get out of my room before I get Father.” Sehun cursed his embarrassed mind, his stuttering only showing Xiaoling his vulnerability.

“I will, only if you promise to not cut yourself after what just happened.”

“Why would I promise you that?” Sehun replied, this time voice unbreakable because that was quite a touchy subject for him. His eyes now find Xiaoling’s, angry that he would bring that up.

Luhan stepped further inside the room, much to the younger’s annoyance. “Why wouldn’t you promise me that?”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone. Or else I’ll tell Father about your little secret.”

Luhan closed his mouth, body seeming to relax aback.

Sehun smirked, knowing he’d hit the jackpot. 

That is, until the latter spoke again.

“Go ahead.”

Sehun’s mouth twitched. His smirk faded and eyes drooped. “You don’t mean it.”

“I do. And I won’t leave this room until you promise me to not harm yourself.”

Xiaoling was such a daring person and it irked Sehun so much. He’s much too determined and stubborn for Sehun’s liking.

“I don’t care if I get my paycheck half the price of last month’s, or even if I get fired. As long as I know you’re not doing anything to yourself.”

“Is it your specialty to get in everyone else’s business besides yourself? Maybe you should worry about your little boyfriend instead of me. Seems like he was having a hard time earlier with Lay.”

Luhan opened his mouth, but closed it halfway when Sehun brought up Kyungsoo. His eyes sharpened like a knife and Sehun questioned whether he should have said that or not. Nonetheless, it wasn’t his fault either way.

“He’s not my boyfriend--”

“Of course he’s not. You’re a boy, and boys don’t date each other.” Sehun stated. 

Luhan looked pissed. 

But Sehun didn’t really care.

“Boys can date which ever gender they want.”

Sehun scoffed. “That’s what gay boys say.”

It gets awfully quiet after Sehun stated that. It takes a moment, but Sehun truly realized what he had said. 

He didn’t mean it to sound so offending, but it seemed Xiaoling was nothing but that.

“I-I, didn’t mean it that way. It shouldn’t even bother you unless you’re… gay…” He slowly trailed the sentence, brain clicking into pieces now.

“Oh…”

Sehun was an idiot and he felt the most bit guilty. He should watch what he say sometimes, and cursed his stupid mouth. What annoyed Sehun the most was, why did he even care? He can make fun of Xiaoling all he want and get away with it, knowing he was in desperate need of money; for some strange reason, Sehun felt bad. Towards another person. Which he rarely ever felt.

It wasn’t that Sehun was homophobic, he just never had an actual say in anything. To second that, he was neutral.

In a matter of seconds, the room is left with only one person, himself. He felt something sickening dance in his stomach. Guilt.

But just in an instant, the feeling is thrown away and Sehun pushed the situation aside. He had better things to do than worry about immature people.

Just as he made his way towards the bathroom, another knock sounded and echoed throughout the room. Sehun thinks maybe Xiaoling had come back to bother him again, but the thought is washed away whenever Kai emerged in, not as elegantly as Xiaoling did though.

This time, unlike before, Sehun is the first to speak.

“Get out of here.” He demanded, not wanting to see his brother’s face. He hated him at the moment, and that fact won’t be true if Kai were to be in here with him.

“I’m sorry.” Kai abruptly said. He stepped forward, eyes locked on the ground.

Sehun doesn’t believe him and turned away, much more rougher than how he was with Xiaoling earlier.

“Mother and Father are making you do this. I’m not taking their crap anymore,” Sehun shook his head and leaned backward, head tilting to the side, “none of yours too.”

“Please Sehun, just hear me out-”

“After what you did? I don’t think so.”

Kai ran to Sehun’s side, grabbing him by the shoulders. He slammed Sehun onto the bed and gathered himself beside of him. Sehun is astonished from the quick moves, but the hatred from minutes earlier broil and remind him of the previous events.

“Leave me alone, Kai!” Sehun then attempted to stand up, but is quickly thrown down again. “And stop throwing me around like your doll!”

“Then listen to me!” 

“I don’t want to!”

“Look,” Kai straddled Sehun forcefully against a pillow, “I’m sorry about earlier. And trust me when I say this, Mother and Father aren’t forcing me to apologize.”

“Oh wow Kai, you sound so sincere.” Sehun dramatically teased. Kai slightly pushed the younger aside. He sat on the edge of the bed, seeming to be in deep concentration.

“I was rejected.” Kai said. Sehun stopped all struggle and movement, looking at his older brother. Kai was never rejected. Usually, it’d be the girls or guys being the rejected one, not him. This surprised Sehun and though it kind of made Kai sound selfish, Sehun was bewildered with curiosity.

“I was rejected, so I took out the anger on you.”

“Yeah well maybe you shouldn’t have. You went overboard this time and I’m not a kid anymore. I’m not going to forgive you like a loyal puppy.”

Kai sighed. “I know that. I don’t expect you to but I just wanted to let you know. You didn’t do anything wrong, Sehun. So please don‘t… hurt yourself”

Realization hit Sehun like none other. He knew Kai’s true intentions now and though he should have been happy that the older was worried about him, he felt annoyed and sickened. 

“Maybe you should think before taking out anger onto me.” And just like that, Kai is out the door with a push from Sehun.

This is the iest update ever. I'm so afraid I'm going to make
this story lose so many subscribers with this chapter. Honestly, it went
way too fast in here and I'm so sorry >< Please don't unsubscribe. 
I'm just the co-author and the main author could do so much better.
~hoyourho