Ding dong ding ding, ding ding ding dong!

Eunhyuk heard the clock’s chime. Yep, lunch time.

They’ve wandered around the hotel for the past hour and hadn’t noticed the time. Dong Hae seemed fascinated with how the elevator works so Eunhyuk had to indulge him by taking his new friend up , then down again. As he tapped the button for ground floor, for the third time, Eunhyuk confronted Dong Hae. “So, have you been out of the country for a long time?” Dong Hae, with a big smile and excitement evident from his face answered: “No. I’ve been here all along. I just never had the chance to play like this. Why?”

Eunhyuk chose his next words. “Have you been in some kind of a hospital where you have to stay at a particular room to, you know, recover?” He carefully stood closest to the elevator doors in case he needed to escape. He can see Dong Hae’s reflection from the elevator’s mirror walls and saw how happy he was. “No. I’ve only been to the hospital once when I accidentally fell from the stairs and banged my head on the marble floor.” Dong Hae kept his happy and excited mood and suddenly hugged Eunhyuk from the back.  “Oh, what a lucky day to have a new friend like you!” He even had his eyes closed while his chin rested on Eunhyuk’s shoulder. Eunhyuk did not move an inch as fear slowly crept inside his heart and suspicion grew inside his head that this person might have escaped from a prison or worse from a mental institution.

“Ehermm! I think we’ve landed, I mean we’re on the ground floor.” He instantly detached himself from the happy boy and quickly stepped outside the elevator before it automatically closed its doors. Donghae followed and placed a hand on Eunhyuk’s shoulder as they trekked the hotel’s huge lobby.

“Aren’t you hungry? It’s time for lunch and I have to find my friend.” Eunhyuk stopped and faced a still exuberant Dong Hae.

“Very well then! Let’s have lunch.” Then Eunhyuk felt a tug and they were off to the hotel’s restaurant.

They were off at a run but suddenly Eunhyuk bumped into Dong Hae’s back. “What the! Why did you suddenly stop?! I could have broken my neck…Why what’s wrong?” Eunhyuk had the sense to look into Dong Hae’s face and was shocked to see that it was pale as a ghost’s. He traced Dong Hae’s stare and found it resting on a large portrait.

“Father.” Eunhyuk heard Dong Hae with a hushed and surprised voice.

“That is your father? “ Eunhyuk asked while pointing at a large portrait that hung up the hallway leading to the restaurant. It was a painting in oil and it looked old judging from the date written by the painter which is 1939. “Lee Soo Man c.1939. Is this the Lee Soo Man you were talking about? Well he must be an old man by now, if not dead.

“Do you know him? How do I find him?” Dong Hae turned to Eunhyuk and stared at his face. He even placed both hands on the other’s shoulders. Eunhyuk felt the grip and tried to escape from the near-hug. “I-I’m sorry, but I’m new here. But-but I could ask my friend Si Won. He’s the son of the owner of this hotel.”

Eunhyuk pried Dong Hae’s hands off his shoulders and tried to calm him down.  “But first, let’s eat. And then find Sung Min. And then find Si Won.” Eunhyuk  tried to read Dong Hae’s face as he led him to the double glass doors of the restaurant. Dong Hae couldn’t keep his eyes from the portrait on the hallway, but he let his new friend lead him on.

--------

“I’m sorry to ask, but I need to know.” Eunhyuk started the conversation after they got their food (which wasn’t easy because he had no money, and he couldn’t contact Si Won or Sung Min, so he had to enter the kitchen and snatch a couple of plates resting on the counter.)

“Well, ask away.” Dong Hae answered as he prepared to attack the plate of food which was handed to him. They were seated at the farthest table hidden behind a tall palm ornamental tree, in case the chef went looking for two missing orders.

“First off, we hadn’t had the chance to properly introduce ourselves.”  Eunhyuk held out his right hand for a handshake. “My name is Lee Hyuk Jae. My friends call me Eunhyuk. I am a college student and am currently working part-time at this hotel which, by the way, is owned by the family of my friend Si Won.”

Dong Hae extended his left hand as his other hand was busy shoving food down his throat. “Wryft!” He choked on his food and drank from a glass of water. “I mean, right!” He corrected himself. “Nice to meet you! And my name is Lee Dong Hae. I am the heir to this hotel. Sorry.  I mean, I was the heir.” Dong Hae’s face became red as a beet.

Eunhyuk waited until Dong Hae’s face got to normal color before he asked again. “You said that before too. You being the former heir to this hotel.”

“Did your family own this hotel prior to Si Won’s?” Eunhyuk asked carefully trying not to upset Dong Hae again.

“I didn’t know if my family sold this hotel, because it has been a long time since I visited.” Dong Hae explained while still shoving food to his mouth.

“Well, at least you should have heard from your family before visiting. What about your father? I’m sorry for being nosy.” Eunhyuk said.

Dong Hae gulped down the rest of the water before he looked directly into Eunhyuk’s eyes. “If I have to be honest with you, will you believe me?”

“Of course! Why would I not believe you?” Eunhyuk replied to a more serious Dong Hae.

”Well, to start off, I disconnected myself from my family a long time ago. Because of a, umm, a person. “ Dong Hae’s eyes were on the ground as if he was embarrassed telling his story.

“You see, it was a tough time and I just got out of school when I met this …person.” Dong Hae added.

“It’s not bad having to meet new friends once in a while right? Was your family against that?” Eunhyuk looked concerned at Dong Hae’s teary eyes.

“No. But if I had been more careful, Jung Su wouldn’t have died.” Dong Hae sighed.

Eunhyuk  took longer to reply, but when he did, he made sure not to offend Dong Hae.

“Who’s Jung Su?”