For Tao, one day, one night, another day, another night, he would tell himself that just one more day and his grandfather should wake up. Each day he waited patiently, did small chores here and there, and kept up to date with doctor's requests.  He kept himelf busy, if he didn't, things wouldn't be in his favor. He would want to go back to his personal escape in South Korea. He shouldn't feel like his grandfather will become a burden for him, when he wakes up he should be a different man, a kind person that most people got to know. 

Tao flipped the pages of a fashion magazine, landing on a certain Gucci bag advertisment when he heard a knock on the door. 

"I didn't know you were into fashion trends Tao." Jai Li wore a teasing smirk on her face as she made her way to the empty seat next to Tao. 

Tao simply clucked his tongue at her, already knowing her way of bullying him. She was a year older yet she behaved so immaturely sometimes. 

"That's a really nice bag, I wish I could afford one of those" Jia Li said while yawning, Tao ignored her slounching in her seat and continued drowned in his own thoughts, wondering what his friends have been doing.

♦

"Hey Jongin how's the training coming along?" Sehun asked just to have the three boys talk about something. 

"The same I guess," his reply came weak and it was clear that no one has been happy or excited since Min stopped going to school or answering any of their messages. At first the guys thought she just needed some time to let everything soak in. Even they couldn't believe that she was in this type of ancient situation, who stays in an arranged marriage agreement after the families have moved away? 

"Something isn't right," Ren started.

"The hell, of course it isn't, Min needs us!" Sehun said.

"You're right, we need to get her back on her feet, this isn't like our sweet girl to just-- what?" Jongin was interrupted by the death glares of the younger two.

"Since when do you think Min is a 'sweet girl'," Sehun teased and a bright blush broke out on the other's face.

"W-well, YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT I MEAN! Min needs us, it hasn't been one day or two, its been practically two weeks!" 

Ren huffed, rolling his eyes at how caring he's become of his best friend. "So after school lets all go to her place and ask her, just like a normal day, as if we didn't hear anything at all. No questions concerning you-know-what, NO MATTER HOW CURIOUS WE MAY BE. GOT IT?"

They quickly nodded their heads in fear of Ren unleashing his scary side. 

♦

"Hey Tao," Jia Li broke the comfortable silence with her booming voice, which the girl clearly did not know she had.

"What is it?" Tao said, rubbing his eyes.

"Why did you runaway? Where did you go?" She looked at him with big questioning eyes and Tao dared not to make eye contact, he knew it would become too difficult to tell her that way. 

"I-I..."

"Don't you dare stutter Huang Zi Tao."

Tao gulped before building the courage to tell her. "Family problems..."

"Family problems. Hmph. Considering the only visible family I see coming to take care or visit Mr. Huang is you, that means he had something to do with you running away. I don't see how such a sweet old man like him could do anything hurtful to his own grandson." 

"You don't know anything," Tao said through gritted teeth, his right hand gripping the armrest of the chair a bit too tight. 

"Then tell me," she pushed on. She wanted to know what Mr. Huang was like, why would he pretend to be someone he isn't, or was Tao even telling the truth. Was he just playing with her mind?

There wasn't any harm in telling her, who would she tell? She was the only friend he had and the only reason she stayed was because he asked her to.

♦

"Who is it?" Min shouted from behind the front gate entrance.

There was a muffled "Jajjangmyun" coming from the other side and Min eagerly opened the gate wide enough for Sehun to quickly slip through.

"Hey!" Min pouted seeing the brown-haired boy cling to her waist. 

"Did you really think a bowl of jajjangmyun waited for you behind that door?" Ren scoffed before throwing his arms around Min, soon enough Jongin joined in the suffocating group hug. 

"Well it wouldn't hurt to get free food..."

"Speaking of free food... We're kinda hungry and it was a long bus ride to get here..." Jongin said already rubbing his stomach while pouting his lips.

"Fine, come in guys..."

Min eyed them suspiciously as they ate some side dishes with rice. "What are you guys doing here." Her squinty eyes made each of them gulp hard on their food, they looked nervously at eachother not knowing who should answer her question.

Ren cleared his throat, "We just wanted to see you, you haven't come to school so we were worried you quit or got sick or died!" Sehun punched his arm not believing his lame excuse. 

"Ha, ha, very funny, but I know what you guys really want to hear."

"We do?" Jongin stupidly asked.

"Yes, and truth is... Truth is I am fine. Really, I am."

"Min, you don't have to lie to us." Ren reached across the table and wrapped his warm hand over Min's small cold one. He gave it a small squeeze for reassurance.

"Thanks, at first I was really mad. Very mad, but then as much as I tried to think why Grandpa Lau has stuck with this agreement for so long, was because he truly cared for his friend. Imagine a friendship like theirs that never died. They haven't seen each other in years, yet he's confident that they still preserve that friendship. The more I think that if I made a promise with you guys, I'd like to keep that promise. It tooke me a while to get that in my head, but now I'm sure that that is what Grandpa feels. He feels that need to keep his promise in order for him to keep his friendship." 

"Well, if you agree, then we support your descision," Ren said, gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles. 

"Yeah, whoever this guy may be, we will protect you and support you through this." Jongin waited for Sehun to add something, even Min was feeling curious as to what he would say.

"Aren't you gonna say something Hunnie?" Min teased.

"He can't be as goodlooking as me, I have to have your heart more than he ever will!" Sehun's voice was firm and manly and it almost made Min laugh out loud but then the other two agreed and that left you speechless.

"And I say this in the name of Tao, he would agree too!" 

Min's eyes widened in the sudden realization that Tao wasn't here. He hasn't even texted her and she would have answered him back in a heartbeat. 

"You shouldn't have said that Sehun!" Ren mumbled glaring at his friend. 

"Why isn't Tao here?"

"H-he," Sehun broke out into a cold sweat, he can't say it, he promised. 

"Where. Is. He?" 

Ren felt Min pull her hand out of his, "Calm down Min, but Tao..."

"He had to go back to China!" Sehun nervously blurted out.

►

"That's why you left? Just that?" Jia Li couldn't believe Tao was tied down to some marriage contract, to a girl he doesn't even know, to a family he has never heard about until last year. 

"Yes, it sounds stupid but if you put yourself in my shoes wouldn't you want to get away from it all too?"

"I suppose, maybe I would even investigate further if I could. Why don't we do that Tao? My cousin is a detective, I'm sure he could help us out. We could find out more about your family and this girl's whereabouts. Lets do it!"

Jia's adventurous spirit freaked out Tao most of the time, she always wanted something to do and looked for any way to get it done. "I'm just nervous, what if anything we find... a single piece of information about this family gets into Grandfather's hands? If he wakes up and is in a worse state, I don't want to think about this marriage yet." 

"It will be okay Tao, as long as I'm here, I'll help you and your grandfather build a new relationship. A loving one that will hopefully get you out of this marriage."

Tao forced a smile, one that Jia Li knew wasn't bright, but she knew he was trying. 

Thank you everyone for waiting patiently~

I'm going to make updates for this story every other week and i'm thinking of a new short story so i'll have the foreward of it soon!