Silencio Bella

Shadow

Carpet of grandeur, a carved table situated at the middle of it with the company of two chaise longue of royal violet and a master’s chair of pronounced reverence settled on the large room with a great golden chandelier hanged on the very centre of the ceiling. Preserved vases and antiques were seen on the carved cabinet with simple, vibrant and warm colours of blue and dark orange.

On the other side of the resting area, two doors were tightly sealed with two small golden dragons served as the handle for the two doors. Smell of earl grey wafts in the air as a maid calmly pushes the silver cart with a set of tea on the silver tray. Small, yet quick steps, she comes into a halt when she arrived where her master and mistress is and professionally serves them a cup.

Wearing a blue cocktail dress printed with small glittery designs at the hems, hair loose down into a wave, her eyes closed as she took a sip on her cup and on the master’s chair was the head of the house. Young, yet one could identify the profound authority he holds in the house even though he wear simple clothes of a white loose-down shirt and black pants.

The maid quickly leaves after she serves them their tea and not too soon the doors of the living room opened with a calm screech and came in a tall man with a mahogany hair and business clothes.  He greets with a small nod of the head before settling himself on the opposite side of the lady of the house, taking the remaining cup of tea on the silver tray.

“Had the business gone well?” the head of the house speaks in a low voice, breaking the silence that veiled around them. The lady of the house sets her cup on the saucer, flicking her gaze to the man opposite her, waiting for the answer. The man sets his cup, eyes casted down before setting off a small nod.

“Yes, it had gone well as we had expected it. The Li’s have formed a contract with us with $100,000 as the start of the business and a friendly business party together with the other companies have been scheduled,” the man replies as if written in a script, but it doesn’t change the fact that the two masters held a smile on their face—they were proud.

“As expected from our son. I knew that you’re really meant for business and not just a lousy professor in a rotten school,” Mr. Wu spoke with mockery, but the latter was just still, yet the boiling feeling burned inside him, but he kept it in silence not wanting to lose his composure on a pathetic comment.

“When will the party be held, Yifan?”

A small smile could be seen on the latter’s lips.

“In two weeks time.”

Life seems to easily change when we have forgotten how to control it. When we lose the sight of the path we chose and decided to take the easiest route because somehow it had gotten harder in the path we have placed all our determination and joy— or maybe it’s the other way around.

The misconception of life takes a lot of toll on the people especially when they blame fate and destiny on that matter. But what if it’s just really us? You? Everyone? If that would be the case, we are to be blamed for—not anything else or the beings. Because really, it’s just us, not the others that brought the dilemma to ourselves. Coincidences or not, but we brought it for ourselves. Our actions and decisions and not fate or destiny.

And the question is: what do you do to your life in 3 years?

Live? Or Die?

The answers lie within you.

It turns out that the answer that Kris had chosen was to live. Instead of dying, he chose to live his future that was shattered to bits. Living those 3 years, a lot of things had changed, but some things still retained the same, because Kris can’t be Kris after all.

After Tao’s departure on that day, a few days later Kris quitted being a professor. Though classes are done, he no longer desires to teach when he’s all depressed and whisked away. No, that was only one of the reasons, but Kris couldn’t afford to have the time of the world if he wouldn’t quit his job and maybe he’ll be able to locate wherever Tao is.

Tao’s precious butler was not in the mansion, it turns out to be that Mun was with Tao and no one in the Huang’s domain would tell him where Tao went which led him to several strings of profanities and curses of luck. Quitting his job caused him big regrets and everything, but Kris took the damage just to meet the younger male again for he couldn’t keep up with the thought of Tao leaving him without a reason all of a sudden—Kris hates when he flies instead of falling; he crashes down.

Kris took the management of the business, starting from the lowest class even though his parents told him he doesn’t need to, but he insisted since he didn’t take any business course and he wants to start from scratch. Arguments invalid, his parents let him be and Minho was stationed in Japan with someone he knew very well that also made a reason for him to live on: his friends.

Chanyeol also left, just like Tao and Kris swears he could see his life just like Baekhyun’s. Both of their halves left them without telling them the reason and leave them in the verge of dying. Thankfully, in some ways even though the crooks in the line doesn’t measure it up all, Baekhyun and him decided to live on and see the future they have. They worked it throughout and Kris could relate to his other friends whom he knew is just like him and Baekhyun.

On the way out to get some coffees for the doctors in the hospital and wanting to visit Yixing along the way, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Fishing it out, he sees a picture of Baekhyun’s cheery smile filling up his phone and he wonders why.

“What’s up, Baekhyun?” he asks as he opens the door of his car and enters in. Placing the seatbelt, Kris starts the engine. “Hyung, could you meet up with me today? It’s a bit lonely here and I wanted to meet you somehow.” Baekhyun’s voice held the anticipation and sadness in altogether and Kris wonders why, but didn’t say anything. Instead he changed his plan and decided to be with his younger brother for today.

“I’ll be right there in 10.”

“Thanks hyung.”

He could visit Yixing later.

Arriving at the musical theatre, Kris spots a short boy with a puddle of dark brown hair, just in time that his brother turns his head and smiles at him. Kris approaches his brother and Baekhyun pulls him down to seat with him.

“Thanks for coming, hyung. I would have died without you here,” Baekhyun dramatically says and Kris chuckles at his words. He takes a brief moment to observe his surroundings and noticed the theatre’s lounge seems to be quite empty today than usual. Noticing his brother’s confused expression, Baekhyun kindly fills him in the details.

“They’re out to prepare for the grand concert next month. Well, most of them. Others had gone out to prepare for the audition of the Great Synchronicity II which wouldn’t be held until two months later.”

Kris nods his head before noticing Baekhyun’s quiet behaviour and quietly nudge the younger’s foot with his. The latter looks at him in surprise and Kris gave him a concerned look before speaking, “What bothers you? You’ve been cheery for the past weeks, but, today you seem to be in a rather dull position.”

Baekhyun stares at him for a bit before looking away. “I…it’s nothing, hyung. Nothing really.”

“Is it about him?”

Kris noticed the slightest flinch of Baekhyun and he knew he was right. It’s really about him. Chanyeol.

Baekhyun laughs, rather quite oddly and hollow. A blank laugh echoes in the lounge, a sad melody of a music. “Chanyeol, huh? Yeah, him.” Baekhyun looks at him with blank eyes, dull and empty and Kris almost shivered by the look on Baekhyun’s eyes.  They’re dead.

Baekhyun laughs again, but this time, it was filled with deep sorrow and unspoken grief; bottled up and twisted in every form. Kris could only watch him, unable to stop his brother’s despair, because he can’t fix the errors in Baekhyun’s life no matter how he tried. He just can’t.

“Baekhyun,” he calls out his name and the latter gazes at him with undefined emotions and Kris falls into silence; knowing too well that it’s not the right time to say anything at all. They fell into a deep and gloomy silence and before it got all suffocating; Kris unknowingly speaks up to break the ice.

“What’s with the Great Synchronicity II?” he blurts out and before he could take it all back, Baekhyun flickers his gaze at him, a dim twinkle of light lit up in his eyes. Soon, a smile formed on his face and the glum expression was replaced with a normal one; the twinkle in his eyes growing bigger.

“It’s a grand orchestra with theatre plays performed with different selected people in the company and also internationally. It composes a lot of programs in one great orchestra, but the unique thing is that this is not an orchestra, but rather a compilation of different spectacular events that simply conjured up into one single event. Voices, instruments, dance and art will be held in the Great Synchronicity II and this event will be once again in a tour around the world,” Baekhyun utters with a pleased voice and the excitement that lingers in his voice brought a smile on Kris’s face.

“It’s amazing that you could audition to it, Baekhyun. You may be chosen as the maestro like you’ve always wished for.” Kris had a smile on his face when he said it, but it quickly changes into confusion and frown on Baekhyun’s reaction to his words.

‘What’s wrong?’

“Baekhyun?” he calls out and Baekhyun gives him a small smile, an out tune in the melody. Baekhyun wouldn’t have given in, if it weren’t for Kris staring at him, begging him to tell him his problem. A sigh escaped his lips when he finally caved in after putting up a short resistance.

“As for the position of being a maestro…I can’t audition to that anymore.”

Kris looks surprised at the news. Baekhyun had always told him that he would get that position when the audition comes, but after hearing that he can’t anymore; it brought a great surprise for Kris.

“What do you mean you can’t? Someone took that position already?”

With a silent gaze, Kris understood it. He wanted to ask, but seeing Baekhyun’s crestfallen face; he decided not to.  They had fallen again into a gloomy atmosphere and it almost suffocated Kris because of it, then his phone vibrated just in time. Looking at his brother, he excused himself for a moment and answered the call.

“Hello?”

No reply. No sound or anything. Nothing at all. It was as if he was talking to a disconnected call.

“Hello? Are you there? Hello? Who are you?”

He asked several times, but no one replied on the other line. A few moments, the call was cut and Kris looked who was the caller.

Unknown.

It almost brought shivers to Kris’s back, but the curiosity that spread in his heart overcomes the shivers and the twisted feeling of being nostalgic brought Kris to a remembrance of the past 3 years when this anonymous person would call him. It’s the 3^rd time that the anonymous person had called him and Kris wonders if he needs to talk it out with the police, but decided not to.

Returning back to where his brother was, he found no one and saw a post-it note on the table. A simple message written for him.

Thank you for accompanying me, hyung. Though our conversation didn’t turn out great, I was glad to see you and was able to talk with you.

I’ll be taking my leave now. Need to head straight to Mrs. Jo before I go back to the café. Sorry if I wasn’t able to say goodbye, but I promise to bring some muffins when I get home. You should probably head back to the company, or else…

See you later.

-Baekhyun

Time: Unknown / Location: John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York / Date: Unknown

People were busy in the airport, quick steps on different places. Among the white and yellow lights and bustle from the people, two tall figures came into view; one with dark brown hair until his waist while the other one has his auburn brown hair past his shoulders, luggage in their hand. Clothed in simple and casual clothes, they attracted a lot of people who glanced at their way.

“Haven’t they seen a normal people walking in the airport?” Irritation lingers in the voice of the younger one of the two. A laugh escapes the older, yet didn’t say anything in return. Slight bubbling sensation stirs up in the younger one, but ignores it and halts in front of the waiting area.

“What’s wrong?” the older asks with mild confusion and the latter male just grabs his arm and makes him sit down, making the situation more confusing for the older.

“Ya-,” he was cut off abruptly when a finger was pressed on his pinkish lips. He looks up at the younger male in front of him and the latter just smiles.

“Our flight isn’t here yet, hyung. We still have to wait at least an hour more before our flight comes,” the latter states in a matter-of-fact tone and the older irritatingly swats his hand away. “How cruel of you. You woke me up at sunrise and just to know that we still have one hour left? You could have spared me some sleep!” And the former male just looks at him amused.

“It’s your punishment for making me look for you for more than 3 hours while you wander around in our hotel with leisure yesterday,” he says nonchantly and the older blushed in embarrassment.

“I told you that I didn’t! I really go-,” he wasn’t able to continue when his hair was tousled and he glares at the younger.

“Whatever you say, hyung.” He grins like a child and the older male couldn’t really get mad at him.

“Idiot.”

“Why the hell are you calling me when I’m in the middle of the work, Kris?” the male rasped out in irritation with a soothing music in the background; a total contrary with each other. The said male smirks as he makes a coffee for himself, slightly amused at the timing he got.

“Nothing much. Just wanted to talk you. It’s been a week since we talked and work is boring,” he tiredly says and Jongin laughs at his misery. Kris sighs, too tired to retort back and just sips his black coffee, feeling the bitter taste all of a sudden.

A few rustling sounds were heard on the other side and the soothing music was gone and Kris wonders if Jongin hanged up on him. A few moments later, sound of a door shutting was heard and Jongin’s voice was heard again.

“Passed my work to another instructor.  Thanks to you. Don’t worry; I’m not leaving it half-heartedly. You need me so I’m going there. Ever since Chanyeol left, you’ve been half-dead everyday and probably because of the boy you happened to like after you let Chanyeol be with your half-brother,” Jongin says with concern and Kris felt touched for a moment, until Jongin happens to say the next words. “And no, this is not free. You have to pay for taking my time and for abandoning my work.” Kris sighs at the fake feelings.

He should have known Jongin wouldn’t be so emotional and kind. Requirement of compensation would always be the deal every time. Of course. It always has been like this when they first became friends.

“You could have been more caring, you know. But this is you, so I can’t really do anything about it anymore. Let’s meet at Baekhyun’s café.”

Jongin laughs at the other side of the line, obviously irritating Kris.

“But you love me and we’re friends. This is what true friends are really about.”

“Shut up, Jongin.”

They met in the café in just 10 minutes later, because really, their workplaces are just really near the café. Kris got him two double deck shrimp sandwich with bacon, a slice of cake and two cool iced teas. Kris tries to keep calm at the loss of most of his money in his wallet just because of Jongin’s self-declared treat. He watches in annoyance as Jongin leisurely takes his time in munching his sandwich and how much Kris wish that he would choke on it.

“So what’s up with your sulks and emotional self today?” Jongin speaks, successfully breaking him from his murdering thoughts of Jongin. Kris frowns at his statement, eyebrow raised at the conclusion that the younger made.

“Sulks and emotional self?” he asks in disbelief and Jongin hums, placing the half-eaten sandwich on the plate and takes his glass.

“Yeah, you know when revert back to being a child and you call me or Chanyeol when you’re sad or frustrated. You sulk and cry with snots leaving your nose. You know sulks and emotional self?” Jongin nonchantly says, but a grin was plastered on his face instead. Kris glares at him and the younger just smiles.

“I did not do that,” he retorts in defense, but Jongin just smirks at him. Kris ignores him and a stiff silence binds them together. Kris felt awkward by it, but Jongin rather feels comfortable, yet his tensed body shows otherwise. Both of them know that they weren’t really best friends, which they weren’t supposed to have that title if it weren’t for a certain giant.

A giant named Chanyeol.

[Flashback-20 years ago]

“Tris! Tris! Treees!” a young kid shouts someone’s name filled with much enthusiasm, but the said person seems to be more irritated than welcoming the kid who is running to him. When the kid stops in front of him, he ruffled the child’s hair with annoyance that caused the younger to whine.

“Trisseu!” the kid whines loudly.

“It’s Kris. Get my name right, kid,” Kris replies with a huff. He ruffles the 7 year-old boy’s hair more, earning himself a stomp in the foot and Kris lets out a yelp. Kris was about to glare at him, but when he saw the younger’s broken look, the words he wanted to say was stuck on his throat.

The younger pushes him to the ground before leaving with tears and Kris felt dumbfounded for the first time.

‘What the?’ he thought in his mind as he watch the kid leaves his sight. A deep feeling of guilt fills his heart.

~

The next day, Kris thought of apologizing to the younger boy. He didn’t mean to anger him and he didn’t know that it would upset the kid. He thought long and hard the previous night and he build up the courage to call up the kid’s house and ask him to meet up with him at their usual place.

An hour of waiting, Kris wouldn’t give up and still waited, even when 2 hours had passed. Kris would have given up until a figure came and sat beside him under the tree. They didn’t speak and silence was their comfort until the newcomer spoke.

“You made him cry, didn’t you?”

Kris looks at him in surprise and the latter boredly stares back at him. Irritation builds up in Kris and he feels annoyed by the fact that the boy is right and just put salt on fresh wounds. His left eye twitched in annoyance and glares at the boy who didn’t seem fazed.

“Who are you?”

“Not of your concern.”

“What do you know about me and him?”

“I’m not qualified to answer that.”

Kris wanted to punch the hell out of the kid and when he was about to do that, a familiar voice rang in his ears.

“Trriiiisssseuuu!”

Two heads snapped at the direction of their voice and found the boy of subject with two ice creams in his hands. His expression of a disappointment and pout and the other two wondered why.

“Trissue! I didn’t agree to come and see this,” he says, dripping with deep sarcasm. The boy looked at the male beside Kris, his pout deepening in the process.

“Jonginnee! I didn’t call you out to start a fight!” he whines in distress and the kid, Jongin, just raised his hand in apology. Sighing for awhile,  he just nods his head.

“I picked your favourite flavours!” he says hands them the ice cream and it took them a moment before getting the ice cream from his hands. A big grin spreads across his face, but suddenly turns into a frown and Kris felt that it happened before.

“I think you need to say your apology now,” Jongin helpfully supplies the missing puzzle and Kris spills it clumsily.

“S-sorry.” Kris felt slapping his own face for being stupid and to make it worse, tears welled up in the younger’s eyes.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry.” Kris doesn’t know what do at all and Jongin stifles his chuckle at the panic expression of Kris. Kris doesn’t know why this is happening and what he could do to ease the situation. Saving his distress, the crying child spoke up.

“But, but, you…you…don’t call my name at all. I’ve never…heard...you…call my name!” Words jumbled up and incoherent filled with sniffs and sob, Kris felt bricks crash down on his head.

“Your name?” he dumbly asks and Jongin snickers behind him. Ignoring it, he crouches to the younger’s level and smiles.

“Just because I didn’t call your name, that’s why you are crying?” Kris felt happy that it wasn’t because of his action yesterday, but somehow felt guilty that what the younger said is true. He didn’t really call his name before. He smiles a bit and ruffles the younger hair with his free hand.

“Then, call me by my name. Not Tris, Trisseu or Trees or any other name. But only Kris, okay? You could call me Yifan, also. So what do you say?”

The younger sniffles, but nods with a small smile appearing on his tear-filled face.

“Okay then. Don’t cry, okay Chanyeol?”

A friendship started with a clumsy beginning. Ice cream and names all that matters, but it brought out something far more beautiful. 3 people with different personalities and age united as one and as the two patched up their relationship once again, a newcomer comes and ties their friendship together.

“Finally said his name after two long years. Congratulations.” Jongin claps his hands together and Kris noticed that Jongin had finished his share of ice cream and the smirk was so ever evident on the younger’s face.

“Jongin!”

“Trissue!”

[End of Flashback]

“Chanyeol was the one who made our group stick together, didn’t he? Placed glue on the cracks and polished it again. But now that he is gone, our mirror has cracks on it. Dirty, ugly and destroyed. How are we going to polish it when we don’t know where the water and cloth is?” Jongin wearily smiles at his words and Kris kindly supplies the next words.

“A master long gone, the cracks fill with wrongs and darkness. Errors of the mirror. Water and cloth no longer of use and everything dissipates and the cracks break the mirror into fragments, but something is holding it all together. A single fragment at the middle, but it could no longer handle everything and the fragments fall. A plain space left and everything shall be back when the master is there to glue it all back and polish it all again.” Kris sighs before a small smile appears on his face. This was one of the moments where they understood each other’s grief. Though, it may be quite complicated, but they knew each other’s words and it isn’t really difficult to supply the next words.

Another silence sets on them, but this time it’s comfortable and they had warmed it up a bit when they gazed each other knowingly. Jongin takes his abandoned sandwich and was about to eat before he stops and looks at the older.

“Thanks for the food, hyung,” he says with a genuine smile and Kris looks at him in surprise before it settles with a soft smile.

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, I remember that Chanyeol and I had a video of you crying. I’ll send you a copy later.”

A groan of pain was heard later.

Time: Unknown / Location: Unknown / Date: Unknown

“Let’s go back home.”

A/N: And I'm sorry for being soooo out for like how many weeks. Sorry about that. I got my vacation now so expect more updates from me!

Love to hear what your thoughts about this chapter! New characters? or not? The answer lies within you :)

XOXO