--x

 

Months went by in a fancy blur. People went over their individual lives including the boys and himself. Two months more and then there's the real world outside college. They still meet at vacant days, spend the free weekends over barbeque or even better, at the beach. A tight bunch is what they're called, a definite group of friends, the bestest. But even though they were so particular on their gatherings, there are those times that they barely see each other in a week or two. 

 

This is one of those busy days that meetings were scarcely held. Everyone's been busy alright. Tao was fixing his wushu lesons. Joonmyeon was busy with the business he was practicing into, Kris was busy with his own business and so on.

 

Sehun was awoken from a horrible nightmare that day. He dreamt he was trapped in some kind of labyrinth that was poorly lit, dark shadows lurking in every corner of every intersection. Danger is expected to blurt out anytime and the feeling of insulation nearly consumed the remaining sanity inside him. It was easy to lose it though, after all he's been through. The labyrinth emitted a negative sensation that made him more miserable than ever. He was desperately running everywhere, hoping he can find an exit from this terrible place. He ran and ran around every corner and eventually came across a sheer drop cliff. He suddenly realized he was already out of the labyrinth facing yet another traumatic delusion. 

 

Sehun was standing there by the drop, staring directly below and at the faint figure down. He squinted to make out the figure's distinct features. It has arms that were twisted in a very disturbing angle, legs split broken into two and a head laid down on one side, neck broken. He froze just a second after he realize exactly what was directly below him. A cold wave of anxiety crept up his spine and spreaded throughout his entire body, dread slowly dominating his entire being. He could almost feel nothing but the urge to scream and go hysterical. He knew exactly it was a body down there. And even more terrifying, he knew exactly who owns that body lying facedown the ground, lifeless, broken bones and all.

 

Luhan...

 

Sehun's body shot upward and he gave out a shrill scream. He was then awoken lying on his bed and back inside his own room, wet with cold sweat and a horrid expression. He's awake with even threatening fear lurking to take over inside his heart. Luhan can't be that body he found down the cliff. He'll return to him alive and kicking. He calmed himself and installed these thoughts into his mind. 

 

Sehun shook his head to remove the remains of his dream that morning and sipped his frappe. He then exhaled to relieve himself of it's strong taste. 

 

"Would you like some bubble tea instead then?" a deep voice asked him and snapped him fully back to reality.

 

He looked up to Chanyeol who was studying him a few seconds ago. He shook his head and took another sip. Chanyeol tiltled his head slightly to the right and narrowed his eyes.

 

"You weren't exactly the Sehun I knew before." he remarked and then took a sip at his own cup.

 

Sehun smiled, not realizing that it was the negative side of the statement that Chanyeol meant. "What did you call me for hyung?" he asked.

 

Chanyeol sighed. It's difficult to break the news to him, he told himself almost a million times earlier this day. He realized this statement way before he was chosen amongst the group to break the news to Sehun this instance. This news broke their heart the moment they absorbed it fully. What more can it do to Sehun? Everyone was aware it will break Sehun's heart as well but they opted to tell him anyways. They figured it's better to hurt Sehun now than to hurt him forever. Keeping this thing as a secret would make Sehun curse them forever too.

 

Sehun's eyes narrowed. He can sense something's not right with whatever Chanyeol wants to tell him. He could tell from his pained expression and doubting eyes. The latter was in a state of dilemmia. Maybe this isn't the right time to tell Sehun. Something inside him argued, if not now, then when's the right time? 

 

"Hyung, is there something wrong?" he asked the skeptical.

 

It's now or never. Chanyeol whispered to himself. He clasped his hands together on top of the table and looked Sehun straight to his eyes. This made Sehun flinched. Something's up, he sensed.

 

"I wanted to tell you some important news I thought you would want to hear." he started then he gulped. This was worse than he could ever think of. Sehun's expectant face was killing Chanyeol that he was bothered by guilt even before he could spill it.

 

"What news?" Sehun asked, suspense was torturing life out of him at that split second. 

 

"It's about Luhan hyung."

 

Sehun's heart stopped. News from Luhan! His heart thumped faster and faster. Excitement and anxiety swirled inside of him at such blinding speed, he wanted to puke.  He wanted to know about this more than anything else.

 

Chanyeol reached for his pocket and took out a small folded paper, sealed with a red ribbon and slid it across the table towards Sehun. The latter reached for it and was frozen shock after having read what was inscribed on the piece of paper.

 

He never thought a simple paper could almost take his soul out of him.

 

He read the exact words that broke his heart and his entire being.

 

"YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO WITNESS THE HOLY MATRIMONY OF LU HAN AND KIM MINSEOK."

 

Sehun gulped and stared at the piece of paper highlighted with red flowers and sickening edited sparkled rings. He tried to utter a word but his vocal cords wouldn't produce any sound. He was literally speechless, just blankly looking at the paper. A pinch was all he felt inside of him. A pinch of reality and tragedy. A pinch that paralyzed all what's inside him. What the hell happened? He wanted to laugh after a second or two. Surely this is just a prank! That's it! Sehun yelled inside his head. This is just a prank from the boys to him about Luhan. All a prank mandated by Joonmyeon to cheer his soul up.

 

In retrospect, this "prank" didn't really cheered Sehun up. It crushed his soul and the remains of Sehun's faith in his love for a second just before he considered this as a huge hoax. He gave Chanyeol a half-smirk, half-amused smile and a smug look.

 

"What's this for?" he asked, as if this was all a joke.

 

Chanyeol's eyebrows creased, realizing Sehun's disbelief. "Luhan's marriage invitation."

 

Sehun laughed amusely. Chanyeol's pushing his patience. He wanted nothing more of this nonsense. "Come on hyung. If you think this would cheer me up well then you're wrong. It's not amusing as it looks! This is unbelievable!"

 

"It isn't amusing and I don't think it is from the start. Nobody thinks it is! This isn't some trick we have up our sleeves to put you down Se. This is real." Chanyeol snapped.

 

"W-What are you talking about?" Sehun's smile curved down and became a frown. Chanyeol was as serious as hell as he gazes at him. He feared this pathetic news must've been real. He could feel his heart starting to rip inside of him.

 

"We received this invitation yesterday morning. We thought of you... and..."

 

The rest he said was too inaudible for Sehun to comprehend. His thoughts focused on the piece of paper and the words inscripted on it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe what Chanyeol's saying. He refuses to believe it atleast but truth was waved all over his face it was hard to deny it. Sehun could feel his entire being crush down to millions of pieces all over again. Pieces that were left damaged beyond repair. He was broken all over again. He was broken by the same person who broke his heart in the first place. He thought they would be happy forever. He thought everything's going on perfectly and it would end happily, like all those fairy tales.

 

For the first time in his life, he dejected fairy tales. All his life he was being an idiot, believing happy endings do exist, waiting to happen. He was being an moron and a fool, believing such things to be real. They weren't in the first place. All was fallacy. Sehun felt himself suddenly sick of everything he believed in. He wanted to throw all those things and memories that reminded him of Luhan. Now, he was all a whim for him. For him, he was already a big lie and everything that happened between them was just a nightmare.

 

He wanted to break down. He wanted to release all his anger and start a scene at this place. Throw everything  everywhere, scream and just...break everything he sees. Break them the way Luhan broke his own heart but he couldn't. Shock was too overpowering that he remained frozen there, thoughts wandering.

 

"Se? Are you okay?" Chanyeol wanted to whack himself for his reckless question. Who would be okay after having discovered that your love is getting married to another person? He gave himself a mental slap.

 

Sehun put the paper down and unmindedly stood, bowed at Chanyeol and started off. His stare was blank and he moved about like a robot. His mind wandered again, all over the universe. His head echoing the same questions over and over again. Why? Why did Luhan did it to him? Why? Of all the people?

 

"Sehun! Where do you think you're going?!" Chanyeol shouted after him.

 

He didn't reply instead he continued to wander off, his heart broken a million pieces all over again. He went outside of the restaurant and into the street. He felt so empty and betrayed. He wanted to burst and to be angry at Luhan. He keeps on asking where had all his promises went? Why did he betrayed him? Why did he left him? Why did he lied? Why of all the people to break his heart, it was him who chose to do so? Why?

 

Luhan's getting married.

 

His head recalled the same statement all over again, it broke him even more.

 

---x