[Year 19 of Exile]

[Luhan]

I felt it.

While I was preparing for dinner with Kyungsoo and Suho, I felt it.

My left eyelid twitched once, twice, thrice. Rubbing it, I questioned the sanity of that eyelid but then a sharp prickle of pain shot through my chest, causing me to keel over. Suho rushed to me immediately, concern written all over his face. Placing a hand under my elbow, he hauled me up and together we staggered over to the bench.

“Luhan-hyung, are you alright?” His eyes swept over me, but I didn’t feel repulsed since we have been friends for more than a decade. “Why did you suddenly kneel and fall over?”

From the corners of my eyes, I saw Yixing walking over, creases on his forehead. “Luhan-hyung, look at me.” He pulled a short stool from the kitchen area and sat down in front of me, his fingers reaching up to my temples and I felt heat emanating from them. My head warmed and my eyes gradually fluttered shut, for I felt comfortable and somewhat sleepy.

“It’s weird.” I heard the healer mutter as his fingertips left my temples and the warmth vanished. Pouting, I opened my eyes to find that Yixing had gone, and in his place was a very worried girl. Her eyes were round, round with worry and concern, as they gazed at me intently and I could feel heat rushing to my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands before the colour could appear.

“Luhan! Are you okay?” She cried out. “Yixing! I think he’s hurt!”

I heard him snicker on my left. “He’s not hurt, he’s just… embarrassed.”

“Why would he be? Being ill is nothing to be ashamed of.” Peeking out from within my fingers, I saw how her brows furrowed and her eyes slightly glared at me. “Luhan…”

Biting on my lower lip, and after ensuring that my face was normal, I acted as though I was very reluctantly lifting my face from my hands. I smiled and she pursed her lips.

“You! Stay here.” She prodded my cheek. “I’ll take your place as the helper for dinner tonight, so you sit here and be a good boy. Yixing, make him stay.”

The boy gave her a curt nod and I felt his arms wrapping around me, resting his head on my shoulder like a koala in a tree. She giggled at the sight and bounded off to join Suho and Kyungsoo.

She almost rammed into the smaller boy but a flurry of apologies set her straight and Suho barked instructions at her, calling for her to wash and chop the vegetables. Kyungsoo pushed to her a large pail of said vegetables and Jen nodded, her eyes downcast and I wondered if she was afraid of him. Or she’s just… I shook my head and felt compelled to help her out when she began to tug the pail over to the taps that Suho have set up, connecting them to the pool because the boy had realised that somehow the liquid would clean itself overnight. So we could use the water it provides on the days where we don’t head over to bathe. Unhygienic, I know.

I watched as Kyungsoo rushed over, unleashing a tad of his strength to help her out but from somewhere within the camp, I felt a strong aura of green. No one else besides the five of us were out in the clearing, the rest had stayed indoors; so I didn’t know who could be feeling so jealous. Shrugging, I rested my head on Yixing’s and just let my daze take over.

“She’s popular, yes.”

“Yeah, she is. Only one of her, and twelve of us.”

“The competition’s fierce,” He chuckled, and my body vibrated along with him. “A twelve-way tug-of-war.”

“But Yeol has the advantage right from the start, seeing how he’s been with her almost everyday since we came from the attic.” I frowned, clearly displeased with the giant’s lead over the rest of us. “But we didn’t have a choice, he was the only one she would talk to.”

“And I’m grateful for him, because if not for him she wouldn’t even be able to open up and talk to the rest of us.” Yixing mused, his hands slipped past my arms and he circled my waist. “Besides, we can always catch up. Like that boy over there.”

I knew who he was talking about for the atmosphere between the girl and the said boy was tense and anyone who looked at them would know that something must have happened between them; they just looked so uncomfortable with each other.

“You say this so lightly, Yixing. As though you aren’t in this race with us.”

“Ah, I didn’t say that.” His tone was light and the highness that Kris often spoke of to me and Xiumin could be heard. “I’m more of a… by-the-side kind of competitor.”

“Like Xiumin, and Suho.”

“The rest of you guys can just play catch-up, and you, my hyung, stand a high chance of a high ranking.” He peeled his head away from my shoulder, tilting his head from side to side. “Though there are others who are the same as you…”

“I feel like I’m friendzoned, though.” I heard the gloominess in my words, dripping with utter dread. “Like I’m just a big brother to her.”

“Buck up, Luhan-hyung. You can do it.” I turned to him as his eyes followed her movement — skipping over to retrieve the chopping board and the knives. “But it’s weird…”

“What’s weird?”

“You.”

Ah, he changed the topic. It’s a habit of his, and I attribute it to his supposed drug-induced highness.

“Your head was fine, there wasn’t anything wrong with it.” His brows furrowed, a small frown forming. “So why did you suddenly feel the pain in your chest?”

How did he know about the chest pain…? Of course, he’s the son of a renowned doctor. He would know everything.

“Nothing escapes your hands, huh.” I ruffled his hair. “Our Yixing, what would we do wit–”

I inhaled sharply, my hands flying to my chest the instance the pain came. I fell forward, my eyes catching the sight of his hands appearing in front of me before my vision blurred.

"Hyung! Luhan-hyung!"

With my head in his arms, my eyes continued to blur and a brown spot that emerged from within the dense woods was the last thing I saw before I out.

Brown...? Could it be Carli–

I dropped the knife I was holding, not even bothering to see where it landed as I hurtled towards the two boys that were on the grass.

"Luhan!" I threw myself beside the unconscious boy, my eyes sweeping across his features. "He was hurting again, wasn't he? Yixing?"

The younger boy, whose arms was cradling his hyung, nodded slowly. He seemed uncertain of what exactly happened as the tone of his diagnosis of Luhan reflected the uneasiness within him.

"Luhan-hyung..." Kyungsoo appeared beside me, his hands grasping the boy's. "Let's move him inside."

I moved aside, as the small boy made a gesture that he'll carry the older boy. His biceps bulged slightly, indicating that he was using his power. Effortlessly, he bridal-carried Luhan into his tentage and laid him down on his bed.

Kris and Zitao got up from their beds the moment we entered, expressions hard yet worry flickered in their eyes, and they assisted Kyungsoo in bringing Luhan to his bed. Moments later, the rest of the boys piled into the space, their faces concerned and worried; the last occupant of our tentage stumbled in with his same-aged friends, his hair a bundle of mess.

“What happened to Luhan-hyung?” Jongdae cautiously asked as he approached Yixing, who had claimed one side of the still-unconscious boy’s bed; Sehun had glued himself to the other side, his face carrying the expression of deathly worry. “He was fine yesterday.”

“We don’t know.” Yixing murmured. “As much as it frustrates you, it’s annoying me too. As a healer, I don’t even know what the is wrong with him…”

I had plastered myself to the side of the tentage, not wanting to be embroiled in the boys’ discussion. Yixing’s eyes were stormy, a mix of emotions swirling around in those orbs of his, and the pain that would occasionally flicker across betrayed the exasperation he must be feeling. Needless to say, the rest of the boys were silent, their brows furrowed and lips pulled into thin lines or into frowns as they fixate their eyes on the only motionless boy in the space.

There’s nothing I can do for you, Luhan. Even though you’ve helped me so much in the past, even though you’ve been there for me, I can’t seem to be able to help you now.

The tears that didn’t come before welled in my eyes and before they could spill over, I silently stepped out. My vision blurred as I used the back of my hands to wipe away the tears that caused my unclear sight. Glancing at the unfinished dinner that Suho and Kyungsoo have prepared, I traipsed over on my tiptoes and picked up the knife that I dropped. Cleaning it with a spoiled piece of cabbage, I resumed