LAST CHAPTER OF FROG ARC
(crazy long chapter (more than 7000 words); author's note at the end)

“Lu Han, let’s run away.”

When Lu Han was young, he spent a substantial amount of time in the attic above the restaurant his mother worked in. So many days were spent in that claustrophobically small room that seemed detached from reality. Unconsciously, that place, those times spent in isolation, began to color his childhood. Slowly, the only memory Lu Han could still vividly remember, was the foreign, messy bed he sat on as he looked out the window. He could still so clearly recall the dusty attic with the faded white walls and the creaking wooden floor. In a way, that attic really defined his childhood.

He remembered curling up into a ball next to the bed, cautiously leaning against the bed while wishing somebody or something would save him. He could never forget the moments when he felt so insanely lonely, but feared so much to make the softest sound, that he bit on his wrist while trying to fight away the tears. He bit until he could no longer feel any pain in his heart. He remembered how helpless and hopeless he had felt, locked up in an unfamiliar world that consisted only of him. No matter how hard his mind screamed for another person, nobody ever came.

Lu Han had always wishfully thought that maybe, one day, someone would open the door and take him away from that place. Lu Han had always dreamed about the possibility that someone would rush into the room, take his hand and bring him to a more beautiful place to be. It made him watch the door patiently, with the kind of childish expectation that was as strong as steel, hopefully desiring for the moment to come when someone would burst into the room with a bright smile and take him away.

Nobody ever came.

And now, so many years later, there is someone who tells Lu Han to run away with him. So many years later, there is someone like a prince who wants to drag Lu Han out of that claustrophobically small attic and into a more colorful and hopeful world. So many excruciating years later, when Lu Han almost gave up, someone barged into his life, colored his sky with the brightest blue, and showed him how to live life.

So many years later, that person really did come.

And Lu Han really wanted to hold onto that hand. He really, so desperately wanted to hold onto that hand. He never wanted to let go. He wanted to be saved from everything that had him chained down. He wanted to escape everything that made his world so grey and black. And the way Shixun looked at him made him feel so special, so happy, and so grateful he might die. All this time, he had wished for something that seemed so far away from reality, and it was simply overwhelming to have it really happen. Somebody really came for him. Tears rolled down as he bit down on his lower lip.

But this hand was not his to hold.

This hand, this person, was not his to hold. He had already been given so much, there was no right he could be as selfish as holding onto something that was not his to hold. This hand belonged to someone else, someone much more capable of standing beside Shixun, someone more capable of standing beside Oh Sehun. Lu Han was not that kind of person. Lu Han could never be that kind of person. Lu Han was not meant to be that kind of person.

“We…” Lu Han looked Shixun in the eyes with an incredulous expression, “W-We can’t…Shixun-ah, we can’t…”

Shixun shook his head frantically, “There’s nothing that’s impossible, Lu Han. As long as you want to, we can go somewhere far away. I won’t be Shixun or Oh Sehun, and you won’t be Lu Han. We’ll be who we want to be.”

There really was nothing Lu Han could say. There was no word that could be spoken by him right now. There was only the silence and the shaking eyes as he watched Shixun slowly reach for his hands, tenderly intertwining their fingers but possessively holding onto his hands. It made him remember everything they went through, every moment they shared, every promise they made. It made him remember how much he really wanted someone to hold onto him. It made him remember how much he really wanted Shixun to hold onto him.

“You’re Oh Sehun,” Lu Han spoke out with the last remains of decisiveness he had left.

Shixun looked at him for a moment before saying, “I dare you to run away with me, Lu Han.”

“Come on, I dare you.”

“I dare you to get inside.”

“I dare you to tell me you love me.”

If there was something that Lu Han could never win from, then it was definitely the I dare you’s that Shixun would always surprise him with. In a way, those I dare you’s had saved Lu Han. It had really saved his heart and his soul. It pulled Lu Han out his own little shell and into a much brighter sea. If there was something that Lu Han could never win from, it was certainly the way Shixun always knew how to make him want to forget any concerns and difficulties and reach for what his heart desired. Shixun had this magic that made him forget his fears and dive right in, head first.

“D-Don’t do this to me, Shixun-ah…” Lu Han’s eyes hurt from all the crying he had done, “Don’t make me want you so much…”

“I love you, Lu Han,” Shixun said in utmost seriousness, eyes shining with the most beautiful kind of love.

“You’ve so much waiting for you, Shixun-ah… You’ve an endlessly bright future waiting for you…” Lu Han choked on some tears, “C-Can you really throw it all away? For me? For us? It’s not worth it, Shixun-ah, I’m not worth it… Everything you’ve built and everything you’ve achieved, don’t throw it away for me.”

“If I told you that you’re much more important than everything else,” Shixun spoke while holding onto his face with both hands, “will you run away with me then?”

Lu Han did not give any reply. He merely looked intently in those loving eyes, trying to find the right words to say. However, there were no right words to say, no right words to say at all. He tried so hard to stop his heart from wanting, but if Shixun was like this, how was he supposed to stop himself? How was he supposed to stop the intense desire to hold onto Shixun’s hand? How was he supposed to refrain from completely and unconditionally falling in love with this person? How?

“I really do love you,” Shixun said before embracing Lu Han.

And it was only moments later, when he was so lost in love and so drowned in happiness, that he realized they were holding hands. It was only a forever later, when he realized he was holding onto Shixun and Shixun was holding onto him.

They were holding onto each other.

»

“Kyungsoo.”

The voice caught his attention way too easily that it made him frustrated with himself. Kyungsoo hated the way this person played with his mind, loathes the way this person made things so difficult for him. It tired him to no end that he had to be so cautious with whatever he said and did around this person, and he simply did not understood why this person just could not let him alone. Why, from all people, did Byun Baekhyun have to cause despair anywhere he appeared?

“What is it, Byun Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo said emotionlessly as he turned his chair around to face the other.

Baekhyun was grinning amusedly, “I just wanted to visit you, that’s all.”

Kyungsoo felt the irritation boiling inside of him, “I’m quite busy at the moment, so if it’s nothing important, I would like to ask you to-”

“Why do you always only see Sehun?” Baekhyun asked directly and coldly.

This caused Kyungsoo to blink his eyes in light shock, before he composed himself again, “Don’t ask any stupid questions.”

It was not the first time Byun Baekhyun had asked this question, and Kyungsoo was afraid it probably would also not be the last time. For Kyungsoo, it was only obvious that he chose Sehun. It was only obvious that it was Sehun, and nobody else. For everyone else, the decision also was not that hard to make. Sehun had always been working so immensely hard to become a capable and respected CEO. Sehun had spent his whole childhood working towards this position, spent his youth becoming one of the youngest CEO in the country. Baekhyun, on the other hand, never took it seriously. He had the charisma and he had the leadership skills, but he never used it well, unlike Sehun.  

“Why can’t it be me?” Baekhyun said as he approached the other, leaning against the table with fierce intimidation as he looked Kyungsoo intently in the eyes, “Why can’t it be us?”

“Stop saying nonsense, Byun Baekhyun-” Kyungsoo said as he quickly looked away.

“I can be the kind of person Sehun is, I can do the kind of things Sehun does,” Baekhyun continued, “I can become a much better CEO than Sehun is. I’ll show you that I deserve to be the CEO of ROYELL, not him.”

Kyungsoo grinned at this, mockingly looking the other in the eyes, “You’ll never ever be able to win Sehun, Byun Baekhyun. ROYELL was never yours to begin with, please don’t forget that,” Kyungsoo leaned back against his chair before he eyed Baekhyun with merciless seriousness, “You won’t ever get to be the CEO of ROYELL. Sehun won’t let you.”

“Honestly, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun said with a scoff, “do you even know where your dear Sehun is right now? Do you even know whether he’s alive right now? You and Chanyeol and the Chairlady can fool everyone else, but not me.”

This time, it was Kyungsoo’s turn to smirk, “In fact, I do know where he is, and he’s pretty much alive. So don’t you dare go thinking that you might be able to steal ROYELL away from Sehun, Byun Baekhyun. It won’t happen.”

Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo for a moment, his expression slowly turning into an unreadable one. But Kyungsoo was determined to not show any weakness in front of this person, so he remained calm and watched Baekhyun slowly retreat.

“You haven’t changed, Kyungsoo.”

And as always, Baekhyun left Kyungsoo with no opportunity to say anything back. He left before Kyungsoo could even speak a word, silently but always with a heavy aura.

»

Get into the car and drive off to an unknown place.

It sounded so terribly simple, but it felt so insanely thrilling to really escape the world they knew. Lu Han could not seem to calm down as they drove on the highway, the car going so fast that it took his breath away, it took his breath away and it made his heart race in such a painfully pleasant way that Lu Han thought he might be addicted to it. It seemed as though his body was built to deal with this kind of intense emotions rushing through his veins.

“Lu Han, have you ever watched the sunrise?” Shixun asked, catching Lu Han’s attention.

Lu Han shook his head, eyes glued to the road in front of him, “Never, actually.”

“Then it’s decided, the first thing we’ll do is watch the sunrise together,” Shixun decided.

Lu Han had never seen a sunrise with his own eyes, never gotten the opportunity to see the start of a new day happening right in front of his eyes. He never thought about seeing it at all, but now he was going to see it with Shixun. He was going to see the start of a new life with his own eyes. Nothing could better symbolize the chaotic feelings inside him right now than a peaceful sunrise. Nothing could better express the change his mind was going through than a hopeful sunrise at the end of autumn and the start of winter. 

“Alright,” Lu Han said with a smile, “let’s do that.”

»

Kyungsoo was staring at the painting in front of him as he sat on his bed. Splashes of red and green highlighted this piece of art that meant a lot to Kyungsoo. Sehun had given this to him as a present when he graduated from university. The forest green screamed while the autumn red whispered – an eternal desire, Sehun always called it. And there were the gentle dark dots on the painting, like stars decorating a white sky, telling the most beautiful stories. This painting always managed to calm his stormy heart down.

“Why did you give me this painting, Sehun?” Kyungsoo asked, pleasantly surprised.

“To reassure you that everything’s going to be alright,” Sehun said with a charming smile.

Kyungsoo only needed to believe in Sehun. As long as he believed in Sehun, everything was going to be alright. Sehun always managed to do some kind of magic and let the problems disappear. Kyungsoo only had to believe in Sehun. He needed to have faith in Sehun.

»

“There aren’t any stars tonight,” Lu Han said as he looked outside the window.

“Is that so?” Shixun said before curiously looking outside too, deliberately leaning his head down on Lu Han’s shoulder, “You’re right.”

“Are we going to stay up all night to see the sunrise?” Lu Han asked as he looked down at the other with fondness, the warmth spreading inside of him.

Shixun chuckled, “I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to stay awake. You’re eyes are probably tired and heavy.”

For a fleeting moment, Lu Han’s mind went off to the cause of his red, puffy eyes, but it seemed as though Shixun realized it, because he was quick to continue, “Do you like to see stars?”

Lu Han smiled a little, “I do have a small wish to see a blanket of stars right above of me one day.”

“Let’s go to a place where we’ll be able to see many stars,” Shixun said gently, hand reaching out for Lu Han’s, “let’s find that place and see it together.”

“There are so many places I would like to go to,” Lu Han confessed honestly as he leaned his head softly against Shixun’s.

“I’ll take you to all those places,” Shixun promised, “will you let me take you to all those places?”

Lu Han could not help but chuckle lovingly at this, “I wouldn’t want anyone else to accompany me, Shixun-ah.”

Shixun’s smile brightened and he slowly leaned his forehead against Lu Han’s, “I wouldn’t let anyone else accompany you either, to be honest. That person has to be me.”

This caused Lu Han to chuckle, “You’re such a little child sometimes. I can’t believe a CEO could ever say something like-”

“I’m not a CEO though,” Shixun said while looking straight into his eyes, a serious expression gracing his face, “not anymore, at least.”

Lu Han wanted to say that he did not meant any harm with his words. He wanted to tell Shixun that he did not mean anything with it. But Shixun did not let him. Shixun stole his words and buried them in ashes by kissing him tenderly, but always eagerly. As if Shixun understood.

“I’m yours,” Shixun whispered in Lu Han’s ear.

“And I’m forever yours,” Lu Han said blissfully.

»

Baekhyun was confident when he said that he understood Kyungsoo more than Kyungsoo understood himself. Kyungsoo was too easy to read for him already. The way his eyes would shine brighter at the sight of Sehun got Baekhyun’s heart clenching in pain every single time, because he knew all too well what hid behind those loving eyes. He knew that behind those loving eyes hid a fragile lover that did not know whether he loved well enough. Baekhyun wanted to tell him so badly that he did. Kyungsoo loved more than enough. More than Sehun deserved.

And Baekhyun understood that when Kyungsoo said he knew where Sehun was, he was not lying. Kyungsoo was not lying, because Kyungsoo’s eyes would shift nervously, albeit only shortly, whenever he told a lie. Baekhyun knew that all too well. And since Kyungsoo was not lying, it meant that they had found Sehun. And that was completely wrong, because Sehun was supposed to be gone. Sehun was not supposed to be found anymore. The CEO of ROYELL was supposed to be gone.

Baekhyun hit the steering wheel angrily before leaning his head against it. Why could not things go as planned? Mister Lee said there would be nothing to worry about, but obviously he had not done what he had promised. Or else they would not have found Sehun. The moment Sehun comes back, all their efforts will go to waste. Everything they had planned so far will end abruptly. Baekhyun had waited so long. He did not want it to end into vain.

But he honestly did not know what to do anymore.

»

In the end, Shixun stayed awake the whole night so he could wake Lu Han up on time. He was not tired at all as he watched Lu Han’s sleeping face, a wave of possessiveness washing over him. He would never let Lu Han go, could never let Lu Han go, and the thought alone of ever leaving Lu Han’s side made him feel hollow already. There were so many things wrong with running away, but there were also so many things so brilliantly good with running away. Doing the wrong thing never felt better than now. His head was screaming no, but his heart was screaming yes, yes, yes.

When it came to Lu Han, his heart always seemed to win.

“Lu Han, wake up,” Shixun said softly, carefully trying to wake the other up, “it’s almost time.”

Lu Han did not quite want to wake up, so Shixun called out his name a few more times. A few more times, before he went to kiss the other awake. He always kissed Lu Han with the eagerness of a little child that wanted his present so badly, but when it came to Lu Han, that was just how he felt. The corners of his lips curved upwards as he saw Lu Han’s opening his eyes abruptly and widely.

“Shixun-ah!” Lu Han spoke out loud after he moved away from Shixun, the shock and embarrassment clearly written on his face.

“It’s your fault for not waking up,” Shixun said cheekily.

Only a little bit longer, and they would be able to see the sunrise. Shixun found the idea of watching the sunrise together such a wonderful thought. He found it so reassuring to have Lu Han by his side, to have the smaller male right next to him. A new chapter has started, and from today onwards, all the chapters will be filled with Lu Han and him together. From today onwards, they would create a future in which both of them are happy.

From today onwards, they would create a world in which they could both be who they wanted to be.

“Come on, let’s get out of the car,” Shixun said before opening the door and getting outside, a smile gracing his lips as he watched Lu Han doing the same.

Lu Han looked at him with the smile of angel as he said, “I’m really excited.”

Shixun extended his hand towards Lu Han, gesturing for Lu Han to hold onto it, “Come on.”

They had found a hill somewhere, with lots of grass and lots of stones defining its existence. There were not really any flowers, but there were rows of trees leading up to were a small bench was placed. The color of the sky was still a calm black, but that would be changing soon. Any time soon, the world will start to glow. Every single step they took was full with excitement, happiness and bliss, and Shixun realized once again that this is what love had done to him. This was what Lu Han had caused.

This was the happiness created by love.

They sat down on the bench, and Shixun was quick to embrace Lu Han. He was quick to hold onto Lu Han and show the other that he was never ever going to let go. Shixun sighed in bliss as he leaned his body against Lu Han’s, eagerly waiting for the sunrise to come.

“Where shall we go after this, Shixun-ah?” Lu Han asked him after a while as they both stared at the sky in front of them.

“First, we’re going to enjoy this beautiful sunrise, and then we’re going to a small shop to eat your favorite dish, ddeokbokki,” Shixun began to tell before chuckling, “You really want to hear all I’ve planned?”

Lu Han nodded his head before closing his eyes, head leaning against Shixun’s chest, “Tell me, Shixun. Tell me everything you’ve planned.”

Shixun laughed softly before nodding his head, “Alright, alright. Let’s see, after we’ve eaten, we’ll drive off somewhere. It doesn’t matter where; we’ll let the Heaven decide for us. We’ll get on the highway and drive until we see the name of a place we find pleasant. We’ll go there and walk around until we’re too tired to walk anymore. We’ll watch the sunrise together again, because from today onwards, we’ll watch every sunrise together,” Shixun’s heart exploded with joy at the sound of Lu Han’s soft laughter, “and then I’ll try to find work there. We don’t have that much money but that’s okay, I won’t ever let you starve. I’ll make sure I’ll get us two a nice apartment we can live in. We’ll share a bed together so I finally don’t have to sleep on the ground together. I want to be the last person you see before sleeping and the first person you see when waking up. You’ll cook your great fried rice for me for dinner and I’ll wash the dishes. We might not have enough money for a television at first but that’s okay, we can just look for the stars at night. We’ll lie on the couch on weekends and enjoy being lazy or go to the cinemas to watch a good movie. Ah, we probably also need to buy a big refrigerator because I know you love to eat ice cream, so we need to make sure we can have a whole bunch of ice cream stocked at our place. Or maybe that’s not really a good idea, you might get too fat. It’s okay, though, I’ll love you nevertheless. I know you love dogs, so once we’ve settled down and we’ve found a nice apartment that allows pets, we’ll get our third member of our home. I’ll decide on the name because otherwise you might call him Ritsu if it’s a he or Nana if it’s a she. But I’ll probably have to fight for your attention then, so let’s postpone that idea for now. Hmm… When we have enough money to go on a big trip, I’ll make sure to take you to a place where you can see lots of stars. We can go to Hawaii, or Chile, or Canada, or maybe the southern Caribbean Islands. I heard Barbados is an amazing place for stargazing. We’ll lie on the ground while counting the stars, or until we fall asleep. I’ll take you to all the places you want to go,” Shixun chuckled, “I want to be with you every single day.”

There was a moment of silence as Shixun let all his wishes sink in. Shixun savored the thought of spending the rest of his life with Lu Han, building a world for the two of them. They would be happy, he was certain. They would steal each other’s food and dry each other’s hair. They would dance in the living room and make a mess in the kitchen. They would hold hands while walking through the streets and make jokes while sharing ice cream. They would be happy.

Shixun was certain, they will be happy.

“Thank you, Shixun-ah…” Lu Han said, his voice shaking slightly, and when Shixun looked down he saw the tears forming at the corners of Lu Han’s eyes, “Thank you for this wonderful future…”

Shixun kissed the corner of Lu Han’s eye, letting the saltiness spreading in his mouth and turn into sweetness, “I’ll make it come true.”

Lu Han smiled, “You already did. Shixun-ah, you already did.”

The moment Lu Han opened his eyes, the sun starting rising. They both watched in awe as the sun slowly rose and colored the world in beautiful colors. It was nothing spectacular but still probably the most unforgettable sight. It made Shixun think how far they have come. It made him think about how far they have come until they could hold each other and talk of their future. They had come a long way.

“It’s beautiful,” Lu Han said with a delightful smile.

Shixun nodded his head, “It certainly is.”

“Shixun-ah, I love you,” Lu Han said before turning his head a little to look Shixun in the eyes, “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Shixun-ah, please remember, I love you. I really, really love you.”

Shixun had to fight the tears as he leaned down to kiss the other on the lips, before whispering, “I really love you too, Lu Han.”

»

“Let’s go,” Lu Han said as he stood up.

Shixun nodded his head, hand automatically reaching out for Lu Han’s. The both of them walked down the hill and towards their car. Lu Han looked at Shixun for a while, carefully looking at Shixun’s face and trying to memorize every single detail.

When Shixun noticed Lu Han’s stare, he looked back at the other before bursting into laugher, “What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing,” Lu Han said while shaking his head.

“Admiring how handsome I am?” Shixun joked.

The words came out quicker than Lu Han had wanted, “Yes.”

This caught Shixun on surprise, before an amused grin appeared “You’re quite honest today, Lu Han.”

“I just want to remember every single detail of you. I want your face so clearly in my memory that even in your dreams I can picture you clearly,” Lu Han said honestly.

Shixun patted Lu Han’s head at this, “Lu Han, I’m not going anywhere, so even if you don’t put any effort into remembering, you’ll know my face by heart eventually.”

Shixun let go off Lu Han to get into the car. Lu Han looked down at the hand Shixun had held onto just a second ago, trying desperately to remember the warmth of Shixun’s skin. He tried insanely hard to remember how it felt to be touched by Shixun. Then he got into the car, seeing how Shixun was struggling to stay awake. He must be really tired, as he had not slept at all yesterday night. There was a loud thumping coming from his heart as he slowly reached out to touch Shixun’s hair, gently caressing it. Shixun had experienced and endured a lot.

It caused Shixun to smile, “I think I might fall asleep.”

Lu Han’s hand went to cover Shixun’s eyes, “Then go to sleep, Shixun-ah. I’ll wake you up when we’re there.”

Shixun nodded his head, and Lu Han could see the smile of an angel forming on Shixun’s lips, “Alright. Where are we going?”

Lu Han took a breath before saying, “To the place we belong to.”

Shixun nodded his head again before slowly slumping down against the seat, “Alright.”

Lu Han continued covering Shixun’s eyes until Shixun’s breath turned slow and even. He covered Shixun’s eyes until the tears that had been unconsciously rolling down and multiplied rapidly had become controllable. He covered Shixun’s eyes until there were no more tears to cry and no more sadness to drown into.

Slowly, he moved his hand away, intently watching Shixun sleeping. Shixun looked so handsome, so fatally perfect, it made Lu Han want to touch him. And he did. He grazed his fingertips tenderly on Shixun’s cheek, feeling its softness and burning it down in his memory. He needed to remember. He had to remember.

“Shixun-ah…” Lu Han whispered while his heart wrenched in pain, “It’s time to go back to where you belong.”

He had to remember before it was too late.

»

The drive was supposed to take long, but in his heart, it went way too quick. Before he knew it, his car was parked not too far away from their destination. Their first destination…

And their last destination.

Lu Han took a deep breath before turning this head to look at Shixun. Somewhere deep inside of him, there was a voice screaming loudly at him. The voice was telling him that he was making a grave mistake. Maybe Lu Han was making a big mistake, but it was the only decision that his heart could approve of. It was the only decision his heart supported, no matter how much it hurt. It was the only decision that sounded more right than wrong.

So he slowly, reluctantly, woke Shixun up, watching how Shixun woke up like a mother watching her child spreading its wings. Such a painful sight it was. He watched Shixun open his eyes and look at him, a sincere smile growing on his lips and love dancing in his eyes. It was so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful that it took Lu Han’s breath away.

“We’re here, Shixun-ah,” Lu Han spoke out softly.

Shixun looked around, not recognizing where they were, but it was a busy place, “Where are we?”

“It’s a surprise. Come on, let’s get going,” Lu Han said before getting out of the car.

Shixun followed him and Lu Han quickly went to Shixun’s side, covering the taller male’s eyes with his both hands, “It’s a surprise,” Lu Han said again, choking a little on the heaviness in his throat.

Shixun nodded innocently, “Alright. Are we going to eat something delicious? But this place looks expensive though, so let’s not eat too much. We should save up the money as much as possible.”

Lu Han grinned sadly as he began to lead Shixun towards the building, “Are you hungry, Shixun?”

Shixun nodded his head, “Yes, I am. I want to eat your fried rice.”

The smaller male felt the lumping his throat growing, and no swallowing could make it disappear, “I’ll cook it for you later.”

A bright grin danced on Shixun’s lips as he spoke, “It’s a promise then, okay?”

Lu Han nodded his head, even though Shixun could not see it, and a fresh tear rolling down his cheek, “It’s a promise.”

And the moment they stood in front of the building, Lu Han let the name hit him right in the heart. He let the place and reality hit him right where it hurt the most, making him weak and exhausted. He needed to accept this, because this was his decision. No matter how much it hurt, he needed to do this. Shixun could not make a decision. No, Shixun could not make the right decision. Shixun had been too caught up in emotions and wishes that he forgot what was most important.

So Lu Han would make the best decision for the both of them. 

He was so grateful and thankful for Shixun’s love. He felt so happy and sad at the same time when he heard Shixun told him about their future. He was so heavenly happy as he listened to Shixun’s soothing voice telling him about everything they would do. It sounded so, so good. It really sounded so, so good, and Lu Han could not wish for a better future. But then the sadness sunk in, because from the start, Lu Han had decided that he would not let this childish dream get too far. He would not let Shixun stray too far away. He would bring Shixun to where he truly belonged. It was time for Lu Han to give back what he had borrowed. It was time for Lu Han to give back what he had stolen. It was time for Lu Han to say goodbye.

It was time to say goodbye.

“Lu Han, can I see already?” Shixun asked gently, not knowing anything at all.

Lu Han took a deep breath before saying, “Shixun-ah, count to fifty, okay? Count to fifty before opening your eyes, okay?”

Shixun tried to turn his head a little but Lu Han forced him to face forward again, “Eh, why?”

“I need some time to prepare something, so please, count to fifty, okay? O-Okay?” Lu Han’s heart broke at the crack of his voice, “D-Don’t open your eyes until you’ve counted to fifty, okay?”

Shixun nodded his head, a mischievous grin appearing, “Alright, alright. Let’s see what you’re up to,” He took a deep breath before starting, “One, two, three,”

And Lu Han listened to the counting with pain, slowly moving his hands away. Shixun obediently had his eyes closed, and it hurt so much to see how Shixun really listened to him. It hurt so much to say goodbye to this, to Shixun. But there was not time to waste and he wiped the tears away before turning around and rushing back to the car. He did not dare to look back, did not trust his heart and soul to stay sane at the sight of Shixun, so he kept on running until he was back at his car. He hastily unlocked the car, got inside with shaking hands before messily starting the engine.

He needed to get away before Shixun noticed what was really going on.

There was no time to listen to the screaming in his head, telling him to go back to Shixun and stop this crazy act. He was digging his own grave right now, he knew that really well. Nothing could ever hurt more than this. The moment Shixun was out of sight he would probably break down and fall apart. But Shixun deserved to be somewhere he belonged to. Shixun deserved a bright future that was not wasted earning just enough money to pay the bills of a small apartment. Shixun deserved much more than that.

The moment Shixun opened his eyes, Lu Han stepped onto the gas pedal.

»

The moment Shixun opened his eyes, he had expected to see Lu Han. He had expected to see Lu Han, not a huge building that he had never seen before. Confusion filled him at the absence of Lu Han. He quickly looked around for Lu Han, but he was nowhere to be found. And then his eyes landed on the name written in gold in front of him. His heart fell.

ROYELL.

“To the place we belong to.”

Shixun felt himself going insane as the truth sunk in. He felt himself gradually but rapidly going insane at the thought of Lu Han leaving him. This could not be happening.

“Lu Han!” Shixun yelled as he looked around desperately, not knowing where Lu Han could have gone to, “Lu Han!”

Lu Han could not decide this on his own. Lu Han had no right to decide this on his own. Lu Han was not allowed to decide this on his own. Shixun was not going to allow Lu Han to decide this on his own. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he spotted Lu Han’s car as the feelings of betrayal weighted so heavily on top of his heart.

Lu Han was not allowed to decide what was best for the both of them.

He ran towards the car like crazy, not caring about anything else. His attention was all focused on the car, on Lu Han, and how he was not going to let Lu Han get away. He was not going to let Lu Han decide on his own what was best. Lu Han obviously did not understand what was best. Lu Han obviously did not understand just how much he meant to Shixun. He obviously did not, or else he would not have done this.

And he did not even think about his actions as he jumped in front of the car, causing Lu Han to widen his eyes in utmost shock. The fright was written all over his face like a ghost haunting his soul. The car stopped inches away from Shixun’s body, a very small distance away of taking his life. However, all Shixun could think about as he looked Lu Han in the eyes, was that he was not going to let Lu Han go. There was no way he was going to let Lu Han go.

“Get out,” Shixun said sternly, gesturing for Lu Han to get out.

Lu Han shook his head, turning his head around at the sound of angry drivers pressing down on their horns. Shixun did not care about anything else but Lu Han as he got to the side of the car, roughly opening the door before pulling Lu Han out of it.

“Shixun, why-” Lu Han began, but Shixun cut him off with a rough kiss.

“Don’t you dare to decide for the two of us what’s best, Lu Han,” Shixun said angrily, “Don’t you dare to ever leave my side.”

“This is the right decision, Shixun!” Lu Han yelled as he tried to get out of Shixun’s grasp, “Go back and forget about me, about Minseok and Yixing, about anything that happened in Incheon. Forget it all!”

“Why?! Lu Han, why?!” Shixun yelled, “We said we would build up a future together! We’ll be together! Why would you go and bring me here?!”

Lu Han began to cry as he looked away, “This is where you belong, Shixun-ah…”

“That’s not up to you to decide!” Shixun yelled furiously as he moved away from Lu Han, “Lu Han, that’s not up to you to decide!”

“Listen to me, Shixun-ah-” Lu Han tried.

“We said we would run away, Lu Han!” Shixun continued, and in his rage he went to the car and took out the keys, “We promised we would be together!”

And with that, he threw away the keys. Shixun would do anything, go through great lengths, dive into the deepest sea and climb the highest mountain, just to stop Lu Han from leaving him. Shixun was going to make sure that Lu Han would understand that the smaller male was not allowed to leave his side. He would make it clear to Lu Han, no matter how much effort and how many I love you’s it would take. He would make Lu Han understand.

But Lu Han was stubborn. He was stubborn because he shook his head even though he looked at Shixun with so much longing. He was stubborn because he walked away without even looking back at Shixun He was stubborn but so was Shixun. Shixun was stubborn too because he ran right after Lu Han, reaching out for Lu Han’s arm and holding onto it tightly. They were making a scene in the middle of the street but Shixun could not really bring himself to care right now.

There was a sudden loud sound of a car horn and Shixun really did not understand what was happening. He really did not understand but Lu Han seemed to, because his eyes was wide and before Shixun could even comprehend that a car was coming their way, Lu Han had already pushed him away. Everything else happened to quick for Shixun.

One moment he was standing and the next moment he was lying on the ground, falling down head first. One moment he was feeling so much anger filling his mind and the next moment he was feeling excruciating pain spreading inside of his head. One moment he saw Lu Han standing close to him and the next moment he saw Lu Han getting hit by a car, falling down on the ground and not moving at all. One moment there was so much sound and the next moment there was this loud silence that overwhelmed him.

Shixun wanted to call out for Lu Han, but nothing could really leave his mouth. He wanted to scream Lu Han’s name, wanted to get near to Lu Han and see whether he was alright – he needed to be alright – but he could not. He could not do anything. He wanted to be with Lu Han, but he could not do anything.

There were memories flashing in front of his eyes, but he could not do anything.

»

It took much effort for him to open his eyes, and it did not help that a painful brightness was what welcomed him. His head hurt and he instinctively reached a hand to touch it, only to feel something wrapped around his head – bandage. He looked around, frowning at the sight of the plain curtains. His eyes landed on the medical equipment next to the bed, making him realize that he was in the hospital.

He had absolutely no idea how he ended up here, or how he got injured. The pain was not unbearable but quite uncomfortable, causing him to frown with discontent. There were so many things waiting for him to be done. He had no time to deal with injuries or staying in a hospital. He felt his pockets but could not find anything. He sighed, the irritation already building up inside of him. He slowly sat, taking a moment to see whether he would feel dizzy, and standing up when he felt quite fine. He looked down at himself, intently groaning at the sight.

He slowly removed the curtain and looked around with an emotionless expression. The bandage really was exaggerative, and did more harm than good. He turned his head to look at his left at the opening of the curtains next to him, seeing how two nurses where moving the bed. He watched how they took an unconscious young man, dark brown hair and small face, somewhere. He looked fragile with his eyes closed.

He shook his head when he realized his attention had lingered too long on this person, and he quickly turned around. He needed to find a telephone or simply someone that could help him contact the person he needed to contact. Before he could walk off somewhere, though, a nurse popped up in front of him. She blinked his eyes in confusion at the sight of him.

“Mister, you should be resting-” The nurse began.

“I need to call someone,” He said, automatically reaching for his head as yet another wave of pain hit him.

“Are you okay, mister?” The nurse asked in concern, “I don’t think you should be walking around right now, mister. You just got brought to the hospital.”

“I need to go,” He said coldly, before sighing, “I can go, right?”

“The doctor will be coming soon, mister. The person who came into the hospital with you was in a more critical condition, so we needed to attend to him first,” The nurse said before looking down on the papers she was holding, “Also, mister, we couldn’t find anything on you to identify you with. You might’ve lost your belongings or you might’ve been robbed. I’ll need to ask you certain questions first, if that’s okay.”

For a fleeting moment, his mind wandered to the unconscious young man lying on the bed. He wondered how he was doing. He did not remember ever seeing that person though. So many things did not make sense right now, and he really needed to contact someone right now. Someone who could explain everything.     

He sighed at all the mysteries he could not solve before nodded his head, “Alright.”

“What’s your name, mister?”

The words rolled off his tongue very easily.

“Oh Sehun.”

It took me two whole days to finish this chapter, with lots of planning and thinking. If you ask me what I think of this chapter, I both love it and dislike it. One the one hand, I think this is one of my favorite chapters. On the other hand, I needed to quicken things because otherwise this would drag on way too long. And I hate having to quicken things up. However, that's why I had to plan for so long, because eventually I was able to come with a chapter that fit my wishes. It was crazy long and it took me so long to be able to wrap things up nicely, oh gosh this chapter really is something. I had bits and pieces of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun in this chapter, and I think it adds up something valuable. This chapter is meant to be a bridge from frog arc to prince arc, and in prince arc we will finally get some answers to questions we've been wanting to be answered. Like, who is mister Lee? What is Sehun and Kyungsoo's past? Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's past? More importantly, what about poor Lu Han?
Well, this is the end of the frog arc. The prince arc will start now with Oh Sehun being back again. I swear I  love Shixun so much in this chapter. I felt so sad as I wrote his description about their future. That really hit me the most. Because Shixun really does love Lu Han. Everything else doesn't add up to Lu Han's importance in his life. And Lu Han brought Shixun back to where he belonged. The Lu Han at the beginning of this story would have never been able to do this, but the Lu Han now is. Everything sounds so good, but just because it sounds so good doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Lu Han understands that.

And one last thing before I end this author's note: did you all remember where the three dares came from? I needed to think carefully, how about you? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't kill me. I know you want to kill me but I need to finish this story so spare my life. Until next time!