In the span of seven days, Yixing tried his best to act normally around his friends – to act as if the night with Jongin didn’t happen. He didn’t go back to the studio after that; he didn’t try to contact Jongin out of anger or for answers. And Jongin did the same.

Yixing went to work and back home as usual. He went out with Chen or Luhan whenever either or both asked him. He ate with all five friends if the schedule allowed them. It was a perfect act so no one in the group noticed – except for one.

Yifan received less and less from Yixing. Their calls in the morning were also cut short because Yixing needed to rush or because he woke up late. Their messages were slowly being limited to “Did you eat?” and “What time can I call you?”, among others. Yes, it was deliberately done by Yixing. He would leave his phones ringing in the morning and he would delete long messages just to type short questions.

He couldn’t help but avoid the other. Because every time, every conversation he had with Yifan, Yixing felt that he’s cheating on him once again. Or lying. How could he pretend so innocent when someone other than Yifan had him? How could he talk happily when he can remember the time Jongin was on top of him? There was simply no way; Yixing knew he was trash, and he didn’t want Yifan to dwell too deep in that trash.

The sudden change of attitude, of course, frustrated Yifan. One side of him thought that maybe – just maybe – things really have become too hectic in Korea. Maybe there were simply more projects coming in these days? Maybe Yixing really is tired? But if that was the case, then shouldn’t Luhan and Chen be busy as well? In the couple of times Yifan talked to the two, it didn’t seem so. That’s why another side of Yifan thought that something was definitely wrong. And he intended to find out just what this “something” is.

Lucky for Yifan, he didn’t need to wait any longer.

“You may now unbuckle your seatbelts and exit the plane,” the announcement stated.

He was back in Korea.

“I don’t see why so many people had to come…” Yixing said as he stood among the crowd in the receiving area. There he was to pick Yifan up, as he promised the other last night. But seeing as he did not have the confidence to face Yifan alone, he needed to ask Chen to come with him. But Chen had two people on his tail that apparently didn’t mind tagging along.

“Four people isn’t ‘so many’, hyung,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“I only needed Chen to come with me though…”

“I tried to reason with them,” Suho said. “But someone decided to just tag along, and I wouldn’t stand by idly and let that somebody get time alone with Chen.”

“I’m sorry, hyung, I tried to get them off my back,” Chen said.

“It’s okay… I just didn’t want to trouble anymore that I would trouble you,” Yixing said.

“No trouble at all!” Chen answered.

While Suho and Chanyeol bickered as usual, Chen helped Yixing look at the arrival board of the flights.

“10:40am…” Yixing whispered. “Should be here already…” he said as his eyes browsed through all the flight numbers and status.

“Ah there!” Chen exclaimed. “Flight 527. Arrived.” He read loudly.

“Great! Let’s go to the arrival area now,” Chanyeol exclaimed.

When people slowly started to exit the gates, Yixing’s three companion couldn’t stay still.

“Maybe he won’t see us here?” Chanyeol said.

“With you towering over most people, I don’t think that’s possible,” Suho replied.

“But there are soooo many people here.”

“True. I wonder why though.”

“Seems like some idol group is here as well. Came from Hong Kong? Taiwan?” Chen stated.

“And you know this why?” Yixing asked.

“I overheard the girls talking. A group called E.X- something. I forgot.”

“Hmm… name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Neither to me,” Chen shrugged. “Probably just another group of guys trying to look good and sing well. I bet I could top whoever is main vocal in that group.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Chanyeol commented. “But I do doubt that group has anyone better looking than me.”

“I don’t get why the girls – err, fans – keep saying they can’t wait to meet their “guardian angel”…” Suho said.

“Maybe it’s that group’s concept or something,” Chen said.

“Sounds ridiculous to me.”

“You don’t want the girls to hear you say that.”

“But I agree with him,” Chanyeol added. “The group could be zombies or aliens, for all I care. Either way it’s pretty funny. That ‘Happy Virus’ sign, for one, is hilarious. Who would want to address himself as a blissful cause of disease? Sounds ridiculous indeed.”

Among the four, Yixing was undeniably the quiet one. His mind is full of questions and he feels it as a burden just to be able to stand properly and look normal

“How should I greet him? Do I hug him? Should I hug him? No. I don’t have the right to… after… Should I back away after seeing him? Can I really just look him in the eye? What if I start stuttering? What if he’s angry at me for avoiding him this past week? What if he already knows?”

Last night, Yixing decided that he won’t tell Yifan about Jongin – not yet. He needed answers from Jongin first. Why did Jongin do that? What really happened? How? From his memory, all Yixing remembers is him blacking out after being kissed in the chest. Yet his condition in the morning is a bad reassurance to his fear.

Still, Yixing decided he needed to know what happened first before being able to tell Yifan.

But that doesn’t excuse him from cheating, he concluded. No matter how it happened, it did. Which explains his condition at the airport.

“I’m going over there to make sure Yifan can see us,” Chanyeol said.

“Maybe it IS better to split up?” Chen suggested. “Yixing-hyung?”

“Oh? Ah… yeah, sure. Let me go to the left side then…” Yixing said as he began to walk away.

“Make sure to call us if you see Yifan-hyung! We’ll do the same.” Chen shouted.

“I’m not even sure if I want so see him just yet…” Yixing thought.

Yes, he did want to see Yifan. He would be lying if he said otherwise. They’re still a couple and it’s been months since they saw each other. And considering how they parted, Yixing is ecstatic to see his Yifan again – if he decided he still have rights to claim Yifan his that is. Nonetheless, he missed Yifan. How the older would bother him; how the older would throw out cheesy lines randomly; how they would kiss in their apartment goodnight; how they would laugh about stupid things. But on top of it all, what he missed the most is –

“THEY’RE HERE!!” The girls shouted loudly as they all made their way to the opposite direction Yixing was walking. “OPPAAAA!!!!” The fans cheered.

From where Yixing is standing, he could see guards ushering what seemed like twelve guys out of the crowd and out of the airport. Given that he doesn’t really know who the group was, he turned around to continue his search for Yifan. He took his first step, still looking at the growing crowd opposite him.

“Sorry!” Yixing exclaimed as he bumped to someone because he wasn’t looking in front.

“I hope you didn’t replace me with some stupid idol; I’m sure I look better than any of them,” the person said.

Looking up, Yixing can only say: “Yifan…” The younger said as his eyes saw the person his heart craved for the most. Wearing a white long-sleeve and with hair all combed up and styled.

“Yixing,” Yifan said warmly as his own eyes met the other. It had been too long, he thought. “I’m home.”

“Welcome back… home,” Yixing smiled.

“Thank you for picking me up.”

“I promised, didn’t I?” Yixing said before being pulled in for an embrace.

“I missed you,” Yifan whispered. “Too much that I was going crazy. You have no idea, Yixing. You simply have no idea…” he continued as his hands met each other at the back of Yixing. This sudden affection isn’t really their nature, but Yifan could care less. He spent months along and Yixing did too. They needed it. He took in the smell of Yixing perfume and shampoo, felt the warmth of Yixing’s body and took in the feeling of being welcomed by the person he loves. “It’s nice to be home.”

“I… missed you too. But we’re in public, Yifan…” the younger said as he tried to pull away.

“Let them look,” Yifan said as he created space between them. “I don’t care; I wanted a hug from my boyfriend.”

“And you got one.”

“I did.”

“You’re the same as always,” Yixing said as he tried to clear his blush. “You don’t take care of your public image.”

“Nothing wrong with what I’m doing. Besides, I’m pretty sure everyone else is too preoccupied by what’s happening there,” the older said pointing to the shouting fans. “You know,” he continued as he grabbed his luggage. “I saw them in the luggage area. Those idols, I mean. They don’t really look that good; I think average at best.”

“Chanyeol thinks the same but he hasn’t seen them at all yet.”

“Well, he’s right,” Yifan said as he opened his right hand to Yixing. “We should probably go see our friends then? They must be dying to see me after months…”

Yixing took Yifan’s hands and walked together. But it was not without doubt or insecurity. The questions Yixing had earlier all ran through his head, but concluded there was no way out of it. “Things will get better. They better. I need to make it better.” He thought as he interlaced his fingers with Yifan.

“HYUNG!!” Chen was heard shouting a few steps away, followed by Suho and Chanyeol. It was supposed to be a happy scene, if Chanyeol wasn’t bickering with a teenage girl.

“You’re oppa is so ugly!! I don’t get why you want to see that ‘happy virus’!!!!” Chanyeol can be heard saying.

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A/N: I hope nobody wants to murder me for updating after months? T.T To try to make it up, I also have the next chapter with me and will upload it possibly tomorrow. :) And maybe I'll go back to updating once a week? We're friends again, right? right? Huuuuuu.