chapter two: machine

"... locked with a difficult password, a room that is closed  "   

"Success." Huiying grinned as she dropped the call and eyed her siblings, who were lazily plopped down the couch slash the floor. She slowly plopped just beside Jonathan, who was rather comfortably . "Well, now that we've tricked Mr. Kim Monster that you two caught a severe case of flu, what do we plan for the rest of the day?" the youngest questioned.

"Get some proper rest perhaps?" Jonathan grinned as he ruffled the younger's reddish hair. "We haven't had some proper naps or even sleeps since debut."

"But considering Huiying here will get bored," Hyerin began as she eyed their younger sister sitting in a rather improper posture. "We aren't going to get some lovely rests throughout the day. Besides, I promised us some café engrande yesterday, right? That café just around the cor–"

"I'm fine, eonni." Huiying smiled. "As long as we spend a peaceful day all together, I'm pretty fine myself. No explorations or gallas. I'm fine staying at home, eating some dried cherries or some macaroni and cheese while watching some movies all together."

The two other siblings exchanged glances. Huiying never really changed since they were little. Still the smart, matured baby girl unfitting for her fresh age. Now, she's only twenty-two years old but she talks as if she's an old woman with lots of experiences with life. As if she's older than her siblings. But she couldn't be blamed. She matured at an early age of six due to the fact of her being an orphan and having bullied almost everday back in the orphanage for being "half-Korean". Racism made a big impact on her.

And now, she's living a matured life at a fresh age of twenty-two. Heck, she's even more matured than Hyerin most of the time. 

"And this is why I doubt you're really younger than me and noona here." Jonathan laughed as he sat up and wrapped his arms around the younger red-haired. "Seriously, it's unfair you get to be matured and smart. I'm the matured sibling, Huiying." he pursed his lips.

"With smartness comes great maturity, oppa." the Chinese-Korean giggled cutely as she pinched her older brother's cheeks. "Besides, I'm still cute."

"What does that have to deal with you stealing my sibling title?" 

"I don't know. Charisma and cuteness are the group's keys?"

"You're beginning to talk funny again." Hyerin laughed as she stood up from the floor. "I'll make some breakfast. What'd you two like, hm?"

"You can't cook." Huiying pursed her lips as she eyed the eldest.

"Excuse me, but I can cook, Chang Huiying. I used to prepare breakfast back then when we were–" Hyerin paused as she realized where her words were heading. Painful, painful memories she tried to overlap with joyous ones. Memories that were once sunny bright and perfect but had turned into agonizing ones when that incident happened. Jonathan and Huiying hurriedly noticed the older's sudden expression and quickly, they tried to resolve it. 

"W-when we were back in the orphanage!" Jonathan tried to swivel the topic around as he jumped off the couch, darting towards her older sister for a tight hug. "Mhm! You used to prepare the most delicious dishes when we woke up late or when the other kids purposely emptied our share of meals. Yeah, we greatly remember that." he grinned ear-to-ear. 

Hyerin was the most affected one since their "fathers's" disbandment. Not that they had lots of time together since they became official trainees, and more when they debuted. They barely had time to have those precious family moments anymore. Well, Pandora Street was busy doing their first debut stage while EXO focused on continuous promotions despite losing its members one by one.

And everytime a member left, Hyerin's heart lost a piece and the crack grew bigger and deeper. Her heart slowly froze for anything else but their group, as the renowned leader of Pandora Street. But soon, when she slowly lost her own members, she knew that the only persons she has to care for are her siblings once more. 

Just like what she did before.

She just had to focus on two special people.

Huiying and Jonathan: her siblings. Her two beloved ones. Her family.

"Eonni! Can you make macaroni and cheese?" she hears Huiying cry from the living room. She scowled at first, doubting if she heard correct before she walked on the kitchen doorway, eyeing the youngest who had her head comfortably laid down on Jonathan's lap. She eyed Hyerin as soon as she noticed her presence on the kitchen doorway with those twinkling eyes of hers. "I know, but hey, it's once in a while. I won't get stomach flab with one bowl, right?"

"Just promise me you'll start using the treadmill to retain your curves, alright?" Hyerin smiled as she headed back the kitchen.

"Noona." she hears Jonathan call out again, making her stop in her tracks.

"Yeah?"

"We'll be fine." he smiled sweetly, as if those black orbs of his were twinkling with life and endless joy. Seeing that she smiled before she nodded, turning around to start making dinner.

And yet again, she recalled.

Jonathan was raised to be a liar.

Breakfast went rather better than they expected. Not rushed. They were able to chew their food well, chat a bit along the eating and proceed lazily throughout the day.

That, until the ringing of Hyerin's phone filled the silent place The leader hurriedly scurried towards her device and looked at the caller i.d

Mr. Kim Monster.

Putting up her best act, thanks to that drama she had recently taken part of, she took the role of a terribly ill lady who couldn't even help herself up out of bed. And with her best acting skills and absorbing that role well, she answered with a weak and nearly faint voice. "Hello?" she croaks. Purposely croaked. "Sir?–"

"You don't sound ill at all and you asked for a day's leave. I cannot believe a leader like you. Hurry and drag your useless self here with your members. You have to adjust your choreography for the comeback performance two days from now!" the angry voice of Kim Youngmin cried out from the other line. Hyerin had to put the phone away and eye her siblings with an annoyed look. The two youngsters, learning from their observations, knew that their sister was only brave to answer back and act all strong when the CEO isn't standing in front of her. She could literally cuss at him in the call, but being a responsible lady she is, she knows that she has to put up a lady-like mannerism to their boss. She knew she has to put up her best mask whenever around their merciless boss. "Seriously! You just lost that crap! Eunseo, was that his name? Ugh, whatever! Get your lazy asses here and–"

There, Hyerin dropped it.

A vigorous cough and a loud thud.

"What was that?" she heard Youngmin ask from the other line, surprised at the background sounds. "Hey! What's going on there–"

"Eonni? ​Hyerin-eonni! Oppa! Hurry! Eonni collapsed! Jonathan-oppa! Help me!" the voice of a desperate Huiying filled the silent room, making Youngmin's voice show a clear color of panic as he heard the young lady screaming in the back.

"Kim Hyerin, I swear if this is a joke–!"

"Help me! Oppa​!" Huiying continued to cry out as Jonathan's heavy yet quick steps followed. He was stomping his feet on the floor, making fake footsteps before Hyerin ended the call. The three smiled afterwards, laughing all together once they made sure that the call was dropped. Huiying fell on her back while Jonathan and Hyerin bumped their heads in laughing, sending them to laugh more. 

"That was hilarious! I can imagine his face right now!" Jonathan exclaimed in between his laughing fit. "That was seriously the best acting we had!"

"I must say, for someone who had just entered the acting field, you sure got my charms." Hyerin giggled as she eyed the smiling Huiying. The Chinese-Korean could only giggle back in thankfulness as she nodded her head. She, herself, was impressed on her sudden skills. "Seriously though, thanks for the help. We surely fooled that fool with ease." the eldest grinned.

"Of course he'll be!" Jonathan grinned back. "Besides, let's face it, we three make a great acting tandem." the middle-sibling said, nodding his head. 

"We should enter a drama all together!" Huiying excitedly squealed before she jumped up from her spot. "Speaking of dramas! I'll miss that drama that cute rookie actor is in!" she cried as she crawled over the remote, grabbing it with her small hands before she notices the playful looks shot to her by her older siblings. "What's with the look?" she blinked.

"Huiying's got a crush!" the two grinned playfully as they did one of those "girly squeals" any girl often does before they clasped each other's hands, sending the youngest widening her eyes before she shakes her head. 

"No! no, no, no, I don't like that actor! He's just... we're growing friends, okay?" Huiying pouted before she buried her face on a nearby pillow, her face obviously red. Jonathan and Hyerin giggles before the eldest sibling grabs the remote and turns the television on. 

She knew which drama Huiying always looked forward too, and yes, she has no feelings towards the actor she was referring to. It was just that they were the same age, were obviously becoming close and had mutual interests. Hyerin and Jonathan just had thought that the two would look good together, but that didn't mean that the two siblings were permitting that flower boy to court their sister, worse, be a couple with Huiyin. Never will that happen.

Not even over their dead bodies.

Jonathan noticed the sudden heavy aura that fell when Hyerin the television.

His eyes traveled through the screen and despite not exchanging words, he knew why.

Three MC's around the same age they are were standing on the stage, eyes locked on the camera as they carried a few cards. They were relatively wearing white. The female, standing in the middle, wore a cute frilly white dress matched with a white flower head dress clipped on the left part of her head, holding up her brownish-yellow hair up in a side-ways ponytail. The two men standing beside her wore different outfits though. The one in the left wore white pants and white long sleeves that exposed his perfect collarbones. To match this, he wore those big-framed glasses. The other on her right wore a white tuxedo and white pants.

And behind them was a large number of idol groups.

Some wore those fancy fashion clothes while others were seemingly going for a ballad-themed fashion. Some wore clothes that shouted "psycho", "crazy", "extra-ordinary" while their faces were painted with a thick amount of eyeliner and pale foundation. The others were too formal looking. Others wore hip-hop fashion while others decided to look all girly and bubbly.

But three persons shone in their perspective the most.

One chocolate-haired male around his thirties with his signature thick eyeliner. One had a golden-brown colored hair and wore a light amount of make-up and stood in a proud, leader-like, poised stand. Standing a few feet behind him was a brownish-black haired guy whose cheekbones and those sharp ends of his lips' corners made his face look more charismatic as his eyes looked around and his tongue flicked out now and then.

Jonathan's stomach flipped.

Huiying froze.

Hyerin... well, her eyes were somewhat blank but something in those orbs stirred and flashed another  another flicker of mixed emotions

Pain. Desperation. Agony. 

Feeling those mixture of terrible emotions along with the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks, poor Hyerin  looked away while the younger ones were frozen in place. The MC's were probably announcing the winners but it seemed like the world went silent. Their focus were on those three persons.

Huiying simply lowered her head before she eyed her trembling sister, who was slowly letting her hands crawl towards her ears to cover them. As if she was trying to block any painful sounds from entering her ears. As if she was hearing those painful, painful voices assuring her that they'll never leave her. Those voices that belonged to those promise-breakers. She felt herself break into pieces and in hopes of blocking out that tearing sensation, her body released a reflex to tremble and pool tears on the rims of her eyes.

Jonathan was quick though. 

He is the matured sibling for a reason. He hurriedly crawls towards his older sister and wraps his lean arms around her for a tight embrace. He was sure that he's blocking all senses her sister has that can remind her of the past. Her vision was blocked due to her face being buried on Jonathan's chest, her ears were covered and somewhat blocked by the way Jonathan wrapped his arms around her. He shushed her growing sobs with assurance. 

"It's okay, it'll go away."

"It'll soon be fine."

"It's fine. It's fine. It will be fine."

Liar. He's always been a liar he was raised to be back in the orphanage. Even if he's an idol now, he's still a liar.

Hyerin sobbed quietly in his chest, wetting his shirt with tears. Jonathan refused to let go and Huiying just kept her head hanging low, refusing to watch those three in the screen.

He looked at his reflection and pursed his lips. A strand was out of place and with careful hands, he fixed it. He smiled happily when he did and next, he leaned in closer to the mirror to see his perfectly done eyeliner. He smiled once more before he leaned back and grabbed his phone, smiling at the sudden message flashing on the screen.

"Congrats."

His smile soon widened more. Pretty reserved when it comes to text messages but pretty talkative live. He always had that kind of personality. 

And over the past six years, Kim Joonmyun had never changed. Or as what he goes on stage now and before, "Suho". 

"I won nothing, silly. But thanks. I liked your performance a lot!"

The eye-liner boy smiled as he placed his hand phone down and eyed his perfectly drawn eyeliner once more. he always took pride on those eyeliner stylist. They make the best eyeliners and chose the best brand too. For some reason, his skin went sensitive so, for the sake of not ruining his porcelain-like skin, they choose safe brands that will surely not trigger an allergy effect. The smile never left his face and it only grew wider when a stylist came in. "Thank you for your well styling of my eyeliner today." he thanked, bowing at her while seated. She only smiled back before she sat on the couch, just to be followed by a few more stylists.

And as usual, they praised him.

"You did an extravagant performance today, I must say! It was amazing!"

"For a soloist, you know how to grab your fans' hearts." 

"We're proud of you."

He smiled, or as what that actually is, fake smiled to his stylists. He needed to assure them. Besides, the past few months were kind of rough for him. He had to struggle for a perfect comeback and a unique way to steal the fans' hearts once again. And if possibly, steal more hearts from other fandoms. From other stans.  It has always been his key move, and surely the public were amazed by his undying ability. One look from those crescent eyes seemingly smiling at them and his (fake) sunny smile, they'd surely fall in love.

He was used to smiling fake. He kept that smile when he left his "family." He smiled when his girlfriend broke up with him two years ago for a "better" future. He didn't care though, because letting in the pain is a sign that he's weak. He didn't want to appear weak.

Byun Baekhyun is never weak. On or off of camera. 

He eyed the faces walking across his room. He spotted a familiar face with high cheekbones talking to his manager, supposedly, and not even a glimpse to him was given. Of course, that was expected. They're in two rival companies now, and no longer in the same group.

That's right. Kim Jongdae, also known as Chen, had chosen to join the company that would soon have an intense rivalry spark with the same company Baekhyun is in. Thus, the friendship and bond he used to have with that giddy singer was ruined. he barely talked to him and their closest greeting would now be an exchange of looks and them bowing casually at each other. That's it.

It is different now. Six years change lots of things.

But Baekhyun shouldn't falter. He should retain his strong physical appearance to the public and in private. 

But the pain was killing him secretly and without anyone watching him, he'd tear up. He'd let the pain go out of his system in forms of tears. He's sure Suho did the same too. besides, he's the most affected one in the group. The reason for their sudden "disconnection" rooted deeper than what the public had knew. It was too deep that it hurts only when he thinks about it.

Suho, as the former leader, must be the most affected one. Baekhyun? he lost his brothers and a best friend. Chen? He received nothing but shattered dreams, tears, pain and a big package of broken trust. They were all terribly scarred. 

But as what they all say, time goes on. it just doens't stop there.

"I wonder how they are." Baekhyun mumbled under his breath as he eyed his hand phone's wallpaper. Tears pooled slowly on the rims of his eyes but he was able to hold them back easily with the thought that his eyeliner, which was created perfectly, would be smudged and next, the stylists would see his weak side. He held them back. He was used to it.

His eyes were locked on his handphone.

A picture. A dear picture of three smiling youngsters. One had hazelnut-brown colored hair, one had yellowish-brown hair and the last had reddish-brown long hair.

"I miss you, kids." he whispered before he closes his eyes, clicking a button on his phone before the screen finally goes black.