chapter twenty six : rainbow

"could you still give back my wish?"   

"What do you mean they said 'no'?!"

Jonathan simply sighed as he leaned on the couch, eyeing an angry Chanyeol and a scowling Suho in front of him and Huiying. Huiying had her head hung low as she listened to Chanyeol's rampage, to Tao's frustrated sighing and the rest of this awkward silence. 

"They're complete heads!" Chanyeol angrily roared as he ran fingers through his red hair, "Hyerin's sick with brain tumor, and she can die any day! One of their artists is terribly ill and they're treating it as if it's just a mere joke? Are they for real?!"

"Yeol, calm down." Baekhyun pleaded as he held on the taller's shoulders, hoping that he could calm the raging red-hair down. Unfortunately, all he got was a deadly glare and a more furious Chanyeol, who is probably at his edge as he's about to smash the porcelain vase on his left.

"We won't solve this if we continue being angry." Xiumin said as he crosses his arms, calmly pacing around the living room as he tries to formulate a plan. Chen, who was sitting beside Huiying, eyed the eldest while Kai tried to comfort Hyerin, who was confused and worried herself. She's not the only victim in this situation— her siblings and mostly everyone's dragged in here. Even EXO, who's long disbanded, is brought back in this problem because of her. She's the root of all.

"Umin's right." Luhan nodded as he stood up. "Let's think of a concrete, well plan to sue SM."

"Like we can." Tao breathed out as he rubbed his nape. "We're in no position to sue SM anymore."

"Yeah, but the three are." Sehun countered.

"They can't do that, remember?" D.O sighed. "They won't leave the company no matter what—"

"And what, let Hyerin perform while she's dying?" Kris heavily breathes out as he ruffles his own hair. "This is killing me— why is Youngmin even forcing sick artists to perform instead of letting them rest? At least if Pandora Street's taken into hiatus, Hyerin can have a peaceful operation, a well rest and then from there, she could perform again! How hard is it for them to understand that?"

"Beats me." Lay heaved. "They've always been like that."

Hyerin's eyes were simply locked on the floor, refusing to look straight into everyone. Seeing that, Kai pats her back and gives her an assuring smile. "Hey, don't look like as if you've seen the last day of Earth." Kai laughed lightly. "We're gonna solve this, I promise. We came back here beside you three to help you and we're not letting that go."

Hyerin simply nodded and flashed a faint smile before averting away again, hands clasped and clammy. She was feeling the heavy burden and tension in the atmosphere and she must admit, it is suffocating. "We've gotta do something." Chen sighed as he paced around. "Any plans? Huiying?"

"My brain's not functioning like it should be." Huiying breathed out as she bit her lower lip. "All this tension's not making me think straight."

"I swear, guys, I am okay." Hyerin frowns as she eyes everyone. "You.. should continue your stuffs."

"And what? Leave you to die?" Kai scowled as he eyed Hyerin. "We're not going anywhere."

"At least do this one favor for me." Hyerin sighed, "I promised Jo and Huiying that they'll be reunited with their families. While I'm still alive, care to accompany my siblings to the orphanage to give 'em a head start?"

"Noona, we're going to do this together." Jonathan pouted.

"I need to rest so you two do it first." Hyerin smiled as she eyes Suho and Lay. "Can you two accompany them?"

"How about you?" Lay frowned.

"I've got ten more dads to watch me out."

"Alright." Suho nodded as he eyes Huiying and Jonathan. "You two, dress up. We're going to the orphanage." 

"Hyerin, come on. Let's have lunch!" 

Despite D.O's continous calls didn't make Hyerin move underneath the blankets she is in. The dim lighting in her room isn't normal neither, since almost all of the twelve and her siblings know that she dislikes dim lighting. 

"Hyerin!"

B;anket over the head.

"Kim Hyerin! Lunch time!"

"Is she asleep?"

"I swear I just saw her go to the bathroom minutes ago."

"Jongin, check her up for us, will you?"

The sound of the door creaking open didn't make Hyerin move an inch. When a hand was felt over her head, she decides to remove the blanket and eye who ever owns that hand, only to see Kai worriedly eyeing her. "Hey," he smiles as he sits on the side of the bed. "You okay? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm okay." Hyerin softly replies as she tries to sit up. "I'm fine."

"Were you sleeping?"

"...No."

"Kyungsoo's calling you for a few times now. C'mon, let's have lunch." Kai grins as he assists and tries to help the female stand up, but upon feeling and seeing that HYerin has no intentions of standing up, he scowls and tilts his head a bit. "Are you sure you're okay? You can talk to me."

Silent.

"Jongin!" D.O's voice boomed again, "Is she awake? Come on, the food'll get cold!"

"Just a second! We'll follow up!" Kai shouted back before he eyes Hyerin again, pouting faintly. "Hey," he calls out, enough to make the female eye at him with lifeless eyes. Eyes that were completely the opposite of her often-seen bright, hope-filled ones. "Something's got to be wrong. C'mon, tell me."

"Nothing's wrong." Hyerin huffs.

"Kim Hyerin, I am not called your 'dad' to fall in that shallow excuse." Kai sighs as he shifts in his sitting position. "C'mon, talk to me."

"I just... it's saddening me." Hyerin confesses as she grips on the blankets tightly. "I don't know if it's the sickness but I suddenly feel hopeless and gloom. I mean, I'm going to die. I'm going to die anyday now, just like what Chanyeol-appa said. I haven't even fulfilled most of the things I want to do while I'm still alive and now... I'm going to die."

"Don't think that way." Kai frowned. "You're not gonna die."

"Quit lying."

"I'm not! Just hope for the best and you won't die." Kai grinned. 

"... And all these efforts you're doing for me." Hyerin began again. "It'll all go to waste once I cease. It's like... it's done for nothing."

"Hyerin..."

"I'll die anyway so what's the point?"

"Stop saying that you're going to die." Kai breathed out as he ruffled Hyerin's hair. "Look, none of us are gonna let you die. We'll find a way for you to get an operation as soon as possible, break into SM and convince Youngmin to put your group into hiatus and fulfill every single thing you want to do in life, okay?"

"Within the remaining months I have?"

"'Course."

"Prove it."

"We're a family, nothing's impossbile for us."

Hyerin smile gave a faint hope in Kai. That was enough for him to see as he sees the sick female try and pull up a smile— even if it were to be faint, it's still a smile and that's what's important. Hyerin, for a sick person she is, still manages to flash a smile despite all the burden and pain she's experiencing. Hyerin is still managing to be a strong individual everyone expects her to be not just for the sake of it. 

She still finds the light and hope to keep on smiling.

"That's the smile." Kai grinned as he sat beside Hyerin once again, patting her shoulder. "Just keep that smile on your face and I can assure you that you'll live."

"Like that can happen." Hyerin giggled softly.

"No really!" Kai pouted. "I'm still here smiling and hoping I could see my lil' sister again and I can feel that she's somewhere out there."

"Sister?" Hyerin blinked. "You have a sister?"

"Well, yeah. Oh— right, you were asleep back then when we were discussing it." Kai laughed.

"Well, you've started it now, best finish the story." 

Kai simply laughs and nods. "Yeah, I've got a sister. Younger than me and obviously, lost." he narrated. "I never had a chance to meet her since, well, she was a baby when she was 'lost'. Purposedly lost."

"What do you mean?" the younger scowled.

"Mom couldn't afford all of us that time, so she had to give up one. She nearly gave me up, but seeing how sick my sister was, she decided to give her up instead. She gave her to our auntie in hopes that she could be in safe hands. Unfortunately, something happened and I don't know what, but auntie had to give her away as well. She was brought somewhere I don't know."

Hyerin blinked. "That's awful. Maybe she's brought in an orphanage?"

"Maybe." he smiles.

"I could've met her!"

"I wish. At least that way, we could locate her easily."

Hyerin smiles and nods as she eyes Kai. "Ah, but Huiying once told me Xiumin-appa has the same case? He has a lost sister too."

"Oh, yeah." Kai nodded. "What a coincidence, right? Maybe it's not just you three who's lost someone and wanted to find them again."

"Hm, maybe." Hyerin grinned as she eyes the angel figurine EXO had given her years ago. "It's great that you guys actually found a near replica of my angel figurine. I don't know what'd I do if I don't see it anymore." she giggled.

Kai froze for a moment and eyed the smiling Hyerin, then the angel figurine, then back at Hyerin again. "I've been bothering to ask since then, but what's up with that angel figurine you've treasured so much? There must be a reason for you to treasure it, right?"

"Of course." she nodded. "It's the only thing my family left me with when I was brought to the orphanage."

"Really?"

"That's what auntie said. She found me outside the orphanage with that figurine so maybe, it's the last thing my family had given me." she explains.

"I see." Kai nodded before both of them went silent.

Well, not for long.

"Dammit, Jongin, are you nearly done?!" they both hear Baekhyun crying outside, followed by multiple knocks on the door. "Kyungsoo's gon' flip out!"

"We're coming!" Kai cried out, laughing. Hyerin soon steps out of her bed and heads to grab the doorknob when Kai grabs her arm. Hyerin then turns around and blinks a couple of times before tilting her head. 

"Yes?" 

"Um, let me ask one more thing." Kai began. "What'd you, well,  do if perhaps one of the members were to turn out to be a relative of yours?"

"Eh?" she scowled before she laughs softly. "That's insane, but I'd be happy." she grinned. "At least I've tracked down a member of my family, right? For an orphan, a real blood relative is more than important. It's a gateway to find my real family." 

"I see." he nodded. 

"It's funny though." Hyerin admitted before she turns to open the door. "For some reason, I never really saw you as a dad."

"Me?" Kai blinked. "Then what?"

"I saw you as a brother." Hyerin grins. "A big brother, to be exact." she nodded before she steps out of her room, only to see the rest of the EXO members darting to and fro from an angry D.O.

Kai, on the other side, was frozen.

"Brother, huh?" he smiles secretly before he stands up and exits the younger's room.

[A/N]

   AYO readers!

First off, yes, I know this is a super short chapter, I ran out of ideas on what to do next okay. /sobs/.  I'll do better on the next chapter! 
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