Slipping Through my Heart Smoke

Three

Kyungsoo was standing there, clueless and afraid. Both of his legs feel numb and he thinks it will fall any second but it seems Kai is the first one to collapse. Japanese citizens gathered and start examining Kai if he is alright. With weak knees, he makes his way through the small crowd and checks whats happening to Kai.

"W-What happened to you…?” Kyungsoo quietly says as kneels onto the ground and put Kai's arm over his shoulders.

Kai looks exhausted. Kyungsoo concludes. He smiles at the crowd and bows at them. He was trying to say "he's alright, thank you for your great concern." through actions because he can't speak Japanese. The people seem to understand him and start leaving them alone one by one.

He takes a glimpse of Kai before standing up and tries to support his heavy body. Kai's eyes are tightly shut and face painted in pain. This is bad…

Kai is the one who can brought him here, that means he the only who can bring him back home. That won't happen if his… like this.

"Can you walk?" Kyungsoo asks gently but gets no response. He asks another question.

"Can you hear me?" Kai opens his eyes to look at Kyungsoo and groans while he nods.

"Just hang onto me, 'kay?" Kyungsoo says and walks with Kai. He really wants to rush him into a hospital but if he does that, they'll be asking questions. He can't risk that. He doesn't have flight records. The staff might get suspicious and maybe call the cops on them. They might get to jail.

And there's an unknown entity searching for them at this moment. They can't stay here for too long.

"Wait…" Kai said with a hoarse voice and moves away from him. He leans his back on a pillar and slowly slides down to sits down. "Go... Run away…" He said between his pants.

"N-No… I can't. You're the only one who can return me back." Kyungsoo said and kneels in front of him. "And you save me… Right?"

Kyungsoo reached for his arm but Kai flinched away. He leans away a little away from Kai because the ferocious glare “he” sends to him scares him.

"You are in my way." Kai says and looks directly to Kyungsoo with much power and dominance. "Don't get too involved with me."

Kyungsoo gulps and looks down, lips trembling and dry. "But it's too late..." He whispers. Kyungsoo can't look at him face to face. He knows Kai is drilling holes onto his head. He's still scared of him; he doesn't know where he got the nerve to talk back. Even though he is afraid he has to convince Kai to let him stay with him. Just like what he said before, Kai is his only way home.

"K-Kai," he swallows a lump. "It's too late for that…" He repeats and takes a deep breathe. "I know you are not normal, I know your supernatural ability, I know your face and identity. And the things that keeps following us... I know way too much already." He clenches his hands. "And those that are following you are also after me. Even if I run away and leave you alone, it will find me and…"

"Kill you." Kai finishes his sentence. Kyungsoo nods and breathes shakily, still not looking at him.

"I think it is for the best of us to stick together."

"For the best of us…?" Kyungsoo can hear the rejection in his voice.

"Y-Yes. If I stay with you, l-I will take care of you… I mean you look sick right now. I can nurse you back to health! Please!"  He begs and bows down at him.

"I just want to go home..." He mumbles and tears starts forming in his eyes.

"You can't go back. Part of it probably stayed behind, waiting for your return so it can kill you." Kai said. That stabbed Kyungsoo right at the heart. He can't go home? Does that mean he can't see Baekhyun anymore? His family? The people he cherishes a lot?

He broke down into quiet broken sobs. "I can't see them anymore…?" He said between his cries. Kai just stayed quiet and listens to him cry.

"You are right. I admit." Kai speaks up. "You've gotten into my mess too much. Maybe that's why those things are after you too..."

"It's not my intention to get you involve..." He whispers but loud enough for Kyungsoo to hear. Kyungsoo continues on sobbing in front Kai while Kai waits for him to stop.

He is scared. He is on a land that he isn't familiar with "someone" who captured him and may be the reason for his death. An ordinary guy like him can't fight those things. Maybe even if he had weapons he still got zero chances winning against that. Those things are huge. Plus, its body is made of air or smoke. A bullet can just pass through its body without harming it.

Maybe Kai knows how to defeat it? No. That can't be. If he knew how he should have killed it already and this mess would never happen. Then how does he survive?

By teleporting... That must be it. He is just running away, moving from one place to another, to keep those away from him. Running away… that's the only way.

Kyungsoo wipes the tears away and stands up. "W-We better start moving." He holds out his at Kai. "I need you to survive. Let's go..."

Kai keep still and stare at the hand before him. "Please…" Kyungsoo whispers.

Kai didn't utter a word. He grabs Kyungsoo's hand and hoists his body up. The wide-eyed man was about to help Kai to walk again when he stopped him and mutters a silent "no.” Kyungsoo just obeyed and together they walked around Tokyo with no direction.

___

Kyungsoo thinks they are still in the streets of Tokyo. They have been walking for hours. And Kyungsoo's legs are feeling sore and the same goes with Kai's. During their journey, with each step Kyungsoo makes, creates a new question. Right now, there are billions of questions currently floating in his mind. Questions such as, where did he came from? What is the reason why those mist like creatures are following us? Why is Kai not using his teleporting ability? Is he hurt? And Am doing the right thing?

He bit his lip. "I hope so."

Kai suddenly froze and the look on "his" face says something is really bad. An eerie feeling sent chilling shivers all over him making him take a step closer to Kai with trepidation.

"It's here." Kai looks at Kyungsoo. "We should start hiding."

"But why don't we use your power?" Kyungsoo suggest earning a scorn it return.

"For now, I can't." Kai grabs his wrist firmly making Kyungsoo wince. "I got no time for explanations."

Kai runs along with Kyungsoo in toll. They both make a way through the crowd by pushing. Kyungsoo felt sorry to every person they bumped into, especially the young kid who wailed at her mother. He was certain that everyone cursed at them right now.

Their movements slowed down and stop. He catches some air while Kai sits on the concrete, his hand still around Kyungsoo. His shirt is sticking on his skin and beads of sweat kept falling from his forehead.

"Did we lose t-them?" Kyungsoo says before kneeling to the ground. He wipes his sweat on his forehead and waits Kai for his answer.

"I don't know. I felt their presence on this land. I think it only knows that we are here on this country, not exactly where we are." Jongin explain and takes deep breaths. He lets go of Kyungsoo’s wrist but his handprint stays.

Those things are fast.

"I need to store my energy so we can move to a farther place. I need a little rest." Kai's eyes start to get droopy and lean on Kyungsoo. "You better take good care of me…"

"Wait--"

He fell unconscious.

“Hey! Wake up!” he shakes the other’s shoulder hoping Kai would wake up but unfortunately it didn’t. Once again, Kyungsoo carries the lifeless body and starts running as fast as he can.

After running around Tokyo for hours, he finally got tired. He gently drops Kai on the floor and fixes his body position. He lets Kai lay on ground the while he rests his sore legs. He looks around and notices that there are fewer neon light signs.

“Where are we…?” he talks to the sleeping figure. “We’re so lost but that is a good thing. Those things might also get lost while looking for us.”

While he rests, he massages both of his legs, groaning at every time he puts a lot of pressure on it. Some people stare at them and some passed by. Kyungsoo tries to smile when someone gave him money. They’ve must had thought they are a couple of hobos.

He knows he can’t stay any longer here. He stands up and picks up the unconscious Kai then puts him on his back and started walking. He came crossed to what it looks like a small grocery store and at the entrance and exit door there is an old lady in her eighties, wearing a purple blouse with floral prints and black trousers, picking some juice cans. Clearly, she is having troubles with her back.  Kyungsoo is a nice guy. He can’t just stand there and let the grandma pick up the cans with a weak spine. He jogs to her and picks every single can and gives it to her. It was hard because Kai. He receives a nice smile and a bow from the lady then gave one of her juice cans.

“Arigato!” he says and quickly accepts the can. He drinks it and finishes it after few gulps. Kyungsoo never felt this happy drinking a can of juice. Even though it’s just a small can, he feels so hydrated. He bows again and turns to the opposite direction.

He slightly jolts when something poke him on the arm and quickly turns his heels. It was the grandma. She was saying something in Japanese and Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“I don’t understand…” he says in English. Thank goodness he learned few English phrases.

The old lady understands and points at Kai. “Your friend.”

“H-He is sick.” Kyungsoo excuses. “We are lost.”

“You,” she points at Kyungsoo. ”No home?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head.

The lady said something in Japanese and pats Kyungsoo’s shoulder reassuringly. “Come with me.” She said and smiles warmly at him. “I… will let you stay at my house for a night.”

Kyungsoo didn’t talk but nods. The grandma is so nice. He can’t believe someone just offered him a temporary shelter but still he can’t fully trust her despite her weak and fragile figure. He needs to be cautious.

The old lady called for a taxi. She sits beside the driver while he and Kai are at the back. At first Kyungsoo was hesitating but the old lady smiled at him with so much warmth and kindness behind, Kyungsoo puts Kai in first before him. The old lady tells something in Japanese to the driver then the car starts.

Kyungsoo silently looks out the window. Tokyo is a really huge place, endless of light and giant buildings. Kyungsoo finds it so pretty, if he only have his camera right he would taken thousands of pictures. Too bad he left it at home—

Home. The place he might never see again. He used “might” because he still clings to the hope that Kai will return him back. A wave of memories suddenly gushed against him, the happy and unforgettable times he spent in his home, with his friends.  I wish to see them.

“Why are you crying?” the old lady’s voice startled him. Crying? He damps his hand on his cheek and surprised to feel it wet. I didn’t notice.

“I am okay.” He raised a thumb up with a forced smile. The old lady nods and goes back to listening to the radio news. He cleans his tears with his shirt’s collar. I am definitely not okay…

____

They arrived in front of a closed flower shop. She paid the taxi driver and exits the car. Kyungsoo quickly follows her and pulls Kai’s unconscious body out of the car. The flower shop is small yet still looks so colorful under the dark sky. She pulls out her keys and unlocks the door.

She’s the owner of this shop.

She makes a hand gesture to Kyungsoo to follow her and enters the shop. Kyungsoo complies with her order and also enter. He was surprise at the number of flowers, all in different kinds and colors. The best word to describe what the shop smells is earthy, which is new and nice to his nose.

They walk straight between the small rows of chrysanthemum and beside the big and small flower pots are placed, there is another door. He uses her keys to unlock the door and enters. Kyungsoo follows and careful not to bump Kai’s legs on the doorframe. The grandma removes her slippers and Kyungsoo copies. He somehow successfully removes his rubber shoes by stepping its back and lifting his foot. He was about to remove Kai’s but the grandma willingly removes it for him.

“A-Arigato!” he said. She smiles at him tells him in English to follow her. They climbed her stairs and on the walks are pictures of her family. She opens a door and lights of the room then points the inside. Kyungsoo peeks at the room and thinks it’s a teenage boy’s room.

“This is my son’s room…” she said then insists Kyungsoo to go inside. “Put your friend on the bed.” He nods. Kyungsoo throws Kai on the bed gently and arrange his position into better one. He twists and turns his back and arms because it felt like he had been lifting boulders for years.

“I let you stay in…one condition,” Kyungsoo visible gulps and tenses to her announcement. Oh no. what if she’s onto us? “You and you’re friend have to help me…in my shop. You can stay as long… as you both like.”

He deflates and quickly agrees to her. She told him that there is a futon in the closet and told him he can use it if his friend doesn’t want to sleep next to him. He thanked her a lot and kept saying at lucky they are. The grandma told him to call her “Mrs. Haruka” and bid him goodnight.

Kyungsoo massages his nape and goes to the closet to grab the futon. While he was fixing his futon, a voice surprised him.

“Nice job.”

Kyungsoo tenses again and looks at the bed. Kai is awake. He mutters a “thank you” and continues on fixing the futon. He hears rustling of clothes and looks up and blushes. Kai is stripping his top. He looks away.

“Should I explain you now?” he hear Kai asked.

“Explain me what?”

“About my teleporting ability.” Kai replies. Kyungsoo nods, still not looking at Kai. “I’m not going to repeat this again. Better listen carefully.”

“My kind has greater stamina than yours. Which allows us to run, walk or do work for a long period of time. Tasks like that on cost small amount of energy on us.” Kai pauses to check Kyungsoo if his listening. “But, using our ability makes a huge toll on our energy causing us to decrease our stamina. Making us feel tired.”

“Today, I used my ability to much.” Kai sighed. “My whole body felt boneless but still I pushed myself to run with you.”

Kai lies on the bed and stare at blank ceiling. “Did I answer your question?” He turns his head and sees Kyungsoo nodding his head, eyes still low.

“Sorry for causing you trouble.” Kyungsoo says and lays on his futon, his back facing Kai. Kai didn’t answer. He kind of expected Kai not reply. He shuts his eyes and quickly drifted to sleep.

Starting this day, this is the only way he can have peace.

A/N: Omg it's been a long time! Sorry for making you wait guys... i felt that this fic isn't receiving love, unlike my two other fics. But i swear I'll try to update faster for your entertainment! Sorry for any mistakes. Thank you for reading! ^^