One bottle... Two bottles... Three...

He lost count after his vision started to blur, but the taste of the fizzing drink soothed him so much that he made no effort to stop. Things were getting difficult and one stress free night would hurt no one, especially him who needed it the most. A week full of piling paper work, overdue bills and checks, empty pockets and family problems.

He would have certainly felt restrained from drinking so many bottles and shots, but didn't since his two closest friends were there with him. They all drank their worries away.

Shuffling his way through the busy office floor with a warm coffee in hand, Lu Han glanced at the very few workers that bothered to bring their attention to him but they said nothing and so did he. Once at his desk, he immediately got to work, editing picture after picture, immersing himself in work to forget about everything.

He sighed once the last picture was saved into his USB key before pulling it out. He placed it in the bin where one of the workers would soon pick it up. He stared out at the dull, grey sky which seemed to be reflecting his mood. 

His days seemed to be filled with dullness, sighs and grief. 

With the music blaring in his ear, how could he think of all his problems? With the windows rolled down and the cool breeze of the night rolling in, it was carrying all his worries away as it slipped back through the window. 

He seemed to be enjoying himself too much, to the point where his surrounding seemed blurred, nonexistent. It was only him and nothing else- pure bliss. The steering wheel under his cold hands seemed to disappear as well along with his friends that seemed happier than usual.

Staring back at them, he told himself that this was how it should be all the time; careless and happy. Why couldn't it always be like that? Everything would be so much better.

But deep down, he knew that this little bit of happiness would end, but he never thought it would be so soon.

Stabbing into his salad, he glanced at the ticking clock, asking himself how much longer he should stay in this silent hell hole. Being around people, especially happy ones, became too much for him to handle. It irritated him to the point where he could no longer control his mouth or actions.

There was no reason for him to be happy anymore, not after what he had cause when he was. No more joy, no more random moments where he would laugh until tears were streaming from his face, until his stomach ached as he faced the ground. No more smiled whenever something amuses him.

All of it was replaced with scowls, frowns and glares.

Pain.

That was the only thing he felt other than pure confusion. It took all his energy to even open his eyes and even then, it felt like something was jabbing his eyes. He fisted whatever was in the palms of his hands and he felt something moist and hard. 

Pushing himself up was an even harder task, but he managed to do so nonetheless. The same pain he felt in the beginning intensified by the millions especially around his head. It felt like someone has been beating every single inch of his body for the past year. It was pure torture.

When he finally opened his eyes, he realized why it was so difficult before. No wonder. He was facing the gravel the entire time as his body was sprawled across the grassy yet rough pavement.

When he finally had the feeling of touch return to his body, he realized that he had been grasping dirt the entire time, but there was a mixture of something red in it.

When he finally could smell, he realized how horrid everything smelt. The scent of metal, iron and something rotten filled his nostrils, making him scowl.

When he could finally taste, he realized how disgusting his mouth tasted, something metallic.

He then found out the hard way what blood tasted, smelled and felt like. 

Like a sudden jolt of electricity, he jumped from his seat, not realizing that he was outside the building. He must've let his mind and memories take over, putting him into a trance while his body moved on its own. He looked around and wondered where to go next. Home would just remind him of the pain and outside would make him relive the memories once more.

There was nowhere to go.

Then, like he expected, rain started to pour on him. He lifted his head up, closing his eyes to soak in the feeling of the rain droplets on his skin before it slid downward. It was a small moment where he temporarily forgot about everything, but he knew that his joy could only last so long.

The next minute, everything abruptly came to a halt and he felt a looming shadow over him. His eyes fluttered open and he eyed the bright red umbrella warily before turning his attention to the holder who gave him a faint smile.

Screams left his mouth faster than he could move. People held him back as they tried to treat his wounds, but his growing pains meant nothing to him at the moment. His eyes were glued to the blood soaked sheets that hid the bodies of his best friends. He knew it was them, he just knew it.

The people in uniform told him to stay still, give him commands that were hidden under soft tones. He zoned them out, zoned them all out as a different sort of pain entered his body; grief. 

They were gone; his friends, his brothers. And before he knew it, so was he. 

"Why don't you go find some shelter, son?" The lady, probably in her 70's, advised, still keeping her soft smile. "I don't think the rain will stop soon and you don't want to get sick now." He nodded silently, but still made no move.

Her eyes seemed to soften even more, like as if she realized his horrible secret of how he took the lives of his friends, how it was his entire fault. And yet, she didn't look at him with pity like those people did at the hospital nor the look of disgust like the families at the funeral.

"Come with me." She said, waiting for him to move before following him with the umbrella. "I know what will help you... For a while at least."

They both walked in silence, but he could tell that the lady didn't fancy it at all. She started humming a tune, one that he didn't know, but stayed stuck in his mind. It was catchy, amusing even although he made it his mission not to show too much emotion.

"My name is Hei Jin, but you can call me grandma or HeiHei or Jinny." The woman chuckled, her wrinkles becoming more evident. 

"Luhan." He muttered under his breath as they reached an apartment building.

"I hope you like tea or coffee because that's basically all I have to offer." She joked, trying to lighten the mood which he was a bit thankful for. It seemed like she didn't want the mood to be down.

"It's fine." He had no clue why he would agree to follow her, but she seemed harmless enough.

Her apartment was quant, cozy and very much customized to her liking. It had a vintage feel to everything and it made him feel more relaxed. 

His curiosity was always a problem throughout his life, but it had never gotten him in trouble. Luhan walked along the wooden floors, eyeing everything as if to memorize it. There seemed to be a room hidden upstairs where the only access to it was a wooden ladder. Along the walls were pictures, but not of people but of beautiful and calming sceneries. There was only handful of pictures and it was either Hei Jin or another girl- a younger version who held a few similar traits to Hei Jin herself.

"My granddaughter." She muttered over his shoulder while preparing two cups. "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee." He murmured, eyes fixed on the picture. Hei Jin caught him staring and a soft smile graced her lips as she also thought back to her granddaughter.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" She stated out loud and the silence confirmed his thoughts; he agreed. "She's a model, you know? Always loved posing for the camera as soon as she could even open her eyes."

As Hei Jin ranted on, Luhan's eyes were stuck glued to the image, examining every trait to find at least one flaw, but to no avail. She seemed perfect; smooth, fair, tanned skin, soft light brown hair that seemed so perfect even with the wind blowing, beautiful eyes that sparkled although she was a bit farther away from the camera. All seemed nice characteristics, but one stood out to him.

Her smile.

It was gorgeous and eye capturing, but that wasn't what made him more intrigued. It was the fact that it had been so long since he himself smiled. Although she didn't flash a broad smile, the small tug on her lips showed how happy she was at the moment. Other angles of the collage photo showed how she enjoyed the outside and probably life itself. He was jealous of her happiness that seemed to last forever and was miraculously captured on camera.

"She should be home any minute." His heart seemed to pound a bit faster at the statement, making him wonder why. Hei Jin eyes him curiously, but a glint of something behind her intense brown eyes. "Would you like to hear a story?" She asked suddenly.

Chuckling softly, he replied. "Don't you think I'm a bit old for stories?" He later added. "But I would enjoy one nonetheless."

"Do you know a story about scintilla?" She asked, placing a warm cup of coffee in his hands. Surprisingly, it was to his liking; a splash of cream milk and two sugars. 

"Vaguely." He answered, taking multiple sips. "I'm no expert in Latin, but doesn't that mean a small spark or something?" 

"Very smart." She complimented, sipping her own drink. "Have you ever felt anything of the sort?" He shook his head and her smile seemed to widen just a tad bit. "They say that everyone has this moment where they feel this spark. It lies in the heart of a person you were meant to be with. Not everyone finds their scintilla or even experiences it, but if the fates allow it, it shall happen."

"I don't under-" He furrowed his brows at her so-called story, but was abruptly cut off when the door opened.

"Ma, I'm home." A soft voice called, sighing while setting down multiple bags. "How was your day-" The girl seemed frozen as she stared at Luhan curiously. "Uh, hi." She offered a soft smile, similar to her grandmother's.

"Hello." He smiled back which shocked him a bit. It felt weird to smile after so long.

"Grandma, care to introduce me to your friend?" Her gaze fell upon the old lady that looked back at her innocently. 

"Darling, this is Luhan. I met him a few minutes ago and he's is a very nice, young man." She introduced. "Luhan, son, this is my beautiful granddaughter, Yuri."

"Nice to meet you." The girl called Yuri smiled.

"Honey, I was just telling Luhan your favourite story." Hei Jin muttered, watching the younger one for a reaction.

"Were you now? You have told me many stories when I was younger, I don't remember having a favourite." She chuckled before looking at Luhan. "Which one was it?" She tilted her head slightly, her brown locks falling gently around her.

"The one about scintilla." He replied and noticed how her smile faltered just a tad bit, but quickly composed herself.

"Is that so?" She cleared . "Um, ma, I bought some groceries. I'll go put-"

"Nonsense, dear, I'll do it. You just stay here and keep Luhan company." Hei Jin waved her off before getting up.

"Ma, are you sure? I could do it." Yuri eyed her, worry evident in her eyes.

"Yuri, I'm only 71, not a shrivelling old hag. I can manage." That little statement made a small grin break out on Luhan's face and Yuri simply laughed while shaking her head lightly.

Noticing how Luhan seemed uncomfortable, especially with her gaze on him, she decided to spark up a conversation. Yuri sat on the sofa next to him, eyeing him carefully. Her grandmother had a knack at seeing people for who they truly are. She would never bring home someone who seemed like a threat. 

"I see you've gotten on HeiHei's good side." She giggled lightly and he gave a half smile, still staring at his cup. "Very impressive."

"Didn't plan to." He answered quietly. "But I'm glad I did. She seems like a very cool grandmother."

"Also a handful." She muttered, but it did not go unheard.

"That's very rude of you. Especially when I've done nothing but compliment you!" Hei Jin feigned a hurt expression before chuckling it off, placing some food in the fridge.

"Oh really? What did she say this time?" Yuri addressed Luhan.

"That you were extremely beautiful and that you were a model." He smiled lightly as she burst out laughing. "She's right, though. You are very beautiful."

"Thank you, but I'm far from a model." She sent him the warmest smile he has ever seen.

"You are to my eyes." He whispered his thoughts unintentionally. "I-I mean-"

"No need to explain. I'm flattered." She blushed lightly. "She likes to think that I'm some successful model when in reality, I'm a cafe worker who earns minimum wage to barely afford necessities." She joked, but saw a small glimmer of sadness flash through her eyes. "Enough about me, what about you?"

"Uh..." He stammered. "Nothing important enough to talk about." He recovered easily, trying to ease out of the question which he felt uncomfortable. 

"Alright, well, if you don't mind, would you like to join us for dinner?" Yuri offered after noticing the time.

"I'm sorry, but I've wasted enough of your time. Besides, I need to finish some documents I need to finish for, uh, work that need finishing..." He rambled on as she kept on staring at him amusingly. "Finish..." He whispered quietly.

"Alright then. I won't stop you from finishing your documents that need finishing..." She teased and he admired her for not making the situation uncomfortable- instead turning it into something they could laugh at.

Yuri walked with him to the door and his thoughts were all jumbled as nervousness took over him. He was deciding whether or not to ask her, scared of rejection. He finally decided on not saying anything except for a simple goodbye and be on his way.

"Goodbye, Luhan. Hope to see you soon." She leaned over and gave him a friendly hug, but it felt more than that. Way more.

They felt it, they both did. For one a matter of seconds, they both felt at peace with themselves. A small spark, a flash of something you could call pleasure happened between the both of them that made them hold on just a millisecond longer. It was small, barely noticeable, but they felt it to the full extent.

When they broke apart, they simply stared at each other before he awkwardly turned away and walked down the hallway. They were both left confused.

TO BE CONTINUED...