CHAPTER 3:

"So," Sehun traces a finger around the rim of his half-empty tea cup, "I heard from Yifan you write for the Herald." 

"'Kris'", Luhan corrects him, letting out a small huff, "I'm sure you've heard more than just that." He smiles though, "But yeah, writing has been good to me." 

Sehun raises an eyebrow. Luhan squirms and hastily adds, "I get to use my Korean. The readers find it fascinating that someone like me is pretty good at it." 

Sehun considers the older's words, then smiles into his cup, "Well, you've always had a knack for languages. I hated it. Remember when I freaked out when we had to choose a language elective in middle school?" 

Luhan laughs, "You were contemplating on taking Korean, because I was taking it. Your mom almost threw a fit." 

The younger man shakes his head at the memory, "I ended up taking Japanese because of~" 

"GUNDAM WING!" The exclaim together, falling into fits of laughter as their food start to arrive. 

"You hated everything." Luhan throws a balled up paper chopsticks sleeve at Sehun, earning a yelp from the younger man. "Especially Math." he finds himself adding. Luhan immediately looks out the window, heat crawling up his face at a certain recollection. 

Sehun's expression changes, eyes on Luhan's reddening cheeks. He whispers, voice slightly breaking, "I liked library period, though." 

Luhan clears his throat,"Wooow. You ordered a LOT." and stares at the dishes on their table once the server leaves. There's jajangmyeon, an assortment of dimsum, lemon chicken, chicken feet with black beans, steamed tofu and a big bowl of fried rice. 

Sehun eyes don't leave Luhan, gaze thoughtful. But he finally shrugs and chuckles after a few seconds. He picks up his chopsticks, "Well, Yi-Kris is going to be here. You know how he is." He takes a dim sum from its steamer basket, and pops it in his mouth. "Hot!" he gasps, blowing air out in furious puffs in between bites.

Luhan laughs quietly at Sehun and pinches a bit of the soft tofu with his chopsticks. "Yeah. He'll all be like, 'I don't eat greasy food.'" he mimicks Kris' imperious face and deadpan delivery. "It's.."  

"'Not my style!'" they suddenly say in unison, cackling. Luhan takes a bite of his tofu and grins widely. 

"Just give him a minute and he'll start eating anything we get anyway." Sehun continues, rolling his eyes. He then takes the bowl of rice and automatically gestures for Luhan to slide his plate closer. He doesn't protest and pushes it towards the younger. As the other gently tumbles over a heapful of rice on his plate, Luhan feels a wave of nostalgia wash over him ("Ge, you should eat more rice. We run around the field so much. We need carbohydrates, y'know.").  

Stupid memories. Luhan mentally swats them away, not realizing his hand had followed suit. He almost drops his chopsticks in the process. 

"Ge?" Sehun looks at him with curious eyes and his heart goes on overdrive. 

This is home. 

Bu-dump. Bu-dump. 

He puts a hand over his chest, willing it to quiet down. 

The crack is widening. 

"Ge?" Sehun repeats, now a worried look on his face, "You ok? Want me to get water?" 

"That's.. not what I need."

*

Beijing, 2008. 

Luhan looks at his phone in dismay. 

(02/27/08 6:36PM) YIFAN: HE'S NOT ANSWERING MY CALLS. RUDE. 

(02/27/08 6.39PM) YIFAN: DID U TRY EMAIL? SENT HIM A TON. LET'S WAIT MAN. HE DELETED HIS WEIBO THE RETARD. 

(02/27/08 6.39PM) YIFAN: BTW, MY PARENTS ARE LEAVING FOR CANADA THIS WKEND. LET'S PAINT THE CITY REEEED.

He scoffs at Yifan's last message and instead, dials Sehun's Japanese mobile number. It rings multiple times, but no answer. Luhan lets out a sigh and hangs up. He flings himself on the living room coach and throws his phone on the table in front of him. The small device bounces off the wooden furniture with a dull thud and lands on the floor. 

It's been days since he and Sehun last talked. What if Japan has swallowed Sehun's skinny into it's volcanic depths? He pouts to himself. Is he avoiding him? Maybe he's changed his mind... that thing in the library... Luhan touches his lips, cheeks heating up. 

"Still trying to reach that best friend of yours?" His father's voice interrupts his thoughts. It's Saturday, Luhan thinks, his father should be out playing golf. He sits up and schools his face that of non-chalance. Men aren't supposed to be clingy, his father told him once. He's not about to let his father pick on him today. 

"Yeah. But he's not picking up. I guess he's busy."

Mr. Lu laughs, surprising him, "Kids." His father lights up a cigarrette and sits on a stuffed chair across Luhan."Son, there are more important things to worry about than Sehun." He waves a hand dismissively, although Luhan detects a tone of worry in his voice. 

"I don't know dad," he fiddles with his shirt, "Things feel different without him, y'know? Like.. I lost a brother." or something more.   

His father nods, "I'll miss his mom's kimchi, we haven't run out yet, have we?" 

"Dad!" Luhan admonishes, flinging a cushion at him, laughing. "You can't be serious."

The older man tries to contain his smile, "I am. Kimchi is serious business. You know how disgusting the grocery variety can be. Sehun is aware of this fact, that's why he brings me kimchi." 

Used to, he corrects his father silently. Luhan smiles wanly at the Mr. Lu's claim. "Fine."  

"Luhan.." His father starts, expression now serious. The elder fidgets in his seat, like he's about to drop a sack of bricks on his head or something, "About Sehun.." 

He waits for the elder Lu to continue his sentence, but is met with silence. Luhan's eyebrows furrow. "What about him?" 

His father shakes his head, forcing a smile. "Nothing, son." Mr. Lu fixes tugs at his sleeves and instead calls for his wife, who swoops into the living room like she's been hiding in the shadows waiting to be called upon. 

"Yes, dear?" Tight smile. Check. Polite tone. Check. Unreadable expression. Check. The woman doesn't even bother to look at him. Luhan wishes he had a glass of water to wash the bitter taste that's forming in his mouth. Now he knows why his father had bothered to sit down with him in the first place. 

"Your mother has something to share." His father says, clearing his throat. He looks uncomfortable. 

Luhan frowns at the word "mother" but doesn't say anything. He looks down at the floor, eyes following the criss cross patterns of the carpet. 

Share, yeah right.  

He lifts his head and fights the urge to roll his eyes as she looks straight at him. She sits down primly next to his father's shirking figure.. He is avoiding Luhan's eyes. Luhan feels his heart drop, his wingman has fled the scene. 

Mrs. Lu gingerly places some distance between herself and her husband, a half-formed grimace on her rouge painted lips as his father attempts to put an arm around her. The older man ends up settling for resting his arm on the back of the couch, eyes downcast.

"We're going to Shanghai this weekend and you are coming with us." She announces, voice shrill but firm. Her eyes are carefully trained on him, distant and cautious. He wonders what she really thinks of him. It hasn't been long since.. 

Luhan shakes his head mentally, and thinks of his nanny Hilda instead. She's never looked at him like he's some commodity being raised for auction ("Aya~ Lulu! You're mama won't always be here, little one. You need to be brave and strong, ok? Don't cry! Ok, Ok, Ok! I won't leave, I promise!"). What he'd give to have her back in the house.. to prepare him his favorite breakfast when he sleeps in during the weekends. Sehun would have loved her too.. 

He feels an ache slowly building up in his chest, but steels himself.  

Brave. Strong. Speak up, Lu. "And I am needed there because?" 

"It's time we showed you the ropes of the business, son.. get to know the kind of people we deal with." Mr. Han answers for his wife a little too quickly, forcing a laugh as he looks at his wife then back at his son.  

Luhan furrows his brows. What does he know about business, at 18? He glances at his step-mother - she looks like she's just swallowed bile.. He purses his lips. He is imaging how his face looks right now and concludes that at least they have something in common at this very moment. 

The silence in the room pushes him to speak. 

"Don't you think I'm too young for business stuff?" He stalls. He wishes he can ask a billion more questions. Or better yet, just teleport out of the room. He retrieves his phone from the floor. 

Mrs Lu then smiles, this time with an effort to appear kind.. and maybe appear patient. "This is an informal charity event that we've been invited to. The Kims will be hosting." She looks at his father, and he nods. "They have kids too. You will not be bored." 

Luhan gawkes at the two adults in front of him. So this is it. But flying to Shanghai for a social call is not really on top of his list right now. "I'm sorry.. I.. can't, I have schoolwork."

"The Kims are fast becoming a force behind the Chinese music industry. Important people. Good for the business." His father says, eyes shining as he kills his cigarette using the bronze ashtray on the table, "I heard their daughter is around your age. She's actually pretty, from the pictures your mother has shown me. You can play tourist and have her show you around Shanghai."  

Is that supposed to make him want to go? He groans at his father's attempts of bribery. He wants to go to Tokyo, not Shanghai. He's mentioned that before. 

"She is very pretty, Lu." His mother echoes, mouth now in a tight line. "You will like her. I am sure." 

He's not buying it. Not in a million years. "But I don't know her." 

"She used to study in I.S. Her brother was a teammate of yours." she carefully supplies, referring to the varsity football team he plays for in school. "Do you remember a Kim Jongin?" 

But Luhan is already shaking his head, mind spinning from the thought of having to mingle with strangers. 

"Think of it as a short vacation, son. Just over the weekend." His father gently says, and Mrs. Lu smiles at him expectantly, "We'll be back here in Beijing before you know it." 

He hates plane rides. But he takes a deep breath. "Can Yifan tag along?" 

*

"I have arrived!" Kris swoops in and slides next to Luhan, snapping him out of his reverie and ultimately saving him from more questions from Sehun. "Before we start exchanging pleasantries, please hand me the fried rice." 

"Get it yourself." The youngest crosses his arms and his head at Luhan's direction, eyes now twinkling. "We can clearly see you have two, perfectly large mobile hands. Use them." 

"RUDE!" 

Luhan finds himself doubling over in laughter as Kris glares at Sehun. 

"What? Did I say anything inaccurate?" 

"I'm older than you, you should be at least polite." Kris scowls. He sits up from his seat and drags the bowl of rice towards himself. "Where have your manners gone, Oh Sehun? Or did you ever have one in the first place?" 

"Hmm. The concept of having manners is completely different from that of respecting someone."

Kris bristles at the other's words. "You should be grateful that Luhan is here, otherwise I would~" 

"Would what?" Sehun snorts, "Strangle me with you Chrome Hearts necklace?"  

"I don't even think you can stangle someone with my chains." It takes Kris a couple of seconds, but he gets there. "Wait. What's wrong with Chrome Hearts?" 

"Nothing."

"You lie!"

Luhan chokes on his hot jasmine tea. 

Maybe tonight isn't going to be so bad, after all. 

*** *** *** 

A/N: Hi everyone! *waves* how are y'all doing? I was supposed to update much muuuuch earlier, but then EXO's MV came out and I flipped. LOL. Got a hold of the Korean and Chinese versions of EXODUS~ gorgeous packaging, really. Simple and elegant. And the songs~ ugh! Don't get me started. Exodus' tracklist is solid.. no filler songs, I swear. My favorites are My Answer and What If... What are yours? :P

Anyhoo, if you haven't yet, check Exodus out! (20 versions for Exodus though, lol~ SM Ent I don't know what you're doing but.. yeah, you can take my money.) 

Below is a snapshot of my Exodus haul; I got Sehun's (Korean ver) and Xiumin's (Chinese ver). <3 

Ciao! -- nothingness01