“Hello.”

“Hello. Am I speaking with Oh Sehun?” Sehun was startled. This voice. It can’t be him. “Hello?”

“Ah. Yes. Who is this?”

“Your new client. I need a photographer. Can I meet you in person?”

“Um..”

“I’ll tell you the place and time on message. Hope to work with you Oh Sehun-ssi.”

Sehun went to the place earlier. He never met a client in that kind of public place, but since the place was near to his last job for the day, he went there earlier and took some pictures of the people, the landscape, and just anything he could capture with his old camera.

Tao watched him from afar. Afraid of disturbing Sehun. He was actually afraid of the rejection. He walks slowly to Sehun. And he stopped in the place where Sehun’s camera pointed at. Sehun saw him from his camera lens. He put down the camera and looking at Tao himself.

There, standing. The one person who mean the world to him. The one person who he missed. The one person who he thought will never meet him again. He had Suho with him yesterday, so Suho could let me out of the situation. But there was no Suho today.

He let his camera fell down, hanging on his neck. He tightened his grip on his shoulder bag and turned away from Tao. He was going to run away. He wasn’t ready to see Tao. He wanted to, but he was not ready. He’ll never be ready.

“Is this how you treated your client?”

“Excuse me?” Sehun turned back.

“Well, I called you this morning.” Tao looked at Sehun’s camera and smiled. “You didn’t bother to move the sticker huh? I remember I forced you to stick it on that camera.”

“It will leave sticky part and it’ll be hard to clean it so why bother. Why are you calling me anyway? You are a model, you don’t need someone like me to take your photos.”

“No reason. Someone told me about the infamous talented photographer who just turn out to be you.”

“Well, I can introduce you to much more talented photographer in this place, so you will not need to bother with me. I’m leaving first.”

“Why don’t you want to talk to me?”

“I talked to you, but I have to go now.”

“Where are you going? You didn’t seem like you have place to go few minutes ago.”

“Well, I have now.”

Sehun turned to walk away, but Tao caught his arm and spun him, crashing him against his own body. Tao brought his arms and wrapped it around Sehun.

“I miss you. I really really miss you.”

Sehun stiffen. His heart was racing because the warmth he thought he forgot was there. The warmth he thought he will never feel again was there. He paralyzed for a whole good minute and when he came back to his sense, he pushed Tao away.

“I—I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“I mean what I said.”

“Please don’t do this.” Sehun turned to walk away but halted when Tao spoke up.

“I’ll leave you for today. But I’m not giving up. There is something I want to know, and I won’t give up until I find the answer.”

Sehun walked away without turning back. He was afraid that he will let his wall soften and crumbled again if he saw Tao. He can’t let that happen. He finally built back his wall and he would make sure to keep it that way.

Sehun felt so bad for all of it. The person he desired the most, the one that he always think at night before he sleep, the one that made him know what love means, suddenly appear in front of him again after that same person crushed him to pieces. He was doing very well on repairing and building back the wall. He felt that everything was so unfair to him.

Tao didn’t find him for the next whole week. He was busy finishing his project, that was the reason why he was back in Seoul after all. To say that Sehun was relieved is an understatement. Part of him knew that Tao was playing on him again. It couldn’t be sincere. He was fed up with all of that. But part of him had keeping on the ‘what if’. What if Tao is really missing him?

Sehun was back to his current self for that week. And when he thought Tao was giving up and went away, that said man proved him wrong. Tao was coming to the studio where Sehun was taking photoshoot. The girls on the set was gaping at the entrance of Tao, he is a well-known in the modeling entertainment after all. Part of Sehun felt relief because at least, he knew that Tao still didn’t give up. But he won’t give in either, so he put back his expressionless face and kept on adjusting the camera lens.

Tao was so distracting because that tall body just hard to ignore. But Sehun put on his façade. He tried to work as professional as possible and kept working on the photoshoot. The session took longer than he expected because the model was kind of new and he still a little bit awkward on posing although his face and body was all scream handsome. Sehun helped the said model through all of it and for a few hours he almost forget that Tao was there watching him.

After he done, he let the staffs clean the set and he walked away with his camera. He pulled out his bag and carefully put the camera inside.

“No wonder people said you are good. You are indeed good.”

“Thank you.” Sehun zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“Feel like having a cup of coffee with me? I’ve waited for two hours.”

“I didn’t ask you to wait, so that’s not my fault.” Sehun walked away and turned back to Tao. “Why are you here anyway?”

“At here in this studio or at here in Seoul?”

“Nevermind.” Sehun walked away again but stopped because Tao grabbed his wrist.

“I’m here for you.”

“Don’t make a scene.” Sehun said because he was aware of the confuse eyes of people watching both of them.

“Oh, you are Tao, right?” a woman said suddenly. “I’m the owner of this studio. I really admire you a lot. Can we have a picture together? This studio will be famous if people know that Tao was ever here. Please?”

“Okay.” Tao gave the woman a smile and Sehun used that moment to fleet away.

It was nine at the morning and someone was knocking hardly on Sehun’s door. He fell asleep two hours ago and he planned to sleep in for the day because he had no appointment to go. Sehun didn’t even feel like leaving his bed, so he ignored the knock. The knock turned off anyway and Sehun fall back to his sleep, back towards the door, until he heard the door open and close. If that person was able to come in his house, he knew who it is already. There is only one person who had his spare key, Suho, so Sehun just let Suho did whatever he want to do in his house.

He was almost falling asleep again, but something didn’t quite right. It was too quiet. The only sound was the footsteps of Suho and it even stopped for a quite while now. Suho used to wake him up, or if he knew Sehun was working till the morning, he would let him sleep, but Suho would made sounds. He would open the fridge and prepared something for Sehun to eat after he wakes up. But today, there was no sound at all. No shuffled of feet. No opened of fridge. And Sehun’s mind was starting to function. What if it was a robber?

Sehun pretended to sleep and kept quiet. He was wide awake now but he didn’t dare to move. There was never something like this before. He had no friends. None of the people he worked with know where he lives and this one can’t be Suho. Suddenly there was a hand ruffling, touching his hair and he just jolted up, hands automatically grabbing the blanket to cover himself until he saw who that person was.

“What the hell? You don’t just break into someone’s house like this?” Sehun threw the pillow.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You didn’t open the door when I knocked and I know you are inside but just refuse to open the door, so I just welcome myself. But you were sleeping and I don’t want to disturb you.”

“How can you be here?”

“I had the spare key remember?”

“You still have that after all these years?”

“Yeah. And I’m glad that I did.”

“Tao please. I don’t know what you are going to do, but please leave. I’m so tired right now and I don’t have any energy to argue with you.”

“Well, we can talk.”

“I’m not in the mood. Please leave. And give me back the key.”

“I won’t.”

“Whatever. Just leave.” Sehun grabbed the pillow and laid back to sleep, blanket covering his entire body.

“Fine. Sleep well. Hun..”

Sehun made sure to hear the door closed before he put down his guard. He started to sob. His tired and sleepy mind can’t take all of it. That nickname. No one called him Hun but Tao. Why do after all these years, that nickname still sounds so familiar? Why do he broke down after hearing that nickname? Sehun cried himself to sleep that time.

Sehun didn’t know it. But Tao heard him cry. Tao opened and closed the door, but he never left. He was there. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the door, far away from Sehun. His tears started to fall down and he waited until Sehun’s crying stop. It broke him inside. It broke him to know that the expressionless and cold Sehun ended up crying and crying again because of him. And it broke him inside because that time, he knew that he still loves Sehun and Sehun’s cried was the last thing he ever wanted to hear.

Tao showed up again the after three days. He brought Sehun’s favorite chocolate bubble tea. Sehun was just putting on his clothes when suddenly the door opened. Sehun still had the towel on his neck to dry his hair.

“Just finish a bath? You smell good. Just like I remember.”

“Can you not entering my house like this?”

“Will you let me in if I knock?”

“That’s the proper way.”

“Fine.” Tao walked out of the door, closing it and he knocked. “See? You won’t open the door.” Tao said, entering back to the house. “You left me with only one way.”

“Why are you here?”

“I bring you bubble tea.”

“I’m not a child anymore. I don’t drink bubble tea.”

“Really? But it’s chocolate.”

“I don’t care. Just leave.”

“Okay.”

Tao walked out of the house. He waited for awhile then he peeked at the small window. He knew it. Sehun can’t resist chocolate bubble tea. He saw Sehun the straw and chew on the pearl. And for that day, he felt that he was one step closer.

“You can’t intrude people’s house like this!” Sehun shout at Tao after Tao welcome himself at his house again for the nth times.

“This is my house. You rent this house from the lady that lives five houses away and I bought this house days ago, so it is mine. I have the paper if you want to see. But don’t worry, you can still live here. And you don’t need to pay the rent anymore.”

“What? Are you insane? Did you—Really?”

“Yes.”

“But you have your own big house!”

“But this house is so comfortable and I like whatever things inside.”

“I’m not a thing!”

“I didn’t say you are.” Tao smiled sheepishly.

“Ugh! Fine! Give me five days and I’m gonna move out. No! Just give me two days. I will move the day after tomorrow.”

“Why do you have to move?”

“Because I can’t live in here if it’s belongs to you.”

“Why?”

“I’m done with you, Tao. Stop making everything hard for me.”

“I’m making it simple.”

“How is buying the house I live in making it simple for me?”

“It’s simpler for me because I know you are at my reach.”

“What?”

“I try to get close to you but you don’t let me. I just want us to talk and I really hate it when you avoiding me like I am some kind of disease! You shoved me away every time I approached you. I just want us to be friends.”

“That was what I told you and for your reminder, you kept on shoving me away too.”

“Yes. But you still tried to befriend with me. You talked to me every time in class. You kept on telling me anything you heard on the university. You kept on bothering me until I finally open up to you. I’m just doing the same here. I don’t know why were you doing it back then, but now that is the thing I’m most grateful for.”

“I’m just using you don’t you get it? I only do that because you are the rich kid!”

“I know there must be more than that.”

“No! That’s all of it! I need money and you were there! You know me well don’t you?”

“I am now. After being blinded for years. I know who you are now.”

“Good!” Sehun gritted his teeth. “You knew it and because of that, we can’t be friends.”

“Then let’s be more than that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Tao. What happened to you? Just go back to your wealthy life. It won’t be good if people see you with someone like me.”

“Hun—”

“Stop calling me that! I will remind you in case you forget. I.. Only want money. Even if that means I have to sell my body. I’m a and that’s what you called me back then.”

Sehun slammed the door and run out of the house. He kept on running until his knees give up and he fell to the ground. People were staring at him but that was the last thing he could ever care now. He pulled himself up and unconsciously walking to Suho’s house. He knew Suho was still at work, so he waited in front of the door. Hugging his knees and feeling his heart aching.

The sky was starting to get dark when Suho arrived at his house. The moment Sehun saw his hyung face, he threw himself on him immediately and cried all his heart out. He has no one but Suho after all.