Chapter 18: Ticking Beat

A 'Taoris' and 'Hanhun' chapter...

Sehun was on his day off, Suho gave him 3 days because he found the younger drained from energy and even Dr. Yunho and Dr. Changmin took note of it. He protested to Suho that he doesn’t want to and that he has a lot of works to do, but Suho gave his final word and he knew he couldn’t protest anymore and adding up Kyungsoo telling him that he has a day off for 3 days, Sehun pouts at the cruelty of Suho.

He wants to work to ease his mind because taking a vacation worsens it, but taking a look of what he’s going to do for the next two days, Sehun thinks he needs the vacation.

Now, he’s plopped down in his couch, knees on his chest, arms on his knees and head softly nestled on his arms, Sehun ponders his life.

Sehun wasn’t the type of person who easily shows what he is feeling nor does he show what he felt over some trivial things. He only shows it when he’s alone or whenever he had gone back to his room and cry in his bed or whenever he finds himself in a peaceful and quiet place where his mind would thought of Luhan.

He was shy, calm, and quiet since he was young. He was never like this, in fact, he was bubbly, talkative and always takes the risk, never thinking of the possible consequences that may get to him; he was a complete of he is now.

When he stepped on middle school, everything about him went downhill. His personality changed for the worse instead of better, his grades were still the same, but he wasn’t like the young Sehun he was before. He was shy, calm and quiet; a complete opposite of whom he was.

Sehun was-despite of everything-innocent to the core and his soul was innocent that matches up with innocence of an angel. And that was the main cause of who he was now. He was bullied, not because he was quiet, but because he was handsome, girls swoon and fan girl over him, he was smart and possibly because he was quiet.

He was never the type of person to fight back, his parents thought him well but Jongin told him a bit more of it.

“You must fight when it is right, do not shut out the voice that the world needs to hear.”

He remembers Jongin telling him those words and he cherished them, but he stick up to his parents words more. And even if he did take up the words of Jongin, he wouldn’t have done it otherwise. He didn’t like fighting nor revenge, it was typical violence that the world doesn’t need any more.

He believes that if he didn’t fight back nor do anything, they would stop and show that they are wrong and changed ways like he saw in the dramas he watched together with his parents.

And how he wished, he would have been wiser when he was young.

He didn’t regret not fighting back; he didn’t regret anything in the matter. He forgave those who bullied him and just continued to live his life.

He liked being quiet because he feels like he’s  in the cloud, legs dangling on the edge, sun soft warmth rays brushing his face and the soft melodic east wind would play some music for him. It became his habit to speak less and answer when it is necessary, but he grew to develop to answer with body action and spoke rarely.

He shuts his voice away and locked it away when his parents died before his graduation in middle school and was about to enter high school. Jongin, his one-distant-cousin, was the first one to notice, he didn’t speak anymore.

He brought him to a doctor to check if he could somehow speak, and the doctor told him, he can, yet it’s up to him to speak.

Sehun speaks when he likes to, he didn’t shut away his voice completely, but that doesn’t mean he would spare a sentence to speak. He would hum or speak a word or two in a week or month or two. He still wants to keep his voice and greet Luhan when the older comes back.

He wanted to tell the older how he missed the older and how he thought him every day, he wanted to tell him with his own voice and not in paper or board.

He spoke to Luhan when they were dating, he wasn’t completely mute, but mostly he would keep quiet and expresses his answers and emotions through actions more and Luhan would note to him that he was still; in fact, mute because he rarely speaks than usual.

Sehun brushed it off and would chuckle and Luhan would smile. Luhan was his voice and knowing Luhan still love him, then all that it is mattered to him. He doesn’t need to speak because expressing it through actions to Luhan, is already enough to show how he loved him.

When Luhan left him on the airport, a tear left his eye and he admits it. He felt the pain and the fear that he dreaded the most came.

He gave Luhan a pocket watch, handed down from the Oh generation, he remembered placing it in Luhan’s soft delicate hand and telling him his inkling farewell.

Sehun loves Luhan with all his heart without a doubt. He loves him and he’ll wait for him because Luhan promised him that he’ll come back.

But seeing that 5 years had passed on, Sehun thinks it’s time to let the clock starts ticking. The silver ring with Luhan’s name engrave and his hope with it, Sehun hopes that Luhan comes and find him quickly because he’s slowly getting tired of waiting.

~*~

 Luhan stares at the stacks of papers in his desk. There were 3 elevators of papers in his desk and he thinks he’ll be able to finish it by tomorrow’s dawn.  Standing up from his swivel chair, he walks towards the large window glass, placing a hand on the delicate lucid glass, he watches the outside world with a pained heart.

He was frustrated, devastated and tired.

He came back five years ago, worked hard and did everything to look for Sehun, but he had no progress in whatsoever. He knew that 5 years of separation is already long enough and that it was kind of unrealistic and ridiculous for him not to see Sehun after all the things he had done just to see him.

But it did.

He knew Sehun must be waiting for a long time now and that he needs to find him quickly. He knows that he already dealt great pain to the innocent boy. He knows that he promised him that he’ll come back and find him.

He knows everything what he had done to the younger and he has to find him quickly. Remembering the words of the younger to him, Luhan knows he doesn’t have enough time.

Taking out a pocket watch from his pocket of his pants, he looked at the watch with longing and anxiety. The hand ticks and somehow could be heard in the empty and quiet room of his that shiver runs up to his spine and he slightly flinches.

“How much time do I have, Sehun?”

Closing his eyes, a picture of Sehun giving him the pocket watch and his words played and a tear left his eye.

~*~

Kris likes teaching, because in that way, he gives the students the knowledge they need to have and that he teaches them the way of life when he tells them some part of his life and what the lessons he had learned and what they should learn.

He loved teaching, not like, because in that way, he’s also teaching himself, how to deal with life and its criss-cross ways. He never liked business, because seeing the stack of paper that his father had to do when he was young; he knows that it’ll only trouble him in the future.

He felt guilty, actually. He didn’t mean to put up the responsibility that was supposed to be his to his younger brother. Seeing his younger brother come home with a drained face and energy, he felt guilt prick his heart.

Kris knows how deal with trivial things and criss-cross ways of life and probably had finished them off with succession and without fail. Well, bumping into a crying person is like any other trivial things out there and that he could deal with it.

Well, no not really.

~*~

Tao wasn’t the type to cry so easily, he was strong in the outside and in the inside, because he has to. Living in this kind of world, you must know how to stand up and fight for what is right. He was the type of person to know what to do in situations and know how to keep all of it and show how much it didn’t affect him or something like that.

Now, dealing with the present of him celebrating his birthday party, he’s already regretting it. He should have nodded and let Luhan get him a car when he left so unexpectedly. He took a note not to come back home anymore because it was the worst day he could ever get after him being kicked out of the house by his own parents.

After feeling like it was wee hours of sleeping, Tao woke up with a slight hazy mind.  The last thing he remembered was a red glass slipper entering his room and he pretty much knew who it was.

Sitting up, Tao takes in the eerie cold room of his room. It felt so empty, so eerie and cold, why is it like this? He felt so lonely and alone and suddenly he felt the whole world is against him.

Shivering, hands clamming and jaw tightening, Tao felt his heart beats fast and his chest tightening with every gasp of air.

He looks around, thinking where he placed his medication for stupid panic attacks like this.

---

He strutted down the long decorated stairs of their house and lazily walks to the living room, finding a lot of guests attending the party, a lot of foods were placed on the long tables, chandeliers and bulbs were open-and to make it short; everything is decorated beautifully for his birthday party.

Letting out a tired sigh, he scornfully looks at his parents talking with the Lee’s. He knew that this is going to happen, not a ‘family’ celebration and he already had a feeling bad is going to happen.  Looking around, he spotted his one and loyal servant in the house.

Walking towards his servant, the servant greeted him with a gleeful joy. As much as Tao wanted to talk with his servant, he had no time. Quickly mouthing about his parents and what they are planning, hi servant whispered to him what they are planning to do.

Being stunned at the news, he looked at his parents with hatred and scorn. They were about to break the news that they are going to get him treatment in America and make him speak again and that he’s going to take over the company.

Feeling betrayed he shakes his head and storms off the house, leaving the mansion with a pained heart; he left with tears b from his eyes.

Why can’t they understand that he doesn’t want to take over the company? Why can’t they understand that he doesn’t want to deal anything with business? Why can’t they just accept it and let him have his freedom that he wanted?

As he was walking with a heavy thought and heart, Tao bumped into someone, making him flinch back slightly and look up to the person.

~*~

Kris doesn’t know how the hell he got into a situation like this. He was just walking on the road, planning to get some sweets and coffee for his brother and him, when he bumped into a raven haired boy-to be specific, a crying raven haired boy.

He was stunned, shocked and dumbfounded at the sight. His surroundings seems to dull as he looked at the crying boy.  Tao, on the other hand, bitted his lip and bowed and mouthed a ‘sorry’ to him before walking away from Kris.

Kris wasn’t so sure if he was on his right mind or what, but he was positive that something must have possessed him or something.

He found himself in front of the boy, looking down at the slice of strawberry cake in daze and Kris found himself worrying about the boy.

‘What the heck am I doing?’ Kris thought as he found himself fumble on the words he’s unsure to say.

“Is there something wrong?” Why yes, Kris. He has, of course. Why would he be crying? Kris scolded himself and he hissed when he saw the younger’s eyes well up with tears after he had calmed him down.

“Hey, hey, I’m sorry to ask that, so don’t cry.”

Kris wasn’t sure if what he was doing was right or whatsoever, because the next thing he know was, Tao was crying again and for once, he doesn’t know how to deal with this.

A/N: Haro! *bows* So…Sehun is slowly getting tired of waiting and Luhan has to find him fast, Tao and Kris met! WOOT! Hurrah, but Kris why make Tao cry more? Lol, share me your thoughts about this.

No question for today :P

Lots of love <3