Chapter 29:  Around 1.2

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A/N: This is more likely the continuation of the last chapter and I somehow decided that I shouldn’t add Hunhan here ‘cuz I’m afraid that all of you will be wrecked and I’m afraid of getting killed by any one of you.

P.S. Just be prepared for the upcoming Hunhan in the next few chapters.

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Meeting up with Tao was simply an understatement and Kris thinks it’s not a harm to meet up with the younger more-which in a way is somehow embarrassing and slightly creepy for him, but yeah. It was pretty normal for him to go back the way it is despite the heart leaping and racing and the churning of his stomach (which he deemed that it’s because he’s hungry) and with Tao lingering his thoughts throughout the next day.

Everything was perfectly fine, completely, but the thoughts of Tao’s heart-melting smile proved otherwise. He just finished making the final exams and all he has to do was to print them out, well at least, not until Youngjae comes and barges in with all his might and glory (and Kris suspected that he finished his class) and glowers down on him with menace as soon as he saw him.

Kris blinks.

“What?” he asks, curiously, completely dumbfounded. He didn’t know what is happening at all and he’s not a mind reader to know what Youngjae is having in his mind.

Youngjae slammed his books and records on the table and growls on him.

“You!” He accusingly pointed a finger toward him and Kris raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his behaviour which made Youngjae steam up more.

“How could you?!” Youngjae cries out and Kris has to ponder for a moment what the hell is Youngjae talking about.

Oh. Right. He completely had forgotten about it. He remembers giving his lecture to Youngjae who doesn’t specialize in Chemistry and has to casually walk out as if he hadn’t brought hell for his colleague. Kris blinks and laughs humourlessly.

“Sorry about that.” 

And Youngjae has to make a mental note to buy some new plastic covers for the books and records he has because it’s going to be shredded later and Kris thinks that he really needs to shut-up sometimes.

That was three hours ago. After his English class, he finished up the final exams for his lectures when that happened and well, you can say that Kris is lucky to be alive after Youngjae threw him some small-lot of large-things. His other fellow colleagues just watched the scene, some taking pictures and some whispering to each other whether to help the poor Kris from the wrath of Youngjae or not (they chose the second, though).

After 30 minutes of chaos, Youngjae was still pissed and Kris had to ease his mood because a grouchy Youngjae the next day is definitely not good and Kris is worried for the students that are going to face the wrath of Youngjae tomorrow. So being the sweet, caring guy he is, he simply asked what Youngjae would want for him to be forgiven (which is highly unlikable).

Youngjae demands him to get him what he wanted and Kris is off the room. He practically knew what Youngjae wanted, by the fact that they grew up together in Canada during middle school and he returns back to Korea in the beginning of high school reuniting with elementary students Jongin and Chanyeol and they meet up again when they attended the same university and the same course, so Kris knows everything about Youngjae (well some not, because it’s personal, but close).

And now, Kris stands on the long line, waiting for his turn to come up as he takes a look around the categories of food and thought to buy drinks and foods for his colleagues also. While waiting on the line, Kris spots a familiar raven haired boy and he thinks that he’s imagining things because by the fact that the boy already invaded his thoughts and made some troubles inside and outside of him; it’s impossible for him to invade his sight also but Kris thinks that it’s close not that far from the connection.

It’s really not because he’s slowly developing a crush for the younger boy (because his heart is still for Chanyeol-at least he thinks that is) but-with much thought-the fondness –no, scratch that; he felt something inside him churn and that whenever he sees the younger (even by thought), he felt the feeling of having a responsibility over him.

He doesn’t know why he had that the feeling (even until now), but when he saw the young male’s tears, his heart ache and then that happens. It’s that kind of feeling that Kris doesn’t know how to settle and is still confuse to handle on, but he thinks it’s not bad, to have that feeling.

He blinks, eyeing the raven haired boy in the midst of the crowd of customers coming in and out and when he confirmed that it is Tao, he blurted out naturally.

“Tao!”

Kris felt the judging and curious stares and glances from the people around him and he calls out to the younger male again to hide his embarrassment and to save himself, hopefully. When the younger male turned his head around and spotted him, a smile bloomed on Tao’s face and Kris could feel the familiar butterflies in his stomach and racing and the leaping of the heart.

Calming himself down, he flashed a smile to the younger that slowly approached him with a smile as a sign of greeting. Kris takes a glance on the line that he is on and finds that it’s still long; he takes the chance to talk to the younger.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, scratching his nape subconsciously. Tao grins, holding up a paper bag in front of him and Kris already knows what’s inside of them and still he continues the conversation.

“You bought cakes?” his voice, surprised lingered in it and even he was surprised at the tone that he used. Tao nods his head, taking a pause sips in his caramel frappe (that Kris thinks, he’ll buy for himself later). He notices the caramel frappe, observing how the eyes turn crescent and the corner of the lips tugs upward in delight, he blurted out, again.

“You like caramel frappe?”

Kris wanted to dig out a hole and bury himself inside of it. He was never this kind of person. Blurting out things so naturally and he curses his subconscious for it and if he would strain his ears, he would have heard the mocking laughters in the back of his mind.

Kris curses under his breath, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment and this time, there’s nothing to save him from it-well, yeah, as he thought so.

Tao, sensing that Kris is somehow troubled, saved him from his embarrassment (after chuckling secretly). Tao tugs his sleeve, successfully taking his attention, before nodding his head, confirming that indeed he likes caramel frappe.

Kris’s eyes widen for a bit-just a bit-before letting out a ‘oh,’ and nodded his head. Silence somehow enveloped them excluding the natural noise from the shop. Tao sips his frappe, standing beside Kris, who awkwardly stood, trying to think of something to ask because he doesn’t want the conversation to die out just yet.

He formed somehow a lame question, but that was good enough to keep up the conversation and when he was about to ask the younger, Tao beats him to it. A tug to his sleeve stops him from saying anything, making him cast a questioning look to the younger instead.

Tao mouths something to him and he blinks, trying to process what he said because the anxious feeling he had awhile ago wasn’t over yet.

“Oh. Ah, yeah. Buying some drinks and foods for my friend,” he states simply, glancing again in the line and he groans when he finds out that it’s still long, missing the glint of light in Tao’s eyes.

Tao nods his head, smiling a bit to himself and quickly grins at him when the older turns his attention back to him and smiled back at him. Silence enveloped them again, but this time Kris isn’t awkward as before. He felt kind of eased after Tao questioned him and he felt that they have somehow grew closer. Just having his presence make him ease and not fidgety and awkward excluding the loud beating heart-yes.

After a few minutes, steps forward, Tao tugs his sleeve again and he hums.

“Yeah?”

Tao mouths to him that he needs to go, a part of him slightly sad and asking the question ‘why?’; he smiles.

“Sure, go ahead,” he whispers, taking another step forward. Tao nods, kind of sad to leave the older but he needs to go back because Luhan is practically not in the mood and he needs some sweets. He bids farewell and Kris could only do was wave his hand at him and smiles-somehow, a bit forced.

When the younger is out of line of sight, he sighs deeply and looks in front. 8 more people to go before his turn and he groans.

Tao was already inserting the keys to Luhan’s car (his at the legal age already, anyways) when he remembered Kris. Puffing his cheeks, he nods his head, placing the paper bag in the front seat and his drink on the drink holder on the side of the driver’s seat.

Taking out a pen and paper from the glove compartment, he writes something on it before putting back the pen inside, close it and close the door, jogging back to where Kris is at.

Kris was at the 3^rd and he sighs gratefully that it was finally his turn. A few moments, he felt a tug on his sleeve and he takes quick turn of head and saw Tao in front of him. Shyly smiling at him, Tao held his wrist, palm in front. He places a rectangular piece of paper-a short one-and smiles again before leaving the older, dumbfounded.

Kris blinks, not sure why Tao came back and placed a piece of paper on his palm. He steps forward, checking the paper that Tao gave him. After a few minutes, he chuckles-a grin adorning his face as he kept in his pocket.

He stands in line and waits for the person in front of him to finish before his turn. He feels happy and not sad anymore; he felt his heart flutter a bit as he remembered Tao’s shy grin.

Tao gave his number to him.

~*~

Suho and Lay has somehow made up (they aren’t in a fight or so) and things have gone normal again excluding the fact that Lay is still afraid of letting him be touched but Suho has patience and so he takes each steps carefully.

It was already past lunch time and Lay patiently waits for his food and he wonders why Suho is running late. He yawns a bit, feeling a bit drowsy but quickly shaked his head to stop it. When he snapped out of it, he takes a brief look outside, seeing the green trees, cars, people and such.

I wonder how it feels like to go outside. I think it would be incredible.

He smiles bitterly at the thought. He could never step out of the hospital no matter what he does and it’s going to stay like that no matter what. He once told his father to let him go outside to experience the outside world. Of course, his father agreed, wheeling him outside the hospital to take a fresh air outside. His father got a sudden emergency and told him to stay still and never leave the place in which he did. But after a half of hour of waiting, he takes a tour around outside the hospital and somehow, he wished he could have listened to his father’s words.

There was some bunch of nurses (new and old) walking towards his stilled place which is beside the bench. They noticed him and since they were friendly and wanted to get know more of the patients, they talked to him.

It was no harm at all, but he couldn’t speak and he was terrified. The nurses seem to look at him worried, noticing how he paled and how he sweats. One of them placed a hand on his arm, and he panics. Tears spilled from his eyes as he cries out and the nurses were stunned and at the same time, Dir. Xing was looking for him. When he spot a familiar boy in a wheelchair and a dumbfound nurses in front of him, he stormed off to them.

Dir. Xing quickly places a gentle hand on Lay’s shoulder, calming him down at once as the body eased at the familiar touch. Dir. Xing hushed and calmed him down and when he did, he glowers at the nurses; asking them what they did to him. One of them spoke, explained everything to the director before he sighs.

He apologizes for Lay’s behaviour and left without a word, leaving the nurses, stunned and confused. After that day, Dir. Xing wouldn’t let him outside anymore, fearing that Lay would collapse or would cry out without him knowing and others. There are a lot of possibilities what could happen to lay and Dir. Xing feared those.

Lay understood, going back to the way it is, but sometimes he would ask his father again, to tour him around the hospital and outside and his father would flatly says ‘no,’ and Lay understood.

But at the time like this, Lay wished to go outside, since he wanted to breathe some real air and know earth feels once again. He sighs deeply, not noticing Suho who came inside with a tray of food in his hand and saw him sighing deeply.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, worried lingers in his tone as he approached him. Lay turns his head towards him, flashing a weak smile before shaking his head. Suho didn’t seem to be convinced, but didn’t push further and handed his food.

Lay smiles at the food and begins to dig in; pushing the thoughts of going outside on the back of his mind as he happily eats his food. Suho leans on the table, glancing at Lay from time to time as he remembered the conversation he had with the director awhile ago as to why he is late.

“But why can’t I tour him around the hospital? Or even outside?” Suho asks, eyebrows furrowing together as he expects a migraine showing later. He thought of bring Lay outside to let the young boy breathe in some fresh air than the suffocating air inside the hospital but it seems, Dir. Xing is against it.

“You can’t bring him outside, Suho. It’s too dangerous outside and I won’t be risking of letting him die outside,” Dir. Xing explains, exasperatedly. Suho pouts, still not getting why Lay can’t go out.

“But, Direc-,” he was cut off by the Director.

“No, and that’s final.” And he hangs up afterwards making Suho pinch the bridge of his nose. He lets out a long sigh, pocketing his phone and hurriedly finishes up the food for Lay.

He sighs and looks up from the floor and glances at the younger, which is still happily eating his food. He smiles at how Lay smiles in delight as he ate his food and how the younger’s smile somehow, make his heart flutter for a bit. He chuckles once he saw rice near Lay’s mouth and approaches him.

“Lay, you have food near your mouth,” he says with a smile. Lay blinks at him, fork still in his mouth and adorable blinking at him, confused and Suho has to restrain himself from saying ‘cute’ out all of a sudden. Lay didn’t quite understand so Suho states it again and got it, but he didn’t get the rice.

Chuckling once more, Suho takes the napkin from the tray and gently wipes off the rice near his mouth. Lay stared at him in shock before a very familiar warm feeling fill his cheeks and lowers his head to hide it. Suho knows his blushing and no matter how much he wants to tease the younger, he restrained himself.

Lay continues to it with a blush and Suho drinks some water from the mini fridge, placing it back again after his done. Waiting for a few more minutes, the younger finally finished his food and Suho takes the tray off him.

Stretching his body a bit, Lay stifles a yawn when Suho’s voice echoed in his ears.

“Are you sleepy?”

He nods his head and yawns again, feeling drowsy all of a sudden.

“Oh, okay. Sleep well, then. I’ll check on you later and probably we’ll have some scans to do,” Suho states and he nods his head dazedly and Suho chuckles a bit.

It was quiet; the atmosphere was warm and somehow calming and Lay feels at ease when his body eased down on the comfortable bed, his head pushed back by the pillow feels so light and fluffy. He was still in the world, just getting ready to close his eyes and he was glad that he was still in the world because if he didn’t hear what Suho said next, he would have regretted it.

“Hey, Lay, would you like to go outside?”

It somehow echoes in his ears as his eyes widen, sitting up a bit as he stared at Suho. His heart leaped when he saw the familiar smile. He cast his eyes down on the bed sheets, fumbling the sheet with his fingers.

He remembers his father’s words to him that he can’t, but the anxiousness of going outside grew every single day and the opportunity is here. Several thoughts raced his mind, his father’s words fighting with the opportunity to go outside. It was so tempting, how Suho had said it. He shifts his glance toward the older, who smiled at him again making his heart flutter, and looks down again to the sheet.

He slowly nods his head.  It was the only opportunity to go outside and he’s been anxious to go outside yet he feared what the possibilities could happen, but, yet again, Suho is there with him. Surely, the older would protect him in all possibilities and that he’ll be by his side because that was his promise.

Biting his lip, he shyly looks up and meets the older’s gaze. His heart leaped as he saw the pure happiness from Suho’s face. He was happy and that made him content, eased and smiles back.

“That’s great! Tomorrow at 9, I’ll be picking you up,” Suho says with a genuine smile, completely happy by the fact that Lay agreed. He knew that the younger wanted to go outside throughout the whole weeks he has been with him. He saw the anxiousness and yearns of going outside to breathe the fresh air and feel the earth once more. He doesn’t care if Dir. Xing would get mad at him, he wants Lay’s happiness and he would gladly give the younger that one.

~*~

“Kyungsoo hyung.”

“Baekhyun hyung.”

Both male sitting down blurted at the same time as they quickly looked at each other in shock. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo seem to be puzzled as to why they are together. Jongin turns his head to Kyungsoo and saw the questioning look from the older the same goes for Chanyeol who saw the questioning look from Baekhyun.

Jongin is the first one to speak up.

“Hyung! What brings you here?” he asks, nervous for some reason and Chanyeol cast him a glance for it. Kyungsoo glances at him with his doe-eyes and blinks at him that made the younger blush a little. Baekhyun and Chanyeol watch their interaction and somehow the atmosphere grew awkward and stuffy.

“Uh, hi!” Chanyeol greets with his hyped up voice, startling Baekhyun and Kyungsoo whilst Jongin sighed in relief. Chanyeol sent a glance to the older and Baekhyun caught it and talks with Kyungsoo about it. Both male sat down with the two vacant chairs, Kyungsoo sitting beside Jongin whilst Baekhyun with Chanyeol.

Sungyeol comes up with a tray of food, containing the orders of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo cast a look toward Jongin, asking him if it’s okay to eat with them. Jongin nods without hesitation, flashing a brief smile to the older.

Sungyeol places the orders on the table before bowing.

“Enjoy~” he flashes a wide smile, before skipping off and Chanyeol has to sigh. What did my brother even saw in him? Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts further away. I shouldn’t disturb Myungsoo’s love life. It’s his, not mine anyways.

With another shake of his head, the three people stared at him confusingly. Chanyeol nervously laughed at their puzzled expression.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he assures them with a smile. Jongin cast him a weird look whilst Kyungsoo and Baekhyun started eating their food. Chanyeol sighs in relief and he cast a glance at Jongin who nudge him by the foot. He shrugged, mouthing that it’s nothing before shifting his gaze back outside.

After a few minutes, Chanyeol feels weird. He feels like his on a double date or something. Seeing Kyungsoo feeds Jongin, who didn’t even hesitate to take a bite, makes him feel weird and gooey. He feels his stomach churn in the bad away and he feel like vomiting because gosh, the two people in front of him looks like they are dating, happily feeding the other one.

Kyungsoo was eating when he took a side glance to Jongin who’s been munching off a cupcake from the almost empty pastry basket. He blinks, deciding whether to offer food for Jongin and he goes with that. Taking his fork, he twirls a few strings of spaghetti and carefully puts up for Jongin, who caught his actions.  Blushing a bit, Jongin whispers to him.

“What are you doing, hyung?” he shyly whispers to him and Kyungsoo grins and puts a hand below the fork just in case the pasta falls down. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden action, Jongin takes a weary glance over the two in front of him and somehow, he sighs in relief inwardly when he saw Chanyeol occupying Baekhyun’s attention. He shifts back his glance to Kyungsoo then to the fork before opening his mouth and takes the bite.

He feels the sweet taste of ketchup in his tongue followed by the fluidity and smoothness of the pasta. He smiles unconsciously at the sweet taste of pasta and Kyungsoo was please from the reaction. He repeats again and puts up the twirled pasta in the fork in front of Jongin who cast him a questioning look as if asking him if it’s okay.

Kyungsoo grins and Jongin takes that as a yes, and leans his face and takes another bite wherein Chanyeol’s eyes are looking at them with surprise. Chanyeol feels his stomach grumbles from the lack of food that he ordered, considering that he didn’t ate lunch at all and only pastries. He sigh a bit, taking another cookie of the two from the basket and takes a bite.

Baekhyun watches Kyungsoo feeds Jongin with pasta and how they look cute together. Kyungsoo had been talking about Jongin for the past few weeks rather than the whines of Joonmyeon being not with him.

He smiles as he takes a bite.

He’s quite glad that Kyungsoo is less stressed about Joonmyeon being not with him and that Jongin is likely his main focus and attention-which is a good thing.  They shared their weeks together, constantly telling some breaking news and such. Just like Jongin, he talked about Chanyeol to Kyungsoo. About him and his life and how he ended up meeting each other.

Kyungsoo came by to his café to eat lunch with him and such, when they saw them at the corner dine that Chanyeol claimed as his. They didn’t expect them to be there and was quite surprised as they when they met each other but thank Chanyeol for erasing the awkward atmosphere that enveloped them after Kyungsoo’s and Jongin’s interaction.

Baekhyun looks up from his plate, noticing how delighted Jongin and Kyungsoo is and he smiled. Side-eyeing Chanyeol, he saw the younger’s focus outside. Feeling that he is kind of being left out (well both of them, actually), he looks at his Banh mi* and glances at Chanyeol. Worrying that he might be hungry and all, he offers his sandwich for the younger. He placed the plate in front of Chanyeol, who looked at the food before slowly looking at Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun hyung, it’s okay. I do-,” Chanyeol shuts up when his stomach growled and he glanced at the pairing in front of him and sighed in relief inwardly when he saw they weren’t paying attention and is too busy with their own world.

He shifts his gaze toward Baekhyun, who gave him a smile and a nod. He feels his stomach churn, not in a bad way, but somehow in a good way and he smiles.

He takes the Banh mi in his hands, but before he eats, he whispers again to Baekhyun.

“Are you really sure, hyung?”

He wanted it to make sure at least. Baekhyun’s lips curves into a smile and Chanyeol takes that as a yes and he whispers a ‘thank you’ before taking a bite on the Banh mi.

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A/N: Banh mi is a type of sandwhich in Vietnam. It's served in a small baguette, filling usually meat, but can contain wide range of foods including fish, cheese or eggs. Baekhyun's Banh mi is meat >_<.

Okay, so sorry for the late update. It should be yesterday, but the news about EXO’s comeback made the update delayed. >_<

OMG, who is spazzing since yesterday and the day after yesterday? Who squealed, flipped tables and cried out that finally, finally, finally, finally, EXO’s comeback is here!!!!!

Anyone saw how strong our fandom is and how our fandom are better than CSI/FBI/Investigators and such? How they look further of the teasers and such? >_<

Question: What is your [exact] reaction when you learned that EXO finally released their official confirmed comeback?

So, I’ll be leaving you guys for awhile, since I’m gonna spazz.

Silent readers, are you there?

Lots of Love from author-nim ^^