Four Years Later

Yixing, or now more popularly known as Lay, was hanging around the living room’s windowsill. White earphones were plugged on his ears, separating him from the rest of the world. On typical days like this, he would be playing with Luhan, playing tricks on others, or maybe exchanging recipes with D.O for their dinner. His eyes were uncharacteristically focused outside to the clear blue skies and sunless view.

Unaware of it all, Xiumin looked at him worriedly, and pulled Chen to his side. “Is Yixing okay? He hasn’t been talking much since this morning,” he asked, not used to Yixing going silent like this.

Chen shrugged his shoulders.”Bad stomach maybe?” He answered nonchalantly. “Or maybe he’s just thinking of what to cook for tomorrow?” He snickered.

“YAH!” He said angrily. “You’re not really taking this seriously,” he said. Overhearing the chatter from the two boys, Kris went to their side arms crossed and with a mournful look on his face.

“It’s the 19th again,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Oh yes! I remember,” Chen answered eagerly. “Whenever it’s the 19th Yixing-hyung turns into this silent cold guy, and then the next day he acts like nothing happened.” He said calculatingly. “Is it a Chinese ritual or something?” He asked, still very much naïve of his friends’ culture, making Kris laughed.

“Not really,” Kris answered. “Though I wish it was as simple as that.”

“Then what?” Xiumin asked anxiously.

“The 19th is the day him and Jieun’s officially became together.”

The looks on both Xiumin and Chen’s faces became lightened then turned into sad ones. All of the members of EXO already know the story Yixing held for the last four years. Some of them have actually met the woman.

For the first two years that Yixing trained in Korea, him and Jieun had held on to their relationship as much as they could. They sent e-mails, and sometimes Jieun would even call him. They were trying to adjust in their relationship, which they even survived to celebrate their two year anniversary. But when Jieun entered college, and when Yixing’s training even became more extensive, they barely kept in touch with each that for almost two years, they lost their communication completely.

No more e-mails, no more calls, once Yixing even asked his grandparents to visit Jieun’s house, but unfortunately, they already moved, and no one knew where they went. After that, Yixing never opened his e-mails nor waited for his phone to ring. He just stopped expecting, but even after years passed, he couldn’t help but wait for her instead and hope that maybe one day, she’d come knocking on his door.

“Hyung! Gwenchana?” Chanyeol stamped towards him gullibly and touched his shoulders, unaware of the three other guys worrying over their friend. Taking out of earphones out, he looked at him with a blank expression. Getting used to this kind of answer, Chanyeol repeated his question.

“I’m fine Yeollie, why?” He asked in a slightly perfect Korean, Yixing was thanking God that after four years he finally understood what his other friends were saying. Discerning the worried looks of the other three guys on the background, Yixing rose on eyebrow and asked, “Why? Is there something wrong?”

Chen and Xiumin frantically waved their hands, while Kris kept his reserved smile and shook his head. “Nothing Yixing,” he said.

Hesistant about their answers, Yixing could only nod his head.

“Oh, hyung, shouldn’t we be all getting ready? Out next schedule will be in an hour,” Chanyeol happily reminded the four of them, and with that, the four men scattered from the living room, towards their bedroom as they hurriedly got dressed.

It’s been three months since EXO’s debut, and like what people predicted the 12 flower boys became an instant hit. Their music videos hit every channel and website and they quickly rose to fame. The 12 boys have already went to every talk show and such that this next one was already the 10th one they attended.

The dressing room was in a bustling mood. Make-up artists, hairstylist and EXO’s coordinoonas were in full blown rush, as they all tried to prepped up the twelve boys into idols they were known to be. Dressed in his black jeans, graphic shirt and a black studded vest, Yixing was again barely speaking, and his ears were like always covered with earphones.

Unbeknownst to the group, he had been listening to the same song since this morning. It was the song that Jieun sang to her once when Fei threw a party for the both of them. He found the song when he was reading the e-mail Jieun sent to her on their first anniversary.

“Jieun, where are you?” Yixing asked himself inwardly. For almost two years he kept asking that same question. For almost two years, he still hasn’t moved on. Even after almost two years, he still kept waiting for his phone to ring, and finally hear her soft voice.

His thoughts were disturbed as soon as he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Glancing up, he saw Luhan looking at him. “We have to go Yixing,” he said, and Yixing answered him with a nod, and turned his iPod off. He followed Luhan out, and