Chapter Eight: Zhang Yixing

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Kris felt content after helping Xiumin and Chanyeol get back home. He looked in on them when midnight struck, the same night he brought them back to Korea. They seemed comfortable with each other already. And, after all, he already had five drops of pure tears in four nights; he had seven more to go and had ten nights left. He thought about getting a break. So when a new day dawned, he flew back to China and settled in Changsha. When night fell (his fifth night), he booked a private room in a hostel and crashed into the bed, finally falling into a deep sleep after what seemed like forever.

The next day, he awoke feeling stiff as a board, but at least he got some much-needed sleep. He rolled over and found that he’d turned into a bird in his sleep.

‘Screw this,’ he thought. ‘Now I’m cooped up for the rest of the day.’ He glanced at a wall clock that read 10 AM. ‘This is gonna be a long day.’

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When nighttime finally came, Kris shrank back into a person and he threw on his coat and hastily got out of the hostel. He got something to eat in a nearby restaurant with the money he found in the coat’s pocket. I’m so lucky with this coat.

After stuffing himself, he walked around Changsha. He found out that he came into the richer part of town because of the towering mansion houses around him. They lit up the place like it was New York City or something. He walked the whole length of mansion houses till he came to stop at the grandest of all: the one at the end of the street that looked like a miniature palace. It was the brightest of all, yet Kris suddenly felt a very bad feeling as he came closer to the house.

Just then, a boy ran out of the house, pursued by a man around Suho’s age, maybe a few years older. Then a woman came out and a younger girl followed, probably the sister of the boy. Kris focused on the boy. He was fair and had soft brown hair. He had angelic features which resembled that of his mother. He was crying, but Kris’ necklace didn’t glow.

“Dear, please, don’t—” said the woman, trying to protest.

“Don’t what, Jia? How could you keep this from me?” roared the man.

“Papa, not here, please—” said the younger girl.

“Shut your mouth, Fei,” snapped the father. Fei shut up instantly.

“You can’t talk to my sister like that,” said the crying boy who paused his crying and looked up with a determined look. The father looked at him with fiery eyes.

“She’s not your sister, boy! You are an illegitimate son! You don’t have the right to talk to me that way anymore! Begone!” roared the angry man. He turned his back in the boy and ushered the two females inside. The younger girl, Fei, escaped from her father’s grasp and ran to her brother.

“Yixing gege, don’t go,” she pleaded. “Don’t leave me here. Please.”

“Fei… I don’t know…” said the boy, Yixing. “I…”

“Fei, COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!” yelled the angry father.

“NO!” retorted Fei. “If you banish gege from this house, I’m going with him!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, daughter,” called the mother. The father snapped his fingers and two bulky guards stepped out of the shadows and pried Fei from Yixing.

“No! Let go of me! Gege! Yixing gege!” screamed Fei to the top of her lungs.

“Let go of my sister!” roared Yixing. “Fei!”

The guards managed to pry Fei’s fingers away from Yixing and dragged the howling girl inside the mansion. Yixing was left outside, crying and not knowing with to do. He sank down on the ground and angrily punched the earth. Kris took this as the opportunity to approach him.

“H-Hey, there,” said Kris awkwardly. “You alright? Stop hurting yourself.”

The boy looked up at him. His cheeks were tear-stained and his eyes were puffy from crying. His arms were rather red from the grip his sister had on him earlier. He glared at Kris.

“If you were here ten seconds ago you’d know I’m not alright,” he snapped. “And who are you to tell me what to do?”

Kris was taken aback. He sure had attitude. “Ok, sorry, just trying to be a concerned citizen here. If you need a place to stay, though, I could take you in for the night.”

The boy glared at him deeper. “I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone.”

Kris shrugged. “Suit yourself. But if you ever do need help, I’m at the Royal Garden hostel, room 12.” Kris walked away and headed back to the hostel. He knew by heart what would happen next. He’d just have to wait a few hours.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Sure enough, the boy did come. Rain began to fall heavily an hour after Kris got back to the hostel. He showered for a while and when he came out, there was a knock on the door. Kris put some clothes on before getting the door.

It was none other than that boy Yixing.

“You came, after all,” said Kris. The boy gave him a look before his face melted into sadness.

“Please, just for tonight,” he said quietly. Kris opened the door further and let the boy in. He was soaking wet, so Kris tossed him a towel and some dry clothes Chanyeol gave him.

“Take a nice shower first so you don’t get sick, and we’ll talk later,” said Kris. Yixing nodded and hopped into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he came out, newly washed. He had hung up his clothes in the bathroom. Kris was lounging on the couch, flipping through channels. When he saw Yixing come out, he turned the TV off.

“You feeling alright now?” he asked with concern. Yixing hesitated before nodding.

“Better than before, at least,” Yixing muttered.

“Good,” said Kris. He studied Yixing for a while as the younger boy sat down on the king-sized bed. He had a tired, sad expression on. When he sighed, Kris sensed heaviness and deep sadness within him. He suddenly felt very intrigued.

“What’s your name again?” asked Kris.

“Zhang Yixing,” said the boy instantly. “Well, at least I thought I was a Zhang.”

“Ohhhkay…” said Kris awkwardly. “My name’s Kris. What happened back there? Care to share? Or you’d rather not?”

Yixing paused for a while. He just stared in his lap and clenched and unclenched his fists.

“I think you’d rather not talk about it,” concluded Kris. He started to get up when Yixing started to talk.

“My so-called ‘father’ and I found out that I was adopted,” he said. Kris sat back down, eager for the rest of the story.

“It was all mother’s fault,” he continued, “and some of the people who helped her keep a secret this big.”

--flashback—

“I have to make an announcement,” said my mother. We have all gotten down to eat dinner: me, father, and Fei, my little sister. The air was calm, happy, even. Then mother decided to break it.

“I-I feel really guilty keeping this to myself,” said my mother. I’m closer to her than father, so I can read her well enough to know she was very uncomfortable.

“What is it, Jia?” asked father.

“Dear, please don’t be mad,” began my mother. I bit my lip. Her tension was making me uneasy too.

“Quit beating around the bush, mother, and spit it out,” muttered Fei.

Mother waited for a few seconds and calmed her breathing before saying out loud the worst news our family could possibly hear.

“Yixing, our son, was adopted.”

--end of flashback—

“It was a riot after that,” said Yixing. “My father’s face almost turned purple with rage. Fei was stunned. Mother was stunned as well when father came to me and yanked me out of my chair. Amidst the chaos, mother tried explaining, but father wouldn’t listen. I, too, was outraged, so before father could throw me out the door, I ran out of the house. You know what happened next.”

Kris was silent as he absorbed the story. It was probably one of the most bizarre he’s heard yet, but it was possible after all.

“I heard mother say she adopted me because they needed an heir,” continued Yixing quietly. “Fei was supposed to be an only child, if only she were a boy.”

Kris nodded. “Why did your mother have to announce such news today?”

“I dunno,” said Yixing with a shrug. “A wrong timing, I’d say.”

“Me too,” agreed Kris. He got up from his seat and started arranging the bed. “It’s a good thing this bed has three pillows. I’ll just take one and I think I saw a spare blanket in the closet.”

“Wh-What?” said Yixing, a bit taken aback by the sudden change of mood.

“You can have the bed for tonight,” said Kris. “I’m used to sleeping on the couch, so it’s no big deal. But you’re used to rich stuff, so you take the bed.”

“Is…Is it really…alright?” asked Yixing.

“Sure!”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Later, when they were both settled in their make-shift beds, Yixing broached on a topic that had Kris silent for a while.

“Kris? Could you tell me about your family?” he asked. Kris was floored.

“Wh-What?” he said.

“Tell me about your family,” said Yixing. “I’ve told you my story, now tell me yours.”

“W-Well,” said Kris, unsure of where to start. “I came from a family of a father, a mother, and an older brother. My grandfather was also living with us, well, until he died, anyway. We were very close, and so were me and my older brother. But not so with my parents and me. I dunno what’s wrong with me, but they always picked on me, so when I turned 16, I ran away. I’ve been fending for myself since then.”

“Woah,” said Yixing in amazement. “How did you survive? Did you have a job?”

“Yeah, I had a job,” said Kris. “I worked in a small café. But since a few weeks ago, I’ve stopped working to attend to a more important business.” Please don’t ask me what it is. It was enough risk to let Chanyeol and Xiumin in on the secret.

“Oh, I see,” he said and quieted down. “I’m glad you helped me, Kris gege. Is that right? Are you older than me? I’m 17 now.”

“I’m 21 now, so yeah, I guess so,” said Kris, relieved. “It’s late, Yixing. I bet you’re emotionally drained from today. You get some sleep, now. But I have to warn you: if you don’t find me here in this couch when you wake up, I’m probably out jogging. Don’t worry about the expenses; I’ve paid for the room when I came.”

“Thanks again.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Next morning, Yixing awoke to find Kris gone from the couch, as he had said. On the bureau desk was a piece of paper, hastily folded. Inside was almost chicken scratch, but Yixing was able to decipher it.

Yixing,

It was nice knowing you, dude. I hope things go well between you and your family, because it did for me. Good luck!

I’m glad to have known you.

Kris.

Yixing smiled. He went out and walked back to their mansion. Outside, standing in the front lawn, was Fei. His face lit up when he saw her. When she caught sight of him, tears sprang from her eyes and she ran out of the gates.

“Yixing gege!” she screamed. She leapt up into Yixing waiting arms and they both cried on each other’s shoulders.

“Fei…” murmured Yixing.

“Gege, are you alright? Where did you spend the night? I hope you didn’t have to stay under the rain. Yixing gege…”

“I’m alright, didi,” said Yixing affectionately, caressing his sister’s hair. “How have you been?”

“Answer me first~!” she whined. Yixing chuckled.

“Ok fine. I’ve been well. A friend took me in and let me spend the night in his place,” said Yixing.

“That’s great,” said Fei. Then her chin quivered. “Father and mother fought all night. It was terrible. No matter how thick my walls were I heard them loud and clear. Good thing everything subsided at around 3 AM and I got a few hours’ sleep. I rushed out of here the moment I woke up. I didn’t get any breakfast yet.”

Yixing pulled his little sister to his chest. “Poor Fei. I’m sorry.”

“Fei? Are you out there?” called a feminine voice. Mrs. Zhang looked out of the doorway and upon seeing Yixing, she rushed out and enveloped him in a hug. Yixing was taken aback, then he grew cold.

“You hug like yesterday never happened,” he said harshly. “As if you never kept anything from me.”

“Last night was a blur, honey,” said their mother calmly. “But I’ve talked to your father. We had a discussion about it and before we went to sleep, we’ve resolved the matter. It was my fault, and you father has no reason to be mad at you anymore. I made him see sense, and it worked. You’re welcome to come back home.”

Yixing’s cold wall fell apart. “R-Really?”

“Yes of course, dear,” said his mother, getting teary-eyed as well. “No matter what, you’ll always be our son and will always be worthy of the name Zhang.”

Yixing wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck. She hugged him back affectionately. Fei joined in as well. Just then, the head of the Zhang family went out of the house.

“Yixing? Son? Is that you?” he called.

“Dad.” Yixing ran from his mother and into the waiting arms of his father.

“Yixing, I apologize for acting rashly last night and locking you out,” said his father, holding Yixing at arm’s length. “It was uncalled for.”

“I was shocked myself, dad,” said Yixing warily, not sure whether he should call Mr. Zhang ‘dad.’

“Well, I hope we can forgive each other,” said Mr. Zhang.

“The past is the past, dad,” replied Yixing with a smile. Fei, not being able to control herself, ran to her elder brother and father, enveloping them in a big hug. Tears escaped her eyes.

“I’m so happy gege can come home,” said Fei and sobbed. Yixing gently broke away from his father’s grasp and leveled himself with Fei. He wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb.

“Don’t cry anymore, huh, Fei? We’ll all be happy now,” he said, but even he couldn’t keep his tears to himself. Fei smiled through her tears and wiped her brother’s away.

The Zhang family shared a smile and went back inside the house, reunited and content.

Elsewhere, perched on the highest branch of a thick tree, Kris watched them happily as the bronze eagle he’s become. He smiled as Yixing’s tears finally fell, making his necklace glow once again.

At the end of the day, everything else has an end; the only thing that lasts longer is the sense of family.

Kris flew away a happy bird at this thought.