OH MY GOD. WHO'S BACK? HAHAHA! Anyway, I know I have a huge SORRY to give out to you guys for being away for so long... But I'll explain later. In the meantime! It's the mini-chapter for SuLay!!

So the timeline is from the first time they met until the present!! (It's giving a bit of a preview about what's coming out in the next chapter. so go, go!!)

Anyway, please don't be confused by the italicized quotes at the beginning of each section! Explanation: I used them to summarize the emotions they were feeling at that time. It's like their hearts were talking. I know, cheesy right?? But forgive the cheese ball author over here!

Oh, and I recommend you listen to this song because I feel like it fits SuLay's story in this au. That's all for now. Go ahead! Read!

“Yixing-ah, do you remember when we first met?”

“Of course I do. How could I ever forget?”

It was an unexpected friendship.

They were four years old when the two of them met. Joonmyun, who only knew the life inside the orphanage all his life, was busy with his coloring book along with the other orphan kids when Mrs. Lee (their caretaker) entered the play room. Joonmyun spotted a little boy behind her, probably the same age as him. Although Mrs. Lee introducing a new kid to them was a regular occurrence, Joonmyun and the others still excitedly flocked around her and the boy.

Because of his small stature, Joonmyun fought his way in front of the others, and as soon as he settled in his position, his eyes immediately fell upon the new boy. The two of them made eye contact, and Joonmyun smiled at him right away. However, the other one just turned away and ignored him, making Joonmyun frown. He must be really shy. He assumed.

There are only four bedrooms for the children in the orphanage, but they were huge; two were for the boys, and the remaining for the girls. They were lined up with identical single-person bed. Joonmyun’s bed was in the corner spot next to the huge window. The bed beside his was empty, because a couple of weeks ago, the former occupant was recently adopted. That was why he was not surprised when the spotted the new kid sitting alone on the unoccupied bed when he came back from dinner that night.

“Hello.” Joonmyun greeted, however, he was ignored. He watched the other stare at his hands, which appeared to be holding a white handkerchief.

“Your name’s Yixing, right?” Joonmyun tried once more. This time, he made his voice louder in case the other one did not hear him earlier. “I’m Joonmyun.”

This time, Yixing looked at him. Joonmyun wanted to clap his hands in success, but it was useless when the other turned his back at him and started going to sleep.

Days passed, and Joonmyun still attempted to befriend Yixing, but he was turned down repeatedly. However, he would not be fazed. Sometimes, he would see the new kid sitting alone in the playroom, while the others minded their own business.

Joonmyun was just done reading the new story book that Mrs. Lee showed them that morning when he heard the three kids beside him talking in hushed voices.

“I heard that Yixing’s dad went to jail, and he doesn’t have a mom so he was sent here.” One of the boys said, all of them were looking at the lonely boy in the corner of the room.

“No way,” The only girl chirped in. “One of the unnies told me that his parents left him in the zoo because they hated him.”

“That’s not what I heard.” The other boy whispered. “They said that he’s got some sort of disease that’s why they brought him here.”

“Eew!!”

“I know” The boy nodded. “He’s so gross. It’s better if we stay away from him.”

Joonmyun’s eyes widened by the hurtful words he heard. No, Yixing is not like that. For him, Yixing is just sad. He did not know why, but what they were saying about him is just too much. Sometimes, he would be awakened in the middle of the night with sounds of muffled sobs at the bed beside him, and Joonmyun just wanted to make it all stop. He wanted to make Yixing smile, because in a way, he did not want the other to end up like him. That was why Joonmyun stood up from his seat, and proceeded to confront the kids beside him.

“Hey, it’s not nice to talk about other people behind their back.” It unlike him to confront others like this.

“Oh?” One of the boys stood up. He was way taller than Joonmyun. “Why do you care, shorty?” He then proceeded to push Joonmyun to the ground. Because of his small frame, he fell down hard.

“Yeah, you should know your place here.” The girl piped in. “Nobody likes a shorty like you.”

Joonmyun tried to get up as tears started to form in his eyes, but he was pushed back to the ground by the other boy’s foot. “Shorty wants to fight back now, isn’t it?”

His breath was getting labored now. Although it hurts a lot with the bigger kid’s foot on his chest, Joonmyun did not regret what he had done. “Y-yixing, d-did not d-do anything wrong w-with y-you.”

Joonmyun felt the foot pressing harder on his chest, and he choked. He felt that his bones are gonna break. Just a bit more…

It must have been a flash of light or something like that, and the next moment, the weight on his chest was gone. It takes a few moments before Joonmyun realized what was going on. He heard a girl shrieked and with a bit of difficulty, he sat up.

He gasped when he saw the boy now lying on the ground as Yixing punched his face repeatedly. The other boy cried for help as his nose started to bleed, and one of the boys pulled Yixing away and threw a punch at him in return. The other older kids started to gang up on Yixing as Joonmyun ran to push them away.

Luckily, the orphanage personnel came to the rescue and was able to pacify the whole situation.

Yixing lied on the clinic’s bed alone. The wound beside his lips had finally stopped bleeding, and the clinic’s nurse, who was definitely frantic by the fight earlier, had been able to treat him. Yixing sighed, and the slight movement of his mouth caused him to wince a little.

All of a sudden, he heard a movement near the entrance. He turned at the direction, and saw someone’s head trying to take a peek inside. A distinctive yelp was heard when he noticed Yixing looking right back at him. Yixing watched pointedly as the other kid, the one he recalls that was named Joonmyun, approached his bed. There was a shy smile etched on his kind face, and before Yixing realized it, the other was sitting on the bedside.

“I’m so sorry.” Joonmyun hung his head. “This wouldn’t have happened if I did not confront them. I’m so sorry, Yixing.”                                                                                                                                                                             

Yixing only stared at him. To be honest, he wanted to tell the other boy that he did not have to worry about it, since he wanted to teach those boys a lesson. He wanted to tell him that it was okay because Joonmyun was the one who defended him in the first place. He wanted to ask if Joonmyun is okay, if he was hurt anywhere. However, just as always, he just kept his mouth shut.

“I’m not gonna bother you again.” Joonmyun said as he bowed in apology. “I’m really sorry.” Those were the last words that Joonmyun said before exiting the clinic.

And Yixing could only sigh once more. This time, he did not wince. Maybe he did not mind being bothered at all.

And true to his words, Joonmyun stopped trying to approach him every time. And Yixing could only watch the other silently, and somehow, he felt sorry for him. He did not understand why a nice person like Joonmyun would always stay by himself. The other kids seem to bully him a lot, but still Joonmyun does not say anything. It sometimes annoys him how the other would just keep a smile on his face, and it annoys him more that the only time that Joonmyun fought back was when he was defending Yixing.

There were times when Yixing would catch Joonmyun cleaning the playroom by himself. The other kids had all run off to the cafeteria to eat lunch, but Joonmyun would always be left behind to clean up after the mess.

And sometimes Yixing wondered what would have happened if he reciprocated the friendship that Joonmyun offered him.

It was a stormy night, and there was a power outage. Mrs. Lee had to send them all back to their rooms earlier than usual. Yixing was still wide awake at that time, and the slight tapping of the branch from the tree outside was not helping his sleepiness at all. He could hear the sound of the thunders outside. After a particularly loud, roaring of boom, he suddenly heard the soft crying on the bed beside him. Yixing turned, and there, he saw a lump of blankets shaking slightly in the dark.

Joonmyun.

Hopping of his bed, Yixing approached the other one and awkwardly tapped the crying boy’s shoulder. He felt the other stiffened in return. There was another roar of thunder, and Yixing felt Joonmyun shook once more.

“Are you okay?” Yixing asked.

Joonmyun turned to him. A flash of lightning, and Yixing saw for a second the other’s tear-stained cheeks and scared expression. The sound of thunder made another set of tears on his eyes. Yixing could not help, but to scoot closer to Joonmyun to stop him from crying.

“I’m scared.” Joonmyun answered him.

Yixing took the liberty to lie down beside him. All he knows that time was to make Joonmyun stop crying.

“Cover your ears.” He said, but Joonmyun only blinked up at him. After a few seconds of a lack of response, Yixing went on to put Joonmyun’s hands to cover his own ears, and somehow leaving his own on top of the other.

“Don’t worry, everything’s gonna be all right. I’m never gonna leave your side.”

“What’s your dream Yixing-ah?”

“I dream that we will be together until the end, Joonmyun-ah.”

“Mine too.”

It was around a year later when Yixing finally saw somebody got adopted. It was one of the noonas in the orphanage. Every child was there to bid her goodbye one last time. Yixing saw the happiness in her eyes as she held her parents hands. At some point, he felt a bit jealous that she’s got her own family now. However, when he felt a hand reaching out to his, he could not help but smile, and be reminded that as long as Joonmyun’s there, he would be fine.

He turned to his friend, and saw Joonmyun’s eyes getting glassy by the second. At one point, Yixing did not understand. That noona was not nice to Joonmyun at all, yet his best friend was still crying at her departure. At the same time, he gets it… It was Joonmyun after all.

Things had turned for the better the past year. He and Joonmyun became inseparable. Although he still distant hostile to the other kids, Yixing was able to open up to the other without problem. He was just thankful that the other kids did not bother his friend more than usual, because they know that they would face Yixing’s wrath if ever they dare to touch Joonmyun.

Other than that, Yixing learned that Joonmyun was born in the orphanage. It was the only world that he knew, and aside from the field trips that they take from time to time outside the orphanage, Joonmyun did not know a lot about the outside.

“Yixing-ah,” Joonmyun asked one time they were sitting at the playroom playing with the oversized Legos. “What does it feel like to have parents?”

Yixing thought about it for a moment, which the other assumed that he had said something offensive.

“Oh no, I shouldn’t have asked!” Joonmyun gasped. “I didn’t mean to, Yixing-ah. Sorry.”

However, Yixing only laughed and patted Joonmyun’s head. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. Honestly, I don’t really remember that well.”

After looking at Joonmyun’s curious expression, he continued. “I mean, I remember having a dad and a mom, but they died a few years back, and it was my grandma who took care of me.”

Joonmyun’s eyes sparkled at that. “Really? What was she like?”

“She’s nice.” Yixing answered with a small smile as he remembered her. “She would always sing to me before I go to sleep, or maybe sometimes she’ll read me stories from the story book. Sometimes she would tell me stories about mom and dad…”

“Wow…” Joonmyun said in awe. “You’re so lucky, Yixing-ah.”

“But she died though,” Yixing hung his head   “That’s why I was sent here.”

Joonmyun frowned when he saw his friend’s sad expression.

“But I’m okay now though,” Yixing said and replaced his frown with a small smile.

It was the first snow of the year, and Joonmyun was just heading back to their bedroom along with the others. They spent the whole day putting Christmas decorations all over the orphanage, because there will be visitors that would arrive tomorrow. Unfortunately, he was assigned to decorate the Function Hall, while Yixing was sent to decorate the garden. It was lonely keeping to himself the whole day, true, but he always liked the Christmas season.

He was looking forward to chatting with his best friend once more, but when he arrived at their room, all he saw was an empty bed. Looking around, he found it weird since the other kids who were assigned with Yixing outside were already getting ready to sleep. Assuming that Yixing must have been the last one to use the bathroom, Joonmyun waited for him restlessly. Much time had passed and still no signs of his friend, Joonmyun proceeded to search for him. He was getting worried by the second.

It was a bit scary to go out of their room. Since Mrs. Lee had turned off the lights in the corridors, the only source of illumination was the moon from outside. But seeing ghosts was the last thing on Joonmyun’s mind right now; he needs to find Yixing right away.

He almost turned the whole place upside down while searching frantically, and he almost gave up until he thought of something. He was right. There, sitting at one of the benches at the garden, Joonmyun found Yixing. He almost cried out of the frustration, worry and relief that he was feeling at that time. He approached his best friend, and was ready to tell him off for staying outside after hours. However, as Joonmyun stood beside him, he noticed that Yixing was once more holding the white handkerchief in his hands, looking at it serenely.

“Yixing-ah?” Joonmyun pats his friend’s shoulder when he did not look up.

“Joonmyun-ah…” Yixing says, and he did not need to look up for Joonmyun to know that he something was wrong. He took a seat beside his friend. The two of them stayed in silence after that. Joonmyun was ready to wait for Yixing to talk even if the two of them stayed outside the whole night.

“Today was the day that Grandma died.” Yixing said after a while, and Joonmyun could feel the sadness in his tone.

“Do you miss her?” Joonmyun asked.

“I always do.” Yixing answered, and he suddenly turned sideways to rub his eyes with his arm.

Joonmyun, who took notice of the action stood up in front of his friend. “Sometimes, it’s okay to cry, Yixing-ah.”

Yixing looked up at Joonmyun. He had never ever shown any signs of weakness towards the other, and he did not want his friend to think he was lame right now. However, Joonmyun only smiled, and wrapped his arms around him.

“If you’re sad, and you want to, it’s okay.” Joonmyun says. “This time, I’ll be the one to protect you, Yixing-ah.”

“Did you ever think it would end?”

“During those times, I didn’t.”

“You’re such an idiot.”

“I know.”

“Didn’t I tell you to be more careful?”

“Yes, you told me.”

“And yet here you are with your arm wrapped in bandage.”

“Yes I am.”

“Didn’t I—“

“I’m fine.”

“But—“

“I’m fine. Don’t be such a worrywart.”

“How can I not worry when—“

“Yixing-ah, I’m fine.”

Yixing could only sigh in defeat as he took a seat next to Joonmyun. That morning, the orphanage held its annual sports festival. Since the both of them were now twelve years of age and two of the most senior kids in the orphanage, they were asked to participate in most of the events. Yixing had just won the medal for the 100m run when one of the younger kids called him to tell that Joonmyun was brought to the infirmary. As soon as he heard the news, Yixing abandoned the awards ceremony and rushed to find his friend.

When he entered the infirmary, the nurse was just about to finish putting the bandage on Joonmyun’s left arm. His friend recounted the events that happened on the soccer field, and when he tripped over his untied shoelaces when he was trying to score a goal. However, Yixing was not really listening, all that registered on his mind was that Joonmyun was fine. It will heal soon, right?

Yixing was going to tell Joonmyun that he was relieved that nothing worse had happened. That was what he intended to say really, but what came out of his mouth was:

“I told you to double the knot on your sneakers. Didn’t you hear me this morning? You wouldn’t have fallen down if you did!”

It took him by surprise when the response that he got from Joonmyun was only a soft chuckle. Yixing wanted to rip his hair out that moment.

“Yah, I’m serious here.”

Joonmyun smiled and Yixing’s hostile expression softened.

“Don’t worry, Yixing-ah. I promise next time, I’ll always knot my sneakers twice.”

That night, Yixing watched Joonmyun slept at the next bed. He cannot help not to worry about him sometimes. Joonmyun could be so reckless from time to time, and now he finally injured himself. Sighing to himself as he shook his head, he tried to go to sleep once more. Hearing a slight shift beside him, Yixing jerked his head once more to face Joonmyun’s direction, only to see that his friend was still snoring his way into dreamland. This won’t do. He thought and after debating with himself for a few moments, he then proceeded to transfer to Joonmyun’s bed. Although justifying to no one in particular that he was doing this so that Joonmyun would not go into trouble once more, the worry that he was feeling several minutes earlier was gone. He was finally able to go to sleep.

For the past years, the orphanage had seen several changes. They added a new wing to accommodate more children and added built a new classroom. However, there were still some things that remained the same; Mrs. Lee was still the head of the orphanage. Joonmyun and Yixing still remained best friends, and as time flew by, they were able to see the others come and go. Both of them got taller, yet Yixing seemed to have the advantage on this one, yet Joonmyun always told him that when they both hit puberty, he would be six feet tall. To that comment, Yixing would just laugh every single time.

Although the two of them were getting older, it was not unusual that the both of them were still not adopted. There were a few hyungs and noonas who were still there, and typically some of the older ones were only allowed to leave the orphanage when they reach the age of eighteen. Sure, from time to time, the two of them were both arranged by Mrs. Lee to meet up with potential couples, but so far, there were no takers. Joonmyun would not be lying if he said that he did not feel jealous whenever he saw one of the kids adopted, but in the end, whenever he was with Yixing, he knew he would always have a family.

That was why he was caught off guard when Yixing started avoiding him one day.

Every morning, the both of them would get out of bed at the same time. However, that morning, Joonmyun woke up to find Yixing’s bed already made, and when he went to the cafeteria for breakfast, his friend was still not there. It was only when he went to their class that Joonmyun found Yixing sitting very far from their usual position. Unfortunately, he was not able to talk to the other, because their teacher already came in. After their class, Yixing left quickly that Joonmyun did not even notice the absence of the other. Even some of their classmates took notice of this bizarre behavior, since they knew that the two were inseparable.

“Joonmyun, you’re not with Yixing?” one of them asked him.

Joonmyun sighed. “I don’t know where he is. He’s acting weird today.”

“Maybe Yixing’s just taking his time.” Another one joined in. “You know it’s not gonna be easy for him.”

“What do you mean?” Joonmyun asked.

“Didn’t you hear? Yixing’s gonna be adopted.”

Over the years, Joonmyun had always thought of the different possibilities that would happen in case one of them was adopted. He had always thought that he would be prepared for it, but now that he was faced with the reality, he realized how unready he was. Suddenly, all those times that that the two of them shared flashed before his eyes, and a lot of things went through his mind. However, despite all that, in the end there was only one feeling left in his heart. He was happy.

“You’re such an idiot.” Joonmyun shouted at Yixing when he finally found the other one sitting on their favorite bench in the garden.

Yixing looked at him with a somber expression.

“You avoided me the whole day!” Joonmyun put his hands on his waist as he scolded Yixing. “How could you? I’m supposed to be your best friend!”

“Joonmyun-ah, I’m gonna…” Yixing started to say.

“I know.” Joonmyun smiled as Yixing only stared up at him. “You’re so stupid. That’s why you’re being cold to me? Didn’t you even consider how I felt? I’m happy for you, Yixing-ah!”

“Really?” Yixing frowned. “Do you really want us to be separated?”

Joonmyun sighed as he sat beside Yixing, leaning back to stare at the bright blue sky. It’s a good day. “It’s gonna . I know. But the truth is distance won’t matter right? I mean, even if we’re apart, we’re always gonna be best friends.”

It was a few days before Yixing was going to be leaving the orphanage. He and Joonmyun were just packing up his very few things when one of the personnel came to their bedroom to summon Joonmyun at Mrs. Lee’s office. After giving Joonmyun a shrug, Yixing went on to finish packing. It was only an hour later, when Joonmyun returned to their room with an uncertain smile on his face.

“What did Mrs. Lee want?” Yixing asks as his best friend took a seat on his own bed.

Joonmyun rubbed his neck while he smiled. “I was interviewed by this couple a few weeks ago, and they seemed to like me, and…”

“And?” Yixing jumped on his bed in anticipation.

“I’m gonna get adopted too.”

Whenever someone is leaving the orphanage, Mrs. Lee sees to it that their last night at the orphanage would be special. For everyone, it was like a treat since they will always have a nice dinner than the usual. It was the same during Yixing’s final stay. There were more food than usual and everyone ate their heart out, even Joonmyun and Yixing. Mrs. Lee even took a photo of the two best friends with her Polaroid. There were smiles on both their faces as they went to bed that night, but for some reason, the both of them could not sleep. This time, it was Joonmyun who took the initiative to transfer into Yixing’s bed.

“Will we ever see each other again?” Joonmyun asked. The two of them both staring up the dark ceiling.

“Well, we’re both gonna be living in the city, right?” Yixing answered. “Maybe we could meet from time to time.”

“I guess so…” Joonmyun trailed off.

Yixing turned to face Joonmyun, which the other in turn mirrored his actions. “Tell you what; let’s meet at 6pm on Christmas Eve at the park where Mrs. Lee always takes us.”

“The park where you made me ride those dangerous swings?” Joonmyun pouted.

“That’s what you took from this?” Yixing said with a chuckle. “But we love that place! It has awesome ice cream!”

Joonmyun laughed in return. “Okay, fine. We’ll meet there.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

The both of them lied on their backs once more, and started to stare mindlessly at the ceiling. Joonmyun suddenly heard a sniff from the person beside him, and he felt Yixing’s hand holding on to his. Suddenly, tears started flowing out of his eyes as well. They never said anything after that.

Joonmyun’s hold on Yixing’s hand tightened.

“Everything started falling apart from that moment, right?”

“Yes.”

The sound of his alarm clock woke up Yixing. Reaching out mindlessly at his bedside table to stop the annoying noise, the half-asleep boy got up from his bed to start his morning routine. After he finished taking a shower, he dressed up in his school uniform. Several months had passed, yet as Yixing looked at himself in the mirror, he still could not get used to the fact that he finally has a normal life and a family as well. Before leaving his room, he subconsciously looked over at his calendar and smiled when he saw the date. Today, he was going to buy his Christmas gift for Joonmyun. He had been saving his allowance for quite some time now to buy a book that they liked to read back at the orphanage.

Just a few days till Christmas Eve…

It smelled like pancakes and bacons as soon as he entered the kitchen. There, he found his mother cooking breakfast. He noticed that an unfinished cup of coffee was lying on the coffee table. He was just a few moments in the kitchen when his mom started fussing over him.

“Mom, I’m fine.” Yixing chuckled as his mom started combing his hair. “Where’s dad by the way?”

“He had to leave early for a seminar.” His mother answered. It was usual for his parents to go to a seminar from time to time. They were both university professors. They had been married for quite some time now, but unfortunately was not able to be blessed with a child. “And don’t change the subject. I still think you need a haircut.”

Yixing rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine…” He answered to appease his mom. “I’ll be later than usual anyway.”

“Oh, right.” Both his parents knew about his friendship with Joonmyun. They even told him that he should invite his friend next time to their house. “Do you want me to accompany you?”

“I’ll be okay mom, don’t worry too much.”

On the other side of the city, another boy was also woken up. This time, it was not from the sound of the alarm clock, but from the sound of a glass breaking. Joonmyun bolted from his bed and ran frantically downstairs. The sight was not pretty when he went to their living room. There on the corner, he saw his father landing a kick on his barely conscious mother. The remnants of a vase just a few feet from where she was lying down. Apparently, his father had just gotten home from drinking all night. It was not really good whenever this happened.

“Mom!” Joonmyun ran over to his mother, totally ignoring the fact that his drunken father was there.

“Tell… your… mother…” His father slurred his words as he spoke, and Joonmyun hated the smell of alcohol on his breath. “… To stay out… of. Out of… my business.” He then swayed back to proceed in their bedroom.

Joonmyun could care less to what he had to say. From the very beginning, his adoptive father had never hid the fact that he was a useless drunk, mooching off his mother’s earnings. And he had always been witnessed to the fact that his mother got battered every single day. Once, Joonmyun tried to defend her, but she pleaded that he do not do anything. But it never stopped him from feeling sorry for his mom.

His mother told him that the reason why his father hated her was because she was the reason that they never had a child. Unfortunately, she had an abortion when she was a teenager, which caused her inability to give birth.

Still, Joonmyun wished his father would stop hurting her.

It was finally Christmas Eve, and Yixing was smiling the whole day. The book that he had purchased a few days ago was placed neatly on his desk. It was now wrapped beautifully by his mom a few nights ago. After school, he rushed home and took a shower once again. After that, he dressed in his best outfit before heading to the park to meet his best friend that he missed so much.

A week earlier, Joonmyun headed home with his heart feeling lighter than usual. It was only a few days to go before the day that he had been waiting for the entire time. He would be seeing Yixing once again. There was a slight bounce on his feet at the thought of talking with his best friend just like the old days.

His mother was cooking a dinner for them to share that night. Joonmyun smiled as he offered his had to help her. He was just sharing his anticipation on seeing his best friend once again, when his father entered the kitchen and planted a strong slap across his mother’s face causing her to be thrown across the room. He started to shout at her once more.

Joonmyun saw the blood oozing from the corner of his mother’s lips. As he saw his father approaching her, ready to attack her once more, Joonmyun’s senses out. He reached out for the knife in front of him, and run in front of his mother.

“If you hurt her again, I swear to God, I’ll kill you!!” Joonmyun’s hands were trembling as he pointed the knife to his supposed father. All of a sudden, all his hatred towards this man surged out of him, and at that moment he was ready to murder him if he needed to.

“Oh,” His father smiled at him mockingly. “The little boy’s finally learned how to fight back eh? Let’s see what you’re gonna do with this!” The punch came so suddenly that Joonmyun did not realize that he was lying on the ground panting for breath. The knife that was previously in his hand was thrown ungraciously at the floor.

“Stop! Don’t hurt my son!” He heard his mother sobbed, and he felt himself being lifted up to her arms. Her body protecting her from the intoxicated man. “I told you to never hurt him!! Not him!!”

The only thing that Joonmyun heard was a snort from the man as he left the room.

After that, everything had been a blur. After his mom cleaned up the wound that was inflicted by his father, she started packing all of their stuff. A couple of hours later, Joonmyun found himself sitting on a train heading towards the province to his mother’s parents’ house, leaving their lives behind the city.

Snow started falling as Joonmyun stares at the countryside.

Yixing-ah…

Yixing sat on one of the swings. His excitement was getting slimmer bit by bit. He checked his watch, and saw that it’s half past 11 already. He was getting worried. Something must have happened to Joonmyun, but how could he know what happened? He did not know where he lived or how to contact him. He had been pacing back and forth the past few hours. There was no way that Joonmyun would ditch him unless there was a perfectly good reason.

He suddenly heard some footsteps approaching him, and he stood up in excitement, only to find his mom and dad smiling at him kindly. His mother held his hand and told him that it’s time to go home.

Later that night, he put his gift at the bottom of his closet and protected it with his pajamas.

Maybe next year, Joonmyun-ah.

The next year came by like a breeze. Yixing went on with his life, and he could not ask for more. Just as always, there was only thing that he had been anticipating the whole year. The present that he had been keeping in his closet was once again sitting atop his desk. For sure, Joonmyun would be happy to see this one!

Yixing rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. It was almost ten in the evening.

There’s still no signs of Joonmyun.

A year later, fourteen year old Joonmyun stepped out of the train. It was snowing in the city. It had been a couple of years since he had seen the place, yet there had not been a lot of changes. There was a sense of familiarity as he trailed his way to the promised venue. Joonmyun could feel his hands getting cold, not from the weather, but from the fact that finally, finally he was going to see Yixing once again.

And there he was.

Joonmyun felt a tear fall down his cheeks when he saw his best friend sitting alone on the swings. There was a sudden rush that went through his body, an instinct to go run to Yixing. However, it was instantaneously replaced by the flood of questions that had been haunting him for the past two years. Are you mad at me, Yixing-ah? Are you always waiting here all these times? Will you ever forgive me?

These questions plagued his mind, and there, Joonmyun froze up. He just stood there, a distance away from the person he wanted to see the most. He was just there watching for hours, and not doing anything more.

It was midnight when Yixing finally decided to head home. His parents must have been pretty wotted by now. Until the last minute, until the last second, Yixing waited, and hoped, but in the end, his heart felt more broken with each passing year. It was clear, Joonmyun would not be coming. He got the message.

Still… He never knew it would hurt this much to finally swallow the whole truth.

And this year, he did try. He went back to the orphanage to ask Mrs. Lee about the address of Joonmyun, but when he arrived at the place, there was a different family living there already.

Yixing felt frustrated. Tonight was the last chance he could give. His parents both got a teaching job at the States and they would be leaving the following week. And yet, Joonmyun still did not come. Yixing wanted to cry when he arrived at his bedroom. He looked bitterly at the gift wrapped book he had kept all these times. With a sudden burst of anger, he threw it at the trash.

I’ll learn to forget you.

“Yixing-ah, are you still waiting?”

“Are you even coming, Joonmyun-ah?”

The past year had taken its toll on Yixing. Even his parents had both been worried that he seemed to have closed off himself to anybody new in his life. At school, he stayed cleared from everyone. Despite being able to speak reasonable English, he barely participated in class. He did not join any clubs, and he did not have any friends. The only thing that was keeping his grades afloat was his remarkable exam results. Yixing worked like a robot. His whole world revolved around home and school. Although his parents encouraged him to do some extracurricular activities, he was not interested in anything. He never thought anything mattered anyway.

That was until he met Mr. Choi.

He was the new music teacher at their school, and in Yixing’s opinion, he was alright. He was the husband of their homeroom teacher. Aside from that, he hardly cared. However, he was quite surprised when their music teacher asked for him to stay after class. Yixing was quite surprised when Mr. Choi handed him the poem that he wrote for his English class.

“My wife showed this to me last night.” Mr. Choi said with the boyish smile on his face. “Have you tried composing, Yixing-ah? Or do you play any instruments?”

Yixing shrugged. “I play guitar, but I haven’t been practicing for months. I’ve never tried composing though.”

“Hmm,” Mr. Choi tapped his chin. “I’m giving you an assignment for tonight. Try composing something. It doesn’t have to be a complete song. Just something that you could work on…”

Yixing stood frozen on his position. “Why?”

Mr. Choi shrugged. “I just feel that you just needed some outlet for all the feelings you’ve been keeping for a long time.”

For the nth time, Yixing crumpled another sheet of paper. This just would not do. He could not compose anything in one night. How could Mr. Choi dump this thing on him unexpectedly? This is so unfair, really. Yixing suddenly heard a gentle tapping against the window, and he realized it was pouring rain outside. He listened absentmindedly as he watched the raindrops continuously spattered on the glass. There was a sudden flash of light, and soon after a thunder was heard. Suddenly, the memory of the face of a young boy smiling kindly at him flickered on his mind.

The next day, Yixing burst into Mr. Choi’s office and turned in a huge stack of paper onto the music teacher’s table. There was a soft smile on Mr. Choi’s face as he stared at the pile in front of him.

“Well, I guess we’re now making progress, aren’t we?”

And there was indeed progress. Soon, Yixing was able to join the school’s performing arts club. He was even able to compose two musical plays with Mr. Choi as their club moderator. His parents were more than just relieved to see him interact with others more and do something instead of just locking himself in his room.

There’s still only one person who he thinks first and last every day, yet in a way, Yixing learned how to get by.

Joonmyun opened the lid of his savings box. This year, he would definitely talk to Yixing. It had not been easy, but with the help of a number of part time jobs and extreme saving of his money, Joonmyun had been able to save enough money to buy his own round trip train ticket to the city and back. He knew how foolish he had acted the past year, and this time, he planned to redeem himself. He owed it to Yixing.

Definitely this year…

Several years passed by, and Joonmyun still waited every year on Christmas Eve. He knew it. He missed his chance. He felt awful at the thought of not seeing Yixing… his best friend once again. There was a lump on his throat that he could not quite shake. However, he did not give up on the thought that one day; maybe… perhaps Yixing would be there.

And he’ll wait. He’ll always wait.

“Do you still remember me like I remember you?”

“I do. I will always do.”

It came as a shock to both his parents when Yixing talked to them about his decision to go back home and try out to be a singer. It had not been easy especially to his mom, but he had made up his mind. For years, music had been the only thing that had grabbed his attention, and he loved it so much, he wanted to share it with everyone.

That was why Yixing returned five years later to pursue his dreams.

It was not easy really. He tried auditioning to the big companies, but he was turned down. At the same time, he started performing at bars whenever they had an open mic session. He also started performing on the streets, and from time to time, he would be able to generate a crowd around him. And for that, he was happy. However, his finances did suffer, and he had to practice a lot of self-control to not spend the savings that his parents gave him. To support his needs, he even got a bartending job in one of the bars he was performing in.

But that did not satisfy him. He did not go back to this country to end up like this. He wanted more. He wanted to stand in front of a crowd and look on each of their faces, and maybe one day, he would find what he was searching for.

One day, he was street performing like the usual, and several passersby had been generous enough to leave some tips. He kept performing until a certain petite guy stood in front of him, and just watched for a whole two hours. After Yixing told him that he was done, this particular person clapped his hands and handed him a calling card which read: CS Entertainment and told him to come to the audition tomorrow. Yixing did a double take as he stared at the card. He had tried out in this company before, but he failed. He looked at the direction that the guy went. Maybe he could give it a try.

The following day, Yixing arrived earlier than usual in the company. There was a new poster hanging in front. He smiled when he realized that it was Chen. Yixing had only watched him once, and he knew he was a fan right away. That was the main reason why he auditioned in CSE in the first place. Maybe this would be his chance. Maybe next time, his poster would be hanging in front of this building too.

When he arrived at the auditions, he was not surprised by the amount of people there. Some of them rehearsing the ones that they were going to perform while some looked like they were just praying to the gods. Yixing sat down quietly as he waited for his turn, and when his number was called, he muttered a silent prayer before he went inside.

There were only three judges in the room: two of them looked like they were gonna skin him alive, while the other one… The other one was the guy from yesterday! Yixing saw a glint on the guy’s face, and his lips quirking a little as he stood in front of them.

All in all, Yixing felt like he did a great job in his audition, and when the results came out, he wanted to do a somersault when his name was included.

He was off to a great start.

And it was indeed a great start, since half a year later; he was able to finally debut.

Using the stage name, “Lay” (a name concocted by the one who discovered him, and his number one fan/manager, Baekhyun), he was finally able to step on the stage in front of a huge crowd. His eyes automatically scanned the audiences to find a familiar face.

You’re still not here.

“Oh, this new kids today are so talented.” Joonmyun hears his Grandpa telling his Grandma.

Joonmyun chuckles to himself as he cooked food in the kitchen. It was a weekend and his mother is still in the store, so he was assigned to take care of his grandparents. It was not a huge problem really. Both of them just enjoyed watching dramas, varieties and music shows on the television all day, so Joonmyun did not have to worry too much.

“Here’s your lunch, grandpa, grandma….” Joonmyun called as he entered the living room carrying a tray of food.

“Oh, Joonmyun!” His grandma exclaimed as she summoned him to sit beside them. “We were just watching this music show, and your grandpa was just telling me that he could do a better Scorpion dance than those kids on TV. Don’t mind him.”

“But I can!” Grandpa defended.

“Okay, you guys,” Joonmyun says as he handed his grandparents’ food. “You need to eat first before any pop and lock happens here!”

“I can do that too!” His grandfather boasted. “I’m a dancing machine!”

Soon, the three of them became immersed to the program they were watching. Joonmyun watched in amusement as his grandparents argue about the winner for the week, and whenever a group performed, they would tell him about their biases in the groups (they change every week). All was peaceful when a certain debut stage commenced.

Joonmyun nearly dropped his tray when he saw who the person performing.

It can’t be.

You look so different now, but still the same as I remember.

A few months later, Joonmyun steps out of the train once more, but this time, he was carrying more luggage than before.

I’m here to stay.

“I want to see you, to hear your voice, to see your smile, and most importantly, to apologize for everything.”

“I’m always waiting for you.”

“Joonmyun-ah!” Joonmyun turned as he heard a familiar booming voice entered the apartment. “Could you cover my shift at the restaurant tomorrow? I found this one day job, and it pays really well. Please? Please, please, please, please???”

Joonmyun laughed. “Seriously, Park Chanyeol. You’re so-called aegyo, if that really is an aegyo would not work on me. Besides, I have something else tomorrow.”

Chanyeol sighed. “Meh, it was worth a try.” He then walked to the kitchen to get a snack. “What are you gonna do tomorrow anyway?” He then took a bite at the French bread that he was eating and slumped on the couch.

“I’m going to Yixing’s fan signing event.” Joonmyun replied.

Chanyeol nearly choked on his bread. “Seriously.”

“Don’t judge me.” Joonmyun held up a hand. “I already told you…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Lost childhood friend, blah, blah, blah…”

Joonmyun chuckled as he shook his head. During his stay at the city, he felt he was the luckiest when he met Chanyeol. He had just arrived at the city at that time, and he had nowhere to go to or to stay in. Fortunately, when he was applying for a job at a fancy café, Chanyeol, a fellow applicant, was in turn searching for a new roommate. Joonmyun immediately took the chance and just hoped and prayed that Chanyeol was not a serial killer or a psychotic person. And that was it. They both took different jobs to cover rent, and from time to time buy expensive beef, but in the end, they still managed to get by. Even Joonmyun still managed to send some money home, and the leftover would be for his own expenses, particularly, anything connected to Yixing.

In a way, Chanyeol had learned to understand his situation. Joonmyun was just relieved because of that. And finally, he was able to buy a ticket for Yixing’s event. This would be the very first time that he would be able to attend one, and he could not hide his excitement.

The next day, Joonmyun woke up extra early to go to the venue. There were lots of fans already waiting outside, and he was surprised by the amount of dedication some of them. He checked his wallet for the nth time since he left the house. As the time of the event neared, the density of people increased. Joonmyun then decided to join the line of ticketholders so that he would have a good position. He was walking determinedly to the increasing line, when he was knocked over someone. As Joonmyun stood up, he immediately felt that his pocket went lighter and his wallet is gone. Searching frantically around the place, he did not care if he bumped into somebody. He needed to find that took it. It did not matter if his money was returned, as long as he could have the ticket back.

However, deep within him, Joonmyun knew it was no use. He did not even see properly the person who bumped into him. Leaning helplessly at the wall behind him, Joonmyun could only let out a sigh of frustration.

He was just about to go home dejectedly, but then he heard the sound from the venue.

Yixing’s voice.

Joonmyun turned around and started walking back with his eyes starting to glisten with tears. The song started playing and Joonmyun mouths the lyrics. He stood there outside, along with the other fans that were not able to enter like him, yet cheering for Yixing at the same time. Joonmyun smiles despite the tears that were continuously rolling down his cheeks.

Distance doesn’t matter. Even if we’re apart, we’re always gonna be best friends.

When Yixing arrived home that night, there was a slight smile on his face. He liked interacting with fans, and today was no exception. He was just about to take a shower, when he pulled out an old photograph from his bedside table. It was an old Polaroid taken years ago during his last night at the orphanage. There were the two of them, smiling like there was no tomorrow, completely unaware of the future that awaits them. He then turned the photo around and looked at the back. There, the very first lines, of his very first song was written.

“I still remember my promise.

About the dream we had.

One day, we’ll meet in that place.

I will always wait for you.”

“There is something I want to tell you…”

“There is something I want to tell you too…”

There were so many things that happened in the past twenty years. They had met, they had separated, and they had been reunited. Yet despite all the times that had been lost and gained, there had been many things left unsaid, and misunderstandings that needed to be fixed.

Yixing stares at the monitor of his phone, re-reading and re-reading the message he had received five minutes ago:

“I’m coming back, Yixing-ah. Sorry for running away and making you wait.”

Joonmyun could still count how many times he stepped down on this train platform, and every single journey tells a different story. He breathes in the night air as he carefully made his way out of the train station. He sent separate messages to Baekhyun, to Chanyeol and lastly, to Yixing.

He would not run away anymore.

 He finally made up his mind.

I’m letting you go, Yixing-ah.

“I love you, Yixing.”

“I love you too, Joonmyun.”

So that's it for SuLay's mini-chapter!

So how are you guys??

Okay, so I know that I said that I'll be updating more often since I finished the outline and all. So I really want to say I'm sorry for not honoring my words!

I'm currently writing my undergraduate thesis right now, and hopefully I'll be able to graduate by the end of this academic year. It's been a crazy lately, and I put my fangirl focus into a minimal the past few months. But don't you worry dearies, I'm still alive and I want you all to know that I still plan to finish this story and if I find another hole in my schedule, I'm definitely going to write another chapter soon!

Anyway, regarding this chapter... I'm really hoping that you guys did not get confused by the quotes I put in. They're not really talking face to face, okay? It's what they're feeling inside. The last two lines in this chapter pretty much sums it up. But if you don't get something, feel free to talk to moi.

On to the next chapter! So I'm pretty sure some of you are gonna like this one. There would be some confrontations. YES. YOU READ IT. CONFRONTATIONS. There's a certain confrontation of certain characters HINT: I'M NOT GONNA TROLL YOU GUYS THIS TIME. which would FINALLY reveal some things left unsaid before. I wonder who they are? :P

So I think that's it so far for this fic! I recently opened an ask.fm account in case you need to ask me a question regarding my fics, or ask for advice or anything random, I'm game... Just don't ask for money! Haha. I'm just a poor universtity student. I need money too. :p

See you soon, guys! Hope you enjoyed reading this mini-chapter!

Thank you to all your comments, and hello to new subscribers!! :D

Thanks for reading!! xoxo

Till next chapter!

Jaa~

P.S. It's my birthday this October 21st!! And I received this AMAZING gift from my best friend. She wrote me a HunHan fic! <3 If you haven't read it yet, come check it out! Bring a fan or set your A/C to full blast. I swear, you're gonna need it! It's awesome Haha! Thanks guys!xo