He didn’t understand.

Xiumin stared at the river in front of him and carelessly tossed in another pebble. Plop.

Why was Chen leaving him? Weren’t they like family? Plop.

Did Chen not feel the same way about him? Plop.

Why wouldn’t he stay?

Plop. Plop. Plop. Dunk.

Xiumin’s head shot up startled, and he stared at the new presence in front of him with large eyes.

“Ah,” you stated unintelligibly as you stared down at the river side. “Maybe that one was a bit too big.”

Xiumin stared at you for a few more seconds before casting his gaze back down to the river. The only light provided was the one given by the moon, but he didn’t mind it. He glanced briefly back at you who were standing silently by the river bank, and let out a small sigh.

He should have been frustrated with your presence, but for some odd reason he didn’t seem to mind it. It was a bit relaxing, to be honest, but he would never admit it.

A few more minutes of silence continued on until you finally spoke up, “If I go off to find Sehun, are you going to leave here and make me look for you all over again? Or should I just drag you along with me?”

“What’s it matter to you?” Xiumin asked bitterly as he tossed another pebble into the river. “Just go look for that dumb maknae and leave me alone. What’s he doing outside anyways?”

“If you want me to answer your questions you have to give me time to respond,” you replied with a small smile. You skipped away from the river bank and made your way over to sit next to him. “You made Chen cry.”

Xiumin blinked repetitively in surprise, stunned by the sudden piece of information you decided to bestow on him. “What?”

“Chen cried,” you repeated simply. “He tried hiding it, but I know he cried.”

You glanced at Xiumin out of the corner of your eye and stated, “He cares about you. A lot.”

When he didn’t respond, a knowing smile slid onto your face. “And you care about him a lot.”

“Yeah,” Xiumin agreed bitterly. “Yeah, I do. I care about him a lot. I probably value him more than I value myself. But… he obviously doesn’t feel the same way.”

“What makes you think that?” you asked with a raised eyebrow.

Xiumin stared at you incredulously. “Are you kidding me?! How obviously doesn’t give a rat’s about me if he’s going to leave.”

“Hm. Do you really believe that?” you asked as you bunched your knees together to retain some warmth. “The words that just came out of your mouth. Do you believe them?”

Xiumin stared at the river silently before whispering, “I wish I didn’t.”

“Wow, you must really have no respect for Chen,” you stated plainly.

“N-No! I do,” Xiumin insisted.

“Then let me ask you again,” you responded. You turned to face him, and stared him straight in the eyes. “Do you believe what you just said.”

Xiumin opened his mouth to reply, but pressed his lips together once again for a few seconds before finally whispering, “No. I don’t.”

“That’s what I thought,” you smiled. “Chen isn’t the type to make rash decisions, or act without a lot of thought, and you know it. Instead of assuming that Chen wants to leave because he doesn’t care about you all, you should instead ask him for the real reason.”

“You know, for somebody who was isolated from the rest of society for 18 years, you really know what to say to people,” Xiumin chuckled as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

“What can I say?” you laughed as you climbed to your feet. “It’s a natural talent.”

“Now that you’ve finished moping, can we go and find that dumb kid?” you asked as you held out a hand to help the other to his feet.

Xiumin stared at your hand for a few seconds before he swatted it away with a scoff. “I’m a man, Hanmi. I don’t need your help getting up.”

You rolled your eyes at his prideful statement, and began walking away from the riverbank. “Whatever man, let’s just go find the maknae.”

“Why is he out of the house anyways?” Xiumin asked as he jogged to your side.

“Well after you stomped angrily out of the house, Sehun decided to speak up. Short story even