“Hey Luhan.”

“Oh…hey.”

Yixing finds Luhan alone in the Canteen by lunchtime. He sits there sluggishly, playing with his food instead of devouring the whole thing as he usually would. Yixing sits across from him and hands him a bottle of noncarbonated drink. Luhan politely declines as he continues to push his rice around with a plastic fork. “It’s been five days and Chanyeol and Wu Fan hasn’t come to school.”

Luhan lets out a forced laugh. “It’s going to take a lot longer than five days to heal you know.”

Yixing ruffles his hair in frustration. “Aren’t they going to expel those s? They vandalized Wu Fan’s car.”

“I don’t think people can get expelled because of that. Besides, those guys have parents in the administration. They have power and money so they are immune to practically anything.”

Yixing slams the table with clenched fists. “Does money really make everything okay? These are hate crimes, Luhan. Wu Fan is suffering from broken ribs and legs as well as internal bleeding. I just feel so bad. It’s just not right, you know?”

Luhan shrugs, averting his eyes from Yixing’s obvious anger. It is not that Luhan doesn’t care. It’s more because Luhan is tired of speaking on their behalf. Luhan is usually up for gossip, but it’s been days of constant questioning with all of his classmates. And for once, Luhan doesn’t feel like talking at all. “It was inevitable that some homophobic bastards were going to act out.  But I guess I’m sort of relieved that not everyone at Labyrinth Academy is like that. In fact, some people actually visit Wu Fan in the hospital from time to time.”

Luhan pushes his rice platter towards Yixing. “Let’s go visit Wu Fan afterschool again.”

“Alright,” Yixing answers before Luhan changes his mind and proceeds in eating his lunch.

Wu Fan stays in a faraway hospital deliberately. It’s an hour drive away from his home because he doesn’t want any visitors. He doesn’t want any amount of pity and half-assed compassion. But still, many of them come. They come adorned with flowers, cards, and other cliché offerings. Even his father, who he hasn’t seen in months, flew in from work to see him. Chanyeol’s family visits as well. His mother brings him a fair supply of skin products in order to keep up his appearance. He was most thankful for them because the dry hospital air was really diminishing his youthful glow.

 And Chanyeol visits the most. He visits so often that his parents had to provide him with a hotel room just so he can see Wu Fan every day. As soon as he wakes up every morning, he rushes to Wu Fan’s side just to make sure he eats properly and doesn’t spend his whole day mumbling out his ual frustrations.  He’s been far too deprived.

“Must be nice to be handsome. They come to you with diamonds and gold,” his nurse jokes when she eyes the colorful assortment of flowers by Wu Fan’s bedside.

“It’s pretty nice, I suppose,” Wu Fan shrugs. He couldn’t look anymore disinterested.

“I came to tell you that you have another visitor, Mr. Wu Fan.”

 “No more,” Wu Fan whines. “Please tell them to go away.”

“But he seems really earnest. He has flowers with him.”

“Tell him I have enough flowers.”

The guest comes in anyways and his nurse sighs, having no choice but to block him from Wu Fan’s sight. “I’m sorry, but Wu Fan isn’t taking any visitors at the moment.”

He boy shuffles his feet as he looks down in solemn disappointment. Wu Fan rolls his eyes and finally gives in. “It’s fine. Let him through.”

The nurse nods, stepping aside for the boy, and closes the curtain before leaving them alone. The frail looking boy stands silently, fidgeting in his stance. It is too awkward for Wu Fan to bear and he motions him forward with a wiggle of his finger. “Come,” he commands.

The boy is a classmate from Labyrinth Academy.  Wu Fan knows that his name is Do Kyungsoo. But he has absolutely no relation to him so Wu Fan doesn’t understand his reason for visiting at all. Kyungsoo takes a step forward and waves with his free hand not occupied with flowers.  “H-hi Wu Fan. I’m Kyungsoo,” he greets.

“I know who you are.”

“Y-you do?”

“I’m good with faces.”

Kyungsoo blushes as he steps a few paces forward. He pulls his hands from behind his back and offers Wu Fan a half a dozen of white roses. “For you.”

Wu Fan chuckles charmingly despite the raspiness of his strained voice.  “Roses. Is this some sort of confession?”

“No!” he blurts out. “I just-I…”

“Come, sit.” Wu Fan pats the side of his bed and smiles in attempt to appear more welcoming. “The travel here is long. You’re probably tired.”

Kyungsoo is startled by his offer, but he listens to him and sits by Wu Fan’s casted knees. The hospital room is obnoxiously silent with only the sound of pacing footsteps outside of Wu Fan’s room. Wu Fan folds his arms and raises an eyebrow. The boy by his feet is slightly pushing on the springs of the mattress; it seems that he is amused, and Wu Fan is too impatient to wait on him to speak up first. “So what brings you here, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo continues to stare at his feet as he twiddles with his thumbs. “I wanted to tell you that I think you’re pretty cool Wu Fan.”

Wu Fan snorts. “Me? You’re funny.”

“But you protected Chanyeol from those guys. I heard they were going to…”

“Stop,” Wu Fan interrupts. “What those guys were going to do to him. I don’t want to hear it.”

Wu Fan’s eyes drift towards the curtain and Kyungsoo lowers his head in shame. It is apparent that he is sincerely apologetic so Wu Fan laughs in attempts to relax him. “Hey, it’s fine.”

With those words, Kyungsoo’s face brightens and he continues his praises. “Well…to be honest, it’s not just you protecting Chanyeol that I think is cool. What I really think is cool is that you allowed your relationship to be exposed and you didn’t deny it or anything.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not embarrassed by it. What’s there to hide?”

“But it was really unexpected, you know?” Kyungsoo laughs as a sign that he is becoming a bit more comfortable.

“Yeah since everyone thought I hated the guy.”

“No, it’s because everyone assumed two were straight. And when everyone found out that you two were in that sort of relationship, it was shocking.”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking someone of the same ,” Wu Fan’s tone becomes increasingly direr, “So there’s especially nothing wrong with me falling in love with Chanyeol. I think regardless of his , I would have fallen for him either way.”

“But the ability to admit it is really hard Wu Fan. Because some people still consider it as immoral, I have always been convinced that admitting it is never an option. But…but…after you two came out, my views sort of changed. It sort of makes me think that if you two can do it, why can’t other people? Why…why can’t…why can’t people like me?”

Wu Fan tries to sit upright, despite the pain in his lower back, and reaches for Kyungsoo’s slender grasp. “Really, Kyungsoo. I wish you good luck.”

Kyungsoo replies with a bashful smile. “Thank you.”

He eventually bids him farewell before leaving to cram school. In a matter of seconds, Chanyeol barges into the room with an arm full of boxed cereal and small, milk cartons. “They have so much food in the cafeteria downstairs, Wu Fan!” he cheers.

He stumbles over and plops himself by Wu Fan’s bad side and pulls the hospital table above Wu Fan’s lap. “Eat up!” he demands after pouring an excessive amount of cereal and milk in a plastic bowl.

“Thank you,” Wu Fan smirks and Chanyeol flashes his most exaggerated smile yet.

He does not smile because he is sincerely happy.  He cries almost every night for the past few days, and when he isn’t crying, he’s still just as sullen. But he also promised Wu Fan that he wouldn’t cry. So in front of him, Chanyeol would smile as big as humanly possible.

 “Stop staring at me eating. It’s awkward,” Wu Fan complains as he playfully flicks Chanyeol’s forehead with thumb and forefinger.

Chanyeol scrunches his face and grimaces too attractively that Wu Fan just chuckles aloud. “You know Do Kyungsoo?” he asks after gulping down another spoonful of sweetened corn flakes.

“Yeah I know him. Why?”

“He came to thank me today. He basically said what we did encouraged him to come out or something.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widen and he couldn’t help but smile. “We did something like that?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Wu Fan shrugs. “Or I guess he should thank you? Since this would have never happened if you didn’t seduce me in the first place?”

“I DID NOT!”

“DID TOO!”

“NO WAY.”

“YES WAY.”

Chanyeol leans in, batting his lashes and puckering his lips. “No. You fell for me all on your own.”

Wu Fan is left speechless for a minute before he ruffles Chanyeol’s disheveled head and smirks. “I guess you’re right.”

Wu Fan is not a quick healer, but his doctor permits him to leave in another week. Wu Fan isn’t in any rush to leave the hospital, but he is worried over Chanyeol visiting too strenuously every day. Chanyeol wakes up at 8 AM sharp and stays until morning most of the days. But no matter how many times he begs Chanyeol to go home and get a good night’s rest, Chanyeol stubbornly declines. “No. I want to stay with you, Wu Fan,” he would always whine. And now he’s whining more when Wu Fan is leaving the hospital way before his body has fully recovered.

“Wu Fan, you should stay in the hospital! You’re still in pain,” Chanyeol complains as he helps a limping Wu Fan walk through the hospital lobby.

“It’s fine. I have you to take care of me.”

“I think you would let a professional handle your wounds, Wu Fan. I am in no way certified for the job.”

Wu Fan lifts an eyebrow before pulling Chanyeol by the neck and whispering “But who know my body better than you?”

Chanyeol entire face flushes red and the most inhumane noise slips out of his mouth so it’s quite fortunate no one is able to hear out in the entranceway.  

Luhan pulls up in the front of them in a matter of minutes. He rushes out to help Wu Fan set inside and Wu Fan frowns in response.  “I can’t believe I let you drive my car,” he sighs when Luhan turns on the engine. Chanyeol just stares in fascination because Luhan never looked the type to drive at all.

“I can’t believe you chose a hospital so far away from home. What a waste of gas! What a waste of time! I almost fell asleep at the wheel!” Luhan nags on for almost half of the trip home and Wu Fan and Chanyeol just listen and nod in silence. “But I’m happy you’re doing well, Wu Fan.”

Wu Fan smiles timidly. “Thank you.”

In another hour, the scenery becomes familiar as they approach Wu Fan’s house. Luhan is about to turn left on the stop sign when Wu Fan stops him from doing so. “Wait, Luhan. Can you drop us drop us off here?” he requests out of the blue.

Luhan looks out the window in skepticism before answering him. “Are you sure, Wu Fan? I don’t think you’re healthy enough to be walking around just yet.”

“It’s fine. It’s walking distance from my house anyways.”

“If that’s really what you want,” Luhan can’t help but oblige.

He pulls up in front of the local park. Once again, he helps a crutch-clad Wu Fan out before driving home. Wu Fan mentally curses himself when he realizes that Luhan just took off with his car. “What are we doing here, Wu Fan?” Chanyeol asks.

“I’ve been cooped up inside for too long. I want to get some fresh air.”

Wu Fan leads Chanyeol to deep into within the park, apparent that he is leading them to the wishing well. Wu Fan thinks Chanyeol hasn’t been here since their visit. But in actuality, Chanyeol has been coming almost daily.

During Wu Fan’s hospital stay, he tells Chanyeol to go to school. He knows how important school is to Chanyeol, but Chanyeol hasn’t been attending school for as long as Wu Fan has been hospitalized.  Instead, he goes to the park. He tries to go every day just to throw a coin into the wishing well.

He throws a coin and prays for one last body exchange. Only in this way does he feel that Wu Fan’s pain can be transferred onto him. Unfortunately, he wakes up every morning in his own body and realizes that his wish has not been granted. His wish never comes true, but he never gives up.

“Let’s make a wish,” Wu Fan suggests casually as he takes out a few loose change out of his front pocket. He gives Chanyeol a quarter and he accepts it gleefully.

“And say it out loud.”

“But wishes won’t come true if you say it out loud.”

“Fine, you can keep your wish to yourself as long as I can say my wish out loud.”

Chanyeol bobs his head rapidly as a sign of understanding before closing his eyes tightly and tossing his quarter into the air. “Done. You’re turn!” he slowly unravels his eyes and cheers.

He waits for Wu Fan to throw his quarter into the well as well. But Wu Fan just stands too still and silent for Chanyeol’s comprehension, eyes only drawn to Chanyeol’s perplexed face.

Suddenly, he staggers behind Chanyeol. His clutches were no longer barriers when he pulls out his aching arms and hugs Chanyeol in by the waist. He buries his face deep into Chanyeol’s neck so that Chanyeol can’t make out his flushing face. Afterwards, Wu Fan grabs Chanyeol’s hand and places his quarter into Chanyeol’s palm. “Wu Fan-”

 “My wish is for Park Chanyeol to stay with me forever,” he sternly states.

And Chanyeol cries. It’s not his usual way of crying, with free flowing tears and loud sobs that consume all surrounding noise. He doesn’t utter a sound as his eyes start to water and his cheek flush a vivid shade of pink. He soon spins around in attempts to come even closer into Wu Fan’s embrace. By the waist, he pulls him in, and their limbs mesh together in the most comfortable way imaginable.

It is as if they just fit together. And even Wu Fan’s aches and pains are not even existent when it comes to Chanyeol’s touch. “I-I wished for the same thing,” Chanyeol mumbles under his cold breath.  “I wished that for you to stay with me forever, Wu Fan.”

Wu Fan is first to pull away and he hunches over so that he is of eye level with Chanyeol. After a light peck on the side of his mouth, Wu Fan caresses his cheek, combs his fringe out of his eyes, and beams. “Then I guess our wish is going to come true.”

There are two things everyone ought to know about Labyrinth Academy. The first thing is Wu Fan and the second is Park Chanyeol. Both were fine embodiments of modern noblemen. Both tall in stature, both well off financially, and both exceptionally handsome. But despite their similarities, many would agree that they couldn’t be any more different-except. Except that they both were ridiculously, annoyingly, and hopelessly in love with one another.

And their love became more legendary than the school alma mater itself.  

THE END.

Thank you for waitinggg! I will respond  to comments after finishing up the extra story~ So technically, it's one chapter left. But this is really the end to ADONIS & APHRODITE. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it and I wish the best for everyone <3 <3 I LOVE YOU ALL !