Sooyoung's POV

I wake up on the couch in the same room as Luhan’s bed, realizing that he is no longer on his bed.

Yesterday’s incident made me alarm as I speed up outside the ward towards the nurse at the counter. “Where’s Luhan?”

“Luhan? Let see… As far as i..” I am surprise with my low patience level as I tremble her shoulder wanting the answer right away.

“OH GOSH! YOU! He’s in the X-Ray room with Dr. Minseok!”

“Ah? He is?”

“Yes. What have you been thinking?”

“No, it’s just that… I’m sorry. I got worried.”

The nurse stares at me before handing me a slice of brownies from the plate on the counter. “It’s okay. Here, have some of these. You might want to wait for him. He’s at the last room on the second floor’s hallway on the left. Look for X-Ray sign. You can wait for him there. It won’t take long at all for him to finish the examination.”

I nod as I walk towards the direction while chewing the brownies she gave me. I finally found the room and was about to sit down when Yixing appeared behind me.

“Aaahhh.. I almost forgot about the appointment with you. Actually, I just woke up..and..”

“I know.” He smiles and gives me a tooth brush and paste.

“You want me to brush it here?”

“Yup, the sink is right there. Take your time as I explain..”

I cut him after a sudden realization, “Wait, is this toothbrush yours?”

“Nope, that’s not.” I nod as I continue brushing my teeth.

“But I took that from Kris’s office. Should be his.”

I almost got choked by the sudden paste bubbles and saliva entering my lung pathway instead of esophagus. I cough uncontrollably to get them out to the sink.

I dash to Yixing and caught his collar. He couldn’t stop laughing hysterically at the joke that I don’t even find it funny at all. But I admit that my laugh sense did trigger, not at his joke, but his laughter.

“THAT’S NOT FUNNY AT ALL!” I tried my best to get his attention.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. But I’m telling the truth. I stole that from his office.”

“PFFTTT ppfftt.. Arrgghhh” I wince and almost throw up at the imagination of brushing my teeth with brush with that guy’s saliva.

Yixing laughs again and again, I pull up his collar emphasizing how angry I am at his jokes. “Explain, this is not funny!”

“Hahahahahahhaaaa… I’m sorry, it’s just something that came up in my mind yesterday. I thought if you brush using his toothbrush, you might get in love. I know it sounds really unrelated, but who knows it might work? You already get some of his DNA in your body…”

“For heaven’s sake! This toothbrush has nothing but his teeth poop! There’s no love if you’re talking about poop!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! That’s hilarious! My god, my stomach! HAHAHA..” His loud laughter later was slowed down by a nurse warning him about being in hospital. Both of us apologized.

“I thought you’re not that fancy of Kris. What makes you suddenly behaving like a cupid?” I eyes on him while he settles his on the chair opposite the X-Ray room.

“I’m not. He acts cool all the time. It annoys me so much. But sometimes I find it funny.”

“You’re off-topic.”

“If love is nothing to you like you said a week ago, marry Kris.”

“Then divorce him?”

“Yes, and you can leave him everything you wish to throw away, and live your life the way you wanted.” He is serious. After all the laughter, he is now serious.

I give out a light sigh as I told him why it is impossible to do so, “Too many risks. I don’t know what might happen in the process. And I don’t think I can handle that sort of consequences if something unexpectedly went off according to plan. This is marriage we’re talking about. And yet, I believe you haven’t get Kris agreement on this.”

“You were the main role in this situation. I thought of getting your words before convincing him to do so. I’m sorry if my idiot plan made you questioning my credibility as your lawyer, but I’m the only one right now who’s doing my best for you. And you should know that better than anyone else.”

“I know. It’s just that your plan is too absurd. And thank you so much for helping out.”

“No problem. At least, knowing that my client is still alive today is enough.”

“Yeah, we were too afraid that the gang got you and Luhan away last night.” Minseok appears at the door leading Luhan out of the room. 

“Just as you thought, there’s a device on his body.” Yixing smiles at Minseok words and take the X-Ray of sheet from Minseok’s hand and raise them against the light.

“You got crack ribs.” That X-Ray must be Luhans’. I tilt my head beside Yixing to get a closer look at the sheet.

“Yup, but no worries, those cracks will heal by itself. You are indeed the luckiest person I ever meet. Despite those amounts of cracks, none of them are broken.” Minseok weird way of comforting Luhan made his eyebrow crooks.

“What an optimistic prospective.. I take that as a thank you.”

“You already get the device out, right?” Yixing asks again. Minseok shows him Luhan’s shoulder in bandage.

“What device?” I ask them, noticing at Luhan’s X-Ray sheet there’s a small metal objects close to his clavicle bone.

“A tracking device. The gang who came yesterday at your apartment, came again here last night.”

“WHAT? They came?” Luhan and I spoke in unison.

I remember of sleeping soundly. I don’t recall of hearing any noises that would woke me up.

“They did, but they never get the opportunity entering this building because Tao and Kai are taking care of them. They even sent them to the police station,” Minseok gives us thumbs up, indicating that we’re safe now. Well, at least for now.

“Where’s the device?” I ask, wanting to look at it a little closer.

“I already destroyed it. Just now, with a hammer.” Luhan spilled out.

“That helps you ease your mind a little, wasn’t it?” Both Minseok and Luhan are smiling, and start talking gibberish, leaving me and Yixing staring at their sudden close friendship.

“Want breakfast? I’ll make them for you guys.” Luhan offer surprised Yixing and I. I’m sure we are in a ward and breakfast is usually served by their cafeteria cooker. This is not a house for Luhan to leisurely cooks something. But he did. Minseok told the cafeteria to let Luhan do whatever he wants to do; and guide us to a table, to kill some time for him to finish up cooking anything he wanted to serve us.

“Who is that guy?” Minseok asks me, while still keeping his eyes on Luhan.

“I meet him at my apartment rooftop. He was trying to jump off the building, but I assured him that I’ll save him no matter what.”

“WHAT!!” Minseok and Yixing’s shock-ness is something isn’t surprising. They knew me really well, and that must have been too ironic for me to do such thing.

“And it happens that, in the morning next day, there were people coming to get him. He did mention about being sold and raised in a gang for almost five years and something about his brother that I think might be the reason he doesn’t want to live.” Minseok and Yixing were still stay quiet as they listen. The way they’re staring at me, pisses me off.

“WHAT?” I shoot back to them.

“So, to you, Luhan is a complete stranger. Am I right?” Minseok is confirming my statement while Yixing grabs his note and starts jotting down something.

“Let me get it straight now. You met Luhan when he’s trying to kill himself, you saved him, brought him to your apartment, gang broke into your apartment for him and yet somehow you managed to save him again, brought him here for medical attention, requesting to sleep in a same room with him.. What is he to you, actually? You made no sense. Don’t tell me you like him at first sight and decided to keep him with you?” Minseok sounds like he almost lost his calmness.

“No.. I don’t think that’s what it is..” Wow.. and now Yixing is telling me what my intention is. These people, acting like they know almost everything that's running in my head.

“Sooyoung, are you taking care of him to amend things you’re going to do in future?” It struck me. He hit the bulls-eye. He didn’t blink his eyes, and I chose not to either. I try my best not to show any sign of defeatness to his accurate deductive reasoning. I wish to keep some of the things all by myself away from this lawyer to know. The revelation of truth hurts and I don’t want anyone else to get hurt as well.

Luhan’s timing was good. He comes to our table with crepes and waffles. “Help yourself.” His smiling face fades off the questioning atmosphere that made me wanting to run away. Thanks to him, I felt some sort of relief. These foods he made, calms my mind and my hungry stomach. Luhan went back to the kitchen to get something else.

“Sooyoung, answer him first.” Minseok reminds me about Yixing’s question.

“It’s okay. She doesn’t seems want to talk about it. But will you let me investigate on Luhan’s background? I need it for further and future reference.”

“Please do. Let me know if you find anything. I want to help him out. I promise him that.”

“You promise who what?” Luhan's cheerful voice, made me taken aback. “Sorry, if I surprised you. Here you go, hot chocolate for us; and Arabica coffee for the doctor and lawyer to start up the day.”

“Did I miss anything?” He starts up a conversation again, not sure if he is letting us dig on the food he prepared.

“Well, Sooyoungie just told us about you. We’re just curious about the gang who came after you. Do you have anything to confess? I’m sure that you are aware that your presence near Sooyoung left her apartment with broken doors, decors and furniture; and plus she is paying for your medical treatment.” I hissed at Yixing, trying my best to shut his mouth close.

Although just now he concluded that I am amending things through Luhan and requesting to dig his background, his questions towards Luhan is something I thought is too straightforward. I really wish to eat breakfast in peace.

I took a peek at Luhan, and he was looking down. Slowly, our eyes met and I let it be. “I’m sorry, I caused you trouble.”

“No, you’re not. I’m the one who’s offering this to you, remember? Don’t listen to Yixing if he tries to relate things around you with me. Because I’m the one who’s giving you help. You didn’t ask for it. I’m-”

“May I sit here?” Minseok pulls his chair in between me and Luhan.

“Hey! What are you doing? There’s more space at Yixing’s side!” I hit Minseok’s arm.

“Who cares? This is my clinic and I’m eating here. At this precise spot. Got any problem with that?” Instead of looking at me who shouted at him a couple of seconds ago, he gives Luhan a glare and of course that got him dumbfounded. What did Luhan do?

“Hey, Minseok, get back to your seat. Your spot was supposed to be next to Yixing! It’s too cramped here!” I hit his arm again.

“Aaaaa…..” That loud sigh manages to get the three of us silent as we watch Yixing wipes his face really hard. “Minseok, I understand that you still have feelings for Sooyoung and the way you behave right now does not represent an action from a grown man with a medical degree. And Luhan, would you please tell us about yourself? You don’t need to expose everything if you’re not ready. But for start, I wish you would also tell me why the gang wants you so badly.”

That got me startled. The Minseok I know, dumped me three years ago when I confess to him. What does Yixing meant by he has feelings for me? After all these three years? I already move on from that depression of gotten rejection. I keep myself quiet as I glimpse at Minseok pulling back his chair next to Yixing.

Luhan was about to open his mouth, but got cut with Minseok who I believe might get affected by the lawyer’s word. “I’m young, that’s why. And speaking of acting as a grown man, you didn’t act like one too. What’s up with stealing Kris’s toothbrush for Sooyoung to use so that she falls for him? What are you? Six years old girl?”

“That was supposed to be joke!” I role my eyes listening at their bickering.

“I’m curious, how old are you guys actually?” Luhan is now questioning them, instead of answering Yixing’s question.

“Same as yours. But he’s younger by a year than us.” Minseok answers. He might have seen Luhan’s age when he’s filling out the patient data form.

I am surprised. “So, does that mean, you and I are the same age? I thought you were younger,” I point at Luhan.

“Oh? You’re same age as I am? I thought you were older too, but I’m too scared to call you noona. Just in case. Thankfully I didn’t.”

“I look old, huh?”

“You’re quite tall and I think it might be the way you done your hair and dress up. But I was almost sure you were older because of your courage, waiting for the door to be knocked down by the gang. Girls at our age that I know might have hide right away. So I thought age might have been the reason for your braveness.”

Yixing got exploded while Minseok sat at his chair and not even moved his eyes off me. “SOOYOUNG!”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking right at that time! You know I’m emotionally unstable yesterday!”

Yixing shows me his pinky finger. “I know this is childish, but promise me you will not do something like this again.” My fingers cross as I reach his pinky promise with my other fingers on my right hand. I know there’s no way I could really promise him on such spontaneous things I did in a desperate situation. I just let that pinky promise calms down the atmosphere.

Minseok took a bite of Luhan’s breakfast. “You’re really good at cooking. Way better than our cafeteria. I must admit this.” Yixing and I continue to eat after hearing his comment. Luhan was grinning non-stop.

“Luhan, would you mind tell us your story?” He was obviously hesitated to tell, but later surrendered at Yixing and Minseok’s continuous urging.

“My name is Xi Luhan and my birth date is on April 20^th. My father is a Chinese while my mother is a Korean. Xi Enlai and Yoo Jieyoung. My father used to work in a cyanide producing factory but later he got ill because of the long exposure of that chemical. He started to show signs of paralysis back then and they tried to sue the company or at least asking for them to pay for his medical expense. A doctor told him to get treatment as fast as possible, but we’re unable to handle the payment and the company wouldn’t take the responsibility. We fought but defeated by the company’s bankruptcy. My dad’s condition got worse. My mother could think of nothing other than selling me to a gang for a ransom of money. It was hard back then. My mom couldn’t work because she was talking care of my dad and my part time job isn’t enough to cover up the medical treatment. My brother is still at school. Selling me to the gang was the last option we had. At least, for that time. I don’t have great muscles like most of the people in the gang, and I look really childish. That’s what I was told. So I was sent to be a waiter or bartender at a pub in Seoul to cover up their black market. I don’t know what they’re doing every day, but the way things go around that pub, I’m sure those are not good ones. Whenever they lose something, most probably bet, my body will be used as their punch bag. It’s awful. When I finally got enough money to pay them back the price that they sold me to my mom with interest, they told me that my brother was sold to them but he ran away....”

He paused his story as I saw tears flow down his cheek. His past must be too much for him to handle.

“Sehun?”