The memory stabs Wufan’s heart, leaving a huge hollow that can never be filled again. Unless by some miraculous turn of events, he wakes up the next day and finds Yixing somewhere in his apartment.

He misses Yixing so much it hurts. He feels he would explode.

Is it a curse?

What did he ever do to deserve this?

Why are the heavens tormenting him? Do they enjoy seeing him in despair?

But Wufan does not have the answer. And even if he does, he never wants to remember it again.

Then, the rain starts to fall. Even though Wufan has brought Yixing’s transparent umbrella, the one that has their names written on it, he does not bother to open it and protect himself from the icy raindrops.

He does not care.

He does not want to.

Why would he, when all he cares about in the world is no longer within an arm’s reach to him?

Wufan takes a bottle of gin from the paper bag and fills the entire shot glass. He looks at the clear liquid for a while, and then drinks all of it in one gulp. He has never been a heavy drinker, but if it means drowning himself in giddiness just so he could forget every single thing no matter how temporary it is, then he is just about as willing to fight his tolerance level.

*             *             *

It’s already past eleven o’clock, and Yixing still hasn’t returned home. Wufan is pacing back and forth in the living room, wondering where Yixing could have gone or what’s taking him so long. Wufan fishes his phone out of his pocket and speed-dials Yixing’s number, but the other one is not picking up at all.

Maybe it’s in silent mode?

Maybe Yixing left his phone in his office?

Maybe he lost it? Dropped it?

Maybe…

Wufan redials but still gets no response from the other end of the line.

“!” Wufan hisses at himself, impatiently raking a hand through his honey-colored hair.

Wufan tightens his grip on the phone and is silently being driven to throw his phone right against the wall.

He is about to, actually.

Suddenly the phone vibrates in his hand, his ring tone reverberating in the entire room. A sense of relief washes over him as he answers the call.

“Yixing? Where are you? I’ve been—“

“Wufan, it’s me,” the voice says, which strikes Wufan as weird. The voice sounds a little bit different. “Wufan, it’s Luhan.”

Wufan knits his brows together, brings the phone down to give a look at the caller’s name.

Oh.

Luhan.

Crap!

“Luhan,” Wufan begins but his anxiety takes over him, making him stammer as the succeeding words come out of his mouth, much like a broken record. “W-Why are you…I-I don’t understand. W-What’s wrong? You know, it’s been a while. Really…It’s like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Wufans hears the older man chuckle, but it quickly fades away. Luhan somehow sounds urgent and gravely serious. It makes Wufan’s heart tremble.

“Are we really going to talk about this now, Wufan?”

“Seriously, why else would you be calling me?”

“Who would be calling you at this hour?” Luhan asks him.

Surely, Wufan knows that Luhan is trying to force him to go along with his train of thoughts. The problem is, Wufan isn’t really someone who could practice telepathy.

“You’re calling me at this hour.”

Luhan groans. Wufan smiles in satisfaction. He seldom gets a victory from the Almighty Luhan when their so-called Mocking Game starts. But, he really is happy, having heard from Yixing’s best friend after a long, long, long time. Why wouldn’t he? Luhan has been travelling across the globe with his wife Sehun for the entire four years!

“And you’re back!” Wufan exclaims in delight.

“Yes, I am back. I came back just today, Wufan. And I am more than surprised to see my apartment in such a mess, as if it’s been ransacked by some burglars, even though I’ve been totally gone.”

“What are you talking about? You’re confusing me.”

“Wufan, only one person in this whole wide world has the duplicate key of my apartment.”

Wufan opens his mouth to say something, but realization immediately kicks in.

Yixing.

“Is Yixing there? What’s he doing? Why?”

“You better come here now and pick him up. He’s so wasted.”

“Got that. I’ll be right there in a minute.”

The door immediately swings open right after Wufan makes his first knock. Luhan looks so upset and annoyed he seems to be shooting daggers at Wufan—Well, he can’t do that with his best friend because Yixing’s been his bestest best friend for life Luhan can never get mad at him. Moreover, when something is wrong with Yixing, Wufan is always the top person in Luhan's list among the people he should blame.

Without being told to come in, Wufan makes his way through the doorway and searches the apartment for Yixing.

Not in the living room. Not in the kitchen. Not in the guest room. But in Luhan’s room.

Wufan sees Sehun tending to Yixing’s needs, wringing a towel and putting it on Yixing’s head. When he walks toward them, Sehun stands up to give way for Wufan.

“What is he doing here?” Wufan asks rather coldly.

Sehun, being intimidated, looks down uncomfortably on his feet, as if they have the answers he needs right now, and says in just a single breath, “He was drunk and sick by the time we came here. Luhan wanted to care for him because he knows you’ll break Yixing-hyung’s heart, but—“

“Enough, Sehun-ah,” Luhan says, leaning his back against the door, arms crossed against his chest.

Wufan turns to look at Luhan. Sehun stares at them, unsure of what to do. He wants to lead Luhan away from Wufan so they wouldn’t start a fight, but the tension in the room has just gotten so strong all he could do is to firmly plant his feet on where he is currently standing.

“Get him out of our apartment and fix things yourselves,” Luhan says coldly.

“Isn’t that why I’m here?” Wufan retorts.

Luhan’s eyes set ablaze as he furiously walk towards Wufan and grabs his collar down, bringing his face close enough to the other's. He hisses, “Don’t you dare break Yixing’s heart or I’ll tear you to pieces. And I'll show no mercy.”

Wufan has never been the type to let other people step on his pride. He never backs down, especially if it’s a fight he knows he can’t win. He’s just stubborn, being like that.

“What would you know, little deer?” Wufan clasps his hand around Luhan’s and pushes him away from his body. “This is our business.”

Luhan lets out an exasperated breath as he throws his hands up in the air. “Everything about Yixing is my business! I won’t let you torture him like this! If you continue to do so, count yourself out of his life and vanish!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” Wufan yells. “Even I don’t know anything. I don’t know why he’s being like this. And for your information, Luhan, being his best friend doesn’t mean his business is yours.” This time, Wufan walks closer to Luhan and brings his face closer to the older one, dropping a death glare at him, each word he says a threat. “HE. IS. MINE.”

Luhan purses his lips, then tells Wufan, “Get lost from my apartment now before I start kicking your .”

Wufan turns around and approaches the sleeping Yixing. He gently swipes Yixing’s silky fringes off his forehead and lets his hand linger on that place.

He is so hot.

Wufan scoops Yixing up into his arms and starts to walk outside of the apartment. Whatever anger he has felt against Luhan a while ago is now being overwhelmed by his worries for Yixing’s health, especially that he himself doesn’t know a thing about what’s really going on. Yixing has always confided him first whenever he has problems in work or in other small things Wufan crazily finds so trivial.

What has changed?

By the time Wufan is out of the door, Luhan tells him, “Take care of him, Wufan.”

Wufan smiles wanly and looks Luhan directly in the eye. It’s been their habit whenever Yixing is involved. Promises made. Gazes locked. Unspoken words. But the string has been made. An unbreakable vow.

“You know I will.”

Wufan looks behind Luhan to see Sehun anxiously clutching on the towel he used to temporarily dissipate the heat on Yixing’s head. “Thank you, Sehun.”

“N-no problem, Wufan-hyung. As long as it’s the two of you, I’d be really glad to help.”

Wufan bows down to thank them one last time, then heads back to his car. He puts Yixing at the rear seat where the younger one could lie down more comfortably.

Wufan wonders, Has he always been this light?

Wufan walks around the car, then positions himself in the driver’s seat. Just as he is fixing his seatbelt, Yixing speaks in his sleep. What Yixing says drops a bomb on Wufan’s conscience, like the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He saw me…?

Can’t be.

But, that was only—

What Yixing said is this:

“Wufan, why are you kissing that woman? Am I not enough for you?”

When Wufan looks back, a drop of tears streams down on the side of Yixing's beautiful face.

*To be continued*