Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Story belong to aliceninelocegazette. EXO belong to SM Entertainment.

Chapter 11

A knock on the door made Luhan turn from his laptop. All of a sudden. Not having enough time to close the searching site, he chose to hide it under the music player window. Luhan became nervous, as the one who was standing at the doorway to his room was Xiumin.

If it were Lay, Luhan would have lied, that the exploration he did for the last hour were just to satisfy his curiosity and boredom. Sometimes there were funny things to laugh off on EXO’s fan site blog. Even Kris was often playfully googling for any EXO’s member who often being posted. Secretly, duizhang would go to the comment window using the anonymous feature and vomit words. A great advantage with his fluency in English.

However, it wasn’t Lay nor Kris, but Xiumin.

Xiumin, who made Luhan awkward along the way home from their training place.

“Can I come in?” asked Xiumin politely for permission.

“N-ne…” Luhan said as natural as he could, turning the monitor away from Xiumin’s sight. Then he drew himself to side of his bed, so that the latter followed his step, further away from the laptop. “What’s the matter?” asked Luhan after the both of them sitting side by side.

Xiumin coughed. “About this afternoon…”

“Um?”

“Ani. Are we all right? Ah, ani, ani… aish, what I’m talking about?” said Xiumin, grumbling to his own self. His visit to Luhan’s room alone had gone through a hard struggle in his head. One part was asking him to keep cool about the issue of ‘LuMin’, ‘XiuHan’, or whatever fans named that new couple of EXO. It was just a fandom, which meant, FAKE. No feelings included there. Furthermore, the two people who had a finger in it would only be asked to act, so the fans’ enthusiasm would stay alive.

But…

Xiumin knew he couldn’t dare to do it.

He knew, eavesdropping others’ conversation, however, was wrong. Especially when he heard something that was not worth sharing with him. Sehun’s confession for Luhan was meant to be kept a secret for the two only. Xiumin’s presence at the time and place was a mistake that he was responsible of nonetheless.

Thus, he was in Luhan’s room, now, to fulfill it.

“Don’t think too much about this afternoon. Fans were just… ah, fans were just making a fuss. Well, I hope I didn’t mess anything,” said Xiumin, finally he could state what he meant clearly.

But Luhan didn’t understand. What would be possible for Xiumin to mess?

Xiumin was ready to stand up. “I’ll contact Sehun after this…”

Luhan watched Xiumin in horror. The indication of including Sehun’s name … could it be…

“Minseok-ah…” Luhan called Xiumin’s real name without hesitation. Couldn’t keep himself anymore, he had to know what Xiumin possibly knew. Luhan pulled his compatriot to sit back. He learned Xiumin’s frightened expression, exactly like a kid who was about to be punished hard for his mistake. “Tell me what you mean just now…” said Luhan, pressed his emotion further in his speak.

“You... promise you won’t be angry to me?”

Depended on what Xiumin could explain. Luhan nodded slowly.

“I-I haven’t said it to anyone. No, if you want to… I’ll keep it, shut my mouth tight. I won’t say it to anyone and—“

“Kim Minseok!” cut Luhan angrily. “Did you hear my conversation with Sehun?”

Xiumin groaned, nodding.

“You… heard Sehun’s confession?”

A nod Xiumin gave yet again.

“Great.”

“Ne?” asked Xiumin, afraid to misheard Luhan was saying that his interruption between him and Sehun was something… good? Was it a new type of cynicism? Why was the exasperated face of Luhan more closed to be called relieved? “You’re not angry?”

“Wae? You want me to explode like when I scold Tao before? Well, that’s not ethic, right? You’re 26 days older than me!” said Luhan reminding about the , which clarify Xiumin’s position as the oldest among EXO’s members. Everyone had been successfully captivated by the super-childish-face that Tao dreamed of as the maknae of EXO-M, the third maknae among EXO after Sehun and Kai.

Instead, Xiumin wished the ‘exploding’ Luhan would come out and scold him. That’s what should have happened.

Luhan nudged Xiumin’s arm and swung it. “I’m glad someone know about this without me having to say it first. I’m relieved it’s not Baekhyun or Tao. That two would bomb me with so much confusing things. That’s because you’re Xiumin.” Luhan laughed. A long breath was exhaled just after that, along with a thin smile. “I want to talk about this with someone. I… I’m so confused of what I have to do…”

“You can talk to me…”

“Are you… sure? I don’t want to burden your mind with such a private thing. We’re still busy with debut and many things.”

Xiumin shook his head. “No, Luhan. I’ll spend time for you. Carrying all the things alone is not wise. As a team, we have to support each other, and in this situation, maybe I can be a good listener, an advisor…”

“Or…” Luhan’s embrace on Xiumin’s shoulder became tighter. His eye’s gleam changed. The tint of enthusiasm that was failed to hide. “Or you can help me…”

Luhan closed the door, kept away from the others presence. The other four members were concentrating at the television, in laughter watching a reality show. Chen’s light laughter echoed, competing Kris’ awkward laugh. Luhan went back to his former place, huddling Xiumin’s shoulder again.

He told something that for the other sounded a bit nonsense. A plan and its ending had been predicted by Luhan in detail, depended on how well this scenario went. It needed a good teamwork among them, also a bit of understanding in Xiumin’s side because Luhan was the director. First take would be started in two days ahead.

Xiumin gulped hardly. “I’ll try my best…”

Luhan held Xiumin’s hand. “Let’s wish for the best.”

TBC...