Chapter Thirteen – Ecstasy

Kyungsoo had sensed his best friend’s slight change as soon as he went back from the toilet. He didn’t talk much when he opened a conversation. Still, he didn’t bother much to ask him why. But it went serious when he drove back to their home. He still hadn’t talked and he seemed pretty nonchalant when he threw him a question.

Thinking that he should do something, he awkwardly asked him an inquiry. “Kai-yah, by any chance... are you okay..?”

He flashed his gaze towards him and quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” He gave Kyungsoo a puzzled look. “I’m okay, though.”

“But I don’t think you’re okay,” Kyungsoo replied. “You seemed different, Kai-yah. Is there something happened when I went to the toilet?”

“Nothing,” he replied nonchalantly, trying to avert his eyes away from Kyungsoo. He didn’t want his friend to distinguish his mixed feeling at the moment. He’d rather keep his problem by himself than spilling it to Kyungsoo though his friend had been a good listener. He tended to help him when he had problems. “I was so happy during our visit to the amusement park today. Thanks a bunch for bringing me there, Kyungsoo-yah.”

Kyungsoo bit his lip in resentment. Stupid Kai. How could he say that he was okay though his eyes vividly shown that he wasn’t feeling okay at all? His eyes wouldn’t lie to him. He had been Kai’s friend since childhood and of course, he had grasped every single thing about Kai. He knew that Kai had a problem but he didn’t want to burst it out to him.

“Spill it, Kai-yah,” Kyungsoo demanded persuasively. “I know you have problem. I’ve been knowing you since both of us are still children. How come I wouldn’t sense you when you’re acting so gloomy and depressed?”

Kai breathed out a heavy sigh in defeat. Then, he bit his lip in annoyance. He detested Do Kyungsoo for that reason. He would easily know if he ever had problems by catching his eyes or his face expression. He had such a pair of sharp eyes, indeed.

Still, Kai had to put his hand down. Kyungsoo was undeniably right. Everyone will be able to catch his feeling at the moment when his face obviously shown that there was something bugging in his mind.

“Kai-yah... are you okay?”

“Huh?” He seemed bemused but later, he went back to his sense. “Ah, I’m okay...”

“Then are you going to tell me your problem or not?”

He huffed a heavy sigh before proceeding, “You know what, Kyungsoo-yah.. I should’ve followed you when you said you wanted to go to the toilet.”

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked him questioningly, still had not idea what Kai was trying to say.

His eyes flickered at his best friend in indefinite connotation. Then, he tugged an insipid smile on his lips while saying, “Yoona..... I saw Yoona just now... with her husband...”

***

Much to his surprise, Chen couldn’t help but sense that Luhan had been changing way too much lately. He seemed so ecstatic although when he was at the office. He usually would feel kind of stressed with bunch of works to be worked out but he didn’t seem so these days.

Plus, he had no idea Luhan would be so spirited lately when it came to work. Usually, he tend to be nonchalant when they ever had a meeting or something similar but now, he had completely changed. He seemed so radiantly vigorous. He even spoke a lot during the meetings and contributed a bunch of ingenious ideas that he didn’t bother to do so before this. He supposed the other staffs would have felt the same way like him. It was rather surreal, indeed.

 “Luhan-ah..” Chen’s voice echoed as he strode in his office. “Are you kind of busy?”

Luhan stopped his work for a moment upon Chen’s sudden presence in his office. He furrowed an eyebrow at him quizzically. “Not really. Why? Is there something do you want to talk about?”

“Kind of,” he said as he took a seat in front of him. “There’s something that keeps bugging me lately about you, Luhan-ah..”

Luhan seemed intrigued – he even pushed his work aside and gazed at his friend attentively. “What is it?” His voice was heavily dripped with curiosity.

“Are you fine?” he questioned him directly. “No... what I meant is are you mentally and physically fine, Luhan-ah?”

He seemed baffled to digest his question. His words were too confusing that he didn’t get to grasp completely. But later, he emitted a lively chuckle. “Of course, I’m perfectly fine, Chen-ah. Do you think I’m not fine?”

“Yeah, you seem not fine,” Chen answered abruptly. He let out a wacky laugh. “What’s gotten into you, my dear friend?”

“What do you mean?” Luhan narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be completely had no idea of his friend’s saying. “Stop being quizzical, Chen-ah. Just be frank so that I’d grasp what do you exactly mean.”

“Alright then.” Chen nodded with a smile. “I’ve recognised you in a completely different person now, Luhan-ah,” he enlightened briefly, “it’s somewhat hilarious to see you in this condition.” He emitted a chuckle at the end of his remark.

Luhan ended up laughing out loud upon his friend’s remark. Was that the only thing that Chen had been so curious of?

“Why are you laughing?”

“I don’t know why I’m laughing but seriously, you’re totally right,” Luhan agreed with a convincing nod. “I’ve changed now. Thanks to Yoon