18.

Safe.

*My only hope. My only hope. I must live. I must live.* Xiumin thought with determination.

He was swimming for 45 minutes, or 50. He didn't know how long he spent swimming in the sea towards the city, he just focused on one spot, which is the city. He swam, didn't even thought about stopping to take a break. His body was getting weaker, and he could feel the energy draining out. Hc knew that once he stops, he knew he was in danger after all, this is the open sea, sea creatures lerking around the sea bed may not be so uncommon.

The cold wind blew and Xiumin shivered. His lips turned purple and he was shivering non stop. His teeth chattered and he was losing focus, his mind became blurry and fizzy, but all he did was just squeezed hsi eyes shut for a moment, before opening up again.

*I must not.. Faint..*

Xiumin bit his lip and continued swimming towards the city. He could feel the temperature decreasing in him, and he himself losing warmth.

The stronger the cold wind, the weaker Xiumin was. To make it worse, the current were sweeping him to the opposite end.

He gritted his teeth and tried to overcome the current, and continued swimming.

When he got closer and closer, seeing the city revealing itself to him every minute, Xiumin's speed increased.

He didn't care whether he was feeling cold, whether he had leg cramps, he continued swimming as the it's was his only hope to live, his mother's only hope on him- to live.

Finally, Xiumin saw the beach, he quickly scrambled up to the surface and tried looking for anybody to help him.

He walked on the sand, struggling to walk as his legs were sore and aching from kicking the water.

He walked into the streets, he thought it was Korea, but he was wrong. Everyone, mostly everyone, was talking in a different language, they weren't talking in Korean.

*Where is this place? Is this? China?* Xiumin thought while hugging himself to keep himself warm.

He could feel his body temperature dropping and his head spinning. He was losing focus on where he is.

He went to a spot and sat there, hugging his knees and bringing it as close as he can, then slowly drifting into unconscious.

The next moment, he opened his eyes slowly, trying to figure out where he is. He could feel himself being carried somewhere on a bed..? Stretcher? Something very comfortable, and he could feel himself getting warmer every minute, like somebody was putting 10 comforters over him. Just the warmth that he needed.

He also vaguely heard people shouting, "Blood pressure! Going down."

"Heartbeat! Going down."

"Oxygen mask."

"Send him into the operation room immediately."

He then drifted into unconscious again.

---

When he woke up, he didn't know where he was, he was staring blankly at a ceiling, blinking several times before sitting up.

When he sat up, he saw a woman, in her thirties, placing her hand on the table and resting her head on her hand, dozing off.

Suddenly, she woke up and looked at Xiumin.

"Oh. You awake? Feeling any better?" the woman asked Xiumin while Xiumin was just staring blankly at her, still blinking, trying to recognize her face.

"Who.. Who are you?" Xiumin pointed at her and tilted her head.

"I saw you on the street, unconscious, and when I touched your forehead, you were having a fever, but your hands were cold, so I immediately called the ambulance." the woman explained.

"Oh.." Xiumin nodded his head, analyzing what the woman just said.

"So you're my mother right? Omma? Where am I actually?" Xiumin asked, puzzled.

When the woman heard Xiumin calling her her mother, she was overjoyed, she beamed and said, "Omma? I'm your omma?" 

Xiumin nodded. "Now explain, where am I?"

--End of Flashback--

Everything came back to Xiumin, and a tear slid down his cheek, he looked up, to see Hae Ra looking at him worriedly.

He smiled and explained everything to her.

"Omma's last hope for me is to live, and now here I am, living as happy as I can," Xiumin smiled.

Hae Ra smiled, knowing that Xiumin's mother was in heaven, and maybe watching over Xiumin, guard over him.

She quickly put on a straight face, and softly chided, "Yah. Am I really that unimportant to you? That you can't remember me? Not even a tincy wincy bit of memory?"

Xiumin shook his head, "I was having dreams the past few weeks, and I dreamt of you and I when we were young."

Hae Ra softly chuckled and hugged him.

"Don't you ever go losing your memory like that again. Or else I would really cry."

Xiumin softly chuckled, as he her hair gently. "Alright then, I wanna tell you something. I actually already started to like you before I got my memory back. In the past, now, in the future and forever. I-"

Hae Ra immediately cut in, as she shyly lowered her head, her eyes softening as she thought how she felt towards Xiumin. "I actually like you. After I tried to let go of my past, I have already fallen for you, I didn't know you would like me or anything so I didn't say-"

Xiumin attacked her with his lips crushing into hers, lips moving against hers, stopping her from saying anything. Once he knew she actually fell for him, he already knew what to do. He kissed her passionately, and cupped her cheeks, his eyes fluttered close.

Hae Ra was shock. Or beyond shock. Her childhood lover, was just kissing her like that. For 7 years, she finally had the kiss, but she didn't know how to react. Her mind went blurry and she didn't know how to react, after all, this is her first kiss. Xiumin noticed how shock she was, just sitting there with wide eyes looking at Xiumin. His hands unknowingly travelled to her neck, nudging her to come closer, and kissing her passionately.

Their eyes slowly fluttered close and Xiumin deepened the kiss, his lips against hers.

Behind the door, through the glass window, D.O. could see everything.

His heart cringed at the sight of it and looked away.

He grabbed hold of his chest and bit his lip.

*I knew it.. I just knew it..* D.O's shoulders slumped, as he walked away.

Kai was holding a cup of water in his hand while walking towards the room Xiumin was in and walked past D.O. He turned his body back, and said, "D.O! Where's EXO?" 

There was no reply from DO, he just continued looking down and walked away, then disappearing after turning to the corner of the doorway.

*That's weird of D.O..* Kai scratched his head as he looked through the glass window from Xiumin's room.

*Ahh.. I get it now..* Kai nodded his head. He turned and walked back to the dormitory, not wanting to disturb Hae Ra and Xiumin.

-----