Bits and Pieces of Her
Coincidence Memories
3.
Her past.
The next morning, Hae Ra woke up at 5.30am sharp and went for practice at Room 11.
When she reached there, she saw EXO-M already training.
*Thats early..*
When Xiumin saw Hae Ra entering the room, he quickly waved at her.
"Hae Ra! Hi!" Xiumin waved.
"Yah! Practice!" Sukjin chided.
Hae Ra slightly chuckled and thought *Xiumin's exactly like him..* then quickly stopped smiling and had a straight face.
She went to a corner and did some stretches before training with EXO-M.
She was exercising beside Xiumin when he suddenly came closer and whispered,"Yah. Hae Ra. When it's lunch time, remember to sit with us. Alright?"
Hae Ra slightly shifted away from Xiumin and looked down, then nodded at Xiumin, not making eye contact with him and continued exercising.
Xiumin looked at Hae Ra, tilted his head and tapped his chin. *Hmmmm.. She agreed to go out for lunch with us, means that she agreed to know us more. That means my plan of making Hae Ra being comfortable around me is going as planned! Yippee! Way to go Xiumin! Wait, but she shifted away from me, that means she's quite awkward with me.. Well that's just a small problem. Now I just need to know her better, interact more and we'll be friends for life!* Xiumin was so engrossed in his thoughts as he thought further and further and mentally punched his fist in the air as he happily beamed and continued to do stretches with his lips curving up into a bright smile.
When it was lunch time, Xiumin dragged Hae Ra out of the room and dashed out for lunch.
"Hae Ra! Faster!" Xiumin hurried Hae Ra and released her hand, then disappearing into the crowd.
"Xiumin. Stop running. I can't catch up." Hae Ra said, which came out as a whisper as she ducked her head and walked slowly towards the canteen which was filled with trainees walking from all directions. As she wasn't used to crowded places, she felt helpless and her heartbeat quickened. She bit her lip and ducked her head even lower, then fastened her pace.
*Xiumin.. Where are you..* the first person that came into her mind for help was Xiumin as he was the one that she spent most of the time with in SM Academy so far. Her eyes scanned around the canteen for Xiumin under her bangs, and she was just standing like a piece of wood in the middle of the canteen, and when she found him, she heaved a sigh of relief and quickly walked towards him.
She quickly stood beside Xiumin and was panting, then she spoke up. "Xiumin, next time don't walk too fast."
Xiumin who was patiently queuing up for his food, turned to his left and saw Hae Ra lowering her head as she spoke up.
"Oh Hae Ra. You're here. Sorry, I usually run a lot to the canteen, next time, I'll wait for you," Xiumin said and smiled sheepishly.
Hae Ra then nodded and queued for her food together with Xiumin, then bringing their food as they sat at a table.
Xiumin followed her and talked non stop about his experience in SM Academy with EXO-M with his mouth full of food and spitting out crumbs at Hae Ra's face.
Hae Ra smiled and chuckled silently upon hearing all those funny experiences Xiumin had while wiping the crumbs of her face.
"I didn't know you had so much fun here in SM Academy. I thought this place is just training and nothing else." Hae Ra looked at her food and said.
"You're right. This place is actually just training. But EXO-M had each other which made our lives more interesting. That's what friends' for. Like how I'm your friend, even though I barely knew you for a day." Xiumin replied and smiled.
Hae Ra looked up and saw Xiumin smiling brightly at her, then she thought about his words, "That's what friends' for."
"Frie-friends..?" Hae Ra asked, which didn't came out as a whisper.
Xiumin nodded and repeated what she said. "Friends."
Hae Ra's lips curved upwards, as she smiled back at Xiumin, a geunine smile, which made Xiumin smiled even brighter. *My first .. Friend, in SM Academy. Who doesn't detest me.*
*Xiumin's really something. I guess, he's really friendly, just like .. him.*
She was getting warmer with Xiumin only after one day with him, or maybe just a night. Xiumin really has a way of making people get comfortable with him.
"Alright. I have finished my experience. What about yours?" Xiumin asked as he finished talking about the experience he had in SM Academy 3 years ago when he came in. He talked about settling down in Korea from China with his mother when he was 11 and also talking about how he could make Kris, Luhan, Lay, Chen and Tao be friendly and comfortable with him within a day, and also talking about EXO-K, then talking about the embarrassing and hilarious incidents that happened in Room 11.
Hae Ra looked down then said, "I promised to tell you, and I will." Hae Ra placed her untensils down and looked up at Xiumin.
"My father was a drunkard. He left my mother and I when I was only 3. My mother, she struggled with 3 jobs, trying to support the family." Hae Ra cleared her thorat and continued, "she .. She worked very hard, and soon, she got an illness. And .. And.. She died, leaving me alone when I was 8." Hae Ra held back her tears after saying her past, those sad memories, her life being dug out again after keeping it for so long, but at the same time, she also felt the burden in her heart being lifted up, and she could breathe much lighter.
"I'm .. Sorry.. I didn't mean to make you sad, just that.. I'm curious. But I'm sorry! I won't ask you again! I promise!" Xiumin quickly said, and patted Hae Ra's back.
Hae Ra chuckled and quickly wiped a tear off her face.
"I'm alright." *Just that I want to see him again..*
Suddenly 5 figures popped out behind Xiumin and Hae Ra. It was EXO-M.
"Hae Ra!" Tao greeted as he sat beside her. When he leaned in forward, he found Hae Ra silently sniffing and her eyes were red when she lifted her head up. Although it wasn't so obvious from a distance away, but the distance between Tao and Hae Ra, could make Tao see everything clearly.
"Eh? You cried?! Yah gege! Did you make Hae Ra cry?" Tao asked Xiumin, brows furrowing as he gave Hae Ra a bear hug.
"I.. I didn't mean too!" Xiumin quickly clarified and waved his hands desperately.
"No. It's not Xiumin. Just that I thought about something that happened a long time ago, and .. Nevermind. I'm fine now. Let's eat," Hae Ra said and continued eating.
EXO-M shrugged and also began eating their food.
*I didn't know she had such a sad past.. No wonder she's so quiet and timid ..* Xiumin thought as he ate his food quietly and also observing Hae Ra.
*I'll try my best to make her forget those painful times, and also, make the 3 or 4 years in SM Academy the best time of her life!" Xiumin pursed his lips and thought, thinking that it was a brilliant plan.
"Hae Ra ah, since we just met you yesterday, and we don't really know you that well, so I was thinking if you could just say something about yourself." Luhan asked.
"Luhan's right. Like, where are your parents? Where do you live?" Kris asked.
Both He Ra and Xiumin's eyes widened upon hearing the questions asked by both Kris and Luhan.
Xiumin quickly elbowed Luhan hard in the elbow, making Luhan jumped a bit out from his seat and yelped in pain.
"Ow! Xiumin! What's that for?" Luhan hissed while massaging his elbow.
"Don't ask!" Xiumin hissed back and poked his food.
"Fine fine, don't need to hit me again," Luhan pouted, not understanding.
*Am I wrong to ask about Hae Ra's parents, why did Xiumin elbow me like that.. And it was the biggest hit I ever received from him..* Luhan wondered and winced as he thought about his elbow being hit by Xiumin time and time again. He then shook the thought away and continued eating with the rest of EXO-M and Hae Ra.
"Thank you," Hae Ra mouthed to Xiumin and continued digging into her food.
Xiumin smiled back and nodded, then continued eating his food.
*Heh. I said I would make her life here in SM Academy the best time of her life, and I just partially did it! Way to go Xiumin! Keep it up and help Hae Ra to be happy in SM Academy!* Xiumin mentally praised himself and happily digged into his food, biting his lip to prevent himself from smiling too much.
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