March 16^th, 2013

Tao's Current Age: 18

5:00 pm

"Tao, are you awake?" Xiumin asked.

Tao fluttered his eyes open, and looked around. Then he looked at Xiumin, confused.

"You fainted after you saw some guys on your doorstep with a baseball bat. Tao, do you know those men?"

Tao remembered what happened, and also what happened years ago, and nodded.

Xiumin's eyes widened. "How? Tell me!"

Tao shook his head.

Xiumin sighed. "How long do you plan on being silent?"

"He spoke to me."

The two boys turned to the blonde in the hospital doorway.

"Kris?" Xiumin asked.

Tao's eyes watered, and he dove back under the covers.

Xiumin sighed. "Kris, now is not a good time, s-"

"Tao talked to me yesterday."

Xiumin's jaw dropped. "H-How? I've known him for 4 years, and he hasn't talked to me since a year ago!"

"We knew each other about 10 years ago.

Xiumin turned to Tao. "Is this true?"

The question was met with silence, but uneasy shuffling under the blankets.

Xiumin sighed again. "Well, then I'll leave you two alone." He stood up to go, but a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

Xiumin looked down to see Tao's teary eyes.

Xiumin bent down. "What's the matter?"

Tao motioned writing, and Xiumin ran out of the room.

Kris walked over to Xiumin's spot, and sat down. "Tao, I-"

"I have paper!"

Xiumin ran in and gave a pencil and paper to Tao. "Tell us!"

Tao shakingly wrote on the paper.

'3 years ago, I went to a bar with Xiumin. I tried to walk home drunk, but these thugs attacked me. I limped home bleeding.'

"I remember that," Xiumin said. Then he turned to Kris and whispered something. Kris nodded in agreement.

The pair looked at Tao. "We'll be back! Get better soon!"

Tao nodded, wiping the tears away.

Xiumin and Kris smiled, and ran out.

"Where's Midnight Music?" Kris asked, following Xiumin out onto the streets.