“I-I-I love you, Huang ZiTao.” Kris blushed.

Tao opened his mouth but was abruptly cut off by Luhan calling the two to dinner. Both smiled and Tao sent Kris ahead first, telling him he had to use the bathroom. Kris went to the dining room without question.

“Hey, where are Tao and Kai?” Xiumin spoke up.

“Uh, Tao is in the bathroom and Kai must be sleeping.” Kris just remembered that Kai had been taking refuge in their room. He felt a sharp stare coming from behind him.

“What?” Luhan sounded pissed.

“What’s wrong?” Kris tried to ask innocently.

“Nothing.” Luhan rolled his eyes as Tao entered the room, informing them that Kai wouldn’t be joining them. For dinner, Xiumin had decided to teach everyone to say “Let’s eat” in Chinese to bring a sense of unity to the current group of 9.

“Repeat after me: Rah-ng Wuh-muh-n Chi(r)” Tao tried teaching Kris by taking out his translator.

“What the heck? How am I supposed to say that?!” Kris buried his head in his hands in frustration.

“Just try your best.” Tao laughed.

Many ate in silence, but some carried occasional conversations that never lasted for very long. Everyone missed Suho (and his cooking) greatly. Luhan wasn’t a bad cook, but Suho had a gift in culinary. After dinner, it was a Korean movie. Kris was afraid that the TV would be wrecked because of him but D.O. had put all the pieces of the glass perfectly back together.

“Hey, Luhan,” Kris whispered when almost everyone had ventured to rest for the night.

“Yeah?”

“How are you?”

Luhan busted into laughter, “Where the heck did that come from?”

“I’m just curious is all. You seem… stressed.”

“I’ll be fine after this is over.” Luhan leaned his head back and sighed.

“After this is over? Do you mean when you…” Kris trailed off, concerned asking Luhan about his death might set him off.

“It’s alright, I’m not afraid anymore.” Luhan opened the golden locket Suho had left in his possession. He admired the small photo of the two. “I’m not afraid anymore,” Luhan repeated to himself.

Kris sat in silence, debating whether to continue asking him questions or leave it for another day. Luhan obviously knew of his inner turmoil and told Kris to ask him any question he wanted, although he might not answer or the answer will be unfavorable.

“Alright.” Kris took a deep inhale, “I’m guessing there is a certain reason you and Tao aren’t going to tell me about your scheme.”

“Yeah, otherwise I’d tell everyone.” Luhan smiled. “I feel like I understand how God feels.”

“How God feels?”

“Well, I mean whatever higher power you believe in or a world of coincidences. Anyway, it’s like knowing something that will bring hope to your people but could possible destroy them so you keep it to yourself. You know your people are suffering and praying for refuge but little do they know, there is a wave of good fortune on the way...” Luhan paused and let that sink in for a moment, “It may be kinda hard to understand, but just know it's stressful for me right now. I’m sorry when I get angry and snap, it’s just keeping a big secret is hard.”

“It’s fine.” Kris laughed.

“Just have hope, okay?” Luhan looked downward.

“Do you miss Sehun?” Kris asked.

“Like crazy.” Luhan blushed.

“Really? I mean, no offense but, you don’t really show it.”

“Yah!” Luhan lightly punched Kris in the arm. “I guess it’s cause I know he is still… here? I don’t know how to explain it properly.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Anyway, sorry to keep badgering you with all these questions.”

“Well, I sense you have one more for me?”

“Yeah… How is D.O.?”

“I honestly haven’t seen him physically since we returned earlier today. I know I said I’d take care of him but he doesn’t want to see me anymore. I feel awful and I know I made an of myself but he refuses to let me help him anymore. The only person he’s seei is Kai, and Kai was in a bad mood after fighting Suho.”

“Do you just monitor everyone’s emotions?” Kris randomly blurted out.

“Yeah, haha; I do, actually. I try to make sure everyone is okay because I have the power to help them. You probably never saw this but Suho could sense people’s feelings without even reading their mind! How freaky is that?”

“Interesting,” Kris nodded.

“Anyway, is there anything else you’d like to ask me?” Luhan hugged his knees.

“Uhhhh...” Kris thought for a moment. “Yeah, there's so much but I can’t think of anything yet… oh I know. Do you know the order that we’re fighting in? Because you talked to Suho the night before he had to fight Kai.”

Luhan smirked, “Would you like me to tell the truth or lie? I can do either-or well.”

“The truth, preferably.”

“I do know it. When we go to the area, I read TOP’s mind.”

Kris sat up, half expecting such a blunt answer, “You do?”

“Yeah. And no, I’m not telling you.” Luhan stuck his tongue out.

“That’s not fair! Tell me,” Kris demanded.

“I told you, some of your questions I can’t answer; this is one of them.”

“Please, I need to know!”

“You don’t need to know anything. You want to know but I’m not going to tell you.” Luhan shrugged.

“That’s like knowing someone is going to die but not telling them!”

“I told you, I sympathize with God.”

“But it’s not fair! You’re basically contributing to their death!” Kris almost shouted but was just quiet enough not to awaken anyone.

“Well firstly, I’m not contributing to their deaths and secondly Kris, think about this.” Luhan stood, “Are they really dying?” he marched off to his room.