TWELVE : SILENCE

The hug lasted a few minutes and Nana was still there, stock still, when the older male left. Luhan ducked low and hid himself well as he clambered towards the other way from the exit. Holding his breath, he waited until the heavy footsteps finally leave the vicinity through the exit at the other end. Luhan waited for Nana to come out of the place and chase after the guy to give him a good beating. Perhaps, that was exactly what he himself wanted to do. Luhan slowly approached the double doors and pushed it open. There Nana was, as still as life. Luhan thought that she didn’t even see him.

Luhan made his advance towards Nana in a few steps and it wasn’t until he broke the swelling silence that Nana finally noticed his presence. “Luhan, you…” and before she could finish her sentence, Luhan had come up to her and embraced her into his arms. Her once rigid frame melted and Luhan felt her whole weight pushed down on him. “Luhan…I…don’t know…what to say,” she stammered as Luhan carefully reached out for her balled up fists. “It’s okay, Nana, it’s gonna be okay,” he shushed her and Luhan felt the first dampness forming on his shirt.

Coaxing her with encouragements, he gently rubbed her wrists and it seemed that the action calmed her a little, too much maybe since her body stopped moving and her sobbing ended. Taking her shoulders with both of his hands, he tried to push the girl away from him slowly as to see her face when he was welcomed by a fall of her head and her eyes were shut tight. “Nana! Nana! Nana, are you alright?! Nana, answer me!” Luhan pleaded as he looked at the lifeless girl. Feeling her pulse on her wrist just a few seconds ago, he knew that she was still alive and breathing.

Calming down, he had to find a way to get her to the medics as soon as possible but everybody were already leaving by the time the three of them had entered this section of the dojang. Determined; Luhan slowly took her into his arms and braced himself up, carrying Nana bridal style. When he got out from the almost unnoticeable place towards the main arena, Yixing and a few of the other guys were still there, waiting for Luhan and Nana to make their appearance since their bags were still lying around the area. “Xing! Guys!” Luhan bellowed to his friends who were talking animatedly to one another.

Hearing his name called by the honey sweet – pause, yet manly, play – voice, Yixing turned his attention towards the male and was surprised to see Nana limp in Luhan’s arms. Yixing and the others ran up to them and Baekhyun was the first to ask, “what happened? Why is she unconscious? Lu, you better give me a good explanation!” “It’s nothing like that, Baek. Something just happened. Let’s get Nana to the clinic first. Hell, let’s go to the hospital!” Luhan said as Yixing and the others nodded while Chanyeol took both of their bags and followed the others.

The ride to the hospital was a blur to Luhan as he sped off with his Turbo, hoping that no officers would be around to witness what him and another 3 sets of car were doing. Well, Luhan might be excused since the patient was in his car, and the others might have to stay back since they have no absolute reason but just following the speed he was going at. Anyway, as they reached the hospital, Luhan stepped out of his car, leaving the engine still ignited and it really puzzled the other guys to see his action. Never had they seen Luhan so careless and nervous.

Nana was then pushed into the room where they wouldn’t let Luhan pass as he stood there helplessly. About 10 minutes later, his friends came around to see how Nana was doing after he had texted them where he would be. As they waited for Nana, Baekhyun and Chanyeol headed to the café to get them some drinks seeing as Luhan needed one the most to calm him down. As he sipped on whatever drink Baekhyun offered him, the doctor came out of the sliding door and Luhan was the first to actually ‘attack’ the doctor and bombarded him with questions.

“It’s alright. She’s just a little shocked and tired, that’s all. What have the patient been up to, may I know?” the doctor, whose tag labeled Kim asked him. “We’re going through a Hapkido tournament. She just met her step-brother. I’m guessing they haven’t met for quite a while,” Luhan explained. “Alright. It’s nothing much. She just needs to rest more and no shocking news at the moment,” the doctor advised and he left the 5 guys to enter the room where Nana was held in. They stayed there for quite a while, but seeing that Nana wouldn’t wake up any moment soon, they decided to go back and let her rest.

♦

The blinding white lights were piercing Nana’s retinas as she felt her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her right hand flew up to cover the foreign white lights as she felt a pressure on her left hand. Surprised; Nana saw a blob of messy golden brown hair close to her as she breathed the scent of vanilla in. Once adjusted to the bright lights, her hands slowly travelled towards the hair of the person whom she knew all too well and started combing the welcoming hair softly, feeling the soft locks tickling the pads of her fingers. She always wanted to do that; running her fingers through someone’s hair, Luhan’s hair. It gave her a sense of comfort, really.

The serene moment came to a stop as the owner of the said hair started moving and Nana responded by withdrawing her hand and faked herself back to sleep. “You’re up, aren’t you, Nana? Talk to me, damn it. I’ve been so worried; the guys were so worried about you as well. You scared me back then,” he said as he stifled a yawn. Opening her eyes slowly, she was met by a furious yet cute looking male as she just smiled at him. “You’re over-reacting, Luhan. Let’s just go back, we have the final round tomorrow,” Nana replied, her tone a soft note.

“What the hell, Nana?! You fainted, and all you talk about is going back to some tournament. Nana…” “Luhan, oppa, please…let’s go back,” she tried again. Wanting to avoid a certain topic so much, and she just wanted to lie down on her own bed or maybe in Luhan’s arms, wherever it was, except this cold unwelcoming hospital bed. The hand that was clutching hers tight gripped even further. Nana’s other hand reached out towards his face as she caressed the face that she had been longing to touch since the day she mocked him with ‘Marilyn Monroe’.

The action seemed to work its magic as Luhan actually nestled closer to feel her touch and sighed deeply, before agreeing, “fine, we’ll go back, Nana. Just let me go settle the paper work and you should get ready. Yura noona sent your clothes a while ago, thought you might need a change.” Nana nodded her head and going against the Doctor Kim’s order, Luhan stood up and placed a soft peck on Nana’s temple and left the room. Nana felt the heat rose on her cheeks as she felt them with the back of both of her hands and slowly touched the place where she thought Luhan had actually kissed her. Good God. Her thoughts betrayed her when she heard a small voice in her brain telling her he actually did it.

Papers were signed and medicines were held out to him when Luhan settled the payment. Nana witnessed the money exchanged when she head out of the room she was in and looked up at Luhan who approached her with silence. “I’ll pay you back, Luhan. I’m sorry,” she said with a small voice as his gaze pierced hers and all he answered was, “don’t, in the very beginning, you don’t have to pay anything back to me at all.” He dragged her away from the confines of the stuffy, sterile-scented hospital and slowed down when he felt that he was tugging on Nana too hard and that she just got up.

“Sorry,” he muttered and let her hand go. Nana felt the warmth lost into thin air as she fastened her steps to catch up with Luhan’s. They had to cross the road and Nana aimlessly walked on without looking out when strong hands gripped her torso tightly and in a harsh whisper said, “you're going to be the death of me, Nana!” The sound of car screeching to a stop finally settled in Nana’s ears as she in her breath and gasped. “Sorry, sorry,” Luhan muttered to the driver of the car that passed by them and Nana swore she really heard the guy cursed at them. “Sorry, Luhan,” Nana whispered.

The only reply Nana received was a soft muttering that she couldn’t really hear as Luhan didn’t let her go until she was safely strapped to the car seat and Luhan drove away. The car ride was silent and even when Luhan helped Nana till the very end at the front of her building, Nana didn’t say a word and so did Luhan. Luhan thought that it was better for Nana to tell him willingly, instead of being forced to do something she didn’t want to do guessing by the way she was treated by her step-brother. Mumbling a quiet thank you, she dragged herself up the stairs and was welcomed with a bear hug as soon as she reached her room by Yura.

Nana lost in the finals when she went through the last round much to Luhan’s disapproval. Even Yixing and the others who knew what happened try to stop her from competing, but they were given the equal silent treatment Luhan had been receiving since the day before. Nana told the President that she couldn’t stay since she was really tired and he sent her back to her room right before Luhan and Baekhyun went through the final round of that year’s Hapkido’s Inter-University Tournament. Ever since then, Nana stayed quiet and kept things to herself. She was a total silence even when Luhan tried to contact her.

It was as if she disappeared into thin air and Luhan was really frustrated. He tried any means to get to Nana, and even called Yura to ask about Nana. The only thing he was told about the girl was that she wanted some time alone and just to enjoy painting and finishing the exams. Yes, the exams, it almost came to an end, and Nana’s schedule was pack to three morning session, two afternoon sessions, with one evening session for her examinations. Without even knowing it, fall break started and Nana still stayed in silence.

Yes, I actually updated faster than I thought I would. Oh well, I just seem to have an extra rest time since I'm going back for mid-semester break. Happy Halloween to those of you who are celebrating it. And, I am not a hater of U-Kiss's Xander, it's just that I asked this friend of mine on who has a pedo-oppa aura around him and she gave me Xander's name. I seriously don't hate him at all, in fact, I find him to be really funny. Okay, that's all from me. Expect an update soon ;)

Updated; October 30
Edited; Feb 19