After the Storm.
Memories of Her.
The service was a long one; Ryeowook had friends everywhere who knew and loved him. His family looked
tired and broken - their son had moved away a few years ago and now would never come back. Lay sat at
the back of the small chapel with his head in his hands silently. He wasn't praying, nor crying, nor remembering
the good times. He was just silent, his mind was elsewhere. Ryeowook had been killed by the man he loved.
That was reality.
They had been found by the cops the next morning, Lay was awake and hadn't slept a wink since waking up
and finding out that he was too late. That was what made him feel so horrible; the fact that he had the chance
to save Ryeowook, but ultimately took too long and ended up losing both the argument and his friend's life.
He told the police that they had been playing on the top of the cliff when Ryeowook lost his footing and fell,
grabbing Lay for balance and pulling him down on top of him. They seemed to believe it, and thus the notice
was spread. What made Lay even more miserable is that he couldn't even dress properly to go to the funeral.
He looked like a thug and was earning a lot of dirty stares from grieving relatives. Lay had to go in disguise,
though. He didn't want any more deaths. Ryeowook was to be cremated later this afternoon, and Lay would
attend the cremation, too.
"You ok?" Hyoyeon asked once the service was over. Her voice was breaking and Lay could tell she wasn't
taking this well. Lay didn't reply. "It wasn't a fall, was it?" She said, looking straight ahead. Lay raised his
head.
"What?"
"Wookie didn't die from 'falling off the cliff while playing' with you, did he?" Lay frowned, and Hyoyeon
dipped her head, her whole body shaking. "I tried calling you guys but you wouldn't pick up your phones!
I tried to warn you but I-"
"You tried to warn us?" Lay asked, helping Hyoyeon sit down.
"When I got back to Wookie's house I saw a camera fixed on the door that wasn't there before. Lay, the letters
B.A.P were written on the side of it, they knew where we were the whole time they were just waiting for you
to leave the house! I tried to call you both but neither of you would answer, I knew Kyuhyun and those B.A.P
thugs would find you guys and kill you!" Hyoyeon had tears running down her face, sniffling and beginning
to hiccup. "I thought you were dead too, Lay! I thought I had lost all of my friends, I was so afraid!" Lay put
a comforting arm around her shoulder and rubbed circles on her back.
"I'm not dead..." He said distantly. "But it should have been me." Hyoyeon leant on Lay, looking up at him.
"Don't say thing's like that." she said, wiping her eyes. "No one deserves to die, not you, not Wookie. No one."
"You don't understand." Lay said, gritting his teeth. "Kyuhyun was there to kill me, not Ryeowook. If he'd just
stepped out of the way I could have - "
"But he didn't." Amber stepped through the crowd. Lay raised his head.
"I didn't know you were here." he mumbled.
"I thought I should pay my respects." She replied. "That kid saved your life. He'd be a hero on our planet."
"He's a hero anyway." Lay answered.
"He didn't step out of the way, because he was brave. He still is." Amber said. "Don't waste the chance he gave
you with his own life. He died so you could live, Lay. Now live the way he would want you to; and take Kyuhyun
down." Lay nodded and returned his solemn gaze to the ground. He wouldn't waste this chance.
"Thanks, Wookie. I won't ever forget you."
~*~*~
It was hard to know what to do next. They couldn't go back to Ryeowook's house because B.A.P knew they
were there, and Lay couldn't go back to his house because of course they would look there first. Hyoyeon
decided they should stay at her house, after thoroughly checking for cameras, and Amber collected her
portal notes. They wouldn't stay there for long, they weren't hiding anymore. Now they were waiting.
Lay sat in the living room watching the setting sun stream through the window. He and Ryeowook were
very similar in that way; they loved the sunset. It made them feel calmer, it soothed them. Lay hung his
head forward and let a few tears slip out. This would stay on his conscience for the rest of his life. Hyoyeon
sat beside him and offered him a cup of hot chocolate.
"I just thought you might..." She paused. "Lay... It's not your fault." She grabbed the box of tissues from the
coffee table and sat them beside Lay on the couch. Lay laughed bitterly and accepted the hot chocolate,
wiping his eyes and looking away.
"No matter how many times I'm told that, I'll always think the opposite." He replied. "I was there, I could
have done something about it. But I didn't... All I can feel is the responsibility crushing my shoulders into
the ground until I'm neck deep in it." Hyoyeon held his hand in hers and her thumb over the back,
looking into his eyes with great concern.
"I'm sorry you feel that way... I really am." she said softly. "But you're wrong Lay. You couldn't have done
anything because you were at the bottom of the cliff when Wookie was at the top. Even if you had tried to
do something when you were at the top, he wouldn't have let you. Wookie was stubborn, you know that."
"I wish he wasn't." Lay said, subtly moving his hands out of Hyoyeon's. It didn't feel right to him. As far as
he knew he was single, but every time he came into close contact with a girl (except for Amber) he felt a
little cautious and awkward. He often thought about it but could never come to a conclusion why.
"I wish Amber would come out of that room, or at least tell us what she's doing." Hyoyeon said after a long,
awkward silence. "It's kind of worrisome. She was never like this before." Lay shifted in his seat, his eyes
starting to burn from the weariness of crying.
"I'm sure whatever she's doing is important for us in some way. I know Amber, and she always has a reason
for doing things." Hyoyeon nodded, a gentle smile on her face.
"Even though I don't really know her that well, I feel like I can trust her. She seems rational."
"She is." Lay replied. "Even though she seems crazy, she's probably the most level headed person I know."
"Just like Wookie..." Hyoyeon mumbled. "I don't know if you knew this, but I've known him since junior high.
Every year when exams came around and everyone was freaking out and rushing around with notes, he would
just go outside and sit in the middle of the sports field and listen to music. His study wasn't forced like
everyone elses, it was casual and relaxed, and his results were always top of the class." she said, smiling at
the memory. "I used to call him crazy, but now I realize its because my head was still full of clouds, while his
was clear as day." Lay nodded, staring holes into his cup of now luke-warm chocolate. He was listening, but
not really 'in the room'. He felt distant, and his own thoughts carried him elsewhere. He took a deep breath
and looked out the window to the sunset. Something came to his mind straight away, and he decided he would
visit Ryeowook's parents the next day.
=====================================================================================
apart
Hey there guys!
This is just a filler chapter before the real goes down XD
The next chapter is the one you have all been waiting for, so it will be longer than the others.
I painted this yesterday:
Tadaa! The Tree of Life from the MV! I wish I had a smaller paintbrush so the details were better,
but I still like the end product ^^
Thank you guys for reading, subscribing, commenting and upvoting, please continue to!
Don't forget to check out my new fic if you haven't already:
http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/612050/circus-of-fears-fantasy-supernatural-exo-kai
See you guys next time! happy holidays!
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