Luhan was confused. Very confused.

If Chen had pulled away that day, I can understand. If he had kissed back, oh hell I would understand too.

But he didn't even react!!

He just sat there still as a rock and even after I pulled away he just stared at me with a blank expression.

The two hadn't really talked much the next day. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had noticed the awkwardness between them and they were very puzzled and curious but figured they shouldn't in private matters. The drive home was quiet (no horrible singing from Chanyeol) and they parted ways formally.

Luhan felt bad for making his best friends so awkward on the last day. But he wasn't really concerned so much about them, as much as he would be concerned about how Chen was going to react around him.

Surprisingly, Chen was absolutely and slightly disturbingly normal. Really normal. A bit too normal for Luhan's liking.


"Would you like chicken or beef patty?" Chen called out from the kitchen, flipping meat slabs on the frying pan.

Luhan huffed his fringe for the zillionth time in the past 5 days. "Anything will do."

This was not right, and he wondered why Chen was acting so nonchalant about it. He needed advice.

And the advice came in the form of the not-very-wise advisor, Park Chanyeol.


"You told him you are in love with him? And he zoned out?" Chanyeol gaped at him incredulously. Luhan tried desperately not to make eye contact with his best friend, instead focusing all his attention on sorting out clothes in the sales rack.

"Dude, you are so dumb."

"What?!" Luhan spat. "I was confessing my love... What's dumb about that?"

Chanyeol leaned against the wall beside the rack. "Have you thought about his feelings, Luhan?"

"Fe-..." Luhan's hand froze mid-rack, and he pressed his lips together tightly. Have I?

"Well, you're attracted to him but how does he know that it's love and not merely infatuation?"

Luhan swallowed.

"And, what if he doesn't reciprocate your feelings but doesn't know how to phrase it right? But I doubt that's the case, because I think he likes you too." Chanyeol's mouth curved upwards into a smirk. 

"Or... There could be another reason. Like if he's secretly a monk or he just signed himself into priesthood or if he can't commit to you because of some other weird religion... Like Chen-ism..." He snickered. Luhan rolled his eyes.

Then Chanyeol shrugged. "Or maybe you have bad breath or..."

Luhan face-palmed not so softly. "That's going too far, Chanyeol."

The taller man chuckled, and patted Luhan's shoulder. "Hey, all the best in unveiling Chen's true heart."

And he walked off to fold some clothes at a table some distance away.

Luhan almost wanted to collapse onto the floor and moan. This was so frustrating, not knowing what Chen was thinking, doing, feeling.

Do I really love Chen or is it merely an infatuation like Chanyeol said? I mean he's handsome and all so maybe I could be mistaking my swooning fanboy feels for love...

I don't know. What should I dooooooo...

Luhan banged his head on the rack and he groaned loudly, causing a few customers to shoot him weird looks. Okay focus now Luhan, you do not want to get fired. He flashed them a half-smile half-grimace and buried himself back into the clothes rack, wishing they would swallow him up.

***

Chen stared out of the window, thinking.

What should I do?

The streets stared back at him, equally clueless.

Chief, I wish you had told me to prepare for something like this. I mean, I wasn't told that I was to expect relationship issues with the person I'm protecting.

Sure, Luhan is nice and I like him but... Relationship? 

That's out of the question. I mean, I don't even belong here. I'm not worthy to date him or anything.

I have to turn him down.

Chen nodded to himself, and then there was this strange feeling in his chest. Not a power-kind of strange feeling, but a slight aching twitch in his heart.

He brushed it off and turned away from the window. I just have to find the right time to tell him, that's all.

***

"Who. Are. You."

"I am Chen's worst enemy. I hate Chen so much that all I want is to see his dead body hang off the tip of my sword-"

"Stop. You are not allowed to kill him, it is an order."

"Okay. I hate Chen so much that all I want is to see the dead body of the boy he is protecting hang off the tip-"

"Stop. You are not allowed to kill the boy either."

"Then master, what am I supposed to do?"

"You have to destroy their bond. Their close relationship must be wrecked to pieces. They must hate each other to the bone. You understand me?"

"Yes master."

"... ..."

"I think he is ready. When do you want me to send him there?"

"It's okay Suho, you did well. I will take over now. You sure that he is completely brainwashed? Nothing will make him waver?"

"Nothing, nothing I swear."

"I trust you on that Suho. If anything goes wrong, it will be a loss for me, and for you as well."

***

Luhan awoke on the morning of Christmas to Chen's very big smiling face a little too close to his own.

"W-what?!" He yelped and flushed scarlet, yanking the blanket to cover his cheeks.

"Get up, Luhan!" Chen was now trying to pull him off the bed. Thankfully he wasn't using much strength, contrary to the amount of force he could actually put in when it comes to physical strength.

Luhan groaned and wriggled his foot out of Chen's grasp, swinging them off the bed and standing a little unsteadily. "What's up Chen?"

"Don't you know what day is today, Luhan?" Chen pulled him out of the room excitedly.

"Umm, Christmas?"

"Exactly!!" They had arrived to the kitchen, where there was a spread of delicious food on the table. "I made breakfast for you, Luhan!"

Luhan wanted to point out that Chen made breakfast for him everyday, but figured it wasn't necessary. The Xmas Day special breakfast courtesy of chef Chen consisted of Christmassy Western delicacies like gingerbread pancakes and eggnog French toast. They looked truly mouth-watering, and Luhan almost found himself drooling.

"Come on!!" Chen dragged him to the table and made him sit down. "Try it! I used to cook all the time for my family on Christmas Day. Since I can't be with them this year..." He trailed out and pouted a little, before shaking it away with a grin, "I'll cook for you instead."

Luhan felt himself smiling as he watched the smaller boy bounding about in the kitchen, tidying up and mumbling to himself about buying new pots and cleaning out the dishwasher.

"Chen..."

"Hmm?" He whipped around, and found that Luhan hadn't started eating yet.

"Eat with me." Luhan thought he sounded a little whiny, but who cares.

"Oh..." Chen opened his mouth, then closed it, walking to the table and sitting across Luhan. "Alright."

They ate in silence, Chen tearing the pancakes with his hands and placing the bite sized pieces on a plate for Luhan, then starting on his own plate.

"Chen... There's something I need to ask you."

Chen looked up from his plate, the side of his mouth smeared with syrup, and he looked so endearingly cute that Luhan had to grip the sides of the chair hard.

"Uhh... About that day in the c-c-c..."

Chen caught on quickly, and he averted his gaze slowly. 

"Luhan, I...-"

"-I mean, it's okay if you say that you don't like me and all, I'll understand! I mean I was kind of rushed and forceful and I didn't really consider your feelings and I..."

"I'm sorry, Luhan."

Luhan's babbling halted abruptly as he processed Chen's response.

He said he was sorry.

Oh, that meant I just got rejected.

Okay, be cool about this, Luhan...

But Luhan found himself rooted to the chair, his fists still clenched on the sides, staring down at his plate of French toast and pancake slices, as Chen stood up from his seat.

"I... I can't do this, Luhan. We aren't possible together."

And he went back to the room, his steps slow and trudging, like the whole Christmas mood was destroyed and now a thick heavy suffocating silence have settled over them.

Luhan didn't feel hungry anymore.

***

Chen sat listlessly on the park bench, watching children kick a football around and couples whispering to each other under the shelter of mini gazebos.

He couldn't deny that it hurt.

Seeing the crestfallen look on Luhan's face after he rejected him, it felt like there were needles poking into his chest because it was painful. He almost regretted doing that. But I can't, and it's the right thing to do.

Chen wasn't sure what he felt towards Luhan. Of course there was that sense of fierce protection towards the helpless boy, there was a sense of loyalty and trust, but... He didn't know what his heart felt. 

He sighed heavily. Maybe I should go back, he thought. It's late and I don't want Luhan to worry.


There was a mail.

Chen squatted down and picked up the small envelope that was lying on the door mat outside the apartment. 

Since when does the mailman even deliver mail on public holidays?

Shrugging, he flipped the envelope over and noticed two strange things. For one, it did not have an stamp, meaning that it had been delivered personally and not by a postman. That made sense. 

And another thing was that the envelope had a large scrawly handwritten text on it that said: To Chen.

It was the first time Chen got a mail.

Curiosity made him rip open the mail right there and then, and it was a handwritten letter with a somewhat slightly familiar curly handwriting.

Chen, come to the dance studio on the day after Christmas Day.
There is something I need to tell you.
See you there at 2PM.
From T
 

Chen didn't know anymore that would address himself as T, and he found it strangely worrying that not only did this person knew who Chen was, he also knew that Chen was staying in that apartment. 

It was strangely unsettling.

And something made him hide the envelope behind his back, not wanting Luhan to see it.

If this is danger, I want Luhan to have nothing to do with it.

***

"So how did it go?" Chanyeol looped an arm around Luhan's shoulder as they walked back to the department store after their lunch break.

"What?" Luhan wasn't really in the mood to talk to Chanyeol, after that failed confession. It's all Chanyeol's fault... He had been bitterly silent throughout their lunch at a nearby cafe, even though Chanyeol treated, Luhan still wouldn't forgive him.

"I have no idea why you are so pissed with me, Luhan..." Chanyeol made a hurt-puppy face.

Luhan lost it just then, prying Chanyeol's arm away. 

"It's because of YOU that he rejected me and ruined the whole Christmas Day and i hate you and now Chen probably hates me and... And..."

Chanyeol enveloped him into a hug. "I'm sorry." He said simply.

Luhan couldn't find anything to say so he just relaxed in Chanyeol's hold.


Then Chanyeol pulled away, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

"Hey look over there, isn't that Chen?"

Luhan spun around in surprise. Chen rarely came over to the department store unless he was bringing Luhan food or fetching him home, but now wasn't any of the times he would drop by. 

But Chen wasn't heading towards the department store. He was walking along the other side of the road with quick, determined footsteps, his eyes focused straight in front of him, his body slightly tensed up.

Where is Chen going?

Luhan turned back to Chanyeol, they exchanged a glance.

"Go, I'll tell Manager you aren't feeling well."

Luhan nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks Chanyeol, and... sorry for yelling at you earlier." He bit his lip guiltily.

Chanyeol shook his head with a good-natured laugh. "Nah it's okay, since when does my Luhan hyung ever NOT shout at me?"

Luhan clicked his tongue and whacked Chanyeol playfully, before hurrying across the street to follow behind Chen.

***

Chen had never been to the dance studio before, but he had an inkling of where it would be. A fluttery feeling of nervousness enveloped him as he walked into the dance school and went up straight to the dance studios.

There were many studios, and the letter did not specifically mention any one. So, Chen figured, I have to walk into every single one to find out which one was the right one.

There was a small nagging itch in his mind that meant Luhan wasn't doing something he should be, but it didn't seem serious so Chen ignored it. He mentally made it a point to check on Luhan after he confronted the mysterious person.


Then the burning sensation came. Sixth Sense. Something wasn't right, and Chen felt a shiver course through his body. He found himself standing on front of Studio Five. And his intuition told him that this was the right one.

Chen pushed the huge doors open slowly, and walked inside.


The room was dark, except for one light switch that was flipped on. This gave the room an overall eerie glow.

There was a man with his back facing the door.

Somehow, in the dim light of the room, Chen found the body structure of the man strangely familiar. His subtle curves, his bare lean arms, his gazelle-long legs, his short cropped black hair.

The man turned, his sharp eyes landing on Chen. Chen felt his breath hitch.


"... Tao?"
 

A/N: AND A WILD TAO APPEARED!!! Hahaha.

Do check out my Laychen angst story here (long overdue actually, considering i wrote it months ago and it was sleeping in my hard disk since forever)

MY RANDOMNESS SPOT: 

Ok im going to be honest. I HAVEN'T heard EXO's new single yet *hides*

So today's random spot will be just that :)

OK THIS IS PERFECT.

I mean like seriously. Vocals? check. Emotion? check. Visuals? check. Backdrop? check. EXO superpowers? check. 

I can tell very clearly in this song that Chen's vocal range is definitely higher than Baek and D.O. and its good they let sing the higher parts.

OK THIS IS MORE PERFECT. Or equally as perfect.

Luhan has a soft voice like D.O. and I think its good they let him replace D.O. instead of Baek or Chen.

But... they should have let the Chinese members sing actually. Like Lay. Not that im complaianing though, maybe this range isnt suitable for Lay but nonetheless i respect SM's decision.

OVERALL:

Kai: Is that a puppy? Hehe. I want that puppy OMG (or maybe i want to BE that puppy since Kai cuddles it!)

Kris: Naturally he is the Picasso. I LOL-ed when i saw Kris with the painter role ;P

Suho: He looks like a ice prince. Totally suits the visual of this MV 

Luhan: I like Luhan's manly look actually, he looks really dashing :)

D.O.: He had the best of both worlds, the visuals and the singing. Haha (IS he in a kitchen?!)

Lay: I have recently discovered that Lay is so freaking cute that I just can't.

Chanyeol: The guy with the ring xD (is it the same ring as the one in K.Will's video?! Hahaha)

Tao: The time-turner! :D and wearing that jacket in that y way OMG

Sehun: The flower boy (quite literally) the part when the girl vanished in front of sehun was abit scary actually

Xiumin: The snowflake guy that made it snow. Haha x)

Baekhyun: Baek's chi isn't good but he's trying and he's actually not bad... :)

Chen: Nothing to say. His chinese sounds almost as good as Luhan's already!