Kai had knocked the door for like ten minutes, but no one answered it.


“Kai-yah. Are you sure this isn’t the wrong house?” Chanyeol groaned. “Can’t we just go in? I’m pissing myself any minute now.”


“Yes, I’m sure this is the house!” Kai furrowed his eyebrows.


The taller shoved him away and lifted his fist, ready to bang the door with all his might.


He swung his fist with full power, right when the door flew open.


Chanyeol gasped and widened his eyes seeing Sehun sprawled on the ground in front of him, clutching his face and groaning in pain.


“You’re so dead, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun whispered behind the tall boy, Tao and Kai gaping next to him.


“Oh my God Sehun-ah! I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to punch you, I swear!” Chanyeol pulled Sehun up and cupped the younger’s face.


Sehun looked up at him with watery eyes and a pout. A red mark appeared on his cheekbone, which slowly turned into a bruise.


“No no no, don’t cry! I’m sorry,” the taller hugged him and lifted him off the ground to bring him inside the house, followed by the other three.


Chanyeol shifted his legs uncomfortably after putting the pouting prince down on the couch.


“Look, Sehun-ah, I really need to go to the toilet now, I’ll go get the others to help you after that, okay baby? Sorry, bye!” he ruffled Sehun’s hair before he dashed quickly to find the toilet.


Kai plopped down next to the prince and patted his head.


“There there. He just needed to relieve himself,” the tanned flashed a sympathetic smile.


Sehun nodded weakly and sadly. Kai grinned seeing his cute expression.


“Does it really hurt?” He reached out his hand, his fingers brushed on the bruise.


“Y-Yeah,” the younger looked away, didn’t bother to look strong in front of his buddy.


Kai kissed his own thumb and rubbed it gently on the wound.


“Hope that helps,” he grinned widely, sending heat to Sehun’s face. The prince looked down and bit his lip to hold his smile, but ended up laughing instead.


“Of course it doesn’t help at all physically, stupid,” Sehun punched Kai’s arm playfully. “But thanks anyway.”


Baekhyun and Tao, whose presence wasn’t recognised by the two, cooed and giggled to themselves watching the scene.


Chanyeol came back with other four boys following him. One of them approached Sehun and cooed sadly, while the others made themselves comfortable around the now-crowded room.


“Poor baby, it must hurt a lot,” Luhan pouted as he started treating the wound.


“Yeah, what kind of guy who would punch a baby when he’s on the brink of pissing himself?” Kai glared at Chanyeol and pretended to be annoyed.


“Ah, really I didn’t mean to do that,” Chanyeol looked down and rubbed his neck, looking like a punished puppy.


“It’s okay, hyung. I’m fine now,” Sehun flashed a cute smile as Luhan finished helping him. “Thank you, Luhannie,” he whispered to Luhan and grinned.


Luhan giggled at the nickname. He loved it, it sounded so sweet on Sehun’s voice.


The deer’s eye twitched when his gaze fell on a boy sitting quietly next to Baekhyun and Chanyeol.


“Tao-yah? What are you doing here?” he frowned.


“O-Oh, Luhan ge,” Tao jolted at the mention of his name. All eight pairs of eyes fell on him now. “I, uh..”


“Is he the one that Chanyeol hyung said earlier?” Sehun whispered to Kai, getting a nod as the answer. “Right. He seems quite important,” the younger narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.


“Wait. How could you get here?” Luhan furrowed his eyebrows, his voice got a bit louder. Suddenly he stood up and turned his head around in panic. “Don’t tell me my dad is also here right now.”


Sehun and Xiumin, who were sitting on his sides, grabbed his hands and pulled him back down.


“Calm down, Luhan-ah,” Xiumin his back. “Let him talk. Go on, Tao-yah.”


Tao bit his lip and played with his fingers. Baekhyun patted his shoulder and shot an encouraging smile at him.


“I.. Your father is not here, he’s.. at the castle.. with Prince Sehun’s father now,” the panda started explaining with shaky voice.


Luhan and Sehun looked at each other worriedly.


“What is he doing with my father?” Sehun asked.


“He.. he said he was going to talk about something, but I don’t know what they talked about.”


“He’s right, Chanyeol and I also joined them in the meeting,” Baekhyun helped. “Like I told you guys earlier, Sehun’s father called me to the castle today. It turned out that King Kris and a professor called Dr. Lay participated too.”


“Yeah, we met Tao outside after we finished. This boy doesn’t know anything,” Chanyeol nodded.


“Since we’re having a talk here, I thought he might give us some help,” Baekhyun added.


“So my guess is right. Dr. Lay had something to do with this too,” Luhan nodded to himself. “Does my dad know I’m here?”


“No.. I left without telling him first. I’m not going to tell him, I promise,” Tao assured the prince.


“Good.”


“A-Are you.. s-still mad?” the panda asked warily.


“Mad? And why am I mad again?” Luhan’s voice sounded annoyed.


“Because of.. your father and I,” Tao blinked and bit his lip. He felt his tears started to prick his eyes again.


“What about them?” Sehun asked out of curiosity.


“Oh, he figured it out,” Luhan snorted.


The rest of them watched intently at the scene.


“It’s going to be a live drama again, here’s my shoulder if you want to cry,” Kai whispered and held Kyungsoo closer. The smaller boy nodded and looked at Luhan’s face with wide eyes.


On the other side, Chen was watching closely at the others’ faces, geting his genius brain to study the situation.


Tao hung his head low and closed his eyes.


“I’m sorry, Luhan ge. I know you don’t like what’s happening between me and Kris. Your father, I mean. I really can’t just let go of this, but at the same time I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know what to do, it’s at times like this that I really wished I had never showed up. I should’ve gone away that time right after I saved you. I understand if you hate me now, maybe it’s better if I just go away.”


Tao heaved a long breath and clenched his fists. No, I’m not gonna cry this time, I’m the one who have hurt him.


Luhan winced, feeling the other’s words stabbing his heart. No matter how much he hated their relationship, he had never wished for something like that. No, he didn’t hate Tao at all, he just hated the fact that his father loved the boy in the wrong way. In fact, Luhan had realized just now, that he didn’t want to lose Tao at all. He was an only son, and Tao had taken the position as his brother in some ways all this time.


Like Kai to Sehun.


The only difference was that Luhan’s rage and jealousy had been the thick huge wall stopping him from showing his love to that “younger brother” of his, while on the other side, there was nothing to stop Sehun and Kai to show as much affection as they could give towards each other.


His mind flew back to the time when he was younger, only eleven, when he almost met his death. Young Luhan loved running away from the castle to wander around everywhere, as much as he did now. He once walked alone in the woods, playing with the animals. He went deeper than usual, being a curious boy he was. He found an empty house there, entering it to find out that it wasn’t exactly empty. A drunk guy grabbed his body and tied him up before he set the house into fire and then ran away.


And that was when Tao showed up, being the younger boy who saved the prince’s life. Since then, Kris let Tao live in the castle with Luhan. As the boy grew older, everything seemed wrong in Luhan’s eyes, because what he saw was that his father loved the other boy more than he loved him; his own son.


But it was never Tao's fault, if only Luhan would spare his time just to think about it. Tao had been a cute yet protective younger brother to him. The boy always put Luhan first in everything. And now that Luhan thought about it, both Tao and his father couldn't control what they felt anyway. To imagine himself in their position.. Being rejected wasn't easy at all.


Just after Sehun’s fingertips brushed against his cheek that Luhan realized he had been crying his eyes out. He stood up and approached Tao.


As the tears streamed down his face, Luhan lifted his hand high in a position to slap the boy. Tao turned his head away and squeezed his eyes, ready to take the hit across his face.


Slap!


Everyone winced at the loud sound and gaped at the prince.


“Luhan hyung..” Sehun covered his mouth.


Tao opened one eye to peek.


I didn’t feel anything..?


He gasped and widened his eyes. Luhan had dropped to his knees, hanging his head low and sobbing quietly. A big red mark printed on his cheek.


“Lu ge!” Tao scrambled to the prince and embraced him tightly. “Why did you do that?? Don’t hurt yourself!” And that was it, he finally let himself break into tears.


“I-I’m sorry.. I’m sorry, I’m so selfish..” Luhan whimpered between his sobs. “Please forgive me, Tao-yah.”


“What nonsense are you talking about??” Tao wiped his own tears harshly. “You did nothing wrong! It’s all my fault.”


Their spectators – Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, Xiumin, even Chany