I saw TaeMi rubbing her wrist and glaring at the disappearing Tao. Did he do something bad?

“You okay?” I peered down at her. Tae looked up at me, her eyes glossy, giving me a slight smile and nod. I smiled back.

“Try to hear Gege.” I was quite satisfied with my Chinese. But TaeMi giggled.

“You meant understand right?” Chen scratched his head.

“What did I say?” I thought I got it right, but guess not.

“Hear.” Xiumin stated before turning to leave, “Lets get to class.”

“Was I close?” I called after them as they left TaeMi and I alone.

“Not really!” Lay shouted before turning the corner. I snapped my fingers in annoyance, this new language thing was harder than I thought.

“Sorry Chinese not good,” I pouted to TaeMi as we walked to our own class together.

“I understand Sehun.” She still didn’t look at me.

“Don’t be upset TaeMi.” I grabbed her hand, causing her to whip her head around to look up at me. “You looked at me now.” I chuckled as she shied away. TaeMi is so cute. I let go of her hand when we arrived in front class.

------------------

I walked briskly down the block. The weather in China got cold fast after the sun went down and my scarf was wrapped tightly trying to fight the breeze. I hadn’t seen Tao since he left after being freed from TaeMi. He must have been really upset about what we did to him.

After spending a few hours trying to get home, I finally arrived to hear from Auntie that Tao had skipped school and wouldn’t pick up her calls. Auntie had an idea of where he could be but she wanted to give her son some space. But after dinner the sun set fast and she sent me out to find him.

My sneakers crushed the few falling leaves as I stepped upon them carefully following Auntie’s crudely drawn map. Turning when the next street came up I saw a lit up sign advertising a gym. Oh, so he was working out. He must have become one of those who work out when they are stressed or angry. After seeing how ripped he was yesterday when he was walking around the house shirtless, he must get stressed or angry often. But I didn’t need Tao hyung’s muscles to tell me that.

I chuckled into my fist as I came up to the door. I opened it and a warm blast hit me in the face making me want to shed my jacket and scarf. The gym was like one giant, tall ceilinged, room. With concrete floors and walls. Pads lay skewed across most of the floor to create more of a safe environment. There was a boxing ring in the center of the place. Punching bags to the left of the ring and weights to the right. The gym was really empty, probably since it was close to 10 when I arrived. The only sound bouncing about the establishment originated from the one of the 6 punching bags. Someone was behind the big black swinging object punching it mercilessly.

“Tao hyung?” I called out, causing the person at the punching bag to cease. There was no response though.

“Come hold the bag for me Sehun.” So it was hyung. I walked over to the bag trying to peer around it to see him, but everytime he would move the bag, quickly, in front of him. I sighed, taking off my jacket and scarf and putting it to the side, I clamped both sides of the bag with my hands, away from my body.

I continued to brace the bag for him as time went on his punches got slower. I could tell he was tiring out.

“Tao hyung,” I tried, letting go of the punching bag. But he just grabbed my hands and put them back on the sides of the bag.

“Hold it properly Hun.” I nodded even knowing he couldn’t see me.

“What happened?” He punched the bag really hard making it almost slip of my hands if I hadn’t reacted fast. “Gege.” I whined, and he stopped. I could  hear the velcro on his gloves ripping apart as he removed them, he was finally done. I let my hands fall to my side.

Tao walked over to the side of the gym where a training bag was sitting open. I grabbed my coat and scarf and ran after him. He threw his gloves in the bag and sat in front of the thing, crosslegged. He started unwrapping the bandaging on his hands quickly while I sat down.

“I asked TaeMi, and she told me, but I didn’t understand most of it. She likes to use big words.” I huffed causing Tao to snort. He shoved his bandages in the bag pulling out a towel and a water bottle. He wiped the sweat from his face on the pristine rag.

“Hyung why aren’t you talking? Are you still mad at me?” I pouted poking his arm. He responded by throwing his gross towel at my face. “Gross!” I ripped the thing off me and shoved it in his bag making Tao laugh.

“I’m not mad at you, I guess I am more mad at myself.” He fell back laying down on the padding. I sat against the wall with my legs stretched out, moving my feet forward and back.

“Why are you mad at yourself?” I asked making him shrugged.

“You know how when you so firmly believe in something and stand behind it one hundred percent,” I nodded. “Then someone comes along and, with one fatal swoop, completely proves everything you believe in wrong.”

“Are you questioning your religion hyung?” I leaned my head to the side, inspecting him.

“What? No.”
 

“Did TaeMi prove you wrong?” I asked quietly knowing he didn’t feel positively about her and I could easily push him too far again. But he just nodded. “Oh.” I said, merely a whisper.

“Why did she have to all a sudden be the victim and make me feel bad?” He stated suddenly.

“What?” I was really confused, what did he mean? “I am so confused.”

“So am I Hun.” He sighed.

“Why can’t someone just tell me what the heck is apparently wrong with TaeMi?!” I almost shouted. All of this was really getting on me nerves. It seemed everyone knew what happened and I didn’t. I felt left out, but I guess this is the sort of thing that happens when you move to a school where everyone knows everyone.

“I guess I could tell you what I thought happened. But for what actually happened you would have to ask TianMi.” I knew he was going to avoid telling me the whole truth, the whole “hear it from the source” or “It’s not my business to go around telling other peoples stories” true quotes by Tao, I’m telling you.

“But her Chinese.” I whined, kind of lightly poking his hip with my foot.

“Stop that!” He whacked my foot, and I pulled my feet up putting my arms around my legs. “I guess you will find out the whole story when your Chinese improves.” I groaned, anyway to improve my Chinese.

“You like to make my life difficult don’t you?” I whined, and he hummed in response.

“You need to work on your chinese anyways.” I straightened my legs out, huffing, crossed my arms.

“I speak it good.”

“You speak it well.” He corrected me in a quipped tone.

“I speak Chinese well! Happy!” I huffed once more, causing a hearty chuckle from Tao. “Can’t you just tell me?”
 

“I’ll tell you what I know and thats all.” He crossed his arms, still looking up at the ceiling.

“Fine! Thats all I need anyways!” Tao laughed, sitting up, he grabbed some track pants from his bag and slipped them over his training pants. He pulled his dirty shirt over the top of his head and threw that in the bag, then pulled out a fresh white v-neck and put that on.

“It’s late, mom is probably worried.” I looked at my watch and saw it was well past midnight. I stood putting on my jacket and wrapped my scarf tightly around my neck and face. Tao put on a training jacket that matched his pants, and a black knit hat. He packed up his things and the two of us left the building.

I waited a few minutes waiting for Tao to start talking. I was getting impatient at the thought of knowing the ‘big’ secret.

“I think it was the first year of high school,” as much as I was anticipating his explanation, I jumped slightly when he spoke. Breaking the silent night, he continued on, “TianMi was the most popular and prettiest girl.”

“She is quite pretty.” I interrupted him, he glared at me, but I just smiled back.

“Anyways, pretty much every guy had a crush on her. Man you should have seen Chen, he was sick for her.” Tao laughed at the past. I wish I knew the guys back then, newly made high schoolers. “But anyways one day we came to school and there were pictures everywhere.” He emphasized ‘everywhere’.

“So…” I egged him on, wanting to know more of the story. Whats the big deal with just pictures?

“Well, they were pictures of TianMi,” Tao covered his mouth looking down, “.” He said the last word so quietly, I couldn’t hear him.

“Of TaeMi what?” I asked innocently.

“!” He almost yelled, but then covered his mouth realizing how loudly he said that, looked around briskly.

We crossed the street and turned a corner and we were on Tao’s street.

“What really?” I whispered.

“Yeah, all kinds of poses and stuff too, on a bed. Someone sent it to everyone in the schools cellphones.” I shook my head, poor TaeMi. “So overnight, the school's queen bee became the most hated and iest girl in the school.”

We were almost home.

“So now you understand why I didn’t want you around her?” I pondered it a bit before looking at him.

“Nope, not one bit.” I stated simply. Tao groaned putting his hand to his face, clutching it, and begun to shake his head.

“Sometimes you are the stupidest person I know.”

“Stu..pidest? Stupid..est…. Stupid?! Hey! I’m not stupid!” I yelled, whacking his back, making him lurch forward.

“Shh! Children are sleeping,” he paused and I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him, “Stupid!”

Tao laughed and ran ahead to the house. I ran after him. He got inside the house first, quickly taking his shoes off, switching them for slippers, dropped of his bag off and ran upstairs. I quickly ran after him, after taking off my shoes on and putting my own slippers on, of course.

I locked the front door that we entered from, knowing Auntie and Uncle left it open for us, expecting us to lock it when we returned. I rushed up the stairs and into Tao’s room, quietly as possible, and tackled the lump under the covers on his bed. The lump grunted when my elbow digged into his ribs causing a hushed laugh from myself.

“Get off me fat , you’re so heavy!” Tao yelled out, muffled from the blanket. I stood up laughing,

“I win.” I waved my arms about as he untangled himself and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, only because you were killing me.” He huffed.

“You are grumpy because I won,” I pointed at him sticking my tongue out. “You’re a sore loser.”

“Shut up.” He snapped at me. I just laughed jumping onto the bed next to him,

“Grumpy pants,” I poked his nose, giggling. He smacked my hand away shoving my down to the bed, making me laugh louder.

“You're sleeping on the floor, stupid!” Tao laid on his back and kicked me on the floor causing me to fall roughly on my . He laid in his bed properly, facing away from me, wrapping up in his blankets.

“That hurt,” I whined. I sat up shaking him trying to get his attention. “Hyung~”

“You will wake up mom and dad, be quiet Hun.” He smacked me away once again, so violent. I huffed and just stood up, I am going to get my way whether he likes it or not. I laid on top of him.

“You’re suffocating me again, dummy!”

“Move over then!”

[A/N]

Cute~