"Do you ever regret the decision you made?"

Luhan jumped, unaware that his father had opened his eyes and was watching him carefully from the seat near the fireplace at the local bar.

"Do you?" he countered.

Kris said nothing and Luhan sat forward.

"If you miss him so badly, why don't you just go back. Not to stay, just to see." Luhan whispered softly, looking at his father’s blank expression.

"I don't want to see."

"Why not?"

"Because then I'll stay."

Luhan felt an ache that he hadn't felt since he placed a kiss on Suho’s forehead and his hand in Kris’ palm.

When Kris and Luhan returned to the hotel to find Xiumin seated in the middle of the suite, Luhan launched himself at him, despite their chosen alliances. But the four words that tumbled out of his mouth wiped the smile clean from Luhan’s face.

"I need your help."

Suho spent the rest of the day watching Tao and Kai closely, Xiumin’s words haunting his every step. They seemed fine – laughing, joking – but something was missing. They no longer had that drive, that spark that Suho saw whenever Kris was around.

Suho closed his eyes at the memory. It seemed that Xiumin’s words were not the only thing haunting him.

He retreated back to his study and his gaze landed on the chess game in the middle of the desk. It migrated with Suho around the house: from the nightstand to the coffee table to the study, its pieces never moving.