(E) Chapter 20 Everyone had finished eating, their plates almost clean. It was true to what Kris said; Yixing had a greenhouse filled with organic vegetables. He refused to eat anything non-organic. He was an incredibly picky eater; his diet consisted of lettuces and tomatoes. The many plates made clinking noises, all of them excited to explore the place. Kai was awed at the place, the boy being interested at the flying machines that hovered above their heads while they ate. The robots constantly poured water for them, switched plates, and tidied everything up.   “Who’s turn to do the dishes today?” Yixing suddenly spoke up, everyone looking at each other.   Yixing was weirder than they thought. Everyone thought Yixing was quirky, keeping in mind the warnings made by Kris whenever they talked to him, but Yixing just blew them away. Everyone now knew why he decided to live his life in isolation away from people. Robots were his best friends; they often found him muttering to them under his breath. His gestures were big and extravagant, and his Korean was often hinted with a bit of a Chinese accent. The way he reacted to certain things was far more different than how normal people would react. He often had a blank look on his face and would suddenly into a conversation between two people taking them by surprise. To put it simply, he at intrapersonal skills, manners, and human interactions in general.   “Uh… We can do it ourselves-” Baekyoung started but Yixing ignored him, clapping his hands above his head before pointing at one of the machines that stood beside the table. “Rudolph! You do it today, I just made your hands waterproof yesterday.” Yixing gave a small leap and the robot ran around in circles. “Rudolph! I told you to do the dishes now! Come back here!” The beeping machine zoomed past all of them, out the door with a very loud Yixing following him. The last thing they heard from Yixing was him yelling on top of his lungs and his pattering footsteps against the mansion hallway.   “Hey! Come back here or I’ll shut you down!”   “He named the robot after Santa’s reindeer.” Sehun snickered, whispering to Luhan who lazily lifted his feet onto the table. Luhan cocked his head to the side, smirking. He had never met Yixing but he knew that the others obviously thought of him as a nut job. “I’m Dashing!” A robotic voice replied to Sehun’s statement despite his almost silent whisper to Luhan, a robot rolling itself into the kitchen with its arms moving. “Rudolph is incredibly lazy.”   Sehun’s eyes widened, the boy obviously afraid of the talking machine, his eyes blinking rapidly as the robot approached him. His back hit the table, Sehun climbing onto the table to avoid contact with the metallic creature. Baekyoung had already started washing one of the many plates stacked, Kyungsoo coming to help him when Yixing walked in. His face was red and sweat poured down his forehead- he must have had quite a chase with Rudolph the lazy robot. “We have to pick more vegetables for dinner.” Yixing spoke, pushing a device into his ear. It was a hearing aid, at least that was what they all thought.   “Can I go with you?” Baekhyun piped up, turning to Yixing. “I want to go with you. Chen, let’s go!” The puppy-like boy was now filled with excitement, and he was bouncing up and down. He stopped for a moment as pain shot through his abdomen, but he masked it by grinning to Yixing. It went unnoticed by everyone except Chanyeol who was keeping a close eye on Baekhyun. “I’ll go with you too!” Tao too, could not contain his excitement. Yixing wondered what was so exciting about picking vegetables, he had done it all his life and all he found interesting were the earthworms he put into the soil to have healthier crop.   “How about some of you go? I’ll stay here with Minseok.” Baekyoung said from the sink, turning to them. Minseok nodded quietly, putting on an apron, Sehun pulling the strings to tie it for him when Luhan smacked the younger boy away. Sehun gave him a “what-the-” look that disappeared with Luhan’s menacing glare. Luhan stood up and tied it for Minseok, his hands making multiple knots. It would take years for him to untie them but what the hell did Luhan care, his passive aggressive nature towards the people who mingled with Sehun grew every moment he spent time with the younger boy.   “I’ll stay here and help with the kitchen.” Chen said to Baekhyun, the boy pouting at his dinosaur faced best friend. Chen smiled down at him, a hand going up to push his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair. With a small pat, Baekhyun followed Suho, Tao, Sehun, Kris and Yixing outside. Chanyeol turned away at the interaction between Chen and Baekhyun, the tall boy standing up to leave when Baekyoung called his name. “Chanyeol.” Chanyeol turned, a bored look on his face. Baekyoung did not take his expression to heart, smiling at the boy. “Get some rest. I’ll call you down when we have food ready.” Chanyeol did not reply, turning way without a word just to exit the kitchen.   “Geez, how sweet of him.” Luhan said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Minseok grabbed a cup to wipe it with a cloth, the elders starting to have a conversation.
“We can’t blame him, his girlfriend died right in front of him.” “His girlfriend was dead ever since she was bitten.” Luhan shot back to Minseok. “Besides, why was he keeping her alive? Such a psychopath.” “Says the person who enjoys running over zombies.” Baekyoung joked, washing his hands.   Chen was standing by the window, his back against everyone else. The window was overlooking the front and he saw the rest walking to the greenhouse, a smile playing on his lips when he saw Baekhyun pushing Suho who wrapped his arm around Baekhyun’s neck. After a small while, he saw Suho kneel on the ground, Baekhyun climbing on his back. He seemed to be laughing, his head thrown back and his mouth wide open. His eyes were in slits and turned downwards. That was Byun Baekhyun’s charm, his smile, his playful nature that could make people smile with him. Chen found himself thinking, feeling his heart drop when he felt a presence beside him.   “The look you give him speaks a thousand words.” Minseok’s soothing voice made Chen turn to see Minseok looking through the window. Chen pretended not to know anything, raising an eyebrow at the big cheeked hamster that was beside him. “What look?” “The look that shows that you want him.” Minseok said it so simply, Chen’s heart squeezing when he heard it. “Aren’t you going to tell him?” “What’s there to tell?” Chen sighed, absentmindedly grabbing a rag beside him and wiping the window sill. “He doesn’t have to know.” “That’s just sad.” Minseok took the rag from Chen, cleaning his side while speaking slowly. “I’m speaking as a person who has had experience- it’s okay if they don’t know, but it’s not okay when you end up watching them from the sidelines knowing you never did anything. Love is not complicated, it’s people like you who deem it to be.” “I’m not in love with him.” “Of course you’re not.” Minseok shrugged. “But you will realize that you were when you’re lying in bed at 3 am thinking about him.”   Chen lowered his head, knowing that he was done for. Because on some days, he would wake up at 3 am and the first person he would think about is Byun Baekhyun.   __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Kyungsoo had wandered to another room, his short legs bringing him to a study that had nothing but a bunch of books and pieces of wires everywhere. The square structured boy held a cup in his hand. He had been rubbing it violently because of a dark spot at the bottom of the cup, and he couldn’t find any cleaning liquid around the house. He hummed to himself, raveling to himself how good his voice sounded when it echoed around the study. “She’s my Black Pearl… She’s my Black Pearl-“ “Who’s your Black Pearl?”   Kai was leaning against the doorway, a satisfied smirk on his lips. Kyungsoo turned around, a pink tint appearing on his cheeks but he tried not to look bothered. His heart shaped lips closed tightly; trying to give Kai the most judgmental look he could muster. “What are you doing here?” Kai asked, walking into the room with his hands in his pockets. The tan skinned boy stood beside Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo moving away almost instantly but was grabbed by Kai who pulled him towards him. “I always knew you were stubborn, but I didn’t know you were this stubborn.” Kai’s breath was at Kyungsoo’s face, Kyungsoo suddenly making a face. The boy pushed Kai away, fanning a hand in front of his noise. “Go away, your breath stinks.” Kyungsoo said, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. “WOW, WAY TO RUIN THE ROMANTIC MOMENT!” “THERE WAS NOTHING ROMANTIC ABOUT THE MOMENT!’   Kai burst out laughing, blowing into Kyungsoo’s face playfully, Kyungsoo stepping backwards with a hand pinching down onto his nose. Kai did not show signs of stopping, an arm going around Kyungsoo’s waist to inch him closer when the cup that Kyungsoo was holding fell onto the ground and they both froze when the splitting sound of glass breaking reached their ears. They were stunned for 3 seconds, their eyes looking over the pieces that were scattered all over the floor. “Oops.” Kai broke the silence, Kyungsoo’s brain suddenly registering that he broke something.   The shorter boy did not say anything, both his hands pushing Kai away just to lean down to start picking up the pieces of glass. Kai frowned at how cold Kyungsoo was being. Kyungsoo was a boy who held grudges, but Kai made sure that he showed his true intentions through his actions. The way Kyungsoo acted made Kai feel rejected. He watched Kyungsoo carefully pick up the glass, putting it on a nearby magazine. “Ouch-“   Blood escaped the small cut on Kyungsoo’s finger. He had picked up an incredibly sharp piece of glass and it had made a cut on his finger. The color red made Kyungsoo freeze; the boy staring at the blood when Kai stepped forward and kneeled in front of him. The tanned boy grabbed Kyungsoo’s finger, making a “Tsk-tsk” noise by clicking his tongue. Kai brought Kyungsoo’s finger up to his lips, his tongue the blood away, before putting it in his mouth to on the cut. “……” Kyungsoo’s big eyes were on Kai, his eyes not moving away from the male in front him.   “You’re supposed to the cut to stop the blood.” Kai whispered to Kyungsoo, finally sliding the finger out of his lips with a ‘pop’. Kyungsoo felt himself waver at Kai’s simple action and it dawned to him that he had never stopped feeling for the boy. Even when Kai left, he still waited. As much as he told himself that he was over with the past, meeting Kai under such circumstances made his heart shake. He still felt something for the boy and there was no denying it.   “Or should I something else?” Kai’s voice broke into his thoughts and Kyungsoo’s eyes widened at Kai’s statement as the tanned male was seen with his eyes travelling down to Kyungsoo’s crotch. The owl eyed boy snatched his hand back roughly, his cheeks tinged with pink. “What are you saying… That’s erted.”   Kyungsoo stood up hastily, heading towards the door when Kai yelled after him, the younger male’s voice filled with desperation and sadness. “I’m sorry I left.” Kai’s voice trailed and Kyungsoo did not turn, his owl eyes closing for a moment. He felt a bump on his throat when Kai kept talking. Kai’s voice cracked and it was strained in his throat, his tone was filled with so much emotion Kyungsoo almost fell sorry for him. “I was afraid you would be disappointed in me.” Kai stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking onto the ground. “What scared me more than leaving you was the fact that you would be disappointed in the person I had become.”   “I was disappointed in you, Jongin.” Kyungsoo finally spoke up and he turned just to meet Kai’s gaze. “I was disappointed in you not because of the person you became but because you left. For someone so brave you acted like a complete coward.” Kai’s expression dropped and Kyungsoo turned to walk out the door when footsteps followed him. A hand grabbed his arm and he was swung around when a pair of lips pressed against his.   The kiss was innocent, his lips right on Kyungsoo’s without moving. It was soft and Kyungsoo barely felt it but his body was reacting in so many different ways possible. Kai moved back, his eyes shining while he searched Kyungsoo’s face- his gaze landing on Kyungsoo’s lips once more. “Am I coward now?” He whispered.   “You’re only brave until you learn how to kiss properly, you idiot.” Kyungsoo found himself saying.   He shouldn’t have, because he later went out of the room with a bruised lip.   __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Night has fallen and everyone was having a good time in the big mansion hall. The mansion had a hall, it was held for parties and masquerades (Who in the world held masquerades at a generation like this, no one understood but Yixing insisted that parties with the machines was “the bomb”.) And the bomb it was, their food and snacks consisted of organic tomatoes and onions and even Rudolph the lazy robot was behind the counter chopping it up for anyone who wanted a slice.   Yixing was DJ-ing and never have they seen someone who was so into DJ-ing that he would sometimes break out into spasms. He had a mustache pasted on his upper lip and he was now mixing what seemed like trot music and random beats. It would normally sound horrible, but to them- it sounded like heaven to their ears just to hear music after so long. Chen found himself singing high notes with Luhan at the side, Minseok timing them with the count of his fingers. Sehun stood beside Luhan, massaging the older boy on the shoulders so he could win. Sehun was the referee and at some points, they knew Chen won but the youngest would deny it saying he didn’t hear anything making Chen frustrated. Chen pinched Sehun on the hip, Sehun jumping away to hide behind Luhan. They were at the stage where everyone had to entertain each other.   Laughter between Baekyoung and Suho rang over the sound of the music. They were watching Kris sit in front of them, the police trying to rap the trot way.   “You sound like an old man dying, trying to recite his will.” Suho told Kris, the police laughing at the researcher’s comment.   “Save me, Doctor.” Kris answered, throwing his body back onto the chair but under his weight, the chair flipped and he ended up sprawled onto the ground. Suho and Baekyoung burst out in laughter once more; enjoying the body gags the Chinese man was giving them. Tao was sleeping. How he was able to sleep with the loud noise was a mystery, but he seemed like he was enjoying it. ZiTao was at a secluded corner, Dashing the robot in his arms, his head resting on the machine. Kyungsoo and Kai was nowhere to be found, and no one  questioned the two. They became incredibly touchy, sneaking smiles that everyone noticed but did not say anything.   The only person who wasn’t with them was Park Chanyeol, the tall Korean man was believed to be in his room enjoying his time alone… That was what they all thought so they did not question his whereabouts. Baekhyun was in the balcony of the hall, the air hitting his face. He could feel a certain type of peace, the boy leaning against the bars. He saw the mansion gate far away. It has been awhile to be able to stand and not worry about anything. It has been awhile since he was in the cafeteria with only his brother, not knowing what the future held. Baekhyun bit his lips, his thoughts bringing him back to his parents. He missed them so much. He was so busy in trying to survive; he did not have time to think about them and for that, he felt guilty.   “You’re out here.” Baekyoung turned to see his brother standing behind him. Baekyoung smiled down at Baekhyun. He has been missing out on his younger brother a lot, Baekhyun usu