You were my bandage and my wound.

20^th August 2015

The school bells of Victorian High rang and students rushed out of their class. The silent hallways were now filled with the liveliness of the students. Aleyah closed her notebook and placed it in her bag while the other two had already packed their bags and were waiting for her patiently.

“Where shall we go for lunch today?” Luhan put his arms around Aleyah and Amber as they strolled out of class slowly. His bright smile and twinkling doe eyes lit up the atmosphere, making the other two smile at him. He hadn’t expect the three of them to hit off so well because within a month, they became good friends with each other. “Samgyeopsal? Korean Beef? Or… Ginseng Chicken?”

Before any of them could give a reply, Luhan answered his own question. “Korean Beef! Let’s go!”

“You guys have fun.” Aleyah stopped in her track, causing the other two to turn around and look at her. Luhan contracted his hand that was hanging in the mid air and frowned at her like a sad little puppy. “I’ve got…”

“Piano practice.” Luhan and Amber answered for her instinctively before giving each other a high five.

“C’mon Aleyah. You say that every single day. We know that you have piano practice. But.. that’s what, 2 hours later?” Amber grumbled, “Stop being anti-social!”

“And and…” Luhan walked back towards Aleyah and put his arms around her shoulders once again. “You need to eat before you have the strength to play piano right?”

“C’mon let’s go! Korean beef is on me today!”

Luhan dragged Aleyah down the corridoor with Amber’s help and Aleyah had no stength to resist the duo so they let them. It didn’t hurt to practice a little lesser today. As she let them drag her,  the laughters and squabbling between Amber and Luhan gradually became louder as well. Silence engulfed them suddenly when Amber didn’t reply to Luhan calling her a pig and when Aleyah’s footstep came to an abrupt stop again.

“What’s wrong guys?” Luhan looked at them weirdly to see both of their gazes fixed on someone standing before them.

“Are you guys going out somewhere?” Chanyeol could sense Amber’s glare so he tried to lighten the atmosphere but nobody gave a reply. Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he lowered his voice a little. “Aleyah, can I talk to you for a second?”

Nodding her head, Aleyah told Amber and Luhan to go ahead but Amber refused to move an inch. Luhan nudged her a little and Aleyah gave her a reassuring smile before she walked away slowly.

“Who’s that guy?” Luhan turned around to steal another look at the boy as he asked Luhan.

“He’s an .” Amber’s voice was loud enough to echo through the hallway.

“Huh?”

“Aleyah’s ex-boyfriend, an who cheated on her.” Amber rolled her eyes and stormed off. She walked a good distance before realizing Luhan was still rooted on the same spot staring at them.

“Luhan! What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”  The boy tore his gaze away before joining her friend, disappearing down the hallway.

“Sorry about Amber. Don’t mind her.” Aleyah smiled weakly and apologized. They heard her words loud and clear.

“She hasn’t change a bit, has she?” Chanyeol laughed dryly before taking in a deep breath. “Erm Aleyah.. I.. have another favour to ask.”

“Hana really enjoyed the day we spent at the beach together.

“Do you think Sehun and you can go on a double date with Hana and me again?”

Aleyah froze at the mention of Sehun’s name. She still couldn’t get over the fact that her classmate who is part of the Locker 303 club. Ever since the double date, she had been avoiding him in class. Luckily the boy sits at the back of the class and he is always missing during breaks or free period, she didn’t meet with any situation where she has to see him face to face.

“Aleyah? Aleyah?”

“Uh?” She looked up at Chanyeol, to see him smiling back at her so widely. Contrary to his big smile, her heart hurts so badly. Sometimes, she really didn’t understand why she put herself through this, but then when she looks at him and watch him smile, she realized it was worth the heart break. “Y.. yeah I will come.”

“That’s great! See you then!”

When Chanyeol’s backview had disappeared from the hallway, Aleyah turned around and ran towards the opposite direction. She didn’t stop till she reached the end of the corridoor. Quickly, she took out her notebook and scribbled a note, dropping into the famous locker once again.

“Sehun, please appear one more time.”

-

The latest songs of the season boomed through the speakers, the crowd lose themselves in the remix mixed by the DJ, onlookers around the tables raised their glasses after the bartender poured them their drinks over his back, the atmosphere in one of the most elite clubs, Afterlife, was amazing as usual.

On contrary to the crowded dance floor, the second floor of Afterlife had only a few dancers. The girls swayed their hips and rolled their bodies with their drinks in hand, giggling into the arms of the men.

“I will beome the most fortunate men alive if you keep grinding me like that.” A man told the girl as he matched his hips against hers.

“You already are, Chen-Oppa.” The girl giggled as she held his neck and slowed down her hip movement, grinding slower and deeper, causing Chen to close his eyes in bliss.

“Oppa, the waiter dirtied my dress!” Another girl whined and complained to another man sitting on the couch.

“Oppa will buy you another one tomorrow.” Suho kissed her cheeks before whispering lowly into her ears, “You will be taking this off later anyway.”

“Oppa~!”

As the boys and girls started kissing and flirting with another, the figure sitting in the middle of the couch seems exceptionally lonely. All that was surrounding him was the smoke that he blew out from his cigarette and the bottles of Whiskey before him. However, it didn’t reduce his attractiveness in any way. His backcombed hair and those grey eyes still caught the hearts of all the girls in this place.

“Kai Oppa, aren’t you bored?” One of the girls who was dancing near the balcony earlier plucked up her courage and walked towards the man. She sat herself next to him and poured liqour into empty cup, serving it to him as she let her other free hand lingered on his thigh. “Finish this and let’s dance together.”

 The boy accepted the cup and finished it a shot, making the girl’s heart leaped with joy. Then, she decided to take a step further by snuggling into the embrace, letting her lips rest on his neck as she slowly kissed her way up. When she reached the corner of his lips, she smirked in triumph before resting her lips on his, throwing her arms around his neck as she tasted every corner of his luscious lips.

However, no matter how she seduced him, the boy did not move an inch. Till she pulled away in humiliation then she realized that he had been staring back at her with his expressionless face, causing her cheeks to burn in embarrassment.

Unable to take such humiliation, she stood up abruptly and stormed off the stairs, earning the attention of the rest of the people in the balcony. The 2 other boys stole a look at Kai who was pouring another cup of drink for himself and they instinctively sent their girls away, clearing the balcony for just the three of them.

“Kai, what’s wrong with you recently?” Chen asked as he lit a cigarette. His best friend had always been cold but he wouldn’t push away a girl who was as gorgeous as the one earlier. He was quite sure something was wrong with him, especially when he hadn’t been touching any girls for days.

“Yeah, you hadn’t been picking up any girls.” Suho nodded in agreement. “That girl is a famous model Kai.”

Taking another puff on his cigarette, Kai gave a lop-sided grin. A model? So what the girl earlier was a model. She couldn’t even be compared to that girl who seemed so plain but so beautiful. Her white dress and black hair that was cascading down her back made her look an angel and Kai couldn’t get her figure off his head. She had made all the other girls out there seems so ugly and unworthy of his attention.

Then, a series of loud shouting halted his train of thoughts. With no expression, he called out. “Xiumin.”

“Hyung.” The man appeared beside him but he already knows what he needs to do. “I will go and settle it.”

Kai nodded his head and soon enough, the commotion was gone. With his cup of Whiskey in his hand, he sauntered over to the balcony that overlooked Shadow. His eyes ran over every corner of the club, the black cushioned walls, black marbled floors and the pillars of black light sticks lighting the corners of the room. Every of this was the fruit of his labour. Even the bottles of liqour that was placed in the glass cupboard behind the bar counter.

“Stop looking so sad and tired Kai. Afterlife is doing great.” Suho patted his shoulders encouragingly when he noticed his darkened eyes.

“You guys enjoy yourselves.”

Halfway down from the steps, Kai pushed through a door and entered his office. Just like the interior of Afterlife, his office was all black as well, a true reflection of his life. To him, loneliness is dangerous. It’s addicting. He had seen how peaceful it is, and he didn’t want to deal with people anymore. Especially in the night.

Throwing himself onto the leather seat that was behind his table, his eyes caught sight of a photo of a lady in her mid 30s carrying a little boy. A rare smile spread across his face instinctively as he picked up the photo, gently running his fingers over the lady’s face.

“People always tell me that I look sad and tired.” His whispered softly. This was the hardest part of losing someone. It wasn’t having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them. Always trying to fill the void, the emptiness that was left inside his heart when they go.  “I know I look sad and tired..”

“Because I am sad and tired Omma.”

Yes our dearest Kai made his entrance. Xiumin too! And there would be more to come!

Enjoy!