SUNGMIN was having the time of his life. His friends decided to just stay at Heechul's house in the country while they were in SK. It would ensure no one bothered them since Heechul and Siwon would draw too much attention if they all went out in public. Sungmin ended up letting the teacher's aid ask the students to do free study during his Friday class. He didn't know how he would face his students on Monday but it was all worth it.
EunHae was making all of them sick with their sweetness. Heechul was unstoppable in his bullying and only Han Geng could make him stop teasing the other members. Henry played for them and made Sungmin feel at peace. He was getting back months of his lost self and he owed this to one tweet.
Tao had not replied to any of his messages and Sungmin was too shy to try to call him. "Who are you texting? New boyfriend?" Zhou teased him, Sungmin shook his head vigorously.
"Is it @zitaopanda?" Kangin was right on the money.
"Ye. But..."
HEECHUL scowled. "He's not replying. It's probably because he doesn't want to bother you." He knew Jungsu would think he was being bitchy again. He didn't like that in the span of a few hours since he dragged Sungmin back to the restaurant until this point all Sungmin did was try to contact someone other than Kyuhyun. The mission was to get KyuMin back together and not let another ship to sail. TaoMin could never be, not as long as Heechul was still living.
"I guess that might be it. He is probably in class or something." it was a school day and Sungmin was not the only one to play hooky. Heechul has done that multiple times in the past, for chasing skirts and for other more scandalous reasons he would never share with his brothers let alone an innocent like Sungmin.
He stopped with that thought and shook his head. In the larger sense, Sungmin was his hyung in life because he has known how it was to survive heartbreak. Kyu and Heechul on the other hand struggled with it every day. Sungmin even found someone else to love him. Though the idea was hateful for Heechul, it was the plain truth. Sungmin caught himself another freshman by his heart's string.
"So let him study. He is a freshman after all. Lots to learn." he wanted to emphasize the age difference but then caught himself since Kyu was also younger than Sungmin and he didn't want to hurt his friend's chances.
"But he's amazing." with that statement Sungmin looked towards Eunhyuk and Donghae feeding each other. "He looks tough on the outside but he's really a softie."
"Contradictions, that what you share..." Heechul couldn't help but say it out loud. Sungmin looked at him, an unspoken request for him to explain painted on his face. God, I've been friends with these people waaay too long. "He seems tough but is vulnerable. You seem weak but are actually..." No, Sungmin would not accept strong as an adjective to describe him so he chose another. "resilient."
"I haven't heard you compliment anyone in a while. It's a good thing to hear." Han Geng sat beside him and draped his arm at the back of the luscious couch where Heechul was seated. Heechul leaned his head as was his way to show fan service in the past. Han Geng remembered and laughed. "You haven't changed. Still in love with me, are you?"
Heechul sat up and Han Geng laughed. "Just teasing you, lean back again. I missed the weight of your head on my shoulder, dongsaeng." And that Heechul did.
Han Geng faced Sungmin who was now smiling at the sweetness that the two reminded him. Han knew that he wanted Sungmin and Kyu to reconcile. And he felt that he was about to say what was on his mind now, to start this mission. He didn't expect what Han was about to ask, "Are you with that Tao guy?"
Sungmin blushed. Heechul cursed. Han Geng laughed. "Well?"
"No, I'm not. He's my student." was not an answer that gave Heechul any relief. Kyu was his student. It was like history giving Sungmin another chance. And it grated on his nerves that it was so.
"That never stopped you before." Heechul, for all the love that he had for his hyung, steadied his hand so as to not hit him at the back of his head for saying that.
"He saved me once. I told you that. I owe him a blood debt nothing more. He's my...dongsaeng at the most, outside of class. And he would remain that way for as long as he'd have me as his hyung." Sungmin was too geddem sincere that Heechul wanted to shake him. This was the Sungmin they remember, the unyielding pure Sungmin. He was back and somehow Heechul was afraid for Kyu. Tougher to get another chance from someone who lived through the pain of being left behind. There would have to be a grand gesture and Heechul couldn't think of how Kyu would manage that all the way from New York.
KRIS was desperate. So he called the others to come. He smiled at the irony of it. Somewhere Sungmin was with the thirteen brothers Tao brought back to make him whole again and here he was waiting for ten others to rescue Tao. Two days, who whole days Tao was walking like a zombie. He pushed his food around, stared into space while in class, or sang like he was grieving.
All that he knew was what Tao told him. "They're back together. Gyoo-soh-nim and him, that guy who talked to me. That Heechul guy. I saw them together." It would have been better if Tao broke down the way Luhan would whenever he and his lover would get into a messy situation. It helped gauge the pain a person was in. When the crying stopped there was a chance to think, to clear things up, to talk. But after saying that Tao stopped talking about Sungmin, answered monotonously, and didn't do much else but lose sleep.
Kris knew that Tao would not open up until he was ready. But he didn't want his brother to get sick. And if it worked for Sungmin-nim then it should would for Tao as well. He needed people who loved him to be around. And seeing that his family were in China then he needed to bring what family Tao had to him.
"D.O., gather the others. My place. Six tonight. The panda is lost." Codes worked well enough for them. Lost meant heartbroken. They needed to see for themselves. Those who are paired up would be more useful than him. He didn't commit to anyone, didn't even try to fall in love because being with someone for a long time felt like having a noose around his neck. If he struggled to be free, he'd die faster.
"I will. Does he know we're coming?" Kris knew D.O. wanted to know more so he was trying to tiptoe around more questions.
"No. He doesn't even know that I am around. The only thing he does is drink the shakes I have been making for him. I've had to put a raw egg in his breakfast shake to keep him from falling over from hunger. Two days, he's been like this. I think if he doesn't eat on the third one we'd have to put him in the hospital." Kris wanted to calm down but he couldn't. He's seen someone try to waste away because of love before. And it was the last thing he wanted for Tao. Damn Sungmin for doing this to his friend. He had to laugh at that part. Sungmin-nim probably didn't even know what he's done. He was too much of a gentle soul to have made his friend fall in love with him deliberately. It was his need to be loved that drew Tao to him like a moth to a flame. It was on Tao now how he would deal with this loss. But first, he needed to snap out of it.
They brought food, soju, beer, and themselves. They brought chips, chocolate and had snuck all of that in Kris and Tao's dorm room. It was a dormitory but description but more of student apartments. Kris' parents wanted him to have a comfortable time and since they were abroad, as Tao's family was, they deemed it would be more practical if Tao just lived with him.
The other EXO members lived with their own families while those who were paired up lived in 2-person dorm rooms together to keep things simple. They had planned all that when they were planning to get into SMUni. Although they went to different departments they still made time to gather for some drinks and to have fun. They were supposed to meet next week but Kris pushed the schedule forward, for Tao.
Chanyeol came in with Baekhyun. "I told you that it's heavy. You should let me carry at least half of it!" Baek was fuming and Kris had to shake his head. They were at it again. They had always been fighting about the silliest thing. They were competitive but they loved each other fiercely. When Chanyeol got around to telling them he loved Baekhyun, the latter was all flustered and refused him. But Chanyeol threatened to leave EXO if Baek didn't go out on a date with him. But that first date was it for Baek. Chanyeol had taken him to see a musical in the park. Picnic basket in hand and a wonderful love story in the song was it for him. Chanyeol was the odd kind of romantic and was often more about action than words. Kris knew that he would be able to read into how Tao was behaving and they could get him to let his pain out.
Luhan was pouting. "Xiumin-ah~" Xiumin bowed to Kris and walked in quietly. There was tension between them he could tell. It was rare for Xiumin not to be smiling. It looks like his brothers were having their own problems. He suddenly felt bad dragging them out just to help him out.
The others trickled in and the living room was packed, as it always was when they gathered. Tao was in his room, probably listening to something because otherwise, he would have peeked to see what the noise was all about.
Kris knocked on his door and went inside. Tao was listening to something, sitting near the window and looking out into the dark street. This meant he saw the others coming in. Tao must've felt that he was there because he turned around to face him.
Then he tried something. Something that Kris has not seen him try to do in two days. He tried to smile.
Kris heard it. The catch in his breath. The wail that came after it made the others run into the room. They had been lost once but never had they seen Tao lost. And it shook them to see him on the floor, Kris holding him as he cried soundlessly this time, face stricken with tears.
Xiumin heard Luhan sniff and faced him. He wiped the tears and smiled finally. "I'm sorry for thinking this was a fool's errand," he whispered to him. "It was a good thing that you made me come. Our friend needs us." Luhan planted his face in Xiumin's chest. It made him feel better to be there, in his arms.
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