✏ project exo {chapter three - part II}
The second best part about Luhan’s room it was the lack of cameras. Sehun could never feel that comfortable in any other place on the Center - not that he was allowed in a lot of places, of course, even though he always tried to charm General Changmin until he gave in and let him see the kitchens or the machinery. But Luhan’s room was the only place Sehun could stretch his legs and eat snacks not caring if he wasn’t being mannerly.
And of course, the actual best part it was the fact that it was Luhan’s room.
Luhan had the power of reading minds and that always made Sehun wonder if he ended up being quite skilled in shutting his own. He just couldn’t understand or figure him out. There were moments when Luhan was serious and strict, solving advanced calculus problems and just being overall perfect. And then there was these moments when Luhan would call him to his room and just look at him with that smirk on his lips, and then all of sudden he would move some stupid object over his head and just laugh while Sehun cursed at him. During these moments Sehun’s mind would explode in confusing thoughts and images and he couldn’t help but get really pissed at that smiling beautiful figure at front of him.
Still, for Sehun, even in these moments Luhan was still overall perfect.
Maybe it was that idea of perfection that dragged Sehun so much towards Luhan. Well, I’m anything but perfect, he thought to himself, filling his mouth with more snacks. He wasn’t bad, though. Sehun was the last Prototype to be awakened and he came at a time when everyone was already used to the kids, so he ended up not being so cloistered like the others. He was always surrounded by people, mainly General Changmin. It wasn’t a secret for anyone the blatant favoritism the General played towards Sehun; he even created a whole new fighting style to fit the boy’s unique abilities. And it was the General who gave Sehun his true name.
It was Professor Victoria who gave Luhan’s true name, and everyone already knew there was a thing happening between the Professor and the General. Maybe our names are meant to be, then, he thought, laughing at his own silliness and being thankful that Luhan wasn’t there to hear him thinking this kind of stuff.
The doctors used to say because Sehun spent so much time around people, it made him a little different, made him way too human.
What’s that supposed to mean? The boy thought, throwing himself at Luhan’s bed. Weren’t they all human? How could one be more human than the others? That idea was simply ridiculous. He was just as human as Baekhyun or Luhan, the only difference was that Baekhyun had the moves of a penguin and Luhan was perfect. Way too perfect. He took a deep breath and then that soft, sweet scent he was so used to feel whenever he puffed soft blows of wind at Luhan so his hair would move gently. Dear God, I’m doomed, Sehun thought, burying his face on Luhan’s pillow. How ridiculous it was that he was in love with someone who could read his mind all the time? He just couldn’t hide anywhere. There was this one time he tried to always think of kittens whenever Luhan was around, but in the end he would always end up thinking of Luhan with kittens, so the idea lost all of its purpose.
He took a deep breath, full of Luhan’s scent, and for a moment he wondered if that would be what if felt like to muffle his head on the boy’s neck and-
“What you’re doing?” The voice made him jump on his place, sitting on speed of light. Luhan was standing by the door, an amazed look on his face. Think of kittens. Think of fucking stupid kittens right now. But at that moment Luhan smirked at him, looking at Sehun in a way that made the boy blush. “Nevermind. The others are coming today, is that okay?”
No, he thought, kind of angry. Everyone was always around, why did they need to be there at the only moment he had alone with Luhan? He wasn’t in the mood for-
Sehun stopped when he noticed the way Luhan was looking at him, his mouth shaped in a perfect “o”.
Fuck you, yeah. I hope you heard that too.
“Of course it’s okay. But why are they coming?” He asked, trying his best to keep his face emotionless. He was kind of good in that.
“Baekhyun said he needs to show us something.”
This time it was Kris talking, the tall boy entering the room as well, together with Baekhyun and Suho.
“Wow, how come your room is this nice? My room is so small I almost don’t fit in there.”
“You don’t fit in pretty much everywhere,” said Baekhyun, looking around with an amazed face. Sehun felt his stomach turn. He was used to see Baekhyun covered in cuts and bruises, but it seemed like this time his wounds were worse. The boy was limping slightly and his left hand was still bandaged. “But your room is indeed nicer than ours, that is so unfair”
“Well, I’m sorry if I’m actually good at what I do,” Luhan said, making Kris and Sehun laugh. Baekhyun just crossed his arms, fake offense all over his face.
“This was so unnecessary.”
“What did you want to show us?” Sehun blurted, trying his best to not look annoyed. He liked his friends, he loved them dearly but he didn’t want to put up with their crap right now. He had to try his best to avoid Luhan’s accusatory stare.
“Kyungsoo is not here yet, just wait a little. But is the coolest thing ever, you’ll need to see it!”
“Why is Kyungsoo late?” Asked Suho, who was the only one still standing up. Luhan seemed to notice that as well, so he stood up, taking the chair from his work-desk and offering it to him.
“He is probably dreaming about that guy,” Luhan said, laughing and making all the others join him. “He’s so obsessed with him, it’s kind of cute.”
“It’s ridiculous,” retorted Kris from his place on the floor, sighing. “He needs to stop and come back to reality. His condition is so bad now, and he doesn't want to face it.”
“What condition?” Asked Suho in a soft voice. Sehun was kind of awkward with him still but he tried his best to be nice.
“He’s been passing out and having panic attacks. At first, this was something that came and went but for the last four years it’s been pretty much steady.”
“I didn’t know that,” The older said, now looking at the ground. He looked troubled and Sehun wondered what was going through his mind. He looked at Luhan, but his attention was directed towards Baekhyun who was holding some round, weird thing and typing furiously on his tablet with his good hand.
“It’s not ridiculous, it’s love,” he said, without taking his eyes from what he was doing. “And we’re all fools in love.”
“What are you even-” Kris started but he cut off by Kyungsoo sudden entrance. The boy’s eyes were wide and his breath was out of compass.
But when wasn’t Kyungsoo like that.
“I’m sorry, am I late? I fell asleep.”
“Oh, what a surprise!” Whined Sehun, crossing his arms. “Now can you explain why everyone is here, Baekhyun?”
“So,” the boy started, a huge smile on his face while he looked at everyone. He set up the tablet in a way and a dark screen projected on the white wall. “I’ll show you guys the most amazing thing you’ll ever see!”
He gave the tablet one last touch and asked Luhan to shut down the lights. At that very moment, the screen started to move into a scene with gentle lights and a girl in a long dress moving around mud and pieces of clothes.
“What is this?” Whispered Sehun, eyes wide in the dark. Baekhyun turned around to face him, a smile on his face.
“It’s an Old World movie!”
“But how did you get this-”
“I’ll explain later. Now shush!”
Sehun felt his head heavy. He looked back at the screen to see something he never ever imagined, something he couldn’t even believe it was real. The grass was vivid green and the sky was a limitless vastness of blue and white. There were no metal walls, there were no rules - except for women, and he found that strange. There were no trains at every three hours and there were things like fathers and mothers and everyone had their own name and even last names. This is what be human should feel like. He thought while he watched the main characters dance with each other, gazing at each other eyes like there was no one else around them.
They were free.
Something we’ll never be.
He looked around and he couldn’t help but smile at everyone’s expression. Baekhyun would gasp and hug Luhan’s pillow every time there was a romantic scene, while Suho would smile sadly at the scenes of the main girl and her father. Kyungsoo and Kris, on the other hand, kept whispering about the landscape, about how beautiful everything was, about how big everything seemed. Suddenly, the Center felt like even more like a cage than before. The only serious one was Luhan, bitting his lower lip, a weird look on his face. He never saw Luhan show that kind of expression and for a minute he really wished he could borrow his power for a minute and see what was happening on his mind.
When the movie was finally over, they stood there for a while in complete silence, except for Baekhyun’s and Kyungsoo’s quiet sobs. Sehun felt this uncomfortable feeling in his throat, like a hand choking him and wouldn’t let go and he didn’t need Luhan’s power to know all of them felt the same. It was like he could hear everyone’s thoughts.
We’ll never be the same.
For a moment he hated Baekhyun for showing them that, what was he trying to accomplish? What was the difference in the end? For them to know what was outside the Center’s walls? They would never get out and now knowing made his heart ache. He wanted to dance, he wanted to run in fields of green grass and feel the air, his beloved air, blow into his hair. He wanted to be able to kiss Luhan under a tree and not worry if anyone was watching. He just wanted those things so badly now-
“How did you get this?” Asked Luhan and his voice was pure ice. He stood up, lightning up the room and Baekhyun went back to his tablet.
“I was leaving class when I heard Professor Victoria calling me on my tablet, but when I came back to the room she wasn’t there and on top of my desk there was this DVD. It’s a really ancient artifact!” He held the circle thing as if he was holding a new-born puppy. “Together with it there was a note, telling me to watch it. I watched some parts before hand and I just needed to show you all of this.”
“This is wrong,” said Luhan, looking at Baekhyun with disapproval. “We should report Mrs. Victoria to the higher-ups.”
“Why? For showing us a movie?” Exclaimed Baekhyun, confused. “Why are you so mad? Wasn’t it great? We finally could take a look at the world outside these stupid walls!”
“What she did was wrong and you shouldn't have shown this to us. Maybe we should report you as well!”
“You won’t do that!” Kris said in a calm voice, standing up and Luhan had to look up to be able to face him. “It was just a movie, Luhan, you need to settle down.”
“No, this was wrong. What if they catch us watching this? They gave us their trust and then-”
“They gave you their trust,” retorted Baekhyun, his eyes filled with anger. “The rest of us are still treated like trash. While you have the pretty room with no cameras we’re watched day and night.”
“Stop fighting!” Sehun exclaimed, burying his face into his hands, and feeling tired. “It was just a stupid movie, the plot wasn’t even that good.”
“Oh come on, this is not about the plot!” Kris looked at them, impatience all over his face. “Did you see that? Did you see how they lived? That’s what living is like, not being locked up in a cage being beaten up whenever we don’t achieve their standards”
“Oh come on, you’re overreacting!” Luhan gave a mocking, desperate, laugh. He looked at Sehun, hoping for him to agree, but the boy only looked at his own hands, the tightness around his throat getting even stronger. “What’s the matter, anyway? What difference did the movie make? It’s not like we’re going to try to escape or anything-”
“We could,” Sehun caught himself speaking and he closed his eyes so he couldn’t face Luhan’s perplexed expression. “We could try do escape.”
He looked up and all the boys were looking at him with stupefaction. He wondered if he went too far. However, he didn’t regret it. It was what he wanted, what he always wanted ever since General Changmin showed him old pictures of himself in an old house in a beach. He looked up, expressionless at Baekhyun, who now was smiling at him.
“We could try,” he repeated, smiling even more. Kyungsoo looked around, like he was scared anyone else could hear them. When he spoke his voice was a whisper.
“Do you guys think it could work?”
“If we work together!” Answered Kris, giving the boy a reassuring squeeze on his shoulders. “We should try.”
“What do we have to lose, right?” Said Baekhyun, standing up and Suho shifted uncomfortably at the bed.
“You must be kidding me! You’re all mental. You watch a stupid movie and now you’re planning to escape?” Luhan said, laughing. He stood up, looking at Sehun with a desperate expression. “You’re joking, right?”
“I’m not.”
Sehun knew what Luhan wanted from him, but he just could not give him that. Why couldn't he understand that leaving this place would be the best for all of them? That what he thought was good, was actually just a mere preview of everything they could have?
“Me neither!” Baekhyun said brightly. He looked at Kyungsoo, suddenly looking serious. “You’re coming right?”
“Of course I will! I hate this place as much as anyone.”
“And maybe we can find your dream-guy out there.” Kris mocked him, making Kyungsoo frown.
“I won’t discuss this subject with any of you anymore.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Luhan said, a hint of despair in his voice. “You guys must be all crazy.” He sat down again, clawing at his face, taking a deep breath. He looked up and his eyes were on Suho, the only one who was quiet until that moment. “Please, tell me you’re not up to this madness.”
Suho looked around and for a moment Sehun almost felt sorry for the boy. He was always lonely and when he finally was trying to fit in, they put him on that kind of situation. When his eyes finally met Sehun’s he gave Suho a little smile and the older looked a little more relaxed.
“If you never try you’ll never know,” he answered, shrugging. “And besides, I don’t think they can punish us more than they already did.”
“I’m beginning to like you a lot,” said Kris in a greasy way that made Sehun stick his tongue in disgust.
He looked back at Luhan, who now was still sitting on his chair, looking at everyone as if they were talking in a language he could not understand. He saw the other boys’ spiteful faces directed at Luhan, and he felt sorry for him. He knew he scared of losing what he fought so hard to achieve, but Sehun would show him that these futile things were nothing compared to what they would gain if they finally escaped that horrid place.
Sehun stood up, going towards Luhan, and kneeling in front of him. His hands reaching for the elder’s. Luhan looked at him and there it was again, that silent plea in his eyes.
I’m sorry, he thought, I can’t do what you want me to this time.
“Doing this without you is meaningless,” he said and Luhan opened his mouth in shock. Maybe it was because finally Sehun thoughts matched perfectly his words. “Please come with us.”
Luhan kept his eyes fixed on his and he felt the boy squeezing his hand, gently. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a defeated look on his face.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
--
Kyungsoo felt like he was having an out-of-body experience.
The doors to Luhan's room slid shut and the others started to make their way on the dark corridors to their own rooms. Sehun lingered behind, but Kyungsoo's mind was too busy trying to coordinate basic functions, such as walking, breathing, and talking, to even wonder why. What had just happened? Did they really just decide to escape? Like it was something so easy and doable. As if they could have done this forever ago and not had to go through all the horrible things they have been through. Yes, maybe all they needed was that push, something that would inspire them to come together. Still, all of this seemed crazy and unattainable, but despite of it all Kyungsoo felt like he was ready to die trying. This was something that he never felt before. A sudden burst of courage.
"You okay, Kyungsoo?”
There it was. That soft voice again.
Kyungsoo looked up to see Suho standing in front of him in the darkness. All the others had already made it back to their rooms. Suho raised an eyebrow as Kyungsoo opened and closed his mouth, trying to form words but they kept getting stuck on his throat. He shook his head and began to breathe in and out slowly, like Mrs. Victoria had taught him in the past, to calm himself down.
"Well, right now I'm not," he words finally spilled out of his lips. "This is-”
"Crazy? Yeah, tell me about it," the older boy said, scratching the back of his head. "We shouldn't be talking about this here." His pupils rolled up and Kyungsoo followed his gaze. They were standing just bellow two cameras that were aimed straight at them.
"Right," Kyungsoo almost cursed under his breath for not even thinking about the surveillance. Surely, they would be questioned about their little meeting the next day.
"Come with me.”
He felt Suho's warm touch on his wrist, pulling him softly down the corridor. Kyungsoo wasn't used to being touched. The way his fingers pressed against his skin sent a foreign but pleasant sensation throughout his entire body. There was a little bit of fear too, but a good kind. It was the kind of fear that made him feel alive.
"There's something I have to tell you," Suho whispered as they walked.
They came to a stop right in front of Suho's room, for some reason there were no cameras around the entrance to his bedroom. The last one they passed was right in front of Kris's room.
"Don't mind what the others are saying about your dream. You're right. It is real.”
Kyungsoo backed up against the wall as his heart pounded inside his chest, like it was attempting to break free from his ribs and jump out of his body. He looked at Suho, eyes wide in shock, but also in curiosity. He had spent so much time whining to the others about his recurring dream that it had become somewhat of a joke to them. How many times did Baekhyun tease him about being in love with the boy he kept seeing each time he closed his eyes? What did that even mean? The dream felt real, he always knew that. It felt like a memory, something that had happened to him a long time ago, and now his mind decided to replay it over and over. But it couldn't be. Kyungsoo didn't know that boy. It wasn't a face he recognized. But now, there was someone standing in front of him and telling him that he wasn't crazy, that he was right, it wasn't a dream.
"When I was awakened,” he started, words rolling out of lips fast and full of confidence. "They awakened another Prototype as well. He was younger than me. They wanted to see how the mutation would react on different ages." His voice was rushed and Kyungsoo took a step closer to make sure he didn't miss a single word. "He could teleport," he finished with a grin and all the puzzle pieces started coming together in Kyungsoo's brain now.
"He could vanish? Just disappear into thin air?" Kyungsoo asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, trying to hide their shaking. Suho nodded in response.
"They kept him in total isolation, but I got to see him a couple of times when I was younger. They called him Prototype 0 and I'm one hundred percent sure he's the boy you keep seeing." Suho's raised his voice in excitement. He was quickly shushed by Kyungsoo, whose eyes searched the hallway for any sign of movement.
"So he's still here? Confined somewhere in the building?" Kyungsoo said, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously.
"I'm not sure but-”
"We can't leave him behind, Suho!" Kyungsoo felt his throat tighten, the words barely managed to come out. "We have to look for him! He has to come with us!" Instinctively, Kyungsoo's hands reached out to touch Suho's arm. It took him a while to realize what he was doing, fingers wrapping around the Suho's forearm gently, and for that brief second he felt brave, like he never felt before. His touch lingered for a couple more beats. He took a step back, putting his hands inside the back into the pockets of his pants, and clearing his throat.
"You're right," the right corner of Suho's lips curled upwards, Kyungsoo could recognize that expression immediately, Suho was already cooking up a plan inside his head. "We won't leave him behind.” The first Prototype placed a hand on his shoulder. Kyungsoo felt his insides turning. But in a good way, he thought.
He almost ran back to his room, feeling like his heart was about to explode.
Real, he thought as he placed his palms on the wall by his door to steady himself.
He's real.
⇢ next: chapter four
a/n: i was so nervous about this chapter sdoijfo ;~; but well here it is! hope you guys enjoy it and thank you all so much for the comments and sweet words. we've been such awesome feedback ;~; it really inspires us to improve and keep on writing ♥
btw can you guys guess what was the movie that they watched? :33