Hollow Chapter 12 Part C
He punched at the buttons of the remote, increasing the volume in an attempt to drain out everything else.
But somehow he could still hear. Clearly.
The television set was blaring a trashy title sequence for some game show, but the sound seemed to divert, passing over him, and into the rest of the room as all he could hear was a distant echo.
Henry sat at the other end of the sofa, typing away on his laptop, and the clicks of the keys dissolved into the background.
The other two were in the kitchen, as Yesung vented about his recent break up with a girlfriend, who had left because she had had enough of their secretive relationship. But Yesung’s voice hardly registered.
Perhaps an illusion, but he almost felt like he could hear his soft breathing. In ,and out. In, and out. And the soft words of comfort now and then.
The rest was just white noise.
Turning the television off, he banged his head against the back of the sofa, hoping the pain would knock out his senses.
It didn’t work. The stuffing cushioned the blow. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut. He needed something harder…or something more potent.
No, he needed to get out. Out and away from him, somewhere he could breathe, somewhere he could-
You took so long to quit- the words seemed to materialize in front of him- you can’t start again now. He had a program to go to the next day, and he didn’t want to sit through it with a killing hangover or a bruise or broken bone he couldn’t explain. He wanted to leave, but didn’t trust himself to ome back the same.
Sighing, he looked over to the only other occupant of the living room. As if regarding him for the first time, he studied him, a solution forming itself in his head. What he needed was a chaperone. And for now, a barely legal aged foreigner would have to do.
In a way, it was perfect.
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Henry stared blankly at the computer screen. It wasn’t enough. His parents would still worry, no matter how much he tried to convince them that soon it would be okay. The company’s going to announce SJ-China’s debut soon he had written. They’ll get over it when they realise I’m not going to be in the main group. He knew it was probably true too, but at this point it was becoming hard to believe anything.
Clenching his jaw, he looked over to the window a few metres away. Usually, a clear blue sky would calm him, but at the moment it was only a reminder of how far his family was.
I should call, he thinks, but then decides against it. If he breaks down, they would only worry more.
The hand on his shoulder seemed to materialize in thin air because he didn’t notice anyone behind him only a second ago. Turning his head, he looked over to the man who was looking down at him with a soft gaze.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said softly and Henry nodded. Quickly saving the message he was writing, he closed his laptop and went over to the kitchen. Picking up his bag from where he had left it the day before when they had arrived from a music program, he slipped the laptop in and looked over to the two that were sitting at the dining table.
“I’m going out for a walk with Ryeowook hyung, I think I’ll head home after that.”
“Alright, take care then,” Yesung smiled wearily at the young man as Kyuhyun simply smiled and nodded.
“Bye!”
“Bye!”
Throwing the bag over his shoulder he headed out to the living room.
Ryeowook had already donned his jacket and a pair of sneakers.
Quickly slipping into his own, Henry followed the other out. A large scarf was wrapped around Ryeowook’s neck and the lower half of his face, an age old disguise. Pulling out a mask, Henry put it on himself.
Neither spoke a word until they had exited the building.
“Miss your family?”
The question wasn’t really one that needed an answer, but maybe it was his pride that prompted him to say it,
“...Yeah, maybe a little.”
That ended the conversation for a while. The two walked ahead briskly, as if worried that slowing down may dissipate the tension that was built up in them.
A few minutes later, a small beeping sound caught Ryeowook’s attention, and he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Reading the text he had received, he called the one who had sent it.
“Hi, hyung...” Henry glanced at the other, before one again focusing on the sidewalk.
“But isn’t the filming for it tomorrow? Can’t you just pick it up from the store on your way there?” Ryeowook asked, just a little annoyed.
Henry wondered idly who was on the other end the line. Ryeowook really did run too many errands for the rest of the guys, and now one more, he figured.
“Oh right...it doesn’t open tomorrow?...When do you need it by...okay ...okay...when are you getting back... yeah... okay...don’t worry, it’ll be there tomorrow...Leeteuk hyung is on the show too right? I’ll send it with him. Alright, hyung. Bye!” Closing the phone, he slipped it back into the jacket.
“Do you mind if we make a quick stop?”
“Sure. Where are we going?”
“This clothes store, Shindong hyung had ordered something from there for tomorrow’s schedule and it needs to be picked up. He’s going to stay over at a friend’s tonight so he asked if I could pick it up since it’s near.”
The walk to the store took about fifteen minutes, and the only conversations they had were comments on things they saw in store windows or remarks on subjects that lasted too little short to lead to any serious discussion. When they reached the store, Henry browsed as Ryeowook went up to the counter to receive the order.
A few minutes passed while Ryeowook waited to get the order and Henry continued to wander around the store. It was a part time worker who recognised him, and in a few minutes about four girls walked into the store, trickling in one after the other. Consumed with his thoughts he didn’t hear the girls inching towards him nor the whispers that were passed between them.
“Excuse me?”
Startled, Henry turned to face the four high school students.
One of the girls started to speak in rapid Korean, “So do you people actually live in houses made out of ice blocks in Canada?” Before he had a chance to make sense of what she had said, the only thing that he clearly understood being ‘Canada’, one of the other girl’s interrupted.
“Oh, so you mustn’t have gone to school or anything right? Since it’s snowing all the time there?”
“Of course not, stupid!! They were probably taught like, ice fishing or something instead of math or History and stuff…” the third chipped in, leaving the others laughing and Henry lost in a jumble of words that flew by too fast for him to decipher. But the tone of voice and the snickering told him that perhaps it was better not to know.
Part D