Step: Chapter 7
Step: Chapter 7
chi-eng translated, 3039 words, luhan centric, all members involved, various pairings
"With each step, 15 years of your lives will deplete"
Late in the night, Kyungsoo’s room.
“Luhan must have known something,” Baekhyun lays on the sofa, “He kept calling me for Chanyeol’s number the other day, and he sounded unusual.”
Sehun looks at the white wall while Luhan rushes desperately into the rain and pushes him away, harshly. It’s as though a beautiful record has been interrupted suddenly.
Everyone diverts their attention to Chanyeol. Himself however, stares at the window solemnly, “He indeed called me after that.”
“And what happened after that?” Jongin asks.
“I wasn’t feeling good at that time and the phone was with Kris the whole time.” Chanyeol looks down and mumbles, “Kris… may have blamed everything we faced on him.”
“To some extent,” Baekhyun continues, “You being drunk so badly that day must have had something to do with Luhan leaving abruptly halfway.”
“He just left so suddenly?” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows creases, “It issn’t like him.”
“Not only did he leave, he splashed the drink in Chanyeol’s face on the manager…” Baekhyun smiled, “No doubt it felt good, but if I was the one having to splash the drink, I’d probably not have mustered the courage to.”
“Those guys actually splashed drinks on all of you?” Jongin turns to look at Baekhyun, “What else did they do?”
“Nothing else.” Baekhyun randomly fiddles with his hand, “Not us, only Luhan got splashed. That day… Kris sat beside me and he was looking at Luhan throughout the night.”
Sehun shifts his gaze to the other side subconsciously.
“He wasn’t himself after Luhan left and just stared at his phone continuously without making any calls. Even after Chanyeol was drunk and had us help to drink, it didn’t work. He had a constant black face and kept looking out the window” Baekhyun reminisces.
“Does anyone remember the program we recorded at the start of March? The one with the lying test.” A silent Junmyeon blurts suddenly. Everyone turns to look at him but he remains silent.
“Kris’ answer was Lay but it was deemed a lie.” Junmyeon shifted his position slightly. “I remember, Luhan was standing directly opposite me when the light turned green,” Kyungsoo’s smiled slowly, “His expression back then were pretty interesting.”
“He seemed to be avoiding Kris after that,” Junmyeon suggests, “Especially when Kris said that he didn’t remember anything out of a sudden.”
“If he didn’t do that, he probably didn’t know how to face others.” Baekhyun spins the pen in his hand.
“Others?” Kyungsoo looks at him, “Such as?”
“Such as…” Baekhyun opens the pen cap, the whole house becomes absolutely silent for a few seconds.
“The speculations right now are rather silly.” Says Sehun from the corner, face without much expression.
Baekhyun lifts his head and flashes an eye smile while looking at Sehun, Jongin shakes his head, “these people are interesting.”
“What happened between you and Kris before the car accident?” There was a sudden pause and Junmyeon turned to look at Chanyeol while holding on to his shoulder. “You have told the police everything, why can’t you tell us?”
Chanyeol eyes Suho but remains silent.
“You’re still Chanyeol no matter what happens,” Jongin squats and faces him directly, “Even if the whole world abandons you, we’ll still be standing by you.”
Chanyeol flashes his usual smile, looking to the ground.
The scene from that day, like knives, seem to scatter around him, the rather sad looking floor, at 11pm; a cold voice travelling from above, “we’re almost done” and then having clothes thrown back at them.
“I don’t want to think anymore,” Chanyeol shuts his eyes.
He desperately wishes that the red wine was splashed onto his face that day so he wouldn’t have left. No one would then be forced to drink; like a punching bag. Perhaps then they would not have went to the wooden house and nothing would have happened to Yixing.....
If only everything was as perfect as imagined, just like the amazing sight given off from stage. No price has to be paid for a pretty face, no faking of smiles were need just for that 1 out of N stages, and how just simply dancing and smile could easily obtain obtain the riches and reputation ordinary people have to work 10 years for? He is, no doubt the apple of God’s eyes.
Santa claus brings his bag of joy, the magical Christmas night still portraying the beautiful fairy tales children look forward to ll year. While the clear moonlight which reposes imagination relies on the radiance of the Sun, smart humans just want to travel to the moon to find out what it is exactly.
There is no Chang’e* on the moon, only desolation. The best place to admire the moon is always, however, from afar.
(*t/n): Chang’e: chinese mythical moon’s beauty
Chanyeol smiles, a small planet orbiting around the Earth while Earth also spins busily around the Sun, it does look genuinely like the world’s true system.
As for the stars outside the solar system, that faraway dream, he too, loves to listen to this beautiful legend, but only if it was from a bystander’s point of view.
-
Tao pushes the second floor’s door open and the two sitting under the lamp turns to look at him. Revealing a crumpled piece of paper and the pen on the table, “What have you all been doing?” He picks up a paper while saying, it is filled with messy lines and numbers.
Kris throws the remaining papers into the drawer, expressionless. Luhan snatches the paper from Tao’s hand, crushes it and tosses it into the bin, facing a Tao who is anticipating an answer, he however, has no means to explain.
“In the future, knock before entering.” Kris reminds.
“I did not just disturb the two of you, right?” Tao squints to look at Kris.
With reluctance to answer, Kris stands and walks towards the kitchen while Luhan creases his eyebrow and raises his eyes, “Tao, what are you talking about.”
“You two have never closed the room’s door,” Tao points to the door and looks back at Luhan. “Weren’t you avoiding Kris every day for a while? What’s up with the recent closeness?”
Luhan pauses for a brief moment and dazes in the silent atmosphere, thinking deeply.
Kris comes back with a bottle of coke, brushing past Tao and saying, “What do you think? Use your brains and think for a moment.”
Tao eyes Kris who walks past him, “What exactly do you mean?”
Kris starts to go online, his back facing Tao.
Tao becomes dazed for a moment while watching Kris’ back and the moment was followed with a slow, short laugh. “I really am stupid, the lie that day…” He was interrupted by Kris. “You can leave the room now.”
Only the breathing sound of the three can be heard in the quiet air.
Walking forward slowly, Tao grabs Kris’ collar , “even after something this huge has happened, you still have the mind for it?”
Kris looks at the lamp instead, “let go.” He asserts.
"Are you trying to tell me you’re a jerk!” Tao shouts back.
“Get out.” Kris replies, calmly.
A furious Tao glares at the person in front of him and punches the bookshelf beside Kris, gritting his teeth. The shelf cracks slightly and a few books fall to the ground.
Kris bends and picks up the books, “Direct your anger at me if you want.”
“Tell me I have misunderstood,” Tao stopped to catch a breath. “Don’t leave me out when something is happening.”
Luhan lowers his head, Kris pauses to look at Tao, his voice a little jesty, “I’m not used to having a 3rd person in such things.” An unanticipated fist came flying onto his face and Kris stepped back.
“Damn you, do you even remember Zhang Yixing? If the person who died was me, you would have probably forgotten it even earlier, wouldn’t you!” Tao points at Kris’ nose.
Wiping away the blood stains at his mouth’s ends, Kris stands with his finger pointing at the door, “Get out.”
“Leader? What leader? Your group is about to fall apart!” Tao looks at him, “Do you know about the splitting of the Japanese group!”
Kris and Luhan turns back to look at him.
“The regrouping of the 3 groups will be at the end of this year, his replacement is about to be chosen!” Tao says, “Are you two so busy that you can’t talk to K?”
No one utters a word under the dim light.
Tao sniggers suddenly, “Who else would remember his existence in the future? Group mates? Or the impatient fans?” He fingers Kris and Luhan while his eyes turn red from the laughter. Shaking his head, Tao wipes his eyes, “two of his best friends, can’t even be compared to me.”
Luhan faced the window with a clear view of what’s outside.
Best friends?
“If it had happened to any of you two, the both of us will never ever forget!” Tao’s voice booms, “continue with what you were doing, I shall not intrude!” Tao points at Kris’ nose, and slams the door. Leaving the house with just two lifeless souls.
“Don’t take the words to heart,, I…” Kris was interrupted by Luhan, “I know.” Luhan looks at him with clear understanding. Kris lifts his head to look at Luhan and looks down again.
“Tomorrow morning,” Luhan tosses the pen on the table with no expression, “again.” Nodding his head, Kris opens the paper he had thrown in the bin. Under the light, he uses his hands to hide his red eyes. Luhan observes everything and shifts his view towards the window.
“If it doesn’t work this time again, we’ll stop.” Luhan said. “There is always an end to things that humans have no power to change.”
Kris does not say anything but simply nods, “you decide.”
It’s okay.
Luhan looked at him, a tired man whose lips are still bleeding. Kris’ hand freezes blankly in mid-air while Luhan passes him a piece of tissue, as though so used to being misunderstood and accused, such that a little understanding now has made him feel a little uncomfortable.
“Am I an extremely lousy leader?” He murmurs under the light. Shaking his head, Luhan replies, “You’re the best I have ever seen, and the most loyal friend.” The person opposite of Luhan lowers his head while sitting down and Luhan allows him to let Kris’ head lean onto his body. With slightly damped clothes, he lifts his head.
Luhan knows it isn’t the time to break down and cry.
No one can understand why we have decided to continue, it is extremely ridiculous and also involves extreme selfishness. The brain is burning but we need such temperature which blurs our minds.
Yixing, I’m afraid you’ll be further away from us as time drags on. If I don’t do this now, I will not do it in the future as the temperature falls.
You see, I’m starting to hesitate.
I’m afraid that after losing you, I’ll lose others as well.
After dressing for bed and suffering insomnia till dawn, Luhan unknowingly slept for 2 hours. When he opened his eyes, Kris had already left. A note was left on the table which read, “I’m going out to do something, and I’ll be waiting for you at the old place.”
He crushes the paper into a ball and throws it in the bin, Luhan tosses his keys and phone into the bag. His movements pauses for 2 seconds while he retracts his hand and takes Yixing’s white phone out from his bag.
He took the wrong phone again.
The one that already couldn’t be used, that the him who had afterwards left it in the room.
-
The first time he saw this familiar white was at the start of the year. A few of them wore their hats and started shopping in Seoul’s largest electronics department store after the New Year. Yixing had been lingering around the phone section.
Luhan went to join him, “Why are you looking at other brands when iPhone 5 has been released?”
“It looks stylish!” Yixing pointed at the white Lenovo, “you only care about i this and that…”
“What has Yixing set his eyes upon?” Chanyeol piped, “Oh~ this looks nice,” and he pulls Kris who was standing at the back of the crowd.
“Yixing can finally bear to spend money on himself.” Jongin added as he came with Baekhyun, “Unlike you who buys useless things every day.”
“The things I bought are very useful.” Baekhyun glared at him.
“12 teacups which differs only in their colours; an oddly shaped ashtray even when you don’t smoke, different types of candles; the violin which you only played once…” Jongin counted with his hands, “and right, do you really need so many table and ground lamps at home? Big sized Chanyeol will soon have no place to put his feet…”
“Forget it, let’s leave.” Yixing moved slowly from the counter.
Kris looked at him, “Buy it if you like.”
“My phone is still working well,” Yixing retorted even though he kept glancing at the counter, “We’ll talk about it after it is spoiled.”
Tao who was at the side shook his head and coolly looked at the hats from far, “The junk at home are all old flames, why are you behaving like him.” He pointed at Kris.
“You’re the junk which fills the house.” Kris knocked Tao’s head while looking over to the phone.
Luhan smiled at the pretty phone; it was a regret not giving the phone to him on the spot.
-
As he takes the jacket that was tossed on the sofa and one which did not belong to him, a crumpled piece of paper falls from the pocket.
Lu Han picks up the paper and glances at it. He pauses for a moment before silently stuffing it back in, before pushing it and the jacket into the corner of the closet.
The car arrives at the bottom of the mountain and it starts to rain slightly. Luhan puts on his coat and hat, preparing to go up when he sees a familiar figure from the tattoo shop up the road ahead.
That person exits the store, he lifts his palm in mid air for whole and looks to the sky before deciding to head straight to the mountains. Wearing his hat, he walks in the direction of the crossroads Luhan stands at.
Dodging quickly, he hides at the side as the other walks past.
Passing the muddy grounds, Luhan slowly reaches the tattoo shop. The shop owner looks at a hesitant Luhan and said, “even if there is nothing, you can come in to seek shelter from the rain.”
Nodding embarrassingly, Luhan walks in with hesitancy.
Scrutinizing the wide variety of designs and pictures, Luhan observes the tools as the boss cleans, “you tattoo any design here?”
“As long as you provide me the original design.” The young and cool owner answers, he does not lift his head.
“Then… where do people usually have a tattoo on?” Luhan asked.
“Anywhere, but fees are charged for different parts.” The owner lifted his head to look at him, “I suggest that the first tattoo be on your hands or legs, it will be easier to remove when regret creeps on you.”
“The person just now, the tall one…” Luhan gestures and stammers, “what tattoo did he get?”
The owner straightens himself up, looking out of the window before observing Luhan.
"I… I’m his classmate. Our school…” Luhan was at a loss for words with his lie.
The owner bent over and continued with what he was doing and smiled, “Boyfriend?”
Luhan’s messy Korean was stopped all of a sudden.
“This isn’t his first time, but it is the first at my shop. He wasn’t afraid of the pain, got it at his waist.” The owner tries to remember, that most handsome customer ever to patronize his shop had removed his clothes and point to his waist, asking for the tattoo to be done there. Even as straight as he is, his heart had still skipped a bit.
Slightly lowering his head, Luhan vaguely felt his hand shivering, “Lay.” He mutters.
“Pardon?” The boss asks, still looking down.
“Nothing.” Luhan lifts his hand and smiles, “I’m sorry to have disturb you and I should leave now.”
The owner monitors the rain that has yet to diminish, “Do you need an umbrella, you can return it to me another day.” Luhan shakes his head and hums a thank you in reply before putting on his hat and running off in the rain.
Kris met with Luhan who arrived shortly after in the slight drizzle.
“I thought you were going to sleep till I was totally drenched.” Kris flashes a smile at him.
“I have never slept till so late before.” Luhan’s fringe covers his forehead.
Adjusting his hat, Kris put his arms on Luhan’s shoulders and they lean quietly against the stone wall in the slightly moist air. Any talking felt unnecessary.
Bending down to retrieve the nails and hammer from his back, Luhan hands one to Kris. “Time to start working.”
Looking at Luhan, Kris takes the nail and hammer from Luhan, “You’re a really efficient boss.”
"The boss depends on the employees for a living.” Luhan chimes.
“The boss will be stressful,” Kris uses his hands to support his legs, “smile once to pay your debts.”
Luhan raises his eyebrows at him, “What if I cry instead?”
Kris chuckles, “Your tears have already been given to others. How are you going to cry for me?”
“We’re the same.” Luhan stretches as he looks up at the dripping water from the stone and the wet ground.
After staying motionless for a second, kris nods and they look at each other, not uttering a sound. They start to nail it through the stone gaps.
Supporting Kris’ shoulders, Luhan pulls Kris who has fallen asleep and sits on the ground. The air is old, and he drapes his scarf messily around Kris’ neck.
Original fic
Translated by kaiying and heecups, proofread by wayve!
Please ask before reposting!
And sorry this took so long, i've been really caught up with christmas/new year/school/ work and other real life shit :(
chi-eng translated, 3039 words, luhan centric, all members involved, various pairings
"With each step, 15 years of your lives will deplete"
Late in the night, Kyungsoo’s room.
“Luhan must have known something,” Baekhyun lays on the sofa, “He kept calling me for Chanyeol’s number the other day, and he sounded unusual.”
Sehun looks at the white wall while Luhan rushes desperately into the rain and pushes him away, harshly. It’s as though a beautiful record has been interrupted suddenly.
Everyone diverts their attention to Chanyeol. Himself however, stares at the window solemnly, “He indeed called me after that.”
“And what happened after that?” Jongin asks.
“I wasn’t feeling good at that time and the phone was with Kris the whole time.” Chanyeol looks down and mumbles, “Kris… may have blamed everything we faced on him.”
“To some extent,” Baekhyun continues, “You being drunk so badly that day must have had something to do with Luhan leaving abruptly halfway.”
“He just left so suddenly?” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows creases, “It issn’t like him.”
“Not only did he leave, he splashed the drink in Chanyeol’s face on the manager…” Baekhyun smiled, “No doubt it felt good, but if I was the one having to splash the drink, I’d probably not have mustered the courage to.”
“Those guys actually splashed drinks on all of you?” Jongin turns to look at Baekhyun, “What else did they do?”
“Nothing else.” Baekhyun randomly fiddles with his hand, “Not us, only Luhan got splashed. That day… Kris sat beside me and he was looking at Luhan throughout the night.”
Sehun shifts his gaze to the other side subconsciously.
“He wasn’t himself after Luhan left and just stared at his phone continuously without making any calls. Even after Chanyeol was drunk and had us help to drink, it didn’t work. He had a constant black face and kept looking out the window” Baekhyun reminisces.
“Does anyone remember the program we recorded at the start of March? The one with the lying test.” A silent Junmyeon blurts suddenly. Everyone turns to look at him but he remains silent.
“Kris’ answer was Lay but it was deemed a lie.” Junmyeon shifted his position slightly. “I remember, Luhan was standing directly opposite me when the light turned green,” Kyungsoo’s smiled slowly, “His expression back then were pretty interesting.”
“He seemed to be avoiding Kris after that,” Junmyeon suggests, “Especially when Kris said that he didn’t remember anything out of a sudden.”
“If he didn’t do that, he probably didn’t know how to face others.” Baekhyun spins the pen in his hand.
“Others?” Kyungsoo looks at him, “Such as?”
“Such as…” Baekhyun opens the pen cap, the whole house becomes absolutely silent for a few seconds.
“The speculations right now are rather silly.” Says Sehun from the corner, face without much expression.
Baekhyun lifts his head and flashes an eye smile while looking at Sehun, Jongin shakes his head, “these people are interesting.”
“What happened between you and Kris before the car accident?” There was a sudden pause and Junmyeon turned to look at Chanyeol while holding on to his shoulder. “You have told the police everything, why can’t you tell us?”
Chanyeol eyes Suho but remains silent.
“You’re still Chanyeol no matter what happens,” Jongin squats and faces him directly, “Even if the whole world abandons you, we’ll still be standing by you.”
Chanyeol flashes his usual smile, looking to the ground.
The scene from that day, like knives, seem to scatter around him, the rather sad looking floor, at 11pm; a cold voice travelling from above, “we’re almost done” and then having clothes thrown back at them.
“I don’t want to think anymore,” Chanyeol shuts his eyes.
He desperately wishes that the red wine was splashed onto his face that day so he wouldn’t have left. No one would then be forced to drink; like a punching bag. Perhaps then they would not have went to the wooden house and nothing would have happened to Yixing.....
If only everything was as perfect as imagined, just like the amazing sight given off from stage. No price has to be paid for a pretty face, no faking of smiles were need just for that 1 out of N stages, and how just simply dancing and smile could easily obtain obtain the riches and reputation ordinary people have to work 10 years for? He is, no doubt the apple of God’s eyes.
Santa claus brings his bag of joy, the magical Christmas night still portraying the beautiful fairy tales children look forward to ll year. While the clear moonlight which reposes imagination relies on the radiance of the Sun, smart humans just want to travel to the moon to find out what it is exactly.
There is no Chang’e* on the moon, only desolation. The best place to admire the moon is always, however, from afar.
(*t/n): Chang’e: chinese mythical moon’s beauty
Chanyeol smiles, a small planet orbiting around the Earth while Earth also spins busily around the Sun, it does look genuinely like the world’s true system.
As for the stars outside the solar system, that faraway dream, he too, loves to listen to this beautiful legend, but only if it was from a bystander’s point of view.
-
Tao pushes the second floor’s door open and the two sitting under the lamp turns to look at him. Revealing a crumpled piece of paper and the pen on the table, “What have you all been doing?” He picks up a paper while saying, it is filled with messy lines and numbers.
Kris throws the remaining papers into the drawer, expressionless. Luhan snatches the paper from Tao’s hand, crushes it and tosses it into the bin, facing a Tao who is anticipating an answer, he however, has no means to explain.
“In the future, knock before entering.” Kris reminds.
“I did not just disturb the two of you, right?” Tao squints to look at Kris.
With reluctance to answer, Kris stands and walks towards the kitchen while Luhan creases his eyebrow and raises his eyes, “Tao, what are you talking about.”
“You two have never closed the room’s door,” Tao points to the door and looks back at Luhan. “Weren’t you avoiding Kris every day for a while? What’s up with the recent closeness?”
Luhan pauses for a brief moment and dazes in the silent atmosphere, thinking deeply.
Kris comes back with a bottle of coke, brushing past Tao and saying, “What do you think? Use your brains and think for a moment.”
Tao eyes Kris who walks past him, “What exactly do you mean?”
Kris starts to go online, his back facing Tao.
Tao becomes dazed for a moment while watching Kris’ back and the moment was followed with a slow, short laugh. “I really am stupid, the lie that day…” He was interrupted by Kris. “You can leave the room now.”
Only the breathing sound of the three can be heard in the quiet air.
Walking forward slowly, Tao grabs Kris’ collar , “even after something this huge has happened, you still have the mind for it?”
Kris looks at the lamp instead, “let go.” He asserts.
"Are you trying to tell me you’re a jerk!” Tao shouts back.
“Get out.” Kris replies, calmly.
A furious Tao glares at the person in front of him and punches the bookshelf beside Kris, gritting his teeth. The shelf cracks slightly and a few books fall to the ground.
Kris bends and picks up the books, “Direct your anger at me if you want.”
“Tell me I have misunderstood,” Tao stopped to catch a breath. “Don’t leave me out when something is happening.”
Luhan lowers his head, Kris pauses to look at Tao, his voice a little jesty, “I’m not used to having a 3rd person in such things.” An unanticipated fist came flying onto his face and Kris stepped back.
“Damn you, do you even remember Zhang Yixing? If the person who died was me, you would have probably forgotten it even earlier, wouldn’t you!” Tao points at Kris’ nose.
Wiping away the blood stains at his mouth’s ends, Kris stands with his finger pointing at the door, “Get out.”
“Leader? What leader? Your group is about to fall apart!” Tao looks at him, “Do you know about the splitting of the Japanese group!”
Kris and Luhan turns back to look at him.
“The regrouping of the 3 groups will be at the end of this year, his replacement is about to be chosen!” Tao says, “Are you two so busy that you can’t talk to K?”
No one utters a word under the dim light.
Tao sniggers suddenly, “Who else would remember his existence in the future? Group mates? Or the impatient fans?” He fingers Kris and Luhan while his eyes turn red from the laughter. Shaking his head, Tao wipes his eyes, “two of his best friends, can’t even be compared to me.”
Luhan faced the window with a clear view of what’s outside.
Best friends?
“If it had happened to any of you two, the both of us will never ever forget!” Tao’s voice booms, “continue with what you were doing, I shall not intrude!” Tao points at Kris’ nose, and slams the door. Leaving the house with just two lifeless souls.
“Don’t take the words to heart,, I…” Kris was interrupted by Luhan, “I know.” Luhan looks at him with clear understanding. Kris lifts his head to look at Luhan and looks down again.
“Tomorrow morning,” Luhan tosses the pen on the table with no expression, “again.” Nodding his head, Kris opens the paper he had thrown in the bin. Under the light, he uses his hands to hide his red eyes. Luhan observes everything and shifts his view towards the window.
“If it doesn’t work this time again, we’ll stop.” Luhan said. “There is always an end to things that humans have no power to change.”
Kris does not say anything but simply nods, “you decide.”
It’s okay.
Luhan looked at him, a tired man whose lips are still bleeding. Kris’ hand freezes blankly in mid-air while Luhan passes him a piece of tissue, as though so used to being misunderstood and accused, such that a little understanding now has made him feel a little uncomfortable.
“Am I an extremely lousy leader?” He murmurs under the light. Shaking his head, Luhan replies, “You’re the best I have ever seen, and the most loyal friend.” The person opposite of Luhan lowers his head while sitting down and Luhan allows him to let Kris’ head lean onto his body. With slightly damped clothes, he lifts his head.
Luhan knows it isn’t the time to break down and cry.
No one can understand why we have decided to continue, it is extremely ridiculous and also involves extreme selfishness. The brain is burning but we need such temperature which blurs our minds.
Yixing, I’m afraid you’ll be further away from us as time drags on. If I don’t do this now, I will not do it in the future as the temperature falls.
You see, I’m starting to hesitate.
I’m afraid that after losing you, I’ll lose others as well.
After dressing for bed and suffering insomnia till dawn, Luhan unknowingly slept for 2 hours. When he opened his eyes, Kris had already left. A note was left on the table which read, “I’m going out to do something, and I’ll be waiting for you at the old place.”
He crushes the paper into a ball and throws it in the bin, Luhan tosses his keys and phone into the bag. His movements pauses for 2 seconds while he retracts his hand and takes Yixing’s white phone out from his bag.
He took the wrong phone again.
The one that already couldn’t be used, that the him who had afterwards left it in the room.
-
The first time he saw this familiar white was at the start of the year. A few of them wore their hats and started shopping in Seoul’s largest electronics department store after the New Year. Yixing had been lingering around the phone section.
Luhan went to join him, “Why are you looking at other brands when iPhone 5 has been released?”
“It looks stylish!” Yixing pointed at the white Lenovo, “you only care about i this and that…”
“What has Yixing set his eyes upon?” Chanyeol piped, “Oh~ this looks nice,” and he pulls Kris who was standing at the back of the crowd.
“Yixing can finally bear to spend money on himself.” Jongin added as he came with Baekhyun, “Unlike you who buys useless things every day.”
“The things I bought are very useful.” Baekhyun glared at him.
“12 teacups which differs only in their colours; an oddly shaped ashtray even when you don’t smoke, different types of candles; the violin which you only played once…” Jongin counted with his hands, “and right, do you really need so many table and ground lamps at home? Big sized Chanyeol will soon have no place to put his feet…”
“Forget it, let’s leave.” Yixing moved slowly from the counter.
Kris looked at him, “Buy it if you like.”
“My phone is still working well,” Yixing retorted even though he kept glancing at the counter, “We’ll talk about it after it is spoiled.”
Tao who was at the side shook his head and coolly looked at the hats from far, “The junk at home are all old flames, why are you behaving like him.” He pointed at Kris.
“You’re the junk which fills the house.” Kris knocked Tao’s head while looking over to the phone.
Luhan smiled at the pretty phone; it was a regret not giving the phone to him on the spot.
-
As he takes the jacket that was tossed on the sofa and one which did not belong to him, a crumpled piece of paper falls from the pocket.
Lu Han picks up the paper and glances at it. He pauses for a moment before silently stuffing it back in, before pushing it and the jacket into the corner of the closet.
The car arrives at the bottom of the mountain and it starts to rain slightly. Luhan puts on his coat and hat, preparing to go up when he sees a familiar figure from the tattoo shop up the road ahead.
That person exits the store, he lifts his palm in mid air for whole and looks to the sky before deciding to head straight to the mountains. Wearing his hat, he walks in the direction of the crossroads Luhan stands at.
Dodging quickly, he hides at the side as the other walks past.
Passing the muddy grounds, Luhan slowly reaches the tattoo shop. The shop owner looks at a hesitant Luhan and said, “even if there is nothing, you can come in to seek shelter from the rain.”
Nodding embarrassingly, Luhan walks in with hesitancy.
Scrutinizing the wide variety of designs and pictures, Luhan observes the tools as the boss cleans, “you tattoo any design here?”
“As long as you provide me the original design.” The young and cool owner answers, he does not lift his head.
“Then… where do people usually have a tattoo on?” Luhan asked.
“Anywhere, but fees are charged for different parts.” The owner lifted his head to look at him, “I suggest that the first tattoo be on your hands or legs, it will be easier to remove when regret creeps on you.”
“The person just now, the tall one…” Luhan gestures and stammers, “what tattoo did he get?”
The owner straightens himself up, looking out of the window before observing Luhan.
"I… I’m his classmate. Our school…” Luhan was at a loss for words with his lie.
The owner bent over and continued with what he was doing and smiled, “Boyfriend?”
Luhan’s messy Korean was stopped all of a sudden.
“This isn’t his first time, but it is the first at my shop. He wasn’t afraid of the pain, got it at his waist.” The owner tries to remember, that most handsome customer ever to patronize his shop had removed his clothes and point to his waist, asking for the tattoo to be done there. Even as straight as he is, his heart had still skipped a bit.
Slightly lowering his head, Luhan vaguely felt his hand shivering, “Lay.” He mutters.
“Pardon?” The boss asks, still looking down.
“Nothing.” Luhan lifts his hand and smiles, “I’m sorry to have disturb you and I should leave now.”
The owner monitors the rain that has yet to diminish, “Do you need an umbrella, you can return it to me another day.” Luhan shakes his head and hums a thank you in reply before putting on his hat and running off in the rain.
Kris met with Luhan who arrived shortly after in the slight drizzle.
“I thought you were going to sleep till I was totally drenched.” Kris flashes a smile at him.
“I have never slept till so late before.” Luhan’s fringe covers his forehead.
Adjusting his hat, Kris put his arms on Luhan’s shoulders and they lean quietly against the stone wall in the slightly moist air. Any talking felt unnecessary.
Bending down to retrieve the nails and hammer from his back, Luhan hands one to Kris. “Time to start working.”
Looking at Luhan, Kris takes the nail and hammer from Luhan, “You’re a really efficient boss.”
"The boss depends on the employees for a living.” Luhan chimes.
“The boss will be stressful,” Kris uses his hands to support his legs, “smile once to pay your debts.”
Luhan raises his eyebrows at him, “What if I cry instead?”
Kris chuckles, “Your tears have already been given to others. How are you going to cry for me?”
“We’re the same.” Luhan stretches as he looks up at the dripping water from the stone and the wet ground.
After staying motionless for a second, kris nods and they look at each other, not uttering a sound. They start to nail it through the stone gaps.
Supporting Kris’ shoulders, Luhan pulls Kris who has fallen asleep and sits on the ground. The air is old, and he drapes his scarf messily around Kris’ neck.
Original fic
Translated by kaiying and heecups, proofread by wayve!
Please ask before reposting!
And sorry this took so long, i've been really caught up with christmas/new year/school/ work and other real life shit :(