Just a Foreign Exchange Student 14/?
title: Just a Foreign Exchange Student 14/?
pairing: main!SiHan minor!EunHae YeWook KyuMin
rating: PG-13
summary: Hankyung is a new foreign exchange student in a Korean school. He soon meets a new group of friends, and he realizes that he's not just another normal high school student. There are many obstacles he must overcome to fully find out the secrets that lay hidden with these new people. He soon finds himself in a middle of a huge mess, twisted with romance, jealousy, and many secrets.
notes: Romance, a bit of mystery in this one. If you haven't noticed already, I changed the summary to a summary of the whole story, instead of doing it chapter by chapter. :)
I dangled my legs on the branch and looked down. I smiled when seeing the puddles of water around the base of the tree. I sighed in content.
“Don’t you just love rain?” I quipped. Siwon opened his eyes from where he was sitting and gave me a questioning look.
“Why the random question?” I shrugged. I was in a strangely happy mood, and I didn’t plan to let anyone ruin it. I glanced down to the wet grass and smiled again.
“It was just a comment. And it makes me feel peaceful, that’s all.” I heard him chuckle. When I turned to face him, he seemed amused. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He simply coughed once.
“Nature freak.” I reached over to slap his arm, glaring at him. Siwon laughed and withdrew his arm.
“I’m just kidding! Hey, I like the rain too.” He said thoughtfully. I chuckled and scooted over to him, so it would be easier to talk.
“And why is that?” He looked away, the smile on his face unconsciously fading. He glanced back at me with a blank expression. I felt uneasy with this sudden change in atmosphere.
“Do you really want to know?” He said in a low voice. Without much thought, I nodded my head, curious as to what he was thinking. He sighed and gently touched my wrist.
“You deserve some answers anyway.” I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth to say something when I felt my hands go numb. My arms started shaking from supporting myself upright. I closed my eyes, instantly feeling lightheaded. I felt the light touch of Siwon’s hand on my back, gently guiding me down to rest on his leg. Within a moment, my mind blanked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The faint sound of laughter brought on the images that began to infiltrate my mind. A small boy ran down a corridor, giggling and smiling. He was much younger than the other boy in my previous dreams…but was it still Siwon? The boy kneeled on the living room couch and pressed his nose against the window. When he moved the curtain aside, I saw the raindrops falling gently on to the glass. I heard more footsteps coming from the hallway the boy just ran from. I gasped when I saw the face of the man that abused Siwon before. But it was different this time. He was younger, happy, and smiling. I was confused when I saw his joyful expression. Before, the man looked so serious. Now…he looked so carefree. I shifted my gaze to the little boy. So he was Siwon. I saw the man come up from behind Siwon, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.
“What are you looking for?” The man asked gently. The child giggled and turned around, wide-eyed.
“Appa, you should know!” The word echoed in my mind. Appa. This man was Siwon’s father. I was confused. They seemed to care about each other in this scene. So why did he hit Siwon like he did before? While I was pondering this, a shriek got my attention.
“She’s here! She’s back!” The boy jumped off the couch and ran to the door, flinging it open. As he ran out into the rain, the man chuckled and jogged after him.
“Siwon! Come back, you’re going to catch a cold!” This confirmed my thoughts of the little boy being Siwon. In curiosity, I walked to the open door, stopping at the doorway. I inhaled the fresh scent of rain, and saw a car pulling into the driveway. I could see Siwon bubbling with excitement. The car stopped, and the door opened to reveal a woman; beautiful…and somehow familiar. It wasn’t that I met her before; it was the way she looked…
“Ma ma!” Siwon giggled and ran up to her, wrapping both arms around her waist. I blinked at him. Was that Chinese I heard? Sure, he had an accent, but I was almost positive it was Chinese. The woman smiled and ruffled his hair, bending down to face him properly.
“What are you doing outside in the rain, Shi Yuan? You’re going to get ill.” I felt a painful twist in my chest when I heard that string of Chinese words. I couldn’t help but smile. She reminded me so much of my mother back in China. But…she couldn’t be Siwon’s mother…could she?
“I wanted to see you! Six months has been too long!” I laughed when hearing the Korean accent in his broken Mandarin, but it was interesting to listen to. The woman gripped both his arms and smiled at him, her eyes crinkling in such a familiar way that it sent my mind reeling. Her eyes formed little half-moons; just like my own mother. Just like me. The way she looked, the way her mouth formed around Mandarin with ease. This woman…she was Chinese. I was sure of it. I sensed no trace of a Korean accent when she spoke Mandarin. I covered my mouth when the full realization hit me. The colors faded out, and the last thing I remembered were the raindrops hitting against my skin, paired with the sound of a child laughing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat up with a gasp, but I immediately regretted it when a wave of nausea hit me. I felt a hand slowly push me back down. I opened my eyes, disoriented. I held my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I didn’t know why I felt so dizzy. I forced myself to open my eyes again. My vision was blurry, but I could make out Siwon staring curiously at me. I blinked hard and pointed at him.
“You…” I started. Siwon raised an eyebrow.
“I…” He prompted. I narrowed my eyes, the dizziness coming back.
“…were adorable when you were little.” I said, still in a daze. Siwon laughed and pressed a hand to my forehead.
“You sound high, hyung.” I shook my head, immediately shaking the haziness away. I stared at him, obviously confused.
“What the fuck just happened Siwon?” He removed his hand and looked down, smiling a little.
“You passed out.” I leaned back against his leg and groaned in annoyance.
“Not that! I’m talking about your family, your father, your mother…” I trailed off at the mention of his mother. He nodded his head.
“I know.” He said solemnly. I sat up, my back still turned to him. The rain was letting up, but I was more focused on him right at the moment.
“How’d you do it?” He merely smiled tentatively at me before turning away. I widened my eyes when the possibilities ran through my mind.
“I was training by myself for the past month and a half.” He commented nonchalantly. I narrowed my eyes at him. Siwon looked amused when he caught me glaring at him.
“What?” I shook my head at his innocent response.
“You keep a lot of things secret, don’t you?” All was quiet after what I said. The smile faded from his face as he looked away. Guilt started nagging at me. It was only meant as a joke. I didn’t mean for it to come out so serious. However, I felt relieved when he smiled earnestly at me.
“I have to. Some things need to remain secret. But I chose to reveal other things to you.” He said softly, glancing down. I stared at him. There was an odd quietness to his normally bright features when he spoke of his family.
“Why? You didn’t have to.” I turned around to properly face him. He didn’t look up from his fingers.
“I know so much about you, and you know so little about me.” He paused and chuckled a little, looking to the side. I pulled my legs close to me, resting my chin on my knees.
“And also because hiding all this information was becoming a burden.” I could tell that discussing this was uncomfortable for Siwon, but I still pressed on. I wanted to know more. I could see the blank color in his eyes, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like to see him so unhappy.
“Is your mother Chinese?” I asked, trying to change the topic. At the mention of his mother, he brightened up momentarily before losing that color again. He nodded his head and smiled up at me, wrapping his arms around his legs in an oddly innocent manner.
“And you knew Mandarin ever since you were little?” I asked quietly. He nodded again, gazing in my direction. I blinked, staring back at him. I started feeling self-conscious when he didn’t look away. I raised both eyebrows, silently asking him a question. He chuckled and buried his head in between his knees, hiding his face.
“Have you ever given one thought on why I feel so close to you?” He asked softly. I was going to reply, but nothing came out. I couldn’t answer after what he said. He glanced up again and smiled, looking distant. I took this chance to get a good look at him. He was more caring and loving than most people that I knew, and also more sensitive. At this moment, he seemed like a lost little boy. I could almost feel his sadness. I swore I could feel his pain.
“You purposely sent me your memories?” I asked carefully. He nodded, his eyes looking clear and sharp again. I paused when another thought struck me.
“So…your father…did he…?” I stared at him, not wanting to finish that statement. He bit his lip. The color drained from his face. I noticed how he unconsciously straightened out his shirt to hide his scars.
“The first time I sent you that memory…it was by accident. You actually weren’t supposed to see it. I was just really upset that day…and I don’t know...somehow, I accidentally sent it to you.” He hugged his legs tighter, hiding his face in his knees again. A sense of dread took over my senses. The abuse. The scars. They weren’t just anything, they were all true. I laid a reassuring hand on his knee, causing him to lift his head. I smiled at him.
“I can keep a secret.” He chuckled and let go of his legs, watching them dangle over the side of the branch. The clouds were starting to part, revealing the blazing sun.
“You are possibly the only one I know who can make a serious situation happy.” I beamed, a warm sensation tingling on my skin.
“By the way, did you have to knock me out when you sent me that memory?” I scowled. He shrugged innocently and laughed.
“I didn’t expect it to be so tiring. It’s why I always sent them when you were sleeping.” He leaned back and smiled, showing his dimples. I couldn’t help but smile to myself when seeing his usual light and bubbly personality. I stuck both arms out and rocked forward on them, catching his attention.
“Can I call you by your Chinese name?” I could tell he was caught by surprise. He laughed lightly and fiddled with the tree bark.
“Why?” I shrugged.
“You know I feel more comfortable in Mandarin.” I blurted out lamely. He looked up to meet my eyes and for a short moment, I couldn’t read him. And that bothered me. For some strange reason, it was annoying that I couldn’t read him as well as usual. He stayed like that for a while before cocking his head to the side in a childish way.
“You remind me of her more and more often.” He mumbled. I blinked. He said it so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. I wanted to question him, but he cleared his throat and brightened up before I could.
“Sure. As long as you tell me your Chinese name.” I chuckled. He was full of conditions that I couldn’t help but follow.
“Han Geng.” I said happily. Siwon nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes, I think I’ve heard Henry and Zhou Mi call you by that name before.” I squinted into the sun, suddenly feeling a sense of uneasiness. I felt like I forgot something.
“Henry and Zhou Mi…” I murmured to myself. I sat up straight when I remembered.
“I promised I would meet them after school!” I groaned to myself and jumped on to the branch, almost falling in the process.
“Do you happen to have the time?” I asked. Siwon took out his phone and flipped it open. His eyes widened when he saw the time.
“School ends in five minutes. Shit! I forgot that I had basketball practice!” I almost laughed if it weren’t for me being late as well. I scrambled down the tree, running towards the building. We could already see students walking out of the school. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Henry and Zhou Mi weren’t at the entrance yet.
“I have to go, or else coach is going to kill me! Bye Geng!” Siwon said, blasting past me. I blinked. I don’t think he even realized that he called me by my Chinese name. I chuckled and bid him goodbye as he tore off his jacket, disappearing into the gymnasium. I maneuvered my way through the throng of students in the hallway, managing to reach my locker. I collected my books, deciding that there was enough time to put them away in my dorm. I walked out of the building, quickening my steps. I checked again to make sure Henry and Zhou Mi weren’t waiting for me before bolting to the dorms.
Once I was back from the dorms, I jogged up to the school building entrance. I smiled when I saw the both of them talking, standing around. I called out to them, getting their attention. Henry smiled widely and waved excitedly, already heading towards me. He hooked an arm with mine and started walking away from the school with Zhou Mi following close behind.
“So where do you want to go?” I asked cheerfully. Zhou Mi came to my other side and slung an arm around my shoulder, like usual.
“Mall.” I chuckled, nodding at Zhou Mi’s typical answer. Henry jerked and pulled on my arm.
“Oh my God, no! We already went there last time!” Henry moaned. I smiled to myself, loving how they fought continuously.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be talking, Canadian. You’re wearing the checkered shirt I bought for you right now!” Zhou Mi pointed out smugly. Henry blushed, but seemed annoyed.
“Fashion addict. Ow!” Henry cried out, when Zhou Mi slapped a hand across his head. I chuckled and shook my head. They will never learn to stop arguing.
“How about a restaurant? I’m kind of hungry.” I offered tentatively. They stopped bickering for a second to glance at me. Henry shrugged and hooked arms with me again.
“Why not?” Zhou Mi piped up. I smiled and peered in the direction of the town.
“Great. Let’s check out that new Thai restaurant that just opened!” I started jogging towards the people that were hustling about in that area. Henry laughed and started running after me, pulling Zhou Mi along.
We chose a table near the window so there would be sunlight. Henry slid into the seat next to Zhou Mi while I sat across from them. I slowly sipped my water while they talked amongst themselves. I soon zoned out and stared out the window. Across the street, there were many people crowding around the little shops that littered the street. I smiled, realizing how similar that was to China. I stopped drinking for a second to stare at the items presented on the tables outside the stores.
I saw a man staring in my direction, but I paid no attention to him. I continued to peer at the items, but I could feel the man’s eyes on me. I grew uneasy, but I convinced myself that I was going paranoid. I stared at the items, while discreetly stealing glances at the man. He could be staring at the shop, or maybe at the sign above the store. His eyes seemed icy and cold. It sent a shiver down my spine. Now I didn’t bother to steal glances at him. I returned his stare, setting down my glass of water. He was standing across the street, stock still in the midst of the crowd. When he saw me looking at him, he glanced away, fiddling with the items outside the shop he was standing in front of. I took this chance to try to get a good look at him. He was slightly on the short side, and his skin was pale. He had medium, black hair that fell neatly beside his face. Unfortunately, he didn’t face me for a long enough time for me to get a good look at his face. All I remembered were those icy, cold eyes and that pale skin.
“Geng? Geng. Geng! Han Geng!” I jumped, startled at Zhou Mi’s sudden voice. He laid a gentle hand on mine and smiled brightly.
“You spaced out. I was just asking you what you wanted to eat. We already gave her our orders.” Henry nodded beside him and surreptitiously gestured to the waitress that was standing patiently beside the table.
“Right.” I chuckled quickly, turning to the waitress. I smiled and gave my order, making sure to sneak in a compliment. She widened her eyes and blushed, nodding her head. She rushed to the kitchen before I could say anything else. Henry and Zhou Mi both gave me a strange look. I laughed at their facial expressions.
“Flirting. It will make all our food come out well. Trust me.” Henry broke into a smile and nodded in appreciation. I looked back out the window, but the strange man was gone. I felt disappointed. I didn’t even get to have a proper look at him.
I turned my focus back on Zhou Mi and Henry. We talked and laughed a bit more when our food came out. The waitress had the plates stacked professionally up and down her arms as she walked down the aisle. When she set them down carefully on the table, she smiled widely to all of us.
“I managed to get your orders on the top of the chef’s list.” I touched her hand slightly, catching her by surprise.
“Thank you.” I smiled again, making her withdraw her hand, bowing slightly. I could see the red tint on her cheeks when she walked quickly to another table. Zhou Mi laughed and pushed my hand softly.
“You are such a player. Although I must say that it was the quickest I have ever gotten my food.” Henry said cheerfully. I simply smirked and tossed a piece of spicy chicken in my mouth.
It was when I really gave a good look at us hanging out together when I realized I missed the quality time we spent together back in China. That was why I felt a sudden sadness when Zhou Mi said he had to go. He gave an apologizing look to the both of us and finished the last of his food.
“I’m sorry. I forgot that I made a promise to Kyuhyun before to meet up with him today.” I stopped eating for a second in surprise. Kyuhyun? I never knew that they would become good friends. Henry looked shocked too.
“It’s only been one day and you’re already such good friends with him?” Henry said jokingly. I stared at Henry. There was a strange arrogance to his voice, but I couldn’t depict why. I narrowed my eyes at Henry when I saw a flash of hurt cross his face. It disappeared in a second, so I wasn’t sure if it even happened, or if it was all just an illusion. I shifted in my seat and looked thoughtfully at Henry when he laughed lightly. Zhou Mi gave a one-armed hug to both of us as he got ready to leave.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. Meet me back in the school!” He said cheerfully, waving goodbye. I watched him walk out the doors as I sipped water from my cup. I turned back to Henry who was staring out the window with a blank expression. I raised an eyebrow in question. He broke into a smile and leaned forward on his arms.
“So I guess it’s just you and me, Hannie.” He went on a new topic, talking and talking, but I zoned out after a while. I was more concerned about what happened a few minutes before. I had the slightest prediction, but decided against it to question him. I nibbled on another piece of chicken, listening to his ramblings. I didn’t notice that the man with the icy eyes was watching me again from across the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later passed, and Siwon and I were walking leisurely along the sidewalk on the way to school. We were purposely stalling, making sure to be there right before curfew. Siwon sighed and kicked a pebble out of the way, fiddling with a loose thread on his basketball uniform.
“Do you ever miss your family?” I asked cautiously, careful not to hit a nerve. Siwon shrugged and kicked another rock out of the way.
“A little, depending on what you mean.” He mumbled. I glanced at the moonlight that lit up the path in front of us.
“How did your father meet your mother? I mean, not many Chinese families live in Korea, am I right?” Siwon looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.
“I actually have no idea. And enough about me! Tell me about yourself.” I laughed at his whining.
“You sound like an awkward teenager on his first date.” He hit my arm harder than necessary, leaving a small, stinging pain. I glared at him and rubbed my arm.
“I’m being serious!” Siwon protested. I chuckled and shook my head.
“Alright alright. Well…my favorite color is black. I usually rode bicycles to get around town back in China. I am horrible in speaking Korean. I am a long distance runner in my spare time. Oh, and I love to dance.” I smiled, reminiscing my old dance practices.
“Dancing? I’ve always thought of you as a singer.” Siwon said. I shrugged and cocked my head to the side in thought.
“I like both singing and dancing, but I always wanted to be a dancer, ever since I was little. Plus, dancing is where I don’t get discriminated because of my race.” Siwon stopped in surprise.
“Your race?” I continued walking, shrugging off his surprise.
“You’d be surprised how many people are racist in this area.” Siwon snorted and caught up with me.
“Trust me. I know.” He said flatly. I raised an eyebrow at his straight forward answer.
“You do?” Now I was the one who was surprised. Siwon laughed dryly.
“I actually dated one in this school before.” Siwon answered truthfully. I nudged him playfully in the side.
“Oh really? Who is he?” I grinned widely. “Or she?” I added as an afterthought. He shook his head and sighed.
“A major mistake in my life. That’s all you need to know. And how did we start talking about me again? I thought we were discussing about you.” He narrowed his eyes at me. I laughed again and twirled around, walking backwards to face him.
“Fine. I drink a lot of water - more than necessary, and…” Siwon grinned at this point.
“Oh that explains a lot.” He joked. I pushed him forcefully, sending him tripping over his feet. He grabbed my arm out of instinct, laughing when I almost toppled over.
“I was just joking!” Siwon said. I shook my head in mock disappointment, breaking out into a smile.
“Anyways, I don’t really like cold weather. It’s annoying.” Siwon gestured vaguely around him.
“You mean like this weather?” I nodded my head, shivering slightly at the cold. All of a sudden, I felt the touch of fleece on my skin when a jacket was thrown in my arms. I blinked and looked up to him in curiosity. He shrugged easily.
“It’s okay. I’m used to running in the cold for warm-up at basketball practice.” He slid his hands in his pants pockets, looking up to the moon. I stared suspiciously at the jacket in my hands.
“You’re not doing this because of our stupid bet, are you?” Siwon smiled mischievously and didn’t answer. I glared at him and slid my arms through the sleeves.
“I’m still wearing this.” I said stubbornly. I relished the warm material that covered my arms and sighed. We walked in silence for a few moments as the school came into view. But as I neared the building, I involuntarily tensed up. I stopped in my tracks and the feeling stopped. When I started slowly walking again, it was back. It spread throughout my entire body, but it was uncomfortable. I hated it. It was a really bad feeling. I gritted my teeth and tightened my hands into fists.
“Something wrong is happening inside.” Siwon gave me a strange look and then turned to the school. I quickened my pace, the feeling stronger than ever as I went nearer.
“Just trust me. Please come. Something’s going on and I don’t know what it is.” Without another word, we rushed through the entrance.
A/N: So...any of you notice the moonlight walk? ;) anyways, i hope this answers the majority of questions that i left in the past chapters. and FINALLY. the angst/drama begins. >:3
Also, comment below on who you think is the ex-bf/ex-gf of siwon. :3 and guess who the man outside the restaurant was too! i wanna kno wut you guys are thinking. :)
thx for reading and hope u enjoyed it! ^^
P.S.
....please dont kill me for leaving you with another mystery at the end. /hides in corner.
pairing: main!SiHan minor!EunHae YeWook KyuMin
rating: PG-13
summary: Hankyung is a new foreign exchange student in a Korean school. He soon meets a new group of friends, and he realizes that he's not just another normal high school student. There are many obstacles he must overcome to fully find out the secrets that lay hidden with these new people. He soon finds himself in a middle of a huge mess, twisted with romance, jealousy, and many secrets.
notes: Romance, a bit of mystery in this one. If you haven't noticed already, I changed the summary to a summary of the whole story, instead of doing it chapter by chapter. :)
I dangled my legs on the branch and looked down. I smiled when seeing the puddles of water around the base of the tree. I sighed in content.
“Don’t you just love rain?” I quipped. Siwon opened his eyes from where he was sitting and gave me a questioning look.
“Why the random question?” I shrugged. I was in a strangely happy mood, and I didn’t plan to let anyone ruin it. I glanced down to the wet grass and smiled again.
“It was just a comment. And it makes me feel peaceful, that’s all.” I heard him chuckle. When I turned to face him, he seemed amused. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He simply coughed once.
“Nature freak.” I reached over to slap his arm, glaring at him. Siwon laughed and withdrew his arm.
“I’m just kidding! Hey, I like the rain too.” He said thoughtfully. I chuckled and scooted over to him, so it would be easier to talk.
“And why is that?” He looked away, the smile on his face unconsciously fading. He glanced back at me with a blank expression. I felt uneasy with this sudden change in atmosphere.
“Do you really want to know?” He said in a low voice. Without much thought, I nodded my head, curious as to what he was thinking. He sighed and gently touched my wrist.
“You deserve some answers anyway.” I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth to say something when I felt my hands go numb. My arms started shaking from supporting myself upright. I closed my eyes, instantly feeling lightheaded. I felt the light touch of Siwon’s hand on my back, gently guiding me down to rest on his leg. Within a moment, my mind blanked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The faint sound of laughter brought on the images that began to infiltrate my mind. A small boy ran down a corridor, giggling and smiling. He was much younger than the other boy in my previous dreams…but was it still Siwon? The boy kneeled on the living room couch and pressed his nose against the window. When he moved the curtain aside, I saw the raindrops falling gently on to the glass. I heard more footsteps coming from the hallway the boy just ran from. I gasped when I saw the face of the man that abused Siwon before. But it was different this time. He was younger, happy, and smiling. I was confused when I saw his joyful expression. Before, the man looked so serious. Now…he looked so carefree. I shifted my gaze to the little boy. So he was Siwon. I saw the man come up from behind Siwon, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.
“What are you looking for?” The man asked gently. The child giggled and turned around, wide-eyed.
“Appa, you should know!” The word echoed in my mind. Appa. This man was Siwon’s father. I was confused. They seemed to care about each other in this scene. So why did he hit Siwon like he did before? While I was pondering this, a shriek got my attention.
“She’s here! She’s back!” The boy jumped off the couch and ran to the door, flinging it open. As he ran out into the rain, the man chuckled and jogged after him.
“Siwon! Come back, you’re going to catch a cold!” This confirmed my thoughts of the little boy being Siwon. In curiosity, I walked to the open door, stopping at the doorway. I inhaled the fresh scent of rain, and saw a car pulling into the driveway. I could see Siwon bubbling with excitement. The car stopped, and the door opened to reveal a woman; beautiful…and somehow familiar. It wasn’t that I met her before; it was the way she looked…
“Ma ma!” Siwon giggled and ran up to her, wrapping both arms around her waist. I blinked at him. Was that Chinese I heard? Sure, he had an accent, but I was almost positive it was Chinese. The woman smiled and ruffled his hair, bending down to face him properly.
“What are you doing outside in the rain, Shi Yuan? You’re going to get ill.” I felt a painful twist in my chest when I heard that string of Chinese words. I couldn’t help but smile. She reminded me so much of my mother back in China. But…she couldn’t be Siwon’s mother…could she?
“I wanted to see you! Six months has been too long!” I laughed when hearing the Korean accent in his broken Mandarin, but it was interesting to listen to. The woman gripped both his arms and smiled at him, her eyes crinkling in such a familiar way that it sent my mind reeling. Her eyes formed little half-moons; just like my own mother. Just like me. The way she looked, the way her mouth formed around Mandarin with ease. This woman…she was Chinese. I was sure of it. I sensed no trace of a Korean accent when she spoke Mandarin. I covered my mouth when the full realization hit me. The colors faded out, and the last thing I remembered were the raindrops hitting against my skin, paired with the sound of a child laughing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat up with a gasp, but I immediately regretted it when a wave of nausea hit me. I felt a hand slowly push me back down. I opened my eyes, disoriented. I held my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I didn’t know why I felt so dizzy. I forced myself to open my eyes again. My vision was blurry, but I could make out Siwon staring curiously at me. I blinked hard and pointed at him.
“You…” I started. Siwon raised an eyebrow.
“I…” He prompted. I narrowed my eyes, the dizziness coming back.
“…were adorable when you were little.” I said, still in a daze. Siwon laughed and pressed a hand to my forehead.
“You sound high, hyung.” I shook my head, immediately shaking the haziness away. I stared at him, obviously confused.
“What the fuck just happened Siwon?” He removed his hand and looked down, smiling a little.
“You passed out.” I leaned back against his leg and groaned in annoyance.
“Not that! I’m talking about your family, your father, your mother…” I trailed off at the mention of his mother. He nodded his head.
“I know.” He said solemnly. I sat up, my back still turned to him. The rain was letting up, but I was more focused on him right at the moment.
“How’d you do it?” He merely smiled tentatively at me before turning away. I widened my eyes when the possibilities ran through my mind.
“I was training by myself for the past month and a half.” He commented nonchalantly. I narrowed my eyes at him. Siwon looked amused when he caught me glaring at him.
“What?” I shook my head at his innocent response.
“You keep a lot of things secret, don’t you?” All was quiet after what I said. The smile faded from his face as he looked away. Guilt started nagging at me. It was only meant as a joke. I didn’t mean for it to come out so serious. However, I felt relieved when he smiled earnestly at me.
“I have to. Some things need to remain secret. But I chose to reveal other things to you.” He said softly, glancing down. I stared at him. There was an odd quietness to his normally bright features when he spoke of his family.
“Why? You didn’t have to.” I turned around to properly face him. He didn’t look up from his fingers.
“I know so much about you, and you know so little about me.” He paused and chuckled a little, looking to the side. I pulled my legs close to me, resting my chin on my knees.
“And also because hiding all this information was becoming a burden.” I could tell that discussing this was uncomfortable for Siwon, but I still pressed on. I wanted to know more. I could see the blank color in his eyes, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like to see him so unhappy.
“Is your mother Chinese?” I asked, trying to change the topic. At the mention of his mother, he brightened up momentarily before losing that color again. He nodded his head and smiled up at me, wrapping his arms around his legs in an oddly innocent manner.
“And you knew Mandarin ever since you were little?” I asked quietly. He nodded again, gazing in my direction. I blinked, staring back at him. I started feeling self-conscious when he didn’t look away. I raised both eyebrows, silently asking him a question. He chuckled and buried his head in between his knees, hiding his face.
“Have you ever given one thought on why I feel so close to you?” He asked softly. I was going to reply, but nothing came out. I couldn’t answer after what he said. He glanced up again and smiled, looking distant. I took this chance to get a good look at him. He was more caring and loving than most people that I knew, and also more sensitive. At this moment, he seemed like a lost little boy. I could almost feel his sadness. I swore I could feel his pain.
“You purposely sent me your memories?” I asked carefully. He nodded, his eyes looking clear and sharp again. I paused when another thought struck me.
“So…your father…did he…?” I stared at him, not wanting to finish that statement. He bit his lip. The color drained from his face. I noticed how he unconsciously straightened out his shirt to hide his scars.
“The first time I sent you that memory…it was by accident. You actually weren’t supposed to see it. I was just really upset that day…and I don’t know...somehow, I accidentally sent it to you.” He hugged his legs tighter, hiding his face in his knees again. A sense of dread took over my senses. The abuse. The scars. They weren’t just anything, they were all true. I laid a reassuring hand on his knee, causing him to lift his head. I smiled at him.
“I can keep a secret.” He chuckled and let go of his legs, watching them dangle over the side of the branch. The clouds were starting to part, revealing the blazing sun.
“You are possibly the only one I know who can make a serious situation happy.” I beamed, a warm sensation tingling on my skin.
“By the way, did you have to knock me out when you sent me that memory?” I scowled. He shrugged innocently and laughed.
“I didn’t expect it to be so tiring. It’s why I always sent them when you were sleeping.” He leaned back and smiled, showing his dimples. I couldn’t help but smile to myself when seeing his usual light and bubbly personality. I stuck both arms out and rocked forward on them, catching his attention.
“Can I call you by your Chinese name?” I could tell he was caught by surprise. He laughed lightly and fiddled with the tree bark.
“Why?” I shrugged.
“You know I feel more comfortable in Mandarin.” I blurted out lamely. He looked up to meet my eyes and for a short moment, I couldn’t read him. And that bothered me. For some strange reason, it was annoying that I couldn’t read him as well as usual. He stayed like that for a while before cocking his head to the side in a childish way.
“You remind me of her more and more often.” He mumbled. I blinked. He said it so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. I wanted to question him, but he cleared his throat and brightened up before I could.
“Sure. As long as you tell me your Chinese name.” I chuckled. He was full of conditions that I couldn’t help but follow.
“Han Geng.” I said happily. Siwon nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes, I think I’ve heard Henry and Zhou Mi call you by that name before.” I squinted into the sun, suddenly feeling a sense of uneasiness. I felt like I forgot something.
“Henry and Zhou Mi…” I murmured to myself. I sat up straight when I remembered.
“I promised I would meet them after school!” I groaned to myself and jumped on to the branch, almost falling in the process.
“Do you happen to have the time?” I asked. Siwon took out his phone and flipped it open. His eyes widened when he saw the time.
“School ends in five minutes. Shit! I forgot that I had basketball practice!” I almost laughed if it weren’t for me being late as well. I scrambled down the tree, running towards the building. We could already see students walking out of the school. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Henry and Zhou Mi weren’t at the entrance yet.
“I have to go, or else coach is going to kill me! Bye Geng!” Siwon said, blasting past me. I blinked. I don’t think he even realized that he called me by my Chinese name. I chuckled and bid him goodbye as he tore off his jacket, disappearing into the gymnasium. I maneuvered my way through the throng of students in the hallway, managing to reach my locker. I collected my books, deciding that there was enough time to put them away in my dorm. I walked out of the building, quickening my steps. I checked again to make sure Henry and Zhou Mi weren’t waiting for me before bolting to the dorms.
Once I was back from the dorms, I jogged up to the school building entrance. I smiled when I saw the both of them talking, standing around. I called out to them, getting their attention. Henry smiled widely and waved excitedly, already heading towards me. He hooked an arm with mine and started walking away from the school with Zhou Mi following close behind.
“So where do you want to go?” I asked cheerfully. Zhou Mi came to my other side and slung an arm around my shoulder, like usual.
“Mall.” I chuckled, nodding at Zhou Mi’s typical answer. Henry jerked and pulled on my arm.
“Oh my God, no! We already went there last time!” Henry moaned. I smiled to myself, loving how they fought continuously.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be talking, Canadian. You’re wearing the checkered shirt I bought for you right now!” Zhou Mi pointed out smugly. Henry blushed, but seemed annoyed.
“Fashion addict. Ow!” Henry cried out, when Zhou Mi slapped a hand across his head. I chuckled and shook my head. They will never learn to stop arguing.
“How about a restaurant? I’m kind of hungry.” I offered tentatively. They stopped bickering for a second to glance at me. Henry shrugged and hooked arms with me again.
“Why not?” Zhou Mi piped up. I smiled and peered in the direction of the town.
“Great. Let’s check out that new Thai restaurant that just opened!” I started jogging towards the people that were hustling about in that area. Henry laughed and started running after me, pulling Zhou Mi along.
We chose a table near the window so there would be sunlight. Henry slid into the seat next to Zhou Mi while I sat across from them. I slowly sipped my water while they talked amongst themselves. I soon zoned out and stared out the window. Across the street, there were many people crowding around the little shops that littered the street. I smiled, realizing how similar that was to China. I stopped drinking for a second to stare at the items presented on the tables outside the stores.
I saw a man staring in my direction, but I paid no attention to him. I continued to peer at the items, but I could feel the man’s eyes on me. I grew uneasy, but I convinced myself that I was going paranoid. I stared at the items, while discreetly stealing glances at the man. He could be staring at the shop, or maybe at the sign above the store. His eyes seemed icy and cold. It sent a shiver down my spine. Now I didn’t bother to steal glances at him. I returned his stare, setting down my glass of water. He was standing across the street, stock still in the midst of the crowd. When he saw me looking at him, he glanced away, fiddling with the items outside the shop he was standing in front of. I took this chance to try to get a good look at him. He was slightly on the short side, and his skin was pale. He had medium, black hair that fell neatly beside his face. Unfortunately, he didn’t face me for a long enough time for me to get a good look at his face. All I remembered were those icy, cold eyes and that pale skin.
“Geng? Geng. Geng! Han Geng!” I jumped, startled at Zhou Mi’s sudden voice. He laid a gentle hand on mine and smiled brightly.
“You spaced out. I was just asking you what you wanted to eat. We already gave her our orders.” Henry nodded beside him and surreptitiously gestured to the waitress that was standing patiently beside the table.
“Right.” I chuckled quickly, turning to the waitress. I smiled and gave my order, making sure to sneak in a compliment. She widened her eyes and blushed, nodding her head. She rushed to the kitchen before I could say anything else. Henry and Zhou Mi both gave me a strange look. I laughed at their facial expressions.
“Flirting. It will make all our food come out well. Trust me.” Henry broke into a smile and nodded in appreciation. I looked back out the window, but the strange man was gone. I felt disappointed. I didn’t even get to have a proper look at him.
I turned my focus back on Zhou Mi and Henry. We talked and laughed a bit more when our food came out. The waitress had the plates stacked professionally up and down her arms as she walked down the aisle. When she set them down carefully on the table, she smiled widely to all of us.
“I managed to get your orders on the top of the chef’s list.” I touched her hand slightly, catching her by surprise.
“Thank you.” I smiled again, making her withdraw her hand, bowing slightly. I could see the red tint on her cheeks when she walked quickly to another table. Zhou Mi laughed and pushed my hand softly.
“You are such a player. Although I must say that it was the quickest I have ever gotten my food.” Henry said cheerfully. I simply smirked and tossed a piece of spicy chicken in my mouth.
It was when I really gave a good look at us hanging out together when I realized I missed the quality time we spent together back in China. That was why I felt a sudden sadness when Zhou Mi said he had to go. He gave an apologizing look to the both of us and finished the last of his food.
“I’m sorry. I forgot that I made a promise to Kyuhyun before to meet up with him today.” I stopped eating for a second in surprise. Kyuhyun? I never knew that they would become good friends. Henry looked shocked too.
“It’s only been one day and you’re already such good friends with him?” Henry said jokingly. I stared at Henry. There was a strange arrogance to his voice, but I couldn’t depict why. I narrowed my eyes at Henry when I saw a flash of hurt cross his face. It disappeared in a second, so I wasn’t sure if it even happened, or if it was all just an illusion. I shifted in my seat and looked thoughtfully at Henry when he laughed lightly. Zhou Mi gave a one-armed hug to both of us as he got ready to leave.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. Meet me back in the school!” He said cheerfully, waving goodbye. I watched him walk out the doors as I sipped water from my cup. I turned back to Henry who was staring out the window with a blank expression. I raised an eyebrow in question. He broke into a smile and leaned forward on his arms.
“So I guess it’s just you and me, Hannie.” He went on a new topic, talking and talking, but I zoned out after a while. I was more concerned about what happened a few minutes before. I had the slightest prediction, but decided against it to question him. I nibbled on another piece of chicken, listening to his ramblings. I didn’t notice that the man with the icy eyes was watching me again from across the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later passed, and Siwon and I were walking leisurely along the sidewalk on the way to school. We were purposely stalling, making sure to be there right before curfew. Siwon sighed and kicked a pebble out of the way, fiddling with a loose thread on his basketball uniform.
“Do you ever miss your family?” I asked cautiously, careful not to hit a nerve. Siwon shrugged and kicked another rock out of the way.
“A little, depending on what you mean.” He mumbled. I glanced at the moonlight that lit up the path in front of us.
“How did your father meet your mother? I mean, not many Chinese families live in Korea, am I right?” Siwon looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.
“I actually have no idea. And enough about me! Tell me about yourself.” I laughed at his whining.
“You sound like an awkward teenager on his first date.” He hit my arm harder than necessary, leaving a small, stinging pain. I glared at him and rubbed my arm.
“I’m being serious!” Siwon protested. I chuckled and shook my head.
“Alright alright. Well…my favorite color is black. I usually rode bicycles to get around town back in China. I am horrible in speaking Korean. I am a long distance runner in my spare time. Oh, and I love to dance.” I smiled, reminiscing my old dance practices.
“Dancing? I’ve always thought of you as a singer.” Siwon said. I shrugged and cocked my head to the side in thought.
“I like both singing and dancing, but I always wanted to be a dancer, ever since I was little. Plus, dancing is where I don’t get discriminated because of my race.” Siwon stopped in surprise.
“Your race?” I continued walking, shrugging off his surprise.
“You’d be surprised how many people are racist in this area.” Siwon snorted and caught up with me.
“Trust me. I know.” He said flatly. I raised an eyebrow at his straight forward answer.
“You do?” Now I was the one who was surprised. Siwon laughed dryly.
“I actually dated one in this school before.” Siwon answered truthfully. I nudged him playfully in the side.
“Oh really? Who is he?” I grinned widely. “Or she?” I added as an afterthought. He shook his head and sighed.
“A major mistake in my life. That’s all you need to know. And how did we start talking about me again? I thought we were discussing about you.” He narrowed his eyes at me. I laughed again and twirled around, walking backwards to face him.
“Fine. I drink a lot of water - more than necessary, and…” Siwon grinned at this point.
“Oh that explains a lot.” He joked. I pushed him forcefully, sending him tripping over his feet. He grabbed my arm out of instinct, laughing when I almost toppled over.
“I was just joking!” Siwon said. I shook my head in mock disappointment, breaking out into a smile.
“Anyways, I don’t really like cold weather. It’s annoying.” Siwon gestured vaguely around him.
“You mean like this weather?” I nodded my head, shivering slightly at the cold. All of a sudden, I felt the touch of fleece on my skin when a jacket was thrown in my arms. I blinked and looked up to him in curiosity. He shrugged easily.
“It’s okay. I’m used to running in the cold for warm-up at basketball practice.” He slid his hands in his pants pockets, looking up to the moon. I stared suspiciously at the jacket in my hands.
“You’re not doing this because of our stupid bet, are you?” Siwon smiled mischievously and didn’t answer. I glared at him and slid my arms through the sleeves.
“I’m still wearing this.” I said stubbornly. I relished the warm material that covered my arms and sighed. We walked in silence for a few moments as the school came into view. But as I neared the building, I involuntarily tensed up. I stopped in my tracks and the feeling stopped. When I started slowly walking again, it was back. It spread throughout my entire body, but it was uncomfortable. I hated it. It was a really bad feeling. I gritted my teeth and tightened my hands into fists.
“Something wrong is happening inside.” Siwon gave me a strange look and then turned to the school. I quickened my pace, the feeling stronger than ever as I went nearer.
“Just trust me. Please come. Something’s going on and I don’t know what it is.” Without another word, we rushed through the entrance.
A/N: So...any of you notice the moonlight walk? ;) anyways, i hope this answers the majority of questions that i left in the past chapters. and FINALLY. the angst/drama begins. >:3
Also, comment below on who you think is the ex-bf/ex-gf of siwon. :3 and guess who the man outside the restaurant was too! i wanna kno wut you guys are thinking. :)
thx for reading and hope u enjoyed it! ^^
P.S.
....please dont kill me for leaving you with another mystery at the end. /hides in corner.