Fic: Searching for... ... - Chapter 3C
Title: Searching for... ... - Chapter 3C
Author: vic_sim
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, anything, except for the plot.
Characters: Super Junior + Henry, Zhou Mi, DBSK
Category: General
Rating: PG-13
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The next day found the three roommates gathered in the common area of their room. They had taken to gathering there on Saturdays, doing their homework together for they had discovered that each of them, despite doing almost unrelated courses, had areas which they could help each other with. Both Changmin and Henry had to take Maths - for Changmin, it was required for Medics, whilst for Henry, it was a new requirement set up by the university on the terms of “having a more diverse education”. Which also meant that being a Mathematics and Medical students; both Changmin and Kyuhyun were required to take an art related course. Coincidentally, both happened to choose Music. Hence the arrangement of them working together was perfect for them to question each other.
A knock on their door pulled them away from their books. Henry stood up, walking towards the door. Opening it revealed their two dorm heads.
“Hi, Jaejoong-hyung, Leeteuk-hyung.”
Leeteuk smiled as they were invited into the room by Henry.
“Oh, we’re just here to invite you for lunch.”
Changmin’s ears twitched as he perked up. “Lunch?”
Jaejoong nodded. “Lunch. Ryeowookie invited everyone to the café and told us to inform you that everyone should turn up for it.”
“We’ll be there!” Changmin answered before Kyuhyun could protest, never one to reject any food.
Satisfied with the answer, the two turned to leave.
“It’s at 1 p.m. Kyuhyun knows the place.”
Henry nodded as he shut the door.
“I like your friend Henry.”
Changmin commented.
“You like anyone who offers you food, Changmin-sshi.” Kyuhyun retorted, putting his pen down, knowing that they were not going to get any more work done.
“Wrong, I don’t like everyone who offers me food. I like people who offer me good food. And stop calling me Changmin-sshi! You remind me of my tutor! Every time I answer a question, she keeps going ‘Changmin-sshi, Changmin-sshi’.”
Henry hid a giggle at Changmin’s imitation of his tutor.
“What do you want me to call you then?”
“How about ‘the almighty awesome smart clever handsome…”
“I’d stick to Changmin-sshi, thank you.” Kyuhyun cut Changmin off, before the other could go on a tangent of all his good points.
“Hmph. Or you can just follow Henry and call me Changmin.”
Kyuhyun nodded.
“Alright, Changmin-sshi. Let’s get going before we’re late.” Kyuhyun walked towards the door with Henry following behind.
“Now that’s better.” Changmin walked towards the door, before stopping suddenly. “Hey, I thought I told you to stop calling me ‘Changmin-sshi’!”
Kyuhyun continued walking, pretending not to hear Changmin’s exclamation. As they walked, Kyuhyun wondered why he acted so differently with Changmin. He was never able to tease anyone so freely before, not before meeting Brian. Kyuhyun wondered why Shim Changmin brought out a different side of him.
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They arrived at the café with time to spare. Changmin was no longer pouting, but bouncing in anticipation of the food. They entered the café, only to be greeted by the vast amount of people. Henry and Kyuhyun looked at each other, remembering the first day they met. Only that the number of people seemed to have increased even more. Changmin stopped bouncing, stilling at the sight of the vast amount of people.
“Henry! Kyuhyun! Changmin! You’re here!”
Donghae bounded up to them. Neither Henry nor Kyuhyun could forget the energetic senior. Changmin had met Donghae once in the hallway as he was walking with Kyuhyun. They were all pushed to a table and Changmin found himself being introduced to more people.
Hankyung stood up. “We have a new friend, Zhou Mi.”
Zhou Mi stood up, waving at the people around. Henry felt like groaning. More people.
“We have an announcement!” Eunhyuk, Donghae and Junsu exclaimed.
“It better be good for making me wait for lunch.” Heechul injected.
Donghae nodded empathetically as Eunhyuk flashed a poster at them.
“The 37th Annual Song and Dance Competition?”
Kangin read out the words.
“Yup, and we were thinking that we should join!” The three said together in one voice.
“Why?”
“Because it’s Teukie-Umma, Kangin-Appa, Yesung-hyung, Chullie-hyung, Hankyung-hyung’s last year. And we want to do something meaningful together.”
Surprisingly the first person who agreed was the person the three believed they would have the hardest time to convince.
“I’ll do it.”
“Heechul-hyung!” Donghae pounced onto Heechul, only to be gently shoved off.
“If Heechul agrees, who am I to say no?” Hankyung said.
Receiving nods from all the fourth years, Eunhyuk and Junsu burst out in cheers.
“So, we have Hankyung-hyung, Yunho-hyung, Shindong-hyung, Eunhyukkie, Kangin-hyung, Sungmin-hyung, Teukie-Umma, Kibummie, Siwon and Hae for dancing. Yesung-hyung, Joongie-Umma, Yoochunnie, me, Ryeowookie for vocals. Heechul-hyung can do costumes and dance together with Yesung-hyung. We can come up with a song ourselves. And it’d be good!” Junsu was getting excited at just the thought.
“Erm, but what does that have to do with us?” Changmin spoke up quietly, speaking for him, Kyuhyun and Henry. Zhou Mi nodded his head in agreement with the statement.
“Henry plays the violin! And you can dance too right?” Ryeowook volunteered Henry’s talent. Henry nodded, knowing that he had just signed himself over to the competition.
“Zhou Mi-ge, you can sing and compose right?” Siwon volunteered.
“Great! That settles the two.” Leeteuk cut in, getting excited as well over the prospect of the competition. He too wanted to have a memorable last year together.
Henry decided that since he had been roped in, his roommates should suffer the same fact.
“Changmin and Kyuhyun are doing Music electives.”
“That’s good. So you two can either join the vocals or dancing. I’m sure everything will work out.”
Changmin and Kyuhyun looked at each other and sighed.
“Now can we have lunch?”
Ryeowook nodded, rushing into the kitchen with Hankyung in toll.
At the mention of food, Changmin perked up, forgetting about the competition. Kyuhyun looked at Changmin, shaking his head at the simple-mindedness. But as the food was served, Kyuhyun smiled softly, enjoying the loud and almost chaotic group he was surrounded by.
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“Hyung, is Appa and Umma gone?”
Ryeowook found himself nodding at the slightly taller boy. The taller boy, whom Ryeowook assumed was his younger brother, nodded. He seemed to accept the answer and not question it any further. For the first time in his dreams, Ryeowook had a clear view of the other boy. He wished he had a camera with him such that he could take a photo. Ryeowook felt that the boy looked familiar.
The scene changed as Ryeowook found his younger self holding onto the taller boy. How Ryeowook knew which one he was he had no idea. It was an instinct.
“Hyung, promise you won’t forget me.”
The slight desperation in the voice made Ryeowook’s heart ache. It made Ryeowook want to scoop the other boy into his arms and never let go.
“I promise…” Ryeowook heard his younger self promise as the two children were pulled apart.
As the distance between the two increased, the younger Ryeowook had tears flowing down his face.
“I promise, I promise …”
Ryeowook felt himself waking, despite willing himself to stay in the dream just that bit longer to hear the name.
As the darkness disappeared, Ryeowook found himself staring at the white ceiling once more with a promise on his lips.
“I’ll find you once more. That’s my promise as your hyung.”
Ryeowook sat up on his bed, his hand touching his wet face. Rubbing the tears away, Ryeowook stood up, heading out of his room. Gently, he pushed the door to Hankyung’s room open.
“Geng-ge?”
Hankyung stirred, blinking at the voice.
“Wookie?”
He vaguely saw a nod from the shadow. Reaching to switch on his table lamp, Hankyung looked at his dongsaeng. He was instantly awake when he saw the slightly red eyes. Waving at Ryeowook to come into his room, Hankyung sat up on his bed, creating space for Ryeowook to sit.
“What’s wrong?”
Hankyung wrapped his arms around the younger boy. It had been a long time since Ryeowook had knocked on his door in the middle of the night. Ryeowook had never been one to search for their parents whenever he woke in the middle of the night. Instead, Hankyung was always the one he turned to. And Hankyung could not remember the number of times Ryeowook had spent the night in his bed.
Ryeowook leaned into the hug, not speaking for the next few minutes. Hankyung was about to hum a song when Ryeowook spoke up softly.
“Geng-ge.”
Hankyung nodded, waiting for Ryeowook to continue.
“I want to know my past.”
Hankyung tensed. Of all the things Hankyung had heard Ryeowook say during all his nightly terrors, this was not something he thought Ryeowook would say. He had asked Ryeowook once after the younger boy realised that he had lost his memory when he was younger whether Ryeowook wanted to remember things that happened in the past.
“I don’t need the past Geng-ge. I have the present with you and Umma and Appa. And that’s all I need.”
“Why?”
Ryeowook eased out of the hug, looking directly at Hankyung.
“Because I made a promise. I made a promise to my dongsaeng that I’d not forget him, that I’d find him once more.”
Hankyung stared at Ryeowook, not quite sure how to respond to that.
Ryeowook’s eyes softened as he saw the slight hesitation.
“But Geng-ge will always be my hyung. No matter what.”
Hankyung smiled, ruffling Ryeowook’s hair.
“My Ryeowookie has grown up.”
Ryeowook leaned back into the hug, the two brothers enjoying the moment together.
“I’ll help you find your past.”
Hankyung promised Ryeowook, despite the lingering fear that Ryeowook might leave after discovering his past. But Hankyung understood the promise, the need to fulfil a promise made by the hyung to the dongsaeng.
We will face whatever that comes together. We’re brothers no matter what.