STEP

CHAPTER 12 PART I

Rushing to open the dorm door, all that awaits is Jongdae and the two empty rooms. A message from Sehun sets Luhan's ringtone off: "Happy birthday brother." He glances at the time, 20th April, 12:01am.
"Where is Yixing?" Disposing his phone into the bag again, Luhan flashes a frantic look at Jongdae.
"He's just in the building beside." Jongdae points out the window.

Dashing up the 2nd level and into Sehun's room, Yixing is playing his computer game right at the bedside, the person standing beside him is chatting with Sehun.
"Brother," Sehun looks to Luhan, "you saw it...." Without even finishing his sentence, Luhan now already has himself thrown in Yixing's embrace.
"Hey, you're going to strangle me to death...." Yixing gazes at the disappointed Sehun and awkwardly grips onto Luhan's arm, "Sehun is speaking to you, hey...." He whispers in Mandarin.

Chen? Kris frowns.

Chen smiles embarrassingly at Kris, "then....... I'll leave you guys to chat, I'm returning to my place." He points in the direction of next door and leaves the room.

Pausing for two seconds as he watches Chen's back view, Kris slowly enters Chanyeol's room, Sehun looks emotionally at Luhan, before the latter follows Kris out.
Chanyeol silently packs his bag and watches as Kris enters, subconsciously, he stops his movements.
"What?" Kris looks into his bag to see bottles with english fonts, and then a mask lying above it all.
"I'm sending this to Baekhyun tomorrow." Chanyeol droops his eyelids, "the doctor said he still needs to stay a little longer for observation purposes."
"He's........ injured?" Kris frowns, selecting his words cautiously.
Chanyeol and Sehun both shoot the clueless him a look.
"Yes, and that's if you consider severe depression an injury."

Minutes later, Kris enters the next room, "Luhan, come here for awhile." His face sweep of all smiles.
Luhan stands, eyeing him suspiciously. Yixing stands too, holding on to Luhan.

"What did the doctor say, he has to stay for observation? Can't he just take pills?" Yixing's line reverberates, similarly wiping all smiles off Luhan's face.
"The doctor claims that his condition right now is beyond self healing, the severe depression may deteriorate and lead to suicide symptoms, but we can't possibly keep an eye on him 24/7." Chanyeol lowers his head.
"But didn't the doctor mention that his treatment has been working?" Yixing frowns, "as long as we interact more with him, attract his attention and avoid provoking him... He is so cheerful by nature......" Yixing stops.
"He is actually wide awake, he understands his situation and is working hard to recuperate...." Chanyeol says, "but it's the insomnia and the occasional restlessness, anxiety, and anything especially involving Jongin."
"Who would still mention Jongin in front of him, haven't we cleared it up?" Yixing says, "Just tell him not to go online."
"It can't be avoided, the daily outbreaks through the newspapers, news and internet....." Chanyeol continues, "he too, is part of EXO, avoiding is simply impossible."

Luhan's face whitens, he eyes Kris, the other stays rooted to the spot.
Where's Jongin? When he was rushing out of Jongdae's room and into Yixing's, why didn't anyone think of this question?

From where should the story begin, Tao has no idea, he looks at Luhan and Kris sitting opposite him and runs his hands through his hair, "no one is at fault, do we really have to bring up the incident?"

Beginning from the afternoon that day, the rain pours rhythmically, the preset cell phone reminder rings, Tao vaguely recalls the drama ready made more than a year ago, retrieving the pen from a corner in the dresser, he creeps downstairs silently.

Luhan tosses the blanket over himself and goes to sleep, face a little reddish. On the bedside table sits a thermometer and a glass of water. Kris leans against his bedframe, as though asleep too.