Metal

11%

Tao takes one look at Sehun's smile, folds his arms across his chest, reaches up, and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Oh Sehun, you are an emotional roller coaster, did you know that? What are you doing?" Tao does not appreciate the confused feeling bubbling up in him. 

"Easy," Sehun replies. "I'm giving up."

Tao raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

The corner of Sehun's lip twitches. "We're going to be sick of each other eventually. You can't stay with me forever. So why waste my time when the inevitable will surely come?"

There was hope in his voice; Tao had heard it.

"Why do you want me to go so badly?" Tao asks as he walks over to the side of the bed. Sehun sits up against a pillow.

"Simple. You ruined my life."

"Oh yeah? What about it?" Tao crosses his arms again.

"My social life."

"Jongin's still your friend, isn't he? If anything, you even have me now." He shoots back at him.

"My home life."

"Your parents are alive and well. Your butler, your staff -- all present."

"My reputation." Sehun's starting to grit his teeth. 

"You refused to talk to your classmates in the first place."

"My family."

Tao laughs at that one. He curls that cat-mouth of his into a crooked smirk at Sehun, but it doesn't reach his eyes, which suddenly seem colder than usual. "You were lonely anyways, weren't you?"

The icy words find its mark and buries themselves directly into Sehun's heart. His blood starts to boil. "My... my-"

Tao interjects before he could go any further. "Sehun, half of the things you said had nothing to do with me. In reality, nothing around you has changed. Maybe it's just you."

He leaves the room, cutting his visit, and Sehun's pride, short.

-------

Returning to the manor is a small pleasure for Sehun. However much he enjoys being back in his own room, he has lost the ability to find comfort in his own routines ever since that last conversation with Tao. It's a bittersweet feeling, a bit like eating chocolates the day after Valentines' Day, or reading a book after watching the movie. It's a sort of itch in the back of his head, as if something's not quite right. That he should be doing something different.

Maybe it's just you. The words repeat themselves in his mind.

Him? Change? It seems incredulous. No such thing. He had always been Oh Sehun, and always will be. But it was too late. He had begun to doubt himself, and once that seed is planted, it can only really grow.

It's late afternoon outside, the sky making blurred orange-reds and the sun appears to be setting earlier and earlier with each passing day. Sehun's room is dim, hardly any sunlight enters through the window. He sits down on his bed (the blankets feel so familiar to him; he takes a moment to close his eyes and breathe in) right as he hears the doorknob turn to see Wu Yi Fan walk in and stop inside the doorway.

"Welcome home, young master." Yi Fan gives him the smallest smile, barely noticeable. He's a serious man, little time for overdoing emotions and whatnot when he's busy serving the Oh family and managing things in the house whilst they're gone.

"Glad to be back, Yi Fan. How have you been?" His returning smile is strained.

"Quite fine, thank you, sir." The butler nods his head. "I hope you're feeling better."