Twelve || 亦凡

/five/

/five/

"Hey Tao-ssi." Yumi greeted him with a sigh, and the faintest hint of a smile as he approached her. Inside the practice room she could hear the music blaring again, signaling to them that the boys inside were resuming their dance rehearsal. Yumi's shoulders slumped in disappointment at the fact that she knew nothing of Yifan's whereabouts since he had left to China. She didn't even know if he was doing okay--eating, sleeping, or with a place to live. He had been her favorite member when he was in EXO and she still worried for him. She still cared about him because she would always see them as twelve members in her heart. She had also been dismayed by the fact that the others had let him go so easily.

They had unfollowed him on social media and according to Junmyeon, none of them had talked to him since he moved out of the SM building. With Tao standing there before her, she now wondered what he had to say to her. Perhaps he had some information for her on Yifan's status and well being. But that she knew of, Tao and Yifan no longer got along. They were no longer friends since the EXO M leader decided to leave the group.

The two had been best friends--inseparable--but Tao had posted a hurtful post on social media, signaling Yifan out for being a traitor and leaving the group. Yifan had retaliated with a message of his own and then proceeded to erase every trace of Tao from his life. The pictures on all of his accounts, his number from his phone's contact list. He made it so that it would appear that Tao had never existed in his life. He hadn't even done that for the other members. He still followed Lu Han and Yixing--because they still followed him on instagram--but had unfollowed the Korean members who had been easily influenced to turn on him by the SM managers. He even no longer talked to Junmyeon, who was another close friend of his when he was in EXO. But with Tao is was different. He felt betrayed by the person that had called himself his best friend. If he really had been his friend, he would have understood and supported him.

"You really care about Yifan, don't you?" Tao asked her, a smile formed on his lips. 

He had noticed what Yifan had failed to. That even though she was spoiled and capricious and hated not getting her way, she truly cared about him. That was why she wanted him to stay, not for any other reason. 

Yumi nodded her head. "I just want to know if he's okay."

Tao mulled over a thought for the moment, debating with himself whether to confess a detail that he knew or not. Yumi had yet to realize--just like the rest of the EXO members--that who they thought was Huang Zitao was actually Huang Chuyen, his twin sister who was taking his place as a result of an injury. Yifan wasn't talking to the real Tao because he felt back stabbed and betrayed by him. But he had no problems with his sister Yena. In fact, he was even jealous of Lu Han because he knew that she liked him and he wanted that love and affection for himself.

"You don't have to worry about him." Tao assured her with a friendly smile. 

But he appeared tired, with bags under his eyes and sweat pouring down his face. Junmyeon had been the same when she saw him. And she knew the rumors were probably true. With Yifan leaving the group, they had to work harder than ever to make up for what he had left behind. Now their upcoming tour would take place without him and they had to change their choreography for every song and distribute Yifan's parts in songs.

When Yumi said nothing, Tao continued speaking. "You can't tell anyone that I told you this, but I talked to my family about his situation and they promised to help him." Now Yumi was very confused because of what she had read online about the feud between the two supposed former friends. "They helped him get an apartment at one of our buildings and helped him get in contact with his lawyers. I think its going to be a rough few weeks for all of us, but we'll all be okay."