MORE THAN YOU KNOW (a HunHan novella)

CHAPTER 2 - CLOSER (Luhan)

I reach over the sink to pull out some tissue to dry my hands, but stop abruptly as drops of blood appear on the white sink. I look at myself in the mirror and watch as blood drips from my nose. I grip the edges of the sink tightly as I feel more lightheaded each second that passes.

Not now.

I hear the door opens.

"Are you all right? Luhan?" someone asks in a small voice.

I turn my head and see a boy with tousled amber hair. Sehun.

"I'm fine," I answer weakly.

"You don't look all right," he says as he steps closer to me.

I open my mouth to speak, but stop as pain lances through my head. My grip tightens on the sink as I take shallow breaths. I can't feel my body. My vision blurs. A heavy feeling settles over me. I lose consciousness.

****

I wake up to a bright room. I blink a couple of times for my eyes to adjust. I lay on a soft bed. A smell of antiseptic reaches my nose. I must be in the school clinic.

"You're awake," a voice says. I turn my head to see Sehun standing next to my bed.

"Yeah." I struggle to sit up, my head throbs a bit.

"Do you feel all right?" a new voice asks.

I look up to see Nurse Choi walking towards me. She touches my forehead lightly.

"I'm all right," I tell her. "Just a bit dizzy."

She looks at me strangely for a moment. I turn to Sehun.

"Thank you," I say. "You can go now."

"Uh...are you sure?" he asks, concern etched on his face.

I nod at him. He looks like he's about to say more, but he just waves at me and leaves the clinic.

I turn to Nurse Choi.

"By some chance, are you sick?" she asks.

I shake my head.

"But it looks like it," she says as she studies me closely. "You should see a doctor."

"I'm fine, Nurse Choi. Thank you for your concern," I tell her.

She sighs as she hands me some medicine for headache.

"You're still young. Take care of your health," she mumbles and gives me a small smile.

I nod and thank her again.

****

"Hyung," my brother calls as I go up the stairs to my room.

"Yeah?"

I turn and see Chanyeol standing at the foot of the stairs, his earphones dangling from his neck.

"Have you seen my iPad?" he asks me.

"I saw it on the couches yesterday," I reply.

"Oh? But I've just looked there." He scratches the back of his head. "Perhaps I didn't look thoroughly."

I smile at him before heading off to my room.

I go straight to my bed and lie down. Dad's photo on my bedside table smiles at me. He died fifteen years ago. I was only three then, Chanyeol was only a year old. We hadn't known Dad for long.

"I miss you Dad," I whisper.

A knock comes from my door. Mom walks in with a box in her hands.

"Hi Mom," I greet her as I sit up. "What's that?"