The Diamond Race | discontinued

chapter 16

06:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Baekhyun couldn't remember how he had gotten into bed, let alone changed into a clean pair of pajamas. His head pounded as he he forced himself upright from the bed, taking in his surroundings through squinting eyes. He was in his shared room with Chen. He spotted the water and aspirin on the small bedside table, instantly swallowing the pills and gulping down the water in an attempt to quell the throbbing sensation in his head.

"Well, well. Look who rose on the third day." Chen stood by the door, with his training gear on.

"What?" Baekhyun frowned.

"Here." Chen tossed Baekhyun a pair of sunglasses. "I doubt you'll be able to see very well today. You chose the worst time to drink yourself to death, you know that right? Xiumin wants us to do a team sparring session, to get to know the other guys. You've got ten minutes to get ready."

Baekhyun merely blinked slowly at Chen, his brain barely processing the information the other had just given him.

"Earth to Baekhyun?" Chen waved a hand in his friend's face, growing concerned by the silence.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'll get ready." Baekhyun sighed as he slipped on the sunglasses.

He stood up quickly, instantly making the world spin. Chen reached out for Baekhyun, holding him up by an arm so he would not fall.

"I'm fine." Baekhyun scowled and wrestled out of Chen's grip. "I'll be down in a bit. You can go now."

Chen opened his mouth, a question on his lips about the night before, but Baekhyun was gone faster than he could speak, vanishing with a slam from the bathroom door. Sighing to himself, Chen left the room. He wanted to ask, wanted to know, but he knew it wasn't his place to force Baekhyun to talk. They had been separated during their evaluations, Chen under Lay's supervision and Baekhyun under D.O's. Something had happened on the last day of their evaluations. Lost in thought, Chen swiped aimlessly through the hologram notifications on his watch.

"Chen."

He turned his head, eyes landing on Lay who stood in his training gear. He silently beckoning Chen to come closer by the door to his room.

"What?" Chen narrowed his eyes at Lay.

Lay had been Chen's past instructor and nothing had surprised him more, than when he had found out the other was not much older than him. That and Lay's uncanning ability to find out secrets without speaking to anyone.

"I just want to talk."

"About who?"

"Suho."

Chen felt himself tense against his will and he sweared in his head when he saw the look of knowing in Lay's eyes. He really had no choice but to follow the other. After the door closed behind him, Lay offered him a seat on his bed.

"I'll stand, thanks."

Lay shrugged and sat on the bed himself, leaning against the wall, with his eyes still on Chen. The room was rather cozy looking. A large soft rug was beside the bed, which was covered in fluffy looking blankets and puffy tasseled pillows. A sheep pillow pet sat at the head of the bed looking just as much out of place as it did fit right in. Small candles decorated the sole windowsill in the room and there was a faint smell of incense in the air. To a regular person, this would have been relaxing, but Chen knew better.

"You wanted to talk about Suho. So talk."

"You're tense."

"Anyone would be around you."