/four/

The ride to the airport was silent and he still thanked her when they arrived, even though she had tried to hold him hostage just moments earlier. At the drop off zone he exited the car and went around to get his belongings from the trunk. Now he was a bit thankful that the dorms were small, had little closet space, and that most of the clothes they wore at shows and performances were borrowed. It saved him the awkwardness of having to return to the dorms for the rest of his things. This way, everything had been able to fit in two luggages.

His personality and his life of the past two years as an EXO member, all packed away like it never happened. He doubted he would be using all the old things he used to wear when he was part of SM Entertainment, but he took things with them because he didn't want his group mates to go into that room and see the traces he left behind. It might make them cling to the hope that he would return.

It was a matter of time before word got out that he had been spotted at the airport with his belongings, but he didn't wait too long at the terminal. By the time the press arrived at the scene, Wu Yifan was already safely seated inside the airplane. The flight to China was very short, about a two hour flight to get to Beijing where he would meet up with his lawyer and a new music company to start his solo project. He had called his mother to meet him there, since it had been years since he last saw her. She was travelling from Guangzhou, Yifan's hometown and would be arriving at the airport within an hour and a half from him. The last person he contacted was Yena.

He knew--from when he and Tao were best friends--that their family had a booming business in real estate. They owned several apartment buildings and hotels around China, and he thought that Yena could help him find a place to stay.

Yena had been very helpful, despite the fact that she didn't want him to leave EXO. During the two hour plane ride, she contacted her father's people and asked them to search for the best apartments in Beijing, at an affordable price. She had also asked them to give Yifan a discount, since he was her friend. They sent her a list of places, which she then forwarded to Yifan and he chose the most desirable one from there. By the end of the flight, he already had a place to call home.

Yena had even sent a car to pick him up at the airport and get him to his new apartment in Beijing. The driver had informed him as he dropped him off that he would go back to the airport to wait for Yifan's mother, per Yena's instructions. 

He entered the building where an agent was there waiting for him. He offered him a friendly smile when he recognized him. "You must be Wu Yifan. Miss Huang Chuyen told me you were in need of an apartment and Huang Real Estate has done everything in its power to accommodate you.." When Yifan only nodded, the man continued. Pulling out a key from his blazer pocket, he placed it in Yifan's hand. "This is your apartment key. The rooms are fully furnished and stocked with food for the first week of living. Afterwards you will be required to purchase your own food. Your apartment is number forty two on the fourth floor."

Yifan took the key from him and thanked him with a bow of his head. He was genuinely surprised that in the span of about two hours, they had managed to solve his housing situation. He would have to text Yena again later to thank her and her family's company.

With his belongings, he took the elevator up to the fourth floor. From there, it was a short distance of a walk until he reached the door with the number 44 on it in gold lettering. 

He unlocked the door and pushed it open to reveal a beautiful apartment with a large window that overlooked the city of Beijing. He had never had such luxury before, except whenever EXO traveled and they stayed in hotels. Back in the dorms, they were always plain and the small windows overlooked the city, but it was a drab view because he always felt like a prisoner overlooking all the things he wanted, but could never obtain. Being in Beijing now, he felt a sense of freedom.

SM Entertainment would no doubt take measures against him for leaving, but he didn't care. He would fight them until the very end. And if he were to lose after everything, he knew he still wouldn't regret his decision. They treated their foreign idols like they were nothing more than objects instead of people.

-

Nearly a month passed without anyone hearing anything about Yifan. The news about him leaving EXO had been forgotten to make way for other SM scandals. There was the rumor that EXO member Lay and Baby Lips maknae Sun were in a secret relationship. Soon, SM dismissed the scandal about Yifan with a press conference stating that the EXO M leader had decided to leave while still having a contract with SM Entertainment and they promised they would fight to have their rights respected as an entertainment company. Instead they were now trying to dismiss rumors that one of their idols was in a relationship with the enemy.

The only one who knew of Yifan's whereabouts was Yena because she had helped him find a new place to live in, now that he was back in China. But even to her, it became something of a mystery. He had been meeting with lawyers and entertainment companies to start an acting career, and he would also later continue with his music career.

He often was busy and went days without texting her, but with Yena's busy schedule, posing as her brother Tao in EXO, she barely had time to look at her messages either. Last she knew, he was getting ready to sue SM Entertainment for the way they treated him to get the termination of his contract over with. But Yena was sure SM wouldn't let it go, even if they were the ones who were wrong. They were a business and the way that they saw it was that letting Yifan leave would make them seem vulnerable. Soon others would seek the same thing.

Yumi didn't hear from Yifan either, but the only way she had to contact him was through social media. He still followed her on instagram, despite having unfollowed all of his former group mates. She checked on his account periodically, hoping to find anything that might let her know where he was, or if he was okay. Even though he had left the group, she wanted to offer her help to him and perhaps through seeing him and talking to him, she might convince him that the best thing for him to do was to return to Korea. She was unaware of the way SM mistreated their idols and was basically unknowingly wanting him to return to the lion's den.

When she could no longer handle not knowing about him, she decided to go to the SM building during practice hours. Of the late, EXO practiced even harder than ever. With their upcoming tour upon them, they were one member less and had to modify all choreographies. All of Yifan's lines--which in reality were not many--were given to Tao. Yena now had to learn all her brother's lines, but Yifan's as well, in both Mandarin and Korean.

It was also a burden on choreographers who had to come up with a whole new set up for the members. Without Yifan, they were uneven and it was a challenge to come up with good formations.

Yumi walked up to the front reception desk at the SM Town Studio, and said in a demanding voice. "I'm here to see Kim Junmyeon. He's a friend of mine."

The woman at the desk didn't recognize her, since no one really knew who the family behind Samsung Telecommunications was. She also had no way of knowing if she really way Junmyeon's friend. But she was dressed in expensive clothes and looked like a person of money, so she thought it best to treat her well. 

"EXO is not allowed any visitors." The woman informed her with a polite smile. "They are practicing hard for their upcoming tour."

Ever since Yifan left, all EXO did was to wake up and go to the practice rooms where they would go over their new dances until they could no longer move their bodies. They were not allowed to talk to anyone, or see anyone. They weren't in any variety shows or even music shows. All they did was practice and they would continue to do that until they could get their dances perfect. SM had already promised the media a special on Happy Camp, where they would talk about the topic, but for the time being they were to remain absolutely silent on the matter.

"I'm not a visitor, I'm a friend." Yumi pointed out, quickly starting to get frustrated. 

Instead of continuing to argue with the woman at the front, she texted Junmyeon to come get her. It took a few minutes, but her friend appeared in the lobby, tired and sweaty, with bags under his eyes. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt and black sweatpants. His messy hair was hidden underneath a black cap. He didn't have the time for anything and threw on the first thing he could find in the morning. The faintest hint of a smile formed on his lips when he saw her.

Yumi rushed over to give him a hug.  

"Yumi-yah." He said, panting from all the practicing he had been doing. "What brings you here to visit us?"

When they pulled away, he led her towards the practice rooms down the hall, leaving the woman at the reception desk alone. It didn't take long before they arrived at the door. Yumi knew it was theirs because of the blaring music coming from it, playing EXO's Overdose, and also the fact that there was a sign on the door with the words Private Practice Session -- Do Not Disturb on it. The other members were inside, going through the choreography once more before taking a short break.

"You're gonna get me in trouble. We can't have any visitors until the tour starts next week." He told her with an amused smile. Though, even through that smile, it was a sad one that didn't touch his eyes. 

"Sorry oppa." She apologized loudly over the music. Just as she was about to continue, the music stopped and Baekhyun's voice was heard inside the room: Good job guys! We'll practice some more when Jun hyung comes back. Now with her voice at a normal volume, she continued, "I was just wondering if you're heard anything from Yifan oppa. Its been weeks since I've seen him." Of course she would leave out the part in which she nearly held him hostage at her house, in her attempts to prevent him from leaving the country. Or the fact that she tried to seduce him into staying. Those were things she was highly ashamed of doing.

Junmyeon gave a saddened shrug of his shoulders. "I haven't talked to him since he left the dorms. I don't think the other boys have talked to him either." He said to her, unknowing that Yena had been keeping in contact with him. She had yet to say anything to them per Yifan's request. She wanted them to know how he was doing, and that he was feeling better now, but there was a mutual resentment between the members and Yifan. 

"Why?" She wondered, her expression dropping into a frown.

Out of all the members, Yifan had been closest to Tao and Junmyeon. It made her sad to know that they no longer kept in touch.

He began to explain with a sigh. "He left us with a huge burden--right before the start of our first tour--without even giving an explanation. He didn't trust us enough to let us know how he was feeling. We would have still been hurt that he was departing, but we would've understood him. We would have supported him. Instead he just packed his things and left without so much as a goodbye." As he finished, his eyes pooled up with tears as he remembered the last time he saw his group mate. He felt betrayed, to say the least, that a person he considered a friend, didn't trust him in return.

Yumi took a step towards him, to offer him a shoulder to cry on in consolation. She didn't know what to say to him. She couldn't even imagine what he was going through. It hurt Yumi--who barely even knew Yifan, other than by his public life. But it probably hurt Yifan, Junmyeon and the EXO boys even more. They had spent so many years together and were like brother's to each other. It was hard for the EXO members to understand that someone they loved so much, could do something like that to them.

Junmyeon quickly wiped away the tears that formed in his eyes and sucked in a breath to steel himself, for the sake of his group mates. "I have to get back to practice. I hope you're doing well, and I hope you can come to our concert next week." 

He gave her a quick hug, opened the door to the practice room, and hurried inside, leaving her alone in the hallway. Yumi was about to walk away when the door opened once more. But instead of her childhood friend Junmyeon, she was met with one of his group mates.

Huang Zitao.

-

oh now yena's gonna get her say in this. its only the fourth chapter, but things are starting to get good. i want to thank everyone who is reading this story--thanks for getting it to over 700 reads. that means so much to me. also, thank you for reading the other stories in the series. i am also currently working on the update for "distance" which is lu and yena's sequel. i've already written about half of the chapter.

but im gonna eat something first before i finish it because well fed minds think better. so please look forward to that.

i hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

-clary