Secrets Revealed

Another Secret

TW: Eating Disorders 

Everything was going along fine for a while for the team. They kept winning competitions, K was eating again, and everyone was in a better mood. They had made a strict schedule for K that they made sure he followed. Cat and Ming being the ones that enforced it the most. They made sure to have patience with him when he was going through particularly rough days. During those days, K never ate with the whole team, he would go sit on the couch or go up to his and Cat's shared room. Someone always went with him to make sure he was eating and that he wouldn't throw it all up. To everyone's surprise Lu Yue started to become one of K's more trusted comforters. No one knew why though fully except for Lu Yue. To K it was strange how he had started to trust Lu Yue more of all people but he for once didn't argue with himself over this fact. He felt as if Lu Yue somehow knew what he was feeling and what he was going through. Rui, Cheng, Yao, and Piang didn't question either when they saw how K would relax slightly more when he was around these three people. They did try to ask Cheng why Lu Yue seemed to understand K but Cheng was as lost as any of them. They all saw how Lu Yue was the first to notice his bad days when he didn't want to eat, how Lu Yue would then take his food into the kitchen for a moment and then come back with it for K after making the pieces smaller. They didn't know why this technique worked either, but they were happy when they saw that K was eating. In a few weeks after the last hospital incident, it was time for the follow up appointment the doctor requested that they would make to see if he had made any progress. Ming and Cheng went with him to the appointment. Ming more so for comfort, while Cheng could handle all the information and technical terms to report to Rui to help make a better plan/schedule for K. The doctor asked simple questions to K before he stepped out of the room. K just wanted to go back home. It was too cold here, but whether it was because it was just the hospital that was cold or the fact that they were told K could wear he warm long sleeve shirts to the appointment for some reason he couldn't tell. A part of him knew though that it was because he basically had no body warmth because he was so skinny even though he still didn't see it when he looked in the mirror. When the doctor came back, he talks a bit more with them mostly to Cheng before he told them that they were free to leave. "Ming goes with K to the car. I have something I need to do first. I won't be long." Cheng told the other two. Ming was curious, but nodded and took K back down to where the car was parked. Cheng on the other hand ran and caught up with the doctor. "Ah, yes can I help you?" "I just wanted to ask, say you knew someone that had an eating disorder, and another person that as far as you know has never had problems eating in his life and you have known this other person all your life. Now say that when the first persons eating disorder is revealed the second somehow knows exactly what to do and what the first person's mood is before anyone else and the second knows how to get the first to eat with out much of a problem. Why does the second person know how to do this so well? Did that make sense?" Cheng asks. The doctor nodding in understanding before he replied to the question, "Usually that means one of three things, one that the second person has done a great lot of research on this matter, two they know or have known someone else with an eating disorder, or three that person has or has had an eating disorder." Cheng thanked the doctor after this explanation and thought to himself as he walked to the car. It wasn't the first option Lu Yue had never done an ounce of research in his life, two might be the most possible Cheng didn't know everyone Lu Yue did and maybe perhaps that was the reason, but the thought that made his blood run cold was when his considered the third and final option, that his little brother either has or had an eating disorder. Cheng pushed away his thought and decided that he would simply just ask Lu Yue when they got home. Which was exactly what he did. K was tired when they got back to the base but they didn't let him go upstairs and sleep not when it was so close to mealtime. So instead, K went upstairs and changed into probably the warmest sweater he owned and went downstairs to watch a movie with Ming and Cat. Cheng pulled Lu Yue away from his computer where he was practicing and led (dragged) him up to his room and closed the door. "What is that I've done now?" Lu Yue asked (whined). "How do you know what to do?" he asked bluntly. "Yeah, that's real clear. Did you go crazy when you took K to the hospital? It could have been the smell; you've always complained about how mu- ""With K how do you know so much? I asked the doctor to see if he might know which was about as helpful as talking to the wall, he said it was either because of doing research, knowing someone with an already existing eating disorder, or said person having or had an eating disorder. So, explain." Oh, that was what Cheng wanted to know. "It could just be option four. I just have a natural talent when it comes to these things." He lied. "Impossible, the only talent you have is getting people to through things at your head." Lu Yue gulped and sat down at the end of bed when he saw that his brother was serious and there was no escape from answering him. "How much do you want to know?" He asked his older brother. Cheng sat down beside him and in a rather surprisingly gentle voice said "As much as you'll tell me." Lu Yue knew that this day was always going to come round and that he'd have to tell Cheng, he had played the scenario a million times in his head trying to prepare himself but he never could figure out how he was supposed to tell him this, it wasn't easy. "I guess it started a few years ago when I first joined ZGDX. When I was starting to get more well known. It seemed like a good thing at first but then the comments came. From online, from people who went to our competitions, even people from the other teams we competed against. All of them said how ugly I was compared to you, that I just needed to lose weight. I did my best to ignore them but over time they got in my head and I just stopped eating, I guess. Then there was the fight were Mung got injured. I was banned from playing, you wouldn't answer when I called, Ma and Ba only talked to me when they about who they were setting up a blind date with for you, or their most recent fights, or how Ma or Ba would leave and not come back home for a few days. I- I just ate less and less. I still had those thoughts stuck in my head and then the blame for hurting Ming, it was just consuming I guess would be the word. I starting getting better on my trip to Africa. I met this woman there were I was staying and she noticed how much I didn't eat and then lectured me on how I should be grateful, and eat the food before me because not everyone in the country got food. When I told her about what happened she told me probably my favorite saying ever now she told me 'When stormy nights come to this land, I always bring three things with me where ever I go. A light, even the smallest light can be enough to give you courage to move. A staff to lean on and to help find the dangers of the night. And a song. A song to give you strength and power, to make you feel better. When I bring those things with me a stormy night isn't as scary and hard to get through as it seems.' She told me to find my light something to help guide my way, a staff i.e. someone to lean on and help shoulder the burdens that become too heavy to carry, and a song. I guess that gave me some perspective. Since then, I have found little tricks that makes it easier to eat like cutting food into small pieces." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Like I said you never answered your phone. And since I've been back there has just never been a right time." "Where you ever going to tell me?" "I was going to tell you eventually. I promise that." "Do you still have an eating disorder?" "Nope! I am proud to say that I haven't relapsed for seven months thirteen days and five hours." Lu Yue stated proudly and whilst smiling. Cheng smiled back at him. They decided to go join K, Ming, and Cat to finish the movie but were stopped by Tong Yao at the bottom of the stairs. "What were you two doing up there? Planning on throwing us all into the sea?" Lu Yue walked around Tong Yao and sent a nod to Cheng letting him know that he could tell her what they were talking about. When they all went to sit down for dinner, before Lu Yue could sit down, he was almost tackled over by Tong Yao hugging him. Everyone looked confused at why Tong Yao would be hugging him so he decided to tell everyone his story. He could see that it helped K. It really did help K. It gave him a hope he had been missing.