[exo] honey&lightning - v
Title: Honey&Lightning
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: total ~50k
Pairing: BaekYeol
Genre: hurt/comfort, heavy melodrama
Summary: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
Warnings: Highlight for full list mentions of past domestic violence, illness, animal death
He does not quite know how to bring up the missing flyer to Baekhyun, delaying having to talk about it by letting other things distract him. He knows how much Baekhyun wants to see his family again, but Chanyeol is helplessly afraid, unable to bring himself to speak up. The little tab of paper now hides between cards in his wallet, wedged between pieces of plastic like a dead weight. It’s all he can think about every time Baekhyun looks at him in concern, or touches his arm, or even when he speaks to him, and Chanyeol is on edge and irrational, haunted by the knowledge he is concealing from Baekhyun.
The guilt eats at him from inside out, and he almost manages to gather enough courage once or twice, only to be pushed back ten feet when he thinks about how easily he could lose him. Ironically, giving Baekhyun a spare set of keys alleviates his guilt a tiny bit. It lets Chanyeol feel as if he is not keeping Baekhyun with him against his will, since he has the freedom to come and go as he pleases.
Baekhyun, of course, notices the sudden change in his mood and behaviour, but Chanyeol is guessing that he attributes it to his concern over Chorong’s health since his boyfriend has not asked about or tried to probe into his strange moods.
The two of them spend all their spare time at home with Chorong, keeping her company and playing with her whenever they can. She eats even less than before, barely drinking any liquids despite their attempts to coax her in every way that they can think of. Baekhyun had suggested bringing her to the vet again, but she had growled and tensed up at the sound of the word.
Work is a welcome distraction for Chanyeol in the midst of it all. He finds some reprieve in repairing each car or motorcycle that comes through the workshop, sorting out parts and problems mechanically, always making sure to have the vehicles fixed by the end of each day. Kyungsoo stops by for another speed modification to his black Suzuki. He sits silently on the bench while Chanyeol works, none of them speaking to each other. The appearance of his friend reminds Chanyeol of their unresolved fight, and Kyungsoo’s warnings keep ricocheting in his head, unwelcome in the already tumultuous state of Chanyeol’s mind. Kyungsoo stays until closing time, keeping Chanyeol company even after his modifications are done, but he leaves without saying a word.
Chanyeol breaks speed limits when he rides home, letting the rush of adrenaline numb him as he weaves through streets and stretches of highway. He is familiar with all the roads to take to avoid speed cameras from the times he used to go for spins with Kyungsoo and the other guys, but he slows down when he sees his apartment complex in the distance, cruising slowly over tarmac until he is rounding a corner and pulling up into the parking lot.
“Chanyeol!” A familiar voice calls out his name. He is taken by surprise when he finds Baekhyun making his way over to him with Chorong peering around curiously, wrapped up in blankets in his arms.
“Chorong looked kind of sad, I thought some fresh air might cheer her up,” Baekhyun explains as he comes to a stop in front of Chanyeol. Chorong barks softly and tries to lick at his face. “Her mood seems to be slightly better now.”
“She’s heavy isn’t she?” he chuckles, standing up and lifting their dog out of Baekhyun’s grasp, relieving him of her weight.
Baekhyun nods bashfully, stretching his arms.
“Much lighter than before though,” Chanyeol continues. “She’s lost so much weight recently and her limbs are so frail. I feel like i’ll break her if I hold on too tightly.”
Baekhyun helps pick up Chanyeol’s helmet from the seat of his bike, fiddling with the visor while they make their way to the elevator. “Chanyeol…” He begins quietly, hesitating when he steps through the automated doors and into the small space.
“Yeah?” Chanyeol swallows, keeping his eyes trained on his toes.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
*
Baekhyun lingers around him as he settles Chorong back in her dog bed, biting his finger unconsciously, as is his nervous habit. He wastes no time in sitting Chanyeol down across from him at their table, taking a deep breath before he speaks.
“My family is looking for me,” he stutters, fiddling with his fingers while waiting for Chanyeol to react. He reaches into his pocket and unfolds a familiar flyer when Chanyeol does not respond in surprise. The tab that Chanyeol had pulled from the paper before is the only one that is missing. He fishes it out of his wallet and slides it across the table to Baekhyun, still afraid to speak, knowing he has no excuses and Baekhyun has every right to be mad at him.
“You knew about it?” Baekhyun asks, frowning. “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Chanyeol stays silent, chewing on his lip, unable to answer.
“You know how much it means to me don’t you? Why did you hide this from me, Chanyeol?”
“I was scared.” Chanyeol admits simply, clenching his fists in his lap to stop his hands from shaking. “I tried to tell you though, I really did I - “
“ - Scared?” Baekhyun tenses slightly, voice rising in confusion. “Scared of what? Why should you be scared?”
“That you would leave me. Of you leaving,”
“What are you talking about?” Baekhyun furrows his brows in bewilderment. “How can you say that when I feel like you’ve been deliberately making it easy for me to leave, like you’re trying to chase me away?”
“You don’t deserve someone like me, Baekhyun!” Chanyeol bites back in frustration. “How can I make you stay with me when I can’t even promise you a future? When you’ve gone through so much, how can I make you stay and put you through more pain?”
"Fuck, I'm not one of your strays Chanyeol!" Baekhyun hisses at him, finally snapping. “You can’t just decide on your own whether you want to keep me or not! Am I just another charity case to you?” he asks quietly, voice hitching at the end in hurt. Chanyeol can see the way his hands are starting to tremble against the table and he looks up immediately, only to find aching tears in Baekhyun’s eyes.
“No! Of course not - ”
" - I have made so many mistakes in my life Chanyeol, I've fucked up so many times but you, you are not a mistake, loving you is not a mistake!" Baekhyun’s lip is quivering and he tries to turn away when the tears start to fall, wiping at his eyes in annoyance with the hems of his sleeves.
"Why won't you let me show you the same kindness that you've given me so freely, so easily?" Baekhyun pleads, pausing in between words to sniffle. "Trust me, Chanyeol. Have some faith. I want nothing more than to be by your side, with you. I want you. Only you."
Chanyeol reaches across the table to hold his hand, tense but relieved when Baekhyun does not flinch or pull away. “I am a ticking time bomb, a fire hazard. This is just the calm before the storm. People usually take shelter from the lightning and the rain, Baekhyun, not run straight into the heart of it.”
There’s a tense silence between them, and a pain in his chest when he tries to breathe, sad and guilty for being the cause of Baekhyun’s tears.
“You’ll get tired of me,” Chanyeol sighs, rubbing his temples. “You won’t want me anymore Baekhyun, not when I can’t walk, not when my mind can’t remember who I am, or who you are.”
Baekhyun tries to interrupt, but Chanyeol shakes his head and squeezes his hand, continuing.
“How can I ask you to stay when one day these lips will not only forget how to speak your name, but be completely incapable of doing so, when I’ll be losing my mind and I’ll be trapped in this body? I don’t want to do that to you. I can’t keep you captive like that.”
Chanyeol is stunned into silence when Baekhyun slips his hand out of his grip and reaches across the space to hit him once, hard on the cheek. Memories of months before flash through his mind, when Baekhyun had first showed him his hand in the intimate heat of the shower. The sting on his cheek now hurts so much more than it did back then. He bites down on his lip, bearing the pain, knowing he deserves every ounce of it.
“Why are you resigning yourself so easily Chanyeol? You said it yourself, it’s a flip of a coin. It doesn’t matter to me but why do you keep condemning yourself when you don’t know for sure? I should be dead by now,” Baekhyun chokes out painfully, lump caught in his throat. “I probably would have died five months ago. I would have caught a cold and it would have escalated to pneumonia, I should have died alone, curled up on that cold concrete floor. I should be scattered ashes in the wind, dust in the clouds.
“But you kept me warm and you gave me a home by your side - a home I will not leave,” Baekhyun speaks so earnestly Chanyeol regrets ever having doubted him at all.
“There is more to us than love alone,” Baekhyun speaks tenderly, no hint of anger left in his voice. “There will be faith where hope is absent, loyalty and duty in the midst of hurt and despair. This is my promise to you.”
Chanyeol feels the air leave his lungs when Baekhyun leans across the table to kiss his cheek where he had hit him before. He whispers softly into his ear as he moves to stand up, turning away to head for their bedroom. Chanyeol watches helplessly as Baekhyun walks away, stuttering as he tries to think of apologies to say and promises to make, of infinite ways to beg and plead for forgiveness.
Baekhyun closes the door behind him with a firm click, not turning to look back even once.
Chanyeol is left alone in the dark, curled up on his side and clawing at the thorn that’s stuck itself inside his heart, hoping and praying and hoping again while he whimpers Baekhyun’s name like a chant of reprieve into the night.
*
He can feel the knot in his neck before he even sits up, muscles sore from having fallen asleep on the hard and rigid floor. There is a pressure in his head from his nose being blocked, and he groans as he regains his senses, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It takes a few moments more for him to remember the fight he had with Baekhyun the night before, and he scrambles to his feet in panic, tripping over a blanket and stumbling his way to their bedroom only to find the door ajar and Baekhyun gone. The only trace of him ever being there is the bunched up duvet at the edge of the mattress, the tear stains on the fabric, and the imprint of his arm from where he had hugged the pillow tight.
“Baekhyun?” he calls out desperately. He clambers over the mattress to swing open the door of the bathroom. “Baekhyun where are you? Baekhyun, you’re scaring me - ”
Chanyeol’s hysteria is interrupted by a loud, pained bark, and he whips his head around to see his dog in extreme distress.
“Chorong?” He hurries over to her and kneels down by her side, lifting off the blankets from her body to see if she has hurt herself or is bleeding. She doesn’t appear to be physically hurt, but there is something odd about the way her torso rises and falls, strained and almost too rapidly. Chorong whines loudly in between breathless pants for air. A sinking feeling of dread starts growing in his chest, and he fumbles for his phone, quickly typing in the number he has memorised from years ago, listening to his heartbeat thud wildly as he counts the beeps and waits for the receiver to pick up.
“Chanyeol?” Kris’ voice comes through the speaker, confused. “Hey, what’s wro - ”
“ - Kris, help me,” Chanyeol begs. “Kris, please, Chorong can’t breathe and Baekhyun is gone and I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll come and get you,” Kris replies firmly. “Calm down, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Chanyeol can hear Kris running to his car through the receiver even as he nods silently, slipping his phone back into his pocket when his friend hangs up. He tries to soothe Chorong while they wait for Kris to arrive, scratching behind her ears and running comforting hands through her fur even as worry for Baekhyun clogs his mind, confused and overwhelmed by the chaos of this sudden and unexpected turn for the worst.
He gathers Chorong into his arms when he sees Kris’s car pulling into the driveway of the apartment complex through the window, slipping his wallet into his pocket and letting her lean against him while he locks up. Kris is waiting for them when the doors of the elevator slide open at the ground floor. He runs ahead to open the car door for Chanyeol, hopping into the drivers seat when Chorong and Chanyeol are both safely settled in the backseats of the car.
“Where to?” he asks, twisting the key in the ignition and backing up into the street.
“Haneul Animal Clinic,” Chanyeol says as he looks up the address for Kris. “It’s not too far away - just across the bridge. I usually bring Chorong there so they should have her records.”
Kris nods and accelerates, keeping his eyes on the road as he speeds through junctions and weaves through traffic expertly. Chanyeol winds down the window for ventilation, hoping that the fresh air will make it easier for Chorong to breathe.
He squeezes his eyes shut to keep his head from spinning, leaning against the cool glass and trying his best not to be sick even as his stomach twists and curls in on itself, wishing foolishly that this is all a nightmare he can simply wake up from.
*
Kris remains with him in the waiting room after they hand Chorong off to the vet, who tells Chanyeol to wait outside while they see what they can do. He leans calmly against the wall while Chanyeol paces up and down the hallway restlessly, unable to calm his nerves.
“I don’t understand what could have happened,” Chanyeol mutters to himself in frustration while he walks back and forth. “She was perfectly fine last night!”
Kris reaches for his arm to stop him. “Where’s Baekhyun?” he asks cautiously.
“I don’t know, he wasn’t home when I woke up this morning,” Chanyeol chokes out, anxiety tightening around his throat. “What if he really left? What do I do if he’s gone, Kris?”
“Did he leave a note or anything?”
“I-I can’t remember.” He shakes his head pathetically. “I woke up and I couldn’t find him and Chorong was in pain and I called you. Baekhyun doesn’t even have a phone. What if something happened to him as well?”
“I’ll call Kyungsoo and ask him to keep a lookout for Baekhyun.” Kris nudges him away when he sees the vet approaching. “You should go be with Chorong."
“Park Chanyeol?” The vet looks between Kris and Chanyeol, expression stoic. Chanyeol steps forward shakily, feeling his stomach turning uncomfortably as Kris’s grip around his arm loosens.
“Follow me please.”
*
Chorong tries to sit up when Chanyeol is ushered into the room. She frowns at him sadly from where she’s lying on her side on the examination table, hooked up to a respirator that seems to have helped relieve her breathing difficulties for the time being. He walks over to her in haste, running fingers through her fur while the vet takes his place on the other side of the table.
“As you already know, Chorong here has Degenerative Myelopathy,” he begins. Chanyeol nods quietly as he goes through the details, hands never leaving his dog’s side. “She’s in the late stages of her myelopathy and at thirteen years, she’s also considered pretty old for a dog of her breed.”
“Is there anything we can do to help her?” Chanyeol probes, only to have his heart sink when the vet shakes his head sadly.
“We could try mechanical ventilation, but it is extremely costly and we also know that we cannot stop the progress of her disease. She will need to be monitored in the Intensive Care Unit twenty-four hours a day. Medically there is nothing we can do to improve her condition. All we can do is hope to delay the inevitable, and not by a lot.”
Chorong whines when she notices Chanyeol’s hand tensing and the sudden change in his mood. He tries to smile at her and scratch behind her ears, not wanting her to be affected by his emotions.
“Can I have some time to think about this?” Chanyeol asks. “Her other owner isn’t here yet either. Is it possible to wait until he arrives before we make a decision?”
“We’ll keep her on the respirator for now,” The vet nods and gives his shoulder a squeeze. “Let one of the staff know when you’ve decided what to do.”
*
He exits the examination room with his hands shaking, stuffed into his pockets to hide them from Kris. Chanyeol keeps his eyes trained on the ground as he walks back through the quiet corridor to the reception area, afraid to lift his eyes only to be disappointed with the lack of Baekhyun’s presence.
Kris hands him a can of iced tea when he slumps onto the seat next to him, posture stiff as he waits for Chanyeol to say something. Chanyeol can’t bring himself to speak, so he shakes his head instead, and Kris scoots over closer immediately to put a comforting arm around his shoulder in silent understanding.
“Kyungsoo found Baekhyun waiting at a bus stop outside a departmental store,” Kris says softly, smiling when his friend perks up at the mention of Baekhyun’s name. “He’s safe, and they should be here soon.”
Chanyeol nods numbly, taking a sip of his drink and putting the can away on the table. Kris’s reassurance does not bring any relief.
“Baekhyun didn’t leave you, Chanyeol.” His friend sighs in relief, laughing lightly in jest. “Unlike someone else I know.”
“Stop it,” Chanyeol says, and Kris turns to look at him in confusion. “Stop feeling so apologetic towards me.”
“Chan - ”
“You’ve done enough for me already,” Chanyeol speaks firmly, hoping Kris will understand. “You don’t owe me anything, Kris, and I don’t owe you forgiveness.”
“But I - ”
“You’re a great friend; don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.” He nudges Kris in the ribs gently, the way they used to back in high school whenever they wanted to annoy each other. He sees a crack of a smile forming on Kris’s lips and laughs as best he can despite the bleakness of the situation.
The atmosphere between them settles into a comfortable silence after, interrupted only by the whir of the automated doors swinging open, followed by hurried, searching footsteps.
“Chanyeol!”
Chanyeol jerks upright in his seat when he hears Baekhyun’s voice calling his name, finding himself with an armful of Baekhyun before he even has a chance to react or move. He does not flinch at the impact of their colliding bodies from Baekhyun dashing towards him, relishing instead. He lets himself relax as he buries his face in Baekhyun’s shirt, arms tightening more than usual around his thin body, relieved to finally have him back in his arms.
“I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun apologises, bending down to kiss his forehead.
Chanyeol shakes his head wordlessly, biting on his lip as he tries to hold back the flood of emotions that hits him in a merciless wave.
“I’m here now, love,” Baekhyun whispers as he rubs Chanyeol’s back, trying to reassure him.
“Please don’t leave me,” Chanyeol begs as he sobs into Baekhyun’s chest, clinging desperately, pressing as close as he can. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Chanyeol, I made a promise to you didn’t I?” Baekhyun smiles. “I’m here to stay.”
Baekhyun rubs his back until he is calm enough to pull away, but only as much as he needs to so he can look up at Baekhyun, still sniffling even as Baekhyun sighs and wipes the tears from his eyes. Baekhyun tries to wiggle out of his grip so he can sit down next to Chanyeol, but he shakes his head and refuses to let go. Seeing Baekhyun by his side is not enough; he had to touch him, hold him to make sure he does not disappear like a cruel illusion, anchoring him with physical contact.
The receptionist eyes them from behind her desk, but Baekhyun pays her no mind and bends down to kiss Chanyeol full on the lips. Chanyeol is taken aback by his sudden show of affection, holding on tightly to Baekhyun as he leans into him, breathing him in eagerly, heartbeat racing as he recalls how afraid he had been when he thought he had lost him.
Baekhyun giggles when Chanyeol tries to nibble on his lips, expression serious again when Chanyeol finally unwinds his arms from around his sides.
“What happened to Chorong?” he asks gently as he settles down next to Chanyeol, holding on to his hand when he notices him tensing up from the loss of contact. “She was fine when I went out this morning. She even ate more than usual when I fed her.”
“She was having difficulty breathing when I woke up,” Chanyeol recounts sadly. “I panicked and called Kris - where’s Kris?”
“He went outside to talk to Kyungsoo while you were bawling your eyes out and squeezing me to death,” Baekhyun chuckles, smiling fondly at Chanyeol’s flush of embarrassment and his red, puffy eyes. “What did the vet say?”
“There’s nothing they can do to help her,” Chanyeol sighs, resigned.
“It’s time to let her go, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun leans his head against his shoulder and twines their fingers together. “You can’t save everyone, love. You can’t fix everything.”
Chanyeol bites down hard on his lip, clenching his jaw to stop himself from crying again. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“I’m absolutely sure she was happy with you,” Baekhyun tries to comfort him with a kiss on the cheek. “She couldn’t have had a kinder soul for an owner.”
“Actually I think she likes you more,” Chanyeol laughs sheepishly through the tears, grasping Baekhyun’s hand as the smaller one hoists him up, twining their fingers together again when they walk side by side through the corridor.
“Let’s go send our princess off with a smile.”
*
Chanyeol does not remember most of what happens after Chorong’s eyelids droop shut, leaving them for an eternity of peaceful sleep. Baekhyun had wept quietly while Chanyeol had clung to him, trembling for a moment before he steeled his heart and resolved to be strong for Chanyeol, holding him and standing steady as a rock as they weathered the storm together.
He sits silently by Baekhyun as his little lionheart fills out the forms for Chorong’s cremation. Baekhyun turns occasionally to kiss his forehead in comfort in between checking boxes and writing in print, pausing to nuzzle him whenever Chanyeol lets his head rest weakly against his shoulder.
“You forgot this,” Kyungsoo approaches Baekhyun once he is done submitting the form to the receptionist, holding out a folded paper envelope with a small smile.
“Oh!” Baekhyun gasps in surprise, hugging the brown packet to his chest as Chanyeol glances at them in confusion. “Thank you, Kyungsoo.”
“Do you guys need a ride back? Kris had to leave a earlier because of an urgent case, but he says he’ll give you a call soon.”
“It’s alright. I think we could use a nice long walk,” Baekhyun smiles appreciatively and Chanyeol nods in agreement, sticking close to Baekhyun as they step through the glass doors onto the street. He thanks Kyungsoo and waves as he speeds away on his bike.
“What’s in that envelope?” Chanyeol asks, curiosity piqued from Baekhyun’s earlier reaction. He blinks, startled when Baekhyun swiftly hides the packet behind his back.
“I’ll show you when we get to the park.” He shakes his head firmly even when Chanyeol pouts. “But we’ll stop by the market first before we go. There’s something I want to buy.”
Chanyeol nods and lets Baekhyun lead him through the bustle of the late afternoon streets, gaze trained on their clasped hands while he empties his mind to the static, blank noise around him, smiling when he glances up to see Baekhyun with his eyes turned to the sky.
*
The sun is beginning to set by the time they reach the park, painting the streaks and swirls of puffy clouds a nostalgic amber and pink. Little tufts of grass are beginning to perk up in patches across the waking, barren ground, accompanied by the occasional wildflower or dandelion. Rocks and soil crunch under the soles of their boots when they stroll to the wooden bench.
“Open it,” Baekhyun says as he hands him the envelope, sidling closer so he can peek. “Remember those disposable cameras you bought for me? I brought them to a shop to get the film developed and printed this morning. I haven’t seen how they’ve turned out yet. I wanted to bring them home and look at them with you.”
“Those pictures from Christmas?” Chanyeol asks, smiling at the happy memories.
“Those and well, some that I sneaked of you when you weren’t looking,” Baekhyun admits sheepishly.
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Chanyeol apologises, full of regret, but Baekhyun shakes his head and kisses his cheek, telling him it’s okay. “I really am.”
“You’re forgiven as long as you learn to trust me,” Baekhyun nudges his arm with a kind smile. “Come on, Chanyeol, open it before it gets too dark to see.”
The first print has them both laughing out loud - Chorong is a blur in the photograph, her tongue hanging out of her mouth and her eyes wide with a dazed expression on her face. Chanyeol laughs when he looks at the picture again, turning to grin at Baekhyun.
“That was when I got too close and she tried to climb onto me,” he recalls fondly, shuffling the stack to reveal the next photo. Baekhyun almost shrieks when he registers the image printed on the matte paper, swiping the photograph out of Chanyeol’s hands, horrified.
“Did I see that right?” Chanyeol smirks, trying to nick the paper from Baekhyun’s outstretched hand. “Did you really take a selca next to me sleeping?”
“No! I didn’t!” Baekhyun denies in despair, protesting until Chanyeol silences him with a kiss, nibbling on Baekhyun’s bottom lip when the smaller man stops struggling.
“I’m keeping this,” Chanyeol chuckles as Baekhyun surrenders to him, face red in embarrassment. “How you even managed to take a selca with a disposable camera is beyond me. Little creep.”
“I happen to be a selca master,” Baekhyun huffs in reply, hurriedly shuffling through the next couple of shots, which are all pictures of Baekhyun’s candid expressions with an unaware Chanyeol in the background. “My skills happen to be a little off right now because I haven’t had a phone in a while.”
“We’ll take more together,” Chanyeol promises and bumps their noses together, laughing. “No more stalker shots.”
They manage to get through the entire stack just as it begins to get too dark to see, laughing happily at fond memories of the times they had spent with Chorong and each other. Baekhyun straddles him once the sun is down, kissing him tenderly and grinning in relief when Chanyeol giggles contentedly and dips his head down to suck on the delicate skin of his collarbone, leaving a fresh pinkish mark just above the hollow.
Baekhyun indulges him and returns his affections eagerly until night has completely fallen and the park is as dark as it gets, save for the soft white glow of the lamps scattered around the perimeters and walkways.
“Let’s go light the lantern,” he whispers against Chanyeol’s lips ever so softly before wiggling away, picking up the folded sky lantern they had bought from the market earlier. Chanyeol follows after him with a box of matches until they reach the middle of the field, squatting down to light the wick as Baekhyun holds the paper lantern steady. He steps back when Baekhyun lets go, watching the paper craft float upwards into the night sky, joining the twinkling glow of the stars.
“Bye, Chorong,” Baekhyun says quietly.
They stand side by side while they watch the wind lift the lantern upwards and out of sight, until the orange light of the flame is a tiny speck in the vast darkness of the night. Chanyeol gathers the courage in his heart and reaches for Baekhyun’s hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing it tight.
“Baekhyun?” he starts, chewing nervously on his lip. Baekhyun turns to look at him attentively, waiting patiently for him to continue.
“I want to get tested.”
“Are you sure?” Baekhyun asks gently.
Chanyeol nods firmly, resting his forehead against Baekhyun’s.
“I need to know.”
part: vi