The Bugatti drove into a dirt road, the tires thrashing through the delicate dandelions below. Kris parked the car in front of a trail—one that led deep into the forest it seemed. He stepped out and headed towards the lush green forest, paying no mind to the gentle rain droplets that fell upon the shoulder of his black suit.

After surveying your surroundings, you followed behind the man. His sister lived here? In the middle of a forest? Well, now that you thought about it, this situation wasn’t that unusual. After all, Kris’ mansion was located in a similar setting. Though it made you wonder, why didn’t Mei just live with Kris?

Walking close behind him, you noticed how the expression on his face had drastically changed. His dark eyes had returned, his gaze focused solely on the path in front of him. “You know, you should really ask your sister to live with you. Don’t you think this place is a little,” you paused, glancing towards the owl that was seated on a thick branch nearby. “—creepy?”

There was no response to your suggestion. Certainly it seemed as if Kris had returned to his regular self, the Kris you encountered back at the store must’ve been a figment of your imagination.

As the walk to Mei’s home was nearing the ten-minute mark, you wiped an exhausted hand over your sweaty forehead. “How far does your sister live anyway?”

“Just a bit further.” He spoke.

After another ten minutes or so, you felt your ankle begin to cramp. Crouching down to the ground you inhaled, taking in a breath of fresh pine. In front of you, Kris could be seen heading further away.

At least wait for me you jerk.

Just then you felt a rain droplet on your cheek. It was about to rain and you’d forgotten to bring an umbrella. Glancing in front of you, you noticed that Kris was already a distance away. Disregarding all fatigue, your feet brought you towards him. “Yah! Just where does your sister—”

When your gaze fell upon the large green field in front of you, your heart sank to your knees. The field was surrounded by trees; one lone tombstone stood amongst the bright purple crocus flowers. Kris walked towards it, the rain now beginning to pour, drenching his blonde locks without ado. As he approached the gravestone, he immediately fell to his knees, the damp dirt sticking to his pants.

Mei… is dead.

Kris reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out what looked to be some sort of necklace. You stood behind a tree, observing the man before you. There was an empty feeling in your heart as you watched him place the necklace on the stone.

“Happy… Birthday Mei.” He said. “…Today you turn twenty. You haven’t forgotten, have you?” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He ran a gentle palm along the tombstone, bending over to place his forehead on the cold rock. “You’re doing well… right?” he exhaled, his vision becoming fuzzy.

Subconsciously you placed your hand over your heart in an effort to ease the pain that was forming within it. Kris was grieving, yet it felt as if you were somehow an equal contender to the feeling.

“Mei… have you forgiven me yet?” he whispered, the rain disguising the lone tear that slipped past his dark eyelashes. “Please… just say that you’ve forgiven me… that you’re okay. Just for once, please Mei.” He said, his words slurring. “P-Please Mei.” At last, his voice surrendered, his hands tightening around the edges of the stone. This sight was all too familiar.  Fifteen years ago, was it?; A young girl, torn and afraid, standing before two tombstones with nothing to her name but the clothes on her back.

Mom… Dad…

Life was nothing but a waltz with death. The relentless fear of losing your life or that of a loved one, isn’t that the nature of human life?

Nothing is ample for us, we constantly want more. More money, more fame, more success. We’re so deep in love with the concept of ‘more’ that we never stop to consider the fact that we might just have enough. Family, friends, love; these are the factors that fill our live so abundantly. Likewise, these are the concepts that we take for granted, only stopping to reminisce their loss when they’re already out of our reach.

As if they had a mind of their own, your feet made their way over to Kris. It was raining heavily; your vision had become hazy, though it wasn’t necessarily due to the rain.  Sinking down next to him, you watched the man as he cried. For his dead sister. For the world that consisted of death and pain. This world was cruel indeed, just when you thought you’d won the fight against life, it takes another shot. And just like that, everything crumbles before your eyes.

“Please.” He wept, his hand now weakly resting upon the cold stone. Your hand reached out towards him until it landed on the side of his face. He glanced at you; his eyes red, broken, and defeated. “Just once… won’t she forgive me?” he asked. He looked like a small child, a child that has made a mistake and is seeking forgiveness. But even that child knows that forgiveness doesn’t come easy. The heart is a selfish being, one that caters only to its desires. And some mistakes simply cannot be taken back.

A tear slipped past your barriers, vanishing amongst the falling rain. “I’m… sorry.” You whispered. Kris shut his eyes, his body leaning over until it fit right into the crevice of yours. Without hesitation you wrapped your arms around him and his head fell to your shoulder.  

In that moment it felt as if the two of you were the only inhabitants of the world; hidden and cut off from all life. Two lost souls that understood pain, loss, and the reality of life. Indeed, you couldn’t deny your resentment towards the man for his past decisions. But at this very second, as his weary head called for the comfort of an empathetic shoulder, it didn’t seem as if the two of you were all that different.

For several minutes the two of you remained that way. His soft blonde fringe hid his eyes as his body lay reliant on yours. With delicate fingers you brushed away his hair, earning a dazed look from the man. He sluggishly lifted his head, his dreary eyes gazing deep into yours.  His palm reached out towards you until it rested on your head. Even with the absence of sound, several words were exchanged. Two of which held most importance.

Thank you.

A/N

Poor Kris baby :(

Okay but I'm forever obsessed with angst, it's just so fun to write!

 I just came back from my trip to Vancouver and I picked up a bunch of Korean skincare items from Nature Republic and I'm kinda in love. I really wanted the Jongin card but the lady only had Sehun left haha--which i'm not complaining about of course.