Rachel was in Kris’s house for the second day out of seven days that they had agreed. She didn’t predict that Kris would come to learn in the second day because he refused to join in the first day. And, Kris learned very well, he asked much like a curious kid. Rachel smiled seeing the diligent Kris, it’s just so different with the Kris that Rachel knew at school, who put no attention at nothing but himself.

“Why are you smiling at me? Found out that I am full of charm?” He smiled proudly.

She giggled and hit his arms, “Eyy~ don’t be so confident. I am just amazed at how excited you are today to learn. Because yesterday you chose to sleep rather than learning.”

He smiled, “I need to change myself into a better person, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He just nodded and wrote again in his notebook, copying the messy notes of Rachel while explaining about Biology. But then he talked again, in a more serious tone.

“You talked with Baekhyun this afternoon.”

“Yes, how can you know that?”

“I saw you talking with him at the canteen.” He stopped writing and looked straight at Rachel. “What did he tell you?”

“Not much. Just about that he was your best friend. Kris, I really don’t get it, why did you leave him? He is a kind guy.”

“He is. But he is too kind for me and it feels so wrong?”

“How can it be so wrong?”

“I couldn’t accept his kindness…” He exhaled heavily as he looked down.

“Kris, at least you should tell him why you left him. He’s hurting.”

“How much did he tell you about us?”

“Like I said, not much. He kept on saying that if he told me more, you would go further from him. I could see him hurting just by looking at his eyes, and his way of telling me about you. It looked like containing pains, he really wants you back as Kris that he knew. Kris, losing a best friend who is still alive is much more painful than losing them by death.”

Kris didn’t answer, he kept on lowering his head, blocking her gaze to his watering eyes with his long bangs.

He felt so wrong for leaving Byun Baekhyun 2 years ago, and he knew that he had hurt Baekhyun. To be honest, he’s hurting too, breaking a 9 years friendship isn’t that easy. But Baekhyun’s act 2 years ago was not acceptable for him, and he couldn’t do anything but ended it up.

Suddenly he felt his right chest hurting, he held on it as if it could decrease the pain. , why now? He cursed silently. He tried to hold the pain but it just getting worse.

“Kris, what’s wrong?” Rachel asked in panic.

“N-no, I- I just need to go, wait here.” He stood up and walked upstairs, rushed to his room and grabbed the mini bottle of pills. He swallowed one pill and tried to breathe normally.

Kris closed his eyes as he slump down beside his bed. He curled up and buried his head to his knees, sobbing hard.

“Why all the bad things come to my life?” He grumbled between his sobs.

Rachel who felt so worry about Kris finally ignored Kris words that she should wait there, she went upstairs and saw Kris in a room. Is he crying?

“Kris…?” She knocked the opened door to make him notice her presence.

Kris stopped sobbing and lifted his head to see Rachel through his blurry eyes. He immediately hid the medicine behind him.

“May I come in?”

He nodded weakly and tapped the floor, asked her to sit beside him.

Rachel walked towards Kris and sat beside him, looking at his depressed figure. It’s just so strange, she usually saw the strong and powerful Kris, not this fragile one that she was seeing at that moment. But what made her feel worse is she couldn’t do anything but looking at him and asking a very ordinary question.

“Can you tell me what happen? Are you sick?”

He shook his head, “No,” and rested his head on her shoulder. “I just need someone to lean on. I just feel… messed up.”

She just kept on silent and letting Kris rested his head on her shoulder, if it could make him feel better. But as the time goes by, the silence was replaced by her loud heartbeat, racing uncontrollably.

Kris giggled, “Your heartbeat, why is it so fast? I could hear it very clearly like your heart is on my ear.”

“I… don’t know.”

“Kris only smiled, “You are cute.”

Those words made her heartbeat ran faster even more, but Rachel kept on convincing herself that it’s not because she had that special feelings. No.

“Don’t compliment me.”

He lifted his head and looked straight to her eyes.

“It’s strange, girls usually like compliment. Why you don’t?”

“Uh…”

He leaned forward and planted a very short kiss on her cheek, made her eyes widened.

“You don’t have to answer, I know you are different.”

He smiled again and stood up, reaching out his hand to help her stand up. She reached his hand with mixed feelings, and it was like she’s going to explode into pieces of flowers.

***

A week had passed, their activity of learning together at Kris’s house made them get closer. Even though some awkward feelings often grew between them because Kris ever planted a kiss on her cheek.

They sat on the school’s garden’s bench at the break time, Kris asked her to accompany him. They didn’t talk at all but Rachel kept on smiling while looking at Kris’s most peaceful face she had ever seen. But finally, she broke the silence because of her curiosity.

“I have never seen you so peaceful like this.” Rachel said, he smiled at her.

“I also do not remember when the last time I feel so peaceful like today was. Maybe because it’s autumn?”

Rachel tilted her head, “Autumn? Your favorite season is autumn?”

“Hmm…” He nodded as he smiled at the falling leaves.

“I like autumn too, but I like winter the most.”

“Winter is cold…”

“But there are so many snows, it’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, snows are cool.”

“Of course.” She retorted brightly.

“Rachel, I know what makes me feel good right now.”

“And what is that?”

“Because I am sitting with you.”

“Eh?” Rachel felt hotness started spreading on her cheek. “Uhm, me too.”

He giggled, “You know, Rachel. I don’t know how my actual feeling is. I don’t want to conclude that I am in love in you. But if I am, I promise you that I would love you until the end.”

She was really amazed by his words, she tried to digest his words to the core, and smiled when she had digested it all. She imagined butterflies flew surrounding her, but suddenly the butterflies flew away when she saw Kris stopped smiling.

---

BAEKHYUN’S POV

I ran as fast as I could, to the school garden where they told me where Kris was. My heartbeat was so uncontrollable, I was sure that my eyes were a bloodshot because they asked me what happened to me when I was asking them where Kris was.

Finally I found him, I found him with the most peaceful expression that I had been missing. I stopped, I didn’t want to ruin his mood, he must be in a very good mood. But… I’ve gotta tell him.

I tapped his shoulder with a shaking hand of mine, “Kris…”

He turned his head, his expression didn’t change at all. He was still smiling, even though he was looking at me, who he had been avoiding.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Your- your parents…”

I saw his smile starts disappearing. I tried to hold back my tears.

“What’s wrong with them?” I heard him trying to keep his voice in a normal tone, but I knew that he was really curious and worry.

“They… they passed away this morning. In a flight back to Korea…”

“Tell me that you are joking…” He trailed off, he breathed irregularly.

“N-no, your cousin called me. I didn’t know how could he get my number, but he said that he couldn’t contact you.”

Kris checked his phone and exhaled heavily, he looked like he’s holding back his tears. But then I saw that liquid rolled down from his eyes. Even Rachel started crying behind him.

“Kris… I feel so sorry about this. Deep condolences…” I tried to arrange my words well between my sobs. I had been close with Kris for 9 years, so of course I knew his parents so very well too. They were kind, but I don’t know why they left Kris for several months without any certain news, Chanyeol told me about that. And Chanyeol said Kris told him about it sadly.

“Thanks…” Kris could only say that before finally turned around to face Rachel. “I… gotta go, Rachel. Thanks for the time.”

Rachel nodded in a great sobs, “Deep condolences, Kris.”

He just nodded and turned back at me, “Are they at home?”

“Yes, your cousin said that they’re brought to home.”

He sobbed again, “You… are you going to go to my home? I cannot drive with this kind of emotion.” He said softly to me, made me recalling when the last time he talked softly to me was.

“Sure, I will drive to your home.”

Kris nodded again, wiped his tears and walked before me, I turned to Rachel “Bye, Rachel.”

“Bye, tell him that I will come after school.”

“Okay.”

***

Since his parents passed away, Kris turned to a very silent guy. In the break time, he stayed at class. Not eating, not going out, and not chatting with friends. It made Chanyeol felt so worry of him.

He had been close with Kris since they were in middle school, together with Baekhyun. But Baekhyun had been close with Kris earlier. Those three were good friends until Kris decided to stop befriending with Baekhyun, which Chanyeol had never known what the reason was.

He also thought that he didn’t know much about Kris, the most private thing about Kris that he knew was only that Kris was sick, but he didn’t know what kind of disease that Kris was suffering. He always drank medicine after eating lunch. And then, how Kris drank his medicine if he didn’t eat his lunch? It really made Chanyeol worry, Kris’s face looks more pale day by day.

“Kris, why don’t you go to the canteen and have your lunch?” Chanyeol asked him the same question for three days already, in every break time.

“I am not hungry.” Kris also gave Chanyeol exactly the same answer to Chanyeol’s question

“Kris, please, don’t you see that I’m worrying about you? Baekhyun and Rachel do too.”

“You guys, there’s no need to worry about me. I am fine.” He smiled bitterly.

Chanyeol snorted. Fine? None of your body parts look fine, even just good. Stupid person.

“I am not stupid.” Kris said as if he could read Chanyeol’s mind.

“You are stupid. Stupid, if you still living your life like this. Your parents wouldn’t be happy seeing you like this.”

“Why not? I would come to visit them soon with my new lifestyle.”

“KRIS!!” Chanyeol yelled, made the entire class went silent, but Chanyeol really didn’t care. He’s already fed up with Kris’s stupid mind. Kris might say that Chanyeol was really stupid in life problem, but Chanyeol finally realized that Kris was more stupid than him.

“DO NOT YELL AT ME!!” Kris raised his hoarse voice. He absolutely looked messed up. Bloodshot eyes, messy hair, hoarse voice. He still looked handsome, though. But this handsomeness was not the good one.

“Why not?? I should yell at you so you can wake up, WAKE UP! You’ve been living wrongly! Now eat!” Chanyeol pulled his wrist and Kris just followed him weakly.

---

“Kris’s birthday tomorrow.” Baekhyun told Rachel as he looked at his phone’s calendar.

“Yeah, but he still messed up like that.” Rachel sighed.

“We should make him feel better.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Do you have any plans?”

“How about having a mini party at his house? But we have to make him at least feel a little bit better today so we could have a good party.”

Between their dialogue, suddenly they heard Kris’s voice from behind.

“You’re going to make a mini party for me?”

“Uh… Kris. Yeah, something like that. What do you think, Kris?” Rachel asked doubtfully, afraid that Kris would be mad since his emotion was unpredictable recently.

But fortunately, Kris smiled. “That would be great. Let’s have a mini party tomorrow.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, didn’t think that Kris would agree, “Kris, really?”

Kris turned to Baekhyun and looked at him, “Baekhyun, I’m sorry for everything. I want to celebrate my birthday with my best friend. Would you forgive me?”

Baekhyun was almost squealing when he heard that, “Kris, really, I have forgiven you since a long time ago. I’m the one who should say sorry, I’m sorry.”

Kris smiled again, “No, it’s okay. I know that you just wanted to help me…”

“Finally you understand…”

“But I will never accept that, Baekhyun. Remember it.”

Baekhyun just nodded. Rachel smiled at them, happy to see them unite again. Tomorrow’s party would be great.

***

HI BABIES!!

Thanks for the comments and subscribes kkk I'm so sorry for not updating on Saturday and Sunday T_T

One more chapter to go and I will post it on Kris's birthday :D

Ah, I will also give you extra chapter if I have time.

To reveal some unrevealed scenes.

Please kindly wait, and I love you!

~MINXIAN~